1st day of school, 1st day of school!

We did it! We got them off for the first day of school. I survived, they survived and their lunches made it to school with them. Oh how bittersweet the moment. I know we will get used to it. I know we will have good days and bad. I just can't stand the fact that I am putting my kids in someone else's hands. Is that selfish? I don't really care. I want them back!!! It's okay. I will be fine. Here are the pictures for the grandparents.

Miss Jolie

Mr. Asher

My school children.

My weird children.

I can't remember the name of the school.

Asher's classroom.

And his teacher. She is a doll!

Jolie's locker.

And her wonderful teacher!

This is how we left him

And her.

Our elementary school hopefuls.


Oh my! Pray for my heart cuz it went to 1st and 3rd grade today.

The best invention ever!

So this weekend, I was pretty sure that the air conditioner had to be the best invention ever. Hey, it's true, absence makes the heart grow fonder. And I grew much fonder (what?) of my little frosty friend when he was broken this weekend. However, now that I am sitting in my nice cool house again, I am reflecting on one day last week when my friend Chris called me about some apples. She invited me to join her in picking apples to my heart's content. So we picked and I ended up with a giant basket full of tiny apples.



This sounded like such a good idea before I realized I would have to peel, core and slice all of those little boogers. Luckily, Chris (and our friend Sue)came to the rescue with this lovely little machine.



And to this machine I say...you are my knight in shining and sharp metal! Just look at the way you hold onto the apple.


And the genius way you peel the skin of the apple. You strip only the skin, not the flesh. I could never do such a good job on my own.



Then, as if it were butter, you begin to slice the apple.


See the delicate curl.


A beautiful coil of pie-ready fruit!


This is all that you leave behind. A useless core. (Useless to me, gold to my chickens!)


Apple-skinner-peeler-corer (there has to be a better name) I salute you. You made my life easier. And for that I thank you.

Many apple pie pictures to come!

(And if you think I might be a little obsessive about kitchen tools, you would be right!)

Garden update and new goodies!

We have been busy here! The garden in in full harvest mode. Everything is ripening quickly and tasting so yummy! We have been eating a ton but saving some too. Here are the latest pics!

Purple bell peppers!


Lots of apples means lots of pies!


These carrots were so sweet.


Cucumbers ready to be pickled!


Cucumbers fulfilling their destiny.


Green Zebra Tomatoes are my favorite next to Cherokee Purple.


Ugly little eggplant.


More bell peppers.


Garden view!


Wild grape jelly that my SIL and I made with juice that my MIL juiced! It's a family affair.


Sweet corn from the farmer's market.

Hi-ho, hi-ho, it's to the beach we go!

This is the kid part of the crew we took to the beach.


This is most of what we saw of that kid-crew.


This is my part of the crew. And no, Zaddok cannot take a normal picture.


This is...why hello there handsome.


This is a tight pair!


This is Emmy or Emma Grace or Gracie and this is not her first rodeo. She celebrated her 1st birthday at the beach last year!


This is the sand castle building crew.


This is my sweet little fat baby trying his darnedest to walk in the sand.


This is his Daddy and Grandmolly helping him.


This is called teamwork.


This is my handsome silly Zad-poo


This is my "I should have been born at the beach" Jolie-girl.



This is trouble.


This is Zad coming face to face with the thing that I was afraid might eat me if I went too far out in the water. (I'm not really beach material)


And this is what must happen at least once on a Mullins family vacation. My poor little sick and throwing up baby; the aftermath.

I don't need my husband...

This summer we had to endure our daddy being gone for 4 weeks. It was tough. Mom was tired and impatient but we survived. Even though it took a ton of effort to keep it going, it reminded me of what I used to be capable of. I remembered back in the day, before I was married, I had to do everything on my own. I was very independent and very self-sufficient. So when our daddy was gone we did it all. I didn't need him to mow the yard; I learned to be really fast at it. I didn't need him to take care of the car; I figured it out or found someone to do it for me. I didn't need him to take out the trash; the boys have become excellent at it. I didn't need him to keep the kids; I hired a babysitter or used the help of friends. I didn't need him to dig the crud out of the garbage disposal or change the blow-out diaper; I sucked it up and did it myself. I didn't need him to pay the bills, lock the doors at night, or get me medicine when I had a headache. I just didn't need him at all.

You want to know the biggest thing I learned while he was away? I don't need him but I want him! I want him to be here with every cell in my body. I want his sweet daddy smile and his strong tender hands. I want his crazy sense of humor lightening my emotional load. I want his calmness and his kindness, his love and his affection. I want him as my best friend, the man who would do anything to make me smile. I want him as the person who listens to me and cares about every little dumb thing I want to talk about. I want him as the father to my babies who adores all of their quirks and puts up with all of the frustrations. I want him as the father who tears up just looking at his sleeping newborn. I want him as the father who prays over his children with the fierceness of a warrior protecting his tribe. I want him as the father who is teaching me how to let boys be boys and as the father who is teaching his daughter what to expect from a man who loves her. I want this man in my life!

I used to think that I needed him. It is such a sweet and refreshing thing to know how much I want him. I love you Matthew Vernon!

( Also Honey, even though I did all of that guy stuff on my own while you were gone and I don't "need" you to do it, I really WANT you to do it! Garbage disposals are disgusting, car stuff really confuses me, and doing all of this on my own is for the birds! Love you baby.)

Wonderland 2

I had so many great pictures of our visit to Wonderland that I had to share more!

Waiting for the scrambler to start.

Is it that boring?

Apparently so.

Zad and dad are having fun!

I guess Jolie and Asher are too!

Asher shooting the chute!
Zad has it conquered!
I love the lights of the carousel!


Thanks for sharing our trip with us!