Warning: This will make you laugh, MAYBE!

Let me warn you this is going to make you laugh out of uncomfortable disgust or maybe because you are frightened about what you are reading.

Either way, I could not stop laughing.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1908442,00.html

Don't say I did not warn you!!!

J Simms

Catching Fireflies

Hey brothers look what I caught...

I think they would be a perfect night light???

Pictures from our OKC trip...

Pictures of the Simms Christmas trip 2010.

Oklahoma City Memorial

Front of the OK City Memorial

Reflection pool

ESPN announcers at the Thunder vs. Nuggets NBA game

Kevin Durant

Thunder vs. Nuggets

Excited to see the game.

Deion

Davin

What we complain about...

We complain about the cross we bear but don't realize it is preparing us for the dip in the road that God can see and we can't.

Whatever your cross, whatever your pain,
there will always be sunshine, after the rain....

Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall;
But God's always ready, to answer your call.....

He knows every heartache, sees every tear,
a word from His lips, can calm every fear...

Your sorrows may linger, throughout the night,
But suddenly vanish, dawn's early light...

The Savior is waiting, somewhere above,
to give you His grace, and send you His love....

God promises a safe landing, not a calm passage.

THE SHACK

Ok, so I have just finished a book that has literally changed my life.
The Shack by WM. Paul Young
Wow! This book is about a man who has had some very tough losses in life. Through some extra special events he encounters God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. I will say no more about this book so in case you have not read it, I will not spoil it for you.
The book made me think about my selfishness and my desire for individuality and freedom. I have never once in my life thought that maybe God looks at rules and responsibility as sinful. I have judged so many throughout life. Others motivations, others actoins, others qualities, let alone others actions. In most of my judging I felt justified also. Most of my judgements are superficially based.
This book is an exceptional piece of writing that I would recommend reading. I think I will go start on my second time around, I'm sure I missed some little golden nuggets the first time.

Giveaway Alert!

Click on the link below for a great blog giveaway....

http://itsthelittlethingsthatmakeahouseahome.blogspot.com/

The tears have dried up and we have settled into a routine.

Have I mentioned the start of this school year was very hard for me. Well, it was and now that we have settled into our routine I am feeling much better. I have not updated because I am to busy following other blogs, more on this later. First I want to share the first day of school pictures. (I know, I know it was a month and a half ago but I've been busy people)
This is the kind of picture you get when Daddy has left for work already and your arm is only two feet long and you forget about that feature on your camera that you can set it down push that button and get in your pose before the "snap."

Have I told you it was hard for me to send these boys off to school all day everyday.

Have I told you I miss them everyday.

Have I told you I work just down the hall from them everyday and see them in the hallway and give them high fives at recess and they come to my room 1.2 seconds after the bell rings. That is the best part of the school day.

OK, enough of the mushy stuff. I am following a few blogs, I think I have mentioned this before but just in case you wanted to check out some of the new ones I follow here they are:

http://thepioneerwoman.com/ A gal who married an Oklahoma cattle rancher and lives in the middle of nowhere U.S.A. and loves it, she also homeschools.

http://www.bakerella.com/ A gal who blogs about mostly yummy little desserts.

http://www.theletteredcottage.net/ A couple who is updating there home called "the lettered cottage" very cute and great home decorating ideas.

http://forloveorfunny.blogspot.com/ This blog is just plain funny.

A Day Of Mourning

Today is a day I have been dreading for over 11 years.
Today is a day I want to forget.
Today is a day I don't want to get out of bed.
Today is the last day at home with my 3 boys before they all go to school all day long.
My "Stay-At-Home-Mom" Days are over.
It's worth a good cry, don't you think?

The last 11 years have brought me more happiness and joy than words can express.
Today I am reminded of many of those moments....

Davin's birth - no drugs
Davin using me as his Binkie
Nursing every hour for 16 months
Davin's love for his mama's belly button
Davin getting his hair cut
Davin sleeping though the night for the first time
Davin's love for his green, blue, red, and purple guys
Davin's love for cereal in a baggie
Davin's love for his mama's belly button
Learning how to swim and ride a bike in the same week
Davin's fears about going to Kindergarten
Exploring Dillon Nature Center
Snuggling with Mom after taking brothers to school
Davin's love for "Boomer" the dog
Davin going down the "big" slide for the first time
Davin asking to get baptized
Davin's love for his mama's belly button
Davin climbing in the front yard tree
Painting the sidewalk with water
Davin letting daddy pull out his front tooth
Davin's love for his mama's belly button
Holding hands

Deion's full head of hair
Deion's itty bitty teeny weeny fingers and toes
Deion's infectious giggle
Deion sleeping though the night
Sucking on his toes
Deion's love for taking out the pots and pans and pounding
Deion's giggle
Deion falling asleep in my old doll bed
Deion's first big boy underwear
Wearing Papa's cowboy boots
Deion's contagious giggle
Deion's love for his first scooter
Deion falling asleep in Davin's baby car seat
Front two teeth getting pulled out
Deion's love for his Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Pittenger
Deion's love for basketball
Deion feeding the ducks at Annenberg Park
Deion talking in his sleep
Deion's giggling
Deion's chomping is food
Deion's love of the movie "Space Jam"
Deion's hugs before bedtime
Deion's smile

DaMare's lost Binkies

DaMare's love for mashed carrots

DaMare's first birthday cake all over his face

DaMare's Binkies

Stopping 5 times in one hour road trip to nurse DaMare

The way he fearlessly jumped in the pool at 1 1/2 years old

DaMare's love for his Binkie

DaMare putting on adult shoes and flexing his muscles

DaMare's love of horse books before bedtime

DaMare's love for digging

DaMare running through the Topeka Pumpkin Patch

DaMare's love for Sheridan's Custard

DaMare's love for his Binkies

Climbing GG and Papa's tree

Exploring the MANHATTAN letters

DaMare eating cotton candy and corn dogs at the Riley County Fair

DaMare learning how to ride his bike in GG and Papa's backyard

DaMare's first day of Kindergarten at Bergman Elementary in Manhattan

DaMare's first Afro

DaMare's tears the night before moving to Hutchinson

DaMare staying up until midnight reading Tree House Mystery book series

DaMare singing in the shower

Lord have mercy! Can you imagine what I'm going to be like on DaMare's first day High School or Deion and DaMare's first football game together or the worst of all, Davin's last day of High School. I hope Jesus comes back before that date.

What we eat for dinner...

http://pioneerwoman.com/ has a new addition to her blog. It's called tasty kitchen and you can go to her website to get the link. Wow, this site has lots of great recipes and we tried a new one tonight. I had some left over grilled chicken and corn tortillas so this recipe was perfect. At least go the PW's blog, she is constantly giving things away.... I only made 1/2 this recipe and it was enough for my ravenous boys after football practice!

Easy Taquitos
2 jars Premade Salsa (use The Smaller Jars)
2 cups Shredded Cheese
24 whole 6" Corn Tortillas
2 cans Chicken Stock/broth
1 cup Water (as Needed To Cover Chicken)
1 cup Vegetable Oil
Preparation Instructions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Bring chicken stock/broth to a boil in a large sauce pan or dutch oven. (Use a pan large enough so that the chicken is covered by broth and water.) Add chicken to broth, then add enough of the water to cover the chicken while it simmers.
When chicken is cooked through, remove from heat, drain liquid and let cool for 20 minutes.
While the chicken cools, combine the salsa and cheese in a large bowl. Once the chicken is cooled, shred with food processor (or my method—two forks, two hands!). Add chicken to cheese/salsa mixture and stir to combine.
In a small (6″–8″) pan, heat oil to medium/medium-high. Individually place the corn tortillas in the oil for a few seconds on each side and place on paper towels to dry. Repeat with remaining tortillas until they’re complete.
On a baking tray, spoon 2-3 tbsp of the chicken mixture inside the tortillas and roll. Place seam-side down on a pregreased (Pam!) baking tray. Continue until all are rolled.
Bake for 10–15 minutes until the tops of the taquitos are golden brown. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve and ENJOY!

Three Boys One Cousin Summer Fun

Nothing better than a campout... in a tent... in the basement!

Have I said, "I LOVE these faces!"

And these faces too...

Oppps! Same faces

Dillon Nature Center

Dillon Nature Center is the perfect place to take three brothers and one cousin to on an 85' Wed. afternoon. All the creapy crawly things were out today...

First we ate our sack lunch...
Then brother D and cousin Z braved the Bee Crossing!

I made them all take this picture, the eagle just screamed, "Take a picture with me!"

Cousin Z was so excited about this waterfall he let out a little squeal.

At the top of the little waterfall was a small pool of water. What boy can resist putting their sticky hands in this pool of water?

Have I said I LOVE this boy...

And have I said I LOVE to cuddle this boy...

Walking along the trails we counted birdhouses.

Have I said that I could not live without this boy!

This boys likes to look at creapy crawly things only when they are behind glass...

We made water tornados....

We looked at fossils...

We peaked over into a glass pool of water....

And the flowers, how could I not take pics. of the flowers...

Introducing Lighting McKing...

After 6 years 8 months and 22 days Davin Matthew Simms has mastered riding his bike without training wheels. I know what you all are thinking, "He is almost 7 and just learned to ride a bike?" People, let me remind you this is my baby we are talking about, who on many occasions still crawls up into my lap and wants to be two again. And on this cool, summer, day he has finally thrown off the training wheels and taken to the open road of Wayside Lane.

I promise, cross my heart, I will never, ever, ever, forget this very moment in time...

I am now being summoned to run around the block following him.....
Here we go!

Blogs that are giving goodies away....

http://nikesandponytails.blogspot.com/2009/07/ginormous-july-giveaway.html

http://thepioneerwoman.com/

http://bakerella.blogspot.com/

Crunchy Potatoes

Oh goodness, please forgive me but I just have to try something new... I read all kinds of blogs, some blogs are sentimental moms gushing over the kiddos, other blogs I read are a full time job for the author and they articulate every part of the heart. My blog has mainly been about my kiddos and a few random opinions. I have been inspired by pioneerwoman.com to try something new, so please amuse me and sit back and enjoy this new post.

The cast of characters: Red Potatoes, Olive Oil, Salt, Garlic Salt, Pepper, Chives or Green Onions, Sour Cream, and Cheddar Cheese (the cheese did not make it into the picture)
Begin by bringing pot of water to a boil, and please make sure your pot is as ugly as mine.

Add salt to the water, don't be shy... When water is boiling, add potatoes...Liberally drizzle olive oil on sheet pan or whatever you have. When potatoes are fork tender, drain the water and place potatoes in pan.

Girls here is the fun part, with a potato masher or bottom of cup smash the heck out of'em. Don't flatten them, just get them broke up a bit. If you have a potato masher this makes a fun texture in the potato.

Brush them with olive oil...

Sprinkle with garlic salt, don't skimp people, potatoes need salt...

Sprinkle with pepper....

Sprinkle with chives (I used dried chives) or green onions....

Bake in a 450* oven or 20 - 25 minutes....

Entertain your kids b/c it's almost 8pm and they are starving....

Have I mentioned I love these faces!

When potatoes are brown and crunchy and yummy looking take them out and call all the troops to wash up.

Let the kiddos sprinkle with cheese and scoop on the sour cream.

MMM! MMMMM!

My boys are easy to please...

Now go forth and make this little slice of heaven.