Christmas 2012

What a wonderful Christmas!  I have to be honest & tell you that my favorite gifts were the handmade ones!!  

My favorite...for sure!  Hands Downs!!  Little House on the Prairie puppets made by my children!  We are currently reading this series & have all fallen in love with the Ingalls Family (again)!  

Handmade sock puppets for Alvin to use when he tells the kids bedtime stories.

A special handmade ornament given to us by some very special friends!!

My favorite handmade gifts!!!

And an obligatory family image on Christmas morning!!

Runaway!

Everyone knows that during an extended school break, i.e. Thanksgiving, there will be stresses...enough stress to make you want to runaway from it all!  Luckily, his sister was there to capture that moment!

His trusty wagon loaded with all his worldly belongings and necessary survival gear.

This boy is at his wits end!

Man's best friend must come along!

Loaded up!

There they go - a boy & his dog.

~Happy Thanksgiving 2012 ~

~ Amos 1st Gig! ~ 2012 ~

What an exciting day! Our school had it's annual Fall Festival and part of the festivities include a Coffee House with live music. Both of my boys played a 1/2 hour set and man was it exciting! I don't remember ever being a prouder Mama!!  I love that last image because I'm pretty sure his Dad doesn't remember a prouder moment either!!

Warm Chicks

 This is why our chickens are so good to us...we take extra special care of them!  I love the feet hanging out of her jacket!

Eggs!

Nothing too eggs-citing (couldn't resist!)...just some eggs our girls have given us!

Praying Mantis

This little guy/gal was hanging out on our truck yesterday!   These are the coolest creatures

Living with Kids...Lingenfelter Style...

There is this blog I regularly look at with a weekly feature called "Living with Kids" that highlights a family and their home.  As I looked through the most recent post and then looked back up at my living room I was compelled to share the truth...what Living with Kids looks like in the Lingenfelter home.

 Granted, I'm pretty sure that the lady of the house featured spent hours cleaning, arranging and then perfectly lighting her house.  But let's be honest here...do I really need posts like these to make me feel any more uncomfortable with my housekeeping skills?  It isn't like I don't try - trust me, regardless of what my husband may think, I do try, all the freakin' time.  But then my kids decide to make tents and hideouts in the middle of my living room and insist on leaving them there for the next few days.  Knowing that they spent hours making this space and (here's the kicker) how quietly and nicely they played together, I don't have the heart to take them down.  And honestly, letting them build tent city gives me a moment or two of peace & quiet and a break from refereeing the two of them.  

Thanks Design Mom for trying to inspire me...but let's be real here!

~ Flag Bearer ~

My boy was the flag bearer on Grandparents Day this year. Such an honor!  Such a privilege!  Of course, these were taken back in March...better late than never, right?

Rose Ceremony ~

I know we don't look old enough to have a 1st and 3rd grader...but it's official!  We do!  Cute ones to boot!

Vacation!!

Oh, we had such a great week away!!  More images to follow!

~ House Proud ~

My kids accompanied me on a volunteer project with House Proud an Atlanta non-profit that provides repair work on homes  belonging to elderly folks.  They host a huge party once a year where they gather national sponsors and work on 6-7 homes in one morning.  For the 2nd year in a row they asked if I would document the event for them...I gladly obliged!  I love toting my kids along with me to events like these.  I think it's important for them to see people volunteering and giving of themselves.  P 

Father's Day!

Happy Father's Day to the best chicken keeper out there! 

Not a Rooster...

It's been a while since I posted a "I love this kid so much!" post - so here goes... I love this child of mine so much!! She makes me feel like the luckiest Mama on the planet!

Worried...

that these two fine ladies...might not be ladies...

~ Magic Elixir ~

Last week I had a sick girl on my hands...high fever & just all around feeling like $#!T!!  As you can probably guess I'm not one to pass up the opportunity to photograph my children (sick or not).  Without further ado I give you what I like to refer to as "the Magic Elixir."

This one really breaks my Momma heart!

Getting a little annoyed with her Mom!

 

Proof!  She is sick!

 

Downing the Magic Elixir...

  
15 minutes later...Ta-Da!!