The last of Disney, I promise.

My tips:

#1.  RideMax.  Hands down the best $30 spent on our whole trip.  This is a computer program you can download....somehow it knows the crowd level of every Disney park for every single day of the year.  So, you input your Disney days and it will tell you which park to go to on which day.  AND furthermore, you input which rides you want to ride and how many times you want on each ride...and it will tell you the order and times to go to each ride so that there won't be a wait.  Honestly and truly, we didn't wait more than 5 minutes for any ride.  Even when the "big rides" had standby wait times of 2 hours, we could walk right on.  DO IT.

#2.  AAA.  A friend told me to join AAA so that we could park in the Diamond parking lots, which are THE front row of parking.  This is especially nice when you realize how vast and expansive the Disney parking lots are.  So, even though we had already booked our trip through Disney, I joined AAA and then called them to ask about the Diamond parking.  They had Disney transfer our reservations to be AAA reservations...which meant we got the Diamond parking, a whole slew of coupons, AND Disney refunded us $300 on our trip.  Nice.

#3.  Arrive early.  Seriously, be waiting at the gate when the park opens.  You'll get more done in the first 2 hours than the whole rest of the day before the crowds start pouring in...(and it's cooler!)

Animal Kingdom

Disney is a hard place to take pictures!  Unless you're posing, there are really no good photo ops in my opinion.

 waiting outside of Dinosaur for the rest of our crew (who were tall enough to ride!)

Tuesday we headed to Animal Kingdom.  Highlights of our day included the Safari, The Finding Nemo show, and Expedition Everest (but not so much for Roundabout!), but not Dinosaur.  As I was waiting with Curvy Road outside of the ride to do the Parent Switch Pass, I had a slight inkling that the ride wasn't going to be a favorite of our kids when I saw every other kid come out of there bawling.  I ended up not going on it either.

We remembered Kilimanjaro Safaris from our last Disney trip and we loved it then.  Still loved it this time!  Pretty amazing wildlife on this beautiful Earth.

Grandpa was the super hero every day of our trip.  Between his antics, stroller derby riding, and his iPhone apps and movies, he kept the kids well entertained.  Green Light especially took to him...and soaked in every single second of their time together. Quite Literally.

We had wished to see The Lion King show while we were there, but the kids were just too tired by the end of our list.  Evidence of tired kids?  Curvy Road fell asleep during his nightly personal scripture study.

All in all, it was an awesome day!  Love Animal Kingdom!  The Birds of Flight show was really cool, Nemo was a must-see, and Expedition Everest was one of the most exhilarating rollercoasters I've been on.  Awesomeness.

Rainy, rainy MONDAY.

So, our plan all along was to leave Sunday night to drive through the night to get to Orlando.  The goal was to have the kids sleep all night in the car...and I'm proud to say that it worked!  We had three drivers since Scott's dad was able to come with us and we took turns sleeping (I never actually drove!).  It RAINED all the way to Florida.  In fact, we left North Carolina in the middle of a tornado on the ground.  Scary!  We got to Disney at around 5:30am and were so lucky to be able to check into the *only* empty cabin at that hour.  Check-in wasn't supposed to be until 3pm, but we got a place and unpacked and then headed to the Magic Kingdom. 

Let me say it again...it was pouring!  We pulled out our Disney ponchos that we were forced to buy on our last trip to Disney because we weren't prepared for the rain.  They didn't help much...we still got drenched!  BUT...it was totally worth it to be in the park during a downpour because there was seriously no one else there.  We rode every single ride that we wanted to as many times as we wanted and we were *done* by mid-morning which was just about the time that the rain let up and people started pouring into the park.

The kids were enamored by everything!  Cinderella's castle, Dumbo, cotton candy, shops, the ponchos, the rollercoasters, Small World, Grandpa being with us, 3D shows, just everything was so magical to them (except for Curvy Road's fear of big Goofy characters!)

We went back to our cabin, changed into dry clothes, set out our dripping shoes in the sun to dry, and took a nap to take advantage of the park again in the afternoon.  Day 1 was a huge success, but I realized early on that I had forgotten how tiring a fun vacation is!

This trip marked the first time that our kids were tall enough for a roller coaster.  We tried Big Thunder Mountain railroad first.  Green Light LOVED it, Roundabout wasn't a fan.  Then Splash Mountain...Green Light LOVED it, Roundabout hated it.  Back to Big Thunder Mountain...Green Light couldn't get enough; it was growing on Roundabout.  It turned out to be one of her favorites by the end, but it did take some time for her to settle in that she did actually have fun on it.

A big surprise!

3 years ago, we ventured out with our two little ones to the Happiest Place on Earth.  It was magical and hasn't been forgotten.  Memories have been conjured up and the little ones have begged and begged to return. 

Tickets were purchased.  Vacation days taken.  But I couldn't think of a way to surprise the little ones with our next adventure to Disney.  And then it hit me.  We'd have our traditional Saturday-whole wheat-pancakes-Disneyfied!

Most Saturdays, the kids are so excited to wake up and play with each other that we make the pancakes and then call them away from a complicated pirate-turned-Barbie-make-believe-world.  So...when they came down to see Mickey pancakes, the questions started flying.  Why?  When?  What?

But Curvy Road's reaction shows the excitement very best....

I'm Fond of You, fondue!

Last New Years Eve, I had a brother and a sister over for fondue for celebration time. It was so yummy and I've thought about it numerous times in 2009. I seriously could not wait until it was New Years Eve again to tickle my taste buds once more.

For Christmas this year, I received an electric fondue pot from my parents...just in time for the par-tay. We had my parents over on New Years and we fondued.

SO delicious. Every last bite of it.

Chicken. Cheese. Chocolate.

one very content fondue connoisseur

colorful fruit and vegetables

crusty French bread

chicken and bell pepper over boiling broth

a melty mess of chocolate!

Chicken:
Pure chicken broth
Bite-sized chicken pieces
assorted vegetables

Cheese:
3/4 cup milk
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
3/4 cup Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon garlic salt
1 loaf French bread, cubed

Chocolate:
16 ounces milk chocolate
2/3 cup heavy cream

So delicious, but so unhealthy...can only be served once a year here! Makes for a great tradition! ;)

the rhyming stanza.

Tucker Family News:
2009 edition

With all the festivities of 2008,
We didn’t pen our poem so great.

So back with tradition in 2009,
The rhyming stanza is back and that’s a good sign!

This year has been awesome
And one that we’re glad has finally to us come.

It’s been a year that could be characterized by change.
Our experiences have really been quite the range.

In February, after many months filled with tears,
We pulled our Roundabout out of Kindergarten and decided to homeschool for the rest of the year.

Our experience was far from the expected.
We loved every minute together and enjoyed the curriculum that we carefully selected.

In March, we all celebrated as the kids gained a new aunt.
Uncle Gary married Sarah; and for that, we won’t rant.

Dr. Tucker received his Masters degree.
An Orthodontist at last; bringing his number of higher education degrees to three.

2009 was finally the year to search for a job.
We feel incredibly blessed; our school years we left behind with a sob.

For jobs, we searched high and we searched low.
We searched far and wide in this great state, but exactly where we would end up we just didn’t know.

Sometimes life deals you the unexpected.
Straight Arrow was offered a job at Wake Forest University that we just couldn’t have rejected.

A clinical position 4 days of the week and an academic appointment made the offer just so sweet.
Straight Arrow is loving his work and that, you just can’t beat!

So out of Married Student Housing/ Baity Hill did we leave.
Dear Chapel Hill and our friends near and dear we did grieve.

We packed our things and looked for a place to move.
We made an offer on a gem of a foreclosure; a drawn out process it did prove.

But in the end, when we closed on our home,
All the stress seemed worth it for a house from which we never wish to roam.

New friends we did seek;
We felt a warm welcome in our new ward the first week.

Home improvements, yardwork, and cleaning became our new routine.
Beautiful wildlife, both flora and fauna, became our new scene.

Our first square-foot garden was planted.
Squash, tomatoes, and basil; such bountiful goodness from it to us was granted.

The warm summer was fabulous; we had friends come as guests.
Even Grandpa Tucker came all the way from the West.

The beach, eating strawberries, catching frogs, and tractor riding;
Just a few of our summer adventures in which we were gliding.

August slipped up on us before we knew it.
And school enrollments now seemed to be the right fit.

Roundabout began attending in the First Grade.
Her teacher we love and a better experience for which we had prayed.

She expanded her horizons and began gymnastics and swim team.
Her second place ribbon in the butterfly stroke really made her face beam.

Green Light began preschool at a tumbling gym.
New friends and activities has made him happy to the brim.

He loves to learn new things, especially the ability to read.
He is a cheerful helper to have around indeed.

Curvy Road has grown by leaps and bounds.
His smile is contagious and he is an absolute joy to be around.

His loves are cars, balls, fish, and trains.
A smart boy he is, though he keeps his words contained.

Share the Road has enjoyed decorating our home and crafting new things.
Still thrifty at heart, she loves seeing what kind of deals she can swing.

Straight Arrow keeps busy at work by day.
By night, with the kids he loves to play.

For all our blessings this year, we feel truly blessed.
We’ve received more than we ever would have guessed.

Our friends, they are scattered this country abroad.
To hear from you all, or even better, a visit to us we would laud!

We still keep a blog to keep in touch with both family and friend. http://tellitwithpictures.blogspot.com welcomes you to attend!

We are so grateful now for our blessings galore;
For our family, our friends, but most of all, our Savior.
To him, we are forever in debt
For all the things that for us he beget.
May we all enjoy this Christmas season
And never forget that we celebrate for Christ, the reason.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Gifts that...

knocked their socks off!

As a tradition in our family to help keep us centered on the true meaning of CHRISTmas, we give 3 gifts to our children. Santa fills their stockings and gives a big family gift. Then, they receive three gifts to represent gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Gold; a prized and much desired gift. Frankincense; something that can be shared/enjoyed with another family member such as a game. Myrrh; something practical and useful.


Who'd have thought that Scotch tape would make a 6 year old's heart go pitter patter? Well, it does. All 6 rolls of it. A down comforter to keep her toasty all night long. Game: RushHour Jr.! It's FABULOUS and I can't say enough good things about it. Barbie dual-carriage-and-hot-air-balloon made it's way as the Gold gift. A snowy pillowcase from Aunt Wendy. Loves her fuzzy socks and Tinkerbell outfit from Grammy. Has worn blue glitter in her hair everyday since Christmas.


This boy made out with Hot Wheels in his stocking along with Nerds flavored chapstick. Loves his guitar from Uncle Gary and Aunt Sarah. He's stayed in bed later than ever before under his warm down comforter that's already smeared with purple Nerds chapstick. Gold gave his the Playmobil medieval castle. He's taken very good care of it and is uber-protective of it from his younger brother. Has worn his Cars socks every day since. Also a fan of RushHour, but loves Zingo! even more! Received the entire "Brown Sugar" bear family from Grammy and has been playing house with the Sugar fam.


The youngest still wasn't quite sure what was going on. He awoke long after everyone else had torn open their gifts and was groggy even then. Still though, he saw a few things he loved. A dump truck and front loader for the indoor sandbox: gold. Cars. Color Wonder! Tigger. A down comforter for him too! Warm footy-jams. A school bus in the stocking. And the classic wooden hammer toy.

O, Christmas Tree....

number 2. What seemed to fill up our teeny apartment for years is now a shrimp in the corner now. It has sentimental value though. And so we're using it now for our Memory Tree. As tradition dictates, each year we add one new ornament to our collection that is unique to our family's experiences that year. This year: our first home. This tree is the bearer of such memories.



A sneak-peak at years past:
2000-the Raleigh, NC LDS temple where we were married and sealed together for time and all eternity. Isn't that beautiful?
2001-BYU where we gracefully graduated with Bachelors degrees, Straight Arrow graduating with a 4.0 GPA, Summa Cum Laude, and the Valedictorian of his college!
2002-A tooth representing the journey we were embarking upon
2003-"K" for our firstborn child; a beautiful daughter
2004-an electric guitar as a memory of our brother, Brandon, who passed away
2005-"D" for our second born child; a wonderful son
2006-UNC Tarheels; the institution that made the husband a Doctor of Dental Science
2007-Mickey Mouse reminding us of fun times at Disney
2008-"C" for our third born child; a handsome son
2009-our beautiful home and another UNC Tarheels that granted a Masters and a Certificate of Orthodontics!

Elf on the Shelf.

I've dreamed of him since last year. But I waited.
And today, delivered and hand-stamped straight from the North Pole was delivered a very magical box addressed to the Tucker children. Inside, the Official Seal of the North Pole sealed up it's contents. The contents: the elf on the shelf. Seriously, the greatest little guy ever!



The kids were abuzz as they opened the box. As they looked inside, they were perplexed. Why would Santa send us an elf?? But as I read the book and the story enclosed, it all made sense and their excitement rose. Santa instructed them to name the elf, submit it in the Official Book of Elves at the North Pole, and then the elf would become magical. He observes the good deeds each day and reports back to Santa at the North Pole each night returning before daybreak. Each morning upon return, he finds a new place to perch for the day. Simply ingenious.

The two oldest threw out elf names left and right: Eddie, Freddie, Elfie, Balthazar...until they agreed on Fisbee. Fisbee the elf. We left him on the mantle in the living room while we penned his name in the official elf book. And when Roundabout went back down to check on him, he was gone. He had moved. She made way up the stairs faster than ever before and the look on her face was priceless; "He IS magical. He's gone!" Later, we found him on the other mantle in the Keeping Room, just happily watching the goings and comings of our family.

And so, each of us is going out of our way to show kindness. The compliments were flying all evening long. Letters were written to Santa and carefully placed by Fisbee for him to take back to the North Pole tonight. The wonderment of Christmas is here. Fisbee will our guest until Christmas Eve; a guest I warmly welcome to our home.

A new tradition was born here today. If you have little ones, you've gotta check him out.

An adventure in camping.

Ooey Gooey Goodness on a Stick. Loved these telescoping roasters from Target. And yes, that is Straight Arrow roasting around the campfire in a tie. (In his defense, he did come straight from work.)


All in action.
Straight Arrow and Curvy Road. Roundabout with her smooth river rock. Green Light with his trusty fan tossing pebbles for a splash. Paddle boatin'. Sinking kisses on chubby cheeks. Self Portrait. A boy can find a mess if there's one around. Monkey girl.


Absolute Delight.
Delight in this wonderful family of mine. Delight in this breathtaking view of mine. Delight in the pleasure is was to meet with Sister Beck of the General Relief Society Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Delight in an abundance of blessings that my Father in Heaven has afforded me.


Fun was had by all.

Birthday: Take Two.

No birthday is complete without an all-out family celebration. Since we had her friends party a few days before her actual birthday, she was very excited to have Uncle Gary, Aunt Sarah, Grammy, and Grampy come over for her prized birthday dinner and dessert.

Of all the different foods a girl could choose from for her birthday cuisine, this six-year-old chose Corn Chowder and Salad. See, I told you that she's amazing!

And for dessert, she's been drooling over a German Chocolate cake since she saw Straight Arrow's back in February.



And now let's set the story straight on who enjoyed every last bite of their cake....

Lucky, lucky you!

Although the way St. Patrick's Day is celebrated in America makes no sense to me, it's still so fun to shake things up a bit! The kids were so excited this morning...almost as excited as Christmas. Serious. (And that's a bit embarrassing!)

After scouring the town last night for a sneaky leprechaun, I came up empty handed except for one small garden gnome that I found in the gardening section of the drug store. There's nothing a new coat of paint can't do, right? The remainder of the night was spent repainting the spring-welcoming gnome into a
You see, I couldn't let the imagination of two little munchkins down. After all, Roundabout had spent the majority of the afternoon hand sewing a blanket to serve as a enticing lure to the trap she and Green Light designed. When I returned from my outing, the kids were tucked snugly into bed and outside of their bedroom door, I found this

That little mischievous leprechaun wreaked all sorts of havoc around the homeplace. Things like...dumped out toys bins, scattered laundry, overturned chairs, a piano bench on top of the entertainment center, a gallon of green milk, but most surprising of all to the munchkins...

It was a day full of surprises. Luckily, the that little green guy did manage to fill our shoes with plenty of gold-wrapped goodies before he fell fast asleep under the hand-sewn green platchwork blanket in the "leprechaun trap". He slept there all night until one unsuspecting soul quietly opened the lid of the trap and "actually saw him alive and sleeping in there". She slowly closed the lid back, used the bathroom (and subsequently found the green toilet water), and then prepared to capture him with her hands. Just as I had warned her about leprechauns, that sneaky guy froze as soon as he realized that a person had spotted him.

She carried the "frozen leprechaun" around all morning, admiring his green as grass features, noticing his gold belt buckle, and even wondering why there was a gold "Made in China" sticker stuck to the bottom of his foot. (Oops!) Quick on my feet, I replied that he must of stepped on a sticker on his way in last night.

I coaxed her into getting herself dressed for the day, which required that she put the miniature green guy down for a split second. And would you ever guess that when she freed him from her little hands and took her eyes off of him for a split second while pulling a shirt over her head, he escaped!

Our apartment was searched over, the hallway was scoured, but he was nowhere to be found. Maybe next year he'll be back. Meanwhile, we enjoyed a smokin' hot Short Stack O' Shamrocks for breakfast, a Good Luck-y Charms snack, a completely green lunch, and the traditional Corned Beef and Cabbage for dinner.

Just for kicks, here's a little recipe (thanks to Miss Betty Crocker) to go into the stash...

Peanutty Good Luck Snack
4 cups Lucky Charms cereal
1 cup peanuts
1 cup Reeses Pieces candy
1 cup yogurt covered raisins

Mix and enjoy!

Think Green.

My Leprechaun To-Do List...

• Finish collecting green edibles (green cabbage, green beans, green jello, green pudding, green celery, green marshmallows, green yogurt)
• Get ready to make a rainbow cake (white cake mix, food coloring, vanilla pudding, and Sprite) (image of cake courtesy of http://www.omnomicon.com/rainbowcake)
  
• 
• Green food coloring to dye milk and toilet water
• Turn over the furniture tonight for Leprechaun mischief
• Rolos to leave in the kids shoes
• Box of Lucky Charms for breakfast, of course
• 
• Make a leprechaun trap with the kids
• Help Roundabout finish sewing her sneaky leprechaun blanket to lure him into the trap
• Make the kids a green lunch
• Prepare the corned beef, cabbage, and red potatoes for the crockpot
• Make some yummy Lucky Charms trail mix with the kids (Lucky Charms, yogurt covered raisins, peanuts, and Reeses Pieces)
• Catch a Leprechaun in the trap after children are tucked snugly into bed
  
• Exercise a little extra tonight for some Key Lime Yogurt Pie tomorrow

Call it a party! The excitement never ends around here. ;)

8 Week Meal Plan

The Famous, Delicious, Tried and True 8-Week Rotating Meal Plan

I've had a few friends ask me for a copy of my meal plan...so, here it is. I can't claim it'll work for your family, but it does for mine.

**A few disclaimers**
--This is a constant work in progress. I take out meals and put new ones in occasionally, depending on my family's tastes. We might insert a new recipe here and there and take out one's that aren't our absolute favorites.
--Leave me a comment if you want any of the individual recipes.
--We have four Sunday meals that we rotate through that are Crockpot meals. It makes for a stress-free Sunday for me.
--We often have Homemade Pizza on Friday nights.
--There are only 6 recipes per week to allow for a Leftover night so that we aren't wasting food.
--I have put an asterisk by the meals that I usually double and then freeze half for another night.
--If something doesn't make sense, just ask!

**Week 1**
Beef Stew
Chicken Pesto Pasta*
Crockpot Chicken Fajitas
Black Bean Soup
Homemade Pizza
Russian Chicken

**Week 2**
Chili and Sweet Cornbread
Italian Chicken and Potatoes
B.L.A.T Wraps
Corn Chowder
Black Bean Lasagna*
Chicken Cordon Bleu

**Week 3**
Chicken Supreme
Fiesta Chicken Pasta Salad
Philly Cheese Steak Sandwich
Oriental Chicken Salad
Quiche*
Chicken Roll-ups*

**Week 4**
Beef Stew
Tator Tot Casserole*
Chicken Enchiladas*
Chicken Broccoli Cheddar Soup
Homemade Pizza
Picadillo Stuffed Pepper Casserole*

**Week 5**
Chicken Pie*
Hawaiian Haystacks
Navajo Tacos
White Chicken Chili*
Vegetarian Chili
Hamburgers and Fries

**Week 6**
Chili and Cornbread
Creamy Pesto Pasta
Italian Chicken Wraps
Creamy Tomato Soup
Zucchini Casserole
Smothered Sweet Pork Burritos*

**Week 7**
Beef Stew
Peanut Butter Noodles
Dinnertime Quesadillas
Chicken Noodle Soup
Homemade Pizza
Cashew Chicken

**Week 8**
Spaghetti
Bowties with Palomino Sauce
Garden Vegetable Soup
Taco Salad
Chicken Piccatta
Lasagna*

**Extras for Substituting recipes that are out of season or just plainly not wanted that week**
Stuffed Shells*
Chicken Pot Pie*
Spinach Orzo
Potato Soup
Vegetable Lasagna
BBQ*
Grilled Chicken Pita Pockets

Tucked right into tradition.

Well, Merry Christmas to you! I've been thoroughly enjoying my time with Straight Arrow and Roundabout on vacation from school. We've had some cozy family days and I've loved every minute of it.

We had a wonderful Christmas...all except for the fact that although I videoed the happenings, I actually forgot to take pictures. I was so excited last night that I could hardly sleep. You'd think I am five years old again awaiting the arrival of Santa, lying wide eyed and still in bed hearing every simple noise, wondering if Santa's reindeer had pulled onto the rooftop. Nonetheless, I was very excited for my children and to see their excitement so much so that I enjoyed the moment without the camera in hand...on accident, of course. Tragedy.

And since I don't have a slew of pictures for your viewing, I may as well take up your time some other way. How about tradition?

1. Santa: Santa leaves family gifts that can be used by all and fills our stockings to the brim.

2. Each family member then receives three gifts to represent gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The "gold" gift is the big, desire gift of the season. Of the other two gifts, one is a practical item and the other is an item that must be used with someone else to be enjoyed (such as a game).

3. We have Stuffed French Toast on Christmas morning. It's perfect because it can be made beforehand and and either stored in the fridge or frozen if made well in advance. It takes 1 hour to bake, just the perfect amount of time to bake while we are exchanging gifts. It leaves me free to not be rushing to make a yummy breakfast on Christmas morning.

4. We purchase 1 ornament each year that represents something about our family for that year. This year, we added Rest Area's initial to the tree! We sure are grateful for him!

5. We choose one person or family each year to secret Santa. We try to choose someone in need or someone who might be lonely or otherwise sad this season. Ultimately (hopefully next year!) we will anonymously give someone the 12 days of Christmas.

6. We have a wooden candy cane on the tree that is hidden by Santa. The first to find it opens the first gift.

That's all I can think of right now...but I can think of a few things I'd like to begin as traditions as soon as we're settled...in a house.

--I'd like to have a tradition of eating fondue on Christmas Eve night.
--I'd like to open one gift of pajamas on Christmas Eve.
--I read of someone else's tradtion that I really liked. They have a large collection of Christmas books and movies. After Christmas, they individually wrap each of their books and movies and pack them with their decorations. When Christmas rolls around the next year, they get to open one book or movie each day as sort of a 30 day advent activity in the month of December. I think it would be so fun for the kids to rediscover some holiday related books and movies!
--I'd like to find an advent calendar that fits the bill of what I'm looking for. (I'm not sure what I'm looking for, but I know I haven't found it yet!)
--I'd like to have two trees; one for our Memory Ornaments and one for fancier themed decorating.
--I want an Elf on a Shelf. "At our home the elf would arrive around the holidays, usually at Thanksgiving. His sole responsibility was to watch my children's behavior and report it to "Santa" each night. The next morning after the children awoke, they discovered the elf had returned from the "North Pole" and was hiding in a different place. My children would race each other out of bed to try and be the first to spy him in his new position."

Just to name a few!

Tradition.

I believe in tradition.
I believe that tradition makes stronger families.
I believe that tradition creates fun family memories lasting a lifetime.
And so, we've added a a new family tradition this year. You can add it to your family, too!

Autumn is my favorite time of year. I love Thanksgiving. I love the opportunity that we have to give thanks to the myriad of blessings that our Heavenly Father has given us and continues to bless us with on a daily basis. When we stop and think about the wonderful blessings that God has afforded us, it is no secret that God truly loves us, He knows us, and showers blessings upon us. So, while October is the month of Halloween anticipation, I welcome the first day of November to begin really focusing on a month full of Thanks and Giving.

This year in an effort to help every member of our family remember not only remember our bounteous blessings, we also are focusing on giving. I printed off two bare trees for each member of our family. Every evening starting November 1, we will each write something we are thankful for on a leaf to put on our Thanks tree. On another leaf, we will write one thing that have done that day to serve or give to others. We'll place it on our Giving tree. Serving can be as simple as sharing a toy, smiling at someone, giving a compliment to someone, or even writing a kind note.

I know that this tradition will help us all realize just how wonderful life really is. It will cause our hearts to be filled with gratitude for the tender mercies that Heavenly Father blesses us with. It will also help us to be more aware of our surroundings in Thanks and Giving. It will also help open our eyes to the endless service opportunities that we have around us to help spread kindness and goodness to others.

**I meant to post the link of where I saw this idea so that you could all use it if you wished! By the time I typed up the post, I must have forgotten. So, here it is!
http://chocolateonmycranium.blogspot.com/2008/10/thanks-and-giving.html

Fair weather Fans.

One of my favorite things instilled in me by my dad is the North Carolina State Fair. It's a huge ordeal in North Carolina, something that must be attended each and every year. Straight Arrow and I have mused ourselves every year for a long time and this year was no different. Without further adieu, here are the North Carolina State Fair Top Ten (but in no particular order):

10. Enough "Deep Fried" to give yourself a heart attack on the spot
We only indulged ourselves with one of the many picks: A deep-fried Snickers candy bar. It's really quite delightful compared to some of the other sights we saw. I really have no desire to have deep-fried PB&J, Pecan Pie, Pickles, Twinkies, Cheeseburgers, Oreos, Green Tomatoes, or Mac&Cheese. I'm just not feeling it, folks. The signs say "It's a Southern Thing!", but I'm here to say that I was born and raised in the South...and it's NOT a Southern thing!

9. A Delightful (and Expensive) Carousel ride
There's nothing special about fair rides that should make them so darn expensive...but they are anyway. But in the end, what's $4 when it makes your little girl feel special?

8. Reassurance that your family is indeed "normal"
There's many sights to see at the State Fair if you're a people-watcher. Yes, many. We'll just leave it at that. I am happy to say that I have a beautiful and quite normal family.

7. Maple Cotton Candy
If you haven't tasted it, then you probably missed one of THE best parts of the fair. Normal pink and blue cotton candy will taste disgusting to you after you've tasted this stuff. It's part of what brings me back to the fair each year! Seriously! It's made from real Vermont Maple syrup. Yum...

6. Magic Show
We ran into a kids magic show along the way. The kids loved it and the magician was really quite talented! Roundabout was enthralled with the many tricks this guy had up his sleeve.

5. Baby Blue Eyes!
I know I posted this picture a few days ago, but I love it. And so, you get it again!

4. Pirate's Obstacle Course
Green Light was not interested in the Carousel, but quickly spotted something for himself. What little 3-year old Pirate-lover could turn down a pirate adorned rope ladder, obstacle course, plank-walk, and the biggest slide he's ever seen? Not this one. He loved it so much that he went twice!

3. Pickles!
Straight Arrow is not a fan, but the rest of us are! It's a rip-off, I know, to pay .50 for a pickle. But I can never resist the Mt. Olive pickle stand. I love the Plain Dill ones!

2. The smells
Other than the cigarette smoke you will encounter, the smells of all of the food is very enticing! Yes, it may give you a heart attack on the spot, but perhaps it's worth it for your once a year fair experience? We've had Giant Turkey legs in the past that are tasty, but we passed them up this year in the name of our health.

1. A fun family tradition!
It's something that we look forward and will start to be a great tradition our children can look forward to also.

As most of you know, I have used sign language with my children since birth. We have learned so much together from the DVD series, Signing Time! It has proven itself to be a wonderful blessing in our lives, especially with Roundabout. Because she learned to communicate and express herself so well through sign language, she became a much more pleasant child to be around. I was a true believer when Green Light came and so we didn't hesitate in teaching him to sign also. Now we're up to Rest Area and I am excited for him to be able to communicate with us in a few short months!

I am excited because Signing Time is releasing two new Baby Signing Time DVDs in October. They are having a contest to give away copies, and I thought I would pass along the info. You can sneak a peak at the Baby Signing Time previews online here. Also, take a look at the Baby Signing Time blog contest here! It would be fun to win them!



They also just redesigned their website and are holding a scavenger hunt with a $1000 prize, so make sure you check that out while you are previewing the new videos. Now, go at it!!