About Me
My name is Tami and I live in central Illinois with my husband, Larry and three children, Caleb (6), Camden (4) and Emma Grace (2). I hope you'll enjoy reading about my life as a wife/mother and about our family's adventures.
Zoo Scavenger Hunt
For the last day of the summer session of preschool, the boys had a field trip. Since it was also Emma’s birthday, my husband took the day off of work and we all went together. The field trip was to the Miller Park Zoo to go on a scavenger hunt. The boys had been studying different countries this summer, so we were finding animals from different countries. Every team was given a different list of animals to find.
The animals we had to locate were:
- Panamanian Golden Frog (Panama)
- Pallas Cat (Central Asia – Iran to Mongolia)
- New Guinea Singing Dog (New Guinea)
- Burrowing Owl (Canada through South America)
The kids had a great time trying to locate each of the animals on our list. It was a beautiful day and we had perfect weather for our adventure.
Tags: 
preschool, 
field trip, 
Miller Park Zoo, 
scavenger hunt
Bloggy Giveaway (Summer 2008)
It’s that time again and I am so excited about my giveaway. A good friend of mine has just opened her own Etsy store, Barbee Bags and More. Amy makes some really cute bags and girls cross t-shirts.
She has graciously offered to let me giveaway one of her bags. The fabric on this bag is brown with multi-colored bubble circles. It has a coordinating fabric on the inside of the bag and is finished with some funky orange ostrich trim. The bag measures 13.5″ x 13.5″.
The uses for this bag are endless. I use mine for a library bag, supplies for church (coloring books, crayons, snacks) for the kids, diaper bag, travel bag. Amy made one for my daughter, Emma, when she was born last year. This cute zoo animal bag is the one she was given.
To enter this giveaway, leave a comment with a way to get in contact with you. I will be ending the giveaway on Sunday, August 3.
Head on over to Bloggy Giveaways for more great giveaways.
Tags: 
Bloggy Giveaway, 
tote bags, 
Barbee Bags and More
Menu Plan Monday – July 28
Monday – So Easy BBQ Glazed Chicken, sundried tomato parmesan pasta, salad
Tuesday – Church Youth Group fundraiser at Monical’s Pizza
Wednesday – BLT’s, chips, watermelon
Thursday – On Vacation
Friday – On Vacation
Saturday – On Vacation
Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans.
Tags: 
recipes, 
Menu Plan Monday
CSA – Week 10
Here is what we received this week.
- cucumbers
- zucchini
- salad cucumbers
- tomatoes
- carrots
- green pepper
- basil
- red leaf lettuce
- onions
- banana peppers
- 12 ears of sweet corn
Tags: 
CSA, 
community supported agriculture, 
local produce
Happy 1st Birthday Emma!
Wow, has it already been a year since you were born. This first year with you as a part of our family has flown by.
Yours was the only birth that I was awake for and the only one that your father got to witness. What an exciting experience for us. I had a huge smile on my face the entire time and could not believe that I was finally getting to experience one of my children being born.
Some of your favorite things are mommy, daddy, your big brothers (who you adore), being tickled, snuggling and racing to see if you can get to the dog food bowl before anyone notices (YUCK!). Caleb, especially, has a unique bond with you. He wanted a little sister so much and was the first person (besides mommy and daddy) to hold you.
You have 3 teeth and have started saying some words, mama, dada, bye bye, night night and mimi (Milo, the dog). You are not walking yet, but will stand holding onto furniture. You will reach that milestone soon enough.
Today on your birthday, we are going to the zoo and having a special dinner. On Saturday, we will have your 1st Birthday party with family and friends.
Happy 1st Birthday, Emma!
Tags: 
Happy 1st Birthday
Menu Plan Monday – July 21
Monday – Chicken Pot Pie, salad, fruit salad
Tuesday – Hamburger Casserole, steamed green beans
Wednesday – Hot Dogs with the Works, BLT macaroni salad, baked beans, corn on the cob
Thursday – Spaghetti, garlic bread, caesar salad
Friday – Buttermilk Pancakes, maple roasted bacon, fruit salad
Saturday – Breakfast – Muffins, fruit – Dinner – Out with family
Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans.
Tags: recipes, Menu Plan Monday
Fun In the Sun
On Thursday, the kids and I spent the day at my in-laws. My husbands cousin, Mary Kelly, and her two girls, Emily and Grace, were up from Georgia visiting family. Her girls and our boys are the same age and had a great time together.
In the morning the kids swam outside and then my father-in-law grilled out for lunch.
In the afternoon, after we came in from the stifling heat, the kids enjoyed playing with the abundance of Little People toys.
That evening, my husband, along with some more family came to the house and we had dinner and visited. My husband and Mary Kelly realized they have only seen each other three times in the last 10 years. We are going to be going on vacation next year with my in-laws and Sara (sister-in-law). Mary Kelly and her family are going to try and join us in Tennessee.
Emily had a real fascination with Emma all day. She carried her all over the house all day. It was very sweet.
We had a great time visiting with Mary Kelly and her girls and I had a great time getting to know some more of my husband’s family.
Tags: 
family fun, 
swimming, 
cousins
CSA – Week 9
Here is what we received this week.
- squash
- beets
- cucumbers
- pickling cucumbers
- asian eggplant
- garlic
- shallots
- green beens
- green peppers
- onions
- sweet corn
Tags: CSA, community supported agriculture, local produce
Menu Plan Monday – July 14
Monday – Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast, peas, biscuits
Tuesday – Mexican Shells, honey cornbread, salad
Wednesday – Grilled Hamburgers & Hotdogs, corn on the cob, potato salad, baked beans
Thursday – Dinner at the in-laws
Friday – Chicken Pot Pie, salad, fruit salad
Saturday – Breakfast - Apple Oatmeal Coffee Cake, fruit - Dinner – Date Night with hubby
Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans.
Tags: recipes, Menu Plan Monday
Weekend Edition – Art Festival
This weekend was the Sugar Creek Arts Festival in our town that we love to attend every year. We always see some interesting art, watch the entertainment and have some good food. This year there were 170 artists booths to check out in the sweltering heat.
I bought a really cute hand painted dress for Emma for next summer that can also be worn as a top the next year. I also bought this great necklace from an artist, Weener Ware. She makes jewelry made out of recycled bottle caps.
This is similar to what I bought, except mine is a dragonfly. The artist puts mini-pictures in the bottle cap, accents with gems and glitter and pours on liquid resin.
Last week, the boys came home from preschool with t-shirts they made this summer. They had a class picture taken with all of the kids in their shirts. They were so excited to show their daddy when he came home for lunch. Whenever they have a surprise, they always make daddy close his eyes and make a huge production of showing off whatever it is they have made.
Tags: 
Sugar Creek Arts Festival, 
Weener Ware, 
bottle cap jewelry, preschool
Miscellaneous
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