About Me
My name is Tami and I live in central Illinois with my husband, Larry and three children, Caleb (8), Camden (7) and Emma (4). I hope you'll enjoy reading about my life as a wife/mother and about our family's adventures. What I’m Reading
Meeting the Lincolns
Last weekend, we took the kids to Springfield to visit Lincoln’s Tomb and the Abraham Lincoln Museum. This was one of the things from our summer fun list.
Our first stop was the tomb.
The boys were fascinated with all of the statues of Abraham Lincoln in the tomb. They were very good and understood the need to be quiet and respectful.
Going through the tomb did not take long and then we headed to the museum.
We went through the exhibits (photos not allowed) and saw one of the shows “Ghosts of the Library”. We skipped the “Lincoln’s Eyes” show, since we figured shaking seats and loud noises would be too much for the kids. After lunch we went to “Mrs. Lincoln’s Attic”, which was all for the kids. They had a dress up area, a cabin kitchen, a dollhouse replica of Lincoln’s Springfield home and toys from that era.
The boys really liked the dollhouse and played there for quite awhile. Caleb also enjoyed dressing up in the soldier costumes.
Emma played in the cabin kitchen, cleaning the floor and cooking in the fireplace.
We had a really great time on this day trip.
At the museum store, the boys picked out the Confederate and Union soldier sets to bring home. They have enjoyed reenacting The Civil War since then.
Tags: 
Abraham Lincoln Museum, 
family fun
Menu Plan Monday – June 29
Monday – Chicken Pot Pie, fresh fruit salad
Tuesday – Fiesta Taco Bake, green beans
Wednesday – BLT’s, chips, fruit
Thursday – Macaroni and Cheese, island kielbasa, vegetable
Friday – Nephew’s Birthday Party
Saturday – Breakfast – Cinnamon Rolls, fruit – Dinner – Grilled Hamburgers/Hotdogs, potato salad, baked beans, watermelon, ice cream sundaes
Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans.
Tags: 
recipes, 
Menu Plan Monday
Menu Plan Monday – June 22
Monday – Grilled Chicken, BLT macaroni salad, green beans
Tuesday – Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday – Grilled Ham and Cheese, chips, fruit
Thursday – Zippy Dogs, cucumber salad, baked beans, watermelon
Friday – Biscuit Pizza, salad
Saturday – Breakfast – Buttermilk Pancakes, bacon, fruit – Dinner – Out to Dinner
Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans.
Tags: recipes, Menu Plan Monday
Spring Reading Thing 2009 – Wrap Up
This was one of my better reading challenges. I finished almost all of my books. I am currently finishing the last one.
The boys and I read a lot this spring, but did not finish the books we are reading together. We should be finishing Farmer Boy in the next week and then we are going to make a recipe from the book. They are very excited about doing that.
Non-Fiction
- A Life That Says Welcome – Karen Ehman
- Treasuring God in Our Traditions – Noel Piper
- Your Father’s Voice – Lyz Glick & Dan Zegart
Fiction
- Almost Friends – Philip Gulley
- The Longing – Beverly Lewis
- Sweet Revenge – Diane Mott Davidson
Bible Studies & Devotions
- Esther: It’s Tough Being a Woman – Beth Moore
- Night Light for Couples – James & Shirley Dobson
- Sticky Situations 2: 365 Devotions for Elementary Kids – Betsy Schmitt
Book Club
- The Choice – Nicholas Sparks (Secular Fiction)
- Reconstructing Natalie – Laura Jensen Walker (Christian Fiction)
- Persuasion – Jane Austen (Classic)
Reading with Caleb and Camden
- Farmer Boy – Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Little House in the Big Woods – Laura Ingalls Wilder
- Night of the Ninjas (Magic Tree House #5) – Mary Pope Osborne
Head on over to Callapidder Days to see other Spring Reading Things wrap up posts.
Tags: 
Spring Reading Thing, 
books, 
reading
Menu Plan Monday – June 15
Monday – Baked Pork Chops, cheesy potatoes, green beans, french bread
Tuesday – Sloppy Joes, lone star fries, vegetable
Wednesday – Oven Fried Chicken, sour cream mashed potatoes, corn, salad
Thursday – Awesome Slow Cooker Pot Roast, peas, biscuits
Friday – Homemade Pizza, salad
Saturday – Breakfast – Cherry Breakfast Cake, fruit – Dinner – In Springfield for the day
Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans.
Tags: recipes, Menu Plan Monday
Menu Plan Monday – June 8
Monday – BLT’s, chips, double decker banana cups
Tuesday – Grilled Pork Chops, sesame noodles, peas, salad
Wednesday – Chicken Pot Pie, salad, fresh fruit salad
Thursday – BBQ Pulled Pork, potato salad, baked beans, corn on the cob
Friday – Homemade Pizza, salad
Saturday – Breakfast – Breakfast Burritos, fruit – Dinner – Out to dinner
Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans.
Tags: recipes, Menu Plan Monday
Summer Fun List 2009
I saw the idea for making a summer fun list at Mom Advice and decided to make a list with my kids. The boys had fun telling me all the things they would like to do this summer. I just hope we can complete everything on the list.
- Go to the movies
- Go to Tipton Park
- Attend VBS
- Ice cream sundae night
- Go on a family bike ride
- Summer reading program at the library
- Go to Springfield and visit the Lincoln sites
- Get ice cream at Carl’s
- Go to the zoo
- Campfire night
- Campout in the backyard
- Go to the farmer’s market
- Family movie night
- Water fun night
- Plant a tomato plant
- Go to Children’s Discovery Museum
- Family game night
- Make root beer floats
- Go to the county fair
- Go to Sugar Creek Arts Festival
- Go to Sweet Corn Blues Festival
Tags: 
summer fun list, 
family time
Smoky Mountains – Part 2
On Friday, we headed through the Smoky Mountains to Cades Cove. It was a couple hour drive, so we stopped at several sight seeing areas to take pictures and to let the boys run off some energy.
Before heading into Cades Cove, we stopped at a picnic area for lunch. It was right beside a creek and the kids enjoyed running around and playing.
Driving through Cades Cove is a one-way, one-lane road and takes several hours to get through. On the 11 mile road, there are several places to stop and tour the old buildings located in the park. There were several houses, churches and an old mill.
We saw several sightings of black bears, wild turkeys and other wild animals.
While this is not the best picture of a black bear, it was the closest we were to one. The rangers were making sure everyone stayed in their vehicles, so pictures were taken through an open window. This bear was about 15 feet from the side of the road and caused quite a traffic jam since everyone else was also taking pictures.
We had a great day seeing the mountains and can’t wait until we can go back again. There is so much we couldn’t see in one day.
Related Post: Smoky Mountains Part 1
Tags: 
North Carolina, 
Smoky Mountains, 
Cades Cove, 
family vacation, 
camping
Menu Plan Monday – June 1
Monday – Grilled Chicken, skillet potatoes with bacon and cheddar, vegetable, salad
Tuesday – Monical’s for a youth fundraiser
Wednesday – Bacon Cheeseburger Potato Pie, salad
Thursday – Tortellini, salad, garlic bread
Friday – Carmlized Beef Skewers, grilled vegetables, salad, swirlberry ice cream
Saturday – Breakfast – Amish Baked Oatmeal, fruit – Dinner – Family Reunion at the in-laws
Head on over to I’m an Organizing Junkie for more meal plans.
Tags: recipes, Menu Plan Monday
Miscellaneous
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