phone photos

These are all photos that Matt took with his phone. You know how long it takes to move photos from your phone to your computer?!

Matt thinks it's hilarious how Corbin sits in the truck with him. Cross legged

The boys playing in the tub

Mini Matt

This was the day we played in the wiffle ball tournament. Addie had played in the dirt. Obviously

 Corbin helping grandpa bring in the sheep

This is Matt's birthday dinner. I forgot my camera.

Uncle Adam brought these back from Myrtle Beach for the kids to color.

Matt went to Clifty Falls with my family for the day. Aiden was sick so we stayed home. Peepaw with Addie and Corbin

Matt, Liz, Mom a,k,a Nana, Bekah, Lydia

Corbin had a ball running up and down the path

You know how Addie loves to dress up, Well this is her skirt she made into a dress. :)

The Sunday after Thanksgiving Addie threw up (courtesy of Corbin yesterday) She slept about the entire day. Yet still managed to be in her dress up clothes.

Four Alarm Fire

Well, I have quite the fire starter that lives at my house. He is a hunk of burning love but I am referring to his fireplace skills. It's probably one of the first fires of the season and Matt romantically wants to make a fire for us to enjoy this evening. He gets a fire started and messes with some things out in his shop before we can wind down and relax on the couch. 

I noticed that he brought in all manner of wood, guessing that we were going to need the fire for a couple of hours. Two of the wood pieces are really long. In fact they do not fit in the hearth. They are only able to just sit inside the screen. The back of the fireplace wedges into a smaller space.

Instead of removing said pieces, I guess he decided that they would magically disappear in the fireplace. They start to catch fire. There is sap rolling off of the pieces and actually setting fire. So there are flaming sap drops constantly rolling off these two pieces. Here is the best part. Because they are still outside the flew suction there is smoke now coming into the house and staining the mantel and fireplace. Yikes! Corbin runs to get Matt. Matt stares in disbelief. Wondering how to solve this mess the quickest and still remain in control and still look like everything is fine. 

Frustrated that there is black smoke rolling into my living room before the Christmas season. Of which I had already cleaned for. I had to leave the room. 

Good grief you'd think we'd never had a fire before!

There were burnt pieces of wood out by our front step, disappointing looks and promises of repainting the fireplace.

This is the only photo I took.

The Cutting of the Tannenbaum

We love the tradition of cutting our own Christmas tree. We have done this every year since our marriage started. This year we cut one at the Murphy sheep farm. Keith actually had a scheme to help him cut this tree for posts. He and Carolyn sheepishly grin as they tell us of the tree they picked out for us. Note the large tree below.

Here we are after our Thanksgiving feast. The Murphy's have been non-traditional this year. We had soup and sandwiches for our main dinner. Wrapped up and ready for our adventure. Last year Matt and the kids trekked out with out me and Aiden as Aiden was only a week old. We got our tree later last year.

Addie happy to cheese, but I can't get her to look at the camera.

Corbin loves to run from me when I pull out the camera these days. But I still caught him.

Have to wear the orange around here when you head out in the woods. Hunters ...

So staring Elmer Fud

 While yesterday was beautiful and nice. Today was cold and windy. Too cold for Aiden to be hiking out, so we took the truck up the road. Grandma and grandpa on the tailgate.

The five of us in the truck.

 My little blueberry (who ironically is allergic to blueberries)

yes, here is the huge tree I was talking about. Keith is currently trying to finish fencing the top field and had this plan that Matt could cut this tree for our Christmas tree! The top would be ours and the rest he could use for his posts. Well, beggars can't be choosy.

 Here it is on the tree line.

The men discussing how to fell the tree.

Matt and I picked our mark to cut

Matt comes up for air while whacking away.

Addie was bored of this entertainment and walked the field. Here her and grandma were walking around the fence line.

Warm back in the house. This is the usual scene. Men and children cozy women up and down with kids and looking after food.

Here is my blueberry up close.

so happy to be snacking.

yeah! he shakes his head and laughs

 
Happy Thanksgiving! Bring on my first birthday!

Thanksgiving 2012

Thanksgiving this year has been so full of wonderful family time and memories. We started Thanksgiving off on Thanksgiving day. We went to Melba and Terri's to celebrate with the Jones side of the family. We had a full house this year as most of the family came in town. We were missing Aunt Nancy and her crew but as you can see below everyone else was accounted for.

Love this photo of us. Even used it on our Christmas card. What a gorgeous day it was. I didn't think about bringing outside toys for the kids to have something to do. Luckily a ball can go a long ways in entertainment. :)

Funny note: Lydia was looking at a photo of my family last year at this time and comparing the two. She said Melanie you have lost some weight. I yelled at her, of course I have lost weight! I was nine months pregnant last year!

 Here we all are: Dad is the baby of eight kids. Five are here with their families. Aunt Nancy could not make it and Peggy and Mary Alice have passed on to be with our Savior. My grandparents have also passed. My sweet Adaline will carry on grandmas name and hopefully her spunk and character.

Bottom Left: Corbin, Above him: Aiden, Naomi Grace, Adaline, Lydia, Rachel, Mom(Diana), Dad(John), Billy. Behind Him: Phil, Ryan, Kelly, Elisabeth, Adam. Back Row: Melanie(me), Rebekah, Paul, Camden, Matt, Diana Lou, Dennis, Brad, Melba & Terri.

They were not in a very easy row to name but here is our crew!

I am ashamed to say that at the Smith Thanksgiving, hosted at my mom's house, I did not even use my camera once. ooops! Neither did my mom. So you know we were terribly off our normal routine.

On Friday, we almost always spend the day with the Murphy's. Our tradition has been to get our Christmas tree on this weekend at Huber's, Picture wagon and tractor out to the fields cut down your own tree and then hot cider before trekking home. Well, Dave Ramsey and our budget has dictated that we beg the Murphy's to cut down a cedar tree at their place. 50 acres should have a decent tree right? I'll post pics for this day separately.

On Saturday,
In attendance at the Smith Thanksgiving were Grandma and Grandpa (Otis and Pauline), Glendon , Amy, Sara, David(new boyfriend) Abby, Adam, Jenny, Brian (new boyfriend) Me (matt and corbin were home-corbin threw up that morning) Addie , Aiden, Mom, Dad, Liz, Becca, Grace, and Lydia
Marvena and her girls were home with Terry.

Down the hole it goes!

So Aiden is in the adorable stage where he likes to put a toy in the box and take it out; over and over again. Well, in this case it is the cold air return vent. Matt has yet to move these vents that were inside the office walls that are now in the thresh hold of the door to his office. they are critical to our heat and air so they are not covered up, but is quite the job to move them to the back of his office. So, here are these open holes in the floor that Aiden use to be afraid of but now loves to throw stuff in. 

I catch him all the time putting stuff in these holes. This day he took his car and rolled it in. I was sitting at the desk and caught him before it went in and said, "No Aiden" He was startled by the redirection. I guess forgetting that I was here. Paused and looked at me. Smiled and rolled it right in.

This began our game.

He would get close and I would smile and say No. He would laugh and roll it in.

I would fish it out. Roll the truck away from us.

He would crawl and get it and bring it back to the hole.

I would say No Aiden, Don't you put that car in there.

again...

and again...

we played this game.

Finally, yesterday I came up with a way to stop this madness.

We are going to tape a screen to the floor so no more lost items. :)

Father's Eyes

I received one of the best complements ever in my life last week in my CBS group. I attend our Community Bible Study every Thursday morning and we are studying the five books in the New Testament that are my favorite. Galatians, Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and James. We are on Philippians now. 
Anyway, one of the sweet ladies in my core group said to me after our study. "Have you ever heard the song "Father's Eyes"?" Yes, I had. She said, "I have been meaning to tell you that you remind me of that song. Your eyes just light up and smile. You have the love of Christ just ooze out of you." That is only by Christ, I respond. 
Wow, I am so blessed that others see the love of God in me. She has only seen me in the context of bible study, not with my kids in a stressful situation, but it is a haven for the week to be with these ladies and talk about the Lord. I love sharing the goodness of God with them and sharing in the treasures of heaven. They keep me accountable and love on me and help pray with me. I love this group of ladies.

I may not be every mother's dream for her little girl
And my face may not grace the mind of everyone in the world
But thats alright as long as I can have one wish, I pray
When people look inside my life, I wanna hear them say

She's got her father's eyes
Her father's eyes
Eyes that find the good in things
When good is not around
Eyes that find the source of help, when help just can't be found
Eyes full of compassion, seein' every pain
Knowing what you're going through, and feelin' it the same

Just like my father's eyes 
my father's eyes
my father's eyes 
Just like my father's eyes

On that day when we will pay for all the deeds we've done
Good and bad they'll all be had to see by everyone
And when you're called to stand and tell just what you saw in me
More than anything I know, I want your words to be

She had her father's eyes, her father's eyes
eyes that found the good in things when good was not around
eyes that found the source of help when help would not be found
Eyes full of compassion, seein' every pain
Knowin' what you're goin' through and feelin it the same

Just like my father's eyes,
My father's eyes,
My father's eyes,
Just like my father's eyes,
My father's eyes,
My father's eyes
*Amy Grant (Father's Eyes)

Grandma Murphy turns 57

So, you will not believe our birthday party for Grandma Murphy!

Throw in a few cute children and what birthday party wouldn't be complete?!

We have Iron Man

Princess Adaline

 A snugly bear at the bottom.

But we try and make family birthday's special and exciting. Carolyn requested dinner and games with her favorite Key Lime pie. Great request. I love doing special things to make the home look nice or dinner a little more special and in this case at least the birthday cake and candles the perfect moment.

No, that is not what happened.  All in a matter of 10 seconds the birthday moment was thrown by Murphy man #1 and Murphy boy #1. pictured below.

I had gotten these pretty glittery green candles that went with the Key Lime pie. They took forever to light but nice. Corbin was enthralled and watched every second. I needed to get the pie scoop or something or other and asked matt to walk the lit cake to the birthday girl. This was the downfall of our moment. He walked off with aluminum foil cake bottom (didn't take the pretty cake stand it was sitting on) and as soon as it got near Carolyn Corbin blew out all the candles. Then turn back to me as I turn around and see what the two Murphy boys have done. Horror has filled my face as with the 10 seconds it all crashed and burned. Ha! So much for a special birthday. Here you see Matt relighting the candles so we can sing happy birthday and let Carolyn blow them out.

Wow! What a moment. I think she is afraid to see what will happen next.

Happy Birthday Carolyn Jan Spires Murphy!

Cutie pie

"Oh well, even the best laid plans go amuck" This is a line Carolyn has quoted me several times and definitely the case tonight.