L: Lake Tiak-O'khata

I am thankful for having a short visit to such a great place to retreat - Lake Tiak-O'khata.

The former State Director for BSU (now retired) and his wife own a cabin at this jewel of a place. They have made it known that we are welcome to use it any time.


Once I realized that Wes (it was already on the calendar for Ann Elise) would also be out of school all week, I mentioned to Kris that it might be a fun get away. We contacted our friends and got the time arranged!

We had so much fun being away - no laundry, not many toys to pick up - just pure nature and home grown goodness!

We spent time walking the nature trail,


collecting items for and making a nature collage,


popping popcorn and watching a movie,
eating s'mores,
feeding the ducks, attempting to fish,


playing frisbee,
riding bikes,
and relaxing on the screened porch while taking in the gorgeous view of the Lake.

U: United States

I am thankful to have been born and raised in the USA. I am thankful that we are free to choose where we live, where we work, whom we marry, how many children we have, where we worship, Who we worship, and the list goes on! I would love to visit all 50 states one day and see them in all their beauty - beaches, mountains, desserts, canyons, wildlife, cultures. And, I am very thankful for the men and women (and their families) who serve our country day in and day out, making sure I have these privileges.

F: Fire Pit

With the kids out of school all week, I am looking for things to spice things up around here. I want to make sure all of our down time does not turn into just that...down! I am trying to make sure we plug some different activities into our routine to keep them interested. Last night we kicked off the holidays by borrowing our good friend, Lloyd's, fire pit. It was just a tad chilly and the fire was a great addition! We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows (for s'mores), had some great conversation and family time, and even sang a chorus or two of Pass It On! We can't wait to do this again! Anyone up for joining us?

Kris and Ann Elise

Kris and Wes

Lloyd, Bankston Hays, and Ann Elise

K: Kris

Kris is the best husband and father! I appreciate that he gets up early in the morning to get in his quiet time with the Lord (before the littles awake), that he helps get the children dressed and fed in the mornings, and that he takes (and picks up) Wes to school most days of the week.

I am thankful that Kris has a great job which provides for us, that is flexible in it's hours so he can attend his children's programs, that puts him in a position to minister to college students every day and encourage them to love the Lord with all their heart, and that offers him the opportunity to travel and share the Gospel with those who have never heard the sweet name of our Savior.

I am blessed that Kris lives his life with integrity and is honorable, that he takes the time with his children to love on them and play with them and teach them what is right, that he helps keep our house in order (taking out the trash, unloading the dishwasher, cleaning the toilets, bathing the kiddos, etc.), and that he comes home every night with a smile, ready to tackle the five dubs.

I love you, Kris!

N: Netflix and Newspaper

Netflix is new to us (as in since August). We joined up after seeing how much fun we had watching past episodes of The Office together after the children would go to bed. We thought it was an avenue that we could afford that would provide us an opportunity to request, watch, and return movies without the hassle. We were right! It is so easy to make a list of the movies you want to see and let Netflix mail them to you! No late fees, keep them as long as you like, no postage needed, AND they automatically send you the next movie on your list within a day or two! (I must admit that we have not utilized this service as often as I would like...by the time the day wraps up we are tired! But, I do look forward to getting back to it when time allows.)

We have a weekend and holiday subscription to our local newspaper. I really enjoy reading the paper while drinking a cup of coffee. But with our schedule during the week, papers just pile up and never get read. The weekend and holiday subscription is perfect for us. I can usually find the time to read it during the weekend, I enjoy getting caught up on the week's news, and I love the coupons. Works for me!

A: Appetizers

I love appetizers - most of the time I enjoy them as much, if not more, than the meal! I enjoy having a little something to munch on as I get acquainted with people, as I read a menu, and as I visit with those I love. Appetizers can be sweet, salty, crunchy, or smooth - as long as they are yummy!

In honor of the "A" in Thankful I am posting two of my quick-fix, all-time favorites. I hope you can squeeze them into your holiday plans...they will not disappoint!

Something sweet and crunchy...

Toffee Apple Dip
8 oz Cream Cheese (softened)
3/4 cup Brown Sugar
1/2 cup Powdered Sugar
8 oz bag Toffee Chips
8-10 Apples

Blend first four ingredients. Stir in Toffee Chips. Slice apples (soak apples in pineapple juice if not ready to serve or to preserve).
*May be served cold or room temperature.
**Store in airtight container up to five days.

Something salty and smooth...

Baked Pimento Cheese (Southern Living Magazine, December 2004)
1 1/2 cups Mayonnaise
1 jar (4 oz) Diced Pimentos
1 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
1 tsp Onion (finely grated)
1/4 tsp Red Pepper
8 oz Extra-sharp Cheddar Cheese (grated)
8 oz Sharp Cheddar Cheese (grated)

Stir together first five ingredients in a large bowl. Add cheeses. Spoon mixture into casserole dish and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes or until dip is golden and bubbly. Serve with your choice of crackers (I have used Ritz, Club crackers, and Wheat Thins).

H: home

It has been said, "home is where your heart is". I fully agree with this quote. As long as I am surrounded by those I love, I am home. But, over the years "home" has resided in different places: the home I grew up in, my college dorm, my college apartments, our first house, my mom's new house, and now HOME.

I love our home. With the help of family, the knowledge of my father-in-law, and many sacrificed hours of hard work, we built our first owned home. I am thankful to have had the opportunity to build our home almost seven years ago. We planned and built our home before we had children, before I started staying home, before we "knew" what our life was going to look like. We planned to build a home close to family, a home that could entertain students, a home that could raise a family, and a home in which we could settle. I am proud to say, our home is just that. And we have settled. I love that our home sits on a hill looking into trees. I love that our home is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. I love that our home has baked and cooked some delicious meals and that it has burned its own share. I love that our home has healed scrapes and bruises. I love that our home welcomes our tired feet. I love that our home hears the laughter of small children and the cries of babies. I love that our home wraps comfort around us. I love that our home has welcomed grandparents, newborns, aunts, uncles, and cousins. I love that our home has been visited by missionaries that spread God's love. I love that our home has endured tears of sorrow and tears of joy. I love that our home is our place. Our family. Our heart.

Am I slipping?

OK, so it has been nearly a week since I posted. I realize this time of year picks up the pace in most households, and most to-do-lists never end. I have had posting on the back of my mind for several days now. Part of me couldn't decide something to write about and part of me could not set aside the time to just sit down and do it. Anybody with me here?

I have finally decided to take the next week and focus on things for which I am thankful (as I should this season). I plan to follow the acronym "THANKFUL". So, check back each day and keep me accountable!


T: time
Time with Kris to talk about our day, watch a movie together, enjoy each other's company
Time with Wes as he learns to read, putting together Legos, swinging in the hammock
Time with Ann Elise putting together puzzles, playing dress-up, to read Thanksgiving books
Time with Bankston Hays learning to walk, watching him stack cups, to rock him
Time to exercise, scrapbook, read a good Christian fiction novel - these are wishes :)

If you haven't met, let me introduce you...

to Etsy!

We met about a year ago through a mutual friend's blog. I had never met Etsy, nor heard of her. And, WOW! I could not believe what she had to offer! She is full of incredible handmade goods to decorate your home, clothe yourself, give to people, etc. The ways you can use her are endless! She has just about anything you are looking for...or just spend a little time browsing to inspire yourself for creative projects. I wanted to introduce you to a few of my favorite finds over the last year. Maybe it will inspire you or give you a few ideas as you do your Christmas shopping this year!

These cool clocks, made from plates, can be found at Bode 22.

These great looking tassels are handmade by the Nesting Place.

I love this outfit by BowBellaBoutique

and this t-shirt by Nissalissa!

And, who could resist an ornament by gorgeousredhead that is a replica of their wedding cake?!?!

**all photos were copied from the shop owner's Etsy shop**

What a weekend!

Over the weekend, our family got together to celebrate Bankston Hays' birthday. I found some precious invitations on clearance a few months ago - an alligator with a little turtle on his back wearing a birthday hat and let that dictate the theme of our party. We had a great time together and hated to see the day come to a close. But, the partying did not stop then! On Monday we had a mini party at his Mommy and Me class. I took a cupcake for him to blow out a candle and made these adorable cookies for his classmates (with the instructions from and help of my super sister!). I wanted y'all to see how cute they turned out!


My sister is very talented when it comes to cake and cookie decorating...after all, she had a fabulous teacher (her mother-in-law owns a cake shop in our home town)! She brought all the supplies with her and we got to work Sunday afternoon. It was pretty time consuming, but well worth the result!

Happy 1st Birthday, Bankston Hays!

Today, our baby boy turns 1! We are so very thankful to be blessed with his life. He constantly keeps us on our toes (pulling out tupperware and pot lids, climbing the stairs, and opening cabinets countless times a day), reminds us how fast life goes by (realizing how much he has learned in the last year), and allows us to love deeper than we ever dreamed (his sweet, sweet sounds, his deep breaths late at night, his contagious giggles, and generous smile). We could not be more honored to be the parents of Bankston Hays! Hope you enjoy this slide show of a few pictures from this first year.

Height: 31 1/4 inches
Weight: 28 pounds
Favorite Toys: Tennis Ball, Activity Table, anything to pound or drum, Cars, books
Favorite Food: All table foods!

Cheesy Rotel Chicken Soup

A few years ago, a friend of mine hosted Bunko at her house and served this yummy soup. She had her house all decorated and festive for Fall - serving this soup in hollowed out mini pumpkins! It was precious. But the taste was even more impressionable! After mentioning the soup in my "TWO fun things today" post, I thought I would share the recipe with y'all!

Cheesy Rotel Chicken Soup

1 stick margarine
1 onion, chopped
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can chicken broth
1 lb. Velveeta cheese
2 cans white shoepeg corn
1 can Rotel
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned
desirable amount milk, heavy cream, or half & half

Saute' onion in butter until tender. Add Velveeta cheese and let melt. Pour entire cans of all other ingredients into a crock pot. Add cheese and onion mixture. Chop/shred chicken into bite size pieces. Add chicken to crock pot. Cook on high approximately one hour. Then add milk/heavy cream/half & half to increase volume until desired amount obtained (I usually use 2 cups of milk). Continue to cook in crock pot until soup is warm or until ready to serve. Freeezes well!

If you try it, let me know what you think!

PS - this recipe holds a special place in my heart as it was what I was preparing when I went into labor with Ann Elise...I was chopping chicken at 6:30 pm when I first stopped to start timing my contractions..made it to the hospital ER at 7:50 pm, was complete, and she was here (without drugs) by 8:10 pm. OH YES! It holds a special place in my heart :)

I ordered it!

About this time last year, I started reading the post of a fellow blogger, Embracing My Cup. I am pretty sure I found her through another blogger, In the Midst of It. Anyway, she constantly inspires me through her love for her children, her dedication to the Lord and raising men of the same, and her big heart. Recently she posted about the book, The Pumpkin Patch Parable, that she reads to her children every year around this time. They read it as they carve their pumpkin. I encourage you to read her post dated November 1, 2008, as it will give you more insight into what a wonderful idea it is! All that to say, I can't wait to receive mine! Even though it will be put away until next year's use...it will be long awaited when we carve ol' Jack!

The debate was decided...

and the Justice League won!

Many of you know that deciding on this year's costumes was a little bit of a feat at The Five Dubs hosuehold. For you see, I was determined for our three children to "match" in their costume selections. A few of my faves were The Three Little Pigs, characters from The Wizard of Oz, characters from Star Wars, etc. You get the picture. Well, with every idea one of our children had a problem (of the two that can voice their opinions). After much persuasion, searching, and encouragement the Justice League came to our rescue! And, I must say, I was quite happy with the result!



The kids trick-or-treating Memaw (Kris' grandmother)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Will she always love him this much?

One of the many benefits of working with students can be being subjects for class projects. Sounds funny, I know! But, last Fall, we benefited in an extra special way by helping a student with a class project. He was a photo journalism major and needed someone to take pictures of. He asked if he could journal our pregnancy, birth, and first few weeks with Baby #3. Well, of course! He took some fabulous pictures - ones we will treasure all of our days! This picture was taken on Halloween night (about 10 days before Bankston Hays joined us) and it is one of my most favorite! Don't you love it?!?!

TWO fun things today!

1) Our after school project for the day was to carve our pumpkin. I usually buy a pumpkin earlier in the season and enjoy it in and around the house up until the last few days before Halloween. Then, I enjoy carving it with the kids.


They had fun watching me carve it, pull out the insides, and were anxious to see it lit up!

2) My cousin, Woodman, is in town on business for a few days. It worked out for her to come over tonight. She seemed to have a good time eating Cheesy Chicken Rotel Soup, hanging with the kids, and seeing our house for the first time. I know I sure enjoyed her visit! Her company and conversation were a true treat!

Sweet Treat

Just about every day this week we have a little fun planned! After school today we made Nutter Butter Ghost Cookies. Have you ever seen them? I think they are precious and so easy to make! I plan for Wes and Ann Elise to take them to school tomorrow for their friends. Here is how you make them:

You need 1 tray of Nutter Butter Cookies, 1 bag of Chocolate Chip Mini Morsels, 1 package of Vanilla Almond Bark

Melt Almond Bark in a double boiler until smooth and runny. (please excuse my "double boiler")

Dip Nutter Butter Cookies into Almond Bark, one at a time. Hold the cookie by one end and cover most of the cookie.


Place cookie on wax paper. Add three Chocolate Chip Mini Morsels to make two eyes and a mouth.

Let dry (10 minutes or less...not long). Bon appetit!

Reminiscing...

As we are planning this year's costumes and gearing up for all that is planned for this week of Halloween, I have been reminiscing of the past few years and how much fun the kids have had dressing up...

2005
Wes: Fireman; Ann Elise: Dalmation



2006
Wes: Spiderman, Ann Elise: Ladybug (and scared to death of Wes' mask)


2007
Wes: Pirate, Ann Elise: Mermaid

Tag, I'm it!

I was tagged by Erin to share seven things you may not know about me. Here it goes:

1) I really enjoy traveling...especially outside the country! Most of my opportunities have come through BSU in College. I have traveled to Jamaica, Cozumel, Guatemala, Taiwan, Philippines, Bahamas, and St. Thomas to name most of the places. There are many places I'd still love to visit. I am really looking forward to taking our children over seas. I can't wait for them to see the world around us, experience other cultures, and expand their view of the world. I pray they will come to understand the Great Commission, in a very real way.

2) There are several words in the English language that my ears do not tolerate very well! Most of them have to do with actions or bodily functions. I don't like what they represent. I don't like what they mean. I don't like the sound of them being spoken. Unfortunately, my children and their vocabulary are are being redirected...they are being taught code words...and the general public has no idea what they are referring to...all because their mom has issues!

3) I had the exact same bedroom for 27 years. Yes, I went away to college and got married...but my childhood room didn't change.

4) I have a problem with sitting in someone else's seat. Let me explain. When we go to a function (mainly sporting events) I need to sit in the seat my ticket says. I am very nervous in the expectation that the rightful ticket holder will come and ask me to move. I know that I am in the wrong. So,why sit there in the first place?!? (I am so pathetic...I have been known to stand in the back of stadiums because of this very problem)

5) I am highly allergic to cats! So much so, that I would have an "attack" when my freshmen roommate would return from being home with her cats. (Sorry, Gigi! Erin, this explains my skiddish-ness at Bunko last month)

6) I am not a fan of talking on the phone.

7) I started life guarding the summer after 9th grade and did so every summer thereafter through college.

I am tagging: Woodman, Casey, Brooke, and Christi.

**EDIT** Sorry, if you looked at my post earlier today! I had started to do this last week and ran out of time. It posted this morning and I had not come back to finish it.

Happy Birthday, Wes!

Today is our first born's sixth birthday. Hard to believe it has been six years since our world was rocked by such a precious little person we never knew we could love so much! I love that Wes lives life to the fullest, that he loves people and is outgoing, that he loves to spend quality time, and that he is eager to learn everything! Here is a little slide show of his life (maybe it is not too long to enjoy :)

A few things I asked him today:
Favorite Color: orange, red
Favorite Food: Chicken Nuggets, Poppyseed Chicken, Hot Dogs, Pizza (his first answer was "can I say a dessert?" - I am not kidding!)
Favorite Sport: Baseball, Basketball, Lacrosse
Favortie TV Show: Ruff Ruffman, Extreme Home Makeover, America's Funniest Home Videos, Power Rangers
Favorite Movie: Peter Pan, The Bee Movie, The Incredibles
Favorite Book: "the book about sharks"
Favorite Game: Checkers
Favorite Bible Verse: John 3:16
Interests: sports, drawing, reading, riding his bike

Tonight we will have a small celebration - just the five dubs. We will scarf down his favorite food (Poppyseed Chicken) before heading to TeamKID. I also made a little cake for him to blow out some candles...couldn't let the official day get by without doing that, right?!?!

I promised!

Honey Mustard

1 quart Kraft Mayonnaise
1 pint Mustard
24 ounces Honey
2 tbsp Vinegar
6 tbsp Oil
1/8 tsp Salt
1/8 tsp Cayenne Pepper

Mix all ingredients. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes approximately 4-5 cups.

Fall is in the air

For several weeks I have been seeing fellow bloggers post their Fall/Halloween decorations. I have seen several good looking wreaths and many cute decorating ideas (spending WAY too much time surfing). I pulled out my decor several weeks ago and have been working on getting it put out. But, I have found that I don't like some of my stuff any more so I am also weeding out as I decorate...leaving places pretty bare! So, I am not going to post pictures of those areas. However, I will post a picture of my front door wreath because I am pleased with how it turned out! This is the same arrangement that has been hanging on my front door since January (I should be ashamed!). I can explain...I was in Michaels' shortly after Christmas and they had this wreath on 90% off!!! It was worth the purchase just to get the container! I bought it and added a few sprigs of yellow and lime green to lighten it up a little. This Spring we were busy finishing our upstairs and in doing so we moved alot of our items being stored (including my wreaths) to the attic. We finished the upstairs in July but have been waiting for it to cool off a little before pulling out all the stuff we stored. With that said, I have not been able to get my hands on my seasonal wreaths, thus leaving the same wreath on my front door for nearly a year! This week I bought 3 sunflowers to add to my arrangement and I cannot believe what a statement $3.00 made! What do you think!?!?

Laughter is welcomed

TV is not a priority in our house, and has not been for many years. At one time during our marriage we paid to have many channels (few of those we enjoyed). As time passed we made the decision that TV was not that important to us, that we did not have that many shows we were interested in, and we felt the price we were paying was no where near what we were getting out of it each month. Eventually we chose the minimum cable which costs us less than $10 a month. I know you may be scoffing at this and I understand. But, I must admit, we rarely miss it. We get the news, the weather channel, and PBS Kids. What more could we ask for? I know, I know: ESPN, HGTV, Disney, Nickelodeon, Food Network, etc. But, seriously. We rarely miss it. With three little ones around the house we don't have much time to watch TV and when we have it on we have to be so tuned in to make sure it is appropriate for little ears and eyes (and really only the Weather Channel and PBS Kids fit that bill) that the TV hardly gets turned on.

Kris works on a college campus and has been hearing students talking about The Office for years. It actually comes on a channel we receive, but not at a good time for us to watch it. Well, this summer, a friend of ours offered the first three seasons to us. We started watching them at night after the kids would go to bed. And we had the best time. It was so nice to relax and laugh together. We really enjoyed it! (I will admit that the show can be more than we bargained for at times) Since we have gotten back into the school routine we have not been able to watch it - but we are looking forward to getting caught up!

Well, the BSU interns decided to play a joke on Kris and they put his stapler in Jello. If you watch The Office, you know this scene well! It was very funny! They took pictures and I knew I had to put them up...

Top Secret Recipes

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and come away realizing that something you had was the best you have ever had?!? Sure you have! Then you find yourself searching and searching for the closest product or recipe and it still is not quite right? Well, I have recently come across a website featuring top secret recipes (the title links to the website). I am impressed and want you to know about it, too! They have lots and lots of recipes from all sorts of restaurants featuring all types of foods. (Some of the recipes free and others are not...I have only looked at the "free" ones so I am not exactly sure what is entailed if they are not "free")

When it comes to menu planning for our family of five, it just about always includes chicken and salad. With that comes the need for condiments and/or dressings. Ranch and Honey Mustard dressings top the list at our house! I have been making our Honey Mustard from scratch for about 10 years now (I'll share that recipe next week) and we love it. But, I had never tried making our Ranch dressing...until this week! I made the following recipe and it is delicious!!!!


Outback Steakhouse's Ranch Salad Dressing

1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (Buttermilk Recipe)
3 cups Mayonnaise
1 1/2 cups Buttermilk
3/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
3/8 teaspoon Red Pepper
3/8 teaspoon Garlic Powder

Mix all ingredients together. Chill at least 30 minutes before serving. Makes approximately 4 1/2 cups.

Annniversary Trip to NYC IV (and final)

One of the best decisions we made in planning this trip was the scheduling of our flight home. We decided to make the most of our last day in NYC and not fly out until late afternoon. This allowed us to take our time and still enjoy the day. With that being said, we started our day a little later. Kris walked down to Starbucks to get us some coffee and breakfast while I stayed in the room and packed. After we were ready, we checked out of the hotel (the hotel was so nice - they kept our bags locked up until we were ready to leave). We decided to spend the morning finishing more of the Grey Line Sightseeing Tour. We hopped on the double decker bus not even a block from out hotel and rode the Uptown Loop. This tour took us by the Museum of Natural History, through Harlem, around Central Park, down Museum Mile, and by the Dakota Apartments (where John Lennon was killed) to name a few. This tour was very relaxing as it took us through a more residential area of the city. At one point we were looking over the edge of the bus and they were filming on the side of the street. We are pretty sure we saw Katie Holmes on the set! We finished the tour around lunch and decided to take a walk through Central Park and get a bite to eat. I had read about this neat restaurant, The Boathouse Central Park, with great views overlooking the Lake that I would be charming and a nice way to end our time. So, we did our best reading the map to find it. After walking FOREVER, we were greeted with a wait ofover an hour for a table! Luckily they had a side cafe that served a smaller menu in more of a "to-go" style. Needless to say, we went with this option forfeiting the great views :) We both ordered and enjoyed our lunch on a park bench (that is until I lost the balance of my plate on my knees - leaving the pigeons a tasty snack). We continued our walk through the Park taking in the sights.


We stopped and watched a city league co-ed softball game. Check out the views from home plate. Amazing!


We were mesmerized by the trees and enjoyed the shaded walk.


We enjoyed the scenery of ponds, animals, beautiful flowers, and people.


Central Park is huge. It just goes on and on. Every turn we took led us to such neat places. Whether you choose to lay out in the meadows, row on the Lake, play a pick-up game with your friends, roller blade alone, or watch a street performer, it offers it all! It truly provides a unique retreat from the city.


One of our favorite movies is A Night at the Museum.

The movie takes place in the Museum of Natural History. Our hotel was across the street from the museum and we had hoped to make it there during our trip. After walking through the Park we still had a little bit of time and made our way over to the Museum. We did not think we had enough time to go through the museum, but the air conditioning and benches were welcomed by our tired feet! I knew the entrance of the museum contained three dinosaur skeletons

that I wanted to see and we rested while enjoying each other's company and doing a little people watching.

Before long it was time to gather our bags, hail a cab to LaGuardia, and return to real life. Our flights home were uneventful and before we knew it, we were loading our bags in Lloyd's car headed home.

My sister (who had lovingly been keeping our kiddos) and the children were all asleep when we got home. However, they had left a little surprise for Kris. You see, this day was also my sweet husband's 36th birthday! The kids had made red velvet cupcakes that spelled out "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" and they each had drawn him a special picture. What a welcome home!