Chitlins

Spencer likes to try weird stuff as well as just food he's never eaten before. One thing he's always wanted to try is chitlins.

First time around (5 or 6 years ago).....his grandparents bought him a container of them and he tried heating them up in the microwave. What a horrible stench!!!!!!!!! I don't think he even tried to taste them. We tried everything to get that smell out of the microwave. I think baking soda water heated in the microwave worked after several tries........ and then vanilla water and then cinnamon water.

The other day, we were at a restaraunt that serves chitlins, and Spencer said he'd like to try them thinking that they were fried. They came to the table boiled and putting off a very foul odor. The side dish then became the dinner dare. Brittany took the first dare and didn't do too bad other than spewing out her soda that she had sipped as she put the food in her mouth. Zach and Spencer badgered each other and said, "I'll do it if you do it." Spencer went first and almost choked and spit the chitlins into his napkin. He then made Zach keep his promise. The only problem was that Spencer had to run Zach to the bathroom because he almost threw up right there on the table. Everyone at our table was laughing as were the people at the table behind us. Spencer said the chitlins tasted like sucking on an enema. How gross is that?! How would he know that anyway. :)
As for me I didn't bother even trying them, but my mother-in-law said they actually tasted good if you could get past the smell. I'll just take her word for it.

Reason to get a new iron

The other day, I was ironing and needed more water in the iron for steam. There was a cup that Spencer had left on the fireplace by the iron that had water in it, so I dumped it in the iron. The next thing I know, there's a strange, sweet smell coming from the iron. I thought it had something to do with the new taffeta dress I was ironing for Sierra. The next morning, I found out what the real problem was when Spencer came into our room a little on the irritated side. He was trying to touch up his suit jacket for church that morning when this brown, sticky stuff started oozing out of the steam holes in the iron onto his jacket. I guess that cup of water on the fireplace had more than water in it. Come to find out, it was one of Spencer's sweet tea glasses with melted ice water. Even though the tea was gone, there was still enough sugar to burn in my iron.

Happy Birthday, Sierra

I know there are technical difficulties with the word placement, but I'm tired of messing with it, so you'll just have to put up with it. :)

Papa and Mema gave Sierra a birthday party this year. The theme was Old MacDonald's Farm. Mema went all out for this one, and everyone had a great time.

A signature Sierra expression. Did you notice that she was dressed for the event?

The decor:

Picture table of the guest of honor
























The corral


















Inside the corral

The kids got to ride toy animals as well as imaginary ones. See the kids riding the hay horse?

The kids got to drive the tractor too......and ride (That's Sarah)

Some ranch hands

Roping sheep

and riding horses

Games:

Slop eating contest

I think the slop was so good...

The adults even had to try it.

That's not how you're supposed to do the limbo!

Sierra had a great time. She kept singing Happy Birthday to Me after it was all over with.

Bug Eyes

This is actually for Mema to see. Brittany has baby pictures where her eyes looked too big for her face, and it looks like Addison may carry on the tradition.

We went to a city festival. Here's some pictures from there.

They said the baby changing station was this way. The bale of hay was the only thing I could find. Of course, I HAD to take a picture of that.

Here's a real smile from Addison.

See my pretty flowers from Spencer?

Around Town

I have decided to start taking my camara with me whenever I go out of the house...if I remember it. The first time I did this I was not disappointed. I got a pic of a gas pump that had been run into and I don't know if you can really see it, a tricycle in the middle of the road. (We circled that thing 5 times trying to get a good pic and just couldn't.) If you click on the pic it will be shown in a bigger image. By the fifth time around, the tricycle had been bumped to the side of the road.