Wednesday, December 31, 2008

In Memory....




My sweet papaw passed away Saturday, December 27, 2008. He was diagnosed with Alzheimers disease and had a stroke several weeks ago... We Love you Papaw and We'll miss you....


Sunday, December 21, 2008

Feliz Navidad !


Greetings dear friends... We hope you are well...

For our year was filled with so much to tell...

A new sweet addition to our family tree...

Me and Cole and Ella makes three...

Our farm with the horses ..the cows..and the sheep...

means that our Dad catches minimal sleep..

And our Mom stays busy..besides being a "Mom"..

She takes care of the sick from daylight till dawn...

She now works as a nurse and tickled are we...

for she no longer says that she has to study...

It's all about sports for Cole and myself...

Two Troy Palamalu jerseys we hope are made by an elf...

Little League All Stars was our hobby this spring..

A pitcher and short stop we played for the team...

Our family of five is blessed as you see...

A Mom and Dad and their children of three...

And so to your family we send wishes so dear...

for a Very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year !

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

One Year ago today....















a sweet baby girl was born in Southwestern Guatemala to a young mother. The baby weighed exactly 6 pounds and was 19 inches long. The young mother loved her baby, but because this young mother lived in a culture where income was minimal...work was scarce...and survival was rough.... she made a difficult decision to give her baby up to a family far away to have as their own. She gave up her baby so that she may have a life people in her country only dream about. She gave up her baby because she loved her. We did not see Ella take her first breath of air....we did not hear her first cry.... but we are so fortunate to see her grow...love...play and laugh in a way that she may never have had a chance to.... We are so grateful that we were chosen as her family and for the choices and sacrifices her birth mother made....


WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH ELLA ROSE !! FELIZ CUMPLEANOS !
Special thanks to Amy Burke of http://www.drgnflyphoto.com/ for visiting us at our home and taking these sweet pictures !

Sunday, November 16, 2008

Gettin' ready to party !!!


It's so hard to believe that our Ella will be ONE in two days !! Her party is next Saturday and the invitations are just too cute !! We ordered these online at http://www.bonjourbaby.net/ Check out their stuff...it is just too cute.

Have a great weekend and stay tuned for some GREAT new photos from our photo shoot with a professional photographer last week !!!

Blessed be......

Tuesday, November 4, 2008

Tuesday, November 4 (Election Day)







Just a quick thanks to all who ordered soaps from Fiddly Cat !! The majority of scents are currently on back order...but will be back in stock for Christmas stocking stuffers...gift giving..etc..

Our Ella will be ONE year old in two weeks !!!! We have the invitations ordered and are getting all the preparations in order for a big First Birthday for Miss Ella Rose ! We will have plenty of pictures for you to browse I'm sure ! She is doing so much now !!! I'll fill ya' in on that when we update with birthday pictures and reflections on the past 41/2 months that she's been home!

I have been so bummed out because I had lost our 'old' 'broken' camera that was broken...but still somehow took pictures....and I had misplaced the camera around the 11th of September (Carter's birthday) and while cleaning out the crumbs in the couch cushions...low and behold...the camera magically appeared !!! Hooray !

Hope everyone made it out to vote today ! the kids had fun helping me at my station and were pleased with my choice for who I think will / should be our next President of the United States.... We'll just have to keep our fingers crossed...Have a blessed week...

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Fiddlycat Farm Fresh Soaps


Fiddlycat Farm Fresh soaps have cured and are now ready for purchase ! For more information on current available scents please scroll down to earlier posts or email me at fiddlycat@yahoo.com The soaps are $2.50 each which includes decorative tissue wrap with ribbon. A bakers dozen ( A sampling of each scent we currently offer) is $12.00. Supplies are limited...so get 'em while they last !
~ Have a blessed Week our friends ! ~fiddlycat

Monday, October 13, 2008

Happy Fall Y'all !



We had a wonderful visit to a local pumpkin patch produce farm today and the kids had alot of fun pickin' out pumpkins to decorate and apples to eat ! We are gearing up for Hallowe'en and getting our costumes ready. The soaps are almost finished and ready to ship. We've already received alot of 'preorders' so if anyone else is interested in ordering one of our soaps...just email us at



We will be selling the soaps for $2.50 / bar and $12 for a baker's dozen...(a sampling of all the soaps we have right now to offer !) I will have more pictures and details of the soaps in the days to follow.... Have a great week !

Monday, October 6, 2008

Rub a dub dub .....


Being the 'craftaholic' that I am..... I have found it virtually impossible to stay out of the sewing room or refrain from working on an ingredient list for a 'new' batch of soap. Even when the house has loads of laundry lying around....or the sink is full of dirty dishes...I find myself and the kiddos making something ! The boys decided we should make "kid's soaps". Ooooh ! I like it ! I like making natural soaps and who better ...than a sweet...soft skinned tot ....needs natural soaps ? We immediately began working on our soap scents and practiced with a few batches of 'trial soaps' and WOW !!! I think the kids may be onto something here ! These soaps are 100% natural and while they aren't fanciful .....they're made with 100% natural soap base, natural vegetable and plant oils, natural essential oils...and smell absolutely wonderful ! Perfect for sweet delicate skin. So..... if you or someone you know is in the market for a homemade fresh from the farm soap.... check back mid - late October as this is when our soaps will be fully 'cured' and ready for you !

Here's a list of our soaps that we will have to offer !


~Fiddlycat’s Farm Fresh Baby & Kid’s Soaps~
~100 % Pure ~ 100 % Natural ~ 100 % Homemade here on our farm ~

* Buttermilk, Rice & Honey
~ A rich creamy soap base to which we’ve added shea butter, vitamin E, buttermilk, coconut and grape seed oil, sweet almond oil, honey, oatmeal and rice powder. Moisturizes and protects delicate skin. A light, sweet scent that’s perfect for a scrub in the tub day or night !

* ‘Sleep Tight ’
~ Perfect for night time bathing as this soap contains soothing camomile and lavender essential oil. Honey, Grape seed, coconut, and vitamin E oil help keep skin moisturized and soft. Night Night, sleep tight !

* ‘Rise ‘n Shine’
~ Coc-a-doodle doo ! A perfect soap to awaken the senses ! We’ve added invigorating sweet orange oil and pure lemon juice for rejuvenation as well as calendula petals and natural avocado, grape seed, coconut and olive oil to soften & protect baby’s skin. Rich in vitamin C, this bar is sure to be a favorite !

* ‘ Cold Comfort ’
~ A gentle blend of rosemary and mint essential oils help comfort and sooth a winter cold while a light touch of lavender helps to relax the senses. Vitamin E, aloe and sunflower oils are added to replace the moisture that frequent washing removes.

* Ella’s Soft ‘n Gentle Baby Soap
~ A fresh out of the tub favorite ! This soap is a delicate blend of rosemary, coconut, and sunflower oils scented ever so slightly with the light, clean scent of fresh baby powder. Perfect for your favorite bundle of love !

* Carter & Cole’s Blueberry Surprise
~ Your kids wont have to be told twice to wash their hands with this soap at the sink! With the fresh sweet scent of yummy blueberries, this is a ‘Fiddlycat Fresh Farm Soaps BEST SELLER ! We’ve added crushed dried whole blueberries, oatmeal, and honey along with sweet almond, grape seed and vitamin E oil for keeping little hands soft and moisturized!

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

It's a BOY !!











We are so excited to introduce you to Mr. Peyton Alexander Garland ! Peyton is the new son of my BFF; Jessica and her husband Marc. He was delivered yesterday at 8:21 and weighed 7 lbs. 8 oz. and was a whopping 21 3/4 inches long ! I think they may have a basket ball player on their hands....
I was fortunate enough to be working in the Labor & Delivery nursery yesterday...so I was able to see Peyton take his first breath of air ...which was just so exciting for me ! I was also the one who gave him his first shot....put yucky antibiotics in his eyes....give him his first bath....etc... so he had some issues with 'aunt Rachel' by early afternoon, but luckily he'll never remember that !

WELCOME TO THE WORLD PEYTON !!!!

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Thursday August 21, 2008










































Lastweekend, the kids and I headed down to Kilgore Fort House. This is an old historic landmark cabin here in Nickelsville with a wide creek that the boys love to play in. They love visiting the cabin and just playing outside. They usuall always want me to tell them an old story (made up story...) about a family that used to live in the cabin long long ago! They wanted Ella of course to join them in the creek and needless to say, she didn't ! Not because she didn't want to...but because the water was too cold and the rocks were too slick for me to balance on !

Ella is changing everyday ! She is growing so much and really babbling alot now. She can wave bye, say 'da-da' and lights up when Carter and Cole come home from school in the afternoons.
I have been working in the well baby nursery at the hospital for the last two weeks and after taking care of wee tiny 6 and 7 pounders all day...Ella looks (and feels) gigantic when I get home ! She is a good 21 or maybe even 22 pounds now and is becoming more fond of the chunkier baby foods! She is starting to belly laugh when we tickle her under her arms...and it is so funny to hear her !!! She usually makes us belly laugh just listening to her..Have a great weekend......

Friday, August 8, 2008

Friday, August 8, 2008











Hola ! Well..... We all survived the first week of Mommy going back to work ! Ella did so good with her caregiver ! She is growing and doing so much since we've been home. She is now getting up on her knees and scoots on her belly to get her toys. She finally enjoys eating baby food and is eating less of her formula. She weighed 19 pounds 5 ounces at her doctors appointment and all of her blood work came back good. When we first came home she would not let anyone but me hold her and she now will let anyone hold her. She LOVES her Daddy too. She actually prefers him to me now and that has made Daddy SO happy ! We were sitting on the deck and our cat Ivy walked by and Ella said (very plainly) 'Cat'. I squealed and clapped and she hasn't said it since. hee hee ! Until next time....

Friday, August 1, 2008











Ella received some new baby dolls this week ! a potter barn cloth doll we decided to name Carmen, after her wonderful foster mother and an 'Ella minnow pea' Ugly doll named Ox ! Emilyn, Hadley, Aunt Kim and Uncle Steve got Ella her p.b. baby and Uncle Brack and Aunt Jenny got her Ugly Ox ! I can't even begin to tell you how much she loves these dolls !Ella is doing so good now. We feel so fortunate to have been blessed with this sweet baby girl. I can only imagine how much her foster family is missing her right now. I would LOVE to possibly head back to Guatemala in the next few years so that she can see her foster family. Ella is a very easy going baby. She is now letting anyone and everyone hold her ! She hates baby food, prefers table food, and her bottle is the bomb ! I am planning on returning to work inthe next week or two..and I have complete confidence that she will be just fine with her sitter ! Until next time....

Sunday, July 27, 2008

Sunday, July 26, 2008






Hello ! Wow....amazing how a small eight month old can consume all of your time ! It is so worth it though !!! Ella is a dream come true. She honestly is. She is smiling and babbling all the time now and really seems comfortable with her new family. Praise the Lord ! She loves daddy and her brothers and she's crazy about our cat, Ivy ! She loves playing with her toys in her room and looking at books. She's eating mashed potatoes and her favorite food right now is good ole biscuits and gravy ! A true southern gal ! Enjoy the photos and thanks for all the well wishes for Ella !

Monday, July 21, 2008

We're home !!






Thank the Lord we are home !!! Considering all the changes Ella has endured the last 7 days, she's doing great !! She is still very clingy with me, but will sit in her highchair or on the floor and play now with Carter and Cole. She just will not let anyone but me hold her....which makes Carter and Cole so frustrated ! We introduced Ella to Elvis our Cotswold sheep yesterday and she didn't know what to think ! It was so cute ! Please pray that Ella continues to transition to her new family. She's been through so much in the last week. Until next time !

Friday, July 18, 2008

Friday, July 18, 2008






Finally ! I have found a computer that will allow me to access the internet. We have had a hard time getting online while here in Guatemala this time for some reason. I'll have to keep this short and sweet and will definitely fill everyone in on all the details of our trip in the next couple days. Ella is doing SO much better ! She slept from 9:30 until 7:00 this morning and is in a wonderful mood today. We have to take off now to the airport ...Enjoy the photos of our angel !