Hello patient blog readers! My goodness life has apparently taken over the time I used to have for blogging. What on earth has happened to me? I certainly want to update more than once or twice a month. How did I used to blog several times a week? Times have changed, our little children are growing so fast right before my eyes and I’ve been busy with them, trying to cherish every moment. I know the time I have with them at home is so fleeting, its hard to make computer-time any kind of priority. On the other hand, I want to record these precious moments that we have together. I need to find a balance between the two… or maybe I just need to find a house keeper! 🙂
First, today is Morgan’s 7th Birthday! I am so thankful for her sweet life, what a blessing this angel is to our family. Smart, sweet, helpful, and kind! She wanted a horse for her birthday… being the good parents we are, we got her one.
I’m so thankful that my sleepy eyes aren’t in this picture! Besides liking horses, she’s also into being “teacher”. It’s funny how often she and Paige remind me of Erika and me. I often send Erika text pictures of the girls and say, “Look, it’s Darby & Erika!” I’ve also been reminded lately that I do things that my mom used to do… like raid their Halloween candy loot for Almond Joys. Would you believe that NONE of them got a single Almond Joy! All that trick-or-treating for nothing!
So, back to the teacher business. I was shopping at Claire’s and spotted some “fake” glasses. I could not resist. Erika, Cousin, and I used to wear fake glasses {from Claire’s} when we were little so when I saw them I knew the girls would love them. I figured every “teacher” needed glasses and I couldn’t leave her pupil out. This is about how excited they were about their glasses…
This certainly wasn’t the stellar response that I was hoping for. I’m sure my pre-gift-opening pep talk of, “I got you something you’re going to love,” didn’t help! They were like, “Sunglasses? You got us sunglasses?” I was all, “No girls, these are fake glasses, aren’t the cool!?” Then I had to beg them to put them on for a picture. Thank goodness they were on the $1 rack. I feel certain they’ll realize how fun they are really soon!
Here’s our teacher in action and we’re still waiting for her to give Paige a turn at being teacher.
Do you see that table behind Paige & JM? That’s the coffee table. Here at the rental house we’ve had improvise a “play area” in this little space in the back of the family room. So, the coffee table has become JM’s “town” as he calls it. We’re not sure if he has a future in city planning or hoarding.
The scary thing is he knows if something is out of place!
In other things to report, the girls were chosen from their classes to ride in our town’s old firetruck for a parade during Red Ribbon Week. My kindergartener & 1st grader are both proud to be drug free, and Morgan told me she had better things to do than drugs. I won’t get on a soapbox about teaching kindergarteners & 1st graders about drugs. I tried to tell myself that sadly in our world there are some kindergartners & 1st graders out there who do know about drug abuse and hopefully educating them about the dangers is beneficial to their little souls. I really just tried to be thankful that at this point in their lives they are clueless about drugs.
One night I roasted brussels sprouts with balsamic vinegar & maple syrup…
Justin walked in from work and said the house smelled like a “dead mammal”. Awesome! Eat up! 🙂 Thankfully they tasted way better than they smelled. I read sooo many recipes, have heard rave reviews and not a single person mentioned that your house would smell like a “dead mammal”. They taste like baby cabbages, so I’m not sure why I didn’t realize they’d smell like them too.
Being at the beach in the fall looks a little different than it does in the summer. We’ve been enjoying beautiful sunsets and had great “family” night this past weekend, it included a “bonfire”, freshly caught fried fish, and s’mores.
Speaking of fresh fish, I think this may be the most hilarious fish I’ve seen Justin pull from the bay! It’s a Sheepshead, it looks awesome and tastes even better!
With these killer braces my teeth might be straighter than his now!
Speaking of fishing, this is how Paige fishes. She has a new friend, Georgia, who let Paige borrow a few “ballerina” outfits for Halloween. Paige wore them everyday until Halloween and for Halloween!
Justin’s also been diligently baiting our crab traps, and he patiently steams & cleans the crabs so we can enjoy unbelievably good crab cakes! {I used Paula Deen’s recipe with far less oil in the pan and omitted the green pepper} They’re a delicious labor of love!
I took JM to the dentist last week to have a cavity filled. He was a total champion! His reward was a matchbox car & trip to the farmer’s market where we enjoyed a lunch of boiled peanuts & satsumas!!!
I’m pretty sure that brings us to Halloween…
We have a farmer, a ballerina, and a fireman. And it looks like our fireman has a fake head. Not sure how he pulled that one off, no pun intended.
We hit a local neighborhood where the homes are close together and aren’t vacated {a common occurrence when you live at the beach}…
We were even fortunate to meet up with some of our new friends!
Then we came home and analyzed the loot and broke the news that they couldn’t eat it before bed.
I believe that brings me up to speed! Time to get busy preparing for a weekend celebrating 7 years of life for Morgan back at the brown house!!
Brittaney
November 4, 2011 at 10:41 am1. What a great memory your girls will have of riding the fire truck in the parade. I still remember getting to ride in the parade when I was little!
2. The teeth on that fish made me bust out laughing!
3. I love Paige’s fishing attire. Too cute!
Martha
November 4, 2011 at 10:49 amYes, I agree! Please come back to the blog more often. But I really can’t blame you for wanting to spend every single second with those precious kiddos. They get cuter by the moment!
Happy Birthday Morgan!
Cherish @ Southern Soul Mates
November 4, 2011 at 10:56 amHappy Belated Birthday to Morgan! She is beautiful! JM’s town is hilarious-and I love that picture of him and Justin-precious!! I love brussels sprouts, and the last time I prepared them my husband said they smelled like a “cooked poot”…what the heck is that?! I did get a good laugh out of his comment. He took one bite and said he just couldn’t do it. Whatever. I still love them. Love the Halloween costumes and pics! Don’t you just love fall on the coast?! You are right, the sunsets look different this time of year. Have a wonderful weekend!! 🙂
Elizabeth
November 4, 2011 at 11:05 amHahahaha…so true that JM’s head looks fake in that photo–hilarious!
P.S. – I love brussels sprouts as well and my husband refuses to eat them.
Gina
November 4, 2011 at 11:34 amOh, I love your little updates. 🙂 The fresh seafood sounds heavenly. How do you cook your fish? I would love to eat more but it seems I’m at a loss of how to cook it. I’m going to look at the crabcake recipe now. 😉
bevy
November 4, 2011 at 11:35 amJM’s little town is fun! If I ever come across a town in the future where there’s row of race cars and an alligator on top of a dinosaur, I’ll know who was responsible for it.
So glad you mentioned the fake glasses. My three year old steals her grandma’s glasses constantly, so it might be smart for me to pick up a pair for her.
And as a mom I totally understand the lack of posting. I would never want to convey to my child that the computer is more important than her. And really, at the end of life are you going to say, “I wish I could’ve blog/surfed online more?”
Joy
November 4, 2011 at 11:37 amI love Almond Joy too!! (And not just ’cause my name is in it.) We bought a bagful to make sure I would get at least one. 😉 I used to roast Brussel Sprouts with soy sauce and bit of rice vinegar and garlic/ garlic salt. But since the first trimester of my pregnancy w/ the baby I just had, I can’t even look at them without gagging. 😛
Ruthiey
November 4, 2011 at 11:55 amThat picture of Rover and his daddy just made my heart melt. You are such an inspiration to me. Thanks. 🙂
abbie
November 4, 2011 at 11:58 amI love that your son knows when anything is out of place in “the town.” Very cute.
Cousin
November 4, 2011 at 12:03 pmSuch good memories!! I can’t believe the student and teacher weren’t estatic over the glasses! We thought those were the coolest ever! We need to find the picture of the three of us with them on at G&G’s. Love Morgan’s little jack o lantern smile! Miss you all!! Love you! XO
Jennifer
November 4, 2011 at 12:07 pmLove your updates. It is a constant battle in my brain…I want to journal for the kids sake, but I want to spend time with them, not uploading pics and blogging?!
Looks like a great month!! Enjoy the party!!
Shannon
November 4, 2011 at 12:16 pmI still look forward to your updates, even if they are less frequent. Morgan is turning into a lovely young lady – and I can’t believe how much she’s grown since I first “met” you and your blog! Happy Birthday to her!
Ann Anderson
November 4, 2011 at 12:18 pmHope to see some Christmas tees soon!
HannahJ
November 4, 2011 at 12:19 pmI know how you feel about prioritizing time on the computer and time with the kiddos- but I do appreciate your beautiful pictures and kindly worded updates! Up here in CT we are currently still recovering the aftermath of storm Albert- and Halloween has been postponed due to lack of power:(
Rochelle Heinz
November 4, 2011 at 12:26 pmLOL!!! I love that you hunt for the Almond Joys! Those are my favorite too, so the boys always bring me all if theirs! Yumm!!
E @ Oh! Apostrophe
November 4, 2011 at 12:51 pmLove all of your updates, that pic of JM and his dad is a framer 🙂
Jen
November 4, 2011 at 1:00 pmYou guys have been busy! Great photos, as always. My almost-severn-year old is heading to the dentist today. Fingers crossed for no cavaties. Although, after this Halloween, it’s a strong possibility!
Melissa
November 4, 2011 at 1:18 pmOh, how I’ve missed reading your family’s adventures! How I loved to play school when I was a kid! Since I have no brothers or sisters, I “taught” all my stuffed animals! You know, though, what I remember most is how I loved the paperwork that went along with it. I remember making forms to use for attendance, etc., and look how it all turned out. I guess being a business teacher I get the paperwork and the teaching part! 🙂 Happy birthday to Morgan! If y’all head out to the “nut fest” this weekend, maybe we’ll see you. Matthew’s showing calves, so we’ll be camped out in the cattle barn. Come by and see us!
Kristee Dowling
November 4, 2011 at 1:21 pmDoes this mean we will see y’all tonight?!? I hope so. Happy 7th Birthday, Morgan.
Christie Elkins
November 4, 2011 at 2:02 pmYikes on the fish teeth. Who would have thought? And my four year old was also a ballerina this year, with outfits straight from her dress up box. She said next year she wants to be a fairy “with a wand” which I’m fairly certain was her costume this year sans wand.
Oh, and I ate all of their Reese’s Cups. Guilty as charged.
mandy
November 4, 2011 at 2:23 pmSo cute…oh my that town…and him knowing if something is out of place makes me laugh so hard…and reminds me of my almost three year old…the control issue:) and that fish, oh those teeth are too much! I can’t stop laughing at that thing. I called my 6 year old in the room to look at that thing!!! So glay y’all are having fun!!! Mandy
Mary Louis Quinn
November 4, 2011 at 2:35 pmMy twin sister and I LOVED fake glasses when we were little! My friend had a pair and we fought over who could wear them every time we went to her house to play (and we would wear them the whole time we were there- not just when playing school 🙂 ). Your girls will get their awesomeness soon, I’m sure. Is it bad that I’m 31 and still want a pair?! 🙂
BTW that fish was hilarious yet very scary at the same time. Not sure I could bring myself to eat a fish with a mug that looked like that. 🙂
Melissa
November 4, 2011 at 2:38 pmTwo things:
1. Totally jealous of your crab cakes,
2. Love the moment you captured of your two guys. So sweet.
Emily
November 4, 2011 at 3:00 pmYay – you’re back! I don’t know how you find to do all you do in life so soak up that time with your sweet kiddos and pop in as much as you can. Two quick things: “city planning or hoarding” – ha! love it! and that pic of your boys – what a capture!
Melissa
November 4, 2011 at 3:03 pmMore posts! more posts! 🙂 I enjoy reading your blog and viewing all of the photos that you post. Luv your writing style…you crack me up, so many times. “future in city planning or hoarding”…cracked me up hard. I loved having faux glasses/playing school when I was little…so much fun…great photos!
Katharina
November 4, 2011 at 3:04 pmDarby – thank you for taking the time to post! The fish pictures are AWESOME. Never thought about the teeth of fishes – but never would have thought they can look like this! I tried to look up Sheepshead in a dictonary but it only found a card game with that name. Does anybody know another name for that fish? I really would like to know. Maybe you can tell us more about how you prepare and cook the fishes… ENJOY the time with your precious family!
Katharina
November 4, 2011 at 3:05 pmPS. I so agree with you on the drug free… somehow sad they are being told about drugs at all!
Janette
November 4, 2011 at 3:07 pmI’m so happy you’re back! Yours is my favourite blog to read but I completely understand the busyness of life and priority of family 😉 Glad to see you are having a great time!
Jennifer
November 4, 2011 at 3:13 pmLoved this new post! What a gorgeous photo of Daddy and son – frame that one!
kayce hughes
November 4, 2011 at 3:45 pmSo funny! My kids actually asked people if they had any almond joy’s for their mom and not a one. Looks like we might be the only two people who like them. “Sometimes you feel like a nut..sometimes you dont” or are you too young to remember that comercial?
Whitney
November 4, 2011 at 4:04 pmPlease, please, please share your tips for picture taking at night…indoors and out. Do you have an external flash? I am slowly but surely learning about my camera and am so sad to be losing my good light.
Lauren
November 4, 2011 at 4:15 pmMy 3 year old came home from part-time preschool with all her stuff from Red Ribbon week. It all went straight into the trash. On the other hand, I had two Project Uplift children while at AU (like Big Brothers/Big Sisters) and the 5 year old pointed to the butt of a Black N Mild in a parking lot and exclaimed, “Oooooh WEED!”
Of course I can’t find the link now, but I recently read a parenting article about a 5 year old girl who asked her dad what a doobie was. He went into a 30 minute explanation fueled by her questions as to why some people are depressed, why would they harm their bodies, etc. He finally asked her where she heard “doobie” and she innocently replied, “they sing it in my songs on TV! Doobie doobie doobie doo!”
Amy Brewer
November 4, 2011 at 4:36 pmOkay, I have a 3 year old who is similar to JM with his hoarding and putting stuff on his table like that.
The picture of Justin and JM is precious, sweetest thing ever!
That is one freaky looking fish.
I feel the exact same way about red ribbon week!
Lindsey
November 4, 2011 at 5:03 pmdon’t act like you didn’t get ANY almond joys:). love you and can’t wait to see you and your family! great post!
Abby Maddox
November 4, 2011 at 6:30 pmThat picture of JM holding Justin’s face is so, so precious!!
Jill
November 4, 2011 at 7:26 pmOh my word you had me laughing out loud on this post. Morgan having better things to do than drugs, JM’s “town”, the Sheepshead fish, etc. And I love that first picture of Morgan and her snaggletooth… she’s a beauty! They ALL are. Thanks for taking the time to share a post with us!
Jennifer H
November 4, 2011 at 7:54 pmThanks for catching us up! Love watching your sweet family grow. Happy Birthday to your sweet girl!
Anna @ The Paper Road Blog
November 4, 2011 at 9:02 pmOh we roast brussel sprouts all the time – totally changes the flavor. We just do olive oil, salt/pepper and dust a little parmesan on at the very end. Same thing with broccoli! Thanks again for the pumpkin bread recipe – awesome bread – posted it on my blog today.
Brittan
November 4, 2011 at 9:56 pmI do miss your blogging…And I have to agree about “Red Ribbon Week” not sure if you saw my facebook posts or not, lot’s of good info, but I too was really bothered by it:( Please don’t even tell my baby what the drug means!
Christine
November 4, 2011 at 10:12 pmI’ve been awaiting an update. Your blog is so fun that I chuckle outloud and maybe drool at sone of the pics( the crabcakes, not the Brussels sprouts after thinking about the smell). It is always nice to read up no matter how infrequent. Kiddos grow up too fast and I too find less and less time to compose thoughts, but the time with my babies is always worth it! Enjoy 🙂
Brittany
November 4, 2011 at 10:23 pmLove your blog…it warms my heart!
MiddleSister
November 5, 2011 at 7:43 amI laughed out loud reading this! Thanks for the great stories. Savor every minute with your kiddies (I can tell you do). You have a great sense of humor!!!
Kelley
November 5, 2011 at 7:54 amI adore reading your blog. You have a wonderful family and I love the way you make the “regular” days seem so special. 🙂 It’s such a treat to be given a glimpse into your life.
meaghan
November 5, 2011 at 9:49 amthe picture of rover and justin just about melted my heart! what a sweet family you have. glad you guys are safe and happy. we miss your updates!!
Mary Elizabeth
November 5, 2011 at 10:17 amI love Almond Joys…my goblins were allergic to nuts so I always had a great assortment to call my own.
The kids are grown now, so I have to buy them!
BUT I’m going to be a Grandma, so I think there’s a possibility of free candy somewhere down the road : )
Carol Ann
November 5, 2011 at 10:20 amI agree with Kelley above, I adore your blog also. Happy Birthday Morgan… Halloween night, I so loved that night with my kids (there 33 and 28 now) might have grandkids some day to take out trick or treating… but for now I thought the dark street shots were amazing, have a wonderful weekend. ps i did not know fish have teeth, somehow that was weird to me, but really good photo you took…
Heidi with Brown Eyed Girly Girl
November 5, 2011 at 10:45 amMy nieces had those glasses…they are “attitude glasses” (maybe that will help!)Glad they let you take a picture!! I just love the picture of your husband, Justin and Rover-just precious!! Oh, and the fish…hilarious! Reminds me of a puffer fish (dead!) that my twin (yes, I have one too) found on a beach in Jacksonville, FL!
~Heidi (browneyedgirlygirl.com)
Heidi Ferguson
November 5, 2011 at 10:47 amMy nieces had those glasses…they are “attitude glasses” (maybe that will help!)Glad they let you take a picture!! I just love the picture of your husband, Justin and Rover-just precious!! Oh, and the fish…hilarious! Reminds me of a puffer fish (dead!) that my twin (yes, I have one too) found on a beach in Jacksonville, FL!
Tara
November 5, 2011 at 2:35 pmI certainly wish I’d known about the fake glasses on the $1 rack at Claire’s. Yours truly used our EyeMed benefits to get Towns and Cate fake glasses that really weren’t fake at all after a $20 copay…for each pair. Why I didn’t think about the copay before I agreed to it, I’ll never know. Happy birthday to Morgan! I say this every year, but it takes me back to the days of the FL DMV and AmSouth when we used to email all day, every day to escape our horrible jobs!!
Dianne
November 5, 2011 at 7:10 pmI loved reading this. Life is good! Enjoy every minute.
xoxo Dianne
carrie
November 5, 2011 at 11:30 pmoh my gosh! the teeth on that fish are killing me! hillarious! and my oldest baby is going to be 7 this month too!!
Jennifer
November 6, 2011 at 9:28 amoh my goodness, i laughed all the way through this post! time can get away so quickly; same here. i keep reminding myself that if I don’t blog all those memories are gone for good, so that keeps me in line occasionally!
have a beautiful sunday, darby!!
Kathleen Leonard
November 6, 2011 at 9:52 amI just had to tell you, you had me laughing out loud about the almond joys. I do the exact same thing and my kids only got 2 of them this year. So not cool!
Rachel
November 6, 2011 at 12:33 pmMy daughter recently bought fake glasses from Claire’s too! She loves how they make her look “dorky cool.” I didn’t even know that was a thing. – The kids were adorable on Halloween. So cute! I’m glad that y’all had such a fun time! – We learned about sheepsheads this year. They have such large, brown, expressive eyes! My husband was catching one after the other down at the pass and my daughter tried to keep them alive by pouring water over them. But thirty minutes later we were dipping them in Zatarain’s and frying them up. She wouldn’t and WON’T eat them, but I think they taste pretty good!
Robyn @ Our Back Yard To Yours
November 6, 2011 at 3:23 pmLove your blog! You always have such great pictures.
Alysa (InspiredRD)
November 7, 2011 at 12:12 amHow funny that I found your blog today, the day before I plan to unplug for a while and step away from my blog. I think that you confirmed my desire to spend more time with my family and building relationships outside of the interwebs. Thank you for being a light 🙂 I look forward to checking back in with you after my hiatus.
Alysa (InspiredRD)
November 7, 2011 at 12:13 amOh yeah, and “dead mammal” cracked me up since I am such a pusher of brussels sprouts!
CAW
November 7, 2011 at 9:55 amI love it when you come back to blog land!!
Your family is precious. My seven year old loves to play teacher too.
And we have the fake glasses from Claires but she wears them to school
to “look” smart.
Caitlin @ Hardly Housewives
November 7, 2011 at 2:24 pmLife looks great!
I was JUST looking for brussels sprout ideas…I love how they got such a bad rap when we were kids but I think they’re SO tasty now.
Jessica
November 7, 2011 at 4:37 pmHappy 7th Birthday, Morgan! I hope she had a wonderful birthday!
And that picture of Justin & JM is adorable! A definite framer, for sure!
Becky
November 7, 2011 at 6:20 pmShredded Brussels Sprouts are the best. Try them. In large bowl of cold, salted water, soak 1.5 pounds Brussels sprouts 10 minutes. Drain; trim ends and discard any bitter outside leaves. Cut each sprout in half lengthwise; thinly shred by slicing crosswise.
In large skillet, over medium-high heat, melt ¼ cup butter. Add sprouts and ¼ tsp white pepper; over high heat, saute 5 minutes or until sprouts start to brown. Add 2 tsp water; cook, stirring, 2 to 3 minutes, until sprouts are crisp-tender. Stir in 1 Tbsp lime juice. Mmm good.
Even people who swear they hate Brussels sprouts love these!
andi
November 7, 2011 at 8:29 pmOh the fish teeth. The fish teeth. The stinkin’ fish teeth are the FUNNIEST things EVER! So glad to see you this weekend! Miss you guys so much! Yes, every teacher must wear glasses AND all the cool girls wear braces. Remember, I didn’t have them-I bent a paper clip across my teeth! lol! Brussels are benj’s favorite veggie, up there with rutabagas. yep, dead mammal is a great analogy.
Meredith
November 8, 2011 at 7:17 amThe glasses story made me laugh! Happy Birthday Morgan!
Rachel
November 8, 2011 at 8:48 amI wanted to tell you that your “Sacrament of Living” post really hit home with me. I have never heard that taught! I am sharing it with my daughter this morning as our homeschooling Bible lesson. Thank you for posting it!
Ashleigh
November 8, 2011 at 12:07 pmLove the post! Halloween looked great- and umm…gross, I never realized fish had teeth that looked like that! Eek!You do such a great job with this blog – the entries, the pics – all fabulous!
Ashley
November 8, 2011 at 1:33 pmI laughed out loud at this post!!The hoarding comment, the dead mammal, and the fish’s teeth!! Funny stuff!! Thanks so much for sharing your precious family!
Melanie
November 8, 2011 at 3:48 pmgreat to catch up! I love the fish with teeth pic! The kids looked PRECIOUS in their halloween costumes!!!
Jill
November 10, 2011 at 4:55 pmDarby, you are Hilarious. Love the ‘dead mammal’ and the fake head. It really did look like he was holding up a picture of his face! Thanks for the laughs. Miss you guys.
scott
November 10, 2011 at 11:04 pmI was in Aiken SC today at a Subway for lunch with my husband and friend. I SWEAR I saw Justin with 2 guys eating lunch. I would have said something to him, but A) I wasn’t totally sure it was he, and B) even if it was, I did not want to give him the creeps [“Great. My wife’s blog has sentenced me to meeting strangers instead of enjoying my lunch.”]
I am dying to know if it was he or not!
Misha
November 12, 2011 at 8:43 amYeah! So happy to see a post up, and first things first. Best photo of them all, your husband and sweet Rover. Second, my husband was in complete disbelief of that Sheepshead fish! He thought for sure the photo was doctored. I told him to double check on the internet if he didn’t believe! Sure enough 🙂
He loves seafood.
Love reading your posts :))
Sara
November 13, 2011 at 6:18 pmThanks for the fun update, sounds and looks lovely. That fish, oh my goodness, WHO knew fish could have such human-looking teeth? And the first pic looks like a smile, too funny!
{hooked on hickory}
November 14, 2011 at 7:45 pmwow. those fish teeth are scary! your kiddos look great! i love the ballerina fishing! too awesome for words!
ashley over @
{hookedonhickory}
Lindsay
November 22, 2011 at 7:42 pmI hate to ask this because I know that some people would prefer not to reveal their physical locations but I used to live in Southern Alabama(and my brother lives there now) and I think I recognized the farmers market. Is it Burris Farmers Market? I understand if you would prefer to not answer that question. Love the blog. Great pictures!