Dang it!  I started messing with the editor in WordPress….trying to change something and royally screwed it up.  I can never leave well enough alone! Blah!

Sorry for the weird appearance.  If you know how to fix this stuff please holler at me 😛  beckylbranch@gmail.com

So we had a great trip to AR.  Most of the trip was spent at my Nannie and Papa’s farm.  Terence had the brilliant idea to camp and we did…only to be sabotaged by cow moo-ing at 1 am.  We couldn’t stand it anymore so we went in the house.  I know….we sure are party poopers huh?  Those cows are so loud you have no idea!

We had a great visit with Nannie and got to hear her teach Sunday school.  She’s just the best person you’ll ever meet!

Here are some pictures of the trip…..in the mean time I’m trying to get my groove back around here 😉

The boys and Nana

Lindsey’s pictures

The boys on the 4-wheeler Our tent Nannie and the boys with mouths full of cookies! Terence building our bonfire to roast s’mores Bon Bon and me

Twinkies forever.
Another beautiful picture of my cousin Lindsey We love you all and thanks for having us!

Just a couple more months until Christmas YIPPEEEEEEEEE!!!!

I’ve never been to the Texas State Fair and this year was my first time to go!  Yay!  Thank you for sending our family Chevrolet #Silveradostrong kindly provided us with tickets.  It was perfect fair weather too!  We ate ourselves silly.  I didn’t have anything too crazy.  My favorite was the frozen lemonade.  Also, I found a booth that served pineapple whip. It’s AMAZING!  They have a place back home that sells pineapple whip.  Anyway, here is our day of fun, family, and lots of food!
Connor and his BFF cousin Ellie The petting zoo  The kiddos with Pop Watching the fair *pretend* circus Eating our corny dogs Big Tex LIVES!!!!   We tried these “Pie Shakes” and they were pretty good 😉 Trying out some amazing cars in the auto showroom
So that was our day at the state fair! Have y’all ever been? It’s crazy and HUGE! It was a great day with my family….love. Best days ever.

When I was a kid one of my favorite things was Campbell’s chicken & stars.  Something about the magical little stars that made me think it was something special.  Mom would make this if my sister and I got sick and it always made us feel better.  It’s funny how kids choose food and how that taste can stay with them throughout their life.  Just remembering that soup brings up all sorts of memories in my head.  Getting your kid to try something you enjoyed is a little bit harder.  Often times if Connor just tries something he will come to find he actually likes it!  It’s getting that first bite in that’s so hard.  Kids’ tastes in food are one of life’s great mysteries. One day Connor will LOVE something and ask for it over and over, the next he’ll say he can’t stand it.  What gives?

Picky eaters have finally met their match! With the help of The Wisest Kid in the Whole World™, Campbell’s soup is offering delicious recipes your kids won’t be able to refuse.  Campbell’s gives you a fresh way to serve your family kid friendly, fun recipes at www.campbellskitchen.com.

At the WisestKid.com you’ll find fun, quick meal ideas your kids will love.  You can see all of the soup varieties featuring kids’ favorite characters like Super Mario and Phineas & Ferb, as well as topping and sandwich ideas for Tomato soup.  Every can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup has 32 feet of noodles just waiting to be slurped, that is crazy!  I use Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom to make one of our family favorites chicken spaghetti.  It’s my sneaky little way of adding some veggies in there 😉

Here’s the recipe:

Chicken Spaghetti

1 lb spaghetti noodles
1 rotisserie chicken (pull chicken off the bone)
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can Campbell’s Cream of Chicken soup
1 can Rotel
2 lb Monterrey jack cheese

Mix soups, Rotel,  and 1/2 the cheese together in a large bowl.  Drain noodles, combine with ingredients in the bowl. Pour into greased 13 x 9 in casserole dish, sprinkle other 1/2 cheese over the top.

Bake @ 350 degrees for around 30 mins.

We all love sharing things about our kids—from pictures to funny things they do.  Through the Wisest Kid widget you can tell everyone the “wise” things your kids says.  It’s super easy and fun and you can share it with your family and friends.

I wanted to share with you all my husband’s adoption story.  I have his blessing to write about his experience. To me it’s one of the most inspiring stories I could share with anyone, and shows the incredible effect opening your heart to others can have.

My husband, Terence, was taken away from his birth family and entered into the foster care system from the ages of 3-6 years old.  He stayed with several foster families over the years before he came to live with his (now) parents, Mike and Sherry.

Mike and Sherry took a broken little boy full of hurt & anger into their home.  Terence was definitely not an easy child.  He had already been through so much at a young age.  As to be expected, he rebelled and lashed out.  He was scared and taken away from everything he knew.

His new foster parents probably thought about giving up on him hundreds of times.  Instead of turning their heads they worked with him and got the help he needed.  They invested in him, he got counseling, and slowly he began to change & work through all his issues.  Terence felt accepted and loved…something he hadn’t felt in years.

At the age of 6 he became an official member of Mike & Sherry’s family.  He was now their son.  A boy that nobody wanted, a young married couple believed in and accepted as their own.   Terence’s parents went on to adopt 2 more children and years later had a daughter of their own.  If you ask Terence today, he will tell you he wouldn’t be the man his is without his parents.  His life would have gone down a completely different path.  Instead, he graduated with highest honors from college and then got an MBA in one year’s time.  He is an amazing husband and father. We could not be more proud of him.

None of this would have ever been possible if it weren’t for the sacrifice that Mike and Sherry made years ago to accept a small, broken boy into their home.  The unconditional love and determination to never give up on him has molded him into the outstanding man he is today.  For all they did, and all they continue to do….we thank you!

“Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it.”

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