Roasting by an Open Fire

It's that time of year again. It's cold and miserable if you are outdoors. We have started using the fireplace again. Trying to keep warm and toasty. Jared is already in the holiday spirit. I have put up the Christmas decorations in our house. It's starting to look a lot like Christmas. We are due for some snow this weekend. We had some flurries last Friday so we are gearing up for a cold one. Brrrr!




Brittany and her friends enjoyed warming up around the fire during her slumber party last year.





It gets a lot of use each Winter. Thankfully we are stocked up on wood this year and my hubby keeps the fire going. I think every home needs a fireplace. They really are so wonderful.

Madison 4 Months Old

Maddie is 4 months old today! She is growing so fast.





This is what she can do now.

• She likes to stick her tongue out at you.
• She is very talkative and we love to hear her voice.
• She has said Ma Ma when she is getting upset and needs me.
• She has started to roll over but doesn't know how to go back.
• She reaches for everything and puts her in her mouth.
• She is starting to teeth and sucks on her hand all the time.
• She is a Daddy's girl and smiles every time she sees him.
• She is stubborn when it comes to laughing and will hold back her giggles even though she wants to.
• She looks forward to seeing her Sister and Brother come home from school.
• She likes to go for rides in the stroller.
• She likes to be carried facing forward so she can see whats coming her way.
• She is sleeping better through the night and wakes up only once, twice a night for a feeding.
• She loves toys and can hold them in her hands.
• She is wearing 6-9 months old clothes these days.
• She hates to wear socks and will push them off every time.
• She won't take a pacifier or a bottle still, even though I keep trying.
• She is still wearing a size 2 Huggies diaper.
• She loves splashing in her baby bath tub and will get you all wet when she's in it.
• She is almost sitting up by herself and has a very strong back.
• She loves to stay standing on your lap and use her muscles in her legs.
• She is very smart and learns something new everyday.
• She loves to talk to the angels at the ceiling and smiles, carries on with them.
• She weighs a ton now and it will kill your arm if you hold her too long.
• She's almost ready for some rice cereal and we will be needing a high chair soon.
• She is on a schedule and I'm able to work around her nap times now.
• She is most of all a very, good girl and Santa should be bringing her lots of things this year.

Gobble till you Wobble

Have a great Thanksgiving everyone! We will be eating turkey with my in-laws today. I wasn't so sure that we would even celebrate the holiday this year since Robert's passing. No one really is in the mood, but we are going to fix dinner anyhow. I won't have to do any cooking this year which is really nice. I just get to go and eat. The drive to their house with three kids is work enough. I would hate to cook on top of that. I am bringing the Turkey though. I'm buying one that's already pre-cooked and smoked to perfection. Easy, Peasy! A local restaurant is selling them this way and I am jumping on it. Less work for me and it will probably taste a whole lot better. We shall see.



I will be back this weekend and will be checking out those Christmas sales. The kids want big ticket item gifts this year and I'm hoping to find a great deal. The countdown to Christmas starts now in my house. Time to go broke and wrap a ton of presents. Ha! Hope everyone eats well this year. I am thankful for you all.

New Moon

I finally saw the 2ND Twilight movie, New Moon. Last night I was able to sneak away with my friend Anna to watch it in the theater. We were having fun up until I got a call from Brittany to come home, Maddie was crying and wouldn't go to sleep. I went to the last showing of the day so these kids of mine wouldn't miss me and they would all be in bed. Well I was very wrong. Of course they all knew there Mom was trying to have some fun for once and they wouldn't settle down. Ugh! I had to leave in the middle of the movie, race home to take care of these matters. Johnny was home with them, but he was oblivious that the two older kids had called me. He thought I came home because the movie was over. Then I alerted him that I was called to come home to take care of Maddie. He was holding her and she was as calm as could be. So was it really an emergency or were these kids just mad that I wasn't at home with them? After much "talking" to these fun destroyers, I drove back to the theater to catch the tail end of film. Needless to say, I missed all the action scenes so I will need to see it again to know what happened. My friend Anna was grateful I came back, but sad I wasn't able to see the entire film. That's my life people. Kids will always come first and fun second. I at least am enjoying these fun candy bars. Have you seen these? They sell them at Wal-mart. The chocolate bar has three (yes THREE) different flavors inside. One piece is filled with caramel, another cream, and the last piece is full of peanut butter. Can you say, YUM? Perfect candy to take with you to this movie.

Something to Smile About!

Hey, this is my 100Th blog post! Wow, I can't believe it. I'm happy I've been able to find the time each week to add updates to this page. I hope everyone enjoys reading about my little projects and family happenings. I wanted to find a way to keep everyone informed and so far this has been a great outlet. The Kiddies and Me have something to smile about in this great accomplishment.

Maddie is sure happy about it! :) Isn't she just a doll? She'll be 4 months in a few days. I can't believe how time flies. More on that next time, but thank you for continued support and motivation to come this far. Much love to all!

Better Video's

I finally figured out how to add my video's using Blogger tools. The quality is much better then Photobucket or Youtube. Take a look now.



I'm so proud of myself. Yeah! One video uploaded, several to go. Look for more to come.

Favorite Things Party

Melissa is having a favorite things party over on her blog. I'm joining the fun and listing a couple of my fav's I couldn't live without. Sadly, I've listed the food I love. I must be hungry!

This is my favorite yogurt right now. It taste more like pudding then yogurt. Lemon is the best flavor they make I think.



If I want a quick breakfast on the go, I make me a Toaster Strudel. They are so much better then Pop Tarts and a lot more filling.



My two favorite things, chocolate and peppermint. Put them together and you have the perfect candy. Not to mention, fresh breath too! Ha!



I love crackers. I prefer them over chips actually. I'm always trying new flavors that arrive on the shelves. I'm having one of these a day. These are adult size cheese crackers I like to think of them. You only get six bar in a package so I use them as a reward or treat. Try them, there yummy.



Aaah, pre-cooked chicken slices are a big hit with me. I can use this in almost anything I whip up. It's not just for sandwiches. Although, I do eat this on a toasted, sub roll with cheese. So good because it's fast and less expensive then Subway.



Last but not least, Pizza Combo's. This is a favorite of mine when the kiddies and me are in the car. When we are hungry, we snack on these typically. Again, crackers and everyones favorite flavor Pizza is a crowd pleaser.



So there you have it. My favorite food right now. Next time I do this, I'll try to list things you can't eat. LOL Let me know if these are your favorite's as well.

Caught on Film

Well the party has been over for a couple days now, but I haven't had the time to blog about it. I was going to post all sorts of pictures from Jared's big day but my camera decided to act up. So I only managed to get a few of his presents and of his cake. (Tear, Tear)




The rest I captured on video. So maybe that's better in a way. You will get more from a video then pictures anyhow. I hosted this party at the new Inflatable/Arcade place in town. It had a lot of fun things for the kids to do. For instance a velcro sticky wall. Check this video out of Jared sticking to the wall. Funny! Plus an overview of what other stuff they had.



Inside our party room there was a TV/Karoke machine along with plenty of tables to seat your guest. I didn't go all out on decorations this year but I stuck with a green/black theme. I forgot to film this before everyone started eating up the pizza and drinks. Oh well, you get the idea.



Finally, singing Happy Birthday to the big 8 year old.



We wished Robert could've been there for this. He would've enjoyed it. I hope he was there in spirit. He was very much missed and everyone was thinking about him.

One birthday down, another to go. Brittany's is next in a few weeks. She'll be turning 14. Can you believe it? Her event will take place at an indoor pool. I'm blowing up the floaties for the little ones and getting the tropical decorations ready. We are changing Winter into Summer. It's our favorite Season by far!

Hope you enjoyed the videos.

Life Must Go On

This weekend my little boy is turning 8 years old. I had already planned a big GI Joe birthday party for him before all that's happened, happened. We all don't feel like celebrating that much right now, but we don't want to ignore the fact that it's his birthday. He's been looking forward to it for quite some time. I know Robert would've been there and or wanted me to go ahead anyhow. Life must go on for the rest of us. So there is going to be a birthday party today. Everyone needs some cheering up for just a little while. I've picked up the cake and have everything ready to go.






I will be taking pictures of all that goes on. I'm sure Jared will have a great time.

Tattoo's

My husband told me he is going to get a tattoo's with his Brother's name one day soon. This is to remember and honor him by. I support this. I'm sure he would like that. My Son also wants to get a tattoo with his Uncle Robert's name. Since he's just a little too young to get something permanent, he decided to give himself one.



Bless his heart, he tried to spell his name correct. He did pretty good, but the "B" is backwards. Oh well, it's close enough. Good thing it can be corrected with a little soap.



He asked if I wanted a Tattoo as well. I said, "Sure!" This is what he drew on my arm. It says Robert spelled correctly this time, but it is way more fancy. He put a lot of detail's in it for me. I especially love the cross. It was hard to get a picture of it, but this is generally what it looked like.



I'm not sure I'll be getting a real tattoo in his memory, but maybe this blog will show I care. I'd rather share his pictures with the world and remember him the way he was. I'm looking around for more pictures of Robert and will be uploading them here soon.

Better Days

Robert was a great guy who everyone loved. Especially my kids. He was a very good Uncle to them.

He was Married to Jen and I think he will always be.

He was always ready for a game.

And he always had your back.

His stories would really make you laugh.

And there's never ever going to be another one like him.

It's not going to be the same around here without you Rob. Thanks for the good times and happy memories.

Today's Paper

It's disturbing to see Robert's bike this way. Why did they have to put it in the newspaper?

(Photo courtesy of DEBBIE CALDWELL/Harlan Daily Enterprise)

A Cumberland man died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle and vehicle crash Sunday on U.S. 119. Cumberland police officer Matt Miles said the preliminary investigation revealed that Johnny Blanton, 75, of Cumberland, was traveling north on U.S. 119 in a 2009 GMC Sierra truck and was turning left onto Mastin Drive when he pulled into the path of a Kawasaki Vulcan motorcycle traveling south. The motorcycle was operated by James Robert McKnight, 35. Miles said McKnight was ejected and died at the scene. He was pronounced by Harlan County deputy coroner Jim Bush. Miles said Blanton was transported by private vehicle to Harlan ARH Hospital to be treated for minor injuries. Police agencies assisting Miles included Cumberland, Benham, Lynch, the Harlan County Sheriff’s Office and the Kentucky State Police. Also assisting was LifeCare Ambulance Service. Trooper Jason Young is pictured marking the crash scene.

Tragic News

Sunday we lost my Husband's only brother in a horrible motorcycle accident. He was just sooooo nice and everyone loved him so. It shouldn't have happened to him. He was my age and we always enjoyed his company. It's still surreal at this point that he's gone, but arrangements have been made for his services. Here's Robert (in the orange shirt) standing with my Mother and Father-in-law holding baby Madison.



Here he is a few years ago with Brittany & Jared showing off his proud new toy. It ended up costing his life.





This is the obituary posted in today's paper of my Brother-In-Laws passing. It's even more sad to see this in print. We are all just stunned and heartbroken over this huge loss. Words can not describe.

James McKnight

James Robert McKnight, 35, of Cumberland passed away Sunday, November 8, 2009, from injuries sustained in a motorcycle accident.

James was a native of Harlan County and lived in Cumberland most of his life. He was a graduate of Cumberland High School. He was self employed.

He was preceded in death by his grandparents, Clarence and Goldie Hall, Denver and Minnie McKnight; three uncles, Jimmy Hall, Richard McKnight, and Roy McKnight; two aunts, Mary Frances Shuler and Barbara Jean Thomas.

Survivors include his parents, Johnny and Sharon Kay Hall McKnight, Cumberland; one brother, Johnny McKnight, Jr and wife, Stacy, London; two nieces, Brittany and Madison McKnight, London; one nephew, Jared McKnight, London; a host of other relatives and friends.

Visitation will be held 6-9pm Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at Tri City Funeral Home in Benham. Funeral services will be conducted at 1pm Wednesday, November 11, 2009 in the Chapel of Tri City Funeral Home with Pastor Don McKnight and Pastor Jess Dixon officiating. Interment will follow in Hall Family Cemetery in Cumberland.

Family and friends will serve as pallbearers.

Rest in peace Robert. We will miss you terribly!

Halloween Night

Here are the kids dressed up to go Trick or Treating. They went with a couple of their Cousins this year. Brittany was dressed up as a Punk Rock Princess in an outfit I made. All but the tights, because we wanted something original this year. (She got lots of compliments on the pretty colors by the way). Jared was a Marine in real cammies we purchased from base. He just loves dressing like his Dad and it made him feel like GI Joe. Maddie has a onesie that looks like the digital cammies so I thought it would be cute if she was dressed up like a baby Marine for a picture. She didn't leave the house like that though. She went as a pink leopard. I choose this outfit because of the pretty colors and it was really warm. It was a cold night to be out in. About 50 degree's and sprinkling rain. So I bundled the baby up as best as I could. The older ones would not wear a jacket to save their life. Even after all my demands to put one on, they would not because it would cover up their costume. We stayed out for about an hour and a half before returning home to dump their bags. The offical trading of the candy began and they made out pretty well. Brittany got a package of Top Ramin noodles from a house that she stopped at. It happened to be her music teacher from school that was giving the older kids, (middle schoolers as she said) funny food rather then candy. I guess to be funny or to tell them they are too old to be trick or treating. Brittany was suppose to just go out walking with us, but then started running up to the doors when she saw other kids her age doing it as well. Maybe this will be her last year to get the candy. I don't know if she'll have the nerve to do it in high school. I think she'll start getting dirty looks from the neighbors. LOL Anyhow, it was a fun night. We saw a lot of great costumes. It makes me want to get a jump start on next years. I have more tutu's to make and things to sew.