5 Frightfully Cute Ideas To BOO Your Neighbors

In 2009, we were told by the US Army to report to Fort Campbell, KY. We arrived to Gandy Court in July of that year, and quickly made friends with our new neighbors. What we weren't prepared for was the fun, annual traditions that would come from living there for three years. The first of many was getting BOO'ed by our neighbors. Have you ever been BOO'ed?? 

We were sitting at the table enjoying dinner, and we had a knock at the door. When we opened the door, no one was there. But, on our front porch was a basket full of FUN Halloween goodies! Every year that we were there, we were BOO'ed by our neighbors. And, we joined in and began BOO'ing our neighbors, too. 

What keeps one house from being BOO'ed more than once? When you get a spooky, but FUN package on your doorstep, you put a sign on your door. This way the fun can spread throughout the neighborhood, and no one gets BOO'ed twice. Fun, right?!?

I've gathered a few FRIGHTFULLY cute ideas for you. These will give you some helpful tips on what to put in your BOO basket.  But, you can put whatever you'd like in it. Make it fun. Gear it towards the family you're BOO'ing. 

This idea from Eighteen25 is genius! I never thought to add a balloon to your basket, so the unsuspecting recipients see it when they look out the peephole. BOO!

This BOO basket is geared towards the kids in the neighboring family. Grab some stickers, a juice cup, and some silly straws, and you're all set!

The idea of a cone-shaped "basket" is unique. You could hang this on the door for the neighbor to come home to after work. Sometimes people need a nice surprise after a hard days work.

If you don't have a basket, you can use a colored paper bag. Add some scrap paper, buttons for eyes and draw on a few details. The cutest, spookiest BOO gift of all!

Are you crafty? Grab some scrapbooking paper, ruffled ribbon, make a small sign for the front, and you've got yourself the cutest BOO basket on the block!

Have you ever been BOO'ed? Do you BOO your neighbors? Tell me in the comments what you like to put in the baskets you give. What's been the most favorite item(s) you've been given in your BOO basket?

Thank A Soldier This Christmas Season

I posted this photo and the below comment in my instagram feed the other day. Because it stands to be said over and over again, I'm posting it here on my blog, too. It's my prayer that our fallen soldiers are never forgotten...especially not Andrew "Hutch" Hutchins. 

Each time I've walked past my Christmas tree this morning I've glanced at this ornament. I bought it when we lived in Ft Campbell, when my husband was deployed to Afghanistan. I never want to forget his service to our country. I'm so proud of him. 

This year, though, it hit me that this was also the Christmas {2010} that one soldier, Andrew "Hutch" Hutchins, not only wasn't home with his family, but he wouldn't be with them for any other Christmas. His wife and unborn daughter would never get to sit around the Christmas tree with him. His parents would never get to see the joy on his face as he opened his presents from them. His brothers would never get to play whatever new video games they got for Christmas with him. 

I have no idea why this popped into my mind today when I saw this one ornament. I've pulled it out and put it on the tree for 4 years now. Maybe it's because his family has become our family and they mean so very much to us. Maybe it's because I never want anyone to forget Hutch. He meant so much to my husband, they became like brothers while they served together. Whatever the reason, I'll say this...thank a soldier. When you see them out as you're shopping, thank them. Thank a military family. Some of them are missing their soldiers during this Christmas season.

Today We Remember

{Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends. John 15:13 NIV}


We will never forget the sacrifices made by the men and women who laid down their lives for our country.

missing tennessee.

today i am missing tennessee.



a few months before we left tennessee {fort campbell} we discovered a magical hideaway behind our church.

every week after church we would take off into the woods.

just on the other side of that tree line is a creek and flowers and bugs and memories to be made.


{this particular week we had a friend with us}












we {heart} the woods.

***************************************************************

it's thanksgiving eve, y'all.

what are you thankful for today?

if only for a season.

a few times over the last couple of weeks i've missed my friends in fort campbell.
like, missed them bad.
like, totally miss the daily connections we all shared.

we all had iphones so we had a big group text set up.
we would tell each other good morning {sometimes WAY too early}, we would send out requests to borrow team jerseys during spirit week, we would ask if the kids are riding bikes or walking today, "is today the deadline for fundraiser money?"...

that group text was also handy for dinner time when you head to the pantry for a can of chicken broth only to realize you were out.
send out a text and someone would almost always respond that they had a can you could have.
"send a kid" is what we would say. {you would then send a kid to get the can of said chicken broth}

those friends were there for early evening sitting-in-the-driveway-while-the-kids-play days, "who's coming to my thirty-one party?" parties, halloween chili and trick-or-treating nights, and SO MUCH MORE!!!

we did secret santa at christmastime and we "boo'ed" each other at halloween.

{between us we had more than 25 kids.
of the 25 more than half were at the ages to play well together...
and play well they did!
our kiddos were as close as all of us moms were.}

don't even get me started on what a supportive bunch they were during deployment.
when hubs was deployed for one year during our time in fort campbell those girls were my rock!
there were meals shared, shoulders to cry on, countless sleepovers for the kids, and late nights around the fire pit.

i miss those girls so SO much.
i long for a group of friends that special again.

oh, they're all still there for me.
i'm still on that group text.
now, i get a kick out of them asking if anyone has a cup of milk and me responding "me!"
{i live much too far away for them to have my cup of milk. LOL}
when they ask who's coming to the next thirty-one party i respond "i can't this time."

when i'm feeling sad, like today, i let them know.

jamie, christy, hollie, laura, sandy, jen, and gina, i miss you girls terribly.
you all are more than friends...you're family.
thank you for being so great for the short time we were together!

one day soon we will make it back up there to visit. pinky promise.
if you're ever in florida you better stop in and say hello!



linking up at {in}courage where we're discussing community for the next five weeks.

an outing.

tuesday was the day ganny flew in from florida.
for the final time.

this will be her final trip to visit us in fort campbell.
we won't be picking her up from the nashville airport ever again.

it is beginning to sink in.

we are moving back to florida.

WE ARE MOVING BACK TO FLORIDA!

so many emotions tied to that statement.

instead of crying through the rest of this post i'll share with you some photos of where we veered off to before coming home.
{it seems, with ganny, there WILL BE a detour either in nashville or on the way back to fort campbell.
i've come to enjoy them.}






jett is always on the hunt for bugs.
or minnows.
or worms.




and he's almost always successful.
he found this little wormy hanging by a thread...or a silk.












my favorite shot of the day.
it took lots of convincing jett to leave this ladybug be while i took this picture.
it was SO hard for him not to take this bug from my shot.


the third chair from the left was calling my name.
like, screaming for me.
but, i didn't bring her home.



the countdown begins...sixteen days until we turn over our keys to this house.

a sneek peek.

today was a good day for an impromtu photoshoot with my neighbor's daughter.

i've been wanting to take shots of this little cutie for weeks.

today was the day!

here's a sneek peek....


i mean, really?!
check out those curls.
and that sweet face.

i love being a photographer!

waiting.

a couple of weeks ago i got up before the birds to go stand in a line.
to buy a book.

not just any book either.
decision points by {former} president george w. bush, or as i call him in my mind, g-dub.

it was to be a special gift for the hubs.
not only was i buying the book but i was going to get a ticket to come back and stand in another line that starting forming on a different day before the birds awoke to have this book signed by the one and only george w. bush. {how's that for a run-on sentence?}
would you believe that when the big day arrived and i awoke before the birds for the second time in over a year to go get in line i found this...

cancelled.
but, then rescheduled.
ugh, you mean i'm gonna have to get up a third time before the birds???
yes, that's what that means.
and i did it!
i jumped out of bed, grabbed a cup of coffee and left my house with a smile on my face cause i knew i was doing something for hubs that was possibly a once in a lifetime occurrence.
no one else could get him this gift.
i wanted to do something extra special for him since he's been doing something extra special for me for the last year...defending my freedom.

i met the president!

he signed my book.

that i proudly handed over to hubs as i walked through the door when i got home...right after i gave him a smooch.


there were no cameras or cell phones allowed.
i was super bummed!
but, bill larson was there to rescue me.
he took these beautiful photos of the super famous george w. bush.
thanks, bill!

today. {in pictures}

{i helped hubs with his math work.}


{i chose to eat a healthy snack, instead of chips and soda.}

tonight.

hubs and i have a date with ron white and rascal flatts.
super excited!

the view from here...

the drive to target the other night was beautiful.
i couldn't help but look at those clouds and feel God with me.

i know this post is short and sweet...
again, bare with me.
please.
i'm getting used to my new normal.

The GREAT Snow of 2010! Part 2

Us Southerners (read Floridians) are having sort of love/hate feelings towards these cold freezing temperatures.
The temp outside today is a mere 10 degrees.
Yep, FREEZING.
Actually, below freezing.
But, we've bundled up and braved it with seasoned Cold Weather Folks.



I'm not exactly sure why my boys love sticks...
{note to self: buy the boys pick up sticks for the boys' Christmas presents for next year.}

Jett found himself on the ground more times than not.




He finally decided to just accept it and play the best he could.




Wanna know why you don't see Jake in many of my photos these last few days?
He has a new Best Bud, Trenton.
Trenton has a great big hill in his backyard...
of course, it's more fun there.


I was lucky enough to grab this ONE before he ran off.


So, that was our GREAT Snow of 2010,
thus far.
Maybe we'll get more.
Rumor has it, Fort Campbell doesn't get much more than this per year.
We'll see.