When life makes you slow down

I have been forced to slow down this Christmas season. A little over two weeks ago I went to the doctor and he said I had Bronchitis and a sinus infection and started me on some meds. Two nights later I woke up because my neck hurt and I thought I had slept on wrong, after several days of pain I went to the urgent care and they diagnose me with Shingles (the chicken pox virus). It has attacked a nerve at the base of my skull on the left side this is also a trigger point nerve and is causing me lots of pain. It has also totally wiped me out! I can only do a few things and then I am done for the day.

It seems we are always saying "remember the reason for the season" but do we really do that?

As I have had more time this year to ponder and think about the birth of my Savior, I have prayed that the spirit of the Lord will be with us and in our home even if our home does not have all of the usual holiday decor, because it truly does not matter if our home is decorated or not. What matters are the things our family can do to share our love of the Savior with others. To know what we can do to serve those around us and then to act upon those things.

My wish to each of you is that you know that I love The Lord our Savior with all my heart. I hope that my actions each day show how much I love him and want to serve those around me. I am thankful for a loving Father in Heaven who sent his son, that I might live again with him. I am thankful for Mary and Joseph for their courage and faith. I am thankful for a loving family who loves me even when I make mistakes.

May God bless you in all you do, May you to know the love of our Father in heaven and his son Jesus Christ.

Subway Art

photo from The Idea Room

Amy over at The Idea Room came up with this great project! Go on over and get your free download today. I love it

Shanty girls giving a Silhouette away!!!

The girls over at Shanty2chic are have a Silhouette give away too!!! Holy cutouts batman. I really really really want one of these machines! The more I look into them the more fun things I can think of to do.

Again if you win this and I don't ....you have to share with me ;)

The Shanty2chic girls will be announcing the winner on Monday Nov 29th, 2010.

Look whats being given away

Lorie from Be Different Act Normal got to review a Silhouette electronic cutting tool and Silhouette gave her one to give away!! How cool is that.

I have to admit I have seen several things about these but never really paid much attention to them. Lorie has me sold!! I really really want one. I could do so many fun things.

Go over to her blog and enter...but if you win and I don't you have to share with me ;)
You have until 10 am MST Monday November 29th, 2010 to enter.

5 books

**all the books are at the top of the page because I have deleted the photos to many times as I tried to edit my post. I finally gave up

Barnes and Noble asked a question on facebook today " can you tell your life story in 5 books (from kids books to current reading)? It got me to thinking about the books I really remember reading or being read to me over the years.

Those of you who know me know I am an avid reader. I have read thousands of books. I really wish I had a list of all the books I have read over the years.

I have a vivid memory of going in the library when I was eight and checking out LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott. I was drawn to it not because anyone had told me about it but because the author's first name was Louisa which is my middle name.

When I was in high school I decided I was going to read all of Earnest Hemingway's books which I did. Who knows what made me want to read all of his books.

Books have always been a part of my life. It is in my blood. One of my favorite things to do is go to a book store. Chase asked me the other day "If there was a Zombie invasion where would you go?" with out hesitation I said Barnes and Noble....if I am going to die I am certainly going to die in a place I love plus I can get snacks at Starbucks until the Zombies come to eat my brains. I think it is a win win ;)

So with out anymore ramblings on my part here are my 5 books (but I had a really hard time keeping it to 5)

The first book I remember "reading" was I AM A LITTLE BUNNY by Ameri Fechner. I loved this book and would look at it over and over again. It is the one book I can remember asking
for my mom or dad to read to me at night.

I have lovely memories of my dad coming home from work taking a shower and then I would sit in his lap while he would read to me from THE WIND IN THE WILLOW by Kenneth Grahame. I think I was in Kindergarten or first grade when we read this "together".

I loved reading the ENCYCLOPEDIA BROWN BOY DETECTIVE series by Donald Solob. This was the beginning of my love for reading mystery's


When I was in middle school I came across a book called THE VELVET ROOM by Zilpha Keatley Synder. This was a book that I read over and over even when I was in high school. On the Barnes and Noble site it says for age 9 and up which I think is fine I don't remember any thing that would not be OK for a 9 year old but I am not sure I would have read it in high school several times if it was a book for such a young audience. Then again I will read the back of a box if there isn't anything else around ...so maybe it is for a younger audience.

I am currently reading CHILD OF THE NORTHERN SPRING BY Persha Woolley. This is book one of The Guinevere Trilogy. I am on page 114 of 450 but I am loving this book so far.

Here is the link to the synopsis because I don't know how to copy and paste into my blog.

Back to normal...if you can call it that

Finally I have a new computer. I can download photos and everything Yee Haw. First I have to down load the billion photos I have taken and sort them all out.

I have been under the weather the past couple of weeks. Had to have a little surgery but not anything you want to know about I promise. I was so thankful for my new laptop. I wish I could say I was in a drug induced haze but I can't take pain killers so all I could take was Tylenol. I could not even take Advil it thins the blood and doc does not want that.

The boys started school. It is hard to believe that Chase is in High School! I think what makes it so hard is that means less than four more years with us and then he is gone. I don't care if you come back and live at home it is never the same once you have gone off to college.

Justin is doing well in middle school. Before I blink an eye it is going to be him in High School and then they both will be gone.

We bought a piano Chase wants to learn how to play now that he is not taking band anymore. I only took lessons for a short while but I think I can pick it back up it will be nice to try.

Justin is still playing baseball. The other night he his a 2 run RBI single of course it was the first game I have missed. I was so sad that I missed it. Drew said it was a nice hit right between first and second base.

I know I have so much more to catch up on but I will wait for some photos so you have something to look at and no need to pay attention to my ramblings :)

Lemon Chicken

I love to cook but cooking in the summer is not my favorite thing.While I love summer in some ways in ( think lazy days) the thing I really dislike the most is heating the kitchen up when cooking. I avoid baking as much as I can during the summer. This summer our grill is not working so that has made things little harder. I am always looking for new recipes and today I found a good one for Lemon Chicken. Of course I don't ever follow the recipes I use them more as guide lines....so here it is with the way I cooked it :)

4 boneless chicken breast ( pounded thin or buy chicken cutlets )

1 large onion sliced ( I used a sweet onion)

2-3 cloves of garlic pressed

olive oil

butter

flour

salt

pepper

1 lemon

chicken broth

*squeeze juice out of lemon

*heat a skillet put in about 2-3 T of olive oil add onions and garlic cook until the onions are translucent about 3 minuets

*remove onions and garlic from pan

*Add butter about 1 T

*put flour on a plate or baking dish add salt and pepper to taste (I have no idea how much I use we don't do a lot of salt so I don't use as much). Dredge each piece of chicken in the flour mixture.

*put chicken in pan and cook on medium heat for about 2-3 minuets on each side or until golden brown.

*remove chicken from pan

* add about 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth and lemon juice let come to a boil

* add the onions and chicken back to the pan and let cook for about 5 minuets.

I know there are a lot of steps but it was done in less than 25 minuets from start to finish.

I think the next time I make this I may wilt a bag of spinach in the pan the last couple of minuets.

20 Years ago today

Twenty years ago today I was introduced to my sweetheart. I had a good friend whos husband worked with Drew and kept trying to set us up but I wouldn't go on blind date.... I had another good friend who knew Drew ( but did not know the other friend) who introduced us...True love, it was ment to be.

PS don't you just love my 90's hair!!

The 4th of July

We had a great 4th we were up at 5:30 (yes AM!!) so that Drew and Justin could get to the starting line on time. They ran the Peachtree Road Race together Drew's 21st and Justin's 1st. I was excited and sad at the same time. I was going to run the Peachtree with Drew last year. It was a Christmas gift to Drew, then I got a stupid sinus infection which led to taking some meds which led to having tendinitis and tendionosis in both of my Achilles tendons. Four months of Physical Therpy later my feet were better but still have pain sometimes. Anyway back to my boys :)

Shannon and Max ran the race with them so Chase and I went over to their house to get the girls ready to go down and watch the race. Drew, Justin, Shannon and Max went down to the race together. Chase, the girls and I picked up Granmommy and Grandaddy and went down to watch. Thank goodness Grandaddy was willing to drive. I hate driving in Atlanta. We were really lucky and got a spot close to where we wanted to stand to watch for our runners. It was so nice outside it really was a great day for running. Our gang ran the race in an hour and eigh minuets. Not bad for having an 11 year old (who had not trained) with them.

After we got home showered and took naps we went over to Granmommy and Grandaddy's house for a cook out. We played games, ate and played more games. Then we went and watched fireworks. The past few years we have gone to Lenox Mall and watched they but this year we just went up the road to watch. It was nice to be close to home but not as much fun as being at the Mall and feeling the big boom in your chest when the fireworks go off.

Next year's goal the whole family running together....that's my goal anyway.

Hope you all had a great 4th and are having wonderful summer.

sorry there are no photos I am having to use the boys compter and it will not download them :(

I snagged the one of the t-shirt from the web

Fainting goats

We were out to dinner last week with Drew's family while we were at dinner we got to talking about fainting goats, which got us to talking about the Mythbusters trying to get the fainting goat to faint... I was laughing so hard tears were running down my face. Some how I missed that episode so I had to look it up. I found this clip on youtube.

Favorite meal

I was just reading a thread over at Ravelry about favorite childhood meals. I think the one I miss the most is country ham, grits, with pan fried sweet potatoes and fried okra. No one can cook country ham like my grandfather could and he made sweet potato fries before the were trendy. I miss my grandfather and his cooking too!

I don't have any photos of my grandfather on my computer and my scanner isn't working right now :(

How does my garden grow?

I really wanted to have a garden this year, so I decided to get containers and found these at Wal-mart for $5 each. Chase drilled holes in the bottom for me, I added a layer of gravel and then filled them with soil. I have a Japanese Black Heirloom Tomato, squash and cucumber planted in the first one. A Creole Heirloom tomato, squash, and cucumber in the second one. In the third one I have a Rose Heirloom tomato, eggplant, sweet pepper, and a basil plant.

I am excited to see if they do well. I already have some tomatoes getting ripe and several squash and cucumbers starting. The boys seem to like to check on the plants with me but I don't think they will eat any of what I planted. I may have to get some more container next year so I can plant some cantaloupe and watermelon.

Summer reading

I LOVE to read and my kids love to read ... so reading the books is not a problem. I think that if the kids are on vacation from school then any summer reading should be optional.
va·ca·tion- noun

a period of suspension of work, study, or other activity, usually used for rest, recreation, or travel; recess or holiday: Schoolchildren are on vacation now.

HUMM key words here suspension of work

My kids will be the first to tell you we are the mean parents we make our kids do some kind of school work over the summer just to keep their little brains going. We do a lot of reading on our own. This year my oldest is going to take two classes over the summer one on grammar ( which I could use myself) and one on writing. They only last a week and are two hours a day.

I think having the option of having summer assignment is great BUT it should not count against them if they don't do it. Have them write a paper on the book or take a test and then use that as an EXTRA grade. If you want the whole class to read something together then do it during the school year....I'm just saying

6th grade
The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
The Sea of Monsters, by Rick Riordan

9th grade
Animal Farm, by George Orwell
Lord of the Flies, by William Golding

Talents from Generation to Generation

Elizabeth Marshall Ayers
"Granny"



















Edyth Kenny Powers
"Grandma"

I have been thinking a lot about talents lately. For a long time I didn't think I had any. Both of my grandmothers were wonderful artist, gardeners, seamstresses and cooks among many other things.

I spent a lot of time with my maternal grandmother whom I called Granny, when I was very young I could not say my "G's" so I called her Nanny and as an older teenager and into my twenties I often, affectionately called her Lizzy. I spent many afternoons sewing cloths for my dolls from scraps of material that she was making cloths for me. While I spent many hours "sewing" with her this in NOT one of my talents. I loved to be in the kitchen with her cooking and baking. I learned the " a little of this and a little of that method " with her. Cooking is something I am good at but didn't really think of it as a talent until later.

I did not spend as much time with my paternal grandmother but learned so much from her. She always made me feel special. The first real memory I have of spending time with her was the summer I was 8. She drove down to South Carolina from Pennsylvania with my uncle who was 16 or 17 at the time. Then drove all the way back with me. We spent time baking together, making art projects and just hanging out. I loved every minuet of the two weeks I spent with my grandparents that summer. It became the highlight of my summer when I got to go visit them.

As I was growing up anytime talents were talked about at school or church. I would think to myself I don't have any. While I LOVE art and so wanted to draw and paint well like my grandmother well lets just say that isn't one of my talents ;)

To me a talent was, drawing,painting, singing, dance, playing a musical instrument ... something tangible and I didn't feel that I had any of those ( I KNEW I didn't have any of those). I had friends who danced, sang, played instruments and not only did they do these things they did them really really well.

When I went to college and people would ask me if I had any talents my answer usually was " I am here for the entertainment others" or " I smile really well". It was said jokingly, but it really was to hide what I thought was a huge fault... I had no talent in ANYTHING.

It wasn't until I was older and already married that I began to realize that some talents are not as easily seen as others. I also discovered that I do have talents. I don't sew (much), I don't sing, I don't dance, I don't garden much,( in fact I really do think I have a black thumb). I don't play a musical instrument but, I can cook, bake, crochet, knit , and rug hook. Once given the opportunity I discovered that I work well with clay. I love babies and can usually get them to stop crying and to sleep when no one else can ( but not always ). I can keep a secret and if I tell you I am going to do something you can depend on me to do it.

So what does all this have to do with my grandmothers? I know I may not be a great artist in the drawing and painting department or gardener like they were but I also know that I am a better person for knowing them, spending time with them and learning from them. They taught me to love, listen and look for the beauty in the world around me. They taught me to try new things and not be afraid of failing.

This is a dress I made for my niece for her second birthday. I knitted the top and did a very simple skirt on the bottom.



P.S
Least you think my mother does not exist or that I did not learn from her, she does, I did and I love her very much but that is a whole other post.

car mirrors

Are your car mirrors adjusted correctly? I found this video very informative I hope you do too

Socks

We all loose socks but not pairs of socks just one! Have you ever really thought about it? We all seem to gripe that our socks disappear but where do they really go? I have never had a house elf so I haven't given any socks to them to set them free. I guess there could be some gnomes or little people taking them.I mean are they ready for a vacation? Can they just not handle smelly teenage feet anymore?Did one of the two just up and walk out of the house heading south for the winter? Are the Washing machine and Dryer having a fight and the sock couples are having to choose sides? Are they getting a divorce? Do I need to use some other kind of dryer sheet? What gives...

The Winner is ...

I did a random number generator and came up with #17 The Jaggi Family. I will be contacting you :)

Five Senses

DON'T FORGET TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY
HERE

The other day I was over here reading a new blog. She had a post on the five senses I liked it so I am using her idea.

List 4 things you love, and one thing you dislike, for each category.

SMELL:
Likes
1. cookies being baked
2. The Ocean
3. My boys right after a shower :)
4. Limes

Dislike
Hamburger being cooked


Taste:
Likes
1.Chocolate
2. Lime
3. Cherry
4. Cilantro

Dislike
Salmon

Touch:
Likes
1. Holding hubby's hand
2 boys hair when they get it cut really short
3. Someone playing with my hair
4. Holding a baby

Dislike
raw meat

Sight:
Likes
1. My family
2.The Ocean
3. Sunset
4. The saving on a recipe :)

Dislike
Seeing any of my family upset

Sound:
Likes
1. My kids playing happily together
2.The Ocean
3. Beautiful Music
4. Wind/Rain

Dislike
Unhappy family

I leave you with a photo of the Ocean since it made 3 out of 5 list

Silver Goose Giveaway

***Contest closed***

One of my all time favorite online stores is The Silver Goose.
The Silver Goose has all kind of things not just jewelry.
Go see what fun things you can find and can't live without

In celebration of Valentines day I am giving this bracelet away.

Here's what you need to do

1. Go to the Silver Goose Website and then comeback here and leave me a comment about what your favorite thing you found.

2. For an extra entry link this contest post to your blog leave me a comment letting me know you did this

Bonus if you order something from The Silver Goose you will get 3 extra entries again leave me a comment letting me know what you got. I can check this I have my ways ;)

All entries must be received by Midnight February 8th, 2010

****only open to US residents ***

I will choose a winner by a random number generator on February 9, 2010

Giveaway coming soon

Come back tomorrow I will be having a giveaway :)

Reach Out I'll Be There

On the day I was born this song was at the top of the charts. I have always loved it. When I found this video of the Four Tops singing it I wanted to share it with you. I love the last four lines of the song.

I'll be there to give you all the love you need
And I'll be there you can always depend on me
I'll be there to always see you through
I'll be there to love and comfort you

So many people have Reached out and been there for me through my life.
Thank you and I love you

Here are the Lyrics

Now if you feel that you can't go on (can't go on)
Because all of your hope is gone (all your hope is gone)
And your life is filled with much confusion (much confusion)
Until happiness is just an illusion (happiness is just an illusion)
And your world around is crumbling down, darlin
reach out come on girl reach on out for me
reach out reach out for me
I'll be there with a love that will shelter you
I'll be there with a love that will see you through

When you feel lost and about to give up (to give up)
Cause your life just ain't good enough (just ain't good enough)
And your feel the world has grown cold (has grown cold)
And your drifting out all on your own (drifting out on your own)
And you need a hand to hold, darlin
reach out come on girl reach out for me
reach out reach out for me
I'll be there to love and comfort you
And I'll be there to cherish and care for you

I'll be there to always see you through
I'll be there to love and comfort you
I can tell the way you hang your head (hang your head)
Your not in love now, now your afraid (you're afraid)
And through the tears you look around (look around)
But there's no piece of mind to be found (no piece of mind to be found)
I know what your thinking,
You're alone now, no love of your own, but darling
reach out come on girl reach out for me
reach out reach out.......... just look over your shoulder
I'll be there to give you all the love you

need
And I'll be there you can always depend on me
I'll be there to always see you through
I'll be there to love and comfort you

Marshmallows

This year for Christmas I decided to give homemade marshmallows and coco to all of Chase's teachers. I ended up making two batches for nine teachers ( 7 are men). I used Alton Brown's recipe which I have used before and love. We packaged the marshmallows in clear bags with white ribbon, and put the coco, marshmallows and card in a gift bag. I wish we could have done more but with that many teachers it just isn't going to happen. Here are a few photos of the marshmallows in process.

mixing for 12-15 minutes

resting in the pan

cutting time

It is a messy process but they are so worth it!!

Have you ever made marshmallows? Did you mix in any flavors? I was going to make peppermint ones with crushed peppermints on top but I didn't get to it this year.

Baby Day!!

photo from Lily the Black Bear facebook page

So today I have been glued to my computer watching Lily the black bear. She gave birth today around lunch time to at least one cub. I feel blessed that we live in a time where we can be a part of this. I have continued to keep my computer linked to her den and listen for the sweet cries of the cub.

While I was able to watch Lily today I was not able to be with my cousin Annie. Annie also gave birth today to a sweet baby boy.I wish I could have been with her so I could have given her a big hug and kiss and snuggled with her sweet little boy. He is so darn cute!

This past week found me looking through old photos. I laugh a lot and cried a little as I looked at my own sweet boys as babies.

I am truly blessed in many ways.