A Thankful Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is fast approaching? I love this time of year! We are spending ours with my husband's family this year! We are looking forward to seeing them all for a couple of days, stuffing our bellies full of Grandma's delicious turkey, rice, and gravy. Am I making you hungry? :)

One of my favorite tips when cooking a turkey is to use the wonderful Reynold's Wrap Turkey Bags. I have used them in the past and they produce the juiciest turkeys I think - making the flavor so good! In fact, even though I'm not cooking a "Thanksgiving" turkey this year, I went ahead and got a box of them so I can make us a turkey sometime between now and Christmas.

This time of year I'm also reminded how thankful I feel for the many blessings in my life. Let us be encouraged to remember that Thanksgiving Day is NOT just about a big turkey feast and a football game, but it IS about being thankful in our hearts and minds to the Lord Jesus Christ for what he has done for each of us. I recently heard this stated during a sermon on my car radio- David Jeremiah, a wonderful pastor in the San Diego area said something like this, "Isn't it amazing how during the Bible times - the people of that era took a week to honor a time of "Thanksgiving". The pilgrim people took 3 days for Thanksgiving and "we" who have the most of any of these groups of people take only "1" official day to offer up a day of Thanksgiving". Interesting, huh? The more we have, the less we are thankful!!! Food for thought!

May we humble ourselves in the sight of our Creator and be truly thankful this year to Him alone! He is the reason we live and breath and have our being.

Thank You Lord for blessing me more than I deserve. I honor You this week! May my life be a reflection of You and my heart, a thankful one.

Blessings of Thanksgiving,

Until next time...

Elizabeth Is Walking

I was able to catch Elizabeth on video today taking some steps and thought you might enjoy seeing these short clips! Just click on the arrow below each clip to view. She is becoming more and more brave each day as well as more and more precious too! :) In the above picture she is enjoying some yummy mashed potatoes!

Isn't she wonderful!?!

Blessings,
Until next time...

Chilly Little Pilgrim Girl

It was so chilly here today! Chilly doesn't even describe how truly COLD it was and still is. Today, the high was somewhere in the 30's and it was incredibly windy, which didn't help! Here is Sarah getting all bundled up to go to ballet class. She is holding this ADORABLE pilgrim girl she made at preschool this morning! If you click on the picture it should enlarge for you and then maybe you can get some ideas for making a pilgrim child of your own. Her bonnet and collar is made from a plain white paper plate. Her face, hair and little blue blouse are construction paper and her body is a large size wooden stick. Don't you just love the little black ribbon bow on her collar?
I also have to mention that Sarah told me on the way home from preschool today that she wanted me to put a picture of this pilgrim girl on my "website", as she called it. I thought that was so cute and smart. She is always so excited to show me what she has made at school and I'm always so excited to see what fun and creative things they have made and learned.
Does any one else out there love "pilgrim people" too? I'm not sure why, but I just adore really cute "pilgrim people" like this one Sarah made. I guess I just love the simplicity of their faces, clothing, and lifestyle. Whatever the reason, I'm hooked! Always have been! I remember as a young child I made a pilgrim couple out of different colored construction paper. They were so charming, I thought, with their little paper outfits on. Their heads were made from jumbo marshmallows and I used markers to draw their faces. Of course they had little construction paper pilgrim hats on as well to compliment their outfits. I wish I still had them, but I think they must have finally gotten thrown away. I pulled them out year after year after year after year... Ha! Ha!, maybe even up until I got married. Ha! :)
Maybe if you get so inspired you can try and make some cute pilgrim people with your little ones that can be treasured year after year as well! :)

Blessings,
Until next time...

Look What I Found

I was absolutely thrilled today when I came across this "find" in a local consignment store. Isn't this dress gorgeous!?! I love it! It's a "Sarah Louise" too! And... it gets even better... I only paid $5.23 for it! I just had to share this with you to encourage you to check our your local consignment stores. You just never know what little treasures might be waiting on you too! :)

I will admit, it took me a little while to get the nerve up to shop at consignment stores. At first I wasn't too crazy about the idea, but once I saw what adorable and quality things I could find at such incredible prices I decided to get over my fear.

Now, as you can see it's short-sleeve so I decided to look for a chocolate brown sweater to go with it. I traveled over to the mall to one of my favorite spots, Gymboree and found this really cute chocolate brown sweater with pink polka dots with an ivory faux fur collar that is removable. I couldn't believe it! I think it looks like it was made to go with the dress! YEA!!! Don't I wish every shopping experience could be this easy! The sweater was 30% off and then an extra 20%. YEA again!!! Here is a picture below so you can see it all together.

What do you think? Not bad, huh?

You know I'll get pictures once she's wearing it and, well,... of course I'll share them with you! :)

Blessings,

Until next time...

Elizabeth

Just a little Elizabeth update for you all~

She is becoming such a big girl! This afternoon she took 10 whole steps all by herself. Daddy and I had HUGE grins on our faces with each step she took! We were all cheering her on! And, you could tell she was so proud of herself, like she knew she was doing something really BIG!

Another precious thing Elizabeth did today~
At dinner tonight Daddy said, "Okay, Elizabeth, it's time to say the blessing - put your hands together." And... she did!!! She brought her tiny hands up to her chest just like she was praying! :) We couldn't believe it! We all just watched her with big grins as Daddy said the blessing.

And, lastly, look who I found in Lucy's dog cage the other day Yep! You guessed it - Elizabeth! :) She crawled right in and made herself at home! :) We have to keep a close eye on her because she has found Lucy's cage to be a fun little spot to explore.

Blessings,
Until next time...

"Fireproof" Your Marriage

This past Thursday night was an exciting night for my husband and myself. Lets just say we "hit the town". We hired a great babysitter and went too see the movie, Fireproof. WOW!!!

It was so great! My husband and I both believe that anyone who is married should be "required" to see this movie. :) I know that is a strong statement. But, it is truly that good! We were both moved to tears during many of the scenes. Yes... even my husband. I have NEVER actually seen him "cry" in a movie EXCEPT this one and the film these same producers made a few years ago titled, Facing The Giants. Oh... please go see this film if you are able to. I am positive that you will truly be blessed beyond words and it WILL NOT be a waste of your evening! My husband described to me as we were entering the theatre that a client of his was having serious problems with his wife and was planning to divorce. They went to see the movie and now they have decided not to get divorced and are doing wonderfully. Isn't that amazing!?!

There were several quotes in this movie that I loved- one in particular was, "A woman is like a rose - if you care for her, she will bloom. If you don't, she will wither."

This movie is planning to come out on DVD sometime the end of January. Wouldn't it be fun to host a Fireproof dinner party with your friends? If you have seen the movie, you'll know what I'm talking about in regards to the "salt and pepper shaker" thing. It would be so cute to have salt and pepper shakers stuck together on all your dinner tables at the party. This movie is and will be a HUGE tool for the betterment of marriages and mankind in general.

Click here if you are interested in viewing the Fireproof website to learn more. There is even a Fireproof blog you can enjoy as well on their site.

Enjoy!

Blessings,

Until next time...

Leaves and Blueberries

Are you all enjoying these beautiful fall days as much as I am? Isn't it amazing how truly wonderful each season is that God has wonderfully created for us to enjoy? I mean... each season of its own, has such a matchless beauty to behold! Think about it... in regards to this time of year... He could have made all the leaves on trees to simply turn a shade of brown and fall off, but NO, He instead causes the leaves to turn "many" amazing, vibrant colors before falling off. For example, there is a tree at the end of our driveway that seriously looks like a yellowish/orange highlighter marker! It's glorious looking! His incredible beauty is so evident everywhere throughout His creation. I just adore His touch for detail. Don't you? His touch for detail is indescribable!!! I couldn't even put it into words if I wanted to.

Speaking of detail... when leaving Sarah's art class this afternoon there was a beautiful tree stretched out in front of our car... Sarah looked up and said, "Look Mommy". And, so... of course I said, "Yes dear". I thought she was referring to the many different colors of leaves, but no, she had spotted a tiny bird's nest perched up high in the tree and was so excited to point it out to me. This picture above shows the bird's nest really well, but it's because I zoomed way in with my camera before taking the picture. I seriously don't know how she spotted the nest. It took me a minute to find it as it was hidden so well amongst the abundance of colorful leaves. She must have an eye for detail. Both of her grandmothers have an immeasurable eye for detail so I won't be surprised if she inherits this gift as well.

I just LOVE to see what her art class is going to do next.
Today Ms. Jenny did a lesson on leaves - starting in the art gallery itself (which I love), and proceeding to the classroom. Here are a few pictures below. Ha! A little side note for you - Sarah may not appear in these pictures to look like an overly thrilled "pint-size picasso". The little girl next to her accidentally got some glue in her hair and she wasn't too thrilled, to say the least. :)







After art class we came home and looked for leaves from our yard. We brought them inside and traced around them on paper and colored them in. I think she really enjoyed continuing the "lesson" at home.

And... our day continues. We ended our afternoon by baking some homemade blueberry muffins. As most of you know, Sarah loves to cook in the kitchen, so needless to say I try to include her as much as I can with cooking and baking.

Here is the recipe we used as well as some pictures. I was encouraged to bake muffins due to the fact that I have recently discovered these wonderful frozen blueberries prepared by the company, Dole. Maybe they have been around for a while... I don't know, but I have just discovered them. I love how they are packaged - the blueberries are not all stuck together like other frozen berries are that I have purchased in the past. They are really fresh tasting and actually won a CHEFS BEST TASTE Award for 2008. They're great for eating straight out of the bag or for using in smoothies or for baking purposes. If you look closely, Sarah's lips are a little blue. She enjoyed eating a few frozen ones while I stirred the batter. :)

Blueberry Muffins

1 1/2 cup blueberries

3 cup flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 Tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup melted butter

3 large eggs

1 cup milk

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease muffin tins. Combine dry ingredients; mix with fork in a bowl. Combine melted butter, 3 beaten eggs, and milk. Add to flour mixture. Fold in berries. Spoon into tins. Bake at 400 degrees about 20 minutes.

Here is a picture of the packaging so you know what to look for.

The finished product ~

I know... I probably shouldn't post all these "food" pictures on here- kinda makes you hungry huh?..., maybe just a little? :) Sorry...

However..., I do recommend snacking on these while they're warm, with a tall glass of cold milk..., and on a fall day! :) Mmmmmm!


Gazing upon His beauty,
Until next time...

Elizabeth Update

So... I wanted to update you regarding Elizabeth's 1 year doctor's appointment. Her appointment was actually two weeks ago but I'm just now getting around to updating all of you about it here on my blog. She is almost the exact weight and length that Sarah was when she was one.

Her info. is as follows:

Weight is 20 pds. 7 oz

Length is 30 1/4 in.

Sarah was at one year:

Weight was 20 pds. 8 oz

Length was 30 in.

Pretty amazing huh, how similar they are!?!

Elizabeth is still just taking a few steps at a time. Maybe three steps is the most I've seen. She is getting stronger though. Everyday she seems just a little more and more confident.

Tonight she was giving us all hugs and kisses! I wish I could just freeze those sweet moments!!!

At times I'm just overwhelmed with love for our two little girls. They truly are my treasures!

Thank You Lord Jesus! I know... I do a lot of thanking! But..., I can't help it! It just flows from me. I could never be thankful enough! What are you most thankful for?

Blessings of thanksgiving,

Until next time...

Tantalizing Tiramisu

So... in case you were wanting the Tiramisu recipe I mentioned in my last post - here it is!

It is so delicious and I can't wait to make it for my family! I just know they will all love it as well.

Tiramisu Bowl

What you need:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) Cream Cheese, softened

3 cups cold milk

2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) Jell-O Vanilla Instant Pudding

1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip Whipped Topping, thawed, divided

48 Nilla Wafers

1/2 cup strong brewed coffee, cooled, divided *You can substitute the coffee with chocolate milk

2 squares Semi-Sweet Chocolate, grated

1 cup fresh raspberries

Beat cream cheese with mixer until creamy. Beat in milk and pudding mixes. Stir in 2 cups Cool Whip.

Lime 2 1/2-qt. bowl with 24 wafers; drizzle with 1/4 cup coffee. Top with half each of pudding mixture and chocolate. Repeat all layers.

Top with remaining Cool Whip and raspberries. Refrigerate 2 hours.

Enjoy!

Blessings,

Until next time...

Bunco Fun

Last night during the election results I was enjoying a night out with the girls playing bunco! Do you bunco? I love it!!! My bunco group gets together the 1st Tuesday night of every month rotating between all of our homes. We typically begin the evening eating a wonderful dinner (usually centered around a theme of some sort), which the hostess of the night has prepared followed by playing several rounds of hilarious bunco. We end the night giving out prizes won along with prayer requests and prayer. For us, it's a night out away from our homes and families where we can just let lose and laugh and laugh and laugh. Did I mention laugh! Ha! Ha! Just kidding!

Last night Angie chose an Italian night so she prepared an appetizer of pesto and seasoned tomatoes on baguettes and an incredible shrimp sauce over angle hair pasta entree! It was all out of this world delicious. She is part Italian so she has the Italian cooking thing down pat!!! We ended the meal with nothing other then tiramisu. The tiramisu recipe she used can actually be found in this months Kraft Foods magazine. It was wonderful and I will definitely be making it for my family sometime soon.

Here we all are (minus 1) being a little silly. Our group actually has 8 ladies. Can you even find me!?! Ha! My little face is stuck somewhere in there in the middle. :) Thanks for an incredibly funny evening girls!

Blessings,

Until next time...

A Night of Change

Wow... as I write this post I'm just learning that Senator Barack Obama has been elected the 44th President Elect of the United States of America. Whether or not you voted for Barack, how exciting it must be for the African American community tonight! And... I can honesty say I am thrilled for this community. They have waited so long to be represented in this way from The White House! I'm sure many of them won't sleep tonight, and can you blame them!?! History has been made! However..., my foremost prayer is that Barack Obama WILL seek the Lord for wisdom and direction during his years in office. May his faith grow and strengthen like never before as he faces the many difficult challenges of this country as well as the world at hand. Let us be in prayer for this gentleman and his team throughout the next four years. This good land that we all share needs our prayers now, maybe more then ever. May we truly be humbled in the sight of our Lord, earnestly seeking Him before anything else for guidance and peace. To God be the glory! For You alone are our only hope!

Blessings of hope,
Until next time...