Thanksgiving

A day for Thanks and for Giving.
I wish each of you a wonderful Thanksgiving Day.

This is my first lattice top pie. I was really happy with the way it turned out.

The larger rolls in a circle are Hawaiian rolls which I wanted. My husband didn't want those kinds so I made regular rolls(the smaller ones in the square pan) for him.
He is so spoiled! I also made him two crust less pumpkin pies because he doesn't like pie crust. I love pie crust!
My daughter made a apple butter pumpkin pie and I made two mixed nut pies. They are done like pecan pies only with mixed nuts instead. I only intended to make one mixed nut pie but I accidentally doubled the butter in the recipe so I had to double the batch!

A little scrapbooking

I have gotten one scrapbook page done since the last one I posted. I know what a bum! Anyway this one I did using the little wallet sized photo that I got from my niece. She is so cute in her polka dot dress and white sweater. The polka dot paper (from Stampin' Up!)was a perfect match.
Most of the scrapbooking items I use are from Stampin' Up! but I am always open to trying new products. You never know what great new thing is out there. So always feel free to tell me about stamp and scrapbook products that you think are great.

I'm Back

I back y'all

Hey all I am back and will be getting bloggy with it real soon. I hope to catch up with all of you and what you have been blogging about.

One quick update to get started. My son got his drivers permit. His Dad was so proud !

Scrap and stamp challenge page

Scrap and Stamp Saturday

I didn't write down all my page info but I used wild roses stampin' Up! stamp set.

The power of prayer

I want to share with you a story of how the power of prayer worked in my life.
I came from a family of smokers. Both my parents and my older sister and her husband smoked. I remember the smell of nicotine on my Dad's hands from when I was small enough to be eye level with them. It didn't repulse me. I loved that smell and I didn't even know what it was. Anyway ,the year I turned ten me and my friend Amber snuck up to her room with some ill gotten cigarettes (sorry Lisa)! So we light up and poor Amber gets sick immediately. Then there was me- I loved it from the first puff. Sometimes I think I was born to it. My Dad had started sneaking cigarette butts at five.
By fourteen I was a pack a day smoker. And I was usually stealing them. (Tales of a teenage delinquent)
Then by fifteen my parents had given up trying to stop me and started buying my cigarettes so I would stop stealing them. I make no excuses for myself. I was addicted and was going to get them one way or another.
Next I was pregnant with Andrew and they tell me I have to quit. They may as well have told me to hack off my own arm with a steak knife. To make a long story shorter I was living in the hospital and was forced to quit. As soon as he was born I started again. The addiction is not in the nicotine alone that's for sure.
When I found out I was pregnant with Krystal I started weaning myself off them and had quit by the time she was born. I started again as soon as she was born.
I had been smoking outside from the time Andrew was
born. Every winter I would get pneumonia but did I want to quit? NOOOOOOOOOOO!
Knowing it was bad for was not enough to make me not want it. My husband had already quit and hated my habit.
I loved to smoke- I don't know how else to put it.
So I started praying. I prayed that God would make me not love to smoke anymore. I know just praying to quit was not enough. I needed to not desire it.
It took about a year-I was living with my parents (bad time in my life) with a house full of smokers.
I got up grabbed a brand new pack of smokes. ( I was a two pack a day smoker.)
I opened it up -and realized I didn't smoke anymore!
It was just gone absolutely gone!
I can't take credit for it- God did it, I was healed and I was a non smoker.
No withdrawals, no cravings ,nothing, it was just gone.
Let me tell you -I am a believer in the power of prayer.
I don't believe you always get what you want when you pray. I do believe that when it is aligned with Gods plans for us we will see miracles!

My 34th birthday party

Ok here are some photos from my party.
I took pictures with everyone who dressed up.
I don't have a good picture of me right after I did my hair (it fell quickly-no aqua net) or my cake because my card reader quit working this morning. So if I will ever be able to get those on here I don't know. So here are the ones I do have.

It was a good time for the most part. There was lots of BBQ and a little music. We also had 80's movies running in the house. We did some trivia and gave away some prizes.

Both of my sisters and my friend Dianne dressed up!
Yeah them!

Dianne is in the green framed photo- She has a really cute side ponytail (remember those?) and preppy turned up collar.

The blue frame with the hearts is me with both my sisters.
The dark haired one is my older sister Lisa. She is 8 years older than me. The blond is my little sister Seana. She is 1 year younger than me.

Church

We have been going to a new Church.
It's called Clover Valley community church.
We were really flitting in the wind for awhile and not finding a place we really fit. We really love this new church ,everyone we've met and Pastor Dave and his wife. We were warmly met by a church member named Bob who made it his goal to greet us every Sunday and remember our name. He is a very nice man and I am thankful that God a brought so many wonderful people into our lives.
I have a good friend who is a believer but not a church goer who introduced us to this church. You see these church members had been coming into the store where she worked and made such a huge impression on her she felt compelled to tell us about these "real" Christians she met and how they weren't "cardboard Christians". Testimonies like that really make you take a look at yourself .
You have to ask yourself am I a living testimony of Christ who saved us every day and every where I go?

Keeping the plants alive

I have never been any good at keeping plants alive indoors or out. So I am very proud to show off all my living plants.
I have also been busy getting the yard and house ready for my totally 80's birthday party.Things are looking pretty good now and it should be a good time. I will post pictures on Sunday or Monday.

The basket with the salmon colored flowers were from Mothers day. So it has been alive for a couple of months.
The hodge podge in the green pot is 2 kinds for ornamental
grasses and I don't remember what the other stuff in there is. I guess it will be a surprise. The single plant in the woven basket is an orchid Chris got me for Valentines day. So that has stayed alive for 5 months. The then and now pictures are of my other orchid that I have had for more than a year now. In the second picture it is not in bloom. It is however doing really well and is in need of re-potting.
The other then and now is my sage. I got it last summer so it has lasted a year. To be fair though my basil and chives died. So that's y news for today.

Not 2 much in the way of pictures this week.
My life has a bit out of whack the last 2 weeks.
My Mom and sister came and stayed 2 weeks -don't get me wrong I love them but I am a person of routines .
This seriously messed with my routines!
I am glad to be getting back to normal and gearing up for my birthday party.I have planned an 80's themed bbq bash. I just want to have some fun and see my friends and family. My sis-in-law P.Jaye is making me a rubic cube cake. Yes I will post pics. She is not a professional cake decorator it's just a fun hobby for her.Oh yeah did I mention it is 80's dress required! How fun is that???
Anyway the foodie pic is : teriaki bbq-ed steak kabobs ,jasmine rice flavored w/ fresh grated ginger and coconut milk then topped w/ brown gravy, broccoli steamed on the grill in foil.

Homeschooling with humor