Grandma turns 98 years old!

We made it back home from our weekend with my family for my Grandma's birthday. This special lady turned 98 years old today!! I don't even think she can believe she is that old. :) We had a nice time together at her party. My sissy took this picture of Grandma and I together in her room. I love it! Remember that I told you she was recovering from a very very bad fall about 10 days ago and we thought we just might lose her? She got well enough that she wanted a party and her strawberry ice cream she asked for.

I have never in my life made ice cream when there was snow on the ground. Ever! But, the birthday girl said she wanted ice cream and it is not every day that you turn 98...so I made it for her.

We also made strawberry cupcakes for her. Only two candles were used because we did not want the nursing homes fire alarms to go off.

I just love this picture of my mama and my oldest daughter. I bet my mom is going to like it as well when she sees it. Right mom? :)

Lastly, my daughter and her great grandma. Not everyone gets to say that they have a great grandma, do they? We had a very fun day and we are all very thankful that we could celebrate a very special day with someone who is oh so special to us.

Lots O Lovin

Decided that today would be a good day to get out the Valentines Day decorations. I just put up a few things to make us focus on Love. We all could use a little more of that. Here is our little love tree. There are some homemade valentines on there and some candy hearts and red heart lights around the base. Nothing fancy...just a hodge-podge of stuff that makes me smile.

My sister sent me this really cute and funny Valentines day card in the mail yesterday. She said she bought it because the kitty reminded her of mine.......

I'm just not seeing it.

My Fine Feathered Friends

Some pictures from my deck this morning.....

Scripture I am pondering today.....

Psalms 40:5

Many, O Lord My God,

are the wonders you have done.

The things you planned for us

no one can recount to you;

were I to speak and tell of them,

they would be to many to declare.

The Many Faces of Simon

Simon is my first kitty. We have had him for almost seven years. He still, to this day, cracks me up. I can find him doing the silliest things. For instance, this pose he has....



He likes to prop himself up against the walls of the house. Why does he do this? Who knows. I guess just because he wants to is a good enough reason for him. I can walk into any room or closet in the house and find him at various times just sitting like this. (Um...don't look at the dust on my hardwood floors. K?)

This face is watching the snow fall. He likes to keep an eye on things.

Here is a wacky one. He likes to curl up in the bathroom sinks and sleep. Why?????? Hope there isn't any toothpaste left in the bottom of the sink. Icky!! Toothpaste and beautiful fluffy chocolate brown fur do not mix!

Lastly, he likes to use the toddler rocking chair we have as his perch for bird watching. He sits in the chair and stares out the window at his bird friends eating their breakfast. They don't even care that he is there. He, of course, does not believe this to be true.

Good idea Sophie

My heart is heavy right now. I have a few people in my life that have not turned out to be the people I thought they were. And that is hard for me. They have hurt me. I know that I need to forgive but that is a hard one for me. I will, in time, forgive because it is what I need to do for me...not for them. But it still hurts my heart.

I went back home to Illinois this weekend for an emergency trip. My sweet grandma fell out of her wheel chair at the nursing home and hurt herself very very badly. Her beautiful face was bruised beyond recognition really. She has hundreds of sutures in her face, arm and even her fragile fingers. She is now alert and doing better, but she told me when I saw her that she would not be here much longer. She is going to turn 98 this weekend. She told my sister and I that she would like to skip the cake and just have strawberry ice-cream. I have not unpacked my ice-cream maker yet....so I have to search for it so I can make it for her. She deserves it!!

Another burden on my heart is a dear friend of mine found out a few weeks ago that she has breast cancer. They caught it early so we are very thankful for that!! She is having surgery tomorrow to remove the lump. After she heals, she will begin her radiation therapy. How I wish she did not have to face this trial in her life!!! If you are reading this, would you please pray for my sweet friend?

I think, for awhile, I will do what my sweet pup is doing. Climb into my comfy warm bed, pull the soft blankets over my head and hide from the world. While praying to my Savior for all these things.

Psalms 68:19

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens."

Buddies

I forgot I took this sweet picture of the two girls together this weekend! Nothing like happy girls!! I just love it.....

Old blue eyes...

I caught Simon on the back of the couch with the sun shining in on him. His blue eyes were partially closed....fully relaxed where he was. I need to be more like him. Enjoy the moment......

Two peas in a pod....

I miss you sweet friend!! Thanks for the fun and laughter and love you brought to me this weekend. I love you!!

Many Many Rolls

I bought this cookbook by the Pioneer Woman under, you could say, peer pressure. Lots of the ladies blogs that I read raved on and on about her cookbook. I decided that I could not ignore the wonderful comments any longer and went out to my local Barnes and Noble and bought it. I had read her blog several times and knew that she was a funny and sweet person. You can just tell by her writings. I had company come up this weekend from Illinois. My sister, my nephew, my dear friend Lori and her two children. In honor of their visit, I wanted to make something special for them for one of the breakfasts that we would share together. So, I decided on her cinnamon roll recipe. There was just one problem with the recipe. I was afraid of this one ingredient....really afraid.......

Yeast!!! I have only tired cooking with this a couple times in my baking career and both times it flopped. So, I swore off of yeast for the rest of my life. Until I bought this cookbook.

I gathered up my supplies and decided that I was not going to be scared and I was just going to do it. After all, if it failed, there is always Pillsbury. Right? So, here is everything mixed up rising in the bowl. So far so good. The smell of yeast is really lovely, isn't it?

Ok, so far so good. Looked like her pictures in the book. Any time I get to use my antique rolling pin is good.

All rolled out and butter, cinnamon and sugar in place. Ready to roll up into the log.

Cut from the log into little cinnamon roll shapes. Ok, now that I look at the picture, that one on the lower left row looks a bit odd.

Here is the little sample pan I made to try out before my guests came. I had to know if it really did work. :)

Nope! Happy to report that my guest and family loved them. It actually worked!! I conquered the yeast! At least on this recipe. As for the cookbook, it is absolutely wonderful. There are so many recipes I am ready to try out. And, my sister and friend are going to buy their own cookbooks now. One thing with the roll recipe...to many of these little cuties and there will be some added rolls on me as well. Like I need that! ;)

(P.S.The cobbler recipe was incredible as well....we substituted blueberries for blackberries and it was gobbled up by even the non blueberry lovers in the group!)

Girl Time

Daddy was out of town again traveling for work. So, the girls and I had a week to ourselves. We had lots of time with the remote all to ourselves. A lot of Brady Bunch was watched. Marsha Marsha Marsha...... It was lovely. One night, the cook decided to go on strike. And, I let the girls decide where they wanted to go. Both agreed on Fazoli's. Spaghetti was had by all. Yum!!!

And of course those yummy, warm, soft, full of garlic bread sticks. Be still my heart.

Florida Love

My auntie and uncle leave the cold Midwest each winter and head south to Florida to warmer weather. Lucky ducks! She likes to kid me by asking how much snow we have up here. Then she proceeds to tell me how many rounds of golf they have played that day. Ahhh, to be retired. Someday maybe I will make it to that season of life.
She surprised us by sending some yummy orange love from Florida. We got our box in the mail the other day. These oranges are so sweet and juicy! You could really use a bib when eating one.

The Fed Ex truck pulled up and the driver left them on our front porch. Usually she rings the bell to alert us that we have a package. This time, however, she did not ring. I think she was hoping that if she did not ring and she made her way around the neighborhood and the oranges were still there on her way back by, she would just HAVE to pick them back up and take them home with her.

Just a hunch. :)

My Star

We are starting a new chapter in our lives in our new town. My 8th grade daughter tried out for the girls basketball team and she made it! She is very excited....so am I! She is looking forward to her first game tomorrow night. She came home and tried on one of her uniforms for me. The next thing I knew, the ball was flying around the living room. Made me want to start singing this song......

Looks like we are going to have a fun January and February, doesn't it? This mama better be getting a bleacher cushion for her fanny. I am going to need it. Hee hee.....

They Came!

Look what I saw outside today!! They came!! And it only took three days...not a week or so like the feed fellow said. Yippee!! Some were very pretty with yellow on their chests. Maybe finches? I will have to ask my mama. She is the bird queen. I am so excited to watch them and feed them this cold winter.

So is he. ;)

If you feed them...

I thought maybe I would see if I could attract some birds to our deck by feeding them. My mom and dad feed them to. They have attracted quite a crowd at their house. Finches, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Snow Birds and several others I know nothing about. (Also, some big fat hungry squirrels!) As you can see, we have a woodsy back yard. I know they are out there. I wonder how long it will take for my full feeders of yummy seed to entice them to come up for a bite. The gentleman at the feed store told me it could take a week to ten days. I hope they come sooner than that. (So does the cat.)

There is a scripture that always makes me think of feeding birds. Matthew 6:26..Jesus says, "Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?" Wonder if my Heavenly Father is feeding some of His creatures by using me to do it? I think He is. So, I believe if I feed them, they will come.

Unwelcome Surprise

Last night for New Years Eve, we took the kids to see the Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. It was pretty cute. We went to Culver's afterwards for dinner then to the movie store for a movie then home. When I opened the door to the house, I thought...burr! It is cold in here. Must turn up the heat! Upon looking at the thermostat, I knew something was not right. It was dead! No lights, no numbers, no nothing. I always hate breaking that kind of news to my husband. Does anyone else feel that way?

So, we called the emergency number on the furnace...after all the thing is only a couple months old....and left our name and number with the answering service for someone to call us back. The woman on the other end of the line said someone would in a few minutes. Well....let's get this story over quickly....after 16 hours of no heat, six phone calls to the answering service and our home getting down to a chilly 47 degrees INSIDE...we finally got it fixed around noon today. Lovely way to ring out the old year and in the new. HA!

I took this picture this morning of Sophie. I had made her a little "nest" with her fleece bed and warm quilt with little space heater next to her. She also had her sock monkey for support. :)