A MOMENT OF ME

Ever changing

2011-05-18T08:35:00.000-07:00

Every day we change, we change our hair,our clothes,our weight and our names. We change our religion and our beliefs.
Our family has been changing as of late. We have moved, we have changed our children's schools, we have changed our marriage and our family balance. We have changed our beliefs and our look on life.
I have always been some what of a free spirit. I have always had my own ideas of what God and religion is. I can tell you that growing up a preachers kid, I have plenty experience in knowing what the others are led to belief and force fed. I started to realize the older I got the more I saw fault in that belief system. Now I'm not saying I don't believe in God or the Almighty, I'm simply saying I don't believe in the bible. Sure it's inspirational as any other book but, I just don't believe in it. The bible was written by man and well lets face it we mess up everything. We mess up God by making religion instead of just keeping it simple. God is for everyone,just not one religion or another. We mess up nature, we take something so perfect and great and destory it. We trash it,and never see it's beauty. We take our lives,something beautiful that the Almighty has given us and we tear it apart. We fill it full of saddness and harmful things. We find fault in all things bright and beautiful.
For our family we are changing that. We are teaching our children to simply just LOVE. Love the good,the bad,the earth,the simple dragonfly and even the most complex each other and everybody. To love without wanting something in return. To love freely and with a clear vision of pure happiness. To understand that not everyone will feel the same as you or even believe as you but, love them anyways. Love the person that brings you saddness. Not because they hurt you but because the Almighty loves them and created them for a purpose. Show them the love you want the world to see when they look at you. Love is not something physical it's one of the most spiritual connection there can be. The Almighty created love and he made it so simple and pure. So easy it to give and so easy to receive.
Our belief is so simple and pure. Our love is the perfect spiritual connection to the earth,to each other and most of all to the Almighty. It's our truth to share with others.
So embrace all things bright and beautiful and just LOVE.

Home made Granola

2010-08-27T06:49:00.001-07:00

My oldest Jordan is in love with Granola. She could eat bags and bags of granola. After paying $5.00-$7.00 for a pound of Granola at the store,I decided that there has to be a cheaper and better way to give her something that she loves to eat.

After searching the web for hours, I was able to find about 1000+ recipes for granola. Each one had some different element to it. They were all basic with a twist. I took something from the ones I loved and developed my own just for her.

My son's teacher also love granola so we shared a bag with her and she was hooked. This lead to the granola being share with other teachers and now I have a list of people wanting granola.

Funny how something so simple to make causes a such a huge stir.

Home made Granola

6 cups of oats
2 bags of shredded coconut
2 bags of unsalted sunflower seeds
2 large bags of slivered almonds
6 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoon sea salt
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
4 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoon pure maple syrup
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
4 cups mixed dried fruit (raisins,cranberries,blueberries) I uses raisins,cranberries.
2 large bags of chocolate chunks
2 large bags of chocolate chips(semi-sweet or dark)
2 large containers of banana chips

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Mix first 4 ingredients together in large bowl;set aside.
Mix next 7 ingredients together in another bowl. Mix well.
Pour wet mixture over the first 4 ingredients. Combine until every things is covered in wet mixture. May have to use your hands for this.
On large baking sheets that have been lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Spoon mixture on to cookies sheets until it is just covered. Bake in oven until Oats are lightly toasted. I always turn mine with spatula to make sure both sides are getting lightly brown. This process could take up to 10 different baking to light brown the whole batch of oat mixture.
Take the light browned oats out of oven and place on another cookie sheet to cool.
Once all the oats are cooled place in another large bowl and being adding your last 4 ingredients. MIX WELL!!
Store in air tight container for up to 4-6 weeks. (no worries it never last that long)
This makes 4 large Ice cream buckets full of Granola. You can reduce this recipe to your needs.

FIRED

2010-06-28T07:02:00.000-07:00

Well I was officially told I was fired from Wedding cake duty. I'm not sad about it at all.

This whole thing had stressed me out and had me sweating bullets. Being let go was actually freeing and actually made me glad that the groom and bride will be getting their cake FREE.

The cake they choice was a $800.00 cake that I agreed to make for $250.00. I was saving them a large portion of money and was happy I could do it for the $250.00. In the end they wanted me to do the cake for $150.00 and I just couldn't do it. Buying the supplies + my time + delivery and set up. It was just to much. The supplies was going to cost me in the end close to $230.00, the rest was just the gas to get to the place.

I am very happy that the Bride's mother is going to make them a wedding cake for FREE!! I am happy for them and truly sorry that I couldn't meet what they could afford. I wish that I could have done the same deal for them. I can't wait to see what the cake turns out like and I hope they get the cake they were wanting.

CONGRATS to the HAPPY COUPLE!!

Lazy Summer afternoons

2010-06-15T15:44:00.000-07:00

OK with 3 kids it's never truly a Lazy Summer afternoon. It is truly nice not to have to be on the go all the time with school being out. We have spent the first 3 weeks of summer rather busy and on the go.
We have spent most of the day time hiding from the heat. It's exhausting just to walk outside to get the mail. It's been in the 100's during the day and not out of the 80's at night. We get blessed with wonderful late afternoon thunder storms and the kids and I look forward to the cool down they bring. We are looking at heading to the library some this summer and maybe a few trips to the beach. The kids and I are going to pull out sometime towards the end of this month and go to my home town to stay with my mom for a week or two. They really enjoy being with their Nana and I love spending time pampering my mom. She works really hard and when I am their her and her husband never have to cook and they get a break from having to worry so much about that. I am hoping to get out to my Granny's farm as well. I haven't seen her in a while and I need that time with her. Then we will do some school shopping and get all the stuff that all 3 of the kids will need and we may even do some shopping for Rob and his back to school items he will need. That seems crazy to say but it looks like it will be a reality soon enough.

Here is a little update on everyone:

Rob is doing great. He is still working hard at Pizza Hut. He has decided to go to school in the fall. We are waiting to here back from the Pell Grant office to find out if he is able to get some assistance in going back. He wants to do story boards for commercials and for TV shows. He is super excited and I am hoping it all works out for him and for us. We need a change.

Jordan is doing wonderful, she is getting ready to enter high school in the fall.She will turn 14 this July and is super excited about the possibility of getting a job soon after her birthday. She is truly an independent soul. She loves to spread those wings of her's and fly. I am really proud of who she is becoming and who she wants to be. We are truly blessed to have such a bright and smart and beautiful daughter.

Logan is doing really well. He will remain in Kindergarten for one more year. He has a few things he has to work on to get him ready for 1st grade. He is happy that he gets to have the same teacher again and is really excited that he will know most of the stuff already. He has been informed by Mrs Dean that he has to be a leader and a big help to her. He loves the idea of being the big helper. So I am sure he will do fine.

Serenity is just a ball of energy. Now that her crohn's is being managed better she is non-stop. She loves to learn and loves to have all eye's on her. She loves to show everyone how smart she is. We can be with people she doesn't know and she will randomly start counting in Spanish or she will start naming shapes and counting to 20 with no help. She loves to have people tell her she is smart. She starts Pre-school for 3 yr old's as a model student at Logan's school in the fall. We are working really hard at losing the pacifier so far it's going well. She really loves that thing.

I am doing great,trying to keep up with everyone and make time for myself. Really enjoying not having to cook so much now that school is out. The kids don't like to eat as much during the summer so I am going with the flow. If they want sandwiches for lunch and dinner then that is what we are doing. If they just want yogurt and home made granola then we are doing that too. I am not getting as worked up as I normally do over what they are eating. I tend to stay pretty worked up over little things and I am trying hard to let all of the worrying I do be only over the things that matter. I have 3 cakes to make at the end of July. One is the wedding cake for my nephew and his beautiful bride. I am really excited about getting the chance to make a wedding cake. It's something I have never attempted before so I am praying with everything I have in me that it all works out well. The heat has me concerned but I am going to work around it the best I can.

Well time to go enjoy that afternoon thunder storm. HAPPY SUMMER EVERYONE!! Hope that you all stay safe and that you do something fun with your love ones.

Jordan's 8th Grade Formal

2010-05-22T05:06:00.000-07:00

Jordan is growing up so fast. She just had her final dance as a Junior High student. It was fun doing her hair and her make up and watching her eyes light up when she looked in the mirror. It was a wonderful mother daughter bonding time. We went to Ronnie Vanzant park and took pictures out at their pond. It's beautiful out there and plenty of places to take pictures. As we were taking the pictures my heart was breaking, she isn't that tiny baby we brought home from the hospital,she is a beautiful young lady now. She is getting ready to spread her wings soon and take everything we have taught her and fly on her own. We have but just 4 short years left of her being here every day. Jordan is heading to college and she has no desire to stay in state. It made it hard today watching her take another step towards spreading those wings.

Here she is before the dance

Should I or Shouldn't I

2010-05-09T14:59:00.000-07:00

I have been given a great opportunity to make a wonderful cake for some wonderful people. My nephew and his fiance have asked me to make their wedding cake. I was thrilled with the prospect of making the cake and the process of being creative and getting to do what I love most. Then reality hit and well it took the wind right out of my sail.
First big down fall is when they are planning the wedding, SUMMER.. Anyone who bakes cakes in Florida can tell you the weather here during SUMMER is not ideal for cake making. HUMIDITY is a huge issue and NOT TO mention the HEAT or the chance of RAIN! July is a great month for a beach wedding. So I can't say I blame them for wanting to do it then.
Second they choose to have the reception in a hotel ball room. I am not a license baker so I am not to sure that the Hotel will allow me to bring in the cake. I have asked them to check on this but no word yet from them on what the rules are. I will for sure need a cool room to place the cake in and a place to set the cake up at for the reception. I have read the laws and know what I can and can not do here in the this state. And I for sure don't want to be fined for bring it into a hotel. I just hope they let me know something soon.
Third the task at hand is overwhelming all in it's self. I am worried about getting there, worried about the amount of stuff I will have to buy just to make this cake. And then the set up and the transporting of the cake it's self. IT'S very scary to think about but, really exciting that they would ask me to make the cake.

The bride and the groom have gone through about 60 cake ideas that I sent to them and have picked 3 that they really like.

They really like this one and the way it is set up but they want it in a square shape and they want different flavors per cake. They also want to room the shells and add ribbon and flowers.

I think they are leaning more towards this set up with the square cakes.

I am hoping it all works out and I will for sure keep everyone updated.

Teacher Appreciations Week

2010-05-03T10:20:00.001-07:00

Teacher Prayer

Dear Lord, bless these teachers mightily
as they seek to teach, enrich and guide
Your precious children.
Grant them abundant resources to do their job,
intelligence, wisdom, sensitivity, kindness,
and the material things that make it possible
to turn some of these tender green plants
into the strong, stable trees that will lead our nation,
to transform some of these buds into brilliant flowers
that will bring light, color and happiness
to all who encounter them,
and to give every one of them the tools
to be creative, and productive and to develop
their own kind of success in the world.
Lord, wrap Your loving arms around these teachers
who give so much of themselves to grow our youth
into creative, responsible adults.
We pray that You will immerse them
in your boundless, transcendent love.
We pray that You will strengthen and soothe them
when they have given so much of themselves
that they need Your extra attention, Your extra care.
We love, respect and admire these teachers, Lord
and we pray that you will watch over them always--
these special people who hold our children
and our future in their hands.
Amen.

By Joanna Fuchs

It's the time of year where we say THANK YOU for all the hours, they put in the time they spend and give to the kids.

This year I have had the privilege of working with one of the most amazing teachers anyone could ask for. She loves the kids in her class like they are her own. She worries when they are out and she gives them a hug when they are feeling down. She cheers them one when they have that light bulb moment, she praises them when they get the answer right and encourages the ones who didn't get it right to keep trying and to never give up. She guides them in making good choices and helps the ones that have made bad choices to make better ones the next time around. To her it's not just a job that pays her bills, it's something she was made to do. She has a great love for teaching and you can tell it the moment you walk into her classroom. Her walls are decorated with thank you cards and I love Mrs.Dean pictures. She keeps them all and hangs all of them up. Makes every kid feel important and she doesn't allow others to tear the other one down. I am amazed everyday by the growth of the kids in her class. I am happy that my kid got lucky and got to spend a whole year with her. It will be sad to move on to 1st grade and have a new teacher but, I'm hoping that the next one will be equal to Mrs Dean.

So for all the teacher's out there who give of yourself each day to our kids. THANK YOU!! Thank you for caring more about others then your pay check, Thank you for spending your own money on the supplies that aren't always covered by your school district. Thanks for spending the extra time with each kid, making sure they are on target. Thank you for your devotion and dedication to our children and their future!

Happy 3rd Birthday Serenity

2010-04-21T16:46:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that she is just three years old with the year we have had. Seems has if a whole life time of stuff has happen to her in the three short years she has been with us.

We had real reason to celebrate this year and real reason to be grateful for all that has happen and all that we can slowly put behind us. Just two short days before her birthday we were told by her GI doctors that she looked great. That her labs had come back all in healthy range and that she was finally right at the correct weight for her age and height. She was no longer showing signs of flair ups and she seems for once to have her colitis and crohn's disease under control. That was like music to my ears, it had to be right up there with the day she was born and we heard her first cry.

I made a huge cake for a big BBQ and we had tons of family over for her big day. She loved every minute of the all the attention she got. She loves to be the center of the attention. She got tons of barbie's and dress up stuff, a tea party set and clothes. Everything a little girl could ever want.

The BOSTON CREAM PIE is Rob's Birthday cake. He turned 39 this past week as well.

Without the security blanket

2010-03-28T17:05:00.000-07:00

I went today and got rid of the blanket. I have decided to stop hiding behind it and just let go and have fun.

So here is the new and improved blanket..

My Security blanket

2010-03-27T15:32:00.000-07:00

I realized that I have a very long security blanket, I drag it around with me every where I go. I brush it and hold on to it. I take care of it and I changes it's color. When I am frustrated with it I put it all up in a bun and just go as it is. When I am in love with it I wear it down and show how long and shine it is.

More and More I count on this blanket to protect me and to hide me from the real issues I have. It keeps me safe and it keeps me living for those days long ago. It never changes with the seasons and it never fades.

I need to let go of it. I need to find my way with out it. I need to find the younger me that is dying to get out. The woman that is trapped beneath it all. I need to show my girls that it's good to have a change and its good to let go.

So I'm letting go. My security blanket is going to get a little shorter and a little more up to date. I am shedding those pounds and pounds of hair. Those ones that give me a headache. The ones that wrap around my neck in my sleep if they are put high on top of my head. Those ones that cover the bathroom floor and get in between your toes when you walk. I am shedding that security of knowing that it's there to hide my face when I don't want the world to see my sad eyes.

I have picked the style of the new do. I have made the appointment to go get it done. I am planning a half a day to take care of me. Jordan is watching the little ones and Rob will be at work. When he comes home he will have a new me waiting on him.

I have another security blanket to shed too. And as much as I wish it would be just as easy to get ride of, I know it won't be. I need to find a way to shed it as well. Maybe the strength of getting rid of one of them will help me shed the other larger one that needs to go.

Stay tuned for the me without the security blanket.

Chocolate cake to die for

2010-02-18T07:48:00.000-08:00

I am always looking for quick and simple recipes. Something my family can enjoy after dinner that doesn't take hours to make. While reading Melinda's Kitchen Diary I stumbled across another blog. Cookie baker lynn, the name alone was begging for me to read. I love making cookies and I was just hoping she had simple cookies to make that would work for what I had in my home already.

I never dreamed that I would find beautiful cakes and simple deserts on her site. The name of her blog it throws you off but, once you start reading and you see all the love that she puts into her deserts you can't help yourself but to try and find just one that you can make right then.

Crunch time, what one do I make first?
I decided that I would make start the with simplest desert she has on her blog.

Texas Fudge Cake
This cake was so super simple to make and the taste is to die for. It's moist and just the right amount of chocolate. There isn't to much frosting and it's not super sweet. I had intentions of posting a picture of this cake but for whatever reason my camera has decided it no longer wants to work. I am hoping that my husband can fix it so that you guys can see this cake.

Texas Fudge Cake

1 cup butter (2 sticks)
5 Tbsp cocoa
1 cup water
2 cups sifted flour
2 cups sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
Frosting (recipe below)

1- Preheat oven to 375 deg. F with rack in the center of the oven. Butter and flour a 9 x 13 metal pan.

2- In a medium saucepan combine the butter, cocoa, and water. Bring to a boil.

3- In a large bowl whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking soda.

4- Pour the hot ingredients in the the dry ingredients. Stir well with a wooden spoon.

5- Add the eggs, milk, and vanilla. Stir until the batter is smooth.

6- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and place it in the oven. Bake for 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. (While the cake is baking, wash the saucepan and bowl. You'll use them for the frosting.)

7- Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a wire rack to cool. Immediately make the frosting and pour the frosting over the warm cake. Spread the frosting evenly and let the cake cool as much as you can bear before cutting into squares and devouring.

Frosting

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
3 Tbsp milk
2 Tbsp cocoa
dash salt
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups powdered sugar

1- In medium saucepan combine the butter, milk, cocoa, salt, and vanilla. Bring to a boil.

2- Place the powdered sugar in a large bowl. Pour the hot ingredients over the powdered sugar and beat with a wooden spoon until the frosting is smooth.

Cake Baking crazy

2010-01-30T13:55:00.000-08:00

Here lately I have been so busy baking cakes. I keep improving my skills and it's really starting to show in the cakes I am making. I have even started to make a little money now off of them. I never charge what they are worth but that is ok. I enjoy it and it's never been about the money anyways.

This cake was a Pirate/Princess Birthday party. It was for a great little girl name Jacalyn. Her mom is my son's Kindergarten teacher.

This is my first attempts at making roses. I can't being to tell you how many went in back in the bowl before I had some really great ones.

This is the cake that all the flowers went on. My niece need a large cake and cupcakes for her baby shower. She came to me with an idea for a black and white cake with small hints of pink. It wasn't much to go off but I knew she was counting on my to have an amazing cake for her. So I had to come through. I decided that I wanted to play around with fondant. I made a batch of Marshmallow fondant and colored it pink. I made the ribbons around the bottom of each layer in fondant. The frosting was a simple decorators frosting.

How with the old and in with the new

2010-01-01T07:22:00.000-08:00

Seems like 2009 just drug and drug right along. I can't say I have ever been so happy to see a year over with as I was last year. It's seemed there were more things wrong with last year then there was right.

This year I am hoping to have a better year. I have never been good at making resolutions for what I want out of the new year. I have always felt those are just huge promises you make to yourself that you never really keep and then at the end of the year you are let down again. So instead of lying to myself from the get go, I just take each day as the come and embrace whatever happens and keep on moving. I can't say that I don't get down or get mad about things because that would be huge lie. I just try not to dwell on it.

I am hoping to get better at baking this year. I really want to start making better quality cakes. I also want to make more from scratch and stop using so many store bought items. I have been working on cutting our budget down at the grocery store. I don't know that I am really making head way there but I am truly trying.

I do need to work on me but I am not going to get hung up on that or worry about it if it doesn't happen. I need to loose weight. I have needed to do that for years. Sometimes I lose a little and then I stay there but for the most part I have stayed the same weight for 4 yrs. So I am pretty comfortable with the weight I am. Not that it's a healthy weight or that it's something I want to stay at. I just don't worry about it or get all hung up on exercising or eating things that taste like cardboard. We eat pretty healthy and I don't over eat and I try hard not to stress eat. I drink lots of sweet tea and diet Dr. pepper and very little water. So I am sure if I cut those things out and maybe walk a mile or two I would be fine. I'll just play by ear and see what happens.

So far this year in the baking department I am off to a busy start.

January 6th- I am making a cake for Logan's teacher. It's her birthday and she loves Chocolate,cheesecake,strawberries. So she will get my Cheesecake stuff chocolate cake with butter cream frosting and chocolate covered strawberries on top.

January 9th- I am making a ton of cupcakes for my niece's baby shower. She is doing a black and white theme for her shower. I will be adding a little pink since her baby is a girl. We are super excited for her arrival and I can't wait to make the cup cakes.

February 1st- Is Logan's birthday. I have not clue on the cake as of yet but it will be fun. Also cupcakes for his class.
February 1st- Is my mom's birthday. I want to make her a nice cake and have her over for dinner. She rarely does anything on that day and her husband doesn't push her to do stuff. So I am wanting to do something great for them.
February- My Mom and Step dad both turn 50 this year. We are having a big party for them. So that is another cake.

March 14th is my Anniversary and I will make some kind of fun cake for that.

April 4th Easter and I am hoping to host an Easter egg hunt and make a ham and cake and some other great goodies for that.
April 14th- Rob's birthday and I am going to make him a boston cream pie(cake)
April 17th- Serenity will be turning 3. So that is another cake with lots of pink.

May 9th- I will host my mom and my MIL over for a brunch. I am hoping to do a small desert of some sort for them.

June 20th- Father's day. Not to sure if anything will happen that day.

July 4th- I am sure we will cook out and I'll make a flag cake or something like that.
July 27th- Jordan's 14th birthday. WOW (tear tears and more tears) I have no clue on the type of cake or if she will even want one. Teenagers are so funny.

That is as far as I have gotten with my baking and party plans. I am sure the details and plans will all fall into place and things will work out nicely.

Hope everyone has a Happy and healthy and a blessed 2010.

Christmas has come and gone

2009-12-28T18:54:00.000-08:00

While it has come and gone, it's not completely over for me. My oldest has taken a trip with her Nana and Papa and isn't home as of yet to celebrate with us. She left on the December 18th and won't be home until after the 1st of the year. While I have been on edge I am so happy she got to go and see parts of the world she may not get to see other wise. It's always nice when anyone things enough of your child to want to them with them on a long car ride and even nicer when a family member has open their home up to your child. So until she is home I have to look at the tree and the stockings all hung up. I am ready to see it down but I want things to be just like she was here on Christmas morning when she opens her presents.

I baked and baked and oh yeah baked. I made so many cookies this years, I can't even being to tell you all the dozens that have come and gone out of my kitchen this year. I made most of the ones I wanted to and a few that I hadn't planned on. I gave many as gifts and many we passed along to people who had stopped by to visit. I made my first ever Yule log. It turned out nicely and it was very tasty.

The little kids got everything they wanted and then some. We opened up our home to a couple who need a place to have a Christmas dinner at. It was really nice to have them in our home. They are lovely people and I hope that we get to have them over more often.

Sweet potato pie, Oh MY!!

2009-11-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

I am not much of a baker when it comes to making pies and breads. For some reason I just can not get the hang of it. Either I over mix things or I don't mix it enough. Something always goes wrong.

While I was in Logan's class working, his teacher was reading them a story on how to make a sweet potato pie. After she was done reading she asked Logan if his mom baked pies. Logan then told her to my surprise yes. Then in a joking way she asked him to get his mom to make her a sweet potato pie. I love doing things for the teachers. They work so hard for the kids and need that little extra special thing.

Now here comes the tricky part. I had never baked a pie from scratch. Sara Lee and I are great friends when it comes to pies. But at the time I couldn't just go out and buy a pie. So off to google ville.

After searching I end up find a great and simple pie crust

EASY PIE CRUST FROM PILLSBURY BAKE OFF
Printed from COOKS.COM

2 cups Pillsbury All-Purpose Flour
1 tsp. salt
2/3 cup shortening
5-6 tablespoons ice cold water

Whisk or sift together flour and salt until well mixed. Rub shortening into flour with fingertips or cut in using two knives or a pastry blender until mixture has lumps the size of small peas.

Fill a small glass with ice and water. Using a tablespoon measure, spoon out 1 tablespoon of ice water at a time, stirring quickly into the flour mixture, using only enough water (5 or 6 tablespoons) for the pastry to come together (mixture will be crumbly).

Divide into two portions, with the larger half being for the bottom of the pie crust. Shape each portion into a 1/2" thick disk shape. Smooth the edges. Wrap in plastic wrap and rest for 20 minutes.

Roll out on a lightly floured work surface to a size 1 1/2 inches larger than the pie pan. Fit into pan loosely.

Bake according to directions given in the pie recipe being used.

recipe and an a simple sweet potato filling recipe.
Sweet Potato Pie I

Ingredients

* 1 (1 pound) sweet potato
* 1/2 cup butter, softened
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1/2 cup milk
* 2 eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* 1 (9 inch) unbaked pie crust

Directions
1. Boil sweet potato whole in skin for 40 to 50 minutes, or until done. Run cold water over the sweet potato, and remove the skin.
2. Break apart sweet potato in a bowl. Add butter, and mix well with mixer. Stir in sugar, milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla. Beat on medium speed until mixture is smooth. Pour filling into an unbaked pie crust.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 55 to 60 minutes, or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Pie will puff up like a souffle, and then will sink down as it cools.

The crust was light and flaky just like every yummy pie crust should be. I missed the nice butter taste but was happy that it was easy to make and baked up nicely.
The filling was so simple and easy that I can now spout off the recipe with out think twice about it.

I didn't give myself much time to get this pie done. I had 2.5 hours to get it all put together and cooked and in the car to take to the school. If you know anything about baking, it's not a good idea to rush things or to not leave yourself plenty of time. The potatoes alone took 40-50 minutes to boil and become soft. So that didn't leave much time at all for baking which took an 50-60 minutes.

The crust mixed right up and only need to rest for a few minutes before you could work with it. I decided to roll it out and put in the baking dish and go ahead and blind bake it for half the time it called for due the filling saying put in an unbaked pie crust. Worked out amazingly, not one brunt edge and the crust was not tough at all. I took it out to cool and it was time to finish up the filling.

The potatoes were easy to peel and for the most part mashed up nicely. I did have to use a strainer to strain any parts that we not smashed. I was surprised at how easy this all came together and how it made my whole house smell of all the wonderful holiday smells you get. The nice cinnamon and nutmeg and vanilla smells filled my whole house and my car and the school hallway and Mrs Dean's classroom.

Down to the wire. It took all but 3 minutes of my time to get all of this done. I quickly took the pie from the oven found a nice towel and tray to put the pie plate on and ran out the door. The pie was still bubbling hot and smelled wonderful.

Arriving at the school and having a hot pie and a sleepy two year old was interesting to say the least. Serenity was slowly waking up from her nap and really wasn't into walking on her own. So I had to balance the pie in one hand and the sleepy Serenity in the other.

I walked into the classroom and Mrs Dean yells out "Oh no you didn't, You really didn't did you." And then as proud as she can's she turns to her wonderful class of Kindergarten's and says Mrs. Holloway made Me a sweet potato pie. They all get excited thinking they were going to get a bite or two. She let them down not so gently by saying "Oh no this is my pie, I'll bring you guys some in the morning."

New mission for the Room mom. Make some very sad children a sweet potato pie so that they could have some too.

LIGHT BULB MOMENT!!

What if the pie for the kids were mini's and they were bite size so that there wouldn't be a mess?

Off to figure out a way to do that.

MINI MUFFIN TINS.

So more pie crust making and enough pie filling to cover making the little mini's and for a pie for Thanksgiving.

The pie crust works beautifully in the muffin tins. Use a small juice cup to get the right size when cutting it out. And a tablespoon to fill each cup. I did blind bake them as well. This time I watched them closely and pulled them out after about 5 minutes. It took half the time to bake the mini pies and they were very tasty. Just the right amount of crust to filling. It was a perfect mix.

I took them into the kids on the next morning and they were so happy. I was given my container back empty.

I wish I would have taken pictures of this whole process. Being in a hurry cloudy my mind and made me forget my camera. It would have been wonderful to have pictures of it all.

To the average baker, don't be scared to bake things you never have before. Try baking things and if you fail no worries just try it again another day. I think now that I have done a pie and it has turned out wonderful I will be doing plenty more of them.

OFF TO BAKE SOMETHING NEW........

Cutting back and regrouping

2009-11-13T09:44:00.000-08:00

Time for a family make over and a cut back on spending.
We never have had a lot to spend but we always seem to spend more than we should.
I spend way to much money on Groceries each month and even more by running back to the store for things that we want and not so much need. On average we spend $700-$800 a month on groceries and trips to the store. And the more I think about all the things we could be doing with that money the madder I was getting about how we waste so much.
My family never eats left overs. They just hate the thought of eating something more than once. So I have decided now they just don't have a choice. I will make things that can freeze and be pulled out for another day and it will be like having it new all over again.
I have started making a dinner menu again and master shopping list so that I know exactly what I need to buy and where the money is going.
I have even started making sure that if I am making a soup or a sauce I make a double batch so that I can save some for another purpose. So far so good.

Well shopping on Thursday I took with me $600.00 for the month and this time around, I spent $580.00. Now that still seems like a lot and I do want to cut back even more. I did stock up on a few items that I buy all the time and I did buy extra of things for holiday baking. In reality I spent $80.00 on the extra stuff and $500.00 on groceries. I real goal is to get the $500.00 a month down to $300.00-$350.00. I know it can be done and I am going to make it happen.

Knock Knock by Daniel Beaty

2009-10-09T16:49:00.000-07:00

This has to be the best motivational speech for any young man to listen to. Take a listen you won't be disappointed.

As a boy I shared a game with my father.
Played it every morning 'til I was 3.
He would knock knock on my door,
and I'd pretend to be asleep
'til he got right next to the bed,
Then I would get up and jump into his arms.
"Good morning, Papa."
And my papa he would tell me that he loved me.
We shared a game.
Knock Knock

Until that day when the knock never came
and my momma takes me on a ride past corn fields
on this never ending highway 'til we reach a place of high
rusty gates.
A confused little boy,
I entered the building carried in my mama's arms.
Knock Knock

We reach a room of windows and brown faces
behind one of the windows sits my father.
I jump out of my mama's arms
and run joyously towards my papa
Only to be confronted by this window.
I knock knock trying to break through the glass,
trying to get to my father.
I knock knock as my mama pulls me away
before my papa even says a word.

And for years he has never said a word.
And so twenty-five years later, I write these words
for the little boy in me who still awaits his papa's knock.

Papa, come home 'cause I miss you.
I miss you waking me up in the morning and telling me you love me.
Papa, come home, 'cause there's things I don't know,
and I thought maybe you could teach me:
How to shave;
how to dribble a ball;
how to talk to a lady;
how to walk like a man.
Papa, come home because I decided a while back
I wanted to be just like you.
but I'm forgetting who you are.

And twenty-five years later a little boy cries,
and so I write these words and try to heal
and try to father myself
and I dream up a father who says the words my father did not.

Dear Son,

I'm sorry I never came home.
For every lesson I failed to teach, hear these words:
Shave in one direction in strong deliberate strokes to avoid irritation

Dribble the page with the brilliance of your ballpoint pen.
Walk like a god and your goddess will come to you.
No longer will I be there to knock on your door,
So you must learn to knock for yourself.
Knock knock down doors of racism and poverty that I could not.
Knock knock down doors of opportunity
for the lost brilliance of the black men who crowd these cells.
Knock knock with diligence for the sake of your children.
Knock knock for me for as long as you are free,
these prison gates cannot contain my spirit.
The best of me still lives in you.
Knock knock with the knowledge that you are my son, but you are not my choices.
Yes, we are our fathers' sons and daughters,
But we are not their choices.
For despite their absences we are still here.
Still alive, still breathing
With the power to change this world,
One little boy and girl at a time.
Knock knock
Who's there?
We are.

Holidays are coming

2009-09-28T10:10:00.000-07:00

I am so ready for the holidays. I love spending them with my kids. We make so many items during all of them and I love planning it all out. (probably what most of my post will be so I have one place to go back to)

Halloween here is all about decorating. We always decorate the house and take the kids out for trick or treat. Normally I make some Halloween themed foods and we snack most of the day. I think this year we are going to try and do the Corn maze if it is still open. Living in FL there isn't to many fall themed places. Way to hot for that kind of thing.

Thanksgiving is spent with me in the kitchen cooking and cooking and doing more cooking. We sometimes go to one of our parents home to celebrate but most of the time we stay home and eat with our children and invite some family over or invite someone over who doesn't have family to be with. We try to spend that day just being thankful and grateful for all that we have. We normally put the Christmas tree up that night and watch football. I always make way to much food and we always have more leftovers then we know what to do with.
For dinner we have
Turkey
Ham
Green beans with new potatoes
Collard greens
sweet potatoes
Rolls
Apple pie
Pumpkin pie
Salad of some sort
Mac and cheese
And I am sure there is more but I never can remember what all I cook. I try to add something new every year.

Christmas starts baking for me.I love to make cookies. So every year I start around the 2nd week of December and bake right up until the Christmas eve. Christmas Eve this year will be spent at my Sister in Laws house. We are going to do a soup and salad dinner and deserts. She wanted to do a family dinner before the big day at her home so I offered to help her out.
As for my baking well this year I have teachers already asking for cookies. They make great teacher presents. I think I have about 8 teachers already asking and some that I didn't give cookies to last year that have only heard about them wanting some. LOL!! Makes me feel good to know that they were enjoyed so much.
I know for sure that I will be making:
Almond Joy Cookies
Hawaiian delights
Chocolate and peanut butter fudge
Melting moments from the joy of baking (add mini chocolate chips to some as well)
Biscotti (not sure on what kind or how it will turn out. It will be a 1st for me)
Oatmeal peanut butter cookies
Chocolate chip cookies
and so many others..
I am sure the closer it gets I will have a post for just cookie baking.

Seasons of change

2009-09-21T09:08:00.000-07:00

Seems like things are forever changing. The more you want time to stand still and to slow down the faster it seems to move.
My kids are growing up so fast and they are learning and exploring so many new things.

Jordan is talking of her future and her dreams. And yet when I look at her I see the newborn baby I held at the age of 19. I was so scared that some how I would mess up her life and she would turn into a teenage mom with no real dream of being more then that. While I know she is only 13 and there is still plenty of time for things to go wrong, I just don't believe with her that they will. She is looking forward to going to high school next fall. She is planning on entering the IB program at school and earning some college credits while attending high school. And in 4 years she is hoping to apply to Columbia University. I want her to go to school closer to home but I will never stand in her way to achieve whatever dream she has in mind.

Logan he is loving school. He has to work hard to keep up with is his peers but he seems to do a good job of it. His teachers tells me all the time that his has broken the mold for sweet boys. She says she has never seen a boy as sweet as he is. And I agree with her completely. He has a tender heart and so affection and caring. He loves to take care of people and to make sure that everyone is happy. He seems to be out growing his seizures. He has not had one in a year and a half. Now I'm not saying that he can't have one but so far we have been blessed. I am grateful for any small blessing that is passed our way.

Serenity isn't a baby anymore. She is a toddler and almost a preschooler. She is so smart. She counts to 18 without help, she sings her ABC's and she knows most of her colors and all of her shapes. I would love to say that I did this and I worked with her all the time but a lot of it she picked up on her watching sprout and noggin. She isn't allowed to watch other channels so she has really learned a lot from those shows. She is learning how to use the computer and she plays on starfall to learn her letters and sounds. She has had some set backs with her health as of late. She was diagnosed with Corhn's disease and put on medication. We were doing so well with the medication and it had started to really help her out. But 2.5 weeks ago she had a flair up and it just hasn't gone away as of yet. Flair up or not she is still her bubbly,trouble causing self. She loves to have all eyes on her and she will make sure that she does something cute so that everyone is pay attention.

Rob is still working hard at Pizza Hut. While it isn't his dream job, it's a job. He seems to enjoy the work for the most part. He would love to get back into the technology industry and working with computers. But the area we live in there really isn't much work here.

I am staying busy with the kids being back in school.I joined the PFA and was asked to be apart of the SAC committee at Logan's school. I working in his class room every morning for an hour and I work come in 2-3 days a week in the afternoon for 1-2 hours. I enjoy being up there and I enjoy working with the teachers. I haven't done much baking as of late. I had made a few cakes over summer and they just didn't turn out well. Some it was me rushing them and the humidity really took a total on my frosting. So I kind of just put that to the side for right now. I am going to start getting my stuff gathered up slowly for my Christmas cookies. I already have a few teachers at the kids schools asking for my OMG cookies and another cookie I make.

That is our update for now.I am hoping to post more. I say that every time I post and I mean it each and every time. Just seems that things happen and get in the way of me being able to post.

Throwing Stones

2009-07-14T15:40:00.000-07:00

Today while outside I was watching my two younger kids throwing pebbles at different things. I heard my son tell my baby throw one at this leaf because it was ugly. And in that moment I could see a life lesson already being taught to her. It's a life lesson we all need to learn.
To often we are so ready to judge this person or put down a person or complain about someone for whatever reason. It's almost as if we are throwing stones at them. While we aren't perfect ourselves.

Look at the way her child behaves- throw a stone
Look at that house,it so run down- throw a stone
Look at the way she is dress or her hair is colored- Throw a stone
If you were not so fat you would fit- throw a stone
You should eat more your as skin as a toothpick- throw a stone
He cheated on his wife- Throw a stone
He was accused of behaving badly with children- Throw a stone

At ex-NFL player Steve McNair's memorial service the minster there touched on this same topic. He asked that if people there and in the media were so perfect then they could cast all of their stones. But if they weren't with out blame that they should put those same stones down. Seems like the more and more that came out about Steve McNair the more and more people forgot about his football career and the good things he had done in his community. The only thing that was focused on was his affair and his relationship with that young girl. How quickly we were throwing stones his way and kick him when he was unable to defend himself. I'm not saying that his affair was right. But we don't know what his home life was like, we don't know if that girl was chasing after him and he was giving her things to keep her away from his family. There are so many things you just don't know. The one thing that seem to be over looked during all of the findings were his wife and her hurt and her shame that she was carrying for not knowing about the secret life he was leading. We forgot all about his grieving kids while we were raking him over the coals. One day his kids are going to read all of those stones that were thrown and find out that people were saying just ugly and mean and hurtful things about him.

I know I do it all the time. I don't mean to and I never thing about it at the time. But I say things that hurt, I think things about people that are unkind. Many times before I know it have thrown that stone at them and never take the time to stop and think about my own life and what I have going on that isn't so perfect. Those stones we throw are the words that destroy people, that tear them down emotionally and mentally. Those same stones are the stones we teach our children to throw as they bully the kid on the playground, or the tease the kid because they are not dress a certain way. Those stones are the stones that cause people to do harm to others, those stones are the stones that make a person feel less then, those same stones are the stones that lead to people killing themselves. If we all just lay our stones down. Take a step back. Realize that we all need each other and we all to build each other up instead of tearing each other down. Our world would be a better place. We can't ask our future generations to be better then the one before them when they example they have to lead them are to busy teaching them to throw stones.

After listening to my son tell my daughter to throw that pebble at that leaf because it was ugly. I went over to both of them and ask my son can't you find one good thing about that leaf. Isn't there some beauty in it somewhere. The leaf was brown with yellow and green spots all over it. It was not the best leaf but it was not an ugly leaf that need to be stoned by two small kids. So after a minute or two my son said come on baby lets go put the leaf in the water and see if it floats. He looked back at me while picking up the leaf and said I think this ugly leaf will make a good boat. At his age it was hard to make him understand that everything had beauty in it.

Look at the way her child behaves- Lay that stone down
Look at that house,it so run down- Lay that stone down
Look at the way she is dress or her hair is colored- Lay that stone down
If you were not so fat you would fit- Lay that stone down
You should eat more your as skin as a toothpick- Lay that stone down
He cheated on his wife- Lay that stone down
He was accused of behaving badly with children- Lay that stone down

Book Review: Finding Grace A memoir by Donna Vanliere

2009-07-14T11:51:00.000-07:00

While on a recent trip the public library I notice they had put out about many new books. At our local library they put them right in front at near the check out counter. With all three kids I don't get to go to the Adult side of the library to often with out of one of them having some kind of meltdown, that requires me leaving apologizing for them being so loud. So this trip I stayed right where the new books were.

After reading many of the backs of the books and trying to find one, I came across this book. "Finding Grace A memeior" I looked at the cover and before reading the inside cover of the book I knew I was taking it with me. The cover of the book is covered in little pictures of the authors family and of her self growing up as a child. I had never heard of her before and didn't really give much thought to her name. That day had been a trying day and maybe something guided my hand to that book and opened my eyes so that I could see the title and pulled at my heart to let me know I needed what that book had to say.

The book goes from her early childhood through her struggle with infertility and through her search for grace that was hidden through all she had to endure. She tells of sexual abuse that happen once to her and then again there was an attempt but she found strength to fight the person off. She tells how she blamed her self and how she shut that part of herself off so she didn't have to feel. She tells of how she met her husband and how he wanted to adopt children and she wanted to give birth to her own flesh and blood. All through her struggles she fought with finding her self and fought with her faith and belief in God and what he had planned for her. She fought with trying to put herself aside and letting God take over. She looked for answers to prayers that she was praying in her time and instead of in God's time. With each chapter you got to see more and more into the soul of her and into the Grace that she was searching for. Then she tells of her and her husband's decision to adopt their three wonderful children. About the long wait and the process they had to go through. And each time she looked for God's grace. The more she looked the more and more God made his presences known by things she would read or thing she would see. But like all of us when you are looking for something it's when you never seem to find it. But when you wait and slow down you truly find what you are looking for.

I would say if you are needing a book that is uplifting and full of heartache and happiness and direction, then you should for sure pick up this book. It took me all of two days to read it cover to cover. I'm sure before it's due back I will read it again to see if I have missed anything.

I am chaning the direction of this blog

2009-07-14T11:33:00.000-07:00

As of late I have found that most of my blog is either a complaint or a worry. There isn't much happiness or much insight into my life or my thoughts. The more I read my blog them I realized that I just never really sound like a happy person or a person who spends to much time with out worrying about something. And to be quiet honest that isn't me at all. I am normally a person who lets things go easily and I never really worry to much about things for to long. I am a person who reads a lot and loves to share with others about the great books I've read and what they have meant to me.
And above everything I love my family and I love talking about them and all the fun times we have had or things we are planning to do.
When I first started blogging I thought I would use it to write little reviews of books I read and share a few thoughts I had and maybe a little about my family. And of course if I found a yummy recipe I wanted to share, I could do that too. I wanted to use this blog as an escape from what I do everyday. A way for me to be myself with out the mom part of me. I ma sure the two go hand in hand but I don't think they make up all of who I am.
So from here on out, welcome to the new blog. Welcome to who I am and what I think..

Serenity update

2009-06-29T18:28:00.000-07:00

We survived the endoscope and the colonscopy. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be and she handled it all really well.

We have the test results back and now know what we are facing.

Serenity has been diagnosed with IBD and we are still waiting on the for sure test for
Crohn's disease. She has been put on medicine and she is taking them like a little trooper.

I am very grateful that it wasn't something more and relieved that we can manage what is going on with her by medicine. We were really in fear that it was cancer and that by us having to wait for all the test that the doctors were wasting valuable time.

I want to thank everyone that said prayers for her and that just kept her in your thoughts. That meant so much that so many cared.

Cooked out..

2009-06-09T06:20:00.000-07:00

I think I have reached a time where I am just all cooked out. I don't want to anymore at all. I hate the idea of making dinner every night and I hate even more trying to decided what to make.

Here it is Grocery shopping time again and I don't have a clue of what to buy or what we will eat for the month. I shop by the month to cut down on trips to the store. I normally would have my menu done and ready to post on the fridge but I just can't get in the mood to do it.

I feel like all we do is eat the same things over and over again. The many reason is because everyone here is so picky. Rob won't eat baked meat or boil meat. He hates the taste of it and would rather have it sauteed or pan seared or fried or cooked in olive oil. Jordan won't touch fruit and a few veggies. Logan hates tomatoes, so that rules out a lot of foods that are easy to make. Serenity she eats very little, she won't touch ground meat of any kind. I will eat just about anything, cooked any way. But then again I was brought up to eat what was in front of me or starve. So not how I brought my kids up. (Maybe I should have and I wouldn't be sick of cooking)

It's also hot here now and that makes the whole idea of standing in the kitchen for an hour cooking a meal that we may or may not eat not so appealing. My kids tend to eat a lot less during the summer and would much rather be allowed to snack all day long.

I am just so over it.. I need a chief for a month to come and make my family happy.

I am thinking Christmas already

2009-06-05T10:48:00.000-07:00

and it's only June.

I am gathering up ideas of what I am wanting to make people for Christmas. I know for sure this year I am going to do some kind of cook book. I am forever being asked how did you make that or what's in this or that. And people are always calling and asking for a recipe that I made or something I brought to a party. While I enjoy making those things I think it's time I start sharing my recipes with them so that they can enjoy the foods with out feeling like they are bothering me by asking for recipes.

I also want to do some kind of photo project for the grandparents of the kids.

And I know for sure I am going to make Serenity some dresses and some PJ's.
For Logan I want to make PJ pants.
For Jordan I would love to try to make her some new bedding and some PJ's.

I think I really want to keep Christmas simple this year. And do more home made things.

Crazy to be thinking about it now but all of that stuff is going to take time and money so I have to start soon..

They are done..

2009-06-04T18:42:00.000-07:00

School is over as of today at 1:30pm. They are home and already they are bored out of their mind. I on the other hand have had to straighten out a few things with my daughters school. I knew this year went a little to easy and something had to happen.
Jordan has always had issues with her sinuses this year it has been really bad. She has missed school due to these issues and I am forever sending in notes to them to let them know why she is out and I have even gone to the school to pick up things and drop things off. Not once has anyone said "hey your daughter is in danger of attendance problems." Or have they ever said she has to may unexcused absences. Nope No one has said a word to me.
Today we get her report card with 3 different notes telling me we have to contact a person over her unexcused absent abuse problem. Then we get a note saying she need chronic disease management through the school nurse. Then a form I need to take to the doctor to get filled out to explain her disease problems.
Needless to say they all got nice emails to fill their boxes in the AM. And if that is not enough for them I am going to make sure to be there to have a chat with them next week before they close before summer school starts. I am HOT HOT HOT!! I send notes in and they don't do what they are suppose to do with them and now it's my problem.. I do not think so. UGHH why can't we just end on a positive note for once.. I am so sick of having to do this kind of things..
Here I was running around like crazy to get forms signed so she can stay at that school and with this she may still have to change schools. UGHH

PLEASE LET SUMMER GO GOOD!!!!

Open Letters

2009-06-03T11:46:00.001-07:00

Dear Wal-mart

While I enjoy shopping at your store,I find it annoying that the shopping carts made for families with more then one child are kept in the hot sun. I can't place my children in them as the hot plastic actually might cook their little legs. Just a thought to the person who put the shopping carts away. Make a space for the large family carts so that more people can use them.
Also please stop bragging about every day low prices. Your prices are low there is no doubt about it. But when you are always over charging people a few cents here a dollar there it makes it hard for us as customers to enjoy your every day low prices. Then when we as customers go and say something about being over charged, it would be nice if the person in the Customer Service area wouldn't be hateful and rude to us. Maybe instead of telling your employees to get on state assistance during their training, maybe you could replace that class with a manners class. Just a thought.

Dear Sheriff Department,

Thank you for protecting and serving all our fine citizens. You do your job well. NOT!!
Word of advice when running radar outside of your vehicle on a two lane road, it is not wise to step out in front of a SUV that is traveling faster then said speed limit and expect them to stop with out almost hitting you or another vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. Just a thought here, Why not have one officer run the radar and another in official vehicle pull the cars over. It could save a life and a lot of paper work if an accident should happen.
Also just because you don't wish to sit at a red light does not mean that turning your lights and sirens on behind 20 cars in 4 lanes of traffic will get them to all part ways so you can get through said intersection. It does take some time to clear that many cars out of the way and Honking your horn and playing with your siren is not going to make it happen any faster. SHH I won't tell them all that I was behind you when you were clear the intersection and turned all of that off and pulled into Burger King. That croissant you ordered and coffee just couldn't wait for you. Yes that is right I was the lady behind you smiling half way and mumbling under my breath that your badge and gun doesn't make you any better then me when it comes to red lights. I am sure you heard me because I wasn't trying to be quiet about it. But no worries dear officer your secret is safe with me and the many that read my blog every day.

Summer is here

2009-06-03T11:21:00.000-07:00

And they are bored already.

We have a half day of school left and already they are crying boredom. I dread this time of year but look forward to it as well. For me it's a slow down period and for my kids it's boredom run a muck. They love being at school with their friends and all of their after school things. But I long for the days of when I can sit and do nothing or I can take a trip somewhere and no have to worry about making it back on time to pick one of them up.

I think we are going to be spending a lot of time at the library this summer. Jordan has a mile long of summer reads she has to do for her English class. And I am just ready to get back to reading some of the books I have been wanting for a while now. Logan will love the library as always and Serenity might enjoy it a little more this summer. I am sure we will head to the beach a few times and down the Salt Springs to swim. A trip or two to grandparents and a few trips over to my SIL house to swim in her pool and I think we will then be ready for back to school.

I am sure that with all of those plans I will here a million and 5 times I'm Bored..

Where we stand.

2009-05-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

I know I left everyone hanging with what's going on with Serenity. I never meant to do that I just needed the time to try and wrap my brain around what I do know for sure. Which isn't much considering all the stuff we have had to do to her here lately.

I deleted the Dairy and Gluten Free Princess blog, because gluten isn't an issue anymore. We found out that she isn't allergic to gluten. We still have issues with Dairy but it's not as serve as we once believed. In moderation she can tolerate some dairy. So that was good news.

She is still having trouble with her stomach. We got referred to a GI specialist a few weeks back. We went and seen him and he schedule and Upper and Lower GI test done for June 22nd. To be honest it was the very best he could do to get it done that soon. He is one of 2 specialist at Nemours that do that test and they are super booked. I feel blessed to be able to have it done that soon.

While we were there he was looking at all the blood work and said that he didn't believe she had problems with her Iron levels and that he believed that it was something else. In the back of my mind that sent up TONS AND TONS of RED FLAGS!!! He asked me to bare with him as he went and spoke with a hematologist on the next floor up. What else could I do but wait. All the while I wanted to grab my child up and run and pretend now of this was really happening and that she was just a normal healthy 2 year old. He came back and said to stop giving her the iron that the Ped had order and continue with chewable vitamins with Iron. That he was referring us to the Hematologist who said that she needed to see Serenity as soon as possible. He also let us know that while Serenity was under for what he needed to do that he was be drawing extra blood for the Hematologist. He was reassuring that it was something that could be quickly solved and told us not to worry.

So here we sit. Knowing no more then when all of this started. And feeling like there is something more to it then all of the doctors are really telling us. I can say that we are not dwelling on all of this and we are going on living a normal every day life. It does sit in the back of our minds and it is hard not to call the doctors every 5 minutes to see if we can speed things up. I am truly having my patience tested and my faith.

So if you are praying people, please pray for us and for Serenity and for her doctors. I promise to keep everyone posted on what they find and what is happening here. And I promise to post some happier post soon..

Much Love...

I am

2009-04-28T19:33:00.000-07:00

I am angry.
I am mad.
I am confused.
I am stressed.
I am mentally tired.
I am physically drained.
I am emotionally run down.
I am really wondering what is causing all of this.
I am torn between taking on my dream job or putting on the back burner until I can get my kids health under control.
I am afraid that if I make the wrong decision about to take or not to take the job I may lose out on a friend and the dream job later.
I am afraid if I don't take the job that it could mean we don't have the extra money we are going to need to take care of our youngest needs.

The past few weeks have been rough and while I would love to be up beat and full of life. I just don't have it in me.

Belly Hurts= No Dairy and now .....

2009-04-27T15:08:00.000-07:00

we maybe head towards no Gluten. It's amazing how quickly things have changed since Serenity has stop nursing. She has had a lot of trouble with her stomach and after one round of testing we found she has an allergy to dairy. We fixed that with a simple switch to soy. Easy as can be you would think.
I never realized how much Dairy we consume, until now. We eat cheese at almost every meal. If it's not cheese it's milk in something. I have learned to make two different sides one with soy and one with milk. It makes life easy and she is a happy camper.
While the switch to soy has helped it didn't fix all that we needed it to fix. She is still having a ton of stomach trouble and crying after almost every meal and some days it's all I can do to get her to eat.
After much talk with the Pediatrician, we have decided to have her tested for gluten allergy and whatever else there could be. If we get any new hits on any of the testing we have to go see a GI and dietitian and a nutrition specialist.

This is so hard to wrap my brain around for some reason. I was ok with the Dairy allergy and knew that it was just a change of milk and cheese and yogurt. But this Gluten free life style is not a cheap one and isn't one I know much about. I have done some research and I have gone to the store and priced things and found as many items as I can that would take the place of what she would normally eat. And sadly there just isn't much out there for her. I am hoping I can get her to adjust easily to the new foods. Of course all of this depends on a blood test and it's results.

So if you are reading this and you are spiritual person if you would say a little prayer for her I would be grateful.

SERENITY IS 2 Years old today

2009-04-17T08:04:00.000-07:00

It's so hard to believe that 2 yrs ago I was giving birth to her. She is such a sweet little princess monster..

Princess Crown Cake

2009-04-17T07:58:00.000-07:00

Made simple..

After a day of looking around on how to make a princess crown cake, I couldn't find one that I loved or even would think about making. They were either to complicated or just plain boring. (nothing against the great bakers out there) I need something that a average baker could do and one that would be perfect for a little girl. So I am making it up as I go.

Here is what I have so far.

I took 2 cake recipes for chocolate cake. Just your basic cake recipe nothing over the top or fancy.
I poured one into a 9x9 square pan.
Next I poured one a bunt pan.

I am going to make the square pan the pillow and the bunt pan will be transformed into a crown. I will place the bunt pan on top of the square pan and decorate it.

What's been going on..

2009-04-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well the last past 2 months have been super busy for us. Everyone has had some kind of sickness and we have been running like crazy..

February was lots of fun. We moved after 8 years of being in the same place. We moved in the same town. The very first day of our move was crazy. Logan woke up and couldn't not bare any weight on his leg. He looked like a flamingo. So I thought maybe he had some kind of serve leg cramp that need a good day of rest and a good day of rubbing and he would be good as new. Well that night he was just in pain and crying. We were carrying him every where. So I decided the next day he was going to the children's hospital to find out what was going on. They put him through the mill that day and I was there for 10 hours to only be sent back home and told that I need to see an orthopedic specialist that they had found a pocket of fluid on his hip. Not a good feeling to leave the ER and not know what all that meant or what was going on. So we waited on the Doctor to set the appointment up for us. Well after waiting for a little over a week and carrying my son around. I called to find out what was going on. The Doctor still had no clue why we hadn't been contacted by the ortho's office and he said he would check into it. (you are the mercy of all these doctor's who claim to know what they are doing.) Well Rob had started to notice that Logan was trying to use his leg some and had him try to walk on it. He got up and walked with a limp for about 3 days and by the time we got the word to meet the Ortho doctor at the ER he could walk and run on his own. He was released from medical care and able to go back to school. And we were told it was viral and it attacked his joints and now he is better. The very next day after one whole day of school he broke out into a rash. Which turned out to be just the virus leaving his body completely.

Now on to Serenity.. (these two together are trouble I tell you!!) During the move we were eating when we could and eating fast food a lot. (something we don't do, I don't like it and I cook as much as I can so I know what's going into my kids) Day 2 of the move I ran to the store to get some milk for the kids so they could eat some cereal the next day for breakfast. While I was there my husband calls and says Serenity had a poopy diaper. Ok I know what you are thinking, what the heck change it and why do I need to know this. Well I thought the same thing and said the same things to him. He then tells me it had blood in it.. I was like get her cleaned up and ready to leave when I get there. Well in the time it took me to get from the store to my house (which is less then 1/2 a mile) she had two more bowel movements. All of them had blood in them. Off to the ER we went,got asked tons of questions and had to explain that she hadn't had good meals for the last 2 days and that we were moving. They checked her over and realized she was dehydrated. So they gave her fluids and sent us home. Told us that it may take a couple of days but she should be fine and to keep pouring fluid into her and if she got worse to take her to the ped's office. Well we all got the stomach bug shortly after that and things got better.

Fast forward to the last week in 2 weeks in March. Once again we changed her diaper and she had blood in it again. I was able to take the diaper and her to the ped's office and they did samples to test for any bacteria that they could think of. Those test came back a week later negative. Then they sent us to lab to get blood work and test for allergies and anything else they may have missed. Once again we waited and listen to our sweet baby complain of her belly hurting and not knowing what was going on. Well I go the results back yesterday afternoon and it turns out the little stinker is ALLERGIC to MILK.. So we changed her to Soy last night add some chocolate to it and she loves it and tells everyone that it's her special milk.

Jordan has had some exciting stuff as well but nothing like the other two.. She made Junior National Honor Society this year and we are so VERY PROUD of her.. She works her butt of at school and makes great grades with out much effort. She is in all honor classes this year and loves being involved in everything. She is doing volunteer work now and seems to enjoy that. She is getting ready to turn 13 and boy have we noticed that she is almost a teenager.. UGHH the attitude, but all in all she is just a good girl...

Rob and I celebrated our anniversary in March and we were both sick with the some kind of stomach bug. So we didn't do much other then watch TV and sleep. It was perfect.

Rob and Serenity are getting ready for their birthday's this month. He is on the 14th and he will be 38 and Serenity's is on the 17th and she will be 2. He wants a big bowl of banana pudding and Serenity wants either a princess cake or elmo. So we will see what I can pull out of my hat for that one. Maybe do princess crown with little elmo faces as the jewels. Who knows..

That is our update.. Sorry it's a book..

My new desert creation

2009-03-26T17:17:00.000-07:00

I don't have a name of it as it has many things in it.
I'll list all the ingredients and maybe some of you can come up with a good name for it.
2- 8 inch chocolate round cakes
1 crust less cheese cake
4 sliced strawberries
butter cream frosting
chocolate dipped strawberries
and hard chocolate shell

So I started out with on of the chocolate rounds on the bottom. I place a little butter cream down on top of that layer. I then took the cheesecake and placed it on top of that. I then sliced the strawberries and placed them on top of the cheesecake and the place a little butter cream on the top of that.I then placed the second round on top of that,gave it a crumb coat of frosting.Placed it in the freezer for a bit and then covered with a clean coat of butter cream. I used a bakers dipping chocolate to dip the strawberries. I used the same chocolate to top the cake with. After pouring the chocolate on the cake I placed the dipped strawberries on a pillow of butter cream to hold them in place. I then placed the cake in the freezer to firm up the chocolate and to keep it all together. After about 10 minutes in the freeze I kept in the refrigerator until time to serve.

Are you hungry yet?

Here are some pictures of the finished cake

The top of the cake

The inside of the cake after being sliced

A slice of the cake

Tried yet another good recipe

2009-03-22T18:20:00.000-07:00

This one was a surprise for me. My husband Rob never eats broccoli, he can not stand it. Hates the smell,the taste and the way it looks. So when he said he was willing to try something with broccoli in it I jumped on the chance to make it and prayed that he would love it.
After browsing other blogs I found this recipe on Amber's Delectable Delights.
Alfredo Bake
Alfredo Pasta Bake
(Source: Amber's Delectable Delights)

Ingredients:
8 oz pasta, cooked and drained
2 cups broccoli florets
1 cup mushrooms
1.5 cups chicken, cooked and shredded or diced
1 jar alfredo sauce
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese
2 Tbls butter

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees
- Coat the bottom of the two small or one medium baking dish with a thin layer of alfredo sauce. In a medium bowl, mix the pasta, broccoli, mushrooms, chicken, garlic and alfredo sauce until combined. Place mixture into baking dish and top with mozzarella and Parmesan cheese. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter on top of the cheese. Bake for 20 minutes or until cheese is hot and bubbly.

I had to make mine a little larger. I add an extra jar of sauce and more cheese and a box and half of pasta. I used ziti for the pasta and it worked out wonderfully. I recommend trying it.
It was very tasty and the kids loved it as well as the picky husband.

IEP and what's next

2009-03-20T07:30:00.000-07:00

I woke up knowing on the 18th of March we had the IEP conference for Logan. I was excited because we would know what the OT found and if he qualified for in school OT or if we were going to have to find him one in town.

The meeting went well and like always for a paperless system there was a ton of things to sign and a ton of needless paper work to make the county happy. The informed me that Logan did qualify and that he would receive OT once a week and be tested at the end of the school year to see if he would needed for next year. The also let us know that they were in contact with the school he is zoned for and they do know all of his needs and where he is at in his education. We were also told they were doing testing for placement but they were waiting on us to sign off on it to start. Being the protective mother hen that I am, I got mad that they were wasting time by waiting.
So going into mom mode I had to explain to them if they would just send the papers home with Logan when they need to be signed they would have them back the very next day and they could go ahead and start the testing and then at the next IEP we could be ready to discuss all that needs to happen with him. Of course the school guidance counselor has to say well we have to do it by the book and by the way the county wants it. I let her know there are times where I can't just drop things and run to the school every time they need have a meeting for me to sign a paper. And what a even bigger waste of time for them to call all of these people away from their jobs to sit in here to watch me sign 3 pieces of paper when I can do it at home and return them just as quickly. They agreed with me finally so I am hoping that they won't waste time anymore. I was also informed by Logan's teacher that depending on the testing we will know where he will be placed. The goal for the year was to mainstream him next year. But seeing how he is having issues retaining information and not where they thought he would be he may be held back in Pre-K for another year.
Now that isn't an issue for me. But for whatever reason the school and the county is having issues with it. As of right now Logan is 2 heads taller then every kids in his class and is the oldest kid in the class.He turned 5 in February and the other kids are still only 4. If they hold him back he will be 5.5 turning 6 when school starts back and that will make him 2 yrs older then the kids and of course even bigger then he is now. Which has some parents worried.

Also they are worried now with a new studies that have come out that kids that are held back in early education have a higher drop out rate. And with having a learning disability the number is even higher. I had to tell his teacher that "look I don't hold anyone here at this school responsible for what decisions my son makes when he is 15-18yrs old. That it is my job as his mom to make sure that the school is acting in Logan's best interest and that if holding him back will help him in the long run then we are going to do just that. I am not going to let him fall through the cracks just because of some study that only applies to parents of kids who never were involved from day one." Some how they seem to forget when doing these studies that it's not the kids fault or the schools fault that the kid dropped out. It is the PARENTS FAULT!! As parents we took on the job of the kids, the kids need guidance and they need us to instruct them on what to do and when to do it. And if all just throw our hands up and not get involved when the kids are at school then no one is holding each other responsible for what is going on in the school system. As parents we are our kids first advocate, we are the only voice that will ever be heard by any other adult involved in their lives. Whether it be with a failing school system or a failing government system.
Now I am working on keeping Logan at his present school for the rest of elementary. I have been given the heads up by the county to go ahead and register him the first day of early registration for Kindergarten at the new school but to quickly go to the principal and ask for the special pupil form so that I can run it to the school he attends now. With that form I will have to talk with his principal and see if I can get her to sign off on him staying at his school. But I promise you if she doesn't sign off on it I will be going to her boss. As I informed his teacher everyone has a boss and I will be keeping Logan at Rideout. And she smiled and said she knew with out a doubt that I was the kind of mom that would always be involved from day one. I love his teachers and all the hard work they do from the kids.

Stay tuned as this keeps going....I am sure there will be many more post on this as I don't think it will be an easy task to keep him at Rideout with all the budget cuts.

Anniversary Dinner Part 3

2009-03-15T08:18:00.000-07:00

Well not all goes as planned.I had planned a wonderful dinner for my husband and myself and we had gotten really excited about eating and trying the strawberries. 3 days before our dinner Rob got the stomach flu as well as our daughter Serenity. So there went eating a huge meal. I decided to cook a small simple meal for the whole family and to still make the Stuffed berries. Now everyone is better and loved the strawberries.

Here is what we used to make Cheesecake Stuffed Strawberries.

I mashed the cheesecake up with a fork.

How I cut the strawberries for stuffing them.

Stuffed and ready for Chocolate dip

Dipped and Already to eat..

My Anniversary Part 2

2009-03-06T17:01:00.001-08:00

The menu has been picked and I know what we are having now..I am so super excited I can't wait until next Saturday.

Appetizer:Steamed shrimp
Dinner: Bacon wrapped filet mignon
Loaded Baked Potatoes
Salad
bread sticks

Desert: Cheesecake stuffed strawberries dipped in chocolate

I changed my desert plan from my first post. I decided this would be better for us. We are going to wait and eat until the kids are in bed. We are hoping since we can't go out this year that we can eat a nice dinner and watch a movie together.

I am ready to eat that dinner right now.. WAITING IS going to be hard..

WOW what is she thinking

2009-03-05T20:38:00.000-08:00

I know every one wants to cry "battered women syndrome" But enough already. How much more of a beating do you need before you have had enough? How much more of a eye opener do you need before you realize he isn't sorry and he will do it again?

I am writing this tonight because I have just read the whole article on the R&B singer and her Rapper boyfriend who did her harm. They have released they police reports and it is truly amazing that she walked away from it alive. Here is the report .

I think he should be in Jail right now. If you or I was charged with 2 felonies they would lock us up. It's just mind boggling that her family isn't doing more to keep the two apart. They are so we weren't there, we don't know the whole story. Does the whole story really matter when it comes to your daughter almost dying due to some one not being able to handle themselves? His age has no barring on this in my mind at all. Although a lot of people are using his age as an excuse for his actions. Sorry I am not buying that one. He knows right from wrong no matter what. And he knows he should not have touched her no matter how mad he was.

UGHH I can not understand these type of people. If he beat your ass once he will do it again. ABUSE is a ABUSE no matter how many I'm sorry's he says and no matter How much you love them you can not CAN NOT make them change. She needs to get help for her self and understand that he will not change and she can't love him into change.

FRUSTRATION

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO DR SEUSS!!

2009-03-02T07:01:00.000-08:00

Today is my favorites authors birthday. My kids and I will read his books tonight at bedtime and celebrate that way. My son's class is having green eggs and ham for in honor and reading the book.

My favorite book by Dr Seuss is Oh The places you'll go.. It has got to be the greatest motivational book for any kid graduating school. We give that book to everyone we know who is graduating. Here is a link to read it if you have never read the book Oh The places you'll go by Dr. Seuss.

My Anniversary is coming...

2009-02-23T20:34:00.000-08:00

I want to make a special cake this year for our Anniversary. We have been married for 13 years and we really didn't do much on our 10 yr anniversary. So now I have to start thinking of something super special to do.
Rob and I both love strawberries, so I know they will end up being apart of the cake some how. I know I want at least one layer of chocolate cake (Hey I am a woman and chocolate is a much have.) and one layer will have to be vanilla or butter based cake.(he loves that) The top will have chocolate cover strawberries and plain strawberries. I think in between the layers will be a jam or maybe cream cheese(kind cheese cake like) filling with fresh strawberries sliced thinly..

Now all I have to do is fine the recipes gather the supplies and make this yummy sounding cake..

Ben 10 Omnitrix Cake

2009-02-01T12:12:00.000-08:00

Logan wanted an Ben 10 cake and after thinking about all the ways I could make the cake. I decided that it would be easier to make him the watch the boy wears to turn into the aliens.

So here it is start to finish.
This is a layer of milk chocolate cake and simple vanilla cake layer,iced together with plain white icing. Then I started the center of the dial for the top of the watch.

I added the black to finish the dial on the top of the cake.

Here I am frosting the outer edge of the cake. (sorry about the poor looks it was 1am)

I added to pieces of cake to make the wrist band. One is milk chocolate and the other is simple vanilla cake.

Here I am working on icing the wristband. And then what they look like before I add the details to them.

All the details are done, and I am getting ready to write on the cake. (this is the part I still need to work really hard on)

The lettering is all done and here is the finish cake.

I loved making this cake for him. It may not be my best work but it was fun. I worked on this cake until 3am and it was worth every minute of it.

TODAY MY BABY IS TURNING 5!!

2009-02-01T09:46:00.000-08:00

What's the sound track of your life?

2009-01-26T20:26:00.000-08:00

One of my neighbors has been doing his homework on my computer this week. He has this English project called sound track of your life. I started thinking about it and decided what an awesome idea.

So here are the categories you only have to pick 8 of them. The object is to pick songs that relate to your life in the different scenes. The songs themselves do not have to mention the events in them at all. They just have to fit your life at that moment.
Your birth
driving in a car
fighting
falling in love
breaking up
sleeping
being alone
being with friends
school
hobbies
Eating
death

So here are my 8

Birth- There Goes My Life by Kenny Chesney- My parents were very young, mom 16,dad 19. I am sure at some point they both felt this. And in the end it showed when they divorced for whatever their reason was at the time.

Falling in Love- Tangled up in You by Staind- Nothing better then being in love and having that person in gulf everything about you and you doing the same for them

Breaking up- I F**King Hate you by Godsmack- I normally would say that it applies if I walked away.

Sleeping-I Can Sleep When I'm Dead by Jason Michael Carroll- being a mom to 3 kids sleep isn't something I get to much of. So this song fits..

Being alone- Listen To The Rain by Evanescence- If I had an alone moment that is what I would do..

Driving- Into the great wide open by Tom Petty- That is how I feel when I am driving. I just love to drive and go no where.

Eating- Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffett- That is one of my favorite foods and there is a song all about it..

Death- The Promise by Tracey Chapman- I would want my kids to know I'm always with them all they would have to do is think of me.

TODAY IS THE DAY

2009-01-20T09:38:00.000-08:00

Today is the day we have been waiting on.
Today is the day we lay aside the old ways of government and embrace the new.
Today is the day that a nation of many spoke up for.
Today is the day that we accept the change that has been need for many years.
Today is the day that we embrace a new way of doing things.
Today is the day accept responsibility for our actions as a nation.
Today is the day that we embrace our new Vice President and his wonderful wife.
Today is the day that we help them help us.
Today is the day that we WELCOME with open arms our number 44th President of the United States of America.
TODAY IS THE DAY THAT BARRACK H. OBAMA BECAME THE 44th PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!!

What a huge moment for him and his beautiful family. And what an even greater moment for our nation.

CHANGE IS COMING!!! AND IT HAS ARRIVED!!!!

Changing who we are as a nation?

2009-01-19T21:48:00.000-08:00

At some point in my high school years I had a teacher clue me into the world around me. Although he wasn't my favorite teacher at the time I respected he thoughts and his views on the world we lived it. He never really used a text book to teach, he preferred a News week magazine. He said it would give us and update view of how one person could change the nation or the world we live in.

Here is it some 14 years later I hear those words ring in my ears yet again.
I do believe we have come a long way in 14 years but I don't know that our nation has been changed. Or that our nation is ready for the change that needs to happen. Yet our Newly elected President is asking us to work side by side with him and make the change and expect the things that need to be done and the hard work and the hard times that it will take to make the change. I for one believe that everything in life takes hard work and lots of time and lots of effort on many. I can't say that every American believes that same way.

Looking back I see that we are still a nation that has not accepted that not every American has or can afford health care and many die because they don't receive the care they need. Health care reform has been preached to us in every election as far back as Regan. Yet we sit with the same system and the same issues. Teddy Kennedy worked very hard to investigate a National health care system that we could put into place with in 2 years and it still sits in the bottom of the pile waiting to be investigated further.
Education is another problem we face every day as parents. How can I afford to send my child to college? How can I afford what the public school systems are asking me to keep sending in just so my kid and have all the supplies he/she needs for school that year? When will they pay teachers what they deserve to be paid? And every year it's the same song and dance "we are working on it, we are going to fix the problem." There has to be a system in place soon, or more and more children will not attend college and big business will not have the employs they need with the right education background.
And last but not least, the Jobs of America will be secure or unemployment will be a top priority. Well I know for a fact that it has been the case at all. I speak from experience when I say BIG COMPANIES got tax breaks from the government when sending jobs overseas to other countries. And where did that leave the American's that once filled those jobs. UMMMMM one GUESS ...
UNEMPLOYED!! How does that solve the issue? When do we see the promised change?

Now don't get me wrong I voted very proudly for Obama and Biden. And I still to this day believe that he is the right man for the job at the time in our Nation. But (and you knew there was one) I see already that is in for the fight of his life and he hasn't taken office yet. Congress is not going to budge on some of the things they need to budge on, his stimulus package is already taking heat and his plan for taking the tax break away from the rich is already under fire. I pray that Obama and Biden have what it takes to take on Congress and all the neigh sayers.

Tomorrow is a day of change and a day of History. And for my teacher in 11th grade that took us all to see President Clinton and Vice President Gore (who should have been the president a few years back), Thank you for opening my eyes to politics and thank you for opening my mind to the views of both parties. You played such a bigger role in my views of the world then I thought. You helped me realize how I felt about all the issues and on what side of the line I stood on. I hope that my children will have some great teacher like yourself inspire them the way you did your students.

I am ready to help with the Change and the service to our nation.. LEAD THE WAY PRESIDENT OBAMA and my family will for sure follow..

OMG COOKIES (almond Joy Cookies)

2009-01-07T13:02:00.000-08:00

This Christmas I made cookies for everyone I know and made the kids cookies to take to school for their teachers.
For the last past 2 years I have made Almond Joy Cookies . I found the recipe on the web and my family fell in love with them. Everyone who eats them tells me how great they are and that they are better than sex and they should be called OMG cookies. After making about 400 of them this year I decided that I am going to change the recipe up some to add to the OMG experience next holiday season.

This recipe came form Rachelleb.com
Almond Joy Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups semisweet chocolate chips
2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups chopped almonds

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Finally, stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and almonds. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 48 cookies.

Now for the new version that I will be making along with the old one.

Hawaiian Delight cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup butter
1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
4 eggs
4 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
5 cups White chocolate chips
2 cups flaked coconut
2 cups chopped macadamia nuts toasted
1 cup of dried pineapple (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until well blended. Finally, stir in the white chocolate chips, coconut and macadamia nuts and pineapple. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 48 cookies.

Finding that middle ground between being a mom and being me

2009-01-07T12:48:00.000-08:00

Here lately I am struggling with being a good mom and a good wife.
I want so badly to be back at work doing things away from the home.
Don't get me wrong I wouldn't trade being a mom or a wife for anything in the world. I love my job as both.
But I have been craving something more. I want to be back out there around other adults. I have tried going out with the girls and just Rob and I going out. But it always seems that we turn to talking about our kids or talking about what bills we have to pay or what we are making for the school projects.
I need something more. Something other than dirty diapers and piles of clothes that need washing and dishes that need to be cleaned.
When Rob and I had our first we agreed that I would stay at home and be the primary care giver. And I have done that for 12 years. It has worked out nicely. For the short year I did work at a day care center I took Jordan with me. She loved it because she got more time with her friends from school. While that job was fun it just wasn't for me. After having kids of your own, hang out with more kids that aren't yours just isn't all that fun.
I have started sewing more for other people and that is good and it does bring in extra money for me to spend on what I want to. I also have started baking more and that is fine as well. It's just not away from the home. It's still trapping me in the home. I know most working mom's would probably tell me to stop complaining and be happy I can stay at home and do what I do. And they are probably right. I do sound a bit whinny and ungrateful for what I am able to do for my children.
I guess I need to find that middle ground and do something more for me and not so much for others. Maybe that would solve some of the issues I am having.

This dress is going to be the death of me

2009-01-07T06:39:00.000-08:00

Sewing is something I love to do. It's right up there with baking. I don't know that I am great at either one of them but I enjoy it.

I am making a dress for a lady I use to work with. The dress is made with 2 different fabrics so that it has contrasting areas. Well I have never made a dress like this. IT IS REALLY FREAKING ME OUT!! I can't figure out how to put the darn thing together or where to being. I have had this thing cut out for over a month and still it sits in pieces. Ready for me to get going on it.

UGHHHH!!

I need to pray to the dress making gods that they will help me put this thing together and let me earn my monies for it.

UNPLUGGED AND LOVING IT

2008-12-29T18:32:00.000-08:00

I know I have disappeared yet again.

Awhile back I moved my computer out of the family room so that i wouldn't be tempted to use it while the kids were awake. I wanted to start spending more quality time with them doing things they like to do.

And it has helped me out a ton. I no longer spend hours on message boards or myspace or facebook. I don't look for excuses not to go do stuff because I'm busy chatting with people all day. Now we are out and about doing things. We spend the week before Christmas baking tons of cookies,making chocolate covered pretzels and passing them out to our neighbors and friends. We have also spent time going to the library and to the parks and just being outside as a family. It's amazing what being unplugged can do for your married life as well. Seems like Rob and I have started finding new things to do together and new ways to spend our afternoons. We no longer sit in different rooms yelling at each other to check your email. Now we talk and watch movies and laugh about things we have seen while we are traveling around town.

The kids are loving it as well. They are loving doing things as a family. They are loving being able to go out and enjoy the fresh air and ride their bikes and play football.

I recommend UNPLUGGING for a few days for everyone. I PROMISE you won't miss anything and you can even get caught up on everything a couple hours before bed every night. AND in reality those people you talk to online WON'T really miss you all that much.

Take a break from the net and start enjoying the world around you.. Because before you know it things will change and you will have missed it all.

Logan and his new school

2008-11-17T19:55:00.000-08:00

We finally got to move forward with getting the help that Logan needs for his education. We have been working really closely with this program called Child find and the school board here in our area. He was going to a day care where he was in a class of 18-20 kids. He was lost and just not able to keep his mind focused on what he was doing. He was getting the hang of things but not as fast as the other kids and unfortunately the teachers could not keep waiting for him to catch up with the rest of the class. They helped get the process started for the testing and then his wonderful neurologist sent a note and her report to Child find and it help keep the ball rolling.
He is now in a Pre-K program at a elementary school with only 5 kids in his class and 3 teachers. He is thriving and is making great progress. He is still waiting to get his speech testing to see where he is at in that area. They may wait until after Thanksgiving break to do that.
He has started singing songs that he has learned at school, he is recognizing letters and is really starting to count more. He is writing his name better each day. He still has issues with focusing and staying on task. They are working with him on that using a reward system that is really working. His teacher told me that if a leaf was to blow by he would pay more attention to that leaf then he would her. And she is right and that is always been a problem with him. They are working on eye contact because he has never really looked anyone in the eyes since he was 1. His teacher has let me know that he is talking more in class and that the kids love him. He is picked first by everyone in the class if they play a game or if they need a buddy to go do something, they all want him to go with him. We leave and everyone has to say goodbye to him. He told me that he was popular and that it meant everyone liked him. So that was a big deal for him.
He is such an amazing little boy and it so sad sometimes to watch him struggle to grasp things. I just hope that we have done what's best for him and that he keeps on loving school.

I want a real wedding..

2008-11-14T18:33:00.000-08:00

When Rob and I got married it was kind of just thrown together in a weeks time. Not much planning and not much thought of how we wanted it to be. We were planning a real wedding but I was pregnant with Jordan and we had a lot of outside influences on us and we just decided to do it and get it over with. ROMANTIC RIGHT!! NOT!!
And now after 12 years of marriage I think I want a real wedding. I want the dress, the great looking man in jeans and a white button down shirt and the cute little kids in cute kid clothes all out on the beach at sun set with not shoes on.
I have the song picked out from me to him and he has always had the song for me. I have my dress picked out and what I would wear in my hair and his outfit we own. The girls I would make them dresses and Logan we would get some cute shorts and a white shirt. Easy as can be. I would make my own cake and do the food myself. Nothing over the top just sweet moment with him and I and our kids and our parents. Not other people.
Now really isn't the time to think of all of this as money is tight. But darn it I have made it through some tough times with him and I have stayed and he has stayed. We deserve to have what we wanted a long time ago.
Now to go about planning something and to get him on board with the whole idea. He says once you do it one time you don't need to do it again.. Just like a man to think that way. I'll just plan it and he will just have to show up.

Bloger I am not...

2008-10-30T07:46:00.000-07:00

I am not blogging much. I try to get here and read every night and write something if I can. But most days things just get out of hand and by the time I have a moment for me I am so wore out that I can't even being to think about the computer.
I have taken on making dresses for a teacher at Logan's school. I have made 2 so far and well I have another one just waiting on me to find a spare moment. (that is where I should be right now but I am sick of looking at fabric and my sewing machine.) My eyes are bothering me again. I wear glasses but I don't think they are strong enough anymore. (gosh getting old stinks) Made an appointment already to get my eyes tested again. Hope this time I can get contacts as well as glasses.. (PLEASE GOD let that happen)
So here is a small glimpse of what has been going on..
Logan started school and then we got told he needed testing for speech. Fine we will run with that. Then at the pre-testing for child find they found a few other things they thought need to be checked into. So sure whatever lets do it. So now after he has already made friends at one school, he may have to change to another school to get all the things he needs to help him be ready for Kindergarten next fall. So that means he has to adjust again to a new school and longer days.. UGHHH adjusting and transition is something he is not good at but I am sure we will survive..
Logan 5 week of school they talked about the letter C and I made a nice Chocolate chip cookie cake for him, complete with blue "cookie Monster" frosting that said "C is for COOKIE!!" The kids loved it and the teacher has now asked for a few other cakes from me for other letters. (I think I took pictures of the Cookie cake but I don't remember.)
Jordan, JR HIGH Is going great. Straight A's the first nine weeks. Tried out for Soccer and didn't make it but loved every minute of being there. Has had a number of boyfriends and is loving all the new faces at school. Her attitude and mouth are still getting the best of her. She has learned from the best, her dad.. UGHH. She is working on her science fair project, and a Geography project and a English project all due before Christmas break. I am hoping that she gets them all done and makes A's on all of them..
Serenity, is a MONSTER 18 month old. She is growing up way to fast. She weighs 23lbs and is 32 inches tall at her check up. She talks some but would rather throw fits to get her way. Time out is our new best friend right now. If she has a fit we just tell her to go to her chair and off she goes scream at us NO NO NO. Very cute but she comes out of time out a whole new girl. She is still our little blonde beauty. Both of the older ones already had brown hair by now. But not her she is blonde hair, blue eyes and tan skin.. I am being to wonder how long that will last. She has everyone in the house wrapped around her little finger. Logan and her are two peas in a pod. They love each other so much. Whatever he does she is right behind him doing the same thing. And if she needs help he runs to save her.
Rob and I are doing well. He works to much and is always so tried. But that is what happens when you have to take care a family. He is looking for another job. He is hoping to have 2 of them by the new year. So that maybe one will pay better and he just work once in a while at the one he has now.
As for me I am just trying to keep up with it all. Working hard on keeping everyone on schedule and going in all the right directions. I have had to put a lot of things on the back burner to keep up with my day to day life for now. I am hoping that after Jan 1 things will slow down again and I can get back to blogging and being on line more.
Well that is our little update...

HE CAN DO IT!!!

2008-09-25T16:02:00.000-07:00

Today Rob took off Logan's training wheels off his bike..

AND

HE TOOK OFF LIKE HE KNEW WHAT TO DO ALL ALONG!!

I being the nervous mom stood there yelling slow down, be careful, and feeling like I was going to puke.

HE is sooo Proud of himself.

I am going to take pictures and video of him just as soon as we get a sunny day. (kind of funny because I live in the Sunshine state)

SO WAY TO GO MY BIG BRAVE LOGAN!! You are amazing..

We are reaching the end of babyhood

2008-09-17T10:00:00.000-07:00

For the first time ever Rob go to put one of our babies to sleep. Sweet Serenity decided last night she didn't need to nurse to sleep. She gathered her blanket up and her paci and crawled up into her daddy's lap and he rocked her a little and she was out within 3 minutes. He held for about 10 minutes just savoring a very first time for him. He tried to be sweet and tell me it was just a fluke and that it will probably never happen again. But I know down deep inside he was dancing on the inside. You could see it in his eyes that he was loving every minute of it.
For me it was bittersweet. It was the first time in 17 months that I hadn't put her to sleep. That her and I didn't share a special snuggle before bed. At the same time it was nice to see that she would fall asleep with out me. That I could give that little bit of time to someone else and it would be ok with her and with me.
Now the not so great thing, I didn't get a picture of it because the batteries in the camera were dead. UGHH darn thing.

10 things you didn't know about me

2008-09-16T06:47:00.001-07:00

I haven't blogged much lately because nothing has been going on here. So I decided to do a 10 things list.

1. I have never travel outside of the US.
2. I have never step foot on an airplane.
3. I have always wanted to get a tattoo.
4. I have been a mom since I was 19.
5. I have only been in love twice. My husband is one of them and the other guy was my first time ever.
6. I never wanted to have children or a husband.
7. I use to smoke and drink a lot when I was younger.
8. If I could live anywhere in the world it would be on a private Island.
9. Summer and Fall are my favorite time of the years.
10. Last but not least, I would love to spend more time learning how to become a better baker.

Mom's new best friend

2008-09-08T20:21:00.000-07:00

A Must have for any mom with a toddler or animals or a grown man who drops things..

We were in target about 2 weeks ago and my Husband said we should look to see if they have something to make cleaning the floors in our kitchen easier. Logan being a kid who lives for infomercials said we need a Swivel sweeper, it picks up everything.
Rob said we would look and if they had one he would buy it. I not believing anything that is said on television about these things laughed it off and said whatever. Needless to say we left the store with one..
IT IS AMAZING!! The battery last for at least a week of 3-4 times a day of using.It picks up everything from paper to rice and best of all TOP RAMEEN NOODLES. It's very light and super easy to put together and it's a great way to get the little kids to clean as well. It's very quiet so if you have a small child napping you can use it and they won't know. It does work on carpet but it runs the battery out pretty quickly.

So my tip for the week, spend the $35.00 bucks and buy one.. THEY ARE SO WORTH THE MONEY!!

Tropical Storm Fay

2008-08-22T11:36:00.000-07:00

And it's aftermath. Although the storm is not our of area completely and we are still unsure of how much more of the storm is going to hit us. I wanted to share some of the pictures of what is going on around us. Right now Flooding is a big problem as well as power outages due to trees being on the lines or the lines just being on the ground.

Jacksonville Beach Or what was the beach

A1A and the Jetties

Black Creek went past it's banks and into someones backyard

My Sister In Laws Yard

More of Sister In Laws Yard

More of her Yard

As I get more pictures and more come into the different news channels I will post them. My Sister In Law is going out to take more of her yard after it stops raining again.
I used ABC 25 website and Channel 4 Website for 2 of the pictures.

Texas school will allow teachers to carry guns.. What' s next?

2008-08-15T21:11:00.000-07:00

Texas district will let teachers carry guns

HARROLD, Texas (AP) -- A tiny Texas school district will allow teachers and staff members to carry concealed firearms to protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting employees follow certain requirements.

The small community of Harrold in north Texas is a 30-minute drive from the Wilbarger County Sheriff's Office, leaving students and teachers without protection, said David Thweatt, superintendent of the Harrold Independent School District. The lone campus of the 110-student district sits near a heavily traveled highway, which could make it a target, he argued.

"When the federal government started making schools gun-free zones, that's when all of these shootings started. Why would you put it out there that a group of people can't defend themselves? That's like saying 'sic 'em' to a dog," Thweatt said in a story published Friday on the Fort Worth Star-Telegram's Web site.

Barbara Williams, a spokeswoman for the Texas Association of School Boards, said her organization did not know of another district with such a policy. Ken Trump, a Cleveland, Ohio-based school security expert who advises districts nationwide, said Harrold is the first district with such a policy.

Trustees approved the policy change last year, and it takes effect when classes begin this month. For employees to carry a pistol, they must have a Texas license to carry a concealed handgun, must be authorized to carry by the district, must receive training in crisis management and hostile situations and must use ammunition designed to minimize the risk of ricocheting bullets.

Officials researched the policy and considered other options for about a year before approving the policy change, Thweatt said. The district also has other measures in place to prevent a school shooting, he said.

"The naysayers think [a shooting] won't happen here. If something were to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them that their child is OK because we were able to protect them," Thweatt said.

Texas law outlaws firearms at schools unless specific institutions allow them.

It isn't clear how many of the 50 or so teachers and staff members will be armed this fall, because Thweatt did not disclose that information, to keep it from students or potential attackers.

I can not even believe that something like this would be necessary for such a small area. Are the kids there that bad that the teachers feel the need to protect themselves with a weapon. Just because something could happen doesn't mean it will. Carrying a weapon because something could happen is how innocent people get hurt to being with..

Wasabi Peas

2008-08-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

WHAT A YUMMY SNACK!! I love finding new snacks for just me. The kids always have snacks but rarely do I find things that I can say are just mine.

And then some one made these.. YUMMY is all I can say.. A little hot but so good to eat while just watching tv.. Thanks Jon and Kate plus 8 for the idea.

Off to school they go

2008-08-14T20:55:00.000-07:00

OFF TO SCHOOL WE GO
OFF TO SCHOOL WE GO
HI HO THE DAIRY O
OFF TO SCHOOL WE GO!!

Ok I am an awful singer but since you can't hear me I guess that part doesn't really matter. LOL!!

My oldest 2 will be going to school on Monday and I can't say that I'm sad about it.
This summer has been long long and oh yeah Long..
We were all sick the first part of it and it has ended with the middle one being sick for the last 3 days.

Jordan is all ready for Junior high. We met with her teachers today and got our supplies list for all of her classes. We will be finishing shopping tomorrow morning some time.
Logan will go to VPK this year at a local day care for 3 hours a day and that will be great for him. He needs to learn that it's ok if I'm not there to do everything for him all the time. He counts on me to do it all and I am so ready to share some of that with someone else. He is a true mama's boy. I love it at times because he is the sweetest little thing in the world. Loves for you to hold him and cuddle and be snuggled with. But at other times I want to scream at the top of my lungs someone else can run your shower water, and someone else can make your drink and someone else can help make sure your shoes are on right. He just depends on me for all of it. Not that his dad doesn't try or some time take over so that I can get a break. He does but Logan would rather I do it. GOOD LUCK TO HIS TEACHERS LOL!! May God have mercy on them.
The baby will be at home with me. I am sure she will enjoy it but be lonely without Logan. He is her partner in crime.

So 3 days and counting...

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to school they go....

We are family Part 2

2008-08-03T15:25:00.000-07:00

My Dad, Del, Joel and myself

Left to Right
Lori,Joel,Serenity,Myself,Logan,Jordan,Rob,Granny,Trevor,My Dad,Del

Left To Right
Aunt Pat,Granny,Dad,Del,Aunt Sharon

BOO Aunt Lori!! Serenity play peek a boo

I'll Eat you Aunt Lori See!!

Lori and Joel (my brother and his girlfriend who I hope will be his wife someday soon)

4 Year old + Scissors + Little Sister

2008-08-02T11:57:00.001-07:00

THE SCISSORS:

The Person Who used the Scissors:

Before the scissors where used:

After the Scissors where used:

What I now I have to look like:

What happens after going to a professional after a bad hair cut at home.

How will you be remembered?

2008-07-31T14:57:00.000-07:00

After reading a great blog today it made me stop and think. http://www.hope4peyton.org/?p=788
What will people remember me by? Did I actually bring happiness to the people around me? Did I do the best I could as a mom? No I'm not dying and I'm not ready to leave the world. But I also know no one is promised tomorrow.
I would hope that my friends would say I was loyal and that I stuck by them no matter what. I would hope that they would say that I made a difference at some point in their lives.
My husband I would hope that he would say that he loved me until the very end. I hope that he would say I was a good partner and a friend and a mother.
My children I can only imagine what they would say. I am sure my son would come up with she was the best mommy in the world. As he seems to tell me that daily even when he is being very naughty. My oldest I really hope that she has learned from me to be strong and never to give up. I also hope that she would say that even though I am her mom, that more importantly I was her friend and some one she could always count on.

How do you want to be remembered? What do you hope others have learned from you?

Only 21 days and it's back to school

2008-07-28T20:01:00.000-07:00

We have only 21 days left and all the kids will be back to school. I am so looking forward to it. Jordan will be in Junior high and Logan will be going to pre-k. Just Serenity and I do things for 3 hours by ourselves and then we will pick up Logan at noon and then it will be lunch and nap/rest time and then Jordan home at 5pm.
When they are in school the days go by so much smoother. It's not as crazy and the house stays so much cleaner. The house staying cleaner is the part I am most looking forward to.

Flag cake for family day

2008-07-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

We had a huge family gathering for my mom's side of the family and I had to make a cake. I choose to make a Cake in the shape of a Flag blowing in the wind. It turned out well enough that I won a $25.00 gift card for best dish.

The fresh fruit wanted to slide right off.Mainly just the juicy strawberries.

I love you

2008-07-10T04:25:00.000-07:00

Putting Logan to bed last night Serenity came into say nite to him like she always does. And out of the blue she grab his neck and say "love you,nite." What a great moment for him to have his baby say good night to him and love you as well. But what a sad moment for me.. She is my baby and has never said that to me.. (WHINE WHINE WHINE)
It was the cutest thing. The bond those to have is just amazing. Before she was born, he was in love with her. And now that she has been with us for a year that bond has gotten so strong.

Some brotherly and sisterly love

2008-07-08T20:40:00.001-07:00

My youngest two are just in love with each other. They are like two peas in a pod. They love each other so much that they almost seem like twins at times. (if you take away that age difference.)
So here are new pics of the two of them.

Just because it showing off her chompers.

Another yummy cupcake

2008-07-08T20:36:00.000-07:00

So for the 4th of July I had to make cupcakes for my SIL party. I decided to make them with a yellow cake and cream cheese frosting, adding fresh blue berries and raspberries to the top of them. They were a huge hit and everyone loved them.
This month will be a busy cake month for me. I have another Cake to make on the 12 of July for a family gathering. Then on the 27th we have my oldest daughter's birthday and we will have another cake.
Here is a picture of the cupcakes

We are family

2008-06-28T19:57:00.000-07:00

Just because I have no new pictures of our family and this one was taken just today at my dad's wedding.
This is (from Left to right) Serenity,Myself,My Granny Pearson,Rob Jordan and Logan down in front.

This is (from Left to Right) My Brother Joel,his son Trevor, My Granny Pearson,My Dad, Del,My daughter Jordan, My Daughter Serenity, Myself, and Logan in front.

Over all it was a good day. I was really happy for my dad and I have had decided as long as his is happy then I am all for it. He is in his 50's and he isn't getting any younger and it's time for him to find happiness. And if Del is that happiness for him then I am glad. She is a very nice lady and she tries really hard to make us feel very welcomed. I can't wait to get a copy of all the other pictures that were taken today.

You need it so it cost more

2008-06-27T21:14:00.000-07:00

I am so wore out with going to get FUEL and it costing more and more each time I go to the pump. I mean how hard it is to solve this issue. HELL WE ARE OVER IN IRAQ with our GUN BOATS POINTED AT THE OIL FIELDS DARNING THEM TO GO NEAR THEM!! LIKE IT'S OURS TO PROTECT OR SOMETHING, We even allow them to shoot at us and tell our ARMED forces not to shoot back but, to get on the loud speaker and ask them to go away.. We can send tons of AID to every country under the sun and we can pay for our politicians to go on vacations and fly all over the world. FOR THE LIFE OF US WE CAN NOT WORK OUT SOMETHING TO GET THE PRICES OF FUEL TO GO DOWN! Today it reached a new record high per barrel,and the government is doing nothing. They are sitting there with their thumbs up their butts waiting for someone else to do it for them. Why elect these people who care nothing about working for us? Why Do I have to decided between taking my kids to the park and worrying about us having gas for the week just encase of there is an emergency and we need the car. I MEAN COME ON, this is not how we should have to live.
I went today to get gas, I paid $4.11 a gallon and I got 7.28 gallons for $30.00 bucks. I wasn't all the way on Empty so at a 1/4th of a tank that got me to a 1/2 of a tank.. That will last me 2 days and I will be back where I started from. I use to get 3/4 of a tank for 30.00 on EMPTY!!
People are having decided between Gas and FOOD or Gas and Going to work. We are all going broke buying fuel. It's not like I can cram my family of 5 in a Honda Accord, not when 2 of the kids are still in car seats and My daughter is 5'4" and my Husband is 6'3" tall. WE JUST WON'T FIT!! I have to have a large car and now due to our size we are being punished by our lovely government for needing fuel. I would love to have a car that ran on something other then FUEL but they cost almost as much as my house.
It's just frustrating to know that nothing is being done to help The AMERICAN POPULATION with this problem. I guess that is what our Stimulus checks were for, to pay for FUEL!!!

WHAT A LOVELY COUNTRY WE LIVE IN!!!

Last baby not so blues

2008-06-27T06:26:00.000-07:00

I know now what it feels like to be done having babies.
I started having babies at 19 years old. I was still a kid but I got pregnant with number one and that is where it all started. I took on my responsibility with pride, knowing I wanted to be a better parent then I had.
After 4 years of just having one we were blessed with another one that didn't stay with us for very long. Never knew I was pregnant until it was to late to do anything to help it stay. Can't say I was connected to that one in anyway. (I know bad thing to say being a mom and all)
Another four years went by and we were blessed with another pregnancy.I was a bag of emotions when I found out and it just wasn't a good time in our life. But we pulled up our boot straps and knew that we were ready for this. Number 2 has been an emotional roller coaster, scary birth, always under weight up until this past year, seizures and some other issues. But he is pure joy, always smiling and full of energy.
In the middle of finding out what was going on with number 2 we were blessed with number 3. My mind went crazy with why now God, Why can't you pick your timing a little better then in the middle of our stress. But Hey whatever on with another pregnancy and another wonderful gift. Her arrival was wonderful, she came into this world with out a problem and has remained pretty healthy.
After having her I found out my doctors weren't willing to tie my tubes due to my weight. I was really heart broken by that but knew that I would get an IUD and it would give me 5 years to take all the weight off and I could get my tubes tied then. Or it would give us time to find out if we wanted more.
I sit here today knowing that I never want more, I never want to nurse another baby and I don't ever want to share my body with another human to grow inside of. I know that I am ready to see all the baby stuff leave my house and ready to not have to change another diaper. I also know that when I see other's newborns i don't have that same burning desire to go home and make a baby. It's just gone! Somewhere between giving birth to number three and today all of that has left me, and I am relieved and at Peace.
So today and forever 3 will be our Magic number...

If it's not broke, Why fix it?

2008-06-23T05:41:00.000-07:00

I know this may seem strange to others but my dad is going on his 4th wedding this weekend. On June 28th he will be married for the 4th time.. For the life of me I can't figure out why he would want to do it again but he does. He has lived with her for almost 7 years so why marry her now. Why not just let a good thing keep going as it has for those 7 years? I think if it's not broken, why fix it?
So this weekend we will all be heading down to his home to see the wedding go down. Rob will take pictures for them, as my dad really enjoys his candid shots. And I will be there supporting my dad like always. I know some of him wanting to get married again is due to religious beliefs and the fact that he loves her. He and I have different opinions on all of that. My thoughts are you don't need a piece of paper or law of the land to say who you can be with. If you love them then that is all that matters and everything else is just gravy.

SO HAPPY WEDDING DAY DADDY!! I hope you and your lovely lady are VERY VERY HAPPY for a long time to come..

Strawberry Cake to die for

2008-06-22T21:40:00.001-07:00

So I got inspired by another blogger whom seems to make the most yummy cakes. She made this great strawberry cake for a birthday, and my son saw it and just had to have one for his birthday. Well being that he was having a large party the cake had to be huge.
So I gathered all my supplies and I sliced strawberries until my fingers hurt and made him the best cake I could make. He loved every little minute of it. And much to my surprise so did our family that attend his party. I had to make one for my mom's birthday (which is the same day as my son's) and then my husband wanted one for his birthday just not as large. So it has turned into the big deal now that when ever some one has a party they want me to make the cake. I have 2 request for July for parties and then I have my daughters birthday that same month. It's going to be a busy time for me. But I am so excited that I get to do it. Something about decorating a cake is just so relaxing. Watching it start as just a sheet of cake and then icing it and adding all the little special touches to it, is just awesome.
Here are a couple pictures of the wonderfully yummy cake. (thanks evilcakelady for your inspiration)

THE TOP OF THE CAKE

THE SIDE OF THE CAKE

GETTING READY TO BLOW HIS VERY SMALL CANDLE OUT ON HIS HUGE CAKE!

This also makes a beautiful round cake as well. The top will look like a flower. Cupcakes works as well. The cake part is just plain white cake and the frosting is butter cream. I cheated and used store mixes and frosting. Just ran out of time to make it all from scratch.

Happy baking..

Red bums are every where

2008-06-21T20:38:00.000-07:00

My sweet little baby and her meds are making for a nice red bum. I have done all a mother can do to keep her the red bum away. But it was a losing battle. She woke up on Tuesday screaming and holding her bum. Right away I noticed that she was also holding poop as well. So we quickly wiped the hand off and ran to the bath tub. Upon removal of the diaper I noticed a lobster red bum and then had to run for the oatmeal. After a nice oatmeal bath and air dry, we applied a cornstarch paste and more air time then a nice layer of butt paste and powder. She then let us know her bum felt better. We have now used a whole 60 diapers and it's just Saturday and a tube and half of butt paste and one container of oatmeal and 1/2 of box of cornstarch. But she is almost diaper rash free and her little bum is almost back to normal..
Sometimes I feel like you just can't win when you are a mom. You give them meds to make them feel better but while you are giving them meds you create a new problem, that in the end just cost more money and more pain for the little person you are trying so hard to take care of.. UGHHH

Serenity and her poor health

2008-06-16T20:29:00.000-07:00

My poor sweet baby has been so sick since turning one. We have had our first cold and then some flu bug got all of us. And now something so scary hit her.
She started running a fever 6 days ago and no one could really figure out if it was just teething or if she was getting sick. So we waited for 2 days and she seemed fine just a fever now and then nothing serious. Then on Thursday she ran one that was 103.9 it took 2 doses of Tylenol to get it to break. When it broke it was gone and she didn't have another one. But I called her Ped and they wanted to see her in the AM first thing. Got there, they couldn't find nothing. They sent us for blood work just to be on the safe side with the weekend and all coming. After 2 1/2 hours at the hospital waiting to do the blood work and getting home and her still be normal as ever, we get a call that the lab work came back normal and that her iron was low. (we already new the last part.)
Saturday I take the kids out shopping and we come home to a frantic message from her doctor telling us to take her to Wolfson Children's hospital and get them to do another cbc and blood culture and urine test on her. Her blood culture from the local hospital show that she had Alpha-Hemolytic Streptococcus and that it was super serious and things needed to move fast. Alpha strep is linked to bacterial pneumonia, otitis media and meningitis. We get the hospital they do all their test and then we find out they can't find out anything either. They are dumb founded why she isn't super sick and why she isn't acting like a child who could have something seriously wrong with her. They come in and tell us that her blood work came back clean and her white blood count was great and her urine was great and that they were going to give her a shot of antibiotics and send us on our way. That we need to follow up on Monday with her ped and they would go from there. We would also find out the blood culture results then as well.(takes 24 hours to grow)
Today at the peds they tell us that it showed up again and that they were going to start antibiotics and that if she runs any more fevers we are to call again. They to are surprised at the way she is acting. She runs every where and is eating normally and nursing like a newborn. So they are puzzled by it as well.

I am so glad this weekend is over and that after the 10 days of meds her blood should be back to normal..

I have decided to......

2008-06-09T21:10:00.000-07:00

Get off my FAT BUTT and change the way I look and live..
As of today and on a mission to get fit and healthy. Not super skinny and model thin. BUT HEALTHY!! I want to lose some of my extra person I carry around and I want to tone up and start eating better.
I have let myself go and some of it is just being lazy and the other is just not having enough hours in the day to do the things I need to for me.
BUT AS OF TODAY THAT CHANGES!!!

What else could go wrong on her day

2008-06-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

So Wednesday was all about Jordan.. It was going to be awesome, grandparents were here more were coming. Promotion, speech, Special time for her..
AND THEN ALL HELL BREAKS LOOSE!!!!
12:30 am- Rob vomits and beings running a fever
1:15 am- Logan comes in to our room and vomits in our bathroom (after already covering his bed)
3:00 am- Logan vomits more
4:51am- Jordan runs to bathroom vomits and cries because she is sick and that means no speech or special day.
6:55am-Grandma (my mom) comes out and wants to know what she can make everyone breakfast.. UMM NOTHING they are all sick. You and your husband get out of here before you get sick too. (I'm sure they are going to get sick anyways)
7:00am-Jordan wakes up and tries her best to get ready to go to promotion and get sick again. SO it's a no go.
7:01am- While Jo is getting ready Logan is hang over a bowl..
So I called everyone told them to stay away we all are sick and there will be no special day for her.
Called the school left a message with her teacher and then doctored everyone and rested as I was feeling like poop myself.
Now after 24 hours everyone is better.
I went today to the school and got her report card and got told how my daughter let everyone down and that they were surprised she didn't come anyways. UMMM HELLO EVERYONE IN OUR WHOLE HOUSE WAS SICK!! IF one end wasn't going the other one was.. (TMI I KNOW)
But on a happy note Jordan made all A's and one B. (only one point from all A's)

When I grow up...

2008-05-29T06:49:00.000-07:00

Today Logan and I were talking and he told me when he grows up he going to play golf like Tiger Woods. He will wear his red shirts on Sunday and his black hat with the check on it.( his Nike hat)Then when he is not playing golf and making lots of money he is going to mow grass for people and be really sweaty. Then he will work on Computers for people so that they get do their business.( Rob works on people's computers in his free time) And then when he has time left over he is going to draw super hero's and make comic books for everyone to read. But the sweetest thing he said was that he is going to live with me forever while doing all of this. Just him and his new pet dog. That he will buy with his golf money.

WOOHOO JORDAN (bragging time)

2008-05-26T21:17:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is amazing I tell ya!! She got picked out of her whole 6th grade class to do a speech at the promotion ceremony on the 4th of June. She has to speak to the whole 6th grade, to the parents and to the teachers and staff at the school. I AM SOOOO PROUD OF HER!!!
She has made all A's and B's all year long.. Has gotten placed in ADVANCE Classes next year at junior high. She has worked her butt of this year.

ICE CREAM CONES

2008-05-26T21:05:00.000-07:00

Today was a big day for the little one, Ice cream cones... The pictures explain everything..

Over rated and under appreciated

2008-05-19T20:19:00.000-07:00

Being an adult/parent just plain ole sucks most days.
Running around cleaning and picking up things and taking care of every ones needs and wants. Then paying bills, grocery shopping with screaming kids. Then having to worry about everyone's schedule and making sure everyone is where they need to be and on time. And if all of that isn't enough you get to deal with other Adults who do nothing but whine and complain but do nothing to make their life better or to even attempt on doing something better with their time.

A typical day for me starts like this.

4-5 am Serenity wakes to nurse.
5:30am back to bed for her and I catch a nap on the couch
6:30am Jordan up for school
7am Logan and Serenity are both awake and wanting food.
7:30am Everyone out the door to take Jordan to school
8am Home from taking Jordan
8am Logan's medicine
9am Outside to play before it gets to hot
Somewhere during this time Serenity will come over and ask to eat milk.(meaning to want to nurse again.) She knows the sign for both of them and has started to put them together to get what she wants.
10:30-11am back inside to clean everyone up and make lunch
12pm Lunch
12:30 Serenity nurses again
1pm Nap time
*During nap time I clean up the kitchen from lunch and take out something for dinner.
Catch up on emails and do any house work that needs to be done. Make Rob lunch and get him ready to leave for work. If I have time I call a few friends and catch up with them.
2:30pm Everyone up from nap
2:45pm Leave to get Jordan from School
3:05pm Everyone home from School, time for home work and snacks
Somewhere in here Serenity nurses again.
4pm Little kids outside to play and Jordan does the rest of her home work and chores.
5:30 pm Come in clean everyone up and make dinner
6:30-7pm Dinner
7-7:30 Outside to play
7:30 Bath for little kids and Shower for Jordan
8pm Medicine for Logan and snack before bed and then
8:30 Read books to Logan and Serenity and then off to bed for Logan
9pm Nurse Serenity and Jordan goes to bed
9:30 Clean kitchen and Living room and make sure at least one load of clothes are washed and folded and ready to be put away
11pm Shower before Serenity wakes to nurse
Midnight-1am Serenity nurses and We both call it a night until 4-5am..

After a day like that mind you that is with out any extra stuff that I normally do each day. That is a down day for us. I get the age old question from my husband and and other people, WHAT DID YOU DO TODAY??? UMM HELLO CAN I REALLY ADD MUCH MORE TO MY DAY!! Pretty much every hour of my day is already consumed.

Just for one day I would love to go back and be a kid. So All I would have to do is nothing..

What makes a good mother anyway?

2008-05-12T20:26:00.000-07:00

What makes a good mother anyway?
Is it patience? Compassion? Broad hips?
The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and
sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it in her heart?
Is it the ache she feels when she
watches her son or daughter disappear
down the street, walking to school alone
for the very first time?

The jolt that takes her from sleep to
dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put
her hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The panic, years later, that comes again
at 2 A.M. when she just wants to hear
their key in the door and know they
are safe again in her home?

Or the need to flee from wherever she is
and hug her child when she hears news
of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

The emotions of motherhood are
universal and so our thoughts are for
young mothers stumbling through diaper
changes and sleep deprivation...
And for mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all. For all of us...

Hang in there. In the end we can
only do the best we can. Tell them
every day that we love them. And pray.
And never stop being a mother...

Eating what you grow

2008-04-30T06:33:00.000-07:00

In March we planted a vegetable garden. Now here it is the end of April and we are already eating from it. Last night for dinner we enjoyed our first green beans and collard greens from our little garden. We are even going to expand the garden so that we can have more of a choose from. So far we have 2 kinds of tomatoes,spaghetti squash,green beans and corn. For fun we have planted sunflowers for the kids to watch grow. Now I think we are going to add sweet peas,Roma tomatoes, grape tomatoes,cucumbers,zucchini,yellow squash and last but not least garden onions.
I can't wait for all the plants to be in and for our harvest to be eaten...

One year ago Today....

2008-04-17T07:23:00.000-07:00

I was doing this.

I woke up at 5:30am (after only 3 hours of sleep) to find that I had bloody show. Started having contractions at around 6am that were 10 minutes apart. I went back to bed and slept as much as I could through them and got up at 8am to the sound of a ringing phone. It was my mom calling to check on me and to check on Logan. I told her that we were in need of her help today and she need to come to my house as I needed her to be at the hospital with me while Rob stayed with the kids. (due to Logan having his seizure the night before Rob had to stay with him to make sure his medicine increase didn't have any side effects.) I worked around the house doing the wash and doing some dishes until about 10 something, I think at that time I called my friend Beth and talked to her for a while and told her what was going on and stuff like that. By then my contractions were 6-8 minutes apart. Around 11 something I told her I needed off the phone because I need to wake Rob up and tell him to get dressed and stuff like that. I also needed to call and find out where my mom was. My contractions at that point went from 6-8 to 2-4 minutes apart. After telling Rob how close they were he went into panic mode and jumped in the shower and got ready to go to the hospital. (he yelled a little at me for waiting so long to tell him how close they were together. LOL!!! Something about you are trying to have her at home, you know how bad traffic is at lunch time. BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH) LOL !!I got myself ready and finished throwing a few things in the bag. Jordan packed up the snacks and stuff for her and Logan, she helped get his clothes on. He was a little unsure of what was going on but he did know that his baby was coming and that made him very happy.
My mom called us and told us she had broke down on the way to our house and her husband was on the way to get her. So We told her to just come straight to the hospital. We arrived at the hospital at 12:30 pm, I was checked and told I was 4 cm and that I was a keeper. (Umm yeah I could tell her I wasn't leaving) They hooked us all up and checked on Serenity 's heart beat. I laid there until 1:30 and then they let me up to do what I wanted to do. I walked around the room and sat and talked with my kids and Rob until 2:45pm when my mom called and let us know she was at the hospital. Rob went down and got her and then came back up to take the kids home. Her and I walked the halls and talked and my nurse made the comment that I was way to happy to be in labor..(made me want to hit her.) I still was contracting every 2-3 minutes and they hurt but not to badly. I went back in the room at 3:15pm to use the bathroom and the nurse came in and asked me how I was feeling. I noticed that I had started shaking and I no longer wanted anyone near me or wanted to be talked to..(ok I was a moody witch.) I told her that she need to check me and she needed to do it soon(this was at 3:50pm) At this point I had only one internal exam and that was when I first go there. She did as I asked her and I was 7-8 cm. She freaked out, and ran out of the room to call the midwife.LOL!! (I SCARED A NURSE!!LOL!! A TRAINED PROFESSIONAL!!!LMAO ) Well, she came back in with about 3 other nurses and started trying as hard as they could to get the room ready for delivery. I then looked at her and told her I had to push. I was laying on my right side due them trying to find a heart beat. She told me there was no way it was time. (LOL) I told her that the baby was pushing all on her own and she was coming. Then my normal nurse came in the room and sat on the bed beside me and said I need to check you hon, you have to roll on your back. I looked her in her face and said (very clearly and calmly) IF I ROLL OVER SHE IS GOING TO COME OUT ON HER OWN!! SO I rolled over and She looked down and Saw Serenity’s HEAD!! And then some other nurse I have no clue who she was got super close to my face and said BLOW BLOW BLOW, DON'T YOU PUSH WE AREN'T READY!! (UMM MY First thought was to slap the craph out of her.) THEN this page goes out over the hospital loud speaker "WE NEED AN OB TO ROOM 3 NOW" (that would be my room LOL!!) I have a contraction and tried really hard not to push but Serenity and my body were working together against me. I crowned and then some nice Irish man runs in throws on a glove. The nurse that is in my face tells me to blow blow blow, and I tell her I am pushing and either you catch her or he does, I don't care but she is coming out NOW!! So in one push and the one gloved doctor caught Serenity at 4:09pm.

Happy First Birthday SERENITY HAVEN!!!!

How much our lives have changed

2008-04-14T20:21:00.000-07:00

At age 2.5 my son had his very first seizure. No one actually know why it just started happening. After that first one he had 3 more to follow weeks apart, he was put through all kinds of testing and then put on medicine. He has had 5 more since that very first one. It seems like the first 4 time stood still then and things were such a blur due to all the information we were having to take in and learn all at once. At the time he was in speech for what we believed to be issues due to having many ear infections but after further investigation and research we have learned that our son is autistic as well. He is very high functioning but he is autistic and I am sure the older he gets that will become more of an issue then I would like it to.
We always knew after his 9 month old well baby check up, that things changed for him. And by 12 months of age he was not the same child that he was just 3 months before. And before his seizures we knew he was different from the baby we brought home from the hospital. I know a lot of parents don't want to believe that the shots our children are given cause autism or even help with triggering the gene that could be linked to it. But I know for us that something changed my son. Something stole my boys voice. He went from talking and being verbal to making noises and pointing and crying and whining to get what he needed and wanted. He started having to be taught signs and going to speech and having his hearing tested and then he started having seizures and having to be put on medicine that me may take for the rest of his life. He is now no longer is speech and has come out of his shell and started talking and communicating with us. But we have new issues to face, He has no interest in learning or sitting with us or wanting to have people touch his face or touch him very often. He hates, hates the camera and the flash. He never stays in one spot for to long and he is constantly moving and in motion. Listening and following simple directions are a chore for him. And he is going to be starting preschool next year. I can only imagine the phone calls we will get and maybe he won't even be able to attend due to the new issues that have started coming in to light. And going to public school the year after that I am sure will bring us new challenges.
I write all of this because tonight, my 11 year old daughter picked a tough subject to due a speech on at school. She choice Epilepsy and how it effects my brother everyday. And it made me realize how much our family has changed in the last 2.5 years. How much a medical condition can change your how life. I helped her work on her speech and the more I helped her the more strength I had to keep asking for. So many times I just wanted to tell her to change her topic and do something else. Her speech hit so close to home and it brought back the look my son has on his face right before he has a seizure and how scared my sweet little boy is. And to know that he knows the whole time what is happening and what is going on around him. And when it's all over with the 2 minutes that it last and he is coming back to us and he is so sad and has pee'd his pants (due to no control over his little body) and is embarrassed and is really sleepy and all the fear has left me because it wasn't as bad as the first one or it didn't last as long and I can thank God we didn't have to call 911 this time. Her speech brought into light how much this has changed her and how much she has had to learn so that if she is there she can help her brother.

My very first one

2008-04-12T12:27:00.000-07:00

I never thought I would be much for doing this type of thing. But the more and more I see how my days are going as of late I feel the need to at least write some of it down. The kids are all doing well and Rob is working harder then ever. Jordan is off with some girl friends for the weekend and Logan and Serenity are helping me grocery shop. (ok so they are driving me insane while I try to remember everything I need.) Rob is his typical self, sleep right up until it's time for him to go to work and then rush out the door complaining that he is always late. UMM HELLO WAKE UP EARLIER!!!
His birthday is Monday and he will be 37. He seems to be excited about it this year. He has this huge menu he would love to have for his birthday dinner. Fetti bake and Salad and marinade steak pieces and bread and Banana Pudding for desert. He wants to take the kids to the park tomorrow and then rush home in time for the Masters. He and Logan will then curl up in my bed and watch that while I am left to empty the car out and take care of the baby. And Monday I'm sure I will be up at the butt crack of dawn, running Jordan to school, taking care of the little two, taking them outside to play,planning dinner, making lunch. And then he will finally stroll out of room to find out what's the plan for the day. By this time it will be noon and I will be almost ready to pull my hair out.