THE JESSE TREE

I have decided to do something new for advent this year.  Since Jay'von is with us most of the week I wanted to some kind of Advent Calendar for him but don't like the whole Santa Claus thing you find everywhere.  Just today I read another blog about starting a Jesse Tree with her kids.  It needs to start today (some start on the 28 and some on the first but since I didn't get inspired until today I decided today it is). There are many ways to do it and you could google it if you want info.  Basically it tells the story from creation to Jesus birth in little 2-4 minute devotions each day.  They get to hang a picture (ornament) on the tree each day as you go through the story.  The blog that I read actually started her kids when they were 3 so we are about right.  I think Breanna and C.J. will enjoy it, too.  I actually printed all the stuff for them to make their own.

 Let's face it, it is all about traditions and this seemed like a good one to start. I'll post pictures after I get it started.

If you want to know where I got my info or the places I printed my stuff let me know.  I'd be glad to share. 

May you all know the wonder and excitement of Christmas as seen through the eyes of a little child.  You might want to do this even if there isn't a child in your home. 

God's Been Good

I saw this on someones blog the other day and it just seemed like how I feel these days. God has been good to us. Sometimes I feel like he has been better to me then most. He just keeps blessing and blessing us. Last year someone put out a Facebook challenge to post what you are thankful for every day in the month of November. It was quite interesting to do. I'm not on Facebook this year but have tried to do that each day this month. We do have so much to be thankful for. Our family has pretty good health. Yes, we have our usual aches and pains and Carolyn has had some problems with her gallbladder while pregnant but for the most part we are healthy. When I look at some of the blogs I read daily I realize we are so blessed with good health. God has given me a wonderful family. I have a husband that provides for us so that I am able to stay home and take care of Jay'von. I have three children that now have homes of their own and are doing well. I have three and a half grandchildren that are so precocious (and of course I am not prejudiced at all). I think that was supposed to be precious...lol. I have a beautiful home that is warm in the winter and cool in the summer. We have more clothes then we need and all the food we want. Our water is good, we don't have to worry that it will make us sick. We have three vehicles sitting in our driveway that we can depend on to take us where we need.

This is just what I can write as fast as I can right off the top of my head without really thinking about it. We are so blessed and God has been so good to us. I know everybody talks about blessings at this time of year and I don't want to be thankful just because it is Thanksgiving. I want to remember to be thankful every day....all year. Thanksgiving should be a way of life.

Have a great Thanksgiving. Enjoy the day with family and friends and remember "God's Been Good"!

I LOVE FALL!!

I love fall. The days are crisp and cool. The nights are long and cuddly. The colors are beautiful and the sunshine is nice and warm (not so hot you don't want to be out in it).  I know many people disagree with me but it is so much more comfortable then summer. 

I couple of weeks ago the kids came to spend the day and bake cupcakes and carve pumpkins.  Somehow I failed to get pictures of the cupcakes but got a lot of the pumpkins.  I'm only posting a few so you can get an idea of how much fun they had.  It was a beautiful sunny day and they worked outside so the pics were great.

They found cleaning them out to be "yucky". :0)

I think they all had to have help with the "yucky" stuff.



It takes concentration....



They used patterns that Courtney brought.

No pattern for C.J.....he just "imaginated" it!

Yay! All done.

The finished product



Jay'v, so proud of the pumpkin his Mommy did for him

 Now you see what fun they had carving Pumpkins. They really did come out well.  The patterns they used were very detailed.  They were beautiful when lit. 

Thanks for visiting with us again.  Talk to me...let me know that you think my grandkids are the best because I do....lol.

Festive Fruited White Chip Bars!

Yes, cookies. They are baked and packaged to be delivered to The Post in Morgantown this afternoon.  I did my best but I'm sure you know how it is....it never seems good enough.  This is a picture of the finished product (well, what is left after I had already packaged 2 dozen to go).  I have to say I do feel better about these then I have other years.  Last years cookie was great but I was sick the day I had to do them and they just were not the best I could do.  I should have made another batch but felt so bad I really didn't care.  :)

It is a lot of fun and I look forward to it each year.  Now all I have to do is wait. 

Hope to post some more pics soon of the kids carving pumpkins.  It takes to long to do right now.

Have a great day.

Busy...Busy...Busy!!

Ok...so I did it again.  I set myself up for chaos all the time and I have done it again.  I am in the process of making Breanna a Dorothy costume for their Halloween party at school and of course this would be the week Jay'von decides to get his first ever ear infection. Fun times but he is a sweetheart and seems to be feeling better today.  I also haven't got the cookie recipe decided on and sent to the Post. Then in the midst of all this a friend called needing help with a shower in TWO WEEKS and I volunteered to make the chicken salad and the cake for that. Am I crazy or what.  No not crazy, just my Father's daughter.  He taught me well when it comes to helping people. 

What I am posting about is not all that but the guilt I felt this morning because I didn't have time to run a stethoscope to Breanna for school today.  They were supposed to dress up like something they may want to be when they grow up.  She decided on something in the Medical Field helping people get well.  Danielle went to Goodwill and found her some scrubs and I thought the perfect prop would be a stethoscope but just could not find the time to get it to her.  I actually have a couple of them and she could have used one but it just didn't happen and I feel bad.  Now, tell me I am crazy and I will agree with you...LOL. The reason I couldn't is because I am finishing the outfit for her to wear tomorrow.  Yeah!....I am crazy.  But I also know I love my grandkids and want them to be happy.  But do you know what....she probably didn't even know the difference.  She probably went on to school this morning as happy as a lark because she had her little outfit and was fine.  I think it might be some of the ADD perfectionism coming out in me. Not really a bad thing, I guess, but definitely something I need to deal with.

Hope you all have a great weekend.  I'll post pictures of Breanna in the Dorothy dress next week. 
 

Fall Baking...

I love fall baking.  I am so glad the pumpkin is back on the shelves. (Mine and the grocery store,  but I really stocked up just in case...lol) I have already made pumpkin cake, pumpkin cookies and apple dumplings.  I am in the process of trying to decide what cookie to enter in the Dominion Post cookie contest.  I do this every year and all but one year I have been a finalist, which means I have to take cookies in to be tasted.  I've never won but it is a goal that I take very seriously.  I have now gone through all my tried and true recipes and am looking for something new.  Tonight I am baking Pumpkin Oatmeal cookies with white chocolate chips and cranberries.  They taste really good but I'm not sure the appearance is good enough for the contest.  I'll have to get some other opinions before I call it the "one".  I am really going to have to work on it since it must be turned in by the first of November, but I work well under pressure...lol.  Actually I usually do this, don't think I have ever sent one in early. 

After this last pan comes out I am going to decorate the butter cookies I baked for Kristen and Todd's wedding tomorrow.  I haven't done these in a long time.  Courtney usually does them for me but she has a paper to write tonight and clinicals tomorrow.  So I guess they will have to get what they get from me. 

It has been a wonderful week, weather wise and getting back into the routine of having Charlie home every night.  I'm looking forward to a great weekend.  Hope you all have one, too. 

Don't forget to leave me a message!  Thanks!

A Fun Afternoon!!

Did you ever feel like you had created your own evil.  Well, that is where I am at this afternoon.  I am a rocker.  I rock my babies.  I could have raised hundreds of dollars in my own little rock-a-thon because I love to rock babies.  The only difference here is my babies slept in their beds from day one and Jay'von didn't because of his severe reflux.  He had to be held on your shoulder to sleep.  Soooooo.....do you see where I'm going with this.  Jay'v just turned 3 and although he sleeps in his own little bed once he is asleep he still get rocked to sleep.  I still love rocking him, he is such a little cuddle bug.  But it is time for him to go to sleep on his own in his bed.  Hence the fun afternoon that I created for myself.

Yesterday I put him to bed and he just went right to sleep.  Today was another story. (I decided to start with the naps and then the night time will follow) He didn't get up or cry he just kept asking for another good night kiss or a drink or finally just asked outright to cuddle in the chair. After 2 hours of this I really needed to get some things done so I rocked him and he went right to sleep.  He said tonight he will go to "peep" in his bed.  I kind of feel like I failed this test and tomorrow may be harder because of it but I also know what I needed to accomplish today and it wasn't happening....lol. I really don't remember going through this with my kids so I am a little clueless how to proceed but I guess I will just keep on being patient with him and eventually it will work. 

On a positive note....lovin' the sunshine!!....lovin' having my husband come home by 6:00 every night....lovin' the baking I'm getting to do this week....lovin' having more of a routine again instead of what we have had for the last months.  Life is good and getting better.... :)