Vacation

We are leaving in 6 hours, I have cleaned the car, shoot I even washed it today!  The bags are packed the kids are tucked in and we are headed to the beach tomorrow!

So I will miss you all and I will try to check in and maybe post a picture or two.  Uncle Joe so kindly brings his Mac Laptop large screen everywhere so I will check in!  Happy Memorial Day and have a great week.

Sincerely Fro Me To You ~ between 9 and 11

With all the packing for our beach vacation I was running short on time, but this blog carnival is a high light of my week, so as we were eating dinner over at my Grandparents tonight (cabbage rolls and mashed potatoes my favorite) I started rummaging though some drawers and came up with this school picture.

I was in elementary school, I am not sure of my exact age but boy my teeth are B-I-G in this photo.  And what do you think, we must have been very influenced with Pilgrims at this time...  Maybe I was going through a Little House on the Prairie phase.  But even at the ripe ol' age of 9 or 10 I could accessorise with matching jewelry, I bet my nails are Bonnie Bell pink.

For other great Fro Me To You fun head over to We are that Family.

WFMW- Packing for Vacation

We are leaving for vacation in just 3 short days and my to do list is very long, but I just had to share with you all this wonderful idea my sweet Aunt Twice Blessed Mommy, got from a friend...

I have taken all the kids clothes and separated them into outfits, shirt/shorts/underwear/socks.  I bought gallon Ziploc bags at Walmart (Walmart brand 40 for $2.19) I then packaged each outfit in a gallon bag and wrote on the outside who the outfit belonged to and what it was for, like casual or dressy or for our family pictures.  I spend alot of time organizing outfits, ironing and matching things and then my sweet wonderful hard working loving husband hands the kids clothes that don't match, he mixes up the whole program and I get a bit testie...  So this alleviates a whole lot of stress!  I can also pack shoes in the same bag with out worrying about clothes getting dirty.  

I am also a very big list maker, I write out everything for the trip, everything!  This helps alot with a large family.

Here is a picture of all the kids clothes packed up neatly, this it 30 outfits.  It really saves space in the suitcase too!

You can see here that one outfit is really small if you press all the air out of the bag.

 And we also packed sweatshirts and jeans for walks on the beach at night.  I added this photo to show my support to my TX readers and of course for Daddy who is from Dallas....

For more mind riveting  Works for me Wednesday tips go over to Rocks in my  Dryer, and be amazed!

I love this blog

I never dreamed last year when I started this blog that it would mean so much to me...  That all of you would mean so much to me!  Thank you all for being the encouraging words that I needed!  

I am starting to feel better this evening, I spent my day shopping a trying to start our packing, we leave in 4 days for sunny Ft Lauderdale, which will for sure make my week much better!

I really just wanted to say thanks, thanks for your prayers, thanks for your friendship although we may never meet face to face I know so many of you are my friends and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

And as for not being pregnant, I am at peace that God is going to bless this family in his time, and I know in my heart this was not the right time, and I can see his hand of protection.

And for the male readers in my audience, Uncle Joe, Tally, sorry about all the womanly talk, but you guys know I am just keeping it real.

I've had better days!

Update:  I took my first round of medication about 6 hours ago and my body has regulated its self.  I started my period, I am extremely sad and at the same time I feel like God is in control and His plan is not to harm me or any child he will bless us with, as I say this I can hardly control my emotion, but I am in so much pain and I know this would not have been a good start for our baby....  Please continue to pray that I will have peace and that God will bless our family soon.  Thank you all for your comforting comments as we have went through the reversal and now as I am sick.

Well Internet friends it all started Thursday....  I went to the dentist, I had 2 fillings replaced and refilled, the last time he use white, it didn't hold up so well so this time he used silver, on the 2 back molars.  By Friday morning I had blisters all over the left side of my mouth, this slightly ruined my date with Daddy, we went to a wonderful sushi restaurant and I could hardly eat.  The best part of the date was definitely the movie, it was Jumper, it was great although toward the end of the movie they dropped the F bomb...

Saturday morning I woke up with hives all over my face, they itch and I have zero tolerance for itching so instead of hives I now have sores all over my face and neck, from the scratching.

I woke up this morning with the left side of my neck and my tongue swollen, I called the doctor who told  me to go to the urgent care.  I will be on prednisone for the next 16 days.  I can't feel the left side of my face it is completely numb.

The scariest part about all of this is I was supposed to start my period on Thursday, so of course my hopes have been so high!  I took a test yesterday around mid day and it was negative, my heart was so sick, I feel horrible with the itching and sores in my mouth and then I get the negative result on the pregnancy test, I have never been this late and not been pregnant.  I spoke with the doctor and asked if this allergic reaction to the filling could cause my period not to start and he told me it was possible because my body is fighting the allergy, but I am a very healthy woman so he suggested I retest tomorrow.  Please pray for me, we really want another baby.  I just feel like what a cruel twist for me to have an allergic reaction and it cause me not to start my period, as I pray daily for God to bless us...

Cinnamon Bread

Two weeks ago a share a recipe, Gorilla bread.  It was tasty but a bit to rich for us.  So this week I  tamed it down at tried this.

Cinnamon Bread

2cans biscuits

1 1/2 cup sugar

4 TB cinnamon

1 stick of butter

Pre heat the oven to 350, spray a bundt pan with non stick spray and then mix sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl.  Cut each biscuit in half and roll around in the sugar mixture, layer in the bottom of the pan. After the first can of biscuits has been used pour 1/2 of the melted butter over the rolls, and add 1/2 of the sugar mixture on top of that.  Now repeat the above steps.  Bake for about 25 min.

We loved this, it was much better than the first recipe.  For more great Saturday Stirring ideas head on over to It Coulda Been Worse.

Now we are off to go pick strawberries, I'll have to post our jam recipe later!  And pictures too.

Sincerely Fro Me To You ~ at age 14

I am sharing a photo from a birthday party.  I think this was the first party that after the parents went to sleep, we went out and toilet papered the boy down the streets trees, bushes and family car.  We didn't do this because he were in love with him, we didn't do this because we had a crush, we did this because he was the only boy that lived close enough....   Matt Reesinger, if you ever stumble on this blog of mine I hope it made your day, I hope your parents weren't to mad, you really were a nice boy.

In the first picture I am receiving my signature scent back in 92, Tea Rose perfume.  And take notice I have my nails done even back then they were rose petal pink (to go with my Rose smell) with matching lip gloss, and of course I had blue eye liner on because pink and blue look great together!

How do you all like the shark hair do?  How I ever got that up on one side I will never know.  And then I made little spirals on the sides and held the whole stringy mess back with a scrunchy to match my outfit.  I probably owned 100 of those ugly things.

This picture is me on the far right and sad to say for the other girls, I am only 5'4 so those two are really short.  In the middle is Janelle remember the post about Janelle with the parents always gone so I had my first kiss at her house.  And the girl on the left was my childhood best friend Robyn, she moved onto my street when we were 10, were we inseparable for many years. Robyn was from Tenn, and I was born a Northerner (turned country), anyway Robyn said things like Howdy (which meant hello) and Mater and Tater (which to my surprise meant tomatoes and potatoes) and funny things like cut on the light and cut off the light, oh and shut the Winder (which means please close the window)   I went to my first concert with Robyn, it was Reba, and she was singing Fancy in a red dress, we knew each and every word, I don't think my grandma had any idea what we were listening to!  Robyn and I played baby dolls and barbies, learned to put make-up on and then I stood by her side as she a single teenage girl of just barely 18 gave birth to her son.  I talk to Robyn about once a year, I hope she is doing well!  We haven't seen each other face to face for 10 years.

WFMW- Beautifully painted nails

For this weeks post I wanted to share a little nail secret I have.  Last week Becky commented on my nails and I wanted to let you all know it is really easy...

We live out in the country so I know this won't work for everyone but it works for me.  Anytime we are heading out, to the store or church or even a play date, it takes at least 30 minutes.  So what I do is I buckle the kids in the car, I turn our radio on to a funny song like something from Trout Fishing in America (if you have never heard of them you need to get the CD today) and then I buckle up and paint my nails.  I bring a paper towel along just in case...  It gives my nails the time to dry while I drive and I have never had them smudge that way.  I works for my 2 year old daughter too, I paint her toes while she sits in  her car seat, or sometimes I do it while she is in her highchair.  There you have it very simple, but it makes me feel complete when my nails are done!  

For more great WFMW tips head over to Rocks in my Dryer.  

The Picture

So here are my new glasses!  What do you all think?

I like them although it will take some time getting used to.

I am the Queen

Apparently it is not normal for a person to have to hold any thing they are reading out as far as their arm goes...

This was pointed out to me today as I told the eye Doctor my problem, I specifically told him "I need some glasses for driving, sign me up"  He gave me the exam and told me that I passed all the legal limits for driving and then it happened, he asked me to read a piece of paper no less than 8 inches from my face and people I couldn't see a thing!  I tried to move it out as far as I could so I could see it better because I do not need reading glasses I need glasses to drive, and he informed me I was straining my eyes.  I was causing the signs to become blurry while driving because of the strain on my eyes caused from my vision impairments while reading.

It seems that the daily blogging has only intensified the affect.   And since  I won't be giving that up, I have pushed all pride aside and I have reading glasses, I will show you all later when Daddy can take my picture,  they are brown, and Becky, they only have small rhinestones.  They are flashy and I love them, good thing since I will be wearing them much more than I planed.  So there you have it I am the Queen of denial!

A confession

Ok I have a confession to make, I am going to the Doctor tomorrow, not any Doctor it's the eye Doctor and I am really not happy about it!  See I don't wear glasses.  

About a year ago I started having a bit of a hard time seeing  signs while I was driving.  No big deal I just learned to squint alot.  And then 6 months ago, I realized after Happy Daddy said your blind kindly pointed it out to me, that I was really struggling to see all signs including the speed limit (think the police will take that into consideration if I am caught speeding)!  So the other day after I had to turn around 3 times because I kept missing my street because I couldn't see the stupid sign even though it was the big green ones....  I made an appointment with the eye Doctor!

I feel old, maybe because my family thinks this is funny, Oh she IS going to be thirty this year...

Funny group I am related to.  My Grandma even went as far as to say when your 40 it's your mind honey, that's real fun.  Happy Daddy thinks it's funny because I am going to be thirty...  And I can't see.  The only thing that is going to make this painful experience any better is these glasses.

Or maybe these glasses.

So that is my deep dark confession, I have been driving around squinting like a fool for 6 months now, trying my best to stay 29, and now I am giving it up, I am going to get me some glasses so I can see to drive, which is am important thing to do while driving I have been told.

I will turn 30 in September gracefully with my new glasses and be thankful for my memory for at least 10 more years...

I tried on the red pair Saturday and Luke told me I looked FABULOUS!  

I have no idea what the difference in near or far sighted is or any other eye talk, I have always had 20 20 vision.  I can see to read just fine but anything farther that 10 feet, can't see, it all starts to blur on me.  I will let you all know how it goes tomorrow.

Pictures of Mothers Day

Yesterday was filled with food and fun!  We had a wonderful breakfast (Paula Dean's French Toast Casserole) and I just relaxed and allowed everyone to serve me!  The kids rubbed my feet with lotion no less than 10 times!  And we ate again and again.

This is a picture of 4 generations.  Bo not really so excited about the photo's.

We tried really hard to keep my Grandma from blinking, and we ended up laughing really hard, here is a picture with eyes open wide...

I read my Grandparents all the sweet comments from last week, and they gave a little kiss for you all to see how much in love they are going on 58 years of marriage!  They really liked all the comments and were very touched that I wrote about them in my (little story, what's it called)  they can never remember what a blog is to save their live.  But they like that I shared our family photo's with you all!

My Grandma and Grandpa, Mom and me.

This is Daisy after the party was over, she sang me a little Mother's Day song while dancing on the counter and wearing my bug girl glasses.

Today is Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you today!  I want you all to read the sweetest post my Aunt Twice Blessed Mommy posted this morning.  My Great Grandma has been with Jesus for about 10 years now and my Grandma still misses her mama greatly, she always will until she can be with her again!  My Aunt has posted a tribute to her for her mom (my Grandma) Thank you TBM that is the sweetest gift!  

I am going to go eat some French Toast Casserole that Happy Daddy made for me!  

Coconut Dream Cake and Pasta Salad

Good Morning!  I am going to share with all of you my favorite dessert besides ice cream and Cherry Dump cake!  So Today I will be making Coconut Dream Cake.  You need to make it the day before.  This is the hard part.  I love this cake and it calls to you really it does.  It's a very simple recipe, the coco' de cream is found in the drink mix isle of the store with pina colada and margarita mixes.  Coco' de cream is in a can a little bigger than a soda and it is super thick.

Coconut Dream Cake

1 Box White Cake Mix

1 Can Coco'de Cream

1 Cool Whip

1 1/2 Cups of Sweetened Shredded Coconut Flakes

Make the cake as the package directions adding 1/2 cup of the coconut, and bake in a 9x13.  Cool your cake and when it is completely cooled poke wholes all over the cake, and pour at least 1 1/2 cups of the Coco'de cream over the top, the cake may even float up a bit, that's  good.

Mix the Cool Whip and the remaining coconut together and ice the cake with it.  Refrigerate for no less than 12 hours but 24 is much better.

Have self control don't you cut into it early, it's worth the wait I promise!  

Now I will share my pasta salad recipe, because it's almost Mothers Day and it's my gift to you. really it is that good.  It's so good I am afraid my husband might slap my momma cause his won't be with us tomorrow.  Watch out Mom....

Happy Mommy's Pasta Salad

1 1/2 Boxes of Small Shell Noodles that's 24oz

1 Lg Can Large Black Olives

2 Bunches of Green Onions

1 Large red of yellow Bell Pepper

1 Med size Package of Crab Meat (found in the meat department not canned)

1 lb of Shrimp (med size)

1 32oz Hellman's real Mayo ( add slowly you might not need it all)

4 TB Balsamic Vinegar

Salt and Pepper to Taste

Make your pasta and set to the side.  Lightly chop your olives, slice your onions thinly and chop your pepper.  Pull the crab meat apart with your hands slightly shredding it.  Clean your shrimp and if uncooked cook, and add, if frozen which I do use run under cold water and pat dry add to bowl.  Add noodles and then add the mayo and the you may not need it all so add it slowly.  Add the vinegar and the salt and pepper.  Very easy and so tasty!

For more wonderful recipes head over to It Coulda' Been Worse.  Happy Mother's Day!

Guess what I got for Mother's Day!

I am really looking forward to this weekend.  We are having a party, I love to have party's!  The best part will be my Coconut Dream Cake which I will share tomorrow.  I am making baked beans and Daddy will do the pork picnic.  He smokes it all day and then we eat.  Oh and yummy pasta salad.  

Our special Mothers Day has always been me do nothing, no diapers no bottom wiping no dishes no cooking no making beds are you getting the picture.  Totally being waited on and I can't wait.

Daddy makes me breakfast in bed and this year I have requested a french toast casserole.  Daddy is a really good recipe follower so I know it is gonna be good.

I also know what I am getting for Mother's Day and here is a picture....

Yes that is the new Vera Bradley Yellow Bird Purse in the Villager!  Now don't get me wrong I like surprises, kinda.  No I am lying to you all.  I do not like surprises.  I like to get what I want.  And I take every opportunity/holiday to let Daddy know what's on my wish list.  And if we are gonna spend $100 plus dollars I'm not leaving the guess work up to my sweet husband!  We found out really early on in our marriage that it works much better this way.  For instance Daddy got a duel swivel beveled edge compound miter saw (you all have no idea what that is, do you, its a glorified tool) for his birthday, now you all know know if he didn't write that down and show me exactly what he wanted, he was getting a new sweater and some shoes.  Sweaters and Shoes make me very happy, but Daddy, not so much.

I also picked up a few new shirts and some shorts for our trip to Florida in less than 3 weeks.

I hope you all have a wonderful Mother's Day, enjoy all the pampering!  Rest, sleep in and thank God for the opportunity to be a Mommy!  The greatest gift here on earth is the 3 little sweets that call me Mommy!

Look I'm Pop Art

I have become art, funky art.  Try it for yourself here.  I like the color!

Sincerely Fro Me To You ~ at 225 pounds

    The picture I am sharing today is of me at 225 pounds.  I only had Luke at the time this picture was taken, he was a baby.  This picture was taken in 2002 at Christmas time, I really like Chocolate Covered Cherry's  so does my double chin.  I joined WW after Bo was born, it was my New Years Resolution, I was desperate I had a two year old and a 5 month old, my back hurt all the time, I had trouble breathing, I was always sleepy, the list goes on and on.  So I was determined and Thankfully I have kept all the weight off.  I gained weight of course when I got pregnant with Daisy, I gained almost 50 pounds but before she was one I was back down to a size 8.  So that's from 22/24 to an 8.  So here goes, I am showing you my worst people!

This is it....

This picture was taken just after Daisy turned one.  I lost all the weight and cut off all my hair.

This was taken at Easter this year.  I have grown my hair out a bit.  I will be thirty this year so I want to hang on to my long locks as long as I can...

And you all know I love you to show you pictures of me in the morning in my pj's, right, you should feel loved.

So thats it, my big picture, really I was big, and even though it was me, I was never comfortable and it's hard still, to see myself like that.  

For more great fun, head over to We Are That Family, for the Sincerly Fro Me to You Carnival.

Pictures of our weekend

This is my Grandpa.  As you know we celebrated his 79th Birthday on Saturday at my house.  The picture below is of him laughing as we tried to get a good picture of him and my Grandma with their eyes open....

Taking pictures of them with their eyes open just didn't work, so we took a picture of them kissing.  My Grandparents, have been married for 57 years.  They love each other very much and are a wonderful example to their kids what a marriage should be, loving!

This is my sweet Aunt (Twice Blessed Mommy) and her sweet boy Tate.  Tate liked my Pea Pickn' cake very much.

I was trying very hard to get Reese to take a little nap...  She has been in a lot of pain, she just got a shell for her blind eye, this will make both eyes look the same and it hurts.  In this picture she had finally fallen asleep.

This final picture was taken yesterday, the flood gates have opened people, 5 large chickens just weren't enough, we have lost our stinking mind I have No idea what we are thinking we got 3 baby chickens....  Daisy is kissing the chick on the head.  I was holding it for her, they are too small for the kids to hold just yet.  They are only 1 week old.

Happy Tuesday!

$15.94

Our weekend was filled with lots of fun.  Saturday we had a birthday party at my house for my Grandpa he turned 79 on Sunday.  I made Pioneer Woman's Lasagna, and it was wonderful!  I also bought some Italian bread which I like much better than French bread, I put a garlic butter spread on it and bake.  We also had Pea Pickn' Cake and it was great!  So we gave Grandpa a party and his gifts.  We enjoyed our time with My Aunt (Twice Blessed Mommy) and family.  The babies loved playing with our Little People toys.

On Sunday we all went to my favorite Chinese restaurant.  I love the sushi, not the kind with raw fish the kind with vegetables.  The owner's name is May and she is as sweet as she can be, she had the staff come and sing to my Grandpa.  I feed the babies rice, and noodles, they loved it.  Until Reese stuffed a huge bite in her mouth and choked, (Kristen I thought of you) we scooped the mess of rice out of her mouth and all was well.  I tried to get her to take a drink of water, but she doesn't know how to drink from a straw.  I will be working on that, on our vacation to Florida, in less than 3 weeks, have I told you all that we are going on a beach vacation in less than 3 weeks, we are going with Dana and Joe.

After dinner we went out to our land, just the kids Happy Daddy and I.  We walked around for

 a few hours dreaming and planning where our new house is going to be, where we want the barn and the garden...  So after all our walking, and after 20 minutes of picking ticks off of ourselves we were kinda hungry not really hungry, so we asked the kids if they wanted to have ice cream for dinner.  You will never guess what they said "YES"!!

So off we headed for our local DQ.  I had a medium Reese Cup Blizzard, and did you know that Dairy Queen had the name Blizzard copy righted in 1954 but we did get to try the first Blizzard as we know them today until 1986, I bet you all needed to know that, didn't you.  Have I mentioned that my favorite food is ice cream and that I would give up a whole days worth of food for ice cream.  Happy Daddy had a large Heath Blizzard.  Luke had a Chocolate dipped waffle bowl with vanilla ice cream and camel sauce.  Daisy had vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce and Bo the middle child had to be different he wanted a lime slush, now mind you this is dinner, we wanted him to have a little calcium at least.  We gave in he had his lime slush.  And our total was $15.94, I think that's a lot of money.  I could have bought a half gallon of Edy's Vanilla Bean for 3.94 and a whole lot of Reese Cups and made our own Blizzards.  

It was really good though.  I'm not sure if  it was $15.94 good.  Daddy pointed out that we also could have ordered a pizza for $10, and got the ice cream and some banana's for the same price.

Oh well, our kids think they have the greatest parents in the world!

Gorilla Bread

I never like to serve my friends a dish, I haven't tried myself, so I got up this morning at 5:55 (you read that right) because Bo and Daisy were in the bed with us and at 5:55 I had enough of a foot in my back and an elbow in my neck...

I am making this wonderful recipe on Wed morning for my Woman's Bible study, so I thought I would make it this morning and try it out on my family.

It takes about 25 min to prepare so set aside enough time.

Gorilla Bread

1 Cup White Sugar

1 TBS Cinnamon

1 Stick Butter

1 Cup Firmly Packed Brown Sugar

1 8oz Package Cream Cheese

2 7.5 Oz Cans of Refrigerated Biscuits (10 count)

1 1/2 Cups Nuts (pecans or walnuts)

1.Pre heat your oven to 350, Spray a Bundt pan with non stick cooking spray.  2. Mix the white sugar and the cinnamon together and set aside.  3.  In a sauce pan melt the brown sugar and butter over low heat, stirring well, set aside.  4.  Cut the cream cheese into 20 equal pieces.  Press the biscuits out with your fingers and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon sugar mix, place one cube of cream cheese in the center of each and seal the biscuit around the sugar/cinnamon mix and cream cheese.  Repeat this with all the biscuits.  5.  Sprinkle 1/2 cup of nuts into the bottom of the Bundt pan.  Place 10 biscuit's on top of the nuts,  Sprinkle with 1/2 of the remaining cinnamon sugar and then pour 1/2 of the melted brown sugar and butter on top.  Now top with remaining biscuit's and sprinkle with sugar and cinnamon and pour remaining melted sugar over the top and top off with the remaining nuts.

Bake for 30 minutes.  Let sit for 5 minutes and place a plate on top of the Bundt pan and invert onto plate.

Eat and enjoy!

For other great Saturday Stirring recipes go here!

Pea Pickn' Cake

Sunday is my Grandpa's 79th birthday.  My Grandpa and Grandma helped raise me, so my Grandpa is my Daddy!  I am having a birthday party for him tomorrow and I will be making one of his favorite cakes, Pea Pickn' Cake.  So with much Bloggy Love I will share the recipe with all of you.

1 Box White Cake mix

1/2 cup Oil

4 Eggs

1 Box of Vanilla Instant Pudding

1 8-9 oz Container of Cool Whip

1 11 oz Can of Mandarin Oranges (with Juice)

1 15 oz Can Crushed Pineapple (undrained)

Combine cake mix with eggs, oil and oranges with the juice, mix well.  Pour into a greased 9x13 pan.  Bake at 325 degrees for 30 min.  Cool cake completely!

Mix Pineapple and pudding mix together, fold in the cool whip. Spread on top of the cooled cake, cover and chill in the refrigerator over night if you can handle the wait, or at least 4 hours.

Go make yourself some good cake!