Showing posts with label Celebrating. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Celebrating. Show all posts

Sunday, May 9, 2010

For My Mother...

A little girl, asked where her home was, replied, "where mother is." ~Keith L. Brooks
(NC for me!)

A mother is a person who seeing there are only four pieces of pie for five people, promptly announces she never did care for pie. ~Tenneva Jordan
(Thank you for being a sacrificial giver.)

The phrase "working mother" is redundant. ~Jane Sellman
(My mom taught me to be hardworking in the home.)

The moment a child is born, the mother is also born. She never existed before. The woman existed, but the mother, never. A mother is something absolutely new. ~Rajneesh
(And beautiful)

I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life. ~Abraham Lincoln
(The truest gift I ever recieved.)

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. ~Pearl S. Buck
(My  mom is both but leans heavily to the latter!)

Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly. ~Ambrose Bierce
(And turtlenecks and socks and hats and mufflers... I happen to have a very cold-natured mom!)

Women's Liberation is just a lot of foolishness. It's the men who are discriminated against. They can't bear children. And no one's likely to do anything about that. ~Golda Meir
(Poor dads!)

All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his. ~Oscar Wilde, The Importance of Being Earnest, 1895
(Never thought I'd find myself saying the same momisms as my mama so often!)

An ounce of mother is worth a pound of clergy. ~Spanish Proverb
(Praise God for a Christian mom!)

She never quite leaves her children at home, even when she doesn't take them along. ~Margaret Culkin Banning
(And she almost always took us along...)

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty
(Thanks for thinking of me mom!)

If evolution really works, how come mothers only have two hands? ~Milton Berle
(My mama needs 20, two for every child and 4 for my dad!)

It's not easy being a mother. If it were easy, fathers would do it. ~The Golden Girls
(Sorry daddy, and I guess that's why you didn't allow us to watch that show!)

Mothers are fonder than fathers of their children because they are more certain they are their own. ~Aristotle
(Luckily I look just like mine-- he has nothing to fear!)

My mom is a neverending song in my heart of comfort, happiness, and being. I may sometimes forget the words but I always remember the tune. ~Graycie Harmon
(And often her songs too, Sally Harper PTA!)

A mother is the truest friend we have, when trials heavy and sudden, fall upon us; when adversity takes the place of prosperity; when friends who rejoice with us in our sunshine desert us; when trouble thickens around us, still will she cling to us, and endeavor by her kind precepts and counsels to dissipate the clouds of darkness, and cause peace to return to our hearts. ~Washington Irving
(How many times has my mom tried to relieve my heartache?)

Any mother could perform the jobs of several air traffic controllers with ease. ~Lisa Alther
(Multi-tasking is a gift!  Still not sure how she kept the house so clean!)

A mother's arms are made of tenderness and children sleep soundly in them. ~Victor Hugo
(I remember sleeping in those arms through many a church service!)

Grown don't mean nothing to a mother. A child is a child. They get bigger, older, but grown? What's that suppose to mean? In my heart it don't mean a thing. ~Toni Morrison, Beloved, 1987
(Boy does my mom ever agree!)

Hundreds of dewdrops to greet the dawn,
Hundreds of bees in the purple clover,
Hundreds of butterflies on the lawn,
But only one mother the wide world over.
~George Cooper
(And there will never be another like her!)

A mom forgives us all our faults, not to mention one or two we don't even have. ~Robert Brault
(*snicker*)
 
The formative period for building character for eternity is in the nursery. The mother is queen of that realm and sways a scepter more potent than that of kings or priests. ~Author Unknown

Lord thank you for my mother.  Just as my mother embraced her calling, please help me to remember the importance of my duty as mother to my own children. ~Amen

Sunday, February 14, 2010

Valentine Reflections...

A moonlit walk in fancy red shoes...


Dinner and dessert for just the grown-ups.


A sweet note, a thoughtful gift...


Hoping your Valentine's was as sweet as mine.

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Thanksgiving...

Was spent with Katheryn and her family. They sweetly asked us to join them again this year. Elon especially enjoyed the fun of swing sets, fire pits, and a trampoline. We ate our share of turkey, stuffing and caramel pecan pie with whipping cream (made by Katheryn-- and yes, it is as good as it sounds!) Katheryn lives in a beautiful house with panoramic views of the mountains-- it's very peaceful.

After relaxing for awhile, we returned home to our out of town guests. They had been dining with family, and we all spent the next few days chatting and cooking delicious meals. Nathan made a delicious maple sesame glazed trout for his friends. The 24" trout was hooked by his dad at a Colorado mountain lake. Then yesterday at the Christmas party (which went great btw, I actually got everything done! Totally worth the extra work :) I ate FIVE chocolate chip scones! I think I may have gained a couple of pounds over this holiday!

Monday, November 30, 2009

A Par-tay!

Just a minute to spare while I'm boiling eggs and decking the halls for our MOPS Christmas Party. I always volunteer to host and then I always get majorly stressed and question "why in the world did I sign up for this?" Trying to refocus my energy and my heart reminding myself of the emphasis that the Scripture places on hospitality and the knowledge that "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful!"

Monday, November 23, 2009

Fall Fun... Pumpkin Spice Play-Dough


Elon had so much fun making this recipe I found on Jolanthe's blog. It smells delicious too!

Thursday, October 22, 2009

More Fall Fun...

Elon is vacuuming right now with a stick vac. What a great way to release some energy! We just returned from Bible Study and now it's almost time for he and Asher to take a nap-- hopefully me too! It's finally getting cooler out {at least it hasn't been in the 90's the last couple of days} so we were finally able to wear pants today {that wordage makes it sound like we were n*ked before}. I don't know about you, but when winter seems long I'm ready to wear skirts and flip-flops and when summer is nearing it's end I am always anxious to trade tanks and shorts for sweater and jeans! The grass is always greener...

Since it's cooling again, it's time for some more fall fun! I know what you're thinking... "Does all fun have to do with eating?" ummm yep, perdy much! Elon really enjoyed helping me dip and eat these caramel apples.

Sporting his "Junior Baker" apron.

Carefully dipping his first apple.


The look on his face when he finds out we have to let them cool first.


Struggling to get a big bite!

Maybe if he uses his hands...

Pure gooey satisfaction!

This was my first experience with caramel apples. I found that even though I dipped mine in caramel, chocolate and nuts, I still enjoy candy apples better. Elon seems to enjoy both equally ;P

Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Harvest Party Cupcakes...

Yesterday we went to a Harvest Party at a friend from MOPS house. Her home is a gorgeous 4100 square foot spread, with a lush backyard, playroom, bounce house, fort, and view of the golf course. {And can I just mention that it is PAID FOR!} Anyway, to the point, the kids had lots of fun playing and crafting. Elon and I brought cupcakes and toppings for the kids to decorate like this:

Thanks to brightideas.com for the photo!

Because I didn't have large marshmallows, the kids could choose between mini-marshmallows, sixlets {remeber those? love em!}, after-dinner mints, or raisins for eyes. The hair is chocolate sprinkles and the legs are pull n' peel twizzlers {black pull n' peels are even cuter but I couldn't find em'}

These came out really cute! Most of the kids actually chose to do mini-muffins which are super-cute as well. Give this recipe a try, it's easy and the boys just love making "bugs."

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Elon's Birthday Gift From Daddy...



Happy 3rd Birthday, My Precious One!

29 Is Oh So Fine!



Yesterday, Nathand turned 29! Oh My Gosh-- that is almost 30! Yikes! I remember when my mom was 30 and that was old!!! Right now, I'm seeing an older man... hee,hee; next month I'll catch up with him again. To celebrate his birthday, we ate at Chili's where I got to compare the recipe below with Chili's Spinach-Artichoke Dip and I gotta tell ya, the recipe below is pretty darn close! We also devoured some chocolate molten lava cake. When Nathan declared he should've only ate a fourth of the rich dessert, I looked at him like he had two heads-- I could've eaten the whole of it by myself! What a waste, he should've told me while he was still eating ;) Unfortunately, Elon was misbehaving so badly we actually had to box up all of our food and eat it at home. {Even spankings weren't helping! I know some of you have been there!} But it was nice to lay in bed eating our cake and watching an old black-and-white. Here's to many more birthdays along side you, Nathan; for I've discovered you look even better with age ;)

Thursday, July 9, 2009

A Birthday Dinner...

Tomorrow, I am having a birthday dinner for Elizabeth and Kathy {Nathan's Grandpa's Wife}. At 5:00, we will be partaking of this:

Best Ever Chinese-Chicken Salad


Plate-MiniChixEgg.jpg

Mini Eggrolls



fruit-kebabs.jpg

Grilled Fruit Kabobs With Vanilla Icecream


Watergate_Salad.jpg


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Raspberry Tea


I know it's 2 desserts/salads, but on a hot summery day, I couldn't resist Watergate Salad!


Sunday, May 10, 2009

Happy Mother's Day!




This year I feel incredibly blessed to have one precious boy and another baby on the way! What blessings!

Monday, December 29, 2008

Spur-Of-The- Moment Christmas Eve Party!

Table Settings...


Snacks...

and Family, Makes a Christmas Party Complete!


Buffet Menu:

Appetizers:
~Caponata
~Cheese Ball w/ assortment of crackers
~Meatballs
~Lil' Smokies
~Deviled Eggs
~Meat/Cheese Tray
~Pinwheels
~Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnuts

Main Dish:
~Yeast Rolls
~MiMi's Corn Chowder

Desert:
~Variety of Cookies
~Brownies
~Candies

Beverages:
~Soft Drinks
~Punch
~Coffee
~Hot Chocolate with Mini Marshmallows

Entertaiment:
~Maffia
~Catch Phrase
~Apples to Apples

Sunday, December 14, 2008

Star Of Wonder

Ten straight Christmas perfomances have got me beat. Looking forward to tonight's last Star of Wonder production. Not sure I'll be doing this again next year-- it sure is a big commitment!

Meanwhile, I have been making these:

as a small gift for my MOPS table group leader. So easy and with ingredients I have at home. Now I need to begin baking my 4 dozen cookies for tomorrow's cookie exchange. I hope to take a couple of photos and post a recipe tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 2, 2008

Day After Thanksgiving Activities...

First, some holiday snacks-- to get the decorating juices flowing!
Rice Crispy Treats-- one of Nathan's favorite childhood memories.

Beef Sausage Balls-- a favorite childhood memory that we both share!

After a little hesitation, Nathan was kind enough to oblige me in putting up Christmas lights.

Elon helped and loved the finished results!

More holiday decorating posts to come!

Monday, November 17, 2008

Change of Plans...

Well, it looks like I won't be responsible for Thanksgiving Dinner after all. My sils are out of town and my in-laws aren't coming, so that just leaves us 3.5. Fortunately, we were invited to Kathryn's house for dinner!

Yay! Katheryn has lots of kids for Elon to play with and that makes me happy. I feel a little guilty that Elon never has the excitement of enjoying the holidays with other children. It's usually just him tagging along with a bunch of boring adults :0( When I was a child, I loved the holidays just because I got to be with all my cousins and we had a rip-roarin' time-- such memories! I don't want him to miss out on that-- and this year, he won't! Thanks Katheryn!

Monday, November 10, 2008

It's Happened...


...I am officially a grown-up. It looks like I may be in charge of Thanksgiving Dinner. Yes, THE Thanksgiving Dinner in which I and my family, plus my in-laws and their kids will be partaking of... this could be scary. I haven't really ever cooked for that many people {around 13}. Oh, and did I mention that I've never cooked a turkey! So I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to cook and how much of each thing I'll need, when I really should be putting away all the summer clothes I drug out and have scattered throughout the house! Procrastinating is such fun!

Anyway, I'd LOVE to hear what your family normally has for Thanksgiving Dinner and if you put any interesting spins on the entrees. Leave a comment in the box!


Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Celebrating Fall...


Despite the temperatures still reaching into the 90's, Elon and I decided to have some fall fun. Nothing says fall better than candy apples! These were made using Galas at only $.59 per pound! Helpful Hint: Learn from my mistake and read the instructional tips-- adding shortening to the syrup gets rid of the bubbles.
Elon was more than happy to take care of the leftover candy syrup!

Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Birthdays, Babies, and Beaded Bling...

MOPS was really fun yesterday. It was a smaller group, which I prefer infinitely more than a huge one. It was easy to talk with other ladies and be recognized and introduced as "the new girl" to whom they were all extremely friendly. One really sweet thing that this MOPS group offers is a giveaway table. Ladies bring their unwanted kids or maternity items and place them on a table in the back. Any mom is free to come and get what they want. You don't even have to give something to be able to get something. I thought that it was a neat idea. I'm sure I'll go back to the next MOPS session. Oh, and we made these adorable little aprons for the kids. I can't wait to get a picture of Elon in his so that I can post it.

I had another ultrasound today. The baby is developing but the blood clot is still present and still the same size-- no growth but no shrinkage either. I will take this pregnancy by faith one day at a time.

Meanwhile, today is my 28th birthday and I received many lovely homemade presents. My MIL made me several pretty brown and copper beaded necklaces, along with a jar of homemade wild plum jam {which was delicious, in case you are wondering}, and she also gave me a fancy brown beaded clutch. My grandmother-in-law heard about the loss of my favorite red necklace and designed me a new one, two actually, with red beads, hints of yellow, and gorgeous black pearls {although I don't know the official name of any of the stones!} I have worn all of my jewelry already and hope to have Nathan take some pictures of my in-laws handiwork soon.

Elon and I are a bit under the weather, but we awoke to a nice surprise-- Nathan went into school a little late and surprised me with breakfast in bed! Beef sausage, turkey bacon, eggs, grits, english muffins {topped with the above-mentioned jam}, coffee and juice completed the repast. I always wake up hungrier than a bear so I made good progress on the meal and declared it a delicious surprise! What a good and thoughtful husband I have!
Side Note: I cannot believe that for 28 years I have been spelling the word "surprise" wrong-- I didn't realize there were two "r's." Who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks?

Monday, September 15, 2008

The Big 28!!!

Happy Birthday Nathan, I couldn't ask for a more wonderful husband or incredible father. Elon and I love and appreciate you so much! Have a good day at work and we'll celebrate when you get home. I thought you might like these funny pictures better than vintage sappy ones ;p


Friday, September 5, 2008

Lacking Pictures, Loving Baklava

With Elon's birthday party on Saturday and Grandma Ginny coming for a visit, I've been too busy to post pictures. Judith, you're going to be disappointed as I forgot to take any pictures of the beautiful scenery. As a matter-of-fact, I only took 5 pictures! I get so caught up in the fun that I forget to take out my camera.


For Elon's birthday cake, I am making Baklava. If you haven't had it, RUN-- don't walk, to your nearest Greek restaurant. It will surely be on the dessert menu and it will SURELY bring you a smile!

Now I'm off to make that Baklava!