Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue ...

Good Evening ...

Today was a good day ...

... Back to school

... started a new project for work

... met with my interior decorator, who I'm doing some bartering and trading with pictures in exchange for some "decor" and upgrades to the house

... went to a "Mourning to Morning" session with my uncle this evening

Productive day ...

My thoughts and summary for the day ...

... LeAnna was a little shy about actually walking through the classroom door this morning ... but did fine and had a great day ... made a 2007 party hat to wear today ... good first day back.

... new project for work ... I like new, but not "new that I don't know" ! ha! Learning something new can be fun though ... definitely something different ... a new challenge!

... chose some material for window treatments in my kitchen, dining room and great room area ... chose paint colors for the kitchen and foyer ... excited about this "change" for the new year!

... the session this evening was very encouraging as always ... my uncle is still having trouble dealing with the death of my aunt ... it's only been 8 weeks ... so it's still fresh ... the holidays were difficult and it's just going to take some time ... listening to the different ones speak, give their story, vent, cry, divulge their feelings was interesting to me this evening ... you have to really put yourself in their shoes or you would think they were crazy for talking the way they were ... but I remember when my Dad passed away and I attended these sessions for about a year ... and I recalled how much it helped ... and how silly I must have sounded at times ... and even selfish at times ... having my own little pity party ... but that's all part of the grieving process ... my uncle made mention to me this evening that he felt so bad and even guilty at times for having a good day! One lady said she was ticked off that her husband up and died suddenly in the back yard one day last year! But these emotions are all part of the process that you go through ... I'm just thankful that there is a program such as this one to attend - for hurting people ... believe it or not, it helps when someone looks at you and says "it's okay to feel that way" ... it sort of validates the way you feel.

So ... I'm definitely ready for "bed-nite time" ... as LeAnna would so sweetly put it!

Big weekend ahead! We have some family coming in ... the anniversary of my grandmother's death is this Sunday - it will be nice for the family to be together to reflect. And then my Mom's birthday is Monday ... we will probably take her somewhere really nice for dinner ... it all worked out great for some family to be here to help us celebrate her special day Monday ... I'm sure I'll be very "reflective" after this weekend! =) You know me ... and my "moments"!

Happy Thursday ... tammy

The Princess Bride ...

Good Evening ...

LeAnna's last hoo-ra before returning to school tomorrow ....

She decided to play "dress-up" ...

and was "trying" to coax Princess into being the BRIDE!

Princess was trying to eat ... and was not amused ... not very happy ...

Don't mess with a woman and her supper!

She finally gave in ... and at least tried to smile about it!

Thanks Princess for being a good sport about this!

End of Christmas vacation ... back at it tomorrow ...

Happy Wednesday ... tammy

One Blue Cheer For The Brown Man!

Good Evening/Morning ...

Today LeAnna had a playdate with her friend Miquela ...

First ... we went to Wendy's for lunch ...

Then ... the Fire Station to make ceramics!

They had a great time!

Miquela decided on a cheerleader, which she painted blue ...

And LeAnna ... a gingerbread ornament ... (Although ... more than the gingerbread man ended up brown!)

She's still got the Christmas Spririt!

It really worked out good though ... seeing that I forgot to get a 2006 ornament!

So ... we now have an "official" 2006 ornament.

I made a special piece today ... in honor of my grandmother, Mama Neely, who passed one year ago this coming Sunday ... we miss her so much! It's SO hard to believe it's been one year! One year ago at this very moment ... my family was keeping vigil around her bedside ... until she passed on the 7th ...

Such sweet memories ... this is one lady I can truly say was Proverbs 31! Such a virtuous woman ... so many good things about this lady ... hard to think of a bad thing - as a matter of fact, I can't even think of a bad thing. What a role model to our family ... Even up to the age of 94 at her death, she was still praying and reading her bible everyday, still memorizing scripture ... and writing poems! Wow! And boy could she write! She was even honored by a society in NY ... an honor for her! Yep! She's missed! What a legacy though ... some of our family will be gathering this weekend for a time of remembrance, recollection of sweet memories ... looking foward to making more memories!

Today is the 2nd of January ... tomorrow is the 3rd ... still striving to get off on the right foot this year! .... I'm going to do this! .... I can do this ... I will do this!

notice ... I'm talking myself into this! ha!

Happy Tuesday Evening/Wednesday Morning ... tammy

2 0 0 7

Happy New Year!

2007

Wow!

I love the first day of a new year ...

here are my first thoughts when thinking of a "new year" in no certain order:

* fresh start

* new

* beginning

* clean

* peaceful

* bible

* a good book

* reading

* cold

* organization

* planning

* new calendar

* goals

* exercise

* diet

* cooking

* cookbooks

* eating

* naps

* chocolate

... like I said ... no certain order! =)

ha!

I have set some "goals" for myself ...

I have even enrolled myself in a Pilates class ... starting January 10th!

My goals are serious ...

I'm in hopes I can stay focused and serious for more than the month of January!

I hope and pray, if you have set some "goals" for yourself ... that you can stay focused as well and follow through ...

Happy Day One of 2007! .... tammy

Good Evening ...

Today ... Nate took LeAnna to Granny and Papaw's house to ride her jeep ....

I'll say this again ... he took her to "ride HER jeep" ... you know the one that goes, I don't know ... like 2 mph!!!!

So ....

Thank God no one took pictures or video ... because I probably would have had a heart attack!

LeAnna ended up riding Dawson's 4-wheeler ... BY HERSELF! Okay ... yes, Nate had to repeat it for me ... all by herself ... full throttle!

I'm dying ... especially when he said ... "I'm going to buy her one!" ...

Okay ... she's five! Ah ... No!

When I was a child ... I was the biggest tomboy ... my Dad and Grandad wanted me to be a boy ... so they bought me all boy toys to play with ... I did nothing but climb trees, play with go carts, mini bikes, lawn mowers ...

Yep ... that was me!

Somehow I outgrew all of that ...

But I can see a bit of that in LeAnna ...

Oh ... she had a blast today ... loved every minute of it! Nate said she was beaming from ear to ear ... and when she was riding with Daddy, she would say go faster, and jump that hill!

Like I said ... glad I wasn't there today ...

This evening ... we were invited to a New Year's Eve, Eve Costume Party ... Instead of spending a bunch of money on renting costumes ... we were supposed to be frugal about it ...

So ... I went as a "Black Eyed Pea" ... and Nate went as "E-Male" ... ha! It was funny, people trying to guess who we were ... the two pictures that were taken of us, were either blurry or too much flash ... so here's just the costumes!

I think I've had enough fun for one day ... I'm going to "lay me down to sleep" ....

Good Saturday Evening ... tammy

Is It A Mouse? No, It's A Princess!

Good Morning ...

Princess got a "princess dress" for Christmas - picked out by LeAnna! It looks like a tutu when she has it on ... she pretty much hates it! But LeAnna LOVES it! She's been bouncing around the house trying to chew on the "tutu" part ... I'm sure she's wanting to "tear it apart"! I tried catching a few pictures of her in it ... and she just kept jumping ... SO ... in the process I captured this! It looks like Minnie Mouse! hahahaah! Too funny!

Oh well ... Princess is having to endure the torture of being a "dress-up princess" because LeAnna is wanting to play! It's so funny ... Princess just looks at me, like .. "HELP ME!"

Nathan and I have been invited to a costume party for New Years this Saturday ... we're still trying to decide what to go as ... any suggestions? I'll post pictures!

Happy Friday and New Years Weekend ... tammy

The Baby Is Alive ...

Good Evening ...

Change is good ... yes it is ...

Getting ready for the "New Year" and my "changes" ...

So I thought I would start with the blog!

I hated this last template ... but when I switched from "beta" I didn't have a lot of time to play around with it ... so ... here's a new look!

Tonight - LeAnna is having a sleepover ... her friend Kaitlyn is here ... they have been going through the new toys ... trying to decide what to play with next!

They finally decided upon "Baby Alive" ... oh my goodness ...

I'm not sure what is worse ... Amazing Amanda or the new Baby Alive! ha! This Baby Alive doll eats real food, takes a real bottle and poops real poop! Yep! can you believe it?!

If "Baby Alive" doesn't get fed in a timely manner, she starts fussing! After she eats (which the instructions say to give it an entire bottle of water after feeding it - so the food doesn't get hung) - then you get to change it's diaper! Oh My Goodness!!!!! This was hilarious funny ... if you could have seen these girls ... they loved taking turns feeding the baby ... but then ... it happened ... the diaper didn't get put on straight and poop came out on them! hahahaha! They were mortified ... and decided they were done with this baby! So I got to clean up the baby that was fussing ... change her and then I finally figured out how to put her to sleep! all sitting in the middle of the kitchen floor ... (I didn't want poop on my couch or my carpet!) ha! Oh My!

These are the babies they need for Jr. High School instead of an egg, to carry around all weekend! Might make them think! =)

Anyhoo ... here are a few cute pictures that I had to share ...

Ick! Shoo!

What will they think of next!

Good Evening, tammy

Christmas 2006 ...

Good Afternoon ...

I love Christmas ... it's such a happy time ... and I LOVE to give ... and I LOVE watching LeAnna ...

Just remembering how magical it was for me as a child ... I love making it "magical" for LeAnna ... just watching her eyes glisten ... Every gift she opened, her eyes were wide and she would gasp ... opening each present slowly as if to savor each moment! ... she was so sweet on Christmas morning ... We were so excited for her to open her gifts ... she opened one and then she said ... okay Daddy's turn! Then she brought me a gift to open ... then she would open another ... we tried to get her to open all of hers first and she wouldn't have it any other way ... She is such a sweet girl.

We of course, sang "Happy Birthday Lord Jesus" and talked about it being Jesus' birthday ... wanting her to know the "true" meaning of this time of year ...

One of her favorite gifts was her Princess CD player ... it's in her room and she thinks this is the greatest thing! She is such a music lover already! She said she needed this so she could take a bath and get dressed to music just like Daddy and also have it to listen to when she was going to sleep! =)

Some of her other favorite gifts was her Ariel Talking Salon ... she is "all of a sudden" Ariel Crazy! She got several things Ariel this Christmas. She also got her very own Barbie Jeep to drive! And a new bicycle!

Papaw and Granny gave her the new "jeep" and Nana gave her the new bike via a "scavenger hunt"! She was so excited going from room to room, reading clues that led her up to the new bike!

LeAnna was so curious and nervous all at the same time about Santa coming! She couldn't figure out how he was going to get in the house since we don't have a chimney! Thus the reason for the "magic key" that we left for him and he returned next to the plate of milk and cookies that he so graciously devoured at 2:00am! What's funny ... is the next morning ... Princess finished up his crumbs ... thankfully I had gotten a "picture" before she did so ... so I could show LeAnna that there really were cookies on the plate!

Although, I didn't start wrapping one thing until Christmas Eve at 11:20pm ... and was still wrapping for each place we went to on Sunday and Monday and Tuesday right before we would leave to go there .... Whew! So glad I can officially put up the gift tags, paper, tape and scissors!

I am MUCH more rested today than the last couple of days ... wow! This Christmas took a toll on me! The lady my Mom works for went out of the country for a week (the week before Christmas) and hired me as her assistant ... that alone was way more than one person's job! On top of that, my regular job ... plus my photography business (which is the busiest from September - December) and then the normal shopping, wrapping and Holiday activity ...

Woo-Hoo ... sad to say - but glad it's over!

Now ... moving on ... and 2007 is just around the corner!

I've set some personal goals for myself for this next year! I've got to get my game plan in place and keep myself focused!

In the past, I have set "goals" (I've learned not to call them resolutions) and then not followed through!

Maybe by calling them by a new name "goals" ... that I'll have better results! ... I'll keep you posted! =)

I trust everyone had a peacful, joyful Christmas ...

Happy Wednesday ... tammy

Only Three Days Left ...

Good Friday Morning ...

Only 3 days left to shop ... and I need all three of them! ha!

There are Christmas Cards laying all around me ... no ... not the ones I've received ... the one's I'm sending! Argh! Yes ... doing everyone else's Christmas card ... has put mine to the last minute ...

Every year I say ... this is not going to happen! Oh well ... and par for the course ... "my course that is"!

Anyhoo ... At least I got them printed and they are going out today! =)

Surprisingly ... my shopping list is more complete than I thought it was ... I have been making purchases and then putting them away ... with NOTHING wrapped!!!! Oh My Goodness ... (for those of you who know me well ... that last statement was REALLY long and drawn out!) ...

Lots of things on the list today ... so I must hustle and bustle ...

Okay ... so here's my first thought today when looking at each letter that spells Christmas ...

C - Christ

H - Happy

R - Red

I - Icicle's

S - Santa

T - Toys

M - Manger

A - ATM

S - Star

ha! Oh well ... like I said ... first thoughts of the day ...

And here's my thought today ...

"In the end ... what affects your life most deeply are the things too simple to talk about"

Happy Shopping, Baking, Decorating, Wrapping, Delivering, Receiving, Eating Day ... tammy

One Scooter Please ...

This is a picture of LeAnna and my two nephews, Dawson and Jackson ... taken on Sunday ... aren't they sweet?




B U S Y ...


That's me! Last minute picture orders ... had to be done this evening to get them back by Christmas ...

So ... I'm just finishing up ...

L O N G D A Y !!!!! Can't even begin to describe ...

Oh ... that "scooter" LeAnna asked Santa for last week?

He delivered it today (via Nana and Aunt Judy) ...

LeAnna stayed with Mom today while she was at work and it was there when she arrived this morning! It's a 3 wheel Strawberry Shortcake scooter .... she rode it all day long ... She was So Excited! I didn't have my camera with me today to post a picture ... I know - shame on me! But during this season, if you "forget" a camera one day ... you definitely don't stress out about it!

Happy day/evening/morning ... whichever this is ... tammy

I'm Dreaming Of A Peanut Butter Fudge Christmas ...

Good Evening/Morning ...

































Today was our Christmas program at church ... it went so well ...


LeAnna is in the children's choir and they performed two songs ... she had a one liner solo ... she did so good ... Mommy was on the front row with the camera in her face ...


Whats funny ... the children sat on the front row to wait their turn in the program to come up and do their songs ... so to occupy themselves sitting on the front row ... they decided to put stickers all over themselves ... I noticed them on some of the other kids and also on their clothes - like not on purpose ... like stuck to their dress when they got up from where they were sitting ... LeAnna had them on each hand when she went up to sing ... oh well ... at least they were quiet! ha!


One busy week for me ... trying to plan my days accordingly to squeeze everything in ...

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Holiday Recipe ...


"Peanut Butter Fudge"

2 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
7oz jar of marshmallo creme
1 1/3 cup creamy peanut butter


Bring sugar and milk to a boil in a saucepan; boil for 3 minutes. Remove from heat. Add marshmallo creme and peanut butter; mix well. Quickly pour into a greased 8x8 baking pan. Chill until set; cut into squares. Makes one dozen.


.... I LOVE Peanut Butter Fudge ... it's a fav of mine at Christmas time ... I was excited to find this EASY recipe!

Happy Day ... tammy

36 lbs, 42 inches ... It's a Five Year Old!

Good Evening ...

Yesterday LeAnna had her Christmas party at school ... in which the parents were invited to attend and were given handmade ornaments, etc. that the children had been making this month! They also received presents and then we had refreshments ... it was fun!

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LeAnna and her friend Madison enjoyed one last moment playing together before leaving for the Holidays ... LeAnna doesn't know it yet, but this was her friend Madison's last day ... I didn't have the heart to tell her ... this is one of her closest friends at school ... she had even drawn a picture of Madison on some of her art work that we received ... guess we'll have to arrange some play dates in the near future! Madison's mom, we found out, was one of LeAnna's nurses at Vanderbilt during her open heart surgery ... LeAnna's going to be so sad.

LeAnna also had her five year check up yesterday ... 36 pounds and 42 inches long! The doctor mentioned "again" ... and I quote ... "Well, it looks like LeAnna will definitely be taller than you!" ... Great ... although, that's not saying that much ... I would say 95% of the population is taller than me! ha! Oh well ... they gave her the work over! Vision test, hearing test, ALL the fun stuff and some shots to boot! That was very pleasurable! ha! Not even! She was not a happy camper ... she sported a fever last night and didn't feel very well this morning ... but by the afternoon she was fine ... her legs are still a little sore ... but she's fine now!

Today was a very busy day ... a Christmas breakfast ... a college graduation ... errands ... dinner and some shopping ...

Are you dying over this weather? 71 degrees today in Nashvegas ... and supposed to be just as warm tomorrow ... which totally messes everything up ... was planning on wearing velvet for the Christmas program tomorrow ... not sure how that's going to go over with this weather! Ugh!

Holiday Tidbit #16 ...

"Just for fun ... fill ice cream cones with individual candies; wrap each with cellophane and tie off with ribbon ... kids will love them!"

Happy Saturday Evening ... tammy

My First Christmas Program ...

***********************************************

Good Morning …

Last night was LeAnna’s Christmas Program at school … she didn’t think anyone was going to be able to come and see her … Daddy kept saying, “I hope I get off in time” … Nana and Aunt Judy kept saying, “We hope we get off in time” … and Granny and Papaw had two grandchildren with Christmas Programs last night … one in West Meade and one in Ashland City … but they were miraculously able to attend both! She ended up with 7 of us there … what a great support group we have!

She was SO excited when she looked over to our pew and saw us all sitting there … all eyes on her! Her mouth was open so wide and Smiling from ear to ear!

We borrowed a really cool DVD video camera from our friends … that also has this really cool wireless microphone … so we attached it to her dress and she was officially “wired for sound” … our sound pleasure that is! Daddy was able to video from “afar” but the sound was mainly her and the few standing around her … how cool is that?!

I don’t think she fully comprehended the capability we had in our hands … we heard some really cute five year old conversation among friends that she didn’t realize we captured …. Hey … maybe we should continue having her wear this … might save us some trouble down the road! Ha!

It was a great evening … we were very proud of her …

This was our “first” Christmas program to attend … yes … shed some … was having to make myself “stop it”! My thoughts rambled back to years gone by when I attended events that those special moments belonged to other parents … and how I longed for my very own event to sit and “aw” and “ooh” over! And tonight … it was finally happening … no one in the place knew I was feeling this … I did notice, however, that the lady next to me, at one point, was wiping tears … my first thought, was to lean over and say, “what’s your story?” … are you experiencing the same thing I am at this very moment? But my better judgment kicked in and I didn’t disturb her … knowing full well, that I did not want to make a fool of myself! My luck, she probably would have just had something in her eye! Ha! Probably not … but anyhoo …

So … yes, had a great time …

It was so funny … when we were getting dressed yesterday afternoon, LeAnna wanted to know what she would be wearing … I showed her … she said, “Mom, it won’t go with my sombrero! Ha! They had to wear sombrero’s and shake morocco’s while singing a Spanish Christmas song …

THEN … during the program, after the finished singing this Spanish song and she removed her hat …she caught my attention and pointed to her hair and said, “is it okay?” ! ha! That’s my girl!

We have a Christmas party today at school ... last day for a few weeks! I'll post pics later ...

A holiday tidbit ...

"If you pull a classroom gift tag off the board, as a commitment to purchase a Michaels gift card for the class as a Christmas gift ... make sure you actually make the purchase and take it to school" .... unlike me ... who realized "too late" to make that purchase that I had made the commitment a few weeks back to do so! Ugh!

Happy Friday ... tammy

All Aboard ...

Good Morning ...

Polar Express Day today ...

How fun must it be, to wear your pajamas to school?!

LeAnna thought this was so great and sort of silly all at the same time!

She REALLY couldn't believe it when we arrived at school and her teacher was in her pj's too!

Everyone was so cute this morning!

They all looked so relaxed and cozy ...

The "imaginary train" was leaving shortly after arriving this morning ... what a cute treat!

Nap time will be extra cozy today!

Holiday Tidbit for the day ...

"A budding baker will squeal with delight to receive an apron with pockets filled to the brim with cookie cutters, jimmies, glittery sugars, frostings and tried and true recipes"!

Happy Wednesday ... tammy

I'm Dreaming Of A White Velvet Christmas ...

Good Afternoon ...

Yesterday, LeAnna got her first Christmas present in the mail ... from her uncle Ray-Ray and aunt Billye ... she was so excited!

A new baby doll and a Cinderella Cookie Jar ...

And today ... they made Gingerbread Houses at school ...

This is LeAnna's creation ... she was so excited about today ...

******************************************************************

And even more so about tomorrow ... tomorrow is Polar Express day and they get to wear their pj's, robes and slippers ... she thinks this is the coolest!

Busy week for her ...

Then on Thursday is her Christmas program at school and then her Christmas party on Friday which is also her last day until January 4th!

Whew!

And I thought I was busy! ha!

********************

Okay ... here's another one that I've GOT to try ... the name itself caught my attention ...

********************

White Velvet Cut-Outs

********************

2 Cups butter, softened

1 8oz Cream Cheese, softened

2 Cups Sugar

2 Egg Yolks, beaten

1 Tsp. Vanilla

4 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour

Optional: Candy Sprinkles (hhmmm, I bet peppermit candy bits would be good)

************************

Blend together butter and cream cheese: add sugar, egg yolks and vanilla. Gradually add flour. Chill for 2 hours; roll out on a floured surface to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into desired shapes; place on greased baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. Let cool completely and frost; top with sprinkles, if desired. Makes 7 Dozen.

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Frosting:

3 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar, divided

3 Tbsp. Butter

1 Tbsp Shortening

1/2 Tsp. Vanilla

1/4 Cup Milk

Optional: food coloring

*********************

Combine 1-1/2 cups sugar, butter, shortening, vanilla and milk; beat until smooth. Add remaining sugar and food coloring, if desired: beat with an electric mixer on medium speed for 3 minutes until creamy.

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A Holiday Tidbit ...

"Keep your soft cut-outs soft by adding one or two apple quarters to the cookie jar ... just remove the apples in two days."

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Happy Merry Tuesday ... tammy

Excuse Me ... I Need To Use The Coat Closet ...

Good Morning ...

The holidays are here ... and I'm feeling it ...

Wish I was feeling more of the "good of it" than the "stress of it"!

Yesterday's highlights ...

* Christmas Choir practice

* Church

* LeAnna "went to Bethlehem" with Granny and Papaw (a church in Green Hills hosted this ... they had live animals and they "toured" Bethlehem ... Granny said LeAnna couldn't wait to see Baby Jesus! She made an angel and a piece of pottery.

* Nate's work had a Christmas dinner (had a great time ... one of the sweetest ladies in the whole world, in the middle of dinner, decided to use the restroom ... for some odd reason, we all watched her leave the table ... and I only wish I had my camera ... she walked over to a set of double wooden doors ... started trying to pry them open ... which they wouldn't ... she finally pryed them open and to her "dismay" she was walking into a coat closet ... Oh My ... we laughed so hard at her ... I know she'll probably never live this down ... but we were so happy she actually "made it" to the restroom after this!

Such hustle and bustle ... this time of year ... it's so easy to foget the most important "reason for the season" ... and that is the celebration of our Saviour's birth. It's so easy to get caught up that we forget ... I LOVE giving more than getting at this time of year ... don't get me wrong, I love getting too ... but I get so much enjoyment out of "giving" ... making someone go, "Ahh"! or "Wow"! And I like to give because "He" gave to us all the greatest gift of all ... Thank You Jesus for making the most important difference this world will ever know!

Here's another holiday tidbit ...

"For a unique shape, lay cookies that are warm from the oven over a rolling pin for two minutes or until they take the shape" ... (these work great for "holly shapped" cookies ... so the leaf appears life like)

Happy Monday ... tammy

Santa and Me .... FINALLY!

Good Evening ...

Today was a VERY hectic day ...

Nate and I went to breakfast this morning ...

then I had pictures to take ...

pictures to send UPS ...

pictures to pick up ...

Batson family Christmas dinner ...

deliver pictures ...

a wedding ...

pictures with Santa ...

dinner ...

and now I'm sitting here trying to unwind from this long, hectic day!

Whew!

Okay ... so ... went to the mall yesterday with LeAnna ... passed Santa in his "picture booth" ... LeAnna said she wanted to stay on the side of me opposite Santa ... then buried her face in my coat and squeezed my hand as we passed by! She is SO scared of him!

SO ... a man at our church, plays Santa and invited us to come over to take some "Santa pics" this evening ...

LeAnna FINALLY decided that she would go ... at first, she told me that she wanted to give him her Christmas list, but that she wanted me to talk to him ... she even talked Granny into going with her as well as her friend Kaitlyn ...

So when we got there ... he was in his normal clothes and he told her that he was going to his room to change into his Santa suit ...

It took her no time at all to warm up to him and she even sat on his lap and told him what she wanted for Christmas! By the time we got ready to leave, she kept wanting to give him hugs ... she really liked this Santa! =) Thanks Bob and Barbara!

I am so tired I think my fingers are the only things functioning right now ...

When I took pictures this morning (outside) ... I got back in my van after about an hour of being outside and I couldn't even feel my toes they were so numb from the cold!

Here's another Holiday recipe and tidbit that I'm getting ready to try ...

... recipe ...

Marshmallow Puffs

36 marshmallows
1 1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
2 Tbsp. butter

Arrange marshmallows in an aluminum foil-lined, greased 9x9 baking pan; set aside. Combine chocolate chips, peanut butter and butter in a microwave-safe container. Heat on high setting, stirring after each 30 seconds, until melted. Stir until smooth; pour over marshmallows in pan. Chill completely; cut into squares between marshmallows. Makes 3 dozen.

... and tidbit ...

"It's easy to wrap up slightly sticky candies for gift giving ... use red thread to stitch together two rectangles of wax paper that's cut slightly larger than the candy. Leave one side open, slip the candy inside and seal with a sticker."

How fun is that?!

Happy Saturday Evening ... tammy

Armadillos and Reindeer Noses ...

Good Evening ...

Okay ... so ... LeAnna came home today with the cutest Holiday thing I've seen yet! And of course I had to share it!


Is this not the cutest thing? The "noses" are red chocolate pieces! Love it!


Much to our surprise this morning when we opened the door and walked outside, it was Snowing! LeAnna was SO excited! One thing we were NOT excited about ... was how cold it got today! Oh My!

We went out this evening and it read 18 degrees on our dashboard ... bbrrrrrr ....


So ... today ... out of the blue ... LeAnna says ... "Mom ... I miss Rachel" ...

So I said ... "Rachel who?"

She said ... "Rachel the cat that was at Granny's house" ...

So I said ... "Oh ... okay ... well, where is she ... what happened to her?"

She said ... "I think she got killed by an Armadillo!

Ha!

I said ... "what?"

She said ... "Mom ... Armadillos do not like cats and I bet an Armadillo ate her!"

Yikes!

What an imagination she's got lately!

I've had several ask about the "Chocolate Cheesecake Squares" ... so here's the recipe ...


(2) cans of crescent rolls
(2) 8oz cream cheese
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 egg yolk
Chocolate "Mini" baking pieces (I use Tollhouse Mini's)

In a 9x13 pyrex dish ... spray with Pam and layer one can of crescent rolls. (if you unroll it in two sections, its lays side by side perfectly) ... sprinkle chocolate minis on dough ... mix together cream cheese, sugar, egg yolk and vanilla - then spread on top ... then sprinkle more chocolate minis ... then place 2nd can of crescent rolls on top ... bake 25-30 minutes at 350 degrees. Cool and cut into squares.


Enjoy ... Happy Thursday, tammy

It Was All Stiring But The Mice ...

Good Morning ...

Yesterday ... I "finally" made a new recipe I had been wanting to try ...

When I started it ... I was thinking ... hhmmmm, this needs something else ... and Paula Deen always says to add or change a little something and make it your own! So I did ...

The original recipe is called "Cheesecake Squares" ... I think I'll call mine "Chocolate Cheesecake Squares" ... I make a recipe called "Chesscake Squares" ... and the ingredients are similar ... but ... made differently.

Wouldn't you know ... it calls for crescent rolls!!!! hahahahha! And you know I love anything stuck inside of a crescent roll ... so ... I was pretty excited about making these ...

Anyhoo ...

When I took them out of the oven .... I couldn't hardly wait for them to cool ... so I went ahead and cut me a "sample" ... the chocolate and cream cheese mixture oozed out between the cresecent rolls .... Oh My Goodness !!!!!!

I was a happy camper!
















THEN ... when picking up LeAnna for school yesterday ... her teacher said ... "the kids are so excited about tomorrow!" ... I looked at her funny and she said, "you know, Christmas Mice day" ... I had totally forgot ...

Normally not a big deal ... other than the fact that I volunteered the Christmas Mice!!!!!!

Oh my ...

So made a phone call to Mom (who has made the Christmas Mice for 15 years every Christmas) ... this was supposed to be a "group project" ... you know ... me and Mom and LeAnna ... making her cute little Christmas Mice for all her classmates ... together ... one evening ... set aside just to do so ... and ends up ... we are in the middle of a Family Seminar at church ... and so Mom graciously volunteered to come to the house and her and LeAnna made the mice last night! Bless her heart ... kudos to Mom!!!!

They turned out so cute though ...

Chocolate dipped cherries with Hershey Kisses for noses and almonds for ears ... sitting on top of a chocolate dipped Ritz peanut butter cracker!

yum - yum

Anyoo ... for this household... all was stiring but the Mice! ha! What's the old story ... "Not a creature was stiring, not even a mouse"!

Oh well ...


Here's another holiday tidbit ...

"If you promise to provide for a Christmas function ... make sure you not only make notes on the calendar, but you also post notes on the bathroom mirrors, the message boards, the computer ... just make them part of your decor ... so you don't mess up and forget - as I did!"

Happy Wednesday ... tammy

I'll Have Pterodactyl Please ...

Good Afternoon ...

I picked LeAnna up from school today and took her to Sonic for lunch!

She ordered jumbo popcorn chicken ...

When the order arrived she "inspected" her bag ... made sure there was a toy and that her order was correct ...

Then she picked up a piece of chicken and said ...

"MOMA! ... This looks just like a Pterodactyl!

I slowly turned my head ... looked at her and said ... "A What?"

ha!

She said ... Mom ... (like duh) a Pterodactyl!

So I said ... okay ... and what is a Pterodactyl?

She said ... uhmmmm ... it's like a dinasour, but not ... more like a dragon, but it has wings and flies!

Alrighty then ...

So I just said ... "Oh ... okay" ...

Yikes!

So ... yes ... I googled and looked it up when I got home ... here is the definition ...

Pterodactyl (derived from the Greek words πτερυζ(ptero) (wing) and δακτυλος(dactyl) (finger) meaning "winged finger", "wing-finger" or "finger-wing") is a common term for some types of pterosaurs or ("wing lizards"), especially the later (mainly late Jurassic or Cretaceous Periods) shorter-tailed examples, which belong to the Suborder Pterodactyloidea. The wing was a leathery skin covering, over the forelimb. Many specimens preserve a coat of fur. Well-known examples of pterodactyls are Pterodactylus, Dsungaripterus, Pteranodon and Quetzalcoatlus. Prehistoric flying reptiles of this type are sometimes referred to as dinosaurs, but this is incorrect. The term dinosaur is more correctly restricted to a certain group of terrestrial reptiles with a unique upright stance, and therefore excludes the pterosaurs and the various groups of extinct aquatic reptiles, such as ichthyosaurs, plesiosaurs, and mosasaurs. Pelycosaurs, such as the sail-backed Dimetrodon, are also commonly confused with dinosaurs, but are actually more closely related to mammals.

Fun ...

Okay ... so ... my 5 year old taught Mommy something today ...

Cool!

So ...

Maybe we'll have something that looks like "Pterodactyl for dinner tonight"! ha! (since chicken is thawing in my fridge)

So ... here's another holiday tidbit ...

"A lunchbox treat ... pop wrapped cookies in the freezer the night before. When packing lunch in the morning, add a bag of frozen cookies to each lunchbox. They help keep the lunches cool and are ready to eat by lunchtime!"

Happy Tuesday ... tammy

thankful ...

Good Afternoon ...

This is the "House That LeAnna Built" that blogger wouldn't allow me to post yesterday ...

I attended a ladies Christmas brunch at church Saturday ... and we were given this to think about and fill out ... here's mine ...

Dear Jesus ... Thank You For:

C - My Child ... LeAnna

H - My Husband ... Nathan

R - Reality ... we all have to be brought back to reality at some point

I - Income ... so we can have a home, a car, clothes, food

S - Salvation ... where would we be without this - the most important!

T - Time ... Lord, help me make the most of it

M - My Mother ... what a blessing she is to me

A - My humble Abode ... thank God for my home

S - And last but not least ... Silver Linings ... They are usually there in every situation ... it's just discovering them

A holiday tidbit ... just for fun ... cut brownies with a round cookie cutter and stack inside an old-fashioned canning jar.

Happy Monday ... tammy

The House That LeAnna Built ...

Good Morning ...

LeAnna stayed with Nana yesterday ... and an "elf" visited and brought her a Princess recorder ... she has now learned to record herself ... and when we went to pick her up last night, she let me listen to her "first tape" ... =) Funny ... definitely something to treasure years from now ... (if she don't tape over it)

Her and Nana also constructed a Gingerbread House ...

Lot's of love and patience went into this little home ...

She was so proud!

And I would LOVE to post a picture ... but "thanks" to Blogger today ... it will not allow me to!

Oh well ...

Another Holiday tidbit ...

"There's no easier gift bag than a classic brown paper lunch sack. Fill with treats, fold the top over, punch two holes and slide a peppermint stick or candy cane through. You could even thread a licorice whip through the hole and tie into a bow! If you really have spare time ... decorate the bag (or let the kids decorate them)"

Happy Sunday ... tammy

Crazy Busy ...

Good Morning ...

B U S Y day today ... last weekend to shoot Christmas pictures ... plus two Christmas "functions" today ... one for brunch, one for dinner ... Crazy busy ...

Anyhoo ...

Dec 2nd ... only 23 shopping days left ... and I haven't purchased the 1st gift! Oh My!

Had another tour yesterday of a private school ... making a decision this far in advance for next year is almost crazy ... but this week is the week to make the decision! And it's about enough to drive you nuts banana crazy! Praying we make the right decision.

Here's a Holiday Tidbit for today that I thought was so cool ...

"Let the season choose cookie packaging ... cookies can be wrapped and tucked inside gardening gloves in summer or wooly mittens in winter. Add a homemade cocoa mix or fruity lemonade mix too!"

Happy First Saturday in December ... tammy