Cuties!

Baby J is now 3 months old and a whoppin' 15 pounds! What's Momma eatin'?

Nana and H had a little tea party!

Curly top!

It's pretty rare that we get a photo of the girlees' pretty Momma, C.

Jay loves his girlees!




Yes, she's a ham for the camera...






... and now you know where she learned to make faces!

Baby J did not care for Nana's new bed (more pics of that at a later date)

But H LOVED it and made herself right at home!

Everytime her momma washes her hair, H gets a kewpie doo. She's a nut.





Belated Valentine News:

I mailed N some little ponies and sent H these Fisher Price valentine people home with her parents so they could give them to her. She has named the lady Nana, and the fat white haired bald guy Pop! ha ha Sweet Hubby is not white haired (yet) and certainly not bald. He has the thickest head of hair of all of us! But still... funny! (Tif: I need photos of N!!!)

LJ is our youngest and still lives at home as she is finishing college this Spring. She has her father's feet: size 11 (ok, his are 15's, but you know what I mean). So when I found this Valentine's card for her it was perfect!

She was laughing because she has such big feet!

But you must also understand that the entire floor of her closet is filled with shoes.

She did not see this part coming!

For Valentine's Day I had the choir teacher and 2 students from the HS come and sing to my mom at the nursing home. I tried to get the college boys just like last year but they are so much in demand that they wouldn't travel all the way to our town. The teacher is the one in the middle. See if you recognize her from another post!


They brought her flowers and she loved the serenade! They performed in the dining hall so that most of the residents could enjoy as well!

God provided a beautiful sunrise the other morning:

Hokey Pokey

...long distance style!!! H loves to sing songs, especially those with movement and motion (I remind her momma that she "liked to move it, move it" along to the music of "Madagascar" when she was preggers w/the aforementioned girl. I digress. H was singing the hokey pokey in the background the other night while I was talkin' to her daddy. So tonite when she got on the phone with Nana, Nana sang the hokey pokey song while "H" put her right hand, her whole self, her nose and her head "in" and "out" and "shaked it all about". Here she is, listenin' to Nana be silly over the phone just a coupla minutes ago!!!

Horsin' Around!

Pat at backporchmusings posted a snapshot of "Butterscotch" .
I thought I'd show my 2 yr old grandgirlee test riding the Cracker Barrel version back at the Holidays:

Yee Haw!

Let It Snow!!!!

I love snow!! I had only experienced bits of it before I moved to the MidWest. Today we are getting our share. School was cancelled at the last minute and here I sit, being a hermit inside. Hot tea and a hot sandwich and I'm content. There was already about a 1/2" on the ground when Hubby went slip and slide up the driveway this a.m. to get out while I watched in toasty comfort. He called just a bit ago as the topic in the lunch room was how mch snow is there now. Where they are, the snow is just now beginning to stick. There's about 2-3" here with the bulk of the snow to come this afternoon. So for now, I am going to enjoy the beauty. Please join me:

He looks cold doesn't he?




(Shhh. Don't tell LJ I accidently caught her either playing with Bella

or spreading the snow melt on the walkway.)

God Loves a Dreamer

We've started a new study in our Wednesday evening Bible Study.

Here's the book.

It's a study of the Apostle Paul's last journey.
And we are being taught personally by the author!

Stay tuned!

Fishin' N Tea

It's been cold here and the lake is frozen over for the first time since we've lived here. Today it was mid 60's and the lake began to thaw, so Sweet Hubby couldn't resist... he set his pole in the holder and hoped. Can ya see it? Can you see where the water is still frozen?

I've shared before that I teach International Foods. My goal is to open the world to my high school students, give them a hint of different cultures through learning about the customs and cultures of various countries. Our first visit was to England. A simple British Tea, sort of. I can't get too authentic on my minimal budget.

Each group researches, writes a paper, prepares a PowerPoint and presents an oral report. AND "something extra". They have to decide what it will be. The Great Britain Group brought in Shepherd's Pie, although that is more Irish. They were pretty proud, one of the boys' mother made it and brought it in HOT. And it was GOOD! Thanks guys! Here they are serving:

I am always amazed how subdued the students become when they are out of their comfort zone. With the table linens and tea pots and "weird-to-them" sandwiches, and what are scones all about?... they get an idea that McDonald's isn't the end all. (Actually, they think Red Lobster and Olive Garden are fancy restaurants!) I had reminded them of my expectations of manners, and they complied for the most part, they had polite quiet conversations and waited on each other. And they were surprised and pleased with cucumber sandwiches and scones. Being south of the Mason-Dixon line, many had never in their lives had hot tea and were determined they weren't going to like it. They liked it.

I realized that the table settings aren't perfect. I don't have enough creamers so had to make due with measuring cups. I need to make a list for yard sales and flea markets....

Next up: France.

What's Your Dream?

Martin Luther King, Jr's Birthday

In looking back at the years before Martin Luther King's death, so much has changed. (I remember that day as well as the day JFK was killed and I was watching tv as Bobby Kennedy was shot) I grew up in the L.A. beach area and never really understood prejudice. I guess I grew up colorblind. I knew it was there but never understood why. I had black friends. Japanese friends, Mexican friends and I'm sure more nationalities but they were just kids. The stories of "white only" or "colored only" restrooms, drinking fountains and even schools was totally beyond my ken. I must admit that at times I have thought there was too much falderal about Dr King and having his own day, a day off of school. He wasn't a president, he wasn't a public official who held an important office. I wasn't even thinking much about him at all until my kindergartner granddaughter told me she is thinking about what HER dream is. She's 5 and I suggested that coming to my house was her dream. Nooooooo, that wasn't at ALL what SHE was thinking about. Something much more important. So I have been thinking about that all weekend... what is MY dream?

I guess I have several dreams.

• That all would know Jesus as Savior and I wouldn't have to worry about eternity for my loved ones.


• That the students of America (especially those in my school) would wake up and realize that public education is free for the taking! Take advantage of it. I was watching the Garth Brooks video today "We Shall Be Free" and there is a statement made in pieces by several celebrities: "The key to success is education, education, education." Oh, if only our kids would "get it".Our nation depends upon it.


• To lose 40 lbs. I'm dreaming here!


• That my mom would get better and I could have some quality time with her. That has never been so.

Well, that's enough for now. I'm sure I could come up with more if I didn't think about it.

What's Your Dream?

I did have a nice quiet day home from school. I got lots of paperwork done and Mom was released from the hospital and is back in the nursing home. Oh she is so frail and her mind so fractured. It's heartbreaking. But at least she is back in familiar surroundings. Thanks for all who sent along their gentle caring comments. Here's a picture of her from this July when all the kids were here except the Doc. I've posted this before but several months ago. Note that Baby J is still in the oven!