Jesus Gives the Best Hugs

Sitting on a little bench trying to conquer the imposing mountain of laundry.

Little man came over and help his arms out.

"I'll help, mom."

So sweet...he still thinks putting laundry away is fun.

I couldn't help myself and leaned over to kiss his soft cheek.

Miss B didn't want left out and came over quick to get a hug.

I acted surprised and said, "Oh, you give the BEST hugs."

"No, Jesus gives the best hugs," she said.

Out of the mouth of babes.

The best gift I can give my kids is siblings.

Now if I can only teach them to treasure and appreciate this!

Count Your Blessings

#13 rocking chairs

#14 story books

#15 phonics

Louisiana Carrot Cake Recipe

at first the kids said,

"a cake made with vegetables?!?!  no, thanks, mom"

and that soon changed to....

"please, cook all my vegetables like this."

Memaw's Carrot Cake Recipe
Here's the groceries!
2 cup sugar
4 eggs, beaten
2 cup sifted flour
2 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tbsp. salt
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 1/2 cup cooking oil
2 cups chopped pecans
2 cups coarsely grated carrots

(Feel free to read the next part with a Louisiana accent....just like my darling, Cajun mother-in-law)

Add sugar to eggs, stir well.  In another bowl combine your flour, soda, salt, and cinnamon; reserve a small amount of your flour.  Add your flour mixture and your egg mixture, alternating but beginning and ending with flour mixture.  Dredge your pecans with reserved flour then fold them and grated carrots into batter.  Pour into 2 circle (greased waxed paper-lined) layer cake pans.  Bake at 350 for 30 to 40 minutes.  After removing from oven let cakes sit for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Cool thoroughly on racks.

Count Your Blessings

#10 vintage dishes 
#11 carrots

#12 hairspray

How to Hatch a Baby Chick

I saw her mischievously sneaking around the corner of the house.

  From the direction of the chicken house.  

Her coat as wrapped tightly around her but there was a small bundle

 held awkwardly in front...hidden...too small to be a chicken.

(that happens a lot)

Miss B. tried to bypass me but thankful she lies as good as her mom and I knew something was up.

She sheepishly showed me Lavern's {the chicken} egg.  Still warm.

And lovingly wrapped up in her coat so the "baby" would stay warm 

while Lavern decided to stroll around the yard.

How to Hatch a Baby Chick?   by Miss B. (age 5)

"1. Ask the mommy chicken if you can have an egg

2. Hold it in your hands very carefully

3. Keep it warm

4. Don't run with it or shake it

5. Watch it very carefully until it has a crack

6. When the baby comes out you can sleep with it

 to protect it from the raccoons"

I love this tiny window into her thoughts 

and see that inside this ornery little outspoken girl is goodness and love and selflessness.

The sweetness to take care of an unprotected little egg.  

God has great plans for you, Miss B!

Count your blessings

#7 chicken eggs

#8 imaginations

#9 chicken wire

throwing confetti

just leaving the festive, jovial, glittery fun of the Christmas and New Year Holidays.

Always sad to pack away the tree and the lights.

As I was sweeping under the couch I found some teeny {tiny}

 bits of paper that were left over from the merriment.

Confetti

Remember, my loved ones, how much fun it is to throw a handful of that fluttery stuff?

Remember also, to make a difference in those you meet today.  

Kindness is just as fun to throw around, I promise.

count your blessings

#4 warm heavy quilts

#5 lemon hand lotion

#6 rocking chairs

Grandma's Cranberry Journal

Where to start?  hummmm {clicking the keys}

sitting here trying to focus my thoughts are swirling around in my mind.
I have the excited little girl feeling.

Almost like when you have something you dearly loved but have misplaced for months and then you find it again.  You are thrilled and joyful {squeal} to have it in your possession again  You hug it to your chest, spin around, and wonder how you lived without it.?.

So now...  How to begin again?

I blog for my children.  To preserve those moments that I can't dwell on each day but want to tuck away for the future. I write and record my thoughts because it's in me to do so.  All because I have have a Grandmother named Alberta.

When I was a teenager, my grandmother Alberta gave me a small old {red} journals.  This delicate book became priceless to me as I poured through the pages.  I realized that carefully documented were my grandmother's thoughts and experiences in her first few years of marriage.  I blushed and smiled when she talked about her love of my blue eyed Papa.

Tears welled up in my eyes when she realized she was expecting her first baby and the stories of the little baby boy that grew up to be my father.

I loved learning that her and papa weren't perfect but quarreled at least once....but made up the same day.  I laughed to learn that she recorded her love of rearranging furniture....I come by that very honestly!

Priceless and irreplaceable.

I purposed in my heart and made a promise to myself to create something like that to pass on to my children.  Something similar to Grandma Alberta's cranberry colored journal.

Another memory of Grandma that is to precious not to share is her ever present bandana.  She was rarely without a red or navy bandana tied around her dark hair.  Maybe only when she was at church or a wedding. She always told me her grandmother was full blooded Indian and that's why she had such dark hair and deep brown eyes.  So for this reason I will always own a bandana and feel closer to my Grandmother when I tie it around my hair.

I dream of my own daughters or granddaughters reading these words years from now and knowing how much they were loved and cherished.

count your blessings

#1 snow banks

#2 old wooden sleds

#3 warm waterproof mittens