Special Prayer Request

I meant to post this the other day, but life took hold of me and I forgot. Sorry!

Please remember the Loyd family in your prayers. A three year old goes to the same school as Katie. His father, Matthew passed away recently. I can't imagine what this family might be going through. I don't know this family, so I don't know what caused his death. Mrs. Katie just mentioned him to me in passing.

Early Halloween Greetings!

I wanted to share a cute Halloween song, Katie and I came across. It's sung to the tune of "three blind mice."

Three Black Cats
Three black cats, three black cats,
In black hats, in black hats,
They all jumped into the Halloween brew.
They teased the ghosts and the goblins too!
Have you ever seen such a Hallabaloo?
On Halloween, On Halloween!

Pumpkin Carving Prayer
Dear God,
As I carve my pumpkin help me say this prayer:

Open my mind so I can learn about You;
(Cut the top of the pumpkin)

Take away all my sin and forgive me for the wrong things I do.
(Clean out the inside)

Open my eyes so Your love I will see;
(Cut the eyes out in heart shapes)

I'm so sorry for turning up my nose to all you've given me.
(Cut a nose in the shape of a cross)

Open my ears so your word I will hear.
(Cut the ears shaped like the Bible)-we did rectangles

Open my mouth so I can tell others You're near
(cut the mouth in the shape of a fish)

Let Your light shine in all I say and do! Amen.
(Place a candle inside and light it)

Hope you have a great Halloween week!

Tuesday, Katie gets to dress up in her costume for ballet class. Mrs. Anna usually lets the kids play around, get some candy and no real practice day.

Friday, Katie will get to dress up in her Halloween costume for a class party. They will get to make pumpkin pancakes for breakfast. The parents are invited to attend for the pancakes and party. Mrs. Katie will take the children around to the other classes and go trick or treating. I know they'll have a great time.

Orange Party

I believe the "Orange Party" was a success! Each children received a bag of goodies for a snack (cookies, chocolates, gummies, Teddy Grahams, candy, Halloween pencils, etc.) along with a "Happy Halloween" card, signed by Katie and a Hi-C juice box. All the children dug into their bags of treats, giggled and chattered the whole time. I got to know each one of Katie's little friends a little more. Claire asked if Katie could go home with her. I told her that I didn't care, but her mommy had to call me first to see if it was alright. Me-Me told me that her birthday was coming soon, next week, and she wanted a "Barbie Three Muskateer" movie. They were all so adorable! Of course, they were all bouncing off the walls as soon as I got there. I'm sure their mothers appreciated me giving them sugar for a snack to really make them bounce off the walls. Ha Ha! Overall I think everyone had a good time. Below are a few pictures of our big party day.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Next week, Katie has a Halloween Dress Up Ballet Class and a Halloween Dress Up Party at school. She is so excited! On the Halloween/Pumpkin Party, all the children will be making pumpkin pancakes. Katie is suppose to bring the Crisco. The parents are invited, but I don't know if Doug will be off work that day or not. We'll have to see.

Saturday, I think we'll do our usual run. I'll take our little beggars to their grandparents and other relatives to do a little Trick or Treating. Later, we will head to church, Northbrook Baptist Church for the Fall Festival. I will try to take a few pictures of the children in their costumes for you to see before my usual Halloween photos.

Congratulations Doug!
I'm proud to announce that Doug is an official graduate from DeVry College. It was official today, Doug received his Bachelors Degree in Business Science of Technological Management (I hope I didn't chop that up too much). He wants to take some time off before deciding if he wants to go for his Masters. We (family and friends) are so proud of him and knows how glad he is to finally get done with school.

To celebrate, we (Doug and I) went out to eat. We decided, last minute, to try "Connors Steak and Seafood Restaurant." I wished we decided to go here well in advance because you definitely need to make reservations whenever you eat here. As soon as we started eating our meal, we knew why we would need reservations. Oh my gosh! Everything was delicious! Doug got their special dish, Boursin Filet with a Caesar Salad and Baked Potato. I ordered the 8 oz. Prime Rib with House Salad and Baked Potato. Oh my my my! We shared a bite of each other's steak and they were absolutely delicious! The steak was so smooth and very tasty. The only Connors Steakhouse is located in Knoxville, TN and Huntsville, AL. If you ever have the chance to eat here, you must. We highly recommend our meals that we ordered tonight. I spoke to a lady in the waiting area and she said this was her 10th visit because her and her husband love their steaks. You won't be disappointed. The one thing, I'd advise is that you be sure to make reservations. You can visit their website HERE. We had a great time at Bridge Street Town Centre. I found Katie a sweet fallish polka dot cordouroy jumper from Gymboree on sale for $15.99, it was regular $34.75. She's got a pair of leggings that would go good with them. I love Barnes and Noble, so I visited them while Doug was at his favorite store, The Apple Store.

I'm sure you're aware that "The Wizard of Oz" is coming out soon in Blu-ray for their 70th Anniversary celebration. I don't know about other bookstores, but Barnes and Noble had "The Wizard of Oz" stuff everywhere. I found a sweet (if that can happen) Madame Alexander Wicked Witch of the West stuffed doll. I immediately thought of Katie. As most of you know, she is a big "The Wizard of Oz" fan and one of her favorite characters is the Wicked Witch. I had to get it for her for Halloween. They had other movie characters, but I got the last wicked witch they had on display. I wanted to get Katie a book, but all the books I wanted to add to our library were no less than $13. I wanted to get her a paperback of "The Spider and the Fly," but according to the clerk they don't sell the paperback. Ugh! "The Princess and the Frog" is out, but I couldn't see purchasing a hardback $10 for a book that Katie may not enjoy. I had in my hand the story of "The Little House" and nearly decided to get this classic when I noticed "Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving." Yep, that's it! She loves the "Charlie Brown stories" and I thought she might like it better. I went ahead and gave her the doll tonight, but I'll keep the book for another time. I've been looking for Colton a bath book, something that he could chew on and I won't worry about it too much. I couldn't decide between "The Rainbow Fish" and "Baby Einstein, Who Lives In The Pond?" The first book is a great children's story. I've checked it out at the library before and read it to Katie when she was smaller. I decided to go with the second book. Colton seems to like it, especially since he can chew on it.

Prayer Request
Please keep in your prayers -
My neighbor, Jeff W., he is suffering my Rectal Cancer. He is 39 years old with a family and having a very hard time. He has undergone surgery and treatments, but his mother told my neighbor, Ms. Evelyn, that it doesn't look good at all.

Ms. Evelyn has been having stomach problems for the past several days. Her doctor has been working with her and ruling out all the obvious diagnosis. Tuesday, she is to undergo a scan of her stomach and abdomen area. If the results come back normal, they will schedule an appointment to run a light down her throat. She isn't under a lot of pain, but it comes and goes.

Movies In Review
Finally, I have to introduce to you some really great movie selections for you this weekend, while you're not watch Bama run all over those Volunteers.

"The Proposal" starring Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds was a great romantic comedy I've seen in awhile. So funny! Doug even liked it, so you know it's good. I plan on adding it to my library.

"Transformers Revenge of The Fallen" is a great action film. Believe it or not, but I like the Transformer movies. They have a great story line that keeps my attention and Doug gets his action fix for the week. Hey guys, if you have surround sound, this would be a great choice for you.

I highly recommend both of these movies for you. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

ROLL TIDE!

My Oh My Baby Boy!

I knew the day was coming, I just didn't know it would be so soon. Can you believe that the month of October is almost over? I'll blink once and March will be here before you know it. Okay, let me get to the point of my title. After changing Colton's diaper, I always sit him in his crib while I throw the diaper away and wash my hands. As I was putting him in his bed, I kind of wanted to see if he could pull up as well, so I set him fairly close to the side rail. Mommy must know these things well in advance before something bad happens. Sure enough, I was walking over to the trash when I looked back and he was standing up, holding on to the railing. You got it, standing up in his bed with all smiles on his face. I ran over to his bed before he even thought about looking down or leaning over the rail. SHOO! So, I set little man on a pallet in the floor, while I moved the bed down. Now, mommy can sleep a little better at night.

Katie's Prayers
I try not to recite the usual memorized prayers to Katie. I just feel that it's better for it to come from the heart without the traditional memorized prayers like I learned. Please don't send me any bad email about it. I see nothing wrong with the memorized prayers, it's just a personal thing with me. You see, growing up that's all I was beginning to think - say the same prayer over and over. It got to where my prayer time was growing bigger and bigger. After awhile, I discovered that I wasn't really talking to God, but working on remembering everything (usual prayers). Now, I just talk to Him because that's all he really wants me to do. Talk to him, tell him what's going on in my life and surroundings, my troubles and trials and those whom I care for and about. I'm trying to sow this seed into Katie.

Katie and I sometimes switch up on who prays. Tonight, I asked her to pray for us. Genuinely coming from her heart, she was telling Jesus all the things she loves. It was so cute. "Jesus, I love you and mom and dad and baby Colton and G'ma Peggy and Paw-Paw Millard and G'ma Jerry and Papa John and Maryann and Kevin and butterflies and unicorns and rainbows and my dolls and Daisy (imaginary friend) and my friends and . . ." Can you tell she got a little off track there for moment? HA HA! I had to direct her back on track and ask what she is thankful for? "I'm thankful for the sun, getting to go out and play and my friends and my mommy and daddy and my dolls and my stuffs and unicorns and rainbows and mermaids and . . ." Then out of the blue, she looked straight at me and told me "God makes all things." "Yeah, you're right baby," I commented. I asked her if she knew what that meant. "Yes," she said. "That means that He made you and daddy and baby Colton and me and G'ma Peggy and Paw-Paw Millard . . . and my movies and my dolls and my fire engine hat." she answered. I had to stop her when she began listing all of her possessions and explained that Jesus made the people that created the movies, dolls and other stuff. Then she got a little puzzled and I think I got through it when she asked me if I made baby Colton in my belly. Oh boy, here we go. I corrected her. I told her that God created Colton, not mommy. God blessed mommy with baby Colton. Wow! She had confusion all over her face at this point. I went on to explain at her level because she began asking "if God put Colton in you, when did he do it? Did he come here and put him in you?" Carefully, I explained that God knew I wanted another baby. He put me to sleep and placed a tiny baby in mommy's belly, just like we plant seeds. She understands the whole growth cycle of a living plant, so I used that method to her in order to make my point. Then, she asked if God came here in the middle of the night to put Colton inside of me and how did he put Colton in me. "Did you see him mom?" she asked. "No" I assured her that you don't see God, but he is every where and he sees and hears everything. Apparently, I got the point across to her, for her to understand, because she was fine with that answer. Shoo!

Orange Party
Tomorrow's the "Orange Party" and I've got pictures, pictures and plan to make more pictures to show you. So, you'll have to wait until tomorrow to see everything. I've enjoyed making the children's treats for tomorrow, I just hope they like their snack. Wish me luck!

Playing Around With JibJab

I've been playing around with JibJab and created these little productions. (lol!) It was a lot of fun doing them. I hope you enjoy them! If you don't already know, these are me and my sisters.

"The Brindley 5"

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

You've met "The Brindley 5," now meet the men in their lives. (lol!) Aren't they adorable! Hunk-a-burnin'love!

Try JibJab Sendables® eCards today!

. . . and these are our wonderful and very handsome husbands.

Pumpkin Patch & Olivia's Birthday Party

Wow! Katie and mama had a busy day today. It's time to rest now, shoo! We started the morning off by dropping Katie off at school for a few minutes. I stopped by the ATM to get some money because of the past field trip, needed cash to buy all kinds of goodies and mama had zero dollars. Hey, live and learn. Right? Colton and I got home long enough to feed him and Peggy drove up. She looked after him, while I went to pick up Katie for the field trip. We (parents & students) all caravaned to "Burke's Pumpkin Patch." Since my last experience with field trips, I made sure I came prepared this time. I brought extra shoes, rags, and plastic bags. I should have brought extra clothes, but thank goodness, we didn't need them.


First of all, let me give you a vision of our field trip. We are going to a farm (field) and it's been raining pretty much non-stop for days. The ground is soaked and where the tractor has drove around in it's path all season is mud, ankle deep. It drizzled rain off and on the whole time we were there. The cold front has made it's appearance with the temps in the low 50s and the wind is a blowin'. Do ya have a visual idea of how today's field trip experience was for us parents? The children on the other hand, had a blast. The students split up in groups. The 3-5 year olds went on the hay ride, pickin' their best pumpkin, first and the 1-2 grades went last. Katie and her friend Olivia B. wanted to sit by each other on the hay ride. I had no problem, but me and Olivia's mom had a few heart attacks worrying about Olivia falling out of the trailer, every bump we hit. So on the way back, I sat on the outside. By that time, Olivia wanted to sit by her mommy and Katie wanted to sit by her. Unfortunately, someone else sat down beside her, which upset Katie. I told her that she has to learn to make up her mind fast because someone else will take the seat instead. She got over it quickly when it was time to go through the corn maze. I was sort of surprised, she went through it without me. This is good! She took off with Olivia and I stopped at the entrance. Those kids ran all the way through it without stopping. lol! So funny!

Hay ride - Katie & Olivia B.

Class Group Picture (not everyone in photo)
(L-R: Me-Me aka Mary Holman; Claire, Olivia, unknown, Katie, Breanna, Lilly)

Mrs. Katie was able to gather up most of her students for a group picture. I offered to take her picture with her camera, if she wanted to get in the group. I guess she was feeling camera shy because she didn't want to do it. It was cute, we started out with a few girls from Katie's class in the picture and the next thing, we have other children of all ages in the group picture. It just kept growing and growing. Us ladies began laughing because more children kept joining the group. It was cute. I think Katie's favorite part of the pumpkin patch was the haystack playground. As you can tell from the pictures, she was having a blast. The kids were running and jumping all over those haystacks. At first, I was a little scared of Katie jumping from one to another. I was scared because that's exactly how I chipped my front tooth. When I was much younger, I would do cheers on the haystacks in a field in front of my house. I was bad about jumping from one haystack to another and I loved doing roundoffs and herkies right off the haystack. It's a wonder I never got anything worse happen to me (broken arm or leg) other than a chipped tooth. That chipped tooth never stopped me for a minute.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The drizzly rain with the cold air concerned me, Katie being out in it. I was afraid that she would get sick, so I loaded up everything and drug her in the truck. She is terrible when it comes to leaving something so good. I guess she feels that if there is still one person left, she needs to stay until that person leaves. Ugh! I tried explaining to her about the rain and her catching a cold. I knew she was spending the night with Grandma Peggy and Paw-Paw Millard and would hate it if she ended up sick. It was a good thing, we left when we did because we were not far down the road when the drizzly rain ended up being a little harder rain drops. It was just a messy day.

I made amends with Katie because I agreed that I'd go to her favorite restaurant, Sweet Peppers Deli, and get her a bowl of mac 'n cheese. When we got home, I had her strip at the door because she had hay from head to toe. Plus, I didn't want her to catch cold, so I drew her a nice warm bath.

Olivia G's Birthday Party
Later after her nap, I got her all dressed up in one of her favorite dresses. I even went as far as curling her hair a little, she wore her necklace and perfume. She loves to wear perfume. I guess it makes her think she's all grown up. Ha Ha! We were all ready for Olivia G's birthday party. The party was held at the Cullman Gymnastics and Cheer Academy. Well, I've never been to this place, so I got my directions off the of the internet and got an estimated guess from a couple of moms as to where it was. Guess what? We still ended up at the wrong place. lol! Leave it up to me to get lost. I was close though because it was a little further down the street. Yay!

Katie's eyes lit up as soon as she could see through the doors. "Mom, it's a big playground!" she said. She couldn't get her shoes off fast enough, to get in there with the other kids. It was much bigger than what I thought and I got to talk with one of the instructors and she said they had much more than that room, further in the back. I was impressed. I had an interesting conversation with the gymnastics instructor about Katie and possibly coming there one year in the future.

You've got to check out Olivia's cake. Believe me, I checked it out closely. The cake is a pink buttercreme with fondant polka dots. I spoke to Olivia's mom, Susan, about the cake and she said that she liked the fondant look, but not necessarily the taste. She had the cake made by a lady from Vinemont. She did a great job and I duly noted the details of the cake for my next creation. I spoke to Olivia's dad about this being a great way to meet the other parents and the children in Katie's class. Unfortunately, I think Claire was the only other child from Olivia's class. Ugh! Well, I understand too. Friday can be a hard time to get away and go to a little girl's birthday party because you have football games and other family traditions. Katie and Claire had a ball playing at the party. In fact, they had so much fun that us moms had to drag them crying and begging all the way out the door. Ugh! Sometimes it's so hard to be the nice mommy without being the mean mommy hours later.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

It wasn't long before she stopped crying about having to leave the party and focused on visiting with her grandparents. She got us tickled, reading her storybooks to us and we didn't darn laugh or talk, while she was talking. LOL! She would make a good teacher. I could just see her, she'd have everyone in time out.

The Blind Side

Doug brought this movie to my attention. I don't think this trailer has aired on the popular stations (ABC, CBS & NBC). This trailer doesn't show the version I saw on television, but Nick Saban has an appearance in this movie. The real Michael Oher went on to play for Ole Miss and later for the Baltimore Ravens. I'm interested in watching it when it's out.

Prayer Request

Praise Report
Kevin is doing great after his knee surgery. Sure, it was rough the first few days, but he is up hobbling around.

Beth M. had her final radiation treatment several days ago. They tested her and she is cancer FREE! PRAISE GOD ALMIGHTY! Isn't he so good to us? She will continue to have check ups like 6 months at a time (I believe) to make sure she is in remission. She is still really weak, but went back to teacher elementary students half a day. She really misses her friends and students. She is a courageous woman and example for all of us. God has truly blessed her.

Prayer Request
Maryann, my sister, has been having problems with a possible nerve. Her back all the way down around her groin area is giving her extreme pain. She went to her Chiropractor last week. She was told to go home and rest that area. She is taking pain pills to get through the tough times. When she walks around on it, the pain increases. So, Kevin has been hobbling around and waiting on her. Katie, Colton and I took a bowl of chili for them last Thursday and visited awhile. I think they enjoyed the company, but looked so tired. We stayed for a few short hours and headed home. Dad and mom were over there as well, checking in on them. I hope God will relieve her pain.

He Said "Mama"

Colton said, for sure, "mama." He's said it a few times in the past, but I brushed it off as a coincidence. Now, I'm beginning to think, he might know what he's talking about. Normally, he says "mama" when he is upset (hungry or tired). It's so cute how he says it too. With his face all scrunched up, he'll say a series of "mamamamamamamama." When he is happy, he doesn't normally say "mama." Darn! Tonight, I had to finish getting Katie ready for bed and fix Colton his bottle. Well, Doug had to tend to him while I was running around the house. Doug and Colton were on the bed in our bedroom. Doug said that Colton would cry "mamamamama" and watch down the hallway to see if he could see me. He said that Colton would stop and look at the doorway, when he heard me talking. Poor baby! By the time I got his bottle warmed and back in the room, he was snubbin'. Oh, it just breaks my heart. Of course, to make Doug feel bad, Colton stopped crying as soon as I picked him up. :( That always makes me feel bad.

Colton can't seem to enjoy his new talent of sitting up on his own. No, he has to go to the next level, which is pulling up and standing. Don't get me wrong, he can't stand right now without assistance, but I know he would love to. If he gets tired of sitting, he'll lunge at someone or something, in hopes to pull up. He will fight you to stand up, while you're trying to sit him back down. He likes to get his hands and start banging them on anything. So, I got him one of those Leap Frog drums. I think Katie likes it better than he does or that is the very small time that he has been able to play with it because big sister is always grabbing it away from him.

Would you believe the fighting has started? Or at least the play fighting between Katie and Colton. Now that he can sit up, she's been playing with him. The crazy girl will put her special toys (nothing that is too little to put in his mouth) and then gets mad at him when he snatches her toys. Ugh! So, then I hear "mom, Colton took my toy." Wow! It starts so early. I just knew I had a few more months before this started. Ha! Ha! Doug had to get on to Katie tonight because she was getting a little rough with Colton when he snatched one of her crayons, while she was coloring her pony. Oh the DRAMA!

Katie's little friends from school (Lilly & Claire) told Katie that they are having 2 different birthday parties. Well that just intrigued Katie, having 2 separate birthday parties. So, she asked me if she could have 2 different birthday parties this year. She was estatic when I told her that we will be going to the beach on her birthday. She couldn't hardly believe it. She asked me, "mom does that mean I can have a princess party and a beach party too?" I told her "sure, but where did the princess party come from? I thought she wanted a 'Littlest Pet Shop' party?" "Oh yeah, right!" she responded. She explained to me that Lilly was having a princess party. She told me that she'll have to tell Claire and Lilly about her 2 parties. GIRLS! Her friend, Olivia G., invited Katie to her birthday party next Friday. Oh boy! This will be Katie's first school classmate birthday party. It will be at the Cullman Gymnastics. She's excited! I took her to Walmart to pick out some little something. She knew exactly what to get Olivia G. A specific Polly Pocket because Katie has one just like it. Ha!

I bought Katie a pair of black patent leather shoes and they seem to fit her when she first wore them to church. Well, today she was complaining about how her toes hurting. Oh, no! We had her stand up with the shoes on and there is barely enough room for her feet. Ugh! So, while Katie is out of school tomorrow, I guess we're going to head to the store and get her a pair that fits. Sometimes, I get so aggravated over stupid shoes. Would you believe that she has shoes in her closet and all of them are not the same size? None of the shoes fits her the same way another pair might fit. It's gotten to where, I have to have her with me now to purchase shoes. She has a size 9, 10, 11, & 1, it's ridicules!

You think shoes are bad to fit Katie just right without her with you, clothes are just as bad. Peggy bought Katie some Christmas outfits from Belk. The size 4 pants were a little snug; the size 5 shirt seemed a little big but will probably shrink in the wash; but the size 5 dress ate her up. Every piece of clothing came from the same store and in the same department. In fact, I think all of the articles of clothing is the same brand name. GO FIGURE! Oh well, since I'll be out and about, I told Peggy that I'd go by there and exchange. This isn't a rant, I wanted to show you how crazy buying for children can be. By the way, Laura I think Peggy bought every Christmas outfit Belk had to offer, so I think Katie's got the same outfits as Alise. HA HA! You know Peggy! She loves her Belk. HA HA! I love the polka dot shirt & dress. I'm hoping that Belk will have the dress in a size 4. I plan to take both shirt & dress to Monograms Plus and have a "K" monogramed on them. I think it will look so cute!

Tonight, we went to Sam's Club and I got Colton a couple of cloth books, train & "My First Farm Book." The train book is an actual train that makes a "toot, toot" sound when you press a button. It has a rattle and crinkle in the wheels, but underneath it is the book. It is so cute! I think the book is put out by "Softplay." They also had a truck, pony ride (horse trailer/truck w/horse)and dump truck. I went ahead and gave him the train. Oh, he loved it. He started banging on it right away. I plan to save the other for Christmas, if Katie will leave it alone. It's also a cloth book with stuffed farm animals that you play with during the story, comes with a cloth barn as well. They also had a "My First Zoo" book, with stuffed wild animals. I think I like the farm animals better. I'm keeping my eyes open for a plastic BIG Tonka or Catepillar truck to give Colton for Christmas. The only ones I've seen are for 3+ years and that won't do. Other than the Tonka truck, I have no ideas what Santa Claus is suppose to get Colton. None! He has every possible "general" toy because of Katie. I've been looking for boy toys. You know, animals, bugs, trucks, farming equipment, etc. I'm drawing a blank for a 9 month old little boy.

Yesterday, was the last day of Oktoberfest here in God's Country. Katie and I got out of the house, left the men to bond, to go to Walmart. My second home away from home. We drove by to see how the Oktoberfest festivities were making it and it looked intriguing to me. So, we parked the truck and took a closer look. There were arts and crafts of every kind. There was also the "haystack people," which is what is the most important part of Oktoberfest or at least in Katie's eyes. Below are a few pictures I took of Katie at the Oktoberfest. Since we were so close, I had to check out MONOGRAMS PLUS' new addition to their store. Laura, they carry the Southern Belle T-shirts. Have you seen the SB with the Bama sayings on them? So cute! All the SB shirts run $18, except for the collegiate $22. I might have to get one of the SB "Tide" shirts. My goodness, the collegiate apparel and stuff. I thought I was going to have a hard time getting Katie to put the baby Alabama elephant down that sang the Alabama fight song. She kept saying that baby Colton needed it for Christmas. The only reason why she put it back was because I told her that we might come back and get it another time.

In front of the Col. Cullmann Museum

Col. Cullmann Memorial Statue

Sitting inside the gazebo by the Col. Cullmann Museum

Katie & I in front of the Haystack People

Katie posing with the Haystack People

Special Prayer Request

Nolan's Grandma
In Liz's Blog, she is asking for your prayers to God in order to heal her husband's grandmother. From what I understand she has a gallbladder problems. In fact, she went in yesterday to have it removed. According to Liz tonight, she is still not doing good. She can't go to the bathroom and is in a great deal of pain. What's so bad is the doctor doesn't know what's wrong.

Jamie's Mother-in-Law
Jamie, a friend of mine, his mother-in-law is also possibly having gallbladder problems. She was rushed to the hospital yesterday. They are running test, but I haven't heard anything.

Please remember these two ladies in your thoughts and prayers. Thank you!

Allison's Baby Girl
Allison sent me a comment saying that Arwen was doing a little better the other night with the sleep. Allison that is wonderful to hear. I hope it will continue.

She asked me about Colton sleeping at night. Well, we are still going through this eating every 4 hours or wake up around 11 PM at night for a few ounces of milk. I've tried giving him a bottle around 8 PM, so he would have a full tummy before going to bed. I've even went as far as giving him some cereal along with his bottle. Nope, he is still waking up. At least, now he is getting up around 9:30 - 11:00 PM ready to eat. Instead of 2:30-4:00AM. I can always stay up a little later, waiting to feed him again a lot better than being woke up from a deep sleep and feed. Ugh! Please continue to pray. Thanks Allison for the thoughts.

Doug's Trip Part III - What Do Santa Barbara Homeless Do Best?

Have you ever asked yourself, What does Santa Barbara homeless do best? Have you ever thought about that question? Well, let me enlighten you on what it is that Santa Barbara homeless do best.

They create sandart and then ask you for money just for seeing their masterpiece. LOL! Honestly, I thought Doug was lying to me when he told me about this "must see" past time.


These creations are easily found, right off the broadwalk. Who would have thought?

Doug pulled one of my favorite things to do. He photographed his dinner at the restaurant, just so I could post it here on Blogger. LOL! We are desperate for cheap entertainment around here.

Doug said that the Elephant Bar Restaurant was a great place to eat. He said that he would love to eat at another one any time. If you would like to see if there is an Elephant Bar Restaurant near you, just CLICK HERE for their homepage.

Honestly, I don't remember where Doug said he ate at Santa Barbara, but he really like this above Crab Cake. He went on about how delicious it was. In fact, he said he liked it much better than the Fish Taco, he ate for his main meal (picture seen below).
I don't think I would like it either because the meat was broiled instead of fried or grilled. I'm just not much into broiled seafood. Other than that, it looks really good. Good picture hon!

Neat Treasures Found This Fall Season
Doug and I have come across some sweet treasures to celebrate the Fall/Halloween Season.
This little tasty treat hasn't survived around our house very long (box is nearly gone). Have you noticed the gourment Candy Corns? Now, I love Candy Corn, but I've been a little afraid to try the gourment. I mean, how can you make the traditional pure sugar treat any better than the original. I ask you? Surprise! You know me and chocolate. Not much stands in the way between me and chocolate. I'm addicted! There, I said it. Brach's had in my face a Chocolate Caramel Candy Corn (just for those chocolate lovers). Oh, you talk about heaven! Doug wanted to try these above, Caramel Apple Candy Corn. Would you believe that they taste exactly like a candied apple? I was shocked! They are delicious! We not only have had a hard time keeping Katie out of the box, but we catch ourselves snatching a handful. As you've guessed, the Weight Watchers Diet has been put on hold. Of course, the powdered donuts that my mother-in-law sent home with Katie didn't help either. Thanks Peggy! Love ya! Anyways, if you like Candy Corn, you've got to check out the gourment flavors (tons of different flavors) at any Walmart, Target and probably your local grocery store.

Have you tried making a PayDay snack, made from nothing but regular Candy Corns and Roasted Peanuts? Oh, it is so good. Once I added plain M&Ms to give a little chocolate taste. This last time, I put in the Chocolate Caramel Candy Corn with lightly salted Roasted Peanuts. They are great to set on the table, while watching the game.
Katie and I fell in love with these luminary tins. When I walk into Target, the first thing I do is go through their sale or bargain aisles. Sometimes, I can find little treasures like these. They cost me $2.50 each and came in 3 different designs (ghost, haunted house and pumpkin). Personally, I like the haunted house and Katie like the pumpkins. I thought the two complimented each other. At first, I thought about just setting these outside along my driveway, but when I was coming up with a decorator plan for my bookcase, I came up with this display. I rather like it better than just throwing them out on the driveway in hopes that someone might see them. I don't know about you, but we really don't have trick or treaters anymore. With all the meanness in the world, it's taken all the fun away and the safest way for our children to have an enjoyable Halloween is to go to your local festivals. Our festivals are mostly conducted by our churches (trunker treat or Fall festivals). The only outside decorations we have anymore are the blow ups (Frank & Pop-Up Ghost in Pumpkin). I was surprised at Katie this year. She seems more scared of everything like the famous heads (Frank & Wolfman). In the past, she absolutely loved them. Now, she starts crying in fear that you might turn them on. What's the deal child? I've explained to her and let her look at them that they are just toys. Oh well.

Doug's Trip Part II - Solvang, California

Unfortunately, Doug was a little disappointed with Solvang. I guess he was expecting something similar to Helen, Georgia, which is another Danish town or Christmas Village. I thought it was a pretty little town, according to his pictures. You'll have to judge for yourself.


Air Force Base in Vandenberg, California is right by the Pacific Ocean. Doug said that his buddy, Claude, told him that it is foggy most of the time. Fortunate for Doug, the fog cleared off one day and he was able to take a few pictures of the coast for me. He said that the temperature stayed around the 70s and it was sunny the whole time he was there.

He loved his visit to Santa Barbara, California. He really enjoyed venturing over to Stearns Wharf in Santa Barbara and then later to Goleta Beach. I'm sure it was beautiful and hope to visit there one day. I love the sailboats!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Enjoy the slideshow!

This isn't all of Doug's trip. Tomorrow, we will find out something surprising to me. Also, what did Doug eat, while he was out and about at the west coast?

Doug's Trip - Part I - Lompoc, California

ULA shipped a rocket to their Pacific launch site. The rocket will be launched sometime next year. Doug was asked to fly out to Vandenburg Air Force Base in California to be of some assistance. This was the first time Doug and I have been apart for a whole week. It was hard to manage without him, but I think I made it. The children kept me pretty busy while he was gone. Of course, we spoke to each other at least once a day. I know, we're pitiful.

Doug flew out of the Huntsville Airport, had a lay over at the Denver Airport and went straight to Santa Barbara, CA from there. He really liked Santa Barbara and from the pictures, I think I would have as well.

Santa Barbara Airport - very small airport

He rented a car and drove to Lompac, CA, which isn't far from Vandenburg AFB. He said it was very rural and mountainous countryside and from the pictures, very pretty. Lompoc, California is known for nothing but their agriculture - farmland & ranches and flower fields. Their claim to fame is their annual Flower Festival, which is held every June.

Flower Fields - Lompoc, CA

. . . Tomorrow I'll write about Solvang, California aka Danish Country.

Movies In Review
X-Men Origin: Wolverine was a great prequel about the live of Logan, Wolverine. I just love Hugh Jackman and if you're a fan of the X-Men comics or movies, you'll enjoy this movie.


The Ghosts of Girlfriends Past was hilarious! Doug actually rented this movie for me because he knows how I LOVE Matthew McConaughey. He didn't think it would be all that. Oh but it was and more. I think this was a great chickflick and even Doug laughed. It is so worth renting! It's a must see.


Management was a huge disappointment for me because I just love Jennifer Aniston. Whom ever is getting her in these crumby films needs to move on and leave her alone. I love her in the fun loving, comedy movies. I guess I shouldn't be so rough on this movie because it was cute and sweet at the end, but it had a long hard time grabbing and keeping my attention. Don't rent this unless you are desperate and alone.


Prayer Request
I found out tonight that someone I went to school with just passed away. He was much younger than me. His sister was a year younger than I and a real sweetheart. I was told his sister, Brandy, found him dead this morning at her place. I don't know the details and all I know is he has been active in Ultimate Fighting. Please keep this family in your prayers.

Prayer Request

I found out last night that my brother-in-law, Kevin, had an operation on his knee. I had asked for prayer for him some time back. Well apparently, he's knee got worse and the doctor decided to operate. Kevin told Doug that the doctor told him, it was the worst he had ever seen. Eeew! Apparently, he is in quite a bit of pain. He hopes to be up and at 'em by deer season. Please ask for God's healing power on Kevin.

I also would like special prayer for someone I know. I can't mention any names, but God knows who he is and his needs. He is facing being put on a list for a lung transplant in the near future. He has a severe case of Infazema and has to take oxygen at night before he goes to bed. He's still very young and I know he can fight it. Of course, he's scared and he's faith is lifted. Talking to his wife, God has a very special plan for this family. It's time, they don't feel they have much of. It will all work out in God's favor, which makes it hard for most of us to understand the "why's?" I ask you to please keep this person and his family in your prayers. Thank you!

Doug's Home!

Doug was in California for the past several days on business. Man, he was missed. We felt lost without him, but I'm glad everything went well out in Vandenburg, California and he is back home with us now. I hope it will be a very long time before he goes back. I guess he really didn't have to go, because he asked me before he accepted the trip. I thought it would be a great experience for him and didn't want to stand in his way. I'm so glad he got to go and visit California for the first time. I wished I could have gone with him. There are so many things I would like to have seen and experienced. Maybe some other time.

Katie and I went to Huntsville on Thursday afternoon to pick him up from the airport. It's too bad, we couldn't see him fly in or any plane fly in. The airport is under a lot of remodeling, so I don't know if they are preparing a designated place for people to view flights arriving or departing. While we were there, we couldn't see anything coming or going. It's too bad because I use to love going to the airport with my parents and watch the planes coming and going, while we waited to pick up our relatives. I would loved to have shared that moment with Katie that day, but 9-11 happened and all things changed.

Poor Katie, she thought we were getting on a plane to go pick up Doug in California. She was so disappointed to find out different. We got to the airport in plenty of time, to wander around and familiarize ourselves with the place. We missed lunch, so I ordered chips and dip to snack on before it was time for Doug's plane to land. Katie couldn't stop talking about seeing her daddy that I was surprised how quiet she got when he arrived. She remained quiet all the way home. Cat got her tongue, I suppose.

Doug brought back lots of pictures and stories for me to share with you this week. So, sit back and enjoy Doug's Corner this coming week.

Happy Fall Y'all
In our little town, we are celebrating Oktoberfest. It was kicked off today with our annual Sacred Heart German Festival. They usually have a games for the children, yard sales for the bargain hunters, Bingo for the adults, prizes for everyone and lots of fun. I don't think Katie is quite old enough to really enjoy the festival. Maybe next year. Instead, she spent the night with her Grandma Peggy and Paw-Paw Millard and spent time with them today. The festivities will continue all week where there will be a German meal every night at different places followed by another festival next weekend. Katie's school is suppose to be at the festivities next weekend, so I'll have to find out where they will be.

Katie's World
Katie's class is going to be busy this month. I received this month's newsletter and man oh man, lots of fun headed her way. Her class will be getting a visit from the Fire Department (Fire Truck); She won't have school on Columbus Day; Her class will be going on a field trip to the Pumpkin Patch; Katie and I are hosting an Orange Party (cookies, chocolate & other treats); And last but not least, a Pumpkin Party aka Halloween Party. All the children are encouraged to dress up for the Pumpkin Party in their favorite Halloween costume. She is so excited to get to show her friends her Ariel costume. I don't know whether to spend the money, go up to Target and purchase her a pair of the sparkle dress shoes ($12) or just have her wear her tenny shoes. What do you think? Bottomline, I don't want to be wasting money. My mom bought her a pair of the black sparkle shoes a couple of years ago and Katie loved them. She wanted to wear them all the time. The only bad thing is they scratch up our furniture and they are a little too dressy to wear to church (I think). When she wears the Ariel costume, you can't even see her shoes. I'll have to think about it.

New With Food
I'm a Paula Deen fan. While I was waiting in Walmart's checkout, I noticed Paula Deen had a magazine out. Now I'm sort of behind the times, so this magazine has probably been out forever, but I wanted to bring it to your attention. It's called "Cooking with Paula Deen." I've read a couple of the little stories. The few recipes I've read sound delicious and simple. If you're interested in checking out her website CLICK HERE. For instance, "Steaks with Mushroom Gravy" with a side of "Creamy Baked Spinach" and "Chocolate-Pecan Cobbler" for dessert. Yummy! I'll list the recipes below, in case you would like a running start on how scrumptious they might be.

Note: All the recipes listed makes 2 servings

Steaks with Mushroom Gravy
2 (6 oz) pieces trimmed London broil
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
1 (8 oz) package baby bella mushrooms, cut in half
1 cup red wine

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub steaks evenly with oil; sprinkle evenly with salt and pepper.

In a medium skillet, melt 2 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Add steaks, and cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side, or until browned. Remove steaks from skillet, leaving as much butter in skillet as possible, and place in a baking dish. Bake for 10 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Let steaks stand for 5 minutes.

Add mushrooms to reserved butter in skillet. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring frequently or until mushrooms are slightly tender. Add wine and cook, stirring frequently, until wine is reduced to 1/2 cup, about 6 to 7 minutes. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter, stirring to combine. Serve sauce over steaks.

Tip: Beef broth can be substituted for the red wine to prepare the mushroom sauce, if desired.

Creamy Baked Spinach
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3/4 cup half-and-half, divided
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained well
1 cup shredded Swiss cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Preheat broiler. Spray 2 (1 1/2 cup) ramekins with nonstick cooking spray.

In a medium skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion; cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until onion is tender. Add flour; cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Stir in 1/4 cup half-and-half, until mixture is smooth. Stir in spinach, cheese, salt, pepper, nutmeg and remaining 1/2 cup half-and-half. Spoon mixture into prepared ramekins. Broil, 5 inches from heat, for 2 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Serve immediately.

Chocolate-Pecan Cobbler
6 tablespoon butter
1 3/4 cups sugar, divided
1 cup self-rising flour
5 1/2 tablespoons unsweetented cocoa powder, divided
1/2 cup whole milk (I'm going to use 1%)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup toffee bits
1 1/2 cups boiling water
Garnish: dulce de leche ice cream, chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place butter in an 8x8" baking dish. Place in oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until butter is melted. Remove from oven; set aside.

In a mdium bowl, combine 3/4 cup sugar, flour and 1 1/2 tablespoons cocoa. Add milk and vanilla, whisking until smooth. Pour over melted butter.

In a separate medium bowl, combine remaining 1 cup sugar, remaining 4 tablespoons cocoa, pecans, and toffee bits; sprinkle evenly over sugar mixture. Slowly pour boiling water over top of cobbler. Bake for 30 to 40 minutes, or until top of cobbler looks set. Serve warm with ice cream and pecans, if desired.

I love to order Cracker Barrel's Chocolate Cobbler, it is so delicious! The bad thing is the last time we were there, the waitress said that Cracker Barrel has temporarily taken the cobbler off their menu and have introduced other desserts in it's stead. Ugh!

I didn't know this but Paula Deen has her brand of foods that you can purchase at Wal-Mart. You'll have to check it out, the next time you're in your area Wally World. If you decide to try one of these recipes, please let me know how they turned out. Hopefully, I'll be able to make them very soon.