Gifting Thoughts

It was brought to my attention that some feel if I do for them, they need to do for us. It is not that way! I give gifts because I wish to. I love baking all sorts of goodies at the Holidays and I love to share them with people and families close to us. Then I get today that some do not want to swap any form of gifts. Even a few have stated they were cutting out buying for non immediate family or cutting back. This is all great! Please no one ever think I am giving to you for you to give me something back. It is not a tit for a tat game. It is a simple gesture from me or my family to those we care about. I am not all commerialized about gifts, I do not like giving gift cards and I do not like lists. I love to give homemade treasures and when I buy something, I like to think I know the person well enough to give them something special that I thought they would like or that just screamed their name. Just like this month is Breast Cancer Awareness, I sent a very dear friend of mine who is a Breast Cancer Survivor, Praise the Lord!, a precious pink ribbon and rhinestone bookmark! And you know what, it delighted her day! That is the purpose of my gifts, no matter how large or small. It's a small blessing that I am able to pass on. So when others are gifting you, please take it as a blessing, and be appreciative of it. Do not think it is a tit for a tat in anyway. If it is, it is truly not a gift that was meant for giving! Be a happy and cheerful giver or a thankful receiver! Be blessed.

Hugs and Blessings,

PAIL

Tomorrow is PAIL, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. Please stop and say a prayer for those that have lost. It is truly a hard part of one's life. So please do remember them all!

Hugs and Blessings,

Happy Monday

Happy Monday to all and I hope everyone had a great weekend! We sure did! We spent some great family time together on Saturday. We went for a leisurely drive, and stopped and had a late lunch at a Mexican Restraunt. It was so yummy! I sure do miss the Mexican food back home. It is not the same here, so we greatly enjoy it when we get to visit.


Then I did lots of cleaning out! We down sized our home this past spring, and we still manage to keep accumlating so much stuff, especially with two little ones. So I cleaned out their clothes and shoes, and even their hair bows! I know you may be thinking, she is actually shocked that I would part with some hair bows, but I am! I am passing them on to a very dear friend who has a little one the same age is Lil K and she was lost at where to get the bows. So I decided to share some with her. She has a shoe box ready to go full of small to toddler size hair bows. We normally do the larger bows, and she does the small ones, so it is great to see someone get some use out of the bows we wont be using. Plus we are passing on some clothes and even a Halloween Costume! So it really makes me feel good to share the blessings we have received. You know when we were blessed with Lil E, we weren't looking at the time to adopt, and the call came out of the blue! Please do not think, we were not over joyed, as we for sure were! But we had very very little time to prepare and gather all the things we needed! So many stepped up and passed stuff on to us! It was truly a blessing! Then again this spring people were more than generous to pass things on to us for Lil K. So with all the blessings we have received, we love to pass on to help others too.


We have had a lot of catapillars around in the last couple of weeks. And Lil E is loving watching them! And she knows they they grow into beautiful butterflies! One of these days when we travel to Branson, we will have to take her to the Butterfly Garden. I know she will love it!

Then today, Lil E and I made some cookies. We mixed up peanut butter cookies, and then stirred in milk chocoate chips and toped them with Hershey Kisses! They turned out yummy. And she sure was happy! She loves to cook and bake! Anything she can do to help Mommy and Daddy! We introduced Lil K to the old fashion wooden blocks today and she loved them! The girls had so much fun playing together!

Tomorrow we will make a pot of Chili, as it has turned off cooler here and is raining! I love this time of the year!

Hugs and Blessings,

SCT

Apple Butter

8 peeled, cored, chopped apples
4 cups of white sugar
5 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp salt

Fill slow cooker with everything. Stir together. Cover and cook on high for 1 hour. Reduce heat, simmer for 12 hours, stirring occasionaly. Fill small jars with hot apple butter, leaving 3/4 inch space at top.

Water bath as usual.

Hugs and Blessings,

Blessed for sure, through out our day.

I am so reminded daily just how blessed I am! I have 2 beautiful girls beceause of the Gift of Love from God and they are mine through adoption. Just this very morning I was reminded how lucky I am. Someone I know was trying to adopt a precious lil one and the Birth Mom had an abortion, because she said if she couldn't have the baby, nobody could. This hit me really hard. As it was a year ago that this situation was in my own life. And I was no longer the Adopting Mom of that precious one growing inside. So as my heart breaks deeply, I knew I had to find something positive to insure I had a beautiful day. I simply saw my girls pretty smiles as they woke up and knew that was just it! I am blessed! And to see how much love they have for each other is just undescripable. As well as how bonded we all are! I never knew that love could be this grand!!!

So after a wonderful morning at home, Lil K went down for her nap, and Lil E and Mom were singing and dancing to Barney! We had a wonderful time. Then we got all ready and ran some errands in town. Then we went to the park! We had the best of time just enjoying each other. Mom and her girls! I laughed as they played chase. It's a favorite of theirs. Then Lil E was picking her puffy lil dandelions and Lil K was exploring all the textures. She was most fasinated with the fallen leaves.

Then we headed to the play ground! Lil K had a blast swinging, and Lil E was all over the play ground. She was sliding, climbing, and even would stop push Lil A in the swing! It was a beautiful day, the temp was just right. In the 70's, it was a lil breezey, but not to much!

We headed home and after Lil K's afternoon nap, they were sitting so sweet watching tv in their room! We got a tv for there room and we subscripe to Direc TV, and put the parental controls on to the fullest. They truly work! As there has been several times shows and movies on the Disney Channel are blocked out. TV in the room is a privilege, not something we always get to do.

For dinner we had chicken pot pie, rolls, and peaches. Then after our nightime routine, Lil K was off to bed. And Lil E and mommy spent some time organizing our kid craft stuff, so Lil E and I can do some crafts tomorrow. She loves to do crafts! We have to get busy with our Christmas gift crafts that she will be making!

So I came to blog and was reminded again, just how blessed I am. I have a beautiful family and wonderful friends! Thank you for sharing in our day! Hope your day was beautiful too! Remember to not take for granit the daily blessings in our lives.

Hugs and Blessings,

Great Giveaway from Country Girl at Home

Oh wow!!! Check out this awesome give away over at Country Girl at Home, http://countrygirlathome.blogspot.com/

She is so very generous to give away something for her 100th Blog!
http://countrygirlathome.blogspot.com/2008/10/my-100th-post-giveaway-custom-order.html

Now if that isn't just the nicest!


Hugs and Blessings,

Happy Monday

Hope everyone had a nice weekend! Ours was ok, I was a bit under the weather and just not with it at all. I had been battling a miagraine since Friday and it ended up putting me to bed all day Sunday. But today was better. Thank God! I'm so thankful that my husband was home to help with the little ones!


I received a nice treat today, I had 2 rocking chairs for the front lawn delivered. And hubby put them together this evening for me. Aww! What a sweet hubby I do have! So out I went with the girls in their little Halloween outfits to take some pictures. Both Lil E and Lil A were just too cute!

What was for dinner at your home? I made round steak covered with brown gravy, mashed potatoes, fried yellow squash, and rolls. It all turned out nicely! Lil E does not care for fried squash, but she will eat it cleaned and uncooked! She is a lil hoot!

Not yet sure what I have on the plate for tomorrow, I may do some Chicken Spaghetti or something like that. It's a family favorite! Lil E loves it so much she will eat and eat and eat.

I'm so glad, I have a sweet friend of mine, Martha Lou who just got her engagement ring from her sweet beau! Congratulations to the both of you and I sure hope and pray yall have a long life of happiness!!!!

Hope your Tuesday is grand!

Hugs and Blessings,

SCT

Autumn Pork Chops

4 1 inch thick boneless pork chops

2 cups of apple juice

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 cup apple sauce

Place pork chops in the crockpt, cover with apple juice and apple sauce, sprinkle with cinnamon. Then stir it all together and cook on high for for 4 - 6 hours.

Serve over stuffing of choice. Sprinkled with black pepper and season all salt.

Check out other SCT recipes at the Family Corner, http://www.familycorner.blogspot.com/



Hugs and Blessings,

Happy October 1st!!

Wishing everyone a Happy 1st of October! I hope everyone is begining to enjoy some fall weather and colors!

We had a great day! Ran some errands and such, then we had lots of fun time! While Lil E and I went to the grocery store, she wanted to stop and smell every pumpkin we came to. She loves the smell of the Febreeze Pumpkin air freshner we have. She was trying to find a pumpkin to smell like it. Then we are walking along and she says to me, "Mommy, when I get big, my husband is going to have kitties, and they will use the litter box too. Your husband wont let us have kitties." I said sweetie my husband is your Daddy and he is allergic to them and they make him sick. She simply says "oh ok". The things that come out of their mouths, out of the blue, just crack me up! We spent some time out side playing today, after our errands had been ran! Both girls played and had the the best of time today! Lil E mowed some, both girls took a stoll in their lil red convertible, Lil K took a ride in her stroller, and more playing! We had so much fun! We all took a ride in Daddy's truck! Lots of giggles, lots of laughs, and lots of great memories! So here are a few photos of our day!

I cooked the entree for our dinner in the crockpot today! I'll be sharing the recipe with yall tomorrow for Slow Cooking Thursday. It was a wonderful fall dish. Then I made some cinnamon streusel quick bread from the Cinnabon Cinnamon Streusel Muffin mix, by Betty Crocker. The recipe was on the box. It turned out so yummy. And the house smelled great!


We are planning to take the girls to a pumpkin patch this weekend! I can't wait! I love going to to pumpkin patches, playing in the leaves, warm hearty crock pot soups, and baking warm desserts!!!


Hope you all had a wonderful day! Again, Happy 1st of October!


Hugs and Blessings,

Joy in my day

We had a great day here! The girls had a lot of fun playing together! I can't get over how sweet Lil E can be! I love when she says to me out of the blue, "Thank you for being a sweet mommy, Mommy!" Now isn't that the sweetest thing to hear! For me it is! And each night when she says her prayers, she is sure to include, "Jesus, please take our pains away." I am also very astonished a lot to see how faithful she is! If that isn't motivation to keep your eyes focused on God, I don't know what would be.

I'm so proud to see Lil K has adjusted so well! She is doing wonderful and follows me everywhere. When she wants some cuddles and loves from mom, while playing. She just stops and crawls so fast to me and raises up her sweet lil arms! It warms my heart so much!

I'm blessed with 2 precious and sweet lil girls! They are both the joy in my days! They are lots of fun!!!

Today we just hung out and played with toys and cuddled and read some stories. Lil K doesn't mind what you read to her at all. Lil E wants her Mommy and Daughter Bible to be what we read from all the time. It is her favorite! And they love "5 speckled Frogs". It is such a cute lil song! Do you read to your lil ones? It's such wonderful quality time! We love it!

We had yummy Chicken Cordon Blue Sandwiches for dinner tonight and a sife of fruit! So yummy. Everyone loved it!

Hope you all had a good day!

Hugs and Blessings,