I got the best news!!

Okay, so the other day I check in on my email and I see I've received a private message on a scrapbook forum I frequent. Low and behold, it was from Paula, the owner of Back Porch Memories an awesome kit club. I had made a comment on the Willow Trader's board about her up-and-coming July kits and from that post she took a look at my gallery at the veggie site. Well her private message about made me fall over!!! She said that she had peeked at my stuff and was looking for another DT member and would I be interested.....WHAT!!!! WOULD I!!!! I'm a little nervous as this is the first time I will be designing for a kit club and I truly hope I have what it takes.....sometimes I make myself more worked up than I should be. I'll give it my best shot---WOO HOO!! I'm totally excited!!! Thanks Paula for giving me a shot!!!

Erica's Blogger Challenge

What was your favorite book as a child? How old were you? What made it your favorite?

This is sad because I don't honestly remember reading a lot as a child. I do remember while in elementary school having library as a class. I always chose the Encylopedia Brown books. I remember reading a few of the Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Little House on the Prairie books. However, for the life of me, none of the main details of these books have stuck with me. I was never much of a reader, unless it was magazines, until recently. It once took me over a year to finish a book that I absolutely loved -- Songs of Ordinary Times. I just didn't make it a priority.

I LOVE to read now! I just finished the book Rules of Prey and man was that a psychotic thriller! It kind of scares me to think there are people out in the world like this! The main character, Lieutenant Lucas Davenport, was very appealing -- a game player that was good at what he does. I would highly recommend it. I might have to track down the other books in this series from the library. However, there's a new book being introduced in our little J4K book club, Eden Close, which I will now search for at the library -- sounds like a good one!

Catching Up!

Well, I've fallen behind on keeping up with the blog. That happens when you're chasing kiddies and puppy around. The summer vacation has been uneventful so far. We've just been hanging out in the backyard and swimming in our little pool.

Marisa's dance recital was yesterday. She was so sweet!! I can't believe how well she does in dance. She has kind of said she doesn't want to go back because she would like to start ice skating, but I think I'm going to have her take one class. She is good and that's not being biased. She really gets into it! Here's a picture of her in her costume -- she looks like a teenager!




Travis bleached his hair for the summer. He always does this as a tradition for the past few years. This time his step-dad Howard had the priviledge of doing it. I swear he did a better job than both his mother or myself!!! I told Travis to tell Howard I'm coming over so he can hook me up with some highlights!!



Lil' Cooper is getting bigger and better as far as the housetraining. He still has his accidents, but they are fewer. He's gotten pretty smart with going to the bathroom in one spot behind the garage and so far we've all done pretty good with keeping up on scooping the poop. I cannot stand to have funky brown spotted grass with big hunks of poo! That was the agreement that we would all take part in picking this up. Now, it makes it easier being they are very small, but one day as I remember very well from our last GSP, they will become BIG!!!


Today was Father's Day and ours was pretty low key and laid back. We like it that way. I let Dave sleep in late partly because he was up with Cooper on and off during the nigh...ugh! I made him breakfast and we bought him a present which wasn't much -- shoes shoes and more shoes. He asked for work shoes, so we bought him those. Then I bought him a pair of dress shoes and a pair of gym shoes. He's set for the next decade....lol Here's a quick picture of him and his kids minus Collin who is going through the stage of not wanting to be in front of the camera.


We did go out to dinner yesterday evening to celebrate Marisa's recital and Father's Day all in one. We made the big trip to Olive Garden and believe me when I say big trip because my husband is not one to go out to dinner with the kids. Plus my mom, sister, and niece came along too. Gosh, I love their food even though it's too expensive for freaking noodles!

That's all for now folks! Have a great night!!!

Sappy

that's how I would describe my most recent mood. I cry over a drop of a dime. At first I thought it was lack of sleep from the new puppy and it still might be, but I really think it is because come this time of year when school ends it hits me that my baby girl is getting older. Another year has come and gone and she's now moving on to second grade and the next thing you know, she'll be graduating.

For the past week she has told me that she doesn't want school to end. She wants to stay in Miss Hasse's class forever because she loves her. That shows what a positive impact her teacher and school has had on her. I picked her up today and she bawled her eyes out hugging me in the hallway. I had to gasp back my tears and explain to her that just because she would no longer be in Miss Hasse's class didn't mean she would never see her again. That poor girl cried and cried and even passed up swimming in the pool this afternoon and took a nap. Whew -- I must be super PMSing because I can't stop crying thinking about that moment and the past year in general. She has grown up so much learning to read and write, mathematics, science and all the neat projects she has brought home. Gosh, I love that little girl of mine for the sensitive caring soul she is!!! Now to find a tissue again!!

Another mother and myself put together a book for the Miss Hasse. Each child had to complete a sentence that stated why Miss Hasse was special. Of course 7 kids didn't turn theirs in, so Sheri and I made simple layouts of those kids with their names on it. I think the book turned out simplistically nice. Miss Hasse loved it, and thanked me for taking the time. She even said I was sooo creative...thanks Miss Hasse!

blogger challenge

We're talking about cooking today!

I love to cook especially when it's appreciated. I'm always willing to try new recipes that have ingredients that I like. Sometimes I take the leap and try new things. My favorite things to make are desserts, but I'm also a big fan of Mexican and Italian dishes.

I'm trying to think of what I'm known for cooking. I know my brother used to love when I made homemade Slim Jims with my own recipe for tartar sauce. I make these awesome chicken enchiladas. Oh, I make this meatloaf that is truly delicious. It must be good because my husband couldn't stand meatloaf before and now he loves this one. There's lots of other things I make -- cookies, pies, pasta dishes....all this talk of food is making me hungry!! I'm back to the Weight Watchers way and I am continually hungry!!!! Somebody pass me some carrot sticks!!!

Oh, I'll share a quick recipe I found the other day for anyone who likes strawberry shortcake. This recipe is called "Better Than Strawberry Shortcake"

Mix: one pack of cream cheese (1/3 reduced fat)
one regular sized tub of light cool whip
1/2 cup Splenda

Buy: an angel food cake (or make your favorite recipe) and cut it up into medium sized cubes

Clean: and cut fresh strawberries in half (remove the green leaves from the top).

Layer:Take a deep glass dish and add a base of angel food cake cubes, add half of the cream cheese/cool whip/splenda mixture, and add a layer of strawberries,

...add another round of angel food cake cubes, the last of the cream cheese/cool whip/splenda mixture, and top it off with strawberries.


*And if you are a blueberry fan, add those, too! It gives it a more patriotic look for an independence day celebration.

It's delicious!!!! Enjoy it!