Who isn't?

Who isn't on face book these days?

 

One important person, my sister, Martha.

This post is for you, Martha, because you're a very

important person to Audra & her family, so I don't want you

to miss these beautiful pictures.

 

(My sister, Martha is Audra's God mother and also Audra

carries on her middle name "Jane")

Martha has also supported Audra over the years with prayers and

doing special things for her like needlepoint heirlooms etc.

Aunt Martha is a special Aunt to all my girls by the way.

 

These are recent pictures taken by my husband's cousin, Tracy in

Vegas, where my daughter Audra and her family went for a

mini vacation.  Tracy invited them to stay with her and they had just an awesome time.

 

Rick and Audra (the reason the grand babies are so beautiful)



The whole family - Rowyn 2 1/2 yrs, Emma 6 months

Emma Love - 6 months old and always smiling

Rowyn Gracie Jane Roberts 2 1/2 yrs

 

Emma Love Roberts 6 months old

I told Tracy I'd love to go visit her and take photography lessons.
My photography continues to improve slowly, but she
has tons more skill and I'm sure better equipment than I do.
Wow! is all that I can say.
I can't wait to see the rest of the photos.

 

 



1,000 Gifts Continued.....

Have you ever started a book and then halfway through decided to start over at the beginning again?  Well it's seldom that I do, but when I'm afraid I might just miss something important or want to make sure that I'm comprehending all that I  should...well that's when I decide to start it over from the beginning.  Not to mention that I want to make sure I fully understand my dare.  My dare to live fully.  I have a dollar store special notebook that I'm recording all the things I'm grateful to God for, my blessings as I catch them falling upon me each day.
 
Here's my second installation to my list.  I didn't number the first ones, but will start now.  If you'd like to start with my original post here's the link.

 7.  Unexpectedly running into a good friend at my church

 8.  A heroic deed done by a child

 9.  Cuddling under a heavy quilt on a cold night.


10.  My Grandma's bracelet 8 charms long



11.   Watching a child's first experience with snow

12.  A No-recipe homemade soup from what's in the fridge that turns out yummy.

13.  A drowned child/alive and celebrating their second birthday
       (Truman's Open House/Birthday link)  Just noticed this one made number 13, how ironic is that?  Luck had nothing to do with Truman's miraculous out come, we give all the glory to God.

And so I continue reading the book a few pages here and there during my busy days.  I don't want to rush finishing it as I hope to instill a habit of looking and recording by continuing to be amazed by the impact of Ann's book.

It's here!

Yesterday's mail brought some excitement into my day.  I lit up when I saw the package from Vintage Pearl, because I knew my Grandma's bracelet was inside the wrappings.  It arrived quick and just as I specified, every name of my grandchildren in order of their birth and spelled correctly.  It's beautiful and I can't wait to start showing it off.  I did put a post on face book yesterday, the extent of showing it off so far, but hope to wear it soon.  The twins would drive me crazy if I wore it to work, they love to grab anything I attempt to wear at their house, so will refrain from wearing it over there.

 

Oh dear!  The entire picture isn't showing up.  This will have to suffice for now, but will try to post another picture of the entire bracelet soon.

 

Here's a link to vintage pearl's web site.

I used an online coupon code and saved $26.00, so

if you decide to order something, don't forget to look for

a code first.

 

I also have jewelry by Lisa Leonard.

Olive Garden Recipe (copy cat)

Olive Garden Recipe

Pasta E Fagioli Soup

 

 

2 lbs ground beef                       3 (10 oz) cans beef broth

1 onion, chopped                       3 tsp oregano or 

3 garlic cloves, minced                or Italian seasoning

3 ribs celery, chopped               2 tsp pepper

3 carrots, chopped                     5 tsp parsley

2 (28 oz) cans diced tomatoes   1 tsp Tabasco sauce

1 (16 oz) can red kidney            1 (26 oz) jar spaghetti sauce

    beans                                      8 ounces pasta  

1 (16 oz) can white kidney

  beans drained

 

Brown hamburger, drain.  Add onion and garlic and saute, then transfer

to a large slow cooker.  Add all remaining ingredients except pasta.  Cook on LOW for 7 hours or on HIGH for 4 hours.  During the last 30 minutes on high, or 1 hour on low, add pasta.  Serve with grated Parmesan on top.

 

This was the most delicious new soup recipe I have tried in a long time.  I bought 365 Days of Slow Cooking by Karen Petersen a while back and am slowing trying some of the recipes.  I would highly recommend this one.



One Thousand Gifts

A Dare to LIVE FULLY right where You are

 

A dare... who can resist that?

Not me.  Not in my childhood and not now.

 

If you haven't read her book (Ann Voskamp) you owe it to yourself to do so.  But, that's not the dare.  That dare is to follow in her foot steps and find a thousand gifts and record them, share them, live them as I plan to do.

I started finding gifts before I was even halfway through the book, gifts I would have barely noticed, maybe smiled momentarily or thought about for a minute or two and gone about my busy day.  Now I'm recording them, remembering to thank God for them and dwelling on them, even sharing them with others and it is bringing me more joy.  Imagine that!  More joy, who doesn't want that, need that, love that?  This has been a true wake up to God's blessings.  Showers of blessings as I'm beginning to realize.  Here's just a few that I've savored in the last few days.

 

• One baby imitating another
• Time shared with another when "everything is funny" and you can't stop laughing
• Rocking a peacefully sleeping child
• A sister that's on the same wave length as you are
• Sunshine on snow after a run of gray winter days
• The smell of baby feet  (I bet that won't be on anyone else's list)

There's even a website that's been started and you've been invited to join in at www.onethousandgifts.com  This website offers free downloads and resources to help you live fully and give thanks right where you are.

  

Maine and Snow go hand in hand

Snow pictures from when we were in Maine.

There was ice under the snow and right after I took this shot, 

I went down on my rear.  Yup! I knew there was ice right near

where I was standing. LOL but my memory was off by a couple feet.

Amanda shoveling her car out after the storm.  Thankfully both my daughter and her husband had some days off to spend with us while we were there, so they didn't have to deal with this every day.

Henry loves the snow and being outside.

The backyard.

I tried to download a ton of pictures, so I could blog about them

while enjoying my next vacation, but most of them loaded upside down.

Ugh!  I really should take a class on blogging and learn a few things so it's

less of a hassle.

Well I'm now in sunny New Mexico and off to take another long walk. 

I'm sorry my words are few.

Christmas

Christmas is the time of the year when loved ones try to get together to celebrate and rekindle bonds.  It is so easy when your loved ones are near, and can be so very difficult when loved ones live far away.  This year was spent with my eldest daughter, Amanda and her hubby Derek and their three small blessings, Michael, Ava and Henry.

Ava Lauren - Christmas Day 2013

TaDa! Henry Owen age 2

Henry with his super hero's shirt

Ava with her American Girl Look a Like Doll

Christmas 2013 Aren't they Adorable

They were so excited to see all the gifts under the tree and Ava quickly became the organizing child and started reading tags and sorting all the gifts into piles.  They took turns opening gifts and I never saw a disappointed look from anyone.   Whether a big expensive gift or a small trinket, everything was appreciated and oohed and aahed over.  It was well worth the 21 hours in the car to enjoy the week with my Maine grandchildren.