We are Thankful

 

The cornbread is baked and ready to be made into dressing,

the Cranberry Ham in marinating, and everyone is anxiously awaiting Thanksgiving day.

This year I am starting a new tradition that I hope to keep going through the years. I have made a thankful banner to hang on the fireplace. I have asked family and friends to write a little note telling what they are thankful for. I am interested in how what we are thankful for will change through the years.

 I sit here and think of all of the things in my life that I am thankful for and I look around at all that I have that makes my life rich and full, and I know that I am blessed.

I hope you have a blessed Thanksgiving too.

A day in the Mountains

A couple of weeks ago, we went up to the Helen area for the day with the girls Nana and had a wonderful time. The leaves were absolutely gorgeous. I love this time of year and the colors that go along with it.

This is a picture taken were we stopped for a picnic lunch on the Chattahoochee right out side of Helen. It was so peaceful. After we left there, we went up to Brasstown Bald which is the highest point in Ga. and went to the lookout there. You were able to see 4 different states. The view was simple stunning.

This is the observation tower on top of the Bald.

It was cold up on the mountain, I thought the wind would whip us to death. It was so windy, the flag was out straight the whole time. Look at how clear blue the sky was. There was not a cloud in the sky.

On the way up, we passed a house with the prettiest trees I have seen in a long time. Eric stopped on the way down so I could get some pictures. They do not do the colors justice.

I wish I could have gotten a picture of the second tree on the way up the mountain. The sun was hitting it just right and it looked like it was on fire with the tree fading from yellow to orange. Oh my, simple breathtaking.

We went over the mountain into Hiawassee where we were supposed to go to a concert, but when we got there, it had been canceled. It was heartbreaking but at least we got to spend some quality time together as a family.

These last pictures were taken at a roadside produce stand. Eric told me I looked like a tourist who had never been to the country taking them but I could not pass them up. I think I embarrassed him. He went and sat in the truck. I hope you enjoyed them as much as I did.

Hope you all have a wonderful fall.

Happy Halloween

I hope that everyone had a wonderful Halloween this year. We had a fun but busy one. This year I had to scramble around the house for Halloween costumes for the Chicklet’s. I refused to spend money on a costume in the stores for something that the girls would only wear one or two times.

Chicklet No. 1 was an angel. So appropriate for her. Chicklet No. 2 was a character from a Barbie move that she loves. Chicklet No. 1 was going to stay home with me and give out candy and not trick-or-treat but when she had to dress up for trunk-or-treat for Awana, she decided to go Halloween night too.

 

Cupcakes,Cupcakes and More Cupcakes

Last weekend a lady from work wanted me to make some Disney themed cupcake cakes for her little boys birthday. I had never done this before but as you all know, I am always up for a challenge. I made 2 cakes for her and individual cupcakes too. I was proud of them and just wanted to share them with you too.

I think Donald is my favorite. As you can tell by the picture, I put the cupcakes together to make the base of the cake and then I decorated the top. I drew the faces freehand and then filled them in with icing. For the individual cupcakes, I just iced them white and put a Mickey head silhouette on them.

Her little boy really enjoyed his cakes and I really enjoyed making them.

The Wedding and a Cake

Jamie and John Mark got married the last weekend of August and to say I was a busy chick is an understatement. Not only was I in the wedding, I made the wedding cake and cupcakes too. I felt like I was going to go crazy but I would not have had it any other way.

I don’t remember what was so funny but I was putting on the pearls that Eric gave me for our wedding day on Jamie for her to wear for hers. I cannot tell you how much this meant to me. Jamie was also wearing the veil that I made for her.

Here is a picture of the wedding cake. It was Red Velvet. Yum Yum. I wish I had a big piece of it right now.

This is the cupcake tower that the florist  made. She did a wonderful job with all of the flowers.

I ended up making 11 dozen cupcakes. There were strawberry with strawberry icing, carrot cake, Italian cream cake and yellow cake with butter cream icing. They were all a hit. I ended up with about 3 dozen left and only part of the bottom layer of the wedding cake. There was some cake eating fools at the wedding. I did have a lot of people tell me that they tried one of each.

We all had a great time dancing the night away. The next day we all went to Jodie’s house for the littlest member of the A-Team’s birthday.

We had a busy but a wonderful weekend.

August Update

Hello everyone, I am so sorry that I have been M.I.A. over the last few months. We have been busy around here but not with anything blog worthy.

The chicklets started school at the first of August.

 

They are loving school, but we are all having trouble getting back into the swing of things. Homework, reading, baths, hair, etc. We only had a few weeks of school with no afternoon activities before Awana started at church and girl scouts starts in a couple of weeks too. They also want to start taking violin lessons so our schedule is only getting busier.

Jamie and John Mark got married last weekend so I was busy getting ready for that also. I will blog on that this weekend too.

I will close this post with a few more summer pictures of the girls.

  This is the chicklets having a chicken fight with the girls from work.

Summer Vacation 2010, Part Two

 

The chicklets have been asking us for several years to go on the ghost tour while we were at the beach and this year they got their wish. As the lady at the ticket booth told me, “It all started one dark and rainy night…”

Chicklet 2 had to make her ghost face for the picture while we were waiting for the trolley to come and get us for the tour.

We rode around the “Old Town” while they told us about documented ghost sightings and then headed out to the lighthouse to walk around the grounds.

We all looked like a bunch of ghosts with the rain ponchos on. We headed over to the “Old Jail” after we left the lighthouse for some more ghost stories.

Chicklet 2 did not like this part at all so her and Eric stayed outside while they were telling all of us stories of the inmates. Chicklet 1 was all into the ghost stories. She is not scared by any of this.

We took lots of pictures around the lighthouse and jail but did not find anything other than raindrops in them. Oh well, maybe next time.

Summer Vacation 2010, Part One

Our vacation this year started out with an engagement party for John Mark and Jamie in Valdosta on Saturday.

It was a wonderful show of love for my sister and family hosted by friends. It was good to see friends of the family that I had not seen in many years. Another great aspect of the party was that it was hosted by a couple that happened to live in Doc Holliday’s (yes, the famous friend of Wyatt Earp) childhood home. It was absolutely stunning. They have done a wonderful job restoring the house.

On Sunday, Eric and I celebrated our 12th anniversary. It is hard to believe that is has been 12 years. When I look back at the years and see all that we have shared, I am truly blessed. I have a loving husband who gives all to provide for his family and has given me 2 wonderful girls.

I Love You Eric!

Sunday afternoon we traveled to St. Augustine for our yearly beach trip. Unfortunately most of the time I forgot to take my camera with me but I did get some good shots when I did remember. We spent Monday getting settled and shopping for the week. 

Tuesday morning and went to “Old Town” and walked around. The chicklets and I found this cool shop called Bath Junkie on one of the side streets. You pick out what you want (lotion, scrub, shampoo, etc.), scent and color and they mix it up for you. It was so neat. Chicklet 1 made shampoo, chicklet 2 made sparkly lotion and I made whipped hand cream.

After our stroll downtown, we went to the beach. Eric fished while the chicklets played in the surf.

  Eric laughed at me because I am the only person he knows that can go to the beach and not need to rinse sand off of their feet at the end. I. Hate. Sand. I did not want to end up like Chicklet 2 and spend the rest of the day doing this.

Digging sand out of my pants!

I will let you rest from reading for now. I will post again tomorrow with more of the trip.

Summer is Here!

I am sorry that it has been so long between posts but other than our short trip to V-town, our days have been spent by the pool. As soon as the Chicklet’s wake up, they are checking the Weather Channel to see what the temp is for the day and if it is going to rain.

Here are a few pictures of them enjoying the summer fun.

They love the slides and diving board. I will post if we do anything interesting. Other than that, I am just going to enjoy the summer with the girls.

I am working on a few new projects so I will keep you posted on them though.

Teacher Appreciation Week

Last week was Teacher Appreciation Week at the Chicklet’s school. They had such wonderful teachers that I felt like I needed to do something really special for them. I cannot take credit for the ideas themselves, but it did take my time and effort to pull it all together. I got the ideas from this wonderful new blog that can be viewed here.

Monday

I gave the teachers and para-pros each a chocolate bar that I covered in scrapbook paper and a thank you note that I had the Chicklet’s write to each teacher.

Tuesday

Tuesday’s gift was this cute little take out box filled with Swedish Fish.  The tag said, “You are o”fish”ally the best!”

Wednesday

Wednesday’s gift was this cute little candle. The tag said, “You are scent-sational.”

Thursday

Thursday’s gift was just for the two main teachers. It was this cute little jar filled with gum balls. The tag said, “Teacher’s Treats (to share or not to share).”

Friday

Friday’s gift was this cute little organizer that I filled with coordinating office supplies, hand sanitizer and chocolate. I covered the top in scrapbook paper and added a cute bow.

 

I hope all of the teachers liked their gifts and realize how much I appreciate what they have done for my chicklets this year. We will miss them next year.