Awana Kids

I teach Awana on Wednesday night. It is acutally pre-cubbies, two year olds. We decorated Christmas trees. They are ice cream cones covered in icing. Wednesday morning I helped with MOPS, Mothers of Preschoolers, we made graham cracker nativity scenes. I love working with the kids. Especially since Jackson is there!
Even Josh has been helping with the kids.

Christmas in Arkansas

Saturday was a beautiful warm day. Ron and I raked leaves, planted pansies, and cleaned the garage!
I planted 150 pansies in the little garden that Amanda started. Earlier in the year I planted tulip bulbs. They make a great spring display, the tulips come up right through the pansies.
My camellia's are blooming beautifully! I have a 2 reds and 1 pink. I love having flower blooms in the winter.
It didn't feel like Christmas, but it was fun.

More Christmas Fun!

Saturday night while waiting for the fight, (Jermain Taylor) Andrea, Veronika, Paula, Jackson, Tucker and I made Gingerbread Houses. It was so much fun. Then Jackson and Veronika decorated my tree. Most of the candy canes were on one limb but it was fun to watch them.

Christmas Fun

Ronnie drug the old Farmall Tractor around front for me to decorate for Christmas! I have had so much fun. And the grandkids loved it. You can't really see, but that is Veronika and Jackson by the tractor.

Sisterhood of the Traveling Journals

Amber came up with a great thing! For Andrea's "Girls Night", Amber made all the girls(and one guy) a journal. We are to write memories about and thoughts about each other. These are for each to read later when needing a little pick me up or maybe just missing each other.

I have loved mine so far. I peaked at mine while writing in the others.

Ann, Angie and Stacy have the journals right now. Kay should get them next.

I would like to continue the tradition next year. Maybe each get their journal back, but put them back in circualtion at our next "girl's outing" or any family gathering.

Thanks Amber!

How About Them Hogs!

I love when the Razorbacks play Little Rock games. I get to babysit the boys. Friday was beautiful, actually the whole weekend was great weather and great activities.
Thrusday, we had Amanda and Josh for breakfast and the Macy's Parade, Andrea and Steve for our first dinner, then Brad, Paula, Jackson, Tucker and Gloria and Rick for a late dinner.
So we ate all day on Thrusday.
Friday we kept Jackson and Tucker during the game. Andrea and Steve came over later with Veronika. Then had everyone for dinner again. I cooked more this weekend than I have since last year. I really enjoyed it, but I have too much leftovers.
Saturday, we worked in the yard, raking leaves, planting bulbs and pansies.
Sunday we celebrated Brad's 27th birthday by going to Shogun's. It was good food, but Jackson and Veronika decided the fire was terrifying. I thought they would just love the cooking show! Wrong! Veronika sobbed, Jackson crawled/climbed up our lap to get away.
I even worked in a little Christmas shopping Sunday afternoon, and took Mama a poinsetta plant, it was artificial, but looks real.
It was a great 4 days!

wedding Memories

Andrea's Wedding

Andrea and Steve are married! Thank you family and friends for supporting them and us these months of preparation; showers, gifts, and the most important, your prayers for them and Veronika!
I really loved this weekend, the wedding was great. And getting to spend the rest of the weekend with family was terrific. I love you all!

Jackson and Tucker

I am posting Amanda's pictures, I will post some of mine tomorrow. Tucker is being his cute little self! Jackson learned how to RACE! Alexia and Austin started racing, so we all had to take turns racing. After that he would stand by the tree, count to three, then run!

Girl's Night in Natchez

We had a Girl's Night in Natchez for Andrea, two weeks before the big day. Her Aunt Kay, Aunt Ann, sister's Amanda and Paula, cousins Amber, Angie and Staci, along with the children and babies, met in Natchez, Mississippi for a Girl's Night out.

We had beautiful rooms in Vadalia, Louisiana, overlooking the Mississippi River. Across the river is Natchez. Natchez has a lovely history, lovely antibellum homes to tour, beautiful gardens, live oaks, giant magnolias.We took a carriage ride with a narrated history lesson. There were two weddings going on in the city. Natchez is popular for their "Southern Belle" weddings. The weather was perfect.

We had lunch at a really nice place, Pearl Street Pasta, if anyone happens to travel to Natchez.

It was a wonderful getaway for us girls to spend time together.

Thank you all for taking time from your busy life to celebrate with Andrea!

Love

Our last night in Las Vegas is over. We just saw "Love" the newest Cirque show. It was so fun. Last night we saw Danny Gann, an impressionist. He is very talented.
This week has been hard, with all the walking. We are exhausted! But Ron made a lot of good contacts. And we have had some fun too.
I am really looking forward to Natchez too. I will be so spoiled, I won't want to go back to work and the real world next week.

Phantom

We saw "Phantom" last night at the Venitian. It is a condensed version of The Phantom of the Opera. I don't know what was left out from the original. It was great. I forgot how much I loved Broadway type productions. I left thinking if I could just sing those songs. I tried, but it just wasn't pretty.
Tonight we are exhausted from walking the Expo. Ron can barely walk. I have blisters.
The food at this place is unbelievable. Fresh fruit and vegtables, I have eaten fresh guacomole every morning, blueberry pancakes, for dinner, there is a prime rib buffett, also crab legs, salmon.
We miss being at the Fall Festival and seeing the grandkids dressed up. I love seeing all the kids enjoy the games, rides and booths.
Wish you were all here!

Flowers

Ron saw the guys from Orange County Choppers getting on the elevator this afternoon. This expo is the largest, worldwide, auto parts expo.

The Wynn

We are staying in a beautiful hotel, The Wynn. We have this view out our window. The night view is great, but the picture didn't take.
I feel like a queen for a day!

Viva Las Vegas

After an extremely busy week at work, we are in Las Vegas. I have worried and fretted about leaving work, jobs undone, I ordered new furniture, it came in this past week, we did major cleaning and organizing.
I have been preparing for a government inspection. So the week was stessful to say the least!
Saturday was great, Andrea's shower was really fun. We enjoyed catching up with the Hix family. We never get to talk, even though Carol just lives down the street. I am so glad Andrea is getting to enjoy these events in her honor.
Then I was able to keep Jackson and Tucker. They always make me happy. I call them stessbusters.
Now we are in Las Vagas for a business meeting. We took today off and relaxed. Ron and I both have needed today. The rest of the week with be tough. Lots of walking, looking for suppliers. This expo is gigantic! Ron walks every inch of it! And I drag along. But he shopped with me today. So I will follow him! EVERY INCH of the EXPO!!!??? If I can make it.

Luau Fun!

Thanks Girls for throwing Andrea and Steve a great party. Paula, Amanda, Amber and Kay hosted a luau for Andrea and Steve's wedding shower. It was perfect. Perfect weather, really great food, wonderful company, fun games. Everyone really pitched in to add to the fun. Ronnie and Brad cooked the shisk-ka-bobs(msp?). Ronnie cleaned the pavillion! Amanda and Paula decorated. I think they all cooked the great food. There was ham, the chicken-veg kabobs, fruit, punch, potato salad, sweet potato cassarole. We had tiki lights and grass skirts. Amber arranged the fun games. Paula picked out the pinata. That was great fun! And we always love a fire to sit around!

Dowler's Flowers

We are famous! Julie Mayberry interviewed Amanda and I about the weddding. Julie called and said she had an assignment to write about a wedding for America's Bride and Groom in Arkansas. I had told her about the wedding plans while working in the nursey one day at church. So she wanted to use Amanda's story. I emailed her our pictures, the real photographer was supposed to provide her access to those. They evidentially didn't get ready in time.
Does that mean I am a published photographer?

Cooking and Recipes

I want to start cooking more. How about we start sharing recipes and dinner ideas? My first will be the pork roast.
The roast I bought was a tendorloin pork roast. Directions say to cook 25 minutes for each pound. The roast weighed 5 lbs, so needed about 2 1/2 hours. I used my garlic press to fill the roast with garlic, coated it with olive oil and seasonsing. I used a large roasting pan, added water to the bottom, potatoes and onions. Cook at 550 for 20 minutes to brown, then 2 + hours to finish cooking.
I am cooking the same thing at the shop on Friday. I found a pork roast on sale for 1.99 a pound at Harvest Foods.
I know this is boring news, but I haven't seen the grandchildren since Sunday.

Updates

I have been cooking dinner for my family on Sunday, after Church. It is too crowded to take a crowd out to eat.
My newest attempt at cooking was a pork roast. Ann made one years(and I mean years) ago, she cut slits and added garlic. That is what I did, coated it with olive oil, added potatoes, and roasted it. First on a high temp to brown it, then down to 320 while at church for the remaining two 1/2 hours. I loved it. We have been going to the Pamper Chef parties, and I like trying recipes. Also, they all brought side dishes to complete the meal.
The best part was playing with the boys after dinner. Veronika wasn't here this time.
Jackson has a favorite book, Elmo plays songs, one is, "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" I was singing it to Tucker and making a little toy touch his head, etc. Then Jackson picked up the toy and started making it touch its head, knees, eyes, etc. and saying the words. It was so cute.

Geese in the park!

I met Paula and the boys downtown Friday morning, we dropped Paula off at Brad's swearing in, then I took the boys to MacArthur Park. It was a beautiful day, they have about 100 geese. It's really pretty, right in the middle of Little Rock.
Then we met up with Brad and Paula for breakfast at Community Bakery. Then I met up with Andrea and Amanda for a wedding dress fitting and lunch.
This has been the best Friday!

My Gourd

This is my gourd. This has been hiding on the back side of my fence just growing away. The other side has my lovely morning glories. I will attempt to dry and decorate it or paint it or whatever you do with gourds.
I am sorry this is not as lovely as the Tucker picture.

Ron Camper

Ronnie has a new 5th wheel camper for deer hunting. It's quite large. And it's violet colored. Did I mentioned it's large. You all are invited to the deer woods.
His old camper, that we had for most of our married life, met with some unfortunate water damage.