Oh What Fun...

Christmas day began with an early morning run to the stockings.

Instead of the usual candy and trinkets, Eloise found a small gift and a post-it-note, that began a scavenger hunt that eventually led her to her big present.

Hubby had so much fun watching his plan unfold.

He almost couldn't contain himself.

Thanks to my husbands co-worker we were able to get our daughter a great present at a fraction of the original cost. With this "Kindle" our daughter can carry an entire library around with her. Her Daddy pre-loaded it with 50 free e-books (mainly classics like "White Fang" & "Little Women") which might last her a couple of weeks. I'm not kidding. I put this kid in the basket with a pillow and three Nancy Drew books when I go to Wally World and by the time I'm ready to check out she has finished them all. This gift is going to save us from having to buy more bookshelves. Another bonus is that my husband downloaded the entire Bible to it.

After taking a quick run to a neighboring state to visit relatives, Eloise came home so we could go to my sister's house for a Christmas/1st Birthday party.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY JESUS

&

TOO TOO!

Merry Christmas to all & to all a good night.

I have proof......

...that not all things purchased at "Whole Foods" are healthy or nutritious.

Plain Old Kriti's hubby and my hubby are buds.

Her husband stumbled across this odd gift and instantly thought of my husband,

who is a carnivore at heart.

In case you can't see the picture clearly, let me give you the scoop:

This is a chocolate bar laced with bits of apple wood smoked BACON!

I repeat: CHOCOLATE COVERED BACON!

The only thing that could make this healthier is if they took the candy bar, battered it, deep fried it, and sprinkled a little more salt on top.

In case you are wondering....It wasn't totally nasty, but it isn't anything that I would go out of my way to get.

I will say that it made us laugh, so I guess it was worth it.

Thanks Byron.

He looks so innocent.....

...but notice his little paw inching its way to my decorations (above).

I knew he couldn't resist for long.

Yes, I am finally finished with school for a while and am starting to feel like a normal person again. Today was great. My house finally looks and smells like Christmas. I also had a couple of friends over for broccoli cheddar soup, curry chicken salad with cranberries on croissant, and chocolate eclairs. It's good to be me again!

I hope all is well with everyone.

-Happy Christmas-ing and God Bless-

Almost to the end of this tunnel....

Next week is the last week of this semester. I have had a wonderful time working with the students from various schools in the New Orleans area, but the schedule has been grueling for this full time mommy and wife. I will be able to breath a little easier after finals.

Out of the three groups that I had to teach (P.E., Math, Language Arts) this was my favorite, because I love to engage children in good literature.

We did a whole unit on the fable about the six blind men who wanted to find out what an elephant was. One man grabbed the tail and said an elephant was like a rope. One man grabbed the leg and said that an elephant was like a tree etc...

During this clinical we read, discussed, did activities, wrote newspaper articles, and completed some worksheets. I have compiled all of this, some photos, and a copy of the story into books for the students to take home and share with their families.

I am glad that my work is almost finished, but I am going to miss the children.

It's ok though, because now I'll be able to spend more time with the child that I have been missing all semester.

***The parents of these students have all signed waivers concerning the use of their photos for non-commercial use***

To All of My Dear Friends...

It's Harvest Time....

Way back on June 11, I posted The tale of my daughters heroic effort to save a pineapple top from certain destruction. She faithfully tended to it for well over three years. So here we are nearly 5 months after that post. Today we were able to harvest this precious little pineapple. Eloise was so excited....

She wanted to do the honors...

This part was a little tricky, so she left it to an expert.

Grandpa was excited too!

The fruit was small, but so delicious and sweet.

The plant has started a new shoot, but no flower yet.

Eloise has already planted the top in another pot.

Not to change topics, but would ya look at the beautiful shrimp my Dad just bought for $3/lb.




We may have tiny pineapples, but we got some big o'l shrimp!

I LOVE THIS PLACE.

Eloise is becoming quite the chef...

She has been such a big help to me this semester....

I am so proud of her!

P.S. Just wanted to post a little something to brag on my girl and let you guys know I'm still around. I promise I will post about the miracle mentioned in the previous post, but it is sort of a long story and I am in the "crunch" stage of this semester.

Hebrews 10:23-25

(above) Eloise & Gran

Please Join with Hubby, Eloise, and myself, as we continue to thank God for the miracles he is performing in our lives.

I am crazy-busy this week due to Mid Term Stuff, but I will have to post later about the man who died and was healed at our church and all of the other great things that God is doing.

As the old song goes....

He's done so much for me; I cannot tell it all.

I Guess it’s Official….

I never would have dreamed that I would be saying this.........

She who has always been extremely allergic to and afraid of being scratched by cats....

Is now enamoured with an extremely naughty, but terribly adorable kitten....

Who seems to have made himself at home.

P.S. Eloise and I aren't the only ones who have fallen for his charm.....

Yes, even PaPa Bear has a soft spot for this little guy, even though he claims to hate cats.

A Lovely Idea....

Our Ladies' Department Borrowed a lovely idea from another church in our fellowship. We threw a big Birthday Bash in honor of all our ladies. Guests were seated according to the season they were born in. For example, the bottom right picture that features beach balls and twirly wind thingys hanging from the ceiling, is the Summer Babies' table.

Each lady prepared a dish or a desert.
The Mini Cup Cake Tower was my contribution.
I must pause here and thank my mother-in-law
for helping me finish those little guys.
She is pictured in the top left photo adding shimmer sprinkles.

OH...YES... WE DID!
R.O.T.F.L.

I had a blast.
The food was delicious, the games hilarious, and the memories priceless.
Thank you Sisters:
Danita, Jennifer, Betsy, Gail, & Karen.

The Recipe Requested By Egghead....

Orange Poppy Seed Bread

• 4 1/2 C. all purpose flour
• 1 3/4 C. sugar
• 4 tsp. baking powder
• 1 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. baking soda
• 4 Tbsp. poppy seeds
• 1 to 2 Tbsp. grated orange peel
• 2 eggs
• 1 C. milk
• 1 C. orange juice
• 1/4 C. butter, melted

1.) In a large bowl, combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. Stir in nuts and orange peel.

2.) In a small bowl, beat the eggs, milk, orange juice, and butter(melted). Stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Pour into 2 greased 8in. x 4in. x 2in. loaf pans.

3.) Bake at 350 degrees for 50-60 min. or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool in pans for 10 mins. before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Yield: 2 loaves

ENJOY!

My Early Birthday Feast....

Hubby has to work tomorrow ;-( so we decided to celebrate tonight. It has been raining all day, so we decided to dine at home. Our menu was: Marinated Steak, Sauteed Green Beans, and

5 Cheese Raviolis.

I must say

-It was yummy-

Sorry this blog hasn't been super interesting lately, but I have been really busy lately. I have reached the point in my education courses where it gets really intense. We're finally gettin down to the "nitty gritty" so to speak.

Well....I will try to post a little more frequently.

Now I have to get ready for "Promotion Sunday"

I love watching all of the kiddies receive their awards.
I can't wait for church tomorrow!

God has truly been stirring things up around here.

Love & Prayers,

~Me~

Jogging Suit Makeover....

While I was temporarily a member of the Eva Alabama church during our escape from Katrina, I noticed that several of the sisters had really snazzy jogging suits. When I enquired about them I was told that they were converted pant suits. To that point I had seen converted pants, but they all had the little triangle piece added to the front and back. These skirts had straight seems and were slightly A-line for mobility.

After trying to remember the instructions I went to the Family Dollar and purchased a jacket in my size and a pair of pants that were two sizes too big.

I cut all of the pant seems apart, turned the now open leg pieces upside down, and twisted them sideways.

The ankles became the beginnings of a waist and the side seems became the front seems.

I cut about 7 inches off of the waist, hemmed it(that became the bottom).

I added a piece of elastic at the top and then sewed up the sides.

I Can't Help It....

This is one of the little splashes of color I have recently added to my nest.

I know it isn't officially time to put away the white sandals and sunscreen (especially here), but I absolutely adore the fall. To me it is like an unopened present just waiting for me to tear into it. I love anxiously waiting for the first cool day that I can wear a sweater. I love the colors and I love the spicy smells of fall. For some strange reason this night owl was up bright and early this morning. I have already taken inventory in my kitchen. I have a loaf of banana nut bread in the oven. I have to buy a couple of ingredients, but when I get home this afternoon I will be making good use of the other overly ripened produce on my counter. Tomorrow I will be able to enjoy Orange Poppy Seed Bread and Autumn Pear Bread. MMM... I can smell it already.... wait that's the banana nut bread that's in the oven! Gotta Go.

Scroll All The Way To The Bottom....

If you would like to view the new slideshow I just put together.

Between Naps on the Porch

I found a beautiful blog that I thought you all might enjoy. Simply click on the title that follows ..... Between Naps on the Porch

Look Who's Sewing....

Whenever I am working on a project (art, cooking, sewing, you name it) Eloise is never far away. She is very creative and gets very frustrated with the fact that all of the "fun stuff" (i.e. my sewing machine) is off limits to little hands. Gran made her dreams come true this past Sunday when she gave her a beginners sewing kit and machine. It is a real Kenmore....just in miniature form. It is so cute.

This is a gift that will keep on giving. The skills she will acquire will last a lifetime, unlike plastic toys and baubles.

THANKS FOR BEING THE BEST GRAN IN THE WORLD!

From the heart.....

Even though we had our huge group Birthday party at the beginning of the month, Eloise's actual birthday didn't arrive till the end of August. We made her wait till the actual day to receive her gifts from Mommy & Daddy. First of all we wanted her day to be special and second we were buying ourselves a little more time.....

I picked out fabrics...


...and sorted through patterns.

We let the cupcakes for Eloise's class cool while....

...Daddy drew up building plans.

At 4:30 this morning those plans became a reality.




While Eloise was sleeping her doll had a makeover.

She also got to trade in her basket/bed for a new one that matches her big sister's.

The cupcakes are all ready to be delivered to school...



...and our daughter now has several hand made gifts from her two biggest fans.

HAPPY BIG "9" BABY GIRL

WE LOVE YOU!

The Party Is Over.....

Connie: in the seahorse exhibit at the Aquarium of the Americas.

The last of our six summer guests has returned home. We have now celebrated 12 Birthdays in August and I have been to downtown New Orleans more times in the past month than I have in the past couple of years. In the above pic I am standing with my Mother's best friend from California. We took her to the Camellia Grill, the Aquarium of the Americas, and of course we had to stop by Cafe Du Monde for beignets (Ben-Yayz) and Cafe au lait.

There is no place like home.

My Latest Project....

I have always wanted a window behind my kitchen sink so that I don't have to look at a boring old wall when I wash dishes. Due to the fact that the plumbing from upstairs runs right behind my sink, this was not possible. I decided to fake a stained glass window. As you can see, I am not afraid of color. I think it must be my Chinese roots showing.LOL.

What do you think?

I know it's probably not for everyone, but I'm growing quite fond of it myself.

P.S. If you double click on the picture it will enlarge and you can read the words. When you do this the picture has a slight glare(not there in real life) and you can see the nail holes in the frame that hubby made. We are going to fill those and touch up with paint.

Birthdays Abound.....

In the month of August our family has 8 Birthdays and 3 of our dear friend's also celebrate their births this month.
That leaves us with a grand total of 11 Birthdays in August!

Last Sunday we got together at my Sissy's house to celebrate some of the children's (officially) and adult's (unofficially) Birthdays all at once.

It's truly a blessing to have a brother-in-law who is an awesome chef who also has awesome chef friends.

I couldn't fit pics of all of the food. This was just one counter loaded with calories.

This little guy isn't big on sushi, but had no problems polishing off that cupcake.

These are the two cakes honoring the 4 cousins(2 girls & 2 boys).

The two boy cousins were actually born on the exact same day in two different countries.

P.S. This has been the best summer ever. We haven't stopped, but we have enjoyed every minute. I am usually sad about Eloise going back to school. This is the first year I can actually say that I am ready for routine and normally paced life to resume. Four members of our family just returned to South Carolina and a friend of ours will be arriving from California on Sunday. It looks like we are just going to party till the end! Eloise starts school this Wednesday.

I probably won't be posting that day.....

I have a lot of beauty rest to catch up on.