Lovin’ Spring!

This weather is great!  We could do without the allergies but otherwise it is great!  The girls want to stay outside every minute they can. 

They want to play right up until dark.  These are a few shots I got of them playing in the yard last Fri nt after dinner and before dark.  Sallie even came back out after she had put her PJs on! 

Giving Daddy a workout!

Elleigh is on the golf team this yr so the little girls have been practicing with her.  A got out Elleigh’s clubs Grandy got for her when she was a little girl and the girls have loved hitting balls!

Always time to pose!

Our garden is also looking really good and we are eating LOTS of fresh asparagus!  We get at least this much every other day!  We have given some of it away and I have been experimenting with new ways of cooking it.  All the girls except Ell really like it and A loves it (which is unusual since he normally does not do green!)  I think it has something to do with him growing it! 

Rodeo-Kindergarten Style!

Each year the Kindergarten here has a Kindergarten Rodeo and Lizzie’s was last Friday.  Each class participates in rodeo style events. 

Yes, she has a Unicorn Stick Horse!  You take what the DG has!!!  She didn’t care!LOVE the hands on the hips!LOVE HER!This is a pic of a dance they did.  I posted a video of it at the end of this post.  Funny!Nothing to do with the rodeo but their class was in the newspaper this week because they have been studying about Texas and the lady in the middle came in costume and read something to them about Texas History and in small towns this is the stuff that goes in the paper!  Anyway, check out Lizzie’s leg popped out!  She really is TOO MUCH!  Very surprised her hand is not on her hip!

A couple of cute videos from the rodeo!

Here she is dancing front and center!

More than Pinning!

I do a lot of pinning!  Some of my friends on Pinterest have boards they call Pinned It and Did It!  I think we all do more pinning than doing! 

I thought I would share a few times I have done a little more than pinning in the area of recipes.  I have tried more than this but these are just a few.

 

This first one is a twist on traditional rice krispies.  The taste is not a lot different but some and they are really colorful and fun.  I made these a while back for our Children’s Missions Groups snack. 

Cake Batter Rice Krispy Treats

• 3 Tbsp. butter
• 1 (10 oz.) bag of mini-marshmallows
• 1/3 cup yellow cake mix (dry cake mix)
• 6 cups crispy rice cereal (I never use this many rice krispies because we like them marshmallowey!)
• 1 (1.75 oz.) container of sprinkles

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat and add marshmallows. Stir until they begin to melt, adding in (dry) cake mix one spoonful at a time so its combined. Stir in cereal so it is completely coated with marshmallow mixture. Sprinkle in half of the sprinkles and mix. Press into a baking dish (any size will do) and top with remaining sprinkles. Let sit for about 30 minutes before cutting. I find spraying a knife with nonstick spray helps to cut them.

NOTE:  I made several batches of these and the first batch I added in the sprinkles when it was too hot so on the other batches I waited a couple of minutes.

 

I made these a couple of weeks ago for our Sunday night Connection Group and they were SO GOOD!  Really easy too!  I used spring colored cupcake liners and they looked really cute!

Oreo Cheesecake Cupcakes

• 42 cream-filled sandwich cookies, such as Oreos, 30 left whole, and 12 coarsely chopped
• 2 pounds cream cheese, room temperature
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 4 large eggs, room temperature, lightly beaten
• 1 cup sour cream
• Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line standard muffin tins with paper liners. Place 1 whole cookie in the bottom of each lined cup.
2. With an electric mixer on medium high speed, beat cream cheese until smooth, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Gradually add sugar, and beat until combined. Beat in vanilla.
3. Drizzle in eggs, a bit at a time, beating to combine and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Beat in sour cream and salt. Stir in chopped cookies by hand.
4. Divide batter evenly among cookie-lined cups, filling each almost to the top. Bake, rotating pan halfway through, until filling is set, about 22 minutes. Transfer to wire racks to cool completely. Refrigerate at least 4 hours (or up to overnight). Remove from tins just before serving.

NOTE:  This recipe makes about 3 dozen so you can adjust depending on the # you need to make. 

The recipe said these are a Martha Stewart Recipe

 

I made these one night for Connection Groups as well.  They could not be easier and very good!

Bacon Wrapped Cocktail Sausages

1 14-oz. package Lit’l Smokies

1 12-oz. package lean bacon

3/4 c. brown sugar

Cut each piece of bacon into three pieces and wrap each section around a cocktail sausage and secure with toothpicks.  Place in dish and then sprinkle with brown sugar.  Bake on 325 degrees for 40-45 minutes.  Note:  I have made these twice and the first time I used 3/4 cup brown sugar.  The second time I put more.  I did not measure it but it was more.  It’s just a matter of preference.  I have not done this but it says these are good if you put them in a crock pot on low after they are done and before serving.  This recipe originally came from www.ourbestbites.com.  I have gotten a lot of great recipes from their site!

Africa and ONE

I just realized that we never shared any Africa pics and an update.  So, I thought I would include it in this post. 

A had a wonderful trip.  It was a different trip for him because it was only he and one other man so he was not as responsible for a big group which made it easier and freed him up to do some things with a little more flexibility.  Of course he loves leading the larger groups as well but this was just different and needed at this time. 

Much time was spent teaching the leaders of the church in Outapi and helping them sort through some issues. 

This is A with Erastus’ son who was born when A and the team were there last summer.  They were also able to travel to another city in Namibia to visit with a couple who digs water wells in Namibia and also has a Hostel there which houses school ages girls.  You can check out their website at www.byprovision.org.  They have a great testimony of the Lord leading them to do this in their 50’s and them leaving behind a very successful business and 16 grandchildren to obey the Lord’s calling.  They are from the Birmingham area.  A is really looking forward to serving with them soon.  The Wilkins (with By Provision) are on each end (doesn’t he look like an AL boy!) and Erastus and Randal (the other man who went with A)While they were in Outapi they did some teaching on The Lord’s Supper and then observed the Lord’s Supper for the first time in the church in Outapi.  A was very moved by this.  Speaking of the Lord’s Supper, we observed it this past Sunday and WOW is all I can say.  A thought he was recording it and after it was over he realized it had not recorded.  Several people have said to me that they have never been so moved in a service.  A worked really hard on it and he takes it so serious(as we all should).  We spent 2 weeks in preparation.  You can check all that out on the Church’s blog (link on the left here).  I am thankful that he takes the time to make sure we are ready and the seriousness of the observance of the Lord’s Supper.  It is more often done as tradition and in a very casual manner and there is so much more to it.   I urge you to check out the church blog to see the daily post from the last 2 weeks.  A with Noah and Erastus.  It is amazing the relationships that the Lord builds with people from different continents!  We are ONE through HIM!!! 

Speaking of ONE in CHRIST, each week we memorize a verse of scripture as a congregation.  This past Sunday our verse was “In Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others”  Romans 12:5  Last week a young woman in our church, wife and mother of 2 was diagnosed with a rare auto immune disease with no cure and debilitating and eventually fatal symptoms.  We have talked a lot in the past few weeks about unity and being one body and all having different roles, etc. and it was no accident that this week as we memorized this verse, we hurt as one body…  A reminder to us all that HE is still in control! 

I just realized as I was typing my own thoughts how much I needed the last line of the previous paragraph!  Once again, HE is still in control!  I talked with our Cochlear Audiologist today and we have appts through Dec on the books.  Of course some of them could change slightly but we are on the books for now.  She also told me that we needed to go ahead and decide which manufacturer within the next week.  She had originally told us we had a little longer but she said she had talked with our surgeon’s office and they decided we really needed to decide soon so that all the insurance stuff could be processed in a timely manner and not delay our surgery.  PLEASE pray for us to know the one because at this moment we do not.  I really do not think it will make that much difference but we do want to make the right choice.  I sat down this afternoon to right down the advantages of each and after about an hour gave up because in many areas they both claim to be the best (of course!).  Also, I was talking with our therapist last night and she was telling me about a patient of hers who was implanted last summer and is only a yr younger than Sallie (which is pretty old for cochlear implant).  Anyway, she said things went really slow for them and it took much longer than they expected to move through his map (this is what they call each patients plan of moving through the different levels or programs of the implant) because he had a very difficult time adjusting to the sound and did not want it on.  There is a great possibility at Sallie’s age that she will have this same reaction.  Our therapist said she spent many sessions just begging him to keep the external components on.  She went on to tell me that he eventually adjusted and is doing great now.  I know this is right and right now am a mix of excited and a little overwhelmed by it all.  I am sure I know nothing about being overwhelmed until June 4th!  FYI, her initial stimulation (meaning the day they turn it on) is June 28th at 10 am! 

Coming To An End

Our Spring Break is coming to an end.  It has been really nice to not be in a routine. 

Monday the girls and I got some things done around here.  It was such a pretty day.

Tuesday we headed to Fort Worth.  Sallie had an appt with her old speech therapist for an evaluation and A and I had a consultation with the Cochlear Audiologist for Cook Children’s.  For some time since we knew our options we have felt the Lord leading us in the direction of moving forward with a cochlear.  Our appt went well and although we knew our answer before she ever said anything, it was confirmation and we both are completely at peace with this decision.  We learned a lot more about the procedure, what we will be required to do following the procedure, and about the device itself.  We left that appt and called our ENT to schedule the implantation.  It is scheduled for June 4th.  We ask for continued prayers as we decide which manufacturer to go with (yes, we have to decide between 2), as we prepare for our lives to be changed and to get busier than ever following the implant and definitely for the procedure itself.  It will be a long surgery and very different from a typical cochlear implantation.  He will have to take muscle tissue from her head to build something inside the ear to implant into.  Also because of her history of cholosteatoma he will have to make some adjustments to hopefully minimize the likelihood of the tumors coming back.  We will be making lots of trips to the Metroplex.  I may even get tired of going to the metroplex which will be a lot because we love it!  A huge thank you for the support we have had in making this decision.  It is great to have others praying as we sought the Lord’s will and for the many comforting words. 

We spent Tues nt and Wednesday in Fort Worth to give us all a little break during Spring Break.  We ate some good food, shopped a little, saw a movie, visited some, toured the new chapel on campus, and just enjoyed being away and together. 

We came home last night and have just hung out today.  A went to Dallas to take a lady in our church to the airport.  I think he is kinda tired of driving tonight!

Elleigh stayed in FW with her friend Sarah.  We will meet them tomorrow night for dinner and to pick her up. 

Back to the grind next week BUT we have a couple more days to enjoy our little break!

The girls were quite excited to spend the night away from home!Could they look any more alike!?Grandy they are as precious as you thought they would be in their dresses!The little girls thought it was really cool to sleep on a fold out couch and to be able to watch TV in bed!  I am happy it doesn’t take much to excite them!There are no words!!!  As soon as I saw this in the bathroom I knew he would put it on!They LOVE their Daddy even if he is wearing an old man robe!Outside the new chapelSallie made herself right at home inside And so did Lizzie and Millie!  I was so afraid they were going to break something!Lizzie and Millie sitting on one of the prayer benchesThey were most enthralled with the Baptismal FountainThey wanted to get way too close!A checking out the replicas of the Dead Sea Scrolls.  The actual ones are not on display yet but will be.

The auditorium is really niceMillie checking out the VIP section