Welcome to our family blog. This whole thing got started as a way to keep friends and family updated while Randy went through brain sugery, radiation, and recovery. Now, we use it to post pics of what's been happening in our life as we celebrate health, marriage, parenthood, and most of all God's love in our lives. Enjoy!
I mentioned to you in an earlier blog that Keisha has a hamster named Ginger. Well, I was able to meet her for the first time last week and I loved her!!!! I can't wait to be able to play with her again very soon =)
My goodness, I have no idea where time goes sometimes. Today I am playing catch up on a million and one different things. I spent the better part of last week "playing" and now it is time to get caught up and ready to roll once again....here we go!!!!
Praises and Hallelujah's- A year ago today our life changed forever. On 2-22-09 I received the news that my husband had a brain tumor growing on his brain stem. On 2-26-09 Dr. Pieper and a team of great docs and nurses operated on Randy's brain and at 9:30 p.m. that evening I received the glorious news that my husband was still with me and recovering in the Neuro ICU - Praise God and Hallelujah!!!! We will be celebrating in a big way tonight as a family and again on Friday as a couple - THANK YOU JESUS FOR MIRACLES!!!!
Recipe Pick of the Week - Easy Cake Truffles
1 box of chocolate fudge cake mix
Ingredients to prepare the cake (eggs, water, oil etc.)
1 can of chocolate fudge frosting
2 bags of semi-sweet chocolate chips
Prepare the cake mix and bake as directed. After the cake has cooled, crumble the entire cake into a bowl. Add in entire can of frosting and mix well. Place the mixture in the refrigerator until firmed up (this may take a few hours). Once mixture has firmed up and cooled, use melon baller or a spoon to scoop out balls and then roll with hands.
Melt chocolate chips in separate bowl (I used the microwave). Dip cake balls into melted chocolate (this is a fun gooey messy project) and set them on waxed paper to dry. While still wet, sprinkle with coconut, nuts, sprinkles, etc. Refrigerate to harden the chocolate and they are ready to be served!!!! I snatched this recipe off of one of the blogs I follow, tried it out, and had a great response - these will be added to "my favorite recipes." Enjoy!!!!
What I'm Reading - Still reading through The Power of a Praying Wife - I kind of got stuck on praying for his health and a few others that I wanted to review again - I also have been reading segments of Dave Ramsey's -Total Money Makeover - and several books related to Autism.
God's Powerful Word of the Week - "Your light shall break forth like the morning, your healing shall spring forth speedily, and your righteousness shall go before you; the glory of the Lord shall be your rear guard." Isaiah 58:8
This Week's Weather - Well, had I written this on Friday I would have mentioned that the snow was melting and the days seemed a tad sunnier and warmer - BUT - we live in a crazy weather state soooo - today is a "snow day" with loads of fresh snow still falling and colder air is abounding!!!!
Pic of the Week - Joshua has a new pet thanks to Papa and Grandma - meet Elmo Ducky Cripe - our new fishy =)
TV Time this Week - Olympics!!!! LOVE ALL OF IT!!!!
Website of the Week - http://www.blurb.com/ - I've been looking at various websites as I consider turning this blog into a book - I think Joshua would love to be able to look back on everything in book form - we'll see what happens!!!
Most Listened to Song of the Week - Chynna and Vaughan - Everyday Miracles
Today was mid winter break for my future cousins Keisha and Daniel. I was very excited when mommy told me that they would be coming to Chuck E. Cheese with me today. We had a great time playing games, riding rides, dancing, running, climbing, eating and just being kids.
When we were done I even got to meet Keisha's pet hamster, Ginger...pics to come!
Last night my mommy went out with some of her former students. They had such a great time and they can't wait to do it again soon - hopefully next time even more people can come!
My special Valentine, Hannah, came over on Monday to share a yummy treat that she made for me!!! They were delicious and I was so happy to see my wonderful friend!
A little Valentine smooch!
Treats are always sweeter when they are shared with friends.
Thank you Hannah!!!! I loved my treat and I especially love putting my small animals inside of my heart container. You are the best!!!!
On Monday my Grandpa Cripe came over and helped my daddy install a new cabinet in our kitchen. My mommy was sooooo happy...she needed more cupboard space and this will do the trick! The only problem is that now mommy is ready to decorate the walls a bit. Well, she bought two decorative wall art hangings - one is lighter tones and one is darker tones. Both would technically work in the kitchen, but she can't decide on which one to choose.
The lighter one is more unassuming and just has a pleasant and simple look to it - it is also a bit brighter and airy which she thinks she will like come spring and summer time.
The darker one is more drastic, but it looks kind of cool. It certainly catches your eye and pulls out some of the redder tones mommy uses to decorate with. Ahhhh...what to do!?!?!?!
Keep in mind that there is a strong possibility that mommy will be getting new floors and a new counter top - both a bit darker than what we currently have - help!!! If you have any ideas leave us a note =)
Valentine's Day is a pretty simple deal around our house. This year, we were starting to wonder if we would even celebrate at all. Mommy and I haven't been feeling great so we really didn't get to do many crafts. Luckily we had one good day that we put of some decorations (thanks to Aunna for the reminder that we had them), made a simple craft for Aunna (it is STILL drying, yikes...maybe she can have it for St. Patrick's Day - ha ha ha), and made a few Valentine mice for friends.
Mommy didn't even have time to make homemade snacks with me to pass out to friends. So, when Aunna came over on Friday blessing us with yummy cupcakes - mommy hopped on that band wagon and placed an order for some more from Mrs. Maddox cake shop to give away as little presents. They were super yummy, fun to eat, fun to giveaway, and made Valentine's Day very special.
Now, you might be wondering why this post is coming today when Valentine's Day is tomorrow....
Well, tomorrow my mommy and daddy will celebrate while I celebrate with my Grandma and Papa at the Rainforest Cafe!!! So, mommy and daddy opened presents today with me - daddy got a big box of fruit roll-ups (his fav), mommy got the most yummy smelling and beautiful dried flower potpurri, and I got new washable flip top markers and a new dvd!! Although, we keep it simple, we still had loads of fun!
Praises and Hallelujah's - There is a tiny reason why I waited one day to wrap of the week until today - - - Randy took his National Counselor Exam today and I wanted to celebrate the fact that he PASSSED with flying colors!!!! Yahoo!!! God is certainly amazing and answered our prayers. The test was easier than the study materials suggested, he received his results immediately, and God gave him wisdom, recollection, and took away any anxiety!!! Thank you Jesus for continuing to bless us with your amazing goodness!
Recipe Pick of the Week - So - Good Chicken Enchilada's
1 can refried beans
5 flour tortillas
1 can cream of chicken soup
4 oz. sour cream
2 chicken breast, cooked, cubed
4 oz. shredded cheddar cheese
1 small can enchilada sauce
Spread 2-3 T of beans on each tortilla. Combine 1/2 can soup, sour cream, and chicken. Spoon 1/3 to 1/2 cup down the center of each tortilla; top with 1-2 T cheese. Roll up and place seam side down in a greased 8x8. Pour enchilada sauce over top, sprinkle remaining cheese. Bake uncovered at 350 for 35 minutes or until heated through. Top with a tad bit of sour cream and chives. Yummo!
What I'm Reading - Power of a Praying wife, portions of Dare to Discipline (to review and stay fresh) =)
God's Powerful Word of the Week - For God has "called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own pupose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began" 2 Timothy 1:9 --- Isn't that sooooo cool???? Gotta love our Jesus!
This Week's Weather - We had about 6 inches of snow fall ever so beautifully to the ground from Tuesday - Wednesday - it was nice, now it can go bye-bye =) I am very ready for spring, ready to put the coats, hats, gloves etc. away and move on to lighter and brighter things!!!
Pic of the Week - My adorable little boy chowing on a wonderful Valentine's Cupcake!
TV Time this Week - We managed to stay up a bit later than normal on Wednesday and watched The Middle, Modern Family, Cougar Town and Ugly Betty ---that is a TON of TV for us - but it was kind of nice to just be lazy. The next several tv watching moments will certainly be the Olympics!!!
A woman that my husband works with is now selling Avon. It is so much fun to check out the catalog and website, place an order, and voila - I have new lipstick and hand cream delivered when my love returns from work on Monday evenings - soooo fun! I am even more thrilled to see how inexpensive make up can be when you catch a good deal with Avon - woo hoo!
Most Listened to Song this Week - Heaven is the Face by Steven Curtis Chapman
Love this song that he wrote for his little girl that he lost and is now with her heavenly daddy in heaven - makes me cry everytime!
Happy Valentine's Day everyone - have a wonderful weekend!
My mommy has been out of the classroom for the past two school years, but she still enjoys the thrill of knowing it's a snow day! We hurried up and gobbled up breakfast this morning so that we were sure to have enough time to pile on our gear and head out into the snow. We had loads of fun tromping through the snow, playing with Mocha (until she jumped on me), licking the snow, sledding around the yard and just having a great time. When we came in we warmed up with some hot cocoa and then got busy making Valentine playdough -- playdough is fun anyway, but spending the time to make your own is the best!
We hope you were able to get outside and enjoy the snow today!
Ready or not, here I come!
This stuff tastes sooo good!Here I am throwing snow on my mommy - it was pretty funny!
Another face full of snow!
Time to make the playdough!Kneading it out to make a Valentine heartThis took a lot of work - can you see how proud I am?!?!Mom wrapped my hand into the playdough - that was the most fun ever!Here is a smaller heart that I made
Mommy and I haven't been feeling the greatest over the past few days. I've had lots of pajama days, extra juice, lollipops, extra tv time, and of course loads of snuggles. My mommy even ran out one day and got McDonald's for me to enjoy for lunch since I wasn't feeling good...it was soooo good! We haven't really spent time doing toddler school and we haven't even gotten a chance to decorate for Valentine's Day, but we have had a nice time hanging out at home with nothing special to do other than getting better.
I made this creation all by myself! "It's a dinosaur with a tall neck and a long body and a tail!" I was very proud of my work.
Dad let me help him get some shredding done - well, actually I had more fun playing in the paper shred!!!
Enjoying a quiet afternoon of watercolor painting - it's nice to take it easy!
1 box of chocolate fudge cake mix
What's up mr. mouse?
Up, up and away!
Treats are always sweeter when they are shared with friends.
1 can refried beans
This stuff tastes sooo good!
Here I am throwing snow on my mommy - it was pretty funny!
Time to make the playdough!
Kneading it out to make a Valentine heart
This took a lot of work - can you see how proud I am?!?!
Mom wrapped my hand into the playdough - that was the most fun ever!
Here is a smaller heart that I made
Dad let me help him get some shredding done - well, actually I had more fun playing in the paper shred!!!
Enjoying a quiet afternoon of watercolor painting - it's nice to take it easy!
