Play-Doh Cookies???

Thats what I thought when I saw a picture of these play-doh cookies. I am always looking for fun things to do with Jocelynne and when I found this idea...I saved it for a rainy day. Here is the link: http://myplumpudding.blogspot.com/2007/12/play-doh-cookies.html This website also has other fun ideas & crafts.

I liked the lollipop version best, so this is how ours turned out. :)

Take time to smell the roses...

Spring is here and there may not be roses yet, but these are a few things we have been enjoying lately.

Tanner's visit

Jocelynne had so much fun "mothering" and playing with little Tanner.

Who wouldn't? Look at that big smile!

This is what the wind blew into our backyard!

The red you see is the top of our 6 foot fence. My 10'x10' garden is back in that corner and is also filled with these tumbleweeds! I don't think we have ever had this many before...I just had to take a picture. :)

FABULOUS FRIENDS + GREAT FINDS = SO MUCH FUN!

A few weekends ago, some of my girlfriends and I went thrifting & antiquing. It was so refreshing to just talk and share about life with each other. I am so blessed to have such great, christian friends to encourage me and be there for me. Thank you...Michele, Sharon & Marie. Below are a few great finds.

I am so excited to get flowers in this tea kettle! Spring is on its way.

This last find has a little story behind it, so I have to share and give credit to whom credit is due.

Sometime ago I commented casually to my friend, Sharon that I wish I had a jar of old buttons. You know, the kind that you would find in your Grandma's attic or her sewing things. I know that sounds weird. Who wants a jar of old buttons? Oh, the possibilities you could create with old buttons... scrapbooking,cardmaking or anything really! Never, in my wildest dreams did I think I would find an actual jar of old buttons. I was thinking that I would have to just make my own jar of old buttons. My next thought was, it would probably take years of collecting from here and there. So, I just mentally scratched it off of my wish list. On our little outing, we stopped at a 2nd hand shop, not expecting to find much. We were looking around and Sharon came up to me and presented this jar....

I was so suprised! I actually can't recall what I said next. Hopefully, I said thank you. :) I pictured an elderly woman bringing it to the this 2nd hand store. How many buttons had she sewn back onto pieces of clothing that were special to her? Why would she get rid of this jar of memories? Was the little marble one that she had picked off of the floor numerous times and kept as a fond memory of her child? I'm sure, so many stories could be told of the old buttons in this jar. To me its not just an old button jar. Now, I have a story to tell. I hope to use the buttons soon and add a few of my own here and there to replenish it. For now, I will keep the jar up where I can see it every day to remind me that nothing is too trivial to ask God for. (Phil 4:6,7)

Thankful Thursday

I Tim.6: 6 Godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and we can take nothing out of it.

Lately I have been constantly asking myself...."Am I content?" Not contentment with what I have, but with who I am. Am I content being wife? Am I content being a mother? Am I content to fold that pile of laundry? Am I content to wash another dirty dish? You know what I am talking about. Then I read a verse like this and I am reminded that even what I am has been given to me by God. When I start focusing on what I am thankful for, I forget that I even had a reason to not be content. So today I am making a list of what I am thankful for.

Thankful for the little walk I took outside with my daughter.

Thankful for Jay and his hard work ethic.

Thankful for such great neighbors.

Thankful for all the wonderful friendships I have.

Thankful that I have clothes to fold and dishes to eat off of.

Thankful that I am a mother.

...and yes, thankful to be a wife.

Porkchop Recipe

I am always on the lookout for great, EASY recipes. Recently, I was going through my recipe box and found this one. Normally I don't like pork, but I really liked this recipe. Enjoy! And if you need a recipe card to copy it out on...there are some fun ones to print out here: http://www.flipflopsandapplesauce.com/2009/02/peacock-recipe-cards.html

Loveless Cafe Brazed Porkchops

Makes 2-6 medium sized porkchops. Use a large skillet with lid. Brown both sides of porkchops in a little oil. In a separate bowl mix all sauce ingredients together and pour over porkchops.

Sauce: 1 TBSP mustard
1 tsp garlic salt
1 TBSP red wine vinegar
2 TBSP brown sugar
1/3 cup water
a little bit of worchestshire sauce

Simmer for 1 hour. Remove porkchops and boil down sauce to a glaze, stirring constantly. Pour over porkchops and serve. mmmmmmmmm.

Sorry, I didn't take any mouth watering pics.