Friendships of Yesterdays and Todays

Teenagers are social creatures, there is no surprise there. The power of positive friendships can shape your child's life forever.
Having friends and establishing strong friendships are important developmental steps for your children, and especially your preteens and teens. That is one of the many reasons parents should support and teach their children how to have and build strong friendships.

Guys tend to run in packs of friends and girls tend to have special BFF's, a best friend forever! Guys tend to have the love for competition with his friends and your daughter's BFF time is God-designed and totally normal. God wired us for the need of these great relationships.

I know in my own personal relationships of having great friendships and wonderful BFF's, I can say, I love them and adore them all, both my girl friends and my guy friends. My heart is full of the love that was built with them years ago and still today. How I treasure them and the memories that I have shared with them as my special BFF's. So glad that my mother allowed for me and supported me to have these great friendships and to have had my guy friends as well. I am so blessed for the friendships I have had and have, they all in some way or another have touched my world and put colors in my life.
Infact, I had just received a call from my BFF Esther, my girlfriend from way back in Jr. High. She can brighten my day in a New York minute. I have three soul mate friends that I will charish all my years, my cousin DeAnn, who I grew up with and who has been my sister and BFF forever, my best friend Beverly, who is alot like me and who I could not have done without, and Esther, my sweet pal and fun loving girlfriend. I have had aot of other friends and alot of friends i have today as well, but being that teen years are important for strong friendships these three are my most treasured and the friendships that I have learned by and grew by having.

Friendship really was God's idea and his plan. You should strive to make great friendships and to be a good friend. Remember, mutual trust, respect, and honesty are three ingredients that are crucial for friendships that are everlasting. It is important who you choose to be friends with. A "true friend" is like a safe harbor, he/ she helps you feel comfortable being you! Friendship is a need also so that teens can express being themselves and share ideas and thoughts and problems with. Yes, friendship can hurt from time to time, but these are also important life lessons and learning how to forgive, make-up, and communicate is all another part of God's plans with having friendships.

Talking and listening with friends, make us better communicators. The Blessing of a friend who understands your deepest thoughts and needs and loves you through the hard times is a gift form the Lord.

Treasure this gift and enjoy! ~

April Love's

April is a beautiful month. Here in Texas, the weather is amazing, the warm sunshine is so pleasant, the fresh breeze is very refreshing, even the rain is heavenly and welcomed in this spring month.
I love to look around at all the wondrous joys of the world, flowers are blooming, gardens are growing, the grass is growing green and fields of wild flowers are covering our great Texas land. Here in Texas, the bluebonnets are in full bloom. They are very pretty and I love to look at the clusters of our Texas wildflower. Each year, it is a tradition for us to go on nature walks and drives to find as many of these beautiful wild flowers as we can, and we usually take pictures in a batch to capture our blessed family memory.
Another part of the month to enjoy and love, is spring colorful clothing that is fun and pretty to dress in. Break out the sandals and flip-flops for the spring season. It's finally warm enough to let your toes out again!
The best part of the month of course has to be Easter~ setting out goodies for the children before they wake up, eating a special family breakfast with special prayers, getting ready for church in new spring outfits, dressing my sweet little girls in beautiful dresses and bows, Eating an amazing family dinner, and of course the Easter egg hunt with all the children and ... "the smell of chocolate!"
~ Connect with loved ones and have a blessed month!

Give A Little Green

Do not litter~ Train your self and teach your children to pick up after themselves and throw trash away. Also, pick up any litter that you may come across.

Lights out ~ Turn off the lights when you leave a room and remind your kids to do the same. In the day time let in light from outdoors shine through!

unplug~ unplug any electric items NOT being used, saves electricity and increases fires in the home.

Turn it down~ adjust your thermostat a few degrees, run fans!

Save water~ wash full loads of dishes and full loads of clothing. Make sure that facets are not dripping and that toilets are not running.

Recycle~ magazines, newspapers, cans, glass and more. Get your whole family involved and reward them at the end of the month with an ice cream or a sweet treat.

Get crafty~ Going green can inspire your kids' creativity. Use unused items around your home for art crafts. Such as shoe boxes, toilet paper rolls, old magazines and so on.

~ Give a little green and care for your world!

Spring Is In The Air

Spring is in the air! Here in Texas, we have had some bazaar days in our daily weather forecast. One day, we are enjoying the bright warm sun ,wearing spring clothing, and the next day cloudy and cool with cool crisp winds and heavy rains, and we are back in winter clothing or at least wearing a sweater.
Being that it is Spring Break time, we have really enjoyed these warm and sunshine filled days. The days are longer now and more pleasant for families to enjoy the great outdoors . We have been outside playing with the children,enjoying taking walks and picnics, time is spent also working the land, and now getting the garden ready for planting. Although, we here can not plant much, we are expecting at least one more freeze.
Spring time has to be the most blessed time of all! I love to see everything growing new leaves and wild flowers starting to cover our Texas grounds. In Texas, everyone is in waiting for the beautiful Bluebonnets to cover our countryside! In the country, the cattleman have new calves to tend to, and just all the new creations on this Earth are taking place. It is amazing to watch the wonders of this fine world.
My little sweet children are dressed in pretty pastel colors and enjoying mother nature. My little girls planted seeds yesterday for some wild flowers that they had picked out, it will be fun to watch them grow together and also to pick together as they gather their pretty bouquet of flowers......

Just Can Not Keep Them Babies!

The greatness of being a mother is the most blessed gift the Lord has given. From the moment you are excited about them~to picking out their special names, it is truly a magical joy.
Who can forget the first time you hold and greet your sweet precious baby? I surely have not, I can remember each ones look, each ones smell, and touching them for the first time ever. I can remember making sure that I would never forget. From my first baby Stephanie, to my last baby KerriAnna, When I close my eyes I can remember meeting my new baby for the first time.
I rocked my babies, nursed my babies, cuddled with my sweet babies and sang to each of them. Each of them, Stephanie Michele (born in '93), Nicholas Brian(born in '94), Sarah Elizabeth(born in '05), and KerriAnna Jean(born in '08), have been my joy in my life.
I am so glad that our dear God had let me be blessed by having them.
I have not been able to keep them as babies, but I have been able to be there for them and to deliver love and care to each of them as they are growing. I love the connection I have with each of my children and I love watching them grow.
I think that the best gift that a parent can give to their children is unconditional love. Love your child as much the first day, as you will for his whole life. Love your children whether they make good choices or bad ones and just let them know you are there for them to talk to and to lean on. Keep a great spirit and soul in motherhood and just enjoy, for they do grow up so fast!
My KerriAnna just turned two and my SarahBeth will be five soon. My, how the time has flown by and my babies are simply not babies anymore, but little girls with sweet smiles and hearts of gold.
I love you my darlings, my dears, and my loves....

Serving Great Memories

Family time is a blessed time shared. Take time out to gather with your family.
Dinner time is a special time and all can be apart of preparing, praying, enjoying, and cleaning up as well.

Nothing brings together a family like food. Food brings praise, smiles, and a gathered time. If you do not have anytime together as a family, try to at least have a nice dinner time set aside to eat and share together.

Great life lessons develop through a family preparing the food, setting the table, blessing the food, eating together, and cleaning up as a team. Here are some great reasons for a family dinner time; good manners are set, responsibilities are met, your child will be thankful for our many blessings , healthy eating habits are developed, children are given a sense of comfort, and memories are being made daily.

I know at our dinner time, for the most part, my children talk about their day and everyone shares things that have happened and we all have smiles, laughs, and open conversations.

Memories do last, and your tradition of a family table setting will stay with them. The chit-chat shared, the warm smiles delivered, and the meals that your family make and enjoy together, will be something that they will take in their hearts forever.

~"Rejoice in all the good things the Lord your God has given you and your household."
Deuteronomy 26:11

From The Heart

Valentine's day is right around the corner. How do I love the? Let me count thy ways... How I love this day, a day known for extra sweet I love you's! The goal of Valentine's day is sharing and caring and showing your love.
I love receiving gifts and giving gifts, but more than that just showing my love towards my special love of my life and also to my dear children.  I do show my love and affection toward my family everyday and all year round. This is just a special day set aside to do special things for your sweetheart. And who can not enjoy special " I love you's"?
Gifts from the heart are my favorite gifts both to give and to receive. I do enjoy flowers, and tangible gifts, but I would take gifts from the heart anytime over store bought gifts. Some that I have received have been , a tilled garden, planted roses, a homemade dinner and/or breakfast, a nice walk together, homemade cards and poems,  etc... last year Stephanie and Nick gave me a homemade gift of coupons to use. The coupons consisted of things like "Toes painted today" and " A dinner for two made by me", needless to say I loved and enjoyed this creative gift.
This year Stephanie, my daughter, has already gave me a ticket to have a night at the movies with my husband and she will babysit! I will be sure to use this!
As much as I enjoy receiving these special gifts from the heart from my children and from my husband, I really enjoy giving gifts from my heart to them. Some fun ones to do is breakfast with heart pancakes or french toast with strawberries, my husband enjoys head to toe massages, and really as a mom there are so many to do ! Some other fun ones I have done are cookie making and family decorating, have a root beer float night with a family movie, leave sweet notes around, and the list goes on just use your creative imagination!

Treat and do special loving things this month for your loved ones and brighten up their world with sweet words and acts of  kindness! ~

Earth Blessings

Oh, it is almost gardening time! I am so looking forward to see what this year's garden will bring us. Last year, we were blessed with alot of potatoes, onions, green beans, tons of squash, turnips, we would have had corn galore, however the raccoons ate most of it.

I am busy this weekend making my garden layout and thinking of what all to plant. I enjoy the planning part of my garden. We usually make a pretty good size garden, last year it was 50x50. We planted a great variety of vegetables. Most of the vegetables did wonderful, and some I will try different and I may try some new veggies as well.

My darling husband plows it for me and my mother in law and I make the rows and plant. Of course, the little ones help with their helpful hands and enjoy being apart of planting our garden.

This year, the tiller that we are going to use will plow and till and make the rows for us. Wow, how simple this will make the planting process. I do love playing in the dirt though.

My older kids do help hoe and weed the garden with my husband and I. It really does take hard work and dedication, but the benefits are great! You get to enjoy working your land, watching something you worked at grow, eat all the amazing fresh vegetables, and best of all work with the blessed Earth that our God has made! Watching and waiting for the vegetables to grow is such a life learning experience. A true blessing , indeed. Seeing the vegetables ready, picking them, preparing them, and eating them is a treat that I long for each year.

For me, another reason I get satisfaction in my garden is not only for the greatness of it all, but I do it as a big thank you to our loving God for the blessings he has given to me of having been blessed with such great children.

As far as working together as a family there are many benefits: Natural lessons, studies have shown children who work in gardens adds to their abilities with math and science.It also improves their eating habits and their appreciation for their world.

Intangible lessons, It is hard for one to look at a garden and not be in awe of the wonders of all that God has made. Family life lessons, working together, team work, discovery, and brightens all the senses of smell, touch, and feel.

~ Play in the dirt and be closer to God.

Stuffed Peppers

One of my favorites to fix for dinner is stuffed peppers, they are easy to make and they taste really good.

Stuffed peppers - enough for 8 peppers

4 green bell peppers
Prepare the peppers- cut the peppers in half, wash , and take out the insides.

fill with beef mixture-
In a medium mixing bowl - 1 pound hamburger, 3 eggs, 1/2 cup of chopped onion, salt and pepper, garlic salt, 1/4 cup of tomato sauce, and about a half bag of crackers crumbled .

Place the filled peppers in a baking dish with just a small amount of water at the bottom, top the peppers with some tomato sauce, salt and pepper, and bake at 350 for about 45 min. to an hour.

*In springtime and summertime, you can make the peppers pretty by using some red peppers as well as the green.

The Gift Of Laughter

The best gift you can give to your family is the gift of laughter. It is a stress reliever, it brings in happiness, smiles come from laughing, and it makes you life a longer and better life.

Some ways of bringing in some laughs and smiles into your home sweet home...

1. Be playful

2. Play chase

3. Listen to some fun children songs together, or upbeat tunes.Dance silly with them or for them.

4. Share funny stories , share jokes, and funny memories together.

5. Have a game night. ( for a dinner that night have sandwiches, cheese dip, and other favorite snacks.)

6. Family movie night with a great comedy! ~ Don't forget the popcorn and root beer

~ laugh and make a smile!

Cleaning Together

Having a nice clean home with a family of seven, can be a very complicated goal. There is always things to pick up, organize, and do. Besides all the laundry and folding and putting away clothes. Even meal times can be a nightmare.

Here are some tips that have always worked for me, and of course I am always adjusting and adding new ways to help maintain organization of our home.

Luckily, for me my teens, Stephanie, Nicholas,and Clayton (when he is here.), are very self motivated and great at helping. They, for the most part, clean up messes when made, do not mind helping with things, and they clean their rooms and bathrooms every morning. This is very helpful and takes such a little time for them, but is a big blessing to me.

I clean the bedroom every morning, and my husband picks up the living area before leaving, I am very thankful to him for this. It is usually not very messy just whatever we had out in the evening, usually there is a couple of throws and some children books.

My two small children like to help out when possible. Sarah has really been pretty good at picking up her room. The little ones are always so proud of themselves, they smile and clap their little helpful hands. I am happy that they are learning to take pride in their home and are becoming self motivated, as my older children are. This is pleasing to me!

The evenings are a little harder, for one because there is so much to do with everything, and everyone can not help but want to just relax.

Stephanie, usually cooks some meal during the week. This is sure help to me and it is something that she has learned to enjoy doing. Nick and Clayton help put up the clean dishes. Sarah has done this a couple of times as well. I usually do the dishes and clean-up, but Stephanie does do this from time to time.

My heavy cleaning is done on Thursday afternoons. I get off at noon, from my job and so I come home and clean and organize, and do the rest of laundry that I did not finish during the week, and vacuum and do the bathrooms and all. By cleaning my home on Thursday, I get to enjoy my Friday day off at home. It is so nice to have a clean home for the weekend. The kids really like to have the home nice to, it really is a home sweet home, that we all make possible!

~ work together, live together, bond together

Time For Us Two!

Having a big family, it can be hard to always bond with each sibling as an individual, and it can also be very costly. When it use to be just our oldest three Stephanie, Nicholas, and Clayton it was not as hard or as expensive to treat them all at once.

When the economy started getting tough, the gas prices went soaring, and our family grew, we found it to be easier to have a special treating time with each one. For instance, a movie night for Stephanie and Rod so that they can spend time together and have an outing , or a dinner date for Clayton and I so that he can enjoy his favorite Chinese food Restaurant and we can chit chat together, and so on. Usually though of course, it is the girls and I, and Rod and the boys. But, we do rotate so everyone has time together.

We do still, every now and then go out to eat or go and see a movie together as a family. Even though taking our big family out to a nice restaurant or movie can be very costly, indeed. (especially when our three teens are charged adult prices.)

Oh yes, and do not forget the great parents who work hard parenting!
My husband and I do not forget our need as a couple, we also date and take out time... for us two!

~ Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

2010 " A New Year."

Welcome 2010! In honor of the end of the first decade for the 21th century, let's look at things we can do to help our families thrive this year.

Here are some great goals to have in being a healthy family : Get plenty of sleep each night, drink plenty of water, start your day with a healthy breakfast, share great laughs and talks, limit TV time/ make more game time , eat healthy fruits and vegetables, make great lifestyle choices, and eat dinner as a family when possible. ~ enjoy each new day for the Lord has made...


For you moms and dads out there wanting to bring a great positive year to your children remember to give positive affirming statements, here are some:

I love you
You are strong and very capable
You are awesome
You are beautiful and precious
I'm glad I have been blessed by having you.
I am so proud of you.
Wow!
God has an awesome plan for you.
You can do it , and will do it well.
~ Enjoy 2010 with each new day!

French Toast For Breakfast!

Sunday mornings are awesome mornings for me. My family always has a special breakfast of some kind. Rod, Stephanie, and I love taking turns being the chef on Sunday mornings. Rod is great at making omelets, and pancakes. Stephanie loves to make sausage and biscuits and whatever else she wants to try for that morning. My specialty for Sunday mornings is, french toast.

My dad made this for me and my family growing up, and with this being my favorite I had to learn the recipe and how to make it. It truly is my families favorite breakfast.

It is very good and very affordable. From my kitchen to yours here is the recipe :

1 loaf of bread
3 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tablespoon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter

mix ingredients in a bowl, use a nice size skillet or a griddle (I love using a griddle, cooks great and you can cook more at once),
dip the bread slice into the mixture, cover both sides, put onto heated pan or griddle, cook both sides golden brown, plate, and serve with butter and syrup.....I usually plate three-four pieces per person. If you want to make it really classy looking cut the bread slices into wedges,and when done sprinkle with powdered sugar... ~ try and enjoy!

Special Times Out

I remember well the excitement I felt as a young girl, going to the theater with my mother and cousins to see those well known classic Walt Disney movies,like Snow White, Cinderella,Bambi, and
all the other classics. Your heart would pound, you would be very ready for the lights to turn off and for the movie to start. You would laugh at some funny parts, and cry on other parts both happy and sad. I would always either hold my mother's hand, or my cousin's.
These were wonderful times in my life that I remember and hold dear to me.

I can remember as a young mother, when they first made these memorable classics into VCR movies so that one could buy. I at first, was not happy I thought, "oh no, I can no longer have that anticipating wait for when I heard that it would be on the big screen again." Because, no matter how many times you would go and watch Bambi, Fox in the Hound, or any of Walt Disney classics it was just as special and just as memorable as the first. I was sad to think I would not have this with my children.
Of coarse, I did go out and purchase all of these movies, so that I could have this great collection. We can watch these movies anytime we want. I guess that is a plus, but the minus is that I would have rather kept the special excitement of the big screen for these fine masterpieces of Walt Disney.
Today Mimi, the children's grandmother, took us all and treated us to see the newest Walt Disney movie, The Princess And The Frog. This was the first Walt Disney movie I have seen in a long time that has brought back the classic feel of these joyful movies. The movie was classy, full of excitement, I loved the songs in the movie, and it did make you cry...

Thank you Mimi for this special memory to have..

A Cold Day Means A Northern Meal

Here in our great ,usually very warm ,state of Texas the weather has turned to a northern cold temperature of 36. For My home sweet home and family that means a nice northern meal . I made a dinner that I love and that my mother had always had for us on these type of days, Navy beans and ham, fried potatoes and onions, and cornbread. This is a wonderful meal. I have been cooking the beans all day, so my home smells very good and homey. It is also a very cost efficient meal for our big family. It is great on cold days and you get to use holiday leftovers , like ham, or the ham bone, or both.

To me this dinner is a classic one that I love to have. Reminds me of my days in my home with my mom and dad growing up ,and I am from the north, born in Lawrence, Kansas.

~ warm yourselves from the inside out.....

Children are the heart of the home

Children are truly the heart of my home sweet home, they bring in laughter and love and warm the heart and soul. I am always very thankful to my dear God for my children. I have been blessed in having four, and through meeting my love of my life Rod , I am blessed with five. They are in this order from oldest to youngest, Stephanie Michele 16, Nicholas Brian 15, Clayton Garrett 13, Sarah Elizabeth 4, and KerriAnna Jean 23 months.

I have always loved children, even as a child I truly had a love for my babydolls and as a teen I babysat all the little ones I could.

In 1993, when I had my first child and became a mom at 22, my world had changed. I held my child and children as often as a mom possibly could and just breathed them in to enjoy . I stayed home with them and worked at places with children so that I could bring them with me and watch them grow. I feel I am very fortunate to have always had the oppertunity to work with children and be in a setting that is great for my children and I.

My world right now consist of being a mom of teens, this part means I have to be open for them and guide them and be a friend and a strong mother. It also consist of being a mother to my babies, this part of me needs to be patient and kind and be a 24-7 caregiver who gives her all. Overall, my job has been fun and full of laughtar. I greet each new day on a possitive note and give my day to the Lord to help us and protect us. ~ Love and Laugh it does go along way!!!

What Makes A Home Sweet Home...

As a young girl, I have always loved the feel of a family and a home. My mother and father worked very hard on giving me and my brother that. We had a nice home, it was always clean and organized and full of love. Another spark to our home was playfulness. My mother always laughed, kept our home very positive, and full of live. My father always came home and played with us, we would wrestle around on the floor or he would tickle us. We also played games and just enjoyed family times. We really were just a typical family. My mother and father both worked a full time job and my brother and I went to an all American public school. But, our house was a home sweet home. My mother always had a breakfast made for us and a nice dinner with a place setting table , so that we could enjoy and eat as a family. I give thanks to my mother for all that she did in my young years.
As a mother of five, I also try and feel as though I succeed at making my house a home sweet home. I offer my children myself in every way as a mother, and I have a clean and organized home full of love and playfulness. I always try to remain positive and allow family time to be a shared time and a special time. I am looking forward to sharing my ways and direction of making my house a home sweet home full of family fun, recipes , organizing tips and more.....