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.