Better Than a Hug!

My sweet cousin and her dear husband just came to stay with us for a couple of days.  We had the most wonderful time!   There was a lot of  "oohing" and "awwing" over little Clare Grace, and playing with the kids, and visiting the Tennessee Aquarium, and eating huge cheeseburgers at Chee Burger Chee Burger, and staying up late talking and laughing, and making big breakfast, and so forth and so on.  It was so much fun! We enjoyed every minute of it.

Before they got here I decided I wanted to make a couple of desserts and wanted to try something new.  I went to one of my favorite blogs, comfynkitchen.blogspot.com.
I found this yummy recipe and tried it, and we all thought it was soooo gooood! 
Try it...you will love it too!

BETTER THAN A HUG CAKE

1 dark chocolate cake, made to directions in a 9x13 pan
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 cup (approx) caramel syrup
1 cup (approx) chocolate syrup
6 Heath bars, crushed
1 tub cool whip

Bake cake according to box and let stand 5 minutes.  While it is still warm poke small holes with a fork.  Pour sweetened condensed milk over top of cake and even out with butter knife.  Drizzle 3/4 c. caramel and 3/4 c. chocolate syrup over the top and add 3/4 of the crushed Heath.  Spread cool whip over top and drizzle remaining caramel and chocolate syrup.  Sprinkle remaining Heath.  Delicious!!

A Fun and Unique Cupcake Idea

When our dear friends came to meet our newest addition they brought this adorable cupcake bouquet.  I thought it was so sweet and knew my readers would too! 

If you are looking for a fun and unique cupcake idea, this is it!  How great it would be for a birthday party, or tea party, or bridal shower or baby shower, or almost any gathering.  It would be a wonderful "cheering up" gift for a friend who is down or even a neat "welcome" gift for new neighbors.  The possibilities are endless!  I was THRILLED when our friends surprised me with this.  The kiddos thought I would never let them eat a cupcake because I couldn't bear to mess it up.  (I finally caved though, and the cupcakes were delicious!) Every time I looked at this sweet bouquet on my table I felt so happy!  It's cheerful and fun, and a great reminder of precious friends sharing in our joy! 

 THANKS ANDERS FAMILY!

Here are a few details to get you started on your own...

The Anders ladies used an 8 inch basic planter, a Styrofoam half ball (7-7/8 inch) and attached each cupcake to the Styrofoam with 2 toothpicks.  They tied a sparkly white and silver ribbon around the pot which made it even prettier.

If you make one of these I would love to see pictures! 

Easy Cheese Ball

My friend Rebekah made this delicious cheese ball for my baby shower last month and I loved it! I think cheese balls were invented for pregnant women.  If it weren't for the potential embarrassment, I could have eaten the whole thing that day.  It is super good!  Rebekah has been so kind to share her recipe.  Try it for your next gathering.

** Check out Rebekah's blog By His Grace and For His Glory and her home business Cozy Tea Treasures.   You can find her etsy shop HERE. **

Rebekah's Easy Cheese Ball

2 (8oz.) packages cream cheese
4 1/2 oz shredded cheddar cheese (a little more than 1 cup)
1 envelope ranch salad dressing mix
chopped pecans
dried parsley

Let cream cheese and cheddar cheese come to room temperature.  Mix cheeses gradually, adding dressing mix a little at a time until entire package is used.  (If it's too sticky, refrigerate or place in freezer for 30-45 minutes.)  Shape into ball and roll in a mixture of chopped pecans and parsley.  Can be made ahead and frozen.  Makes 1 large or 2 small balls.

To My Child

Just for this morning,
I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying.

Just for this morning,
I will let you wake up softly, all rumpled in your sheets and I will hold you until you are ready for the day.

Just for this morning,
I will let you choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning,
I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning,
I will leave dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon,
I will turn off the phone and computer, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon,
I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon,
I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon,
I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon,
I will take you to McDonalds and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening,
I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born, and how much I love you.

Just for this evening,
I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening,
I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening,
I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV show.

Just for this evening,
When I run my fingers through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer.

And when I kiss you goodnight,
I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer.

It is then that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day.

-Author Unknown

Best Mother's Day Ever

I had to chuckle a little when I read over my last post before starting this one. 
Yes!  The Lord certainly does direct our steps!

Our precious newest addition, Clare Grace, was born Wednesday, May 4th at 8:43p.m.  She weighed 8lbs 8ounces and is 20.5 inches long.  We are more than thrilled!  She is a perfect, healthy, bundle of joy, and our family cannot get enough of her.

With a due date of May 15th I really wasn't "expecting" her to come last Wednesday.  I had a long list of things to do after my 9:30 a.m. doctor's appointment.  I had Mother's Day cards to get in the mail, a nice big list for the grocery store and plenty of other errands.  I didn't make it home from that doctor's appointment however.  I went from the office to the hospital and was admitted.  I had no suitcase packed at home, my husband had been up all night at work, there was virtually no food in the house and I was staying in the hospital.  Certainly not the way I would have planned it but I wouldn't trade the blessing of having her here for ANYTHING.  (Some day for a fun post I will list the contents of the suitcase my husband packed for me!  It will provide you with a great laugh.)

Through this time I am reminded once again how much God loves me.  I look into my children's faces and I know God loves me.  I look at my life and the ordering of my steps and I know God loves me.  I cannot take in how He loves me or why He loves me.  His love is too much for me to comprehend, but I know He loves me.  My joy comes from knowing Him, not from my circumstances, but oh what blessed circumstances are these.  Each day as I look at my 6 babies and I see all that my husband is doing for our family my heart is melted and I feel that sweet reminder of my Heavenly Father's love.

There are so many little details of this whole experience I do not want to forget, like my husband cooking dinner when I got home from the hospital in his precious, no experience kind of way, the bracelet he bought me for Mother's Day and the way he cried in the delivery room, my children's letters they wrote to me, or the way they all want to hold and kiss and brag on Clare all day long,  and the funny things like the suitcase I mentioned before or the number of McDonalds receipts stuffed in the checkbook. (Remember, I said I left the house empty of food.  They all wanted to be at the hospital, not grocery shopping or cooking, so they hit the drive thru a couple of times a day as they headed downtown to the hospital and on the way back home again.)  I don't want to forget the sweet visits and phone calls from friends and family, the Starbucks Coach John and DeAnna brought me at the hospital, the delicious food our friends have carried in, or the beautiful cradle my dad built for the baby.  I don't want to forget any of it and I don't want this time to slide away too quickly. 


The beautiful cradle Dad made

Sweet friends!

Big Brother!  A girl can never have too many of these!!

I just celebrated the best Mother's Day ever and I hope you did too.  I hope you will love being a mother even more this year than last.  I hope you will hug your children every single day and take time to play with them.  I hope you will fill their lives with special memories and not sweat the small stuff, as they say.  I hope you will remember that you are loved by our Lord and that each day is a gift from Him. How blessed we are to be mothers and let us not forget!

The Lord Directs Our Steps

Proverbs 16:9  The mind of man plans his way,
But the Lord directs his steps.

I feel like I need to start this post with that verse.  I've really been thinking about Proverbs 16:9.  We make our plans.  We have our schedules.  But the Lord directs our steps. 

Last week I thought our family was moving into our new home.  I had a HUGE to do list in front of me at the beginning of the week.  There was nothing on my to-do list having to do with tornadoes.  However, my week turned out entirely differently than I had planned and I am reminded once again that our God is a great and mighty God! 

Terrible storms have ripped through our area and I am immensely grateful for the ways in which God has protected our family.  Our days spent without electricity (and television, and Internet, and email, and blogging, and even at times our cell phones) brought our family closer.  My husband actually said he was a tiny bit sad when our power came back on.  Crazy?  Yes!  But he said he enjoyed reading to the kids by candlelight each night and how he and I would sit up late talking not distracted by anything.  It was somewhat discouraging for me to throw away all of the food I had to throw out and it was frustrating when my cell phone went dead.  It was disappointing that we weren't able to move into our new home and difficult finding ice for our cooler we were eating out of.  It did get bad when everyone was running out of underclothes since I couldn't do the washing for 4 days (that NEVER happens here).  BUT...all that added together and multiplied 100 times pales in comparison to what so many in our area are dealing with.  We have friends still without electricity today.  We've heard of a family that lost their dad and a woman who lost her 17 year old son and her mother.  We've seen the destruction of property as we have driven around our city and nearby areas.  We are keenly aware that things could be so much worse for us. 

We are praising God for His mercy and His protection over us.  I'm glad that He directs our steps.  Our children learned great lessons over the last week.  We all did.  We were brought closer to God and closer as a family.  Without His direction of our steps this might not be so.  I planned a move.  God planned differently.  I am thankful to my God.  No matter what, I trust Him. 

I WILL PUT MY TRUST IN HIM.  HEBREWS 2:13