"It is the little things that make up the richest part of

 

the tapestry of our lives."   ~unknown 

Our hearts are filled with gratitude today, with the birth of our little grandson.

He was born yesterday afternoon.  They are doing well.

A new life journey begins.

"You, little one, are a custom design;

 You are tailor made.

 God planned you before you were born."   ~Max Lucado

Thank you for waiting with us.

Outside my family room window, early last evening, I observed these few scenes.

"Nature has a great simplicity and therefore a great beauty."   ~unknown

My good friend, sent me this picture from her back yard feeder, in North Carolina.  What fun
to see Bluebirds and Cardinals at the same feeder!

Nature offers beauty and comfort.  I see how lovingly God takes care of these little birds,
and it serves as a reminder to me, during this time in life.

I know each of you are waiting for something, or someone in your lives.  Some of you have
been waiting for years, for answered prayers.  Waiting with you today.

As you can guess by now, we have been spending many hours indoors around here lately.

Once in a while we get cabin fever, and then we pay a fun visit to the local Sweet Frog.
Those visits make us happy, because we each enjoy our yogurt fixes:)
For the one in red, it is strawberry yogurt, with toppings of fresh strawberry pieces, and
gummy bears.  For the one in blue, it is vanilla yogurt, strawberry pieces and gummy
bears.  For me, it is sugar free vanilla yogurt, a bit of raspberry syrup, chopped almonds,
and a bit of coconut.  Now you see why we enjoy it!

And when one finishes ahead of the other, he is totally convinced that his brother will share
his remaining treat with him.  The one in the red is equally convinced that he will not share.

But, the one in blue does not give up hope until the very end.  The one in red does not
give in.

Back indoors again, we try to think of every possible way to pass time.  Here, building the
tallest towers presents it's own challenges, especially after one falls and the other does not.
The temptation is great to make sure the other tower falls too.  Competition can be good
and it can be bad. 

Hot chocolate has become a staple the last few weeks, especially with such bitter cold
temperatures.  The little guys don't care if the hearts are pink either.  They know their
maw maw has to add pizazz to most everything, and they love her despite it:)

Thank you for stopping by.  I'd share some hot chocolate with you too, if I could.

And, yes we continue to wait.

Last summer I picked two packs of these adorable little silicone cupcake molds.

You know, the ones you can bake in.

 

One day recently, I was in a local grocery store and I saw that Chiquita had boxes of banana
bread mix in the produce isle.  I thought to myself as I examined the box, that certainly
Chiquita would only share the best mix recipe with us, since bananas are their specialty.
That on top of the fact that the recipe only required 2 ripe bananas, water and an egg, was
enough for me to pick up a box of the mix, knowing that the overly ripe bananas on my
kitchen counter would be the perfect needed ingredient.  I did add 1 teaspoon of vanilla
to the mix, plus 3/4 cup of premium white morsels and 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts.
I filled each small silicone cup with the mix and baked according to instructions.

Look how cute these little guys are!  I will store them in plastic containers and freeze
until Valentine's Day.

For fun I sprinkled some powdered sugar on this one.

Then added a touch of color by placing one of these pretty decorated gourmet
lollipops that I purchased by the checkout at Burlington.

 

I placed it in a clear cellophane bags and

added a small tag.

I froze them until I need a tiny gift that says "I care".

 

 

Cheaper than a card, and tastes much better:)

 

 

Some of them might decorate this way.  I will swirl Cool Whip frosting on the top, and
maybe add a tag like this one, especially if someone I know is going through a difficult time.

By the way, my husband and I both agree that this Chiquita mix is so delicious!  Just in case
you ever see it in the produce isle of your grocery store.

If you don't really care about banana mixes, or silicone tea cups, you just might like this
picture that I received from my daughter recently.  She said, "that her daughter (my grand-
daughter came downstairs in the morning, and told her mother that she is dressed to
go to school."  In her pretend world, she was ready to go.  I am sure this will bring a
smile to your Monday.  A three year old with her own fashion statement.

Thanks so much for stopping by.

It was an extremely cold and overcast Saturday in this part of the country.  While driving along some of our favorite country roads to get breakfast, I could not help but capture some of the winter scenery we passed on our way.

 

Icicles were everywhere!  It has been a long time since I have seen

so many of them, on homes, on bridges, and on the rocks

by the side the tree-lined hills.

 

 

 

The formations of each icicle are all different and take on interesting shapes. 

 

 

Even the large, sprawling river we passed by, was partially frozen at places.

Quiet winter scenes were everywhere.  The same scenes we passed this summer, where life
was bustling with people and summer vacationers, was now totally different.  Piles of wood
for the indoor stoves, were stacked against many of the homes.  Smoke could be seen from
the chimneys. 

The welcoming country restaurant offered warmth, tantalizing aromas, and soft country music
wafting through the hidden intercom.  We were happy to slide into one of the comfortable
booths, and be greeted by our smiling, blonde server.  After a few cups of steaming hot coffee,
and a delicious homemade type breakfast, we headed back out to the cold, with a list of
errands that needed to be done.

 

"Winter is a time of quietness

and reflection, a time of

"nesting" while much of the

earth sleeps and waits for

spring.  Winter is the

contemplative season.

It invites us to sit by the

hearth and dream about

God, to shift our focus from

creation to the Creator."

~Harriet Crosby in a "Well Watered Garden"

 

It is snowing again, and another coat of white is

covering everything.

 

I appreciate that you stopped by to share the cold with me.

And, yes we are all still waiting for the birth of our

little grandson.

  

Today I am doing a "favorites" post.  It is only my personal preferences right now.  I like
testing products that are recommended from others, and seeing if I too, would refer them to
others.  I am not being reimbursed by anyone.  I share only because I have found them to
be products that I now use and like.

First of all, after all the years of blogging, you know my love of sunsets.  This amazing
picture was sent to me by my uncle recently, and I must say, it is now one of my favorite
sunset pictures, especially in my snowy, blustery, and bitter cold part of the world.  This
picture makes me smile.  I would love to be sitting on that beach with a hot mug of
coffee:)

This compact I have been using for the last half year and I really like it.  It can be
purchased at your local drugstore.  It is made by Physicians Formula.  It is "Translucent
Pearl", mineral glow pearls, and it will last you for a long time.  It was recommended
by makeup artists and works for all skin tones.  The "translucent pearl" does not add
color, only a soft glow to the skin.

I take the small brush and dust a LIGHT amount on each cheek, on the top of the cheek
bone and a touch down the center of my nose.  It adds just a touch of brightness. 
Not glitter, just a sheer radiant glow.

This pot of Vaseline lip therapy in rosy lips, I now carry in my purse.  I read
about it and it was mentioned that the shade of pink is flattering for all skin shades.
Not only that, it truly keeps my lips moistened, when the winter season is not
kind to them.  The little brush makes it easy to apply, although I often use my
fingers too.  Just a tiny pot of lip therapy that looks pretty too.

Talking about flattering shades of color, this Revlon Lip Butter in the shade of
"Peach Parfait" is now one of my favorite go to lip colors.  A very pretty, light
shade that everyone can wear.

Another one of my favorite items right now, is this small engraved heart that my
granddaughter gave to me for Christmas.  She chose it herself, at the school
gift shop, where they could shop for special people in their lives.  It sits on my
kitchen counter and serves as a constant reminder to me, of the necessity of trusting
in God through all the circumstances of my daily life. 

Those of you who know me well, know that I have a thing for pens, and only
certain types of pens.  These Sharpie pens are some of my new favorites.  I really
like the way they write. 

One of the best products in my book, for soaking tired, sore, winter feet.  A luxury
I give myself at least once a week:)

My husband gave these a heads up.  If you like sweet and salty together, and if you want
to have a sweet something at the end of a meal sometimes, well, this may be for you.
At only 160 calories per bar, it tastes so good!

 

 

These refried beans are just so good!  I spread them on soft taco

shells, then I add browned hamburger, shredded lettuce, chopped

tomatoes, shredded cheese, salsa, and a touch of sour cream.  Then

I roll up each taco.  I made these for my husband's birthday

dinner and we both had to work hard to limit our

taco intake:)  One can lasts for many tacos.

 

 

 

Another favorite Christmas gift that sits on my counter, is this

adorable snowman ornament that our youngest

granddaughter made for me, with her mother's supervision.

It is her small hand dipped in paint and placed on a clear

ornament.  Snowmen are painted on each finger.

Like me, I am sure you each value the meaningful,

homemade gifts from those who love us.  I treasure

this glittered gift.

 

 

 

 

"Kindness is the only service that will stand

the storm of life and not wash out.  It will wear well

and be remembered long after the prism of politeness

or the complexion of courtesy has faded away."

 

Not one of the above mentioned products will last

as long, or will ever substitute for acts of kindness.

 

Kindness shared makes everyone beautiful, whether their

skin glows or they have lip butter on their lips.

 

I close with one of my favorite verses; 

Proverbs 16:17

"Kindness gives birth to kindness."

 

Thanks so much for stopping by.

Schools are closed.  Businesses are closed. And it is still snowing.  But in spite of that,
it is a very special day.

Original plans changed for dinner tonight.  Instead we were invited for a birthday lunch
celebration at our oldest daughter and son-in-law's home, for a nice, quiet, candlelight meal:) 
Well, maybe not quiet, but it sure was lots of fun.   With another snow day, their mother has
her hands full trying to find things to keep five little ones occupied.  Our arrival was a fun
diversion, and they went to great lengths to prepare for it.

The children made streamers to hang from the ceiling, and they made white paper birthday
hats for all to wear.

Anticipation was high and their excitement blessed both my husband and me.  We liked
hearing them sing "Happy Birthday" to this guy who is so loved in their lives.

Our daughter made a delicious pot of hot chili, cornbread muffins, garden salad and
nachos.  It was a perfect snowstorm luncheon!  The hospitality was the best!

Including a bouquet of fresh flowers as a centerpiece, thanks to our son-in-law's
morning trip to the grocery store.

And of course, no birthday celebration is complete without three

rousing games of Candy Land.

 

 

 

 

 Our oldest daughter and her dad share many similarities.

 

So, even though we are in the midst of a major snowstorm,

we had the best time celebrating one extra special guy in

all of our lives, and the sixty-two years

God has given to him.

 

Thanks so much for stopping by, and if it happens to be your

birthday too, we wish you a "Happy Birthday" too!