Tooth Fairy Day

Happy Tooth Day!! I saw this cute carving at the library. They have an art display near the front doors and this week they are displaying Quliceda carvings. Very cool!! If you are near the Marysville library, you should stop by and check it out.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!

My new sewing machine...

                        ... and chinese food @ Saigon Gardens.

We went shopping in town today and I decided to spend some of that extra $ that I have been earning from working more hours. I have really wanted a sewing machine for my scrapbook projects & this one was a perfect price. Its a Brother sewing machine. When I saw the name, I laughed & it reminded me of Carrie at our scrapbook retreat- "Oh Brother" (her quote of the week). After shopping, we met Aunt Katherine at Saigon Gardens & she bought us lunch. So sweet! The food was delicious and the fried tofu is the best. We love you, Auntie!!  

Is it Spring yet?

What`s with this Snow?

So this is what we woke up to in our neck of the woods...a dustin` of white stuff. Who is tired of being cold? I am. I dream of sunny rays and flip flop days!!!

Who`s the culprit?

This package arrived at the post office for me last week. Nana gave me a call when she was there picking up our mail and surprise...some more baby junk. She said, "Enough is enough! It`s more of that baby stuff. Who is sending you this?" The package would not even fit in our box so the postman had to put a key in our box. Nana had to take the key to a larger lock box to retrieve the package. The baby package contained formula, the "art in breastfeeding" book, and coupons. This is CRAZY!! Who is playing this silly joke on me? Just to let everyone know...the only baby that I have is my furry black lab that is laying on the front porch.

Since I don`t like to let things go to waste and I do have, Jenna, my "baby" dog, I decided to try the formula out on her. First I mixed it up in a bottle and tried to see if she would drink it that way. Then I gave it to her in a tea mug and she drank it very fast and loved it!! I think that I will give her 6 ounces a day until its gone. So there...the jokes are not on me. Oh yes!! and to the person sending me this stuff, Jenna prefers goats milk if you feel the need to send me more baby packages.

President Day Cookies

Happy President`s Day

I was very blessed and got four days off for the holiday. To celebrate, Evan and I baked some cookies. We baked gingerbread cookies which were one of President Lincoln`s favorite. He actually told a story about these cookies at one of his senatorial debates. This is how the story went: "When we lived in Indiana, once in a while my mother used to get some sorghum and ginger and make some gingerbread. It wasn`t often and it was our biggest treat. One day I smelled the gingerbread and came into the house to get my share while it was still hot. My mother had baked me three gingerbread men. I took them out under the hickory tree to eat them. There was a family near us poorer than we were and their boy came along as I sat down. 'Abe,' he said, 'gimme a man.' I gave him one. He crammed it into his mouth in two bites and looked at me while I was biting the legs off my first one. 'Abe, gimme that other`n.' I wanted it for myself, but I gave it to him and as it followed the first, I said to him, 'You seem to like gingerbread.' 'Abe,' he said, 'I don`t s`pose anybody on earth likes ginderbread better`n I do and gets less`n I do..." The audience loved his story and it was published in many newspapers. Years later, Lincoln reportedly repeated the story in the White House, mentioning details of his mother`s recipe. Unfortunately her recipe has been lost. Here is the recipe that Evan and I used to bake our cookies:

Gingerbread Cookies
1/2 cup - Butter
1/2 cup - Sugar
1/2 cup - Molasses (we used Maple Syrup)
1 - Egg Yolk
2 cups - Flour
1/2 tsp - Baking Powder
1/2 tsp - Baking Soda
1/2 tsp - Cinnamon
1 tsp - Ginger
1/2 tsp - Nutmeg
1/2 tsp - Allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in molasses (maple syrup) and egg yolk. In another bowl, sift together, flour, baking powder, baking soda, and spices. Gradually beat the flour mixture into the butter/egg mixture. Cover and chill dough for at least one hour. On a lightly floured board, roll the dough to a 1/4 inch thickness. Cut into gingerbread men or other desired shapes. Place cookies about two inches apart onto a greased baking sheet. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until firm. Cool. Makes about three dozen cookies.

Random Acts of Kindness Week

                Be kind one to another

"Three things in life are important. First is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind."  by Henry James  Lets try to follow his credo this week by adopting a pet from your local animal shelter, bake some cookies for a friend, let someone move ahead of you in line, send a friend a Valentine`s Day card, visit your local nursing home & make a new friend, buy coffee drinks for the car behind you at the Starbuck`s drive-thru, be a volunteer for a day, mow your neighbor`s lawn, or call a friend.

Put on then, as God`s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. Col. 3:12 &14  

Don`t Cry Over Spilled Milk Day

Today is the day to stop whining over the small stuff and whatever is bothering you, let it go. DO SOME BAKING!!

Our church is having a bake sale tomorrow to raise money for the Women`s Retreat. Nana made a couple heart cakes & some brownies. Of course, I am her tester and the brownies are delicious!! I also made shortbread heart cookies (my favorite cookies to bake). Those were very good too with a glass of milk. I love the smell in the house from all these great baked goods. It is a wonderful thing after a long work week to just spend the day baking with family and relaxing while the goodies are cookin` in the oven. Hope you all find a day to rest.

The Washer Repair Man & Mr. Clean`s Magic Erasers

                                    Its a great weekend!!

Yesterday we got our wash machine fixed. Yea!! Nana found a repair man in the yellow pages and gave him a call. He told us that he would be able to be out in a couple hours after he finished a job in Granite Falls. After getting a little lost and Cheri running out to the end of the driveway to get his attention, he finally arrived. He was a friendly old man with cataracts, a crazy hat, a lucky penny in his shoe, and lots of stories to tell. But he sure knew his business and had our wash machine fixed in a jiffy. It was just a plugged pump filled with stuffing from a pillow that Nana had cleaned. He also showed Nana how to fix it herself and recommended taking those pillows to a Laundry Mat and let it plug their washers.

Mr. Clean is truly a miracle worker. My windowsills have been driving me crazy lately and I can`t seem to get them clean enough. I decided to try these magic erasers and they worked magic on my windows. They got all that dirty grime off the sills. Thank God for the men in our life like those Mr. Fix-its & Mr. Cleans!!!  

Peanut Butter & Katie Jelly Sandwich

Is that a Groundhog or a PB & Katie Jelly Sandwich?
Katie came over last night for a sleepover with Nana & Papa. We love having her over and she always makes us laugh. Today Katie tried to walk around with her sleeping bag cushion. I told her that she looked like a slice of toast. Or maybe she is a groundhog, it is Groundhog Day? Or possibly Peanut Butter & Jelly?