Great Cookies Fast

Earlier tonight I wanted something to snack on and decided to google quick cookie recipes. I knew I was short on a few things I might need, so I was looking for something that used the mininum amount of ingredients. Well, imagine my suprise when I found this recipe for Easy Peanut Butter Cookies with only three ingredients and neither of them being flour! Being from the south, I thought it was impossibe to bake PB cookies without flour. I had to try it for myself.

These cookies are delicious and require less than 5 minutes prep. time. This will also come in handy when I have nothing in the house for surprise guests. I cannot get over how quick and easy these actually were. Let me know if you decide to try it for yourself. Below is a picture of what's left of the finished product.

A Chosen Vessel

One of these days I am going to remember to take "before" pictures. I went to Myrtle Beach Mother's Day and I don't remember if I blogged about that or not, but I went to Marshall's that day. While I was there I found a Victorian looking flower arrangement that I would have liked to have for my porch. It was $25 and I knew I would have to decide if I wanted to spend that amount for this realizing that after a few weeks the artificial flowers would fade and I would have a pretty container with those ugly, light green plants that those precious grannies have hanging from their rafters. (No offense intended if you have some of these. *smile*) I just adore ferns hanging from my porch, but I have a matter of direct sunlight that cooks the tender fronds to a brittle crispy brown. I have tried everything to remedy this but to no avail. I finally took pity on the poor things and decided that I wouldn't torture a single fern again. So, standing around doing "should I" or "shouldn't I" I finally decided shouldn't.



Later on that week I went browsing at my local T.J. Maxx and guess what I found? Yep! That same arrangement. On clearance! $15...Wow! Although it was missing a few flowers, I knew it was coming home with me. Have I ever mentioned how giddy I get when I find a bargain? So giddy in fact, that I am almost blushing even now. I stopped on way home at the Dollar Tree and purchased some fake fern fronds. I had no idea these were even here AND one dollar to boot! Giddy, I tell you, giddy. I could hardly wait to get home and begin my project of restoration.



I lovingly took the arrangement out of the car and immediately began "C. P. R." As I began to add the fern leaves I thought about a few flowers I had found a few weeks ago while cleaning out my closet. I knew these would be an absolute perfect addition to liven it up. I scrounged around until I found them again and added a few until I was satisfied. And here is the end result.

Not quite the way it was when it started out or how it was left, but a new creation! I thought about how it had been rejected by others. Bruised and battered, thus losing a lot of it's appeal, but in the end, it was chosen, changed and cherished. Isn't that like the love of Jesus? He looks upon us and sees our potential not our shortcomings and He lovingly brings us back to restoration. Thank God for that, or I too, would be on the clearance rack of life.

John 15:16
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.

***NOTE***
I did not realize what the daily verse was before this post. Ah, confirmation once again. Don't you love HIM?

Ta Dah!

I spent waaay more time experimenting with my new look than I wanted to. I hope you like it. I think I will have to view it with fresh eyes before I can make a final decision. Mine are awfully tired tonight and I don't trust them to judge anything effectively. I have been wanting to make some changes for awhile, but couldn't seem to find the time.

We had another hot day in the good 'ole south. Summer is edging in quickly and looks like it will live up to it's usual reputation. My heart goes out to the elderly and children with breathing problems. The heat usually intensifies their breathing discomfort. I just don't remember the days of summer being so hot when I was a child. I realize the older you get the worse it is, but I think it's more than that. We now have advisories for heat and air quality that are given during the weather report. I don't remember having these either until the last couple of years. What I do remember is getting off the school bus on breezy May days and kicking off my sneakers to feel the warm, cushy grass between my toes. This, of course this was to my grandmother's horror. She was under the distinct impression that we were "flirtin' with pneumonia" by going barefoot before the official arrival of summer. She also made sure no t-shirts (yes, we wore t-shirts under our regular clothes) were removed before their time. She was a long sleeved girl all summer long, as I can remember. She wore a hat, too. One of those big, straw ones. Nothing fancy, mind you. She held true to the plain and simple.

Well, I have got to get into bed. I need at least a few winks before Nathan's feet hit the floor. He waits for NO one! Nitey Nite.

We're Alive!

Time has slipped away ever so quickly. I can't believe it has been almost two weeks since my last post. Nathan has recovered from his ear infection, but not without incident. Last Saturday was a full schedule. We had a birthday party to attend for one of Nathan's friends and since he seemed to be feeling better, I decided to take him. He romped and played for about two hours and did not want to sit down to eat his meal or have cake and ice cream. I was just happy to see him playing again. He was seeming more "normal" except for an upset stomach.

By the time we arrived home for the evening, his upset stomach had become a major concern. Needless to say, after calling the pediatrician, I was on my way back to Express Care. The doctor, as well as myself, wanted him to be checked out, you know, just in case. Let me just say before you start thinking I am some medical room junkie, there are plenty of other details that led to my calling the pediatrician. Details that......well.....let's just say I had good reasons and you should be grateful that I have not listed them here. *smile*

After a couple of hours we were on our way home again and relieved. I was also thankful there were no major problems. It seems the antibiotic was causing the distress and I was told to discontinue it immediately. No problem. I haven't been comfortable with having to give Nathan medication anyway, so this was good news to me. Another thing, I was quite impressed with the Dr. of the night. He was absolutely wonderful! Dr. Tong, if you're out there, I'm giving you a great bit thumbs up! It is an awesome thing to have someone as a caregiver and is defined by the very word. I want to thank you all for your prayers. This is most important. I know that Nathan would not be as well as he is without the help of the Lord Jesus.
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Did I fail to mention how hot it is? It was a scorcher today and yesterday, thus, my new profile picture.

Speaking of that, I hope all enjoyed Father's Day. I wanted to blog about that, but it will have to wait. I have the sweetest picture...

I have a lot of catching up to do on everyone's blog. It doesn't take long to get behind and I have missed my friends so off I go.

Not Again!

I just got back from Urgent Care. Not one of my favorite places by a long shot, but since it was after hours I had no other choice. My first flag was raised last night when my little man wanted to go to bed early. He didn't have a temperature or seem abnormal in any other way so I counted it a blessing. He slept late this morning while I did the laundry, vacuumed the pool and tinkered around with a couple of other projects. Again, a blessing, I thought.

After he awoke, I fixed him something to eat and his appetite was normal. In fact, he wanted applesauce as an extra treat. It wasn't too long after his meal that I gave him his bath. We had to get ready for his speech appointment. I was very satisfied with his therapy today. He accomplished so much and I was proud of my little guy. His arm was covered in stickers that he received as rewards.

We stopped on the way home and got something for lunch. He didn't seem too interested in his chicken nuggets or fries, but I attributed it to his hearty breakfast. Once we got home he strolled around and played as usual. As the evening approached, he decided he wanted to take a nap with his dad. The both of them snuggled up together and out they went. Nathan was out in record time.

He had been sleeping for about an hour when I heard him coming through the living room, whining. Following close behind was dad. "He's burning up" was all I needed to hear. That small flag that had been raised last night was now up and waving madly. The thought of ear infection had been playing back and forth since last night, but I refused to dwell on it.

His pediatrician's office was closed and had been for over and hour. I immediately picked up the phone to make sure Urgent Care was open. They were. I had one hour to get there. We were off in a flash. Since it was the end of the evening we didn't have to wait too long. I don't think we have ever gotten in and out so quick. I am thankful for that.

I really thought that tubes meant an end to ear infections. Boy, was I wrong. I hope this is at least the last one for a few months. Please pray for my little man. He is so miserable and it breaks my heart to see him this way.

A Contest

My friend Anita is having a Summer Reading Contest. She is giving away a gift certificate to Amazon. Visit her page to find out all of the details.

Now, most of you will agree the bible is our all time favorite book. And that's because it is God's word that gives direction for our life. It gives us strength for the journey, hope for the discouraged and food for the hungry. It's all that and so much more! Since most will agree to this, I am posting my second favorite at the moment. In fact, I let you know about this one a few weeks back. It is The Pleasures Of Tea. After taking a few peaks inside you will know why.

So, off you go. Put your name in for the running!

Dishes And Dawn

I am thankful for the much needed rain we received over the weekend. The crops have been very dry and started to "yellow." This is not good. We all know the effects of farming season. It is like everything else. When conditions are good, prices are pretty stable, but when weather is not accommodating, our veggie prices go through the roof. I don't know about you, but I am paying more than I want to for items of necessity as it is.

I have been trying to cut back on purchases and I have been using as little electricity as possible. I haven't used my dryer but once in about a month. I hang all of my laundry on the clothesline. I love the fresh smell it gives my clothes. I have also been hand-washing all of my dishes. No dishwasher running up the bill here. While I was preparing the dish water the other day, I picked up my bottle of Dawn and squirted amount needed for the perfect lather under the flowing faucet. The smell of it brought back so many memories.

I thought about the days I would stand at the sink as a small child while my grandmother washed dishes. I can still see that big, pink bottle of the cheapest stuff she could afford. I think it was called Lilac or something like that. It was not known to have the staying power of the name brand stuff, but she used it just the same. I know she had to use twice as much to get those dishes clean. By the time she did this she could have gotten the better stuff. It's strange that I remember what my grandmother used at that time, but not my own mother. As I got older and laden with the dish washing responsibility, (we did not own a dishwasher) I did not want to use the pink stuff. I wanted something that would last. I wanted Dawn. Do any of you remember your first encounter with Dawn. I knew this was the one for me. I am not sure where I first used this super, sudsy, power house, but I was impressed.


This is a great product, and as time has passed, it has evolved into many different fragrances and formulas. Through the years, I left my first love of the original and was led away to try some of the other scents. I even strayed for awhile and tried other brands. There is no substitute. I had decided to go back to the original. After all, this is what sold me to begin with. I finished filling my sink with the sudsy blue formula and thought about how I had missed the "original" scent. There is an indescribable clean smell about it.


While washing my dishes, I thought about how we as Christians, can easily be led away from our first love. We are constantly being tempted with new gadgets and gizmos that keep our lives busy. Our focus should not be on the things we acquire in this life. Don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with having material things if we know how to manage time spent with them. In fact, I think God blesses us with lots of things that make our life easier. We are children of the king and He wants us to have the best, but we must keep our eyes on Him first. All these other "things" are bonuses and only bring temporary satisfaction if we don't keep them in the proper perspective. God is the originator of our life's contentment. If we find ourselves discontented, we need to go back to the Original. Jesus Christ. He is the only one that can fill the void in our lives.

Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

Fun, Fun, Fun

Caleb *skipped* school yesterday. He needed to put his feet up. Now you know where I have been for the past few days. Sun, sun, sun. Temps in the 90's.

And no, I am not being over-protective with his double swimmie suit. *smile*

Remembering

May we Never forget our freedom or the ones who have helped us to keep it. Please keep my brother in law in prayer as he is acting in our behalf at this very moment. Thank-you, Mike and the countless others. Please remember to pray for the families that have lost precious family members.

A Cute Little Purse

While I was over visiting Iris, I found this cute Dooney and Bourke purse giveaway. An added bonus is Victoria Secret perfume. It is being held over at Pinks & Blues Blog. I went ahead and threw my name in the ring and you can too! Just go on over there and sign up!! You only have until June 1st.

Happy Friday

Blessings to all!

I Have Been Slack

I know, I know, I've been slacking in the blogosphere. I have popped in and out to read my friend's blogs, even if I haven't commented for lack of time and I have prayed for those in need. I have kept my clothesline busy this week. All of my laundry has been hanging out in the wide open sunshine. I am hoping to see a difference in my electric bill. I don't want to go on a rampage here, *smile* but with gas prices the way they are every little bit helps.



Nathan is loving playtime outside. Hubs is suppose to get a smaller area fenced in the yard to help keep him contained. There is just so much for him to get into and that's not all. Fire Ants. I am almost convinced these are a plague. We haven't been able to get rid of them. I have never seen them this bad. We have put poison out for several years, but that only makes them move from one area to another. Gone are the days when you could get barefoot and fancy free on the luscious lawn.



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Nathan had his second appointment with his speech therapist yesterday. I don't know, but for some reason, I am unsure about this. Not with therapy, but with Nathan's responses to the exercise. The therapist had two stacks of pictures of boys and girls. She would hold one of each up at the same time and ask Nathan "which one is the girl/boy?" His only attempt of answering this was by reaching for one of the pictures. After his choice she would scribble something on her pad. This is where I was getting a little fidgety. What was she scribbling and why was I afraid to ask? I probably wouldn't have been so uncomfortable except I knew Nathan was making his choices based on what the girl/boy in the pics was doing or holding. Balloons, bikes, and bananas captivated his attention. That's what he was going after. I wanted to bring this to her attention, but *sighing* feeling a little intimidated, I said nothing. I will see how it goes next time.



Speaking of Nathan's speech, he doesn't make full sentences well. Yesterday, while I was in the kitchen he wanted juice. Anything we put in his cup for him drink is "juice." I heard him saying "mama's juice" curious as to what he could be talking about, I turned to see him holding my water bottle. He sure knows how to bring a smile to my face.

I don't know how much time I will spend on here. It's time to get the pool going and ya'll remember what a chore that was for me last year. Whew! I am hoping to get it going by this weekend. I am planning to have a few people over for a cookout on my BRAND. NEW. GRILL!
Yes, you read it right. Hubs decided not to take anymore chance and went out and purchased himself that new grill we had discussed previously. Yay!! Grilled steak is sooo much better than broiled. I have already tried it out and it works beautifully. I will try to post pictures as soon as I can.....if I don't forget.

Full Weekend

Whew! Another week has passed so quickly and there is no time to slow down. We have a full schedule tomorrow and Sunday. We have a birthday party to attend for my hubby's uncle at the top of the day. His birthday is also an excuse to have a family reunion of sorts and since a few will be coming from out of town, we will end up staying longer than we usually would. This wouldn't normally be a problem, but we have other obligations for the evening. *sigh* I'm worn out just thinking about it. I wanted to get a few things done around the house, but they will have to wait.

Oh, how could I forget this? I missed my WW meeting today. I really wanted to go and weigh in to keep me accountable. I may try to get up extra early in the morning and make the first meeting. I may not have lost that much weight, but I feel better since making better food choices. I know how to do this because I have in the past. Just. Got. To. Get. Myself. There.
The meetings are so informative and we get a new recipe every week. Some good. Some yuck!

I wanted to pop in and do a quick post, but I can't keep sitting here. I have laundry to do and a few other things to take care of tonight. I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Because Of You

We never thought or even planned
another child by our hand
But God saw you and that precious boy
His life was meant to bring much joy


Things could have been so different
If another choice was made
One filled with sadness
not laughter and play.


No little bugs to run from
while squealing with delight
No “Mama I got boo-boos”
with kisses to make them alright.

No big wet smooches
with sticky little lips
Or precious little hands
with chubby fingertips

No sparkling blue eyes
for all the world to see
Or locks of blonde hair
or precious, little teeth



Because of you, new life begun.
Because of you, I have a son.
Because of you, the choice you made
has given us much brighter days.
Because of you, your sacrifice
has made a child with such life!



I can’t help but think of you
on every Mother’s Day
While others may condemn
and scoff
I will give you praise

Author
D.K.P.

8 Things About Me

I have been tagged by Denise and Sharon to do the 8 Random Things meme.
Here are the rules :
Each player starts with 8 random facts/habits about themselves.
People who are tagged write a blog post about their own 8 random things and post these rules.
At the end of your blog you need to tag 8 people and post their names.
Don’t forget to leave them a comment and tell them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

• I have taught Sunday School starting with primary class and up to the adult ladies.
• I enjoy decorating for church functions/dinners. Especially tea parties! Surprised?!!
• I have one dog of mixed heritage. : ) He lives outside and his name is Samson.
• I like old black and white movies, you know the ones that were all g-rated. These are the best!
• I do not like bartlett pears. Ughhhh....they are gritty on my teeth and I can't stand it!
• I live on two acres in the country and have for 2o years. If I would have know then, what I know now, my husband and I would have purchased many more acres. *sigh*
• All of my water comes from an underground well.
• I love a bowl of cheerios for breakfast. A banana cut up in them is even better!

This was a lot harder than I thought. Some things I started to post and changed my mind. I wasn't sure that I wanted to reveal that much about my family. This is purely because of some privacy issues and since Anita experienced a little "turmoil" on a post awhile back, it caused me to re-think my list. So, now to tag 8 more, hmmmmm........ I think mostly everyone I know has already been tagged, but here it goes. Anita , Angel Mama, heartthoughts, that's all I can come up with so, if you're reading this and you haven't been tagged, please feel free to participate and let me know!!

The Duck And The Devil

Someone sent the following email to me and I thought the message was worth repeating so I decided to post it.




The Duck & the devil

There was a little boy visiting his grandparents on their farm. He was given a slingshot to play with out in the woods. He practiced in the woods; but he could never hit the target. Getting a little discouraged, he headed back for dinner. As he was walking


back he saw Grandma's pet duck. Just out of impulse, he let the slingshot fly, hit the duck square in the head and killed it. He was shocked and grieved! In a panic, he hid the dead duck in the wood pile; only to see his sister watching! Sally had seen it all, but she said nothing. After lunch the next day Grandma said, "Sally, let's wash the dishes" But Sally said, "Grandma, Johnny told me he wanted to help in the kitchen." Then she whispered to him, "Remember the duck?" So Johnny did the dishes. Later that day, Grandpa asked if the children wanted to go fishing and Grandma said, "I'm sorry but I need Sally to help make supper." Sally just smiled and said, "Well that's all right because Johnny told me he wanted to help" She whispered again , "Remember
the duck?" So Sally went fishing and Johnny stayed to help. After several days of Johnny doing both his chores and Sally's; he finally couldn't stand it any longer.
He came to Grandma and confessed that he had killed the duck. Grandma knelt down, gave him a hug and said, "Sweetheart, I know. You see, I was standing at the window and I saw the whole thing, but because I love you, I forgave you. I was just wondering how long you would let Sally make a slave of you."

Thought for the day and every day thereafter?

Whatever is in your past, whatever you have done... and the devil keeps throwing it up in your face (lying, cheating, debt, fear, bad habits, hatred, anger, bitterness, etc.)...whatever it is...You need to know that God was standing at the window and He saw the whole thing. He has seen your whole life. He wants you to know that He loves you and that you are forgiven. He's just wondering how long you will let the devil
make a slave of you. The great thing about God is that when you ask for forgiveness; He not only forgives you, but He forgets. It is by God's grace and mercy that we are
saved.

Blog Design Giveaway!

Everyday Mommy is hosting a blog design giveaway. How exciting is that? I would love to have a personalized design, but will be happy for anyone that wins. Go on over there and enter!

Refreshing

My mind has been so full of thoughts lately that everything just seems jumbled all together. There are so many needs and not enough people ministering (or so it seems) to those needs. I have been thinking about that last statement and feel compelled to ponder the "why not." Why are we not ministering to our brothers and sisters? I feel pretty comfortable in stating that there are countless reasons, especially when we bring it down to a personal level. Before this sounds like I am criticizing, I am totally NOT doing that, I want it to be known that I also realize there are many people/organizations that ARE ministering to the best of their ability. What I am referring to, is the the person sitting beside you on the church pew.

How well do we know that one that sits next to us? Do we know what they are dealing with day after day? Are we concerned? I have noticed that most of my friends and family that are serving the Lord, are kept so busy fighting spiritual battles, that they are constantly worn out. This alone has them beaten down and the thought of helping just one more is out of the question. Not because they don't want to, but because they feel there is nothing left to give or because they have let the devil convince them they are inadequate. How do I know this? I speak from experience.

I have sat on the pew and quietly thought about how I wanted to do more, but how could I? How could I possibly take on another burden onto my already overloaded "burden wagon?" Not that I would ever turn anyone away, verbally that is, but what about my actions? Were others able to see my almost flat, spiritual tires bending from all the pressure? Did this make me appear to be unapproachable? Dear Lord, I hope not. We are to carry things to Jesus, not for Him! I think this detail is forgotten somewhere along the journey.

So, as I am trudging along carrying all these burdens and just when I think I can't go another step, The Lord of hosts shows up! Suddenly our burdens are lifted away and we are refreshed and renewed by His Spirit! Nothing can compare to the presence Of God. This is exactly what happened in our Sunday morning service. The sweet presence of God surrounded us in His sanctuary and pointed us back to the cross and with "emptied wagons." I was reminded of the scripture in Acts 3:19 that I wanted to share.


19.Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord.



Next time your wagon feels full, empty it out at the feet of Jesus. Don't try to carry it around needlessly. And by emptying it out, we will be able to minister to those that are hurting. I want others to see and feel the love of Christ in me. Only then will they be comfortable in letting me help carry their "load" to Jesus!

Beautiful Flowers

The cold snap we had at the beginning of the month was unexpected. I am thankful that we didn't lose to many of ours. I wasn't really happy about having to go out and cover my plants at night, but the results are worth it. I wanted to share these pictures of my light purple azaleas and my snowball bush.






Temperatures have been in the 90's for a couple of days until today. It is only in the 60's and sprinkling rain. Unbelievable. I am thankful for the much needed rain.

I'm Back!

Wow! Has it really been a week and a half since my last post? I have been very busy with dr. appointments, family activities and church functions. The weather has been beautiful and we have taken full advantage of it. This has not left much time to blog. However, I have tried to pop in and out to check on everyone. Thanks to all you for your comments and messages of concern. You all are the greatest friends!
I have lots of things to blog about, but today is going to be about our latest trip. I have pictures!

This, of course, is Nathan on our starting journey.


This is a shot of the water from the bridge.


This is the front entrance to Pine Knoll Shores Aquarium. Too bad I didn't get all the boys in this one that wanted to dip their fidgety fingers in the pool.


I didn't capture the shark too well in this picture. He looks more like a shadow at the bottom. Can you see him?

This was the largest turtle I have ever seen swimming the way this guy was. He made me think of Little Nemo. Hmmm...speaking of that, I didn't see a clown fish this time.


Much to the boy's delight, they were able to touch the stringrays at this little area. Needless to say, there was much handwashing going on afterwards.

There goes the turtle again. I had a pic of his belly, but I don't know what happened to it.

Here is Nathan and Amanda digging for shark's teeth. Hey, this is better than paying $3 for a couple of them in a small bag.


The boys are sitting around having our packed lunch. This piques the interest of a few friends below.


Caleb decides to feed them.
>

These birds were aggressive!! I would have taken a shot of that, but I was probably trying to protect myself and family! LOL! These only represent a few of the many!


This is the Amanda crab.


Caleb crab and immediately below him is the Nathan crab.





For some reason, I always associate these beautiful "sun behind the cloud" views with Jesus' return. I picture Jesus with his foot on the bottom cloud with hands raised calling us to "come up hither." Glorious!


This sunset appeared after a few more miles. Lovely, isn't it?


Nathan was worn out and slept all the way home.


It was a long day, but one enjoyed by all. I was especially proud of Nathan for being so well behaved. I thought I was going to have a problem keeping him in the stroller, but I didn't. Yay! Caleb got to romp and stomp with his buddies and he couldn't have been happier. I was probably as worn out as Nathan, but couldn't get my "snore on" until after midnight.

God has blessed us with so many wonderful things to enjoy. We all need to take the time in our busy lives to do just that. Enjoy!