is having a drawing for a child's skirt and pants~here is the site and here is where you leave your comment, if you're interested!

Kat

• Stevie Nicks CD in the stereo
• my little ones doing the happy-food-dance at lunch (I love how food makes children happy!)
• sitting on the deck with a glass of iced tea, watching them play
• naptime
• laying on the couch, reading a decorating magazine, with the shades drawn, enjoying the cool comfort
• reading a book
• decluttering a corner of the house~pure satisfaction!
• candles, potpourri, scented sprays
• ironing pillowcases with lavender linen water
• enjoying the last ______ (apple?  chocolate?  So rarely happens with a housefull of boys!) ~alone~ (not that I'm stingy, quite the opposite--it's just nice to *not* share every once in a while, LOL!)
• computer time~blogging and reading favorite sites on-line

Wouldn't it be fun to host a movie night, for the movie Waitress, and have each guest bring a pie?  (I do not know if men would be into it, LOL--might be a MNO kind of thing!).

And, the guests could name their pies beforehand (I am picturing little placecards in front of each pie on the serving table) and then everyone could vote for the silliest, most original, etc.??  Ooooohhh--I know--everyone could bring a *prize*, like $10 or less, and have as many categories as pies, so everyone goes home with a prize at the end of the night?  The prizes could be baking gadgets, cookbooks, hotpads, etc.

I would totally have a red gingham checked tablecloth on the serving table, hot coffee and hot tea, and vanilla ice cream on hand. 

We would serve ourselves a small slice (okay, or not) of each pie, then sit down to watch the movie.  It would not be a full-house event~three to five pies (well, ladies) would be more than enough for one evening...without getting sick or not ever wanting to see a pie again, LOL!

(Does anyone else notice that this post started out as "wouldn't it" and ended more as "I" and "We"???  I would not be able to *host* this right now, but I could *attend*, LOL!).

Tea commented that she just made the "Falling in Love" pie and I went to the Bakespace.com site and found some other recipes from the movie--here is the "Marshmallow Mermaid Pie" recipe:

9 graham crackers
1/2 cup sweetened, flaked coconut, toasted
5 Tbl butter or margarine melted
34 large marshmallows (8 oz)
1/2 cup whole milk
1 1/2 cup heavy or whipping cream
1 oz unsweetened chocolate, grated

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees fahrenheit. Combine coconut and graham crackers in food processor until coarse crumbs form.
2) Combine crumbs and butter with fork. Press to bottom and sides of 9 inch pie plate. Bake 10 minutes and cool on wire rack.
3)Heat marshmallows and milk in 3 quart saucepan over low heat until smooth, stirring constantly. Remove saucepan from heat. Cool completely (30 minutes).
4) In large bowl with mixer at medium speed, beat cream until stiff peaks form. Fold marshmallow mixture into whipped cream with grated chocolate. Spoon filling into coolest crust. Refrigerate pie at least 3 hours or overnight.
5) Top with mini-marshmallows, maraschino cherries and rainbow sprinkles.

Makes 8 servings.

• being the first to wake up in the morning and enjoy the peaceful sanctuary of my home
• babies waking up happy
• good morning kisses from my boys
• a clean house
• scented candles burning
• potpourri simmering on the stovetop
• hot tea and buttered toast
• nursing my baby in the glider
• listening to classical music
• sitting by a cracked window and breathing the cold, sweet, morning air

Naughty Apple Pie!!!  (I just cannot get that Waitress movie out of my head...well, especially since I bought a copy and watch it just about every other day while I fold laundry, LOL!).  Using Pioneer Woman's Scrumptious Apple Pie recipe, my boys and I made this pie this afternoon.  This is actually the "before" picture~the pie is now baking in the oven and I will return later with "after"!!

Those apples in the background?  They are not real--I display them in various containers in my kitchen.  They look real, though--somewhere, I have one with a bite taken out!!  I wonder who wanted a taste??  Anyways, I cleaned up my table for this photo-op~the rest of my kitchen is not so nice and neat, LOL!

Update:

I wanted to mention that our three oldest boys helped to peel and core the apples with this nifty gadget from Pampered Chef (I admit that it is one of those gadgets that I FORGET that I have and rarely use--but now that our boys have discovered it, they will not let me forget again!)

And, the "after" picture:

Yum, yum, yum.  It is not as pretty as Ree's, but it was scrumptious, indeed!  I cheated and used a frozen deep dish pie crust~and when sliced, the pie did not hold up very well; it looked more like a cobbler!

But good?  Oh, it was good.  Note that only our best china could be used to serve this delicious, Firehouse Apple Pie. 

Yes, the pie that was formerly known as "Naughty Apple Pie" will forever hence be named, "Firehouse Apple Pie".  My oven (the oven that I self-cleaned just last night) caught fire in the last few minutes of baking~smoke and flames shooting out!  My dh grabbed the fire extinguisher and I cried, "Wait, wait--my pie!!!"  I saved it!  After we aired out the house and called the boys back inside, we sat down, ate pie, and had a lively discussion of "If our house burned down, could we still sell it?" and other imperative questions that little boys ask...

Now, there is yellow powder all over my kitchen floor and on the stovetop and microwave.  My dh is cleaning the floor and I am going to wipe down everything else.

So, next time, I will make homemade pie crust AND I will put my pie plate on a cookie sheet for any fire-starting bubblies that might try to escape!

Do you know who you are voting for?

I just read something that sparked my own inner, personal indecision.  There is no perfect candidate~kind of like, there is no perfect mate, LOL.  They all have their quirks...I need to find the candidate (well, the man, not woman--I know that much for myself) whose quirks I can live with. 

Babies' lives are very important to me.  Marriage and family are very important to me.  Is there a candidate out there who will strive to protect both?  I ask because I honestly do not know--I know that Ron Paul is pro-life, but he is also pro-constitution, which means he will not protect marriage.  Out of all of the positives I see in Ron Paul, should this *quirk* sway me from voting for him?  (I must mention here that Ron Paul delivered me in 1971 and I grew up with his youngest daughter--I would love to see their family in the White House!).

John McCain...there is something about this man that I like and trust.  I like that he has friends in all parties~that totally caters to my "Can't we all just get along?!" neediness.  POW--wow.  I am so thankful to him and all of our soldiers.  He seems rational and reasonable.  I enjoy hearing him speak.  Quirks?  Well, again, the marriage thing.  There may be more, but that is what stands out to me at this time. 

Truly, I have not been inspired to research the other candidates.  I admit that for some, I am completely close-minded and will not consider at all.  But this evening, I am ignoring all etiquette and talking politics~do you know who you are voting for?

I had one of those dreams last night~or, I guess, this morning.  I dreamed about Kade and Ingrid.  And me, and my little Sailor.  It was a sad dream, but also a good dream.  I woke up with that feeling--like my dream was reality--and was so relieved that it was only a dream.  And then, I immediately felt guilty that Ingrid does not have that relief.  I do not know how she is doing...I have tried to call her, but have not been able to reach her.  I think I will try again this morning...

Ingrid and Kade, Summer 2007

God in Heaven, please cover Ingrid, David, Drew and Pierce in the blood of Jesus Christ.  Send your guardian angels down to guide and protect them.  Please, Lord, help them to find peace and to heal their broken hearts.  In Jesus' name I pray, Amen.

We were invited to a party at some of our good friends' house tonight~we had such fun!  It was a wonderful group of families.  Thank you, Jana!!

Before we left, I had a little scare, LOL.  When I picked up my purse, right before walking out the door, a green lizard jumped out of it and landed on my hand!  I screamed, then it jumped to the floor!  I was kind of jumping and screaming (startled, not scared of lizards, LOL) and I think I stepped on his tiny foot (poor little guy!).  My oldest found the lizard and put him outside, on one of our sago palm trees.  It all makes sense now!  Last night, after my little guys went to sleep, I lay on the couch in the living room reading a book.  I heard a strange noise in the kitchen (our living room opens to the kitchen), like a rustling of paper or plastic.  At the time, it scared me--I investigated, but could not figure out what had made the sound...I actually thought that maybe a field mouse got into my house somehow!  It must have been that lizard!  My purse was sitting on one of our packed boxes, right next to a grocery bag.  I guess he slept in there all day...

Well, everyone is bathed and ready to get to sleep.  I am looking forward to starting the new year and wish everyone a safe and blessed 2008!

Paying It Forward from Amy~

The first 3 people to leave comments will be in my "Pay it Forward" reward program. This is how it works....

If you are one of the first 3 lucky people who comment to this blog, I will reward you by sending you a gift in the mail sometime after Christmas, BUT....here's the catch, you MUST do the same on your blog by offering 3 gifts to 3 people too-thus, "Paying it Forward"! Please use the logo when you do set it up.

I want to thank Bren from "Pieces of Me" for doing this first.

I can't wait to find out who my "special guests" will be! Please, privately e-mail me with your name and address when you comment (only if you are #1, #2, & #3) . I will PROMISE to do this-so go for it-you won't regret it!

Good luck!

Katherine

ETA:  Non-xanga members can now leave comments on my site~just choose "anonymous" and proceed!  Thank you all for your comments!  Kat

I am joining Kelli in a recap of 2007:

"Post the first sentence of your first blog post of each month. You can also add a favorite picture from each month. Here are mine:"

January

Blog:  I found this book in my Christmas stocking, from my husband.

Oreo Truffles:

Baby on New Year's Eve:

February

Blog:  definitely--I have seen this word spelled "definately" so much lately that I had to go look it up again to see if "the man" officially changed the spelling of the word and I was the only one who didn't know it yet!! 

Valentine Wreath:

March

Blog:  A few of my favorite things:

Candles at dinner

April

Blog:  Hours in ER on Sunday night (before giving up and going home!):  3

Shrimp mousse at Easter:

May

Blog:  We spent a few days at the beach~I didn't want to come home! 

Baby at beach:

June

Blog:  He's crawling!

July

Blog:  I am going to start "Tablecloth Tuesday" next week~and I hope to be back in time for "Teacup Thursday"!!

Tablescape for July 4th:

August

September

Blog:  It rained most of the day and I think a tiny front moved in~it was cool outside this evening and I thought I smelled Fall! 

"Russet Blossoms" teacup by Lenox and tea from my Secret Sister:

October

Blog:  Looking for Kodak moments...

We drove through the wildlife refuge (again) the other day.

November

Blog:  It's been too long...

Wow.  I am finally back on-line.  I have so much to update...the good, the sad, the mediocre...

December

Blog:  The week of Thanksgiving, we were in the ER three times!

Advent Calendar: