In Alabama, we rarely have snow, but we do have the white sands of our beautiful beaches! Our family headed to Gulf Shores, Alabama a couple of days after Christmas for a 50th birthday getaway for my husband. We could not have asked for a more gorgeous week to be there! We've always preferred to travel in off-seasons, no matter where we go, when crowds and rates are at their lowest. Even for a winter beach trip, there is plenty to do to make it an enjoyable vacation. We had no agenda, but just went from one leisurely activity to the next. Walking on the beach is a must for any season. My girls and my son did swim in the ocean one day, and had a great time, but my husband, my ... Read more
A Happy 50th!
I'd like to wish a Happy 50th Birthday to the man who loves, leads, protects, teaches, entertains, and provides for our family--my wonderful husband! Joel is rock solid, tends to our needs, offers wise counsel, lives by the Word, leads us in Bible study, washes copious amounts of pots and pans, is a work horse in the yard, and brings stability during our most fragile moments (and with 3 women and a 9-yr old boy in the house, emotions can certainly run high at times!) We celebrated early with a trip to the beach with the kids and Joel's sweet mama, the woman who delivered her big New Year’s Eve baby 50 years ago today! For some fun entertainment on our trip, my mother-in-law brought Joel's ... Read more
A Simple Sweet Sixteen Weekend
Last weekend our younger daughter turned Sweet 16! She's our quiet, low key girl so she's never one for a big fuss or for being in the spotlight. With that, plus all the complications with trying to plan a gathering during Covid, she opted for a quiet weekend with a few of her favorite things. Favorite Thing #1: Friday afternoon we finished school and headed for the barn. We lease a horse at a community barn down the road from our house and she rides two or three times a week. The fall weather has been gorgeous for riding lately! We just love autumn days at the barn!! Midnight is so cute and fuzzy right now with his winter coat coming in. He looks and feels like a soft stuffed animal. ... Read more
Looking Back: Winter 2019/2020
Hello again! Yesterday I posted some highlights of FALL 2019. Today I'm moving on to WINTER 2019/2020! As soon as Thanksgiving was over and the fall decorations were packed away, we went straight into Christmas festivities. My tea ladies and I kicked off the season the last weekend in November with a tea lunch at a beautiful tea room, all decorated for the holidays! This leisurely tea time was our calm before the holiday storm. The first weekend in December, our family went to cut down our Christmas tree at a tree farm we've been going to since our oldest was a baby. I took a lot of family photos, and won't post those here, but it was a lovely, sunny day on the tree farm! It's ... Read more
“Heavy Pasta” Birthday Dinner!
Hello, and welcome back! Yesterday I told how we planned, decorated, and pulled off the surprise party for Piano Girl. Today, I'm sharing the menu and recipes. A week before my daughter's birthday, I asked her what meal she would like for her birthday dinner. Now this didn't tip her off to our surprise because I always cook the birthday person a meal of their choosing. She just didn't know it would be for a group! Her reply? With a sigh and a far off gaze (literally), she said two simple words. Heavy. Pasta. So, we went Italian! I set out some water and Artichoke Spinach Dip for the guests to snack on while the garlic bread was in the oven and Piano Girl was recovering from the shock she ... Read more