Tee Time!

Over the past month, Michael has gotten the itch again to play golf. He decided to give up the sport a few years ago, when he just didn't have the time to play. Now that his business is managed to a tee (I crack myself up!), he's ready to get back on the green. This would be wonderful except that I sold his clubs...with his permission...at a garage sale a few years ago. When he told me that he'd like to begin playing again, I told him that Cole and I would love to get him a new set for Father's Day. He jumped at the idea and began shopping. He found a great set at Play It Again Sports and couldn't pass up the deal, so we went ahead and purchased them. He also wanted some sooner than later so that he could take them with us on vacation and play at the beach...worked out great!

When Michael brought them home, Cole helped to clean them up and enjoyed hitting a few practice balls with Daddy in the backyard. I even took a few swings...must say I'm not too shabby! (For the backyard at least).

Happy Early Father's Day!

Cole checking out the new clubs and helping Daddy clean them.

Getting in some backyard practice.
The next Tiger Woods?

Celebrating Memorial Day

Every year we seem to do something different for Memorial Day. Sometimes we're out on a boat with friends, barbecuing at home, or visiting with family. This year was spent at my parent's home with family and friends enjoying an afternoon of games, playing in the rain, and a yummy dinner. The Gammon family joined us this year (they'll really be family one day!)...we played Cornhole, chatted on the back porch, and just enjoyed spending time together.

Cole's new friend, Mattie. She loved playing with him, and he loved the attention. She'll be a great babysitter in a few years!

Playing Cornhole. My dad made a set of his own...notice the personalized paint job "Papa and Gigi"

The beautiful rainbow!

Being silly...

After our dinner of ribs, hamburgers, potato salad, cowboy beans, and grilled corn we chowed on strawberry cake made with fresh strawberries the Gammon's had picked that morning...delicious!

Memorial Day

With today being Memorial Day, I'm reminded of a day I spent at the mall a few months ago. Sounds crazy I know, but let me explain...
I had dropped Cole off at preschool, and was looking forward to a morning of strolling the mall. Because the mall stores didn't open until 10:00, I had about 45 minutes to 'people watch'. I saw moms 'power walking' with strollers, young men/women speed walking with their Ipods and Adidas attire, and senior adults taking a leisurely stroll. I too, made one loop around the mall, and then settled in the food court with a yummy chicken biscuit to fill my tummy before a morning of window shopping (who can afford actual "shopping" these days?).
As I ate my breakfast, my gaze drifted to a group of senior adult men sitting just a few tables away. They were smiling and laughing as they drank their morning coffee. I know it's not polite to stare, but the scene was captivating. The more I watched their interaction, the more I wanted to stay and soak up the beautiful sight before me. I could hear them telling jokes, reminiscing about the past, and telling war stories. From what I could gather (through my eavesdropping), they had served in World War II. I wanted to approach them and thank them for their service to our country...for giving me the freedom to drop my son off at a Christian preschool where he could sing songs to Jesus, for the freedom to bow my head and thank my Almighty God for providing food to eat, for the freedom to buy and sell as I please and wear what I choose.
As these thoughts were going through my mind, I pictured a different scene in front of me...not six elderly men; but instead, six young handsome men in army green, smoking cigarettes and dancing the night away with beautiful girls....oh, the stories I know they could tell. I then thought about how beautiful it was that they remained friends and shared in each other's joy and sorrows over the past 50 years.

As a younger generation, we have so much to learn and gain from the wisdom, stories, and knowledge of the senior adults in our midst. We also have many of them to thank for the freedoms and privileges that we enjoy today. I want Cole to grow up with an awareness that the things he enjoys and takes for granted did not come without a price. I want him to treasure the memory of those that paid the ultimate sacrifice of giving their lives and continue to support those that serve to protect us today.

To all of our service men and women, past and present...thank you for your sacrifice to give my family the freedoms that we enjoy today. May the Lord truly bless you and your families.

Monday's Menu

Because we leave for vacation on Saturday (yay!!!), this week's menu is a little more laid back. Not only will our time be filled with packing, shopping, and list-making, but I also don't want tons of leftovers in the fridge when it's time to leave. All that said, here's this week's menu...

Monday: Memorial Day! Cookout with friends and family.
Tuesday: Easy Taco Soup
Wednesday: Homemade Pizza
Thursday: BLT sandwiches and tater tots
Friday: Leftovers/clean out fridge...leave for vacation early tomorrow morning!

This week's recipes:

Easy Taco Soup:
2 cans Rotel
1 can whole kernel corn
1 can chopped green chilies
1 can dark red kidney beans
1 can mild chili beans
12 oz. tomato juice
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch mix
1 tsp. sugar
1 lb. ground beef

Dump all cans (juices included) and seasonings in a large pot and bring to a boil. Brown meat, drain, and add to soup mixture. Reduce heat to low and simmer until flavors are mingled (15 min.). Serve with sour cream, Mexican cheese, and tortilla chips.
from Sherri Patterson

Cowboy Beans: (made these for our Memorial Day cookout)
2 tsp. mustard
1/4 c. barbecue sauce
1/4 c. ketchup
1/3 c. brown sugar
1 tsp. chili powder
2 Tbsp. white syrup
1 onion, chopped
1 can butter beans, undrained
1 can pork and beans, "
1 can pinto beans, "
1 can kidney beans, "
1 lb. ground beef; browned and drained
6 slices of bacon; cut into 2 in. strips
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper

Mix all ingredients together in a large casserole/baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

A Playdate with New Friends

Now that Cole is out of school for the summer, we are excited to meet with some of my friends and their children on Tuesdays for playdates. Today was Cole's first time to meet some of these kiddos. We had fun and can't wait to see them again soon!

Mason giving Makayla a push

Cole watching Ms. Jess and baby Jonah...he loved Jonah!

Briley, Mason, and Cole enjoying the bubbles.

Monday's Menu

Monday: Spaghetti w/ meat sauce, salad, garlic bread
Tuesday: French onion roast, carrots, potatoes, homestyle green beans, rolls
Wednesday: Burrito pie, homemade salsa and chips
Thursday: Cornflake porkchops, yellow rice, okra, baked beans
Friday: Chicken pot pie, salad

I decided to post a few recipes this week (I just couldn't decide!) One recipe is actually from last week's menu. It was a new one for us and was SO delicious!

Tumbleweed's White Chicken Chili:
1 stick butter
3-4 boneless chicken breasts
1 large onion; chopped
2 4.5 oz. cans of chopped green chilies
1 cup mild salsa
4 cups chicken broth (I only used 2 cups)
2 tsp. parsley
2 1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp. oregano
1 Tbsp. ground red pepper flakes
1 Tbsp. salt
1 1/2 Tbsp. cumin
3 cans Northern white beans; undrained

Boil chicken until done (save broth to use later...refrigerate to skim fat). Cut chicken into 1" cubes. In large pot, saute onions in butter until tender. Add chicken and chilies to onions. Stir and simmer for 20 minutes on low. Add all remaining ingredients. Bring to a quick boil and then simmer on low for 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream and cheese for toppings.
**Next time I'm going to make some quick fried tortilla strips to put on top for some crunch as well.
taken from my MOPS cookbook...submitted by Gina Hooper

French Onion Beef Roast:
1/4 c. + 2 Tbsp. flour, divided
1 boneless beef roast (about 3 lbs.)
1/4 c. canola oil
1 can condensed French onion soup
1 packet of dry onion soup mix
1 (4 oz.) can mushroom pieces; drained

Preheat large saute pan on medium high 2-3 minutes. Dredge roast in 1/4 c. flour coating both sides. Place oil in pan; swirl to coat. Add roast to pan cooking 4 minutes on each side to brown.
Transfer roast to slow cooker (use the slow cooker liner bags for easy cleanup!). Set slow cooker setting to low.
Reduce heat on saute pan to medium low. Stir remaining 2 Tbsp. flour into drippings in pan; cook for 1 minute, stirring until smooth. Stir in soup, dry soup mix, and mushrooms; bring to a boil. Transfer soup mixture to slow cooker. Cook 8-10 hours (4-6 on high) or until meat pulls apart easily with a fork.
taken from Publix Apron's cookbook

Cornflake Porkchops:
2 cups cornflakes cereal
1 large egg; beaten
1 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin top chops
1/2 tsp. seasoned salt
4 Tbsp. garlic and herb butter (easily made by mixing crushed garlic, rosemary, and thyme with softened butter...can also be bought).

Place corn flakes cereal in a large zip top bag and crush. Place egg in medium bowl. Sprinkle porkchops with seasoned salt. Preheat large saute pan on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Coat pork chops by dipping in egg; remove, let excess drip off, and add to zip top bag. Seal bag tightly and shake to evenly coat chops. Place butter in pan; swirl to coat. Add chops and cook 6-7 minutes on each side or until internal temp. reaches 160 degrees. Serve.
taken from Publix Apron's cookbook

Pickin' Berries

Last week, we ventured to Bottom View Farm in Portland to pick some infamous strawberries. We thought we would be rained out, but really wanted to get some before the Strawberry Festival (I've heard it's slim pickin's after the festival). We took Gigi with us and were blessed with a beautiful morning picking yummy berries. We finished around lunchtime and headed to Five Chefs restaurant in downtown Portland to eat. The food there is delicious and the gift shop (Occasions) is always fun to browse through.On the way home, I began thinking of all the yummy things to make with these delicious berries before they ruined. That night, I made strawberry tarts, and my mom and I made some strawberry freezer jam. We've enjoyed munching on them for a before bed snack (especially when dipped in Cool Whip...yum!), and I hope to make a strawberry cheesecake for a dinner dessert with the rest. There's just nothing like some fresh berries!

Nothing Runs Like A Deere

To "celebrate" Cole's first year of preschool, Michael wanted to get Cole a motorized John Deere tractor that he had been eyeing at Wal-Mart for sometime. In my opinion, he just really wanted to get it for him for the summer and used "end-of-school" as a great excuse :) We've waited to get Cole one of these vehicles simply because his little legs have been too short to operate the pedals (gets it from his mommy...what can I say?). This tractor is smaller than some and was the perfect one to try. Michael assembled it one night this week, and we showed it to Cole the next day. He LOVES it! It was so funny to watch him learn to "push" the pedal with his foot...we're still working on steering.

Graduation???

It's hard to believe that Cole is already finished with Treasure Creek preschool until it begins again next fall. It's been amazing to see him transform right before my eyes from a shy little boy into one that talks non-stop about his friends and all of his fun school activities. I am so thankful for his teachers, Ms. Kelly and Ms. Christy...for all of their hard work, smiles, hugs, and love that they showered on Cole this year. We were truly blessed!

Ms. Kelly

Giving Ms. Christy hugs

Checking out his end-of-year gift from his teachers...such fun summer goodies!

Mother's Day Weekend

Finally, I'm getting to my Mother's Day post. We've had such a busy week...I've got so many more things to share! But, first things first...I had a wonderful Mother's Day! I called this post Mother's Day Weekend, because we really did celebrate the whole weekend. On Friday morning, we headed to Dunlap to visit Michael's family. I know I've said it before, but when we travel there, it's like a breath of fresh air. There are no agendas, no schedules, and the beauty is breathtaking. It was especially gorgeous because of all the rainfall. The creeks were flowing, ponds full, fields green, and the mountain was beautiful. We were afraid that the rain would keep us housebound during our visit, but we actually had great weather. Cole rode four wheelers, helped Grandpa feed the horses and his new calves, and loved throwing rocks into the creek. It's truly a little boy's paradise :) Granny loved her stepping stone that Cole made and placed it by her flower garden in the front yard. We left Saturday night, and can't wait to visit again soon!

Granpa and Granny's house at the base of the mountain

The view from the front porch...beautiful!

Riding the four wheeler with Grandpa...the faster the better for Cole!

Feeding the new calves

Feeding the horses...his favorites are Ginger and Walker

Playing in the backyard creek

Fun with Granny

On Sunday, I enjoyed a wonderful breakfast and a morning of worship with my sweet family. We went to Demo's for lunch and had a lazy afternoon before heading to Mom G's house for dinner. Michael insisted on getting Cole ready before we left...when Cole came around the corner, I couldn't contain my laughter. This is what I saw...Daddy is such a character! There we gave my mom her Mother's Day gift and I had a surprise as well. Kyle and Laura gave me a beautiful geranium, simply because they were proud of the mom I am to Cole. I was humbled by their sweet gesture...it's only by God's grace and His leading that we make it through each day. I am so blessed to be a mom to such a beautiful gift.