No sleep tonight!!!

THAT MY FRIENDS....IS A SNAKE ON MY BEDROOM CARPET! Ya think I'm gonna sleep tonight? VERY doubtful!!! I came in my office for my "nightly email check" and Mike hollered...grab your camera. I'm thinking to myself, it's too dark outside our bedroom window for a picture so what in the world does he want one of?!? I was too afraid to ask! I rounded up my camera and headed for our bedroom. The minute he said well, you can blog about our first SNAKE in the house...I just about screamed and ran for the hills! Wait, I am in the hills...
He said he had stepped on in after coming out of the bathroom and he wondered what had gotten spilled on the floor because it felt like water. Just so happens, it was on MY side of the bed! I said...(VERY BOLDLY AND LOUDLY) if that EVER happens to me I will probably have a heart attack so we better figure out where it came in so his brothers and sisters don't decide to visit too!!! I may just decide to sleep upstairs tonight... surely they wouldn't follow me up there??

maybe next year...

I wanted to share with you a blog that I LOVE to visit!! I wish today's post would have came out sooner when I had PEACHES running out of my ears! You can bet I'll re-visit this next year! Who would have thought of using peach halves? I just thought about all the slicing I was going to have to do and that seemed like to big of a task for me!!
http://littlebirdiesecrets.blogspot.com/2010/08/how-to-can-peaches.html

ADOPTION!!!!!!!!!!!

Ahh Ha...I knew that title would get your attention!! Now that I have your FULL undivided attention...NO it's not us adopting!!! God hasn't tugged at my heart for it but...he has tugged at my heart to help a friend that is! I'll just keep letting them get up at night...change the diapers...do the homework...etc....you get the picture!! Praise God that there are people out there like the J family!!! They don't just think about something...they take action over and over and over again!!! God Bless them!!!! I wasn't a bit surprised AT ALL when I got the text from my friend asking me to pray for them that something BIG was happening!! I just knew it!! I had to call her right away. She had been heavy on my mind for a while. Now I know that some of you are saying...What in the world?? Why again?? And...you might even be rolling your eyes a little bit...Well, STOP it! It's not, I repeat NOT our place to question what God has lead them to do! It humbles me (A LOT) and I have to sit back and ask myself what am I doing to better this earth that God's put me on? It doesn't even have to be adoption, it can be ANYTHING! Am I taking action...or am I sitting around questioning why someone else is doing what they're doing?!!? Am I praying and asking "what next Lord?" "what do You want me to do for You today?" Ummm...I really don't want to answer those questions because if I did, I may just have to lie a little bit!
I sure didn't mean to turn this post into a sermon...it just happened that way! Or maybe I did and that's my way of doing what I feel led to do?!? Now...get on over to their blog and let's help 'em out!! And you might even win one of the prizes they're giving away!! They're GOOD ones too!

(food for thought): We help send Missionaries on mission trips don't we??



Click on the cute button above to take you to their blog!

Golden No-More!!

Remember this! Ahhh...just what I hoped for and more!


Close up detail...


Furniture in our bedroom that I was trying to match.

Project Complete!! My Mom will be so proud of me!! I've decided that by posting it on my blog...it makes me more accountable to complete it! What to do next????

UPDATE (8-20-10): This is for you Dawn! Because I was asked...I wanted to share my steps used in this project. 1) I used a hand sander and sanded the whole desk down to the bare wood. 2) I spray painted 2 coats (yes...spray painted it)...taping off the top of the desk so I wouldn't get paint on it, letting the coats dry in between each other. 3) Then I lightly sanded them down after they were dry with a 320 grade sand paper. While sanding I wanted the edges and parts of the bare wood to show through so I used a little extra "elbow grease" on those areas! 4) After wiping all the dust off with a soft cloth, I used stain and a small 1 1/2 in. brush to go over the exposed wood (corners...edges...etc.) which included the top of the desk that I had covered with paper. Then wipe off the "extra" stain with a dry soft rag. 5) Let the stain dry really good even over night if needed. If you don't then you will be working with a gooey mess. 6) Let the finish coats begin...I started with a spray can of clear Satin enamel. Spray-let dry-then lightly sand off the roughness. Then repeat about 4 times letting each coat dry in between. My very last coat I used the Polycrylic and a sponge brush and ever so lightly went over it all avoiding any pressure at all so I wouldn't have any little air bubbles which cause the final finish to be rough to the touch. 7) Spray the handles with the textured spray. WahLah...that's it! A brand new desk that you can walk by and be so proud of yourself for completing a project!!

Wednesday Delivery...

Every Wednesday my doorbell rings about 9:50 am and this is my special delivery for the day! Can you think of a more precious package?

You make my day Aspen Clare...I LOVE you and Wednesday's!!

golden transformation in progress...

Is that Gold or what? YUCK!!


Scratched up top...


Ahhh....Gold-be-gone!


Looking better...


New hardware...not really...just a fresh coat of paint!

This desk came from my Great Grandma...I've never been able to let go of it! I'm so excited to finish it! I tried really hard to match my furniture in my bedroom and so far so good!

You'll have to check back for the finished product...just couldn't wait to share! JaNae...are you proud of me for simply "starting"!!!???!!!

Life's Little Treasures...

"Someday, Mac, you'll be a big kid like me!"

"I know this is your cup...but it's in my hands right now!"

Preston getting a ride on the big green machine!

I NEEEEED this...but which one?

Yes, it's a want and not really a need! But.....I WANT IT! Does anyone have either one? Can you give me some feed back. I'm really really really leaning towards the Nikon but haven't decided for sure. Next step is convincing the hubby that I can have it! Maybe if I cry...ya think that will do the trick? Hey...maybe if I tell him I'll take some pictures of his big Green Tractor...I hadn't thought of that yet! :)

Simple Saturday Sweetness....

Mac is growing up SO fast! I can't believe he will be turning 1 October 15th! He's such a sweet little guy...

Peach Pie OBSESSION...

OK...I'm ready for apple season! I think!!?? No...I take that back! Have I ever said that I LOVE LOVE LOVE peaches? Well, I DO!! A LOT!! I'm hoping my hubby remembers to bring me some more home from my father in laws peach trees! Nothing better than "home grown"!

I have to tell you my recipe obsession...

There's this restaurant in Gunnison, CO called Farrell's. They have the most amazing peach pie I've ever eaten in my life! I've tried for years to "duplicate" that recipe! I even called them once and asked if I could buy the recipe from them. Now...I'm not talking lots of money...but I was willing to pay $5.00 for it!! OK...maybe $10! Of course they told me no that it was a family recipe. Bummer! He did say one clue was that it had lots of butter! Hmmm....

So...the process began. I can't tell you how many different times I've made a peach pie and all the pages of recipes I have with scribbles on them trying my hardest to make the best one ever! I'm so close that I may not even know the difference! Even if it isn't exactly the same...it's GOOD...REALLY GOOD! I really think that Almond Paste is the secret ingredient! Mr. Farrell if your reading this...am I close?

Here's the most recent recipe:

Please tell me some of your recipes look like mine! I have a whole drawer full like this! I date them and then go back and make remarks on them so I'll know which one I liked the best. I haven't tasted today's pie because it's still too hot! It looks perfect but...we'll see! I'll have to report back to you on it! The 8-2-10 recipe was VERY almondy! I loved it but thought it was a teeny tiny bit strong so I decided that next time I would cut the Almond Paste in half (as I noted in my remarks). I didn't use Almond Paste this time simply because I didn't have it on hand! It's not in our local grocery store so it's a "plan ahead" thing. Something I'm not real good at! I'm really hoping that the extract works the same! Doubtful! Definitely needed to cut back on the temp. of the oven too! 350 seems to be the magical number!

I sent my sister, Kamron, a text message that I had tried it once again. We seem to share the love of Farrell's peach pie! I also text her that a good cook follows every recipe exactly...a GREAT cook experiments and has lots of failures until it's perfect! I'm striving for the GREAT cook title! HA

Perfection...It's really just a first born thing! Right Mom!!

Hey Kam...how do you like the "peach" that I added to the written recipe? ;o)

I've sat at this computer long enough so I think it's time to go cut me a slice. Mmmmm...sure wish I could share!