Our Florida "Vacay" 2015

Hey Y'All!!

We just returned home last week after getting to spend 2 lovely months of 
R & R in Florida. 

(Don't miss reading my 'hint' at the bottom of this post)....

It was an awesome time of sharing in fellowship, fun, food and faith! 

Just thought I'd share a few special photos with you...in case you missed seeing pics on Facebook. 

We celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary on March 10...

After all these years, I still have to say I love how he loves me...

and I'm so blessed to be the woman on the arm of this man of

steel and velvet....

Very dear friends joined us on a nature/dolphin boat tour on our anniversary day.  What a charge! 

We enjoyed a couples pedicure TWICE...and I had 3 body massages during our 2 month stay!
Talk about feeling pampered! These kinds of things are very reasonably priced down there. (And truthfully...my hubby is diabetic and gets a monthly pedicure here at home...it was fun to be able to do this together!) 

We went to the Strawberry Festival in Plant City twice...these sundaes are huge! MMMMMM! 

(Why yes...we did eat it all!=) 

We enjoyed seeing nature while there...so much to enjoy...besides sunshine!

I'm totally 'gaga' over palm trees....this first shot is over the pool at the Bay Aire RV Park, in Palm Harbor, where we were blessed to stay during 

February and March.  

                   

I sat on a bench right here on the Dunedin Causeway and read while I sunned...lovely!

My hubby read EIGHT books while we were there - he's an avid reader. 
He would oftentimes go to the Causeway...drive on the beach...and read, while I was busy doing something else. 

(Be still my heart...seeing the Old Glory AND palm trees flying in the breeze was such a charge!!! 

My dear friend, Becky, is a great seamstress.  I took one of my dad's (passed away in Jan. 2015) shirts to her...she used one of my own and added the contrasting pockets and ruffle to make me a treasured keepsake apron!  Cool huh???

This is just a glimpse of our fun in the sun...I got to have breakfast with my dear cousin, Vanessa....also enjoyed lunch with a blog follower, Cydnee Knoth, for the 3rd year in a row..made some amazing new friends....and so much more.... 

I do want to pass along a 'hint' for you...I slept like a LOG while I was there...it was fantastic.  And I do believe a big reason for that was because I slept without an alarm clock in the bedroom! You know how you wake up...look at the clock, and think about how much longer it is until you have to get up?  

I haven't even plugged my alarm clock in since we've been home...

RETIREMENT IS SUPERCALIFRAGILISTICEXPEALIDOCIOUS! 

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Happy Happy Easter! 2015

WISHING YOU AND YOURS A BLESSED EASTER WEEKEND! 

 

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No Weekend Potluck here today....

Sorry - NO Weekend Potluck here today....we're having services this weekend to celebrate my dear 89-yr old dad's HOMEgoing on Tuesday...I will plan to be back Friday.

Check out one of my co-hostesses (links below)...and hope you'll return next week!

Thanks much for your love, support and prayers! 

We rejoice in a life well lived...he showered everyone he knew with love!

I already miss hearing him tell me I'm his favorite daughter. (Of course, I'm his ONLY daughter!;) 

Sunflower Supper Club ~ Kim & Julie
Frugal Family Favorites ~ Tabitha
Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary
The Country Cook~ Brandie

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HAPPY EASTER - JESUS IS ALIVE!

Jellybean Prayer

 Red is for the blood He gave

Green is for the grass He made

Yellow is for the sun so bright

Orange is for the edge of night

Black is for the sins we made

White is for the grace He gave

Purple is for the house of sorrow

Pink is for the new tomorrow

A bag of jellybeans

colorful and sweet

In this prayer is a promise

And a small delicious treat.



In Memory of my Dear Mother - Sweet Recipes for Life

In honor of my precious mom's birthday (Marie I. King would have been 88 on Sept. 18) I'm sharing these sweet thoughts.  Mom went to her Heavenly Home after developing blood clots in her lungs post-- knee replacement surgery.  She was only 64). Everyone in our family refers to her as a saint. She was one in a million for sure.

(And as a sidenote...I didn't mention my dad's recent birthday earlier this month.  We 4 siblings and families got together to help dad celebrate his 86th.  We are so thankful for his steadfast and unconditional love for his family and his Savior.  A good friend bought him this hat to wear while he opened gifts...too funny!)

Mom's Recipe for Love

Take a cup or two of laughter,
And a pinch of good advice.
Pour in patience by the bowlfull,
Then stir it once or twice.
Fold in lots of hugs and kisses,
And a mother's gentle care.
Cook until it's nice and warm,
And spread it everywhere.

~T. Speer

Recipe for life . . .

Ingredients:

1 part of knowing who you are
1 part of knowing who you aren't
1 part of knowing what you want
1 part of knowing who you wish to be
1 part of knowing what you already have
1 part of choosing wisely from what you have
1 part of loving & thanking for ALL you have

Instructions:

Combine ingredients together gently and carefully, using faith and vision. Mix together with strong belief of the outcome until finely blended. Use thoughts, words and actions for best results. Bake until Blessed.

Yield: Unlimited servings

~ Author Unknown

Pastor Chuck Swindoll says, "As significant as political, military, educational or religious figures may be, none compare to the impact made by mothers. Their words are never fully forgotten, their touch leaves an indelible impression… the memory of their presence lasts a lifetime. I ask you, who else has that kind of influence?"

Happy September Birthdays to my Mom & Dad!!

HAPPY EASTER - Jelly Bean Prayer

Jellybean Prayer

 Red is for the blood He gave

Green is for the grass He made

Yellow is for the sun so bright

Orange is for the edge of night

Black is for the sins we made

White is for the grace He gave

Purple is for the house of sorrow

Pink is for the new tomorrow

A bag of jellybeans

colorful and sweet

In this prayer is a promise

And a small delicious treat.



Easter 'Nests' and More...

I had big plans to make some fun things for Easter posts, and life has kept me hopping (sorry - I couldn't resist =) in other directions.

So I will share what I quickly made, and give you a few links for some other great and creative ideas to help celebrate this special holiday.

I looked around for 'Easter nests' recipes and found sooo many options!

You can use rice krispies, coconut, chow mein noodles, shredded wheat, etc.

Chocolate, marshmallow creme, butterscotch, peanut butter bases...etc.

But I used what I had on hand and that was cornflakes with melted butterscotch chips and peanut butter.  Very tasty.

Simple too!

I think the next time I would hand-crush the cornflakes a little bit before stirring them into the candy mixture. 

I put them in muffin cups to form them easier.  The paper is easily removed after they're chilled.

I tried making a well in the center, but they wouldn't cooperate very easily.  Crushing the flakes some might make a difference?

This recipes comes from Cooks.com

They're more of a candy than a cookie...

EASTER COOKIE BIRD NESTS

1 (6 oz.) butterscotch morsels

1/2 c. peanut butter

5 c. corn flakes

Jelly beans

Melt peanut butter and morsels. Stir in corn flakes and blend until coated. Drop on waxed paper and make a center. Chill and fill with jelly beans or whatever candy you want or even peanuts.

Check out the Easter Bunny Buns from Mommy's Kitchen.  Tina uses her easy cake mix crescent roll recipe to make these adorable bunnies.

Erin at Making Memories with your Kids made these adorable Easter Egg Hunt cookies.  The dough is wrapped around a mini cadbury egg.  I think they couldn't be cuter or more irresistible!

And who could possibly say no to these adorable Cooking Creation's Easter Egg Pops? Celeste also shares some other delicious recipes on this page.

This next idea is my favorite. I enjoyed a great time making these Resurrection Cookies with two of my granddaughters a few years ago. They still talk about it.  The process of making these cookies illustrates the message of Easter.

 From Lynn at  The Life of a Foodie and Her Family

Her step-by-step pictures are awesome!

May we not forget the Reason for this Easter celebration...

Revelation 1:18 - I am He who lives, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive forevermore, Amen.

Linked to Melt in your Mouth Monday

We have a new grandson!

Hello Blogging Friends!

We have been sent another sweet miracle from heaven!

# 8 grandchild....

SAMUEL GREGORY TAYLOR was born yesterday - March 3, 2011 - weighing in at 10# 14.2 ozs! 

(My hubby is retired from the military and is very fond of Sam's initials...

S.G.T. =)

Isn't he just a dumplin??  A BIG dumplin, yes...

Our daughter Deb was 38-1/2 weeks along and was dealing with gestational diabetes and high BP.

She was induced and had him naturally after about 4 hrs. labor.

Which is only right since she's had hours and hours of contractions for the last month!

They live almost 3 hrs. from us so we were on the road there when we got the call he had just arrived. 

His hair looks brown, but in the light, it definitely has a red cast to it.

We are partial to redheads - my husband is one of 10 in his family with red hair...none of our 3 children had red hair, but each of them have atleast 1 child with red/auburn hair.  

We just LOVE it!

It's just an added bonus to getting our precious gift.

While I stood at the nursery window with his two big sisters, Claira - 6 and Kaity - 3 - watching little brother get his first bath, Claira proclaimed "This is just the best day ever!"...then she looked up and said "Thank you God"...still brings me to tears to think I got to share in that special moment in time. 

James 1:17 - Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above....

Nana Marsha holding 2 hr. old Sam

IT JUST DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS!