Welcome Home!

The Girl is HOME!We are all so happy!

Here are a few randoms for those who asked!

Here are the actual aprons that were wrapped in the boxes in the previous post {the "Miss Luff" one went to Texas...and the "Mrs. Walters" one is actually for Shae's RA who just got engaged!} But I made 10 all together. Even one for one of Lindsay's aides, "Sir John"!

The foyer at Neighborhood Church is amazing! I LOVE LOVE LOVE the beautiful words describing our Savior's birth that seem to burst forth from the tree reminding us of the REAL meaning of CHRISTmas! The black and white damask and "Peace on Earth" blocks are right up my alley too!

Here is my "baby" front and center in the Redding Christian School Christmas program. She is such a joy! Anna is a rule follower and Scott describes her as a "by the book-er". THAT is what makes her a great choice for speaking parts {and sports teams :) }

Besides Carmen Diehl's roll recipe baking in my oven, my family LOVES to smell these yummy croutons baking. I have to hide them until din-din or they will be GONE...

After Lindsay's hospital stay and brain injury (a long time ago) my friend, Marilee, arranged for us to have meals brought in for an entire month. What a luxury! almost makes me want to have a baby or something...
One of the most scrumptious meals was made by my friend, Natalie Fisher. She made us the yummiest salad with grilled chicken and....homemade croutons! She later told me how to make them and I have been making them ever since!

Sourdough Croutons
Get a sour dough baguette or a loaf of sliced sourdough bread. Cut in cubes.
Melt a cube of butter...yep, a cube of butter!
Toss the cubes in a large bowl and stir around evenly covering the cubes with the butter.
spread the croutons onto a cookie sheet and sprinkle with garlic powder or garlic salt.
Bake 10 minutes (may take longer, just keep watching them) or so at 350 every few minutes or so take a spatula and mix them around so they get evenly toasty but watch them carefully, they burn easily.
Enjoy a delicious and yummy addition to your salad!

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O' Happy Day!

Shae Marrin Luff is about to walk in this door any minute! We are so excited! Scott flew to Sacramento to pick her up in the plane, so the wait won't be too long this time! She got bumped from her flight out of Lynchburg (and got a $400 travel voucher~good girl!) so she is late getting in.
I hurried to finish decorating my Texas tree before she gets here or I would never hear the end of it! I put the little trees on the porch today too...but my off center front door is making hanging the garland difficult!

I usually do the formal tree in the living room but this year I wanted to have the mantle match the silvery tree...so the western decor had to move to the living room...AND I got this beautiful and HUGE real tree from the Redding Christian junior class fund raiser and it needed a big space!

I just wasn't feeling real creative or inspired this year, but I did what I could.

I brought back that yummy Christmas-y smelling candle from the most awesome WoodWick candle outlet in Virginia! {I hope Shae went there before she got all packed to come home!}

My sister-in-law, Laurie, keeps me up to date with all things "Texas-y" since she is lucky enough to still live there!

The tree is so big that my shot gun shell lights and chili pepper lights looked a little skimpy, so I borrowed some rope from Scott (I said, the dirtier the better!)

My sister-in-law, Lisa, sent me this darling Texas Santa last year!

My kitchen only has a few festive things this year, including (another Laurie gift), this snowman candy dish that no one has noticed has M&Ms in..hee hee!

and one of my favorite things, the "Believe" blocks!

The teacher gifts are wrapped and ready...(aprons with their names embroidered on each one and a $10 Starbucks giftcard.

I got these darling stickers from Expressionery.

Lindsay made this magnet for me at school last year. I love his little face, he reminds me a little bit of Lindsay!

Last but not least, here is what is making our house smell good tonight! Fresh baked rolls for my college girl!

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Plays, Parties and Players...

December has been so busy for us!
Anna was the narrator for the annual Christmas chapel at school. She was FLAWLESS and not one bit nervous. She waited for the applause to stop before introducing each act and spoke loudly and clearly the entire time!

She had to put her microphone down though, in order to perform in her 6th grade class dance!

The kids all did a great job and it always makes me feel so blessed to be a part of the Redding Christian School community!

That same day was the 5th and 6th grade field trip to The Cascade Christmas performance downtown at the Cascade Theater. It was fun being a driver for this one!

I had a car full of sweet girls. I always love to hear their conversations!

It was PACKED...and COLD downtown! I think every school in Redding had kids at the performance that day.

But the BEST ones were the ones from Redding Christian!

After the performance we had the chance to go out for lunch.

It was a fun and festive day.

But the night before all that holiday fun.....
Apolo Anton Ohno came to Redding for a book signing!

and Anna has officially "dumped" Justin Bieber because

"Apolo is waaaaaaaaaay cooler!"

In the midst of all of the holiday busy-ness, we are deeply involved in

6th grade girls' basketball season. Anna has really stepped it up a notch and is the high scorer on her team! God bless Sweet David Van Dyke for his patience in coaching girls!

Lindsay has had a great week! First her special ed. class had the annual field trip to the Elks Lodge for a Christmas party where she got a humongous teddy bear from Santa. {well, she "waited at the table" while someone went to get her gift for her}. They always put on the nicest party and she gets to see lots of friends that have moved on to different schools and some of her teachers from earlier years.

Last night we went to the Therapy Christmas Party put on by the therapy unit Lindsay has had OT and PT with since she was a baby! She met up with her friend, Ben who insisted on taking her to see Santa and get her present.

Even with Ben she wasn't about to get too close to Santa! It was so funny...Ben would jump up and down clapping his hands with excitement while trying to talk her into going up there! When he finally got her to at least walk that way, he totally walked right up to the front of the line and cut in front of about 25 other kids in wheelchairs, etc. Hahahahahaha!

In the midst of the crazy schedule around here, I was able to get my house somewhat decorated. The girls and I have our bedroom trees up too, but I still have to do our Texas tree.
This year I did the fancier tree in the family room and I love the simple white lights! I used apocathary jars with silver and white beads and balls and "shopped" around the house for all my crystal and silver accessories. { I remembered all the "House of Design" ideas!!}

{please notice the folded laundry on the ottoman!}

I didn't even try to "stage" my pictures...can you tell?
Here is poor Scott trying to watch the news,

with a little girl who can't stand to be away from him!

And here is the busy 6th grade girl toiling over that math homework!
Shae comes home on the 15th and we cannot wait!

Tonight it's Christmas music, tree decorating, hot chocolate and movies!
Happy Weekend!

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Two Special Birthdays

{Scott's mom, Lindsay and my mom}
Today is my precious Mom's birthday! How blessed I have been to have been raised by such a selfless, giving and fun woman.
She does so much for others, she always has. My Mom has been quite a role model for me and I really, really appreciate it now that I am a mother myself. She has loved me like no one ever could. It took her nine years and many surgeries to even have a baby (and here I am!) She LOVES my girls...I mean LOVES them!

Her 36 years of teaching Kindergarten certainly prepared her for grandchildren! She and Lindsay have an especially close bond. She came to stay with us after Lindsay's illness and subsequent brain injury. She rocked that baby and loved on her like only a grandma could.

She {and my dad} have paid for my children to attend a christian school, what value could ever be placed on that?

She has been a wonderful part of my children's lives and I am so thankful that they know her so well!
My mom has taught me to overcome difficulties with laughter and grace.

How blessed I am to have such a wonderful Mama! I will be forever grateful that God gave me to you! I love you!
Happy Birthday!!

My sweet husband shares the same birthday as my mom! December 8th must be reserved for special people.

I am so thankful to have found this guy who would become my husband and the very wonderful father of our three girls. What a patient and selfless man!

I can't even imagine how it must have felt that day that the third girl came along...
Scott has always been so good to his own mother and now he is to the rest of his girls too! God created him with an extra dose of patience and love to be able to live with 4 females! I do believe that Daddys that have all girls are a special breed.

There couldn't be a more patient, hands-on,

sweet Daddy!

Oh how blessed are the lucky girls who get to call you Daddy and have you as their protector and guide through this world.

The way you serve others and give without reserve is an inspiration to all of us!

You were the gift on December 8th!

{you always make the ordinary days fun for the girls...even the girl dog :) }
and I am so glad to be riding down life's road with you!
Happy Birthday! I love you XOXO

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Redneck Apple Dumplings

While Shae was home over Thanksgiving my mother-in-law, Dottie, had us over for dinner. She made a yummy dessert that I HAD to get the recipe for.
She hesitated to give it to me though. I wondered what the big deal was....
After we "oo-ed and aw-ed" enough over the delicious treat, she finally shared the recipe with me. Dottie's college BFF from Bob Jones University, Jean, had given her this recipe. Jean lives in Tennessee and Dottie always raves over Jean's "darling house", the way she decorates and especially over her cooking!
But this recipe just CRACKED ME UP! It sounds so disgusting, almost. Somehow it works and is so delicious! The copy of the recipe Dottie gave me doesn't have a title, so I have affectionately named this dessert, "Redneck Apple Dumplings" and you will soon see why!

2 Large Granny Smith apples, peeled and cored
2 (10 ounce) cans of refrigerated crescent roll dough
1/2 cup butter
1 cup white sugar (eek, I knowwwwww! )
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 (12 fluid ounce) can or bottle of Mountain Dew (told you! REDNECK!)
1 tsp vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
Cut each apple into 8 wedges and set aside. Separate the crescent roll dough into triangles. Roll each apple wedge in crescent roll starting at the smallest end. ( I think they might look cute rolled from big end to small end too) Pinch to seal and place in the baking dish.
Melt butter in a small saucepan and stir in the sugar, cinnamon and vanilla then pour over the dumplings. Pour the can of Mountain Dew over the dumplings and bake for 35-45 minutes until golden brown.
Before serving, spoon some of the "sauce" from the pan over each dumpling. Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Yummm!!!

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