CHRISTMAS DAY ramblins'

Well what a beautiful day it turned out to be...the sun was shining, the kids were happy, my husband cooked breakfast and I had my cup of coffee!



This year Kylie put in for a pink tree! It was tiny... We are used to having a tree at least 7' and REAL!!! What the heck we said, lets give it a whirl! It was 17.88 at Wally World and money was tight this month.



Kylie got her ever so wanted, American Girl doll! I was lucky enough to be able to get a great discount on 5 Disney girl outfits for her dolly to wear! Thank goodness I made my purchases just after Thanksgiving, what a life saver!



I hope each of you had an equally beautiful holiday! God Bless... Laurie

A few days to RELAX and UNWIND

With all the hustle and bustle... and life happenings... we decided, it was long over due, to just step back and relax!

When we need to just breath, Vance and I find that going out on the river is just the dose of medicine that we both need to get back in touch with reality. It gives us the peace and quietness that we need to reflect on the important things in life. Enjoying our family and marriage.....

Here are a few pictures from our two wonderful, peaceful and most enjoyable days on the Indian River....





We called a dolphin and he played around our boat for awhile, Kylie always enjoys calling and splashing in the water with the bottlenose dolphins!



Of course, we did alot of fishing. Sunday, we bought a few dozen live shrimp and about 18 fiddler crabs. We brought in quite a few fish, none of which were keepers!




Kylie being the animal lover that she is, HAD to keep about 5 of the fiddler crabs and turn them loose on the river bank Monday morning! She was determined that they needed their mommies!!! We wanted to use some of the fish that we caught for chum, but she demanded that they go back in the water so they could grow! Now how can you do anything but catch and release???

Here's what I call a PRECIOUS ending to a beautiful day!

My middle SwEeTiE

OKay! People always ask, where is a picture of your other daughter? Well, she's a teen and you know, teens NEVER want their pictures taken; until last night that is! Chelsea is my middle daughter that most people frequently hear me talk about. She is my almost 16 year old miracle child! Chelsea was born with a single ventricle and transposistion of the great arteries. She has a rare heart disease. She has been through 6 open heart surgeries, one to include a pacemaker. She is doing well and most people can't recognize that she has a problem, unless we tell them or she shows her battle scars. She's a sweetheart, and if there was any way I could replace her heart with mine, I would, in a minute. She is a good girl and if you ask her baby sister, she would tell you that sissy is the "best sista, eva!"

She is truly an angel sent from GOD to rescue me, HE had a plan for me and she is a huge part of it. I thank him every day for her!

Listen to the song on my playlist, "In my daughters eyes" and you will get a glimpse of my love for her.

Quick and yummy!

With all the hustle and bustle, who has time to slave in the kitchen during the holidays? Not ME! LOL Here is a yummy recipe that is sure to please your entire family. Quick prep time, doesn't take too long to bake, and virtually NO cleanup! My kind of dinner with this busy holiday schedule!

Prep Time: 10 min Total Time: 50 min Makes: 6 servings, one packet each 1 can (10-3/4 oz.) condensed cream of mushroom soup 1-1/4 cups water, divided 1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken 6 small boneless skinless chicken breast halves (1-1/2 lb.), 1/2 inch thick 4 slices OSCAR MAYER Thin Sliced Smoked Ham, chopped 1-1/2 cups sliced fresh mushrooms 1-1/2 cups frozen peas PREHEAT oven to 400°F. Mix soup and 1/4 cup of the water; set aside. Combine stuffing mix and remaining 1 cup water; spoon evenly onto center of each of six large sheets of heavy-duty foil. Top each with one chicken breast. Cover evenly with the ham, mushrooms, peas and soup mixture.

BRING up foil sides. Double fold top and both ends to seal each packet, leaving room for heat circulation inside. Place packets in single layer in 15x10x1-inch baking pan.

BAKE 30 to 35 min. or until chicken is cooked through (170°F). Remove packets from oven; let stand 5 min. Place one packet on each of six dinner plates. Cut slits in foil with sharp knife to release steam before opening.

Annual cookout on the river

Each year, a longtime friend of my husband has a cookout on the river. He has a river front home with a huge yard. It was so much fun. The kids played and played until they couldn't play no more! There was so much food there, I couldn't believe it! The gentleman you see here, well he was the oyster shucker! YUMMY! Do you see the grill on the side? Well, I CAN'T eat raw oysters... mine have to be steamed. Yeah, I'm a whimp! LOL

A Sneak Peek

Here is a peek of my Valentine's set for the Rock'n Bobbin launch on Tuesday! Check it out, Tuesday evening. Click here to view my current auctions.

FUN FACT... A DVD IS TO BE RELEASED SOMETIME IN FEBRUARY OF 2008 OF THE SMURFS!!!

What a blast from the past!