Merry Christmas!!

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed. And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.
And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying:

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. - Luke 2: 1-14

Join us as we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

We pray for you that this Christmas will be filled with Peace, Love and Joy!

Happy Thanksgiving

Sometimes I get an idea for something and after it is finished I think to myself "Now THIS is the cutest thing we have EVER done!". So was the thought with these Thanksgiving aprons we made for the grandmothers. I thought it might be fun to try, and they really did turn out cute!! I can't wait for them to see them. The :"leaves" are made by painting their hands solidly with a color of fabric paint and pressing them (with fingers together) on the apron. I added the "stems" and painted the veins of the leaves on them. The turkeys are made by painting the palm brown and fingers different colors for the feathers. Then pressed on the apron and add eyes, legs and "gobbler". What is the techincal name for the red thing that hangs down off of turkey noses? I'll have to look it up.

Anyway, We pray that your Thanksgiving will be filled with fun, laughter, joy and blessings. We continue to be amazed at the Blessings the Lord gives us. We have a wonderful family, healthy children and tons of love and Joy. We are Thankful beyond words.

1 Little Monkey

"10 little monkeys jumping on the bed, one fell off and bumped his head. He went to the doctor and the doctor said 'That's what you get for jumping on the bed'"

Well, this little monkey did not jump on the bed, but jumped off of a chair at his daddy's office. It's not unusual for Micajah to jump off of things, it's in his blood, I guess. (Something he gets from his daddy) But, this time was different. He screamed and cried when he fell. It was one of those moments as a mom where they're crying so hard, you can't quite figure out what is wrong. Anyway, we settled him down, but he kept whimpering and telling me he thought he broke his leg. I decided he was either the MOST dramatic of my children, or I needed to go get it looked at. I tried to get him to walk a little, but he immediately crumpled into a screaming, crying pile on the floor.

After consulting with Jody and WebMD, I took him to the emergency room. Once we get into the exam room, he seemed fine. Joking and laughing with me as we waited for the nurse. I immediately thought "I can't believe we came down here, signed in and he is fine!!! I'm sure I will still get a bill for it." They took x-rays and said he had a hairline fracture down the tibia of his right leg. She said she would splint it up and schedule an appointment with an orthopedic Dr. the next morning. Even after that, he seemed fine. He was very excited about his new "boot" and wanted to know if he could go to school the next day. Once bed time rolled around, it was a different story. He was up almost ALL night crying. 3 doses (spaced out as prescribed) of pain medicine later (3 a.m.) he FINALLY fell asleep. Bless his sweet little heart. It was AWFUL!

Yesterday morning, Jody and I packed him up and took him to Valdosta. We took him to an old family friend, Brook Bearden, who has "grown up" to be a Orthopedic Doctor. It was fun catching up with him. He was very nice and was great to give us all of the options available and answer the questions we had. Anyway, they put Micajah in this ginormous cast, but hopefully he will only have to wear it 2-3 weeks. Last night, we didn't hear a whimper out of him, but he told me he didn't sleep all night long. Maybe it's time to adjust the meds! :)

It was back to school today. We sent a stroller to transport him to and from the lunchroom. During the time his classmates usually practice writing their names, the teacher allowed them to come and sign his cast instead. How exciting! I am sure he is the talk of the Pre-K. His teacher said he did wonderfully well. Whew!! Hopefully tonight will bring a better night's sleep.

When God Smiles

I am amazed over and over again at the precious, sweet spirits of my children. Sure, they have their moments when they fuss and fight with each other, but for the most part we are blessed with wonderful sweet children.

Last night after dinner, Micajah turned on his Veggie Tales worship CD while I was cleaning up the kitchen. The song "Blessed be Your Name" came on. Micajah looked at me and said "I think I am going to go sing this one to Jesus". So, he went and sat down in the kitchen window and looked waaayyy up in the sky and sang the song "To Jesus". Now, I can't for a moment imagine that I know what God thinks, but I have to believe that when He saw that, He smiled.

Be blessed today as you make God smile.

Zephaniah 3:17 The LORD thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over thee with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over thee with singing.

William Burnet Maier

In the wee hours of August 30th, my 100% woman sister Katharine and her husband Mike welcomed William Burnet Maier into their family. He joins their ever adorable son James, who even though he presumed his mom might deliver a baby goat - like the one they see at the petting zoo, was apparently not dissappointed and immediately fell in love with his brother. O call my sister 100% woman who didn't miss out on her epidural like I did with Lindsey Kate and my sister Marilois did with Frances Faith - she CHOSE to have the baby au-natural at home. That is one AMAZING woman!!! We laughed at the thought of James going to sleep last night not even aware of the impending birth and waking up to find not only did mom deliver a living, breathing, baby doll brother, but they were home with it too! Only in the Netherlands! :) What an amazing way to keep the family together. That home birthin' stuff isn't such a bad idea - except for the pain, I mean! :)

I don't have pictures yet, just a link to their blog www.maierbaby.blogspot.com with a few photos. No really close-ups yet. I'm waiting..... :)

Anyway, my family joins me in welcoming your precious new member of the family. We're praying for a speedy recovery for Kat. and blessings on the beginning of this wonderful new life!! We love you!

Tea for Two (or 12)

Yesterday was Lindsey Kate's 8th Birthday. We decided to invite her friends over for a tea party. Here is a picture of the girls posing in their dress up clothes.

Lindsey Kate told my mom (Bami) that she wanted a tea cup collection for her birthday. That was the inspiration for the tea party. Bami found these adorable tea cups at TJ Maxx and they were reasonably priced enough that we were able to purchase one for every girl as their party favor. I ordered "feathery" crowns and crown rings from Oriental Trading Company for all the girls.

We provided extra dress-up clothes and makeup with a mirror for them to fix themselves up. I heard Heyward declare "WOW, I look GOOD!!". It was VERY hot but as she tied on her rabbit fur wrap, she declared "This is perfect to top it off!"

Here is our lovely tea-party table and the girls enjoying their "tea". We actually served sparkling grape juice instead of tea. One little girl remarked "This stuff is SO good - you will need to give my mom the recipe". FYI - the recipe is equal parts of grape juice and ginger ale. Makes a delicious punch!
My dad wore his tuxedo and served the tea party fare to our princesses. The girls enjoyed a lovely menu of Cupcakes, iced cookies, flower-shaped ham and cheese sandwiches, pickle sandwiches, dill pickle spears, grapes and strawberries. One "princess" commented "I've never been to a party where I didn't have to fix my own plate"
Poor brother wasn't feeling well and cuddled up in a chair with "Poochie" and slept through the WHOLE thing!
Here is a picture of the food table (minus one plate of sandwiches and the cupcakes). The white tulle and Christmas lights made such a lovely decorating tool. After the "tea party" was over, the tulle doubled as veils which we tied to the girls crowns. They were SO precious!!

Legos and Strawberry Shortcake

This was a multiple cake weekend. I baked two for parties on Saturday and then cupcakes for Lindsey Kate's party on Sunday.

The first is a Strawberry Shortcake cake for our friend Maddey's 2nd birthday.

The second is a lego cake for our friend Jack's 10th birthday.

First day of School

WOW! I was horrified when I logged into my blogger this morning and realized I did not blog ALL summer long! I guess that sums up in a nut-shell what kind of summer we had. No time for anything! We had a lovely vacation in South Carolina, Church camp, tennis camp and cheerleading camp plus a 3 week visit from Katharine and James. WOW - an event filled summer!

Anyway, today is the first day of school. Heyward in the 4th grade, Lindsey Kate in the 2nd and Micajah at pre-K. I am attaching pictures. How many of you wore Converse hi-tops as kids? We certainly did. I had a total trip down memory lane when Lindsey Kate wanted pink hi-tops for he school shoes! How funny!

My friend Tiffany's little boy Caleb is in Micajah's class at pre-K. She called to share this adorable story with me this morning: When she went to drop off Caleb, he was being a little clingy to her. She said Micajah came up to her and said "If he forgot his blanket for nap time, I can share my towel with him". She said thank you, but that Caleb brought his towel. He then said "I also brought school supplies I can share with him. I have 2 glue sticks, markers and paper if he wants to use them". How adorable, huh? I am glad to see he wants to share his stuff with his buddy.

Last week of School

It is hard to believe that the school year is almost over. We are in our final week. What a busy week it has been. It actually began last week with Micajah's graduation and Lindsey Kate's honors day on Thursday. Yesterday the girls ate lunch with the principal for earning over 100 AR points and it was Heyward's honors day and graduation. Today the "big slide" will be at school for the girls and tomorrow the snow-n-go will be there. Friday is the AR walk of Fame for the Accelerated Reader. Lindsey Kate worked really hard and became the the high points earner for the school. She will be leading the parade like Heyward did last year.

The fires are still burning nearby and we are constantly in smoke. It varies from day to day. The worst day we were unable to see more than 10 feet out the windows. It seems that I have kept a headache for the past 2 weeks. Thankfully Micajah's breathing has not been affected much by the smoke.

Cookbook Feedback

Any time you accomplish something in life, you somehow like the approval of others. Not that it is necessary, but nice. Since publishing my cookbook, I have been faced with brief moments of self doubt. Are people going to think it is as good as I do? Are they going to feel like they got their monies worth? When they cook, are they going to like them as much as we do? Things like that.

Anyway, I had my first book signing last week. It was wonderful. It was hosted by a lovely french market here in town called Ellie Kats. We had a wonderful turnout. The ladies hosting and I made a few appetizers from the cookbook and we all had a merry time. I sold lots of cookbooks, too, so that helps with the confidence boost. Since then, I have gotten several phone calls and e-mails about the cookbook. I thought I would share a few with you.

"I got my cookbook last week. I read it from cover to cover. I sat down and read the recipe for Easter Story Cookies to Leroy and we both cried" - Jean Jack, Valdosta, Georgia

"Teri (my sister) and I were so impressed with your cookbook. We have never read a cookbook all the way through, but we couldn't put it down". - Landa Hart, Fargo, Georgia

"I've carried my cookbook around and read it like a novel. It is wonderful" - Eve Murray, Homerville, Georgia

"It is by far the best cookbook I have ever seen - and I collect cookbooks." - Janet Wood, Homerville, Georgia.

"Such a treasure. I've read it through and now I'm hungry. You must be a magnificent cook. " - Ann Paulson, Ponte Vedra, Florida

If you haven't had a chance to order my cookbook yet, you can do so by clicking here. http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-60247-405-5

Baby birds

Outside the front door of our office, a bird has built a nest and filled it with little babies. I hear them "peeping" all day long. I quietly went outside and using the zoom on my camera got a "birds eye" view of them. You can only see one here, but I think there are about 3 or 4 in the nest.

What a wonderful, visible reminder of Spring and the newness of life that God brings forth every year!


Song of Solomon 2:12 - The flowers appear on the earth; the time of the singing of birds is come, and the voice of the turtle is heard in our land

Hope you have a wonderful, spring-filled day!

Wildfires

If you have watched much of the national news lately, you may have heard of the wildfires raging in South Georgia. They are in our neighboring county. They really pose no threat to us (except for smoke), but we know people who know people who have lost their homes, etc. Several friends have been put on standby that they MAY have to evacuate, but the fires are still 5-6 miles away. We are in SEVERE need of rain. The forecasts show no chance of rain until the weekend and only a 30% chance then. The fire is approximately 40% contained, but more than likely the firefighters will not be able to put the fire out - except with rain. More information can be obtained at www.satilla.org

We have moments (days) of no smoke at all, and days where the wind blows it right to us. Saturday I went to Valdosta to groceries and on the way home experienced smoke from more than 20 miles west of Homerville all the way home. We had an inside weekend and had to cancel our church picnic on Sunday because of the smoke. Thankfully, we had rented several movies to keep us busy over the weekend. Posideon, Stranger than Fiction, RV, Over the Hedge and Happy Feet. All in all, a good movie weekend!

The girls are taking their standardized tests at school this week. They were actually quite excited about it and made a point to get up and dressed early. No one wants to have to sit in the teachers lounge when others are taking the test and make up the test during the afternoon fun-time after the tests!

Please, please pray for rain!!

Sweet Blessings

I have been an AWFUL blogger lately. I have tried several times recently to update the blog, but have had trouble logging in. I have decided I have to log into a post on one of your blogs then I can update mine. This is the 2nd time today I have typed this blog because I somehow lost the earlier version.

Anyway, above is a picture of my Cookbook, Sweet Blessings, that is being printed as I type (unless it is already hot off the presses!). They will be shipped to my publisher April 13th and I should have my copies sometime next week. It will not be nationally released until June but is available now directly from my publisher. http://www.tatepublishing.com/bookstore/book.php?w=978-1-5988691-7-X

Heyward is in Orlando now enjoying a field trip with her gifted class. They went to Wonder Works yesterday and spent the night last night at Sea World. They had an "experience" there where they tour the park after dark and sleep outside of the shark tank. They will be home tonight! Can't wait to hear all about it.

We enjoyed a wonderfully quiet Easter with the newest member of the family, Frances Faith Campa.

She is so precious and sweet and napped most of the time!

Happy Valentines Day

Inspiration is divine. That is the only way to describe it. I was trying to come up with an economical Valentine for the kids teachers at school. Shopping at Walmart over the weekend, I found these adorable oven mitts for $1.88 each. The only problem, what to do with them. So, I had the brilliant idea (certainly with God's help) to bake cookies on skewers, decorate them and stuff them down into the oven mitts. I must admit, they turned out pretty cute! Baking the cookies on the skewers worked wonderfully. Not one broke. Here's the recipe if you are interested.

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
3/4 tsp. Vanilla extract
2 cups self rising flour

Cream butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla and beat until smooth. Slowly add flour. Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface and cut with assorted cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheets at 375 degrees for 8 - 10 minutes until browned.

The icing was 1 stick butter, 1 block cream cheese, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla and 1 box powdered sugar. Tinted with red food coloring paste (the liquid would make it runny).

Hope you and yours have a WONDERFUL Valentines day full of LOVE!