It's been awhile :)

Can you say Poor Dog lol :)
Sometimes I find the silliest pictures on my camera!

Eating a cookie as big as her head!!!
The kiddos got a special treat for behaving like champs
on one of those never ending errand days AND we still need
to hit the grocery store Days!!

I just thought this was too cute!!!
#1 has really step up to the plate with the dog that he didn't even want :)
He told me the other day after I asked him why he was so loving to Anakin
even though I knew he didn't like him?
He said Mom he's here and I will make the best of it.

Where have I been? Christmas Shopping :) Probably a bit too much LOL!!!! We are pretty even for the older 3 but poor #4.........I looked on eBay and nothing jump out to me for her. So I am going to hit Target for some "baby" things. She seems the most in to babies!
The boys have hit the Lego Jack Pot!! YEAH!!!! I found some great deals on eBay for them. One set that I got is now up to $365.........FOR LEGOS Ya'll. WOW I didn't pay 1/4 of that price :)

It's Beginning to look a lot like Christmas.....

......at our house anyhow!!!!

But the true meaning behind our Celebrating!!!

:)De.

....and maybe others wondered but didn't ask. De asked what the cup was on Anakin's Head.

Weeeellllll a Doberman's ears do not naturally stand up. They have floppy ears. They actually have surgery to have their ears cropped. The "cup" is to help keep their ears in place while they have stitches :) Once the stitches are out you tape them to a stick of some sort to train them to stand.

**Before PETA tells me how awful it is ;) Hubby's Dog. Hubby's Decision. Personally I wouldn't have had it done.

Happy Heart.

http://popup.lala.com/popup/504684650714635328

Why can't I just keep a happy heart? I guess because I am Human. But I don't want to be. I want to be so in the Spirit that I am not "just" Human. I want to be up in the good times and the bad. God is just as Faithful in the downs as He is in the ups.

We had one of THOSE weeks. Where the Valley seems so low. Where we meet a Brick Wall. Where there seems to be no light at the end of the tunnel. Where God seems SOOOO Far away.

Then the my Mood goes straight down in the dumps. Grrr. I hate that. So what are you to do? Listen to old sermons ;) I love our Pastor. He is so right on. No beating around the bush. Just tells ya how it is & how it should be!! And when I changed my poor pitiful me mood. He came in and saved the day!!

I am soooo thankful that He is still in the Moving Mountains Business!!!!!! He has blessed and blessed and blessed this week. I am Humbled by His goodness. By the generosity of others. By the Anonymous Person who set that Christmas Card with that amount of Money ;) By Family that is always there. By Friends who when they find out the hard time you are having, don't judge and lend you a shoulder to cry on.

I am thankful this Black Friday for all of the empty bags from the store.
That I was physically able to stand in the lines.
That my kids will be SO excited Christmas morning!!!
That at the 3rd store I tried I was FINALLY able to find my Puppy a new bed ;)
For the leftovers......because we had SO MUCH food yesterday.
That when my Husband said the "Good Times and Bad" he meant it.
For my Kids and their health.
For their loving attitudes.
For their caring spirits.
For their giving spirits.
A Final Adoption.
Still Looking like we can start for #5 @ Tax Season!
For my Dogs just cause they are so cute ;)

So I don't have a brand new car. So my kids didn't get the newest electronic game. We are warm, full, we have shoes, we have clothing, we have the best family, we have the best church family, the best Pastor, a free Country, Service Men who are willing to miss the Holidays for us. For our Country ........We are BLESSED beyond measure!!!

I'm off....to decorate the tree with my Wonderful Family!!!!!!!

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Verse 1:
When He moves among us all that He does
all of His mercy and all of His love
and the pen of the writer could write everyday
even this world could never contain
how I've been blessed

Verse 2:
The warmth in winter the flowers in spring
the laughter in summer and the changing of leaves
the food on my table a good place to sleep
clothes on my back and shoes on my feet
I have been blessed

Chorus:
I have been blessed God's so good to me
precious are His thoughts of you and me
no way I could count them there's not enough time
so I'll just thank Him for being so kind
God has been good so good
I have been blessed

Verse 3:
Arms that will raise a voice that can talk
hands that can touch and legs that can walk
ears that can listen eyes that can see
oh I've got to praise Him as long as I breathe
I have been blessed

Verse 4:
A father and mother who nurtured and raised
a brother and sister memories made
our pastor to lead us the altar to pray
stripes that can heal the blood that can save
I have been blessed

Chorus:
I have been blessed God's so good to me
precious are His thoughts of you and me
no way I could count them there's not enough time
so I'll just thank Him for being so kind
God has been good so good
I have been blessed

Verse 5:
We live in a country the greatest on earth
our flag stands for freedom and what it is worth
she stands in the harbor Miss Liberty calls
all have gave some but some have gave all
for me to be blessed

Verse 6:
He's my shoulder to lean on when I am down
the rock where He leads me when I'm overwhelmed
the place where He hides me under His wings
He's not just a song He's the reason I sing
I have been blessed

Chorus:
I have been blessed God's so good to me
precious are His thoughts of you and me
no way I could count them there's not enough time
so I'll just thank Him for being so kind
God has been good so good
I have been blessed

An Outside Attempt :)

One Week Ago......

This Little Person we fell in love with over 3 Years ago.......became one of "Us"!!
The Judge signed the Final Orders!

It's official.
Done Deal.
No going back now.

PRAISE THE LORD!!!!!!!

Anakin's First Hike

One Year Ago Today........

....I VERY nervously got on an airplane to finally meet a child I was madly in love with.....on paper :)

Some Tried and Some to try Recipes :)

This post started out just wanting to share a few recipes lol!! And it has turned into a novel :) I started asking around, looking at the Kraft Food Magazine and searching the Taste of Home Web Site!! Bad Bad Idea.

Tried:

King Ranch Chicken

Enchilada Casserole ......2 Thumbs Up!!

Cheddar Loaves ......the Kids (So did Mom and Dad) gave this 2 thumbs up!!!

Taco Soup ......I MAY have posted this one before ;) YUMMY!!!!!

Easy Pleasing Meatloaf ........2 Thumbs Up Especially the guy family members!

Watergate Salad

Cheese Lover's Pasta Roll Ups

Kelly's Potato Soup: Everyone LOVED this one!!!!!

Use a flour and butter base. Sautee some green onions in it. Then you can add 8 cups of milk OR you can add like 7 cups of water and one can of condensed milk. Thicken or leave "thin", however your family likes their soup. My family likes soup to be thick so I use corn starch and a little bit more milk to thicken it up. I add a bunch of already cooked chunked up potatoes. You can either cut them up and boil them or bake them and then cut them up. I add 10 ounces of sliced American cheese. But you can add more or less to taste. Then add some salt and pepper, bacon if you like, garnish with some cut up ends of the green onions. Sooooooo yummy. Then I home make some honey/oatmeal bread to go with the soup.

To Try:

Chicken Fingers

Twiced Baked Potatoes

Creamy Corn Soup

Creamy Bacon Cheddar Dip

Chicken Fried Steak......

I buy cubed steak, cut them to size (whatever you prefer)

In two separate pie tins (or tupperware) make one pie tin wet ingredients (I use 2 eggs and milk[you might need more]) the other tin, use for flour.

I add seasoning to the egg mixture (garlic powder, salt, pepper, and season salt.) I also add the same seasoning to the flour. *I know it sounds like a lot of seasoning, but it really isn't*

Then dip the steaks in egg, then flour, then drop it into your pan that has hot oil in it (I usually don't use a lot of oil, about 2 inches of oil, you could usually guess on how much you need.) Fry them up until cooked, smother in gravy and enjoy ;)

For Thanksgiving:

Waldorf Salad ......Hubby LOVES this!!!

Snickers Salad .....MMMMM!!

Buckeyes

Scalloped Corn .......maybe?