Playing Catch-Up, Again....

Well, I blinked and now it is fall!!  We had a busy summer, so the start of school was a welcomed event around our house.  Anna was even saying that she was ready for school to start so she could get a little rest!  She and Joe went on a mission trip to Peru in August and she had just gotten back from church camp the week before, so she was getting tired of living out of a suitcase.  

Speaking of Anna, she turned 15 while in Peru.   The people that they were working with had a big party, complete with Chinese food (her favorite) and cake!  Once she made it back to the states, we had a party for her with her best friend, Peyton.  I got to make the cake!  She found one she wanted me to recreate on the internet, so here it is....

Anna is in highschool now and Jake is in junior high.  Both have had a big adjustment, but have dealt with it well.  Classes seem to be a little more difficult in high school, but alot of it is just responsibility and accountability.  Junior high, for Jake, has been awesome!  He is playing football and absolutely loves it.  Here he is being introduced at a peprally. 

Joe and I have made it to ALL of Jake's games ON TIME so far!  That is saying alot....trying to get him out of the office and to a field by 5:30 is a major undertaking, but we have done it!

I have been making a few cakes lately.  

This was for Jodi.  She turned 12 this summer.  I was so happy that her mom asked me to do this cake for her.

I had someone ask me to do a cake inspired by the tv show, "The Office".  The minute she asked, I went into immediate panic mode!  I knew nothing about this show and had never watched it, not once!  How was I going to make a cake about something I had no clue about??  Thank goodness for the internet, because it definately saved the day.  I was happy with how it turned out and so was the birthday girl! Yay me!!

Jake's Michael Jordan cake.

Oops..almost forgot about my FAVORITE new addiction!!  Pinterest!  If you haven't been sucked in by now, walk away slowly, because it will definitely become your addiction too!!  I'll try to put one of those "blinkie" things on the side of my blog, but if not.... search for me Candy Stewart-Dunaway. 

Gotta run pick the kids up from school now.  Time flies when you're having fun!!

Bye for now...

February on the Hill

Finally made myself stop and blog today.  It seems like a year since I've blogged, so LOTS to talk about.  We have been snowed in for much of February, which has been fun, but after a day or so, got REALLY boring.  The kids wanted to play in it for 1 hour, then they wanted it to go away!  We missed about 3 1/2 days of school, which made Anna sad because she knew these days would have to be made up at the end of the year and take away some of her precious summer days.  Jake couldn't care less....meant he could play video games and that is all he knew!  What a difference 2 years makes in a kid's thoughts!!  

Jada LOVED rolling in the snow and getting covered in these little snow balls.  The only remedy...a warm bath.

 Anna

Anna's friend, Brody

Jake

Anna's friend, Jama 

 Our house in the snow

  
We had about 7 inches.  Fayetteville, about an hour away, got 2 feet.  We were lucky..

We also had a couple visitors that our family has missed so much.  Pia and Andres!!  Pia came to live with us in Pine Bluff, when she was, I believe, 16 years old.  She came as an exchange student and went for a year at Watson Chapel High School.  After that year, she went back to Chile and completed her senior year there.  The next year she came back to live with us and went to college.  She eventually graduated from University of Central Arkansas.  She returned again to Chile to begin medical school.  We haven't seen her since 2006.  She brought her boyfriend Andres with her to visit.  He is a really nice guy and we thoroughly approved!!  It was so good to get to see them.  Anna and Jake were very young when she came to stay with us.  She has always felt like part of our family.  We had SO much fun visiting with them.

 Andres and Pia

Pia and Anna

Basketball season is over for Anna.  Both the Jr. High boys and girls won their division and conference.  It was such fun watching both teams play this year.  On a somewhat sad note (for me), Anna has decided she is not going to cheer next year.  It is hard for me to believe, but I have to support her decision.  I understand her reasons, but it is still hard, nonetheless.  She turns in her uniforms today. 

Jake still has 3 more games left in his basketball season.

He has played really well.  This will be the last year that he plays for Johnson County Boys Club.  Next year, he will play for the Panthers!!  (Hopefully).  

I had the opportunity to make a birthday cake, and cupcakes, for an old friend this month.  It made me a little nervous, but I think it all went pretty smoothly.  Her only request was far an "Army Cake" for her 7 year old grandson, Chandler.  

His cake

His dogtags

His cupcakes

I have, for some reason, been in a cooking mood lately.  I guess it comes and goes, but while it was here, I think I gained 10 pounds!!

We had friends over for the Super Bowl and I made some goodies...

Red Velvet Cupcakes, yum..

 And for Valentine's Day, I made these....

And I got THESE....

I made a really good dish one night a couple of weeks ago.  I got it from Southern Plate.  It reminds me of lasagna without the cottage cheese or noodles.  It was a hit here, especially with Jake who pukes at the site of cottage cheese!  Here is the recipe...

Deep Dish Pizza

1 lb ground beef
1 med onion, chopped
1 C flour
15 ounce jar pizza sauce
1/2 C Parmesan cheese
8 ounce mozzarella
1/2 tsp salt
dash black pepper
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1 T oil
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/4 tsp fresh oregano

Preheat oven to 350. Brown hamburger and onion. Drain well. Add garlic salt and oregano (or Italian Seasoning). Add pizza sauce. Stir well. Grease a 9×13 inch pan with cooking spray. Sprinkle mozzarella over bottom of it. Spread meat mixture over the cheese.  In mixing bowl, add eggs, milk, flour, oil, and salt. Pour over meat in pan. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over batter. Bake 30 minutes.

We are planning on a big trip over Spring Break!  We are going on another cruise, back to Belize, Mexico, and Honduras.  We had so much fun on this cruise last Spring Break that we decided to do it again.  More details later on that.

Having Sloppy Joe's for supper, so better get busy.



Bye for now...

Excited for 2011

This was our Christmas card for this year.  Anna and Jake HATE it when I drag out the camera and tell them it it Christmas card picture day!  This year, I decided to get a non-biased person involved, and had our picture made by someone outside the family.  She was sweet enough to sell me the digital copy of the photo and I made the cards myself.  I really liked the way they turned out and the kids were happy too.  I consider this a major success.  Maybe we will do this every year!!!

We had a really good Christmas.  I like that the kids are getting old enough now that they don't want "toys".  I don't feel nearly as bad when I am buying clothes and things that I know the kids need, rather than toys that they will only play with for a month or so.  Jake is VERY MUCH into video games now.   I'm not real crazy about it, but I guess it is part of teenage life now.  Anna wanted clothes, clothes, and more clothes.  She got a retro pink Northface jacket and toboggan to match.  She got rain boots (leopard print), a camouflage/rhinestone belt, Coach "Poppy" perfume, etc.  Jake's main gift was a paintball gun.  He was over-the-top excited.  He got a lot of clothes too....he was okay with that and I was glad that I could use the excuse to buy him some new stuff.

Our Christmas....

Jake, Gran and Anna getting ready to eat

Anna and Jake acting goofy

Papa and Gran

Joe took me to Fort Smith on Christmas Eve to get my gift.  About a month ago, he told me he was thinking of getting me a new camera.  I couldn't believe it!  I had, quietly, thought of a new camera, but had never mentioned it to him.  What a suprise when he mentioned it to me!!!!  I love taking pictures and, eventhough my camera was fine, this new one is AWESOME!  It is a Canon EOS Rebel  T2i.  He also got me a cute camera bag, camera strap, zoom lens, and tripod.  Come to think of it, maybe I WILL take our Christmas picture next year!!

Joe had no idea what I was getting him.  He had been looking at a Big Green Egg for a couple of months and this was the perfect opportunity to get it.  He had talked to his cousin, Darrell, a month or so ago about his and Joe was really wanting one.  We have cooked on it twice and love it.  The first night we tried steaks and the next night, hamburgers.  Both were really good. (love the apron!!)

We had Christmas Eve with Gran and Papa.  It was nice to stay home throughout the holiday.  We will see Joe's family around January 1, on our way to see the Hogs play in New Orleans.  

We will leave next Saturday.  We are all so excited to go to The Sugar Bowl!!  A lot of people we know are going, so it should be a lot of fun.

Before Christmas, our pantry was finished and I love it.  I can't believe how much more room I have.  It is SO much neater than before.  Here are some before and after pictures.

Before

After

Before

After

Before

After

 I must put this in here somewhere, but the picture above with the black garbage bag hanging on the refrigerator door....it is not NORMALLY there.  I was cleaning out the shelves before I moved it all to another room and needed a handy place to hang the bag...didn't want you to think I was TOTALLY white trash or something!!  

Just a few more pictures of the insides of the cabinets....

I left this shelf open for cookbooks and for cereal/crackers.

                                                                    

I love that I can walk in my pantry and know where everything is. 

 

Well, I hope you and  your family had a wonderful Christmas.  I'm still working on my Daily December project, but as soon as it's finished I'll post it.

Going on a double date tonight to see Little Fockers, so bye for now!

Joe's Journey

Joe left yesterday morning on a trip that I'm sure will change him forever.  He is going on his first medical mission trip to Trujillo, Peru.  He is really excited, but over the last couple days before he left, I could sense a little hesitation about leaving.  I hope, for him, it is the best experience of his life and that he comes back a better person than either of us expected because of what I know God is capable of doing.  

This past week was an unusual one for Joe.  Normally he moans and groans about the kids and me being on facebook whenever he is at home.  He thinks its "crazy" for us to want to talk to people on the computer!  Let's just say, he's not that fond of computers, unless, of course, it is to find a new grill, a new gadget for a tractor, a place to go on vacation...well, you get the point.  Anyway, earlier last week, we reluctantly decided that the best way for us to stay in touch while he was in Peru, was probably to get him an account on facebook. (Phone calls are $4.49/minute) At first I thought I'd make up some random name so that no one could recognize him, except me and the kids, and no one would try to request him to be a friend....clean, easy, no problem....but when it came to choosing a name for him, I just couldn't put another name.....call me crazy, wouldn't be the first time, but I just didn't want to be chatting with him and his name be Johnny Johnson.......that would just be really weird, so I gave him his real name.  By the first day he had 7 friend requests and he just looked at me and shook his head!  We only accepted one, our pastor, and now Joe is on facebook.  

I just talked to him and they made it safely and were heading to their hotel for a little rest before they start their first day.  He said the weather is about 67 degrees and it feels wonderful compared to the triple digit temps we have had here for the last 3 or 4 weeks.  

Out with the old, in with the new!!  School has started back and I am determined to get more organized!!  So, out with the old!!

School has started and so far I think both kids are enjoying it.  

Anna is ready to be in highschool, but still has one more year in junior high.  A lot of her friends are moving up this year and she is sad about that.  She decided on the first day of school to stop playing in the band.  The practice times were conflicting with the practice times of cheerleading and it was going to be really time consuming for her...more than she wanted.  Jake likes each of his 3 teachers in 6th grade.  His homeroom teacher is Mrs. Vire.  Anna had her in 6th grade and really liked her.  He signs up for football on Thursday.

We have had 2 birthdays since I last posted...man I didn't realize it had been so long...first it was Anna's day on August 1.....

This is Joe's cake..his birthday is August 12.  Jake and I decided to do a fun cake for him.  His Kubota tractor, John Deere lawn mower and Honda fourwheeler stole the show on his cake.  

A few more pictures....

last night just before sunset

I think she likes the corn I have been throwing out for her..

Our latest landscaping project..it was a Mother's Day present for ME!!  I know it probably doesn't look like much, but believe me....it is a BIG improvement!

Dixie is ready for fall.....it is too darn hot!!

 By for now....