Flashback Friday

Today's flashback is from 1988.  An old friend posted it on her face book page.  This before the prom.  Looks like she is ready and I am not.  I don't have my beautiful turquoise dress on yet.

~~Tea With The Girls~~

A table by the window.  The tea room was full of tea pots and tea cups, everything was for sale.  It was very nice.



Baby Ariya, 20 months old already!



Across the room.



Eating.



Gunpowder tea for my big man!!



Miss Sienna



Mister Man's tea. . .egg salad sandwiches, cucumber sandwiches, cookies topped with cream, chocolate covered strawberry, and a chocolate chip scone.



She kept asking for "tea, please Momm-ee"  So she received her first cup of tea.



Cream tea dessert to follow.  A strawberry scone for me with a pot of peach tea.



Yumm.  How lucky to be the only man with four girls to have tea with!!

~~It's Thursday!~~

Outside my window...  Outside my window, it's about 40 degrees.  Looks like rain is coming for the weekend.


I am thinking about spring.  I am excited to be able to get out and work in the yard and burn sticks in my fire pit!!

I am hearing...  I am hearing National Geographic channel, #2 is watching a show on weapons.  He does LOVE all things manly.


I am hoping...  Maybe I am hoping to win the lottery?  No. . .I don't play.  But I am always hoping and dreaming.

And before you think I married a rich man. . .I'd never pay that much for a rig, unless HE bats his pretty eyes at me and tells me he wants to fix up a Toyota

From the learning rooms...  School on the bed yesterday.  Took a spelling test and missed two, one because he formed a letter wrong.  Starting to fill in the hands of clocks for other times besides half hour.  I need to spend a day reviewing weight, he doesn't grab the concept of ounces/pounds.  He read aloud to us yesterday and did very well!!

  I am thankful for...  God's provision for our lives.  For my growth spiritually during our church search.  For the safety of #1 son at boot camp.  Thankful for friends and family.

From the kitchen...  I am going on a date with Alison and her daughters this afternoon to a tea room for tea.  She wants me to try a pasty.  I'll post pics later!

I am wearing...  White tank, purple cardigan, jeans and my charcoal boots

  I am reading...   I am still reading the In A Heartbeat book but haven't progressed any farther yet.  I am reading a new author but not sure I approve 100% of the authors writing style.  Her characters omitted periodic curse words and are a bit wild.  Bookmarked to Die by Jo Dereske.

I am  praying...   Praying for personal peace, wisdom, growth,desires of my heart, health and safety for #1 son. 

  I am creating...  Re-working and adding and subtracting things form my blog the last few days.  I am going to clean out #1 sons car tomorrow.  We need to plan our trip south to attend his graduation ceremony from boot camp on March 11th.

Some of my favorite things...   Looking at magazines at the bookstore. (p.s. that is not me!)

A few plans for the rest of the week...  Tea with the girls tonight.  Pics to follow.  My husband has call center duty for 5 days, starting Saturday.  He may take tomorrow off work.  Thinking about going to a new church on Sunday.  That's all...

Something to share...  Still looking at pictures of dresses and thinking about decorating.

 

 

 

  

 

I love the farmhouse style kitchens.  I love stainless steel.  I am really loving the look of black cabinets and granite countertops too.  I love wood floors in the kitchen.  I've always loved empty space ABOVE cabinets to put decorations.  My tin collection looks great in that upper space!!

 

I love the two tone colors of the following picture.  Ahhh...wish I had my own place!!

Have a great weekend!!

~~Missing Dad~~

I've been missing my Dad the last week or so.  It has been almost 4 years this week since he has been gone.  I think about him a lot.  This is one of my favorite pictures of him with my #1 son Aaron.

~~My Boot Camp Baby~~

Coast Guard Recruit Company November 184 weekly journal posted Feb. 22, 2011

	TRACEN Cape May, N.J. U.S. Coast Guard
November 184 weekly journal Graduation 3/11/2011
Monday was valentine's day for everyone else, but for everyone here in Cape May it was just another day. After fire, fire, fire, we headed to take out our frustrations on each other in the pugil ring. Unfortunately that ended abruptly leaving us wanting more. With the extra time we had, we headed back to the Bunker to work on our inspection ready uniforms for the inspection that didn’t come. Our colors team successfully presented for their first time today. We had 02 classes, Flags and Pennants, and Radio Communications. We started Sexton Hall watch that night. This is where the new shipments of recruits come every Tuesday night, a very important time with many Company Commanders present. As a company we have a big sense of pride and accomplishment in ourselves and each other. Family bonds are being formed. Tuesday the majority of the morning we spent at the Uniform Distribution Center being fitted for our Bravos, Windbreakers, and other important dress uniform items. The other half of the day we spent at Seamanship shooting off flares and smoke signals. Ending our day with a long anticipated ODU inspection by our Battalion Commander, which we passed with flying colors. A 60 out of 55, never been done before. Go ahead and ask around, best company on the regiment, November-184. Wednesday kicked off with MOA, coming up week 06 is our MOA test so we need lots of practice. We had what could be our last life cycles work out, something we surely won't miss. Then we took a relay race run around the track. After that we went to Seamanship to learn about PFDs and how to properly wear and store them. Once back at James Hall we had a fun filled evening of Remedial Sign in/ Sign out drills. Saving us was the Chaplin reminding us of the life outside of TRACEN Cape May and the light at the end of the tunnel. Thursday is the day we've long awaited. All morning long our company commanders teased us with the knowledge that our orders were in, but we couldn’t know yet. We had an important class on financial management. Evening came and our lead company commander told us to line up outside with our pen lights, gloves, and watch caps. He marched us to the beach where we met up with our other company commanders and section commander. As we knelt in the sand, facing the crashing waves of our future offices, they came together, calling us up one by one, reading off our new destinations. As our heads were spinning, they marched us even further down the beach to where our colors stood proudly waving. Screaming behind us was our lead company commander, letting us cut loose, taking off in a sprint and raising up our flag in triumph. That night we came together not as 111 different recruits but as one unified machine. It was the panicle moment of our basic training experience so far. Friday some of us got to check out our units at the computer center. Others called their units, and some even got to call home. Most of us are pleased with our orders, but there are those of us who are disappointed with their orders. There were even more vaccinations, Small Pox and Yellow Fever. It's going to weaken our immune systems for the next 04 weeks. We ran through the MOA test routine. We are getting sharper every day. As we march we are started cadences. Each company commander has their own unique style. Saturday was a bit of a disappointment. We were supposed to run the Confidence Course, but the extreme windy conditions proved to be too much of a hazard, preventing us from doing the course. Hopefully Sunday after our run on the beach we will tackle to the Confidence Course. It's been calling our names. Our Mentor, Master Chief Bordell, came to visit us again. He answered all of our questions about our units and gave us insight into the life of the Coast Guard. It gives us something to strive for, talking to someone who has climbed their way up the Coast Guard ladder. We finished up with more shipmates calling their units and families. Ending the day with yet more MOA. Another week has gone by, we still can remember getting off the bus at Sexton Hall all scared and not knowing what to expect. Now we look at new recruits and then we look at ourselves to see how far we have come in these past 05 weeks.

Terrific Tuesday ~~With Recipes and Menu

   

Monday~  Company Dinner:  Beth's Fried Chicken, Macaroni and Cheese, Collard Greens, Green Salad, Peanut Butter Cake  ((it was such a good meal, I am still thinking about it!!  ))

Tuesday~  Catch what you can

Wednesday~  Baked Potatoes, Green Salads

Thursday~  Sweet and sour meatballs with rice, garlic green beans

 Friday~  Maple Salmon, Cheesy Noodle Casserole,  broccoli

Saturday~  Swiss steak with mushrooms and egg noodles, garlic snow peas, cranberry salad, dessert

Sunday~  Chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice, re fried beans,  Tres Leche cake

------------------------------------------------------
A Recipe!

Double Peanut Butter Cake

1/2 C. creamy peanut butter
1/4 C butter, softend
3/4 C. sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 C. flour
2 t. baking powder
1/4 t. salt
3/4 C milk

With mixer on medium speed, cream together butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time.  Mix until well blended and creamy.  Add flour, salt, baking powder and milk.  Mix on medium speed one minute more.  Mixture will be thick.  Spread into greased and floured 9X13 pan.  Bake  at 350 degrees 30-35 minutes until cake tests done.  Let cool before frosting.

Frosting:
1/3 C. chunky peanut butter
3 T. butter, softened
3 C. powdered sugar
1/4 C. milk
1 1/2 t. vanilla extract

Cream together all ingredients with electric mixture adding more milk if needed.  When mixture becomes spreading consistency, frost top of cooled cake.  Store cake in cool place with lid or plastic on top to prevent drying out.

~~It's Thursday!~~

Outside my window...  It's is beautiful outside right now.  58 degrees and gorgeous.  I have spring fever very badly.  I can't work in the yard, too muddy still.  I can't even purchase bedding plants until May!!  I am thinking about how much work I want to do this year.  I will not do any next spring as we will be transferring and I will have a "new" yard.  If it unthaws, I may try to fire up the fire pit tomorrow.

I am hearing...   Today was library day and we brought home a FULL 90 minute DVD of the SMURFS!!  I have hardly heard a peep out of #2 son for over an hour now!!  Makes me remember watching the show ages ago when my baby sister was little.

I am hoping...  Hoping??  Yes I am!

From the learning rooms...  Double digit addition.  Leaning how  to write sentences using a clue word.  He is doing very well using regular pencils and paper.  Looks like he isn't needing the big lined paper and fat pencils any longer.  I need to be more diligent getting him to read a loud more.  I am also looking at curriculum catalogs for next year.  Three came in the mail today.

 

(after a blueberry flavored dum-dum sucker!!)

I am thankful for...   I am thankful that I am on the downward side of our stay here.  I am thankful for the wisdom God gives us and the ability to make choices.

From the kitchen...  We bought chinese food on the way home from the library.  YUM!  Vegetable fried rice, chickenon a stick, General Tso's chicken and spicy noodles with vegetables (I forgot the name!)

You remember my sough dough project?   Fantastic!!

 

I am wearing...   On the way to library we stopped by SEARS.  My son needed new pants. He is playing inside way too much and wearing out the knees in his pants.  I think he has blown the knees out of 6 pairs in the last three weeks.

   

I needed female undergarments.  I hate shopping for brassieres!!  I know I am uniquely made. . . but really?   I tried on about 20 brassieres and found only 2 styles that fit me right.  I don't care for under wire, padding or bright colors.  I just want something that holds it all together!  And the expense!!  I've tried shopping Wal Mart, Target, Victoria Secret, Marshall's, TJ Maxx and Burlington Coat Factory.  I hardly ever find anything.  Then when I find something, it looks like my Gramma  picked them out!

 

Times 5 (($32.00x5= ?))

 

I am reading...   Still reading my In a Heartbeat book.  Haven't got any farther in it yet.  Some mysteries are out on my nightstand as well.

I am  praying...   Praying that my boot-camp baby will get his choice places to go after boot camp.  I am praying for the desires of my heart.  For safety, for wisdom, for far away family.

 I am creating...  Not creating but thinking about creating.  Still got that picture project on the back burner.  Still thinking about rearranging my furniture.  Thinking about doing something for me with part of our tax return.  I will probably do a correspondence course for my Bachelor Degree of Biblical Education.  It also made me think about things that are interesting to me.  I've always been interested in Criminal Justice studies.  I also think I'd do well studying for Christian Counseling.  I don't see myself ever working in law enforcement or counseling but they would be interesting.

  Some of my favorite things...   Steak with baked potato and lots of butter

A few plans for the rest of the week...  An afternoon with Chris, Sharon and baby Anastasia Saturday afternoon.  I may go get bachelor David and bring him over for breakfast on Saturday and then take him to get his haircut Saturday morning.

Something to share...  One day soon, I'll have a wedding to dress for.  I have been looking for ideas and inspiration.  

 

 

 

(I'd have to dye this last one to get the right color.)

What do you think?

Have a great weekend!!