Jesse Turns Three

It is hard to believe that it has been three years since this wonderful being drifted into my life.  I am so grateful that God chose me to be his Mommy.  We had a Birthday lunch where our friends Keri Pelton with her niece Kim and the Nascimento family including Gus's mother and niece from Brazil.  My husband made his world famous Lasagna, a huge salad and garlic bread and I, of course, made the cake.  The cake gave me a difficult time.  Both layers falling, but I managed to salvage them and they were delicious.

Happy Birthday Jesse! I love you more than you will ever know.

If Someone Doesn't Contact You.....

....They don't want to contact you....

This leads me to my topic....as seen in the movie He's Just Not that Into You.  I found it in a 5 dollar bin a few months ago and decided to buy it.  Having seen it a few years back on one of my ladies movie nights, I remembered it being rather cute.  I popped it in the other day and I remembered what I didn't like about it.  But I also saw what I did.  Looking beyond the casual sex, adultery and domestic partnerships lies a rather cute story line of longing to be accepted and loved and the reading and/or misreading of behavior between men and women.
It follows intertwining relationships between friends and lovers.  Gigi is an adorable young women seeking to find a relationship beyond the dating world and finds and unexpected friendship from a womanizing night club manager, Alex. With his help she begins to understand the codes men use (as he has used them too) in the pursuit of casual relationships.

"We are all programmed to believe that if a guy acts like a total jerk that means he likes you".-Gigi

I remember the days of dating and waiting hoping that he will call and I would find true romance.  Lucky for me, I found my prince charming at a young age.  I am grateful it is not me waiting by the phone and feeling rejected. The ugly truth is the same today as it was 2 decades ago...unfortunately there are far more ways to feel the sting of rejection...but it all boils down to "If a guy is treating you like he doesn't give a $hit...he genuinely doesn't give a $hit. No exception". (movie quote- Alex to Gigi).

If a guy doesn't call you, he doesn't want to call you.
-Alex

I may not have to worry with  this type of thing in my love life, but I have found the same situations just as powerful in my personal life. Having left my home state, my church, longtime friendships, my siblings and burying both of my parents I have found myself craving deep relationships. For whatever reason the relationship I thought I would have with Doug's sisters and brother did not pan out....I have, however, been blessed with three of the best friends a woman could have and I have a couple of intimate friendships and several meaningful relationships within my church body.  I am an extremely outgoing woman.  Being from the South I engulfed the philosophy "I don't meet strangers". I have been blessed with friends of all ages and diversity.  I have also had the occasional rejection of my offer of friendship.  Although I do feel the sting, I want to continue to be outgoing toward potential friendships as well as nurture the ones existing. I have to learn that not everyone that touches my life will be seeking a friendship. I have to understand that the phone call unreturned and unanswered e-mail are just part of life.  Why I have this unquenchable need to be liked by everyone I meet? That is a question I may never find the answer too, but I refuse to close my heart to the potential of friendship....I just have to remember that if someone wants to pursue a friendship with me they will....

CHRISTmas

From the motion picture The Nativity

After last Christmas looking at the mound of wrapping paper, empty boxes and abandoned tree I felt sick.  I told my husband, Doug, that nothing we did had anything to do with Christ. I planned to do better through out the year and to turn the celebration back to where it belonged.  I was not raised with "Jesus" as the reason for the season, even though mother did try to sprinkle in some of the Christian side of Christmas. She was raised in a Southern Baptist home.  She had knowledge of Christ, but during our childhood she was not a Christian. Christmas was the one day she was allowed to really give to us kids. So I grew up in a Santa home...which was fun and I loved her for making Christmas special.  She was an awesome mom.

For the past 18 Christmases, even though I have given my life to Christ, have been very commercial in my celebration.  Spending as much money was available to spoil the kids and had very little if anything to do with the greatest gift ever given to mankind, our Savior.  This year, I was determined to make a difference without sacrificing our children's blessing.  I didn't plan to put up a tree (what does a tree have to do with Jesus birth?) but my youngest boy, Jesse, asked daily about when would we get a tree.  I figure no harm in decorations. This year me and the younger boys made most of the decorations and I left the Star Wars ornaments in storage. Yes, there are gifts. Far less was spent this year.  I think four to unwrap from Mom and Dad, one from the brothers, and one that Santa will deliver.  Money restrictions lessened what was given to my sister and her family and my brother.  A gift for my parents in law, baked treats for some of Doug's family and my friends. 

Christmas 2011 gifts for Doug and the Boys as well as the ones sent from Georgia

I did notice even with my desire to make Christ the center of our celebrations I have somewhat failed.  I have done better that the previous years, but my Savior is still not the center of the celebration.   I am working against the tide of the world and the media to try to focus on Christ. Daily I talk to Jesse about Jesus.  He is not quite three, so I am trying to tell him without confusion...who he is and what Christmas is about, keeping it simple.
Sunday morning after receiving their gift, we will have a Happy Birthday Breakfast for Jesus and focus our time on Him and a family.  I am sure we will have plenty of laughs as we always do when we share a meal. We plan to go to services and then over to see Doug's parents and back home to unwrap gifts and have a nice supper.
My friend Keri and I went shopping together on Monday and she treated me to lunch.  We had such a fun time. She came by yesterday and brought some gifts for us.  I made her and her mom some banana bread and muffins and when I see her today I hope to have her Christmas cookies ready.
Tonight I am going out with some other friends.  It was last minute, but since Doug is off tonight, Paula, Irene and I plan to meet at the Mall and have supper at TGI Friday's. I am bringing red velvet cupcakes for dessert. Afterwards just hang out and enjoy some girl time.
As my commitment to the Lord grows I am hoping more traditional celebrations will follow the months ahead.  Easter will be upon us sooner than expected and in a blink I will be writing about Christmas again.

Merry Christmas!

Don't Be Fooled...

Life is hard and people are complicated.  The older I get the less surprised I am when I see someone's life drastically changed.  I have to wonder why people are truly unhappy in their lives and relationships? I think a large part of it is lack of communication.  Taking what we don't hear and adding what we think to the scenario.  I personally went through this after Jesse was born.  I slipped into the grips of postpartum depression and Doug was rather shell shocked at being a father again.  We stopped talking for the most part just surviving the first year of Jesse's life.  I started assuming he didn't love me anymore and was on the verge of leaving us.  That pushed me further into despair and silence, assuming the worst of my husband.  Satan loves an open playground of a confused mind and I easily could have lost everything,  There was a point where I felt like I lost myself.  I can gratefully say that is in the past.  Once I opened my heart to my husband things began to change for the better.  I know I put him through a lot, but being the man he is he just loved me through it.
You never know what people are going through.  On appearance a couple can appear to be in the strongest of marriages.  Their  home life can appear to be one to envy.  I have learned the average Joe or Jane can live a perfectly normal life on the outside and be in complete turmoil on the inside.  What can we do to help? Stop assuming everyone is a okay.   Ask the Lord for guidance and to place on our hearts people who need his help.  You don't need to know their business or intrude in anyway, Our Father knows their need, so when you feel the burden of your fellow human being, don't dismiss it...just take the time to pray for them, pray until the burden is lifted.  Next time you see them, give them a hug or a hand shake and tell them you are on my heart and I have been praying for you. Reach out to our fellow man even if they are in a place they cannot reach back.  I know what it feels like to feel alone in a personal crisis.  I know how much it means when someone extends themselves.  I don't know where I would be now without the prayers of others. I have an amazing group of supporters and I will strive to make a difference in the lives of others.

AJ is Home

My house is full of laughter....We miss him so much....

Sheron's Believe It or Not

I caught my thumb in my car door a few weeks back and of course it turned nasty purple and sore.  I am clumsy by nature, losing my balance, tripping over unseen objects, bumping elbows and over or under reaching and hitting my hands. Bumped the thumb one too many times and caused the nail to break near the cuticle.
I found this to be funny, yesterday I noticed that a small white heart formed under my purple thumb nail....Not sure why I found it so amusing, I am sure I am not the first, but I have never seen it happen before...

Meat Art...

I guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes...

An old one by the Oakridge Boys

Not sure why it came to mind

What is forever anyway?

I guess It Never Hurts to Hurt Sometimes

Sometimes I feel a wave
Of a past break in my mind
And I know it's gone for good
And it makes me want to cry
Is this all we get to keep
As the years go rollin' by
Just a memory
For all the days gone by.

Oh you're always in my heart
And you're often on my mind
I will never let it die
Just as long as I'm alive
Sometimes it makes me sad
That we never said goodbye
Oh I guess it never hurts
To hurt sometimes.

You try and hold on to the moment
But time won't let you stay
But for every step you take
You lose something on the way
You can't look forward to tomorrow
And still hold on to yesterday
Oh I hope that you can hear me
When I'm saying

Oh you're always in my heart
And you're often on my mind
I will never let it die
Just as long as I'm alive
Sometimes it makes me sad
That we never said goodbye
Oh I guess it never hurts
To hurt sometimes.

Another Christmas in New York

Christmas 2011

Me and Mart.  We have always been friends, but we are growing a lot closer these last few months.

Time is flying by.  It doesn't seem like it has been 12 months since last Christmas.  I feel like I closed my eyes for just a moment and 6 months raced by.  This is my tenth Christmas in NY and chances are we will have a green Christmas this year.  We have received little snow in November and now December. Not that  I am complaining. Winter is hard work for me.

Pri is my sweetheart...it will break my heart if she and her family leaves this area.  Being in ministry one never knows how long they will stay. 

I have finally settled into my life here.  I have a husband that I love and for whatever reason adores me. Our boys. I have a church family where  I am close to several of the members and friends beyond the walls of my church.

Christmas 2011

As we are heading into this Holy season we have chosen to do less  and focus more on the Reason for the Season.  That was decided last year when we looked at the paper carnage from the feast of  gifts and realized Jesus had no place in our festivities.  We have a tree and there will be gifts, just a limit on them.  We omitted my Star Wars decor and chose to make our own decorations.  It was weird setting up and decorating the tree without AJ.  Wyatt took over this year as my helper...We had a fun time....but I do miss my eldest....
Times may be lean for us with the cost of living sky rocketing and doing what we can to support AJ in school, but times are also good.  We have everything we need.  I love my life and the people who surround me near and far. I am a blessed woman.

My precious boys building a Gingerbread house. Wyatt nearing 14 and Jesse just weeks away from 3.

I hope you are having a joyously blessed Christmas Season

spice "gingerbread house" cake with spiced cream cheese buttercream frosting.

It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like a Cake Blog...

Not meaning for it to....I guess doing cakes has become part of who I am.  I want to make a spice cake for my sweetheart.  I plan to use a house shaped cookie pan to make thin layers, frost with a cream cheese buttercream (probably spiced buttercream) and decorate it like a gingerbread house. We still have more than half of the last cake I baked, Isaiah 9:6 cake.  I have gained 2 more pounds so easing off the buttercream is a must.
I started my morning with my beautiful son, Wyatt, driving him to school which he loves for one of us to do on Monday mornings. Snuggled with Jesse and decorated our fireplace.  Now I am taking a moment to plan my day.  My life may not be perfect, but I have a good life, surrounded by people I love and who loves me equally.

Christmas Cake

Isaiah 9:6 cake

Isaiah 9:6

 ⁶ For a child is born to us,
      a son is given to us.
   The government will rest on his shoulders.
      And he will be called:
   Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
      Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

 New Living Translation (NLT)

Monkey Cake

For the first time in my life I cooked, frosted and piped a monkey

Fudge marble cake with pure white buttercream, chocolate body and light chocolate face, ears, hands and feet.  Green vine accented boarder