Happy Independence Day!

Wishing everyone a safe and happy 4th of July!


Be sure to check out Star-Spangled Crafts, Recipes, and Games (from Family Fun Magazine) for lots more ideas and hints for a great 4th of July.



Don't forget......Flag Ideas and Etiquette from Martha Stewart

Have a great day everyone!
~Leah

A treat for you....

WHITE CHOCOLATE AND CRANBERRY COOKIES

Ingredients:

1/2 cup of butter (softened)
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/2 cup of white sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups self rising flour
3/4 cup white chocolate chips
1 cup of dried cranberries

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease cookie sheet.

In a large bowl, cream butter, brown sugar, and white sugar until smooth.
Beat in the egg and vanilla extract. Stir the flour into the sugar mixture.

Mix in the white chocolate chips and cranberries. Drop by spoonfuls onto prepared cookie sheet.
Bake for 8-10 minutes in preheated oven. For the best results, take them out while they are still a little doughy.

Allow cookies to cool for approximately 1 minute on the cookie sheet prior to transferring to wire rack to cool completely.

Freedom & Faith......

What does it mean to you?



I encourage you to watch the short video at http://www.gratitudecampaign.org/shortmovie.php. Did you ever stop to thank a soldier for their service to our county? Did you ever stop to think about the sacrifices that they make on a daily basis to keep our country free?


Here is a very moving and touching YouTube video. It is called "Cardboard Testimony".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvDDc5RB6FQ

Ta da!

Miss Kyleigh Mae now has 2 teeth! She got ahold of my finger and OUCH! Them little things are sharp!

And just like that, Kyleigh is now sitting by herself! She did it for the first time on Tuesday. :) She is really liking this sitting up and playing. Victoria sat with her today and played patty cake. She loved it! Kyleigh can sit alone for about 10 -15 minutes by herself.

I can't believe how big she is getting!!!!

A little about me....

1) What is your favorite day of the week? I love Saturdays!

2) How do you usually do your hair? I usually just leave it down and wavy. I also pull it back with a headband. Kyleigh loves to pull hair these days. Currently my hair is a little on the long side.

3) What is your favorite item of clothing? My March of Dimes t-shirt, totally a new Mom thing. LOL

4) Where would your dream vacation be? Walt Disney World! I am still such a kid at heart!

5) Who is your favorite author? book? This is a hard one! I love so many it is hard to pick just one!

6) How often do you log on? Often :)

7) What is one of your favorite internet sites to visit? All Recipes ~ a great recipe site!

8) Coke or Pepsi? I am a Pepsi girl.

9) Healthy snacks or junk food? Both for me: chips, string cheese, cookies

10) Are you a morning person or a night owl? I am a morning person now that I am a Mom.

Teeth & Toes

Guess who has a tooth????

Miss Kyleigh Mae has her first tooth!!!!! Yesterday there was nothing there. And today, BAM there it is. Sniff sniff.......she really is growing up. Glad to know that is why she has been SO fussy the past week.

This evening, Olivia had folded up the dish towels and was going to put them in the drawer. The drawer fell out and landed on her big toe. It immedately started turning all sorts of pretty shades of red, black and blue. She was not a happy camper. Jamie took a drill bit and drilled a small hole in the toe nail to relieve the pressure. It was so gross!!! It almost made me sick. LOL Yeah, yeah, yeah, I used to be an EMT. LOL I'm telling ya, when it is your own kid it is a whole new ballgame. Olivia did say that it felt better.

So, it was an interesting day at our house. :)

Have a blessed week everyone!
Leah

Frugal Mommy

With the rising gas and food prices, I am trying to find ways to raise my family more frugally. :)

I love magazines. BUT, I hate paying so much for them. So, that is one of the things that has been cut out of my budget. I have found a way to earn magazines for free though!


Earn Free Subscriptions to Your Favorite Magazines!

Adperk allows you to earn a full subscription to many of your favorite magazines! Magazines include Good Housekeeping, Redbook and Parenting just to name a few. You'll earn subscriptions by watching videos they think you'll be interested in. The videos are not bad at all. :)

How it works: Select the offer you wish to participate in and you’ll be taken to a library of relevant branded videos. Each video represents credit(s) that can be applied toward the corresponding reward offer. Watch videos that interest you the most and once completed, simply enter a word-verification so the credits can be applied to your account. You’ll be automatically directed to the checkout page after you’ve earned the required number of credits and your reward will be mailed to you.

Adperk costs you nothing! The magazines are currently paid for by AdPerk advertisers. What a GREAT deal! :)

Adventures in babyfood.....

Kyleigh started baby food this past Sunday. We started with applesauce and organic oatmeal cereal. She loved it!!!! I was a little surprised that she took to it so well. I was expecting at least a little resistance. We tried the applesauce for 3 days. No problems! So, we moved on to organic sweet peas. Hubby HATES peas. I like them. So, I was curious to see what Kyleigh did with them.

I think that she wore a little more than she ate. But, she did like them! She kept making these little noises while she was eating. So sweet! Luckily, she has not learned how to blow rasberries while eating. But I am sure that it is just a matter of time. Hee hee.....

Stay tuned for more Adventures in Babyfood!

Love,

Kyleigh

A new day.......

(I took this picture after a storm on Thursday evening. It just reminded me that God is ever present. I don't tell God how big the storm is. I tell the storm how big my God is!)

A New Day by Celine Dion

A new day has...come

I was waiting for so long
For a miracle to come
Everyone told me to be strong
Hold on and don't shed a tear

Through the darkness and good times
I knew I'd make it through
And the world thought I had it all
But I was waiting for you

Hush, love

I see a light in the sky
Oh, it's almost blinding me
I can't believe I've been touched by an angel with love
Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new, new sun

A new day has...come
Where it was dark now there's light
Where there was pain now there's joy
Where there was weakness, I found my strength
All in the eyes of a boy

Hush, love

I see a light in the sky
Oh, it's almost blinding me
I can't believe I've been touched by an angel with love
Let the rain come down and wash away my tears
Let it fill my soul and drown my fears
Let it shatter the walls for a new, new sun

A new day has...come
A new day has...come
Ohhh, a light... OOh


This song has so much meaning for me. I truly believe that my Mom has sent Kyleigh to me and my family. Since losing her in September of 2006, life has a whole new meaning for me. I never knew that you could miss someone so much. Kyleigh has brought so much joy into our lives.



Mama, thanks for sending Kyleigh to us! She is such a blessing and such a joy! We love and miss you so much! Can't wait to see you again!

Praising Him always,


Leah

Quiz.......What does your name mean???

What Leah Means

You are relaxed, chill, and very likely to go with the flow. You are light hearted and accepting. You don't get worked up easily. Well adjusted and incredibly happy, many people wonder what your secret to life is. You are friendly, charming, and warm. You get along with almost everyone. You work hard not to rock the boat. Your easy going attitude brings people together. At times, you can be a little flaky and irresponsible. But for the important things, you pull it together. You are usually the best at everything ... you strive for perfection. You are confident, authoritative, and aggressive. You have the classic "Type A" personality. You are truly an original person. You have amazing ideas, and the power to carry them out. Success comes rather easily for you... especially in business and academia. Some people find you to be selfish and a bit overbearing. You're a strong person.

What's" Your Name's Hidden Meaning?

Your 1950s Name is:

Thelma Holly

What's" Your 1950s Name?