'RD' Day 2

Day 2 came so much easier to me!

I got a text from the hub yesterday morning. It was the sweetest thing! He NEVER sends me 'just because' texts... especially when he is at work. But yesterday, he DID! And it made me cry a little <3

{I'm a crier...get used to it! Now that its CHRISTmas, you'll be hearing 'I cried' a whole lot!}

Anyway, the text said "Good Morning love. Just thinking about you." How stinkin' sweet is that? COMPLETELY MADE MY DAY!! Ahhhhhhh...what a gift he is. So I snapped a picture and what do you know...I had my phone propped right up against my Bible. Speaking of the Bible...how bout an excerpt? OKAY!

The Birth of Jesus Christ

 ¹⁸This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. ²⁰But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

 ²²All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ²³"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."

 ²⁴When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. ²⁵But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Matthew 1 :18~25

NIV

What a PERFECT verse to open the season!

So, then last night on CBS, they were playing Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer. THE ORIGINAL! Umm hello! We're talking 1964 CLASSIC! So Zac & Kaydenn sniggled {which is our version of snuggled, straight from the mouth of my 3 year old still learning his words =] } up on the couch together to watch. The boys LOVED it! Especially the abominable snowman! It was for sure a memory worth recording!

When I logged onto the Remember December site this morning to read Stephanie's day 2, I was BLOWN away when I saw her blog about my day 1 and link it to my blog!! What a great surprise! I cant wait to see if I get any new visitors, since i barely get any visitors at all! I was so afraid that today would be an icky day for me. I was up till 2 am with a tummy ache and am running on very little sleep, so that put a smile on my face & a tear in my eye! Hey, maybe that is going to be my day 3 memory! Hmmm.. the creative wheels are turning!

Well, I have tons to do today, so I better scoot! I hope everyone reading is BLESSED today, beyond measure! 

GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME 

& 

ALL THE TIME, GOD IS GOOD!!!




~Ambrosia

Remember December Day 1

I spent the better part of yesterday working on the cover to my Remember December book. First, I couldnt find a book that I thought might work. So I was trying to come up with a clever way to make one. I finally decided on these 2 pieces of cork board that I have had for the last 2 years, from the dollar store, just sitting on the shelf on my desk. I poked 3 holes in the sides so I can put some sort of binding on it when the book is complete...any suggestions on what I can use to bind this? Ribbon, yeah, but anything more creative?

Once I decided on the covers, I got out my CHRISTmas stash. I tried this, and that, and the other. After an hour it looked like my scrapbooking desk threw up all over my kitchen table! I stressed over this cover, seriously, and I know Stephanie said NO STRESS about this project, but I could SEE what I wanted it to look like in my head, but just couldnt translate it onto the project. Has that ever happened to you?? So frustrating! Well, after the mess & the stress, this is what it looks like, and I LOVE it!

My favorite part is the snowflake in the center of the flower!

If you know me, and have been to my house around CHRISTmas, then you know that I LOVE snowflakes! Maybe because I live in southern Arizona and it is a rare occasion that we get snow. Sometimes we will get flurries in February, but it usually never sticks, and if it does, it does not last long at all! So this is an ornament from my tree {which I still need to put up, YIKES}!

I was waiting until night to do my 'day 1' of the project. Nothing memorable had happened at all yesterday until dinner time when our friend Austin came over! He is one of our best friends! He & the hub Chance went to high school together and he is always on the go. Air Force,  police department, and a son named Justice, these 3 things keep him SUPER busy! So it was such a TREAT to have him over last night! 

I love the fact that he and Chance are still so close after all these years! I wanted to remember this since we really dont get to see him but once every few months, so I snapped this picture, printed it out and built my 'day 1' page while we 3 sat around the table chatting, catching up, reminiscing, and making new memories together.

I dont think that the first day of December could have been more memorable!

The only thing I want to add to this page it a verse from the Bible. I love the idea that Stephanie shared about doing that. CHRISTmas IS about the birth of our Lord & Savior!

"Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger,harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. Instead,be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another,just as God through Christ has forgivenyou. Ephesians 4:31,32

Pillows!

I have been stalking this material at Wal~Mart for nearly 2 months. 

I saw it there and thought, I really like that! But, I didnt get it when I saw it. And when I went back for it, well, I guess EVERYONE else must have liked it as much as me cause it was GONE! I asked the lady when they would be getting more and she said she didnt know. They get fabric shipments all the time but it takes up to 2 weeks to fill an order once they place it. So I was checking in there once a week {or more} and nope, they never had it in stock. So the lady took down my name and number and said she would call when it came in to ensure I got some. When I didnt hear from them, I checked again and they said that it had never been reordered since the first day I was asking about it!!! Oi! What a pain! So they called the person in charge of the craft area and I stood there and I watched her order it. Done. So I went back a week later and there it was...on the top row, shining in all its glory JUST FOR ME! I love all the colors and patterns in this fabric. Makes me smile when I look at it. Okay, onto my project! =]

I have these UGLY throw pillows on my couch. 

Ugly, huh?

They came with the very first couch I ever bought, and I loved them then, but I dont use that couch anymore, and they are 6 years old, so my taste has definitely changed. I was gonna throw them away and go buy new ones, but When I was looking at this beautiful pile of material {that I bought with no intentions, I just loved it so...} I said to my self "self, you can re~cover those UGLY pillows and have something that you LOVE!" So thats exactly what I did!

See the ugly old pillow on the right? It was made new again, and it got transformed into a new creation, this shining light on my couch!

Makes me think of the way WE are made new through the blood of Jesus Christ.

We all start out as ugly, filthy rags, but with a little commitment, we become transformed into a new creation...a BEAUTIFUL SHINING LIGHT for GOD!

I am completely in love with these pillows! I made these for right around $5, and if I would have thrown them out and bought new ones I would have spent at least $20 on 2 new pillows. So I saved about $15 by re~covering what I already had! Chance is proud of me! Every little bit helps, ya know? ...and I will be making a throw blanket to go along with them! Cant wait! Completing projects really puts me in my happy place! 

& since I got all my laundry done yesterday, I will be starting my  

Remember December Book today! Cant wait to see how this project turns out!

Have a blessed day! ANd now that we are in the swing of the CHRISTmas season...remember what CHRISTmas is TRUELY about...daily!

We spent Thanksgiving 2009 in El Pas, Texas.

It was great to get to spend time with Dad!

For the past, I dont know, nearly 10 years, he has been to far away to spend any holidays with. He's getting up there in age {almost 62} and I'm so glad that he is only 4 hours away now! We will be spending ALOT of time with him & Karla!

                        

The kids had a blast with Grandma & Grandpa Creek!

Notice Dads 'manly' dogs!

Awwwww <3 I BIG fluffy heart him!

This would be Kaydenn, locking Zac outside...

& THIS, would be Zac...getting back at Kaydenn!!

All in all it was a very FUN trip! We are planning to go back out for New Years. My Uncle Harry & Aunt Gwyn will be there, and my brother Gabe and SIL Deborah & my new nephew {whom I havent met yet} will also be there! Cant wait! LOVING all this family time!!!

Sometimes I blog & sometimes I don't.

I freely admit that I am not the best blogger in the world.

But seriously, LIFE happens, every day. And most days, that leaves me little time to think about blogging!

Tomorrow is Thanksgiving 2009.

This time last year I had the biffle Laey over for Thanksgiving with her brood of boys, while her husband was away at OCS. This year she lives in a whole nother state. But I am so thankful for her friendship. Its so much more than that. She is my family. With her being here this ast weekend, it has been proven that it doesnt matter how much distance there is between us physically, WE are US & that will always remain the same!

I am

1: My Health. Although my body tends to betray me, and often, I am generally healthy and that is a blessing!

2: The hub, Chance. Wow, God sure knew what he was doing when he created him! And to have the knowledge, everyday that God created THIS MAN for ME, THANK YOU JESUS!!... <3

3: My 4 children. I know that they are on loan from God, and I try my best to raise them in a Godly home, and to be a good example of a Godly wife & mother...hope I'm doing okay!

4: Friends & family...you know who you are & what you mean to me!

5: For the ability to be a stay @ home mommy. There are so many families that both parents HAVE to work. And although times get so tight that I think about getting a job, The Lord is faithful to provide for those that are in HIS will! HE has blessed us beyond measure!

6: That God gave me a creative mind. I thrive on all things crafty. And I must say that through the crafting world, I have been introduced to some pretty awesome people that, without intention, have blessed my heart with their acceptance and generosity!

7: That I am able to pursue, and eventually make a career out of doing what I love, Photography. When I have a camera in my hands, I feel most alive!

8: For Febreze Noticeables in the holiday scents. When I walk in my front door and get a whiff of these lovely scents, not only is my nose happy, but it just lifts my spirits!

9: For shelter, walls {that I can paint} and a roof to protect us from the elements.

10: A ve~hic~ular mo~ile that gets cold when its hot, and hot when its cold! And gets me from point A to point B without a visit to the "shop" once a month!

There is SOOOO much more, and as this day progresses I will add to my gratitude list. But its time to get ready for Zacs Thanksgiving program at school. So for now I leave you with this...

Doodles brought to you by my very good friend Stephanie...who I am also SO grateful for!!

Project!

It all started with a cup of instant coffee this morning.

I was looking at the tin, and I said to myself,

"self, you can make something pretty cool with this little tin!"

So I dumped the coffee into a tupperware container, washed this bad boy out and went to my 'scrapbook station' to get the creative juices flowing.

And boy did they flow =]

First, I chose this fancy little bird as my inspiration. I knew I wanted to make her POP so I glued her to a piece of chipboard,

then I got out my Glossy Accents bottle,

and glossed the beautiful bird to shiny, glossy perfection!

Next came some TLC for the tin. I chose SKY blue for my base color,

and painted the tin in this direction, then that, so there was some texture.

The lid happened to match the red in my bird so there wasnt much to be done to make it just right.

I just cut coordinating paper to size and glued it to the inside of the lid.

Then I cut out these flower & black bird pieces, crinkled them a little, and inked the edges with the black ink from my ColorBox ink tower, and stuck them onto the lid.

After my glossy bird was dry, I cut her out with my very favorite scissors from my friend Cheryl Waters...super sharp! Then I filed the edges with my handy dandy nail file {the one I very obviously dont use on my fingernails, as you can tell from this picture =] }

It just wasnt looking right with the paint being so plain, so I simply dragged my black inkpad across it a few times and it gave it a little more detail. I added a ribbon and placed the bow on the edge/corner area of the tin.

I put a bunch of little Fiskars pop up adhesive on the back of my bird. She had to pop out for the lid to have room to fit back on the tin.

And there you have it! An altered tin!

Not bad for my first try =]

So, what do you think???

Have a great idea for a project? I'd love to hear it!

OH MY HECK!

Let me be honest here, I dont consider myself to be a "cook"...I'm more of an "eater", if you will! I have a few things that I make REALLY well! But that is the limit to my culinary expertise!

HOWEVER...

 I woke up feeling icky this morning. Like the sickies that everyone in my house has gotten that I thought I avoided finally caught up with me. I began to feel better throughout the day. But thank goodness for quick thinking this morning on my part! I thought to myself that I really didnt want to have to worry about dinner tonight if I  wasnt feeling well. So, I just so happened to have some thawed out chicken drumsticks. So I threw them in the crockpot!

 *THANK YOU JESUS FOR WHOEVER INVENTED THE CROCKPOT* 

I added a few cups of water with 2 extra large chicken bouillon cubes. Then I added about half a bottle of honey and about 3 generous tablespoons of brown sugar. Mixed it all together and set it on LOW for 8 hours. Not only did it smell DIVINE in my home today, but by the time I started pulling the meat out of the crockpot come supper time, it was LITERALLY falling off the bone! Isnt it beautiful?

I also had potatoes cooking on the stove and when it was smashing time I added almost a cup of milk,

about 1/2 a cup of Brummel & Brown butter

{A MUST HAVE IN MY FRIDGE! AFTER HAVING THIS BUTTER SPREAD, ANY OTHER KIND IS JUST NOT THE SAME!}

And I also sprinkled some Garlic Powder in and went to town with my ever so useful {RED} hand mixer! This is how they turned out...fluffy and soooooooo scrumptious!

And what is smashed potatoes without gravy? After I pulled all the chicken from the crock pot I poured all the left over juice through a mesh strainer,

{to get out all the chunks} into a pot and brought that to a boil. Once it was boiling I poured in a mixture of 3/4 cup cold water and 2 heaping TBSPs corn starch. Once it comes back to a boil after adding that it thickens your gravy right up! It was this beautiful golden brown color and the taste? OH MAN! It was like a little piece of heaven right here on earth!

We also had green beans. This dinner was so delicious, I am eating my second helping of mashed potatoes RIGHT NOW! Seriously, as I type in go the potatoes! =]

Chance has School of Ministry on Monday and Wednesday evenings after work till 8 so he will eat when he gets home from that and I just know that he will melt once this food hits his gorgeous lips!

Tomorrow nights crockpot dinner is already marinating in the fridge. Its chicken again, but this time its boneless skinless chicken breasts and they will be a completely different taste!!

I think this might be one of my favorite recipes!

I'd love to hear some of your favorites! Leave me a comment and tell me what you LOVE to cook in your kitchen!