Thursday, December 8, 2011

Vinyl Creations

I am loving my cricut right now more then ever, especially with the possiblities that you can do with vinyl.  A friend of mine's little girl is turning three, so she wanted a few personalized items for the party.  The party theme is of course a Ho, Ho, Ho party, that's what the little girl wanted since her birthday is right before Christmas how cute is that!!!!. The plate was a ceramic plate from Southern Home.  Then the small bucket already had the stripes and I added the green circle with her intial, it's from Bath and Body.   The big bucket was just a solid red bucket from Hobby Lobby, she plans on putting the party favors in here.  All of which she can reuse except for the plate and of course the vinyl can be removed. 


I can't wait to see the pictures of the party.

Blessings to all~
Carla

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Remembering...

Ten years ago, today....

GOD BLESS AMERICA


If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

2 Chronicles 7:14

Blessings to all ~
Carla

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Team Photos

SWHS 2011
Cross Country Team
 Being silly
 Middle School Team
High School Team
 Elementary Team
Our team has grown since last year, new faces and old.  Looking forward to an
Awesome year, can't wait to see what our runners do this year.
Blessings to all ~
Carla

Saturday, May 7, 2011

She's a Teenager!!

It's hard to believe that thirteen years ago I was introduced to this precious little girl for the first time and immediately, I was in love. 

Today was a CRAZY day for a birthday, but I think it will be a day that she'll never forget.  Being a saturday and in the middle of track season of course she had the Greater Gator Meet at WKU.  Along with cheering for Courtney in her races everyone would yeal Happy Birthday to her as she ran by as well, so by the end of the meet I think everyone knew it was her birthday. 

After the meet we went to Nashville to Fleet Feet, so that she could get a running stick (something that she wanted) then we had dinner at Carrabbas. Yum! Yum!


Thought I would share 13 things about Courtney on her Thirteen Birthday!!!!


  1. she loves to read
  2. she is very creative
  3. her hair is starting to turn wavy like mine did at this age
  4. she loves to mix match her socks and she loves knee snocks especially unique ones
  5. likes her quality "me" time
  6. loves music
  7. sings in the shower
  8. she is awesome in math (she was horrible in math when she was little but next year will be in H.S. algebra)
  9. she is awesome at drawing ( I can't even draw a stick person )
  10. she is a very kind hearted young lady
  11. she has her blonde moments
  12. wears a size 7.5 to 8 shoe
  13. loves lots, I mean LOTS of pickles on her sandwhich
Love that girl!!!

Blessings to all~
Carla

Thursday, May 5, 2011

Friday, April 29, 2011

Congrats are in order

To the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge


What a fairytale...and how gorgeous does Kate look?!


Angie surprised us girls with tea and scones this morning at work.  She brought in her fine china and made fancy place tags for all of us in the front office.  Mr. Cook allowed us to watch the ceremony on his flat screen, he such a softy.


Monday, April 11, 2011

Creamy Italian Chicken


I wanted to share with you a great recipe. I'm sure many of you have tried this, but if not it's one of those super easy "forget and go" meals! In the summer I find myself using the crock pot more and more! I LOVE my crock pot, especially for yummo recipes like this one!!!

Creamy Italian Chicken:

combine in small bowl:
1/2 cup water
2 TB butter
1 can low fat cream of chicken
4 - 8 oz low fat cream cheese
1 packet Good Seasons Italian dressing

Pour Ingredients over chicken in crock pot
3-5 Large Chicken Breast or a bag of frozen chicken tenders
Cook on low for 5-6 hours

Serve over noodles or rice (I prefer the bowtie pasta)

Hope you enjoy it as much as my family did :)

Blessings to all ~
Carla

Monday, March 28, 2011

Photo Coasters

I tell you, the warmer weather makes me feel good, which in return makes me feel like being CREATIVE. If you can't already tell that from several of my last posts. Anyway......Are you sick and tired of your ordinary coasters, well take a look at what I am making. I had been wanting to make these for about a year and finally, a couple of weeks ago I did it. I even went back and made a coaster with each of the kids baby picture on them. I've replaced the coasters on our nightstands, in our living room and in our bonus room. What's so neat about these coasters are that they make wonderful gifts for anyone, male or female. Look how cute they are done up with a ribbon. I've been asked to donate a set for a silent auction and several ladies at work has asked me to make sets for them, so I am pretty excited!!
Hope everyone has a wonderful and uplifting week.
Blessings to all~
Carla


Saturday, March 26, 2011

Saturday Finds......

There was no sleeping in at my house this morning. Courtney offered to help with childcare at church today which meant she had to be there at 9, so that meant I had to be up and ready to take her. Which I can't complain, since my body alarm doesn't let me sleep past 6 unless for catnaps. Anyway I dropped Courtney off and took advantage of being in town, I had a few things to return and then I hit some of my favorite second hand stores. I am looking for an old oval portrait frame about an 11x4 or and 8 x10. I didn't find one but I did find these....

From the moment that I saw them, they caught my eye, I immediately picked them up walked around the table put them down, then picked them up again and of course I put them back down until I finally knew that if I did not purchased them I would regret it since I feel in love with them from the first time I saw them and for $1.50.......what was I thinking????

I knew before I even bought them exactly what I was going to do with them. I think they turned out pretty cute. They are ceramic so if I ever want to write a name on them with a marker and use them as a place tag I could also.
Hope everyone had a wonderful Saturday. Jonah was suppose to go flying this afternoon but it ended up raining so he is heading out tomorrow afternoon with a friend of his who is learning to fly. Jonah wants to start soon, this makes me nervous!


Blessing to all~
Carla

Friday, March 25, 2011

Runners Hives???

Runners Hives.....I had never heard of such until last night. Jonah had been at track practice at the park in cold and I mean it was cold, I think that old man winter had decided to pay us a visit again!!!!! Anyway, when I picked him up, he got in the van and within seconds he started complaining about his face burning. My first thought was the change in temperature, going from the cold outside to the toasty warm van, so I turned down the heat and we cracked the window a little. Well, by the time that we arrived home his head and neck was itching. By this time I thought that maybe he had ran through some chemicals while running on the grass out by the fields that line the edge of the park. I gave him some benadryl and he took a hot shower, again thinking that if there is something on his skin, a shower will help.

Well, the shower did not help, in fact the itching had now spread, his head was hurting and his breathing was labored. To shorten the story we later found out from a doctor that Jonah had Runners Hives, which can be common and you can get it for no reason at all and it usually occurs when a runner runs in colder temperatures, oddly enough this is the first time that it has happen to Jonah and he has ran in much colder weather, even ran in the snow, go figure.

Well, within several hours and two benadryl he was much better. I think he ate supper with his eyes closed and slept in the recliner with Rascal until I told him to go on to bed. He is doing much better this morning his head still hurts but the hives are gone :)

We love our Rascal and he loves us!!! Whenever someone is not feeling well, he knows and he wants to be right by their side. So last night he was cuddled in the recliner with Jonah, because he knows and he loves us!!!!

Blessings to all ~
Carla


Thursday, March 17, 2011

St. Patrick's Day

Well, St. Patrick's Day has come and gone and maybe you found your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, if that is what you were looking for. (he! he!) As for our house, I fixed green waffles for all my little Leprechauns, I even severed green waffles to the big Leprechaun in bed (he had the day off). Sorry there's no pictures, I did good to get my waffles made before heading off to school at 7 a.m.

My sweet little lady wore lots of green as you can see to school, minus the hat of course, she even ran in these crazy knee socks at track practice after school. Sure wish I would have taken a picture of that.




Blessings to all~

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Mother Teresa's Prayer


I came across this prayer the other day and it truly is what I need to hear daily during these trying times right now. Mother Teresa was one of the most self-less people ever. I love this prayer!

Deliver me Jesus from the desire of being loved and accepted
Deliver me Jesus from the desire of being extolled
Deliver me Jesus from the desire of being honored, praises and preferred
Deliver me Jesus from the desire of being consulted
Deliver me Jesus from the desire of being approved and popular
Deliver me Jesus from the fear of being humiliated
Deliver me Jesus from the fear of being despised and forgotten
Deliver me Jesus from the fear of suffering rebukes
Deliver me Jesus from the fear of being ridiculed and stereotyped

Blessings to all~
Carla

Sunday, March 13, 2011

Ready for Spring

Yes, I am ready for SPRING! Next Sunday will be the first day of Spring and I can't wait, even though it never fails that we still have several days of cold weather to follow, especially around Easter. I am soooo ready for warmer weather and with warmer weather I always get a wild hair to redecorate. Of course, when I say redecorate I really mean rearrange or bargain shop for new accessories.

A couple of weeks ago I showed you a picture of two trays that I picked up at a local second hand store. Well I thought that I would share with you what I've done with them...... This tray sits on our dining room table with Easter grass and yes, that is ribbon in the apothecary jar and a bunny plate that I have had for years.

The second tray sits on our kitchen table with just a few "fake" chocolate Easter bunnies and the plant Phillip got me.
Blessing to all~
Carla

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Ten Things on the 10th

  1. I have taken on the position of treasurer of the SWHS Track and Field. Can you say SUCKER???? Well truly I volunteered but that was only because no one was speaking up for any of the positions and the only position that I felt I could do comfortably and with little time was treasurer. What was I thinking!!!!
  2. I am thinking about taking my blog private.....should I????
  3. I am little frustrated with myself right now. About 6 weeks ago I started the couch to 5K, I took off with a bang but now I have lost interest and I struggle to get on that tread mile. My friend who is doing the program with me is experiencing the same, so maybe its not me but it doesn't make it easy :(
  4. Track season is now in full swing....practice everyday and next week the kids are back running across town at Keriakes from 4:30 to 6 which is going to make for a long day and really makes it hard for me to cook a good dinner.
  5. Just ordered Courtney new spikes (running shoes) for track, I can't believe that I ordered a size 8.5.......what happened to my little girl
  6. Time changes this weekend....we SPRING forward....so we loose an hour of sleep, but I am so ready for the extra daylight and the warmer weather to follow.
  7. Sometimes I wonder if the things that we loose sleep over is really worth loosing sleep over. Being an adult is so hard.
  8. We have had soooo much rain in the past week and again it is raining today. I'm starting to wonder if this is how people in Seattle, WA Feel?
  9. First sign of SPRING.... all the daffodils. We have them planted all over our yard, in the front and back. I love them!!!
  10. Spring puts me in the mood to reorganize and redecorate. Our closet is getting a make over soon......I can't wait, maybe it will finally put me in the mood to get rid of somethings.
Blessing to all~
Carla

Sunday, March 6, 2011

She's Growing Up

Back a few weeks ago, Courtney attended a "Sweet Sixteen" Birthday party for one of her dear friends. It was not until she was all dressed up that I realized how fast she was growing up. She was certainly "dolled" up that night, with a little bit of mascara, blush and lip gloss......Boy, where does the time go!



Her pouty face.....really she was tired of me snapping pictures of her, but I couldn't help it!!

Blessings to all~
Carla

Friday, March 4, 2011

Flashback Friday

I love this picture of my mom, dad and I taken in 1975. As many of you know my mother passed away several years ago, oh how I miss her :( Which is one reason why this picture is so special to me but I grew up in this house and my father still lives there. Of course the kitchen looks nothing like this but the layout is the same and of course the memories I hope will never fade. This corner of the kitchen is where I had the habit of hopping up on the counter and sitting (when there was room) and engaging in conversation with mom or dad.

Hope everyone has a wonderful day!

Blessings to all~
Carla

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

My Bargain Finds

Let me just start out by sharing my African Violet that Phillip brought home a couple of weeks ago. They were throwing it away at the store because basically it was dead, completely wilted, looked horrible and now look at it...isn't it amazing what a little water and love will do :) I am working on a project so last Saturday I went out to the local thrift stores looking for white plates, I need about 7. I really thought it would be an easy find but I only found these four. Two of which I only paid 50 cents for (YIPEE!!) and the other two which I do have to say are antique milkglass I found for $3. Once I find enough plates and finish my project, I promise to share the result.
Also on Saturday, I ran across these two awesome trays and fell in love with them so much that the one with the wood bottom I carried around in the store and then decided not to purchase either one. Don't ask me why, because they were good deals. Well every since Saturday all I have thought about were these trays, so this afternoon while the kids were at track practice I had a few minutes to kill and went back after the trays. Let me just say that my waiting paid off! It saved me 20%, YES, between Saturday and today, both trays were marked down. Needless to say I quickly picked them up and now they have a new home.

I already have plans for both trays, maybe I'll even remember to post a picture or two. Hope everyone has a great evening. I have two loaves of Amish Friendship Bread in the oven that has the house smelling
soooo good! I just may have to have a piece before I head to bed.
Blessings to all~
Carla

Monday, February 28, 2011

Saying Farewell.......

.....to the oldest member of our family. Phillip and I bought this washer and dryer on April 1, 1993, when we bought our first home.....18 years ago. They have been in seven different homes, washed our clothes when it was just Phillip and I and then when we became a family of 3 and then a family of 4. I even placed a small heart sticker on the dryer dial so that the kids would know where to turn the dial to so that they could start the dryer for me. They were good to me, 18 years and I only called the repairman once and that was to tighten the agitator, which if I had known that was the noise I was hearing I think that I could have fixed it for $60. Of course I have to say that they were Maytags.

However, after 18years it is time to say farewell. The dryer was sounding like I was drying a load of belt buckles and to dry a load of towels was taking close to two hours. Our first thought was to go back with a Maytag and to go with the front load and if I would have let the first salesman I went to sale me what I thought wanted I don't think I would have been as pleased as what we bought after we did the research......

We ended up buying a Whirlpool, which by the way now owns part of Maytag (since they don't make Maytags like ours anymore, go figure). We ended up going back with a top loader without an agitator, it is an high efficiency, low water washer and has more buttons and gadgets then I know what to do with right know. So far I have no complaints for our new appliances but I not holding my breath on them lasting near as long as my Maytag. BTW......we are donating them to our church, the washer works great and with work maybe the dryer will be back up and working again soon so that a family in need of a washer and dryer can have one with much love attached :)

Hope everyone had a wonderful Monday. Mine was a little crazy but I guess that goes with all the storms that we had here today.
Blessing to all~
Carla

Friday, February 25, 2011

Flashback Friday

This was the everyday Jonah when he was little. He ALWAYS either had a hotwheels car in his hand or his pocket and if we were going to church he had a little blue Mickey Mouse backpack that was just big enough for a few cars and his Buzz Lightyear. He had a car rug that we bought from Lowes that stayed lined up with cars and these waffle blocks I bought at a yard sale for $2 when he was one, which he made more roads out of then blocks. He even made little ramps off of them (look at the blue waffle block at the bottom of the first pic). I love this picture because you can tell that he was making either that varoom or siren sound with his lips. Also notice how always has two cars going at the same time......I miss these days. I still have ALL the cars. Yes, he has never let me get rid of them and I won't. One day hopefully their will be a child of his to play with them......WAY down the road.
Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday. It is the last Friday in February so I guess I need to come up with something different for my Flashback Friday's for March......what will it be!
Blessings to all~
Carla

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Jonah turns 15

I can not believe that my little boy is 15 as of yesterday the 19th, well he is not little by no means anymore. These days he is taller then his mom, pushing 5'5, if I had to guess. His birthday wish this year was to go to snow skiing as you can tell from the previous post, was a BLAST!! He then celebrated his actually birthday by having Andrew, Nate, and Trajan (a.k.a Xbox cronies) over for a night of hanging out and playing the Xbox.
I thought that it would be interesting to try an list 15 things about Jonah on his 15th birthday, so here goes....
  1. he is 5'5"
  2. wears a size 9.5 shoe
  3. enjoys running
  4. would play his XBox 360 all day long if his momma would let him
  5. loves snow skiing
  6. is working towards his Eagle scout
  7. a ninth grader
  8. could eat pizza or pizza rolls anytime of the day
  9. loves sweet tea and coke icees (just like his momma)
  10. is not a morning person, at all
  11. is very outgoing
  12. willing to try just about anything
  13. has a heart for God
  14. wants to learn to fly
  15. would love to raise dwarf goats
Just a few interesting facts of my firstborn. Hope everyone in blogger land has an wonderful evening. Goodnight and......

Blessings to all~
Carla

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Paoli Peaks

Last Tuesday, the four of us, plus one of Jonah's friends, John Mark, headed up to Paoli Peak for a day of skiing. For the last several years Jonah's birthday "wish" or want is to go skiing, which is usually a challenge to fit into our schedule because for some reason our weekends in February are just CRAZY. Last year, Phillip took Jonah out of school one day and he and Jonah, along with one of Jonah's friends went skiing. Well last Monday when they called school 2 hours early, Phillip started working on taking Tuesday off because we figure with it snowing school would be cancelled for Tuesday and we would take off and go skiing. So that is just what we did.


" Our snow princess"

The soon to be birthday boy, I still can not believe that he'll soon be 15!

This kid has only skied 4 times in his life but to watch him ski you would think he has been skiing his whole life. The first time we ever took him skiing him went down a black diamond and now he is doing jumps.





Courtney and her daddy, she was always racing him and winning!!!!
This was only Courtney's second time skiing. After her first fall, she looked at me and said I don't want to ski, I don't like it. I reminded her that it had been a long time since she skied and that it would take a while. Well by the middle of the afternoon she was off with the boys going down slopes by herself and even down a blue square. I was so proud of her.

There she goes......


There goes my hubby.....

There I go and I am upright......you laugh! I wasn't very talented that day. The snow was very slick because of the low temps which made you go fast. Lets see, I landed in the woods once, cutting my glove and thumb and I can not tell you how many times I fell getting on the ski lift. Oh and skied into the caution fencing twice. If only someone else was hand my camera beside me during those times. You would really have some pictures to laugh at.



The kids on the ski lift coming up from the bottom of the slope.

She looks like a pro.


Let me just say after being there since 10 a.m. in the 20 degree weather Phillip and I were done, Phillip and I were done by sundown. I could not feel my toes any longer and my face was numb. So Phillip and I went inside and sat by a fire, well it really wasn't much of a fire and it really didn't put out much heat at all but soon my toes did start to thaw out. Interesting enough we did run into someone there from BG, I mean out of the whooping 50 people that were there that day, we run into someone from BG. Finally around 8:30 we were able to round up the kiddos starting thawing them out and head back to BG. I know that Jonah would have stayed all night if we would have let him. Good thing it closes at 9.

Blessings to all~
Carla

Friday, February 11, 2011

Flashback Friday

Doesn't he look so young? Some days it seems like just yesterday and then other days, well, I realize that my baby boy is about to turn 15 in just 8 days. Looking back at this picture of Jonah, I remember this day like it was yesterday. It was December 2000, Jonah was just shy of turning four and our play group had went to O2B kids in Gainesville for our play date. Jonah loved to play with the tools, he was drawn to them. He has always enjoyed anything he could do with his hands.
This was also the day that I lost an half carat diamond out of my wedding set. We had spent the entire morning and O2B Kids and on our way home, I looked down at my hand on the steering wheel and notice that my diamond was missing. Yes, I freaked out! LUCKILY, we had insurance and it was replace without any cost. WHEW!!!!

Hope everyone has a wonderful weekend. It is suppose to warm up a little this weekend, anything should be better then the freezing temps that we have seen the last two mornings, -3 degrees has been the low. Our driveway and road still is covered with snow.

Blessings to all~
Carla

Monday, February 7, 2011

Day # 12

Tomorrow will be snow day #12, SERIOUSLY!!! I can't believe it. We dismissed school today 2 hours early, letting the students leave at 12:30. Since I am a school employee I have to stay until my normal time to leave, which is 3:30. Our principal let me run the kids home at 1:00, which at that time it was only raining, NO SNOW. I then returned back to school. Shortly after 2:00, our principal announced that the roads were getting bad and we could leave. Well this is what it looked like on my way home. This pic was taken on our street. What a difference a hour makes. It is a beautiful snow I will say that, a wet snow, one that sticks to everything. In 12 days Jonah turns 15 and more then anything he wants to go snow skiing (not that he didn't just go with his Adventure Crew), so in the morning, since it is a snow day, Phillip has taken off work and we are heading to Paoli Peaks to hit the slopes. Wish us, I mean me luck. I'm not a BIG skier like my son is. I promise to post a few pictures.

Hope everyone has a wonderful Tuesday!

Blessings to all~
Carla

Friday, February 4, 2011

Flashback Friday

Since this month is the birth month of my first born, I thought that I would share a picture of Jonah and his dad taken the spring of 1997. Jonah was just over a year old. This picture was taken in our backyard in Starke, Florida. Jonah loved to play outside and loved to swing on the hammock that hung between two tall trees right beside our patio. He loved to go high and always would say "again, again"!! Hope everyone has a wonderful Friday!

Blessings to all~
Carla

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Cross Country Adventures

Back in September, actually it was the first Wednesday in September during 7th period to be exact, a gentleman came into my office, kinda in a hurry might I add, asking me if my son ran. I had to have looked at him kinda puzzled and said no. He then rephrased his question and "can your son run." To that, still a little puzzled I answered, "kinda." By this time I realized who he was, Coach Eaton the Cross Country Coach and I did not have the time to sit and "play" his games. So I said, " Jonah is in the gym, you can go and talk to him." Well that is how all this got started. Shortly both Jonah and the Coach was in my office and that afternoon I was taking Jonah to his first cross country practice and little to my knowledge the next day would be Courtney's first cross country practice. It was been nice having both kids in the same sport, same practices and for the most part the same races.

Even with joining the team after season had started they both did very well for their first year and very little conditioning. We traveled to Louisville for one of the largest races in the area and both kids went to Lexington where they ran in state. It was an awesome season for us all, the kids made new friends and so did Phillip and I and it was fun to travel with the team.

South Warren's First Cross Country team
(making history)
Courtney ran a PR of 15.46 for the 3000m and a PR of 21.10
for the 4000m. SHE ROCKS!!!!

Jonah's PR for the 5000m was 19.20PR. WAY TO GO!!
The varsity boys won AA Region Champions. We were all so very proud of them.



Of course I could not resist including a family photo. This was taken on 01/11/11 at their banquet. Can you believe how fast my kiddos are growing?
Blessings to all~
Carla