A fun day with Buddy-Boo...

Little Buddy-Boo came to spend the day with Gramma...

Buddy-Boo is my oldest sons child...and my first born grandchild (by 3 whole weeks!) 

He turned 2 at the end of August.

Everything we have in this world is a gift from God, but grandchildren have to be the best gift of all! 

Each of my 3 little guys are so unique...

with their own little personalities...

and I am enjoying getting to know each one of them as these personalities develop right before my eyes.

Buddy Boo is an active little thing...after all...he is 2! 

Here he is at the Christmas tree...

 

Playing with the ornaments...talking to them...

with the magic of Christmas....

Well...I just know I heard Frosty asking for some hot cocoa!

We went outside for awhile...we had to feed and play with Trapper...

No we don't feed our dog coffee...that is our fancy smancy dog food scooper!

We played kickball...

We picked up sticks...

We ran around amongst the pines...

Oh...the pines...

that reminds me Buddy-Boo...

Gramma wants to make a fresh wreath for the front door...lets stop and cut some...

then let's plop down into the middle of the prickly pile...ouch Gramma!

on our way back up the basement stairs, Buddy Boo found something that Grampa left there...

"What's that Buddy Boo"?

"Piggy Food" says Buddy Boo...

so he's saving it for his Piggy!

Talking to the ornaments again...

Time for a snack...

I found a cute idea for Christmas Rice Krispie Treats here

What better time than now...

so off to Walmart for the supplies...

now lets get started...

oops....we're a little messy Buddy Boo!

Now for the fun part!

Oh Yeah!  Sugar Fingers are soooo good!

Mommy and Daddy are gonna love Gramma!
sugar, sugar, sugar!

Gramma LOVES sugar Kisses!

Smooch!


Here are our little Christmas Master pieces...

Good enough to eat...cute enough to hang on the tree!!

Had a great day Buddy Boo...come see Gramma again soon!


Still Counting my Blessings:

50-55

A very nice Thanksgiving with family coming together from 3 different states!

Hearing “I Love you sooo0 much!”
from a 2 year old, 20 times in 1 day

A pair of green frog boots…loved by both 2 year old grandsons…picked up at a yard sale for 1.00…that are  perfect for those muddy areas on our property!

I am blessed by my children who are doing awesome jobs  at raising their children

A daughter in law, that inspires me in spite of the tough time and great sadness she is experiencing

(I will post about that possibly tomorrow)

Please go hug someone you love today and tell them

“I love you soooo much!”

No one is guaranteed  tomorrow...so make sure to do it today! 

I love you soooo much!

God Bless!
Sharon

linking to
2805
check out the party!

And the baking begins.....

These are one of my very favorite cookies to make at Christmas....well anytime really!

They are easy, easy, easy...and I have never met a single person who doesn't love em!

All you need is:

mini muffin pan

mini muffin paper cups

refrigerated  chocolate chip cookie dough

Mini Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

preheat oven to 350

Line your mini muffin tin with the mini muffin paper cups

Put cookie dough in each muffin cup

I don't measure this out exactly, I just break a chunk off and put it in

Bake in oven until lightly browned...about 7 or 8 minutes

as soon as they come out of the oven push the Reese's Peanut Butter Cup down into the center

Wish you could smell my kitchen about now!

 Look at the ooey gooey goodness!

Next thing you know you have a chocolate Christmas tree for your kitchen!

The most difficult part of this process.....is unwrapping the Reese's Peanut Butter Cups

and self control!

Sharon

I'm linking to:

50 Sucks!

Hello There!

 Just thought I would share this little silly gift that I whipped up 
for a co-worker who will be turning 50 tomorrow. 

It only took about 5 minutes! Just a little somthin...

I used an old container that has been in my craft room for years...

waiting for a re-purpose.

It already had the foam on the inside and the ribbon on the outside.
I just added 50 suckers, and the little sign,
using  a wooden skewer and some scrapbooking paper. 

I think it's cute and good for a giggle or two.

Happy Birthday Diana

Sorry they're not chocolate! 

These pictures are so blurry...it's late...
and they & the blog post were an after thought...
I should be in bed!

Check out the party at 2805 

Size Matters.......

photo source 


Ok…t’s time…

time to get real witcha…

time to get real with myself!

I have chubbed up again…

and I can’t stand it! 

Last year, at this time…I was feelin wonderful…I had lost 41 lbs…

41 lbs!!!   

Though I still needed to loose more than that....

It was still several drops in the proverbial bucket!…

I tell ya, I felt great! 

What happened?

I wish I knew…

well I sorta do know…but I can’t believe that it happened!  

That I let it happen! 

Last year at this time I would have said 

that I had my eating issues licked, 

and that I would never go back…

and here I am…

not completely back to where I was…

but halfway up that doggone ladder.  

 Since when is it easier to go up a ladder than down? 

Just a thought...

You might ask what I was doing last year that was  working for me...

after all, weight has been a lifelong struggle for me...

one that I have never had control over (healthy control anyway)

until last year...

I have a little issue with salt…really it's a big issue with salt…

I swell…

I have been to many doctors over the last 30  years, and they can't find a thing wrong with me…except that...

I swell…

"Watch your salt and take this water pill"

is all I have ever heard.

Last May…it was getting warm…I pulled my summer clothes out to find...

They had shrunk! 

In all seriousness...I could not face a summer like that! 

Humidity makes the swelling all that much worse.

Bottom line…I was scared…really scared…

I knew I had to quit eating salt…

plus...

because  of the weight... 

I  needed to get rid of the sugar too.  I KNOW that sugar….is my crack...I'm a junkie...a sugar junkie! I'm hooked on the white stuff!

photo source

My method

Eat what is natural…another words do not eat processed foods!

It was hard….at first…but once I got the JUNK out of my system...

it got easier…

I mean it got downright easy…

a piece a cake celery!

I lost weight…pretty quickly…I felt sooo much better…

I mean my back…my knees…and not just because of the weight loss...

I am talking just a few days into it....after getting that JUNK ouf of my system…I felt more limber and pain free than I had for a long long time! 

I have heard that sugar does effects the joints…

and folks...

I am here to tell ya...there is truth in that!

So what happened you might ask...

Thanksgiving happened!

photo source

We fix a big big meal at thanksgiving…with lots of desserts!

I have a large group...some local…and some from out of town…we cook a big big meal…and then since we are together for a couple of days…we eat and eat and eat the leftovers!

All I can say is those couple of days…of cheating…did me in!  All  of the  cravings came back…full swing…I fell off the wagon..

photo source

and I fell hard...and the wagon kept going...and I have been running behind it ever since...trying to catch up and fling myself back up there.  I  have gotten close a time or two...but just can't hoist myself back to a safe place on the wagon...and I stumble... again!

Now here I am one year later, up around 20 lbs…joints are hurting again…clothes fitting snug...which  by the way I started a new job after the 41 lbs weight loss and needed to buy a new wardrobe…which now is tight…skin tight….and I am scared! The holidays are just around the corner...and we all know what that means!

Soooo I am through day 2 of being back on the wagon...I'm just on the edge...not very secure yet...and I am crawling to the center of that puppy...the safe place...where it's more difficult to fall off...

it just takes some time to get to that place on the wagon!

I am blogging about it…because maybe it will help!   

Maybe you can help block me, should  I happen toward the edge...

before I fall off again…

So here goes...my weight...

I  we

I  weig….

III  weigh……….

Drum roll please……….

I weigh...

x x x

sorry I can’t do it…try as I might I can not plaster my  weight onto the world wide web...

for the entire world to see…

or even just the 25 of you that might happen to see it….

but I am telling you

triple x is appropriate because it is a horrible, disgusting dirty number…and should not be viewed by anyone!

Anyway…just thought I needed to share this…I needed to get this out there in blog land..since this is my life

I will keep you posted on my progress…my ups and downs…and if you have any good recipes…that do not include sugar and salt 

please let me know!

I have a couple of weeks until Thanksgiving 

to get the JUNK out of my system…

to detox…

then maybe I will not be so willing to move closer to the edge…

maybe I will cling to my spot on the wagon...for dear life

I’ll keep you posted…

please leave comments…

share your tips, your struggles...or whatever!

Most importantly...

Pray for me!

Sharon

Still  Thankful!

45-50

Celebrating 31 years of marriage this month

The refreshing

feeling of spilling your guts (emotionally speaking)

That each new day is a gift from God

2^nd chances

A close parking spot…when you’re late for work

Being Thankful...NOT just at Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is right around the corner, and many of us will be contemplating all that we are thankful for...while at the same time...sad but true...many of us will be wondering what we have to be thankful for!

It isn't always easy to see each day, each moment, and each breath that we take a gift from God, though that's exactly what it is! 

I'm choosing to be in the first group...how about you? 

In the last 2 days, I have read two different things that have really spoken to me, about this, and I wanted to share them here with you. 

The first one came from Elizabeth at
Just following Jesus in my real life 
and with her permission I'm sharing it here...

Saturday, November 5, 2011

Freedom…

Have you ever felt like you were trapped…

in a stuck place…

in a pit…

due to circumstances

or due to other people

their choices, their decisions,

things that affect you

but

are simply beyond your control?

I’ve been there.

But today, I’m free!

Years ago, during a time of feeling trapped, helpless, desperate,

I got away by myself seeking to hear God.

His words to me were, in essence, “stop being a victim.

Quit focusing on what you cannot change about other people or outward circumstances.

Start doing something about the things you can change.

Build your life!

It’s easy to do nothing, remain unhappy, and blame it on others.

The truth is, no one, nothing, can rob you of your purpose and a fulfilled, abundant life but you.”

That day, the things God spoke to me, changed my life.

Not all at once, but step by step, I started making choices to build my life,

to do the things I loved to do,

to be the person God made me to be,

to quit using others or circumstances

as an excuse

to live in a pit.

Freedom is a beautiful thing, friend.

Build your life.

Why not start today?

Still following,

Elizabeth

Have you ever felt like Elizabeth, I know that I have...

you can find Elizabeth here

and read many more wonderful God inspired posts from her!

The next story I came upon today....
 via www.voa.org/talk  
(discussing aging with your family)

The Joy of Being Thankful

A 92-year-old, petite, well-poised and proud man, who is fully dressed each morning by 8am, shaved perfectly with his hair fashionably combed and even though he is legally blind, moved to a nursing home today. His wife of 70 years recently passed away, making the move necessary. After many hours of waiting patiently in the lobby of the nursing home, he smiled sweetly when told his room was ready.

As he maneuvered his walker to the elevator, I provided a visual of his tiny room, including the eyelet sheets that had been hung on his window.

"I love it,'" he stated with the enthusiasm of an eight-year-old having just been presented with a new puppy.

"Mr. Jones, you haven't seen the room yet."

"That doesn’t have anything to do with it," he replied. "Happiness is something you decide on ahead of time. Whether I like my room or not doesn't depend on how the furniture is arranged - it's how I arrange my mind. I already decided to love it. It's a decision I make every morning when I wake up. I have a choice; I can spend the day in bed recounting the difficulty I have with the parts of my body that no longer work, or get out of bed and be thankful for the ones that do. Each day is a gift, and as long as my eyes open, I'll focus on the new day and all the happy memories I've stored away just for this time in my life."

"Old age is like a bank account. You withdraw from what you've put in. So, my advice to you would be to deposit a lot of happiness in the bank account of memories!"

I hope these two stories speak to your heart as they did to mine!
I pray you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving, that you realize all that you have to be Thankful for...
not just at Thanksgiving, but everyday!
Now excuse me while I go deposit some happiness
into my old age account! 

Sharon