For "the season" ;->

   My dad sent me an email titled "First Christmas Carol of the year". He had sent it on November 9th. I didn't open it until today for two reasons. First off, my computer time has been very limited lately. Secondly, it was for Christmas - and while I do nab up gifts all year long when I stumble upon them, I prefer to not actually start "the season" till after Thanksgiving. Preferably, not even till the first of December. But at least not till after Thanksgiving.
    Well, it's after Thanksgiving. And I have time to be on the computer. So I opened it. And enjoyed the simplistic fun of it. And figured I'd share it with all of you too. ;->
   Hope you enjoy it!! 

    http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=LyviyF-N23A

What's your take on his actions?

   On one of our local 11:00 news shows last night, they did a segment about all of the people who were already in lines at various stores around town, waiting for the stores doors to open to the 'Black Friday' bargains. Some people had already been in the lines for h-o-u-r-s. A few even had small sized tents set up.
   One of the guys they interviewed, really struck a nerve with me. Were his actions contradicting themselves to his kids?  Was the one possible lesson being taught, getting voided out by the actions he was using?  You could go round and round with all of it. And my mind did. And then Brian and I did, discussing it.  I am very curious what your take on it will be. PLEASE leave me in-put letting me know it!
      [ Reminder about posting comments on our blog, for those of you whom don't have blogs or google accounts of your own - after you type in your comment, you need to click on the bar underneath it, which reads "comment as" and then click on "anonymous". Then click on the "Post comment" button.]

     The man in line had already been in line for over twelve (12) hours. He said that he was a father of six (6), and couldn't usually afford the items his kids wanted and was hoping to be able to get them via the 'Black Friday' specials.  So yes, he had missed having Thanksgiving dinner with his family. Oh, and it was also his birthday.

    - - One perspective. By not having Thanksgiving dinner (which is all about getting together with those you love and expressing your thankfulness for so many blessings, etc.) with his family, he was demonstrating that the 'things' he was hoping to buy them, were more important than spending time with them.

     - -  Another angle. He was showing them that sometimes you have to make sacrifices to get the things you want in life.

     - - And another slant. Their desires in life were more important to him, than having others celebrate his birthday with him.

     - - And yet another angle. Was he giving credit to society's view, that the 'things' you can acquire in life, is what's important?

    My take on the whole thing? He lost my vote for the 'Father of the year' award. Doing things WITH your kids (and grand kids), is by far the best thing a parent (or grand parent) can give to a child (no matter how old your child becomes!).
     You can not put a price tag on love exchanged through laughter, or looks, or hugs. Those type of moments, build far better relationships. And those type of relationships, are worth far more than any store bought gift could ever hope to increase to. True, the relationship will never wow the experts on Antiques Road Show by being their biggest find ever. But the warm fuzzes and inner security, etc. that those type of relationships contain, will make your life far more enjoyable and bearable than that type of a '"treasure" ever could.

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I 'plan' on linking this particular posting up to:

  ~ "Homemaker Mondays ... Yours, Mine & Ours", are hosted by Jen, at '11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven'  (http://rtheyallyours.blogspot.com/).
  ~ "Making Your Home Sing Monday('s)", are hosted by Nan, at 'Mom's the Word (I love to hear)'  (http://momstheword--livingforhim.blogspot.com/).

My man's birthday ;->

    Tomorrow is this man's birthday -->

   He is my handsome husband -

   (no idea what it was we were watching on the TV, when this shot was snapped - honest. I am SURE however that I am making a face over what it was on the TV, not at Brian!!! o;->)
   My wish for his birthday, is that I could grant him numerous hours of this -->

   He has so-o-o earned them!!!

  HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRIAN !!!  I Love you!!!!

~ : - > ~ ~ ; - > ~ ~ : - > ~ ~ ; - > ~ ~
THIS is what I wrote about him last year on his birthday ;->

Currently in our house -

   As I had mentioned HERE, Byron

   and Elliot

were now living with us.
    Ms. Analyse

has been too, since late Tuesday night, November 1st. 
   I have become a full time grandma. Oh the stories and chuckles I have stored up to share with all of you. Hopefully I'll be able to really return to blogging starting next week. Currently it's been ever so challenging, due to the mixture of 2 and 1/2 year old Ms. Analyse and her  'Go Go Gadget' Arms, which she never fails to use every time she ventures into this room when I'm in here, and the fact that currently this is also her bedroom (thus I can't go on line during her nap).
    But HOPEfully, all of the bedrooms will get switched around this weekend, and I will once again be able to enjoy our internet service on a regular basis.
    In the mean time, I'm enjoying my blessings called grand children, and working on adjusting this house hold of adults and younguns, to living harmoniously together. Nap and bedtime schedules and routines mean adjustments, for all 7 of us!
   Well, it only took me a half hour and six interruptions to get this typed up... ;-p   let's see if I can actually get it posted WITH pictures....

another 'Lucy' experience ;-p

    Brian and I went out on a date recently, with little Elliot in tow. Aw the memories that brought forth! ;->   Especially since Brian brought along the cordory Snugli Sack(TM) which we had purchased with gifted money, after his daddy was born.
    When we left, I knew it was about time for Elliot to eat and nap again and was hoping timing would work out good. It did. :-> While he had gotten a bit fussy at red lights in the van, he was good while we were waiting to be seated  (couldn't believe how busy the place was!), so immediately after placing our order, I mixed up his bottle and started feeding him.
    We had been seated in a booth. Brian scooted the table as far his direction as he could, so I was holding Elliot half on the edge of the table, half up against my chest. Elliot snuggled right in and it worked fine. I fed him, burped him, fed him some more, during which he fell asleep. ("Love it when a plan comes together" ;-p) I then laid him on top of my jacket on the bench next to me, and ate while usually having one hand laying on top of him.
    I was pretty much done eating, when I asked Brian if he'd come sit on my side of the table while I went to the bathroom. As I stood up to leave, Brian snickered. Not a good sign. There was a spot on my chest, which looked as though I had 'leaked'. 8-/!  It seems Mr. Elliot had drooled, while up against me, when he was drifting off, or something.
   So with my arms folded up in a peculiar way, I headed off to the bathroom. I knew I was holding them in a peculiar way, due to the looks I kept getting from the long table of about 20 retired ladies I had to pass. Goodness.
    I didn't even look in the mirror upon entering the bathroom, just quickly took care of business. But once I left the stall and stopped in front of the mirror. Oh  my  word!  It definitely looked like I had forgotten to wear a nursing pad that day! Bother!
    While praying that nobody would come through the bathroom door, I got the dried on formula wet and started wiping at it with a paper hand towel. A white one. Which decided to cling to the knit of my shirt, in teeny tiny little white blobs. Lots of them. Which of course wouldn't brush off.  "Really?!?!!"
    The Lord did grant my prayer request and not let anybody come into the bathroom while I was doing all of this. The thing is (isn't there always a catch? 8-/), I hadn't thought to look under the stall doors, or include any other possible bathroom inhabitors in my prayer request.
    Suddenly, a stall door kiddy corner behind me opens, an elderly lady starts to exit, turns back to flush her toilet, then walks out of her stall. "Help!" (I silently screamed)
    As she walked the two feet towards me, using the mirror to her full advantage, her eyes kept moving from my chest, to my face, to my gray hair, to my chest and over again. She looked totally confused. And not too sure about me!
    In an extremely condensed version, which you guys would have been ever so proud of me over, I quickly told her what had happened. She got the hugest warmest smile. And then shared a story with me.
     She said that growing up, she had always wondered why her mom (a mother of nine), had always insisted on wearing these print dresses, in certain colored fabric. She had tried to convince her mom to wear solid color dresses, in pretty colors like some of the other women of the time wore, but her mom had insisted she liked her kind of dresses best. My bathroom friend had then chuckled as she went on... She said that one day as she was in the midst of raising her own children, it had suddenly dawned on her just how wise her mom had been, in her choice of dresses. While they weren't made from what we now call camouflage material, they worked just as effectively!!!
    She had patted me on the arm as we walked out of the bathroom. Me, with my arm again held in a peculiar way. She had patted me, congratulating me on being a grandma, and saying she knew I was a wonderful one, because I could laugh about my grandchild ruining my outfit, even while out in public. "Lord, thanks for having her hiding in that bathroom stall!"
    When we left the restaurant, we headed for the close by Goodwill store. Tried on four shirts, bought one. While wearing it. The sales clerk chuckled when we went to check out and I held out my arm with the price tag dangling at the end of the sleeve. ;-p

   In case your curious, yes, I'm still 'wondering' about myself. o;-p

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I 'plan' on linking this particular posting up to:
~ "Soli Deo Gloria" (Latin = "For the Glory of God Alone"), is hosted by Jen, at 'Finding Heaven One Step At A Time' (http://findingheaventoday.blogspot.com/).
   ~ "walk with Him Wednesdays", are hosted by Ann, at 'A Holy Experience' (http://www.aholyexperience.com/). 

Yum-A-Setta

   I decided to double check and see if I had ever posted this recipe, the other day when I was in the midst of making up a huge batch of it. I was so surprised to find I hadn't. Ever so surprised. Because I have made it h-o-w many times?! The reason I was making up a huge batch of it, was because I was following the house rules. If I make something to take to somebody, I'm also suppose to make one of what ever it is for here at home.
   I have made and taken this particular meal to so-o-o many people over the years. Most likely, if I'm only bringing you one meal, this is what you will be getting. Why this one? Because 98% of people that eat it, like it. HONEST! Mom's will tell me they have a couple of picky eaters, and yet they ask for more of this dish. Elderly people have told me, "it's basically such a simple dish, yet it's so good!"  Therefore, according to and because of, I highly recommend that you try this recipe out on your own family, and then make it again the next time your taking a meal in to somebody ;-).

   First - start your hamburg, finely chopped onions and the *brown sugar to browning, in a highly greased pan.

   *just a good sprinkling of the brown sugar will suffice.     This time, I used 5 lbs of hamburg and 2 men's fist sized onions

   Second - start your pan of water to heating for cooking your egg noodles. BONUS TIP HERE --> Spray some of your pan coating spray onto the water before it reaches the boiling point. Doing so helps keep the noodles from sticking together ;-> Second bonus tip - putting a lid on the pan DOES help the water to reach the boiling point faster.
     
   While your waiting for the water to come to a boil, work at breaking the browning hamburg up into tiny little bits.
   Once your water reaches the boiling stage (really boiling), dump in your egg noodles.

   Keep working away at the hamburg mixture.
   Your noodles are ready, when you can just almost slice one (pull one out on a wooden spoon, and don't hold it over the steam of the pan while testing the noodle 8-/) with a finger nail. Remember, they will cook further when you heat the casserole all together, so you don't want them too soft yet.
    Dump the noodles into a strainer in your sink. Don't rinse them. Spray the inside of the pan they came out of with pan coating spray. Wait a couple of minutes, and then dump the noodles back into the pan.
    Mix the undiluted Cream of Chicken Soup in with the cooked noodles.

    Once the hamburg mixture has cooked to the point that all of the liquid has vaporized and the onions have turned clear in color, turn off the heat. Then, mix the can of undiluted Tomato Soup in with the meat mixture.

   Thickly spread the meat in the bottom of a well greased 9 x 13 pan (or *whatever size works best for the amount of meat and noodles you cooked up).

    *This time I used two 10 x 14 pans.

   Top the meat with slices of Velvetta cheese. Note, they do not have to completely touch one another, because the cheese will spread as it melts.

   Spread the noodle mixture out on top of the cheese.

  Assembly process completed

 
  If you plan on serving it for dinner in an hour - Cover it with foil and stick it straight in the oven at 350o.

  If however you plan on having it the next day or later, and/or taking it to somebody, first cover the pans with plastic wrap, then top that with foil and stick them in your fridge or a cold cooler.
   When your ready to eat it, you can warm the whole pan up in a 350o oven for 45 minutes, or heat it by the serving size in your microwave.

    Yum-A-Setta is wonderful when paired with Applesauce, Cottage Cheese and Corn!!
   And for dessert - Oatmeal Carmelitas (thus the jars of Carmel Ice Cream topping in the background o;->)

 And now for the actual recipe -
       Yum-A-Setta
          is a Amish recipe I clipped out of some magazine y-ea-r-s ago.

   2 lbs hamburg
   salt and pepper to taste (I don't think it needs either)
   a little brown sugar
   1/4 onion, chopped (I use a whole onion)
   1 can tomato soup, undiluted
   1 8oz. pkg. Velveeta(R)
   1 - 16 oz. pkg. egg noodles
   1 can cream of chicken soup, undiluted

   Brown hamburg with salt, pepper, brown sugar and onions. Add tomato soup.

   Cook egg noodles. Drain. Add cream of chicken soup.

   Layer hamburg mixture and noodle mixture in casserole dish or baking pan, with slices of Velvetta cheese in between them.
   Bake at 350o for 1/2 an hour.

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I 'plan' on linking this particular posting up to:

  ~ "Homemaker Mondays ... Yours, Mine & Ours", are hosted by Jen, at '11th Heaven's Homemaking Haven'  (http://rtheyallyours.blogspot.com/).
  ~ "Making Your Home Sing Monday('s)", are hosted by Nan, at 'Mom's the Word (I love to hear)'  (http://momstheword--livingforhim.blogspot.com/).
  ~  "Kitchen Tip Tuesday('s)", hosted by Tammy, at 'Tammy's Recipes'  (http://www.tammysrecipes.com/).
 ~ "Tuesday's Tasty Tidbits", hosted by Susan, at 'Permanent Posies / Creative Chaos' (http://permanentposies.com/)
 ~ "Totally Tasty Tuesdays", are hosted by Mandy, at 'Mandy's Recipe Box' (http://www.mandysrecipebox.blogspot.com/).
  ~ "Tempt My Tummy Tuesday('s)", are hosted by Lisa, at 'Blessed with Grace'  (http://www.blessedwithgrace.net/).
   ~ "Foodie Wednesday('s)", are hosted by Bibi, at 'Daily Organized Chaos' (http://www.dailyorganizedchaos.com/). 
   ~ "These Chicks Cooked Link Party", hosted by Katie L, at 'This Chick Cooks' (http://thischickcooks.blogspot.com)
 ~ "Full Plate Thursday('s)", are hosted by Miz Helen, at 'Miz Helen's Country Cottage' (http://mizhelenscountrycottage.blogspot.com/).  
~ "Foodie Friday('s)" (shall we say # 1?), are hosted by "Gollum" (aka: Michael), at 'Designs by Gollum'  (http://designsbygollum.blogspot.com/)

updates

   Yes, it has been over a week since I posted. So much has been happening / changing in our lives!!! This then is info. about at least most of them.

~ Do you remember how our camera had come up missing while we were at Byron and Cyndi's, the weekend after our grandson Elliot was born? Well.... I found it. Could not believe my eyes when I did, but they were showing me the truth.
    While we were there that weekend, we had taken Analyse out for breakfast and then stopped at an Estate Sale. Fun!!! I should tell you about those memories sometime! But for now, I had bought this large coat type sweater and a couple of other things at the sale. Last week, I remembered it and wondered if I could wear it for Brian's mom's funeral (she would have really liked the sweater!). When I pulled the sweater out of the bag, there, at the bottom of the bag, was our camera. "OH.  MY.  WORD. !!!" 
    I just kept repeating it, while walking towards the bathroom to show Brian. Later, he said he remembered hiding it in there, not wanting it to show through the van windows when we'd stopped at the grocery store....   So did I. Remember it that is. ... How we've missed you wonderful camera!
    Thankfully, we HAD gotten a couple of cute pictures of Elliot before we'd hid the camera from ourselves ( 8-p)
     Here's our adorable grandson Elliot - age - three days old -

    and another -

      and one with Analyse, his thrilled to be a big sister -

~ Byron, Analyse and Elliot had been here for just over a week. Byron had then taken Analyse back. Cyndi came back with him for grandma "honey's" funeral. She then went back and Byron and Elliot are still here. That boy has both grown and developed so-o much!!! His eyes lock in and track wonderfully now! He does seem to prefer looking at things further away rather than closer up though. He talks. A lot. And if he doesn't get the response he wants. He talks louder. By a lot!!! Yup, he's one of the family! :-p
    Speaking of that, looking at the profile of our nephew James at the funeral, we saw so-o much resemblance to Elliot. It was amazing!!! Definite family genes there!
    And then there was the discovery about Analyse. The mortuary had taken five different shots of Mom over the span of her life and made this life line collage thingie (it was cool!).  But, the picture they had used of mom as a child, was like looking at a picture of Analyse!!! The moment we saw it, we were stunned! ! ! In-fact, everybody that came who has seen Analyse recently, commented on the resemblance, without us saying a word about it to them!!!
   A couple of days after Cyndi got home, she was taking the funeral program out of her pocket and Analyse of course wanted to see it. Cyndi asked her if she knew who that was. Clear as anything, Analyse had answered "Great Grandma Honey". Brian got all teary eyed when Cyndi told him that over the phone. Mom would have been so-o happy to hear that!!!

~ Byron got a job here at the movie theater he used to work at. They were thrilled to have him back! To the point he worked a double shift his first day back.
   Here is a picture I took of Elliot on his three month birthday. Such an adorable little guy!!!

   Yes, he is a bit chunckie. All of my guys would get that way, then suddenly (like over night) shoot up taller. Highly likely he'll do the same!

~ Benson is still working at the retail store in the mall. And meeting his sales quota (actually OVER) every single day! He actually put to use all of the sales tips we taught him. :-D

~ Brandon went out and got himself a new job. Yes, he is still working part time at Taco Bell. But he is now also working full time at a car dealership doing oil changes. And yes, he can get pay raises there, by doing things he is totally capable of doing! ;-)

~ Kayla too has a new job. She pulls orders to be shipped to customers, at a company that's only about four miles from Brent's work, and they work very similar hours. :->

~ All in all, my Vertigo symptoms are decreasing :-D!! More prof that grandchildren are very therapeutical!

~ Today would have been my in-law's 55th wedding anniversary. They had had their picture taken recently to put the announcement in the paper. Mom had already been diagnosed when the picture was taken. You can see the sadness in Dad's eyes. But when you look in her's, you see calmness. She told everybody that she had peace about the whole thing. And she did. She is now in heaven with our Lord. We know that. We are thrilled knowing that we WILL see her again there. But she is missed here. Greatly so!
If you aren't as positive about where you will go, PLEASE scroll down our sidebar and read the "What we believe" section!!!
    (I don't have a copy of the picture yet, so I can't post it. Just wanted to tell you about it.)