Stayin' Alive!

Well, the time change has succeeded in totally messing up discomboobalating my internal clock. BUT! On the flipside of THAT statement....I do love the extra daylight in the evening. THOUGH, so far, I have been too tired to enjoy it. What's a woman to do? *sigh*


Little Jaylon...pictured in all of his cuteness above...has been sick. To be perfectly honest, he has had diarrhea for almost a week. And with the diarrhea has come a pretty nasty diaper rash but we've gotten that all healed up. AND, Mrs. NB, you'll be pleased to know that the doctor recommended a mixture of Milk of Magnesia and Aquafor. He had a pretty high fever for a couple of days but that has gone away, thankfully. The doctor said the diarrhea could last 7-10 days, so we are just praying that it goes away soon. He is still eating and drinking normally, so that is good, but he has been a bit grumpy and fussy and hard to get along with. (Please don't tell me that THAT is going to last! Oh my!).

The SUN (that obscure yellow orb that rises in the east and sets in the west) is supposed to shine the rest of the week until Saturday when we are supposed to be visited by some passing wintry mix (I'm not even going to mention that 4-letter wintry word) that is not supposed to stick or stay around.

My niece, Bethany, gave birth to a beautiful little baby girl a week and a half ago. Here is a gorgeous picture of Bethany and her little Hayley:

And here is a picture of her little son, Nathen, with his little sister:

Isn't that just adorable? :-)

Well, I am going to post this and go fix Ed and little Jaylon some breakast. Jaylon loves his eggies and toast in the morning.

Oh, and yes, I am a bit late in getting breakfast this morning BECAUSE I woke up at three o'clock this morning and lay there kind of fretting about some things, couldn't go back to sleep and, consequently, did not get much sleep last night. So, when Jaylon went back to sleep this morning, I crawled back into bed and slept until 9:15. Now I am ready to greet the day!!!!! :-) AND fix breakfast! AND later today, I am wanting to fix spaghetti and meatballs. I have had a craving for them for some wierd reason and I've never made homemade meatballs but I have found an easy recipe, so I am going to attempt it! I'll post a picture!!!

Wednesday Random Dozen in the nick of time!

Hellur. I'm beat. Jaylon has been sick today with a fever, diarhea *sp*, and just not feeling good. We took him to the doctor and it's either teething, 24-hour virus, or possibly C-diff, for which he is being tested. I think it is just a combination of teething and virus. Poor little guy. Today is the first day, in a loooooong time, that I can remember in which we didn't read his "bookies". Poor little thing. But we did cuddle alot as he just didn't feel good at all. Hopefully, prayerfully, tomorrow he will be much better!
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Needless to say, I'm more than a bit weary tonight BUT I press on......to do my random dozen! (Because I know you look forward to it, Bethany! *smile* Love ya!!)

1. How old is the oldest pair of shoes in your closet?
Hmmmm......about 4 years old, if my memory serves me correctly. I cleaned my shoes out awhile back and got rid of the ones I no longer wore.

2. Did you buy Girl Scout cookies this year? If so, what variety?

No, but my DH did. He is such an easy mark. He bought the chocolate/peanut butter ones. AND he had just told me, this past Saturday as we were going into Walmart where some girl scouts were selling their cookies outside, that he would not pay that kind of price for those cookies. uh-huh. right. :-)

3. Do you know how to ballroom dance? If not, would you like to?
No and no. I'm too tired to even think about it. Oh, and did I mention that I don't have the time, either? *grin*

4. Were you a responsible child/teenager?

Well, I made my bed AND my brother's bed every morning before I went to school. I helped with the dishes every night after supper. I did my share of the ironing every week. I helped dad in the garden when no one else would. I mowed my share of the grass every week.....just to name a FEW of the responsibilities I had while growing up.

Yes, I believe I was a responsible child/teenager. :-)

5. How many of this year's Oscar-nominated movies did you see?
Blindside and it was sooo good!

6. If you're going to have a medical procedure done, such as having blood drawn, is it easier for you to watch someone else having the procedure done or have it done yourself?

Either one is okay.

7. What is your favorite day of the week and why?

Friday because it is the last day of the work week AND I get every other Friday off. AND the next day is Saturday which really is a day off. :-)

8. Do you miss anyone right now?
Does my bed count? *yawn*

9. Do hospitals make you queasy?
No, should they? I thought that is where you are supposed to go if you ARE feeling queasy for an inordinately long amount of time?

10. At which store would you like to max-out your credit card. Not that you ever would, you responsible person, you.

Hmmm.....this is kind of tough, seeing as how I don't like to shop. It would have to be a store that has everything and a great selection. Before it went out of business, I would have said Value City in Lancaster. Now, I have no idea. Any suggestions? :-)

11. Are you true to the brand names of products/items?
Just certain ones. Tresemme' 2 hairspray. Dortios. Dawn dish detergent.

I'm always willing to try an off brand or house brand of something, except for the above named items of which I am sure there are others that I am just too tired to remember.

12. Which is more difficult: looking into someone’s eyes when you are telling someone how you feel, or looking into someone’s eyes when he/she is telling you how he/she feels?

I don't have a problem or difficulty doing either.

Where do I begin?

Okayyyyy.....here we go!

Last Thursday, my two sisters, two sisters-in-law, three nieces, great nephew, grandson, son and a partridge in a....no, wait a minute....I got side-tracked there.

Ahem....anywayyy.....a bunch of us, excluding the partridge, went to Scrambler Marie's in Lancaster for lunch!

All of us women-folk get together for eachother's birthdays but we don't have a birthday to celebrate between November and May, soooo I came up with the idea of having lunch halfway in the middle.....not EXACTLY, to-the-day in the middle, but you get the idea!

PLUS, my niece, Bethany, was scheduled to give birth.....isn't it amazing that they SCHEDULE births now?......to her baby girl (AND they KNOW what they are having in advance! Amazing!)Tuesday, so we wanted to get together before that wonderful event and wish Bethany and little Hayley well!

I had the most amazingly, delicious hamburger that I have EVER had! It was a Portabello Angus Burger on a pretzel bun. Oh. my. word. I was a little concerned about the pretzel bun, thinking it might be hard and crusty but it was soft, warm and wonderful! :-)

As we were preparing to eat, my sister Bev asked Daniel to pray. I thought he would pray his customary quick-prayer-before-we-eat-prayer. You know the prayer. :-) BUT this young man prayed the most beautiful prayer over our food and our gathering together. Tears came to my eyes as I listened to this young man ask the Lord to bless our food, our time together, and those who had gathered around the table.

It was one of those moments, that as a mother, I will always cherish. :-) Thank you, Lord Jesus, for moments like these.
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I won!!! I really won!!!!

I could hardly believe it! But I have the proof!!! :-)
Angie at Angie's Ad Lib had a spring give-a-way at her blog and I won!!!! Below is a picture of what I won and it arrived yesterday!!!

I'll be sure and take a picture of my dining table once I get it all decorated! :-)
The lovely spring colors just lifted my spirits so!! :-)Thanks so much, Angie!

AND Angie is hosting another give-a-way at her food blog which you can find HERE but hurry because the entry time ends tomorrow night, Sunday, March 7 at 9pm!
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And finally.......here is the newest addition to our extended family! Little Hayley Elizabeth Yerian, daughter of Drew and Bethany Yerian and sister to little Nathen, who loves his little sister bunches! Bethany told me that little Nathen has been sleeping with a picture of Hayley! Awww! AND they have some of the sweetest pictures of Nathen holding little Hayley! I'll try to get one posted soon!
She was born this past Thursday morning and weighed 7lbs.11oz. and was 19 1/2 inches long. She is so gorgeous! I have been feverishly crocheting a little blanket for her and I have it almost finished! I'll post a picture when it is completed!

I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful weather and much-longed-for sunshine!!! :-) Have a great weekend!!!

Wednesday's Random Dozen! :-)

With just 1 hour and 15 minutes left in the day, I am finally posting my Random Dozen for Wednesday, March 3! :-)

If you would like to join in the fun just click over to 2nd Cup of Coffee, Linda's blog!

1. Do you prefer even or odd numbers? Any particular reason?
Well, "8 " is my favorite number because it is my birthdate, so I will say even numbers, though if we didn't have the odd numbers, we wouldn't have the even numbers, but I do like for things to be even, so I'm sticking with my first answer! Even!!! :-)

2. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being "not at all" and 10 being Carly Simon-worthy, how vain are you?

Hmmm......well, I do like to look nice, BUT I don't think that means I am being vain because I believe the Lord wants me to look nice, too. Soooooo, I'm giving myself a 4-5.

3. Among these Irish stereotypes, with which do you identify most closely? Talkative, Proud, Inquisitive, Love to party, Hot-tempered

I would be of the talkative-inquisitive bent, though I do have my quiet times. And by inquisitive, I don't mean nosey. I'm just so curious about so many things.

4. How lucky do you consider yourself?

Well, I don't believe in luck. I believe in the blessings, provision and care of the Lord for His children and that includes ME! :-)

5. What is the subject of your favorite post that you've written?
Me and my two wonderful sisters! :-) Three Sisters and a Tracker

6. Describe March weather where you live in three words.
Take your pick! :-) (We have it all in Ohio!)

7. How apt are you at detecting blarney when you hear it? (Smooth talk, flattery)

At this stage of the game (life at 58), I can pretty well tell a smooth-talker when I hear one! :-)

8. How "green" are you, environmentally speaking?

We recycle and use our utilities moderately.

9. What is your favorite song this week?

"Better Is One Day In Your Courts" By Indiana Bible College Chorale

10. You are walking along and see a coin on the ground. What denomination does it have to be before you will stop to pick it up?

A Penny.

11. Complete the sentence: "Every time I look outside my window ...."

".....I see snow."

12. What was the #1 song on the day you were born? See this site to find out.

Cold, Cold Heart by Tony Bennett

I've never heard of this song but my DH knew it and sang the entire thing to me! :-) He said he knew it as being sung by a C&W singer, though.

And that's all I have to say about that! :-)
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Angie at Angie's Ad Lib is having a Spring Blogiversary giveaway in celebration of her one-year blogging anniversary! You can enter here if you become a follower of her blog and leave a comment! Angie blogs her thoughts about life, her family and whatever else strikes her fancy. To me, her blog is a breath of fresh air! :-)

Angie is a mom to 4 great kids and has been married for 21 years! She also has a food blog at Angie's Home Cooking!
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I think I am in denial about my love of pink. I have been pondering this ever since I answered Question 12 of THIS Random Dozen. I said that of red and pink that red is my favorite color but I do like pink....ALOT! But when I go into a clothing store, I am just naturally drawn to red, THOUGHHHHHH now that I really think about it, I do have a really pretty spring jacket that is a print and primarily pink with "sequels' on it. I walked into Catherine's that day and there was that jacket just hanging there all sequelly and all, just begging me to buy it and I did!!! Only because it was on sale and I had a $10 off coupon AND I signed up for a charge card and got more off!
And I always get alot of compliments when I wear pink. Our den is done in Ohio State red and gray, while our bedroom is decorated in rose, country green, deep burgundy and shades of pink.
Soooooo, my conclusion is that I like them both about the same! :-)
BUT I have to say that red just edges out pink a tad because it always reminds me of the precious blood of Jesus that He shed for me and what a difference He has made in my life! :-)
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Jaylon loves his little books. :-) I must read his books to him at least two times a day but on Wednesday, I know that I read some of his books to him 7 times, especially his "Spot Goes to the Beach" book. And he loves his "Our Big, Big God" book.
AND I discovered that he thinks I should read to him whenever I sit down in the living room. :-) It is so cute!
I'll admit that none of his books are very long or involved but once in awhile, I just don't feel like reading another book,k?
Sooooo, Ed said he would read to him yesterday morning while I fixed breakfast and it was soooo cute listening to them. Ed changed words and skipped pages :-0 and it didn't make any difference to Jaylon. :-)
I told Daniel and Erin that by the time Jaylon is really talking he should be able to read these books to me frontwards and backwards! :-) Oh, here is a picture of him wearing his little bookbag that we keep his "bookies" in:

AND he calls his little books "ooks" and he says it really quietly but loud enough that you can hear him. It is soooooooo adorable! :-)
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Well, I am going to and work on the afghan that I am making for my niece Bethany's little baby girl Hayley, that she is due to have on March 4th! It will be the first little girl in my sister Bev's family. They have four beautiful boys and are so excited about little Hayley, as we all are!! :-)

Stay warm, everyone, and I hope the snow is not causing too much of a hardship for you.
Joyce, at From This Side of the Pond has some great pictures of the snow where she lives in New Jersey.

Wednesday! Time for Random Dozen!

Happy Wednesday to everyone! If you would like to join in the fun of Random Dozen, click on over to Linda's blog and have at it! You'll meet alot of really great people and have fun getting to know them and letting us learn more about you! You'll probably even learn more about yourself, too....Egads! :-)
As a sidenote: It's snowing! Again! Egads!

1. Have you ever fired a gun or shot a bow and arrow?
Would you believe that the only time I've EVER shot a gun was one time when Ohio State beat Michigan in their yearly football rivalry? I just couldn't help myself! I was so wound up and excited that I asked Ed to get the gun (I don't know if it was a rifle or a shotgun :-/), we went out on the backporch, he helped me put the gun to my shoulder and POW! We about laughed ourselves silly! Gosh, but that sounds so "Hillbillyish", doesn't it? LOL

I really should take a gun course, just in case.......of what, I'm not sure, but, hey, you can't be too careful.

2. Do you know where your childhood best friends are?

Hmmmm.......My gradeschool best friend lives here locally and my junior high/high school best friend lives just down the road from me!

3. Do you usually arrive early, late, or on time?

If I'm going with my husband, I am on time and usually early. If I'm going by myself, I'm usually late. :-/ It's a hard habit to break. (Isn't that a song?)

4. Are you more of a New York or California type?
Now, this is a tough one. I've never been to California but I do think I would love the warmth, ocean, beaches, and sunshine. The wildfires, earthquakes and mudslides? Not so much.

New York? I've been there three times and loved it more each time! BUT I would not want to live there permanently. It's a great place to visit, though! Soooo, I would have to say New York!

5. Do you have a special ring tone?
Yes, LOUD. That about does it. :-)

6. What is your favorite type of chip?
Regular Doritos. Oh.my. May we have a moment of silence please? *sigh* Love 'em, love 'em, love 'em!!!

7. Best comedy you've ever seen is ....

Liar, Liar with Jim Carey.

Years ago, when it was being advertised, Daniel (our son) and I KNEW it would be hilarious BUT we also knew that we wouldn't be watching it unless it came on TV. Eventually, it did, and while it was still pretty racey, it was and still is THE funniest movie I have ever seen! IMHO. :-)

8. Have you ever cut your own hair? To quote Dr. Phil, "How'd that work for ya?"
I cut my bangs when I was in jr. high/ high school and it seemed I ALWAYS got them too short and then couldn't wait for them to grow out a little.

My dear husband has always said that the difference between a bad haircut and a good haircut is about 2-4 weeks! :-)

9. If you were going to have an extreme makeover, would you rather it be about your house or your personal self?

Oh, definitely my house. As I get older, I'm lest apt to dig in and change much here at home, though I would love to have many things changed. I'd just like someone else to do it! :-)

10. Are you allergic to anything?

Dusting. Not dust, per se, but the act of dusting. :-)

Besides that, I'm not allergic to anything. Nada. Amazing, hm? :-)

11. Why is it so hard to change?

Because, whether they are good habits or bad, we find comfort in them. They become our version of "normal" in this life. BUT, I can tell you of a surety, after surrendering my life to the Lord many years ago, that with His help, it is possible to change ANY habit.

12. One last question dedicated to February love: CS Lewis said, "To love is to be vulnerable." Please share one example of that assertion or share any thought you'd like to about this topic.

Gosh, but I feel like I've had to do ALOT of thinking in this Random Dozen. My brain is hurting. :-)

I've been the most vulnerable in my marriage and it has been worth it. I am married to this amazing man who knows everything about me and loves me anyway!

Also, I have a very small group of friends that I've been able to share myself with and I know, without a doubt, that they love me just as I am. I am blessed.

Monday Randomness

Good heavens, my mind is a muddled mess as I try to remember what I've done the past few days, when I did it, with whom, where. It doesn't help that I am so tired after a full day of taking care of and playing with little Jaylon. Have I said that I'm fairly sure that he's getting his 10,000 steps in a day? *huff...puff...huff...puff* (that's me tryin' to keep up with him). :-) Below is a picture of him in all of his cuteness! *sigh* :-)

I'm not sure what day it was exactly....hmmm, perhaps it was Thursday? Anywayyy, I baked cream cheese cookies because I absolutely love them, as does Ed, Daniel, Jaylon, Erin...well, you get the picture, hm?! :-)


I've shared the recipe before but, oh well, I 'll share it again, k?! :-)

CREAM CHEESE COOKIES

1 BOX OF YELLOW CAKE MIX
1 8oz. PACKAGE OF CREAM CHEESE
1 EGG
1/4 CUP OF MELTED BUTTER
1 TSP. OF VANILLA

EMPTY THE CAKE MIX INTO A MIXING BOWL.
SOFTEN THE CREAM CHEESE IN THE MICROWAVE.
BEAT THE EGG AND ADD TO THE CAKE MIX.
ADD THE SOFTENED CREAM CHEESE, MELTED BUTTER AND VANILLA.
MIX THESE INGREDIENTS TOGETHER THOROUGHLY.
THE DOUGH WILL BE PRETTY STIFF.
YOU CAN DROP THE DOUGH ONTO A GREASED COOKIE
SHEET BY THE TEASPOON OR MAKE OUT
LITTLE PATTIES ABOUT THE SIZE OF A
FIFTY-CENT PIECE. BAKE AT 350 DEGREES
FOR 10 MINUTES OR UNTIL LIGHTLY
BROWNED ON THE BOTTOM. DON'T OVERBAKE.
THESE ARE SO EASY AND SO DELICIOUS!
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The hubs and I went into Walmart the day AFTER Valentines Day, which was our anniversary, where they had all of the candy drastically reduced! Yayyy!! We purchased a bag of Valentine M&M's Peanuts and a bag of Valentine miniature Reese Cups. They were only $1.37 a bag! Talk about a bargain! This is what was left two days later:

Ed still has some Reese's left, but my M&M's are all gone! :-)

You know, after writing all of that above, I've just realized that I've really been eating ALOT of sweet stuff lately and I've always said that I'm not a sweet tooth. Am I changing in my older age? Hmmmm......
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On Friday evening, Ed and I went to Jack's Steak House for dinner. It was wonderful! I had been wanting a good steak for some time and this did not disappoint!
Ed was not hungry, to be quite honest, but I was, so he had a bowl of vegetable soup while I hogged out on had a 16oz. sirloin with home fries, salad and roll. Of course, I did bring some home as I wasn't able to eat it all.
I find it so enjoyable to go somewhere nice to eat, relax, take our time, have some mellow conversation and allow someone else to wait on me for a change.
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Saturday morning, my friend, Laura, and I got together at church and worked on a few songs that we were both wanting to learn. We always have such a wonderful time together. She is such a blessing to me and I truly thank the Lord for bringing her into my life.
Afterward, I went to Walmart, where I purchased yarn for an afghan that I am making for my newest great-niece who is scheduled to arrive on March 4th! :-)
Then it was on to the library where I spent a goodly amount of time browsing through the books, magazines and newspapers. I could spend an entire day in the library! I could! It is one of my very favorite places to go, next to church!!! :-)
Later, Ed and I went to a birthday party for my great-nephew. Since we were in Lancaster, we decided to do some shopping later which resulted in us getting home a little later than we planned.

Ed said that I set a new record for going to sleep quickly that evening. I mean, I laid my head on my pillow and that was it. Out. Oh, but I am so thankful that I can go to sleep so easily and that I sleep so well. I know quite a few people who have difficulty going to sleep AND sleeping. It truly is a blessing to not have that trouble.

Now, I am not one to lay in bed and sleep late. I am almost always up by 6am, even on the weekends but that is because I go to bed early, meaning I am usually in bed by 9:30. Well, except for tonight because I am determined to get this posted! :-)

Soooo, having said THAT, I am taking myself off to beddy bye! :-) I hope your week is off to a good start and that you have good days ahead of you this week!

Oh, and my friend, Deb, informed me that this is Random Acts of Kindness Week! So get out there and celebrate!! :-)