January Happenings!

It's cold here in North Carolina. Like 18 degrees. For some of you, that's not cold at all! But for us, it's C O L D ! We had a little snow last night. Like an inch. The anticipation of the snow is what's exciting. The news goes crazy and the stores are packed! Schools close and the kids try to build snowmen out of that little inch of snow. I made snow cream for breakfast. I learned last year that not everyone knows what snow cream is. Really???? I grew up eating it. My mom mixed snow, vanilla flavoring, sugar and milk and made it like a soft ice cream consistency! So, I scooped up some snow this morning and ate it for breakfast! I put some in the freezer for later! I am not a cold weather person so I'm trying to make the best of this weather. How many days until spring?

I love wearing an apron in the kitchen! It keeps my clothes clean and when the grands are over it's so easy to wipe their hands on it. I can pick them up with dirty hands and faces without them rubbing food all over me! Plus, there are some really really cute aprons now and I love how adorable some of the patterns are! Last week my mom brought me one of her vintage aprons. I love it! 

I bought some lanterns for my fireplace mantel at Ikea for a STEAL!! I decided I wanted to use battery operated candles in them so I would have the glow at night without having to worry about remembering to blow the candles out. I researched them and quickly realized that the *Luminara* brand has the most natural looking candles. I found them in a local retail store and for the height I needed, they were $70.00 each. $140.00 plus tax for two candles...Nope! So, I bought them at Bed Bath and Beyond. The brand is *Candle Impressions* and I am impressed! They were about $23.00 each and are programmable. They come on in the evenings about 5:00 and go off five hours later. 

(The little box to the left of the lantern is a Jawbone Jambox Wireless Blue Tooth Speaker. Hubs gave it to me for Christmas and I love it! It plays music off your phone or computer or tablet and sounds great all throughout the room!)

One more thing, a friend shared her hot chocolate recipe on Instagram this week! It sounded so good….. I decided to make it! I brought the mix to work with me today to share and can't wait to see what the guys all think about it! I am not a hot chocolate drinker. It's not that I don't like it, I usually just drink coffee or Diet Coke. I think I will try it today too though to see if it's as good as it sounds!  Here is the recipe!

World's Best Hot Chocolate

Mix:

8 oz. semi-sweet chocolate (I use mini-chocolate chips)

2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Store mix in an airtight container.

For 4 servings:

2/3 cup cocoa mix

1/4 cup water

4 cups milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

In a large pan on low heat, stir cocoa mix and water until melted.Add milk and beat with whisk until smooth. Heat on low until hot. Add vanilla. Serve.

*For a single serving, add 2 heaping tablespoons of mix in the bottom of a mug. Pour 1/8 cup boiling water (don't measure –just add enough to cover the chocolate) and stir until the chocolate melts. Add milk to the top of your mug and add a splash of vanilla. Microwave until heated.

Have a great week! Bundle up and try to stay warm! It's only 50 days until spring! My buttercups have already peeked through the ground!! :)

My Grands

Age 6

Age 4

Age 8 weeks

Age 3

Age 9 months

Age 9 months

Age 2

above pics by : Jenny Lynn Photography

Age 2

last two pictures by Pam and Kaitlin Bonney

Why Workout?

This morning while working out I thought 

*WHY on earth do I do this every week day morning at 5:00???*

 I was reminded of something I just read:

So.......I hopped on the treadmill and then rode the bicycle and tried to be thankful that I was blessed to be
 ABLE!!
 We can't take our health for granted. Every day is a gift!

*In EVERYTHING give thanks, for this is the will of God.*

1 Thessalonians 5:18

Journals For The Babies

I blog because I love to write. I love the written word. I am not a writer, but I love keeping a record of things. When my children were growing up life was at a little slower pace. I was diligent about their baby books and about keeping a journal of their day to day activities. My grown kids...not so much. Their lives are all so busy. Life is a little different now. Everything is texts and digital. Don't get me wrong, I love technology too! BUT, I want my grands to see their lives in pictures and in words..... And in the handwriting of those who love them. My baby sister had me hand-write a recipe at Christmas. She wants to make a book of them for her daughters. I appreciate that....and I'm old school like that too, I guess! One of my most prized possessions is a recipe written on a scrap of paper that my oldest sister left in her recipe box before her death. It is framed in my kitchen.....given lovingly to me by her daughters! All that to say, I bought these journals at Michael's Crafts before Christmas. They have the initial of each grandchild's first name on the front. (I think they were $1.50 each.) It is my desire to write cute/funny/smart/interesting things about them occasionally. Either things their parents tell me, or things I observe myself. One day when they have their own children, I hope they will love looking back on the things they said and did. Just a small way to satisfy my love of writing and my love for them!

I'm In A Magazine...............WHAT??????????????

I know I know!!! WHAT????????????? Let's backtrack a little! Last fall my friend, Sibi, from Pearls and Grace, contacted me about a photo shoot that involved grandparents. Long story short, they picked me and poppy! WHAT?????????????????????? Ok, clearly we aren't model material, but we ARE grandparents so this tugged at our/my heart strings! The photo shoot was within 40 minutes of our home, so off we went. We didn't have a CLUE what we were getting into!

(photo by Ryan Ray)

Yall, I knew about Southern Weddings Magazine before the photo shoot....I had drooled over page after page of Volume 5! (This was Vol. VI that I was in). But I had no idea what went on behind the scenes! Lara Casey is the editor of this magazine and she is the kind of person that makes a Nonny feel like a model. She clearly loves what she does and has an amazing group of ladies on her team! (They have now partnered with Southern Living Magazine and will have an insert each month of weddings from their SW Magazine!)

Ok Ok............... here are the pictures. I had so much fun and a friend gave me the idea to buy a copy of the magazine for each of my grandgirls. I will save it for them and give to each of them when they get engaged. They can see how fashions and ideas have changed...or, how they have come full circle!

(These pics were taken with my iphone of the magazine pages. 

Clearly they do not do the photos justice! The amazing photographer was KT Merry!)

So, there you have it. My magazine debut! It was so fun and I learned a lot about how hard these ladies work! (Lara gives our Lord Jesus credit for the blessing of this magazine!) Southern Weddings comes out one time a year...in the fall. It stays on the newstands until March. However, if you can't find it locally, you can order a copy from Southern Weddings website!

Thanks Lara Casey and your team for making this Nonny feel like a model for a day!

And Grand # 9 Is………….

We are so excited to share grand # 9 is…..

Jenny's Blog

(click above link)

It's Game Time!

If you live anywhere close to North Carolina, you have to know its game time! The Panthers play this weekend and all is abuzz with black and blue!

Cheering for The Panthers!

TBT (Throw Back Thursday)

1983

ages 2.5, 3.5 and 5

2014

I love to read...love it! But since grandchildren and facebook and blogs, I have put reading on the back shelf. I miss it. So, I am making a list of books that I'd like to read in 2014. Some of the books are real life stories. Some are fiction. I probably will check most of them out from the library, but, I am reading one now on my IPad. I much prefer turning the pages of a book and I LOVE a library! Here are some of the books I want to read. Do you have a favorite you want to add to my list? I would love to hear what you are reading or plan to read. I often get my book ideas from YOU, my readers!

• The Wednesday Letters by: Jason Wright
• What Alice Forgot by: Liane Moriarty
• Rena's Promise:Two Sisters in Auschwitz
• Coming Home by: Karen Kingsbury (reading now)
• Unbroken by: Laura Hillenbrand
• Killing Jesus by: Bill O'Reilly

There are more books that I would like to read this year and I will add to this list as I think of them! Share some that you just COULD NOT put down!

Christmas 2013 was overwhelming to me. That's not how it's suppose to be. Christmas 2014 will be different. I have a plan. Already. I will order my card envelopes in a few weeks. I have been doing a 5x7 picture card so that's what I'll stick with this year too. I plan to address the cards by the end of March. I know there are a few people who may move and I will order extra envelopes for those few people. I also plan to have all my shopping done and gifts wrapped by December 1. All of it. My people will need to give me their lists in October! I want to have our family picture taken in early November and my cards ready to mail on December 1. I have a few other plans to get ready early that I will share later. I want to spend the month of December the way it should be spent. Loving and caring for others and making Jesus famous.

Hubs has had the flu since last Friday. Yesterday, on Day Five, he started turning the corner! He did not get the flu shot this year. I'll bet he will next year. He had a headache, body aches and 102 temp. for four to five days. Pretty miserable. There are a lot of people in our area with the flu. Not fun.

Soooo, what are YOU up to in 2014 so far?

2013 IN REVIEW

stuff. then and now.

2013

Our oldest son and his wife had twins in April.
That twin thing is AMAZING and so special!
They had these precious babies....a boy and a girl.
They weighed a whopping 7 and a half pounds EACH!

Our daughter gave birth to her third daughter,
Our fourth granddaughter !
I had the incredible experience of being in the delivery room.
Those moments never get old.

our youngest son and his wife announced their pregnancy!

their baby is due the end of may….

and we'll have a whole baseball team!

we are so excited the big boy twins are getting a sibling!

My niece told us at Christmas that she is expecting Baby #2 this summer!

Baby W will have a baby brother or sister this summer!!

Hubs biked 200 miles in one day…11 hours seat time.

I still can't imagine pedaling for 11 hours.

Finish line with friends:

2013 was a good year!

We were surely blessed.


2014

Starting off with a bang this year…..

Hubs has the flu(????)

He hasn't been to the doctor for a diagnosis but his symptoms point to the flu. Body aches, headache and high fever. He did not get a flu shot. He intended to but time slipped by and BAM! (My bet is he'll get one next year!)
 He is on Day Three of feeling real rough!

What do you do with all your gadget cords? I have so many cords and they drive me nuts….they are everywhere. I looked and looked for a way to organize them. I finally found THIS and ordered it. 

I LOVE this! Now I have all my cords in one place. It holds 10 (five on each side) and is perfect! It satisfies my OCD self!


I am thinking about my WORD for 2014.
Last year it was *Intentional*
I tried to be Intentional about things and people.

This year I think my word will be *Listen*.
I want to listen more…and talk less.
When I listen I want to really HEAR and THINK about what people say.
I'm a pretty shallow person and I don't read a lot into what people say. (That can be good and bad.) I don't read between the lines very well because I don't always really LISTEN. I HEAR, I just don't LISTEN. There IS a difference.
This will be a big challenge for me.

I also want to set goals for doing some small things in my house.

I will make a list later and post it here.

Bring it on 2014!