Christmas Happenings!

We have had a busy month , just like most of you.
I never got around to sharing my Christmas decorations so I thought that I would now.
My girls wanted to make gingerbread houses with their friends
so we bought a kit from Wal-mart that had 5 houses in it.

They had several friends over and had a really good time.
I think there was even an icing fight involved
but that is another story....

We didn't know what to do with them so I decided to use them on my mantle

I got the really cute snowflakes from Dollar tree and they fit perfect.
The candlesticks were gifts from years past.

I also got an idea fro my dining room table from blogland.
I used a real deer antler from My dad.
When I went home this year to visit I found about 40 in his old garage.
And I got all the pine cones at my moms last year

We put our tree in our setting room.
It was nice to have it in there but missed having the glow of lights
while we watched TV at night.

Merry Christmas from our House to Yours!

Many Blessings for a wonderful year ahead
Dusty, Debbie, Darci, DeAnn and Denae

Merry Christmas

Door Decorations up!
Outside lights up
Now it can start snowing because we are ready!

Cranberry Bog Pie

Cranberry Bog Pie

1- 9" pie crust (homemade or store bought)

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups cranberries

1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional )

In uncooked pie crust, put cranberries, sugar and walnuts.

Prepare batter as follows:

3/4 cup butter, softened

2 beaten eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup sugar

Cream together butter and sugar. Add eggs and flour. Spread over cranberries.

Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.

Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream.


This recipe came from Christy at Between Here and Home
I made it yesterday for a youth auction and had so many
requests for the recipe that I thought I would put it here.
I did use the walnuts and it was perfect.
A Perfect Holiday Pie!

Carmel Apple Cake

This weeks Club Baked recipe was a hit at my house.
Carmel Apple Cake
chosen by Melissa at LuLu the Baker.
This cake was moist, and light.
I knew it was going to be perfect when i had my daughter test the batter
before it was baked
she looked me straight in the eye and said
"Your the best Mother "
I was smiling.
I cut this recipe in half and only made two layers instead of the three.
This recipe called for 2 cups of apple sauce in the batter.
The icing was a bit runny but was delicious.
This cake was perfect for fall!

Tools....

These are some of my tools.
Tools that I use to read my Bible.
My glasses...they help with the tiny print,
the markers and pens and study questions... they help keep me focused
and I am able to record what the Lord teaches me.

I have several opportunities each week to stay in the study of God's word.

1. Bible Study Fellowship
We meet every Tuesday for 2 hours at a local church in Indianapolis.
We have serious homework. If you don't do it , you can't talk, that is serious because i could never go anywhere that I couldn't talk.
This year we are studying Acts.
I have taken Pauline Epistles in College and studied Acts several times but I am learning something new every week as well I am learning from the 12 ladies in my small group.

2. Women's bible Study at church
Every Wednesday night from 6-7:30?
We are working through the book
"Faithful, Abundant, and True"
This is a video series with Kay Arthur, Priscilla Shearer, and Beth Moore.
It has blessed our socks off.

3. Mom's In Touch
Every other week I get together with another mom from My girls school
and we pray scripture over our kids.
We pray for their teachers, the school and for Mom's in Touch to grow in our area.

I am so grateful that I get these opportunities.
I want to
" Do my best to present myself to God as one approved,
A workmen who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly
handles the word of truth"
2 Timothy 2:15

A fun Find

I love Fabric!
I found this fabric at a garage sale last week and loved it immediately.
The lady had made drapes for her office and had just moved and
didn't need both panels, I knew that would fit perfectly in this room

This room is the first room you see in our house and the most sparse room in the house.
We had a desk in there and then got rid of it, and now all it has is a piano, a recliner and a standing lamp.
My husband would love to leave it that way but I have other plans.

I love these new Waverly drapes !

added... I went to Joann's fabric and found this fabric, special order $36 a yard.
It was a huge Score!

Senior Night

My daughter is a Senior in High School this year!

Friday night was Senior night and we got to walk across the football field

as they had band recognition night before the foot ball game.

She plays the flute in Marching band,

the bassoon and flute in Concert band,

and the keyboard during drum line.

We are so proud of her

We love you

Darci Joy!

Red Carpet Day!

How fun that our Orthodontist lays out the red carpet when you
get your braces off
And
Today
is Deann's day!

After two years of braces....they are off.
You are beautiful!

Lose It

No, I have not lost anything , yet!

But over the past year I have gained 10-12 pounds
that I don't particularly care for.

So I have been trying to think of ways to lose weight.

I had thought about joining weight watchers but was really not ready to pay for it. I was reading a blog yesterday and found a site called "Lose It". It helps you track what you eat and how much exercise you need to lose weight. So I am checking it out. It's free and can't hurt anything....oh...except all those delicious desserts I have been making.
Check it out
Lose It

EveryDay Blessings

This has been a busy month. I can't complain because I am so blessed.
This blog was started to chronicle my Everyday Blessings
and I am grateful to God every day at how he continues to
bless and encourage me.
I am so blessed to be a mom, to three beautiful, healthy and very different girls.
I am so blessed to have a wonderful husband that continues to love me unconditionally.
I am so blessed to be in such a wonderful church that is full of people that
want to serve the Lord and who challenge me as iron sharpening iron.
I am so blessed to be a part time nurse
and that I get to be a housewife and be at home to do those house wife,mother, and woman jobs.
This is a small part of my past month.

I have been spending a lot of time watching Darci and DeAnn play in the marching band
and with helping host two important band events at their school.

It has been fun to watch Denae LOVE being a cheerleader.
She is on the freshmen team but for homecoming they let her cheer with the varsity team.
It has also been a sad month as Denae
had a 15 year old cheer friend, Kaitlyn that died in her sleep from a blood clot.
Wow! What an eye opener for all her sweet friends.
Denae has wept many tear over this sweet girl.

We are so blessed to be in a church that allows the youth to lead worship
and the entire service once a year.
Darci plays the baby grand and leads the worship team and my other two sing.
DeAnn gave the message and Denae said scripture.
I was so happy!
More than anything to have my girls LOVE the Lord and their local church.

We also had the opportunity to dog set for 2 weeks with Shadow.
Dusty's parents went on a two week cruise and they left her with us.
My girls want a dog so bad but 2 weeks was enough for all of
us to know that we are too busy to care for a dog.
She was fun but we were glad when she went home.

I have still been cooking.
This was the Boston Cream Pie from the book Club Baked.
I was so busy I didn't have time to post but it was delicious!
No calories involved!:)

I have loved watching my flower bed and garden grow.
It brings me so much pleasure.

And now I have put out some of my fall decorations.

We have entertained several people this month.
Dusty's parents were here twice, which we thoroughly enjoyed.
We had a triangle dinner with 14 people,
and a couple of friends
Dave and Phyllis Bennett came and spent the night.
It was so fun to have them here.
I want my home to be a place of calm, and refuge
not only for my family but for all those who
come to visit.
I want them to know that they matter more than anything
I am blessed to have.

So that is what has been going on around here for the past month.
I am hoping to get more regular with my blog.
I started this blog for fun
and I am going to continue to post about the
Every Day Blessings of the Five Dees!

New Bed Pillows

I found this darling fabric at Calico Corner. It was rather expensive but they were having a 20% off sale, so I got a yard each and made a few pillows for my bed. I'm still working on that and driving my husband crazy. I got this new cream quilt and pillows but then what to put with it and Yes, I miss my comforter.

Club Baked...Sunday Cake

As some of you know

I have been baking my way through the Sweet Melissa Baking Book for the past couple of year,

well that group ended. So I am joining a great group of bakers as

we bake through " Baked Explorations"

This book is written by a couple of guys, Matt Lewis and Renato Poliafito!

These two young men opened their first bakery in Brooklyn and now have a second bakery in Charleston, South Carolina.

This book is a nod to Classic American dishes from across the country.

this weeks expedition was

"Sunday Cake"

chosen by

Julie of Littlebitofeverything.blogspot.com

As you can see , this cake was covered with a very chocolate, pudding like icing.

It was very rich.

The filling had cinnamon and was just the perfect amount of flavor.

A small piece was all that was necessary but it was delicious!

Vacation Condo in Florida

This was the view from our window. It overlooked the bay and a golf course.

It was so quiet and relaxing.

Everything was blue and yellow.

Very Nautical with some Toile thrown in

Our room was so relaxing and overlooked the bay.

The girls room was red , blue and yellow and I loved it.

We had a great place to stay and enjoy our week.

It was very comfortable.

Vacation

We are hanging out at the beach again this week with our girls. This is the 2nd time we have made a trip to Destin, Florida. A fun week!

We saw so many cute sundresses while we were here

that we thought we would wear them to go shopping. It was fun!

Happy Weekend

I love this porch!

Happy 4th of July

I Plan to spend a lot of time relaxing this week

Blessings

My Garden...

At the very end of my flower bed I put a small garden and it is growing!
I am so excited.
It's nothing fancy, we found some scrap lumber that the previous owners left
and made a small raised bed.
The ground is all clay so all winter I added coffee grounds,egg shells, bananas and leaves anything that would compost. This summer I added several bags of topsoil, peat moss, manure and miracle grow. Anything to help the soil out.

I have tomatoes, lettuce, squash and cucumbers

My squash will be ready in a week or so.

We have already had lettuce.... wilted lettuce.
You know the kind with bacon and onions and apple cider vinegar and bacon drippings!
YUM

Unlike the more southern part of the country, we have had lots of rain and it is blooming.
My flowers and shrubs are thriving!
I am so grateful!