Back at 'cha

This past weekend, Randy was in Hudson's room, and Hudson was being a little cranky about going somewhere later that day.

Randy: "Hudson, you're being ornery (one of Randy's favorite adjectives)."

Hudson: "Well, you're being . . . unreasonable." (crack me up!)

Randy got the giggles and had to walk away.

It was a very merry Christmas!

We had a wonderful Christmas -- God is so good and His blessings are amazing. We spent Christmas Eve in Seymour at Providence Baptist Church and then at the Williams Family Gathering at Cousin Jean's house.

This is Olivia with (2nd) cousin Shelby Williams. She's the daughter of Steve and Kim. I never realized how much they look alike until now!

Hudson with Santa (Jean) Claus.

Once home, we opened the traditional Christmas Eve presents (new PJs!), read the Christmas story out of Luke, and left Santa snacks.

And then it was MORNING . . .

Olivia received a new pair of Heelys, a basketball, the Wii and Super MarioKart. Hudson got the Bat Cave, an Army playset, a football ("that you can kick"), and a 'dog that swims'. Gracious! The stockings were full as well -- for all of us including Nana and Aunt B!

We took a break after Santa to have Christmas brunch -- country ham, biscuits & gravy ('pair food' for all you Bobby Earl fans), sausage balls, potato casserole, fruit, etc. YUM!!

The first present the kids opened after brunch was the BIG one that had been on the hearth for nearly two weeks. It was from GrannyPat and GrandDaddy -- Biscuit the FurReal dog. They were so excited because they had asked Santa for this, but he didn't bring it. Apparently, Santa already had a deal worked out with G'Pat & G'Daddy! I love this dog -- not shedding, no clean up, no vet trips!

Livvy got an iPod (thanks to Daddy!), and Randy got an iPod (thanks to me!).

"Gotta Getta Garmin" - yea! And, a fabulous Coach bag -- Randy did good!

Hudson stayed on the floor in front of the hearth in his Pjs for about a day and a half. We finally made him put on clothes sometime in the afternoon of the 26th! He said it was his 'bestest Christmas ever!'.

The Tree

Well, it's finally time to post pictures from The Living Christmas Tree. What a blessing to be part of this outreach with our church. We absolutely l-o-v-e it! The preparation is fun, the production days are exhausting, and the outcome is amazing -- so many people come to know Christ that it makes you want to do The Tree every week. Well, I might not go that far . . .

The Toy Soldier Brigade! I'm pretty easy to spot with my curls.

Me and Liv (Blind Girl) just before her scene.

Here she is, being healed by Jesus. I'm in the crowd looking quite concerned (ha!) She did so well with both 'acting blind' and singing. So proud of her!

The three little sheperds hanging out backstage: Parker, Hudson and Jack.

Randy has waited 4 years to finally be a Roman Soldier. I'm pretty sure he was just all about the costume! Hudson liked the costume as well and had to bring his armor one night to "play swords with Daddy"!


This is us just before the heaven scene of the final performance. It was so cool to have all four of us in the cast this year and to go to heaven together -- it's an annual family trip, now!

Frosty the Snowman

The quality of this footage isn't the greatest, but it's still worth sharing. Olivia's recorder version of Frosty is precious, and Hudson playing the guitar is hilarious! He's such a 'straight man' and does that role well. This reminds me of the quirky trio that plays on SNL sometimes. Enjoy! (oh, yeah, turn down the volume on my playlist first; it's at the bottom of the blog)

Hudson's Debut

With Olivia usually in the spotlight, it was finally Hudson's turn. His choir sang on November 2nd in the evening service. It was so cute!

Soap Opera

Hudson was coloring at the bar in the kitchen just now with the TV on in the background. A commercial for Days of our Lives came on and it sounded quite sinister. Here's the conversation . . .

H: That show sounds bad. What is it?

Me: It is bad; its called a soap opera.

H: Hmmm. Who likes soap? Not me! Who likes operas? Not me! You're right, mom. It is bad.

"I Am Yours"

The childrens and adult choir sang together a few weeks ago in our morning services. Normally, the children only sing at night, but this was a special service to kick-off our 2009 building fund campaign. Olivia did so well, and we are thankful to God that she is truly His. We know He has a special plan for her, and this performance is just one of many steps along her journey to serve Him.

(be sure to mute the playlist at the bottom of the blog before clicking 'play'!)

Lucy & Charlie Brown

We spent the afternoon having a cookout at Cades Cove with Sarah, Jason and the boys. It was a beautiful fall day, and the kids had so much fun playing around the creek and in the leaves. Olivia and Eli decided to do the old Lucy & Charlie Brown routine. Click 'play' and enjoy!

Oh, that's Hudson giggling at the end!

Basement Update

These pictures were taken about a week ago . . . we're getting closer!! Painting has continued since then; flooring should be in the bedroom and bathroom by the end of this comimg week. Stay tuned!

Halloween Fun

I love it when Halloween falls on a Friday . . . I think we should start a petition to have Halloween always be the last Friday of October. Kind of like how Thanksgiving is always the last Thursday in November. Anyone with me on this?

On Thursday of this week, Hudson had his Halloween party at school. Thanks to Angie for making a practice run of wheat-free sugar cookies last week! His turned out perfect for decorating along with the ones the other children were doing. Thursday night, we made caramel apples and carved pumpkins with Jack -- very fun!

Friday, Olivia had to dress like a literary character for school. She chose -- who else -- Olivia The Pig!! She looked FABULOUS, complete with a snout and a tail. That night, Hudson was a knight (dressed in the "armor of God" he'll tell you) and Olivia was a hula girl. We trick-or-treated with neighbors Sydney (the doctor) and Jack (the pirate). It was a beautiful fall night. Once it got dark, Randy took them to another neighborhood near ours for some spooky fun. We had quite a few 'treaters' this year -- love it!

Like a Handprint on My Heart...

This is one of the best lines from one of my favorite "Wicked" songs ("For Good" - it's in my playlist below if you want to take a listen). Memories like the ones we made on our day-trip to Atlanta to see the play will hopefully stay with me . . . like a handprint on my heart. If you've not seen this show, don't let the title fool you. It's sooooo good.

Thanks to Jason, Valerie, and Mary for making the trip even more fun!! From fussing at the GPS system and playing McD's Monopoly, to dinner at Maggiano's and eating Mary's famous Fairy Drop Cookies (see the recipe in an earlier post!) -- I think we laughed more than we did anything else. Well . . . except eat!

Tight Wad

The kids have discovered how fun it is to run down the hall and plummet onto Hudson's bed. I have asked them to stop, and they've complied. However, tonight I noticed some paint missing from Hudson's wall where his head board and foot board have scraped it -- yep, you guessed it, from the kids doing acrobatics on the bed. They were both in the vicinity when I made the discovery, and I really wanted to make a stern point that this was not acceptable behavior. So I say . . .

Me: Hey, guys -- see this on the wall?
Them: Yeah.
Me: Guess how that happened?
Olivia: Ummm. From when we jumped on Hudson's bed?
Me: Yes. (long pause) If I see either of you jumping on the bed again, you're both in trouble. That means if I see Olivia jumping, then you both will be punished; if I see Hudson jumping, you both will be punished.
Olivia: Why both of us?
Me: Because I don't know which of you started this, but I do know that you tend to do this together as a group activity. No more, or there will be a price to pay.
Hudson: Well, I'm not paying you any of MY money!

I had to look away because I was laughing so hard. The little stinker!!

Baby has the WHAT?

Olivia and Hudson have been taking care of Olivia's baby dolls the last few days. Making serious efforts to feed, nap, dress, and entertain them. It's been rather hilarious. Tonight, Hudson was very worried about one of them. Here's the conversation...

Me: Hudson, it's time to put things away to go to bed.
Hudson: But Momma, one of the babies is sick. I have to give it its medicine.
Olivia: Yeah, it has the "lu".
Me: The what?
Olivia: The "lu". We thought it was the flu, but it didn't have a fever, so it's just the "lu".
Me: So the "f" in "flu" stands for fever?
Olivia: (very matter-of-factly) Yes.

Guess we should all get the "lu" shot as well as the flu shot. Hey, and don't make fun of my boy -- he's just learning to be a good daddy like the one he has!

*** Added on Sunday, 10/26 -- Olivia was reading this post today and asked me . . .
Olivia: What's laryngitis?
Me: It's where you can't talk.
Olivia: We thought "flu" stood for Fever, Laryngitis, and Upset stomach
Me: laughed and added it to this post immediately!

Curiously Similar?

Is it just me, or does Hudson strike a resemblence to Curious George?

Saying of the Day

We went to the Museum of Science and Energy in Oak Ridge today (pic is of the kids on the way there). When entering the room that had a replica of the huge switchboard used at the nuclear facility during the 1940s, Hudson stared at all of the buttons and switches and said loudly, "Well, wouldcha getta load of that?"

Pulled Pork

This is something I fix often -- most anytime we entertain, tailgate, or need to feed a crowd. It's super easy, virtually fool-proof, and it feeds a lot of people for very little expense. Randy likes his with BBQ sauce; I like mine plain or served over baked beans (you already know I'm strange, so this should come at no surprise); the kids like it anyway you throw it at them. It's great on a bun, bun-less, on a tortilla, hot, cold, immediately, left-over, and used in a completely different form later on (makes yummy enchiladas!). Try it. You'll be hooked!

Pulled Pork

- boneless pork picnic shoulder (I can only find them at Wal-Mart so far, Tyson puts them out); any size will do, but the bigger the better
- garlic cloves, peeled (use as many as you want; I usually do 4-6)
- coarse salt, about 1/2 teaspoon
- coarse pepper, same
- 1 cup of liquid (cider vinegar, water, apple juice, or any combination of; I like 1/2 vinegar & 1/2 water)

Remove the strings and plastic pop-up thermometer from the pork; place it in a crock pot. Add the rest of the ingredients; cover and turn the temperature on high. Cook for 6 hours and don't mess with it if you can stand it. At this point, start picking at it with a fork. It will start falling apart, and it will be pink inside. Turn it down to low heat. Continue cooking for at least another hour, and continue picking at it so it will end up shredded. Search out the garlic and make sure it gets broken up into the meat. The liquid will get absorbed the more you stir and pick at it. Enjoy!

Plane Maker

Overheard in Upaji Village this morning while the kids were waiting for parents to pick them up:

Campbell (holding a paper airplane made out of a coloring page): "Does your plane go fast?"

Hudson (holding his paper airplane also made out of a coloring page): "Yes. My dad made it, and he's a brofessional."

Hilarious!!

SoKno Gets the Shaft

I like South Knoxville. I have no problem living here. But, I do have a problem. It's so unfortunate that retailers don't realize that people actually live here and need to buy things. Real things. Not just things that will do or that are second best. Why, for example, do we have 3 Sonics within a 10-mile stretch of Chapmay Highway, BUT we have to drive 20 minutes to a Target? I love Sonic, but that just doesn't make sense. Anyway . . .

This soap box got a little higher today.

Olivia had a birthday party to attend in way-west Knoxville, so I decide to spend that time grocery shopping. I dropped her off then I found a new Kroger just a few minutes from party central. Granted, this is a newer part of town and I know there's going to be bigger and better stuff out there, but OH MY GOODNESS!! I walked in, and this place was a foodie's theme park. There was the usual Starbucks (I'm used to this; everyone has a SB except SoKno grocery stores), but also a real-live jewlery store and a FURNITURE department. Furniture! At Kroger! Don't get me started about the 'normal' food areas -- there was produce I have never ever seen before. Sea beans (see picture)? Miniature African pineapple? What do people do with these things?

I only got through about a third of the square footage before my hour of limited time was up. I can't even tell you what else was there. I'm going to have to plan a day when Hudson is in school to go back and hit the other two thirds. Who knows. I might bring home a couch!

Anyone for Tea?

Tea parties are best when shared with friends . . .

girlie girls . . .

manly men . . .

. . . and toes!

How sweet is this?

The girls liked being served (by me!) as much as they liked serving the boys. What a great way to spend a lazy summer afternoon.

I'm thankful for days and memories such as these.

Tea Partiers: Jack, Kasey, Olivia & Hudson; July 2008

Who Knew?

We celebrated The Lord's Supper tonight at church, and a crazy thought got into my head . . . What is Hudson going to do when he's able to partake in this ceremony? The little square bread things are made of FLOUR!! What a bummer. He's very close to salvation, and he was quite curious as to what we were doing with these 'special snacks' tonight. I'd hate for him to be all excited about taking part in his first Lord's Supper (by the way, that's 'communion' for all my Catholic buddies!) and then not being able to eat the bread.

Well, as I was just about to shut down the 'puter tonight, I thought about it again and did a little Google search. Can you believe, there's actually a GLUTEN-FREE COMMUNION WAFER? "... sold in a pack of 50 and now soy-free!" I'm cracking up. Who knew?? Guess I'll have to give our Deacons a heads-up on this. Will we have a special 'wheat free' pew? Will we have to BYOB -- Bring Your Own Bread? The wafers are made by Ener-G Foods. I think I have a coupon . . .

Planet Project

Okay, I'm trying to be all grown-up about this. Olivia is working on a research project on the planet of her chioce. Her choice: Uranus. It's all I can do to type this with a straight face. Why can't I get past it? She, of course, has no idea that there is a synonym for this word, so I'm keeping calm. She got a little curious, though, when I wouldn't let her Google it. I made her go straight to Wikipedia, and to that page only. I can only imagine what would pop up otherwise. Yikes!

It's true. Most things in life can be fixed with duct tape, WD-40 or a healthy dose of chocolate. However, when I have a cold -- or any illness for that matter -- there is a trifecta of products that makes me feel better. These are: Carmex, Vic's VaporRub, and Chloraseptic throat spray. Randy laughs in the face of my simple home remedy, and he can continue laughing as far as I'm concerned. When used just before bed time, I can almost guarantee a good night of sleep, even when feeling yucky.

Exhibit A -- Most of Saturday and all of yesterday, I felt horrible. Sinus headache, sore throat, stuffiness, you know the feeling. I went to bed early last night, doubting that I'd be able to sleep without my head exploding. Took two Tylenol and used my three little friends, and I snoozed until morning.

I'm feeling some better today. It could be the 'real' medicine I took this morning, but I think it has a little something to do with the trio of items perched on my bedside table. Yes, I'm certain it does!

Takin' the Slow Boat to Alaska

We were at dinner tonight after Olivia's ballgame, and Nana asked me if my parents enjoyed their recent Alaskan cruise. I said yes, and we discussed cruising for a few minutes. She then asks me which cruise line they took. Here's the rest of the conversation:

Amy: "I know it wasn't Carnival . . . it might have been Princess."
Randy: "We took Royal Caribbean, and it wasn't the same as us."
Nana: "I didn't think it was Carnival."
Amy: "You're right . . . it wasn't Carnival and it wasn't Royal Caribbean. I'm pretty sure it was a Princess ship."
Hudson: (who never even lifted his head and just kept right on eating his taco while chiming in) "I know what kind of boat they were on . . . it was a TUG boat."

Interesting. I wonder if the dining is any good on a tug boat.

You Know, I'm Allergic to Wheat

Hudson has caught on easily to the fact that he can't have wheat products anymore . . . but, he's not quite sure what foods have wheat in them. I'm not certain he even knows what wheat IS! (Maybe we should do a field trip to a farm . . . nope, he's allergic to farms, too.) He's very cautious of most everything, but it's funny how he'll play this to his advantage.

Tonight, for example, he was at Jack's house (that's him and Jack in the pic) and was offered a juice pouch -- a completely safe option for him, and he knows that. He told Jack's mom that he might need chocolate milk instead since the juice could have wheat in it. She has really good chocolate milk at her house, and he knows that, too! What a scam artist.

I'm making yet another trip to EarthFare on Thursday to purchase crazy ingredients (like Xanthum Gum) in an effort to do some 'normal' baking soon. I will report on the outcome -- let's hope it's edible!!

Candy Corn Kisses

The little orange 'mellowcreme pumpkins' that are only available this time of year have been my all-time, favorite holiday candy for at least 30 years. This includes all holidays -- I am not moved by a Cadbury creme egg or a Christmas chocolate covered cherry. Never have been, never will.

Enter the new Hershey's Candy Corn Kisses. My friend, Angie, snagged a bag of these while we were at Target today -- had I not been on my cell phone, I would have probably followed suit. I'm a sucker for such things, plus she always knows what's good.

This afternoon, she sends a little bag of these down to the house with Olivia. Not wishing to delay the possible pleasure of the petite foil treat, I quickly unwrap one to discover the following:

a) these are ADORABLE -- they look like kiss-shaped candy corn, complete with the color stripes

b) they are white chocolate, so the flavor is sweet but mild - delicious, actually

c) the mellowcreme pumpkins may have met their match

I think I need to go to Target.

Children's Hospital Commercial

Hey, mom -- this is for you!

Chocolate Gravy

I am not kidding you -- this is the most crazy-wonderful thing you'll eat for breakfast, EVER! The mother of a friend of mine, Cindy McDougal (now Reeder), would fix this for us when I would spend the night. We'd put it on biscuits or pancakes . . . oh, it was so good. I had forgotten about it until discussing "growing up in middle Tenn." with a friend from church last fall while on a Sunday School camping trip. I actually left the camp site, drove home to get the ingredients, and then made it as part of our big breakfast the next morning. Most everyone thought we had lost our minds until they tasted it. Needless to say, it was prepared at this year's camping trip as well -- it's a tradition now!

Chocolate Gravy

1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup sugar
1 heaping tablespoon flour
1 heaping tablespoon cocoa
1 1/2 cups milk

Melt butter and sugar in a small sauce pan until sugar dissolves. Add flour and cocoa, and stir will. Add milk, and stir over medium heat until smooth and thick. Serve with whatever makes you happy!

Makes about 2 cups.

Fudge Pie

This is a family favorite -- although sweet Hudson can't have any these days due to the wheat, but I'm working on a wheat-free crust and contents for him. This also work well in miniature using a cookie cutter with the crust and a mini-muffin pan. My mom passed this recipe down to me from a friend of hers from Lebanon, Tenn.

Fudge Pie

2 eggs, beaten
1 stick butter
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1/4 cup cocoa powder, sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 unbaked pie crust (homemade is best, Pillsbury is next, frozen is tolerable!)

Beat eggs with a fork or whisk in a small bowl; set aside. Melt butter in a medium sauce pan over medium heat; add sugar and stir until dissolved. Remove from heat. Add sifted flour & cocoa; stir will. Stir in the vanilla. Temper the eggs by adding about a tablespoon of the chocolate mixture to the eggs, and stir to combine. Then, add the egg mixture to the original pan of the chocolate mixture; stir well to combine thoroughly.

Pour mixture into an unbaked pie crust. Bake at 325 for 40 - 45 minutes or until the middle is set. Serves 8 if you're lucky!

Mary Thomas' Fairy Drop Cookies

These are the most awesome cookies, and they remind me of some I used to get at a bakery in Nashville when I was little. Mary is an amazing baker, and I think she adds some "Mary Magic" to make them taste the way they do!

FAIRY DROP COOKIES

1 cup butter
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. cream of tartar
1 tsp. salt
1 cup cooking oil
2 eggs
2 tsp. almond extract
4 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1. In a large mixing bowl, beat he butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add powdered sugar, granulated sugar, baking soda, cream of tartar, and salt; beat on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add cooking oil, eggs and almond extract; beat just until combined. Gradually beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Cover and chill dough about 30 minutes .

2. Working with ¼ of the dough at a time, shape into 1 ¼ inch balls. (The dough will be soft; keep it chilled as you work with a portion.) Arrange the balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. With the palm of your hand or, if desired, the bottom of a glass or a patterned cookie stamp dipped in granulated sugar, gently flatten the balls to about ¼-inch thick. Sprinkle with sugar (unless flattened with sugared glass or stamp) or leave plain for frosting.

3. Bake in a 350-degree oven for 10 – 12 minutes or until edges just begin to brown. The are better if you hardly see any browning at all. Transfer cookies to a wire rack and let cool. If desired, frost with almond frosting and sprinkle with crushed candy or colored sugar.

Makes 84 little cookies or 3 – 4 dozen big ones.

ALMOND FROSTING

In a small mixing bowl, beat ½ cup butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until fluffy. Beat in ½ teaspoon almond extract and ½ teaspoon vanilla. Alternately, add 2 ½ to 3 ½ cups sifted powdered sugar and 3 tablespoons light cream or milk, beating until smooth and easy to spread. To tint, if desired, stir in a few drops of food coloring or paste. Makes about 2 cups.