Bon Voyage

We waved good bye to our oldest and his lovely bride today.

We laughed all the way to the beach with the GRAND girls!

They were celebrating that 30th birthday, you know from last week?

Hope they have a loverly time!

I know we will!

I'm with Maxine, I really don't like sleeping in a closet!

Wordless Wednesday

This is one Pop Pop lovin youngin!

He stopped by the house to drop something off the other day and she got up in that truck with him and pushed and pulled every knob and button in there. It took me 10 minutes to get her out of his truck. Him sitting there loving every minute of it.

Harrison asked her the other afternoon did she want to go to the store with him and she said, "unhu, Pop Pop~Gigi." That wasn't one of her options but now that she can talk she can sure tell him where she wants to go.

I just love that she wanted to come to our house!

Chocolate Cake

Chocolate Cake
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup water
3 Tablespoon cocoa (I add more)
3/4 milk or buttermilk

(I like buttermilk)
1/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
Mix dry ingredients and set a side
Mix wet ingredients well and add dry ingredients a little at a time until all incorporated. Bake 350* in two layer pans for 40 45 minutes. Cool completely before icing.

Chocolate Icing

1 stick of butter

2 Tablespoons cocoa

3 cups powder sugar

dash of vanilla

(I will sometimes use a block of cream cheese and make this a chocolate cream cheese icing, either way it's yummy)

I've had this recipe for 33 years. I got it from a Ricks College roommate by the name of Cheryl Jones. I don't make it often but when I do, it's the best and always makes me think of her. It's one of Travis' favorites.

Music Mondays

Can you guess what one of my

all time favorite songs is??

I know my mama and daddy know

this New Orleans native,

I bet Katherine also knows who this is!

Do you know ?

Does Louis Armstrong ring a bell?

Louis Daniel Armstrong (August 4, 1901– July 6, 1971), nicknamed Satchmo or Pops, was an American jazz trumpeter and singer.
Coming to prominence in the 1920s as an innovative cornet and trumpet player, Armstrong was a foundational influence on jazz, shifting the music's focus from collective improvisation to solo performers. With his distinctive gravelly voice, Armstrong was also an influential singer, demonstrating great dexterity as an improviser, bending the lyrics and melody of a song for expressive purposes. He was also greatly skilled at scat singing, or wordless vocalizing.

Renowned for his charismatic stage presence and deep, instantly recognizable voice almost as much as for his trumpet-playing, Armstrong's influence extended well beyond jazz, and by the end of his career in the '60s, he was widely regarded as a profound influence on popular music in general: critic Steve Leggett describes Armstrong as "perhaps the most important American musician of the 20th century."

Satchmo

And now for your listening pleasure:

What A Wonderful World!

Isn't it?

(This song is the song that I danced to with both boys at their wedding receptions when they had to dance with their mama.)

You Can Make This

Ashley over at Forever and Always introduced this site to me! You need to check it out too.

Have you heard about this cool site yet? Youcanmakethis.com offers the neatest instructions to make the cutest stuff! Here is some info:

http://www.youcanmakethis.com/

was created by a mom who wanted to provide downloadable instructions on how to make just about anything from children's boutique clothing and jewelry, to handbags, home decor and more.

What makes the site unique is that these instructions are written by everyday moms who have an expertise in an area. They are written in a way that makes you feel you have a friend sitting right next to you, telling you what to do next.

They all have detailed instructions and step-by-step full-color photos so even the most "craft-challenged" person can make these items for their homes and families.

If you'd like to try out some products for free, you can sign up for their FREE newsletter. After sign-up, you'll receive a link to your email inbox asking you to confirm subscription. Simply click on that link, and you'll receive all of these product instructions pictured here, plus an online video and digital scrapbooking frames. http://www.youcanmakethis.com/ycmt-newsletter.htm

Let the children come

Artist: LIZ LEMON SWINDLE

30

My first born child turns

30

today!

( He seriously will hate me for this post. I'll be in hiding if any of you need me. But then he doesn't read my blog, but I know one of you will tell him :) This is way to much information for the rest of yall. This is my blog/journal and I needed to write these things for me. )

After a 36 hour labor, which nearly killed me

Carlos Harrison Griffis was born!

Wednesday, March 28, 1979

9:00 P.M.

8 lbs. 11 1/2 oz.

20 1/2 inches

Look at all that hair.

I had some serious heartburn.

He was a wonderful baby!

From 2 weeks on he slept all night!

He started walking at 8 1/2 months old.

I started chasing.

18 months

He was the funnest toddler.

2 1/2 years old

And he said the funniest things.

He was the only little one in town and his Aunt Carla and Aunt Angie spoiled him so much. They couldn't help it.

He was our first Eagle Scout on either side of our family. I think that alone did more for preparing him for the rest of his life.

1997 Senior Picture

He served a two year Mission for the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah. First one on the Griffis side of the family to serve a mission.

He has always enjoyed many hobbies, fishing, golfing, hunting and others.

He brought into our life's our first

daughter in law, Christon.

our first Grand Girl, Shelby.

And our 2nd Grand Girl, Reagan.

He's a good hunter.

A good son.

a good brother,

a good grandson,

a good nephew,

a good friend and cousin,

a good husband,

and I pray he will always be a good father.

I know how much he loves his family.

Happy 30th birthday son!

We are very proud of you.

And love you very much!

I could say a lot more but will stop at this. But my heart is full. Harrison turning 30 is harder on me than when I turned 50 last year. Ugh I'm getting old!

Remembering

A wise friend once told me that "there are worse things in this life than death."

I believe that to be true.

But knowing this still doesn't make death easy.

Vivian Padgett

passed away Sunday March 22, 2009

As some of you know, we just attended my mothers brother and my Uncle Wayne's funeral in Memphis the end of January. He passed on Ja. 27th. I found out this morning that his wife, my aunt Vivian died on Sunday. They had a hard time and were unable to get a hold of us until last night. She was sick and when you talked to her, all she wanted was to go on and be with her beloved Wayne. They were separated less than two months.

James E. Hill

passed away Monday, March 23, 2009

Uncle James is the husband of my Grandma Padgett's sister, Betty Valentine Turner Hill. She's always been Aunt Betty to me but she is my Great Aunt Betty.

He was a righteous man and an active lifetime member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served in many church positions during his life time, including president of the Atlanta Georgia temple. He was very beloved of his family and will truly be missed.

Laura Leigh Kirkland

passed away March 24, 2008

It's been a long and sad year for her family and all those of us who love her. We miss her bubbly personality so much.

Only praying that time will help to heal our broken hearts.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

(Matt. 5:4.)

Of all the Beatitudes, this one appears at first glance to be the most unusual and contradictory. How can it be a blessing to be in mourning? To mourn is to show grief or pain at the death of a loved one. This intense feeling cannot be hidden from the world or from God; it cannot be eased or pacified except with comfort and consolation from God through the Holy Ghost.

So why would the Savior say that it is a blessing to mourn? It may be that pain and suffering at the death of loved ones is an essential part of our mortal experience that obliges us to face the question of the reality of the spirit world and the hope of the Resurrection. It is through suffering that we discover what is eternally important.

It might be that it is a blessing for us to become more fully aware that God’s ways are not always our ways, and that we must trust him when things don’t go as we believe they should. When we can see the Lord’s purposes fulfilled in our sorrowful moments, the Holy Ghost can console us and the Atonement and Resurrection can become the cornerstones of our faith.

(Robert E. Wells)

How Quickly They Change

This was last summer on a long drive to Atlanta. I was trying to entertain Reagan.

There is just nothing like the sound of a baby laughing.

I just love it!

When I posted the little video of us dancing the Irish Jig on St. Patrick's Day, you should have heard her laugh. I put both girls on my knees and started the video clip and Rea busted out laughing. It was the funniest thing to hear her laugh so loud and from deep down. We watched that silly clip no less than 10 times that day and every time she loved it and laughed so loud. It was so worth it.

Tastey Tuesday

Courtney made a coconut cake last week to celebrate Laura's birthday. It was a wonderfully moist cake and I couldn't wait to get my hands on the recipe.

So this is what she sent:

So you make a yellow cake mix in 2 round pans and then slice them into layers.

Filler
2 cups (16oz) of sour cream
2 cups of sugar
1.5 cups of frozen coconut or

I always taste to make sure it is sweet enough you may have to add more sugar.

Take a cup of the filler out for the topping

Topping is just cool whip and the cup of the filler.

It always surprises me when I learn that a cake taste so good and comes from a box??? I quit making cakes from a box years and years ago! But I did as she instructed and made a Pillsbury Moist Supreme Golden Butter Recipe cake mix. When cooled I cut each layer in half. I didn't have any whip cream and only one cup of sour cream so this is what I did for the icing:

Coconut Icing

1 stick butter

2 cups powder sugar

1 1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring

2 tablespoons milk

1 cup sour cream

coconut

Cream butter, add sugar and coconut flavoring until smooth. Add milk to make really smooth and not to stiff. Add more milk if needed. Then stir in by hand the sour cream. Ice each layer and work your way to the top. Do not put coconut between the layers because it won't slice very well. Just hand pat the coconut to the sides and top. This was way rich and very moist. The next time I believe I will have on hand the items needed to make it just as Courtney did.

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I was looking for a recipe for cookies that I could use my freshly ground whole wheat flour with. I've been trying to use my stored wheat for everyday recipes. I found this recipe last week on 50's Housewife blog. They were good. They had a slightly different texture but if you didn't know I used whole wheat you probably wouldn't have known much of a difference. I'll use this recipe again!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

2 cups whole wheat flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 package (12 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips

(I used 1 cup chocolate chips and 1 cup chopped pecans)

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375ºF.

2. Mix sugars, butter, vanilla and egg in large bowl. Stir in flour, baking soda and salt (dough will be stiff). Stir in chocolate chips. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls about 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheet.

3. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light brown (centers will be soft).

Cool slightly; remove from cookie sheet. Cool on wire rack.

Madness!

There is nothing like being

awaken at 3 in the morning

to the sound of a 25lb.

cat throwing up on your bed!

What a way to start a

Monday morning!

Monday Madness!

Pay It Forward

The first 3 people to leave a comment on this post will receive a gift from me during this year.

When and what will be a surprise!

There's a small catch though....Post this same thing on yourblog and then come back and leave a comment telling me you're in.

Remember, only the first 3 comments receive the gift.

*Don't forget to post this on your blog first,then come back and leave a comment on this post!*

Welcome

So glad you are finally here!

Happy Spring everyone!

Things I love about spring!

1. flowers

2. gardens

3. Easter

4. new clothes

5. baseball

6. spring break

7. new flip flops

8. spring showers

9. freshly mowed grass

10. bike riding

11. kite flying

12. the beach

13. song birds

14. Sunshine

15. strawberries

16. shorts

17. Easter candy

18. blooming trees

19. little girls Easter dresses

20. white shoes, lacy socks and lacy panties

21. spring colored hair bows

22. fruit salads

23. fresh veggies

24. Easter bonnets

25. farmers market

added:

picnics

grilling outdoors!

What do you love about spring?

Sew Fun

I got caught up on about half of my sewing projects. I sew love to sew sometimes it's all I want to do and other times it is such a chore. Lately I have wanted to sew and get irritated if someone bothers me when I'm hard at it.

On the other hand, THANK YOU sew much for your help with the serger information. The common consensus is that they all are a beast to thread. I must have someone show me over and over before I even think about buying one.

I'll let you know of my progress.

It will probably be slow because I sure don't want to waste my money for something else to sit around this old house and collect dust.

Make it a good day!