How different my kids are.....

Most people say their children are all so different. That is pretty common. I have to say that I feel that way often! I have a adult, teen and toddler. There is a special reward for that....right??? I don't have another friend with a 17 year age gap with their children. :) We are finished having kids unless the Lord ever calls us to adopt and we are very content and busy with the 3 we have.

Andrew buys and sells used Apple products (mostly phones) and does well with it. He knows the value of a dollar and is a saver. He does spend money on things he values but he is savvy and resells most things for what he paid or close to it.

Jacob loves a yard sale! If he has a dollar in his pocket he will gladly spend it or bless someone with it. He would spend an entire day going to yard sales with me if we could. Matter of fact we are going tomorrow morning because it is our neighborhood yard sale. We have had some good times going together. He called today once he saw the neighborhood signs to ask if we could go and what time did they close today! I don't do clutter well and am much more of a tosser than a keeper but I do still like to save money on toys, kids clothes and household items if I find them.

Sam and I arrived home today after doing an errand and even though it was close to nap time I thought we would loop around the block to see if there were any sales still going. When we passed our home he said, home....home. I said yes that is our home....do you want to go home and he responded, yes! I kept going and when we pulled up at the first yard sale he looked at it and said, MESS! I couldn't contain my laughter.

My children are all unique blessings and I am grateful for each one of them. Fun times and never a lack of excitement in our lives! They are my reward!

2 of Sams favorite things....

Friends and Chick Fil A are two of his favorite things! Our sweet friend was kind enough to share with Sam and welcome him. We had a Chick Fil A open just 2 minutes from our home which was perfect because it has been a family favorite for many years! Sam is rather picky but he does like their nuggets and an occasional fry.

Sentimental Sunday....

It was one year ago that we were headed on our dream vacation! It was a dream and than some! We are reminiscent of our gift from God and we still think about it often and yes, sometimes dream we were back. We may not ever return there (unless it is a business reward!) but there will be other vacations and places to dream about. We are thinking about a ocean trip when Sam is just a little bit older.

Worship, music and Sam....

Sam loves music! He always has and one of his very favorite things is to watch our churches music CD and play his guitar. That is a fun little vacuum that I bought Sam but he has turned it into a guitar! He finds great enjoyment and relaxation while doing this. He will shout, thank you Jesus and hallelujah! Sometimes he jumps and sometimes he spins and in the midst he is always full of immense joy! We try to capture it on tape but it is never as good as being here!

One of our new favorites.....

I love cooking, we love seafood and we love this new recipe! It is a tilapia recipe that I found on allrecipes.com. It is easy, quick and amazing! Add a side or two with it and in less than 30 minutes you can have a healthy and delicious meal.

Broiled Tilapia Parmesan

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

1/4 cup butter, softened

3 T mayonnaise

2 T fresh lemon juice

1/4 tsp dried basil

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/8 tsp onion powder

1/8 tsp celery salt

2 lbs tilapia fillets

Preheat broiler. Grease broiling pan or line with foil. In a small bowl, mix together Parmesan cheese, butter, mayonnaise, and lemon juice. Season the cheese mixture with basil, pepper, onion powder, and celery salt. Mix well and set aside. Arrange fillets in a single layer on prepared pan. Broil a few inches form the heat for 2-3 minutes. Flip fillets over and broil for a couple more minutes. Remove from oven and cover with Parmesan cheese mixture. Broil for 2 more minutes or until topping is browned and fish flakes easily with a fork. Do not overcook the fish. Serve immediately.

Andrew turns 19.....

Andrew turned 19 earlier this month! We celebrated at home with the our family and Shelby. Andrew requested his favorite chocolate oatmeal no bake cookie for his birthday treat and we also had a mini lesson dipping berries and fruit in chocolate. He picked one of his favorite meals for dinner, ravioli with marinara sauce, garlic bread and a romaine salad. Andrews favorite pick for a meal is at home which really blesses his mama! I like to celebrate our kids birthdays at home because we are the only ones who can give them home. Mama Sylvia made the amazing OU quilt that Andrew is opening above. He LOVES it!!! The sweetest gift outside of salvation is relationship. Andrew had said turning 19 wasn't really that special but after his birthday he sent me the sweetest email thanking me for making a not so special birthday special. He is our gift and firstborn son who we treasure greatly.

Up and running......

I am SO sorry for the large delay in updating! I had a screw up on my sign in and I basically couldn't figure out how to sign into my own blog! LOL I asked Andrew this evening and in 30 seconds he had it figured out.

Here a few pictures taken of Sam several weeks back before bedtime. He was so happy to be relaxing in bed after a long car drive. The pouty face was when I asked him if he could show me sad. A friend passed down those pajamas to him and I think they look beautiful with his skin tone. I promise there won't be 4-5 weeks between post again! I have lots of pictures to post and will do so soon.