Unbelievable Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

This is NOT MY recipe!!! Just so you know:) I want to give credit where credit is due. On our beach vacation in May, we went to The Original Oyster House in Gulf Shores. I don't know about your family, but our vacation is almost as much about the food as it is about the beach! Someone suggested this place and their Peanut Butter Pie. If you know me then you know I LOVE sweets. Just an example: Marshall bought me two bags of miniature Reese's Cups Saturday night and both bags were gone yesterday. I have a problem, I know. Maybe I should write a post about that.....I love chocolate and I love chocolate with peanut butter. Whoever came up with that combination is a genius!

Anyway, so we went the restaurant. The food was ok, but the pie....AMAZING!!! We will go back just for the pie (or at least I will). I am not kidding when I say it is the best I have ever had. If you eat raw cookie dough (I do not-raw eggs-salmonella-vomit phobia) then this is the pie for you. It is the consistency of cookie dough! When we came home I thought I would check and see if I could find a similar recipe. Well, what do you know?! The recipe is on the restaurant's website! In case you can't get it, here is the recipe:

Chocolate Chip Peanut Butter Pie
Yield: one pie

8 oz cream cheese
(1) 16-oz tub Whip Topping (thawed)
(1) cup peanut butter
1 Tablespoon Kahlua
8 oz powdered sugar
3/4 cup miniature chocolate chips
(1) Oreo pie shell

Mix cream cheese, peanut butter, Kahlua and powdered sugar together. Add cool whip and blend well. Fold in chocolate chips. Pour into pie shell. Should be mounded high in the middle.

Note: Keep refrigerated. Serve with a dollop of whip cream.

________

A few notes from me:

Refrigeration is key to get the cookie dough consistency.

Definitely use mini chocolate chips. I tried it with the big ones and it was not the same.

Kahlua is alcohol.....you cannot buy it at the grocery store. I tried and was re-routed to the "beverage store" Of course I was shocked when I saw that the smallest bottle was $14! You only need a tablespoon, so you can make like 28 pies with the one bottle! In fact, I won't mind a bit if you make one for me! So worth the $14!

My first Peanut Butter Pie experience:)

Bay before dinner

Jackson before dinner

My precious pirates after dinner!

Our family.....Beau was not happy! It was past bed time and he had an ear infection:(

My 25th birthday gift.

I have mentioned before that I love to read! I will (if I can) read for hours a day.....I don't watch much t.v., so that leaves a lot of time for reading. Seriously love it! I had my eye on a Nook for a while, but did not want to spend the money on one. I have a hard time spending money on things like that....I mean I could buy like 8 dresses for $150! :)

For those of you who don't know, a Nook is an e-reader from Barnes and Noble, and if you want one after reading this post, the first edition is only $119. And there is an awesome Nook Simple Touch Reader out now for $139. I am not a fan of the Nook color, mainly because I like the e ink display. Basically just means it looks like the page of a book not a computer screen.

Marshall (have I mentioned what a good husband he is?!) knew I wanted a Nook, and he is a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to gifts:) So, needless to say I did not think that days before my birthday he had already gotten a gift. I was sitting on the couch one night telling him all the pros to having a Nook, like I had done for weeks! He left the room and when he returned he threw something down beside me. Anyone want to guess what it was?! Yep! You guessed it, my very own Nook!!! I was soooo excited! I have owned it for almost a year now and I absolutely love it. It is one of the best gifts I have ever received! I like it for lots of reasons. One of those being that I can hold it and nurse my baby, all I have to do is push a button to turn the page! There is nothing worse than losing your page! I can buy books whenever I want. There are lots of free books, but most of the books I read are not free, sadly. But they are cheap. I have read 4 books this week and all of them were .99 cents!  Not bad! You can actually get books from the public library, but I have not yet, because when I find one I want to read, they are already checked out. I find that I read more because I do not have to go anywhere to get a book when I am finished with one I simply choose another one and it is downloaded immediately! I love this feature because I am not the most patient person in the world! You can also lend books. I can borrow books from friends and vice-versa.

I highly suggest a Nook:) If you have one or if you decide to get one, let me know and we can lend books to each other:) BTW, I do still read "real" books. I love books, I just thought you might be curious about my favorite birthday gift ever!!!

Thought you might like to see my Nook:) Oh, and if you are wondering who that guy is....random pictures of authors come up as a screen saver and that is Homer.

This is my cover, this was a gift from my favorite inlaws:)

Beau Anderson Daigre

My beautiful curly hair, blue eyed baby! Such an angel! My third pregnancy seemed like it lasted forever. But the wait was definitely worth it:) There was nothing spectacular about finding out I was pregnant. I took the test while Marshall was on the phone with his daddy. I remember walking in the living room and telling M to hurry and get off the phone! When he hung up I told him we were going to have three kids!!! We were a little surprised, but mostly excited! We sat on the couch and talked about how things would change and how we would share the news with everyone. Such a precious time in our lives and a memory I won't forget.

The great thing about my third baby was I did not have the fear of not loving him as much as my others. I KNEW I would love him with all my heart. I was nervous about my time shared with three. But of course you adjust.

I was actually scheduled to be induced with Beau at 39 weeks, just like with Bay,. We got to the hospital about 7am this time. I guess the more babies you have the later you can show up:) Our boys were with their Gamaw. It was just Marshall and me. My family was waiting for us to call, and Pop was coming in late that night from preaching a revival. Beau's birth was different from our other boys. It was intimate and calm.

I was having contractions and was 3 cm dilated when we got there. The nurse started my pitocin, and this time around we were aware and cautious of how much I was given( I was nervous after Baylor's birth). My doctor did not break my water this time, and I had an epidural a little earlier, just because I did not want to experience what I did with Baylor.

I had a fun nurse and for some reason ALL the nurses (with each child) have been extra sweet to us.....I think they liked M:) I can't say that I blame them! He is a hottie! I honestly have felt a bond with my nurses, especially the ones at Parkway.

I could tell something was changing and felt like I needed to push. So, she checked me and I pushed once and she called the doctor, but when my doctor came up she said he was not low enough to start pushing and to call her in thirty minutes. When she left my nurse said, "you won't make it thirty minutes!" So about ten minutes later she checked me and let me "practice" pushing. Once she did, she realized it was definitely time to call the doctor back! My doctor came back and after a few contractions Beau Anderson Daigre was born at 10:23am.

Ms.Cindy brought our big boys in to meet their little brother! Sometimes it makes me sad that the whole family was not there to meet Beau, but it was such a special time with the five of us. Our little family. I had all of my boys and I was, and am still, so thankful for each of them. Of course as soon as they could my family and Marshall's family all came to see us.

Beau's birth was such a great experience. Such a perfect day. I am so thankful for each of my angels. The Lord has given me joy unspeakable!! It is hard to explain the love in my heart that I have for my boys. If you are a parent, then you know what I am talking about. A love that for me, the minute I was handed each of my children, I would have given my life for theirs. A love that is ineffable! A love that wants everything good for my children. A love that corrects. A love only God can give. He has given me a love for each of them. I want the very best for them. I want them to know Jesus in a real way. To live their lives for Him, so that others may know Him.

And, for me to know that God loves us even more than that is humbling. He is love! Thank you Jesus for loving even me!


Children are a gift from the Lord;they are a reward from him. Psalm 127:3

Beau's birthday! Just a few hours before he was born!

My angel

Our family of five!

Little guy!

Beautiful

Everyone wanted Mommy:)

My precious baby boy

Baylor Davis Daigre

My second baby! Of course when I was pregnant, I had all the fears that go along with adding a new baby to the family. And I was not sure I could love any other child as much as I loved Jackson. But, I was definitely wrong. Baylor is our sweet, unique, funny, outgoing little guy. He knows what he wants:) Kind of reminds me of his Daddy. We actually found out that I was pregnant on April 1st! Stinker! In fact, my sister did not believe me! (Probably because the year before I played a little April fools joke!) 

Baylor has been my "scariest" pregnancy and birth. I was about 7 weeks pregnant with Baylor and had not gone to my first check up yet. I started bleeding. One of the scariest times in my life, and of course it was on the weekend. I called the doctor and she said "it very well could be a miscarriage". I will never forget her words or how she sounded when she spoke them. I was scheduled to come in Monday morning. I feared the worst, and we prayed. My ultrasound showed that I had a subchorionic hemorrhage. This can be common and it usually dissolves on it's own. I had several ultrasounds and the hemorrhage was smaller and smaller each time. Praise the Lord.

The rest of my pregnancy was normal, which for me means that around 21 weeks I have to have contractions stopped. Not sure why it happens, but I have had preterm labor with each pregnancy and all of my babies were one week before my due date, never earlier.

I was actually scheduled to be induced, however it technically was just labor augmentation, because I was in labor and 4cm dilated when I got to the hospital:) The night before he was born is a fond memory for me. Christopher and April Blaylock were at our house putting uppercase living words on our wall! It was a gift from them. I am not use to measuring things before hanging them on the wall, and if you are not already aware engineers measure! Such fun times! After they left, I cleaned my house spotless and finally went to bed. We had to be at the hospital early the next morning. And just in case you were wondering, Jackson was at Papaw and Gamaws house.

We were at the hospital at 6a.m. and like I said I was in labor and 4 cm dilated! I did have pitocin started at 8:15 and my "water broken" at around 9. I had several people in the room with me and if you have experienced pitocin then you understand it is not fun and I was ready for my epidural! My nurse told me that if I wanted everyone out just to tell her I needed grape juice:) That was our code word! I had an excellent nurse:)

Just a few minutes later everyone but M left so I could get an epidural. It takes about 15 minutes for it to actually take the pain away. I felt strange, and was in pain(my epidural never actually had much of an effect). About that time my nurse told me to turn on my side. Marshall and I could tell that she was concerned. She told me to turn again all the while using the monitor to find Baylor's heartbeat. It brings tears to my eyes thinking about it even now. She was trying to reassure me, but then called for another nurse by pushing the button on my bed, and when the person on the other end said, "just a minute", my nurse said, "no, now!" I think at this point, after asking over and over if my baby was ok and not getting a response was when I really freaked out. My nurse ran to the hall and called for the other nurses. Marshall immediately dropped to his knees and began praying. The nurses rushed in, and I just kept asking if my baby was ok. One of those precious nurses ran in and did not take the time to put a glove on. When she checked me I was 10 cm and "ready to push". They found his heartbeat on the monitor. Thank you Jesus! That was one of the scariest moments of mine and Marshall's life. Baylor had rushed down  the birth canal so fast that it put him in distress. Those were the longest 2 minutes of my life. My nurse compared the experience to going from a warm cozy house and running and jumping in an icy pond. It was a shock to his little body. My nurses reassured me that he was going to be fine, hugged me and helped me calm down.

When she told me it was time to push, I was in tears and told her I needed a minute! On the next contraction I was ready to push. Dr. G got there and after 2 more contractions, at 9:49a.m., Marshall and I welcomed our perfect little boy into the world. I was so happy to see his beautiful face! And so grateful to God that he was ok.

About to pop!

Our first picture!

Our family of 4

Right after birth

Always scowling:)

I love him!

My Bay:)

I had to throw this in:) C, A, and M working hard!

While I am on the subject....

While I am on the subject of  technology......Recently, Marshall and I upgraded to smart phones. I did have an old school flip phone. I loved it because it was simple!

I am appreciative of my new phone. It definitely has it's perks! But, I find myself missing my old, what I use to call "piece of crap":) I know I have got to stop saying that word! My kids will start saying it! Anyway, this new phone I have, has SOOOOOO many more options. I can be online anywhere I go. Check Facebook driving down the road! Who would of thought?! Just kidding:) I try to avoid that kind of dangerous activity while driving. But seriously could do that if I wanted! I can check email, get recipes, write a post on my blog, read a book, and basically anything else I want to do! In fact my phone would probably cook for me! Crazy! It is amazing! The world is at my finger tips and I am at the worlds.

I am not so sure I like it. It takes more time than I want to spend. Pulls me in. I am lost without my phone, and I have only had it for a few weeks. If I miss a call or don't respond to a text immediately then something must be wrong! (Probably that I don't fully know how to use the thing!) But seriously, I am not sure I like how available I am. Kind of annoying sometimes!

I miss my old phone. I liked being able to send a text by pushing buttons not Swyping the screen. I am not a fan of the touch screen as much. People say I will get use to it....I hope so!

Sometimes I would rather the simple. Less invasive. Less complicated. I don't even use a third of the features on this phone, mainly because I don't want to take the time to do it. I am happy not knowing all the ins and outs. It is easier that way, simpler. For me, personally, a lot of times less is more. For instance, with my boys, the more toys they have the less they play with them. It is overwhelming! The more I cram in my life, whether it be activities or 'things', the less time I have for the most  important things- The less time I spend with Jesus. The less 'real' time I spend with Marshall and the boys. And it is not that these things are bad! They are great things, but satan can use good things to destroy a person. I just want to be cautious that I am not letting MORE get the best of me.

Wow, did not mean for this post to turn into this:) I am keeping this new phone.....but I am not sure I will "get use to it", and I am not sure I really care to:)

"There are two ways to get enough. One is to continue to accumulate more and more. The other is to desire less."
— G.K. Chesterton

Technology....

I love to read! More specifically I love to read historical christian fiction. Sometimes I wish I lived back in the day. Life was simple! No computers, nothing to program. I think for a time, it would be fun! Kind of like when the power was out after the storms...it was nice to enjoy my family with few distractions. (I did miss hot water, air conditioning, lights, the basics.) Well, today was one of those kind of days, I would have rather had an "old school" key or maybe even a horse and buggy:)......

Technology is awesome. I am very thankful for all of the things I have. You know how I mentioned in a previous post that I LOVE my van? Well, the key and I have a love/ hate relationship. I love that I can crank my car from outside. I can push a button and the doors open! I love those qualities in a key. The part I hate is how much the key cost!

Marshall cut the grass today. The yard looks awesome-as usual. I had to run to Joe's Pharmacy (love Joe-if you need a pharmacist I highly suggest him). I asked M where the van key was.....he reached in his pocket and yep, you guessed it, found nothing. Actually, he found a hole in his pocket. My first reaction was glass half full, M's reaction was glass half empty. Sadly today the glass was half empty.

I thought it was probably in the yard somewhere, so I started my search. And I found it!!!! In fifteen pieces!!!!! Let me just say, this is/was the only key to our van! There was only one key when we bought it! And, this is not the "old school" key you can have made at Wal Mart. This is a very expensive key that has to be ordered and programmed!!! Ugh!!!! I immediately called the dealership. We had to have the van towed! Thank the Lord for AAA.

M had been planning to shoot guns for over a week, so Pop and I went to the dealership. Hiley VW is awesome! I called and initially they said it was going to cost $325! For a key! I was sick! It is amazing the difference in talking to someone on the phone and looking them in the face. It is harder to say no! Long story short my amazing Father in law got us a great deal (considering the initial price)! We ended up paying $179. Still a lot for a key, hence the reason I would rather be 'driving' a horse today!!!!

The key....look closely and you may be able to see the freshly cut grass!

All of this because of a key! Crazy!

Jackson Lawrence Daigre

I have a friend who shares her birth stories and thought it was a great idea! I enjoy reading about other people, and thought you might too! You can check her blog out!

I love having babies:) I know some of you probably think I'm crazy and some of you probably love it too! Giving birth has been one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. I almost feel sorry for men:) Carrying a child and anxiously waiting for the day to see their beautiful face is an amazing gift. I am so blessed to have three healthy boys.

Jackson was our only child born in Mississippi, so he is a true Mississippian like his Daddy. Of course with your first you don't know what to expect. I had no clue what to expect as far as a birth experience. I thought I knew what to expect once I got him home, but, wow, I was not prepared!

Jackson was due on January 4, 2007. The whole Daigre family was at Memaw and Pappy's house celebrating the birth of our Savior, over our annual Christmas steak dinner. This was the 26th and everyone was leaving the next day with plans to come back when they got "the call", and my family was in Alabama. I had been having contractions for half of my pregnancy so that did not mean much to me. But we knew he would arrive soon (according to my dr). I wont go into specifics, but I will say that my body was ready! We enjoyed our "last meal" together and M and I went home. Our home at the time was in Pearl, MS about 40 minutes away. I really wanted to be in my own bed, so we would drive back at night from our long days of visiting with family.

Marshall had plans to go hunting with Justin and Pop the next day, so I planned to sleep in:) One of my favorite past times! At about 4 am M got up to go hunting, and I told him that my contractions were pretty strong. They were not really regular at this point, so I told him to go on and hunt. He left about 5am. He was about 15 minutes away when he talked to Pop and they decided he should come back home. About that time I called and told him my contractions were regular! He came home and we went back to sleep:)

I wanted to wait until the doctor's office opened before I called. So we showered and got ready to go meet our baby! By this time the family knew that it could be 'today'! The very first grandchild and our very first child, you can imagine the excitement! We called the doc and she told us to come in! We stopped by Walgreens, I can't remember why now, but I remember telling the cashier when she asked me when I was due, that I was on my way to the hospital!

We got to my Dr.'s office and she checked me....I was almost 5 cm!! Woohooo! She sent us up to Labor and Delivery! We of course made all of the phone calls to the family! Cindy and Cassie asked if we needed anything, and of course I "needed" my Christmas tree taken down! ha! Those of you who know me, know that clutter is not my favorite thing.....and I might have some serious nesting issues:) I wanted everything in it's place when we came home!

Back at the hospital, M and I were preparing to meet our firstborn son! Lots of things occurred while we were waiting. The family arrived along with the Godbolds-love them. I am a wimp and I have epidurals when I have babies! I also have had pitocin (which I know for some of my readers might cause you to cringe)  with each of my children, which was a decision I made after my doctor suggested it. For those who don't know the medicine "speeds" up labor, and there is some controversy over it. I love epidurals:) After I had mine I was able to relax and visit with family. We were all so excited!

Pitocin (too much) caused Jackson to have some decels, so they put me on oxygen and checked my progress. 10cm! It's time! This was not at all what I expected! Everyone except for Marshall and my nurse left the room. It was time to push! It took a few minutes for me to figure out where and how to push (epidural) but once I figured it out we were in business! The room was prepared and the entourage came in! I did freak out a little bit when a man walked in the room! My Dr. was a female and I did not expect some random man to walk past the foot of my bed! I don't even know what is going on down there and here he comes walking in like its just a normal day! Whew. Once I got over it and realized he was Jackson's nurse I was ok:) Just took me by surprise! About 2 minutes before I delivered Jackson my Dr. came in. My precious husband was by my side the whole time,and  I don't think he was ever freaked out. Having a baby is serious business! At 4:16 p.m. we met our precious son  Jackson Lawrence Daigre! That moment is seared in my mind and my heart. He was perfect. I would have given my life for his. I carried this child for 9 months inside of me and then he was placed in my arms and we were a family of three! Our lives definitely changed that day, but only for the better. I am grateful to God for this precious little boy that He has entrusted to us.

Our family of three! (yes, I know  I look rough.....give me a break! I just had my first baby!)

In the nursery!

Finally going home!

They grow so fast....

My little sweetie!

What did we do before we had children?

Yes, I know it is hard to believe, but we had a cat:) And we loved him. I was pregnant with Jackson, and I was trying to get his clothes washed and ready for his arrival. I tried one of his shirts on Brose! I laugh every time I watch this. Marshall is hilarious! 

Vote on the right side of the blog! I want your opinion!

Treasuring Emma by Kathleen Fuller

I received this book for free in exchange for a review! Exciting, I know!

Treasuring Emma by Kathleen Fuller was a quick read. This book is about the King family. Two Amish sisters who have been dealt a lot of tough things in their life, all at once. They lost their parents and are both struggling financially. Clara is married with children and she has a bad attitude about their situation. Emma is tenderhearted and gives of herself to others. She lives with their grandmother. Emma had a friend that she fell in love with, Adam. He left the Amish for the English world, and broke her heart. The story focuses on love, faith, and family.

It was a sweet story and Kathleen Fuller is good at making you feel like you can actually see the story taking place. I could easily picture Middlefield Ohio, the setting for the story.

I have read lots of books about the Amish and this was not my favorite. I would have liked to have had more detail about the Amish. The antagonist was dark and frightening. Fuller definitely paints a picture of what sin can do to a person, but also shows how God is always knocking on the door and all we have to do is answer. He will never leave us and we must trust in Him, have faith in Him.

I did enjoy the book, but I felt like it ended abruptly. I would have liked to have known what happened next. I kept thinking the author would go into more detail and explain things, but she never fully did that. All in all I give it a 3 out of 5 stars.

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

Extra cabinet space

I have a blank wall in my kitchen and I needed more cabinet space. So, I set out on a mission. My pantry was very crowded with baby food, and I wanted something specifically for baby food storage.

Marshall kept the boys so I could go thrift store shopping! I did not want to spend much money and thrift stores and craigslist are great places to find deals! I had plans to paint whatever I found, so it just needed good bones:)

I went to 4 thrift stores and finally on my final stop, I found the PERFECT piece. It was exactly what I had pictured! Well, the price on it was $75! That was waaayyyy more than I wanted to pay. I initially wanted to pay less than $30. Side note: I had a yard sale the previous Saturday and my sister sold a mirror for $25 to this man. Well, in my search, at the thrift store where the "perfect" piece was, I saw that same mirror! The man that bought it was selling it for $99!!!! Wow! Maybe I should get into that business! ha! Apparently he buys yard sale items and resells them for a profit at his thrift/antique store.

Well, I thought I would bargain with him:) Obviously he is trying to make a profit, but I could tell he wanted to sell something! He told me he would take $50 immediately. Well, I still did not want to pay the price, but it was the perfect piece. I offered him $40, he said he couldn't do that, and then I acted uninterested, all the while calling M and asking what I should do! I am very indecisive:) He told me to buy it if I wanted it!

On my way out the door I said $45, and he took it:) I spent a little more than I had planned, but I LOVE the piece and I have learned that if you find the perfect item it probably won't be there when you go back!

He loaded it in the car and I was off. I roughly sanded the cabinet down and then painted it black.  Then I roughed it up a little for the whole antique look. I sprayed the handles silver only because I had it on hand, and I LOVE it! I am really happy with my purchase. What do you think? perfect or what?

Before

Add caption

After:)

And the winner is.....

There are lots of random number counters and ways to randomly draw names out there in the great world of internet. Since I did not have very many people enter my contest (I included those of you from FB).....I chose the winner through a time tested method. I wrote names on pieces of paper and drew from those:) Ha! Actually I had Baylor draw! I know clever huh?!

Nonetheless, we have a winner! 

Brooke McIntire:)  Woohoo!!! Congratulations! You are the proud new owner of boogie wipes!

Date Night

Date night is VITAL in a relationship. Trust me, I know what you are thinking....kids, work, money, time,  babysitter, etc. Basically in your mind you probably just ran through all the reasons you CAN'T go out on a date with your husband/ wife. We complain that we do not have time! Everyone has 24 hours in a day and all 24 hours are not spent working. Yes, your husband/wife might work late and might be tired or might have a headache:) But you HAVE got to invest in your marriage.

Date night is so important to Marshall and me. We started having a date night once a week about 4 years ago. It has become our favorite night of the week! I STRONGLY suggest/ insist you do this! I love to spend time with my husband. And lets face it, with kids it is hard to spend quality time together with just the two of us. It must be a priority. You must make your marriage a priority. Wives make your husband your priority. Husbands make your wife your priority. When is the last time you went on a date with your spouse? Can you remember? Sadly,a lot of  people can't.

Now, I am going to tell you reasons why all of the excuses don't mean much to me.....

Money: First of all, we know all about not having "money" to go on a date. I never said you have to go spend a lot of money, I just said "go on a date". Be creative. Make date night part of your budget. Make it one of your "bills".....it is that important! Some nights we stay in for our date. We put the kids to bed (by 7) and share a meal with just the two of us. We don't usually watch T.V., but especially not on date night.

I don't really count going to a movie as date night for us. You pay $18 and don't even say anything to each other. Then again movies just are not my thing. You may enjoy watching movies together. It's your date night, not mine:) Just be sure that you are connecting with your husband/ wife.

Kids: I know about this too, I have three. You don't have anybody to keep your kids....well, you may not have family around but this is where budgeting for your date is so important. You can pay a babysitter and go hang out at Starbucks or in your car:) ha! That is free! Even if you only do this every two weeks, start somewhere! Once a month? Again, be creative. Family, friends, teenagers, neighbors, trade sitting services with a friend. Lots of options.

Time/ work: You absolutely have to make time. What do you spend your time doing? Not many people work 24 hrs a day/ 7 days a week. What do you do in your spare time? I don't care what you do, but is there a way to take a couple of hours a week out to invest in your marriage? Can you rearrange your schedule?

You don't have to go every Friday night. Go on a Sunday afternoon. You can go any day you want. You have to start somewhere. Once a month? Every other week? The first step is to get out of the rut. Love your husband/wife. Spend time together, just the two of you. You won't regret it! I promise!

Bottom line: You have to make time. Your children are watching. Our kids know that we go on a date every week, and if something happens and we don't, they notice. We make each other a priority. Our marriage comes first. God created marriage and it is a gift. Thank God for your husband. Thank Him for your wife

Now, go on a date with your husband/wife!!! Love them, treasure them, and have fun!!!!

The man who finds a wife finds a treasure, and he receives favor from the Lord. Proverbs 18:22

Let your wife be a fountain of blessing for you. Rejoice in the wife of your youth. Proverbs 5:18

I love my van!!!

For years I heard this statement, "I will never drive a van". I even spoke that statement! Well, when you have kids, things change! It really is not about what is "cool" anymore. You must think practically! And for us that meant a minvan! Once Beau came along we knew we were going to have to up-size. 

In my mind I was picturing driving something like Nana's van! Oh my! Well, we went on a minivan search. I had a very specific list of vans that I thought would be ok to drive. I saw a commercial for VW and loved their van! We stopped by the VW place and found a used van that we liked a lot:) After going ten other places we went back to VW and decided this was the van for us! We both absolutely love our van! We had a huge blessing that enabled us to buy it! We seriously praised the Lord for weeks at prayer group! And now a year later, I still love it and am so thankful for the room!

Never say never! Kids change things! But, the preacher is still "cool" driving our van:)

Baylor Davis

Baylor, my middle son, has a mind of his own. When I discipline the boys, I always remind them what Ephesians 6:1 says, Obey your parents, in the Lord, for this is right.

The other day I had to discipline Bay and when I asked him what the Bible says, the stinker said, "Love your children!"

I had to laugh! He is hilarious! He knew exactly what I was talking about! Here are a few pictures of my sweetie:)

Bay honestly could care less what other people think of him!

My sweetie fishing:)

Ready to go swimming!

 

BOOGIE WIPES GIVEAWAY!!!!

Can you tell that I am excited?! This is my very first blog giveaway!!! The winner will receive (2) packs of 30 count wipes! Isn't this exciting?!

Well, it is if you have a child that uses his sleeve for a tissue!! You know how it is....kind of looks like a slug has crawled up their arm! Gross! I know! I will be trying Boogie Wipes for myself very soon! Well, not for me, but for my kids:) I will also be posting a review very soon, so be sure to check back and read my review!

You can check out Boogie Wipes or follow them on Facebook or Twitter!

If you want to be the winner of my VERY FIRST GIVEAWAY, then post a comment and tell me a topic you are interested in reading on my blog! I will randomly select a winner on Wednesday, July 13th!

And don't forget to follow my blog! Then you can come back and read my review:)

Haircuts

I cannot bring myself to PAY for my kids to have their hair cut. I used to take them places and have it cut, but it is so expensive! I paid $18 for Jackson to have his cut! (that was including a tip) I felt sick when I left the place! I could do a lot with $18! I know you can get it cheaper than that, but even paying $8 is a lot when you have more than 1 child!

So, I sent M on a mission! The next time the boys needed a haircut, I had M buy a nice pair of hair cutting scissors! $16 for the scissors and I have probably cut the boys hair 10 times! I have saved $180!

Sometimes I cut it a little too short (M likes it that way), but it always grows back out :) It is soooo easy! I am not an expert by any means. In fact, I watched a youtube video on how to cut hair :) ha! I know! Risky! But it worked!

The boys behave so much better when I cut their hair. Don't know why but it probably has something to do with getting an ice cream cone as opposed to a sucker :)

All you need is a good pair of hair cutting scissors. I also bought a cheap cape and spray bottle from Sally's Beauty Supply. And a trimmer is handy for the back and side burns. I always cut their hair in my bathroom. I bring in a tall stool so they sit up tall enough for me to see what I am doing. Put the cape on, spray their hair down, and start cutting! I start in the back, then cut the sides, top and front. Finally, I bring out the trimmer and shape everything up! Google it!

Whoever said you have to have a professional cut your kids hair?! Or do a lot of things we all could do ourselves if we had a little confidence! I am encouraging you now...go save some money, cut your kids hair yourself!

Sweets in bulk...

I love shopping at Sam's. One reason is because I can get some really great deals! Not everything is a "good deal" there, but most of the time it is. Another reason I shop there is because it cuts down on the amount of times I have to buy certain products during the month.  Believe it or not, I do not really enjoy taking my children to the grocery store! So the less I have to go the better!

Some items we buy: condiments, paper products, meat(on occasion), frozen vegetables, canned items(cream of mushroom soup), orange juice, mostly non-perishables, things that can be frozen, toothbrushes, tooth paste, body wash. Sam's is probably on of my favorite places to shop!!

I will probably never buy a birthday cake anywhere else! Sam's bakery has the best price anywhere! And it is really good! A half sheet cake is $17! If you buy a quarter of a sheet at Publix it is $20 (I love Publix btw, just don't always love the prices). Half the amount of cake for more money!! Who doesn't want leftovers?! And, they have tons of options! We had a Saints themed cake for Marshall's Birthday and Toy Story for Jackson's!

I couldn't resist posting this! I got tired of buying small bags of chocolate chips:)

Cookie Dough! Who doesn't need a handy dessert? I am actually eating cookies as I write this post!

Canned chicken! I buy mine at Sam's. You get 5 cans for $9.98!! Comparison: on sale at Publix: Tyson,  2 for $5 and the can is a half  ounce smaller. Hormel, $3.39 a can

The $30 membership is well worth it!' Be my guest, be my guest.....' Seriously though, if you don't have a membership and you are not sure it would be worth the money, you can go Here  and sign up to shop for a guest shopping pass!!!

Granddaddy's last days

This is not a "happy" post, but I felt like sharing it today. It is reality and not everything in this life is "happy"...

Cancer is the dreaded word that no family wants to hear. I remember when we first heard it about Granddaddy. He had lymphoma first. And he beat it! He was later diagnosed with lung cancer. That was definitely not something any of us wanted to hear. But, he beat it! The first time. Granddaddy was a smoker part of his life. I guess that was the cool thing to do. But, he quit when he found out he had cancer. The lung cancer still returned...

 There are certain things in my life that are ingrained in my memory and I will never forget. One of those is when we found out that Granddaddy's cancer was back. He had been sick and Nana and I took him to the emergency room at Hartselle Hospital. He was having a hard time catching his breath. Of course all of the family came and we were all concerned because he was so sick. At first his Dr. thought it was pneumonia. After he had x-rays Doc told Nana that he thought it looked bad and that his cancer could be back. He sent him to Huntsville Hospital to have more tests run and find out exactly what was going on. This is another day I will not forget. Nana still had her corded phone that hung on the wall in the kitchen all my life. She got the call and the look on her face told me it was bad. Very bad. His cancer had returned. I have only seen Nana cry a handful of times in my life and this was one of them. There would be no treatment. Granddaddy came home with hospice. The doctor gave him 6 months.

Nana stood by Granddaddy's side in sickness and in health. They would have celebrated 62 years of marriage this year. They were my example. My precious Granddaddy one of the best men I have ever known. He loved the Lord and he gave of himself always. He served our country, the church, his family, and those in need. He worked hard and loved Nana. He was such a good man. He was a father to me when my own was not there. And I am so thankful for that.

He only lived one month after he left the hospital. He was on oxygen and in so much pain. Everyday our family would be there. His children and grandchildren. We spent those last days being together as a family. Nana and Granddaddy's house was full! We sat on his bed with him and talked. I remember one day my sisters and I were being silly, asking him lots of questions, and I asked him what Nana was to him, he looked at her and said she was his angel. What a precious picture of their love for each other. Neither of them were ever very emotional or open about their relationship. It was a huge deal when I saw them kiss! But this meant so much to me and still does.

The last few days were tough. He was ready. He was ready to be with Jesus and we knew it would be soon. It was my very first day of school, I was a junior in high school. My uncle and mother had stayed in his room and were there when I left. I went to say goodbye. He was awake when I left and I told him I loved him. He told me he loved me. And that was the last time I talked to him.

Just a few hours later, I was sitting in chapel at school and my principal brought a note in and I knew then that it was Granddaddy. I met my mother at the office and we went straight home. The school was only a few minutes away, we pulled in the driveway and my uncle gave us the news. He was gone. What a bittersweet day. Our hearts were broken because he was gone from this world, away from us. But praise Jesus he was not in pain anymore. He was well! The following days were hard. We all still miss him.

Granddaddy's favorite song was Jesus Loves Me. All I have left are memories like this of this precious man. I can pass those along to my kids. Details of his life that made him who he was. They will know what a great man he was. He was a father to me. I loved him and look forward to seeing him again one day! And every time we sing Jesus Loves Me, I think of him and his love for Jesus and remind my boys of that love.

.

What was suppose to be a quick trip....

Baylor could care less about the potty. He prefers his diaper (too busy to go to the potty)! Ugh! It can definitely be frustrating.

The other day, I took him with me to Joann's Fabric store. It was suppose to be a quick trip. Time for just the two of us to spend together without his brothers. Well, I did not take a diaper bag because I knew it was going to be quick! or at least I thought it was. As soon as we got in the store Baylor had to poop! Knowing I only had the diaper that he was wearing, I rushed him to the bathroom. I won't go into detail, but we 'partially' made it. I ended up throwing the diaper away anyway. So, he was just wearing a pair of cotton shorts, no underwear, and no diaper. I needed to get the fabric I had driven all the way into Huntsville to get. We were in the back of the store and I repeated myself probably twenty times."Don't pee in your pants!" While I was trying to make my fabric choice, I looked over and saw my little stinker with a yellow puddle in the floor! In Joanns!! On his shoes! Wet shorts! "I just peed Mama".....Really?!

Honestly, my first instinct was to be angry, but then I realized the humor of it all and all I could do was laugh!! Being a mother is tougher some days than others, and it's either laugh or cry! Kids keep life interesting:)

And btw, I cleaned up the pee!

I love these people!

These are my most favorite people in all of the world:) This was taken at the World of Coke in Atlanta. We will not take the boys back there again for a long time! We paid to get in and immediately the kids were whining and complaining! "I'm hungry.", "I don't want to go in there.", "That movie scares us.", "I'm starving to death.", " When can we eat?" [they are like their father when it comes to food :)].

My 'personal assistant' was with us and it was still a tough time! I highly suggest that if you are a mother reading this to find a teenager that loves kids and have her help you! I am so blessed and thankful for my teenage assistant! She goes lots of places with us and helps with the kids and it is a HUGE blessing! And she gets to go fun places , like Atlanta and to the World of Coke! Pretty sweet trade off for a teenager! The best part is that she loves my kids and I trust her!

Anyway, the WOC is not the best choice of places to go with small children. They were bored and ready to go after we walked in the door! They did decide that they6 liked the movie once we sat down to watch. And the highlight was tasting the cokes, they do not normally get coke (unless they are with Papaw), so it was a treat!

Next time we are in Atlanta, we will go to the aquarium!

Canned chicken recipe #3!

Chicken and Rice Casserole:

1 1/3 c. Minute rice
1 3/4 c. water
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 large can of chicken(drain and rinse)
1/2 c.grated cheddar cheese (I use more)
1 (8oz) can peas and carrots-drained
 salt and pepper to taste

Spray a 1 1/2 qt casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.Place minute rice (uncooked) in the dish. In a saucepan, mix soup and water, salt, pepper, peas and carrots together. Break chunks of chicken up and add to saucepan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Pour mixture over rice and mix together. Sprinkle cheese on top. Cover and bake at 350 for 25 min.

Canned chicken recipe #2!

Here is another great recipe that you can use canned chicken with! Btw, I always drain and rinse my chicken.

Chicken casserole:

1 large can of chicken
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. sour cream
sleeve of Ritz crackers(crushed)
1 stick of butter
optional: salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a square casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Empty chicken into the dish and break up the large pieces, spread evenly over bottom. Mix soup and sour cream together and put on top of the chicken. Melt butter and mix with the crushed Ritz crackers. Spread evenly over the top and bake until bubbly. Approx 30 minutes

Nana

Some of you know my Nana. Nana had her first experience at P.F.Chang's last night. First of all you must know that Nana does not get out much. You basically have to force her to go places, but once she gets there she is glad she went.

Last night Nana, Mother, Nikki, Lauren and I all went to P.F.s. On our way there Nana informs us she only has ten dollars! Ummm, Nana it is going to be more than $10! You obviously have not been out much lately. That might cover the tip these days. Nana said, "I don't know anyone that gets tipped that much, I may be in the back washing dishes!"

We had reservations but we were there a few minutes early (yes, I was actually early!). We sat outside while we were waiting for our pager to go off. Nana asked, "what is that thing in your hand?" She was asking about the pager. Nana, this is what the restaurant uses to tell you that your table is ready. Her response, "Well I have never seen one of those!" Nana, really you have got to get out more!

We sit down for dinner and she opens the menu. After reading the price of an entree-she gasped! What is this place?! Apparently she has not been out in a LONG time!

After tasting a lettuce wrap she decided it was not very good but had a second:) Then she actually enjoyed the food! Of course when we left she was glad she had come and even tipped the guy her ten dollars!!!

I love this woman! I wish everyone could meet her :) She is precious, funny, brutally honest, giving, loving. She is truly a blessing in my life and I am so thankful for her. 

Call the Company!

Ever buy a product and the packaging says, "do not return to store"? Btw I know packaging does not actually speak, but you get the point. There is a reason the package has that written on it. The company does NOT want you to return it to the store, they want you to call them. They will take care of it! (If not, I probably would not use them again.)

I have had bad experiences at Restaurants and called to let the manager know. They always want to be sure the customer is happy. The way I feel about it is if they are providing a service or a product they want the customer to be satisfied, and they want to know if not. And if I am paying for something I want to be sure I get my money out of it. So, I let them know.

For instance, I have called about lots of things. I bought Nature's Own bread from Sam's, Opened it at home and it was smelly and stale. Instead of driving back to Sam's and wasting gas, I simply called the number on the bread bag. The next day I had 2 new loaves delivered to my door from the manager at Nature's Own and he brought coupons! Nature's Own is great!

Some products have a warranty on them for a few months. Most recently I had to call about our trampoline. We have only had it since May and the safety net is tearing at  the top. Well, I pulled out the book and it has a 90 day warranty for the net! I called, they took my information, I have to scan and email the receipt and they will be mailing a new net very soon.

Companies want you to be happy with their products. Call them! Don't take advantage. Be honest. If you have a problem, they will take care of it!