Erica's Notes

My niece Erica has gotten into making cards and loves to write notes to people. As if I needed another reason why she tugs at my heartstrings, this really bonds us together as aunt and niece because it's something that I love to do as well.

Last year I was amazed that a three-year-old would spend an hour or so making Valentine cards (we made some together), but now, I can see that she has a real love for crafts and art and it's fun to see the creativity she displays.

When Erica gets it in her mind to make cards for someone, she doesn't want to make just one. When Daniel was sick right before Christmas, she wanted to make him some get well cards/notes. I think he ended up with seven or eight before it was all said and done.

The cards pictured below were some that Erica made for me in January. I love the pictures she drew and how she wrote "I (heart) Y" inside. She also decided that I needed to write on the front of "Aunt Nette's Bible" after she had made the card complete with a ribbon sticking out as a bookmark.

And the one with a Q-tip taped onto the front:  she explained that she had included a handle for me to carry the card easier. So thoughtful!

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I will look forward to lots of card-making with Erica. It is always fun to have someone to share a hobby with!

My birthmonth

It's my birthday (month)! I just like to claim the whole month, not to be greedy, but because I can't fit all the celebrating in on one day. In fact, the celebrating started a whole week early this year when my friend Tiffanie surprised me by bringing over a little cake for me when I invited her to watch an episode of "Downton Abbey." I love fun surprises like that!

Then the next day, my friend Kathy B. came to my house for a small get-together and brought me a beautiful pink calla lily! Another unexpected gift to help me begin the birthday season!

A couple of days before my birthday, another friend, Shirley, came by the church office and brought birthday treats for both me and my co-worker, Sondra (it was Sondra's actual birthday that day). Shirley had thoughtfully chosen an assortment of scrapbooking stickers for me to use over the weekend at a scrapbook retreat.

For my birthday weekend, I got to do something I love to do:  scrapbook for hours with friends. Lots of laughter and chatter and eating went on, and maybe a little dancing. I got a lot accomplished and was surprised yet again with a birthday cake and a sweet time of affirmation and love poured out to me at dinner on Saturday night. I am very thankful for the many friends that God has placed in my life and these women who were around the table that night are blessings to me.

On Sunday, February 3, my actual birthday, I got to wake up leisurely (still at the scrapbook retreat) and got pampered by my friend Carol fixing my hair for me (I asked her if I could come to her house a few times a week to get my hair smoothed). We headed back to Nashville and I got to spend a relaxing afternoon at home with Daniel before we headed over to celebrate with our family.

There was a little event called the Superbowl that got scheduled on my birthday this year. I don't recall them consulting me, but it was fun to get together with our family for some make-your-own-nachos (complete with Jeanette's yumm-o guacamole) and my special-request cake, Mom's apple cake. That cake deserves a post of its own, but it is my favorite cake!

The girls were so excited for me to get to their house and the minute I walked in the door, Erica looked at me and without saying a word, ran to get her footstool and brought it over to reach for the gift that she and Mary Lane had picked out (and cards they had made). Since Jeanette wasn't home yet, I politely diverted her attention and told her we'd wait to open the gifts. A few minutes later she said that I was going to want to sew something with what was in the bag (what?) and then later in the evening, she asked me if I was going to write her "lots of thank-you notes"! I had to smile because she loves to make and receive notes, so that was something she was thinking about.

Usually, I am a little melancholy on the day after my birthday, with it being a whole year until it's my special day again. But this year, I knew the celebration was going to continue with some treats at work on Tuesday and some other celebrations with friends continuing throughout the month. 

Oh, and then there's the free stuff you can get if you just sign up at the right places. So far, I have enjoyed a buy one, get one free meal offer at Zoe's and a free beverage of my choosing at Starbuck's. I still have a free taco waiting for me at Oscar's Taco and a free treat at Sonic. The sopapilla's pictured above were a freebie from Chuy's, just because we mentioned that we were there celebrating two of our birthdays.

Like I said earlier, I am so thankful for my friends (and family) and how they make me feel loved and special on my birthday. I hope that I do the same for them when it's their special day!

Friday Favorites: Songs of the Redeemed

Our church just celebrated its 20th anniversary and as part of the celebration, we released a new worship CD, "Songs of the Redeemed." It was recorded with a live congregation and worship band and makes you feel like you are sitting in one of our worship services. I have been listening to it when I drive in the car and am sure that people at stop lights are wondering what that woman in the CR-V is belting out so fervently!

I've blogged about my love for worship music before, but let me say again how much songs of faith are good for my soul. I can be having a down week/day/moment, but if I play some worship songs, I am quickly reminded of what is important and that it's not all about me! Some of the songs on the new CD were very meaningful to me after my dad died and it's very special to have them in a collection that I can listen to whenever I want/need to.

Worship songs also help me to "speak the gospel to myself" and remember the truths of God's word. I love that there are congregational readings on the worship CDs that our church has produced and that the words of Romans 8 ("Waves of Grace"), 2 Corinthians 4:5-11, 16-18, Luke 18:9-14 and other passages ("Songs of the Redeemed") can be embedded into my heart and mind as I listen over and over again.

If you don't already have it, you can download or order a copy of the new CD at this link. I think you'll see why this has fast become a favorite for me!

And before I go, let me give a quick shout-out to my friends, Jay and Kristi, who designed the cover of the CD, as well as the bulletins and banners that were unveiled at the 20th anniversary last week!

Friday Favorite: Downton Abbey

I wrote a post last year about my affinity for the show, Downton Abbey, but I just had to write about it again, since Season Three is airing now in the U.S. on Sunday nights.

Before the new season started, I went back and watched Season One and Season Two again. And I even got my sister and brother-in-law hooked and they got caught up on the story just in time to start watching Season Three.

On the weekend that Season Three was going to air, I had the idea that it would be fun to invite some friends over for "tea and crumpets" while we watched the two-hour premier. So I put out the invite and made plans to purchase some scones and made some cucumber sandwiches. My friends also brought goodies like petit fours, cheese and crackers and chicken salad. It wasn't "high tea" in the true sense of the word, but we had fun trying out our British accents and giving commentary as we watched the episode.

I've also been getting a kick out of hearing other people talk about the show, namely some male friends. The other night after choir rehearsal, two men and I were saying that we needed to get home to watch the next episode and ended up speculating about how things might end this season. In my opinion, it needs to have a longer run, but I guess they like to keep us coming back for more.

If you haven't gotten caught up in the Downton Abbey craze, you're not too late! Grab some DVDs or find it online and you'll be hooked!

Like a (Cake) Boss!

I have recently started watching episodes of "Cake Boss" on Netflix. Since I dropped my DirecTv subscription and lost home access to The Food Network, I've missed watching the reality cooking/food shows (I can still watch it while I'm on the treadmill at the Y, but that's another story). I like watching the shenanigans of Buddy and his sisters and coworkers at Carlo's Bakery in Hoboken, NJ, and it's fun to see the elaborate cakes they come up with there.

A few weeks ago I was invited to make a cake to share at a dessert reception for a friend's wedding. About the time that I was asked to participate, the December issue of Southern Living came out with a cover photo of a beautiful white cake decorated with snowflakes made out of fondant icing, which became the inspiration for my cake. My mom and I were reading the magazine and talking about the cake on our Thanksgiving road trip and she offered to help bake the cake and I could do the fondant snowflakes. I thought it sounded like a good arrangement and so we made our plans and I bought/acquired the supplies (thanks to my friend Leanne for giving us the snowflake cookie cutters).

The wedding was this past weekend, so last week I took an evening to make the snowflakes and then Mom baked the cake. On Saturday morning she cooked the icing and I put some finishing touches on the snowflakes before my sister helped me transport the cake to the reception site. I waited until we got there to add all of the snowflakes and it all turned out so pretty! Like a (cake) boss!

 

I have to give a huge THANK YOU to my mom for baking the cake from scratch and even having to do it twice due to a slight problem with the cake sticking to the pan. As an aside, the slightly damaged cake was revived and she gave it to some other friends who my sister was taking a meal to that night. Double blessing!

I also want to thank my sister for letting me borrow her cake plate and for taking the time to go with me to bring the cake to the reception site. She held the cake while I drove and did such a great job, even when I accidentally hit a pot hole and the cake bumped against the side of the dome. It was her good idea to wait until we got there to add the snowflakes, so the little smudge on the cake was easily covered up!

It was fun to step out of my normal comfort zone and to be able to share in the beautiful wedding reception. Seeing all of the cakes that were made and all of the cake stands (those are a work of art all by themselves) made me want to try more cakes, but I think I'd still want my baking team by my side, unless it's a pound cake made in a Bundt pan!

This year: 2013

Wow! Happy New Year! I can't believe that it's a new year again and also that it is the year 2013! This year has been "in the future" for our family for so long, it's kind of surreal that it's actually here.

You see, back in July of 1995, when we held our tiny baby with a head full of dark hair we could hardly imagine what he would look like and who he would become. This year, Lord willing, that little baby boy will turn eighteen and will move into manhood.

Back in the year 2000, when we had a little boy starting Kindergarten and thought about the year he would graduate, it seemed very far off to all of us. Now, Lord willing, that little boy (who is now a young man), will graduate from Hume Fogg Academic High School in May of this year.

And when we we thought about what that little boy would do in his life and where he would attend college and what career he might pursue, we could only imagine and dream. If you asked that little boy what he wanted to be when he grew up, at different times his answer would be either "a Major League Baseball player," "an NFL football player," or "a construction worker." Later on, his answer became "a professional drummer." Now, Lord willing, in August of this year, that little boy (now a young man) will attend college at either Belmont University or University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and pursue a major in music/drums.

I will try not to be too sappy or sentimental as the year progresses, but I hope you'll understand if I feel the need to share lots of memories as I ponder the significance of this year in our lives. It is going to be a very exciting and eventful year for our family!


“Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.” Psalm 90:12 NIV

Christmas Family Times

We have had so many fun times together with family over this Christmas season. Erica and Mary Lane are at some fun ages to make celebrating even more exciting and we all just love being together. It was also an added bonus to have a visit from my cousin, Ashley and her husband, Jonathan, as well as Bud and Vickie. Getting to spend time with family is my favorite gift any time of year!

Daniel, me and Mom on Christmas morning

Russell, Daniel, Bud and Jonathan

All of us with Bud and Vickie

Mary Lane (w/ her monkey hat), Erica and Daniel

Christmas Day family pic

In age and height order. :-)

Blevins girl cousins