These Are Special Times

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On our way to Indiana to visit our girls and George and Mary! I read and played on the internet while Steve conducted business.


We had to see the changes to the house since our last visit. Alayna has a Princess bedroom and it is sooo cute!



They live in a great neighborhood and the girls enjoy riding their bikes whenever they can. The weather was great so we spent some time outside each day.



We went to Newport Kentucky and ate lunch at a German restaurant. The food and company was wonderful!


The girls really enjoyed our visit to the Aquarium in Newport. We have many photos of them monkeying around.


View from the aquarium.



Emma almost to get ate by a dinosaur looking creature.



Alayna touching the shark on the wall.



Both girls enjoyed the octopus!



The alligator didn't scare them!



They set on the frogs!



We all fed the birds in the rain forest. At one time Steve had three birds on him, when he was able to coax them to get off we left in a hurry!



I was always taking photos of others and Steve insisted that he take one of me while in the rain forest.



I had to include a photo of one of the catfish!




Checking out the sharks, this was the real thing, kind of intimidating!



Emma in front of the penguins.



In front of the jellyfish, they love each other.



Eating ice cream after our aquarium tour.



Our time with our kids is over but we smile and look forward to being together as soon as possible!

Feeling More Like a Grandma Everyday!!!

It has been so hard to find time to blog lately. Ashia and I just returned from Jackson where she finished the last of her baby registry. She registered at Wal-mart and Babies"R"US. The baby showers will start soon and we are excited, to say the least. In the meantime I have been shopping for our baby in Indiana. I have bought a lot of diapers so far, more will be purchased as soon as we know the sex. I just feel it is a boy and you don't know how many times I have almost purchased something for a boy, but I have been a good grandma and waited, as of now can't promise what I may buy on my trip!



This photo is of Sydney resting on baby Austin on the way to Jackson. While we were gone Sydney got to meet Sam and I think she's going to be just fine. I was holding him and she started jumping up even with his body so I went and set on the sofa where she could see him. She sniffed him all over and then jumped down and went her merry way. Maybe it will be the same with Austin when she arrives.



Ashia recently colored and cut my hair. I love it, it is so easy and cool, which means a lot with this hot weather we have. Also with shorter hair I don't look so much a grandma although I feel more like one everyday!

I went to my Gastroenterologist, today the opening of my stomach has blocked off again so they will do the procedure to open it back up on July 27. At this time I feel awful and can hardly eat, although I am trying to embrace this time because I have lost a few much needed pounds. After it is over I will feel so much better and for now I have to eat small meals during the day and drink something nutritious at night.

Another exciting thing in my life, Steve and I are praying we can leave on Wednesday for a much needed vacation. We have not been anywhere apart from a quick trip to see our kids in four years. Steve had told me that as soon as it rained we would go somewhere. I saw a rain passing through the Delta on TV this morning but figured it had missed us, as it always seems to, but when I arrived to pick up Ashia for our Doctor appointments Ben said that it was raining in the Delta and his Dad was coming home. I still didn't think about taking a trip as farmers NEVER get their hopes up, but Steve called and asked how soon I could leave. I can't explain to you the excitement I felt and still feel. I will be spending the next few hours packing and getting ready to go!!! In the midst of it I need to think about traveling "Gracefully Gluten-Free"!

Oh, one more thing. I made gluten-free sandwich bread with my bread machine last night and it did fine. I guess as stated in an earlier blog I did jump the gun and I'm thankful for that.

Gluten-Free Recipe for Banana Nut Muffins

I have been home (in Macon) sick this week. I ran to the grocery store to buy a few items that I needed and found "Gluten-Free Pancake and Waffle Mix". This may not seem like much to you but I live in a small town and for the local store (Tem's) to stock ANYTHING gluten-free is a big deal! Shopping for gluten-free items reminds me of shopping for American made items in Guatemala. I use to get sooo excited when I found anything that I was use to buying here in the good old USA. Now I'm doing the same thing with gluten-free, it's funny how some things never change.


I made these recently and my family loved them. Ben said that he could not tell they were gluten-free.

Banana Nut Muffins
Servings: 12

Ingredients:

Combine in Large Bowl
3 bananas; very ripe, peeled and mashed
¼ c. oil
1 c. dark brown sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
1 egg

Whisk together in separate bowl
1 ½ c. GF all purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. xanthan gum
1 tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
½ c. mini chocolate chips optional
½ c. nuts; chopped optional
½ c. dried fruit optional

Instructions
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Line 12 muffin cups with paper liners.
Add the dry ingredients into the banana mixture and stir until well blended.
Mix in your choice of add-ins. Spoon batter into muffin cups and bake for about 20 or until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.. Cool muffins on wire rack. Wrap leftover muffins; bag and freeze for easy on the go treats. Reheat briefly in microwave, if you wish.

My Favorite Sandwich Bread

Do you ever have a day like this? I was really tired after working a lot on Thursday and so on Friday I was looking forward to a more relaxing day today. When I got up I started a loaf of "My Favorite Sandwich Bread" (if you have not tried this you should I order mine from "Gluten Free" or "Amazon"). After a while I went in to check my bread and the timer on the bread machine had not moved. I panicked and emptied the bread dough into a bread pan to let it rise and bake it manually. The bread rose all over the oven and so I decided to clean up part of it and then bake it and I dropped the pan! Now I had bread dough all over the kitchen. I should have quit and went back to bed but I managed to persevere and clean up the mess plus make a new loaf of bread. Now that this catastrophe is over I wonder if I actually jumped the gun and didn't give the machine time to do it's thing? HHMMM maybe I'll give it one more chance I love my bread machine, thanks to my great cousins who gave it to me as a wedding gift when I married Steve.



The new loaf of bread never seemed to get done. After cooking it twice I finally cut it up and put it in a box. The inside is a little gooey but after toasting it is is great. Lord please let my bread machine be ok so I can eat decent bread again!

This brings one more thing to mind. Have you ever shopped through "Good Shop"? It is a website that you can shop numerous stores through and give to your favorite charity at the same time. My daughter introduced me to this when I bought my MacBook. Give it a try all of us want to help someone else, right?

To view more photos by Ashia click on the above photo.

On a much happier note, my cousin Michelle and her two children have been visiting Ben and Ashia. And I have been able to spend time with each one of them and have thoroughly enjoyed it. They use to come regularly and visit the farm but do not get too much anymore since Michelle works as a nurse, is VERY involved in the lives of her children and has a new man in her life. Yes, it true Michelle is in love and I am happy for her but the bad thing is he LIVES IN NORTH CAROLINA!!!! I know one day Michelle, Rivers and Gage will be leaving Mississippi to join Dan in NC and I dread it but can't say anything after all didn't I pray that she find true love and be happy? Come to think of it this is the second Michelle in my life that I have prayed this for and the first one moved to Alabama, which isn't so bad because I can see her once in a while but North Carolina. If you're name is Michelle and you want a mate don't ask me to pray unless you are ready to pack your bags!



When I got home from the Delta I mentioned to Ashia and Rivers that I needed to go buy groceries because there was nothing to eat at my house. Rivers brought me this, she had made a grocery list for me of what I needed. Isn't that the sweetest? I can't believe she is this big!



I hope you all had a wonderful 4th. We enjoyed spending time with family for a nice swim and cookout.