here they are...

...more pictures of our sweet new granddaughter...

being adored by her mom...

and her dad.

Our younger son holding his niece and his
"best birthday present ever"!

Nana (our SIL's mom) holding her for the first time..
her first grandchild! :-)

My Hubby holding her close...

and me and our grandson getting to know
our "Little E"!

So happy she is here. So happy she is healthy.
So happy our family is growing!

"Children are an heritage from the Lord. Blessed is
he whose quiver is full of them."
Psalm 127:3,4

she's here!

She arrived at 11:36pm on Friday, Oct 28. She weighed 7 lbs 1 oz and is 19 3/4 inches long.

Mom (our daughter), Dad, and baby girl are all doing fine.

She was born on our younger son's birthday. He said she is the best birthday gift he ever received!


So grateful for God's amazing gift of life! More pictures next time!

guest post by the mommy-to-be : the finished nursery

Well, I was supposed to do a post for some
individual nursery projects, but here I am,
just a few days from my baby being born,
and I have not gotten to those posts.
So, instead,here is a post of the COMPLETED nursery.
(Hallelujah! Didn't know if it would happen.)

Here is the changing area.


The picture is a sonogram of her
at 20 weeks I believe. Below that are the words to the
first stanza of one of my favorite hymns.
We also used it at our wedding.
It's called Children of the Heavenly Father:

Children of the heavenly Father,
Safely in his bosom gathered,
Nestling bird nor star in Heaven,
Such a refuge e'er was given.

That's a mirror hanging from the "E"....what you see
in it is the reflection of the crib!

The crib!

My husband's grandma had a friend crochet this.
I am amazed by it!

Love, love, love this recliner! I was close to
getting a glider because that's what you
get for a nursery, but I decided I wanted something
I could really snuggle up in with my baby girl.
It's so soft and comfy!
And of course, the beautiful quilt my friend made. :)

These little shelves are spices racks
that I got from IKEA for $3.99 apiece!
Painted them white and there you go!
Do you think the girl has enough bows?

And how about some headbands?
For this I just bought some ribbon,
cut one long piece and six shorter pieces
to make the little flowers at the end.
I got the mini clothespins at Michael's.
Probably cost me about $7. Pretty cheap and cute!
And Ellison's wonderful Gran is responsible for
the beautiful creation above it! She surprised me
with this using fabric I had picked out for other projects.
I love it!

Below is the bookcase I promised
another post about but never got around to...oh well!
I had bigger plans for it, but they proved
more difficult than I originally thought.
So we have a white bookcase!
The window I found for $12 at an antique store
and painted it myself freehand!
Not the most impressive thing ever, but I like it
and I hope my little girl will too!

This is the chest of drawers featured in my
first nursery post.
Looks pretty great in the nursery!

Closeup of the stuff on top. Baby pictures
of me and my husband and the first ultrasound
picture of our little blueberry!
My mom made the runner and
found the lamp. The jewelry box on
the right was mine as a little girl!


And last but not least, the curtains,
also sewn by my mom, the seamstress!
My husband had the idea to cut off
the bottom of the curtains over her crib
and use those strips of fabric to make the tiebacks.
He is so resourceful!
I got the vase next to the window
from IKEA for $5.99.

So there's our nursery! I hope you've
enjoyed this virtual tour. :)
We are expecting our little one
at the end of the week.
Obviously we are beyond excited!
I'm sure you will be seeing pictures of her soon thereafter!

boy or girl?

It's a girl! Our younger son and daughter-in-law found out today that it is a little girl we will be welcoming in March. Haven't heard how big brother took the news...he was sort of counting on a brother! ha! ha! But I know he will love her when she gets here.
Our daughter-in-law is still having a difficult time. Actually, she is in the hospital as I write this. The doctors seem to think that the complications she is having are second trimester related. When she gets to 20 weeks, they will subside and the next 20 will be normal. She is at 16 weeks now. So, we are praying that they are right!
Our daughter is expecting her little girl to arrive any day, so look for that announcement soon! :-)

the blanket story

If you read the post about my daughter's last shower, you know that I crocheted the blanket in this picture and I said there was a story behind it.
Well, it started many years ago, before she was born. On a weekend visit from my in-laws, my MIL taught me to crochet...nothing fancy...just single and double crochet and how to read a ripple pattern. For a few years after that, I made some afghans and baby blankets. Then I got into country crafts and put the crochet away. About 5 years ago, when our second granddaughter was on the way, I suddenly remembered that I knew how to crochet! So, I made a blanket for her. I wanted this new granddaughter to have something made by Gran, so I decided to make her a blanket, too.
We were in the middle of getting our house ready to sell, so I didn't get started on the blanket until August. I really wanted to give it to her at a shower, so I knew I only had until the end of Sept to finish it. So, every evening, after dinner, I would camp out on the sofa and crochet until bed time.
After about two weeks, I had about 18 inches done. One night, my Hubby asked me to hold it up so he could see it. To my horror, I realized it was the right width at the bottom, but as it went up, it was getting narrower and narrower! Talk about a heart sinking! :-( I sat there for a few minutes grieving and then realized the only thing to do was to take it apart and start over. So, that's just what I did. But, this time I checked it after every row to make sure it was even! :-)
I actually finished it and had it wrapped a week early. She was very surprised and loved it, so that made it worth the effort. I told the story at the shower and it got a big laugh!
We find out Tues if our our grandbaby due in March is a boy or a girl So, I guess I will be shopping for yarn! This time, I will be able to start early and I will remember to check as I go! :-)

God is faithful to remind us of what He has taught us, too...."So, I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have." 2 Pet 1:12 I am grateful that He helps us in this way, so I don't have to always start over!

the winner is...

...Rebecca from Turned Loose!
She became my very first blogger friend
when she left the first comment.
She has held a special place in my heart ever since!

She said she probably wouldn't
make fried green tomatoes, but I told her
she could wear the apron when she slices tomatoes,
chops tomatoes, or when she opens
canned tomatoes! :-)

Thanks to all of you who entered!
Hope you are having a blessed day!

my patient impatiens

Our yard is very shady with large hardwoods. So, every spring I plant impatiens because they are one of a very few flowers that bloom in the shade. They are annuals that have to be planted every year, but since they have such a long blooming season, they are worth the expense every year.
I've talked about how hot and dry our summer was and how hard it was on plants and flowers and even grass. Even though we kept everything watered, the heat kept things depressed and they would wilt anyway.
Since I planted them in early spring, they had the opportunity to get their roots deep and they hung on with all their might! A few weeks ago, our weather turned cooler...low 80's, high 70's. Now, out little "patient" impatiens are growing and blooming their little hearts out! They endured the suffering and are now enjoying the reward for their perseverance.







I bet you can see a lesson for us here. If our hearts are deeply rooted in God's word.... if we can be patient and wait on God....if we have the will to persevere....and if we have the desire to be what He has called us to be....we can endure the suffering in order to reap the reward.

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction,
faithful in prayer."
Romans 12:12

*Remember to leave a comment by Tues
to be eligible for the drawing for the apron!

a good read

I finally finished this book...
having started it a long time ago.

I know some of you have read it and Diana
has even heard the two authors speak.
It is an amazing testimony of the power of God
to change a heart and the grace of God
that changes a life. It is also tells the story
of how God can use His children when they
respond in faith to His call.

A good read!

P.S. Remember to leave a comment to be eligible
for the apron give-away drawing on Wed, Oct 19! :-)

a khaki, red, and green give-away!

Okay, here it is...the give-away from juliette.
Your own personal...

khaki, red, and green...

apron to make fried green tomatoes in!

Leave a comment by next Tuesday, Oct 18.
I'll announce the winner on the 19th!


Now, here's the recipe so you will be prepared when your apron arrives. :-)

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
• 1 pound green tomatoes, sliced 1/3 inch thick
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• salt

Preparation

• Place the flour, eggs, and cornmeal in 3 separate shallow bowls. Dip the tomatoes first in the flour, then in the eggs (letting any excess drip off), and finally in the cornmeal, pressing gently to help it adhere.
  
  
• Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, cook the tomatoes until golden, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Sprinkle with salt before serving.

Enjoy!

now, about juliette...

Well, if you have read the sign, you now know that Juliette is where the movie "Fried Green Tomatoes" was filmed. After the filming was done, the buildings used in the movie were remodeled and, since then, the little community has been a popular place for tourists to visit, shop, and eat at the real "Whistle Stop Cafe"...home of the real fried green tomato!

If you have seen the movie, you'll recognize that

this is the "Whistle Stop Cafe" that Idgie and Ruth owned,

this is the cabin where Smokey Lonesome stayed,

and this is the pit where they made that
famous BBQ!

Across from the cafe, there are cute gift
and antique shops to browse through.
They were all decorated for the season.

There isn't a real depot...

but the tracks where (in the movie) the first Buddy
was killed and the second Buddy was hurt
are still there...

...and the train still goes by. Had to shoot quick
to get this one! :-)

I went in the cafe to get an order of the tomatoes.
This was the sign that greeted me at the door.
I think their southern hospitality could use some work! :-)

Since it was lunch time, the place was full.
So, I couldn't take many pictures.
There were lots of old things on the wall and
the booths and the counter are made from
beautiful old wood.
But I did manage to get this one of an
old shoe shine stand...

...and the movie poster.

I paid for my order (pretty pricey, but, hey, they were
for the Hubby), walked by the geraniums on
the front porch, and headed home.

It was an enjoyable stop....glad I made it!
So, now you know why Juliette is famous. :-)

Here's something I learned after I got home
On Feb 14, Juliette offers a dual postmark
with Romeo, Michigan. Romantic, huh?

Next time, a give- away from Juliette!

catching my breath

Sometimes, I just need to get away from
responsibility for a couple of days.
So, that's what I did this weekend.
I went 45 mins up the road to the same
little motel I went to about this time last year.
It is near a favorite state park where our family
has camped for years...High Falls.
I've written about the hot, dry summer
we have had. I saw evidence of it at the park.

A dead tree...

So little water coming over the dam,
that the geese were sitting on it....

and the rocks, that usually have water rushing
over them, were dry and completely visible.

But, there was some color to see...

and the lake is still lovely and busy
with fishing and boating...

and the geese are still friendly!
These were right at my feet as I
sat in my chair reading my book. :-)

I feel rested and refreshed and prayed up!
It was a good time away!

On the way home Sunday, I took a little detour
and made a stop here.
Without research, does anyone know what it is
famous for??

I'll tell you all about it next time!
Thanks for dropping by!