Happy Birthday to Our Dear Sweet Caden Andrew

It's hard to believe, but today Caden is 5 years old!! Wow!!

Grammy & Pappy may not be there with you today, Caden, but we'll be there in just a few weeks.  Then we will party!!!

We love you and wish you the best birthday yet!!

XOXOXOXO

P.S. Come back later today for another post for Caden's birthday!!



Being Nosey

This morning I got up early as the doorbell started ringing at 6:10!  Ridiculous!!  Anyway, I had three shirts hanging in the laundry room to be ironed and so I plugged up the iron to start.  But first I looked out the window and this is what I saw.

Three nosey iguanas as if they were looking in the window!!  I cracked up and ran to get my camera!!  These critters may be nasty, but they give me a laugh every now and then :o)

This Is Awesome ~ You've Got To Watch It!

YOU MUST READ THIS ARTICLE AND THEN WATCH THE VIDEO CLIP.  I CRIED AND HAD HUGE GOOSEBUMPS AS I WATCHED THESE STOOPED MEN, SOME BARELY COULD WALK, OTHERS IN WHEEL CHAIRS, SOME USING WALKERS AND CANES.  IT IS VERY, VERY TOUCHING!!

What honor looks like: The flash mob at Gate 38 of Reagan National Airport

May 23, 2012

By Chris Muller

Honor is a hard term to describe. It doesn’t have a color or weight or shape. If someone were to ask me what honor looked like, I’d probably struggle with what to say.
But something happened on May 23, 2012 at 9:31 a.m. at Gate 38 of Reagan National Airport that might change that. A flash mob of sorts broke out. But not like you’ve seen on YouTube with highly choreographed dance numbers or people singing a song in unison. In fact, virtually all of the participants of this “flash mob” didn’t know they would be participating until moments before it happened.  Let me explain. Shortly before 9:30 over the loud speakers, a US Airways gate attendant announced that an Honor Flight of World War II veterans would be arriving momentarily and encouraged anyone passing by to help greet them. Five or six people looked like they were officially part of the welcoming committee, and the rest of the people in the secure section of the airport were regular old travelers going somewhere. Then I had a terrible thought. What if these veterans came off the plane and just those five or six individuals were there to greet them. I walked a gate over to help see the veterans out.
But – then it happened and frankly, I wasn’t expecting it. All throughout the terminal, people left their gates and gathered around gate 38. A few active military personnel in plain clothes approached the gate attendant and politely asked if they could join in the salute within the jet way as the heroes first stepped off the plane. Every human being in the terminal stood at attention and faced the door.
Someone held up an old newspaper from 1945 that had a banner headline that said, “Nazis Quit!” And when I saw that newspaper, I realized that World War II wasn’t just a chapter in a history book. It was men and women who saw an evil like the world has never seen before and traveled across the world to meet that evil. And they defeated it.
I wonder if in 1945, any of those brave soldiers could ever imagine that 67 years later, we’d still be basking in the freedom that they preserved. And some of those heroes were about to walk through Gate 38.
The first soldier walked through the door. Old, frail and needing help walking. And every person I could see in the entire airport stood and applauded. No – maybe cheered is more like it.
But here’s the thing – the applause didn’t stop. For a full 20 minutes, as veteran by veteran stepped out of the jet way, the US Airways wing of Reagan National Airport thundered in appreciation. Travelers stepped out for the opportunity to shake their hand while others held back tears.
This is the America we picture in our heads. Heroes getting a hero’s welcome and those who enjoy the freedom adequately conveying their gratitude.
Now, I know what honor looks like.

Make sure your volume is turned up for this!!

Soup Again

Poor Dennis!  He has so many problems with his teeth.  Yesterday, he went back to the dentist to have the rest of the root canal finished that they started last week.  But this time it was a lot more painful!  Today he is having severe pain in his ear again.  I sure hope nothing happened.  Before he left for the dentist I asked him what he'd like for dinner being that he wasn't going to be able to eat anything but soft foods once the Novocaine wore off.  He opted for homemade potato soup again!  He has some more major work that has to be done on other teeth.  I think I'll have to start looking for some new recipes :o)

Father's Day Service 2012

Sunday, June 17, 2012

Father's Day Service at WHC

Waiting for the service to begin

The father's waited out in the Narthax

and more

and more

and some more!

Then they were escorted down the center aisle

by the Usherettes

to their seats!

The man who usually takes picture for me couldn't do it this time because of having a part in the program.  So, I had another friend do it and she snapped one of her sweet husband, Buddy!

Dennis helping Theodore with the poem he had memorized!  He always does soooooooo good!!

Mary doing a reading

Sweet Sister Maureen getting ready to lead the singing while three ladies were on the platform to play their tambourines!!  That always adds so much to our song time!!  Maureen is the lady who just got married a few weeks ago and I had pictures from her wedding on my blog.

Left to right:

Shane, McTeer, Bruce and Wayne sang a quartet song

Brother Laten played his guitar and harmonica.  He just had a CD made!  So beautiful!!

Some of the many father's

Two of the Usherettes

Deanna prayed over the offering

Mr. P who was playing the part of Noah for a little skit.  He's the one who usually is my photographer!

Several children read a recitation

Brother Winston sang a beautiful song

And these two were on the program, too, for a song

A table full of goodies ~ fruit baskets and many other gifts!

Another recitation

Our Honorable Premier aka the President of our Island!  He sang a solo

Right after they asked us to go us front to honor us for our anniversary

and they presented this huge, heavy fruit basket to us with a bouquet of flowers in it.

Dennis presented a gift to this couple who were married six years ago on Father's Day.  They've only been coming to our Church for a little over a month or so.

Dennis presenting the "Father of the Year Award" to Mr. Grant.  I watched him when Dennis announced his name and he was shocked!!  He such a quiet and gentle man!!

He wife and one daughter thanked the Church for recognizing him as Father of the Year.  Then they also thanked him for all he has done for them as a family!  It was very touching!

After Mrs. Grant finished her little talk she gave him a fruit basket from their family!

Then as quiet and shy as he is he thanked everyone!!

For some reason my friend took three separate pictures of the father's on the platform.  I wish she would have stepped back the aisle a little bit to get all of them in one picture.  But that's okay!  At least I have pictures!!

After the service was dismissed!  We had a great crowd for this special day!!

Happy 35th Anniversary To Us!

Saturday, June 18, 1977

1:30 pm at Salunga, God's Missionary Church

It was a very, very hot, humid, muggy day!

Look at all the hair on the groom's head!  It's not like that now :o)  And the bride is not near that thin.  How sad!  Time sure has a way of changing us, doesn't it?

Our Wedding Party

Beginning at from left to right

Bridesmaids C. McCoy, C. Spade

Maid of Honor C. Deetz

Matron of Honor L. Brewer

Best Man D. McCoy

Groomsmen K. Ardnt, D. Clevenger & R. Wert

Back Row

Organist D. Brummert

Pastor Rev. James Bates

Soloist Harold T. Killinger

Candlelighters T. Young & R. Hammond

Bible Bearer M. Houck

Flower Girl M. Killinger

Our wonderful parents!

A few years later (like 34 :o)

This was taken yesterday morning at Church when . . . . .

they presented us with this beautiful fruit basket for our anniversary that had a flower arrangement in the basket, too!  If I'm not mistaken, there is Bird of Paradise and peach colored Roses.  So pretty and thoughtful!!

These pictures were taken at the Bluff's last August when my nephew Michael came to visit us from PA.

It doesn't seem possible that we're married 35 years!  Where did those years go?  God blessed us with to wonderful sons, Brett and Brandon, a daughter~in~law, Karissa and the bestest two little Grand~sons, Caden and Jordan!  We live in a tropical paradise!  Dennis and I have talked so many times and still can't believe where God has led us through our married life together.  God is and has been so good to us!!  We're anxious to see what the next 35 years hold.

Special Father's Day Dessert

Fudgy Brownie Pie with Caramel Sauce

I made this delicious, rich dessert one other time and just came across the recipe this week as I was cleaning out one of my kitchen drawers.  Somehow, it got stuck in there with a few other good recipes that I've collected and made in the past.  I thought that I'd make it for Dennis for Father's Day last evening while he was in a Church Board meeting!

~     ~     ~     ~    ~

Bake a pie crust

Gather the ingredients

Mix butter, sugar, vanilla and eggs.  Then add flour, cocoa and salt.  Last, stir in chocolate chunks and pour this mixture into the baked pie crust.

It said to bake the pie crust in a 9" dish.  I debated but thought well, they know what they are talking about.  But when I poured it into the crust I had a lot left over and wished I had listened to myself and used one of the bigger pie dishes.

Since I didn't this is what I thought to do.  I had 9 cupcakes plus the pie :o)  Oh, are they yummy!!  When I ate one of them they were still warm.  I should have put it in a bowl and added vanilla ice cream.  Maybe tomorrow :o)

When you serve the pie, you're to make a caramel sauce to put on top.  I cheated!  I bought the Hershey's caramel syrup instead.  Not sure if I could even find caramels here.  Below is the recipe!

Fudgy Brownie Pie with Caramel Sauce Recipe

Crust

1 Pillsbury refrigerated pie crust

Filling

1 cup butter or margarine

2 cups sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

4 eggs, slightly beaten

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup unsweetned baking cocoa

 1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks/chips

Variation:

1 cup chopped pecans

Sauce

Hershey's Caramel Syrup

Sauce (Homemade)

1 bag (14 oz.) caramels, unwrapped

2/3 cup half and half

Directions

1.  Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place pie crust in 9" glass pie plate as directed on box and bake 15 minutes.

I recommend using either a deep pie plate or larger one as the 9" is not big enough!!

2.  In 2 quart saucepan, melt butter over low heat; remove from heat.  Stir in sugar, vanilla and eggs until well blended.  Stir in flour, cocoa and salt until smooth.  Stir in chocolate chunks/chips and pecans (if desired).  Spread evenly in pie crust.

3.  Bake 45 to 50 minutes or until set.  Cool 1 hour.

If you are going to make the sauce and not use Hershey's Caramel Syrup :o)

4.  Meanwhile, in 2 quart saucepan, heat carmels and half and half over low heat, stirring constatnly, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.  Serve hot caramel sauce over each serving.

Enjoy!  But beware ~ this is very, very rich and sweet, but, oh, so good!!