Happy Birthday Avery!!

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Seven years ago today, at precisely 12:12pm, a 8 lb 15 oz baby girl came bounding into our lives! This is the day that Avery was born! It kind of sounds like a lively event, huh? Well, it was that, and her life has been SO much more of THAT, too! Avery was described by her Papa Bill to her parents as, "she should have been born with a stop sign on her head" because she has, by far, been our most energetic little girl! She is vivacious, full of life, smiles all the time, is always in trouble for something, loves people, loves bugs, would live outdoors if you let her, competitive, always in motion, and so, so much more! Avery has brought a joy and life into our home, and sometimes we don't quite know what to do with all of that energy, and most times she humbles us because she gives us no warning what she will do in public, but Avery is Avery, and we wouldn't want her any other way.
She has made us so proud, too. She doesn't hold back in life. She gives it her all. She tries very hard at all she does. We couldn't be more proud of everything she has already been, is and will become.

She loves Jesus! We are so thankful that she has a desire to live for Him and do His will. She is often found huddled up with her sisters making plans how they will tell their friends about Jesus.
She loves her family! She may be the wild girl, but when the time comes she is ready to settle down, you'll find she is our cuddle bug. She loves to give hugs and curl up in our lap for some lovin'!
We are so thankful for Avery today and everyday. We want you to read this one day, Avery, and know that there is absolutely NOTHING we would change about you. You make us want to laugh more, love more and enjoy life a little more each day. The day you were born was just as special as the day your sister's were born. You warmed our hearts with a smile that we're convinced you were born with! We will never forget going in your room to get you up each morning and there you would be looking up grinning from ear to ear. Nor will we forget the way you always want to be just like McKenna and Bailey, and the wonderful sister you are to take such good care of Quinn. We love hearing you and Addie talk on the phone and laugh your heads off over what happened at school that day, and when we look out the window and see you and Andrew catching, yet, another bug to "take care of."
We can't wait to see what God uses you to do. We would guess He's got big things in store for you! We pray you always seek after Him, live each day as a joy to serve Him and know He is always there for you.
These last 7 years have been a blast! You are always going to be our special girl! We hope that this birthday is your best ever! We love you!!

Tastes of Tuesday

Thought I would add a little more to my tastes of fall collection. Today, I'm adding Oreo Truffles. These are not exactly fall-ish, but you can certainly make them to fit the season by a drizzle of orange chocolate coating. Just use food coloring to tint vanilla coating, or buy the Wilton chocolate melts in a fall color. Anyway, these are absolutely fantastic. And trust me, if I'm passing along a dessert type recipe, it would have to be easy. I prefer to concentrate on the meal part of things rather than dessert, so I generally try to find something very easy. So, enjoy these few recipes I'm posting today, and be sure to check out my sister's post on Apple Squares. They sound like a must have!
Easy Oreo Truffles (courtesy Kraft Food and Family magazine)
Ingredients:
1 pkg. Oreo chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
1 pkg. 8oz. cream cheese, softened
2 pkg, 8 oz. each, semi-sweet baking chocolate melted
Directions:
Crush 9 of the cookies to fine crumbs in food processor; reserve for later use. (Cookies can also be finely crushed in a resealable plastic bag using a rolling pin.) Crush remaining 36 cookies to fine crumbs; place in a medium bowl. Add cream cheese; mix until well blended. Roll cookie mixture into 42 balls, about 1-inch diameter. Dip balls in chocolate; place on wax paper-covered baking sheet. Sprinkle with reserved cookie crumbs. Refrigerate until firm, about an hour. Store leftover truffles, covered, in refrigerator. Sidenote: I have given these as teacher gifts. Once firmed, I place in a chinese take out box and tied a ribbon on the handle. I did this for Valentine's day, but it would be a sweet gesture anytime!!

Pumpkin Ooey Gooey Butter Cake (courtesy Paula Deen)
Cake:
1 (18 1/4 oz) package yellow cake mix
1 egg
8 Tbsp. butter, melted

Filling:
1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, softened
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
8 Tbsp. butter, melted
1 (16oz) box powdered sugar
1 tsp. cinnamon
1tsp. nutmeg

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Combine cake mix, egg, and butter and mix well with an electric mixer. Pat the mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 13 inch baking pan

To make the filling: In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and pumpkin until smooth. Add the eggs, vanilla and butter and beat together. Next, add the powdered sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and mix well. Spread pumpkin mixture over cake batter and bake for 40-50 minutes. Make sure not to over bake as the center should be a little gooey.
Serve with fresh whipped cream. This recipe will change your life!!!

This Week in Pictures

Thought we would catch you up on our week through pictures. Here's some highlights of our week with family and friends

Quinn is "hamming" it up for the camera. She was saying "Cheeeeeese."

McKenna, Bailey and their friend, Taylor, put on an outdoor "show" for us. Here, McKenna is demonstrating her scooter skills!

Bailey is doing the "one-footed" move on the bike

Bailey, Quinn, McKenna and Taylor

Our house...we still have our ferns hanging, but we're getting ready to put out pumpkins and hay very soon!!!! Can't wait!

What little table decor I have

Avery stole my camera again!

Quinn was enjoying a Blueberry Toaster Strudel

My dear friend, Karen, home from Southeast Asia where she serves as missionary/teacher. She'll always "pose" for the camera. We love having her around so we can laugh!!

Finally, my aunt gave me my first blog award (see Autumn award on right sidebar), and I'm to pass it on to some of my favorite blogs, so hopefully you'll read this and just copy and paste the award on your blog!
I'm just forwarding it to a couple of you, but feel free to award yourself at my expense if you want!!
Tricia

Amy D.

Little Miss Lumbee, Drew!

Sheldon

The Greene's

Check back soon for a new fall recipe...maybe even today!
Have an awesome weekend!

Yummy Fall Treat

Thought I would share one of my favorite treats for the fall. Of course, it is great in the winter months, too, when the coffee pot is never turned off at our house. Warning, though...this is not remotely healthy. It is, however, comforting, wafts a great aroma through the house and is just down right GOOD!
I have always sworn that I first had this at my Bridesmaid's Brunch when I got married, given to me by my aunt but she says that is not where I had it, but no matter where I had it, it became a household favorite of mine that I love to share with my friends when they are over. Not sure about the name...PLOP....you definitely do plop it in, though, but I wouldn't recommend it since your dealing with hot coffee! :) So, if you are in need of a great fall/winter treat, put on the coffee pot, grab a great book or magazine and treat yourself today!

Plop

1lb butter
1 box light brown sugar
2 tsp. nutmeg
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 qt. vanilla ice cream

Autumn

Most of you know that I love fall. I love it partly because I was born in the fall, so about the time my birthday comes, there's a sense of new beginning for me personally, as well as a sense of newness around me. There is no where else I would rather live than near the mountains when fall hits. I couldn't bear the thought of having to live in the desert or at the beach during the months of October and November. I would drive whatever distance to just seen the leaves change and smell the autumn air. I love the smell of people burning leaves this time of year, the smell of my Ooey Gooey Pumpkin Cake in the oven and the turkey in the fryer at Thanksgiving. So, for the next few weeks I'll be posting some of my favorite fall activities and recipes. Today, take a look at these pumpkins that the girls and I made yesterday. We had fun putting our own personal touch on them. The big pumpkin is one that I made last year.
I'll be pulling my fall decorations out this week, too. I know that fall doesn't officially start until next week, but I cannot wait! We're starting NOW!
So, what's your favorite part of fall? Have any family traditions you want to share?
Each year I like to add another tradition or favorite to the season, so I'm always looking for new ideas. Feel free to steal mine if you like! :) Can't wait to get started....Let's go! It's Fall Y'all! (Sorry, couldn't resist!)

Where Were You When...

We've all heard, and even said, "I remember where I was..." when such and such happened. It may be a song that takes us back, or a smell, or just a moment where time stands still and we remember. For me, I remember where I was when our country changed forever...when evil took over and lives were ripped from families and fear replaced security. I know where I was on September 11, 2001. We lived in Dillon, SC and I was expecting my third daughter, Avery. I was so close to my due date that I was miserable. To compound everything, I had been on about six weeks of bed rest already and I just wanted some relief. My Mama had traveled down from Richmond, VA to take care of me and relieve my mind of all I needed to do. We had gotten into a morning routine of breakfast for the girls and sipping coffee and watching the Today Show for us. The mood of the news everyday at 8:30-ish was always low key, entertainment related, but this particular morning the mood was so much different. The air was heavy with tension and attempts to remain calm, but it's as though we knew in that moment that our lives would be forever changed. Fear immediately overtook me as I sat, without blinking, watching the news. I thought, "Surely they are talking about some other country...NOT ours!!" The truth of that day just kept getting worse and worse as more attacks were later reported. No one could believe it.
For me, bringing a child into the world...very soon...I went from wanting to have her right then, to "stay inside forever, my precious girl...stay where you are safe." I don't know how long it takes for us to truly grasp all that day has changed for us, because I definitely think the changes are still presenting themselves to this day, but this one thing is what I took away from it all.
People were flocking to churches, to spiritual friends, and whatever and whomever could offer them peace. I remember looking across the street from my bedrest spot and seeing more cars in our church parking lot than I ever remember seeing before. People were coming out in the droves just to talk to God. It didn't take a whole lot of time, however, that we, once again, forgot that He's never changed from being the Peacespeaker. He speaks it everyday. If we only knew how He speaks it over our life each day, we would be shocked. It took horrible events, that in no way He ordained, to draw our attention back on Him and our need for Him.
I remember when I lived in Venezuela, I longed for my country, the United States. I would hear the national anthem on TV, or on trips back to the States, and I would bow my head and weep...I still do. I believe in "one Nation under God." I believe in a country that was founded on His truth. No amount of attacks or terrorism will change that for me. Today, I am remembering lives lost, places changed and more than anything, a God who never has changed.

In our church this month we are doing the 30 challenge of "One Month to Live." It's true that sickness, death, attacks on our country all shape how we live...how they serve as reminders of why we are here in the first place. Today, as you remember 9/11, what is God showing you? Is He reminding you of something...a promise, a conviction, a truth...that would prompt you to live your life differently? I pray that today you take time to remember...not just horrible events of a day 7 years ago, but that you remember the horrible, yet REDEMPTIVE, event of thousands of years ago when Jesus came and gave His very life so that we'd be set free. It's an event I cannot forget.

Fall TV

I have never hidden the fact that I am a little addicted to TV. I have been known to plan my life around it...at least I did before I had DVR. I enjoy lounging in front of the tube watching my favorite shows, while sipping some good coffee, year around! Here's a little of what I have been watching lately:

Deal or No Deal: Was I the only one that got a little excited to see Jessica Robertson win the first million on the show. I have nothing to hide from you...I CRIED! I love to see people happy. She was pregnant with her second child. I am so surprised she didn't go into labor right then!



Prison Break: I've told you before, Jeff and I love this show. We planned to be home by 8pm on Labor Day just to see the season premiere, which was two hours long. We ran a little late from being at a friend's house, so I was really grateful for my DVR that night.







Football: We have been watching some football around here lately. Our season started with a Thursday night game for the Gamecocks. They looked like a bunch of girls playing the first half, but played a little better the second half...good enough to beat NC State (with love, for Resia!). We have been watching some Wake Forest football, too. That's on the agenda today. We have a special friend who plays for them. Look for #67. We think he's great! Oh, and Resia, we'll be cheering for Wake when they play State, too!

Rachael Ray, Oprah, etc: My talk shows start back up on Monday! Yay. I know that Oprah is not everyone's favorite, nor is she mine, but I can't wait to see her time with our US Olympic gold medal winners on Monday. Rachael Ray starts up, too, and I'm just a sucker for a new recipe.

So much more TV to come...Biggest Loser, Lost (in the winter); Survivor; American Idol (January); ER ( I have watched this show since it premiered in '92, as I was studying for a psychology exam); House; Tori and Dean (that's a bit of a guilty obsession, but it completely amuses me)
Oh, and for the inquisitive minds out there, my girls go to bed at 8pm, so yes, I do have time for all of this TV!!

There's so much great TV to watch. What are you looking forward to?