Caramel Crescent Pull-Aparts

Easy, gooey, delicious, warm and perfect with a cold glass of milk (or hot cup of coffee in my case)-- we had these for breakfast this morning!

Caramel Crescent Pull-Aparts

• 1/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 cup butter or margarine (I prefer real butter)
• 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
• 1/4 c. chopped pecans (optional)
• 1 (8oz) refrigerated crescent rolls
• 1 Tbsp. granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1. Preheat oven to 375.

2. Combine brown sugar, butter and syrup in an 8-inch round cake pan. Bake at 375 for 5 minutes until butter melts; stir gently to blend ingredients. Sprinkle pecans over butter mixture.

3. Remove dough from package and DO NOT unroll! Slice roll into 12 slices. Combine 1 Tbsp. sugar and cinnamon. Dip both sides of each slice of dough into the sugar mixture. Arrange slices, cut side down, in prepared pan. Sprinkle any leftover sugar mixture on top.

4. Bake at 375 for 18 minutes or until golden. Invert pan immediately onto a serving platter, and serve rolls immediately.

10 Timely Facts about Me

Ten (or so) timely facts about me (ugh, makes me feel totally self-centered!):

1. I am a Mar-sha, not a Mar-cia. The Brady Bunch? Yup, she was a Marcia. I am a Marsha.

2. My favorite flower is a peony.

3. My favorite dessert is creme brulee.

4. When I was in college, I worked part-time as a laundromat attendant and as a professional notetaker (selling subscriptions to my notes for the semester).

5. In the aforementioned college experience, my weekly treat to myself was a Happy Meal from McD's. Yup, I was a high maintenance kind of girl.

6. My favorite thing from McD's when I was a kid was a Big Mac. Maybe it was because that's what my dad always ate? Now I have to fight the urge to get a McRib whenever they are advertised. Those have got to be one of the nastiest sandwiches of all time... and yet they always look good on the commercials! But this year, I will resist the McRib b/c I know it's gross... along with Grape Nuts hot, Campbell's Tomato Soup and Malt-O-Meal. Blech!

7. My fav drink at Starbucks is a white chocolate mocha, although the last drink I had there was a Pumpkin Spice Latte.

8. If my hairs continue to turn white, I am seriously considering dyeing my hair a plum color.

9. When David is gone and I go to sleep with the TV on (to mask the creepy noises), the channel will either be on Discovery Health (200lb tumor anyone?), the Weather Channel (your local on the 8s!), or the classic tv show M*A*S*H.

10. Speaking of M*A*S*H, did anyone else really envision living in a mansion, apartment, shack or house when they were little? Weird how you could be totally bummed when you got stuck living in the shack... like it was real or something!

11. I wish I knew how to double-dutch jump rope. And I wish I knew how to jump on a pogo stick. Oh and while I'm at it, might as well learn how to ride a unicycle too. How fun would that be?!

You can link up with your own facts right HERE.

Video Intro of Me!

I thought I wouldn't have a problem posting this for Heart of the Matter's Friday VIDEO Meme... but ummm... yeah (or yah or yea or whatever!)... Here is yours truly in all my goober glory!

I hope y'all will join in on the fun!!!

Pleeeeeease?

PS Do I really sound like that? I think I'm louder in real life. Oh and I mumble and talk MUCH faster!

Christian's first day of school

Many of you know that this was to have been Christian's first official year to be homeschooled-- even if it was just preschool. Although our plans were not to be, I can look back and see God's blessings.

One tremendous blessing was this special morning when Christian was very excited about his new desk, very own notebook, pencil box, triangle crayons, and even a couple of Kumon workbooks. He just HAD to get started-- and I even took pictures! God is so good to have given me this day as a gift... and I didn't even know it at the time. You see, the big boys were still finishing up last year's work and we weren't planning to start until the very end of August... But God already knew... and He gave us this beautiful day...

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.

~Isaiah 55:8,9

What's in a name?

+I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed reading your comments on my last post! I would like to point out that my friend Teresa practically dared us to guess her and her hubby's it's been a secret for 18 YEARS nicknames for each other. The clues are PPB for him and BLT for her... anyone care to venture any guesses? Maybe she calls Neal her Precious Pooky Buns and he calls her his Big Loving Tater-- because y'know, terms of endearment almost always involve food, y'all.

And then there is Amy in Peru's Chubby Chumchocks... what's a Chumchock anyway? Yup, nothing says loving more than calling someone Chubby... and not just any old chubby but a chumchock to boot-- fo shizzle!

And SisterLisa? I'll just be thankful for the non-creative nickname bestowed upon me by my other half-- because Round Bottom, it doesn't exactly give me a warm fuzzy feeling!

+Now it's time to play a little tag. HomeschoolingKatt and Misty have both asked me to name 6 "unspectacular quirks" about myself. Hmmm... isn't "quirky" the polite person's way of saying "weird"? And unspectacular... might as well just say lame enough of an oddity to keep you in the realm of the uncool. Nevertheless, here goes.

1. I consider a trip to the Grand Canyon as the ultimate torture. The mere thought of those heights and edges make me want to puke.

2. I have been prone to ticks since I was a kid. Not the blood sucking bug variety of ticks, but spazzy body things like tapping my teeth together, clenching and unclenching my jaw, and the current irritating flexing of my left arm and leg muscles.

3. One of my favorite snacks is dried fish, especially the sweet tasting filefish. Eat with a side of toothpaste because it gives you some majorly nasty breath. (Makes you want to be close to me, doesn't it? Hey, does anyone else remember that old mouthwash commercial where the guy says Heck of a hot tub, huh Heather? Okay, just checking.)

4. (Amy, this ones for you.)

I was never the type of girl who had crushes on people. But in my (much!) younger days, I had a major crush on this guy.

Let the laughter commence.

Okay, cease the laughter.

5. I like to iron shirts. But not the German white linen kind of shirts with the millions of pleats all over the front.

6. Lastly and leastly, I can't for the life of me think of a number 6.

Anyone, anyone? Beuller???

Happy Birthday to my hubsy-wubsy-pookey-bear!

So how many of you really think I call David my hubsy-wubsy-pookey-bear in real life?

Well, I don't! I usually call him David, babe or occasionally Dash's real name if he's frustrating me somehow (which ummm... let's just say does not make him very happy-- although it really is accidentally done-- honest!).

Today, David turned the big 36. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BABY!!!

David's parents came to visit, we ate a yummy lunch at Chuy's and then came home for birthday cake (with homemade cream cheese frosting). After having this old Kodak camera for years, I finally tried the self-timer button so we could have a picture with everyone in it:

Not too bad, eh? Although I can't for the life of me figure out why David never smiles in pictures. He looks kinda mean, don't ya think? But he really is nice and super fun! Even if he doesn't have a nickname like sugar-baby-fluffy-buttercup.

David has always called me babe. For some reason, he decided earlier this year that he would start calling me Marsha. Marsha! Can you believe it? Not only did it totally freak me out, but I kept feeling like he was mad at me for something. I finally forced him to quit calling me by my real name and asked him to please call me what he always calls me-- which is babe (and most likely more appealing than the alternative which would be "My Queen").

I also promised not to give him a hard time about whether or not if he knew what my real name was-- or if he was scared that he'd accidentally say his girlfriend's name instead of mine.

(Oh I kid! Like he'd have a girlfriend. We are very secure in our relationship and there is no need for anyone to worry. Thankyouverymuch.)

So, do y'all have nicknames for each other? Please share. And be HONEST! I promise I won't laugh. Too hard.

Rambly Post

There have been so many times that I've wanted to write a post, but then I'd either not know how to word things, or I'd change my mind for one reason or another or I'd just decide to be l-a-z-y. Here is my semi-lazy bulleted post for your perspicuous perusal:

+ The boys started soccer this past weekend with 2 games a piece. It was a full day (hopefully with pics to come soon) and they really enjoyed playing with their teammates- both old and new. The kids always get to choose the name for their team. This season, Dash plays with the Dynamos and Tank plays with the Bombers. It's always fun to see what they'll come up with each season-- past teams have been Blue Thunder, Longhorns, Jets, Hurricanes, and Wild Panthers. This is definitely one of those times that I'm glad it's not a co-ed team. If the girls ever outnumbered the boys and decided to call themselves something pansy like "Fairies" or "Ladybugs", I would have to stay silent on the sidelines or just walk away from the field!

+ I finally packed this in the box. And I've only pulled it out once... just to squeeze and smell.

+ Friday night, I was invited to my friend's daughters' (12yo & 15yo) birthday party. It was a fun girls night out of pizza, cake and ice skating! It was a fun but late night and I am proud to report that I did not fall down on the ice. Hooray for me! Not bad for someone with negative skating skillz!

+ I was driving down the road the other night when a beautiful a capella version of "What A Friend We Have In Jesus" came on the radio. I was thinking about Christian and singing out loud when I looked up into the night sky. Just then, I saw a shooting star-- it was only the 2nd or 3rd one I had ever seen in my life! The timing of it was perfect and I thanked God for sending that star across the sky at the exact moment when I was looking UP!

+ I know I have been throwing out lots of book titles lately, but I have always loved to read. In the past 6 weeks, God has shown me so much through the written word. My dear friend Laura (aka ice skating queen) gave me a book called Streams in the Desert by Mrs. Charles E. Cowman. Let me just say that there were several occasions where the devotion for that day was exactly what I needed! If you are going through difficult times, I highly recommend this encouraging devotional book.

+ And lastly, I had the most vivid dream early this morning! I was at some sort of large public pool and I looked across the water to see Christian smiling and jumping into the waiting arms of my mother. I quickly ran to where they were and started yelling "Christian!" He smiled really big and jumped into my arms. I was holding him in front of me with his legs wrapped around my waist. I kissed him, squeezed him tight and then just kept looking at him and smiling. He wrapped his arms around my neck and gave me the biggest hug and kiss ever! I'd lean back to take a better look at him and he was just looking back at me, grinning and laughing and hugging me. I was so surprised to be holding him and loving on him-- and I yelled for David to hurry and come over. David came and Christian gave him a big hug and kiss too. As I was watching the two of them, something didn't seem right. I was smiling but also questioning How could this be? Maybe this is real and the other vaguely distant thought is the dream.

And then I woke up. Crying. I cried because I began to realize that this is reality and that was a dream. I wish I could show you how REAL it all was! I didn't cry for long because I honestly could FEEL Christian's hug... his soft skin and lips, his squishy belly and arms around me. Even while I'm typing this, I feel like he really did give me a hug and kiss this morning! I could see the twinkle in his eyes and the big grin across his face. I count it a wonderful gift and blessing that Christian visited me in my dreams! Thank you, dear Lord, for letting me love on him again... even though I woke up here, I KNOW that he is in the presence of God and living a life in Heaven beyond our wildest imaginations. How can one ever compare the streets of gold to the cracked and buckling concrete driveway?

Austin's 9th B-day (Aug 2008)

Waiting is boring when there is cake to be eaten...