Improving . . .

Thank you so much for your well wishes & prayers. Ethan continues to improve. The feeding tube is out & he's being fed with the bottle. He is maintaining his own body temperature & is no longer under the warmer.

These pictures were taken Thursday evening.

He has changed so much in just one day.

Kari will go home today, but Ethan will stay a few more days. They're waiting on some test results. Hopefully he'll be going home soon. Please continue to pray for our sweet baby.

More Pictures & Updates . . .

Hello everyone. I have a prayer request for Ethan. Yesterday after he was taken to the nursery for post birth health checks they noticed he was having a little bit of a problem breathing. He is not critical, but as a precaution he was placed in the NICU. Of course Bobby & Kari were worried about this & disappointed he couldn't stay in the room with them. He was on oxygen for only a few hours because the level was 30, normal is around 21. Last night when Bobby & I went in around 10:00 to spend a little time with him he was no longer on oxygen. Praise the Lord! His white blood count was 30, 10-20 is normal. This indicates he might have an infection so he is on an antibiotic. He is being fed a combination of formula & breast milk through a tube. He is supposed to go home on Friday. Thank you for praying for our sweet little man & his Mommy & Daddy.


Now, here are a few more pictures that were taken just a few minutes after Ethan was born.

Ethan's first moments with Kari.

Now a family of three!

Papaw Bob is talking to Ethan for the first time.

Here I am holding Ethan for the first time while

Kari's mom looks on.

Introducing . . .

~ Ethan Asher B. ~

Born

February 25, 2009

9:14 a.m.

8 pounds 12 ounces

20 1/2 inches long

He's a big boy!

Proud Mommy Kari & Daddy Bobby !

This is a short post because as you can imagine I'm worn out. I only slept for about 20 minutes through the whole process. I will post more pictures & details sometime tomorrow!

Ready, Set, Go ! ! !

Today I'm asking for prayers for Kari & Bobby as they get ready to meet Ethan! Please pray for an relatively easy labor & a safe delivery.

The plan is to check into the hospital at 7:00 PM tonight. The inducement will begin soon after.

I'll try to stay busy today baking cookies & doing a little housework. I'm sure I'll nap a little too! My 'Nana Bag' is all ready for the wait at the hospital. I'm not sure when Bob & I will go to the hospital. Probably about an hour after they're checked in.

Keep checking for updates & pictures. I'll post as soon as I can.

Thank you all so much for your kind words of encouragement & prayers.

Not Yet ! ! !

We're still waiting for our little

bundle of joy!

Please say a prayer for Kari.

I know she's SO ready!

Come on Ethan!

Look at this!

I was so thrilled to win this beautiful

hand stitched needle keeper.

It was lovingly stitched by Renae at

http://mylittleraggedyblessings.blogspot.com/

Go by Renae's & pay her a visit,

you'll be so glad you did!

Thank you so much Renae!

Your handiwork is amazing & beautiful!

Confidence . . .

The Lord, He is the One who goes before you.

He will be with you, He will not

leave you nor forsake you;

do not fear nor be dismayed.

Deuteronomy 31:8

Confidence is a positive attitude toward the future, an assurance that whatever tomorrow brings, you can meet its challenges. With that in mind, Christians should be the most confident people in the world. As a believer, you have the privilege of serving the God who holds the future in His Hands.


Not one thing that happens to you surprises God or catches Him off guard. And He has promised to see you through every trial, every hardship, every heartbreak, every disappointment. Therefore, you can step into the future with confidence, knowing that the God who knows all and sees all has already paved the way before you and will be at your side until your journey's end.

Confidence in the natural world is self-reliance,

in the spiritual world it is God-reliance.

Oswald Chambers

taken from 'God's Daily Answer'

Baby Update & An Award . . .

* Baby Update *

Ethan has not made a move yet!

The doctor said Kari was ready to deliver any moment!

If nothing happens before Wednesday he said to

check into the hospital at 7:00 P.M. Tuesday night.

They'll start some kind of inducement procedure &

if that doesn't get things moving along pitocin will begin.

I'll keep you updated.

* An Award *

My sweet daughter~in~law, Kari @ http://wheremytreasure.blogspot.com/

gave me this GREAT Award!

Thank you Kari!

The rules of this award are:

1. Put the logo on your blog or post.

2. Nominate at least 10 blogs which show great Attitude and/or Gratitude!

3. Be sure to link to your nominees within your post.

4. Let them know that they have received this award by commenting on their blog.

5. Share the love and link to this post and to the person from whom you received your award.

Here are the sweet 'sisters' I'm passing this award on to!

1. BJ @ http://sweetnothingsbj.blogspot.com/

2. Gloria @ http://wwwhappytobe.blogspot.com/

3. Chris @ http://chrisscorner-chris.blogspot.com/

4. Darlene @ http://darlenesdays-darlene.blogspot.com/

5. Patsy @ http://bennie-thesmiths.blogspot.com/

6. Elena @ http://elenasgarden.blogspot.com/

7. Barb @ http://barbsgoodlife.blogspot.com/

8. Shelley @ http://logcabininmichigan.blogspot.com/

9. Laurie @ http://bargainhuntingwithlaurie.blogspot.com/

10. Bo @ http://blinksnwinksfrombrown-eyes.blogspot.com/

Friday Show & Tell ~ Nursery

Today is Ethan's due date! ! !

Excitement is an understatement! ! !

Kari is going to the doctor at 9:00 AM.

Last week the Dr. said if Ethan hadn't arrived

by the 20th labor would be induced on the 25th.

For 'Friday Show & Tell' I'm showing a few pictures of Ethan's nursery.

The crib is all ready!

A book shelf with cute art work & a lamp.

The rocker & another bookshelf with books & other items.

Hope you have a fantastic Friday!

Stay tuned for updates!

Still Waiting . . .

We are still waiting for Ethan to arrive!!

I know Kari is MORE than ready!

Just so you'll know, if I don't post that

more than likely means we're at the hospital.

Cake In A Crock . . .

Here's a great recipe for 'Chocolate Pudding Cake' in the crock pot.

I found it in my

Taste of Home

Slow Cooker Classics

Cookbook

This rich, fudgy dessert is a cross between pudding and cake.

It's great served warm with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

* Chocolate Pudding Cake *

1 package (18-1/4 ounces)

chocolate cake mix

1 package (3.9 ounces)

instant chocolate pudding mix

2 cups (16 ounces) sour cream

4 eggs

1 cup water

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup (6 ounces) semisweet

chocolate chips

* In a mixing bowl, combine the first six ingredients.

Beat on medium speed for 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips.

Pour into a 5-qt. slow cooker that has been coated with

nonstick cooking spray.

* Cover and cook on low for 6-7 hours or until a toothpick

inserted near the center comes out with moist crumbs.

Serve in bowls with whipped cream or ice cream if desired.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

Signs Of Spring . . .

We're starting to see the

first signs of spring!

Tulips emerging from their winter sleep.

Pansies perking up after

the recent ice storm.

Now I'm on the lookout for Robins to appear in the yard!

Monday Memo . . .

There are several items on the 'Monday Memo' list . . .

#1

~ Baby Update ~

Kari's doctor told her Friday if Ethan hasn't arrived by the 20th labor would be induced on the 25th! I think he will be born before the 25th. Stay tuned for more developments & updates!

#2

~ Kari's New Blog ~

Kari started a blog this past Friday called "Where My Treasure Is". I do believe the nesting instinct has begun! Go by & visit her @ http://wheremytreasure.blogspot.com/

#3

~ A Tag ~

Ginger @http://thegingerbreadshed.blogspot.com/ has tagged me to play the letter game.

You're supposed to list 10 things you love that begin with a letter.

She assigned me the letter . . .

These items are listed in no particular order . . .

1. Memories: I cherish memories from the past. I also love creating new memories with my family.

2. Marriage: Being married to my sweet hubby, Bob, for 33 years is a blessing.

3. Motherhood: When I gave birth to my son, Bobby, 27 years ago it changed my life forever. I love being a mom & really look forward to being a grandma!

4. Mary Engelbreit: I enjoy Mary Engelbreit's artwork. I'm sad her magazine is no longer being published.

5. Music: Music is an important part of my life. It was my main focus during high school & college. I taught music for years at the elementary school level. Music inspires me each day.

6. Mashed Potatoes: Love 'em! I don't eat them very often, mostly for Thanksgiving & Christmas dinners.

7. M & Ms: Shouldn't eat them at all, but certainly enjoy them during the holidays!

8. Moon: I love watching a full moon rise in the east.

9. Mountains: My favorite are the Teton Mountains at Jackson Hole, Wyoming.

10. Miracles: The changing seasons, a newborn baby, answered prayers, a life changed by God.

Have a marvelous Monday friends! Hope to hear from you soon!

Love . . .

God is love.

Whoever lives in love lives in God,

and God lives in him.

1John 4:16

Want to know what God wants you to do with your life?

LOVE

Love Him.

Love others.

Love yourself.

Doing those three things fulfills every desire God has for you. Loving well means getting to know others well. It means being aware of their needs, their wounds, their strengths, and their weaknesses -- knowing what makes them smile. This includes knowing both God and yourself as well.

How you express your love is unique. Just like there has never been another person exactly like you, there has also never been another expression of love quite like yours. Be creative. Be generous. Be persistent. Be forgiving. Love with the same enthusiasm with which God loves you.

I have found the paradox that if I love until it hurts,

then there is no hurt, but only more love.

~Mother Teresa~

Taken from 'God's Daily Answer' . . .

Happy Valentine's Day . . .

Happy Valentine's Day

to everyone!

Bob & I will be celebrating this day of LOVE

by getting our taxes prepared.

We have a 11:00 appointment with

our tax preparer.

Isn't that a romantic way to spend a large

part of Valentine's Day?

Not really, but it's got to be done!

UGH!!

Maybe we can work in a relaxing dinner at one of our favorite restaurants.

Friday Show & Tell ~ Fancy Dishes . . .

Well, here it is Friday again

which means it's time for

'Show & Tell" . . .

Today I'm showing my Mother's Candlewick glass that I have on display in my china hutch. When my parents were married in 1948 they received Candlewick for wedding gifts. In the picture above you see some accessory serving pieces.

Here is a bit of information about Candlewick.

~ Candlewick ~
Candlewick was made by Imperial Glass from 1936 to 1984. It was made in crystal, blue, pink, yellow, black, red, cobalt blue, green and caramel. It was made both plain and etched. There were more pieces made in Candlewick than most people can count. There were hundreds and hundreds of different shapes. The banana bowl, snack set and punch set are some of the hardest pieces to find.

Mother enjoyed using her Candlewick pieces for special occasion dinners. Through the years several pieces became cracked or broken because the glass is very fragile.

The larger stemware was used for iced tea or water.

Smaller stemware was used for desserts.

Mother would place pretty paper plates under the dinner plates to really make holiday meals special.

Relish dish,

creamer & sugar servers . . .

After looking at all of these fancy dishes

I decided it's time for me to start

using them more often!

Tomorrow's the big day for showing the LOVE!

What do you have planned?!?

Tornadoes In February . . .

You have probably seen the news reports about the tornadoes that hit Oklahoma on Tuesday. We only experienced severe thunderstorms here in the Tulsa area. I have lived in Oklahoma my entire life & have seen the devastation of tornadoes, but I've never experienced it in February. Just 2 weeks ago we had a serious ice storm. Oklahoma weather is infamous for it's sudden & drastic changes.


My Uncle Jack, Aunt Lucille, cousin Cheryl @http://cherysapplebasket.blogspot.com/, & Great Aunt Hermina live in Edmond, OK. I wasn't able to make contact with them until late Tuesday night. I was relieved to hear they were safe. The tornado touched down about 2 miles from them. My blogging friend, Stacey, @http://poofingthepillows.blogspot.com/lives in Edmond, she was spared any damage to her home. Another blogging friend, Darlene @ http://darlenesdays-darlene.blogspot.com/, lives in the community of Lone Grove, OK, where 8 people were killed Tuesday night when a tornado touched down. Please pray for this town as they face the days ahead.

We're fortunate & blessed to have a storm shelter in our garage. We had it installed a few years ago. The company is called Ground Zero Shelters, http://www.groundzeroshelter.com/.

The concrete is cut out & a hole is dug with a small backhoe. The door slides open for easy access to the shelter that holds 6 to 8 people.

As you can see, you drive your car over the shelter, which means when you need to take cover you don't have to move the car or open the garage door. We have only used the shelter twice, but we feel it was a good investment in the safety of our family. We lived through a horrible tornado in Mannford, OK in 1984 which destroyed many homes, churches, & schools. We took shelter in our neighbor's cellar that Sunday morning in late April. We were blessed with no damage to our home. Those nearby were not as fortunate.

More Attic Treasures . . .

I had several boxes of Bobby's baby things stored in the attic. I wasn't sure what was in some of the boxes until we opened them.

We found . . .

Books . . .

Toys . . .



A crib quilt . . .


A pillow . . .



There was also a box filled with baby clothes,
crib sheets, & blankets that were in great condition!


Only 9 more days!!!

Attic Treasures . . .

Sunday afternoon hubby & I

were digging around in the attic looking for treasures.

I had been wondering if I could find a special gift that

Grandma Ruby gave me for

Christmas in 1970.

Meet Ann & Andy!

Aren't they cute?!?

She made several of these for

her granddaughters that year.

They bring back many special memories . . .

Come back for more attic treasures tomorrow.

Monday Menu . . .

Today's dinner menu is beans & cornbread!

This is one of our favorite comfort food meals

no matter the season. If you haven't learned to

like beans yet remember, it's all in the seasoning.

Try spicing it up a little with a can of Rotel like I do sometimes.

I always soak the beans over night.

The next morning I drain & rinse the beans again.

After I cover the beans with water

I add 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon pepper, & 2 teaspoons garlic powder.

After the beans have cooked for about 5 hours do a little taste test.

Add more seasoning to suit your taste.

I cook the beans on high for 8 hours in the crock pot.

Beans wouldn't be complete without

homemade cornbread baked in

my Mother's cast iron skillet.

We like to add hot sauce & onions to our beans before

we take the first delicious bite!

I found some info on the internet about

why beans are so good for you!

They are:
~ Low in Fat ~
· Only about 4% of the calories in legumes come from fat calories (except soybeans and chick peas). The new food guides suggest we choose lower fat food more often.

~ High in Vegetable Protein ~
· Research is showing that plant protein helps protect the heart by lowering blood cholesterol levels in people with elevated cholesterol levels.
· Beans, combined with grains, seeds or nuts are a prime source of protein in many countries and have been for centuries.

~ High in Fiber ~
· Beans provide lots of fiber which reduces LDL (the bad cholesterol). And that can help to combat heart disease.
· Dietary fiber helps to enhance the health of the large intestine.

~ Loaded With Complex Carbohydrates ~
· Complex carbohydrates are the body’s best source of energy and should supply half our daily energy needs.
· Foods rich in carbohydrates are thought to increase metabolism and speed the burning of calories.

~ Rich in Minerals and Vitamins ~
· Vitamins
· Contains the B vitamins except B12. An excellent source of folic acid which is important to pregnant women by helping prevent neural birth defects such as spina bifida. It may also have benefits in preventing heart disease.
· Minerals
· High in potassium, a good source of phosphorus, magnesium and iron
· A source of zinc

Well, I've probably told you more about beans than you ever wanted to know, but isn't it nice to know that something that tastes so good is also good for you?

Grace . . .

You have been saved by grace because you believe.

You did not save yourselves.

It was a gift from God.

Ephesians 2 :8

Suppose you see some items at the mall that seem to be calling your name. Payday is still a week away, so you whip out your credit card and take those items home. When the bill comes, the credit card company tells you to ignore it and consider the items a gift.

Fantasy? You bet. But, there is a wonderful gift that God has made available to you. His grace is a gift that keeps on giving, when you least deserve it. Unlike credit card companies, God's grace period is eternal. He'll never call in the debt you owe. Jesus has paid it in full. Take a moment to reflect on God's grace. Then, offer Him a gift in return ~ your thanks.

Grace is love that cares and stoops and rescues.

John Stott

from 'God's Daily Answer'

Waiting . . .

It won't be long now!

Ethan Asher is due to make his

grand appearance in 13 days!

Kari went to the doctor yesterday & all is well.

His little head is down in the right position.

Now we wait!

Every time the phone rings I think,

"This could be it!"

I'm keeping my camera battery

charged & ready to go!

Today I'm going to get my Nana tote bag

filled with goodies for the hospital waiting room.

I'm going to include some

snacks, magazines, and other items

for our family & friends

who come to wait for Ethan's arrival.

Do you have any suggestions for my

" Nana In Waiting Bag"?

Friday Show & Tell ~ Yearbook Collection

Several years ago I started collecting yearbooks from Oklahoma A&M & Oklahoma State University. Oklahoma A&M was renamed Oklahoma State University on May 15, 1957. I graduated from OSU in 1974. President Richard Nixon spoke at the graduation ceremony. Gosh, I can't believe it has been 35 years!!

I understand that OSU stopped publishing a yearbook several years ago because of expense issues.

I enjoy looking through the pages to get a glimpse of how life was back in the day. I have 10 books in this collection from the years '31, '40, '43, '53, '56, '61, '63, '64, '70, & '74.

I don't know why ,but for some reason the yearbook

was called 'The Redskin' for many years.

I love the art work in this 1931 edition, so chic . . .


It's fun to see the beautiful fashions . . .



and the glamorous hair styles . . .

Aren't these coeds snazzy ?

This year featured the famous Oklahoman, Will Rogers.

Interesting stories about his life are featured throughout the yearbook.

The cover of the 1956 yearbook looks like a water color painting . . .

The advertisements in the back of the books

are so entertaining . . .

Here are the yearbooks from my freshman & senior years . . .

I made it into the yearbook in 1974 . . .

A Little Love . . .

Yesterday I put away the snowmen & snowflakes

& decorated just a tad bit

for Valentine's Day . . .

Touches of pink . . .

A happy heart . . .

A new look for the old cabinet . . .



This is one of 5 cute Valentine plates
sister, Susan, gave me several years ago . . .


A vintage Valentine card . . .

Be sure to come back tomorrow for

'Friday Show & Tell' . . .