NEW FOUND CROCHET FUN

Over Christmas when my mother in law Betty was here, she re-taught me how to crochet.  So then I went on Youtube and watched and learned how to make hats with these cute little flowers on them.  I think they are really cute!  Look out people, guess what you will be getting for Christmas next year!  : )

SWEETHEART DINNER 2011

If you ask my family what is their favorite holiday besides Christmas they will tell you its Valentines Day.  My mother started the tradition at a much needed time in my young life and I have carried it on.  No one is allowed in the kitchen and they don't know what I am cooking until it is on their plates.  I keep my menu a secret and it drives them crazy.  I try to cook something new every year.  This year the menu was:
Appetizer: King Crab Legs and Snow crab legs steamed and served with butter
Main Course: Malambre (Stuffed Flank Steak with spinach, feta, cream cheese, asiago and bread crumbs:
                     Sweet Onioin Potatos Au Gratin
                     Corn on the Cob
Dessert: Triple Layer Tuxedo Cake with Whip Cream Frosting and Chocolate Ganache
We took the kids on a little treasure hunt and they got to find presents along the way.  We were pretty frugal this Christmas so with Tax Return we got each of them a big gifts.  Jake got a 4 wheeler, Savanna a power scooter, and Audrey got a net book.  We love our kids and know that it is not just hard on Mark and I with Mark's travel schedule, it is hard on them too, so we just wanted them to know how much we love and appreciate them in our lives. 

THE BI-POLAR WEATHER IN ARKANSAS!

The crazy weather here in Arkansas.  On Wednesday it was 32 and lower and snowed like crazy!  We have had 5 snow days this year!!!  Then by the weekend, the snow was gone, it was in the 70's and the kids were doing chalk drawings on the porch.  They traced Mark and colored him in.  So cute!!!

National Jr Beta Club for Audrey!!!

Mark recieved this great helmet from a friend.  It is an official NASCAR drivers helmet that has been signed by almost all the drivers and crew members/officials.  He is in heaven.  These other pics are of Audrey being inducted into the National Jr Beta Club.  She was asked to join because of her stellar grades throughout elementary school and now in Jr High.  She has to keep a 3.0 gpa, and do several community service projects throughout the year.  Her first one is helping with a fundraiser of a pancake breakfast at Applebees this weekend.  We are so proud of our brilliant daughter.  : )  She wants to be an archeologist or a geneticist when she grows up. 

CHEERS FOR A GREAT 2011!!!

We toasted in the new year with sparkling cider filled with huckleberries that I bottled this summer.  It was delightful and the kids even got to play in the snow this January.  That is a rareity for southern Arkansas.  I love the little snowman with pretzel limbs and buttons.  Cracks me up!  I hope all your new years are off to a great start!  I won't wait so long to update our blog this time!  Cheers! 

CHRISTMAS!!!!

Wow, I haven't updated our blog in almost a year. It's because it takes less time to just put them on facebook, but I finally decided I should get back on track with our blog. We had a super great Christmas season this year. Lots of parties and goodies from our friends, and Grandma and Grandpa Rainey came to stay with us. It made all the difference! So perfect having family close, a luxury we don't often enjoy. These are pics of our house all decorated. We pulled the boat in front and had Santa surfing behind it. It looked great! Also we went to HOpe Landing where Jakob has his speech therapy. They got to do crafts and he got to show his family Rio, his horse that he rides when he is working on his words. Hope Landing is so wonderful and we LOVE his speech and hippotherapist Suzanne and Kim. We opened lots of presents and ate great food and just really enjoyed the season of love and giving. Christmas is my favorite time of year.