every captive thought

Today was day 2 of celebrating Brad's birthday.  Brad's favorite dessert is a Zuccotto.  He loves it and I love to make it.  Here is the inside.  So yummy! We went to eat with Brad's mom then came here for dessert. I couldn't get the boys to look at me for a picture...they were too interested in the cake. Yes, Jude is set on wearing these boots everywhere.  Even out to dinner.  I just read an article about saying "yes" to your kids as much as possible and save your "no's" for the things that really matter...bc they hear "no" enough.  So..."YES!  You can wear your boots with your shorts to dinner." This morning James and Jude were watching Curious George and James had a strainer on his head.  Of course, that makes perfect sense.  He was totally oblivious to me taking pictures of him. Jude was not.  He is always camera-ready. We have had a fun two days celebrating Brad and it isn't even his real birthday...

Don't you love the first day of feeling good after being really sick?  It is like you have a whole new zest for life...or something like that.  The boys all seemed great today!  Jude had a small little relapse that involved some vomiting and a bad attitude but I think he was just tired.  That boy loves to sleep.  I am mostly back to normal...a little bit of a sore throat and temp but other than that...so much better than yesterday.  This is what I did yesterday...all day long... ...laid in bed.  James came to keep me company for a couple of hours.  I bribed him with watching Bob The Builder and playing the Thomas game on my phone.  It worked. My wonderful Mom and Mother-in-law brought us lunch and dinner!  Delish!  What a blessing! Brad was AH. MAZING.  He took care of me and the boys all day.  I didn't do a single thing but lay in bed and call him on the phone to bring me stuff.  I started to get up to do someth...

First and most importantly...my Mother made a delicious meal as always tonight but the dessert....OH. MY. GOSH.  It was a new recipe she tried out and I haven't stopped eating it since we got to her house.  The good news is that they are really thin and so you can eat several of them and still have room for more.  They are called PRALINE BARS but that name does not do them justice.  At all.  And the recipe doesn't do them justice either...you are just going to have to take my word on this one and make them right away. Praline Bars 12 unbroken graham crackers (4 squares each) 2 sticks of butter 1 cup packed brown sugar 1 cup pecans, chopped 1 cup chocolate chips Place the graham crackers in a jelly roll pan with sides.  Melt the butter in a saucepan.  Add brown sugar and pecans.  Boil slowly for 2 minutes.  Pour over the graham crackers.  Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top.  Bake at 300* for 15 minutes.  Cool for 10 m...

Karin and her sweet family came over this morning for coffee and donuts since they were in town for the ordination.  The kids always have so much fun together. Caught on the stairs In the toy closet Playing baseball Addi Pie Playing Jamesie playing baseball with Daddy and Uncle JT James and Addi playing baseball We all went to lunch over at Stan and Marva's later.  Brad gave Stan an antique rosary for his ordination gift.  He really loved it. The kids had some more fun playing over at Grandma and Grandpa's.  Addi picked one of Grandma's flowers. And of the 47 pictures James took with my camera...this one cracked me up.  Grandma's couch and his tootsie foots...  He's running my battery down.

First and most importantly...Happy birthday to my sweet mother-in-law Marva! I love you! Thank you for being such a wonderful mother-in-law, mother, grandmother and friend. You are a blessing to us. This morning I made Jude's first batch of baby food! Sweet potatoes! Yall...he LOVED them. And I pray this child inherited my eating habits and not Brad's food snobbishness. James is a little mini Brad...looks like him, built like him, acts like him and eats like him. Jude wasted no time gobbling down his sweet potatoes. I feel sure that if he could have, he would have asked for some more please. Tonight Stan and Marva came over so we could celebrate her birthday. James celebrated the cupcakes.   Hands-free of course. Totally the product of two type-a's.   He can't stand dirty hands. Or dusty tables. He loves to dust.  And I love that he loves to dust. I really took this picture to show my sister how he loves the muff-muffs she sent him. They are big boy ...