Life Interrupted - For Illness

Sorry no updates right now - I am so sick. You know the drill - fever, ear infection, sinus infection, cough.... Really I feel like I've been run over by a truck. So this week has been filled with going to work and then coming home and going straight to bed.

And sadly, Keith is right behind me on the sick train, though he hasn't gone to the dr yet and so no antibiotics for him. An example of just how crummy we feel? We were to get Brooklyn all weekend and have had to call and cancel. That makes us both so sad....

TWD: Caramel Crunch Bars

This week Whitney of What's Left On The Table? chose the Caramel Crunch Bars for our TWD project (click on her blog name to get the recipe). These definitely got a thumbs up from both Keith and I. It's a butter (a LOT of butter!), brown sugar, etc. cookie base with a thin layer of chocolate and toffee bits on the top. Really what's not to like?


I'm rather glad they are as rich as what they are because that keeps our greedy little hands out of them a little more. We were more than satisfied after eating our one square.

And when I was in the kitchen cleaning up after our taste test Keith suggested I keep out two bars for us and take the rest to work with me tomorrow. I do believe he fears we'll eat every last morsel ourselves and we so do not need it!

Really - go up there and click the link to get this recipe. Sooo good.

Mojo Monday Card....On Friday!

Yesterday I issued a challenge to a friend of mine for us to both make a card using the Mojo Monday sketch. Happy to say I actually did get mine done! This card uses Happy Harmony stamps from Stampin Up and the papers are from somewhere online that had digital paper. Love doing hybrid cards. Not sure that printing my own paper actually saves money since there's ink and paper involved, but at least maybe this way I won't buy so much paper just to have it sitting around.

And a side note to this card - it's one of my absolute favorite Bible verses. I've got it printed out and hanging on my cube wall at work. A good reminder when things don't go as maybe I wish they would.

And I am definitely going to put this one in the mail. :)

An Evening With B

What a fabulous evening! James called right as I got off work and asked if we had plans tonight. Of course we didn't, so since Loni had something going on tonight and it was just him and Brooklyn they came on over. First we played a bit with the toys at grandma's house, then of course that made her thirsty. I got out one of the few purchases I made at the craft show - a cutie pie diva sippy cup! Isn't it darling .... and silly? She liked it and would sometimes reach up with one hand and pet the fur while she was drinking. Really I hear that every 19 month old girl simply must have one this year - it's all the rage. ;)

After dinner we stopped by Best Buy to look around. At one point we went into the "expensive tv's and blue ray players" room and she saw that one tv was playing the movie Cars. She sat herself down and became entranced with the movie! And dopey grandma, I didn't even realize it was the same probably 2 minutes over and over until James pointed it out. DOH!

And can I possibly have a Brooklyn post without a photo of static hair??? She had so much fun climbing in and out of the little Geek Squad car shopping cart and of course the plastic made her hair stick out.

Grandchildren are to grandparents like sunshine to a day - Unknown

Stamp Club - Sympathy and Thank You

Sometimes things just work out so well. I usually have kind of a mental list of cards that I need to send and at Stamp Club we just happened to make two of the cards I needed. In fact, the first card is easily one of my favorite cards of all time.

We recently got word that the wife of the pastor of our church back in OKC had passed away. She was the kind of person that absolutely everybody loved and so this was really hard. A gentle, kind soul that truly loved the Lord, we rejoice that she no longer feels the pain. And yet she will be sorely missed by all.

And this card will be winging its way off to somebody that recently sent something to me. Her kindness is much appreciated.

This is the year that I want to send more cards, both for real reasons like above and for some "just because" type of occasions. I went through an entire year of Stamp Club last year and for the most part kept the cards because they turned out well and I wanted to use them for examples. But in reality they have sat in a box and haven't seen the light of day. That is just silly as they could be bringing joy to somebody's mailbox, so this is the year for that.

Remember the days of getting a letter or card in the mail? I especially loved handwritten notes. I would open the envelope and hurriedly read the letter or card. Then go back and read it slowly and savor every thought that was written. My grandmother was probably my best "pen pal" as she often sent letters and cards for no reason at all other than she loved me.

Reading this blog shows how much I love computers and quick communicating, but a part of me pines for the old-fashioned way too. I had a special wooden box that I saved cards and letters in and even today could go and look through some of those notes. It's kind of hard to do the same thing with email, though I suppose we could print them out.

I challenge everybody to send a note or card out this week to somebody you care for. I guarantee you'll bring a smile to somebody's face.

TWD: Devil's Food White-Out Cake

This week's TWD recipe was chosen by Stephanie of Confessions of a City Eater. We made the Devil's Food White-Out Cake, which is on the cover of the book, and the recipe is available at Stephanie's blog.


This cake was fun to make for a couple of reasons - one of which was the marshmallow frosting. Can you believe that never in my life have I made marshmallow frosting??? It took some time, especially when you compare it to making a buttercream frosting, but the results are well worth the extra effort. Light and fluffy and a total complement to the fudgy goodness of the cake.

I had the same problem that many others on the list did - my cakes did not rise very much. Since the recipe says to cut the 2 layers into 4 and use one of them for crumbles on the top, well I was a little concerned. I finally decided to make it a two layer cake and just shave a little off the top for the crumbles.

It really is a spectacular cake, wonderful flavor and with this presentation makes it a great celebration cake. Both Keith and I decided this is definitely one to put in the keeper file.

Pinwheel Block

I've started doing a Block of the Month at a fairly local quilt shop. It sounds really cool - the first kit cost $5 and included the fabric and directions to make the Pinwheel Block above. When the next month rolls around we bring our completed block in and receive the next kit for free! In theory I can complete an entire quilt top for only $5. And even the penalty isn't bad - if a block isn't completed in time or if I can't make it to the quilt shop on the designated day they only charge $5 for that block. Overall it will be a scrappy sampler quilt all in the '30's repro fabrics and I really like it.

I now have kit #2 in my hands and 4 weeks to complete it. And if I get enough other things done in this month I'm going to splurge on some fabric for a little project for B. Sometimes it can be dangerous walking into a wonderful quilt shop because there are so many temptations!

On the way to the quilt shop we stopped to get some lunch to go. We've started picking up copies of Texas Highways magazine and are having such a grand time finding out of the way places. We absolutely love the mom and pop type restaurants or quirky places. This magazine has a feature where people can write in and recommend restaurants throughout the state. The most recent issue a woman wrote about Big Fatty's Spankin' Shack in Valley View, Texas as having the best barbecue briskit sandwich she'd ever eaten. Who could resist such words? Especially when it turns out that it's just maybe 2 miles off the interstate.

We had a ball in here! It's a small place and the people working are so mellow and laid back. In addition to the briskit we also got some potato salad (which turned out to be more like creamy mashed potatoes with onions and peppers in it - absolutely fabulous!) and some "crazy stoopid corn" (which was very similar to a corn chowder). The briskit was wonderful and we will definitely return.

Wherever you live, find out if there is a similar magazine for your state. We're starting to fill up our tentative vacation plans with things all around. I'm going to start cutting out restaurant recommendations and travel destinations and putting them in a notebook so that we can pull it out on a weekend where we have no plans. Kind of like a spur of the moment mini vacation! And seriously - we would never have found this place without seeing it in the magazine. As it turns out, it's not that far away and we'll enjoy returning.

Good times.....

Senior Angel Valentine Gift

Since today is Valentine's Day it seemed appropriate to show these fabulous tea towels. I saw them at Home Goods, one of the best stores ever for getting low priced nice things for your home, and instantly fell in love.

They went in a package to the lady that I am a Senior Angel to. I figured everybody can use tea towels and when I see pretty ones like these hanging in my kitchen they make me smile, so surely they will do the same for her.

And this is the Valentine that I sent along with it. I found it online, printed it, cut it out and added the Stickles to make it a little more sparkly. Funny thing is, I think this card is Keith's favorite of the cards I've done and it really was one of the easiest.

Hope that today is "love"ly for everybody! Not sure yet what we'll be doing, but I'm sure we'll enjoy. The important thing is being together. :)

CFBA - Cry in the Night

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Cry In The Night by Colleen Coble - Thomas Nelson (February 3, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Author Colleen Coble's thirty novels and novellas have won or finaled in awards ranging from the Romance Writers of America prestigious RITA award, the Holt Medallion, the ACFW Book of the Year, the Daphne du Maurier, National Readers' Choice, and the Booksellers Best awards. She writes romantic mysteries because she loves to see justice prevail and love begin with a happy ending.

AWARDS:
2004 More Than Magic winner for Best Inspirational Romance
Without a Trace, Thomas Nelson
2004 American Christian Fiction Writers Mentor of the Year

ABOUT THE BOOK

The highly anticipated novel that delivers what romantic suspense fans have long awaited-the return to Rock Harbor.

Bree Nichols and her search and rescue dog Samson discover a crying infant in the densely forested woods outside of Rock Harbor, Michigan. Against objections from her husband, Kade, who knows she'll become attached, Bree takes the baby in. Quickly she begins a search for the mother-presumably the woman reported missing just days earlier.
While teams scour the forests, Bree ferrets out clues about the missing woman. But she soon discovers something more shocking: Bree's former husband-long presumed dead in a plane crash-resurfaces. Is he really who he says he is? And should she trust him again after all these years?
An engaging, romantic suspense novel from critically-acclaimed author Colleen Coble.

If you would like to read the first chapter of , go HERE

MY REVIEW

Sometimes I crack myself up reading books because I kind of play "Let's Make A Deal" with myself. I make promises like "just one more chapter and I'll clean the bathroom" or "ok, I'll read until 10:00 and then go to bed." And sometimes a book comes along that makes me throw all those deals out the door.

This book was filled with so many twists and turns that it made you want to keep reading to see if you were right! I love a book that keeps me guessing until the end and this one most definitely did.

And anytime an author crafts characters that are so believable that you think of them long when the book is over is truly talented indeed. I'm still thinking of the people in Rock Harbor!

Seriously, this thriller is very good and well worth your time.

Baby Hats for Guild

Do you ever have times where you're just so tired and can't go on? I think I hit that late yesterday afternoon. But last night was knitting guild, so after dinner I packed my bag and drove away. After the first mile I realized the folly of driving so tired, so I turned around and came home, told Keith I was going to lay down "for a minute" and woke up three hours later! At that point it was late enough that I just went in to wash my face and brush my teeth before crawling back under the covers. I feel better today! However, I did miss out on guild last night.

One of our service projects is knitting baby items for a local hospital. I saw this pattern mentioned here and quickly followed her link to the pattern and printed it out.

This is a fast knit since it uses worsted weight yarn. And let me tell you how fast - I started and finished it last Saturday night while we watched movies at mom's house! I just love to think about a baby some day wearing this hat. Hopefully the prayers and thoughts that were knitted into this hat will bring a smile to the wee one's face. Or is it just gas when newborns smile??? ;)

CFBA - Against All Odds

This week the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Against All Odds by Irene Hannon - Revell (February 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Irene Hannon is an award-winning author who took the publishing world by storm at the tender age of 10 with a sparkling piece of fiction that received national attention.

Okay…maybe that’s a slight exaggeration. But she was one of the honorees in a complete-the-story contest conducted by a national children’s magazine. And she likes to think of that as her “official” fiction-writing debut.

Since then, she has written more than 25 romance and romantic suspense novels that have sold more than 1.5 million copies. Her books have been honored with the coveted RITA award from Romance Writers of America (the “Oscar” of romantic fiction), the HOLT Medallion and a Reviewer’s Choice award from Romantic Times BOOKreviews magazine.

Irene, who holds a B.A. in psychology and an M.A. in journalism, juggled two careers for many years until she gave up her executive corporate communications position with a Fortune 500 company to write full. She is happy to say she has no regrets! As she points out, leaving behind the rush-hour commute, corporate politics and a relentless BlackBerry that never slept was no sacrifice.

In her spare time, Irene enjoys hamming it up in community musical theater productions. A trained vocalist, she has sung the leading role in numerous musicals, including “South Pacific,” “Brigadoon,” “Oklahoma” “The King and I” and “Anything Goes.” She also regularly performs with a six-person musical review troupe and is a cantor at her church (where she does NOT ham it up!).

When not otherwise occupied, Irene loves to cook and garden. She and her husband also enjoy traveling, Saturday mornings at their favorite coffee shop and spending time with family. They make their home in Missouri.

ABOUT THE BOOK

For FBI Hostage Rescue Team member Evan Cooper and his partner, dignitary protection duty should have been a piece of cake. Unfortunately, Monica Callahan isn’t making it easy. Estranged from her diplomat father, who is involved in a sensitive hostage situation in the Middle East, she refuses to be intimidated by a related terrorist threat back in the States…until a chilling warning convinces her that the danger is very real—and escalating. As Coop and his partner do their best to keep her safe, David Callahan continues his work—triggering an abduction that puts his daughter’s life at risk. And with every second that ticks by, Coop knows that the odds of saving the only woman who has ever managed to breach the walls around his heart are dropping. Because terrorists aren’t known for their patience—or their mercy.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Against All Odds, go HERE

MY REVIEW

OH.MY.WORD. This book is a fast paced thrilled that kept me on the edge of my seat - seriously. The first part of the book is a great read, characters you care about, a romance that is starting to bud, a woman that can't forgive her father and thus has a hard time with her faith. And then the action starts. I found this to be one of those rare books that I got caught up in and kept reading faster and faster to reach the end! I will say though that the terrorist aspect was rather disturbing to me due to the state of the world, but perhaps that was part of what made me read this book so fast. I cannot wait for the next book in this series!

Thelma and Louise Back Home!

Ah what a guilty pleasure The Biggest Loser is! I say guilty pleasure because ordinarily I am most definitely NOT a fan of reality tv. But I am so hooked on this show this season.

Finished watching tv last night and was ready to come do a blog post, but then the spring thunderstorms hit. Oh wait...it's February! Well we'd been warned about these storms coming for several days and they were right. The weather guys broke into programming to talk about a possible tornado to the SE of my house and when they tracked it I discovered that in 9 minutes it would be in our area. Ever on top of things I went to notify the husband, who really wasn't that interested. But only minutes later the tornado sirens went off and he came in to see the radar. By this time the only sign of me in the room was my heels as I dove in the closet! I did stop long enough to call the dog, but I was taking no chances once the sirens came on. While in the closet we did call Lynne' since the alleged tornado was much closer to her. Smart girl - she was sitting in her tub because she heard the sirens. We all ended up ok, but I'll admit that my heart was beating a little bit faster. The sirens just seem to turn me afraid and off I go. I've seen too much tornado damage through the years to try and stand up to them.


Anyway, back to the weekend. We had such a nice time! Mom got up Saturday morning and made us scrambled eggs and muffins baked in a heart shaped muffin pan. We packed a lunch and set forth. I love that this photo shows only the word "junk" - kinda tickled me. This word was not true of the show though - it was wonderful. None of us bought a ton, but we do have a couple of nice things.

Afterwards we ran a couple of quick errands and then went to Ann's Chicken Fry for dinner. Nothing like some good old-fashioned comfort food when you've been on your feet all day! Arrived back at mom's, changed to pj's, the three of us grabbed our needlework and we settled in to watch a dvd. Very relaxing evening.

Next morning we got up and mom made us some Fiber One pancakes (try them, they are great!), sausage and we also had leftover chicken fry for breakfast (admit it, you'd have done the same thing!). Then Jeanie and I left mom's and headed out to get flowers and on to the cemetary. The more I think about it the more I think everybody needs a friend that will accompany them on cemetary visits. I know there is a saying about every woman needs a friend who is there for the good times, the bad times, etc. and definitely we need to add this one to the list.

A quick stop at Sonic on the way home for a strawberry limeade (truly fab.u.lous!) and before we knew it we were back home. I think I'm still kind of blinking at how fast this trip was!

Road trips with girlfriends are "da bomb"! :)

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. - Romans 12:15

Trail Mix For Shopping Strength!

I mentioned in a previous post about the craft show we're at this weekend. It's called An Affair of the Heart and comes to the Oklahoma City fairgrounds twice a year. When I say it's big, I mean really big! Most years it fills 5-7 buildings at the fairgrounds and it's not a simple task to make it all the way through in one day.

Many years ago when we lived in Tulsa I'd take a van load of girls down to OKC for the day and we'd meet up with mom and her friends. So much fun and so many memories. Keith and I were talking about it one night and I was laughing about a moment where our actions were not the smartest. My friend, we'll just call her "D" and I went down a day early and splurged with a hotel stay. In the middle of the night the fire alarm went off and we sat and discussed at length whether or not it was legitimate! The alarm went off after a few minutes and we finally decided to get up and open the door to see if we saw smoke and when we didn't we went back to sleep. Looking back I am just appalled that we did this and am grateful that we had angels watching over us!

So back to this weekend - I made this little snack bag for Jeanie so that she'd be able to keep her strength up. There's probably as many different combinations of trail mix as there are stars in the sky! The idea for this one came from The Biggest Loser cookbook and contains popcorn (Smart Balance brand), Quaker Oatmeal Squares cereal, dried cranberries and mini chocolate chips. The fiber and sugar should help give us strength during the day!

The little topper was made using stamps from Hanna Stamps - Everyday Sentiments and Getting Physical. I thought since we'd be walking the craft show for probably 9 hours that the water bottle and tennis shoes were the perfect images! And could "Shop Til You Drop" be any more perfect for a day at the craft show?

CFBA - Word Gets Around

This week, the Christian Fiction Blog Alliance is introducing Word Gets Around by Lisa Wingate - Bethany House (February 1, 2009)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Lisa Wingate lives in central Texas where she is a popular inspirational speaker, magazine columnist, and national bestselling author of several books. Her novel, Tending Roses, received dozens of five-star reviews, sold out ten printings for New York publisher, Penguin Putnam, and went on to become a national bestselling book. Tending Roses was a selection of the Readers Club of America, and is currently in its tenth printing.

The Tending Roses series continued with Good Hope Road, The Language of Sycamores, Drenched In Light, and A Thousand Voices. In 2003, Lisa’s Texas Hill Country series began with Texas Cooking, and continued with Lone Star Café, which was awarded a gold medal by RT BOOKCLUB magazine and was hailed by Publisher’s Weekly as “A charmingly nostalgic treat.” The series concluded with Over the Moon at the Big Lizard Diner.

Lisa is now working on a new set of small-town Texas novels for Bethany House Publishers. The series debuted with Talk of The Town and continued with Word Gets Around. A new series is also underway for Penguin Group NAL, beginning with A Month of Summer (July 2008), and continuing with The Summer Kitchen in July, 2009. Lisa’s works have been featured by the National Reader’s Club of America, AOL Book Picks, Doubleday Book Club, The Literary Guild, American Profiles, and have been chosen for the LORIES best Published Fiction Award.


ABOUT THE BOOK

When Romance Is In the Air, Word Gets Around

Lauren Eldridge thought she'd wiped the dust of Daily, Texas, off her boots forever. Screenwriter Nate Heath thought he was out of second chances. Life's never that predictable, though. Cajoled by her father, Lauren is back in town helping train a skittish race horse set to star in a Hollywood film. But the handsome screenwriter gives her more trouble than the horse. And Nate is realizing there's a spark of magic in the project--and in the eyes of the girl who is so good with horses. Daily, Texas, has a way of offering hope, healing, and a little romance just when folks need it most.

If you would like to read the first chapter of Word Gets Around, go HERE

What people are saying:

"Lisa Wingate writes engaging stories that strike the heart. God has gifted her with a marvelous talent and I, for one, am most grateful."
—Debbie Macomber, New York Times #1 bestselling author

MY REVIEW

This was SUCH a fun book to read! The author writes in first person, alternating between Nate and Lauren. Some of the characters just cracked me up and anybody that has a larger than life, smothering loving member similar to Aunt Netta will totally be able to relate.

Really there is something about cheering for underdogs and the project that only a handful of people believe in that can make a story very satisfying. And Lisa Wingate is an author that does this very well.

Actually this is the second book in the series and I have not read the first one. So if you see this book don't let that factor stop you from picking it up. Or better yet, get both books and read them in order. :)

Grief and Faith

Today is a day of reflection for me and probably always will be. Four years ago my daddy died of a heart attack and ironically today is the day to wear red to raise awareness of heart disease in women. Irony can be a strange thing. :)

Time has softened the gut-wrenching grief over losing him, but I don't miss him any less. I remember a few months after his death I headed to the internet to see if I could find out if the pain I felt was "normal" and really didn't find much. I have since learned that there really isn't a "normal" when it comes to grief as everybody responds differently.

Matthew 5:4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

It does make me wonder how a person without faith could ever get through something so difficult. I know that he is without pain now and that is comforting. But I still miss him.

Nahum 1:7 The LORD is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him.

So as you go about your day, remember to hug your loved ones extra tight. For our family and friends are so very important.

--<>--

And speaking of friends..... One of my absolute dearest BFF's is going with me to Oklahoma today as soon as I get off work. For years mom, daddy, mom-in-law and I would go to a super large craft show up there twice a year. After daddy died we haven't been back, but that changes this year. Mom, Jeanie and I are going to the craft show tomorrow and then out to dinner. J and I are setting off this afternoon for our version of Thelma and Louise as we drive up the Interstate.

This is truly a beautiful thing that she is doing by being with mom and I this weekend. So go and call or email a friend today and tell her how much you appreciate her!

Dancing B!

This baby girl just loves music and moving to music. It doesn't matter if it's Barney, the radio, symphony or simply grandma making noises she'll get up and start moving.

She's missing pants here because we learned that grandma has a little trouble with those fancy newfangled diapers. I had changed her earlier and we noticed that there was a wet spot on her jeans. Got her cleaned and the diaper changed and she wanted to get up a stretch a bit. And she's just so darling that of course I wanted her up. :) Really Miss B is a cutie patootie and I just adore being around - she makes me laugh!

"A house needs a grandma in it." - Louisa May Alcott

TWD: World Peace Cookies

This week's TWD recipe was chosen by Jessica at Cookbook Habit and if you click over to her blog you can find the complete recipe.  And you will want this recipe.

The recipe says that the dough will be crumbly and it really isn't kidding.  Kind of reminded me of a pile of dirt really, but at least it was dirt with fabulous little mini chocolate chips throughout.  The recipe gives you the option of the mini chocolate chips or chopping bittersweet chocolate.  I confess that I was lazy...

At this point in the recipe you roll the dough into two logs and refrigerate for a couple of hours or overnight.  I made the dough yesterday and today sliced and baked two pans of cookies.  One of the best things about this recipe, says this empty nest grandma, is that it doesn't make a lot of cookies.  Because really, if you make chocolate cookies you're going to eat them and I so don't need them.

They come out the perfect texture - very lightly crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside.  Truly the perfect chocolate cookie.

Love You Much Card

I really love this set and hope to get many more cards made before Valentine's Day.  And if not, well there's always next year!

This card was NOT my idea, but I cannot remember where I first saw it.  The bow is my idea though, does that count at all???  :)  I loved the simplicity of this card and that's why I set out to duplicate it.  And with all the glitter and the big pink organza bow it just screams out girly and bling to me!

Really it's a pretty simple card.  It's stamped in palette noir ink and colored with Copic markers.  Outline in glue and dump on the glitter (try not to get it everywhere - I dare ya!).  I also stamped the hearts twice and used dimensionals to get them to stick up a little higher.

--<>--

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."  Matthew 19:14

It's always a conundrum trying to decide how much to share on a blog.  But I did want to mention how my cup is overflowing right now.  My daughter has a found a church that she absolutely loves.  They have an active group of people her age and she's just enjoying it and craving more.

On the phone last night we were discussing how God answers prayer on His time and how sometimes we get impatient waiting.  And when His time is right, things just open up and are absolutely perfect.

Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete. John 16:24

Truly there is nothing that can make a mother happier than to see her child happy in the Lord.

Brooklyn at Bass Pro Shop

Friday night after work we picked up baby girl and headed to Bass Pro Shop to let her run around.  The kids were going out with friends and we were basically killing time.  I'm here to tell you that this is THE place to take an 18 month old!  She had a blast and is turning in to quite the little magpie, copying everything that her "bapa" (grandpa) did.  In the photo above they were sitting in a camo atv and every button he pushed, her little finger followed.  When they got out Keith did a little dancey step and Miss B did the same thing.  All three of us laughed and it was a great moment.

One of her favorite places was the fly fishing room.  Not because of the great things there, but because it had the most awesome wooden floor that made great noises when she stomped on it. :)

She visited most every boat on the showroom floor, especially enjoying the pontoon boats.  They had them displayed so that we climbed a wooden ladder, then just walked down a wooden platform and could get on each boat.  She would step on a boat, open the little gate, let us in, close the gate, and then walk around.

And tents were grand fun as well!  I think we went in and out of every tent so many times that I felt like I could be the salesman.

They also have a wooden bridge that goes over a pond full of fish.  We thought that would be a fun thing for her to see, but really what she loved was the wooden floor to stomp on.  She went over the bridge, back and forth, probably five or six times.  We finally enticed her elsewhere, only to see her head back to the bridge and stand at the foot of it doing the sign for "more" - she wanted to walk the bridge again!  And really who are we to argue since this was indeed all about her.

About that time her Aunt Lynne' called and we went to meet her for dinner.  So nice to watch Miss B's face light up when she sees her aunt!

Very good times....