Southern Baked Beans

I have been making a modified version of Paula Deen's Southern Baked Beans and Luke loves them. Her version calls for one can which equals 4 servings. I usually take this dish to family get togethers and needed more than 4 servings. This recipe fills a 13x9 dish. Here is the recipe:

1 lb Bacon

2 onions diced

9 tbs yellow mustard

15 tbs maple syrup

12 tbs ketchup

3 (15 oz) cans of pork n beans

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Fry the bacon in a large skillet

Dice the onions

Remove the bacon from the pan and crumble it. I use a food processor. Leave the grease in the pan.

Place the onions in the grease.

Cook the onions until they are brown.

Mix the remaining ingredients.

Add the beans.

Mix in the onions, grease, and bacon. Pour into a 13x9 pan and bake for 45-60 minutes.

A Great Man.

I have asked for a lot of prayers for my Grandpa this year. So I want to introduce you to him. Many of you have met him. Those who meet him, love him. He is awesome! He always has been and always will be the foundation to our family.

Today we got discouraging news from his doctor. He was told he has prostate cancer. His heart condition will not allow them to treat the cancer. But, I am certain it is not his time to go. Honestly, he is one of the toughest men I know. I sincerely think he is one of the greatest men to ever live. He is hard working, honest, smart, resourceful, funny and part superhero. He knows EVERYTHING. He can tell you all about the weather, trees, gardening, cows and anything to do with farming. He LOVES children. He has always been so good to his grandkids and even better to his great grandkids. He is fun but firm. He taught us life lessons through actions and words. He has always been concerned about our well being and did everything he could to protect us and keep us safe.

I have the most wonderful memories...most of them took place at the farm. Some of my favorite memories are riding through the national forest in the scout, fishing, hunting armadillos, cooking with Grandma, eating watermelon with Grandpa, putting up hay, cutting wood, hauling rocks, picking the garden, sleepovers at the farm, and lazy days in the farm yard. We often got to travel with Grandma and Grandpa and made some wonderful memories with them. I had a terrific childhood and my Grandma and Grandpa were a HUGE part of it.

Here is a slideshow of some of my favorite pictures of my grandparents. Please continue to pray for my Grandpa and Grandma.

Thank you for the prayers for Meme. She recovered from her surgery and says she is feeling great!

A Little Update On The Girls...

Kinnison has changed so much in the past year. One minute I find myself looking at a young lady...sitting up so nicely, being independent. I can't even believe how grown up she is. The next minute, she's a complete goofball, giggling like crazy, saying nonsense words...cracking me up and driving me crazy all at the same time. She is a good mixture of fun/serious girly girl/tomboy. She has a huge vocabulary and a great heart. She is so thoughtful and generous. If she has something someone else wants she will give it to them. It makes my heart happy when she does this. She loves to sing and remembers the words to many of the songs. She is so smart. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up so she can help people and save their lives.

Some things about Kinnison:

*Knows all of her letters upper and lower

*Knows most of her sounds

*Counts to 13

*Can count backwards from 10

*Can write most of her numbers on her own

*Can swing by her self now (pump her legs)

*Loves to write and draw

*Loves to sing along to the radio

*Wishes she could start Kindergarten this year

*Loves to pray

Kimber has also grown and changed tremendously the past year…even in the past two weeks. Everyone has commented on how much taller she has gotten. She is very independent. If you try to do something for her she will say ME and get mad at you for trying to help…but at the same time she loves to be cuddled and doctored. She has a huge heart. She gives great hugs…especially at bedtime when she wants you to sleep with her. She is very nurturing. She likes to play with baby dolls and is always worried when other people have boo boos. She is super smart but still struggles to vocalize her thoughts and feelings.

Some things about Kimber:

*Knows how to count to 3

*Can identify 1,2,3,5 when you hold your fingers up

*Thinks everything is blue

*Has drastically increased her vocab since getting tubes in her ears

*Started calling grandpa “big papa” this week

*Started coloring this week instead of scribbling

*Loves to pray (can’t understand any of the words except “dankdo” (thank you) and “nanen” (Amen)

Vacation!

I am so glad to finally be home. We had an amazing time at Tybee Island. The girls loved playing in the sand, ocean and the pool. We got some great pictures of all the kiddos. My mom planned the menu for the whole week and we did nothing but eat! I think I gained 15 lbs. We walked on the pier, viewed a lighthouse and ate at Uncle Bubba's Oyster House. Mom and I got our picture taken with Uncle Bubba! I am so glad that we get to take our girls to see new places. They love to travel as much as we do. We are so blessed that we had the opportunity to spend a week at the beach with the family. Luke and I left a day early so we could go to Jamaica. We didn't plan it that way, but had to move one of the trips because of my NTL class. We woke up at 3 and drove home 16 hours on Friday. We woke up at 3 on Saturday morning and flew to Jamaica. We were exhausted! We went to Sandals Whitehouse in 2006 and decided to go there again. It was our graduation gift to each other. We had a wonderful time. We got to spend some quality time with each other and catch up on some much needed sleep. We missed the girls terribly though. It will be a while before we travel without them again. I am so thankful we got to travel to see two beautiful beaches. I am also thankful that no one had an accident or car troubles. We are so blessed!

Home

What a whirlwind the past few weeks have been! I started NTL classes in Bentonville on June 7th. I had to go Monday-Thursday for two weeks. Then, last week I went to Bentonville on Monday and Tuesday and then drove to Little Rock Tuesday night. I had class Wednesday and Thursday and got to go home Thursday night. Friday morning I met Fran and we headed to Kansas City for our spa weekend. Friday we spent 6 hours at the Spa Tuscano. It is the most amazing spa! Saturday we went shopping. I found some great deals. Saturday night we saw Michael Buble in concert. (why I titled my post Home) He was AMAZING! I love his voice and his humor. I laughed so hard. He is a must see! I didn't want the night to end. Sunday we woke up early and headed home. My nephew, Ty, had his birthday party at Chuck E Cheese yesterday. So, I got to spend a few hours with the girls. We left the party early so I could go home and pack for Little Rock again. I drove back to Little Rock lastnight. I have class Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday this week. I will be home Wednesday night after class. I can't wait. I will spend Thursday getting ready for vacation. We leave Friday for Tybee Island! I am so ready to spend some time with Luke and the girls. Luke and I will be coming home a day early to fly to Jamaica. We decided to go to Jamaica to celebrate graduating from college. It will be some much needed alone time!

I would like to say "Happy Birthday" to my nephew Ty. I can't believe he is 5! I would also like to ask for some more prayers for my grandpa. He is not recovering as quickly as we would like. They spent the afternoon and most of the night in the ER. He is still hurting from the hernia surgery and having some heart issues. Hopefully they will get his medication regulated soon. Thanks for all of the prayers.

My next post will be from Tybee Island, Georgia! WOO HOO

Happy Father's Day!

Luke-

We are so blessed to have you in our lives. You are such a terrific father. I know I don't tell you that enough. Kinnison and Kimber love you so much. They always ask where you are and when you will be home. They can't wait to spend time with you. I couldn't ask for a better Daddy for my girls. Thank you for everything you do for us! We love you!

Happy Father's Day to my dad. He is hard working, smart and generous. And, he can fix anything. I can't imagine my life without him.

Happy Father's Day to all the dad's out there!

Rambling...

Where do I start?

Meme is doing well. She says she is feeling good. Hopefully the surgery fixed her up. Please pray that she recovers quickly.

Grandpa had surgery yesterday. He had hernia surgery years ago and they think that the screen was rubbing a nerve. So, they clipped that nerve. He is still in a lot of pain. Hopefully that will end soon. Now we need to regulate the leaking heart valve, figure out why his numbers were off on his bloodwork (prostate) and figure out why he is having a hard time opening his mouth. Please say a prayer that we get all of these issues addressed and grandpa will start feeling better soon.

I have been attending NTL class in Bentonville everyday. It makes my days go by slowly. I am still unemployed. I REALLY need a job. Please keep praying.

I am sure you remember me posting about Hannah Grace Crumby. Her dad is in my NTL class. I think about them and pray for them often. I still sob when I think about what they have been through and what that poor baby girl had to endure. I know that people experience tragedy and loss every day. And, my heart breaks for those people. I think this story has stuck with me because Hannah reminds me so much of Kinnison. I don't understand how people don't believe in God. Watch this video. She had so much faith and love in her heart. She had so much strength. Her story motivated Luke and I to donate Christmas gifts to Arkansas Children's Hospital and to donate a portion of Luke's check to St. Jude's. Hannah's mother, Kimberly, posted on their CaringBridge page, "I have learned that childhood cancers take more lives than many of the other diseases we hear a lot about, but only 3% of cancer funding goes to childhood cancers." This makes me so sad. My children are my life. I can't imagine going through what the Crumby family has gone through. We should be investing everything we have into children's cancer research. Please find a way to donate this year. You can donate money. You can donate your hair. You can donate bone marrow. You can donate toys. You can donate your time. There are many ways that you can change the life of a child.

Please say a prayer for James, Kimberly and Caleb Crumby.

Thank you!

Update.

Meme did wonderfully during and after her surgery. She is a tough lady. Hopefully she will start feeling better soon! Grandpa has surgery next week. We are praying they figure out what is causing him pain and fix it!

As always, thank you for the prayers.

Prayer Request.

AGAIN! We have had a hectic year. Sorry! Meme is having surgery tomorrow. I am very sad that I won't be able to go with her. I am starting my NTL class tomorrow and they won't let you miss for anything. Please say a prayer that the surgery goes well and she has a quick recovery.

I am still job searching....keep your fingers crossed I find something soon!

Memorial Day

For Memorial Day some family from my dad's side came in to visit. Last year was the first time I met most of them. My mom and dad put a lot of time, effort and money into making this weekend happen. So, Thanks! It was great to see everyone again. We really appreciate them traveling to Arkansas.

We would like to thank the brave men and women of the Armed Forces, and remember those who have lost their lives defending our freedom.

I would like to personally thank; Grandpa Lester, Uncle Joe, Grandpa Jim, Grandpa Tom, Uncle Jim and other friends and family that have served in the military. THANK YOU!

Have a safe and happy Memorial Day!