Rain and Snow and ICE OH MY!

Well it's coming. Every local channel and even national channels are talking about this storm that is headed our way. Rain, freezing rain, ice, sleet and snow. The whole shebang. Sounds like fun....HA!!! I'm not even interested! If I didn't have dogs, a cat, and a fish to take care of I would already be on an airplane to somewhere WARM!
The pic is from this last snow we had. Doesn't the snowman have a sweet face? He loved us SO much that he just finally melted into snowman heaven on Saturday.
Josh the friendly electrician just left. He added a plug in so that we can just hook the generator up right to our house if we lose power. I am VERY thankful for this. He has probably saved my neck from the bazillion extension cords we had to use in 2009 and previous ice storms. We haven't lost power since that storm (I type as I am BANGING on wood)
This was a layout I did about the ice storm in January of 2009. It was in the January 2010 issue of Creating Keepsakes.
This is the first version before I made changes to it. If you click on the photo on the second layout you can read the journaling. The layout on top was taken in a hurry for deadline so that lighting isn't the best and it's kinda blurry.
So I made the dreaded trip to Wal-Mart this morning. I should have taken a pic of the produce aisle. It was wiped out. Thankfully they had what I needed, though, and I got outta there. I was dreading it, but I got everything we need! If it ends up as bad as they predict it will, I will be feeding the boys three meals a day for a while. That's a lot of groceries!
I'm a tiny bit freaked because I'm not feeling too good. My body feels like it won't wake up and my throat hurts. So add not getting sick to my list of prayers. Okay I'm finished whining. :)
I guess by morning we will have some idea of how bad this storm will be. I keep thinking how very lucky we are to have weathermen to warn us. I can't imagine being back in the day when storms like this just showed up. Makes me think of reading all the Little House on the Prairie books!
Well have a great Monday!
LUV APRIL :)

I Need an Intervention...

I'm addicted to French Onion Dip. It's so good. Every time I eat it I feel like I'm at a party or a baby shower. It's just so good. The very best brand is Braum's and Highland is a close second. Everything else is crap. Someone help me...
So I blame French Onion Dip for the diet I have to start next week. I need a food detox. I need a sugar detox.
Monday I made this to take to Bachelor night at Marcie's.



Yes it's good. This bread is wonderful. I got this recipe out of a Paula Deen magazine several years ago. The recipe calls for 6 very ripe bananas, but I only had 3 and it was perfect. I also had just under a cup of sour cream and it didn't matter. Everyone ate it up.
This is probably one of Eric's favorite things to eat. He says it's "like potato chips." Well it MIGHT be good dipped in French Onion Dip, but....just kidding! ;)
Here's the recipe, but don't blame me if you become addicted!

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread
6 medium very ripe bananas
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
2 cups firmly packed brown sugar
1½ cups vegetable oil
1 cup sour cream
4 large eggs
3½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup finely chopped pecans (optional-I use walnuts)
2 cups mini semisweet chocolate morsels

Preheat the oven to 350. Grease two 6x9 inch loaf pans.

In a small bowl mash bananas together with the vanilla.

In a large bowl combine brown sugar, oil, sour cream, and eggs. Stir until combined.

In a medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add to sugar mixture, stirring until just combined.

Stir in banana mixture, ground pecans(optional), and chocolate morsels.

Pour into prepared pans and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until toothpick comes out clean.

Let cool in pans for 15 minutes. Remove from pans and cool totally on wire racks

HERE'S the link to the recipe on my Tastebook.
So...I'm not a celebrity and I wouldn't make it on Celebrity Rehab. Do you think French Onion Dip qualifies as a Strange Addiction?!? ;)
Happy Wednesday
LUV APRIL

Another Snow Day!

Well I got the text from Mrs Tuck this morning at 5am telling us there would be no school today...enjoy! Brodey has definitely enjoyed it!
He has made many snow angels and tried to make a snowman, which didn't happen. While we got several inches of snow, it refuses to pack. It's just pretty fluffy snow. So there will be no snowmen guarding our house tonight.


The boys filled up the bird feeders and have "rescued" several stunned birds from the cat. The kamakazi birds have been smacking into the windows all day. Maybe they feel like I do and are sick of winter. Ha! ;)
Well this will be a short post. When both boys are home it keeps me pretty busy. The next time someone asks me if Brodey is "my only one" I'm going to say "no...I am married to the other one." Har har!
Stay warm!
LUV APRIL :)

Here We Go.....

Girlfriends. Boyfriends. Love. I thought all that stuff started way later! I mean isn't Pre-K too young for that? Then I think back to when I was in Preschool....nope not too young! Hahaha!
I'm pretty sure I fell in love with Eric when he told me he "didn't play with GIRLS" at our parent's 10 year high school reunion at the park. Of course I had to shout back "well it looks like you are playing with a GIRL on the merry-go-round!!!" True story and it sounds just like us 26 years later.
So when I think back on that I shouldn't be too surprised at Brodey's girlfriend/boyfriend love talk.
It started with theJoe Has a Girlfriend talk. Then the other day someone told me a secret.
"Hey Brodey's mom! Come here I want to tell you a secret." Says Layne. A SUPER cute and sweet girl in Brodey's class. Eric actually works with her grandfather.
"Oh okay tell me a secret."
"I fell in love with Brodey...but don't tell!"
"Oh my goodness really!" I say as I try not to laugh.
"Oh yes. You can't tell anyone! Pinky promise!!"
"Okay pinky promise!"
"WHAT!?!?! Tell MEEEE!!!" Yells another little girl names Brooklynn.
"Well...okay you can tell the girls I guess. You just can't tell the boys."
"Got it!" Haha!
Brodey is witness to all of this and is VERY upset that I wouldn't tell him and Layne got a big kick out of that!
I can't lie and say I'm surprised by this. I did have a head's up by Layne's mom back before Christmas.
"Layne told me the other day that Brodey is her best friend." Her mom tells me.
"Aw! That's so sweet!"
"Yes she said that Brooklynn pushed her down and Brodey came and helped her up. So he's her best friend."
LOVE that! It totally made me smile. So I kind of knew he was on Layne's radar.
Then yesterday when we got home he pulled some stuff out of his pocket.
"Hey look mom! I almost forgot!"
"Oh what's that!?!" It was a little metal thing that looked like a washer and a big blue jewel.
"Oh...the GIRLS gave me these!"
"Haha! Wow! They did?"
"Yes. Layne gave me the jewel and Miley gave me the silver. They are my treasures I have to put them up now."
He took them and put them up with his marble collection. He was most proud of them and I thought well...here we go! At least it wasn't melted lipstick! ;)
Have a terrific Tuesday!
LUV APRIL :)

One Whole Hand...

My boy is "one whole hand" today! I can't even believe it! It doesn't seem real.
He is the one that came up with "one whole hand." At some point someone asked him how old he was going to be and he said "5" and held up his hand. He looked at me and said "Oh my goodness mom! I'm gonna be one whole hand!" I though it was funny.
So since his bday falls on a school day we decided to bring cupcakes to school. I always loved it when my mom made me ice cream cone cupcakes so that's what we did.
We went into town yesterday and I got Funfetti cake mix, went to Braum's to get cones (I didn't want to take my chances on getting stale ones at the grocery store), and headed home. We baked them up and Brodey decorated them with sprinkles.
When I got up this morning I checked on them and the cones were soggy. Crap. So after I took Bro to school I went back into town and bought the stuff to remake them. I know that's ridiculous, but I couldn't take soggy cupcake cones to school!!! So now my house smells yummy and I discovered there are way more calories in the Funfetti mix than regular. Yikes!
I snapped that pic this morning after Mrs Tuck made him his bday crown! He looks a little pale, poor guy. He was up last night coughing his little head off and Eric gave him the GOOD cough medicine. This means he slept great, but didn't feel so great when he got up this morning. I think he had a little medicine head going on. He was a trooper, though, and was in a great mood once I sang him Happy Birthday a thousand times off key and gave him just as many kisses. ;)
I was just reading the blog post where he turned 1. It seems like it just happened!
Okay I'm going to stop before I ruin my makeup. It's just so sad how quickly time goes by.
Have a wonderful Wednesday and stay warm! Fingers and toes are good to have around!
LUV APRIL :)

Another Snow Day but You Can't Play...

Well we are home again today! I'm sure the roads were pretty messy this morning.
I went to my friend Marcie's house last night with the girls to watch The Bachelor at 8. It was snowing chunks of snow and the roads were soaked. By the time I left to go back home at around 11 the grass was covered with snow again and the temp had severely dropped. Right now the wind chill is 15. NOT fun! So even though there is snow on the ground outside poor Bro can't play in it! He would FREEZE!
This handsome boy will be "one whole hand" tomorrow...as he puts it. I just ran in there and snapped this pic. He's watching Tom and Jerry. He's still in his PJ's but he has Peter Pan pants on. Looks like he's been in his Halloween costumes LOL.
I posted a new card on my Stampin Up blog. It's one of the cards we made at our Stamper's Night Out last week. Fun times!!
Well I'm going to go get dressed. Bro isn't the only one still in his PJ's! Hehe!
Stay warm and have a terrific Tuesday!
LUV APRIL :)

Snow Day...well sort of.

We kind of had a snow day today. The snow is already gone, but Brodey had fun playing in what was left!
I'm sure the roads were bad this morning, but they seem to be fine now. I know last night they weren't! We went to Holdenville to celebrate Brodey's birthday (he turns 5 on Wednesday) and left to come back last night at 9. We didn't pull into the driveway until 11:50. It usually takes us just over an hour and a half. It was NOT fun.
Brodey actually had more snow to play with in Holdenville. We left the house without snow boots and gloves so we kind of had to improvise. Rene (Eric's mom) was VERY creative! ;)
She took plastic Wal-Mart bags and covered his tennis shoes and hands with them. Then she took socks and covered the bags with the socks. Haha! It looked hilarious, but it worked great!
He threw snowballs and dug in the snow and when he came in his hands were still warm! Fun times!
Well I'm off to make some stew! If you are a scrapbooker I posted a couple of new layouts on my paperscrafting blog HERE! If you are a cardmaker I posted a couple of new cards on my Stampin Up blog HERE!
Have a wonderful Monday!
LUV YA!
April :)

Sorry Bro

Dear Bro,
I'm sorry that you were born in January. I know that you would love to have an outside party, but it isn't going to happen. It looks like it will be another indoor pool party this year. Thank goodness for indoor pools!
Love, Your Mother


Well I'm back from my self-imposed blog hiatus. The holidays got a wittle bit crazy. Everyone got sick at least once, I was sick twice and Enstrom's almond toffee took chocolate chip cookie's place as my sworn enemy.
I just have to say THANK YOU to everyone that sent us a Christmas card! That is one of my favorite things about Christmas. That's why it's so pathetic I never get mine sent out. So please don't feel like you were forgotten. ;)
Brodey had a great Christmas. Every year is more fun than the last. He asks more questions and "gets it" now. He even made it a habit to sing Happy Birhday to Jesus about every 5 minutes. So cute!
We didn't get to party for New Year's. Eric crashed out early and Brodey and I stayed up playing Kirby's Epic Yarn until midnight. Not sure he understood why we were celebrating, but I DID get a kiss!
Brodey's 5th birthday is Wednesday. Yes I said FIFTH. I got all sad about it today. Eric put it in perspective for me. "Your little boy is growing up, April. That's what happens once they start school. Next he will be going to college and we will be old." Gee thanks, Eric. You sure know how to lift my spirits.
So I guess it will be another indoor pool party unless I can come up with a better idea.
So I was sitting here and Bro comes in here and gets in my lap.
"Joe has a girlfriend. Hehehe"
"Oh really!"
"Yes he got her lipstick. Hehehe"
"Hahaha what!?!"
"Yes he took his sister's lipstick and he had it in his pocket at school. Hehehe"
"Oh my did it melt?"
"No! He gave it to his girlfriend when we were at PE."
"Haha who's his girlfriend?"
"Well I don't know! Some girl in Mrs Key's class!"
"Do YOU have a girlfriend?"
"Hehehe NO!"
"If you had a girlfriend what would you get her?"
"I wouldn't give her someone else's lipstick...I'd give her flowers!"
Oh geez!!! He starts college next week.
Have a fantastic Friday!
LUV APRIL ;)