T' Time {#46} and Link Party

Today's Take the Time to Challenge is....
 Pray for someone you normally wouldn't.

You know that grumpy cashier or the exhausted looking mother pushing a cart full of "noise" down the grocery aisle.  Take a minute or just a few seconds and say a prayer for that person.  Quick, easy and painless....and hey, this won't cost you a cent!  If you can't think of someone...then pray for me!  Princess Brynlee and I are flying home to Jamaica bright and early Tuesday morning!

Even though I've been so extremely busy this past week, I was so thrilled at the number of entries in the Link Party last week.  That was our biggest party yet!

You know the rules! 

the original 4 princesses

"Oh, no! The Indians are on the warpath!

"They're getting their war paint on!" Dad said as he peeked in the bathroom door.

We enjoy their 3 bathroom house now,

 but growing up we had one tiny bathroom that the whole family "shared".

 Having sisters is pretty great....truthfully it's had it's moments!

  But now, we are very close and it's just awesome.

  We were all able to be at Mom and Dad's for Thanksgiving

 and we stepped out for a last minute photo shoot.

  Mom took the pictures and we had a few laughs

 trying to get my {8 month pregant} sister up on the rail road car, for example.

  I guess she did better then someone else...."don't snag my hose!"

 This last picture is my favorite.

Having someone you can laugh with is priceless.

count your blessings
#94 sisters who love to dress up
#95 sisters who can give me beauty tips and let me borrow their clothes
#96 having someone else do your hair...wow, I wish I could have a full time hairdresser

a country girl

(picture taken by my dad on the family farm

Queen City, Missouri)

count your blessings

#91 the smell of Missouri

#92 old pickup trucks....i love them...i truly do

#93 the comfortable free feeling I feel when I'm together with my family at the farm

a Missouri Thanksgiving

I'm so very thankful for such an awesome husband. 

For an American lady, life in a foreign country can be a little stressful and trying.  I'm very, very thankful for a husband who is sensitive enough to realize that and make the sacrifice to take care of three little girls (all alone) to give me a little breath of America.

(the traditional family picture on the porch)

It was 55 degrees....I know the kids are barefooted, but they're tough!

(mom and dad with just my sisters, brother, and lil' ol' me)

(mom and us girls)

(mom and dad)

Dad was giving mom "a lil' sugar on the jaw."

A very common sight 'round here.

(8 month pregant Jessica and Caleb)

A family get-to-gether wouldn't be complete without a competition of some kind!

(Jared and Levi)

(Jacob)

(Caleb and his massive weapon)

Heavenly Peanut Butter Pie Recipe

8 oz cream cheese (softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 prepared graham cracker pie crust

1 cup peanut butter

8 oz Cool Whip (soft)

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese until fluffy.  Beat in peanut butter and powdered sugar.  Fold in Cool Whip with spoon; spoon into crust.

Refrigerate until chilled, at least 5 hours.

I'm not taking credit for this awesome little chocolate acorns...they're all over pinterest!  So I can't find who originally came up with the idea...but I'm glad they did.  So cute!

Hershey Kiss + Nutter Butter + Chocolate Chip

held together with chocolate frosting

Have a lovely day,

count your blessings
#88 a grocery store aisle with everything imaginable
#89 chocolate desserts
#90 men who let their little boy humor come out (now-and-then)

I peeked an eye

(my niece, Genaveve, age 2)

I peeked an eye,

 during our family prayer, before lunch, to see this precious expression.

  Yes, I peek occasionally.  I'm a mom.  We do that kind of stuff.

count your blessings

#85 sweet nieces and nephews resembling their mommies

#86 eating mom's cooking

#87 holding hands during family prayer

T' Time {#45} and Link Party

This week's take the time to challenge is...

take those family pictures! 

Lots...lots...lots!
We live in the age of digital cameras.  Snap them to your hearts content, then pass the camera along to someone else to get some from their angle.  Capture the memories of Mom's turkey, Grandma rocking the grandbaby, the cousins playing a boardgame, and "you-know-who" taking a nap on the couch after the big meal.

Take the time and you'll never regret it!


On to the Link Party!
   Now let's all play by the rules!

1. Links must be very kid friendly (example: things that Grandma would approve of {smile})  Really, if it's something that you can do with a child or your family then it would be just peachy...share it with us.  A craft, a post about a day spent with your kids...you get the picture?

2. Pretty please be a follower of Raising4Princesses and if you use the button to link back I'd be just tickled pink.

<br /><a href="http://caribbeanmissionarywife.blogspot.com/"><img src="http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc368/raising4princesses/DSC02493-2-1-1-1.jpg" border="0" /></a>

3. Here's the rule you're seeing everywhere.....{5th grade teacher voice} "visit other links and tell them how "marvelous they are!" 

Apple Cinnamon Party Mix

Recipe

5 cups wheat Chex cereal

1 cup lightly salted whole almonds

1/4 cup butter

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup chopped dried apples

1/2 cup yogurt covered raisins or peanuts

1. In a large bowl mix cereal and almonds

2. In a sauce pan combine: butter, brown sugar, corn syrup,

 and cinnamon bring to a boil and cook for 30 seconds

3. Pour over cereal mixture until evenly coated

4. Stir in apples and spread on wax paper to cool (cools quickly, about 5 minutes)

optional: stir in raisins or peanuts and store in an airtight container

(from the kitchen of my sister, Rachel Tague)

Have a lovely day,

Count your blessings

#82 girl talk in the kitchen when you're preparing a family meal

#83 cinnamon...scent and flavor

#84 the fact that there's always something good to eat in mom's fridge

say thank you

(photo taken on my Grandma's Farm by my dad

rural Queen City, Missouri)

Count Your Blessings

#79 Rainbows across a dismal sky

#80 to close your eyes and listen to the farm sounds

#81 leaves blowing on the trees

Lil' Grandma's Gravy Boat

I spent a few days with my Grandma Grace, at her farm.  I asked lots of questions and enjoyed her reminising about her mother (who passed away a few weeks ago).  I love listening to Grandma talk about her childhood and especially about how her and my Papa Roy met.  Grandma fixed a feast with all the trimmings for supper and she served the gravy in my Lil' Grandma gravy boat.

The year was 1943, this was a large serving set that my Great-Grandma Mona Chrisman bought.   WWII was going on a Grandma Grace and her parents had moved from their farm to Kansas City so Grandpa could do his part and work in a bomber factory.  My Grandma remembers she was 8 years old when her mother brought this set home in a large wooden crate.  The only pieces left are the gravy boat, tea pot without the lid, and a large turkey platter.  Priceless. {tear-filled eyes}

This picture is of my sweet Papa Roy.  I loved and respected my Papa.  I don't remember him ever "getting after me" even when I was naughty my cousin Timmy would get in trouble and get blamed.  I was Papa's sweet little girl.  {onery grin}  He was my Pastor until I was 17 years old and he passed away of cancer when I was 18.  My sweet Papa Roy. 

I snapped a few pictures that my Gram had sitting around. 

I love how she looks here with her first little baby, Daniel.

 Gram and I had a wonderful time together last night.  We watched Tyrone Powers and Maureen O'Hara in the 1942 swashbuckler The Black Swan.  So very romantic.  We ate {very} buttered popcorn and laughed at the funny little quips that the pirates said.  We didn't get in bed til' 11:30 pm!

 (My beautiful Grandma Grace Starbuck)

 

count your blessings

#76 a graceful grandmother

#77 a Godly heritage

#78 Grandma's cooking

Always, Always, Always

count your blessings

#73 crisp leaves blowing in the Missouri wind

#74 turn signals...and peopl that use them

#75 a heart to heart talk with my 9 year old brother

Cool Boy Goop

Well, I'm kinda determined to be the coolest sister out there.

I'm enjoying spending time with my 3 little brothers. 

Mom and Dad went somewhere yesterday

and the boys and I had the run of the house. 

What to do?  What to do? 

I know...let's make slime!  I know...I'm really cool.

I've made this with my princesses a few months ago and they loved it.

I was kinda unprepared for the goofy "boy" jokes

that went along with the slimy, squishy substance. {grimace}

This stuff is really easy and makes a fun touchable oozy stuff

that is great to play with.

I take 1 cup of water and dissolve a teaspoon of Borax in it.

Then, in a seperate container I stir together

 1/2 a cup of Elmer's glue and 1/2 cup water. 

We add the food coloring to this. 

 Combine the 2 containers together and stir...stir...stir.

After it starts to come together, we use our hands to squeeze it.

This part takes awhile...perfect time for the goofy jokes.

I slowly pour off the water as it forms into the firmer "substance".

Levi found that a straw makes really big bubbles.

 Jacob's had a harder texture. 

Not sure why.  He found out his worked like a bouncy ball.

Cool Boy Goop Recipe

1 1/2 cup lukewarm water (seperated)

1 teaspoon Borax

1/2 cup Elmer's Glue

food coloring (optional)

Have a lovely day,

 

count your blessings

#70 young men with sandy blond hair

#71 disposable containers

#72 food coloring