Christmas Tea Party

Bella has been MIA since October, she has been a busy girl. We had all the family over for Thanksgiving, she ate she played and then she took a nap like everyone else. But still wanted to share a late Happy Thanksgiving with you.

Now it is time for cooking making and the Christmas season to being. She began her Christmas Tea party earlier by making homemade sugar cookies. Rolled out her cookies.....


laid out the cookie cutters.....

Then began to cut out her cookies.... With some help from me we got the cookies in the oven ready for a tea party...

Bella is such a good little southern girl... She began by putting her outfit together and I would like to say I did all this but she actually came in the closet and picked what she wanted to wear with some help from me by giving her only party dress choice to choice from. So once she was dressed it was time to set her table.... Her home made cookies and water...

Table was all set...

She served up some fresh brewed tea (water)..

Took a sip and began to have herself a Christmas Cookie Tea Party...

Once she had all the cookies she wanted and tea.. She grab the dish towel and began to clean up her tea party.



Some days I am pulling my hair and then I tell myself that I would not change it for anything. I would not give up days like today when she is a prefect little angel playing tea party. Days when she makes cookies and eats the cookie dough and says yummy. We are so blessed and I am so thankful everyday for the gift God has given me.

Brandon turned 16

The last month has been hard for Brandon as most of you know from my mom's blog. We wanted to keep things low key but still wanted to celebrate his 16th birthday. We started our birthday celebration out small just the three of us and Brandon's granny for mine and Brandon's birthday. Then the following weekend we had a small party with our close family. We had the wonderful Melissa come out to take pictures, she is so great with him. April and Shawn made homemade cupcakes and decorated them with cute signs for the soon to be driver.

Foto Fabulous

If you are looking for an AWESOME photographer who is great with kids even the teenagers this is the person for you. I don't think we have a picture taken by Melissa that is bad.

This is last years pictures of our family fall session with Foto Fabulous.
Below are from Bella session of her modeling some new accessories she has this year.

Time Flies

So I was told by my hubby that I have not posted in over a month. So here goes....

Bella has been a busy girl spending her day with ME. Aren't I lucky she likes spending time with her mommy.

We had a pizza party for the daddy's birthday. It was a lot of fun and here is one of the pizza we made.


Bella in her super Bella Cap and petticoat.


Bella posing with momma and baby Ruby. Ruby is a growing little girl already 11lbs at one month.



Got this in the mail, who doesn't' love some Red Neck Glam.. If you don't have some you should get some if you can't get to the show to get one from the original Queen of Duck Tape and Pearls
go check out her blog I bet you can get one shipped to you. I have already worn mine several times.

Loves to sit on top of her daddy while he is on the computer. This is one of her Cheesy Face.














She is turning into a little chatter box repeating everything I say even the bad words. Opps.

She can count to 6 and is starting to learn her letters. Last week we went shopping with Nana and the cart had the words Thank You on it and Bella pointed and said O. She gets her annual with ECI at the end of the month to determine if she is still behind on her development.

Sunday we spent the day playing in the back yard and then finger painting her Pop a happy birthday picture, in case you didn't know her Pop aka Cat Daddy will be celebrate his 60th birthday this Saturday at Zapp Hall Antique show.

To get ready I am sure you read on her Nana's blog her post about getting ready for the show.

Hope we get to see lot you all at the show next weekend.

Bella's New BFF HAS ARRIVED!!

I have been best friends with April since we were 5 years old. After 30 years of being friend we really don't consider ourselves just best friend we are more like sisters. I am not sure what we would do without each other. We know each others good and bad. Not anything we don't know about each other. So when I told her that I could understand why her mom wanted to be in the room when she had her baby and that if I could I would be in there too she of course being the good BFF went to her hubby and asked if me and her mom could be in the room. I don't think he wanted us in the room but I think in the end he was happy with giving in to her request.

I did the video and then 45 minutes in baby was crowning and Dr. Matthews(he delivered Bella too) was ready to bring baby in the world. Well not exactly Ruby Marie was coming even if no one else was ready no pushing nothing she was coming. The whole process was so fast and it was so amazing to watch this beautiful sweet baby girl come out and be placed on her mommy. I am so grateful to have been allowed to experience this with my best friend and her family.

Bella meet Miss Ruby last night. Bella had on her party dress to go see her new BFF and she really wanted to hold her. It was so cute how she kept touching Ruby's check and hand. And saying baby.

Big Brother meeting Ruby Marie Ranford, she weight 9lbs 19 1/2 inches long, she looks just like her big brother.

This is April and Wheeler after we brought Bella home two years ago this month.
Bella waiting for her turn with Ruby.

Dinner Time

So last night's dinner homemade beef pot pie. I was shocked at how easy it was to make pie crust I don't know if I will ever buy store pie crust again. It came out so light and flaky and just the right amount of butter taste. It wasn't a pretty pie crust but it was tasty.


Today I am trying my hand at making pulled pork enchilada's and we will be eat it with the left over frozen beans from last week and rice.

Now on to Bella Friday she will be getting a review to see if she will test out of speech therapy, the OT for her food therapy has only come one time so far but I have seen a big improvement in her eating. Don't know if this is because of the therapy or if just having someone reassure me I am doing things right has made me less stressed at dinner time and Bella is just picking up on me. Who knows all I know is I am happy she is trying new things and not gagging on them.

A Home Run

So I made this easy dinner this week, that I kind of pulled out of my butt. My son had two friends over to spend a few days and I had to make something that would satisfy three hungry teenagers. And it was a home run. We generally have leftovers but not that night they came back for seconds. This was so easy and cheap. I made my own version of BBQ Pulled Pork Spaghetti. Nothing fancy about it just slow cooked a package of pork ribs without the bones in the slow cooker all day. Then I boiled some spaghetti noddles open a jar of Stubbs BBQ (the only BBQ Sauce to buy) mixed it all together and baked it for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, really that easy.

So easy it left me the morning to spend outside playing with Bella before the day got to hot and time to make two new banners to take to W&T on Friday to sale.



I was so excited Bella learned how to blow bubbles this week and then she learned how to eat the bubbles.

She also enjoyed playing in the fresh cut grass, that I think she could of spent the whole day playing with.


Last nights dinner menu slow cooker Roast with new potatoes and carrots. Today I have been slow cooking beans that my hubby will enjoy and the left overs will be frozen for re fried beans this weekend for breakfast. Lets just say my slow cooker has been a busy girl this week.

So I am not sure if this new thing that OT got for Bella to chew on is working or if Bella just really hates therapy but since starting to us this thing that looks like a tooth brush but has ridges on it her gagging seems to be way better. When trying something new her first instinct has always been to gag until she throws up when it is something new. So OT says it sounds like she has a texture issue. Since using this chew thing she has been actually letting the food stay in her mouth and not gag and just taken it out if she does not like it. She actually ate two bits of a strawberry and today a Waffle still eats like a bird but I will take that over throwing up her food any day. We have a second apt next week so we will see how that goes.

All and all a week that started out off is ending up to be a good productive week.

My New Normal

Busy busy and loving it. My new normal is all day with Bella cooking, cleaning, running after her, playing for hours with her and crafting. This time around I am actually getting good at this finding time for everything and I think getting better each day.

So Bella latest. Well she is become a chatter box or at least when no one is watching. She can count to 3 putting words together. Her speech therapy is going really well, she was once a week now she is only getting it every other week.

Now we are starting OT which I like to call Feed Therapy. Bella has some texture issues with fruits and vegetables. So we are starting back with OT to work on this issue ever week. So far after only one visit she is doing great. I can already see big improvements. Today she actually tried a strawberry and she did not gap on it.

I know she loves staying home with me I just hope I can keep it up for a long time.

So today's Menu is BBQ Pulled Pork Spaghetti and for desert strawberry pie, go check it out. Refreshing on this hot summer days.

Hope everyone is having a great summer. I know Bella is.

Flop~flops

Bella got new flip flops.... her first pair and if you know her Nana and mommy you know we are flip flop nuts. Lucky for us we live in Texas so we can wear them 90% of the time. Lucky us. Of course finding flip flops to fit my tiny foot baby has not been easy but i do have to say that Me~In~Mind are the best they are just as cute and great as all the yellow box ones I steal from my mom.
Check them out at me-in-mind.com

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happy july 4th

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Happy Father's Day

Happy Father's DAY!?

So have I told you about my awesome dad?

He ROCKS! He likes to watch cartoons with me, lets me watch lots of music video's and teaches me about all things 80's. He thinks this is very important to know about. But he also lets me watch Yo Gabba Gabba cause mommy won't and Wonder Pets while I he feeds me my afternoon snack everyday.

Today mommy fixed daddy french toast for breakfast and since I have mastered the fork I feed myself some yummy french toaste and BACON!

I am turing into a little chatter box or at least when I feel like it. I can say all kinds of words now I just don't do it for the therepist maybe I enjoy her company and don't want her to stop coming. I am putting words together too. I can say I do IT and I see YOU. I am 31 1/2 inches tall not much weight gain only 21lbs but I don't stop till they make me. I have not had a bottle in a month and now drink from a straw sippy cuppy. I use a fork and a spoon. Mommy got me a bigger kiddie pool this summer and I love to play in it, sure beats a bath.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy father's day. I am off to nap before I take my daddy to buy some new shoes for father's day. :)