PAT MCKEE'S RIBS!!

THIS IS WHAT WE GOBBLED DOWN LAST NIGHT FOR DINNER!! THANK YOU DAD FOR THE RECIPE IT WAS SO DELISH I NEEDED TO SHARE IT! THERE WERE RIBS ON SALE AT OUR LOCAL GROCERY AND I NEVER COULD COOK THEM RIGHT!! WELL NOW I KNOW A SECRET RECIPE! THE MEAT WAS FALLING OFF THE BONE I COOKED THEM FOR 4 HOURS! THANK YOU AGAIN DAD FOR YOUR SECRET RECIPE :) HERE IS THE RECIPE MY DAD SENT ME.

Take the ribs and par boiling them till they turn color about 15 to 20 minutes slowly. Then put them in a pan set the oven at about 215 place a little water in the pan take a bottle of head country BBQ sauce (or your favorite sauce) place 1/2 the bottle and place it on the ribs. in about hour turn them over check to make sure there is liquid in the pan, cook about another two to three hours checking on them every hour or so place BBQ sauce as needed. If you want some smoke flavor add a little liquid smoke about a table spoon. Maybe a table spoon of white vinegar as well. The meat should be falling off the bone. Make sure there is liquid in the pan at all time.

Images of summer

Here are some of my favorite images this summer:

Being ornery....

Wearing silly things...

Visiting Swan Lake...

A dip in the pool...

and the sweetest smile ever...

NOT SO SURPRISING

Here are pictures of Violets 1st Birthday present!! I am shocked at how fast they actually came together once I got to sit down and get them done :) I think they will look soo cute on her!

I have now started on Lyla's for her 1st birthday! I chose this pretty pink color for her. Once I am done with these i have 3 beautiful dancing nieces in California that need leg warmers too!! Next project will be hats :)

CARROT BREAD

We made Some Carrot Bread tonight! I made some substitutions though instead of oil I used applesauce. It turned out really good so I thought I would share the recipe. It was super easy and I also added a dash of nutmeg :)

2 eggs

1c. sugar

2/3 c. vegetable oil

1 1/2 c. flour

1 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

1 c. grated carrots

Beat eggs with sugar and oil. Add dry ingredients. Mix thoroughly. Add pecans and grated carrots. Bake in loaf pan 1 hour at 300 degrees.

Mom finally got a....

Violet is here to let you all know that I finally got a job.  I am a 9th and 10th grade teacher at Booker T. Washington. I cannot express how excited I am to work for such a wonderful and prestigious school.  Teaching there will be a lot of hard work, but I am up for the challenge and cannot wait to start planning some fun, creative and challenging lesson plans.

Happy Breakfast

I had to take a picture of my breakfast this morning! I am so happy to be eating things I have grown. 2 farm fresh eggs sprinkled with rosemary, turkey bacon and a tomato from my Early Girl. Logan couldn't resist he loves the tomatoes and he likes picking them off the plant, some he picks a lil too early. I have several green tomatoes in the window waiting to ripen:)

Bye Bye LOVE

Bye to Miss Lyla Bear or as Max likes to call her "LJ"!! She stayed here for almost a whole week and BOY AM I TIRED. I know she was soo happy to see her Mommy.

Logan is sad she is leaving but happy to have me all to himself again he was getting super jealous!!

Thanks Brie for letting me keep her while you guys got moved into your new place :) It was such a JOY and I love her so much!

DRESS UP :)

OH MY GOODNESS I DIDN'T REALIZE HOW MUCH I MISSED PLAYING DRESS UP! OH LIL GIRLS ARE JUST SO MUCH FUN- LYLA BEAR IS SUCH A DOLL BUT SHE DOESN'T LIKE HATS :)

Look what I got to BRING HOME :)

Lyla came to visit Ardmore for a few days :) Oh my goodness they are having the best time they chase each other all over the place. What cute cousins so smiley and happy!

I love dressing her up in pretty things and watching Max and Logan make her laugh! What a sweet girl!

Thank you Aunt Shawn and Nana for coming to Poppa's funeral it meant alot to me you were there! I will miss you Poppa & I know you are watching over all of us!

My heart melts

My heart melts when I look at these two beautiful girls.  After reading the Poppa True posts and shedding some tears, I decided to look at some photos that I took recently and they made me so happy.  I thought I would share pictures of these two cutie pies.

The pictures below are ones that I took today in the cutest outfit in the world. Thanks to the Edwards. 

Poppa TRUE

My Poppa is in the hospital and he is dying. He has had a great life and has been a huge part in my life ("aaaaaccentuate the positive, eeeeeliminate the negative" is an old song I have had running through my mind for the past 2 days) he was always so happy!! I talk about him in the past tense because he hasn't been present in his mind for several years. This has been hard to watch old age & dementia. How we turn from being a grown man back to an infant. I can't bear to drive up to Tulsa to see him in the sick state that he is in at the moment. I am going to remember the last time I saw him when he delirious and still laughing. He talked about my Nana and He talked about the Navy, the fisherman's handshake (bite , bite swim away) and was just happy to be sitting in the middle of the room watching all his children, grand children and great grandchildren. All of us talking loudly, drinking wine and eating lots of food. I just pray that he passes with out pain and very soon as I know this is so hard on my Mom. I love you Mom, you are such a good daughter and he loves you very much!
I can't find any good pictures of my Poppa but I would love to have one of him in his Navy uniform or one with him and my Nana as I know(in my mind) she is waiting for him in Heaven :)

30 pounds!!!!!

I have lost 30 pounds! I secretly weighed myself at my father in laws house yesterday (as I don't have a scale in my house) it was hard to keep my excitement to myself. So here is a picture of me today and hopefully in another 6 months I will have lost another 30 pounds!! I still have alot of work to do :) I am back to running only like a mile a day and I try to wake up early before it gets too hot!
Here are pictures of our "Early Girl" tomato plant we have counted seven so far :) We can't wait for some fresh tomatoes :)
Here are my herbs they are growing so fast! Does anyone have suggestions on trimming and drying these wild things? All tips will be appreciated :)

Finally here are my flowers and parsley! They were much more beautiful before this harsh storm the other day :)