It's Impossible to Have a Rotten Birthday in Kindergarten

When I got to work this morning, Susan had this card and gift for me on the table along with some Coke and Diet Coke (which I very much appreciate, but you all know what those look like, so no pictures).

The students sang to me and asked how old I am. I confessed that I am 49 and one little girl said "WOW. That's older than my dad!" 

I'm so glad my birthday landed on a school day. Kids make it fun. :)

Thanks again Susan. I adore working with you!

Post-it Notes Gift Idea

This is what I found on my desk the first day of school. Thank you Susan. I have a feeling it's going to be a great year in Kindergarten. :)



Follow my blog with Bloglovin

"There is Nothing Wrong with Change, If It Is in the Right Direction." Winston Churchill

Back in April of 2011, I wrote the blog post My Boys Are On A Liquid Diet which included the following picture...

Today, Chase uploaded this photo to facebook...

Isn't it absolutely amazing what a couple of years and a good woman will do for a man?! 

I. LOVE. IT.

Happy 29th Birthday!

Today is Chase's birthday and to give you an idea of his personality and the role Chase plays in our family, please click on the following links:

Playful Prankster

Wittiness and Whiskers

I Don't Want a Mail Order Bride for a Daughter-In-Law

A little note here. Chase did not have to go to Russia for his mail order bride after all. He found the love of his life right here in the states (and I thank God every day). Click on Chase and Talitha's Wedding to see pics.

Chase Trimmed His Beard and I Didn't Think He Looked Gay Enough, So I Made Him Wear a Cowboy Outfit

Imitation Marijuana

Ah-La-La-La. I Can't Hear You.

Bonding Moment Between Brothers

And the last link, written by Chase himself, is one of Snippets 'N Stuff's most read posts:

Guest Post by Chase Lancaster/ 10 Proven Ways to Know When Someone is an Alcoholic


Happy Birthday Chase! Enjoy... because this time next year, you'll be the big THREE ZERO. : )

Chase and Talitha/ August 23,2013

Wedding Part 5/ A Few of My Favorite Photos

Getting Katelyn into her Dress

Matthew really wanted to wear a bow-tie.

The power of a two year old saying "Look!" (Give Cody a break. He can't see.)

Matt doing the "I'm married!" shout.

Ahh. We love our baby girl. :)

My kiddos. The only thing that would make this picture better is if Matt were in it. I have no idea where he went.

Katelyn, Asher and Me

Father-Daughter Dance

Photos by M Felt Photography

Homemade Croutons

One thing I haven't figured out in my 30+ years of cooking and baking is out is how to make yeast breads. I've tried and tried and always have a problem getting the dough to rise the second time. Obviously, I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. My dough rises the first go round in the greased bowl, but after I punch it down, shape it and place it in a pan to rise again, it does nothing. I've tried different types of flour and yeast, but to no avail. My rolls/breads end up looking like this...

This is suppose to be a Copycat Texas Roadhouse Roll.
To show you how flat they turned out, I put this one in front of a hot dog bun.

There IS good news. I found a recipe from All In Good Food and made flavorsome homemade croutons from my day old I-Suck-at-Baking-with-Yeast Rolls.

If you know what I could be doing wrong in the bread baking department, please drop me a note in the comment section of this post. I'm up for tips and suggestions. 

Wheel Watching in Vegas

I will never look at a game show the same way again.

Our friends, John and Susan, had two extra tickets to watch the taping of Wheel of Fortune in Las Vegas and invited us to go with them. Because there wasn't assigned seating, we arrived at The Palazzo early and waited in line. When the doors finally opened, we were led in and seated in groups. The four of us ended up placed in the center section on the floor. Don, sitting on an aisle seat, had a great view of the game board and Vanna White.

The crew working the event was friendly and fun. Before filming, we were told that we would be clapping A LOT. We were also instructed to not look at the cameras or call out answers. While we were being entertained by the announcer Jim Thornton (nice guy and funny too) the contestants on stage were briefed and given opportunities to get comfortable spinning the wheel and shouting out letters. 

I learned from this experience I will never have the nerve to be a contestant on Wheel of Fortune. I would have a hard time wrapping my head around a celebrity (and yes, Pat Sayjak is a celebrity) talking to me and trying to concentrate on a puzzle at the same time. I'd be the contestant that people get frustrated with and yell at through the television.

During breaks the contestants sipped water and were primped and powdered by make-up artists, crew members changed the wheel, and Pat and Vanna took turns walking through the audience, shaking hands and answering questions. Pat has a great sense of humor and Vanna is very sweet. She is from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and has an adorable southern accent.

Wheel of Fortune is taping six weeks of shows in Las Vegas and we sat through three of them. (Yep. We got to see Vanna wear three different gowns.) These particular episodes will air on October 21st, 22nd and 23rd. Please watch and look for me. I'll be sitting between my husband and a man (John) wearing a bright red shirt. 

One more thing... Back in 1992, Vanna was recognized in the Guinness Book of World Records as TV's most frequent clapper. I want you to know that she totally deserves that acknowledgement. We had to clap until our hands and forearms hurt. 

You may ask, "Would you like to be part of a live studio audience again if given the opportunity?" 
My answer, "Heck yes I would!"

Wedding Part 4/ Bridesmaids, Groomsmen and Other Details

Hugs from the Groom and Best Man

In Lieu of a Guest Book...

Jenga Blocks

Lollipop Favors for Guests

Photos by M Felt Photography