Dawn's Diversions

What I Saw From Behind the Lens

2012-01-18T19:40:00.004-06:00

For my birthday my dad spoiled me - ROTTEN! Seriously, it was completely unexpected and totally made my day. First he took me to Camera Gallery in Tulsa and bought me a new Tamron 28-75mm 2.8 lens along with filter, diffuser and remote flash. Then he bought me a Keurig with a whole bunch of coffees, teas, cocoa and cider. Yep, I'm pretty sure he loves me. ;)

But, I'm not here to brag about my gifts. I really wanted to show you the pictures that were taken with my new lens. Some of the pictures I took myself with it and some my brother-in-law took with it. My husband's family was here over Christmas break and we went out took some family photos. I cherish family photos as I know they will tell our story long, long after we are gone.

Brett's parents, sister and family along with our family

My nephew, Dalton

Cousins

My daughter, Courtney

Brett's parents laughing because my youngest said a curse word.

(Which she overheard her Pepa say!)

I really wanted to post our Christmas card, but I'm going to have to scan it first! I guess I'll have to do that soon. You know, like before next Christmas. Ha!

Lastly, it's hard to believe but I'm now a mom to a 14 year old! Where, oh where has the time gone?

Courtney and her cousin, Dalton

How can this be that same little girl?!

Happy birthday, baby!

My Christmas Blessings

2012-01-04T13:54:00.001-06:00

I do realize I'm a little later than most with sharing about Christmas. But considering my little ol' blog hasn't gotten any attention since November 21, it's no surprise. I'm posting pictures of my family for my family, but you are more than welcome to enjoy them as well. I *bigsquishyheart* my family!

Every year we spend Christmas Eve at my mom's house. This year was no different. We had such a great time visiting, eating some JL's BBQ, opening gifts and sharing about how we helped someone in need during the year/holiday. My mom and bonus dad started something quite special years ago. You see, they don't need anything and the things they want they are able to buy. All they ask of the kids and grandkids is for us to do something for someone else and then write it in a Christmas card and share it with everyone Christmas Eve. It's been such a blessing of a tradition, even the younger children enjoy sharing how they've helped someone.

Christmas Eve morning was spent with my dad, brother, sister-in-law and niece. Poppy spoils his girls immensely!

Christmas day was spent with Brett's family at our home. Yes, more spoiled was going on.

I know how blessed we are and never want to take that for granted. Our girls have such wonderfully giving grandparents. They truly do not know what it's like to do without. We can never thank them enough for all they do for us.

Hopefully I'll find time to do another blog post in the next day or two. I'd love to share the family pictures we did for Christmas.

I sincerely hope you all had a blessed Christmas and enjoyed time with those you love most.

They'll Let Anyone on T.V.

2011-11-21T12:18:00.001-06:00

Hello, friends! Long time no see. Yes, it's my fault as I'm sure you all have just been blogging away and long forgotten about me. I hope not, though. ;)

I wanted to share something exciting that has happened. As most of you may know, I am one of the writers on The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. Well, we were featured on one of our local news channels, KTUL News Channel 8, Thursday evening.

I'd love for you to head over to The RHOK and read all about it. I've even shared the video of the news segment. We had such fun being interviewed. I absolutely love the ladies that I am blessed to work with on The RHOK. They are smart, beautiful, kind, and did I mention smart?!? They have some serious talent.

Also, while you're there be sure to check out the holiday t-shirts we have for sale. We will be placing the order for them on Wednesday, so if you want one be sure to order it before then! You can order via Paypal on our side bar of www.therhok.com. They come in red or green. Here's the red one:

We are also getting ready to host another fun event on November 29th. If you are local to Tulsa and would like to attend, you can purchase your ticket as well on the side bar. We would love to see you!

Breaking Dawn ~ What I'm Missing

2011-11-16T10:13:00.001-06:00

My sweet friend, Jenny Kate, usually throws the best Twilight movie parties. But, this year she's been traveling to places like FORKS and Twilight conventions and ran out of time to throw the kind of party she'd only put her stamp of approval on. Yes, I'm going to miss getting to go to a premier Breaking Dawn party this year.Since I'm not going to any party, I'm also NOT going to a midnight showing of the movie. GASP! I'm really getting too old for midnight showings. There! I said it!

I still love my friend, even though she will not be throwing a big party this time. I'm confident she will host one more awesome party for Breaking Dawn Pt. 2! Isn't that right, Jenny?! ;)

Here are a few pictures from previous parties that Jenny and her cousin, Allison hosted:

Jenny Kate & Allison - The hostesses with the mostesses (yes, I made that word up!)

Edward and Jacob made special appearances at the party and insisted I take a picture with them!

My friend got a little out of control. Bless her heart.

Nothing better than seeing the Twilight movies with friends.

Okay, maybe I got a little out of control as well. Bless my heart.

Will you be seeing the midnight showing of Breaking Dawn or will you choose to see it at another time or not at all?! I can't wait to see it. I love the excitement that these books/movies bring. Nothing better than seeing a lot of crazy women having a great time.

Cool Chicks Cook Spooktacular Food

2011-10-27T09:57:00.002-05:00

You can find me writing over at The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma today. I hope you'll stop by.

We dressed up and had some wickedly good food! You won't want to miss the two recipes I shared.

Christmas in September?!?

2011-09-21T18:23:00.000-05:00

Recently we were invited to a potluck dinner at some new friends' home. We had such a nice evening visiting with new and old friends AND eating scrumptious food, of course.

While at Kari's home, I got to see some of her handiness. The lady crochets beautifully. It's all so intricate.

Just look at this poncho! It is absolutely gorgeous. Our friend, Cari, tried it on over her sleeveless top and it just looked beautiful.

And, this doily (I guess that's what you would call it) lay beautifully over the back of the chair.

I fell in love with her Christmas stockings and just had to order us new stockings for Christmas. I ordered red & green for daddy and me and red, pink, & white for the girls. I just picked up the girls' stockings this evening and they LOVE them! I can NOT wait to hang them on the mantle. Aren't they gorgeous?! I wish you could really see them up close and feel them.

Kari is just a neat gal transplanted here in small-town Oklahoma from Florida. She has a blog you should definitely follow, Sweet Things by Kari. I enjoy the way she writes. It's quite refreshing. You can also find stockings along with other things she makes on there, for purchase. Go over and say, "Howdy!" and let her know I sent you.

Come on Christmas - I have a mantle just waiting to be decorated!

In Your Neck of the Woods

2011-08-29T22:00:00.000-05:00

Today you will find me writing as Mrs. Albright over on The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma.

Please take a minute to come over and see why I'm wearing pink along with the rest of our community!

While you're there, if you've blogged today, add our button and link your post up for In Your Neck of the Woods. It can be about anything you have going on!

Cool Chicks Cook ~ Sneaky Chef Style

2011-08-24T15:55:00.000-05:00

Last night was our cooking club. Tracy chose the theme Sneaky Chef. I knew exactly what I was going to make the minute she told us. My sweet friend, Nicolle, makes a cauliflower-crusted pizza all the time. She's raved about it several times on her blog. I've always wanted to make it and this was the perfect opportunity.

It was super easy and no one at cooking club could guess what the secret ingredient was. As a matter-of-fact, no one even thought the secret ingredient was in the crust. If you are a gluten-free family, this pizza is a must! Even if you're not, you should try it. I will definitely make it again as both of my girls really liked the left-overs.

I'll be sharing some of the other recipes in future posts. They were all yummy as well!

Cauliflower-Crusted Pizza

Right-click, save, print!

What's going on In Your Neck of the Woods? It's not too late to link up with The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. Heck, I'm a day late and a dollar short! Ha!

It's Time for a Back-to-School Giveaway!

2011-08-17T10:52:00.001-05:00

It's been awhile since I've hosted a giveaway, so when Uprinting offered one of my readers and myself a rolled 16"x20'" rolled canvas, I couldn't pass it up. Just take a look at what you could be winning, with the picture of your choice, of course.

My fancy camera didn't get much lovin' this summer. It seems most of my summer pictures were taken with my iPhone. Never fear, I remedied that this past weekend. I have been busy taking back-to-school pictures of my girls and my friends' kids. Can't you just picture some of these on that rolled canvas?! I sure can!

How will I ever decide which picture to choose!? I can see that I'm going to have to just order more than one.
Do you have a special picture in mind in case you win?!

Let's get down to the rules. You don't even have to jump through hoops to be entered. Am I cool, or what?! Just leave me a comment telling me the funnest thing you did this summer. Easy! But, if you'd like more chances then "Like/Follow" Uprinting on Facebook (for one entry) and Twitter (for one entry). This contest lasts from August 18th through August 25th. A winner will be chosen at random on August 26th.

Disclaimer:
This canvas printing giveaway is sponsored by UPrinting, no monetary compensation was given for hosting. Check out UPrinting.com for more details about canvas sizes.

In Your Neck of the Woods ~ Till the Cows Come Home

2011-08-16T00:03:00.000-05:00

I had to ask my friend if I could borrow her pictures she posted on Facebook the other for my In Your Neck of the Woods post. Of course, she agreed. The pictures made me laugh and I thought you might get a kick out of them too.

There is a field behind my friend's house that has cattle in it. Over the years they've had a stray cow or two knock down their fence and make into their yard. But this week, a whole herd of cattle knocked down the fence and not only made into their yard, but preceded to trample it, eat her husband's tropical plants and leave piles of their fertilizer all over. Her poor husband was just distraught over losing his beloved banana trees. Thankfully, after he managed to "Yaw" them out of the yard he was able to save a few of them.

I truly can not image waking up to the following in my back yard....

YAW! YAW!

What's going on In Your Neck of the Woods? Link up with The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. And, no, you don't have to be from Oklahoma or say "Yaw!"

Perfect Pairings Ephesians 4:31

2011-08-14T14:54:00.000-05:00

I'm joining That's Baloney for Perfect Pairings. What is Perfect Pairings, you ask? It's where you pair a picture up with a Bible verse or poem. Easy!

"Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking,
be put away from you, with all malice:"

Ephesians 4:31

Oh, How Pinteresting!

2011-08-10T13:14:00.002-05:00

My friend, ShaRhonda at The 4 Crows, recently shared with me about a new meme called Oh, How Pinteresting Wednesdays.

I'm joining in the fun today because I love Pinterest and have pinned some awesome ideas that I'd like to share with YOU! (If you need an invite for Pinterest just leave your email address in the comments and I'll send you one.)

I'm loving all the back-to-school ideas....

I've enjoyed getting ideas for some first day of school pictures.

It's hard to believe that summer break is almost over and new school year is about to begin. There is something very exciting about being a new school year. My little one will be going to PreK and my oldest will be going to eighth grade. I pray their year will be filled with memorable experiences.

Do you do anything special for back to school? Do you have a certain breakfast you fix? Do you give gifts to their teachers? I'd love to hear your ideas!

You can find me on Pinterest as Dawn's Diversions. Let me know if you are on!

In Your Neck of the Woods

2011-08-09T13:51:00.000-05:00

Joining up with some of my favorite people for another installment of In Your Neck of the Woods hosted by The Real Housewives of Oklahoma better known as The RHOK. I think you should link up as well so we can all see what's going on in your world. All you have to do is add our button to your blog post and link up. Your post can be about anything that is going on with you. Easy Peasy!

Saturday I, along with a couple of other friends, went to help out at a friend's parents' 50th anniversary party in Pawhuska, OK. Just a little tidbit about Pawhuska...The Pioneer Woman, Ree Drummond lives there. I sort of was hoping I'd just happen in to her. It just wasn't in the cards, I guess. I love the old-time feel of Pawhuska. It really is a neat little town.

My friends and I were happy to help out our friend. It freed up her time during the party so she could visit and not worry about food, drinks, etc. Of course, there was lots of laughter going on behind the scenes. It was held at the Elk's Lodge and my friend, Jen, has decided she wants to be an Elkette. Silly girl only wants to be one so she can make a cute little t-shirt that says so. She wants a cute little t-shirt for everything we do. I don't complain, because she's good at making cute lil' t-shirts!

Photo stolen from 6 Happy Hearts

The Happy Couple - Celebrating 50 years of marriage. When Mr. W. was asked how his marriage has last this many years he just replied, "We were both too stubborn to leave." LOL! They are wonderful people and have just as wonderful family.

Proof that they are a fun family!

Dana and Tracy - Tracy is our friend who was the professional photographer for the party.

Now, for the fun behind the scenes....

We blacked out one of our teeth with chocolate cake. Yes, it seems Dana really brought us along as the cheap entertainment!

Jen and I really did climb up in chairs and take a picture with this stinky elk head. Again, cheap entertainment!

David and Dana, you have such a lovely, fun family. It was such an honor to be able to attend and help out at the party.

"In helping others, we shall help ourselves, for whatever good we give out completes the circle and comes back to us." ~Flora Edwards

What's going on In Your Neck of the Woods?

In Your Neck of the Woods

2011-08-02T21:20:00.001-05:00

The RHOK wants to know what's happening in our neck of the woods. If it doesn't involve air-conditioning or creek water, absolutely NOTHING. Seriously, if you live in the midsection of the nation, you know what I'm talking about. It's flipping H-O-T! As a matter-of-fact, our local meteorologist said he's never forecasted temps this high in his 30 year career. It was 113 today and supposed to be 114 tomorrow. That's putting the heat indexes about 120 degrees. Seriously?! I'm going to melt. And, I'm definitely going to be cranky. I am so ready for Fall and Winter.

I actually Googled "Dust Bowl" recently because we've not had any rain in like... forever. Just look at this picture. Could this actually happen again? It kind of scare me.

An Oklahoma farmer's son from Cimarron County in April 1936.

So here's what we've been doing lately to stay cool....

Oh, YES, I did. I jumped! =)

This past weekend my friends and I went to see Chonda Pierce, Christian Comedian, in concert in Tulsa. If you haven't seen her or heard her then you are missing out. She is just PRECIOUS! (Those of you who have seen/heard her then you just laughed!)

We ate at Caz's Chowhouse in downtown Tulsa before the show. This picture cracks me up because it says "Bait" behind us. Yes, I'm easily amused.

I love these girls! We had such an uplifting night together.

The group we went with even got the chance to have our picture taken with Chonda Pierce. She really is just PRECIOUS!

What are you doing to keep cool during these ridiculous temperatures?! Are you ready for Fall? It's not too late to link up with us over at The RHOK for In Your Neck of the Woods.

Hellllooooo......

2011-07-29T01:10:00.003-05:00

Want to know where I've been this week? Head on over to The RHOK to find out.
Here's a hint... it was cold and refreshing.

I'm really hoping and crossing fingers that once school starts back I will be a better blogger and blog visitor. Thanks for your continued interest! =)

In My Neck of the Woods

2011-07-12T14:29:00.004-05:00

Summer is just ZIPPING on by, isn't it? Are you tired of this extreme heat yet? I AM!

My In Your Neck of the Woods post is about my daughter Courtney. She had surgery on her sinuses two weeks ago. It was a fairly simple procedure and she recovered quickly. But, what I wanted to show you is a funny video of her after the nurses had given her the "goofy juice" before she went in to surgery.

Her little sister (on her own, without any prompting) thought it would be hilarious to make Courtney pick her own nose. It was cracking us up. Poor girl even tried to read her name on her wrist band and couldn't.
It's sort of a weird feeling seeing your child "drunk"... because that's certainly how she was acting. See for yourself!

Laughing at our kids has to be some sort of reward for how hard it is to parent them. Agree?!

What's going on in YOUR Neck of the Woods? Link up with us over at The RHOK.

Inspiration

2011-07-11T17:01:00.000-05:00

Today I am writing as "Mrs. Albright" over at The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. I titled the post "Nothing Tastes as Good as Skinny Feels." If you need some inspiration to help you get moving, head on over and check it out! I'd love to hear some feedback on how you stay fit or if you even exercise at all.

Brotherly Love

2011-07-10T19:40:00.002-05:00

I'm linking up with my sweet friend Baloney at That's Baloney for Perfect Pairings.

Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. ~ Romans 12:10

Brett (husband) and Teece ("bonus" brother) thoroughly enjoy one another's company as is evident by the looks on their faces.

In Your Neck of The Woods ~ Sushi

2011-06-21T18:37:00.000-05:00

There's been a lot going on in my neck of the woods since last week. We've been doing lots of swimming and even took a trip to Kansas City over the weekend to see my nephew play his guitar in a sort of concert-type-fashion. The name of the music place where he takes lessons is called School of Rock. They performed at a club that was closed to the public just for the event. All of the kids got to perform different songs during the evening. It was a fun night and he's doing such a great job.

But, as far as pictures go for this week's edition of IYNOTW's, I'm going to show you pictures of sushi. My daughter Courtney and I made sushi last night for the very first time. It was sort of last minute so I didn't have any cucumber or even cream cheese. I did have crab meat and avocado so that's what we used. I know it didn't turn out beautiful, but I'm happy it resembles a sushi roll. Ha! It actually tasted pretty darn good. I even mixed up some spicy mayo to put on the tops of mine. It was messy, but not as hard as I thought it would be. Have you ever tried making it?

What's going on In Your Neck of the Woods? Click on over to The RHOK and link up!

In Your Neck of the Woods ~ Celebration

2011-06-14T01:50:00.001-05:00

My, my. Where has the time gone? It's been two weeks since I've blogged. Can I really even call myself a blogger anymore?!

We are enjoying the beginning of our summer with lots of swimming. We must get it all in before the pool waters feel like bath waters.

I'll have to catch everyone up on what's going on here as far as job, family, friends, etc. on another post. This post is about a celebration of a very special kind. It's my mom and "bonus" dad's 20th anniversary - TODAY!

However, we celebrated it Saturday night at Charleston's. We almost had the whole famdamily there. We were missing my "bonus" sister and one of my "bonus" brothers and their families.

We all had a nice time visiting and celebrating a wonderful couple. I could not have hand-picked a better "bonus" dad. That's how I know he was given to us by God. He has loved my brother and I as if we were his own biological children. And, to see the way he has loved and supported my mom over the years makes my heart happy. Our families have blended together beautifully. We are blessed, indeed.

"An anniversary is a time to celebrate the joys of today, the memories of yesterday, and the hopes of tomorrow." ~Author Unknown

The Happy Couple

(My mom and Bob)

My mom has a talent in that she can write poetry. I so wish I had that same talent. She wrote a poem for Bob and asked me to read it after dinner.

Me, giving a little speech before I read the poem.

Here's the poem...

In the 70’s when we met, you were married but I was not,

So our ever getting together was such a long shot.

Years passed quickly and our kids became friends,

So there was occasion to run into you now and then.

More time passed and marriages crumbled,

Which made this woman a bit scared and a whole lot humbled.

Then we were both single but dating other people;

Getting together was not the least bit foreseeable.

But then on the night I boldly asked you to dance,

I knew then we might one day have a romance.

Two years later after lots of breakups and many a tear

The love that we felt was going to persevere.

I gained so much more than a husband and lover,

For I gained three more kids, two grands, and a wonderful mother.

Our families have blended amazingly well

Blessings abundant upon our marriage befell.

We’ve put up with one another’s faults, as annoying as they sometimes may be,

Like your tendency to hoard your “treasures” and my often-present OCD.

I can’t say life together has been all red roses and sweet wine,

But our love has been constant and stands the test of time.

My love for you is stronger with each passing year

And the memories we’ve made forever will be dear.

So many trips to many a far away place,

Making great memories together that time can’t erase.

If I could do it all over, I’d again become your wife.

You are my husband, my friend, and the love of my life.

LET’S GO FOR 20 MORE!!!!!.

Wasn't that awesome? It told a story, their story.

Now, here are a few more pictures from the evening.

My "bonus" brother, Teece and his wife, Heidi. What a blessing it is to call them family AND friends.

My beautiful niece, Chelsie and her husband, Josh.

Camryn loves to eat ribs!

My brother, Rob and my beautiful sister-in-law, Erika. They, too, are more than just family...we consider them friends as well. Although, I will never forget all the fighting we did growing up and how he always has to be right. (I can say that because he probably won't read this! LOL!)

Bob and his mom, my "bonus" Nana!

My favorite 3 guys in the whole world!

My daughter, the photo-bomber!

My niece who makes me laugh!

Josh has a way with the little ones. Camryn and Moriah loved him teasing them.

Happy Anniversary, Mom & Bob! Thank you for setting good examples for your children and grandchildren. We love you bunches!

"Love one another and you will be happy. It's as simple and as difficult as that." ~Michael Leunig

What's happening IN Your Neck of the Woods? The RHOK want to know!

In Your Neck of the Woods ~ Play Dates

2011-06-01T00:04:00.001-05:00

It's time (or it was time yesterday, but I lost track of time) for the RHOK's In Your Neck of the Woods.

My precious little one was in a playgroup since she was in an infant carrier. One of the original "Chickadees" is moving away from Oklahoma so most of us got together last week for one last play date.

We are going to miss Carolina. She and Camryn have literally been friends since they were a few months old.

Carolina at her 4th birthday party.

Not sure what Camryn was doing to Carolina, but I love this picture. Hard to remember them being this small.

The Chickadees about age 1.

Ty, Carolina, Danielle, Camryn, Jillian, Hannah, Grace

Camryn and Jilli - It's quite possible Camryn was pulling her hair. LOL!

Trying again to get them all together for one group picture - not an easy task.

Here they are today. Still not an easy task getting them to sit still for a picture. We were missing sweet Hannah, who moved to KC a couple of years ago and Lindsay.

Camryn + Ty = Trouble

This is the sweetest group of little ones. We have been so blessed by these kids and their mommas.

Jodie and Lina, we are going to miss you and your sweet family so much!

Jen, Heather, Michelle, me, Lisa and Jodie

What's going on In Your Neck of the Woods? It's never too late to play along. I'm proof of that. =)

I'm also writing today on The RHOK as Mrs. Albright. Come on over and check out my post about our cooking club cooking Pioneer Woman style.

Share Your Space Friday

2011-05-27T12:46:00.001-05:00

My friend, Flea from Flea's World has asked us (on Facebook) to share a picture of our "space." And, since I haven't posted since earlier in the week, I thought I would make a blog post with it. I'm clever like that. Eh.

This is where I "work." Yes, I use that word loosely. Unless, of course, you consider blogging and Facebook to be work. It's really where I get all my friends gathered in one space. Ahhh..... the beauty of social media.

And, if like me, you didn't have a clue as to what to post about today, you are more than welcome to play along. Be sure to let me know if you do, so I can come see your "space."

My friend, 6 Happy Hearts, is looking for a new bestie, Bff, best friend.... you should head over to check out the qualifications for this position. You're sure to get a kick out of it. I certainly did.

Have a super, duper fantabulous Memorial Day weekend.

P.S. Please continue to remember all those that have been affected by the recent outbreak of tornadoes. The devastation is beyond comprehension. My friend shared the following verse while we were waiting to see if tornadoes were going to hit our small town:

You have been a refuge for the poor, a refuge for the needy in their distress, a shelter from the storm...Isaiah 25:4

Recital Time

2011-05-20T10:23:00.000-05:00

Yes, it seems another year has come and gone since Camryn's last dance recital. I'm not sure if it's because I'm in my forties now, or if everyone feels this way, but I swear time is moving in fast forward.

I love having Camryn in dance. She loves being in dance. She just loves to dance.

Here are a few pictures from last year's recital. I can't wait to see this year's. The professional dance pictures and the recital are the pay-offs for all those dance classes I sat through during the year. It's what makes this momma HaPpY!

Camryn with her Mimi

Camryn and her precious friend, Jilli, at rehearsal

Tonight is rehearsal time and tomorrow is the BIG day. I'm super excited and so is she. She loves getting to dance on stage.

Here's a picture I snapped of her before we left for the professional dance pictures. I took this picture with my iPhone4 and edited it with my photo-editing apps on my iPhone. Seriously, y'all, I'm not sure what I ever did without this silly phone. It does EVERYTHING!

Here are some pictures I snapped with my real camera while the kids were waiting for their professional photos.

Camryn with Jilli & Jayln

Camryn and Charis

Camryn & Kensington

I can't wait to take more pictures of the recital and to get the professional pictures back. Stay tuned.... *Squeal*

In Your Neck of the Woods - I can hear you now!

2011-05-17T13:11:00.001-05:00

This morning my sweet little one had to have her ear tubes replaced. It's never fun to have your child go "under" for surgery. But, she breezed through it wonderfully. I hope this second set of tubes is her last. I don't want her to have to be on any more antibiotics - EVER!

Goofy Girl - Before surgery

Picture taken after she was given her goofy juice.

This video was taken after her goofy juice had kicked in. She was hilarious!

Her surgery was scheduled for 9:15, but she was finished by 9:10. She did awesome and woke up easily. Her left ear is causing her a little pain, but that should subside soon, I hope.

What's happening in Your Neck of the Woods? Link up over at The RHOK to play along today.

Peek-A-Boo!

2011-05-16T09:49:00.000-05:00

Hello to those still faithful enough to follow! LOL! I know I have been MIA the past couple of weeks - sorry about that. But, today you can find me over at The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma where I'm writing about our big RHOK Out we had Thursday evening at El Guapo's Catina in downtown Tulsa. It was such a great time, so go on over and read all about it!

P.S. If you're from Oklahoma and would like one of these super cool Real Housewives of Oklahoma t-shirts, there are still some available for purchase. Just look for the information on the left sidebar of The RHOK.

In Your Neck of The Woods

2011-04-26T16:37:00.000-05:00

It's time again for The RHOK's In Your Neck of the Woods. Thanks to this new blog carnival, I'm becoming more aware of my surroundings. Today's picture comes from none other than MY neighborhood. Yes, they broke the covenants of the neighborhood association. BUT, never fear. They just so happened to see me snap this picture and the car bench was removed from the driveway. Just call me the neighborhood watch!

Here are a couple of other pictures I took and edited with my iPhone...

We got some fairly good-sized hail on Easter. I always hear of golf ball (and, even bigger) sized hail on the news, but I'd never seen any. I've only witnessed pea-sized until Easter. The hail in our town ranged from quarter-size to golf ball size. We just happened to be outside when this stuff started falling. At first we thought a truck that had just driven by threw something at us, but soon realized what was happening. HAIL! Big hail! And, it was so interesting looking. The edges were jagged and the centers were white.

We didn't have a quarter handy to do a comparison, but my sister-in-law did have a pair of nail clippers. LOL! I just wanted you to see the jagged edge on the hail. Pretty amazing. It sure would hurt to get bonked on the head by one of those.

And, this last picture I'm sharing with you just because I think it looks cool. I used an app on my phone called Dynamic Light to edit it.

What's happening In Your Neck of the Woods?? Link up with The RHOK so we can all stop by and see what's happening in your little corner of the world.

Are You Ready for a RHOK Out?!

2011-04-22T10:09:00.001-05:00

It's time again for another RHOK Out. But, this isn't just any RHOK Out. This one is going to be our biggest, best one yet. We are partnering with 918 Moms to bring you a night full of fun.

When and where is this event going to happen? So glad you asked. May 12th at El Guapo's Cantina in downtown Tulsa.

Why would you want to attend? To hang out with the housewives, of course. Okay, maybe there is another reason or two why you might want to attend. Let's count them....

Sarah Roe, Money Saving Queen, will be speaking on Extreme Giving.
Live DJ
Swag Bags
Giveaways every 15 minutes through the evening
El Guapo's food, of course!
Did I mention you get to hang out with the housewives?! =)
GNO (Girls' Night Out) what can be better?

You don't want to miss out on this fun night out. Hurry and register. The first 25 will get swag bags. Plus, only 75 can attend!! Tickets are selling fast..... don't delay! We can't wait to see YOU!

Are You Ready for a RHOK Out?!

2011-04-22T10:08:00.000-05:00

Why would you want to attend? To hang out with the housewives, of course. Okay, maybe there is another reason or two why you might want to attend. Let's count them....

Sarah Roe, Money Saving Queen, will be speaking on Extreme Giving.
Live DJ
Swag Bags
Giveaways every 15 minutes through the evening
El Guapo's food, of course!
Did I mention you get to hang out with the housewives?! =)
GNO (Girls' Night Out) what can be better?

You don't want to miss out on this fun night out. Hurry and register. The first 25 will get swag bags. Plus, only 75 can attend!! Tickets are selling fast..... don't delay! We can't wait to see YOU!

In Your Neck of The Woods

2011-04-19T09:00:00.000-05:00

Hello, again. I'm thankful for these little blog carnivals because these days it seems to be the only way I'm getting a post in. It's time again for The RHOK's edition of In Your Neck of the Woods. I know I'm over a week behind on visiting your blogs and I hopefully I'll have a chance to catch up with each of you this week.

You see, we've had a LOT going on in our neck of the woods. My husband's company dissolved (for lack of a better word) on March 31. And, no, he hasn't found a new job yet. *scary* Thankfully, he has been getting calls and interviews so I know it's only a matter of time. To say we are little stressed is putting it mildly. I'm very worried that a job offer will come from Oklahoma City and not Tulsa. I DON'T WANT TO MOVE! My momma lives close and helps us out tremendously with the girls. We have all our friends here. I could list a million and one reasons to why we don't want to move. BUT, we must have a job. AND, I'm trying very hard to have faith in our God that he knows what's best for our family. Never in our lives did we think we would be going through something like this in our forties. It happens. And, it happened to us.

We are making the best of the situation. I'm not going to lie, I'm enjoying having my husband home. I just wish it were because we were rich and he was retired. Ha! I don't even think we are driving him completely bat &*%$ crazy yet. He's using his time off to get a lot of little projects done around the house. We've even transformed my scrapbook room into an office for him. Poor guy has to work in a pink room. Good thing he is in touch with his feminine side. Ha!.

Massive plotter - It's almost the whole width of the room!

This little desk is where Camryn "works" while daddy is working. Awe.

The girls are kind of getting used to having daddy home. We will look back and realize the blessings later, I'm sure. He's getting in a lot of "bonding" time with them. For instance, yesterday after working and playing outside he just walked in the bathroom while Camryn was in the bathtub and got in the tub with her in his underwear. The girls thought it was hilarious!!! (Sorry, Babe, but I have to post the picture! LOL!)

I also captured a few more pictures to share with you from yesterday. All photos and editing were done with my iPhone. Oh, how I love my iPhone and photo apps. Seriously, between them and Instagram I haven't even been on Facebook very much and that's saying a lot. Ha! Have I mentioned how much I LOVE Instagram? If you are on there, be sure to find me - dawnsdiversions, of course.

This one looks almost like an oil painting. It was edited with an app called Dynamic Light. I used that same app for this picture of the storm we had a few days ago....

This was edited with Camera+, Diptic, Labelbox and Instagram

Courtney dressed up for the seventh grade dance.

Camryn being her cute little self.

Poor girl has had a rough week. Last Wednesday her eardrum ruptured and we've been dealing with fluid coming out of that ear ever since. She is on her third antibiotic in 5 days. Urgent care gave her one on Wednesday, the pediatrician gave her a stronger one on Thursday and then yesterday the ENT called her in an even stronger one. We are praying it clears her ear up. She has an appointment with the ENT on Monday. I'm sure we are looking at another set of tubes in the very near future.

And, these are the last two pictures for today's post. I promise. =) Thanks for sticking it out.

We would love to have you all link up with us today on The RHOK. It can be anything, anything at all, that's going on In Your Neck of the Woods.

Here, There, & Everywhere

2011-04-12T00:15:00.000-05:00

Hello to my beautiful, faithful readers! I hope you had a wonderful weekend. Our weekend was a peaceful & productive one. We did a little, much needed, work in our flowerbed. It lacked color so we set out to find perennial flowers to plant.

We always have a hard time deciding what to plant and where to plant them. Our house faces the west and gets full sun all day long, so it has to be hardy. And, someone me is not really good at remembering to water everyday in the heat of the summer. Oops! They have to be fool proof.

So, where do I go for all my important information? Facebook, of course. I asked my friends what to plant and they told me. The top three were Phlox, Delosperma and Lantana. We ended up buying two of those three, Delosperma and Lantana. Not because I don't think Phlox is pretty, but more because we have no clue as to what we are doing. Ha!

Here are pictures (from Google Images) of the three types of flowers mentioned:

Phlox - I would have bought some of this (I think) if I could have found it in white.

This is Lantana. It's beautiful. I think it's what I bought to put in my chair planter. Notice I said I think.

Last is Delosperma, or a variety of it anyway. We did purchase Delosperma. ~~I may or may not have laughed everytime I had to ask someone for this flower based solely on the fact that it has sperm in the word. Yes, I need to grow up.~~ Because the plants we bought weren't in bloom, I'm hoping that they are yellow like the picture on the tag. Time will tell.

We did end up buying Geraniums to put in my hanging baskets. I love Geraniums and seem to not kill them for most of the summer.

We also bought some variety of yellow lilies that are very pretty. We mainly just walked around and looked at all the tags to see what takes full sun. Yep, that's how we roll. We also found some dwarf grass flower thingy and then some very pretty blue flower. Here, see for yourself.....

Here they are, planted, but before we got the new mulch down.

Do you see the new growth on this plant below? That is new growth after only one week. Talk about fast growing! This was here when we bought the house. I love it and how it looks when it's at full growth.

Here it is with the mulch added....

No, our windows aren't boarded up. Those are energy saving screens. Remember I told you we face the west? These screens save us $$$ during the hot summer months. They are well worth it!

Now, all we need is for the grass to green up.

Don't you feel so much smarter now after reading this?! LOL! Heck, I'm just lost when in comes to landscaping. Feel free to give me pointers and plant suggestions.

In closing, I wanted to send you over to The RHOK where I'm hosting the meme In Your Neck of the Woods. Come by and see me! Shoot, you might as well link up if your posting about something happening with you or where you live. It's really that simple. You'll want to see the pictures I posted, so head over there. ;)

Perfect Pairings ~ Proverbs 4:13

2011-04-10T21:21:00.000-05:00

It's been awhile since I had it together enough on a weekend (I know, it's almost over!) to participate in Perfect Pairings over at That's Baloney.

All you have to do is post a picture with a Bible scripture, poem, etc. and link up.

Proverbs 4:13

"Hold on to instruction, do not let it go; guard it well, for it is your life."

Flashback Friday

2011-04-08T12:39:00.000-05:00

It's been a long time since I've done a Flashback Friday, so that's what I'm bringing to you today... a flashback.

If you've got a Flashback you'd like to share, be sure and link up (even through the weekend) and I'll be by to check it out.

Courtney, age 5 with Rusty and Mopsy

Have a blessed weekend!

Here's What's Happening in My Neck of the Woods....

2011-04-05T00:05:00.000-05:00

Last week we housewives from The RHOK got together for a little meetin' at the local Hideway Pizza in Tulsa. You know, it's important for us to get together from time-to-time to do a little bonding and share new ideas we have for The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. I love those ladies. They are smart, creative, funny and just all-around great gals. It's not always easy collaborating with other women on one site, but these ladies are class acts and are committed to making The RHOK a success.

One of the changes we decided to make was suspending MckLinky Monday and adding a new meme on Tuesdays called In Your Neck of the Woods. Why, you may ask? We wanted to reach a wider audience. We are going to give it a go and hope you'll participate and enjoy it as much as you did MckLinky Monday.

In Your Neck of the Woods is just that... what is going on where you live. It can be a picture, quote, story, favorite place, person, etc. Just show/tell us what's going on where you live. Easy, huh? There are so many options from my little neck of the woods. I live in a town with some coo-coo-cachoos. Doesn't every town have them? But, to protect the ~~crazy~~ innocent, I won't post a picture of someone I don't really know or have permission to do so. Yep, I'm classy like that.

As I posted yesterday on The RHOK, I've been a little obsessed with the new photo app, Instagram. I also get just a wee-bit excited in the app store, period. This week I found an app called Cam Wow. It makes the camera on your phone distort your pictures. The kids and I have had oodles of fun playing with it. So, for my In Your Neck of the Woods, I'm going to show you PURE silliness!

These pictures are so cartoon-like that they just make us laugh until we pee. Okay, maybe they don't make the kids pee, but I'm in my forties and had two kids so, yes, they make me laugh until I pee. It's not nice to judge. You should respect your elders. Here! Here!

This is Camryn's best buddy, Ty.

There was almost a fight break out on whose face got to be in front of the camera the most. Silly kids.

I tired to be fair and let them have an equal number of pictures.

But, then I just couldn't stand not being in on the fun, so I made them go play upstairs and I did THIS...

I got my EYE on you!

I did my best to make the goofiest faces. By the time I was done playing, I had to put on a pair of dry panties because I laughed until I ~~peed~~ cried.

There, I did it. I put what has to be the worst picture ever taken of me on the Internet for all the world to see. Do you think I care? I just admitted I pee my pants on occasion. I have no shame.

So, now it's your turn. What's happening In Your Neck of the Woods? Share a picture(s), story, anything at all and then link up with us on The RHOK. Be sure to check out all those that link up and see what's happening in their neck of the woods too. We all love a little comment love.

There's an App for That!

2011-04-04T00:09:00.000-05:00

Follow me over to The RHOK where I'm sharing my latest addiction with you. Because of this new addiction, I got these beautiful pictures.

What are you waiting for? I'm already waiting for you over at The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. Come share your favorite apps with us!

MckLinky Monday ~ Spring Fashion Finds

2011-03-28T11:51:00.001-05:00

Okay, people. I'm in my 40's, a housewife, not stick-slim and not rich - NOTHING about me screams fashionable. NOTHING! But, Mrs. Sinclair wants to discuss Spring Fashion for today's MckLinky Monday so I'm off to Google and see what I'm to expect for this season. BRB (Be right back for those of you that don't know texting lingo.)

* I interrupt this post to inform you that I Googled Spring Fashion Trends for Women 2011 and I haven't stopped laughing. I'm going to keep looking.... *

Okay, I'm back, but I'm still laughing. Here are the four key words for spring fashion trends for 2011:

Sophisticated '70s.... like this:

While this is sort of cute, it would like HIDEOUS on me.

This is more likely my speed:

Punk Fashion - This one kind of excites me. Let's see what it is has to offer.

Uh, yeah, NO!!

Biker Clothing is making a come back. Maybe this one is for me? Let's see...

Okay, don't laugh, but I think I could work with this. LOL!

'60s Ladylike - I was born in the sixties so let's check it out.

This era is more of the "housewife" era in clothing. It's pretty plain, so I think I could manage wearing this around suburbia Oklahoma.

Now, let's get real. TJ Maxx and Ross are more in my budget. I will be looking for a new pair of denim capris that are longer in length. Capris that hit at my mid-calf or higher do NOT look good on me. I need them to be an inch to three inches above my ankle.... a little like these:

Paired with this darling top and I'd be good to go...

What do you like to wear OR would like to wear? Link up with The RHOK today and share some of your fashion sense. Or, if you're like me, show us how unfashionable you really are. Ha!

Taking a Stroll Thursday "Facebook" Hop

2011-03-23T18:15:00.001-05:00

My friend, Tami Marie at The Things We Find Inside, has asked me to guest host a Facebook hop. Sure! Why not? I've been trying to build my fan base on my Facebook fan page and thought this would be a great way to do that.

Here's the 411:

Link up ONLY your Facebook pages so you can grow your page.

When "liking" other pages be sure to follow from your personal Facebook page and not your fan page profile as ONLY likes via personal pages count toward the total number of "likers" on a page. (Did you know this? I didn't. I learned something new today.)

Of course, like most things, there are a few rules.

"Like" Tami Marie's page, The Things We Find Inside. Why? Because she's the hostess with the mostess! And, the guest hosts which would be me, Dawn's Diversions and Becca's Perspective. Thankyouverymuch!
"Like" as many people as you can and be sure and tell them you are there from Taking a Stroll Thursday Hop. Let's shorten it, shall we? TASTH will work just fine.
This one isn't a requirement, but it would be nice if you'd take the button and post about it. It's just one more way of getting it out there to grow our pages. You can grab the code HERE.

Looking forward to having you follow my page on Facebook. I will return the favor. (click buttons)

And, I'd really love you if you'd also follow the other blog I collaborate on called The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. Mkay? Thanks!

P.S. This is my second post for the day. Be sure not to miss the other one {Semi}Wordless Wednesday.

{Semi} Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-23T12:18:00.002-05:00

Hi, friends! I hope your week is going fantastically well for you. I can't believe it's already Wednesday - the week is flying by.

Yesterday my sweet girl got her braces! We've had such a time with her teeth so I'm thrilled she finally got them. Of course, today her mouth is really hurting. Hopefully that will only last a couple days more.

Before

After

After Courtney got her braces and we dropped the girls off at school, my sweet husband and I headed to the spa. We won Cupid's Favorite Couple at a local spa for Valentine's Day. Thank you to everyone who voted for us. We absolutely loved the pampering we received yesterday. It was my husband's first time to have a massage and facial. He never could understand why I love them so until now. Now he wants to have a couples' night out there! LOL!

Last night was cooking club. I can't wait to write a full post about it. My girl, Angela, is the hostess with the mostess. The theme was When in Rome. Everyone brought the most incredible Italian food. I swear I'm still full today (and reek of garlic)!

Last, but not least, I'd love for you all to head over to The RHOK today and read my post (and, comment if you want to make my day!) about going to another Pioneer Woman book signing. I've posted some whack-a-do pictures of myself. Hey! If you can't laugh at yourself then life can get really boring. =)

I'm linking up with Flip Flops & Pearls' {Semi}Wordless Wednesday today. Come on over and join the party!

Have a blessed day!

MckLinky Monday ~ Who am I?

2011-03-22T15:52:00.000-05:00

I'm a day late and a dollar short.... I had my MckLinky Monday ready to go yesterday but had some HTML issues. I think they are worked out now so I'm going to go ahead and link up.

Mrs. Edward's from The RHOK wants to know:

Who are you?

Not like in a philosophical sense...

Not like what's your name or your occupation...

or whether you're a mom or dad...or a wife or husband.

I'm talking about who are you as a blogger.

Have you ever looked at your blogging stats? Well, let me tell you, they are a wealth of information. You can find out how many views your blog has in a day (a week, a month, etc.), the most viewed posts, and traffic sources.

Mrs. Edward's wants us to list the top 10 keywords that brings people to my blog (other than those who just love me and read every post :-)

awesome appetizers
saddness
dawn's diversions
awesome appetizer recipes
dawnsdiversions
awesome easy appetizers
easy awesome appetizers
swanky stitch
awesome appetizer
dr oz eczema

Apparently a lot of sad people like appetizers! LOL!

What are some of the keywords that bring people to your blog?

If you go to your "Stats" tab (from your Blogger Dashboard, if you use Blogger.

I'm not sure how to do this from Wordpress or other formats), you can click on

"Traffic Sources" and down at the bottom it will give you the top ten

"Search Keywords"...top 10 keywords that bring people to your blog.

Feel free to still link up on The RHOK if you'd like. =)

Happy St. Paddy's Day 2011

2011-03-18T16:42:00.001-05:00

We had the luck O' the Irish and were able to get a babysitter for the eve of St. Paddy's Day. We went out with friends (and, family) to dinner and then to a local pub. Okay, it's really more of a bar, but pub sounds more Irish. Doesn't it?

I brought a few fun items and the "pub" gave us some as well. We had fun just being silly.

I remembered to get a picture of my girls when I had them at the doctor's office. Even though both have ear infections (again) they still looked cute!

What did you do for St. Patrick's Day?

"If you're lucky enough to be Irish, then you're lucky enough." ~ Irish saying

MckLinky Monday - Treasures

2011-03-14T11:03:00.000-05:00

Hello my favorite people in blog land! Today I'm writing on The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. The topic for today's MckLinky Monday: Treasures.

Do you have some thing(s) that you consider to be a treasure? If so, we'd love for you to link up with us today. It can be a post you've already done or one that you write today. I'm such a nosy girl (just read my post) and would love to hear/see about your treasures.

Come on over to The RHOK today and take a peek into my hope chest. I had so much reminiscing that now I can't get the old song by one of my all-time favorite bands, Little River Band, out of my head!

Wordless Wednesday

2011-03-09T18:09:00.000-06:00

Happy Hump Day, Y'all!

For more Wordless Wednesday visit 5m4m.

Cool Chicks Cook

2011-03-02T12:40:00.000-06:00

Hello all you lovely people! I'm not writing here today. You can find me over on The RHOK where I'm writing about our cooking club, Cool Chicks Cook. You won't want to miss it because I'm sharing some awesome Cajun recipes.

MckLinky Monday ~ What a CrOcK!

2011-02-28T10:36:00.002-06:00

Hello again friends. Have you missed me? I have not been in a blogging mood the past couple of weeks. I apologize for not being by your lovely blogs. I will be trying to play catch up. We've had a lot going on.

We have big changes getting ready to happen in our house. I'll post more about this when I'm able. In the meantime, I'd appreciate your prayers that we follow God's direction and most importantly He makes the direction very clear.

We've also been dealing with a 13-year-old who is struggling with some depression. It's heart-breaking. We were able to get her in with the psychologist Friday and she's now on a medication that will hopefully bring her back to the happy girl we know her to be. She has every reason to be happy. She is doing very well in school and was even accepted into the National Junior Honor Society. So, it's hard for us to understand where this sadness is coming from... more than likely it is simply the chemicals in her brain are not balanced at the moment. I need my normally happy, beautiful girl back!

Got a little side-tracked. It's time for another edition of MckLinky Monday hosted by The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. Priss has asked us to share a crock-pot recipe for our friend, Amy (Land of Fluff). She's never used a crock-pot. Can you imagine life without the pot?! =)

This recipe is one that was shared with me by a friend on Facebook. I've made it twice and it gets rave reviews from my family. Yum-O!

Ranch House Crock-Pot Pork Chops with Parmesan Mashed Potatoes

6 pork chops, 1/2 inch thick

1 packet dry ranch dressing seasoning

2 cans cream of chicken soup

4 lbs. potatoes, peeled and cubed (I used Yukon Gold.)

5 Tbsp. butter

1 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese

6 cloves garlic, roasted (I only used 2 fresh cloves and that was P L E N T Y!)

1 to 1 1/2 cups warm milk

salt & pepper, to taste

Place pork chops in crock-pot; cover with ranch dressing seasoning. Top with the cream of chicken soups. Cook on low 6 hours or high 4 hours.

Boil potatoes until fork tender; drain and transfer to a bowl. Mix with an electric mixer on low until potatoes are mashed. Add butter, Parmesan cheese, garlic, milk and salt and pepper. Add milk until desired consistency.

Scoop potatoes onto plate and top with the pork chops and the gravy from the crock-pot.

Do you have a great crock-pot recipe? If so, link up with us today on The RHOK or just share it in the comments section. I have a real recipe collection addiction. Go ahead, feed it! =)

If you'd like some more crock-pot recipes be sure to check out another post I did when I went to a friend Cari's What a CrOcK party.

MckLinky Monday ~ One Tank Road Trips

2011-02-21T14:37:00.000-06:00

Mrs. Montgomery wants to know one of our favorite spots to go to that's on a tank of gas for today's MckLinky Monday. We actually have have two that we love, but one of them would require that you own four-wheelers to enjoy it. It's Little Sahara State Park in Waynoka, Ok. It has some awesome sand dunes. You can check out one of my posts here.

The other place I want to tell you about is called Blue Hole in Salina, OK. I've being going to Blue Hole since I was a dirty-faced tomboy. It's the coldest, clearest water you can imagine and feels wonderful on those 100+ degree days. The water stays in the 50s even through the summer. Once you're in the water you become numb (literally) to how cold it is. The kids love catching small fish and crawdads and just exploring up and down the creek.

Blue Hole is roughly one hour east of Tulsa. It's seven miles exactly east of Salina on Kenwood Road. It's pretty much a straight shot and easy to find. It costs $5 a car load and you can stay all day. Be sure to take chairs, towels, food, drinks, floaties, swim shoes, fish nets and buckets. They do have a little concession stand with .25 cent snow cones, among other things.

I've talked about Blue Hole so much the past couple of years that my little secret spot isn't so much a secret anymore. Hello, blog world! Ha! But, I don't mind sharing with a few of my closest friends. Let's just keep it between us though, shall we?!

Our group hanging out at Blue Hole.

Some of the bigger boys love jumping from this side into the deeper, bluer water.

Blue Hole Babes

Catching minnows

Priss' kiddos getting ready to float over the waterfall.

Some of the Housewives from The RHOK.

You just never know what you might see at Blue Hole... a floating carpet, perhaps?!

Michelle, Mrs. Montgomery (The RHOK) & me

If you visit Blue Hole this summer be sure and let me know about it. Maybe, just maybe, we'll even run into each other there.

Where do you like to go for fun that's close to home? Link up with us today on The RHOK ~ Real Housewives of Oklahoma. We love learning about new places in our great state.

Perfect Pairings

2011-02-20T13:31:00.000-06:00

My daughter finally got to celebrate her January 16th birthday yesterday; one month later. We celebrated her 13th birthday at the skating rink and then a couple of friends stayed the night. I think this was the easiest, least stressful birthday party we've had. Ahhh.......

1 John 4:11 ~ "Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another."

"To the world you may be just one person, but to one person you may be the world." ~Brandi Snyder

For more Perfect Pairings visit That's Baloney.

I'm also linking up with For the Love of Blogs:

Wordless (Not Really) Wednesday

2011-02-16T12:32:00.001-06:00

First off, I want to thank Marie over at The Things We Find Inside for spotlighting my blog this week on her blog. Marie has a great blog; be sure and check it out. You can follow her on Facebook and Twitter as well.

I totally dropped the ball and didn't link up on The RHOK for MckLinky Monday this week. Mrs. Bundy wanted to know about any Valentine traditions we might have. Well, we really don't have any traditions for Valentine's Day other than buying the kids a few things for them to open for Valentine's Day. We didn't even do anything special this year for dinner because Camryn has dance from 4:00-5:00 and Courtney at 7:15. So, I guess you can say we spent our night dancing. *snicker*

Camryn and I made strawberry lemonade cookies for them to take to their friends at dance for Valentine's Day. They turned out pretty yummy. I found the recipe on Eat at Home.

I woke up Monday morning to these from my sweet little family:

Here are a couple of pictures of Camryn and me before she went to school yesterday. Since she goes to school on Tuesday and Thursdays they had their Valentine's Day party yesterday. (Sorry about the quality of the pictures. They were taken with my phone and the lens was obviously filthy!)

Oh, one more thing. A great big THANK YOU to all my friends and family who voted for Brett and I to win Cupid's Favorite Couple at a local spa. We did win and are super excited to be pampered!

I am blessed to be married to one truly terrific man. We have a love that continues to grow with each year. With all the talk of
L-O-V-E for Valentine's Day, it had me reminiscing about his wonderful marriage proposal. He blew my socks off with it.

Happy Wednesday!

Friday Confessional

2011-02-11T00:59:00.002-06:00

I swear the weeks just keep getting shorter. Doesn't it feel like we just had a Friday Confessional?

Here are my confessions for the week:

I confess... I'm ready for the kids to not have anymore snow days. They have had nine consecutive snows because of our massive amount of snowfall in the area. We need our routine back.

I confess... that I may or may not have spent the whole week in my pajamas. Yes, I shower only to put pajamas right back on.

I confess... I have eaten more than usual and exercised less since we've been snowed in.

I confess... I'm scared to try and put on my jeans for fear they won't fasten.

I confess... 4-year-olds are not meant to be contained indoors for 24/7. It makes them cranky & ornery.

I confess... My 4-year-old decorated her room yesterday with a very large bottle of cinnamon and hand sanitizer. The plus side? It smells nice in there. I threw just a wee bit of a fit or I would have thought to take a picture.

I confess... These little hand prints have been on the bathroom mirror for over two weeks because they make me smile every time I'm in there. They won't be little hand prints for long.

I confess... I have very creative friends. Just look at what my friend Tracy made in preparation for her third grade daughter's Valentine's party: Candy Sushi. A-Dor-Able!

I confess... I think it is hilarious that one of my pet peeves from Monday's post struck a nerve with someone so much they had to comment anonymously. I know it was not so much my peeve, but the fact they have an issue with me personally or they would have said something to everyone else who had that exact same peeve. (I'm saving their IP address for safe keeping.)

I confess... I love taking pictures of my kids in the snow.

I confess... I'm loving Facebook's changes where fan pages are concerned. I love being able to comment as Dawn's Diversions and follow other pages as such. If you don't follow me yet, I'd love it if you would! Dawn's Diversions
I'll be sure to follow you back. =)

Boy, it feels good to make confessions. Have anything you'd like to confess from the week? Join Mamarazzi for Friday Confessions.

What Does the Super Bowl and Gmail Have in Common?

2011-02-08T11:57:00.001-06:00

Absolutely nothing! Except that I'm talking about one on The RHOK today and the other here.

Today I'm writing as Mrs. Albright on The RHOK and telling you about our Super Bowl Sunday. I even share a great recipe from local Okie, Tricia Yearwood.

Now, on to Gmail. Do you use Gmail? Google Chrome? If the answer is no to one or both, you really should remedy that.
I've been learning more and more about how both can make life a little less complicated. Blogging with Amy is a great, I mean GREAT, resource. I am loving her blog and her knowledge.

I recently started using Google Chrome, but have just touched the surface to all it does. I changed over from Google to Google Chrome once I heard it is the best at keeping out viruses, even better than Firefox.

I've been using Gmail for a couple of years now. I love how it integrates with all things Google. And, of course, that includes Blogger. Right now I'm learning from Amy how to make very functional, attractive email signatures.

I'm embarrassed to tell you that I have almost 6,000 messages in my inbox. What does that say about me?
I'm going to be working over the next few days/weeks on clearing it out. Maybe if I clean that out it will motivate me to clean out my house?! Hmmm.....

I hope you find Amy's blog as useful as I do. I'd love to hear back from you if you do implement any of her suggestions.

Come on over and leave me some comment love on The RHOK.

McLinky Monday ~ Top 5 Pet Peeves

2011-02-07T15:39:00.001-06:00

Mrs. Coco over at The RHOK wants to know about our Top 5 Pet Peeves.

Pet Peeve: A pet peeve is a minor annoyance that an individual identifies as particularly annoying to him or her, to a greater degree than others may find it.

I wish I could say that I was an extremely tolerant person and nothing really bothers me, BUT.....

People who spit their gum out on the ground. REALLY, people, have you never stepped in gum before?!? What makes you think I want to step in your chewed gum? I would love to see you spit your gum out just so I could tell you what a loser you are!!

Like Mrs. Coco, it also really peeves me that people do enable their email on their blogs. I love to reply to comments left on my blog, but can't if you do not have your email enabled. Don't know how? Let us help you:

Click on your DASHBOARD link at the top right.
Click on EDIT PROFILE.
Put a check mark next to "Show my email address".
Scroll to the bottom and click SAVE. And you're all set!

People who don't make their kids buckle up in the car. Believe me, I have no problems telling someone to buckle their kids if I see them unbuckled. Is their life worth risking?

Telemarketers drive me flippin' crazy.

Using the restroom only to look over and see this...

What are 5 of your pet peeves? You can blog about them and then link up with us on The RHOK for MckLinky Monday or you can just list your 5 in the comments.

Saturday's Friday Confessional - It's How I Roll

2011-02-05T16:17:00.003-06:00

I have no good excuse for not blogging the past few days. I mean, I have been snowed in at home and playing on the computer pretty much 12 ~~or more~~ out of 24 hours a day. I just haven't blogged. Facebook, Words with Friends and a sick 4-year-old has had my full attention. Sorry about that!

Here are my confessions for the week:

I confess... that I've enjoyed being with my family all week - snowed in. I'm appreciating that God gave us this huge snow so that life would slow down.

I confess... that after cooking, eating, and cleaning three meals a day for the week, I was pretty pumped when we went through the drive-thru at Carl's Jr. yesterday for a cheeseburger and fries.

I confess... I need Madge. I have dishpan hands.

I confess... Oklahoma is NOT equipped to handle more than 6 inches of snow. We got 21 inches in my town.

I confess... that those of us snowed in might possibly feel a little like this....

I confess... I'm so happy my little girl is feeling much better after being sick all week. She finally got to play outside today in the snow.

I confess.... we cracked up at her singing Jesus Loves me in a high pitched voice. She is so funny.

Untitled from Dawn's Diversions on Vimeo.
.
I confess... that you can also do a Friday Confessional on a Saturday if you want to, too!

Don't Say Ewww Until You Try It!

2011-02-02T14:22:00.001-06:00

I'll be the first to admit that I'm not a huge fan of Spam luncheon meat. My husband and oldest daughter like it though. They will slice it up and eat it with cheese and crackers. I will say Ewww to that.

My good friend, Nicolle who is a blogger turned friend in real life, shared with me this week, a recipe she has grown up eating. It's a Spam casserole of sorts. Isn't everything thrown in one dish called a casserole? Just saying...

Since we are snowed in here in northeast Oklahoma, I'm doing a lot of cooking. We are having to eat three meals a day at home because there's just no leaving.
I decided to give Nicolle's recipe a try. I took some pictures along the way.

My husband actually did most of the work so I could snap some pictures.

Here he is cubing the Spam.

I whipped up some instant mashed potatoes.

While the potatoes were cooking in the microwave we browned the Spam cubes in a skillet with a little brown sugar.

After the Spam was a little browned we started layering the Spam with the potatoes, baked beans & cheese.

I popped it in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.

I'll admit, I actually liked it. My whole family liked it, as a matter-of-fact.

Here's the recipe:

1 can Spam, cubed
Ranch Style Beans - drained. (I didn't have any of these and since we are snowed in I couldn't even get any, so we used baked beans and it worked great.)
mashed potatoes - I had a mix for instant mashed potatoes so that's what we used.
grated cheese - I used approximately 2 cups.
1-2 Tbsp. brown sugar

After cubing the Spam, brown it in a skillet with the brown sugar.

Layer all ingredients in a casserole dish ending with cheese on top - of course.

I layered mine like this: Spam, mashed potatoes, baked beans & cheese - repeat one more time.

You'll have to let me know if you try it and liked it! I'm pretty sure once you taste it you won't say, "Ewwww!" Double-dog dare ya! =)

Here are a couple more snow pictures for your viewing pleasure.

Oklahoma Snowmaggeden 2011

2011-02-01T15:15:00.007-06:00

We are having some crazy snowfall here in northeast Oklahoma. Our little suburb of Tulsa is leading the state in record snowfall. We are at 21 inches.

It's scary and exciting all at the same time. I've never seen anything like it.

It started last night after 10 with a few inches of sleet and then it turned to snow and has not stopped. It's still coming down. We may get another 3-4 inches before it's over.

I'm so glad I went to the store and stocked up on enough food to feed us for awhile. I'm pretty sure I'll gain 10 pounds being snowed in.

What's the weather like where you are? Link up with your weather posts so we can see everyone's pictures.

Sleet coming down hard and fast. It looks like streamers!

Earlier this morning.

A few hours later.

The neighbor's yard. I'd love to jump right in the middle of that.

My other neighbor who has been shoveling his driveway all day. It hasn't stopped coming down so his efforts are sort of fruitless. Look at that wall of snow!

We opened the back garage door to find this! Isn't that crazy freaky!? It's the exact impression of the door. Ha!

I'm not sure when we will get to leave the house at this point. I hope everyone is staying warm and off the roads.

Okay, I went and made a video. It's sideways and I don't know how to fix it. And, yes, I'm just as big a goober in real life as I am on the video. LOL!

SNOW-K-L-H-O-M-A

Hum the song from the musical Oklahoma as you read:)

Funniest if you’re familiar with the song from the musical…

Oklahoma is changing the words to the State Song. It now goes like this:
SNOW…….klahoma
Where the cold front's sweepin' down the plain
And the piles of sleet, beneath your feet
Follow right behind the freezing rain.
SNOW…….klahoma
Ev'ry night my honey lamb and I
Travel home from work and hope some jerk
Doesn’t wreck our car in passing by!
We know we belong to the land
But it could use some more salt and more sand
That’s why we say…..WHOA!
We’re the sliding the other way…….YIKES!
We’re only sayin’
You’re slick as snot SNOWklahoma
SNOWklahoma
SNOW-K-L-A-H-O-M-A
SNOWklahoma, SNOW-K!

MckLinky Monday - Everything You Never Wanted to Know! Or Maybe You did!?!

2011-01-31T12:07:00.000-06:00

TEN FACTS

•Name - Dawn

•Nicknames - Dawnster, Dawngee, Sis, Mommy, Mom

•Any birth marks - Yes, on my ankle. I've always thought it looked like a fluffy little poodle.

•Hair color - Which time? I'm originally brown. I started graying at 15, totally gray at 30. I'm blonde now.

•Natural hair color - Oops! I got ahead of myself. Brown.

•Eye color - Hazel

•Height - 5’9" & 5/8th inches. Just might as well say 5'10".

•Mood - Blah. I have a sick kiddo. The throwing up kind of sick. The worst.

•Favorite color - Red or Black

•One Place You Want to Visit - Anywhere on the upper east coast. I've never been there.

TEN THIS OR THAT

•Love or lust - love

•Cats or dogs – dogs. Cats gross & freak me out.

•A few best friends or many regular friends - both

•Television or internet - I couldn't pick one over the other I don't think. Wait! I'll rationalize. I could just do the internet and watch my shows on my computer. Okay, Internet.

•Chinese or Indian food - Chinese, but I love all kinds of foods.

•Wild night out or romantic night in - wild night out!

•Money or Happiness - Can't I be happy with money?! I'd sure like to find out.

•Night or day - Night

•MSN or phone - Phone

TEN HAVE YOU’S

•Ever performed in front of a large crowd - Yes. I am the reigning Miss Chouteau since 1985, I'll have you know.

•Ever done drugs - Hmmm... daily. I have a whole medicine cabinet full.

•Ever consumed alcohol- Why yes I have. And, some of it was really good.

•Ever Been on a dance team - No. Well, unless you consider the dance we had to learn for the Miss Pryor pageant.

•Ever been on a sports team - Yes! Basketball. Loved it.

•Ever been in a drama play/production - Yes - in jr. high.

•Ever owned a BMW, Mercedes Benz, Escalade, Hummer or Bentley? No. And, have no desire to. Waste of money, IMO.

•Ever been in a rap video? - LOL! Umm. NO. I hate rap.

TEN LASTS

•Last phone call you made - To the doctor's office for more nausea medicine to be called in.

•Last person you hung out with - family and friends for my sister-in-law's 32nd birthday.

•Last person you tackled - LOL! Can I just say someone I want to tackle? I'm afraid if I actually tackled someone I'd hurt myself.

•Last person you IM’d - People still IM?

•Last person(s) you went to the movies with - my girlfriends. a whole big group of us went to see the new Ashton Kutcher movie, No Strings Attached. Loved it!

•Last thing you missed - youthfulness!

•Last thing you ate - toast

WOULD YOU RATHER

•Pierce your nose or tongue? Ewww! Neither.

•Be serious or be funny? - funny

•Drink whole or skim milk? - Skim, when I drink milk, which is rarely.

•Spend time with your parents or enemies? - My parents are the bomb!

ARE YOU

•Simple or complicated? - I am woman. Hear me roar. You decide.

DO YOU PREFER

•Flowers or candy? - Flowers.

•Gray or black? - Black

•Color or Black and white photos? - Color

•Sunrise or sunset? - Sunset

•Staying up late or waking up early? - up late!

DO YOU PREFER

•Sun or moon? - Moon

•Left or right? - Right

•Sun or rain? - Rain

•Vanilla or chocolate ice cream? - Vanilla with strawberries or bananas on top.

•Vodka or Jack Daniels? - Vodka, although it gives me a headache. Jack Daniels I'm sure would just make me throw up.

•Nervous Habits? Picking at my cuticles. Bad, bad, bad.

•Are you double jointed? - No!

•Can you twist your tongue around and roll it? - Yes. I'm multi-talented that way.

•Can you raise one eyebrow? - Yes and one side of my lip at the same time.

•Can you cross your eyes? - yes

•Do you make your bed daily? - Rarely. It's pointless. Plus, I don't want my 4 year old getting on my beautiful bedspread!

QUESTIONS

•Which shoe goes on first? - Right, I think?!

•Ever thrown something at someone? - Yes!

•On average, how much money do you carry with you? Does change count?

•What jewelry do you wear? - wedding ring and earrings. Sometimes a necklace if I'm going out.

•Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? - I do both.

•Have you ever eaten Spam? - Yes. My husband loves the stuff. I can eat a few bites and then I'm done.

•Favorite ice cream? - Braum's strawberry shortcake sundae.

•How many kinds of cereal are in your cabinet? 2. Honey Bunches of Oats with Peaches and Fruity Pebbles. Sadly, they will be there until they are stale and we thrown them out. We rarely eat cereal.

•What’s your favorite beverage? Water or margaritas.

•Do you cook? roughly 3 - 4 nights a week.

LASTS

•Last Alcoholic Drink: Margarita

•Last Car ride: Long? To Oklahoma City. Not too long though - 2.5 hours.

•Last Movie watched: Secretariat on DVD. Great movie! No Strings Attached at the movie theater.

Want to play along with the housewives this week? Head over to The RHOK (click button) and link up!

Perfect Pairings ~ 2 Corinthians 8:11

2011-01-30T17:36:00.001-06:00

My sister-in-law has been helping some friends who have moved away sell things in their home here before the closing on the house. I've been fortunate enough to get in on a few great bargains.

I got a small deep freeze to put in our garage, a couple of shirts and this desk! I got the desk for $25. I've been looking for a desk for my 13-year-old daughter's room.

We, ~~as in my husband,~~ will sand it down and then I will paint & decorate it. I haven't decided yet exactly how I'll decorate it though. Her room has purple walls and the bedding and curtains are black and white zebra striped with hot pink thrown in. If you have any suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.

Bookshelf that Camryn and I decoupaged for Courtney's bedroom.

Magnetic bulletin board I made for Courtney's room.

I'm all about decoupaging so if something creative comes to mind, let me know. =)

I'm linking up with Baloney for Perfect Pairings today. Please let me know if you are participating as well so I can come check it out.

¹¹ Now finish the work, so that your eager willingness to do it may be matched by your completion of it, according to your means.

I'm also linking up with For the Love of Blogs. I love what they are trying to do over there.

Friday Confessional

2011-01-28T15:55:00.000-06:00

This is my first ever public confessional. Sounds scary, huh?

I confess that I did a boot camp this morning and burned a whole bunch of calories only to go to McDonald's afterwards and eat a cheeseburger and fries.

I confess I probably need counseling for the first confession.

I confess that I ate sushi for the first time this week and I think I like it. I didn't do anything raw though. I'll have to work up to that. Maybe. The thought kind of makes my stomach turn.

This is a picture of my friend's plate. Pretty presentation, huh?

I confess that I was super giddy meeting Sarah Roe, The Money Saving Queen and Lauri Rottmayer from Rott-I-Tude at our local iMoms meeting Monday.

Me with Sarah, the Money Saving Queen

Me with Lauri.
I confess that I would like to be BFF's with both of them. Is that weird?! Maybe I need counseling for that as well.
I confess that I'm enjoying working out again. Now I KNOW I need counseling for that!

I confess that I can't wait to hang out with my fellow housewives on The RHOK tonight for our first RHOK Out of the new year. We have about 25 attending the event. I'm pretty sure the dueling piano place won't know what hit them.

I confess that I'm worried someone won't have a good time tonight. I'm all about making sure everyone has fun.
Whew! It sure does feel good to confess! I think I'll do this again next week.
To pour out your heart (or not) and do some confessing, join Mamarazzi and link up!

MckLinky Monday - 10 Things You Can't Live Without & a Winner!

2011-01-24T18:26:00.000-06:00

Today for The RHOK's MckLinky Monday, Mrs. Edwards wants to know 10 things I can't live without. Those 10 things have to actually be things and not people.

Okay, I'm certain I could live without these things if I had to, but I wouldn't want to. ;)

Television - Let me list why I love television so much: Mike & Molly, Two & a Half Men, The Bachelor, Cougar Town, Hot in Cleveland, The Mentalist, Blue Bloods, Chuck, Parenthood, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries, True Blood, and maybe a few more.....

Flat Iron - I used to be a flat iron snob. I would ONLY use Chi flat irons. BUT, after four, count them, FOUR Chi flat irons at $100 a pop, I'm over them. You see, they have major shorting issues. The one I've had over a year is now shorting out. I was hesitant to buy anything else. But, my daughter has a GVP flat iron that works as good, if not better than my Chi. So against her will, my daughter is now sharing her cute pink flat iron with me until I break down and buy a new one. The good thing is - they are HALF the price. Woot!

Moroccan Oil - Baloney told us about it on The RHOK, but it wasn't until right before Christmas that I got to actually try some. And, then my mom got me a bottle as a gift. I love the stuff. And, it smells absolutely wonderful. It's just good for your hair, people. It cuts your hair drying time down, it tames the frizzies, etc, etc, etc. Buy it! It's a bit expensive and you can only get it in salons, but you'll not be sorry you spent the money.

iPhone - Be Still My Heart! I love it. I love all that it can do for me.

Plus all of the apps it has!

If you want to play Words with Friends with me, my name is dawnsdiversions. I love playing!

I truly love spending time with my girlfriends. Girls Night Out ranks up at the top of my list of fun things to do!

Coffee - I love coffee. Black. It puts hair on your chest. Okay, it doesn't, but my daddy always says that.

My camera.

I love learning more about photography. I've taken several classes at Aperture's Photo in Tulsa, OK.

My Computer. Seriously. All my friends live in it. ;)

Date Night with my husband. He's just cool and I love him. It doesn't matter what we do, we always have fun.

What are 10 things you can't live without. Link up with The RHOK for MckLinky Monday!

Now, for the winner of the Vaseline Repairing Moisture Lotion.

Shannon from IA Pilot Wife! Congrats, Shannon. I hope you enjoy the lotion as much as we do.

Itchy, Scratchy, Cracking, Flaking Time of Year!

2011-01-20T13:56:00.000-06:00

If you're like me, the winter months wreck havoc on your skin. Unfortunately for me, I tend to deal with itchy, cracking and flaking year round, not just during the winter.

I've tried many lotions and creams over the years. I've been known to slather on pure petroleum jelly on my hands and then put on a pair of gloves and sleep that way overnight just to have softer hands in the morning.

I have extremely sensitive skin. I have to be picky when it comes to body products. I don't get to wear Bath & Body Works because they make me itch and the smells give me a headache. I prefer lotions that are fragrance-free or with minimal scents.

I also do not like products that feel greasy. I had been using a generic lotion that worked fairly well, but it left me feeling a little greasy, when Vaseline contacted me about trying their new Intensive Rescue Repairing Moisture.

I was more than happy to have them send me a bottle to try. To be quite honest, I hadn't used Vaseline brand products in forever. I just remember my grandmother using Vaseline lotion and when I'd put it on I usually felt a little itchy.

Let me tell you, I have a new favorite lotion. Not only is the Repairing Moisture NOT greasy, it doesn't make me itch and it leaves my skin feeling moisturized throughout the day.

And, if that isn't enough praise then let me tell you this. My husband hates lotion. I mean, HATES it. But, this cold weather has even left his hands feeling dry and itchy. When he saw my new lotion come in the mail he had me rub some on his hands. He never likes to put lotion on his hands himself because he only wants it on the tops of his hands so it doesn't make the bottom of his hands greasy. He's such a funny guy. Anyway, I rubbed some of the Vaseline Repairing Moisture on his hands and he immediately noticed that it wasn't greasy. And since then, he has no problem putting the lotion on himself. What a big boy! ;-)

Vaseline is on a mission to rescue dry skin. You can get complete care tips on their website and sign up for a free sample.

Vaseline has sent me an extra bottle to give away to one of my followers. Wasn't that nice of them? All you have to do to be entered for a chance to win is become a follower of Dawn's Diversions and for an extra entry "Like" Dawn's Diversions on Facebook:

Become a follower of Dawn's Diversions through Google Friend Connect (on right sidebar). Leave a comment letting me know that you are. (+1 entry)
"Like" Dawn's Diversions on Facebook. Leave a comment letting me know that you did so. (+1 entry)

You have until Sunday, January 23rd at midnight to enter. I'll post the winner on Monday, January 24th.

Baby Sign Language - 4 Steps for Beginners

2011-01-19T00:15:00.001-06:00

I am happy to have Misty Weaver, Chief Editor at Baby Sign Language guest post for me today. She is going to share some great steps to help you learn how to teach your baby to communicate. Thank you, Misty!

If you are thinking about Teaching Your Baby To Sign , then bravo! You are a brilliant parent! This will be easier than you think. Here are four simple steps to get you started!

Step #1 – You need to learn a few signs. You can choose these based on what words you think will be handy (get it? “handy!”) for your baby to know and be able to communicate to you. You can also choose to start with the signs that most parents start with (mommy, daddy, milk). Or you can simply choose signs that you think will be fun.

Once you’ve decided which signs to teach, you will need access to a Baby Sign Language Dictionary. In a pinch, you can simply use an American Sign Language dictionary. The signs are the same, with the exception of a few signs that many people simplify for baby hands.

You’ll be surprised how easy it is to learn the signs (especially if you only start with a few). These gestures are simple and logical. Try to find some video demos to follow, instead of limiting yourself to written instructions. You can also print out flash cards to hang up in your home to remind you what means what. And if you get confused, reach out and ask for help!

Step #2 – Once you have a few signs under your belt, you can start to introduce the signs to baby. If your child is less than nine months old, only start with two or three signs. You can move a little faster with older infants.

You introduce a sign to a baby simply by making the sign every time you say the word. So, when you say, “Would you like some milk?” you make the sign for milk. When you hand your baby the milk, or give him your breast, say, “Here is your milk!” and make the sign again. You might feel a little silly. You will most definitely feel redundant. This step can last for weeks (or even months) so be strong … and be redundant!

Step #3 – Eventually, you will notice that your baby is responding to your signs. While he may not be signing back yet, he will at least get excited to see the sign for “milk” and will wave his arms around and cackle in delight. You will see the little neurons firing, and know that he is connecting the gesture with the object or idea.

At this time, you can start to gently encourage your baby to make signs in return. Shape her little fingers into the sign for “milk” and then praise her for her excellent sign! Be patient and make it a game. If baby resists, leave her alone for a while and try again later.

Step #4 – Ask your baby to make the sign. Once you are confident that baby knows the connection between the gesture and the event, ask her to communicate. If she starts to cry because she wants some milk, ask her to make the sign for milk.

Don’t give in to the crying right away. Give her a few chances to make the sign and then if she doesn’t, model it for her. If she still doesn’t make the sign, gently help her to make the sign. Then, and this is the important part – get her the milk!

If babies learn that signs get a response faster than crying, screaming, hitting, etc., they will start to use their signs more. Remember to have fun and to not get stressed out. Even when you can’t see progress, progress is being made!

Tasty Tuesday

2011-01-18T12:03:00.000-06:00

The fabulous gals over at For The Love of Blogs have a fun blog carnival called Tasty Tuesday. As a matter-of-fact, they have all kinds of fun stuff on their blog. They are all about helping us grow our blogs. And, since I'm in the market for growing my blog, I've decided to jump on their bandwagon!

I have to participate in Tasty Tuesday this week because last night was our cooking club, Cool Chicks Cook, night. The theme for January was Healthy. How apropos since most of us made New Year's resolutions to become healthier.

We had such an awesome turnout and everyone brought some great healthy dishes to the table. One of my favorites was brought by my sister-in-law. Isn't she about the cutest 32 year old you've ever seen?

She made Cesar Salad. The dressing was so yummy. I can't wait to make it at home so I can have it all to myself. Sadly, I forgot to take any pictures of the food from last night so you are getting faux pictures. Hey, at least you are getting pictures. Don't be hater. ;-)

Cesar Salad

Romaine lettuce - torn into pieces

Croutons

Fresh Parmesan Cheese

Dressing:

5 garlic cloves - minced
4 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 tablespoons red wine vinegar
2 teaspoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon pepper
5 drops Tabasco
1 cup oil
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Shake all ingredients together in a jar. Pour over Romaine lettuce and Croutons and then add fresh Parmesan.

My girl, Michelle, brought an awesome healthy side dish. Zucchini and Potato Bake. She rocks that hat, doesn't she?

Zucchini & Potato Bake

2 medium zucchini, quartered and cut into large pieces
4 medium potatoes peeled and cut. She used 6 small red potatoes
1 medium red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1 clove garlic, sliced
1/2 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon paprika
Salt & Pepper to taste

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
In a medium baking dish,I toss together all the ingredients but the paprika, salt & pepper. Use those to season the top.
Bake 1 hour in a preheated oven, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are tender and light brown.

I made a Weight Watchers dish to take. I love Reuben sandwiches so this dish sounded so good. It's called Reuben Bake.

I thought I totally screwed the whole recipe up, but it turned out okay despite my screw-up. I accidentally left out the Thousand Island dressing that was supposed to go into the MIDDLE layer of the casserole. We just solved the problem by adding a little to the top once

we had it on our plates. Worked out just fine.

But, next time I'm going to make sure it gets in there where it's supposed to be. Silly me!

You can click on the recipe to make it bigger AND print it out. You're welcome. =)

I have never used Caraway seeds before. I'm not even sure I'd even heard of them. But, let me tell you, once I put them in the pan with the cabbage and corned beef to saute' there was that delicious aroma of a Reuben sandwich. Mmmm...

I want to personally thank any FTLOBers who stop by and visit my blog during this blog hop. I really appreciate YOU! I hope you all enjoy the recipes.

Dawn's Diversions

What I Saw From Behind the Lens

My Christmas Blessings

They'll Let Anyone on T.V.

Breaking Dawn ~ What I'm Missing

Cool Chicks Cook Spooktacular Food

Christmas in September?!?

In Your Neck of the Woods

Cool Chicks Cook ~ Sneaky Chef Style

It's Time for a Back-to-School Giveaway!

In Your Neck of the Woods ~ Till the Cows Come Home

Perfect Pairings Ephesians 4:31

Oh, How Pinteresting!

In Your Neck of the Woods

In Your Neck of the Woods

Hellllooooo......

In My Neck of the Woods

Inspiration

Brotherly Love

In Your Neck of The Woods ~ Sushi

In Your Neck of the Woods ~ Celebration

In Your Neck of the Woods ~ Play Dates

Share Your Space Friday

Recital Time

In Your Neck of the Woods - I can hear you now!

Peek-A-Boo!

In Your Neck of The Woods

Are You Ready for a RHOK Out?!

Are You Ready for a RHOK Out?!

In Your Neck of The Woods

Here, There, & Everywhere

Perfect Pairings ~ Proverbs 4:13

Flashback Friday

Here's What's Happening in My Neck of the Woods....

There's an App for That!

MckLinky Monday ~ Spring Fashion Finds

Taking a Stroll Thursday "Facebook" Hop

{Semi} Wordless Wednesday

MckLinky Monday ~ Who am I?

Happy St. Paddy's Day 2011

MckLinky Monday - Treasures

Wordless Wednesday

Cool Chicks Cook

MckLinky Monday ~ What a CrOcK!

MckLinky Monday ~ One Tank Road Trips

Perfect Pairings

Wordless (Not Really) Wednesday

Friday Confessional

What Does the Super Bowl and Gmail Have in Common?

McLinky Monday ~ Top 5 Pet Peeves

Saturday's Friday Confessional - It's How I Roll

Don't Say Ewww Until You Try It!

Oklahoma Snowmaggeden 2011

MckLinky Monday - Everything You Never Wanted to Know! Or Maybe You did!?!

Perfect Pairings ~ 2 Corinthians 8:11

My sister-in-law has been helping some friends who have moved away sell things in their home here before the closing on the house. I've been fortunate enough to get in on a few great bargains.

I'm linking up with Baloney for Perfect Pairings today. Please let me know if you are participating as well so I can come check it out.

2 Corinthians 8:11 (New International Version, ©2011)

Friday Confessional

MckLinky Monday - 10 Things You Can't Live Without & a Winner!

Itchy, Scratchy, Cracking, Flaking Time of Year!

Baby Sign Language - 4 Steps for Beginners

Tasty Tuesday