Time after time

Reflecting

Lisa was a great friend of mine in grade school, junior high, and the beginning of High school. We enjoyed each other's company so very much, and would have so much fun laughing, and being outrageously silly together. We enjoyed talking about the same things, we had mutual knowledge of things, she was seriously sarcastic, and I loved it! We would have fun teasing, and encouraging each other, and really just got along so wonderfully together. I definitely consider her one my best of Friends growing up. She and I had an unwavering friendship where we were extremely loyal, and truly loved each other. However, we also could hang out with other people and cultivate friendships with others and when we hung out with each other again we never missed a beat. Our taste in music, fashion, sports, was always very similar, except of course our taste in boys and other friends. Other than that we had a great time. I loved Lisa's family, and would often attend church with them, and after, we would have to indulge in (oh so famous) St. Louis "gooey butter cake" mmmm... Lisa's house was definitely where I spent most of my time it was a magnet house, where she had fun parties, and we would watch movies, and dance like fools shoot hoops, and have awesome pool parties in her indoor pool. I suffered from serious migraines at the time and Lisa would play nurse to me by throwing a wash cloth, and laying next to me until I felt better. We spent many nights giggling, and being completely real with each other. We would exchange advice and share the hardships of junior high, and our parents. Her parents wanted her to attend, a private upscale catholic school, and as heart broken as she was-she went away, I also remember shedding many tears over the oh so dramatic, situation. Lisa remained miserable at the school, and I had settled into finding new friendships, mostly with the kind of girls she was not attracted to . Lisa was humble, kind and very sweet, and I settled into a group that was sociably perfect. We still would hang out but not nearly as often, I had many friendships since Lisa, but never quite as close as the one I had with her. She eventually came back to our school. I was stoked but we never had a class together, I went to the nerdy part of the hall, in A.P chem, and AP chem lab, and A.P. Biology and AP physics, and I think Lisa had more of strong liking to literature and etc. and she spent all her time with a girl who was a quiet, SO quiet, nice, but very closed and extremely analytical. Unfortunately we slowly drifted. I always had a place in my heart for her, and have often thought, and prayed for her. We had lost complete contact with each other. Today, excitingly we met and talked and shared so many of our endeavors. It was great to reminisce and share stories, and share our new lives with each other. I went away thanking God for this wonderful experience, and can't wait for our next meeting. The most awesome thing about this is she is best-friends with my other close friend. I can't wait to catch up with Melanie too!

Dancing with the Mommies

This week by the grace of God, I found myself on the treadmill every day! Yeah! I really appreciate those times where I can go, and rejuvenate! And I did get a chance to use weights three times this week, how amazing! I am aching, and feeling so very sore, I love that feeling. I stopped exercising completely due to hurting my back. I am still nursing a cracked tailbone...ouchy! My doctor insisted I get back and work out, and I am sooo glad he did! I am feeling so great!! I also had an AMAZING dance class this week! Where we did cha-cha, rumba, even a grease choreography, (try not to laugh at that part) and all kinds of fun, exciting dances. I hope I catch on soon.

This Cake is Dino-Mite!!

Stegosaurus Stan

So what do three year old little boys like??? Dinosaurs!!! And if you are a Lloyd kid.....CAKE!! So for The "Celebration of Noah" You put them together, and you get a roaring delicous Surprise! It is quite Dino-mite! "Where are we going??? (Noah's Party) (That was in my head from an episode of Dora the Explorer). Except they were going to Tico's party. So that is what we have been singing all week, because the excitement has been building and building!! Okay so you are asking isn't Noah's Birthday in January??? hhmmm? Well how do I say this without sounding like such a stinky parent!! We were all sick, and then sick again, and then I threw my back out, so poor little middle child Noah didn't have a birthday celebration. I feel so bad for him. We are going to make it up to him tomorrow!! We are going to a park, and are grilling, and going to have so much FUN!! With our family!

If you ask Noah, he knows many many dinosaurs and can tell you about them, you may not be able to understand, but he is amazingly smart! Also please pray for the Lloyd family, we are trying to make some very BIG decisions right now, and need your prayer.

And if anyone needs a cake, I would gladly make one for you for a really small fee, I love to do it. I am not a professional or anything it just brings me pleasure! Let me know if you would like a cake!

Erin with Ellie

Here we are at Erin's shower. We had such a great time. Ellie was enjoying the spread of delicious treats and the very cute baby Lucy. We had an awesome time fellow shipping, and we are SO excited about the wedding dear friend. It was such a great time with all my dear sweet friends whom I love with all my heart! Thank you to Tina, and Marilyn who made it so fun!

It was a joy to carry the party on all day with you all!

My little Pink Hyacinth

The fragrance from these beauties were amazing! Ellie was enchanted by all the flowers.

Little Lambs

He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young. Isaiah 40:11

Ellie is squealing with delight in this photo.

Spring Botanicals

Brothers and Best Friends
Lunch Pals

Breathtaking Beauty

Here is my Elizabeth Faith at 16 months, what a sweet, and loveable little girl.

This week I am going to......

blog more about her, I just wanted to post this adorable pic.

Club Blues

We had a great time dining and watching a great game! Hockey is fun to watch live.
Oh No! The predators have the puck!

Blues score again! Making two little boys very excited!

So it is time to start the silly faces, because it is just plain fun! And because we are Lloyds!

EEK! Check out that face!

Mommy and those blues brothers

This is the "I don't want to go home soon face, I am not tired" Elijah

Daddy and Elfarella

It was a good night, great memories were made!

And I don't mean Blue's Clue's. We had a great night as a family, at a very thrilling Blues Game, where they played awesome, and we hung out in the club! We even indulged ourselves, with a St. Louis favorite...of course I mean toasted ravioli! Thank you to our dear friends who gave us the tickets to enjoy!

Spiderman, spiderman, Snowwhite??

Here we are on the "Story Time Couch" in Ellie's room, this is where we enter new lands, and discover new characters, we especially enjoy Picture books, and any stories by Dr. Suess (they are my favorite to read) Elijah can spend hours looking at Richard Scarry books. We praise and thank God for books.
Dressing up really helps them with their immgination and helps create their love for reading. The Clubb's gave us this amazing Disney set of books, and Ellie will point to the pricess stories, and shake her head yes.

here is Noah dressed as "Black Spiderman" and this day we talked about struggling with sin.

Here is the wand that never stops shooting beautiful silks, spun by "Spiderman" (Elijah and Noah) My three little blessings, love to dress up. We are always dressing up around here. It is just fun, and we like to have FUN! So like most days, I had, 2 spiderman, one very dark one who is confronted with his sin, and one who was running around saving a very fair, beautiful maiden, Snow White. This snow white does not live with 7 dwarfs, she lives with 2 "piremann" or as Noah says as he shoots webs at you, the sound affects leaves to wipe your face off. They are so much joy! Elijah, so thoughtful as not to leave out his sister, said her Snow white wand was actually filled with never ending "silk webs" so that she may shoot with them......aahhhh she was so happy.

Get a tall glass of milk

CLONE OF A CINNABON

PREP TIME 20 Min

COOK TIME 15 Min

READY IN 3 Hrs

INGREDIENTS

1 cup warm milk, 2 eggs, room temperature1/3 cup margarine, melted4 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup white sugar2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast 1 cup brown sugar, packed2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon 1/3 cup butter, softened1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened1/4 cup butter, softened1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract1/8 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS: 1. Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start. 2. After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. 3. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.4. Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. 5. Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. 6. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400* .7. Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes. 8. While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving. Are you drooling yet?

A Practical and Creative Gift for a Bride

I wanted to make a wedding gift for my dear friend whom is getting married in May. I used watercolors for this rendition of a family tree. My prayer is that they will grow in Christ as they become one, representing the tree, Erin, She is a tree of life to those who lay hold of her; those who hold her fast are called blessed. Proverbs 3:18 Also I pray that their family would be like that of The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and whoever captures souls is wise. A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. Matthew 12:33. Dear sweet friend I pray that you will bear much sweet, ripe, and pleasant fruit, all the days of your life, and pass it on to your children, your grandchildren, and etc.

Remember, run your roots deep so that Christ will always be with you, that so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love.

Ephesians 3:17

Finally, Dear sweet sister you may find comfort in this blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.

I know the image of the tree probably originated with one in medieval art of the Tree of Jesse, used to illustrate the Geanology of Christ in terms of a prophecy of (Isaiah, 11, 1)