Prom Pics!

Im a little behind on posting prom pics so here goes!  Kelsey had the most beautiful dress! It was so feminine and flowy and flowery!! And the colors were so VIBRANT!

I was a little challenged with putting on Dalton's boutonniere ( I had to look that up!!)  but I finally got in on there!

(Photo editing provided by Cassidy !) Thanks Cass!!

Virginia (granny) was up for a visit and decided to stay a few extra days so she could see "her handsome grandson!!!" I have to admit..... I think he's pretty handsome myself!!

Kelsey is going to kill me for posting this picture but it was so cute to watch her try to get up in the "BIG TRUCK!" She kept saying "GO AWAY!" but obviously Cassidy didn't leave before she got a pic!

I love these kidoes!! Time is a flyin' and they are growing up too fast...........

Kelsey's sister Jessica and her friend Hannah did Kelsey's hair and make-up.... they did a wonderful job!
I will post more pics when I figure out what just happened to the rest of the pictures! Oh well!
Have a great day and hope you enjoyed the pics!

Natalee

A Promise For You (part 2)

Not long after Annalee (our 3rd) was born (2001) Randy and Diana moved away to Texas. We have kept in touch with them off and on over these past 10 years via Christmas cards and the occasional phone call.

Well, early last week Paul had to make a quick trip to Ft. Worth for some work related stuff and just happened to give them a call to see if they were home and if he could stop by and say hello. Sure enough they were BOTH home and he made the one hour detour over to their home. He ended up staying there pretty late and returned home later that evening.

Diana had sent home with Paul a red gift bag and a sweet note inside saying how she missed us. Also in the bag was a glass dish with the sweetest little promises inside that she had made.

She had put these little "promises" together by placing a fragrant little candle chip inside and writing scriptures of God's promises inside. These are wonderful little gifts to pass out to others! I even put some in Cassidy's lunch box to give out to her friends at lunch!

I am so thankful to God for his promises to us and for the friends he puts in our path along the way! He has been so gracious to us and so faithful to us. It is wonderful to know that when the Lord puts Christian  friends in your life that they are friends FOR ALL ETERNITY because we are brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus! What a GIFT! What a BLESSING!

So I want to take this time to thank Diana for her love and encouragement to me and for always thinking of others before herself. She is a wonderful wife to Randy and a godly example of a helpmeet. Thank you, Diana!! You are a treasure!

A Promise For You

There are times in our lives when God crosses our paths with another person for reasons only He might know  at the time.  Sometimes it is years later that you look back and see His grace through someone else. I was reminded of such a person this week.
Her name is Diana.
 She was a mentor to me at a time in my life that was somewhat challenging. Paul and I had been married just a few years and about a year before we had found ourselves several hours away from our families in Texas, starting a new life in Oklahoma.
 At the time, we had Dalton and Cassidy both under 3 years old and Paul was working as a conductor at the time. My days were busy taking care of 2 children under 3 yrs but Paul was only home every 2 or 3 days and then would get called out again after being home for barely 24 hours. I was busy, yes, but also very lonely. I had not yet found a local church in our area and I only knew just a few people in the neighborhood. Our families were almost 4 hours away.
Paul came home one day and mentioned a guy at work who he had just learned lived only 10 min away from us. He said that him and his wife wanted to meet us and would love for us to stop by "anytime". Well, little did he know that I would take them up on their offer many times over! When I first met Randy and Diana they made us feel so welcomed in their home and absolutely loved our children. It was the closest thing to having family near us. They treated us like family. Also, it was nice knowing another "railroad wife" that could understand her husband being gone frequently. God is so good!

I remember calling her up and pretty much inviting myself and the kids over many times just to have someone to talk to. Someone who cared about what I had to say. Someone who would listen to me. Many times I would just watch her do things. She is a very industrious woman.
 I remember stopping by one day and she was out in the shop making a bed (YES a BED!) that she saw in a magazine that she really liked but didn't want to spend the money on. So what did she do? She made in herself!
So why was she on my mind this week?
To be continued...........................

Empty and Beautiful - Matt Maher

Hey Y'all!

So what goes on at the Prairie on a Sunday afternoon? Why, we invite Paula Deen over of course!
Oh yes, we are the best of friends! I was going through one of my older Cooking With Paula Deen magazines yesterday trying to find a good recipie and what do you know I came across her Simple Delicious Strawberry Cake recipie! I have made this once before a couple years ago and it was absolutely delicious! Just like the recipie title! So if your in the mood for something strawberry, go ahead and try this:

Simple Delicious Strawberry Cake

1     (18.25-ounce) box white cake mix
1     (3-ounce) box strawberry-flavored instant gelatin
1     (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syryp, thawed and pureed
4      large eggs
1/2   cup vegetable oil
1/4   c water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease 2 round 9 in cake pans.
  In a large bowl, combine cake mix and gelatin. Add pureed strawberries, eggs, oil, and water; beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until smooth. Pour into prepared pans, and bake for 20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 10 minutes. Remove from pans, and cool completely on wire racks. Spread Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting in between layers and on top and sides of cake. Garnish with sliced fresh strawberries, if desired.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting

1/4   cup butter, softened
1      (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1      (10-ounce) package frozen strawberries in syrup, thawed and pureed
1/2    tsp strawberry extract ( i do not use this)
7       cups confectioners' sugar

In a large bowl, beat butte and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Beat in 1/4 cup (I added about 1/2 cup) strawberry puree. Beat in extract. Gradually add confectioners' sugar, beating until smooth.

Now go and frost this baby and dig in! It will be worth your time and your wait!!

Brew a pot of coffee while your at it and put some fresh whipping cream in it just in case this cake isn't quite rich enough!
Have a blessed sunday!

Soap and Water

Thought I would do some well overdue shower cleaning today! I have to tell myself that all it takes is a little soap and water to get that thing clean and somehow it MOTIVATES me like no other!

Prairie girl? is that your shower floor you ask? Why, yes, it is...isn't it lovely? I know you feel better about yourself now.  Go ahead and say it. I wont mind. TRUTH be told, I don't use this shower very often. "Well I wouldn't either if I had to stand on that slime while washing my hair" you say! My dear hubby has this baby all to himself.  Isn't he lucky. Our other bathroom shower/tub combo has much more room to move around and stuff, so I choose to share the other bathroom with the kids just so I can have a more pleasant experience.

 Why am I telling you this? It's the "out of sight- out of mind" rule that applies here. I don't look in there that  much because I am not in there that often. Make sense? So, now that I am done with all my terrible excuses I will share how I got it all nice and sparlkly! Are You READY????

   Yeah. Soap and water. Exiting, I know. I took the advice many years ago from FlyLady, who said that soap and water or a little shampoo would cut slime and grime just as well as any cleaners you could by on the market. Well after I tried it the first time, she had me convinced! I have been using liquid soap and water or sometimes shampoo to clean my bathrooms. If you get those travel size shampoos that seem to collect over the years, use them! If you bought some soap or shampoo that you don't paticularly like, or you received as a gift, just save it for cleaning! As FLYLADY says, "soap is soap"!!

This is the soap scum on the shower door.  One thing I really love is my Dobie brand kitchen scrubber. My mother always used these in the kitchen for as long as I can remember. I have been using them since Paul and I got married and they are great for everything. Dishes, bathtubs, sinks, countertops, you name it. They don't scratch surfaces, and when I am done with my dishes I can throw it in the silverware basket and run it through the dishwasher. Or you could always run it through the washing machine with a load of towels. They last forever too!

SEE? No more nasty scum! I don't know why I wait so long to check this shower. It's so easy to clean!
Well, there you have it! Go and tackle that nasty shower or bathtub you have been putting off! Make your home a haven for your family! Put yourself in there shoes (or shower..hee hee) and ask the Lord to help you "see" the needs of others through HIS eyes! You will bless your family with the smallest acts of kindness!

Oh, and one more thing....I love to use the Mrs. Meyers cleaners after I am done to give everything a nice fresh smell. These are some of the best scents for your home! I love the basil scent or the lavender. Heavenly!

Have a blessed Saturday!!

Happy Birthday Kelsey!

This past Monday we kicked it up a notch at the "Prairie" by celebrating sweet Kelsey's 18th birthday!  Her actual birthday was March 9, but seeing that our week was jammed packed with activities we figured why not celebrate a little early!

(never mind the crooked pictures in the background- they are always that way...just lettin ya know)
Well, let's see...Dalton and Kelsey have known each other since lets say....kindergarden! In fact Kelsey's sweet mama, Kim, was Dalton's sunday school teacher in kindergarden. Let's just say they go way back! Kelsey is a sweet young lady who loves the Lord and is smart as a whip and could probably beat your tail off in a round of GOLF!! (I haven't tried)  She will be graduating this May and will be going to UCO in the fall.

We celebrated with a simple pasta dinner and then topped it off with some Oreo cheesecake!

Kelsey and Dalton both LOVE cheesecake! I had never made Oreo flavor before so Kelsey was my guinea pig! Turns out I think she liked it pretty well when I heard a rumor she had it for breakfast the next morning! I sent some with her the night before IN CASE her mom and dad wanted to try some (sorry Jody and Kim if you didn't get a piece!)

We are so thankful and blessed to know the Walker family! They love the Lord and are true servants in our church and in the community. We have enjoyed having Kelsey around with her sweet spirit and her beautiful smile! She is such a joy!

We enjoyed celebrating with you, Kelsey, and our family wishes you many blessings as you finish up your SENIOR year and begin a new chapter in your life as a college student!  God Bless You!!!!!!