Chase Your Dreams...

You might just catch one!

Don't you love it?:) 

Yes, we still believe in fairytales,

happily ever afters and

and dreams come true.

Some things never change!

And why should they?

Once upon a time,

my little girl dreamed of being a

ballerina.

She worked hard...

still works hard almost 13 years later...

and her dreams are coming true!

 She wanted to dance in the Nutcracker...

done that many times.

And she wanted to dance the role of the Snow Queen...

and this year she will do that!

Can you say EXCITING???
That was the news we received  

while we were in London! 

Congratulations Taylor!!!

We are all so proud of you and very happy for you too!

Here's Hoping...

...we can come too.

Please...can't we come on vacation to Europe too?

Pretty please...with sugar and lots of bones on top?

I'm such a good boy.

Look...I even got in the car already!

Sorry Maui!

As much as I love you and would take you everywhere...

this time I just can't.

Sniff, sniff...:-(

Hey Freddy, what are you doing?

 

 I know you're cute...

and small...

 

The perfect size for a suitcase.

And I know you think you're hiding but I see you...

Those people in Europe don't know what they're missing!

Two adorable little guys, that's what!

Silly rules!

Boys...If I had my way you would be going too...

But since you can't,

please be good boys for your puppy sitter.

 Hope is good...

we all need hope.

but your puppy dog eyes won't help you this time.

HOPE you know how much we LOVE you!!!

Okay...we're off on an adventure.

Did you think I'd be posting something wonderful about Europe?

Nah...

There's plenty of time for that.

This one's for my boys!

As they say in London...

"CHEERIO".

 And in France...

"AU REVOIR"

And in Italy...

"CIAO"

Je t'aime

Do You Remember...

...what you were doing on September 11th, 2001?

I'm fairly certain this man can remember exactly where he was and what he was doing...


...reading to school children.

We can never imagine the thoughts that went through his head as those horrific words were whispered in his ear...
"an airplane has flown into the World Trade Center".



As a mother, I've had to remain calm and smile in front of my children at one time or another. Its never easy but it's what the situation calls for.

Can you imagine having to smile to a room full of children when you know what started out as a regular schoolday had became a day of nightmare proportions? I can't. Which is why I would like to dedicate this day to all those who were senselessly lost on 9/11, as well as to those who loved them. This is also for those who helped us through this terrible time in our country's history.


And while I strictly avoid politics on my blog, I would like to include our leaders who were dealt this card just like the rest of us...and had to make decisions on our behalf at a time when we all wanted to go to sleep and wake up to find this was a bad dream.


Some people don't like to look at the dirty images...but if we pledge to never forget...we need to remember exactly how great their sacrifices were. How desperate must a person be to jump to their certain death from such a high floor? I have no idea. Or what must go through a fireman's mind as they rush into a burning building...a building certain to crumble? Most of us will never know.


For these people, we must never forget...and we must make sure our children never forget. They need to remember the brave and innocent who lost their life on this day, just as they remember soldiers who have fallen in world wars throughout our country's history.


I know many will disagree but I have never been one to shield my children from images such as these. Okay, I might shield them from the most horrific. I also would not bring it up if they weren't already exposed to it...at least not right away. But I think talking to them at an early age and giving them the info they can handle helps them understand when mommy or daddy is upset or they hear you talking about it on the phone. Just my opinion, you know? Unfortunately, this is life...or at least one horrible slice of it.

By now, many survivors have moved on. They have reasons to smile again, to laugh and enjoy life. And what a blessing that is! But they will not forget...and neither will we.



And rather than judging the man who was our President at the time, we should be grateful...grateful that we didn't have his heavy burden and his decisions. Grateful that at a time when we were all terrified as to what may come next, he reassured us.


Flying home to a White House that may have been an intended target...I'd be willing to bet that not in his worst nightmare did he think this was going to happen on his watch. And to be told it wasn't safe to go "home" to the White House...unthinkable!


This is not a time for arguing politics...but a time to honor those involved in this horrifying act...all of them! I guess you could say I've wanted to write this post for a long time but my aversion to modern day politics kept me from tackling anything close to it on my blog. Jaded as it sounds, I find it difficult to believe most politicians and political commentators these days, but that is another subject entirely, and certainly not for today. But on that day 9 years ago, I wanted to be reassured, like we all did.

This is a day to wish all of these people simple beauty and hope on an ugly day in our history.


To let them know that we care and while we may not have known their loved one personally, we do remember them...and always will.

And to go back to my original question "Do you remember what you were doing"...
I was shopping at a cute little shop called "My Paris Apartment" with my then 4 year old little girl. I was at the counter to pay, debating whether to buy a precious hand painted wooden sign that had something I did not understand on it in French.
My cell phone rang and it was my friend Belinda, telling me that a plane had flown into the World Trade Center. What??? No way, I said.
She told me to just drop everything and go home to turn on the TV. Then she burst into tears and I knew that she wasn't mistaken.
Before leaving the store, I asked what the sign meant. The lady said that "La vie est belle" means "the life is beautiful" in French.


I just knew I was supposed to buy a little sign that said life was beautiful on a day when something very ugly was happening. I bought it and it will always be a part of my home.

Thank you to Beverly from How Sweet The Sound for suggesting we take a break from our usual "pinkness" to remember this day.

Life at the Old Apple Farm...

Hi...
My name is Annabelle.




I live in a barn on the Old Apple Farm.
Today is special because the Barn Chicks are talking about 2 things I love...
Barns and Apples!

So come on...
Follow me and a few of my friends...


We need to go check out our barn and pick some apples to make some
YUMMY treats!!!

Some people would say we need our barn fixed up...
But we love it like this...


It has "character", isn't that what they say?

Here is another picture of our barn...


This may look like an old barn window to you but it's our little window to the world!



Ahhhhh....life really is good on our farm.



If you visit us, maybe you can go to our Mommy's house.
(or the house she WOULD have in another life...one of them...like the one she is imagining right now;)



Maybe if you're lucky, you'll get to go inside and see what a farmhouse looks like...






...complete with a warm apple pie scented candle burning...



...and a pair of cute pups;)


Apples...Did somebody say apples?

We LOVE apples around here...

A perfect day would include one (or ALL) of these...

Curl up with a mug of hot caramel apple cider...

And on THIS farm, warm cinnamon donuts go with everything!



Oh...and apple fritters too. Can't forget yummy apple fritters!



Mmmm...this doesn't look half bad either, does it?


But sometimes, simple is best.
Like this caramel apple...



It's no wonder we like life in our old barn...
on the Old Apple Farm!
So thanks for stopping by...
And come again when you can stay awhile.
If you get hungry, maybe you can make some of this...

APPLE GINGERBREAD COBBLER

1 (14-ounce) package gingerbread mix, divided
3/4 cup water
1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup butter, divided
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
2 (21-ounce) cans apple pie filling

Preparation:
Stir together 2 cups gingerbread mix and 3/4 cup water until smooth; set mixture aside.
Stir together remaining gingerbread mix and brown sugar; cut in 1/4 cup butter until mixture is crumbly. Stir in chopped pecans; set pecan mixture aside.
Combine apple pie filling and remaining 1/4 cup butter in a large saucepan, and cook, stirring often, 5 minutes over medium heat or until thoroughly heated. Spoon hot apple pie filling mixture evenly into a lightly greased 11- x 7-inch baking dish. Spoon gingerbread mixture evenly over hot apple pie filling mixture; sprinkle evenly with pecan-and-brown sugar mixture.
Bake at 375° for 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Cool slightly. Serve warm from the pan or chilled. But whatever you do, serve with a
scoop of vanilla bean ice cream or whipped cream...
OR both!!! (I added that part;)

Thanks for visiting!