{Family and Pie-Oh My!}

Well, I sorta got on a pie baking frenzy and baked two pies for Sunday dinner. But in the midst of baking, we had a bonfire, made S'mores with the grands, fried venison with french fries, rode the 4-wheeler, done a little fishing and told stories around the fire. GHOST stories at that! LOL!

Yep, one of the grands is practicing yoga on a slanted log aiming right towards the pond! And, another grand talked her papa into carrying her to the store and of course she came back with a doll.

 Life in the country is NEVER boring I can assure you.

 Sunday after dinner there was more fun! Who has time for NAPS on Sunday? Now, how about a pie?

Blueberry Sour Cream Streusel Pie 

I have some fresh blueberries that a sweet friend gave to me in my freezer and decided to use some and make a pie. I also had pie crusts in the freezer so why not?  

 Preheat oven to 400 degrees
One unbaked pie crust
1 cup of sour cream
3/4 cup of sugar
1 egg
2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons vanilla flavoring
1/4 teaspoon of salt
1 1/2 half cups of fresh blueberries  
Mix in the order of the ingredients except leave out 1/2 cup of blueberries.
Pour into the pie shell and then top with remaining blueberries. 
Pop your pie into the oven and set the timer for 25 minutes. While baking, make your streusel topping.  

Streusel Topping
 1/2 cup of brown sugar
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1/4 cup of butter, softened
1/2 cup of chopped pecans
Mix together and set aside. 
After pie has baked for 25 minutes take it out of the oven and cover the top with your streusel. Pop it back into the oven for another 20-25 minutes. Remove and let stand for about 20 minutes. Serve warm or at room temp. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. OR BOTH! 
I have a friend that said calories do not count on Sundays! 

My family said said it was delicious! 

I hope that you all have a great week.  Do something fun, crazy, spontaneous, or simply bake a pie! Make a memory! EMBRACE the moment you are in because the moment you are in is really all you are promised.

  
Hugs and blessings, Cindy

{January Has Begun And With It Came My WORD}

Well, Christmas is over and January has nonetheless begun in full mode. With this brand new year, I decided to be smart and make a list of all the things that I really needed to tackle this year and one by one mark them off. You know, things like clean out closets, declutter, do some painting on much-needed projects, repair a few things that have needed repair for a long time, and well, my list was quite lengthy in my mind. And just so you know...it's still in my mind because it's never made it on paper much less begun! Now I feel better since I got that out in the open.

My youngest daughter asked me if I would like to have a movie day with lunch and shopping and my answer,  "why I course I would love that"! So we went to see......

I read the book a long time ago but had forgotten bits and pieces of it. The movie was really good. With having three daughters I guess the movie being about four sisters sort of hit home with the ups and downs of growing up, the likes and dislikes but above all, the love they share together as sisters. So glad I had the opportunity to see it.

 

My favorite grandson had his first open season basketball game at our church and as always, I enjoy watching the grands in any sport. By the way....he's my only grandson and was given our last name when he was born, Conner! YEP, he's my favorite grandson.

I did get a little Valentine tablescape started. 

 

And as far as getting serious about that LIST to accomplish in 2020...NOPE...still hasn't happened yet! But, the Lord did give me a word to focus on for the new year and a scripture. 

I began praying in early November for the Lord to reveal my Word and a Scripture to me for the new year. I hinted to Him that fun words such a shopping, desserts and sleep sounded really good. I mean, don't you think those would have been great words to FOCUS on for 2020?

Needless to say my Word and my scripture did not come until December 31st and it was right before midnight. I NEVER stay up to see a New Year come in.  But, the Lord had other plans for me.  

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My husband was snoozing away and I was going down memory lane through 2019. I even chuckled out loud several times about things that my grandchildren would do that was funny or at a remark that one of my daughter's had made. I reminisced over the birthday parties, the family gatherings, the vacations, and the times that had brought so much joy to my life. I stopped several times to even pray about some news that I was waiting on.

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But, I had a few sad moments down memory lane as well. Especially thinking about dear friends that had lost loved ones, the times my grandbabies would be sick and I seemed to stay on my knees praying for them more than ever and the changes that had taken place in my personal life, with staff changes at work, a few health changes, and a few personal decisions that I needed to make and well...you get the picture. 

And the WORD 

 

Came to me. I felt the Lord whispering to my spirit...Cindy....JUST SIMPLY EMBRACE 

Embrace the good, Embrace the not so good, Embrace the moment, and more than anything, through it all, EMBRACE ME! 

Jeremiah 33:3 came to me quickly....

Y'all, I had my WORD and a Scripture to focus on for this brand new year...and all right at the stroke of midnight. 

A week later I found myself attending a memorial service for a 99 year old woman that long ago was my 1st and 2nd grade school teacher and my school bus driver. The pastor doing the memorial service said many things but one thing he said stood out to me. It was something along these lines and I wrote it down so I would not forget it...

Why do we focus so much on what’s going to happen instead of what is happening ? Right now ? Today ?

Why do we worry so much about the future instead of being present in the presence? 

 1/4/2020 John Chesser 

It was confirmation that YES indeed...I am to EMBRACE what is happening today...focus on today...be present in the presence. Good or bad, happy or sad. But above all...to see the Lord in the midst of all things and to call on Him because He will answer me and oh does He have some great and mighty things to show me......

May we look forward to this brand New Year and make it the best ever!

Hugs and blessings, Cindy