Tuesday, December 27, 2011
Thursday, December 8, 2011
This will give you the Willies
Griffin Cole had quite an experience with his eyelid and a zipper.
If you want to see, click on the following link.
http://colesdaily.blogspot.com/2011/12/eyelid-caught-in-zipper.html
When you are done with that, you can check this out:
http://colesdaily.blogspot.com/2011/12/i.html
Did you hear in the news about the gusty winds in Southern California?
The above link will give you a great pictorial.
Enjoy!
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Tim is SO Funny...
On Facebook this morning, I saw this nice bit of news about Dawney, then you can read all the sweet comments from her Facebook Friends. Tim's comment at the end took me a minute, but then I got it and quite enjoyed it. Thought you all should have a happy moment too:
Dawney told Facebook:
Dawney GlennI just got a permanent position, best job in the world!!!! This may be the holiday season I've experienced in years.
Comments from people:
Bethany Amber Glenn Stephens Permanent?!?! WOO HOO!!!
Doug Payne good on ya......
Manfred Lopez Nice.. Congrats.. :)
Julie Payne Cole Congratulations! So happy you got it!!
Joanne Steffens Brooks so the temp job turn into permanent or is this another job? Just wishing you wonderful blessing and joy in the work place.
Tim Glenn That's really nice that your job would pay to do your hair.
Oh, and GOOD JOB, Dawney, whether they pay for your hair or not!
Thursday, November 24, 2011
On Fire!
Yes, the bag WAS on FIRE! I had to get a squirt bottle and put out the burning bag.
Nana gave me a cooker:
She used it. It worked great, but she didn't want to use it again, so she gave it to me. I was happy to have it. I only have one oven and on Thanksgiving, an additional "oven" can be a life safer. A couple of months ago I cooked a turkey breast in the cooker just to test it, make sure it worked well. It did. All was delicious.
So, this morning I prepared my turkey as usual. I buttered my brown bag, I put my turkey in the bag, stapled it up and put it in the cooker. 5 minutes later I notice a burning smell. Hmm. 4 more minutes and I see smoke. This can't be good. I called Nana to ask if she had the problem, but she was NOT home! I spoke with Bumpa and he thought that maybe the bag was too close to the cooking element, so the bag was not going to work with the turkey. He suggested I take the turkey out of the cooker and just use my oven.
I opened the lid and saw a small fire burning on the corners of the bag!!
Ok, take #2.
I prepared another bag, heated up my real oven.
And I put my turkey in the real oven.
Wednesday, November 23, 2011
Brining the Turkey!
Now, in the very full fridge.
Right next to the turkey is the ham...Tuesday, November 22, 2011
The Rolls Are Ready!
I couldn't decide which picture was better, 
Wednesday, November 16, 2011
November 1, 2011
I was amazed at these clouds as Candice, Lola, Tom, and I flew in!
It was a GREAT day, well spent.Here are a few pictures from the Party!
Who is taller?
Hmm, has Zak grown taller than Chase??
Great day!Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Baby Blessing
Hello to everyone!
Jayna is receiving her baby blessing this Sunday, October 9th. We know that you are all far, but we wanted to let you all know about her upcoming special day.
We love you all, and can't wait to see everyone again!
Love, Steven, Heather, and Jayna
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
Recipe Sharing
Vegetarian Lasagna
Ingredients
1 1/2 quarts spaghetti sauce ( your favorite homemade or jar spaghetti sauce) **jpc note: one jar is plenty!
1/2 cup grated carrots
1/2 teaspoon oregano
6 cooked lasagna noodles
1 (16 ounce) containers ricotta cheese
1 (16 ounce) packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced zucchini
1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
3 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1. Mix carrots, oregano, and spaghetti sauce together.
2. Mix Ricotta, spinach, and eggs together in separate bowl.
3. Spread ½ cup spaghetti sauce in bottom of 9 x 13 inch baking dish.
4. Layer 3 lasagna noodles, ½ remaining sauce, ½ Ricotta mixture, ½ sliced zucchini, ½ sliced mushrooms, ½ Mozzarella, and ½ Parmesan.
5. Repeat layers with remaining ingredients.
6. Bake in 350 degrees oven for about 45 minutes.
Sunday, September 11, 2011
Sweet Baby Jayna
Hello Payne family! Steven and I wanted to announce the birth of our daughter Jayna, born on Saturday September 3rd at 6:42 pm. If you would like to read more about her birth and see more photos, click here.
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Monday, August 22, 2011
Our Beloved Youngest!!
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Hello from the Stephens Family!
Hello Family! I realize that I haven't visited the blog much in recent months, so I just spent a good long time going back and looking through months and months of all your fun posts!
I'm sure that everyone is getting ready for and is super excited for the big family vacation. My little family is sad that we won't be going with you, but we really hope that everyone has a wonderful time. Make lots of memories! Perhaps someday, Mike's Army career will be in a place where we are able to commit to joining on a family vacation without worrying that an Army duty will conflict with the timeline.
Since everyone is about to head off on a big fun adventure, I thought that I would share our family's summer vacation time with you. So that you all think of us while you are playing in the Mexican sun! ;)
Last month, we went to the beach! Hayden had so much fun playing in the sand that he threw a little temper tantrum when it was time to leave. He did not want to go home! Here are a few pictures...
Last month, my stepson Ryan turned five years old! We love talking to him on Skype. Hayden tries to kiss him on the computer screen every time.
We also went on a short visit to Georgia so that Hayden's grandparents could meet him and spend a little time with him. While we were there, we made a trip to the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta - which is the world's largest aquarium! Hayden was absolutely fascinated. Here are a few more pictures...
While we were visiting Mike's parents and some of his family, I was reminded of where he comes from. Mike is not ashamed of how he grew up, he didn't have any control over it. But, I now understand why he joined the Army at 17 years old. He always knew that as soon as he could, he would leave Jackson, GA and never look back. This is the house he grew up in...
Now, imagine no plumbing. For many years, the family used a large bucket as a toilet. Mike and his brother had the chore of emptying it daily. Mike remembers getting a bath by standing in a large metal tub while his mother poured water over him from the wood burning stove. Some days Mike got to bathe first, and some days his brother got to go first. The other boy would have to clean up with his brother's leftover dirty water. His father installed plumbing near the end of the time Mike lived there.
The glass windows you see on the house weren't always there. Mike remembers the windows being made of simple plastic sheets that were taped to the window frames. The house had no furnace. It's only source of heat in the winter was the wood burning stove in the center room of the house. You could call it the living room, but many people slept in it over the years, including Mike, so it was more like a community space. Mike didn't have his own bed, he had to share. There was no real foundation, or insulation in the house. Mike says that you could look down through the wood planks of the floor and see right through to the dirt below. Bugs never bothered Mike. Why would they when you are more worried about the rats and snakes that are always trying to move in with you? I could go on and on. At one point Mike even lived in the barn behind the house. But, you get the idea.
The reason I tell you this story is because I am truly grateful for everything that my family has today. It's so easy to get caught up in who has the biggest house, the newest car, the coolest toys or the nicest clothes. I am so happy for what we can provide for both Hayden and Ryan today. I am so happy for all of you that you get to go on a family vacation, on a cruise! The next time you find yourself feeling envy or want for something bigger, better and newer, remember this and be happy for all that you have!
(On a side note - Mike's parent's moved into a trailer on the same property in 02 or 03 I believe. No, I did not take Hayden into the house above.)
Now, everyone have a fun, safe trip! Take lots of pictures! Next month, Hayden turns two and starts preschool. Mike is also going to airborne school soon. So, I should have more family photos to share much sooner, rather than later!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Food!
