One more thing....

Yesterday we were home all day (JJ and I) and my Aunt Sandie and Max (cousin Stephanie's son) came over for a visit. He loves the Dollar Tree and bought these nifty glasses there. I think they may look better on him :).

Annie is here!!

We are so excited to annouce that Anne "Annie" Talmadge Blake is in da house!! She came this morning and weighs 7 lbs 7 oz. JJ and I went to visit her and she is so cute and precious. It was only 5 months ago that I was there with newborn John Joseph. I'm so excited to watch her grow. This is the third granchild for Emily's parents and Annie makes two for Grandpa Joe. Today I will be packing because JJ and I are going to Lancaster, Pennsylvannia tomorrow to visit my good friend Michele. We fly direct to Baltimore where she will pick us up. I'm a little anxious about the flight and pray that JJ will be in his best "chill" mode throughout our travel time. I will look forward to reporting on our trip when we get back next Monday. See you then!

Daddy's home!

I just realized that using Picasa for our family photos that people will have access to my blog. So...I had better get going with the updates. Robert started his new job last Monday in Conway, Arkansas. We are both excited about his job and moving to AR. It will be sad to leave home but we can adjust. Robert began roughnecking (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roughneck) on Wednesday. By Thursday night he was worn out from working in high heat, dirty conditions, and on his feet all day. How do you prep for that? I knew he would need a good homecoming so I decided to make him his favorite desert: rhubarb pie. I do not care for this pie but he has grown up on it. While the pie was in the oven on Friday I got a call from the Human Resources dept. with Desoto Drilling saying Robert had been in an accident. My heart dropped. This is the second time I've had this kind of call; the first coming after he fainted from giving blood. Robert had fallen off the platform 11 ft and landed on some tooling (hard, steel equipment) and slide the other 4 ft to the ground. It was a near-death experience and he was lucky to not be hurt more seriously. He was sent by ambulance to the Conway hospital and was released that evening. Daddy came home Saturday morning and received his pie. It is probably his most precious pie to receive symbolizing fatherhood and the gift of life after a bad accident the day before. He is resting flat on his back which is badly bruised. Being back home, with family and pie, has lifted his spirits!

Looking better

Well, I think my blog is looking better and I am getting the hang of it. I added pictures, links, and lists last night. I was thinking what else to add. Probably my favorite recipes since that is a hobby of mine (cooking) and I realized I need to let you know more about my family. Robert is my husband and we have been married 2 and a half years. We met on eHarmony so yes, it really does work. We have a new son, JJ, who is only 4 and a half months old. He is so great. Anyway, I was just checking in. I hope to get even more creative with my blog. We'll see how it evolves.

Getting the hang of it...

This is not a priority. I almost forgot I started the blog. I just read my cousin's blog (http://www.maxandzeke.com/stephsblog/) and it has encouraged me to get this site going. It is 12:12 am. I rarely go to bed before 12 am. It is not good but I get my second wind late. Plus JJ is sleeping and it is time for Shannon. Today I am trying to master and find the perfect pretzel recipe. I've been researching it and am amazed that the look/texture/flavor I am searching for requires lye...yes, the lye used for soap!! Who'd a thunk it?! Anyway, people comment and it can be harmful like a hazardous material so I will have to look into it some more. This all started because I had these 'to die for' pretzels at a German restaurant in Moore that Robert likes. I'm all about duplicating recipes when I find something I like. I have not been able to duplicate Starbucks Frappucinos (in the glass bottle) and that stinks because I love those and they are getting expensive. Tomorrow/today is Sunday and I'm going to try to upload pics and make my blogspot look better. By the way, Robert was offered a job yesterday and this is exciting as we have been waiting 11 months for him to find/get a job. More on that later. See you soon.