Hope for the Holidays

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to You and Yours from all of us here at The Ladybug Cafe!

May your holiday season be filled with the HOPE that can only come from the Savior who came to earth that first Christmas night!

Miracle on Main Street

The Miracle on Main Street was one of three performance the Ladybug participated in this Christmas season. This musical is the story of a mayor choosing to cancel the town Christmas pageant only to realize that pageant's message of hope is one that needs to be shared.

The program

A small part of the set

You can see the Ladybug blowing kisses in the center of this pic.

The Ladybug and the program director...Ms M's talent and commitment are AMAZING!!

The Ladybug with two friends/castmembers...what fun!!

A short clip from the show....

Guest Chef in the Ladybug Cafe

The Ladybug Cafe has enjoyed a visit from Gran, a guest chef in the Ladybug Cafe. During her visit, she has added a few new items to our menu....

Ladybug Crispies

These are made from Coco Crispies, Rice Crispies, Strawberry Marshmallows, and Crushed Peppermints.

In addition to Ladybug Crispies, we have made Haystacks (melted chocolate and butterscotch chips mixed with Chinese noodles) and a gingerbread house (yeah, Target!!). What is more fun than holiday baking!?!

Thanksgiving 2011

Today is a day of giving thanks....for the many ways that we have been blessed over the past year, for the challenges we survived, for the wonderful surprises we encountered, for the love of friends and family, and for the transition into the Christmas season and the celebration of our Savior's birth!

"Thankfulness opens your heart to My Presence and your mind to My thoughts. You may still be in the same place, with the same set of circumstances, but is is as if a light has been switched on, enabling you to see from My perspective." (Eph 5:20, Ps 118:1, Ps 89:15)

(taken from November 24, Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence, by Sarah Young)

....and thanks to BBQ Pit Boss for doing all the cooking!

A Bit of Catching Up....

In July, we left the Ladybug Cafe under the watchful eye of the BBQ Pit Boss (a.k.a. Daddy) to visit with aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc in Florida. These are just a few pics of the trip....check back for more!

Yesterday

So...I, obviously have some catch-up blogging to do, but I thought that I would start with yesterday. It is hard to really capture in words what life is like at the Ladybug Cafe on a daily basis. Here are two pictures that I think are worth a thousand words.

Here is the recipe for the Ladybug's Sundae:

In a sundae glass (preferably one of a set purchased from an antique shop with a website and a nice bathroom but no a/c)add ...

3 strawberries sliced
1 smallish scoop of ice cream (we used vanilla)
1 generous layer of chocolate "shell" topping
1 generous (bordering on HUGE) spraying of whipped topping, the kind from a can, not a tub (Note: Do not leave the can of whipped topping unguarded, Pots had to be chased down so that the can could be secured--and not emptied all over the cafe)
Get a long spoon and ENJOY!!

Judy Moody and the NOT so Bummer Summer!

We have been looking forward to Judy Moody and the NOT so Bummer Summer since summer began. The Ladybug has been working hard on her job chart (www.myjobchart.com) to earn points that could be used to go to the movies. Yesterday was the big day!

We loved the movie...Judy is an energetic, imaginative, and adventurous girl (sound familiar!?!) who participates in a contest she designed to earn "thrill points." As the contest moves forward, she is not earning points as quickly as her friends. Ultimately, she realizes that even though she may not have "won" the contest, she did enjoy a wonderful summer with her brother, Stink, her Aunt Opal, and her friend, Frank.

We loved the movie--it also received positive feedback from Focus on the Family...especially the searches for Big Foot! What better place to be than a cool, dark theater when it is 95+ for the who-knows-how-many-ith straight day!  

Big Apple Adventure: Where FAITH & LIFE Connect

Vacation Bible School 2011 was a HUGE hit! Here are the Ladybug and Pots at The Border after the last day. The Ladybug is getting ready for her favorite Nachos Supreme, and Pots is preparing for a tantrum so bad he had to leave the restaurant, go home, and get put to bed!

THEME: Hear it! Believe it! Connect it!

VERSE: So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.
– Romans 10:17 (HCSB®)

Say YES to VBS!

One of the highlights of our summer is VBS! Our church uses Lifeway curriculum to create a wonderful week of fun and learning for children. This year's theme is The Big Apple. In previous years, the Ladybug has been to the Australian outback and a Colorado ranch. This year, she and Pots will be catching a cab to NYC.

Each summer, I register my children as soon as registration becomes available. I try to be the first one in line at the t-shirt table to get their shirts. The challenge of getting shirts early is finding them on the the first day of VBS...a challenge I encountered last summer. I bought the kids shirts the first day they were available and put them in a "good" place only to have to tear my house apart the night before VBS to find the shirts. This year, the shirts are purchased and hanging in MY closet so that they will be ready for Monday.

So, set your GPS and join us for VBS in The Big Apple!

So, about Pots

You can see the picture of my darling little boy, sitting on the counter getting ready to play in the flour--yes, the one with the adorable smile, blonde hair, brown eyes, the one making your heart melt right now. Well...earlier tonight, he threw a fit to rival all fits. So, like the good mother that I am, I put him to bed...EARLY (the still daylight outside kind of early)! He cried for a few minutes, and then it got quiet. Of course, I patted myself on the back because I believed that I had accurately diagnosed the cause of his fit as fatigue, or as we say down here in the South, "Bless his heart, he was just so tired!" Then, like the good mother that I am, I went down the hall to check on him only to see him playing quietly in the floor of his room, not sleeping! Later, the Ladybug went to check on Pots and came back to report that the was back in his bed! So, about Pots...that darling little boy can bring the thunder of a fit, play in stealth-mode, and climb back in bed when he gets tired--if this is what we get during his toddler years, what will his teenage years look like...?

Memorial Day

I grew up in a Navy town, my brother-in-law is in the military, and I was reared with strong, patriotic values, so today I pause to say thank you...

Thank you to those who have given their lives so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we too often take for granted.

Thank you to those who protect these freedoms today and are making the future safer for our children.

Thank you to those who helped me as I grew to understand what it means to be free and for instilling in me the values of "...one nation under God,with liberty and justice for all."

MAY GOD BLESS AMERICA....today and always!

Pots the Kitchen Dog

Someday, I am will finish writing and post the story of The Ladybug Cafe...but until then, I wanted to share a picture of Pots the Kitchen Dog--affectionately named by his older sister, of course. Pots loves being in the Ladybug Cafe kitchen when we are cooking....licking beaters is one of his favorite activities. I was making pizza dough, and Pots wanted to play in the flour. What is the harm, right? In retrospect, I should have taken before (obviously, I had just poured out the flour in this picture) and after photos--there are still little white footprints on the floor in other rooms of the house. Anyway,  those big brown eyes and little grin are the things that melt a mother's heart.

Blogging through the Summer

Summer has officially begun at The Ladybug Cafe...here are some of our favorite things about summer:

• Not having to get up early for school
• Chasing lightning bugs after dark
• Summer camps and vacation Bible school
• Playing in the water
• Visiting with out-of-state family and friends
• Seeing our cousins...by the way, you can follow what they are up to at Gypsy Ink and 80 Days of Summer

Let us know what you are looking forward to this summer....

Eating ice cream is one of our summer favorites that we left off the list...here are our newest favorites: Publix Premium Ice Cream in Monkey Business & Peach Cobbler. YUMMMMM~

Awards Assembly

Thursday was the Ladybug's last day of second grade. This is a picture of the Ladybug and her teacher. She made the honor roll--we are so proud!

Ladybugs & An American Girl

 

Our love for Kit began on the Ladybug's 5th birthday...we have her birthday party in May, but we also celebrate her "real" birthday again. So...on the Ladybug's 5th birthday, we went to see Kit Kittredge, An American Girl in the movie theater. (Whenever we talk about it, the Ladybug rolls and recalls her mother crying...hey, it is a sad story with a happy ending!) The Ladybug was Kit for a book report presentation earlier this school year. Today, after numerous darling ladybug gifts, including an official Ladybug Cafe' apron...and another mound of tissue paper flowers--so, far I have resisted the urge to make more flowers...

Pulling this story together, after numerous darling ladybug gifts...the Ladybug received her first American Girl doll, Kit Kittredge, An American Girl.

The Ladybug Celebrates Her 8th Birthday Party...Flip-Flop Style

The Ladybug's actual birthday is July, so we celebrate before school is out for the summer. This year's theme was Flip-Flops...Gran came across the cutest flip-flop invitations, and that set the tone for the whole event.

We had a wonderful day of swimming, cupcakes and friends!

He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

Like many of you, part of our Easter celebration includes dying Easter eggs. You can see from the picture that Pots is not very happy...here is the story. My mom was getting everything set-up so that we could dye eggs. As quickly as she put the little pellets into the cups to make the dye, Pots, thinking they were sweetarts, grabbed one of the pellets to put in his mouth, like candy. Well, of course, my mom freaked and grabbed the pellett out of his hand. Pots did not understand, and the picture shows his response. Dying Easter eggs may be ruined forever for Pots.

End of Year Party

What is more fun than a party at the lake to wrap-up a crazy semester and welcome summer? We had a delightful potluck complete with engaging conversation, delicious food, and splashing in the lake. We brought The Ladybug Cafe Salsa (see recipe below).


Salsa Recipe

2 (14.5 oz.) cans tomatoes & green chilis (I prefer Publix), drained
1 (8 oz.)small can tomato sauce
1 small onion, diced
1/4 chopped cilantro
1/2 t garlic powder
1/2 t salt
1T sugar
Tony Chachere's Original Creole Seasoning, to taste

Put all ingredients in blender, pulse to desired consistency. Serve with chips and ENJOY!!

The Royal Wedding

Will & Kate had a beautiful wedding celebration. We had delicious food, stylish decor, and personalized t-shirts.Gran even brought the Ladybug a replica of Kate's engagement ring...memories to last a lifetime.

Ladybug's First Post

The other day me and grandmother made lemon cupcakes!!!!We made these with lemon mix for the cupcakes then we added white frosting. We decorated the tops with edible Easter grass and peeps.

Spring Break

We have enjoyed a wonderful spring break...there is nothing more beautiful than springtime in the South. We have enjoyed daffodils, bradford pear trees, and dogwoods. What are you enjoying this spring?

Welcome!

Thank you for visiting The Ladybug Cafe blog...we have been inspired by a number of bloggers and look forward to sharing our lives with you!