Deanna Doss Shrodes

When's the last time  you did something crazy for God?

Half the dang lights are out, that's what.  Argggggrrrrhhh!!! Last night were were sitting at Larry's family birthday dinner and suddenly half the lights on the tree in the dining room went out.  I was not a happy camper.  In fact, after setting up and decorating seven trees plus cleaning the house, plus doing a very involved birthday dinner I was ready to be committed to a local mental facility   drop.  I was exhausted I almost couldn't see straight and just couldn't believe this was happening.  It happened three years ago and I blogged about that whole saga here in what was one of my most popular posts here at deannashrodes.com.  What is it about this particular tree and any set of lights I put on it?  Perhaps this is an omen.  Can Christmas trees be possessed?   Or at the very least oppressed?   Being that it's in a Christian home, we'll go with oppressed so as to not get any theological panties in a bunch.  I ended up doing a sermon about it...[ the

Getting ready... Special place for Larry... Maddie chills while I'm making the cake... Our first crop of tangerines that we took off of our tree yesterday...Savanna picked these.   Time to eat!   What's for supper?  Some of Larry's favorites ~ ceasar salad, chicken/broccoli casserole, twice baked potatoes, homemade biscuits, and carrot cake.  Yum!   Savanna got Larry a tie... Dustin and I got him PS-3 Hockey 2010; Jordan got him another controller for the game.  Cutting the cake... The birthday guy...

Welcome to our home, now decorated for the Christmas holidays...come right on in... As I type this right now it's a little after midnight and  I'm sitting on one of the swings on our back patio looking at three beautiful Christmas trees,  in front of a fire in the fireplace while my kiddos sit in the jacuzzi listening to "O Holy Night", laughing and talking.  Really, does it get better than this?  Don't think so!  Oh did I mention I'm wearing my Santa hat with leopard material?  And my leopard "Snuggie?"  Yep.  Here are some photos and a re-cap of our wonderful day yesterday with plans for today.  I'll be posting this after midnight so hereafter everything will refer to "yesterday". Jordan makes the perfect cup of hot chocolate tonight ( Ghirardelli ) and takes a photo of it in front of my sugared fruit tree in the kitchen. Another photo that he took...thought these were cool. Maddie wanted to lay beside the dining room tree

Most people I know headed out to shop at the crack of dawn today.  I  have absolutely no interest in shopping on "Black Friday", nor have I ever.   I enjoy shopping, (only when I have money to spend - hate window shopping!) but the reason Black Friday doesn't appeal to me is that it involves large crowds and long lines. Yeah, I know that sounds bizarre for someone to say who's always getting up in front crowds large and small, talking.  But it's just who I am.  I try to go to stores or restaurants or whatever when the least amount of people are there. I'm really going to enjoy a quiet day at home today pulling out my Christmas decorations and putting up my trees which is what I always do the day after Thanksgiving.  This is really important to me.  If you want to know why I will be putting up at least five Christmas trees this year, read this .   

Making my homemade yeast rolls this morning...also made homemade cornbread...mmmm  mmmm Dustin and Maddie enjoying some quality time this morning. Celeena enjoys her pumpkin pie with whipped cream. .. Love serving from my favorite tea pots... Sitting out on the patio around the fire this evening...still needed blankets -- it was such a wonderful fall evening. Dustin plays Apples to Apples with Celeena and Nate. 

Savanna enjoys some morning reading and has Maddie duty while Momma makes pies.  She loves school but she told me last night she sure enjoys days like this too where she can sleep and read.  Me too.  :)   Pumpkin pie making... Here's the finished product!   I make 'em from scratch, just like Grandma...   Setting up two tables in our dining room as well as a few tray tables.   Maddie parks herself by the window to watch as Daddy preps the jacuzzi for lots of family/friends to enjoy... She says, "Yep, I know my family loves me!"  Today she even spent some time with us on the patio, while I wiped down furniture, Larry cleaned the jacuzzi and we put out some special stuff for tomorrow night, as we plan to congregate here on the patio with the fireplace and candles, once it gets dark.   We'll get in the jacuzzi, swing on our swings, talk and drink coffee.  MMMmmm perfect night. Just can't get enough of this sweet girl...she lights up our life eve

This salad is one of my most requested dishes and we always have it at Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I thought I would post it now in case any of you want to make it in time for tomorrow, you can get the ingredients tonight.  It does require overnight (or I'd say at least 7-8 hours) refrigeration in order for the dressing to have the sugar fully dissolved and the taste just right.  I promise, if you bring this to an event you will get RAVE reviews and have absolutely none left in the bowl.  I took photos today as I made it so you could have your very own photo recipe...here goes... Use a pretty glass bowl to make salad.  Wash head of lettuce and tear put about half of it into pieces and place in glass bowl.  On top of lettuce, put 6 hard boiled eggs that have been sliced. On top of the eggs, add 1 cup of frozen green peas. Then add the other half of the head of lettuce, ripped into small pieces, on top of that. Get 2 little packs of these Oscar Mayer Real Bacon Pieces...I