These are a few of my favorite (Christmas) things...

I love Christmas...the family, food, fun and traditions. Here are a few of my favorite things...

Movie- White Christmas, Holiday Inn

Song- Home for the Holidays

Sweet Treat- My mother's turtles and my mother-in-law's peanut butter fudge

Christmas dinner food- stuffed shells or green bean casserole

Tradition- Taking turns opening gifts one by one

What are some of your favorite things about Christmas?

Merry Christmas

From our Christmas Letter:

It is hard to believe that Christmas is almost here. When we were little, we always thought our parents were crazy when they would say how quickly the year flew by. Each day, we find ourselves turning more and more into our parents. They were wise people after all!

We are living near the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains in Lynchburg, Virginia. Tim is working at Liberty University in the student accounts department while he pursues his seminary degree. Becky works at Thomas Road Baptist Church.

Jonathan is seven years old and in second grade at Liberty Christian Academy. He still loves sports and plays whatever sport is in season. He lost both of his front teeth this fall, so his theme song is definitely “All I Want for Christmas is my Two Front Teeth.”

Lynchburg is pretty much the middle location between both of our parents. Needless to say, there have been several trips to Georgia and Pennsylvania...and they all have visited many times. We have really enjoyed being closer to our families.

We are so grateful for the many blessings that God has given to our family. The biggest blessing of all was given to us long before we were born. When Jesus Christ came to earth as a baby, lived a sinless life among men, chose to die on the cross, and rose three days later so that we might be forgiven from our sins. Think about it: the Lamb of God came to earth, and announced His birth to shepherds...common, ordinary people just like you and me. He spent His life loving those who society deemed unlovable, spending time with those who weren’t from His country, family or the religious crowd, and He changed the earth forever. He came because He loved us...loved us so much that He was willing to endure the mocking of others, the degrading from the religious people of his day, and the humiliating and painful death on the cross so that we might be forgiven of our sins. Nothing we could ever do, no words that we say, no good deeds that we do could ever allow us to be forgiven. Just having simple faith in Jesus Christ, asking Him for forgiveness of our sin, and trusting in Him is all we need to go to Heaven someday. We pray that you have a wonderful Christmas filled with the joy of Christ’s love. We love each one of you so very much!

Love,
Tim, Becky and Jonathan Stanton

All I Want for Christmas

For your viewing pleasure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUSRsmmCSP8

Closer to the goal

I have always been overweight, or at least it seems so. I do have one medical issue that doesn't help things, but it is not an excuse either. Anyway, I have a really great doctor who is helping me out with that one issue, and I am proud to say I only have 6 lbs. more to lose until I get to my first goal weight. I still have a very long way to go, but gotta celebrate the little things...and I am close.

I thought I would post this to keep me motivated.

Little by little...

The Light

Just some Scripture I am pondering a bit today...

1 John 1

1 That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked upon, and our hands have handled, of the Word of life;

2 (For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and shew unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us;)

3 That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.

4 And these things write we unto you, that your joy may be full.

5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.

6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:

7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.

Why did the chicken cross the road????

BARACK OBAMA: The chicken crossed the road because it was time for a change! The chicken wanted change!

JOHN MCCAIN: My friends, that chicken crossed the road because he recognized the need to engage in cooperation and dialogue with all the chickens on the other side of the road.

SARAH PALIN: You betcha he crossed the road, but let's not talk about that, let's talk about energy policy, and how hard it is for a middle-class hockey mom to manage the budget of the only state in America with a massive surplus, especially while surrounded by countless Russian and Canadian chickens we have to keep an eye on.

HILLARY CLINTON: When I was First Lady, I personally helped that little chicken to cross the road. This experience makes me uniquely qualified to ensure - right from Day One! - that every chicken in this country gets the chance it deserves to cross the road. But then, this really isn't about me.

GEORGE W. BUSH: We don't really care why the chicken crossed the road. We just want to know if the chicken is on our side of the road, or not. The chicken is either against us, or for us. There is no middle ground here.

DICK CHENEY: Where's my gun?

COLIN POWELL: Now to the left of the screen, you can clearly see the satellite image of the chicken crossing the road.

BILL CLINTON: I did not cross the road with that chicken...What is your definition of crossing?

AL GORE: I invented the chicken.

JOHN KERRY: Although I voted to let the chicken cross the road, I am now against it! It was the wrong road to cross, and I was misled about the chicken's intentions. I am not for it now, and will remain against it.

OPRAH: Well, I understand that the chicken is having problems, which is why he wants to cross this road so bad. So instead of having the chicken learn from his mistakes and take falls, which is a part of life, I'm going to give this chicken a car so that he can just drive across the road and not live his life like the rest of the chickens.

ANDERSON COOPER, CNN: We have reason to believe there is a chicken, but we have not yet been allowed to have access to the other side of the road.

NANCY GRACE: That chicken crossed the road because he's guilty! You can see it in his eyes and the way he walks.

PAT BUCHANAN: To steal the job of a decent, hardworking American.

DR SEUSS: Did the chicken cross the road? Did he cross it with a toad? Yes, the chicken crossed the road, but why it crossed I've not been told.

ERNEST HEMINGWAY: To die in the rain... alone.

GRANDPA: In my day, we didn't ask why the chicken crossed the road. Somebody told us the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough.

ARISTOTLE: It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.

JOHN LENNON: Imagine all the chickens in the world crossing roads together, in peace.

ALBERT EINSTEIN: Did the chicken really cross the road, or did the road move beneath the chicken?

COLONEL SANDERS: Did I miss one?


(Special thanks to my sister-in-law Shawna for sharing that with me).

Such a Slacker!

Well, it has been a while since I have posted something new here. Thanksgiving has come and gone. We spent a week with my family in Pennsylvania. Needless to say, there was plenty to eat! :) We all were spoiled...sleeping in, not having to cook, cable TV. We really enjoyed the vacation.

We spent time with some of our relatives, which was really nice. The older relatives had lots of stories about when they were younger.

We also did some shopping. Tim and I even ventured out to Wal-mart on Black Friday at 5 AM. We got some good deals.

Overall, it was a really nice trip. However, we were REALLY glad to be back home in our own bed!

It's that time of year...

Fridays are always a quiet day in my office. Usually, there are only three of us here, and today is no exception. So, I am listening to pandora.com's White Christmas radio. Lots of old, fun Christmas songs.

This weekend, we will decorate the tree and start to get ready for the most wonderful time of the year when we celebrate our Savior's birth.

In my mom-to-mom group at TRBC, we talked about Christmas traditions. I was wondering if you would share one of your traditions or one you had growing up.

I'll share some of mine in the days to come.

Happy Friday, friends!

Check out this website...an inspirational story

Life Without Limbs :: From life without limbs, to life without limits - Nick Vujicic is a motivational speaker and non-profit organization that is spreading the message of hope around the world.

I have been wanting to make this recipe...thought I would pass it along.  So if you make it before I do, let me know what you think. :)

Creamy Double Decker Fudge

photo and recipe courtesy of Hershey.com

Ingredients:
1 cup REESE'S Peanut Butter Chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk), divided
1 teaspoon vanilla extract, divided
1 cup HERSHEY'S SPECIAL DARK Chocolate Chips or HERSHEY'S Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Directions:
1. Line 8-inch square pan with foil.

2. Place peanut butter chips and 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk in small microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at MEDIUM (50%) 1 to 1-1/2 minutes, stirring after 1 minute, until chips are melted and mixture is smooth when stirred. Stir in 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; spread evenly in prepared pan.

3. Place remaining sweetened condensed milk and chocolate chips in another small microwave-safe bowl; repeat above microwave procedure. Stir in remaining 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; spread evenly over peanut butter layer.

4. Cover; refrigerate until firm. Remove from pan; place on cutting board. Peel off foil. Cut into squares. Store tightly covered in refrigerator. About 4 dozen pieces or 1-1/2 pounds.

NOTE: For best results, do not double this recipe.

Interesting...

HYMN TO HITLER
Posted by: Lori Kalner on Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Hymn to Hitler
by
Lori Kalner


In Germany, when Hitler came to power, it was a time of terrible financial depression. Money was worth nothing. In Germany people lost homes and jobs, just like in the American Depression in the 1930s, which we have read about in Thoene’s Shiloh books.
In those days, in my homeland, Adolph Hitler was elected to power by promising “Change.”
He blamed the “Zionists” around the world for all our problems. He told everyone it was greedy Zionist Bankers who had caused every problem we had. He promised when he was leader, the greedy Zionist bankers would be punished. The Zionists, he promised, would be wiped off the face of the earth.
So Hitler was elected to power by only 1/3 the popular vote. A coalition of other political parties in parliament made him supreme leader. Then, when he was leader, he disgraced and expelled everyone in parliament who did not go along with him.
Yes. Change came to my homeland as the new leader promised it would.
The teachers in German schools began to teach the children to sing songs in praise of Hitler. This was the beginning of the Hitler Youth movement. It began with praise of the Fuhrer’s programs on the lips of innocent children. Hymns in praise of Hitler and his programs were being sung in the schoolrooms and in the playyard. Little girls and boys joined hands and sang these songs as they walked home from school.
My brother came home and told Papa what was happening at school. The political hymns of children proclaimed Change was coming to our homeland and the Fuhrer was a leader we could trust.
I will never forget my father’s face. Grief and fear. He knew that the best propaganda of the Nazis was song on the lips of little children.
That evening before he said grace at the dinner table, he placed his hands upon the heads of my brothers and me and prayed the Living Word upon us from Jeremiah 1:4-5…

‘Now the Word of the Lord came to me, saying,
“Before I formed you in the
womb I knew you,
and before you were born I
consecrated you;
I appointed you a prophet to
The nations.”

Soon the children’s songs praising the Fuhrer were heard everywhere on the streets and over the radio. “With our Fuhrer to lead us, we can do it! We can change the world!”
Soon after that Papa, a pastor, was turned away from visiting elderly parishioners in hospitals. The people he had come to bring comfort of God’s Word, were “no longer there.”
Where had they vanished to while under nationalized health care? It became an open secret. The elderly and sick began to disappear from hospitals feet first as “mercy killing” became the policy. Children with disabilities and those who had Down syndrome were euthanized.
People whispered, “Maybe it is better for them now. Put them out of misery. They are no longer suffering…And, of course, their death is better for the treasury of our nation. Our taxes no longer must be spent to care for such a burden.”
And so murder was called mercy.

The government took over private business. Industry and health care were “nationalized.” (NA-ZI means National Socialist Party) The businesses of all Jews were seized. (Perhaps you remember our story in Berlin on Krystalnacht in the book Munich Signature)

The world and God’s word were turned upside down. Hitler promised the people economic Change?
Not change. It was, rather, Lucifer’s very ancient Delusion leading to Destruction.
What began with the propaganda of children singing a catchy tune ended in the deaths of millions of children. The reality of what came upon us is so horrible that you in this present generation cannot imagine it.
Our suffering is too great to ever tell in a book or show in a black and white newsreel.
When I spoke to Bodie about some of these things, she wept and said she could not bear to write them. Perhaps one day she will, but I asked her, “who could bear to read our suffering?”
Yet with my last breaths I warn every Christian and Jew now in the name of the Lord,
Unless your course of the church in America is spiritually changed now, returning to the Lord, there are new horrors yet to come.

I trembled last night when I heard the voices of American children raised in song, praising the name of Obama, the charismatic fellow who claims he is the American Messiah.
Yet I have heard what this man Obama says about abortion and the “mercy killing” of tiny babies who are not wanted.

There are so few of us left to warn you.
I have heard that there are 69 million Catholics in America and 70 million Evangelical Christians.
Where are your voices? Where is your outrage? Where is passion and your vote?
Do you vote based on an abortionist’s empty promises and economics? Or do you vote according to the Bible?
Thus says the Lord about every living child still in the womb…

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
and before you were born I consecrated you…”

I have experienced the signs of the politics of Death in my youth.
I see them again now.
Christians! Unless you stand up now, you will lose your freedom of religion.
In America priests and preachers have already lost their freedom to speak openly from their pulpits of moral danger in political candidates. They cannot legally instruct you of which candidate holds fast to the precepts of scripture! American law forbids this freedom of speech to conservative pastors or they will lose their “tax exempt” status.
And yet I have heard the words of Obama’s pastor Damning America! I have heard the words of Obama damning and mocking all of you in small towns because you “Cling to your religion…”
But I am a woman whose name is unknown. My life is recorded as a work of fiction. I have no fear of reprisal when I speak truth to you from the pages of a book. (Though the Zion Covenant books are mocked and condemned by the Left in America.)
I am an old woman and will soon go to be with my Lord. I have no fear for myself, but for all of you and for your children, I tremble.
I tremble at the hymns to a political leaders which your children will sing at school. (Though even now a hymn or a prayer to God and our Lord Jesus is against the law in public school!)
Your vote must put a stop to what will come upon America if Barrack Obama is elected.
I pray you will personally heed this warning for the sake of your children and your grandchildren. Do not be deceived.
The Lord in Jeremiah 1:7-8 commands every believer to speak up!

“Do not say, ‘I am only a youth,’ for to all whom I send you, you shall go, and whatever I command you, you shall speak. Do not be afraid of them for I am with you, declares the Lord!”

I am in Prayer for you, and for the Church!
Spoken to you in the authority of Jesus the Christ,
the Name Above All Names,
Lori Kalner


Copyright © 2008 Thoenebooks.com

Get out there and vote!

Tomorrow is the day...don't forget to vote!

It is our responsibility.  

God, have mercy on our country.

Wish Lists and Catalogs

Do you remember those times as a child when Christmas was just a few months away and the JC Penney catalog used to come?  I loved flipping through all of those pages and pages of toys picking out what I wanted for Christmas.

I remember one year, I wanted a particular Barbie house...the Barbie dream house complete with pool and furniture.  

Well, my parents were working very hard to make ends meet and when Christmas morning came, I got a Barbie house, but just not the one I wanted.  They bought me a Barbie Townhouse...complete with elevator.

I remember being disappointed.  I liked what they gave me, but I had my heart set on something else.  The townhouse was bigger...had more rooms...not to mention the elevator again.  ;)   And I did play with it everyday for a long time.

Would my parent's want to get me a dream house?  Yeah, probably.  Could they afford it? No. So they did what was best for our family.  They made the right choice.

Now I am the parent and my child wants a Nintendo DS Lite...red and black specifically.  And now I am faced with the same choice...

It seems we do turn into our parents after all.

A few photos from last weekend

Last weekend, we surprised my mother in law for her 50th birthday. There were people from all over the US who came to help her celebrate. We had a great time with family and friends. Here are a few photos:

Wonderful Weekend

We visited Murphy's Orchard this weekend and had a lovely time. The apples were delicious; the cider was yummy; and Tim especially liked the apple doughnuts.

They had a few animals there, and Jonathan loved feeding them. Here are a few photos.

Palin Power and a Few Other Thoughts

I caught the end of the Vice Presidential debate last night, and I must say that I truly was impressed. The candidates were actually interesting to watch. I think what impressed me the most was that instead of typical mud-slinging politics, the candidates actually debated the issues.

Biden came out calm, collected and didn't ruffle any feathers...probably what the Obama campaign wanted. Palin on the other hand, came across as the friend next door...who fights when she needs to. I think she did better than what most people expected.

I love this review from FoxNews.com: "Sarah Palin saved John McCain again Thursday night. She is the political equivalent of cardiac paddles," conservative columnist Peggy Noonan, who was caught criticizing Palin in an off-camera moment in early September, wrote in The Wall Street Journal.

So will there be enough Palin Power to push McCain through? I sure hope so.

Oddly, though, as much as I love Sarah Palin, one thing does concern me: her children. As I watched her hold her baby and pat her daughters head at the end of the debate, it made me wonder why she feels that the Vice Presidency takes place over her family for the next four to eight years.

The other concern I have in regard to the election is that there are so many who do not approve of McCain or Obama that they choose not to vote at all. There may not be a candidate that is the ideal person that I as a Christian might elect, but there is definitely one that I would NOT elect.

So this year, my vote is against someone, not necessarily for someone.

If you choose to not use your constitutional right to vote this year, choose not to complain about politics for the next four years!

It's that time of year...

The air is getting cooler...the leaves are starting to change. Autumn is my favorite time of year! Makes me want to build a fire, make hot chocolate, eat soup and cuddle under a blanket.

What is your favorite thing to do in the fall?

Lost Tooth

Well, J lost his front tooth last night. So much for my baby; he is really growing up. :)

Save the Neighborhood!

As a child growing up near the Pittsburgh area, I grew up with a friendly neighbor at WQED, Mr. Fred Rogers. Everyday he greeting me with the assurance that I was someone special to him. He serenaded me with songs that made me feel special..."It's such a good feeling to know you're alive!" as well as "You are my friend, you are special" and many more.

Mr. Rogers and his unlikely troupe of friends (from Mr. McFeely the delivery man who brought such amazing trinkets, gadgets and videos to Lady Aberlin, King Friday to Lady Elaine-who always scared me a bit!) would greet me every day for an adventure. Whether it was learning what firemen do or what the inside of a pretzel factory looked like, Mr. Rogers was always there in his kind, gentle manner teaching me things about the world around me.

So, while I was reading my friend's post, I realized that there is trouble in the neighborhood. It seems that some braniac at PBS has decided that Mr. Roger's only needs to be aired once a week in a weekend time slot. I am sure they will fill the slot with something "educational" like Boo-bah or the Wiggles. YIKES!

I know the neighborhood is sentimental for me, but it is a lasting icon of good, safe children's television that actually teaches children. Trust me, I would take my soft-spoken neighbor over whiny Calliou and annoying Dora anyday!

To learn more about the changes in the neighborhood and what you can do to help, read here.

September Happenings

Life has been busy here in Lynchburg. The air is a tiny bit cooler today, and it is starting to feel like fall (which happens to be my favorite season).

J is back in school. Second grade now. He loves his teacher, Mrs. Albert. He has lots of his friends from last year in his class, so he is thrilled.

Tim will be starting seminary in October.

And as for me, my life is crazy at the moment. Our new arts ministry, Access Arts, will be opening in October. So, I have been interviewing staff, scheduling classes, creating promotional materials, painting classrooms, ordering supplies...just to name a few things. We are excited to see what the Lord is going to do!

So, for those of you who care enough to read this little blog, this update is for you!

I am currently accepting donations towards a plane trip to London. :)

Flames Kid's Club Night at Chick-fil-a

Liberty has a great kid's club for the sports season. For $20, kids get into all of the home games for free. Plus, they get a free T-shirt and have great kid's nights like tonight. All members of the club got a free kid's meal and free ice cream. Plus, they got to meet several of the men's and women's basketball players. J got a ton of autographs and had a great time...though he wasn't too sure about talking to the women's basketball players or the cheerleaders. :)

A few more pics from D.C.

A little family time...

We have had a good summer...and each one of us has had some time away in some form, but we haven't had much family time. So to remedy this, we went to D.C. for a weekend and had a great time. Here are some photos from our weekend there.

Pics of Jonathan's trip to PA.

What a Week!

This last week and a half has been a whirlwind of activity.

Last Wednesday, I took J to PA to spend a week with my parents. He had such a great time. They took him to Hershey, visited the relatives, played, played and played. He is already ready to go back again.

I left from PA on Thursday and flew to Memphis. I spent a few days with the Annie Moses Band at their Fine Arts Summer Academy. I had a great time, and it was exciting to see what the kids learned in a week!

The next stop was still in Memphis, but at Bellvue Baptist Church. I spent some time there with Joy, the director of the Performing Arts Center. She was such a kindred spirit. She was so helpful and encouraging. That stop alone made the whole trip worthwhile.

I flew back to PA late Tuesday night. I spent Wednesday with my family. I just love them! Then J and I returned to VA on Thursday.

Friday was spent at the former LCA building preparing classrooms to paint and finalizing details for painting. Saturday was spent with a group of around 35 people who helped us paint several classrooms. We still have some to go, but it is progress.

Today is Sunday, and I am exhausted! We are off to church, and I am definitely taking a nap!

Sisterchicks

I am on a trip for work this week, and I needed another book to read so I went to Lifeway to get another book.

So what do I see on the shelf? Sisterchicks Go Brit. How fun is that? So I starting reading it and it made me think of my favorite "British" sisterchick. Makes me want to take another trip to London, that is for sure!

Happy Anniversary, Honey!

Tim and I are celebrating our 8th anniversary today. Well, he is working late, and I had to work early. So, maybe we will get to see each other for an hour or so today.

Hard to believe that 8 years have come and gone. Lots of changes. Lived in lots of states (FL, PA, MO, VA). Shared lots of laughs and lots of tears.

Here's to you, Honey! May we have many more happy returns.

Love you!

Skype

So, I know Skype has been around for a while...and I know there are a lot of pros and cons, but I think it is pretty cool that I can talk to my father-in-law in Taiwan for free. We even use our web cam so he can see J when he talks to him. Amazing!

I am trying to decide whether or not to ditch my long distance on my home phone and use Skype instead. Thoughts?

The Perfect Night

So this year, we have a lovely three day weekend for the fourth. Both Tim and I LOVE to travel, but with gas being $4 a gallon, we decided to stay home.

Tonight, we put up the tent in the backyard because Tim and J are going to have guys night and sleep outside. The weather is perfect...in the low 70s.

We got out the charcoal grill and cooked hot dogs and s'mores and just sat around as the coals died out. Just talking and being together and enjoying the evening.

I am glad we stayed home!

Wish I Were with You

A couple of years ago, I worked at Second Baptist in Springfield, MO in the worship office. We had the BEST team work environment ever. We knew each other's strengths and weaknesses and utilized that knowledge to make an efficient work environment. Every summer we led a Summer Arts Festival...and every year, it got better and better.

Since then, I have moved and my boss moved. And tonight is J.P.'s last night at SAF. Oh, how he will be missed! I don't think people realize how much effort and heart he puts into things. He is one who doesn't do things for recognition or glory. He quietly goes about and does his job to honor God. There will definitely be a void there... But I am confident that God is going to use him greatly in this new ministry he is going to.

So then there was one. P2, know you are not alone. God is still weaving our stories into the direction He wants them to go. I am sorry we left you...wish I could be there to help lessen your load.

It is hard when there are changes, but yet life is always changing. I don't think I will ever get used to it. But we adjust. We move on. And we grow.

So, my dear friends, I am praying for you tonight. May God surround you with His love...and healing for those growing pains.

Rusty (and Adam) Rock!

J's babysitters are on vacation this week, so I had to take him to the office with me today. He's a good kiddo...he plays on the computer or keeps himself pretty entertained when he is with me.

And he LOVES Rusty...one of my coworkers who is so good about paying attention to J and making him feel so important.

Well, Rusty and Adam were going to lunch together today, and Rusty asked J to go with him. Can I just tell you that it meant the world to him to be able to go with the guys out to lunch.

Isn't it funny how when someone loves your child you just appreciate and love them even more?

I have been blessed to work with such amazing people...I am surrounded by talented, smart, and amazing people.

But today, all I have to say to Rusty and Adam is a huge "Thank You!" You guys rock!

A Little Yummy for Your Tummy

CHOCOLATE CHEESECAKE courtesy of Hersheys.com

Ingredients:
CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST(recipe follows)
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1/2 cup HERSHEY'S Cocoa
3 packages (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated milk)
4 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Directions:
1. Prepare CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST. Heat oven to 300°F.

2. Place butter in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 30 to 45 seconds or until melted. Stir in cocoa until smooth; set aside.

3. Beat cream cheese in large bowl. Add cocoa mixture; beat well. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well. Pour batter into prepared pan.

4. Bake 1 hour and 5 minutes or until set. (Center will be soft.) Remove pan from oven to wire rack; loosen cake from side of pan. Cool completely; remove side of pan. To serve, garnish as desired. Cover; refrigerate leftover cheesecake. Garnish as desired. 12 servings.

CHOCOLATE CRUMB CRUST: Place 6 tablespoons butter or margarine in medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave at HIGH (100%) 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in 1-1/2 cups vanilla wafer crumbs (about 45 wafers), 6 tablespoons powdered sugar and 6 tablespoons HERSHEY'S Cocoa; blend well. Press mixture onto bottom and 1/2 inch to 1-inch up side of 9-inch springform pan.

Those friends you call in the middle of the night...

Do you have those friends that you can call at midnight and talk to through wee hours of the morning?  You know the ones...you can go into their house and feel like family.  You know where they keep the can opener...and the extra TP.  :)  

I am so blessed to have friends like that.  

There's Katie...she lives farther than a reasonably priced phone call away, but when we are together, it seems as if we were never apart.  We laugh hysterically together, we cry together and we eat large quantities of bacon together.  

Then there's Paula.  I can call any time...day or night and know that my heart will be blessed. She's been there at those middle of the night moments when life felt like it was going to end. We are not only connected in our hearts but by our brains.  

I miss that here in Lynchburg.  I have met some amazing women, but no one that fits into that category yet.  Someday, I hope to have a friend like that close by, but until then I will cherish those who have become such a part of my being.  Those who have made me a better person than I ever would have been without them in my life.

And to the MANY other girlfriends out there who have touched my life in many ways:  I love you!

J's Fabulus Job

We live behind a putt-putt course and a fudge shop.  Every day, J takes the mail to Jacque, the fudge shop owner.  He has been doing this since just after we moved in last September.  

He loves Jacque and spends lots of time up at her shop.  She is such a sweet lady, and she loves J's visits almost as much as he does!

A month ago, she started to let him push the buttons on the cash register.  He has become quite good at running the register.  :)  So, she gave him at baseball hat with the shop's logo on it.  He decided that he needed a shirt, too.  So, we enlarged her logo and made him an iron-on shirt.  

Now, he gets a serious face every day after we get home.  He runs to his room, gets his hat, and says.  Well, I have to go to work.    :) 

One day, a nice gentleman gave him an $18 tip.   Needless to say, J LOVES his "job."

Please Pray

Please pray for Tricia Lawrenson today.  She had to be readmitted to the hospital for testing.  I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to go back to the hospital when she just got home.  Please check out their website for the full details and extent of their testing.

There is nothing new under the sun...

It has been EXTREMELY hot here in Lynchburg this week.   So hot, that even my 7 year old would rather play board games than basketball.  We have managed to play a series of games: Candy Land, Chutes and Ladders, Sorry and Life.

There in nothing new here in Stantonland.  I am grateful for a peaceful, happy home...and air conditioning.

Until next time...

My Little Champion

Yesterday, J. had his last baseball game for the season.  He did such a great job, and we are so proud of him.   

Back to London Town...with a True Brit

On Friday afternoon, I headed to London again.  I started my day in Notting Hill as I visited the market on Portobello Road.  The market is MUCH bigger than I ever dreamed!  There were blocks and blocks of antiques, fruits and vegetables, clothing, collectibles.  You name it; it was probably there.

From there, I went to Grosvenor Square (in the Mayfair district--referred to in Pride and Predjudice).  There is a statue there of Roosevelt, and the American Embassy is there as well.

After that, I went to St. Paul's and took a few pictures there.  I took the tube to Bank and met Katie at the Lloyd's of London building.

Katie and I then took the tube to St. Pancras, where we were staying at the Premier Inn that night.

We met her friend and co-worker Dave at Trafalgar Square that evening.  He took us

around London and showed us lots of amazing things that only someone who has lived there for a while might know.  I enjoyed meeting him and spending time with a true Brit.  He took us all through the busy Friday evening streets of London, and we ended up eating dinner at a place called Basuba.  It was kind of a cross between Thai and Chinese.  The food was good (especially the Chinese broccoli- YUM!).  He then took us around town  again and managed to wind us through the streets back to our hotel by St. Pancras.  Katie and I couldn't believe that he took us well over three miles back to our hotel.  

The hotel was nice, but they had no clocks...and no wake up calls.  Thankfully, Kates had a cell phone.  I kept waking up several times that night afraid that we would oversleep and miss our train to PARIS!