Angel Wings...

These Angel Wings have become a very special Christmas tradition

at our house the last several years

~

I tried to think of something we could do

as a family to have Natalie be a part

of our Christmas Day celebrating

~

These Angel Wings are hidden

every Christmas season somewhere in the house

~

On Christmas Day...whomever finds them

recieves a small special gift....

the gift has to remind us of Natalie

~

The person that finds them

buys the gift the next year

and has the honor of hiding the Angel Wings

It's a Christmas tradition

that I look forward to every year

because...

I happen to know a Angel

that looks forward to it

as much as we do

~

One day a year...you can be whatever you want to be...

As you can see...Natalie loved Halloween and dressing up..
How I loved going
through photo's trying to find pictures
of her Halloween costumes
it brought
back so many fun memories!

Whatever you decide to be...
Have a Happy Halloween!

Always said we would...

And we finally did..

A tree in Natalie's honor at the 2010 Jubilee of Trees

Merry Christmas....

Coca Cola Style ...{Natalie Style}

Our goal...to have a Coke and a Smile...

We did a lot of that!

{mission accomplished!}

Love and Tradition..in a big glass bowl...

Natalie's {31st}birthday was last week....and we celebrated by going to Chinese {her favorite}

{don't mind that I'm a week late posting..sorry Nat..I know you understand my life is crazy}

then coming home and creating her favorite dessert {SCORE DESSERT}

As always...we let all the kids

create Natalie's dessert..

one layer at a time...

LOTS of LOVE goes into this bowl..

Have a Coke...and a Smile! Merry Christmas!

Coke~ Cola...Christmas....Smiling

These are things that remind me of Natalie at Christmas time! Natalie decorated her Christmas tree Coke~Cola style. Her tree was darling with all red and white Coke~Cola ornaments. She had Coke Cola dishes that she would set her table with. She had a Coke~Cola village that she set up and you couldn't help but smile when you walked in her home at Christmas time.

Have a Coke and a Smile for Natalie and have a very Merry Christmas!

Oooey Gooey Perfection in a pan.... a little bit of Magic!

Natalie was a cook...no she was a baker...hmmmm...she was just outright
incredible in the kitchen.
I miss her creations, her experiments in the kitchen...her Treats...

I realize that I could go in the kitchen right now and whip up a batch of the ever classic "Magic Cookie Bars"... and to tell you the truth, I can't remember the last time I or anyone else made them....because these were Natalies "treat" of choice....and nothing tasted better than a batch of these warm out of the oven when she made them....ahhhhh magic.

I miss them...how I miss her

I think it's time to make some magic....some ooey gooey perfection in a pan...and while we devour them warm from the oven...they way we did when Natalie made them....

we will feel a little bit of heaven...

Magic Cookie Bars ~
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 cups semisweet chocolate morsels
1 1/3 cups flaked coconut
1 cup chopped nuts
DIRECTIONS
Heat oven to 350 degrees F (325 degrees for glass dish). Coat 13x9-inch baking pan with no-stick cooking spray.
Combine graham cracker crumbs and butter. Press into bottom of prepared pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over crumb mixture. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut and nuts. Press down firmly with a fork.
Bake 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool. Cut into bars or diamonds. Store covered at room temperature.

Let the magic begin!

Favorite Things!.........

One of Natalies favorite Christmas treats is Peppermint Bark. This was one of her favorite things to make during the holidays....or whenever she wanted a yummy treat! You need to try this version just once, you won't believe how good saltine crackers can taste!

Natalies Saltine Cracker Peppermint Bark

1 Cup butter

1 Cup light brown sugar

1 pkg. milk chocolate chips

40 saltine crackers

1 Cup chopped candy canes/nuts {which ever you prefer}

*Line a jelly roll pan with aluminum foil and spray with pam. Lay out the saltine crackers flat to cover the pan.

*Melt the sugar and butter together, heat until "foamy". Pour mixture over the crackers evenly.

*Place in oven @ 350 for 10 minutes. Remove from oven sprinkle choc. chips over entire pan while still hot and let sit and melt until spreadable.

*Sprinkle chopped candy canes over the top and let cool then break apart into various size pieces!

Enjoy!

Nat's Loves

For Love Day, I thought I would post a few things that Natalie loved.  The list could go on and on, but for now, here are a few...

She [loves] her guys

She [loved] tres leches from cafe rio

here's the recipe:

She [loved] lavender roses

She [loved] chinese food

*especially cheese rangoon

She [loved] music, 

but one of her favorites was ABBA

She [loved] being pregnant

She [loved] the smell of this...