I finally found an excuse to make this cake. I have made other recipes from Pioneer Woman, but this cake is just too big for a family of 4. I made it for a church get together and it was very good! I have also made her Peach Crisp-once using peaches and once using apples. The Maple Sauce on it is delicious.
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Every other Sunday night at our church we meet in small groups called Life Groups. We have fellowship and a Bible Study. The girls and Joe and I have truly enjoyed this group in so many ways. Last Sunday night was our last Life Group, except for an "End of Life Group Party" that will take place later this month. The church is making some changes in the Sunday School program-each class will have small "Caregroups" within the class and they will meet twice a month instead of the Lifegroups. For those of us who teach the children on Sunday morning, we will not have a "Caregroup" to be a part of. I will probably be a part of a group in Joe's class. He teaches the "Young Career" class. All of these changes are supposed to help draw more people into Sunday School and church. One of the two meetings per month will involve visiting prospective class members. It's one of those cases where change is maybe necessary, but not fun or easy.
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The college basketball season is really getting going now. Carolina played their first conference game Sunday night and it was a close one and took an overtime for them to beat Clemson. It was a little stressful!
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Joe's boss is leaving next week to move on to his next assignment. With that comes lots of events for the outgoing and incoming commander. Yesterday I was in charge of the going away lunch for the wife of Joe's boss. It was at a restaurant and things went well. We gave her fun, silly gifts and I wrote a poem for her using the words to the song How do you solve a problem like Maria as the basis for the poem. ( Her name actually rhymes with Maria!) It will be very interesting to see what life will be like when the new boss and his wife start handling things next week. They arrive here Thursday night and we will meet them at the airport. Saturday night is the going away dinner for the current boss. Next Wednesday morning is the Change of Command Ceremony. I'll also be meeting with the new boss' wife and their daughter Saturday to go to lunch and show them around town.
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I have seriously considered getting one of these. Have any of you had experience with it?
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Between the Bible Study my mentee and I are doing and the start of the New Year, I have exercised every day since Dec 31st. I counted walking around the San Antonio Zoo as exercise! Hopefully this is a trend that will continue. Most of the exercise is walking. Sunday I went on a bike ride AND a walk. The weather here was beautiful and too nice to be inside! The Bible Study is "Life Management for Busy Women by Elizabeth George. The chapter we are on right now is Disciplines for Managing Your Body. God has perfect timing, does He not?
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I also started a new Beth Moore Bible Study at church this morning-Psalms of Ascent. It will cover Psalms 120-134. I have enjoyed and gotten a lot out of all the Beth Moore studies I have done and I'm excited about this one too!
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Joe's 97 year old Grandmother fell on her 97th birthday back in October and broke her hip. She eventually was well enough to go home after surgery, but has since had more problems and is now in a nursing home and will not go back to her apartment. The same week she moved into her apartment, her only living son, who is 62, fell out of an attic where he was working and broke his own hip! He was the child who would go help his Mom eat breakfast every morning and read the Bible to her every night, so it is especially hard on him to have to be to confined to a bed right now.
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Ellie now has on her bottom braces and the expander will be removed at her next appointment! Yes!