Presenting Sir Owen & Sir Clay along with an adorable Dragon!

I am amazed. Meg outdid herself once again! We had the cutest little trick-or-treaters knock on our door last night...Sir Owen, Sir Clay and one cute little green dragon! So, I will stop "talking" and let you feast your eyes on the cutest Knights and Dragon EVER!

Halloween anticipation

You know what has become the best part of Halloween for us...waiting to see what the grandkids will be! I used to love to create costumes for Zach and Ashley. We didn't go to Wal-Mart for our costumes, we created our own. It was always so much fun. But Zach and Meg have taken this to the next level...mostly because Meg is so creative and great at the sewing machine (sorry kids, I tried my best but I was always better with a glue gun!). So, I thought I would share with you the last few years of cuteness! We can't wait to see the boys this Friday night to see what the three little "punkins" are this year!

Stuffed French Toast

This recipe has become a family favorite and is usually served on Christmas Morning!

Stuffed French Toast

1) Decrust and cube 10 slices of Texas Toast Bread and place half in the bottom of a 13x9 casserole dish.

2) Cube 2-8oz packages of cream cheese and scatter on top of cubed bread

3) Put in the other half of cubed bread

4) Mix together 12 eggs and combine with 1/3 cup maple syrup and 2 cups of milk

5) Pour over bread and cream cheese and place plastic wrap over the dish and let set in refrigerator overnight

6) Next morning, bake at 375 for 45 minutes. Serve with warm syrup and/or powdered sugar. We always have bacon as a side dish.

(Okay, I didn't say this was a low-fat or a low-cal recipe! But it's the holidays! This is a great recipe because you can have it already in the refrigerator and really impress your company at breakfast. We always open a few packages while it bakes, then take a "break" and have a delightful breakfast before returning to the fun!)

Sharing on Sunday's

I have to admit this isn't an original idea, but something I saw on another blog. Ashley and I were talking about blogs, topics, etc. and she was the one who encouraged me to share some of my tried and true recipes. There are so many websites full of recipes and cookbooks galore but I always love to get a recipe that has been passed down through a family or one that is a favorite from a friend. So, the recipes I will share on Sunday's are hopefully ones that you will also find easy and crowd pleasers! 

Corn Souffle

1 can cream style corn

1 8 oz. carton of sour cream

2 eggs

1 box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

1/4 cup oil

Mix together and place in a greased casserole dish

Bake at 375 for 1 hour.

(I always double this recipe as it is quite a hit with almost every crowd. Though it could really be a dessert, it works great as a side dish with Mexican Food.) 

A-Ashley Jo Knight Snow

Ashley, our second child came into our lives on October 6, 1982. We were delighted. It felt perfect, God had blessed us with a son and a daughter. Ashley entered the world with big blue eyes and auburn hair which became auburn curls. From a very young age, she followed her brother around and they quickly became big buddies. Zach was protective and loving with Ashley and she adored him, wanting to do everything he did. So, it was no surprise she asked her brother to perform her wedding.  As a child Ashley loved to work puzzles, read, color and play school. So, again it was no surprise when she decided to become a teacher.  Ashley was always involved in something, from gymnastics to drama lessons. She was our social butterfly from a young age. She loved school and finished her senior year by being the Abilene High Mascot. She entered ACU, with so many dreams and anxious to meet all the new freshman! God was so good to her, blessing her with so many wonderful Christian friends. We were blessed to have them in our home on Sundays for lunch and it was a great way for us to get to know her new friends, the people she played with and more importantly prayed with.  It has been so fun to see this group stay close and connected. During her last semester at ACU, she made the decision to move home. Her roommates had all graduated and since Ashley would be doing her student teaching she wouldn't have a lot of time for a job, so she moved home after working the summer at First Colony Church of Christ in SugarLand as an intern. It was such a sweet time for us! During this time, Ashley met a new neighbor (who her dad and brother had already gotten to know...and improved of!) who had moved in with some college guys across the street from us to work on his Masters at ACU. His name was David Snow and he took her out on their first date in early December. After her graduation from ACU, Ashley and I took an amazing trip to New York City! Those are memories I will NEVER forget, we had such a wonderful time together. After graduation, the trip to NYC and Christmas, Ashley decided though she didn't have a job yet, she would drive over to Fort Worth and see if she could find a little apartment and a job! She had been told by the Fort Worth hiring agent, to be ready because a job would come up. It was so obvious God had a plan. She drove over, found a sweet little garage apartment with a precious landlord and within a few days while we were still moving her in, she got a job and started a few days later! It was a fun and crazy time! She lived by herself and was really enjoying her freedom! David and Ashley continued to talk, David would drive over to take her out and things went from "He is a sweet friend" to falling in love with this guy. We had the pleasure of being in Abilene with David, so we could see very quickly how he felt! By the end of the school year, David proposed and we began to plan a wedding for October. Planning the wedding was such a fun experience, Ashley was such an easy going bride and we had so much fun working on things together. We had prayed for David for a long time, we just had no idea he would move him in across the street from us...pretty convenient! Ashley and David live in the Mansfield area and it has been so fun to watch this sweet couple begin their life together. God has given Ashley so many talents and it is so fun to see her developing those and using so many of them to make a really adorable home for them. She, like her Mom, loves to decorate! 

We really have been so blessed! Our children love God, love their mates and love family time! Ashley and I have always had a great relationship, but it just gets better and better. Now we share recipes, decorating ideas, enjoy making things for our homes, etc. We always laugh at ourselves because we often say the same thing at the same time or we will pick up the very same item when shopping! My mother was my best girlfriend, really. I loved hanging out with her and we never ran out of things to talk about. I feel like Ashley and I have that same kind of relationship. We always have fun and never run out of things to talk about either! We have been so blessed to have several road trips through the years and we love the time it allows us to talk and occasionally we stop talking and bust out singing at the top of our lungs! She has such a sensitive heart, always looks for the good in others and inspires me daily! I can't wait to see her as a mother, because I have a feeling that she will be as good of a Mom as Zach is a dad! She has had so much fun being an aunt to Zach's three little boys and she loves her kids at school, even when they aren't very lovable! I didn't think when I was a young mother that being a mother could be anymore fun that it was...but I have found every age is more and more fun! I am SO thankful to God for giving me the gift of my children. They have been such a delight to my heart and I love them both dearly! 

So, my alphabet started with one child and ended with the other with lots of sweet grandkids and a precious husband sprinkled through the middle. I hope that my ABC's has given you a glimpse into what makes me smile and what delights my heart!

B-Blue

I love the color BLUE, always have and I am guessing I always will. Some of my favorite blues:

BLUE eyes-on my children and grandchildren

BLUE kitchen-I love cooking in it! It makes me smile!

In "Sound of Music" there is a song titled "My Favorite Things". When I was in the sixth grade, I sang a solo of that song for a music program at Lee Elementary. I will never forget my mom made me the cutest "white dress with a BLUE satin sash". 

BLUE clothes- I used to have a lot more, until Ashley pointed out once my closet was full of blue clothes, so I have incorporated some other colors into my wardrobe!

BLUE fiesta ware-though I also love the red and yellow! 

BLUE skies up against Colorado mountains and aspen trees

The list could go on and on, but I will leave one more thing I love that is BLUE...and that would be the good old USA flag!!! 

C-Clayton Grant Knight

Our second grandson! What a sweetie! Clayton Grant Knight joined our family on June 12, 2006! What a joyous occasion, though I think all the family will agree quite a busy time! Larry made the decision to go on a 8 week mission trip to Zambia, only to realize that he would be gone when our second grandson was born. It was a hard thing for Larry to be gone, but he was sweetly encouraged by Zach and Meg to go! We were able to send an email to a missionary who then got word to Larry once Clay had entered the world! Clay was around 7 weeks old when Larry saw him for the first time but they had no trouble bonding! Clay is our "snuggle bunny". He is so loving! He loves animals, we think he may be a Vet someday! He has no trouble keeping up with Owen and they are such sweet buddies. He is precious with Will, such a sweet big brother! We love watching the boys interact and also seeing what interests they each are developing. Clay has huge blue eyes that melt my heart! We love you Clay! 

D-David Whitfield Snow

Another answer to prayers. As with Zach, when Ashley was born we began to pray for her mate and we still marvel at the way God brought David in to our lives! David moved in across the street from us when Ashley was in her senior year of college. He had graduated with A&M and had come to ACU to get his masters. Larry, Zach and David met, became friends, and would often stand out in the front yard and talk about hunting, fishing, etc. Larry once mentioned to Ashley, that she should meet the guy across the street! Little did we know, that a few months later they would meet, start hanging out, running together (yes, David even started running to be in her company!) and then went out on a date right before she graduated. She moved shortly after that to Fort Worth and began teaching, but that didn't stop David. He made LOTS of trips to Fort Worth to take her out and it wasn't long until we realized these two were falling in love. David is a wonderful husband to Ashley and a great addition to this crazy family! He is everything we prayed for in a spouse for Ashley and we couldn't ask for a better son-in-law! Owen and Clay think that Uncle Da-da is so cool! Thank you David for loving our daughter, for encouraging her as she teaches, for helping her in her walk with God, for making her laugh and for giving her such a great and loving second family. (Thank you for even giving Ashley the "jump of her life" when you surprised her with a sky-diving jump as an early wedding gift. Though I think you had two dads that were a little nervous, your bride-to-be was thrilled!)