Just for Nannie :-)

Nanie (a.k.a Hannah Miller) gave this puppy dog
towel to Caleb for Christmas. Squeaky clean, Madie is our newest puppy dog to be dried by it.


















This dress was brought back in '99 by Nannie but who's wearing it now?? Elizabeth or Madie? (Hint: look at their eyes!) Must admit, I can't find the hat anymore :-(

Either a.) Nannie is an amazing gift giver or b.) I keep things way too long!!!!

Blackberry Cobbler

I still remember the first time my Dad took me out all by myself for a "date". I was young and we still had that old maroon Malibu. It must have been just after my birthday because I brought my new purse with me. My very first "grown-up" purse. It was lavender with tiny embroidered flowers. I don't know what I had inside it....more then likely something to do with Hello Kitty. We went to Shoney's and shared my Dad's favorite dessert, this layered chocolate cake. Can't remember the name of it because that's not what was important. The whole goal of ordering that cake was to see if my Dad could eat it all before it fell over!

As we all know, and to all of our disappointments, Shoney's is closed. Well at least it is by me. So when Shoney's closed, my Dad and I had to find a new spot for dessert. Enter The Dixie Cafe. The only prerequisite for dining at this old fashion establishment was if the plaque on the wall for pie of the day read "Blackberry" If not, no need to even bother. It didn't matter how much I ate beforehand, I always found room for their blackberry cobbler. It was just the right size for one person, in a white ceramic bowl, always warm and tops with vanilla ice cream just starting to melt by the time it got to your table. Perfect. Absolutely Perfect. When I was engaged to David, I took him there one night to enjoy this wonderful experience but we never got to dessert. We had a very untimely pest visit our table and lost our appetites completely. I never could bring myself to try again after that.

As we approach our 6 year anniversary it is shocking to think that it has been 6 years since I have had that wonderful, gooey cobbler. So just this week I thought I would give it a shot. Blackberries had been staring at me all summer long in the grocery store and then they went on sale so I had to try. How hard could it be to make cobbler? I had no idea but I found a recipe. Fully expecting to be completely let down since nothing I would make could possible compare to Dixie Cafe's masterpiece. Armed with even a small white bowl and vanilla ice cream I served myself the perfect serving for one. Took a bite and immediately I was a teenager back in those wooden booths chatting with my dad looking at the old porch swing that hangs on the walls with that rather over size brown teddy bear on it. Remember that? Wasn't there a pot of red flowers next to him too? It was magic. And I made it.

Needless to say, there's a second cobbler in my fridge now, just waiting to be warmed and scooped into that small white bowl and topped with vanilla ice cream.....who needs Dixie Cafe?!

So at 8 months Madeleine has found out
she can not only crawl to things but she
can Climb on them!!!








Madie's Favorite spot:

The Window
















Elizabeth goes out side and Madeleine started
crying for her, so Elizabeth gave her kisses through the window!

The Kids

Elizabeth loves her guitar! We finally found her a great teacher back in November. She has such an ear for music and those long fingers are doing wonderfully as she stretches to learn all those hard cords. She has her first recital in two weeks. She is playing "Made to Worship" I can't wait!

Caleb broke is bone just below is pinky toe on Wednesday. Got a cool cast till August 8th to wear. Last night we bathe him for the first time and amazingly his cast was not bathed in the process. Thanking God for small favors.

Poor Madie being the youngest is growing up way too fast. Already pulling up and trying to balance. Before I know it I'll have a baby walking and a 3 year old crawling because of his cast. Just another day in the Gant household1

the little house

so on a street behind my house there is an old abandoned house that I pass just about every day. I always stare at it as I drive by. Though I live in a subdivision, I might as well live int eh country. for as soon as you turn out the back entrance it is evident people move a little slower around here. There's the railroad tracks, the millions of tall trees, people growing crops and yes, my favorite, the little house.

It's on the right side of the road, if I'm leaving my house. The railroad tracks are on the opposite side, I haven't figure out which side of the tracks this house was considered to be on in it's glory. It's faded wooden walls, double porch, well out back and over grown vines captivate me. The first day i saw it after moving to our home I immediately fell in love with it. I haven't seen anyone there, not once, but the grass gets cut now and then but I never knew how. until today, I saw a man on a riding lawnmower cutting. I thought about stopping but my sensibility got the best of me. Once I saw a huge truck there and thought they were going to tear it down, my heart almost stopped beating. It was just the truck that trims the trees close to the power lines. The house was safe.

why do I love this house? When I was growing up I was always seen reading a book. I could read a book in a day if my mom would let me. I love reading books still. But no book I have read in my adulthood can ever compare to all those wonderful books I read as a child....where the Red Fern grows, Little Women, Summer of my German Soldier, Slave Dancer, The Mandie series and my favorite Sadie Rose.....this house was Sadie's house. In my mind I had an image of what her house would look like. When I caught sight of that house, my image was real for the very first time.

One day I shall stop and take a picture. One day when I am not too busy being a mommy, driving to and from the grocery, teaching, banking and the library. Driving back and forth in front of the little house. One day.