Recipe Time!

Oh yes....I know its been a while. So here is a tasty dessert to try. I made this a few weeks ago when my parents were in town. We all enjoyed it. It was very yummy!!!! Here goes:

Banana Split Cake:

1-1/2 cups HONEY MAID Graham Cracker Crumbs
1 cup sugar, divided
1/3 cup butter, melted
2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened
1 can (20 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
6 medium bananas, divided
2 cups cold milk
2 pkg. (4-serving size each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding & Pie Filling
2 cups thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, divided
1 cup PLANTERS Chopped Pecans (Optional)

MIX crumbs, 1/4 cup of the sugar and the butter; press firmly onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Freeze 10 min.
BEAT cream cheese and remaining 3/4 cup sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Spread carefully over crust; top with pineapple. Slice 4 of the bananas; arrange over pineapple.
POUR milk into medium bowl. Add dry pudding mixes. Beat with wire whisk 2 min. or until well blended. Gently stir in 1 cup of the whipped topping; spread over banana layer in pan. Top with remaining 1 cup whipped topping; sprinkle with pecans. Refrigerate 5 hours. Slice remaining 2 bananas just before serving; arrange over dessert. Store leftover dessert in refrigerator.

My Parents Visit to Florida

Okay, well I know its been a long time, but with my parents visiting, the new job, and just trying to do things around here...well its been a long time. And not to mention our dial up...that enough makes me not want to get online sometimes. Anywhoo...lets see...what should I say??

Mark and I really enjoyed my parents visit here. They were able to visit my dad's mom and siblings in Jacksonville last week Monday-Thursday. Thursday they drove back down to Lakeland and we had them over for dinner. We stayed up late and enjoyed each others company. Needless to say I was a bit tired the next day for work. But I guess it was worth it since we don't see them often. Friday they made a trip to MacDill Airforce base and did some shopping and site seeing. Friday night we had dinner with them and Mark's parents at BD's Mongolian Grill. They really enjoyed that, they hadn't been to a place like that before. It was good to see them have a good time. Later that night we had ice cream at Baskin Robbins...yum! Saturday morning we had breakfast at Cracker Barrel. It seems like we ate a lot during their visit. Whoa.... and we don't eat that much during a normal week/weekend....but I guess since they were in town etc. Anywhoo... later we went to Orlando so they could return their rental. We then went to the Outlet Mall down there. A day full of walking I tell ya....so then I didn't feel that bad about "all the food" I ate that weekend. Ummm what else. We did some shopping and everyone found something they wanted. What a fun day. And we didn't even get rained out! It started raining on our way home. Oh yes, our last stop was dinner at Fuddrukers. That was tasty. My favorite was the milkshake. We walked around the mall Fuddruckers is in (Festival Bay) and found a cool store where everything was $6.98 for every item!!! Too cool. I found some shirts and Mark found some pants and my parents found some clothes and some stuff for my bros and sis. Then we headed home. Sunday morning, as you know you all were able to meet my parents or for some of you see them again. They really enjoyed the service, they said. After church we had a yummy lunch at Mark's parents house. They enjoyed meeting you Gina and seeing the rest of you again. They kept saying how much they enjoyed your company and how friendly everyone was. Oh and Chad, they said it was awesome to meet the guy that photographs us and the doggies etc. Sunday afternoon/evening we had them over and just relaxed and visited. Mark had to mow the pastures and then study, so the pics here he isn't in them because I was taking them while he was outside. Bubble and Shanaynay really enjoyed playing and being pet by my parents. My dad said Bubble is "something elese". And "mischievious" ha ha ha. They left Monday afternoon and arrived back home Monday evening. Their flight was a little delayed in Houston, but overall they said they had a really good time and plan on visiting more often...and I'm happy about that. I miss them though...but I'm doing alright.

Last night Mark and I were able to go out on date. With work, school, studying, and getting things together at home, we haven't been able to have much time together to hang out etc. So last night we had dinner at Pizza Parlor place downtown Lakeland. I forgot the name but its run by Italians. It was very good. The funny thing is, there is another pizza place like 3 or 4 doors down that had NO business at all and the place we went to was very busy. So hmmm go figure. Anyways, we took a walk around downtown Lakeland and there was an apartment building and in the window there was a tall "man" staring out. I got a little startled, but then realized it was a fake big man. He looked like a hit man. ha ha hah aahahahah..really! Anywhoo I thought that was kinda cool/funny/yet kinda freaky perhaps. Okay well its Saturday and I plan on cleaning the house and start decorating for Fall. My favorite season!!!

Have a wonderful weekend/week. I will try to keep up on my blogging. (smile)

Labor Day Family Day

We drove up to Jacksonville today (Labor Day) to visit with my family. We saw my Grandma, Aunt Celia her husband Darren and their two crazy kids below Renaldo and Marcus, Aunt Dianna, and Aunt Barbara. Grandma was watering her flower garden when we arrived. Her garden is soo pretty.
From the left (Aunt Dianna, Mark, Marcus, Aunt Celia, Me, and Aunt Barbara.
Here are my crazy cute cousins Renaldo and Marcus. They love the camera.

My parents followed us in their rental car. They will be visiting with them in Jacksonville till Thursday. Then we will have them back. I'll take some more pics with them and blog more.

We got back a few hours ago. The trip was fun. Being in the car for 3 1/2 hours wasn't cool...but visiting my relatives was fun. We BBQ and just relaxed and hung out.

Okay well more will follow. Its great to have more family in Florida now. I've never really been able to see/visit my aunts and uncles and cousins before because they have always lived so far away. So I should take advantage of having them just a few hours away. Good times.

Museum Madness

Took a trip to The Tampa Museum of Art today. That was fun. My favorite room was the Participatory Gallery...and what is that you may ask well....
The Participatory Gallery provides an opportunity for visitors, especially children, to interpret works of art and make connections to the world around them. Visitors are invited to manipulate images similar to the art viewed in the exhibition, spend time in a reading resource area, view themselves as part of a piece of artwork, and experiment with their own interpretations of the works and the stories they provide. The Tampa Museum of Art focuses on the visitor experience by creating a welcoming environment, the aim of the Participatory Gallery is to create a family-friendly space for the community to play, explore and learn together.
The wall behind us...we decorated with fake snakes, chicks, and various other objects that stick to the wall. Gina set up the camera and "whapow" the picture was taken. Yeah...we are rocking in this pic. LOL
The rest of the museum was pretty swanky...however...I've seen better. The pottery, photography, glass work, and statues were cool too. And the best part...it was FREE!!!! Yeah buddy free admission between 10-12. So anywhoo...after our spiffalicious visit, we drove around downtown Tampa searching for this Burrito restaurant David suggested we go. Unfortunately we couldn't locate it. So we headed for Ybor City and decided to eat lunch at Spaghetti Warehouse. Some of us didn't like what we got...but dessert was much better I think. Anyways...of course we had to stop and get a lil something-something from the great Starbucks...or else Michele mighta had a fit. Yummm Mocha Frapps ROCK! We walked the great streets of Ybor and then headed home.
Fun day...good times....crazy yet spiffalicious swanky people.

The Kid In Us

Isn't it amazing how when we are kids...well most of us couldn't wait to grow up. Couldn't wait to finish school or couldn't wait to move out. Now that most of us are "grown" or are we? Ha Ha We still have a little of a "kid" inside...deep down wanting to come out and have some fun.

Last weekend we had Bubble's 1st Birthday Party. Yes thats right, we had a birthday party for our dog. Well it was a picnic party actually. Sandwiches, Chips, Drinks, chocolate cupcakes, and of course a doggie Birthday Cake espcially for Bubble and her guest doggies. Don't worry folks...it was "doggie approve and safe".

Got it outta a dog cook book.

Anyways, back to my story about the kid in us. Mark, David, Michele, Chad and I and of course the dogs decided to play on the playground after the party. It was sundown so we had a little while before the sun would set.

We found the coolest playground toy ever. Not sure what its called....but it rocked! The dogs probably thought...those grown ups are CRAZY.

We all agreed we wanted one to take home.

The evening turned out fantastic. We all took turns on this contraption of fun. I think we need to go back to this park and have more fun.

Bubble's Birthday Party

Bubble would like to thank all her friends that were able to come out to her birthday party last Saturday. She enjoyed seeing, playing, and eating with her friends. The party went well and everyone had a good time. Now you can say you've been to a Dogs Birthday Party!!!

Here is Bubble and me waiting for the guest to arrive.

Here we have the Pentecosts and their doggies. Bubble really enjoyed hanging out with her cuz Chilly and her big sis Shanaynay. Aunt Michele and Uncle David were fun too.


Not sure whats going on here....more than likely Bubble and Chilly playing as usual.

Bubble said thank you for all her little doggie gifts. And a special thanks to Chad for taking pictures.

Beach Bums

Well I am done with my job at the hospital and Mark is done with his job at Quill. And what do we do on our first day off....head to the beach. We had a nice time. Nice weather until the end of our visit. It decided to thunder, lightning and rain. It was breezy and not too hot. The water was warm but not too warm. Heres a picture of Mark and I posing on the beach rocks. Hey, maybe a model agent will come across these pics and get in touch with us. ha ha ha

Here is Mark walking towards me asking me what I'm doing...I was just taking pics of him. Oh yeah the sand/shells he is walking on man that hurt my feet....ouch!

This could have been a great pic except those people in front of me...ha ha ha. Here we are laying on the beach relaxing and people watching. What an interesting time that was.

Okay well perhaps I'll post more later!

Are you my Daddy?

Got a call from my mom this morning....telling me 3 puppies were walking up their drive way. So she took a few pics and sent them my way. Now the funny thing is....they all look exactly like dogs at home. No kidding. My mom thinks someone dropped them off because "maybe" our dogs are the daddys. She said they are sooo cute. Not sure what they plan to do. I'll keep you informed. Right now they are hanging out in the laundry room enjoying puppy chow and doggy biscuits and of course A/C.

Bubble's 1st Birthday

Happy 1st Birthday Bubble Pentecost!!

Well, if ya'll don't know already, its Bubble's birthday. Well yesterday was her birthday, but I didn't have these groovey pictures to post. Yesterday morning we started Bubble's birthday celebration by me singing to her "Happy Birthday". She thought that meant "lets run around the house and play". Unfortunately I couldn't because I had to get ready for work.

After work Mark and I took the doggies outside to potty and run around. Bubble opened her birhtday presents. She got the cute shirt she is wearing the picture above it says "Inner peace is found at the park". I think she really likes it because she didn't roll around for me to take it off. She also got the big pink rope toy. She loves those things. Her and Shanaynay enjoyed playing with it outside and inside. And I got both of them a raw hide dental bone. Shanaynay ate hers within 2 hours. Next time we'll have to get something tougher since she devours them so soon.

I took Shanaynay and Bubble for a nice long walk/run/jog during the evening. They really enjoyed that. Next was dinner. Both girls ate there dinner....well Bubble left some back as usual. I didn't get a chance make Bubble a doggie cake for her birthday. She'll get one of those next weekend for her party. Overall I really think she enjoyed her Birthday. Actually I think she knew it was her birthday or at least a "special" day for her. Dogs are smart ya know.

So Happy Birthday to Bubble....she's ONE!!!

Grace

God's Grace.....

So......what is Grace??

A characteristic or quality pleasing for its charm or refinement.

A sense of fitness or propriety.


A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill. Mercy; clemency.

A favor rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence.

Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people.

The state of being protected or sanctified by the favor of God.

An excellence or power granted by God.

To honor or favor: You grace our table with your presence.

To give beauty, elegance, or charm to.

Music To embellish with grace notes.

“the free and unmerited favor of God, as manifested in the salvation of sinners and the bestowal of blessings. A divinely given talent or blessing. The condition or fact of being favored by someone.”

Isn't God's grace amazing. We are sundeservedng many times yet He pours out blessing after blessing upon us. I can't even fathom His love that He would do so much for me. I think back of all the times I could have gone a different direction in life or did go that direction, yet His love followed me and guided me back to Him. How many times have I escaped death because of His sweet grace......His sweet love.

I found this little clip on His Grace......thought you might enjoy it too:

The gospel (good news) is a result of God's grace (Gal. 1: 6-9). Grace is presented as sufficient and Christians are called by grace (2 Cor. 12: 7-10, Gal. 1: 15). Man is saved by grace, the heart is established by grace, and we are justified by grace (Eph. 2: 5, 8, Heb. 13: 9, Tit. 3: 7). Moreover, we render acceptable service by grace and grace imparts everlasting consolation (Heb. 12: 28, 29, 2 Thes. 2: 16). God's grace also makes us better people and helps us in time of need (I Cor. 15: 9, 10, Heb. 4: 16).

Noah "found grace in the eyes of the Lord" (Gen. 6: 8). The lowly are said to be favored with grace (Prov. 3: 34, I Pet. 5: 5). Jesus and Paul are expressly said to have experienced God's grace (Lk. 2: 40, I Cor. 15: 10). Also, all who love the Lord have God's grace bestowed upon them (Eph. 6: 24).

Chilly's Visit

The kid’s cousin, Chilly, came to visit this week. Well, he’ll be here till Tuesday. They have all had a blast. Chilly’s parents dropped him off Wednesday night. And that’s when the weekend long slumber party began. Shanaynay, Bubble and Chilly have all had a great time hanging out, eating, running and playing. I was worried they might be a little too much for me to handle after the surgery, but they were actually great. Mark didn’t even have to entertain them much. They entertained themselves with rope toys and bones. Shanaynay watched Bubble and Chilly mostly, she so “motherly”. Chilly is definitely a “lap” dog, he snuggled up with me as I lay on the couch resting. We all watched the Lord of the Rings (All 3)…interesting and long. Bubble and Chilly camped out next to each other when it was bed time. We put their crates right next to each other and they seemed to like that. We had to tell them a few times to quite down, because all they wanted to do was chit chat all night….”kids”. Saturday morning they were entertained by the lawn service men cutting up the large branches that fell Thursday night. Those dogs were so alert and kept their eyes on them at all times. Sunday afternoon we took them for a walk around the property. They seemed pretty wiped out after that walk. But don’t let those kids fool you….they’ll rest for a moment then ready for the next big thing soon after.


They have been watching Caesar Milan, the dog whisperer, most of the day. I sure hope they’ve learned a few things. Because “Caesar knows best”…hahaha
Right now, Chilly is laying on the carpet staring at me and Bubble and Shanaynay are cuddled up together, as usual snoozing. I think Chilly is sleeping now. Mark is outside right now riding Banner.

What a Storm

Hey.....well I'm feeling a little better. I think Mark posted something already about our mini tornado storm we had here Thursday. So I'll attach some pics. Thursday night, while I was recovering from my oral surgery, we had a mini tornado storm. It was raining pretty hard and we tried to check the weather, but our satellite was out. We had been watching a movie we rented, so we weren't aware that the satellite went out. Anyways, Mark looked out the window and noticed the horses were running like crazy up and down the pasture. We were unaware a tree had uprooted and that there had been a tornado. We didn't even hear any of this except for the rain. We could see it was really windy, but we thought it was our typical Florida evening storm. Anyways, the neighbor came over a few minutes later and informed us that a tree uprooted and there was lots of tree damage etc. One tree next to the barn had split. I didn't get a pic of that one though. The horses and the homes were fine. Our vehicles survived. Mark did get some dents on his truck. The Insurance Claims guy came by the day after and informed us, Mark's truck was totaled....so we are truck shopping now. Friday and Saturday a clean up crew came by and picked up everything. Everything is back to normal now....except for the trees. A tree company is coming by maybe this week to take care of them. What a crazy week!!!

All Drugged Up

So it happened, I had my 5 wisdom teeth removed this morning. And how did it go?-You may ask. I was so nervous this morning, because I didn’t know what to expect and I was so worried about the aftermath (the healing process and pain). So Mark and I got there and signed in. After about 10 min, I was called in. I kissed Mark bye-bye and walked through the door to get those babies out. I waited for like 10 more min it seemed for the Doctor to come in. We chatted for a few min. and then they poked me with the anesthesia needle. That hurt! After a few min. the room was kinda spinning and I said, “I feel weird”. And then that was it. I woke up in a different chair talking about clowns and telling the nurse her hair looked pretty. I was waving at people. I wanted to see Mark but they said I had to calm down. I started laughing then crying. Boy was I a lil crazy. Then Mark came in and I said,” I know you”. We got up and left and then I told the lady that that was my car outside. Got home, and on the way home I was feeling all loopy and crazy, you should ask Mark about that. And my meds made me feel even loopier and crazy. They make me feel good…I feel no pain. I am on Oxycodone, Penicillin VK, and Promethazine-for nausea. My lunch was good..mashed potatoes and then chocolate ice cream later. I feeling a little woozy, so I think I’m gonna stop typing and rest a bit. I watched some movies today. I even blacked out for like 15min I think. I didn’t fall asleep and wake up….it was a black out…. That was freaky. Okay I need my Mark now.

Thanks again for your prayers and thoughts. Love ya all!

Good Bye Teeth Its Been Great

Well the time has finally come....tomorrow is the BIG day. The day they'll take my teeth away. They'll escort me to the back I'll be sure not to give 'em flack. They'll knock me out and pull 'em' out. Oh my poor teeth how they'll be missed.


If you wonderful people can say a prayer for me...that would be wondermous!! Tomorrow morning at 8:20 is when I'm scheduled. Drugs will be my friend for the next few days.

So any of you still have your wisdom teeth?

Me....the Poet?

Yes my dear friends, I am a poet. Unfortunately I haven't written any in a while. I received an email from the company I published my first one from and went on their site and I was able to find my poems. The first one I wrote, The Voice of Jesus, I was nominated for an award. I didn't win the grand prize, but my poem was published in their book. How cool is that!!! I bought the book because I thought that was awesome. I know I should get on the ball and write some more. I need to get inspired again. Why? Because it is something I enjoy....but gotta make the time to do it I guess. So anywhoo....here is my first published short poem. This was written close to 8 years ago. Enjoy!

The Voice of Jesus

Have you heard the voice of Jesus whisper, "I have chosen you"?

Does He tell you in communion what exactly you must do?

Are you in the Inner Circle?

Have you heard the Master's Call?

Have you given your heart to Jesus,

Is He now your All in All?

Taking Care of your nails

Well, this blog is more geared to the females. Sorry guys, but you can still get a little something from it. Being the nail polish queen I am, I thought I’d offer a little nail care info to you lovely ladies and gents. It is important to keep your hands and toes well manicured. I found this nail care guide online and thought it might be helpful. I even learned a few new things myself. Enjoy!

Nail Care Tips

Well-groomed, beautiful nails are an integral part of a woman's appearance. Healthy nails, in addition to being attractive, reflect personal habits, both good and bad. They also reflect our general state of health.

Caring for those Nails
1. Wear Gloves while washing dishes or working in detergent-based liquids.
2. Avoid harsh metal files.
3. Use a hand and nail lotion to protect and moisturize. Dry nails tend to crack and split.
4. Avoid clipping your nails. Instead, file them at a 45-degree angle.
5. The best time to file nails is immediately after a bath. Nails are much softer then. You can also soak your hands in a bowl of warm water before filing.
6. Never file feed into the corners of your fingers. Do it from corner to the center.
7. Leave the cuticle alone. The cuticle invites infection on the nail's tissue.

The Use of Vitamin E
Vitamin E is essentially important for soft and smooth skin. Puncture a Vitamin E capsule and massage the nourishing oil to smoothen cuticles.

Nail Painting Tips
Nail painting can protect nails from damage. In some people, it can ward off fungal infection.
1. Add a topcoat of clear nail polish to protect the nail.
2. More than two coats of polish rob the nail's breathing space.3. Use an acetone-free nail polish remover. Acetone dries nails and can make them brittle.




Pedicure Tips. Thirty-minute Pedicure

1. Clean toenails and remove all traces of polish with a conditioning remover, as described for the manicure.

2. Cut toenails using a nail clipper and file into the desired shape using the rough side of an energy board. Hold the board slightly angled down over the edge of the nail. Smooth the edges towards the center with a light motion; don't cut or file them always as this weakens the nail and can lead to in growing toenails.

3. Lightly massage the nail contours with a cuticle oil or cream.

4. Place both feet in a bowl of warm water into which you have added a handful of bath salts or a few drops of pure essential oil such as peppermint. Soak feet for five to ten minutes.

5. Dry feet thoroughly with a towel and apply a drop of cuticle remover to the nail contours. Leave it on for a few minutes while you smooth away any hard skin or calluses on the soles of your feet using an exfoliating cream. Then gently 'roll' the cuticles back with a manicure stick covered with cotton wool. Massage hard skin again with the scrub, then rinse off in the warm water.

6. Rinse your feet in cold water to boost circulation. Dry them again with a towel, paying special attention to the skin between your toes.

7. Clean your toenails again with a cotton pad soaked in remover to take off any oily film.

8. If required, apply a hardening formula to the toenails, taking care not to let it touch the cuticle or the surrounding skin.

9. Apply a base coat, followed by two coats of polish, and finally a topcoat, as described for the manicure. Placing cotton wool between your toes separates them to make applying polish easier.

The cuticles on toenails are so tough, and it is best to work on them once a month with a cuticle remover. Giving, lots of attention to the little toe, which usually suffers the most. If you have a dry skin on your feet, the best way to remove it is with a scrub cream, which will leave your feet smoother and well conditioned. Or the best way is by using a pumice stone.

The Price You Pay for Shoes

I love shoes. My husband can tell you that. I have a collection of them. I had to downgrade since our place isn’t very big. A coworker of mine bought a pair of brand new shoes over the weekend. She wore them to work yesterday. I must say, they were very cute, trendy and chic. Unfortunately they hurt her feet all day. The cut of the shoe wasn’t agreeing with her feet. She wore them the entire 8.5hrs. This morning she walked in with flip-flops. She said they were the only shoes she could wear. Side note-flip flops are not allowed (policy), but that’s another subject we won’t get into. She said the sides of the shoes had created bruises on the side of her feet. She even had to bandage one side. I said, "The price you pay for hot shoes huh"? She agreed. It reminded me of the "Friends" episode, when Monica bought those expensive boots. After wearing them for a day or so, they made her feet ache. And she wouldn’t tell Chandler this. Remember he told her she had to wear them everyday or something like that because she had to make good use of them. And every time she would wear them they would create more and more pain for her. Funny episode….she later tells him the truth about them being painful. Ever experienced this? I remember buying a really chic pair of heels, after the 2nd day, they hurt sooo badly!!!! Luckily I was able to return them. I guess they didn’t look too worn.

The Dentist "da...da....da..."

Took a trip to the Dentist yesterday….fun times….you know it! So I get there and sign in and wait to be called. I picked up some magazine; perhaps “People”….it caught my eye because the bold print said “10 ways to flatter tighter tummy”. Who doesn’t want a flatter tighter tummy? A few minutes later a group of senior citizens walk in for their appointments. They were fussing about who smelled and why they didn’t want to sit by each other. I called Mark and chatted with him until my dental hygienist came in. I sat on the chair and she handed me a cup of some turquoise liquid to squish in my mouth. Guess…incase you have bad breath…because it was minty. She then pushed the button and the chair reclined back…”Whoa!!!” She started poking this shiny silver tool in my mouth. Checking under my gums and around my teeth. A few times it felt like she was piercing me with that sharp tool….OUCH! She then started the cleaning with the vibrating polisher. She asked me about my unusual last name and then asked if I was Pentecostal. I get that a lot. What about you (Mark, David, and Michele)? Before she could ask me, I notified her that I already scheduled an appointment for my wisdom teeth extraction (2weeks) from now. You see, last year around this time they told me I needed to get them out because I had a cavity in them, so it was best that I get them out. Also I have a 5th wisdom tooth….yes, yes, yes, I have a little extra wisdom. And don’t think that when they are removed that wisdom is gonna change…because it ain’t! Okay so back to my cleaning session. Oh yes I did get pictures taken of my lovely teeth! ~AKA~ X-Rays. So after my cleaning, my dentist, Brian Crosby, checked my teeth out and I left with a A+…a great check up. Oh yes, and can’t forget about my bag of goodies!!!! YES! A new toothbrush and floss. Yeah…buddy! Needless to say, I stopped by Kohls and Target on my way home…hey they were 3 minutes down the road!!!!
So what have I learned from this exciting trip to my Dentist? Proper brushing, flossing and preventative care will give you an A+...Great Check up and make your dentist happy!