Missing Blogger Has Been Found...

Two simple words...

When things go wrong,

do we really TRUST GOD?

I can honestly say I trust GOD and here's why...

Yes, I know it's been way too long that I've been gone, but

you'll never believe the week I've had...NEVER.

I don't even believe it and I lived through it. 

The last you all heard from me, I posted the night of my mom's surgery.

I gave you all an update on how great my mom was doing.

An HOUR after I hit the "publish now" button

things went terrible wrong.

NOT with my mom, but with ME.

I didn't know what was going on but I knew something was wrong.

I started having the worse stomach pains AGAIN and the worse

vomiting a person should ever have to experience AGAIN.

I say AGAIN because this happened a few months ago.

The Colonel rushed me to the hospital where they kept me in

the ER for a few hours re-hydrating me and filling me with pain medicines.

And sending me home telling me I had a stomach flu/virus.

At that time, I thought THAT was the worse pain I had ever experienced in my life.

Well, I was wrong.

Really wrong.

Because the night of my mom's surgery I clung to the toilet trying

so hard not to pass out in front of my son, who was trying so hard to help me.

Remember, the Colonel was in Wisconsin and my mom was in the hospital.

I told him I needed someone to get me to the hospital and he called my friend, Olga,

who came and drove me the 15 miles to the nearest hospital.

While I was in the ER, Olga said she was afraid I was having a stroke.

My words were slurred and my blood pressure was dangerously low.

I don't remember much of what happened other 

than wondering to myself 

when the alien was going to rip open my stomach 

and appear before everyone.

The pain was THAT bad.

I don't even want to go into the whole "trying to find the Colonel to let him know" situation.

Let's just say he had no clue what I was going through for about 12 hours.

But he was wonderful and was able to get on a plane and come home.

I guess the words, "She's meeting with the surgical team now" made the Army realize

he needed to be with me in Pennsylvania and not in Wisconsin.

The hospital kept me for 3 days.

Thankfully, I didn't need surgery.

They ran test after test, finally treating the intestinal infection I believe never left my system.

This was all happening while my mother was in another hospital 

recovering from her open heart surgery.

I never felt so horrible in my whole life.

The past few days have NOT gone according to MY plan, and

I certainly do not understand why this had to happen, 

but God has everything in control and I trust Him completely. 

Oh, and my mom is doing GREAT!

My sister took this picture 3 days AFTER surgery.  

The first day I was able to visit with Mom again was last Sunday...

the day we brought her home from the hospital.

She is home and I'm trying my very best to get her to SLOW DOWN!

Thank you all for your prayers!

Great is Thy Faithfulness...

A quick update on my Mom.

Surgery went well.

She was off the ventilator 2 hours AFTER surgery.

She is still in the ICU/Heart Unit at the hospital and will be there until

they release her to come home; probably another 4 days.

The doctor said mom's valve was so narrow he didn't know how

 she WAS NOT having symptoms.

 I do, it's called GOD!

Lamentations 3:22-23 says it all for me today...

It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

Thank you Lord for  Your Hand of mercy upon our lives.

AND...

Thank you dear friends for your prayers.

Prayer Request...

Today while you are all reading this post,

I am at the hospital, in the waiting room,

while my mom is having open heart surgery.

And the Colonel is on a plane going to Wisconsin to
work for the Army until late Sunday evening.

The surgery is two-fold:

to replace her aorta valve and to stop the atrial fibrillation

that has been attacking her heart since last October.

I would appreciate your prayers for my mom.

A friend of mine, Maria, shared this on Facebook on Sunday

and it meant so much to me I thought I would share it with all of you today;

for I know our family is not alone in dealing with stressful times.

Eccl. 3:14 

I know that, whosoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: 

nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: 

and God doeth it, that men should bear before him.

For the Spirit of the Lord would say to you: 

You may not know or understand all that is going on in your life right now, 

but I have given you an eternal perspective to look beyond 

the routines of life that seek to bring you down. 

The cycles of life are ordained in my order says the Lord, for they are around you. 

Let faith rise to meet the challenges you are facing, says the Lord.

Eph. 3:20:

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding 

abundantly above all that we ask or think,

 according to the power that worketh in us.

May the Lord be with each of you today! 

I will post an update here tomorrow or you can follow

Walking on Sunshine on Facebook.

I will updating Facebook all day for family and friends.

Thank you!  

Tuesday's Question...

This week's Tuesday's Question has to do with 

the BEAUTIFUL weather that most of us are enjoying!

I'm sure if you're anything like me, you can't wait to get

outside and start grilling for dinner!  

I grilled the other day and as I was preparing the chicken 

earlier in the morning, I was wondering the following question:

"What do YOU use to marinade chicken 

to get it ready for the grill?"  

Most of the time I marinade chicken in Italian salad dressing.

Good Seasons is my go-to Italian salad dressing...

So, leave me a comment and let me know what YOU use to

marinade chicken and while you're at it, 

please let me know what you use to marinade STEAK!  

And for the record,  I use Good Seasons as well for steak with a dash of...

DELICIOUS!  

French Toast Casserole...

Hope everyone had a GREAT weekend!

In Friday's post, I mentioned a French Toast Casserole that

I made for Easter Sunday breakfast.

It was delicious.

I've made this recipe a few times before and every time

I put a forkful in my mouth, I am amazed at how incredibly

DELICIOUS this recipe is and how EASY!  

The EASY part of this recipe is you put it together the night before 

and in the morning take it out of the refrigerator and into the oven it goes.

Sounds great, right?

Overnight French Toast Casserole

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted (1 stick)

12 - slices Texas toast 

1 - cup brown sugar

1 - tsp cinnamon

1/4 - tsp nutmeg

1/2 - cup chopped pecans (optional)

1 - tsp vanilla extract

5 - eggs

1 1/2 - cups milk

You can find Texas Toast in the bread aisle of your grocery store.  

It's thick sliced white bread. 

You WANT to use Texas Toast.

Do not try to use regular white bread.  

DIRECTIONS:

THE NIGHT BEFORE YOU PLAN TO SERVE:

Mix together brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans. 

Melt butter and pour in a 9x 13 casserole dish,

the dish you plan to bake and serve your casserole in... 

Whisk eggs, milk & vanilla together... 

Layer bottom of pan with half the bread pieces, on top of the melted butter...

Sprinkle half of the brown sugar mix over the bread...

Layer second half of bread...

Pour egg mixture over the bread slices, making sure all are covered evenly.

Sprinkle remaining brown sugar mixture on top...

Cover with aluminum foil and refrigerate overnight. 

THE NEXT MORNING:

Remove from the refrigerator and cover with a new piece of foil. 

Preheat oven to 350 and bake the casserole for 30 minutes. 

Then uncover and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Your French Toast should be browned and set.

Cut and serve with warm syrup poured on top, of course, 

you should ALWAYS add a little butter first!

This recipe was a HUGE HIT!

Because of all the sugar

and extra carbs from the Texas Toast,

it's NOT a recipe you should eat every weekend.

BUT it makes a great breakfast for a special occasion

and Mother's Day is right around the corner.

Show the recipe to your hubby and children.

They can easily put this together for YOU!  

Or you can put it together the night before and

have them bake it in the morning

while you wait in bed!

Enjoy your day! 

Gettysburg...

On Saturday The Colonel, his brother and wife and our son Michael

all got in the car and made the over 2 hour drive to

Gettysburg, PA.

I was doing what every other Italian mom was doing the 

DAY BEFORE EASTER...

I was staying home to COOK!

So the best I can do is share pictures from the 

camera the Colonel took with him on the trip.

The Colonel said Gettysburg was WONDERFUL.

However, you need more than one day to explore the 

many exhibits, museums and sites of the battlefield.  

The battle of Gettysburg was fought on July 1-3, 1863.
The battle resulted in the largest number of casualties in the
American Civil War and is often described as the war's turning point.

Here are just a few of the pictures...

Helen in front of a monument...

Pretty scenery...

A canon...

A display of weapons...

A display of musical instruments...

A statue dedicated to the New York soldiers
who fought that day.
We are originally from New York...

Such typical tourists...

Meanwhile, back at home, I was happily setting the table...

Draining the ricotta for cannoli cream...

Putting together the Lasagna for Easter Dinner...

Preparing French Toast Casserole for Easter Morning breakfast...
(Recipe coming)

Not to forget the Pasta Fagioli soup for dinner for the weary HUNGRY history fans...

All in all a GREAT DAY!

Amish Country, Lancaster...

Sorry I've been MIA since Easter.

I didn't mean to disappear, it's just life was incredibly crazy last week

with the Colonel's brother and wife visiting from Alaska and I've been trying 

to catch up on so much this week.

Now, if you are friends with me on my

Walking on Sunshine Facebook page, then you'll know how busy I've been!

Here are a few pictures from our visit.

We took a trip to Lancaster, since my sister-in-law has never seen

the Amish or visited an Amish community.

The Colonel's brother and his wife

on the road...

Amish buggy...

One of my favorite shops...

While there, we went to a train museum and my brother-in-law was very happy...

The museum was filled with all sorts of trains...

Me...

The Colonel and I sitting in the conductor's seat of a very old train...

My sister-in-law, Helen...

A beautiful farm...

A little shopping to remember the visit...

All in all, a GREAT visit to Amish Country! 

Tomorrow, a trip to GETTYSBURG! 

Please consider becoming a friend of mine on Facebook!

I'm there all the time!