Loganville, Dacula and Bethlehem Real Estate - The Rains Team

I’m so ready for the cooler temperatures of fall to arrive and the beautiful array of colors found on the leaves!

Photos ©2009 Anne Rains Photography, All Rights Reserved.

Gooey. Creamy. Tasty. Easy. Those are the words I would use to describe this banana pudding recipe! It’s so simple to make yet so delicious that you better watch out or you may eat the whole thing! The great thing about this recipe is that it makes a huge amount. It serves at least 12 people so it’s great to take to the next family gathering or the potluck supper at church on Sunday.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 bag of vanilla wafers or 2 bags Peperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 Cups milk
• 1 5-ounce box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
• 1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 12-ounce container frozen whipped topping, thawed

DIRECTIONS:

1. Line bottom of a 13×9x2-inch dish with cookies and put bananas on top.
2. Blend milk with pudding mix well with a handheld electric mixer.
3. Beat cream cheese and condensed milk together in a bowl until smooth; fold in whipped topping.
4. Add to pudding mixture, stirring until well blended.
5. Pour mixture over cookies and bananas; cover with remaining cookies.
6. Refrigerate.
7. Eat, eat, eat!

Okay, a few quick notes about this recipe: if you want to make a lighter version of this (so you can eat more *smile*) then use skim milk, neufchatel cheese (it’s the low-fat version of cream cheese–tastes the same) and light whipped topping. It still tastes the same I promise!

Also, I think that crushing the cookies for the top layer makes the presentation prettier. And I think this recipe is better if it’s made a day in advance and has time to chill in the refrigerator for several hours–I believe it makes the texture better because the cookies get soft and gooey.

ENJOY!
You know, I would really enjoy any wonderful dessert recipes you have…leave your best recipe in the comment section please

(This recipe is found in Paula Deen’s cookbook: “The Lady & Sons: Just Desserts”)

It’s a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you’re a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today: 404.357.2231!

Photos ©2009 Anne Rains Photography, All Rights Reserved.

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

It’s a great time to buy a home in Georgia, whether you’re a first-time home buyer or not, and I would love to walk you through this process. If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today: 404.357.2231!

Here’s a funny story to bring a smile to your day.

A woman brought a very limp duck into a veterinary surgeon. As she lay her pet on the table, the vet pulled out his stethoscope and listened to the bird’s chest. After a moment or two, the vet shook his head sadly and said, “I’m so sorry, your Duck Cuddles has passed away”. The distressed owner wailed, “Are you sure??” “Yes, I am sure. The duck is dead,” he replied. “How can you be so sure,” she protested. “I mean you haven’t done any testing on him or anything. He might just be in a coma or something.”

The vet rolled his eyes, turned around and left theroom, and returned a few moments later with a black Labrador Retriever. As the duck’s owner looked on in amazement, the dog stood on his hind legs, put its front paws on the examination table and sniffed the duck from top to bottom. He then looked at the vet with sad eyes and shook his head. The vet patted the dog and took it out, and returned a few moments later with a cat. The cat jumped up on the table and also sniffed delicately at the bird from head to foot. The cat sat back on it’s haunches, shook its head, meowed softly and strolled out of theroom.

The vet looked at the woman and said, “I’m sorry, but as I said, this is most definitely,100% certifiably, a dead duck.” Then the vet turned to his computer terminal, hit a few keys and produced a bill, which he handed to the woman. The duck’s owner, still in shock, took thebill. “$150.00!!?” she cried, “$150.00 just to tell me my duck is dead!!??” The vet shrugged, “I’m sorry. If you’d taken my word for it, the bill would have been $20, but with the Lab Report and the Cat Scan, it’s now $150.00.

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If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

My awesome team leader, Janice Baldwin, sent these life lessons to everyone this morning. It was written by Regina Brett, a columnist for The Plain Dealer in Cleveland, Ohio. In the e-mail it talked about how Regina had just turned 90 years old; I had never heard of this woman before so I did a little research. I found her website: ReginaBrett.com and as it turns out she just turned 50 in 2006…so the e-mail floating around is inaccurate as to her age, but still contains a wonderful amount of life lessons we can learn from.

According to her website, the following article is being turned into a book titled: “God Never Blinks: 50 Lessons for Life’s Little Detours” –it will be released April of 2010.

• Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present.
• It’s OK to let your children see you cry.
• Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
• If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it.
• Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don’t worry; God never blinks.
• Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
• Get rid of anything that isn’t useful, beautiful or joyful.
• Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger.
• It’s never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
• When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer.

• However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
• Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
• Believe in miracles.
• God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do.
• Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
• Growing old beats the alternative — dying young.
• Your children get only one childhood.
• All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.
• Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
• If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back.
• Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
• The best is yet to come.
• No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
• Yield.
• Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

I think that Regina really knows what she’s talking about! All of these tips and lessons are great ways to live your life and reminders that we only get one shot at life here on Earth. Which one was most meaningful to you?

For me, as a Christian, my favorite one is “The best if yet to come!” This one means the most to me because while this life is great, I know that I have an even better one in store for me in the future–eternity in Heaven with my Savior and Lord! Life on Earth is just preparation for eternity spent with God.

In fact, I’m reading an awesome book on Heaven by Randy Alcorn simply titled “Heaven.” I am just beginning it but so far it’s been very good–I’m learning a lot and it’s one that I would recommend every Christian to read.

So, please tell me, which Life Lesson means the most to you?

P.S. In case you’re interested…all the photos were taken by me while on my study abroad trip to Australia…a truly beautiful place! I would highly recommend a trip there if you’ve never been!!

Photos ©2009 Anne Rains Photography, All Rights Reserved.

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

I received the following e-mail that contained answers by 2nd graders on “Why God Made Moms.” Their answers were too cute for me not to share this!

I love listening to children; hearing their answers to various questions–some of the things they come up with are so very sweet and other things they say are just hilarious!

I think you’ll enjoy this and hopefully it’ll make you smile and laugh a little. Not sure what the weather is doing in your part of town, but here it’s rainy and thundering…hope this brightens your day up a bit!

Why Did God Make Mothers?

1. She’s the only one who knows where the scotch tape is.

2. Mostly to clean the house.

3. To help us out of there when we were getting born.

How did God make mothers?

1. He used dirt, just like for the rest of us.

2. Magic plus super powers and a lot of stirring.

3. God made my mom just the same like he made me. He just used bigger parts.

What ingredients are mothers made of?

1. God makes mothers out of clouds and angel hair and everything nice in the world and one dab of mean.

2. They had to get their start from men’s bones. Then they mostly use string, I think.

Why did God give you your mother and not some other mom?

1. Because we’re related.

2. God knew she likes me a lot more than other people’s mom like me.

What Kind of a little girl was your mom?

1. My mom has always been my mom and none of that other stuff.

2. I don’t know because I wasn’t there, but my guess would be pretty bossy..

3. They say she used to be nice.

What did mom need to know about dad before she married him?

1. His last name…

2. She had to know his background. Like is he a crook? Does he get drunk on beer?

3. Does he make at least $800 a year? Did he say NO to drugs and YES to chores?

Why did your mom marry your dad?

1. My dad makes the best spaghetti in the world. And my mom eats a lot…

2. She got too old to do anything else with him.

3.. My grandma says that mom didn’t have her thinking cap on.

Who’s the boss at your house?

1. Mom doesn’t want to be boss, but she has to because dad’s such a goof ball.

2. Mom. You can tell by room inspection. She sees the stuff under the bed.

3. I guess mom is, but only because she has a lot more to do than dad.

What’s the difference between moms and dads?

1. Moms work at work and work at home and dads just go to work at work.

2. Moms know how to talk to teachers without scaring them.

3. Dads are taller and stronger, but moms have all the real power ’cause that’s who you got to ask if you want to sleep over at your friends.

4. Moms have magic, they make you feel better without medicine.

What does your mom do in her spare time?

1. Mothers don’t do spare time.

2. To hear her tell it, she pays bills all day long.

What would it take to make your mom perfect?

1. On the inside she’s already perfect. Outside, I think some kind of plastic surgery.

2. Diet. You know, her hair. I’d diet, maybe blue.

If you could change one thing about your mom, what would it be?

1. She has this weird thing about me keeping my room clean. I’d get rid of that.

2. I’d make my mom smarter. Then she would know it was my sister who did it not me.

3. I would like for her to get rid of those invisible eyes on the back of her head.

It is so much fun asking children questions and then listening to their answers. If you’re a parent, take the time to really listen to your child and if they say something funny, write it down–maybe keep a journal–later down the road it will be so neat to look back at some of the clever, sweet or hilarious things they’ve said. I know they will enjoy it also!

My dad actually used to fix my sister and I huge bowls of icecream and sit us down at the kitchen table. He would sit there with his video camera, recording us and asking us questions why we chowed down on an enormous amount of icecream. I have great memories of those days and now have several tapes to look back on. I really appreciate my dad taking the time to do that and make those memorieswith us. And best of all, now I can hear all the crazy things I said when I was little.

Have a Happy Weekend!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this excitingjourney! I serve Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

Photo Credit: Photo 1, Photo 2, Photo 3

I received this e-mail today and it contained five riddles…I was only able to figure one of them out, but I don’t think I thought about them long enough.

See how you do…I will post the answers in the comment section tomorrow!

1. A murderer is condemned to death. He has to choose between three rooms. The first is full of raging fires, the second is full of assassins with loaded guns and the third is full of lions who haven’t eaten in three years. Which room is safest for him?

2. A woman shoots her husband. Then she holds him underwater for more than five minutes. Finally, she hangs him. But five minutes later they both go out together and enjoy a wonderful dinner together. How can this be?

3. What is black when you buy it, red when you use it and gray when you throw it away?

4. Can you name three consecutive days without using the words Wednesday, Friday or Sunday?

5. This is an unusual paragraph. I’m curious as to just how quickly you can find out what is so unusual about it. It looks so plain and ordinary that you would think nothing is wrong with it. In fact, nothing is wrong with it! It is highly unusual though. Study it and think about it, but you still may not find anything odd. But if you work at it a bit, you might find out. Try to do so without any coaching!

Again, I didn’t come up with these but thought they were a nice little break in the work day!

Hope you’re having a prosperous and blessed day!

Good Luck!

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!

P.S. The pictures have nothing to do with the answers, I just thought they were pretty!

Photos ©2009 Anne Rains Photography, All Rights Reserved.

If you are in the market to buy or sell your home in the Bethlehem or Dacula area, I would be happy to assist you! My passion is helping people find their dream home and stepping them through this exciting journey. I serve the Walton, Barrow and Gwinnett county areas. Call or text me today!