Raise Them Up

Valentines Day Quiz!!

2012-02-14T09:03:00.001-05:00

Do you watch the news in the morning while you are getting the kids ready for school? We had it on this morning (hoping for a snow delay!) and they did this little Valentines Day Quiz. See how well you do!

QUIZ

What Percentage of Flowers is bought by Men and Women on Valentines day?

A) 61% Men, 39% Women

B) 68% Men, 32% Women

C) 75% Men, 25 % Women

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On Average, how much do men spend on Valentine’s Day?

A) $120

B) $150

C) $180

__________________________________________________________

How many Valentine’s Day cards and gifts are sent each year?

A) 75 Million

B) 100 Million

C) 150 Million

__________________________________________________________Answers: A, B, C

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Ok, first, I was surprised that so many women send flowers. Were you? Maybe I’m old fashioned. Or maybe women are sending them to their kids or coworkers? Lol! I don’t think I’ve ever sent Valentines flowers to anyone.

* * *

Second, $150 dollars??? I must be really cheap, or easy to please, lol!, because that figure looks HUGE to me!

On this same point, I have to tell you, my little guy was eating his breakfast with me while we listened and I saw his face turn sad.

“What’s wrong,” I said.

“I guess I should have kept my money and not bought that LEGO set,” he said.

“Why?” I couldn’t imagine what brought the LEGO to mind.

“Because I need to get you a Valentine’s present!”

Don’t you love it?? Before he left, he gave his dad instructions to stop at the store after work. “And get Mom something that costs $150.” Lol! Don’t tell me that advertizing doesn’t influence our kids! Hubby, I’m expecting great things!! ROTFL! :) (Just kidding!)

* * *

And finally, what did I give my family? I made beautiful heart shaped cookies last night. Only they baked into blobs because I made them too big and put them too close together! Lol! Somehow, I think they’ll still get eaten!!

The “kissing lips” cookie I wanted to embarrass my oldest son with in his lunch came out looking like a big square, Lol! You can’t blame a mamma for trying! After all, what’s the point of having a teen if you can’t embarrass him every once in a while? Only, I think I do that enough without trying!! Oh, brother!

Each boy also got a bunch of Hershey kisses tucked in his lunch. I wonder if they will eat them or give them out? My bet is on eat them! LOL!

Did you do anything special for your troops?

Have a wonderful Valentines Day, Friends. And don’t forget who loves you most!

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16

And don’t forget to enter my giveaway for the scrapbooking software, which I am obviously having way too much fun with! Lol!

It’s The Little Things!

2012-02-13T19:08:00.001-05:00

Do you have a favorite variety of potato chips? Ours is Herr’s Sour Cream and Onion. When we moved to Indiana in 2003, we were sad to find you couldn’t get them here. They are manufactured in Nottingham, Pennsylvania, and we assumed they must just be a Pennsylvania thing.

Then last year, we began to see a few odd flavors here in the Herr’s line, like Ketchup, and Steak something, etc. (yuck!). But sadly, not our Sour Cream and Onion ones.

To give you an idea of how much we like them, the boys all asked if Grandmom and Grandpop could just send chips for Christmas! Lol!

Well imagine the ruckus my boys made when we noticed this new display of chips in our local RURAL KING!!!! WOOOHOOOO!

Ladies and Gentlemen, WE. HAVE. ARRIVED! Bring on the chips!!

People in the store must have thought we were nuts. The boys were literally dancing in the isles! It was all I could do to get them to stand still so I could document our find! To our credit, we (just barely) mustered a little self control and refrained from emptying the display. We came out with only four bags.

But… we’ll be back!

Now, if we could just find a good hoagie around here! Lol!

Did you notice my nifty photo collage? I put it together using My Memories Scrapbooking Software. :) If you haven’t entered my giveaway for your own copy of this software, hop to it! All entries must be in by midnight on Friday, February 17, 2012!

Giveaway!! My Memories Suite Digital Scrapbooking Software

2012-02-10T00:05:00.001-05:00

I haven’t posted all week for a very good reason. I can’t stop playing with this scrapbooking software! Lol! What’s more fun than smiling over your kids’ baby pictures? Let me tell you! It’s FINALLY putting those memories into a book!

My oldest son has a beautiful scrapbook. My middle son has a shoebox full of photos. And my youngest son has nothing but computer files. The sad thing is, I HAVE all the supplies to actually make a ton of scrapbooks. I just can’t find the time or motivation to drag everything out. Tell me I’m not alone!?

Anyway, when My Memories asked me to review their newest software, I couldn’t resist. Since I already have digital photos on file for child number three, I decided to jump right in and create his baby book.

One of my favorite features of the program is something called autofill. It allows you to select from a number of ready-made theme-based templates, pick out what photos you want to use from a browser window, and then click autofill.

In seconds, it nestles your pictures in the pages of a beautiful book, ready to print! (Insert the sound of Angels singing here.) I kid you not! It can be that easy.

I say can be, because if you are like me, you won’t be able to resist playing around with each page. Which is a great way to get a feel for the amazing amount of things this scrapbooking software can do!

For example, this is one of the pages in the template I chose…

(I took a screen shot of a recreated empty page, because I didn’t think about doing that before I started changing things.) Anyway, it soon became this…

And eventually became this…Lol!

As you can see, it looks nothing like the original page! Every single item on each page can be altered, replaced and rearranged in countless ways.

Can you say compulsive-creative-adjustment disorder? Lol!

I’ve got it! Even now, I’m looking at the page above and thinking…I wonder if a darker blue for the background would make things “pop” more? Or what if I used burgundy buttons instead of green flowers?

Help!!! Lol!

These are all pages from my son’s baby book which I played around with.

I seriously cannot imagine going back to physical scrapbooking. You really need to try it out yourself to see how easy it is!

The best thing is, everything you need (and so much more) is included with the software. You can make calendars, photo books, etc., even add audio and video hotspots to them. And that’s just a tip of the ice burg.

You can save them as simple jpegs and print them out yourself, or have them printed wherever you like. Here is a spreadsheet of printing prices if you have them printed through My Memories. I didn’t think the prices were bad at all, especially considering how much scrapbooking materials can cost!

Of course My Memories has tons of other template packs on their site you can download—many of them for free. But I could use this software as-is for years and never need another thing!

My only complaint was that it maxed out my processor fairly often. Which doesn’t make the changes go as quickly as I want to make them!

Wouldn’t you love to give it a try? YES??? Wonderful! You are in luck!

My Memories is giving one of my lucky readers their very own copy of My Memories Suite V3, the latest and greatest version of their software. :)

To Enter:

First entry, (mandatory, at their request) visit the My Memories website and come back and leave a comment telling us your favorite scrap kit.

Then, for Extra Entries: (these are optional)
• Like My Memories on Facebook and tell them you want to win the giveaway at Raise Them Up.
• Follow My Memories on Twitter.
• Blog, tweet or facebook about this giveaway. Each can be done once daily.
• Follow my blog. Seriously, come join us! I have the sweetest readers you could ever want to meet!

Leave a separate comment on this post for each entry. Make sure I have a way to contact you! You must enter before midnight, Friday, February 17, 2012. A winner will be posted Monday, February 20, 2012.

Even if you don’t win, or you don’t want to wait for the contest to end, you can use coupon code STMMMS17380 right now to get $10 off the software, My Memories Suite version 3. (This IS my referral link, and I am told I’ll receive a small reward each time the code is used.) I’m not big on things like this, because I don’t write reviews or anything on my blog to make money. However, I do like the software, and since they are willing to give my (wonderful) readers a discount with the code, I’m including it.

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Disclosure: I received a free copy of the software to review. However, I always give my honest opinions. :)

Creative Teenager Versus Determined Raccoons

2012-02-06T15:11:00.001-05:00

I’m sorry to bore you with another critter post, but this cracked me up.

If you’ve been following this blog for any length of time, you know that we live in the country with deer, possums, coyotes and raccoons.

Well, it would seem that a family of ill-mannered raccoons have moved into the space beneath one of our sheds. Again. Or maybe this new set of pests is related to the rascals we dealt with last year.

Whatever the case, they found our trash cans unsecured over Christmas and they have been ripping into them like clockwork ever since. They even know when it’s trash day and take their appetite to the curb. It’s INCREDIBLY frustrating. Especially for my oldest son who often has to clean it up.

Highly motivated to catch the culprits, he has been setting the trap almost every night. He uses peanut butter, peanuts, marshmallows, cat food, fish leftovers—you name it!! You would THINK that any one of these snacks would be irresistible! However, the crazy little things totally ignore the trap. Instead, they single-mindedly go for the mystery-treasures in the triple-bungeed trash cans.

Lately, my son has been hiding the cans to try to throw them off.

But all to no avail.

The raccoons find them every time.

Picking up trash in the yard has remained a daily chore

Until this morning.

As I pulled out of the garage, I had to laugh at my son’s creative new hiding place!

How long do you think the trash will stay safe here? …And I wonder what my son plans to do with the other THREE cans as we fill them, lol! Gotta love his creativity! :)

Hey, just a heads up. I’m working on a pretty cool giveaway for later in the week. If you love to scrapbook, wish you had time to scrapbook, or even if you hate to scrapbook, you will LOVE this giveaway!!!

Driving In Pea Soup

2012-02-02T11:08:00.001-05:00

Several schools had delays because of the fog this morning. But oddly enough, ours did not. This is what our bus stop looked like.

Isn’t it creepy looking?

Once we parked, we had to put the windows down so we could listen for the diesel engine of the bus. It was eerie to hear the traffic on the highway, but not see a thing!

We all had fun waiting for it to appear out of the grayness!

Three families I know are facing futures which are shrouded just as completely as the road above. Only for them, it’s not much fun. One father found himself jobless last month. The other two see the writing on the wall.

It’s a scary place to be. Unlike my carload of kids, who knew what was coming through the fog, these fathers and mothers have no idea what if anything will appear.

Will they find another job before the money runs out? Will they be able to keep their house? Where will they be this time next year, and how will it affect the children? It’s hard to face the unknown.

We’re praying for these friends. Praying they have a clear sense of God’s leading through the grayness. Praying for wisdom as they seek new opportunities. And praying for God’s peace to settle their fears until He reveals His plan.

“…For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

Jeremiah 29:11

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

Luke 12:6-7

Join me today in praying for the many families just like them across our struggling country!

For those of you wondering…Praise God for little blessings! Our new internet service is up and running!

Woe! It’s not Frosted Glass?

2012-01-30T16:24:00.001-05:00

I used to consider my kitchen one of the cleanest rooms in my house.

Then my boys got some remote control helicopters and discovered their mom doesn’t clean the high places.

They started having contests to see who could blow the most “stuff” off hanging lights and ceiling fans as they hovered their machines just above them.

Killjoy that I am, and tired of covering my coffee cup, I set up a no-fly zone and had my husband bring in the eight foot ladder.

I started with the light hanging over our Kitchen table, figuring it was the least dirty. And do you know what I discovered? It’s NOT frosted glass!! SERIOUSLY??

I’ve been living here for eight years and always thought it was frosted glass. Oh my goodness! I obviously don’t look at this light very closely! We gathered around and then started cracking up.

How could I have missed this for so long??? For the record, every once in a blue moon, I do swipe at hanging things I can reach with my cleaning wand!

The funny thing is, I had started looking at light fixtures to replace it with because it didn’t throw much light! Ha! Problem solved! WE NOW HAVE LIGHT! Lol! I like cheap fixes!

From there, my bucket and I made our way through the house to see what other embarrassing things we could find.

Please tell me a story that will make me feel better, would you? Lol!

Our Internet Update: Tomorrow, the internet service we’ve had for the last three years will be terminated. We have someone scheduled to come at noon to install equipment for our new service. We’re hoping it goes smoothly!!!

I See Normal Through The Tunnel!

2012-01-25T12:14:00.001-05:00

I’m alone in a quiet house for the first time in over a week. And no one needs me urgently. In fact, no one needs me-- PERIOD. (Sigh) It’s a heady feeling.

After a week of cleaning up vomit and worse, my close-enough-to-healthy boy went back to school today. The laundry is caught up. The bathrooms are disinfected. The house is (kind of) in order. And the floors are (pretty much) vacuumed.

So what should I do?

I’ve thought about locking the doors, lol! (And don’t tell me you wouldn’t be tempted if you had a week like I did!!)

But I’m being a big girl about it.

I’m going to hem a pair of pants that have been sitting on my desk for a month.

I’m going to eat a great big salad with lots of cheese and hardboiled egg on top.

Then, I think I’ll pick an ebook that looks good and actually start it!

And I’m going to do my best to approach the phone each time it rings withOUT fearing it might be the school nurse calling. On second thought, that’s probably too much to ask. How ‘bout let’s say I’ll answer the phone in spite of the fear?

And later, I’ll pop some chicken in the oven for dinner believing that each member of my family will come home tonight with a healthy appetite—and be totally free from fevers, bugs and toothaches.

Of course, going back to bed for an afternoon nap is another inviting option. :)

Y-A-W-N. What would you do? :)

The Bus Doesn’t Smell Like Mint?

2012-01-23T19:24:00.001-05:00

My youngest son started with a stomach bug last Wednesday. It was the kind of bug that hits hard and leaves mountains of laundry (and tired mommies) behind.

By Thursday afternoon, however, he seemed to be over it. He was playing, eating and fighting with his brothers--just like normal. And he really wanted to go to school on Friday.

So I let him.

Thirty-five minutes after I said goodbye, the school secretary called to say he had gotten sick on the bus.

“Oh no!” I groaned. “I’ll be right over.”

Visions of a seat-mate’s worst nightmare flashed through my mind. I grabbed a garbage bag to put his soiled things in, and dug out his spare coat from the closet. I briefly wondered if I should bring an extra outfit for the little boy he sits with.

Guilty thoughts bounced around in my head as I drove. I thought he was over this bug! Poor little guy! He must be a mess! Not to mention embarrassed! I tried not to speed.

When I got to the office, the secretary directed me back to the clinic.

He was sitting alone on a cot inside the door. His coat was still zipped. His gloves were neatly paired beside him. And his book bag sat on the floor by the trash can—which had obviously been pulled over in case he needed it.

“Hey buddy! How are you feeling?” I squatted down in front of him. His eyes had new shadows beneath them.

“O.K.” he said. “I threw up on the bus on-accident.”

The on-accident part made me smile. “I heard.”

I scanned his coat, jeans, shoes and gloves. There was no sign of vomit anywhere. After giving him a quick hug, I asked, “Where did you throw up?”

“I told you. On the bus.” The duh was implied.

“I know. But I mean, I don’t see anything on you. Where did it go?”

“I did get some on me, right here.” My little neat freak pointed to a dot on the chest of his coat. I almost giggled. The dot was the size of a pea.

“So you just threw up a little bit?” Hope sprouted like the premature daffodils growing in my yard. Maybe it hadn’t been as bad as I thought!

“No,” he said. “I threw up a LOT. There was a puddle on the floor this big.” He stretched out his arms like he was singing the wide part of Deep And Wide. And the hope began to wilt.

“Awe, kiddo, I’m sorry. You want to tell me about it?”

“Well, I started feeling sick after I got on the bus. So I leaned against the window and tried to get some sleep. Then a little (vomit) came in my mouth like this,” he convulsed like a cat with a hairball. “I tried to hold it in. But then a whole bunch just started coming up. And I leaned over like this.” He leaned down with his head almost between his legs to show me.

When he came up, I scrutinized his pant legs and shoes again. “But I don’t see anything on your pants or shoes.” I said, amazed.

“I know. Isn’t that great?” There was definitely pride in his voice.

“Yeah, kiddo. That’s amazing! You are like--the neatest up-chucker ever! And you didn’t get anything on your friend?” I had to ask.

“Nope. Just on the floor.” His pale little face was just short of smiling. I let go of the breath I was apparently holding.

“Were you by the window or on the isle?” I asked as I stood back up. I was still trying to imagine the scene. Assess the damage. Get a sense for how upset the bus driver would be with me for sending a sick child to school.

“I was by the window. That was a good thing, too, mom. You know why?” He didn’t wait for an answer. “Because then no body had to step in it as they walked up the isle to get off the bus.”

He had a gross--but good, mind you--point.

I picked up his gloves and book bag, signed him out of school, and walked him out to the car.

“So, what did your bus driver do?” I stretched to see his face in my rearview mirror.

“She stopped the bus right in the middle of the road. Then she came back and poured this minty-smelling stuff on it. And then she walked real slowly back up the isle.”

“Did she move you to the front?”

“Nope. But she said I could get off first when we got to school.”

Lol! I bet she did!

* * *

That afternoon my older two, who ride the same bus but at different times, came in the door complaining about how bad the bus smelled.

“You mean, it didn’t smell like mint?” I asked.

“Mint?? NO mom. The bus driver said some little kid puked in the back of the bus this morning. The whole thing stunk!!!”

“Really?” I said, and winked at my little guy. That sounds bad. :)

DVD Winner!

2012-01-20T08:27:00.001-05:00

Congratulations to Brook of Living the Life of a Frugal Trophy Wife! You have won a copy of the DVD A Mile In His Shoes! I hope you and your family enjoy it!

Garden Raiders!

2012-01-18T09:54:00.001-05:00

Get set for a rant on the overpopulation of deer in our neck of the woods.

Seeing deer in my garden would normally have me bursting out the door like a wild woman to run them off. I’ve even been know to cut through the yard with my Subaru to scatter a herd like bowling pins. Just ask the boys. They’re usually in the back seat YEEEH-HAW-ing.

But considering my garden is sleeping for the winter, I let these two does slide the other day. But look at them! They checked out every pepper cage, sniffed at every cucumber mound, and walked every row as if they were walking the isles of a super market!

And when they found the pickings slim (ha!), they wandered across our driveway, looking towards the house as if to say, “Hello in there, where’s the salad?”

Because they reek so much devastation on my garden and young trees, I’m not fond of deer at all. Like I said, if I catch them in my yard, it’s all-out-war and the chase is on! Lol!

If you can relate, and you are looking for a way to keep deer from destroying the vegetation in your yard, check out these ideas. They worked pretty well for us!

This girl came right up to the house and wandered around under my window. She checked for any flowers prematurely growing in my flower beds, and even checked to see if my red maple had any tender buds yet. Grrr.

Like I said, I let them slide today. But they better wear their running shoes if they want to dine in my yard come spring! The wild lady will be back. Lol!

Family Movie DVD Giveaway!

2012-01-17T11:35:00.001-05:00

Who doesn’t love a film about overcoming challenges?

Dean Cain and Luke Schroder star in this movie based on the book "The Legend of Mickey Tussler".

My Quick Take:

A baseball coach on the hunt for a new pitcher happens upon a farm boy named Mickey with an unbelievable arm. He is convinced that this boy can turn his team’s losing streak around. But Mickey and his family aren’t so sure. The trouble? Mickey has Asperger’s Syndrome and his parents (specifically, his father) must come to grips with letting him out from under their overbearing and overprotective care. It’s a great story!

That said, I did utter a few groans. Now, I haven’t read the book, so the film directors may be taking their cues right from it’s pages. However, I found myself cringing at the (unbelievably) harsh and unreasonable behavior of the father.

And in defense of my new home state of Indiana, the kids and I got a chuckle over the stereotyping of Indiana’s farming population. Don’t get me wrong! I totally used to be guilty of the same thing! In fact, I thought there were pig farms on every corner! Lol! However, I know better now. We did laugh out loud though at the area the coach got lost in. We wandered around the same area on the way to a soccer game once, adding a whole hour to our trip!

And I’m not at all sure what the title has to do with the story, Lol! I think I must have missed something. Have you seen the film? Did you catch it?

Still, it’s a fun movie, and definitely family friendly. If you’d like to win a copy of the DVD so you can share it with your family and critique it for yourself, here is your chance!

On Friday, I’ll be choosing one lucky reader from the comments on this post to receive a brand new copy of the DVD! So leave a comment before the end of the day on Thursday and be sure I have a way to contact you should your number be chosen. The only rule is that you must be a resident of the United States.

Good luck!!

Just added: Mari at My Little Corner Of The World is also giving away a copy of this DVD. So leave a comment at her place for another chance to win!

Fine Print: I received a free DVD copy of A Mile In His Shoes to review. However, when I agree to do a review, I share what I really think, whether good or bad. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Road Trip 2011: My Favorite Pictures

2012-01-13T15:35:00.001-05:00

Here are a few of my favorite pictures from our trip!

My three boys at French Creek State Park.

For the older two, this was the first time they remember having been here. For the youngest, it was his first time to visit.

But it really wasn’t that long ago that my husband and I remember taking these… This is me and my oldest (almost 2 at the time) on one of our many hikes at the park. It was all I could do that day to keep him away from the water. I feel exhausted just looking at the pictures! Lol!

My husband had the “cake” job of carting the middle man (3 months) around in the back pack!

My, how fast they grow!!

So anyway, it wasn’t hard to pick out my favorite pictures. My favorite guys…at one of my favorite places. :)

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My little guy, btw, looked at the older pictures this morning and said, “Mom, you look the same! How comes you haven’t changed?”

“What do you mean,” I asked.

“Daddy is all white. But you look the same!”

Lol! I better be careful how much I gloat in front of my husband. He always claims he didn’t start going grey until he got married!

Hey! I’m getting ready to post a family movie DVD giveaway early next week! So don’t forget to come back and enter!

Road Trip 2011: Catching Up With Friends!

2012-01-11T21:27:00.001-05:00

After college, I joined a Singles Group where I met some wonderful friends. Including my husband! It is always fun to catch up with those still in the area when we go east.

This time, our visit east coincided with a visit north by friends who now live in Georgia. So a bunch of us met at a local McDonalds, and in no time at all we were comparing families, telling stories and laughing till the tears ran down our cheeks. The best kind of visits!

We always pick up where we left off, and it’s almost like no time has passed.

Only, we know it has.

Because at a nearby table sat a bunch of kids that kind of looked like us. And two of those were teenagers (YIKES!). This is a cell phone picture of the “weeds” we’re all growing. :)

My three are diagonal from the middle back to the lower right. The two handsome boys on the ends belong to Mom 2 Boys (my friend who guest posted the other day). And the sweet little girl in the middle belongs to our friends from Georgia. She, by the way, did her best to keep the rowdy boys in line. And when she couldn’t, she joined them! She’s MY kind of girl!! It was fun to watch them all renew their own friendships!

Not wanting our visit to end, we migrated to a local park which was all decorated for Christmas. There, another couple from our old gang joined us and we wandered through the park laughing and trying to keep track of kids!

The neon blue tree in the middle was my favorite!

The train was cool, too. :)

It was a wonderful evening of fellowship and fun!

Is there anything better than reconnecting with good friends?? The only thing I can think of is reconnecting with good friends over ice cream—which we did when we took our party to Friendly’s to finish off the night!

Tomorrow I’ll show you some of my very favorite pictures from our trip to wrap things up.

Road Trip 2011: A Peek At Our Cabin In French Creek State Park

2012-01-10T12:16:00.001-05:00

For the next five nights of our trip, we settled into this family cabin in Pennsylvania’s French Creek State park.

It had a porch, a living room, a full kitchen and bath, and two bedrooms. A snow shovel even appeared by the front steps one morning—which, thankfully, we never needed!

My husband surprised us with Christmas lights, which he draped from window to window. They were the perfect touch to our cozy cabin! After our busy days of running and visiting, it was nice to come back and relax with a cup of hot chocolate!

One Drawback, Or Bonus…Depending On Your Point Of View ;)

While staying here, our boys went through a painful withdraw. There was no TV, no internet, not a lick of cell phone service, and not even a portable radio! HORRORS! We were absolutely positively totally unplugged. Lol! Can you imagine a set of parents doing that to their teenagers??? It’s a wonder we didn’t have child protective services knocking on our door! Of course, we did the only thing we could do, under the circumstances. We smiled and sighed, and said, “Isn’t it nice?”

The boys did have their own room with ample space to conduct LEGO Star Wars battles, though. So all was not lost. :)

And, Oooh, The Food…

Having a kitchen/dining room was nice since we picked up our favorite foods several times. Food that you (sadly) can’t get in Indiana, like…

Pizza from Antonio’s…YUM!!! (We did pizza 2x)
Country Maid’s cream filled donuts. (Between the boys and Me, we polished off nearly 7 boxes, oh the shame! Lol!)
Cheese Steaks/Hoagies from Nuse’s Deli. (We did Nuse’s 2x)
Herr’s Sour Cream And Onion Potato Chips. (I can’t even remember how many bags!)

I’ll be living at CURVES for the next few months!

And Finally, A Bit Of Personal History

French Creek State Park is actually only 5 minutes from where we used to live in Pennsylvania. My husband and I used to come here often to hike. In fact, many moons ago, we shared our first kiss on a partially submerged log on the far side of this lake--almost directly behind that island in the picture above.

As I recall, I impulsively walked out on a log and when I turned around, he was right there behind me, barring my way back to land. A kiss was inevitable. :)

So, it was fun to stay at this park while we visited with friends and family.

More on those visits tomorrow! Lord willing, that is.

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I should tell you that our internet service provider just notified us that they are discontinuing their service. There will be no more support, effective immediately. And any remaining service will be shut down at the end of January. Having just experienced the “horrors” of being “unplugged” at the cabin, the boys are utterly distraught! Lol! They’re ready to go out and build a tower themselves if that what it takes! Anyway, just thought you should know what’s up if my blog goes quiet for a spell. We’ll figure something out as soon as we can!

They Took Charge, And In The Process Changed History.

2012-01-06T15:26:00.001-05:00

Guest Post by Mom 2 Boys.

“They’re heroes”.

That was my immediate thought. But the men and women of Flight 93 may disagree with me. See, they only did what they felt they had to do on that September day. Their plane had been hijacked, and they were hearing about others that had been flown into the Word Trade Center earlier.

If I were on that plane that day, I’m sure I would have been thinking about how I would get off of it alive, so I could kiss my husband and hug my children and go on living my life. I’m sure I would have gone along with the plan because it seemed to be the best option to live, because I had no other choice.

I wonder, did those passengers think about the lives they would be saving by keeping that plane from it’s destination? I don’t know. I know I wouldn’t have. I would have been trying to save my own life.

Yet, those men and women failed in that attempt. The plane they were traveling in slammed into a Pennsylvania field and killed every one of them. I call them heroes. Maybe you do too.

If they could talk to us from that fiery grave, they might say, “but we failed.”

Heroism was thrust upon them. They didn’t ask for it; they probably would have said, “No, thank you. Pick someone else to be a hero today.” Instead, they did what they felt they had to do, because it seemed to be their only option.

But really, isn’t that what makes someone a hero? They didn't sit back and let something happen to them. They took charge, and in the process changed history.

About Mom 2 Boys

I was one of those girls who loved all things pink and frilly. My grandparents owned a beach house near the former beach house of the family of Grace Kelly. I became a big fan, and really believed that a girl like me could grow up to become a princess. I married my "prince charming", who didn't come with the official title. We became the parents to two very active boys. Now "pink" is a bit sparse in my life, although I often wear the color and enjoy listening to the pop star. My childhood didn't prepare me for the role of Mom-to-boys, so I'm learning as I go.

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Mom 2 Boys has been a dear friend of mine since college. We married men from the same singles group, and laughed as God proceeded to bless our families alternately with FIVE boys. We often joke that we could switch places and neither we nor our kids would know the difference!

I’m not done telling you about our trip. However, since her thoughts were triggered by my post about the Flight 93 Memorial, I wanted to share them while that was somewhat fresh. Her honesty in this piece is thought provoking. I have to agree with her about where my thoughts would have traveled, had I been there that day. What about you?

In the end, I believe it was God who graced these people with the courage to do something. And it was God’s grace which allowed their desperate actions to prevent greater destruction and loss of life. I agree. People rarely say, I’m going to be a hero. Rather, hindsight reveals the difference they made--often by the grace of God. Or, I guess I should say, always by the grace of God. Because His grace is always at work, whether we acknowledge it or not. :)

I’d love to hear your thoughts on what makes a hero! Has a hero ever touched your life—either directly, or indirectly?

Road Trip 2011: Day 3…An Afternoon In Chestertown, Maryland

2012-01-04T23:04:00.001-05:00

As I said in the post before, the weather was just right for a walk. So we piled in our cars and headed to the historic district of Chestertown, Maryland, along the Eastern Shore’s Chester River.

Our first stop was The Geddes-Piper House. This beautifully restored home dates back to 1783. William Geddes, the Customs Director of the region, purchased the original lot. He also worked as a merchant. Some believe that he owned the brigantine Geddes, which is known to have docked at the Chestertown harbor with tea in its cargo in May of 1774. Although little is known of the facts surrounding the oral tradition of a Chestertown Tea Party, we do know that during that month, local leaders and merchants began to put into place resolves that would eventually lead to revolution.

A merchant named James Piper purchased the lot from Geddes and is probably responsible for building the home. After changing hands several times, George Burgin Westcott bought the house in the 1830’s and added the back portion of the house which contained a small dining room. The Wescotts lived here for almost a hundred years before departing in 1910.

After that, it served as a kindergarten and then an apartment building. After many years of neglect, the Historical Society purchased and restored the home to it’s present state. And I must say, it is BEAUTIFUL inside and out.

The home now houses three floors worth of period pieces, along with fascinating exhibits and a historical library you could get lost in for weeks! The library alone contains 1000’s of items such as old maps (my husband’s very favorite things!), manuscripts, documents, ledgers, genealogies and all kinds of things pertinent to the local history. And it’s all open to the public. :)

This, by the way, is where my mother-in-law works! Isn’t she lucky?! She does a lot of research both for the society and for people looking for personal family histories. She also gives tours of the museum and of the historic district of Chestertown!

I’m getting sidetracked. Anyway, the arrangement on the front door was amazing! Who would have thought to do that with a pineapple and apples??

This was one of the bedrooms.

These two dresses were in wonderful shape!

I especially loved visiting the basement, though, which is where servants did the bulk of the household work. One side of the basement was set up as the kitchen area. Do you see that white table? I have one very similar to that which I use in my laundry room. My table came from my grandmother’s laundry room and has a porcelain top and a very small drawer in the front—complete with a glass knob.

And then the other side of the basement was where the laundry was done.

It was one of the neatest places I’ve ever visited! And I don’t think I’m being biased by my Mother-in-law’s connection to it, either! We all enjoyed our tour!

From there, she took us on a walking tour of the rest of the beautifully restored historic district of Chestertown. It was one of the highlights of our trip!

We ended down by the water. :)

From Mom Mom’s place in Maryland, we headed north to Townsend, Delaware, where we spent the night with my brother-in-law and his wife. Then it was on to a cabin in Pennsylvania…

But that’s another post!

Road Trip 2011: The Rest of Day 2 and The Morning of Day 3

2012-01-03T22:13:00.001-05:00

Once back on the turnpike, it was hard to believe we had just had a white knuckle ride over icy roads! It was smooth sailing all the way to Maryland. In fact, the weather turned a little warmer and we were graced with a beautiful sunset as we crossed the bay!

I always love bridges!

We spent the evening enjoying dinner with my husband’s family and catching a bit of the Raven’s game. Mom Mom is a pretty big fan of the Ravens. :)

In the morning, the sun was out again and the weather was perfect for a walk. So we walked down to her pier on the Chester River. Isn’t it a pretty spot? It’s nice that the boys are all old enough now that they can walk out to the dock without me worrying (too much) that one of them will fall in the water. When the boys were little, and Pop Pop was still living, he liked to take us on rides in his pontoon boat up and down the river. Sadly, the boys don’t remember too much of those trips.

It’s always fun to scour the shore and look for treasures. There are all kinds of pine cones and seed pods, and sometimes, if you are lucky, an occasional arrowhead! But no arrowheads this time.

It was a wonderful morning!

That afternoon, Mom Mom treated us to a tour of historic Chestertown and the Geddes-Piper House, where she works. And what a treat it was! Tomorrow, I’ll show you some of the neat things she shoed us!

We love visiting with Mom Mom!

Road Trip 2011: Days 1 and 2

2012-01-02T22:16:00.001-05:00

When we go east, we always travel a little more than halfway and spend the night in New Stanton, Pennsylvania. When we woke up in the morning, we were greeted with a few inches of fresh snow! Brrrr!

On our way through the rest of Pennsylvania, we decided to take a detour and go see the Flight 93 Memorial in Schwenksville. Snow wasn’t a problem on the turnpike, and we figured we had just enough time in our schedule before we said we would be in Maryland.

It wasn’t long after we exited the turnpike that we began to climb in elevation. And of course, as you climb, the weather gets colder, and it began to snow in earnest. My husband said it was no problem. But I began to doubt if we should ever have left the turnpike!

We pulled off at a lookout, and noticed our car was running very hot. This would become more of a problem later in our trip. But, thankfully, it didn’t leave us stranded here!

It was a beautiful albeit cold and blustery spot!

By the time we got to the Park, the roads were icy and treacherous. In fact, the park guards closed the front gates shortly after we passed through them because of the dangerous conditions. They would eventually have to try multiple routes to get us out!

We were glad we went, though. Our visit was a sobering reminder of one of the darkest days in our nation’s history. It was also a reminder that, when put to the test, everyday Americans rise to the occasion.

We stopped to read each informational panel on the way out to the wall.

If not for the brave men and women aboard Flight 93, countless more lives could have been lost on the ground—probably in our nation’s capitol.

This is the memorial wall.

Each panel of the wall is inscribed with the name of a person who died on Flight 93. The architects placed the wall directly beneath the flight path of the jet liner before it crashed. Only family members are allowed to pass through the wooden gate at the far end of the wall. From there, they are allowed to walk down the path to the huge rock marking the actual crash site, which was carved into the grove of massive hemlocks.

The gentleman with the cane was a local man who was giving a tour to his daughter and her family. We were invited to listen in and ask questions as he told stories and details I hadn’t heard before.

For instance: There was a recycling yard over the hill directly behind the spot from which I took the first picture of the wall above. He said there were several men working outside that day when the jet came screaming over their heads. It was traveling approximately 500 miles per hour, between 40 and 100 feet off the ground,and it was upside down. An enormous explosion followed immediately and they ran towards the wreck. But there was nothing to do. The heat was far too intense to get anywhere near the site.

He told us the plane didn’t drive deep into the ground as we had imagined. It only pushed into the ground about 15 feet. However the force of the surface explosion drove debris as deep as 40 feet.

The concussion was so great, that it cracked several windows and blew the storm door off this farmhouse …located a mile away from the crash site! We passed by the farm house on our way out of the park and couldn’t believe how powerful the explosion must have been that day.

I’m glad we had a chance to visit. And I’m incredibly thankful to the everyday men and woman who were simply going about their normal business, and in the end stood up to an evil none of us could have imagined. Their courage remains an inspiration to each one of us.

May God bless the loved ones they each left behind. May each one of them feel the bond of love and gratitude our hearts will always share.

Happy New Year!!!

2012-01-01T20:56:00.001-05:00

Guess where we watched the clock tick down to 2012?

In our living room, of course! Lol!

We had a wonderful Christmas visiting friends and family in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Delaware. But I have to say, after traveling almost 2400 miles in just over a week, it is very nice to be back home. How I missed my own bed! And all of you! I’m looking forward to sharing some of the highlights of our trip.

Eventually—hah! :)

It was just so nice to spend New Years unwinding.

And snuggling.

How was your Christmas? And how did you welcome the new year?

It’s nice to be back, friends!!

Oh Christmas Tree…

2011-12-02T23:01:00.001-05:00

This Christmas, we will be traveling east to visit friends and family in Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey and Delaware. It’s been over a year since we’ve seen them all. So we’re pretty excited!

We’ll actually get to spend Christmas morning with my side of the family, and Christmas evening with my husband’s family!

I have just two weeks left to coordinate schedules, make up packing lists for the boys, and get everyone organized so we fit into our little Subaru. It is NOT an easy task when you consider we’ll be taking our bulky winter clothes and boots. Just in case. :)

I’m almost finished with my shopping. Just a few more things to get. Like stocking stuffers for the boys. I think I’ll hit Dollar Tree. What do you do for stocking stuffers?

Anyway, Winter soccer also begins tomorrow. It’s not as rigorous as the spring season will be. But still...

And there are school activities, and the Secret Santa Shop I signed up to help with (way back in August?? LOL!) and meetings for church and… Can you relate?

I’m thinking I need a shoe horn to get any blogging in!

That said, I was really not liking the idea of pulling out our big tree and all the usual decorations. So I decided to experiment with a simpler version of Christmas.

Meet our tree this year! Lol!

The boys have actually embraced the idea. Even my little guy. :) (I love the flexibility of kids!)

I had to laugh, though, when a little friend walked in the front door, stopped, and stared at it with a quizzical look on his face.

“Is that your Christmas tree?” he asked.

“Yep,” I said, watching his face.

He was quiet for a few seconds.

“OUR tree is a lot bigger, and WE usually put lots of decorations and ornaments on OUR tree.”

He cracked me up. “Yeah, we do, too. It’s just that this year, we won’t be here for much of the Christmas season. So we’re just keeping things simple.”

“Oooh.” He smiled and nodded his head. “I like it!” he said more enthusiastically. “Especially the joker hat! …Or is that an Elf’s hat?”

Now, that’s a good question!

I heard it said once that the one who does not have Christmas in his heart will not find it under the tree.

In some ways, it is wonderful to shake things up for the kids a little bit. It helps them realize that we can celebrate Christmas anywhere, with anyone, and with or without all the decorations…

Because we have Him in our hearts!

Winner Announced!

2011-11-24T17:48:00.001-05:00

With only four entries to choose from (what’s with that??), Random.org had a winner picked in no time flat! Lol!

Congratulations to Kim at Homesteader’s Heart! You are the lucky winner! :) I hope you enjoy this album as much as I do!

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With the dishes all clean, and the leftovers in the fridge, I’m feeling especially blessed. I have a wonderful husband, the best three boys a mom could wish for, and friends in just about every state of our great country, thanks to you all.

To you, and all your little Pilgrims and Indians, Happy Thanksgiving!

Christmas Album Giveaway!

2011-11-21T14:49:00.001-05:00

Are you in the Christmas spirit yet? FFH has recently released it’s first Christmas album and I’m loving it!

Their rendition of Baby It’s Cold Outside is just plain fun. Yet my favorite song is a new one titled The Birthday Of A King. It’s a beautiful reflection on the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ.

They include a few classics, as well, such as I’ll Be Home For Christmas, O Come O Com Emmanuel, and O Little Town Of Bethlehem.

It’s a wonderful way to get in the Christmas spirit this year! You can listen to samples of the songs on Amazon (I am not an Amazon affiliate, btw). Or, you can visit their home site to learn more. Or you can just take my word for it. It’s a great album!

I’m really excited to be able to offer a free download of the album to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment on this post by 9pm Wednesday and I’ll post the winner on Thanksgiving Day. Please make sure I have a way to contact you should you win!

Fine Print: I received a free download of [One Silent Night] to review. However, when I agree to do a review, I share what I really think, whether good or bad. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Apple Butter

2011-11-18T09:05:00.001-05:00

A few weeks ago, I made some apple butter. It was actually a slow cooker recipe. But I did it a little differently, and it still came out delicious.

Instead of coring and pairing the apples and cooking them in the slow cooker, I simply washed, cut and cooked them with skins and cores in tact. Once they were mushy, I put them through my strainer. It saved me a lot of time on the prep end.

Then I added the sugar and spices to the sauce and dumped it in the slow cooker to meld the flavors for four or five hours.

It was all I could do not to eat the whole batch before it was done cooking! And the house smelled wonderful!!!

Incidentally, I didn’t have any ground cloves, so I had to get creative with a hammer and strainer. Lol! You needed to know that, right?

Apple Butter

Ingredients:

@6 lbs of apples (I used Jonathans)
2 Tablespoons vanilla
1 1/2 cups of raw or brown sugar.
1 teaspoon ground cloves (I’m going to use less next time)
3-4 teaspoons cinnamon

Peel and core the apples. Cook in a slow cooker until mushy. Then mush them up and add the spices. Cook for a few more hours.

Cut up the apples with skins and cores in tact. Cook them on the stove till mushy, adding a dribble of water to the pan in the beginning, and stirring often. Then put it through a strainer, add spices, and cook in a slow cooker for several hours.

It will keep in the fridge for a few weeks. Or you can freeze/can some. Jars of apple butter would make wonderful Christmas gifts for teachers or anyone! Just print off your own creative label and tie a pretty ribbon around the lid.

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This is the first time I’ve made apple butter, and I was delighted with how easy it was! It’s the perfect way to use up the great buys on apples this time of year. :)

Sites and Apps I Am LOVING!

2011-11-16T12:50:00.001-05:00

First, because every post is better with a picture, this was our house one morning last week. I thought it looked very Christmas-y with the green spruces, the red fire bushes, and glittering frost.

Speaking of Christmas, I can hardly believe how quickly the time is going! With a few larger than normal gifts on my gift-giving list, I want to get the best bargains I can. So I’ve been busy researching, price checking and deal hunting every chance I get.

What would we all do without the internet? Seriously! Computers, smart phones, and handy-dandy applications have revolutionized the way we live, save and shop!

Here are some sites and apps I am currently loving!

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For Great Deals… I recently came across this blog, For The Mommas, and it has become one of my absolute favorite “savings” sites! There are constant updates on deals of all kinds. Check it out! I bookmarked the site on my phone, so I think I am officially addicted. :)

On this particular post, For The Mommas lists 15 BIG giveaways. Not only are the giveaways cool, there are lots of blogs in the list that I hadn’t even heard of. More savings blogs to check out!! Woohoo!

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For Free Kindle Books… If you have a Kindle, or a Kindle App on your smart phone or tablet pc, you’ll want to visit this site often to see what new books they are offering for free download! At the moment, there are 267 of them!! Here are just a few to show you the variety. :) The Kindle Application, btw, is free.

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For Free Nook Books… If you have a Nook or Nook app on your smart phone or tablet, here is a link to books they offer for free! The list is HUGE!! The Nook application, like the Kindle app, is free. :)

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Free Library eBooks! (Did you guess I love books? Lol!) Overdrive Media Console is a free application for your computer, smart phone or tablet. It allows you to search, reserve, and download eBooks and audio books from you local library directly to your device to read at your leisure! You can learn more about it here.

I was surprised to see that there were actually tons of titles available—including current best sellers! At the end of the borrowing period, the book simply expires! No lost books! No late fees! No last minute trips to return anything! LOVE this!

You can check out compatible devices here, and see if your local library participates here.

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That’s probably enough for now!

At least now you know what I’ve been doing with all my time! Sheesh! I’m like a kid on a free candy spree! I have NO idea where I’m going to find the time to read all the books I’ve downloaded. But just thinking about the prospect makes me smile. :)

What great sites and apps are you enjoying these days?

For the record, I am not affiliated with any of these sites or links. I just think they are worth sharing with my friends!

On This Veterans Day

2011-11-11T11:09:00.001-05:00

I was humbled when this post touched so many in 2010. It’s one of the most honest and vulnerable posts I’ve ever written. I still struggle with the fears I talked about. In fact, listening to various tributes on the radio this morning, I found my heart and faith wrestling once again.

So I decided to repost this in honor of all our soldiers, and the moms who hold them in their hearts.

Soldiers, Faith, And The Heart Of A Mom

My boys, like most, love to play army. Especially my youngest. Sometimes he’s an army soldier, and sometimes he’s a storm trooper. But he’s always on a mission.

This scene out my front door struck me the other day. I’ve captured lots of pictures of the boys playing army. But something about this one made me stop and watch.

Maybe it was because I caught a glimpse of a young man 15 years from now, far from his home and family. Maybe because, in that instant, my heart ached for all the moms of soldiers far from home. Moms who will always see those soldiers as their precious little children.

In today’s world, the chances that our children will serve (or be called to serve) in a military setting are real.

Thankfully, this soldier’s mission didn’t look too dangerous. (The cats should probably watch their backs, though.)

But what about his future missions?

The truth is that we don’t know what the future holds for any of our children. Only God does. And if I’m honest with you, the thought of any of them facing dangerous missions on a real battlefield terrifies me.

And it rattles the mustard seed of my faith.

Because faith dictates that we trust God.

Trust him even with important things. Especially important things.

Like our children.

I can trust God for a lot of things. But for my children’s health and safety? In some ways that’s tough. In fact, I’ll hold on to that job until the day I die with the ferocity and tenacity of a mamma bear. Of course, I’ll pray. That’s easy.

But it is incredibly hard to turn them over to God and present them, palms up, to His care.

What if He takes them away from me? What if His plan includes a dangerous mission or battle field, or a serious illness?

I think it’s a struggle every mom faces. And many are put to the test more than others.

I haven’t been tried.

At least not yet.

Would I be able to hold my three sons out to God, palm up, and trust Him while they walk through difficult or dangerous situations? Will I?

Even though my mind knows that there is no one more capable or loving than God, I think I would struggle.

For now, at least, my little soldier’s eyes are still innocent. I still get to tuck him in at night and hold him when he cries. And I’m incredibly thankful for the safety in which we live, and the many blessings we enjoy.

But for parents of real soldiers, fervent prayers take the place of tender hugs. Let’s add our prayers to theirs.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for our soldiers.

Guide their steps. Protect them. And bring them home safely when they are done their job.

And may our faith in your loving and sovereign care be renewed every day.

Family Update

2011-11-09T09:56:00.001-05:00

As we enjoy the last of the fall color show, the holidays are gearing up backstage! I don’t know who I was kidding to think that after the fall rush, things would naturally calm down! Lol! That was a dumb thought!

Things never naturally slow down—especially at this time of year. We barely get to put down the rake before we’re swept away by the holiday train. We start making lists, searching sale ads, and filling up the calendar.

If we don’t intentionally set those things aside, Thanksgiving gets lost in the shuffle.

So that’s what I want to do today. I want to intentionally stop. To take a breath. And to just give thanks for the fall we’ve had! That, and set the stage for this month of Thanksgiving.

Things I am thankful for:

It’s been one of the most beautiful falls we’ve ever had. The weather has been warm and the colors have been beautiful!
All three boys enjoyed a great soccer season! Each of them grew in their skills and their game. We’re proud of their hard work.
The garden produced well! We now have plenty of salsa, zucchini, and peppers that will be wonderful to use over the winter!
We’ve been blessed by the fellowship of a new small group. Our study has been on “community” and how important relationships are to each of us in our daily walk.
The older boys have enjoyed our church’s new youth group format. I’m thankful they are developing some great friends!
My little guy is enjoying school and he is well on his way to becoming a great reader! I just LOVE sitting down with him to read and having him tell me, “YOU be quiet. I want to do it.” Lol!
And finally, I’m thankful that, in the midst of an uncertain economy, and an uncertain job market, my husband still has a job. There have been times where we have felt an uncomfortable amount of uncertainty. I think it’s God’s way of keeping us close to Him and seeking His direction!

What are you thankful for? What has God been doing in your life this fall?

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever.

Psalm 107:1

It’s Tradition!

2011-10-31T14:41:00.001-04:00

There are a whole bunch of things that are tradition for us around this time of year. One of them seems to be having a little soldier walk in the school costume parade!

(Every one of my boys has gone as a soldier at least once.) My little guy’s fall party was Friday, and it was so much fun to go play games with his class. I like being a homeroom mother. :)

Our own fall cookout took place on Saturday. The weather was perfect and we had a wonderful time with friends gathered around the campfire. Unfortunately, my pictures of the evening all came out fuzzy. So just imagine a whole BUNCH of people gathered around that fire pit laughing and carrying on over bowls full of chilli. :) And don’t forget to imagine a yard full of hooligans running around with flashlights and keeping the neighbors up.

This pumpkin did not get carved. He decided to deflate the morning after we brought him home! We have never had that happen before! Too funny! I guess it was all the warm weather we’ve had lately. Anyway, from the top, he looks marvelous, doesn’t he? Lol!

At our cook out, we did little “scratch off” crafts in the shape of pumpkins, ghosts and cats. When they were finished, we hung them on a tree and watched them dance in the wind. I bought them on sale after Halloween last year from Oriental Trading and I’m really glad I did! They were a big hit! (I need to remember to check their sales again this year!)

What a fun weekend!

Tonight is our annual fall hayride. I still have to get the trailer ready, but I think I have everything gathered. I’m hoping my older boys will be in a helpful mood when they get home and offer to pull the bales of straw out of the barn for me. :) Hoping is the key word! Lol!

Have a wonderful and safe time with your kiddos if you trick or treat tonight!

Fall In Indiana

2011-10-26T12:31:00.001-04:00

The other night, my husband and I spent time on the porch simply enjoying the colors of fall. The dark clouds and blue sky made the perfect backdrop for the golden leaves.

This is looking towards the pond in the back of our yard.

Here’s another view, not zoomed in as much.

Then, if you looked just slightly to the left, you would see this. Pictures never quite do the vibrancy justice. But it was pretty!

My husband has the skid loader out to replace a leaking hydraulic hose. But it’s color is perfect, isn’t it? Lol!

It was such a quiet evening. Cool and calm, and beautiful.

Of course we weren’t alone.

There is always at least one cat who insists on being included. :)

I’m so glad we added the two porches onto the house last year. We are certainly enjoying them! And this year, it will be wonderful to host our annual neighborhood bonfire Saturday and have the porches for people to hang out on as well.

In fact, I’m off to go decorate for it right now. We like to put a few fall-themed things out, along with some party lights. You have to have party lights, right?? :) I’ll try to post some pictures later in the week. We’ll see if my internet connection cooperates. It has been more down than up lately.

So tell me, what is your favorite fall decoration? Maybe it will give me some more ideas!!!

Still Enjoying Soccer!

2011-10-25T11:45:00.001-04:00

Yes, we’re still a soccer family! In fact, there are now three boys involved. :) My Little Guy joined a YMCA team this fall.

He has absolutely loved it! That’s him in the navy shirt.

We were a little afraid he might play too aggressively, since he plays like a badger with teenagers at home.

However, not to worry, he’s a totally different kid on the field! It’s a riot! We sit on the sidelines yelling, “GO GET THE BALL!!!!!” and he glances over like we are C-razy.

My older two sons have played offence on their team this fall. And they LOVE it. In the past, they have held mostly defensive positions. It has been a complete joy to watch them develop as players.

Soccer takes up a huge part of our schedule. I don’t know why I haven’t shared more pictures and stories from our adventures. Probably because they hate it when I take their pictures.

Unless I can sneak one in at practice with a zoom lens like this…

Or this! Lol!

Our Fall Break Highlight

Sunday, we went to see a college soccer game. The IU (Indiana University) men’s team played Michigan State.

My little guy looked totally adorable in is soccer shirt and IU hat.

By the time I got out my phone to take a picture, his older brother had turned my “adorable fan” into gangster. Lol!

We had a wonderful time at the game which ended in a tie!

This fellow above had my boys in awe. He could throw the ball CLEAR across the field and land it right in front of the net.

What a fun day!

The young men on those teams have worked very hard to earn their place.

I wonder if I’ll be sitting there watching one of my sons play some day… It’s a fun thought. :)

So there you have it--an update on what’s been taking the lion’s share of our time. How about you? What dominates your schedule these days??

I Dare You To Top This

2011-10-18T14:18:00.001-04:00

Or not.

I once made a candle in day camp. That makes me an expert in all things candle, right?

Wrong.

Yesterday, I melted down a jar candle to insert a new wick. I’m not even sure if that’s possible. Or if you have to use a special kind of string. Usually, I Google things like this. But, I reasoned, who needs instructions to melt wax and hang a string in it?

Um. Apparently me.

As I was removing the jar from the hot water bath, I lost my grip.

An understatement, wouldn’t you say? Lol!

It was the kind of thing where you freeze--openmouthed, and stare wide-eyed at the carnage thinking “NO I DID NOT JUST DO THAT!”

It looked like a scene from C.S.I.

All of my utensils, which were hanging on that wall, received a thick coat of wax. So did several prescription bottles, my son’s cough syrup, two plastic cups, a potholder, a pretty little basket with a fabric heart, and my grandmother's hand-painted trivet. Not to mention my hands.

The boys immediately loved it. They wanted to keep it for a Halloween decoration.

I, however, in the horrified panic that ensued, began wiping at the mess. First my grandmother’s trivet.

Then the medicine containers, cups and the pretty little basket. Ugh!

The utensils were awful. The more I wiped, the more I worked the now hardening wax into every little crevice. No doubt, we’ll be tasting “Cinnamon Apple” forever. (It’s not toxic, right?)

The wall was depressing. I took a spatula to the now taffy-like wax, scraping off what I could. Then I scrubbed at the rest with a steaming hot sponge.

Unfortunately, after an hour and a half of unplanned cleaning, a thin layer of “pink” still clings to the surface in the shape of the splatters. It will probably never take paint again. We’ll have to live here forever. Cause who wants a kitchen that’s been murdered?

You can laugh. I give you permission. I had a few giggles myself.

But how incredibly frustrating! In need of some sympathy, I posted a picture on facebook. Several friends shared tips that would have been handy to have two hours before. I’m trying not to feel as dumb as a rock.

When Hot Wax Spills (Or Covers Your Kitchen):

Put anything that fits in the freezer for five minutes. The wax will pop right off. (SERIOUSLY?? Duh. Why didn’t I think of that?)
Take a blow dryer to the wall and wipe with a hot towel.

That first one could have saved a ton of work! And I”m hoping the second one helps me complete the cleanup.

However, the biggest thing I learned through all of this, which I will now pass on to you in the form of a Universal Tip, is this:

If there is no (real) blood involved in your crisis, take a moment to post it on face book.

The comments could save you a boatload of work! LOL!

Junior High: The Often Neglected Age Group

2011-10-11T12:40:00.001-04:00

During the last year, our community has suffered through several heartbreaking tragedies involving junior high students.

One little girl committed suicide early last year.

In March, a boy brought a gun to the middle school and shot a classmate . I will never forget that terrifying moment when my oldest son called from the chaos just seconds after the shots were fired.

Then, around the start of this school year, another young girl committed suicide.

***

Across the country, this age group faces increasingly difficult situations both at school and at home. Yet, many students are left to navigate the hurtles without the guidance of a caring adult. Feeling alone, some make desperate choices with tragic results.

As a parent and as teacher, I know you can’t always tell which kids are hurting. They become masters at hiding their feelings. So in our community, parents, teachers and youth workers have been searching for ways to make connections with as many students as possible.

A week and a half ago, our church coordinated a community event we called IConnect. We held it at the local YMCA and prayed God would help as many students as possible to connect with caring adults. Adults who could make a difference in their lives.

As we planned for the event, God moved in the hearts of local business owners to provide much of what we needed. Through generous donations, we were able to provide a meal for all, Christ-centered entertainment, and lots of fun and door prizes!

Skateboarding is popular among kids in town. So, we invited a group of Christian teens from Chicago to kick off the event with a demonstration. They were extraordinary! Just so you know, this jump was successful! Lol!

After the demo, a few of these teens shared their testimonies with the crowd.

A whole bunch of young people heard that Jesus loves them for the very first time.

After the demo, leaders mingled with and guided kids through a variety of activities and stations.

Here is a picture I took of some leaders right before the event started. That’s my oldest son about to catch the football. He’s an eighth grader this year.

That sixty-foot inflatable obstacle coarse they are standing around? That was provided in part by the huge heart and generosity of my friend who rents them out. The kids LOVED it!

Another highlight was our goobligoop station. Goobligoop is what we call a water and cornstarch mixture which takes on properties no one can resist checking out! Mix it in about equal parts to make a thick syrup-y consistency. Then try punching it. Your fist can’t penetrate it. But take a scoop with your hand and try to hold it and it runs through your fingers! Keep a handful moving, and you can toss it to a friend. Take too long to throw it, and it will drip onto your feet! They had a blast with this!

After an evening packed with games and fun, we finished the night with a 40 foot long ice cream sundae trough!

By every account, the event was a success! No one was hurt. All had a great time. And the connections that were formed that evening are beginning to bear fruit! Praise God!

Reach out to the junior high kids you know. Listen, laugh and play a game with them. Your involvement could save a life!

Friday Funnies: Romantically Challenged

2011-10-07T08:46:00.001-04:00

I’m SO glad it’s Friday! Aren’t you? One of my favorite parts of Fridays is checking out Kim’s Friday Funnies over at Homesteader’s Heart. And this week, I have one of my own to share. :)

My family loves the Skit Guys! And this skit had my husband and I in stitches!

For more family friendly funnies, join Kim at Homesteader’s Heart!

Have a wonderful Friday, friends!

Five Pictures From My Bus-Stop-Run This Morning

2011-10-06T10:17:00.001-04:00

We live on a ridge, and our bus stop is about a mile down our road, just off the main highway. On our way down this morning, this was the view through the trees. I’m glad my phone takes decent pictures!

The river mist blanketed the valley under the crisp blue sky.

After we parked at the bottom of the hill, I snapped this shot through my front windshield.

My son’s friend said it looked like we were under water looking up at giant lily pads. We all laughed at the thought of a giant frog jumping through them into our world.

After the kids got on the bus, I went home. As I pulled into the driveway, I decided to turn around and go back. The sun was just enough higher that it was making the tops of the trees glow.

This time on the way down, I got a bonus. :)

Just before the big hill, a family of deer was grazing along the road. I wondered if I could get a picture before they ran. So I slowed to a stop.They looked up, and then went right on grazing. They didn’t care a bit that I was watching them!

It wasn’t until I pulled forward again that they took off across the road and into a field on my right.

I made my way back down the hill, turned around, and saw what I came back for. This is at the bottom of the same hill, looking up.

I love fall! And the color show is just beginning here. :)

How about you? Do you have a favorite season?

Do you like how I just ignored the fact that I took a mini vacation from blogging? Lol! It’s just been a crazy couple of weeks. I plan to write about some of the things that have kept me so busy—complete with pictures. Pictures make it all better, right? :)

Puff The Magic Dragon

2011-09-26T17:37:00.001-04:00

15 years ago, this wonderful friend and talented singer/song writer sang in our wedding. Not this song, though! Lol!

Sadly, we don’t see him or his family very often since he lives on the east coast.

So when his wife sent me this link to a video of him singing to his grandson, I was pretty excited!

Puff The Magic Dragon was my very favorite song growing up. I had a little 45 record that I played over and over on my suitcase record player. It was a far cry from the sophisticated video games and mp3 players my kids entertain themselves with today. But I loved my records and record player!

I had several records which were from Scholastic. They were story records.

One started out…”It was a dark, dark, night.” Or “wood”…I can’t remember! But eventually, it got to “And in that dark, dark, house, there was a dark, dark, room…and in that dark dark room, there was a dark dark cupboard...” You get the idea! I remember the man’s voice got quieter and quieter until he got to what was in “the dark, dark box.” I would jump EVERY time when he yelled “There was a ghost!” Lol!

Hey! I wonder what ever happened to that record. My boys would probably get a kick out of it. :) It’s probably melted into the shape of a fortune cookie up in the attic!

Another record told the story of a man who thought there was “Too Much Noise.” That one was fun, too!

Shoot. Now I’m going to be wondering what happened to all those records. I’ll probably be digging in old boxes I haven’t opened in eons. I’ll let you know if I find them!

I hope you enjoyed this trip down memory lane as much as I have!

And thanks R—, for blessing so many people with your music and talent!

How many of you had record players in your bedrooms growing up, and what did you like to listen to?? :)

We Have A Winner!

2011-09-25T18:26:00.001-04:00

The Winner of The Shunning DVD is…

#5! Congratulations Brenda, from Hands and Hearts For Him and It’s All Good!

I hope you enjoy it! :)

Freezer Beef

2011-09-21T14:38:00.001-04:00

We have a wonderful older neighbor who has raised beef for years. Although he sold what he had last fall when his wife’s health declined, he missed caring for them.

So we weren’t surprised when he bought two new calves in the spring.

His intention was to breed them. However, he couldn’t locate a bull. And, with the price of corn so high, he decided to take “the girls” in before winter.

“The Girls.” That’s what his late wife always called their cows. They were more like pets, than farm animals. :)

Anyway, knowing we have three growing boys to feed, he asked if we wanted to buy a side of beef! Isn’t that nice? Of course we said, “Yes!” His beef is so much better than what you can get in a store.

One evening that week, our family walked down to help him prepare. He needed to get some extra gates in place, which would help when it came time to load them up. (I think he is somewhere around 80 years old!) That’s him in the red cap and suspenders standing next to my husband.

I’m not sure if our little guy connected all the dots of what we were doing and why. However, he soon lost interest in the animals, anyway.

While his brothers helped the men, he climbed up and down the gate. :)

This past Sunday, my husband helped to load and haul the animals. Each one weighed in at around 1300 lbs!

That means that each one will probably give around 800 lbs of meat! I was glad we had decided to split our half with another friend!

When all is said and done, I think we are going to end up paying between $1.90 and $2.00/lb. We think that’s pretty good!

And we truly appreciate the sacrifice these beautiful ladies have made to help feed our family!

Have you ever bought freezer beef?

Winners!

2011-09-19T09:01:00.001-04:00

The winner of the Ginny Owens CD is:

Penny, who said, “Pick me! Pick me! LOL!”

Enjoy it friend, and let me know what you think! :)

The TWO winners of the sample [Theo Presents] DVDs are:

The Real Me! who said, “Oh that sounds really cool! Count me in my friend…”

and…

Adminswife, who said, “Such a great idea! Would love to share this with my children.” (Please email me with your name and address so I can have it shipped to you!)

Congratulations everyone! And thanks for playing along!

[The Shunning] DVD Review and Giveaway!

2011-09-18T19:13:00.001-04:00

I grew up surrounded by the Amish community in rural Pennsylvania. So whenever I read books or watch movies portraying the Amish, there is a part of me that feels protective of their culture and privacy. I think they did a pretty good job with this film.

The movie is based on the celebrated first novel in "The Heritage of Lancaster County" book series from author Beverly Lewis. It co-stars Danielle Panabaker & Sherry Stringfield.

Although I read the series years ago, I couldn’t remember much about the plot. Which is probably good. Because I wasn’t constantly comparing it to the book. Instead, I found myself just as caught up in the suspense as those who have never read the book.

What’s the story about?

A young Amish woman named Katie faces a choice between the music she has come to love, and a people who’s church forbids her to express it. It’s about love and loyalties, and the struggle to make selfless decisions.

In the midst of an already raging inner battle, Katie learns she is adopted. Her birth mother, dying of cancer, is somewhere out in the “fancy” world longing to meet her.

Katie must make some very difficult choices.

The only thing I didn’t care for in this movie, was the way the end leaves you hanging. It would have been SO much better had the movie spanned the series and offered closure. Perhaps they are going to make more movies, but that doesn’t help me now! Lol! So if you are as big into closure as I am, you might either want to skip this movie, or have the rest of the series on hand to read when you are through watching it!

For more information on this movie, feel free to visit Hallmark’s Website or the movie’s Facebook page.

If you would like to be entered in a drawing to win a copy of the DVD for your own family, leave a comment below. I will be picking someone from the comments (at random) on Friday, September 23.

PLUS…

My friend Mari (My Little Corner Of The World) is also hosting a review/giveaway of the DVD [The Shunning]. So if you want ANOTHER chance to win a copy, leave a comment on her review , too! (Out of fairness, you can only win once, though!)

Fine Print: I received a copy of [The Shunning] for review. However, when I agree to do a review, I share what I really think, whether good or bad. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

$10 in Free Downloadable Products From Scholastic Teacher Express!!

2011-09-16T10:02:00.001-04:00

You can download $10 worth of any ebooks from Scholastic Teacher Express for free when you use the coupon code 10THANKS. Since they have a ton of (really cool!) dollar downloads available right now (through 9/20), you can get as many as 10 ebooks for free!!!

I just downloaded my 10, so I know it works! I think I’m in Heaven! Lol!

Have fun picking out your treasures!

And have a wonderful weekend!

Thankful Thursday: The Braces Are OFF! (With Pictures!!)

2011-09-15T09:04:00.001-04:00

Early in June, 2009, my oldest son started his orthodontics journey. For those of you who have been reading for a while, you may remember that he needed more treatment than most. His lower jaw was set so far back that his bottom teeth were hitting the roof of his mouth.

We were pretty much aghast at the device they wanted to put on him. It was called a herbst, and this is what it looked like.

We sought a second opinion, hoping there was something less-scary looking that would help. However, they recommended the same thing.

Reluctantly, we finally agreed. As hard as it was going to be to watch him go through it, it would be far worse to do nothing. His friends had already begun calling him “Buck tooth”. The picture below was his normal smile.

Much to our relief, he adjusted just fine and wore the herbst until the spring of 2010. It was exciting when that thing came off! However, his braces remained in place until just last week.

I couldn’t be happier for him!

While he’ll wear a retainer for a while, he is LOVING his “naked” teeth, lol! (And yes, he reluctantly agreed to let me take this “after” picture for you.)

I’m so thankful we decided to do it. So often, we as parents struggle to make a choice we know will be tough on our child.

Even when we know it has to be done, and there is no other way.

I’m also thankful for a God who totally understands on a much larger scale!

Click on the picture for more thankful posts! Or better yet, share something you are thankful for on this beautiful day!

Introducing A New Animated Bible Doctrine Teaching Series [THEO Presents] and TWO Giveaways!!!!

2011-09-14T12:23:00.001-04:00

When I was 13, I worked as a summer missionary for Child Evangelism Fellowship. At the beginning of the summer, as all of their missionaries do, I went through an extensive training time. They taught me the material I would be sharing, and gave me the opportunity to practice it over and over again until I was ready to do it on my own.

The material we used made sharing the Gospel with children natural and fun.

So when I learned that Child Evangelism was partnering with White Stones Media to send children in need their very own copy of a Theo DVD, I knew it must be pretty good.

This past week, I had the opportunity to preview a sample of the series and confirm my hunch. I can see how this would be a wonderful multi-media tool.

There were two shorts on the DVD I received. One was a 5 minute clear presentation of the Gospel. And the other was a 9 minute lesson on Faith, with Abraham as the example.

Theo, as it turns out, is an animated (lovable old) student and teacher of the Bible, who lives in a cozy corner of a quaint English village. He teaches and entertains two mice, Belfry and Luther, using funny, easy-to-understand illustrations, as well as stories from the Bible.

I was impressed with the quality of the animation. It was first-rate! But when I saw the credentials of the creator, I wasn’t surprised.

Mike Joens has produced and directed scores of animated commercials for toy companies such as Milton Bradley, Hasbro, Kenner, McDonaldʼs and Playskool. In addition to commercial work, he produced and directed the animation segments for the award-winning video series “McGee and Me,” as well as the animated “Adventures in Odyssey” for Focus on the Family.

After a waiting period of over 30 years, God opened the doors to Joens for the production of “Theo Presents.” At last, the dream of a cartoonist, called to teach the Word, has come true.

It is Mikeʼs hope that God will use Theo to present the Gospel of Jesus Christ to children and adults in every country of the world!

As I understand it, the full series includes curriculum, books, DVDs and a free application for iPads and iPhones. (Now, I’m wishing I had an iPhone!!) In them, Theo will discuss doctrines about sin, Godʼs character, the Bible, salvation and godly living.

Giveaway Details!

If you would like to learn more about Theo and see a sample, you’re in luck! I’m giving away TWO more copies of the DVD sample [Introducing THEO] to two of my readers. Leave a comment on this post, and you will be entered in the drawing! Winners will be randomly picked on Monday, September 19th.

Fine Print: I received a sample copy of [THEO] to review. However, when I agree to do a review, I share what I really think, whether good or bad. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Wordless Wednesday

2011-09-14T07:19:00.001-04:00

Skirting the storm.

Don’t forget to visit Wordless Wednesday for more photos!

Also don’t forget to enter the giveaway for Ginny Owens’ brand new CD! As of this morning, there was only ONE entry! :) And all it takes is a comment on the giveaway post. ANY old comment! Lol!

Ginny Owens Music CD Giveaway! [Get In, I’m Driving]

2011-09-13T13:54:00.001-04:00

Have you ever listened to a song over and over again because it was not only beautiful, but it spoke to something deep within your heart? The fifth track on Ginny’s latest release, “Joined At The Heart” is one that brings tears to my eyes each time I listen.

As Ginny sings about her friends’ adoption of a baby girl, the words reach out and encompass the universal wonder that every parent experiences upon the arrival of their child. It’s moving. It’s humbling. It’s beautiful.

The words of the chorus go…

We are humbled to be

part of a greater story

written by the Author of

miracles

and stars,

and as this journey unfolds,

there is one thing that we know—

God has made it so

we are

forever joined at the heart.

Ginny has been blind since the age of three. So her title song, “Get In I’m Driving” made me smile. The song is a reflection of the adventure we experience when we totally trust God to do the driving. It’s catchy and upbeat, and like the rest of her songs, it speaks to each one of our hearts.

How do we respond when God says…”Get in, I’m driving”? There are only two choices: get in and let the adventure begin :), or miss the blessings that come when you walk by faith.

I’ve fallen in love with this CD. And not just the ballads. Some of the songs have obvious threads of R&B and jazz, which have been a fun stretch from the usual with me! And the more I read about the experiences and stories behind her music, the bigger fan I become.

In fact, I now have several of her CD’s on my Christmas list! [Say Amen: Hymns and Songs of Faith], and [Without Condition]. That’s if I can wait for Christmas. Lol!

Ginny Owens is a beautiful lady, with a heart for God and a stunning voice. You can learn more about her music here. Or you can join her on Face Book here.

Plus, if you’d like the chance to win a copy of [Get In, I’m Driving], leave a comment on this post! I’ll be picking a winner (at random)from the comments on Monday, September 19th.

Have a wonderful Tuesday, friends!

Fine Print: I received a copy of [Get In, I’m Driving] to review. However, when I agree to do a review, I share what I really think, whether good or bad. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Teeny Tiny Toads By The Loads!

2011-09-12T14:14:00.001-04:00

This year, we’ve had so many baby toads that at times, you just hated to walk across the yard for fear of crushing one with every step.

They were EVERYWHERE! Lol!

Mowing the yard was super tedious. Every time I saw one, (which was everywhere I looked), I had to either wait for it to hop to safety, or get off the tractor and move it to a flower bed. Because I’m that kind of girl.

And they didn’t cooperate very well.

You’d think they would. But they didn’t.

And you’d think they would be easy to catch. But they weren’t.

And you’d have to be careful, or you’d… Well… You just had to be careful.

I mean, look how tiny these things were! This little toad is sitting in my seven-year-old’s tiny little hands!

Did any of you experience a bumper crop of baby toads this year?

Unmeasured Strength

2011-09-09T11:47:00.001-04:00

On September 11, nearly 10 years ago, while many of us cried in front of our T.V. sets, Lauren Manning found herself fighting for her life.

She was running late that day as she entered the lobby of the North tower and approached the bank of elevators. Her office with Canter Fitzgerald was on the 105th floor.

It was while she was still moving towards the elevators that she felt the building move. Then, a wall of fire burst through the elevator shafts and engulfed her.

Burned over 82 percent of her body, Laura Manning fought for her life for three long months.

Unmeasured Strength is her dramatic story. Wanting desperately to live to see the face of her ten-month-old son again, she determined to do whatever it took to recover. No matter the odds. No matter the pain.

This week, as I’ve reflected on the coming anniversary of such an infamous day, I’ve been deeply touched by her story. She not only wanted to live to return to her family. She wanted to live on behalf of nearly 700 coworkers who had died.

That awful day, she had shared both the terror and the pain of the fallen. And in the weeks and months that followed, while her life hung in the balance, she felt the love and support of their families.

She could not give up. People around the world were praying for her.

So she fought fiercely to deny the terrorists even one more victory.

It’s a story every American should read.

* * *

My Own Reflections

At 14, 12, and 7, my own boys are watching the 911 anniversary coverage with a new depth of understanding.

Perhaps that’s an oxymoron. How can anyone possibly understand such horror?

Yet, Lauren’s story has powerfully reminded me that even in the face of unspeakable evil, God’s grace abounds.

There is no doubt that Lauren’s own strength and courage played a huge role in bringing her through her incredible ordeal.

However, I believe it was God’s grace that spared her life, orchestrated her transport before the buildings collapsed, and saw her through some of her darkest days.

I believe it was also by God’s grace (and not simply good luck) that her husband wasn’t lost that day. He had planned to attend a breakfast at Windows of the World, and instead, he stayed home to help a neighbor.

I’ve heard other stories of God’s grace as well.

Yes, there is undeniable evil in the world. And although evil men determined to wipe out masses that day, God’s grace rescued many.

Whether, as in Lauren’s case, He brought them out of the flames, or as in her husband’s case, He allowed circumstances to prevent them from being in harms way, the result was the same.

God’s grace gave some a second chance at life. Why those and not others? We may never know.

But for some of those people, it was the chance to go on serving God with a stronger determination and urgency. For others, it was a chance to make the decision of faith they had been putting off.

My prayer this year, as we commemorate 911, is that those events would cause us, each one of us, to look at our relationship with God.

Whether we choose to see it or not, God’s grace is active throughout our lives. Maybe not in the dramatic kind of way that Lauren experienced. But it is there nonetheless in many little things.

Do I respond to Him with appreciation for the work He does in my life?

More importantly, do I thank Him for the sacrifice He made me, as well as for every human being, when He gave His life on the cross? At enormous personal cost, He embodied grace, took my place, and made it possible for me to have all my wrongs forgiven and wiped away. He made it possible to know for certain I have a home forever with Him, no matter what befalls me here on Earth.This beautiful family has a second chance because of God’s grace. Many others did not.

I don’t know where Lauren is in her relationship with God. But I pray that He will continue to reveal Himself and His incredible grace with each new day she faces. And that if she doesn’t already, that she--and all of those touched by tragedy--will know God and feel His comfort.

Not just know God in the I-acknowledge-there-is-an-all-powerful-Being-up-there kind of way.

But in the I-have-an-infinitely-loving-savior-who-longs-to-be-a-central-part-of-my-life kind of way.

Lauren, your story and your courage are amazing. Please know that you and your family will remain in my thoughts and prayers. May God richly bless you.

Fine Print: I received a copy of Unmeasured Strength to review. However, when I agree to do a review, I share what I really think, whether good or bad. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Way Too Funny Not To Share

2011-09-02T07:22:00.001-04:00

There are Saturday mornings where our sleeping-in takes precedent over snuggle time with our little guy. Knowing he would wiggle until we got up, we sometimes have to bar him from our bed. I know, call us mean.

On one such occasion, I told him to go back to bed, or go play, or go do something as long as it was out of our bedroom.

When he was no longer inches from my nose, I assumed he had gone.

However, when I got up to go to the bathroom a little while later, this is what I found at the foot of my bed. Lol! How on earth he tucked himself into that clothes basket with a blanket and a comforter is beyond me. He IS seven, now, and nearly up to my chin.

I couldn’t resist grabbing my phone and snapping this picture.

Don’t kids just crack you up sometimes? I love this boy. I kind of wish he’d fit in my basket forever. :)

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

And don’t forget to stop by Kim’s at Homesteader’s Heart for more Friday Funnies! Oh, and link up one of your own!!

Up And Coming Reviews and Giveaways!

2011-09-01T09:06:00.001-04:00

Wait! Don’t zone out yet!!! Sometimes when a review or giveaway is mentioned, I lose readers right away.

After all, it’s much more entertaining to read about the latest first grade scandal. Lol! And it’s sometimes more fun to write about them, too!

However, I’ve accepted several requests for reviews over the next few weeks and here’s why:

It’s a great chance for our family to see new family movies, or listen to new CDs, or check out things we might not otherwise check out.
I’m actually excited about being able to get a first look at some promising new releases and tools.
AND, in many cases, I get to offer the same opportunity to one of you!

I’ll try to keep the reviews short and sweet.

But in return, you have to promise to leave a comment so I’m not making up the name of a reader to give the extra away to. Deal? Lol! Ok. I wouldn’t really do that. But it would stink not to be able to share a resource because traffic was slow one week.

And if it’s something your friends would like, tell them to come enter too, OK? Remember, Christmas is coming, and giveaways might be the perfect time to pick up a gift for a family you have on your list!

Yes, I did just pull the “Christmas is coming” card on you. But be a good sport and play along with me, will ya? LOL!

I post reviews in the order I receive them. And since I haven’t yet received these things, I’m not sure which reviews will go up first.

Reviews to look for:

Theo: A new DVD series produced by Child Evangelism Fellowship (with TWO giveaways!) (the previews look GREAT!)
Get In, I’m Driving: New CD by Ginny Owens (with giveaway)
The Shunning: DVD based on the novel by Beverly Lewis (with giveaway)
The Life Essentials Study Bible (totally new to me)
Unmeasured Strength: Lauren Manning’s story of surviving the 9/11 attacks
Courageous—The Novel, plus four other tie-in books or studies to help husbands and wives, moms and dads, and families resolve to live the life God calls them to live.
And whatever else I’ve forgotten!

Tales From The First Grade

2011-08-31T08:47:00.001-04:00

“Mom, somebody kissed someutherbody in school, today,” my seven-year-old said as he closed the car door.

“Oh, really?” I said, turning to look at him. “That’s not good.”

“No it isn’t,” he said emphatically.

“Kids in your class?” I asked.

“M-hm,” he replied.

“Did you see it happen?” I pulled out of my parking place.

“No, they were in the tunnel slide.”

“Oh.” I said glancing in the rearview mirror.

“No one should be kissing anybody else in school,” I said, hoping he would agree.

“Yeah, I know. It’s gross… blehk! And its DAAN-gerous,” he said in a grave voice, “

I stifled a laugh and made eye-contact in the mirror. “Yes it is,” I agreed.

Panning For Gold

2011-08-30T09:22:00.001-04:00

My fourteen year old son would rather I didn’t hug him in public . In fact, if I forget and reach for him, he’ll duck or wiggle or otherwise slink just out of reach (sniff, sniff).

He’s at the age where independence is in, family affection is out, and mom and dad are mostly clueless.

So, when he makes that rare (albeit unintentional) comment, which reveals some facet of appreciation, it totally ~~shocks my socks off~~ makes my day!

One such comment came last week. We were discussing the dangers of posting personal information on facebook.

He said to me, “Mom, some people are stupid. They don’t think like you.”

Did you catch that? Not the part where he called people stupid. But the part where I think he implied that I’m not one of them.

Be still my heart.

Savor the moment.

File that comment!

Then it happened again the other day as the east coast prepared for Hurricane Irene. We were saying how great it was that his uncle would be staying with Mom-Mom during the storm. Her area would be hit hard.

Thinking out loud, my son said, “Yeah, that is good. If my mom was alone, and a hurricane was coming, I’d come and stay with her, too.”

Awwe, really? Seriously? Does anybody have a tissue? What a sweet thing to say!

I think he forgot he was talking to me, his mom. Lol!

But finders keepers! Once those little gold nuggets leave his mouth, they’re mine to keep and tuck in my heart. :)

I’m proud of the young man my son is becoming. I probably don’t say it nearly enough.

Some Things Don’t Change

2011-08-29T10:15:00.001-04:00

In 2009 I posted a beautiful poem called “Big Brother” along with this picture.

The poem talked about how much a little brother looks up to his big brother.

BIG BROTHER

My little eyes are watching

All you say and do

And when I grow up big and tall

I want to be like you

My little ears are listening

To everything you say

I am learning how to grow up

To be like you someday.

So, be careful how you teach me

To be the person that you are.

You're a night in shining armor

You are my shining star.

-Author Unknown

Why am I reposting this?

A few weeks ago, we took a hike at a local park, and I snapped this grainy picture with my cell phone. I saved it because of the eyes. Look at those little eyes, still watching.

I think it will always be this way. No matter what the age. Big brothers carry a huge amount of responsibility simply because of the birth order God has placed them in. Fair or not, it’s just the way it is.

I’m super thankful that my little guy has such awesome big brothers to look up to! Even if those big brothers no longer like having their pictures taken. :)

A Beautiful Song

2011-08-25T08:42:00.001-04:00

Genny of My Cup 2 yours posted this Monday and hearing it was just what I needed. I hope it blesses you, too. Enjoy!

You are beautiful!

What Shall I Cook???

2011-08-23T09:41:00.001-04:00

Do you ever go into Goodwill looking for something specific and come out with something totally different? To me, that’s the joy and bane of Goodwill Shopping. You never know what they’ll have on any given day.

I went into Goodwill yesterday looking for a particular book, and came out with this George Foreman Jumbo Grill. I felt like a total thief! Lol! You can’t see the price, but it says $5.99. Do you know how long I’ve been scouring Craigslist looking for one of these??

When I saw that thing on the shelf, I went into crazy shopper mode. I immediately plugged it into the test outlets and parked my cart in front of the shelf. No way was I letting someone else snatch it up! I stood right there and almost (almost, mind you) giggled when I saw the display light up and felt the heat pouring on. :)

And this one is huge!

I’ll be able to cook at least eight decent size burgers on this thing if I place them just right. But even if I need more, it will only take minutes. right?

Last night I cooked steak on it and was tickled with how evenly it cooked them.

But now I need ideas. Lots more ideas! What would be good to cook on my new grill?

Tire Swings!

2011-08-22T16:55:00.001-04:00

When I was a little girl, I spent hours on our tire swing. It hung from a branch about half-way up on the old gnarly walnut tree by the crick.

With a of couple hefty pushes, dad could have me sailing out over the crick in a lazy twist that had me whooping with delight. Most little girls might giggle or squeal. But I was more of a tom-boy. :)

I can remember spending hours on that swing with the little boy my mom babysat. One of us would be on the swing. And the other would be pushing, or throwing walnuts into the pond on the other side of the crick. We had so much fun!

Well, a couple of weeks ago, I shared with you a picture of my youngest son in a friend’s tire swing. My boys all thought that swing was awesome and it brought back tons of fond memories. So I asked my girlfriend where she got the tire, and she offered us one just like it that they weren’t using. How awesome was that?

My husband and I walked the yard, looking for a good spot, and settled on a young oak in the back yard.

Then we went to Lowes and found a rope with the kind of braid that doesn’t come apart when twisted. My husband called it a Sampson braid.

When I did a search on what kind of rope to use on a tire swing, many sites said to use a thick rope (obviously!). But none addressed what kind of braid to look for—and what not to use.

And to us, the kind of braid is just as important as the strength of the rope. You DON’T want a braid (like the one on the left) that can come apart or untwisted as the swing spins, leaving gaps. A child could get part of his body caught in the loops--which could be serious—or even deadly. I know of a young family who lost a son because he became entrapped in his tire swing. And it will always break my heart to think about.

The rope on the right is what we chose.

Since it stays nice and shady where we hung the swing, the boys and their friends can enjoy it even when it’s steaming hot. Sometimes two at a time! :)

They love to spin.

Sometimes they get to spinning so fast I don’t know how they can stand it!

They are busy making memories. :)

What is something you have fond childhood memories of doing when you were little?

The Grace Card DVD Winner

2011-08-19T09:19:00.001-04:00

Congratulations to Miss Sarah! You have won the DVD Grace Card!

I hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Mob Mowing

2011-08-18T22:25:00.001-04:00

We’ve been cracking up our neighbors lately. (Probably over more than we know!!) However, those neighbors freely admit that they’re jealous. :)

Over what?

Our mob-mowing. The two older boys and I all head out at the same time to tackle the lawn. A job that used to take me 5 hours to do alone--takes just over an hour with all of us working together!

It gets a little crazy when we all converge in the front yard. But it makes it that much more interesting trying to find the last patches of tall grass without running into someone. Or something. :)

Sometimes, my husband even gets on his mower to join us.

No wonder people laugh. WHO has FOUR lawn mowers? ALL mowing at the same time? Our redneck addiction to lawn mowers is showing, isn’t it?

The only casualties of our mowing-mayhem have been several flowers, one small evergreen (don’t tell my husband) and a slithering snake who slithers no more.

But seriously, the boys may not always feel like going out and helping, but they have done a great job! And I really, REALLY appreciate it.

Mowed-down flowers and all.

There is something very rewarding about working together as a family. Sure it’s helpful to us. But it builds and reinforces a good work ethic in them as well. What better way to learn responsibility than to work side by side? Plus, these guys can be a hoot. Incidentally, don’t they look like twins in this picture? My middle man in the back even said, “Hey, how did you get two B---’s in the picture?” -–referring to his brother. Lol!

‘The Grace Card’ DVD Review And GIVEAWAY!!!

2011-08-15T21:39:00.001-04:00

This is one of the most powerful movies I’ve seen in years! It is both deeply touching, and inspiring.

It’s the story of two men and their families. One man’s tragedy drives him to fill his heart with rage and hatred, causing his family to fall apart. The other man’s calling asks that he offer grace and forgiveness to someone who hates him—something he struggles to do.

Although there are several intense scenes (it is PG13), I didn’t feel it was too much for my 7 year old. In fact, it has given my husband and I a great opportunity to talk about the importance of offering grace to those around us—even those who hurt us. Not because they deserve it.

But because God offers it to us and it is the right thing to do.

The theme of grace and forgiveness is so skillfully and compellingly woven throughout this film, you can’t help but be inspired. What if we all offered the kind of grace shown in The Grace Card? --Even to those who hate us? Or to those who look or act differently than us? It could literally change lives.

The Grace Card (HD Trailer)
- YouTube

We thought it was a great film!

And the best part? Leave a comment on this post and you will be eligible to win a FREE copy of the DVD for you and your family to enjoy! The winner will be chosen (using Random.org) and announced this Friday.

If you are interested in a more detailed review, PluggedIn has a great one posted. You can also learn more about the film here.

Fine Print:

I received a copy of ‘The Grace Card’ DVD free of charge to review. However, when I agree to do a review, I give my honest opinions, whether good or bad, no matter the offer. Because I know you want the truth! :) I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

A Beautiful Sight!!!

2011-08-12T23:01:00.001-04:00

After 22 straight days of over 90 temps, and not a drop of rain for even longer, you couldn’t cross the yard without stirring up dust. So when the corner of a storm actually delivered this downpour, we were pretty excited.

In fact, when we heard the rain on the roof, we all bolted to the porch to see if it was really happening. The boys danced in circles and let it soak them to the bone. I would have done the same, but someone had to snap a picture! :)

Rain just isn’t something we take for granted anymore.

We’re supposed to get storms tomorrow. In fact, the forecast said we have a 70% chance of strong thunderstorms. That’s a better percent chance than we’ve had all summer!! I hope they’re right! We can use every drop we get.

We won’t be here to see it, though. We’re taking the boys on one last day trip before School starts next week.

But I plan to put a bucket out so we can see when we get home if we got any rain.

Is there anything you find that you don’t take for granted anymore?

Have a great weekend, friends!

A Quote For Today

2011-08-11T09:55:00.001-04:00

"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be
tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to
work, instead of living on public assistance.”

Cicero - 55 BC ( Extremist -- Must be a Tea Party member!)

A friend posted this on her facebook status and I couldn’t resist sharing it! :)

Have a great Thursday!

Mirror, Mirror…

2011-08-09T17:19:00.001-04:00

Our pastor’s sermon this week was entitled “American Idols—Preventing good things from becoming God things.”

It’s easy to marginalize idolatry. Since there are no statues in our closets, and our living rooms are alter-free, we’re good, right?

But what about our hearts?

Unfortunately, forms of idolatry can (and do!) exist today—even in well educated and modern hearts, and we needn’t travel to tribal villages to see it. We simply need to look in a mirror, and ask ourselves some questions.

And this is where Pastor Ken challenged us to go beyond the obvious.

What do we run to for refuge? In what ways to we try to find peace of mind? And where do we retreat to when we want to feel safe?

Could it be an area of our lives where we feel we do pretty well in? Where people rarely criticize us? Where we like to be involved because it’s a “safe” haven for us?

I hadn’t thought of it like that before.

I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.”

Psalm 91:2

Have I let talents or gifts become my refuge? My place of fulfillment? My means of validation? Good question.

Dear Children, keep yourselves from anything that might take God’s place in your hearts.

1 John 5:21 (NLT)

I’m not sure if I conveyed the idea properly. But what do you think? Is it possible to use our gifts and talents in such a way that we rely on them for things God wants to provide?

Obviously, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around it. :)

It’s thought provoking—and I’d love to hear your thoughts!

Birthday Fun!

2011-08-03T14:52:00.001-04:00

My little guy turned 7 yesterday! Can you believe it? Of course you can. You’re not in denial like me. :)

He had his best friend from school over for the afternoon.

Both boys are shy. However, I think my guy takes the prize! For the first hour, trying to get him to show his friend around and play with things together was like trying to stuff a cat in a pet carrier. His mom and I were cracking up. We KNOW they were inseparable at school last year. And they ask to get together ALL the time!

Too funny!

They were really only just starting to talk and play together three hours later when it was time for him to go! And, of course, then they begged for more time!

Later, we had the family birthday party where he got to open his presents. This poster was a big hit.

And so was a LEGO Star Wars ship which his big brother had preassembled for him. He was absolutely THRILLED!

For three years, I’ve been referring to him as my “little guy” here in blog land. But he’s growing so quickly, I may have to come up with a new name!

Until then, I’ll just have to find ways of making the “little” part work. :)

Like, posing him strategically.

I think even I would look “little” next to these sunflowers!!

In The News!!

2011-07-29T09:55:00.001-04:00

My little guy made the front page of the sports section a few weeks ago for his sheer enjoyment of soccer camp. It was his first official experience with soccer. But I doubt it will be his last! Look at his face!

What do you think? I see more soccer practices being added to my schedule in the near future…

It was fun to celebrate his “stardom” even though he hated all the fuss people made over his picture.

Ah,The Pitfalls Of Blogging…

2011-07-26T22:30:00.001-04:00

After drooling all over the pictures of my friend’s birthday peanut butter pie on Homesteader’s Heart, I had to ask for the recipe.

And then I had to make it.

And after I gave the boys each a teensy weensy piece, I dished myself up a rather large piece on the sly.

Later, I had to come back for more because—well—just because.

And when I got up at 2 in the morning for a drink of milk, I had to eat a piece of the pie that was sticking out funny.

Had to, mind you.

It seems I’m totally powerless to resist it.

Even now, the quarter of the pie that is left in the fridge is calling to me.

No one on face book can answer my question. So I’ll ask you.

Why can’t broccoli call to me instead?? Lol!

You should try this pie. Seriously. It is DE-licious!!!

Thanks, friend, for giving me five more reasons to go back to CURVES this fall! Jeesh.

The Winner of Robert Pierre’s New CD Announced!

2011-07-26T20:28:00.001-04:00

O.K. With only three entries (TWO if you don’t count Mari—who was hosting her own giveaway!), random.org had it pretty easy! Lol! It must have been a slow week, or lots of friends must have been away from their computers. That’s all I can figure. Because how else can one explain how few people took advantage of the chance to win some great music?

Anyway, congratulations goes to Penny! I hope you and your family enjoy it as much as I have!

Contemporary Christian Music CD Giveaway!

2011-07-24T14:31:00.001-04:00

Robert Pierre is a talented 18 year old artist who’s third studio album I’m All In is set to be released on July 26.

I’m convinced his heartfelt lyrics and beautifully performed songs are going to have a positive impact for years to come!

You can listen to samples of his music here and see if you don’t agree.

The folks who provided my copy to preview have graciously set aside a copy for one of you, too! Simply leave a comment on this post. I will draw a winner from the comments on July 26, the day I’m All In is set to be released.

Now leave a comment and make sure you are entered to win! Any old comment! Lol!

If you win, I’m positive you or someone you know will enjoy the CD!

Then, if you really REALLY want to win, hop on over to My Little Corner Of The World where my friend, Mari, is hosting another giveaway for this same CD!! Two chances are better than one, right??

Fine Print:

I received a copy of I’m All In free of charge to review. However, when I agree to do a review, I give my honest opinions, whether good or bad, no matter the offer. Because I know you want the truth! :) I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

One Of Our Favorite Games

2011-07-22T14:38:00.001-04:00

How can you go wrong with a card game all about an auto race when you are trying to entertain boys indoors out of the heat?

Mille Bornes (translated “thousand milestones”) was one of my favorite games growing up. It’s an imaginary cross-country race through France where you race your opponent to lay down 1000 miles in cards.

The best part is being able to sabotage your opponents by playing a flat tire, out of gas, accident or stop light on their hand!

You should see my boys high-five each other when one of them puts me out of commission. It’s not right. Seriously not right.

Yesterday, they kept me to a measly 50 miles the whole stink’n time. Lol! You really have to have a sense of humor. :)

The game we have is extra special because it is one of the original games published in 1961. It belonged to my mom’s parents and has my grandfather’s shaky handwriting on the box.He wrote notes on nearly everything he owned about who gave it to them, when, and for what. My mom’s sister gave them this game as a Christmas present in 1967.

It’s fun to look at the old score sheets on which they recorded notes from the last game they played. I love imagining them playing this game before I was even born!

You can still buy the game today. I did a quick search on Amazon and saw several versions listed.* If you have never played it, it’s a lot of fun. It only takes about ten minutes to learn and can provide hours of family fun!

I whole-heartedly recommend it!

*I’m not an Amazon affiliate or anything. I just thought I’d include a link to this fun game. You might be able to find a better deal elsewhere.

Are You Surviving The Heat??

2011-07-21T15:17:00.001-04:00

We recently discovered that McDonalds has a 49 cent ice cream cone! That means all five of my tribe can enjoy cones for just $2.45 plus tax! And believe me, we’re taking advantage of the cheap treat every chance we get! You are aware, aren’t you, that all roads lead past McDonalds? Lol! (Doesn’t this cone look like Junior Asparagus from Veggie Tales?)

Today the forecasted high will break 100 degrees. Even swimming at our neighbors’ pool can offer no relief. With the water no cooler than the air, we quickly decided yesterday to head back inside.

Not that we didn’t appreciate the invitation!

But jeepers!

It’s hot!

So, we are playing lots of games. Not video games, mind you—they add way too much heat to the area we are trying to keep cool. But mostly card games. I hope to do a post later and show you some of our favorites. Some of them came from my mom’s mom.

Speaking of my mom, I haven’t heard anything new today. However, last night, she was pretty frustrated with the lack of sleep she was getting in the hospital. You know how noisy it can be all through the night.

Anyway, she was to be transferred sometime today to the rehab center. And as luck would have it, AT&T has decided to disconnect our land line for some reason. Even they can’t tell us why. Though they promised to send someone out to check it next Tuesday. How can that be right?

Anyway, I need to make a trip down the road and find enough signal to call Dad on my cell.

Stay cool friends! And thank you so much for your prayers for mom! I’ll let you know when I know more.

Knee Replacement: Update on Mom

2011-07-19T12:29:00.001-04:00

Mom’s surgery took 82 minutes and went well yesterday. However, soon after her transfer to a room, it was discovered that her pain med pump was not working. She spent two hours in excruciating pain while the nurses traced the lines, worked with the pump and ultimately had to page the doctor and request he order something else from the pharmacy.

The whole time, unfortunately, she was also nauseous and vomiting.

I spoke with her briefly a little bit ago and she sounded understandably tired, but good. The physical therapist had been in to move her knee a little, but as far as I know, she has not been up on it yet.

Since my brother and his wife had just arrived, I kept the call brief and promised to call again later.

So from what I’ve gathered so far, the prayer requests are these:

That the nausea would go away and she would be able to keep something down.
That she would be able to tolerate the pain when she is eventually stood up.
And that she would be encouraged by each step she takes as progress.

Thank you all so much for your prayers and notes of encouragement! It is hard not to be so far away. But I know God has her in the palm of his hand. :)

Prayer For My Mom

2011-07-18T08:49:00.001-04:00

As I type, my mom is in surgery getting a brand new knee. And I’m praying all goes well.

When she was a little girl, she and her sisters often rode the train into Philadelphia after school from their suburban home in Paoli, Pennsylvania. Her mother worked in the city, and her older sisters were in charge until she got off work.

Obviously, things were different back then. But it was still a busy city. And one day while trying to cross the road alone, she was hit by a car.

Her leg was badly injured and doctors didn’t have the kind of equipment they do today. They had no way of knowing how much damage was done to her knee. And even if they had, I’m not sure what they would have done.

In fact, no one knew until just a few years ago when she fell at work. The tests she underwent showed that several tendons were simply gone. She had favored that leg all those years for a very good reason!

There is never a good time to undergo knee surgery. My dad depends on her to help him with some of his most basic needs. However, the doctors finally told her, it is now or never. You need to decide.

As scared as she is, I’m so glad she chose to have the surgery. I know that her recovery will probably be much more difficult than it is for most. But I’m proud of her decision. And I know Dad will do just fine.

Pray for the doctors and their wisdom. And pray that Mom will do better than anyone could hope. I won’t know anything until this evening. But I’ll keep you posted.

Thanks, friends!

A Slice Of My Day

2011-07-14T12:47:00.001-04:00

Usually I bring an idea to the computer. But this time I thought I’d type on the fly--because windows of quietness don’t wait for fully formed ideas, right?

I know, it’s probably reaching too far to write two posts in one week with three boys in the house. But at the moment, all three are occupied elsewhere in the house.

The squeak of my chair usually calls the boys to stare over my shoulder, and ask what I’m doing, and pull up a stool. Their goal? Either hijack my computer, or hang out until I give up.

I spoke too soon.

My little guy is heading my way. I’m sure he’s hoping to catch me looking up LEGO sets on Amazon for his birthday. Hah!

However, this screen doesn’t seem to discourage him.

He is now climbing up my back and wedging himself between my back and the chair while I type. And blocking the air from the fan. That air was feeling good, too.

My 13 year old just pulled up his stool to my right. Do I know my kids??? Lol!

Sigh. It’s not easy to type with a boy draped across your left shoulder.

“You are soft like a puppy, mom.” My little guy has his cheek mushed up against mine. His chin on my shoulder. I hear a chuckle from the peanut gallery on my right.

“Hmm. A puppy, huh?” :)

“You’re warm, too. Do you know that, Mom?

Sigh. I’m glad I didn’t have anything important to post about.

“…MOM! I said you’re warm.”

“No, actually, I’m hot, and sweaty.”

“Mom, click on that.” My oldest says, pointing to a slip of a window sticking out in the corner. “I want to see what that LEGO set looks like up closer.” It’s an attempted high-jacking in progress.

“Not right now.”

“What? You’re blogging? What are you writing about?” And here would come the staring over my right shoulder.

“It’s rude to read over my shoulder.” I remind him.

“Oh. Sorry. When you’re done, can you click on that picture?” He grins big. Like that will work.

“You have a lot of freckles.” My little guy is now running his finger up and down my arm. “In fact, I could point just about anywhere and be right. on. one.” You should hear the amazement in his voice.

All right. He’s examining my arm like it’s crawling with bugs and he’s cracking me up.

“Here.”

“Or here.”

“Or here.” He has now crawled around to my my lap and is pointing to my nose, his face inches from mine. Typing blindly is not something I like to make a habit of doing. Lol!

“Mom, can I have a fudge round?” That would be my 12 year old calling from the kitchen.

Umph! My little guy is sitting on my bladder full of diet coke. Yep. Not good.

“Mom, want to play a game of Mile Bornes?” My 13 year old is now pacing in boredom to my right. Obviously, waiting for me to get done.

This is my life, friends. :) Full of half thoughts, distractions and hijackings. And hardly a complete thought to be had.

I only have about one month left before the little guy in my lap heads off to school for first grade. He’ll be gone all day every day. Just like his big brothers. Sigh.

I think I’ll go play another game of something with the boys.

Blogging something deep can wait. :)

What’s filling your summer days??

Fast And Easy Homemade Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker!

2011-07-12T11:42:00.001-04:00

Looking for something to do with your kids or grandkids to pass the hot summer days?? Try this homemade ice cream! It’s easy, mess-contained, and yummy!

What you’ll need:

2 Tbsp sugar
1 Cup half and half (The only thing I needed to go buy)
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup coarse salt (we used table salt!)
Ice cubes
and two ziplock bags

Combine sugar, half and half and vanilla in a quart-sized bag and zip it up.

Fill a gallon sized ziplock half full of ice, add salt, and place the first little bag inside with the ice. Seal the big bag and shake for about 5 minutes! You will feel the ice cream begin to harden. :)

Enjoy the process and see who thinks to run for gloves first, Lol!

And when it’s done, you can remove the little bag, rinse it off and eat it right out of the bag!

Or you can squeeze it into a bowl and add your favorite topping!

Which for us, means fresh peaches! Yum!!!!!

A Tempt My Tummy Tuesday Link-up. :)

Wordless Wednesday

2011-07-06T12:33:00.001-04:00

A Wordless Wednesday Link up.

Happy 235th Birthday USA!

2011-07-04T12:27:00.001-04:00

Last night we had a fun celebration with friends and neighbors.

There were tons of firecrackers. Lots of sparklers. A few big bangs and lots of laughs.

Note my little guy silhouetted with his floppy army hat in the foreground. While everyone else picked red, white and blue, he chose his army clothes.

(It made it a challenge to keep track of him, as you can imagine!)

But everyone had lots of fun!

There is so much in our country we take for granted. This is the perfect time to reflect on the many freedoms we enjoy. Thank you to everyone who serves and has served in our armed forces to ensure that we (and others) experience that freedom!

Have a fun and safe holiday, friends!

A Robin Moth In Our Own Front Yard!

2011-06-26T19:41:00.001-04:00

We love finding odd or unusual critters in our yard. The other day, my middle man spotted this beautiful moth on the trunk of a dogwood tree. I must have taken a thousand pictures of it! I just couldn’t get over how BIG its body was (easily two of my thumbs wide!) Or how furry! Or colorful!

Or beautiful!

I came in and looked it up online. As far as I can tell, it is a Cecropia Silkmoth, North America’s largest silkmoth, commonly called the Robin moth.

In my research, I found a few interesting facts.

Did you know…

The adults do not feed. (We were wondering what they ate as we were taking pictures.) Once they reach the moth stage, they live only long enough to mate and lay eggs and then die. They actually have only rudimentary mouth parts.
In a few weeks, the eggs, laid on the favored food plant, hatch out into their caterpillar form (silk worm).
The caterpillars feed fore several weeks, then spin silky cocoons on twigs. They then spend the Winter maturing and waiting to emerge as beautiful moths in the spring or early summer. So there is only one generation per year to come out.
Host trees include box elders, sugar maples, wild cherries and plums, apples, alder and birch, dogwoods, and willows.
They range from Maine to Florida, and from the eastern United States to the Rocky Mountains.
The population of these moths is actually very secure. You just rarely see one!

The day after we spotted our moth, I sat down to write this post. And I got to thinking…darn, I didn’t actually measure it to see how big it really was. I wonder if it is still out there?

So I picked up my ruler and headed out to the dogwood tree.

I looked around the base of the tree and was sad to see it had flown away.

But as I was turning to go, I scanned the top of the small tree and did a double-take. Our beautiful moth had simply flown to a higher perch.

And she had company! Lol!

I say she, because (now that I could compare an obviously male and female couple), I could see that the newcomer was definitely the male. He was smaller, and he had huge antennae (which I read could help him locate a female from up to a half mile away!!!)

I didn’t want to disturb them. However, I really wanted to get some pictures to compare the two.

Note the male on the left. You can see that his antennae are noticeably wider.

Here he is up close.

Compared to the female, below.

Still. She was larger in every other way and definitely the beauty queen in my opinion. She looked as soft as a newborn kitten! :)

In this last picture, you can kind of see how much larger she was.

I never did measure her. Lol! But she was as big as my hand spread wide. Trust me.

God certainly created some beautiful creatures, didn’t He?

Walk For Air

2011-06-23T00:15:00.001-04:00

My family recently had the privilege of doing a 5K to raise money for the American Lung Association.

The date of the walk fell on the one year anniversary of the passing of my dear friend’s mom, who died of lung cancer. It made the event even more special for her family!

Doing the walk was the perfect way to remember Joanne and support her family. It felt good to do something positive in her honor and actually help fight the disease that took her life.

This is my friend’s team. She is in the very middle. My husband and I are on the right in the back, and my three boys are down in front with my friend’s son.

The day was very hot and humid, and I have to admit, I wondered how my crew would make out. (Me included!) But everyone did a super job! Even my little guy! Although the one picture I took shows him hitching a ride with his big brother, he walked the lion’s share of it all by himself!

I was so proud of the boys. And happy to be a part of it myself. It’s something I think we would all like to do again.

My friend’s team raised over seven hundred dollars and had a wonderful time together.

Have you ever done a walk?

Homemade Tomato Cages

2011-06-20T15:19:00.001-04:00

Years ago, we bought a few tomato cages. The ones that didn’t fall over in wind storms, soon broke apart, and we didn’t bother replacing them.

The last couple of years, we’ve “tied up” our tomatoes, which you have to re-do often as the plants grow.

This year, we decided to make our own tomato cages using galvanized cattle wire. The squares are large enough that we’ll be able to pick tomatoes through the holes. And because the wire is heavy duty, we figure the cages will last forever!

Cutting and bending the wire is no easy task! I still have marks from the blisters to prove that I did my share! :) However, we worked as a family and managed to make about 22 of them using the spool of wire we had on hand.

Most of them were 9 squares around, but a few of the last ones we did were a little smaller. Our neighbor made some of these years ago, and he puts the bottom square or two down into the dirt to keep them secure and upright. We simply drove in stakes to tether them to.

After we put cages around all of our tomatoes, I was happy to still have enough to use with our cucumbers! I can’t wait to see how they work for us! And this morning, I noticed a few inch-long cucumbers! It won’t be long now!

I’m especially excited about the prospect of not having to do a lot of “tying up” this year! It will give me more time to play with my cell phone! Lol!

How is your garden growing this year?

One Of My New Favorite Things!

2011-06-13T10:48:00.001-04:00

Guess who has a new HTC Inspire? That’s right! Me! And I absolutely love it!

The screen is almost twice the size of my Back Flip, and it is crystal clear and snappy to boot! It has all the applications I’ve come to enjoy with an android, and an 8MP camera that takes beautiful pictures.

Although I know it’s not nice to brag, can I just say that my husband has phone envy? Lol!

One of my favorite features is the list of effects you can use with the camera. The Depth of Field effect allows you to blur the edges and focus on whatever you like. Here’s my little guy eating lunch after field day.

This was down at the bus stop on the last day of school using the same effect. You can pull the focus circle in tight on one thing and blur the rest. Or you can enlarge the focus circle and blur only the edges. I was experimenting with the size of the focus circle. :)

It’s been fun taking pictures of just about everything. Here’s one using the Black and White feature. (Doesn’t he look like an imp?)

I love having a good camera on the phone—because I always have it with me. And I can take candid shots like this one one--which I took on the way home from a soccer tournament.

I was lucky enough to snag this phone upgrade while they were still having all kinds of specials. Although I missed the sale where it was FREE with upgrade (shoot!), $29 was still well worth it!!

If you are looking for a good Android and have AT&T as a carrier, this is a really good pick!

So, have you gotten any new toys to welcome the summer?

Before and After Pictures of The Bathroom Makeover

2011-06-03T09:15:00.001-04:00

Sorry it took me so long! Like everyone else, I’m swimming in end-of-the-school-year-activities. :)

This is pretty much the bathroom of our boys’ bedroom before:

The walls were a buttery yellow—a pretty color, actually. But there were holes in the walls from overzealous towel hanging. Um, yeah. I’m sure that’s it.

After patching all the holes, I decided to paint the room a light grey/blue to match the bedroom.

The vanity was sad. The wood finish was in bad shape and the hardware was rusty and outdated. (I forgot to take the picture with the hardware.) But, trust me, the whole thing definitely needed something!

In the end, we painted it a light grey to match the walls. The dark grey accent color is the same grey I used to paint the crown molding in the bedroom. So it ties in pretty nicely.

Walmart had these door pulls. Do you think Sabrina Soto would approve? Lol! I love her show, by the way! She is SO clever with her home staging tips!

I decided not to replace the towel bars or toilet paper holders. I wasn’t anxious to patch more holes anytime soon!

So, instead, we (mostly) wandered Walmart’s bathroom decor isle looking for ideas and picking out a few things:

We found an inexpensive toilet paper holder which fits over the tank and under the lid. Works for me!
We picked out a pretty set of over-the-door hooks to hang on the side of the shower stall. And actually, I think the placement is more convenient than where the previous towel bars were.
We found an inexpensive sticky-backed hook to apply to the mirror. It’s now a simple and functional hand towel hook.
We picked out short black curtains to match the long ones in the bedroom.
And as a final touch, we swiped a black bath rug from another bathroom.

I would still love to frame or replace the mirror. But for now, it’s fine just the way it is.

And I’m moving on to the last bedroom. Well, I will be after the boys get out of school for the summer. Monday is their last day. Sigh. :)

This year, I’m more anxious than the boys (if you can believe it) for school to be over! Can you say SLEEP IN? Lol!

What projects do you have planned for the summer?

Do You Have An eReader?

2011-05-26T12:12:00.001-04:00

No one in our family has a dedicated eReader. Not yet, anyway.

But, I recently discovered that ChristianBook.com has free (sample) eBooks that can be read on your cell phone, laptop, desktop, iPad, Sony Reader, nook or Kobo.

So I decided to try their app on my phone and it has been a fun way to stick my toe in the water of the eReader pool!

Honestly, I had my doubts as to whether I would like reading a book without the book. Know what I mean? Somehow, I thought I would be missing out by not being able to physically turn the pages.

But I LIKED it. Granted, my phone is small. But I can adjust the print size for my aging eyes. And the lighted screen was actually easier to read. I also found the phone easier to hold than an actual book.

Since I always (hopefully!) have my phone with me, it was super convenient to pull it out and read while waiting in the pick up line at school, or waiting at the soccer field.

The experience has me thinking that maybe I might like a real eReader. Do you have one you would recommend? And if so, what do you like/dislike about it?

If you don’t have one yet, you might want to check out the eBook application I mentioned. It’s really easy to get started—they walk you through it step by step!--and the free books make it a risk-free dip in the eReader pool!

For those of you following the remodeling of my sons’ bedrooms, I have some more pictures for you! But we’re having trouble with my computer and network connections right now and until we get it figured out, I can’t retrieve pictures from my camera. But hopefully soon! Bedroom number 2’s bathroom is finally complete. :)

After Picture: Room Two!

2011-05-17T07:22:00.001-04:00

My Middle Man chose a real light blue—actually it was called “icy waterfall”--for his wall color. Since we had dark grey left from the trim in his older brother’s room, we used it for the crown molding in here as well.

He also picked the same comforter as his brother—only it had dropped from $29 to $19 on clearance at Walmart. (Yay for my pocketbook!)

We decided to go with black curtains for two reasons. It is staying light longer and soon the daylight will persist an hour later than the school night bedtime. These will help darken the room. And second, with neutral curtains, it will be easier to introduce new colors to the room as he likes.

The floor lamp was only $23 at Big Lots. I LOVE that store for inexpensive home furnishing touches. :) And the cool part about it is I can use three energy-efficient bulbs, get tons of light, and still burn less electricity than the average light if it gets left on.

Not that anyone around here ever forgets to turn out lights.

The moon chair was brought in from another room so that he has a quiet place to read.

I still need to hang his favorite pictures back up and finish his bathroom.

And that bathroom is harder than I thought it would be. How DO you paint behind the toilet? Or between the shower and the cabinet when there is only like 2 inches between them? Lol! Oh my back!

The towel racks and plaster board have taken a bunch of abuse in there, as well--more abuse than your average bathroom. So I’m leaning towards not putting some things back in. What boy uses a towel rack ANYWAY when there is a perfectly good floor?

Stay tuned…my makeover saga will (unfortunately) continue. Lol!

I have some before pictures of the bathroom which I HOPE when compared to the after shots will show improvements! But my fingers are crossed with all my experiments.

Progress On Room Two!

2011-05-16T08:36:00.001-04:00

The loft beds are now gone, and so is the wall paper border of ducks! Thankfully, the border came down without too much trouble. We were able to do it in just one afternoon. I’m not a big fan of wall paper. But, for me, removing it is worse than looking at it. It’s just sooooo tedious! Especially when you are anxious to get to the painting!

My husband replaced the ceiling fan which was wobbling and making funny noises. I guess the blades hit one too many air-borne objects. Not to mention a head here and there! You’ll have that with two boys spending so much time at eye level with it!! (And getting all sorts of ideas from Myth Busters.)

Then it was on to patching the holes in the walls. Goodness gracious! I don’t even want to know what all they were doing in there!! Lol!

This room is about twice the size of the little bedroom we just finished for my oldest son. And it has a bathroom adjoining it. So there is much more to patch and paint.

The good news is…we (actually I) finished the painting! And I can’t wait to show you the after pictures!

The bad news is…I haven’t taken the after pictures yet! Lol!

You have to give me just a little bit of slack here. Pretty please? Besides the room projects, we are also juggling soccer and hosting a home group for our church’s vision campaign during the month of May. Not to mention trying to get the garden tilled, the grass cut, the flower beds mulched, the fruit trees sprayed and all the other springtime jobs.

Who is in favor of having two weekends per week from now on? :)

Room Number Two Underway!

2011-05-10T08:26:00.001-04:00

Yep. Another project-update-post. Sorry friends. But this is pretty much my life right now.

My two older boys shared this room since 2003 when we bought the house, and it is the room I’m currently focused on. It will be my middle man’s room when all is said and done.

Before we could even start in there, we needed to get the massive loft beds out of the room. With mixed feelings, I posted an ad on Craig’s List.

I couldn’t believe the number of responses! In no time at all there was a line of people wanting to snatch them up. I wasn’t quite as emotional as I was when I sold our crib. But I still got a lump in my throat.

These beds hold some fun memories.

Like when the boys were too little to actually sleep up top and made their little fort beds under the desk cubbies.

Or when they hung curtains across the openings underneath to complete the fort effect. Those were fun memories!

However, not all the memories were fun ones.

Like the time my oldest son projectile-vomited three cheese steaks in four directions from the top of that left-hand bed. Boy oh boy. That was a fun one. Aren’t you glad I shared that image??

Or the time my middle man somehow got his foot lodged between the bed and the window and ended up breaking the glass.

Or the mounds of dirty socks and sundries I would find tucked in the corners up there out-of-site.

Or the countless mornings I would have to all-but-climb up there to get them out of bed!

Or trying to fish out stuff that fell between the wall and the too-heavy-to-budge-without-two-strong-men bed.

Come to think of it, I won’t miss those loft beds all that much at all!

Which is a good thing. Because, this weekend, the last bed was picked up and the room has been cleared out! Yippy!!!

Now my work begins. :) I really do enjoy this process of transforming a space. Stay tuned for pictures as I go!

Twelve Years Old!!

2011-05-05T07:16:00.001-04:00

Happy Birthday!!! He wants to celebrate by eating dinner at Krispy Kreme’s. Who’s in?? Lol!

If that weren’t enough to make him my favorite son for today, he also commented that Mother’s Day should be every day this morning.

He’s a live wire, a jokester, an athlete, and a tender heart. He’s my middle son, and a joy.

Happy Birthday!!!

Let’s see how many of these it takes to fill a twelve year old…

I’d better stop by the ATM on my way!!

Our Trip To The Indianapolis Zoo

2011-05-03T14:39:00.001-04:00

In spite of the cold rainy day, we had a wonderful time with my son’s kindergarten class! These were some of our favorite animals.

Cheetahs. They looked so regal, sitting there.

Elephants, of course!

Rhinoceroses. They are such big animals!

Jellyfish. Just amazing. We sure have a creative God!

Sharks. The children just LOVED to pet these sharks! In fact, we had to visit the shark pool twice. Lol!

Giraffes. This one was enjoying some kind of fruit slices. We laughed as we watched them reach out and snatch the fruit with their incredibly long tongues!

Dolphins. The dolphins could swim all around this observation room. Unfortunately, I couldn’t get really good pictures of them. But it was neat to watch them!

And penguins. Oh my goodness! These guys were putting on quite the show! The kids giggled and ran from window to window as the comical birds dove and swam like little bullets.

So, which animal do you think my son enjoyed the most?

You DID say SHARKS, right? :)

It was so much fun to go along on this fieldtrip—even in the rain! And while we were there, I learned a few things:

It is much harder to go on field trips as a mom than as a teacher. At least as a teacher, I knew all the names of the children!
You can’t have too many adults taking kindergarteners to the zoo.
Because…(surprise) 6-year-olds scatter like the wind every chance they get!! And when you are still learning their names, you need LOTS and LOTS of hands!!
My husband can turn a suspension bridge into a thrill ride the kids won’t soon forget! And neither will the poor mom with a stroller who wisely backed off…Lol!
There is a hole in the sole of my right shoe. My toes were never so happy to get home and into a warm dry sock!!

Field Trip!

2011-05-02T08:38:00.001-04:00

Although I’ve taken many children on field trips as a teacher, this is the very first time I’ll be going as “just a mom” with one of my own boys! My husband has gone on quite a few. But not me.

In the case of my older sons, there was always a little brother at home that needed me. It feels strange to be able to go on any field trip I choose now. :)

And where are we going? The ZOO!! In the rain, no less! Lol! (I know how to debut, don’t I??)

It was funny watching my older sons’ reaction as we planned. They weren’t sure whether to feel jealous or sorry for their little brother at having Mom go.

I’ll try to catch a few pictures with my cell and post some later.

How about you? What is the most memorable fieldtrip you’ve ever gone on—either as a student, or as a parent?

Non-Conventional Bed Frame

2011-04-28T07:27:00.001-04:00

My son’s loft bed would have taken up a huge amount of space in the new bedroom. So, sadly, moving that in wasn’t really an option.

But since he wanted to move in right away, I decided to try something on a whim.

My husband left two very large book cases in the room that wouldn’t fit in his new office space. One was exactly the size of a twin mattress. See where I’m going? Lol!

We put that shelf on it’s back and flopped the mattress on top. Then we slid it up against the larger bookshelf. Instant bed and headboard!

I was concerned at first that the shelves of the “frame” might not stay upright. I still think I need to put a couple tiny screws in the side of each shelf to keep them from shifting or collapsing to the bottom. But with two days of flouncing and sleeping without any mishaps, I’m thinking this is a great temporary bed.

And a bonus? He has lots of dust-free storage under his bed! That is, if he doesn’t mind lifting his mattress to get to it! Lol! Good thing he’s young and strong!

Oh, the things we mom’s will do…

Come See!! The First Bedroom Is Now Complete!

2011-04-26T08:59:00.001-04:00

Whew! I really pushed yesterday. But I’m so glad I did! As you can see, we picked two shades of grey as our color scheme. If you are just stopping by today, and don’t know what the room looked like before, scroll down—or click here.

The crown molding looks SO much better in the dark grey. The painted-brown-look from before detracted from the room, in my opinion.

We don’t have a desk yet. But for now, we placed two low bookshelves in a T-shape to conserve space. Then we topped it with a scrap piece of plywood which I painted to match the molding. Not bad!

The chair was made by my dad’s pop-pop. So as old-fashioned as it is, it’s still a keeper. I’m thinking of letting my son paint it pewter to go with his room, though. What do you think? One part of me hates to put paint on such an antique. But the other part realizes it is a functional chair that I think my son would appreciate more.

The fan blades were walnut grain and “old” looking. So I took it apart and painted them dark grey to match the molding. Now instead of being an eyesore, the fan is one of my favorite parts of the room! I think it makes the room brighter, too.

Oh, and the bed? It isn’t really a bed. We don’t have a frame. But since I forgot to take pictures, you’ll have to come back tomorrow to see how we managed!

We still need an armoire since there is no closet in this room.

And there are still two bedrooms to re-do! Onward and upward! Isn’t that what they say? Lol! My other sons are hoping their rooms turn out as well!

Today Is Painting Day!!!

2011-04-25T08:52:00.001-04:00

We’re making progress on our project! We have the office all cleaned out. The holes are filled. And it’s ready to paint! It has gone from this…

To This…

Last night (yes, Easter Sunday night), my oldest son and I made a trip to Walmart to pick out colors. The store was practically empty.

Which worked in our favor. :)

With so few customers in the store, the woman working in the painting department not only mixed our paint. She helped us pick out an accent color from the 1/2 price shelf and then took us to the curtain department to show us a set of curtains she thought would go perfectly! How cool was that? She was SO helpful to us!

I should have asked if she wanted to come over today to help us paint! Lol! I’m sure we would have had an awesome time. :)

I’m excited to be at this point. Not that I enjoy painting all that much. But I’ve caught the vision! Lol!

So today is painting day! Yeah!

Come back tomorrow and see pictures of it all done! (There’s nothing better for (my) motivation than knowing that there are a bunch of friends waiting to see the end result!!)

I hope you had a wonderful Easter!

What A Few Spring Storms Can Do: Some Before and After Pictures Of Our Pond

2011-04-20T14:23:00.001-04:00

Remember our pond project? I say “our” pond very loosely. It’s not really ours at all. Situated just feet from our property line, it borders what used to be our backyard bog.

My husband helped to excavate the pond and re-grade the surrounding land to drain into it. So our neighbor is happy to let us enjoy it. :)

For all of you who are new, here is a quick walk through the project. Below, you can see the piles of dirt begin to mount.

Here, my husband (in the loader, left) and my neighbor (in the backhoe) are working to get it deep enough, and to get the sides sloped just the way they wanted them. They managed to get it more than 14 feet deep in the middle.

Several other neighbors and family members helped as well. They planted grass seed, blew in straw, and arranged a few stumps in the bottom for the fish to gather around.

The sun and rain did the rest. By May of last year, it had become a beautiful oasis, stocked with blue gills, bass and catfish.

However, the drought took the water level down dramatically. As we headed into winter, we all hoped it was still deep enough for the fish to survive.

This spring, there has been no shortage of rain.

With last night’s storms, the pond is now poised to overflow it’s banks! If you look closely, you can see a goose along the back of the pond. It’s amazing how quickly the level came up!

It’s a slightly different perspective. But you can get the idea. Isn’t it amazing?

Family Movie Night This Weekend On Fox!

2011-04-15T18:42:00.001-04:00

The latest in the Family Movie Night series is set to air on Saturday April 16th at 8/7c on Fox. Although I haven’t had the chance to preview this movie, I have read good things about it. :)

The following is part of an email I received this week from a marketing director.

“Truth Be Told is lighthearted and entertaining, yet it is also a poignant story about the pitfalls of compromising your integrity to achieve your goals, no matter how honorable those goals may be. It highlights how being honest may occasionally have consequences, but it’s what builds character and earns the trust of others.”

Values at play in the story include:

Ambition & Personal Achievement
The desire, motivation and determination to achieve goals in life.
Personal Integrity
Living the values, beliefs and principles you claim to hold. It involves having consistency in character, maintaining an internal sense of honesty and being truthful regarding your motivations and actions.
Moral Courage
Bravely doing the right thing even when you are faced with great temptation or seemingly impossible choices.

It sounds like it could be very good! Spread the word and set your DVR! :) I’m all in favor of supporting movies made with family values in mind!

Cherry Blossoms

2011-04-13T08:50:00.001-04:00

From the kitchen table looking out, or from the road looking in, the cherry blossoms are beautiful, and I could sit and look at them all day!

Up close, they are even prettier.

I hear-by invite you all to my porch for a cup of tea. Or coffee. Or whatever you like. :) We can sit and chat and enjoy the blossoms. I’ll provide the warm oatmeal cookies. Just bring your jacket. It’s chilly outside today!

They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive (as) the grain, and blossom as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon.

Hosea 14:17

Review: GoBible VOYAGER, A Digital Audio Bible

2011-04-12T07:45:00.001-04:00

When I was in Bible college, I would have LOVED to have had this audio Bible! One of the hardest assignments of any class was to read each book of the Bible 10 or even 20 times before the final exam.

For a slow reader, that was a daunting task. It would have been wonderful to use my weekend commutes or my daily jogs to get in more reading time.

You might think I live under a rock, but I didn’t know such a thing existed before representatives contacted me to look at their newly updated device, the GoBible.

And I’ve been totally impressed with it! It’s worlds better than the audio cassettes my husband purchased years ago.

Let me tell you what the Voyager GoBible has, or can do, and then I’ll tell you what I think. It has:

A complete, pre-loaded New International Version of the Bible narrated by Charles Taylor.
Indexing at the verse level, allowing users to begin play, repeat, or bookmark any one of the Bible’s 31,000-plus verses.
A story index of 230 Bible stories
A topic index to search for scriptural insight on 30 different emotions or circumstances
A Bible-in-a-Year Plan
A Holiday/Event Index
36 personal bookmarks
Carrying case, earphones, universal headset jack
3 gigabytes of storage for music or other downloads
“Hear and See” capability with Bible text on screen to support the spoken word
Rechargeable “AAA” battery, with USB and standard electrical cords.

What I Like:

I LOVE the convenience! Being able to listen while working, walking, relaxing, or just about anything, is wonderful. I find myself in the Word a whole lot more.

I love the indexing. It’s easy to go directly to the passage you want.

Between the simple directions, and playing around with the buttons, it was easy to use. (Digital things and I don’t always get along!)

The voice is natural and easy to listen to--not computerized.

The size is just right for a pocket. And the “lock button” feature keeps you from accidentally pushing a button.

I like that you can read the text on the screen if you want while you listen, and that it scrolls automatically.

The backlight is nice for reading along or navigating the menu at night. You can set it to be “always on”, or to turn out automatically after so many seconds.

The battery life seems great! And I like that it’s rechargeable.

The story index is a wonderful idea! It makes choosing a listening selection easy for everyone—especially children.

And finally, on that note, I love that my kids enjoy listening to it!

My oldest, 13, will sometimes snag it on his way to bed. A few nights ago he said, “Mom, THIS is the kind of Bible I want. I think I would really use it more than that new study Bible we were looking at.”

My youngest (who is six) sat listening the other night during soccer practice and then all the way home. Periodically, he would (loudly) announce some new thing he had just learned. :) He started at the beginning and was on Genesis 22 by the time we got home!

Things I Wish Were Different:

I wish it had a belt clip on the back. I don’t always have pockets in which to put it. Perhaps their “traveler” models do.

I wish it had a search feature that allowed you to enter your own search query.

The ear buds won’t stay in my ears. (Probably just my ear shape.) And there is no built-in speaker. So you need headphones to listen. I just borrowed a set from my kids.

I think it would be neat if the reading was dramatized. When I started to compare it to others on the market, I found that some audio versions are (dramatized, that is). It would make it even more enjoyable and appealing—especially to the kids!

The price listed on their website seems a bit much to me, at $99.95. In spite of how useful I think it is, I’m afraid it might make it out of reach for some of the very people it could benefit most. Like seniors on a fixed income. So I looked around a little and did find it on CBD (Christian Book Distributers) for $89.99 with free shipping.

My Conclusion:

We are really enjoying it! In this age of digital media, adults and children alike will find it a convenient way to access Scripture. I think it has a special appeal to Moms like me who would welcome the chance to listen while they work.

Side note:

I've shown the GoBible Voyager to lots of friends and they all REALLY like it. Most, like me, didn’t know there was such a thing. They like its convenience and portability. Unfortunately, all of them have had the same surprised reaction to the price. Maybe that just goes to show how sheltered we moms are!

One friend sited the many free or low cost cell phone Bible apps as the reason she wouldn’t buy one. So I looked at the applications available on my network.

My only thoughts on apps are that many of them request/require access to things that I think should be private on my cell phone, like, who I am calling and for how long. (Why does an app need access to that, anyway??) For this reason, a dedicated listening device seems safer to me.

What’s your take on an audio Bible like the GoBible? Would you buy one for yourself or as a gift for someone you know? And because I can’t help asking, what do you think of the growing number of phone apps and their fine print?

I received a GoBible Voyager free of charge to review. However, when I agree to do a review, I give my honest opinions, whether good or bad, no matter the offer. Because I know you want the truth! :) I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Way Different Than Last Spring!

2011-04-11T08:51:00.001-04:00

Last Spring, my husband was spending large chunks of time overseas for work. At home, I was juggling two separate soccer schedules and doing the lions share of driving on my own. Yuck. We made out fine. However, I remember feeling mostly stressed, and my husband missed most of the soccer season.

This year, the boys are playing on the same team, and my husband is able to travel with us to the games. It’s amazing the difference those two things make! I love having my husband come to the games. And having them both on one team cuts down on the craziness of juggling game times.

This weekend, the boys played their first two games. Saturday’s was 2 hours away.

When we left home, it was mild and sunny. When we got to the field, it was rainy and blustery. That’s Indiana weather for you!

We scavenged every blanket and jacket we could from the car, and still froze! Thankfully, we had two umbrellas, which helped shield the wind. The players were trading off sweatshirts as they were rotated in.

To spite the weather, they won the game by a score of 5-1! It’s always great to start the season with a win.

I took a bunch of pictures during the second half when the rain stopped. My oldest is on the far left above.

My middle son (below) was delighted to have his picture taken.

Doesn’t he look delighted? :)

Yesterday’s game was much warmer and only an hour away. The game started out looking like they were going to get slaughtered. The score at half time was 3-0.

However, they came back the second half with two goals of their own and made the last five minutes a nail-biter. Several times they nearly tied it.

Still, it was a great game, and my two played harder than I’ve ever seen them play. Even the coaches commented on their personal games.

It’s wonderful to have such an encouraging coaching staff! And it’s really nice to be able to go to games as a family!

What did you do this weekend?

I Could Use Your Advice!

2011-04-08T10:10:00.001-04:00

I’m sure many of you are familiar with Focus On The Family’s Adventures In Odyssey.

Here’s my question: Which CD or collection of CD’s would you start with if you are going to introduce them to a new listener?

I’m pretty sure my youngest son would enjoy listening to some of these episodes and I am looking at making a purchase. But there are SO many choices out there, I don’t know where to start!

Any advice you could give me would be really appreciated! Feel free to share your memories of these fun listening adventures, too. There may be some readers who have never heard of them!

Spring Storms, Flowers, And A Faith That Stands

2011-04-05T09:15:00.001-04:00

I love Spring! With as much rain as we got yesterday, we ought to have a bumper crop of flowers! They stood like islands in the yard, seemingly unaffected, as the storm water rose.

I like to think that our children will weather the storms of life just as well.

School Update:

Thankfully, the boys’ first day back to school went without incident. Police officers patrolled the halls throughout the day. Unfortunately, there was yet another threat of violence after school to be investigated.

It’s probably just a prank. However it can’t be ignored. School officials are pleading with parents to talk with their children about the seriousness of making threats. Recess has been cancelled and crosswalks closed for the remainder of the year. And attendance is understandably down. No one feels quite safe.

Pray for our community, yes.

But pray, too, for the youth of our country. So many children and youth lack the parental guidance they desperately need.

On the Friday of the shooting, kids with texting lit up the phones of the adults in their lives, looking for reassurance and a roll model on which to pattern their response. There is a spiritual battle going on for their hearts and minds. If we don’t tip the scales on the side of faith, who will? If we don’t point them to God, which way will they go? To whom will they turn?

God has opened a door in our little community to talk about the tough stuff. Kid’s want to know what to think and who they can count on. But it isn’t just here.

Vivid reports of disasters and wars bombard our youth more than ever. And they have questions and fears about what it means for them. Whether you have children or not, you can influence the young people God has placed in your path.

When an adult is too busy to listen, an opportunity is lost for all eternity.

But when he or she stops to listen, a lifeline is cast. A bridge is built. And a seed can be planted. A seed that, with care, can grow the kind of faith that can weather any storm.

Winner Announced!

2011-04-04T13:32:00.001-04:00

I can’t believe I almost forgot to post the winner of a copy of Rebecca St. James’ new CD! Sorry guys! With it being the boys’ first day back to school since the shooting, it totally slipped my mind until just a few minutes ago!

But no more waiting! Mari, you’re the lucky winner! Congratulations! I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! Rebecca’s CD is due to be released tomorrow. So for those of you who didn’t win, look for it in stores soon!

Friday Funnies

2011-04-01T10:13:00.001-04:00

It always feels good to laugh, and this is pretty funny. For those of you who haven’t seen it on face book yet…

A WOMAN GOES BACK TO WORK AFTER THIRTY YEARS... THE VIDEO IS ONLY 4 SECONDS LONG, SO
WATCH CAREFULLY.
IF YOU'RE YOUNGER THAN 40 YEARS OLD YOU WON'T UNDERSTAND IT.

https://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=10150133277448633

(Thanks, Penny, for “liking” your friend’s link and giving me the best laugh I had all week!)

Don’t forget to enter my giveaway for a copy of Rebecca St. James’ brand new CD!

School Shooting Update: I know this doesn’t go with Friday Funnies, but some of you will want to know. The boy who was shot at my sons’ middle school is now listed in fair condition, upgraded from critical—which is a huge praise! He is awake, off the ventilator, and able to talk quietly. Unfortunately, due to the severity of his injuries as well as the surgeries to repair them, he will not be allowed to eat or drink anything for four to six weeks. He still has a long journey to recovery.

Further Prayer Request: There has been another (shooting) threat to our high school and two middle schools for Monday 4-4-11. This was to be the kids’ first day back since their classmate was shot on March 25th. Police and school officials are meeting to discuss how to handle it. Pray for wisdom for all involved, and that whoever made the threat would be discovered and apprehended. The children really need to feel safe again. And we need to know they will BE safe.