One Southern Momma

A New Year...

2010-01-15T12:41:00.002-06:00

Wow! 2009 has come and gone, and here we are half-way through January already. How does this happen so quickly? I have so much to say, so many changes, much to share but little time to do it. Hopefully in the next few weeks, I'll make a little time to catch up here. I really do miss this little creative outlet of mine.

In a nutshell--
I am now an Independent Consultant with The Pampered Chef which is keeping me busy, but giving me a great sense of accomplishment, of independence and a needed outlet from being at home with two very beautiful yet demanding children all day..

The Daddy has taken a new position with the same company, and is in the middle of transitioning to his new role. Yet another adjustment for us. Thankfully, he'll no longer be a manager, but unfortunately he'll be traveling a bit more than he has in the last 2 years.

The Pink One has turned 5! She's growing like a weed, developing above her grade level and eagerly anticipating Kindergarten in the fall.

The Short One is no longer as short, nor is his hair. He's also growing like crazy (no longer the runt he was) and is smart as a whip. Mrs. R will have her hands full when he starts PreSchool in the fall.

For now, I must return to my tasks at hand of cleaning, laundry, and tending to my children for next week brings a busy show schedule. Until I return, I miss you, love you, and long for a few precious moments to share a bit of my life here.

No Words

2009-11-03T14:39:00.002-06:00

I have no words. No words to express the grief and sorrow I feel for dear friends of ours. This news hit me on a particularly bad day for me personally, and has rocked me to the core. All I can do is cry out to the Lord for His comfort and mercy for them.

We love you, Ben & Amy, Cole, Caroline, and Jane.

With Deep Sadness

October 15th

2009-10-15T15:47:00.002-05:00

Today, October 15th, is National Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. While I became aware of this special day several years ago in the midst of battling infertility, I'd forgotten the actual date until a dear friend reminded me this morning. A dear friend whose baby was due this week, but was lost at 23 weeks pregnancy. So today, I think of Chance, of Miracle Joy, of Cooper, of my two little angels, of Ben & Amy's first baby, and so many more.

It seems that you don't become aware of how common miscarriage, still birth, and other infant deaths are until you join the ranks. Unfortunately, people frequently don't openly talk about this dark part of their lives. Then, when it happens to you or someone you love, people seem to come out of the woodwork, telling stories of babies who went to heaven before their time.

It's been years since my miscarriages. 2002 and 2005 seem so long ago, but on days like today, I am taken back to that place, that day when I knew the end was near and it all comes back. Comes back so clearly, so fresh, and the grief starts again. So today, amidst the grief for myself and my friends who have lost little loves, I say a prayer and think of all those sweet babies sitting at the feet of Jesus rejoicing in His presence and waiting on their parents to join them.

Sunrise

2009-10-08T08:15:00.004-05:00

One of the advantages of living so far North is that the sunrise comes relatively late in the morning in Fall and Winter. This morning the sunrise was stunning, breathtakingly beautiful. I'm going to use this as a reminder of the beauty of Wisconsin when the snow begins to fall and it's 20 below.

Happy Birthday Little Dude!

2009-10-04T14:43:00.002-05:00

The Little Dude's birthday isn't until Wednesday, the 7th, but Mema and PopPop were in town this past Friday, so we had his birthday celebration with them. You'll notice that this year he requested a much easier cake "a rectangle with dots on it." Super easy and made the little guy happy.

I've been bitten by the bug...

2009-09-29T13:04:00.002-05:00

OK, it's official, I've been bitten by the bug...the running bug. Last night, I dreamed that I got up and showered first thing. While in my shower, I realized I had missed yet another day of running (in reality, I had not run since Friday thanks to a stomach bug over the weekend). I was devastated, bummed, down trodden. Then, the alarm went off, jolting me from this dream and I realized I could in fact still run this morning. I was elated! I dislodged myself from my spot snuggling between my two favorite guys and headed out. It was a cool, crisp fall morning. 46 degrees, with a windchill of 41. I took a deep breath and quickly found my stride, enjoying a blissful 35 minute 3 miles. I was even a little disappointed that I "only" did three miles, still taking it easy as I recover from the other bug. Yes, I am looking forward to a lovely cool morning to run a full 4 tomorrow!

Visit with Old Friends

2009-09-27T16:45:00.002-05:00

On the spur of the moment, our great friends came up North for a business trip. Since Heather homeschools, she and the boys were able to come with. We had a fabulous weekend catching up, and our kids were thrilled with the surprise.

Run, Momma, Run

2009-09-21T08:22:00.003-05:00

Saturday I ran my first ever 5K. I chose to participate in the Time Warner Cable 5K that is a part of the Fox Cities Marathon Festival of Races. The 5K benefits local Breast Cancer Research and support for local patients. I started training seriously back in June when I picked up running as exercise. I've found so many benefits from running that I can't stop now. It's just too good for me. So, since I'm running, I may as well run for a good cause and push myself a bit in competition. I wasn't prepared for the adrenaline rush of my first race. Wow! What a fun time!

To boot, I finished faster than my goal time of 34 minutes when I came in at 29.09 (at a pace of 9.23). That put me 303rd of 939 total participants, 26th in my age group (of 98), and 139th among the women (of 601). For my first race, I'm still shocked at my results. I'll be participating in my 2nd race October 24th to raise money for the area YMCA. Hoping and praying that my training continues to pay off and that my time will continue to get better.

But as of today I'm still sore and tired.

Door County Day Trip

2009-09-12T19:47:00.006-05:00

I know I promised more posts about Beth, and they are coming, but first there's this. The Daddy had a week of vacation following the nightmare that's been the last 2 months of work. So, last Sunday (yes, the Sunday of Labor Day weekend, no, we don't plan well) we took a day trip up to Door County. After spending the day there, I don't know why we waited so long to go. What a fun filled day!

We started with lunch at PC Junction. Thanks to the wait and the gorgeous weather, we sat on the patio, but this is the inside. Yes, your food is delivered by train. The kids thought this was fabulous!

Still at PC Junction, after playing on the train, we saw these super cool go-cart type vehicles, powered by pedals. Much family fun was had. Unfortunately, it takes two parents to pedal, but only one gets to steer. Yeah, that wasn't me.

The pedal cart trails led to "Piggy Hollow" (or something, forgot to take a picture of the sign). Tomorrow's lunch maybe?

Just across the highway from PC Junction is Stone's Throw Winery. A complete contrast in style and taste. And equally fun. For $5, we tasted 5 wines and got to keep the wine glass. All the while, enjoying the beautiful building.

From there, we headed north to Fish Creek where we found a public city beach. The kids were thrilled that I'd thought to pack their suits. Off they went into lovely Green Bay. What a sight, a small, beautiful beach on a calm clear lake with a grass park immediately behind. Breathtaking, really.

A great day was had by all! We can't believe we waited 20 months before our first visit. Hopefully, we'll make it back "up nort'" soon.

Living Proof Live, part 2

2009-09-01T15:39:00.003-05:00

The message that God laid on Beth's heart specifically for the Simulcast from Green Bay was on Psalm 37 which she entitled "The Heart of My Desires". I'm going to attempt to share several posts with various specific messages that God had for me during this time. If you've never heard Beth speak, you've missed out on hearing an anointed teacher of The Word. God has given her a gift, and while she fought it for years, she's now living in her Promised Land, speaking and teaching about the goodness of the Father all across the world. To be in her presence was incredible!

Psalm 37:3-4 says "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."

Most people who are even vaguely familiar with scripture have probably heard this verse before. This "just pray and God will give you what you want" message is frequently taught. That is NOT the message that God would have Beth give to us. Hold on, I'll get to what she has to say about the desires of your heart and the heart of your desires, but first, I need to share with you about verse 3.

The first part of the verse says, "Trust in the Lord and do good". It doesn't say, "Trust in the Lord and be right". Beth spent several minutes talking about how so often Christians just want to be right and be proven right, so they hole themselves up in their churches or in their homes and wait to be proven right. They don't want to "mix with the ungodly" or what have you. But, that is not what God is saying here. He says to put your trust in the Lord, then go out into the world and do good. If we look honestly and seriously at what Jesus did in the gospels, we know that he "ate with sinners," we know that he spent most of his time with the outcasts of society although he spent the majority of his time preaching to the religious. But he was in the world doing good, ministering to the homeless, feeding the hungry, loving the children. So it is time that we, as the body of Christ, get out of our churches, leave our homes, and do some good in this world. Go and let your light shine, people! You don't have to preach about someone being wrong and you being right. Just shut up and help them.

Just in case you were wondering, yeah, that hit a little close to home.

Now, for the second part of that verse, which also spoke volumes to me as we move so frequently. God said (through the Psalmist David) to "dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture." To dwell in the land is not to live in an area physically while being emotionally and spiritually in another area. While I frequently long for some of the "comforts of home" and the familiarity of places we've lived before, I strive to "dwell in the land." Especially since moving here, I've made many friends, settled into leadership roles in the church, become involved in community activities, and put down roots. Even if it is just for a time, I am here, so here I shall dwell. But, more importantly, I am to "enjoy safe pasture." That comes only with the constant grazing on the Scriptures. Beth said it doesn't say "Binge on the Word, then starve, it says to graze." Just like animals of pasture don't sit down to huge meals, we aren't supposed to binge on the Word on Sunday at worship or Wednesday at Bible Study, we are to graze through the Scriptures on a daily basis, embedding the Word in our hearts so that we can enjoy safe pasture.

I, for one, tend to become more anxious and struggle more with my depression when I fail to take the time to spend with Papa. When I'm getting my quiet times in (which usually occurs while I run or bike), my days seem to go a little smoother and my life seems a bit more centered, a bit less out of control. And for me, that's a good thing. Thankfully, it is a process that provides positive feedback for me, so the more I do it, the more I want to do it.

My goal this week is to immerse myself more in the Scriptures, spend more time doing good, and continue to Trust in the Lord. Will you join me?

Living Proof Live, part 1

2009-09-01T07:08:00.002-05:00

As I was blog browsing this morning, I stumbled upon Travis Cottrell's blog. He led the music for the LPL event with Beth Moore last weekend. God has blessed him with an amazing talent and his love for music and for the LORD shines through in his service. I hope you enjoy this glimpse into our weekend. It was an amazing, blessed experience.

Living Proof Live - Simulcast - Green Bay WI from Rich Kalonick on Vimeo.

Just a little glimpse of heaven

2009-08-29T21:34:00.002-05:00

Worshiping God at the Living Proof Live Simulcast in the host city of Green Bay, Wisconsin may be one of may favorite God events in my life. And I've had many. But seeing about 10,000 women (of the 90,000+ joining the simulcast around the world) with their hands held high, pretenses abandoned, worshiping the Lord Most High, was just a little glimpse of heaven.

You'll be hearing more about this amazing experience over the days to come. I'm still processing a lot of what God spoke to my heart through this tiny little fireball of a woman who has been anointed by the Most High. So much to process, so many truths to learn, so much to share.

Stay tuned...

Waiting on the Lord

2009-08-28T07:35:00.002-05:00

I'm so excited for today I can hardly stand it. And that's saying a lot given how I've been feeling lately. Most days it's all I can do to get out of bed and face the day. Today, I sit with eager anticipation. I start the morning out with a 20 mile ride. My fabulous neighbor agreed to watch the little ones so I could ride without 70lbs in tow. She's also taking them raspberry picking! Yeah, she's one brave lady. But, she's raised 3 kids (all of whom my children adore), and she walks an hour every morning. She understands fully my need to ride alone. But, if that weren't enough, she agreed to cover the time between when I have to be at the church and when the Daddy gets home from work. You see, a small group of us will be traveling up to Green Bay to see Beth Moore live tonight and tomorrow.

I have been privileged to do a couple of Beth's bible studies, but I've never seen her live. I realized only yesterday that this is a HUGE event and I'll be one of the few actually in the arena where she is! She is such an anointed teacher and woman of God. I can't wait to hear what the Lord will speak through her. Don't worry, I'll keep you posted.

Life Lessons on Two Wheels

2009-08-22T20:31:00.002-05:00

After another long week where The Daddy put in lots of overtime, I headed out for a peaceful ride this morning while the kids snuggled in his arms to watch cartoons. Heading North, I discovered that I was riding into a pretty strong headwind. I could have turned around and taken my usual route, but I'd had my heart set on riding a few particular country roads north of our house. So off I headed up the highway, thinking about what lay ahead.

As I made the turn onto the road with the daunting hill that I set out to climb, I was determined to make it up. The winds became a bit more intense, and the hill loomed ahead. I down shifted and gritted my teeth. As I neared the crest of the hill, I saw something that I didn't really remember from my trips up this road in the car. Another small climb lay ahead. My heart was pounding, my breathing was heavy, so I pulled over to the shoulder, caught my breath and let a few cars pass. With renewed strength, I climbed the second crest. On the other side, I enjoyed a short reprieve, then turned around. I had just a small climb since the backside of the hill was much less steep then the front.

I topped the hill quickly and then coasted down a good half mile with the wind at my back, topping out at 31 mph. What a blissful feeling. Tears came to my eyes and Papa whispered in my ear, "sometimes you have to ride uphill into a headwind in order to enjoy the ride on the way back down." Then he followed up with, "It's OK to take a break every now and then to catch your breath and refocus, but you still have to finish the climb. It's worth it, isn't it?"

I've been battling serious headwinds while riding uphill for a while now, and I'm looking forward to feeling the wind at my back as I just coast down, basking in the glory of the Lord.

Swimming Lessons

2009-07-21T14:55:00.002-05:00

The Girlie's first swimming lesson was this morning. She proudly walked into the YMCA, donned her "booby top and swimming panties," showered, and headed for the pool. Today, at least, she was the model student, listening and following directions, doing everything the instructor asked except for putting her whole head under the water, "I don't want my eyes in" she said. She is eager to learn to swim just like the big kids and exhibits a bit of the understanding that it's a process. Today, at least.

11 Years Ago This Week

2009-07-07T21:43:00.003-05:00

11 Years. Wow. I was washing dishes tonight and realized that 11 years ago this week I met my amazing husband. So for your entertainment, I'll recount the story...

I was on the cusp of beginning the rigors of nursing school and wanted to spend a fun weekend in Atlanta with my brother and sister-in-law celebrating my birthday. In the weeks leading up to this birthday, my sister-in-law and I talked several times and planned a little get together with some of their friends from Tech. During these conversations, she mentioned this guy that my bubba was in classes with who she thought I might like. I almost immediately began telling her how I was NOT interested in any of his friends, much less somebody who lived 4 hours from me.

Meanwhile, my brother asked his friend (now referred to here as The Daddy) if he was interested in going out for a beer while I was in town. At least, I think there was some mention of my presence. The Daddy is not known as a guy to turn down a beer, so he was in.

After hearing a little more about this fabulous guy who was cute, funny, blah, blah, blah, I said, OK. Sure, he can come, but I'm NOT going to like him.

I know this is going to sound really cheesy, and well, frankly, it still sounds cheesy to me all these years later, but when we walked into his apartment to pick him up I knew instantly he was the guy I was supposed to marry. It's a good thing that God was still talking to me since I wasn't really into talking to Him too much during this time in my life.

There was that weird, awkward greeting and we were off. We had dinner, drinks, and then went to Jellyrolls (a dueling piano bar in Buckhead). Over the course of the evening there was a lot of laughter and I thought he was awfully cute. He thought I was too skinny (and told me so--he's always been known for his honesty) and even tried to pick up our waitress.

I don't remember all of the details of the weekend, but I do remember that The Daddy canceled other plans to get together with us again to play games. We ended up spending a lot of time together talking and laughing. By the end of the weekend, we'd exchanged numbers and addresses and even taken a couple of pictures together.

And as they say, the rest is history. From that weekend on, we've been together. Sure, we've had some bumps along the way, but looking back, there are more good times than bad, more happy than sad. God is good, He is faithful, and here we are 11 years later, still laughing and getting better by the day.

So this weekend, I imagine we'll have a beer on the patio, toast our matchmakers and the blind date that he didn't know was a date, and share a laugh or two.

A deal too good NOT to share

2009-07-06T15:18:00.003-05:00

You know I love to save money. If you know me well, you also know that not only do I love Target, I love Kashi products. Thanks to Common Sense With Money I got an awesome deal today. With all the coupons (linked straight from that site), I got 4 boxes of cereal and 4 boxes of cereal bars for $6.32. That's a savings of $19.26 folks! This may be the best deal I've gotten in ages. And since I've yet to venture into the world of making my own cereal, this is the next best thing.

Strawberry Pickin'

2009-07-01T20:55:00.003-05:00

The Daddy has been on vacation all week, so we took the kids to pick strawberries at a local farm this week. Oh. My. Goodness! These are the most wonderful things I've ever tasted. You pick, eat all you want in the fields, and then go home with full bellies and covered in strawberry juice. It was a fabulous day.

Admittedly, I was distracted by the beautiful berries, so I only got these two pictures, but we have proof that at least one of the kids picked while the other ate. Go figure.

After picking berries in the morning, we came home and picked snow peas, sugar snap peas, lettuces, arugula, and green onions out of our garden. This beautiful salad made for a tasty (and quite fresh) supper.

Like Father, Like Son

2009-06-15T19:25:00.003-05:00

When Daddy came home today, we discussed what to do about the issue at hand with The Short One's hair. This was our conclusion...

When Siblings Attack

2009-06-15T14:18:00.002-05:00

"Safety scissor" wielding preschooler attacks toddler brother's beautiful golden locks.
This is what she did to the side.

This is what it's supposed to look like.

And now, two views of what she did to the front and the side. Her question to me when it was all done..."Momma, don't you think he looks beautiful?"

More on The Shack and Priorities

2009-06-14T13:28:00.003-05:00

So, God's been working on me lately with my what's important. The last two weeks or so, I haven't done such a great job of listening and working with him on that, but I think I'm back on the wagon now. I wrote a few weeks back about Life Lessons I've been learning. I've finally gotten the picture that it's really all about HIM. While it's important to take note of what you're spending time on, or money on, or whatever, the most important thing is to make sure that God is at the center. Yeah, it's necessary to prioritize spending money on things that are important, which also includes saving for retirement, kids' education, and that emergency that just might be around the corner. It's important to take care of our bodies, for they are, after all, God's temple on earth. And, well, we just might want to live long enough to see our kids graduate from college, get married, have kids, that sort of thing. One of the struggles that I have with this is that this prioritizing is the way the world does things. Hierarchy, chain of command, a pyramid, whatever you want to call it.

In The Shack, Mack asks, "But don't you want us to set priorities? You know: God first, then whatever, followed by whatever?" Sarayu replies "...If you put God at the top, what does that really mean and how much is enough? How much time do you give me before you can go to about the rest of your day, the part that interests you so much more?" Papa again interrupted. "You see, Mackenzie, I don't just want a piece of you and a piece of your life. Even if you were able, which you are not, to give me the biggest piece, that is not what I want. I want all of you and all of every part of you and your day." Jesus now spoke again. "Mack, I don't want to be first among a list of values; I want to be at the center of everything. When I live in you, then together we can live through everything that happens to you. Rather than a pyramid, I want to be the center of a mobile, where everything in your life--your friends, family, occupation, thoughts, activities--is connected to be but moves with the wind, in and out and back and forth, in an incredible dance of being." "And I," concluded Sarayu, "I am the wind."

So this is where I am. Learning to live with Jesus at the center of everything, helping me to dance without worrying about priorities. My brain is really struggling with the reality of this. What this looks like in the real world. I can understand it in Mack's world. I see the "big picture" part of it, but when it comes to the daily things that I naturally have difficulty prioritzing, I struggle with what I'm supposed to do. I guess that's a common problem. Learning to live in the freedom of Christ, a life without rules and law while living in the realm of humanity. I guess I'll just have to hang out with Papa and Sarayu in the garden a bit more so I can learn to dance like He wants me to dance.

The Shack and My Great Sadness

2009-06-12T21:07:00.004-05:00

I just finished my second reading of The Shack by William P. Young. I've been pondering what to say about it since I finished reading it the first time. There really is a lot to say, and I've got a lot of words swirling around in my mind. I can only hope that I can express what I want to express without causing confusion and delay.

First things first, if you haven't read the book, read it. Go get it right now. Borrow it from the library, ask somebody at your church if you can borrow a copy, go buy it. Whatever it takes, get your hands on a copy and read it with an open mind. I have many friends who have read it even though they were hesitant and have really gotten a new perspective thanks to this work of fiction.

Yes, without a doubt, it's fiction. The author says it in the book, on his website, and everywhere I've heard about it. Like all good fiction, might there be some element of truth to it? Maybe. But really, that is of little consequence. Do I think it could have happened really, honestly, like it is portrayed. Heck yeah. And if I walk down the stairs in the morning and Aunt Jemimah is making me greens for breakfast, you better believe I'm pulling up a chair and eating with her. But in this day and age, is it likely that God really met Mack in a shack in the woods, well, that's not really for me to say.

Most of my regular readers know that I suffer from a variety of physical ailments, one of which is causing great confusion at the moment with my doctors and nobody has an answer at the moment. Most of you also know that I battle daily with depression. Something that has gripped onto me strongly and that I have recently become to believe is a real spiritual battle. The enemy has taken it upon himself to whisper lies into my ears and my heart, lies that I believe in moments of weakness, lies that permeate my life in ways that I hate. This is my great sadness. I have so much to be thankful for. So many blessings in my life, yet I still fall prey to his lies. Thank God that He will never leave me or forsake me. Thank God that He collects my tears and my sadness and aches with me. I know that I am not alone. And I know that I am surrounded by people who love me and find me worthy. I know that God is "especially fond" of me. Most of this I've known all my life although at times I chose to ignore it. All of this was reawakened in me by reading this short novel.

I've come to a new understanding about God in the last several years. And this book has brought a lot of that to a new light. First and foremost, God is love. And He is a verb. "I Am that I Am." We cannot be if He was not first. Yeah, I admit, it's kind of hard to think of God as a verb when all of my life, He's been a noun. But, I guess that's one of the cool things about God. He can be both a noun and a verb. So many cool things about God. So many new eye-opening things in this little book. One of my favorites is the representation of the Trinity. I love how it's all about relationship.

Do I have it all right now? No. Do I still struggle with understanding why people who desperately want children can't have children? Yes. Do I still question why children are allowed to die? Of course. But have I learned that the most important thing is that I seek The One with the answers. And as I draw nearer to Him in relationship, I begin to see just a little more of the picture. I hope you will too.

New Videos

2009-06-07T12:01:00.002-05:00

"Sunday, Sunday, Sunday, Monster Truck Jammies, We're turning that into a foot mud pit"

Daddy and I tried to get him to say "Sunday, Sunday, Sunday. Monster Truck Extravaganza. We're turning the Savannah Civic Center into a 4 foot mud pit."

Better Late than Never

2009-05-19T20:37:00.004-05:00

So y'all have heard it before, no need to repeat...busy, sick, nice weather...go with it...

My Proudest Moment as a Momma

2009-05-15T16:39:00.004-05:00

Just when I think I can never be more proud of my children, they go and do something like this. Princess Pink has been asking for months if we can cut all her hair off. After much discussion, The Daddy and I agreed, but only if there was enough to donate to Locks of Love. From the moment we told her about LoL, she's been talking about "cutting off all [her] hair to give away to some kid who can't grow their own". She even wants to be a doctor when she grows up so she can help these kids. She's also declared that now that she's cut it all off once, she wants to grow it out again so she can do it again.

I am just in awe of her love and selflessness. What an amazing girl and an amazing gift. I'm awfully proud that God chose me to be her Momma. He sure is teaching me a lot of lessons through her.

Not to be left out, the Little Dude got a trim, too. I've gotten a few too many "what beautiful daughters you have" comments at the store lately.

Sweet Girl Sings

2009-05-15T12:12:00.002-05:00

One Quick Video

2009-05-15T10:52:00.003-05:00

I realize that this is not very exciting as there isn't really any sound, but you can see why the little guy is so little (all the jumping) and there is real evidence that The Daddy really has lost 30 lbs. He's lookin' good!

More to come later today here and on the garden blog...

Living on The Cheap

2009-05-01T15:48:00.004-05:00

Last month was our first month doing Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace" plan. Wow! I don't think we've ever in our married life been under budget for the month! Cash is an awesome way to go, that's for sure.

In talking to some of my "cheap Mom" friends, I've discovered a few websites that I thought I'd share. Well, mostly for me, if I post them all here in one place, I can quickly return to them in the future. I'm still exploring them, and we've still got to set up our printer so I can actually use some of the coupons on these sites. But until then, here they are for your "Cheap Momma" needs.

Deal Seaking Mom
Money Saving Mom
Frugal Coupon Living
Coupons.com
SoCal Super Saver Mom

If you have a favorite coupon or money saving tip website, please feel free to leave it in the comments. I'm on a mission, a money saving mission!

Sping has Sprung!

2009-04-27T16:05:00.004-05:00

Finally, finally, finally, it appears that the snow is done and spring is here. The phrase "April showers bring May flowers" didn't mean a lot to me growing up in the south. Flowers are almost always around. For heaven's sake, Camelias bloom in January. But this last week has been full of April showers. The rivers, creeks, and ditches are flowing fast thanks to the melting snow and buckets of rain. And while I've had the first blooms of the season already, the real signs of spring are everywhere now. Daffodils are in bloom, tulip buds are forming, and birds are nesting. Apparently on my front porch.

Even the Playdoh knows it's spring. This tree has leaves and a cocoon. I'll give you one guess as to who created this masterpiece in pink.

The Short One has discovered the fun of playing in a pop-up shower, too. He declares "I love rain!" I got that message loud and clear.

Lots of outside playtime leads to nice long snuggly naps, too. For which this Momma is very grateful.

Sunday Funday

2009-04-20T11:43:00.004-05:00

Spring has officially arrived in the frozen tundra. This means that we can leave the house in one layer with a light jacket (for those of you who do not know what a real spring looks like). It also means we continue to get snow, but it doesn't stick around very long.

Sundays are family fun days in our house. There's church, family lunch, lots of snuggles, and laughter spread throughout. The Pink Princess informed us yesterday after a rousing family chorus of "God is Bigger" (from Veggie Tales) that "God is bigger than His Zilla"! We love that girl!

Dinner Time

2009-04-18T20:04:00.003-05:00

The other night at dinner, there was a promise of desert if everyone ate all their vegetables. The Princess quickly ate her green beans. The Short One protested that he didn't like green beans, but he would eat brussel sprouts. This is what ensued:

I can't believe that this Southern Momma hasn't given her pink princess a chicken leg until now. I know you're disappointed in me, Daddy, I'm sorry. So, I finally gave the girl a chicken leg and the poor thing didn't know what to do with it.

Easter Pictures

2009-04-13T09:39:00.005-05:00

The Easter Bunny had a big time at our house this year, and the kids were thrilled!

Due to some "reorganization issues", I cannot currently locate the critical piece of equipment that is required to take a family photo using the tripod. This year's family picture is in two parts...

Hoping you all had a Blessed Easter celebrating our Risen Lord!!

Eating Cake Pops

2009-04-12T20:29:00.002-05:00

Cake Pops have become a new and exciting treat at our house. The kids had a blast helping make them to share as Easter Treats, and well, I even let them have a couple.

I know it's shocking to all of you that hers is pink, but I've been informed recently that "Pink is my favorite color, Momma, REALLY, REALLY REALLY!"

Yeah, the bunny butt is made from a marshmallow. Pretty cute idea. But, I have to admit, that's not my favorite part of this picture, the pure joy shining in his eyes is just too precious for this Momma.

Caution--You may become Dizzy!

2009-04-08T16:34:00.003-05:00

I really don't have a lot to say about this...the little dude says it all.

Enjoy!

Life Lessons

2009-04-03T16:20:00.000-05:00

In January, The Daddy and I began a process that has brought us to a very interesting place in our lives. What we thought was just the beginning of a diet to shed all this "winter weight" has turned into a huge lifestyle change for us, and not just in the area of dieting. It's always amazing to me how God can use every day things to get across pretty big messages.

It all began with The Cheat to Lose Diet. We checked the book out from the library, read it and decided that it seemed like a good fit for us and our lifestyle. The science behind it made a lot of sense to both of us and fell into line with what our doctor talked to The Daddy about at his annual physical. Besides, how bad is a diet that encourages you to cheat once a week? Can't be too bad, right?

The day after The Pink One's birthday party (a serious cheat day), we began the diet in earnest. And this past week ended week 10. There's been noticeable change in both of us. Not only have we lost significant weight and inches, we have energy, and a desire to workout. And if you know us, you know that we've never been too interested in the exercise portion of a diet. The best part is that this has now become our way of life. We know what to expect during the week as far as our eating plan, and we know that every Saturday we can eat whatever we want. But the thing that really started this big change was the need to do weekly meal planning. So I sit down once a week, plan out all of our meals, and make the grocery list according to our needs.

This process of planning meals and knowing what to expect during the week reminded me of a program that I used several years ago to keep house, but had fallen away from for various reasons. I thought, "hmm, I wonder if I can get back into FlyLady? This planning stuff is making a lot of sense to me." So, after returning from vacation (yes, I will get back to blogging the rest of vacation--there's still a lot to come), I signed back up for FlyLady and shined my sink.

Meanwhile, The Daddy had brought up Dave Ramsey and his program for financial freedom and peace. I thought this was really interesting because over the last few years, several friends have mentioned to me that they were doing Dave's financial plan and had found great freedom in the routine of budgeting. When I first heard that I was suspicious. Seriously? Freedom from budgeting? You're kidding me, right? You want me to give up my credit cards? You're crazy, right? I mean, we pay them off every month anyway, we're not really living with debt. Yeah, we were wrong.

So The Daddy and I had several long discussions about budgeting and financial planning and our goals for the future and for financial freedom. And after much discussion, we decided to go with the program. The first few months will be interesting, especially since we haven't paid for things with cash in years, but already there is freedom. Freedom that has come from a plan.

In the meantime, I've been facilitating a women's bible study group with our church. After finishing Beth Moore's Believing God series, we chose Joanna Weaver's Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World. Yes, about learning to step away from the business of life to sit at Jesus' feet. Do you see a pattern here? Yes, what I'm trying to say is that God is using a variety of tools in my everyday life to teach me that routine, planning, and order bring about peace and freedom and that when you plan things out, you actually find that you have more time than you thought you did.

More time and more room in my life for Him. For study in the Word, for time reflecting and sitting at His feet. More time for other things that are important to Him (and consequently, to me). More time for playing with my kids, more time for taking care of myself (exercise, reading, doing my hobbies). Interesting how that works.

I'm really excited to see what He's going to do next in our lives.

Easter Preview

2009-03-30T18:50:00.002-05:00

Thanks, MiMi!!

And now we return to our regularly scheduled programming...

2009-03-24T20:01:00.004-05:00

Once The Daddy and I arrived at our swanky hotel (thank you KC), albeit still without our luggage, the stress began to melt away. What a beautiful location! What fabulous weather! Since we were there as part of a business trip, we had to do things like take Sam and Patty's (the fishes on the bed) pictures in various locales. Oh yeah, The Daddy had to do some work too. But while he did that, I took the time to take in the luxurious tropical location.

OK, so it wasn't all work and no play. ;)

Not only does the resort have a fabulous pool, luxurious spa, several whirlpool hot tubs, and multiple restaurants, it also had it's own mini mall. The most notable for us was Mimi's Boutique. It was super cute and overpriced, like all good things at a fancy resort hotel.

One of the highlights for me was getting to meet up with my girlfriend, Lisa. I'll admit it now, we've been online friends for about 5 years, and after several failed attempts, we finally were able to meet up for dinner and coffee. Meeting up with her was definitely one of the highlights! We went out for sushi (yummy!!) and chatted for hours. Had you been a fly on the wall, you would have thought we were lifelong friends and wouldn't have guessed this was our first "official" meeting. Thanks for a great time, Lisa!

After these messages...

2009-03-24T09:42:00.003-05:00

Vacation Recap will return hopefully later today. But first, I must take the time today and reflect on 8 wonderful years as The Mrs.

It's hard to believe that 8 years ago today, I walked down the aisle in the most beautiful dress (and most expensive) I had ever laid eyes on. And thus began my life as The Wife to the man who is without doubt God's best for me. I am blessed beyond measure to call myself his wife, his love, his helpmate. God has been so good to us. It's amazing to us when we think back to how we began our dating relationship which then became this beautiful marriage. We've changed so much, grown so much, and are even more in love today than we were that blessed day 8 years ago.

God has not abandoned us, but has drawn us together during these years. We've been through some very interesting, stressful, and wonderful experiences over the years, but God has been faithful and our lives are richer today because of these experiences.

We often talk about the things we would do differently if we went back in time and re-did our wedding day, but thankfully The Daddy, my amazingly wonderful husband, never mentions changing the woman who walked down the aisle toward him to become his wife. I am so blessed. I pray that the next 8 years are as wonderful and when we reflect on 16 years together we are even more blessed and in love as we are today.

Vacation, All I Ever Wanted...Vacation, Had to Get Away

2009-03-23T21:29:00.005-05:00

Last week The Daddy and I enjoyed a fabulous vacation to sunny Florida while the kids spent some quality time with MeMa and PopPop. Unfortunately our trip did not start out quite as planned. Because of bad weather in Atlanta, our flight out of Wisconsin was delayed for about two hours. The kiddos took that time to watch a movie and run around the airport like maniacs. By the time we arrived in Atlanta, the kids were hungry and exhausted and we were soon sitting at a gate with hundreds of crazed college kids heading to Savannah for St. Paddy's Day. Thankfully, a little food and a little Benadryl made very sleepy children who finally collapsed just in time to start boarding. When we finally arrived in Savannah, sometime after 1am, we discovered that one of our bags, the one with The Daddy's clothes for the convention, had not made the flight with us. What a wonderful way to start vacation. Thankfully, once we arrived in Orlando, things changed quickly.

Like Mother, Like Son

2009-03-11T14:08:00.003-05:00

As a child, I was known for my ability to smash fingers, break bones, and be otherwise clumsy. Not a lot has changed over the years (as I'm typing this I have a bandaid on both thumbs because I've managed to cut them both in the last few days). It seems that my son has inherited this lovely ability.

Monday evening, The Daddy was working late, so I fed the kids before I made my own dinner, and once they were finished, I sent them to the playroom. I proceeded to make a quick dinner for myself (yum, tuna salad), and sat down to eat. I was enjoying the peace and quiet of being in the kitchen alone when all of the sudden, the screaming began. UGH, I though, what's going on now? The Pink One quickly ran into the kitchen and handed me a piece of chalk saying that her brother had it and she knew he wasn't supposed to, so she brought it to me. Before I could ask if that was why he was screaming, off she ran, back to the playroom.

The screaming continued, so I got up to investigate, and as I did, The Pink One ran to me and said something about her brother, the toy box, and a finger. Oh great. Upon entering the playroom, I discovered a tiny little boy, pantless (that's another story), screaming, his little finger in the crack of the lid of the toy box, and the lid shut tightly. There's nothing like feeling your heart drop into your stomach when your child is in pain.

I quickly removed the finger from the toy box to discover it was smashed flat as a pancake. At that moment, I knew exactly how my mother felt so many years before when she saw my thumb smashed flat after I'd so helpfully pushed a folding chair across the fellowship hall at the church only to have it fold up on my tiny 20ish month old thumb.

My nurse brain had already left the premises at this point, and I rushed around like a crazed mother, throwing a diaper and clothes on this tiny screaming child, directing the oh-so-helpful 4 year old to get socks, shoes, and coats, and calling The Daddy to have him meet us at the Emergency Room.

As I drove frantically to the hospital, The Short One, between bursts of tears, said over and over, "I just need my Mom-mommy to hold me." Yeah, that helps. By the time we arrived at the ER, unbuckled car seats and emerged into the icy air, I dried his tears and he looked up at me with those chocolate brown eyes. "I'm OK Mom-mommy. I just need a bandaid from your purse."

After a dose of Tylenol and Motrin, 3 x-rays, and a splint we were sent home thanking God that his finger is most likely not broken (if it is, it's only a hairline fracture). Now, to get my heart out of my stomach...

Ah, Spring!

2009-03-09T13:57:00.003-05:00

I know you're all wondering what the difference is between winter and spring in Wisconsin. And yes, I'm also fully aware that it's not "officially" spring yet, but the time has changed, so we're thinking spring. Anyway, in winter, it snows, is bitterly cold, and the snow stays around forever. In spring, it snows, but then the next day the sun is shining, it's above freezing and the streets and parking lots become a lovely dirty slushy mess. Ah, lovely spring...

The Daddy had to carve a hole out of the drift so Willie could get out to pee...what a sweet Daddy!

This is hard to tell, but I hope you can see how the patio is barely covered in snow and the drift at the sliding door is about 2 feet high. This was before we got all 8 inches. And yes, the wind was blowing at a sustained 25 mph. Nothing like living in the "wind tunnel".

Fun for the whole family

2009-03-07T19:56:00.005-06:00

The Wii we got for Christmas has become fun for the whole family. The kids are constantly asking if they can "exercise on the TV". Hopefully we're doing more good than harm. Enjoy!

She says he needs to be around more boys...hmm?

2009-02-26T16:08:00.003-06:00

I heard someone say this boy of mine needs to be around more boys. That he needs to play with cars and trucks, not dolls and dresses. I don't know. He loves cars, trucks, trains, and planes (not to mention helicopters) as much as any other 2 year old boy. He just happens to have a feminine influence that few boys his age have, that being The Pink One, princess of all things pink, frilly, and sparkly. Just today, he was crowned "The King" with a beautiful pink and silver sparkly tiara, then off they ran, hand in hand to find the perfect "dress for a king". I was too slow with the camera to capture that moment, but this one from last week when he stripped himself of all clothes and only wanted to wear the tutu will have to do. What you can't see is how he was twirling around on his tippy toes, doing his ballerina dance.

Ok, maybe I'll start planning more playdates with boys...

The Second Annual Death By Chocolate March

2009-02-21T20:52:00.002-06:00

Last year's Death By Chocolate March was so much fun, we had to do it again this year. Once again, we had a fabulous time. We actually met up with a couple of my girlfriends and their husbands along the route this year, too. What a fun time! We were all disappointed that Sirocco's did not participate this year as their chocolate cheesecake bites were so amazing last year. But, the Chocolate Gelato, UW Chocolate ice cream, and Chocolate Beer made up for it. Black & Tan's brownies were amazing this year, with homemade dulche de leche. Oh my!

I'm in no hurry to leave Wisconsin for many reasons, but the Valentine's Death By Chocolate March is one of those. I'm not ashamed to admit that.

Guitar Hero

2009-02-14T12:13:00.002-06:00

We got a Nintendo Wii for Christmas as our big gift to one another. When we decided on that purchase, we knew The Daddy would get Guitar Hero for his birthday. The kids think it's great fun to "help" us play "the rockstar game." They both may have a career in their future. The Pink One looks especially cute with her Les Paul, I think.

And yes, we are aware that most people play GH at least standing up if not fully rocking out. We choose to play on the couch in our jammies. Hey, it's what works for us, OK?

Sorry for the Delay

2009-02-14T11:42:00.004-06:00

I know, I know, I'm supposed to be doing better at posting than I am. Especially since I'm recovering and what not. You all want to know how I'm doing and what's going on.

I'm now two and a half weeks post-op and am feeling pretty well. Once the stitches came out (thank God there were only a few) I felt like a new woman! Lucky me had an allergic reaction not only to the pain meds but also to the stitches. No, my incisions weren't infected like I thought they might be. I had a reaction to the stitches. Now that they are out, I'm healing really well. All the swelling is gone now, most of the bruising is gone, and all that's left is for my energy to return to normal.

Slowly but surely, I'm on the mend. It's been a longer slower road than I wanted, but I am so grateful to have had Momma here for two weeks. We honestly don't know what we would have done without her. The kids really enjoyed having Memama here and talk about missing her every day.

While Memama was here, we celebrated The Daddy's birthday with a homemade German Chocolate cake. I think everybody enjoyed the celebration.

Dizzy and Itchy

2009-01-30T11:35:00.003-06:00

So I'm here, two days post-op, still sitting in the chair with my heating pad, dizzy and itchy from the pain meds, but so glad it's over. Thankfully the pain is different now. The horrible pain that has plagued me for years is gone, and all I'm dealing with now is the post-op pain. It really is different and really is much more tolerable.

I am incredibly thankful that my Momma made the sacrifice to leave the warmth of Savannah to brave the incredibly cold winter we're having so that my kids, my house, and my sweet husband are taken care of while I focus on recovering. I really don't know what I would do without her here. I'm also incredibly thankful that Daddy and Steve were willing to part with Momma for two weeks. I know it's hard on them not to have her around. She's such an amazing woman and does so much to keep everybody in line.

I appreciate the thoughts and prayers that you all have sent up for me. No matter how far away you are, you are close to my heart and I am so grateful for each of you.

Just a Few Moments

2009-01-24T19:19:00.003-06:00

I managed to capture a sweet moment of the two adorable children working together coloring a picture. Yes, The Pink One was giving The Short One instructions on how to properly color and which part of the picture he should color, but still they were quietly playing together. It was a nice moment, even if it didn't last very long.

Much to my surprise, The Short One has decided that he's a big boy. He's no where near fully trained, but is working very hard on learning when he needs to potty. Since he loves to be naked or nearly naked, he really loves being out of diapers and in "big boy pants" when we're at home. I can't believe how fast he's growing up!

Most of you probably know I've been battling with severe pain lately (thus my reduction in posting). Thankfully, I will be having surgery Wednesday to hopefully bring some relief. Please pray that all goes smoothly and that I can return to "normal" soon.

Good Ole Blackmail!

2009-01-12T20:27:00.003-06:00

Yes, he did this to himself. And then laughed hysterically.

At Sissy's birthday party, as soon as she unwrapped this hat, he snatched it out of her hand and put it on his head. Yes, the tag is still on it, and yes, there's still wrapping paper attached. He couldn't care less. Today he put the same hat on, looked at me, and said, "I princess!"

This just goes to show that Sissy's not the only one into dress up around here. Birthday presents are going to good use!

He's really going to kill me for this one day. Oh well, at least I got a good laugh out of it!

Google It!

2009-01-10T19:47:00.004-06:00

When I was trying to find an example of a Pinky Dinky Doo cake to make, like most things, I Googled it. There weren't many out there. Literally, just one or two. So, in my quest to make the internet a better place, I submitted my cake and a short write up to this website and they published it! You can check it out for yourself. Feel free to make comments if you wish.

Happy Birthday Pinky--I mean Princess!

2009-01-10T13:41:00.003-06:00

After a couple of requests, here are two pictures to show the scale of the cake. Yes, it is almost the size of my small-for-his-age two year old!

The Birthday girl had a blast opening presents with Daddy. And as usual, she's put on half of the gifts as soon as she opened them.

All of her friends had a great time, too. This present drew the interest of all of them!

I still have a hard time believing that my tiny little princess is 4 already! She's had a great day, and is really enjoying being a "super duper big girl", but like usual, she's already moved on to the next thing and is talking about turning 5!

Pinky Party

2009-01-09T20:52:00.004-06:00

I can't believe my little angel girl will be 4 tomorrow! The time passes so quickly. At her request, we're having a Pinky Dinky Doo themed party (check out Noggin.com if you've never heard of it) with a full sized Pinky cake. I know it's not polite to brag, but I'm pretty thrilled with the way this cake turned out. There will be more pictures and stories to come after the party tomorrow, but I had to share this now.

Busy Times

2009-01-07T09:10:00.002-06:00

Just a quick update. I know I promised more Christmas pictures and have not delivered, but I've been busy planning somebody's 4th birthday party. I can't believe she's 4 already! I'm so thankful that our house is not on the market and we're not moving. Every other year, the poor child has had to endure some sort of moving related drama on her birthday. The day of her first birthday party, we had to wrap up early, do a quick cleaning of the house with all the guests helping and run out of the house so it could be shown. We moved a few days later. Then last year, on her third birthday the movers were at the house getting everything ready for us to move here. It's so nice to be settled this year. She's really looking forward to her birthday and her party. Tomorrow we'll celebrate at school and then we'll have her party Saturday.

I'm looking forward to life slowing down a bit after her party. The holidays and birthdays at the first of the year always wear me out. Maybe then I'll have a few minutes to catch my breath and catch up with you here.

Just for Jim

2008-12-26T19:31:00.003-06:00

At MiMi's request, the children sang "Jingle Bells" on camera. They have an interesting take on the song.

A few Highlights

2008-12-25T20:06:00.004-06:00

We're celebrating our very first Christmas in Wisconsin. God has been so good and we've had a blessed Christmas. Here's the family on Christmas Eve.

After church, it's time for the traditional Christmas Jammies. We had a beautiful service which made a couple of babies very tired.

Just a couple of highlights from Christmas Day. The Short One loved MiMi's new hat and gloves.

Very tired after a long day of present opening.

The Pink One on Shorty's scooter, dressed in her Christmas finery.

Good thing everybody got the child clothes to dress up in. The girl loves dress up.

Merry Christmas to all! We pray that you have enjoyed a blessed day with family and friends.

More Cookies

2008-12-23T22:14:00.002-06:00

A few weeks ago, we had a cookie making extravaganza where we made 80+ cookies. Much to our kids' delight, we had to make another batch for Christmas. Much fun was had by all my kids.

There may have been a little cookie lust going on here.

Preschool Christmas Songs

2008-12-23T21:41:00.007-06:00

Christmas in Wisconsin

2008-12-21T18:19:00.002-06:00

It really is a shame the The Short One's eyes were closed in this picture. Otherwise, it might have been a good picture of the three of us. But, this was the best of the ones of all three that we got this morning.

The Little Dude had total rock star hair this morning. He's such a lady killer. We're gonna be in serious trouble when he gets older. He already has all the girls at church crazy about him. Even the college girls can't stop talking about him!

As you can imagine, more pictures will come over the next week. We're preparing for MiMi's arrival. Due to weather (see previous post), her flight last night was canceled, so we're anticipating her arrival tomorrow morning. We are looking forward to good times, lots of laughs, and yes, more snow.

6 Inches

2008-12-21T18:16:00.002-06:00

We only got another 6 inches of snow, but the wind causes the snow to drift so badly that this is what The Daddy was faced with in order for the pizza delivery guy to get to the door tonight.

What Santa Says

2008-12-21T18:12:00.001-06:00

The Pink One

2008-12-15T21:07:00.002-06:00

Our sweet girl, The Pink One, has become very independent these days. She will pick out her own clothes, dress herself, and even fix her own "boo boos". Thanks to the Wisconsin Winter and a cold, she's got a patch of dry skin above her top lip. After declaring that lotion would NOT fix her boo boo, she came downstairs sporting this bandaid. As you can see, she was very proud.

Daddy's girl all the way. She still loves "Andy", the doll she picked out as her own when baby brother was born. And no, he still doesn't wear clothes.

She's enthralled by all things pink, princess, and books of every kind. She's been known to put a pink princess dress on as soon as her little jammied feet hit the floor. And she wants desperately to read, so much so that she is teaching herself to write. She is really thriving in preschool, and I'm thankful that she has exposure to someone who has more patience than me with things like Play-Doh and finger paints, not to mention scissors and glue sticks.

The Short One

2008-12-15T20:55:00.002-06:00

The Short One has been such a riot lately. His little personality, well big personality, has really developed. He has discovered that coloring is fun, but only if you're naked. And eating cookies is fun, but only if you're naked. On occasion, I am able to force clothes on the child, and can even get a decent picture of him every now and then.

Our very own naked cowboy loves to color, when he's not eating the crayons.

He was so proud of himself that he found both "fancy gloves". He loves to play dress up as much as The Pink One. And Momma has lot of proof for the teenage years.

Note to self: buttercream icing and christmas cookies do not combine well.

That's my sweet boy.

Christmas Decorations

2008-12-15T20:39:00.003-06:00

Our first live tree since having kids. Yes, the star is touching the ceiling. Yes, The Daddy is very happy about that.

Dining Room table decorated for our Christmas Party. The table filled pretty quickly with food once our guests started arriving.

Buffet ready for the party. The glasses aren't really part of our decorations this year.

Baby It's Cold Outside!

2008-12-15T19:03:00.002-06:00

Ah, winter has arrived in it's full glory. My toes are so numb I can hardly feel them. We're getting into that "bitterly cold" time of year, a phrase that the local weather people only use when it gets below zero. The winds are blowing like they do, typically between 20 and 30 miles an hour, almost non-stop. Take temperatures already at or below zero and add serious winds and we're in dangerous territory. Yea, we don't go out much this time of year.

We are looking forward to Christmas next week. Next week?!?! Holy smokes, how did that happen? I've got shopping to do still.

I have a lot of pictures to get up, and hopefully I'll get to that in the next day or so. Like everyone else, we've been crazy busy the last few weeks and I've had little time to think much less post. It will get better. I know that my faithful readers are anxious for more pictures of the kids. Don't worry, I've got pictures and lots of stories to share. It's coming.

But for now, the laundry calls and there are two very tired sweeties that need to get to bed.

I think we're in for a white Christmas...

2008-12-04T13:38:00.002-06:00

We had a pretty good snow yesterday, a good 5 inches. And since it was warm (by that I mean 30F), we trekked out and played hard. The kids had a great time even though it was still coming down pretty good. The Pink One, without request or suggestion from the Momma or the Short One, pulled him around the yard on the sled, both of them giggling non-stop. It was great fun!

This last one wasn't actually from this snow, but from one prior. I usually don't do very well with the artistic photos, but I was impressed with this one.

Thanksgiving Fun

2008-12-04T13:31:00.002-06:00

We enjoyed a fun and festive Thanksgiving at The MiMi's house. Although the drive was long and not necessarily pleasant, it was a good time once we actually made it there. As usual for these types of gatherings, there was lots of family, lots of food, and lots of laughter. Oh, and some naked babies, too.

Thankful for Y'all!

2008-12-01T12:09:00.000-06:00

I am so thankful for all y'all. Each of you means so much to me in your own ways. And without each of you, I don't know what I would do. So, thank you for being you. Thank you for allowing God to use you to minister to me. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I love you all! I pray that you each had a blessed Thanksgiving and that as we begin this Advent season that you would prepare your hearts and minds for our Lord and Savior, the greatest gift of all.

Much love and many blessings,
The Momma

He will NOT win!

2008-11-20T07:08:00.002-06:00

The Enemy will NOT win this battle. He may be using all sorts of sneaky tactics, but I am a Child of God! I am loved, blessed, chosen, adopted, accepted, redeemed, and forgiven. The Enemy may fight like the devil to make me forget that, but I will not. I will stand in faith and remind him that God IS bigger!

Continue to pray. This battle is not easy. But I'm standing in faith and I'm Believing God!

First of the Season

2008-11-08T20:32:00.005-06:00

The first snow of the season. So peaceful and beautiful. Although it was just a dusting, there were two children who could not let this beautiful site remain pristine. No, they must do what they always do and destroy everything that is beautiful. But oh did they have fun!

Snowing!

2008-11-08T07:00:00.002-06:00

It's our first real snowfall of the season. We woke up to beautiful snow covered grass and lovely white flakes falling down. I'll forget for a minute that it's not yet Thanksgiving!

Just One More

2008-11-06T07:10:00.002-06:00

Ginger brought this post from the amazing and inspired Beth Moore to my attention. She says in a much more graceful and eloquent way what I just tried to say. I think you'll be blessed!

Psalm 46

2008-11-06T06:41:00.002-06:00

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. "Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

I've been in turmoil for weeks over the election, and now that it's over, that turmoil and anxiety has only increased. I've been thinking and praying, trying desperately to put my feelings into words. I have this overwhelming need to write about what is going on. So much so that I've isolated friends who feel differently about the outcome. I just feel so strongly that it is hard to talk calmly and rationally at the moment. That's when a dear friend led me to this blog post. From the comments, God lead to me His Word (amazing how that happens in times like this, isn't it?). To one of my favorite Psalms, to one of my favorite verses. One that I need to frequently be reminded of: "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

While I in my earthly brain cannot understand how in the world the outcome of this election could possibly bring Glory to the Most High, since it seems that our nation is moving further and further away from the principles it was founded on, I must be still and have faith that even in the midst of this storm, God will be exalted among the nations. He WILL be exalted in all the earth.

Now is the time to draw near to the Lord, to pray for the future of our country, to pray for the newly elected leaders, to pray that above all else that God will be exalted. It's time for me to share with those I come in contact with how God is my Savior. How many times did the Israelites, God's own chosen people, look for leadership in Kings and Judges? How many times did His own children turn from Him? Yet did He ever leave them or forsake them? No! And He will not leave us or forsake us. I may feel like our country has been abandoned, but I must be reminded that God is in charge. That He allowed this to happen because this is what we asked for.

I pray that my worst fears do not come true and that God will be glorified and will draw more to Him in this time of crisis and godlessness.

The Fierce Dragon and His Princess

2008-10-31T18:59:00.004-05:00

Once upon a time there was a fierce dragon who protected his beautiful princess with a ferocious roar. They went up and down the street seeking treats from their friendly neighbors, giggling all the way.

When he was not seeking treats, he was protecting the princess from her tiara, magic wand, and fancy shoes.

Don't you wish you had your very own fierce dragon to protect you?

Preschool Songs

2008-10-30T21:22:00.003-05:00

As a part of the special Halloween celebration at preschool, those pesky parents were invited to join "song time." Guess who was the star of the show...

Our Little Princess

2008-10-30T16:06:00.001-05:00

Today the preschoolers were allowed to wear their costumes to school. Guess what The Pink One wanted to be...

Our Catholic School Girl

2008-10-28T17:00:00.006-05:00

The Pink One absolutely loves preschool and is thriving in a wonderful environment. She likes to show off the new skills that she's learning, too.

What turning two will do for a boy

2008-10-28T16:31:00.005-05:00

So The Short One has a few new tricks up his sleeve these days. Just a week ago, he could only count to three, now see what he can do...

And that's not all he can do!

Blame it on the Rain

2008-10-21T18:41:00.003-05:00

Well, you could blame it on the rain, but it's really isk8r's fault. She tagged me in this meme, and I feel obliged to play along. I'm supposed to name 6 quirks about myself. I have a reputation for being pretty quirky, so you'd think this would be easy for me. Not so much.

1. There's almost always a song running through my head.
2. I always put my right shoe on first.
3. I obsessively wash my hands while cooking.
4. I tend to be very shy, but when I'm in a large group and uncomfortable, I can be obnoxiously loud.
5. I would be perfectly content to go a week without leaving my house.
6. I tend to overuse cliches.

My victims are as follows:
Ginger
Amy
Stacy
Karrie
Rhonda
Kate

Here are the rules: Link the person who tagged you Mention rules on your blog Tell about 6 quirks of yours Tag 6 fellow bloggers to do the same. Leave a comment to let them know.

Such Big Kids

2008-10-21T12:19:00.002-05:00

I know I've been a bit of a slacker lately about blogging. I'm sorry. Life goes on, and sometimes I don't have the time or energy to blog about it. I know that y'all have gotten accustomed to frequent posts, pictures, and videos of my darling babies. I'm sorry that I have not met expectations lately. There's a lot I could say about why I haven't been here, but I'm not going to bore you with the details. So, as a peace offering, I give two adorable children who are growing much too quickly for my liking. They are both capable of doing without sippy cups when given the opportunity and when they actually pay attention long enough to not spill.

These glasses were carefully wrapped in all that bubblewrap that MeMama sent. They were my grandmother's. It's been a pure joy to let my children use glasses that generations of kids have used at GreatMomma's house.

Thank You, MeMaMa!

2008-10-13T18:53:00.004-05:00

Little Funnies

2008-10-12T21:37:00.002-05:00

The Pink One made the entire congregation at church laugh this morning, and since most of you weren't there I think I should share it here.

The Pastor asked "How do you get to heaven?" Her reply "on a helicopter."

Then, as I put The Short One to bed tonight, he grabbed his "Brown Bear, Brown Bear," promptly turned it over to the bottom, pointed at the tag, and said "coffee cup. Momma's coffee cup." The bear is one from the Kohl's Cares for Kids fundraising drive and has this image on the tag. Guess what it reminds him of!

Party Time!

2008-10-11T20:58:00.003-05:00

The Short One had a fabulous birthday party today. Most of his friends made it, and he was in heaven surrounded by his girls. We were all surprised that he got four different helicopter toys. They are all really cute and he adores them. The excitement as he opened each one was so much fun to see.

Uncle Tim would have landed it better

2008-10-11T15:55:00.002-05:00

So it's not to scale, it's on grass, there are a LOT of details missing, but for a first attempt at a carved cake, it turned out pretty good. It sure was tasty!

Birthday Time!

2008-10-07T21:01:00.005-05:00

The Short One had a fabulous birthday today. He got one on one time with the Momma (good for everybody!), a special birthday balloon from Toys R Us, chicken tenders for dinner, and a cupcake and ice cream. Not to mention the three helicopters, four puzzles, and new clothes. It was a great day for a little man.

Happy Birthday Sweet Boy!

2008-10-07T06:53:00.004-05:00

Two short years ago, you were such an itty bitty thing. You gave Momma and Daddy a big scare just before you were born, but God protected you and you came out perfectly fine. Daddy was really happy because even though you were born during football season, he could see the Tech scoreboard from the hospital room and you waited until after the game was over to be born. It didn't hurt that Tech won that day, either.

Now you're a big boy, running around, climbing and jumping. You have so many words that you amaze Momma and Daddy every day. You're learning the alphabet, know the colors and shapes, and can count to three. You want to do everything that your older sister does, which frequently gets you both in trouble. You love to laugh and give hugs and kisses freely to almost anybody. And that usually makes up for the trouble that you and The Pink One like to get into!

It's hard to see by looking at you, but you love to eat! Every morning you ask for "Cheerios, milk on it" and even tell me what color bowl and spoon you want to eat it out of. You've picked up my habit of drinking the last bit of milk out of the bowl, too. Most of the time you don't even spill any! You love fruit and cheese and think that chocolate milk is a very special treat. You have a great way of eating cupcakes and love to say "ice cream cone".

Ever since your uncle flew up and let you climb all over his helicopter, you've been in love with them! It's a good thing that we live close to the airport because you love to see airplanes and point them out when they're in the sky. You know one's close just by the sound. It's the cutest thing when you stop playing to yell "Airpane! Sky!"

You are a joy and I don't know what my life would be like without you in it. I thank God every day for blessing us with you.

I love you, Little Man!

Like Mother, Like Daughter

2008-10-02T10:11:00.005-05:00

After much debate, it has been determined that The Pink One has a tiny bit of my DNA in her after all.

Unlike previous videos, this one doesn't have sound. For once I was able to capture her in action without her realizing it. She was very focused on the task at hand, and I didn't want to disrupt her concentration. Enjoy!

A preview of what's to come...

2008-09-30T19:54:00.005-05:00

One week from today is The Short One's second birthday. We are looking forward to the day and planning a celebration with a few of his friends. Today, however, we had cupcakes because I had a few left over after baking for the United Way bake sale fundraiser at The Daddy's office. The Short One kept repeating "no camera! no camera!" I'm glad that I left the camera rolling anyway. This may be the funniest thing he's ever done. I'm looking forward to next week and his party to follow. I wonder what kind of show he'll put on for us then.

The video is long, seven minutes long, and you may need to change your pants part way through, but we couldn't decide where to trim it, so here it is for your viewing pleasure.

I'll attempt to translate what he has to say, but even I don't understand all of it.

No camera! No camera! No camera! No camera, no camera, no camera, yes camera.

(off camera, there is some discussion between the Pink One and The Daddy about her wanting to be on camera saying "Pa-chow!")

He returns to the "no camera" thing, to which The Daddy promises that we'll turn the camera off. After some indecipherable banter with his sister, he says, "no sissy, sit down."

Then he repeats something about the camera, but after multiple viewings, The Daddy and I still don't know what the child said. Sorry.

After his sippy cup break, he says, "no cupcake, just that one." Then, while he continues to eat he says, "down please, 'scuse table please." Followed by, "more cake please." He asks again, "'scuse table please," but follows with "more cake please."

As if he realizes what we've been taping all this time, he picks up the cupcake and eats it like a normal child. He said, "all done camera please. I'm all done camera please."

If nothing else, the child has learned manners in the last two years.

Our Little Yellow Jacket

2008-09-27T20:08:00.002-05:00

The Pink One could not have made her father and I any more proud this evening. Being Saturday, The Daddy had on a Georgia Tech shirt. Out of no where, The Pink One looked over at him, pointed to his shirt, and spelled out "G E O R G I A, what's that spell, Daddy?". The Daddy replied "Georgia." Then, she started sounding out "T E C H". "Georgia Tech, Daddy! Your shirt says Georgia Tech!"

High Fives all around!

Runs with Scissors

2008-09-26T08:10:00.003-05:00

Those of you who know me well know that I don't tolerate messes very well. I definitely lack in the "crafty mom" department. It's just another mess to clean up. But, there are sacrifices that you make for your kids. And I think they enjoyed their time with markers, stamps, and scissors. If only I could prevent The Pink One from sharing her scissors with her brother.

Bedtime Stories

2008-09-25T20:07:00.006-05:00

One of the sweetest things I've witnessed as a mother happened tonight. The Short One climbed into his sister's bed for stories. The Pink One sent both the Daddy and I out of the room because she "can read to him myself." It was such a sweet moment that I had to grab the camera. I tried to be sneaky when capturing it on film, but the Pink One figured me out pretty early on and had to put on a show. It's a cute video regardless. You'll probably have to turn the volume up pretty loud to hear since I was a fair ways away from the reader.

Of course once I stopped recording, even funnier things happened, so I started back up. Those kids (especially the older one) knows what it sounds like when the camera is on. *Note to self, get a quieter camera.* And since she is my child, she feels the need to perform when said camera is on. Alas, the Short One was oblivious to the filming and put on a pretty sweet show himself.

Everything you never wanted to know....

2008-09-21T22:15:00.003-05:00

1. What time did you get up this morning? 6:30
2. Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds
3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema? The Rocker
4. What is your favorite TV show? Prison Break
5. What do you usually have for breakfast? Honey Nut Cheerios or a bagel
6. What is your middle name? Michelle
7. What food do you dislike? mayo
8. What is your favorite CD at the moment? Gomez "How We Operate"
9. What kind of car do you drive? Dodge Caravan
10. Favorite sandwich? Subway Turkey on Honey Oat
11. What characteristic do you despise? closed-mindedness
12. Favorite item of clothing? yoga pants
13. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go? The Holy Land
14. Favorite brand of clothing? lately, Merona
15. Where would you retire to? somewhere in the mountains, near a lake
16. What was your most recent memorable birthday? 2008--meeting up with a dear friend and her family
17. Favorite sport to watch? Football
18. Furthest place you are sending this? the internet
19. Person you expect to send it back first? Not sure...
20. When is your birthday? July 6
21. Are you a morning person or a night person? morning
22. What is your shoe size? 8.5
23. Pets? dog
24. Any new and exciting news you'd like to share with us? it's not snowing yet
25. What did you want to be when you were little? nurse
26. How are you today? tired
27. What is your favorite candy? Twix
28. What is your favorite flower? Peony
29. What is a day on the calendar you are looking forward to? October 10th, next date night
30. What is your favorite pastime? Sewing/Quilting
31. What are you listening to right now? some weird show on Discovery HD about Tsunamis
32. What was the last thing you ate? a twix
33. Do you wish on stars? No
34. If you were a crayon, what color would you be? periwinkle
35. How is the weather right now? cool, crisp fall night
36. The first person you spoke to on the phone today? friend from small group
37. Favorite soft drink? Cherry Coke
38. Favorite restaurant? Katsu Ya
39. Real hair color? dark brown
40. What was your favorite toy as a child? Cabbage Patch Kids
41. Summer or winter? Summer
42. Hugs or kisses? both
43. Chocolate or Vanilla? chocolate
44. Coffee or tea? coffee
45. Do you want your friends to email you back? I’d rather they post a link in my comments
46. When was the last time you cried? i don't remember
47. What is under your bed? dust bunnies
48. What did you do last night? went to Oktoberfest
49. What are you afraid of ? something happening to my family
50. Salty or sweet? both, together
51. How many keys on your key ring? 3
52. How many years at your current job? almost 4
53. Favorite day of the week? Thursday
54. How many towns have you lived in? 7
55. Do you make friends easily? yes
56. How many people will you send this to? whoever reads my blog
57. How many will respond? 1

OK, TAG you are it. If you post it on your blog leave me a link.

A Dinkey Bird Told Me

2008-09-21T21:11:00.003-05:00

The Short One has a special day coming up. His second birthday. Yes, this sweet amazing creature has only been in our lives two short years. It's hard to remember a time without his sweet voice and glistening eyes. To celebrate this special day, he's placed his order for a birthday cake. Suffice it to say, The Momma has her work cut out for her. Don't worry, I'll clue you in on his order (and provide pictures) a little closer to the actual event.

In the meantime, maybe this little story will satisfy your cravings for Short One love...

Many years ago, my parents put me to bed telling me stories of "going to Nappy's house" where the dinkey birds sing in the amfalula trees. (I wonder if somewhere down the line this information came from this poem.) I have taken it upon myself to pass these stories on to my children. We make up new stories of what they'll do at Nappy's House, talk about who all they'll see there, and generally make the transition to sleep a little gentler.

When the Short One is especially tired, between hard eye rubs, he'll point to his crib and say, "Nappy's House. Now." This was the case tonight after he'd opted out of his nap this afternoon. The poor child was exhausted, requested only one bedtime song as opposed to the three or four he usually requests.

I pray he has a lovely visit at Nappy's tonight where he hears many songs from those sweet dinkey birds who sing in the amfalula trees.

A tiny glimpse into her mind...

2008-09-15T16:51:00.002-05:00

The following conversation took place a little while ago. I would really like to be inside her head for just a few minutes. It's an interesting place....

The Pink One: I'm watching football, Momma.
Momma: Who's playing?
TPO: My husband.
M: Your husband? When did you get married?
TPO: 5 years ago.
M: Really? What's your husband's name?
TPO: Jackie.
M: That's an interesting name. What's his last name?
TPO: Jube. Yea, Jackie Jube.
M: And how old is this Jackie Jube?
TPO: 3. Like I'm 3.
M: Oh, I thought you got married 5 years ago.
TPO: 5, Yea, he's 5.
M: So, where did you get married?
TPO: At the Mary Church. (her school is at St. Mary's Catholic Church)
M: Oh, where you go to school?
TPO: Yea, the Mary Church.
M: So Jackie Jube is Catholic?
TPO: Yea, just like me. Catholic. And I'm in charge of him.
M: So, if your husband is playing football, why are you watching him on TV? You should be there with him to support him.
TPO: But Mom, I can't drive! I guess I could fly there in a helicopter, though.

Wiggle Waggle

2008-09-10T17:59:00.004-05:00

The Pink One has been in performance mode today...here's just a sample...

Not to be outdone, the Short One had to get in on the action...

I tried to find a clip on YouTube of the actual song in context from the show, Word World, but alas, I could not. If one of you beautiful readers is more YouTube savvy than I, maybe you could find a clip of "clap and stomp, and wiggle waggle". Until then, maybe you can enjoy the rendition that my children offer.

The Transcript

2008-09-08T19:24:00.003-05:00

It's come to my attention that it may be a little difficult to decipher the language of a not yet two year old if you haven't heard it every day of his life. For those of you who don't yet understand what The Short One is saying in the video in the previous post, I'll provide the transcript for you...

Short One: Uncle Tim, Orange Helicopter
Momma: Can you tell Mommy that again, please?
Short One: Uncle Tim, Orange Helicopter
Momma: Yeah, Uncle Tim flies an orange helicopter? Hutch, Hutch, when's your birthday?
Short One: Uncle Tim, Orange Helicopter
Momma: Oh, your birthday is Uncle Tim, Orange Helicopter? Is your birthday October 7th?
Short One: October 7th
Momma: Yeah, How old is Hutch going to be?
Short One: Down! Down!
Momma: How old is Hutch going to be?
Short One: Please! Down!
Momma: Please, down. Is Hutch going to be two?
Short One: No, Two. Half.

Sunday Morning Fun

2008-09-08T08:18:00.005-05:00

My two beautiful children ready to go to church.

Here it is, the much requested video. The boy talks. Slowly. Listen carefully.

Fall?!? Where did that come from?

2008-09-07T20:32:00.003-05:00

Holy Cow! Labor Day really is the end of summer. That's it, the beautiful, glorious long warm days and cool nights are gone. I just might shed a tear. Never in my life has fall started literally overnight. Last Tuesday, we turned the air on because it was 91 degrees out, then I had to find jeans and long sleeved shirts to fit the kids by Thursday when the high was 60. I'm not kidding!

Don't get me wrong, I love fall. I always have. I'm just used to a gradual introduction to the season, not an abrupt change. I keep hearing that Wisconsin falls are even better than Wisconsin summers. Right now, I'm finding that hard to believe, but I am anxiously awaiting the changing of the leaves. I'm looking forward to my fall planting, and cool dry days when I can try my hand at making divinity. If I can master that, I just may never leave this little bit of heaven on earth.

It's a season of change, and I'm looking forward to that.

Another Good Read

2008-09-05T14:22:00.005-05:00

Quite a while back, I wrote about a fabulous book that I'd just finished, Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller. I recently read a similarly wonderful book, Velvet Elvis by Rob Bell, that I have to share. It was such an insightful and thought provoking read, that I feel like I have to tell people about it. My dear friend Lisa turned me on to it through her blog entry about it. I was so intrigued that I had to read it for myself. I'm glad I did! In fact, I haven't yet returned it to the library (it's due today) and I have already bought a copy for myself. I'm looking forward to reading it again and being able to write notes in the margin this time. I'm also planning on using it as a resource when I start teaching a Bible study for women in our church in a few weeks.

I'd heard of Rob Bell and his innovative Mars Hill Church in Michigan. I've even seen a few of his short films, so when Lisa mentioned this book, I thought I'd better get my hands on it if I could. I'm glad I did. It's a quick read, and it just might change your mind about Christianity if you give it a chance.

One of my very favorite things that he said, very early in the book, is this:

Over time when you purposefully try to live the way of Jesus, you start noticing something deeper going on. You begin realizing the reason this is the best way to live is that it is rooted in profound truths about how the world is. You find yourself living more and more in tune with ultimate reality. You are more and more in sync with how the universe is at its deepest level.

Jesus' intention was, and is, to call people to live in tune with reality. He said at one point that if you had seen him, you had "seen the Father". He claimed to be showing us what God is like. In his compassion, peace, truth telling, and generosity he was showing us God.

As I struggle along in this life, striving to live in the way of Jesus, I hope that I will become more and more in tune with reality. Considering the current political discussions going on in our country and the common idea that Christians in general are separated from reality, living in our own little worlds, "clinging to [our] faith and [our] guns" I find this idea of Christ-likeness leading to the ultimate reality a really refreshing thought.

I wish I were more articulate and could summarize this book a bit better because I really do think it's great. But then if I could do that, you wouldn't need to read the book, right?

Happy Birthday Pop Pop!

2008-09-02T14:23:00.002-05:00

For two years in a row, we got to celebrate PopPop's birthday at our house. Last year, the candles on PopPop's cake showed that he turned 91 instead of 61. This year, his candles were imaginary...

The kids enjoyed corn on the cob with our brat fry in celebration of the big day!

School Days

2008-09-02T14:11:00.002-05:00

How in the world is my oldest child old enough to go to preschool? A Real 3 year old preschool? I am amazed. I used to laugh when my parents talked about how quickly we kids grew up. Then I had kids of my own and I sit back in sheer amazement at how quickly they really do grow.

The Pink One has begged since we moved here for us to find her a school to go to. She is quite the social butterfly and needs a lot of social stimulation. After much prodding by a persistent 3 year old, I found a school that satisfied the many requirements that The Daddy and I had. And today, The Short One and I walked The Pink One to her first day of school.

She's going to a fabulous program that is at the Catholic School two streets over. Every day when we hear the church bells, she declares that it's "time for mass," so we thought this was a natural choice. She's already impressed both her teacher and the principal with her knowledge and skills. I hope and pray it'll be a good year for all of us.

Do you think she's excited?

The biggest bookbag on the planet!