Translation

Upon reflection, I can see with clarity, just how last night came about....

First, for the OR. Hubs had a small issue that needed to be taken care of, which delayed his arrival home from the expected 8:00 to about 10:30.  I already knew he would be late because of a meeting, but sometimes things come up and hubs is busy caring for others.

The science project was very well managed by said 10 year old until about 8:00.  That was when I discovered a few misinterpretations had overtaken the project and we had some revising to do.  No matter how much you prepare, something unexpected always comes up, and a project takes longer than you planned!  Right?  I must re-emphasize that projects have to be finished at least 1 weekend before the due date - just in case of the unexpected.

In addition to the project debacle, I had one 3rd grade program to attend (which was the best ever, by the way).  One basketball practice to skip.  One 6th grader who was not feeling well and who also needed some homework help.  Plus one wild and crazy 6 year old who needed supervising.

And, wouldn't you know, I chose this week to discontinue my large consumption of Diet Coke!  That is the absolute culprit.  I wasn't able to indulge in the medicating bubbles brought on by the ingestion of a few DC's a day.

I am sure the lack of chocolate also contributed to my personal issues.  But, by about 9:30 when child #2 was off to bed saying, "Mom, I really appreciate you helping me with my project".  What else was there to say but how much I loved him and how proud of him I am....

...and then I headed off to make my beloved bowl of popcorn, which always brings life back to this exhausted Mama.

Keeping it Real

Tonight was quite a catastrophe.  Toward the end of the evening (translated 3 kids in bed, one to go), I dashed off a quick email to a few friends.  Which is quite funny to me.  I felt better after sending a quip out into the faceless world of the internet - hoping my plight would be received by those who know me well.

Here is how it went:

Pardon me, but I must gripe and hubs is in the OR.  Yes, at 8:45.

I am about to self-combust from frustration from 5th grade Science projects and procrastinating, creative, sweet, innocent, loving, cute boys.  Particularly the one whom I birthed at 11:45 am on Thursday on the 17th day of the 7th month in the 97th year of 1900.

Did you know that I birthed a child on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday?  Now that is something to be absolutely and completely proud of.

I am positive I would not feel this frustrated if I had eaten chocolate today.  But I am trying not.  I even drank black decaf at Starbucks yesterday.  and I hate coffee.  What am I becoming?

Did you know that my birthday is exactly 13 days from this current, cold February day.  It had better be warm, that is all I have to say, and sunny.  with presents.  lots.

Ahhh.  I feel better now.  Off to chug some apple cider rendition I found in my refrigerator!

and to make popcorn.  :)

Picture of the Week

Look what I found in my parents' backyard last weekend!

This is a Texas-sized Azalea, in case you've never seen one.
They grow on Texas-sized bushes that stay lush and green all winter.
And look, there is a huge promise of more to come!

Spring is just 22 days away....

White Wednesday

Songs of the Day

This will give you an idea of what my days are filled with....

This is my story, this is my song...

I could do laun-dry all the day long.

This is my story, this is my song.

I thought I was fin-ished, but I was dead wrong!

... and song 2...

Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred pa-irs

Five hundred, twenty-five thousand, six hundred socks.

I hate to wash whi-ites

because it ends in matching...

I hate to match them all -

'cause it never works out!

Here are 49 socks (from about 4 days) - and I always end up with an uneven number. (I couldn't fit the entire continuous line in one shot).

Seasons of lo-o-ove, seasons of lo-o-ove!

One Small Fact

It's rainy today with the possibility of snow tonight, so I am hunkered down for the rest of the day. I've already been to pick up Girl Scout cookies and a I made a trip to Walmart. I'm sure few would believe this small trivial fact, but I did not set foot in one single Walmart until I was a freshman in college. Nope, never. They just weren't convenient in Houston (in fact, I can't think of the location of one single Walmart back then). We occasionally went to Target - but it was inconvenient, too. I'm telling you - I was a big city girl - and I went to big city stores! Evidently.

Nevertheless, once college began and I found myself in the armpit of America (Waco, TX), I began regular trecks to Wally World. I go now only when I absolutely have too. The lines are always long and quite frankly, I find it dangerous at night! I would drive to Target (a mere 20 minutes) any given day, but I always spend quite a sum when there and I am trying to cut back.

I will admit that Walmart does have the very best selection of Blue Bell ice cream and they carry the bread for Pizza Stuff. We are having Pizza Stuff for dinner. It is Reed's absolute favorite and he has been begging me to make it for him. I may just include the recipe in a post this week. Stay tuned!

Grandmother

We celebrated Grandmother's birthday this weekend.  She's been living for 90 years.  My parents' house was full of old pictures of my grandmother throughout her life.  I spent a long time studying each one.  As I gazed at the pictures of Grandmother in her youth, I found myself trying to get more.  You know what it's like when you are trying to see something in a picture because the angle is just not right?  You want to see what is behind the person's left shoulder, or what the writing in the picture says.  But you can't quite get there.  In a picture, all of the information is there, but it's only as clear as the focusing of the camera.  You can only decipher what the camera saw, not what the photographer was attempting to capture.  Pictures don't talk or sing or narrate.  They just are.  They are a window to the past but there is only one side. You can look through it, but you can't climb through it.

Grandmother had pictures out from all of her albums.  She had the pictures sorted by child/grandchild and event.  She wanted us to have the albums - pictures some of us had never seen.  I recognized most of the ones she had picked for me; although, there were a precious few which were new.  Like the one of Caroline scrunching up her nose at Poppy through the window that connected the upstairs to the kitchen in their house...or the pictures of our first dog (Amber) and my cousin David's first 2 girls at my house in Edmond before I even knew I was pregnant with Caroline.  What a treasure!

The pictures I was most interested in were those of Grandmother and Pop before any of us were around.  They are black and white, but not to Grandmother.  She could give me all of the details.  Like the portrait of her in the navy and white dress with the red cherry pin and matching earrings.  Or the snapshot of her with her friends right before she married.  Her dress was blue - "between royal and navy" - with a matching hat and shoes.  She always looked happy and so beautiful.  The shots of Poppy were so handsome.  They were taken long ago when he was working for Conoco and going home to a young family.  Those were the days when they were teaching my dad and my aunt about the love that they had together.  The same love that they would give to us as grandchildren.  I couldn't count the number of times that they told me, but I can remember it like yesterday.  It's the love that you can see in the photos and the same love that I can feel in my heart.  The warmth and peace and happiness that I feel every time I talk to my grandmother and in every memory of Pop.  The photos show a story, but it's Grandmother's to tell.  I don't really need a window; I just need a few more hours to sit by her side and listen.  

Just Wondering

Just a few questions for you to ponder for the weekend.  I'm on my way to Houston today.  I'll only be there for 36 hours, but I have a party to attend.  My Grandmother Lois was 90 years old on February 16.  We are having a big party for her at my parents' house.  My aunt and 2 cousins will be there along with my sister and I.

Naked or nekked?

Do you wash your white undergarments in hot water by themselves?

Flooriduh or Flahriduh?

Do you wash your raw chicken before cooking it? why?

Mirroar or Meerrrr?

and come on, people, I need some answers!

Surprises

I had a few surprises last weekend at Windy Gap...

#1 The music. It was interesting to me that the music played was not all Christian music. The lyrics were all meaningful and the kids knew all of the words. They played Taylor Swift, Soulja Boy, Celebration by Kool and the Gang, Rascal Flatts, plus lots more (but I never heard YMCA). Those kids loved the music and they knew all of the lyrics. I mean, no matter what song was played, they knew the words and now they know all of the dances, too.

#2 Young Life Leaders are willing to do crazy things to get the attention of teenagers. Lighting themselves on fire, jumping on tables, and chewing the gum of 8 different people (I just have to say EWWWW). They love to laugh and to make others laugh. They are willing to go without sleep and to sleep on the floor in front of doors to ensure safety. God Bless 'Em!

#3 Exhaustion makes you feel sick. The doctor didn't have any patients the first night. The second afternoon and night there were lots of kids not feeling well. Most of them seemed tired - although some schools have been closed up here due to sickess, so I'm sure some of them were ill.

#4 Exhaustion makes kids 10 and under very testy. Testy with each other, testy with parents, testy, testy, testy.

#5 Cold water will not deter thrill-seeking teenagers. I'll bet at least 50 flew through the air on a mere wire, coming to a halt in heart-stopping frigid water. I've never seen such big goosebumps and red bodies from the cold.

#6 The innocence of a 6 year old. Cole was really taken with all of the skits last weekend. He began to look forward to the arrival of "Ford" and "Chevy" the 2 Man Country Boy Band. He kept saying, "I wonder if those 2 guys will come back". It wasn't much later when I realized he completely believed the act. He thought they were real, that they were serious when they hammered the exercise bike to pieces and beat the guitar to a pulp. He thought Ryan Long was going to be really mad. Oh, to be 6 again....

#7 Young Life was able to purchase the Windy Gap property for just $1 from the Douglas after their daughter went to Young Life Camp and said it was "the best year of her life"!

#8 Even the Young Life Crew knows how great ice cream pie is! Here's our dessert on Saturday night....

Mint chocolate chip ice cream in a chocolate shell. We all enjoyed it, even if it wasn't Blue Bell!

Happy Hearts

Tonight Reed finished practicing the piano and walked into the kitchen.  Cole had just come in from outside because it was so cold.  Reed said, "Cole, do you want me to play with you now"?  I stopped him and hugged him.  I told him that he has been doing 3 things on a regular basis that I really love.

1.  He gets up in the morning and makes his bed without me asking him to.

2.  He has been practicing the piano without being asked.

3.  He asked Cole if he wanted to play.  

I told him that #3 makes my heart happy and his little brother's heart happy.  Reed said, "and it makes my heart happy".  and we had a 3 person hug (instigated by his younger brother).

Brotherly love at its best.

Picture of the Week

I have to admit that during our ride home last night from our birthday celebrations, I was in a quandary as to what my blog material for today would be. On top of that, I didn't have a weekly picture for my Thursday feature! It was cloudy last night, so the lunar eclipse was not visible. I forgot to take my camera to the band concert, so I couldn't feature our resident oboist. I was without a current picture and without direction.

However, this morning, amidst our routine, MH was looking out the window and what did he see?

Brooks and I headed to the window to see if he was serious. Yep, really, a bottle in the waterfall. I was trying to decide what type of wild animal would have made it that far with the bottle and then dropped it without breaking it. We had a raccoon in our trash the night before last, so naturally I was picturing some wild species. But, looking closer, it looked like a bottle with the cork still intact (so it wouldn't have been in our recycling bin). And it is!

I think this might mean the waterfall is finished. The wild animal is our fun friend who created this beauty for my gazing and listening delight... am I right????
Beautiful job LawnTek. You are looking mahvelous.

Twelve

She's 12 today. I am sitting here contemplating how strange that is to me. How can 12 years have passed so stealthily? It seems like just yesterday that I was dragging her dad to The Black-eyed Pea at 10:00 pm - before I checked into the hospital. I couldn't deliver a baby hungry, could I?

It hasn't been that long since we were giving her very first bath. I can still remember how soft her skin was and how tiny her feet. They all said she had long fingers, just like her mom, perfect for playing the piano... and they were right. She plays just beautifully.

Sharalynn nicknamed her "Caro" 'cause she's sweet like the syrup. Her brothers called her "Ho", "Hine" and "Garoline".

We watched umpteen episodes of Barney and Arthur. Our favorite was Gullah Gullah Island because they were like a real family and they sang catchy songs everyday. She rocked her babies to sleep as I rocked mine. We were mommas together. We used to do "hearts and crabs" (arts and crafts) in the afternoon while her brothers slept. She celebrated with us as we brought home each new boy. She still celebrates their milestones with us.

She's kind and compassionate. She is independent. She is musical. She is confident. She keeps those boys in line (including her dad). She is a leader.

We travelled to Disney World to visit the princesses. She's grown out of dress up clothes (almost). We've been to the circus and spent hours at the zoos. She danced her debut in patriotic costumes. She has opinions about movies. Her favorite musical is Wicked. Her favorite food, ice cream. She reads and reads. She performs with Sound Company and plays the oboe in the band.

She's 12 today. I find myself nostalgic and misty-eyed. She's almost 5' tall(57"). She has braces. She's a Christian. She knows the lyrics to all of the popular songs. She doesn't like to make her bed and leaves clothes in her floor. She is almost a teenager.

She's ready for makeup. She matches purses with her clothes. It's all about the necklaces and the earrings (the bigger, the better). She inherited it all.

My daughter Caroline Hope. She was really just 2. Then 5 and 7. We moved when she was 8 . She had the flu on her 9th birthday. 10 was a sock hop, 11 brought the dinner of her dreams. This year at 12? She's been planning her dinner for days (and lamenting that we can't repeat last year again).

How can these memories all be true? I'm telling you, she really was just 2. I love her. I'm proud of her. I can't wait to see what she will be. But for now I am just so thankful to have such a wonderful girl to call my very own.

I'm Lost!

I started East of Eden by John Steinbeck this weekend. My mom and one of my best friends recommended it in the past few months, so I braced myself and dove right in. Can I just tell you that it is beautifully written and I am having a hard time putting it down? I don't know why, but I expected it to be written in difficult language - with long, detailed sentences - the kind of writing where you should turn the book upside down, read backwards and then try to figure out what the author was saying (kind of like my Wuthering Heights experience). I can tell it is going to be a wrenching story and I hope there are some bright spots, but I cannot find enough reasons to sit down in my reading chair and take it all in - all at once. So, pardon me if I don't update you on my day-to-day life....

If I miss a day or two, just picture me right here. Most certainly I'll be lost in the words of John Steinbeck!

p.s. Yes, those are tags on my chair. They delivered it damaged and I am waiting on the replacement....

The Sound, Oh the Sound!

Guess what I got for Valentine's! Yep, you've got it. The waterfall and pond are complete. It's really been too cold to sit outside and enjoy it, but if everyone in the house is real quiet (ok, that never happens), I can hear it in the kitchen. We planted a Kwanzan Cherry to replace the invasive River Birch. It needs a few years to grow, but it's gonna be beautiful this Spring!

Spring is almost here, isn't it??

Eureka!

Amelia Lou, Little Cindy Who and I had lunch at Panera last week. We haven't been together much lately, so we planned a long and leisurely lunch in a booth. Booths in our Panera are scarce. You really have to be aggressive to get one. You see, we don't have many retail options, so those of us who otherwise might be shopping and funding our local schools with tax money, instead compete for a warm and comfy seat for our long lunches.

I grew up in a big city - where you have to plan to meet a friend if you want to see someone you know. However, I've learned that in a small town, you will almost always see someone you know. Still, I'm amazed at the number of familiar faces at Panera everytime I am there. Sure enough, today was another day of brief conversations with many people I knew. Best of all, we ran into a friend who we used to see everyday at step aerobics and on a regular basis at bookclub. Unfortunately our gym sold out to the competition and we no longer have our morning class to keep us together. You know how it goes when you see an old friend - you have the typical discussion on what you've been doing.

That's how it happened. I mentioned that I've been blogging and she said "really! one of my friends from high school does that". We were drawing her in from her standing position, but I could tell she had places to go. She was expecting a coffee table that day. On her way off to the car she said "it's really funny, my friend's blog says 'read by tens of people everyday'".

and we all three said -"YOU KNOW BOOMAMA????"

That's when the rest of the familiar faces gazed over at us to see what exactly had just happened.

What had happened? We had discovered that Boo Mama exists and we got to hear all about her. Little Cindy Who has been convinced that she is a contrived image - not a real person. Amelia Lou and I just insisted that she really is out there - blogging in Birmingham. After all, last week she was in Uganda.

Boo Mama was my introduction to the world of blogging. Last August I was in the midst of an internet search when I happened upon her blog. I skimmed the entry for what I was looking for and was headed out to find the next clue, when I found Boo Mama's writing so witty that I had to keep reading. and reading. and reading.

I discovered that blogging is really another way of looking at life. Looking for the humorous in every day. If you try, you will find about 50 different blog titles in the rigors of daily life.

And so it was that our weekly walks turned into great discussions on Boo Mama and her blog, and her Old Navy shopping habits, and her love for Mississippi State. Amelia Lou is from Alabama, I lived in Mississippi and we both know lots of State fans. Amelia Lou has been on a quest to locate Boo Mama's favorite catfish restaurant. We tuned into her Big Boo Cast with Big Mama. I even bought her favorite lip gloss. Remember how I mentioned that my friends named my blog? It's all because of Boo Mama.

I am really not obsessed, but it never hurts to ask, right? We shopped at a Christmas Extravaganza last November and I found the nicest women who were selling purses - they were from Birmingham. I asked if they happened to know Boo Mama and Little Cindy Who about fell out from embarrassment. She hasn't let me forget it, either. Until last Wednesday. Now she knows. Boo Mama is real and I'll bet she really does blog from Panera!

Windy Gap

We visited Windy Gap Young Life Camp this weekend.  It was a blast!  The setting was unimaginably beautiful - right smack in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains.  The food was pretty good and plentiful.  The hours were LATE (for an almost 39 year old and 6 year old).  The music was LOUD!  Sounds perfect for a group of 380 high school freshman, doesn't it!?!

We arrived on Friday night around 6:30 and were greeted by the nicest, smiling crew you've ever seen.  Dinner was at 8pm - penne pasta with meat sauce.  The work crew brought out our pasta and served each table. One poor man wearing a cream-colored sweater got to actually wear the sauce, when a server accidentally unloaded her bowl right down his back.  Aside from that, the dinner was tasty.  Hot chocolate was served by the bonfire and we headed up to our first "club" meeting.  Cole and I skipped Club that night - 11:30 is a little late to begin worship when you've been through a typical week of Kindergarten.

We met the Amigo Trio, a Country Boy Band, and saw some really crazy skits.  Those leaders are crazy!  One leader was Amigo Dos.  He got to collect items from the audience - including hats, belts, chapstick (he put all 7 tubes on) and "abc" gum (which he promptly inserted into his mouth and blew a bubble).  The gum still grosses me out - 7 people's gum mushed together and chewed by an 8th person.  He still had the gum 10 minutes later when he came to talk to his parents.  Now that is "the love of Christ" as I've never seen it before.

Saturday afternoon was filled with free-time activities.  The high ropes course, horseback riding, tree swinging, zip-lining into the lake, hot tubbing, beach volleyball, and frisbee golf.  We spent most of our time watching the kids who were brave enough to zip into the lake.  I don't know how cold the water was, but the outdoor temp was around 55 degress.  Those kids would hit the water and scream till their breath was sucked out of them.  They couldn't talk or walk for a minute and then they would "come to" and hastily grab the hardware off the rope so they could get out of the freezing water.  

Last night we had skits and a concert for entertainment.  The skits were hilarious, as usual.  Ryan Long performed some of his hits for swooning girls and guys.  If you haven't heard his songs, don't miss Snow White available on his website.

We all made it to bed last night around 12:45.  I have 4 tired children today, need I say more?  But they had the best time and are counting the days until they hit 9th grade and can get back to Windy Gap, this time with their friends.

A Texas Favorite

I grew up eating this pie around the Christmas Holidays. My mom always made it with Blue Bell Peppermint Ice Cream, which you can only find around Christmas! I made it last night for Valentine's Day. I used Blue Bell's Chocolate Covered Cherry ice cream - and it was scrumptious. Easy, too!

Ice Cream Pie

Set 1/2 gallon of ice cream out for 20 minutes, or until soft. Scoop the ice cream into a chocolate graham cracker crust. Completely fill the pie and smooth it out on top. Add a creative topping for decoration (optional). Put in freezer for 2 hours.

When you are ready to serve, let it sit out for 15 minutes before you slice the pie. I always top mine with homemade chocolate sauce. I melt semi-sweet chocolate chips, a little milk and a tablespoon of margarine in the microwave. Ladle sauce generously on top of pie!

Any flavor ice cream will be yummy. If it's available, buy Blue Bell (it has cows and kids on the carton). It's only available in 17 states. I grew up on Blue Bell, being from Texas, and all. My favorite flavor was always Dutch Chocolate. When I was in high school my favorite changed to Chocolate Almond Marshmallow, although it is rather hard to find. My parents always have a half- gallon in the freezer waiting for me when I fly into town - if it is available, that is!

Blue Bell rolled into East Tennessee during the summer of 2006. We went straight out and bought 5 different flavors. Yep, FIVE! I couldn't wait to set that creaminess on my tongue. It isn't too creamy and not too sweet. It is just perfect. Blue Bell sets the standard for me -it isn't too creamy and it isn't too sweet.

Last summer I ventured out and tried Chocolate Covered Cherry and Chocolate Covered Strawberry. They are excellent, too. Brooks prefers the C.C.Strawberry while I like the C.C.Cherry. Reed sticks to the Dutch Chocolate. Caroline and MH love the Cookies 'n Cream. Cole is a Mint Chocolate Chip boy.

Well, now you know our preferences and what we ate last night. It was a great Valentine's Day at our house. Don't forget to buy Blue Bell the next time you are at the store - I'm dyin' to know what your flavor is....

Happy Valentines Day

Every year we celebrate Valentines Day with our children. It's a fun tradition we started when we moved to Tennessee. It's not the same every year but dinner always involves candles and chocolate. I want them to know that Valentine's Day isn't just about a romantic relationship. It's a fun day to tell your friends and family how much you love them!

Tonight we are having an easier dinner (because I will be gone all day)- with china, candles and music. Who says the entree' has to be fancy - just serve it well and it all goes down better, right!? I will be presenting spaghetti and meatballs, spinach salad, and hot buttery bread. For dessert? Chocolate covered cherry ice cream pie with homemade hot fudge sauce. Yumminess in a bowl!

To my four:

- I loved my Valentine greeting in unison this morning! What a surprise!

- I love your Mardi Gras bands on your braces.

- I love that you all missed your sister when she was camping last weekend.

- I loved the "good luck" exchange before the baseball scrimmage last Sunday.

- I love to watch you play Guitar Hero with your dad.

- I love to play "April Fools" jokes on you.

- I love to make hot tea for you in the morning.

- I love kissing your cheeks when you are waking up in the morning.

- I love taking you to Marble Slab.

- I love watching movies with you over a bowl of hot popcorn!

- I love that you are willing to try new foods - even chocolate cream of wheat

- I love riding to the lake on our bikes.

- I love my future Polar Bearologist.

- I love my future Indianapolis Colt.

- I love my future doctor.

- I love my future American Idol/ Architect.

You light up my life and make me smile everyday!

Picture of the Week

Happy Thursday, y'all!

Here's our Sassafras asleep by my feet. I've been eating popcorn - her favorite - hands down. When you get the popper out she comes running and she won't leave your side till every last kernel is gone. I know, I know, popcorn is bad for dogs. We don't give her too much - but she deserves a little something good in life! That's what makes this pic so great. She had no idea the popcorn kernel was on her back. Once she discovered it, she age it in an instant. Nothing like a happy dog!!

Mia

One Sunday last fall I wasn't feeling well. The rest of the family went on to church while I rested at home. Caroline was so excited when she walked into the kitchen! Tom (our pastor) had begun talking about Compassion International and the children that are adopted by families through this organization. Caroline found a 5 year old that she wanted to support.

I don't mean to sound cold, but the idea of adopting a child was a little overwhelming for me. I mean, I have four children. Some Lots of days I am overwhelmed with my four children! How could I possibly take on another child? If we adopted Mia, it would really be me that needed to keep up with her. I would be writing the letters, I would be finding the gifts. I would be the one to remember her birthday. I would be the one making sure that she had her "needs" met by this family. I am really trying not to overcommit myself this year. I just wasn't convinced.

Fortunately, I have a husband with a heart of gold. He saw this as an opportunity to make a child's life better. He made it sound easy. He couldn't understand my hesitation. He wrote the first letter and sent in the papers with everything Compassion would need to connect us to Mia.

A month or so went by. We got a welcome letter from Compassion explaining exactly how our $32 a month would help Mia. I read it all and felt good that we had committed to support Mia. Yes, she is another child to pray for and another "thing" to remember, but I was feeling like we had made the right decision. Well, I hadn't made it, but in my mind, I knew that MH had done the right thing.

One afternoon, amidst our usual slew of Christmas Cards, I found an envelope with unusual handwriting. I opened the "airmail" envelope and found my very first encounter with this 5th child of mine. It began "Dearest Momma Andrea and Poppa (MH)" - the cold drained right out of my heart and I was absolutely overcome with warmth and love for this 5 year old girl who lives in Indonesia.

Two of the bloggers who I keep up with on a somewhat regular basis are on a trip with Compassion International this week. They travelled to Uganda to write about the children that they see. They are reporting on the poverty, the faith, the churches and the faces. You can read their accounts here and here.

Last weekend in Sunday School, we talked about how much Jesus loved children. I taught my 6 and 7 year olds a song that I remembered from my own Sunday School years - "Jesus Loves the Little Children". I explained that He loves us all no matter what we look like or where we live. He wanted to spend time with the children around him, even when the disciples thought he was too busy. Jesus never hesitates to adopt another child. I am so glad MH didn't either.

If you are a Compassion sponsor, share it here!

Pray for Abby

This sweet girl needs our prayers.  Her aunt and uncle go to our church.  Abby's family is an example to me everytime I see them.  An example of patience, love and faithfulness.

A Stumper

It's been quite a day at the house today. You see, I did 3 loads of laundry, planned a Valentines party, and spent the rest of the day watching this:

Once the kids were home, it was off to choir practice and 3 scout meetings, with dinner in the middle. Here we are at 9:45 pm tackling a tough math problem. Brooks and his mathematician dad are contemplating the real answer.... Maybe you would like to try it, too?

Ron made cookies for the fair. His sister made candy. Four cookies were packaged together, and 6 pieces of candy were packaged together. There were 6 more packages of cookies than packages of candy.
Write an expression for the number of packages of cookies, using p as a variable.

How may cookies and pieces of candy were taken to the bake sale?

We'll take all answers till tomorrow night and Brooks will tell us how we did.

Stay tuned!

Posting Comments

I've had a few questions on how to post a comment.

Don't bother with registering, unless you really want to. Just click on the nickname option and plug-in a name. You can add a URL or not. Once you click on nickname, the comment box will come up and you can type away! When you select "publish post", it will send your comment to my email box and I will post your comment.

Of course, there is no requirement to comment. "Lurking" is perfectly acceptable, as well.

How About This for Breakfast?

Here's a tasty and easy option for your Saturday morning breakfast! My kids love it.

Sharalynn's Sticky Buns

Do this the night before:

Grease a bundt pan with Pam. Put 1 package (24) frozen dinner rolls into the bundt pan.. Sprinkle the following over the rolls in the given order:

1/2 c. sugar

1-1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 c. pecans, chopped

1/2 c. raisins (optional)

1/2 c. brown sugar

1 box (4 oz.) butterscotch pudding and pie filling (not instant)

Cut 1 stick butter into pats and place on top.

Cover with a clean dishtowel and let rise overnight.

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes. Cover with foil after 1st 15 minutes. Cool in pan for at least 10 minutes before flipping onto a plate.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

The Mystery is Solved

Presenting one of my oldest friends - Sharalynn!

Yesterday's baby doll shot was taken at Baylor University during our Freshman year. My roommates' stuff is in the background. You may have noticed the familiar face of Amy Grant just past her right shoulder. Here's another great pic. She was greeting us on a Saturday morning. Yes, those are my nostrils on the left.

The baby get-up was just one of the many, many funny things she has done over the past 25 years. We've been friends since 6th grade. I watched the "Who Shot J.R." episode of Dallas at her house. I also saw The Exorcist at her house. We scared ourselves silly (her parents were out), so we holed up in the kitchen eating angel food cake and homemade chocolate sauce. Her mom is a great cook. My recipe of the week is from their kitchen.

I remember spending the night at her house and waking up because Sharalyn was doing flips over me (and she had a broken arm/greenstick - whatever that is). She was and still is the queen of nicknames - I have at least 5 names that were bestowed upon me in various circumstances by said picture subject. Sharalyn is good at getting into a bind. It started in high school - the nights when her parents would leave and she would sneak the car out (pre-driver's license). One night they (Sharalyn and accomplice who shall remain nameless) took out the little truck and went to Kroger. When they came out, the keys were in the truck and the doors were locked. Can you believe she overcame that obstacle and made it home undetected?

Here she is on a high school ski trip. Gotta love the shades!

Sharalynn changed the spelling of her name when she got married. It matched the new last name better - Sharalynn Fenn. Now how many of you knew that piece of trivia? When we were at Baylor, she spent quite bit of time in our dorm room. At one point, I was discussing the need to tone my legs. My drill team days were over and I was eating rather than exercising. My boyfriend at the time recommended that I try doing 100 deep knee bends every night and surely that would do the trick. Well, I took his advice, and 100 bends later I could barely walk. The next day was even worse. This was a pain I hadn't experienced before. Sharalynn thought it was absolutely the funniest thing. In fact, she began to doubt that the pain was real. So I dared her to take the deep knee bend advice. It was real - finally she believed me - she was in pain for days.

I really do love my friend Sharalynn. I'm not ridiculing her. I'm just stating the facts. She is the funniest, wittiest, and craziest friend that I have. But you see, I owed her one. A big one - and now we're even.

Picture of the Week

Here is my new theme for Thursdays... Picture of the Week. Thursday is my favorite day of the week - we're on the downhill slide moving toward the weekend. So, I thought I would do something fun with my Thursday posts.

So without any further ado...

Did I mention that I had been organizing pictures this week? As I was travelling through the cobwebs in my brain, this memory popped in for a visit. One of the many laugh out loud experiences with this dear friend of mine. I'll give more details later.

Who can name this character (in comments section) the quickest???

Happy Thursday, y'all!!!

Now You See It, Now You Don't!

We bought a new house this summer. We are still in the same neighborhood, but we needed a basement to store our junk and we needed the house to be configured a little differently. Actually, I began looking for this new house about a month after we moved into our first home in Oak Ridge. I have seen lots of houses and I could tell you minute details about the real estate market, if you asked! Oak Ridge has quite a history - as the home of the atomic bomb - the secret city - where 75,000 people once lived. Now it is a small town close to Knoxville with fabulous schools. This is a science mecca with all sorts of engineers and physicists - and interestingly - such professionals have designed many houses around here. They have random rooms in them - might have to go through the master bathroom to get to the playroom or you might want a swimming pool in the middle of the house - look for a house in Oak Ridge, and you will see it all. I am sure these home design professionals had a perfect reason for situating rooms in such a way, but for the subsequent owner, the reason is not always clear.

Now you know why it took so long to find our jewel. 3 long years and a realtor who would do anything to make me happy - just so I won't drag her to any others! So it was, last December when we were on our way home from Snowshoe, when she called and said she had found a house for

us. She began to read the specs on it and suddenly, I had to see it!

Sure enough, it was a good fit for us. We moved in this past July and we love it. My very favorite feature is the waterfall that cascades down the hill just off of our breakfast room. We have a plate-glass window to gaze through as we are mesmerized by the sound of a mountain stream. Unfortunately, the river birch which was strategically placed just beside the waterfall has aged through the years and the roots have completely penetrated the liner of the stream bed. What does that mean? Basically, that we spent more on sewer and water than we ever did at the old house, in the month of September. Well, not that bad, but it was an outlandish bill.

I have been distraught over the sadness of losing my water feature! It was really my favorite thing about the house. I am happy to report - today is the beginning of a new waterfall. We have a good friend who is going to rebuild just after the river birch is removed. Here is where we are so far:

The pictures are rather dark, thanks to the weather. They are not supposed to be black and white.

I just can't wait to get it looking like this again:

Cole informed me today that the Groundhog must have been wrong (because it was 72 today). I sure hope so, I can't wait for Spring!!!

In Search of the Perfect Shot

I have been filing pictures away in my photo albums this week. I am not a scrapbooker. I started out that way, but by the birth of #3, I realized the album by album account of our life was never going to happen. I now resort to collecting our pictures for the year in a photo-safe box. At the end of the year, I spend a day going through the photos and selecting the best for an album like this.

Before digital cameras, I used to get a bad case of Christmas Photo Anxiety that I am sure many of you can identify with. Tim and I would spend several frustrating afternoons trying to capture that perfect picture to send out of our little angels (or a picture that at least made them look like angels).

2002 took the cake for requiring the most patience. We set out to the country club with adorned children in a happy mood. Hair was fixed, outfits picked, and naps had been taken. We even brought along some outfit changes, as I recall. I was feeling energetic and optimistic!

Unfortunately by the time naptime ends, the gnats are out in Ocean Springs. If you aren't familiar with gnats, avoid them at all costs. Gnats are the reason we moved away from Ocean Springs! Here is our photo journal:

Reed hadn't found his smile yet...














attempt #2...














attempt #3 with gnats:

change of location, attempt #146














a little fun in the middle:


new clothes for attempt #339 (and we left the 1 year old out completely)....

one year old chose to leave self out of this one...

not cooperating (again)... but the older ones are really trying to smile!
We ended the day with this shot, although Tim wouldn't let me send it out for our Christmas picture that year. I personally thought it was a perfect solution to our rigorous shot attempts. As you can see, even this one took a while. But don't they all look like angels?