Thursday, April 18, 2013

Very True

I stumbled across this post today & I think, in spite of the one swear word(hey, nobody's perfect), it is right on and exactly what I needed to hear.

Check it out.

Balance

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

ten on tuesday

1. Jay & I most definitely did not have the same thing last week. Poor Jay is still suffering from the effects of what we found out to be campylobacteriosis. He is really doing much better but still feels fatigue & weakness. Plus it's just really gross when you start reading how one contracts the lovely condition. I don't envy him the symptoms but the 7 pound weight loss would be welcome.

2. My baby turned 11 months old yesterday. He is getting very big and chubby since he quit nursing. This seems to be the trend with my kiddos. His vocabulary consists of three words: Mama, Dada, & Hi.

3. I am over the cold snap we've been having. I am trying really hard to be content but I long for sunny, warm weather.

4. Jay's parents are coming to visit this week. It has been quite a while since we've seen them. I think it was last July.  The kids are always very excited when Mimi & Papa come. And Jay and I always have a good time as well.

5. I get a garden this year! Jay is going to till me some ground and fence it in. Raised beds & a greenhouse will have to wait until next year but I am more than excited about having a fenced in garden. It is something I have wanted since getting married. There has always been some reason that it just wasn't feasible but this is my year! We intend to make it happen. Of course, the best of intentions die hard around this place so we will see how it works out. Thankfully my parents are quite the gardeners so I have been picking their brains about it.

6. Rowan starts soccer today. He is so excited about it. I am hoping that he isn't setting his expectations too high. I have mixed emotions about sports. They seem to suck so much time away from the family & put pressure on kids to win, win, win. Yet, on the other hand, the family gets to support & cheer on the player & it is a really good way to learn how to work together instead of independently. It is also a good way for my kids to get interaction with others and a potential ministry for them. I am glad to hear that his coach will be a really nice, godly guy that has been involved in a lot of our church functions.

7. This Friday is our tenth wedding anniversary. I cannot believe that it has been that long. We plan on a weekend away in Leavenworth. Thanks to my baby sister we get to go kid-free! I went once as a little girl but hardly remember what it was like. I don't think Jay has ever been there so it should be a fun experience for the both of us.

8. I think my new enemy is clothes shopping for my kids. Rhett & Rowan are pretty much taken care of due to hand-me-downs but Adam & Avril are a challenge. It is hard to find decent clothing. I realize that I am picky and I don't want them to look like bums but even when I completely lower my standards I can scarcely find a thing. Everything in Avril's size is either expensive or it looks like it was dropped in from 1986. The 80's are not the fashion statement I want my daughter making at three years old. And the neon stuff is just so....well, neon. And then there is the skater style for the boys. Tight to the ankle jeans, skulls, chains, & doofy shoes. Or you could always dress them in stuffy polo shirts and too short, creased leg slacks and they could get beat up walking around town here in hick Ville. Grrr. It's frustrating.

9. Jay found out that one of the hernias he had operated on last year needs to be operated on again because it is not fixed. Now he just needs to decide when he can take 4 weeks off of work again for the recovery. Poor guy.

10. My crock pot bit the dust. It never seems to cook anything all the way through anymore so it's time for a new one. I guess it did its job for ten years so I can't complain. Maybe I can get a slightly bigger one this time as our family eats a lot more than it did 10  years ago.

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

ten on tuesday

1. After weeks of being sick with one ailment or another, Rhett is finally his usual cheerful self. I cannot express how happy I am to have him back. The bummer of it is, Jay & I are coming down with it. Well, Jay done got it. I, on the other hand, am teetering on the edge of it right now. I love me some spring but I am darn tired of the disgusting little germs that like to rear their ugly heads this time of year.

2. Rhett is on day two of being weaned. I feel both saddened and elated. I am sad because my baby is done nursing. Those days of my life are officially over and with that comes a sense of loss. But on the other hand, I get to eat dairy again. And the ease of being able to leave him is quite nice.
 But....my baby is done nursing!

3. We watched the remake of Red Dawn this weekend. I have to say it is one of the better movies I've seen lately. I am having a little bit of a love/hate opinion of it. It sort of scares me...
I think I need to watch the original. Just for kicks.

4. I am officially jealous of my sister-in-law. She told me all about her garden that she started on yesterday. I have been wanting one for years. But my hubby told me that he would make me a couple of raised beds and fence them in while he is on vacation next week. Yay! for my wonderful hubby. And for me getting a garden.

5. I have been walking in the mornings before Jay goes to work and it is lovely. I am always excited when it is finally light enough to go in the early morning. I feel so much more motivated than when I am facing the treadmill.

6. I am not going to make it to ten today. I feel terrible. So time to rest...

Monday, April 8, 2013

Sugar Cookie

A couple of weeks ago I ran across a yummy-looking recipe for frosted sugar cookies. So I decided to make them. I enlisted Avril to help me as she is often very bored while the boys are working on their school assignments. She was more than happy to help. So here are the pics of my little "sugar cookie".





She was quite concerned about the fact that the dough was overflowing out of the mixer. She kept trying to push it back in.
 




Squishing the cookies was her favorite part.








 
I didn't get any pictures of them frosted but they were almost as yummy as they looked.
The best part was baking with my girl.
She is a very willing helper. Especially in the kitchen.
 
I am trying to cultivate that.

Friday, March 29, 2013

Good Friday

 In honor of Good Friday I am blogging about the things that I think are good right now. I am the queen of randomness so don't expect any different today.

1. Jesus. He was born. He lived. He served. He sinned not. He died. He rose. He lives.
 That is very good.

2. My husband. He's good. Actually, the best.

3. My kids. Sometimes. They are good to know. They do not always have good behavior.

4. Coffee. Specifically lattes. My current favorite is sugar-free salted caramel mocha.

5. Spring. Green. Sunshine. Warmth. Spring is good.

6. These cookies are good. Avril & I made them the other day. And that was a good time as well.
(pictures coming)
 

 Swig Sugar Cookie Recipe.  This is the cookie that all other cookies for the rest of your life will be compared to.
 
7. Our Good Friday celebration at church. It's tonight at 6:30 and it was really good last year. I have no reason to believe it will be any less this year.
 
8. This book is good. I just finished reading it and I think it may change my life. I recommend it to anyone who is organizationally challenged like myself. I plan on ordering at least one more of her books.
 
9. This website is good for hair tutorials. I recently stumbled across it on Pinterest.
 
10. This shampoo & conditioner is good. And pricey. That's why I got it on Amazon. It's even worse in the store!
 
11. BareEscentuals makeup is good. I have started buying it on Amazon also.
 
12. Pinterest is good. Well, for organizing & finding ideas. There are other things about it that are not good. Such as how much of my attention it sucks up and some of the weird stuff on there.
 
13. The Dashing Dish is good. I found it both inspiring and very helpful. All of the recipes I've tried so far have been good. And the fact that she loves the Lord is very good. Check it out. You might like it too.
 
14. Timberdoodle home school curriculum is good. This was our first year using it and we really like it. They just revised their cores for this coming year and they look even better! I think I will customize a little bit more this year to have it fit our needs, but overall we really like it. Including the kids! Make sure you look at their different options though. I think this coming year, all my kids will be doing the same science & history. This will save us time & money. Also, you obviously don't need to buy the fun tools more than once, just save those & the textbooks\audios for your younger children. And some of the workbooks could be reused if you are smarter than me & think ahead so you can copy the worksheets for your younger children.
 
 15. Chipotle avocado chicken salad in a pita is good. Unless you're like my mom & hate avocados.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 


Friday, March 8, 2013

Goals

These are my goals for this year. This is what I am striving for: to build my relationships with Jesus, Jason, & each of my children.

1. Get in the Word more. I want it. I need it. My soul thirsts for things unworldly & they can't be found without knowing my Saviour intimately.

2. Get my kids in the Word on a regular basis.

3. Get into a routine. And STICK TO IT! I will never be one of those mega-organized people who manage their time with grace and finesse but I do think that I could manage to have a general routine, an ebb & flow, of a morning. Get up at the same time. Do things in a similar order every day. You know, a routine.

4. Take more pictures. I have seriously slacked off!

5. Take more videos. I have never been in the habit.

6. Take 1st day of school pictures.

7. Make handprints of each child at the beginning of each school year. Just on paper. Nothing difficult that will take up a ton of space.

8. Do one science project & one art project each week. It's fun!

9. Go on more alone dates with Jay.

10. Feed my family healthy & lose some weight, without being obsessed.

11. Write more letters to my husband & children.

Saturday, March 2, 2013

Well Played

I am so sorry if this seems inappropriate but seriously.
How totally awesome & hilarious is this?
I can't quit giggling about it.
That is pretty intelligent marketing.
 
 
 
 
 
Well played.