still the same girl and yet...

new blog address

2010-07-07T13:10:00.004-05:00

Follow the link to my new blog address. Goodbye, p*rn spammer people. Please do not follow me.

june.

2010-06-27T14:36:00.007-05:00

Here's a photo from an really fun article I wrote for the Fiskars website. Details, supplies, and instructions are all available here.

Ohmygosh. It's been another whole month! I'm going to have no memory of 2010 if I don't start blogging again.

But I have been quite busy. And when I haven't been quite busy, I've been recovering from all the activity. (Don't you love the starting sentences with conjunctions? Icky.) I'm afraid of what's going to happen to me internally when our school year starts back up again (in SIX weeks!) if I don't get some actual rest accomplished this summer.

Let's see...I think I'll just try to record as much as possible from June, so that when I try to scrapbook about this month, I'll have some details to remember. This is going to take a bit of discipline, for sure.

First, a list. Then I'll challenge myself to blog about each (or some) of these. You know, get those details down before I forget everything.

June 2010
1. Boat Fun
2. Sports Camp
3. Doug's Gallbladder-ectomy
4. Central Dance Company
5. Jolie's 12th Birthday
6. Dance Camp
7. Youth Camp
8. Spoons
9. Red Mango
10. 62 pounds down
11. Summer Dance
12. Ebay Again
13. Student Driving
14. VBS
15. Mulch, mosquitoes, and the snake, a.k.a. my gardening experience
16. Marmaduke, Love Letters to Juliet, Toy Story 3

Okay, there may be more, and I know this stuff has already happened for the most part, but looking at the list is a little overwhelming...

I had to enable word verification to my blog comment posting process. I was getting some yucky little spammers posting inappropriate links...

My verse today is about contentment. Paul's words, not mine! But I am working on it...and God is working on me.

[I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philippians 4:12-13]

before and after.

2010-05-14T11:31:00.007-05:00

I am so happy to have created a layout that I can share! I made this for an article on the Fiskars craft website about crafting with arthritis. You can read it here.

I have some scrappy plans for the very near future (like today!) that include the new October Afternoon collections. I am going to completely ignore the looming mountain of clutter that will be literally at my back while I scrap. Ignore. It.

Why did I title this post "before & after"?

Probably the most obvious reason that I can ignore the pile of stuff is that I have plans to tackle it this weekend. And it will be my first "before and after" project!

I'm excited about my "before & after" projects. My approach isn't complicated:
1. take pictures of the hoarding, filth, and chaos;
2. purge, clean, and organize the area;
3. take pictures of the decluttered, clean, orderly space.

Doesn't that just make you almost giggle in giddy anticipation? Maybe it's just me. That's okay. I looooove this stuff. I'll start Monday since Monday is the first day of summer.

No, it's not.
Yes, it is.
No, it is not the first day of summer.
Is.
Is not!
Is! Is, is, is, is, is, IS!

Okay, for me and my people May 17th is the first day of summer. Because if I don't decide that for myself, summer will seem very short since we start school somewhere around August 12. The way I look at it is I have approximately 90 days of "summer." That's maybe 75 days of at-home, potentially productive days to get some real "before & after"-ing completed. I downloaded a free application for my phone that has this fun to do list feature (this way I can obsess about my projects and goals even when I'm out at red lights or the pool or the grocery store or whatever), and I'm working on giving myself one project for each of the 75 days. Some projects are bigger and might take two days (like painting the kitchen). Some are small and will only take twenty minutes (like cleaning off the top of the refrigerator), but for some reason, this plan works for my feeble brain. If I know I have all these tasks on an official list and I have a plan for tackling them, they don't overwhelm me when I'm battling my way though the garage or reading the grafitti on my bathroom wall. I. Have. A. Plan.

No worries.

See, this is good because I am easily overwhelmed. Anything that keeps be from getting to that overwhelmed point is A Good Thing.

And, of course, as I am writing this, God reminded me that He Has A Plan. And he's never kept this fact a secret from me, but I do tend to forget. He has a plan. I need not worry. And his project (me) is infinitely more precious to Him than my home projects are to me. But I think some of our goals are the same. I want to eliminate junk, clutter, filth, and chaos from my home and He wants to eliminate junk, clutter, filth, and chaos from my heart.

How's that for a "before & after" project?

[For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Jeremiah 29:11]

weigh-in wednesday.

2010-05-05T10:43:00.002-05:00

Let's just pretend that I haven't been ignoring my little blog for weeks, okay?

It's weigh-in wednesday!!! It sounds like I am so excited, doesn't it? Sometimes it's not so exciting...but this week, I am pretty happy about it, because as of today, I have lost 47.4 pounds...I am just thrilled and it feels amazing! I still have a large chunk to lose (60 pounds), but I'm getting close to the halfway point and it's exciting.

Yesterday I bought a 50-pound bag of bird seed. It was HEAVY. I have lost almost that much weight in fat...how was I able to carry it around? No wonder I was grouchy and tired...and I still have that much to lose. It floors me that I could be carrying around that much extra weight! No wonder I get so grouchy and tired...

[But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way. Daniel 1:8]

ten on tuesday.

2010-04-13T17:58:00.003-05:00

1. You don't want to know why I haven't been blogging. It's depressing.

2. I'm trying to decide what to do with my blog. I've thought of redecorating, but I'm not sure of my purpose right now.

3. I've lost 40 pounds. It feels amazing. I have a long way to go. But it feels amazing.

4. My toenails are way too pink. What was I thinking?

5. I have asthma. Actually, that's great news. It means I'll quit coughing continuously and get my voice back soon. Lots of prescriptions at CVS for me right now.

6. It's time to order some birthday presents. Somebody is turning 15 in a week...

7. When they gave me a cortizone shot in my "hip" today, it was really my big (but 40 pounds lighter) you-know-what.

8. I got a box jam-packed with papers, stickers, wild cards, rub-ons, and die cuts from October Afternoon's "Fly A Kite" and "Thrift Shop" collections today. (They are both my favorite.) I keep flipping through it and mentally scrapping stuff. This is just what I needed to get a creative jump start after the last 6 weeks.

9. I think I just found out why my snapdragons are so smashed. I was blaming the cat, but now I am pretty sure it was the Corey.

10. I'm reading The Mark of the Lion series by Francine Rivers again. I love these books.

{Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Psalm 150:6}

tackle-it tuesday.

2010-03-09T11:10:00.007-06:00

It's absolutely amazing how the weather can motivate me to be productive. Here's my wish list of tackle-it items:
1. Perfect weather. It's 71 degrees and sunny, so I opened the windows and filled the sinks with hot, soapy bleach water. I love when my kitchen sinks are shiny white.
2. Bloomers. I have flowers on my front porch that need to be planted, so I'm waiting on the shade to arrive in the front yard do to that.
3. Veggie beds. My vegetable gardens are begging to be cleaned up and planted...I'm hoping to do that on Thursday (and probably Friday and Saturday...) when we have friends over for the younger kids.
4. Is it time to clean out the coat closet? It feels like it, but I better wait a few weeks..so technically this item doesn't belong on my list, does it? Just an example of how my mind is working today - I want to attack every nook and cranny with a vacuum cleaner and Clorox wipes.
5. Frig. This sounds big, but it really just takes a half hour or so...I want to clean out my refrigerator! It's almost empty, so it's a good time to do it.
6. Wash bedspreads. Check. I've already started that one!
7. Bake chocolate chip cookies. Yummy-ness for a sweet friend, check. I'm already working on that one, too!
8. Take pictures for ebay items. Okay...I have to admit that I am not excited about this one. The weather is not motivating me and I have been procrastinating with this. But it needs to happen and I know I will be so happy I did it (when it's over and all the stuff is mailed and my paypal account is full!).
9. The Landfill. Yes, the garage is a bit of a mess again. I won't be working in it this week, but this weather makes me want to. (This weather is like a wonderful buffet that makes you want to fill up a plate - or two! - but you realize that you could not possibly eat everything you took.)
10. Mail Doug's broken iPhone back to Apple. This has to happen whether I am motivated or not! (smile)

My mom's in the hospital for the 2nd time in three weeks, so if I have the chance to farm my kids out, I'll drop anything I'm working on and go hang out with her a bit...the girls are so busy so they can't go and the boys are so "active" (the nice way to put it) that they don't exactly promote a healing atmosphere.

In case you are wondering...today's photo is a picture of my baby participating in an activity called mutton bustin'. He rode a sheep at the Houston Livestock Show and "made it flip over." Please note that he is wearing a helmet, face mask, and vest. His number is 24 and he is convinced that he was solely responsible for flipping that sheep onto his head, but I am pretty sure the sheep was flipping Corey onto his head in an effort to rid himself of a little boy on his back. I was not there, otherwise we would have 100 pictures instead of this one. Doug did take a few others with his phone, but they are quite dark.

{Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; from generation to generation we will recount your praise. Psalm 79:13}

not my analogy.

2010-03-08T00:31:00.002-06:00

I didn't make this up. My friend told me that her husband said it. I don't know if he made it up, either.

But it fits me today, which is actually tomorrow, because I just noticed that it is after midnight...again.

Here it is:

"I feel like I'm in a blender, just waiting for someone to push the stop button so my life can slow down and settle a little bit."

Now. I am sure that it was actually put a little better than that because when I heard it, I didn't visualize myself literally swirling in a blender (ouch and eww) - just the pieces of my life swirling around me, knocking me in the head every once in a while and whirling by so fast I can barely recognize anything...much less enjoy it.

The sermon this morning was about bearing fruit. Any fruit I have going on seems to be turning into a smoothie these days...

{Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. John 15:4}

tackling tuesday. and wednesday. and thursday...

2010-03-05T01:28:00.007-06:00

I made my list on Tuesday. I should have called it "Tackle-It Tuesday But Only What I Can Tackle While Driving." Is that pretty self explanatory? Lots of driving on Tuesday.

Tuesday afternoon, I did manage to empty my closet into my bedroom. The plan was to empty the closet, clean everything (dust, mop, etc.) and replace only what should actually be in there. I got it emptied (remembering to take "before" pictures and "during" pictures - yay!) and then got busy dusting. (It's baffling how dusty the inside of a closet can get.)

While dusting the baseboards and making really great time, I smashed my head into a wooden brace that supports a lower rod in the closet. It hurt so much that I actually felt my brain slam into my skull on the other side of my head. The side I hit hurt ("hurt" is such an understatement here) and the the opposite side hurt, but on the inside. Weird. I guess I've never hit my head that hard because I've never felt anything like it.

Skipping the gory details, I'll just say that it slowed me down quite a bit...

I'd have quit the closet-cleaning project right then and there, but the contents of my closet had been emptied into my bedroom and it looked like we were having a multi-family garage sale in my bedroom. I had to persist. No question.

So for the next hour I checked my pupils every few minutes for strange activity and alternately cried while trying to apply ice and wished I could turn back the clock and to the moment when I was deciding whether to clean out my closet. (If I could have turned back the clock, I would have said "no" to closet cleaning and "yes" to Words With Friends in a comfy chair with my phone. But hindsight is 20/20.)

So. No concussion. No scarred-for-life children who unfortunately witnessed the incident and had to be de-briefed afterward because Mommy really didn't deal with the pain well.

The rest of the day and into the evening, I walked around with my head scrunched slightly down into my shoulders because I constantly felt like I was going to hit it on something. Even when I was in the middle of the room.

I got enough put away that we could sleep on the bed Tuesday night and finished most of the rest today with the help of my professional-organizer friend who is merciless and focused and amazingly motivating when faced with a really gross display of closet-I-don't-know-exactly-where-to-put-this stuff.

(This sounds so crazy, but while typing this, the bruise/bump on my head starting tingling and stinging ever so slightly at the memory of that traumatic head crash. Is that normal?)

(Disclaimer on today's verse: this is such an interesting verse, not exactly relevant, but it showed up when I was searching for a good one about head injuries and I decided that it would be just fine. I hope it blesses you. insert smiley face)

{For instance, a man may go into the forest with his neighbor to cut wood, and as he swings his ax to fell a tree, the head may fly off and hit his neighbor and kill him. That man may flee to one of these cities and save his life. Deuteronomy 19:5}

daily dose.

2010-03-01T15:47:00.006-06:00

1. I sure hope the first weeks of March are easier than the last weeks of February! I won't share the details, but I got to a point in February where I had to abandon (temporarily) my blogging plans. Bummer.

2. I think things are normaling out a bit now. Of course, "normal" isn't any kind of easy, but I'll take it!

3. Since it is the first day of March (So long, February! I won't be missing you!), I'll share a link to the Project of the Month - "Daily Dose" - at the new Fiskars Website. Today's project is super cool and every day this month is going to have fresh, creative inspiration! I will have a couple of projects in the mix, but I don't know which days yet. Check back every day in March...and don't forget that it is National Craft Month, so you'll need to be especially crafty this month.

4. Since it is Menu Plan Monday, I will share that I have made no progress in my menu-planning efforts yet, but I'm still thinking about it, and that has to count for something. I've been reading blogs by more experienced menu planners, and they really do motivate and inspire me! There is some freezer cooking going on among some of the bloggers I follow, so if you are interested in saving time as well as money, check some of them out. Here are a few of my very favorites:

Life as a Mom
Money Saving Mom
The Extreme Housewife

5. Tomorrow's Tackle-It Tuesday, and I really, really, really hope to be tackling some stuff on my list!

10.Now, taking people to dance and myself to the gym. My feet (plantar fascitis) have been feeling so much better - as long as I stay away from the flip-flops or bare feet - so I'm hoping to start back to a good walking routine.

It's hard to make a "ten" list when people are wanting to be driven somewhere...pretend that was really 10.

{This is the account of Noah. Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God. Genesis 6:9}

quick quote.

2010-02-12T11:42:00.001-06:00

Cody says to me:
"You are already old. But when you are 73, you'll want a cane."

Welcome to my world.

[Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing. Genesis 18:11]

random musings of a person who should be at the beth moore retreat but is instead at home with a tummy ache.

2010-02-06T12:29:00.011-06:00

Now. Before you think I am sick again, please know that I am most likely not actually ill. Here are my best guesses for this current situation:
1. the antibiotic I am taking isn't "agreeing" with me,
or
2. I ate something last night that didn't "agree" with me (but then wouldn't a whole lot of other people be sick since there were like 148 women at the retreat?),
or
3. I have the current "stomach bug" that is going around (which would, in fact, make me technically ill).

I just don't know. I sent my sweet hubby out for some acidophilous and I'm hoping it will help. Since I can't go to the retreat today in this condition, I will play with the October Afternoon papers I got in the mail yesterday. Oh, my. I love "The Thrift Shop." I love "Fly A Kite." Lovelovelovelovelovelovelove. Love. Them.

I am going to make wallpaper backgrounds with these new papers for my phone and switch them out every day so I can see them even when I'm not home. (Thank you, October Afternoon, for making the best papers ever! Sincerely, Stacey)

Yesterday was Finish-It Friday. I don't think I finished anything, but I did make a huge, gigantic dent in the pile of coupons I had that needed to be sorted and filed. I am almost finished and then I will go shopping. And I will save lots of money while stocking up on stuff we will use throughout the year. I love walking by items in the store, knowing that I have a big pile of it at home and that I paid less than half of what it is regularly. I love when someone in the house runs out of toothpaste or shampoo and I give them another from my stash that I paid almost nothing for. It's so much more fun than putting it on a grocery list and having to pay full price! The only way I have found to do that is to have the coupons and buy when the items are on huge sale. (I'll get off my soapbox now, sorry.)

Today: Suffocation Saturday. Truly, I need to rename Saturday. It sounds a bit...deadly. But that is what clutter and chaos are to me - deadly! I'm not up for doing much garage organizing today, which has been my main focus lately. But I might work on labeling my paper drawers while I do my scrappy stuff. It needs to happen and it feels to good when it's done!

Next week: the garage. I am on a bit of a timeline with the garage because if I wait too long, it will be hot out there. And there will be mosquitoes. And there will be humidity. I know it sounds crazy, but it's true. In this part of Texas, we have mild winter (forecasted highs in the 40's next week), super-short early spring, then very warm (refuse to say HOT yet) mid-to-late spring. So the garage needs to get organized before mid-April, for sure.

Oh, and there's the attic. It is part of the garage, you know. And it's hot up there after about April 15. And it's pretty full. I have wondered if anyone's attic has ever caved in on their house. I'm not talking about when I put my foot through the attic floor/kitchen ceiling, but just stuff getting too heavy for it. Does that ever happen?

[Better to live on a corner of the roof than share a house with a quarrelsome wife. Proverbs 21:9]

thrifty thursday.

2010-02-05T13:44:00.005-06:00

As far as fruit goes, we eat what's on sale.

Oh, happy day, grapes are on sale at Kroger!

I was there on Monday and I saw that grapes were $3.99 a pound and I said to myself (but out loud, apparently), "Who's going to buy grapes at $3.99 a pound? Not me."

I refused.

And this man who was standing not too far from the grapes with a large selection of red grapes in his basket said, "Three-ninety-nine a pound? Maybe I shouldn't buy these..."

And he puts his hand on his grapes cautiously.

He hadn't noticed the price (or probably had no idea what the price should be) and seemed to be conducting a back-and-forth debate in his head (why didn't I keep mine in my head?) about whether it would be okay to put them back.

I didn't get involved.

Later, I saw him wheeling those grapes around in his basket, so I assumed that the people-shouldn't-put-produce-back-after-they've-put-it-in-a-bag part of him had won the debate with the thriftier no-one-should-pay-$3.99-a-pound-for-grapes part of him.

There could have been other factors involved, as well. If it was on his grocery list and that list was made by his wife, those grapes would have had to have been pretty expensive before he would have considered not getting them.

I could tell.
He was that kind of husband.
Follow the list.
Get the stuff.
No questions.
Do not think,
just follow the list.
He was definitely trained.

I wonder if his wife hit him over the head with them when he got home with what looked like $12 worth of grapes.

That was Monday.

Yesterday I went to Kroger for a pill splitter. What a contraption! I thought I'd be 85 years old before my hubby sent me to the store for a pill splitter. They had been out of pill splitters, but the pharmacy called him when they got more in this week, and I went to get it. 42 years old, that's what we are. It's not normal.

So when I walked in the door at Kroger, the very first thing I noticed was that grapes were on sale for $1.99 a pound. I said, "Oh, happy day!" and grabbed a basket because I know myself. I might have been able to walk in and buy a pill splitter and leave the store without needing a basket, but if I'm getting grapes, too, I'm going to end up with a basket full of something!

When I got to the grape section in the produce area, I found a picked-over, almost-empty table. The grapes that were left were icky. I was not the only person excited about the lower price.

I didn't want old, cheaper grapes, just cheaper grapes. I asked if there were fresh ones in the back, and sure enough, the boy brought out a wagon load of beautiful, juicy, plump cheap grapes.

It was a good thrifty Thursday.

[By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Matthew 7:16]

little boy love and weighing in.

2010-02-04T00:53:00.003-06:00

Corey pulled up a chair next to me tonight and shared his blanket as we snuggled and I cut coupons.

It sounded so sweet until that last part, I know. But I was making my way through a mountain of newspaper inserts and he wanted to sit on me. We decided it was just as fun to sit right by each other for tonight and so he went and got his blanket and a chair, parked next to me, and spread the blanket over both of us.

When he opened up his blanket, a beanie wolf fell out and I said, "You had a stowaway!" He didn't understand, so I explained how a stowaway is someone who wants to travel but can't afford to pay for the trip so he sneaks on the boat (or plane or wagon or whatever) and rides and then sneaks away. He absolutely loved the idea of a stowaway and he told everyone who came through the room about his "ummmm......what's that word again? The one who sneaks on the boat?" He must have asked me six times. "Stowaway" is not an easy word to remember.

Oh, the cuteness.

Then he tells me how much he loves me. (I am fully aware that I just switched verb tenses and would not tolerate it in a student's paper, but it's my blog and there are no grades, and I am not fixing it.) And I tell him that I love him more than he loves me. This is a daily little conversation, but then he changes it and tells me not to love him too much. I think he's going to say I need to make sure and love Daddy and the other kids too, but he says, "You need to love God the most." So sweet.

So we talk about how we have lots of love to spread around and that God can have all our love and we still can love each other and how loving God actually gives us more love to share with each other. Then he says, "Mom. I have 280 pieces of love." And I acted like I was extremely impressed because I am pretty sure it was the biggest number he could think of.

So I wrote that part down so it wouldn't get lost forever.

Okay, the weigh-in. I weighed at the doctor's office yesterday. His scale weighed me eleven pounds heavier than the one I have at home! It was a little sad, but I happen to know that I did not gain 11 pounds in 6 hours, so I'm not going to worry about it. It is better to only pay attention to the one scale I weigh on consistently, I know.

I am already feeling so much better. It's amazing what a bunch of bacteria can do to one's health...

Tomorrow is Hair Day. Haircut and color. I am planning to take a picture before I go so I can document the white line down my head that is the roots of my hair. White. Just like my sweet dad. White. Almost completely white. I just cannot be white-haired at 42 years old. Hence, Hair Day. (I taught transition words in Writing today.)

And now, I will abruptly end this post. Thrifty Thursday tomorrow...although I won't feel very thrifty after Hair Day. Maybe I'll get all those coupons sorted. That's thrifty.

Good night!

[Gray hair is a crown of splendor; it is attained by a righteous life. Proverbs 16:31]

quick ten.

2010-02-03T00:07:00.004-06:00

1. I got an antibiotic. It is ginormous. Not exactly the thing for a girl with a really sore throat. I will expect to be feeling significantly better by tomorrow night.

2. Dayna, if you're reading this, I remembered the letters. But I bet you aren't.

3. I talked to three of my favorite scrappy people today. Tif. Kelli. Kendra.The coolest thing about the internet is the friends. Thanks, Al Gore. (I should link those girls, but I'm too tired. Just Google them.)

4. I looked all over the house because I didn't remember taking the NyQuil capsules that I got out of the box. But I can't find them anywhere and I'm about to conk out, so I guess I have my answer.

5. The card above is one I did for the Prism blog. It's one of my favorites because I love that orange and the Harlequin background stamp (from Fiskars).

6. No crazy-weird dreams tonight, please.

7. If you have been waiting for me to ship you something, I am so sorry. I just replaced the printer, so now I can print the label. Apparently going to the post office never occurred to me.

8. My 2010 calendar came today...I took pictures because the shipping box was so cute. I'll post them eventually. You have to see.

9. I did not pay almost $3 for a Rice Krispy treat in Barnes & Noble yesterday. No way. It would not be thrifty . That would be ridiculous. I wouldn't pay that much for a whole box of Rice Krispies, so of course I wouldn't buy a ridiculously overpriced Rice Krispy Treat just because I had to drive all the way to B&N and I felt terrible.

10. I did. I bought that Rice Krispy Treat for $2.95 at B&N. It was yummy.

[I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8]

how they make markers by corey k.

2010-02-01T23:44:00.003-06:00

Here is another layout I made for the Prism blog last month. It was a challenge and I was supposed to use at least three yellows and one orange. I think I used five yellows and three oranges. The title is just me cutting out letters without drawing them out first. I don't make them like that very often, but I kind of like it. :)

(End of scrappiness for today.)
----------------------------------------

"Mom, I think I know how they make markers.
They take a crown (crayon) and put it in a thing and then they let it sit in the car. Or no, they let it sit on the beach, some place where it's real hot.
And that's how they make markers."

It was such a cute little speech.
Corey, January 22, 2010
(I inserted the punctuation because it really sounded like one long, run-on sentence.)

I know. It's Monday.
Menu-planning Monday.
Here's how it went down:
I drove a million miles to countless activities.
I decided to go get a strep test tomorrow because I still feel awful.
We had oatmeal, cereal, and pepperoni rolls for dinner.
The pepperoni rolls were from lunch - my in-laws sweetly brought them from Double Dave's.
I felt too icky to eat a pepperoni roll at all today, which is pretty darn sad.
I didn't plan any meals.
I have no plan for planning meals.
I am not modeling good meal-planning habits this week.
Sorry.

And my poor husband has this blood clot in his leg for which he is taking intense medications and giving himself injections in his stomach which have turned him purple from the bruising and he has been in constant (although finally, diminishing) pain...and I, his help meet, his lovely (in theory) doting wife...I have been moaning about my headache, sore throat, yada, yada, yada for five days. What a story. If we made it into a movie, I'd have to find someone really whiny to play me.

Oh, hey, and I ordered Beth Moore's new book from Amazon, So Long Insecurity: You've Been A Bad Friend To Us. It looks so good. (Please pretend I underlined the title of that book.)

[The lions may grow weak and hungry, but those who seek the LORD lack no good thing. Psalm 34:10]

resurfacing.

2010-01-31T14:58:00.010-06:00

Since I haven't posted anything scrappy since I got back on my blogging wagon, here's a layout I did for the Prism blog that was posted on January 20.

I use these colors often for my vintage (are the late 1960’s and early 1970’s considered vintage?) photos. I love this combination of Suede Browns with the Mystic blue for older photos. These rich colors are still subtle enough that they don’t overpower the slightly desaturated-looking photos I have from my early childhood.

I take multiple photos of everything my kids do (digital photography is wonderful, isn't it?), but my parents didn't have that option. So for layouts of my early years, I often have just one photo of an event (and I am very thankful to have it!) to use for a layout. Since these old photos are usually square, I like to use this square, layered frame design to highlight the photo.
(End of scrappiness for today.)
---------------------------------------------------

You can always tell when I'm starting to feel better because I wander into the kitchen and clean the countertops and bleach the sinks. My family has done has admirable job of feeding itself for two-plus days and even cleaning up afterward...but they don't wipe the counters and they leave the sinks looking spotty. I guess it's okay because it makes me feel needed. So, anyway, I just cleaned the counters and my sinks are soaking in hot, soapy, slightly bleachy water. It feels good.

My head is still stuffy. My throat still hurts. I still have a headache. But. None of it is as bad as it was. When it's time to take more ibuprofen, I'll just take it. I don't want to know how much it's helping. I just want to keep feeling better. (smile.)

So. Since nothing much has happened, I'll give a random "ten" list:
1. I love to play "Words With Friends" on my phone. If you like to play, email me and I'll give you my username so we can play a game. Sometimes I am slow and only play at red lights or when I'm waiting to pick up my kids from something, so if you play with me, plan for it to be a looooooooooooooooooong game.
2. Did you know that Bazzill Basics Paper has acquired the Prism Prismatics Cardstock? Here is a list of the colors they will be offering. It's a beautiful array of colors and I'm happy to say that they are still going to have all of my favorites! More details.
3. If I had some of the new October Afternoon "Thrift Shop" or "Go Fly a Kite" stuff, I'd be making something with it. I'm just saying.
4. I think even a sick-but-getting-better person can make Impossibly Easy Cheeseburger Pie. Right?
5. Corey's cute quote from yesterday (he was talking to Cody and watching Revenge of the Sith) - "I wish there were sixteen Star Wars movies. But that would be impossible, wouldn't it? Luke would be old, old, old." Who could make this stuff up?
6. Doug's quote from yesterday (he was talking about his 2nd grade basketball team) - "I felt like I was talking to an ant hill."
7. Oh, my stars. Sometime during my NyQuil-induced haze this weekend, a box arrived on my doorstep, jam-packed with the new Fiskars clear stamps (I think I counted 44 sets with up to 31 stamps in each set), new inks, and Limited Edition Spring Punches. A box of cuteness, to be sure!
8. I am running out of motivation for this list.
9. Abbey Road "Whirlybird" from My Mind's Eye is sweetness itself.
10. Who ate all the sunflower seeds and left the other food in my bird feeder? I'm glad to feed whoever it is, but I want to watch.

[I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 27:13]

why i missed my first finish-it friday of 2010.

2010-01-30T13:08:00.004-06:00

I'm sick. A lot sick. Like my-throat-is-so-swollen-and-sore-I-don't-know-how-I'm-gonna-swallow-that-ibuprofen sick. This is why I didn't do Finish-It Friday yesterday. And I'm sure I won't do it today.

Maybe tomorrow.

Here's a "ten" list for what today is looking like:
1. Sore throat, headaches, all-over achiness, and pain.
2. Blue Bell Dutch Chocolate ice cream.
3. Ibuprofen and Extra-Strength Tylenol.
4. Cold water.
5. The Proposal. (I have been wanting to see this, but I never sit long enough to watch a whole movie, but now I don't want to move, so I'd say this is the perfect time for a movie.)
6. Chick-fil-a lemonade. (Jolie and Doug brought it to me and I didn't even request it.)
7. Sleep.
8. Catching up on my Google Reader.
9. Making a to-do list for next week.
10. Feeling a little (or a lot) better by the end of the day. (Optimism never hurts.)

[Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." So he stretched it out and it was completely restored, just as sound as the other. Matthew 12:13]

weigh-in wednesday.

2010-01-28T00:11:00.004-06:00

I took this picture yesterday when I was getting that quickie to-do list photo. I noticed my shadow and thought how nice and tall and straight I looked...it's almost like the carnival fun house mirror that distorts an image and makes people look tall and thin. I do enjoy that mirror.

I just weighed in for the first time since before Christmas. I was a bit nervous. To be honest with you, I cannot tell when I have gained or lost by how I feel. I think if I gained 10 or 15 pounds, I'd notice, but a few up or down is hard to notice. When I was at a healthy weight, I was pretty sensitive to fluctuations of just 2 or 3 pounds. This is probably why I gained that extra weight over the last couple of years (well, that and Doritos). I didn't weigh myself and I couldn't feel the weight coming on. I did wonder why my clothes were shrinking, though.

So. Anyway. I got on the scale and was down 3 pounds! I was thrilled because even though it's been 5 weeks since I weighed, I distinctly remember eating a few non-weight-loss-friendly things over the holidays. I didn't just pig out, though, mostly because the healthier foods make me feel so much better. It's not fun to eat junk and feel bad when I know how good eating healthful foods can make me feel.

Tomorrow morning: appointment with Doug at the coumadin clinic. I'm hoping to learn a lot about his treatment and be encouraged somehow.

The verse today is from 1 Thessalonians, which Corey pronounces "Sethalonians."

[Therefore, brothers, in all our distress and persecution we were encouraged about you because of your faith. 1 Thessalonians 3:7]

tackle-it tuesday.

2010-01-26T21:07:00.010-06:00

I think today would have been more appropriately titled "Taxi Tuesday." I drove almost all day! While I was dropping Jolie off at the dance studio this morning for the class the assists in, I took a picture of my to-do list with my phone, and here it is.

I usually make the list on Monday night because Mondays are so busy with homeschool co-op, piano lessons, and dance that I don't get much accomplished besides feeding everyone, playing scrabble on my phone, and maybe some little errands between drop-offs and pick-ups. If I would make my list on Sunday night, I might be able to tackle some of the errands on Monday...hmmm, I'll work on that. Tuesday is still the day that I really feel like I can tackle all those to-do items.

The idea behind my to-do list is to write down pretty much everything I need or want to get accomplished this week in sort of a brainstorming fashion. I leave plenty of space to add to my list and I don't worry about making it pretty or neat. Sometimes if my life is really overwhelming me with activities and deadlines, I will make four sub-lists: House, School, Work (usually just creative stuff), and Project. The project category will have all the things I need to do for whatever I have overcommitted to at the moment like a working a fundraiser, teaching a class, or hosting an event at home. I'll also use that section if there's a holiday coming up and I have several things to get accomplished.

As I brainstorm, I think of things I want to do but know I won't get to this week. Those things go in a little section I call "planning mode." It's funny, but if I actually write those down somewhere, knowing full well that I will not get around to them for days or weeks, it still puts them on my "radar," and I start thinking about them and jotting down ideas as they come to me. If I don't write down the "planning mode" projects, they stay jumbled up in my head and make my thoughts more cluttered, which makes me feel less on top of things.

I will often write an estimated time next to a task because it helps me to know what I can cram in when I only have 5 or 10 minutes to get something done (this is usually the "low-hanging fruit" - tasks that are easyeasyeasy to get done and crossed off - and I wonder, "Why in the world do little tasks have be written on a list to get done??"). This also helps me because when I see "45 minutes" next to a task, it reminds me that this is not an all-day project and I can limit myself to a certain amount of time to complete it. Sometimes I think I treat myself like a child, but it does seem to work...

The other notes I make on the list are checks and initials for delegating tasks. (I love delegated tasks.) The checks help me to know that just because I haven't crossed something off, doesn't mean I am not making progress!

On Friday (Finish-it Friday!), I will look at the list and focus on finishing anything I haven't completed throughout the week. I do have to be careful not to leave too much for Friday, though.

Oh, my. Is anyone still reading this? Bless you. But I enjoyed going through this process with myself and maybe it will motivate someone else to make a list. I am thinking it might be fun to save my lists in a folder. I never have, but it might be interesting at the end of the year to look back at them. I'll look at this week and think about how it was the week we found a blood clot in Doug's leg and we were collecting things to send with Haiti disaster relief teams. It hasn't been the best week, I guess...but I am sure I'll be able to look back and say that I can see God's hand in every bit of it.

I'll share more about Doug's medical issues when we know more. Right now it's just doctor's visits and medication and self-injections and lots of pain and too much waiting. What a week. But when I look at the photos of the devastation in Haiti, I am reminded that we are so rich and our access to medical care is such an amazing blessing.

Back to the Tackle-it Tuesday list...if you decide to post yours on your blog, let me know. I want to see!

[My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place.
When I was woven together in the depths of the earth,

your eyes saw my unformed body.
All the days ordained for me
were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

Psalm 139:15-16]

menu plan monday.

2010-01-25T20:38:00.001-06:00

I love when new people leave a comment on my blog because I find new people to ohh and ahhh over in Blog Land. I just added Christi Snow to my google reader. I love her cards and layouts...I think I'll be visiting her often for inspiration. (smiles)

It's pretty hard to plan meals when I don't have a calendar. No, I mean I really don't have one. I couldn't decide which one to use this year, so I have been flying by the seat of my pants so far in 2010 because I haven't been able to commit to a calendar. It hasn't been pretty. We've missed some stuff. That's embarrassing for me, disappointing for the child whose event was missed, and just silly because I just needed to have my life on a calendar where it belongs so I don't miss stuff.

I'm printing out a blank calendar this very moment from WinCalendar so I'll have something to work with until the calendar I ordered (um, will order) arrives. The one I am finally committing to is the same calendar I used last year from Erin Condrin. I loved it so much, but it's not the cheapest one around, so I thought I'd get something different for 2010 (different = less expensive). I got a little money for Christmas from someone who wanted to get me a purse but didn't know how to pick one out for me. Now she has gotten me a calendar instead. (smile)

I need to plan meals whether I have a calendar or not, so here's my attempt. I may have to make changes based on evening activities, but I think it will work out fine and it's definitely better than nothing. Eventually, I'd like to plug breakfast in, but for now, I'm going with this:

Monday
Lunch(between piano and Latin in car) pigs in a blanket, juice, spinach, and fruit)
Dinner - Crock Pot Chicken w/potatoes, carrots, green beans; Bread

Tuesday
Lunch - Soup, salad, crackers, fruit
Dinner - Lasagna, etc.

Wednesday
Lunch - Mac n Cheese, salad
Dinner - Church Dinner? (Possibly take sandwich stuff)

Thursday
Lunch - Breakfast for Lunch :)
Dinner - Chicken Tortellini Casserole, salad

Friday
Lunch - Homemade Cheese Pizza (kids), Veg soup (me)
Dinner -

Saturday
Lunch -
Dinner -

Sunday
Lunch -
Dinner -

Aaaaaaaargh!! I am stumped. No wonder dinnertime is such a mess. I can't think of what to cook.

[So heap on the wood and kindle the fire. Cook the meat well, mixing in the spices; and let the bones be charred. Ezekiel 24:10]

the blog days.

2010-01-25T08:00:00.001-06:00

I have missed my blog. If I go back over the years, I really enjoy reading about our life, especially when we lived on the farm. Funny, because I really did not appreciate that place...

Anyway, the last year has been pretty dry for me blog-wise, which makes it hard for me to scrapbook about that time. I rely pretty heavily on my blogs for journaling on my scrapbook pages.

So. To encourage myself to blog daily or close to it, I have a schedule for daily blog topics. For the most part, I did not make them up. I have seen them around in blogland. I will post the links as I remember where I found them.

Here's the schedule:
Monday - Menu Plan Monday
Menus for the week! This has the potential to stress me out because I am generally inclined to avoid menu planning, even though when I have meals planned out, the days are so much smoother. I am hoping to use meal planning to de-stress our life a little bit instead of making it worse...

Tuesday - Tackle-it Tuesday
My to-do list. Sometimes it feels so good to just write down everything that needs to be done. To just face it all. So much of the list is usually simple tasks that just need to be prioritized and tackled. (There are always those to-do-list items that keep getting put off. That's what Friday is for.)

Wednesday- Weigh-in Wednesday
Results from my weekly weigh-in. No matter what. Up or Down. And some goal setting, pep-talking, and maybe some thoughts on the long process of losing almost 100 pounds.

Thursday - Thrifty Thursday
Bargain hunting, great deals, coupons, garage saling, trips to the thrift shop, ideas for spending less and saving more. This will be coming from a girl (me!) who used to abhor the idea of being frugal, thrifty, or bargain-focused in any way.

Friday - Finish-It Friday
My Procrastination Prevention Program. Targeting the items on my list that I seem to avoid and put off - or the stuff that I know I have the potential to procrastinate - OR just little stuff that I have started but not finished.

Saturday - Suffocation Saturday
The decluttering, purging, and simplifying process that is my almost-constant goal. Cluttered closets, crowded counters, over-full drawers, and crammed cabinets make my day-to-day life more stressful than it needs to be. I need to do this.

Sunday - I might not blog on Sunday, but here's a great place to say that every one of these blog topics - each day - is important to be because I know that faithful stewardship of my time, talent, health, money, and home is critical to my ability to live out my faith and shine for my heavenly father. When I am stressed, sick, overwhelmed, or unprepared, I am not the best wife, mother, or friend that I could be...and God has entrusted much to me! I expect that my posts will be absolutely, wonderfully full of Him.

Of course, I will also be inserting a liberal amount of crafty-ness and scrappy good stuff throughout the blog week as well!

It's been so long since I have blogged regularly that I don't expect much company in the new blog year, but if you do happen to read this, feel free to leave a comment to say "hi" or to share what you are doing in these areas.

[In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16]

ten.

2010-01-24T13:19:00.000-06:00

I was catching up on a tiny bit of blog reading (I have over 1000 blogs to read in my Google Reader even though I keep deleting and deleting) and I saw something that inspired me over at the My Mind's Eye blog:
"During the month of January you are going to design your cover and album. The first week of each month, beginning in February, you are going to document your own personal “top ten” for the previous month. It can be anything you’d like:
* top ten adventures
* top ten funny things that were said
* top ten hopes
* top ten foods
* … anything!"
I just think this is a cool idea! I think I'm going to do it with a tall, skinny book. I think I have one. I am confident that I am not exaggerating when I say I have more than 40 blank books. (See #7 below.)

The post at MME also made me realize that getting back on the blogging wagon doesn't have to be so hard...I'll just do some "ten" lists! Here's my first "ten" list:

Ten Things About My Life That I Haven't Been Blogging About:
1. Scramble on Facebook - I am obsessed. On Christmas, I realized that I could play against live people any time of the day or night.
2. Painting the inside of our house - "Cloudless" in the girls' bath. "Natural Wicker" on the main walls. "Ultra White" trim paint. This project will take me all year, I am thinking. I fell off the ladder twice after 2am a couple of weeks ago. Well, not so much fell off as misjudged how far down the ladder I was and stepped off backward from much higher up than I should have. Ow. Twice. Slow learner.
3. Landfill management - I parked the Suburban in the garage during the 4-day cold snap we had after New Year's Day. This was a HUGE accomplishment!! Huge. Huge. But then we had...
4. Nineteen girls - The freshman girls stayed at the house last weekend for a big church youth event. They met at the church with all the rest of the middle school, jr. high, and high school kids, but the 9th grade girls slept and ate at our house. In preparation for this weekend, I took down the Christmas tree(s) moved any and all extraneous "stuff" into the garage so they'd have places to sleep and hang out. And now the garage looks like a landfill again.
5. Losing weight - Really! I have lost almost 30 pounds. I have been eating less and much more healthfully. It feels SO GOOD. I don't think it's all that noticeable (no one ever says anything), but I have gone down a couple of sizes and I am close to going down another. I wish I could exercise more - if it weren't for the ...
6. Plantar faciitis - The pain started on Halloween. I went to the Aggie football game (miles of walking) and then walked a lot that night. I didn't notice much pain until the next day, and it has been downhill from there. I think it's starting to get better now. I still cannot walk barefoot or wear my beloved flip-flops, but with a good Spenco arch support (bought mine at Academy for $24.99), most of my other shoes will work and I'm not in pain. It has kept me from exercise, though. I am thinking I'll sign up for water aerobics again, since it's not a weight-bearing exercise.
7. Suffocation - I have been struggling so much with the stuffed condition of my closets, drawers, garage (see #3 above), and home in general. Sometimes I feel like we are drowning in excess. Suffocating. We. Have. Too. Much. But I am working on it. I have a plan and it is a blog in itself. Probably a series of blogs. So far, I have only touched the surface of this issue in my life, that's for sure.
8. Winter - I love Texas winter. Love it. Love. It. We have been having some beautiful weather and I love that the boys can play outside without being hot or cold.
9. Not scrapbooking - Seriously, I haven't done much actual scrapbooking in the last six months. Just assignments. This. Must. Change. I moved my albums from the top shelf in my scrap room to the lowest one so I can reach them. I think this will help. I think one of my biggest hindrances has been that all my pictures are digital and I don't have any printed out.
10. Decongesting - We have had two major viruses in our home since the week before Christmas. Sore throats, stuffy noses, ear infections, sinus infections, and asthma are some of the issues we've been dealing with as a result! I used neo-synephrine last week for the first time and it was quite a wonderful discovery.

[Then he said, "May the Lord not be angry, but let me speak just once more. What if only ten can be found there?" He answered, "For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it." Genesis 18:32]

vacuum cleaner on cheese/thrifty thursday.

2010-01-22T13:42:00.006-06:00

"Hey guys? I am a vacuum cleaner on cheese."

Corey, January 22, 2010
eating lunch

It's true. Corey loves cheese. He does seem to inhale it sometimes. I buy a lot of cheese! But I never, ever pay full price or even the minor-sale-on-cheese price. I get it when it's a loss leader [a product sold at a low price (at cost or below cost)to stimulate other, profitable sales]. I try to get it for 50-75% off and then I stock up like there will be no more cheese available in his lifetime. What I am doing is "stockpiling" which sounds illegal or at least unethical for some reason, but I call it wise shopping. As often as I can, I buy non-perishable or long-term storable (especially in the freezer) items at these low prices so I can skip having to purchase them at the higher everyday price. These lower prices are always lower than WalMart's everyday prices.

Combining the loss leader prices with coupons give me an opportunity to stock up on free or almost-free staple items. I was so happy to make bags of hygiene necessities for a relief organization that is working in Haiti. We filled twelve 1-gallon bags with a specific list of items and the full-size tubes of Crest and Colgate toothpaste and bars of Zest and Dial soap cost me almost nothing because I had purchased them with coupons combined with big sales.

On the way home from the doctor today, Doug and I stopped at the grocery store. Kroger has their Mega Event going on. If you live near a Kroger, check to see what you can stock up on! I bought thirty cans of Ro-tel tomatoes and tomato sauce because the price is really great. The limit is 30 per transaction, but I will be back because we use a lot of Ro-tel tomatoes and I never see them go on sale. I have an out-of-the-way corner cabinet that is perfect for storing stockpiled canned goods and cereals.

Besides the obvious money-saving benefit of stocking up when prices are low, there's also the time-saving benefit of not running out of staple ingredients or even having to think about them until the inventory list shows that there are only a couple of cans left. I also tend to buy much less at the store because I have my own stores of food and dry goods at home, bought at next to nothing.

The coupons take some commitment, but I find that they are so worth it. It's like a game...how much can I save? The cashiers at the grocery store love to see how much I am going to save when I come in. They cheer me on and I love that!

There are some really great websites that deal exclusively with shopping to save money. Here are some of my favorites:
http://www.mommysavers.com/
http://shortcuts.com/
http://www.couponmom.com/
http://www.hotcouponworld.com/

If you have a favorite thrifty website or blog, I would love to know about it!

[Dishonest money dwindles away, but he who gathers money little by little makes it grow. Provers 13:11]

handwriting, green, psychological help.

2009-12-04T22:30:00.000-06:00

I get to be the prize sponsor for the Good Grief Blog for the current challenge about preserving handwriting. I had a set of Fiskars' newest release border/corner punches and 3-in-1 corner punches, so the prize (for a random participant) is a box FULL of punches! Just participate in the current Good Grief challenge by Dec 13 at midnight. All the info is here.

I'm going to be sending my computer for some psychological help next week. If I don't get this thing fixed I am going to need some psychological help. Ugh.

Currently I am reading Green by Ted DekKer. It's the 1st (or 4th) book in the Circle series. I really dislike reading books in a series (don't ask why, I can't seem to articulate it), but this one is amazing. I recommend Green be read last...because that's how I did it, I guess, but it is designed to be first OR last.

Okay, I seriously do NOT have time to be blogging.

I love today's verse...

{and provide for those who grieve in Zion— to bestow on them a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:3}

yummy.

2009-11-30T23:14:00.003-06:00

This is one of the five yummy holiday gift ideas in a download called "Handcrafted and Edible: Treats for the Holidays" at the Fiskars website. The download includes detailed photos and instructions as well as the recipes for all the treats - and it's free! There will be a total of four December 2009 Downloads with tons of crafty ideas, so make sure you check it out.

quick post.

2009-11-20T00:11:00.005-06:00

This card is on the very last page of the November issue of CardMaker...I used My Mind's Eye patterned papers. Don't you think they look so very Thanksgiving-ish?

I just popped in to post this on my way out the door...on my way to a weekend of dancing girls and Jesus music and grapes and friends and hotel ice!

Don't forget to check out the other hoppers' blogs over the next several days because they will be posting new thankful crafty stuff:
Debbie Hodge http://www.debbiehodge.typepad.com

Kelly Purkey http://kellypurkey.typepad.com

Lisa Dickinson http://lisadickinson.typepad.com

May Flaum http://mayflaum.wordpress.com

Patti Milazzo http://pattimilazzo.blogspot.com/

Stacey Kingman http://staceykingman.blogspot.com/

Stephenie Hamen http://cropgirl.wordpress.com

Margot Potter http://margotpottertheimpatientcrafter.blogspot.com/

Lain Ehmann http://knitandpurlgrrl.blogs.com/five_things/

Margie Romney-Aslett http://www.margieromney-aslett.typepad.com/

Rhonna Farrer http://rhonnadesigns.blogspot.com/

Wendy Smedley http://wendysmedley.typepad.com/

Jodie McNally http://jodiemcnally.com/

Liz Hicks http://blogerisms.blogspot.com/

Becky Novacek http://www.beckynovacekphotography.com/

Jennifer McGuire http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/

Elizabeth Kartchner http://elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com/

{“Come, let us sing for joy to the LORD; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation. Let us come before him with thanksgiving and extol him with music and song.” Psalm 95:1-2}

giving thanks {blog hop}.

2009-11-19T23:51:00.010-06:00

A Thanksgiving card...

I made this simple Thanksgiving greeting with the October Afternoon Weathervane collection and Prism cardstock. I'm off to Dallas in the morning, but I will have something new and thankful to post when I return on Monday!

Welcome to the Giving Thanks {Blog Hop} 2009...

Thanks to some very amazing artists, over the next week, you will be able to hop around the web and find some amazing projects celebrating Gratitude and Creativity. We are very excited to be bringing you a cross-section of artisans, sharing their stories, creations, and thanks with all of you. Not everyone will post something everyday, but, there will be something somewhere every day. You will just have to hop around and see what you can find. Each person participating has the full list of attendees posted, so you can hop from each one to another. We hope you find something that inspires you, sparks your creativity, or reminds you to be thankful this Thanksgiving.

From our house to yours, please enjoy your week and our gratitude...

Debbie Hodge http://www.debbiehodge.typepad.com

Kelly Purkey http://kellypurkey.typepad.com

Lisa Dickinson http://lisadickinson.typepad.com

May Flaum http://mayflaum.wordpress.com

Patti Milazzo http://pattimilazzo.blogspot.com/

Stacey Kingman http://staceykingman.blogspot.com/

Stephenie Hamen http://cropgirl.wordpress.com

Margot Potter http://margotpottertheimpatientcrafter.blogspot.com/

Lain Ehmann http://knitandpurlgrrl.blogs.com/five_things/

Margie Romney-Aslett http://www.margieromney-aslett.typepad.com/

Rhonna Farrer http://rhonnadesigns.blogspot.com/

Wendy Smedley http://wendysmedley.typepad.com/

Jodie McNally http://jodiemcnally.com/

Liz Hicks http://blogerisms.blogspot.com/

Becky Novacek http://www.beckynovacekphotography.com/

Jennifer McGuire http://jennifermcguireink.typepad.com/

Elizabeth Kartchner http://elizabethkartchner.blogspot.com/

Have a lovely weekend...

{Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5:18}

2009-11-16T10:51:00.004-06:00

Hello, Monday morning! We had a cold front blow in last night and I have all the windows open to let the fresh, cool gusts of wind cleanse the air in my house. (I wish it could somehow cleanse my boys' bedroom as well because that place is a mess!) I'm going to have to find some door stops, though, because the wind just blew a door shut and I literally jumped out of my chair.

Don't forget to check the Project of the Day at the Fiskars Crafts website. There's something fun and new every single day this month! November's focus is handmade crafts for gift giving, which is such a great resource if you are wanting to make special handmade gifts this year. The projects I have seen so far (and it's only halfway through November!) have been so unique and creative, but definitely do-able.

My project that was featured this weekend is pictured above. Go to fiskarscrafts.com to see more photos and all instructions. Let me know if you try this one. I'd love to see your projects!

Ooops...it's time to go pick up the kids from piano lessons. Today is my drive, drive, drive day. Just like tomorrow. And Wednesday. I'm just thankful I can come home between their activities and classes so I don't have to be out all day long...

{This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 1 John 5:2}

why it took me two weeks to make a card.

2009-11-12T09:58:00.010-06:00

Here's my card for the CPS Blog this week.
It's all October Afternoon...I love the happy polka dots.
Well, of course I used Prism cardstock - in Butter Cream.
And the rub-on is from Melissa Frances.
But the rest of the card is OA.
It took me two weeks to make this card.
No, really.
I started it,
made about 87% of it,
looked at it on my table every day for two weeks as I rushed in and out of my house,
couldn't finish it.
I mean, I could have...
I just didn't feel creative.
Too much stress in my once-creative days.
I'm so tired of feeling like all I do is clean and drive.
Wait.
I'm on the verge of complaining.
Back to my card.
Two weeks later, I had to turn it in,
so the procrastinating/avoiding/dilly-dallying had to end.
I turned it in late.
Story of my life these days.
I'm tired of apologizing for being late
so
I didn't.
Now I'm sorry for not apologizing.

So.
This won't come as a shock to you at this point,
I'm sure.
I stepped down from the CPS Blog design team.
I'm finishing out the year.
I'll miss this little group so much
but I know there is someone who is less busy-
or maybe just better at fitting it all in-
who will do a great job with it.

Aside:
If anyone from my writing class reads this,
please know that this blog is not an example of acceptable writing.
Complete sentences are not optional in my class.
Do what I say
not
what I do.

So I had meant to blog about something else...

It's Thursday again!
How did Thursday come back around so fast?
I feel like Thanksgiving and then December are rushing at me
with the force of a
tsunami.
Run, Stacey!
Hide!
Seek higher ground!
Every day a (sweet, adorable, talented) child
brings me something to add to the calendar in December.
It's full already!
It's over full!
I am so thankful that the powers that be in my homeschool co-op
made us (okay, I had a say in this) start in early-to-mid-August
just so we could have a break between Thanksgiving and the beginning of January.
I am (understatement) so looking forward to this break.
I'm not sure I could face the holiday season if I was still maintaining a normal school schedule...

So.
This weekend Hymn Fest. (Hymns should be filling the air as I type this. Why is no one practicing?)
Next weekend Dance Revolution in Dallas. Three days of girls and moms and fun...
Then Thanksgiving.
I love Thanksgiving.
The day after Thanksgiving is Black Friday. My friend Angela and I got up at 4am to shop last year and it was FUN.
Somewhere in there, I'll put the Christmas tree up.
There's so much more on my list and it's overwhelming me to think about any more of it...

{Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Ephesians 5:15-17}

thursday.

2009-11-05T13:45:00.004-06:00

I am loving Thursday.

In about five minutes, I'll be in the garage sorting through four years of curriculum. I know it sounds boring and no fun, but I am thrilled to be able to work on my garage without having to leave to drive people around!

I have already done some closet organizing, some cabinet rearranging, and finished the book I've been reading. I ate the last mini Butterfinger from the kids' stash - so glad those are gone! I'll also be planting some onions later this afternoon and overseeing the cleaning out of my car.

Thursday is just the best day of the week!

This morning the boys watched the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. I guess Corey picked up the "sly dog" thing from Peppermint Pattie because she refers to Charlie Brown as a "sly dog" sometimes. So I heard Corey saying, "You sly dog!" and I asked him who he was talking to. He said, "My brain said a bad word, so I called my brain a sly dog!" Silly boy. (Oh, and the bad word? Not so bad, but I didn't tell him.)

{We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 2 Thessalonians 3:11}

mini book.

2009-11-04T10:19:00.004-06:00

I made this mini-book-in-a-tin for an article about mini projects at the Fiskar's website. Click on the link to see instructions, lots more photos, and other mini projects from other designers. (I just realized that I already linked this, so just ignore one of the posts.)

I know I promised myself I'd blog every day this week. (I also promised myself I wouldn't eat another Butterfinger before breakfast. Halloween is evil in so many ways.) I have lots to write about, but my life just keeps me going a hundred miles an hour.

Tomorrow is Thursday. Thursday is my best day. I can breathe on Thursday. Thursday is the light at the end of the tunnel for me.

Thursday, I love you, man.

{She saddled the donkey and said to her servant, "Lead on; don't slow down for me unless I tell you." 2 Kings 4:24}

cards, cards, cards.

2009-11-04T09:30:00.006-06:00

This card is one of three I did for an article about holiday card making at the Fiskar's website. Two other designers contributed to the article and there are lots of great ideas!

One of my recent CPS Blog cards...I love this acorn from Gina K. Designs. I used it over and over last month!

Last week's CPS card. All Prism cardstock except the small piece of OA pink polka dots.

{I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand. 1 Corinthians 16:21}

peek.

2009-11-01T21:20:00.007-06:00

I did this layout for the Good Grief Blog. I have never, ever been a simple scrapper, but so far my Good Grief layouts have been quite simple. It's the only way I can seem to do them. FYI: simple layouts take as long to complete as non-simple ones.

Just a peek into blogland this evening...I really miss blogging. If I could blog at red lights or in the parking lot at the various places I am dropping people off, picking them up, or just sitting and waiting for them, I could easily blog daily - several times daily. My life is one big exercise in chaufferism. Driving someone somewhere several times a day...except Thursdays. Please don't ask me to drive anywhere on Thursday. It's my only day with nothing scheduled, well, almost nothing... I love Thursday more than chocolate right now.

Here's a little book I did for the Fiskars website with October Afternoon Weathervane collection patterned papers. You can see lots more photos and instructions here.

I am promising myself that I will blog tomorrow. My blog used to be my source for the journaling on my layouts...I recorded all the cool stuff in our days and I loved to go back and re-read my blog entries! I've really gotten away from that, haven't I?

Does anyone ever read this anymore? I guess it's really okay if the answer is no...

{I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety. Psalm 4:8}

wednesday night.

2009-10-07T22:22:00.007-05:00

While I was coughing my head off last month, I missed sharing this card that I made for the Fiskars website. The details and instructions are available here.

This set of tags was also posted in September. You can read the instructions and see more photos and details here.

Tonight, Jolie and I are making chocolate-covered pretzels for a fun project. It's a good thing I don't often need to dip things in chocolate to be crafty because I think I would eat too much of it!

Tomorrow is Thursday. I love Thursday. Happy Thursday to you!

{From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16}

resurfacing.

2009-10-02T09:11:00.009-05:00

Business first:
1. Fiskars Official Facebook Page is posting SEVEN Facebook-exclusive floral projects today. This is so exciting because the new floral tools are so amazing and I am one of a few people who has gotten to create with them! Go check out the floral creative goodness. :)

2. I have a card posted at the Prism Blog today. I posted a snippet at the top here, but you can see the entire thing here.

3. I had to skip the most recent layout challenge at the Good Grief blog, but the other contributors came up with some really meaningful, amazing stuff, so go see.

4. The CPS Blog had a fun sponsor last week: Inky Antics. I'm not a great stamper, but their images were fun to play with!

5. Oh, my gosh. October Afternoon has a crazy-cool guest designer this month. Go see what she's done with OA! They'll be posting stuff by her all month, and I really looking forward to the inspiration!

I think that's it for "business."

Here's what I have been doing:
I know. It's been a while. Can you believe I've been sick all these weeks? Let's see...we all came down with a cold in the last part of August. The whole town seemed to have it and I was happy that it was so minor.

Really just not a big deal.

BUT I got a leftover cough from the minor cold that turned into a situation that kept me (and my hubby) awake at night, coughing through the entire day - and nothing would help!

You wouldn't believe all the stuff I was taking. Blech on the Robitussin, for sure.

No other symptoms, just this debilitating cough.

I finally went to the doctor (they made me wear a mask - whole other blog post), and he says I have Reactive Airway Disease, kind of an asthmatic thing from what I understand. He gave me albuterol and steroids. Both of those make me quite jittery (think: Stacey Kingman Bobblehead) and a bit (??!!) more irritable than usual (think: Scary, Scary Mommy). It took a full 15 days for the steroids to work their magic.

So.

Sunday I went to church and didn't have to leave for coughing. That's how recently I am recovered.

And the recovery process is overwhelming. I'm behind on pretty much everything in my life - homeschooling, cleaning, laundry, email, regular scrappy commitments, crafty work assignments, you name it and someone is waiting on something from me. It's enough to make me want to quit everything that isn't family-related, but I really think I can do the damage control, get through the catch-up process, and move forward.

But that'll resume tomorrow ... because I woke up with a headache, sore throat, and a fever this morning.

Sigh.

{A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22}

just rite blog hop day two!

2009-09-18T02:27:00.017-05:00

It's Day Two of the Just Rite Mega Font Blog Hop!

There's a fabulous SALE and Blog Candy involved, so be sure to check out the details below...

Here's my card for the hop:

One of my favorite things about the Just Rite stamps is that I can mix font sizes and styles to create cards that say exactly what I want them to!
I used:
Vertical Stamper
Times New Roman Lowercase Font Set
Times New Roman Uppercase Font Set
Special Occasion Uppercase Font Set

JustRite is celebrating their Mega Font Hop (a 2 Day Event with 54 designers)in style with a Super7 Day Font Sale. Take 30% off all JustRite font sets and the Horizontal and Vertical Font Stampers. Sale begins Sept 17th and ends Sept 24th.

There is Mystery Blog Candy being given away during the Two Day Just Rite Font Blog Hop!!! Why is it a Mystery.....well there will be 3 blog candy giveaways on each day and you can only win by leaving a comment on the right blog! The real surprise is you won't know which blog has the candy.....even the designer doesn't know! So as you visit each of the 54 designers over the two day event take time to leave a comment.....who knows, the lucky winner may be you!!!!! You have until Sunday at noon to leave a comment for your chance to win. Then check back at the JR Blog on Sunday evening to find out who won!!!! Enjoy the Hop.

THESE ARE ALL LINKS TO THE PARTICIPATING BLOGGERS' BLOGS:

JustRite Blog

Debbie Olson

Jerri Kay Jimenez

Taylor Van Bruggen

Holly Simoni

Barb Schram

Terre Frye

Michelle Kovack

Kim Moreno

Catherine Doucette

Kellie Fortin

Kimberly Crawford

Kathy Jones

Michelle Giraud

Angela Barkhouse

Heather Pulvirenti

Tami Mayberry

Jennifer Buck

Keri Lee Sereika

Jami Bova

Laura Davis

Stacey Kingman <---YOU ARE HERE

Bonnie Sharp

Stephanie Severin

Janine Orchard

Debbie Seyer

Margie Higuchi

Lauren Bergold

Anja Curvers

AJ Otto

finish-it friday.

2009-09-11T17:53:00.005-05:00

My friend Tami Mayberry is giving away some scrappy stuff. Leave a comment on her blog by Saturday night for a chance to win!

It's rainy. I am loving it. I'm working on my next layout for the Good Grief Blog and making some fun cards for next week's Just Rite Font Mega Blog Hop while listening to the lovely sound of rain...

You should see my to-do list for today. I'm just marking the stuff off left and right! If I'd just move some piles, put some books away, and hang some pictures, I'd really be getting some things off my list! Oh, and the landfill (the garage)...I probably should drag myself out there while it's raining. It's much cooler than usual because of the rain!

No picture today. Have a great weekend! We are wondering if the soccer games will get rained out in the morning.

{I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. Genesis 9:13}

class winner!

2009-09-06T22:39:00.003-05:00

The random number generator gave me number 15:

Connie won!

Connie, email me (or leave a comment here) ASAP so you can get access to the class.

Congratulations!

See you in class!

a friday quote.

2009-09-04T12:58:00.007-05:00

"I haven't gotten a band-aid since the last time I got a band-aid."
- Cody, age 7, in a discussion about the new Transformers band-aids and my request that he not make himself a boo-boo just to have an excuse to wear one

If you came to win a spot in Tanis Willis's Scrapbooking with Fabric Class, either scroll down to yesterday's post or click here to leave your comment.

Here's a peek of a card I did for the Prism blog. Our theme this month is "texture" and I added lots of stamped layers and hand stitching to create texture on this little project. You can go here to see the entire card.

free class giveaway!

2009-09-02T12:52:00.006-05:00

I have taken three of Tania Willis's classes at Get It Scrapped. She is awesome! Her classes are FULL of beautiful sample projects and templates and detailed instructions. She is active on the board and answers questions throughout the day. She is just a fabulous online instructor!

I am signed up for her next class that starts next Monday:

For three weeks this September, Tania Willis will show you how to use fabric on your scrapbook pages in ways you never thought possible. She’ll have you reaching for fabric instead of patterned paper and adding a new level of texture and dimension to your projects. As with all of Tania’s classes at Get It Scrapped!, Scrapbooking with Fabric is jam-packed with original ideas and detailed how-tos. What’s more, Tania spends a substantial amount of time in the class forums chatting and answering questions, posting tips, resources, and even challenges that come with great prizes. Scrapbooking with Fabric starts September 7th! You can see the full class syllabus by visiting the registration page for Scrapbooking with Fabric!

How to win a free spot in this class: leave a comment! If you post a little something about this giveaway on your own blog, you can enter three more times...just post something on your blog linking to this post and then leave three comments here - more chances to WIN!

I will randomly choose a winner on Sunday, September 6 at 8PM CST.

i missed saturday.

2009-08-30T09:03:00.002-05:00

[My Mind's Eye papers and die cuts, Fiskars punches, Doodlebug stickers]

The weekend zoomed by. And it looks like I'll have to be really careful or I'll miss the next two months of weekends! Soccer has started. Saturday games. Thursday practices. In addition to the rest of our crazy, fun life. My calendar is bursting.

I didn't want to complain. I. Am. Not. Complaining. But my dryer is broken. It's been broken for a whole week now. Since last Monday. Apparently, my dryer is special. It didn't break something normal that breaks on everyone else's dryers. It broke something that had to be ordered. Mr. Jim, my appliance repair person, says that Tuesday should be the glorious day for the repair. I'm not holding my breath. You should see the laundry that is piling up!

Off to church. Have a lovely Sunday...don't let it slip away!

good grief, cont.

2009-08-24T17:32:00.006-05:00

Today my first contribution to the Good Grief Blog was posted. I was really nervous about it! Here are a couple of snippets...you can see the whole layout here.

I think it's going to be a healing experience...I'm glad I agreed to do this.

{and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of gladness
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the LORD
for the display of his splendor.
Isaiah 61:3}

more soup, please.

2009-08-23T11:16:00.014-05:00

I have found a new favorite soup...

This week, the sponsor for CPS Blog is Jillibean Soup. We got to play with Jillibean papers (Lentil Soup for me), Journaling Sprouts, and Stamps. Oh, what fun and frolic. (smile) I absolutely LOVE this Jillibean soup and can't wait to get some more!

Here are some cards I made with my yummy Jillibean:

I have been hoarding these Karen Foster Thanksgiving Labels for a loooong time! I love how it looks on this cool krafty paper.

My sister-in-law's birthday is on September 1, so I made her card with this Journaing Sprout (I think that's what the die cut labels are called) and circled the date.

I could have blinged this one up a bit more and it would have been fun, but I kind of like the spartan look with the fluffy ribbon.

I left this one blank so I can add a sentiment when I need a quick card!

And here's my CPS Blog card for the week:

I'd like to reach right into my screen and fluff that bow a little bit...

More soup, please!

{Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt; put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread for yourself. You are to eat it during the 390 days you lie on your side. Ezekial 4:9}

menu plan monday.

2009-08-22T14:16:00.011-05:00

[I'm sorry. I have this "thing" about having to have a photo on every post. So here's a photo of one of my favorite cards in the July issue of Scrapbook Trends. It's mostly October afternoon with Fiskars punches, Prism cardstock and Heidi Grace rub-ons.]

I am still working on the discipline of menu planning. The Happy Housewife has Menu Planning 101 on her blog this week and I'm working on the first assignment: come up with a list of 15 meals you can make in a month - then add five more! (I guess she didn't want to overwhelm everyone in step one because the 5 more came in step two.)

So I need to make my list, taking into consideration our interesting schedule and some personal favorites and dislikes of my people. I usually try to make things that Doug and the girls like. Cody seems to eat just about anything I make these days, although his only real favorites seem to be pizza, chicken nuggets, and scrambled eggs. Corey is getting better about eating what I put into his reticent little mouth, although he still really hates beans, eggs, and beef. I have hope for him, though.

So. Anyway.

The list:
1. Cowboy Casserole
2. Popcorn Chicken
3. Lasagna
4. Taco Soup (crock pot)
5. Chicken Enchiladas
7. Baked Potatoes on the Grill
8. Breakfast for Dinner
9. Bean Soup (crock pot)
10.The other Chicken Enchiladas
11.Chicken Tacos (crock pot)
12.Chalupa Casserole
13.PW Chicken Spaghetti
14.Chicken Pot Pie
15.PW Pot Roast
16.Hamburgers
17.Chicken pockets
18.Meatloaf
19.Chicken Tortellini Casserole
20.Mary's Chicken, Broccoli, & Rice Casserole
21.Homemade Pizza

Some non-monthly meals:
1. Honey Ham
2. Spaghetti & Meatballs

The crock-pot meals are necessary on Mondays. I'll probably do three crock-pot Mondays and one cheap pizza night Monday.

Wednesday nights we either eat at the church or take sandwiches to eat between co-op and church, depending on what the meal is that week.

One of my main goal for meals next month is to double or triple the freezable recipes so I can have some things in the freezer during the busy months of November and December. I did that last year (with the help of some sweet friends) and it was so great to have all those frozen meals ready to thaw and cook!

I'd really like to link my list with recipes, so we'll see how long that takes me.

The second part of the challenge is to come up with a list of side dishes, fruits and vegetables my family enjoys. I have to admit, we aren't all that into variety with our sides, but no one ever complains. Well, Corey complains, but you know what I mean.

Side dishes:
1. Spinach salad (usually just spinach and carrots)
2. Steamed broccoli
3. Mashed potatoes
4. Fried potatoes
5. Strawberries
6. Grapes
7. Macaroni and Cheese
8. Green Beans
9. Avocados
10.Steamed Squash
11.Cut-up Apples

Okay, I'm going to have to work on the side dishes. That looks just pitiful!

eternal summer sounds a whole lot better than it is.

2009-08-22T14:02:00.005-05:00

I made this card for the Prism blog last week. You can see the whole thing here. Sometimes I'm iffy about things I have made, but I love this one.

I love this quote about eternal summer. It sounds lovely. At first.

And yet...

Eternal summer??

Like over 100 degrees every single day?

No, thanks.

In Central Texas, we are close to a record for the most days of over 100-degree weather in one summer. I think the record is 56 or 58 days and today makes 50 days. Don't quote me on that.

Anyway, it's SO hot.

Eternal summer?

No. Thank. You.

{Never again will they hunger; never again will they thirst. The sun will not beat upon them, nor any scorching heat. Revelation 7:16}

blogging every day, except for the last seven...

2009-08-22T13:27:00.004-05:00

I cannot believe it has been seven days since I blogged!

This last week has been a blur...we started our homeschool co-op on Monday. We go on Mondays and Wednesdays. For some reason, that sounds like it should make life easier, not harder. And the truth is, it DOES make life easier in the long run. It's just the short-term that gets a bit chaotic there for a bit. My kids take Latin, Spanish, Biology, General Science, History, Algebra, and Writing at co-op. I teach the high school writing class (I can actually write in complete sentences, although I often avoid doing so on my blog.). Many very talented mothers (and two dads!) teach the other classes. I love the concept of sharing the load... But the first week is a really crazy one!

This is a card I made for the Fiskars website card sketch this month. I used lots of punches and that yummy October Afternoon Cherry Hill paper.

Yesterday I got to do something kind of cool and unexpected. I was sick - alone. Yep, I woke up in the middle of Thursday night feeling horrible and I had a headache, tummy ache, fever, just all that stuff. and Friday morning, my sweet family left for an overnight visit to Grandma's! The sleepover was already planned, so I didn't run them off or anything like that. It was really pretty nice to lay on the couch and read, watch a movie, drink fluids, eat popsicles - all without sharing, getting up to take care of others, mediate disputes, etc. Honestly, it was a little refreshing. And I'm feeling much better today, I think, just a little bit of that icky feeling left and I'll still be alone until sometime after supper.

I think I'll go read a little.

{If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!
Ecclesiastes 4:10}

looking back.

2009-08-15T23:49:00.006-05:00

This card was in a recent Cards issue. I've seen it out in the stores, but haven't gotten it back yet. I used the October Afternoon Ducks In A Row Collection, Fiskars punches, and almost-antique Making Memories chipboard flowers...it's one of my favorites cards ever.

A year ago, I posted this entry on my blog (below). I thought it would be fun to post it again since it made me laugh. (If you'd have laughed at me a year ago, I'd have grounded you from your phone because it wasn't funny at all then.)

Anyway, last year's post:

"If wishes could come true, I would have the force right now. And I would have a fortune cookie." (Cody Kingman, man of many quotes, age 6)

The word for the day is Diflucan.

Let's use it in a sentence: How hard could it possibly be to call in a prescription for Diflucan?

Or...let's see, another sentence: Diflucan should be an over-the-counter medication.

I can think of some other sentences, but they involve swearing and threats.

{On the first day remove the yeast from your houses... Exodus 12:15}

good grief.

2009-08-14T22:24:00.007-05:00

Well, here's the scoop: I am going to be a contributor to a new blog called Good Grief, a Scrapbooking Journey through Loss and Healing.

Amanda Probst had the great idea and started it. She explains all about her inspiration on the blog, so go read about it there.

I'm really looking forward to being a part of this, even though I know the experience might hurt a little sometimes. Like Amanda told me (paraphrased, so I shouldn't actually be using quotes), "It's not a great club to be in, but it's nice to have people to share it with."

So, please go check out Good Grief...and could you spread the word? Thanks!

{he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces... Isaiah 25:8}

finish-it friday.

2009-08-14T09:59:00.010-05:00

So, it's Friday, otherwise known in these parts as "finish-it Friday." I have a LOT to finish. So many projects started but not FINISHED. Where to begin?? Let's just say my first things to finish are fun and crafty and a tiny bit overdue (but only by two hours - so far, but I hate being overdue at all). Then we move on to these started-but-not-finished items:
* fold laundry
* load up all the donations in the garage for the thrift store
* purge old scrap stuff for wonderful girls who adore scrapbooking and don't care about latest-and-greatest
* clean up yard from two intensely windy, garden-wrecking, 5-minute storms this week
* organize coupons for double-up-to-$1-coupon-day at Kroger tomorrow
* move storage items to 300-degree attic
* finish writing syllabus for co-op writing class
* put away new curriculum

Okay, so I'm scaring myself because my list is longer than I thought it was. And this stuff needs to happen! And I'm still ignoring some other stuff...

The card at the top of the post is made with the new October Afternoon Report Card collection and Jenni Bowlin's chipboard bird, in case you might be wondering. Oh, and Prism kraft. Because Prism Kraft is a lot like homemade wheat bread...it's yummy with just about anything.

Oh, and speaking of Prism, it's time for another Guest Designer call! All of the details are on the Prism blog, so check there for official info. The things I know for sure about it is that the people who were guest designers from the first call were a lot of fun and got a lot of paper!

One more thing. Check back tomorrow and I will be able to share with you a wonderful thing! It's a project I've been invited to join that is going be a huge blessing to my heart and to anyone else who wants or needs to participate. You'll see. Tomorrow. (Just so you know...it's not the project I mentioned yesterday. I do seem to have a lot of lovely things going on at the moment, don't I?)

{Consider the ravens: They do not sow or reap, they have no storeroom or barn; yet God feeds them. And how much more valuable you are than birds! Luke 12:24}

report card and a secret.

2009-08-12T14:26:00.006-05:00

I made this card with the amazing new Report Card collection from October Afternoon. I absolutely LOVE these papers! They are sort of vintage with great old-fabric designs and wonderful schoolbook text backgrounds...it has to be my favorite so far! So I made this card and I am looking forward to making some actual layouts with it very soon. Oh, and head on over to the October Afternoon blog to leave a comment and possibly win some OA clear stamps!

I'm kind of in a funk this afternoon and all my blogging vibes have flown out the window. Well, not really...it's way too hot to have any windows open around here! I just literally cannot remember anything I had planned to blog about today.

Oh, here's something. I have a fun project that I'm working on. I don't think I'm supposed to share the details just yet, but I'll give you some clues:
1. It's scrappy.
2. It's faith-focused.
3. It's going to begin sometime in September.
4. It involves some way-cool Jesus-loving girls.
5. You can be a part of it, too!
6. I'll post more as soon as I can!

Hey, that worked wonders! Just sharing the barest of details about my secret has lifted my funk a little...

In the getting-ready-for-school-to-start category, I am expecting the man in brown to bring me some Latin books and flashcards and Becky Fleck's Pagemaps book. I had been wanting Pagemaps, so I had to sneak it into my Latin book order...it's funny, I used to really struggle with sketches, now I love them!

Have a lovely day!

{Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Romans 4:7}

favorite treetops.

2009-08-11T16:59:00.010-05:00

This week's sponsor for the CPS Blog is Susan Tomaino, Independent Close To My Heart consultant. I loved the stamps and papers and inks I got from her so much that I made several cards! Here they are:

And then there's the one I made with this week's CPS Blog sketch:

I think I've found a very favorite stamp set. I love these trees...

Changing the subject:

We're about to start school. It's freaking me out. That sounds spiritually mature, doesn't it? I'm just not ready. We are not ready. It will be my first year to have all four kids doing actual schoolwork. My boys won't want to work much. They like their freedom. I'm sure I'll have more on this later...

What is it about the new school year that makes me want to have everything in my environment in order? Since we homeschool, this translates to "entire house clean and organized." It means having my garage cleaned out, my menus planned, my coupons organized, closets purged, kids' bathroom painted, meals in the freezer...this list goes on. Actually, all of those things are ongoing projects that I am either a.) currently working on, b.) procrastinating, or c.)fantasizing about doing.

My garage especially has been an ongoing project. I was planning to have one LAST garage sale because there's so much out there. My hubby isn't all that supportive ("You're not having a garage sale!"), especially after the neighbors had one a few weeks ago and one of their customers defecated in front of our mailbox. (Yes, eeew.) So, anyway, I am having trouble giving myself permission to just donate these boxes of potential garage-sale stuff. (Anyone local having a garage sale soon?)

My kids say the word "thingie way too much." It goes on the end of pretty much any statement that isn't 100% confident: "Can I have one of those frozen fruit-thingies?" "Did someone lock the barn-thingie?" "Mom, where's my Star Wars Lego Clone Trooper-thingie?" I guess it could be worse.

I'm going to blog again tomorrow. I miss blogging.

{And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. Genesis 2:9}

CHA and the garage.

2009-07-27T11:59:00.003-05:00

I'm not going to CHA this time. I'm missing the excitement and seeing all the new, fun releases. But I'm glad I'm home with my family, too! CHA should always be 10 minutes from home. That would be ideal, I think.

I made this card for the Prism Papers booth. They have such lovely cardstock. It always makes me think of ice cream that doesn't melt...yummy.

I've been working in my garage. I call it "the landfill." Soon I will be hoping to call it "the place where I park my car." Yesterday, my sweet hubby and my two older children hung the bikes in the garage. Wow! What a huge difference it makes to have all those bikes hanging from the ceiling rather than parked all over the floor. Then my sweetie got the "hanging stuff" bug and hung up some fishing poles, too. I can't say it made much of a difference space-wise, but it's nice to see people wanting to get organized!

last week's email.

2009-07-25T11:24:00.003-05:00

I sent this email to a few of my close homeschool-mom friends last week. They understand. The email:

I have to share this.

Today I've been working on my "need to buy" list for the upcoming school year.

It's a spreadsheet.

It's not a huge list, but it's a lot of $$.

I was so excited this evening because I was working on my "landfill management" (a.k.a. digging through the huge pile in my garage).

I found all of my Abeka 7th grade stuff.

So I pulled it all out and hauled it into the living room and dropped it on the floor by my sweet Jolie.

And I'm so excited and smiling and happy.

And excited.

And she's looking at me strangely.

I say, "Here's your school stuff for next year!"

I say, "I just need to order workbooks!"

Did I mention I'm excited?

She looks through it and doesn't look excited with me.

I say, "What?"

She says, "I'm not going into the 7th grade."

Dang.

So.

365 days from now, we're good.

(I'm hoping the Abeka 6th grade stuff is in a tub in the attic. I vaguely remember putting something like that up there.)

That was the email. Since then, after some searching, I've been informed that 6th grade was the year we tried Switched-on Schoolhouse.

So.

I still have to buy all the Abeka 6th grade stuff.

menu plan monday.

2009-07-20T11:33:00.009-05:00

I forgot to share last week menu, oops. I also didn't follow my menu plan very well last week...think there's a correlation? Don't share, don't follow...hmm.

Actually, I think it was just all the birthdays.

Anyway, this week:
Monday - Cheap Pizza Night
Tuesday - Taco Ring
Wednesday - Sandwiches
Thursday - Pioneer Woman's Pot Roast
Friday - Breakfast for Dinner
Saturday - Hamburgers on the Grill and Fries

If I'm going to stick to my plan, I'll definitely need to go to the grocery store!

I'm planning to try a new ranch dressing recipe I found yesterday on Sherelle Christensen's blog. It looks heavenly.

Wouldn't it be lovely to have an arctic cold front on Thursday morning so I could cook the pot roast in the oven? I'll have to do it in the crock pot. Hopefully it will come out the same...it's my favorite pot roast ever.

And now, a picture (a few) of my barn-kitty-turned-royalty, Hannah. She likes to be the most important thing in my life, but only sometimes. Other times, she ignores me. But when she is loving me, she plops right down on my keyboard or my book or the card I'm making and shows me where she'd like to be scratched, petted, or rubbed. This particular day, she got up with a big bunch of Kaiser Self-Adhesive Rhinestones stuck to her furry bum. (Click the image if you want to see every detail of her...)

tiny recap and free stuff.

2009-07-19T21:08:00.012-05:00

Do you love the October Afternoon Wild Cards? I think they are so cute! I made a card on my my last post with the Ducks in a Row Wild Cards... Anyway, go to the October Afternoon Blog RIGHT THIS MINUTE and leave a comment for a chance to win a package of those cutie Wild Cards!

I think I forgot to post who won the spot in Tania Willis's Cards: Beautifully Handmade class. Java Diva won (I did email her). I hope she enjoys the class - I know I am! It's not too late to register if you still want to jump in and take it.

We have finished a week of birthdays in our house, whew! Lots of cake, presents, smiles, doughnuts, flip-flops, and legos. I'm behind on everything, but I'll be caught up soon - just give me a day or two!

I have a big red blister on the inside of my wrist from hot oil I splashed on myself last night. It hurt like heck when I did it, but now it's fine unless I bump it or get hot water on it. The weird thing about it is that my dad had the same exact scar on his wrist in the same place - his was at least three times bigger than mine and it stayed there for years and years. I was about four when it happened, so it was 38 years ago. I don't know, it just made me feel connected to him in a strange way. I wish I could have showed him and talked about it.

My world is a mess, but I did get that silly dry-erase board hung. We start school in a month. Where has the summer gone? I am so not ready. The beginning of the school year means order and neatness and new charts and clean closets...something about homeschooling makes me feel like I need to have every little thing in order when we start back again... My Finish It Friday list is looking pitifully unattended at the moment. Oh, well, there's always next Friday!

I've been working on the insomnia. A couple of things have helped. (A melatonin supplement did NOT help. It gave me a two-day-long headache.) I have turned the A/C down at night, decluttered my bedroom (it feels so peaceful), turned the lights down in the evening, and made the kids get to bed earlier so I get some quiet time before I feel like I am "supposed to" go to sleep. I have also tried to relax and not pressure myself so much about trying to fall asleep. Thinking about last night's inability to fall asleep really makes me tense when it's time to go to sleep the next night. I'm still struggling a little, but I'm trying to "go with it" rather than fight it, and I think this is helping a lot. I think keeping the lights down all over the house in the evening helps quite a bit. And the temperature of the house. Oh, and I read a little before bed, but not IN the bed. Thanks for the suggestions!

Don't forget to leave a comment at the October Afternoon blog!

{And He will be their peace. Micah 5:5}

finish it friday.

2009-07-11T11:30:00.007-05:00

If you are here to win the spot in Tania's Cards: Beautifully Handmade Class, scroll down to the next blog!

Here's a card I made recently because every post needs a photo:

[Patterned Paper, Wild Card - October Afternoon, Chipboard - Maya Road, Corner Punch - Fiskars, Cardstock - Prism (Intense Pink)]

My friend Dayna told me I had to do this. I'm scared of her, so I did it, no questions asked.

Actually, I got tingles of excitement, expectation, and plain old organizational happy thoughts as soon as I started reading. I love lists and I love organizing and I love being motivated.

Why is it that I have to be motivated to do things I love to do?

Anywhoo, I made my list of things that I have recently left hanging. I also added some things that have the obvious potential to be procrastinated. And I've crossed off a few things!

Here's my list:
Finish It Friday

1. Hang other dry erase board.
2. Remove small pile of things that need to be put away in MBR.
3. Finish MBR closet clean-out.
4. Purge old scrap collections.
5. ~~Landfill management (garage).~~
6. ~~Report publications.~~
7. Move frames from LR to entry.
8. ~~Ebay Feedback~~
9. ~~Pay bills~~
10. ~~Curriculum from Alice~~
11. Co-op Writing Class requirements email
12. Make school books list for 2009-2010
13. ~~Supervise cleaning boys room (delegate)~~
14. Finish mowing backyard (delegate)
15. RETURN COAT RACKS - put in suburban on Sunday (delegate)
16. Move photos from memory card to hard drive
17. Back up hard drive photos
18. ~~Submit Card~~
19. ~~Bank Deposit~~
20. ~~Set date for birthday party~~
21. ~~CPS card~~

I only had to complete one thing to ~~not get beat up by my friend~~ complete the requirement, but it's so fun to get things done!

The one thing that is bugging me is the "hang other dry erase board." It's a 5-minute task - at most! Why does this have to go on a list?? I don't know, but I still haven't done it.

A couple of random things before I go...
1. My neighbors had a garage sale this morning. You WOULD NOT BELIEVE what someone did right out in the street some time during the morning! A person, not a pet, did this. Blech.
2. The heat is making me crazy. Crazy, I tell you.
3. We are in "birthday week" here at the Kingman house. Cody's was Wednesday. Mine is Sunday. Corey's is next Wednesday. Cake, anyone?
4. I am working on my insomnia issues. Any suggestions?

{Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11}

win a free class!

2009-07-10T10:44:00.003-05:00

I remember the day I discovered Tania Willis on Two Peas in a Bucket. It was the start of a beautiful friendship! We have so much in common, happy and not-so-happy (she suddenly lost her sweet mama two months after my dad passed away), and we have bonded in an eternal way. She's a precious sister in Christ and an amazingly creative girl!

Read about her upcoming class and leave a comment here. I'm giving away a spot in her Cards: Beautifully Handmade class! I'll randomly choose a winner on Monday morning. Here's a cool rule: if you post a link to this post on my blog, you can enter again! That's double the chances of winning the spot in the class! Soooo...leave a comment! Then go blog (with a link!) and enter again with another comment!

Here's the scoop:

Looking for something to creative to do this summer? Join Tania Willis in Cards: Beautifully Handmade and in three weeks you'll have a big stash of beautifully detailed, handmade cards your friends and family will treasure.
This is the perfect summer class-- grab your scraps and trimmer, some adhesive, a basket of extra embellies or your favorite stitching tools, and settle onto the porch to create. The children in your life can craft along next to you.

Tania will show you tons of awesome ways to add detailing that wows, and she'll inspire you to look at the goodies in your stash in new ways.
Registration Now Open: $25
Class runs with 2 sessions per week on Mondays & Thursdays starting July 13 for 3 weeks and includes 6 downloadable lessons and online teacher interaction in a private forum. Frequently asked questions regarding Tania's online class can be seen here.

menu plan monday.

2009-06-24T15:45:00.005-05:00

I know, it's Wednesday, not Monday. But I just planned our menus through July. What a relief! I'll be using a lot of what's in the freezer, garden, and pantry (saving $) and of course we'll be doing our usual Cheap Pizza Night on Mondays. My family loves breakfast for dinner, so that's always on Friday nights. I planned stuff for the grill on Saturdays, but it's so crazy-hot out there, I'll have to ask my grill chef if he actually wants to do that. So here's the rest of the week:

Wednesday - Chicken tenders, Mashed Potatoes, Salad
Thursday - Bean Soup (it's in the freezer), Cornbread, Salad, Strawberries
Friday - Breakfast for Dinner (Scrambled Eggs, Hash Browns, Bacon, Biscuits, Fruit)
Saturday - Smoked Chickens, Smoked Potatoes, Salad, Watermelon
Sunday - Chalupa Casserole (I'll try to post the recipe very soon - this is a favorite with everyone!), Guacamole, Salad, Fruit

Stuff from the garden:
I have some yummy-looking squash in the garden that we'll be eating in a variety of ways...I especially love it on the grill. I only have one plant right now, but it's cranking out the squash! I pulled out four more plants last week because they were making weird, bumpy, orange squash that I didn't like. I think someone messed up at the store where I bought them and labeled them wrong. I should have just planted seeds, but I just love when I start my garden in the spring to see those baby plants all in their rows...sort of immediate gratification for gardeners, I guess.

I planted the zucchini very late, so we won't have any for a few weeks, at least. (I just noticed that it's 104 degrees - I better water my baby zucchinis.)

I just pulled up my green bean plants this week. They were making good beans, but they were a mess and you know I hate a mess! I'm going to be planting some new ones with plant supports in place to avoid the mass confusion of my first batch.

There are a lot of tiny cucumbers out there, but with the lack of rain, I'm not sure how they will taste. I have been watering, but I think they prefer actual rainwater...

I know I haven't posted anything creative since I moved to Blogger...I've been working on my scrap space! It's almost clean and then I'll get busy making fun stuff again. I did just do some things for the Prism booth for CHA and a project for the Fiskars Website for July, so I'll be posting those in the weeks to come.

One more thing. Do you hang your bicycles from the ceiling in the garage?

{He is like a well-watered plant in the sunshine, spreading its shoots over the garden. Job 8:16}

because I have so much else to do.

2009-06-23T09:51:00.004-05:00

Today I have a friend coming over to help me rearrange my scrap space. There's not really anything wrong with the way it's arranged now. But when I move stuff around, it seems to give me a huge creative jump-start. And believe me, I need a huge creative jump-start.

And since I need desperately to work in my garage (gigantic wasteland of treasures that need sorting and putting away) and there are lots of clothes to fold and a little boys' room that is screaming for attention and a half-organized kitchen cabinet that wants to be finished, well, I just decided that today was a good day to attack my creative space.

In reality, even though the scrap room isn't as desperately needy as some other parts of our home, I'm not finding it conducive to creativity and if I can't be creative, I can't work. And I need to work. And I need to feel creative! So...the scrap room it is for today.

I guess I'll take pictures. I always wish I had when I'm done with something like this, although in the beginning, I always cringe at the thought of sharing my mess. Now, really, the room isn't as messy as it is just inefficient, slightly cluttered, and not creatively inspiring...

But first, I have to do something with my hair.

{Your head crowns you like Mount Carmel. Your hair is like royal tapestry; the king is held captive by its tresses. Song of Solomon 7:5}

cheap pizza night.

2009-06-22T15:01:00.003-05:00

Yes, it's Monday again, and you know what that means...it's Cheap Pizza Night! We go to the pool from about 5-7pm, then order pizzas to pick up on the way home from Papa John's. $5.99 for a large, one-topping pizza. We love Cheap Pizza Night. Sometimes it leads to Cheap Pizza Leftovers For Lunch on Tuesday.

What's the only cardstock that's better than Prism Cardstock? FREE Prism Cardstock! (Gotcha.) If you visit the Prism Blog, Prism Girl Jamie is giving away some class kits - leave a comment over there and maybe you'll win one!

It's 99 degrees at 8:00pm. It feels like mid-August, not mid-June. And still no rain in sight. I am so thankful for our air conditioning, shade trees, pool pass, and Sonic - oh, and of course, cheap pizza so I don't have to cook!

{And when the south wind blows, you say, 'It's going to be hot,' and it is. Luke 12:55}

forecast.

2009-06-21T23:48:00.004-05:00

The seven-day weather forecast for the Brazos Valley. It has been hot. It is hot. It will be hot. It is so not a dry heat. I really don't understand how the humidity can be such a factor when it hasn't rained for over 25 days. The ground is dry, but not the air. Maybe it comes from all those sweating people.

My oldest goes to Youth Camp tomorrow. She's so excited. She loves camp. We've prayed over her. Over the leaders, speakers, music. Over the friendships - the friendships she's going there with and the new ones she'll begin. We've prayed over the food and the people who will prepare it (no peanuts). I've asked God to help her to be discerning, aware, forgiving, safe, and teachable. She has packed oh-so-meticulously and painted her toenails Taffy Pink. It's going to be a great week. I'm going to miss her.

My second child was complaining of mosquito bites today. Itch, scratch. Itch, itch, scratch, scratch. Turns out she was covered in hives. The Benadryl isn't working as fast as she'd like for it to, that's for sure. She has been my only child with no allergy issues so far. We'll see.

My third and fourth children came home late this evening from a weekend at Grandma's. They got new haircuts, new legos, and Captain Crunch cereal. I'm going to hide the cereal and see if they miss it. Ick.

I had the strangest dream last night. I'd kind of like to pick it up tonight where I left off when I woke up this morning and see what was going to happen.

{He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had:..." Genesis 37:6}

happy father's day.

2009-06-21T18:14:00.004-05:00

If you have your dad still, I hope you got to love on him a little bit today. I am missing mine very much on this day. I was thinking about him, getting a little teary-eyed, and then realized it was Father's Day... I guess it makes sense.

I'd have taken him homemade chocolate chip cookies today, one container for everyone else and one just for him. He always got possessive about the cookies I made him and I finally realized he was better off not having to share! I always gave him a shirt, too. He just always liked a new shirt. No surprises, really. When he died, one of the worst moments I had in the days following was when I opened his closet to get something. Something about all his clothes organized so perfectly...

It's been quite a while since I have felt it so intensely. I really, really miss him.

And I am wearing mascara for the first time in at least a week...what timing. Oh, well, it feels strangely comforting to cry a little bit and just miss my daddy.

Hug your dad today!

{he will swallow up death forever. The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken. Isaiah 25:8}

adding stuff to the list.

2009-06-19T13:36:00.005-05:00

I have to create another post to test my divider image.

After I posted this morning, I was tempted to go back to my to-do list and add some things. You know how it makes you feel so much more accomplished when you write something on your to-do list just so you can mark it off? I wanted to add:

~~play Word Grid on Facebook for one hour~~
~~make a root beer float~~
~~change blog template~~

then I could mark those off my list and feel like I had really Done Something.

random summer.

2009-06-19T10:17:00.014-05:00

I've been frequenting Sonic this summer. I always order the same thing, a Route 44 Cherry-Lime Water With Lots of Extra Ice. (Drool.) Two days ago, someone put mango in my Cherry-Lime Water With Lots of Extra Ice. I still drank the whole thing, but I didn't love it. From now on, I'll taste my drink before I drive off into the blistering heat. Oh, and FYI, this gigantic delicious concoction is only 54 cents. You can't beat that! It does NOT qualify for the Happy Hour Half-Price discount, though, so don't go getting any ideas.

Speaking of the blistering heat, I have been to the pool every day this week. Every day. I don't really like going to the city pools, but we got a summer family pass so I'm committed. The kids love it and it feels so great to be wet when it's 100 (okay, 99) degrees outside, but I just struggle with being surrounded by so many other almost-naked people. I have trouble being in fully-clothed crowds, so a pool crowd is a huge challenge for me. The relief from the heat is definitely my motivator. We usually don't go until at least 5:00 and I have learned that at 5:00, I still need sunscreen, but at 6:00, I don't.

Outside is the lovely sound of someone mowing and weedeating and blowing grass. We normally don't pay someone to do our yard (I am happy to say that I am way too thrifty for that - that that sounds so prideful in a weird, cheap way and the reality is that we really can't afford to have our yard done so we do it ourselves - and when I say "we" and "ourselves" I mean "Doug" and "himself"), but the yard is crazy-overgrown (especially the back yard) and it's Father's Day weekend, so I grabbed the guys who were doing my neighbor's yard and begged them to squeeze us in. Happy Father's Day, Sweetie.

My to-do list is quite long today, but I am motivated and excited to get some things done. I have a shiny new stack of Sterilite baskets (I use these for everything) and my label maker is ready to print. My boys went to Grandma's for the weekend, so their room is at the top of the list! I always miss them when they are gone, but the grandparents are RVing to Alaska this summer, so this will be their last visit for a long time!

Here's the to-do list. I know you were wondering.

~~mow grass~~
boys' room (this should have a sub-to-do list attached)
CPS Blog card
~~send Basic Grey paper matches to Prism~~
~~plant ice plant clippings~~
complete phone rebate
buy stamps to mail rebate
~~grocery store~~
~~return videos to Blockbuster~~
make zucchini bread
~~vacuum gigantic hairballs from hard floors~~
mop
clean kitchen cabinet to make gift-wrap center
mail box to Tiffani
~~CVS for 88-cent Raisin Bran~~
birthday gift(s) for tomorrow's party
put mosquito sprays away
~~empty diswasher~~
~~fold laundry~~
~~bean supports in the garden~~
~~put up cucumber trellis~~
fix blow-up pool
~~clean litterbox~~
order cookie cake
cook ground beef
make lemon bars
wash cars

I am happy to say that I will be delegating as much as possible...as always. I have lots more to do, but these are my items for today and very likely tomorrow.

The mowing-weedeating-blowing sounds are gone, so I guess I can cross one thing off my list. If you know of something that should be on this list, please let me know...

{to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God. Titus 2:5}

transition.

2009-06-17T12:54:00.004-05:00

I'm working on switching back to blogger. I am thankful that Blogger extends unconditional forgiveness to those who have abandoned it for years and then come back with no real good reason for the betrayal...

I have a card up at the Prism Blog today. I like it. I don't always like what I've created, but I like this one. I used the Papertrey Ink Basic Backgrounds: Retro stamp set and a couple of others (you can see the supply list on the blog). I especially love the grid stamp from that set.

Here is a peek:

I'm off to the grocery store. It's only 91 degrees, so I'm kind of beating the heat at the moment. It will be 100 or more later this afternoon!

I think I'll take the kids to the pool this evening. I have a lot of "blogs from the pool" rolling around in my mind...let's see if I ever get them posted...

{It rises at one end of the heavens and makes its circuit to the other; nothing is hidden from its heat. Psalm 19:6}

you are invited. yes, YOU!!

2005-08-25T22:40:00.000-05:00

Please come see me at my new blog.
I would miss you if you didn't!
Just click on the title line just above(you are invited...) - it's a link :)

ever?

2005-08-23T09:52:00.000-05:00

Do you ever do this?

Do you ever shake up the bottle of orange juice and then open it and then have to do something else and then come back in a few minutes and FORGET that you have already shaken the bottle of orange juice AND opened it (although you DO have this tiny red-flag feeling that you can't quite put your finger on but you ignore it, big mistake) so you pick it up thinking "I am so glad I have a brand new bottle of Orange Juice. I love orange juice in the morning" and you shake it and orange juice goes flying everywhere because the lid was on there but open?

Yes. This morning. I did that. It did make a mess. I handled it well. I was so proud of that.

Oh, and then do you ever do this?

Do you ever take a shower at night and go to bed with wet hair and wake up looking like Moses coming off the mountain (thanks, Kelli) and think "who cares? I'm not going anywhere" and then your sweet husband calls and says he's going to be late and can you meet him at the mall to take the girls to ballet and so then you go to town looking like a homeless person?

I really need more self discipline. I need to make myself look presentable in the morning even if no one but my kids are going to see me all day.

No picture today. Sorry.

Make sure you got clean underwear, she always said, in case you get in an accident & I always figured that'd be the least of my worries, but now I'm older & I see there's a lot you can't control & some you can control & clean underwear is one of those you can. For the most part.
B. Andreas

priorities.

2005-08-22T14:43:00.000-05:00

With all that I have to do, please don't ask me why I decided to reorganize all of my ribbon.

It does look pretty, though, doesn't it?

I think my sweet husband is a little overwhelmed by this display of ribbon. I kind of don't blame him. The problem is, if I can't see it, it may as well be gone. It's just the way I am.

And it makes me smile.

I don't know who that guy is on TV. Almost all I watch is the Food channel and he doesn't look like he's cooking...life is so full of mysteries...

The Lord is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made.
Psalms 145:13

18 words.

2005-08-22T12:41:00.000-05:00

"Go sit on the couch and see if you see anything disgusting that we can do something about."

Eighteen words. One of those sentences I never ever thought I'd say to my child.

A sweet friend called the other morning to say that she was bringing me lunch. She wanted to visit me and get caught up on life. Yay!

But even at it's cleanest, this house is a horror. Boo!

So we did some picking up and stashing....and then the sentence. Because, truly, there are some things here that we just cannot do anything about.

Except leave. And one sweet day, we will do just that. Yay.

I have told you these things,
so that you may have peace.
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart!
I have overcome the world.
John 16:33

open wide your mouth.

2005-08-17T19:06:00.000-05:00

Yesterday at the park we had an ice-cream party with the 4-H group. I really didn't want to go....foot still hurts.

But THEN I thought - pictures! A photo opportunity changes everything. Sore ankle and all I packed up the kids, drove through Mc Donald's (yuk), and met Doug at the park and had an afternoon of 4-H kids and pictures.

In other news, I started physical therapy today. Ouch. For 30 minutes I had a person making me do all the things I have tried NOT to do for the last 10 days. Point, flex, turn in, turn out, push, pull. Now it's really sore, but it will probably be uphill from here.

Oh, and by the way, all the other people at the PT place? In shape. Rehabilitating from sports-related injuries. Fit. Strong. Skinny. Not making faces in pain, even though something probably does hurt. And then there's me...a slug. Making faces as a skinny person named Mimi tortures me by making me point my toes. Yes, my injury is also sports-related BUT the sport was 27 years ago when I was also fit, strong, and skinny. Next time I will at least have all of my kids so I can say, "All this fat - a badge of honor - from having 4 babies."

Who am I kidding? I have got to get this weight off. I've had my last baby. My last near-100-pound weight gain. I've gotta get moving.

After the physical therapy is over.

I am the Lord your God,
who brought you up out of Egypt.
Open with your mouth and I will fill it.
Psalm 81:10

trouble.

2005-08-14T18:36:00.000-05:00

In the Kingman kitchen.
Cody: Daddy, what are you making?
Daddy: I'm making trouble. :)
Cody: Ewwww! I don't eat trouble!
Smart boy.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:34

got that foot up.

2005-08-11T14:43:00.000-05:00

For the last 10 years I have not:
ice skated
roller skated
snow skiied
bungee jumped
sky dived
you get the picture.

I avoid stuff that has obvious potentially painful consequences. Whenever something like that comes up I say "no, thanks" because I don't want to end up on crutches or paralyzed with 4 kids.

Not really much of a sacrifice because I'm a big chicken and no daredevil. I'd say no to driving over bridges, too. But then I'd never get home again.

So how is it that my kids are running wild while I keep my foot elevated and my crutches nearby?

Twenty-seven years ago I had an horseback riding accident and now I am dealing with it again. Surgery this week because when I was twelve years old, I didn't plan ahead to having four kids at home.....some things cannot be prevented, I guess.

Nothing funny here today. Just a fat foot and a Mama who is doing the bare minimum to keep little people alive and nourished until her foot heals.

And maybe a little scrapping.

Many are the plans in a man's heart,
but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails.
Proverbs 19:21

**Edited To Add** I wrote a semi-poem about it.
I don't usually share my poems,
you'll see why.

MY SWELLING ANKLE
I can actually feel it getting fatter.
swell
swell
swell
it tingles
fluid going in
not coming out
the bandaids get tighter
totally conflicted with whether to do mom stuff
or keep it up.
so I do both and it swells

you really CAN use too much baking soda.

2005-08-05T19:40:00.000-05:00

Need I say more?
Wah.
My cake.
My big surprise that only Jolie knew about and boy was she so excited to keep that secret from everyone else until after dinner.
It FLOODED out of the cake pan and into the oven.
Twice the baking soda does not = twice the fun.

I figured out what I did.
I was doubling my 1/2 teaspoon measure (in my mind).
But I actually doubled the ONE teaspoon.
Amazing stuff, that baking soda.

I'd rather move than clean all that out of the oven.
(But I'd just like to move anyway, so that's not anything new...)
Ugh. I was gonna make some other stuff in the oven after it came out!
Wah again.

Friday nights used to be so different.

He must become greater; I must become less. John 3:30

too busy to be famous.

2005-08-05T09:55:00.000-05:00

Again, I have decided not to enter a contest that I would surely win if I just took the time to prepare an entry.

Okay, first. I am kidding about saying I would surely win. But surely you already knew that. Surely.

Second, this isn't the first time that I have realized that if I am to busy to prepare even a quick entry, I am too busy to be "famous" if I won. So MMM will have one less stellar entry in their stack of wannabe Masters.

I am conflicted about this because it's more fun on call day if I have entered...except for the time I entered the Mara-mi album contest and they had NINE COUNT 'EM NINE prizes and I still got ignored....that wasn't very exciting...but I digress. (Isn't this whole thing basically a big digression?)

I do plan to enter the Chatterbox contest. I love their papers and I love to do meaningful writing. (Yes, I realize that my desire to write meaningfully isn't just super obvious today, but trust me on this one.)

{an aside} It seems I am feeling quite parenthetical today.

So, anyway, no MMM for me.

Today's verse reminds me of that very beautiful song, "Held." It is one that was sent to me this week as an encouragement. Thanks, Holly!!

So don't worry, beacuse I am with you. Don't be afraid, because I am
your God. I will make you strong and will help you; I will support you
with my right hand that saves you.

Isaiah 41:10

in case.

2005-07-31T22:14:00.000-05:00

Just in case I am missed.....
tomorrow's Monday
the first day of the crazy week I have been
afraid of.
in the morning we will go to the LSS to teach the last Kid's Camp class
(I think I may have to take my little boys, hmmmm....)
and
Finish Darby's 4-H projects (not MY projects, but stressful just the same)
Meet with anesthesioligist for next week's surgery (I tried to do this over the phone...no go)
VBS in the evening
Wah.
Baby's crying.
Goodnight, tiny blog audience.
Sleep tight.

I don't have time to look up a verse - maybe you could give me one just this time :)

my kitchen window garden.

2005-07-28T14:37:00.000-05:00

Today I shined my sink. Hot soapy water & bleach, then dried it and buffed it to a shine. It smells wonderful. It looks beautiful. It makes me happy. I'm easy.

Then I started my kitchen window garden. I didn't plan it or anything, it just sort of "happened." I like when things like that "just happen" because the perfectionist in me doesn't usually realize what's going on until it's all over.

All I was going to do was cut some sunflowers from outside. Perfect timing because the gladiolas are just done blooming for the year.

Then Jolie and Cody brought me some of those pink and purple flowers (I forget what they are - wonderful perennials that require no maintenance at all) and a few marigolds (the marigolds I planted to deter rabbits from my garden before the little rabbit family took up permanent residence there).

Darby picked me some purple clover on her way to mail Kelli's "David" LO (do photo swaps usually take this long? I'm guessing they don't - sorry!). BTW, the purple clover means someone needs to mow, but whatever....no complaints here, I'm just glad things are growing again after the drought.

There are a couple of leftover gladiolas up there, too.

All of this in my kitchen window in my special little bottles. Unplanned and completely imperfect.

Makes me happy. :)

"I will plant Israel in their own land,
never again to be uprooted
from the land I have given them,"
says the Lord your God.
Amos 9:15

naptime.

2005-07-26T11:01:00.000-05:00

I just put Corey down for a nap.
He gets so disappointed - heartbroken? - when I do that.
Like I have rejected him
completely.
The sadness usually only lasts a minute or so.

And I thought...
wouldn't it be cool
if someone carried me to my safe,
clean,
comfy bed
and lay me down
and whispered night-night...
and then they quietly left me to rest for just a little while
in a cool,
familiar
room?
That person might whisper
to another person
on the way out
that they hope I fall right to sleep
and have a good nap.
And if I didn't go right to sleep,
if I cried and fought the sleep that I needed,
that person would hold me
for a few minutes
and kiss me and
rock me in the special
brown chair
next to my bed.
And I would feel so loved
and comforted and safe...
and sleepy...
and I would rest.

What if someone did this for me?

It would be lovely.

Jesus tells me to rest in Him.
Better even than just physically being comforted,
I can lay my burdens
and
failures
and
frustrations
on Him and he will make my load
easier.
He comforts my soul.

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Matthew 11:28-30

avoid the chatter.

2005-07-25T23:21:00.000-05:00

I've been thinking about this lately. And then here's this verse. It speaks a lot to me because I believe that the bible is absolutely true. Those who don't share my belief, well, this wouldn't mean much to them. Okay.

I have been really using that "ignore" button on the Two Peas message board lately. Whoever thought of that is a pretty smart pea. :)

Avoid godless chatter,
because those who indulge in it
will become more and more ungodly.
2 Timothy 2:16

a good sign.

2005-07-23T12:06:00.000-05:00

Inside out underwear.

This is a good sign that Cody has obeyed me when I asked him to please try to go potty even though he preferred to wait ("I already went today. Not now, Mama.").

Right now it's inside out. Underwear worn backwards is also a good sign.

May the words of my mouth and
the meditation of my heart
be pleasing in your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
Psalms 19:14

48-plus hours.

2005-07-13T22:55:00.000-05:00

It's not all that long if you think about it that way. I'm going to be gone for just a little over 48 hours. And I'm supposed to have fun. I am planning to have fun. I will try to have fun. Fun.

But I am Mama and Mama is supposed to be closer to her babies than 3 hours away. Okay, so that doesn't even sound all that far. Three hours. Not far.

So, I'm not going to be gone very long and it's not that far away. What's the big deal then? Well, something tears at my heart to think of leaving. To think that someone might need me. Or I might need them. Or I might need Doug. He's the only person on this planet that understands me. What if I am misunderstood?

And then there's the whole safety thing. What if something happens to someone while I'm gone? Or what if something happens to me? It turns my stomach to think of my kids growing up without me....

One time a very wise friend reminded me that God is just as much in control of my life whether I am on the ground or in the air (the fear of bridges thing). My being in control is an illusion. Whether I am in Chicago at CHA or here in our little house out in the corn, God is taking care of my family and me.

I will not forget you!
See, I have engraved you
on the palms of my hands...
Isaiah 49:15-16

mama, these are my favorite worms.

2005-07-03T19:19:00.000-05:00

So far, since we've been back from our Texas trip, we've found 3 baby bunnies, 2 frogs (toads?), and 4 huge, juicy earthworms. These were Cody's favorite worms. "Mama, these are my favorite worms." Actually there are many, many worms beneath the surface of our garden, but these four are by far the healthiest. Can you believe we didn't name them?

And one more garden note: My garden is pitiful, but looking better. The weeds are still looking like they are winning, but they are not. Today Doug came out and weeded it with me. He said that most people would view it as a lost cause and plow it under. But he loves me and he knows how important my "garden rescue" is to me, so he helped.

Pulling weeds. And more weeds.

Locating the surviving vegetable plants and carefully working around them.

Killing bugs.

And gently covering up those baby bunnies who are living in a nest in my gladiolas. I have a fence to keep rabbits OUT of my garden. And a sweet little nest made of rabbit fur and carefully chosen pieces of other fluff inside my garden that houses three little baby rabbits...and I am assuming a mama rabbit as well.

Why does it make feel so good to know that the mama feels that her babies are safe there? I love that she chose my garden.

It feels very sweet.

He tends his flock like a shepherd:
He gathers the lambs in his arms
and carries them close to his heart;
he gently leads those that have young.
Isaiah 40:11

summer stuff.

2005-07-01T09:45:00.000-05:00

Last night, we had a frontal something-or-other that brought a slight drop in temperatures and dry air. It was awesome. We took a quilt and sat out in a cool breeze while the kids caught lightning bugs and chased the dog while Corey screamed at all of it and thought he was playing, too.

This morning Jolie found a big bird's nest on the ground. What a treasure! She is really proud of it. One might think she made it. But, no. I hope no one was planning to lay eggs in it...because it's inside now.

Then {the icing on the beautiful-like-it's-supposed-to-be-in-Illinois-summer-at-last cake} Jolie and Cody brought me flowers from outside. They are beautiful and add so much sweetness to my kitchen and my day. I put them in water in some of my pretty little bottles that I have just for flowers like this. I find the bottles at garage sales and thrift stores - old glass pharmacy bottles, mostly. Just so pretty.

I'm exhausted. Just so lacking in sleep. But so appreciating summer today. I think I'll go water my garden.

The LORD will guide you always;
he will satisfy your needs in a sun-scorched land
and will strengthen your frame.
You will be like a well-watered garden,
like a spring whose waters never fail.
ISAIAH 58:11

oooooooh.........Dora underwear.

2005-06-30T12:01:00.000-05:00

Cody is officially potty training. I just got tired of him having a raw little bottom because he wouldn't tell me he was poopy. (I don't know why I couldn't smell it - that's a scary thought on its own.)

So. No more diapers.

Yesterday we went through all of his Bob the Builder underwear pretty quick. Just little dribbles before he figured out it was time to "go."

So we went to Toys R Us. All the cute underwear ends in 4T. Wiggles. Elmo. Blue's Clues. None of them in size 6. He's not into the superheroes much. He doesn't yet know who Batman is or that Teen-something guy. So we are looking looking looking....

He happens to turn around and THERE it is.

"Ooooooooooh........DORA underwear." His whole face lights up. He sees Dora, Cinderella, Barney, more Wiggles. All girl's undies. Panties.

Poor kid. He just doesn't understand that stuff yet. He just knows their friendly faces.

We bought Wiggles, Elmo, Matchbox firetruck, and Nemo all in 4T. They'll probably fit for a week. And we got the Incredibles and plain white in a size 6. Lots of boy underwear.

And a soft Dora potty seat.

Dear children, let us not love
with words or tongue
but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18

i am visual.

2005-06-29T09:43:00.000-05:00

I am so affected by what I can see. Clutter drives me crazy. I can't think clearly when there are piles or messes around me. So I am usually not thinking clearly because I can't seem to control the clutter.

And here's the weird part - the part that sinks my Good Ship Lollipop on a daily basis. If I can't see something, it's kinda not there. I know, most people grow out of this when they are about 9 months old. If I can't see it, it's gone. I just have this fear of forgetting about things.....so I leave them out where I can see them. That creates clutter.

It's a vicious cycle.

So I'm working on it in a couple of different ways. I'm decluttering as much as possible. Clean lines, no extra decorative stuff sitting around. Just fresh flowers, some plants, my kids art. That way, all the stuff cluttering up my visual space is fair game for being either put away or thrown away. The other thing is that I am still working on storing everything (I mean everything) in clear, labeled storage - one deep. So when I open my closets and cabinets, I can see everything I own.

And, honestly, don't we own so much more than we need?

Over the last two years, I have really enjoyed minimizing the amount of "stuff" that we own (with the amazing help of the Flylady). It has made a gigantic, immeasurable difference in my quality of life. This definitely benefits every member of the family. (Cuz you know if Mama's happy...)

My scrap room is a bit of an exception to my "minimizing" strategy, but I'm getting there.

The wise woman builds her house,
but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.
PROVERBS 14:1

since you asked.

2005-06-28T12:15:00.000-05:00

My friend Mar asked me if I had eaten anything from my garden yet.

We've had broccoli (although most of it went to flowers while we were in TX. It's just too hot for broccoli.), baby carrots (because I am having to weed around the carrots and the weeds are so big that they are pulling up the carrots.) that are so yummy, lettuce (another cool weather crop not liking the heat), and a yummy little zucchini.

Fresh vegetables from the garden just taste SO GOOD.

I have more zucchini coming and squash blossoms, green tomatoes waiting to be ripe, and different varieties of peppers. I never got my beans in, I might still try to plant some this week.

The gladiolas are looking happy. They will probably bloom in a week or so. I think I lost my zinnias and my cosmos and most of my sunflowers during the late freezes we had (hard to image a freeze at the moment).

Things I wish I had planted:
cantaloupe (never have luck with them, but I still wish I'd have tried again)
more flowers
cucumbers (I have the seeds, what happened?)
peanut M&M's (just because I want some)

The two-week trip we took, the lack of rain, the intense heat, the weeds, the Japanese Beetles, and the rust - all of this is "bad company" for my garden. But I am working on it, cleaning it up, weeding, and replanting.

Whatever I get from my garden is still a harvest.

Do not be mislead: "Bad company corrupts good character." 1 Corinthians 15:33

in my garden today.

2005-06-27T23:07:00.000-05:00

The weeding is about 74% done. Amazing how fast the weeds grew while I was gone to TX for two weeks. I have had to water like crazy just to get the ground soft enough to do the weeding.

There is a frog (toad?) named Timothy in the garden. The kids name critters immediately upon finding them, always biblical names. So Timothy is the frog in the garden. I think he likes being found. We saw him yesterday too.

I hope Timothy likes Japanese Beetles. They always arrive in the last week of June. And they have just arrived. How do they know? They eat fast. Except for my sunflowers, they seem to be attracted to the weeds more than anything else. Well, they like the broccoli, too, but it's history now.

We also found a lot of worms today. ("These are my favorite worms, Mama." says Cody.) Big, huge, thick earthworms. But here's the yuk: the earthworms came out while I was watering and then they died in the heat. This attracted a lot of flies. Ick.

I pulled the broccoli (7 plants) out because it was gigantic, like scary movie gigantic. And because it had rust. I figured it wasn't going to get better, so out it went. I think I'll put some pumpkins in there.

Nobody came in with me from the garden today. Yesterday, I had two lightning bugs in my shirt when I came in. (Tickle, tickle. I don't like bugs, but these are very nice. You don't want to hurt them because they made these pretty little lights at night.) The day before that - a daddy long-legs perched right on my shoulder when I got inside. Like a really goofy spider-loving pirate. But I didn't find anything on me today.

But I did find a size 10 (little boy size 10) trail of muddy footprints through my house because after Cody said goodbye to Timothy and the worms, he came inside and played dollhouse. I know EXACTLY where he went, there's mud everywhere.

I love my garden. It's in pitiful shape. The weeds, drought, beetles, rust, slime (on the lettuce since I watered - total yuk), etc make it a lot of work, but the process is rewarding (I love to think while I work out there and I tend to get to do it alone) and the harvest, however small it might be, is so worth it.

I plant the seed, but God makes it grow.

He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. ISAIAH 53:2

another find. it rocks!

2005-06-25T16:18:00.000-05:00

I did it again. I don't think Doug gets excited about my "finds" like I do. He just doesn't like the "process."

Driving down a neighborhood street yesterday, I saw a pretty and quite comfortable-looking rocking chair on the curb for you guessed it - the trash!

It's in my sun room now. And I love the way it rocks.

It's not my first curb-side rescue. I have some Radio Flyer wagons that I have gotten from the trash piles in various towns and neighborhoods. I use them for pretty little container gardens - they are absolutely charming. (One time I saw one full of weeds, dead plants, and branches out on the curb and I just happened to think of actually asking the person who lived there if I could have it instead of just hauling it off like I usually do. Good thing I asked! She used it to put her yard waste out but she didn't actually want the city garbage collection people to take the wagon! Or me. She was very nice, though, and I think she decided not to use it for trash pick-up any more.))

I also picked up some white wicker furniture for my porch. My quilts look so pretty on it. Geraniums go perfectly with white wicker.

Let's see....got a gigantic picture frame. Haven't used it yet. I'm thinking it's one of those you put on a shelf or the mantle with no picture in it.

I have also gotten a Little Tykes workshop toolbench thing and some wonderfully huge Boston ferns that lived happily in my home for about TWO YEARS.

One person's trash certainly is another person's treasure.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

worse than not winning.

2005-06-23T13:32:00.000-05:00

I just found out. Truly I did NOT know this before yesterday: Not winning an honorable mention in a contest is *WORSE* than not winning the contest itself.

What a surprise.

At least to me it was a surprise.

When I went to the Melissa Frances website to see if they had finally named the HM's....they had. And I wasn't one of them. What did I expect? Well, I think what I expected was that I didn't win the contest because although they just adored my entry, they couldn't choose 4 winners and I was the next in line. Truly, I think I was subconsciously believing that all along. And then when the HM's were named, that little bubble was popped!

So unless I want to pretend that I was the next HM in line, we all have to agree (even me) that they just weren't as excited about my entry as I was.

Imagine that.

Oh, well. On to the next.

Today's verse is brought to you courtesy of my sweet Darby:
Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.
Colossians 3:2

the mighty mississip. a real-time blog. (that means I am blogging this as it is occurring.)

2005-06-20T21:40:00.000-05:00

Crossing from Illinois into Missouri we go over the Mississippi River. {165 miles to Memphis.} I hate hate hate bridges. My feet sweat and I expect the whole thing to collapse, dumping my family and me into the muddy, warm, snake-infested river. Traffic has actually – no kidding here, it wouldn’t be funny anyway – STOPPED. ON THE BRIDGE THE TRAFFIC HAS STOPPED. The guy two vehicles in front of us has gotten OUT of his truck.

Mentally, I am FREAKING OUT. Feet are sweating PROFUSELY, heart pounding. On the outside I am a pillar of strength so as to not upset my kids. They have no idea how hard this is for me.

I am considering getting out of the suburban and walking to the end of the bridge. ANYTHING to get off of this bridge.

Truly, I cannot believe this is happening. Don’t these people know how bad it is to just DRIVE over this bridge? Stopping, putting our cars in PARK…completely insane.

Completely insane…that’s what I am going to be if this line doesn’t get moving off this freakin bridge.

The other side of the bridge is not stopped. So 18-wheelers drive by and make the bridge shake. Icing on the having-a-nightmare cake.

Minutes pass. Huck Finn rafted on this river, didn’t he? It continues to flow beneath me…as it has for years and years. It’s old and it laughs at me in my moment of fear.

We’re moving again. It could have been worse.

We didn’t even get wet.

I lift my eyes up to the hills-
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord,
Maker of heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2

always there.

2005-06-20T21:36:00.000-05:00

Driving through southern Illinois. The hills and trees are beautiful and I wonder why I am surprised to see it. We drive to Texas a lot. {Maybe we should move there.} Doug says that we usually drive through this area at night and I think, “Of course.” So this beautiful area was always there, just covered by darkness.

I think of how there is a certain amount of darkness {even amidst incredible blessing and beauty} in my life these days: my weight struggle, our uncertainty with Doug’s job, the house I live in and hate, serious health issues with our parents.

Am I missing something beautiful under the cover of darkness?

You. O Lord, keep my lamp burning, my God turns my darkness into light.
Psalm 18:28

is that a person? part 2

2005-06-14T22:17:00.000-05:00

Just FYI:
I am not a vegetarian,
but Jolie sort of had a good point.
Yuk on picking meat off of bones
that look like people-body and eating it.
The ribs smelled amazingly good,
but I couldn't bring myself to eat them.

If you keep biting and devouring each other,
watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.
Galatians 5:15

is that a person?

2005-06-14T15:39:00.000-05:00

Jolie turned seven last week, but she's still pretty naive. I'm so glad about that.

Doug smoked some ribs outside in the smoker-cooker-pit thing for us. They brought them in for lunch. Jolie looks at them and says, "Is that a person?" Because of course we have charts of the human skeletal system on the wall at home (good homeschooling family that we are) so she has seen human ribs in a picture.

I can't get her to tell me whose ribs she thought they might be, though.

You will keep him in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Isaiah 26:3

that ellen keller was cool.

2005-06-06T22:21:00.000-05:00

Jolie has just read a book about Hellen Keller. She said, "That Ellen Keller was cool."

I love that she is reading.

I love that she loves it.

And I really love when she makes old things new again to me because she has just discovered them. Like the story of Hellen Keller.

And like this joke: Why did the boy take a ladder to school? Because he wanted to go to HIGH SCHOOL!!! (Giggle, cackle, oh, she's so funny)

Not a new joke. But new and VERY funny to her.

Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things. Philippians 4:8

kittens in my mouth.

2005-06-05T21:39:00.000-05:00

Sarah keeps moving her babies. They are 2 weeks old, little meow-y furballs. We had them and their mama in the laundry room, but if we left the door open, she'd sneak through the house with a kitten in her mouth and take them to Doug's closet.

I don't know why the laundry room wasn't good enough. Too busy? Too hot? Too loud? Just not what she had in mind? Sarah herself may not even know why she's so determined to move the kittens, but she definitely is determined.

So now she and her babies are under a table in my scraproom (I'm trying to think of it as my *studio*). The TV's on, kids in and out, sewing machine, crawling baby, etc. But she seems so satisfied and of course her kitties don't care.

Watching her moving those kittens over and over made me think of myself. I know I don't want to live right here. But where to go? I am not really sure, but I do want to move. So I'm kind of like Sarah, sneaking around with kittens in my mouth, knowing I want out of this particular place, but not really knowing where to go.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Colossians 3:15

hothothot.

2005-06-01T20:01:00.000-05:00

We are going to Texas. Visiting. In June. Not the best time to visit Texas.

I know.

I'm from Texas.

It's gonna be hot. And even though I know it's going to be hot, I will still be surprised because you can't remember that kind of hot.

When I say I will be surprised, I don't mean, "Oh, what a nice surprise! It's hot here." I mean, "$#@*! It's so hot! How could it be this hot? How can people stay alive in this heat??" THAT kind of surprised.

Because that kind of hot is like severe pain. You can remember it happened, but not what it actually felt like.

Just some random summer vacation thoughts...

one week.

2005-05-31T18:10:00.000-05:00

One week from today, we will be on the road again. Before that I will have somehow caught up on the laundry, finished my MIL's birthday album, finished my Kidz Kamp album, taught a class at LSS, packed for 6 people to be gone for 2 weeks, had my hair cut and colored, and I am sure there is more. All this is in addition to "regular life."

I have asked my kids to wear the same clothes every day this week, not including underwear. I am not kidding. I have never done this, but they wear clothes faster than I can launder them! The kids help a lot with the laundry...but still...I am desperate.

I am going to experiment with including a picture in this blog. I took this picture of Jolie a few weeks ago. I love the light, but it was very windy!

Drink water.

going home.

2005-05-27T21:31:00.000-05:00

I so want to go home. I'm not sure where home is anymore, though. There's a little problem for me.

When we moved "up north" from Texas to Indiana and then to Illinois, I cried for two years. Off and on, more "on" at first, then less and less. I asked God to change my heart, to help me to be content where he put me. That was so hard to ask for. I wanted to be homesick. I wanted to go home, I didn't want to be happy here. I clung to my misery for a long time.

Then I came to a place where I began to see God's hand in this unexpected location, this life I had never planned, this midwestern existence. I became accepting, then even content. I said so often, even when Doug still wanted to go back to Texas. I could see many reasons why God might want us to stay here.

So today we have been "gone" for almost seven years. A long time! And now we have a job opportunity in Texas. This has stirred up some of those homesick feelings. I am pretty sure that I want Doug to get this job. It won't be easy living in Texas again, but I want to go home. But is Texas "home" anymore? It will be different. Nothing stays the same. And I am not the same. In a way, I think I have become "homeless" in my heart.

When I was in grad school, I used to have this t-shirt that said:
This world is not my home
Although it seems to be.
My home is with my God,
in the place he's made for me.
He's coming back real soon,
the signs are very clear.
So when that trumpet sounds,
I'll be outta here!
(Yes, ALL of that was on the back of my shirt.)

This "homelessness" of my heart has made me think more about my heavenly home...my eternal home. This world is so temporary. I guess God really has changed my heart.

I asked for it.

sliver.

2005-05-25T10:38:00.000-05:00

Here's more of a sliver than a slice:

Me: working on a project for summer scrap classes at LSS (all new Doodlebug Papers, I could eat it, it's so yummy)

Darby: Delightfully self-directed homeschooler doing her work (Language now), planning to try the coffeecake recipe that went awry yesterday (tasted delicious, looked suspicious)

Corey: Clinging, fussing, sucking fingers constantly, arching his back, holding my hair...very different for him. I do see a tooth emerging as we speak, could that be it? On our way to the Tylenol.

Cody: Outside :)

Jolie: Outside :)

Doug: Going to Wrigley field today for the first time to watch the Cubs play the Astros. (Yep, Houston Astros!!) Cool for him. And on a chartered bus, no driving! He has been told that buying a $7 hot dog and going to the men's room are not to be missed if he wants to experience Wrigley field in its historic entirety. (??????)

Ballet today. Scrapbooking. Watered the garden. Laundry. Laundry. Laundry. Ho-hum. Life is so comfy sometimes.

Come and see what God has done, how awesome his works in man's behalf! Psalm 66:5

cheerleader tryouts.

2005-05-24T09:38:00.000-05:00

7th grade. Me and Mandy Peck. We were a team for cheerleader tryouts at George Junior High.

Our cheer, "Faaaaaan-tas-tic, That's right! Our team is Dy-no-MITE! Fannnnnnn-tas-tic, that's right!" Stupid cheer. I can't believe I can still remember it. I think the humiliation of that whole experience burned the words of that cheer into my brain. The humiliation being that I did a cartwheel and my shirt wasn't quite tucked in......you'd think that would have gotten me a few more votes.

I didn't make it and I am not SURE, but I don't think Mandy did either. She WAS voted Most Beautiful every single school year up until Senior year, though.

My efforts at entering these scrapbooking contests....not EXACTLY the same, but it does stir up memories of cheerleader tryouts.

I'll keep my shirt tucked in.

Don't throw the goldfish away. That's dangerous.

2005-05-23T21:55:00.000-05:00

Kids say the cutest things, don't they?

FYI: We are talking about goldfish crackers here, for all you animal rights activists...