Romans 12:1-2

So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you. Romans 12:1-2

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Spring

The first front flower bed bloom of Spring.

I've always been a "Fall" girl, it's still one of my favorites (the crispness, the tastes, sometimes the dampness, always the sweatshirts, decorations, and the beauty of the fall foliage).  I've loved the beauty of the past few springs though and am considering being a "Spring" AND a "Fall" girl.  (Note:  although somewhat manageable for now, I still suffer terribly from spring allergies.  Come to think of it, I do in the fall also.  I guess all the wonderful things of both seasons outweigh the yuck.)

Spring has come quite early this year.  I talked to my 80 year old uncle this morning and he said "Everything is a month early."  My 85 year old great uncle said he didn't ever remember it being this early.  Even now as I write, I can hear the distant hum of mowers all around the neighborhood.

When I went to Dad's to mow this morning I expected to see the redbud tree in bloom.  It wasn't.  I was so disappointed and even thought it was dead.  As I got closer, I noticed it wasn't dead, but had tiny green leaves everywhere.  I had just missed the blooms.  The lilacs there are blooming and even some of the irises.

What about you this spring?  Is there something "dead" in your life that you need to get closer to to notice that you've just been too busy or not close enough to notice buds, blooms, and new growth?

Have you taken the time lately to talk to an older person?  In addition to talking to these uncles today, yesterday I visited with some older ladies from church.  One is a caregiver and she was so pleased that "young people" (I didn't tell here that I'm approaching mid-life and don't exactly consider myself "young") were working in the church. The other one is 90, in a nursing home and told M & L that she hoped they lived to be 90.  I'm so glad I took the time to talk to these people.

I think most older people appreciate each bloom of Spring.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Flashback Friday - March 30

I was looking at the Kentucky pictures I scanned and am not quite sure the order I want to use them for "Flashback".  We were only there for 11 months - the resident program for Hubby's doctorate.  I call this my "year of jubilee".  I did not work (except for a brief stint selling coffee/hot drinks at a mall kiosk at Christmas), we had no ministry responsibilities, and we lived in a townhouse complex where all the other participants in Hubby's program lived.  We all shared a huge yard where all the kids played - there were 19 kids ranging in ages newborn - 14 years old.
It was a fabulous experience!  It was an experience for which I will forever be grateful.  From our townhouse complex we could walk "downtown" to the bank, store, Subway, pharmacy, Dr.'s office, hair salon, where Kindermusick met, Bible Study and the Bookmobile (when it was there).  Next door to the complex was the city park.  I know the boys won't remember much, but I absolutely loved living in a small town and it was perfect for us for ages 1-2 for L and ages 3-4 for M.  I can't say Hubby is a small town kind of guy though.  30,000 now is on the small side for him.

In the following picture the boys were wrestling with Hubby. (And yes, that actually is all my white laundry waiting to be folded). Lovely pink carpet, hu?  It's beautiful when that's what is provided for you.  Much of our inside playtime here was spent in the living room.  Although I was opposed to letting the boys walk on furniture, I gave up in the winter, moved the huge coffee table in front of the window and let them stand on it to watch nothing out the window.  (The couch and chair was still off limits for standing or walking.)


There were many items we didn't bring with us to KY - one was the car rug - so I drew one with Sharpie on the back of our front door rug (M does remember that!) That was at the height of "car"love for M. (You can see the Little People garage, one of our most used toys, in the background of the photo). One day a friend gave me several Hot Wheels of her son's that she had gone through. I went to a meeting that night and when I returned home, there was a bag hanging on the door with each car that "belonged to ________ ". M insisted we return them. Cars were serious business!

The unnamed friend mentioned deserves more info. here.  He was definitely M's first best friend.  They spent hours playing together - his house, our house, outside, playing: cars, trains, "people", digging, throwing, eating, watching videos and all the other things that boys do.  Oh, and dress up - sometimes in hilarious things and not necessarily in "dress-up clothes", just in whatever they happened to have in the drawer.  My most favorite memories are of them dressing up as cowboys.  My other favorite memory is:  One day when many of the kids and moms were outside, some girls were playing Barbie on one of the porches.  They were getting the dolls ready for a party, etc.  A while later, the girls had abandoned the Barbies and were off to something else.  I walked by and the boys were on the same porch playing some kind of cops and robbers game.  They had all the Barbies in jail!

Kentucky is where M. went mobile. My dad bought M. a small bike before we went there and he learned to maneuver it well around all the sidewalks on campus. Aunt brought him his first rollerblades for his fourth birthday.

The pharmacy in town had a soda fountain. How cool is that?

I'm not sure we ever actually had soda there - usually Dr. Pepper or a shake.  We had many, many fun times in KY - more memories to be shared later....

Monday, March 26, 2012

A Perfect Pet for Peyton

**If you'd like to win a copy of this book, leave me a message (make sure however you leave comments includes a way to contact you!) of what you think your love language is and why or that you don't know, but you checked out one of the sites listed at the end of this post!  I will have random.org select a winner around noon this Friday, March 30)**

A Perfect Pet for Peyton is a perfect book for children of all ages.  I read it to my boys and they are ages 10 and 12!

 "This wonderfully imaginative children’s hardcover book by bestselling authors Gary Chapman and Rick Osborne, featuring four-color illustrations (with hidden details!) by Wilson Williams, Jr., will help children learn the importance of love. Based on Gary’s highly successful The 5 Love Languages®, A Perfect Pet for Peyton tells an entertaining and playful story of five children who each, with the help of Mr. Chapman and the unique pets at his special emporium, discover their own personal love language."

I had been explaining love languages to my children and I’m so thankful for this book because it did a much better job than I could and it was done in a way they could understand!

Now here’s why I think it’s the  perfect book for kids:

It’s about animals.  I think books about animals are a “win” because most children naturally enjoy animals.  Even though the story line is about pets, a variety of animals is represented in the book.  It’s great to get kids thinking about animals besides the typical dog and cat.  Also, since so many are represented, the book will appeal to kids who are really “in” to reptiles, aquatic, barnyard, and big game animals.  It even mentions a dinosaur!

The hidden details.  Every page has an activity for kids to do.  My 10 year old even enjoyed this part!  Kids who are fidgety could do this while a parent reads or a child too young to hear the book word for word would still enjoy the game of it (and the story too).

Clues in the story.  The story is written brilliantly that a perceptive older child or super sleuth would figure out the perfect pet for each child.  It’s okay for those who might not know it by the end, because Mr. Chapman (the owner of the pet emporium) reviews the clues.

It’s visually appealing.  The colors are beautiful.  Fun details and expressions are included.  Even words on the page are highlighted in color.

Rich vocabulary.  As parents it is so important to use correct words AND to talk about meaning.  Often we take for granted that children understand the words we do, when really they don’t.  You don’t have to drill vocab. with every reading, but with each reading talk about a few when it fits naturally.  Great verbs like “thrilled”, “clattered”, “exchanged”, and “twirled” are used.

It contains a “gross-out” factor to delight boys.  No details, you’ll have to read A Perfect Pet for Peyton to find out.

I’m sure you’ll find your own reasons to love this book.  Even though my children are older, I’m definitely hanging on to it.  I’ll be using “The Five Love Language Quiz for Kids” at the back of the book to help my children have further understanding of how they receive and give love.  What a wonderful life skill for them to have!


“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one of the products mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it on my blog.  Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers.  I am disclosing this in accordance with the FTC's 16 CFR, Part 256 'Gudes Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.'"

Sunday, March 25, 2012

On The Home Front - March 25

A peek through my window…. It’s dark.  Our yard is trying to dry up from four straight days of rain.  As would be expected everything is greening up nicely from the rain though.

What’s going on this week… Family arriving from out of town for the weekend.

What “the boys” are doing… sleeping.  Big weekend for all.  L was happy to crawl into his own bed after camping two nights with Scouts.  M. is recovering from an infection.

On my mind…  Getting back to regular routine, keeping up with responsibilities, preparing for a month of birthday celebrations.

On my bedside table… the April/May issue of Country magazine.  I was reading it last night before falling asleep.

I am richly blessed… with a day of hard work with family prepping a house for painting and a good evening out with friends.  I’m blessed with a church family and corporate worship and with a small group for fellowship and looking at God’s Word together.

I’m praying for… a friend for adjustments in their family, life changes for other friends and growth in my family.

Our home… is on the rebound from a leaky roof and muddy floors.  Hubby planted a great amount of flowers right before our rain and they should be taking off nicely to give us plenty of summer color.  I’m so grateful to Hubby for taking care of the outside of our home in this way.

Menu planning… Dijon Chicken, leftovers, and Goulash

A photo or two…
One of L's Arrow of Light gifts from Mom and Dad

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Not What I Expected

I knew we would be in the City into the late afternoon because of errands and a dr.'s appt. on Wednesday.  I didn't expect to be caught in traffic where a twenty minute drive home took an hour. ( I really didn't expect a repeat on the road the next day either!)

Sitting there on the road wasn't as bad as what I came home to.  A sick doggie. An inside sick doggie.  You get the picture.  I spent most of the evening scrubbing.  I was very unhappy with doggie and when I ran outside I angrily told her "Stay!".  Then when I glanced back to shut the door I saw her eyes.  Her eyes that aren't as clear as they used to be.  Old eyes that said she didn't mean to.  Of course I opened the door, petted her and invited her out.


I didn't expect to be eyeglass shopping for a son during Spring Break or for it to take soooo long.  I didn't expect to be in the emergency room for three hours for another son with an infection (or for him to be allergic to the antibiotics - and me out at the pharmacy late late late for a second night in a row).

I'm not saying any of this is "bad".  It's just life.  I'm glad to spend time doing the errands with the boys and thankful to have some answer's for L's eyes.  I am particularly thankful for medical care and for such easy access to it.  Wednesday night Hubby attended the mission trip testimony service at church - He reminded me that in another country a simple infection such as M's could have resulted in death.  BTW, I'd like to give a "shout out" to the pharmacist who called ME to let me know that he had talked to the ER dr. and had a different antibiotic ready for me to pick up.


Through all this I am reminded of God's sufficiency.  "But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10".  I can in no way identify with Paul's hardships and persecutions, I'm just saying that EVERY day I am weak and I rely on Christ's strength.

I also didn't expect letting my baby go on a campout with BOY Scouts would be so difficult!

Friday, March 23, 2012

In the Freezer

Today is the last day of Spring Break and it has not been quite what I expected (another post on that to come later).  The two things we did plan/anticipate:  sleeping in and some "Once a Month Cooking".
I did some "true" once a month cooking (even used the cookbook by the same name) once in Albuquerque and once in Sedona.  It was wonderful to have meals prepared in the freezer, but the all day long process and aching back was not so wonderful and I wasn't looking forward to it.  At all.

My cookbook was ready and then I had the thought to check out the Internet.  It had after all, been quite a while since I had done this so surely more recipes were available.  And they are - recipe sites and blogs too!  The best part of all is that I've made this a five day process (and have two more to go) so I've made dinners for this week AND have some in the freezer ready to go.

In the freezer are:

Meat for sloppy joes
Crockpot Garlicky Brown Sugar Chicken
Asian Style Pork Roast
Lemonade Chicken
Chicken and Stuffing Casserole
Freezer French Toast (L loves breakfast and having this and the bagels wrapped individually in the freezer helps our mornings!)
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagels

For dinner this week we had Asian Pork Roast and I tried two new recipes:  Lime Chicken and Crockpot Beef.  I still have Goulash and Honey Dijon Chicken to make - one each for dinner and one each to go in the freezer.

The Pork Roast is the one I am sharing - photo and recipe (If you are interested in the others google them or leave a message).

I bought a four pound pork loin.  Broil on both sides (just browned - totally raw in middle).  Cut in half and put one in crockpot and one in gallon size freezer bag.

Meanwhile combine in a large bowl:
1 cup black bean garlic sauce (this mixture that can be purchased - I actually combined a can of undrained black beans and the equivalent of 3 cloves of garlic)
2 tsp beef broth powder (I actually forgot this and it was fine! -
2 cups frozen pepper strips (I used fresh)
1 onion sliced in strips
1 pound of frozen green beans

Stir well.  Put half of mixture in crockpot and half in freezer bag.  
For crockpot:  Cook on low for 10-12 hours.  The original recipe calls for taking out meat/veggies and thickening liquid (I did not do this).  Serve with rice.
For freezer bag:  freeze and when you're ready to have it THAW and put in crockpot, follow "for crockpot".

Tuesday, March 20, 2012

Hello Spring Break!

I started an online job this past weekend and it is keeping me on the computer more than I care too, but what should I expect from an "online" job?  Anyways, this is Spring Break and it is a nice change of pace.
When I was surfing blogs yesterday I saw a post that someone did called Hello Monday.  I think it was a regular thing and of course I can't find it now, but I liked the randomness of showing things in the day.

Hello Spring Break and learning to fix the garbage disposal.  Yeah, I'm not going into details here, but I did something stupid (and it's okay to use the "s" word here, because it applies!).  In fact, I think it was the most stupid thing I have ever done in the kitchen.  Hubby decided he was not touching the disposal so instead he graciously guided me through the process.  I am pleased to say it works now!  I'm so glad too because I was already in my mind bemoaning the fact that I was going to have to get used to making dinner and life in general without a disposal.  Now, isn't that silly!  It is after all a "convenience" and many homemakers live without far less than that!

Hello Spring Break and our new backyard swimming pool!  The rain has kept us in and relaxing instead of on the go and in a hurry to accomplish tasks.  It's also caused the need to call a roofer for a leak repair.
The puddle behind the gate is almost double in size now.  J, the dog managed to get in the picture.
Hello Asparagus!  I know that is really random, but I absolutely love asparagus.  I am always so excited for it to be fresh in the store in good quality at a decent price.  I found a simple delicious recipe:

Break off the woody ends of a pound of asparagus (right where it starts to "give" when you bend it)
Rinse off and pat dry
Place in a single layer in a glass dish sprayed with cooking spray
Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese (a decent amount)
Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 min. (according to the tenderness you want).
Delicious and not as fattening as smothering with hollaindaise sauce!

Tomorrow I'll say Hello to some errands in the City and try to actually work on my Things to Do List.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Flashback Friday - March 16

Our youngest received his Arrow of Light last night.  AOL is the highest award in Cub Scouting.  After that his new Troop removed his Cub colors and replaced them with a Boy Scout neckerchief and whatever the arm colors are called.  For Flashback Friday I want to post pictures from L as a Tiger Cub and his first Tiger campout.  I'll post AOL pics later.





Tuesday, March 13, 2012

The Amazing Race

Our Church's children's ministry planned a fantastic evening out this past weekend for mothers and sons.  First we had a scavenger hunt (aka "The Amazing Race").  We partnered with new friends and went around town finding clues to our next destination.  Those clues weren't handed over easily either - the boys had to do something for each one...eat a donut, do the chicken dance, go down a slide, etc.  We raced other small groups of mothers/sons, but no one was declared "winner" so it was very low pressure.

After returning to church we had to put together a tanagram before we could say we had finished.


We ate pizza.


And finished the evening bowling.

Your church's children's ministry isn't big enough to plan this you say?  They'd never go for it?  Why wait?  Spearhead it yourself.  If there aren't enough boys, make it open to all the children.  If there aren't enough children at all, invite all the children in the neighborhood near church.  (We paid $20 for each Mom/Son and $5 extra for additional sons). 

Yes, this could be done in families, but it was so nice to meet others and to enjoy the fellowship.  The boys loved it!  I must say, I enjoyed it myself!

Monday, March 12, 2012

One Thousand Gifts - March 12

           
 1241-1263     
       Good nights
            The dog is okay
            Arrow almost done
            Reconnecting with a friend
            Encouraging card
            Snuggles
            Helping without being asked
            Free evening
            Change of pace
           God answering prayer
            Cheering on
            Helping
            Prayer
            Sacred delight
           Fireplace and rain
           Enough rain to have puddles
            Hubby’s hard work
            A new fountain
            The sound of familiar feet on the trail behind me
            Green
            Buds, blooms and tree leaves!
            A scavenger hunt and evening out with the boys
            More answered prayer

Sunday, March 11, 2012

On the Home Front - March 11

A peek through my window…. Our across the street neighbor’s tree is completely white with blooms.  The ground is soggy and everything looks damp, but it isn’t raining right now.

What’s going on this week… really BIG things!  A soccer game, band concert, track meet, band contest, Arrow of Light and the start of Spring Break!

What “the boys” are doing… Right now they are upstairs playing video games.  M. reasoned that he had plenty of time tomorrow to make his pi (3.14) shirt for Wednesday. All of the “what’s going on” mentioned are theirs too.

On my mind…  how the rain makes me so sleepy (Spring Forward and losing an hour of sleep probably doesn’t help either).  I need to fold laundry, but will nap instead.  J, our dog is on my mind too.  She was sick this week, but the main thing that came from our vet trip was that she needs to lose weight – 10 pounds!  I calculated all the calories she gets in the food we give her and they were 36 less than what the vet recommended for her to lose weight!  Hmmmm….could it be “extras”?

On my bedside table… my kindle…I’m still getting free books every week, but have slowed down some in reading.  I started “The Applause of Heaven” by Lucado the other night the boys and I were reading together.

I am richly blessed… to have found a running partner!  She is right where I am with running skill and such an encourager.

I’m praying for… a church in the area had their first service in their new building today!  Am also praying for several friends at work who are facing loss and illness.

Our home… was mopped yesterday (thanks to M), but now has muddy dog prints all over it.  As soon as I make it in to the living room, we’ll have a cozy fire in the fireplace.

Menu planning… Out because of so many activities and special celebrations.  I have some chicken cooked to put in tortilla soup (from a package) and will make spaghetti the only night we’ll be home before the weekend.  I’m considering doing some “Once a Month Cooking” when I’m home for Spring Break.

A photo or two…

L Getting Ready for His Last Pack Meeting

Friday, March 9, 2012

Flashback Friday - March 9

Today is L's very last elementary school fundraiser.  By late evening M and I will be working at it while Hubby and L play bingo.  By the end we'll all have paid lots of money for food we could have gotten cheaper at the restauraunt and then we'll be anxiously awaiting to see if we won a "basket".  Flashback Fridays find me remembering times long before L was in school and help record memories that aren't in scrapbooks.

All the pictures in this post are from Albuquerque - we just hadn't made it there to live yet.  We left Sedona for Hubby to go to grad school in Kentucky (full scholarship).  Just because we like to do things crazy, we left most of our belongings in storage in Albuquerque and only took something like an 8 X 7 trailer of things for the year we'd be in KY.  We left storage in ABQ, went to Oklahoma where we stayed for 6 weeks, visited ABQ for Father's Day and then moved to KY.  A special thanks to Aunt who gave us a place to stay for the 6 weeks and helped us move and then to many family members who helped out in various ways while Hubby was in school.




This "garden" was so fun to visit!  In the carrots, we're walking around as if we are underground with them.  I'll spare L. with the description of what he was doing here!  Both pictures have our "banana" strollers.  It was actually an umbrella stroller - I'm not sure how it got it's other name.  Anywho - we had two, one for each boy and we used them everywhere for a very long time.


This is at Hubby's grandmother's townhouse complex pool.  Guaranteed I was not in it!  No matter how hot it is, swimming in Abq. is usually freezing (even if the water is okay, getting out isn't so great)!  The boys were in this pool while we lived in Abq and other visits back.  I don't think I ever remember a time it wasn't cool.


I'm pretty sure this picture was from the infamous "water hose" incident.  When we were all returning home, M for some reason ran ahead, grabbed the hose and turned it on the entire family!  Brave Uncle J. ran and knocked it out of his hand.  Interesting that M. is not in the picture.  Perhaps he is inside being disciplined?


 Our visit was for Father's Day (not sure why we would have carted these vehicles back with us, unless they were in storage and we picked them up while in town.  I know they were in KY with us!) and although my memory is fainter now, I think we were celebrating on the back patio.  You can see a chair in one pic - that patio furniture was Hubby's grandmother's before it was here and now it is on our back patio.  What you see in the background was the site of Easter egg hunts the years we lived in Abq.  Isn't it so nice how M & L are sharing and getting along?  I'm sure we had to snap the photo quick before someone was biting or knocking the other off!

I love all the photos we have of every day life, but I love all our trip photos too.  It's nice to see new places or visit family.  It's usually those trips too that hold a more relaxed pace and times of connectedness.  All great memories with a great family.

Monday, March 5, 2012

Heart Work and No Bake Cookies

Ever since Hubby and I took a get-away trip together in mid-January and I went to a Mom Heart conference in mid-February, things at our home have gone much more smoothly.  I also started reading a book that I bought at the conference, Parenting is Heart Work (Dr. Scot Turansky and Joanne Miller).  I'm only part way through it, but it has made me think...
About what's going on in my sons' hearts.  When they have outbursts, is it really deliberate? Do they have an unmet need?  Are they having trouble expressing what it is they are really feeling?  I'm still quick to put a stop to when outbursts are disrespectful, but I'm learning to talk through that instead of yelling.  Yelling NEVER works anyway.

What their love language is.  It was harder to tell when they were younger, but now I know that I have one who speaks "doing things together" and one who speaks "doing things for - aka gifts".  I even talked to M. about love languages.  I love including that in the training process.

How important emotional health is.  In addition to not falling in the trap of disciplining when I'm angry, I understand that I don't have to fix everything.  Instead of fixing a problem, what my son may really need is my care and comfort.

I've already written about having Family Nights and turning off electronics on Saturday nights, but that continues to be a "win" for our family.  I know "Family Nights" whether Family Movie Night or Family Game Night or something else isn't anything new.  Although we've had them before and actually do spend quite a bit of family time together, I love making this deliberate and at home relaxed time.  Do we miss?  Of course, we were out of town one week and this coming Friday we will be at my son's school. 

Each family night we have is my favorite.  This past Friday we made No Bake Cookies (we being just M and I) and watched The Woodcarver (reviewed earlier in my blog).  Afterwards we all (including the dog) piled into L's full-size bed and discussed the movie which led into a discussion about something going on in our neighborhood.

It wasn't just the cookies or the movie, we connected on an emotional level; we enjoyed being together; we worked out some issues; we thought/talked about what happens when you let other things take over God's place in your life.

Another outcome of the book and spending time together was how I handled a discipline issue that arouse this week. (I totally give God and Parenting is Heart Work credit for it.)  I got an email from a teacher, then I talked at length with the teacher on the phone and set a conference.  My normal response would be to let my son know what happened, that it will never happen again, what will happen if it should and here's your consequence for all this.

This time, I let him know what happened, he had outbursts, I listened and empathized.  I gave some guidance.  He had more outbursts and processed.  At the end of the evening he wrote an apology note.  Not my suggestion or dictation.  Did he need a consequence from me?  Nope, he got one at school.  Was this better than my usual approach?  Absolutely!

No Bake Cookies (In no way do I condone these as healthy.  They are a family favorite though.)
2 cups sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
1/2 cup milk
1 stick margarine

Bring to a boil and let cook 5-7 minutes, then cool slightly.  (Slightly to me is 3-5 minutes.  This is the critical part to the cookies setting right.  If it's too hot everything is too runny.  I almost let it cool too long this time and the peanut butter didn't melt right.)

Add:
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 1/2 cup oatmeal (most recipes say the minute kind, but I use the Old-fashion kind because the oats are bigger and more tasty)
2 teaspoon vanilla.

Mix thoroughly.  Drop by spoonful on waxed paper. (Do this quickly before the mixture starts hardening in the pot.) Let cool.

Eat with a glass of milk, but don't eat too many! http://www.thebettermom.com/2012/03/pursuit-of-proverbs-31-and-better-mom-mondays-link-up/

One Thousand Gifts

1224-1241
            Music while I work
            The picture of my best friend from college & me on graduation day – it’s in my office bookshelf
            A really clean desk
            A full trash bag
            Week one day 2 of Couch to 5k
            M ½ way to a fundraising goal
            Boys in jeans and dress shirts
            An hour of relaxation
            The mountain of recycle gone
            Handling something well
            God’s provision
           The Woodcarver
            My Small Group – fellowship and lesson discussion
            A walk with Hubby
            God is my shelter
            Sun streaming in the windows
            Hubby hugging me tight.

Sunday, March 4, 2012

On the Home Front - March 4

A peek through my window…. It’s a beautiful spring day!  Hubby spent some time outside working on the yard and flowers.  It will be beautiful by summer!

What’s going on this week… Basket/bingo night at L’s school (possibly our last elementary school fundraiser) and Sat. is a Mother/Son activity at church.

What “the boys” are doing… They are out with Hubby.  I didn’t look to see what kind of ball they took along, but I think they were headed to a park.

On my mind…  Storms have been on my mind lately.  I have to be careful not to focus too greatly on them and to trust God.  I do have a website up on my computer showing storm shelters, but I’m not sure I can convince Hubby.  They are actually much more affordable than I thought they would be.

On my bedside table… Parenting is Heart Work.

I am richly blessed… to have had time at home with my family this weekend.

I’m praying for… a friend at church who is sharing Jesus with co-workers.

Our home… is ready for small group.  I still have lots of laundry to do, but that can wait and the laundry door can be shut.  When I’m home tomorrow, I’d really like to make some salsa and possibly try drying some fruit in Hubby’s new food dehydrator.  He made a batch of jerky and then went back for the one step up model.

Menu planning… chicken legs (not for me of course), hamburgers on the grill (once I buy more propane).

A photo or two…
My super nephew getting ready for a hockey game. M and my sis-in-law are in the background.

The Woodcarver

Put March 13 on your calendar.  It's the release date for The Woodcarver and if you're looking for a fantastic movie for Family Movie Night, it's perfect.

Although somewhat predictable, The Woodcarver had plenty of drama and tense moments to keep an adult's attention.  It's rated PG for "thematic elements" - those would be divorce, family arguments, loss, vandalism and arson.  However, there was nothing in the movie that made me uncomfortable to watch it with my 10 and 12 year old.

The thing I loved about The Woodcarver (besides just being an enjoyable movie) was the discussion it sparked with our children afterwards.  It's wonderful to have a springboard like that to talk about life issues within the context of a film that ultimately points to God.

The highest praise came from one of my sons, "Mom, that's one of my favorite movies!".  I'm so thankful for an alternative to all the junk that is in our video store.  I'm not familiar with "Faith and Family Films", but I'll definitely being doing some research now.

Would you like to win a copy of The Woodcarver?  Click on the link and leave me a comment that you did.  I'll have "random.org" choose a winner on March 10 from the comments.

Christian Cinema: http://www.christiancinema.com/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=4094

About the Movie:

Matthew Stevenson is a troubled kid from a broken home. When he vandalizes the local church to get back at his parents, Matthew has to repair the damage to the church to avoid criminal charges. While working at the church, he meets Ernest (John Ratzenberger), an accomplished wood carver who created the intricate woodwork decoration that Matthew destroyed. Ernest has become something of a hermit, but reluctantly comes out of reclusion to help repair the church. Now Ernest and Matthew must work together to preserve the church's beautiful antiquity, and along the way, they also manage to restore their faith in God and in life.

“Disclosure of Material Connection: I received one or more of the products or
services mentioned above for free in the hope that I would mention it
on my blog. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally
and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance
with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the
Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Friday, March 2, 2012

Flashback Friday - March 2

I scanned in several photos to use for Flashback Friday and I'm getting closer to our time in Albuquerque and a digital camera.  We lived in Sedona until the boys were 3 and 1 and here I'm reflecting on toys and footed pajamas.  Doesn't L look like he's up to something in this picture?

The porta-crib you see was L's safe spot.  I put him inside if I had to run upstairs for a minute or if I ever needed to get him away from his big brother!  He probably eventually made it over to the Barney you can see in the next picture.  Barney and Dora were L's absolute favorites from an early age.


I always loved that both boys used their imaginations and could pretend for long periods of time.  Here's M using his Bob the Builder toys with his truck; no doubt taking something over to the tracks.  You can see part of his airplane and garage in the background.  L's bus is also there.  They used all the toys together to create all kinds of scenes.  (So I didn't mention much about footed pajamas.....you can't get much better than a freshly bathed baby in footed pajamas though.)

I think this painting picture may be from an afternoon that Hubby was home with the boys.  He was at his office until about 2:30 and then came home to be with the boys while I worked from 3 - 6 - first at the Christian School and then an insurance office.  It worked out great for us.  I would cook anything that could be done ahead of time and then leave everything for dinner in the fridge.  Hubby would cook it and we'd eat when I got home.  Anyway, back to painting - well, more the table.  That table saw many many hours of coloring, painting, puzzles, games, crafts, books, learning and snacks.  In Sedona it was right inside the kitchen next to our family desk.  (In Albuquerque it was in the Great Room at the end of the kitchen counter.)

Easter Sunday 2002.  Our second one in Sedona.  (This was next to our parking spot that was directly in front of our townhouse.) I was pregnant with L. the first one and after a miserable morning at church, Hubby took L. over to our dear friends' house where they had dinner and hunted eggs.  This picture was the beginning of a much more pleasant Easter for me.  After church, we went through the Taco Bell drive thru and made the 2 hour drive to Scottsdale where Hubby's parents were visiting.  We spent the afternoon swimming, paddle boating, playing and celebrating the boys' birthdays.

Hmmm.....in a little over a month now, we'll be celebrating #11 and #13 for the boys.  M's special day is on Easter this year.  I'll probably put a dress on for Easter Sunday - will the boys be in navy pants and have a collared shirt?  Maybe, but I'll be happy with anything that matches.