Yesterday I took the day off from my computer and it was really good. Last night we invited Mamaw over for dinner. The menu: Aunt Twinkies Mexican Chicken, Chips & Salsa, Sweet Tea. Dessert: Sonic Shakes of course! What else is there? I started doing the math last night and I think they've been "on sale" for 2 months. Hmmm...
The pineapple shakes are really over the top good. They sound gross don't they? Stinky Pete ordered one once, and I tried it and that was it for me! They take vanilla ice cream and put crushed pineapple in it. Tastes like a banana split. It's a good summer choice.
I'm not sure if it is the weather or not, but I have the worst headache that I can't make go away. Yikes!
The big boys are playing happily in the floor with some big bubble wrap. They got butter knives out and are popping it. I know, I'm taking the butter knives away...what kind of show do you think we're running around here?
Yesterday we planned out our calender for the rest of the year. Shane has gotten really good at doing a year long youth calender. It was fun to see when broomball will be, the youth and family Christmas dinner, etc. We even put a vacation on the books! We are taking my Premier income and trying to be strategic with it. We give some away, tithe, then divide the rest up. Half goes to debt and the other half of whats left goes to me to reinvest in my business or to spend on whatever I want. We'll see what kind of saver I can be! If we end up with a one night stay at Petit Jean in a tent, you'll know I didn't do so hot :)!! If we end up in Orlando, then you'll probably want to see me about more info regarding the jewelry business , haha!
Shane killed a baby Copperhead in the front garden last night. Gross. We sprinkled snake away in the flower bed like it was...like it was what? Oh, like it was snake away. Like there was no tomorrow. (i'm trying to see how dramatic I can be here and it's not working very well) Probably because my head is about to explode and my kids are pouncing their little hearts out on bubble wrap.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Thursday, June 26, 2008
I Can't See, Grrrrr.....
My glasses just broke. They are the ones that have brand new lenses, grrrr. Because I am a ding dong sometimes, I put the little piece that broke on top of the kitchen cabinet. I had a feeling that might not be the best place, but thought surely I would see the part and remember it was there.
After I placed it lovingly on the counter, I decided to go on a cleaning spree. I was dusting, windexing, cleaning bathrooms, the works, and I ended in the kitchen. I got my sink full of sudsy water (which for some reason brings me much joy to see the suds in the sink!!!) and I went to town on my counter tops. I got done with the cleaning, and excitedly put my glasses on to have some computer time. That's when my heart sank because I realized I washed the part to my glasses right down the drain.
I have a spare pair but do you think I can find them anywhere right now? NOOOOO!
This is the funny part. I just stood at the sink staring at the drain like it was going to bring the piece back. Sniff Sniiff.
Update: I went to the glasses place and they fixed my glasses! Yeah!
After I placed it lovingly on the counter, I decided to go on a cleaning spree. I was dusting, windexing, cleaning bathrooms, the works, and I ended in the kitchen. I got my sink full of sudsy water (which for some reason brings me much joy to see the suds in the sink!!!) and I went to town on my counter tops. I got done with the cleaning, and excitedly put my glasses on to have some computer time. That's when my heart sank because I realized I washed the part to my glasses right down the drain.
I have a spare pair but do you think I can find them anywhere right now? NOOOOO!
This is the funny part. I just stood at the sink staring at the drain like it was going to bring the piece back. Sniff Sniiff.
Update: I went to the glasses place and they fixed my glasses! Yeah!
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
is that pee on my counter???
yesterday after i bathed little darlin, i left the tub on the kitchen counter. the big boys were horsing around with the tub and i didn't notice what happened...until later. i walked in the kitchen to get the tub and put it back in ld's room when i saw...was that pee on the counter, surely not...but what is that yellow stuff...oh NO...not the lemon joy...yup! my detergent got knocked over and had poured and poured and poured all over the counter. and that stuff is not easy to clean up. i almost drowned in the stupid suds. so, guess who has the shiniest sink on the block today:!?!!?!
Proverbs 24
One of my favorite things to do in the mornings is to read the Proverbs for the day. There are 31, and there are 30/31 days a month, so I like to read the Proverb that corresponds with the day of the month. This morning I started with the "wrong" one, I read Proverbs 25 because I thought today was the 25th. It was super neat though, because I saw something I wrote in my Bible exactly one year ago tomorrow :).
Last year Shane went on a 3 week mission trip. That was the longest we had been apart and I was anxious. He travelled all during the night by plane. The boys and I were at my parents house. The morning after he left I woke up and read my Proverbs. This is the verse God showed me that day, "Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." It was really neat to feel like God made me see that verse to let me have peace that Shane and the teams travel was OK.
This same team headed for the Czech yesterday. Shane did not make the trip this year because we had a little visit from the Stork. The Stork did not look at our calender before he visited us this year. Shane stayed up all night last night as the team travelled. They arrived safely at 5am this morning! It was sweet to see the same verse again this year. It highlighted God's faithfulness to me today! Even though Shane is home with us physically, his heart is in the Czech right now, and our family is praying for an amazing trip for these high school and college students. I am thankful for my husband who leads our family and these students with faithfulness and integrity.
Here are some more highlights of Prov 24 today. This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible. "By wisdom a house is built; and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. " (vs.3-4)
"Does not he who guards your life know it?" I love the picture that this verse paints. God guards my life. He perceives my heart and the hearts of those around me.
"Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off"
"Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house." This one reminded me today that there is a proper and good order for things. God will bless me when I keep my priorities in order.
"I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgement; thorns had grown up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw; A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man." I usually love this set of verses because the last part is funny sounding to me-talking about bandits and armed men :). Thing I loved about it today, besides the bandit talk, is that little by little our choices shape up to the big picture.
Last year Shane went on a 3 week mission trip. That was the longest we had been apart and I was anxious. He travelled all during the night by plane. The boys and I were at my parents house. The morning after he left I woke up and read my Proverbs. This is the verse God showed me that day, "Like cold water to a weary soul is good news from a distant land." It was really neat to feel like God made me see that verse to let me have peace that Shane and the teams travel was OK.
This same team headed for the Czech yesterday. Shane did not make the trip this year because we had a little visit from the Stork. The Stork did not look at our calender before he visited us this year. Shane stayed up all night last night as the team travelled. They arrived safely at 5am this morning! It was sweet to see the same verse again this year. It highlighted God's faithfulness to me today! Even though Shane is home with us physically, his heart is in the Czech right now, and our family is praying for an amazing trip for these high school and college students. I am thankful for my husband who leads our family and these students with faithfulness and integrity.
Here are some more highlights of Prov 24 today. This is one of my favorite verses in the whole Bible. "By wisdom a house is built; and through understanding it is established; through knowledge its rooms are filled with rare and beautiful treasures. " (vs.3-4)
"Does not he who guards your life know it?" I love the picture that this verse paints. God guards my life. He perceives my heart and the hearts of those around me.
"Know also that wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find it, there is a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off"
"Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready; after that, build your house." This one reminded me today that there is a proper and good order for things. God will bless me when I keep my priorities in order.
"I went past the field of the sluggard, past the vineyard of the man who lacks judgement; thorns had grown up everywhere, the ground was covered with weeds, and the stone wall was in ruins. I applied my heart to what I observed and learned a lesson from what I saw; A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to rest-and poverty will come on you like a bandit and scarcity like an armed man." I usually love this set of verses because the last part is funny sounding to me-talking about bandits and armed men :). Thing I loved about it today, besides the bandit talk, is that little by little our choices shape up to the big picture.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
What if you could...
- get all your work done by 6:00pm?
- eat dinner with your family every night?
- form deep, satifying relationships?
- naturally blend the world of church with your everyday life?
- spend hours a week on your hobbies?
This is what my new book I'm reading is about! Making Room for Life (Trading Chaotic Lifestyles for Connected Relationships) by Robert Frazee. Amanda told me about it. It just came in the mail, I ordered it used off Amazon. It's awesome because it's a hardback library book from the Jefferson County Public Library in CO. So, if you see me reading a library looking book from CO, I didn't steal it. :) And plus, if I was going to steal a book from the Jefferson Library in CO, it wouldn't be a christian book. :) Hel-lo.
The other book I'm reading is called Dare to Dream. It is amazing. I'm reading it in the nooks and crannies of life which is one of the principles the book talks about-getting things done in the nooks and crannies of life. So, it stays in my purse and by my side with me all day long. Perfect for when I have a 5-15 minute break in the day:)!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Sweet time with my big boy...
Last night we were at my parent's to celebrate my niece's birthday! Yula had the cutest Barbie birthday party and it was fun to have the whole family (minus Shane who was working) together. She requested Chili which I thought was really cute. We laughed at dinner about stories such as the time my brother brought home 2 Pigmy Goats thinking they'd be nice pets. After bathing them in our bathtub and getting them cleaned up, my parents came home. They didn't think goats would be such a great pet so we had to send them back. We laughed about other stories that I better not post on my blog without permission :0 haaha!
On the way home Moose fell asleep and started snoring. We put him in bed, and Stinky Pete and I stayed up and snuggled on the couch. He let me hold him and we decided we wanted a snack. We sat at the table with our waters and shared a piece of pie. We talked about birthday parties, slip and slides, we sang songs from Beauty & The Beast, and talked about starting school someday. Then SP told me he needed snuggles so he got in bed with me. It was so incredibly sweet to have one on one time with my little boy. The sweet time alone with him made me realize what a rare occurance it is these busy days. This morning as I told Shane about it (he worked a late night until 1am last night), he and I both decided that we are going to start making one on one time with each of the boys a priority a couple times a month-or more if we can.
On the way home Moose fell asleep and started snoring. We put him in bed, and Stinky Pete and I stayed up and snuggled on the couch. He let me hold him and we decided we wanted a snack. We sat at the table with our waters and shared a piece of pie. We talked about birthday parties, slip and slides, we sang songs from Beauty & The Beast, and talked about starting school someday. Then SP told me he needed snuggles so he got in bed with me. It was so incredibly sweet to have one on one time with my little boy. The sweet time alone with him made me realize what a rare occurance it is these busy days. This morning as I told Shane about it (he worked a late night until 1am last night), he and I both decided that we are going to start making one on one time with each of the boys a priority a couple times a month-or more if we can.
Monday, June 16, 2008
What was in our backyard?
Check out Shane's blog to see what we found in our backyard this morning!!! I was in the bathroom trying to create a good smokey eye when I heard all the excitement... www.7timechampion.blogspot.com .
Sunday, June 15, 2008
Happy Father's Day Daddy!
**this post is from your boyz"
Happy Father's Day Daddy! You are the best Dad because you wrestle with us and chase us with the water hose. You also let us cook with you and crack the eggs, we like that. We also like that you let us get all crazy playing with the covers and comforters when we make the beds. Making lumps in the covers is fun. It is great when you let us take the mattress off the bed and make a big slide. You do a mean version of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire after we read about Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego every night. We are happy that is the main song we know right now.
**from the big boys: We are very sorry that after church today we pulled down our pants and pee-peed in the flower bed right by the front doors while people were leaving. We are also sorry that we picked the flowers out of the church flower bed and gave them to mommy.
We love you very much! Your Boyz
Saturday, June 14, 2008
Forever 31, I mean 21
WHAT IN THE WORLD, WHERE HAS THIS STORE BEEN ALL MY LIFE, IT ROCKS! Today, me, mom and Mamaw were sitting at Chick-fil-A enjoying 3 #1's with extra pickles when I noticed the new store behind the foliage. We went in and oh my goodness gracious I was getting all kinds of happy.
Here are my thoughts:
Here are my thoughts:
- It doesn't matter if the store has a "if you get stuck in it you buy it" policy (haha) the clothes are adorable
- They don't carry XL's. And when I asked the sales girl if they did, she looked at me like I was a fruit loop. Or was it a look of, "Oh brother, I've seen her type...30+ year old, 3 kids, mini van, should be shopping in the Liz Dept at Dillard's, but here she is trying to make it work out in my store..."
- Since when did trying on a shirt require a degree in Engineering? You know, truth be told, I can always figure out how the shirts at Dillard's work....
I'm just kidding around, but I have an agenda of things to do in the upcoming weeks, and going back to browse around that store is on the top of the list! Maybe I'll use some of my Canada Day shopping money when I go back. It's July 1st you know!
SEPHORA: I finally experienced this store and it is all it's cracked up to be. Very nice. I tried Amazing Grace and it is equally as good as the Pure Grace. Sephora felt very "QVC-ee", but in a very good way!!! All the hype but no hand models.
Friday Night Fun
Oh the action never ends! Here is a recap of our night last night. It started with the most awesome lightening storm you ever saw! I got Moose out of bed to see, Stinky Pete was already out cold. Moose did not like the lightening. He said it was too big. Then he wanted his Dad to hold him. At midnight, the heavens opened up and unleashed the rains. It poured down so hard we just couldn't stop watching. It was a spectacular display. The wind was blowing very fast-some reports up to 70mph. About 12:30am I peeked out the front door and said, "SHANE, WE ARE STARTING TO FLOOD AGAIN, WE NEED TO MOVE THE CAR INTO THE GARAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"
I almost called you to freak out on the phone with a good friend, but you were already in bed. You big ol' Party Pooper. Always getting beauty sleep when I need you the most. Anyway. We brought the toy car/bike/scooter convention indoors in order to save our vintage Camry.
Friday, June 13, 2008
Let The Mania Begin!!!
We have a new camera!!! After working hard at 2 yard sales we earned enough money to replace our digital camera that died about 9 months ago!!! It is so exciting. I'm reading through the book to see what I can learn. I'm not near as advanced as Becke' or Jenny, so I am starting with a nice Canon (point and shoot, is that what they call a camera for beginners?). So far I have made it through the manual training on Shooting Still Images. So fun!
Collin & Carter
Me: Hey Col, have you ever used hair glue?
Collin: No, I just use the hair gel for special effects that I get from the Barbara place.
Me: Nice.
Collin is our little friend who calls Stinky Pete "Son". Collin is 5. Carter is his brother who is about to turn 2. He calls Shane "Shaneboy".
They are hilarious little boys that I wanted to post funnies about today.
Collin: No, I just use the hair gel for special effects that I get from the Barbara place.
Me: Nice.
Collin is our little friend who calls Stinky Pete "Son". Collin is 5. Carter is his brother who is about to turn 2. He calls Shane "Shaneboy".
They are hilarious little boys that I wanted to post funnies about today.
Thursday, June 12, 2008
The Crazy Jewelry Lady!
Oh boy! So, I had a jewelry showing tonight. Let me tell you something right now! I was like Jo Jo the Monkey Girl on a pot of coffee, I was all over the place! You know what though-JoJo made $200 tonight and for that Shane is thankful!
It was my first jewelry showing since I had baby Jack-so about 7 weeks. Oooh honey. Here's what happened. I got really excited last week about starting work again. SO, I decided to listen to an on-line training to get geared up. That led me to 2 more trainings plus a conference call because I got so excited. They all sounded so good that I printed off all 3 show ideas, put them in my neat little notebook I made, and uhhh, headed to my showing tonight. The only problem was I didn't think through the details. You know, the little one's like, "How the heck does all this fit together!?"
I'm excited about my new style though-it is super fun and the fashion part is my new favorite! I am so excited about showing my pieces because they look so good with this season's bright colors.
So, that's all. I acted like I was on crack tonight in front of a room full of women! Nice huh! I'm wired right now! Shane and I are hanging out-he's watching West Wing and I'm playing on the computer and having some fresh vegetables-oh wait, that's not veggies, it's cheese dip and chips. Listen, don't be deceived, I don't keep this figure by eating bean sprouts!!! HA!
P.S. We have had 2 yard sales, and Shane ordered a new camera for us today. Some kind of Canon Digital, 8 mega something or others and it's black and it's really cute and I can't wait to make some videos to post!!!! Watch out, it's about to be video mania on my site!
It was my first jewelry showing since I had baby Jack-so about 7 weeks. Oooh honey. Here's what happened. I got really excited last week about starting work again. SO, I decided to listen to an on-line training to get geared up. That led me to 2 more trainings plus a conference call because I got so excited. They all sounded so good that I printed off all 3 show ideas, put them in my neat little notebook I made, and uhhh, headed to my showing tonight. The only problem was I didn't think through the details. You know, the little one's like, "How the heck does all this fit together!?"
I'm excited about my new style though-it is super fun and the fashion part is my new favorite! I am so excited about showing my pieces because they look so good with this season's bright colors.
So, that's all. I acted like I was on crack tonight in front of a room full of women! Nice huh! I'm wired right now! Shane and I are hanging out-he's watching West Wing and I'm playing on the computer and having some fresh vegetables-oh wait, that's not veggies, it's cheese dip and chips. Listen, don't be deceived, I don't keep this figure by eating bean sprouts!!! HA!
P.S. We have had 2 yard sales, and Shane ordered a new camera for us today. Some kind of Canon Digital, 8 mega something or others and it's black and it's really cute and I can't wait to make some videos to post!!!! Watch out, it's about to be video mania on my site!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Date Night.
Last night added up to one great date night. The boys slumber partied with the cousins. It was thunderstorming badly so we decided to pick up Chicago style pizza and bring it home. We had candles, ate on paper plates, drank Dr.Pepper out of wine glasses and listened to Frank Sinatra while we ate.
We rented 2 movies from the New Release dollar thing at Kroger. I don't know why I bother renting movies-I'm never impressed and we usually turn them off like we did last night.
We had a good talk about our parenting goals right now. We have some sweet boys. It was good for us to be able to have uninterupted time to talk about where we are heading as a family and get on the same page. Shane is a great dad!
We rented 2 movies from the New Release dollar thing at Kroger. I don't know why I bother renting movies-I'm never impressed and we usually turn them off like we did last night.
We had a good talk about our parenting goals right now. We have some sweet boys. It was good for us to be able to have uninterupted time to talk about where we are heading as a family and get on the same page. Shane is a great dad!
Monday, June 9, 2008
about 6 1/2 years ago...
I dropped by Amber Shimer's house. She has 4 children and that day as we stood in her entryway and talked I was amazed at what went down in the 10 minutes we chatted. One of the girls wet her undies and it was on the floor. The older daughter ran downstairs to tell mom, and accidentally knocked one of the beautiful plates off the wall in the process. Shattered glass everywhere. Then the doorbell rang. It was the exterminator dropping off a racoon trap. WOW I thought, so this is what life with 4 little ones looks like. I got back in my car and drove to the office without a care in the world.
Fast forward to today. After Moose went number two in his undies and it fell on the floor I sent him to the bathroom to clean up. Little Darlin' was eating so we headed into the bathroom to help Moose (LD is still eating) (I'm trying to multi-task because I have to). Get that cleaned up.
1:10pm-Nat calls and invites us to go with them in 20 min to get all the boys haircuts. I hang up and call to get my boys appts.
1:11pm- I realize that there is no possible way I can get all four of us dressed, loaded and across town to make the appt I just scheduled for 1:30. Plus we haven't even had lunch yet because we've been in the bathroom for the last 30 minutes.
1:12- call to cancel our appt.
1:15- I'm getting turkey and cheese out for sandwiches when the beautiful light from heaven begins to shine down and the Hallelujah chorus begins to play...I see BBQ leftovers I forgot about from Smokehouse on Saturday!!!! Thank you Jesus for good leftovers!!!
1:20- we are all seated to eat and Little Darlin' wakes up! Hey, I'm not picky, I can hold a crying baby and eat at the same time!
It is amazing how one day can be a well oiled machine-Tidy house, sun shining in, order...and the next day can be a bit more like today. In my little insanity lapse when I really wanted to hurry to load us up and get haircuts (because they are badly needed right now!) I remembered what God taught me a last year.
"God is not a God of disorder but of peace" I Cor 14:33
"The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways..." Prov 14:8
I am the queen of going and doing, lots of times it has been at the expense of my family. I'll want to go to Target and rush us to get there, yada yada yada. It was freeing to see those verses and apply them to my everyday life decisions. And to remember that it is the little choices I make everyday that add up to the tone I set for our home. So, sometimes I let go of my whims and don't get everything done that I wanted. It's a good thing.
Fast forward to today. After Moose went number two in his undies and it fell on the floor I sent him to the bathroom to clean up. Little Darlin' was eating so we headed into the bathroom to help Moose (LD is still eating) (I'm trying to multi-task because I have to). Get that cleaned up.
1:10pm-Nat calls and invites us to go with them in 20 min to get all the boys haircuts. I hang up and call to get my boys appts.
1:11pm- I realize that there is no possible way I can get all four of us dressed, loaded and across town to make the appt I just scheduled for 1:30. Plus we haven't even had lunch yet because we've been in the bathroom for the last 30 minutes.
1:12- call to cancel our appt.
1:15- I'm getting turkey and cheese out for sandwiches when the beautiful light from heaven begins to shine down and the Hallelujah chorus begins to play...I see BBQ leftovers I forgot about from Smokehouse on Saturday!!!! Thank you Jesus for good leftovers!!!
1:20- we are all seated to eat and Little Darlin' wakes up! Hey, I'm not picky, I can hold a crying baby and eat at the same time!
It is amazing how one day can be a well oiled machine-Tidy house, sun shining in, order...and the next day can be a bit more like today. In my little insanity lapse when I really wanted to hurry to load us up and get haircuts (because they are badly needed right now!) I remembered what God taught me a last year.
"God is not a God of disorder but of peace" I Cor 14:33
"The wisdom of the prudent is to give thought to their ways..." Prov 14:8
I am the queen of going and doing, lots of times it has been at the expense of my family. I'll want to go to Target and rush us to get there, yada yada yada. It was freeing to see those verses and apply them to my everyday life decisions. And to remember that it is the little choices I make everyday that add up to the tone I set for our home. So, sometimes I let go of my whims and don't get everything done that I wanted. It's a good thing.
Friday, June 6, 2008
Night Night
Ahhh. The boys are in bed.
The dishwasher is running.
The floor is drying because I just finished the dishes and mopped.
Tommorow we are having a yard sale to downsize more.
We had Nacho Salad and Chocolate Chip Cookies for dinner.
We had friends from church over for dinner and got to know them more. Very fun.
The air is cranked down really low.
The sheets on the bed are clean.
Shane fixed our dining room table chairs and Old English'ed them so they are nice and clean.
I have a pitcher of Michelle's Mexican Punch in the fridge (Hawaiian Punch & Pineapple Juice).
Life is good.
The dishwasher is running.
The floor is drying because I just finished the dishes and mopped.
Tommorow we are having a yard sale to downsize more.
We had Nacho Salad and Chocolate Chip Cookies for dinner.
We had friends from church over for dinner and got to know them more. Very fun.
The air is cranked down really low.
The sheets on the bed are clean.
Shane fixed our dining room table chairs and Old English'ed them so they are nice and clean.
I have a pitcher of Michelle's Mexican Punch in the fridge (Hawaiian Punch & Pineapple Juice).
Life is good.
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Slow Down & Experience the Joy
this is an entry from flylady my mom sent me and it's really good. my friend amanda told me about a book called, "making room for life" by randy frazee that i'm wanting to read really bad. it sounds like it is along the same lines as this entry. love, anna
Tue Jun 3, 2008 11:41 am (PDT)
Dear Friends,Today at the gym we were all talking about what we were doing to save on gas. One of the guys said he was driving slower and leaving earlier so he wasn't rushed. The conversation then took a turn (pardon the driving pun) to living with less stress and he remarked how much more relaxed he's been since using these new driving habits. If you think about it, that's the way we should all drive anyway—it's safer and less stressful.
Think about it a little more: adopting a slower paced existence as a sort of plumb line for living can impact every area of life. Let's talk about these components: going slower and not being rushed and how this all relates back to food (you knew that was coming,didn't you?). This is how success in the kitchen begins and how it ends too, with a good, healthy meal.
Going slower at home means you have the time to actually MAKE your dinner, as opposed to going out,driving thru or making some kind of icky, just add water, convenience food. Not being rushed means you can have quality time at the family dinner table, eat your food at normal pace instead of bolting it down and heading out the door; actually chewing instead of inhaling! The average time spent at the family dinner table anymore is only about 20 minutes compared to the days of yesteryear of more than 1/2hour.
It's interesting to note that the difference too, was that everyone was expected to show up at the family dinner table and it was taken for granted that it was a regular practice. Today it is all but impossible with everyone's schedules requiring a Blackberry to track,including the baby's! Let's slow down, okay?
It's really, really okay if your child doesn't have a class, sport, enrichment activity or what have you most days of the week. It doesn't mean you're less of a parent if you're not keeping up with the rest of the world and their fast paced lifestyle.
CHOOSE to slow it down and hone in the heart of your home; the family dinner table. Cook together, serve the food together, eat, talk, discuss and listen to those precious people sitting around your table. You are a privileged woman—you've been given so much—give it back as you lovingly prepare a meal for them. Use this opportunity to show your beloved children how to clean up a kitchen, doing it with them. I've had the most incredible discussions with my children over the kitchen sink than any other place in my house. By the time my kids were both 10 years old, they were quite proficient at clean up! Keeping our eyes on the prize (our families) will help us to rise above the treachery of a frantic life. Slowing it down is the secret to experience the joy that is there if we're not rushing past it. Love,Leanne
*****Kelly here - as Leanne as told us in the past, we are filling souls not holes at the dinner table. If you need some help in a menu plan that will save you time and money plus help you prepare meals to spend time together as a family please go look at the menu plans that Leanne has available at www.SavingDinner. com From the freezer menus, the vegetarian, heart healthy and more - take a look today
Tue Jun 3, 2008 11:41 am (PDT)
Dear Friends,Today at the gym we were all talking about what we were doing to save on gas. One of the guys said he was driving slower and leaving earlier so he wasn't rushed. The conversation then took a turn (pardon the driving pun) to living with less stress and he remarked how much more relaxed he's been since using these new driving habits. If you think about it, that's the way we should all drive anyway—it's safer and less stressful.
Think about it a little more: adopting a slower paced existence as a sort of plumb line for living can impact every area of life. Let's talk about these components: going slower and not being rushed and how this all relates back to food (you knew that was coming,didn't you?). This is how success in the kitchen begins and how it ends too, with a good, healthy meal.
Going slower at home means you have the time to actually MAKE your dinner, as opposed to going out,driving thru or making some kind of icky, just add water, convenience food. Not being rushed means you can have quality time at the family dinner table, eat your food at normal pace instead of bolting it down and heading out the door; actually chewing instead of inhaling! The average time spent at the family dinner table anymore is only about 20 minutes compared to the days of yesteryear of more than 1/2hour.
It's interesting to note that the difference too, was that everyone was expected to show up at the family dinner table and it was taken for granted that it was a regular practice. Today it is all but impossible with everyone's schedules requiring a Blackberry to track,including the baby's! Let's slow down, okay?
It's really, really okay if your child doesn't have a class, sport, enrichment activity or what have you most days of the week. It doesn't mean you're less of a parent if you're not keeping up with the rest of the world and their fast paced lifestyle.
CHOOSE to slow it down and hone in the heart of your home; the family dinner table. Cook together, serve the food together, eat, talk, discuss and listen to those precious people sitting around your table. You are a privileged woman—you've been given so much—give it back as you lovingly prepare a meal for them. Use this opportunity to show your beloved children how to clean up a kitchen, doing it with them. I've had the most incredible discussions with my children over the kitchen sink than any other place in my house. By the time my kids were both 10 years old, they were quite proficient at clean up! Keeping our eyes on the prize (our families) will help us to rise above the treachery of a frantic life. Slowing it down is the secret to experience the joy that is there if we're not rushing past it. Love,Leanne
*****Kelly here - as Leanne as told us in the past, we are filling souls not holes at the dinner table. If you need some help in a menu plan that will save you time and money plus help you prepare meals to spend time together as a family please go look at the menu plans that Leanne has available at www.SavingDinner. com From the freezer menus, the vegetarian, heart healthy and more - take a look today
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BECKE'!!!
OH NOOOOOOOOO. I just read your blog and realized that I MISSED YOUR BIRTHDAY yesterday. One of my best friends in the world and I missed your birthday.
I am thankful for your sweet friendship.
I am thankful that we have great conversations about things that matter. You know. How to have deeper faith. Where to find shallots at Kroger. Fashion tips like buy the shoes first and the outfit second.
I am thankful that our boys have fun playing together!
I am thankful that even though I am completely unorganized and can't remember an important date to save my life that you still love me. You do still love me don't you? :)
You are a fun person to be friends with and you are so stinkin' cute. You are one of the most compassionate and thoughtful people I know. You are faithful to pray for people. You are always searching and asking God to show you more of Him. You are an encourager. And, You make 31 look good! :)
I am thankful for your sweet friendship.
I am thankful that we have great conversations about things that matter. You know. How to have deeper faith. Where to find shallots at Kroger. Fashion tips like buy the shoes first and the outfit second.
I am thankful that our boys have fun playing together!
I am thankful that even though I am completely unorganized and can't remember an important date to save my life that you still love me. You do still love me don't you? :)
You are a fun person to be friends with and you are so stinkin' cute. You are one of the most compassionate and thoughtful people I know. You are faithful to pray for people. You are always searching and asking God to show you more of Him. You are an encourager. And, You make 31 look good! :)
S.O.S.
this has been a hard morning. maybe i shouldn't post about it but i'm about being real with people. i woke up in a very tired & bad mood. the house feels dirty and cluttered. i worked very hard all day yesterday on my business which means LD was not on any kind of routine. that filtered into last night when he was up a lot.
shane left for work and 3 of the 4 of us left behind were crying. i had a box of tissue in one hand boo-hooing and a crying baby in the other. stinky pete was happy as usual, but the rest of us were a mess. the beds are unmade. did i mention the dust? the table and chairs are sticky. it all feels overwhelming.
ld is in his crib. he cried for 8 minutes before he dozed off to sleep. felt like 30 minutes poor thing. he is very content to sleep when he is in my arms, and i am content with that too. it is a good thing though that i'm teaching him how to go to sleep (at least some of the times) on his own.
i stopped and asked God to please give us a few things around here today.
joy.
peace.
laughter.
contentment.
thankfulness.
you know what? it worked too. he has taken my focus off the little piddly things that felt like the biggest problems in the world. the bottom line is i love this time in our life with a newborn. i am thankful like crazy for our family. i am trying to look past the dishes, beds, and sticky fingerprints.
i'm off to do a modified 15 minute flylady. i'm allready showered and dressed to pj's. i should put shoes on becasue then my chipped nailpolish might not drive me as crazy, but nah... i'm going to make the beds. get the dishes put up. make some coffee and spend some time with the boys. we found a cool elmo book yesterday where you play i spy and hunt for the yo-yo's, ducks, and things like that.
**change of plans. the baby woke up after i posted this. i held him, read your funny blogs, decided to forego the dishes and beds and just have coffee and read with the boys.
shane left for work and 3 of the 4 of us left behind were crying. i had a box of tissue in one hand boo-hooing and a crying baby in the other. stinky pete was happy as usual, but the rest of us were a mess. the beds are unmade. did i mention the dust? the table and chairs are sticky. it all feels overwhelming.
ld is in his crib. he cried for 8 minutes before he dozed off to sleep. felt like 30 minutes poor thing. he is very content to sleep when he is in my arms, and i am content with that too. it is a good thing though that i'm teaching him how to go to sleep (at least some of the times) on his own.
i stopped and asked God to please give us a few things around here today.
joy.
peace.
laughter.
contentment.
thankfulness.
you know what? it worked too. he has taken my focus off the little piddly things that felt like the biggest problems in the world. the bottom line is i love this time in our life with a newborn. i am thankful like crazy for our family. i am trying to look past the dishes, beds, and sticky fingerprints.
i'm off to do a modified 15 minute flylady. i'm allready showered and dressed to pj's. i should put shoes on becasue then my chipped nailpolish might not drive me as crazy, but nah... i'm going to make the beds. get the dishes put up. make some coffee and spend some time with the boys. we found a cool elmo book yesterday where you play i spy and hunt for the yo-yo's, ducks, and things like that.
**change of plans. the baby woke up after i posted this. i held him, read your funny blogs, decided to forego the dishes and beds and just have coffee and read with the boys.
Monday, June 2, 2008
1 MONTH ALLREADY!
Little Darlin' weighs 10lbs 7 oz!! He is 65% percentile for height & weight.
This is LD's after dinner stretch process. These are my favorite faces!
This is the pouty face.
This is the proud daddy and happy baby face.
This is LD's after dinner stretch process. These are my favorite faces!
This is the pouty face.
This is the proud daddy and happy baby face.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
I SCARED myself!
**preface: shane just proofed this post outloud in a bill clinton voice and it added a really nice twist, you may want to try it too**
Yesterday morning when I woke up I scared myself when I looked in the mirror. Seriously. I looked in the mirror, gasped out loud, and jumped a little. My hair was CRAZY looking! Crazier looking than usual. Like I was amazed at the sheer horror of it. Knowing that a picture is worth a million words, and that you would not believe how crazy I'm talking about, I thought I'd humor you and post a picture.
Needless to say, a pot of coffee was called into order...
The boys even needed a cup after seeing Mommyzilla emerge from the room...
After a good restful afternoon, we went to Chili's for dinner and cashed in on a giftcard.
We came home and Shane mowed while the boys played outside. We have the best neighbors. One of our favorite things is to sit in the drivway on these nice nights while our kiddies play! After playing hard and baths, the boys snuggled in for bed.
p.s. this will be a good post to remind my hubby that it is a good thing that I have to make special trips to Little Rock just for my MAC eyeshadow and eyeliner.
Yesterday morning when I woke up I scared myself when I looked in the mirror. Seriously. I looked in the mirror, gasped out loud, and jumped a little. My hair was CRAZY looking! Crazier looking than usual. Like I was amazed at the sheer horror of it. Knowing that a picture is worth a million words, and that you would not believe how crazy I'm talking about, I thought I'd humor you and post a picture.
Needless to say, a pot of coffee was called into order...
The boys even needed a cup after seeing Mommyzilla emerge from the room...
After a good restful afternoon, we went to Chili's for dinner and cashed in on a giftcard.
We came home and Shane mowed while the boys played outside. We have the best neighbors. One of our favorite things is to sit in the drivway on these nice nights while our kiddies play! After playing hard and baths, the boys snuggled in for bed.
p.s. this will be a good post to remind my hubby that it is a good thing that I have to make special trips to Little Rock just for my MAC eyeshadow and eyeliner.
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