Kitchen 2010, Part Two!!

Kitchen Redo of 2010 is coming along nicely.....

for the most part! 

Here is my awesome potrack/light that 

my hero installed. No big deal? WELL....

He had to remove a fluorescent light, move the wires,

patch the old hole, create a new hole and add sturdy wood

so the pot rack won't ever fall on our heads. 

I think it looks fantastic!

We worked all weekend on the kitchen cabinets.

Papa and Hero sanded them all down.

Hero added the trim on all the doors.

Then, the doors were primed and painted.

New knobs and hinges and all doors 

were back on by Sunday night!

Hero also installed a microwave over the range.

You'll notice in the picture that he had to 

fill in some space on either side...

Once it's painted, you'll never know!

Trim...no trim..

Just as a point of reference...

here are the kitchen cabinets and hood

BEFORE! 

Doodle dressed up as Raggedy Ann and

part of her costume was mine when I was 7 

that Mema sewed for me! 

Can you say ADORABLE???

LucyBelle modeling her new sweater

from the dollar spot at Target....

Kitchen 2010, Part One

Excitement is brewing!!! We are embarking on a major kitchen renovation project! It's been a LONG time coming!

Week One of Kitchen Renovation is complete. Hero had three days off this week. Despite a terrible cold, he still managed to get beadboard up, the dining room ceiling painted and new light fixture hanging!

New dining room light...

Proud of the "miracle cut"...perfect fit around doors!

Hero celebrated his 44th birthday this week, too! 

Banana Pancakes for the Daddy!

The Boy was his trusty assistant this week.  And the girls...they just showed up occasionally and said..."Wow! Looks great!"

It's coming along nicely!

Fabric: Covington Remington,multi

 Meanwhile, I spent WAY too much time obsessing over which paint color to use, which curtain fabric to choose, and thinking about if blue kitchens really do suppress the appetite bc blue isn't a food color. Yes, I read that online. And we all know that everything we read online is true. Ha! But.....now that I'm thinking about it...maybe an appetite suppressing color isn't a bad thing...

Stay tuned for part two!

No more sorrow, no more pain....

My beautiful Grandmother went home to be with Jesus.

I couldn't have handpicked a Grandmother who loved me as much as she loved me.

Yummy Meatballs!

We love Casa frozen Italian meatballs that we buy in a big bag from Sam's. They are made in southeast Georgia and are so so so good!

I decided to try a different meatball recipe instead of the same old spaghetti and meatballs. We enjoyed this sooo much that I decided to share.

In a large frying pan, sauté 1/2 cup chopped onion and 1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper in olive oil. Whisk together 1 cup ketchup,  2 T apple cider vinegar, 3/4 cup cola, 1 t seasoning salt, 1/2 t ground black pepper, 1 T Worcestershire sauce in a bowl, then mix with sautéed onion/pepper in pan. Add about 25 frozen meatballs, cover and simmer for about 1/2 hour. Serve over rice and enjoy!! (This would also be great in the crockpot!)

Our Newest Family Member

Say "Hi!" to the newest member of our family....

13 week old Lucy Belle. She's a one and a half pound  bundle of Yorkie-Poo love who came to live with us a week ago.

I've never in my entire life had a tiny dog OR an inside dog. So, there's been quite a learning curve for me to figure all this out.

This is the best picture I could find of her bc she just won't pose for the camera!!! She'd rather bark at the camera and attack the camera and bite the camera and then take off zooming around after the kitties.

Her first few days were rough. She had a pretty severe hypoglycemic episode her first night and we spent the night helping her recover from that scary episode.

We're all in love with this little ball of fluff!!!!

Homeschool 2010 Is Underway!!!!

Wow! Is it that time already? Our summer ran away from me without my permission. 

(More on our rocky start to summer break in another post.) 

We are into our third week of home learning already! 

Here's a shot of the room where the action happens!

And here's where I found these two one day...

Learning together.

Anywhere With You

Anywhere with you

is my favorite place to be....

This week we celebrated 19 years of marriage. We just thought we knew what love was and what being in love meant 19 years ago at the altar. We loved each other as much as we knew how...back then.

19 years together has brought about a love between us that is hard to describe, deep as an ocean, wide as the sky. We are one.

About a month after we got married, I got upset everyday at my Hero because we'd get home from work...and he'd go fishing. In my mind, I couldn't understand why he wanted to go fishing more than he wanted to be with me. I cried about it. Yes, I cried. I thought I was enough for him...why did he need fish to help him unwind and de-stress?? Fish are slimy and they stink! And let's not discuss crickets and worms.  Oh the joys of being a newlywed, trying to figure out how to navigate a marriage relationship. 

19 years later, my sweet card he gave me says it all..."Anywhere with you is my favorite place to be."

Our favorite place to be isn't a location, a favorite vacation spot, a delicious restaurant. "Favorite place" does not equal "destination" to either of us. Anywhere we are with each other and our kids is our favorite place to be because that's where our hearts are. Our hearts are with each other. Not at a favorite shopping spot, movie theater or fishing hole. We are content when we are together no matter where we are and what we are doing because we are "one."

I agree with Jack Johnson..."It's always better when we're together."

Guest Blogger: One Teen's Perspective on Dating

My 14 year old daughter wrote a blog post on her thoughts about love, purity, and dating.

What's so precious about Rayray is that these aren't just words on a page or her attempt to say what she thinks her parents want to hear.

The overflow of her heart inspired these words. She lives this.

To the young man who may one day seek to win her heart: You will receive a priceless treasure and if you do not realize that, then you aren't "the one."

===================================================

What Purity is to Me

July12

Before I begin, I’m going to go ahead and let you all know that this is my opinion. Feel free to disagree and post a comment about what you don’t agree with. But I’m not getting into any kind of debate, so I won’t be responding to any comments. Again, this is my point of view and what I believe it means to be pure.

Purity is more than just wearing a purity ring and saying “I am going to keep my body from evil.” It is more than waiting for your husband for your first kiss. None of these are bad things at all. In fact, they can be extremely important. Physical purity is absolutely a beautiful gift from God.

Here’s where my opinion comes in.

I believe that it is okay to wonder about your future husband. It’s okay to think a guy is good looking. It’s okay to talk to God about him. Father knows the desire for a spouse that many women have…He placed it in our hearts. We don’t have to be anti-boy to be pure. And when it comes to husbands…it isn’t like we don’t have any choice in the matter. Yes, God knows who we are going to marry. But I’m not so sure that love at first sight is totally real. We have to get to know the guy before we know if we love him or not. That is the purpose of courting.

What comes to mind when I think of courting is getting to know a guy with a group of people, whether it’s with your family or some friends. Courting isn’t wrong by any means. In fact, we have to court to find our future husband. Whether you agree with teen courting or not is your decision, but I probably won’t court until I’m 18 or older. This doesn’t mean I will be absolutely anti-boy until then. It means that I know for a fact that pursuing boys as a young teen doesn’t do much except hand out free heartbreaks.

Now you may be wondering what the difference between dating and courting is. Dating has many different meanings to many different people. But to me, dating is something that should be saved for when both the man and woman know that they love each other. My parents “courted” (were really good friends, hung out in groups, etc.) for a few years, and their first real “date” was when my dad told my mom that he loved her.

My promises:
Wait for courting until I’m old enough to take it seriously. Date only when I’m sure that I love the guy (I probably won’t be a teenager at that point). Treat my first kiss like a precious treasure…and be sure that the man I give it to treats it like a precious treasure, as well. Remain pure before God and for my future husband.

Though it is my greatest hope to fulfill all of these promises I’ve made to myself, God, and my future husband, I know that Father is a loving and forgiving God. If I make a mistake, I know without a doubt that He will absolutely forgive me and cover my sin with His grace and mercy…just like any other sins I’ve committed in my life.

Here’s a little short verse that I wrote about falling in love:

“I don’t know when I’ll fall
Or where I will land
But I know that I’ll always
Be safe in Your hands.”

The Princess Turns Seven

All I did was blink.

And we went from 

here....

to here....

in one 7 year fell swoop. 




Seven pounds to seven years in the blink of an eye.


Happy Birthday, sweet princess!

Random Porch Conversation

Doodle: Remember when Rayray made a purse out of juice pouches?

The Boy: Maybe one day you can knit yourself a purse with your own juice pouches.

Me: You don't knit juice pouches together, you sew them.

Doodle: Mama, why haven't you ever taught me how to knit? I have two knitting sticks and am ready to go!

Me: Because I don't know how to knit that good. We'll have to get Mema to teach you.

The Boy: Well, Mama, when you get to be an old lady you will know how to knit because allll old ladies can knit!   And you can knit me a warm, fluffy sweater with love in every stitch!!


Sometimes I feel like I'm living in a sitcom.

What Is That Smell??

The Boy, age 10, came to me as I was finishing up dinner tonight and asked with sincerity, "Mama, can you get me some of that stuff I can spray on my skin to make me smell like a MAN?"

This morning, I started school by asking the littles, "What is that smell!?" I had them each close their eyes and sniff whatever it was I waved under their noses.

I had honeysuckle blossoms from the yard, apple pie spice from the kitchen, the BBW lotion I use every night, the body spray their teen sister uses, and the menthol chest rub (that stunk up the entire juvenile end of the house last night bc of all their COUGHING!).

Anyway, all were very familiar scents to them. Then we read and talked about these verses...

2 Corinthians 2:14, 15, 17 says:

In Christ, God leads us from place to place

in one perpetual victory parade.

Through us, He spreads the fragrance

of the knowledge of Him everywhere.

For we are the aroma of Christ to God

among those being saved and

 among those perishing..

Christ abides in us, in those that believe. He is in us and as we live our daily lives, He is spreading His fragrance....the knowledge of Himself....to those around us. The Message calls it an "exquisite fragrance." 

Yes, we all have those days where the fragrance we're exuding isn't exactly exquisite. We might be grumpy, tired, busy, stressed, overwhelmed, aggravated, hormonal ...These are the moments when we really hope we don't bump into anyone at Winn-Dixie that needs an encouraging word...bc our victory parade has turned into a frantic stomp and our fragrant mister is slap empty! It's ok. I've soooo been there. Just another opportunity to surrender...

Ephesians 5:1-2 says: 

Therefore, be imitators of God,

as beloved children.

And walk in love,

As Christ loved us and 

gave himself up for us,

a fragrant offering

and sacrifice to God.

As Believers, we've all been given special gifts, talents, strengths unique to only you, only me. We are to use these God-given strengths, bathed in Love,  as a fragrant offering to Him and as His aroma to those around us. 

Just like The Boy wants to imitate his HeroDaddy and spray on the fragrance of a man, we are to be like children imitating our Father.

But this fragrant aroma can't be sprayed on or applied by human hands. It comes from the Love of Christ within us, oozing out of our very pores, as we allow Him to abide in us, take up residence in us giving us New Life...allowing our stinkin' flesh to fall away and disappear. 

The question just begs to be asked.

What is that smell...that fragrant aroma?

Addison Road and Hope

We have a precious new friend. Her name is Jenny. She's a young wife and mother to a beautiful baby girl. She's also the very real, transparent, and talented lead singer for Addison Road.

And...Addison Road just so happens to be our most favorite band. And we just so happened to drive 5 hours to see them in concert a few days ago.

Awhile back, we watched a 20/20 show on country teen star Taylor Swift. Camera crews went backstage with her before one of her concerts where we saw a plush lounge area set up complete with fully stocked snack bar, expensive furniture and candles lit for a luxurious, relaxing place to wait until time to go on stage to sing.

Let's just say this isn't exactly the same picture for our Addison Road. Traveling on the road for months at a time in a borrowed tour bus with the baby...setting up their own equipment.....eating Ramen Noodles before a concert?  No, not the lap of luxury by any stretch of the imagination.

So why do they do it? Is it worth it?

They do it bc they are certain of the calling Father has on their lives. Yes, it is worth it because hearts are touched and lives are changed because of their testimony and their God-breathed music. You see, Jenny doesn't sing lyrics about the Lord because it's a nice rhyme or sweet sentiment. They share lyrics about hope, redemption, true beauty, faith because they have LIVED THEM.

Just in the past year alone, the members of Addison Road have had their trailer with all their equipment/band stuff inside stolen TWICE, they've had TWO wrecks, and just recently, their borrowed tour bus and trailer with ALL THEIR CLOTHES AND MERCH exploded and burnt to the ground. Besides that, some of the band members have had  family crises and Jenny had a baby!

When my life is like a storm
rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I'll be ok
Make it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm
I'm not my own, I've been carried by You all my life...
Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

We (my girls, my sister in law, my niece and I) had the privilege to meet Jenny (and the rest of the band) at the concert. Before I said a word, she recognized US from my comments on her blog and she was as excited as we were to meet her.( I scored some major "Cool Mom" points bc of that, too.) She's the real deal....nothing fake or diva.

At the end of the day, she is a wife and mom who just so happens to have a beautiful voice, a heart for God and a passion for people. The guys in the band are just regular, normal guys who happen to be gifted songwriters and musicians.

In his book The Misunderstood God, Darin Hufford writes:

"Hope is extremely precious; life depends on hope and God made it that way. It is very dear to His heart because of the power it possesses for His children when placed in the right things. The purpose of hope is for it to be inserted into truth. When hope is placed in Truth, it tows us through life's trials. There is nothing a person cannot endure if their hope is placed in Truth."

I believe I can safely say that the members of Addison Road have their hope placed in Truth. As I stood at the concert with Appledoodle's arms wrapped around my neck and her little voice singing Hope Now with Jenny as loud as she could, I realized once again and can say without a doubt that my hope is placed in Truth, too. Everything rides on Hope, now.

Appledumplin' dancing at the concert 

with her autographed shirt on...

Resurrection Eggs - Day 3

Inside today's egg was a silver chalice. (aka a cup.)

First we discussed the first Passover as recorded in Exodus. And how the Jewish still celebrate a passover meal each year. One day, we are going to have a full passover meal at our house. Rayray is fascinated with Jewish tradition and one of our favorite movies is Fiddler on the Roof.

I digress.

Jesus and the disciples were in Jerusalem during and for Passover. They went to the Upper Room and together had what is now known as The Last Supper. After washing the disciples feet in a most humble act of servant-leader, they had their passover dinner.

Communion. The Lord's Supper. The broken bread symbolizes Jesus body, broken for our sins. The wine symbolizes Jesus blood, spilt to cover our sins. The Blood of the Lamb.

I did a study a few years ago that fascinated me on broken bread and poured out wine.  In Oswald Chambers "My Utmost For His Highest" devo book, the phrase kept popping up over and over. I decided to dig deeper and see what I could find bc most times, when something keeps "popping up over and over" it's the Lord...and I pay close attention. That time proved to be no different, either.

Our tiny silver chalice today represents the Last Supper in the upper room during Passover in Jerusalem.

Resurrection Eggs - Day 2

The pink egg. Such a fun colored egg with such a heartbreaking symbol inside.

Today - 3 pieces of silver representing the 30 pieces of silver Judas bargained for in return for turning over Jesus to the Jewish leaders.

Matthew 24:14-16 is the scripture reference.

Betrayal. A betrayal is a violation of a friendship. A break of trust. Being unfaithful. Disloyal. A breach in confidence. To deliver into the hands of an enemy in violation of a trust or allegiance, as in the case with Judas.

After discussing the judgmental, selfish, prideful religious leaders and their hatred of Jesus and Judas' ultimate betrayal, our discussion took a different turn.


Was Judas forgiven of his betrayal?

We didn't get into a deep theological discussion about this issue...But I touched on a couple of things to ponder.

First, Jesus knew what Judas was up to before it ever happened. It was an ultimate betrayal, but no surprise.

Secondly, even Judas, who committed the ultimate betrayal, is loved by Father and not beyond forgiveness.

I'm wondering....have I ever been betrayed by a friend for a much less serious offense and not readily offered forgiveness? What makes it justifiable to not offer forgiveness to another when our Father offers it to all??

Just pondering.....

Tomorrow...What's inside egg number three???

Resurrection Eggs - Day 1

It's time to pull out or Resurrection Eggs. We've been using our eggs to anticipate and celebrate the Easter season for at least ten years now. I say Easter season instead of Easter DAY because there's so much more to learn and talk about than one day can afford. We use our eggs kinda like we do our Advent celebration at Christmas....except we don't light them up like the Advent candles or anything.....

Day 1 - The Donkey.

Our scripture: Matthew 21:1-11....When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on the donkey....and the people laid their coats and palm branches for Him to ride over. In those days, when a king rode in on a donkey, it meant he was coming in peace, not war. The King of Kings rode into Jerusalem on a donkey to bring peace, hope and forgiveness to His people.

Yes, he knew what was coming later in the week....but the Prince of Peace wanted the people to know how much He loved them. He wanted them....and us, today, to know that our sins are forgiven and as we trust Him, we can have peace that passes understanding, love and joy, no matter what trials come our way.

The people were so excited to see Jesus, their peaceful King. Besides rolling out their version of the red carpet, they shouted, "Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!"  The kids and I talked about how we can show Him we love Him today. We read Matthew 22:37-39 and discussed how loving others is the best way to love Him!

We talked of all the ways we have loved others and can show love to others. Their assignment was to think of someone they can love on today....and they chose....... drumrolll please........

MEMA!!!

So, Mema, you've got some love coming your way today!!!

I Pledge Allegiance...

We are just finishing a little study on the history of the American flag. The kids did an easy and fun American Flag Wall Hanging today. I got the directions here and with a little tweaking , we ended up with some really nice flags for very little cost.

It's a perfect example of how a hands-on activity can help cement what they learn....they painted on the 50 stars themselves, counted and measured the 13 stripes, etc.

While we're on the subject, I have to give a shout-out to my current favorite homeschooling website.
Lesson Pathways. And imagine my sheer delight to find that it's now free. I had a year's free, anyway, bc I am a beta tester but now everybody is free all the time!! They've taken the best websites and divided them into subjects and grades. If you have no books whatsoever but have internet access you can almost teach solely from this site.

So...go check out Lesson Pathways if you're a homeschool mom OR dad.

And God Bless The USA!!!!

Horse Show!

The girls were in a horse show recently 

and I wanted to share.

It was SO SO SO windy and cold!!

But in spite of the weather and

the fact they haven't been a part of a show

in a year, maybe two,

the girls did so so good!

They were both so beautiful on Val,

and both seem to have inherited 

their horse riding/showing talent..... 

from their Daddy's side.

I am afraid of large animals.

Shhh. Don't tell anybody.

Miss Doodle won the blue ribbon!

Woohoo!!

Ok, ok, ok. She was in the Leadline class

with all the little bity cute ones

and they gave them all a blue ribbon and a 

bouquet of bunny suckers. 

Miss Rayray won 2nd place in two academy classes

and she won 3rd in the championship class.

Remember I said she hasn't shown in a year or two?

We were like.....WOW!

She also doesn't get to ride and practice much either 

since we live 3.5 hours from Granny and Granddaddy

who own the stables. 

So......I'm thinking if she was able to ride everysingleday,

the other kids wouldn't have much opportunity

to ever win a blue bc of her!

Don't you think???

Daddy's Little Baby Girl

Recently, I was in Winn-Dixie near the produce section. In walked one of my most favorite of all people, my Daddy. He looked a bit bewildered because Winn-Dixie is absolutely not his element like the local hardware store would be. I stood quietly, watching him glance at the people milling about. Soon enough, his eyes found mine. He did a double-take as realization hit, and I watched his face transform into that all-familiar precious smile reserved just for me. It didn't matter that I had just seen him the day before. He was so happy to see his baby girl. I took a mental picture of his precious countenance. 

On my way home, with groceries in tow, I thought about him, his special smile, how much he loves me...I am special to him. I'm his only daughter. His baby girl. I'm 41. But still his baby girl and he is always happy to see me. I know I haven't been a "sheer delight" to him. I'm quite sure I have disappointed and upset him many times growing up. But he never held back his love for me. 

Father whispered to my heart...That's how I feel about you, too, you know! I take great delight in you. You have a special place with me...reserved just for you. I love our relationship...it is unique and unlike anyone else's relationship with me. I love that about us. I never asked you to be perfect...but you're perfectly MINE and you are made perfect in weakness by my strength. 

When I was a baby, my Daddy rocked me to sleep every night in the wooden rocking chair. He wrote a little ditty and sang it to me every night. 

Daddy's little baby girl, little baby girl. 

Daddy's little baby girl, sweetest in the world. 

Daddy's little baby girl..Daddy's little baby girl.

Daddy's little baby girl. 

It was one of the first songs I learned to sing. Years later, granddaughters were born...my brothers sang the little song to their baby girls. Then the words evolved into...Papa's little baby girl, little baby girl. But the song...it's pretty much mine. Written for me by a daddy who adored his baby girl. 

In a Bible study about ten years ago, a mentor friend of mine shared this obscure verse with us. Even as I read it now, I remember the surprised reaction of all the ladies in the room that night when we read this verse:

"The Lord your God is with you,

He is mighty to save.

He will take great delight in you,

He will quiet you with His love,

He will rejoice over you with singing." 

Zephaniah 3:17.

My precious earthly father may have written me my very own song to sing over me....But our heavenly Father has written a special song for every single one of us. He delights in me. He delights in you.. He is your Heavenly Daddy who adores you and sings over you and quiets you with His love. He is a real and personal Father who desires a relationship with each of us.......with no strings attached, no set of rules to follow, no obligations or preconceived notions.

 Just you and Him and a love song. 

A Week of Girls

We have a special treat this week!!!! Chinadoll and her sweet big sister who is Appledoodle's declared bestsisterfriend are spending the week with us. Lots and lots of giggling in the house....with scattered pink sparkly things, hula hoops, jump ropes, pollypockets, and all things princess!

I think The Boy had just about had it by last night with all the girlies. I went to check on him before bed and he had rigged some sort of trap just inside his door. Oh, I wish I had a picture! Try to imagine about 30 colorful thumb tacks stuck into his carpet with a woven web of red thread. I guess his motion sensor alarm wasn't enough.

Three Little Valentines

Cute attack!

The boy made us drop and give him 20 push ups!

Snuggled up on a rainy day, watching Curious George

Three Pinkie Pies having school together!

Buhlessss him.

CHEEEEEEZ!

Wagon ride at Papa's!

Just plain cute!!

Sweet C's turn on the zip line swing!

China Doll...zipping along!

DQ with family friends

Silly goosies!

There...much better!!!

Haiti

Haiti. I can't imagine any one seeing the desperate need in Haiti today...the faces of the children, the women, the men....and not feeling a deep compassion and desire to help. A heart FOR the people of Haiti.

My brother and his family spent a few years in Haiti as missionaries. He has been back several times and I fully expect him to return....sooner rather than later. His heart is for Haiti. Therefore, my heart is for the people of Haiti.

My sisterfriend adopted a little girl from China last year. I feel like Chinadoll is part mine bc we were so involved in the process of bringing her home. My friend's heart is for adoption. Therefore, my heart is tender towards orphans and adoption.

I was RIVETED, bordering on OBSESSED and a Googling maniac with the unfolding events surrounding the Haitian orphans of BRESMA and the McMutrie sisters. Forever families not just in the USA but in other countries had adoptions in progress with these 150 children. I can not imagine the rollercoaster of emotions these families have endured the last week.

I prayed. My children and my husband prayed. Everytime I awoke in the night this weekend, I prayed for their safety. I envisioned huge angels encamped around these two tiny American women and their 150 children they were trying to protect, camped outside their crumbled orphanage building.

I found a blog or two with regular postings on the BRESMA situation. Then on Sunday, updates completely stopped. Silence. We felt like that was GOOD NEWS...meaning something was happening that didn't need to be shared. Something big. Something BIG that only our Father could orchestrate. Boy, was it EVER. I never dreamed it'd involve the Governor of Pennsylvania himself on a plane to Haiti to bring the McMutrie girls and their orphans home to their Forever Families. If you haven't seen the video of the children's arrival in Pittsburgh yesterday, click here. After watching Ali McMutrie's press conference statements, my 14 yr old Rayray said, "I want to be her friend."

The sisters did not come home together, however. 53 of the orphans came home on the plane with Ali McMutrie and the Governor, etc. One little toddler didn't make it on the plane. Jamie got off the plane and refused to leave Haiti without the one. She found the little girl at the American Embassy and arrived in Pittsburgh today.

These girls are shepherds over the tiniest and most fragile lambs. This story is a real life picture of Christ. He leaves the 99 safe sheep to go after the one lost lamb. He came after me. He came after you. He has not forgotten nor forsaken the people of Haiti.

He is Emanuel - God is With us, El Shaddai - All Sufficient. Our Hope endures the worst of conditions. Let the earth quake. Our hope is unchanged. (Natalie Grant)