Recipe Fun Friday

This week I was really hungry for some pumpkin pie but I didn't want to take the time to make a pie crust. My favorite part of the pie is the filling anyway, so I searched for a recipe for pumpkin custard all over the internet. It took a while before I found one that I already had all the ingredients, and I found this one. The only thing I did differently was use regular sugar instead of one of her sweetner options. I thought a whole cup would be too much, so I used about 3/4 of a cup instead.

It turned out okay. Pie would have been better for sure, but it did satisfy the craving....for a while anyway. I'm sure that in a few days I'll be wanting some of the real thing again.

If you want to participate in Recipe Fun Friday, it's quite simple. Just head type out or post a link to a new recipe that you've tried this week and then head over to Nikki's blog to link up!

He'll be the richest one in the family soon.

Owen lost his second tooth Wednesday night and received another dollar from his Dad.



Flattering picture, huh? He's so funny. When we got home from church, I told Tyson and him to hurry and get ready for bed because it was late, and I knew they'd be tired the next morning if they didn't get to bed at a decent time. Owen was being unusually slow, and I started to fuss at him for it when I noticed that he kept putting his finger in his mouth. At first I thought he was eating something, but then he said that his tooth was hurting and he thought it was about to come out. Thankfully, Big O came in at just the right time. (I don't do wiggly teeth...it gives me the willies.)

The tooth came out without much drama...not even blood thankfully. His teeth are so tiny...not much bigger than a broken piece of pencil lead! He definitely didn't get his itty bitty teeth from me. I have big honkin' teeth.

Recipe Fun Friday....on Saturday

Owen made muffins yesterday....I know it's supposed to be a new recipe that I've made, but husbands count, don't they?

If you haven't played this game yet, you're supposed to try a new recipe during the week and on Friday share it with everyone and link up to Nikki's blog.

So the new recipes are Skittles Muffins and M&M Muffins. He made them up based on a recipe he had for chocolate chip muffins. All he did was replace the chocolate chips with M&M's in one batch and Skittles in the others. The funny part about the whole thing is that he used Splenda for Baking instead of sugar. My mom and I both asked him why he bothered, and he admitted that he had no idea.

So here it is exactly as Owen made it.

3/4 c milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
2 c all- purpose flour*
1/2 c Splenda for Baking
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 c M&Ms or Skittles

1. Heat oven to 400 degrees. Grease bottoms only of 12 muffin cups with cooking spray.

2. In large bowl, beat milk oil and egg with wisk until well mixed. Sir in flour, sugar, baking powder and salt all at once just until flour is moistened (batter will be lumpy). Fold in M&Ms or Skittles. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups.

3. Bake 15 - 20 minutes or until golden brown. Let stand about 5 minutes in pan, then remove from pan to wire rack. Serve warm.

*If using self-rising flour, omit baking powder and salt.

The M&M muffins tasted the same as chocolate chip; they were just a little more colorful. The Skittles muffins were like gooey cupcakes, and they wouldn't come out of the pan without breaking apart. They were both really good. I left the Skittles pan at my moms for her to run through the dishwasher; the Skittles melted and ran all over the place and will be a huge mess to clean up.

2 Posts in One Week

I just poked my head in the shower because Tyson was taking so long, and I found him standing there just looking at the shampoo bottle. This is not the first time, either! He can't read what it says, but I know one day he will join me in my strange habit of reading every word. I would have taken his picture, but that would have been a bit obscene seeing that he's in the shower and all... :o) I love my kids!

This and That

Little Owen lost his first tooth! When it came out, he started crying, but not because it hurt. He said he was crying because he was so happy! All of his friends have already lost at least one tooth, so he's been eagerly anticipating this day. His Dad gave him a whole $1 for it, too!





While uploading that picture, I decided to take a few pictures of my haircut....I hate pictures of myself......

Here are a few pictures of the boys "playing" flag football....Owen's got his game face on....



I think Tyson's running the wrong way.

Here he's doing a little dance.

Owen scored a safety (2 points) for his team week before last....that's when you get a guy's flag while he's in his own end zone. (I don't have a picture for that, but it was awesome!)

Big O is the official cameraman for all of the Upward teams at the church.



Are these guys cute or what?

And the Award Goes To.....

I was given this award by my cousin, Nikki! I'd like to thank all my blogging friends who so patiently put up with me, waiting weeks and weeks for me to post. I'd especially like to thank Angela who helped me make my blog so beautiful and Owen and Tyson who supply most of my blogging subject material. I will pass this award on to Patti, Pam, and Alice who read my blog and comment, too! I also want to pass it to Madye and Stacie who I've known since I can remember.

BFF stands for Blogging Friends Forever, so let's blog on, friends!

Hair

I got my hair cut this past weekend. I went from Pam on the Office to someone with a bit more style. It was dramatic enough that two men at church even noticed...and no they are not weird men, just normal ones. Owen doesn't hate it, but he doesn't love it either. I told him that I was going to cut it up to my ears, so when I came back with it longer than that, he wasn't too upset.
Every time I make an appointment to get my hair cut, he makes a really big deal about it. He would rather me keep it long, but I like to have it short because I shed so much.

I tried to post a picture, but I'm having technical difficulty, so I'll have to do it later.

I've been tagged for this by 3 different people, so I guess I need to do this one. Thanks to Dustin, Nikki and Madye for tagging me.

Here are the rules.

Link to the person who tagged you.
Post the rules on your blog.
List 6 unspectacular quirks you have.
Tag 6 bloggers by linking them.
Leave a comment on each taggee's blog to let them know they've been tagged.

1. I wash my hands all the time. If they feel dirty or if they touch anything that might have had germs on it, I wash them. I think I may have passed this trait on to Tyson. :0)

2. I wear flip flops for house shoes. I used to wear regular ones, but they always make my feet hot.

3. The past several places I've lived, I've had my sister decorate for me. I don't know where things should go, so I just don't put anything up on the walls. When we lived in LA, she and my best friend drove all the way out to visit me and while they were there, they painted my living room and put up pictures for me.

4. When I'm sleeping, no matter how hot it is, I have to have at least a sheet to cover me up. If I don't, I feel exposed.

5. Also when I'm sleeping, I like to have the bedroom door closed, even if the only ones home are Owen and me. Owen always laughs at me for that one.

6. I always read the instructions on everything....even the shampoo bottle. I want to know what everything says just so I can know and not necessarily because I will follow the instructions....but I usually do.

I am going to tag Pam, Amber, Alice, Whitney, Patti, and Tessa

I haven't died or anything in case you're wondering.

For those of you who have missed me, I'm sorry it took so long for me to blog.

Since the last time I blogged, we started school and I got a job. It's only a part time job two afternoons a week, but the change in my schedule has taken a lot of free time and drained me of much energy. It means I'm working 3 afternoons a week when you include piano lessons. I'm thankful that I am able to homeschool the boys so that I have time to spend with them every morning. The time I am away from them helps me appreciate the time that I do get with them so regularly.

We have also started our flag football season. They are so cute out there, but Tyson knows very little about what's going on. Big O has been working with them....I should take some pictures of that. They get out in the yard with his whistle and their flags and he coaches them. He even painted lines on the grass with spray paint. I'm sure the whole neighborhood really appreciates the whistle, but it's fun and it's a great way for them to spend time together.

Summer Fun

My cuties had a great time playing in the sprinkler a few days ago. It was a very hot day with no breeze, so I let them just jump in with their clothes instead of changing into swimming trunks.

We start school soon and summer will be over. I don't know where it went!

Recipe Fun Friday

I'm joining in the Recipe Fun! Owen is grilling chicken for dinner, so I decided to try a recipe I saw on Food Network for Oven Fries.

I didn't follow the recipe to the letter, but I almost never do. Instead of Russet potatoes, I used the potatoes from my Poppa's garden, and I didn't add the cheese....we don't need the extra calories. Instead, I added garlic powder when I added the salt. What made this recipe unique from the others I have tried is that he suggests preheating your baking pan so that the potatoes will crisp up.

Here are my cuties enjoying their dinner!

Head on over to Nikki's site and add your new recipe from this week!

He's 5!!!

Tyson had his birthday this past weekend....so much fun!


It was so windy that we gave up on lighting the candles....then after we sang and started cutting the cake, we got them lit and he blew them out.


I think the slip-n-slide was the biggest hit! We also had water guns, water balloons, the water rocket, and we ate watermelon!

Thanks for taking the pictures, Angela!

Another giveaway!

Cultivating Home is also having a giveaway. All you do is answer a few questions and you're in the running!

Freebie!

My cousin, Nikki, is giving away a baby blanket! She made it to commemorate her 200th post....yeah for Nikki! Head on over and check it out!

Gas isn't cheap!

Owen bought a motor scooter/moped/mini motorcycle/whatever you want to call it, to save money on gas. He's having a lot of fun saving money!

On living in a Bubble...

I feel like I'm in a bubble; a Christian bubble to be exact. I homeschool my children, volunteer in the church, and pretty much everyone I know are Christians...or at least profess to be. Lately I've thought about starting a Bible study with other ladies from church, but the Lord kept impressing on me the need to do something to further the Kingdom. Having another Bible study is all well and good, but at what point am I planning to step out to reach the lost world?

Am I doing my part?

Am I being a "fisher of men"?

I realize that I am at a stage in my life where my children are my main focus. I am preparing them to be Kingdom Builders one day. I know that my duties are to my God first, my husband second, my children third, but for some reason, I feel like there isn't much time left. I need to be doing something else; but I don't know what it is.

I was challenged today to make a difference. I am to be salt and light. I am to let others see Jesus in me.

One person can make a difference. How am I going to be that one person?

I'll let you know when I figure it out.

Recipe Fun Friday

I joined in on my cousin Nikki's "Recipe Fun Friday" this week. The idea is that each week you try a new recipe out and then share your results on Friday. I made Chicken Noodle Casserole on Tuesday, but I forgot to take pictures. Here's the recipe from my Kitchen Keepsakes cookbook. The parts not in italics are my own notes.

3 cups (6 oz.) uncooked noodles (I used egg noodles)
1 can condensed cream of chicken soup
1/3 cup sour cream (for less fat use plain non-fat yogurt)
1/3 cup milk
1 Tbsp. chopped pimento (I left that out b/c I didn't have any)
1Tbsp. chopped parsley (fresh) or 1 Tsp. dried parsley
1/3 cup chopped celery (again, left it out b/c I didn't have any)
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup diced, cooked chicken
Buttered bread crumbs (I used Italian bread crumbs)

Cook noodles as package directs (being sure to add salt while cooking as this is the best way to flavor pasta). Drain. Combine all ingredients except chicken and bread crumbs in saucepan. Heat thoroughly. Add chicken and noodles, mixing gently. Pour into greased 1 1/2 quart casserole. Top with bread crumbs. Bake uncovered in 375 degree oven for 30 minutes. Serve with tossed green salad and Sourdough Bread.

It was pretty good, but probably would have been better with the pimientos. If I had added the celery, I probably would have cooked it first because I don't think it would have gotten done in the 30 minutes that it was in the oven and I don't like crunchy celery in casseroles.....another good reason to leave it out.

Google

Little Owen is learning how to "Google things." He became interested in "Googling" because every time he has a question that I don't know the answer to (if you know him, you know how often that is), I say that I'll have to "Google it." A few weeks ago he asked if he could learn how to Google, so Daddy-O started teaching him how.

One of the first things he wanted to Google on his own was "how many jelly fish live past one year." He had read somewhere that jelly fish only live for a year, so I guess he wanted to see how many of them beat the odds.

He also likes to play with Google Earth. He types in a location to see how far it is from where we live and then looks at it on the map in relation to our house.

More Joy from my boy!

Today Owen was singing Joy to the World. When he got to the part that says, "Let every heart prepare Him room," Tyson said, "No, it's 'Be trev his groove!' Right?"

Tyson's version of Joy to the World

Last week, Tyson was singing the version about the Devil being dead and bar-b-queuing his head. I didn't like that and told him that we shouldn't sing about the Devil but about Jesus. So he started singing Joy to the World the right way....at least his version of the right way. I wish you could hear him singing it....he is so funny!

Joy to the world the Lord has come. For earth resings for nings.

For every heart prepare in grove.

For heaven and nature sing; for heaven and nature sing.

For heaven and na-ture siiiiiiiing!

He's Still Faithful

As I mentioned once before, Owen has been without a full-time job since last July. You may ask how we've survived this long without starving, and I will tell you that it is because God is faithful! Owen owns a small business and works part time for our church, and I give piano lessons. The income from the church and piano lessons is all that we can count on every month, and when business for him is slow or I loose a student, we don't have enough money to pay bills, let alone have money for gas or food. As you can see, this last year has been a major learning experience in humility and trust. We have literally trusted God to feed us this year, and He has been so faithful. All of our bills have been paid. When we needed gas money or grocery money, it always came. God has used generous people who've given us money when we didn't ask for it, and He's given Owen work whenever He knew we needed the money. If the kids needed new clothes, either I had the money for them or someone gave them to us. None of us have been sick enough to need to go to the doctor unless we had the money in the account to pay for it.

We've even been blessed with wants. I was given two Vera Bradley's and a Coach, a dining room table, a couch and a recliner (not all from the same person, if you're wondering).

I'm not telling you this so you'll think that we are super spiritual people that always trust God no matter how grim things appear. Just this week I was worrying and complaining instead of bringing my cares to the Lord. I took them to Owen, who was already doing all he could to take care of it. I knew that my worry was a sin, but I neglected to do the right thing....pray with a thankful heart. Even then, God took care of it. He gave us what we needed exactly when we needed it. It reminds me of the time that the Israelites in the desert needed water. Instead of praying, they complained to Moses. Moses didn't have any water. He couldn't fix it. But they knew the God who could. And God, who didn't have to provide water for them, and who could have let them die in the desert for their unfaithfulness to Him, chose to bless them even though they didn't deserve it. This is another example of the compassion and faithfulness of God towards His children. He is faithful even when we are not.

Rabbity Rabbit part 3

Tyson gave his bunny to my friend's 6 month old daughter. It was his idea.

That was 6 days ago, and he hasn't asked for the bunny back since then.

Think a Gallon of Gas is Expensive?

My brother gave me this in an article from the Hometown Journal.

Trying to find something funny in the absurdity of it all.....The price of Gas vs. Printer Ink.
All these examples do NOT imply that gasoline is cheap; it just illustrates how outrageous some prices are.

Diet Snapple 16 oz $1.29....$10.32 per gallon

Lipton Ice Tea 16 oz $1.19....$9.52 per gallon

Gatorade 20 oz $1.59....$10.17 per gallon

Brake Fluid 12 oz $3.15....$33.60 per gallon

Vick's Nyquil 6 oz $8.35....$178.13 per gallon

Pepto Bismol 4 oz $3.85....$123.20 per gallon

Whiteout 7 oz $1.39....$25.42 per gallon

Scope 1.5 oz $0.99....$84.48 per gallon

And this is the real kicker...

Evian water 9 oz. $1.49....$21.19 per gallon!!
$21.10 for WATER (Evian spelled backwards is Naive).

Ever wonder why printers are so cheap?
They have you hooked for the ink. Someone calculated the cost of ink at $5,200 per gallon!

So, the next time you're at the pump, be glad your car doesn't run on water, Scope, Whiteout, Pepto Bismol, Niquil or Printer Ink!!

Just a little humor to help ease the pain of your next trip to the pump.....

Swallow Your Spit

Have you noticed how kids today are more privileged than any previous generation, yet they seem to be more ungrateful and impatient? I believe it all comes down to instant gratification. The world revolves around the children now more than ever, and it's not always a good thing.

When my grandparents were kids, they worked....and not just taking out the trash or sweeping the front porch. My grandparents worked on the farm doing chores that the family depended on to survive. Instead of going through the drive-thru at McDonald's for dinner, they spent most of the afternoon working in the kitchen (my Granny and her sister started cooking dinner for the family regularly before they were 10 years old). They had no video games, swimming pools, or little league games, but they never complained that they were bored. When they had time for fun, they'd make their own toys instead of whining about the new toy the kid down the road got that they wanted.

As I watch my own children grow, I am realizing how blessed we are. And I'm trying to teach them what it means to wait patiently for something they need. That doesn't mean that I will put them to work in the fields doing manual labor, but I think our kids have a lot to learn about how we got to where we are today. So when we're out and about and I don't have a drink for them as they die of thirst while riding in an air-conditioned car, I'll tell them what my Granny used to tell me...."Swallow your spit!"

Exciting last day of VBS

Yesterday after our last day of Vacation Bible School, we all had to clean up our classrooms so they would be ready for church on Sunday. Patsy wasn't able to stay because she was going out of town, so after we cleaned up, I wanted to drop off her things before she left.

As I was hurrying to her house, a police officer waved me over to the side of the road.

The air is out in the Suburban, so the windows were down. Tyson yelled out, "Oh, no! I forgot to buckle my seatbelt!" and I was sure that the officer heard him. I told Tyson, through gritted teeth, to buckle up as the officer came to my window.

I had been speeding down a very busy road. The officer asked for my driver's license and what year my Suburban was. When I told him it was an '88 or '89, he said, "So I don't think you have money to waste on a ticket do you?"

As he wrote me out a written warning, he said to be thankful because he doesn't give those very often. He must not have heard Tyson, after all.

This was the third time I've ever been pulled over, and it was the first time I've ever been pulled over for speeding. Those who've ridden with me before can attest to the fact that ever since I've had my babies, I drive like an old lady...and I'm usually very careful to make sure the kids are buckled up before we drive off.....so of course the one time I don't pay attention to what I'm doing, I get pulled over.

As we pulled back onto the road, I explained the boys that I had been breaking the law by speeding and that's why the officer pulled me over. Owen never said anything; he usually doesn't. Tyson asked, "Mommy, will you please not break the law anymore?"

Later, I forgot to tell Big O about it, so he heard it from Pam who saw me pulled over on the side of the road. Nothing goes unnoticed in a small town like ours!

Happy Anniversary to Me!

Seven years ago today, Owen and I eloped! Yes, today is my anniversary.

Nine months from today, Little Owen will be 7 years old.

We've had an eventful 7 years. We've lived in 6 different cities and in 9 different homes. Owen has had 12 jobs (some of them simultaneous), served at 6 churches, attended 2 universities and owns 1 business. We have called 8 churches our church home. We had 2 kids, 2 dogs, and 3 fish, and I've killed dozens of plants. The longest we ever lived in one location was 2 years, and that is where we live right now.

Reading this, you could easily get the wrong impression about us, but there is a story and lesson learned behind each and every place we've been. God has truly had His hand on our lives. There is no question in my mind about that fact.

We have learned the meaning of Romans 8:28-29 because even when awful things have happened to our family, we know that God had a plan for it. We've learned that God is sovereign, His grace is enough, and that life can either make you better or bitter. We've chosen to let it make us better so that God will be glorified in our lives.

So Happy Anniversary to us and I pray that we have 80 more years together.....that is unless Jesus wants to come back before then! (If we continue on our current path, can you imagine how many places we'll have lived in 80 years.....never mind! I don't want to think about that!)

How to Stop the Fighting

So all the kids are in the nursery while their parents rehearse to sing in Sunday's worship service. Then two little girls run up to the teachers and say, "Tyson showed us his underwear!!"

Upon being asked what possessed him to do such a thing, Tyson mumbles, "Because they were fighting." Patsy, not quite understanding why that would give him a reason to show his underwear, rephrases the question. Tyson's bewildered answer: "I already told you! Because they were fighting!"

As I question Tyson in the car on the way home, I am barely able to talk without bursting into uncontrollable laughter.

"Tyson, when you and Owen are fighting, do I show you my underwear to get you to stop?"

"No, ma'am"

"Then WHY ON EARTH would you think THAT would get them to stop fighting?!!?!?!"

"I don't know."

Dirty mouth? Clean it up!

Tyson took a shower by himself for the first time ever on Saturday night. (I was so proud!) He decided that it was easier to wash his hair that way. After he got out, Little O got in and afterwards decided he didn't like to wash his hair in the shower because he doesn't like eating soap. Apparently that's what happens when you take a shower.

We all remember those quotes from Mom....the ones we vowed never to say to our own kids. Well, for the most part, I don't say those things. Instead, I've come up with my own.

My new favorite is, "What do you want me to do about it?"

The conversations go something like this....

Tyson (the hypochondriac) says,"Mommy, my big toe hurts!"
I say, "What do you want me to do about it?"

Owen says, "Mommy, my cap gun is breaking!"
I say, "What do you want me to do about it?"

Big O says, "I don't have any short socks clean!"
I say, "What do you want me to do about it?"

Tyson says (after I already put salt in his grits), "I didn't want salt!"
I say, "What do you want me to do about it?"
His reply, "Pick it out!"

I used to try to fix everyone's problems all day long, but sometimes, things just can't be fixed! :o)

Living on one income in a two income economy!

Being a stay-at-home mom, I've had to find ways to cut costs here and there over the years. One of the biggest ways we've saved money is by being organized when it comes to meal preparation. I've learned that you can have it healthy, and you can have it cheap, and you can have it fast, but very rarely can you have all three at the same time. I've learned that if I make out a menu for the week and stick to it, then I'm less likely to go out when we're in a rush to get to an activity. If I know what we're having for dinner ahead of time, I know how long it takes to cook and can just plan to start dinner at a certain time. I've really messed up dinner a few times, and we had to go out, but that hasn't happened in quite a while. (By the way, I didn't know much about cooking when I first got married, but I learned a lot from watching Rachel Ray!)

I was able to spend the morning with my friend Rachel earlier in the week. Not only is she the QUEEN of thrifty, but she is also a very Godly lady, and I count myself blessed to know her. She gave me a few money saving tips while we were together and taught me how to make bread.....without a bread machine! (Mine didn't rise, but I'll try again!) A few of her blogs are about ways she's learned to save. She also let me borrow a book that helped has her to live frugally. It's called Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy.

One more tip. I found this website last year that has a lot of good ideas. I used some of the recipes at Christmas time for gifts in jars and gift baskets. There is also a link there for you to download a free book telling how one woman learned to feed her family of 4 for $200 a month. Some of her ideas are a bit extreme, but she's got a lot of good advice that could be adapted to any family.

Growing up

One night the boys spent the night with my friend, and she had them take baths by themselves, including washing their own hair. I couldn't believe that they did it.

Owen has been bathing himself for a while now, but I was still drawing the water and getting his towel and washcloth and helping him wash his hair. Tyson did NOTHING for himself.

For the past 6 weeks, I've been working on teaching my boys, especially Owen, to be more independent. Now at bath time, I have them get their own towel and washcloth and find their own pajamas. Tyson now washes himself, too, and they both can wash their own hair (but sometimes I still help Tyson). I taught them how to turn off the water without burning themselves (our hot water is really hot, so this is an issue). After they'd mastered that, I taught Owen how to turn the water on without burning himself (this just within the last week and a half or so). This week they've been taking their baths from start to finish without me. I know that it's a good thing that they are able to do these things for themselves, and it really helped out when I left them overnight with Owen twice last week while I went off gallivanting. It's nice that I can tell them to go take a bath and they can come back all clean and dressed for bed without me ever lifting a finger.

But I miss that time with them. They're growing up.

Those of you with young little ones, especially those of you that have 2 in diapers, I know that these days sometimes seem to drag on and on. All you can see is one dirty diaper after another and one meal preparation after another and feeding and baths and dressing and brushing teeth and the list goes on and on and on and it seems like you will be doing this for the rest of your life! Don't wish away these times. Look for the memories that you will cherish. My mom always says, "Write it down!" Then one day, you will turn around and you will realize that your children don't need you as much as they once did...at least physically speaking. You'll realize that there's a lot more to being a mom than that aforementioned list. You'll begin to see them as children and not as babies.

That's where I am. Until August, I'll be a mother of a preschooler, but that time in my life is almost over. I'm looking back at the last 6 years, and even though I've stayed at home with my children for 5 of the 6 of them, I still wonder where the time went.

HELP PLEASE!!!

I have a lot of important birthdays coming up.....my sister, my grandmother and my best friend all have birthdays within 3 weeks of each other......and I am dead broke! I need creative and meaningful gift ideas, PLEASE! (Angela, don't read any of my comments!!!!) I should not have waited until the last minute, but it all kind of sneaked up on me. The first of these birthdays is this weekend.....party is FRIDAY...two days hence. I know that it's not the gift the matters it's the thought behind it, but the problem is, I have NO THOUGHTS OF WHAT TO GIVE!!!!

If you read my blog but have never left a comment, now would be the time to let your voice be heard!!!!

Thanks guys!

How cool is this?

This morning I went out to the Suburban to get something I'd left after church last night, and almost walked into this.....





In the past, I would have turned and run screaming to the house, but lately, I've been viewing things in light of the fact that I am the mother of BOYS. Instead of running screaming to the house, I ran to the house saying, "Boys, come look what I found!!"

We drove the Suburban last night to church, so the spider must have built his web during the night. I showed it to Owen and Tyson and pointed out how awesome it is that God made a creature that could make this! The main web was about 18 inches in diameter, but it also had a web underneath it that looked like a failed attempt. I wonder how long it took him from start to finish.

It amazes me to think that the God who created the universe also created creatures that can do this. He is also the same God who loves us and says in His Word things like "I will instruct you and teach you in the ways that you should go," and "I will guide you with My eye and with My right hand, I will hold you up."

"When I consider Your heavens, the work of Your fingers,
The moon and the stars, which You have ordained;
What is man that You take thought of him,
And the son of man that You care for him?
Yet You have made him a little lower than God,
And You crown him with glory and majesty!
You make him to rule over the works of Your hands;
You have put all things under his feet...
O LORD, our Lord,
How majestic is Your name in all the earth!"

Psalm 8:3-6, 9 NASB

This is my life.....

You may have read this before. Someone sent it to me in an e-mail.

When you have to visit a public bathroom, you usually find a line of women, so you smile politely and take your place. Once it's your turn, you check for feet under the stall doors. Every stall is occupied.

Finally, a door opens and you dash in, nearly knocking down the woman leaving the stall.

You get in to find the door won't latch. It doesn't matter, the wait has been so long you are about to wet your pants! The dispenser for "seat covers" (invented by someone's Mom, no doubt) is handy, but empty. You would hang your purse on the door knob if there was one, but there isn't - so you carefully, but quickly drape it around your neck, (Mom would be mortified if she found out you put it on the FLOOR! ), yank down your pants, and assume "The Stance." In this position your toneless thigh muscles begin to shake. You'd love to sit down, but you certainly hadn't taken time to lay toilet paper on it, so you hold "The Stance."

To take your mind off your trembling thighs, you reach for what you discover to be the empty toilet paper dispenser. In your mind, you can hear your mother's voice saying, "Honey, if you had tried to clean the seat, you would have KNOWN there was no toilet paper!" Your thighs shake more.

You remember the tiny tissue that you blew your nose on yesterday - the one that's still in your purse. (Oh yeah, the purse around your neck, that now, you have to hold up trying not to strangle yourself at the same time). That would have to do. You crumple it in the puffiest way possible. It's still smaller than your thumbnail.

Someone pushes your door open because the latch doesn't work. The door hits your purse, which is hanging around your neck in front of your chest, and you and your purse topple backward against the tank of the toilet. "Occupied!" you scream, as you reach for the door, dropping your precious, tiny, crumpled tissue in a puddle on the floor, lose your footing altogether, and slide down directly onto the TOILET SEAT. It is wet of course. You bolt up, knowing all too well that it's too late. Your bare bottom made made contact with every imaginable germ and life form on the uncovered seat because YOU never laid down toilet paper - not that there was any, even if you had taken time to try . You know that your mother would be utterly appalled if she knew, because, you're certain her bare bottom never touched a public toilet seat because, frankly, dear, "You just don't KNOW what kind of diseases you could get."

By this time, the automatic sensor on the back of the toilet is so confused that it flushes, propelling a stream of water like a fire hose against the inside of the bowl that sprays a fine mist of water that covers your tush and runs down your legs and into your shoes. The flush somehow sucks everything down with such force that you grab onto the empty toilet paper dispenser for fear of being dragged in, too.

At this point, you give up. You're soaked by the spewing water and the wet toilet seat. You're exhausted. You try to wipe with a gum wrapper you found in your pocket and then slink out inconspicuously to the sinks.

You can't figure out how to operate the faucets with the automatic sensors, so you wipe your hands with spit and a dry paper towel, and pray that there is Germ-X in the car.

You walk past the line of women still waiting and are no longer able to smile politely to them. A kind soul at the very end of the line points out a piece of toilet paper trailing from your shoe. (Where was that when you NEEDED it??) You yank the paper from your shoe, plunk it in the woman's hand and tell her warmly, "Here, you just might need this."

As you exit, you spot your hubby, who has long since entered, used, and left the men's restroom. Annoyed, he asks, "What took you so long, and why is your purse hanging around your neck?"

This is dedicated to women everywhere who deal with public restrooms (rest??? you've GOT to be kidding!!). It finally explains to the men what really does take us so long. It also answers their other commonly asked questions about why women go to the restroom in pairs. It's so the other gal can hold the door, hang onto your purse and hand you Kleenex under the door!

Tagged

Angela tagged me a week ago and I'm just today having time to get to it. So here goes....

Four Jobs I’ve Had:
1. 5th grade teacher (LOVED it!)
2. Piano teacher (still am....need lessons anyone?)
3. Call center rep for Vystar Credit Union (was Jax Navy back then)

4. Mom (by far the hardest yet most fulfilling job of all!)

Four Movies I Can Watch Over and Over:

1. Gone With the Wind (Scarlet Ohara is just AWFUL, but I love her!)
2. The Little Mermaid (always was my favorite Disney movie)
3. Mary Poppins (Julie Andrews is amazing!)
4. Top Ten Countdown (a movie I watch with the boys that puts the Ten Commandments on their level)

Four TV Shows I Love to Watch:

1. Everybody Loves Raymond (makes me thankful for my family)
2. House (so smart)
3. What Not to Wear (even though Stacy and Clinton are cruel!)
4. The Office (no comment necessary)


Four Places I’ve Been on Vacation:
1. Centrifuge (actually it was a youth camp, but it was so awesome that it counts!)
2. Cherokee, NC (where our car was stuck for a year....literally)
3. Disney World (not a good idea to go on the 4th of July)
4. Laura Walker State Park (many childhood memories)

Four Favorite Foods:
1. Spaghetti (seriously, I could eat it every day)
2. Rice (I should have been Oriental)
3. Potatoes cooked any way (craved them during pregnancy)
4. Chips and Dip (reminds me of Aunt Lisa)

Four Websites I Visit Daily:
1. Hotmail.com (I'd wither up without email)
2. Angela's blog (need I say why?)
3. Facebook.com (keep up with all the latest gossip at TBC....j/k!)
4. Weather.com (gotta know how to dress the kids)

Four Places I’d Rather Be:
1. With Owen
2. At Patsy's house
3. At the Melting Pot (Patsy got me hooked....shame on her!)
4. Playing the piano with NO INTERRUPTIONS!

Here's the part of the show where I tag you....but Angela already did, so if you read this blog and don't comment on it, leave one this time and play along!

Yesterday at church, our pastor spoke on Psalm 23:5, "My cup runs over." He challenged us to write out a list of at least 100 blessings from God in our lives. After I wrote it, it was fun to read how my brain chased rabbits.

1. Salvation 2. Christian heritage 3.Married parents 4. Four living grandparents 5. Owen's love 6.Lil Owen 7. Tyson 8. Trinity Baptist Church 9. Patsy 10. Brendan 11. Sharon 12. Katie 13. Angela 14. Michael 15. LeAnne 16. Homeschooling 17. Music 18. Playing the piano 19. Playing the flute 20.Singing 21.Choir 22. Praise team 23.Piano students 24. Coffee 25. Taste buds 26.Food 27.Health 28. Greg 29. $ for bills 30. Harold 31. Tom 32. Pastor James 33. Jeanie 34. Leslie 35. MOPS 36. Fun 37. Bunk Beds 38.Furniture 39. A/C 40. Heat 41. Appliances 42. Cleaning supplies 43. Ice 44. Medicine 45. USA 46. George Bush 47. Bibles in English 48. Chad and Amber 49. Jacob 50. Buddy 51. Madeira Christian Academy 52. Bro. Scot 53.God's plan for me 54. God's unconditional love 55.GRACE 56. forgiveness 57. Owen's brain....both Owens 58. Tyson's smile 59. Reading 60. Computers 61. Pictures 62. Memories 63. Talking 64. Teaching 65. Learning 66. Internet 67. Cell phones 68. Make-up 69. Shoes 70. Clothes 71. Accessories 72. Curly hair 73. Straight hair 74. Orchestra 75. FBC Naples 76. My Afghan from Grandmommie 77. Word of Life 78.Ironing 78.CCS 80. Flowers 81. Birds 82. Our lake 83. Soap 84. Flip flops 85. Our screened in porch 86. Birthday parties with family 87. Blogs 88. E-mail 89.Electricity 90. Plumbing 91. Toys 92. Modern technology 93. Friendship 94. Sight 95. Hearing 93. Touch 97.Hugs 98. Kisses 99.Sex 100.Light

Comment on Angela's blog.

This is in response to my sister Angela's latest blog. If you read my blog but don't read hers, you are missing out!

I couldn't spell "tomorrow" until last year when I taught school and had to write it on the board several times a week.

I may not be obsessive in the form that Angela and Michael are, but I am obsessive about other things, such as washing my hands and making sure I don't hurt people's feelings.

I'm scared of the dark, too!

No one has ever asked me if my eyelashes are real, but they do tell me that they are long.

I've never had a cavity, but when I was 3, we were in a car accident and I broke my leg.

Rabbity Rabbit part 2

I wrote this on 4/19 but forgot to publish it....oops!

About a week or two after I wrote about the bunny, Tyson went to spend the night at my friend's house WITHOUT the bunny. Needless to say, it was a disaster. Poor Patsy woke up at 3 am to a screaming 4 year old who wanted his bunny! Tyson cried for about 20 minutes or so and then finally agreed to get in the bed with his brother for the rest of the night.

The next week Tyson took that thing everywhere. One day he left it at Patsy's the night before we were leaving to go on a camping trip. He went to bed that night knowing that we would get bunny in the morning and he was fine. His daddy, on the other hand had about enough of it! Big O pitched a fit all the way to Patsy's house and had all kinds of things to say about how Tyson couldn't be 40 years old and still cry for his bunny. That day was a turning point in our lives. Owen and I decided to make the bunny a permanent home in Tyson's room, and when Tyson turns five, bunny may have to live in the closet (that's Owen's desire). Tyson agreed and has spent the night off several times since without the bunny and has not cried over it once.

Yesterday he accidentally brought the bunny into the living room after naptime. When I mentioned it, he said, "I don't want him" and took it to the bedroom. My baby is growing up!!

It was a long day, even for Jesus;
First the news came that His cousin had died.
Then seeking quiet, wanting to mourn,
He got in his boat and left and probably cried.
And I've felt that feeling so many times.
I've let that feeling escape through my eyes.

Thank You, for being Jesus,
For putting on the same skin
That all of us are wearing,
So we would know that You know
Just how we feel.

Approaching land, He saw the crowd standing.
They'd followed Him on foot from their towns.
He chose compassion over exhaustion.
He healed their sick, and then He fed the whole crowd
With five loaves, two fish and a prayer up to heaven.
That once insufficient amount fed five thousand.

And on my weakest days you feel my pain,
And on my saddest nights you know just why.
You feel what's real to me.

Thank you for being Jesus
So we would know that You know
Just how we feel.

This is a favorite song of mine. I don't know the title or the artist who sings it, but it gives me a new perspective on Matthew chapter 14. If you keep reading the chapter, you'll see that His day did not end until well after midnight whenever he walked out onto the water to the disciples' boat.

My Siblings

I have been blessed with a brother and sister who love me and whom I love beyond expression. The times when we all are together are not spent walking on egg shells, as in many families I know, but rather are fun and memorable. It's not so much the activities we do together that make it fun. Most of the time it's just playing a game or shopping or hanging out at someone's house. Angela always grabs the camera to take pictures of herself and Michael wants to "do something fun." I'm usually chasing my boys, hoping not to have to spend another night in the ER. The three of us are about as different in personalities as they come, but every time we get together, we have fun.

Our mom deserves most of the credit for this bond that we share. Through the years, Mama has somehow managed to instill in us that family is family and you stick together. It could have been the example she set in her relationship with her sister. It could have been the ban she put on clothes sharing when Angela and I started to fight over them. Maybe it was the times she spanked all three of us "just to make sure she got the right one!" Most likely, though, it's the countless hours she spends praying for us. For whatever reason, I am thankful to have Angela and Michael in my life and to know that no matter what happens, they will always love me and I them.

God is Faithful

About 3 months after Owen lost his job last July, he went to Wal-Mart one day to "stock up" on food so that we would have something to eat after we ran out of money. My first mistake was to let him go to Wal-Mart alone to shop for groceries. The second one was not giving him a list.

He came home with 5 rolls, 5 lbs each, of ground chuck....(the kind that I don't buy b/c I'm not sure what's in it); 9 lbs of frozen whiting fillets; 2 lbs of frozen tilapia fillets; 5 packages of tortillas (don't ask, I don't know why); 5 lbs of packaged lunch meat; some chicken breast fillets; a 20 lb bag of rice; and 5 lbs of beans. The list probably goes on, but I can't remember the rest. (For those of you who don't know him, Owen is an extreme person, so this really didn't shock me too much. ) His plan was to keep it in the deep freezer and pantry until we needed it.

We haven't used most of that food, so even though he still doesn't have a full-time job, it's there, stocked up in case we need it.

Last night at church, one of our members who has a mission ministry in Haiti spoke about an orphanage there. He showed pictures of them eating beans and rice and passing out beans and rice to the people in the nearby villages. He also told a story of a little girl playing with mud and making mud pies. She mixed it with cooking oil and then "baked" her mud pies in the hot Haitian sun. When it was time for dinner, her mother sadly told the little girl that she had nothing to feed her and they would have to eat the mud pies. The missionary told us that this is common in Haiti.

Today I decided to cook beans and rice for dinner because we like them and not because that's all we have. We are blessed far beyond comprehension.

This morning started out great! I got up before everyone else and read my Bible. Later, the boys woke up and Little O did his quiet time and we had a nice breakfast. I couldn't think of a nicer way to begin our day.

We took too long eating, so at 8:30 when it was time to start school, Tyson wasn't done and I hadn't had my shower. I go nuts when things aren't on schedule, and we have a busy afternoon, so I decided to do our pledges and Bible after Owen's arithmetic test. That's when it all fell apart. Owen kept sitting there forgetting what 5+6 is. Big O decided that right then he needed me to help him find all the numbers that he lost when his cell phone died. Tyson felt the need to sing at the top of his lungs while sitting on the pot. Then Owen decided he was still hungry so he needed a second breakfast......this is what I get for skipping Bible. It's now 9:30 and instead of having finished Bible and the test and a few other things that normally we would have accomplished, I'm still waiting for Owen to eat his second breakfast and Tyson just dripped something nasty all over me and the phone is ringing off the hook!

Newfound Friend

Patsy and I have only known each other for about 2 months, but I feel as if we've been friends all our lives. The first time we spent time together was because a mutual friend "set us up". We were both informed that we needed to be friends with each other. It thought Tammy, (the setter upper) was crazy telling me who to be friends with, but boy was she right!


In the short time I've known her, we two have become kindred spirits. Not too many people would I allow to see my laundry room at it's worst! We've done everything together from grocery shopping to cleaning up frog doo off of the screened-in porch for Owen's birthday party. We had a girls night out for dessert at the Melting pot on a whim this past Monday. Last week we went shopping for her post baby wardrobe....but instead I ended up getting an Easter dress. Every day we get together for something or another saying it's because our homeschooled boys need socialization, but more and more I'm realizing that I need her friendship as much as Owen needs Brenden's.

Tomorrow is Good Friday, the day that my Lord gave up His life for my sin.


He was pierced because of our transgressions,
crushed because of our iniquities;
punishment for our peace was on Him,
and we are healed by His wounds.

We all went astray like sheep;
we all have turned to our own way;
and the LORD has punished Him
for the iniquity of us all.
Is. 64 : 5-6 HCSB

Lord of glory reigning in His majesty,
Ruling long before the worlds were formed.
Yet when darkness claimed His own,
He stepped from Heaven's throne
To bear a cross and wear a crown of thorns.

Son of God, so willingly He took my place,
Clothed in robes of frail humanity.
Fragile flesh and blood, priceless crimson flood
Offered up for sin at Calvary.

So high the price He paid,
The nails, the cross the grave.
Such pardon He bestowed.
Such grace He showed.
No greater sacrifice, He gave His very life!
So deep the love, so high the price!

Buried like a begger in a borrowed tomb,
Everything for nothing, so it seemed;
But death could never stand against the nail scarred hand,
The power of Heaven's resurrected King!

So deep the love, so high the price!

-Deborah Cruise Bailey

Rabbity Rabbit

When Tyson was 4 months old, his great-grandmother, Mimi, gave him a blue bunny rabbit. It was soft, cuddly and cute with a little pink nose and a white ribbon around it's neck. I put the rabbit in Tyson's crib and handed him to Tyson every once in a while to play with. Little did I know the long history the two of them would have together.

When Tyson was 2, he lost the bunny in a store. We lived in a rural town about 50 miles away from civilization, so our trips to the mall and such were few and far between. We were shopping one day in town and as we were leaving Tyson asked, "Where's bunny?" We retraced our day back to Burke's Outlet where we last saw the bunny, drove all over the parking lot and walked all around the store looking for something blue on the floor or ground. We didn't find him and Tyson was very sad. During this time, my husband was on a mission trip for 2 weeks, so not only did Tyson lose his most precious possession, he couldn't find his Daddy, either (2-year-olds don't understand where Sri Lanka is).

A week later, we had to make a trip back to town, so I took my good friend Michelle. Before we went home, we decided to go one last time and ask if anyone had turned in the bunny to lost and found. On the way there, Michelle prayed out loud for us, "Dear Father in the name of JESUS, we pray that bunny will be FOUND!"

When we got into the store, the only employee we could find didn't know anything about any lost and found. She half-heartedly looked under her register and motioned for us to take a look for ourselves under the other registers, then went back to her paying customers. I was about to leave when Michelle spotted something blue underneath a pile of newspapers. It was the bunny!!! Tyson didn't let that thing out of his sight for a week!

Tyson is now 4 years old, and Rabbity Rabbit (as he was just named about a month ago) is still a very important part of our family. Tyson now talks to Rabbity and pretends the bunny is talking back. Today when he was about to take a nap, Tyson ran and got the bunny off of the couch and told him, "It's okay, precious. I'm here now," and kissed the bunny's head.

My amazing 6-year-old.

Little Owen just turned 6 a week ago. Owen is one of the most intelligent children I've ever known. He knew the alphabet and could count past 10 before he was 2. He knew all the sounds the letters made before he was 3. He learned to read when he was 4 and now reads on a 3rd or 4th grade level. He loves playing the piano and shooting hoops on the basketball goal he got for his birthday. We are alike in our personalities and get along very well together because we understand one another. I'm homeschooling him now....he's doing 1st grade work this year, making A's in everything...mostly perfect scores in arithmetic. Owen loves learning like I do, but he has also inherited my love of the great indoors. ;o) I have to force him to play outside because he'd much rather sit in the house and turn pasty white like I always am.

We invited all of Owen's friends to his 6th birthday party. (This was a first for us because family parties are well attended...usually 20 people or so.) He had a costume party and went as Spiderman. His best buddy came as Venom. We had a meteor shower hit our yard that morning, and the kids helped clean up the mess. They were rewarded with the treats inside the meteors...candy and toys. Owen's birthday cake was fudge marble with coconut pecan icing. We had a few other games planned, but the kids had a good time just playing freeze tag and hanging out in the yard together.

Maybe next time I'll write about Tyson.