Feeling Domestic...

I am feeling a bit domestic today so I decided to make monkey bread with the kids this morning. Monkey bread never turns out right unless you involve some monkeys in the making ;-)

Here they are in action.Here is the finished product...MMMMMM...needless to say, not low cal.

I may make Cranberry Chocolate Chip cookies this weekend. This recipe makes A TON of cookies so if you decide to make them you must share them as soon as they are done baking or you risk being tempted to eat way too many.

CRANBERRY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

1 1/2 CUPS (3 STICKS) BUTTER, AT ROOM TEMPERATURE

1 CUP SUGAR

1 1/2 CUPS LIGHT BROWN SUGAR

3 EGGS

1 TABLESPOON VANILLA

3 CUPS FLOUR

1 TABLESPOON BAKING POWDER

1 TEASPOON SALT

2 TEASPOONS CINNAMON

3 CUPS QUICK OATS (NOT OLD-FASHIONED)

2 CUPS CHOPPED WALNUTS

1 1/2 PACKAGES (8 OUNCES EACH) CHOCOLATE CHUNKS (3 CUPS)

2 CUPS COARSELY CHOPPED DRIED CRANBERRIES

HEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES. WITH ELECTRIC MIXER, CREAM BUTTER AND BOTH SUGARS. BEAT IN EGGS ONE AT A TIME, THEN BEAT IN VANILLA. ADD FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, SALT, CINNAMON AND OATS; SLOWLY BEAT UNTIL BLENDED. STIR IN WALNUTS, CHOCOLATE AND CRANBERRIES. DROP BY TABLESPOONFULS ONTO COOKIE SHEET COVERED WITH PARCHMENT PAPER. BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 12 TO 15 MINUTES, UNTIL GOLDEN BROWN. MAKES ABOUT 8 DOZEN.

I have replaced the dried cranberries with dried cherries to make something a bit sweeter. I've done it with half cranberries and half cherries. You go with what suits you. They are wonderful. and hey, with all of those oats, the fiber must be good for you...right? Enjoy.

GRATITUDE

Our pastor shared this story yesterday before the honoring of our soldiers, past and present, during worship yesterday.

An 84 year old man was traveling to France recently and was asked to show is passport. Unprepared for the request he had to stop and look through his things to find it among his travel papers. The french immigration official was impatient and irritated and rudely quipped, "Have you ever traveled to France before?" The elderly gentleman simply answered yes. The french official then said, "Well you should remember that you are required to have your passport ready for inspection when entering our country." To this the man quietly explained that he was not asked to present his passport on his last visit. "That is impossible" the Frenchman huffed. "All Americans are required to present a passport when entering France, NO EXCEPTIONS!" As the gentleman handed his passport over he calmly said, "When I last arrived in France on Omaha Beach to help liberate this country on D-day; June 6, 1944; I couldn't find a single Frenchman to give my passport. You could have heard a pin drop in that immigration office.

Thank you to all of the courageous men and women who protect our freedoms every day and help ensure freedom to others around the world. May we never forget the sacrifice others have made for us and our children.

The Mommy Society

Happy Mother's Day to all the mom's and mommies to be. It is by far the greatest club I have ever joined. I always knew I would be a mom. I am the youngest in a very large family so I wasn't very familiar with taking care of younger ones...I was the one with big brothers and sisters taking care of me. So needless to say, when our first little man was born I was smitten with him but also taken aback by the unrelenting demands of motherhood. People had told me it was hard, but I was so blissful about having a baby that I just looked at it all through rose colored glasses. The first few weeks filled with
breast feeding - the first days were BRUTAL. Nursing bras, breast pumps, worrying if he was getting enough.
diapers - counting diapers each day to see if he was eating enough, washing at least one load of baby stuff each day to wash the spit up covered bibs or clothes covered in baby poo or pee...these were my clothes many days ;-)
colic - I am so thankful this only lasted a few weeks. No words can describe how awful this was for him and for me!
Sleep Deprivation - no more words needed.

If I was lucky I got a shower and was able to do it all again the next day...RINSE AND REPEAT! HAHA.

Eventually I found my groove in this mommy gig and I have to say it was with the help of so many other moms I know. Moms in the trenches with me with babies of their own helped me to know I was not alone having all of these mixed emotions. Moms with kiddos just a bit older than mine had great how to advice since they had just made it across this part of their journeys. Older moms with grown children gave the the vision that many of these challenges will pass and I will strangely miss them when they are gone...they were right! I don't know how I would make it through this journey without the other mommies encouraging me along the way. Now that I am a mom, i find myself trying to pass on the encouragement to others because boy do we need it! When I see a mom shopping with little ones and she is obviously been battling with the demands of the job, I always try to extend a smile her way and compliment or encourage her. I know some days the kindness and encouragement of a stranger meant the world to me.

So ladies, here's to motherhood...raising the next generation to know the Lord and live according to his purposes is a huge task we take on every day. These little people begin to see the heart of the Lord through us. We are their first loves and we hope through that love they learn to find an even deeper love with the Lord. This job requires a minimum of 16 hours each day and you are on call 24/7. It can be back breaking and will be heartbreaking. Good thing it pays better than any other job on the planet. The paycheck isn't dollars, mine have consisted of:
backyard flowers
pretty rocks
bugs in jars
a piece of gum...saved just for me
drawings
Lego creations
my favorite are the things that last forever...in my heart
hugs & kisses
happy smiles
snuggles & giggles
memories branded in my soul forever.

Happy Mother's Day to fellow society members :-)

LOVES

I love...
a productive day
half and half in my coffee
the smell of pine sol
cooking
a house full of kids
a shy smile breaking through when my kids are pouting
a neatly organized closet
the quiet of the morning when i am the only one awake
my family all together at the end of the day
sharing recipes with my sisters
Nothing edgy, extravagant or exciting really makes this list...I'm low maintenance.

Easter Weekend

We had a great Easter weekend. It went by so fast, but good times always do :-) We went to a WONDERFUL Good Friday service at our Methodist church in town. The youth did the service and it was phenomenal! It provoked very good questions from both of our boys and opened the opportunity for conversation about the sacrifice Christ made for us all.

We went "Easter Eggin" (as my friend April's little boy calls it...I love that too much not to say it here!) at our town Easter in the Park festivities. My kiddos love the sack races and Mason took second place this year. My camera died so I only have the one shot of Mason in action.

You gotta hold your tongue just right to win a sack race.

On Sunday morning we went to church for another wonderful service.

Don't these little guys look so handsome!

Our music minister always sings He's Alive on Easter Sunday. It makes me cry EVERY TIME! I guess I can just relate to Peter in the gospels, always wanting to put his whole heart into everything for the Lord but failing miserably sometimes. We had a nice lunch at home and hunted eggs again in the backyard, this time with money inside. It was fierce competition but once it was all done I was happy to see that both shared with each other nicely. We didn't ask them to so that made it even sweeter!

I love this picture of Andrew pulling his pants up as he runs to get some eggs! Excuse they yard...it looks like a plowed field since Mark is workingto level it out before we landscape.

Andrew was posing with his BIG Easter bunny.

The boys were so sweet they gave me an Easter bunny too. They know momma loves her chocolate...but what is wrong with this picture? (Beside the fact that I look like a line backer...what is with my GIGANTIC neck) My bunny must have shrunk! ;-)

We had a great weekend together. We hope you did too.

LITTLE BOY LINGO...

Every day there is something funny, sweet or just downright memorable my boys say or do and I always say I'm going to write that down. Most of the time I don't and find myself trying to remember. So here I go with my list of "little boy lingo" that I just have to document to remember these days filled with sweetness.

ANDREW: While fighting the bad guys as the Princess character on his Star Wars Lego game on his DS, "Don't be so rough with a ladaaaay" He said it in such a funny way, it was the cutest. I guess he has heard me tell him such things when we play around and wrestle. I always tell them I'm a lover not a fighter ;-)

Before we moved into the house and I was still spending the weekends painting, painting, and painting. It got quite tedious for me and especially so for Andrew. He would bring toys and play in the new game room but a little guy gets bored after hours and hours. During these long days Andrew would pop his head in the room I was painting to tell me something or ask a random question. I just had to document what some of the random thoughts go through the mind of this little 6 year old cutie.

What was your favorite toy when you were a little girl?

I built a new floor (out of leftover hardwood pieces) in my house (a large cardboard box).

What is an eyeball made of? Is it squishy?

______ is my favorite girl at school because she laughs at all my jokes.

What is 125 plus 9?

Sometimes I would just laugh out loud at the randomness of these things!

MASON: He is growing up and the conversations with him are getting so much more grown up. Mark has been reading Proverbs with him so he is learning a lot. One day as they were reading the subject was wicked women. The next day Mason told me that the bible says to run from bad girls. I said, "what is a bad girl?" He said, you know, the kind that want to kiss on boys a lot. I just nodded my head and said, "yeah, run fast!" I got so tickled but I am glad he is learning about God's word on subjects that will quickly be part of his life.

He has always had quite the insight on women. One day years ago when he was only 2 or 3 years old we had hired one of they boys from our church youth department, Hayden, to help Mark work to clean up an area we were about to build an addition onto our old house (yes, there is a pattern to our home remodel sickness) so we were having lunch together before they went back out to work. I asked Mark if he wanted me to come out and rake leaves to help them get finished before dark. Mason interrupted and said, "Girls don't rake leaves". I was a little indignant and said, "Oh, really? Why not?" He said that boys do that work and girls cook dinner. I was taken aback by his already accepted gender roles that he had seen in our home. Mark & Hayden thought it was funny and asked what else girls did. Mason said, "They wash dishes." Mark was just laughing and asked again, "what else". He quickly said, "They put band-aids in their underwear." It took me a minute but once I realized what he was referring to my jaw dropped & Mark was speechless (that says a lot since that almost never happens...he always has a witty comeback). Hayden either didn't understand Mason's baby talk enough to know what he said or was polite enough to pretend he didn't. Needless to say, privacy in the bathroom became a bigger priority after that conversation but how can you avoid taking your toddler in the bathroom stall with you at Wal-mart? This story will make us laugh for years!

Settling into Home...

Well we are working to settle into the new house but I have decided it will take a while. I couldn't really describe my decor style...old world with a splash of whimsy and contemporary. Is that really a style? All I know is I know what I like when I see it. Also, I only want something if the price is more than right. Mark and I went to an antique auction a few weeks ago and had a blast. We picked up so many things for a song! I don't really care if things are in perfect condition. In fact, I prefer something that has lived a life and shows it. In the picture of the living room below you can see a bit of the 9' by 12' very worn wool rug we purchased at the auction for $30! The old rug looks right at home on my old wood floors. I still need to find the right piece of artwork for above the mantle. I tried a big mirror and I didn't like it at all. Suggestions...?Here are a few more of my bargain finds that I have or will scatter throughout the house.

These old pickle jars with lids painted black make great containers for my little baking station! I think I paid $5 for all three of them.
This matted great black and white photo: $1.99 at Goodwill
I scattered my fiesta in with these ADORABLE hand painted dishes I found on clearance at Target for a SONG!
More of my fiesta dishes I have collected over the years.
This is the best find BY FAR...this old SPECTACULAR desk chair for $15 at that little country Flea Market. Just gotta clean off that white paint splatter and hit the wheels with a little WD40 and it is PERFECT for our office.
My last find that I will share is probably my favorite simply because my Hubby and boys LOVED IT. My Steeler fans in Cowboy country loved my $5 Goodwill find. Who would have ever dreamed I would find such a thing? I will paint the frame black and hang it in Mason's room or the game room.

I still have a ton of stuff to do but I like doing it slowly and layering the house with great finds with character at a bargain. And just think...it is spring and neither of my boys wanted to play baseball this year. I can spend my Saturday mornings hunting Garage sales ;-)

My little knight in shining armour...

Andrew and I had appointments with the dental hygienist today so we did a little shopping while we were out. We went into a furniture store to look at the selection of U-shaped sectionals. While we were there, the boys saw a king size bed and were commenting on how big it was. I explained to Andrew that it was bigger than our bed because it was a king size bed. He asked what size our (mom and dad's) bed was and I told him ours was a queen size. He thought for a while and said, "Is mine a knight size?". It took me a minute but I finally understood his logic. We recently watched the movie Dragon Heart so kings, queens and knights were fresh on his mind. I didn't bother to tell him his was twin size, I told him his was just the right size for my brave little knight.

YEAH SPRING BREAK!

I am taking the week off...with a few project to work on from home while the boys veg out. Just like last year, we are staying home and enjoying some down time. Mason and I spent this past weekend at home while Mark and Andrew went up to see Grandma and Grandpa in Kansas. Mason spent Sunday afternoon playing at a friend's house so I had the house to myself for a few hours. I really didn't know what to do with myself! I worked on bank statements and retirement accounts. I know I am a NERD! When I went to pick Mason up he said he felt lightheaded. He has a fever but no other symptoms. I hope a day of rest and jello will make everything better.

The weather here is beautiful and makes me ready to get to work in the yard! It looks awful since it is still dirt & ruts from construction. Mark will probably start next weekend with equipment to level out the yard and work on the fence in the backyard.These bulbs blooming in all the mess give me hope!

I will see if I can recruit Andrew to help me wash my car today. The weather is too nice to stay indoors but with Mason not feeling well we better stay home. Happy Spring everyone!

Here's the scoop.

OK, here is an update on our crazy life. Not long after we moved into the new house, Mark's grandpa became very ill so we went to Kansas to visit for a few days. He is doing better but we do covet your prayers for his strength and comfort. He is 94 and the Lord may call him home at any time. We love him so and want every moment we can have with him but we also know that he is ready to go Home to Heaven. Even as he recovered from pneumonia in his hospital bed he reached out to tickle little Andrew. Grandpa is always the tickler and teaser. One night he tried to get out of bed and Mark told him, "Grandpa, the doctor does not want you out of bed." He responded, "The doctor isn't here right now is he?" And I wonder where my husband gets his tenacity!

Mason had his regional Destination Imagination competition and his team PLACED FIRST in their event!! They move on to the state level competition and we are so happy for them. These kids worked so hard and I love to see them enjoy the fruit of all their hard work.

I am in St. Louis as I type this and it has been one crazy day getting here! My printer wouldn't print my boarding pass, my GPS was missing, printer wouldn't print map quest directions, left my jacket at home and had to turn around and get it 30 minutes into my commute to the airport...and finally make my flight to St. Louis and meet my group for a dinner meeting. I come back to my hotel room and my key will not work, the hotel master key will not work...finally the maintenance guy fixes my room door lock after I "relax" in another room for 30 minutes. I think I should go to bed now...as Scarlett O'Hara says, "tomorrow is another day."I may have had a look on my face similar to this one most of the day...especially when the poor hotel desk clerk couldn't get my room opened. I promise to smile more tomorrow.