Since becoming parents, adult activities must be planned out well in advance. Well, today the heavens parted and a miracle occured. We were able to have an impromptu lunch date with Tom and Karen!!! No kiddos!!! Baby Evely, Tom and Karen’s eight month old, was a welcomed addition, but she’s not a kid! We used to hang out with Tom and Karen ALL the time and we have a 13 year history as friends. We share some very funny stories from our newly married days. We don’t get together as often now as we are very busy families. Between our two broods there are 7 kiddos who really enjoy getting together and playing. We were all married for a number of years before having kids. Now look at how blessed we are!!!

I really like black and white photos. I’ve heard they can really help cover imperfections. I decided to try it out on Tom and see if it could help.

As you can see, some work needs to be done. Doesn’t he have a lovely wife?

Wow, I think there’s something to this!

Just like old times!!!

“It is one of the blessings of old friends that you can afford to be stupid with them.” Ralph Waldo Emerson

Jaden and Anjelia are quickly becoming early coffee addicts! Karen and I sat down to cookies and coffee and before we knew it the two little darlings had taken over our adult treat!!! After many giggles, the cameras had to come out! The coffee wasn’t fit to drink after they were done with it!!!!!

Do you like your’s black?

Dunkin’ toddlers. Gotta love those Milano cookies!

Where’d my cookie go?

Pacifiers and coffee, what a great combination!

A sweet cookie and coffee kiss!

“A balanced diet is a cookie in each hand”

Today was a great day. We took the girls to a fun parade this morning. There were lots of horses and marching bands. The girls were very disappointed. They brought bags to the parade in hopes of collecting candy. Not one piece of candy was thrown. Fortunately, homecoming parade is coming soon and they always load up on the sweets. Football players are very generous!!

This afternoon I went to a paint party!! A fresh coat of paint is so refreshing and hopeful. After finishing, we kept going back to the room and checking out our handiwork. It’s fun to stand in the doorway and look at new, clean walls.

Mary loves to paint trim! Hehe!!

Tori did the teenage thing and painted her jeans!

Aunt Joyce enjoyed her colors.

Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint you can on it.” Danny Kaye

I awoke early this morning in tears, thinking about Judy and the negative report we received yesterday about Judy’s cancer. (I’ve pasted yesterday’s comments in the comments section here. ) It’s so hard to believe for a miracle when the doctor’s report sounds like death. Karen and I spoke yesterday about faith and where to go from here when you receive such a negative report. I received this e-mail this morning, which couldn’t be more timely.

FAITH DETERMINES COOPERATION
There are many things that operate in My realm which you are unaware of in yours. To the exact degree you believe, is the exact degree that I reveal things to you. My dear one, your faith does matter. Your faith is very precious to Me. It is your faith which determines your level of cooperation with My ways. It is your faith which connects you to partner with Me in ushering My kingdom upon earth. Resist doubt. Resist unbelief. Resist wavering. Do not listen to the voices that say it cant be done. Yes it can, says Your God. Do you trust in the words of men, or in My Words? Hang on and cling to Me. I AM your Source. I AM your resource. I AM all you need. So let the faith in your God, Who has brought you thus far, complete that which was begun. Cooperate with Me and lets see our way through this together.

Heb 11:3 AMP
By faith we understand that the worlds [during the successive ages] were framed (fashioned, put in order, and equipped for their intended purpose) by the word of God, so that what we see was not made out of things which are visible.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Words to Ponder are summaries of prophetic revelation, punched with the word of wisdom and written under inspiration. [Sandy Warner: swauthor@usa.net / website: www.thequickenedword.com ]
~~~~~~~~~~~

***Please pray for Karen’s mom as she has surgery at 1:00 Wednesday afternoon. They have discovered a cancerous tumor on her colon and are going in for exploratory surgery and to possibly remove the cancer. She has a great deal of peace but she is quite miserable in her body. We are believing for complete healing. Please say a prayer for her. She is an exceptionally, wonderful woman.

Jessica is studying Johnny Appleseed at school. They’ve been learning about apples and having daily apple treats. I volunteered to send in apple muffins tomorrow, so I ‘ve spent the evening baking these terrific apple treats. They look like something you’d see at a coffee shop or deli. I thought since we are enjoying this fall apple season, it’d be a good time to post this recipe.

Easy Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 egg
1/3 cup milk
2 apples – peeled, cored and chopped

1/2 cup white sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup butter, cubed
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease six muffin cups or line with paper muffin liners.
2. Stir together 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup sugar, salt, baking powder and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Mix in oil, egg and milk. Fold in apples. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling to the top of the cup.
3. In a small bowl, stir together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, butter and 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon. Mix together with fork and sprinkle over unbaked muffins.
4. Bake in preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of muffin comes out clean.

Lest anyone should think of me as a selfish mother, I went to Wal-Mart today and picked up another four pack of Happy Apples! The lady checking me out totally cracked up when I told her yesterday’s Happy Apple story. She giggled the entire time she was ringing up my groceries!

Of course, I have to offer proof that I did indeed save them for the kids after school snack!

The girls were annoyed at me for trying to take their picture. They just wanted to enjoy their apples. I gave up quickly before I could get a good picture.

Mother’s Day Out started a couple of weeks ago. I had mom guilt this morning when I dropped Anjelia off. James quickly helped relieve me from my guilt trip, when he asked me to tag along with him, as he met with a customer! He even promised me lunch afterwards! The business he was meeting at happened to be right by the DAV thrift store! As he talked business, I went shopping!!! I purchased nine “new” shirts for this winter for the whopping price of $23.00! Nearly all of them are Gap, Old Navy or Eddie Bauer, so they are “current” brand names, too! I am still trying to get used to the new fashion of everything being tight fitting. I am not afraid to admit to being a thrift store shopper. I’m that kinda girl!!

“Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the number of apples in a seed.”
Robert H. Schuller

Well, last night was one of the biggest NFL games of the season, around these parts. I really tried to be one of those cool football wives and sit with my husband and get into the game. Yeah, right… The game started at 7:30 and by 9:oo I was sound asleep. I’m just not that kinda girl….

One of the best things about fall are the wonderful Happy Apples that all the stores carry. They’re little green apples, covered in caramel and nuts. I love caramel apples. I went to the store today and purchased a four pack. I was going to be cute and take pictures of these scrumptuous gems and post about my delicious fall fave. Ooops…… I devoured them all before I could get a snap shot!!! So much for the kids having a neato after school snack…

Rob’s wonderful mom, Carolyn, mailed me a very yummy sounding menu from a local coffee shop. I’m looking forward to trying it out very soon. On the back of the menu, she pointed out some very clever coffee quotes – just perfect for my blog. What a nice surprise in my mailbox today!!

We spent last night at a local fall fun fest. It was a great night for our family and we were with fun friends, too. We met up at Carl and Mary’s house. Mike and Abby joined us and we walked over to meet up with Aunt Joyce at her home. Aunt Joyce recently purchased a fabulous scooter to help her get around. It’s so fun to watch her zoom ahead of the rest of us and the girls loved hitching rides with her. The very best part is the candy apple red color! I think the scooter and the fact that Aunt Joyce bought peanuts, finally tipped the scales in Elaina’s eyes. They are buddies now.

As we walked to the festival, the first thing to capture Lydia’s attention was the Ferris Wheel. It was great fun watching the girls ride. Abby was a brave soul and rode with Jessica. Elaina screamed and held her arms in the air the entire time. Too cute!

The food was fun. The freshly fried corn dogs were scrumptous! There were barbeque sandwiches, turkery legs, sausages, funnel cakes and cotton candy. It smelled soooo good. James and I were very naive about how much money it would cost to feed the six of us! I thought about a quote that a wise woman once told me, “Spend your money making memories.”.

Elaina got to see her first real monkey! She’s a fan of monkeys. I know we need to get the poor thing to a zoo. I have been working on James for years now trying to get him to go on a road trip to the Nebraska zoo. Oh, and we were nearly attacked by a hungry camel.

Lydia just HAD to make bottled sand art!

Jessica loved her blue teeth that a church booth gave her!

Anjelia is always a perfect angel in her stroller. She loved all the balloons, especially when they would get away and float up in the sky (as long as it wasn’t her balloon!).

Thanks to friends and family for a very memorable evening!!

“I see nothing in space as promising as the view from a Ferris wheel.”
E. B. White

Rob helped me find a great quote from a movie, Shall We Dance. James and I recently watched this little film and enjoyed it. I think this quote is a great description of marriage, but I also think it helps define all of our relationships. I believe Karen has mentioned it on this blog, too. Thanks for being my witness!

“We need a witness to our lives. There’s a billion people on the planet… I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you’re promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things… all of it, all of the time, every day. You’re saying ‘Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go un-witnessed because I will be your witness’.”

I thought I’d share some scriptures I read this morning. Yesterday was an important day for a family we love.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. Lamentations 3:22-26

I called on your name, O Lord, from the depths of the pit.
You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.”
You came near when I called you, and said, “Do not fear.”
O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life.
You have seen, O Lord, the wrong done to me.
Uphold my cause! Lamentations 3:55-59

I have set the Lord always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken. Psalm 16: 8

Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not swear by what is false. He will receive blessing from the Lord and vindication from God his Savior.
Such is the generation of those who seek him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob. Psalm 24: 3-6