I just received bad news. A life long family friend of Janet and Richard’s was killed in a car accident this morning, after he dropped his grandson off at work. Janet and Richard are on their way over to be with his wife Marge now. James has known them since he was very small. Please pray for this family. Please pray for the grandson. All the grandsons have been trying to get their lives together since their father, Marge’s son, passed away. George and Marge have been helping them. Awhile back, I posted pictures of a couple of the grandsons working on James’ shop roof. Thanks.
mom humor
My apologies for the potty humor!!! I have changed so many dirty diapers and cleaned up so many poopy messes, that I must see the humor in it!!
Click HERE
“Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water.”
snow creatures
“To appreciate the beauty of a snow flake, it is necessary to stand out in the cold.”
Today was a snow day! The kids were so excited about the snow and the school cancellation!
A pitiful snowman, but cute nonetheless!
A ragtag band of snow bunnies!
I laughed so hard, watching Anjelia eat snow!
One winter day when I was a little girl, it began snowing hard while I was at school. When I got off the bus I had a terrific surprise waiting for me. My mom had made me an igloo!! It was so warm on the inside. I had a blanket for the door.
In elementary school I had a friend who had a big hill behind her house. We had a lot of snow and she invited me over to go sledding. We went fast down that big hill on tractor innertubes. It was a great fun!
I remember having snow ball fights with my dad. One time he accidentally hit me with one in the face and I started crying! He bought us really neat wooden slides with red runners. I also had the silver disk made famous by the Griswalds.
Those are my favorite snow memories. What are yours?
“Kindness is like snow – it beautifies everything it covers”
celebrating mom d!
Yesterday, was my mom-in-law Janet’s birthday! I know I’m a day late, but this just helps the birthday stretch and last longer!
Janet and Richard, sporting their matching bibs, pose with Jessica at Grandparents’ Day, a couple of weeks ago.
I don’t have mother-in-law horror stories. Janet is so giving and encouraging. She often cheers me on, and has been a big support in my decision to be a stay-at-home mom. When I feel down, she encourages me about how important my role is. There are two kinds of people — balcony people and basement people. One cheers you on from the balcony, excitedly clapping for you, and the other’s negative words and attititude drag you down. (Guess where I learned this from?) Mom D is definitely a balcony person. She has taught Sunday School for years and is always talking about how much she tries to encourage the young people with her bible teaching, wisdom and practical advice.
Happy Birthday week, Janet!!!!
“Birthdays are good for you. Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest.” ~Father Larry Lorenzoni
ready to bake
You must buy these and try them. They are sooooo yummy. The kids and I have a sugar cookie day, once a year, at Christmas. It’s very fun to make the dough and do the cut outs and decorate the cookies. However, it’s messy and a lot of work. I am so glad I’ve discovered these. The pack comes with the frosting and the edible images. The kids bake them and decorate them all by theirselves, with NO mess! Elaina, my four year old, decorated these! Get them before they sell out!
“Think what a better world it would be if we all, the whole world, had cookies and milk about three o’clock every afternoon and then lay down on our blankets for a nap.” ~Barbara Jordan
singing neptune
A few months ago, we purchased a washer and dryer set, and I did a post called Kenmore Krazy. Well, it didn’t turn out to be a good choice to purchase a used set. We’ve had continuous problems with the dryer, and it finally gave us it’s last heated tumble. We decided to splurge and purchase my first BRAND NEW set.
I went with the standard Maytag dryer. I can’t believe how quickly it dries. It also has a drying tray, that fits on the inside, to dry things on without tumbling. It’s AWESOME. It has Sensor Dry; it measures the humidity and automatically shuts off when the clothes are dry.
The best part is my new washer. It’s a front loading Maytag Neptune. It’s soooo cool! It uses half the water and half the detergent and cleans better and gentler!!! This sucker weighs the clothes and determines how much water is needed. When it spins, I think it may go into orbit! The clothes come out practically dry! The very best thing about this washer is it’s sweet chime. It’s digital and when you change a setting or turn it on or off, it chimes. At the end of the cycle, it sings a song!!! I love it. It chimes a little 3 or 4 second tune. I have started thinking that this new appliance has a personality. I know my imagination gets carried away sometimes, but I think this appliance is happy to serve me and proud of the job it does. I think the song goes something like this:
Look at me. . .
I am good. . .
Look what I did for yoooou!
How lovely are thy branches!
Last Saturday, we did my favorite yearly activity; we went to our favorite Christmas tree farm and cut down our beautiful Christmas tree. It’s a yearly tradition that James and I adopted fifteen years ago, when we put up our first tree together! We walked out to the cow pasture, behind our humble, mobile home, and cut it down. It was so big we had to anchor it to the wall to hold it up!
Cutting down our Christmas tree is even more fun now with the kiddos!!! They make the season a true delight. The farm we go to gives hayrides to the evergreen fields. It winds around past a pretty lake. It’s very scenic and relaxing. We are dropped off to go on our hunt for the perfect tree! Once we find it, James does the manly thing and saws it down for us. The tractor and wagon come back, after a bit, to pick us up, along with our lovely evergreen. Once we arrive back, they shake and prepare the tree, while we visit the quaint, little, gift shop, where Santa hangs out and hot chocolate is served. It’s a charming place. I am already looking forward to next year!
Our Christmas tree outing is a yearly tradition for Mom and Dad D too! It’s fun having them along with us.
My decorations are up and we are really enjoying them. We rearranged the living room and the tree fits perfectly in front of the window!
We all have different gifts, so we all have a different ways of saying to the world who we are. ~Mister Rodgers
All I want for Christmas. . .
All I Want for Christmas
Is My Two Front Teeth
Everybody stops
and stares at me
These two teeth are
gone as you can see
I don’t know just who
to blame for this catastrophe!
But my one wish on Christmas Eve
is as plain as it can be!
All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth!
Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could with you
“Merry Chrithmath.”
It seems so long since I could say,
“Sister Susie sitting on a thistle!”
Gosh oh gee, how happy I’d be,
if I could only whistle (thhhh)
All I want for Christmas
is my two front teeth,
my two front teeth,
see my two front teeth.
Gee, if I could only
have my two front teeth,
then I could with you
“Merry Chrithmath.”
Don Gardner
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Douglas Fir
Today was a big day for our six year old daughter Jessica! For three years she has been scared to death of my singing Christmas tree named, Douglas Fir. I was really proud of my tacky find at a local grocery store three years ago. He looks like a regular little christmas tree, but he has a sensor, and when you walk past him, branches go up, revealing glowing green eyes, and his hidden mouth opens saying, “Guess what time it is. . .IT’S CHRISTMAS TIME!!!” He then bursts forth in Christmas carols. Now at the time, Jessica was three and Lydia was four. Lydia LOVES surprises and nothing seems to scare her, but at Jessica’s young age, I was still somewhat ignorant about her developing personality. I thought it would be great fun to surprise them with this glorious new toy of mine! So, after they went to bed for the night, I set it on the end table in the living room. I couldn’t wait for them to curiously walk up to it the next morning! Lydia loved it!!! She chattered away and giggled over the silly thing. Poor Jessica ran to her room full of fear and wouldn’t get off her bed for quite some time. She was very traumatized!!! I felt really horrible and we had to take it to the attic. NOW we realize that Jessica DOES NOT like things that have eyes that glow and she doesn’t like surprises. She has not let us get that tree out of the attic since that traumatizing day. In the past, when James goes to the attic, she runs crying and hides. Last Christmas she talked big about letting us get it out, then when James started to crawl into the attic, she ran away, crying and locked herself in the bathroom!! Poor kid! This year she said she wanted us to get it down, but we didn’t believe her! Well, this was the year that Douglas Fir’s banishment would be lifted and he emerged from his dark attic hide-a-way!
Bless James’ heart, he’s such a good sport!
Jessica bravely watched as we took him out of the box and turned it on! She started crying at one point and we thought Douglas would be going back to the attic! She worked through her fear and let me take a picture of her with it, but I had to be between them!
By the end of the evening, Jessica had totally overcome her fear and was even joking about it!!!! It’s been a big year for her! She has stopped sucking her thumb, decided on her own to give up her special blanket (at this point it looks more like a rag) and now she has faced her fear of Douglas and discovered that it’s just a silly, tacky, weird, talking tree!!!
“He who fears something gives it power over him.”
Thanksgiving
Happy Thanksgiving!! May you all have a blessed holiday!!! I found a lovely quote that I would like to dedicate to all the wonderful women preparing delicious food today!!! My apologies to the men that will be cooking. The quote is very gender biased, but your awesome, too!
“There is no spectacle on earth more appealing than that of a beautiful woman in the act of cooking dinner for someone she loves.”
Thomas Wolfe
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of gods.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the Lord of lords:
His love endures forever.
to Him who alone does great wonders,
His love endures forever.
who by His understanding made the heavens,
His love endures forever.
who spread out the earth upon the waters,
His love endures forever.
who made the great lights–
His love endures forever.
the sun to govern the day,
His love endures forever.
the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
to the One who remembered us in our low estate
His love endures forever.
and freed us from our enemies,
His love endures forever.
and who gives food to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
