Late night contemplations...

1. Is it late night or early morning?


2. This new spearmint Stride gum I bought is spearminty.


3. It's awfully dark outside.


4. How long does it take until a 24 oz bottle of Wild Cherry Pepsi wears off?


5. Do real bloggers only drink coffee?


6. I don't drink coffee (or tea), does that still make me a blogger?


7. This Stride gum would be an excellent choice to cover coffee breath.


8. Does Pepsi give you Pepsi breath?


9. Formula gives the baby Similac breath.


10. Is that my pillow calling?


11. The Free Dictionary says contemplation means a) a long and thoughtful observation, b) a calm lengthy intent consideration.


12. Is any of this long? Thoughtful? Intent?


13. Have you ever contemplated what ompahloskepsis means?


14. Ompahloskepsis means "contemplation of one's navel."


15. Now, that's something to contemplate.


16. I'm contemplating how long one can be in a state of ompahloskepsis.


17. In retrospect, this has been a calm and lengthy contemplation. In contemplating this long, I have learned a new word.


18. I hereby challenge you to use "ompahloskepsis" in a post.


19. So that I can come to your blog and contemplate on my navel.


20. Where was it I saw that video of a navel piercing...ginger's?

Favorite Photo Friday

Remember my post about these?

I found this picture and it is from 1982. I would have been 7 years old.

Good shoes...Good times!

Would you mind picking up your feet?

I'm currently making changes to my blog layout, spring cleaning of sorts! Please let me know what you think and please tell me if the layout is too stretched that it doesn't fit on your screen - I'm new at this. :) I have a few more changes in mind, but they are still in the works.

I just wanted to say thank you for your kind comments about our home and boulder wall. The wall is something of a landscape nightmare at this moment - well, I guess it can stand alone (haha) but I would love to add some things to it sometime! If you ever see any great ideas of how to landscap rock walls, please let me know.

Continue below for a "Whether or not you wanted to know more...here it is" post!

Have a great day!

Why Momma Roar?

1 - Why not?
2 - I am Momma, here me ROAR!
3 - (most boring answer) It is a spin on a family name

More things you didn't know about me and maybe you still don't want to know but I am going to enlighten you anyway.

1. First Name: Leigh
2. Middle Name: Ann
3. Name you go by: Leigh Ann
4. Name(s) your parents call(ed) you: Leigh Ann
5. Other nicknames (past and present): Hey you!
6. What did you call yourself when you were little? me
7. Were your parents considering any other names (that you know of) before they settled on yours? My sister liked Diamond :/
8. What does your name mean? I'm not sure because I can never find a meaning for my exact spelling. If you see it anywhere let me know...I'm still looking for a license plate for my bike!
9. Do any famous people share your name? I'm not sure - if you know of any, enlighten me! I've seen some other bloggers with my name (one even spelled the same way - very cool)
10. Can you pronounce your name backwards? Nael? Hey, some people can't even pronounce it right when not spelled backwards. "Leigh" rhymes with "me" not "sleigh." I still haven't figured that one out. If you thought it was "Lay" please tell me why.
11. Favorite girls' names: Noelle
12. Favorite boys' names: Quintin, Colin, Keifer (ha)
13. Favorite name you've ever read in a book: Sasha (in elementary school - Poppa Roar wouldn't let me use the name for our daughter - but since she was born in December, Noelle was perfect)
14. Favorite name from a TV show: Kasey - does NASCAR count?
15. Favorite name for a dog/cat: Riley is our bichon frise. Malone is a big-dog name I like - I'm pulling for an airedale terrier! (I know Poppa Roar, it isn't happening)

Well, that was at least 5 new things about me - hopefully you feel enlightened now! If you haven't shared a "5 new things about you" post yet, consider yourself tagged - even if you have done one, your still tagged (I always was a competitive player, tagging everyone on the playground)

Have a great day!!

The slideshow (previous post)

The slideshow was super easy to do - it was actually easier than uploading pictures into a post. I always manage to delete pictures while trying to position them. Plus, I don't have my van this week, it is in the shop, so we are "trapped" at home. So, we're blogging to make the best of it, ha ha!!

And, yes, that is our house in the background.

If you haven't tried the slideshow thing yet, give it a try - it was fun. You'll likely see more of them here, even when I get my van back :)

No more training wheels for Q!

Momma Roar?

So, what do inquiring minds want to know about Momma Roar?

I'm game for some blogging topics.

Me? A NASCAR fan?

The other week Poppa Roar had to travel for work. He was in Louisville, Kentucky for a truck show. He has gone to this show for the past several years and he really enjoys learning about the new features truck manufacturers offer. You needn’t ask why I stay home :)

Last year, when he got home, he informed me that my favorite NASCAR race driver was there. Now, please understand that I am not a huge NASCAR fan, but while it is on Sunday afternoons, I try to make the best of it. My hubby is not a die-hard fan, either, we basically have it on because we have the cheapest cable TV option of 20 channels and the sounds of the race provide nice background music for Sunday afternoon naps. In the spirit of watching every week, I decided I needed to choose a driver to cheer for. OK, so I’m a woman, I chose the one I think is cute!! Ha, what else am I going to go by? I can’t tell you much about the cars they drive, so I go with #9 Kasey Kahne. Now, I do know that he drives a Dodge and I drive a Chrysler (except mine won’t go as fast as his) and they are made by the same company – so I am being brand-loyal, no?
So, last year, Poppa Roar gets home from his travels and tells me Kasey Kahne was there for the truck company that hauls his race car across country for each weekend’s races. I couldn’t believe he didn’t get a picture or autograph for me. So, last week he heads off to Kentucky again, and I didn’t even think about the possibility of Kasey Kahne being there 2 years in a row.
So, last week the children and I were outside playing and we came in to get ready for naps. The light was blinking on the answering machine and it was Poppa Roar, “Just wanted to let you know that I just stood in line to get you a hat, which Kasey Kahne autographed and I got my picture taken with him.”

My jaw dropped. I quickly called my hubby’s cell and said “Sa-weet!”

I am thankful that we have the relationship we do, and that he knows I do all this in good fun! I must say, in my honest opinion, that while Kasey is cute (and has a serious baby face); the man on the right is my man!! I love you Poppa Roar!!

Go check out Splat Designs to register to win a free template design. If you win, you'll receive a "custom template with colors, textures, sidebar catagories, a signature and added to your blog." Drawing is April 1.

ASAP

When I hear the abbreviation ASAP I think about hurrying. Sometimes hearing these letters I can be stressed out with that "one more thing to accomplish." I received this little poem in an e-mail and felt it was a good challenge to view ASAP a little differently and help to keep all things in perspective.

There's work to do, deadlines to meet;

You've got no time to spare,

But as you hurry and scurry-

ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

In the midst of family chaos,

"Quality time" is rare.

Do your best; let God do the rest-

ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

It may seem like your worries

Are more than you can bear.

Slow down and take a breather-

ASAP - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

God knows how stressful life is;

He wants to ease our cares,

And He'll respond to all your needs

A.S.A.P. - ALWAYS SAY A PRAYER.

God is always there for us and ready to listen, but are we going to Him in our times of need, or are we too hurried and busy with the here and now?

Take 2

I hope those of you who weren't able to see this in my last post can see it now.

Favorite Photo Friday

I'm not sure what her inspiration was with this??? No one in our families smoke, so why does she have a hotdog in her mouth? This picture needs a caption - give it your best shot! Sorry, no prizes, lol!

A Few of My Favorite Things...Part 2

Here are the quilted projects my mother made for the children. In the baby's room is this wall hanging. She made it to match the border we had in our nursery at our previous house. Below is a picture of our oldest, with the wallpaper border in the picture. Sorry, this was the only picture I could find with the border on it :) But I wanted you to see how she used the animals to make a pattern to make the above wall hanging.
Below is our daughter's room. I currently have the quilt folded and resting on the blanket chest in her room. I think I would like Mom to add a sleeve on the back so that we can hang it to the right of her bed - like her big brother's quilt.

I just think she has a great eye for color. When I make things my colors are too similar and the project ends up being rather bland looking. Now, I take my mom to the fabric store with me. And since I don't quilt, she offers to do that for me. I don't have the patience to sit and make the tiny stitches - plus, the few times I tried they didn't even look nice and even.And, last, this is the room of our oldest. I love this wall hanging. I love its colors! This is how I want to hang our daughter's in her room.I just wanted to share some of the things here that make me smile when I see them.

Have a great day!

A few of my favorite things...Part 1

I received a beautiful picture for Christmas from my in-laws which I wanted because I knew it would look awesome in our bedroom. The picture features several quilts hung on a line on the front porch of an older white home. The quilt in the back is the one that caught my eye - it looks almost exactly like the one my mother made us for a wedding gift.

While the kids were eating lunch today, I quickly grabbed a nail, hammer and measuring tape to head up to my bedroom to hang the picture. Q saw the hammer and asked, "Uh-oh Mom, what's broken?" I am not sure if I'm usually seen carrying a hammer when things are broken, but I simply told him I was going to hang a picture and I'd be back down.

I now have the picture on the wall - it only took over 2 months to hang it - but it is there now and I LOVE IT!

We usually keep the quilt on the footboard of our bed to display it (and to keep the dog off of it because he sleeps on our bed, argh), but I couldn't help wanting to place it on the bed so I could take a picture with the new picture! The piece above our bed is a cross-stitch that my mother-in-law made us for a wedding gift - it matches the green and peach theme of the quilt.

I don't think this picture could have been more perfect had I asked the artist to paint it with our quilt in mind.

This last one is a wall hanging my mother made for us a few years after we were married with some scrap pieces she had left from the quilt.

Poppa Roar and I are blessed to have such wonderfully gifted mothers who have made us some truly treasured pieces. I hope to someday make some equally special treasures for my children.

Homemaking Meme

This meme was done a few weeks back by some friends, Weavermom, Penless, Candy and Lori B - sorry if I've forgotten anyone else. It was fun to do, it just took me a little longer to get it started.
Aprons - Y/N? If, Y, what does your favorite look like?
No, I just change clothes if I get too messy.
Baking - Favorite thing to bake?
Breads and desserts
Clothesline - Y/N?
YES! I love my clothesline. My hubby and I both love the smell of laundry left to dry outside!
Donuts - Have you ever made them?
No, but I would love to try someday.
Every day - One homemaking thing you do every day:
Make the bed.
Freezer - Do you have a separate deep freeze?
Yes and a second refrigerator in the garage that we brought along from our last house.
Garbage Disposal - Y/N?
Yes, we have 2. One at the sink and one furry one with four legs and a tail!
Handbook - What is your favorite homemaking resource?
“Is There Life After Housework?” by Don Aslett
Ironing - Love it or hate it?
I don’t love it but it gets done when it needs to.
Junk drawer - Y/N? Where is it?
Well, there is a junk drawer in the kitchen and there is a junk closet in my den, begging to be cleaned.
Kitchen - Color and decorating scheme.
“Blanched almond” No real theme, I like to decorate with wrought iron pieces, because I love how black looks with our almond walls and off-white trim.
Love - What is your favorite part of homemaking?
Accomplishing a task the best I can and making my home a welcoming place.
Mop - Y/N?
Yes. I vacuum first and then use a sponge mop. Twice a year (spring & fall housecleaning) I get down on my knees with a rag and scrub brush.
Nylons - Wash by hand or in the washing machine?
I do it both ways.
Oven - Do you use the window or open the oven door to check?
I usually turn the light only and then open the door.
Pizza - What do you put on yours?
Sausage and onions are my favorite.
Quiet - What do you do during the day when you get a quiet moment?
Read or take a rest to gear up for when the children are awake!
Recipe card box?
Not a box, but a binder. I found a pretty one at the store and I like to handwrite all my recipes in there. Someday I hope to make a copy for my children.
Style of house?
Two story stone colonial.
Tablecloths and napkins -
We bought a second-hand table when we were first married. Now it has some real wear to it so I have it covered with a vinyl tablecloth for the children and a nicer tablecloth for visitors. We use paper napkins – and lots of them!
Under the kitchen sink - Organized or toxic wasteland?
To my surprise, it is still organized.
Vacuum - How many times per week?
The downstairs gets vacuumed twice a week and the upstairs once a week.
Wash - How many loads of laundry do you do per week?
Probably 10 or 12….hmmm maybe I should start using an apron.
X's - Do you keep a daily list of things to do that you cross off?
No, but it would help me so much more if I did. I’ll go put that on a to-do list now!
Yard - Y/N? Who does what?
We have almost 2 acres and I love to mow. I love having uninterrupted time. But, now with the baby, I’m not sure I’ll be able to mow this summer.
Zzz's - What is your last homemaking task for the day before going to bed?
Checking in on the children, making sure they are covered and kissing them goodnight (again).

God's Cake

Sometimes we wonder, "What did I do to deserve this?" or "Why did God have to do this to me?" Here is a wonderful explanation!

A daughter is telling her mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

"Here, have some cooking oil," her mother offers.

"Yuck" says her daughter.

"How about a couple raw eggs?"

"Gr Mom!"

"Would you like some flour then? Or maybe baking soda?"

"Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful! God is crazy about you."

He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning.
Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen.
He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chooses your heart.
Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

I am praying your day is a piece of cake!

This was taken at our wedding, almost 11 years ago. And, no, I did not make it. I am not gifted in that area. I am however, gifted with a sweet tooth to eat these creations!!

Favorite Photo Friday

Couldn't you just tickle them?

Have a blessed weekend Friends!

Coffee Talk

A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life.

Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the coffee.

When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. Be assured that the cup itself adds no quality to the coffee. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began eyeing each other's cups.

Now consider this: Life is the coffee; the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain Life, and the type of cup we have does not define, nor change the quality of life we live.

Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee God has provided us.

Embarrassing things from my past? Why not?

Just Mom offered this up to anyone brave enough to do it. I’m not admitting I’m brave – just that I’m bored, wanted to give it a try, and nothing else I had made for a thought-provoking post! Here they are. Five things I'm embarrassed to admit, but will for the sake of humoring you! Enjoy!

1) Like Just Mom, I too ran away from home as a young child. I had a written letter on my bed for my parents to find upon my disappearance. Sadly, I couldn’t follow through with it, so I just hid under my bed waiting for someone to come looking for me and for their devastated reaction to my running away. I believe they could probably see me under the bed as they came up the stairway. If there would have been a closet in my room – I would have hid in there instead.

2) I loved David Hasselhoff and Knight Rider. But, I would get scared when the show began because I thought K.I.T.T. was going to come off the tv right at me. I usually jumped up on top of the couch. I believe I may have done this every episode!

3) I did something so awful as a child – it must of been the worst thing a child could have done – because my punishment was severe. Upon hearing of this ‘thing’ I did, my father said, "Go to your room and stay there…Forever!” Ahh yes, I must have been able to win them over with my sparkling blue eyes and dimples, because, as you can see, I am not still in that room. In fact, that is a good thing, because they just sold that house about 3 months ago!! The funny thing is neither my parents nor myself, can remember what awful thing I did!!

4) As kids, my siblings and I loved to give our dad a hard time. I remember when we got our first VCR. It didn’t have a remote control like we know remotes today. It had a cord that was connected to the vcr. As Dad would walk through the family room, we would have to usually say something like “Don’t trip over the cord!” Well, I was known to yell that even when the vcr remote was not stretched across the floor. He didn’t always appreciate that. Maybe that was why I was sent to my room forever. Or, because of this…

5) Mom had just gotten our dog some new dog treats at the store. For whatever reason, some dog food maker thought it would be funny to make a dog snack that looked liked the snack had already gone through the dog’s body – if you know what I mean. We liked to put these on the floor around the house and watch as Dad got angry at the dog! I think he may have even grabbed the dog and put his nose in it, saying “Look what you did.”

One more just for fun!
6) I have always been a lover of shoes, and in JH, my favorite shoes were a pair of clogs that my aunt had given to us! And, right now, I have on a pair of clogs!! My dansko clogs are the most comfortable shoes I own. Like 'em or not, I love 'em! In JH, my sister and I were only allowed to keep them on at home, we weren't able to wear them out of the house! *Note, my sister has a black pair!! She lives real close to a dankso outlet, too!! I remember the clogs in JH looked great with my jelly bracelet collection!

There you have it. Aren't you glad you stopped by to learn a little more about me today? Confession does a body, mind and soul good! Isn’t it good to be able to laugh at ourselves too?!?!

“Bad Mommy of the Year”

Here is my nomination for this title. I am certain there are many other moments in my children’s lives that could qualify me for this title. I don't believe there is such a contest to enter to earn this title, but I thought it made for a good post caption. Here is my most recent Bad Mommy Moment.

Friday evening, we were planning to eat supper at a restaurant. When T arrived home from work, he headed upstairs to take a shower (stone dust tends to make you rather dirty). Our daughter, E, followed him upstairs. She often plays in our bedroom while we are in the bathroom.

I was down on the computer checking on my favorite blogs and I heard her start crying, followed by T yelling for me.

I ran upstairs and found blood on her face. At first I wasn’t sure what had happened, the mommy instinct kicked in and I grabbed a washcloth and started applying pressure. The blood was coming from her upper lip.

I began to search the room for signs to tell me what she did. We have a whirlpool tub separate from our shower, and the tile around it is elevated off the floor. I thought maybe she had climbed up there and fallen.

As she started to calm down, I asked her what happened. She looked at me, and said, “Daddy” and put her index finger to her check and imitated Daddy shaving his face. I gasped! I looked at the drawer where Daddy keeps his razor and there was blood on the front of it. My heart sank. Daddy has one of those razors with 4 blades. Oh my, it could have been so much worse. I am so thankful it was just her upper lip and not her fingers, or eyes, or I don’t know what else. I praise God for His watch and His care over her. And I pray that I will be more alert to my children’s whereabouts.

Thank You, Lord, for Your many promises of protection. “I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.” Psalm 4:8

YAY! I am the winner!

After a short weekend, and not getting much computer time, I found myself playing catch up this morning. I headed over to devildogwife's blog and I won! Click here


I am so excited. What a great thing to find on a Monday morning. Monday mornings are my least favorite, because of all the "pick up" needing to be done from the weekend. I have 3 loads of laundry outside on the washline and I've managed to feed the children :). I need to head out next to clean up the kitchen.

We didn't have an exciting weekend (is there such a thing?) but we did manage to create a moment to nominate myself for the "Bad Mommy of the Year" award. If I can get up the guts to confess, I will post it later on ;)

Thank you Devildogwife for hosting at the Ultimate Blog Party and having the Tupperware Surprise Pack Contest.

3 Word Meme

I found this over at Susan’s Learning For Lifetime blog. I thought it looked like fun so I decided to give it whirl. (She had posted it back on March 6.)

The rules are simple.
Answer each question in three words.
No more, no less.

01. Where is your cell phone? In my purse
02. Boyfriend/girlfriend? Just my hubby
03. Hair? Medium blah brown
04. Your mother? 5 minutes away
05. Your father? Most likely, laughing
06. Your favorite item(s)? Bible, wrist watch
07. Your dream last night? I don’t remember
08. Your favorite drink? Wild Cherry Pepsi
09. Your dream guy/girl? Poppa Roar, silly
10. The room you are in? The messy den
11. Your fear? Very high places
12. What do you want to be in 10 years? 10 years older
13. Who did you hang out with last night? Children and hubby
14. What are you not? Tall and thin
15. Are you in love? Oh my yes
16. One of your wish list items? Emilie Barnes' book
17. What time is it? Three thirty-one
18. The last thing you did? Settled the baby
19. What are you wearing? My favorite jeans
20. Your favorite book? Any Frank Peretti
21. The last thing you ate? Chocolate Swiss Rolls
22. Your life? Wouldn’t change it
23. Your mood? Relaxed and carefree
24. Your friends? Encouraging and loving
25. What are you thinking about right now? How to answer
26. Your car? Blue Chrysler minivan
27. What are you doing at this moment? Finishing a post
28. Your summer? Children playing outside
29. Your relationship status? Married with children
30. What is on your TV screen? Child-size fingersmudges
31. When is the last time you laughed? Reading Ginger’s post
32. Last time you cried? During my devotions
33. School? Bachelors and Masters

I hope someone will give it a try, it was fun. Come back and let me know if you do it so I can come and read yours!

Babies Don't Keep

My baby is already 3 months old

Mother, O Mother, come shake out your cloth,
Empty the dustpan, poison the moth,
Hang out the washing, make up the bed,
Sew on a button and butter the bread.

Where is the mother whose house is so shocking?
She’s up in the nursery, blissfully rocking.

Oh, I’ve grown as shiftless as Little Boy Blue,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

Dishes are waiting and bills are past due,
Lullabye, rockabye, lullabye loo.

The shopping’s not done and there’s nothing for stew
And out in the yard there’s a hullabaloo,
But I’m playing Kanga and this is my Roo,
Lullabye, rockaby lullabye loo.

The cleaning and scrubbing can wait till tomorrow
But children grow up as I’ve learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down cobwebs; Dust go to sleep!
I’m rocking my baby and babies don’t keep.

By Ruth Hulbert Hamilton

Dear Sweet Little Peanut E

My darling E. I wrote of her the other day being able to sleep through anything. Well, guess what? She can sleep anywhere too.

We have 2-story family room. Our upstairs hallway looks down on the family room and I was upstairs taking pictures of the comforter we had just finished (see below).

It was time for Q to go to his room for his quiet time/nap and I put the camera in my sweatshirt pocket. After tucking him in, I thought I would check on my little girl, since she had been in bed for about half an hour. I walked into her room and she was not in her bed. In the past we've found her in various places of her room - sleeping on the floor behind her chair; on the floor, undressed, because she had a messy diaper and needed changed, but feel asleep before calling me; and last week we found her asleep in front of her dresser, sleeping with her legs under her dresser.

Today, I searched all those places and still couldn't find her. I was sure she hadn't left her room so I scanned the room again. Oh, what's this? Her closet door is slightly open. This is what I found.
I couldn't believe my eyes. I couldn't help not taking a picture, since the camera was in my pocket and all. She feel asleep next to her shoes...does this mean she'll have a shoe obsession like her mommy??

We've Finished!

We started our blanket a few weeks ago and we finished it today. All I need to do is put it in the washer to give it that freshly cleaned smell!
I was having a difficult time as to what to call it. A quilt? No, I don't quilt (my mom does and I'll have to post some of her beautiful work soon). A blanket? Not really. And then I remembered my mom always called them 'comforters.' Yes! It is a comforter. Our Prayer Comforter. It was made to comfort a young boy at our church with Leukemia (also in Q's Sunday School class) and we whispered prayers while making it. I had hoped to knit his mom a Prayer Shawl too, but I learned of another woman knitting one for her. (I still want to make a Prayer Shawl for another mom at our church.)

Q helped me finish up the knots today.

We hope J will find comfort from it and that he and his siblings have fun using it to a make house, a fort, and maybe even play hide and seek. Here is our finished project. We used a camouflage material as our main piece and worked from there. The back of the comforter is a full piece of the camo fabric. It was a neat experience to do this project with Q and to pray with him for his friend.

Reflections on Monday

1. Who would have know you could get a 4½ year old boy to wash his hands more often by using soap with glitter in it?
2. Did the creator(s) of Dora the Explorer videos really think it was a good idea to have children answer her questions and to encourage them to "say it louder?" Apparently, there was no 3 month old sleeping in a pack n play behind the couch.
3. Why does Banana Chocolate Chip bread tastes so much better when you made it with your children than by yourself?

“Praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort. He comforts us when we are in trouble, so that we can share that same comfort with others in trouble.” 2 Corinthians1:3-5

Our 2 year old daughter, E, is by far our best sleeper. This girl can sleep through thunderstorms, strong winds blowing, the rest of the family making noise – you name, she can sleep through it. Except, this afternoon. I’m not sure what woke her, but she was crying in bed. I slipped into her room to try to coax her back to sleep. I wiped away her tears, calmed her, held her and kissed her. I succeeded in getting her back to sleep.

But, before I left, as I looked upon her, memories surfaced from my own childhood. I can remember waking up to fire sirens or storms and my mother would rush in to comfort me. I can remember how she would brush my hair off my face and tuck it behind my ear. Her soothing and gentle touch always lulled me back to sleep. I can also remember the times my father would tell me stories to comfort me when I was fallen or gotten hurt. He would tell me the best stories which would completely distract me from whatever was hurting.

This made me reflect on my ability as a grown woman to turn to my Heavenly Father as my source of comfort.

“The Father is a merciful God, who always gives us comfort.”

When my parents offered me comfort as a young girl, my pain did not go away, I was still scared of the storm or my bleeding knee still hurt. The same is true with our Heavenly Father. I believe some people think that when God comforts us, our troubles should go away. But, he wants us to come to him out of love for him, not only out of a desire to be relieved of pain. We must understand that being comforted can also mean receiving strength, encouragement, and hope to deal with our troubles; not just make them vanish. Our pain makes us stronger and we should view our troubles as opportunities for growth.

We cannot prevail with God unless we have troubles to prevail over. May this encourage you to seek and appreciate the comfort and encouragement found in his Word, his presence, and his people.

Bye bye blue sky

My laundry lasted outside until lunch time, when it began to rain.

I have this perfectionist habit of folding each piece of laundry - just right - so that it can sit in the laundry basket for a week without becoming wrinkled and needing to be ironed. You know how laundry has a way of not making it to the dresser drawers? At least that is how it happens in our house. Sure, I'm good about getting the laundry into the washer and outside to dry, but must I really put it away? Couldn't we just walk outside and grab off the line when we need something? No, really, I'm not that bad, but sometimes it does sit on the floor for a few days before it gets put away.

So, there I am, in the rain, taking my time to fold each piece. Fortunately, it didn't take me too long before I realized how very stupid this was and just starting yanking down everything and tossing it into the basket. Oh well, at least I tried, and hey, I only ran the dryer for 5 min rather than 45! That was worth it, no?

It was a nice feeling to be outside hanging laundry...maybe another day!

By the way, since a few of you asked, I don't hang laundry out when the temps are below freezing. Some folks around here do, but my fingers get too cold. It was in the 50s today. I figure if it is warm enough to melt the snow, it is warm enough to dry my sheets!

Wouldn't you know that by mid-afternoon, the sun was back out. But by then, my wash line was out of the sun's reach, hidden by the shadows of the house.

YAY!

I got all the children out of bed so I could take the sheets off, wash them and hang them outside! I hope to finish the blanket I am making soon, then I'll wash it and hang it out this afternoon and hopefully post a picture of it!

Happy Birthday Theodor Geisel!

A person's a person, no matter how small," Theodor Geisel, a.k.a. Dr. Seuss, would say. "Children want the same things we want. To laugh, to be challenged, to be entertained and delighted."

As I rolled out of bed this morning and looked out the windows, it was so foggy I couldn't see the trees that separate our yard from the farm behind us. It had rained (no, poured) all night long and the fog was just resting on the already snow-covered landscape. We had one errand to run and we were quickly back home. Since today is Dr. Seuss' birthday, I pulled our "collection" from the bookshelves in the playroom. We read some together and the children also enjoyed looking at them by themselves!

As we finished up reading, I noticed the clouds were breaking and I could see some blue sky peeking through. After lunch, the clouds were gone and it was a beautiful blue sky above. The temperatures had risen all week, and at lunchtime it was 53°. So we put on our snow boots and headed outside for some fun in the melting snow.
The children have come in, had snack and are tucked into bed. I'm washing our outside 'play clothes' and the rest of the laundry I let pile up this week.
I was tempted to hang some laundry outside, but the type of wash line I have fits into a pipe in the ground. It closes like an umbrella and I can store it in the garage. Sadly, I foudn the pipe to be filled with frozen snow. :( I guess I must be patient.

Some of the Dr. Suess books we were reading this morning were from my own childhood. My favorites were "Green Eggs and Ham" and "One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish." What were your favorite Dr. Suess books? Is there one you enjoyed having read to you, or reading yourself, or reading with your children?

33 things post and recipe

In honor of T’s 33rd birthday, (and without any better ideas - lol) I thought you might enjoy leaning 33 new things about us.

1. We still live in the same school district where we went to HS.
2. I would love to travel since I’ve only visited 8 states.
3. I’d love to travel in an RV, homeschooling my children – but that would just be too long of a commute for T.
4. T works in a family business – a limestone quarry. He is the youngest of the 3rd generation. This year is the quarry’s 75th anniversary.
5. Each of our parents live less than 10 minutes away.
6. I enjoy sewing and want to learn to sew more than just blankets.
7. I am currently making a blanket for a young boy with Leukemia.
8. I enjoy knitting and I’m finally learning to knit more things than just scarves.
9. I am a consultant for Southern Living at Home products and I love reading the Southern Living magazine.
10. T proposed to me on a ski slope in Vermont.
11. We were married in the month of June. It was a hot, hot, hot day.
12. It was 3 weeks before my 21st birthday and 5 weeks after T graduated from college.
13. I had one year of college to finish – classes in the fall and student teaching in the spring.
14. We have Amish neighbors and there is a one-room Amish schoolhouse less than a ½ mile from our house.
15. We have 16 nieces and nephews. 3 on my side and 13 on hubby’s side.
16. I am short – 5’1½”.
17. We homeschool with the Weaver Curriculum.
18. T and I are both the youngest in our families.
19. I would love to have a vegetable garden this spring.
20. All my indoor plants don’t survive long – not sure how a vegetable garden will last.
21. I love to read. I have a “to be read” pile that is a mile high.
22. I help moderate a yahoo book group for homeschooling moms: Heart-N-HomeBooknook.
23. I love to hang laundry outside. I don’t like using my dryer in the winter so I have two large drying racks that I can get most of our clothing on to air dry.
24. I drive a minivan – which is something I said I would never do.
25. I teach the 2nd grade Sunday School class at our church.
26. I participate in the Chimes Choir.
27. I was a cheerleader in HS and I ran on the track team.
28. I learned to play the cello in the 4th grade. I wish I still had it. But what Phys Ed major shows up to college with a cello? (I guess it was an image thing!)
29. I love being home with my family.
30. Our children were born in 2002, 2004 and 2006.
31. My current favorite restaurant is Romano’s Macaroni Grill.
32. I am so ready for spring! Bring it on!!!
33. I love my hubby and I hope we have many more birthdays to celebrate!

Here’s the Moravian Sugar Cake recipe. Enjoy – it is so YUMMY!

MORAVIAN SUGAR CAKE
1 envelope dry yeast
½ cup lukewarm water
1 cup milk
1 cup mashed potatoes
2 eggs
½ cup sugar
6 cups flour
⅔ cup Crisco
2 tsp salt

Topping:
2 cup light brown sugar
1 cup flour
2 sticks butter
Cinnamon

Put dry yeast in bowl with warm water. Heat the milk lukewarm. Stir yeast mixture. Then add the milk, mashed potatoes, eggs, Crisco, ½ cup sugar and 2 tsp salt. Mix with hands until well blended. Add the flour, 3 cups at a time.
Knead the dough on a floured surface. Keep adding small amounts of flour to keep from sticking. Knead about 10 minutes. Put dough back in bowl; cover with cloth and let it rise until double in size, about 2 hours.
Punch it down; divide in half. Spread out on 2 cookie sheets until about ½ inch high. Cover with cloth, let rise about 1 hour.
Mix with your hands the light brown sugar and 1 cup flour until all lumps are gone. Using 1 stick of butter, make bullet holes in one cake. Spread ½ the sugar mixture over top, then sprinkle cinnamon over top. Do same to second tray when first is almost finished baking. Bake 15 minutes, or until brown around edges, at 375°.

Have a great day everyone!