The Cozy Corner - Max Edition

I knew this would happen. I knew that we would finish school before I had time to review all the books we read in our Kindergarten curriculum this year. So instead of giving up, I'm going to do a one sentence summary and one sentence review of the rest of the books (13 - yikes!), linking to Amazon in case you are interested in purchasing them.

Are you ready? Here goes nothin'!!

The Hundred Dresses by Eleanor Estes - a young girl gets caught up in making fun of a classmate who is obviously very poor yet claims to own 100 dresses and learns a valuable lesson about leadership and compassion.

Kids loved it, even though the protagonist was a girl, and afforded some great opportunities for discussion about how to treat others.

The Family Under the Bridge by Natale Savage Carlson - an old hobo befriends homeless children and selflessly helps them during the Christmas season.

Kids hated this one because the language was over their heads - better for older kids.

Dolphin Adventure by Wayne Grover - a true story about a diver who helps a wounded dolphin underwater. An exciting adventure!

My son ate this one up! He loves dolphins and this is written in pretty simple text, even though it is a chapter book and he hung on every word.

Mary on Horseback by Rosemary Wells - three true stories about a nurse who gave up a typical job to help the mountain people of Appalachia and thus founded the Frontier Nursing Service.

This was a tough one, also. Written in Appalachian dialect, most of the stories went way over the kids heads.

The Story of Doctor Doolittle by Hugh Lofting - come on, you all know this summary. He talks to animals and they go on a grand adventure to Africa.

What kid wouldn't like this story? My kids laughed and loved this book. It is a bit long, 156 pages, with only a few small pictures, so you might have to hold off with your little ones, but my 5 year old didn't struggle.

In Grandma's Attic by Arleta Richardson - my husband read this one to the kids and I eagerly listened while he recounted tales of a mischievous little girl and how she learned valuable lessons from all her mistakes. The stories are told from a grandmother to her granddaughter while she spends time at their house.

Lovely book. Sweet and funny and presented great opportunities to talk with the kids about disobedience, since most of the stories center around the grandmother's stubborn will.

The Light at Tern Rock by Julia L. Sauer - mixed reviews on this one. The story of a young boy who spends his Christmas stuck on a lonely island manning a lighthouse with his aunt.

My kids seemed to not care for this book, but the story was good, in my opinion and the lessons about attitude are priceless. Also, it is short (60 p.) with a decent number of pictures, so it ends up being a quick read. I'll probably keep this to read to them again this year.

The Story about Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese - ultra cute little story about a duck who disobeys and the consequences.

Kids loved this book, very easy level, even the 3 year old didn't get bored!

Five True Dog Stories by Margaret Davidson - the title explains it best . . . focus' on dog's amazing sense of smell, devotion, loyalty, etc . . .

So cute, kids were amazed by the dogs and we had a lot of fun with this book.

Twenty and Ten by Claire Huchet Bishop - a fictional account of a common story during WWII, it is about 20 French students who do their best to hide ten Jewish children from the Nazi's at their remote boarding school.

Great story, but might be a bit dark for small children. It speaks of death and starvation and torture (in an age-appropriate manner) but my son loved it. It sparked many conversations about the war. My 3 year old ignored us while we read this one, though!

The House at Pooh Corner by A.A. Milne - lovely chapter-length stories about Pooh bear and his friends and adventures.

Hate to say it, but my kids had too much trouble following this book and all the different characters, and their mother had too much trouble trying to read it in the different voices (speech major that I was)! So we shelved this book about 1/3 of the way in for when they are a little older and can understand the adult humor.

Richard Scarry's Please and Thank You Book by . . . do I really have to tell you? If you haven't read one of Scarry's many books to your kids, go to the library now and get one! So cute and fun, this book tells how to behave politely using his famous characters.

This book was great and I think you could use it for much younger children, and as a reminder to older kids of what polite behavior should look like!

Are you still with me? One more to go!

A Grain of Rice by Helena Clare Pittman - the story of a poor Chinese boy who, when denied the hand of the princess in marriage, instead asks for a grain of rice, to be doubled every day for 100 days. You can guess what happens!

The math in this book was over my kid's heads, but they enjoyed the story, and it is a short book (65 p.) and the print is large, so it was a quick read.

Well, there you have it. A lot of books to read, but a great place to start if you are thinking about using Sonlight's curriculum or just looking for a fun book list for your kindergartner. Whew! I'm off to read something for myself!

Old Wrapping Paper and the Body of Christ

A few years ago on my son's birthday, he received a present from his grandparents wrapped in cowboy wrapping paper, I mean, vintage cowboy wrapping paper. My mother-in-law had saved this paper from when my husband was a little boy (5, maybe?) and his grandparents used it to wrap his birthday present. How cool is that?!

If you know me well (or not so well, possibly you've heard all the rumors) you would know that holding on to a piece of wrapping paper, however cute and sentimental it might be, for 27 or so odd years would be the last thing I could or would do. I just don't hang on to things for that long, truth be told, even a quarter of that long. I don't like clutter and so many of those sentimental pieces of paper get thrown away. (see here for an example)

By God's grace, I have a wonderful mother-in-law who was quite at ease with my teasing over the wrapping paper and we joked that if the world were made up of people like me, there would be no Smithsonian because I would have pitched every historical piece of paper I came across. What's this? The Constitution? I'm sure we have this saved on a computer somewhere - to the trash! And we joked that if the world were made up of people like my dear mom-in-law, we would be living on a spaceship while Wall.e was busy tidying up our planet for our return. There is a need for both of our personality types, to balance out each group.

I've spent a lot of time thinking about this, especially when the Holy Spirit is kind enough to bring my sinful pride to my attention. This is exactly how the body of Christ is made up. For some reason He has chosen to redeem all kinds of people and then place them in the same local body to work together to bring Him glory. If the local body were made up of people who think like me, there would be some serious deficiencies, I'm sure. And the same goes for other personality types.

But the rub occurs when we actually try to get along with people who think and/or act differently than we do. When we would rather just smile and nod and move along and never have to speak to that person again. That is when the gospel matters. That is when I have to remind myself that John 13:35 is true: "By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another."

This type of love doesn't come from steeling my will to put up with someone different than I. No, this love comes from Christ, from His sacrifice that implores us and enables us to love each other as He loves us. It isn't always easy, but ultimately I believe that it is possible, and I remind myself of this miraculous truth when I'm tempted with superiority.

Thank you, Father, for making each one of us unique and for loving us despite our pride and arrogance. Help me to love others as you have loved me and to further your gospel by this supernatural ability.

Pioneer Woman's Pizza

I spied this recipe the other day on my most-favorite website, The Pioneer Woman, and decided right there on the spot that I must try it. What could be better than caramelized onions on a pizza? So on my next outing to the grocery store, I picked me up some prosciutto and came home to make the pizza crust.

Now let me just tell you, the pizza crust is easy and delicious. I've been looking for a good recipe, and my only complaint is that you need to make it about 2 hours before you start the pizzas. But trust me, it was so good it was worth the wait.

The picture above shows the results of following the recipe exactly. Wow. She wasn't lying. That was one good pizza. But I will admit that because there is no sauce on the dough, it was just a *tad* dry for me. So I made it again last night, with a very thin layer of Sweet Baby Ray's sauce under the cheese and we liked it even more. So much that we didn't share it with the kids - they were content to eat corn dogs!

The star of this pizza is the caramelized onions, so if you really like them, do as I did and cut up 2 onions to throw on the pizza. More is better, right? And if prosciutto scares you or you just don't want to pay $6 a pkg, by all means use bacon or deli ham. Just use it sparingly, because the onions are what makes this pizza pop!

Now that I have finished my review, I'm off to see if Dan forgot his lunch of leftover pizza and to eat it if he did. It's even good cold.

On Reinstating Old Resolutions

I'm back on the wagon. Your comments from my last post helped put me there. Now I can't say that my family will never eat anything out of a box again (can we say "cereal'?) but I am resolved to quit buying the vast amounts of groceries from the middle of the store. I'm sticking to the fresh fruits and vegetable, fresh meat and dairy items. With a little bratwurst thrown in when the weather is warmer!

I was sizing up my pantry for all the things we shouldn't be eating when I noticed the box muffin mix. I checked my muffin recipes, and most call for 10-12 ingredients, whole ingredients like flour and fruit. Then I compared the box mix, which contained 25 ingredients, and only the first 3 or 4 could I even pronounce. That's disgusting!

So I need your help. What box mixes and the like have you replaced with homemade recipes?

Here's mine for the day:

Homemade "Cream of _____ Soup" recipe

2 c. non-fat dry milk crystals
3/4 c. cornstarch
1/4 c. Instant chicken bouillon
2 tbsp. dried onion flakes
1 tsp. dried thyme, crushed (optional)
1 tsp. dried basil, crushed
1 tsp. pepper

Add 1/3 c. of mix to 1 1/4 c. water and heat and whisk until thickened. Works great in casseroles!

How do you eat healthy?

Missy just reminded me this morning of a resolution I made about 2 years ago to eat more whole foods. It was shortly after my brother had a heart attack and I was convinced I was next, because, you know, (well maybe you don't) my family paid for the heart center at the local hospital.

And I did really well for some time. No more hydrogenated oils, I made more things at home from scratch and I felt like I was making at least a little bit of difference in my health.

And then came couponing. I have been actively couponing for about 6 months now, and I realize how much unhealthy food I have bought in the name of saving money. I mean, you can get some really amazing deals on prepared meals and jarred sauces and the like. But now I'm thinking I've exchanged good health for a buck.

So, my question is to you, my readers. How do you eat healthy on a budget?

The Cozy Corner

After finishing The Apple and the Arrow (and by "finishing" I mean "laboring through") I was excited to see a lighter, more kindergarten-friendly book on the list, My Father's Dragon.

This book is told from the perspective of a young boy, retelling his father's adventure on Wild Island, as he works to free the captive dragon that is a slave to all the island's animal inhabitants. The dragon is chained and forced to fly across a river to transport the lazy animals from one side of the island to another.

Now don't be fooled - this is not a "tug on your heart" kind of book. It is hilarious! The boy encounters tigers who are distracted by chewing gum, a rhinoceros too busy worrying about his dirty horn to guard the island, a vain lion, and a whole host of animals who are ready to do him harm, but are easily averted by simple means. Each chapter leads you through another adventure, told simply and with great humor. Both the kids loved it (even the 3 year old!).

The book is 87 pages long, with pencil sketches on about every other page, and the author is Ruth Stiles Gannett. Apparently this is a series, but since we have only read this one book, it is all I can comment on . . .

But my verdict is: buy it and read it and giggle with your kids!

Family Photo Shoot

Dan surprised me on Valentine's Day by suggesting a family photo shoot, with Dan as the main photographer! With the help of a remote, I think he did a fine job! Here are my favorites:

Don't his hands look rugged here? Pretty impressive for an insurance salesman!
Somewhere in the middle of the shoot I realized my lipstick was totally gone. And I realized why my mom always reminds me to put it on - I do look like death warmed over without it. Can we photoshop in some dark red lips here?

Is it too early to say this will be our Christmas picture next year?

Subtle Differences in the Sexes

Context: Elijah had a friend over to spend the night last night, and while they were furiously running around the house shooting at random villains, I overheard this conversation . . .

Alli: Ija, remember that you are the soldier and I am the princess that you rescue.

Elijah: Alli, we aren't playing that game. You can be part of our killing team!

Happy Birthday, Erik

I worked furiously to finish the binding before Mom and Dad left to go home and bring your birthday gift to you.

And here it is, the finished project. I was apprehensive about a quilt in all neutrals, but I love the way it turned out. Hope it keeps you feeling warm and loved.

And Kevin, don't be jealous. You have not because you ask not! ;)

My Baby Turns 6

Seriously, if I talk about this too much, I may cry. Here he is, all 10.5 lbs of him, just a few days after his birth.

Elijah, you were such a perfect baby (except for all that nursing trouble you gave me!) You were content and loved to cuddle, slept most naps in my arms and generally made me into a new person who never knew she could love so much.
Now you are 6 years old. You are smart and sweet and tender. You still need to cuddle (even though you wipe off most of my kisses.) You are creative and a problem-solver and I don't think your mind ever shuts off. You wouldn't know what to do with yourself if it wasn't for Legos and I think that's awesome.You are still a little shy about new experiences, but you have big plans for when you are older. Just don't be so eager about getting older. You'll know what I mean someday. Enjoy where you are right now and keep trusting God with your whole heart. He's got great things for planned for you!

We love you, buddy. You have made our lives so joyful, we thank God for you!

The Cozy Corner

I just realized that if I am to blog about every read-aloud book we read for Elijah's Kindergarten experience, I better get going! I've only reviewed 2 books, and there is a shelf-full in my dining room! So here is my 3rd installment of the cozy corner.

The book we will discuss (and by "we" I mean "me" unless there is a rip-roaring discussion in the comment section - but I won't hold my breath) is "The Apple and the Arrow" by Mary and Conrad Buff.

This is another Newbery Honor Book, which Sonlight has a habit of choosing. And although I am impressed by their classic choices, how this book got on a Kindergarten reading list baffles me.

It tells the story of William Tell and the legendary founding of Switzerland. Now don't get me wrong, it is an intriguing story (remember the apple on his son's head that Tell is ordered to shoot?), but the language of this book is suited for much older children. My 5 year old was bored to tears (literally) and when I questioned him after reading, he had no clue what was going on in the story. For some asinine reason, I finished reading the book (blame my obsessive-compulsive nature), but I was still completely understanding when the kids complained about it.

So my verdict is: great book for an 8-10 year old boy, but skip it for smaller kids

Conversation with a 5 year old

Quiet whispering and giggling in the living room - never a good sign when it involves a 5 and 3 year old. So I quieted my own activity to eavesdrop until said 3 year old starts yelling,

"Ija said a potty word!"

"Elijah," I reply calmly, "please come in here."

He enters, sheepishly. I ask him what potty word he said.

Defensive, he replies, "I was just repeating a word I heard on a movie!"

Wait. We don't let him watch movies like that. "What movie?" I queried?

His moralism sets in. "Veggie Tales. And Veggie Tales aren't supposed to teach you about potty words, they are supposed to teach you about God!"

"Really? Veggie Tales? Okay, what potty word did Veggie Tales teach you?"

He's prepared, "An old man was saying to a little girl, 'if you don't go to bed, tomorrow you are going to be pooped!'"

And once again, I am reminded how literal children are.

Is it the New Year already?

*I found this post in my archives . . . I though it would be good to go over my resolutions from next year and see how I did, especially before I write my resolutions for this year!!
New Year, Same Resolutions

We've had a wonderful few weeks of celebrating Christmas with both our families, although that always involves a bit of travel. I'm winding down and looking forward to a few weeks with nothing big planned, and a chance to really think about my goals for the new year. Here are a few that I've come up with so far:

1. Resolved to stay in touch with my siblings more often - even if just through Facebook.
(side note to Erik and Kevin - the phone connection works both ways!)

Okay, I did keep in touch with them through Facebook more, but I need to work on this again this year!

2. Resolved to read through the Bible in one year - Dan helped me with this resolution by suggesting we do it together. I don't know if that will make it easier or more difficult. We see each other (awake, that is) only a few hours a day.

Well, this did not happen. We were doing so good and then got sidetracked when summer came and we've been hit and miss since then. This year we hope to finish where we left off, and focus on that time together in the Word, instead of frantically trying to check off the day's reading on the calendar.

3. Resolved to sew for fun, but to not let it take over my life and finances! Along with that resolution comes mine and Dan's desire to add a bit more color into our lives.

I definitely got this one! I only sewed one custom quilt, and mostly sewed only when I wanted to, taking major breaks during the warm weather. And I'm glad to say I did not go hog wild on fabric, although Dan is probably more glad about that feat than I am!

4. And the biggest resolution I have made is to strive to find the balance between serving in the body of Christ and knowing when to step back before I get so stressed that I have heart palpitations! That's an on-going struggle that I don't expect to fully solve - it's going to be a constant battle, but one that I'm hopefully more prepared for.

This one is still a struggle for me, although Dan and I are taking significant strides in making this true. We have come to the conclusion that our family is our first priority, even though church needs are important, too, we have failed to consider our family's needs when we try to be Superman for everyone around us. God is not honored when we try to "work" for Him in our own strength. A good friend reminded me that Scripture says that His yoke is easy and His burden light. And if I'm stressing out, it's because I'm doing more than He's called me to do, or I'm doing it in my own strength. Either way, I need to work on being a Mary instead of my usual Martha. Does all this even make sense?!?!

Well, that's my list so far. I'm sure I should add exercise and less sugar consumption, but I'm afraid if I write it down, someone will actually keep me accountable for it.

Stay tuned for my last installment of "Handmade Christmas" and some of my favorites of 2008!
Happy New Year Everyone!

Family Blog

FYI - We have a new blog, just for pictures, in case you are interested. This new blog is run by Dan, so you'll notice a lack of commentary I know you enjoy so much here! Basically it is for our families to keep up with all the pictures we take of the kids, but right now we have uploaded videos from Christmas morning. Stop on by if you are interested!

Our Photo'z

Dinner with the Pioneer Woman

Thanks to the tasty new cookbook from my favorite blogger on earth, Christmas Eve dinner is going to be a tasty affair.

Here's the menu:

Beef Brisket (prepared in my new Nesco!)

Creamy Mashed Potatoes

7 Layer Salad (that's for my honey - it's his favorite) and

Roasted Carrots

Dessert is being brought by friends - I'm sure it will be scrumptious!

I'm salivating already. Now off to the store!

Christmas Quilting

This is the advent calendar that I made for the kids this year. Finished it on December 1st - just in time to fill the pockets with candy and then let the kids take out Day 1's stash!

This is a stained glass nativity quilt. Although I love the finished look, I really struggled quilting it with a double needle. There are also 2 more patterns that hang on the side of the wisemen and the shepards, but I think I'll just be content with this one piece. I'm ready to start working on a traditional quilt again!

Perspective on Trials

Wow, how did almost 2 weeks go by without me posting again?!? I guess it is silent commentary on how busy we have been lately.

On our way home from a long Thanksgiving weekend, Dan and I listened to a sermon on trials by Mark Driscoll. It seemed an appropriate subject since many of our closest friends are experiencing great trials. But the preacher reminded us that all believers experience trials, some are trials of blessing and abundance, and others are trials of loss and want. Either way, trials are to be expected in life.

The entire message was excellent, but the phrase I've been mulling over all day is when he said (loose quotation here) "As a believer, this life of trials is the closest you will ever come to hell." It's making me think a lot about Christ's sacrifice, which is an appropriate meditation around Christmas, don't you think?





The sermon can be found here and you can get the other sermons in the series at http://8witnesses.com/

Let me know if you listen and what you think of it.

The Cozy Corner

The first book we read aloud at the start of our school year was The Boxcar Children by Gertrude Chandler Warner.I admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. This book has 13 chapters, 154 pages, with only a few, small, black and white pictures in each chapter. Up until this point we had read only picture books, or short stories that didn't have pictures, but were quick to read. I didn't think either of the kids would like this book.

But since I bought the book, and the curriculum told me to read it to my kindergartner, then I felt I had no choice but to try. We started reading, and although Elijah balked at first, he really did start to enjoy the story of 3 homeless, orphaned children who live in an abandoned boxcar. They survive using some ingenious ideas to meet their daily needs and rely on each other to help make their life fulfilling.

What helped make this book age appropriate for my 5.5 year old is the simple language used. Written in 1942 (yes, Elijah, older than Grandpa!) the sentences are not complex, and made it easier for Elijah to follow along. There were very few words I had to define for him to understand what happened in each chapter. And as always, after we finished reading, I would ask him comprehension questions and was always surprised by how much he understood and retained. We even talked through some of the "why's" of the children's behavior.

Apparently this is a series, but I think we'll stop while we are ahead, and maybe read some more of the Boxcar Children this summer.

Verdict: read this to your kids and be prepared for them to play "Boxcar Children" for weeks to come.

Cozy Corner

I have been homeschooling for exactly 12 weeks now. So, as you can assume, I am officially an expert on the subject. And since I know you are dying to hear my intellectual arguments for why we do what we do in our little academy, I decided to start a series on this blog to highlight the books we read and my little genius' reaction to them all.

Okay, now that I have successfully caused you to lose your lunch, let me explain what I'm really doing:

I am 12 weeks into an educational experiment with my children, specifically my 5.75 year old. Now I know all those die-hard home school moms out there are screaming after they read that sentence, but hear me out. In no way do I think homeschooling is any less desirable than public or private instruction, nor do I think it ranks as the "only" way to teach your children. All I'm saying is that I'm 12 weeks in to this and I have no idea if it's the right way or not. I think it depends a lot on the individual child, even more on the desire and ability of the parents and truthfully, I really don't think there is a "right" or "wrong" way to educate a child. It is just the option we have chosen for our family for this moment in time.

Whew. Glad that's out of the way.

Now, let's get to the real reason for this post. After 12 weeks of reading aloud a lot of books to my kindergartner (and his 3.5 year old sister, when she decides she will sit still) I decided it might be fun and maybe even a little helpful if I blogged about the books we are reading and how the kids have responded to them. I'm no expert book reviewer, but I know which books my kids love and respond to and which ones have them snoring on the couch as I drone on. I'm calling this series "The Cozy Corner" because even when the books are boring, we all enjoy cuddling on the couch or bed while I read.

So stay tuned over the coming weeks to read my personal reviews of the books we read, specifically the books from our schooling curriculum, Sonlight. It should be interesting, and maybe it will even cause me to update this blog more regularly!

Happy Halloween (a few days late)

Our family, which consists of a baseball player, bee, cat and clone trooper hope you all had a sugar-filled Halloween!

Custon Quilt

Me and my sis-in-law, Noelle, have tossed around the idea of a custom quilt for her for almost a year now. So I was super pumped this last September when she came for a visit completely prepared to pick out fabric and finalize the details for her queen sized quilt. We visited my favorite quilt store and had a blast picking fabrics and deciding what color scheme best suited her.

Noelle has an awesome, funky, colorful style, and we wanted to choose fabrics that really reflected an eclectic look. She picked out all the fabric, and I just helped group and get rid of or add a few others. I think she did a fantastic job!

We decided on a vertical stripe quilt pattern. We didn't want anything too traditional, and the vertical stripes really helped the fabric pop.

Mounted on the frame, ready to quilt. Noelle specifically asked for pictures of the process.

It's finished being quilted here. Now I have to trim the edges and sew on the binding.

All done! I finished in time to bring it on our last visit a few weeks ago. I think she loved it!

Quilt for a Friend

This is one of my latest quilting adventures, finished recently and just gifted to my friend who moved away.

Stay tuned for pics of my first custom quilt order!

Sometimes I need a break

I figure if I give him a friend to play with, and throw a pet rabbit in the mix, it should keep him busy for a few hours so I can have some peace and quiet.


Now to await my mother of the year award. I think I hear them knocking on the front door. Oh wait, that may not be the award committee . . .

Pretty Pretty Picture

Alli has found her inner artist. She has begun coloring, and coloring, and coloring. She colors as soon as she gets up in the morning, she colors as I sit and teach Elijah every day (it's my school, she says), and she colors before and after supper and would color in bed at night if we allowed it.

Don't misunderstand me, I love that she is so fond of this exercise. It has helped her learn more names of colors (like pwurpish-pink) and it keeps her occupied quietly for hours. The problem occurs when I must keep every picture she finishes. There are hundreds now, maybe thousands. And anyone who knows me at all knows my OCD nature and my severe allergic reaction to clutter.

So all this background information leads me to the exchange I had with my sweet daughter the other night after dinner:

I was cleaning up and wiping off the island and I picked up a half-sheet coloring sheet and absent-mindedly threw it in the garbage right in front of my daughter. She instantly opened the garbage can, peered inside and said (in her sweet 3 year old voice),

"Why you frow away my pretty piture?"

And I'm not exaggerating when I say she had tears in her eyes. So of course I quickly rescued it from the trash heap and promptly displayed it on the refrigerator. And all malice was forgotten.

I guess I'm going to have to learn to deal with the piles of her art. And she'll have ample reason to suffer later in life when she is starving for her craft and she remembers that her Mom used to throw her masterpieces in the garbage.

90 Years and Counting

Is it any indication how busy our life has been when I am just now getting around to blogging pictures of events at the beginning of August?

Anyhoo, my mom and my great aunt Imo both celebrated their birthdays on the same day at the beginning of August. Imo is my grandmother's sister, and since my grandmother died while I was still very young, and Imo never married, she became like a grandmother to me. She lived 85 years of her life in Kentucky, and moved to Illinois 5 years ago to be closer to her family, my mom and my uncle.

Imo celebrated her 90th birthday last month, which calls for a party like it's 1999.
Doesn't she look beautiful? I hope I'm this gorgeous at 90, although I don't expect to live that long.

My mom is gorgeous, too. She turned 60, but the poor woman's birthday has always been overshadowed by Imo's. There is no love lost, though, because my mom dislikes the spotlight. She would rather enjoy a quiet dinner with her family, which she got.

My dad and I matched, even without planning it. He looks so handsome when he smiles, I only wish he was a bit more in focus in this picture.

This is Imo's "what you talkin' 'bout, Willis?" face. I'm not sure what my Mom said to deserve that look!

My great aunt has always been a magnificent seamstress and quilter. She is awfully proud that I have taken up the mantle. I made this table runner for her, hoping her eyesight keeps her from being able to pick out all the mistakes.

Imo desperately wanted a picture of Allison in her lap with this doll nearly as old as herself. She has a similar picture of me and the doll when I was a bit older than Alli. This doll is better dressed than your average doll. Imo has made all of her clothes and changes her dresses monthly. She sits posed on her bed during the day and it is one of the things Alli always goes running for when we visit.

It was so nice to be able to celebrate Imo's birthday with her. She was proud to have made it to 90, but gave strict instructions not to say or sing, "and many more." I guess you can say that when you get to that age. Either way, I secretly hope she's around for many more celebrations!

First Day of School

Elijah in Kindergarten
With his proud papa

And his teacher

And his little sister, intent on getting in on the action.

Alli's Homemade Birthday

I'm taking advantage of making all the homemade gifts I can while my kids still treasure anything I make them. Alli's 3rd birthday (almost 2 months ago!) was no exception.

I made her this paper dolls quilt from a kit. It includes prints of old-fashioned paper dolls that I fussy cut to frame and then made the border from a smaller print of the same dolls.

The kit also included yardage of clothes to dress the dolls, onto which I fused fleece onto the back, thus making them like flannel graph, and Alli gets to dress each doll in a variety of dresses, hats and shoes. She loves it! I also crafted a kid's purse for all her girly accessories. It's so much fun to have a girl!

10 years later

What a chaotic summer we've had here, so it was a pleasant surprise to learn that Dan would be whisking me away for a night to celebrate our 10 year wedding anniversary. We had a perfect 24 hours together, including dinner at my favorite restaurant, seeing Phantom live and just enjoying time together. It got us reminiscing about our wedding day, specifically,

1. I remember seeing Dan and his groomsman Brian walking in the church parking lot while I was getting ready. I remember my heart did a little flip-flop and then wondering if the bride seeing the groom before the ceremony was bad luck.

2. I remember shaving my legs the morning of the wedding and on a whim deciding that my toes should be hair-free, too, and knicking the heck out of them and wondering if I would faint from all the lost blood.

3. I remember how nervous I was waiting in the tiny room while guests were ushered in, and then how much more nervous I became when my bridesmaids walked down the aisle and I was left alone in the room.

4. I remember not wanting to look at my dad before he walked me down the aisle because I was afraid he was sobbing and I knew I would to. (he wasn't, so I didn't have to worry)

5. We both fondly remember that Dan answered "I do" and I answered "I will" after my pastor had told Dan it didn't matter which he said because I would just follow his lead. Oops! Mark one lesson in submission before the ceremony was even over!

6. I remember Dan walking into the nursury with his eyes closed to give me my bouquet before our pictures.

7. I remember crying while he recited his vows to me and choking up again while I said mine.

8. I remember my feet finally started to hurt at our reception, and wondering how I had survived so long in 3 inch heels.


9. I remember our reception seeming really short and feeling sorry that it ended so quickly.

10. I remember trying valiently to remember every detail and savor every moment, and ultimately only focusing on how happy we both were (and still are today!)

Thanks for a beautiful decade together, honey. Think how much we've grown and changed in the last 10 years. I hope we have many more decades together, to grow closer together and to change more into His likeness.

I love you.

I have many fears; but this is my meditation

Psalm 62:5-8
5For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence,

for my hope is from him.

6 He only is my rock and my salvation,

my fortress; I shall not be shaken.

7On God rests my salvation and my glory;

my mighty rock, my refuge is God.
8 Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him;

God is a refuge for us.

These are the verses I'm working on memorizing right now. Especially for those moments of fear when my soul is anything but quiet. God is my refuge - not safety in this life! Hope this passage is a blessing to you today.

I'm in the Minority . . .

. . . at least in my circle of friends.

Why? you ask?

Because I can almost guarantee that none of my girlfriends care a lick that Prince Fielder won the Home Run Derby last night.

I can hear you asking, "Who is Prince Fielder?"

And that's why I'm in the minority.

It all started so innocently last year. My hubby started showing some interest in the Milwaukee Brewers. Now, sure, we had gone to a game here and there for the past 9+ years of living in Wisconsin, but we had never followed them. Until Dan started working with an avid fan (I mean you, Jose) and all of a sudden Dan was watching the Brewers every night. And talking about the Brewers, and trying to get free tickets by filling our cars at only BP stations with exactly 8 gallons of gas to maximize the amount of free tickets we could get. And before I knew it, I was recognizing almost all of the Brewers players. And I even found myself rooting for them by name and remembering who played where and occasionally knowing their batting averages.

Then the Brewers secured CC Sabathia (now a Yankee) about half-way through the season last year and we actually had a chance of making the post season. And it got really exciting and I found myself listening to the games on the radio! Now that is what I call deranged.

Well, label me such because now I am a full-fledged Brewers fan, with tshirts to wear to the games, checking brewers.com on a regular basis, and gladly filling my car with exactly 8 gallons of gas so we can make it to another game this year. And all of this after I first made the comment that my idea of a nightmare was extra innings.

My only problem is that I don't know many women who follow the Brewers, much less any baseball at all, so if you see me talking with all the guys, you'll understand why I am in the minority . . .