Naturally cheap

Well, we are approaching a time when everyone makes wonderful dreams of how they want to start afresh and what we will do different and better. Then we wake up and it's just another day and we realize that was all said in the heat of the bonfire and under the influence of sparkling grape juice bubbles infecting our brain.



However, just in case you want to go a little more natural, (i.e.:cheap) I thought I'd let you in on a few things we do around here.



Laundry: Super easy is the laundry detergent recipe that I already shared. We have been loving it and using it (wait- reverse that). I add a few drops of eucalyptus oil to towels and linens. I put vinegar in the fabric softener dispenser of my machine. Surprisingly, I don't smell like tossed salad, just fresh and clean and it eliminates static cling. I don't use fabric softener or dryer sheets at all.



Dusting: I use straight up olive oil with a few drops of eucalyptus oil. I put it in a spray bottle and spray it carefully onto my dusting cloth. Eucalyptus kills dust mites and is super good for people who have allergy problems.



I also use a mix of water and eucalyptus oil to spray my couches, chairs, and mattresses. I also spray it on my bed and throw pillows after a good 30 minute cycle on the hottest setting in the dryer.



Bathroom: I use baking soda and vinegar everywhere. EVERYWHERE. Tub, shower, toilet, sinks, counters. If I have a tougher stain I break out the Borax or Super Washing Soda. I keep some vinegar in a spray bottle to use on the walls or any other place that pouring it isn't convenient or if it may be wasteful.



Kitchen: Ditto. Pretty much anyway. I mix 1c SWS and 1c Borax in a container and use about 2 tablespoons with a teaspoon of powder citric acid in the dishwasher and vinegar in the rinse aid dispenser.



I have a Shark steam mop that I love, #1 because it is mucho easy-o and #2 because it uses nothing but water. If I feel like I need a little extra boost of clean I add a little vinegar to the water.



I know. I likey the vinegar.

So I don't completely bore you I'll stop there. I hope some of you find this easy and helpful. I hope that I glorify God in all that I do, even in little things like getting rid of chemicals and helping my family to really live like we believe that God has given us everything we need for good living - spiritually and physically.

I am a mu-mu Mawmaw

If your kid did not get a Bop It for Christmas - do yourself a favor and run, do not walk, to Target and get one now. You and your husband will have hours of fun playing it. Not that I'm one to brag, but I was the first to beat the novice level. Yeah, I got skillz. Mad skillz.



Plus, I'm pretty sure that having your child dance around begging you to give her a turn while the two of you continue playing counts as a family activity.

We're having a super fun birthday party for my Granddaddy tomorrow. He's going to be 90! Ninety! And he and Granny have been married for, I believe, 68 years.

Of course the sad thing about the party is that half the family has flu so they will not be there. The other half that had to travel hundreds of miles to get here will be there, though. So, if you hear of a massive flu epidemic that wipes out an entire population of senior citizens, you can blame it on us.

Can I just tell you I am so disgusted with grocery prices? Of course I can. Even the cheap food isn't so cheap anymore. I made beans with sausage and cornbread the other night and Schyler said we were poor people. I asked her what in the world she was talking about and told her we were certainly not considered poor. Not wealthy, but not poor. She said beans are poor people food. What? Well, if that's what it takes to classify you as poor, then fine. I'll be poor. I have no idea where she got that.

Well, I have got to go. I am sitting here in actual decent clothes. I have GOT to go get my comfy cozy clothes on. I don't even know how this madness happened. One of my friends said I'm like her mawmaw who comes home and immediately puts on a mu-mu and her robe. Add it to the list of things I am.

Aaaahhhh - That'd be my sigh of tushy comfort.

Exactly how late is too late to be wearing pajamas? That's completely hypothetical. I'm just asking because there may be people out there wanting to know. Not me, though. Also, is it okay to add a huge super warm mega fuzzy coat to your pajama ensemble and shuffle around in fuzzy slippers with a death grip on a mug of hot tea?

Well, this is a vacation week, you know. Not that I'm getting defensive or anything, I'm just adding that to the list of facts. Abd technically there is still snow on the ground. And this is Alabama. Alabama + snow on ground = shut down.

I used to think it was tradition to put the Christmas tree and decorations up on the day after Thanksgiving and take them down on New Year's day. Now that I'm grown, I know that those were the two days my mom had off work. I don't answer to a job outside my home, so I don't think I'm going to wait that long to deconstruct. Sorry.

*Spoiler alert* If you do the Santa thing do not continue reading.

We don't do santa, but Brandon always gets Schyler and me something special just from him and surprises us with it. What a nice guy. So this year he got us a new set of wheels:

How awesome. We love to ride and I am guaranteed a comfy cozy tush from now on.

It could be this cold -

Or this warm...awwwwww.

Do you smell smoke?

Well it's a Christmas miracle. After telling you I wouldn't finish the puzzle unless there was a Christmas miracle, I finished it. I put the guilt on the fam about me doing a family project all alone, but it only lasted about 30 minutes before they abandoned me. Nevertheless, it got done. I promise you, I do not take this lightly. Everything is spiritual. God gave me the drive to do it and I did it. No kidding.

So I'm wavering back and forth on being mad and being a Godly wife. Can someone help me? My husband is outside "working in the yard", thus my house is full of smoke. FULL. Did I mention that I cleaned and washed all day today so everything was smelling all nice and clean and fresh? Now? Full of smoke!! SMOKE!!

Please pray for me.

I need to get rid of some stuff and I need some ideas. I used to teach preschool and kindergarten and I have a ton of teaching resources. I mean a TON. And I really just can't hold on to it all. Brandon said today, even if I do go back to teaching when Schyler graduates, kids probably won't even be using paper products anymore so my stuff will be obsolete. He's probably right. Oh my word. Did I just say that??

Anyhoo...What can I do with all of this good stuff? Can I get it to a needy school? Needy homeschooler? Any ideas?

Well, I have thought and thought about a nice little Christmas post, but I don't think it's going to happen. Everything I think of just seems to take away from Jesus. I've been thinking a lot about what Mary and Joseph went through. It means a lot to me but I can't quite get it out correctly. I know, I know, you're used to that from me. But this is too great a thing to mess up.

Did you guys see the video on the social network Christmas? It sounds bad, but it was good. Aunt Mama Hen has it on her blog.

If it's jumbo decor you're looking for-

One of the good things about Aunt Mama Hen is that even when she only has 50% of her brood with her, it's instant party.

Two of them came over yesterday and we had cake. Voila! Instant birthday party! I know. It's cheating, but it works! Can you see my not even half finished Christmas puzzle in the background? Shameful. I'm pretty sure it's not going to be done. Unless there is some sort of Christmas miracle.

By the way, Aunt Mama Hen-I have James' shoe. Yes, shoe. Somehow he left yeaterday without either of us noticing he was doing so in only one shoe. *Shaking head*

So today we had to walk across the street and see all of our neighbor's decorations. So here they are petting the purple deer.

And Mr. and Mrs. Claus. Along with their pet winged pigs. Sign of the apocalypse? I can't be sure.

Oh, here's one more.

And another.

Yep. Same house. The snowman was a little frightening because it was a windy day and he seemed to be punching the kids in the face.

And of course the snow globe.

And something has to be popping out of a box.

Your count is accurate. That is the second Tigger.

I'm running out of things to say...

Who knew flying pigs were at The Birth?

I can't imagine how much it is costing them to keep all that going (there is where my decorating spirit is), but the kids do like it. *Sigh*

Ode to thee-

Today is the day. Someone snatched my baby and left a seven year old girl in her place. I really can't figure out how these things happen. It's not very considerate of a mother's feelings.

However I really never have been one to grieve over her growing up because I have too much to be thankful for. No time for self pity.

This morning she prayed thanking God for supplying us with food and a warm home and for her Daddy's job so we could have money. She prayed for all the boys and girls who didn't have all this and asked God to give them food and good clothes today. She knows that God does that through us, that it is our job to give away what God has given us and she does it.

I pray that she will be obedient, seek God's will, and trust Him. I pray that God's Word will always be a lamp unto her feet and a light unto her path. I pray that God's Word will be written on her forehead and bound on the tablet of her heart.

And because she is my daughter, I pray that God will set up a guard for her mouth and keep watch at the door of her lips. I pray this one aaaalllll the time. Yes, for myself too. I know! Could you imagine how much worse I would be if I didn't?

God has brought our baby a looong way in seven years! She was about a pound and thirteen ounces in this picture. God's strength was definitely perfectly sufficient.

New Techniques

I am beat. Just beat. We got back from Tennessee yesterday. We came home on the "scenic route". Can I just tell you we saw some for reals mountain people. I mean for reals. I think it could definitely be counted as a school day. I was glad we didn't have car troubles.

While there we found that Schyler's new stay up technique is a simple question,"Can I read my Bible?"

I'm telling you, we are dealing with a professional here.

Of course I am always looking for ways to be a good submissive wife, so I always responded with,"Ask your Dad." I told you. Aren't I good? You wish you were me.

Then he would get all tongue tied and stutter and look at me and ask how he was supposed to be the parent that says no to that!?! NO! You can not read your Bible. Now go to bed.

He's had a lot of that lately, poor guy. The other day (which as you know, is any day other than today) he pulled over a lady for speeding, and she was carrying a statue of what was supposed to be Jesus. Now how are you going to write a ticket to someone carrying Jesus all buckled up in their lap?

I am honestly completely stumped for a title.

Okay, ya'll. I just watched the funniest video at Generation Cedar. You need to go watch it, it's hysterical! Maybe not if you are not a homeschooler, but if you are a homeschooler you absolutely have to see it! Some people said the robot voices were bad, but that was one thing that made it so funny! We've had this conversation so many times it's robotic now.

And I am definitely going to end arguments with Matthew 5:22! So good! "I have to stop listening to you now...I may be in danger of the hell fire." Price.less. (You'll get it after you watch the video.)

Can I just tell you I likey the Chic-fil-A. I just went and used 4 of those calendar coupons at once and got lunch for everybody. They're so nice. And I'm pretty sure patronizing them counts as tithing, right?

Seriously it's so cold now I can't even think.

Schyler will be seven next week. I'm pretty much freaking out about that. This time seven years ago I was in the hospital hooked up to everything known to man trying to keep her from coming a big 14 weeks early. Guess what? Didn't work. But now...

It's funny how many time a week I have to remind myself of that. You know, through clenched teeth,"She's a miracle, she's a miracle, she's a miracle..."

I read a good post on thoughts of Mary and Joseph (I'm going to try to find it and give credit where due, promise). Everything they were going through, everything they endured, didn't they deserve - you know, that word I like to throw around, "but God, don't I deserve this good thing?"- a nice cushy bed, a room, a midwife, breakfast, something! But Mary didn't huff and puff and pitch a fit like I would have. "Hulllloooo" Birthing the Savior here! Is a pillow too much to ask for!?!"

She was the handmaiden of the LORD. It was done unto her as He willed.

Did you know handmaiden got that name because they literally would stand watching their mistress' hand for a tiny little signal so they could move promptly, swiftly and without causing any disturbance around them.

Don Quixote!! It's Don Quixote you idiots!! Oh, sorry, not you...

For the love. We have a saying down here- it's cold as a coal miner's butt. I didn't say it was a nice saying. I am sorry. We don't allow the b word here so I was totally out of line.

We went through a drive through live nativity tonight. It was so beautiful. Just amazing. There were actually even snow flurries, bless those actors' (oh my word, is that comma in the right place? I have been out of school too long.) little hearts. I appreciated that during the scene portraying the magi coming to Jesus, they had Him portrayed as a toddler instead of at His birth. Schyler was mostly impressed with the live animals and wanted to shout out to the actress portraying the pregnant Mary and ask why she wasn't riding the donkey.

So deep and profound. Thank you.

Well, it did help me to stop crying. I know! Again?! I am turning into an absolute blubberer.

We've had a little change in our lives the past couple of months and sometimes I feel like I am wandering around like a chicken with it's head chopped off. I guess I'm like Gideon just wanting another sign and another sign - a big bright neon one would be nice, but that doesn't seem to be happening.

I just read,"God gladly reveals His will to those who are willing to do it."

Ouch.

But surely He couldn't have meant that for me. *whining* We all know how incredibly perfect I am.

Does anyone watch The Amazing Race? I do not, but tonight we were putting in Black Beauty to watch while shelling a bajillionty pecans and it was on when we turned on the television.
So anyhoos - There was a couple of teams trying to figure out who Sancho Panza's master was. Seriously? They weren't even saying his name correctly. I decided at that moment I did not want them to win. Haven't watched it all season, don't know anything about them, but based on the fact that they kept saying San-cho Pan-za I decided they were out of a million bucks. Or whatever it is they truly win. I have no idea.

Would you say I have a problem? Would that be judgmental and harsh? Naaaaah. Well, most importantly, if you do watch it let me know if those goobs won.

Listen ladies, I have got to go. My Snuggie beckons and my book is tired of waiting.

Oxymoronic

I have had something I've wanted to talk about for a few days but I am in the throes of reading. I am reading a couple of Elisabeth Elliot's books including "Discipline: The Glad Surrender."

Oh. my. goodness.

Hopefully the next book will be called "Jennifer, You Are Doing Everything Right. Everyone Else Is Always Wrong. Your Child Will Grow Up Wonderfully. God Wants You To Be Rich And Beautiful."

Just kidding. Discipline may be a little painful, but it's in a good way. Or rather, a God way. And what I am gaining is far better than anything with my made up title could do for me, I promise.

I also am reading "The Robe". Oh goodness. Sooo great. So great.

Have I ever told you that I know titles are supposed to be underlined, but I can't figure out how to do it. Just so you won't go crazy saying, "Stop with the quotation marks already!!!" Like I would be doing if I were you.



We had a great day of oxymorons the other day. One we heard was this:

"Men's cashmere sweater." Ha! So funny! If he's wearing cashmere, honey, he ain't no man. Can your man like fuzzy soft things? Oh sure. In the privacy of your own home. When YOU are the one wearing it he can sit beside you and rub your soft cozy jammys all he wants.

Although, I bet the person I saw the other day would wear cashmere. I was getting my eyebrows done and he was getting a pedicure. Are you kidding me? I was thinking," how 'bout go next door to that construction site and learn how to do something." I had my nephew with me and I was trying to shield his eyes lest he learn some sort of awful habit.

Again, PRIVACY OF YOUR OWN HOME PEOPLE. Should I make signs? Distribute pamphlets? What would help you?

Sweetness abounds.

Didn't I tell you how not nice I am? Here is proof. Check out how I totally deflated Lisa's balloon. It's awful I tell ya'. Just awful. However, it is classic ME. Classic. While you're there, check this out. I completely lost it while watching. I just read, too, about listening to music that stirs your soul. Not your feelings. (you'll get that after you watch the video. if you don't get it, come back and ask me how you can.)

You know, we had a sleep-over the other night. Abbie said the nicest thing to me (Wendy is holding her breath right now...how long should I make her wait?).

She said, "I am wearing my 6 year old cousin's undershirt and my 18 year old cousin's shirt."

That's right Abbie. Eighteen long years I've been here. Don't you forget it.

And yes, Abbie is actually my cousin.

I've been doing some research on YouTube about cutting your own hair. One thing I've noticed is that all the girls on there teaching are super cute mega hip little exotic things. Beautiful Latino chicks and Asian lovelies with stick straight hair. Hmmm, no middle aged white bread geekies with unruly free flowing coarse locks? Could there be a reason for that? Surely not.

However, I could not convince Brandon to go get me some haircutting scissors and I haven't left the house in two days which means it's going to take a while to peel these sweats off me before I go anywhere. I have a family member that cuts hair, but I guess it wouldn't be very nice to say I'd rather borrow your scissors and risk cut my hair myself, rather than have you, a trained professional, cut it for free.

In better news, sweet little *gag choke sputter* Amber has started her own blog. Go tell her hi. You know the confidence of bloggers rides on comments and followers, so do the right thing.

You know, the problem with kids is...

...that most of their moms have blogs now and everything they do is just perfect blog fodder. So when they do idiotic little things like, oh, I don't know, THIS:

It's hard to really get across to them that they probably shouldn't have done that while you are taking a picture of it.

Doesn't feel so good coming off, huh?

I may not make it on the Nice List...

Have I told you before that I am the worst person ever? Oh I am.

Once I took one of those say-the-first-thing-that-comes-to-mind thingys and when asked,"One thing you are not?" I said,"Nice."

Seriously. That was the first thing that came to my mind. I know. I need all kinds of help.

The reason I am telling you, is because recently I felt I had the right to whine and be pitiful and be completely sure that God does not love me - there is no way. Oh why didn't He do this and this and this so that my life would be complete and happy and if all those things happened everything would be perfect.

Now, I would have said good grief not this again! For the love! How many times do we go over and over and over this same. old. thing.

But not God. Oh He IS nice.

He said to me, "What's in your hand?" Well, actually He said it first to Moses- Exodus 4:2.

What?

What's in my hand?

And Moses (maybe) looked in his hand and said (well it's just this regular old) shepherd's rod. (Why?)

Then guess what? God worked flat out miracles with that regular old staff. He straight up did things we couldn't even make up. Better than fiction.

What's in my hand?

A ton. That's what.

A little Christmas hurl never hurt anyone...

Well, we enjoyed Thanksgiving. Especially a wonderful production put on by our in house thespian group. Abbie wrote and directed a play about Thanksgiving that was wonderful. I'm thinking of counting it as a school day since it was historical and surely things like shriveled up pilgrims and aliens count.

But anyhoo...back to the ol' routine.

As in a bunch of laundry. About thirty minutes after I gave a basket full of clean clothes for a certain someone to put away they had been put on, taken off, and left wadded in the floor.

We did put up our tree yesterday. Schyler had been begging for a month and now that it is officially after Thanksgiving, I gave in. Now it just looks like Christmas puked all over my already junky house.

I do enjoy all those Southern Living and Better Homes spreads with all the beauty, and I may have that some day and that will be fine. But for now I love that all of my ornaments are perfectly placed in the front and center of my tree. I'll just enjoy looking at the pictures of all of your beautiful decor!

Admit it- we all like a little cheeseball

So it's that time again.

Not that time, but that time.

Oh so grand. Thanks, thanks, and more thanks.

I adore Thanksgiving. ADORE.

I have the best childhood Thanksgiving memories. I had a fabulous, rich great-aunt and uncle that others write books about. She was a tiny little soft spoken woman with a house full of fancy breakable collections. As a child, "breakable" was the only word I knew or appreciated. And I'm pretty sure that was all that mattered to my parents. God forbid your kid be the one to break something!

She never had children but always had toys for us to play with. And being that this is Alabama we always played out in her huge, beautiful, award winning (literally) yard. She had a big basement where she would set up folding tables with white table cloths on them where we would eventually convene for more food than you can imagine.

And maybe with more people than a lot of you can imagine. I'm talking aunts, uncles, great aunts, second cousins, third dog secondly removed , etc., etc.

Some people don't like that kind of stuff, but I lived for that day.

I don't know if it had anything to do with me being an only child for almost 11 years or not, but either way I loved it.

And now we meet at another aunt and uncle's home. A wonderful little farm house a little south of here in a town most people would, to their loss, pass right by. Acres full of wonderful play space await a new generation of cousins, aunts, nephews, and yes, second dogs thirdly replaced to make more memories.

The tie that binds it all together is the fact that we still go to Granny and Granddaddy's before and after. Family still stays there and Granny still cooks for an army. There will always be leftovers and fixin's for the best sandwiches you could ever imagine. There will always be aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews and cousins at Granny and Granddaddy's. Always love and good times to be had at Granny and Granddaddy's!

Snoopy wasn't on the Mayflower?!?

I'm having some following issues in the ol' blog world here. Anyone else? I'm pretty sure it's something I did, but I don't know how to undo it. Or how I did it in the first place. Or even what IT is.



Anyhoo...I have also had the toughest time finding a slip for my six year old. Do six year olds not wear slips? What is the deal? Couldn't find a slip for a six year old, but I could find a pair of low rise high cut panties that said "Diva" on the rear.


*grrrrrr*


I better stop there before I get started. Because when I get started it's not all good and thought provoking and nice and gentle. It's more of an all out scream of "What IS wrong with you people!?!"

I just want to hit them upside the head with a Jesus stick.



We watched "This is America, Charlie Brown" the other night. I can't figure out why Brandon looked at me so worriedly when I yelled, "Get in here and watch this movie so I can check off history!!"

Hmmm...Oh well.

There are sveral bugs going around...

I am so exhausted today. I have been helping Schyler rehearse for her audition for the African Children's Choir.

We got the incredible opportunity to see them today. Yes, it was incredible. I cried start to finish. I know! Who knew? I have feelings! I must have just caught them from someone. Are they contagious?

Well anyways...Schyler is pretty sure she wants to join. She has practiced drums on pretty much every surface of the house and made up dances and songs.

When I told her I was tired and anyway I needed to check on supper, she informed me that I couldn't quit. This was too important. This could affect whether or not she gets in.

Welllll, sorry to tell ya' kid, but I'm pretty sure that's NOT why you're not getting in the African Children's Choir.

We also got to meet our new friend today! She just joined her forever family. We were so happy to see each other! She is 8 years old and it is like she's always been here. She and Schyler really hit it off. Schyler spoke to her in English like she understood and she spoke to Schyler in Chinese like she understood! It was hilarious!

What a multicultural day we had! Now if I had just stopped for Greek for lunch, I probably could have counted it as a school day.

Hospitals, banks, restaurants, gas stations...

We had some company this weekend , so that was fun. The two little girls that were flower girls in my wedding. Yeah, they're in college now.

That's not good for me.

Anyway, they're from Mississippi, so they stayed with us and went to the game. I had them all worked up about how much fun they were going to have. Welllll, let's just say...not so much.

They learned that there are some fans out there that just cling to football out of the need to belong to something. And they get all tattooed up and painted up and sloppy drunk up and bless their hearts, they haven't even ever darkened the doorway of a classroom at the university. (Not that you have to go to a university. I'm just sayin'. I have never figured out how people can be that over the top about a school -essentially a group of buildings- that they never even attended.)

And those people can be rude, crude, and just plain mean. Even to young ladies.

But the girls knew those people didn't represent the state or even alumni as a whole. They obviously have a lot more sense than all the people out their with crimson tats and no degrees. Again- degree not required. Still, don't understand tattoos of colleges you never attended.

What if people got tattoos of places they never worked? That would be so great. I could sit here all night thinking of random tattoos of various occupations (ohhhh, now you get the title of this post) that would absolutely make my day to see...in a sad kind of way.

I did meet a girl once who had a tattoo of a place she had never been. She had the shape of Africa tattooed on her calf.

So I say to her,"So do you do mission work or anything in Africa?"
She says no, that she just really wants to bring awareness to the injustice that goes on there.

Oh.

Okay. So what about on the days you wear pants?

She hadn't really thought that far in advance. You know, before she had her body permanently colored on.

I mean seriously people.

Well I have got to go. I have to get directions because I'm going into the big city tomorrow and that is a big deal for this home-body. Thanks to MapQuest, though, my trips to the big city will no longer be blog worthy. So that's good. Of course, this is me. I'm sure I can find a way to mess it up. You may want to stay tuned...

In good news, we do like eggs...

I have had a tough week. I say it this time every year and I'll say it again - I do NOT like this time change and I am ready for the government to get up out my business.

I don't remember why I was mad at my government last year, but this year they have messed up my insurance in the name of this Patient Protection and Affordable something or another Act. Well, can I just tell you (yes I can and thank you for that, Veterans) that I now have less coverage and it's costing me more money. So how is that affordable and protective? Hmmmm?

Not to mention it's just been a time in my life that anyone with the ability to produce testosterone has been getting all up on my ever lovin' nerves.

In good news I cooked a good supper yesterday. But it was one of those suppers that really cried out for dessert. I am so smart and so good, always pleasing my family and never doing anything wrong, that I went about making peach cobbler.

Well because God is good and He wants to keep me humble so that I can better serve Him and in return He can reward me, my peach cobbler was more like scrambled egg flavored peach cobbler.

Don't ask.

I heard today, "We've bought the same lines, we watch the same television, we fill our minds with the same garbage - yet WE expect different results."

Ouch.

That "we" is the church. And the same stuff is the same stuff the world watches, reads, and listens too.

Ouch, ouch, and more ouch.

I started praying a while back to truly receive God's heart and rid myself of mine. I asked Him to cause me to love what He loves, hate what He hates, and grieve over what grieves Him.

Let me just say - I wasn't ready.

I know. When am I going to have something worth while to say?

Yesterday marked the beginning of the period of time when I become cold and don't warm up until next June. I'm tellin' ya' - I'm southern through and through. I can take the heat, but I can NOT take the coldness.


Okay so seriously. Is The Gospel completely wrapped up into the neat little points of Calvin and/or Arminius? Do I have to choose sides?? Am I going to have to make up my mind before I get to Heaven?


IS IT ON THE QUIZ??

Well I am off to do laundry, yes, using my homemade detergent. Also I've got to find out what that smell is that seems to be following me around.


No I haven't started with the homemade deodorant yet so it's not me. And don't worry, I gave my friend permission to do an intervention if I stop shaving my pits.

It was not easy.

Well my life is officially complete. I'm not sure I have a reason to go on. I'll have to find a new one.

I've been playing solitaire on what my husband likes to call the "solitaire box", better known as a laptop. Anyways, I've been playing it every evening trying to win and make all the little cards jump.

My goal has been to get every space of green covered up by the jumping cards. You know exactly what I'm talking about. You know how the background id green and the little cards leave that little trail. Yeah, yeah, that.

So it finally happened.

The culmination of everything I've been working toward. Seriously, it was waaaaaaaay better than the actual win. Actually I never even cared about the wins, it was just watching to see if the green would get covered.

And then you get but a brief moment to enjoy the prize because after they all jump off, the screen clears and it asks you if you want to deal again.

Yeah, I may need a good book recommendation.

Seriously, you all could leave me a book recommendation in the comments. I don't do romance and I've read about every single Amish girl getting knocked up before marriage and hiding it until she is tragically caught and faces the shun. (Honestly, how many books are there exactly on that subject?!?)

Really if I am going to use time, I like it to be beneficial so if you have a good, sound, biblical based theology type book, that would be good. Or maybe just a good author.

Okay that sounded so snobby. Seriously, I am a total idiot so I need all the help I can get. I'm not making this better am I?

Watch the poles closely tonight. Brandon and I wrote each other in on a few races where we didn't want to vote for the lone idiot that had no one running against them. We may have a run-off! You may see our name followed by .000000000001% of votes. (No, I don't actually even know what that number is.) How exciting!

She wins again.

I've got to hurry and write this before my sugar crash hits.

My dear hard working man wanted some crab apple jelly, so he picked a ton of crab apples and I gave it a go. Turns out the recipe in the Sure-Jell box called for NINE CUPS of sugar. Yes. Nine cups. Well those crab apples are pretty tart, but for the love. Blech.

It was just too much. I smeared it all over a piece of toast, using Aunt Mama Hen's famous toast recipe, and I am pretty sure I am on the verge of diabetes. Woo.

Oh, the famous toast recipe? I'll give it to you. I'm pretty sure she won't mind. Here's how I got it -

Schyler spent the night over there with Abbie last night and calls me this morning to tell me about the best breakfast she's ever had. And Aunt Wendy made it herself! Homemade!

She goes on to tell me, "She got butter and put it on a piece of bread and then put it in the oven and cooked it!"

*Muffled talking (hand over phone) "what was it called Abbie?"

Shouting -"OH YEAH! TOAST! Mom, it was toast! I love Aunt Wendy's toast!"

Turns out that biscuits, eggs, bacon, grits, Irish oatmeal, peanut butter french toast and omelets are completely second rate to Aunt Wendy's toast.

How does that woman do it? Surely she laced it with something completely brilliant and won't tell me so that I'll go on thinking even her toast skills are superior. Yeah, yeah. That's it...

Smooth and shiny.

So my bathroom looks like, well, my kitchen. Everything is like a big experiment right now as my new obsession is homemade everything.

Yesterday I thought we would make our own granola, so I said, "Oooo Schyler you know what we can do?!"

Usually she is all excited about that statement. She likes the activity.

But instead she groaned and said, "Not something homemade I hope."

So maybe I am taking it a bit far.

I have to tell you though, my face and my lips feel fab-you-luus. I've been washing with a honey and sugar mix and moisturizing with olive oil. This lip balm addict hasn't used any lip balm for days. DAYS! And no lie - I have a stick in my purse, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen, and car. I told you, I'm a fiend.

Also at night I have been brushing my teeth with homemade toothpaste and it's great...if you enjoy testing your gag reflex. Mine works great, thanks.

Dipped, sprinkled, clean.

Did everyone have a good day at church today? We had an unusual sermon today albeit very enlightening and profitable.

Something made me start thinking about how we have diversity among denominations in our family, but how our sweet girls are bringing unity.

For instance Schyler and Abbie innocently converted to Baptiterian. Or maybe Presbytist. Depends on which one you're rooting for I guess.

Anyways...last time Abbie spent the night, during bath time she baptized Schyler in the Presbyterian way and Schyler baptized Abbie in the baptist way. Now they're double covered. Never can be too sure about these things.



Being inspired by my recent making of homemade clothes detergent, I found a recipe for dish detergent. Score! That you can use in your dishwasher and everything. Didja think I was really going to do it by hand??

Also I found recipes (I'm sorry but I am having trouble calling this stuff a recipe - that's for food. Is there another word??) for toothpaste and deodorant.

I mean it sounds weird, but it could work.

Or if you smell something, it could be me. So let me know.

Au naturel

I've had a few people ask me to post the recipe I used for detergent. This is pretty much the one I saw all over so I hope (I don't think I am) I am not posting someone's creation here.
I'm pretty sure you can cut this in half or even smaller. I went ahead and made this much, I guess it will keep okay.

1 bar Fels-Naptha soap
1 c Arm and Hammer Super Washing Soda - NOT baking soda or A&H detergent
1/2 c Borax
1 five gallon bucket with lid
funnel
kitchen gloves (not required)

-Grate bar of soap and put in a pot with 4 cups hot water. Heat on medium to medium-low heat until soap completely dissolves.

-Fill your bucket HALF full of hot water. Add melted soap, soda, and Borax. Stir well until all powder is dissolved.

-Fill bucket to top with hot water, stir, cover and let sit overnight. It will separate and thicken.

-Stir well and use your funnel to fill your laundry soap container (I used a clean, empty store brand detergent bottle) HALF full with soap and the rest of the way with water.

You can add some sort of essential oil for smell if you want. I personally, like my man to smell like a man so I opted out of the lavender oil. But that's just me.

This is safe for front or top load washers.

I found all my ingredients at our local True Value hardware store. Some people told me they found the soap at Publix, but I didn't see it. I couldn't find the Super Washing Soda anywhere else either and it was just easy to get it all there together.

*Remember - it HAS to be Super Washing Soda, baking soda will NOT work.

I wish I could remember the site to give you, but I don't, but I read about a woman making a paste from the soda and water to use as a stain remover. You can also use the Borax and Soda for cleaning around the house. I'm a baking soda and vinegar girl myself, but since I have this on hand and I'm sure it's just as good, I'm sure I'll put it to use.

Me? Again?

Whew we have had a doozy this week. Is that a southern saying Aunt Mama Hen? I don't know, ask around.

Schyler is reeeeeeally trying the authority in her life. I mean reeeeeeally. And I figure if I want her to obey God, I've got to teach her to obey her parents. And sometimes when you obey God, okay a lot of times, okay all the time you have to do that without arguing and asking why.

'Cause arguing and asking why ain't obeying.

Then, after trusting Jesus and obeying, sometimes He lets you see why He did it that way. Sometimes not. But we still know that God will reward us in Heaven which is even better. Woohoo!! I'm all for better!

What is that you say? She learns by example?? Maybe I argue and disobey?? Because after all delaying obedience is just disobedience?? Nooooooo. Not me!

Oh dear.

So I have to confess my bad attitude...again.

What?!? I also have to stop repackaging sin and calling it something else? But [insert whining] hormones are for reeeeeeals.

But how I act is a lack of self control which is fully available to me (Gal 5:22-23) and hormones or no hormones it is sin against my loving and patient God. I can choose to confess it and repent quickly and I bet (not really bet, I'm baptist ya know) God can overcome any sinful attitude I have.

Listen here missy, I came here to tell you how I feel like we have rodded and reproofed it to death this week - NOT get a sermon! I'm outta here...

Go ahead and laugh all you mega-fams

We had some domestic bliss yesterday. Don't worry, though, today has been scattered and unaccomplishing (is that even a word?? wait. does it matter?? no.).

For reals, if you are not making your own laundry detergent you are missing out. It is so fun! Oh and it works and it is cheap if those things matter. Ummmm, yeah they do. Schyler and I had a good time making it. It doesn't take long and I have been using it alllll day today.

Oh yeahhhhhh laundry! So I have accomplished something.

I got all the stuff at our local True Value hardware and it was el cheap-o. I'm talking three ingredients here.

Do it.

Now.

Would putting some good smelly detergent in a pretty bottle be a good gift? I don't know, would it? I would like it, but I am SO weird.

Whatever works.

Let me introduce you to a force to be reckoned with. These girls are it - fo' sho'. Can't you tell? When they are good, they are really good, but when they are bad...well, just be on guard. No, really, they are never too bad. Always pretty good.





Recently Abbie, Aunt Mama Hen's one and only little lady assigned Schyler, my one and only little *cough, cough, sputter, sputter* ahem, lady a book report to be done and turned in the next day.



And did she do it?



Oh, of course she did.



Not only did she do it, she gave me a big spill about how Abbie is the older cousin and you know the older women are supposed to teach the younger.



Yes. Thank you. I may have heard that somewhere before. But never mind.

This funny little guy is here today. My nephew enjoyed serenading us around the campfire every evening.

It was pretty fun until he told us to get up and dance. *Gasp!* We are baptists thank you very much. For the love. His mother must be taking him to some sort of heathen denomination...*sigh* - sisters.

So far today he only has one busted lip, so we're doing good.

They were clean.

Well, camping was wonderful. Great time. I would have pictures except all the moms sent the kids off so we could talk the whole time.



Since we've been back there have been an amazing amount of chores to do. Here's what happened when I sent Schyler to wash out the garbage can and coolers that we used -


I seriously don't know why some parents waste money on toys.

Oh, how could I almost forget -

Yes mam, that is me cooking cornbread over the campfire. And no. There will not be an after picture so don't even ask.

At our house, this is evidence of a good day camping.

And this could be evidence of the missing link. These are NOT a credit to my faith. This is why church leaders ask me to wear closed toe shoes.

Pray for me.

Thus begins the insanity.

I kid you not. We leave to go camping today.

I am telling you - the Griswold's ain't got nothin' on us.

My husband has the next 10 days off so we, along with our two year old nephew are going camping. Yes.

It really does look to be a great time, though. We are going for the next four days with our homeschool co-op group. I'm pretty sure the campground is full from just our group! So we are looking forward to a good time.

Although I've had to convert my husband into a camper, my sweet grandparents instilled in me the love of camping. I can't even count the number of good times they provided for us! Every summer they took all their grandkids on a camping trip. We always camped in tents, but I remember when they bought their pop-up. I was somewhere in the preteen years and I thought we were high rollers! I couldn't believe the luxury! Of course now I know that it was pretty much a tent on wheels, but I didn't care then and I don't care now.

I have played in every creek from here to Tennessee, "saved" campfires from imminent doom due to rain, hiked who-knows-how-many miles of trails. I have graduated from every Junior Ranger program the state parks offered. Wonderful, wonderful, dear memories. All because of the best Granny and Granddaddy.

I love days like that.

Today's been a good day.

I've gotten a dead chipmunk out of my house...twice. Taken dead chipmunk away from my two year old nephew...twice. Chased the cat out of the house with dead chipmunk...twice. Been peed on...twice.

Are you sensing a theme here?

I think God is telling me that He has to go over a lot of things with me...twice...a day.

Oh dear.

I am telling you, deep thoughts just keep on coming to my brain. It's just some how wires cross between there and my mouth and nothing ever comes out quite right.

Yesterday I looked at one of my first blog posts and saw that I typed a quote by Oswald Chambers,

"Beware of allowing yourself to think that the shallow concerns of life are not orddained of God. They are as much of God as the profound." His reference was 1 Corinthians 10:31.

Another thought that has been on my mind lately is one from Pete Fleming. He was refering to the same verse when he said,

"Throughout all our personality we are God's, and since God has made our whole selves, there is great joy in realizing who is our Creator. This realization is to permeate every area and level of life...God is there to reflect the joy of His presence in the believer who will realize God's purposes in all things."

Funny how here, two years later God is bringing me the same message. Of course I bet He doesn't think it's so funny.

I get it though. And I believe it. Everything is spiritual. God has a purpose in all things. Even the very mundane. Especially the very mundane.

So now I've said I believe it, the proof as they say, will be in the pudding. I live what I believe. Will I find entertainment in the sin that Christ died for? Will I find satisfaction in pointing out the sin of my husband and ignoring my own? Will I be a trustworthy friend?

No I can't. It's not in me. But Jesus can and He will and through His power my weakness is made strength.

Deep thoughts (no, not mine)

Oh dear. So...many...deep thoughts...brain can't process...I know - you wondered what that smell was. Like something burning. Like when you turn your heat on for the first time at the beginning of winter. Yep. It was me. My brain.

I have been reading Through Gates of Splendor by Elisabeth Elliot, Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, and another book by a local author that I can't remember the name of and quite frankly I must be too lazy to get up and get it because I'm not. But anyway, it's about government systems and stuff like that. Oh dear, did I lose you? I know. The overwhelming desire to either walk away or fall unconscious at the mention of "government systems" is almost completely overwhelming isn't it?

But anyway, you get the deep thoughts now, don't you?

In honor of me having some thoughts, I'll hook you up with some blogs waaaaay better than mine I've been introduced too:

At Generation Cedar the author tackles tough subjects and stands for her convictions.

Go and have a Holy Experience with Ann Voskamp. She does what I call "writes word pictures" with her writing. She is a published author and also just returned from a Compassion International mission trip.

For some God and cute stuff go see A Love Worth Finding. We visited this family's church a while back when we were searching for a church home. Although God didn't make it our home, this family was so sweet and welcoming. They made sure to speak to us and took a genuine interest in our family. They have just begun the adoption process, so they have a long way to go, and it sure will be a blessing to be able to "rejoice with the saints who rejoice"! Not to mention she is making and selling some super SUPER cute jewelry for super cheap. You should stock up for Christmas with her, very soon.

Nothing but the truth.

Okay so seriously, you all know how much I love real whole foods ad I never eat anything else, right? My blood is clean as can be and my health is phenomenal.

Okay so on to the real story...

I really do love real whole food, but...alas I am but human. I swear I did it to sacrifice myself!! To protect my child! From the evils of smooth chocolaty silkiness intertwined perfectly with salty crunchy nuts. I did it for the kids!!

I just knew it was there. Tucked away with the tiny little individually wrapped antioxidants AKA- Dove dark chocolate. (Oh don't judge - they WILL change your life. And they are good for your heart. And trust me- I need that natural mood booster.) As if the dark chocolate would be a good influence on the milk chocolate, caramel, nougaty goodness.

I just kept having this crazy craving. I don't know if it was because I knew it was there, but I don't think so. I think it was just that my body was obviously in desperate need of the nutrients it contains. Which are...well, let's not get off topic here. So I desperately needed the nutrients and I wanted to protect my child. Okay, got it? Right.

SO I took one bite. I thought, I'll just take one bite and savor it and be done.

Well, let's just say that 200 calories later when I threw away the wrapper I was still savoring.

But I swear it doesn't happen often! What? The bake sale? Oh that was for charity, you can't count that. Anyway, that was apple pie and coconut. Two good servings of fruit. Not to mention homemade. Homemade items automatically don't count.

All things that will enhance your life.

Did I mention Netherlands?! I know! Where Peter Pan lives! How great is that! Stats has been sooo good for my geography skills.

Got my Greek on. I have been going to the Greek Festival since I was in high school and it has grown an itsy bit. Still love me some Greek dancing. It's so great. It looks so fun and it must be great exercise. And it's not all provocative like belly dancing or even the gyrating around that people have been calling dancing for the past couple of years. Just fun.

We went to Tannehill State Park today. Great little local gem that we don't use as often as we should. We rode the train, looked around the museum, played in the freezing bubbling springs and rode bikes...a little too much. I'll definitely be buying a cushy seat cover before we go camping next month.

While we were riding bikes we watched everyone else watch the games from their big screens outside their campers. Kids were riding bikes and parents were staring at the screen. Every once in a while huge roars would erupt from all over and I knew the game must have started. It was pretty funny, Schyler thought something bad was going on and got scared until I told her it was all about football.


So I now have 26 followers! That's right. I am approaching thirty. Hey! Just like in real life, you know, my age, approaching thirty. Okay. That's a total lie. Sorry.


Speaking of - Friday was the husbands birthday. We had a fantabulous par-tay.


Schyler directed and starred in a production just for him. After which she sang a special song. It was an old hymn about obedience to Christ even if your friends think your crazy (that part was probably for me, I mean the friends thinking you're crazy part)and the rewards you reap from God. It said something about dying and going to Heaven, so I told him it was to make him feel better about his old age.

He is so old.

Schyler said,"Well it's good to know what's coming." HA! It was great. She was so serious.

But she is right, it IS good to know what's coming!

I love a good fluff

Have you guys been reading on some of the blogs about the recent Compassion trip to Guatemala? It looks like it was amazing. I love reading and hearing about mission trips, it's so great. I've been on two myself, to a central mountainous part of Mexico and it was some of the best times of my life.

But so hard. The common thread I always hear is, "What do I do now?" It is so hard to come home.

So anyway, I was looking at how they choose bloggers to go on these trips and I totally think I have a shot. Tell me what you think...

Have a good following. Okay I have twenty four followers. Twenty four!! That's two whole dozen people. I am practically packing my bags.

Not have an offensive blog. Wellll...okay, let's just move onto the next one.

Actually we'll just stop there. Remember how I have issues with rejection? This could go to a bad place.

If you have never been on a mission trip, you should definitely go. You will not regret it.

So anyhoo. I feel like junk - pretty sure I get to blame that on you, Aunt Mama Hen. Of course you probably owed us one. Just kidding, it's really just these blasted allergies. You'd think that after...well, the amount of years I have been here that I would have worked up some immunities, but no.

Anyway, I have got to go to bed. It is so late. And I have nice clean sheets. Except when I put the top one on, I fluffed it up too high and it hit the ceiling fan, and well, you know what happened.

Dust flew off.

On my clean sheets.

I guess I could clean my fans. Hey, that could have something to do with those allergies...

multicultural experience

Hey bloggers! Oh my goodness! Have you all been clicking that "stats" tab for like evers and haven't told me?!

*Warning*

If you haven't clicked it before - be careful. It's addictive.

It tells you all kinds of stuff about your readers. I mean not too personal or anything. Oh my goodness. Ya'll I had no idea how diverse I am! I appeal to people all over! I mean I should say I appeal to person (because I think it was just one)all over. Do not even say it's probably a spammer trying to hack my computer or that it was someone who accidentally stumbled on my blog and never came back. Do not even say that.

Isn't that right Belgium? Holllaaaa! Love yo' waffles!
Hola to you Spain!
And whatever Portuguese is for hola to you Brazil! Abrazo! That's right.
What's up Canada?! In love with your bacon!
Hey Romania! You guys totally rock gymnastics!
Ukraine! Love your....um...babies...yeah babies! And your waitresses at our IHOP! They're so nice! And really pretty.
Okay moving on! to Indonesia and Philippines! Love your...well, love you! I have no idea about your country, but I promise I will check out some books at the library on you this week! Woohoo!

Yes, that is right. All those countries have visited my blog. It may have only been one person one time, but you don't know that. Which brings to mind another point. God could be really disappointed with me right now...

*Update!* Russia! (I told you it was addictive) Add Russia! Velcome Russia! Is that offensive?

You may not but you should...

Okay peeps, I hope you all know that I totally kid about a lot of stuff. I always think that everyone here thinks the same way I do and understands the tone I may use or my facial expressions, but you may not. As per my last post, I seriously am okay with having one child. I really hope no one takes it as grumbling.

I do have one dirty little secret to share. And friends, it is literally dirty.

I will try to keep it anonymous.

SO a certain person I *ahem* know will hang up her...or his - you never know. Anyways, the washcloth after a shower so it will dry a little. Then, when next shower comes up it has dried a little and I, oh I mean she, will put it in the dirty clothes and it won't get everything soaking wet and yuckified. Retrieve new washcloth (not rag -you know who you are) wash, rinse, repeat.

Okay. So now. That certain person's husband, or um, spouse - no lie oh my word, brace yourself- will... just use whatever washcloth is in there hanging up!! That's already been used people!! Do you understand what this means!?! Dare I say??? He could be washing his face with butt!! He may as well be wiping butt all over his face!! For the love.

His reasoning was, get this - it's "self cleaning". You put soap all over it and then rinse it out, i.e.:clean.

Well.

That's just not the way it works.

Please people, do not suggest the pouf. I shudder at the thought.

Throw a bunch of stuff in it...

Well, tomorrow wasn't better, but oh well. The day was fine but as far as getting actual technical school stuff done - nada. But that's okay really. We learned some far greater skills, things that are truly important in the eyes of God. I pray that we fear God over man, so I'll take His school lessons. And we started way early so God will make sure we get our 170 days in, don't worry.

I made a so yummy casserole with our leftover cornbread the other day. Yes leftovers. For all you moms of a couple o' dozen that happens when you cooked more food than your family consumes. Ha! And I made a yummy casserole with it! Take that! All you exclusive clubs with your cookbooks that have measurements that used to only exist in school cafeterias.

*Clear throat*

Well then, um, I mean it's okay and all. I'm okay with rejection and such. No bitterness here.

Moving on...

Tomorrow will be better. Promise.

We have had a super productive school week thus far.

Monday started with "character training". A good name is more valuable than great riches, so this is important to the properly run Christian household (such as ours). It starts out with eye rolling. Which is followed up with the switch. It then progresses to disobedience and backtalk. Which is also met with a switch. You know, rod+reproof=good (heavy on the reproof).

Tuesday we did "independent writing". Otherwise know as Schyler sitting on her swing set writing on pretty paper. Sorry I can't help it. She's not very good at being alone so when she's in the throes of it I just can't bear to interrupt. Plus I got to talk to my newlywed friend for like ever!(The worst thing about her new husband is that he knows how to properly fold sheets. Isn't that nice.)

Today was "music appreciation". Does listening to symphony music while riding in the car count? I'm pretty sure it does. Plus she watched me get some dental work. Check mark beside science. Double score.

Then we stopped to make a donation to The Salvation Army. It's half off day at their thrift store. I got two major cute sweaters and an Elisabeth Elliott book. Schyler walked away with a pink skirt and pink shoes. Can you beat that? Oh, hang on...I need to add math skills. I told you it was half off day. We got seven items for $12, so that makes...yeah, a fab deal.

It happens.

The bluegrass festival was everything and more. I love some bluegrass and you know, besides that - I have fun wherever I go.

So to prep for the event on the ride over, we went in search of interesting AM radio. Can I just say: jack. pot.

We knew we hit gold when we came across two nice gentlemen talking about stretchy pants and sweater vests.

While there we hit Rebekah's crazy good bake sale to raise money for their adoption. I mean, God said the only true religion was caring for orphans and widows, so if I have to eat apple pie and homemade macaroons, well, I've got to obey you know.

So on the way home the little girls drove one of the big girls nuts. They were playing some sort of game, and I don't know what happened, but anyway, the unnamed big girl got two body parts mixed up and (Christy, this is for you) she said something I still hurt myself laughing about. So how is your clav(test)icle, B?

I should feel bad about this, but I don't, except I kind of do. We had a potluck dinner Sunday night after church. I know, score, right? Is there anything better than a super ultra conservative baptist church's potluck? Um, no.

So anyhoo...I didn't even make our "dish" (I use that term loosely) myself. I had Schyler do it. And we took...I shouldn't say it. Oh dear. I confess. We took box macaroni and cheese! I know! Box! Awful! Have you ever read the nutrition facts!?! A family member bought it and gave it to Schyler. You know good and well I don't keep that kind of stuff in my house. For shame.

When it was over and all the ladies were cleaning up everyone kept asking who that bowl belonged to and I just kept quiet. I never said a word. I was tempted to just leave it there. I was so scared Schyler was going to walk by and bust me. I was finally able to sneak it out.

As the song goes, "I can't hep it." Maybe you had to have been there.

Broken

Alright peeps. (Peeps! Doesn't that prove how street I am?!) Can I just tell you that this is the third "New Post" I've done?


On one, I've got some pretty funny stuff that has happened around here. But then I think, "Hmmm. Maybe that's not quite as interesting as previously thought."


Then I did another in which I totally made fun of two celebrities. Then I thought, "Maybe that's not so, you know, nice." Because I am known for my niceness and all.


How 'bout I just say this: I love celebrities. I love that someone out there besides me is saying completely idiotic, insane, asinine comments. I'm glad that someone besides me is speaking and thinking that the world is hanging on every word. That's just great for me. In a very sad kind of way.


The celebrity one would be so funny to sit and laugh about with someone who knew me, because they would know where I'm coming from. Whereas here, in the Land of Blog, it could come across as judgemental, which I'm so not trying to be (for a change).



Can I just say we need Jesus? Oh honey. We NEED Jesus. We are filled with blatant disregard to The One Who created us. Blatant disobedience, disrespect, and love of anything and everything that is against God.


We have repackaged everything - EVERYTHING - to make it not sin. We have perverted God's grace in more ways.


Okay, I'll stop. I'm not that good at it anyway.

Piano recital was exquisite. I mean exquisite in the potato salad-baked beans way. Those things can be exquisite. 'Round these parts anyhow.

Except afterwards there was a little play time and now my child seems to think she broke her butt. ( I know it's all your fault Bethany.)

Don't laugh. It can happen. I had to, er, uh, I mean I know of someone who had to get there hiney x-rayed before.

So when we were praying I had to pray for her rear-end. Can I tell you we laughed? We did. Right in the middle of praying. But that's okay, I'm pretty sure God laughed a little, too.

Then we laughed again when we thanked God for healing her tushy, the next day.

My child just asked me how to spell "PBS". Oh dear. PBS people!! I promise we actually do learn things around here. At least she hasn't asked me the phone number to 911. Yet.

Well, ya'll have a good weekend! We're going to a gospel bluegrass festival tomorrow. Seriously! Am I a homeschooler or what!?! I am pretty sure this makes it official. I'll try to get our picture made with a man with super long beard and a little bitty woman playing the bass.

Hot Pig and Bought Air

The other day Schyler said something about someone doing something weird. So I told her that, you know, we're pretty weird ourselves. You should have seen the horrified face. She quickly corrected me with, "No we're not! We're the coolest people in the world!".

Isn't that great? I wonder how long I can keep up that facade...

Is everyone roasting a pig today? Pretty much another day for us. Brandon doesn't get holidays off. If it doesn't fall on his off day, well, sorry. Schyler is having a little piano recital this afternoon to celebrate the end of her first course and beginning of the second. Then we'll be having some grilled meat, which is always exciting.

When my mom's parents were alive they used to have the best barbecues. The men would come over and stay up until the wee hours of the morning smoking a ton of meat. My Pawpaw built himself an outdoor kitchen off the barn for them to use on barbecue holidays. The women would come over and bring baked beans, potato salad, slaw, rolls, cakes, pies, homemade pickles and relishes. Mawmaw's sister, whom everyone called "Sister", always made the fried chicken. There was always fried chicken. It was what she did.

The men would stay in their kitchen and the women in theirs. I don't know which I liked better. But, for the record, the women's kitchen had the bought air and good stories. And like Schyler says, "I like to pretend I'm doing something else and really be listening to people talk."
It was a great time. Wonderful childhood memories to have.

Wasted

I pretty much wasted the day today, but it was a good wasted. I visited with Aunt Mama Hen and Granny and Granddaddy. I'm so glad they live right there together. (Schyler's dream is for us to move in over there too.)

It is official. I am officially the last person not on facebook. My 85 year old grandmother has a facebook page. I mean seriously. It's me and that one tribal elder in the jungle that refuses to turn to the new ways.

That's okay though. I'm good with that. I know what my weaknesses are and I'm going to try to stay away from them. I know there is a lot of good that goes on there, but that doesn't matter. I mean not to me. I'm sure I'd be the ringleader of the bad. So I better just stay here where it's comfy cozy and safe.

I got a good idea from Aunt Mama Hen - folding clothes outside on the swing. Brilliant!

God sent me a good change of perspective here lately. Two different friends at two different times made comments about the inside and outside of our home. All they could see was the good stuff. With all my judgy judgersonism, all I did was complain about that good stuff. But they weren't seeing it with a judging heart. I am definitely going to give that a try. It seemed like a lot of fun.

Aunt Mama Hen gave me this blog, It's Almost Naptime, because she enjoys it and told me there was a super sweet video on it. And there is and I've seen another of his videos and it was good too.


But what drew me was the advice. It is a good resource for helping others through miscarriage. My daughter was a fraternal twin and we lost our other baby at 14 weeks. We were under the care of a specialist at the time so I was getting ultrasounds weekly. I watched that baby grow from a tiny little heartbeat to a teeny tiny little flipping baby.



I still think about my baby every day. But, when it happened, it was a hard and strange thing. We are somewhat coming out of generations that had to toughen up to those things. It happened a lot and they wanted to protect themselves, and their family also. I remember calling a friend to tell her and she said, "Ohhhh. Yeah." Then went on to another subject. Like I just told her that dress I bought didn't fit and I had to take it back. And it wasn't her fault. She wasn't trying to be mean. She just didn't know what to do.



Some people are just naturally good with stuff like that, but if you're more like me, you could check it out.

Remember that bad day?

You know...the one where I was pretty sure we had cancelled out any previous good days that week? Well, at the end of the day, Schyler wrote me this letter:

It says,
"I love you Mommy so much. Each day I grow more love for you. Even in a bad day I grow more love.
Love, Schyler"

Now you see why it would be easy for me to miss any deviousness going on, as per our previous conversation.

I think about this from time to time but I tend to ramble and I'm not sure if I can communicate to you in clear sentences so you can understand me.

Okay ladies, can we talk? Good. Let me tell you something that has been on my mind.

You know as a parent, we love our children. If you love Jesus like I love Jesus we see how mightily God loves us through our love for them. (Could I use the word love in that sentence one more time?) We see the potential, the creativity, the talent, the kindness, everything wonderful that is there in our children. Of course again, if you know Jesus like I know Jesus, hopefully we also understand the sin that is there.

Now you know, before I was a mom, I was (in this order) a nanny, a preschool teacher and a kindergarten teacher. I had been with every age group in which it is important to watch for, diagnose, and begin treating a barrage of different things that can affect children in different ways.

What I would see from time to time is wonderful loving Mamas deny their children extra help, for reasons I do not understand. I could be judgmental here, and I have been before, and say it is solely pride, but I do not know that for sure.

So that is one thing that I always worried about. That, when I had children, I would not be able to see it myself if my child needed some sort of professional help. Therefore making their life a little more difficult, very much unnecessarily.

But as I mature and as my child matures, I realize there is something more important. I worry that my child will miss something spiritually and I won't see it. I remember, shortly after Schyler was born I was in a Bible study. I distinctly remember studying about Samson and his family. Of course I knew the cleaned up version of Samson from childhood, but I had never given him much thought or study as a grown-up. He was so conniving (don't we want to spell that kniving?! Get it?! Ba dum bum -Yes, I'll be here all week.) tricking his parents. And they never saw it. They thought he was so great and set apart from others. And he turned his life into a big ol' mess.

Now THAT scares me.

SO there ya go. That's what I wanted to talk to you about. Oh, yes, of course I pray. I pray and pray and pray. And I know that it is not all *sighhhhhh* all we can do is pray. As if that is some small trifling thing and I wish I could do something real. I know that prayer is the battle and prayer is doing something real. But I am flesh and that fear creeps in. Maybe someone else out there has that fear, too.

Or even worse, maybe no one has that fear and I just opened up a new can of worms, and you are completely flipping out right now. All thanks to me. Never to enjoy your child's childhood again. Okay, I'll hush now. Sorry...

Don't blame me, you could have been reading to your kids...

Brandon has a class for work he has to attend and it happens to be at the beach. I know, poor us. However, I did hesitate when he asked if I wanted for us all to go.

Hesitated long enough for Schyler to say she would rent a mother and go if I said no.

Thanks.

Good to know I am irreplaceable.

I made some banana nut muffins with raisin bran cereal today. Delish. I am so domestic. Is freakin a bad word? Because it would fit right there if it's not. I'm going to get back to you on that...

I guess it is. I would never let my kid say it - and that's always a good test. Should I just go back and delete the whole thing now??? Oh dear, I'm freaking out a little. Now that's not bad. You can use it that way. You can totally freak out.

Well now. We made it through that.

Aunt Mama Hen and her chicks came over today for some swim time, so that was awesome. It could be the last for the summer, but who knows? This is Alabama. We could be swimming next month. Oh, and she jumped off the diving board. Now that is good stuff. It was more like a great big step off the diving board more than a jump. But it didn't matter, the kids were ecstatic. I mean they were like, life fulfilled happy. It was great.

So I would love to read some more good blogs, so let me know if you have some good ones that you just can't live without.

I swear, I am just a pile of ridiculousness today. It's like, good grief, you don't have to fill a page with junk just because you haven't blogged in a while.

Sorry.

There's 10 minutes of your life you'll never get back.

Weeeeeellllll...

You know how some days you think, "Man, this school day could count for at least three days. At least."

Weeeeell, this ain't one o'them days.

As a matter of fact I think I should take back a couple of days because I'm pretty sure we undid a lot of what had already been done.

We did go to this teeny tiny little library down the road. We got a bunch of books that we were so excited about. Several from our book list. So they're on the counter and Schyler is reading a totally unrelated book from her bookshelf.

Did you read the first two sentences?

I can't believe it's the last day of August. To me, summer is over today. It's already cooler outside. And all cloudy like fall.

Well, I've got to go. My child is having a fit about why old Land of the Lost episodes can't be considered school.

I'm about to go have some major spiritual warfare. Most likely in the shape of a switch.

Because girls love wedding pictures...

The rehearsal from Schyler's viewpoint...

I wish you could have seen her face when she realized I was walking arm in arm with a man "who is NOT my daddy"!!



This is Schyler and the sister of the bride. We have the exact same first and last names, which makes for interesting times among the fam! Schyler dubbed her "my fake Mama" and loves her very much!



It was hot...



Matron of Honor (sister), Mom of bride, and ring bearer (nephew), who was a DOLL. A DOLL.



Like I said, these pictures are courtesy of my six year old...

Yes, we are standing side by side. Yes, we are both six feet tall. You know, God never sends one out alone!

And they're off!


We are now officially on baby watch!