I didn't post last night because I was doing something very important: watching Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince with my girls. And drinking butterbeer (not pictured).
Showing posts with label Just for Fun. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Just for Fun. Show all posts
Monday, December 23, 2013
Friday, December 30, 2011
Persevere: It Bears Repeating!
Today was almost like a normal Thursday. Except we didn't do school. And I got to have lunch with Paul and a sweet church friend. So maybe it wasn't so much like a normal Thursday.
But today Hope did go to her weekly piano lesson, and Faith went to a ballet class. I also took some outdoor pics of the girls which we hope to use as New Year's cards. I really meant to send out Christmas cards, but it was cloudy EVERY SINGLE day we didn't have a million other things going on before Christmas. So we're sending New Year's cards. They're more memorable, anyway!
We took a few pictures at a local park, and then we drove out a few miles in the country and took some pictures by some railroad tracks. The light was great, and those pictures turned out so pretty. I'll put a couple up tomorrow when I can access the "big computer."
After we came home from Faith's dance class, we all watched Baylor play in the Alamo Bowl. I really thought Baylor would have an easy win against an unranked team. I was wrong! It was a nail-biter right up to the end. But the Bears pulled it out and won! We, of course, were super excited. It's so fun to see my alma mater doing so well! Sic Em Bears!!!
A few years ago I think most people would have never thought Baylor was capable of having a winning season, much less a bowl game win and a Heisman Trophy winner. But the players and the coaches persevered. I think our church plant is a bit like my favorite college team. We don't look like much to some people, but if we persevere we are capable of seeing God move in and through us in big ways. Sometimes I get tired of the struggle. But, like the Baylor Bears football team, if I persevere, big things can happen.
So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. ~ Gal. 6:9
But today Hope did go to her weekly piano lesson, and Faith went to a ballet class. I also took some outdoor pics of the girls which we hope to use as New Year's cards. I really meant to send out Christmas cards, but it was cloudy EVERY SINGLE day we didn't have a million other things going on before Christmas. So we're sending New Year's cards. They're more memorable, anyway!
We took a few pictures at a local park, and then we drove out a few miles in the country and took some pictures by some railroad tracks. The light was great, and those pictures turned out so pretty. I'll put a couple up tomorrow when I can access the "big computer."
After we came home from Faith's dance class, we all watched Baylor play in the Alamo Bowl. I really thought Baylor would have an easy win against an unranked team. I was wrong! It was a nail-biter right up to the end. But the Bears pulled it out and won! We, of course, were super excited. It's so fun to see my alma mater doing so well! Sic Em Bears!!!
A few years ago I think most people would have never thought Baylor was capable of having a winning season, much less a bowl game win and a Heisman Trophy winner. But the players and the coaches persevered. I think our church plant is a bit like my favorite college team. We don't look like much to some people, but if we persevere we are capable of seeing God move in and through us in big ways. Sometimes I get tired of the struggle. But, like the Baylor Bears football team, if I persevere, big things can happen.
So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. ~ Gal. 6:9
Monday, December 26, 2011
The Perfumery
My living room smells like an old lady convention right now! I'm not sure if my headache is from sinus pressure or the smell! Inspired by the perfume making kit we gave Hope for Christmas, the bottles of cologne my sister and her husband gave us as a gag gift (Chantilly, Tabu, Stetson, etc.), and stories of my sister and me mixing our own perfumes out of old make-up and perfume samples at my grandmother's house, the girls decided to make their own perfume using spices and those strong perfumes. I'm not sure if the candles we lit are helping any or if my nose has gotten used to the stench, but I don't think it's as strong now as it was an hour ago.
Each girl tried to make one perfume that smelled good and one that smelled bad. They most definitely succeeded with the bad-smelling ones! I don't think garlic powder was ever intended to be used in a perfume. And I'm really wondering why people in the 70s thought Tabu and Chantilly were scents they wanted to smell like.
While I do remember making some pretty bad-smelling perfumes with my sister, I don't remember the whole house reeking after we had finished our concoctions. My grandmother was a patient woman.
But my girls made more than just perfume tonight. They made some fun memories. And those memories will linger longer than the smell. (Which I'm really hoping doesn't linger long at all!)
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Friday, December 23, 2011
A Whole New Chuys
Today we got to eat at one of our favorite restaurants, Chuys! This wasn't the original one but they kept the fun alive with the classic hubcap ceiling. This was a Chuys we had never eaten at, but we were not disappointed! I think I'm still full! The food was super yummy.
Sadly, only one of our girls is a true Tex-Mex fan. But we're still hoping the others will see the light. Fortunately for us Tex-Mex lovers, Chuys has some tasty American food as well as the awesome Tex-Mex they're known for.
I don't know that I've ever typed the word "Tex-Mex" that many times in a row! It's either a sign that I really love it or that I need to go to bed. Or both.
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Friday, December 16, 2011
Deck the Cookies
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We got creative tonight, baking and decorating sugar cookies for Christmas. The girls had lots of fun and stayed up too late. Some of their cookies were quite detailed, and they spent about an hour decorating the cookies. I so enjoy watching their creativity at work.
In addition to making cookies, they were making memories. And memories are worth a little lost sleep now and then. And good cookies are worth a few extra calories now and then!
Monday, December 12, 2011
My Favorite Thing About Bananas...
Is that when they get ripe enough, they make really good banana bread. The loaf no longer looks like this. Paul and I made a serious dent in the warm banana bread! And I know Hope will enjoy some for breakfast tomorrow morning.
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Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Mischievous Christmas Kitty
Several of my Facebook friends are posting pictures of their Elf on the Shelf shenanigans. Since my girls are older and we've never done the Santa thing, we're having a mischievous Christmas kitty. I'm thankful the real cat has never tried this stunt!
The girls and I will take turns finding fun and funny places for kitty to be. They're very excited about all the fun places she may turn up! I think we may have a fun new Christmas tradition.
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Tuesday, December 6, 2011
We Made Dog Biscuits
At our 4-H meeting today, I made dog biscuits with the group of middle schoolers I lead. They were really easy to make, and I think the kids had fun. One girl actually tried one! She took more than one bite, so I guess it wasn't too bad. Our dog, Callie, also gave them her seal of approval.
The cookie on the right is supposed to be a bone. The dough stuck a little sometimes, so some of the cookies were a little misshapen. But I'm thinking the dogs won't care!
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Saturday, December 3, 2011
Catching the Christmas Spirit
We used this tree when the girls were little so they would have a tree all their own and wouldn't want to mess with our big tree. It seemed to work for the most part. Now they have all outgrown the tree, but it's the perfect size for Patches. She mostly ignores our big tree, but she likes to sit near this small one. She occasionally will play with an ornament or some lights, but she mostly just likes to sit on the tree skirt.
In our house, Christmas isn't just for humans!
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Thursday, February 10, 2011
Write Like an Egyptian
One of the things I really like about homeschooling is how my children are freed up to use their creativity. (Another thing I really like is getting to sleep later!) Faith has been writing a story to send in for an American Girl Magazine story contest. She finished it today, and I was impressed with her writing.
As we were talking about the story contest, Hope said she would not want to enter a story because, as she said, "I only write books...and hieroglyphics." Love that girl!
As we were talking about the story contest, Hope said she would not want to enter a story because, as she said, "I only write books...and hieroglyphics." Love that girl!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
More Magic!
We planned to meet the princesses on our final day at Magic Kingdom. And while it would have been nice to get the boutique princess make-over for the girls, it was definitely NOT in our already-stretched budget. So my oldest daughter and her friend did the younger girls make-up and hair so they could feel like princesses! I brought sparkly make-up and hair spray and had purchased each of my girls a tiara at Claire's before we left. My younger girls wore cute dresses instead of the hot dress-up costumes that we had. I think they looked fabulous!
We got to the park in time to see Mickey and Minnie sing and dance at Cinderella's castle. Then we went to Belle's story time. After that we went to see the princesses! Faith's favorite princess is Cinderella; Hope and Grace's favorite is Belle (She's my favorite, too!); and Joy's favorite princess is Sleeping Beauty. All three of them were there when we went to meet them, take pictures, and get their autographs! They were all so gracious, and it was a special time for my girls.
We then toured Mickey and Minnie's houses, and I made the big mistake of riding the Goofy roller coaster. It wasn't scary, but it was so jerky that my back hurt for several hours! After lunch, we met Mickey and Minnie and got pictures with them. We hid out from one of the daily rain showers, and rode some more rides. The younger three girls loved Space Mountain, and all the girls loved Big Thunder Mountain. (I had planned to ride that one until my back started hurting.)
One of the most fun surprises was the Jungle Cruise. Our guide was hysterical! The girls loved it when she poked fun at the Hall of Presidents! The older kids and Paul rode Splash Mountain again. They were disappointed that somehow he managed to stay dry.
We finished our day by watching the Parade of Lights and the fireworks show from Main Street. It was a terrific ending to a fabulous vacation!
Monday, January 17, 2011
Magical Magic Kingdom Day 1
We spent our final two days of our Disney vacation at the Magic Kingdom. I had been looking forward to this park the most, and it did not disappoint! We got there the first day in time to watch a parade from the train station. Then we rode the train to Frontier Land to get fast passes for Splash Mountain. We had a great time riding the Pirates of the Caribbean ride and then had even more fun being silly with the pirate paraphernalia in the gift shop!
After lunch, the kids and the men rode Splash Mountain. The women and small boys elected to stay dry! Themen little boys were tired so the dads took the boys back to the hotel for naps. The moms and the girls didn't want to miss a minute of magic, so we stayed. It was a hot day, so we found some air conditioned fun: Mickey's Philharmagic and the Hall of Presidents. The girls were thoroughly bored with the Hall of Presidents, and they didn't even appreciate the cool air! When it was over, we were happy to discover that the afternoon parade was about to come right by our location. The girls loved watching the princesses, although Joy was very disappointed that Sleeping Beauty was not in the parade!
After lunch, the kids and the men rode Splash Mountain. The women and small boys elected to stay dry! The
] Waving to Cinderalla
We got some ice cream for a cool snack and rode several more rides until the dads and boys returned. My two youngest even rode Space Mountain with my friend and her girls! They loved it!! When we were all back together we rode the MK Toy Story ride, which was not as much fun as the one at Hollywood Studios. We rode the carousel and the Peter Pan ride. It rained again, so we decided to ride It's a Small World. Cheesy, but fun! The rain had cleared out the park, so we were able to ride the teacups and the carousel with hardly any waiting! Those tea cups were a blast!
I chose a pink teacup!
We also rode Dumbo. Since Hope's favorite animal is an elephant, this was especially fun for her!
Hope and I ride Dumbo!
And while we were on the ride the fireworks began. What a fun way to see them!
And on the way out, we saw Cinderella's castle all lit up!
A beautiful ending to a wonderful day!
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Epcot Adventures
We spent the next two days at Epcot. The first day we spent doing things in the space, land, and sea areas. I've always wondered what was inside the big white orb, and I finally got to see it! I liked this ride because it was air-conditioned and because it was a great history review for my girls! We also rode several of the other rides and hung out at the aquarium.
I hung out with the little ones while everyone else rode Test Track. I had read that the ride lasted six minutes, and I thought the whole six minutes was racing around the track. I didn't think that would work with my vertigo-like symptoms on roller-coasters. Of course, after they rode it, I found out the ride only goes around the track once!
We left early in the afternoon for siesta time at the hotel. Then we went to Downtown Disney. The Lego store was fun for a while. While my friend and her kids waited for a free Lego set, my girls and I shopped for souvenirs at the Disney Princess store next door. They each selected a charm bracelet and several charms as a way to remember Disney. After shopping, we at at Wolfgang Puck Express. It was fabulous! Definitely our best meal of the trip! And it was on our meal plan.
We ended the evening by going back to Epcot and riding Soarin'. After Paul's experience with the motion simulator at Hollywood Studios, he decided to stay with the littler ones while the rest of us rode. This ride was so much fun! Everyone really enjoyed it! Then we made our way over to watch the fireworks show before we left for the evening.
The next day we had planned to tour the country areas in the morning before the day became too hot. We planned to eat pastries for breakfast in one of the countries as well. No one noticed that the country part of Epcot opens several hours later than the other part! We had a few snacks with us that we ate for breakfast. Our friend conned his older kids into riding the intense version of Mission Space. Thankfully, no one vomited! After lunch, we rode Test Track again. This time I rode it, too! Lots of fun!
We then rode the boat rides in Norway and Mexico. We spent some time in Norway since our friend has ancestors from there. The Viking helmets in the gift shop were a big hit! We also spent a little time in Japan. My girls enjoyed seeing all the Japanese things. My sister and her family lived in Okinawa for a few years, so we felt like we had a connection with Japan. We made the lap of countries on our way out. We stopped in France for a wonderful snack of French pastries. Yum! In England, we saw Alice of Alice in Wonderland. She had just arrived, so we were able to get pictures with her and her autograph with no waiting! And while walking through Canada, we saw this:
After another siesta time we ate at one of the other resorts. Then my friend and I went back to Epcot with her two girls and my oldest two. We rode Soarin' again. Twice! We toured Britain. We spoke in British accents. We ate more pastries in France. We tried to talk in French accents but couldn't do it very well. So we reverted back to the British accents. We examined belly dancing costumes in Morocco. It was such a great mom/daughter time. This was one of the highlights of our trip! And the girls agree! Even though we got rained on, it was fabulous!
I hung out with the little ones while everyone else rode Test Track. I had read that the ride lasted six minutes, and I thought the whole six minutes was racing around the track. I didn't think that would work with my vertigo-like symptoms on roller-coasters. Of course, after they rode it, I found out the ride only goes around the track once!
We left early in the afternoon for siesta time at the hotel. Then we went to Downtown Disney. The Lego store was fun for a while. While my friend and her kids waited for a free Lego set, my girls and I shopped for souvenirs at the Disney Princess store next door. They each selected a charm bracelet and several charms as a way to remember Disney. After shopping, we at at Wolfgang Puck Express. It was fabulous! Definitely our best meal of the trip! And it was on our meal plan.
We ended the evening by going back to Epcot and riding Soarin'. After Paul's experience with the motion simulator at Hollywood Studios, he decided to stay with the littler ones while the rest of us rode. This ride was so much fun! Everyone really enjoyed it! Then we made our way over to watch the fireworks show before we left for the evening.
The next day we had planned to tour the country areas in the morning before the day became too hot. We planned to eat pastries for breakfast in one of the countries as well. No one noticed that the country part of Epcot opens several hours later than the other part! We had a few snacks with us that we ate for breakfast. Our friend conned his older kids into riding the intense version of Mission Space. Thankfully, no one vomited! After lunch, we rode Test Track again. This time I rode it, too! Lots of fun!
We then rode the boat rides in Norway and Mexico. We spent some time in Norway since our friend has ancestors from there. The Viking helmets in the gift shop were a big hit! We also spent a little time in Japan. My girls enjoyed seeing all the Japanese things. My sister and her family lived in Okinawa for a few years, so we felt like we had a connection with Japan. We made the lap of countries on our way out. We stopped in France for a wonderful snack of French pastries. Yum! In England, we saw Alice of Alice in Wonderland. She had just arrived, so we were able to get pictures with her and her autograph with no waiting! And while walking through Canada, we saw this:
After another siesta time we ate at one of the other resorts. Then my friend and I went back to Epcot with her two girls and my oldest two. We rode Soarin' again. Twice! We toured Britain. We spoke in British accents. We ate more pastries in France. We tried to talk in French accents but couldn't do it very well. So we reverted back to the British accents. We examined belly dancing costumes in Morocco. It was such a great mom/daughter time. This was one of the highlights of our trip! And the girls agree! Even though we got rained on, it was fabulous!
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Off to Orlando!
One of the highlights of 2010 for our family was our trip to Disney World! Paul & I had been considering taking the girls, and we realized that if we did decide to plant a church (We weren't sure about this yet.), it would be more difficult to go afterward. And then we found out some of our good friends were also thinking about going, so we decided to go together! (I think this really sealed the deal for Paul.) Their kids got out of school the last Thursday in May, and we left the following day. Our friends have 6 kids, ranging in age from 2 to 13, so we had 14 people total!! I know it sounds crazy, but we had a blast!
We took a couple of days to drive, so we got to Orlando on Saturday afternoon and went to Animal Kingdom. Since it closes earlier than the other parks, we didn't have much time there. We did the safari ride first. Since it had been raining that afternoon, it was a little cooler, and we were able to see a lot of animals, including Hope's favorite, elephants.
The older kids and the dads rode the rapids ride, while my friend and I stayed with her two little ones. It was no sacrifice for us because neither of us wanted to get our hair wet! However, everyone got soaked when it started pouring rain. We quickly discovered that the Dollar Tree ponchos weren't sufficient! We were able to see the Lion King show on our way out. Then we got settled in our rooms in The Port of Orleans French Quarter and headed out to eat and to Walmart to get snacks and better rain ponchos.
The next day we went to Hollywood Studios. We had heard that the Toy Story ride was very popular, so we immediately got fast passes for it. My girls really liked the Narnia exhibit and enjoyed seeing costumes from the movie.
Lunch that day was a disaster! We waited about an hour to order and get our pizza! Fortunately, our meals went smoothly the rest of the trip! When we rode the Star Wars ride, Paul discovered that simulators mess up his equilibrium. But the rest of us enjoyed it. In the afternoon, the dads and older boys went to see the stunt shows while the moms, girls, and little boys saw the Beauty and the Beast show and The Little Mermaid show. Faith was selected to announce The Little Mermaid show before it started! So cool! We met back up for the Muppet show and dinner.
The Toy Story ride was great and definitely lived up to the hype. We were all disappointed (but not surprised) that the line was too long to ride it again!
My friend and her oldest daughter stayed to ride the Rockin' Roller Coaster, while the rest of us took the bus back to the hotel.
We had just experienced our first full day of Disney, and, I must say, we were impressed...and exhausted!
We took a couple of days to drive, so we got to Orlando on Saturday afternoon and went to Animal Kingdom. Since it closes earlier than the other parks, we didn't have much time there. We did the safari ride first. Since it had been raining that afternoon, it was a little cooler, and we were able to see a lot of animals, including Hope's favorite, elephants.
The older kids and the dads rode the rapids ride, while my friend and I stayed with her two little ones. It was no sacrifice for us because neither of us wanted to get our hair wet! However, everyone got soaked when it started pouring rain. We quickly discovered that the Dollar Tree ponchos weren't sufficient! We were able to see the Lion King show on our way out. Then we got settled in our rooms in The Port of Orleans French Quarter and headed out to eat and to Walmart to get snacks and better rain ponchos.
The next day we went to Hollywood Studios. We had heard that the Toy Story ride was very popular, so we immediately got fast passes for it. My girls really liked the Narnia exhibit and enjoyed seeing costumes from the movie.
They also were impressed by the stone table.
Lunch that day was a disaster! We waited about an hour to order and get our pizza! Fortunately, our meals went smoothly the rest of the trip! When we rode the Star Wars ride, Paul discovered that simulators mess up his equilibrium. But the rest of us enjoyed it. In the afternoon, the dads and older boys went to see the stunt shows while the moms, girls, and little boys saw the Beauty and the Beast show and The Little Mermaid show. Faith was selected to announce The Little Mermaid show before it started! So cool! We met back up for the Muppet show and dinner.
The Toy Story ride was great and definitely lived up to the hype. We were all disappointed (but not surprised) that the line was too long to ride it again!
My friend and her oldest daughter stayed to ride the Rockin' Roller Coaster, while the rest of us took the bus back to the hotel.
We had just experienced our first full day of Disney, and, I must say, we were impressed...and exhausted!
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Never Say Never!
While I do have some serious stuff I'm mulling over, I'm still tired from last weekend's garage sale, the time change, and ALL THE COUGHING (Allergies are no fun!) so I'm going for lighthearted and fun today.
Today I did something I said I would never do: I bought a pair of skinny jeans! Until a few days ago I thought skinny jeans only worked on slim teenagers or those enviable women who somehow managed to escape childbirth without the typical hip expansion. I am neither. My daughter tried some on, and they looked cute on her, but she wears a size 0, so she can wear just about anything and look adorable!
I got a pair of boots at the garage sale that are really cute and that I thought might actually look good with skinny jeans. So on Monday I tried some on with a really cute long top. I tucked the jeans into some black boots I had, and it did look good. I was surprised. I got the great shirt, but wanted a second opinion about the jeans. So last night Paul and I went to Kohl's where I tried some on. He really liked them! I was hoping to find a more comfortable fit, so I passed on that particular pair.
I went back to Kohl's today. And tried on a different pair. They looked good. They were comfortable. And, to top it off, they only cost me $6.72 plus tax!!! Which totally makes it okay that I bought a great shirt to go with them, right?
Today I did something I said I would never do: I bought a pair of skinny jeans! Until a few days ago I thought skinny jeans only worked on slim teenagers or those enviable women who somehow managed to escape childbirth without the typical hip expansion. I am neither. My daughter tried some on, and they looked cute on her, but she wears a size 0, so she can wear just about anything and look adorable!
I got a pair of boots at the garage sale that are really cute and that I thought might actually look good with skinny jeans. So on Monday I tried some on with a really cute long top. I tucked the jeans into some black boots I had, and it did look good. I was surprised. I got the great shirt, but wanted a second opinion about the jeans. So last night Paul and I went to Kohl's where I tried some on. He really liked them! I was hoping to find a more comfortable fit, so I passed on that particular pair.
I went back to Kohl's today. And tried on a different pair. They looked good. They were comfortable. And, to top it off, they only cost me $6.72 plus tax!!! Which totally makes it okay that I bought a great shirt to go with them, right?
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Week(s) at a Glance
Wow! Life has been full these last couple of weeks! Our schooling has taken more time, we've had several extra-curricular activities, and my allergies have been overactive!
We had fun carving pumpkins in late October. Faith did a pretty floral design; Hope did a Border Collie; Joy did a cat face; and Grace did a fleur de lis. It was fun and messy!
We also celebrated Paul's birthday. I cooked one of his favorite dinners and we had Italian Cream Cake (minus the coconut - I'm allergic!) for dessert. I tried a new recipe, and we all enjoyed it.
Some friends of ours hosted a "Retro Prom" on October 31st. Faith wore my old prom dress. Hope found a formal at the Salvation Army store for $5. And Joy and Grace wore some cute 80s-inspired skirts and shirts from Target that are still fashionable enough for them to wear again. I wore my old Coca-Cola shirt from high school, and Paul wore his leather pants from back in the day and eyeliner a la Billy Idol! Everyone had a terrific time!
Last weekend we did something we said we'd never do: We hosted a garage sale. The money went to help the college students at our church go to Passion 2011 in January. The students did most of the work, and we made enough money to be a help to them. And I hope to never host another garage sale again! (The late night of getting ready and early morning start time wiped me out!!)
We also started offering a children's church during Paul's talk time. One of our families lives right across from the clubhouse where we're meeting, so we bring the children there after the singing time. I think it's going well and will only get better!
I have some thoughts rattling around in my head about being a pastor's wife and hope to blog about them soon.
We had fun carving pumpkins in late October. Faith did a pretty floral design; Hope did a Border Collie; Joy did a cat face; and Grace did a fleur de lis. It was fun and messy!
We also celebrated Paul's birthday. I cooked one of his favorite dinners and we had Italian Cream Cake (minus the coconut - I'm allergic!) for dessert. I tried a new recipe, and we all enjoyed it.
Some friends of ours hosted a "Retro Prom" on October 31st. Faith wore my old prom dress. Hope found a formal at the Salvation Army store for $5. And Joy and Grace wore some cute 80s-inspired skirts and shirts from Target that are still fashionable enough for them to wear again. I wore my old Coca-Cola shirt from high school, and Paul wore his leather pants from back in the day and eyeliner a la Billy Idol! Everyone had a terrific time!
Last weekend we did something we said we'd never do: We hosted a garage sale. The money went to help the college students at our church go to Passion 2011 in January. The students did most of the work, and we made enough money to be a help to them. And I hope to never host another garage sale again! (The late night of getting ready and early morning start time wiped me out!!)
We also started offering a children's church during Paul's talk time. One of our families lives right across from the clubhouse where we're meeting, so we bring the children there after the singing time. I think it's going well and will only get better!
I have some thoughts rattling around in my head about being a pastor's wife and hope to blog about them soon.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Happy Saturday
It's late Saturday night, and I'm waiting for Faith to come home from a friend's house. Joy and Grace have been asleep for a while, and so has Paul. The friend that Hope has over tonight is sleeping on the couch, and Hope is waiting for all to be quiet to try to sleep. It's nights like this that not having to be at church as early comes in handy!
After hearing so many good things, we went to see Secretariat today. And we were not disappointed. It really is a great movie! I knew Paul would like it, and I was confident that Faith and Hope would enjoy it. But I wasn't sure if it would be able to keep Joy and Grace's attention. I needn't have worried; they LOVED it! We don't see many movies as a family. With four kids, that would be too expensive, but this movie was so worth it! And I really enjoyed seeing a movie the whole family really enjoyed and that was so inspiring.
This evening we were pleasantly surprised by a group of young singles from our church displayed a row of jack-o-lanterns that spelled "Go Jesus!" in our front yard. Today is Paul's spiritual birthday: twenty-one years ago he began his relationship with Jesus. To mark that occasion, these great people decided to gift us with one of Paul's catch-phrases in such a fun package. It was so much fun! (Except for the mosquitoes; those were no fun at all!) I'm so glad our friends love us so much!
And to top it all off, Baylor won!!!
After hearing so many good things, we went to see Secretariat today. And we were not disappointed. It really is a great movie! I knew Paul would like it, and I was confident that Faith and Hope would enjoy it. But I wasn't sure if it would be able to keep Joy and Grace's attention. I needn't have worried; they LOVED it! We don't see many movies as a family. With four kids, that would be too expensive, but this movie was so worth it! And I really enjoyed seeing a movie the whole family really enjoyed and that was so inspiring.
This evening we were pleasantly surprised by a group of young singles from our church displayed a row of jack-o-lanterns that spelled "Go Jesus!" in our front yard. Today is Paul's spiritual birthday: twenty-one years ago he began his relationship with Jesus. To mark that occasion, these great people decided to gift us with one of Paul's catch-phrases in such a fun package. It was so much fun! (Except for the mosquitoes; those were no fun at all!) I'm so glad our friends love us so much!
And to top it all off, Baylor won!!!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Why People Have Two Dishwashers
Somehow Fridays have turned into "Try Cooking Something New Day." Two weeks ago I tried my hand at Pioneer Woman's Cinnamon Rolls. They weren't that hard, but they were messy to make. I realized that I need a silicon mat for rolling dough. I had an old Tupperware one that melted when a certain daughter, who shall remain nameless, set a pan from the oven on it. I made the first batch of rolls on Friday but didn't put the icing on. Saturday morning I warmed the cinnamon rolls in the oven and made the frosting. YUM! I only used half the dough, so I got to perfect my cinnamon roll making skills on Saturday. (We actually decided we like less butter and cinnamon than the recipe calls for. And we like the cinnamon and sugar mixed first.)
Last week I finally made PW's Mozzarella Sticks. I remember wanting to make these at home years ago, but I couldn't find a recipe. These were also very good. Except we didn't eat them right away, so they weren't as fabulous as they could be.
Today I made PW's doughnuts. Hope has been begging me to make them ever since we saw the recipe. And she was not disappointed. They're really good. And easy. I had to stand in front of the fryer for a while, but it wasn't difficult.
And I've even tried a couple of new recipes during the week: oven-baked Panko breaded chicken tenders and a barbecue chicken tender dish. Both were very good.
And with all this cooking and with six of us eating all this cooking, I've come to understand why people have two dishwashers! Because, lately, mine is always behind. But we sure are eating well!
Last week I finally made PW's Mozzarella Sticks. I remember wanting to make these at home years ago, but I couldn't find a recipe. These were also very good. Except we didn't eat them right away, so they weren't as fabulous as they could be.
Today I made PW's doughnuts. Hope has been begging me to make them ever since we saw the recipe. And she was not disappointed. They're really good. And easy. I had to stand in front of the fryer for a while, but it wasn't difficult.
And I've even tried a couple of new recipes during the week: oven-baked Panko breaded chicken tenders and a barbecue chicken tender dish. Both were very good.
And with all this cooking and with six of us eating all this cooking, I've come to understand why people have two dishwashers! Because, lately, mine is always behind. But we sure are eating well!
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Signs of the Times
A group of us are having a "Retro Prom" themed costume party at the end of October. So today, in the interest of retro research, the girls looked through my old high school year books. Joy and Grace just like looking for pictures of Mommy. Faith, however, was amazed disturbed by all the big hair! And the high pants! And the tucked-in shirts! (I guess the shoulder pads weren't as obvious.)
And really, those pictures do look so dated. "Why?" I ask myself. "Why the big hair?" (OK, that one's easy; there were no flat irons, and I have curly hair.) "Why the baggy jeans, especially when I was so thin?" (No answer for that one!) "Why the puffy sleeves?" (Maybe we needed them to balance out the hair!) "Why didn't my hair dresser prevent me from getting bangs?"
And I comfort myself with the fact that in twenty years, Faith will be asking herself similar questions.
And really, those pictures do look so dated. "Why?" I ask myself. "Why the big hair?" (OK, that one's easy; there were no flat irons, and I have curly hair.) "Why the baggy jeans, especially when I was so thin?" (No answer for that one!) "Why the puffy sleeves?" (Maybe we needed them to balance out the hair!) "Why didn't my hair dresser prevent me from getting bangs?"
And I comfort myself with the fact that in twenty years, Faith will be asking herself similar questions.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Hope for the Future
Overheard in my car today:
Hope: "I hope the antichrist comes soon."
Me: "Why?'
Hope: "So Jesus will come back sooner."
I have never met anyone, let alone a child who longs for Jesus' return as much as she does. I know I don't. But I want to!
Of course, she may have been anxious for the return of Jesus on this particular day so she wouldn't have to ride in the car to take her sister to dance class.
Hope: "I hope the antichrist comes soon."
Me: "Why?'
Hope: "So Jesus will come back sooner."
I have never met anyone, let alone a child who longs for Jesus' return as much as she does. I know I don't. But I want to!
Of course, she may have been anxious for the return of Jesus on this particular day so she wouldn't have to ride in the car to take her sister to dance class.
