Happy Haunting!!

I know it is a day or two early, but I couldn't wait to post this adorable Halloween layout!! It's a little splash of happy!!

We are off-track for the first 3 weeks of October so I have been trying to gather some fun ideas to keep the kids busy and happy! Here is a fun recipe for Pumpkin Pie Play Dough:

Pumpkin Pie Play Dough
5 1/2 c. flour
2 c. salt
8 tsp. cream of tartar
3/4 c. oil
1 (12oz) container pumpkin pie spice
orange food coloring
4 cups water

Mix all of the ingredients together. Cook and stir over medium heat until all the lumps disappear and it looks like smooth, mashed potatoes. Knead the dough on a floured surface until it is smooth. Store in an airtight container.

Domestic Diva in Training......

I don't know how it happened, it must have been a moment of weakness. I have lived in this neighborhood for over 7 years and have been surrounded by domestic divas who plant, sprout, dry, and can their own food! Each year they graciously invite me to join them and each year I laugh,thank them, and remind them that I don't can!

Somehow this year I agreed to buy a half bushel of peaches - now what else can you do with that many peaches!! One of my dear friends Dennilynne even picked up the peaches and delivered it to me! My other dear friends Sandy and Steph promptly delivered jars, lids, canning pots(Do these have a name), an outdoor stove top, and all sorts of other paraphernalia that I wasn't sure what I was to do with!! They are amazing, generous women - I am so lucky to be surrounded by such wonderful women!!

Then my Lizzy came down and helped me can all the peaches this morning! She's amazing, she can do ANYTHING!! (She wired her entire home for electricity, made her own floor length curtains, and this past week bottled over 12 dozen jars of beets, peaches, salsa, chili sauce, enchilada sauce, tomatoes, peach cobbler filling - she wears me out)!

The whole process went rather smoothly until we realized that we had used old lids that would likely not seal and that my ceramic stovetop is not recommended for canning on!! Oh well - what is one to do at this point???

Surprisingly, they all sealed and my family was so impatient they devoured one jar while I was at work this afternoon! The result - delish!! Lesson learned: surround yourself with talented, generous women and you and your family will always be well fed!

Who do you think I am...Cinderella?

I am giggling as I post this. I just walked out to see my very large and so unattractive black garbage and blue recycling cans on my front lawn at the entrance to the front door! When Gracie arrived home from school today a friend came over wanting to play. I reminded her that she had to get her jobs done first, the kids each have their daily jobs and then one job of my choosing! Her "mom's choice" today was to bring the garbage cans up to the SIDE of the house from the road! I might need to clarify where the SIDE of our house is, LOL!

One day after I had asked Gracie to do another job she replied, "Who do you think I am... Cinderella?" Gracie is always full of funny comments some of them include:

(7/04) "Mom my stomach-ache is coming out." translation:I'm going to throw up!

(2/04) The other night Gracie and I went in to kiss Parker good night and he had his blinds open - you peeked out at the night sky. When we returned to your room you pleaded, "Gracie's dark open." I pulled the blinds for you so you could fall asleep to the beauty of the night.

(4/04) "Gracie, who loves you?"
"You do!"
"How much do I love you?"
"This much!"
"Do you know mommy loves you so much sometimes my heart feels like it is going to burst?"
"Yep!"
"Why do I love you so much?"
"Cause I'm pretty!"
"Yes, what's more important than being pretty?"
"mmmm...being nice?"
"Yes, and I love you because your nice, and I love you even when you are not being nice because your my girl and a Child of God and I will always love you!"
"But mom, you can't love me that much because if you love me all the much I won't be able to love Parker and Daddy and Hallee!"
"Okay, I won't love you all the much!"
"Mom just love me a tiny much so I can love Parker & Daddy & Hallee and you!"

Postscript: Gracie this is one of the many great miracles of motherhood: there is always more than enough love to go around -and I will always love you all the much!!

Do you hear what I hear?

Today Parker brought home the results of his audiological exam at school. I sighed and thought, here we go again. You see, each time we are tested Parker fails the exam and we are then required to follow up with a second test and then we are finally referred to a specialist within the district. This happens every year despite the fact that I have promised that we are being followed by the audiology and an ENT at PCMC. But, gasp...could it be???? The test reported his hearing is withing normal limits! (It's good that he is considered normal in at least one area)! I had to turn over the document to make sure it was his and not a fellow classmates!!

This may all seem rather trivial, however when Parker was born he was unable to hear. This was a difficult time for me as a mother I am grateful that I wrote down my feelings :

(3/15/99)

Dear Parker -
Hello Cutie pie! I just wrote yesterday, but since I haven't written for a while I thought I had a little catching up to do. I thought I better keep you up to date on all the "medical" news that has been going on. Your first surgery has been scheduled for March 23rd - one week from tomorrow. This month has been full of pre-op visits with all of the different doctors and surgeons. This week you have 3 different doctor appointments. That frequency is becoming pretty standard.

We go every week to your pediatrician to have you weighed and every other week to have your ears checked. The doctors told us that if we kept a close eye on your ears you probably wouldn't have any hearing difficulties. However, you seem to not be hearing despite having no ear infections to date.

This week we met with the ENT to discuss tubes. I would really like you to get them at this first surgery - if the risks it poses are not great. I want you to be able to hear your mommy and daddy's voices - I want you to hear us tell you we love you (which we do about 100 times a day). I want you to be able to hear your Grandma's laugh & your Grandpa and TJ call you "Bud". I hope you will be able to hear your Aunt Marci's beautiful singing voice. These and so many things I want for you, however if the tubes are unsuccessful and you are never able to hear, we will still tell you we love you a hundred times a day. We will still sing and laugh and read you stories and hope that you will feel rather than hear how much you are loved. I think that feeling love is probably a better goal anyway. Regardless, maybe many years down the road you will want to read this and you will know as you do, what a blessing you are in all of our lives.
with love, mom

Welcome Friends!!

Many moons ago I had to create a collage/poster to introduce myself to my fellow grad students. I remember being a little nervous because I was aware that many of my beliefs, values, and culture was very different from most of theirs. I remember deciding to share "the real thing", not the fluff stuff! I created several scrapbook style pages with information that shared many details about me and my beliefs, thoughts, struggles, and aspirations. I included at the front of the pages a seperate sheet with the title welcome friends. I hoped those glimpsing into my life through those pages would feel welcome.... welcome to get to know and understand me and to begin a journey of friendship!
And so I felt it only appropriate to title this Blog - Welcome Friends! I am reminded that as I share my true thoughts and feelings (with a big heaping of fluff, because I do LOVE the fluff) that I will be exposing myself - the good and the bad (and very likely a little ugly), however my hope is that as I share my thoughts, insights, and tender mercies, that my family and friends will be lifted, blessed, mildly amused and grateful for the chance to glimpse inside my heart!