What I've inherited

I love to drive my Mom crazy & blame her for all the things that are physically wrong with me - headaches, achy shoulders, the fact that I have a hard time finishing a...what was I talking about? I can attribute my bad knees and over-active, grease producing hair follicles to my Dad. :) But lately, I'm starting to think that I can also blame him for the fact that I am getting more emotional with each passing year.

You already know that I turn into a blubbering fool when it comes to weddings, but last night at the VBS program, I lost it as I listened to the kids sing, "Yeah, the word of the Lord is true, we can trust Him, we can trust Him..." I tried to hold them back, but they were there, and they were real...real tears, people. We bought the CD & were listening to it in the kitchen tonight while I was making supper. The kids were singing their hearts out & I thought, "Oh boy, here we go again..." I'm pretty sure it's because I was cutting onions. Yep. That's the reason.

When I was in high school, I remember watching a Hallmark movie with my Dad. Those movies can be gut wrenching, but he was just fine, until the commercial came on. You know the one? Where the kid is reading a card from his big brother, telling how he's sorry he can't be home, and then suddenly he walks in the door and surprises everyone for Christmas? That's all it took. Just a 90 second commerical to break the dam & release the water works.

These days Dad gets teared up when he listens to a song or hears someone speak or sees his children and grandchilren growing in Christ and carrying on a legacy. It's something I love about him. He's not afraid to be emotional or sensitive...or even cry. As his daughter, I'm required to harass him for crying over commercials. :) But as much as I fight it, it's something I'm proud to have inherited from my Dad.

Shoe's on the other foot...and I'm not likin' it

My baby is going to camp tomorrow. I'm pretty sure I'm not ready. And she's really too young to be going off all by herself, don't you think? The other 3 are going to Grandma's today, which means we have 24 hours with our eldest. It hasn't been this way for 8 years. Yesterday she looked at me with a sparkle in her eye & asked what kind of things we would be doing once "the other kids" were gone. I told her we were going to clean the whole house from top to bottom. I got an eye-roll for that. As we count down the days until camp, she gets increasingly chatty. I finally asked her if she was nervous. "Kind o'...and kind o' excited too."

I remember that feeling. Only I was the one looking forward to seeing friends & swimming every day & the excitement of school & being on my own. I never was on this side of the fence - worrying about if she'll be safe, how it will go, if she gets homesick, if someone makes fun of her for leaving her zipper down (she does that a lot), if she forgets to brush her teeth, or if she has too much fun & never wants to come back home again. I don't like being on this side of life! I feel compelled to say to my Mom, "I'm sorry I ever left & put you through this!" But at the same time, I know that this is a part of life, a part of growing up, a part of letting go.

There is one thing that gives me comfort & security: The God of the Universe loves & cares for this little girl more than I can comprehend & He is there with her when I am not. So I will trust His daughter to Him, and then I'll pry my fingers off & kiss her goodbye...

Rediscovered

A couple of days ago, my boys were bored - which really means they were fighting & irritating each other, which means they were getting my last nerve & my patience was wearing thin. As their punishment, I sent them to retrieve the forgotten box of Legos out from under their bed & told them to "play nice, or else"! The "or else" is usually something miserable - like chores, or weeding. We received these Legos as a Christmas gift over 4 years ago & though they have been played with here & there, the kids never showed a lot of interest in them. Until now. I remember my younger brother spending countless hours with his Legos, building race cars, and boats, and airplanes, and anything else that entered his imagination. Now as I sit & watch Noah, I smile to see the same quiet boy, the wheels turning, and his creativity growing. As for the fighting, it still continues. Now it's just over stolen pieces and destroyed products.

Something new

This afternoon I tried out a new recipe & was pleasantly surprised at how yummy these cookies were. My friend informed me that "healthy" should never mix with "yummy". She tells me, "Don't be puttin' no fruit in that jello. It'll ruin it." That's oklahoman, in case you were wonderin'. :) These cookies have plenty of "healthy" mixed in, but it doesn't ruin the taste.

Also, I love to keep cookies in the freezer. It became a habit about 10 years ago. I'll admit, I am a little anal about it. My cookies go directly from baking sheet to freezer. This deters me from snacking on them, and I can't stand crumbly, stale cookies. Our good friend, Greg, loves to tease me about my "fresh baked" cookies. I offered him some "home made" cookies one afternoon. They were frozen solid & he carried on, saying he could have broke a tooth! He still hasn't let me hear the end of it.

So, for those of you out there who don't mind mixing healthy & yummy, this recipe's for you:

Chocolate Chip Whole Wheat Oatmeal Cookies
1 c. butter, softened
1 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 c. whole wheat flour
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. salt
3 c. regular oats
2 c. chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Mix butter, sugars, eggs & vanilla. Add dry ingredients & mix well. Add chocolate chips. Spoon onto a cookie sheet & bake for 10 minutes. Take out of the oven before they look "done" & let them sit for another 2 min. before removing from baking sheet. Makes about 4 doz. medium cookies. (I think I'm going to try substituting 1/2 c. applesauce for 1/2 c. of the butter & see how they turn out. I'll let you know how it goes...)

Put on my travelin' shoes...

We're back home again after a whirlwind trip this weekend. Phil's cousin got married in Kearney, NE on Saturday. We loaded the car on Friday night & left home by 4:30 the next morning so we could "make it to the church on time". The wedding was beautiful, and you know me & weddings...more boo-hooing. By 6pm, we were headed to Uncle David's pig farm to be with family where I could do what I love...laughing. :) We weren't there five minutes when Daniel came running back from the pig pens to inform Noah, "I can't even tell you what that pig was doing!" We were a little curious, what with several prize winning studs in the pens, so we asked, "What did you see?" "That pig just went to the bathroom right there!" This is our third trip to the farm & when we were there in the Fall of '06, we couldn't get Daniel off this toy tractor. This time he got to ride with Uncle David to feed the pigs. He was in hog heaven! Pun intended. :) He talked Uncle David's ear off, and later informed him "I want to feed the pigs with you everyday."

Grace was shy at first around Megan. After the wedding, she whispered, "I'll see you back at the farm." They became fast friends and were inseparable. We left the farm Sunday morning, and I soon noticed that Grace had gotten really quiet. I looked back to find her crying. When I hugged her close, she confessed, "I didn't want to leave Megan."

We arrived in Omaha on Sunday afternoon & got to spend time with my cousin & her family. I was able to go to the hospital & meet Judah. I have to admit, it's hard to find the words. There is so much I could say, but sometimes words are not adequate to describe emotions. Sometimes it's enough to just feel & not explain. He is a beautiful baby...a baby God is holding in the palm of his hand...a baby that in his short life, has touched the hearts of many people. He has brought the family of God together. People that don't know this family personally are praying for this precious boy. It's a beautiful thing to see.

We left Omaha last night & got home in the middle of the night. Yes, it was a whirlwind trip, but it was worth it. It makes me look forward to heaven. Not only will I get to spend eternity with Christ, but I'll get to fellowship with family...God's family. And I can't think of something I want more than that.

Please Pray

Judah Matthew was born yesterday afternoon & there have been various complications. Please pray for Judah, for Beth & Jared, for the grandparents, and for the kids (siblings) - Eli, Ezra, & Lydia during this time.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:6-7

Thankful...

...for a beautiful day

...for affordable swim lessons. The kids are learning a lot & are always excited to tell me what they did - "Did you see me mom?!?!" Noah was excited he finally swam down to the bottom of the pool to retrieve the ring. Abbie is learning to dive. Daniel is...as brave as ever! And Grace decided to rejoin Level 2 after a freak-out on Tuesday over having to put her head under water. She was proud of herself for doing it once today...progress...slow & steady, like her mother. :)

...for food on the table & in our garden. It's been nice to eat "garden fare" and save some on the grocery budget.

...for a clean house. We've been slowly catching up from camping & being gone & our garage sale. With the kids' help, we got a lot of the odds & ends picked up & put away. It feels good to see my floors & counter spaces again.

...that my kids are using their imaginations. Grace, Noah & Daniel have been playing "fire truck" the past few days. They built one out of cardboard boxes & our wagon & have revised & revamped it several times. I love to see them working together & getting along.

...that my oldest is a bookworm. When she's not jumping on the trampoline, I know I will find her curled up with a book somewhere.

...for friendships & community. We don't have to go it alone.

...for family. We're off to another wedding this weekend - Phil's cousin's wedding in NE. It's a side of the family we don't often get to see, but one I enjoy getting to know & spending time with.

The lazy days of summer?

Whoever it was that coined the phrase "the lazy days of summer" obviously wasn't a mom. Especially if they meant "lazy" as in "having nothing to do or doing nothing at all". I have the opposite problem, as in "I have so much to do, I don't know where to start, so I'll just sit here a little while longer." Or maybe they are the "lazy days" because it's just too stinkin' hot to move. Don't mind me. I'm just hot & bothered because I had to climb up in a 350 degree attic to retrieve bears & lids to finish jarring honey this afternoon. I really need to go restock the shelf at the grocery store, but every time I think about taking 4 kids with me, I decide it will be much easier at 9pm tonight when they are all tucked snugly into bed.

I had a panic attack this afternoon when I lost my list. Yes, I'm a list maker. Go ahead and make fun of me. But if you know me at all, you will know that I am lost without my lists. Or rather, I am dependant upon them. Don't be offended if I don't remember something important you tell me. If I don't write it down, chances are it will be gone from my mind the moment the conversation is over...or before then. It helps me to stay focused & on task. And sometimes it's nice to glance over it at the end of my day and see that I did, in fact, accomplish something. These last fews days my list has been full...too full. It spills over into the next day & I can't seem to catch up. So I'm learning to let go & hand over some of my "to do" items to my kids, even if they don't do them to the obsessive degree that I do. And I'm plesantly surprised to learn that they do a fairly good job. :) I'm also learning that some things just don't need to be on the list at all.

I came to the realization this afternoon, that for various reasons, I wasn't enjoying these "lazy days of summer". And after my nap, I feel like I've gained some perspective. As a mom, there will always be plenty to do, but I want to be intentional about being "lazy" this summer - reading books to my kids, playing in the sprinkler with them, building a fort with them or just hanging out in the hammock. I plan to put it on my list.

Menu Plan Monday

Summer is here, and that means planning two meals a day for my hungry kiddos. If I don't have a plan, I tend to run around the kitchen getting more exasperated by the minute. So here's my attempt at being organized & (hopefully) reducing stress this summer. I'm excited about trying some new recipes too.

Monday:

L: Tortilla Sandwich wraps

S: Phil's birthday! Baked Fish; shrimp; oven-fried potatoes

Tuesday:

L: Pigs in a blanket & baked beans

S: Rice & hamburger gravy; green beans

Wednesday:

L: Sandwiches

S: Stove Top Casserole & peaches

Thursday:

L: BBQ beef sandwiches; cucumber slices & apples

S: Leftover buffet

Friday:

L: Taco salad

S: Oven-fried Parmesan Chicken & pasta

Saturday:

L: Sandwiches; carrot sticks

S: Ham & Bean Soup w/ bread

Sunday:

L: Pork Chops w/ wild rice; salad

S: Eggs & toast

Enjoy! For more great recipes & ideas, check out Organizing Junkie's blog.