At Home With Grace

From the Gratitude Journal Last Fall

2012-01-05T15:40:00.002-05:00

Let's play catch up with my list, then I'll start my 2012 list. My goal is to get to 1,000 MORE gifts in 2012.

559. the cooler fall-is-coming weather
560. my Pumpkin Spice latte
561. a 4-kid pile up hug
562. being able to help a friend by making dinner for their family
563. and taking her kids to the park
564.being able to homeschool
565. for different cultures around the world.
566. for the Lake District in England,
567. for the maountains in Switzerland,
568. for the green hills in Ireland,
569. and the tulip fields in the Netherlands
570. for his job
571. Can I say my kids again? I'm just overwhelmed with love for them!!
572. for my husband's faithfulness to his family
573. for his frequent, "Hello, Beautiful."
574. for leftover wedding flowers given to me by neighbor Glen,
575. and leftover cupcakes given by neighbor Carli
576. for uncontrollable laughter in public with best friends (Sarah and Devin at Churchill's)
577. for that feeling you get when you meet someone new and instantly have a connection
578. for God's patience with me
579. for all these special moments with my children lately. Ben may be working every day and late into the night, but it has given me time to just be with them.
580. for Rosh Hashana, thrown together and enjoyed. The apples dipped in honey reminding us that life with God is sweet.
581. for long talks on the phone with Grandmas...my kids are blessed.
582. for a gala at the museum Ben built, and the smiles of his coworkers about a job well done, walking the halls arm in arm, glowing.
583. Ben's pride in hard work's fruit.
584. For fancy shoes, clutch, bracelet and earrings
585. Gold nail polish- a manicure!
586. for a low-key Christmas, no stress, gifts all around, and World Vision catalogs.

Kate is Three

2011-11-28T23:06:00.001-05:00

Kate wanted a butterfly-themed birthday party this year! I must admit, I was very excited she asked for this. My creative wheels started turning immediately. I found these amazing butterfly cupcakes on Pinterest... it's just Candy Melts and white sprinkles, but they have such a "Wow" factor. My mom and I had so much fun making them!

The Monarch was our favorite! Isn't it beautiful?

I borrowed a Stampin' Up! butterfly punch and went crazy punching out little pink and purple creatures for decorations. Here are the straws and the goodbye candy wands.

We had butterfly vinyl clings (Target) welcoming the guests into the house.

So here she is, the birthday girl:

I know it is cliche to say, but I really can't believe that she's not a baby anymore.

Motherhood is just a series of goodbyes. Goodbye to her at birth, goodbye to her at one, two...

But I suppose it is a series of hellos, too. Hello to new words, skills, or traits will she pick up this year. Hello to new hugs, longer legs, sweeter conversations. It is so heartwrenching, expanding and contracting like this! Hello and Goodbye, Miss Kate! All I know for sure is that you are so special and

I love you as much as this heart of mine can.

Scenes from November

2011-11-28T22:04:00.006-05:00

We had looked forward to the party on November 19th for a while. It was at Norwood Stables, and there would be horse rides and a petting zoo. Also, I had received some super cool horse-riding boots for Kate and knew just what she would wear to the stables. I couldn't wait to see Kate's face when she saw a real horse for the first time! This is what I got:After a while (like 30 minutes), Kate warmed up to the goats. They were more her size, and it helped that we could enter the paddock and sit on benches to get acquainted with them. When I gave Kate a brush, there was no turning back. She had found her joy. Funny thing: One of the goats hopped up on the bench with me and was so sweet, just sniffing and nuzzling my ear... Then, OUCH! That goat took the earring right out of my ear and spit it out on my lap! What the heck? Well, in an efffort not to scare Kate I just nonchalantly put the earring back in my ear and went on petting that goat and talking to Kate. It wasn't until later when I was telling someone what happened that I first wondered, "Maybe I shouldn't have put the goat-saliva covered jewelry back in so fast? Do goats carry diseases?" I had a good laugh about that one. I'm pretty sure that petting zoo goats are up on all their shots. So far, no weird symptoms. Okay, on to Thanksgiving! My mom and I went shopping NOT for Kate, and ended up pretty much just buying her clothes. We found this amazing purple number at my favorite store, Crazy 8. The hat is from babyGap.

We had a fried turkey for the first time this year, provided by Ben's dad:

And of course we had a rosemary-olive oil roasted turkey made by me.

Which do you prefer? Roasted or fried? I really liked them both.

Well, now I'd like to leave you with one final disconcerting image:

Quick Montessori Activity

2011-07-25T18:30:00.004-04:00

Here's a fun hand-eye coordination game for toddlers that I learned from the blog Chasing Cheerios. At two and a half, Kate is really too old for this; it would be better with one and a half to two year olds. Just clean out a honey bear, give the child some Q-tips, and let them practice slipping them into it. Kate really enjoyed this activity at first, but she could do it easily so it didn't hold her attention for long. She soon went to calling the bear a "bottle" for her baby! If you have a one year old at home, give this a try!

Counting

2011-07-25T17:20:00.004-04:00

556. Painting piggies purple

557. best friend brothers in matching pjs

558. planning surprise birthday parties for best friends- Happy birthday, Sarah!

So Much Grace

2011-07-11T13:49:00.002-04:00

I have been keeping a gratitude journal on my table for a few months now, scratching down a few things here and there, so not all of my 1000 things have been posted to this blog yet. I'm going to write them here now, pieces of my story since February.

#507-555 of the 1000 gifts list:

her wispy bangs

her button nose

her profile

counting little piggies

his spontaneous pre-dawn proclamation of love for me-"You're everything that's right about my life."

feeling healthy after a hard week

"One Thousand Gifts" by Anne Voskamp

Mother Theresa quotes

sliding toes into bedsheets

supermarket sushi

writer's group on Wednesday

Jacob's "Don't leave, don't leave" at bedtime

next door Yo-Ann

brothers wanting their turn to watch Kate at Monkey Joe's

finding a huge section of Dora books at Barnes and Noble with Kate

Kent Moore always willing to take the boys to play

read aloud book about the first Ferris wheel

our character studies and Bible memorization

Psalm 23- He is my Shepherd!

hot water for a nightly bath-what a luxury!

my washer and dryer

making pretty Valentines for friends

an available sitter on Valentine's Day

laughter at OddLot, improv group

music that the kids and I danced to and made us happy house cleaners! Joy!

a walk hand-in-hand with Kate on a beautiful spring day to the health food store

neighbors walking up to say "hi"

a freshly-painted white porch rail

friends to grieve with

that Vivan is in heaven with Jesus

that even when things don't seem to make sense, Peace is a Person and we can know Him

victory over death in Jesus

a ride to Jacksonville with Carla for Vivan's funeral

a friend's "I forgive you," easily spoken

another friend coming over just because she heard I was having a bad day...Sarah's a true friend

quiet time at home group

books that make us have to put them down and go explore nature right now! (Miracles on Maple Hill)

a nature walk with four healthy children- too much grace!

discovering tiny, tiny frogs in the pond- hundreds of them everywhere!

small group prayers for soon-to-deploy soldier- such courage!

Kate's "Read it again, Mommy!"

Ben hugs at lunchtime- a welcome interruption

to find Noah reading- reading!- a chapter book just because he wanted to

family laughter during game night- Apples to Apples

all of my boys obedient, truly. I can trust them.

Baker growing up and becoming such a mature, responsible, helpful, respectful, trustworthy, fun young man

forgiveness from children to parents who sometimes get overwhelmed

hardworking husband

Oh! My end-of-the-schoolyear flowers! Surprised by gratitude!

I MADE a beach robe!

2011-06-25T21:13:00.006-04:00

Dana from MADE has inspired me again to sew... this time a very cute and extremely practical beach robe! This will make leaving the beach much easier. Instead of wrapping my toddler in a big towel that just falls off, I'll give her her very chic polka-dot beach robe to ride home in! I downloaded Dana's super tutorial and pattern for $8 and then hit Target for a cute beach towel...they were on sale for $4! Then I came home and grabbed all my double-fold bias tape remnants...you wouldn't believe this; they matched the towel! I totally lucked out. I just love it when everything comes together! So, here's what I started with:

And here's the finished product! How awesome, right! It took me about three hours, but I was doing other things throughout the the afternoon, so I could make these quicker.

I love the little belt that wraps around the middle, the folded-up sleeves, the hood- everything! And it was so easy. I am proud to say that this is the first time I made sleeves and attached them the correct way the first time! Woohoo, progress!

I also loved using five different colors of bias tape for the trim. So cute! Alright, Kate, thanks for being my model again, you are precious!

I will definitely be using this pattern again and again.

506

2011-05-19T15:49:00.005-04:00

506. moments that stop time- today I lay next to Kate in her bed and looked into her face, inches from mine, and in an instant she was me, and I was my mother, and I remember loving her and feeling so loved and being the child and thinking I would always be young. Will there be a place outside of linear time where I can experience all of His gifts at once? How could I bear that much joy?

Sweet Spring

2011-04-05T21:15:00.005-04:00

Life is sweet... #501-505

~buckets and sand
~the urge to explore
~jumping waves
~neighborhood merry-go-rounds
~my favorite skirt, my favorite shoes, and a swing on a beautiful spring day

Eyes to see

2011-02-18T10:54:00.008-05:00

489. This sunset over the airfield Tuesday night.

490. That I live here, around boats and bridges and water

491. swings
492. brothers willing to push little sister
493. her little girl squeals and laughter

494. hands on her shoulders
495. a warm day in winter
496. that bright blue sky

497. his love of reading
498. books

499. one to give her confidence at the top

500. one to catch her on the way down

Lord, I am so grateful for this world you've created, this life you've given me, and my eyes to see the countless ways You love me.

Happy Valentine's Day

2011-02-15T15:13:00.003-05:00

I made Kate a dress for Valentine's Day:It took just a few hours on on Saturday. I used a pattern and my knowledge of tiered skirts. All fabric was "found." The white is from an old tablecloth, the red is a scrap given to me by a friend. Kate was thrilled to be asked to model again. She lives for these moments, and takes direction so well!

Oh my. She's a beauty.

I got creative and used a scrap of tulle from her birthday party leftovers to add a ruffle on the front. If you walk into babyGap, you will notice tulle ruffles on most of the girl stuff.

Kate loves lollipops and dressing up. I love Kate and sewing. Happy Valentine's Day!

What are some things YOU love?

Learning Gratitude Together

2011-01-28T21:49:00.003-05:00

"...giving thanks to God our Father for everything..."

{joining with the boys this morning to praise God}

Noah:
1. Lego Star Wars
2. food
3. clean water
4. the Wii
5. our family
6. air
7. getting my lightsabre back after it was stolen
8. silly brothers
9. cute Kate
10. hugging Mom
11. wrestling with Dad
12. sleeping in the dark
13. the cabin we rented in Tennessee, "The Apple Basket"
14. going to Disneyworld
15. dinosaurs
16. sharks
17. going to the Georgia Southern Museum with Mr. Kent
18. exploring the woods
19. camping
20. drawing

Baker:

1. geting to go to Disneyworld
2. that Mom takes the time to throw birthday parties for us
3. the bigscreen TV
4. that I have brothers and a sister to play with
5. camping
6. that I get to play basketball at the Y
7. that Dad said I did better in the last game
8. my clothes
9. our bunkbeds
10. that we're homeschooled because I'd go crazy in regular school

Jacob:

1. getting to go to Disneyworld
2. the family
3. that Kate is cute
4. the Bible
5. fresh water

She's two.

2010-12-02T15:57:00.002-05:00

How did this happen?

My baby is now a walking, talking two-year-old. I love her more every day. She's my girl.

And she is a constant reminder that time passes so quickly. I must slow down and savor every minute!

Famous Homeschoolers

2010-10-25T23:24:00.001-04:00

Not a complete list, by any means, but interesting!

PRESIDENTS

James Madison
George Washington
Woodrow Wilson
Andrew Jackson
James Garfield

ARTISTS

Leonardo da Vinci
Andrew Wyeth
Claude Monet
Grandma Moses

INVENTORS

Alexander Graham Bell
Thomas Edison
Eli Whitney
Wright Brothers

MILITARY LEADERS

George Patton
Douglas MacArthur
Robert E. Lee
Stonewall Jackson

WRITERS

Agatha Christie (pictured above)
Samuel Clemens
Charles Dickens
Robert Frost
C.S. Lewis
Beatrix Potter

ENTERTAINERS

Louis Armstrong
The Jonas Brothers
Frankie Muniz
Whoopi Goldberg
Hanson
Charlie Chaplin
Jennifer Love Hewitt

OTHER HISTORICAL FIGURES

Benjamin Franklin
Ansel Adams
Margaret Mead
Albert Schweitzer
Frank Lloyd Wright
Sandra Day O’Connor
Winston Churchill
George Washington Carver
Albert Einstein
Booker T. Washington
Joan of Arc
Brigham Young
Pierre du Pont

Wow! I'm shocked at some of the names on this list, and at the same time, not shocked. I'm pretty sure that having the freedom to pursue what interests you and develops your own God-given talents has a determining effect on your success.

This is how Kate reads her book...

2010-10-21T15:49:00.002-04:00

She sure loves having her own girly space!

My New Camera

2010-10-16T22:04:00.011-04:00

It's a Canon Powershot SX 210 IS. And I love it. It has 14.1 megapixels, so everything's really clear, but the best part is the zoom, 14X! Last Friday when I was at the beach, I snapped two shots from the same location. This one is normal mode:

And this one is zoomed all the way:

What a difference! It's amazing. I've been taking pictures of everything. I can't wait to get more acquainted with this baby and see everything it can do. I feel like with this and Photoshop, I can do anything I want, photographically.

"Under the Pier" PW Black and white Photoshop action used.
Many thanks to my mom, who always knows the perfect birthday gifts for her girl! I love you!

Love List

2010-10-11T18:02:00.008-04:00

469. my nap on the porch swing because the weather was just perfect last Sunday.
470. for sun rays
471. for surprising pumpkin colors...
472. for a pumpkin for each member of our family

473. for sandy football games with friends
474. for running barefoot

475. for her new toddler bed set with cute little owls

476. how she helped put it together

477. how she jumped up and down and didn't stop smiling when it was ready

478. that she actually slept in it that night

479. for her own room, for my first time decorating for a girl

480. for Jacob's blue eyes, so kind

481. that they get to grow up near the beach

482. for the way the surf feels when it washes over my feet

483. that we live near this:

484. for her cute hand-me-down clothes

485. that Jacob loves math

486. for my new camera!

487. for Noah's big, fun trip to Birmingham

488. for Ben's surprise party there

I gather beauty...

2010-09-28T20:36:00.002-04:00

447. the dazzling sky every evening, just like snowflakes, fingerprints, that never two are the same.

448. that Kate loves books already

449. for America

450. for electricity

451. for read-alouds

452. for Grandpas

453. for Grandmas

454. for long lives, and

455. for short lives, that make us appreciate each day we're given

456. for little ones we never met but hold in our hearts forever, a prize waiting for us at the finish line

457. for a community, a gathering, of believers, of followers, of encouragers, my life-blood.

458. that God is nearest when I am broken. That's when I need Him most!

459. for being 30. I am grateful.

460. for dancing

461. for memories not forgotten

462. for hearing, and

463. for sight. Have I ever thanked Him for that?

464. for a God that loves mercy!

465. for the changing of the seasons.

466. for fall and the return of the word "cozy"

467. that man-child likes to dress sharp for school

468. for this post, that inspires me to be a beauty-hunter again.

I catch my breath...

2010-09-16T22:40:00.000-04:00

Simple (?) Woman's Daybook

2010-09-03T23:19:00.004-04:00

First of all, before I get started I would like to say that my life is absolutely not simple. Yet. I'm working on that, though. My focus for fall is to cut away the busyness of extra tacked-on activities. I want to get to a point where I have some quiet, down time each day in which to really slow down and contemplate an inner life. I want to be fully present with my children throughout the day. I feel like life has been whizzing by lately and I intend to slow it down a bit. Or at least watch it more carefully as it goes. I have become keenly aware that all things "good" are not always "best" or "right."

Outside my window... We're painting the rails and window trim on the porch. Should be finished this weekend, fingers crossed.

I am thinking... about ways to calm my mind, read and pray more, go to bed earlier.

I am thankful for... this time schooling my children. They love to learn. They love our read-alouds. They are growing their minds, bodies, and spirits, and I get to be right here to watch!

From the kitchen... I've dusted off the bread maker. Warm, fresh bread is a must for a Simple Woman.

I am creating... priorities. A rhythm. A home.

I am going... to stay home. I do not need to leave every night.

I am reading... For the Children's Sake, Saving CeeCee Honeycutt, and Moccasin Trail, with the boys.

I am hoping... that everything works out with the court date I have set for these two citations. I'm trying not to worry.

Around the house... lots of laughter. I so enjoy my boys during the day. They are crazy and good and funny and interesting. They are my friends, not my job.

One of my favorite things... Kate's smile.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... The porch. Finished.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

**UPDATE** We never even touched the porch this weekend!

Juxtaposition

2010-08-25T16:01:00.006-04:00

Ok, normally I would say that I lead a pretty average American housewife kind of life. I manage our home, cooking meals and doing laundry and caring for the children, while my husband goes to work at his 8-5 job. But then there are times when I think my life is a little weird. Like some things just don't normally go together but find their way into my schedule somehow. This week has been one of those times. We started our homeschool year on Monday. It's fantastic teaching these kids. Here's our pic:

I'll have to do a whole blog post on the whats and hows of our homeschool days! It's fun.

And then there's this:

Most likely if you're reading this you have never heard of Dr. Horrible's Sing-a-long Blog, or the huge cult-like following this web-based short musical has. It's funny. Really funny. Neil Patrick Harris gets to sing his head off, and that's a real good thing. It's by the director of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Angel, Joss Whedon, and it was created on a miniscule budget during the writer's strike a few years back. It's available on Netflix instantly, or you can find clips on Youtube. Anyway, I'm in a live version of it this Friday and Saturday and I've been at rehearsals every night this week. And while it wouldn't be rated R, it's got (a little) crude humor so it's not for the kids.

Homeschooling during the day, arguing over solos with wanna-be villains at night (you'll just have to see the live show)-- my life feels like it doesn't match up right now. But I'm having so much fun with BOTH. And I have to thank Ben for being the reason I can enjoy this crazy ride!

8.9.10

2010-08-10T14:56:00.007-04:00

Yesterday started out a wonderful Monday in the summer. I woke up at 8:30am, which is extremely rare, and completely cleaned my kitchen. I managed to make myself both breakfast and coffee. Again, extremely rare. I checked my email, read some blogs, and spent some time with the kids. Then, at 10:30, feeling great about the week ahead, I put Kate in the stroller, the boys on bikes, and the next-door neighbors and us went down to our neighborhood park for free lunch and outdoor play. While there, I had some great mom-conversation with a friend, pushed the babies in the swings, and ran through the sprinklers. It was very hot, but the water, the shady tree, and the breeze made it the perfect summer day.

*Cue dramatic music*

Then, my precious, princess, love, heart, never-want-her-to-experience-anything-painful baby girl left the water area and headed back toward the playground. When she got to the black plastic baked-in-the-sun ramp she started screaming and crying... she had burned her little feet! I felt sorry for her, but when I saw the huge blisters I began to worry. I quickly loaded up the stroller, called to the boys, and power-walked the eight blocks home. She screamed the whole way. My heart was hurting for her, she was in so much pain... I sprayed her feet with Lanacaine and gave her Ibuprofen, held her feet up top the cold air, held her, prayed, did everything I could. She cried for an hour and a half before she finally fell asleep.

When she woke up she was calm. She sat with me on the recliner the rest of the day. She ate, and she didn't cry anymore. I thank God for helping with the pain. Here is a photo:

It's the next morning, and she seems fine. She walks funny, on her heals, the poor thing. But she isn't in pain. She's really cute and fun and independent, just like usual. The blisters are still there, but less so, and I'm sure she'll never even remember what happened once they heal completely.

I can't say the same for myself though.

Pioneer Woman Cooks Reviews #6 and 7: Chicken Spaghetti and Angel Sugar Cookies

2010-07-29T13:56:00.004-04:00

Last week when my in-laws were visiting I needed to cook something that a) pretty much everyone would like, b) would fill some big eaters up, and c) wouldn't cost every last dollar in the bank account. So I flipped through the cookbook and found Chicken Spaghetti. I had everything needed for this recipe except for the pimentos, and since one 4-oz. jar of pimentos is under two bucks, this was it! Ingredients (minus chicken):

Here it is finished:

I would say that this is a non-offensive, bland casserole. Don't expect a flavor explosion. If you make it, ADD SOMETHING, like hot sauce or olives or just more cayenne pepper. Another thing about this is that it is a lot of food! The recipe said it serves eight, but mine had 14-16 servings in it, easily. So you'll be eating this for a few days. Hope ya like it!

Ratings:

4 for easy

4 for time required

2 for consistency with cookbook (she says it tastes great)

2 for taste

Overall: 3 out of 5, mainly because it was easy, not for taste or aesthetic appeal.

Now for the Angel Sugar Cookies:

I took a ingredients pic, but once they were finished I had lost all excitement about this recipe so I did not remember to take an after shot. So sorry! But let me just tell you... these were nothing special either. Very bland and floury. I won't be making these again. Ho-hum. So far I am not impressed with PW's cookie-making ability!

Take a quick look at the ingredients and you'll notice two sticks of butter and a whole cup of oil too! Ugh. It's just too much.

Ratings:

3 for easy

3 for time required

2 for consistency with the cookbook

1 for taste

Overall: 2.25 out of 5 (Save your butter for a better use, people!)

Water

2010-07-24T13:15:00.013-04:00

Over on Pioneer Woman Photography, she's having a "water" themed photo contest. Judging from the selections she's already made, there's no way I'll ever make the cut. Seriously, check out those photos. Breathtaking! But who needs her recognition? I have my own blog! So I'd like to share with you some of my favorite water shots from my barely-works point and shoot camera:

Kate always has loved bathtime

Baker just baptized

Wet footprints on hot concrete, two seconds later they've evaporated

This picture captures motherhood for me. My children are holding up treasures for me to see: shells, drawings, projects, questions, dreams, heart-fears. Mothering well means not brushing aside these things, but taking time to really see what the child is holding and responding with love. I try to create a relationship with my children where they won't ever think I don't care about what they care about, find important, or have to say. Anyway, I love this picture.

And my all-time favorite water picture:

Totally Random Tip

2010-07-16T22:38:00.003-04:00

If you love Indian food like I do, and I LOOOOOOVE Indian food, then I have something to share with you. There is a company named "Kitchens of India" that makes the best prepackaged Indian food. Ever. I am very picky about the way my Indian food tastes, and frankly, I've never liked any of the stuff I've been able to find in the grocery store to make at home, until I discovered these packets one day in my stepmom's pantry! (Sally, I'll be eternally grateful for introducing us!) She had been able to find it at Super Target, but they no longer carry it.

Here in Savannah you can find this stuff at only two places (that I'm aware of yet; I keep my eyes open every time I'm shopping). Brighter Day health food store carries the bigger pouches you see in the photo, for around $3 each. They are awesome alone or with protein mixed in, and really spicy. BUT, I just discovered to my absolute delight that Food Lion on Eisenhower has the whole line from Kitchens of India!!! And, they are cheaper than I've ever seen them! I was beaming in the ethnic foods aisle, y'all. The best thing I ever tasted is the butter curry chicken sauce pouch in the photo. It tastes just like it was prepared by a restaurant. Yummmmm. Perfect seasoning.

Well, I wish you luck finding this stuff in your town. Make sure you pick up some Basmati rice and Naan bread to go with it; it makes a huge difference in authenticity!

Love,
Trish

P.S. I will try to make my next post about something other than food or Kate. No promises, though!

Pioneer Woman Cooks Reviews #4 and 5: Homemade Ranch Dressing and Penne alla Betsy!

2010-07-15T10:23:00.010-04:00

I was skeptical-- Could a person actually make a ranch dressing at home that tasted like real ranch? I followed Ree's recipe to find out. In her cookbook, she says to serve it over an iceberg wedge, so that's what I did. For the record, though, this does not a salad make in my mind! You need some onions, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese... something more than iceberg lettuce and ranch! Okay, that said, on to the review!

Homemade Ranch Dressing did not disappoint! It was just like the ranch we all know and love except better. I will definitely make this again, and you should too. The recipe filled a 16 ounce jar.

Ratings:

4 out of 5 for easy (I took off a point here because there are a lot of fresh herbs you are going to have to find at the grocery store! I had to go to two stores to find them all.)

4 out of 5 for time required (you need to let it refrigerate to let the flavors come out.)

5 out of 5 for consistency with cookbook

5 out of 5 for taste.

Overall: 4.5 out of 5 Yay Ranch!

*UPDATE* Here is her post for the Ranch recipe! http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2008/06/homemade-ranch-dressing/

On to the next review, Penne alla Betsy.

Betsy is Ree's little sister and this is her favorite pasta dish. It looked so good when I first saw it on the website, and I was happy to find it was also in the cookbook. This dish has some of my favorite things: pasta, cream, wine, shrimp, onion, garlic, butter and fresh basil! Yum. Oh, it's so gooood.

It is so good! Oh, did I already say that? Well, it is! It's delicious, creamy without being heavy, and refreshing. I know that sounds weird, but for a dish with butter and cream, it is amazingly light tasting. It really is a perfect summer meal. Try it. Make it for friends. They'll swoon! Here's the link if you don't own the cookbook.

Ratings:

5 out of 5 for easy

5 out of 5 for time required

4 out of 5 for consistency with the cookbook (I took off a point here because she never tells you to remove the tails and chop the shrimp, however in her final product it's obvious that's what she did.)

5 out of 5 for taste.

Overall rating: 4.75 out of 5, the highest rating yet!

Pioneer Woman Cooks Review #3: Olive Cheese Bread

2010-07-09T09:08:00.002-04:00

Okay. This is not for everyone, namely those who can't stand olives. I have three friends that I know of who absolutely will NOT eat an olive! Can you believe it?

I LOVE olives, however, so here we go... You mix up black and green olives, half a cup mayo, a pound of monterey jack, two green onions, and, get this, a whole stick of softened butter. This cheese spread was delicious just like this.

I tried it on a pretzel. Yum!

Then you spread it on thick onto a french bread loaf cut in half.

Bake for 25 minutes at 350...

Oh, yes. Yes! Soooo good! You must try this today!

Here are the ratings:

4 for easy

5 for consistency with the cookbook

4 for time

5 for taste

Overall: 4.5! Yummy!

Here's your bonus Kate pic for the day:
Yesterday was the first time she wore her hair in pigtails! Cute!

Her Fourth of July Dress

2010-07-05T08:00:00.004-04:00

Thank you, Mom, for this beautiful Fourth of July dress! Everyone loved it at church! I could tell she felt so pretty in it, too.

She showed me her shoes:

Happy Independence Day! I sure am THANKFUL that we live in this country where we can worship as we please, speak as we please, meet as we please... God bless America!

Pioneer Woman Cooks! Review #2: Oatmeal Crispies

2010-06-30T23:29:00.009-04:00

Ok, for this week's review we've got the ultra simple "Oatmeal Crispies." Not much to say about these; they were easy to make, even for baking-challenged me. What would I change? I would like a few more pecans in mine and I'd like to see how butter would change them if I substituted it for the shortening. What exactly is shortening, anyway? It scares me. At least I know how they make butter and what's in it... anyway, I liked these cookies right out of the oven, but once they cooled they were rock-hard.

But you can't say she didn't warn us; "crispy" is in the name!

The ratings (from 1-5):

5 for easy
5 for consistency with cookbook pictures
4 for time required
2 for "best ever tasted?"

Overall rating: 4

At the Door

2010-06-24T13:18:00.006-04:00

Peek-a-boo! There you are!

Yes, Kate? Did you just say bye to Daddy?

Wanna close the door, baby?

"Mom, please don't call me baby. Look at me! I'm practically a grown up!"

Yes, and about that, could someone please do something about this time problem I'm having? It's going by entirely too fast!

Pioneer Woman Cookbook Review #1: Lasagna

2010-06-17T20:45:00.006-04:00

Throughout this summer, I will be attempting to review one Pioneer Woman Cooks recipe per week here on my blog! I hope you are as excited as I am! And I hope that doing my P90X workouts will combat all the butter, cream, and cheese in her recipes.

Last week, I cracked open her cookbook and looked for something to start with that I had most of the ingredients on hand already. I chose the lasagna because I have a particular way that I have ALWAYS made lasagna so I'll have something to compare Ree's recipe to.

By the way, I hate that I just ended that last sentence with a preposition. Just sayin'. Back to the story!

Let's start with the "cast of characters" as Ree says. Her pic:

My ingredients looked almost exactly like this except that I used pre-shredded mozzarella, fresh basil (I have a plant!) and shredded Parmesan instead of powdered. On we go:

This recipe was very simple to put together. You really don't have to be an expert in the kitchen to make this lasagna. However, it did take me about two hours start to finish. Too much time in the kitchen for a busy mom of four like me!

Here's how mine looked right out of the oven (my pic):

I had invited our friends Devin and Sarah over to try it out, and they both loved it. Ben and the kids raved about it too. No one said anything negative about it at all and everyone loved that it had hot breakfast sausage in it. Were they just being nice because I had made it?

But here's my opinion on her lasagna (after all, that's why you're reading this, right?). I thought the meat sauce part was very good. Extremely tasty. Loved it. And that's about it.

The FIRST thing I'd change is that I would add a third layer of noodles to this dish. It only has two layers of noodles with half the meat and cheese mixtures on top of each layer! It made for a very meaty casserole instead of the fancy noodle layers I knew as a kid. I got one bite that was nothing but melted mozzarella and I just about gagged.

The SECOND thing I'd change is that I would switch the cottage cheese out for Ricotta. I was keeping an open mind about the whole cottage cheese thing until I tasted it. No contest, Ricotta's sweet, creamy taste and consistency beats the heck out of plain ol' cottage cheese. I'll never stray again.

So here's Pioneer Woman's pic of her finished lasagna:

The ratings:
On a scale from 1-5 (5 being the best)

I would give this recipe
a 4 for easy,
a 5 for consistency with the cookbook pictures,
a 2 for time required, and
a 3 for "best ever tasted?"

So the overall rating for "Lasagana" is (drumroll please...) 3.5 out of 5!

See ya next week!

My Cup Runneth Over

2010-06-17T13:32:00.007-04:00

429. A new job for Ben, just in time

430. That he loves what he gets to do now

431. For His perfect provision throughout the 17 month unemployment period

432. For my Faithful Father in heaven, and my faithful husband on earth

433. For Baker's smart, wacky sense of humor that actually has me laughing out loud sometimes!

434. For Noah's need for cuddling and one-on-one attention

435. For Jacob's focus and desire to do things the right way

436. For Kate's little mama spirit

437. That she wouldn't let me say no to painting her toenails...she just sat there, holding her foot in the air until I gave in

438. For the music of David Nevue, which always calms me and turns my thoughts toward Him

439. For new theatre friends

440. for quiet times and nap times

441. For the scent of honeysuckle

442. For honesty, and learning to want the truth, even when it hurts, because it's so much better than pretending

443. For Phillip Yancy's books, especially "What's So Amazing About Grace?" and

444. "Reaching for the Invisible God" and

445. "The Jesus I Never Knew"

446. For the joy that comes from creating something beautiful and useful

"Thirty" Things

2010-06-02T15:13:00.004-04:00

Here's a list of things I have done so far while being thirty:

1. I learned how to use a sewing machine.
2. I sewed clothes for my daughter and (rarely) me.
3. Played Edith Frank in "The Diary of Anne Frank."
4. Joined the Savannah Philharmonic.
5. Sang Beethoven's 9th symphony with all my heart to a packed Lucas theatre.
6. Discovered Guiness ice cream.
7. Went to Disney World.
8. Watched one of my best friends marry my brother in a beautiful ceremony.
9. Lost 30 pounds.
10. Said goodbye to one of my best friends who moved to Alaska.
11. Had a good friend move in next door.
12. Served my first year in leadership at Kingdom Builders Co-op.
13. Performed in the Children's Theatre's "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat."

I have a few more months of being 3-0... we'll see what I can add to this list! I know what I WANT to put on it. I'll let you know if I reach those goals when I turn 31.

This Lady

2010-05-21T06:15:00.003-04:00

This is Miss Kim. She is a sweet, sweet friend and amazing artist. (Check out her work!) She is one of the most generous people I know with her time, talents, money and heart. For the past several months she has taken time out of her week to teach art lessons to seven homeschooled kids at our house. Miss Kim is patient and understanding with the children. She always loves everything they do, even when their "art" turns out to be gray swirls of globby paint. Once she realized that kids will listen better if bribed, and she brought us cupcakes from Back in the Day Bakery! The kiddos loved "Tuesdays at Two" and I am happy they got a chance to paint in a loving, encouraging atmosphere. Thank you Miss Kim! You are loved and appreciated.

When?

2010-05-18T14:45:00.003-04:00

"But when will we return love for His love? When will we seek Him who seeks
us and constantly carries us in His arms? When he bears us along in His tender
and paternal bosom, it is then that we forget him. In the sweetness of His
gifts, we forget the Giver. His ceaseless blessings, instead of melting us into
love, distract our attention and turn it away from Him."
- Fenelon, Christian Counsel

Mommy's Girl

2010-05-12T15:37:00.002-04:00

So, I finally decided to sew something for me to wear. I've made Kate a lot recently and she's not even getting to wear it all. I love Bohemian-inspired summer skirts, and since I've got the elastic-waisted skirt-making thing down, I thought I'd make one just for me! But what to do with the scraps? Oh, okay, Kate, here's a matching skirt for you too! I just couldn't help my self!

It's our first mother-daughter outfit. I love how they turned out. We're so cute in our skirts!
I'm thinking we'll need lots of matching clothes from now on. 'Cause even if she doesn't look like me, she can at least dress like me right?

This Mother's Day

2010-05-02T09:32:00.007-04:00

For Mother's Day this year, I'd love fabric from this site. It's called Fabric Worm, and they sell designer, ahem, fabrics.

It's a whole lot different from all previous Mother's Day wishlists. I'm completely obsessed with fabric. What has happened to me? Oh yeah...

She did:

And then my mom went and bought me this for my 30th birthday:

Oh, Singer Confidence, how I love you! And now my craft shelf looks like this:

Trust me, that is not enough fabric. I see LOTS of space up there.

Happy Mother's Day, friends! Hope you all feel extra special this year.

Love,

Trish

Layers of Tulle

2010-04-18T18:00:00.003-04:00

Kate loves to play in the sand! Yay! Beach trips will be so much more pleasant now. And the boys loved making little sand castles for her to destroy:

This makes me so happy:

She needs a sun hat:

We have an umbrella this year!

The Whole Gang:

Our summer has started. Nevermind the fact that we have 6 more weeks of school! And here comes the sand...everywhere!

A List

2010-04-08T17:05:00.002-04:00

Things Kate likes:

New outfits.

Chocolate.

Babies.

Purses.

Twirling.

Changing her mind.

And she's only 16 months old! I thought girls learned this behavior. But nobody taught Kate these things...she was born a girly girl.

And I'm in heaven.

Said by Reagan

2010-03-22T14:24:00.002-04:00

during the debate over Medicaid forming in 1964:

“Not too long ago, two friends of mine were talking to a Cuban refugee, a businessman who had escaped from Castro, and in the midst of his story one of my friends turned to the other and said, “We don’t know how lucky we are.” And the Cuban stopped and said, “How lucky you are? I had someplace to escape to.” And in that sentence he told us the entire story. If we lose freedom here, there’s no place to escape to. This is the last stand on earth.

"And this idea that government is beholden to the people, that it has no other source of power except the sovereign people, is still the newest and the most unique idea in all the long history of man’s relation to man. This is the issue of this election: Whether we believe in our capacity for self-government or whether we abandon the American revolution and confess that a little intellectual elite in a far-distant capitol can plan our lives for us better than we can plan them ourselves. You and I are told increasingly we have to choose between a left or right. Well I’d like to suggest there is no such thing as a left or right. There’s only an up or down—[up] man’s old—old-aged dream, the ultimate in individual freedom consistent with law and order, or down to the ant heap of totalitarianism…

“No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. So governments’ programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth…

“You and I have a rendezvous with destiny. We’ll preserve for our children this, the last best hope of man on earth, or we’ll sentence them to take the last step into a thousand years of darkness."

Amen.

Counting the Ways He Loves Me

2010-03-20T22:40:00.003-04:00

406. that the first day of spring was such a beautiful, perfect, sunny day
407. that my kids love to go to the store "just you and me"
408. purple snapdragons
409. yellow marigolds
410. white petunias
411. ivy running up my porch
412. bicycles
413. that Ben loves me so faithfully
414. that he looks at me like that
415. the way Noah cuddles with Cotton every night as they go to sleep
416. funny, faithful friends D and S
417. the promise and hope of a seed planted in new soil
418. that Baker loves basketball, brackets, and watching March Madness with Ben
419. neighbors that give us bread and fruit
420. neighbors that let our kids play at their house so I can do yard work
421. neighbors that bring over fried mushrooms for a taste test
422. neighbors that smile and wave
423. neighbors that bring us their excess peppers from the garden and make special Halloween treat bags for each of my kids
424. they way Kate isn't afraid of anything
425. her cute little overbite
426. my mom learned how to text so we can have another way to stay in touch
427. the chance to sing with the Philharmonic
428. a free taste of Leopold's Guinness ice cream for ST. Patty's Day

What's at the end of your rainbow?

2010-03-19T16:30:00.004-04:00

The forecast for St.Patty's Day was gloomy so my friends and I decided to watch the 186th Savannah parade on tv and let the kids have an indoor picnic. But then Y came over with her baby S dressed up in a pot of gold outfit (how cute!) and the creativity started flowing. I knew I had to get pictures of this for you. Where do you find a pot o' gold? At the end of a rainbow, of course! So I got out the paints and white butcher paper and went to work crafting the perfect photo shoot for the little pot. I think it turned out beautiful!

Yeah, I thought you'd like that. Kate didn't want to be left out; here she is:

And poor little fussy-pot D, getting in his molars and not too happy about it:

I think it kind of looks like he got to the end of the rainbow and the gold was already gone.

Well, hope you enjoyed your green day! We did!

Now it's off to buy some seedlings and some annuals. Spring will not escape this year without me growing something, dagnabbit.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

2010-03-15T20:10:00.005-04:00

Kate's ready for the big parade:

Please take notice of Kate's hand going for her bow:

"Here. Would you please take this thing?"

This is when ben drove up into the driveway and said hey to Kate:
"Daddy's home!"

The whole gang, handsome kids, if I do say so myself:

I made this market skirt in about 45 minutes. I love making them!

Too cute:

No, Kate, PLEASE leave the bow in your hair!

The bows don't stand a chance.

Happy St. Patty's Day, everyone!

I Have "Fat Clothes" Now!

2010-03-08T18:15:00.005-05:00

I'm really glad I have a blog right now because I feel like shouting from the rooftops, but typing is far less dangerous:

I have now lost a total of 30 pounds since I had Kate!!!

It's unreal to me, because I have never lost weight before... Seriously, in my life, I've gained weight every year and no "attempt" to exercise has ever lasted long enough to make a difference on the scale. But now, there's no denying it... I've succeeded! Okay, okay, I have 24 more pounds to go until I reach my goal weight, but I'm so proud to have lost so much so far!

Here's the coolest thing: I now have a stack of clothes that are now too big for me! They just... don't... fit! The size 16(eek) and 14 pants fall to the ground; the XL shirts and dresses look loose and frumpy.

I love having muscles, too. I just feel so much stronger inside. I feel happy and excited!
Can't wait to see how I feel when I reach my goal!

I've been busy...

2010-02-20T15:59:00.010-05:00

First of all, I made this cute skirt for Kate's Valentine's Day outfit. Then I cut out and appliqued a matching heart to a plain white t-shirt. I just happened to have a brown with pink polka dots ribbon for some trim, and it perfectly matched her little shoes! I am so pleased with how this turned out! This skirt is actually the 2nd "Market Skirt" that I have made for Kate using the tutorial found on MADE. There's a link to this website on the left sidebar...go check it out; Dana is amazing and I've learned so much from her! Like how to turn a men's dress shirt into this:
I call this her Seaside Dress; it's so amazingly sweet. However, in an attempt to make it fit Kate and not a 3 year old, I made it a wee bit too snug. By the time summer rolls around Kate won't let me put this on her again. So sad; but, I have a little friend who's the perfect size for this dress to give it to!

And then I picked up some sweet striped fabric on the clearance shelf at Jo-Ann's and decided to try making Kate a summer tank...

Not my favorite thing, but it's not bad. It will be cute in the summer with some white shorts and sandals! Next I picked up two $1.25 t-shirts at Target and...
Under one of them I attached a Market Skirt to make a fun playtime dress, plus sewn-on buttons to match on the pocket. I call this the ice-cream dress, and it's for a 2-3 year old. (Thanks to Olivia for modeling it for me!)
And my absolute favorite idea this month? Kate's new logo: K8. Awesome, right? I wish I had a logo too! I plan on putting this on all her tags in her clothes. And just try and stop me from making one of these shirts for her in every color!!

A New Year, A New Tradition?

2010-01-01T22:29:00.003-05:00

Today Ben jumped into the Atlantic Ocean in near-freezing temperatures to start off 2010. Exhilarating! There were hundreds of crazy people out there besides just my husband. Some had costumes, others were in bathing suits...

It was really fun, I only wish it hadn't rained. It made it kind of miserable for the spectators. Ben says he wants to do it again next year, and he's gathering a team of friends to join him. I think I'll just continue to support him with a warm towel back on the sand. It was cold enough there for me!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-23T20:59:00.002-05:00

To everyone who visits this site, "Merry Christmas!!"

Saturday, November 28, 2009 Daybook

2009-11-28T21:52:00.002-05:00

Outside my window: People were bundled up today! It's really starting to get cold-60's day, 30's night!

I am thinking: How funny it is that people in Savannah would pay $5 per person to tramp through the shaved ice "snow" they had downtown today! We Southerners really wish we could play in the real stuff every once in a while.

I am thankful for: Of course my family; but not just Ben and the kids. I'm becoming more grateful for my extended family every day. As I get older I realize just how important it is to keep in touch with relatives.

From the kitchen: Thanksgiving leftovers, and more Thankgiving leftovers! Please, don't make me eat anymore dressing or sweet potato casserole!

I am creating: Wellll, I just bought my very first two patterns today! I will be sewing Kate some clothes as soon as we get back from Orlando-

I am going: to Disney World! Yay! My mom is treating us all to a day at Disney for the kids' birthdays! We are all so excited; I don't think the boys can sleep tonight...

I am reading: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society, The Jesus I Never Knew, Johnny Tremain, and Searching for an Invisible God. Maybe I'll finish ONE of them this week!

I am hoping: that Ben gets some good-paying, regular work from home jobs soon.

I am hearing: My favorite album right now is one by Joshua Radin. Kate and I dance to it together.

Around the house: We're feeling cramped. Only two bedrooms with six people is tough. Kate is keeping us up at night.

One of my favorite things: Singing. I'll be doing a lot more of it starting in January when I begin with the Savannah Philharmonic! We'll be performing Beethoven's 9th Symphony in May. I'm so thrilled! We ran into the director/conductor Peter Shannon today at Cafe Ambrosia downtown. I like him.

A few plans for the rest of the week: After Disney World, Downtown Disney and Lego Land, we'll drive home, take one day off and then get in some schoolwork. Next weekend we'll pick out a Christmas tree and decorate the house! Yaaaaaaay!

Three Boys Downtown

2009-11-23T14:37:00.003-05:00

He's Nine

2009-11-23T14:36:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday, Baker! Nine years ago, you made me a mom.

He's 5!?!

2009-11-23T14:34:00.003-05:00

Happy Birthday, Jacob!

I never want to forget...

2009-11-23T14:25:00.003-05:00

how she looks when I go into our room after she wakes up from a nap, the soft afternoon sun glowing up the crib:

October Pumpkins

2009-11-23T14:15:00.003-05:00

Our Tenth Anniversary

2009-11-03T09:21:00.007-05:00

Ben and I had such a good time together playing the tourist in our city. Savannah has got to be one of the world's best cities and I'm so happy here! We went to a B&B on Jones Street called The Eliza Thompson House for the night.

The evening began with wine and hors d'oveurs in the Victorian parlor room. We met the bellman, Kevin, who was so friendly and welcoming. We discovered that we knew a few of the same people.

Then our horse-drawn carriage picked us up and we rode around the historic district, stopping by a gazebo to exchange cards and a kiss. The horse's name was Bennet. The carriage ride ended in front of our restaurant, The Melting Pot. We had fondue. Mmmm. Fondue! Then we stopped by a pub called Circa, saw a couple of friends of Ben's, and then walked ten or so blocks back to our B&B. The walk through downtown was so nice and beautiful!

We had dessert and coffee in our room and then decided to check out the Robert Redford Civil War film being shot one block over. We saw several extras all dressed up in 1800's garb and the set! It was like going back in time. Have I mentioned I love Savannah? It has such an interesting history. Well, in the morning we enjoyed the best hotel breakfast I've ever seen...egg casserole, grits, french toast, sausage, potatoes, and so much more.

We checked out and walked around some more, stopping by E. Shavers, a sweet little tucked away bookstore. We spent some time in there, wandering through the rooms filled with books, noticing some great titles that we want to buy someday. The one title that jumped out at me was Being Dead is No Excuse: A Southern Woman's Guide to Hosting a Funeral. Hahaha! The problem with bookstores is that I want to buy so many books! In fact, I wouldn't mind at all if my house looked like this:

Of course, I could never find the time to read so many. Maybe one day...

Next we ate lunch at Firefly Cafe, outside, and I had a Rueben. Then it was time to go home to my mom and four children.

I had the most wonderful time with my husband on our tenth anniversary. The romance will (have to) last me for another ten years! I'm so thankful for Ben. He's just right.

Turning Thirty

2009-10-12T22:25:00.003-04:00

Ok, I admit it, I've been freaking out a little bit about turning thirty years old. For a while, I wasn't even been able to get the words out without my chest tightening up. This past Saturday, I started randomly yelling, "I'M TURNING THIRTY IN ONE WEEK!" to no one in particular in my kitchen.

Why, you ask? Well, my guess is because once I turn thirty I won't feel like such a young mother anymore, and for nine years now, that has been my "thing." People would ask how old I am and I would say, "Twenty-five." And they would say, "Wow! With three children already? You're such a young mother!" See what I mean?

Also, I've always been "mature for my age," whatever that means. "You're only 21? Wow, you're so mature for your age!" Now, when I tell someone I'm thirty-something, they'll think to themselves, "Yeah, that's about right."

So I had this plan to celebrate the day before my 30th birthday, the last day of my twenties. Then, on the actual birthday, I'd wear black and not accept any presents. Something dramatic like that, because I've always been dramtic and wanted attention and by-golly turning thirty will not change that!

So here's where the story changes. I'm doing this play, The Diary of Anne Frank, and also it's October which is breast-cancer awareness month, so I've been thinking a lot about people who die too young. People who never see thirty! How sad, how awful, never to get to turn thirty! To have life cut so short by war or hunger or cancer.

And so Sunday, yesterday, God changed my heart. Now I feel amazingly lucky to turn thirty. I want to; I want to see 40, and 50, and 60! I want to see my children grow up! I don't want to stop time and miss out on all the things life has for me next. I'm so grateful that God opened my eyes to this. He did it just in time- I only have 6 more days until I'm... th--thir--thirty.

There, I said it.

Labor Day Dinner

2009-09-12T18:05:00.006-04:00

At the last minute, we went to The Crab Shack to celebrate Labor Day... wait...what do you really celebrate on Labor Day? Oh, yeah, the American workers, Labor Unions, all that... Ok, so we'll just call it an average Monday night for us.

Monday Afternoon

2009-09-07T14:42:00.003-04:00

Outside my window... lots of yardwork that needs to be done. When will the weather get cool?

I am thinking... about making stuff with Kate one day, like purses and dollhouses. About the boys and teaching them responsibility.

I am thankful for... Ben. He's so kind to me.

From the kitchen... hmmm. Ginger Steak salads tonight, I think.

I am creating... a schedule checklist for the co-op teachers.

I am going... nowhere today.

I am wearing... t-shirt and black capris, as usual.

I am reading... Searching for the Invisible God, by Philip Yancy, with my friend, Chelsea.

I am hoping... that my mastitis goes away.

I am hearing... Ben talk on the phone in the other room. Why am I not playing music?

Around the house... not too bad, but have a few things to do before my Mom's of the Vineyard Playgroup meets here Wednesday. It's the first meeting and quite a few women are planning to come!

One of my favorite things... Diet Coke. Liquid Satan.

A Few Plans For The Rest Of The Week... Co-op starts this Friday and it is the first year of me being a leader!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Jacob hard at work.

First Day of School (teaching three!)

2009-08-31T16:43:00.004-04:00

Today was great! I have to be a lot more organized than in the past now that I have three kids in school. But they all participated and we ended up getting everything done by 2:45. We started at 8:45 with prayer, the Pledge, calendar time, and Bible (we dramatized a David and Saul story). The day ended with our read-aloud, Walk the World's Rim, and a conversation including Ben: Would you rather be a slave and full, or free and hungry? I am looking forward to many more thought-provoking family discussions this year!

Don't they look like calm, studious bookworms?

Not!

Schoolroom 2009-2010

2009-08-24T16:05:00.004-04:00

Did I just say 2010???? Anyway...

Our Den/Guestroom/Library is getting close to being ready for school. We'll be reading aloud a lot together. That's why it's good to have the couches. We'll be doing mapwork and using math manipulatives and practising our letters and playing games on the nice big coffee table. Baker will use the desk to do his math work, spelling, and writing. He'll read on the bed and we'll do grammar in the kitchen.

Don't think that I've forgotten about Kate: She has her own special place for her own special books! I can't wait to add some girly titles to our library!

I can't wait to get started on Monday, August 31st. But first, I have to make our schedule and do some reading of the teacher's manuals!

A Picture Story of My Day

2009-08-20T21:37:00.004-04:00

I am so blessed.

And busy.

But mainly blessed. Look at what my day was filled with:

They are so worth it.

How about THIS summer school?

2009-08-17T17:45:00.006-04:00

I saw this box of 36 Famous Landmarks flashcards on the dollar aisle at Target over the summer and I thought it would make a fun map activity one day. You know, find the location of the landmark on the globe. Ho-hum.

Instead, the boys found the cards and had their own ideas of how to use them. First, they quizzed Ben and me to see how many we could name just by looking at the picture! Ben only missed 8. I think I may have gotten that many right!

Then, Ben and the boys spent, like, three hours finding them on Google Earth and

seeing how many miles away they are. Then they put them in order, closest to farthest away. Super-cool! Have you seen what Google Earth can do? Some of the landmarks actually had 3D pictures to zoom around.

The Washington Monument and The Gateway Arch

But that's not all! Then they took the cards to the hall, gathered up all of their lego blocks and proceeded to build several famous landmarks!

El Castillo and Christ the Redeemer

Stonehenge, Leaning Tower of Pisa, Dome of the Rock,

and way in the back is the Floating Shinto Shrine Gate

They spent all day being completely immersed in this activity, and they will be more prone to remember them long-term since it was so much fun. How much learning can YOU get out of a dollar?

Pool Day!

2009-08-05T16:22:00.006-04:00

I love summer days that begin with water fun and end with quiet, dark afternoons in the house while thunderstorms lull us to sleep. Today we went to a friend's pool and swam for 4 hours. We're a bit sunburned and the good kind of tired. The thunder outside is a low rumble, the rain a constant white noise... I'm seriously about to zonk out on my laptop! Here are the pics from today!

Kate on the Beach (reposted with fixed pics)

2009-08-05T16:15:00.004-04:00

I would just like to take a moment to assure everyone out there that I do love and take care of my three other children. I promise. It's just that I only ever take pictures of my daughter. Here are some more from Sunday night at the beach, as she played in the surf. Enjoy!

This last one is my favorite.

How Did I Do It?

2009-08-04T15:55:00.005-04:00

Recently a homeschooling friend wrote me an email asking for advice. She's just had a baby and is worried she'll be overwhelmed trying to homeschool two kids and take care of an infant. She asked me, "How did you cope with all the responsibilities last year after Kate was born?" Here is my response:

Dear Friend,

First of all, let me just say that last year was a bare-minimum year. My boys did their Math and Reading or Language work and that was a good day. They did co-op so I felt like they were getting science and social studies from that. I pulled my expectations WAY down because I just had a baby. PLUS, Ben was laid off in December, so that really messed with our day too. He was always around, and I didn't have a definite start time to school. It never felt organized. So basically I waited 'til Kate went to sleep sometime before lunch and quickly did the lessons with the two school boys, one at a time. I had read aloud time a lot too, because if we read together at least once a day then I accomplished something.

Several old-school homeschoolers will tell you that there will be at least one year that is your "throw-away" year. It's the year that someone has a long-term illness, or a new baby is born, or you move cross-country, or there is a death in the family. It's just life. My "throw-away" year was this last one. Every day felt frazzled. Every day I worried that this was the worst job anyone could do at teaching. Every day I thought that my kids watched too many movies or had too much free time. But you know what? As I finally got around to writing my end of the year reports, and I listed all that we had studied* and how the kids handled everything that was thrown at us, I realized that it was a great year of homeschooling. We're closer as a family than ever, many character traits were developed in all of us, and we studied not a few very cool things as we also kept up with our basic math and reading. Plus, the boys had extra-curricular activities like theatre, piano, gymnastics, cubscouts, and Tae Kwon Do. Why would I want to throw that away?

So, friend, my plan THIS year as Kate gets older is to get back to more hands-on teaching, planning, organization, and projects. I plan to have a lot of reading, Bible, and discussion time all together, then break up and have one boy with me working, one working alone, and one playing with Kate. I hope to have more of a routine this year. But I know that if we just follow the routine even half of the time it will end up an amazing year of homeschooling and togetherness. This past year has taught me that if I don't stress out about meeting my expectations, but just relax and enjoy being with my children and have open discussions about what's going on and what I need from them in order to succeed, then God will fill in the gaps. And having a great homeschool support group with lots of activities for the kids helps a lot too!

Good luck, and give yourself a break,
Trish

*We learned all about several heroes of history, our government, and the Election process at co-op. We learned about Helen Keller, Alexander Graham Bell, the orchestra, the Middle Ages, knights, horses, and horse racing at home through our KONOS unit studies. We studied all the biomes of the world in depth at co-op. We also studied the classification of rocks, the Solar System, and the human body during our unit studies at home.

2009-08-02T12:14:00.002-04:00

No church for me today.

When Life Gives You Lemons...

2009-07-28T00:17:00.004-04:00

Give them to your baby and see if she'll make a funny face!

I don't think she cared too much for it!

*Pictures taken at Marlin Monroe's on Sunday night at 7pm... our Summer Sunday ritual.

In Which I Resume My Gifts List

2009-07-20T22:45:00.004-04:00

It's been so long I hardly know where to start... I'll begin with yesterday morning and go backward...

372. warm summer Sunday morning sun, porch swing, breeze, coffee, quiet, baby girl and boy.

373. Neighbors that wave and say "Good morning!"

374. new hand-me-down couch and loveseat that brighten up the living room and are sooo comfy!

375. Generous, fun, godly friends Gaby and Tracy F.

376. Tybee beach Sunday nights 6:30 to sunset.

377. Pink skies.

378.Pink footie pajamas

379. A baby girl

380. her bright blue eyes.

381. her gummy smile

382. she nurses well

383. she sleeps well.

384. her chubby thighs

385. how she loves water so much

386. how she loves her brothers so much

387. how my sons treat her- smile, protect, play, feed, help, cuddle.

388. my short, easy natural delivery.

389. The Midwife group and Birth Center

390. watching Ben hold her, play with her, call her "baby"

391. so much time just to be together with my sweet family.

392. that Ben got laid off after Kate was born.

393. that somehow all our bills get paid, plenty of food is purchased, and we don't worry, all without having a "real job"

394. having a great auto mechanic as a friend.

395. God's faithfulness

396. Baker becoming a Christian.

397. our church that doesn't make being a Christian "weird"

398. my supportive husband.

399. the energy and motivation to exercise. the way my body feels when I do.

400. homeschool friends who loan me curriculum.

401. cameras to capture memories: silly boys, fussy girl, right before bed.

402. How handsome they all are!

403. how innumerable the times I smile each day because of them.

404. forehead kisses from Jacob that make my heart melt.

405. having such great girl friends from church to play with.

to be continued...

Four (almost) Minutes with Kate

2009-07-08T18:33:00.004-04:00

This is 3 minutes 55 seconds of Kate being cute. If you think you can handle that, press play. If not, move along and check back on another day. This is for you, grandparents! Enjoy.

Some things Kate does in this video:

Talks

Claps

Sticks out her tongue

And shows us her belly!

Two Firsts

2009-07-07T14:42:00.003-04:00

Thanks to Pioneer Woman, I've learned how to cook! Well, I'm learning at least. This week I made two very basic things that, believe it or not, I've never made in my life! Beans and cornbread! The beans were from a bag of dried beans. I usually use the cans, but now I know how to do a pot of dried beans too! Can we say cheap sustenance? And cornbread, made with real buttermilk! Yay for cowboy food. My men certainly liked this dinner.

A Moment of Peace

2009-07-05T14:46:00.001-04:00

Girly Things!

2009-07-04T19:14:00.004-04:00

There is a club I've always wanted to be a part of, but I had been left out. Forgotten. The Mother-of-a-Girl Club. I wanted a daughter so badly! It all looked like so much fun. But I was destined to press my nose against the window and stare in, longingly. An outsider. Banished to the land of pirates, dinosaurs, Nascar, NBA, and still-up toilet seats.

But then you arrived! Oh, Joy! What love fills my heart. What a feeling of sweetness. I belong to the club now. And here are a few of the things I've always wished for, that now I can do, all because you are here:

Pillowcase dresses
Ballet classes
Tea parties
Hair brushing
Decorating with flowers
Butterfly wings
Princess stories

My mind is racing with happy daydreams of arts and crafts I'll do with you one day, Kate. I can't wait to cuddle up with you and talk long into the night about boys and relationships and Jesus and what's important. I can't wait to just sit back and appreciate how God created girls so different from boys. So soft, so tender, so pink.

Having you in my life has helped me remember all the fun things I did with my mom when I was a child. Things like dancing in the living room until we fell over with laughter. Making holiday meals special by putting the same decorations out year after year (Remember those Jack-O-Lantern placemats, Mom?). My mom used to let me lie on her lap and she'd play with my hair. It felt so good and so safe. I can't wait to do that for you, Kate.

The only word I can think of to describe how I feel now that you are a part of my life is FULL. My heart is full to the top with joy, love, tenderness, loyalty, and yes, a little trepidation. But that's a whole other topic for another day.

Her Angel Was Watching

2009-07-02T20:32:00.003-04:00

Kate was in the hall, waiting for me to finish gathering up my things to go to the park yesterday. I was in the kitchen and I heard this CRASH!

I ran to the hall and saw this. The swing had been folded up and leaned against the wall. Somehow though, it fell over and crashed down around my baby. Although she was IN the swing, it didn't even touch her. She was happily just playing with the toys on the swing when I got to her. She was sitting in the exact perfect spot in the hall where the swing would completely miss her! I'm sure an angel had something to do with this.

The boys and Ben and I just sat, stunned and smiling for a moment. Then Ben told me to take a picture.

I'm so glad he did. It helps me to remember that God is always there, always watching out for us.

Monday's Daybook

2009-06-15T13:24:00.005-04:00

Outside my window... a hot June day

I am thinking... I need to get away to a quiet place

I am thankful for... my daughter Kate, her sweet temperment

From the kitchen... using the Magic Bullet today...smoothies

I am creating... a photostream on Flickr

I am going... to run an errand for Ben so I can have time to myself today

I am reading... Strong-Willed Child or Dreamer? by Dana Spears. Maybe it will help me understand Noah (and myself) better.

I am hoping... to lose weight this week.

I am hearing... The Voyage of the Dawn Treader audiobook in the van.

Around the house... things are a mess. But we did get a new fridge and new table and chairs!

One of my favorite things... whipped cream on my coffee.

A few plans for the rest of the week... work out everyday. Lots of reading to the boys and Kate. First week of no school!

Kate's Lovely in June

2009-06-14T23:00:00.005-04:00

I love her!

Jacob's Song

2009-06-13T22:13:00.003-04:00

I don't have the tune. It was a wonderful tune, sung very rambly and heartfelt, but it is forgotten. What I did make sure to write down were the lyrics, at least one verse of them. Here's Jacob's song to Kate:

Kate, you're a cutie

And you'll be a cutie 'til you die

When you die you'll be amazed by God

God is a lovely Person

She enjoyed her song very much. Kate responds well to Jacob. Something about him always makes Kate smile. I know it, too. He's a very special boy.

Kate Can Sit

2009-06-12T09:50:00.004-04:00

Baker's Baptism

2009-06-12T09:26:00.004-04:00

Baker got baptized in the Atlantic Ocean on Sunday, May 31st, 2009. There were about 40 people from our church there, plus all the onlookers. His Dad and his pastor, Kent Moore, went out in the water with him, where he stated that he believed in the Lord Jesus and wanted to follow Him for the rest of his life. Just look at the smile on his face, and on Ben's.

Kate's Half-Birthday

2009-05-29T16:10:00.002-04:00

I can't believe it's been 6 months.

Kate Laughs at Noah...Priceless!

2009-05-20T21:37:00.003-04:00

Our Family Right Now

2009-05-17T16:19:00.002-04:00

First Swimsuit, First Swim

2009-05-17T06:29:00.005-04:00

Aunt Seleana got Kate her first swimsuit. It's Juicy! Look at the adorable ruffle-butt!

And here's the front. So pretty! Please notice the adorable little thigh-roll Kate has. It's the latest fashion, you know.

Kate LOVED swimming. Of course, we knew she would, she's always been so happy at bathtime. She kicked and jerked and smiled and loved every second of her first swim.

I loved every second of it, too.

First time in THE swing

2009-05-17T06:12:00.009-04:00

It was Kate's first trip to the farm. But for some reason we had forgotten to let her ride in the swing. I realized this only after we had said our goodbyes, packed up the van, and were driving away.

"Oh! Stop the car!" I told Ben. I grabbed Kate out of her seat and wriggled through the fence to the swing. At first I sat in the swing with her in my lap. Her face lit up and she jerked her arms and legs as if to say, "Higher!"

Then we decided to let her try it by herself, the five month old that she is. We buckled her up, pulled the swing back, and said, "Wheeeeeeee!" She absolutely glowed. She was really quiet, but reeeeally happy. She was precious.

Just look at that come-over blowin' in the wind.

Just don't call him Shark-Boy

2009-04-25T22:17:00.006-04:00

There's a new superhero in town. In fact, he lives in our house.

He's Shark-Man. And he kills bad guys.

"Don't worry, I can't die; I don't have a brain."

I'm so glad he's watching out for us.

Who Needs Video Games?

2009-04-16T12:28:00.004-04:00

I'll let you guess how Baker spends his free time on the computer.

Watching videos? Nope.

Playing on Webkinz World? Not so much.

Learning everything there is to know about Nascar? That was last year.

Baker now asks for computer time to make spreadsheets on Excel. Yeah, you heard me right. He spends hours making up brackets and entering data.

My Former Baby

2009-04-15T13:55:00.004-04:00

One year ago:

Today:

There's a big difference between 3 and 4 years old, right? And, can you GET any cuter than Jacob AND puppies? Come on!

Me love him so much.

Happy Easter

2009-04-13T18:26:00.009-04:00

This Easter our family went out to Tybee Island to watch the sun rise over the ocean. Did you know that in order to watch the sunrise you have to wake up before the sunrise? No?

It was windy, but not too cold as we watched. Several other people were there on the beach. I guess lots of people like doing this on Easter. It was my first time and I learned a few things.

I learned that my boys wake up easily and happily. They were so compliant as I got them dressed. No dragging them out of beds complaining.

I learned that it feels like daytime way before the sun is actually above the horizon. It's a bit anticlimactic.

I learned that being around my rowdy family is a lot of fun, but that I'm not going to get a quiet hour of calm meditation on the beach any time soon.

I learned that if I wake up at 5am to nurse a baby, make cinnamon rolls and coffee, wake and dress three boys, and pack blankets and a Bible, all to help my husband have one of his childhood tradtions make a comeback, he appreciates it very much.

As I watched Noah draw a stick figure of God in the sand, I learned that God has a smile on His face, a heart over His head, and power shooting out of His left hand.

Some things are worth getting up early for.

Later that day we went to church and sang happy songs and took up $8000 for our orphanage in Mozambique. That's over twice what our church has in the bank!

Oh yeah, and this:

Happy Easter everyone!

Sensing My World

2009-04-01T13:06:00.002-04:00

Familiar Sounds:

coffee pot brewing, beeping

PBS Kids shows

Noah- "I'm ready for breakfast."

Cell phone rings

Kate "honking" at my breast, nursing, sighing

Mother tones- high pitched for encouragement, low for enforcement

Glenn Beck and Dave Ramsay on the radio

Noah humming

Jacob running through the house

Baker practising piano- Take Me out to the Ball Game, Forest Drums

Kate's shriek

Dishes clanging

Bath water running

Dryer buzzing

My boys: "I love you, very, VERY much." "You're my favorite girl in the world."

"After you use the computer can I use the computer?

Shouts from the backyard as kids play

The Star Wars theme song (hummed constantly)

Smells:

Coffee

Ben sweaty

Kate's poop (not bad)

Lavender baby wash

cereal

peanut butter

Baker's feet (ugh!)

Jacob's bad breath... but I like it

butter sizzling

flip-flops slapping

Six weeks, 15 weeks

2009-03-25T09:43:00.004-04:00

She's changed over the past two months.

But she's still a sweet, little, cuddly angel.

Random Thoughts on Having a Daughter

2009-03-04T14:41:00.004-05:00

I just loved being pregnant with Kate. The more I think about my time with her growing inside me the more I love it. I wish I had known that it was a girl while I was pregnant. It would've given me just that much more time with her in my heart. I can't get enough.

I watch young girls with their mothers now with a special interest. I imagine Kate as the delicate eleven year old who just came in and ordered a caramel latte for her mother and a strawberry smoothie for herself, acting all grown up. My Kate will be there in a flash. All grown up and beautiful.

I get to have this. This mother-daughter relationship. I'm no longer only on the receiving end. I get to be on the giving end, which is a hundred times better, I have to say. No matter what she does or how she feels about life, or me, I get to just love Kate forever. I don't have to figure her out or blame her for anything, I just get to watch in amazement as she grows. And love her, oh, how I love her. That is the gift of a daughter. To have *this much* love in my heart.

A girl is just so precious. So sweet and such a treasure. I feel the same way about my boys, but with boys I don't have permission to protect them from everything. They need to be tough. They'll be men someday. But Kate, I get to keep her. Keep her heart safe, keep her sweet and gentle. That's something precious.

How He Loves Us So

2009-02-09T18:09:00.001-05:00

We love our house and where we live, but I've often felt bad that our boys don't have much to do outside. Our yard is small, and there's nothing in it. Well, two months ago we were given a basketball goal, which Baker and Ben love. But the younger kids were still bored. Oh, how I wished for one of those playgrounds at Sam's with the nice bumpy slide, monkey bars, a tower, and swings! But there's no way I could spend $1000 on that. Jacob started asking us to build him a playground in the backyard a few days ago, and it just killed me that we couldn't do that for him. But, I told him we would "one day" and I said a little prayer in my heart that God would send us one.

Last night, He did. Ben drove the babysitter home and decided to come back a different way than usual. There, on the side of the road, not two blocks from our house, was a playground that someone was throwing away. It had a bumpy slide. And monkey bars. And a tower, and swings, and even a rope ladder. All it needed was a few bolts that Ben picked up at Home Depot this morning for $11.

I know that our kids having a playground in the backyard isn't the most important thing in the world. And I know that doing without is even good for them sometimes. But God cares about the littlest things. He loves to bless us with gifts, not just take care of the important stuff. Oh, how He loves His children! He's the best Daddy ever. We're so grateful.

Sweet Girl

2008-12-21T17:11:00.002-05:00

Lovely Girl

2008-12-06T12:07:00.001-05:00

Our Beautiful Kate

2008-12-04T15:19:00.006-05:00

Five hours old:First day:Third Day:

Facebook Status Updates

2008-11-30T04:39:00.007-05:00

This was the longest two weeks of my life! Read how I was feeling each day:

11/15 Trish is still pregnant.

11/17 Trish is still pregnant! Any day now...

11/18 Trish made it to her due date! Ok, now what?

11/19 Trish is, you guessed it! Still pregnant.

11/20 Trish is trying to think of things to do to keep my mind off going into labor, besides stare at the computer.

11/21 Trish is awake at 3am.

Trish is 40 weeks and counting. What. The. Heck.

11/22 Trish is still extremely pregnant. The baby loves it in there.

11/23 Trish is done with Sunday and baby isn't here yet.

11/24 Trish is deciding to wait patiently. All is in God's hands.

11/25 Trish is thinking that today's the day!

Trish is nevermind.

11/26 Trish has family coming today to stare at me and wait for me to go into labor. No pressure!

11/27 Trish 's baby likes to be fashionably late.

11/28 Trish is a watched pot that will never boil.

11/29 Trish likes her steaks AND her babies well-done.

11/30 Trish thought her due date was wrong; I'd be early. Hahahaha. hohohoho. Ha. Ho.

11/30 Trish is in LABOR!!!

12/1 Trish is at home snuggling with her baby girl, Kate.

Waiting for Baby

2008-11-08T23:53:00.005-05:00

Just Grateful

2008-10-07T14:12:00.003-04:00

358. It's two pm and I've had a very successful first half of the day!

359. God has given me the grace to keep up with the laundry for two weeks now, and

360. He's also been with me while I keep the sink empty of dirty dishes.

361. This morning, I woke up with enough energy to get some housework done first thing, then begin school with the boys, who were

362. ready to learn with open ears and eager attitudes.

363. Not to mention my good attitude about the lessons.

364. We're all really enjoying this unit study on Attentiveness, where we are studying how the ear works, Alexander Graham Bell, Helen Keller, the orchestra, and several famous composers and their most popular works.

365. When we break up for one-on-one tutoring in Math and Language, the boys are really starting to understand and respect that time I have with each of them. The boys on break go play and come ready to do their work when I call them. Can we say a rhythm is forming? Hooray!

366. Baby stuff, old: it's so sweet remembering when each of the boys was little enough to wear these well-used onesies and outfits.

367. Baby stuff, new: crisp, bright, and stain-free!

368. The best baby swing ever bought for me by Janna at a yard sale... I don't know how she finds such great deals!

369. Ben's soccer games. Watching him play hard is good for our whole family.

370. hot cocoa and a charming English novel during quiet time.

371. All of the boys are in different rooms either reading quietly or sleeping.

Just Try Not to Smile...

2008-10-01T09:24:00.003-04:00

Happy October 1st! This kid only has 31 days left to be 3!

A Glimpse of the Quiet Life

2008-09-28T10:43:00.002-04:00

Ben took the boys camping yesterday, and they won't be home until this afternoon.

This morning I woke up to an empty, quiet house. I tidied up my bedroom before I even opened the door, then I went to the kitchen, turned on some cool music and did the dishes. After that I made myself "eggs in a basket" with orange juice for breakfast. I have straightened up most of the house andd organized the new baby's things a bit. If I could just have two more days here I could really get some deep cleaning done. Then if I had another couple of days I could actually decorate. I've gotten a glimpse of life after the kids are grown, and I really think I'll enjoy it. Of course, I cherish (most) every day I have when the kids are young, sweet, fun, and dependent on me. I know I'll miss these crazy, tiring, messy days... to everything there is a season.

Name Blessing

2008-08-26T18:20:00.003-04:00

We have chosen the names for our new little guy or girl:

Katherine Rowan McKay

or

Rowan Philip McKay

Katherine is of Greek origin and means "pure"

Rowan is of English/Gaelic origin and is the name of a tree with red blossoms in Ireland

Philip is of Greek origin and means "lover of horses"

Please join us in blessing these names for our child and pray for continued health and strength throughout this pregnancy and delivery.

1000 Gifts List Continues

2008-08-26T15:21:00.003-04:00

349. Such kind librarians- today one gave Noah an old-fashioned airplane toy and Jacob a pirate boat! Their smiles were so big and genuine.

350. The fact that my kids can feel so grateful and happy. Not spoiled and miserable.

351. Nearly 15 years (for Ben) with Kong, our Bernese Mountain Dog. He was loved and cherished as his memory will continue to be. He passed without pain by his master's side last week.

352. God's patience with me. "The Lord is gracious and compassionate; slow to anger, and rich in love."

353. My new tricycle from Grandpa Miller. It's so comfy, fun, and easy to ride around the neighborhood with Jacob in the huge basket!

354. My friends at church. I know I can count on them for anything. There are at least six women who are like family to me and I can depend on for help if I needed it. How many people can say that?

355. Foodie blogs

356. Regular afternoon naps.

357. sweet forehead kisses

At Home With Grace

From the Gratitude Journal Last Fall

Kate is Three

Scenes from November

Quick Montessori Activity

Counting

So Much Grace

I *MADE* a beach robe!

506

Sweet Spring

Eyes to see

Happy Valentine's Day

Learning Gratitude Together

She's two.

Famous Homeschoolers

Not a complete list, by any means, but interesting!

PRESIDENTS

ARTISTS

INVENTORS

MILITARY LEADERS

WRITERS

ENTERTAINERS

OTHER HISTORICAL FIGURES

This is how Kate reads her book...

My New Camera

Love List

I gather beauty...

I catch my breath...

Simple (?) Woman's Daybook

Juxtaposition

8.9.10

Pioneer Woman Cooks Reviews #6 and 7: Chicken Spaghetti and Angel Sugar Cookies

Water

Totally Random Tip

Pioneer Woman Cooks Reviews #4 and 5: Homemade Ranch Dressing and Penne alla Betsy!

Pioneer Woman Cooks Review #3: Olive Cheese Bread

Her Fourth of July Dress

Pioneer Woman Cooks! Review #2: Oatmeal Crispies

At the Door

Pioneer Woman Cookbook Review #1: Lasagna

My Cup Runneth Over

"Thirty" Things

This Lady

When?

Mommy's Girl

This Mother's Day

Layers of Tulle

A List

Said by Reagan

Counting the Ways He Loves Me

What's at the end of your rainbow?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

I Have "Fat Clothes" Now!

I've been busy...

A New Year, A New Tradition?

Merry Christmas!

Saturday, November 28, 2009 Daybook

Three Boys Downtown

He's Nine

He's 5!?!

I never want to forget...

October Pumpkins

Our Tenth Anniversary

Turning Thirty

Labor Day Dinner

Monday Afternoon

First Day of School (teaching three!)

Schoolroom 2009-2010

A Picture Story of My Day

How about THIS summer school?

Pool Day!

Kate on the Beach (reposted with fixed pics)

How Did I Do It?

When Life Gives You Lemons...

In Which I Resume My Gifts List

Four (almost) Minutes with Kate

Two Firsts

A Moment of Peace

Girly Things!

Her Angel Was Watching

I MADE a beach robe!