Lately

It has been hard to blog the last couple of months!

I mean, when you have a new niece to drop by and hold...

Spring baseball practice for an excited little boy...

And all the extra spring events and trips that come with church and school!

Plus, to be honest, every time I get near a computer right now, I don't want to blog. I want to look at houses. Triangle Home Finder, Zillow, and Zip are my new best friends! That's because we're supposed to close on our house at the end of June.

So it's find a house or pitch a tent in someone's backyard. Or maybe a pop-up camper. You know, it IS warm in June....

No, really. I'm not worried. Excited, but not worried! I'm excited to see what God has in store.

But even still....

I hope that in a couple months I won't be blogging about squatter's rights. Or which air mattresses are most comfortable.

No, I hope to be blogging about something nice and boring like.... paint colors.

NOT pop-up campers.

A Day at Legoland

What better place to take two lego-lovin' little boys than... Legoland?!

We weren't sure what to expect since the only reviews we'd gotten were from TripAdvisor. (Love TripAdvisor! And I have to say most of the reviews were right on.)

It was unlike any amusement park I've ever visited. I guess theme park really is the best description. It does not have huge, scary rides and would not appeal to most teenagers (unless they absolutely love legos). As a mom, I LOVED the fact that it does not appeal to teenagers. That meant that the park was full of FAMILIES, not teenagers making out in line. It also means that the music playing on the speakers is kiddie music, not the latest rock song. I am officially (and proudly, I might add) an old fuddy-duddy mom!

My kids absolutely loved the park and were amazed by all the Lego statues and, especially, Miniland - an area that contains lego replicas of several cities AND a pirate harbor. Even I was impressed! They were both very proud of the fact that they rode the roller coasters, too! The shows were really cute for kids, as well. The pirate show includes a water show on the lake, and the kids thought the 4D racing show was a lot of fun.

If you ever consider going, check out the Mousesavers website for ticket deals. And make sure you plan to stop by the Big Shop on the way out. My boys thought they were in Lego Paradise!

Loved this idea at the restaurant! A Lego buffet for the kids to play around while the parents finish eating!

In case you can't tell, Addie is WAVING at Darth Vader. Daniel got very tickled over that one!

We had to drag the boys out of Miniland!

Thomas participating in the Ford Driving School. We got a kick out of watching all those little kids waving each other on at stop signs and almost rear-end each other! After he watched an instructional video and drove the course, he got his driver's license. :)

So Far in April....

We have had the best month so far!

A trip to Florida...

Stopping in to see good friends...

A nice visit with Travis's Grandpa...

Legoland (which deserves a post of its own)...

And a new little niece!

Here's a picture story of what we've done so far.

the Huff and Moots kids

So glad I got to see Kim! She and Jeff gave us the tour of Hope Children's Home.

We celebrated with cake and ice cream on Grandpa's 82nd birthday. I chose this particular picture of him because it captures his personality so well (sarcastically saying something about my camera and me reminding him of his daughter-in-law!).

This little stinker jumped in the picture at the last second. She is a camera hog!

At Jungle Gardens in Sarasota

Addie meets Aubrey

A baby and bagel dip

Several weeks ago, my mom and I hosted a baby shower for my sister Kelly.


We are VERY excited about all the pink things that are entering her life.


And we were also excited that her mother-in-law Sharon (who lives very far away) could share in the excitement over all the little pink things.

Kelly and I were also very excited about the Cranberry-Citrus Spread my mom made for the shower. This particular spread holds some sentimental value to Kelly - mom got the recipe after she tasted this DELICIOUS dip at the wedding of Kelly's high school friend, Elizabeth. But it's really good even if it doesn't hold a special memory for you personally. My mother served it with crackers, which was good, but it would be EXTRA good on a bagel. Even my kids loved it! So here's some food for thought....

Cranberry-Citrus Spread
1 block cream cheese
1/2 C chopped pecans
1/2 C dried cranberries
1/4 C frozen concentrate orange juice

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Then add other ingredients. Refrigerate overnight before serving.

This would also make a good snack while waiting on a baby at the hospital. I should probably keep some in the fridge just in case!

Sundays

I didn't used to like Sundays.

Things to do at church, dinner to be made, choir practice, and lesson plans and papers to grade.


Sundays involved so much... work. And, the Lord knows, I could have a hard time putting work down. Even at one of my summer jobs in college, one of my higher-ups would tell me after most others had left the office, "Go home! It'll be here tomorrow!" Chuck's words still come back to me at times - especially when I'm so tired and I stand in the dark kitchen staring at the crumbs on the floor! (If I can see them in the dark, then I must need to sweep them NOW!)

It will be here tomorrow.

Well, not that any Sunday is perfect. It doesn't have to be. But during my last year or two of teaching, God convicted me of saving my schoolwork until Sundays. Bringing home schoolwork and purposely putting it off until Sunday afternoon had become the norm. And because of that, I had begun to resent Sundays.

Wouldn't you?

So I had to do things differently. It required planning a little better. But in doing so, the Lord gave me freedom to enjoy my Sunday afternoon with my family.

He also has given me freedom to worship Him with other believers. Freedom doesn't mean that I do whatever I feel like doing. It means realizing that true joy and freedom stem from obeying God. And that means devoting time on His Day to worship Him with other believers.

He has also given me freedom to lay aside my fleshly cares and worries. This is probably the area that is most difficult, because it involves such mental discipline - at least for me! If I will choose to think on the words I'm singing, and think on WHO I'm singing about, how can I do anything but worship? If I will choose to stop and listen to the sermon, and to be sensitive to listen to His Spirit, rather than thinking about my list of to-do's - it is then that I can experience the freedom to worship Him in spirit and in truth. It's an inward focus that praises Him for WHO HE IS and, as a result, longs for the "mind of Christ." Because ALL is focused on Him.

I, like so many other women, and like that woman long ago, tend to be "cumbered about with much serving" - all those things I need to do. But I have to choose that one thing that is "needful." Worshiping Jesus. He offers me such freedom if I will choose to take it!

Take the freedom of the Lord's Day. Trust Him to take care of the details.

All those other things will be there tomorrow.

Mascara

If you read my last post, then you know what visited our house last weekend.

And if' you've seen me this week, then you know that I got it.

And if you're a make-up wearing woman who's ever had it, you know what tragedy ensues.

The Great Makeup Dump.

NOT GOOD.

But then a friend reminded me this is a great excuse to go buy BRAND NEW makeup. It's all in your perspective, right? So I made my trip to Walgreens today, and was very pleased to find this:


I LOVE this mascara! I thought I was buying this the last time I bought mascara, but I was sorely disappointed to find that what I bought was VERY waterproof mascara. I hate VERY waterproof mascara. THIS, my friends, is "washable waterproof mascara." Love it! And I love the wand. It's all in the wand.

Even though Estee Lauder is probably my very favorite mascara, I love this one almost as much. Enough that I was VERY excited when I found it again today! Estee Lauder is definitely not $20 better than this one.

So, needless to say, I came home from Walgreens a happy girl!

It's Here

Whenever Bear and the Pillow Pet end up in a pile to be washed on the same day, that can only mean one thing...

GERMS! And lots of them.

Both boys have pink eyes and sore throats.

Fresh air, please!

Glad you two are getting along, but let's not get too chummy. Share crayons, not germs!

Our Favorite Scones

If cereal bars and toast just aren't cutting it anymore at your house, give these scones a try. My family loves them! This is a good, basic recipe from AllRecipes (I think), and is a great base for different variations.


Stir together:
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup sour cream

In a large bowl, mix:
4 C all-purpose flour
1 C white sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
1 teaspoon salt

With a pastry cutter,
Cut in 1 Cup butter (unsalted is best; if you use salted, cut salt back to 1/2 tsp.)

Dig out a hole in the middle of the flour, and add:
1 egg
Sour cream mixture

Fold mixture into flour until just moistened. Do not overmix.

Fold 1 1/3 cup mini chocolate chips. Again, do not overmix. (Like biscuits, the more you handle them, the harder they are!)

Turn out dough ball onto floured surface and pat into a circle, about 1/2 in. thick. Cut into 8-12 triangles. Bake at 350 for 13 - 16 minutes.

Variations: I usually divide my dough in half and do choc. chips for the guys, and blueberry Craisins for Addie and me. Other good variations are cinnamon raisin and choc. chip / cherry Craisins. Be sure to use dried fruit so they're not soggy!

Homemaking

When my parents applied for their passports a couple years ago, my dad happened to show me his original birth certificate. The old Virginia birth certificates asked the mother and father to list their occupations. It caught my attention that my grandmother had written homemaker. It would have made just as much sense to write housewife, mother (after all, this was her 8th child!) or even none. But she chose to write homemaker.

In the last several years, when filling in that question on forms, I've written things like none, stay-at-home wife and mother, and PT school librarian. I'm never quite sure what to write! To be completely truthful, when I used to be able to write "HS English teacher," I took pleasure in the fact that people often acted interested in that description. But, it seems, "stay-at-home wife and mother" sounds a little... typical... boring... unambitious. So, while I strive to tell the truth, I always hesitate what to write. It also doesn't help that "occupation" sounds like something you get paid to do.

But, in actuality, Merriam-Webster defines "occupation" as "1. an activity in which one engages, 2. the principal business of one's life." And as any wife and/or mother who is at home most of the day will tell you, the "principal business," the thing that makes us most busy, is caring for the family's needs.

Those needs include everything from making sure everyone is fed, everyone has clothes to wear (ones that fit and ones that are clean), to being the main supervisor and caretaker of the children, to being my husband's personal home secretary - that means dealing with insurance or other business issues, making appointments, acting as the official "purchasing agent," and running errands that he asks me to do - and several other things in between. For the record, I list these without any resentment! I'm truly happy that I can help him and care for the kids!

So back to the "homemaker" label. Despite the fact that "homemaker" sounds right out of the 1940's, I think my grandmother had it right. More than that, though, doing the work of a "homemaker" is biblical.

"That they [the older women] may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, to be discreet, chaste, keepers at home [homemakers], good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed." (Titus 2:4-5). So, whether or not employment enters the picture, "homemaker" must be part of my description. God gives me the responsibility (which may or may not include some delegation) of making and keeping a home for my family. But, ultimately, the responsibility for seeing there is a home made lies with me.

Because of the stage of life we're in, we've chosen to make homemaking my primary "occupation" for now. Now, I do hope there will be a day when I can again write "teacher" in the occupation box. But at this "season" in my life, I think the next time I'm asked, I'll write, like my grandmother, "homemaker." And I'll do it with thankfulness and satisfaction.

Lessons from my Papaw

My papaw turns 91 this month. So I guess it just seemed right to write out a few lessons that I've learned from him. Especially since I plan on sending several months-worth of this blog to my Grandma for some winter-reading. I think he'd enjoy hearing some of his stories retold by his granddaughter.

Do what's right, even when it's hard. Many times I've heard my papaw tell of working as an electrician in the coal mines during the 1950's and 60's. Conditions were bad, and many men seemed to have lost hope that they would ever improve. Cave-ins were not uncommon - one happened at the mine while papaw was home on lunch break. He was used to seeing men working with rocks falling onto their shoulders - and they simply trudged on - hopeless that it would get better. It was no way to live. In his early forties, Papaw decided to move his family from the mountains to the D.C. area. He left a close-knit family and a home that was paid for, and moved his family to a one-bedroom apartment while he worked as a janitor. It wasn't easy, but God blessed his desire to do right for his family. He eventually found a job as an electrician and God enabled him to make a good living.

God has allowed everyone to have strengths and weaknesses. Use your strengths and work on your weaknesses. Papaw has chuckled when he talks about the spelling bees and math games back in his Kentucky grade school days. He says he was one of the first ones out in the spelling bee, but usually the last one standing in the math game.

I'll never forget my sister and me finding a "Hooked on Phonics" book on my Grandma's bookshelf. Remember those commercials? Well, being the ten and eleven-year-olds that we were, we giggled and had some fun with that! Grandma overheard us and appeared from the kitchen. She told us very matter-of-factly, "That's your papaw's. He wants to read better so he can read the Bible better when he reads it in church." Talk about feeling only an inch high!

Reading was not his best subject, but numbers, on the other hand, he could do! I guess it was for that reason that the Army gave Papaw the job of setting the coordinates on the long-range guns they used during WWII. He tells of being woken out of dead sleep by the sirens, and hearing the coordinates being called out as he ran to the gun. And the stakes were high - if you got the coordinates wrong, you might be firing on your own men. But God gave him an ability to work with numbers and work with his hands. He used those abilities and did well.

Be duty-minded, but have compassion for others. When Papaw was stationed in Bora Bora in the Pacific during WWII, a boy in his company went AWOL. He apparently was found, or decided to return, and they met on the road as Papaw was getting ready to return to the States. This boy had enlisted the same time that Papaw did and should have been going home. But instead, he was being shipped to another island - an island, where we know now, there was an awful battle with many, many Americans killed. Papaw said when he turned to look at the boy once more, that boy was holding on to a tree crying his eyes out; he knew he had messed up and was probably terribly afraid. Papaw had fulfilled his duty and was given leave. But rather than talk about what a coward that boy was, he has always spoken of him compassionately - wondering into his old age if that boy ever made it back alive.

I'm so glad my papaw has shared these stories with me and the other grandchildren over the years. I have such good memories as a little girl of sitting on the bluegrass in his backyard while he told these stories from the picnic table; or in more recent years, sitting on the glider on the front porch while he reminisced of the war years.

If anything, it was worth writing this out so maybe my own children, especially my boys, will know their heritage. If they will grow up to possess these qualities, they will reap rewards in life, just as my Papaw has.

Redneck Lights - Cadillac-Style

So, this year we once again rounded up some friends to go see the Meadow Lights. This is a tradition that our family (okay, probably the kids and I more than Travis) looks forward to every year. Sure, the Meadow Lights are a bit redneck - a tiny community, most likely all related, in the middle of nowhere, decorates their homes and front yards, and stocks up the Meadow Country Store with lots of John Deere items and old-fashioned candy. AND they set up a train to take you through the display of lights (including a lighted #3 car)! It may be redneck, but it's fun!

So the tradition of Meadow Lights that we started even before we had kids has now morphed into a family tradition that includes other families.


And as you can see, we include lots of kids.

And as you know, it's much more fun to ride TOGETHER. Even if it includes lots of laughing, LOUD, (crying) young'ins. Did I mention crying and whining? Just wanted to be sure. We have a couple of those, too. But at least we're together.

So our friend, Chris F., solved that problem for us.

When we stepped outside, this is what was waiting on us. Think the kids were excited?

And since we had extra room, our favorite neighbor's kids got thrown in, too. What's a couple more?

It was fun having Zachary and Mary with us this year, too!

And this outing would not have been complete if someone had not begged to stop and use the bathroom. Unfortunately, her timing was bad. The line to get into the parking lot was long, and we WERE in the middle of nowhere. However, the confidence and speed with which Zachary helped her complete this task were completely amazing. No doubt, he's a pro.

Another completely amazing fact: The four of us were able to fit on one seat on the train. "Were able" might not be completely accurate....


The dads, Zachary, Chris, and Travis, were great! They spent alot of their time standing in a long line with small children hanging off them. They did, however, somehow find a way to leave the line and get snacks and drinks (victuals for the women and children, of course).


The kids ate LOTS of candy...


...got all sugared up...

...and then it was time to go back home...

...Cadillac-style!

Go Color That Floor!

Last week, while I was lazing around on my in-law's couch after our very good Thanksgiving meal, I came across an absolutely ingenious idea in one of the magazines that my mother-in-law keeps around for me. (At least that's what I tell myself. Maybe she's just busy and hasn't had a chance to read them yet.)

One of those super-housewifey people (Heloise, maybe?) informed us faithful readers that a crayon is the best way to take care of scratches on laminate flooring. Who knew?!

Now, I first must say that we put laminate flooring in our house about four years ago. And believe it or not, even with three kids, it has held up unbelievably well. At the time, I was skeptical about putting down laminate because I was afraid it would look cheap. But my husband informed me that economically speaking, that is the best choice for a house the size of ours. Well, he was absolutely right. And to tell you the truth, I have loved the floor. Easy to clean. Makes our space look bigger. What's not to love?

So today, while I was cleaning, I remembered that trick I had read about, and I got so excited! So I ran and got Addie's big fat brown crayon out of her pink pencil box and went to go color in the few scratches that it's gotten. No sooner had I finished it up, when Addie came running over with her GREEN crayon yelling gleefully, "Color on the floor!"

Whoops! I had gotten so caught up in fixing those scratches that taking note of who was following me around never even crossed my mind!

So then I spent the next five minutes reiterating over and over, "No coloring on the floor. Only mommy can color on the floor." And she would repeat back "Only mommy." Yes, only mommy.

So, if you're like me and need a quick fix for some scratches on the laminate, go grab a crayon. It really works. Simply rub off the excess with a paper towel.

Just make sure you do it when no one's looking.

My little helper

Structure

Isn't it a blessing to know that God meets us where we are? (And thankfully doesn't leave us there!) I don't know about you, but sometimes I struggle with knowing "how" to pray about something. You see, I want my prayer to be pleasing to God; but the problem is, many times, my heart is not.

So, I have to go back and ask Him to show me where my desires and ways of thinking are displeasing to Him. And, gently, but painfully, He answers that request. (It's always hard to see ourselves as we really are, isn't it?)

But, even still, I want my prayer to be pleasing to Him. So, again, how should I pray?

This morning, while reading Psalm 57 in my study Bible, God revealed a little gem to my structure-loving heart. Remember? He meets us where we are.

He knows I've been struggling with "how" to pray over a problem.

And He is the One that created me to love structure.

So, I "just happened" to read in my study Bible (which I use a few times a week, as opposed to my regular Bible) that Psalm 57 follows a certain structure - kind of like a sonnet. Of course my interested was piqued. And my structure-loving heart was pricked. Maybe this is how I should pray....

In Psalm 57, David's prayer begins with his PETITION and LAMENT. He presents his problem to God - a pretty big one, at that! Saul is seeking David's life and is smearing his reputation, to put it lightly. But David chooses to go to the One who can do something about it. He lays open his heart before God, with all its hurt, sadness, and fear.

But he doesn't stop there.

He then goes on to declare his TRUST in God. He believes that God will cause his enemies to fall due to their own schemes. "They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves." Remember, God is for us! (Ps. 56:9)

He also declares his THANKSGIVING for Who God is: ""For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds."

Believe it or not, God WANTS us to tell Him our problems. Others may not want to hear all our complaints or may not understand our particular burden. But God tells us over and over in Scripture to bring them to Him. (Phil. 4:6, I Pet. 5:6-7)

And then we must trust Him enough to leave it with Him - which means praying about it every time it starts to creep into our thoughts.

And then we must thank Him for Who He Is.

For His mercy and truth are great!

Chocolate, of course...

It dawned on me the other day that there is only one recipe on this blog that contains chocolate. That is just wrong. A blog is supposed to represent the writer, present truth, provide a window into real life, blah, blah, blah.

So how could I leave out chocolate???

Please forgive me and enjoy these chocolate-y recipes!

Triple-Decker Brownies

1 box family-size brownies
1 container of cream cheese icing
1 cup chopped, lightly salted peanuts
3 cups rice krispies
1 cup creamy PB
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Prepare the brownies according to package directions (13x9 size).
After they've cooled, spread the icing over the top, and sprinkle the peanuts over the icing.
In a medium saucepan, melt the PB and chocolate chips over medium heat, stirring constantly.
Stir in the Rice Krispies.
Spread this mixture over the brownies. Refrigerate until firm, and then cut into squares.

Homemade Chewy Granola Bars

3 cups old-fashioned oats
1 cup coarsely chopped peanuts
1 cup sunflower kernels
1/2 (or more) cups chocolate chips
1/2 (or more) cups butterscotch chips
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 stick butter, melted (a healthier butter substitute works fine, too)

Line a small (8 x 10 ?) baking pan with foil and spray lightly with cooking spray.
Mix all ingredients together.
Spread granola onto foil and bake at 325 for 25 - 30 minutes, until slightly golden.
Let cool to room temp. and cut into bars.

*** I must warn you that the granola bars are addictive. However, they are a good source of protein and probably a great balance of carbs and proteins (which is why it is necessary that I eat one after getting home from the gym!).

Fairy Stone

Our family enjoyed a really fun get-a-way for a couple days last week. We drove up to Fairy Stone National Park near Stuart, Virginia and stayed in a log cabin. As in an Abraham Lincoln-kind of log cabin. As in no phone service, no internet, no t.v. (except for the Netflix we sneaked in to watch on his laptop - as if it were contraband!). And let me just tell you, I am not complaining about being disconnected for a couple days! But there are a few things we learned while we were gone. Things like...

1. Husbands (the one of you that is out there, somewhere, reading this), take your cell phone with you when you decide to go on a three-hour hike with two little boys... in the drizzling weather....that's in the 40's. Even though it may not have service, you can at least can climb to the top of a mountain and call your wife if you get lost. Or you can call for help if you get a flat tire while driving to another trail. Not that any of those things happened, but your wife might worry that they ARE happening... while you are gone for three hours (near dark) in cold, rainy weather with two little boys.

Just take the phone.

2. Or, don't take the phone. Then when you come back with two little boys who are soaked from the shins down from crossing creeks by jumping from rock to rock, she won't fuss at you. She'll just be glad that you're alive! And then she can tell the park rangers that there's no need to keep all that descriptive information that she gave them. (When she and the toddler hitched a ride up to the ranger station to see if they had "heard" anything.)

No, I'm not making this up.

3. Moving on, Bluegrass will grow on you if you check out the Floyd Country Store Jamboree on a Friday night. Getting orange cream soda in a glass bottle and a bag of nickel candy was fun for us and the kids!

4. Read carefully. In the guest journal in the cabin, a prior guest wrote about a "skunk" living on the porch. She also said she saw several of them. A family of skunks living around the cabin seemed pretty doggone exciting! Well, that was enough for the kids and me to be at the door every time we heard the slightest creak outside. Daniel was bound and determined to get close to a skunk. I had to talk him down from making that happen. But upon re-reading her journal entry the next day, I saw that she had written "skink," as in a small lizard. Whoop-dee-do. She saw a lizard. Well, as I said, read carefully!

5. A couple of days away does wonders, doesn't it? Relaxing and having fun with the family is definitely worth the trouble of planning and saving!

Our view from the front porch

The Perfect Toasted Marshmallow that Thomas made for his Mommy