A puppet show

We decided to make puppets when coloring the dinosaur pictures was not exciting enough today. John Patrick wanted to "play a game" with them. Puppets was all I could think of. They are named Jack, Kate and Jason... If you know John Patrick all he is missing is Daddy and the group would be complete.

Here is John Patrick's show which consisted of the dino "finding a coin and putting it in his piggy bank."

Here is my audience as I attempted to teach a lesson with Jack and Kate about them playing a game together without fighting.... pretty sure they didn't hear a word of it. :-) And yes, we were still in our pj's but we added hats, of course.

Thank You Aunt Kara...

... for these shots of my babies.

I'm well aware that my little ones are born in sin but this picture of John Patrick would cause any mom (and grandma) to forget (for a few seconds) and it makes my heart ache with love for the little guy. If you knew his little personality and how he loves be loved you would understand more.... sigh.... and now back to reality because he left a "whole big mess" in the basement that I forgot to have him clean before bed.

Wedding Bells!

Donnie got married this weekend and we had a WONDERFUL time and it was a beautiful wedding!

John Patrick had ring bearer duties and he took them very seriously, at least leading up to the actual event. :-) He got a little shy but did a GREAT job, whew! He's actually looking forward to doing it for Uncle Jay in November where he will be partnered with Dora this time. :-) Just a tip, if you have a child in a wedding, Aunt Lauren found a great children's book on being a ring bearer and definitely saved the day!! John Patrick ready to go for the cowboy themed rehearsal.
All tuckered out from excitement on the way there!
Uncle Donnie and Aunt Lauren are so cool, they got him a Lightning McQueen toy.
And yummy dessert! What a night!
Dora getting ready for the big event. This was our first attempt at curlers and they would have worked great if I had given them more time to dry. :-)

A family shotThe ring bearers enjoying their new toys.Only the greatest sisters would be pregnant (okay, all besides Kel) on your wedding day just to make the bride look hot! (Not that she really needed our help, she was completely beautiful!!!) Uncle Donnie with the kids Let's face it, Bob the Builder in the ready room was the highlight of his day......well, besides the kids plates at the reception...Dora was a dancing queen!!

A wardrobe change and more food... And more dancing for Dora, not that she didn't have her fare share of 5 different peoples cake!!

Two very tired boys!!

It was quite the evening for all of us.

Congratulations Uncle Donnie and Aunt Lauren!!!!

Evenings

My evenings are typically relaxing after about 9pm when the kids are bathed, in bed and I have the kitchen cleaned up and any last items marked off the to do list (or transferred to tomorrows list :-). Here are another two things I see a few evenings a week: Okay, in real life his had isn't in my view but he isn't very enthusiastic about this picture being taken. :-) I was watching the Olympics and he was watching and reading.

I am a huge Olympics fan, mostly because of my gymnastics background, but I like to watch a lot of it. Although I'm not so much into track and field so I think the fun is just about over for me. I'm also a little disturbed by how many Chinese Olympians can compete and win with a frown on their face. Is it just me or do they look terrified to lose? John used to make fun of me for liking it so much but this year he got a little into it with me, I've sucked him into the fun.
Here is a picture of what John and I find on our way to bed about twice a week. Little Buddy likes to drag a pillow and blanket down and sleep on the little landing that looks over the living room. He does it totally silently and doesn't usually get into anything so we just laugh every time and move him back. John said he used to do this all the time as a kid. :-) The funny thing to me is that our TV is in the basement so it's not like he's watch us or TV or anything... I don't know why he does it.

Loving others

John Patrick and I were talking this morning about how you can show others that you love them because of a book we own that shows a little boy bringing a friend a pumpkin. So, of course, we needed to make cookies for Jack because that is who he loves. (and also who he would like to name a baby after)

He gets this messy with only half the dry ingredients in the bowl, you can imagine the way it looked when we finished!

Dora mostly ate the dough but she had a great time! (who wouldn't?)

Canning

Thanks to lots of tips from my mother-in-law and wonderful help from my husband I actually canned for the first time this year. I'm a little on the fence about whether or not it's worth the long process and heat but at least I've learned how.

John and I canned 14 pints of different types of tomatoes, 4 jars of salsa, 4 jars of pickled peppers and 4 jars of dill pickles. I still have lots of tomatoes (if anyone wants some) and I would like to make and freeze some marinara sauce. Key word here being "freeze". :-)

Here's my poor boy who's eyes decided to swell up last night, conveniently 3 days before his long awaited and highly anticipated ring bearer duties. He's so excited to wear a tuxedo. I really hope the swelling goes down, poor guy.

Dress Up!

I'm sorry about the messy noses we're all a little under the weather today. Still, plenty of energy for dress up! This only lasted a few minutes but I got a quick picture anyway. :-) They really move quickly from game to game these days! Dora is getting into the not-so-realistic "Cheese!" face lately.

And a great verse God gave me this morning:

Ps. 107:8-9 "Let them thank the Lord for his steadfast love, for his wondrous works to the children of men! For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things."

Praise Him!!

Our Story

WeddingHoneymoon

One year anniversary!! Ha Ha!

Most of you were at my wedding but here it is because I love this kind of stuff. I'm going to find a family related one sometime so I can learn more about that area of your lives. :-)

1. Where/How did you meet? 2001 Jayne and Steve Barnett's house at small group but we didn't really become friends until later. He showed up before reporting to work in his flight uniform and I thought he was very handsome!

2. How long have you known each other? We have been friends for about 6 years.

3. How long after you met did you start dating? about 2 years, I was a meany who strung him along for 6 months before almost losing him and then running back to him... humbling story to this day.

4. How long did you date before you were engaged? 1 year, I was dyyyyyying for a proposal, I had expected it for months!!

5. How long was your engagement? 5 months, a great amount of time in my opinion

6. How long have you been married? 4 1/2 years

7. What is your anniversary? May 22nd

8. How many people came to your wedding reception? I think close to 250

9. What kind of cake did you serve? I have no idea :-) It was pretty and cheap, that's all I remember. :-)

10. Where was your wedding? Grace Fellowship Church

11. What did you serve for your meal? I remember garlic chicken and roasted potatoes, there was lots more, but I don't remember except that my parents and friends did it all and it was fantastic!!

12. How many people were in your wedding party? 12

13. Are you still friends with them all? One groomsman moved to FL so we don't see/hear of him much but otherwise yes, even if it's only a little.

14. Did your spouse cry during the ceremony? I think so, everyone else including Pastor Brad did so John probably did too. (considering he tears up at movies more than I do. :-)

15. Most special moment of your wedding day? Tough one! I loved the ride out to the Gautrauds (reception) when it was just the two of us going over all the fun moments of the ceremony. (Another one of those times like Melissa was talking about where all the rest of the world is just having a normal drive but the world seems to be standing still for us.)

16. Any funny moments? We forgot to blow out the "mom candles" after we lit ours so my mom told us she and Bonnie are still allowed to make decisions for us. :-)

17. Any big disasters? Nope, but I probably wouldn't have noticed or cared anyway.

18. Where did you go on your honeymoon? Mazatlan, Mexico (where we met a couple who were married the same day that we were, lived in Iowa and went to the same church John used to go to. They visited us for the WEBN fireworks the first two years we were married.

19. How long were you gone? 1 week.

20. If you could married again, would there be anything you would change? Even though our wedding was a very reasonable cost I still think I would have tried to cut a little more.

21. Greatest strength as a couple? We are totally opposite so I love learning from him, I guess I can't speak for him but I think he would agree. :-)

22. Greatest challenge as a couple? Not wanting to learn!

23. What did you dance your first dance to? Josh Groban, John picked it out. He said if I could have danced with Josh I would have done that too. :-) He's very wrong... but he does have a wonderful voice!!!

24. Describe your wedding dress: Ivory, very simple, beading across the top and inside the train (here is one area where I would spend less if I did it again, 450.00 for a dress, what was I thinking?It's still hanging in my closet, stained.)

25. What kind of flowers did you have at your wedding? I think white roses and purple Calla lilies

26. Are your wedding bands engraved? nope

27. How old were you when you got married? I was 23, he was 27

Worlds Longest Yard Sale Equals....

...Worlds longest trip in the car with out air conditioning with two little ones!!!!

Okay, I'm trying to be cautious here because I know that for some reason many of you may enjoy this kind of a thing and might have been on 42 sometime today... :-)

Don't get me wrong I like the idea of limitless options for hidden treasure and great deals but only one at a time in quiet neighborhoods where I feel like I'm finding a great secret and without the THOUSAND other people involved! (and I'm not exaggerating on the thousand)

We were innocently trying to go to church this afternoon when I realized I forgot about the worlds longest yard sale going on all down highway 42.

Why this has to take place along a 55 mile an hour highway with no shoulder and no parking is beyond me. People are literally just throwing open their car doors with out a care in the world as you attempt to drive by, trying to cross a 4 lane highway (by Ryle Highschool) not using the crosswalks and then yelling at me for not stopping!!

After sitting for about 8 solid minutes without moving (I think a minivan was actually being towed out of a ditch) we were finally getting some air flowing again when this happened:

I was attempting to avoid the car pulling out on my right and the car coming at me who was swerving into my lane (while craning there neck to look at the 75th homemade potholder in a one mile stretch) when a sweaty, mean man who also needed to cross right then said in a very ticked off scream, "You can't stop!?!" (He must have really been having a great time.) Anyway, I really, really wanted to yell back, "You can't wait" or "You can't find a safer hobby" or something equally as sarcastic that I can never come up with in time and wouldn't have the nerve to yell anyway.

I digress... when your three year old says from the back seat, "Mommy, stop talking. You're making me tired." It's probably time to hold the comments that I didn't realize were all out loud and accept the fact that some people enjoy this and praise the Lord I don't have to take this route home!!!!

Dora with Aunt Kelly's sunglasses on!

Dinosaur Invasion!!

Taylor Mason brought John Patrick some dinosaurs from the creation museum last night and he is thrilled to say the least. He played with them all night, slept with them, fed them a dinosaur breakfast and is currently playing with them on the deck outside the office window as I type.
We had the singles group from church over last night and set up our tents outside so we had to have a picnic for breakfast. It is a gorgeous morning and I'm about to go back outside to enjoy it!

breakfast in the tent
happy boy
in the sandbox
Dora with cereal all over her face, a swollen eye from conjunctivitis, a green tomato in hand that was not supposed to be picked, making the dinosaur talk.
Action shot of the flying dinosaur!

Senior Pictures

It's senior picture time and if you know anyone who doesn't want to sell their home in order to pay for their child's senior pictures but don't have to have perfection either, please let them know I do some amateur photography. I know that it isn't hard for anyone to get a good shot of this girl :-) but here are a few pictures as an example. All of my previous pictures are on 35mm so I can't upload them. I'll probably post something on the church bulletin also so you can get more info off that too. I usually charge 100.00 for the CD of pictures. That has to be a steal considering how much my senior pictures cost and I know prices haven't gone down!

For the Children's Sake

I have been thoroughly enjoying Pastor Brad's series on parenting. God started really getting through to me a couple of months ago that it is He alone who helps my kids choose to do right so it has been really special to me that He would send this series to confirm things right now. He's so good.
I've been convicted that I can not only try to find a formula for perfect parenting but for marriage, finances, ministry... the list goes on. I really like to think I deserve perfection and if everyone else could get out of the way I would be able to achieve it. Don't I sound like a peach to live with? So, God has been very gracious in slowly reminding me that his ways are better than mine even when they call for trials. It's good to know He is more committed to my well being than I am!!

I have also been reading a book that I'm enjoying called For the Children's Sake. It is primarily about our calling as educators, whatever form that takes, but I thought you all would like to read this quote. It fits with the idea that we can't strong arm our kids into trusting Christ. It's the power of his Word and the gospel. I haven't finished this book yet but so far I recommend it and it came to me by some great folks. :-) I'm incredibly slow at typing so click here , choose "Preview this book" in the top left and read pages 43 and 44. You'll be glad you did.

What ever happened to great places like this?

http://www.beiersdorferorchard.com/

If anyone has been deprived this year like me of a really good peach this is the place to go. Okay, I haven't been yet this year because I just called to make sure they have them but I have gone every year that I have been able to drive and it always comes through for me. Including the year I literally got sick on peaches on the ride home, but no need to go any further about that... just let it be known that it is, in fact, possible to each enough peaches that the fuzz of the skin irritates your stomach until it can't take it anymore. I wish Dick G. would have let me in on this secret before my 5th peach but, now I know. I always skin them when I eat 5 now. :-)

Anyway, it is the nicest family and the most unfortunate part is that the Bill, the original owner must have passed away this winter according to the website. He was the nicest man. A few years ago John and i made the drive and forgot our check book or cash. Mr. Beiersdorfer just said, "Go ahead and take them and mail me a check. I've never had anyone stand me up yet."

I have not said this type of family run orchard and general store (Did I mention the homemade dry mixes that Hilda makes and stitches a little vegetable bag for carrying?) is easy on the pocket book but it isn't a whole lot more than the grocery.

If nothing else check out the web page for Hilda's fruit recipe's. I can't wait to try apple butter this year. :-)

This is a great program!

I tried out the photo editing program Rachael Neal mentioned and it is great! What a cutie if I may say so myself. :-) http://www.picnik.com/