simple Analogy

Earring Giveaway Winner

The winner is Rachel who said,  "First off, these earrings are gorgeous. I love love love the color! As for my holiday tradition, my husband and I always get a tree on his birthday (Dec. 10); his mom started the tradition when he was little, and he looks forward to it every year! It's really sweet."  Congratulations Rachel!  I'll email you for your address!

You have been telling me what your holiday traditions are, now let me tell you a few of mine...

The boys and I ALWAYS make a batch of Christmas cookies.  This year my husband was cracking me up.  As we were cutting them out, he kept swooping in to snatch some dough.  I told him he was a vulture.  He ate so much dough he made himself sick.  We each have a different way of decorating the cookies.  Mine have just enough icing for the sprinkles and sugar to stick.  Noah's have as much icing as you could possibly cram onto one cookie and then about a whole bottle of sprinkles.  Landon's this year were all patriotic.  It's so much fun to spend this time with my kids and it's even funner for us all to sit down with a glass of milk and eat them afterward.

Another tradition that we have is that we go to the Christmas Eve Candlelight service.  We usually end up in the nursery since I am the nursery director, but occasionally we get to enjoy the service.  Then we come home and open ALL our presents on Christmas Eve.  I know!  Sacrilegious!  We always opened them on Christmas Eve when I was a child.  I think it was because Christ was born in the evening (hence the star) and that was the greatest gift ever!

Christmas morning is stocking time and we look forward to that just as much as the presents.  When I was little I had a huge knitted stocking.  I mean the thing was huge and stretchy!  It must have cost my parents a fortune to fill that thing.  When I became a parent, I learned a lesson from my old stocking and bought the boys stockings that are medium size and oh-so-NOT-stretchy!!!  Sorry guys!

Thanks for joining the fun and sharing your traditions!  If you haven't read all the traditions in the comments yet, take some time to do so!  There are some fun ones.  My personal favorites were the "Christmas Adam" one from Angelapea, the goofy grab bags from Michelle (made me laugh), and Emily's.  (This girl has it all together.  She's only 9, learning to sew, AND has her own blog.  Wow!  I'm proud of her.) 

The Last Weekend Before

Our last weekend before we start school (and I do mean we, since we homeschool) went by so fast.  Friday I called my mom and we went for manicure/pedicures.  Mom surprised me by picking up some new magazines for us including Artful Blogging for me to read - one of my favorites.  I like reading about how others started blogging, adore the artwork, and pick up tips and ideas along the way.  We spent the day just hanging out and relaxing.

Saturday I woke up not feeling well and stayed in bed til 11:30!  After I got up and took a shower, I climbed right back into some fresh pajamas.  I rarely do an all day pajama day so it was a treat!  Joel picked up old movies and some pizza for dinner.  I love that man!

Sunday was a blur of church, brownies, and teenagers.  Joel and I hosted the back to school S.N.A.C. (Sunday Night After Church) for Landon's youth group.  I made 5 batches of Bakerella's brownies.  Landon says they were a hit with the teenagers, and several of the adults said they were their new favorite brownies.  I'm with them.  Why eat the others when these are so much better and just as easy!

So, today's the day . . . the official beginning of fifth and eighth grades.  Say a prayer for us!

P.S.  Thanks for your help!  It looks like the geometric bag is the winner.  The other will be in the shop tomorrow!

Down Memory Lane

From first grade through the middle of tenth grade we lived in Muskogee, Oklahoma.  Not a thriving metropolis, but when you live somewhere for 10 years you really make memories.  My memories are of friends and food.  I've said for years that I wanted to go back to Muskogee for just one day to eat.  And so we did!

On our way back from Colorado, we stopped off in Muskogee and ate at my favorite restaurant.  Sometimes when you remember how something tastes when you were a kid, and then eat it as an adult it is disappointing.  This was not the case on my eating binge.  I ordered the same meal I used to order and it was exactly like I remember it!  Delicious!

So if you're ever in Muskogee - and why would you be, but just in case - make sure to stop by Hamlin's and order the meat nachos and smother them with their signature white sauce!  Mom, thanks for going the extra miles for that trip down memory lane!

***My mom has the recipe for the white sauce somewhere, but it's in hiding at the moment.  When she finds it, I'll share!

Boy-ing It Up

Well, hello!  I've been unplugged for quite a while!  Literally unplugged - no cell phone, no internet.  But we were at the biggest playground you could imagine, plenty of wide open spaces to tromp around in.

 We fed chipmunks on our laps.

 

Learned to drive the ATV.

  

Caught fish.  (Landon - 1, Noah - 5)

 

Learned to shoot a bow.  (Landon's bulls-eye)

  

Thankfully didn't meet up with the bear who left this.

 

Put a lot of wet socks in the window to dry.

This time around I was more relaxed with the whole cabin bit.  I didn't turn quite so green on the bumpy roads, although I did wonder how long it would take 911 to respond if we slipped off the muddy road and down the cliff.  No mice were seen - well, that is live mice.  The dead one we came across when we first got to the cabin doesn't count.  We carried air horns and whistles just in case we ran into that bear.  But the real question was, would dad  hear it and be able to come with a rifle to our rescue in time?  I like to keep thinking the answer is yes. 

We had such a great vacation, all the while missing Joel.  I'm glad to be home!  More pictures here.

If the Beginning of My Week Is Any Indication

This is one of those weeks when every waking minute is crammed with things to do.  So far I've managed to do laundry, meet my new nephew, get groceries, watch my nieces overnight, do art and get ice cream with said nieces, shop for the rest of my VBS supplies, take Noah to piano lessons and the library, start sewing Micah's gift for the baby shower, type up all the VBS posters/parent letters/verses, make A LOT of lists, start shopping for the things Landon will need for camp, plan my VBS workdays, clean the kitchen, and watch Emma while cutting out a million stars.  Whew, it's been a whirlwind of activity.  I feel like I've come so far, but still have so far to go.

The rest of my week is more of the same.  I'll just keep plodding along until my lists are all marked through.  On my list for Sunday - planned unconsciousness so that I can get rested up for an even busier week next week.  Planned unconsciousness is what my parents call taking a nap.  Sounds sophisticated, doesn't it?

****Just found out my sister is having a BOY!  Two nephews in one year!  My boys are overjoyed!!!!

Bundle of Boy

This is the sweet little hand of my new nephew, Micah, who was born Saturday night.  Mom and baby are doing great, and Dad is mighty proud - not to mention his three sisters who pointed out all his little features to me the moment I stepped into the hospital room.  Uncle Joel thinks he's just about the most perfect baby.  Cousins Landon and Noah are overjoyed to FINALLY have a boy cousin.  And Aunt Heather?  Well, I think he's a pretty wonderful little bundle of boy!  Welcome to the world, little guy!

Father's Day Afar

Looking through our old family albums, I found this picture of Dad, Tracy, and I dressed up in our "Little House on the Prairie" costumes.  I think this was for an old fashioned Sunday at church.  It is one of the few pictures of us with Dad when we were little.  I don't really remember this event, but there are some things in this picture that I do remember.

I remember my dad's flannel shirt; it seemed that he was always in one of those shirts on his days off.  He is still a flannel shirt kind of guy - specially when it's cool outside.  I also remember his boots, which you can't see in the picture.  We lived on a half acre, and these were his work boots.  I remember seeing them by the door with mud and dirt caked on.  They were truly "Pa Ingalls" boots.  I also remember that couch.  Many a time I would curl up on the couch with him while he watched Star Trek or a boxing match.

These are not breathtaking memories, just the everyday sort that may seem ho-hum to others.  But they remind me of my dad and give me a warm fuzzy feeling.   Since he's out of town this Father's Day, I just wanted him to know that I was thinking about him.  Happy Father's Day, Dad!  There's a Spring Creek gift card waiting for you when you get home so that you can get your smoked meat poundage! 

My Friend, Meg

VBS is taking over my life at the moment, but for a few brief hours I took back control.  Meg came over for lunch today!  It wasn't the yummy chicken salad I had planned because I after my VBS workday yesterday, I just couldn't gather up the effort to defrost some chicken for Joel to grill or go to the store for mayo.  So instead we had a fruit salad and grilled cheese, and that was just fine.  And she brought a lemon version of the most tasty cookies ever!  Joel said they are the best cookies he's ever eaten!

I so admire Megan and these are some reasons why...

1.  She has got Personality with a capital P!

2.  So crafty!

3.  Always knows just the right thing to say when I am most needing to hear it.

4.  Ready and willing to help.

5.  Very generous.

6.  Funny!  Aaahhhggg!  We can make it!

7.  She's a good mom.

8.  Full of wisdom.

9.  Great cook - oh those cookies!

10.  The best of friends.

Even with my lack luster lunch, she made me feel like I made the best grilled cheese in the whole world!  She's just that kind of friend.  Thanks for a good afternoon, Meg!

Family Blueberry Picking

We've gone blueberry picking for years, but this was the first time the WHOLE family has gone.  Not just our family, but Mom, Dad, Juan, Tracy, and Magdis too.  This was Dad, Joel, Juan, and Magdis first time.  Also a first - picking in the evening.  Usually we go first thing in the morning, but even then, it's just so hot.  We all decided that evening picking is for sure the best time, plus we got an added benefit of seeing a beautiful pink sunset.

  

You could hear us yelling for each other throughout the farm.

Dad:  "I found one!"  He started in a picked over spot.

Magdis:  "OPA!!!!!!"  That's what she calls my dad, and he was the hardest to keep track of.

Landon:  "FORE!"  As he launched a handful of green berries over the bushes at Juan.

Magdis:  "I gotta go potty!"  All that nature was just too much.  Happens every time!

Tracy:  "Magdis, don't go too far!"

Me:  "Noah, stay in sight of one of us!"

Juan:  "All this time I haven't seen you, only heard your voice."  We were in a really overgrown thick spot.  Even though we were only about an arm's length away, you couldn't see through.  Good for us though because it didn't look like any one had wanted to trek through that part.  There were LOTS of berries. 

Magdis:  "I'm exhausted of this!"  Toward the end and while she was trying to shove through low branches.

I didn't hear anything from Joel.  As usual, he got right down to business and focused on his berries.  He picked the most out of all of us, which is not surprising.  Mom and Noah found their own little spot as well, so we didn't hear much from them.

When it got so dark we couldn't tell whether we were picking blue or green berries, we quit.  Juan and Tracy picked 6 lbs., Mom and Dad picked 5 lbs., and we picked 9 lbs. of blueberries all in about 1 1/2 hours.  At $1.50 a pound, you just can't get much better than that!

The oven just beeped.  Time to go take out the blueberry muffins!

***If you're local (Houston area) next week is supposed to be a really good week!  Check out Moorhead Bluberry Farm for more info.

Just Awful

What could be more awful for a boy of ten than to have to learn to play the Wedding March on the piano?  I don't know about your boys, but mine are loathe to weddings!!!  For Noah, playing the Wedding March was almost too much to ask.  But it's a classic, and play it he must.  

One night he retreated to his room to practice his songs for the week on his digital piano.  I heard everything BUT the Wedding March.  When I asked if he had played all his songs, he boldly answered, "Yes." 

Thinking I was going to have to deal with outright lying, I asked, "What about the Wedding March?"

"Oh, I practiced it."

"I didn't hear it," I countered.

Smiling, he said, "I turned the volume down so I wouldn't have to hear it!"  Ingenious!

So, again what could be worse for my ten year old than the Wedding March?  How about a second grade girl saying he was cute.  Oh yes, it all happened in the same week!  It just about did him in, poor boy!

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Be sure to check back on Wednesday for a giveaway!!!!