I don't say it often enough, but I have an amazing Hubby. (Yes, I am going to be mushy, so if that bothers you, sorry, but it's MY blog!) ;) There really are so many reasons that I love him, but here is a small glimpse of the wonderful man I married and just one of the many reasons he is still the Love of My Life...
Today Hubby had a BIG meeting concerning a new project he's been given that is putting a lot of responsibility (and stress) on his already-overworked shoulders. (Hubby works in the information technology department for a healthcare company.) The meeting included his bosses, a couple VPs, and a new client they have recently signed who will be mostly Hubby's responsibility. The meeting lasted most of the afternoon, and at 6:00 they all decided to continue the meeting over dinner at a nearby restaurant. Despite pressure from his boss and the client, Hubby declined the invitation to dinner and simply expained to them that he had to get home to his family.
Lest you think I am sitting at home, ready to crack the whip should he venture in a few minutes late, I told him he should go to the dinner. (so as not to miss any information on the new project or to disappoint his bosses.) I'm sure he will suffer some teasing (or maybe worse) for his decision, but I know that doesn't bother him because that's not the kind of man he is. He's the kind of man who gives 110% to his job when he's at work, but when it comes to his family he gives 200% and he does everything in his power to be home at night to eat dinner with us, play with the kids, and help with bedtime. I knew it 7 years ago when we started dating, I knew it 5 years ago when we got married, but I was reminded of it again today..I got me a good man!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
Wednesday, June 11, 2008
The Great Conspirators
There once lived two young children in a small Midwestern town, a Little Miss and a Little Man. The Little Miss loved her brother dearly, for in him she found a kindred soul and a fellow conspirator. You see, at a very young age, Little Miss had determined that her Mother was so well rested from her many years of sleep that she should never need to sleep again.
As an infant, Little Miss would wait patiently and quietly until Mother's work was done and the weary woman laid her head to rest. That was the signal to Little Miss that her work should begin. She would cry, fuss, talk, squirm, wiggle, giggle, or make any noise imaginable to keep Mother from sleeping. It didn't matter if it was the middle of the day, or the darkest night, Little Miss rose dutifully to her calling. Eventually, however, even she wore out and began to neglect her duties of rousing Mother from slumber. This caused Mother to once again grow accustomed to the tantalizing ritual of blessed sleep.
When Little Man entered the picture, Little Miss was reminded of her mission. Having grown accustomed herself to a good night's sleep, an evil plan began to form in her sweet little head. With a partner in crime, she could split the Mother-waking duties and not neglect her own blissful rest. To this day no one knows how or when it happened, but Little Miss and Little Man put their heads together and hatched a plan. Thus, The Great Conspirators were formed. Little Man agreed to take over the night watch, Little Miss would rule the days.
Little Man would wait patiently for Mother to finish her endless tasks of the day and fall lifeless into bed. Then his work would begin. However, he worked a little differently than Little Miss. Instead of crying (for he is a generally happy baby), he would simply sit or stand in his crib and loudly proclaim, "ya, ya, ya...da, da, da...ma, ma, ma." Then--and this is the ingenious part--he would be silent long enough for Mother to assume he had gone back to sleep and begin to drift off herself at which time he would start the whole chorus over again. The beauty of it was he could do this for hours!
Little Miss was pleased with her new apprentice. He was catching on quickly, and he had talents she hadn't even dreamed of such as constant motion from the time he woke to the time he slept--an added bonus in Operation Exhausted Mommy! All Little Miss had to do now was hold up her end of the arrangement...and what 3-year-old doesn't enjoy an endless barrage of questions, requests, demands, and tantrums from morning until night? Before long they will have accomplished their goal to wear Mother down to sheer exhaustion or drive her completely mad!
Do The Great Conspirators succeed in driving Mother over the edge? Or does Mother finally get some rest, restore her sanity, and return to reign again? Stay tuned...(even I'm not sure at this point!)
As an infant, Little Miss would wait patiently and quietly until Mother's work was done and the weary woman laid her head to rest. That was the signal to Little Miss that her work should begin. She would cry, fuss, talk, squirm, wiggle, giggle, or make any noise imaginable to keep Mother from sleeping. It didn't matter if it was the middle of the day, or the darkest night, Little Miss rose dutifully to her calling. Eventually, however, even she wore out and began to neglect her duties of rousing Mother from slumber. This caused Mother to once again grow accustomed to the tantalizing ritual of blessed sleep.
When Little Man entered the picture, Little Miss was reminded of her mission. Having grown accustomed herself to a good night's sleep, an evil plan began to form in her sweet little head. With a partner in crime, she could split the Mother-waking duties and not neglect her own blissful rest. To this day no one knows how or when it happened, but Little Miss and Little Man put their heads together and hatched a plan. Thus, The Great Conspirators were formed. Little Man agreed to take over the night watch, Little Miss would rule the days.
Little Man would wait patiently for Mother to finish her endless tasks of the day and fall lifeless into bed. Then his work would begin. However, he worked a little differently than Little Miss. Instead of crying (for he is a generally happy baby), he would simply sit or stand in his crib and loudly proclaim, "ya, ya, ya...da, da, da...ma, ma, ma." Then--and this is the ingenious part--he would be silent long enough for Mother to assume he had gone back to sleep and begin to drift off herself at which time he would start the whole chorus over again. The beauty of it was he could do this for hours!
Little Miss was pleased with her new apprentice. He was catching on quickly, and he had talents she hadn't even dreamed of such as constant motion from the time he woke to the time he slept--an added bonus in Operation Exhausted Mommy! All Little Miss had to do now was hold up her end of the arrangement...and what 3-year-old doesn't enjoy an endless barrage of questions, requests, demands, and tantrums from morning until night? Before long they will have accomplished their goal to wear Mother down to sheer exhaustion or drive her completely mad!
Do The Great Conspirators succeed in driving Mother over the edge? Or does Mother finally get some rest, restore her sanity, and return to reign again? Stay tuned...(even I'm not sure at this point!)
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Recipes for Blueberry Muffins and Scones
OK, here are the recipes for the muffins and scones we made yesterday. The muffins turned out AWESOME (or "BODACIOUS"). I'm pretty sure I got this recipe from a blog, but I neglected to write down which one, so if you recognize it please let me know. I want to give credit where credit is due!
And here is the link to the scone recipe (at AllRecipes.com), although I must include a disclaimer: they did not turn out as flavorful as I'd hoped (and I had to add more flour to make them a bit stiffer). Since this was my first attempt at making scones, it could have been the fault of the cook! They are OK, but I think I'm going to keep looking for a scone recipe.
Bodacious Blueberry Muffins
1 and 3/4 C flour
1/3 C sugar
2 t baking powder
1/4 salt
1 beaten egg
3/4 C milk
1/4 C cooking oil
1 C blueberries
Mix together all dry ingredients. In a separate bowl mix together beaten egg, milk, and oil. Add the wet ingredients to the dry and mix until just moistened. Fold in blueberries. Place in prepared muffing pan. Bake at 400 degrees for about 20-25 minutes, or until tops are golden brown
Crumb Topping:
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/8 cup all purpose flour
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 T. Butter
Combine topping together w/a fork until it resembles a coarse cornmeal. Sprinkle on top, just before baking. This mix can easily be made in advance.
And here is the link to the scone recipe (at AllRecipes.com), although I must include a disclaimer: they did not turn out as flavorful as I'd hoped (and I had to add more flour to make them a bit stiffer). Since this was my first attempt at making scones, it could have been the fault of the cook! They are OK, but I think I'm going to keep looking for a scone recipe.
Monday, June 9, 2008
Mmmmm....Blueberries!!
I love blueberries, and I'm so glad they're finally in season. I picked up some delicious-looking berries at the store this weekend, so today we made blueberry muffins and scones. My assistant and I had a wonderful time baking (and eating) our special treats. I will post the recipes soon, but for now here are a few pics of our day of baking...
Sunday, June 8, 2008
God is in the Little Things
I know I already posted a book review on Sally Clarkson's book, The Mission of Motherhood, but I wanted to share a couple of my favorite quotes from the book:
Well, God has a funny way of showing me that my minimal efforts are already beginning to pay off. Instead of the usual "I don't know" response to the weekly "what did you learn at church today?" question, we spent the afternoon building the walls of Jericho with sofa pillows, marching around them with a take-home craft tambourine, then plummeting the "walls" to the ground. Maybe it was the hands-on story or the fun tambourine craft, but something made the story stick in my little 3-year-old's brain. The Jericho reinactment was then followed by a "mock" church service complete with heartfelt worship ("Jesus Loves Me"), a powerful sermon, and three baby dedications for her dolls!
I've often found the concept of "playing church" kind of sad...children learning to "go through the motions" rather than discovering a real relationship with God. But what Clarkson's book reminded me is that the "motions" aren't so empty or trite when they come from a heart of sincerity. The goal is to achieve actions that flow out of a relationship. My responsibility is not so much to teach my children what to do or not to do, my responsibility is to model for them a real relationship with God and convey that to them through my relationship with them.
Perhaps I'm overanalyzing (it wouldn't be the first time!). It's likely that my 3-year-old is simply now at a cognitive place where she is capable of remembering and re-enacting a Bible story. But as I watched her bow her head and dedicate her baby doll to Jesus, I couldn't help but feel like God was whispering to my heart, "Look what I can do with a small thing like a little effort on your part."
Though cultural storms attack violently each day, a solid Christian home can be a protective fortress, a haven of peace for all who live there. Those inside its walls are protected, nurtured, and nourished in body, heart, mind, and soul. Such homes need a director, guardian , and caretaker, which is what God had in mind when he designed the role of mother.Like I mentioned in the review, this book has challenged me to be more "intentional" in my parenting approach. I haven't done anything remarkable or earth-shattering. I've simply tried to "be with" my children more...and I mean actually be with them mentally as well as physically (instead of mentally running through my grocery list or "to do" list while trying to play Candyland, for example). I've also tried to capture more "teachable moments" with my daughter.
I must choose to believe that it matters that I am choosing to be with my children and slowly build their character instead of pursuing a full-time career where the results of my labor may be more immediately tangible.
Well, God has a funny way of showing me that my minimal efforts are already beginning to pay off. Instead of the usual "I don't know" response to the weekly "what did you learn at church today?" question, we spent the afternoon building the walls of Jericho with sofa pillows, marching around them with a take-home craft tambourine, then plummeting the "walls" to the ground. Maybe it was the hands-on story or the fun tambourine craft, but something made the story stick in my little 3-year-old's brain. The Jericho reinactment was then followed by a "mock" church service complete with heartfelt worship ("Jesus Loves Me"), a powerful sermon, and three baby dedications for her dolls!
I've often found the concept of "playing church" kind of sad...children learning to "go through the motions" rather than discovering a real relationship with God. But what Clarkson's book reminded me is that the "motions" aren't so empty or trite when they come from a heart of sincerity. The goal is to achieve actions that flow out of a relationship. My responsibility is not so much to teach my children what to do or not to do, my responsibility is to model for them a real relationship with God and convey that to them through my relationship with them.
Perhaps I'm overanalyzing (it wouldn't be the first time!). It's likely that my 3-year-old is simply now at a cognitive place where she is capable of remembering and re-enacting a Bible story. But as I watched her bow her head and dedicate her baby doll to Jesus, I couldn't help but feel like God was whispering to my heart, "Look what I can do with a small thing like a little effort on your part."
Thursday, June 5, 2008
The Mission of Motherhood: A Book Review
Although this isn't Sally Clarkson's most recent book (it was written in 2003), The Mission of Motherhood: Touching Your Child's Heart for Eternity is a fresh and encouraging read for any mom. The principles Clarkson presents are almost a "given" for any Christian mom; however, she presents them in a fresh way that challenges even the most "church-savvy" mom. I was greatly encouraged by Clarkson's real-life approach to parenting and motherhood. Her vast experience raising her four children shines through in her words of wisdom and insight. Yet she takes the tone of a trusted and wiser friend rather than an experienced know-it-all. I found myself challenged again to be more intentional in my parenting approach.
Here is an excerpt from the back cover of the book:
No calling is greater, nobler, or more fulfilling than that of motherhood. Every day, as we nurture our children, mothers influence eternal destiny as no one else can. Tragically, today's culture minimizes the vital importance of a mother's role. By catching a vision of God's original design and allowing it to shape your life, you can rediscover the joy and fulfillment that can be found in the strategic role to which God in all his wisdom has called you, for a purpose far greater than you can ever imagine.
I definitely recommend this book to any mom who desires to follow God's calling and be the person God has called her to be.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
From the Mouths of Babes
When I began potty training my oldest, almost a year ago, I knew we would have some "embarrassing" public moments. But I never stopped to think it might play out like the following scenario which happened twice...yes, twice...in the last three days:
While in a public place (once a restaurant, once a grocery store), my 3-year-old needed to use the bathroom. As I stooped next to her, helping her steady her small frame on the large seat, she expressed her concern, "Will I fall in?" (She had one such traumatic event a few months ago.) I explained that although her bottom was small and the seat was big, I would hold her and would not let her fall in. That seemed to calm her fears and she was able to finish her business. When it was my turn to use the facilities, my precious daughter asked, "Will you fall in, Mommy?" I simply said, "no" to which she replied (loudly), "'Cause your bottom is BIG!" Of course, the other stalls were also occupied at the time of this sincere proclamation (no such luck as finding an empty public restroom!). I would like to take a moment to thank those ladies for not bursting out in laughter right then and there.
Yes, my daughter has now proudly announcet to the female patronage of our favorite restaurant and grocery store that my hind quarters are "BIG." Maybe it's time to lay off the chocolate...then again, she's only 3. What does she know? ;)
While in a public place (once a restaurant, once a grocery store), my 3-year-old needed to use the bathroom. As I stooped next to her, helping her steady her small frame on the large seat, she expressed her concern, "Will I fall in?" (She had one such traumatic event a few months ago.) I explained that although her bottom was small and the seat was big, I would hold her and would not let her fall in. That seemed to calm her fears and she was able to finish her business. When it was my turn to use the facilities, my precious daughter asked, "Will you fall in, Mommy?" I simply said, "no" to which she replied (loudly), "'Cause your bottom is BIG!" Of course, the other stalls were also occupied at the time of this sincere proclamation (no such luck as finding an empty public restroom!). I would like to take a moment to thank those ladies for not bursting out in laughter right then and there.
Yes, my daughter has now proudly announcet to the female patronage of our favorite restaurant and grocery store that my hind quarters are "BIG." Maybe it's time to lay off the chocolate...then again, she's only 3. What does she know? ;)
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