JOY Unspeakable

the lolly and polly show {introducing!}

2012-01-27T16:37:00.006-06:00

Announcing,

The Lolly and Polly Show!!!

You're definitely going to want to check it out.

And you'll definitely need to muddle through as we tweak
our new little site.

Lucky for you,
this is a chance to sneak a peek before our
"Grand Opening"!

Please come back here and let me know what you think!

And any fun ideas you have would be so appreciated.

And yes, the identities of Lolly and Polly have been shifted a bit.
You'll see.

ask lolly {part two}

2012-01-26T13:21:00.011-06:00

For Part Two of Lolly's Advice-of-the-Day,

you first MUST go read my friend Patty's blog.

YOU MUST GO READ IT!!

This won't make any sense if you don't.

So, go read it...
then jump back over here.

I'll wait.

*whistle whistle*

***

*crickets, crickets*

Ok, did you read it?

Here's my response to her question:

Dear Crazy Mama,

Words escape me.
Answers elude.
Solutions seem distant.

Teen girls are beyond what this Lolly-gal can explain.

All I can tell you moms out there is,
send your daughters to this post (and Patty's) and let them see
how ridiculous they look in their self-portraits.

Love,
Lolly

Oh and what Patty forgot in her gallery of
teenish photos was the,
photoshopped-heart-frame-around-the-face poses.
So I thought I'd just go ahead and post those here.
But I don't know how to do that electronically...
so I just did it the old fashioned way.

You're welcome.

For your continued viewing pleasure...

And just so you know,
Patty and I have a special project in the works.

You'll want to stay tuned for that here in the near future.

My work here is done.

lolly's advice-of-the-day (part one)

2012-01-26T06:52:00.006-06:00

Lolly's Advice, Part One
**Warning**
Sarcasm will be present in this post.
Put on your sense of humor hat and sit back and enjoy.

Diane said...: As a 40-something single mom of 4 adopted kids, how do I respond to my mom when she expresses disapproval when I accept a new foster baby? I know she is worried about me taking care of myself, my kids, and my existing commitments, but it is so hard to fear and then hear her worries and admonitions.

Dear Diane,
Umm, errr, well, ummm... You're single? And you have four already? And you're taking a foster baby? You're a WAY better woman than me. I am leaning towards you're mama on this one, so sorry. I got nutty when my hubby works late and I have to try to minimize the level of craziness at the dinner table, in his absence. I go from, "STOP IT RIGHT NOW OR YOU'RE GOING TO BED RIGHT AFTER DINNER!!" to...."Oh, you're throwing your peas at your sister? Whatever. I don't even care."
So. If you can handle it, go for it! Foster care is so desperately needed! But, don't do more than you were called to do. Oh and make sure you read the book, Kisses from Katie. It will inspire you and make you realize that ALL that you're doing, ain't nothin' compared to Katie. And you'll either press on...or, throw in the towel completely.

Love,
Lolly

***

Ironsan said...: My husband is always losing things. And the he is always looking for things..... with his mouth. You know..... "where is this?", "where is that?". I hate helping to look for his things. It is a daily event and even though I usually know where the stuff is without looking, it bugs me. How can I get him to look with eyes and not just his mouth?

Dear Ironsan,

Umm, errr, well...are you new in this marriage thing? Because ummm, that sort of thing just isn't going to get any better. A man is incapable of seeing his hand in front of his face. So, just buck up and be his little helper. He needs you. It's just easier that way than trying to fix him. Trust me. Make him as dependable on you as you can. Then, the controlling is much easier.

Gee, I sound like a socialist president I know of.

Love, Lolly (the staunch conservative, in politics only)

Part Two will be posted later today.

Trust me, you want to come back for Part Two.

ask lolly

2012-01-25T16:17:00.003-06:00

Hear ye, hear ye!

It's time to break out your questions for Ms. Lolly.

She's got her PMS guns in her holster, ready to draw.

All lines are open.

Ask away.

*For any newbies here, Lolly is me, Lori, along with my perimenopausal pal (me, with raging hormones), Polly. Hence, Lolly. Lori + Polly = LOLLY Get it? And Lolly just loves to give advice, blunt and sarcastic advice. It's a public service, of sorts. You're welcome.

Post questions in comment section or shoot me an email. loriatjoyunspeakable@yahoo.com

milling with friends

2012-01-25T12:40:00.005-06:00

What a fun Wednesday morning we had.
My dear friend Mary came over with her
littlest darlings, Justus and Hanna Mercy.

Mary and I milled grains, like any two Amish friends would.
We aren't really Amish.
Though, I do love the Amish.
Anyway, we milled grains in my modern electric mill.
Obviously, we are not Amish.
But I already told you that.
Let's leave the Amish out of this.

What was I talking about?

Oh yes,
we milled grains and talked up a storm.
It was such a delight!
Having a real life friend who lives close by, who
has adopted internationally, who I can talk to face-to-face
on a regular basis, is a GOD-send!!
(Should I have used whom instead of who? I think so.)

Anyway,
we had fun and our kids had fun too...

And since we were the only adults in the house...
and I really wanted a pic or two of Mary and me, we had
Justus, Isaiah, and Lucy each take a turn with the camera.

These are the only two half-way worth posting.
Photographers, they are not.

Note to self: Next time, finish putting make-up on before being photographed.
And get some bronzer.
And do something about the turkey-neck.

Thanks for a great morning, Mary!

thanks, mandi!

2012-01-25T08:42:00.003-06:00

Looky, looky!!

Don't you love my her header?

Thanks to MANDI for doing such a beautiful job!

And thank you all for the 4,598 emails & comments (nagging) reminding me
to change it.

Ahem.

Lolly said that last comment, not me.

I'll be back later to post about my morning.
It should be fun!

ultra-limited closet {and, dear lolly}

2012-01-23T18:34:00.012-06:00

Dear Lolly

Who is Lolly?
Lolly is a combination of me, Lori, and my
perimenopausal personality, Polly.
It's weird, I know.
But Lolly gives good advice, so just sit back and enjoy.

Dear Lolly,
Who will you vote for in the election?
Mom/Gramma

Dear Mom/Gramma,
You really don't want to open this can of worms.
Lori/Polly/Lolly
will likely share with great fervor her strong opinions
on this at a later date.
But until then,
let's keep peace around these parts for as long as we can.
Though, I suspect most of you would agree with me/Lolly/Polly.
Cause you're smart that way.
Love,
Lolly

*Please forgive my out-of-control font issues.
It is, out of my control for whatever reason.
****

Dear Lolly,

I am in need of a new refrigerator..... I really want the French door kind....I had no idea they were like a thousand dollars more than the side by side....what's with that anyway? My hubby doesn't get it... Do I hold my ground on the French door kind or cave in to another side by side??? Also, are you a fan of the ice and water on the door??? Some of these refridgerators are so "fancy" these days!!!!

Mary Kate

Dear Mary Kate,
I have no idea what you mean by French doors on a refrigerator. I'm a simple girl from the heart of the midwest. I do not know of what you speak.
But, here's my infamous (butt-cheek-ridden) fridge...

I love it/hate it. No, I don't hate it at all.
I love it and am so thankful for it!!
But I do deeply resent the stainless steel on a regular basis.
But still, I'm so very thankful.
Keeping it clean is a pain...but it's better now that I have
a good grasp on how to clean it (about 7 years since purchasing it).
I love the freezer on the bottom. Love that so much.

So anyway, Lolly would definitely say that when it comes to major purchases like this,
get what you can AFFORD. Defies the American way, I know.
Although really, what's wrong with just a mini-fridge in your closet?
Wait, what?
I digress.
Get the fridge that best meets the needs of your family and
your budget.
And if it's got some style, then all the better!

That brings me to:

My closet, which, by the way, has a mini fridge in it:
Fan-say!

It's a very sad sight, isn't it?

The mess, I mean.
This is the wardrobe of two people.
Husband and me.
All seasons, winter, spring, summer, fall.
So be it.
Truly, I'm very thankful for my teeny tiny closet.
It keeps me in-check with reality.
Or something like that.
But the bigger issue is, in less than a week I'm getting new carpet in this little
area and I need to clear it out. And I am DETERMINED to downsize.
I am working on setting some sort of limit on my clothing items.
Say,
10 t-shirts (which I wear ALL the time)
5 pairs of jeans (which I wear ALL the time)
5 nice things for church
And that's all.

Seriously, I would love to simplify that much.
Maybe I will!!

How 'bout you?

Do you have an ultra-limited closet?

Tell me all your closet secrets and wildest closet dreams.

Go.

Love,
Lolly

unsightly things

2012-01-23T06:28:00.003-06:00

Here's what we did this weekend:

Actually, this is all from Sunday night.

The rest of the weekend, I simply cannot disclose to you.
Just kidding.

My neighbor Carla gave me a rockin' recipe for chocolate chip cookies,
made with barley and wheat flour.
Freshly milled, of course.
It was way more exciting than you can imagine.
Well, to me it was.

And something else happened.
One of those things that makes a wife want to run away and never come back.
My husband declared that he was going to clean out the junk drawer.
He's been threatening this for years.
And I've fought him tooth and nail insisting that some things
are just best left for future generations to discover.
There are deep hidden secrets in there, along with 643 dried up ink pens.
And a few other unsightly things...

He even recruited some kids to help him.
Suckers.
Traitors.

Unsightly things indeed.
Including fingernail clippings.
Do you see them?
I'm so sorry.
See? I was right. It all should have been left alone, undisturbed.

And unrelated,
I bought myself some granny glasses.
Because...well, someone has been changing the print on all my reading material to the Slightly-Fuzzy font.

my friend mary

2012-01-22T13:54:00.002-06:00

Hey, guys!

My real-life friend Mary is doing a fun little giveaway
*Starbucks Starbucks Starbucks*
based on your fabulous recipes.

Go check it out.

It's such a fun idea!

Lolly's Advice {take it or leave it}

2012-01-21T21:45:00.005-06:00

Now if your just now turning in,
there is a running-out-of-control advice column going here.
It all began with this post.
Go read it, you'll understand.

Here we go for more:

Dear Lori and Polly,
I've bought way too many books lately and run out of storage space for them.
I don't want to get rid of any. What should I do?
Hannah

Dear Hannah,
Excuse me please while I put on my sarcasm bonnet.
Let's see now,
here are the options that I see.

1. Put a moratorium on all book-buying.
2. Get a Kindle
3. Open a library

Love,
Lolly

****

Dear Lori and Polly,
What are the greatest ways to get people to leave comments on your blog?
Many people look at my blog, but don't leave comments!

Thank you for your help;
Hello Commenters

Dear Hello Commenters,
See this post.
There are brilliant suggestions that will
make all your wildest blogging dreams come true.
Love,
Lolly

****

Dear Lori....and ummm "Polly"

(For time's sake I'm jumping to the question part of
her comment)

Now for MY question. I would like to take up some form of exercise.
As an amputee and being in a wheelchair, my options are limited.
What are your thoughts on Jump roping?
Jo

Dear Jo,
I'm a bit worried about your warped sense of humor.
I can tell that we would be great friends because of it.
I do think you should use a jump rope
in your wheel chair...even if it means you make a lasso out of it.
I think that could come in very handy.

Oh and if you send me your address, I'd sure love to
send YOU a Valentine's card.

I love your fighting spirit and funny edge as you endure
this extremely hard season in your life.

Love you,
Lolly (mostly Lori)

****

Dear Lori,

Last night on the TV show The Middle, it was mentioned the neighbor boys would put their butt cheek prints on the windshield of a brand new car if you left it sitting in the driveway rather than put it in the garage.

I'm pretty sure the writers got the idea from your blog.

Have you considered having your boys patent their butt cheeks?

It would be a bum deal if they didn't get some type of royalties from it.

Dear Nancy,
This has me on red alert and I can assure
you that my entire legal team is working around the clock to
track down the writers of this show.

The butt cheek printing is patented and copyrighted
by the buns of my boys.
Thank you for your warning.

Love,
Lolly

get your free advice here!

2012-01-20T12:10:00.004-06:00

Wow, you guys.

This advice thing is really something.

It's so nice to have my pearls of wisdom appreciated, finally.

I had planned to wait until next week to answer ya'll's* questions but one is fairly urgent
(when it comes to hair situations, I don't mess around. It's no laughing matter).
And another question that touched my heart so deeply, that I simply can't wait.

*I'm pretty certain that having two apostrophes in one word is incorrect.
But I stand by my decision to use it.

Oh, and I love, love, love, what Mom/Gramma called me...Lolly.
That may stick.
We may just call my new column,

Ask Lolly: Offensively Blunt Advice {my service to you}

That's a bit long,
but I'll work on it on tweaking it.

But I do know for sure that I'm legally changing my name to Lolly.

Before we jump into this,
I need to tell you something very questionable about me.

Last night,
around 10:00 right before heading to bed...
my bedtime snack consisted of
a salad and cereal.

Not even kidding.

That's all I'm going to say about that.

Oh, and lest you are worried about the suspicious
tea that ended up in my mailbox (see last post),
trust me, it really was TEA
from my darling friend/neighbor, Carla.

Alright,
so let's roll up our sleeves here.

(If I ever miss a question, please know that it is NOT intentional...
kindly remind me!)

Faye asked:
Lori and Polly, how on earth do you stay so upbeat and silly?!! I LOVE reading your blogs just for this very reason!! Keep it going!

Well Faye, It's either stay upbeat & be silly, or completely lose my mind.
The first two are much more fun.

Love,
Lolly

****

Dear Lori,
Should I be offended that my teenage girls never ask to borrow my clothes? Sincerely, Insecure in SC

Dear Insecure in SC Girl, it's time you go shopping and buy
yourself a mini skirt and Uggs. Then, guard your closet.
Love,
Lolly

****

Dear Lori,
Where does the weight go when you lose it? :D
Sincerely, Brittne

Dear Brittne,
Well, it's clear to me that all lost weight
has arrived safely on my muffin-top.
Thanks for that.
Love,
Lolly

****

Dear Polly,
My 3 teenage sons have morphed into children I do not recognize,
understand, or claim.
How in the world is a poor mother to survive this stage of
parenting without completely loosing her mind?

Anonymous

Dear Anonymous,
Give them crew cuts and tell them to go build a fort.
Love,
Lolly

****

Madeleine said:
I went to get my hair streaked. I have a little bit of gray
hair growing just in the frontish of my head, like a crown.
SO instead of starting to go with plan old dark brown
like the rest of my head, I decided to go to my hair dresser and
get it streaked gray.
Because I am a grandmother, and totally cool.
A great combination if I may so myself.
The issue? It turned out blonde. duh.
(Cont'd comment in yesterday's comment section)

Madeleine,
About 18 years ago I had someone ask me to do this.
It was a man who was going to his
high school reunion (or something) and
he wanted to look more distinguished.
Well, as a young hair stylist, I freaked out a little.
Mostly because it was a man.
Anyway, I politely turned him down
because I knew it wouldn't work.
And I kindly tell you the same thing.
Especially with your dark Hispanic hair...
even if you could get it bleached enough to get all the
color out of it, it wouldn't look natural.
Leave your streak blonde, is my vote!
And wait for the Master colorist, our Creator,
to give you the silvery crown you deserve, in due time!
Love,
Lolly

****

There are other comments/questions I will try to answer
later but I want to jump right to my favorite
one of all:

Dear Mrs. Lori,
First, I must tell you that I just LOVE LOVE LOVE your blog!!! :)
I love it so much that in my high school English class we had to write
a paper on if we could meet any living person who would it be and why,
well you and your family were the first people that came to my mind,
but I didn't want my teacher to think I was a weirdo,
so I didn't write about yall haha. I feel like I know all of you,
and I know my mom gets so tired of hearing about your blog because
I tell her things about it all the time haha. :)
anyway haha, my question....my senior year I made some bad choices and
got pregnant with the most wonderful precious BLESSING from God!
I love my little baby so so much!! :)
now I am so much closer to our AWESOME GOD,
I now know how important it is to date and marry Godly Christian men!!
But here is my problem, good Christian guys aren't really into girls with babies.
How do I get past the stereotype of being a teen mom and make
them fall in love with me haha!? :)
Anonymous

My Dearest Anonymous,
Are we friends on FB? Because your situation sounds familiar to me.
Anyway, I've really been praying since I first read your
comment/question.
I asked the Lord to give me five points of advice for you. :)
I hope that I heard Him correctly!!

1. Honor the Lord, and seek Him daily.
*Pray continually.
*Have a Bible reading plan.

2. Second only to God,
your baby comes next on your priority list.
*Pray over her.
*Read to her.
*Set a good example for her with your words, actions,
and by dressing modestly.

3. Make good choices in relationships.
*Surround yourself with growing Christian friends
who will lift you up and hold you accountable.

4. Find a Mentor
*Ask the Lord to bring you a mature godly woman
who you can meet with regularly.
*You may not always like what she has to say,
but trust her advice, as long as it lines up with the Word of God.

5. Put finding a boyfriend on hold.
*OK, I know that's not what you wanted to hear.
Who knows, God may have the very man for you,
just around the corner...but let GOD bring Him to you.
Your highest treasure is depending on you
to take care of her (your baby is a girl, right?) and fiercely protect her.
There is very little room for mistakes here.
Please know that waiting on the Lord in this area of
relationship is worth the wait, however long it is.

And one last thing,
if you ever need someone to talk to, you are more than welcome to call me.
I can send you my number.
I'd love to chat with you.

Love,
Lori

inappropriate, illegal, and rebellious

2012-01-20T08:57:00.005-06:00

Have you ever had your neighbor-friend
leave you a bag of special tea leaves in a ziplock bag in
your mailbox?

And when you retrieve them out of your mailbox
you just laugh and laugh and laugh
at how inappropriate, illegal, and completely rebellious
it appears?

Yeah, that happened to me yesterday.

*Check back later for Polly's replies to your questions.
Oh, and Polly may or may not have changed her name.

advice column, continued

2012-01-19T06:33:00.004-06:00

First of all, I had a BEAUTIFUL night's sleep last night.
Oh, thank you, Lord!!

I am daisy-fresh and feelin' fine.

Your comments yesterday cracked me up.

And two brave ladies even put their questions out there for
my newly-formed advice column.

This sort of thing just feeds my soul.

Just ask anyone around me.
It is my joy to tell others what to do, how to think, and well,
whatever else I can think of to tell them.

Some people call that controlling.
I choose to call it,
Lori's Life-Tutoring Service.
World, you're welcome.

So here we go!

Dear Lori, I have a blog that I started so I could share what is going on at our house with family and friends. Most of the time I feel like I am just keeping a journal. How do I get people to leave comments so I know I am not just talking to myself!!! Signed, Is anyone out there?

Dear Is Anyone Out There,
If you're waiting for real life family and friends to comment,
forget it.
They are Creepers.
A Creeper is someone who goes online, searches you out,
reads all about you, examines your pictures.
But leaves no footprint that they've been there.
Creepers, they are.

But, complete strangers are almost always willing to
comment. I love complete strangers.
But you gotta prod them along sometimes.

Try these things:

1. Do a giveaway and require a comment to enter.

2. Do some sort of cooking post with lots of pictures...
you know, the kind with step-by-step photos.
As if anyone needs a pictorial on how to measure a cup of sugar.
But the people love that sort of thing.
And be sure to make a mistake in your cooking,
the people love to correct you when you're wrong.
That's a sure-fire way to get comments.

3. Write something really out-there...
people can't seem to stay silent when something is extrmeley funny,
or extremely controversial.
Especially the latter.

Well, those are a few of my tips.
Oh and I have also found that the more comments YOU leave
on others' blogs, the more likely someone is to
go read your blog.
Leave your footprint!

Love,
Lori and Polly

*************

Lori & Polly, I had a stick of lip balm I really loved. One day when my husband had chapped lips & I gave it to him to use. Apparently he loved it, too. He "borrowed" it for days & then left it in his pocket, and it went through the wash. I loved that balm & now it is gone. What should I do? Sincerely, dry lips

Dear Dry Lips,
I ask you with all kindness,
did you own the very last stick of this beloved lip balm
that existed on earth?
Can you not go...perhaps...BUY MORE?
Save your marriage from a bitter and dry-lipped argument
and run up to the Walmarts (or whatever fancy store you bought it)
and get yourself another one.
And get one for your hubby.
Write your names on them.
Don't share them.
And don't wash them.
Ever.

Love,
Lori and Polly

*To submit YOUR question,
leave it in the comment section.
I will answer in a post next week.
You've created a monster here, you know.

offensively blunt advice column

2012-01-18T09:06:00.005-06:00

(Source)

Well,
Polly Perimenopause reared her ugly head again last night
and I didn't get to sleep until 4:00 this morning.

DANG YOU, POLLY!!!!

I'm not kidding you when I say that I flopped around in
bed like a fish out of water trying for hours to get to sleep.
Then I got up about 17 times to read/watch TV/knit/mop/calk the tubs.

Ok, those last three things aren't true.

So in my reading,
I came across one of those sections in all magazines
where people write in to ask questions.

May I just pause to ask you,
who in the world would write into a magazine for advice?

Have you no friends?
Have you no mother?
Have you no shame at all?

Well, I decided that I would answer the questions right here,
for you all to enjoy.

Sit back, let's tackle this together.

Oh and I should say in advance that I do feel deeply convicted
that I should instead be sharing with you some very
spiritual insights that the Lord revealed to me in the wee hours.
But, I got nothin'.

So, here we go with my other idea:

Question #1:
"My husband thinks Valentine's Day is a fake holiday, and it hurts my feelings that he doesn't get me a card or make dinner plans. How can I convince him to celebrate?"

Lori's Advice:
"Okay, seriously? Get over yourself, girlfriend. Valentine's Day IS a made up holiday. Put on your big girl panties and quit your whining. Buy yourself your own dang card." Gentlemen, you're welcome.

Next.

Question #2:
"Is there a polite way to tell the person next to you on a plane that you'd really rather not chat?"

Lori's Advice:
"Yes, say this... "I'd really rather not chat with you."

It's not rocket science.

Moving on.

Question #3:
"My friend feeds our dog from the table when she comes over for dinner. How can I tell her to stop?"
Lori's Advice:
I see a thousand different angles to this, one being...umm, don't have your friend over for dinner...or... maybe, put your dog outside during dinner...or.... I don't know, TELL HER TO STOP.

Alright, that's it for now.
See how easy that was?

Maybe I'll start my own advice column right here.
I'll call it,
"Lori & Polly's Offensively Blunt Advice,
Yours for the Asking."

But I insist on only answering questions after
a sleepless night, when I'm good and bitter.

Ok so, who wants to be first?

bee in my bonnet

2012-01-17T18:52:00.003-06:00

Alrighty.

So, I regretfully don't have any pics for you
with today's events of
shopping for a new coat for Isaiah.

It was quite a day.

I had previously looked at Walmart and they were not marked down.
I just wasn't willing to buy a winter coat at this time of year
and not have it marked down significantly.

Target,
totally out of coats.
No joke.

But I did score a Starbuck's coffee.
But that's neither here, nor there.

And then,
the events turned suddenly after we finally came home with
a $12.98 coat.
Thank you very much, Sam's Club.

He proudly showed everyone at home his new prized
possession...only for Eli to proceed to
show Isaiah that his old coat was IN THEIR CLOSET.

Can you say,
BEE IN MY BONNET?

Lesson learned:
English communication is good.
I wish we had more of it...
In our country,
and in our home.

*%&$*#)@**

Sorry.

And for now, I choose to say no more about this matter.

a pitiful sight

2012-01-17T09:11:00.003-06:00

A few weeks ago Isaiah lost his coat.
We think we left it at church...but we're really not sure.
And it hasn't shown up in the lost and found...
so, I am not exactly certain what the heck happened to it.

But it's been so unseasonably warm around these parts
that he has been able to get by just fine with a hoodie.

But today we are heading out to run errands all day,
while Lucy is at her homeschool enrichment class.

But it just so happens that it's WAY cold out.
And windy.
And WAY cold.
It was over 60 degrees yesterday, of course.
But today, we've plummeted to unreasonable coldness.
Well, it's like it usually is here in January...it's just that I've grown
quite accustomed to this new tropical midwest weather.

Anyway,
my point here is,
I reckon I need to just bite the bullet and go buy him a new
coat, but I already have the appearances of it all dancing
through my head.

So,
here's the scenario as it will be seen by outsiders:

Elderly white woman takes little Chinese boy shopping
in the frigid cold.
Little Chinese boy has no coat, and a black eye.
(See the post below)
Also, his pants are about two inches too short.
And his shirt sleeves are too short too.
And he has a black eye.

It's going to be a pitiful sight.

Wish me luck as I attempt to explain to strangers
our situation throughout the entire day.

seemingly sweet

2012-01-15T09:55:00.008-06:00

Let me tell you a quaint little story.

Once upon a time,
there lived a sweet little brother and a seemingly sweet big sister.

One day,
Sweet Little Brother and Seemingly Sweet Big Sister
were playing together, nicely...
or so it began.

The two were having fun with paper dolls.

Seemingly Sweet Big Sister said to Sweet Little Brother,

"Sweet Little Brother, do you like the outfit I've put on my
paper doll?"

Sweet Little Brother said,
"Uh huh."

Seemingly Sweet Big Sister, not satisfied with that answer,
repeated her question...this time, with much fervor,
"Sweet Little Brother, I said, do you like the outfit I put
on my paper doll?"

Again, Sweet Little Brother said,
"Uh huh."

Enraged by such a passive answer,
Seemingly Sweet Big Sister threw the paper doll
(which was actually made of wood)
straight at Sweet Little Brother and said,
"You are supposed to say, YES."

And so ends our quaint little tale.

The moral of the story:
If you want to shape a future hen-pecked husband,
follow the example of Seemingly Sweet Big Sister.

"Better to live on a corner of the roof
than share a house with a quarrelsome wife."
Proverbs 21: 9

cheesy and delicious {loft bed and cute friends}

2012-01-14T08:47:00.006-06:00

Yesterday afternoon K-man drove to B's college to
deliver the loft bed he made for him.
Don't you love it?
It even has a fluorescent light and a power strip.
It's the ultimate college loft bed.

And don't you love the $20 couch?
It's disgusting.

So the kids and I were home for the evening.
And we had two very lovely visitors stop by!

My dear friend Gayly and her gloriously adorable daughter Clara
were in the area and came by to see us!

And when I broke out the camera, Clara put on her cheesy Chinese face.
She's rather clued in to the fact that she's delicious.

Umm, how cute is this?!

My, oh my.

Have you ever?

We had such a wonderful time!!

so funny, so fun!

2012-01-13T19:49:00.003-06:00

There is nothing quite like watching
Chinese children watch slap-stick comedy.

Oh my stars, do they laugh!

Thanks, Home Alone movies!

And if that's not fun enough, my dear friend Gayly
is on her way over for a quick visit!

Such a fun Friday night!

your weekend {plans and menu}

2012-01-13T08:10:00.004-06:00

It's Friday, Friday
Gotta get down on Friday,
Everybody's lookin' forward to the weekend, weekend...

Start singing that song all day today.
Especially if you have teenagers, they will love it.

If you have no idea what I'm talking about,
consider yourself blessed just a little bit more than those of us
who do.

Moving on.

So, what's on your plate for this weekend, weekend?

I just might come unglued if any of you tell me that you
still haven't taken down your Christmas decorations.

There are support groups for people like you.

Now let's not talk about this again for at least 11 1/2 months.

Anyway, here's what I want to know regarding your weekend:

1. Do you have any fun plans?

2. What are you making for breakfasts/lunches/dinners?

I need meal ideas.

So far, my plans are to clean and organize.
It's so cute how I never ever give up on the pipe dream to be organized.

And so far my tentative menu is:

1. Chicken fried rice (dinner tonight)
2. Quiche (lunch tomorrow)
3. The rest is a mysterious blur.

That's why I'd love to hear what you're gonna be making.

If your making something especially delicious,
I will show up at your house.

No, really...I will.

Alright now, get out that and enjoy your Friday, Friday!

my thoughts on organization {a list}

2012-01-12T07:30:00.000-06:00

As we start off the new year, let's all hunker down and get organized. Let's get a little OCD with our cluttery selves. Ok, whatever. I found a nice list of how to iron out the confusion of life.

I got the following list HERE.

My own thoughts are interjected in red (because I simply cannot not tell you my own thoughts).

1. Utilize a list notebook.

Often chaos ensues because we are trying to juggle too many things in our brains. We can’t focus on any one thing because we are trying to remember everything. It’s exhausting to say the least.

Grab yourself a notebook and just start brain dumping all that needs to be done. Be very detailed with this list because the more steps you list out, the less you have to try and remember. It makes a huge difference to your mental clutter even if you aren’t able to get everything crossed off that list in one day.

I love, love, love my little notebook. It's a mess, loaded with lists, ideas, and nonsense! But it keeps me on-track, when I use it. And I do use it frequently, but not always. Everyone around me knows when it is or is not being used. Although the resulting attitude, it is often confused with PMS. And should the two ever coincide....well, God help us all.

And yes, this is an actual picture of me.

What were we talking about? Oh, yes...an organization notebook.

image credit: organizing junkie

2. Update your family calendar.

Now take your list to your calendar (and if you don’t have a central family calendar, get one quick!) Make sure your calendar is updated with appointments, school events, things to bring, etc.

For instance, if you need to bring cupcakes to school on Friday, add a note to Thursday’s square to pick them up or make them that day.

A big ol' family calendar is a MUST. Write down every single detail that you need "to do" that is time-sensitive. Then make sure you LOOK at the calendar periodically, like, every day would be good. Don't be like me.

3. Menu plan for today.

You may not be menu planning for the whole week yet, but you can menu plan for TODAY. Instead of waiting until the witching hour (isn’t that the worst!), plan what you’ll eat that night in the morning.

Check your freezer, pull some meat out, look up a recipe and you’re all set. 10 minutes of pre-planning will again allow you to stop worrying about it for the rest of the day and free up all sorts of head space. See the pattern here?

Mental clutter = overwhelmed

Yes, yes, yes. This is so good and makes the day go so much smoother if dinner is decided upon and underway early on. I do do this on most days. I do. And when I don't, it's obvious. But everyone knows not to complain. I've set it up that way.

4. Never leave a room empty-handed.

One of my best tips for staying on top of clutter is to make sure you take something with you every time you leave a room. Do it as you go…dirty dishes, laundry, toys, mail, you name it. If it belongs in a room you’ll be going to or passing, bring it with you!

This is perhaps the best one of all. The beauty of it is, when you are going, say, to your bedroom to get something, you pick up something, say, in the kitchen, on the way, that needs to be taken to your bedroom. Then when you get in your bedroom and forget what you went in there for in the first place, grab something in your room that needs to go back into the kitchen on your way back there to remember what you went into your bedroom for. Are you following me? Then when you remember, grab something else to take with you. Everything in your entire house will be it its rightful place by nightfall.

If you didn't understand that, don't worry. I tend to analyze things a bit more than anyone else. Just don't leave a room empty-handed, OK?

5. Assign a task to your children.

Too many moms are trying to do it alone. Get your kids involved. Start today. Assign them each one task off your list to complete. I know it’s often faster for us just to do it ourselves but the training has to start somewhere.

I do this occasionally...but the controller in me just won't have it. And the result is, a bunch of kids who are waited on. It's all gonna backfire one of these days.

image credit: threeifbybike

6. Create a donation station.

Every home needs somewhere to collect the things we no longer need. Grab yourself a big box, mark it with the words donation station and let everyone know what it’s for.

My donation station is a corner of my bedroom that creates quite the eye-sore. I need to figure out a better place. But every single inch of my home is taken.

7. Add 5 things to that donation station everyday.

Have every person in your household collect 5 things today to add to that donation station. Set a timer and make a game out of it. See who can be the first to collect their 5 things. Before you know it, that donation station will be full!

Umm, five things? I need at least four of those things, thank you very much.

8. Create an “I’m Outta Here” shelf.

Similarly you need an errand bin by your front door. I call it my “I’m Outta Here” shelf and it’s somewhere I can collect things that need to be returned to a friend, mailed, returned, etc. That way when I’m heading out I can easily remember what needs to be done and tasks don’t get backlogged.

This is a good idea. But I don't do it. Nor do I know how/when/where I will ever do it.

9. Do a 10-minute tidy before bed.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again. Do a 10 minute tidy each night before bed to set up your next day for success. Plug in cell phones, check and update your calendar, tidy surfaces, make lunches or whatever it is that needs to be done in order to start the following day on the right foot. It makes a world of difference!

Ten minutes? Oh that's adorable. But it's a good "idea". Really, it is.

10. Check your attitude.

Finally, stop beating yourself up! Coming down hard on yourself does nothing except make you miserable. Tomorrow is another day. Celebrate every accomplishment no matter how small.

Attitude: See first picture above.

Happy Organizing!!

wednesday nights {what do you do?}

2012-01-11T08:03:00.000-06:00

Aww, it's Wednesday.

Which for us,
that means things will get crazy-busy later as
we cram in dinner, then rush out to take the kiddos to church.

When I was a kid,
we went to church three times a week.
Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night.

Sadly, Sunday night services seem to be a thing of the past.

And even Wednesday nights aren't quite what they used to be.
Schools used to not schedule any activities because
it was set aside for family time (including church).

But nowadays,
that is quickly changing.

Lucy going to her first night of Awana
over a year ago.
She has LOVED it ever since then.

So, what do you guys do on Wednesday nights?

AWANA?
Missionettes - Royal Rangers?
Youth group?

Do you still have service for adults?

Whatever you do,
be blessed, and be a blessing!!

meatballs and larry {the carpet guy}

2012-01-10T16:42:00.008-06:00

Here's what's going on right at this very second.

1. I am in the middle of making some delicious bread.

2. I am in the middle of making dinner (spaghetti and meatballs).

3. I am in the middle of waiting on Larry the carpet guy to show up.

K-man and I have been saving up to re-do our bathroom and
get new carpet in our bedroom.
So, last week I picked up some samples and scheduled
for Larry to come out and measure.

And of course today I was frantic about getting our bedroom
cleaned up and vacuumed, etc., etc.
Lord knows I want to make a good impression on Larry,
for goodness sake.
Now, as I wait for him to arrive, I'm looking at our 15 year old
bedroom carpet thinking,
"Hmm, this doesn't look so bad. Maybe we can make it last
a tad longer."

Well, I guess since Larry's likely on his way already,
I'll just leave things as they are.

Then change my mind 253 times and not get a wink of
sleep tonight, thinking about it.

Yes, that's what I'll do.

Excuse me now,
I need to tend to my meatballs and watch for Larry.

a quandary in my soul

2012-01-10T07:06:00.003-06:00

My Brenden went back to college yesterday.

Wahhhh!

I'm not sure who thought up this whole,
grow-up-become-independent-want-my-own-life,
thing.

But really,
it's ridiculous.

**Thinking Back...Dream segment**

The time Brenden stripped down to his boxers in the
car because it was like, 137 degrees outside.

The time Brenden planted himself smack-dab in front
of the TV (in Lucy's little chair) to watch Shawn Johnson.
**Dream Segment over**

I thought about strapping myself to his car
and refusing to let him go...
but he'd just drive the whole three hours back with me
dangling there.
So it seemed pointless.

But it did conjure up some reminiscing as he pulled
away.

And I couldn't help but have THIS POST stand out in my
heart and mind.

If you've been around a while,
you likely know exactly what I'm talking about.
If not, you better go read it.

And after having read it again,
my sad heart is a little less sad to see him leave.

Or is it sadder?

It's a quandary in my soul.

winner, winner!

2012-01-09T20:14:00.002-06:00

Well, I had the most fun reading what ya'll were
doing last weekend.

And for those of you who JUST took down your
Christmas decorations...

I do not understand your ways.

If it were up to me,
our tree and decorations would be boxed up and put away
by 10:45 Christmas morning.

I love it while it's up,
but when it's over, it's over...
and I want that dust magnet out of my house.

Merry, merry!!

Ok, save your harassment, I get enough grief from my kids
over this subject.

Moving on...

so here's the big winner of the Show Hope t-shirt!

Tina!!
at
"Home is Where Your Story Begins"

Woot woot!

Email me, friend, and I'll send your shirt to you right away!

wanna-be cowboy

2012-01-09T06:23:00.005-06:00

I will do the drawing for the
Show Hope t-shirt giveaway
later today,
so you still have time to get in on it!

Read HERE to find out more.

And in the meantime, for your viewing pleasure,
here is our resident polar bear, Zeke.
The one for whom we are putting the gate up to keep him on
our property.
Otherwise he wanders off in order to coral all the cattle
in our surrounding area,
that aren't ours.
Farmers don't like that.

And we WILL be adding a fence to connect to the gate,
you sillies.

Zeke,
the wanna-be cowboy.
Have a great Monday, guys!

impassible gate

2012-01-07T16:08:00.004-06:00

Once upon a time,

there lived a father and his two eldest sons.

They decided one day that they needed to put a gate
at the end of the driveway.

So, they did.

During the process, the younger son said to his father,
"Father, I do believe that our ginormous dog will be able to
fit under our new gate and run away."

To which the father said,
"Son, if you can't fit under the gate, neither can our
ginormous dog. Hence forth and try to fit
under it, Son."

"Ok, Father, I will do just that."

And so the son tried,
but didn't fit, after all.

And there he stayed for the rest of his life.

He eventually got married and enjoyed a relative full life.
But mysteriously, never had children.

The End.

a giveaway {show hope tee}

2012-01-06T16:34:00.004-06:00

I often wish I had a big fancy blog,
where I could do big fancy giveaways
like the big fancy bloggers,
for my big fancy followers.

But here I am,
just little ol' me,
about to do a lil' ol' giveaway.

But,
that doesn't make YOU any less big or fancy.
Not that you're big.
I'm sure you're all very petite and model-like.

Because we have that in common with one another.

So here's my little attempt at a giveaway,
simply because
I adore my followers.

I have one Show Hope tee leftover from our fundraiser,
from way back when.

Oh my word. I can't believe how little Lucy was, not so long ago.
Please excuse me as I cry profusely.

Anyway, I'm giving away one my last tee.
It's a size Large.

I will stick this beauty in the mail to you right away, if you win.
The tee-shirt, not my Lucy.
She's a keeper.
Oh, golly....is she EVER a keeper.

So, here's all you have to do to win a chance at this fabulous prize.

1. Be a FOLLOWER of my blog.

2. Leave me a comment answering this,
"This weekend I hope to..."

That's it.

So, good luck to you.

Perhaps in the future I will give away a hot tub or something.

Don't hold your breath for that.

I will do the drawing on Monday!

so much blessing!

2012-01-06T12:31:00.002-06:00

Well, happy day!

I couldn't help but think of this verse,

"...and see if I don't throw open the flood gates of heaven
and pour out so much blessing that you will not have room enough for it."
Malachi 3:10

when I gathered eggs this morning.

Just look!

My hens are absolutely loving this unseasonably warm weather we are having.

I'm so proud of them!

I think I'll invite them in for coffee this afternoon.
They so deserve the downtime.

I'll be sure to blog about that.

first dentist appointment

2012-01-05T13:06:00.003-06:00

Today was Isaiah's very first dentist appointment.
Actually, it was yesterday.
But we missed it.
Because my brain no longer functions in a normal fashion.

And when Lucy was looking at the calendar on Tuesday night
and said to me,
"Mom, Isaiah's dentist appointment is tomorrow (Wednesday)."

I said to her,
"No, Honey, it's Thursday."

Even though it was clearly written down for Wednesday.
And I apparently feel no reason whatsoever to
look at what's written down, even when someone brings it to
my attention.

So when the dentist office called me on WEDNESDAY to reschedule,
I told Lucy that she was right and umm,
yeah...she basically rolled her eyes at me and said,
"I tried to tell you that."

Anyway, the moral of the story is this.
I am putting Lucy in charge of all calendar events.
Period.

And here's Mr. Isaiah Jack,
loving his appointment.

When the hygienist put sunglasses on him, he actually said,
"Do I look good?"

Oh dear.

Anyway, it was a peaceful appointment,
unlike with others that we won't mention here.
Lucy Joy.

I'm so thankful that the caboose of our children train is so easy going.

waving flaps

2012-01-04T16:00:00.005-06:00

So some of you commented last summer on
my armage.

My secret is,
I work out vigorously.
Bahahaha.
That's very funny.

Seriously, now.

Truth is,

my real arm worker-outer

is my blow dryer, Betty.
Betty Blow Dryer.

This bad girl weighs about 12 lbs (or there about).
And since it takes me almost ten minutes to
dry my dang clown hair,
well, that makes for one great workout
every single day of my life.
I intentionally use both arms just to keep my muscles balanced.
That's important, you know.
The very balance of the universe depends on it.
Not really.

But, I have sad news.

Betty died.

She's been a faithful friend for almost ten years.
We have been through thick and thin together.
Curly, straight, and everything in between.

I had to replace 'er.
(Sniffle sniffle)

And my new gal is lighter and sleeker.
(Don't tell Betty that, bless her heart.)

So now my arms going to heck in hand basket.

I'll have some amazing waving flaps just in time for summer.
You just wait and see.

mom, i don't even know you anymore

2012-01-03T16:13:00.006-06:00

Setting: Kitchen
Cast of Characters: Nick and Me
Plot: Nick surfing TV channels, stunned

Nick,
"Umm, Mom...MOM, what the heck happened to Sports Center?"
It's gone.
It's just gone.
What happened to my Sports Center?"

Me,
"Oh, about that. Funny thing...Dad and I decided we should cut
back to the basic plan on our TV package."

Nick,
*Flipping thru channels*
Wait, what?...Why the heck do we have QVC shopping channel
but not Sports Center? Hold on, do we still have Golf Channel?
We do still have Golf Channel, right?"

Me, cringing...
"Umm, no....no we don't. But we're saving like 30 bucks a month."

Nick,
"Oh my word, Mom, I don't even know you anymore."

And I suppose it's by no coincidence that this man-child talked me into
buying some muscle-building protein earlier in the day.

The testosterone is running swiftly, I tell you.

And still no Sports Center or Golf Channel.

I do anticipate him to run away any day now.
Give me a call if he shows up at your
house.
And if you have Sports Center or Golf Channel,
he just might.

The End.

random keepsakes

2012-01-02T21:41:00.002-06:00

I searched high and low, for days on end, looking for my camera cord so I
could put my recent pics on my computer.

High and low, I searched.
Low and high.

Then my dearest husband joined in my efforts and found it (within minutes)...
right in the desk drawer I had put it in.
I've got to start remembering that I am being organized now,
and when I'm looking for something,
I should start with looking in an organized
location, instead of under the furniture & such.

So I was thinking I had all kinds of fun pics on my camera
that would bring some fun blog posts.

But, it turns out that I only had a very limited amount
of random keepsakes.

Here you go.

Lucy came up to me the other day
and told me she must put this sticker on my robe.

Look at that badge of honor.
She notices that I'm doing a great job around here!
That girl is so attentive.
So I gave her ice cream for dinner.
Shhh, don't tell the others.

Then if that wasn't enough,
she took the time to write me a few notes to put by
my coffee mug & coaster (that she made for me),
with the post-it notes that Ninny gave her.

So I gave her ice cream for breakfast.

Sharply changing the theme here,
I made pizza for dinner last night.
Brenden requested Buffalo Chicken pizza to share with no one.

And because I run a charitable diner in my kitchen
(charitable meaning, my customers (meaning, my children)
don't pay but are quick to glance at their imaginative menus and
order whatever their hearts' desire...
and I almost always make it for them),
I made it for him.
That was the worst run-on sentence in the history of mankind.

And we took pics.
Because it was pretty.
And yummy.

And the crust was made with freshly milled wheat and was so healthy.
And my children get so mad at me when I tell them
how healthy things are that I make.
It apparently ruins the whole thing for them.

So my new mantra is,
"It's rotten for you, I tell ya! Rotten!"

That's all I have for you.
Now get out there and enjoy your Tuesday.
It's the only one this week that you get.
You can quote me on that.
It's deep, I know.

well hello, 2012!

2012-01-01T20:44:00.003-06:00

Jesus has a wonderful way of restoring us when we fail Him!
He does no humiliate us.
He does not criticize us.
He does not ask us to make a resolution to try harder.
Rather, He takes us aside and asks us to reaffirm our love for Him.
Experiencing God Day by Day,
Henry Blackaby & Richard Blackaby

I really can't tell you how thankful I am that 2011 is over.
As many of you know,
the first year of adoption, particularly the first half,
is often grueling. The enemy hates it when we step out in faith
to do Kingdom work, and by golly, it makes him downright
teeth-gnashing-mad when we fight hard to press on,
even when it's dang difficult.

Anyway,
I'm so excited about 2012.
After an amazingly great message at church this weekend
about fasting, I'm so stoked to receive God's blessings that come
only through that discipline.

I've also got a few "resolutions" lined up.
Though, I hate to call them that.
It really all just comes down to living out what God has called us to do
in the first place...

To be better stewards of our time, talents, and everything else He
has so richly blessed us with.

Now get out there and do it!
Let's go, go, go!
Fight, team, fight!
Hip-hip, hooray!

That reminds me, Lucy came in the house this afternoon
crying hysterically because she dropped her
pom-pom on her forehead.
How will this girl ever make it as a perky cheerleader?
I do not know.

Moving on.

Now if I could only find my cord for my camera,
I'd post a pic or two.

That would fall into the, being-an-organized-steward, category.

Baby steps.

Celebrate & serve in 2012, everyone!!

i'm a mess

2011-12-30T21:18:00.002-06:00

So yesterday morning around 11:00 my mom came over for a visit.
We had coffee, I cut her hair, then she took Macy shopping for a few hours.

They got back to our house later in the afternoon and my mom said to me,
"OH. You haven't gotten dressed yet?"

Me,
"Yes, I'm dressed...this is the outfit I picked out for today!"

Cute tee-shirt with flannel pajama bottoms.
Hello, comfort!

She really did teach me better than that.
Like the time when I was about 16 and she was shocked
that I was going out on a date (with K-man) and my toenails
weren't polished, even though I was wearing sandals.
I knew better.

I've just gone off the deep in in rebellion.

I'm a mess.

a special gift {peanut butter and jelly...}

2011-12-28T07:55:00.003-06:00

Isaiah got a very special gift at Ninny and Papa's house.

Very special, indeed.

A jar of peanut butter and jelly.

Or as he calls it,
Peanut butter and jellyfish.

He loves him some peanut butter and jellyfish sandwiches.

my island {really!}

2011-12-26T16:22:00.007-06:00

So, here's the big reveal.

The unbelievable gift my husband gave me
for Christmas.

Hold onto your seats.

He got me...

an island.

Yes, you read that right.

An ISLAND.

I don't mean, an island just to enjoy for a week.
I mean, an island that we OWN.
A real life island.
ALL mine, until I get tired of it.

Now, I know exactly what you're thinking.
What the heck?
Isn't that a bit extravagant...or A LOT extravagant?
And expensive?
WAY expensive?

Well, it's way more practical and affordable than you'd think.

Really.
It is.

It's just simply the greatest thing he could have got for me right now.
I need the extra space to stretch out.
I need the relaxation of more room to expand.

You can have one, too.

Just run over to Home Depot.

Wait...what did you think I meant?

*Coconuts compliments of one of my partners in crime, Patty.

our christmas

2011-12-25T22:57:00.013-06:00

Christmas Eve...

My mom did a little drawing for all the kids...
with little consumable gifts, just for fun.
You should have seen Eli's face
as he stood there holding a cake mix, his very first Christmas gift.
It was hilarious.

It was the most lovely evening.

Christmas morning...

Brenden's stocking was filled with lots of practical things...
including a spatula.
He was pretty stoked.
Who wouldn't be?

The kids had a blast.
Lots of fun things were unwrapped.

Brenden bought his father some cigars.
Of course he did.

One really great moment was when Macy opened up a pair of jeans...

And, "What's that??"....a new cell phone just happened to be ringing in the back pocket.

She was pretty excited, as you can see.

Christmas afternoon...

It was a very special day.

But let's back up a bit.

My big boys did something pretty "special".
I should have seen this coming, honestly.

Last year my dear husband bought me this fabulous frame...

Look how completely excited I was.
I loved it.
I love it.

But it sat in my living room.
And sat.
And sat and sat and sat.
Photo-free.

Several comments were made throughout the year
about my beautiful picture frame, sans any pictures.
I got harassed for moving it out of the way,
and even dusting it occasionally.

So, they thought they'd give it another shot.

Look how stoked I am, all over again!!

It was pretty funny.
We'll see what strides I make with it this year.

*****

It was such a fabulous Christmas.
But I have one thing left to share with you...later.
Stay tuned to see THE MOST amazing gift my husband has ever given me.
Oh my. It is big.

You won't believe it.

what's your favorite song?

2011-12-24T12:14:00.003-06:00

I bet you didn't know this about me.

I hate Christmas songs.

AAACK.

Can I even say that without feeling loads of guilt?

No, I cannot.

Truth is, I get so tired of a hundred renditions of
White Christmas...and all the others.

Drives me batty.

I listen to worship music 100% of the year...so I just don't find
it necessary to suddenly sing about our Savior.
Because, I do that ALL the time.

Anyhoo...

I do enjoy some of the classic hymns.

"Oh, Holy Night"
is my all time favorite.

We sang it at church last night at our candle light service.

The words, they are glorious.

So, what's your favorite Christmas song?

Please do not say, "Jingle Bells."

here's what's really going on

2011-12-23T07:45:00.003-06:00

Things are busy-busy in our cozy cottage in the country,
as we prepare for Christmas.
We are having the governor over for rib roast, served
with red wine from our vineyard.
And Lori will make her award-winning 5-layer Fudge Cake
from the cocoa beans she picked in Guatemala last spring.
We will hop on our chartered jet Christmas afternoon for three weeks in Maui.
Then come home to relax before going back to work
at our Fortune 500 company.

The children all have 4.0's in school and hope to travel overseas
to study next semester.
They are currently working on learning Greek, Latin, and Hebrew.
Their holiday project is to write a thesis in each language.
Every evening they knit sweaters for the homeless from our sheep's wool...

Wait, wait, wait!!

...This isn't our family Christmas newsletter.

Silly me.

Here's what's really going on...

My new hens are laying eggs now and I couldn't be more tickled.
Look how little they are compared to my big hens' eggs.
Although, this is no doubt a double-yoker.

Basketball is in full-swing.
And the fans couldn't be happier.

Lucy always begs to go watch Nick play...then is bored after 3 1/2 minutes.
But aren't her bangs cute?
We cut them on a whim the other night.
As with any vain woman, she was highly distraught afterwards.

Nick's epic talents...

Well, that's all I have for you now.

Please excuse me,
I need to get back to writing our Christmas newsletter.

all boy

2011-12-21T12:39:00.006-06:00

Today is the first day of Christmas vacation.

Fun, fun.

So I have these kids on a strict schedule.
Sorta.

I sent them outside to play after lunch...
I looked out the window
and something caught my eye.

Isaiah, pants hoisted up, enjoying a puddle to the fullest.

He is all boy, I tell ya.

coolest mom on the planet

2011-12-19T17:13:00.003-06:00

Who's the coolest mom on the plant?

Go ahead, guess.

YES!

That's right...it's ME!
And that makes YOU the coolest guessers on the planet.

And I am especially cool today because guess what I did?
Guess!

YES!

That's right...I spent the day making bread.
THEN, I had to pick Macy up from school for piano lessons
and YES, I absolutely
DID bring a warm loaf of whole wheat cinnamon swirl, fresh out of the oven,

with me so she would have THE most delicious snack after
a long day of finals.

Yes, it's on a cutting board with a bread knife on the side.
I thought of everything except a kettle of hot tea.
Dang it.
Next time!
And half the loaf may or may not have been eaten
by the time we got home.

And it may have or have not have been just Macy and me in the car.

And I may or may not be eying the rest of the loaf
to eat after dinner.

That's how I roll.

And roll and roll and roll.

reality blogging

2011-12-18T07:04:00.012-06:00

Weekends around here are either:

A. Exciting-packed-full-of-productivity.
OR
B. Lazy-daisy-easy-peasy.

This weekend has been Option A.

I love Option-A weekends.
Mainly because I can't stand people sitting around my house
doing nothing.
Unless it's me doing the sitting around doing nothing.

Anyway,
let's take a look at what's happened, thus far.

FRIDAY NIGHT:

This is the result of leaving six kids and a can of snow at home while parents
go Christmas shopping.

You should see my bathroom mirrors.

SATURDAY:

My big boys were instructed to dig a hole.
A fence post hole, to be exact.

So they did.

As the situation received further assessment,
it was decided by the committee that they would just use the hole to send
the children back to China.

Further assessment gave them a change of heart.

Then we went to a gun show.

Then Isaiah was being all-boy by kicking the little gnats flying around.

Praise the Lord!

Then Brenden caught a ride on K-Man's sexy tractor (that's what he calls it).
Sexy Rhoda Kabota.

Then we had a family meeting about whether we needed to go to the car wash or not.

Then we went to the car wash.

The End.

I do hope you'll tune in next week for more reality blogging.

amazing giveaways!

2011-12-16T13:55:00.003-06:00

You really need to head over to Mandi's blog
to check out her fund raiser!

They finally got Travel Approval and are leaving NEXT Friday
for their adorable Kalia!

BUT they had an unexpected adoption bill arrive today and
really need one more surge in their Chip-in!

Her giveaways are AMAZING!

Go check it out!!!

bread for sale!

2011-12-15T09:07:00.005-06:00

Freshly milled grains,
made immediately into bread.

Behold the goodness.

"Once the kernel of wheat is broken open, however, as in milling, the protection of the bran is gone and many of these nutrients, now exposed to oxygen, are lost by oxidation. In fact, once milled, as much as 45% of the nutrients are oxidized, in the first day alone. In 3 days, just 72 hours later, 90% of the nutrients are lost, all to oxidation alone and none to the sifting of the bran and germ."
Source: "Bread Beckers" Go visit their site
to read the rest of the article.
It's fascinating!

The more research I do,
the more shocked I am by the nutritional goodness
in freshly-milled grains.
And how horribly depleted of nutrients white flour is.
Enriched? Hahaha...that's a joke since
only four of the 40+ nutrients are put back into it
after they are removed.

When I first bought my mill about six months ago,
I did it mostly for fun.
Little did I realize the health benefits of it.
There is so much vitamin E, that is lost after just a day,
when milled, that it is known to be the answer
for many skin problems.

In fact,
Macy's Psoriasis on her scalp has nearly cleared up completely
(and she isn't using her meds anymore)
since I started milling grains.
She LOVES my bread.
:)

Anyway,
my point here is:

I would love to make you some bread!

Only problem is,
it will be for my local friends only.
There's simply no way it would hold its goodness
for several days until it arrives in the mail
to you far-away folks.

So, to any of my peoples who live near me,
let me know if you'd like me to
bake for you!

The above loaf is my own version of Ezekiel Bread.
(The tag in the pic is wrong)

"Take wheat and barley, beans and lentils, millet and spelt;
put them in a storage jar and use them to make bread
for yourself."
Ezekiel 4:9

My bread has ALL of that, and more.
All freshly milled and baked.
I also use raw honey and real butter.
It's all good.

If you'd like a loaf or two...
I'm selling them for $5.50 a loaf.
(As in, five dollars and fifty cents)
(It was brought to my attention that my decimal wasn't showing up!)
(As much as I'd like to be able to sell it for five hundred and fifty dollars, I don't think that would go over well!)

This would make a great Christmas gift!
(We just have to work out the delivery time to match
up with when you will be giving it away...time is of the essence!)

It also freezes beautifully so no worries if you can't
eat it right away!

Give me a call or shoot me an email!
loriatjoyunspeakable@yahoo.com

on our heads!

2011-12-14T09:58:00.007-06:00

We are all on our heads with excitement!!

No comments.
If you think I look bad here, you should have seen the pics I deleted.
Heaven help me.

Yes, even K-man.
Sorry for the side-ways grainy pic.
I just grabbed my cell phone cause I knew this pose wouldn't last long.
Oh and do note that he insisted on not relying on the cabinet to hold him up.
Such a high achiever, he is.

Oh and we didn't forget Little Guy!

Nick was at basketball.

BRENDEN IS HOME!!!

paing {your suggestions, please}

2011-12-12T21:05:00.005-06:00

I need your help.

Help me, please.

Your help would be greatly appreciated.

I am wanting to paint our basement family room area.
I would show you a picture but I don't have one.
And I'm lying in bed as I type this
and I'm not about to get up and go take a pic.
I'm just too lazy.
Plus I'd have to explain to my husband what I was doing
and that's just way too much effort.
I like to keep my craziness to myself.
And you guys.

So, just imagine a family room.
With a couch.
An entertainment center.
A treadmill.
A side table.
Lamp.
Goats and chickens.
Just kidding.

Alright, now that I've set the stage,
tell me what color to paint it.

Go.

I'm thinking gold-ish.
But not yellow.
Or orangey.

This is blue, I do realize.
But that's not what I want.
I just liked the picture.

Though I am thinking of a lovely orange for a wall in my
entry way.

But that's another post for another day.

Back to the basement.

I'm open to all suggestions.
Just nothing bright and crazy.
I'll save that for my eyeshadow.

I need something neutral, yet stunning.
Warm and jaw-dropping.
But not, reach-out-and-smack-ya when you walk in the room.
You know exactly what I'm talking about.

I want to buy it at Home Depot or Lowe's
so don't be tellin' me 'bout some fancy color over
at a design center that I wouldn't dream of dragging my
children into.
I must have a shopping cart to harness these rascals.

So, tell me of your painting success stories.
Your rich colors that bring you joy every single day.
Colors that give you hope.
And soothe you after a stressful afternoon.
If it happens to babysit children, well, I will buy
eleven drums of it.

Thank you.

You are wonderful.

And if I pick YOUR color, I'll send you a prize.
Actually, probably not.
But maybe.

happy birthday to lucy! {and bedhead story}

2011-12-11T06:28:00.004-06:00

Lucy-Goosey had a birthday.
She turned 23.

Wait...that doesn't sound quite right.

Six.
She is now six.
Which is impossible, I swear it is.
That tiny 2-year old dolly we scooped up in China is becoming
quite the big girl.
Sigh.
It's ridiculous that she thinks it's okay to continue with this
growing nonsense.

She asked me the other day how old I was.
"Honey, you know that Mommy is 27."

Lucy, giggling hysterically,
"MOM, no you are NOT 27!!! Hahahaha."

Well, that was rude.

So I didn't give her any of her presents.

The End.

Oh yes I did.

Since a child's hairdo is a direct reflection
on her mother,
I feel the need to just admit right here and now
that I'm pretty sure Lucy's hair didn't see nary
a grooming apparatus all day long.
I take the blame.
I am woman enough to do that.

Which reminds me.
The other day I was at the
beauty supply store (of all places)...and the clerk looks down
at Isaiah and says,
"Oh, I love his bed-head...so cute."

It was like a knife in my back.
(from one hair stylist to another)

I bit my tongue.
But it was all I could do to not give her a rundown
of my life.

It really should have been obvious to her (had she a lick of sense),
that I am a weary *27-year old* mother of six,
and this bed-headed child I was dragging through the store
is the youngest of the six.
It's a wonder he was even dressed, for goodness sake.

I digress.

Happy Birthday to Lucy (last Friday)!!

chocolate and champagne {eyeshadow mishap}

2011-12-08T20:23:00.005-06:00

I made a hasty eyeshadow decision earlier this week.

I realize there are real problems going on the world right now.
But please, hear me out.

Here's my make-up buying ritual:

1. Stand mesmerized by all the purty colors,
completely unable to make a decision.
Leave the store.
Empty-handed.
Feeling empty.
It's a very sad place to be.

~Or~

2. I make a decision in 30 seconds,
certain that I have found just the right shades that
will leave me looking fresh-faced and fabulous.
All my dreams and wishes, come true.
And world peace.
And dinner made & on the table when I arrive home.

Number 2 is what I went with this time around.
Sans the fresh-face, dreams/wishes come true, world peace,
and dinner on the table.

But whatever.

I got two eyeshadows, one named Champagne and the other, Chocolate.

Chocolate is good.
Chocolate is always good.

But Champagne, bad.

Very bad.

You know the bubbles that are in real champagne?
They were on my lids bright and early yesterday morning.
Dancing around, having a party.

I looked like a star in the Ice Capades.

So now I've gone back to the 10+ year old eyeshadow that I
was using previously.

Ten+ year old eyeshadow.

There's no reversing the damage of my purchase.
No refunds/no returns.
Period.

Eyeshadow budget: blown.

That's my eyeshadow story.

I know you were thinking there would be a grand crescendo
to my tale.

But, no.

That's it.

Now go on about your business.
You can now refocus your attention back on real problems.

Oh, but stay away from Champagne.
At least in the form of eyeshadow.

vanilla {hurry!}

2011-12-07T09:52:00.004-06:00

I have a few more bottles of vanilla left!

If you want to buy some, please use the Paypal button
to the right on the sidebar.

I will be taking it down in a few days so hurry fast
if you want some!

***SOLD OUT***

Thank you, everyone!

odds and ends

2011-12-06T17:48:00.003-06:00

Here's a few more pics from Isaiah's birthday party.

Eli and me.
We are cute, yes?

My parents.
They are the best ever.
And all my mom wanted was a cute pic.
But K-man and Eli wouldn't hear of it.

Eli was relentless.

Isaiah decided to give Lucy a haircut with his new chainsaw.
And she let him.

Happy Tuesday, everyone!!

brenden's fundraising efforts

2011-12-05T21:12:00.004-06:00

Just a little housekeeping:

I have heard from many of you regarding my blog header.

I know, I know, I know...
you don't have to remind me that it needs to be changed.

I know that it is two kids short.

And please don't read into it that something is wrong.

Things have been going quite well here recently.

The fact is,
I DON'T KNOW HOW TO CHANGE IT MYSELF.

And secondly,
I was waiting to change it to a family pic,
which we finally got when Brenden was home over Thanksgiving.

I have sent it to my dear and gracious friend Mandi,
who is my blog designer extraordinaire,
and she is going to change it soon.
(Go check out Mandi's blog...she's doing a great fundraiser
to bring her daughter home from China!)

So, not to worry!

But we have bigger concerns here.

Brenden just texted me with this:

"Wanna start a donation thing on your blog to raise
money for a polar bear head? ;D"

This is what I'm dealing with, folks.

And you think I have time to fiddle with my blog design?

While the above mentioned college student should be
worried about paying for, gosh I don't know, COLLEGE,
he is saving his pennies for a polar bear head to put on his
dorm wall.

Save me now.

happy birthday {isaiah}

2011-12-05T11:57:00.006-06:00

There's a new sheriff in town, ya'll.

And he's a little trigger-happy.

*Don't say I didn't warn you*

And the sheriff just happened to have a birthday yesterday.

Celebrating big,
just like every kid deserves.

Happy Birthday, Isaiah!

an amazing afternoon {hot-pot and friends}

2011-12-03T22:21:00.005-06:00

One of the many things that amazes me about adoption is,
the incredible people that have come into my life
as a result.

Not only has adoption brought wonderful children
into our family,
but I have become dear friends with special people
that I never would have met otherwise.

I love how God orchestrates that.

Love it.

Among those people, are some particularly special individuals.

God brought into our lives some
truly amazing Christian Chinese friends...
and they came for hot-pot yesterday.
They brought all the food.
And did all the work.
They are wonderful.

It was delicious.
It was grace-filled.
It was so fun.
It was an encouragement to my heart.

I simply cannot put into words how wonderful these
young people are.

Have I mentioned how wonderful they are?

We had an absolute blast.

Take a look...

We wore them out, literally.

And we can't wait to do it all over again soon!

vanilla

2011-12-02T18:18:00.003-06:00

My vanilla sale is up and running!
I had a cute little button set up through Paypal but
it wasn't working, so....

In the mean time, if you'd like to place an order,
please feel free to email me directly.

Or go right ahead and jump on Paypal and use my
email address to make your payment.
loriatjoyunspeakable@yahoo.com

I have:

4 oz. bottles for $14
and
8 oz. bottles for $24

Remember,
the quality is GREAT.
WAY better than what you'd get in the store.
PLUS,
I have an extra vanilla bean in each bottle that will keep
your brew brewing...should you decide to add a little
extra "fuel" to keep it going, long-term.

I'm always looking out for you that way.

Thank you, friends!

a list of goings-on

2011-12-02T10:05:00.005-06:00

I feel the need to post something.

Nothing in particular going on though.

But, I'll give you a run-down of my life, as of today.

1. Here is a recent conversation I had with my doctor
(slightly modified, of course):

Me,
"Doctor, my mood swings are horrible...what to do?"

Doctor,
"You really need to exercise regularly, Lori.
It will help."

Me,
"Doctor, my sleeping is horrible...what to do?"

Doctor,
"You really need to exercise regularly, Lori.
It will help."

Me,
"My housework is boring, I'm disorganized, lacking
good management skills, and never know
what to make for dinner...what to do?"

Doctor,
"You really need to exercise regularly, Lori.
It will help."

Sure it will.

But, I'm here to tell you that for the last three mornings
I've hit the treadmill pretty hard.
And even did some squats.
Which explains why I can't go up and down the stairs now.
Or sit down.

Anyway, we'll see if this exercise thing is really all
it's hyped up to be.

I suspect it's just a fading trend.

2. Tomorrow we are having seven Chinese college students
over for hot-pot.

Hot diggity dog, I can't wait!!!

3. I almost have all my Christmas shopping done.
Which is about 22 days earlier than usual.

4. I can't wait to eat leftover chili and baked potatoes for lunch.
I am obsessed with chili and baked potatoes.
And cheese.
And sour cream.
Obsessed.

Is it lunchtime yet?

5. I can't think of a number five.
Except to say that my house is a wreck and I really must go.
I knew exercising wouldn't help.

I just knew it.

vanilla {bottled}

2011-11-29T19:08:00.004-06:00

Horrible picture, I know.

Ok.

I bottled up my vanilla.

Yes, I did that.

It was quite fun and fulfilling to me.
I was overflowing with joy.
Joy, I tell you.

I have a plan to put some of it for sale on my blog.
But I'm feeling a bit hesitant,
mostly because of mailing it...I'm so worried of a vanilla disaster
sweeping our mail system.
Though, wouldn't it smell divine?
It would.
Plus,
I'm a tad concerned about the price.
But, the thing is...I've got a lot of money into this little project.
And from what I've read,
the higher the alcohol content, the better the quality and concentration.
And um, me's gots a lots of alcohol goin' on.

So...be watching for my flavored vodka, I mean, vanilla extract sale.

Hopefully coming tomorrow or Friday-ish.

Good day!

conquered

2011-11-28T06:22:00.000-06:00

Rough-housing.

My pictorial.

Hello, Daddy?
Are you still alive?
Hello?

Conquered by munchkins.

bye bye, b {and friends}

2011-11-27T20:05:00.003-06:00

Well, I didn't take very many pics over our long weekend.

I just enjoyed my house FULL of kids.
And the 458 loads of laundry.

Then tonight all the big ones left to go back to school.
I managed to not cry this time.
Well, until they were pulling out of the driveway.
Sigh.

Don't you love Nick's pose in the background?

And Little Miss Lucy was like velcro to Brenden all weekend.
She sure loves him so much.

But we get him back in two weeks!
All to ourselves...for FOUR weeks.

Yay!

i need a haircut {so says my sister}

2011-11-26T22:04:00.002-06:00

So this is what happens when your teenage sister
gets a hold of you when you are desperate
for a haircut.

Much needed hair cut took place today.

Thank goodness.

gobble, gobble

2011-11-24T19:38:00.004-06:00

I have a few more pics I could post, but my internet is being...
*sigh*...difficult.
Which is way too common around here.

Anyway,
we had a very lovely Thanksgiving.

The weather was F.A.B.U.L.O.U.S.
Oh my.

So, here are some pics...

Please tell me you LOVE our new family photo!
:)
I was determined to get a good pic when B was home because
the only other one we have, isn't so great.

Love.

Love, love, love.

Thanks to B's friend, Nate, who knows how to work my camera
way better than I can!

I am soooooo happy to have Brenden home!
He is such a joy!!
And as I type this, two more of his friends are on their way
to our house!

I love my kids!
And all their friends!

So, I sure hope you all have an exquisite Thanksgiving too.

We all have SO MUCH to give thanks for.

thanksgiving sunday

2011-11-21T06:15:00.008-06:00

We put up our Christmas tree yesterday.
Rather, I should say that Nick and Macy put it up.

It's way earlier than I care for.
But since Brenden loves Christmas so much and he's going
to be home tomorrow for Thanksgiving,
I thought it would be nice.
Want to be my golden child?
Move away, then come back, then go away again.

Anyway,
for whatever reason I thought it would be fun to put the tree in
our school room.
Regret started filling my heart early-on.
But I need to keep that to myself,
lest I will be dragging the thing, lights, ornaments, and all,
to the living room,
all by myself.

So. It stays, I reckon.

Macy is sort of like Wilson from Home Improvement...

But this photographer doesn't give up.

Nick worked extra hard.
He loves him some Christmas too.

Mother, enough.

Half-way through our decorating efforts,
we went to my parents' house for our family T-day dinner.

And since my sisters and I all moonlight as
supermodels, we figured we should take a few photos.
Of just us.
Because that's just the sort of thing we do.

Umm, I really have no words.
But suffice it to say,
don't even try to mimic the pouty face.
It takes special training.
It will be in all the fashion magazines soon.
Really, it will.

Cutest girls around.
We think so anyway.

Back to the decorating.

And Isaiah no longer will pose as a normal person.

He insists on being a dinosaur.

A scary dinosaur.

Be very, very afraid.

Come on, Lucy.
We're outta here.

Have a super duper Monday!

regis {wah}

2011-11-18T12:10:00.004-06:00

I am so not into being awe-filled over movie stars or "famous people"...
I couldn't care less who is on the latest People Magazine
or on Entertainment Tonight.

In fact, this morning on Facebook I saw gobs of posts about
Breaking Dawn...and I had to google it
to see what the heck everyone was talking about.

So not interesting.

But, I have adored Regis every morning since I started watching
him when Brenden was born.

And today was his last day on his show.

And I'm so sad!!

He is the ultimate story-teller and made me laugh
at his simple faux pas from the night before.
He's just funny-funny.
Non-political.
Such a gentleman.
And darn funny.

Wah.

I'm so sad to see him go.

Wah, wah, wah.

Anyone else love Regis?

check it out!

2011-11-17T15:00:00.002-06:00

Hey, go check out my friend Mandi's blog!

She is doing an incredible adoption fundraiser giveaway
that you really
do not
want to miss out on!

Think, iPad 2.

*Smile*

And other great items!

Go check it out!

feisty fella {God is good!}

2011-11-15T07:47:00.003-06:00

Isaiah's "special need" that landed him on
The Waiting Child list continues
to be a mystery.

Mysterious...because it appears that something might possibly
be there...but yet we can't quite nail it.

One thing we did last week was take him to
a pediatric ophthalmologist
to see if anything could be concluded from a good eye exam.

He checked out just fine.

And let me tell you,
this little guy was SO GOOD for the exam.

I still can't believe just how good he was.
And charming.
And cute.
And made the doctor and nurse laugh.

He was the complete opposite of his sibling whose
name rhymes with Lucy.

God is so good to bring this little feisty fella into our family!

And we are so grateful that so far,
his health seems to be A-OK!

gorgeous!

2011-11-14T06:15:00.004-06:00

Isn't that a gorgeous necklace?

My friend Gayly is making them!

And right now, if you buy one by November 17,
some of proceeds go to help
my friend Connie.

Go to their sites to get all the details!
(Click on their names)

Buy one for yourself...and do some Christmas shopping
while you're at it.

Enjoy!

But hurry cause they're selling fast!

happy birthday to me {perimenopausal trilogy}

2011-11-13T11:32:00.004-06:00

So yesterday was my birthday.

Number 43, on

11.12.11

Obviously my mother just wasn't thinking ahead when
she decided to hold me off until 12th, thus missing the 11.11.11 mark.
Bless her heart.
She did what she could.

All bitterness aside,
I think it's the perfect time to wrap up my perimenopausal
discussion, making it into a much-deserved trilogy.

Who am I kidding, we'll whine about this thing til
we're all completely through with it.

Yes, we sure will.

So let's recap.

We've covered sleeplessness.
We've talked about moodiness.

And now we'll discuss weight gain.

Lord have mercy, where in the world did this jelly roll come from?
Or as the kids today would call it,
a muffin top.

Disclaimer:
This is not me.
I repeat, NOT ME.
Not that this lovely gal looks bad,
I'm just not quite there yet.
But we're moving in that general direction.

So really I have nothing else to say about this.

I think we all can agree that
God has an interesting sense of humor.

Oh wait...I forgot all about unwanted facial hair.
Well, we'll save that for another day.

So, Happy Birthday to me.
Now excuse me while I grab my love handles
and try to work in a nap.
And where the heck are my tweezers?

hodge-podge-whimsical-fun

2011-11-09T14:18:00.004-06:00

My life continues to be a hodge-podge of chaotic craziness.
But I wouldn't have it any other way.
Actually, I would.
It really wouldn't hurt my feelings for someone to swing by every
Thursday (or whatever day...I'm not picky at all)
to ease my burden of house-cleaning and child-rearing.
At least for an afternoon.
Or five.

Ok, moving on...

Today was lovely because my littles and I spent
the morning with my friend Mary and
her two adorable little Ethiopian darlins'.
And dern-it, I forgot my camera.
But just imagine the cutest Chinese/African kiddos
together, playing ever-so-nicely.
Cute as lil' buttons, they were!

And let me just tell you, there ain't nothing like two adoptive
moms getting together to vent and laugh about
the roller coaster ride of adoption.
No amount of high-dollar therapy can ever top that.

Backing up a bit...

So last week my Chinese friend Joyce came over
with a couple of her college comrades to
interview me about attachment for a project they are doing for their
master's program in social work.

It was most delightful!
And Joyce even brought mooncakes, fresh from Beijing...that her
uncle made,
hand delivered right here to us in the heart of
the Midwest in a Chipotle bag.

We laughed.
Oh, did we laugh.

Unrelated to that
(because my thoughts are very scattered)...

While I was making dinner last night,
Isaiah came up to me in this Santa hat asking me if he could watch a movie.
It was hilarious.
He has no idea who Santa is.
And I have no idea where he found the hat.

And remember how I was on a glass jar craze?

Well, I decided that things looked a little too serious
with all the tans & whites.

So I added a splash of color and whimsical fun...

M & M's solve everything, don't they?

And lastly,
here is Isaiah from earlier today.
He dressed himself.
No, really...he did.

So there you have it.

I'm tired and need to get some coffee or something.

Enjoy your Wednesday!

lucy the prayer warrior

2011-11-07T10:42:00.004-06:00

Every single day the very first thing Lucy and
I do before we get started with school
is get out her prayer journal that she started a couple
months ago, and PRAY.

She is quite the little prayer warrior.

She prays for a variety of people on a regular basis.
And then there's a few who make the list on some weeks,
and not on others.
I have no idea of her rhyme or reason.
If you're not on her list, take it up with her.

But Brenden is ALWAYS first on the list.
Every single time. How sweet is that?

Anyway,
she also lists what she's thankful for for that week.

This week's thankful list:
closet
church
books
food
room
clothes
laundry

I assume the laundry one really means that she's so
very thankful for a mommy who does an amazingly fabulous
job getting her clothes clean, folded and sometimes put away.

Oh how our Lord's ears perk when He hears one of
His littlest ones calling on Him!

*I got reprimanded for taking pics while we were praying,
just so you know.

Have a happy Monday!

And don't forget to pray with your kids.

what i saw along the way {and a question for you}

2011-11-04T13:15:00.003-05:00

I had to run to town today
and here's what I saw along the way:

*Sorry, no pics...I was driving for goodness sake*

1. A lady looking at her cell phone through a magnifying glass.
While driving.

2. A man driving a Harley Davidson on the sidewalk.

3. A little old lady driving a cute little red car with the
license plate that read:
ICUUQTU

It's true.

And then on the radio they asked,

"What kind of Starbucks drink do you drink?"

So, I'll answer that question right here on my blog.

*Pumpkin Spice Latte*

Love alert, love alert!!

But it will quickly be replaced by my all-time favorite

*Egg Nog Latte*

just as soon as they start selling them.

Ahhhhh...come to Mama my latte love.

So tell me, what is YOUR favorite drink at Starbucks?

I will then send you my written analysis on your personality
based on your answer.

You're welcome.

shower time with jesus

2011-10-31T09:32:00.003-05:00

The following is a conversation I just had
with Brenden, via Facebook:

Brenden:
"I NEED!"

Me:
"That's pretty cool!"

Brenden:
"It's perfect for shower time with Jesus! :) This is
a legitimate request, btw."

Me:
"Shower time with Jesus? I've heard it all now."

Brenden:
"You should try it sometime.
In the mean time, get me that Bible. :)"

Me:
"Well, I'm pretty darn happy with the
sit-down-in-a-chair-and-read sort of thing."

Brenden:
"You can put a chair in the shower!"

Me:
"Again, I'm good with the traditional method.
But thanks for your creative suggestion.
I think."

Brenden:
"Suit yourself.
Now how 'bout that Bible?"

Me:
"Maybe for Christmas."

Brenden:
"But I need shower time with Jesus NOW!"

And on and on it went.

Heaven help me, please!

a conversation {husband and wife}

2011-10-30T22:03:00.003-05:00

So as a stay-at-home mom,
my biggest weakness (and there are many) is to procrastinate.
There are two main areas where this is a problem.

Let's review:

1. Anything administrative (paying bills, hubby's bookkeeping, etc.)
I hate doing those things.
I hate them with all of my heart.
I would rather be milking my chickens than sitting down flipping through papers.
And don't be silly, I don't milk my chickens.
But I'd rather.

2. Cleaning bathrooms.
I think this is self-explanatory.
I hate it.
And it shows.

So anyway, BOTH of these areas NEED to be taken care of
immediately.
As in, yesterday.
Actually, the day before yesterday.

So tonight I sat down and wrote out a schedule for myself
for tomorrow.
I decided to treat my day as if I worked in an office or something.

And then I said to my dear husband:

"Honey, I made a list of things I MUST do tomorrow...
please hold me to them.
Hold me accountable, okay?

Him:
"OK."

Me:
"No, really...you need to tell me I will get fired on the spot
if I don't get my list done."

Him:
"OK."

Me:
"Seriously, get tough with me and tell me that I am replaceable."

Him:
"Wait...did you say I can replace you?"

Me:
"Yes."

Him:
"Really?"

Me:
"Yes. Please replace me, please."

Him:
"OK."

Problem solved.

See, young girls, this is how you hold a good marriage together.
Or something like that.

a day in the life of me

2011-10-30T07:55:00.002-05:00

Remember that remote control helicopter Eli got for
his birthday?

Well, there was a freak accident.

He flew it straight into Lucy's head and it
got so twisted up in her hair (that hadn't been combed for the day yet...
adding to the mess) that it took me nearly 10 minutes
to get the darn thing out.

Just another day in the life of me.
And my 268 children.

Or something like that.

mood-of-the-day {your que}

2011-10-28T07:54:00.004-05:00

As a continuation from my post the other day,

I would like to write this letter to my family:

Dearest Family,

It has come to my attention that my perimenopausal moods
seem to be effecting morale around here.

For that,
I am very sorry.

Actually, no I'm not.
Not at all.
Deal with it.

However,
in order to give you a heads-up regarding what my
Mood-Of-The-Day may be,
I've devised this little system that will be sure to give you fair warning:

When Mommy makes you breakfast,
and it goes like this:

Cereal boxes slammed down on counter,
followed by the milk jug,
followed by bowl/spoons that give a chilling rattle,
that's your que that Mommy isn't feeling so well.
Don't ask for a single thing.
Don't even look at me.
Eat quietly, as you know how the sound of chewing
is like bamboo shoots under my fingernails,
put your dishes in the dishwasher and walk away
as quietly as you can.

Now, if Mommy actually asks you which cereal you want,
and pours it for you...that's your que that Mommy
is in a semi-human mood.

You can relax just a bit and maybe we can enjoy a
little conversation.
Maybe.

BUT,
on mornings when you smell French Toast being made,
with Mommy's homemade bread,
and you actually get it served
to you with powdered sugar and a cold glass of milk,
why,
that's your que that Mommy is in a mountain-top mood.
Ask me for anything.
A car.
A new wardrobe.
An all-inclusive vacation to the Caribbean.

So there you have it.

Simple, right?

And aren't you glad that today was a French Toast day?

Me too.

Now go pack your bags...we have a tropical vacation to go on.
*I wish*

Love you all...with all my heart.
Even on slammed-on-the-counter-cereal days.

Really.

happy birthda, eli!

2011-10-27T06:35:00.004-05:00

Yesterday was Eli's birthday!!

Big 13!!

I now have four teenagers.

No wonder I can't sleep at night.
No wonder I have a gazillion gray hairs
No wonder I am spending millions of dollars on groceries.

These first pics are from last Sunday when
my parents came for the birthday celebrations...

Eli got a really cool remote control helicopter.
He loves it!
And so far it has journeyed far and wide.
Got stuck in a tree and on top of the roof, lost a wheel,
and yet keeps on going!

And here are pics from his actual big day!

Every morning it's just Eli and me up first because he catches
the bus really early.

So I surprised him with a candle in a big chocolate muffin
to kick off his special day.

Then after dinner he opened presents and enjoyed cupcakes!
(Yes, as a matter of face I do package my homemade baked goods
and put a bar code on them).

After all was done, he came up to me and thanked me and
gave me a big hug.

The first hug I have ever received from him.

Love that.

what's going on?

2011-10-25T20:15:00.004-05:00

I'm almost 43 years old.

And I swear to ya,
I'm a blender-full of whirling hormones.
And it's killing me.
Along with everyone around me.

Sleep is a gamble each and every night.
Last night I was so blasted hot
I wanted to climb into my deep-freeze but there wasn't room,
what with all the chicken and roasts and all.
If only the people here wouldn't insist on meals.
Darn it all!
So I was on a slow simmer until around 3 AM.
Then had to get up at 6 AM.
The math just does not work in my favor.

Anyway, I don't know what's going on.
*Well, actually I suppose I do*
I just want it to get over with.
I'm okay with not being able to have babies anymore.
Believe me, I'M OKAY WITH THAT.
And I'm okay with everything shutting down and drying up into a fine dust.

Let's just get on with it, already.

And how was your day?

macy's sweet 16!

2011-10-24T20:08:00.006-05:00

I am a lazy blogger.
I am.

I should have already posted this post.
But I didn't.

Anyway, here we go.

Sunday was Macy's
SWEET 16 BIRTHDAY!!!
I can't believe it.
My little 4'11" 75 pound girly is a big ol' 16 years old!

I wish I could say that we had a gigantic bash with loads
of friends and family,
inflatable bouncy things,
and a buffet of endless food...
but we didn't.
However, we did have a lovely, quiet celebration at home.

Me, cooking biscuits and gravy.
We all love this often-cooked Sunday night supper!

Macy opening gifts...
that's what's really fun, right?

Macy chose my famous cheesecake as her birthday cake of choice.
She chose this last year too.
It's a classic.
And you simply cannot go wrong with this kind of deliciousness.

Her daddy is sure proud of her!

Nick is....well, being Nick.

Lucy and Ninny.
Adorable girls!

Macy was trying to take a pic of Nick and me.
And my dad got in the way.
This reminds me of the time we went skiing and he had
his lens cap on his video camera, in the bag, by his side...but the camera on as
he skied down the side of a mountain.
Guess you had to be there.
It was hilarious.

Here we go.
Kind of an abstract photo, of sorts.

And this is the way K-man loves on his son.

Anyway,
it was a great little birthday party.

And Wednesday is Eli's birthday!
Which will be fun cause it's his first b-day in America!!

what to do, what to do?

2011-10-20T22:21:00.004-05:00

I need your advice.

Here's the deal...Eli loves school.
Great, I know!
But when he is home, he is often "lost" much of the time.
He loves to watch TV and play video games,
but we try to limit those things, for obvious reasons.
He likes to draw, and does that often.
He also plays outside a lot.
BUT...other than all that, if the other kids are busy doing
their own thing... he will just stand/sit around with
nothing to do.
A lot.
A lot lot.

So...

I am trying to think of things he can do to stay busy.
We are giving him a big set of Legos for his birthday coming up...
which I know he will love.

But can you all give me some other ideas of things
for him to do?

I feel stupid even asking that because...duh...we have two older boys.
It's just WAY different!

Today Macy said,
"Well, maybe it's because he's Asian."
Bahaha!
Not sure what difference it makes what culture you're from...
a kid is a kid, so you'd think.

He needs some direction...and I would like to be able to say to
him, "Hey, why don't you go play with Legos...or this...or that...or
that, that, that."
Ya know?

Ok, now shoot me some ideas.

Thank ya!!

Oh, and please don't say jigsaw puzzles.
Though that's a great idea...with these little kids around,
it would be a set-up for failure, I'm tellin' ya!

back to normal

2011-10-19T06:45:00.000-05:00

Here's another random post for you.

A potpourri of tid-bits, if you will.

My college kids left yesterday.
I was well prepared, or so I thought.
I felt kind of ready for them to leave...well, not so much them,
but all their stuff.

Anyway,
I was majorly sad.
I even cried.

"OH, Mom," Brenden said.

I adore these kids.
They are such godly young people with hearts bent on
serving the Lord.
And they are fun beyond measure.

It pleases me SO much that Brenden has such incredible discernment
on picking good friends.

So here's a pic of our last dinner.
I whipped up some Parmesan chicken.
They ooohed and ahhhed.
I'm gonna miss that.

Even with the leaf in the table we couldn't fit everyone...
(Eli is on the very end but you can't see him beside Nate. And Macy and
I were sitting at the grown-up table.)

*****************

Isaiah.

This kid is all boy.
And he's adjusting into our family so well.
But he still has anger management issues.
Nothing major...just meltdowns.

So anyway, we do time-in's, which work REALLY well for him.

And this is his usual time-in spot,
right by me as I'm doing laundry...

And the thing is...he loves it.
In fact, he wasn't even in trouble for these pics.
He just saw me doing laundry and wanted to sit in his spot.

All boy, I'm telling you.

And yes, we had him tattooed.
We're so cool that way.

Well, I need to get Eli off to school now.

Have a really great Wednesday!!

2011-10-17T09:26:00.008-05:00

Oh my goodness.

What a weekend!
And it's continuing on until tomorrow night!

You know,
when Bren told us he wanted to bring friends home,
we were thrilled...but I braced myself
for the fact that they would be on the go much of the time.

I prayed that we could have a least a little bit of quality time with them
while they were all here.

Turns out,
these kids have barely left the house!

It is SO FUN!!

Here's just a few things we've done...

Picnic.

Gun shootin'.
It was quite loud.

Yes, even I got in the action.
*Confession...I didn't really shoot the gun...I just wanted a pic.

Brenden levitating.

Haha, not really.
He's walking on a slack line!
Cool.

He's changed his major to circus stunts.
Just kidding.
I think.

Almost everyone got in on it.

Yep, even me.
:)

Now I need to get back to my meal-planning for all these kids!

*Macy and Eli were with my parents...that's why there's no pics of them.

brenden's home!

2011-10-15T07:20:00.008-05:00

As some of you already read on FB,
here is a recent conversation I had with Lucy regarding
Brenden coming home for the weekend:

Me,
"Lucy, when Brenden comes home this weekend, he's
bringing four or five friends with him!"

Lucy:
"What? No!! Mom, we already have enough kids!"

Me:
"Lucy, we aren't going to ADOPT them! They're just staying here
for a few days."

Lucy:
"OH! Okay!"

So here's a few pics from our first evening together...

Brenden isn't nearly as annoyed as he looks.
Really.

You know, somebody told my husband recently
to be prepared because when a kid goes off to college,
then comes back for a visit,
you'll be anxious for him to leave again because he will have
changed and you won't really like him being there.

Yes, someone really said that.

So, even though I couldn't possibly imagine me ever feeling that way,
I still braced myself for the fact that the time
Brenden has been away from home and on his own,
he might have changed a bit.

Well, he has changed.
He's even more adorable than ever before.
I'm so not kidding.

And he has THE BEST group of friends ever.

All through high school I kept waiting for the terrible teens to
strike and for him to be a snot that I would take pleasure in grounding
ever other weekend.

It never happened...

He had (has) THE best group of high school friends ever.

And now he has this amazing group of college friends.
(They are from Maryland, California, Ohio, and Pennsylvania)

I am so tickled, I can't even tell you.

Last night they got home at about 7:00 then left about
15 minutes later to go to a football game.

It was a sweet and SHORT initial reunion but I was okay with it...
and figured I wouldn't see them again until really late
last night.

Well, God bless the fact that college students have zero money
because they were back home by 9:00.

They hunkered down in the kitchen and let me feed them!
They were SOOOO appreciative of all the homemade goodness.

Fun, fun!

So that about wraps it up for the first night.
I get to keep them until Tuesday so I'm super excited!

Lucy, I'm so sorry...but we ARE going to adopt all of these kids after all.

a fun weekend ahead!

2011-10-13T09:48:00.002-05:00

I'm sitting here with a couple minutes of computer time
while Lucy is coloring a math worksheet.
So I gotta make this quick!

First, I need to tell my mommy,

HaPpY BiRtHdAy!!!

She's super cool.
And totally young.

By the way, Mom, you have some sweet birthday wishes
on your Facebook wall...if you can ever figure
out what your password is.

Bless your heart.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I woke up at 2:00 AM unable to get back to sleep
last night (this morning) because my mind was racing with all
that I have to do to prepare for this weekend!

My Brenden is coming home!!
And he's bringing this friend...

(oh dear)

AND he's also bringing 3-4 other friends.
GIRL friends.

Oh my.

So, I'm having fun figuring out what yummy meals & snacks

to fix all these hungry college students.

And now I need to get back to helping Lucy.

Then I'll kick my tired rear-end in gear to clean and cook!

notta thing

2011-10-11T19:59:00.003-05:00

I have been absolutely blogless lately.
Nothing to blog about.
Notta thing.
And I've barely ventured out into the blog neighborhood
to visit neighbors either.

Life is just busy.
But yet, I have nothing to say.

Rarely am I speechless.

I even scoured through recent photos to see what story
I could conjure up.
But I don't even have any new photos!

So, here is all I have for you.

Enjoy!

Or not.

Whatever.

Do what you want.

K-man and Nick went to visit my Brenden
last weekend!
Boo hooo hooo that I couldn't go.
But they had a great guys' weekend.
And Nick had an appointment with the golf coach, so that was cool.

Here's a wonderful pic of them on campus.

They are the cutest things ever.
I love those boys!!

And today I had the most lovely lunch with my mom, sisters, and grandma.
There are no funner gals on this planet, let me tell you.
They are adorable in every way.
But I don't have any pics.
That is disappointing.

But I did whip out my camera in the car as we
waited for Lucy to go into school....

She's the cutest thing ever!

And Isaiah wasn't in the mood photos.

But he's pretty darn cute too.

And Lucy insisted on taking a pic of me.

Ugh.
Can you say, turkey neck?

Oh well.

So there you have it.

My boring life.

I'm happy to at least have a post to put out there for ya.

Now I must get these cranky kids to bed!

*OH!! Brenden is coming home on Friday for a long
weekend!! Oh my gracious, I can hardly wait!!

crunched jeeps and foreheads

2011-10-06T14:43:00.003-05:00

Oh, my sweet friends.

I can't even begin to tell you how much I have
appreciated your precious comments and emails.
You have encouraged me more
than you'll ever know.

Tough seasons in life would be unbearable without friends and family.

But life goes on.
Boy, does it.

My dear husband wrecked his jeep the other day.
The verdict is still out on whether
it is totaled or not.
He rear-ended someone and thankfully, no one was hurt.
Except for Betty, our Jeep.
I just now named her that, by the way.
K-Man may not like it, but that's my final decision.

THEN...

My little IGuy
fell off the bar stool and hit smack on the floor,
with only his forehead to break the fall.

Look at this poor pitiful child.

I told him to please smile so the nice people
wouldn't think his Mama was a total loser.
He obliged.

And just so you know that we really do have good days around here...
and that the children are relatively safe,
here is a cute shot of Lu and Isaiah on a better day.
They are becoming such good buddies.

Well, I just wanted to check in with you to give you
a list of our latest tragedies.

Now I need to move on to #4,589 of my to-do list.