Fun to Come Tonight

Happy New Year to Everyone!

We have some fun plans to join Chris and Melanie for Breakfast & Pajamas tonight.  We are excited for this because we haven't gotten to spend much time with Chris and Melanie lately.  And tonight we get 5 hours!

Caleb's giraffe birthday party is coming up on Saturday and I have been thinking about it for a while, but all of a sudden, it's almost here!  I hope I can get it all together by Saturday!

Mexican Chicken and Rice Recipe

Modified from "Mimi's Mexican Chicken Soup" located here.

1 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 onion, chopped

4 cloves of garlic, minced

8 quart of chicken broth

1/3 cup lime juice

3 boneless chicken breasts, cooked and shredded

1 pkg Uncle Ben's Mexican Fiesta Rice, prepared

1 cup fresh, chopped tomatoes

1/2 cup fresh, chopped cilantro

1 tsp ground cumin

1 tsp chili powder

pepper to taste

1. In a large saucepan, heat oil and saute onion and garlic until tender.
   
2. Transfer the onion and garlic into a large pot (capable of holding the entire ingredients lineup), then pour in chicken broth and bring to a boil.
   
3. Add chicken, prepared rice, ground cumin, chili powder, pepper and lime juice and return to a boil.
   
4. Add tomatoes and cilantro and then turn off heat immediately.
   
5. Serve with grated Colby Jack cheese and tortilla chips, if desired.

This one was a hit with the 3 year old and the selective eater in our family!

The Money Shots

Baylor Christmas Tree Lighting

Actually, the title is misleading.  We did not capture the actual lighting of the Christmas tree.  We did, however, take some other fun shots of ourselves.

Here is Caleb, me, and Kristin under a tree lit up with Christmas lights.

Here is the crowd we stuck with for most of the evening.  Julia, Maria, Melissa, Kristin, Caleb, and me.  

Although these pictures are sufficiently blurred, you can still get the idea.  In one, Caleb seems to be the only still object, while in the second, the camera focused on me.

Here Caleb is waiting patiently in line to see Santa Claus, whom Caleb is terrified of every time he sees Santa in person.  Caleb never made it that far that night.

This is the bear that our crowd was trying to "dance" with.  Notice the floodlight in the lower left corner of this photo.  Caleb touched the scorching hot bulb and fried his tiny little fingers.  He just now has broken blisters that no longer hurt.  That was a traumatic experience.  And that's just how I describe it in terms of how I was dealing.  

And here is the santa shot that Caleb and I were not a part of.  We had made our way downstairs for some first aid and a phone call to daddy so Caleb would stop screaming at the top of his lungs.

Events of Yesteryear

Or a few weeks ago that I forgot to post!

Here is my ONE attempt to scale the first level and join Judge Baylor in freezing my tail off on this marble platform!

Here is Kristin's first attempt!

And attempt number two!

And here is the fruits of our labor, a priceless photograph of my sister and I with the subzero bronze statue of Judge Baylor (whom someone had adorned with a giant Judge Baylor sized crochet cap and scarf).  The photo of a lifetime!  And yes, that is Caleb's tiny little red hat you see in the bottom of the picture!

Expecting Something Soon

I've only known for three days, but I can't hold it in any longer!  We are PREGNANT!  Baby #2 should arrive sometime in August.  We are excited as we've been trying since April.  I think I'll go read "What to Expect When You're Expecting" again since I've forgotten nearly everything!

Praise God for every blessing in our lives: Our home, our friends, our family, our churches, and so many other things!

For Your Listening Pleasure

Gingerbread House

Today at BSF, we taught the story of how God gave Moses the instructions for how to build the tabernacle and all of its furnishings.  We had our class make "boxes" out of graham crackers, icing, chocolate chips, lemon drops, and white Life Savers Peppermints (we have a child in our class who is allergic to red dyes).  The point was that they were to follow my instructions for how to build this "box" just as the Israelites were to follow God's instructions for building the tabernacle.

Anyway, we had some leftover supplies and so Caleb and I made a "gingerbread" house this evening for his dessert.  He was proud of it and couldn't wait to devour it!

A Test of Patience

This morning we took our car in to the dealership for them to replace the emissions converter (the second of two that are on the car).  Earlier this month, they replaced the front emissions converter and today was to be the second.  I requested to be dropped off at the mall since it was to take about 3 hours or so.  I thought it would be perfect since we'd have access to food, a play area, and shopping for Christmas gifts.  So we wouldn't have to switch out the car seat, they dropped us off at the mall in our own car and would pick us up again in our car.  

Around noon, the dealership called to tell me that they'd finished the repairs, but when they restarted the car, the engine light was still on.  They hooked up the diagnostics machine and sure enough, something else was wrong.  This time a sensor needed to be replaced!  And of course they did not have the part.  

So the dealership, knowing that I was tired to bringing the car in so many times, offered to pay for a rental car until they could get the part in and get it installed.  They said I'd get a comparable vehicle or better.  And that they'd have the Enterprise driver go pick up Caleb's car seat before going to the mall to pick us up.  

An hour and a half went by.  No rental car.  Apparently, there had been a miscommunication and they thought someone had left to pick me up, but no one had.  Caleb and I waited at the mall entrance for twenty more minutes.  Finally the rental arrived.  It was a lovely two-door Pontiac without Caleb's car seat!  

We stayed behind until the driver could drive to Saturn for the car seat and return to pick us up.  We finally got home at about 3:15.  And thankfully Caleb is still taking a nap.  

The lesson I learned through this:  Since I was waiting...and waiting...and waiting, I had plenty of time to think about this entire situation.  My attitude could not change any of the logistics of the situation.  But my attitude of acceptance and thankfulness could impact the attitude of others.  With the help of the Holy Spirit, I chose to remain positive through it.  And I received the blessing of getting to visit with 3 sets of friends:  A mom I know from MOPS, a couple from church with a brand new baby, and a friend from my MOPS group last year (who I haven't seen since May).  There is always a bright side, you just have to look for it!

Thanks Sister!

You provided some much needed motivation for a blog facelift!  I like it and I hope you all do too!

Big Talk

On the way home from BSF meeting this morning, I asked Caleb if he'd like to help with the noodles for our spaghetti dinner tonight.  I told him that he could put the noodles in the pot.

A few moments later, he piped up, "Me put noodles in pot.  Me handle that."  

Well, alrighty then!

I Need a Place to Record These

These are things that Caleb says that just crack me up.  I need to record them somewhere so that I won't forget.  I may update periodically.  Especially since I can only remember three!

yes ham=yes ma'am

Das-ca-car=Madacascar

cup colder=cup holder

mare-cra states=United States of America

me good helper=I'm a good helper

mommy, you doing?=Mommy, what are you doing?

efanant=elephant

hotter-cotter=helicopter

grav-ti-ty=gravity

Busy, Busy, Busy

We've had a full week!  Full of family, full of turkey, and full of blessings.  

We drove to my Granny and PawPaw's on Tuesday night just in time to go to bed!  

On Wednesday, Jadie played golf with PawPaw while Granny and I cooked the afternoon away!  We waited for mom to arrive before we ate a late dinner at The Dinner Bell in town (think small East Texas town).  Yummy!  And the decorations were fun to look at.  Throughout the year, this restaurant is plain jane, wood panelling with next to nothing on the walls.  Around mid-November the owner goes all out decorating for Christmas.  And every year is a different theme.  Absolutely beautiful!

Thursday was, of course, Thanksgiving day with my family.  I had so much to eat, but I paced myself well.  Jadie enjoyed getting Caleb to say "Pukin Cookies" for every member of the family.  That just isn't getting old.  We managed to leave by 5pm, which was later than Jadie had hoped because he was looking forward to watching the UT vs. A&M game at his dad's house.  We made it home in time to watch the second half of the game with his dad.  As you may know, the game went terribly.  Jadie claims that he's a true fan because he keeps hoping for them to play well, even though he knows it's not going to happen.

Friday I ventured to Kohl's for about an hour just for a tablecloth and a candle to give as a gift.  Yes, the line was long and the store was crowded!  We went to lunch with Jadie's dad, Fran, Vanessa and her boys.  In line with the traditional home-cooking of Thanksgiving, we went to Luby's.  It was delicious!  We relaxed for a while when we got home, but then we stepped it up and got to work!  Jadie and I finished painting the living room!  It has been incomplete for over two months, but not anymore!  Jadie really worked fast!

Today we enjoyed Jadie's mom's side of the family with Jadie's grandma, mom, sister, and cousins.  Caleb really enjoyed playing with his cousins.  And I do believe I really enjoyed hosting!  

Jadie has really been, dare I say, cooperative lately.  And I really appreciate his efforts!  I'll have to think of a way to return the favor!

Six Things

1.  The Bible, God's instructions for how to live

2.  Cooler weather that still gives us nice warm afternoons

3.  Speaking of afternoons, I'm thankful for afternoon naps

4.  An opportunity to visit mom this weekend

5.  God's provision for our family, in times of abundance and in times of need

6.  A message at church tonight that has challenged reflection for myself and Jadie...see Hebrews 5:11-14 and Hebrews 6:1-11

Six Things I'm Thankful For Today

My friend Stephanie started this on her blog.  I love the idea and will try to keep it going on here.

1.   A helpful, dependable and encouraging co-leader for my BSF children's class.

2.  Bubble Baths...I'm about to go take one!

3.  My sister who makes me a priority in her life.  I am so thankful for the oodles of time we spend together!

4.  God's instructions for us given through the Bible...they are for His glory and our good.  Honestly, think about the commandments and Jesus' instructions...aren't they all for these two purposes?

5.  Dollar Menus

6.  Blogs to waste my time reading...although it's not always a waste of time! 

Six Things for Today

1. Overall good health for my family

2. God's grace and mercy...however undeserving I am, he continues to lavish it on those who love Him

3. A resilient son...who had his fingers smashed twice today at Chick-fil-A...by two separate children in two separate instances...and who also face-planted during that same trip to Chick-fil-A...but he couldn't wait to go back and play!

4. Sweet Tea...there's a reason we aren't stick thin around here!

5.  Sleeper Sofas...where we spent almost the entire afternoon yesterday.

Inappropriate

We've been teaching Caleb the difference between appropriate and inappropriate.  Usually it pertains to commercials on television (such as the Altel commercial where they continually call Chad a ding-dong) or Caleb's behavior (such as hitting).  

Here's what Jadie and I cannot stop laughing about...and I'm trying to get him to enunciate better.  I think we're the ones who are inappropriate in this case.

So there is an inflatable pumpkin and an inflatable turkey in a yard in the next neighborhood over.  Caleb LOVES to drive by to see them at night when they're inflated.  During the day when we drive by, he notices that they are laying in the yard and he says they're sleeping.  Every night, no matter where we are, he makes note that it's dark outside and he says, "Pu-kin Turkey On!!!"  He's so excited, but Jadie and I can't help but hear something a little inappropriate as he says it.

For the record, Jadie was the first to notice that it sounded inappropriate.  As a mom, I was automatically decoding his speech, not noticing what it might have sounded like!

Baylor Whoops Texas A&M

We went to the Baylor vs. A&M game today.  Although Jadie has been complaining about how terrible the Aggies are playing this year, I still didn't expect the Bears to pull out a win.  It was quite an exciting game for me as the Bears intercepted the ball FOUR times and there were several multiple pass plays that were fun to watch!

Baylor was up 41 to 7 entering the 4th quarter and ended the game winning 41 to 21.  Today I was proud to be a Baylor Bear!  (Hey mom, thanks for my hat...does it look familiar?)

My boys in their hoodies!

Potty Training Update

We have been trying to motivate Caleb to use the potty.  Of course, that's not really new news.  I've already tried several methods.  We're trying another one.  I'm not pushing things, just trying to provide a little incentive.

Here's the completed potty chart.  In case you can't make out the words...1 sticker for tinkle and 2 stickers for poop.  Every single sticker was earned by tinkling.  And every single time Caleb tinkled in the potty it had been prompted by someone asking him first.

His reward or goal that he was working toward was a trip to Temple to play at Whistle Stop Playground.  In his words:  "Me fill up chart, me go to train park."

Caleb's Potty Chart

Caleb and Jadie in front of the real locomotive.  Not only is there a really nice playground, but there is a locomotive engine complete with a bell that children (and mommies and daddies) can ring by pulling a cord from the engineer's seat.  So simple, yet so exciting for the little ones!

Whistle Stop Playground in Temple

I have taken Kristin's suggestion for the next potty chart and Caleb will have to poop in the potty at least 3 times to fill up his new chart.  The reward this time will be a special trip for ice cream at the suggestion of Granana.  Thanks for the input, family!

Amusing

Tonight is leftover night and Caleb just heard me tell Jadie, "You're having leftover spaghetti and I'm having leftover chicken tortilla soup."  

Caleb said, "Daddy, spaghetti.  Mommy, soup.  Caleb ice cream."  

Not quite...but nice try!

My Six Things

1. The fresh air of fall

2. A lower electricity bill this month...under $100!

3. Local playgrounds and parks

4. A sister who loves me even when I'm feeling exceptionally moody

5. Fifty Five years of life for mom!  Today's her birthday!

6. Coffee, especially with sugar and caramel and whatever else goes into a caramel macchiato!

Today's Spirit of Thankfulness

1. God's Patience with me

2. Compassion International--this organization provides such an easy way for people like you and me to make a difference in the lives of others...halfway around the globe!

3. Friends who pray when I am in need

4. God is in control...I am thinking specifically about our upcoming presidential term.  "The king's heart in in the hand of the Lord, he directs it like a watercourse wherever he pleases." Proverbs 21:1

5. Naptime

6. The Bible

I'm Thankful...

I am doing this post because a good friend challenged her blog readers to list 6 things that they're thankful for.

1. my God, my Abba Father, my Comforter, my Shield, my Strength, my Peace-giver, my Deliverer, my Savior, my Friend, I AM, my Rock, my Salvation, my Daily Bread, the Living Water THE Way, THE Truth, THE Life

2. Jadie: my husband, my friend, the one person who I choose to love each and every day

3. Caleb: my precious son, the one person I can't help but love, the one who God uses to teach me patience, the one with whom I am trusted to raise by God's grace

4. my family: Mom, Kristin, my memories of Dad, these are the people who have shaped the person I have become, these are the people who love me most, and whose love I feel every day of my life

5. my friends: I could not possibly list every friend who has stood beside me for a day or for a lifetime.  I am thankful for Melanie who trusts me with her heart and encourages me in my walk with the Lord.  I am thankful for Nicole who is a constant in my life, always waiting in the wings to share in my joys and pains.  I am thankful for Desiree, Stephanie, Abbie, Tiffany, Lori, Tracy, Amy, Aimee, Shannon, Tracy, Bonnie, and many more...

6. my opportunity to be a home-based mom.  I thank God for blessing our family with a job for Jadie that provides a steady source of financial stability so that I do not have to work.

I can go on, but I think I'll reflect on other areas on another day...

Jadie's Mom

Please be praying for Jadie's mom.  Her doctors have found that she has an irregular heartbeat.  It is significant to the point that they are trying to get her a cardiologist appointment ASAP, and trying to cut through the red tape that usually takes up to 3 months.

Pray that she will rely on God's power to heal her body and her life.  She has been dealing with other stresses for a while and this is a HUGE deal on top of everything else.

Mother Load!

We went to the M&M Mars factory last night for some trick-or-treating. We were invited by a friend (and had to have arm bands to be admitted). Major score!  Not only did we get a giant bag full of candy, but it was all good stuff.  There's pretty much nothing made by M&M Mars that isn't yummy!  

Here's Caleb's total haul...

We decided to set aside all of the snack size candy for Caleb to eat over the next month...it will take that long since we really only want him to eat one or two packages a day.

Jadie and I split the full size candy down the middle.  This is what I'll be eating and giving away over the next month.  I will not be eating a candy bar a day...although I like my sweets, I just cannot afford to eat a whole candy bar every day!

My half...

Point of No Return

I have found that in the life of my soon to be three year old, there is something like a point of no return when it comes to taking a nap.  If I have not gotten him in his bed and closed the door before about 2pm, I'd might as well forget it.  And trust me, I don't want to forget it.  

Here are just a few of the things that may happen if I do:

Increased whining.

Increased disobedience.

Increased misbehavior.

Increased mischievousness.

This is a recipe for disaster.  And I am experiencing it today!  

Hmmm...

Picture Post

Caleb used to go on and on about how he was going to build a birdhouse with his blocks or books or...whatever else he could stack.  This morning, he built this and proudly announced, "Mommy, look...church!"  I think it really looks like a church.  You can even see that he built a steeple!

Sidenote:  He now says "cheese" and smiles for the camera!  

Refreshing

We spent the weekend as a family among other families from our Sunday school class.  A group of us (20 adults with 10 children) drove to Giddings, TX to stay the weekend at Camp Tejas for some much needed rest and relaxation as well as for some time to seek God's guidance about how to create the kind of community He desires for us as a group.  We studied passages about unity and examples of the church living as a community.  Specifically, we studied Acts chapters 2 and 4.

Although the talks about unity were fruitful and meaningful for me in terms of my interactions with this particular group of believers, my favorite thing about the weekend was the perfect balance of time spent with Jadie, with friends, with God, and the balance of time to worship, pray, serve, and just be.  We helped serve meals from the kitchen to all of the hundred or so people there this past weekend.  We organized maintenance supplies in 5 huge trailers at the back of the property.  We stayed up late playing Apples to Apples.  We went to bed at 9pm on Saturday night.  We spent time praising our God in song.  We harnessed up to ride a zip line.  Jadie did it for the first time!  His comment just before scooching off the edge was, "This is a lot higher than a telephone pole."  Jadie even got in a game of basketball.

PERFECTION!

Disgusting: Seriously, Consider Yourself Warned

I battled a terrible bug Monday afternoon and through the night.  I mean a stomach bug.  Seriously, this thing was from Satan.  MAJOR stomach cramps followed by frequent trips to the bathroom and then having the always exciting opportunity to see what I ate on Sunday, again.  Unfortunately it had been spinach dip with Parmesan cheese.  Not a pleasant sight or smell.  I know, you visited my blog just for this.  Sad.  I promise that the next entry will be more upbeat and positive.

There is a bright side to this one.  Jadie was primo daddio and took care of Caleb from the moment he got home until he put Caleb to bed.  It's a good thing, because I was literally laying on the bathroom floor from 5:15 pm yesterday until 7:00 am this morning.  Kudos to the hubby!  He cooked Caleb pancakes at his request even though he'd never made them before...and he racked up bonus points by continually coming to the bathroom to see if he could get me anything.  What a hero!

Go Team(s)!

Brace yourselves...the battle between A&M and Baylor continues in our household!

Unfortunately for me, it seems that saying Sic 'Em Bears is quite depressing for little Caleb.  He seems much more excited to belt out, Gig 'Em Aggies!

 Really, it's all in good fun.  Caleb can go wherever he chooses...within reason!

Testimony for BSF

Here is a testimony to the wonders of BSF (Bible Study Fellowship).  After only 4 weeks of BSF, Caleb is delighted to sing this cute little song with a Bible truth for us all!

In case you can't decipher the words...it goes like this:

Read your Bible,

Pray every day,

and you'll grow, grow, grow!

I may have my man back home, but I don't have him home very long at a time...

Monday night he worked until 7pm, Tuesday it was 8pm, and tonight he'll be working through the night until daylight, maybe longer.

He keeps reminding me how wonderful it is for him to at least get to sleep in his own bed next to me.  I agree that it's nice to have him in bed with me too, but I am feeling a little deja vu tonight with him gone through the night.

New Purchases

The necklace...what a bargain!  Real Italian Glass and a Sterling Silver wire necklace for only $4!  I got them at our neighbor's garage sale.  And an added bonus...we sold our old blue/cream couch in that same garage sale!

Notice the new dining room table in the background.  We purchased that about 2 weeks ago and had it delivered on Thursday.  We have been loving it!

The Man of the House

He's headed back in the morning.  And I mean for good.  This little 6-8 week trip to Houston wasn't quite what we bargained for.  It seemed that there was no end in sight.  Jadie was sharing a room and working from 7am-7pm which made it next to impossible for Caleb and I to go and visit him.  Things were taking a toll on my handsome hubby and so he got himself outta there!  There are two guys in his regular crew who are itching to get down to Houston to earn some extra dough, so let 'em at it!  

Welcome home honey!!!

Mom's in Town!

This weekend has been a good one!  Jadie's been out of town, but I've had plenty of company!  Friday night the Fondren's invited Caleb and me over to their house for dinner.  We had a great time!  I got to know Anne a lot better and we talked for quite a while about all of our hobbies and "projects."  We seem to have quite a bit in common!

Yesterday morning, mom drove in and we enjoyed lunch together and a trip to Hobby Lobby for some 50% off beads.  I'm excited about what I can make with them!

Last night, we ventured out to West to the Kaska Family Farm for some simple fun.  Kristin and I competed in duck races by pumping water out of old-fashioned water pumps.  Caleb played in a "Corn Box," filling up dump trucks with corn kernels and burying his legs under the piles of corn.  We attempted the "Corn Maize," but it started getting dark, so we went back out the way we came instead of continuing to get more and more lost.  We'll probably head out there again since they didn't have their pumpkin patch ready yet and also because Jadie would like to try out the "Corn Maize."

Today is Christopher's birthday party, so we plan to go to Vanessa's to celebrate with family.

Have a good week, y'all!

Woah, Big News!

Jadie is going to work on the coast for 6 weeks because of the hurricane.  How am I going to deal?

Last Zinnias...

Until next spring!  Such a sad thing...I have really enjoyed my zinnias this summer.  Next spring, I think I'll plant them beside the house since they're so doggone tall!

Here are the last blooms...because I pulled the plants from the bed.  After the wind and rain passes from Hurricane Ike, I'll plant some red and pink chrysanthemums that I bought this afternoon.  Those should be pretty for fall and winter.

Art Class at the Freeman's

Here is Caleb's masterpiece from today.  I LOVE it and I hope you do too!  I copied this idea from Kid's Craft Weekly, which has it's own link below.  I am disappointed that it's not actually updated weekly, but more like monthly or every three weeks.  

Today's art supplies included: Washable paints, a water bottle from the recycle bin for printing circles, a food colors box from the recycle bin for the rectangles, and a flat piece of cardboard backing from the recycle bin which I folded and taped to form a triangle.  

And...Viola!  Caleb really did do this one on his own.  I mean the action of dipping the objects into paint and onto the paper.

Overwhelmed, Now Overcome

I started training to be a Bible Study Fellowship children's leader last week.  Our training last Wednesday was long!!! Caleb did great with the volunteer childcare workers for the whole five hour long session!

Monday we had our first regular leaders' meeting in preparation for today's first day of class.  That day was kind of a culmination of anxiety for me.  There is a lot to do in preparation for a morning with the kiddos, but the source of my anxiety was really in the fact that I had not experienced being in the classroom before.  I prayed and prayed and prayed for God to help me make it through until today.  As I thought I would, I feel much better now that I've experienced a morning in the BSF children's classroom.  I have a better idea of what the kids are like and how to plan for next week!

This One Might Be a Little Too Personal

After a 6 day hiatus, my period returned today.  By 6 day hiatus, I mean that I was six days late.  Since we are entertaining the idea and trying with moderate enthusiasm to conceive a second child, this was a bit of an emotional build up and sudden let down for me.  No major tears or feelings of hopelessness.  We'll just try again this month, and next month, and the month after that.  

The OB/GYN says it's perfectly normal for this process to take over a year.  He also told me that it was also normal to get frustrated or disappointed after a few months.  For now, I'm content let things pan out according to God's plan, but I definitely caught a tiny glimpse of the disappointment many feel as they discover that they are not pregnant, AGAIN!

Labor Day Weekend

No fun stories this time, just a bland non-detailed account of our weekend.

Friday after work, Jadie finished up the raised garden.  That is, he leveled it out to perfection and filled it with topsoil and potting mix.  I now need to plant my fall garden.  And I almost made that sound like I know what I'm doing...

Saturday we went to lunch and came home to watch movies.  Jadie planned to watch the Aggie game at his grandmother's house at six (I think), but after driving to her house (and then back home) to make sure she had Fox Sports Southwest, he discovered that the game wasn't actually broadcast on television. Ha!  We just hung out at home as Jadie watched and listened to 4 or 5 games that night.  He even tried to stay up watching an internet broadcast/replay into the night, leaving him conked out on the couch until halfway through the wee hours of the morning, until 4:21 am, to be exact.  That's when I awoke to severe stomach pain and feverishness all over my body.  Not cool!  Let's just say I got to see my lunch again along with the blueberries I had around eight that night.  Right about now, aren't you glad you read my blog?

Sunday we made it up in time to attend the service only, no Sunday school.  We needed a little more sleep after I woke up feeling terrible and Jadie awoke to my screams for help!

We spent the remainder of the day at Jadie's grandmother's visiting with family since Uncle Larry and Aunt Gerri were in town from Colorado.  I was smarter this time and took to playpen for Caleb to nap and go to bed in.  Don't you remember my rants from last time?

Monday Jadie played golf with his uncle and two cousins while I straightened the house a bit and waited for him to come home.  He called after nine holes and asked me to pick him up at his grandmother's after they finished so we could go to lunch and pick up new toilet parts at Home Depot.  He spent the rest of the afternoon mowing the lawn while I did who knows what.

Dad's Birthday

Our God does work in mysterious ways.  Today would be Dad's 54th birthday.  Of course, I knew that it was coming up, but I wasn't consciously thinking about it today.  

As I was driving to meet Jadie for lunch today, I opened my cell phone to call him and let him know we were getting close.  I always use the recent calls feature to retrieve and redial his number because it takes fewer keystrokes to do that than to dial the number or look it up in contacts.  Plus, it's just habit at this point.

As I got to the recent calls screen, it showed that the last person I called was "Steve Ray," the home number.  I did not call that number today.  It is possible that Caleb pushed some buttons, calling the number, but what are the chances?  I believe that regardless of how my phone ended up displaying my dad's name, God reminded me of him today.

I love you Daddy!

Celebrating a Beautiful Woman

This one's for my Granny.  She's done a beautiful job of aging gracefully.  And a beautiful job of loving her husband of over 55 years.  Last Thursday, she turned seventy seven!  On Sunday, the family celebrated her by letting her cook us a good meal.  And she smiled as we botched her happy birthday song.  We love our Granny!

This is my Granny and PawPaw.  This is how they are. 

Post 5 of 5

Here's the last one for today.  When Caleb spilled his milk this morning, I immediately saw Alaska.  What do you see?

After googling Alaska, I see that it's missing the peninsula to the west, but it's still pretty close. See Alaska below.

Caleb's Art Project for Today

Raised Garden

On Friday I mentioned that we had no big plans for the weekend.  We didn't really, but here's what we did do.  

Another beautiful work of craftsmanship by my handy stud of a man.  We haven't filled it with soil yet because the ground beneath it needs to be leveled first.  That was too much for last weekend.  We'll tackle that another time.

Mom's Dated Foyer

Here's mom's dated foyer before we did much to it.  We had already pried off the trim at the top of the panelling  and pulled off some wallpaper before I remembered to get out the camera.  Isn't it lovely with the pink wallpaper and dark wood panelling?

Here's what it looked like after we peeled off the wallpaper and pried off every bit of panelling.  We also scraped off the popcorn ceiling.  What a mess!  You can't see it in this picture, but it would seem as though the wallpaper may have been original to the house because under it, were handwritten words,  'Paper' and 'Panel.'  Nice.
After Kristin and I spent some time sanding and filling in holes and scars with joint compound, we began to prime the walls in preparation for new texture.  Caleb and Granana got in on the priming.

Once the priming was done, Kristin and I did texture all of the walls and the ceiling.  That ceiling was ANNOYING, but I suppose getting to say 'good riddance' to the popcorn was worth it.  And I had to remind myself that it was worth it again on Saturday (a week after our ceiling priming and texturing) when I found a few streaks of white primer in my hair.  Most days I don't bother doing much with my hair, but Saturday I dried it and discovered the whiteness.  Nice.

Mom has a homework assignment to prime and paint the walls following the texturing job we did.  I hope she does it soon...I can't wait to see the final result!

Cheeky

You know how there are MANY times that you wonder what goes on in the mind of a toddler?

Let me tell you a LONG story about how this plays out in my life.  It was Sunday afternoon, Jadie was participating in a fantasy football draft, Caleb was napping, and I had a grocery list that was sure to cost me a good chunk of change.  What did I do?  I decided to go out in search of a swimsuit, insisting on finding one on clearance that might actually flatter my womanly form.  I'll bet from the previous sentence you can guess that I did not find one that met my two requirements.  I found a new swimsuit for Jadie for only $13, but no, not one for me.  Jadie actually approved of my selection and wore his new swimsuit to the water park Sunday evening.

After visiting every store in Central Texas Marketplace, I had not found a suitable suit.  I hung my head and drove on to the grocery store to spend an hour maneuvering my way through the crowd.

When I got home, Caleb was happily playing and I honestly don't remember what Jadie was doing.  The thing is, Caleb was on a serious mission, tugging on his pants and diaper.  I still don't know what he was trying to accomplish, but this is what he looked like after all of the pulling and tugging.

And now, an even more flattering angle:

Here's your chance to let the media know where people stand on our faith in God, as a nation.  NBC is taking a poll on 'In God We Trust' to stay on our American currency.  Please go vote before NBC takes this off the web page.

Poll is still open so you can vote.

NBC's In God We Trust Poll

Go vote!

Late Breakfast

It's eleven Saturday morning, and Jadie's playing a round of golf.  Here's what Caleb and I are having for breakfast...

Recipe and photo taken from www.thepioneerwoman.com/cooking.

Just an Update...Again

Well, here's what's been happening since Sunday.

Kristin, Caleb, and I went to mom's from Sunday afternoon through Wednesday afternoon.  We started working on her foyer walls.  The wallpaper came off easily and the panelling only took about 30 minutes to get off.  Then we completed the messy job of scraping off the popcorn ceiling texture.  The next morning, we primed, and then got started with painting on some new texture.  This part took forever!  Like until 2:30am and then we still had to do two walls and the ceiling the following day.  When we left, mom still needed to prime over the new texture and paint.

Yesterday I caught up on a couple of loads of laundry before heading to JC Penney to spend a $10 coupon I had been holding onto.  After my $10 off, I only spent $6 on a new shirt and dress.  I tried on the shirt, but not the dress.  When I got home, I was showing off my new dress to Jadie and I wore it around the house for about 30 minutes.  After taking it off and hanging it on a hanger, I noticed that it was maternity!  Are you kidding me?  I think I'll wear it anyway!

This morning, Caleb and I met some friends at Jumping Party, where Caleb spends his time running around the play area, not really wanting to get on any of the inflatables.  He did get in the toddler bounce house for a while once another kiddo got in.  As we talked, Tracy revealed that she and her husband put their house up for sale and may be moving soon!  Does anyone stay here?

This weekend?  No big plans for a change.  Maybe a movie in the park, maybe painting the living room, maybe building the raised garden in the backyard.

Catching Up

I don't have much time to blog today because Caleb and I are about out head out with my sister to go to Mom's for a few days.  I can't wait to find out what sort of to-do list items we can help her with this time!

This week has been a good one.  I went to several garage sales on Friday with Kristin and Julia nd then the Saturday only garage sales with Jadie on Saturday.  Jadie got his once a month haircut and we took a nap before Jadie's 10-year high school reunion.

Jadie had always planned not to go to his reunion, but when he found out his 3 best buds would go, we went too.  He said he enjoyed catching up with old classmates and finding out what everyone's been up to.

Backyard Makeover

Back on July 7th, I said I'd post before and after pictures of the second half of our backyard makeover.  I said you'd be sitting on pins and needles until I posted the conclusion of the planting process.  At this point, you've probably forgotten all about it, but I think you'll still be able to appreciate the results.  Here you go...

If you have a keen eye for detail, you may notice the rectangle in the middle that is a different color green.  We still plan to build a raised garden there.  You know, for vegetables and such.

I can't forget to mention that I'm so very proud of all that Jadie does around here to make things nice!  Thank you!

Don't Call Me a Procrastinator!

It wouldn't be very fitting.

At least not today.

I am almost finished painting the dining room!

And here's what it looks like...