Carresa's Tuscan Soup

Tuscan Soup Recipe

Happy Birthday, Caleb!

Not from today, but just for fun!

What we did today:

We played a few rounds of Sequence Letters before breakfast.
We talked about going to the doughnut store for breakfast, but he decided he'd rather have leftover blueberry muffins from yesterday instead.
He asked to take a shower.  Simple enough.
We went to Chick-fil-A by his choice for lunch.  There were zero available tables, so we stood around for 5 minutes until one opened up.
Caleb and Sarah played on the play equipment for a while.
We took a trip to Michael's and picked up some supplies for Caleb's party on Saturday.  Just family and a few friends, this time.
We went to Wal-Mart for a few food items for the party on Saturday.
We got home 5 minutes before Caleb's exact birth-time.
He refused to take a nap (and actually wasn't grumpy for missing it).
We did a bunch of nothing until Jadie got home from work.  Late.
We enjoyed a family dinner at Texas Roadhouse.  I was surprised that Caleb was willing to ride the saddle and swing a napkin over his head as the waitstaff sang their version of Happy Birthday to him.
Jadie presented Caleb with new dinosaur Silly Bands.  They were a hit.
We drove to Katie's Custard for free frozen custard.
Just before bed, Caleb told me I looked like I had a baby in my tummy now.  I don't.
And then it was surely bedtime.

Ok...Christmas 2010

In pictures...with maybe a few comments...if you're lucky...

Me opening the first excessively taped gift from Jadie.  And it was...

A birthstone necklace with Sarah's August birthstone, the Peridot.  Just beautiful.

Maybe his frown was a premonition.  A few days later, Caleb broke this DVD trying to get it out of the case.

Sarah's keys.  Maybe she'll leave mine alone now...

Jadie's BB gun.  He can't find his Red Rider from when he was a kid and I thought I'd replace it.  But when I stood before the BB gun selection, I decided on the gun made for ages 16 and up instead of the original Red Rider for ages 10 and up.

And now he's afraid of these pajamas.  Just like everything else he decides to be afraid of.  Like the reindeer he built at Build-A-Bear last week.  Which, by the way he chose to put a vibrating heart into.  Now he's afraid of the heartbeat.  He thinks Rudolph is alive.

He's excited now...

And he's still excited as he opens the box...but then he drops from excited to satisfied when he discovers that there's nothing buried under the socks.  I'm all about necessity, honey.  

Something a little more "unnecessary."  New basketball shoes since he plays basketball every Wednesday night.  But of course, he exchanged them for a different pair (even though this specific pair was on the list he made for me).

What a pile of paper!  All recycleable.  And yes, it went into the recycling bin.  And yours should, too.

Finally a set of real wooden blocks for building!

So...Jadie sent me on a hunt for one of my gifts...And I really don't see the clue hiding behind he lights on the tree in the front yard.  Yes, I know you can see it, but I couldn't.

Another clue.  I spared you a few of the pictures.  He took one as I opened each clue and as I searched for the next clue.  And he took a picture of my rear.  You owe me one.

A clue under the shed.

A clue under the leaves by the crepe myrtle.

Victory!  A Cookie Lee necklace he picked up from my friend, Natalie Allen.

Caleb's big present from Santa was a bike!  A Harley Davidson bicycle....which Jadie drove to Toys 'R Us at 11 pm to exchange because we couldn't get the left pedal on.  We were later told that we should have tried screwing it on COUNTER-clockwise.  I hope we remember this for the next bicycle experience...

The Stockings Were Hung By The Chimney With Care

With lots of care!

I made us a set of matching stockings!  Yes, we all had stockings already, but I wanted them to match :-)

I bought the red felt for $2.25  and the white fleece for about $2.00 at Hobby Lobby.  I had the ribbon, black fabric, and, of course, the thread.


To make these:
I traced an old stocking onto the red felt.  I did the front 4 times and the back 4 times.  Yes, this was necessary because the felt is glittered on one side.

I cut 8 rectangles from the fleece, 9" x 6".

Then I hemmed them along the bottom edge with a 1/2" hem.

Note: Fleece is stretchy = ANNOYING.

I ironed interfacing to the black fabric before tracing and cutting letters from it.  By the way, I just enlarged capital letters in a Word document and printed it so I would have  letter forms to go by.  I sewed the black letters to the white fleece.

I aligned the white fleece at the top of each stocking, right sides facing.  I stitched across the top only.  Then I flipped the white fleece over the top of each stocking, making a nice finished edge.

Then I stopped taking pictures.  Oops!

Then I cut 4 pieces of ribbon, folded them, and stitched them to the top right of the stocking fronts.

Then I aligned the stocking fronts and backs, right sides facing.  I pinned them and stitched around the edges.  I tried my best to align the bottom of the white fleece pieces, but they didn't turn out perfect.  No biggie.

Finally, I turned the stockings right side out and, Viola!  4 crisp, clean, simple red and white stockings, with "monograms" for each person in our family!

Hand of God

Let's see if I can tell this in an easy-to-understand kind of way...

The other day, after I put the kids to bed, Caleb had gotten out of his bed for the 3rd time.  He had come to find me in the bedroom.  I was frustrated at his 3rd attempt to avoid going to sleep, so I started (really) yelling at him.

After only a few seconds of using my "stern voice,"  I felt three short taps in the middle of my back.  For real.  So real that I turned around to see who had tapped me in the back.

I thought maybe Jadie had come home early (he was across town playing basketball).  No.  No one was there.  At least not visibly, anyway.

I heard the Holy Spirit tell me to control myself.  "In your anger do not sin." Ephesians 4:26  The Scripture was not going through my head at the time, but it's hte gist of what I heard the Holy Spirit say to me that night.

I went back into Caleb's room to apologize for my angry words and to explain why I had become to exasperated.  I made sure to love on him before leaving his room for the night.
I cannot recall a time in my life when God has made himself so physically present with me.  I couldn't see Him, but I felt him without a doubt!

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Quote of the Day

Another gem from Caleb :-)

We were listening to Air One on the way to my BSF Leader's Meeting this morning.  They were talking about how Christmas was to celebrate Christ's birth.  They commented that many times we are more concerned with what we want to receive for Christmas.  Then the question was posed, "What gift could/would you give Jesus for his birthday?"

Caleb: "We could get a present and wrap it up for Jesus and, then, when he comes back to earth, we could give it to him."

Me: "That's a good idea."

Caleb: "And when we die, Jesus could open our present."

I'm not sure about all the details of how this would work, but my goodness, that kid understands some of the concepts we all struggle with.  I can only imagine the Father's joy!

Quote of the Day

While driving home from shopping this afternoon...

Caleb: "Mommy, when I comed out of your tummy, was I naked?" 

Me: "Yes." 

Caleb: "Who gave me a bath and cleaned all the blood off me?"

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas...

It's looked like Christmas around here for at least a week, but we finished the lights in the bushes last night.  And I finished the mantle yesterday while the kids were napping.

So, here's what it look like around here:

Ice Cream, No Scream

After Bible Study Fellowship last week, Caleb wanted some ice cream, so I dipped him a few (small) scoops and gave it to him.  The dining room table was covered with sewing projects, so he went to the living room.  I told him that the ice cream needed to stay in the dining room or kitchen, so he sat UNDER the dining room table.  And Sarah joined him, of course.

I enjoyed watching them share Caleb's ice cream.  And he did so graciously, hence the "no scream" in my title.

I hope you enjoy these, too!

A few notes:  

You may notice that I gave Sarah's hair a little trim.  Although I was doubting it the first day, I think it turned out well.  It's much harder to cut hair that has no curl!

Although I really did spend the majority of the last week at the sewing machine, I did manage to enjoy a few sweet family moments!

See What I've Been Doing?

Check out the other blog, with all of my sewing projects and products!

The Scarlet Thread by Lauren Freeman

Maniac

The Scarlet Thread is taking over my life this week!  I'm tired and a bit anxious about the Spring Valley Holiday Bazaar this weekend, but I am excited too!!!

So far, I have 16 makeup bags made up, 7 key fobs, and 7 crayon rolls.  Wow.  That doesn't sound like much.  I'll be working on more crayon rolls and some zipper pouches.  I would like to have time to make up some tiny pouches too, but I'm already overloaded enough.  I'll try to remember to update you all after it's over.

Peace.

Thankful

Church Family.

Tonight was our church Advent Celebration.   Putluck dinner.  Soups, salads, desserts.  Friends.  Crafting ornaments.  Perfection.

Thank you, Lord, for beautifully different people to enjoy life with.

Thankful

An Up-to-date Sewing Machine.

Seriously, this has brought me so much challenge and so much joy over the last 2 months!

Thankful

Girl Time.

A movie.  A cup of coffee.  A ride in the car together.  A long and varied conversation.

Amen.

Thankful

Supportive Friends.

In life, friends are such a blessing!  The true friends, walk with you through your low times and rejoice with you in your better days.  I have several of these kind of friends.  I may not talk to them for a few weeks, for a few months, or maybe even a few years, but we are always able to pick up on a positive note. Friends care about you even when they don't agree with you.

I also have some tremendous friends who I am surrounded by during this season of life.  I say that they are friends for a season, because they are only here for a season, while their husbands finish their advanced degrees.  These friends may find themselves "stuck" in Waco after graduation, or they may settle on the other side of the country.  What I love about these girls is that they don't let their unseen future stop them from developing deep friendships in the meantime.

Thank you, God, for friends to share life with.

Thankful

Peace in the classroom.

As I have mentioned only a handful of times, I teach in the BSF children's program each week.  My partner and I (along with the other children's leaders) have been praying for 2 specific children to embrace the morning's activities instead of focusing on missing their mothers.  As the weeks have gone by, one of these children has gradually decreased her crying time.  This week was a victory, a miracle of our sweet Lord.  This child not only went the entire morning without even a hint of tears, but excitedly joined in each and every activity.  The other child had a great day as well, spending time bonding with a friend instead of sitting by the door crying for mommy.

He's amazing.  God listens to our prayers and answers them in a mighty way.

Thankful

Awesome.

This word is a tad bit amiss coming out of Caleb's mouth.  He's using it to describe everything today!

Thankful

Sweet Caleb.

Where do I start?

His laughter is contagious.
His love is deep.
He is protective of his sister.
He can sometimes manage to put others before himself.
He enjoys to helping.
He is tender.
He is tough.
He can hit a golf ball with some measure of accuracy.
His smile shows lots of teeth (just like mine).
And more.
And more.
And more.

Thank you, God, for blessing my life with such a unique little boy.  I know you are and will bless others through him as well.

Thankful

Baylor lost to the Aggies.

Although this may seem to be a negative (and it is), there is always a positive side to things.  Since Jadie and I finally attended a Baylor/A&M game in which the Aggies came out on top, I will actually get to look forward to attending another one in the future.

You see, the last two times we've attended a Baylor/A&M game together, Baylor has come out on top.  Jadie gave me an ultimatum.  If the Aggies lost again this time, he would refuse to go to any more of our rivalry games in the future.

So, although my Baylor Bears lost this one, I will still be able to go to more Bears/Aggies games in the future.  And I look forward to cheering on the Bears to a WIN!!!

Thankful

Our flat tire came on a day that Jadie was home from work.

Jadie was scheduled to be off from work yesterday.  We had plans to run errands and accomplish several things that I just can't get done on my own.

As we pulled out of the driveway and got to the stop sign at the end of the street, we noticed that our right front tire was flat.  Bummer.  This would interfere with all of our plans for the day.

Jadie switched out the flat for the doughnut and we took Caleb to Mother's Day Out, 45 minutes late.  We headed to Discount tire first.  The wait was 2 hours, so we opted to run our errands anyway.

I was able to take care of the tire situation this morning.  Thank goodness for Sears Auto Service department, because it's the only place where I can stay near the car and still have entertainment and food options for the kids.  The mall is not my favorite place, but when it comes to car repair, it's a pretty nice option.  3 hours passed pretty quickly this morning since we had plenty to do.

Thankful

Veterans.

My Paw-Paw.  My cousin, Melinda.  Jadie's grandpa. Jadie's cousin, Les.  Thank you, God, that the armed forces have been a part of their lives, but not the definition of their lives.

Thankful

Healing.

Sarah's been sick this week.  I mean she couldn't keep a thing down.  It started Sunday morning when I found her in her crib, covered in nastiness.  At the time I assumed that she had simply started gagging because of congestion.  So we went on to Sunday school at church.  Then we bolted from church to go to the service across town so we could be there when Jadie's cousin, Paul, was baptized.  So, Sarah was in childcare at two different churches on Sunday.  Oops.

She didn't eat much Sunday, but I figured she was better Monday morning because she ate a hearty breakfast and was acting normal.  That was not the case.  As I was getting ready in my bathroom, Sarah played in the floor.  With about 20 minutes left before we were supposed to leave, Sarah's entire breakfast made its way onto our bathroom rug.  I guess she wasn't done being sick.  Was she actually sick?  A stomach bug?

Sarah was totally pathetic for the rest of the day.  She slept.  A lot.  She cuddled.  She lay on the floor.  She slept some more.

Tuesday, I thought things might be looking up.  She drank some apple juice and ate some animal crackers for breakfast.  We got dressed and took Caleb to Mother's Day Out.  Sarah and I went to the mall so I could get my wedding ring inspected.  The stores didn't open for another 45 minutes, so we walked down to Chick-fil-A for breakfast (for me).  I gave Sarah the tiniest piece of my biscuit and she started gagging.  Disaster in the mall food court.  Awesome.

Needless to say, we went home immediately and stayed there the rest of the day except for the time it took to pick up Caleb from Mother's Day Out.  I talked to Mom about what in the world to do about Sarah.  She suggested boiling some potatoes for her.  That did the trick.  Sarah was so famished that she ate them all up.  And we've been cautiously adding foods back in since then.

Thank you, God, for healing our Sarah.  Thank you for a mother who knows just what to do.

Mixed Up

I figure I'd better record this little story, because someday things will be oh-so-different.

So, Caleb was telling me this story about how if there's a fire in his house when he grows up, he will know how to get out.  Ok, normal...

Then he says that he will help Sarah to know how to get out.  A little abnormal for a grown man to be living with his sister...

Then he says that if he and Sarah have a baby....WAIT...that is not happening!

I stopped him right there and told him that he would not have a baby with his sister.

Truly, his line of thinking comes from the innocent love of a 4 year old brother for his baby sister.  All he is thinking about is that he wants to see his sister every day.  Seriously, he started crying at the thought of not seeing her every day when he grows up.

We will have to work on the details of that in the years to come.

Thankful

Mother's Day Out.

And not just for the reason you think.  Yes, it is a treat to have some time with only Sarah to tote around or entertain at home.

But the reason I am thankful for Mother's Day Out today is the fact that Caleb's teachers are teaching him Bible stores, Biblical truths, and Bible-based songs.  On Sunday, out of the blue, Caleb started singing "Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-contro-o-ol."

I asked him what that song was and he said, "It's the fruits of the spirit."

I asked him where he learned it and he said, "Preschool."

Look What I Made

I made a turkey onesie for Sarah.  I got the idea from The Cottage Home.

A couple of notes from me, since I'm always over-critical of my work:

• My stitches around the feathers are far from perfect (but you can't see that in the picture).
• I realize now that I arranged my feathers in rainbow order.  
• I totally used olive green thread for the eyes, beak, and feet.  Oops.

But here's the finished product...still cute, I think.

Thankful

Being a Stay-at-Home-Mom.

Sarah is sick today.  She's hasn't been able to keep any food down, but she's kept drinking apple juice.  I'm thankful that I didn't have to call in sick to work today.  This is my work.  Being a mother.  I did have to call in sick to BSF Leader's Meeting, though.  But it's not the same.  I am accountable to my own family first.  What a blessing!

Thankful

Salvation.

"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved." Act 4:12

Jadie's cousin, Paul, gave his life to Christ about 2 weeks ago.  He explained it well this morning during his baptism.  He said that he had professed Christ when we was 13, but that nothing about his life had changed.  His recent decision was because he is ready to give all of himself to Christ, living his life in prayer and the study of God's word.

Amen!

It's Official

I think I will declare today the day that Sarah started walking.  Today marks the first day that she's walking more than she's crawling.

She walks.  She falls.  She gets right back up and walks again.  She stoops to pick something up from the floor.  She falls.  She gets back up and walks again.  She trips on a toy.  She gets back up and walks again. She is WALKING!!!

One day shy of 15 months, and this baby is finally on her feet.  Way to go, girl.  I'm proud of you!

Thankful

My Mommy!

Happy Birthday Mom!  You are a treasure in my life.  Sometimes you encourage me to follow my dreams.  Sometimes you bring me back to reality.  You bring balance and security to my life.  You are a rock and a listening ear.  Thank you for loving me every day of my life.  I hope you know that you are loved!