Reading again

Let me brag a little on personal accomplishment because...

Holy Moley-- I am reading again. 

It seems like it has been two years since I have been able to sit and read an adult book. Nothing against Pete the Cat or Fancy Nancy but real live adult books. Fiction and Non-Fiction.

AND I have finished my eighth book of 2017. Woohoo to reading! And praise God for allowing me the time and brain capacity of this simple pleasure. Each book piqued my interests in different ways.

Here is what I have read: 

 

Live Right and Find Happiness:

Although Beer is Much Faster

by Dave Barry

The Pearl that Broke Its Shell
by Nadia Hashimi

 

Blessed Is She:

Living Lent with Mary

by Tim Perry

 

 The Kindness of Strangers:
Penniless Across America
by Mike McIntyre






Talking As Fast As I Can
By Lauren Graham

 

Desperate

by Sarah Mae 

The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper

by Phaedra Patrick

The Rainbow Comes and Goes

by Anderson Cooper &

Gloria Vanderbilt

Spring Crafts

Spring is in the air. Why not do a little bit of crafting?

The girls and I got together with our favorite twin sisters to make Sensory Bottles (sometimes called Discovery Bottles) over our Spring Break. This required a little planning for collecting the right items. Much supervision was needed considering the sorting of small objects but this was a really fun project. We attempted to sort by color but that goal got a little lost in toddler translation.

Here's what you need:

• Empty Water Bottles (I used VOSS water because the mouths are a little wider)
• Small objects (Pom-poms, paper clips, beads, tiny toys, etc.)
• Glue (optional but you could glue the lids on for added safety)

Then, under the inspiration of Aunt Anita, we put together some Resurrection Eggs.  Each egg has an item that tells a part of the Easter story.  I searched online for the list of items to find out there were so many variations. I chose the list that I thought I could collect the easiest. I had some sticker numbers in my craft box, therefore this craft cost me zero dollars. (An ironic contract to the cost Jesus paid for my sins.)

Eva loves these special eggs and it really is helping her remember the story Jesus's true sacrifice. As in, "The orange one is EMPTY because Jesus is ALIVE!!" As well as, "The cracker is because Jesus had Supper with his friends!"

We will definitely bring this out for future Easter seasons.

Handwritten

In the days of laptops, iPads, text-messaging, and Twitter, it seems like there isn't a lot of handwriting going on. But I know first hand (no pun intended) of two friends who ACTUALLY worked to improve their handwriting in the year 2016. I am certainly impressed by both these ladies.

I also find it impressive when someone sends you a handwritten note. Even better if it is for your birthday!

Not that a Facebook message or text message don't have the same meaning or sentiment. They do. And the 59 Fb messages and 12 texts brought a smile to my face and there was definitely the benefit of responding quickly to someone's well wishes.

But this year those 11 birthday cards that came by mail or given in-person, created a visual reminder to me of someone's thought. For that, I am thankful.

Keith even hid his birthday card for me in my purse so I would find it later in the day. I loved seeing his handwriting on the paper. So endearing. Also his card was of a T-Rex giving a hug... that is ironically hilarious. What a funny guy!

My children, who are perfecting their handwriting daily, were most excited about the delivery of balloons that came for my birthday (though not willing to show it in a photo that Mommy insisted on). 

It is great to be 35 and still able to enjoy a handwritten note. 

Being a Mom

Being a mom certainly makes me appreciate other moms out there... especially my own mom. Not just because Grandma is a great babysitter but because I now realize how much she sacrificed by being my mom.

Let's talk about how wonderful it is to have your life totally consumed by mini-humans. You do the cooking, the serving, the feeding, the shopping, the cleaning, the laundering, the bathing, the scheduling, the driving, the entertaining, the reading, and the teaching. To name a few of the job duties. These are all wonderful things to do. Wonderful, wonderful things. But they are time-consuming things.

How did my mom, or any mom--past, present, or future, have time to, I don't know, write a thank you note?!?? I barely have time to brush my teeth, so how do I put pen to paper in a thoughtful way to thank those who have been so helpful or giving to us? Well, I'll tell you... 1) It's by the grace of God and 2) It. Takes. Days. Several starts and stops during a period of days.

My tiny army

As a mom to this "tiny army that I created myself" (thank you, Jen Hatmaker, for that painfully accurate description), I have some daily decisions to make. During nap time, should I, a) clean up the whole house because uninterrupted cleaning, hello? b) take a shower because umm... I can't remember if it has been one day or two or three since I last showered? or c) also take a nap? Yup, also take a nap usually wins.

My mom has told me that when I was a little girl I did not take naps. I never thought about how challenging that could have been until now. She said sometimes she would lock us both in the bedroom and let me run around while she "napped" on the bed. A mom will always improvise.  I believe it. I would do it. I may have already done this.

What an absolute contrast to when they are awake

Scripture from Romans puts it all in perspective: "... we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit..." So these wonderful, time-consuming things that we do for the mini-humans in our life is really God's love poured out. Now, isn't that the truth?

The sunny view outside my kitchen door...

...compared to what awaits inside my kitchen.

Banana Pumpkin Muffins

Hello! It is your friendly sporadic blogger here to share a little about our day. 

 Today was a snowy day at home, so we decided to make some effortless Banana Pumpkin Muffins. I have made them before but as a chocolate version. Since the recipe simply requires a box of cake mix and a can of pumpkin (secret revealed!), there are actually endless possibilities. 

Here's how we whipped them up today:

1 box Duncan Hines Banana Supreme Cake Mix

15 oz canned pumpkin

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1/2 cup crushed pecans

1/2 mashed banana

1 egg 

(Note: I mix in the egg for added fluffiness at the last minute 

because my little helper likes to get her hands on the yummy pre-egg batter.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together. 

Pour into greased muffin tins. Bake for 15-18 minutes. Enjoy!

Setting up the ingredients.

Little helper/ Little eater. 

Delish!

Little Skipper's

There is a plethora of places around town to take your little ones on a cold day. My friend, Stacie, has done all the research for me. See Here: Indoor Play.  (P.S. Stacie also posted about our fun little Galentine's Day Brunch with beautifully pink photos.)

Today, per the suggestion of my dear friend, Ruth, we decided to head to Little Skipper's in Hilliard. I really wanted to visit with Ruth and celebrate her new job (praise!) but needed a space for Eva to run out some energy. Little Skipper's Play Cafe was the perfect location. It is very cute and super friendly. 

When we arrived there were some little boys playing. One came up to Eva and stated, "We will name you -- Lauren." Ha. I suppose a new "play cafe code name" is part of the initiation. 

Eva wasn't quite done playing with all the dolls and toys when we gathered her up for lunch at Panera, but we will be back soon.

Several boats to row!

Eva shows off motor skills to Ruth in the
Infant Play Area. See how Audrey is "playing".

Cozy seat for Audrey. 

Our friendly cashier looks for the money. 

Yay! A babydoll stroller. 

Even better... a babydoll stroller with a cupcake! Ooo!

Strawberry Picking

Strawberry Fields forever!

Yay! June is for strawberry picking!
My child is a very, hungry little girl who will gladly eat through more than "four strawberries on Thursday" and still be hungry. So my mind was set on heading to the western edge of Franklin county (literally on the Madison county line) to Circle S Farm for some classic strawberry picking with our one-year old as soon as June hit.

Imagine my disappointment when the first day of June was 50 degrees. Yikes! Those are some cold strawberries. But June 2nd was it was forecasted to be be 60 by lunchtime with 0% chance of rain, so we could wait no longer. Off we went.

It was a little bit of drive. A pretty drive into parts of Franklin County I had not seen for over 15 years which was the last time I was at Circle S. Eva used the mid-morning drive to get in a power nap before she did her serious picking.

Totally psyched at arrival.

Once she was in the field, I could not keep the strawberries away from her... or in her bucket. She picked and picked and ate and ate. I was convinced when we went to check out the cashier would have to weigh my daughter to get the accurate amount of strawberries we picked. 

We took a little break to explore the rest of the farm and to our great surprise we found goats. Super friendly goats. Eva loved them! They loved her especially when she fed them strawberries. Much laughter and mah-mah-mahing ensued. There was also a shy albino rabbit that Eva desperately wanted to play with her.

All in all this was a win in my book. We paid $7.92 for nearly four pounds of strawberries and had a blast at the farm. I wish strawberry season wasn't so short. These lovely strawberries inspired me to make strawberry shortcake (Bisquick recipe with my own hand-whipped cream).

Perhaps we will visit Circle S in the fall for pumpkin picking... and definitely again next June.

The cashier is holding a strawberry up behind the camera. 

Strawberry deliciousness. 

A Call to Motherhood

I was overwhelmed by motherhood today. 

Ironically, it is my own mother's birthday today.  She is a great example of answering God's calling to be a mother. This is the article that helped me remember that today. 

Motherhood is A Calling

Words that I took to heart were that "Motherhood is not a hobby... It is not something you do if can squeeze the time in. It is what God gave you time for. Lay down resentment about the dishes, about the laundry, about how no one knows how hard you work... cling to the cross."

My heart is full. I desire to show my daughter God's love through my marriage, my relationships, my actions, my words, my prayers and my heart. 

God is gracious. God is merciful. God is love. 

Thankfulness and Necklaces

What are you thankful for that the Lord did for you this year?

Being the season of thankfulness, I have to say that I am thankful for the babies that the Lord has added to the families of 3 dear friends as well as 3 of my cousins. That brings a total of 7 new lives on this earth in 2014!

That's 6 mommas with 7 new babies (ok, with me added in that is 7 mommas and 8 new babies). Each mom has a whole bunch of joy and happiness in her life but also does a lot sacrificing. Sacrificing sleep. Sacrificing activities. Sacrificing working out. Sacrificing watching a movie all the way through. Sacrificing keeping the house clean. Sacrificing eating. Sacrificing time. Sacrificing fashion.

What? Fashion!?

I am speaking from my own personal habits. My hair, makeup, and wardrobe have certainly taken a back seat to providing care for my sweet little girl. I am sure Stacie, Jamey, Misty, Kathryn, Karen and Carrie are all up on the latest fashion trends.

Buuuuuuuut on the off-chance that they, too, have let a few things go, I made them each something to celebrate being a thankful mommy.

These necklaces are simple, stretchy, and baby-safe. Since I have barely worn any jewelry for six months, I was anxious to create something that us mommas could wear worry-free. I have to say that this is my low-budget version of an idea from the jones market. Check it out.

As Daniel Tiger sings, "Ma-king some-thing is one way to-oo say, I love you."

Love you girls!