Indefinite Hiatus

Have decided to take a leave from blogging. I enjoy reading other blogs and will continue to do so, but right now time is so limited and I want to spend the time with family. I really thought I would get back into it once we returned from China, but never have. Time is just too short....Blessings!!!

Jet Lag

Oh, the jet lag is just killing us!!! We returned from China on March 5th with our precious 3 year old daughter!! She has had strep throat, I've got a sinus infection, and my husband has a cold, and one of our sons has a stuffy nose. At least the kidney stone thingy is doing much better. We haven't been doing much other than laying around the house. Some wonderful friends came in and painted our kitchen, left food for us, and did some housecleaning while we were gone. It was so nice to come into a clean home when we returned. But have not managed to stay on top of it because we're just utterly exhausted!! We know this will pass and hopefully soon! We did manage to go to church today and my husband commented that it just wiped him out!! I think we could have all spread out and went to sleep in the pews!! Am hoping to be able to start blogging again on a regular basis--some days it is just too difficult to get to. Blessings,

I've Been Negligent....

in posting. Things around our household have just been nutty. We are going to be traveling internationally next month and I've been putting my energy into that, as well as dealing with a kidney stone. While at the doctor's yesterday, she thinks I have passed it because of a clean urine sample. If anyone knows a lot about kidney stones, please let me know. I still have a little bit of pain in my back, so I keep wondering. I will say that I've had a total of about 3 diet sodas since January 12th--I do believe I have weaned myself off of regular soda, but not without headaches. It didn't help that I went to Wal-mart this morning and spent way too much money. Does anything get less expensive? I'm rambling.

I've also have had some problems in posting pictures to Blogger lately. Will try and stop by and visit those blogs I normally do. I miss them!! Have a blessed day!!

Calendars for Kids

This was a calendar that I printed off from over at daniellesplace.com for the Sunday School children. I was looking for a project that would be good for K-2 grade and found these. I printed them off on stock paper, put two hole punches at the tops of the calendar, and then used elastic type string for the binding. Then the kids were able to decorate them with some stickers I brought, and it was a really easy project for them to do. Each month has a Bible verse and the children can color the picture that's at the top. Have a blessed day!!

Am still hoping and praying that this kidney stone passes. Had another CT scan today and it's still there-UGH!! Need to do lots more drinking of water tomorrow.

Water, Water, and More Water

Right now, I feel sooooooo waterlogged. This weekend, while hubby and I were in a class out of town, I started to develop abdominal pain, chills, and back pain. It went on pretty much all day, only letting up a little bit around lunch time. When the class ended, and we were headed home, I had him take me to the Emergency Room at our local hospital. After having tests runs, including a CT scan, it was determined I was passing a kidney stone!!! Yikes!! Not fun. They are very painful. The pain has subsided and I'm continuing to drink lots of water, but at this point all I'm doing is running to the bathroom. Am ready to give it a rest!! Have a blessed day!

Winter Scenes

During the last ice storm, the trees were just magnificent. Of course, later on we were really starting to worry as lying in bed at night, you could here the trees start to snap and pop and we were wondering if one of them would come through our roof. We were quite greatful we did not have the wind with the storm, otherwise there would have been no power. So many people hate the snow and ice, and it is difficult to drive in without a doubt. But the beauty of it all still takes my breath away. Blessings.

Holiday Plates and Other Stuff

My, aren't holiday plates so pretty? Normally, I'm not one for collecting items. Every year at my husband's Christmas party they have these really pretty Christmas items for the spouses--this year was a plate on a small black stand. It really is very pretty with a snowflake in the middle, the writing around the snowflake has the names of goodies, and around the rim is decorated with holly berries and leaves. We bought a new hutch for our kitchen this weekend, and it looks so pretty sitting on it. Now if only I could get the the rest of the kitchen done--we found out this weekend that the wonderful (icky) carpet in our kitchen is glued to the floor which is laying on another piece of flooring. EEEWWWW!! It's going to be a job to get it done, and not a lot of spare time these days!! So now as you enter our kitchen, there is a piece of torn carpet with the floor showing through--looks lovely!! Have a blessed day!!

The First Snowfall

...and boy is it ever pretty! There is something so magical about those first flakes! Our 8-year-old was outside by 7:45 a.m. making a snow angel and wanted me to take a picture of the angel. It's sad to think that looking out now, an hour later, that she is long gone!!


Our burning bushes will have no color one of these days as the cold sets in and the leaves will drop. This one has some last remaining color and some of the snow on it. It is cold and windy here, compared to the 70 degree "heat wave" earlier in the week. I'm actually glad--love the cold and love the snow, as long as I'm dressed for it. Have a great Thanksgiving and be thankful for all that God has offered to us. There are many on the planet who are much less fortunate. Have a blessed weekend!!

Getting Back to Normal

...if there is such a thing! I feel like I haven't been following a consistent routine in blogging lately. At church last week, we had a cookie and craft sale which I co-chaired. We had cookies everywhere!! The picture above is some of the many wonderful goodies we had for sale. We managed to sell lots of homemade cookies, candies, and bars, and wonderful homemade jelly and crafts. Now that life is returning to normal, I am hoping to post on a more consistent basis. The weather has been wonderful here lately--almost too hot for this time of year. Am looking for a little cold snap to settle in. Have a blessed day!!

Coleus

I snapped this picture of this beautiful Coleus while we were in Branson. The color was absolutely gorgeous!! I haven't planted Coleus at our home in years--think we're more of perennial people than annual people. There are many different colors of this plant, and they are quite beautiful. If you like planting annuals, try the Coleus. The color is amazing!! Have a blessed day!

Homemade Soaps

...I believe this is an indulgence!! When we were in Silver Dollar City and Branson, I had the opportunity to buy some homemade soaps. The one in front is Honeysuckle (it smells great), while the two in back are Eucalyptus and Lime--they both smell wonderful also. This is a skill that I would like to learn--that of making homemade soap. The thought of using lye somehow bothers me. In the meantime, I will just have to make due with the wonderful homemade soaps that others make.

If any of you have purchased homemade soaps via the web, please point me to their website. I'd be interested in buying some more. Have a blessed day!!

Celebration City Foliage

This was some of the beautiful foliage at Celebration City in Branson, Missouri--complete with the meandering waterfall and gorgeous spruce tree. We had never been to Celebration City before. It is a more downsized amusement park. The children loved riding the go-karts, the bumper cars, and the log ride. I enjoyed all of the wonderful trees and plants they had. It is open in the evenings and very, very clean. The park was really decked out for Fall, and we had quite a laugh when our younger son was walking around the perimeter of a tree and said "Look Mom, a scarecrow," and then the scarecrow actually started talking to him. Both of our children "jumped" pretty high. We had a wonderful evening there and I'm sure we'll travel there again in the future.

Silver Dollar City

We just got back from a few days in Branson, Missouri. We normally stay on Indian Point not far from Silver Dollar City. There are many places on Indian Point which overlook Table Rock Lake. It's a safe bet to say it is our favorite vacation spot and we've been several times. This picture was taken near the entrance of Silver Dollar City. I don't know how to explain the park, other than to say it will take you back in time to a bygone era. And the potatoes fried up in large round skillets with vegetables are my favorite. The women all wear long flowery dresses while working in their shops. During the Fall, they host a craftsmen festival with some of the most beautiful crafts I've seen. Our children love to ride the rides and had such fun getting soaking wet on the log ride. Silver Dollar City has a few hilly areas, and I think our vacation was somewhat of a workout because my legs were stiff after doing lots of walking. It's good to be back home and will try to share some pictures of the area during the week. Blessings!!

Gourds for Decorating

What would Fall be without gourds for decorating? Our younger son had a cub scout outing at a local farm this past Friday and we came home with all sorts of gourds. The kids had a blast finding their own unique gourds and were very anxious to show us adults what they had found. The white-colored pumpkins were especially wonderful, but I think the children didn't want to stray far from the usual orange-colored pumpkins as there weren't too many takers of the white variety. We also went to a small field full of Indian corn, and many were on the lookout for the red variety, which is especially pretty. This does give me the idea that next year we should plant some Indian corn. But for now, the gourds happily decorate our front steps.

What unusual variety of gourds do you have? Have a blessed day!!

Glitter Pumpkins

I give total credit to Martha Stewart for these wonderful pumpkins! I was watching Martha well over one year ago when she was making these beautiful pumpkins, so I decided I would have to try them. Last October, my children and I made the glitter pumpkins using glitter purchased at our local Wal-mart store. We mixed colors, such as blue and gold. We also used red. This weekend I was in a craft store that actually had the Martha Stewart line of glitter, so I decided to pick some up. These are very easy to make. Your supplies should include a pumpkin (small works wonderfully), a bottle of glue (I used Elmer's), a sponge paint brush, glitter of your choosing, and some wax paper to sit the pumpkin on. This year, our children weren't the least bit interested in making these, so I did two of them myself. Simply put some of the glue into a small dish and then use the sponge paint brush and apply glue all over the pumpkin, making sure the glue is applied as evenly as possible. Then spoon the glitter on all over the pumpkin (don't worry about applying too much because it will shake off) and let dry. If you missed some spots on the pumpkin, try and dab on the glue and then reapply your glitter. That's its!! These pumpkins have such a beautiful sheen to them! This is a wonderful project to do with your daughters!! (I also should say that if you notice a slight smell in a week or so after having done these, please check your pumpkin, as it might be leaking a bit.) Have a blessed day!!

Building, Breaking, and Blowing Things Up!!

Those are the three "Bs" in our home--they probably are in yours also, especially if you have boys. Fortunately, at their current ages, we are much more heavy on the building part of things!! Our boys love to build! They've got lots of Legos and they like to build with the Magnetix (shown above). They received some of these for Christmas a few years ago. The Magnetix are wonderful if you are ever looking for toys in addition to Legos. Our children also found a large bag of the Magnetix at a garage sale this summer. Moms, please give your sons lots and lots of things to build with--they will get really creative, just sit back and watch. Have a blessed weekend!!

It's The Small Things!

Little things can make a huge difference--even kitchen towels--and they don't have to be expensive. A lot of my kitchen towels look like I've been using them a long time, and I don't know why I haven't thrown them out. I think it's because my parents told me long ago not to waste things. But I did buy these three kitchen towels the other day and they have made quite a difference rather than hanging my old, ugly ones on the oven handle. My dear husband said they were too pretty to use for drying his hands. If you have some type of dollar store near you, check out their towels. You will probably be pleasantly surprised by some of the things they do carry that don't cost much money.

What bargains have you found lately for your home? Have a blessed day!!

A Day Out!

This weekend my older son and I spent the day out shopping, while my dear husband and younger son travelled to grandma's house. When it was time for lunch, my son wanted to go to Culver's. YUM!! (The photo above I took of the place mat that's placed on your tray.) I had never been before--what a great place!! You place your order at the counter and then the food is delivered to your table. But the best part is the terrific looking custard you can order. My son had a shake, of which I managed a few sips between eating my fries and patty melt, and it was really good! His cheddarburger was huge, and the crinkle style fries tasted terrific. Needless to say, the place was packed. At the end of the meal, he smiled telling me that "we really need to come here more often." I'm sure we'll be going back sometime soon! If you have the opportunity to visit a Culver's, most likely you will definitely enjoy it!! Have a blessed day!!

Fall Crafting

Above is a photo of fall leaves that were painted and then pressed onto large brown paper bags to create a placemat. A few years ago, my son did a project at school that involved painting leaves and then pressing them onto a sweatshirt. I liked the idea so much that I used it for a women's fellowship meeting last fall. You can simply go out into your yard and gather some leaves and press them flat into a book for a few days until you are ready to use them. I found the big brown paper bags at Wal-mart in the garbage bag section and took them home and cut sections of the bags into placemat size. Then I used fall colors of paint--red, yellow, orange, green, and brown--and painted the vein side of the leaf and then turned the leaf over and pressed the leaf (painted side down) onto the placemat. Keep pressing on the leaf for a little while to make sure the paint is evenly distributed on your placemat and then peel off gently. This way, the leaf's veins will show on the paper. This is a fun project to do with kids, although I'm sure the sweatshirt would go over better with them!! Have a blessed day!!

Today Has Been a Blur!!

Do you ever have days like this--they just seem like a blur because you've been so busy all day that you haven't had time to sit and reflect? Today has been one of those days where all I've been doing is running. The children will be home any minute, and then the running will start again before 5:00 p.m. and won't end until 8:30 p.m. or so. I'm not especially fond of these days because I feel like outside influences are taking way too much time that they shouldn't. How do you feel about days like these? The picture above was taken by our son in the inside of a restaurant that has huge fish tanks and jellyfish lights, but it definitely fits with today.