Versatile Blogger Award!

A dear friend of mine, Kristi, recently awarded me and some other ladies with the "Versatile Blog" award. It was a shocker and I'm pleased to accept the award and pass it on to a few other deserving bloggers. It's nice to be noticed, and I hope you'll take the time to look up these other great blogs. There are a few rules about accepting the award.



#1 If you had to go back and change one thing in your life, would you and what would it be?


I would have learned how to cook before getting married. I'm sure my mom tried to show me how, but I really had no interest and am not sure I ever made a whole meal before getting married. Thankfully, my husband is patient and has taught me much in the kitchen!




#2 Choose four people for this award and then inform them of the nomination.




Amy: I love that Amy shares honestly about her life as a mom and wife. She is also faithful to share the things God has been teaching her and I love to learn through her experiences.




Nancy: a beautifully written, insightful blog about life and lessons learned along the way.




Melissa: recognizes the beauty in people of all types. Melissa is a high school special education teacher and always has a way to be thankful for whatever comes her way.




Missy: I don't know this blogger in real life, but her blog is hilarious and makes me laugh almost daily! Missy writes incredibly well and you'll enjoy her humor and candor.




#3 Say thank you to the person who awarded you.


Thanks Kristi! I have missed spending time with you since we moved, but love to keep up with you through your blog. You have such creative ideas and you inspire me to enjoy motherhood to the fullest!




#4 Share seven things about yourself.


1. I make the bed every single night before getting in. Even if it is just before I crawl into bed - and even if I have to kick my husband out of it to straighten the covers before I crawl in.


2. Since my birthday is on Christmas day, I always end up cooking a huge meal for everyone. To be precise, I always cook a standing rib roast with yorkshire pudding, mashed potatoes, corn, applesauce, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes with marshmallows on top! A good birthday dinner, but a lot of work!


3. My dream job as a child was to be a wife and mother. I am living the dream.


4. Can honestly say that my husband is my absolute favorite person in the world, my best friend and my pastor.


5. I NEVER wanted to be a homeschooler, but now think it's one of the best decisions we've ever made. I wouldn't trade it for anything!


6. I really don't mind most housework, but I loathe cleaning the bathrooms. That's the first chore I trained my children to do!


7. My husband and I paid for a hot air balloon ride 18 months ago and have yet to get in the air. I'm beginning to wonder if we ever will.

A special day!!

My sweet girl was baptized yesterday. Can I just say that I am one proud Mama?!!

This is not new territory to me. Both of my older boys have confessed Jesus as Lord and were baptized. In fact, our oldest was my husband's very first baptism in our church.

But each time there is something different and special. This time there were several hi-lights for me. I loved walking into church with Abby's hand in mine. I asked if she was excited and she replied, "I'm even more excited than you are!" Which is as it should be. My heart thrilled as I got her into the baptism robe and watched her dance around with the other two children getting baptized. It was a blessing to see a man that we love take both of the girls on his lap and let them muss his hair, play with his face and generally get their giggles out as they waited for the appointed time.

But, without a shadow of a doubt, the most special moment is this:

Seeing my amazing husband accept the privilege of baptizing our only daughter. To see the fruit of his diligence in training and teaching our children. And to see our daughter understand her need of a Savior and to trust Jesus with her life. Yes, this Mama is pretty ecstatic. I couldn't ask for better validation in this mothering career!

Freckled Feet

Have I ever mentioned that my husband has a zany imagination? I mean off the wall, nutty stuff comes out of his head sometimes! During our dating years, we always spent the summers apart while I worked at a camp in Massachusetts and he went home to Ohio for various jobs. While separated the letters and phone calls would fly back and forth. But I loved the letters! So often they were silly drawings or tapes of him reading books to me or completely random letters filled with ridiculous things.

Occasionally I still get letters from him that bring out his silly side. But more often than not we are more serious now that we're parents and have the weight of responsibility on our shoulders.

But just recently, he has started to pass on his quirky imagination to our children. Every week or so, as we sit around the dinner table, he will begin a sentence. Perhaps something as simple as, "Billy went with his mom to the barber shop on Saturday. When they entered the shop, Billy was astonished to see ..." and then he'll look at the child to his right and let them fill in the blank. He plays the part of the narrator while we all take turns filling in the blanks with silly and often ridiculous phrases.

We laugh and giggle and snort and snicker as the story gets wilder and wilder. And before we are ready the story is done. But what I love is that my man has used his own funny imagination to teach our kids to use theirs all while having a fun family time.

Our latest story was about a Buckeye nut and a lonely letter in a mailbox. The letter had large freckled feet! Of all things. But, that's what my sweet girl came up with. She is her Daddy's girl. And now, whenever we need a laugh, we mention the freckled feet and the whole family bursts out laughing.

A good imagination is a sad thing to waste! If you've been blessed with one, use it!

A late night with a hot date!

It's hard to believe that it's almost been a month since my last post. I keep thinking about blogging, but there is just too much to write! I can't seem to get my mind to settle on any one thing.

So, I'll start out with a fun time I recently had with my beloved. After VBS finished (see future posts), I got really sick. Apparently I was run down - which really shouldn't surprise those of you who have seen how I tend to throw myself into projects. Anyway, I got sick just as my two older boys left for a week at Grandma's. That was Friday night. Finally on Wednesday, I had my first day without a fever. Little did I know that my sweet husband had planned a surprise date for us!

Our little ones were headed over to the other grandparents for a sleepover - which left Josh and I with actual date time on our hands! So, on Wednesday morning, I naturally posed the question, "What are we going to do tonight?" To which he replied, "Oh. You and the kids need to be ready at 2:15. We're dropping them off and going someplace special. Wear sneakers." Hmm. Cryptic message! I tried asking a zillion more questions to no avail. He was not budging and I was completely in the dark about our "special date".

So, at 2:15, we dropped off the kids and headed out of town. Except we didn't go the direction I expected. I thought perhaps we were going to play golf or disc golf. Or perhaps hiking. I was slightly concerned because after being sick for so long I had very little stamina and very little nourishment inside of me. Wearing sneakers made me fear that he had ambitious plans! But, as we drove east and south, I realized we were not going to any place I had imagined. And as we crossed the state line, I really began to wonder what was up.

Eventually I figured out that we were headed to Chicago. Wow! A really big date!!! But still, my sweet man would not tell me what the plans were. We arrived after about three hours in the car and rushed to Millenium Park. Once there, I found that we were just in time for the concert in the park. Now, my man knows that I grew up going to classical concerts and really miss them. I feel like I listen to lots of church music and lots of kid music, but rarely get to enjoy the classical music that is near and dear to my heart. So, this man who knows every little thing about me planned and schemed to bring me to a classical concert all the way in Chicago!

After sitting and enjoying the concert - did I mention that we unkowingly sat in donor seats and consequently had an EXCELLENT view - we decided to walk around the city a bit. Most shops were closing by that time, so we didn't do any shopping, but just walked around the city and talked. What a wonderful, unfettered few hours! Finally around 10pm we stopped to eat dinner. The food was okay, but the company was great.

Eventually we hopped back in the car and headed for home. Our drive took much longer than expected because of construction and we didn't get home until quarter to three in the morning! Good gracious! When was the last time I went on a date and didn't get home until the wee hours of the morning?!! I can't even remember.

So here's to my brilliant husband - who after 11 years of marriage can still surprise me and knock my socks off! Thanks, love!!

Remember who you are

Parents seem to always have little gems of wisdom to impart to their children at just the right moment. My husband's mother always says, "Don't forget!" as her children depart from her presence. It means, "Don't forget I love you", but was shortened to "Don't forget" so that her teens would know what she was saying without being embarrassed in front of their friends.

As we are entering into the world of preteen, I've been contemplating what I can say to our children that will have a lasting impact even when they are out of my presence. I want to impart some important words. If it's the last thing I say to them, what should it be?

My Dad always said the same words to me throughout junior high and high school. Every time he dropped me off at a dance, a friend's house, a music or sport practice or even for youth group, he'd say, "Remember who you are". At the time, I thought I knew what he meant. "Remember who you are". You are a member of our family. What you do and say and the choices you make reflect directly on our family. At least that's what my teen mind heard.

As I have matured in wisdom over the years (ha!), I've come to realize that I completely misunderstood what my Dad was trying to tell me. He wasn't admonishing me to keep the family name squeaky clean. He was reminding me to remember who I am in Christ. He was reminding me to keep my focus on what, or rather WHO, I stand for. To keep my eyes pinned on the One who made me and saved me and not to get caught up in what my friends were doing. Pretty good wisdom to impart to your child as they leave your protection.

So, here I sit, wondering what I should be saying to my kids each time they leave my reach. I don't have the words yet, but I'm sure they'll come. Until then, let me admonish you ... Remember who you are and Don't forget!