Well friends, we made it! Another week has passed, and my, what a rough week it's been.

I worked Monday through Thursday, just like usual. Wednesday, however, started bad and ended worse. I woke up, and as I sat up in bed to shut off the alarm, I knew it was going to be a bad back day. But I don't have sick time yet, and it hurt, but I could walk and stand fine (just no bending over). So I headed off to drop the older kids off at school, then I went to work.

By the end of the day, even standing hurt. Electrical-shock-feeling pains going down into my left leg, and I was experiencing numbness down my leg as well. After work, off to the hospital I went. Diagnosed with a probable herniated disc, and loaded with a script for pain meds, I headed to the pharmacy, then home. One pain pill and 600mg of ibuprofen later, I was dizzy and falling asleep, so I hit the sack early. I went to work yesterday, but my pharmacist let me go early (there's no way I could have worked after taking a pain pill, and the ibuprofen didn't even touch the pain). I will be calling to schedule an MRI, and hopefully they'll figure out what's wrong and I can get on the road to fixing it.

Secondly, due to the number of emails and Facebook requests, I've decided to share the recipe for THE VERY BEST chocolate chip cookies ever. Please take note: this is not my original recipe, but I have no idea where I copied it from.

SOFT & CHEWY CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

yield: 6 dozen

1 1/4 cups sugar
1 1/4 cups firm packed brown sugar
1 1/2 cups butter, softened
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 eggs
4 1/2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 bags (12 ounces each) chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375. Combine sugar, brown sugar, and butter; beat til light and fluffy. Add vanilla and eggs; blend well. Sift together flour, baking soda, and salt; add to wet ingredients and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips**. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto ungreased cookie sheets*. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool 2 minutes on cookie sheet, the. Remove to wire rack to cool completely.

*I've found that greasing the cookie sheets makes the cookie bottoms a little crispier, but mych easier to remove from the sheet. That being said, my cookie sheets are WAY embarrassingly old...so that might have something everything to do with it.

**Because this makes such a large amount of cookies, add variety by splitting the dough in half at this point in the recipe. Add one flavor chips to one half, then a different flavor to the other half.

Make these cookies. Promise me. You'll take one bite and immediately run to your recipe box and remove every other chocolate chip cookie recipe you have. Yes, they're that good.

"But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15

What a Busy Weekend!

The weekend teases me. Every. Single. Weekend. I usually have Fridays off (thanks be to God!), so I have a "cheater" day in there which many don't have. But I still run out of time because, well, because I'm a lazy bum. This past weekend was actually fairly full, however, so the downtime was spent relaxing and gearing up for this week.

Friday, Jacob had his dentist appointment. The poor kid has had a broken tooth for awhile, and the dental assistant said it probably broke due to the adult tooth pushing on it, and we'll just yank the baby tooth out and there ya go. Uh huh. So we get there and have x-rays done. Lo and behold, the broken tooth isn't a baby tooth, it's his 6 year molar!! {groan} So the dentist put some temp stuff in it to hold him over and that was that. Now we get to schedule a root canal. Jacob doesn't really understand what it is, but he was a trooper about getting the tooth pulled, so this should be a piece of cake.

Thomas made the basketball team! And of course, the physical he had on file couldn't be used for sports (I don't get it at all, but we roll with the punches, don't we?). So we took him to the clinic at my store to get his sports physical done. He's officially a Bullet now, complete with a white home uniform and a red away uniform. His first practice was today, and he came in looking pretty worn out :) He likes it though, and is good at it.

I spent time on Saturday baking my first ever pumpkins to purée and freeze for future pumpkin pies. I used the instructions on Heavenly Homemakers site, and it worked perfectly. I actually could've baked them a little longer, but they were small pumpkins, so I didn't want to take the chance of overdoing them. I'm not sure you can over cook pumpkin, but I didn't want to find out. So just a little work with the food processor, and Bob's your uncle, I've got enough pumpkin to make 3 pies and some extra (maybe cookies?). Sadly, I tried to brine the seeds, coat them in melted butter, then bake them. I mean, butter makes everything better, right? Not so much. I find the butter flavor overwhelming, and the seeds weren't as crispy as I like them...sort of like chewing butter-flavored tree bark...if I knew what that tasted like.

And does everyone remember the lost cookie recipe? Guess what!! I was washing dishes tonight, and I moved my used-so-often-that-it-has-earned-a-permanent-spot-on-my-stove griddle, and there it was!!! The long lost recipe! It's seriously the best chocolate chip cookie recipe I've ever made, and I've had bags of chips waiting for their chance to snag a starring role in the recipe for so long. So next weekend, they'll get their wish.

Work tomorrow, so good night, dear friends. Keep doing everything for His glory!

:) :(

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

~that the rain has turned to snow in places west of our area (winter is my favorite season)
~that God is so absolutely forgiving, even as I fail as a wife, parent, and homemaker daily
~soft and chewy chocolate chip cookies (I think I found my lost recipe...I'm trying it this weekend and will post results)
~hot coffee with peppermint mocha creamer
~falling back!! (don't forget to set your clocks back and replace smoke alarm batteries this weekend)
~roast in the crock pot (is the crock pot on my list every week?? I love my crock pot)

THINGS THAT MAKE ME SAD:

~early huge snowstorms on the East Coast. I've been praying for relief for family and friends we have there.
~matching socks (see my bible verse below: it's one I meditate on while on sock duty)


Let us not become weary of doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. ~Galatians 6:9

I believe this is an important verse for any mother, as we tread through the seemingly menial tasks of keeping home. We are serving our family by making our home a haven, a comfortable, welcoming place that exudes our love, and more importantly, that of our Heavenly Father. Our family should feel at peace when walking through the door, and we as homemakers are charged with that duty. Take comfort that this is of God's design! He is all-knowing, and He has given you everything you need to succeed in this role, including your greatest lifeline: Him!!

Things I've Realized Today

1) more sour cream in party potatoes doesn't necessarily mean tastier party potatoes. "More isn't always better, Linus...sometimes it's just more."

2) my children don't know what "I didn't just fall off the turnip truck" means. I obviously don't say it enough.

3) my husband likes Hardee's hand breaded chicken tenders better than my homemade ones. I'm working on it though.

4) regular oil changes really, really do a car good.

5) we will NEVER use Geico for insurance, simply because of their commercials.

6) I really wish I would just sit down and learn to quilt (not just realized today, but reminded today).

Happy Monday everyone. Have a terrific week. My verse for today is from Ephesians:

I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the spirit through the bond of peace. ~Ephesians 4:1-3

Quilting Saturday

And by Quilting Saturday, I mean I didn't quilt at all. Actually, I'd put "take a trip to the closest fabric store to look at fallish material" on my mental to-do list. But that didn't happen. We were busy bees today.

This morning we awoke early to get my older son off to his weekend away. His friends showed up a little early, so I'm glad we were up and prepared. Then we left on a mini-road trip north up The Great River Road. We crossed a really old (and really narrow!) drawbridge into Calhoun County, and just drove. And looked at farmland. And drove. And pit-stopped for a drink and snack. And drove. And took pictures of barns. And drove. And stopped at an old couple's house to buy homemade raspberry jam. And drove some more.

There was some sort of quilt show this weekend in one of the one-horse-towns we drove through. Talk about amazing!! If I'd been alone, i probably could've spent hours looking. We took several pictures of quilt blocks that had been painted onto the sides of barns. The homemade jam lady assured us this was just a fad that caught on, and although she didn't have one yet, she needed to start considering it.

Then we crossed back over the Illinois River by way of the Brussels Ferry, which wierded me out just a little bit, so I entertained myself by reading the old copy of The Little House in the Big Woods that I picked up at the book sale at the Parkfest last weekend. A quick stint back down The River Road, and home again, home again we went.

Now we sit, watching Game 3 of the World Series. Ice cream and chips for some evening snacks, and although I'd hoped to hit the hay early tonight, I don't think I'll be able to go before the game is over.

Everyone have a blessed Sunday, and remember:

Therefore if any man is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; new things have come. 2 Corinthians 5:17

:) :(

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

~leaves turning
~a chilly house felt from under the warmth of a quilt
~finishing a cross stitch project
~chicken noodle soup
~a free magazine subscription from my Coke points
~God's renewing grace every. single. day.

THINGS THAT MAKE ME SAD:

~raking aforementioned leaves
~potty training

God Knew What He Was Doing (of course!)

Another year has come and gone. Eight years ago, my husband and I pledged a lifetime together to ourselves, our family and friends, and to God. We've been through so many things, good times and bad. Thankfully, that which does not kill us, makes us stronger.

I thank God for bringing Patrick into my life. for arranging those stars just perfectly. for giving us the strength to get going when the going got tough. I am so thankful and blessed. Even on my worst days, I'm the luckiest woman on Earth, being married to the man God created me for. Being his help meet has been the best job I've ever had. I'm pretty bad at it ;) but I'm still learning eagerly. There are so many people who have come into my life and shown me what it means to truly be a wife, and I'm so thankful to all of them as well. I know God's hand is in it, as it always is, and I'm grateful He has opened my eyes to see, my ears to listen, my mind to learn, and my heart to love.

Here's to a lifetime full of love.

Lord, Help Me

That's just about all I have to say about today. And that I'm SO thankful His mercies are new each day. If I get to wake another morning, I will use that day to live the life of His faithful servant, and to not be afraid, downtrodden, or weary.

:) :(

THINGS THAT MAKE ME HAPPY:

~getting our car fixed, by my brother (brilliant with cars), with a used (but guaranteed!) part (yay cheap!!)
~that in T minus 75 minutes, I'll be TGIFing with the best of 'em
~a retirement party on Sunday of a pharmacist from my old store, the guy who really got the wheels turning concerning being a tech
~coming home to the sounds of "MOMMY!!!" through the open windows
~perfect timing (more specifically, His perfect timing)

THINGS THAT MAKE ME SAD:

~losing things




An Apology

Yesterday was a really rough day at work. I was very down last night because of it. After writing yesterday's post, I felt absolutely lifted in prayer (and thank you for so many kind and encouraging emails!!). Today was still tough. I'm struggling at work, not necessarily fitting in, but keeping up. Tonight, I read an email from Proverbs 31 Devotions:

"In other words, seeking to obey God in the midst of whatever circumstance I’m facing will position me to work in the flow of God’s power. I’ll still have to navigate the realities of my situation but I won’t be doing it with my strength."

WHOAH.

Does God know EXACTLY what I need to hear, and when I need to hear it??? Why am I fighting His power?

Lord, forgive me for being stubborn, and continually trying to fight against Your plan for me. Open my heart to Your perfect will, which I may not understand. Thank you, Heavenly Father, for the blessings you've given me, even though I may not recognize them as blessings right away. Thank you for every single chance you give me to glorify your name and to speak of your grace and mercy. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Last Minute

It's late. I should be in bed. Tomorrow is an early day for me, and after a couple drug-induced nights of sleep (I love you, Nyquil!), I'm at least feeling rested, although not healthier. That being said, in an effort to post most days (not including Sundays), I've got to write a quick something.

The Cards are beating the 'Stros, 12 to 6!!! GO CARDS!!

Patrick won't be home for dinner tomorrow, so I'm trying to decide what I should make for the kids and myself. Tuna casserole sounds lovely, since Patrick doesn't like it. The kids devour it, so that sounds like a plan.

I've got clothes in the dryer that I'm leaving there. Overnight. I'm not afraid to admit this to you, even after yesterday's laundry post. This is only because I almost left them in the washing machine. Baby steps.

The baby now asks me to sing to her every night, which I absolutely love to do. I sing Goodnight, Sweetheart, Goodnight (yes, just like Three Men and a Baby), which she now sings along with. It seems to settle her a bit.

Cardinals just hit another home run - 13 to 6. I wonder if it's safe for me to go to bed?

What's Your Housekeeping Nemesis?

I'm here to tell you, I'm not the best housekeeper in the world. I'm not even the second best housekeeper. My home is not filthy, by any means, but it is far from tidy (most days). And since I've gone back to work, it's gotten worse...or maybe it's the same, but I'm too tired when I get home to deal with anything but dinner and family time.

Since moving into my mother's home (we are sort of long-term, indefinite house sitters for right now, but that's another post), I've come to realize what a TREMENDOUS blessing a dishwasher is. Because we don't have one. And oh, how I miss it. But dishes are in a close race with the never-ending pile of laundry.

I have kids. And a husband. And a uniform for work. I'd like to point out here that although I DO change into more comfortable clothes when I get home, I'm often in them for only a few hours before bed, so I wear the same clothes a couple days in a row. So...I'm not the one making the laundry here, people!! :) It's just something I can't keep on top of. I haven't found a system that works (yet). I've tried a specific laundry day. I've tried doing one load a day (the OCD in me has a hard time with that one). I've tried separating clothes by color, and by person, since I wash everything but towels in cold anyway. Some ways have proven more effective than others, but I've not been completely successful with any certain way.

"In everything that he undertook in the service of God's temple and in obedience to the law and the commands, he sought his God and worked wholeheartedly. And so he prospered." 2 Chronicles 31:21

Laundry is one of the many duties God gave me when He made me wife and mother. By looking at the never-ending pile as such a burden, as something I MUST do, and "Woe is me that no one will turn their socks right-side out!", Ido not please the Lord. The job of making my husband and children ready for each day has been entrusted to me, and I should look upon it as a privilege to do such an important job! God smiles down on me when I work with a joyful heart, to His glory. And thankfully, even when I catch a glimpse of the bottom of the laundry basket, someone will always be happy to toss in another pair of socks for me to continue my work.

Change of Heart

Last night I was going to write about being tired. being weary. exhaustion. I think I actually used to words "dead woman walking" when discussing it with my husband. After a week of vacation (and not really being used to back to working before then), yesterday I felt like I needed toothpicks to keep my eyes open.

Then I caught myself. I've been making an effort lately...a sincere effort, to stop complaining. to stop sweating the small stuff. to be content with the innumerable blessings I've been given.

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. ~Proverbs 17:22

Then, lo and behold, this morning I'm reading my daily email from At the Well, and something she wrote caught my eye.

"She didn't reflect the heavily-burdened spirit that one might expect from a life of self-sacrifice. Her face radiated joy."

Tiana writes of a woman, in her 80's, who has lived a full life, complete with husband, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Here I am, in my 30's, with a husband and still young children...does my face radiate joy? Do I live truly live a life of self-sacrifice? I struggle with selfishness. I struggle with laziness. But I am trying. I am praying daily for peace. For patience. For understanding. For contentment.

Merry, Happy, and All That Jazz!

Okay, okay, you can berate and belittle me all ya want to...I'm a busy lady!! I've got limited time here on the computer in the library, so let me make a long story short, for anyone who was wondering:

My husband got a job! w00t!!! He's actually had it for awhile now, and I think that I may have already posted about this in a previous post, but I'll say it again - my husband got a job! w00t!!! That being said (and said again), he's been in Dallas since the beginning of November, and the kids and I moved in temporarily with my mom in Illinois. This ia great because, well, we get to have one last holiday with my family without the stress of travel, plus, we get to spend loads of time with my mom before we move away permanently.

Now this sucks because my children and I are apart from Papa Tango, which makes my heart shrink every little time I think about it, yet it makes it grow as well. The kids area greatly missing Daddy, but have gotten to see him every once in awhile due to flying standby (yay for working for an airline!!). This also bites because I have very little internet access at mom's house. When I say very little, I mean I can access email and facebook from my phone, but not really anything else - hence the serious lack of blog posts recently.

We are still looking for housing in the Dallas area. We'd better get a move on too, because I'm already on leave from work and the whole reason for taking it was to get the family moved and settled. We've got a couple places in mind, one in particular for which I'm waiting for some information to be mailed to me. Pray we can find something sooner rather than later so we can get this show on the road! In other news, I finally made it to the great state of Texas, and all I have to say about that is "YEEHAW!!". The traffic is in desperate need of some serious driving lessons, and some parts of Dallas are more than a little frightening. But the outlying areas are nicer and much less scary. This is a good thing.

So friends, be patient, please. I actually have my own library card now, so if I can sneak away during naps to post any updates, I will. If not, think good, moving thoughts for us and I'll be back in the saddle soon! I hope everyone had a very blessed Christmas, and if you're out and baout on New Years Eve, please be careful and responsible!

Seven Years

Sevens are lucky for many. Casinos are filled with them, as are lottery tickets. Who would think, then, that our seventh year of marriage would be the hardest we've been through yet?



I won't list everything my husband and I have been through in the past year. It's not glamorous, exciting, or interesting in the least. The point is, we made it through that seventh year...to today.

Our seventh wedding anniversary.



The seventh anniversary of the day I married the man God put on this Earth for me to find. Of the day when I gave my heart and soul to him "officially", although I knew long before then that he was The One. Of the day when we vowed to each other that nothing would come between us.

Well, the proof is in the pudding, people. The past year has been full of trials and hardships. And today we celebrate every single one of those days as a triumph of our love for one another. A love that held fast against outside forces. A love that is greater than it's ever been because we made it through all of them. We may have done things a little backwards in our relationship, but that's okay. It makes us unique. It makes us that much stronger.

Here's to a lifetime more of memories, trials, celebrations and anniversaries.



Thank you for putting up with me for this long. I love you!

What am I doing??

You want the answer to that? You want the truth? You can't handle the truth!!

Okay, so the truth is, I'm not doing a thing. And I really haven't done a thing, all day long. Okay, earlier today I ran to the store because we were out of coffee creamer and milk, and Italian dressing for marinating the chicken my dear, sweet, grill-master husband is going to take for a ride on the Char-broil Express later today. And I watched a neighbor boy for a couple hours this morning while his parents ran an errand (you remember Jacob's friend Zachary from GinaGina's birthday party). But other than that, I've been a big lazy bum so far today.

I've also been busy (while GinaGina is napping) catching up on some email and blogs I follow. That being said, I have 2 complaints: 1) I really don't like it when I can't subscribe by email to a blog. I think the idea of following on google is good, but honestly, I hardly ever go to my google homepage. When I do, I have to sit for an inordinate amount of time reading all the blogs. That's not saying that I don't *want* to catch up on them! Some would say "Just pare down your blog roll, and that's that". I just can't do that. It's like going through your favorites on your computer. At least for me it is. And finally, 2) I also hate link loss. That's what I call it. I'm on a blog, see an interesting link, follow it, see another link, follow it, and before I know it, I'm 11 pages away from where I started, all filled with posts I want to continue reading, but I couldn't find them again if I tried! I try really hard to right click and open the link in a new tab, but sometimes I forget. I will say, however, that if these are the only 2 things I find myself complaining about today, I'm in excellent shape.

Anywho, back to my plans today. I will start laundry sometime, and I'd like to go to the library too. I stayed up entirely too late last night finishing the book I've been reading. I couldn't believe what time it was when I finally turned the last page of the book and checked the clock. I groaned, thinking that the kids simply wouldn't understand that mommy stayed up too late reading and would you please sleep in for just this once?? Although I was pleasantly surprised this morning when I woke at 8:30 with a start, listened for a few moments, heard nothing, and was able to drift back off to sleep for a little while longer.

Other than that, my day plans include watching college football with Patrick and the kids, grilled chicken, recipe copying and maybe some knitting. I know, I know - I lead a life of total excitement, but you know what? I love it. I wouldn't trade being here with my family for anything in the world.

This is the day that the Lord has made...

Here I sit, sipping the last of my coffee, listening to the cat meow incessantly, wondering when the forecasted rain (and subsequent cooler temperatures) will start outside, waiting for my internal "time to leave for work" bell to chime.

It's quiet here for now, peaceful. The boys have been sent off, Thomas to school, and Jacob to "Steppers" before school practice (Steppers, from what I understand, is sort of a dance troop for guys. We haven't seen a performance yet, as they haven't had one, but between this and Drum Line, Jacob's pretty psyched). GinaGina is sleeping soundly, as is my husband. The only sounds here are my fingers on the keyboard and the occasional noise from Dexter as he tries to balance on top of a box of litter, on top of an unused dresser, next to the basement crawl window, watching squirrels taunt him through the glass.

It's almost Friday, thank goodness, although this week has flown by (and I even had a shift on Monday!). At the same time, this week has FLOWN by, and I understand now how my children have grown so big and tall right before my eyes, in the blink of an eye.

We've got lots of work ahead of us, none of which I will post about now, but soon, my friends. Part of me wants to clean like mad this weekend, but the other part wants to sit and read, watch my children play outside, knit or crochet a little, or perhaps get out my long lost cross stitch project I need to finish for a Christmas present, maybe go to the park for a cookout. If it's cool out, I might even bake some bread. Sounds like I need to try to find a happy medium!

Happy almost Friday!

Happy holiday!

Did all of you have a refreshing long weekend? I certainly hope it was filled with fun, sun, gorgeous weather, football, barbecue and cold drinks! Mine had some of that, but also had work today (boo!). That also means, however, that I will get holiday pay on my next check - that's a yippee right there!

Over the weekend, my younger daughter turned 2 years old. I can't believe how time has completely flown by...seems like just yesterday we brought her home from the hospital and sat and stared at her for hours on end. Now, she runs around like some crazy baby, and we still sit around watching her.

My sons Thomas and Jacob, Jacob's friend Zachary, and GinaGina.

Her party (and I use that term loosely, since it was nothing significantly planned out at all) was successful. Snacks, homemade chili, and a frosted pink birthday cake made it great.


Yay for pink frosting and sprinkles!

GinaGina's favorite thing is, by far, Dora the Explorer (much to my chagrin). She runs when she hears it on tv. We have several episodes DVR'd for her viewing pleasure, as well as a DVD of 4 episodes. If she's upset, you can always get her to calm by singing the Dora song and quoting the beginning of an episode. She'll continue quoting and forget what she was upset about.


GREAT find!

Along with Backpack and Map, my mom got her another Dora DVD with 3 episodes we didn't have DVR'd! SCORE!


What 2 year old doesn't need another AC/DC shirt?? And Thomas looks thrilled to be there, doesn't he?

One of her favorite episodes of Dora is the cowboy episode, where Dora and Boots are dressed in their cowboy gear and have to deliver cowboy cookies to Benny. She loves it, and rides her stuffed unicorn around yelling, "Yeehaw!". So, we had to get her some gear.


Giddyup, pinto!

Zachary also gave her a stick horse, which is awesome except that it talks and whinnies when a button is pressed on its ear, which really freaks GinaGina out. So she's sticking with the unicorn, from what I can tell. She's also going for the country singer gig, which she can totally pull off.


Just give that girl anything that resembles a microphone, and she's good to go.

So even though I had to work today, the weekend was an utter success. The weather was just stunning as well - we were able to keep the windows open all weekend long (until today, because I'm a wimp). I can't say it was relaxing, although we didn't DO much of anything. We were all exhausted by the end. Again, I hope your weekend was beautiful and special.

Deep breaths.

Do you ever have those days where you have to force yourself to count to 10 about, I don't know, 15 bazillion times? Where you've taken so many deep breaths that you start to feel dizzy? That even your last nerve is about to break? How do you handle these moments? Do you block everything out? Do you have a hobby to take your mind off things? Do you meditate? Pray? Lose yourself in a good book?

I had one of those days yesterday. In fact, I started this post last evening, but ended up getting up from the desk to do some other stuff, and never returned. I'm not going to exaggerate and say that *everything* was going wrong, but goodness...it sure seemed like it. After I finished up a chapter in the new book I found at the library last night, I prayed that God would wake me up on the right side of the bed this morning and help me to see the simple blessings that I might experience today with fresh eyes. (And yes, I may have thrown in a request to let my new attitude affect that of my children...maybe).

I know that one of God's purposes for me is to raise my children to seek Him, and to be a comfort and blessing to my husband. Sometimes we all slip up, and must get back to basics - He wouldn't have called us for such a demanding job if He didn't think we were up to it! Philippians 4:13 (one of my favorite verses) reminds us that we can do anything through Christ and His strength. What an awesome promise! Sometimes when I'm feeling the burn, so to speak, I tell myself that over and over (in my favorite Jan Karon way) "Philippians 4:13, for Pete's sake!!". I have to remind myself that anytime I feel weak and unable to perform the tasks at hand, Jesus has my back - that's his guarantee. That doesn't mean it's going to be pleasant, but I'll make it through just the same, leaning on Him.

I fully admit to never posting here anymore (not that it takes a rocket scientist to figure that out, I guess). For anyone who is still on my mailing list or a fan of my page, I fully intend to start blogging again with some regularity. I can't promise that will start now, as life is in full swing at The Lodge. However, I had to come and post a link to a blog that's become dear to my heart in the recent past:

At The Well

The first post on the site from today is a give-away, which is not the reason I'm posting the link (I do love a good give-away though!). Continue scrolling; continue reading. I think God has always spoken words that need to be heard, whether it be a Bible verse you read during your morning Bible study, a song on the Christian radio station in your car, or a blog post arriving in your email inbox. You don't necessarily have to be on the look-out for it, but your heart definitely has to be open to receive it.

To all of you, have a safe, happy Halloween. If you don't have children, remember kids will be out that night, likely paying more attention to the candy in their pails than the traffic. Be careful; be safe.

Under Pressure

This blog was started as an outlet - someplace to come and write out the day-to-day happenings (the inner workings, if you will) of my life as a wife, mother, employee, believer, etc. How I could allow it to become a nuisance is beyond me. I don't like feeling pressured to post, and that's exactly how I felt. We took a short trip to Denver a few weeks ago, and I haven't posted since then because I wanted my first post to be the pictures and stories of that trip - now I'm 3 weeks behind because I've been stalling on *one* post! That's just not right.

So, I'm postponing the Denver post so I can continue on with other, less important yet still interesting, things. Rest assured, I will post our Denver Oddessy, Part II.

My garden has sprouted, as have the rabbits. They started after my corn, which I was unsure would germinate anyway (lack of space). Now they've taken to my cantaloupe leaves. So, I googled and found about 1,456,829 solutions to the rabbit problem. What I ended up trying was simple garlic powder sprinkled around the space (I have such an overabundance of garlic powder, it's not even funny). We shall see how the cantaloupe plants look tomorrow morning - the rabbits must be getting them either at night or *way* early in the morning, because I never catch them there during the day, and there's a difference in foliage when I do my morning garden check.

Other than that, I do have some surviving corn. I planted it rather late, so it's smaller than the corn I see in other gardens. Size aside, however, it looks alright so far. I have peas, which the rabbits also got. Every time I'd go out and see new sproutings on the ends of the vines, I'd come back later in the day to find the new shoots gone, bitten away. Ah well - hopefully the garlic will solve that as well. I have no more mini sunflowers, although I can't blame the rabbits. I only had one plant that grew, and I think it may have gotten pulled as a weed by helpful little hands. Honestly, I'd rather have the help than the lone sunflower.

We've got radishes galore, the two hopeful cantaloupe plants, tomatoes, pickling cucumbers, green peppers, and pumpkins. No pumpkins yet, but flowers out the wazoo. All in all, I'd say it's a pretty good fare so far. Everything got put into the ground late, and I didn't have near the room I'd planned (that tiller kicked my butt). At the end of this season, I'll be ready with the newspapers and mulch in order to gain more space - about three times what I've got now.

The kids are C.R.A.Z.Y. The boys have cabin fever...the heat and humidity here have been awful for the past couple weeks. Now it's beautiful out, so hopefully we'll be curing that soon. Gina got another tooth, top left, second from the middle. It may not be a vampire tooth, but she'll still look vampire-ish until those top middles come in. She's crawling, standing with support, and "cruising" against furniture like a madwoman.

This weekend marks the 3rd annual (?) trip to PawPaw's over the summer. I think it's the third, but technically it's the first time going to his house up north. We'll leave early Friday morning, and I'm going to stay for a couple days to get the lay of the land there. Then I'll come back with GinaGina, and head back to pick them up the following weekend. If this doesn't cure their cabin fever, then it's hopeless. After they get back, they'll be attending VBS at a friend's church for a week, which they're excited about.

So much going on, and so little time. Soon it'll be time to start buying school supplies again and sending them off during the day. So I'm trying to make this summer as fun as possible for them. I just can't believe how much they're changing, almost day to day.