Your Christmas is Most Like: A Very Brady Christmas |
 For you, it's all about sharing times with family. Even if you all get a bit cheesy at times. |
I saw this on Vicki Courtney's blog, and took the quiz--funny!
Friday, November 30, 2007
What movie is your Christmas most like?
I saw this on Vicki Courtney's blog, and took the quiz--funny!
Funny Kid Stories
We're studying birds in Science, and one day the week before Thanksgiving, the girls read about the "Blue Footed Booby." I don't know about your kids, but that was the end of all learning for mine. The rest of the day was booby hysteria. That night I was putting Rebecca to bed, and she said, "Little girls have bb's, and big girls have boobies." Oh, my!
Sunday before last, in church, the man making announcements was talking about how we need to not be inhibited in our worship--clap if we feel like clapping, raise our hands if the Spirit leads, even come down and dance if the altar if we want to. Jessica poked me with her elbow and whispered, "Don't get any ideas!"
I can't think of any recent funny Mikayla sayings, so I'll use an old one from her extensive repertoire: When she and Jessica were about 4 and 6, they were fighting over a doll and she hit Jessica, who promptly tattled. I took Mikayla into another room and went through the whole routine of talking about what she did, and why it was wrong, spanked her, and practiced with her saying, "Jessica, I'm sorry I hit you; will you forgive me?" So I took her back to Jessica, and she obediently said, "Jessica, I'm sorry I hit you; will you forgive me?" Then she said, "Now give me that baby or I'll hit you again!" (The picture's old, too.)
We had a great Thanksgiving, by the way--warm the first day, but nice and cool the rest of the week, with lots of family, food, games, Christmas decorating, and shopping. Pictures to come, but for now, just this one of my brother Matt (he's the one in the middle in the cavalry hat) celebrating Thanksgiving in Iraq serving the troops. Guess I can't call him a turkey anymore!
Friday, November 23, 2007
WOOOOO PIG SOOIE!!!!!!!! & GIG 'EM, AGGIES!!!!!!
It doesn't get much better than this.
And I still like Mike's school's tradition after every score. :)
And I still like Mike's school's tradition after every score. :)
Monday, November 19, 2007
Happy Thanksgiving!
I have some thanks to give...our house in Conway rented!! For more than enough to make the house payment, praise God. And to make it even better--she may want to buy it eventually. That's what we're praying for now.
Last week a friend of mine said she didn't know how we'd done it, making 2 house payments all this time. All I could say was that God provided. And He always does, but not always in the way we expect or even want. In a year in which Mike quit his job without another one, and worked whatever job he could find, we had more money each month in our checking account than usual. Partly because we were scared to spend any, but mostly because God provided--through the sale of our house in Idaho, unexpected insurance and gas lease money, and just bread and fishes kind of stuff. We don't deserve it, but I'm so very thankful.
I'm also thankful for my healthy, wonderful girls, and my loving, Godly husband, and my friends, old and new, close and faraway, "real" and "blogworld." :)
We're heading to Conway either tonight or in the morning--and I'm thankful it's only a 3 hour drive! We're having Thanksgiving dinner at my Mom's, which means I don't have to do all the cooking! And I'm thankful for that, too! But in those years we lived far from home and did the holidays by ourselves, we developed some food traditions of our own, which we just have to eat even if it has to be when we get back home. One of those is "Dill Green Beans," my alternative to that green bean casserole with onion thingies on top. Which I can't stand. Ever since we found this recipe, the smell of dill is as much Thanksgiving to me as onions and celery boiling for the dressing and pies baking in the oven. So here is that recipe, plus the only way Mike will eat sweet potatoes.
Dill Green Beans
3 cans of French sliced green beans
3 Tbsp dill seed
6 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp minced onion
1/2 lb. Velveeta
The day before:
Drain 2 cans. Cook on stovetop with liquid of 1 and 3 Tbsp. dill seed. Cook 45 minutes; refridgerate overnight.
Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour. Add next 4 ingredients slowly; cook until thick. Add to green beans, bake until warm. (The vagueness allows you to cook it at the same time as whatever else you need for your meal!)
Sweet Potato Casserole
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
6 Tbsp butter
Mix all, pour into greased casserole, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and add topping:
3/4 cup crushed corn flakes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
6 Tbsp melted butter
Combine all, sprinkle on top. Bake 10 more minutes.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Last week a friend of mine said she didn't know how we'd done it, making 2 house payments all this time. All I could say was that God provided. And He always does, but not always in the way we expect or even want. In a year in which Mike quit his job without another one, and worked whatever job he could find, we had more money each month in our checking account than usual. Partly because we were scared to spend any, but mostly because God provided--through the sale of our house in Idaho, unexpected insurance and gas lease money, and just bread and fishes kind of stuff. We don't deserve it, but I'm so very thankful.
I'm also thankful for my healthy, wonderful girls, and my loving, Godly husband, and my friends, old and new, close and faraway, "real" and "blogworld." :)
We're heading to Conway either tonight or in the morning--and I'm thankful it's only a 3 hour drive! We're having Thanksgiving dinner at my Mom's, which means I don't have to do all the cooking! And I'm thankful for that, too! But in those years we lived far from home and did the holidays by ourselves, we developed some food traditions of our own, which we just have to eat even if it has to be when we get back home. One of those is "Dill Green Beans," my alternative to that green bean casserole with onion thingies on top. Which I can't stand. Ever since we found this recipe, the smell of dill is as much Thanksgiving to me as onions and celery boiling for the dressing and pies baking in the oven. So here is that recipe, plus the only way Mike will eat sweet potatoes.
Dill Green Beans
3 cans of French sliced green beans
3 Tbsp dill seed
6 Tbsp butter
3 Tbsp flour
1 1/2 cups milk
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp minced onion
1/2 lb. Velveeta
The day before:
Drain 2 cans. Cook on stovetop with liquid of 1 and 3 Tbsp. dill seed. Cook 45 minutes; refridgerate overnight.
Melt butter in saucepan, stir in flour. Add next 4 ingredients slowly; cook until thick. Add to green beans, bake until warm. (The vagueness allows you to cook it at the same time as whatever else you need for your meal!)
Sweet Potato Casserole
2 cups mashed sweet potatoes
1 1/3 cups sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 eggs
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
6 Tbsp butter
Mix all, pour into greased casserole, bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes. Remove and add topping:
3/4 cup crushed corn flakes
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts
6 Tbsp melted butter
Combine all, sprinkle on top. Bake 10 more minutes.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Busy-ness
I'm still here!
And composing posts in my mind all the time. I really want to write all my funny Mikayla stories someday...maybe on her birthday.
Last week (as in Sun. the 4th) Mike preached in Hope, about an hour from here, am and pm services. He spent that night with my Mom, then drove to Van Buren, in NW Ark, for the state convention. Found out Monday that his BSU director when he was at A & M, Mike Graham, had been killed in a car wreck. He drove home Wednesday, got here around 2, and we left at 2:30 for Texas so he could go to the funeral on Thurs. We stayed at his mom & sister's until Sunday. Which is kind of like being on another planet because we can't get any cell phone signal there. His mom, by the way, did pretty good remembering names and communicating. Considering. He returned to work and we returned to home school Monday (it was great taking school with us to Texas, by the way!) and today he left again, for an annual review thingy at Camp Perrin. So I got to take the girls to our first ever AWANA Pinewood Derby tonight. Only Mikayla made a car (the "Polly Pocket Rocket"). She fell off the track twice and came in 3rd (out of 4) twice. But everybody got a trophy...
All that traveling made me compose a list of public restroom pet peeves, but then I remembered to count my blessings, so here are Reasons I'm Thankful To Be Able To Use My Own Bathroom:
1. It's clean. Comparitively.
2. I know where to find more toilet paper when I run out.
3. And soap.
4. Never have to dry my hands on my jeans.
and last but NOT least
5. I don't go to the trouble of lining the seat with toilet paper only to have the whole seat slide over when I sit down so that I end up sitting on the nasty rim!!!
Belated Veteran's Day Memorial
My precious friend Denise lost her Daddy Sunday. He served in the Navy in WWII, as a cook, and saw every major battle in the Pacific. He suffered from so many nightmares and flashbacks that for the rest of his life he was afraid to go to church, that he might have one there and embarrass his family by running out screaming. He was a good, faithful Christian man, who saw his wife go to Heaven ahead of him last March. Thank you God for men like Marion French, who serve to keep us free. I love you Dee, and I'm praying for you.
And composing posts in my mind all the time. I really want to write all my funny Mikayla stories someday...maybe on her birthday.
Last week (as in Sun. the 4th) Mike preached in Hope, about an hour from here, am and pm services. He spent that night with my Mom, then drove to Van Buren, in NW Ark, for the state convention. Found out Monday that his BSU director when he was at A & M, Mike Graham, had been killed in a car wreck. He drove home Wednesday, got here around 2, and we left at 2:30 for Texas so he could go to the funeral on Thurs. We stayed at his mom & sister's until Sunday. Which is kind of like being on another planet because we can't get any cell phone signal there. His mom, by the way, did pretty good remembering names and communicating. Considering. He returned to work and we returned to home school Monday (it was great taking school with us to Texas, by the way!) and today he left again, for an annual review thingy at Camp Perrin. So I got to take the girls to our first ever AWANA Pinewood Derby tonight. Only Mikayla made a car (the "Polly Pocket Rocket"). She fell off the track twice and came in 3rd (out of 4) twice. But everybody got a trophy...
All that traveling made me compose a list of public restroom pet peeves, but then I remembered to count my blessings, so here are Reasons I'm Thankful To Be Able To Use My Own Bathroom:
1. It's clean. Comparitively.
2. I know where to find more toilet paper when I run out.
3. And soap.
4. Never have to dry my hands on my jeans.
and last but NOT least
5. I don't go to the trouble of lining the seat with toilet paper only to have the whole seat slide over when I sit down so that I end up sitting on the nasty rim!!!
Belated Veteran's Day Memorial
My precious friend Denise lost her Daddy Sunday. He served in the Navy in WWII, as a cook, and saw every major battle in the Pacific. He suffered from so many nightmares and flashbacks that for the rest of his life he was afraid to go to church, that he might have one there and embarrass his family by running out screaming. He was a good, faithful Christian man, who saw his wife go to Heaven ahead of him last March. Thank you God for men like Marion French, who serve to keep us free. I love you Dee, and I'm praying for you.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Joy Comes in the Morning!
Meet Garrett Cash Stuart, son of Thomas (my nephew) and Stacy Stuart, brother to 6-year-old Gabby. He was born November 4, 2007, weighing 7 lbs. 3 oz., 19 inches long. Look at that gorgeous red hair! I wish I could get my hands on him!
Sunday, November 4, 2007
A Rambling Post for Me (but you're welcome to read it)
6 years ago today my Dad was alive.
The night before, Mike called him from Idaho laughing, saying, "Can you believe how many times this Razorback game is going into overtime?"
That morning, he and my Mom went to church, where he taught an adult Sunday School class. During the sermon Bro. Dave called him to the front podium as a visual aid, talking about David and Goliath.
That night they were back in church for the Lord's Supper, him looking handsome in his suit.
The next morning he wasn't called in to sub at the high school, so he and my Mom went to walk at the track. He was a speed-walker, and was about 10 feet ahead of her when he fell flat on his back. At first my Mom thought he was joking around. When she started yelling his name, 2 young women on the track, whom they had smiled at and talked to earlier, came running over. They were nurses, and performed CPR until the ambulance got there. But they never found a pulse.
I was at home in Idaho, with my three-year-old Jessica and one-year-old Mikayla. I was sitting in my big chair-and-a-half, where I loved to have my quiet time, looking out the big picture window, when my big brother Mark called. He was in the middle of a divorce, and when he asked if Mike was home and then sighed, I wondered what she had done this time. Then he said, "Mom and Dad were walking at the track and he had a heart attack and he's gone." And the phone died.
Mike and I didn't have cell phones, and Baptist Collegiate Ministry doesn't have buildings or even offices in the Northwest. I had no way of getting in touch with him. I paced the kitchen, crying and hugging myself, and kept hearing Psalm 46:1 over and over in my head, "God is my refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble." Finally I called a student, bless his heart, who found Mike on campus for me and told him. He came home as upset as if it had been his own father. I called my friend Denise in Lewiston, and she immediately drove 45 minutes to be with me, and she cried with me, too.
We flew to Conway the next day. Mike took care of everything. Plane tickets, the kids, food--did everything he could to make it easier anyway he could.
It's weird how 6 years can be such a long time, but feel like yesterday.
This morning we were in a strange church, where Mike did pulpit supply, and we sang, "He Knows My Name." When we came to the verse that says, "I have a Father; He calls me His own. He'll never leave me, no matter where I go," I felt the tears falling down my face. As usual. I know my Daddy didn't leave me, as in abandon/desert me...but I miss him just the same.
I learned so much through all of that experience. Felt close to God in a way I never had before. He was very present. Saw His tenderness in how He made it as easy as He could on us. Learned to worship Him and no other, no matter how wonderful they are. (And my Dad was wonderful.) Don't take even one day with someone for granted...tell them you love them, hug and kiss them every chance you get.
My Dad enjoyed the Biblical reference to Enoch, who walked with God and was no more. (Gen. 5:24) How fitting that he walked his way to heaven! I completely believe that one minute he was walking the track, laughing and talking with my Mom and the two nurses, and the next thing he knew he was walking through the gates of Heaven and worshiping our Lord face to face.
My Dad was known for lots of sayings. If he told a "right hand" story, it meant it was true. "Remember what you know." "Who loves you?" "Circle your buts" (in the Bible...it means something different is about to happen.) "What does all mean? All means all." "This means yes (nodding), this means no (shaking his head)." "Remember the first rule of holes: if you're in one, quit digging." I gave him a kind of a father's journal one holiday, and he didn't completely finish it, but he wrote in it some. I'll end this in his own words, with this November entry: the answer to the question "What Bible character would you most like to meet? Why?"
Enoch! The Bible says that Enoch walked with God, and was no more. I like to think that God would come by every afternoon, see Enoch rocking on the front porch. He would say, "Enoch, want to go for a walk?" "Sure," was the reply, "Let me get my hat." Their walks took longer each day. Finally, one day God said, "We're closer to my house than yours. Why don't you just come home with me?" I wish I could live a life so that others could say, "Tom walks with God--"
The night before, Mike called him from Idaho laughing, saying, "Can you believe how many times this Razorback game is going into overtime?"
That morning, he and my Mom went to church, where he taught an adult Sunday School class. During the sermon Bro. Dave called him to the front podium as a visual aid, talking about David and Goliath.
That night they were back in church for the Lord's Supper, him looking handsome in his suit.
The next morning he wasn't called in to sub at the high school, so he and my Mom went to walk at the track. He was a speed-walker, and was about 10 feet ahead of her when he fell flat on his back. At first my Mom thought he was joking around. When she started yelling his name, 2 young women on the track, whom they had smiled at and talked to earlier, came running over. They were nurses, and performed CPR until the ambulance got there. But they never found a pulse.
I was at home in Idaho, with my three-year-old Jessica and one-year-old Mikayla. I was sitting in my big chair-and-a-half, where I loved to have my quiet time, looking out the big picture window, when my big brother Mark called. He was in the middle of a divorce, and when he asked if Mike was home and then sighed, I wondered what she had done this time. Then he said, "Mom and Dad were walking at the track and he had a heart attack and he's gone." And the phone died.
Mike and I didn't have cell phones, and Baptist Collegiate Ministry doesn't have buildings or even offices in the Northwest. I had no way of getting in touch with him. I paced the kitchen, crying and hugging myself, and kept hearing Psalm 46:1 over and over in my head, "God is my refuge and strength; a very present help in trouble." Finally I called a student, bless his heart, who found Mike on campus for me and told him. He came home as upset as if it had been his own father. I called my friend Denise in Lewiston, and she immediately drove 45 minutes to be with me, and she cried with me, too.
We flew to Conway the next day. Mike took care of everything. Plane tickets, the kids, food--did everything he could to make it easier anyway he could.
It's weird how 6 years can be such a long time, but feel like yesterday.
This morning we were in a strange church, where Mike did pulpit supply, and we sang, "He Knows My Name." When we came to the verse that says, "I have a Father; He calls me His own. He'll never leave me, no matter where I go," I felt the tears falling down my face. As usual. I know my Daddy didn't leave me, as in abandon/desert me...but I miss him just the same.
I learned so much through all of that experience. Felt close to God in a way I never had before. He was very present. Saw His tenderness in how He made it as easy as He could on us. Learned to worship Him and no other, no matter how wonderful they are. (And my Dad was wonderful.) Don't take even one day with someone for granted...tell them you love them, hug and kiss them every chance you get.
My Dad enjoyed the Biblical reference to Enoch, who walked with God and was no more. (Gen. 5:24) How fitting that he walked his way to heaven! I completely believe that one minute he was walking the track, laughing and talking with my Mom and the two nurses, and the next thing he knew he was walking through the gates of Heaven and worshiping our Lord face to face.
My Dad was known for lots of sayings. If he told a "right hand" story, it meant it was true. "Remember what you know." "Who loves you?" "Circle your buts" (in the Bible...it means something different is about to happen.) "What does all mean? All means all." "This means yes (nodding), this means no (shaking his head)." "Remember the first rule of holes: if you're in one, quit digging." I gave him a kind of a father's journal one holiday, and he didn't completely finish it, but he wrote in it some. I'll end this in his own words, with this November entry: the answer to the question "What Bible character would you most like to meet? Why?"
Enoch! The Bible says that Enoch walked with God, and was no more. I like to think that God would come by every afternoon, see Enoch rocking on the front porch. He would say, "Enoch, want to go for a walk?" "Sure," was the reply, "Let me get my hat." Their walks took longer each day. Finally, one day God said, "We're closer to my house than yours. Why don't you just come home with me?" I wish I could live a life so that others could say, "Tom walks with God--"
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