Thursday's Laugh Out Loud--A day late again :)

I found 5 reasons why we tend to procrastinate on this site:

http://www.businesstown.com/time/time-5reasons.asp

They are:

1. You Haven't Really Committed to Doing the Job
2. You're Afraid of the Job
3. You Don't Place a High Enough Priority on the Activity
4. You Don't Know Enough to Do the Task
5. You Just Plain Don't Wanna!

Oh, yeah, I'm all over number 5 there on most of my daily tasks. Also number 3 when it has related to my blog this week. And occasionally number 4 when I can't think of what to blog. I would also add 6. You just don't think about it or remember it. I just don't remember to blog sometimes or pay a bill or write things on my calendar or do a load of clothes for hubby when he's out of something. I bet you all can relate to these reasons and more. Winter is also just my hibernation time. I really don't get out much and don't want to. I don't want to do much more than the really necessary stuff--you know, keeping everyone fed and not stinking.

Now, much to my amusement (or dismay, can't decide) I present the Procrastinator's Creed:

1. I believe that if anything is worth doing, it would have been done
already.
2. I shall never move quickly, except to avoid more work or find excuses.
3. I will never rush into a job without a lifetime of consideration.
4. I shall meet all of my deadlines directly in proportion to the amount
of bodily injury I expect to receive from missing them.
5. I firmly believe that tomorrow holds the possibility for new
technologies, astounding discoveries, and a reprieve from my obligations.
6. I truly believe that all deadlines are unreasonable regardless of the
amount of time given.
7. I shall never forget that the probability of a miracle, though
infinitesmally small, is not exactly zero.
8. If at first I don't succeed, there is always next year.
9. I shall always decide not to decide, unless of course I decide to
change my mind.
10. I shall always begin, start, initiate, take the first step, and/or
write the first word, when I get around to it.
11. I obey the law of inverse excuses which demands that the greater the
task to be done, the more insignificant the work that must be done prior
to beginning the greater task.
12. I know that the work cycle is not plan/start/finish, but wait/wait/plan.
13. I will never put off until tomorrow, what I can forget about forever.
14. I will become a member of the Ancient Order of Two-Headed Turtles
(The Procrastinator's Society) if they ever get it organized.

Phew....

Zoe will be 2 tomorrow. I can't believe she's growing so fast. She's potty training now, so wearing pull-ups most of the day, diapers still at night and naptime. She's eating with a spoon and fork now and talking more all the time.

Megan is 5 and has just learned to tie her shoes. Mind you, it's still not the best tying, but she's getting better at it. I have let her tie her shoes for preschool this week. She's also learning to read, and is finally starting to sound out unfamiliar words a bit. They have little reading circles in preschool for the older ones entering kindergarten this fall. This fall....she'll go to kindergarten...I don't know if I can handle it. For the first time, she won't be home for lunch during the week.

And--I need more patience. Lots of patience. Last night, I was far from patient, nice mom. Hubby was out of town the night before and got home last night. I was trying hard to spend some time just cuddling on the couch with him to watch American Idol. Zoe was trying equally as hard to get our attention. She bounced all around the couch beside me until....BONK!...her head somehow came crashing down onto mine. Hubby even heard the resounding thud. It felt like a baseball bat to me. Zoe was just fine. I saw stars and felt nauseated for a while. Megan was misbehaving in her room as well, so I was not a happy camper last night.

Though they're growing up and maturing fast, I'm torn because I want them to be mature enough to just find something good to do while I sit for a while with my husband. Then again, I don't want them to grow up too fast. Maybe more one on one attention is needed, but I need some quatlity time with my husband too, other than just when after we put the kids to bed. I'm not sure where that transition happens or if we have to make it happen. Since I'm beginning to be incoherent, I think I'm still suffering from my head injury, so enough of that. Hope to have Wed. faves and flops soon. Maybe this is my flop?? :)

Tuesday's Terrific Food

I've been wracking my brain trying to think of what to post for a recipe. I've been repeating a lot of favorites and easy stuff for a couple weeks here when I cook, so no recent new recipes came to mind. However, I remember posting about my hubby making his stuffed shells for our Christmas Eve dinner, but I don't think I posted the recipe here so here it is. It's a great recipe to make ahead and freeze or eat part and freeze the rest. It warms up great. It's also great for entertaining. I hope you'll give it a try!

Bryan's Stupendous Stuffed Shells

1 tbs. Butter

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tsp finely chopped garlic

1 lb. Italian sausage

1/2 lb. lean ground beef

2 tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 tsp dried basil leaves

2 tsp dried oregano leaves

1/2 lb. ricotta cheese

1 lb shredded Mozzarella cheese

3/4 cup parmesan/romano cheese (in the can thingy)

2 eggs

1/4 tsp salt

1 pinch crushed red pepper flakes

1 tbsp Italian seasoning

black pepper to taste

1/2 can chopped spinach (drained)

1 large jar spaghetti sauce (2 lb, 13 oz or similar)

1 package jumbo pasta shells (approx. 24 shells)

1.Cook shells according to package directions. Drain; set aside. 2. Meanwhile, melt butter in large skillet. Add onion and garlic. Cook over medium heat until just tender. (3-4 minutes). Add sausage, beef, and worcestershire. Continue cooking until meat is browned (8-12 minutes); drain. Set aside and allow to cool. If in a hurry, place in the refrigerator. 3. In a large bowl, mix ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan/romano cheeses, reserving one cup of Mozzarella for later use. Add in basil, oregano, eggs, spinach, salt, crushed red pepper, Italian seasoning, and black pepper. Stir until mixture is consistent and smooth. If using an electric mixer, use slow speed only. 4. Add cooled meat mixture to the cheese mixture. Mix thoroughly. 5. Add mixture to each shell by hand. Stuff as much as desired. 6. Spread 3/4 cup of spaghetti sauce onto bottom of ungreased 13x9" pan. Place stuffed shells, meat side down, into prepared pan. Cover shells with additional sauce, reserving approximately 3/4 cup for later use. 7. Preheat oven to 350. Cover pasta with aluminum foil. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until heated thoroughly. 8. Remove aluminum foil. Cover shells with remaining sauce and Mozzarella. Continue baking, uncovered, until cheese is melted. For a finishing look, finish with a broil setting to brown cheeses. 9. Place shells on plates and enjoy!

Monday--Misty's Challenge

*Blogger is not good with formatting paragraphs. Sorry for the run-on posts. It won't acknowlege my spaces sometimes. I'll have to use lines until I figure out a better solution.

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Don't Worry

First of all, I've gotten behind on my blog this last week. It happens--get used to it :) So, back to bloggity thoughts this week. "Don't worry!"-- I think that's one of the last things my hubby said to me as he left this morning.

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I'm going to divulge a little thing to you all now. Bryan and I are trying for number 3. Of course, hoping for a boy, but primarily a healthy child, and next primarily...just ONE, and we hope that ONE, healthy babe is a boy. We were not lucky to succeed last month, and I was hoping to blog some good news, but I decided to just go ahead and get it out there. We are trying to conceive or TTC, as it is commonly referred to. And I can't help but worry.

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So, that is my challenge of the week. Not to worry about if I can or when I'll get pregnant--or to worry about anything really. It doesn't do any good to worry about stuff, and Jesus told us that, right? Worry can even be harmful to our health. Stress is not good for the mind or body. I've heard it said, "Let go, and let God". I think that means give your worries to God. Do actively what you can and let God do the rest.

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Last month, I about drove myself crazy looking for "symptoms", taking temps, using ovulation predictor kits, etc. I am going to try harder not to do that this time. It's just different this time though. We're trying the "Shettles" method for conceiving a boy, which means we need to time the "attempt" as close to ovulation as possible (among other things which I will not discuss, ha ha). So that means for the first time, I've been charting my cycle with basal body temperature and other factors for about 4 months now. The last 2 cycles I've also used ovulation predictor kits that are supposed to detect the level of LH (luteinizing hormone) in your urine, and a positive result means you will probably ovulate within 24-48 hours.

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What worried me is that I have not been lucky enough to even get a positive result with one of those things, so I'm worried I'm not ovulating. All other signs would indicate otherwise. Now, the ironic part is that we did none of those things with our first two babies and we got lucky the first month both times! So I'm being all scientific about it this time around, and it's not as easy.

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So there we go--my worries are out there on the table. I've gotten them off my chest, and now I'm letting God do his thing. I'm going to keep busy with my winter DVD burning project and my other chores and enjoy this thing. Trying for a baby shouldn't be a bad thing, right? It's a good chapter in life and I'm glad to share it here. Also, any "advice" would be welcome, especially if you have used any of that stuff I mentioned earlier. :)

Wednesday's Faves and Flops--a day late

A bit late, yes, but umm... motherhood has been calling. And my computer game. And burning DVD's of the 28 (you should see the stack) mini DV's we have made over the years. I've burned about 4 so far, I think. Using Pinnacle Studio 9 on my laptop here--quicker than our PC downstairs, but still takes at least 2-3 hours per DVD. That's my winter project. So, burning DVD's in the morning while Meg's in preschool, then playing my computer game in the afternoon while they're asleep. I've got a full day! I actually have managed to be productive today. I washed some laundry, exercised, dressed a chicken for supper (you should see his tux--haha!), and burned a DVD. I even managed to fix my hair and brush my teeth before I picked up the kids from preschool. Attempted to burn another DVD this afternoon, but it froze up, so now I'm gracing you with this post.

My fave and flop of the day (or yesterday) is American Idol. Out of the countless reality shows on TV, this is the only one I keep up with. I love to hear the diversity of the contestants and the first week, they show all the preliminary auditions from across the country. Listening ranges from goose-bumpy to absurd as they move on from one contestant to the next. That's my fave--never knowing what talent ,or lack thereof, may come next. My flop this year though--the judging is really getting harsh. Yes, Simon Cowell has always been a jerk, but this time around Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson are dishing it out too. I'm sure it's a ploy to beef up ratings, but putting a 16 year old boy down so hard that he's literally weeping on his mother's shoulder--now that's just mean. I'm concerned about all the impressionable pre-teens and teens out there that watch the show too, thinking their self-worth may be tied up to whether they can be famous or not, whether they have celebrity talent. Heck, even I daydream when I watch it. I can only imagine how a 16 year old girl must feel. And these kids the judges are bashing (if it's not staged)--what impact will that have in their life? I can totally respect the bashing of the crazies who come on there just to be seen. There was a guy dressed up as "Apollo Creed" from the Rocky movies, all decked out in red/white/blue boxing shorts and crazy top hat--singing OPERA! A girl who sang like the growling lion in the Wizard of Oz. And a red-haired 27 year old software engineer that tortured everyone's ears with the worst "Unchained Melody" I've ever heard. Go ahead and bash those people, but give the 16 year old kids--yes, even the kid who juggled while he sang--a little slack.

A few people I did see were very promising and had great stories. One was a 16 year old girl who had been a "crack baby" and had a great voice. Another (*see above pic) had left Colombia, South America with only a couple back packs and a teddy bear when she was 15 and went from periods of being homeless, sleeping in her car, to this audition, where she won a spot for the Hollywood trials. She sounds amazingly like Shakira, who happens to hail from Brazil. I'll keep watching. Let me know if you watch too.

Tuesday's Terrific Food

I made these delicious and easy brownies on Friday and on Monday I ate the last one. I think Bryan only had one and the girls had maybe 2 full pieces. Needless to say, I spent about 1/2 hour on the treadmill this morning. :) Try these though, and you'll see why. They are from Sara Moulton, who hosts "Sara's Secrets" on the Food Network.

Triple-Chocolate Fudge Brownies
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

3 ounces fine-quality bittersweet chocolate (not unsweetened), chopped

1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, chopped

3/4 stick (6 tablespoons) unsalted butter, cut into pieces

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 large eggs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter and flour an 8-inch square baking pan, knocking out excess flour.
In a heavy 1 1/2-quart saucepan melt bittersweet and unsweetened chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring, until smooth and remove pan from heat. Cool mixture to lukewarm and whisk in sugar and vanilla. Add eggs, 1 at a time, whisking well until mixture is glossy and smooth. Stir in salt and flour just until combined and stir in chocolate chips.
Spread batter evenly in pan and bake in middle of oven 25 to 30 minutes, or until a tester comes out with crumbs adhering to it. Cool brownies completely in pan on a rack before cutting into 16 squares. Brownies keep, layered between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container at cool room temperature, 5 days.

Monday--Misty's Challenge

Finding Direction

It's been raining for 3 solid days and the ground can't hold anymore water. It's standing everywhere. Temps are falling from 50's to 20's tonight. It's gloomy and I'm gloomy. Hubby stayed home sick today from the stomach flu. I made a run to Wal-Mart with Meg to stock up on Immodium, Sprite, and groceries in case of a freeze. Took Meg for a 5 year old checkup. Got a prescription for Phenigren (sp?) gel in case the kids get sick.

Dishes have piled up in the sink. I want nothing more than to curl up and befriend my computer the rest of the day. But wife and mom duties are still here. The challenge for today and the rest of the week--just to find direction, to prioritize taking care of who needs what the most and let the non-essential slide a bit. To keep my head above water. I think I've said it before, but I'm living in mommy fog. The days fly by and I seem to be walking in a fog all the time, always saying, "Where did the day go?". Early childhood years--very normal feeling, I've been told, when the little ones need you so much.

I felt a pull though the other day, to get back into nuturing the spiritual and pull back from media distractions. That's hard to do, in my mommy fog, even to sit down and concentrate/meditate on such deep matters, but that may help to get me back on solid ground a bit. My small group is finally meeting for the first time this new year tomorrow night. I have to get my chapter reading finished before then. We're still into Intimate Issues--21 Questions Christian Women Ask About Sex. A new study is starting soon at church--The Frazzled Female. I think God has His timing right on that one. I've taken the semester off for teaching Team Kid, so I can attend it on Wednesday nights. Hopefully, I'll gain some insight into how to navigate the "fog" better and still bless and be blessed. I look forward to keeping you informed on it.

Saturday's Quote to Ponder

"Health is not valued till sickness comes."
Dr. Thomas Fuller, Gnomologia, 1732British physician (1654 - 1734)

I missed Friday. My dear old Aunt Flo decided to grace me with her presence yesterday so I accomplished little except for visiting the grocery and making a new brownie recipe. What better time to indulge in chocolate? I'll share the recipe next Tuesday--good easy one too.

So, today, hubby has a stomach flu--who hasn't had it? I had something like it back in October, and the girls had it last summer, and everyone I know has had it or someone in the family has had it. People are being hospitalized too. Kinda scary. Anywho, the quote reminds me that we don't really know how good we have it until it gets bad--like health. We may be tired or sore, or whatever, but when a real sickness (or mean Aunt Flo) hits, then we realize we're ok most of the time.

Me with Aunt Flo, Bryan with stomach bug, and two bouncing wild girls--not a gracefully happy family at the moment. I wouldn't stop by for a surprise visit if I were you :) Now off for an attempted nap on a dreary rainy day...and more chocolate.

Thursday's Laugh Out Loud

I've read somewhere that the shortened daylight hours make us naturally more lethargic in the winter--yep, that's it, see it's NATURE! I can't control that, can I?

Well, I CAN get up off my hiney and get on my treadmill for 20 minutes....starting next week, yep next week is looking really good :)

Here are some really funny joke lists I've received recently. The first one just cracked me up so bad I snorted when I laughed! Enjoy!

20 WAYS TO MAINTAIN A HEALTHY LEVEL OF INSANITY
1. At lunch time, sit in your parked car with sunglasses on and point a hair dryer at passing cars. See if they slow down.
2. Page yourself over the intercom. Don't disguise your voice.
3. Every time someone asks you to do something ask if they want fries with that.
4. Put your garbage can on your desk and label it "IN".
5. Put decaf in the coffee maker for 3 weeks. Once everyone has gotten over their caffeine addictions, switch to espresso.
6. In the memo field of all your checks write, "For smuggling diamonds".
7. Finish all your sentences with "in accordance with the prophecy".
8. Don't use any punctuation.
9. As often as possible skip rather than walk.
10. Order a Diet Water whenever you go out to eat - with a serious face.
11. Specify that your drive-through order is "to go".
12. Sing along at the opera.
13. Put mosquito netting around your work area and play tropical sounds all day at work.
14. Go to a poetry recital and ask why the poems don't rhyme.
15. Five days in advance tell your friends you can't attend their party because you're not in the mood.
16. Have your coworkers address you by your wrestling name, Rock Bottom.
17. When the money comes out of the ATM scream, "I won! I won!"
18. When leaving the zoo start running toward the parking lot yelling, "Run for your lives, they're loose!!"
19. Tell your children over dinner "due to the economy we are going to have to let one of you go."
20. And the final way to keep a healthy level of insanity: E-mail this to someone to make them smile and laugh. It's called therapy.
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Top Ten Things To Say When Caught Sleeping at Your Desk

10.) "They told me at the Blood Bank this might happen."

9.) "This is just a 15 minute power nap they raved about in the time management course you sent me to."

8.) "Whew! Guess I left the top off the Whiteout. You probably got here just in time."

7.) "I wasn't sleeping! I was meditating on the Mission Statement and envisioning a new business strategy."

6.) "It's true what they say about all that harmful radiation that these monitors put out. My eyes started stinging and I got real dizzy."

5.) "I was doing a highly specific Yoga exercise to relieve work-related stress. Are you discriminatory toward people who practice Yoga?"

4.) "Darn! Why did you interrupt me? I had almost figured out how to handle that big production problem."

3.) "Did you ever notice sound coming out of these keyboards when you put your ear down real close?"

2.) "Who put decaf in the wrong pot?"


AND THE NUMBER ONE BEST THING TO SAY WHEN CAUGHT NAPPING:

1.) Just raise your head slowly and say, “. . . In Jesus name, Amen."

Wednesday's Faves and Flops

My fave today is so sneaky, really it is. "Tee-hee!" My friend Maggie came by for lunch today. Apparently, my minestrone (*see yesterday's post for the recipe) AND the ice cream (mmm, Moose Tracks) she brought for lunch today just hit the spot, and she got very relaxed. All 4 kiddos (my 2 girls, Buddy, and Red) were playing quietly (Thank you Lord!) so I got this shot:

It really is nice to know a friend can be that comfortable in my home. Great compliment for me! Hope you don't hate me Mag! :) It was just too hard to pass up.

I don't really have a flop today, except that Meg's been a little cantankerous (I don't even know if that's a real word) at preschool and at home, and not sure exactly how to nip it in the bud. I'm trying taking the video games away for a few days to see if that will help. I don't want her to get out of hand, especially in school. She's very bright--she is in a reading circle now for the older kids in preschool and got stars for reading some words today--and I just don't want that intelligence wasted with bad behavior. Trying to really praise the good and correct the bad, and hope the good wins out more :)

Tuesday's Terrific Food

Today's recipe comes from a great site, www.savingdinner.com. Leanne Ely, who co-hosts "The Fly Show" with the FlyLady herself, and contributes greatly to FlyLady's site and system, has designed this website. She offers several menu planning options, called "menu-mailers" that you can have emailed to you weekly to plan your dinners for the week, along with shopping lists for all the ingredients. This is a recipe from one of the free sample menus. I am cooking it in my crock-pot as I write, so I have not actually tried it yet. However, it smells greatwhile it's cooking! It also uses many fresh veggies, and looks very appetizing. Hopefully it will be on my fave list tomorrow instead of a flop! ;)

Crock Minestrone Soup

INGREDIENTS:
4 cups low sodium chicken broth—or
use homemade
4 cups tomato juice
1 tablespoon dried basil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/4 teaspoon pepper
2 medium carrots, sliced
2 medium stalks celery, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup sliced mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 28-oz. can diced tomatoes, un-drained
1 15-oz. can white beans, drained and rinsed
1 1/2 cups corkscrew pasta or other medium shape, uncooked
Parmesan cheese as garnish
COOKING INSTRUCTIONS:
Combine all ingredients, except pasta and cheese, in a 4- to 5-quart
slow cooker; cover and cook on low heat setting for 7 to 8 hours, or
until vegetables are tender. Stir in pasta; cover and cook on high
heat setting for remaining 15 to 20 minutes, or until pasta is tender.
Sprinkle each serving with freshly grated Parmesan cheese.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS:
A big spinach salad and garlic toast.

Monday--Misty's Challenge

Hibernation

It's winter, well at least it feels more like winter today--40's instead of 60's. I've unofficially entered into my winter hibernation. I'm lying around more, staying inside, indulging in hot beverages and chocolate :) I think I'm part bear. Each winter, all I want to do is lie around and get fat.

Which leads me to my challenge today. Don't just lie around and get fat! At least stay moving with regular chores. Try to get back into the exercise routine. And watch what I eat, for goodness sake. I don't need to eat enough to put on a nice layer of blubber to keep warm. That's what our natural gas is for. I've been getting back on track today a bit. I'm off my post-holiday vacation, and back into full-time wife/mom/babysitter mode. I've been cleaning, doing laundry, dishes, and generally putting some order into the chaos. I made a trip to buy much-needed cleaning supplies and groceries this morning. I'll be on my third load of laundry soon.

My main goal for this season is to keep priorities as straight as possible. To balance my routines so I won't be stressing about stuff. But, also, to enjoy a bit of my natural hibernation. To get my work done early so I can rest, relax, and enjoy being cozy and warm. It's good to be back.

I'm kinda on vacation

It's my unofficial post-holiday vacation. I'm doing just enough to keep the household running. I just need a little refreshing after the hustle bustle and wierdness of this past Christmas. I'm playing my game a lot more, watching more TV, not exercising, just hanging out with the kids and Bryan and enjoying it. I did manage to put away Christmas decorations yesterday, though they're not really put away until I get them back in the garage. I have posted some pics on my picture blog of Christmas and my little Meg's 5th birthday. She had a nice birthday party. Just 2 little friends and some family, but she kept saying, "I really like this birthday, mom!" Sounds like a success to me! I attempted to do a Strawberry Shortcake theme, but couldn't find any actual themed decorations at Wal-Mart, so I improvised with a red tablecloth, green plates and pink napkins. I also made a strawberry cake, shaped like a real strawberry, with pink strawberry icing, red sugar, green icing leaves, and yellow "seeds".

Here's the link for the pics: My Pictures

Oh, bummer, it's over....

The holiday season--Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year--all over for another year. I've had a hard time getting back into gear today. My Christmas decorations are still up, toys still scattered. I'm still munching too much. I have really not made any resolutions for the year either, except maybe to take each day a day at a time, be productive as I can in that day, and move on to the next.

How was Christmas for you? Ours didn't turn out perfectly, but we enjoyed our time together. One of Bryan's uncles had a heart attack on the day before Christmas Eve, so our Christmas at Bryan's grandmother's was cancelled until he can recover. We had a nice Christmas at my in-law's house though, but my oldest neice and nephew couldn't be there and I missed them. I made breakfast at my dad's house the day after Christmas, but my brother didn't get any of his girls that day, and something so totally gross happened right before I started cooking, that I will not talk about (you'll have to ask me in e-mail or phone if you want to know). Anyway, I missed my neices and nephew and wished some of my family could have put forth a better effort. Other than that, my hubby was home for the whole week after Christmas and we loved spending time together, and the highlight of our Christmas break--we saw the last Rocky movie in a theater in Campbellsville on the day after Christmas. Bryan had always wanted to see one in a theater, but we were just babies and little kids when they first came out. So that was nice to do that together.

I thought I'd share a few pics of our holiday happenings. I'll post some more each day this week. I'll try to get back to regular blogging soon.

Our Christmas card this year. Aren't we cute?

Our Christmas Eve dinner--Bryan's Stupendous Stuffed Shells!

They were divine!! We ate for 3 or 4 nights on those. So good. My hubby really CAN cook when he wants to!

Megan leaving apples on the porch for the "reindeer" :)

Milk and cookies for Santa!

Santa came!! :)

It's Thursday after Christmas, and all through the house...

It's like the aftermath of a toy tornado! We got back last night and I actually managed to do 2 loads of the new clothes we got, but the new toys are scattered all over still. I have a goal of putting them kind of all in one corner before Sunday--my daughter's 5th birthday. A little stressed and overwhelmed about it all, like I am every year since we've had kids. It all started on December 31, 2001, when I had GREAT plans to wash and put away all the new baby things we got for Christmas that day before our firstborn arrived, but she decided to grace us with her presence on THAT day, instead of her due date three weeks later. We did 2 loads of laundry and packed bags before we went to the hospital. What a day! Now, she's almost 5 and I don't know where the time has gone. My firstborn, my first daughter, my little girl. Growing so fast, loving Strawberry Shortcake and Barbie. I love that kid!

Friday's Quote to Ponder--a day late!

"Holding on to anger, resentment and hurt only gives you tense muscles, a headache and a sore jaw from clenching your teeth. Forgiveness gives you back the laughter and the lightness in your life. "
Joan Lunden, in Healthy Living Magazine

The biggest gift we might give ourselves and our loved ones is to let go of resentment, bitterness, and anger and forgive. Is there anyone that you're resentful of right now? Let it go. It isn't worth it. Life is too short.

I'm blogging at 12:22 AM on Christmas Eve, because I can't sleep. I can't divulge why but it's not really because of resentment :) I had actually planned on talking about that yesterday, but just was too busy to blog. We've had a nice couple days as a family. Went out for a date Friday night. 3 Fridays in a row now for dates--that is a record! Saturday, we took the kids to an IMAX theater to watch The Polar Express in 3D. Awesome!!!! Even Zoe loved it. She couldn't keep the glasses on well because they were too big, but when they were on, she was fixed to the screen, and would even take her little hand and try to touch things that she thought were in front of her. It was funny!

I hope you all have a great Christmas. I probably won't be blogging much if at all next week, but I'm sure I'll have lots of pics to share. Be safe, be loved, and God bless you all!

My 2 minutes of fame!!

I don't know how many of you are familiar with the FlyLady, but she has a radio show on the internet on World Talk Radio every Thursday from 1:00-3:00 pm CST. I actually called in yesterday! I had kind of a lame question, and had the "first time caller, long time listener" nervousness, but if you want to listen to the segment, here's the link:

http://www.worldtalkradio.com/archive.asp?aid=8653

Go to segment 6, about halfway through the segment, you'll hear the emcee say, "Here's Misty from Kentucky." There's my 2 minutes--hope I can keep the papparazzi away :)

Thursday's Laugh Out Loud!

First a tune from Santa and his reindeer:

http://www.thecompassgroup.biz/merryxmas.swf

And, some Christmas funnies!

Wednesday's Faves and Flops

My fave today: My hubby! I just dearly love him. He got me a new 1 GB memory card for my new camera, so now I can take more than 8 pictures at a time :) That's not the only reason I love him, by the way. I have loved him since we were 16 and he's a great husband, provider, and daddy. I love the way he makes me laugh and I love how his eyes light up when he smiles. His blue eyes are gorgeous, his smile is infectious. I'm blessed to be his wife.

*PS--No, I'm not trying to score an extra present either :)

My flop today: Caffeine withdrawal. I'm beginning the cutting off the caffeine process. I have a constant dull headache and I'm draggy. I miss caffeine. But hopefully something good will come of it soon :D

Tuesday's Terrific Food--a day late!

I got behind again--sorry! The past couple days I've been preparing goodies for friends and neighbors and this morning, the kids and I played Santa and delivered them. That was fun. Here's a really easy, yummy cookie recipe for you that I made. If you like coconut, chocolate, and raspberry jam, you'll love these! I got this recipe from the 2006 edition of Better Homes and Gardens special publication, Christmas Cookies.

Coconut-Raspberry Delights

1-7oz. package flaked coconut (2 2/3 cups)

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup all-purpose flour (I used cake flour)

1/4 tsp salt

3 egg whites, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp almond extract

4 oz. chocolate flavor candy coating, chopped (I used a mixture of unsweetened Ghirardelli and semi-sweet chips)

1/4 cup seedless raspberry jam or preserves

1. Preheat oven to 325. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper; set aside. In a medium bowl, stir together coconut, flour, and salt. Stir in egg whites and almond extract. Drop coconut mixture by teaspoons 1 inch apart on prepared cookie sheets, making 3/4 to 1 inch mounds. Lightly flour your thumb and press into the center of each mound to make an indentation.

2. Bake in preheated oven about 20 minutes or until edges are golden. If necessary, use the rounded side of a teaspoon to press indentations again. Cool cookies completely on cookie sheets. Carefully remove cookies from cookie sheets.

3. In a heavy small saucepan, heat and stir chocolate over low heat until melted. Carefully dip the bottom of each cooled cookie into the melted candy coating, letting excess drip off. Place cookies, chocolate side up, on parchment paper; let stand 30 minutes or until chocolate sets. To fill cookies, just before serving, spoon about 1/4 teaspoon of the jam into the indentation of each cookie. Makes about 40 (I only got about 24 out of each batch).

Oh, my child!

Saturday night and Sunday night, our church presented a children's musical entitled "Miracle on Main Street". My daughter, Megan, was one of the preschool choir. Here are a few pics from Saturday night:

Apparently the spotlight was too bright for Meg--she's in the green dress with red tights--hand up over eyes :)

Slightly better shot, but not good focus from my vantage. At least you can see her face and she's singing--she was one of the few who knew most of the words. (*brag brag*)

Now, Sunday night was another story altogether. We are seriously thinking of sending in video to America's Funniest. At the beginning of the musical, the preschoolers sang 4 songs (like in the pictures) and at the end they all ran up there for the final song and bowing to the crowd. Well, right before the big finale, Meg had to use the restroom, and one of the stage moms took her and rushed her out, quickly pulling up her tights, and apparently they didn't get adjusted quite right, so out comes Meg on stage, back of her dress up over her hind end, yanking at her tights. She continued this behavior for a good two minutes or so, even turning her backside to the crowd as she adjusted herself, much to the loud amusement of the crowd. I wanted to crawl under my chair and laugh hysterically at the same time. It was funny and embarrasing, and it's just SO my child. We only captured it on video, and if I was good enough at Windows Media, I would try to capture it for you. I might take a stab at it today, but just trust me for now, it was a hoot!

I've Elfed myself!!!

I got this from Jules.

Check me out! This is hilarious. You can do one of yourself too. Just upload a head shot (crop an old photo if you want) and you can even call a number and record a message--free!

http://www.elfyourself.com/?userid=056121ebec04a081f7660b8G06121816

Monday--Misty's Challenge

I'm in chocolate heaven right now. I made another batch of "Espresso Chocolate Chip Cookies", without the espresso this time. I guess I should rename it to "Heaven's Chocolate Chip Cookies". I actually said "Thank you Lord!" as I indulged in two of them just now. God knew what he was doing when he created chocolate. If every moment in Heaven is going to be better than experiencing those cookies--wow, what an eternity it will be! I made them a bit smaller this time to have more to go around.

I'll be delivering cookies and other sundries this week to friends and neighbors. This is my favorite week of the year. The week before Christmas--I love baking cookies, making candy, listening to carols, hanging up Christmas cards we've received. I don't love the wrapping so much, but I love it when it's done!

My challenge this week--get all your major chores, shopping, etc done EARLY this week so you can kick back and enjoy the rest of the week before Christmas. If you can, make those chocolate cookies or any other recipe you like. Indulge a bit. If you DO make the chocolate cookies, use good quality baking chocolate, like Ghirardelli baking squares. They've been on sale at Kroger for a while now. Decadent, absolutely decadent! Can you tell I'm a chocoholic?

I will do my best to post each day this week and next week I'll take a break. We'll be out of town visiting family and enjoying Christmas. I still have some chores to finish up myself, so I better get on it--while I'm baking today of course!

Company Christmas Party 2006

We dressed up. We took photos. It is a rare event. I thought I'd share before I hit the hay. My feet hurt :)

Bryan's boss and his wife. Nice folks. Hosted the party at their local country club.

My favorite part of dinner--the cheesecake!

My smile is a little goofy here, but the guy taking our pic took a while to find the button and I was trying not to blink.

Look at us! My hubby in his handsome, festive red shirt and tie and my lovely blue evening dress that I'm hoping I'll be able to fit into again someday :) See the heels--they don't look that high, but I walked very carefully in them. Didn't even trip--thank the Good Lord Above! I'm very sleepy and am going to bed. Hope you all have a good weekend!

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"Christmas is a time when you get homesick - even when you're home."

~Carol Nelson

One of the best Christmases I remember as a child was a year when my parents had virtually no money, therefore few presents. It was the first Christmas in a long time that we actually had a WHITE Christmas. I remember the snow--how beautiful it looked falling like feathers from the sky, coating the ground in a magic white blanket. I remember my mom's homemade potato soup and sausage cornbread we had for Christmas dinner. I remember the warmth and love we felt in our little family that Christmas and that makes me homesick--even though I have the best husband and little girls in the world. I wish with all my heart that my girls will grow up to remember at least one Christmas like that, where the magic and love felt was more memorable than the presents. What was Christmas like for you as a child?

Also, pray for me tonight. I'm sitting with my toenails drying, getting ready for my husband's company Christmas party tonight. I will be wearing a lovely satiny blue evening dress and heels higher than I've ever worn before---AHHHHH!!! I'm scared I will fall over in them. I am NOT a heel girl. These aren't even stilettos, but I'm a little awkward walking in them. I'm wearing them while I'm getting ready so I can practice a bit. So, pray that I will not fall down and hurt myself or stab someone in the eye with them please.

Thursday's Laugh out Loud--not really.

I've cheated you out of laughs the last two Thursdays. But, I found something even better today. My hubby sent me a great link to a broadcast on gospel.com. It is about contentment, and REALLY hits home this time of year. Especially with me today.

Yesterday, I developed a urinary tract infection, got my period, and a canker sore. And still have the sniffles. I'm wrestling with discontentment, yes, but when I hear this, I think of how good I really have it. Do you ever think about how little Jesus had when He lived here? He was basically homeless. Think about all you have this Christmas and appreciate it--realize "how much you already have" and listen to this:

http://media.gospelcom.net/rhm/sounds/awwy/awwy5198.mp3

Wednesday's Faves and Flops--a day late!

Sorry I'm late with this. I'll explain in the next post.


Wednesday's Fave: How the Grinch Stole Christmas
My girls and I got to watch it on Monday night, I think it was. I love it--the original Dr. Suess TV adaptation. Great stuff. Catch it if you can.

Wednesday's Flop: Santa Baby
I'm getting this review from another source, since I actually didn't view it. I didn't really want to, either. I usually like Christmas movies, but this one just didn't appeal to me from the previews. According to my friend Maggie, it was a disappointment and included lots of taking the Lord's name in vain. I think the story itself was a cute idea. Santa is sick and his estranged daughter is called in to take over. But his estranged daughter is ex-Playboy model Jenny McCarthy. Not really sending me warm family vibes here. But I'm not going to add any more opinions since I didn't watch it and can't give it a fair enough review. If you've seen it, let me know what you thought. The movie premiered on ABC Family Channel.

Sidebar stuff

I recently updated my links to add a few blogs I've been perusing. Nice folks--you should check them out.

Tuesday's Terrific Food

I'm a little grumpy today--and rambly, so be aware of upcoming wierdness. I think I'm starting another cold after over a month without one. I was spoiled. Oh, well. I have Claritin, a multi-vitamin, zinc, and ibuprofin in me so maybe I'll drug my way through it.

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On a much cuter note, Zoe has taken to calling me "Mom-mom". Her daddy is "Dad". I'm not sure if she's part British or what, but when she says it, I'm convinced she's the cutest, sweetest little babe in the world--don't dare argue with me :)

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I'm trying to motivate myself to get into more Christmas spirit by doing more Christmas-y things like wrapping and finishing my decorations. I have a cute little ceramic village with lights that I put up on my entertainment center with fake snow and everything, and it's still in the box by our Charlie Brown tree. I think I may bypass other chores like dishes and exercise to tackle this. And it might cheer up my cold-dreading self.

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Oh, wait, I forgot the food. Sunday night while I was picking up Megan from her preschool choir practice, my dear husband got supper preparations underway. He had it so nicely presented that I had to take a pic. And I thought I would share the recipe I made too.

Red Beans and Rice

1 big smoked sausage link, sliced thin

1 green pepper, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 can red beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup instant brown rice

1 cup chicken broth

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

Worcestershire sauce

Tabasco sauce

Salt and pepper

Heat about a tablespoon of olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage and brown a bit on both sides. Remove sausage from pot and set aside. Add pepper and onion and saute in pot until tender. Add beans, rice and chicken broth. Add salt and pepper to taste. Bring to slight boil and cover. Simmer over low heat for 7-9 minutes or until most of liquid is absorbed. Stir the sausage back in and add a few drops of Worcestershire sauce and tabasco. Serve and enjoy!

Monday--Misty's Challenge

Avoiding Perfectionism

We hear it said all the time that the "hustle and bustle" of the holiday season tends to kill our spirit. Does it really? I think more specifically that our perfectionism tends to kill our Christmas spirit more than anything else. Being busy going to parties, shopping, etc, is supposed to be fun, but we turn it into anything BUT fun when we allow our perfectionism to take over. Here are some of my thoughts on it:

• Most of you have probably already decorated, but if not or if you're in the process, do you really need 5 trees in your house? Do you even need lights outside? Simplify to one tree, one wreath, some candles in the windows perhaps? Decorating should be fun and meaningful, not a way to impress or outshine the neighbors.


• 
  
  Wrapping gifts--do it simply. Do you have to make handmade bows/ribbons? What if you just leave the bows off altogether? We end up traveling with many gifts and the bows just get squished in the trunk, so why bother? I have slowly come to terms with this over the years, and am going bow-free this year.


• 
  
  Gift giving--don't over-do it! The kids don't really need 50 little things. What's wrong with 2 or 3 nice gifts and some stocking stuffers. If they have grandparetns or other family/friends, they'll get plenty of stuff.


• 
  
  Handmade gifts are great, but does EVERYONE have to have one? If you've decided to crochet scarfs or ornaments for everyone on your list, you will be pulling your hair out trying to get them done unless you started in January. Pick a person or two to be creative with and buy the other folks something at Wal-Mart.


• 
  
  Christmas cards--have you even seen great-Aunt Pat in 10 years? Or Larry, the third-cousin once removed? Send em out to close friends/relatives, and send a family pic to the other folks later.


• 
  
  Christmas cooking/baking--don't over-do it. If you can't give it away very soon, it'll sit on your counter getting stale or sit on your hips making you fat. Pick a few recipes and know where/to whom you'll be taking it and stick with that. Save a few pieces for the family each time of course :) If you're like me and love to try new recipes, you may want to try them early so you'll know if they're worth making again.

I hope I've given you some food for thought about not letting perfectionism take over this Christmas season. It's really hard to let go of our own or family's expectations sometimes, but when we struggle to over-achieve and make everything Norman Rockwell perfect, we'll be frazzled and stressed and that will not bless our family at all. Better off to have a little Charlie Brown Christmas tree and spend a little extra time with the kids than to sacrifice our precious time for perfectionism.

Friday's Quotes to Ponder

After the faith discussions this week (see Wednesday's post), I decided to share some quotes about faith that I found so we could ponder them.

"I always admired atheists. I think it takes a lot of faith."
Diane Frolov and Andrew Schneider, Northern Exposure, Seoul Mates, 1991

This one is true for me too, not that I admire atheism. I have always thought it must take some strong faith to believe in NOTHING, no higher power or intelligence at all behind creation. I'm talking here about hard-core athiests, not anostics or people who just don't think about it. I can't imagine NOT believing in something bigger than my own consciousness.

You can do very little with faith, but you can do nothing without it.

-Samuel Butler

True dat :) You have to believe you'll be successful when trying something or you're bound to fail or at least be miserable (ever seen "Debbie Downer" on SNL?).

Faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we can't see.

-Hebrews 11:1

I've always liked this one. Great definition of what faith really is--not just blind belief, but strong conviction.

Faith is believing in something when common sense tells you not to.

-From the movie, "Miracle On 34th Street"

AMC has been showing the original version of this movie all week. It was the best!

Treat the other man's faith gently; it is all he has to believe with.

-Henry S. Haskins

This one reflects the post from Wednesday when I discussed being respectful of other people's faith. Even when we disagree, we can respect other's beliefs and love them for the people they are.

Thursday's Terrific Food?

Ok, so I know it's supposed to be Laugh Out Loud today, but I'm having trouble coming up with funny stuff, so I'm going to indulge you with another new cookie recipe. These cookies are heaven. You will need a moment alone with these cookies. I even took the pic above of my finished product. The recipe was featured in Better Homes and Gardens "Christmas Cookies" 2006 magazine and it came from a bakery called Doughmonkey in Dallas, TX. I have even e-mailed those folks to ask a couple questions and to compliment them on their recipe. Mr. Michael Lima was so kind to respond so quickly and nicely. The only thing I might do differently is grind the beans myself (at the grocery since I have no grinder) so I can get a finer grind. The pre-ground espresso I bought left gritty pieces stuck in my teeth a bit. Or you could even leave the coffee out if you wanted. However, the taste was so decadent!! It's fudgy and gooey and scrumptious. Check out Doughmonkey's website where you can order some of these along with other delicious-looking stuff or try this recipe:

Espresso and Chocolate Chip Cookies
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
5 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
½ cup butter
1 ¾ cup sugar
4 eggs
2 tbsp finely ground espresso beans
1/3 cup sifted cake flour or all-purpose flour
¼ tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
1 ½ cups semisweet chocolate pieces or chips

1. In a medium saucepan, combine bittersweet chocolate, unsweetened chocolate, and butter; heat and stir over low heat until mixture is melted and smooth. Remove from heat. Cool for 10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, combine sugar, eggs, and ground espresso beans; beat with electric mixer on medium to high speed for 2-3 minutes or until well mixed and color lightens slightly. Add cooled melted chocolate, beating until combined. In a small bowl, stir together flour, baking powder, and salt. Add to chocolate mixture; beat until combined. Stir in chocolate pieces. (The dough will look like brownie batter.)
3. Cover surface of dough with wax paper. Let stand at room temperature for 20 minutes (dough thickens as it stands).
4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or foil. Using a 3-ounce scoop (or big heaping spoon), scoop dough in mounds 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets.
5. Bake in preheated oven about 13 minutes or just until tops are set and the cracks on top do not appear moist. Let stand on cookie sheet on a wire rack for 1 minute. Transfer cookies to a wire rack; cool. Makes about 24.

Wednesday's Faves and Flops

Today's faves and flops comes from a discussion on another blog that I have been perusing and participating in. I'll keep it short and sweet today.

Wednesday's Fave: Called to Fish post from 12/3/06

Diana is a very sweet young woman in India who accepted Christ about a year ago. She is a person of superb faith and wisdom for one so young. She began this intersting discussion the other day and many people have responded of different faiths and it has remained polite and thoughtful. I'm happy to have joined in a conversation about faith that does not hurt or offend. Take a gander at it.

Wednesday's Flop: People who fight about religion

Why do it? What's the point? There is so much fighting between people of different faiths, and too much between people of the SAME faith. I would grant there are no two people on the earth that believe the EXACT same things. And guess what? I don't think God will be concerned with religion in Heaven! No denominations there, no doctrine, no legalism. My own faith and beliefs tell me that those who believe in Jesus as God's son and accept him as Savior will be there, not just Baptists or Catholics or Pentecostals.

And you know something else? Some people don't believe in God. Or believe in OTHER gods. Of course I wish they would believe in Jesus, but judging them, bashing them, or hashing out your differences with them is not the way to go. You have to accept people the way they are. LIVE out your faith as an example. Don't yell it out. Jesus was the most accepting person in the Bible. He didn't condone sin, but corrected with love. He invited people to follow him gently and with open arms. Let's learn from His example and stand firm behind our beliefs but accept and treat with respect those who think differently. It can be interesting to learn from other cultures and religions. Look on the bright side and remember my mantra: "Don't fight about politics, religion, or love!"

Tuesday's Terrific Food

My first Christmas cookie of the season. An all new recipe I got in a Better Homes and Gardens "Christmas Cookies" cookbook. I even took a pic for you. Sorry this is so late in the day, but I didn't get them done until about 4:30. I didn't want to share the recipe until I tried them. I really loved the flavor, but let me warn you--if the dough is too dry, they won't roll up well, so I added a little water. Also, rolling the "ropes" between my hands instead of the counter worked better--AND rolling faster seemed to keep the dough together better too. I made mine too big this time around (they look more like breadsticks, ha ha!) and they took 10 minutes to bake. I'll go smaller next time. There's my tips for the day.

Peppermint Twists

2/3 cup butter (or butter flavored shortening), softened

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1 tsp peppermint extract

2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour

Red paste food coloring (I have a gel)

Sugar

1. In large bowl, beat butter on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add the 1 cup sugar, the baking powder, and salt. Beat until combined, scraping side of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg and peppermint extract. Beat in as much of the flour as you can with the mixer. Stir in any remaining flour. Divide dough in half. Knead enough red paste food coloring into half of the dough to reach desired color (I used about 1/8 tsp). Wrap each dough portion in plastic wrap; chill for 1 hour.

2. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper (I cannot stress this one enough--use it!). Set aside.

3. Shape plain cookie dough and red cookie dough into 1 inch balls. Roll each ball into a rope about 6 inches long. Place one plain and one red rope side by side; twist together. Roll slightly to press doughs together. Roll twist in additional sugar. Place 2 inches apart on prepared cookie sheets. If desired, bend one end of twist to resemble a candy cane. Repeat with remaining dough. Cover and chill for 30 minutes.

4. Preheat oven to 375. Bake in preheated oven about 8 minutes or until surfaces are set. Cool completely on cookie sheets. Carefully remove cookies from sheets. Makes about 30.

Our Christmas banquet

At our church, last night. Great food, even greater music. A praise team called, "Praise-appela" performed these wonderful praise and worship songs and Christmas songs too, and had to be the best acapella I've ever heard (not that I've heard that much). Here's a couple pics:

Meg's semi-world famous "cheese!"

The big pretty tree on stage--makes mine look pitiful. But I still like it.

Monday--Misty's Challenge

What Can I Do?

As we draw closer to Christmas, we get busier and more stressed. We often lose focus on what Christmas is all about. And we HEAR that every year! "Yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm too busy, I know, and I know Christmas is about Jesus. So???"

In addition to thinking about the birth of Jesus and his job as Savior (don't get me wrong--very important), let's try to think about His legacy. What He did while he lived here on earth. He came to be a servant, to humble himself and show love and mercy to others. Let's see what we can do to be His hands and feet this season. I'll bet your church or community has some good outreach ministries going on that you can contribute to. I donated some canned green beans and corn and Little Debbie cakes for our food drive at church yesterday. I made up a shoebox gift for Samaritan's Purse a few weeks ago, to be sent to a child in a developing country who may not get a gift otherwise this year. It doesn't sound like much, but to the people who receive these gifts, it could mean the world to them. Until Jesus comes back, it's our job to pick up here where He left off--let's be Jesus to somebody this Christmas.

What are some ministries you are involved in right now? Let me know.

On the first day of Christmas....

I found a Christmas funny for you all, straight from the Bible. I have heard it before, but forgot until I was reading the Christmas story this morning in Luke. I'm still cracking up! Remember Zechariah? Father of John the Baptist. He couldn't believe he could be a father at his age. Here's the first verse about it:

18Zechariah asked the angel, "How can I be sure of this? I am an old man and my wife is well along in years."
19The angel answered, "I am Gabriel. I stand in the presence of God, and I have been sent to speak to you and to tell you this good news. 20And now you will be silent and not able to speak until the day this happens, because you did not believe my words, which will come true at their proper time." Luke 1:18-20

And nine months later, little John the Baptist was born, and Zechariah was still mute, until...

62Then they made signs to his father, to find out what he would like to name the child. 63He asked for a writing tablet, and to everyone's astonishment he wrote, "His name is John." 64Immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue was loosed, and he began to speak, praising God. Luke 1:62-64

The people these verses are refering to had come to circumcise baby John. But, why in the world were they signing to Zechariah? The Bible says he was made silent, not deaf! I bet the people were all making wierd gestures, and yelling, "What do you want to name your son?!!!" I can imagine, that before writing, "His name is John," Zechariah must have written, "I'm not deaf, you idiots!" The Bible can even be funny sometimes! I bet God has the best sense of humor and I bet Jesus was a hoot at parties!

On to other Christmas happenings, we put up our tiny Charlie Brown fiber optic Christmas tree last night. I took some pics of the great event!

The girls helping daddy set it up. I opted for this tree last year when Zoe was starting to walk, and now, she's into EVERYTHING, so it has no breakable ornaments and no light bulbs, and can't hurt her if she turns it over. And she thought it was GREAT anyway. Hearing her try to say Christmas tree is a treat unto itself.

Megan put on a lot of decorations this year. She is almost 5 now, so she's getting into the Christmas spirit. We had a lot of ornaments with special meaning, like some my mom had made for me, some I had made when I was a little girl, our first ornament as a married couple, and some that Meg has made. Not the greatest tree ever, but the meaning is what counts--and playing Christmas music in the background helped too :)

Bryan's job is to put the tree topper on--this year, a beatiful crocheted angel that my mom made me years ago. I'll spend the rest of this week putting up a few more decorations and I'll post more pics for you. Here's to a simple, but heartfelt Christmas!

Friday's Quote to Ponder

"The parent who gets down on the floor to play with a child on Christmas Day is usually doing a most remarkable thing -- something seldom repeated during the rest of the year. These are, after all, busy parents committed to their work or their success in the larger society, and they do not have much left-over time in which to play with their children."

~Brian Sutton-Smith

I like this quote, but it really strikes home. How often do we really play with our kids? I don't do it nearly enough. Even being a stay-at-home mom, I stay busy with "mommy work"--dishes, laundry, cooking, cleaning, basic childcare, and often don't sit down to just play. A couple nights ago, Megan and I began a new bedtime game, "The Ticklebugs". We usually just tickle with our tickle bugs, but now, they have personalities :) Meg's little hand, and my bigger one, we're the tickle bugs, and we do regular tickle-bug daily routines. They play, and take baths, and brush their teeth, etc. She got such a kick out of it. I can see how much she loves it when I just take a little time to play with her. And, truth be known, I like it too! This summer, I made it a mission to play outside with them more--actually playing ball, running, etc. And it gave me some exercise too! This Christmas, let's play with our kids new toys and games with them, and continue to do so as often as we can throughout the year. Might make a good New Year's Resolution.