Fingerprint Friday

So thankful my kids have cousins nearby.
From both sides of the family.

My prayer, as they grow older,
is that they will support and encourage each other.
Especially in their walk with Christ.

The only girls.
They for sure need to stick together. The youngest two.
Well, for another week or two, anyway.
That's right.
I'm going to be an aunt again.
Twice.
In the next month and a half.
Yippee!
Two babies to love on.
And then...give back to their mommies.I Thessalonians 5:11
Therefore encourage one another
and build each other up,
just as in fact you are doing.

Each week Beki at therustedchain hosts Fingerprint Friday and uses a song by Steven Curtis Chapman as a springboard. Join in. It's a great way to be reminded of God's presence.

Oh, So Easy

You will love this.
It's soooo easy.
And ooey, gooey yummy.
We ate them warm.
A little hard to cut.
But well worth it.

S'More Cookie Bars
3/4 c. butter/margarine, melted
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 c. butterscotch chips
1 cup mini marshmallows
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In 9x13 pan, combine butter with crumbs; press in bottom of pan. Evenly sprinkle with chocolate chips, butterscotch chips and marshmallows. Pour condensed milk over mixture. Bake 25 minutes or until bubbly. Cool. Cut into squaresThis recipe comes off the Imperial margarine box.
Well, really it's not margarine.
It says: 53% vegetable oil spread.
It's old-fashioned looking packaging.
It's probably extra unhealthy.
It's what I use for nearly all my baking.
My grandma always had it.
And she was a wonderful cook.
So now it's what I use.
Hoping that wonderful cook-ness will rub off on me.

Besides, butter is just too expensive.
Especially as much as I bake.
My grocery budget would be busted.

Hubby: Gina, why don't we have any toilet paper?
Me: Well, dear,
(cuz, that's how I always respond to my hubby)
I had to buy butter.

See, if I bought the real stuff,
tp would have to take second place.
That. would not. be good.

Wow.
This is not all where I thought this post would go.
Down the drain.
In a hurry.

I will quit with the bathroom references.
Now go enjoy some s'more cookie bars.
You can even use real butter.
I won't hold it against you.
I just may not come to visit you.
Since you won't have any tp and all.

Hmmmm

I think fall has finally arrived.
It took awhile to show up.
But once it did, it wasted no time dropping leaves.
Every day I feel compelled
to search for leaves as I walk Ezra to school.
They are beautiful this year.

Every season I think:
This is my favorite time of year.
Except winter.
I like winter until Christmas is over.
Then winter should be over.
But its really only just begun at that point.

So, for now, this is my favorite time of year.
Leaves.
Cooler temperatures.
Mums.
Halloween.
Thanksgiving.
Love it all.

Coincidence?

Yesterday morning.
I was minding my own business.
Jobie was across the room from me.
Looking for a Veggie Tales to watch.

Jobie: Mommy, you smell like a walrus.
Me: Did you say walrus?
Jobie: Yep.

Yesterday afternoon.
Roaming thru the $1 spot at Target.
Look what we found:Hmmmm.
A little scary.

Further walrus thoughts:
What does a walrus smell like anyway?
It can't be pleasant.
Can it?

Shouldn't the plural of walrus be walri?
The plural of alumnus is alumni.

Smiles

Recent pictures I like.

Brookelynn and Jobe holding hands.
On a hayrack ride.
Everytime it got a little bumpy, Jobie grabbed her hand.Snapped from the haywagon.
Why it speaks to me, I don't know.
I don't even know what it is saying to me.
I just know that I like it.I can just hear him thinking:
How do I get in here?His aunt told him if he walked with his hands behind his back
the dog would not jump up on him.
He walked all over like this.
Even when the dog wasn't nearby.
He dressed himself, by the way.Mooooooo! Tasty!The only thing missing is Jakie.
He went to a football game with Ryan.
Otherwise this would be my new favorite of the kids.Hope your fall as been as beautiful as ours.

Not Sure...

I'm ready for this.Brookelynn has been begging lately.
Begging to drive.
Not sure where it came from.
She's not even 12 yet.We were out in the country this weekend.
Ryan stopped.
Asked Brookie if she wanted to drive.
Kicked me out of the passenger's seat.
And away we went.

Lara was really not sure.
This is how she looked.
The whole 3 minutes Brookie drove.Brookie didn't quite make the turn into her uncle's drive.
Had to back up.
She learned it's harder to get it into gear than she thought.
She'll really have a shock when she learns manual.She didn't do too bad on the turn.
Although, at one point,
I did think we might end up in the pig pen.But we arrived.
Safely.
And with our sanity intact.She actually did pretty good.
The first time I drove with my dad did not go well.
At all.
It ended with me in tears.
My dad very angry.
And this statement:
I am NEVER driving with you again.
From me.
Although my dad was probably thinking it.

And I haven't.
I have not been in the driver's seat with my dad in a car since.

He just better hope I change my mind.
Someday he's going to need me.
To drive him to a doctor's appointment.
For the enema he's in desperate need of.
He'll be begging me then.

Not sure...
I'm ready for that either.

Fingerprint Friday

The kids have been out of school the last few days.
Yesterday, we went to the zoo.
My requirement for the day was
to get a picture of each one of them with me.
They could pick the location.Lara wanted to take a pic with the lions.
But they were just lying around in the middle of the exhibit.
It was a beautiful day.
But the animals were lazy.
So we just found a pretty shrub.Brookie had no idea where to take hers.
So we just snapped it on the bridge to the gorillas.
She wanted a picture though.
For her locker at school, she said.
Ahhhh. She still loves me.
She's really easily embarrassed.
At one point (by the buffalo) I was singing
"Home on the Range" (the state song of KS).
I had to...
Lara hadn't ever heard it before.
Brookie was so embarrassed.
Especially when some people walked by.
The teenage years are going to be so much fun with her!Jakie did not want his picture taken.
He finally decided on the zebras.
But they are so far away you can't see them.
He didn't like it when I put my arms around him.
Not in public, Mom!Ezzie knew exactly where he wanted his.
In the jungle.
His favorite place.And Jobie wanted his taken everywhere.
The animals cannot be seen in any of them.
But this one was in front of the grizzlies.
For his daddy.
Who works at a college.
With the grizzly as the mascot.God is great.
I give Him all the praise.
For my 5 fabulous kiddos.

Deuteronomy 32:3
I will proclaim the name of the LORD.
Oh, praise the greatness of our God!

Each week Beki at therustedchain hosts Fingerprint Friday and uses a song by Steven Curtis Chapman as a springboard. Join in. It's a great way to be reminded of God's presence.

Sign Language

Ezzie style.

With each letter of the alphabet Ezzie learns,
he also learns how to sign that letter.
This is what he showed me this morning:What is this Mommy?
I hate it when he asks that.
What if I answer wrong.

Then he said:
I made it up myself.
Oh boy, heap on the pressure.

Ummm...
I hesitate.
And, if I wait long enough,
he can't wait any longer
and blurts it out.
Cuz he can't hold it in any longer.

M-O-M.
Mom!

Lara

It has been two months now.
Since Lara joined our family.
It's gone by so fast.

The little boys have had so much fun with her.
This is a typical scene in our house.
Both of them attacking her.She and Jobe disappeared for a bit last night.
And came back as superheros.Fighting each other.
Not sure which is the bad superhero.
Looking kinda' like Jobie is.
Lara is looking pretty innocent.The four younger kids did not have school today.
Lara did.
Jake was having a lot of fun.
Rubbing that fact in.
But then, for some reason,
he was up earlier than he normally is.
So Lara said maybe he could go to school for her.
Ezzie (yes he was up early too) said:
But you're more yellowish.
Lara: What do you mean?
Ezzie: Your hair is more yellowish.
Lara and I cracked up.
Who knew that was the biggest difference between them.

Then he said: And you don't have the same clothes.
Jake: What about you're a boy and Lara is a girl.
Ezzie: Oh, yeah. I forgot about that!

It's pretty cool how little kids' minds
work so differently from ours.Lara is loving all the adventures she is having here.
Squirrels.
Ground hogs.
Frogs and toads.
And obviously, even snake skins.
Her comment the other day
after seeing a turtle cross the road:
I love America!

And America loves her.
At least this family does!

What's for Supper

First, I have to say:
I am typing this with one hand.
So I can clean.
The mixing bowl of chocolate chip oatmeal cookie batter.
With my finger.
There are benefits to making cookies.
While the kids are at school.
And the youngest is napping.

As I finished the above paragraph,
I lloked at the clock.
2:57.
I've been spoiled in recent years.
The older kids can walk home themselves.
So I keep forgetting about getting Ezzie at 3:00.
Snatch Jobie out of bed.
Run to the car.
I hate driving to school.
We live so close.
But I was not about to carry Jobe the whole way.

So when I started this post,
I was eating cookie dough.
This was the picture I had uploaded
of the some ingredients I was going to use.
For supper tonight.I've changed my mind.

Ryan is now going to be late.
Lara is now going to a soccer game.
Brookie is heading to the big city for soccer practice.
3 of my 7 family members won't be here.
Losing nearly half my family at supper
makes me rethink my plans.
That will all be for tomorrow night now.
Meatloaf.
Cheesy potatoes.
Corn.
Maybe I'll even make some rolls or something.

But now what's for supper tonight?
The question that plagues me every day.
Well...except for tomorrow.

What have you all made recently?

A Day with Jobie

Jobe is finding ways to keep busy while Ezra is at school.
He lines up his Hot Wheels.
While sucking his thumb.
Quite a feat.Plays soccer.
Imagine that.Has multiple meltdowns.
Always been good at that.Which then leads to black boogers on the nose.
Lovely.Helps mommy water flowers.
Most of the time missing the plant altogether.Pretty sure he gets more on himself
than on the plants.Shares chocolate waffle cookies with mommy.
We don't tell the others how many we eat during the day.
Hehe!Yummy!Plays the computer.
He's just learning how to move the cursor.
Cute little finger!Walks...
Rather, runs with his shadow.Rides his bike.Searches for gourds.
And finds the tiniest one.Gets lots of mommy time.And now I understand why the youngest is spoiled.
You just can't help it.

Just So You Know...

It's difficult to walk backward in flip-flops.
Just speaking from experience here.
My neighbors might have got a good laugh.Those flip-flops are so cute we need another picture.
Without the feet.Target clearance.
Look at those owls.
Awww.

Soon it will be too cold for flip-flops.
Weep, weep.
They will be missed.

Oh, well.
No sense dwelling on the sad.
Time to go shopping for boots!

Me

I got to thinking...
For those of you who don't really know me,
you don't really know me.
You know what I mean?

So here's a few things about me
that you might or might not know
and might or might not want to know:

1) Once upon a time, I was teacher.
For four years I taught junior high.
Until kid #2 came along.
I loved it.
But doubt I will ever go back.
My teaching certificate is long expired.

2) I never went to camp.
Other than sleepovers
and the occassional times when my mom
went on business trips with my dad,
I never stayed away from home.
So I was VERY homesick my first semester of college.
A small town girl in Chicago.
Chicago is now my favorite city.
My dream is to have a condo there some day.
Just go there to hang out sometimes.
When my hubby makes his millions...

3) A day that I don't talk with my mom is rare.

4) I married my high school sweetheart.

5) My 8th grade year was the worst year of my life.
I felt like a loser.

6) I'm no good at decorating.
I know what I like.
I just can't ever pull it off.
If I pick flowers and put them in a vase,
it looks like my 3 year old did it.

7) I typically bake at least every other day.
Cookies.
Bars.
Cake.
Bread.
Rolls.

8) I hate cleaning my stove.
Come look at my burners sometime.
No, on second thought, don't.
I really want a new stove/oven.
My current one is ancient.
But it still works...minus one burner.
So I keep using it.

9) I have had one pedicure in my life.
Ryan bought me one for a birthday once.
It was wonderful.
But I have so many other things to spend money on.

10) I've never had a manicure.

11) I've never colored my hair...yet.
But that I will spend money on.
At the first sign of gray.
I'll be making a phone call.
Even if it's 2:00 am.
A phone call will be made.
Although I have no idea why I would find
a gray hair at 2:00 am.
You just never know though...

12) I love to shop.
Most of all, I like to shop for others.
Just wish I had more money to do it more often.

13) I drink coffee every morning.

14) I have great intentions.
Let's just leave it at that.

Best Friends

Remember this?
Well, it isn't true anymore.
Ezra has a best friend.For the past six weeks,
when Jobie and I have walked to school
to get Ezzie from morning kindergarten,
we haven't brought just Ezzie home.
We have brought an extra boy with us as well.
I have watched him from time to time over the last 2 years.
But these past weeks have sealed the deal.
These two boys are now nearly inseparable.Do you ever wonder how the decisions
you make as a parent
will affect your children's friendships?
Did my decision to watch my friend's son,
influence Ezra to become friends with him?
If it did,
I'm glad.
He is one happy little boy.
Who loves having a best friend.Today the boys began all day kindergarten.
Jobie is napping.
It is quiet in my house.

I miss them.
So excited for them.
And for me.
Only one at home.
All day.
Monday thru Friday.
But I miss my little boy.
Who gives the best hugs and kisses.

Why does watching your kids grow up
have to be so bittersweet?

Fingerprint Friday

Both of my grandmas have been gone for quite a few years now.
One over 11 years.
The other over 6 years.
I miss them.

They both liked geraniums.
I never appreciated them that much.
I thought they were stinky.
Well...they are.
But this year I planted several.
In honor of them.
All summer they struggled to survive.
I could not get them to bloom.

But suddenly, this fall flowers are popping out.
They are beautiful.
And I love them.I am thanking God today.
For small reminders.
Through His nature.
Of two wonderful grandmas.

Phillipians 1:3
I thank my God every time I remember you.

Each week Beki at therustedchain hosts Fingerprint Friday and uses a song by Steven Curtis Chapman as a springboard. Join in. It's a great way to be reminded of God's presence.