A little reading

My first bible was a Precious Moments NIV.  I loved that thing.  It had cute pictures, some cute stories and it came with a fabric cover that I thought was totally cool.  It was slate blue with pink flowers, a pink heart and some lace.  It was totally late 80's and I loved it. 

Because I was in AWANA and they did Bible quizzing, I bought stickers that went on the first page of each book in the bible so I could quickly find verses like Habakkuk 1:17, 2 John 2:1 and Amos 3:2.  I have no idea what those verses are about, but I could totally find them.  I remember putting each of the stickers on my bible thinking "I'm so totally going to win next Wednesday."  Which is totally the right mindset to have.

A few weeks ago N's Aunt Mer and Aunt DeeDee sent some books for the girls.  This past weekend was the first time we were all together to open them.  D & E were beyond thrilled to get bibles.  They each came with a schnazzy case.  Not that either of the cases were as cool as mine from 1986, but they are much more modern.

Each bible had a note telling the girls how proud they are that D & E accepted Jesus as their savior.  It is something they will treasure for a long time to come.

In addition to D & E getting new bibles, Zoe got one too.  A VeggieTales edition.  It even has comic strips in it.

She loves it so much she wants to read it all the time. 

We're working on her Sunday School verse of the month...John 13:34 "love on another."  Right now she can say it.

Maybe by next Sunday she'll be able to find it!

Because I like sympathy

When I was growing up I really never wanted to be a housewive or a mother.  I think part of that was a defense mechanism that I started at 19 when I was told it would be hard for me to conceive any children.  The doctors could've have been more wrong.  I basically can sneeze and get pregnant.

It's also because I saw my sister birth my youngest nephew and that cured me.  For a really long time.

I was just someone who wanted a career and to make a name for myself. 

Then I met N and things started to change.  I began to love cooking and cleaning and making our home someplace that was comfortable.  It brought me much more joy than any career I could have.

Then Zoe came along and all my prior hopes and ideas were thrown out the window.  All my priorities changed.  I no longer wanted to be known for my job, but as a great wife and mother. 

Part of this new ideal, in my mind, is a great garden.  This past spring I started my first flower garden and even attempted to grow some pumpkins.  Which I'm proud to report have totally taken over our patio.  It's almost like that big squid at the end of the last Pirates movie.  You know the one that grabs the ships and takes it underwater.  I'm not saying that's the look I'm going for in this new picture I have, but live and learn.  Pumpkins need room.  Miles and miles of room.

To extend my green thumb into other areas of growing, I bought some bulbs.  In 2006 my mom, our dear friend Rose and I went to the tulip festival in Mount Vernon.  It was one of those moments where I fell in love with all things bulb related. 

Those bulbs arrived on Friday, just in time for some weekend planting.  When I opened the box I realized that it contained 100 bulbs.  I had 75 tulips, 15 hyacinth and 20 crocus.  I laid them out to ensure they'd be spaced well and started to dig.  And dig.  And dig.  100 little holes is quite a bit. 

It was so many holes that my green thumb tried to get a hole of its own.

Ain't she a beauty? 

Not as pretty as my garden will be though.  That's for sure.

I think I need an oxygen tank

This week both N and I celebrate our birthdays.  It's been a busy month.  We have a birthday every week for 6 weeks starting the beginning of September and our anniversary is thrown in there.

To say we're busy right now is an understatement.

My mom offered to take the girls Sunday while N and I went to church.  We stopped to pick up lunch and when we arrived at her house, we were pelted with balloons.  All the girls were yelling surprise and "happy birthday" to us. 

They even helped frost a cake.  To make sure everything was exact, they put 32 candles on it. 

Does that thing look imtimidating?

Both N and I were thrilled to have our girls help plan a birthday party for us.

We had some lunch, played Left-Right-Center and then it was time for cake.  It took N 5 minutes to light all the candles.  We made a wish as they were all singing.  I think it took a good three blows to get those candles out.

For our age we are exceptionally out of shape.  I am still feeling a little light headed. 

Thank you  D, E and Zoe for such a wonderful day.  Thank you Grandma for taking all three girls and organizing our shindig.

N and I are going to sit by the oxygen tank and regain our breath.

A sneak peek

On Sunday my family had the awesome opportunity to work with Jaidean Baker.  She's a photographer that I've been blog stalking for quite some time.  I love how she captures families, especially children.  To say I was excited about this is putting it mildly.  I may have been known to have a countdown running on our calendar. 

As we chatted about the session, I told her that I did want a family shot, but mainly wanted her to capture those candid moments.  She did not disappoint.  The pictures of beautiful. 

Thank you Jaidean.  I'm beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to work with you.  Thank you for capturing our girls as they are. 

She has a sneak peek of the session on her blog. 

Cinderelly, Cinderelly, night and day it's Cinderelly

Growing up, when I wasn't spending hours of time talking to myself in the mirror, I would spend the rest of my time playing dress-up.  My mom had gone to Goodwill and bought a bunch of clothes for me and my cousin to play with.  I can remember this white shawl with fringe that I thought made me look much older than my 4 years.  Then again it could've been the tennis balls I stuck down my shirt to channel Dolly Parton a la 9 to 5.

I have no idea why I did that, other than I've always wished I had been born with a little more up top.  That's a story for a different time.  Or never.

The point is, I dressed up constantly.  Then I would get out the tape recorder and sing some song or have my mom interview me because the tennis balls made me famous.  Just like Dolly.

In the last couple weeks Zoe has started to enjoy dressing up.  She has some jewelry, butterfly wings and princess shoes.  Her current style is Cinderella.

It warms my heart to the point of almost bursting to see her enjoying dress up.  It's going to take our tea parties to a whole different level.

She already has the stance of a princess lounging ever so dramatically after a long day. 

Please excuse the laundry on the princess's throne, her maid is a little behind.  She doesn't have any mice to help her.

Which she is very thankful about.  The frogs are enough.

Wordless Wednesday

I love boys

I have the coolest nephews on the planet. They are awesome hockey players, they like to blow stuff up and they still, in a very quiet whisper tell me they love me. You can't say it too loud for fear of losing your cool status. Honestly, I'll take it any way they're willing to give it. I'm honored to be their aunt.

Yesterday my nephew T-Dog turned 8. I still remember the first time I held him, told him how much I loved him and he smiled. Then he tooted. It bonded us for life. There have been many times in the past 8 years where he has liked to relive that moment. Now it's accompanied by smell. Something his hour-old toot didn't have.

There is a totally different dynamic with boys than with girls. When I bring out the camera, D, E and Zoe pose, smile and totally ham it up.

My nephews, both T-Dog and MJ, ask me to video them turning their faces red. On two, totally separate times. Apparently they like to make those veins in their foreheads pop out. The best part is trying to get them to break. Here is my quest.

Thanks for being two of the coolest guys I know. I'm honored to be your Aunt.

Next year, I'm hoping my youngest nephew, Con-Man will let me video him grunting. That would be the trifecta of cool.

Cuddles

I read one time that you fall more in love with your husband when you see them as a father to your children. At the time I didn't understand what that meant. Over the course of the last 2 years, that quote has been hit home more times than I can remember.

You tell me how true that quote was:

There are two differences though: Zoe has grown and instead of napping on you, she'd rather watch Yo Gabba Gabba with you.

Tell me about it stud or something like that

Growing up I would spend my days at my Grandma's and Grandpa's house while my mom was at work. I loved being at their house. It was a magical place where I could do whatever I wanted. I remember jumping on the spare bed until the mattress fell off the bed. I would get out the Light Bright, get bored after 5 minutes and then want to jump on the bed again. My poor Grandma would always let me.

I'm sure she loved seeing me go home as much as she loved spending time with me.

One of my absolutely favorite things to do was spend time in their bathroom. The walls were tiled half way up. They were this green color with white abstract swirls in them. I would try to figure out what picture the swirls made in the tile. One of them looked like the profile of an old man.

When I wasn't finding pictures in the tiles, I would be spending long periods of time with the door shut. They had a full length mirror on the back of the door. I remember spending hours studying my face. I loved how my face changed with each emotion. I would talk to myself and then laugh at how funny I was. Being an only child does that to a person. My Grandma was busy cleaning up the spare room. My Grandpa was getting down the tape recorder for the bazillionth time that day. I had some free time to talk to my BFF in the mirror.

I practiced lines from Grease. I always wanted to be Sandy. I'd show up to preschool in my new pair of Seattle-blue jeans, my flip-flops with rainbow straps and my favorite Snoopy shirt I got at the San Diego zoo. Jeff, my pre-school crush, would see me across the room and want to play with me on the playground. Then I would make that "tell me about it stud" look that I had been practicing in the mirror and he would be wowed.

You can imagine my delight and horror when I Zoe did this:

She's a couple years from perfecting her "tell me about it stud" look. I think we'll work on it this weekend. She does have Sunday School!

When worlds collide

A couple nights ago N got home from work a bit early. He offered to put Zoe to bed so I could get my clothes and gym bag ready for the next morning.

As usual, in 8.5 minutes he was out of her room and she was snoring. I have no idea how he does that. It takes me 30 minutes or longer to have the same result. I like to think it's because Zoe finds our girl bonding so enjoyable and not that I'm a sucker for all her cute antics.

N sat on the bed as I was figuring out what to wear. He pulled out my make-up bag to look inside. He pulls out my lotion and asks what it is. "Ooh, it smells citrisy." I can tell he's enjoying this.

Then he pulls out my acne spot treatment. "Do you just put this on the zit? Then what? Hey is that why you don't have any?" I love how romantic he is.

I use a mineral make-up. With that kind of powder foundation you have to get a make-up primer so the stuff stays on your face. N takes out the primer, reads it and says, what do you use primer for? Is it like the schlacking you put on before you texture a wall."

Why yes, yes it is. It's my face schlack. Doesn't my wall-o-face look smooth.

We're 4 for 4

I can remember the day vividly. It was a beautiful September day, much hotter than anyone expected. I slept in, ate some breakfast, stopped by the reception hall and then ran off to the salon for my pampering. In all that time I felt excited and content.

I met N in our high school youth group 12 years prior. He was a skinny band geek. Yet he was always wanting to hang out, always wanting to be near me. I was a girl who had never had that kind of attention. It totally freaked me out that some guy would actually like me. He convinced me to go to two dances with him. To this day, those were some of the best memories from high school.

He was also my first real date. We went to see The River Wild. He insisted on holding both my hands. I found it odd and annoying. It was actually one of the things that caused me to break up with him exactly 24 hours later.

He's also the one who kissed me after that movie. He made my knees go weak and my stomach jump all over the place.

For some reason all the fun we had together was overshadowed by so much and God's timing wasn't right.

Until 12 years later when I would be getting into my wedding dress and commiting to love, honor and obey him.

It was a perfect ceremony. It was personal and fun. Even though I don't remember too much of the specifics, I remember feeling safe, loved and home in N's arms. At the time I didn't think it possible that my love for him could grow. These last 4 years have brought with it a fight: a fight to love one another, a fight to stay alive, a fight to keep our marriage progressing. All that fighting has paid off.

Neither of us are the people that were at that altar 4 years ago. We're better and we're more a team than I could've ever hoped for.

N, thank you for loving me, for not giving up on us, on me. You have shown me more about love than I knew was possible. It is my honor and privilege to walk this life next to you. I fall more in love with you each day. You are my hero, my partner and my love.

Happy anniversary. May the next 4 years be full of more adventures and less snakes! I love you.

A little pampering can feed the soul

Last night I thought it would be fun to play salon with Zoe. We've never played before and she's entirely interested in combing other people's hair. Plus she's at the age when she understands things like "don't pull on the comb, it's stuck in mommy's hair" and "gentle, be gentle with the brush."

I like all things related to my hair. Unless you count that unfortunate time in junior high when I found mystery gum after sixth period. I'm getting that same queazy feeling that I experienced every day of junior high, so we'll move on.

I love having my hair played with. It's the ultimate relaxation. There could be some selfish motive in teaching Zoe to play salon. If I was that kind of mother, that is.

We started by getting out all our accessories.

Then, while Zoe organized and color sorted the bin (she's totally in herited my OCD tendancies, I even caught her making sure all the frogs faced up), I did her hair.

I actually can't believe how long it's getting. I can actually put in pig tails that are lower on her head. Which is perfect for fall/winter hat seasons.

Then it was my turn. Apparently I needed some extra conditioning or a perm. She wasn't real specific on my kind of treatment. If it doesn't involve gum or one of those comb curling irons, I knew I would be fine.

The she finished instructing me where to put the accessories. Her feeling isn't less is more.

Maybe next time I can teach her about a scalp massage.

Here comes the Muffin Girl

Zoe isn't really a breakfast girl. She's like her dad that way. When we find something that she will eat for breakfast, we make sure we have enough on hand for that week. At least for the next few days she'll be eating it.

What's even better in her world is if she can help you make it.

As she was "cooking" in her kitchen, she saw that I was getting ready to cook in the real kitchen. She dropped all her fake spices and ran as fast as her legs could go. I seriously hope this enthusiasm continues into other areas like dishes and putting away her shoes!

We have gotten into making mini-muffins. What's best is she can help with all aspects of it.

From the pouring of ingredients...

to the stirring and even the spooning into the muffin tin.

I would get an actual picture of the muffins, but when you live with Muffin Girl, it's hard to get a good picture.

What kid-friendly breakfast is a staple in your house?

Wordless Wednesday

A few bowling lessons for our guests

To start off our Labor Day weekend, we had Luke and Angela over for some dinner and Wii bowling. It's one of Zoe's favorite things to do.

She loves when we have friends over who are fairly new to the Wii bowling. It gives her a chance to show them the ropes. She's such a dedicated teacher that she will even bowl right next to you to ensure you have proper form.

I have no idea what we're going to do with her at a real bowling alley.

After it was time to get jammies on and get ready for bed, it was time for the real action to start. What do you get when you pit a husband and a wife against each other in a tennis match?

A little friendly competition that eventually leads to throwing down of a gauntlet called Mario Kart.

Thanks for coming to visit Luke and Angela. Next time it'll be some enchiladas and some curling.

Because you can never have too many dips in one place

To say I was delighted when I read BooMama was doing a whole post dedicated to dips is an understatement. If you've ever been to our house you'll know we are a fan of any and all kinds of dip. In fact it's a little known fact that we can get Zoe to eat twice as many nuggets if she has a bowl of mashed potatoes to dip it in.

There may have even been a few Saturdays of watching The Wiggles for the 753rd time that I found comfort in some French Onion Dip.

I thought I would participate because we have a dip recipe that I have been making for my whole life. It was the job my mom gave me in the kitchen. I took the making of this dip very seriously. I have no idea where she got the recipe, but it's been a staple for our family on all holidays, sporting events and quilt group afternoons. Because I've been making it so long, I actually have no idea on exact measurements of some of the ingredients. I'll do my best.

Kathy's Dill Dip

1/2 C sour cream
1/4 C good mayo (we use Blue Ribbon or Best Foods)
1 1/2 palm fulls of dried, minced onions
2 dashes of Beau Monde (or Bon Appetit) seasoning
4 dashes of dried dill weed

Combine the sour cream and mayo in a bowl. As long as you have a 2 to 1 ratio of sour cream to mayo, you can make more or less of this recipe.

Pour in the dried, minced onions into the sour cream/mayo mixture. It should give a slightly lumpy look to it. You can always add more of the onions if you like that kind of thing.

Then add the Beau Monde seasoning. I like to make the mixture look slightly freckled. You don't want it to look like the dip is peppered with brown flecks, but slightly freckled. 2 dashes is about the amount I use no matter the size of the batch. Unless you're feeding an entire football team, then feel free to add a couple additional dashes.

Finally add the dried dill. I am of the mindset that you cannot have enough dill in this dip. You can go hog wild with you dill weed and make the dip part green if you wish.

The best thing about this dip is you can't overdo it with the seasonings. Don't fret too much about the measurements, they are really more guidelines.

We serve it with a veggie tray and some crackers. It is equally delicious on both.

Enjoy!

For more amazing recipes, visit BooMama's blog for Mr. Linky and enough dips to last at least through the first month of football.

Snakes and frogs and all on the blog

N is all boy. He can fix anything with the house and he can assemble anything without looking at the directions. These are two qualities that I never knew I'd love so much.

He also has another quality that I knew about, but wasn't entirely too excited about. He loves all things reptile, slimy, hoppy and cold-blooded. This is a quality that has come in handy around our house. The backyard, as I've mentioned is a haven for frogs.

If there is anything I am fearful of it's all things reptile, slimy, hoppy and cold-blooded. I'm happy to admit that the frogs have grown on me. I don't touch them or get within 24 inches of them, but I don't scream near as much.

That was until this weekend when we learned that the front yard was a haven for all this slithery.

We had a garder snake slither it's little, freaky body into our garage. Behind a stack of tires, which is the easiest thing to move and find a snake.

Because N is all things boy, he was up for the challenge. He actually found the little slitherer in the broom. Swept that little guy across the street and into the dirt field.

To say he is my hero is an understatement. Let's hope that the little guy doesn't have any friends.