Free printables @ TipNut

TipNut just posted a few printable freebies. I especially like the one that includes the free kitchen, household and crafty printables. Wanna print some for yourself?

$3 off pint of B&J

For all you lovers of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, click here to receive a $3 off any pint. It immediately appeared in my Inbox, no lie. I'll be heading to B&J later this week to get me some Chunky Monkey!

Ewwww...gross!

Well, it's actually pretty sweet to see my brother getting a kiss from his girlfriend. I just wanted to post this so I could embarrass him. tee hee!

ChickFilA free biscuit offer

Make any purchase at Chickfila on January 1, between the hours of 10:30 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., and receive a coupon for a free chicken biscuit on your next visit, good until March 29. Click here for the proof.

HT: MoneySavingMom

Taco Soup

Abraham, over at 22 Words, has requested people send him links to recipes for a virtual potluck of sorts. I thought that I would fulfill his request and put my taco soup recipe on "paper". Gosh, I hope that didn't sound vain.

I must admit that my friend, Maja, had a hand in getting me hooked on this dish. Leave it to Maja, a mother of seven, who is Danish and cooks like you wouldn't believe, to make sure I didn't leave her home without one recipe for my back pocket. This recipe is easy on the brain! I'm thankful God put Maja in my life to show me what true hospitality looks like.


Anyway, back to the recipe. No one in my family likes onions or large chunks of tomato so you'll find none in my recipe...but you can always add them if you'd like!

EASY TACO SOUP

Ingredients
1.5 lbs ground beef, drained
(1) pack Ranch dressing
(2) packs taco seasoning
(1) 29 oz can tomato sauce
(1) 29 oz can water
(2) cans of shoepeg corn
(2) cans of black beans

Procedure
Brown, drain, & rinse beef.
Add tomato sauce & water. (After emptying sauce, refill can with water)
Drain/rinse both corn & beans - add to pot.
Add Ranch & taco seasoning.
Heat & stir!

Serve with sour cream, shredded cheese, and corn chips.

This recipe makes a lot of soup so it's perfect for eating half now and freezing the other half for later. YUM!

I think my wife's a Calvinist

Some of you may have already seen this video on Challies.

It cracked me up.

RedBox code good today only

Today's free REDBOX rental code:

545DZ9

Expires at midnight!

Enjoying time with cousins

My three love to spend time with their cousins.

The boys pose with their cousins, E & E, on Mitch's side of the family.

Luke enjoyed jumping on the trampoline with his cousin, Emily.

After helping Emily build a cardboard tunnel on the back porch,
Abigail joined in to help decorate it.

My kids would have had their picture taken with their older cousins, Meredith & Ethan, but they were busy doing the typical teenage thing (texting).

A prayer for the new year

A prayer for the new year, from The Valley of Vision:

O Love beyond Compare,
Thou art good when thou givest,
when thou takest away,
when the sun shines upon me,
when night gathers over me.
Thou hast loved me before the foundation of the world,
and in love didst redeem my soul;
Thou dost love me still,
in spite of my hard heart, ingratitude, distrust.
Thy goodness has been with me another year,
leading me through a twisting wilderness,
in retreat helping me to advance,
when beaten back making sure headway.
Thy goodness will be with me in the year ahead;
I hoist sail and draw up anchor,
With thee as the blessed pilot of my future as of my past.
I bless thee that thou hast veiled my eyes to the waters ahead.
If thou hast appointed storms of tribulation,
thou wilt be with me in them;
If I have to pass through tempests of persecution and temptation,
I shall not drown;
If I am to die,
I shall see thy face the sooner;
If a painful end is to be my lot,
grant me grace that my faith fail not;
If I am to be cast aside from the service I love,
I can make no stipulation;
Only glorify thyself in me whether in comfort or trial,
as a chosen vessel meet always for thy use.

Free YORK photo shipping

If you are like most people, you took a lot of pictures over the holiday and need to get them developed. I use various online photo developing sites, including York Photo, where they have $.08 prints everyday. I've been very pleased with York and will continue to use them. As a plus, they release several codes a year for free prints or free shipping.

I received an email today with another code for free shipping on an order of 100 prints. I can do that easily! To take advantage of this offer, go to York Photo, register a new account, upload your photos, and then use coupon code PRINTSHIP100 upon checkout. You do not have to be a new member to use this code...it's good for all members, new and old!

This coupon expires January 1st and is good for only one use.

To see all the other York Photo coupon codes, click here.

Eyeclops

A favorite toy received for Christmas this morning was the Eyeclops. It's an amazing toy (voted one of the best science toys this year) and I think the adults are having more fun with it than the kiddos.....well, let's just wait until the walkie-talkies are fully charged, ok?


Luke opened his gift from us, receiving said Eyeclops. We immediately plugged it into the TV and saw some pretty gross things magnified at 200x! Beware: magnifying your ear, eyebrow, and boo-boos is pretty disgusting...but fun!

Urban Servant

I am moved to tears. How beautiful are the feet.....

Thanks, Molly, for sharing.

Merry Christmas!

Conversations

Just a few tidbits of conversations I had with Andrew this week:

Andrew: Mom, I wanna tell you a secret.

Me: Well, I don't think I like secrets.

Andrew: Why, Mom?

Me: Well, because they are often rude and make others around you feel uncomfortable. Also, there's really nothing you can't say to me out loud. If you want to tell me something in private, then we can go into a room when we get home and just talk, only the two of us.

Andrew: Gosh, Mom. All I wanted to do was give you a Wet Willy.

I am a night-owl. My friends know this. I enjoy staying up late and getting things done around the house that can't be tackled when my three children are awake. Not to mention, I find peace and refreshment from being up late, alone. Last night (rather, in the wee hours of the morning), I was sitting on the floor in the living room while working on a few last minute handmade gifts. Andrew, who doesn't usually get up in the middle of the night, came out of his room. I put him back to bed where he fell back to sleep quickly. Upon waking this morning.....

Andrew: Mom, why weren't you in your bed last night?

Me: I was making a few things that had to get done right then.

Andrew: Do you ever go to sleep in your bed?

Me: Yes....well, sometimes....ummmmm....yes.

Megan's 2009 booklist

Megan, over at Half Pint House, has compiled her book list. I am off to the library!

If you'd like to read more about Megan, click here.

I have recently become a reader of her blog and I can't get enough. I think you'll agree!

Nothing to report

I have nothing to report....that's why I made this random list of things that make me grunt in frustration.

I don't like it when the ice in my glass blocks my lips from sipping my drink.

I don't like being barefoot. I always wear shoes.....always.

I don't like to be talked to while I brush my teeth. It makes me angry.

I don't like what my hair looks like on mornings after I went to bed with my hair wet.

I don't like to wear a lot of makeup. I DO like eye liner, though. My eyes are puny. Did I spell that right?

I don't like it when people who want to go straight choose to wait at the light in the right hand lane.

I don't like onions or tomatoes. Never have...never will. It's all about texture.

I don't like it when I misplace things. Speaking of which, Mitch bought me a new battery charger for my camera tonight since I can't seem to locate my original one. Now I'm no longer naked...camera naked. Hush!

I don't like it when I can't decipher what my toddler is saying. But I do like conversing with him.

I don't like it when my daughter writes on the walls of our rental house.

Do I sound pessimistic? Sorry. I didn't mean to. It's just that I had nothing to report.

Free 5x7 or 8x10 at CVS until 12/24

Ok, Christi and Jenn....you're gonna love this! Do you think you can handle it?

The Walgreens picture freebies were S-W-E-E-T last weekend. Now, here's another, but this time from CVS.

You can get a free 8x10 OR 5x7 (pick one) until Dec. 24 (Wednesday!) by using code ENLARGE upon online checkout.

Click here to get started!

Again, my favorite

Ok, I just can't get enough of this song. This one is (finally!) performed in my favorite genre of music (folk/bluegrass)....and without vocals.

Hallmark card deal 3/$1

Wanna stock up on some greeting cards?

Hallmark just released a coupon for three $.99 cards for a total of only $1.

The coupon is good through Dec. 24...which is Wednesday!

I plan on getting some birthday cards.

Click HERE to print your coupon.

For local readers, there are three Hallmark stores in town:

1. in the mall
2. on Bradley Park next to Publix
3. on Macon Rd. next to Publix.

Thanks to Money Saving Methods for this information!

Partying with the best

We had our small group Christmas party last Sunday night. Again, like last year, it's not such a small group anymore. Not to mention there were about four people absent from this photo!


Luke climbed on Daddy's shoulder to pose with Dad's newest shirt that he won in our Dirty Santa game. I think he scored with that shirt! Thanks, Jeremy, for making it one of the best of the gifts. It definitely won out above that butterfly charm Angela brought or that pie pan containing two cans of beets. We really know how to make it "dirty", huh?


Andrew got a little carried away with the cupcakes at the party.

Free download, ACT OF CONGRESS

I'm so excited! My favorite band, ACT OF CONGRESS, just released their new Christmas single, Carol of the Bells. As a gift to their listeners, you can click here to download it for free (scroll down til you see the icon for the free download). While on their page, you might as well sample some of their other stuff.

I love their folk and bluegrass sound mixture. God has given them talent!

Did I mention I love their music? Adam, their lead vocalist, is a friend of mine and will be local for a small concert in April. Can't wait!

Oh yeah, I love their music!

Deliver Us

Our enemy, our captor is no pharaoh on the Nile
Our toil is neither mud nor brick nor sand
Our ankles bear no calluses from chains, yet Lord, we're bound
Imprisoned here, we dwell in our own land

Deliver us, deliver us
Oh Yahweh, hear our cry
And gather us beneath your wings tonight

Our sins they are more numerous than all the lambs we slay
These shackles they were made with our own hands
Our toil is our atonement and our freedom yours to give
So Yahweh, break your silence if you can

Deliver us, deliver us
Oh Yahweh, hear our cry
And gather us beneath your wings tonight

'Jerusalem, Jerusalem
How often I have longed
To gather you beneath my gentle wings'

Thanks, JT.

You're kidding me...another code?

Ok, just got this in....there's another code for a free 8x10 at Walgreens.

You must upload and order your photo through the photo page at Walgreens.com and then enter code FREEGIFT2 upon checkout. This code is only one digit different than the one mentioned below.

Like my friend, Jennifer, said....it's time to go out and buy some frames!

The Big Picture, Series 1-3

Another favorite blog of mine, The Big Picture, is posting a three-part series of random pictures moments in 2008. The pictures are captivating, interesting, sad, joyous, and surprising. I recommend you subscribe to the RSS feed.

Part One

Part Two

Part Three

Another 8x10 freebie!

Snapfish is also giving away a free 8x10 picture this weekend, good today and tomorrow only! Wow, now I need to go get some frames for my two free pictures and give them to family for Christmas.

The only thing you must do to get the free 8x10 from Snapfish is to chose the option to pick up your print from a local Walgreens store. Click here to visit Snapfish, choose your Walgreens store to pickup, and then, upon checkout, enter code WALFREE before clicking "buy".

Thanks, Jen, for the heads up.

Program sickness

Luke is getting over his sickness (just a really nasty chest and throat cold - doctor said not contagious and he was fine to go to school) but he couldn't have cared less about participating in his school/class Christmas program. My camera charger is currently missing so I couldn't capture the sadness on his face....but my friend Laura did!


He and his best friend, AC, had memorized a scripture to share but AC ended up quoting it all by herself while Luke just stared at the crowd. When it was over, he crawled up into my lap and begged to go home. Yeah, a sure sign he was sick.

Free 8x10 @ Walgreens

If you could use a photo gift for a family member, Walgreens is, AGAIN, offering a free 8x10! Make sure you've registered at Walgreens first and then go to the photo tab/page. Once there, upload your picture and then enter the code FREEGIFT upon checkout. You can pick it up at your nearest Walgreens store the same day or later.

This code is good only through Saturday, December 20. One time code use per registration.

Luke's birthday celebration

Luke had a great time celebrating his third birthday with friends and family last weekend. He had been asking for a "lizard" party for about six months now. I did the best I could with lizard photo cupcake toppers, lizard stickers, and even a few plastic lizards laying around on the food table. The kids were given lizard coloring sheets and monster puppet party favors filled with candy. He got many many presents, some of which I've put away so I can grab from the stash when something new needs to be introduced to the daily routine. He had lots of friends and family present and we all had a good time visiting with one another. As usual, we had our birthday morning cinnamon roll with candles and sang to Luke before he blew out the fire.

My little man is three.....growing up before my eyes. *Sniff*Sniff*

Free Shipping Day

Today, Thursday, Dec. 18, is FREE SHIPPING DAY for over 200 merchants. Click here to see all participating merchants.


Some merchants included:
Apple
Cabela's
Circuit City
Dick's
J. Crew
Gamestop
Khols
JC Penny
KMart
Lowe's
Macy's
Motherhood
Target
ToysRUs
Walmart
The North Face

AND MANY MANY MORE!

Pick a Top 10

Visit TIME to see many TOP 10 lists of 2008.

Round & round

Making memories with my son.

Way-back Wednesday

Me, circa 1981.
First grade.

What's up with those fly-backs?
Better yet, what's up with that background?

The Big Bang Theory (show)

Thanks to my husband, The Big Bang Theory has become one of my favorite shows. I'm not a huge fan of the prime time sitcom but this one has won me over. I usually spend the entire show in laughter.

Briefly, Wikipedia describes the show: It concerns two 20-something prodigies, one a theoretical physicist and the other an experimental physicist, who work at Caltech and live across the hall from a blonde waitress with show-biz aspirations. Their geekiness and intellect are contrasted to her social skills and common sense.

Here's a snippet of last night's episode.

Coralie, I thought of you and your love of all things sci-fi when viewing this.

MONDAY Redbox code

Good today, Dec. 15, only!

Free movie code at RedBox.

47J2L8

Luke is three today

Three years ago today, our middle child, Luke, was born. What joy!


Luke, you make me smile everyday. You make me proud everyday. Everyday, I am thankful for you. I love you bunches, dude. I love watching you learn about who God is and I can see that the gospel is at work in your heart. I watch you in the rear view mirror as you stare out the window, pointing, gasping, moving your lips as you wonder, and looking to me to explain unknown sights.

You love singing about Jesus and telling me the stories of how he healed people. You especially love the story of when Jesus spat on the ground and smeared the mud into the blind man's eyes, causing him to see (John 9:6). Yeah, be careful where you spit, little man.

I love how God has sprinkled your tiny face with just a few freckles. Seeing that I'm covered in them from head to toe, it does my heart good to see that you got a little of me in (on) you. You are a true ball of energy. When you do something, you do it with all of your might. Sometimes your might hurts, but I'll take it. All those times when your might has accidentally kicked me in the gut, knocked me in the ear, or slid vertebrae out of socket, I enjoyed being your playmate.

Of course, there is that one thing you do that drives me bonkers: screaming at the top of your lungs when you're frustrated, or when you scream at the top of your lungs when you're excited, or when you scream at the top of your lungs when you're scared. Granted, I'm glad you're happy and that you look to me when you're scared....but, seriously....must you scream ALL THE TIME?!?!?!?!


Oh yeah, do you want your shirt on? No, off....Ok....off...huh? On? Ok, I'll help. Oh, you don't want me to help? You wanna do it all by yourself? Ok....well, don't get frustrated. I said I'd help you. Just slide that sleeve off your arm....no, I'm not helping you. I didn't touch the sleeve, I promise. Can I please help you get your head out of the hole? I know your nose is stuck and I can help you if you'll let me. Stop screaming, please.


Thanks for finally letting me clip your toenails and fingernails. They were getting a bit disgusting there for a while.

Thanks for being all cuddly here lately. You're not a very affectionate child and will only kiss and hug on your own terms. I have enjoyed the moments of snuggle time you've initiated toward me within the past few weeks. Please don't stop.

Thank you for showing me respect. You always ask permission to do anything before you do it. "Mama, can I have some gum? Mama, can I have a snack? Mama, can I have some juice?". Granted, your questions are usually geared toward food that you can't obtain without some help. But I appreciate your respect and polite tone of voice. More time than not, you take NO for an answer very well.


I could go on and on about all that I love about you, Luke Duke. You are a blessing to us and have shown us the deep deep love of Jesus through your days. We could ask for nothing more.

Mom

I can't wait to see you this evening, Mom!

Mom (33 yrs.) and me (10 mon.)

September 1975
Brandon, Mississippi

Free book: Jungle Pilot - Ecuador 1956

I have been familiar with the story of Nate Saint, Jim Elliot, Pete Fleming, Ed McCully since I was a young girl in GAs. It was probably the first story I ever heard about being a missionary and was probably the reason that I prayed most of my young life for God NOT to choose me for that path. I was then, and still am, fascinated with the happenings of that day, January 8, 1956. I have almost every book written by Jim's wife, Elisabeth Elliot, on my shelf, and have the movie, The End of the Spear, in my DVD collection. I intend to tell my children of these four faithful men who traveled to a foreign land to befriend an unknown people and were martyred for the gospel.


If you'd like to read more details about these men, their journey to Christ, their path to Ecuador, and how they died, you can go here to receive the free book, Jungle Pilot.

Letters from mother to mother

A post over at Holy Experience made my heart swell and brought tears to my eyes. I hope you see nothing but Jesus as you read it. It's lengthy but well worth the time to read.

Dear Mother,

It’s noon here.

That Hope-girl looks up from her plate, big grin spilling across the table, and I mop it up.

“Tastes good, Mom.” Her mouth’s still full and rice spills. We laugh and I nod and her sea eyes roll.

“Mmmm Mmmmm…..” Fork heaped high, Joshua’s filling that hollow leg of his… both of them. He doesn’t look up, eyes fixed on his rice drenched in chicken sauce.

Shalom, carefree mess of curls beside me, leans over the armrest of wooden highchair, lisps in loud whisper, “M’ere, Mama, com’ere. I gotta whisper you sumping.”

I let her pull me close and she pushes strands away from my ear, then brushes hair out of her own eyes, then again little fingers tuck hair behind my ear, and finally she presses in, lips tickling my ear with warm, breathy words, “Your food is a good job, Mama!”

Under falling locks we find each other, rub noses, giggle.

I just made bonus.

Isn’t this, a mother’s work, the apex of work? The work prototype the world strives for?

The radical model for work our economy and world at large desperately seeks, that productivity gurus develop into billion-dollar industries and seminar-worthy motivational systems, happens everyday in every home on every street corner.

This thing that mothers have always done.

Mothers work for no pay. Reimbursement for services rendered is inconsequential. And we'll do it again tomorrow.

I can’t help but think this is work in its purest, most Edenic form, work that is an unadulterated expression of love and creativity, work free of monetary stain or manufacturing triteness.

If the world ever urgently needed a Christian model of work, work done without force, without manipulation or bartering for finances, isn’t a mother’s work that elusive ideal?

It leers at me on medical forms, government forms, that space labeled “Occupation.” Inky point of my Bic pen always hangs. What exactly is my occupation, this work that I do raising six children? Sadly, I imagine how I might be regarded if I scratch it out in block letters, “Housewife” or “Stay-at-Home-Mom.” Because our society flaunts the fallacy that the only valid work is that which brings in a paycheck, buys us niceties.

“The habit of thinking about work as something one does to make money is so ingrained in us that we can scarcely imagine what a revolutionary change it would be to thinking about it instead in terms of the work done,” writes Dorothy Sayers, Oxford graduate and member of the informal group of writers that included C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien.

“To do so would mean taking the attitude of mind we reserve for our unpaid work – the things we make and do for pleasure…. and making that the standard of all our judgments about things and people.”

It’s true. We can hardly imagine how counter-culture it would be to make unpaid work, the work we do for love, like mothering and its bearing and feeding and giving and teaching and laughing and crying and caring for children, and made it the standard for our assessment of work.

Sayers explores the possibilities, “We should ask of an enterprise, not “will it pay?” but “is it good?”; of a man, not “what does he make?” but “what is his work worth?”;… of employment, not “how much a week?” but “will it exercise my faculties to the utmost?”

When that word “Occupation” sneers at a mother, we could ask Sayers’ incisive, true-north questions of work,

• “Is this good work?” (Could there be more meaningful work than co-laboring with God in the sculpting of souls?)



• “What is this work worth?” (Could this sacred undertaking be belittled with a mere number?)



• “Does it exercise my faculties to the utmost?" (What could be more engaging than discovering the breadth and depth and wonder of the world with a child, painting and reading, building and exploring, learning and making, discovering how a soul and mind and human being unfurls into wholeness?)

Tonight the house will fall quiet. I will be exhausted by then.

There will be stacks of books on the couch, remnants of marvelously long reading sessions. I’ll gather up the balls of yarns from her knitting project, his crochet creation. I’ll scoop up the crayons and markers and scissors strewn about, pause and achingly smile over this funny man drawing, that crazy fish sketch. I’ll stand in the lamp light and listen to their long slow breaths rising and falling in the dark down the hall.

I’ll clean and I’ll listen. And all will settle into its place (I’ve come to accept that this house only calms into deep order during the sleeping hours. Come daylight, it whirls and swirls and dances with creativity and laughter and the happiness of a structured chaos all its own.) And I’ll know the exact rightness of this work, this occupation that stands apart as the model of what work was truly meant to be, this vocation set far above the grime and grip of an economic system.

In those hours of margin, I’ll have a sliver of time for leisure. I’ll take mine tapping keys, reading. Others might sew, knit, paint. But it’s not as though I simply plow through the day’s work in order to get to what I really want to do. But rather, the leisure projects of a mother’s fringe hours, or of anyone engaged in a Christian model of genuine work, these hobbies aren’t the desired end of our work or escape from it, but are simply a change in pace, a recharging rhythm, refreshing us to return with renewed passion and vigor to our ultimate callings, our purposeful work.

Because all work is sacred work, worthy of the diligence, the effort. I pick up lost legos, dry the pots, whish the toilets and this serves God. For if I can’t meet God in my work, where do I meet Him? If I don’t serve Him here, where do I serve Him? Are we not called to serve God in the work – not merely in some imagined, mirage place outside of work?

In a model of Christian work, we live one-piece lives, all weaving together into a sacred cloth as unto the Lord with no false seams between God and our days.

And in our work, sacred work because there is no such thing as secular work, we first serve God. I’ll put away the laundry, sweep the crumbs, polish the windows not to serve my family primarily, but to serve God. Because, “whenever man is made the centre of things, he becomes the storm center of trouble,” writes Dorothy Sayers. “The moment you think of serving people, you begin to have a notion that other people owe you something for your pains…. You will begin to bargain for reward, to angle for applause.”

Funny, sad, how that works. If I clean out the fridge as an act of service to my family, it’s true, an unconscious part of me thinks the least they can now do is try to keep it clean… or be appreciative. It’s not even an intentional thought on my part. But when I turn the work on its head, and work for God alone, serving Him as I scrub the gunk from the mudroom sink, tidy the pile of boots at the back door, the work returns to its purest state: God-Worship. Love. A song of Praise.

Tonight, I’ll finally linger at the last light switch. I’ll have worked today but no one will have paid me a cent. Real work rises above the necessity of mere money. Tonight, I'll have more than money. I’ll have a bouquet of words, mumbled words from around the table from mouths too full. Words He too will say at the end of time to the faithful servants. Like the words He said in the beginning, when He began His work, when He finished each task.

And I’ll look at an order-restored house, hear those heavy sleep breaths, and I too will say it. Because those words are the most meaningful reward for true, pure work, work that works like God does. I will look upon what has been made with this day, and enter into the apex of what God meant for good and true work... I'll turn out the light and whisper those reward words…

“It is all very good. So very good.”

Ugly couches

I found this site about the world's ugliest couches. There are some doozies!

I hope none of the ones pictured are yours.

Star Wars tribute

This one is for all the Star Wars fans. Not to mention those of you who are musically creative. This video is interestingly funny.

Merry Christmas, Honey!

Here's my husband enjoying Christmas morning, 1972.

First, it was time to ride the horsey.

Next, time for some handsome posing in front of the tree.
Don't you think he reminds you of Luke in this picture?

Can you tell I got my new Epson printer in the mail this week? I can now scan old pics! More to come!

Inspired again

We've been inspired and busy in art class. A huge THANK YOU to Art Projects for Kids and to The Ramblings of a Crazy Woman.

Brilliant!

My sweet sister, Angela

I am so proud of my sister, Angela. She's been married 19 years to her wonderful husband, Steve. Like my husband, Steve is also a pastor (just a different denomination), so he has moved around quite a bit as he's completed a few degrees and been called to a few churches. For a long while, Angela and her family lived in my hometown, just a few miles away from my mom's house. Then, about two years ago, Steve accepted the call to a church in the Gainesville, FL, area. So, they packed up all their belongings (they have three kiddos) and moved to the sunshine state.

Well, they're back! After 19 years of marriage, Angela and Steve just bought their first home back in our hometown. I'm so excited about being able to drive a shorter distance and see her and my mom all in one whack. In the past, all the churches they've belonged to have owned parsonages (it's called a "manse" in Presbyterian language) for them to live in. However, this time they decided that this was the best time to get a good first time homeowner deal on a house in a "new city".

So, enjoy unpacking all those boxes, Angela-la-la. I love you. Once you get settled, let's go visit Santa together again.



Just for the record, Angela is six years older than me and looks it.
That's my mean streak coming out.
I know (hope) she's laughing right now.

You are really my best girlfriend, La La.

Free calculator

Click here to receive a free calculator.

Wordless Wednesday

Waiting...

I've been waiting on Becky to comment and explain her gasp, but I just couldn't bear to have you all think incorrectly any longer. I kind of gave some clarity but it might not have been as clear as I had wanted.

No, I am not pregnant and never was.
Yes, I have a mean streak.

At the same time, I find myself wanting to apologize again. No one has asked me to apologize or hinted that I should, but I got to thinking about several friends who are struggling (or have struggled) with infertility and feel my prego joke might have made them feel angry or that I was being cruel.

Of course, I'd love to be pregnant now (kind of surprised I'm not, huh?) but I think we'll wait a bit longer....as if we have anything to do with the planning, right? We'd like to allow the three we have to grow up a little bit.

Just some info

Abigail likes snowglobes as much as her Daddy does. Yes, Mitch is a fan of the snowglobe. As long as it's not too terribly tacky. The smaller, the better....and absolutely no music. Funny noises, yes. Music, no (unless it's a tune to make the globe seem funny). Well, now.....that's some useless info.

It's time for tossing...again. She's 16 months old in this picture.
Seems Daddy tosses around the same age for each baby.

Playing a game on the floor with Dad. Mom's always too busy taking pictures.

By the way, my LCD screen is shot on my wonderful camera. Just in time for the holidays.