Weekend Ramblings August 30, 2008

I keep reading really clever memes and other posts at the end of the week that have to do with favorite moments or highlights…so I thought I would join in for this week.

 

In no particular order…

 

1. I heart the Whittler Public Library.  And so does Jack.  Because when you join the Summer Reading Club and read the designated number of books, you get a certificate…aaaand a cookie the size of your face.

 

    

2.  My new umbrella stand, which holds my beautiful umbrella SO much better than the other one (you can see it there next to next to the new one…it’s the cheapy looking plastic thing…oh well, that’s what I get for paying $5, right?)

 

 

3.  Discovering a DELICIOUS new dessert…Grilled Peach Melba… and trying it out on the band at our BBQ (I think the recipe will have to be its own post…)

 

 

4.  This post from GirlTalk, which was so timely, because I had just been thinking and praying about Jack’s salvation and wondering if seemingly simple spiritual conversations are beginning to click in his little mind, and wanting so badly for him to understand the Gospel…

This is the part that really encouraged my anxious heart –

(Speaking of Deut. 6:4-7 “…these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise…” )

“These verses describe the stuff of sowing. We must talk to our children every day, instruct them throughout the day, teach them in every circumstance, train them on every occasion, tell them God’s words over and over again…Scripture does not give us an exact timetable for the duration of sowing. But Scripture does tell us: “In due season we will reap, if we do not give up” (Galatians 6:9).”

 

 

5.  I love this color!!  I’m realizing more and more little things that have been appearing around my house…mostly in the kitchen.  I’m calling it Tiffany Blue, although I know it’s not exactly the same shade…plus it looks a lot lighter in these pictures.  Thanks, Aunt Ellen, for your part in quite a few of these treasures!! 

 

Happy Labor Day weekend, everyone! 

“Special Surprise Snack” August 29, 2008

I just recently discovered an amazing blog, with fun crafts, recipes and ideas for families.  I LOVE it!  I don’t consider myself a super creative person, and love to get ideas from other people, so this blog has become one of my best blog friends.  And I’ve only read a few of the posts!!

 

This morning, Jack was watching one of his new PBS Kids favs, “Caillou” (pronounced “cah-you”), a kind of weird but fun show about a little 4-year old bald boy (haven’t figured out why he doesn’t have any hair…) and his mostly realistic growing up adventures.  I appreciate the fact that Caillou has two parents, a mom and a dad, who love each other and, for the most part, show a good example of parenting and values.  I do occasionally have to make comments about how “we should be thankful instead of whining about things, even when we don’t get what we want”, etc., and the narrator’s voice is a tad bit annoying, but…

WOW.  I did not mean to spend so much time on Caillou…because that’s SO not the main point of my story. 

 

The reason I brought it up at all is that in the episode Jack was watching, Caillou’s mom made a “Special Surprise Cake” and it got me thinking that I should do “Special Surprise” things for my family more often.  Then, this afternoon, I finally had some time to look at flipflops & applesauce, the blog I mentioned above (isn’t that a great name?), and there was an idea for a snack that looked super cute, super easy, and healthy too!  Right then, Jack asked me if he could have a snack.  And, my very first “Special Surprise Snack” was born.

 

I decided to call it…wait for it…Spotted Special Surprise Snack!! (I know…genius name, isn’t it?  I told you I wasn’t super creative… )

 

Here’s all you need…a red apple, soy butter (if you’re worried about your child’s pb allergy like I am), chocolate chips, and raisins (I added those in for variety…if you wanted to, I guess you could make it even more healthy by cutting out the chocolate chips and just using raisins.  But I used both.)

Cut the apple in half, then in half again lengthwise.  I sliced it an extra time for easier handling by little hands.  (Note: On my first half, I didn’t core the apple first…so I made a mess.  My second half turned out much better.)  Cut the top portion into a “T”, so the top is the head and the two bottom slices are the wings  I didn’t get a step-by-step shot of this, and I don’t think I explained it very well, but you’ll see what I mean below.   

 

I did manage to capture this excited face…I made him wait outside the kitchen while I got everything ready, and he could hardly contain himself. 

 

Here it is! Spotted Special Surprise Snack!  I put 2 raisins on for the eyes and used the chocolate chips for the spots.  I used too much soy butter (it’s definitely more runny than peanut butter), so  next time I’ll keep that in mind and use less, but I thought it still turned out pretty cute.

 

And let me tell you…it was a BIG hit around here!  Jack loved it!  Here’s the silly face he made when I told him to smile…

 

 

Yummy!!

 

Thanks, Chrissie, for all your wonderful ideas!  I can’t wait to spend more time on your blog. 

 

Our Thorn August 25, 2008

Our Thorn

J.R. Miller (“The Building of Character”, 1894)

 

“Lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.”

2 Corinthians 12:7

 

Paul tells us that his “thorn” was given to him–to keep him humble, and save him from spiritual peril. Without it, he would have been exalted above measure and would have lost his spirituality. We do not know how much of his deep insight into the things of God, and his power in service for his Master–Paul owed to this torturing “thorn”. It seemed to hinder him, and it caused him incessant suffering–but it detained him in the low valley of humility, made him ever conscious of his own weakness and insufficiency, and thus kept him near to Christ whose home is with the humble.

 

Who has not his “thorn”?

 

We should never forget that in one sense, our “thorn” is a “messenger of Satan,” who desires by it–to hurt our life, to mar our peace, to spoil the divine beauty in us, and to break our communion with Christ.

 

On the other hand, however, Christ Himself has a loving design in our “thorn.” He wants it to be a blessing to us. He would have it keep us humble–and save us from becoming vain. Or He means it to soften our hearts–and make us more gentle. He would have the uncongenial things in our environment to discipline us into heavenly-mindedness, give us greater self-control, and help us to keep our hearts loving and sweet–amid harshness and unlovingness.

 

He would have our pain teach us endurance and patience; and our sorrow and loss teach us faith.

 

Thus, our “thorn” may either be a choice blessing to us–or it may do us irreparable harm. If we allow it to fret us; if we chafe, resist, and complain; if we lose faith and lose heart–it will spoil our life! But if we accept it in the faith that in its ugly burden–it has a blessing for us; if we endure it patiently, submissively, unmurmuringly; if we seek grace to keep our heart gentle and true amid all the trial, temptation, and suffering it causes–it will work good for us, and out of its bitterness–will come sweet fruit!

738 August 20, 2008

That’s how many pictures I took while we were in Michigan.  Yep, you heard me.  Obsessed?  Maybe.  I prefer to call it

Memory Conscious And Aware Of Beauty Around Me.

 

That said, with so many pictures to choose from, it was rather difficult to decide how to post about our trip!  We had a wonderful time with Ryan’s family.  Jack had so much fun swimming and playing with his Gramma and Grampa, following the cats, and warming up to the dogs…Ryan had fun eating Kilwin’s ice cream 5 out of the 7 nights we were there, riding tractors, and looking through old pictures…and I had fun shopping, getting a pedicure with my MIL, riding tractors, (bet you haven’t said those 2 things together in a sentence) and taking 738 new picturesl!

 

 Here are more than a few collages of our Michigan highlights (and I still didn’t include everything)…enjoy!

 

Views of Lovely Lake Michigan (in case you were wondering, in the lower right corner is a lightning bolt I managed to capture during a perfect evening thunderstorm!)

 

Various tractors of various sizes (yep, that’s me driving the John Deere!)

 

 The farm, which has been in Ryan’s family since the early 1800’s…that’s almost 100 years before any of my family even came to the US by the way…

 

 

Jack Jack in Michigan

 

 Flowers in Michigan

 

 Kilwin’s Ice Cream is truly amazing.  Truly.

 

 St. Joseph, Michigan…love it!

 

Grandparents Galore

 

Family moments…with Great Grandma Waggott (Ryan’s maternal grandma), Ryan’s parents, Jennifer and Brian (Ryan’s older sister and brother-in-law), his Aunt Diane who joined us for an outdoor band concert, Uncle Wayne (who takes care of the farm), and Grandma Anthony (Ryan’s paternal grandma who was born in the house on the farm and still lives there today) 

 

And now…if you had the strength and fortitude to make it through that many collages, you win the prize of viewing a few of my favorite shots all by themselves…Congratulations! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I’m saving my very favorite for its own post so I can’t entirely give it away…but here’s just a taste because I couldn’t resist…I love it!

Thank you, Mom and Dad A., for such a fabulous time…we love you!

 

7 Wonderful Years August 11, 2008

Happy Anniversary to my incredible husband!!!  Each day, you show me Christ’s love selflessly, serving me and loving me, and drawing me closer to Him.  I realize more and more that I don’t deserve you, but I’m humbled and thankful that God has given you to me.  I love you!

 

P.S.  I have about 10 posts that are hopefully coming soon…life is crazy and right now we have 8 people living in our house!!  Fun times!!