Welcome Spring and Celebrations!

Well here we are, March 20th, the First Day of Spring. So thrilled that it's official!

For weeks now, in the midst of the dreary weather we've been having, I've been pining for this day.

The crocuses are blooming. The daffodils are begging for a beautifully warm day to open themselves from their cocoon, the tulips, and the lilacs are growing in stature as they await for their appointed time. The seed and flower catalogs are arriving in the mail. The seed pods we've purchased are needing to be planted. We are waiting for a nice day to dig up the dirt in the new raised garden beds that my husband built from railroad ties. Of course the weeds have started their ritual of taunting us as they stake their ground in any place they can possibly find fit to grow.

With the arrival of spring, we are quickly ushering in the celebration of Easter. This year is the earliest Easter any of us will ever see the rest of our lives! And only the most elderly of our population have ever seen it this early previously (95 years old or above!). And none of us have ever, or will ever, see it a day earlier! Here are the facts:

The next time Easter will be this early (March 23) will be the year 2228 (220 years from now). The last time it was this early was 1913 (so if you're 95 or older, you are the only ones that were around for that!).

Pretty interesting!

Along with Easter, 3 days later we will be celebrating our son's 5th Birthday. I had already been feeling like this year had gone by surprisingly too fast, but when I think back to the day that he was born, it makes these last few years seem like they have gone by even faster! Our plans are to have a party at Carl's Jr. Play Land with some buddies of his. Have some pirate theme cupcakes and open presents. He of course is very excited to be a big boy!

Here's hoping you have a reflective and celebratory Easter weekend!

Kitchen Postings

"Obedience to God is not some diet we suddenly blow. It is something to which we recommit every single day, no matter how we blew it the day before". ~ From: Praying in God's Word - Recovery, by Beth Moore

"A day hemmed in prayer seldom unravels". ~ Author Unknown

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From time to time, I've placed various postings on my kitchen window sill that have special meaning to me. It could be a favorite scripture, a lovely thank you note, a concept for life, reminders, or quotes like the ones above.

Are there postings that you look at for daily encouragement?

More...

Today, we received another few inches of snow. Out comes the snow shovel - again. Then back in the garage it goes along with the other handy tools; where it waits until tomorrow's forecast for even more snow.

We are certainly pleased to have much more snow than last year. It really reminds us of our last home in Montana where you'd have to wait until April/May (if you were lucky) for the snow and ice to thaw out just enough to see the ground below.

Another exciting tidbit about our town is that we may be getting an Aquarium. Seems so odd to have one of these when there isn't even an ocean nearby. If this venue becomes a reality, then this would be a great place to have the kids visit during the winter seasons. We had a zoo pass this year, but we just might get an aquarium pass for the next year, instead. The tickets are half price right now, but the doors aren't scheduled to open until 2009. Here's the website for more information: Boise aquarium

Hope you are enjoying Winter?
I say, "Spring come early!"

Celebrating...

I have all kinds of things I would like to post about, and talk about, but it is Christmas, and while I am keeping up with things, there is much more to be done. There is celebrating Christmas early with our own little family this coming Sunday, a Christmas in Oregon to prepare for, cookies and memories to make, and more errands to run. :)

So I am continuing my break and starting my Christmas blog break now.

If there is something that is just too good to not share, and cannot wait until the new year I will pop back in to post, but if not, I will see you in the New Year!

May the Lord Bless you and your families.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!
2 Corinthians 9:15

Work of our hands

Taking a bit of a blogger break. Although, there are tons of "future postings" swirling in my head. Must write them down on paper. :) So, a break there will be. Working on preparing Thanksgiving Dinner, welcoming Grandpa & Grandma for a visit (the kids can't wait!) and finishing some projects with fast approaching deadlines.

I'll leave you with this quote from Missy's Blog Everyday Graces.

"In this week when many of us will spend hours preparing food, laying a table, writing down our blessings and speaking them aloud, we will be communicating our love with the work of our hands."

Wishing you all a blessed Thanksgiving!

Smiles

What is it about marshmallows that are so much fun?

The other day, I was telling my husband, "Watch this. When I give the kids a marshmallow there will be an instant smile". It never fails. Marshmallows bring out the smiles in people. Go ahead, I dare you - just try and eat one without smiling!

While you are partaking of this soft, yummy treasure; I also dare you to not have a fun memory of eating marshmallows. For me it's playing the "Pudgy Bunny" game in High School or roasting them over a campfire.

What happens when you eat a marshmallow?

Why?

Just recently, my little boy showed interest in why and how his body works? You know, those important questions:

How come by bones don't fall off?

Why do I yawn?

What's in my brain?

Our answer is "Well son..."

Word descriptions don't seem to do justice for the type of explanations that are needed. So, off to the Library we went. Checked out 2 books: "What's inside? My body" by Scholastic and "I Can Move" by Mandy Suhr.

Here are some of the activities we did to help understand how our bodies work:

~Ran in place for 30 seconds and then listened to our hearts thumping to understand the chest.
~We practiced doing the following movements and then found pictures of people dancing, crawling, sitting, walking, and bending and posted on a poster.
~Counted the different places that bend in our bodies, and then all the places in one foot.
~Talked about the difference between pushing, pulling, and lifting.
~Compared our bodies to that of plants and animals.
~Talked about how people move in different ways. Those who need wheelchairs and crutches in a house. Found places that it would be hard to move, like stairs.

This was so much fun. Just watching them sit there quietly soaking in the information and then jumping around in discovering how their body works. Good stuff! And a privilege to watch them learn.

Fall crafting

Here's a sample of the different crafting activities we have been doing during this Fall Season:
These bird feeders were simply put together with an empty toilet paper roll, peanut butter, and bird seed (from WinCo's bulk section).

We then hanged the feeders up in the backyard. The squirrels were really attracted to this treat, but very frustrated that they couldn't get to it. :) ha, ha.

Here is our son's collection of the different types of leafs & plants we've been finding on our nature walks. It's been so precious to hear him ask to place another specimen onto his

Collection poster.

We then took our favorite leafs and placed them in the middle of wax paper, along with some crayon shavings; and then ironed the pieces together. It was really neat to see the colors blend together.

Here is a pumpkin decoration that I made in our MOPS Group. I have had lots of practice putting it back together again, and, again as the kids would take it apart because of their curiosity to see the full toilet paper roll inside. They thought it was silly that the pumpkin didn't have seeds inside.

Hayride fun

We recently had a field trip day at the MAIZE. This place is a working farm that offers hayrides, educational talks, a huge maize, petting zoo, refreshments, and of course a pumpkin patch. The hayrides were the "hit" for the day.

They loved watching the red tractor work.

This one is my favorite pictures of the day.

Navigating the children's maize

Found the perfect pumpkin.

A great day overall. The kids had fun.

And mommy did too!

Treasure Found

Well I'm back from the retreat!

It was an enjoyable time of being with other women who had like minds of loving their Lord, husbands, and families. It was a short trip with about 28 hours teaching, talking, eating good food, quick trail walks, and sleep (actually not that much). The schedule for the retreat was different then typical ones, as it wasn't all about "personal enjoyment", but more about an intense time of learning and encouragement. Making the most of our moments together. There was uncontrollable laughter and the shedding of tears. Good stuff.

I had been thinking that I couldn't remember when was the last time I had sat for so long. My only concerns were of taking care of myself, eating (no cooking, or coaxing little ones to eat, or cleanup!), having conversations with other women with little to no interruptions, and then simply focusing on the teaching times. It was an odd feeling for me as the day before, I hadn't "rested" the entire day while I was running around preparing for this trip. My mind was definitely going in different directions. So I was thankful for this different state of mind and being.

But truly, what was most impressed on my heart was how the Lord provided exactly what I had needed. As I shared in the previous post, I was simply looking for a rainbow in my heart again. Not only did I receive a rainbow, but a treasure. Not just one treasure, but many! He gives so much more than we can ever imagine to those that He loves. I am so thankful.

The treasures that He so tenderly gave to me were gems to hold onto even when the rainbows do fade.

Hope to share some more about the teachings we learned and catch up on some pictures soon.

Caught again

Here we go again...

Sharing each other's colds. Lots of fun!

It started with Daddy being sick last week. I hoped (deluded thinking) that the rest of us would be immune. No such luck.

Out comes the Airborne, Tylenol Cold, Saline Spray for stuffy noses, disinfectant wipes, and other helpful concoctions to help rid ourselves of these colds. Ah yes, not to forget the pile of tissues. We ended up getting a big pack of tissue boxes at Costco, as we had used up every last tissue in the house. Almost had to resort to good old T.P. :)

What's your regiment when cold season arrives at your home?

Birthday Update

O-kay, so isn't my hubby the sweetest guy to have hi-jacked this blog with birthday greetings. I was proud of him for the great job he did, along with clip-art, too!

I had a pleasant day celebrating the event of growing another year older. Wish it was in height, but no it is only in age. I was so very blessed by the thoughtful phone calls, cards, and emails sent my way throughout this last week. Then to top it off with a special dinner at the Olive Garden.

Yes, truly a good Birthday. Sweet memories. Thanks to all of you for sharing the love...

Birthday Wishes

Hi Everyone,

This is John, Lisa's Husband, and I have high-jacked my Wife's blog in order to wish Lisa a Happy Birthday. She really is a great Wife and wonderful Mother. I really enjoy her companionship and look forward daily to coming home to her. So please join me in wishing her a hearty Happy Birthday.

I love you Sweetheart.

A good week...

It seems like this week is turning out to be a "good" week. Here are some of the highlights:

~My home seems to be in order (for the moment).

~No sick kids.


~Hubby is home this week!

~We received a new dishwasher from our landlord.

~Tonight, I am going to a women's social dessert. Looking forward to meeting other women, but also being able to try a few tasty desserts. Not too much. Just enough to put a silly smile on my face. :)

~Then tomorrow, is my Birthday! Hoping to make a rare visit to the Olive Garden. Their bread-sticks are simply to die for.

~The mailman has also been kind to me this week. I received a new cook book, "Taste of Home's" - Quick Cooking Book 2007, a card from my sweet Grandma, and another card from an old friend. I love emails, but truly treasure a handwritten note. The best ones are those "just thinking of you" notes.

~Much to be thankful for; in this moment where life seems a little easier.

Hope your week has been going well.
What have you been up to?

Welcome Autumn!

There are just a few more days until Autumn officially starts. But, I am already celebrating its arrival. This is my favorite, favorite, favorite time of the year! :)


~The first leaves have fallen on the grass.
~The weather is in the 70's - which is perfect for me!
~The stores are showing off their Autumn decorations (even some Christmas -shhh. I didn't say that) .
~Starting to dream about Thanksgiving Meal delights.
~There is that "baking is in the air" mood with friends here at home and with "blog friends".
~We've pulled out the lightweight jackets from their slumber.
~Looking forward to going on our annual country drive of the valley and into the mountains to view the splendor of the changing colors.
~Then there is hopes of going to the pumpkin patch and finding that perfect pumpkin...
~Hoping to visit a Bazaar or two.
~My kiddo's are eagerly anticipating more leaves falling down so that they can jump into "Mommy's leaves" as soon as she gets a nice big pile raked up. And then again rake up the same pile so that they can gleefully tear it down. Doing this again for 20 or more times. :)
~Last night, I made my husband some Rice Crispy treats. Puts a smile on his face every time.
~MMM... Maybe it's time to break out the hot chocolate or apple cider.

Welcome Autumn!

Thanks!

Thank you to all you wonderful bloggers out there that have been leaving comments on this blog. You are such a source of encouragement to me! It puts a smile on my face to have this connection with you.

Grateful to walk with you in this life and online journaling.

40% Chance

Today, I decided to take the kids to the Zoo. Since we have a yearly pass, it makes going to the zoo another option than going to the park again. They offer a nice kids section that has an Educational building for children to discover all sorts of things, exhibits that are kid friendly, a giraffe slide, and gopher tunnels to play in.

Before leaving, I checked the weather forecast. It said a high of 74 degrees with a 40% chance of rain. The clouds in our area didn't look threatening. More just heavier clouds than usual with blue sky shining through some pockets. Well as soon as we left the play area the skies opened up and let go it floodgates of water. Let's just say that we learned so much about the Kimono Dragons.

We huddled there for 10 minutes. Then decided to run to the next exhibit for cover. I looked back and my little boy was missing. He had tucked himself into a kids tunnel near the Mearkats viewing area. He called me over and we huddled there until the water started to then stream into our small area. Then we ran into the Rain Forest Exhibit to get out of the rain!. Pretty ironic. This rain forest didn't even have the real mist. Just dry as can be. :)

The rain had stopped, but thunder was still threatening another downpour. So we quickly went over to the Penguin exhibit. What we found was an empty pool with penguins walking around the bottom of it. There was a window in the viewing area that had cracked. So until the workers got it fixed, the penguins were enjoying the rain from above. My little children couldn't understand how the penguins could be happy without water in their pool. Momma did her best to explain and cheer them up.

Next time I read 40% chance of rain, I will take head. :)

4th Time

Today, has been one of those busy, full days where I am now on my 4th attempt to warm-up a cup of tea. And this one is being threatened by the dog whining for a walk and then the kids fighting sleep with all their might. Their Daddy is gone on a business trip. So here I am, "escaping" to the blog.

My complaints are really not warranted. There truly are many more people out in this world that are having much more than just a "hard day".

Reading about Amy's First Day of traveling to their new home really made me feel more thankful for my present circumstances. You'll come away thinking, "Man, I hope tomorrow gets better". Check out Amy's Humble Musings.

Morning surprises

This morning, as I opened my living room shades and peered out the window, there was a bright green sign beckoning to me. It was a garage sale sign directing to the sale just across the street from our house. So I put down the freshly poured coffee, got the kiddos dressed & presentable, and left the house without having breakfast. I'm talking priorities, people!

It wasn't a "great" garage sale, but we did find a treasure or two. We picked up a few coloring books, some national geographic type magazines for the kids to look through, a new Bingo Game that had a Cage Set for the balls to turn in, and my favorite find the: "Sammy The Seal" Book by Syd Hoff. I remember this book from when I was a kid. It is simple as can be, but so very intriguing to children.

After breakfast we read "Sammy The Seal" and the kids proceeded to act like seals catching fish. So funny. :) When that was done, we played a game of BINGO. My little boy enjoyed this so much that he wanted to keep playing this game over and over. But mom told him to wait until Daddy got home and we could all play together. He was satisified.

Anybody else remember reading this book as a kid?

4 yr old logic

Here is a recent conversation we had in the car with our son:

Dad asks: Where do eggs come from?

J. says: Chickens!

Dad: Where do chickens come from?

J: The Barn!

then Dad asks: Where does milk come from?

J: Cows!

Dad: Where do cows come from?

J: The Barn!

Dad: Who made the cows?

J: God did!

then Dad asks: Where do hamburgers come from?

J: McDonalds!!!

Lots of smiles and stifled giggles from the parents in the front seat of the car. :)
It makes sense - to a toddler.
Although, going to McDonald's is a "big" deal in our family, as we don't go too often. So he remembers these things. :)