Lots To Be Thankful For

This past weekend we went to Southern Indiana to visit friends.  It's an amazing friendship really.  I went to high school with Lee and to church with Deanna.  She attended a different school.  At one point, she was dating my boyfriend's friend, we all broke up at different points and she ended up dating and marrying Lee. Lee was another friend of that other boyfriend.  Aren't high school romances goofy?!  We both went to different colleges, I met Cameron at mine, and lived in different states for several years, but through all these years we have remained close friends.  It's funny now that in some ways we don't have a lot in common.  One of us is a little bit of a picky eater,  the other is not.  One of us hates to shop, the other does not. :)  One loves the snow and the other wishes she lived somewhere tropical.  But we have a history together and some things in common much more important than the way we spend our leisure time or our preferred weather patterns.  We both love the Lord and want to raise our children to love him too.  Even though our methods are sometimes different, we have the same ultimate goal in mind. 

It was 1990 (I think) when we all went to Carriage Inn for pizza and here we are, twenty years later, getting together with our children and having a great time together.

So I am very thankful right now for, 162.  Long, wonderful friendships.

163.  New friendships in recent years that are also wonderful.

164.  God's protection on the roads.

165.  Food, fun and fellowship.

166.  Rain (I'm just being obedient here.  I'm not really all that thankful for it, but I know I should be)

167.  God's protection during storms.  I really do not like thunderstorms!! I wish I could enjoy them.  I used to when I was kid, until the summer of 1990.  That year, Southern Indiana was hit pretty hard with several tornadoes.  Although one didn't touch down on our home we were very close to one and a huge tree fell on our car while we were driving!!  That's another amazing story!!  Anyway, now that we live in the middle of cornfields, storms make me very nervous.  I know I need to trust God more in this area, but it's not easy.  Now I also know that a lot of rain makes for a very unhappy septic system.  When the septic ain't happy, no body's happy.

168.  Two wonderful, cheerful helpers who think putting groceries away is fun.

169.  A husband who works hard to provide those groceries

170.  A God who gives creativity to stretch them into meals that nourish us.

171.  Little girls folding laundry while watching Wonder Woman!  My childhood hero! LOL

178.  The last snow man of the season.

179.  Spell check!

Out of the Mouth of Kate

When Callie was little, it seemed like everything that came out of her mouth either got her into big trouble or was hysterically funny.  There wasn't too much middle ground. 

Kate isn't quite so comical, but everyone once in a while she'll come up with some good ones.  Here are a few.

"I love Lilly (the dog).  She's so CUTE" {cute is said in almost a high pitch squeal}  Later that night, Cameron is gone to a meeting and she says, "I love Baba.  He's so CUTE" {same high pitch}.  So I guess Cameron is as cute as the dog?

On our way to run errands she was talking about all the foods that she likes.  Let me assure you, it is a short list!  She asked me about things that I like and then she started talking about what she liked at McDonald's.  "Nuggets, and fries, and hamburgers-not buns, and chocolate milk-not toys..."  I laughed when she said the part about toys.  She said "Well we have a lots of toys at home".  Think she's heard that before?

"Mommy I love you.  I love you so bad!"

In the car for a 4 hour road trip..."I don't want to be in here anymore, I need fresh air."  {add whiny voice}

Now I will admit, you probably had to be there, and these aren't near as funny as when Callie thought our pastor was in the shower with Cameron.  Cameron was listening to him on the radio while in the shower! Or when she sincerely wanted to know if Poppy fought for the North or the South in the Civil War.
But they are still funny and I wanted to get them down somewhere for "safekeeping".

I'll try to come up with something more exciting soon! :)

A Wonderful Weekend

This weekend was a really great one, especially after having been cooped up in the house the previous two weeks.  Everyone got to do something fun in one way or another and it was just what the doctor ordered!

We are all so thankful for....

152.  Grandparents who come up to babysit.  I love it when my parents (or sisters sometimes) come to watch the girls.  It was suppose to be the previous weekend, but everyone was sick.  It's so nice not to have to worry about what time we get back from our Hot Date, we don't have to take anyone home, it's free and there are no concerns about what the girls may be watching or that they are misbehaving.  Best of all it gives the girls some one on one time with my parents that they don't get when we visit them.

153.  Hot dates! :)  We had a much needed and very much looked forward to date.  We went with friends which added another level of fun.

154.  A donut pan.  I've been wanting one for a while.  You can bake them in the oven and there are gluten free recipes so that Kate can have them too.  So far we have only tried the regular recipe and they were really good.  We will try to gluten free recipe next.. 

155.  Some goodies from the antique mall.  I love shopping at antique malls and thrift stores.  You can find such great items for little money and I love supporting local businesses.

156.  Play dates with friends we haven't seen in a long time.

157.  God's blessings of continued healing to those friends. 

158.  Good friends for my daughters.

159.  Good friends for me too. :)

160.  Daddy and daughter outings and the Daddy that loves the daughters.

161.  The disappearance of  Godzilla-mostly.

Sleep Deprivation

My sister sent me this email today.

      "just in case you are concerned that people will think you may be crazy for homeschooling and your    poor girls don't have a chance....the word 'thankfulness' is spelled wrong on your blog:)

love ya, valerie"

Isn't she sweet? ;)  Apparently, Spell Check doesn't check the title.  Sleep Deprivation can do many things to people.  I guess not knowing how to spell "thankfulness" is one of them.

Thankfully, Kate is mostly well now and I have had two nights in a row of pretty good sleep!  So no more excuses now.  :)  The girls were actually able to play outside yesterday and Kate felt like going to ballet.  It's nice to have her happy face back and hopefully Godzilla will never return again!  Of course we all have our Godzilla moments.  Thank the Lord that He is patient and helps us overcome those moments and forget those of others.

We have a busy few days ahead.  Callie has her home school classes today, which means Kate has preschool too.  Tomorrow we are having company and then Saturday I work at the antique mall. 

There haven't been too many picture taking moments around here lately, but here is one of Kate a couple of weeks ago.  She loves this dog!!

Thankfuness--Flu edition

We are still dealing with some illness around here.  Kate got it last Wednesday evening and is still not over it.  She seems to have gotten hit the hardest.  Let's just say I've started praying for her husband!  One moment she is so sweet and pathetic and the next moment, usually the one where I have to fix a meal, she turns into Godzilla.  Poor little thing. :)

143.  Herbal teas.  Still thankful for those!  Kate will drink them and she will not take cough syrup without physical force.  Unfortunately, the teas don't seem to help Kate's symptoms as much as they do Callie's.

144.  Slipcovers on the couch.  Just in time.  I'll just leave it at that.

145.  A very helpful husband.

146.  The chance to get out on Saturday and scrapbook with friends--it was only the 3rd time in 13 days that I had left the house.  Even a home body like me has her limits.  Thank you again, Cameron.

147.  A working TV and DVD player.  I can't even begin to count the number of movies we've watched.  Thankfully I feel fine now and we can read some books.

148.  Good books, lots of quilts and comfy jammies.

149.  Actually being able to get school done most days.

150.  Warmer temperatures.

151.  As inconvenient as this flu has been, I know that we are so blessed to normally enjoy good health.  Anytime one of us has some illness, I think of those who deal with health issues, much more serious, on a daily basis.  Whenever Godzilla appears, I just try to remind myself that this will soon pass and thank God that this is not our everyday!

Hopefully next weeks list of thanksgivings will be all about healing!!

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments at Soule Mama's  for all to find and see

It's bad enough that she is almost as tall as me at 11 yrs. old.  Now, with her new glasses, she really looks so grown up.  I can't help staring at her whenever she has them on.

February Blues

I was feeling so good about this winter.  Even with the ice storm and the cold temps., we haven't had any frozen pipes this year and after four years here I think I've finally figured out how to dress to stay warm and not be grumpy!  Woolie Boolie socks and a handed down long, wool sweater have been the key to Mama's happiness this winter.  Oh, and letting the faucet drip pretty much everyday since December. 

But then Callie came down with a light flu or bad cold, not sure which one, which she sweetly shared with me. :)  It really isn't all that bad, I've had much worse!  The problem is that I can hardly talk.  This makes mothering quite frustrating.  The other problem is I feel so drained.  I wake up wishing I could just stay in bed all day even though I'm not in that much discomfort.  It doesn't help that Kate is having a hard time sleeping lately so guess who else isn't sleeping?

Someone please tell me that watching Little Women and Pride and Prejudice (A&E version) has some educational value!  Literature?  History? 

So, I think I'll go back to bed and someone can wake me up in April!

One Thousand Gifts with Callie

Feeling under the weather for several days can sometimes make us feel that we will never get better and that all of life is miserable.  And when the one who is sick is my wonderful assistant, I confess to missing her help and how much she entertains Kate.

So we are going to count our blessings together.

130.  A comfy couch

131.  Blankets

132.  Mommy

133.  Soft tissues

134.  Hot teas.  Traditional Medicinal teas are also great.  Sometimes these teas work better than the cough syrups and other over the counter medicines.  Just add honey!

135.  Soup

136.  DVDs. (We've watched three movies today!) 

137.  Little sisters who start praying right in the middle of the conversation for big sister to get better.  I know Kate is bored without Callie.  I'll have to take her out to play in the snow tomorrow.

138.  Husbands who run to the store for more tea and tissues.  And who also bring home ice cream and Dr. Pepper!

139.  God, who gives grace and energy to Mommy who sometimes gets frustrated with impatient patients and bored five year olds.

140.  An extremely part-time job at the Noblesville Antique Mall.  So much fun to spend a Saturday or two there each month.

141.  Learning to knit.  Thanks to a couple of very patient teachers.  Callie is knitting too and it has been fun to watch her learn too.

142.  Husbands who would rather stay home with us that go to a Super Bowl party.  I think I'll keep him!!

I'm hoping and praying that no one else comes down with anything!  We are suppose to be having a Valentine Party on Friday! 

                               

Vietnamese Pho

Callie and I are home from church this morning.  Callie has been under the weather since Tuesday and although she is better, we decided that all of our friends would love us if we kept our germs at home.  So Cameron and Kate went to church without us and I am making a wonderful chicken soup for all of us.  I'm afraid I may be coming down with whatever Callie has, but this soup will be very good for all of us.

I originally found this recipe, for a sort of mock Vietnamese Pho, on Elizabeth's blog.  Don't let the name scare you, it's basically chicken noodle soup with an Asian twist.  It's sooo good for you and quite yummy!  Even if no one is sick, it is perfect for cold winter days when there is lots of snow on the ground or just plain cold.

If you live in a small rural town, you will probably not be able to find lemongrass, but we live close enough to a large city and Cameron goes there almost every day.  It will not have the same flavor but it will still be good and good for you without it.  I add the spinach to each individual bowl.  Otherwise, it will get very slimy when reheated and I am a "little" picky about such things.  Also, Kate is very picky and so I cut up a little piece of spinach in pieces as small as humanly possible so that at least she will get a little.  I normally do the chicken in the crock pot and then do their final cooking on the stove.

This will be a large pot of soup and will feed us all at least twice.  It will come in very handy if Mom ends up sick for a few days.

{This Moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments at Soule Mama for all to find and see.

Anyone who knows me knows I can't remain wordless!  Here's Kate, "going on a trip."

We Survived!

I don't think I have ever before been so thankful for electricity!!  Thank you Lord for protecting our home and the power lines!!  It's not that we wouldn't have had any place to go, a few friends have generators and offered, but how to get there when the sleet that is falling is being measured in inches?  Thankfully, we didn't have to worry about it. 

We did lose power for about 20 minutes or so, but that was all.  I guess someone hit a pole or something.

We all snuggled up on the couches and slept in the living room together.  Including Lilly.  It's amazing how warm sleeping bags can get.  I was downright toasty.

Yesterday we still had school, so today, we are taking the day off.  I actually watched Regis and Kelly this morning!  I haven't watched that in ages.  It's one of those things I just can't take time for anymore.  It was fun, but I did feel a little strange just sitting on the couch, doing nothing at 9:00 in the morning. LOL

Callie and Kate with all things important:  dolls, books, snacks and I'm sure "blanky" is there somewhere.

Not too much ice.  I guess sleet falls off instead of hanging on to everything like ice does.  Which is why we still have power.  But when Cameron went outside, his feet stayed on the surface instead of going through to the ground.

We only lost a few smaller limbs, nothing major.  That alone is amazing since some of our trees have some pretty large dead limbs.

I'm going to go sit on the couch and try to do some knitting.  I worked really hard yesterday to get almost all of the laundry done in case the power went out, so today I'm taking it easy.  At least a little bit.

The Long Winter

I keep thinking of Laura Ingals Wilder today.  I can't imagine having the weather they lived through in the houses they were in.  They didn't even have the National Weather Service to warn them!  Although, I'm kind of stressing out about this whole thing, maybe having no warning would be a blessing.  The most current forecast is for freezing rain, freezing drizzle, and ice.  Then snow, temps in the 20's and wind gusts of up to 40 mph.  Yuck!  I wouldn't be so stressed if they didn't keep going on and on about power losses.  This house stays cool enough the way it is.  We've learned the comfort of wool sweaters and socks and have some awesome blankets that we got this year, but if the power goes out and the wind starts up, I'm afraid those things may not help much.

We do have a couple of friends who have generators if we get desperate.  It may be a little tricky getting there, but we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  Right now I'm just trying to get all the laundry done. We have plenty of food that doesn't have to be cooked, lots of water bottles and pitchers filled since we are on a septic/well system, candles, flashlights and camping lanterns.  We are as prepared as we ever will be I guess.

We can be thankful that we don't live in a house where we can see outside through the walls, we don't have to bring the cows in to keep them from freezing and we have vehicles to get into if we have to.  I would never have made it as a pioneer!

I'm sure we will have some beautiful pictures to share and the girls will probably have some fun memories.

My next house will have a fireplace!!