Author Archive
Did we just move back to Texas?
Posted on: May 26, 2010
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
****Hosting my first ever giveaway on Friday!!****
The weather went from 53 degrees to 81 degrees in just over a week here in Iowa. Seriously? 81 degrees? Whew. I am not cut out for hot weather. Even after years in Texas, I still cringe at the idea of walking outside when it’s over 75.
To combat the crazy high temps this week, I made strawberry/banana popsicles. A couple of months ago, we picked up popsicles molds at IKEA for $1. Then at the beginning of this month, I scored V8 Fusion for dirt cheap. {Side note – V8 Fusion is amazing. You get a full serving of fruits and vegetables in every serving of juice. It’s like every mother’s dream come true.}
I poured the juice into each of the molds and stuck it in the freezer overnight:
Here is the finished product:
Sorry to disappoint if you were looking for an awesomely cute picture of the girls like these. But, seriously, these things are so good I’ve eaten half of them myself!
How to rock a super cute ponytail
Posted on: May 25, 2010
- In: Life
- 11 Comments
I always wear a ponytail. Well, maybe not always, but most every day. Yet they tend to get a little boring over time and don’t seem to be all that feminine and chic. I’ve experimented with the “poof” and currently I’m on the side ponytail kick. This weekend I decided to give it a little summer look by adding a cute flower:
All you need is a silk flower {real ones tend to wilt rapidly in the heat – especially when in your hair}, some hot glue and a button pin.
Put hot glue on the back of the flower, then glue the pin {needle facing you} to the flower. Allow to dry/cool completely. Once you’re ready to use, pull your hair back and stick the pin through a small section next to your ponytail holder {you could also stick it into the ponytail holder itself}.
The post you’ve all be waiting for…
Posted on: May 24, 2010
- In: Life
- 7 Comments
My house is clean!!
I hosted a baby shower on Saturday morning, so Jon and I spent Friday night {and Saturday morning!} finishing up painting and cleaning the kitchen. Jon actually finished painting at 8:30 am and the shower started at 9:30!
Here’s the end results of our remodel and the new wall Jonathan finished:
And for your my pleasure, here’s Hannah – who just had to have her picture taken.
Blaming someone else for my sin
Posted on: May 21, 2010
- In: Life
- 5 Comments
Yesterday, in a moment that was a grand fall from grace, I sinned against Julia. I won’t go into the details, because really, who wants to ever re-live sin? Let’s just say, my sin was ugly and shameful. What was even worse, was that even in the moment, I knew I was sinning and choose to do it any way. My thought process went like this: “If she didn’t do {insert two year old behavior} then I wouldn’t have done {insert sin}.”
Later that afternoon I realized I blame a lot of other people for my sin. I do a fabulous job of if-they-hadn’t-done-that-I-wouldn’t-have-done-that. It’s their fault I sinned.
Wrong.
I choose to sin. And yesterday, I knowingly choose to sin. Against my daughter. I can’t even begin to tell you what amount of disgrace and shame I felt. When I started realizing just how much I blame others {and awfully, but truthfully, my children} for my sin and bad behavior, I couldn’t help but begging for forgiveness. Forgiveness from Julia. Forgiveness from my Father.
I sin, because I choose to sin. Not because someone sins against me.
God forgives me, because He chooses to forgive me. Not because I deserve to be forgiven.
If you’ve ever wondered what an 11 month old looks like while eating frosting
Posted on: May 20, 2010
- In: Life
- 3 Comments
This would be your answer:
My friend, Jamie, emailed out about her old college friend, Steph and her son Benjamin. Steph and her husband, Dave, found 22 month old Benjamin unresponsive with a mini-blind cord wrapped around his throat. Jamie asked for prayers for the Rickett Family. Will you join me in praying for them?
Tonight at 9:30 CST, USTREAM will be hosting a time of worship and prayer. If you can join in, please do. If you can’t, please take a moment to pray for Benjamin and his family.
To view Benjamin’s CaringBridge page, please click here.
- In: Life
- 3 Comments
Edith Piaf, a French singer from the 1940’s and 50’s, wrote the song La Vie en Rose. In it, she sings, I see life in rosy hues. It’s one of my favorite songs and sums up so much of how I see the world.
This morning, Jonathan told me “You really are a romantic” and I just had to laugh. You see, I am a romantic, just not in the way most people think. Most people think of romance as flowers, chocolate and candlelit dinners. But I see those things as overkill. {Not to say I don’t enjoy overkill sometimes.} Romance isn’t always butterflies in your stomach. It isn’t being swept off your feet. It isn’t even having your husband say the right thing at the right time. To me, romance is:
Eating ice cream at Dane’s Dairy
Taking a walk in the morning before anyone else is out
Having dinner on the back porch
The glow of Christmas lights at night
But mostly, romance is spending ordinary days with my extraordinary husband.
- In: Life
- 8 Comments
Why?
Julia has really embraced the use of “Why?”. Here’s our conversation on the way home from the park earlier today:
“Julia, let’s go home and eat lunch.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re all hungry and it’s time to eat.”
“Why?”
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“Yes. Why?”
————————————————-
At home, making lunch.
“What you doing, mama?”
“Making lunch.”
“Why?”
“So we can eat.”
“Why?”
“Because we’re hungry.”
“Why?”
I could go on all day. She will repeat them over and over and over again.
For days I’ve tried catching all this on video for your entertainment {and embarrassment factor when she’s 16}. But every time I start up the camera, she immediately looks at me and says “Oh, I want to see Julia” and stops asking her questions.
- In: Life
- 2 Comments
Our kitchen has gone from this:
To this:
The pictures make it look easy. It started off that way, but things have gotten a little hairy. We hired a contractor to remove two studs and the header and to finish off our sheetrock. He agreed, then the morning he showed up, he said he’d changed his mind and would not be finishing the job (only removing the studs and header). Nice.
Thankfully, he did build this:
Which now houses our heating vent (goes through the roof).
Now Jonathan, being the awesomely talented guy he is, is finishing up the sheetrock, mudding and electrical.
Unless you read about the beginning of our project, then you might not know about my love of wallpaper. And by love, I mean total hatred strong dislike. But, alas, the wallpaper is down and painting has begun!! *A shout out of thanks to Rachel for watching Mabel!*
And for a “green” tip – hang on to your plastic containers (yogurt, salsa, etc) cause you never know what you can use them for later:
I promise one day I’ll actually post pictures of our house when it’s clean. It might not be until the girls are in college, but hey.
- In: Life
- 4 Comments
Today I’m being featured as a guest poster over at i Dream of Clean – hosted by Christine, a bloggy friend who lives in Nashville. I wrote about how to make your very own green cleaning products. Exciting stuff that I am very passionate about!
Be sure to check me out here: i Dream of Clean – Cleaners You Can Make at Home.
Or, if this is your first time to my site: WELCOME! Feel free to browse around and enjoy.
If you want to see a few other posts on ways I’ve gone green, read more here:
TMI, or, For Girls Only – Seriously
How is cloth going… really… I mean, how’s it going?
And if you want my thoughts on chores, read these:
A Wife Loved Like The Church 
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