A Blessed Woman....

I was going to call this post, "A Sad Story" but then I got a little Divine perspective.
Let me give you some history concerning this latest adventure. My sweet, dear friend, Renee` and her equally sweet husband Mark, are in the final stages of adopting two siblings from Ethiopia. Their adoption journey has been such a beautiful witness and I am so excited about meeting these precious kiddos! Our women's group at church is hosting a shower for them this Sunday (tomorrow) and of course, I volunteered to make the cake. Now, many of you know that cooking is not really my strength but with baking, I'm not so bad. I pulled out my 11X13 in cake pan, 3 cake mixes and got started. I had never used this cake pan before and if you have a ruler handy, you will see that 11X13 is a good sized cake. I popped the cake in the oven and sat down to watch "Beverly Hills Chihuahua" with the kids. (Good movie BTW) The movie was over, the timer dinged and I went in to trim the cake and let it cool on the cardboard base. You already see where this is going, doncha? I really don't even remember the cake slipping or falling. I just remember staring down at the tile in complete and utter disbelief. The cake was in something of a tri-fold pattern. You know how you fold a piece of paper up to be a brochure? Just like that. Steaming and golden (and delicious, Mike had the kids taste it before he got rid of it) and all of it on the floor. I think I said something like, "Oh Gosh!" and Michael and both babies came running. "Are you burned? Are you burned?" was all Michael could say. He just kept checking me over to make sure I wasn't hurt. "You're okay, then?" They all hugged me and told me everything was fine and another cake could be made- no problem. I held my head in my hands and nodded. Off to Kroger..... Michael cleaned up the kitchen while I was gone so well that you couldn't even tell I had baked Cake Number One. Everything was washed and waiting for me to start again when I came home.

As I was making the Second Cake, I started listening. Listening to thoughts like, "What an honor you have to make this cake", "Wonder what all those kids in that transition home in Ethiopia would have done with that broken cake?", "Wonder if Renee`and Mark's kids in Africa have ever even Had cake?", "How lucky you are that you have a husband like Michael and children like Bailey and Ike", "Isn't great that you had the money to go out and purchase more supplies for this New cake?" Michael came in to check on me. He said, "Think about this, tomorrow you will have a great story to tell!" Typical Michael. By the time I put the Second Cake in the oven, I was smiling. Broken cake- what a great problem to have.........

Some of my New favorite things...

I was waiting until I had pics of each of these things to post this but at the rate I am going the words will just have to do. I have collected these things in my mind here and there and now I want to share them with you. Here goes-

"Chiken Patties" by Morning Star: these are breaded faux "chiken" patties that taste so good! Defrost in the microwave and then cook in a skillet with a little Pam until the breading is crunchy. They are 2 WW points and (I think) they taste like the real deal!

PB2 by Bell Plantation: Dehydrated Peanut Butter! 57cal for 2 tbsps! You can order it from www.bellplantation.com or you can get some at your local Hyvee store (If you have one, you lucky duck). I eat some every morning on a Thomas Light English Muffin (another BIG favorite) and have even mixed it in my balsamic vinegar/olive oil dressing for a peanut version to pour over shredded cabbage salad.

Quinoa: My mom turned me on to this one. It's not rice and it's not a grain. I am not sure WHAT it is actually but it is super good AND good for you. I have eaten it as a side dish and as an ingredient in my egg white omelet.

Cedar brand Micro Fiber yarn push broom: We have laminate and tile through most of our home and this broom is a Lifesaver! It picks up everything! Even cat/dog/hamster/people hair. I sweep at least twice a day and it only takes 2 or 3 minutes. Then, when you are finished you can pull the broom head off and throw it in the washer/dryer. 10$ at (you guessed it...) WalMart. But I bet Target has 'em too....

Neutrogena Deep Wrinkle cream with SPF 30: I have started wearing this everyday under my make-up and I reallllllyyyyy like it. It is not greasy at all and has the sunscreen built right in. Yea! And Deep wrinkle, well, I have heard that such a thing happens to some women on occasion so it couldn't hurt.

Yada-Yada Prayer Group Book series: These are so cute and "real". I guess that makes them "real cute". Ha! If you have ever been a part of a women's prayer group then you "know" the characters of this series already! It has great scripture reference too so you get in a little bible study while being entertained.

OPI Nail Polish: Now, this stuff has been around forever but it is great stuff. It stays on fingernails over a week (even with tough housework). It costs a little more (around $7-8 at Target and salons) but they have great seasonal lines so treat yourself to a little spring.

That is all I can remember right now. What are some of your favorite things?

This is for you Astrid!

Well, my sweet Friend Astrid.... this one is for you! I know that you are a fellow Scrapper so you will appreciate this! My Momma and I went for a scrapbooking weekend retreat at a nearby Lutheran Church Camp! Yes! No children and all of our scrapbook stuff! LOVE IT! Momma and I sat across from one another all weekend and scrapped and talked and laughed and drank coffee and borrowed scrap tools and admired one another's pages and drank more coffee. What a glorious time! And then, when we just couldn't scrap anymore we went back to our own private cabin (we had a cabin all to ourselves 'cuz Momma brought the Boys) and slept Uninterrupted sleep with Delicious Collies. The next morning, we did it all AGAIN!!! We had wonderful food (Thank you Sweet Chris) and drank our weight in coffee. I got 18 pages done! Yeah! I haven't scrapped in a LLLLOOOOONNNNGGGG time and this really inspired me to get going again. It was also fun to see other ideas and hear family stories from scrappers at the next table over. However, I must say that the Best Part of the weekend was time, in the middle of God's glory, spent with my Best Buddy who also happens to be the same woman that gave birth to me. I love you Momma- can't wait to do it again!

No more of that thank you very much.....

So, at midnight on Wednesday, Isaac comes into our room, holding his throat and gags out the words, "Mom, I can't feel good." The gagging becomes coughing and then turns into a trip to the potty and he almost makes it to the toilet. Almost. Flash forward to the Dr ofc where Isaac gets a shot in the hiney for a robust case of strep. He feels better in less than 6 hours. Yeah! Everything is back to normal craziness. Except for Michael in Full storm repsonse because of the ice storm. He has worked his day off and Sat. Poor guy. This put a minor kink in my life as I had left many things for the LG Rally unfinished, to be completed by Michael and me on his day off. Hmmmmm..... Someone does not want this rally to happen.... Who could it be? Hmmmmm? Whooooo could it be???? (If you are a child of the eighties you can finish this monologue yourself!)
This morning we are up at the church getting ready for the Life Group Rally and Bailey Rose comes to me and say, "Mom, my tummy doesn't feel so great." Greeeeaaaattt. Boy did I start to work fast. I tell ya, that little gal is a trooper. She cuddled up on the couch at the church with an ice cream bucket in her lap and waited til it was time to leave. Just before we left, Bailey Rose left a "deposit" in the ladies bathroom (In the toilet thank you very much!). When we tried to flush it, nothing happened. It just so happens that the men working on the plumbing (of said church) accidentally broke the water main. The toilet remains unflushed. Ick.
Now we are at home. The Sat service rally went off without a hitch and we have two more on Sunday am. Then the training luncheon and we are home free. Life Groups are always sooooo much more fun after they are up and running. I love that part.
I have to give a shout out to all my girls who came through for us at the last minute. Christy and Michelle- you rock! I could not have done it without you guys! Renee` and Brandi and Kim- I love you so! I have the best pals in the world!
Bailey Rose was fussing for a saltine before she went to sleep tonight. We prayed for a miraculous healing and by golly, I do believe we got it! Thank you Jesus! A call into the DR says to leave well enough alone. Baby Girl is not running a temp nor does she have that weird "Strep Breath" so we are chalkin it up to a bad case of the stomach yuckies. I am off to play Tetris and then..... Goodnight!

Miracle on Elk Bear Street

Really, this is a story of a Miracle. A little background- over Christmas break, my Mom and Sister corner me and say (in front of Bailey Rose), "We think it is time for a hamster!" Grreeeaaat. So, Bailey Rose has some Christmas money and works odd jobs for me and GrandTone and in a matter of a couple of weeks, she has enough money to purchase a cage, bedding and food- TaDa! You buy all that, you get the hamster for free! The random hamster becomes "Buddy" and Bailey Rose is in Love. I must admit, Buddy is very sweet and gentle and never once offers to even nibble. Three days into his life at the Penderosa, Buddy is happily rolling along in his little hamster ball and cruises into the kitchen. Our kitchen floor is tile and apparently the bumps between tile knocked off the lid to the ball. YES!!!! It knocked OFF the lid. Now, Buddy is not the only pet in our home. We have two geriatric cats (they could care less that there is a mouse in the house) and we have an equally geriatric Dauchsund. She, on the other hand, is Very interested in Buddy. And when I say interested I mean that she thinks he would be lovely with a side of brown rice and maybe some ketsup. Anyway, you know how this story goes, right? The dog walks into the kitchen, sees the hamster and........ Michael walks into the kitchen shortly after and sees Buddy, lying on his side, wet with Dauchsund drool and going toward the Light. Michael starts to react with something along the lines of , "OH NO! OH NO!" Now I run to the kitchen and Michael holds BaileyRose off to the side. By this time, Bailey Rose has figured out what all the shouting is about and she starts to cry. I go and pick up the dead hamster and begin looking for the fatal wound.
Holy Hamster! He starts moving his little hamster legs and blinking his little hamster eyes! He is Alive! I tell you what- we immediately prayed for that rodent. Per Bailey Rose's request. If you've never laid hands on a hamster before, it is quite an experience.

After much ado, a night spent in the recovery ward (also known as mine and Michael's bathroom) and some tape on the top of the hamster ball, Buddy is alive and well.

Horrible as this was, it was a great teachable moment on the Love that Michael and I have for Bailey Rose and for the Love that Christ has for us. Bailey Rose felt, first hand, what true love felt like. She glimpsed our love for her and even more importantly, Christ's love for all of us. We pointed out that as much as she loved this little hamster, how much more does Jesus care for us?

Think Christ doesn't work miracles anymore? Folks, come pay us a visit- we have one in a cage!

Saturday at the Penderosa

Ok, I have been tying bows for THREE STRAIGHT HOURS now and my little hands are beggin' for mercy! I plan to finish a big batch tomorrow and then spend the rest of the week focused on the Life Group Rally. We went shopping (Michael and I) this am and left the children with a friend (Thank you sooooo much Christy!). We got almost everything we need for the Rally. I am excited as to how this will look when all is completed. I grabbed a quick nap before Saturday service. I teach the 3/4 yr old class and we are having lots of fun. We studied the story of "King Josiah". Do you know that one? I had not ever heard it! Huh- go figure. I am off to play my customary game of Tetris before bed. Good night all!

I'm Baaacccckkkkk!

Well, I have been soooo delinquent in posting! I am so sorry! (We have had wireless card issues and I am tied to a land line!) Our Christmas season was so wonderful! We traveled to my sister's home in Kansas City, MO. Man! Is it COLD up there! We had a beautiful white Christmas and a too short visit. The great thing about going to Kathryn's house for Christmas is that my Sweet Mother-In-Law and brother-in-law live two hours south of KC. We stopped in, had Christmas eve morning with them and then headed up to see the Bailey side of the fam. While the company was warm, the weather WAS NOT! I was very happy to see the Arkansas state line and temperatures in the double digits!

Everyone is back to school (thank you Lord for public schools!) I have been doing some subbing and keeping busy with my bows. We are also in the process of planning our churches Life Group Rally. This is a big event that happens every 6 mths. We are Life Group Coordinators for our church. The congregation is growing at a Rapid pace and we are scrambling to keep up! The Rally is always big fun but I will be glad when it is over!

I am off to bed! More tommorrow! I promise!