Stir.Crazy.

We haven't left the house since Saturday evening....

Mostly due to snow and cold....

And I am realizing that we all handle it a little differently....

Parker handles it by whining and asking approximately every 30 seconds, "Can I go outside?"

So it shouldn't surprise me when he woke up this morning and ran straight for the front door and asked, "Can I go outside? I don't need to eat breakfast. I am still SOOOO full from supper last night."

Ha. Yeah right. Anyway, I bundled him up and let him go out....And for the record. He went outside 5 different times today. Trust me.....that is a lot of bundling up to do 5 times....but the 20 minutes he is outside is so peaceful.

Owen handles it by climbing on EVERYTHING!!!! In the dryer....In the kitchen cupboards....On chairs....upanddownandupanddownandupanddownandupanddown the stairs....you get the idea.

Ha. Doesn't he look so pleased with himself in this last picture.

I handle it by tiling the kitchen backsplash....and eating lots of candy....and drinking lots of tea.

I am not done with the tile....I still need to grout it.

And poor Sean handles it by getting up at 4 a.m. to move snow. Sorry, no photograph for this one. I DO NOT, under any circumstances, get up at 4 a.m. especially to photograph this :).

Don't get me wrong, I am loving the snow....I am just getting a little nervous about the 12 inches forecasted for tomorrow.....

How do you cope with being stuck inside?

No.

No. It is a word I say millions of times everyday. I don't believe that is an exaggeration.

There are millions of toys on our house that are safe for Owen to play with. I don't believe that is an exaggeration.

I have millions of places for Owen to crawl and pull up and walk around that are safe. That IS an exaggeration....but there are MANY places for him to play safely.

So why.....oh, why....does Owen choose to play and crawl and pull up and walk around things that are the most dangerous.?

I lovingly redirect him to the millions of other toys and MANY other places that would be safer and he cries. He wants the one single dangerous thing he can't have....

So in a weak, tired moment, I decide to let Owen have his way....I let him get the dangerous thing or pull up on a cupboard and he slams his fingers in the door....and what does he do?!?!? He comes crawling to me screaming in tears because he got hurt and now it is my job to comfort him.

The scenario is all too familiar....

Instead of focusing on the millions of things I have, I become fixated on the one thing I can't have.

So the Lord lovingly redirects me to one of the MANY wonderful, safe and nice things He has provided and I sit and cry because I can't have or do the ONE thing I want....

Then I fail to realize that God is trying to protect me and is redirecting me out of love and genuine concern for my well-being...and out of rebellion I do, or go and get, the one thing He says "No" to.

Then I get hurt and scream and cry and crawl back to the Lord and it is His job to comfort me.

Oh, Lord....forgive me.....

"The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him."

Psalm 103:8-13

Farming.

Me: "Parker do you want to be a farmer when you grow up?"

Parker: "No mom. I already am a farmer."

Where has my baby gone?

Steady.

Balance.

Hold on.

Wahooo!!! I did it!

I have been dying to see what is in this drawer for months!

That is it. Owen is no longer allowed to grow up any more. Where has my baby gone? He is pulling up on everything, getting into cupboards, climbing the stairs, and still only has one tooth. I just call him snaggletooth.....but he will, under no circumstances, be allowed to grow up any more!!!!

30 years ago today...

30 years ago today my mom was probably listening to Gloria Gaynor sing, "I will Survive" on her Sony Walkman that cost $200.00 as she labored with my sister Katie....and on the way to the hospital my dad probably filled up with gas for 86 cents per gallon....and upon arriving at the hospital read in the paper that "YMCA sues the Village People for libel" and "President Jimmy Carter outraged that 63 Americans were taken hostage in the American Embassy in Tehran" and "The Sahara Desert experiences snow for 30 minutes" and if a DVR would have been invented back then they would have been DVRing "Happy Days" and "Three's Company".

Just kidding. I have no idea what they were doing....but I do know that these things were happening in 1979....and on October 6th 1979 my sister Katie was born....so the laboring part and going to the hospital were true....the Sony Walkman probably not so much, I doubt they would have spent that much on a walkman.....anyway....there is a point to this story.....

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of my sister Katie's birth I had a surprise party! It was fun to surprise her, look at funny pictures of her big hair and share stories and memories....oh, and give her this season's latest jean jumper....I mean, how can she homeschool without a trendy jean jumper!??!?!? hahahahhahha....a good time was had by all....

(These pictures are for you Jen!)

Surprise!

She really was really surprised....really!

Rachel and Jan laughing at the homemade bday card!

Katie showing off her new jean jumper....sooooo HOT this season.

The whole group...and sweet baby Silas who got so scared several times because we were all laughing so hard!

Oh...what is that??? You can't imagine Katie with big hair....well, here is a picture...I am sure she won't mind if I show ya.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

It is finally soup weather and I love soup! It is easy to make and fills up my boys! I am always looking for new good soup recipes...so I thought maybe if I would share one you could share one with me :).....

This is what I made for supper tonight and it was sooooooooo good.....I can't wait to eat it again tomorrow for lunch.

Chicken Tortilla Soup

1 Rotisserie Chicken cut in small pieces

1 can of red enchilada sauce

1 bag of frozen corn

4 cans of chicken broth

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 can of diced green chiles

1 can northern beans

Directions: Dump everything together, heat and eat! Sometimes I cut up tortillas and put them in it and that makes it really good too. I always put 2 cans of northern beans in it because that is Parker's favorite part. I love to eat it with tortilla chips too. Sometimes if I want to make it more mild (kid friendly) I rinse the green chiles or only put half the can in.

You will have to try it and let me know if you like it....but don't forget that you need to give me one of your soup recipes and if you don't....well....I guess you are just being selfish.

I would have had a picture of the soup to make the post more interesting, but in between bible study this morning, story hour this afternoon, laundry and Awana at church tonight you are lucky I even got the recipe posted, let alone a picture.

You will just have to enjoy these pictures I have been wanting to post of my happy boys....who love this soup.

Peace.

Coupon Rage

I am not a coupon clipper. I know, I know....people save tons of money clipping coupons. It just isn't my thing. But when I see a really good coupon....as in more than $2.00 of of something I actually use...I may, in a weak moment, clip it. Then it sits in my wallet and without fail, the day I go to use the coupon it is always 1 day expired. Seriously...are you kidding me!

So I cleaned my wallet out this morning after paying bills and discovered a $7.00 off coupon! WOW! Now a $7.00 coupon is worth clipping.....my heart raced with excitement as I feverishly searched for the expiration date....and it said "Use before September 30th"....I quickly looked at my calendar (since I have no idea what day, month or sometimes year it is) and it said the 28th! Boooooooyahhhhhhhhh!

I made my grocery list with excitement...I couldn't wait to use my coupon....I walked into Wal*Mart with a bounce in my step and filled my cart. As I walked to the checkout my heart swelled with hope in the fact that I had clipped a coupon, a $7.00 coupon that was not expired, and was about to successfully use it!

Mrs. Coupon File Fanatic, behind me strikes up a conversation as she sorts through her, I kid you not, HUGE File Folder of coupons....yeah, pretty impressive and intimidating to a coupon virgin.

The cashier says "$455.32 please" (well, maybe that is an exaggeration, but who can get out of Wal*Mart anymore without spending $150!?!?!??!....seriously) I say, "Oh, I have a coupon to use".

Dead give away that I am a coupon virgin.....You don't tell the cashier you have a coupon, you just simply hand her the coupon.....or coupons if you are Mrs. Coupon File Fanatic...I digress....

The cashier takes my coupon and I refrain from screaming in excitement....I mean, even though I spent $150...I saved $7.00....yeah.....take that Wal*Mart!!!

I get home....put my stuff away and decide to look at the receipt just for the pleasure of seeing the - $7.00 at the bottom....only to find that the cashier didn't scan the coupon....yeah, nowhere on the receipt is there a - $7.00.

Are.You.Kidding.Me.

My heart sinks. Anger, frustration and rage begin to well up and I decide not to succumb to coupon rage....I crank up some worship music, thank God that I remembered to buy a candy bar and vow to NEVER clip another coupon in my life. In fact, I may start a new support group for people like me who have coupon rage....Would you join?

Pumpkin Patch 2009

Oh....what's that...You wish you could've gone with us???

Well, it's your lucky day because by the end of this post you will feel like you did!

Hannah's classic "picture smile" and Bekah & Parker being...ummm...3....

Jump....jump....jump

"Owen, can you believe they woke us up from our naps to come here!!?!?"

"Yeah...seriously Sophia....this isn't that fun....the zoo was way more fun."

Owen loves to snuggle his Aunt Annie!

Owen would have ridden on this horse with Parker all day....he loves his Parker!

Praying to God for patience.....or something like that....

while waiting for the hayrack to come and take us to pick our pumpkins.

Putting on a real show for the 13 year-old girls who were waiting for the hayrack too. They asked the kids where they were from...Hannah replies, "Hastings, Nebraska" and then Parker says, "Um, mommy...where am I from?" Good question Parker.....it is something I wonder everyday!

So happy to finally be on the hayrack!

Parker's main purpose in life right now is to make Hannah laugh.....Mission accomplished!

Rebekah asked me approximately 314 times if her face paint wiped off...sooooo worried....I even had to take a picture to prove to her that it was still on!

"Jessie, is my face paint still on?"

"Yes, Rebekah...you still look like Toto."

(As in Toto the dog from the Wizard of Oz. Her latest obsession)

Growing up so fast! Look at these big kids!

"Um...I think this is the biggest one ever..."

You know Katie and Ann.....they are so wild and crazy.

They forced me to jump on this big trampoline thing....

Should have jumped with our legs crossed :)! Ha!

So fun to have Ann home this week!

Princess Sophia....not real sure about the corn.....

The whole gang.

"Whatever Sophia....I am gonna crawl in this corn...it is not gross."

And a nice bath to wash off all the fun....

Dear Teeth...

Dear Teeth,

Please hurry up and finish coming in so my mommy can get a few hours of sleep at night. I think it is fun to stay up all night saying, "dadadadadadadadaaaaaaa" but mommy said it is making her a little crazy.

Love, Owen

P.S. Thanks for coming in.....there is nothing sweeter than stealing Parker's breakfast when he isn't looking!!!

(Look closely on the top and you can see the tooth poking through!)

Obsession....

Owen has a new obsession.....pulling himself up....on...everything! The problem is that he doesn't know how to sit down once he is up and usually ends of falling. Hard.

This morning when I laid him down for his nap I had to go in there 3 times to lay him down from the standing up position.

I am happy that he is learning how to do this.....but cannot leave him alone for a split second.

Parker thinks it is great and loves to "comfort" him when he falls.