We. Are. Here.

Or, more specifically, here...
















And here....

















And almost always, here...















But, we will be leaving tomorrow for our two-day trip home. We have had an absolutely marvelous time, and I have many many pictures and charming farm tales to share, along with some exciting news. Much has happened these past two weeks!

As always, send some prayers our way!

:)

And We're Off!

And, of course, your prayers would be most appreciated.

We have 2 days of driving ahead of us, hoping to cover the most ground on day 1, so that on the morning of day 2 we're not faced with a mutiny by Little Love.

:)

Also, the weather doesn't seem to want to fully co-operate... that sounds familiar, doesn't it?

No snow this time, thank goodness, but maybe some rain or t-storms.

And since we'll be traveling straight through tornado alley for most of the day?

Yeah.

Super-size us on the prayers, please.


*Don't know what kind of (if any) internet access I will have up there. I think the hardest part for me will be having no ability to keep up with y'all! I'll take lots of pics, and will probably make DH cut and paste a few posts for me... Lucky you. :)

All She Needs...

... for her trip up north, compliments of Little Dear.
















Three books and a heart-patterned bandana.

A girl after my own heart...

:)

*Check back in 10 years, I have a sneaking suspicion she may decide she needs quite a bit more in order to "rough it" on the farm...

My Dream World...

aka... the perks of having younger sisters who blog and find all this cool, fun stuff.

:)

Excerpts...

... from the letter that beckons us north.

Dear Nutmeg,
It was wonderful to hear your voice yesterday. For some reason, despite our distance and infrequent communication, I feel as if we are connected if not daily then at least weekly. Maybe it is through the spiritual realm? The intangible ties of kindred spirits? Whatever it may be, it is always a joy to hear your voice or sit down to a letter.

(...)

You must come up here for a long stay this summer!! The children can run wild and we will putsy about with endless projects. Keep it in mind and start planning...
Love you lots,
C~~

Sounds good to me.

:)

*And you can all be jealous, because I will get to see and visit with these women and their fantastic families during our stay. Very exciting.*

Happy Day

DH is almost finished with our master bathroom...

Go read his post and see the pictures.

VERY awesome to have two working commodes in the house!

:)

Am I the Only One...

... who lovingly picks up her soon-to-be 3yr. old's blankie, and nuzzles it hoping to glean the last little bits of "baby smell"?

And then sigh as it is gently placed in her crib... the days counting down to the time where that too must be disassembled and stored away...


(painful, heart-wrenching groan)


Lord, what are you asking of me?

Some days it's hard to bear.

The many shades...

... of RED.

As in, sunburn.

Yes, we went to the lake today. One more hurrah before we scurry off to points north.

And even though I thought I was being careful in re-applying the sunblock... holey moley.

I never knew that red came in so many colors.


And so, for "dessert" tonight it's:

Aloe, solarcaine, lots of H2O, and advil...

:)

Speaking of Fashion...

Here's the latest, straight from the runway of the Nut-House, bastion of the latest trends...















"Le Hairclip" is just NOT supposed to be worn to hold back one's hair. How utterly gauche. Beware the well-intentioned stranger, who is just not hip enough to understand this new trend. He or she will be instantly educated by the protestations and glares of the fashion diva as she repositions the offending clip.















Understand, this type of clip is worn in lieu of having long flowing locks that frame one's face... Thus enabling the poor soul who is deprived of such luxury, the satisfaction of being able to flip something over her shoulder (or across the church pew, as the case may be).

:)

More on Image

Well, what a great discussion we had a few days ago!

I wanted to add something to the mix, and that is this:

We know that people judge.

Nothing new, right?

So, knowing this, shouldn't we all try to help others down the path to charity?

How?

Well....

should we all dress the same so as not to offend or intimidate?

Absolutely not. That's ridiculous.

I had two things happen to me today that was the fodder for this post. Let me tell you, and then maybe my point will be clear.

I went to Carnival this morning for our weekly shopping trip. As I perused the aisles, bopping along to my mp3 player, I kept crossing paths with a 40-something mexican man. He would shyly smile, I would return the smile and go about my business. Well, in the parking lot, as I unloaded my groceries into the car, he came over and quietly inquired if I was married. (yes, I do wear my wedding rings) I responded with a happy "Yes!" and he shuffled away.*

After lunch, I took Little Boo to her floor hockey class at the local rec center. Sporting my orange crocs, wild hair, tank top and drawstring pants, I walked in with the 4 kids (Action Man was at camp) and looked around to see where the class would be held. A very thin, well-dressed, flawlessly made-up woman was sitting on a bench with her two boys... staring at me. In a friendly voice I asked her if this gym was where the floor hockey class would be. Looking down her nose, eyes boring into mine, she nodded curtly...

I have never been put off so utterly by anyone since high school. Yes, she spoke English, just to be clear. I was hoping she didn't, just to give her an excuse... but, alas.

And so. What is the lesson?

A little smile doesn't hurt. A little chit chat, would it kill a person? Yes, I am shy. So, if I can overcome my shyness and say something inane to break the ice (or get a marriage proposal... heh heh*) I would think most anyone could.

So, I tried it. I tried it at the next grocery store, the library book sale, and the pool later that afternoon. (I'm exhausted, by the way... what a day we had) Making small talk with other customers, the volunteers at the book sale, the other moms and the lifeguard at the pool.

All were friendly, and open to chat. No-one seemed to be in any mood to judge. No-one snubbed me, everyone smiled.

Maybe it's the South. I am totally ready to believe that.

Or maybe a little friendliness goes a long way.

Thoughts?

Go see what others are saying about this topic.



*btw, that has never happened to me before. I was a bit freaked out, but he was so shy and humble about it, not leering at all, that I wasn't freaked out for too long...

Worth it?

That was the question I put to Action Man after this mishap yesterday...

Seems he was dared to jump the bike ramp of his friend down the street, in exchange for a much-coveted B.B. gun.




















And this was the result of his third try, after his success on the first two tries. (yeah, not quite sure why he didn't quit while he was ahead...)





















Quite a few battle-scars, but a big smile and one proud boy.

:)

(And the "stores" are temporarily out of ammo. For the foreseeable future anyway.)

Lookin' Good?

Hey now, wake up.
And lose the make-up.

-BNL, "Down to Earth"

Very strange thoughts running through my brain these days. Most of them are not blogworthy, (heck maybe all of them aren't!) but this train of thought has been circling my brain and it's time to put it out there and let it rest.

I've been thinking about how society is obsessed with outer appearances.

And I worry about our own tendencies to buy into that.

Do you think it is "normal" to be concerned about your appearance... to a certain extent? Do you think that the holier the person, the less they care? Do you think that moms who dress trendy should grow up, and give it up?

Does this type of stuff even cross your radar?

Personally, I think it's an unhealthy obsession. I think society places way too much emphasis on how a person looks, and what kind of clothes they wear, and how flawless their complexion is.... and yet, our entire capitalist system is based on this!

Can you even envision what would happen if people stopped buying the trendiest clothes and just "made do"? Or left the make-up at home and went au natural? What would happen to all of those department stores, bent on convincing us that we absolutely need more products in order to be happy with ourselves?

Interesting to think about.

Incidentally, I'm of the mindset that moderation is the key... yes, once again with the moderation. We are fallen creatures, and a little make-up makes me feel (and look) more human. A new shirt is a welcome pick-me-up, I will admit. But for me, that new shirt does not have to come from Saks... the thrift store down the street will do just fine.

And what about holiness? Are holier people less concerned about the things of this world? It would necessarily seem to be so. And this is one of many places where I am out of my league....

So, all you holy people, share some of your wisdom with me.

:)

8 Random Facts Meme

The veracious* Margaret has tagged me for this meme. As if I don't report enough useless nonsense around here...

:)


“For this meme, each player lists 8 facts/habits about themselves. The rules of the game are posted at the beginning before those facts/habits are listed. At the end of the post, the player then tags 8 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know that they have been tagged and asking them to read your blog.”



* I just found, in our front closet, one of our carry-on bags from our last trip. As yet, unopened. Hmmm. Maybe I should just chuck the whole thing in the garbage and call it good.

*I love to chat on the phone. I can easily do an hour of yakking. (Right Matilda?) (watch out, Margaret.... I'll indoctrinate you yet!)

* In sixth grade, I won the spelling bee for three school districts. Misspelled words are a huge pet peeve of mine. People misspell my first and last names all. the. time. God has a sense of humor.

* I love to read. I must have a book going at all times. And I must be in the mood for that particular genre or it's no good.

* In a group setting, I am extremely shy. Extremely. I'm working on this. One-on-one? I'll chat your ear off.

* I've lived in (upstate) NY, California, Vancouver (Canada) and Texas. Three are beautiful places to live. Why am I still here? The people. Darn it though, these southerners are something else.

* Sports Fan and Little Dear are "Irish twins". They are exactly the same age for two weeks, much to Little Dear's delight, and Sports Fan's dismay.

* There is a huge box of hockey vhs tapes under our computer desk, waiting to be converted to DVD. DH's project. Along with the bathroom and many other tasks. Maybe I should move the tapes... eh?


And now for 8 people to tag:

Portia, Sephora, ALVY (hello?!?), Mrs. Bear, Teresa, Simcha, Michelle H, Suzanne D.

Have fun, folks!

:)

*as in, perpetually seeking truth. NOT "voracious" as in, craving or consuming large quantities of food. Just to be clear.

Texas Evening

Hoping it's not a wall cloud....

















Glorious reprieve...















(photo taken courtesy of Action Man)

New Milestone Reached

When you receive a box from your parents that is not padded with "stinky diaper" bags (aka newspaper bags)....

And you realize that you don't need them anymore.


*note to parents: we don't need those infernal styrofoam peanuts either.


:)

Present for Nutmeg (future reference category)

Came across these last night:

Beautiful, eclectic..... aprons.

Yes, you read that right.... A-P-R-O-N-S.

As you've probably already guessed, I am severely apron-deprived. Most of this is by choice. As in, I choose to get my wardrobe covered in flour, egg mush and roast pork spittings on a weekly basis.

I do own an apron. It is currently covered in midnight blue paint since I used it to cover my clothes while painting the master bedroom with DH a few years ago.

Doesn't everyone use their aprons as painting shirts?

Oh, and I also use it when I'm giving haircuts.

Anyway, I think I need an upgrade for my cooking endeavors.

Check these out, specifically.

*And why is it that most of these are described as flirty as well as eclectic.... is that saying something about me? Hope not!

:)

We Must Be Holy or Somethin'

We have been asked by two wonderful couples to be the god-parents of their precious little treasures. Here we are at the baptism of the first little one:





























And so little Quentin Steven John has joined the communion of saints here on earth. I got to hold him throughout the reception whilst my poor DH had to run ragged after our own kiddos... it's been a long time since I could use the "but I'm holding the baby!" excuse....

:)

The next little bundle is due at the end of June. How exciting!

Greatness

Wednesday's gospel reading was about the two brothers, James and John, who approach Our Lord and ask Him to bestow on them the honor of sitting on His right and His left when He comes into His glory.

When told that they would have to endure what Jesus would endure, (Drink the chalice) the two men readily agreed to it.

As a youth, especially a teenager, I would always become annoyed at these two brothers. Much like their fellow disciples, I would regard their sentiments with ridicule, as mere selfishness and utter absurdity that they thought they could undertake the kind of suffering that Christ endured. And all for what? Glory. Fame. Recognition.

Bah.

It wasn't until I started to read Magnificat that this gospel reading took on a whole new meaning for me. Sometime in the last 6 months or so (I wish I had kept it!) there was a beautiful reflection on this gospel that introduced to me the virtue of magnanimity.

Magnanimity is simply defined as a greatness of soul.

(from the Latin; magna-great; and animus-soul... sorry couldn't help it)

This greatness of soul comes about when the Holy Spirit inspires us to do wondrous things. To take on what seems to be impossible and to do it with a resounding yes. It's what moves us to accept more children into our already over-flowing homes. To make a meal for someone else even though our calendars are jam-packed with sporting events. To listen for the thousandth time to what Smee said when Captain Hook gave orders to his crew.

I used to think that my desire to help my fellow-mom was borne from a place of selfish pride, a "look what I can do, aren't I great?" type of attitude. While there may still be some of that in there, I am so happy to learn that this can actually be cultivated into a virtue. And those wonderful women I know and am proud to call my friends, have this virtue in abundance. It makes my heart sing to realize that this sentiment of eagerness to help is actually a greatness of soul.

And while I know I still have a long way to go, it has made my heart lighter to allow my soul to expand.

:)