tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-336167652024-03-13T16:59:32.283-05:00Adventures of Supermommy and Flying BabyLife isn't always perfect, but you can always hope for the best.mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-38578475777283890722009-11-06T19:43:00.002-05:002009-11-06T20:21:58.921-05:00Cooking ClubI really love to cook. And this wasn't the case a few short months ago. For some reason, I had lost my joy for cooking, and it became a chore that I really didn't like to do. So much work, and with having two children, one 3 1/2 and the other 12 months, I felt like I didn't have any time. But now, I have a rekindled love for cooking. I've tried so many new recipes the past few months, and I always make a double batch of most meals. It's just so much easier to do (make a double batch), and then you already have a ready-made meal waiting for you in the freezer. Right now, I have about a dozen turkey and bean chimichangas, 4 gourmet enchilada dishes, 6 cups of homemade chipotle roasted tomato sauce, 5 batches of sweet chicken tostada filling, and a potato-crusted chicken casserole. Tonight, I cooked up 4 pounds of dried beans, which is the equivalent to 12 15 ounce cans of beans. I'll be contributing these beans to a recipe that our Cooking Club has selected, Pasta Fagioli Casserole. Yes, tomorrow is the beginning of our Cooking Club. Myself and 4 other moms from my mom's group, PATH (Parents At Home), are getting together for fun and fixing. We'll each be preparing a dish 5 times so that each can take home to freeze and enjoy later. I am fixing Chicken Florentine Casserole x5, and the others are fixing Pasta Fagioli Casserole (like I already wrote)x5, Mango-Cranberry Chicken x5, Turkey Meatloaf with Rosemary-Cranberry Sauce Glaze x5, and Pork Loin Ragout x5. This has been 5 weeks in the making, due to our busy mommy schedules, and now it's time. Tomorrow I have to go out and buy all the produce for the meals. And then when we all get together, we'll divide our grocery bills into 5 so that we'll pay each other back. And then it's time for prepping. We'll be prepping the meals up to the point that we cook them so that we won't have to wait for meals to cool before we package them up. We could be at Lisa's house all night if we cooked everything! So, we'll be sealing up everything into freezer bags, labeling them, and be on our merry ways with 5 meals each for our families. This is going to be so much fun! And I hope that this club will continue. It'll be like our very own Let's Dish. Oh, how I love Let's Dish. And hopefully we can expand and fix two meals each instead of just one. But one is good to start with. We're still working out all the kinks.mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-91681053892016306582009-08-06T17:56:00.004-05:002009-08-06T18:13:58.531-05:00God's Green EarthOne of my favorite aspects of summer (and perhaps the only) is the abundance of fresh fruits and veggies that are available to eat and enjoy. Just today, I ate an organic purple heirloom tomato on my turkey and cheddar sandwich, tender green beans that I steamed to perfection, and sweet, white corn dripping with butter and a little salt. It makes me salivate just thinking about it! This year, as you may have read previously in a different post, I tried my hands at my own vegetable growing. And much to my delight, IT WORKED, and it worked BEAUTIFULLY! Here are a couple pictures of my beauties that I started from seed. <br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Me771ihMxaCNRL7NBf7frSQHJ6B7gAZ7VWNNn9yUAXXsoYfxYIZZq6nZSsknX_hvz8nR_dbCjIbzTNyKx0gSrPRvwVSSMZ6nV1CR_w6UPmQXRSfLPa411wO9lz3I6EnTBK2s/s1600-h/IMG_2542.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9Me771ihMxaCNRL7NBf7frSQHJ6B7gAZ7VWNNn9yUAXXsoYfxYIZZq6nZSsknX_hvz8nR_dbCjIbzTNyKx0gSrPRvwVSSMZ6nV1CR_w6UPmQXRSfLPa411wO9lz3I6EnTBK2s/s400/IMG_2542.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366991139095397938" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Jzc6xH2O7FFbSrip80bQHBhs23LSDz6LbM-mtWMTX6LxD7nnvg0eZJt-MyoX7n1cDRZMQ0iyC-JwLAVfTJABJC1WFdelYVkzFjWz0E3cd_CciOU8hmUMg2z1gjVTxb30wZUx/s1600-h/IMG_2541.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4Jzc6xH2O7FFbSrip80bQHBhs23LSDz6LbM-mtWMTX6LxD7nnvg0eZJt-MyoX7n1cDRZMQ0iyC-JwLAVfTJABJC1WFdelYVkzFjWz0E3cd_CciOU8hmUMg2z1gjVTxb30wZUx/s400/IMG_2541.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5366991136827197122" /></a><br /><br />Amidst all this glorious gardening success, I'm having trouble fathoming eating my hard work. I guess I just don't want it to go away. So, here is my post. A tribute to God's green Earth, and the wonderful vegetables that He helped me grow. Because, I can't hold out any longer! Mmmm, these veggies are good!mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-90506915567893187062009-07-10T08:54:00.002-05:002009-07-10T09:06:46.922-05:00Way to go, Baltimore!Check out this website, <a href="http://baltimoregreenworks.com/events/sustainable-speaker-series/">Baltimore Green Works</a>. This is so incredibly AWESOME! And then check out some information about <a href="http://baltimoreurbanfarming.blogspot.com/2009/06/great-kids-farm.html">Great Kids Farm</a>. I'm speechless. I don't know what to say! I hope that this catches on, and people realize that they don't have to settle for processed foods and expensive produce at the grocery store. And that schools can give kids healthier food options to eat in their cafeterias. Way to go, Baltimore Green Works and Great Kids Farm! Way to go!mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-81600643818947847372009-06-15T08:57:00.002-05:002009-06-15T09:43:12.068-05:00Come On People, JUST DO IT! 2A few posts ago, I expressed my thoughts about recycling and how important it is to me. Well, I'm going to discuss washing and reusing items this time. Reusing plastic zip-top bags in particular. What got me started on washing plastic bags and reusing them was when the <a href="http://www.greenbags.com">Debbie Meyer Green Bags</a> were given to me as a gift. I LOVE THESE BAGS! And YES, they really DO work. I've preserved many a piece of fruit or vegetable with them. And they help keep everything nice, fresh, and plump. You can rinse and reuse each bag up to 8 times. Something to do with their effectiveness of squashing the gases that rot food. <br /><br />In addition to rinsing the green bags, I decided that I needed to step it up a notch and wash with soap and rinse the plastic zip-top bags that we use everyday and tend to throw away without thinking. Think about it, you throw the plastic baggie away inside a plastic trash bag, and NEITHER of those decompose at a fast rate. So, it's just filler in those ever growing landfills. Just take a look at <a href="http://www.oprah.com/article/omagazine/200802_omag_eco_recycle">these facts</a> on Oprah.com. Shocking, huh? Makes you think twice about that bag that you just threw away. So, all you have to do is be diligent about rinsing them out and letting them dry. Now, diligent is the key word here my friends. So you don't want to be like I have been by just letting the bags pile up on the counter because I was too lazy to wash them as soon as I was finished. So, if you're going to give these green bags a try or washing zip-top bags, get yourself a <a href="http://www.munchkin.com/products/detail.php?pID=287">Munchkin bottle drying rack</a> or a <a href="http://www.gaiam.com/product/gift-guide/affordable-gifts/25-or-less/countertop+bag+dryer.do">plastic bag drying rack</a> and go to town. Wash the bags out (the green bags only require water, no soap), give them a good shake like you're fluffing a trash bag, and hang them up. You'll be surprised how easy it is to form the habit of washing and rinsing bags out. And it won't seem like such a chore if you do a little at a time. And you'll be saving money too! And you know we all need to save money right now.mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-59053865966862443212009-06-13T12:18:00.002-05:002009-06-13T13:20:18.099-05:00Ode to the Kitchen TelevisionI've been waiting for this day since we heard of the digital TV switch. The television in the kitchen has always been a sort of eye sore to me, but it was nice to be able to zone out on the TV while doing dishes or simmering a pot of tomato sauce. Needless to say, I have wanted it gone for awhile. It was just taking up so much space on my counter top. Made everything on that side seem so closed in and claustrophobic. It was just this big, ugly robot-like machine that just needed to go! And FINALLY it's gone! And I am so happy. Now I can enjoy more space for chopping, mixing, and prepping the delicious meals that I cook. Maybe it will even motivate me to stick better to my points (Weight Watchers term). And maybe it will help excite me to cook meals after all our Let's Dish meals are gone (Food Stamps doesn't pay for Let's Dish, bummer!). So, it's a new day in the Cook Kitchen. Well, at least until the day comes that a small appliance finds it's home on that new found counter space. I'm going to try to avoid doing that as along as possible. Praise to the digital TV switch!mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-11211918064059843252009-05-14T07:19:00.003-05:002009-05-14T07:48:05.499-05:00Come on people! JUST DO IT!If you know me, you may know that I feel that it is VERY important to recycle. Paper, plastic, glass, aluminum. Everything! It's not hard. Yes, it may take some effort, but to know that my stuff isn't going in the landfill makes me feel good. It makes me feel like I'm doing my part to save our planet and make it a more healthy place to live. And you know what really drives me up a wall? To see people just being plain LAZY about it and NOT DOING IT! It's like when people smoke cigarettes. They say, "oh, I'm alright. I won't get cancer. It won't happen to ME". Same goes with recycling! People who don't recycle may think, "eh, it's no big deal. Just a little extra trash in our landfill won't be such a big deal". Well, you know what? IT IS A BIG DEAL! Just because you might have to keep, for example, paper for two weeks because they only pick it up every other week DOES NOT mean that it's too hard to do so just forget about it. NO! You have to change your routine (Ooo, scary, huh?), and that goes for people who don't have trash pick-up service, and start freaking caring about our environment and STOP THROWING RECYCLABLE TRASH IN YOUR GARBAGE! Today is trash pick-up day in our neighborhood, and you wouldn't believe (or maybe you would) how much cardboard and paper products are sitting, waiting to be put out with the garbage in our growing landfills. AMAZING! And there are so many times that I just want to go and pick up all those recyclables, but then my home would be over flowing with it and my husband would probably go crazy. SO, it's GOT to be up to EVERY person to do their part. EVERY PERSON! PLEASE! Please don't throw out a cardboard box. Give it to your child to play in, or fill that cardboard box with empty envelopes from your mail or other paper products that you call "trash" and then put it out with RECYCLING. Please don't throw out that plastic milk jug. Make it a bird feeder or just crush it and put it out with your RECYCLING. Please don't throw out that glass jar. Make it a flower vase, or terrarium, or paintbrush holder, or throw it in your RECYCLING bin and set it out to be recycled. Please don't throw out your aluminum cans. Make them into luminaries or tie them to a newly married couple's car, or put them out with your plastic milk jugs and glass jars and any other recyclable container, and DO YOUR PART TO HELP KEEP OUR EARTH CLEAN AND FREE OF WASTE. Come on people! JUST DO IT!mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-26883486756177035582009-05-12T18:07:00.002-05:002009-05-12T18:27:51.450-05:00Mother's DaySo I had a really nice Mother's Day. How about you? Even though it's a Hallmark holiday, it still seems to be important, and we still celebrate. My husband pretty much gave me the day off. It was really nice. I nursed the baby at 6:30 that morning, and then, after baby was done, my husband took him, shut the bedroom door, and let me sleep. Ahhh, sleep. Glorious sleep! How I love to sleep. And sleep in. . .in the morning. I thought that I'd sleep for another hour or so, but no, I slept until 10AM! I guess I was pretty tired. And when I woke up, baby was napping, which meant that hubby successfully put him down for a nap, which sometimes is hard to do. I had made a grocery list the night before, so hubby took our almost 3 year old with him, and I got a lovely morning to myself. Time to eat breakfast in peace. Time to not have to worry about fixing something else for someone else, or changing a diaper. Time for quiet. Time to myself. Time to watch the Today Show (despite their bland interviews). Time to work on my knitting project. Time to be just me. Not a mom. Not a wife. Just me. How refreshing! Plus, it's so amazing how having one day off can really make you appreciate what you have in your kids and your family. I can get so tired of it all, and then when I have a day off and not have to worry about it. I am revived. I am a new mom and wife. Not so tired and not so cranky. I think we should have Mother's Day Off Day once a week. What do you think?mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-59285973427029004462009-03-26T20:26:00.002-05:002009-03-26T20:42:45.424-05:00Mary, Mary Quite Contrary, How Does Your Garden Grow?This weekend I've decided to try my hand at starting seeds and growing my own garden with a few vegetables that I really enjoy. I've even asked my dad if he'd help me build a raised garden bed in a portion of my backyard. I figure, less for hubby to mow, and a great teaching and learning experience for myself and my almost 3 year old. Maybe this would even excite him to eat some vegetables, in addition to digging in the dirt! So, this weekend, we are going to start marigold seeds, zinnia seeds, tomato seeds, mixed colored sweet bell peppers seeds, and butternut squash. I've been wanting to do this for a while, but just haven't put out the effort. I'm feeling really motivated about starting my own seedlings because I see my front garden that was planted last season, and new leaves are blooming, and new branches are forming. It's so exciting to see the fruits of my labor. I figure, why not try something new and see if my green thumb is really a green thumb. A friend of mine over at <a href="http://gosduck.wordpress.com">Wishful Thinking</a> starts her beautiful and plentiful garden from seeds every year, and I've always been impressed and amazed. Last year, for my birthday, my parents gave me an <a href="http://www.earthbox.com">EarthBox</a>, and I grew some yummy tomatoes. This year, I'm going to try growing something else in the Earthbox, and try the hanging tomato planter. I've heard that it's the best way for tomatoes. Maybe I'll try growing corn in the Earthbox this year. That would be fun! I'll definitely be posting some great pictures of us and our gardening journey. So, make sure you check back and see if my efforts have paid off!mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-72803600954405118992009-02-27T21:20:00.002-05:002009-02-27T21:32:57.351-05:00Eat Your Vegetables!I think I've blogged about this before, but the issue has come up again. Why is it so darn hard to get my child to eat vegetables?! We've tried EVERYTHING (in our mind)! It's so frustrating because I think he eats too many carbohydrates. I mean, this morning he ate multi-grain cherrios and milk. For breakfast, he ate fruit and chicken nuggets from Chick-Fil-A. And for dinner, there was mac-n-cheese, a roll, which we took away until he ate his veggies, and sugar snap peas. Two bites of veggies and then he could have the roll. Two bites! That's all we asked! We tried force feeding him. We tried saying that he couldn't have the roll until he ate the veggies. And we tried saying that he could get down from the table. All those rolled into one big fight. Why are two year olds so freaking stubborn!!? Ahhhh! And then when I saw tears coming and screaming, "I don't want to eaaat," guilt set in, and it was so hard not to cave. He clearly wasn't going to eat his veggies. It had been almost an hour, and dinner quickly went sour. I guess this is a lesson in parenthood. To be patient with your children, and set the best example as you can. To eat your veggies, and perhaps, one day your child will follow your lead. I can only hope that my 4 month old child will eat vegetables. I sure as hell am going to make sure he gets those BEFORE he gets fruit baby food. Maybe when James sees Jesse eating his veggies, he'll think he can eat them too. I remain hopeful.mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-41324503079147021662009-02-05T20:02:00.002-05:002009-02-05T20:06:17.823-05:00"I love Jesus, but I drink a little!"A friend on Facebook posted this on his wall, and I thought it was soooo funny! Hope you have a great laugh!<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/83JDXXKzOXg&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/83JDXXKzOXg&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-19469751611702092222009-01-28T00:00:00.002-05:002009-01-28T00:13:21.048-05:0010 Years!There's this funny thing called Facebook. I'm not sure who is the genious that created this fun and addicting website, but I've been on it for only a few days, and I can't seem to stop. It's now 12am, and I'm still up. This is not normal. I need to go to bed! I keep telling myself to stop, but I can't. It's funny, I'll write something on someone's wall or friend someone, and then I'll go to my email. And usually I get an email saying that someone has responded. Then I'll go back to my Facebook page and read my wall. It's this crazy cycle that's really sucking me in. Who knew that this website could bring together so many people! I've got back in contact with some high school friends, and even one from middle school! Craziness! The sad part is that I've missed so much of their lives. I mean, it's been 10 years since I've talked with some of these people. Some have moved. So have gotten married. Some have been to grad school. Some have children that I don't even know their names. And to think that they're actually desiring to respond to my messages after being awol for 10 years?! Perhaps they miss contact with their old high school or college pals just like I do. This Facebook stuff is just so great! I hope that something can become of it all. That maybe the little group of friends that I was involved with will get back together for a little reunion. We will see. We will see.mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-84898206594709173412009-01-16T17:20:00.005-05:002009-01-16T18:54:18.504-05:00A Play About Mommy MilkSetting: In our humble living room on the purplish lazy boy recliner<br /><br />As Mommy was getting up from the recliner after nursing Jesse, she asks James if he would like to hold his baby brother Jesse. <br /><br />Mommy: Would you like to hold your brother, James?<br /><br />James: Hold'ee baby bruhder. <br /><br />James climbs over the arm of the chair into the seat and happily sits down. Looking up at mommy with arms held out, he sits there, waiting. Jesse is placed in his lap, head supported by the arm of the chair. Soon, James has something very profound to say. . .<br /><br />James: Want to feed Jesse mommy milk.<br /><br />James lifts up his shirt. <br /><br />Mommy: You want to feed Jesse mommy milk? Where is the mommy milk?<br /><br />James: Wight where! Wight where!<br /><br />As James points to his chest like he has the mommy milk, Mommy smiles and rushes to capture this moment on camera. <br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGSVi8g5LnIrAmAYWisKckboHw7-HRdMUpQTp0DyK2iglUCM-fGYxHtwi2kIxBblUpElZZjRJ-Wb0A0tkNekOR6u2pchJ2QJ3I0EH0bCvJmJ1KYMhr1BAQuOR_FVxjV0OLjWG/s1600-h/IMG_1991.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGSVi8g5LnIrAmAYWisKckboHw7-HRdMUpQTp0DyK2iglUCM-fGYxHtwi2kIxBblUpElZZjRJ-Wb0A0tkNekOR6u2pchJ2QJ3I0EH0bCvJmJ1KYMhr1BAQuOR_FVxjV0OLjWG/s400/IMG_1991.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5292043973966009538" /></a><br /><br />The Endmommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-74562597439672517762008-12-30T18:47:00.002-05:002008-12-30T18:59:47.536-05:00How Many Little People Animals Can Fit On A Stool?<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_KwYwAdMPoPt_Lz1iapt0G6V5-W2uAT4l6JfX1PgiV8Wx747o3w4PLzFeMxS0PXagrkyaYaC-KvScgmDGAbSY2Bt_WQumA2-cHzI8jKANotCyCNnAdHkihMmHzDaH7bcG3pk/s1600-h/IMG_1960.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB_KwYwAdMPoPt_Lz1iapt0G6V5-W2uAT4l6JfX1PgiV8Wx747o3w4PLzFeMxS0PXagrkyaYaC-KvScgmDGAbSY2Bt_WQumA2-cHzI8jKANotCyCNnAdHkihMmHzDaH7bcG3pk/s400/IMG_1960.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5285734319652575090" /></a><br /><br />Today was clean up the playroom day! My husband took the time, while I was at the gym and nursing our youngest, to organize the playroom and weed out a bunch of toys to make room for new ones received at Christmas. I am reluctant, though, that everything will stay in their places and not get mixed up. The reason is that it's hard to keep the house in order all the time. I can see the bins that we have selected won't stay the way they are now. Of course, it's good to instill responsibility in a child that he or she must clean up their room or playroom before receiving a treat or before nap time or bedtime. So, my oldest son's wonderful contribution to all this was taking all the animals, minus about 4, and putting them on a stool I have in the kitchen. There were so many on the stool that they were almost falling off. He even decided to start stacking them on top of each other. My child is definitely NOT showing signs of autism! That's for sure! Ha! I just thought it was a funny moment for our family and that I'd share. Hope you had a wonderful and blessed Christmas, and that the New Year is full of happy surprises!mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-25990762751406051632008-12-13T14:27:00.002-05:002008-12-13T15:27:15.957-05:00Bummer Book SigningOne of my favorite tv shows on the Food Network is 30 Minutes Meals with Rachel Ray. She always makes food that looks yummy, and I've enjoyed her bubbly personality and funny quirks. I think I've even caught myself saying "YUM-O!" a few times. <br /><br />Earlier this week, my husband was out at the mall with our 2 1/2 year old viewing a model railroad at Bass Pro, and afterwards, he stopped by the bookstore to look around. While browsing the store, he noticed that queen of 30 minute meals was going to have a book signing this Saturday (today). Knowing that I enjoy her show, he told me, and this morning he went to the store to get our ticket and buy the book that she was going to sign. <br /><br />After rushing to get the kids together and putting a little makeup on so I'd look alive in the picture that I'd take of me and Rachel, we arrived at our designated time. <br /><br />I had no idea that a book signing would be such a rote, cold, routine. . .thing.<br /><br />After waiting in the line, all excited with book in hand, I got up to the table where she was sitting. I handed hubby the camera, but when I turned around the lady said that Rachel was only taking photos with children. So, I thought, no biggie, I'll just get to smile at her, say hello, and atleast have SOME eye contact. Nope, the woman making the line go smoothly said, "stay with your book, miss" as if we were a roasting chicken coming down a belt in a factory waiting to be packaged up. So, I stayed with my book like I was told, and soon got to Rachel. <br /><br />You know what?! She didn't even look up and smile at me. She just opened the front cover, addressed the book to me (someone came around while we were in line and wrote our names on a sticky note to post in the front cover so I guess Rachel wouldn't have to ask for spelling), and signed her name. Then, so top it all off, she said "here ya go!" Disappointed, I walked away almost wanting to return my book and get my money back. <br /><br />I just feel so sorry for Rachel Ray and any celebrity who's got their life so scheduled that she probably has to schedule time to breath. Her life as a celebrity cook must be such a stress for her. Book signings, show taping, photo shoots. . .I can imagine that she's just about ready to blow her top and want to just get it done already! <br /><br />As I watched her pose with children for a picture, it almost seems like she puts on a mask to cover what's really inside. Her bright, enthusiastic smile fades to a mere cover-up of chaos and stress. <br /><br />Even though it's probably nice to make 18 million a year cooking your favorite foods, I have no desire to be in the spot light. I love my life just as it is. Two beautiful children, a loving husband, a warm home to rest in, and the occasional bummer book signing. . .<br /><br />Note to self: in the future, just wait until the book goes on sale and get it later.mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-44846488468349252502008-11-26T21:11:00.005-05:002008-12-16T13:52:12.730-05:00What does Christmas mean for you?Check out the "Conspiracy Theory" post on the blog of a wonderful friend of mine, <a href="http://www.gosduck.wordpress.com">Wishful Thinking</a>. Click on the YouTube video, and have an open mind. Perhaps it's time for <strong>ALL</strong> of us to rethink how we celebrate Christmas.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSFGF2rhxquLIR34-o181taqx7KeY5NT_QvxQAcYFH4pVqmGV7YhyphenhyphennLtJRPXu7gFvDWGtP5c-GvflboKklB00KaD4NXvFWvduHUC6ezI_OMMyjcb0TPcjHdpUC8gy-YxbrHMe/s1600-h/j0422657.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 268px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYSFGF2rhxquLIR34-o181taqx7KeY5NT_QvxQAcYFH4pVqmGV7YhyphenhyphennLtJRPXu7gFvDWGtP5c-GvflboKklB00KaD4NXvFWvduHUC6ezI_OMMyjcb0TPcjHdpUC8gy-YxbrHMe/s400/j0422657.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5273160472988663538" /></a>mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-35579182760291614982008-11-24T18:50:00.003-05:002008-11-24T19:05:26.832-05:00I Found You, Mr. Tasselmeyer!As we were watching the weather on the evening news, our 2 1/2 year old was watching Mr. Tasselmeyer walked back and forth across the screen. <br /><br />"Where did he go?" I asked as the weatherman disappeared off the screen.<br /><br />"He's playing hide and seek!" said James, watching the screen intently.<br /><br />"Oh, he's playing hide and seek? Where did Mr. Tasselmeyer go?" I asked.<br /><br />Soon, the weatherman reappeared. Jumping up and down and squealing with laughter, James said, "I found you, Mr. Tasselmeyer! I found you!"mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-46633534200698882372008-11-18T19:51:00.002-05:002008-11-18T20:19:24.906-05:00First TasteSo, today was a big day for me. <br /><br />Since my husband has been home, I've had alot of help, which has been great for my recovery from the birth of our second. I had an (unnecessary) c-section, so I was prescribed no heavy lifting including my two ton two year old. So, since hubby has been home, he's been doing all the heavy lifting and taking on much of the household duties. <br /><br />But, today was different. <br /><br />Today, he had to leave at 8am to go to an unemployment workshop, and he didn't arrive back home until 4:30pm. So, I was back to being a SAHM, but now it's not just of one child, it's two. I got my first taste of what life will be like from now on having two children. Thank goodness I had something to do today. Tuesday is Bible Study day, so for half of my day I was learning how to handle difficult people, and James, my 2 1/2 year old, was with Ms. Arka and the other children having a blast. And since I sit at a table of women who love babies, I didn't have to hold my youngest the whole time. There were plenty of ladies oooing and ahhing over Jesse. So, much to my surprise half of my day was great. Despite it taking 20-30 minutes just to get out of the door, life was going great.<br /><br />And when I got home, it was lunch time, and then it was nap time, and then all hell broke loose. Let's just say, I've been barfed on more times in the past couple days than I could ever want. (Jesse is a little oinker, 11 pounds 12 ounces as a matter of fact, who likes to nurse ALOT, won't burp easily, and as a result, he vomits all the mommy milk right back up again) I've had to place my oldest in timeout probably about 5 times in 30 minutes. And, I've been peed on by my oldest right before I put him in the bath tub. And if you are a mom, you KNOW how much a two year old can pee. It's not just a little sprinkle. It's more like the Mississippi River. And it's just a delight to feel the nice trickle of urine landing on my foot, and because of my lack of sleep, not figuring it out right away. I swear, the Lord has a great sense of humor. <br /><br />But after all of this, life is good. Life is good because I am happy, and also because I've reinstated ME TIME. So, from approximately 7pm-8pm, I have time to myself. Which is MUCH needed after having a normal day like this. But it's a good normal. Keeps life interesting. Keeps my head in the right place because I found myself praying little prayers throughout the day of asking God to help me stay calm. Before I felt like I was going to blow my top, I would take a deep breath, and pray. Because there's nothing I can't do when I have the Lord with me, right there beside me. What a blessing, to know that He is there watching over me, and that all I have to do is seek Him. <br /><br />So, was today a good day? I'd have to say, heck yeah! Wouldn't trade it for ANYTHING! Not a thing.mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-78111768087932062562008-11-11T16:46:00.002-05:002008-11-11T17:05:02.585-05:00Tough TimesMy family is going through a very difficult situation. At least, that's how some people may see it. You see, he lost his job about 2 months ago, and recently I gave birth to our second child. You can imagine how he might feel, knowing that we have decided to have me stay home and raise our children. No matter how tough our days might be or how "hairy" life might get, I always remember to pray to our awesome Lord, Jesus Christ. I try to be my husband's rock during tough times, and even during not so tough times. What's the point in worrying or being depressed? The Bible says in Jeremiah 29:11 "don't worry about the future" and "do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God" (Philippians 4:6). So, I choose to lay everything aside and let God handle it. HE is the one who is in control of this situation. It is in HIS time that my husband will be blessed with a new job. So, in the meantime, we just have to wait and continue to pray for anything that comes to our mind because God is a good God and he wants to bless us with the desires of our hearts. That is why he tells us, "but in EVERYTHING, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, presents your requests to God".<br /><br />No matter how big or small your situation may seem, pray to God. He hears you. He knows your thoughts. He wants to hold your hand through this. <br /><br />And if you need a little inspiration, check out this YouTube video. It might bring a tear to your eye. I know that it did for me.<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/2I0DRk8dFjI&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/2I0DRk8dFjI&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-45374810454869103302008-10-24T19:33:00.010-05:002008-10-24T19:48:04.331-05:00Happy Birthday!We welcomed our second child into this world on October 17th, 2008. Jesse Scott was born at 5:45pm and weighed in at 9 pounds 5.9 ounces and 22 1/2 inches long. :) He's a big boy! Hope you enjoy the pictures! He's been a wonderful blessing to our family, and we are so thankful that he's finally here! Happy Birthday, Jesse Scott!<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISrj8y-Jpa60Td1tLU7P_zLlsD2cgLISmpjtWIOC6ah3vw3cSUXQ5N7SQZjXgSP8VTj62ZFZ30eHoIgheLCJXJ76ch1gCPMNf7p-wM9AF0mwFyQ0_FsDLasvgQOeOq9YibDdw/s1600-h/IMG_1634.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgISrj8y-Jpa60Td1tLU7P_zLlsD2cgLISmpjtWIOC6ah3vw3cSUXQ5N7SQZjXgSP8VTj62ZFZ30eHoIgheLCJXJ76ch1gCPMNf7p-wM9AF0mwFyQ0_FsDLasvgQOeOq9YibDdw/s320/IMG_1634.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260884796360620178" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHOb0p803CXZTzKuGEQhNlLI16W1go_OB7UA-Lw-nEpbMuexqss4E10HdR6GCndYnnQUBgvzbkNtJnJGMY5s39lmQRzWd8U66MSXd8xo-39pHEHDd8udmcsvI445ve04_jYAl/s1600-h/IMG_1629.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJHOb0p803CXZTzKuGEQhNlLI16W1go_OB7UA-Lw-nEpbMuexqss4E10HdR6GCndYnnQUBgvzbkNtJnJGMY5s39lmQRzWd8U66MSXd8xo-39pHEHDd8udmcsvI445ve04_jYAl/s320/IMG_1629.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260884793056899362" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgk9O-EEjELKdEPK18zBpab2gcR56jRohMXb2Mf2VLPigBp6WQtkYO_39MB11GzhjKqAmoGbNiIr4hnJ4WC34ez71HwgQiuMMlIE1FkBXZdS02qrnk61OA_sYnMurl94Nj4sKI/s1600-h/IMG_1628.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgk9O-EEjELKdEPK18zBpab2gcR56jRohMXb2Mf2VLPigBp6WQtkYO_39MB11GzhjKqAmoGbNiIr4hnJ4WC34ez71HwgQiuMMlIE1FkBXZdS02qrnk61OA_sYnMurl94Nj4sKI/s320/IMG_1628.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260884779676631298" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFMiZc2yF-xwtTNBnSaoecXSqou9_MCju7dork_a4M7Q4UE_jYwMerllaGrFA3g4xMAOnYmk9EiZulXsO-lZmZSVZVpKk7Wlux8z9uR1LIcYJWtzKF0hPpZlvyTap_VH8wsWS/s1600-h/IMG_1620.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 296px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyFMiZc2yF-xwtTNBnSaoecXSqou9_MCju7dork_a4M7Q4UE_jYwMerllaGrFA3g4xMAOnYmk9EiZulXsO-lZmZSVZVpKk7Wlux8z9uR1LIcYJWtzKF0hPpZlvyTap_VH8wsWS/s320/IMG_1620.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260884775029773810" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMJ8qWYeH7kifERcK-8gf_r0c_sIe0Qw-nxMcYO4V0B2Up2jpem3ax0fsSSId4bJrQ7BCzSbCrnc9hq7mBanFWCpA9uB2ZbxSwFR74P_4dwEZyYjDVFbcqyuViPUKMxpxL4dA/s1600-h/IMG_1619.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIMJ8qWYeH7kifERcK-8gf_r0c_sIe0Qw-nxMcYO4V0B2Up2jpem3ax0fsSSId4bJrQ7BCzSbCrnc9hq7mBanFWCpA9uB2ZbxSwFR74P_4dwEZyYjDVFbcqyuViPUKMxpxL4dA/s320/IMG_1619.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260884762561775906" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoxIW3V9MSbyaaUW7RVjDZWF7n2sjRJwiCTztSLS20KtFFjjpvnCCsv4brctPSXYaIgtWw8of6goJwun11Xe0Y87qJtWxPpptxCPhS-WMxXXKe9vFWBILMgM9ybk6ytgm1D60/s1600-h/IMG_1652.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmoxIW3V9MSbyaaUW7RVjDZWF7n2sjRJwiCTztSLS20KtFFjjpvnCCsv4brctPSXYaIgtWw8of6goJwun11Xe0Y87qJtWxPpptxCPhS-WMxXXKe9vFWBILMgM9ybk6ytgm1D60/s320/IMG_1652.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260886540882799538" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUgMYwfPG8zwIDjh-e71ZEcMM2kcQ1GD2zp84k0puV3qynDDoo0MTzoLxTdvipLh15e9giFSuCZqkpvJ0JkYKqv0UOCTlpz1JK1GLOwXds8JalYGvE9yr-VJogLjz9GZpN8ex/s1600-h/IMG_1651.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheUgMYwfPG8zwIDjh-e71ZEcMM2kcQ1GD2zp84k0puV3qynDDoo0MTzoLxTdvipLh15e9giFSuCZqkpvJ0JkYKqv0UOCTlpz1JK1GLOwXds8JalYGvE9yr-VJogLjz9GZpN8ex/s320/IMG_1651.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260886528435656514" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cSV6q1EVIchfJADaARLx4pcsZLcKRdzI9zjGKYf5UItremp2ejrQ5H0gFTfdmIeE6xopC27ZbeazvBqWVU9-fnr7nsTqM8OhxVrYSQd_HK-Bv5T-_eG8z_-dK9kyFFgv0k4A/s1600-h/IMG_1650.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 310px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2cSV6q1EVIchfJADaARLx4pcsZLcKRdzI9zjGKYf5UItremp2ejrQ5H0gFTfdmIeE6xopC27ZbeazvBqWVU9-fnr7nsTqM8OhxVrYSQd_HK-Bv5T-_eG8z_-dK9kyFFgv0k4A/s320/IMG_1650.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260886524106683186" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpkPkTcYowg2KE4NDO5tRlg_miGOwj2iugRDp6IXqMTPiVDBowCzNH3wgcG-Oh3q4FSMmRwxYlON4t6-388Vq_gK7j08odf3CLtztgLSKU0fMMtUi_Cu_ro77VpDXP6-5Ig7H/s1600-h/IMG_1648.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMpkPkTcYowg2KE4NDO5tRlg_miGOwj2iugRDp6IXqMTPiVDBowCzNH3wgcG-Oh3q4FSMmRwxYlON4t6-388Vq_gK7j08odf3CLtztgLSKU0fMMtUi_Cu_ro77VpDXP6-5Ig7H/s320/IMG_1648.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5260886510739828050" /></a>mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-34934903663895660272008-03-18T16:51:00.003-05:002008-03-18T17:12:11.000-05:00If You Gave A Toddler A VegetableWe had tacos for dinner tonight. Hadn't had them in a while, so I thought I'd fix them. The seasoning was very mild, so I thought I'd have no trouble getting my almost two year old to eat one. So, I cut a whole wheat tortilla in half, scooped out some taco meat, sprinkled on some cheese, added a little diced tomato and gave it to him. And what does he do? He turns his head and adamantly says, "NO!" and then to top it off, he unrolls the taco, shakes the insides off the shell, and proceeds to eat the tortilla. Just the tortilla. We tried everything! Giving him his own fork, scooping the insides up and helping him feed himself, letting him take a bite of our taco, force feeding him with arms held down and head held back. Nothing works! And as my meal is getting cold, and I feel like my world is crumbling around me, I think about how I never want to see my child get fat. I don't want to see him have to diet like mommy (even though I did get to goal at Weight Watchers). Why the heck won't this child eat the food I give him? Why won't he eat vegetables? Why why why!? I feel like I've failed as a mother. This child is going to grow up only wanting to eat unhealthy foods. It's just so frustrating for me when all he asks for are cookies and crackers or chips. And I don't give those to him regularly because I don't have them in my home on a regular basis. He does eat fruit, and I only feed him whole grain or whole wheat bread. I just don't know what to do anymore. He knows I'm not a short order cook, so if he doesn't eat what I give him, he doesn't eat. I just wish his child would eat a piece of lettuce and tomato on a sandwich, or some baby carrots with a little dip instead of licking the dip off the carrot and throwing the carrot on the floor for me to have to pick up. I'm at a loss, and I feel like there's no hope for me to get this child to eat his veggies. I mean, aren't these years the building blocks for good nutrition? Am I at a total loss? I just wish I could wave a wand and the Magic Vegetable Fairy would come down and work her magic. Please! Why does this have to be so hard?mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-7359610094966013142008-03-01T19:46:00.002-05:002008-12-13T06:06:08.185-05:00Ooohhh baby!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyn53W2Uz-SW8x4MV6DcLJ4ZSQBQPOqYtfQoyJDaSP_pQHgtLG1BHWWlx1Ye3plgUXxh8hHTqrup3TUSCVJlDjw01xcrD4aZyxp5IfTbXCKQ7AjtbS3wOIZgqjf88v5hVSeRV/s1600-h/Cinnamon+Buns.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyyn53W2Uz-SW8x4MV6DcLJ4ZSQBQPOqYtfQoyJDaSP_pQHgtLG1BHWWlx1Ye3plgUXxh8hHTqrup3TUSCVJlDjw01xcrD4aZyxp5IfTbXCKQ7AjtbS3wOIZgqjf88v5hVSeRV/s400/Cinnamon+Buns.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172940527282776434" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUofwstJ7E-xBt92yBxEC4RmN3mTXBJkzSrSGun3SZw_EUET5Q424JM7KT3uXy1fBABotiqFeciria8SVc0taVvEosuve8__fCALkXFC7vVVcMoxqMuyNP1yqy8UeB20xAgtG/s1600-h/Cinnamon+Buns+2.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjUofwstJ7E-xBt92yBxEC4RmN3mTXBJkzSrSGun3SZw_EUET5Q424JM7KT3uXy1fBABotiqFeciria8SVc0taVvEosuve8__fCALkXFC7vVVcMoxqMuyNP1yqy8UeB20xAgtG/s400/Cinnamon+Buns+2.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5172940535872711042" /></a><br /><br /> Because I can! That's why.mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-8262685438438234222008-02-16T06:12:00.002-05:002008-02-16T06:25:19.439-05:00One Silver WireAs I was awakened by my wonderful alarm clock this morning, I lay there in bed saying to myself, just one more hour. Then it occured to me that I am scheduled to work at Curves this morning. So, I rolled out of bed, gathered my clothes and staggered into the bathroom. As I turned on the light, through my blurry, goober crusted eyes, I spied a shiny, silver wire sticking out of my head. I leaned in closer to the mirror, being careful not to frighten myself, and was appalled by the sight of an acutal gray hair poking out of my head. I thought to myself, "dear Lord, has my life amounted to this?! Can this really be? I'm 26 years old, for Pete's sake (whoever Pete is)!"<br /><br />So, I gathered my composure, got ready for the day, and quickly swooped up my sign of aging and shoved it in the trash. No way is a silly little gray hair going to get in MY way! <br /><br />So there! <<raspberry>>mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-85877670357353688152008-01-14T20:12:00.000-05:002008-12-13T06:06:09.088-05:00Best FriendsIsn't there a quote that says "a dog is a man's best friend"? Our son and dog, a beagle named Anakin, have really come to enjoy each other's company. They play together, and my son laughs and giggles and carries on as Anakin zips around the house. Here are some pictures of them just chillin'.<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YeL_KfVzIuHGfIkPQ0QKGD16mqvzhE4_NxcmUmsAfMmfn3z57A6yswppFxZKBOT9Zrr1rJ2rwSmKcK7EdtJ4TwSbSpigHIzamOHLblSGkxHENHo0i214yv_as1kB4FdfqyaL/s1600-h/IMG_1332.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8YeL_KfVzIuHGfIkPQ0QKGD16mqvzhE4_NxcmUmsAfMmfn3z57A6yswppFxZKBOT9Zrr1rJ2rwSmKcK7EdtJ4TwSbSpigHIzamOHLblSGkxHENHo0i214yv_as1kB4FdfqyaL/s320/IMG_1332.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155507460883513746" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCL1-lGNFbnX6jDrSXNmlpvvxiU-D3Gk89c13UE9LTQEjRRF9dUwFxQaL7ENXI2VjU-nZMzT_O7-RwNlQQ5PxZharO1jwPXAMHd-lvUFeb2epoggMOtj752uh-5khSS4Ofs79/s1600-h/IMG_1302.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLCL1-lGNFbnX6jDrSXNmlpvvxiU-D3Gk89c13UE9LTQEjRRF9dUwFxQaL7ENXI2VjU-nZMzT_O7-RwNlQQ5PxZharO1jwPXAMHd-lvUFeb2epoggMOtj752uh-5khSS4Ofs79/s320/IMG_1302.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155507465178481058" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrseRTo5UqqcY7heaXCTDekePGmkMraa33SxycFLzSG0n0FR_hQ-PT1TctocDy875PoKqekrhg5oIX3grAVUCQdoeciMht2VW7bs-OCD0YKUkwJvU7vQwyj6NC0NOqjQmBvmGD/s1600-h/IMG_1304.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrseRTo5UqqcY7heaXCTDekePGmkMraa33SxycFLzSG0n0FR_hQ-PT1TctocDy875PoKqekrhg5oIX3grAVUCQdoeciMht2VW7bs-OCD0YKUkwJvU7vQwyj6NC0NOqjQmBvmGD/s320/IMG_1304.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155507469473448370" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KWK-gtTjzlmhRReIuoYjpeDOrBGpErZFpipA_soKNfwO9J-GIWr5Ey1WTZclj6O2c37NZQnj7J_O26o4JWHGy-h2R9-zFCAkVNTcn9HEaL9pGG6I8rZdE6GHKQniMC_PazKY/s1600-h/IMG_1299.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1KWK-gtTjzlmhRReIuoYjpeDOrBGpErZFpipA_soKNfwO9J-GIWr5Ey1WTZclj6O2c37NZQnj7J_O26o4JWHGy-h2R9-zFCAkVNTcn9HEaL9pGG6I8rZdE6GHKQniMC_PazKY/s320/IMG_1299.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155507473768415682" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyl61mhgy2WDQ70LH-kHu9OSK4jiNLeZkDlbmfGwSdlpM-dhyKSi7VbM8kR4lPBcJuA4zbEfdsYfngfr4EmXuFxvEpmH-r1hE6nhh7Z_D0bYHuIRcd-HRRLP0n4lnYI1FbIP9/s1600-h/IMG_1306.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVyl61mhgy2WDQ70LH-kHu9OSK4jiNLeZkDlbmfGwSdlpM-dhyKSi7VbM8kR4lPBcJuA4zbEfdsYfngfr4EmXuFxvEpmH-r1hE6nhh7Z_D0bYHuIRcd-HRRLP0n4lnYI1FbIP9/s320/IMG_1306.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5155507478063382994" /></a>mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-24033788242157121082008-01-03T21:22:00.000-05:002008-01-05T15:35:15.179-05:00Let Me Be A Light!<strong>Warning: This post might be a bit hard to swallow for some who read this. </strong><br /><br />My husband and I attend <a href="http://www.gfc.org">Grace Fellowship Church</a>, a Bible based church that believes in Jesus, the one and only son of God. We have a strong faith. This faith was strengthened by being involved with our Intervarsity Christian Fellowship in college as small group leaders and worship leaders. Strengthened by involvement in small groups at Grace Fellowship Church as members, and most recently we became leaders. Strengthened by Bible study with Community Bible Study and The Bible in 90 Days program. Strengthened through the amazing worship we experience at church, that often brings me to tears. God is so amazingly present in this world. Why can't everyone just submit to Him? <br /><br />Over the Christmas holiday, we discovered that a friend of mine, lets call her Sally, is attending a Unitarian Universalist church, and recently I decided to do some digging and find out a bit more. First of all, please pray for those who believe in Unitarian Universalism. As I read the <a href="http://www.uuhagerstownmd.org">website</a> for the church she attends, I had an ill feeling come over me that Satan was very present and real and that he has a hold on those who attend this church. Having a strong faith in the truth that embodies Jesus Christ, I realized that Jesus doesn't seem to be in that church at all, which makes me wonder how it can be called a church. Here is the definition of church: a building for public and especially <strong>Christian</strong> worship. It really just blows my mind to think how people are so mislead about the truth. That they can find truth in all kinds of deities? That's so completely wrong! Please Lord Jesus, help me to be a light unto this world that they may see You in me and know the truth so they may be set free. I pray that I can be a light to as many people as possible. And please, Lord, give me the courage and strength to tell people about You so they won't go to Hell, because in the end, there will be chosen people and there will be those left behind. It pains me to think about how people are going to be left behind to burn and suffer. I can't reach everyone. Lord, could Sally be one of them? I pray that she doesn't think that she can find truth in herself. Truth is only found in Jesus. Why is it so hard for people to believe that? Don't they want total freedom? Don't they want to spend eternity in Heaven with our Wonderful Father? Father God, help me to see the world as You see the world, so that I may know how to reach the unbelievers so that they can see the truth and believe. Amen!mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33616765.post-81507101631842804802007-12-30T19:41:00.000-05:002008-12-13T06:06:09.277-05:00How To Make A Desk For $100<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eHJyMdzLPO3z5-Ozg16WvoMHD-xf3XWx4zCG1J5s6usck5d2O6wu9nozsxg2nJO0BUEAEMPoNu6gt5KL2PuHOXj1FD5mElzK5hy8qmdQUiKfZi4i8TKqMtysL1bIc8adh6KI/s1600-h/IMG_1326.JPG"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4eHJyMdzLPO3z5-Ozg16WvoMHD-xf3XWx4zCG1J5s6usck5d2O6wu9nozsxg2nJO0BUEAEMPoNu6gt5KL2PuHOXj1FD5mElzK5hy8qmdQUiKfZi4i8TKqMtysL1bIc8adh6KI/s320/IMG_1326.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5149936527523348866" /></a><br />Supplies: Two assembly-required filing cabinets from Ollie's (one,a lovely cherry finish, the other, black with "alumacast" fronts, oops!), a solid slab door from Home Depot, and some grip liner to hold the door/desk top in place.<br /><br />Instructions: After hubby disappears to the basement to start a project, suggest that we finally make the desk we've been talking about. After child is put down for a nap, offer to go to Home Depot to buy the door and grip liner while hubby puts the filing cabinets together. Return home with door and grip liner. Argue a bit about how to get the 3,000 pound door inside the house. Finish arguing. Finish putting cabinets together, which takes the longest. Darn you assembly required furniture! Thank God that hubby offered to do it instead of you. Cut grip liner to fit tops of cabinets. Position cabinets so that the door will be directly over top. Lift 3,000 pound door and position over top cabinets. And voila! A huge, brand-new desk for less than 100 dollars! Enough work space to spread out. Enough room for the computer. And enough leg room too! Fantastic! And it even has shiny, new "alumacast" fronts on one side! How modern!mommaladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07712767928324806146noreply@blogger.com3