Sunday Funny

5QF ~ July 23

Happy Friday :-)

I was going to vlog today but that would have required washing and blow drying my hair and I just couldn't seem to find the motivation for that today. I'm sure you understand.

And well... let's be honest. I vlogged last time and I don't want to spoil you two weeks in a row.

Ha.

Before we get started on Mama M's Five Question Friday party, I just wanted to say thank you so much for your kind and encouraging comments and emails in response to my last blog post. Knowing that I have you praying for me means more than I could adequately express right now.

Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Ok then.

Onward.



1. What were your school colors?

Bear with me... I have to think back twenty something a few years to remember.

Navy and white, I believe. I went to a Catholic high school and the girls wore light/dark blue kilts, with white blouses and navy pullovers. In recent years they have done away with the kilts because the girls were wearing them much too short and *ahem* forgetting to wear underwear.

::speechless::

If I am wrong, and anyone I went to high school with way, way, waaaay back in the day is still alive to correct me, please do.


2. What's the best compliment you ever received?

I've received some lovely compliments in my life. Best ones would be when I am complimented on my parenting, especially when it comes from Ian or my Mom.

Usually those compliments come right when I need a boost ;-)

3. Do you buy cheap or expensive toilet paper?

I can't stand cheap toilet paper! GAH! I hate it when it literally melts away in your hand while in use.

Grody.

I like Cottonelle, so I will buy it when it goes on sale for 16 rolls for under $4 or something. Then I buy a cart full of it and Ian never fails to crack a joke when I come home, lugging my purchases.

Toilet paper is something I cannot stand paying a lot of money for, considering what it's used for.

Can I get an amen?

4. Have you ever had a surprise party thrown for you? Or have you had one for someone else?

I've had a few surprise parties thrown for me, two of them by Ian. He loves surprises. Me? Not so much. I need someone to leak the surprise to me so I can fake my shock at the time. I knew when my bridal shower was but pretended to be surprised. I knew when my shower was for Sam, but my showers for Julie and Jordan were surprises.

I attempted to throw Ian a surprise party for his 40th but got too excited and had too many questions, so I had to tell him about it.

I know...I know... my head is already hanging in shame.

5. What is one material possession that you "can't live without"?

I try not to place too much emphasis on my material things. I try not to ask for a lot or covet a lot. You can't take it with you, right?

That said, I enjoy my cell phone, laptop, camera and sewing machine very, very much.

There you go! Have a wonderful weekend everyone :-)

Thanks Mama M!

Want to play along? Head on over to Mama M's blog My Little Life and get in on the fun!

All In

This past Spring I had the honour of studying Beth Moore's The Inheritance along with several of my Christian sisters. Each Wednesday morning we would gather together to watch the next DVD in the series and have our lives rocked.

Beth has a way of doing that...rocking lives.

Actually, God has a way of rocking lives through Beth, but isn't she a wonderful instrument? This study wrapped up several weeks ago and I'm still processing all that she taught.

Beth started out by asking the question "Do you believe God to be a giver or a taker?"

I remember how my heart started pounding, and how my eyes started burning as I tried to hold back my tears. Around me I could hear my sisters whispering "giver...giver.."

I knew how I would answer that question.

I thought of Him as a taker.

I have lived through some pretty devastating circumstances in my life. Some of which are so horrific that I simply cannot share them with you.

I know what pain feels like. I know hurt. I know loss.

I've felt so disconnected from God for some time now. I've shared here that my faith took a huge beating last year when Ian was laid off and how we struggled financially. It was like the final thing that broke me. I've shared with you how I almost let go of my relationship with Him.

Almost.

But not entirely. I have felt God's presence in my life many times. I've heard Him speak into my heart in ways that I knew without a doubt that it was Him speaking. I know He is real and I believe the Bible to be God-breathed. I had to choose to hold on, that His promises were true, and that He had a plan for me....even when I didn't see how He possibly could.

It's been a long, long road trying to get back to where I felt our relationship was. I don't hear Him talking to me. I don't feel Him near me. It's so hard to live like this.

It struck me during this study, as we pondered the question as to whether we viewed God as a giver or taker, that my view of Him as a taker has held me back from going all in.

All in?

What would that even look like for me? To give God complete control of my life and to not take it back. Just say "Whatever Lord!" and be thankful for His will in my life.

I don't know what it would look like. But I'll tell you what it would feel like. It would scare me to death.

I am terrified of what God will take from me to show His glory.

Who He may take from me to show His glory.

I don't have any strength left in me for more hurt or loss. None.

I don't know how to get Him from my head to my heart.

I feel like my life - my family's life - is on the threshold of major change, and I don't like it. I don't like feeling anxious or uncertain, yet that is exactly how I am feeling. I know what I want, what my my heart longs for, but I don't know if they are things that are in line with His will.

Maybe they are, maybe they aren't. I wish I knew.

I just feel so unsettled. So unlike me.

I don't know where you stand when it comes to spiritual attack, or if you believe in such a thing. I sure do. And I'm under heavy attack these days. Satan is hard at work tormenting me. Whispering at me as I go about my day. Tormenting me in my dreams with all of my hurts and fears.

I am scared to death to click the publish button and expose myself like this. Scared that you will think I'm a fraud.

Maybe you won't. Maybe you'll pray for me.

I so need your prayers right now.

Sisters

I think that one of the most precious relationships on this earth is that between sisters.

I love the relationship that is growing between my daughters. Jordan looks up to Julie in every way and follows her everywhere.

Julie dotes on her, plays with her, cuddles her and soothes her. It's beautiful to watch.

I have a sister of my own, but sadly we don't enjoy that close sister bond that other sisters do. Not from a lack of trying, I can assure you. We love one another as best we can.

Seeing my daughters together warms my heart in ways I just can't explain. I pray that their relationship will continue to grow and deepen as they grow older.

Thank you Lord, for the blessing of sisters!

Book Review ~ Back On Murder

A missing girl.

A corrupt investigation.

They thought they could get away with it, but they forgot one thing:

Roland March is BACK ON MURDER

Houston homicide detective Roland March was once one of the best. Now he's disillusioned, cynical, and on his way out. His superiors farm him out on a variety of punishment details•until an unexpected break gives March one last chance to save his career. And his humanity.

All he has to do? Find the missing teenage daughter of a Houston evangelist that every cop in town is already looking for. But March has an inside track, a multiple murder nobody else thinks is connected. Battling a new partner, an old nemesis, and the demons of his past, getting to the truth could cost March everything. Even his life.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

The story is told in the first person narrative, which I enjoy. I always prefer that method of storytelling as it reveals more of the character's personality and thought process. The characters are well developed and the suspense builds at a steady pace.

The main character, Roland March, is a detective on the fast track out the door but not by his choice. Back in the day he was quite the hot shot but eventually burned out. He's put on assignments with no value and feels demoralized.

When a teenaged girl goes missing at the same time as a gang shooting, March sees the two cases as connected and his ticket back into the chief's good graces. Once he gets an idea of what's really going on and the depths of those involved, he's in too deep to back out.

Just when I thought I'd figured out what was what, the story would shift and I'd be wrong. I love when that happens!

If you're looking for a suspense filled novel to read this summer, this is it. Just be warned - once you start reading it you won't be able to put it down!

Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group.

Tuesday's Treats ~ Strawberry Rhubarb Pie

You know how a certain food can take you back in time?

Take Cheerios for instance. Whenever I smell them I remember my childhood.

Whenever I taste rhubarb pie, I think of my grandmother who passed away almost 11 years ago, just a few weeks shy of her 100th birthday.

I don't know what season rhubarb comes in, but I wasn't able to find it anywhere and I've longing to try baking a strawberry rhubarb pie.

Then...my mother in law came to visit. I bet you'll never guess what she brought me.

Rhubarb! From her very own garden. She even chopped it up for me. Sweet!

And so... I made my first Strawberry Rhubarb Pie ever.



You'll Need:
3 cups of rhubarb, chopped
3 cups of strawberries, sliced
1-1/3 cups of white sugar
1/4 cup of cornstarch
1 tablespoon of lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon of cinnamon
1 beaten egg, for glaze

Step One:
Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees

Step Two:
In a large bowl, combine the rhubarb, strawberries, white sugar, cornstarch, lemon juice and cinnamon

Step Three:
Let sit uncovered for 20-30 minutes. (I don't know why, but I read it somewhere else and thought I should do it)

Step Four:
Pour into pie crust. (I used a store bought one because I haven't tried making my own crust before)Cover with another pie crust, pressing along the edges to seal. Make four slices in the top of the pie to let the heat escape.

Step Five:
Brush top of pie with the beaten egg. Slide pie onto a baking sheet and bake for 35-40 minutes or until the filling bubbles. Let sit for several hours before serving.

I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out, considering it's my first attempt at this. I made the mistake of buying a "flaky" crust and won't be doing that again.

Thanks again for the rhubarb, Mom B!

It's A Fork...But Not Just Any Fork

I love to tease my kids because they'll believe just about anything I tell them.

That makes things so fun.

I have a particular fork I really, really like.



It doesn't match my set, and I have no idea where it came from, but I have declared it mine.

Actually, I have declared it to be The Fork That Makes Everything Taste Better.

I won't tell them which fork it is, and they're always trying to find it to get it before I do. They have yet to figure out that I hide it from them.

I also have a favourite spoon that I may show you one day. But not today. I wouldn't want to overwhelm you with my weirdness.

:-)

5QF ~ July 16

Want to play along? Head on over to Mama M's blog My Little Life and get in on the fun!

Getting A Head Start On My Christmas List

Ian and Sam are huge gamers.

Huge.

Me...not so much.

Ian has tried to teach me how to play those shooting games, but I can't seem to get my character game guy facing in the right direction, and he's always either staring up into the sky or on the ground. I get so frustrated and announce that my controller is broken.

It couldn't possibly be me and my lack of gaming skills.

Don't be silly.

However... there are two kinds of games I enjoy. Racing games, and boxing games.

Get a look at this one, Gran Turismo 5 from Playstation...



Oh yes...Mama wants that one. It releases on November 5th.

I can't wait.

Nor can I wait for this one, The Fight: Lights Out...



This one releases in October.

I go absolutely crazy when I box with the Wii. There was this one time when I was going on crazy boxing with my character when suddenly it took on the face of someone who will remain nameless. Ian was holding on the the back of my jeans so I wouldn't punch his precious 52" flat screen tv. I am no longer allowed to box without spousal supervision.

I can only imagine the damage and mayhem I will cause when I get my hands on this game.

{evil laugh}

I'll have to start leaving really clear hints the closer it gets to Christmas.

Which happens to be in 163 days.

Just sayin.

Prayer Circle

When it comes to praying out loud, I'm not all that comfortable doing it as part of a big group.

I'm ok to pray one-on-one with someone, maybe with two other people, but more than that makes me sweat.

Sometimes I get all caught up in the comparison trap. Do I pray as eloquently as that person? Do I ramble like that one?

You get the idea.

I had to laugh when I came across this video today. I have certainly been in prayer circles when some of this stuff has happened. I just had to share it with you.



If you are having trouble viewing this video, click here.

Have a beautiful day :-)

Tuesday's Treats ~Vanilla Cupcakes With Buttercream Frosting

I love cake. It makes my belly very, very happy.

The thing about cake is that there is just so much of it.

But cupcakes are a perfect size and I can eat one almost guilt free.

The other day I whipped up a batch of cupcakes for a friend of mine who is so encouraging and supportive of me and my baking endeavours. So, I thought she and her family would enjoy these.



You'll Need:
1 vanilla cake mix
1 cup of butter, softened
8 cups of confectioners sugar
2 teaspoons of vanilla extract
1/2 a cup of milk

Step One:
Prepare and bake cupcakes as per the instructions on the box

Step Two:
In a mixing bowl, cream butter. Beat in sugar and vanilla. Add milk until frosting reaches desired consistency

Step Three:
Divide frosting into bowls. Add food colouring to each bowl. Fill decorating bags with coloured frosting. Using a 1M tip, pipe frosting onto cupcake

A super easy way to make pretty and delicious cupcakes!

Making Hair Bows

Julie has been asking me to make her some hair bows recently, so I decided that yesterday was the day.

I waited until Jordan went down for her nap before I pulled out all my stuff and got to work.



I was watching tutorials on YouTube and tweeting on my laptop while I worked.

Just an FYI... people shouldn't use glue guns unless they know what they're doing. And by people I mean me.

I bought these letters with the intent to make bow holders for Julie and Jordan. I was pretty impressed that they worked out.



Not that it was a terribly difficult thing to try, but I was feeling mighty crafty at that point.

And here are the bows I made...

















Hardly perfect, but they'll do for what I need them for. The girls loved them.

And here are the bows on the girls' bow holders.



And now I can pack away my glue gun until my poor fingers heal!

I Love That Man

Ian headed out to see a movie on his own this afternoon and I whined told him that I would miss him.

Look at what he sent me from his iphone...



Sigh...

I love that man.

5QF ~ July 9th

Yippee! It's Friday :-)

This week we had a brutal heat wave and I was miserable and full of complaints. (yes, I know it's hard for you to imagine me as a complainer. /sarcasm) Thankfully it rained this morning and cooled things right down.

I intended to vlog today, but when I saw Heidi's vlog over at From 3 to 5 I was intimidated and decided to forgo it for today. She vlogged in an undershirt and pj pants after we discussed how gross it is to go out in public wearing an undershirt or pjs.

Ok. Maybe the emphasis on gross was mostly mine. But we all know how I feel about public pj wearing by now. Know that I also despise it when men wear white undershirts as t-shirts. The under in undershirt is a pretty big clue that it goes under something.

Meh.

On to Mama M's Five Question Friday meme!




1. What is one food you could eat everyday?

I could eat tuna casserole covered in cheese every day. With a side of M&Ms.

2. Are you working in the career you thought you would be when you were 18?

Nope. I planned on being a successful lawyer or child psychologist. Today, I'm a SAHM...something I was never going to be but I am oh so happy now.

3. What is something that you wish you would have done when you were younger and you didn't?

I wish I never dated my first boyfriend. He was such a creepasaurus, pushy and very emotionally abusive. And furthermore, he was grody and a very, very, very bad kisser.

4. What color are your kitchen walls?

Green. When I decided to paint our kitchen many years ago, I thought green would be a nice, fresh colour. As I was painting I got sick of the colour and was afraid my kitchen would turn out like something in The Incredible Hulk's house. But it turned out really nice. Ian - who dislikes the colour green - really likes it. I'd like to repaint it but he doesn't want me to.

5. Do you remember what your very first favorite song was?

You betcha! It was Rhinestone Cowboy and I was six years old. Oh yes, friends...I was super cool even back then.

Want to play along? Head on over to Mama M's blog My Little Life and get in on the fun!

Just Thursday

We are in the middle of a heat wave and I'm so bleepin' hot I can't think straight.

Imagine my joy when I came across this blog meme on my hilarious friend Heidi's blog From 3 To 5. It's hosted by Murdock's Mama {who is utterly sweet and adorable}.



Outside my window… is intolerable heat and creepy darkness

The time is…9:59 pm

Today I feel… anxious

I am thinking… about bedtime and how I wish it would hurry up

At the moment, I am thankful…that I am able to be at home with my children

I am going… to my Mama's house tomorrow and I can't wait to see her

I am wearing… beige shorts and a light green top

I wish… that things would come together in such a way that I won't have to return to work until Jordan is in school full days

I am reading…I Will Carry You by Angie Smith from Bring The Rain

I am working on… my relationship with Jesus

I am hoping… that one day I will be more patient and forgiving

I am hearing… Jordan squealing as Sam tickles her, and Ian's video game

I bet you didn't know… that I get very teary - and will sometimes cry - when an ambulance or fire truck comes along with the sirens and lights going and everyone pulls to the right

One of my favorite...things to do is to colour when I am feeling stressed or anxious

Thanks Murdock's Mama !

Tuesday's Treats ~ Takin' The Day Off

Things Kids Do That I Don't Understand ~ Take Two

One of the many things Sam likes to do is to make his own lunch.

Being that I am often busy with a gazillion things at once, I am grateful that he is willing to do this for himself.

Usually he chooses to eat a peanut butter sandwich. I appreciate his choice because you can't set fire to the kitchen if all you're doing is slapping some PB on a slice of bread.

I guess he decided to kick things up a notch because this is what he made one day last week:



Now, I love me some M&Ms and I love me some peanut butter, but never together.

Again I say...never.

We went to the African Lion Safari yesterday and rather than buy lunch there, I packed some of Sam's beloved peanut butter and a loaf of bread, along with some snacks.

Apparently my straight PB sandwich was considerably lacking because this is what Sam did to make it "better":



I don't know how he ate that, but he did.

I ate my PB sandwich, had a few chips and maybe even a bit of popcorn as well. So really, what was in his belly was also in mine. But it all didn't arrive the same way, thankyouverymuch.

I go back and forth between appreciation for his creativity and being completely grossed out.

Do your kids do this or does mine have the corner market on this type of thing?

Book Review ~ His Princess: Girl Talk With God

You're the daughter of the King!

Like a loving father, God holds you in the palm of His hand. He loves you no matter what you wear, what you say, what you've done, or how you feel. And He wants you to live a wonderful life.

In His Princess Girl Talk with God, Sheri Rose Shepherd helps you experience God's unending love for you through forty devotions. Sheri remembers what it was like to be a teen girl, and she connects your experiences with God's love. Through these stories, love letters from God, Scriptures, and prayers, you'll feel just how much God treasures you--His Princess.

~*~ ~*~ ~*~

I was really excited to review this book, with the intent to pass it along to Julie to add to her bookshelf.

This book is comprised of 40 devotions, each with a personal story from the author's life, a letter from God and a Bible verse.

At first I really enjoyed this book. I thought the love letters from God were sweet, and a few of them really pulled at my heart. It's amazing how at times my love for the Lord can be so child-like. What it's supposed to be, right?

But then I started to count how many times the author referred to her life when she was overweight and how she wasn't liked, but when she lost the weight she was popular. She talked often about beauty and her history with beauty pageants, and how outward beauty didn't matter, yet I felt these frequent parallels to be conflicting. Young girls are impressionable, and I felt that she placed too much emphasis on outward beauty, perhaps unintentionally.

There were a few points in this book that I disagreed with, and felt so strongly about them that I will not be giving this book to Julie after all. It's a little old for her, and a couple things go against what I have been - and will someday be - teaching her.

One little nitpicky thing... I had folded the corners of a couple of the pages that stirred me, and when I was about two thirds into the book, I noticed that one of the letter's from God were duplicated.

Also, as sweet as referring to the "Lord as Your Daddy in Heaven" was at first, the constant references to him as daddy got a bit tiresome. The book is geared towards young women, and I found the daddy reference to be a bit young for that age group. using Father would have a better impact, in my opinion.

Overall, while there is some good content in this book, it isn't one that I will be recommending to anyone.

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc. Available at your favourite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group".

A Few Rambly Things

Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians!!

This week is passing by in a blur and I can't believe it's already Thursday night. Ian was home today so we had a nice and slow day, just hanging out together. The children have been enjoying their first day of summer vacation and have been playing outside for hours.

I have been making cake balls today and will be coating them in chocolate shortly. I'm sending a dozen over to Julie's friend's house as a thank you for having her over so often, and a dozen for my nephew for his great report card.

Speaking of Julie, last week she tried to sneak a frog into the house to keep overnight. I can tolerate hamsters and guinea pigs, and maybe even a bird or two, but I draw the line at frogs. Turns out that very frog already spent the night and day at Casa Kate, tucked into Julie's bottom dresser drawer. Grody. Apparently the neighbourhood bully convinced her to keep it for the next two weeks. Umm...no way, so Julie, the frog and I went to this girl's house to speak to her mother. Turns out it's her foster mother and I heard all about how difficult this child has been. I felt sad when I left. Ian released the frog into the creek.

I continue to be exhausted and went back to my doctor yesterday. It was a frustrating appointment but I left with what I wanted: a referral to a gynecologist, a requisition for blood work and an ultrasound, and a new prescription. I tried so hard to stay on track to get what I wanted while he spoke to me condescendingly, rudely and at times, with frustration. We don't seem to click and I am no longer confident in his medical care for me. I'm tired of his "let's wait and see" attitude. This issue is affecting the quality of my life and I'm beginning to get depressed. I can't afford to let that happen.

This week I decided to try introducing potty training to Jordan again. I bought a large bag of M&Ms which she loves (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree) and worked out a system. She gets one M&M just for sitting on the potty. She loves that part. Monday morning started out rough as she piddled on my favourite chair AND my couch. But after her nap I asked her if she wanted to go and she said yes. I gave her an M&M and while she was eating it I asked her if she wanted to make pee pee in the potty for me (I have no idea what to say as I'm out of practice) and she shrugged and said "yeah". And she DID IT! I was so excited I just about spilled the entire bag of M&Ms all over the bathroom floor! The first day and we had results. I high fived her and cheered for her at the top of my lungs. She was so proud of herself. Here we are on Thursday and she cries to get off the potty as soon as she's eaten her participation M&M.

I am SO excited for tomorrow. We're taking the children to the African Lion Safari and we're going to drive through the reserve. I can't wait!! Giraffes and lions and monkeys wander up to cars so we'll get an up close look at them. Apparently the monkeys are rather destructive so we'll need to take our windshield wipers off and put the antenna down.

Have you heard of the group Selah? I love them. I recently heard their song Unredeemed and it is so beautiful. I can't help but cry when I hear it. I could just play it over and over and over.



The children and I love to watch Wipeout and I'm always saying how I'd love to see Ian on the show. He's very competitive and I think he'd more than likely win. WELL! Imagine my excitement when I found out that there will be a Wipeout Canada and today was the cutoff for applications! I told Ian about it and he was all over it and submitted his application. How exciting would it be to see him on that show?? I don't know if I could handle the excitement.

Speaking of Ian, he's home now and brought pizza with him. No cooking tonight! Have a great evening, friends!

Black And White Wednesday ~ June 30th

Join in on the fun at The Long Road to China!