Snap, crackle, pop!!!

And I don't mean the cereal... that was the sound of my light fixture over the breakfast table this morning. It was also followed by a fireworks display (albeit, very small!). Now for those of you who know I my unrational fear of fire... this is not the way to start my morning. Especially when K is standing there calmly saying "Don't do it again, Mommy!"

Thank goodness my dad was able to put it all in prespective... try all new light bulbs, and when that doesn't work, replace the fixture!

Now I just have to turn off every single light in the house whenever I leave the room... and I might be make it. Darn, those irrational fears!!!

The Budding Artist Gallery

I'm starting to run out of storage space for all of K's fabulous art. So, we've decided to preserve it by taking digital photos... that way we can save them forever and share them with all of you.

We hope you enjoy the introductory pieces of the Budding Artist's Gallery!

Finger painting #1 - Feb 22 , 2008

Finger painting #2 - Feb 22 , 2008

Ladybug Attack....

Although it is not even really close to spring (2 2-hour late starts and 2 snow days this week!), we have had an influx of ladybugs at our house... courtesy of K. She has discovered she can draw them and now that is all she draws. Ladybugs, ladybugs, ladybugs. Here is her 1st one (its the only one I saved!)
I was quite proud of our little artist... she really did the whole thing herself... I only prompted here to put on some legs... which she then added about 12!!! Too cute.

I must say, if my house is going to be taken over by ladybugs, I will take these paper ones over the real ones any day of the week!

Tis' the Season...

Tis the Season of Lent.... I have to admit that it is only in recent years that I have truly come to love and appreciate the season of Lent. I know, in our secular world, most people don't probably think of Lent as a season to be celebrated. Hallmark isn't advertising its Lenten Cards, people aren't having Lent Open Houses, the corporate world does not give Holy Week to employees as a holiday... but to me it has become a very important season in my Christian walk.

The importance and my love of Lent truly increased in 2006... this was the year when Scott started working in Ohio Monday through Friday, leaving me in Minnesota with a 4 month old. Talk about 40 days in the desert fighting with the Devil... we faced a lot. But we knew that at the end of the time, we would be a new family in a new home, in a new place. And let me tell you that first Easter in Ohio (9 days after we moved) was so filled with joy and new beginnings.

Oh, I don't even dare to compare our experiences with what Christ did for us. But I do believe that sometimes God puts events and seasons in our lives so that we may just have a glimpse of what His only, precious Son did for us on the cross.

So as we begin this season of Lent, I am reminded not only of seasons past in our lives, but of the greatest season to come... Eternal Life with my Savior.

Scavenger Hunt...

So I have been thinking about scavenger hunts lately... you remember the game from your kid-days. You get a list of random things (0ur's always contained a green tissue) that you had to go scavenge from the neighbors... they were good times... I still remember the one from my 11th birthday, pouring rain and my aunt Phyllis carrying a golf umbrella to help keep 3 10/11 yo girls dry.



Anyway, I have been thinking about them because I have been working on a decluttering scavenger hunt from FlyLady's website... a list of random places to declutter that we might not otherwise think of.



So, this really got me to thinking (I know ... its scary) I sometimes think God made the world a scavenger hunt. The (very partial) list would look something like this:

• Penicllin


• Paper


• DNA mapping


• Ethanol


• Great Marriages


• Jell-O

The things on the list are things He knows the secret to, but we need to find them... like pencillin from mold...tree pulp into paper...corn into fuel for ethanol...itty bitty pieces of things into DNA maps... Love and forgiveness (and HIM) in great marriage...Jell-O, at every church event.

I do sometimes think there must be so many "secrets" that God has planted into our everyday lives... it is like a scavenger hunt.

Little Ladies...

My sister Amy has always called K " a little lady"... especially when she was an infant. So I must say that my little niece, baby Tate, is also growing into a lovely little lady.

For those of you who have been asking.... here are some pics of Avery from her baptism this past weekend (thanks to avery's blog!) There are some pictures of Avery wearing her baptism gown, the same one that K wore (its made out of my mother's wedding dress), so I thought I'd put up a picture of K in the same gown... oh, where are those baby days!?!