tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-474074437465404382024-03-14T02:45:22.713-07:00My Purple Brick RoadMy journey through life as I learn to parent, love and live intentionally through Christ...Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.comBlogger147125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-39685867643314513952017-03-20T13:55:00.000-07:002017-03-20T13:55:36.557-07:00Who Takes Care of Momma???It's important to take care of you! I recommend setting up a layered defense of your sanity... call it "Layers of Care." Here are a few ideas for setting up your own plan. Try implementing at least one of these from each category and I promise you'll be happier, more patient, and more joyful for it.<br />
<br />
<br />
Daily (5-10 minutes; can be done with children in house)<br />
<ul>
<li>Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee in your garden or yard</li>
<li>Read two pages of a book or one devotional</li>
<li>Spend time in prayer, even if you already had your "faith time" today. Can you really talk to your Heavenly Father too much? Better yet, just talk to Him. Or sing a song to Him; He loves that!</li>
<li>Decide that you are going to color one section of a picture in a coloring book - and do it!</li>
<li>Build a blanket fort with your kids & let them leave it up overnight. After they are in bed, go in with a flashlight & paint your toenails or read a book</li>
<li>Play with your kids' Legos (or other fun toy) after they go to bed</li>
<li>Grab 10 Post-It notes & write 10 different notes of encouragement to yourself. Hide them in places all over your house to find throughout your week</li>
<li>Give your kids a box of Sanity Toys* and sneak into the other room for a few minutes to look at a magazine.</li>
<li>Go outside & play in the rain (or snow) while you child naps, or after bedtime. Really play - splash in puddles, float leaf-boats, etc. You can play outside after dark dark just as well as during the day!</li>
<li>Build a permanent nest of blankets in the floor of your closet; hide here for five minutes and eat a fun size candy bar. See if you can make it last the whole five minutes!</li>
</ul>
*<i>Sanity Toys - noun; a set (or sets) of toys that have been placed into a box or bin, on the top shelf of a closet or other space out of the child's sight. When brought out, these toys will be new, novel, and exciting. They are guaranteed to keep kids occupied for at least ten minutes. Rotate periodically for best results.</i><br />
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Weekly (1-2 hours; requires dad or other caregiver* to watch kids)<br />
<ul>
<li>Go to the library & wander among the stacks.</li>
<li>Pack a snack or light meal and eat it alone in the park. Or your yard. Or your car. Any place but your kitchen/dining room. </li>
<li>Meet a friend for coffee, knitting, book discussion, etc.</li>
<li>Go to a museum</li>
<li>Load a movie on your iPad & watch it anywhere but your living room</li>
<li>Drive around & view the scenery</li>
<li>Check out a new store, museum, or community building</li>
<li>Go to the library, restaurant, park, mall, or other place you enjoy and decorate your planner or plan your week. </li>
<li>See a movie all by yourself. </li>
<li>Go to a public place. People watch & allow yourself to feel bored (Then let me know how it is, because I don't remember that feeling!)</li>
<li>Go to the pet store & look at all the interesting fish, birds & other cute pets they have. Be sure to freak yourself out looking at the giant bugs & other weird pets too!</li>
<li>Go to a playground and swing really high. When moms look at you funny, tell them you're caring for yourself & invite them to join you</li>
</ul>
*<i>Caregiver - noun: Generally a human who knows & loves your kids and is willing to supervise them for short periods of time. In the absence of a human, an electronic device can be substituted, but sparingly. Seriously, you're not going to ruin your kid if you park him/her in front of a movie once a week.</i><br />
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Annually/Biannually (1-2 days; no kids allowed)<br />
<ul>
<li>Spend a night or two at a hotel by yourself. </li>
<li>Have a sleepover with a friend. Or at your parents' house.</li>
<li> Attend a short conference centered around something you love. Even if it's a homeschool conference, or an autism symposium, the opportunity to improve your momma-skills without interruption will still feel like a gift.</li>
<li>Pitch a tent in your backyard and sleep there. Or have your husband or other responsible party sleep there with the kids while you stay in the house by yourself.</li>
<li>Attend a weekend retreat at a Catholic Solitude. These often accept donations instead of charging fees, and most are open to people of all faiths. </li>
<li>Send your kids to stay with relatives or family friends, send you husband on a fishing trip, and enjoy a quiet weekend in your home. <b>Note: You are required to spend this weekend doing only those things that will refresh your spirit.</b></li>
<li><b> </b>Go camping by yourself. Can't get away overnight? Go for a day-long hike, or go fishing alone.</li>
</ul>
These are just a few ideas to get you started. I'm sure you can think of some other fun and refreshing ways to love yourself. Got some good ones? Leave them in the comments below! Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-49557500804951621762017-03-06T14:53:00.000-08:002017-03-06T14:53:39.456-08:00Spring Homestead Update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-80272328455047484432017-02-21T17:16:00.000-08:002017-02-21T17:16:05.242-08:00Breaking RulesI've been thinking a lot about rules lately.<br />
<br />
Rules can be good - they keep us safe; they keep our society working; they give us predictability and guides.<br />
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Rules can also be bad - they can restrict our choices; they can ruin our creativity; they can create waste, tension, stress, etc.<br />
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Some rules are imposed upon us by our families, cultures, faith, or societies; and some are rules we create for ourselves (often without realizing it).<br />
<br />
So, I've been thinking about my family's "rules" and why we follow them. <br />
<br />
I'm a person who likes a certain amount of order, and I often realize that I've unintentionally created a rule for myself or my family. After a while, those rules can build up and become walls and barriers that begin to fence me in. <i>Those rules need to be broken</i>. In an effort to free us from some waste, stress, and "fences," we are taking a look at how and why we do some of the things we do. I find myself asking:<br />
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1) Where did this rule come from? Is it a societal rule? Is it a family rule that my husband or I learned from our parents? Is it a rule that one of us created?<br />
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2) What is the purpose of the rule? Does it keep us safe? Does it provide needed structure or order? Does it benefit us?<br />
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3) Why do we follow the rule? Is this something that we do because "that's the way people do it?" Is it a rule we follow because "that's what we've always done?" Do we follow it out of thoughtless habit? Is following this rule something we do intentionally, and with consideration?<br />
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If the answers to these questions are not satisfactory, I then ask myself<br />
if there might be any benefit to breaking or changing this rule.<br />
<br />
One example is the way I used to organize my kitchen. We bought my grandparents house a few years ago, and when we moved in, I put most things in the same cabinets and places that my grandma kept them. In my mind, that's just where everything went... because it had always gone there. The thing is that we have six people living where two people used to live & that system just wasn't working for us. After I realized this, I completely rearranged the kitchen. I cleaned out the pantry, painted the inside white, and now use it to store the dishes we use daily, as well as snacks for my kids. The cabinet that used to hold the dishes now contains my baking goods & a few pantry items. This works for us because the kids can now set the table without clogging up my very small kitchen.<br />
<br />
Speaking of dishes, we also solved another problem by thinking "outside of the box." With five or six of us being home all day (for three meals and at least one snack), we had an overflowing dishwasher at the end of every day. We bought everyone their own dinner plate, smaller plate, and bowl - in their own color. Now, instead of loading up the dishwasher all day, everyone is responsible for cleaning their own dishes after each meal. At the end of the day, I've only got dinner dishes & the few pots/pans/etc. that didn't get hand washed earlier. I even fill one side of the sink with a bit of hot, soapy water before we sit down to eat so everyone can wash their dishes as they finish eating. Because I'm helpful that way.<br />
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Do you ever feel fenced in by your own rules? How can you change them to break free from your fences?<br />
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<br />Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-48627047918258416392013-11-02T13:09:00.000-07:002013-11-02T13:09:47.975-07:00Halloween!<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I cannot believe my last post was in July. That's so sad. But my lack of posting is a testament to how busy we've been. A lot has changed in the past several months. I will spare you the details (for now) and just give the bullet points:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We moved. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I went part-time at work.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We pulled our boys out of public school and homeschool.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Ok. So that's only three changes, but they're all HUGE ones. And they all happened in a matter of weeks. I'm still reeling, unpacking, organizing, and trying to find my retainers. (If you happen to see them, will you please let me know?)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Anyway, what I really want to share today are pictures from Halloween! It was SugarPlum's first Halloween, and probably the only one ever that she didn't have a say in her costume.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQxyzio-JrJOWEKeZRlA3xTKYQucAJrq1swKaGeo2tDacCgINjj2Zq0AXG4B1orl6Kze5rKeNq3CNxKgvoG1yIHxqEmUjFNvey_mBRLQVxLGGouDtNvQS0cDOLPfJN5STuoPjSh0Nlw/s1600/Untitled2.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisQxyzio-JrJOWEKeZRlA3xTKYQucAJrq1swKaGeo2tDacCgINjj2Zq0AXG4B1orl6Kze5rKeNq3CNxKgvoG1yIHxqEmUjFNvey_mBRLQVxLGGouDtNvQS0cDOLPfJN5STuoPjSh0Nlw/s320/Untitled2.jpeg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">This year we had a duck hunter, Batman, and Robin.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"> Hubby dressed as a busy Dad who had to work late, and then return to work after the celebrating was over. (Which was a huge bummer.) I went as a homeschool mom:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqdU8obTqW0rr4ZFuY561YJ_9gTyKaBLfLjVzFD-GM5VSiKwiHaQCkL0PJn6ZOBbLS7VMAdTtX1zwMldaOZEZm11Uff-dbV-M_iw21qR0ixRgZOUZ4jH56gZC7jHwTtyCSk7WOzNBRA/s1600/IMG_4942.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqdU8obTqW0rr4ZFuY561YJ_9gTyKaBLfLjVzFD-GM5VSiKwiHaQCkL0PJn6ZOBbLS7VMAdTtX1zwMldaOZEZm11Uff-dbV-M_iw21qR0ixRgZOUZ4jH56gZC7jHwTtyCSk7WOzNBRA/s320/IMG_4942.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">easiest. costume. ever. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><br />I was already wearing the mismatched pajamas, teether clipped to my shirt, and messy topknot hairdo (complete with pencils). I just added a few extra Cheerios to my hair, and I was ready to go! Am I the only homeschool mom who feels this way?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We partied with Hubby's family, trick or treated, and consumed way too much sugar.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">Here are a few more images of our festivities (which pretty well lasted all month long).</span><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUUkA78fBO-Wi8SwWnyTxtLMh84PYJ229xIVA20dtINtt3K_CqGiTKVwjWISzle7psTm6DwLsC_NXjp3kLBb4QWX4XD_kaNhViRj5ZfL5y4Rifovh1a30cs6dksgFFD9QDVphN4SyUw/s1600/IMG_4903.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizUUkA78fBO-Wi8SwWnyTxtLMh84PYJ229xIVA20dtINtt3K_CqGiTKVwjWISzle7psTm6DwLsC_NXjp3kLBb4QWX4XD_kaNhViRj5ZfL5y4Rifovh1a30cs6dksgFFD9QDVphN4SyUw/s320/IMG_4903.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We managed to get a little decorating done...</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVShoDSM5WZ1azhb2C3GfFvN_vizRKqoYb537JEVyAoWTe1t5W-PFuDNlQRPH9g-H98XqrTk_DPrdaatjNAO8H4LkIwsjA2M1wEXyRAnYSU-AP8v9Sy1CPudRo-KsY8oVq4mn0PcfOjA/s1600/IMG_4927.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVShoDSM5WZ1azhb2C3GfFvN_vizRKqoYb537JEVyAoWTe1t5W-PFuDNlQRPH9g-H98XqrTk_DPrdaatjNAO8H4LkIwsjA2M1wEXyRAnYSU-AP8v9Sy1CPudRo-KsY8oVq4mn0PcfOjA/s320/IMG_4927.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">I am always in charge of the deviled eggs at family events!</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTptnqo5oeKUAPNhxbNGML5_n2_LKfy-GESaA3r69LBT-VVoEfw6K-FUMSffSHygaTvdn4BXKkGrxl6dcfgntS8019kcy6_6c8glx_kWkduW-ZWPgDmzQmV7Bim72M-0gmzZ8pxTmTw/s1600/IMG_4935.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTptnqo5oeKUAPNhxbNGML5_n2_LKfy-GESaA3r69LBT-VVoEfw6K-FUMSffSHygaTvdn4BXKkGrxl6dcfgntS8019kcy6_6c8glx_kWkduW-ZWPgDmzQmV7Bim72M-0gmzZ8pxTmTw/s320/IMG_4935.JPG" width="240" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">SugarPlum actually kept her headband on (for a while, anyway).</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzhkP0EdYkR1DzE-9Qk6BVttfb5I0kTrZxxKPg2oaUmP2LmUBuuGHIC74hsBvgwZNH5vWvRGJlYDuEJLbEIKhyAsEDsEJ33n3x3vQydlsGPrIH8jqRJx-JDmsuIwsoLYauaucUiOYUg/s1600/IMG_4945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpzhkP0EdYkR1DzE-9Qk6BVttfb5I0kTrZxxKPg2oaUmP2LmUBuuGHIC74hsBvgwZNH5vWvRGJlYDuEJLbEIKhyAsEDsEJ33n3x3vQydlsGPrIH8jqRJx-JDmsuIwsoLYauaucUiOYUg/s320/IMG_4945.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">We did a few great fine motor activities and decorated the mantel.</span></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-X9tCpK9tDngvd71XTiuMFgGD-1h8BkCe85ibh9chzRbXMw72CYV96vYyniOK642ynl2pdz0OvGerHfxJwtVXQ7i07KIbguGz7gS44z83JJo_6ciFchKKuKW9yl0lGe-Uui6ZG5VsQ/s1600/IMG_4946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY-X9tCpK9tDngvd71XTiuMFgGD-1h8BkCe85ibh9chzRbXMw72CYV96vYyniOK642ynl2pdz0OvGerHfxJwtVXQ7i07KIbguGz7gS44z83JJo_6ciFchKKuKW9yl0lGe-Uui6ZG5VsQ/s320/IMG_4946.JPG" width="320" /></a></span></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;">October + science = making slime.</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: "Courier New",Courier,monospace;"><i>What did you do for Halloween???</i></span></div>
Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-89953636247368266232013-06-28T21:22:00.002-07:002013-06-28T21:22:40.589-07:00A Baptism!Our beautiful baby girl was baptized last Saturday evening. It was a lovely ceremony, and our new pastor even used her baptism as the base for his sermon. It was so wonderful to see our daughter begin her journey of faith. <br />
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She has two godmothers: her Aunt Angie (my sister in law) and her Aunt Becca (my life-long best friend. Seriously - we've literally been best friends since I was born.) Both are strong women of faith, and I know that they will lovingly guide her through matters of faith and morality.<br />
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After church, our fmaily came back to our house for the three F's: Family, Fellowship, and Food.<br />
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One of my little sisters is a professional photographer, so all of our important events are recorded beautifully. You can see the wonderful video she made <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mZ8b_RccQc&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">here</a>. And for specifics on Kinsye's gown and bonnet, check out my <a href="http://keowdieknits.blogspot.com/2013/06/antique-baptism-gown.html" target="_blank">knit blog</a>. In the mean time, I'll leave you with a couple of photos of our adorable baby from her photo shoot this afternoon.<br />
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<br />Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-36760561193842114952013-02-12T08:37:00.002-08:002017-02-02T14:11:34.444-08:00The Brick!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
Just because I'm feeling weird today. I stumbled upon this while tidying up my laptop.<br />
<br />
I made this video for a class I took a couple of years ago. Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-61660041388360987182012-07-03T13:59:00.000-07:002012-07-04T07:44:12.138-07:00Try it Out Tuesday - Banana "Ice Cream"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Since we are preparing for our Independence Day BBQ, I went with something simple this week: a recipe.<br />
<br />
For ice cream.<br />
<br />
That uses two ingredients (neither of them is or cream),<br />
<br />
And... it's healthy.<br />
<br />
You can find the original pin on my "In the Kitchen" board <a href="http://pinterest.com/keowdie/in-the-kitchen/" target="_blank">HERE</a>. And you can find the original post <a href="http://permanentlyplastic.tumblr.com/post/7766521660" target="_blank">HERE</a>.<br />
<br />
So, what are the two ingredients?<br />
1) frozen bananas<br />
2) peanut butter (optional)<br />
<br />
<b>In a Nutshell:</b><br />
You peel and cut a banana into smallish pieces; put it in the freezer for about an hour; put it in your blender & pulse until it turns crumby (literally); continue to blend until it turns creamy. Enjoy.<br />
<br />
<b>Modifications I Made:</b></div>
<ul>
<li>I didn't peel & cut up the bananas before I froze them. My solution
for bananas that are slightly past their prime but still okay to eat is
to put them in the freezer. Peel and all. (Because I'm very <strike>lazy</strike> efficient like that.) </li>
</ul>
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<ul>
<li>I had to add a little milk because I originally tried it in my Magic Bullet, but it dislikes certain textures. Even after the milk, I had to transfer it to my actual blender. By this time, the bananas had defrosted a bit, and the final consistency was more pudding-ish. My boys still absolutely loved it.</li>
</ul>
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<b>For the Win:</b></div>
<ul>
<li>My dudes loved this stuff!</li>
<li>This is a tasty-but-healthy recipe that is actually both tasty and healthy.</li>
<li>My kids decided that I am (or was, at least for an hour or so) completely cool. Since it is completely healthy, I made this for the boys to go with their breakfast, which made it even better because, seriously, what UN-cool mom would serve pudding for breakfast?</li>
<li>Now that I know the Magic Bullet <strike>will give me attitude</strike> dislikes this particular recipe, it will be really simple & quick to make.</li>
<li>I absolutely hate - and I mean HATE bananas - the smell, texture, feel on my fingers, taste - ugh. <i>The thought makes me shudder & gag</i>. This recipe is a WIN because frozen bananas do not feel or smell like bananas.</li>
</ul>
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<b>#FailFactors:</b></div>
<ul>
<li>I absolutely hate - and I mean HATE bananas. I can't even swallow them because they come right back up. So I didn't get to enjoy this particular treat.</li>
<li>My kids are going to want this all the time, so I'm going to have to stockpile nearly-spoiled bananas in the freezer.</li>
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<b>Would I Do This Again?</b><br />
Yes. In fact, I'm pretty sure the boys are going to request it for breakfast or snack tomorrow! <br />
<br />
<i>Do you have any tasty-but-healthy treats that you enjoy?</i><br />
<br />
Don't forget to check out my Try it Out Tuesday counterpart, Becca. You'll find her over at <a href="http://theroadfromtheretohere.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">A Long and Winding Road.</a></div>
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</div>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-51120683516295117982012-04-06T15:56:00.000-07:002012-04-06T15:56:42.005-07:00Miscarriage, or, How I got My First Broken Heart<div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;">This is a post four months in the making. Actually, I think it's going to have to be a series of posts because there is a lot of stuff bouncing around in my brain. My hope is that, in sharing my story and some of my thoughts and feelings, I might somehow help someone out there who is going or has gone through a miscarriage. <br />
<br />
Because, y'all, it is not something to go through without a little help. I was blessed to have a lot of support, and I don't mind telling you that some of that support came from people and places I did not expect. I appreciated every little well-wish, prayer, note, text and bit of advice and wisdom I received. I especially appreciated the women who shared with me the stories of their own loss through miscarriage. I'm part of that club now; the club that nobody wants to be a part of. I found the others here to be incredibly supportive.<br />
<br />
Most of the people who read my blog already know the story (since I am either related to or married to most of my small readership). But, just in case you have stumbled across this purple brick road from somewhere other than my family tree, I will share the story of how I came to experience my first real broken heart.<br />
<br />
Matt and I already have two fantastic sons, and we talked about maybe having another baby eventually. But it had always been a decision to be made later. Then, in October (while Matt was out of town for a five day bike trip) I discovered that the good Lord had taken the decision out of our hands. I was pregnant! I was excited. I was scared. I was a little frustrated at having to wait FOUR MORE DAYS to tell my husband. I had been faithfully taking The Pill. (By the way, that statement on the little insert that talks about oral contraceptives being 99.8% effective? They are not kidding.) But there they were. Two very clear, pink lines.<br />
<br />
When Matt came home, I told him. We told the boys. We told our families. We went to the doctor and got the first ultrasound. The picture of what our four year old called, "a splotch" went up on the fridge. <br />
<br />
And time marched on.<br />
<br />
We got a second ultrasound, saw the heart beat and even saw a little wiggle. We told our bosses and coworkers. We started to throw around some names. We nicknamed the baby "iBaby version 3.0." (actually, the baby's godmother to be came up with that one!)<br />
<br />
And time marched on.<br />
<br />
I went in for a third ultrasound because there was some question about the due date. Matt went to work that day, I went to the doctor's office. It was routine. My biggest concern that morning was whether I could finally get an abdominal ultrasound, or if I would have to "drop trou" again. Ahem. I walked in, joking and laughing. We tried the belly, but couldn't get a good picture. I changed out of my pants and into a large napkin, and the doctor started the ultrasound. Size looked good; we were narrowing down the due date!<br />
<br />
And then time stopped.<br />
<br />
There was no wiggle. No flutter. No heartbeat. iBaby was gone. The doctor was very kind, although he used words like "blighted ovum" and "25% chance" and "chromosomal abnormality." I think. I'm not sure. It was hard to hear him over the very loud voice in my brain that kept yelling, "THIS IS NOT HAPPENING. THIS IS NOT HAPPENING." I made the very long walk to the other end of the medical complex to get a better ultrasound. A tech and another doctor were very kind as they delivered the same verdict using many of the same words. They gave me a picture and sent me on my way. <br />
<br />
I was numb. I barely cried during that hour. My brain had a hard time accepting this information. The whole time, I had a text-versation going with my husband and my best friend. Both offered to meet me at the office, but what could they do? I was holding it together, mostly out of shock. I kept thinking that someone would catch me in the hall or call me and say that they were sorry because it had all been a mistake, and what were the odds of two different ultrasound machines in two different offices breaking on the very same day... </div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;">Matt met me at home and we talked. We hugged. We prayed. I cried. A lot. We planned. We had to figure out how to fit this into our life, our family. We had to tell everyone. We had to tell our boys. I had to schedule a DNC because it seemed that my body was as unwilling to accept this news and let go as my brain had been. <br />
<br />
And time marched on.<br />
<br />
Three days later, I had the DNC. My doctor was kind enough to forgo describing exactly what the procedure entailed. I didn't want to know. I still don't. That morning was hard. I woke up with a baby in me, and I went to bet empty. In more ways than one.<br />
<br />
And time has marched on.<br />
<br />
I'm okay with it now. Four months and a lot of reading, crying and praying later, I can honestly say, "I am okay with my miscarriage." This does not mean that I'm not still sad. Or that my heart isn't broken anymore. Or that I don't sometimes turn my face to God and ask "why did you give me this?" I still cry. I still think about it every day. My heart still hurts.<br />
<br />
They say time heals all wounds. They are mistaken. Some wounds never heal. This is one of them. For the rest of my days on this earth, I will have this break in my heart. It is not healing with time. <br />
<br />
But, with time and prayer, I am learning to live with it. I might even be learning to be thankful for it. But that's a post for another day...<br />
<br />
</div>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-33849090115824195002012-03-12T01:15:00.000-07:002012-03-11T08:09:55.505-07:00A Rainbow of Blessings!<div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;">The month of March has inspired us to think about rainbows! Winter is receding and color is returning to our world. </div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;"><br />
</div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;">Our Family Faith theme this month is <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>"<span style="color: red;">A</span> <span style="color: orange;">Ra</span><span style="color: yellow;">inb</span><span style="color: lime;">ow</span> <span style="color: blue;">of </span><span style="color: purple;">Blessings</span>."</i></b></span><br />
<br />
This is along the same lines as 1,000 Gifts, but we are listing blessings as a family. And we are using the rainbow to learn that blessings come in all different shades. I am encouraging the boys to find blessings in unexpected places, and in unexpected shapes and colors.<br />
<br />
Every day we each name a blessing we noticed during our day. I write each on a piece of paper, the boys choose a ribbon, and then post it on the pantry door. The photos below we're taken last week, so we've added several blessings since then.<br />
<br />
This has also provided a great opportunity to review the story of Noah, and to talk about why God set His rainbow in the sky. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh806msuz0DaOoC5QqgdcXJb8U-d_sFhtQY5MW-X95Xst3nGAdS36_EVDcINQMXxvGNd8CMPue_nNadaEf1Jgvd-bkbQogFkgu69SL4Tf5yZOCyyCaTeGqfXcrxv7tLrs7cPOyS2fJi5Q/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh806msuz0DaOoC5QqgdcXJb8U-d_sFhtQY5MW-X95Xst3nGAdS36_EVDcINQMXxvGNd8CMPue_nNadaEf1Jgvd-bkbQogFkgu69SL4Tf5yZOCyyCaTeGqfXcrxv7tLrs7cPOyS2fJi5Q/" width="400" /></a></div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;">This is along the same lines as <a href="http://onethousandgifts.com/" target="_blank">1,000 Gifts,</a> but we are listing blessings as a family. And we are using the rainbow to learn that blessings come in all different shades. I am encouraging the boys to find blessings in unexpected places, and in unexpected shapes and colors.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBkmn-Df9yQX2f1VMhmD64W0EZuNhfs1SKisfMucrhxlB54hwGgTKamyvAILv-i6ywFj-Jc9g_MRAfrR0yTuEocUTl5048Fvt5-2ioVR6QI3bD3eyDon8WdcyX7cN70WGIIVPMUilLw/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkBkmn-Df9yQX2f1VMhmD64W0EZuNhfs1SKisfMucrhxlB54hwGgTKamyvAILv-i6ywFj-Jc9g_MRAfrR0yTuEocUTl5048Fvt5-2ioVR6QI3bD3eyDon8WdcyX7cN70WGIIVPMUilLw/" /></a></div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;"> Every day we each name a blessing we noticed during our day. I write each on a piece of paper, the boys choose a ribbon, and then post it on the pantry door. The photos below we're taken last week, so we've added several blessings since then.</div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_C797HPRZmMW7Fx3RLmcxgeJbaIscQoMLlrWES3XaQIcXTwmraiI21Mk8ypcA6YHethuuwe3jW3nAtxP3-3yZ4qMKfPryHFTjQAlDSoSVbzxxDu4FwMirBQHaAdmG_fF7_u2mQEQg9A/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_C797HPRZmMW7Fx3RLmcxgeJbaIscQoMLlrWES3XaQIcXTwmraiI21Mk8ypcA6YHethuuwe3jW3nAtxP3-3yZ4qMKfPryHFTjQAlDSoSVbzxxDu4FwMirBQHaAdmG_fF7_u2mQEQg9A/" /></a><br />
This has also provided a great opportunity to review the story of Noah, and to talk about why God set His rainbow in the sky. </div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;"><br />
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</div><div class="bloggerplus_image_section"></div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_image_section" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="bloggerplus_image_section"></div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_image_section" style="clear: both;"></div>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-47140270177207710832012-03-11T07:57:00.000-07:002012-03-11T07:57:42.069-07:00February "Love One Another" Recap<div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section" style="clear: both;">Well, February did not go quite as I had hoped it would. The goal was for each of us to do one act of love each day. <br />
<br />
I'm sorry to say that we didn't make that goal. We should have had 112 hearts posted by the end of the month, but we only had about 67 up there. </div><br />
<div class="bloggerplus_image_section"></div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_image_section" style="clear: both;"></div><div class="bloggerplus_image_section"></div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_image_section" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Q_sw9XFv1gIsjCfJ78xFYB6-OAzthD4MQ9j72155W479DLf1ewgi2SUIqty1KiwSSypz4v5VmR-pMSRuK-g1fr29RHmjoBUSt2zYiPVBa7Ihzxq1N0r99dfGTBuMs8z2D0gZGThUHg/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Q_sw9XFv1gIsjCfJ78xFYB6-OAzthD4MQ9j72155W479DLf1ewgi2SUIqty1KiwSSypz4v5VmR-pMSRuK-g1fr29RHmjoBUSt2zYiPVBa7Ihzxq1N0r99dfGTBuMs8z2D0gZGThUHg/" /></a></div>Acts of Love included things like:<br />
<ul><li>I let someone go in front of me at an intersection.</li>
<li>I helped a blind peer walk to the restroom.</li>
<li>I stood up for a friend who was being teased.</li>
<li>I was extra nice to someone who doesn't like me.</li>
<li>I made a car package for a woman who started chemo.</li>
<li>I left an anonymous note of encouragement on someone's desk.</li>
</ul><img height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmRKdS264lXskt5D8qx_8MwjMustmHh3dajFNMPI0uNGyDmsrLoaF2rn5cu2dUx2nzpZUsOLqZuoGT8-p7dGyAew78ae1HYoUUZ8G84gsqfXJ89qRkw_djag8_x57QzvGspMRc1dn_hg/" width="400" /><br />
I called this an epic fail because we fell so short of our goal, but my husband thought we should call this a "pretty good first try." We haven't done anything like this before, and I guess he's right. <br />
<br />
Plus, we'll have a couple more opportunities to do acts of kindness throughout the year. My plans have us rotating between finding blessings, giving thanks, finding beauty, and doing acts of kindness.<br />
</div>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-77661680397799940602012-01-28T09:56:00.000-08:002012-01-28T09:56:08.755-08:00Kids Say, part 2At breakfast this morning, Matt & I were discussing <a href="http://instagr.am/" target="_blank">Instagram</a>. (I'm keowdie, by the way.) We both love to share photos there, and were talking about some of the people we follow. The word "follow" was said quite a lot during this conversation (e.g. "Do you follow her? You should follow her," "I also follow him on Twitter. He's funny," and "who is that? Did they follow you back?")<br />
<br />
All at once, Riley (my three year old preschooler) jumps into the conversation and says,"We learned about that at school."<br />
<br />
We stopped and looked at him, and I said, "You learned about what at school? Instagram? Taking pictures?"<br />
<br />
"No," he said. "We learned about following. We learned to follow God."<br />
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Good Heavens, I love talking with my kids!Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-68656710347790502022011-12-12T13:35:00.000-08:002012-01-07T14:15:22.870-08:00How We StudyNow that Ty is in third grade, they have tests. <b>Real tests.</b> Over subjects like science and social studies. For a kid with ADHD, this is tough. He actually learns very little during the day at his public school. Most of what he learns is what we study at home.<br />
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<i>I like to call it "Home Schooling in an Hour a Day."</i><br />
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(Yeah... don't get me started. That is a topic for another post.)</span><i> </i><br />
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We use a multisensory approach to learning around here. I thought I would share some of the things we do to assist in learning.<br />
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<b>Movies</b>. I make movies and PowerPoint (or KeyNote, since we are a Mac family) presentations that cover the content of the current unit. I usually download images using Google Image Search. I also include narration as well as print. I use text to emphasize the most important words. Sometimes I draw my own diagrams or pictures to illustrate a concept. I use the computer's built in camera or my iPhone camera to snap a photo of the drawing. This simulates a direct teaching session without me actually having to cover the material daily. He can watch the movie on his own, an then we do one of the following activities together.<br />
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<b>Little Questions:</b> We do this for all subjects. I leave a little question or math problem written on the bathroom mirror/sliding glass door/window in his room in dry erase marker. The next time Ty passes by, he sees it and solves the problem or answers the question. Then I check it and either write a happy response (if he got it right), or I call him in to discuss the error (if he got it wrong). We also have a small white board that I put questions or problems on and leave in the most peculiar places. He might find it tucked into his underwear drawer, in the refrigerator, rubber banded to the box of cereal, on the shelf where he keeps his Nintendo DS, etc. He writes his answer and brings it to me to check. Usually, when I put it where a leisure or fun item is stored, I have confiscated the fun item so that he must answer the question and bring it to me in order to get that item. He gets it as long as he answers the question to the best of his ability and with a good attitude. <br />
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<b>Quiz cards:</b> Ty's teacher sends home a study guide for all science and social studies tests. I make flash cards with a question on one side & the answer on the other. He will look through them on his own and then I quiz him aloud. To make this a more sensory friendly activity, we usually do the quizzing while taking a walk, or while Ty fidgets on his rocker board, etc. <br />
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<b>Jokes and Examples:</b> <i>People learn best when learning is fun</i>. People also learn best when concepts can be related back to real life. In all of the materials I make for Ty, I try to include examples that he can easily relate to, and things that make him smile. For example, in a recent science test, he had to name three living things and three nonliving things. The examples I put on the flash card for nonliving things was "rock, paper, scissors."<br />
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<b>Games:</b> I make lots of games up for curriculum content. It goes back to that whole "learning should be fun" thing. Currently, we are using a game I call "Jump To" for science. This unit covers carnivores, herbivores, consumers, producers, etc. I took several sheets of scrap paper and wrote the name of one animal on each one. Then I spread them out on the floor of our living room and give instructions like, "Jump to a carnivore," or "Tippytoe to an omnivore." when he starts to learn the information, we play in rounds, where I take turns following his directions, too. He tells me if I'm right or wrong. I purposely get some of them wrong, and when I do, he has to tell me why I'm wrong and what the correct answer would have been in order to "steal" that point from me.<br />
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<b>When these aren't enough</b>: I add an extra layer of sensory input. Tyson is what we in the special education community might call a "pressure junkie." He fidgets, jumps, crashes into my [poor] furniture, etc. in an attempt to gain pressure sensations into his nerves. So, adding support objects such as weighted blankets or lap pads, rolling him up tightly in a big blanket, sitting on a big fitness ball, etc. help him stop fidgeting enough to focus. We also do things like "pushes," where we stand facing each other, touch hands in front and he pushes on me. He gets these as a reinforcer for working hard or getting a really tough question right. His goal is to push on my hands with enough force to make me step backwards. He also recently learned to stand on his head (while leaning against a wall) so I will often quiz him or take dictation for a writing assignment while he's upside down. I know it sounds crazy, but he is so calm and still, and he just seems to focus and think better that way.<br />
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Of course, sometimes I can do all this and he's still climbing the walls. When this happens, I just go with it. My dad just about had a heart attack when he saw the picture below, but as the mother of a child with ADHD, I have to be<br />
Flexible-Go-With-The-Flow-And-Do-Whatever-We-Need-To-Get-The-Task-Done-Mom.<br />
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So, this is how Tyson studied for his science test last week. I quizzed him, and he pretty much stayed this way the whole time.<br />
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<i>So, how do you help your kids study for tests?</i>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-5566755959284125752011-07-21T04:00:00.000-07:002011-07-21T04:00:00.195-07:00How to......make mostly useful stuff from things you might normally throw out.<br />
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This week we are talking about fire starters. We enjoy pausing on our journey down the purple brick road to enjoy family camping trips and hunting seasons. One of the most important parts of camping is the camp fire, but sometimes its the most difficult part to get going. This is especially true when kindling is scarce or the wood is damp.<br />
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There are lots of different ways to make fire starters, and this one uses something that you normally throw in the trash:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhd0hiOlGXHbrsDUFxhdjrktBW_6bdA3lRMtxRqSQ_O0XSC791kizL_KCQ6XslOjUr7daNxLTWOuakx1x_iKWhNdjiVtggeMJLxFeghgO63iycEDLGdaTaL_GQQIvct2EQJ-qQ4X7a6w/s1600/DSC_3448.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhd0hiOlGXHbrsDUFxhdjrktBW_6bdA3lRMtxRqSQ_O0XSC791kizL_KCQ6XslOjUr7daNxLTWOuakx1x_iKWhNdjiVtggeMJLxFeghgO63iycEDLGdaTaL_GQQIvct2EQJ-qQ4X7a6w/s320/DSC_3448.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>That's right! It's your dryer lint!!! (And in our case a bit of dog hair. Sorry about that.) It's largely made up of cotton fibers. If you're a mom, it probably also includes shredded tissues, Legos, silly putty, paper clips, bugs and playground pea gravel. That's okay. Just do your best to pick the big stuff out.<br />
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WARNING: <br />
Now, I should tell you that this project requires a stove, and involves the pouring of hot wax. Like, really hot, melted wax. In these situations, I find that a little common sense goes a long way, so please be very careful and keep kids at a safe distance for the more dangerous parts. <br />
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We used a cardboard egg carton, dryer lint and some candle wax. This wax was given to me (read: it was free), but you could also use the stuff that's left over from burnt up candles. Just scrape it out and save it.<br />
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I melted the wax in a soup can, using the <strike>redneck</strike> <strike>hoosier</strike> do-it-yourself double boiler method.<br />
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Meanwhile, the boys rolled pieces of lint into little balls. They placed these in each space of the egg carton.<br />
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I placed the linted egg carton onto a foil-covered cookie sheet, then poured the hot wax over the lint and into each little cup. (The wax is really hot, so the boys did not get to help with this step.)<br />
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I set them aside to let them cool for a good, long while.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8Q4q8oclH7ndJgYohRgaiS6gMa9wWvv0yn-L7ewocV4cLwDURJfvEJtQ0Nl5PlBNAlDs02aPiGJfkgqGroQF9mqdT875hbmYAsn1sx49PSLqkehqi-bi6Bhef5HhKK5gd7ktGXZe8w/s1600/DSC_3449.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF8Q4q8oclH7ndJgYohRgaiS6gMa9wWvv0yn-L7ewocV4cLwDURJfvEJtQ0Nl5PlBNAlDs02aPiGJfkgqGroQF9mqdT875hbmYAsn1sx49PSLqkehqi-bi6Bhef5HhKK5gd7ktGXZe8w/s320/DSC_3449.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>All that's left to do is cut the sections apart and pack them away for our next several camping trips. If you are a super-prepared-for-anything type of person, you could also put a couple of these in a water tight bag with some matches in your 72 hour pack.<br />
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When it comes time to light the campfire, you just put one under your pile of kindling and light the cardboard. the lint acts like a wick and the wax gives you a flame that burns long enough to get a fire going.<br />
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<i>Please always use caution around fires. You should only light a camp fire outdoors inside a cleared and ringed area with sand/water nearby. Never allow children to run or play around fires, and never, ever leave kids unattended around a fire. Especially if they are creative and adventurous boys with a unique curiosity and ability to challenge the laws of physics. </i><br />
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<i>Remember the old commercial: "Smokey the Bear says only YOU can prevent forest fires."</i>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-17825776290583148652011-07-16T04:00:00.000-07:002011-07-16T04:00:01.722-07:00A Visitor!We have a visitor currently residing in our kitchen!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrl_SLOcaC_cue2xtFPhjgSWytVDMcdcdT27cWZuO2Tb566bxe1Tgt2fKkuhT2UsYDi5CfKR1YeoWmqbOCkapXHMTH_g9_wsCdiIZ6IUogShmbbpr4FzJhD-vnR_FZheEpsJekJvutXg/s1600/chrysalis+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrl_SLOcaC_cue2xtFPhjgSWytVDMcdcdT27cWZuO2Tb566bxe1Tgt2fKkuhT2UsYDi5CfKR1YeoWmqbOCkapXHMTH_g9_wsCdiIZ6IUogShmbbpr4FzJhD-vnR_FZheEpsJekJvutXg/s320/chrysalis+1.jpg" width="306" /></a></div> Can you tell what it is?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpUvt5guz-0zcYFYZP5-5aOM8YlO8PuzD0b-FQvW0_TUNA0YPOdfiYtUf_kuhfdLaM7w7ESmL_7zfw3Rd71nT3c_IgoSntnh7PT8Ug2GP4Qf2PZ6NweP6Vai6Ica93VO6tdku6XAFQQ/s1600/chrysalis+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpUvt5guz-0zcYFYZP5-5aOM8YlO8PuzD0b-FQvW0_TUNA0YPOdfiYtUf_kuhfdLaM7w7ESmL_7zfw3Rd71nT3c_IgoSntnh7PT8Ug2GP4Qf2PZ6NweP6Vai6Ica93VO6tdku6XAFQQ/s320/chrysalis+2.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>It looks like a little stick or piece of wood. It used to be a greenish-brown caterpillar. And soon it will (hopefully) be a beautiful butterfly!<br />
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The boys named it Mrs. Magnificent. Although its been 10 days of waiting. and waiting. and waiting.<br />
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It's very hard to wait. I thought this type of caterpillar would pupate in a week, but now I'm thinking maybe its the variety that pupates for a month. So we could have more waiting in our near future. and waiting.<br />
and waiting...Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-61408843657682070092011-07-14T18:19:00.000-07:002011-07-14T18:19:48.275-07:00How to......make useful items out of ordinary household byproducts.<br />
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I am all about saving money. I clip coupons; I shop sales; I insist that my family eat leftovers before they spoil; I enjoy garage sales and consignment shops; and I am all about reusing/re-purposing stuff. To me, one of the most important steps to saving money is to make use of what you already have, and to avoid waste whenever possible.<br />
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We here on the Purple Brick Road have been looking for new and interesting ways to reuse household byproducts that might normally be thrown out. Now, I'm not talking about going so far as to compost using human waste, or to stuff my sagging couch cushions with crinkly newspaper. But, I think I've got enough to make an interesting series, so this will be the first of several.<br />
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Today I'm talking air fresheners.<br />
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A couple of weeks ago, I cleaned out my spice cabinet. I ended up with a depressing amount of expired spices. And I don't mean "This expired last month," either. I'm talking about, "Ohmygosh, this container of cloves is older than my firstborn child!"<br />
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I absolutely hated the idea of just tossing all of those little plastic spice containers. So, I decided to re-purpose the them. (<i>Confession time: I might have a <strike>totally freakish and very serious problem</strike> slight obsession with containers.</i>) These are great little containers with different kinds of lids, perfect for bathtub and sandbox play, as well as sprinkling/containing glitter, small stickers, etc.<br />
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In order to make the emptying process faster, I got out my trusty trash bowl (read: a re-purposed margarine container) and started dumping. By the end of the project, I had lots of little containers for the boys... and a big bowl of yummy smelling spices that I couldn't cook with.<br />
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Coincidentally, I also recently cleaned out the boys' sock drawers, and I had a pile of mismatched and too-small socks. <br />
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So, I combined the two items and made sachets. I simply put a couple of large spoonfuls of the spices into each sock, then sewed the top closed just below the cuff. Then just to make them pretty, I tied the top of each with some ribbon remnants that I've been collecting pretty much forever.<br />
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I got a good number of sachets, and all it cost me was 45 minutes at my sewing machine. <br />
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These sachets were pretty potent, so I put one in each of my plastic shoe boxes, which I store in the garage, and which tend to acquire a certain aroma during summer months. I also dropped about four of them into Hubby's hockey bag, which wreaks so badly that it could probably be weaponized by the military and used as a weapon of mass destruction.<br />
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Not a bad use of items I almost threw in the trash. Stay tuned for some other money saving, re-purposing projects!Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-89168302957861114502011-07-11T17:25:00.001-07:002011-07-11T17:25:33.421-07:00Bye-Bye Tonsils! <p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>Well, Riley is short two tonsils & some adenoids now. But he gained two tubes in his ears. His procedure was this morning at 10:00, and we are now hanging out in his room. His tonsils were HUGEMONGOUS and he has sleep apnea, so we'll be staying overnight. <br><br>So far, he is taking this like a champ! He's been munching all day and so far he's had two slushees, most of a PB&J, some trail mix, apple juice, a little macaroni & cheese, a couple of chocolate covered pretzels, and some of his dad's chips. He's now scarfing down some pudding and fruit (with a couple more chocolate pretzels). He has watched Batman Begins and an entire DVD of vintage Tom & Jerry cartoons, and he's now watching Scooby Doo. Oh, and he took a nice, long nap earlier. <br><br>He wants his IV out and wants to go home now; his throat is a little sore; and his voice sounds funny. But he's doing really well.<br><br>I have to say a HUGE thank you to all of our family and friends, both near and far. All day I've received phone calls, tweets and Facebook comments expressing support and love, and telling us that the people we love have been praying for us. Thank you all for your prayers. <br>We love you!</p></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='left' ><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvhU-JOm1441UaVe6gJHb-Kwf9Twu0iazVVJ7Tbw66pOBQmz8KIhGYiLv1wbMOuiWdci3WI5CmKbyBxastwTBiu9siZWTfxFVYGLO6xryeUFPaSforgm713j8LxQyp7W-vUvYpn-fsmw/' ></img></div></p>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-41589437411612939792011-07-06T04:54:00.000-07:002012-01-07T13:59:26.497-08:00Things I Never Thought I'd Hear Myself SayHave you ever heard yourself say something at the same time that everyone else in the room heard you say it? And have you ever been surprised to hear the words that came out of your mouth?<br />
<br />
The most popular example I can think of is that moment when you say something and then realize that you sound exactly like your mother/father/grandparent/caretaker. Sometimes that moment comes with an inner groan of, "Oh dear. I really <i>have</i> become my mother/father/grandparent/caretaker. I'm talking about that moment when you realize that you just gave the old, "I <i>will</i> turn this car around if you do not stop touching your brother," or "Because I said so," or, "Don't make me come up there!"<br />
<br />
I do that often, as I'm sure anyone who is a parent, step-parent, foster-parent, guardian, etc. does.<br />
<br />
And then sometimes there are those things I say that come flying in from left field. I have no idea where they come from, but they are often dictated by whatever is going on with the people around me (the usual suspects include my husband and kids, of course).<br />
<br />
Over the last week, I've said some amazing things. Things I never thought I would say in a million years. Here are some of my most shining moments from the week:<br />
<br />
<ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">"Dude. We do not put our penises on other people. It's rude." (This was followed by, "Yeah! And really weird," from my other son.) </span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">"Please stop <i>flogging</i> my refrigerator with a rubber snake." </span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">"Did you seriously just bonk my kid in the head <i>with a butter bottle</i>?"</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">"Why did you pee in the middle of your bedroom floor? <i>Batman</i> does not pee in the middle of <i>his</i> bedroom floor."</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">"Please do not <i>lick</i> the caterpillar. No, he does not like to be licked. It makes him sad."</span></li>
</ul><ul><li><span style="font-size: small;">"Oh, it's okay, Sweet Pea. Everyone falls into the toilet every now and then." </span></li>
</ul><br />
<br />
Is it me, or is there a running theme of private parts and bathroom-related comments? Such has my life become... just a string of bathroom-related comments.Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-90845151251680917352011-06-24T10:09:00.000-07:002012-01-07T14:13:02.131-08:00The Tortoise and the HareMake that "The <i><b>ADHESIVE</b></i> and the Hare."<br />
<br />
Actually, it was "The adhesive and the <i><b>HAIR</b></i>."<br />
<br />
Well, really it was more like, "The Adhesive <i><b>IN</b></i> the hair."<br />
<br />
Little Dude had to get a sleep study done. Because he isn't sleeping well. (Okay, that part might have been obvious.)<br />
<br />
He gets up a couple of times a night, which, as everyone knows, means Mommy gets up a couple of times a night. In fact, last month I felt like I had a newborn baby again. Except I didn't have the maternity leave and helpful family & friends around to make it bearable.<br />
<br />
Also, Little Dude sounds like Darth Vader when he does sleep. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gBIO01buOQ2auJCH7_u1CluDzNFg01hWLeoukirlb2eLxtL9C8rFAg1YED6-XpP-6bq_oTi_FwoBy7Ony-TLizp85_v87cF0B6uySPSi0t3eR75Rj19l_InEaCLs9K0Jf4Xp-TyuCA/s1600/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4gBIO01buOQ2auJCH7_u1CluDzNFg01hWLeoukirlb2eLxtL9C8rFAg1YED6-XpP-6bq_oTi_FwoBy7Ony-TLizp85_v87cF0B6uySPSi0t3eR75Rj19l_InEaCLs9K0Jf4Xp-TyuCA/s1600/images.jpg" /></a></div> It's sad. And loud. We can hear him through his closed door. When his door is open, we can hear him from the foot of the stairs. It's a little funny!<br />
<br />
But also, it's not so funny. I feel bad for the little guy. And now that I'm home for the summer, I feel bad for me. Because an interesting thing happens when you have a three year old who doesn't actually sleep: <i>they lose their freaking marbles</i>. (So does Mommy.) Seriously, he is extremely hyper and impulsive, prone to extreme tantrums and is having difficulty learning things that he should know by now. <br />
<br />
I know, I know. This sounds like every other three year old you've ever met. But think of the most hyperactive, impulsive and moody preschooler you've ever met.<br />
<br />
Now imagine that kid on meth. After downing three espresso's and a case of Red Bull. <br />
<br />
Welcome to our family!<br />
<br />
So, we took him for a sleep study. (Actually, Matt took him for the "sleepover," but I scheduled it and filled out all the paperwork.) <br />
<br />
This is an interesting experience. Have you ever had one? They attached about 50 censors to Riley. He had them wrapped around his chest and belly, taped to his arms, knees and face, and glued to his head. GLUED. To his HEAD. Over his HAIR.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdSsRublFy5QuR7Gmjb9KqXDWB0OckoVx4NWfQR3oV3lGUn51-q6gQTmrT2JQBukDSoNdRMr2yte8b1pLDH7n1FXoyM4foPNcJVt6iV2guhwEKUDhovBYU7wTiCLuboMDCSWMgzArfA/" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdSsRublFy5QuR7Gmjb9KqXDWB0OckoVx4NWfQR3oV3lGUn51-q6gQTmrT2JQBukDSoNdRMr2yte8b1pLDH7n1FXoyM4foPNcJVt6iV2guhwEKUDhovBYU7wTiCLuboMDCSWMgzArfA/" /></a></div><div align="left" class="bloggerplus_text_section"><br />
His "do" was hysterical when he came home the next morning! It was sticking out all over his head, and it was really, really funny.<br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="bloggerplus_image_section"></div><div align="center" class="bloggerplus_image_section"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxMc_js5QmxZWGQdBFi_xUM9TSJYwgNusFaXojfhbhxDWhyphenhyphenaTq2QgVgRXzfzZRLx5RM39uZhF9NOK7RedYzcjXlSOeNCamE8Gmm_litBEtflzcVYPnOEhBbZNhTAjc5eIQew9wEnCZPQ/" /></div><div align="center" class="bloggerplus_image_section"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnWd2M2oYkKwPdflf1sJ_zdj1Z0YL9yB1h6P3NJ-nXyuq0RLodMmqEJykZg_pCcd6GjuJDGwBBiFh_zk6Hb4oTd5cWYsgRbEt7PZFaW8rMktlkgaaw8Nvn_bBUE5jAjsaXVE-TCPwhoQ/" /></div><div align="center" class="bloggerplus_image_section"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyHQwvWEvcTOkP72-lN7J192gmNWtBEjn-HGev6sq56GGjiIL4AD3pbZC4zTvFdYeb6o2yjCHtaOeZW61Gj0xHRrRciCOle4PrbG70MU_ARUFQVUKRb9ybKT439oPRf_qPURMSVxa4dQ/" /></div>It was really funny... Right up until the moment we tried to get it out of his hair. <br />
<br />
Did you know that sleep clinics use INDUSTRIAL strength glue to keep those little things stuck to kids? We tried the special wipes they gave us, but they weren't very useful. We tried a couple of other things, and settled on baby oil as the best sticky-stuff-remover. After a lot of rubbing and scrubbing with the baby oil, we figured there couldn't be much glue left in his hair, so we shampooed him. <br />
<br />
Lather, Rinse, Repeat. <br />
<br />
Repeat. <br />
<br />
Repeat. <br />
<br />
Repeat.<br />
<br />
The great thing about having boys is that they are dirt magnets, so by the end of the day, it was easy to see all the spots we had missed on his skin.<br />
<br />
And by the next morning, it was apparent that we had removed neither all the glue nor the baby oil from his hair.<br />
<br />
And this leads me to one of the other great things about boys. They look awesome with short hair. Really short. That has been unceremoniously shaved off in the bathroom by a frustrated mother wielding fourteen year old clippers that make a really annoying sound.<br />
<br />
He hates it, and I've promised him that he can grow it back out. For now we're calling it his "summer hair."<br />
<br />
What do you think?</div><br />
<br />
<div align="center" class="bloggerplus_image_section"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-y0MN41PFe_k9-T1BiEeTIaXT374yaD1-aPc0u5NTOuwvy-BtZ49kDpEw-MKmT9YEw7VQPztrBMPWx3YD4JLl7ngJWjUvZ6b759mJjOXtOwY_uttnbrOwJ7u-Iv2Gaib9q20i4UfJkg/" /></div>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-58897952718560073262011-06-22T14:41:00.001-07:002011-06-22T14:41:04.148-07:00A Weekend Away <p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='left'>I have to admit to being a "country girl" at heart. I dislike all things "city," and love forests, fields and fauna. If I could, I would have chickens, goats, a couple of sheep or alpacas and a hugemongous garden. Unfortunately, our neighborhood indentures and committees frown on these things, so for now I'm making due with a smallish garden, wool purchased at local yarn stores, and frequent camping trips.<br><br>Last weekend we went to a state park we hadn't visited before. We went to Graham Cave State Park. We loaded up the kids and an astonishing amount of normally forbidden junk foods, hooked up our little pop up trailer and headed out into the wild blue yonder. Sort of. The park was only about an hour and a half from our home, but in our part of Missouri, you can drive relatively short distances and be away from everyone and everything.<br><br>The weekend was fun. During the day. But both Friday and Saturday night brought us thunderstorms with high winds, a little hail, heavy rain and some scary moments. We found out Saturday morning that a funnel cloud had been spotted just 9 miles from our campground. And the end of each storm inspired prayers of thanks. Check these photos for some of the things we did:</p></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqzTwJQ3ak6P8YsGqRqm6FfPqhMKk2IpLmfJmBE_byR3-1F4g6kHfVNmxU6JAyKsIWkcH-RahK1oVU-0r18x71Lycqg_g74gQVSlSsuj1aNt_Zy_cmnvHjUjGrrnvJd9GUuHQlQdjbRg/' ></img></div></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccRYlHRv8SZ4MXW45LziXqikIGXh1hVEn83ux7pDBZ9VlXL5f2IXlzq6DZLuwaIrUGjZmLP0-UH4up2kQkjGItS7WPkf8WMjDr1litbNePYoxLwNbo9gzBAPAxs2B5cKvtRqqTuXrrw/' ></img></div></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdAyK29DYXirSEtEajwLsIDznlLH0SstgMg008-bOphZLmsqUkITNyBicBMNbCc3toxAFAkcmBk76j5TP9QL4hFMIsRVQSocCqG3krwB9WRZ36KXasuKDg_yFgMEh8TnM7nY9MUmNAiA/' ></img></div></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj70L1j17K4XCYWfBOUsQB-hxux4xYVxvem2ZLN-_CbBhmufJcSiDrSwriN5moeBfKl7ystHC8kRpRom0qDuL3MI5VrIpns2_bNrrM27EbSRg5Rb8lr_JKhYDr935YQFgfu1G8s7IzQaw/' ></img></div></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOsTmZED8V_iX9Rlsjmv7fyOVh2Y899eNgj8jrn0t-yYY2CoEPegmqQBahOY-7xa16nRKSqRVfc_NZkp2lPbcRav7kvhsV38ztAgolKjJBCAbXlwioRCIzFYLmvVRgGM-kNRyjaNMkKw/' ></img></div></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmWWfW4voEpnlFiznZvU40mmLDva1j5dsWKp-eVir3T7tWNHA3O92yHJf0r7xvypdLeIkRwy4PifeK3iJit6qHrWa2DgmpA0OAddItX1fZs76xRu1OH0Lgogs_ai8N0UNBFfWHyrDzWg/' ></img></div></p><p><div class='bloggerplus_image_section' align='center' ><img src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWrk7b4z9YsMTJLusZlwMT5UUHbLdGtWYNXiHJbQfUS5vm0CWwKhuGPbqHf0jXpLPBzotITPImfE9RWT74VW7Aj0HUCGizreVA0RrECUtvqH5WlC5pNBe_2V5aincS7EdA1AuO5CfqAA/' ></img></div></p>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-69514193834777516452011-06-15T13:59:00.001-07:002011-06-15T13:59:57.735-07:00Guilt Steals Joy... <p><p class='bloggerplus_text_section' align='center'>I recently read those words in Kristen Welch's awesome daily devotional "Don't Make Me Come Up There!" I'm enjoying this book quite a bit. Kristen has a wealth of wisdom, and a great sense of humor, about the everyday challenges of motherhood.<br><br>But really, those words ring true for everyone, whether you are a mother or not.<br><br>"Guilt Steals Joy."<br><br>I might have to incorporate that into my next tattoo. I definitely need a consistent reminder to let go of my guilt. We don't need to feel guilty when we sleep in on a Saturday. We don't need to feel guilty when we have that dessert after dinner (or before dinner for that manner). We don't need to feel guilty when we buy that pretty nail polish or purchase that large sweet tea (as in Kristen's case). We don't even need to feel guilty about those three boxes of Girl Scout cookies we have hidden in the chest freezer in the basement, conveniently tucked under a plastic bag clearly marked "chicken gizzards" (but which is actually full of some awesome wool for knitting)...<br><br>I'm sorry. Was that last one just me? I'm telling you, you can hide ANYTHING in a freezer under or behind a bag that says "chicken gizzards" and you are practically guaranteed that nobody in your family will go near it!<br><br>But I digress. When it comes to guilt, I have quite a bit of experience. I grew up with a mom who has a black belt in guilt. Although she used to heap a good helping of guilt on herself, she was like a ninja with the guilt. She'd sneak up on you, smack you with a healthy dose, and disappear in a puff of smoke without ever actually having been seen. Nowadays, she's a lot better about guilt in every way. I don't think she lugs as much around with her, and she very rarely sneaks it onto me (although I do occasionally get those voice mails about how I don't call or write, and she talks to my three sisters all the time, but she never hears from me, yada-yada-yada).<br><br>I have spent a lifetime feeling guilty about everything from that insensitive thing I said to a lady at the grocery store eight years ago to just plain not being as good as I thought God probably wanted me to be. I always assumed that I should feel guilty because I must be disappointing God in some way. Every minute of every day.<br><br>These days I'm getting better too. About the guilt. I still need to work on that whole keeping in touch thing. What can I say? I don't like to talk on the phone. Last year when I read the Bible in 90 Days, the biggest lesson I learned is that God is not who I thought He was. He is much better than I ever gave Him credit for. We don't have to drag all that joy stealing guilt around because Jesus already took it away. God created joy so that we could experience it. He wants us to have joy. He doesn't want us to simply exist with the joy stealing guilt monster looming in the back of our consciousness. He wants us to live with joy in our hearts. <br><br>So I have been choosing one thing each day that I feel guilty about. And I have been letting it go. <br><br>You should try it. It feels good!</p></p>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-873704528828563212011-06-08T10:28:00.000-07:002011-06-08T10:28:48.823-07:00Top Ways to Know Summer Break is Here:10. The cicadas have invaded Missouri and are wreaking havoc on my sanity. And my car.<br />
<br />
9. St. Louis has already experienced its first heat advisory.<br />
<br />
8. My neighbor's air conditioning hasn't stopped running in 7 weeks. <br />
<br />
7. My boys are sporting their "summer hair" (i.e. buzz cuts).<br />
<br />
6. I am sporting <i>my "</i>summer hair" (i.e. ponytails and twisty buns <u>every</u> day).<br />
<br />
5. My tennis racket has been freed of its bag and cleared of the cobwebs. (Yes, I have cobwebs in my garage... I know. That's a shocker.)<br />
<br />
4. My normally quiet house is filled with noisy boy sounds all. day. long.<br />
<br />
3. My normally delightful-smelling home suddenly has an air of sweaty dogs (and boys). <br />
<br />
2. I am suddenly getting lots of <strike>cleaning/organizing</strike> knitting projects done.<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>And the number one way to know summer break is here:</i></span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">I'M BACK TO BLOGGING!!!!!!!<i> </i></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">My school year job might drag me (kicking and screaming) from my blog, but summer break mostly leaves me alone to share my extremely <strike>interesting</strike> <strike>crazy</strike> blessed life with my friends & family who live far away. (And those who live close, but who apparently lack enough things to do and feel compelled to read this <strike>masterpiece</strike> train wreck despite having actual social contact with me on a monthly/weekly/daily basis. Yes, I said <i>daily. </i>Feel sad for those people.</span>)</div>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-87386936555806755912011-01-31T13:20:00.000-08:002011-01-31T13:20:01.842-08:00Brace Yourselves!Mostly, that's what we're doing today, anyway. Apparently a huge ice/sleet/snow storm is on it's way to St. Louis.<br />
<br />
Bread, milk & eggs are flying off grocery store shelves.<br />
<br />
Hardware stores are sold out of every kind of snow shovel, ice scraper and bag of salt.<br />
<br />
Gas stations are busy, with people trying to fill up their cars before Hades freezes over.<br />
<br />
Big box stores are out of generators, kerosene heaters and lanterns.<br />
<br />
They are predicting .5 to 1 inch of ice, followed by 3 to 12 inches of snow, followed by winds gusting up to 40 mph.<br />
<br />
The biggest problem will be the ice. A half inch of ice puts an additional 50 lbs of weight onto above-ground power lines & tree branches. When the wind comes later, that will mean lots of broken power lines and many, many homes & businesses without power.<br />
<br />
We are ready. We've got lanterns, ice melt, lots of food and a gas fireplace. We're prepared to hunker down for a few days. If we don't lose power, I'm sure I'll be posting about it.<br />
<br />
And then again, everyone knows that the meteorologists in St. Louis are right about 55% of the time, so it could do absolutely nothing tonight. I'll let you know tomorrow!Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-64004268705709885362011-01-20T09:18:00.000-08:002011-01-20T09:18:10.842-08:00Winter Visit<div style="text-align: center;"><i>When the snow falls quiet,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggljVLjQZIrtsXcxn0RNe0cktnfr499c2vVCUOsGEXqh7_7mSOfT73QhH85GWnoPeL3jw7kMZUczvY0du0i3vIN-2hgRcJZkfp3sg7onRyTwBCEliwq2KP06i58Cjf-tIRyQ__FY-qLA/s1600/DSC_2562.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggljVLjQZIrtsXcxn0RNe0cktnfr499c2vVCUOsGEXqh7_7mSOfT73QhH85GWnoPeL3jw7kMZUczvY0du0i3vIN-2hgRcJZkfp3sg7onRyTwBCEliwq2KP06i58Cjf-tIRyQ__FY-qLA/s400/DSC_2562.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>we put out the tray of seed.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Kr9SUwCcqBiyo8SpIJpzOwO072Zai7PkFkGogDDJjCxCI57d-CkHp_rkfEle0Nib_95YX6u5yriME8scfYfVeKI8DtlLUDstzvM_2J3f9HRyNPC0OsRrIJ0lb98jPrswF9y1G2zpFg/s1600/DSC_2563.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Kr9SUwCcqBiyo8SpIJpzOwO072Zai7PkFkGogDDJjCxCI57d-CkHp_rkfEle0Nib_95YX6u5yriME8scfYfVeKI8DtlLUDstzvM_2J3f9HRyNPC0OsRrIJ0lb98jPrswF9y1G2zpFg/s400/DSC_2563.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>And a host of God's small creatures</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kZDj54Phko6ti0S0kmmjqWzprggnGjKRFph5yhQuHcMpZyNdCIiP8eHCHxhiDFwnm4NEGHl_8lqLbyCgozqN7DRvGZfTAhOXv12I2OrF69n9HYVPl1q9d7uMchK22SO_0sP9LvEE3A/s1600/DSC_2564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1kZDj54Phko6ti0S0kmmjqWzprggnGjKRFph5yhQuHcMpZyNdCIiP8eHCHxhiDFwnm4NEGHl_8lqLbyCgozqN7DRvGZfTAhOXv12I2OrF69n9HYVPl1q9d7uMchK22SO_0sP9LvEE3A/s400/DSC_2564.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>come to visit for a while.</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QTd6leSTsjYlXeLPHXBMsgdLp5pe_Dxq3EnWZNipJOKs2gzAotFlqd8ArW7gCKM3oMMaA7WJL4efXfC9DdW8OVPMYxR74FnTp2Iv9gaX9UFXitaEDAGekC73Dpmaf9G4wUTHjO0sDA/s1600/DSC_2565.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5QTd6leSTsjYlXeLPHXBMsgdLp5pe_Dxq3EnWZNipJOKs2gzAotFlqd8ArW7gCKM3oMMaA7WJL4efXfC9DdW8OVPMYxR74FnTp2Iv9gaX9UFXitaEDAGekC73Dpmaf9G4wUTHjO0sDA/s400/DSC_2565.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>Thankful for what they receive,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsSUZGT1TXzpjI-b0SQAvqkkQfXUWhyphenhyphenLbONoYENW25Mb_NpriI9nzWnzEdqcBywL8KWIbVkDxUrgFbGjpNKyOeUHq2cm6Nux3vo7wsbHA1FtSGU20nxbax99gNuolNzYU6FRfk96QyA/s1600/DSC_2566.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQsSUZGT1TXzpjI-b0SQAvqkkQfXUWhyphenhyphenLbONoYENW25Mb_NpriI9nzWnzEdqcBywL8KWIbVkDxUrgFbGjpNKyOeUHq2cm6Nux3vo7wsbHA1FtSGU20nxbax99gNuolNzYU6FRfk96QyA/s400/DSC_2566.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>they commune with each other,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqy_dNzjAgLP2SEG-J2PtsPyUTM3gjpuEurL2y7So1-SJSD2Cr4sVEy5mKfW_d5NiNxWiOt2uPkXi6ZMJy15jnmEDYdtiBw2pZLGi5fbTpbY5_YQUPekDAKedt1spWO16ONgBtBLTFA/s1600/DSC_2567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNqy_dNzjAgLP2SEG-J2PtsPyUTM3gjpuEurL2y7So1-SJSD2Cr4sVEy5mKfW_d5NiNxWiOt2uPkXi6ZMJy15jnmEDYdtiBw2pZLGi5fbTpbY5_YQUPekDAKedt1spWO16ONgBtBLTFA/s400/DSC_2567.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>with God,</i></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXgXYuURwSCwrlbKRsep7hXJCTvFcCmQqZ1_PLRZvCWkZd0IHqei0RW3Vg058JT5RpcNyfpZ9QhNg5q_gThdDuDEQl5iAGJ_4F7Ynj6716DwJHbx7qI5FsOxPNrvOTH3VhwCqKZiQ5Q/s1600/DSC_2568.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilXgXYuURwSCwrlbKRsep7hXJCTvFcCmQqZ1_PLRZvCWkZd0IHqei0RW3Vg058JT5RpcNyfpZ9QhNg5q_gThdDuDEQl5iAGJ_4F7Ynj6716DwJHbx7qI5FsOxPNrvOTH3VhwCqKZiQ5Q/s400/DSC_2568.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i>and for a few moments, with us.</i></div>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-89185033612130571612010-12-31T14:00:00.000-08:002011-01-08T09:34:08.904-08:00New Year's Eve StormsWell, 2010 is certainly ending with a bang here in St. Louis.<br />
<br />
This morning, we had storms that resulted in a fast moving, powerful tornado. Matt was looking out the back door when it came through. He heard it coming and wrangled everyone into the basement. We are so thankful that our home was spared. Although our house & cars are covered with little bits of insulation from someone's house. we sustained no damage. But many homes all around ours did not escape unharmed. Even as I write this, I can hear emergency sirens all around our home.<br />
<br />
This house is just 100 yards from our house.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcCFtLcSka4w7q2DkJCB1DpzB5rM9LYn0AD3cskB-SA8v62N_FaWbx9mxbj3V-wzASHp0K1pydwVoCa5D_FiWfQJ7QMcMffaR1uWjPna8U5P7NM1whfAP5eregsuFJKyZheGUAAvNOQ/s1600/DSC_2331.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrcCFtLcSka4w7q2DkJCB1DpzB5rM9LYn0AD3cskB-SA8v62N_FaWbx9mxbj3V-wzASHp0K1pydwVoCa5D_FiWfQJ7QMcMffaR1uWjPna8U5P7NM1whfAP5eregsuFJKyZheGUAAvNOQ/s400/DSC_2331.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>The siding was ripped off, many of the roof shingles are missing, and a second story window even blew out the front of their home and onto the driveway:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuVrDpKOwd6X4iDs9P1Nqn4xD1mF_n9uMjKzBbe1A82kF0H45UTYcYcx5d4_qv5YP6csLkBO8btCFtVpS3jBdibvytt21zOe7-27KItwkCwIeYM3z3hjOGT5bidpbX61SV9_yesUUAA/s1600/DSC_2336.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNuVrDpKOwd6X4iDs9P1Nqn4xD1mF_n9uMjKzBbe1A82kF0H45UTYcYcx5d4_qv5YP6csLkBO8btCFtVpS3jBdibvytt21zOe7-27KItwkCwIeYM3z3hjOGT5bidpbX61SV9_yesUUAA/s400/DSC_2336.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
About 300 yards from our home is a major intersection. There are some restaurants, businesses and churches.<br />
This car was parked in a McDonald's parking lot:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aUOUqvShLuh8_O3jCOPk0H5ylhPynirEvP2B1o0t6e1Zl5-vX1GzZOvZe4-bkIi9_Ov3LL8IIKOi-lC-ejETocE92vIG9ZCPVgthS_07ykEeDBg2J7lX_NWiwqN98ZPhw9jBklj9ZQ/s1600/DSC_2341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2aUOUqvShLuh8_O3jCOPk0H5ylhPynirEvP2B1o0t6e1Zl5-vX1GzZOvZe4-bkIi9_Ov3LL8IIKOi-lC-ejETocE92vIG9ZCPVgthS_07ykEeDBg2J7lX_NWiwqN98ZPhw9jBklj9ZQ/s400/DSC_2341.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This is St. Paul's church and school: The church sustained roof damage:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3mHY47XmSzL5aXogueck_OhCr4rfmM-SOglb7PIbpmJtRsNadvKBcYhNEk_AZwJt87AFlRUMcz-SUqL7YSIPk-eQrZH962oDbxnD_4hdkqWH0wWcUaAmk_u_nL4tvsILtfMMIhsPxA/s1600/DSC_2342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl3mHY47XmSzL5aXogueck_OhCr4rfmM-SOglb7PIbpmJtRsNadvKBcYhNEk_AZwJt87AFlRUMcz-SUqL7YSIPk-eQrZH962oDbxnD_4hdkqWH0wWcUaAmk_u_nL4tvsILtfMMIhsPxA/s400/DSC_2342.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>And the building where the priests live is pretty much missing the roof and one wall.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUaHY0wfYsU1ih8mZCCr9pWbGubms4daWwU5nVBXg87LDhPPGt2tenoFpn78w0r6alxIHpjH1o1BdG9-sDk3iP4qnlhFgyFLBZkk4drLhDX7Ndd217chBia6j5zwDOtXnl5TrrTdgCg/s1600/DSC_2349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmUaHY0wfYsU1ih8mZCCr9pWbGubms4daWwU5nVBXg87LDhPPGt2tenoFpn78w0r6alxIHpjH1o1BdG9-sDk3iP4qnlhFgyFLBZkk4drLhDX7Ndd217chBia6j5zwDOtXnl5TrrTdgCg/s400/DSC_2349.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Light posts were knocked over:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdE-n8U93nlZp_hKd0-mQmieDdDJzVm7zn7f0ln9tAtScRrRsnIrU9tJYsZPp2TSj2ylZZGmIavzRD0yBUrDtBeS9eu8NOcnju7KP7ZKqo_uK3XnT4aAr2NL1N-GEGIJY9hxc8srs-w/s1600/DSC_2354.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdE-n8U93nlZp_hKd0-mQmieDdDJzVm7zn7f0ln9tAtScRrRsnIrU9tJYsZPp2TSj2ylZZGmIavzRD0yBUrDtBeS9eu8NOcnju7KP7ZKqo_uK3XnT4aAr2NL1N-GEGIJY9hxc8srs-w/s400/DSC_2354.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>And this truck just blew over onto its side.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYYlreJpg7OdEhvAkAy8D_l6cbe3BnDx8fTTrBdjGAVwOrEsOCod8wiR6wus-sbe6eXGPVD8GtYcM2xHZlBttv6-7OO_0NDi_pkGGyCL_seQB_h6HKYTKS_lqWrZI4XTo_YJJh-5VFw/s1600/DSC_2364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoYYlreJpg7OdEhvAkAy8D_l6cbe3BnDx8fTTrBdjGAVwOrEsOCod8wiR6wus-sbe6eXGPVD8GtYcM2xHZlBttv6-7OO_0NDi_pkGGyCL_seQB_h6HKYTKS_lqWrZI4XTo_YJJh-5VFw/s400/DSC_2364.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>I took this picture while standing on what was left of a retaining wall, looking over the edge.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpbK3qjksbgHp87hytZazIg5nd0mBMHLaIzeOtBY_-fiKWF2BhBN683AM6FJZqfp76tnMg_Hl50zUhBQV7kJ4asnZ8gHQTFyLeOnDtHHVcVb_qtNxrl6h64uqSOTS12DdgHDR-c9krA/s1600/DSC_2368.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDpbK3qjksbgHp87hytZazIg5nd0mBMHLaIzeOtBY_-fiKWF2BhBN683AM6FJZqfp76tnMg_Hl50zUhBQV7kJ4asnZ8gHQTFyLeOnDtHHVcVb_qtNxrl6h64uqSOTS12DdgHDR-c9krA/s400/DSC_2368.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Half the town was shut down.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxOd1bB3z-wuADMfFRGk56ITvVJ64xflown73VRQNSmyXzoJz7bumW8-v9PMl8QjqcNvgcg8ZlTWCfWaYN_KFdQ1-BxKFtz10mvAyLo-VLKEcFPjRRS06ZxhNr2oDCN_iHzyhn7jnSQ/s1600/DSC_2375.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsxOd1bB3z-wuADMfFRGk56ITvVJ64xflown73VRQNSmyXzoJz7bumW8-v9PMl8QjqcNvgcg8ZlTWCfWaYN_KFdQ1-BxKFtz10mvAyLo-VLKEcFPjRRS06ZxhNr2oDCN_iHzyhn7jnSQ/s400/DSC_2375.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This is right up the road I drive to take Riley to day care. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkddUFXuUm5d6Ha8uQ63ayM5Tbx6cQa558cKXyGSrPRQoSe72L5_O9LmykK3DtoBNwIs0Vp3k-b2VNGHUl8Nd2jFsQpeH4m1OS0SP0zgyoGdX-MBXSMeXQVUoiABB_AsGULdkmzLPjQ/s1600/DSC_2389.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVkddUFXuUm5d6Ha8uQ63ayM5Tbx6cQa558cKXyGSrPRQoSe72L5_O9LmykK3DtoBNwIs0Vp3k-b2VNGHUl8Nd2jFsQpeH4m1OS0SP0zgyoGdX-MBXSMeXQVUoiABB_AsGULdkmzLPjQ/s400/DSC_2389.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>This church is right up the road from our home. They sustained serious damage.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4Dj8EJ9nsn33R1_Aac405hX8y4qx-LHCyPcWYiDxj0s18UAL6naQWS6i_xJ-ae6I2rupg1VIfjshyphenhyphenkgb6-cXkxboA9c4l_BpaJfLgEX8pUIcArP7Op2pKMkFFiZRTcElhP-HAKgaiQ/s1600/DSC_2461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin4Dj8EJ9nsn33R1_Aac405hX8y4qx-LHCyPcWYiDxj0s18UAL6naQWS6i_xJ-ae6I2rupg1VIfjshyphenhyphenkgb6-cXkxboA9c4l_BpaJfLgEX8pUIcArP7Op2pKMkFFiZRTcElhP-HAKgaiQ/s400/DSC_2461.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
A few miles away, in Sunset Hills, MO, we found even more damage.<br />
I know the family that lives here; please pray for them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBN71qA5ZHanPX70w_V1cB_HGoRTUYrLZoXsfSobaQ3sotGsfdYJCbBH_nYmfgM_SUxLg7K-OU9ms0Vm72kAmV_bkhFc8KBYM0ebG0xc0_ClhNy2p_XFSP39x-q8XNIO2tb-D0vQoWg/s1600/DSC_2406.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkBN71qA5ZHanPX70w_V1cB_HGoRTUYrLZoXsfSobaQ3sotGsfdYJCbBH_nYmfgM_SUxLg7K-OU9ms0Vm72kAmV_bkhFc8KBYM0ebG0xc0_ClhNy2p_XFSP39x-q8XNIO2tb-D0vQoWg/s400/DSC_2406.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>Approximately six homes were completely destroyed.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5QeKpXUqcAFsuZcfj7Jw_TpM3Zqz4aC16boasosKfh5OCB9zlhpe1ap3QKGWAhmNHg8iC90LH3lZDpKnqDku0OBkMRbKIVt_AMnaA8Y6X-OZnj0gXVDYeYilVjv4KiMqnRCPNjRf_Q/s1600/DSC_2412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhc5QeKpXUqcAFsuZcfj7Jw_TpM3Zqz4aC16boasosKfh5OCB9zlhpe1ap3QKGWAhmNHg8iC90LH3lZDpKnqDku0OBkMRbKIVt_AMnaA8Y6X-OZnj0gXVDYeYilVjv4KiMqnRCPNjRf_Q/s400/DSC_2412.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
Look closely at this photo. You can see a small black car that was blown off the the parking lot and onto its side on the grass:<br />
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Debris was everywhere, and we had to be very careful as we walked around. We found broken glass and boards almost a quarter mile away from the heaviest damage.<br />
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The best thing about this whole ordeal is that there are no serious injuries and no fatalities in either of these locations. People were in the homes that were destroyed, but they took cover and the Lord protected them.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47407443746540438.post-58776883371024593582010-12-29T16:12:00.000-08:002012-01-07T14:12:12.224-08:00Winter is for KnittingOkay, well, thr truth is that as far as I'm concerned, every season is for knitting.<br />
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But winter is especially good for knitting because your hands don't sweat on the fiber.<br />
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And knitted items make great Christmas gifts.<br />
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And somebody <i>always</i> gives me a gift certificate for my favorite local yarn store.<br />
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And everybody knows that yarn store gift certificates will certainly burn a hole in the pocket or bag in which they are stored if left there too long. So they have to be used quickly.<br />
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I did, actually use one of my certificates today, but that's a post for another day. Today, I'm sharing pictures of the slippers I made for Riley (age 2).<br />
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I call them the Tweet-Tweet Slippers:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlO-Tultsd-t_jMhsrHdGBHXPYxNihEOMcGFydpmeZW4Tb89JymAEXDltElH75T6QAjZnfodz1Jze_18kBcGzyAcOW6maT965flIOvnsDeEJDaFlRYXh-Oa2T7mN1VbVjE00Q-E3sTgw/s1600/DSC_2113.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlO-Tultsd-t_jMhsrHdGBHXPYxNihEOMcGFydpmeZW4Tb89JymAEXDltElH75T6QAjZnfodz1Jze_18kBcGzyAcOW6maT965flIOvnsDeEJDaFlRYXh-Oa2T7mN1VbVjE00Q-E3sTgw/s320/DSC_2113.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>I knitted them with a strand of Splash and a strand of Encore worsted. The splash makes a great effect for a kid-project, but it was not very fun to knit with. It's hard to see the stitches, and Lord help you if you have to rip it back for some reason.<br />
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Now I'm working on some blue dog slippers for Tyson. I had hoped to finish them this year, but the knitting is slow with the novelty yarn, and I'm quite certain that I couldn't finish them by Friday night... even if I did absolutely nothing bu knit between now and then.Keowdiehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03822164041930362667noreply@blogger.com2