carrie in chaos

thursday ramblings

2012-03-15T16:13:00.000-07:00

A little embarrassed to admit this

but up until a month ago, I had no idea what Pandora was

thanks to millie

i've been enlightened

i think i'm in love

Aidan's a huge fan of the disney station

we always end up playing "guess which disney movie"

and me, well I'm a sucker for the Mumford & Sons station

probably because about half the songs I'll swear I heard on Friday Night Lights

didn't they pick just the best music for that show?

well its been raining for the last three days

and the Mumford & Sons station has pretty much

been the best compliment to the dripping sound outside

the dripping that has held us captive in our house the last few days

but don't get me wrong, as difficult as its been to stay in doors in the afternoon

it has been incredibly good for our family

I've been struggling with keeping the girls on a schedule,

but this week has give us the opportunity to

stick to one

especially the whole bedtime routine.

before now, Aidan would be up until 9:30 or 10

but now we've eliminated her afternoon nap

and each night at 7 p.m. we get ready for bed

and read our new favorite children's bible

oh, i just love it.

speaking of bible

went to bible study yesterday

and let me tell you, I never come out without a conviction

yesterday, it had to do with my kids

the teacher, was talking about titus 2:4

"and so train the young women to love their husbands and children"

And she posed the question, "are you willing to be interrupted for your children"

So when I'm writing my blog and Aidan wants

me to watch her jump from the couch what's my response?

Honestly? many times its "ok, hold on" or "not right now"

or when i'm making dinner and Haley says, "up" in hear endearing scream sort of way

Do i pick her up, or call for Aidan to turn on Elmo? Many times, I leave it to Elmo.

But I don't want my kids to think that my computer, and dinner,

and folding the laundry is too important to be interrupted

Now don't get me wrong, there are times where they have to be the ones to wait,

but i can make it more of the exception than the rule.

and that is what i intend to do

so here i sit, listening to the Mumford & Sons station, and the drip drip drip that holds us captive inside

attempting to blog, yet joyfully allowing interruptions from my two little ones, because they're worth it

making sense of the madness, a diary post

2012-03-08T12:11:00.002-08:00

I think that over the last couple months

the Lord has been preparing my heart for the last few days

I've been in a whirlwind of thoughts

and it all came to ahead this morning

lets start back at the end of January

our Women's Bible Study at church decided to study through the book of Habakkuk

ever studied it?

neither had i

i blogged about it, briefly, a while ago

It talks of God's holiness and justice

His intolerance of injustice

of wickedness

but it also talks of His patience

His mercy

His sovereignty

His goodness

and the good news that Faith in Jesus Christ brings righteousness and life

Now, don't get me wrong

I know all these things, but a good reminder is always necessary

And it was very necessary for these things to stay fresh in my mind this week

Because as we made it through chapter 3 on Saturday

one of the questions asked was

"what other images from (nature, warfare, or whatever) [evoke awe for God's mighty works]"?

ok nature...no problem

but warfare?

initially i crossed the word out

I'm not even considering that

but I couldn't stop thinking about it

I started thinking about my friend's trip to Africa and how she got to talk with a women

who had her lips cut from her face by the rebels

and still she praised God

is your response WOW?

that's the AWE

He's sovereign!

He brings SUPERNATURAL COMFORT and JOY when none seems possible

He brings ALL THINGS TOGETHER FOR GOOD TO THOSE THAT LOVE HIM

Ok, are you tracking with me?

there's more

Ok, so the weekend continues

And I had read Diary of a Crazy White Woman on Friday

and she mentions The Hunger Games

(which i read through over the last couple months)

and the parallels between The Capitol and America

and Panem and the rest of the world

ok, that messed me up

mostly, because I didn't even notice it

If you haven't read the books you're confused

in short

the Capitol is this utopia of sorts

and the people who live there are completely unaware of the

oppression and starvation the rest of Panem is facing

they're culture revolves around fashion and possessions,

and gluttony is a completely norm

see why it messed me up?

I can't believe i missed that

it gets worse

there's a part in the book where Katniss goes to The Capitol

and in an interview gets asked what her favorite food is.

this girl hasn't tasted much flavorful, rich food

and she replies "the stew with the plums"

and everyone laughs, and chuckles

because its one of their favorites too

I LIVED THIS MOMENT ON SUNDAY EVENING

Our church was absolutely blessed by the performance of the Children of the World Choir

They are a group of 16 orphans who are apart of the World Help Organization

Who get to come to the U.S. for 10 months and tour in the purpose of raising money to drill wells in their countries which will open communication to share the gospel,

and get more sponsers for orphans just like them

but they're not just orphans, they have names

Asmita, Ronald, Andy, Irene, Nabin, Jamaecah, Florence, Lideff,

Madan, Wilmar, Des, Jeremiah, Fred, Roshi, Lydia, and Roxan

they come from, the Philippines, Napal, and Uganda

and the sweetest smiles you ever saw

and during the performance, one of them was asked, "what is your favorite food in America?"

to which they answered "pizza" and everyone laughed and chuckled, because we all love pizza too

And it hit me,

so hard,

I am one of those capitol people,

who live in my utopia of pizza and clothes,

completely oblivious to the world around me

I wanted to do something

do something

give money

sell my stuff

my worthless worthless stuff

I was down, a little depressed even

because I was so disgusted with my circumstances

i didn't feel blessed

I felt shame

and the verse that came to mind

I was consumed with somehow doing something to help these kids

I might not have been able to give them my home for the night

but I was determined to spend time with them

and I did get to spend time with them briefly on Monday

some of us took them Miniature Golfing

and I think they had a lot of fun

but it wasn't over for me

God was working on my heart

it doesn't end here

I will continue to help

I will pray for each of these by name

I may not be able to see them again

but I will pray for them

over and over and over and over

But God wasn't finished with me yet

on Tuesday evening (I think)

Invisible Children launched their new campaign

KONY 2012 on facebook

and I watched their video

their video to make Joseph Kony, very famous

to arrest him and help stop the wickedness he continues to do in Africa

so I reposted

i do want the wickedness to stop

its not fair that Kony continues to do unjust acts

and continues to get away with it

and an evil thought crossed my mind

I'm going out on a limb here, telling you

because I am beyond ashamed

this was it

i am going to pray

but I really want to actually do something too

forgive me, Lord

for the evil thought that prayer isn't doing something

Prayer is a power

and its power is greater than anything I could ever do

for me to belittle it, like that, is absolutely shameful

And this morning, a missionary friend of ours posted

about the KONY 2012 campaign,

its a great post.

Not saying the campaign is a bad thing,

but reminding us, its not a Christian campaign.

We need to remember scriptures like,

Psalm 82:3, Isaiah 1:17, Deut. 10:17-18, James 1:27.

True justice comes from the Lord (Prov. 29:26),

and lets not get distracted from sharing the gospel.

Lets not give more credit to the power of the media, than to the power of prayer.

Seriously, read this blog, given by a man who lives and serves in that very place; Uganda.

And in the end, everything came full circle.

Right back to scripture

right back to Habakkuk

there is major injustice happening in our world

some major injustice has happened to the people and kids of Uganda

some major injustice has happened to orphans

to Asmita, Ronald, Andy, Irene, Nabin, Jamaecah, Florence, Lideff,

Madan, Wilmar, Des, Jeremiah, Fred, Roshi, Lydia, and Roxan

BUT

Hab 1:13,

Your eyes are too pure to approve evil, And you cannot look on wickedness with favor"

Our God does not turn His face to evil

He is a Holy God, He is a just God

What can I do?

share the gospel

Hab. 2:4

"the righteous will live by his faith"

live the gospel

Jam. 1:27

"Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

pray for suffering, pray for the spreading of the gospel

Jam. 5:13, 16

"Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray."

"the effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much"

What about the bad guys? what about Kony?

and as God said it about the Chaldeans,

he will say it those like them, "but they will be held guilty." Hab. 1:11

And, so as much as I do want Kony stopped and captured, my hope does not depend on it.

Sure, I'll help make the man famous, and I will jump for joy at his arrest.

But my heart will sing praises even more for each soul that is reached for Christ

I will help sponser kids who live in poverty, and I will help raise money to dig wells for water

but it is with the sharing of His Living Water that my joy will overflow

And I am determined to not be like a person of the capitol,

oblivious to world around them, consumed by the things in their utopia

Thank you, Lord for this lesson

for Your grace and forgiveness

for Your mercy and justice

This post wasn't for readers, but a preaching to myself

that it will be here for me to look back on,

when i will most surely need this reminder again.

Parents vs. Kids

2012-03-06T13:12:00.000-08:00

ever watch Man vs. Food?
at our house it was
Parents vs. Kids

it all began with a free Saturday

we get those once in a while

no plans with friends, no church events

just a couple errands to run, and maybe a work out (for Jason)

Aidan and I did a couple errands and rented a movie

Hugo

have you seen it?

i loved it

go watch it

and bring some tissues

anyway it was all planned out

Jason BBQ's steak for dinner

baths after dinner

put Haley to bed

pop some popcorn

and turn on Hugo

we were all looking forward to a family movie night

and just before dinner Aidan decided she wanted dinner to be FANCY

have you read this book?

its one of our favorites

and Saturday night it came to life

no fancy lessons necessary in this house, though
we all got dressed in our best
sort of

don't we look "chic"?

that's French for stylish!

and we sat down to eat
"filet mignon"
that's French for steak
sort of

I set down the plates of steak,

roasted vegetables,

and mashed potatoes

And that's where it started

with a big "eww" from Aidan

now i knew they wouldn't like the mashed potatoes
and i wasn't surprised at how they reacted to the
roasted mushrooms, broccoli, and zucchini
but steak..
surely they'd eat the steak

the competition between Parents vs. Kids had begun!
and we were determined to stick to our guns

an hour later, this is where we were at

thirty minutes later it looked something like this

you're not leaving the table until that is finished

And...after two hours of
disgusted faces,
gagging,
vomiting,
fist pounding,
a potty accident
ALL AT THE TABLE

and staying up until 11 p.m.
despite being put to bed at 7:30

it was pretty obvious
KIDS WON

PinterTest Kitchen: baking, eating, organizing, homeschooling, AND kid-tested

2012-03-01T08:47:00.003-08:00

Some major PinterTESTING went on last month

Hmmmm....what shall I start with first

ok, since you i know you're just dying to know what i baked

1. BAKING

seen this one?

if you're on Pinterest then I'm sure you have

and it totally got me speculating

cake in a can?

come on

but i was curious

and i had also seen the blackberry frosting cupcake

and i just so happened to have some blackberries in my fridge

it was going to be the perfect combination

this was my first attempt

after i put it all together i realized that i had misunderstood the directions

and put one less egg yolk than what I needed

but i figured, its just a little so its not that big of a deal

IT IS

IT'S A BIG DEAL

i realized there was a problem when my batter turned out more like cookie dough

but i kept going, thinking it would resolve itself in the oven

it didn't

and though it may look kind of cute in the picture

it was a brick

and it tasted like a brick

so i kept my own version of the blackberry frosting

cream cheese frosting with blackberries

that's all it was...

really

and a few days later I tried again
remembering the extra egg yolk
so it made batter not dough
and got all spongy when it baked
and when it cooled I added my frosting
and a strawberry
since i had taken out my grief from the first attempt on the rest of the blackberries

it was pretty good
but don't be fooled
the recipe says it makes five
that's a lie
i only got two out of mine

but its perfect if you only want a little cake for yourself
and not a large crowd

2. EATING

To-Go Salad

Mason Jars are good for EVERYTHING
including salads

layer your salad in the jar
starting with the dressing
and ending with your choice of greens
just make sure the greens and dressing don't touch
until you're ready to eat

my only suggestion, I'd only do it the night before
don't make a bunch for the week

Chipotle cilantro-lime rice

just add
juice of 1/2 a lime
1 tsp salt
3 tbsp of fresh chopped cilantro
2 tbsp of vegetable oil

to three cups of fresh cooked long-grain or basmati rice

its pretty good

3. Kid-Tested
MOTHER APPROVED

drip-proof popsicles

worked for the pre-schooler NOT the toddler

though, I didn't use the foil-lined kind
maybe that would have made a difference

4. Homeschooling

I really needed something for Aidan to have daily practice for her writing
and when I saw this Handwriting Worksheet, i thought it was perfect
since it allows you to personalize it with your child's name
and whatever words/letters/numbers you want

5. Cleaning/Organizing

two words

tension rod

making a little extra room under the sink

"Pinterest, improving our lives one pin at a time"

- Jason C.

SnoCal 2012

2012-02-28T12:31:00.000-08:00

Ok, i'm a little ticked off right now

my computer's running slow

as usual

my pictures are failing to upload

not usual

and Aidan has decided that she would like to be a teacher this afternoon

so she keeps interrupting with new assignments for me to complete

or checking to see if I need to go potty

pretty cute, but she's kind of bossy too

anyway, I'll do my best to give a short recap of the holiday weekend

so here it goes

Over the last six years, every President's Day weekend our youth

group heads up to the Pinecrest mountains for our annual SnoCal Retreat

and this year was no different

the adventure began on Saturday morning with a four hour drive up the mountains

the weather channel said there would be no snow

so i didn't bring jackets

the weather app said there would be no snow

so I didn't bring my gloves

the national weather website said that snow levels were at 0"

so I didn't bring the girl's snow suits

but when we got there, we found this

so I ran to the nearest gas station and one hundred dollars later,

we had the minimum amount of snow gear we needed to get through the weekend

and it was pretty great

the weekend was filled with sledding

snowball fights

book clubs

board games

eating games

hunger games

messages

bible reading

worship

and

good eats

and as quickly as it started, it ended

and then we came home

to a fridge with zero food

several loads of laundry

and two very tired children

and whole new kind of week began

the whole family woke up

put our Van's shoes on

and headed out shopping

Costco took our money

Lucky's took our money

Trader Joe's took our money

but our fridge was full again

and we didn't waste anytime on chowing down

remember Thursday is the first Thursday of the month which means

PinterTest Kitchen hosted by Jessica

and I've been PinterTesting like a madman

so, see ya Thursday!

Valentine's Day

2012-02-15T19:42:00.000-08:00

L O V E

love this man

found this CD label in a pile of tax stuff...weird
the picture's from our first time going to Disneyland together

And yes, those are cornrows

gotta love tax returns

pretty much the only redeeming value for this annual experience

love watching Sherlock season two with my hubby

and I love Randy for getting it for us

love these little legs

love my Valentine's Day presents

love the Valentine's Day package of goodies my Aunt sent the girls
she's always been so thoughtful like that
I remember always getting cards with stickers for Valentine's Day and St. Patricks Day

I want to be like that with my nieces and nephews

watch out, Karleigh...a card and stickers are coming your way for St. Patty's

love these two

(little brother and sister)

DONT LOVE that they sent me this picture from Space Mountain
but I'm trying to get over it

love Jello Jigglers
and am starting to resent the fact that my mom never made them

love painting mailboxes with Aidan
also love that she's now decided her painted mailbox is for Haley
so she can have the "prettier one"

love Valentine's Day parties with friends

love my Savior

PinterTest Kitchen: tree stump ornament...why do I keep crafting?

2012-02-02T12:29:00.000-08:00

Happy Thursday!

I woke up to a snot face and a smile from this little sick girl

Now its the first thursday of the month

which means PinterTest Kitchen!

Its been a couple months since my last PinterTest experience

So I thought I'd give a whack at crafting again

FAIL

why do I keep crafting?

but here it is

I pinned this little baby during the month of November

Come November 29th we picked up our Christmas Tree

and I gave the tree-cutter person specific instructions to slice a 1 1/2" piece off the stump

and then the poor thing sat in the garage

alone

in the cold

untouched

for three months

until today

SUPPLIES

STEP 1

sand down grains on the stump

STEP 2

attempt to trace desired date on stump with a pen

STEP 3

realize that will not work because stump is still too grainy

STEP 4

try to ignore the screaming child trying to break into the kitchen

STEP 5

cut out individual printed numbers

and place on stump

and paint with desired color

STEP 6

let dry

and decorate

STEP 7

be content

remembering this is meant to be a keepsake

not a product for my non-existent Etsy shop

Linking up with Jessica

the week, the work, and the women who give up

2012-01-31T10:06:00.000-08:00

the week was pretty fantabulous

even though it started off with a loss

a 49er loss to the Giants

we were smiling because we got to

wear our fan-girl outfits

sadly us three girls had no idea

what was going on unless one

of the guys moaned in football-loss-agony

but by Tuesday we managed to pick

ourselves up and meet a friend in downtown

but not just any friend, an old co-worker friend,

an awesome friend, a pick-up-right-where-you

left-off kind of friend, a BAKER friend

and to top it all off, it was a gorgeous day

the last week two weeks have been devoted to

working through Habakkuk

Hab-a-kkuk

Ha-bak-kuk,

its still up for debate

but in all seriousness, have you ever studied it?

I hadn't, and I wish i wouldn't have waited so long

its so good, so rich with truth on

God's holiness

God's goodness

God's patience

God's justice

God's sovereignty

and of course THE GOSPEL

are you in need of a dose of those truths?

read it, study it, and pray the last two verses

you'll be glad you did

while I studied Habakkuk

Aidan studied the letter L

L-for-Ladybug, in case you were interested

And it was ladybug everything

ladybug cutting, ladybug writing,

ladybug crafting, ladybug matching

in fact i wouldn't mind if i never looked

at another ladybug again

thankfully I won't see one this week

because we're now on the letter M

and I'm really excited

because in our curriculum

the theme for M is M&Ms!

its taken apples, butterflies, caterpillars,

dinosaurs, elephants, fish, gumballs, hippos,

inchworms, Jesus, kites, and ladybugs to finally

get to CHOCOLATE!

And i'm totally thankful for chocolate

but even before that

I'm thankful that my friend got to bring her baby boy home from the hospital on Friday

I'm thankful that our dear friends made it to Scotland safely to

begin the work the Lord's called them to
I'm thankful for the pastries our friend treated us to when he spotted us in the store on Saturday

I'm thankful for the babysitter God provided to watch my girls at bible study

I'm thankful for the gift we were given so we could have dinner out as a family last night

and I'm thankful for the women who give up

I was thinking about my sister-in-law who is now a military wife

who's really excited to see her husband today return from some training

which got me thinking about another military wife friend of mine

who had to say goodbye to her husband last week when he was deployed

and i'm so grateful for the men and women who give up their lives

but this week I found myself REALLY grateful for the

women who give up their husbands

and the men who give up their wives

so they can give up for us

Thank You

i'm actually reading

2012-01-20T16:47:00.000-08:00

So far so good, 2012

Chilly wind, but beautiful weather makes for good park days

which we are taking full advantage of

but i'm pretty sure these girls are too cool to be my children

a hipster on the left and a fashionista on the right

thankfully they haven't figured that out yet, so they still let us hang with them

Even let us have the pleasure of their company for lunch at Little Lucca

where I totally stuffed my face

Aidan ordered some Doritos, which she then asked to put in the freezer

because apparently, that's where junk food goes

Thank you Berenstain Bears

This year I'm finding myself obsessed with two things

this

and this

shocked? so was I.

not about Downton Abbey, I've always been a sucker for the Brits

Brit anything...music, movies, accents, fashion...the only thing they haven't won me on is the food

but i'm getting there

no, I was shocked about the book

I'm no reader

even Harry Potter, which I love, i didn't read

I listened to it,

but this...i'm reading...I'm reading a lot

In fact I'm done
started last Saturday, and five days later...
DONE

amazed? maybe not
its probably routine for most people
but for me, no
I've been working on the same book for over a year now
want to know what chapter i'm on?
two

so be amazed

And after you're done being amazed

Go buy it
because its THAT GOOD

and then make some of this

New England Clam Chowder

and for dessert

this...

Almond Cake

courtesy of KeepingUpWithTheJohnsons

or cake pops like these

and then sit yourself by the fire
(because its now pouring or snowing outside for must of us in the U.S.)

and get obsessed

New Year's Resolution:

Write Thank You cards

Progress:

Days left until its been so long that its just too embarrassing to even pass them out:

I better get to work

so long 2011, and a big welcome to 2012

2012-01-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

I think every family handles Christmas a little differently

For me, Christmas morning begins very early

I've always been like this

I was the kid who was up at the crack of dawn ready to open gifts,
or in most cases, ready to leave for the airport
(we traveled standby a lot, and if you travel standby you know exactly why we flew that morning)

even now...the idea of Christmas day gets me excited and i'm up super early

before the kids

way before the kids

this year it was 5:30 am

crazy?

I think not. I was so thankful that the Lord woke me up way before anyone else

I got to spend some time in prayer thanking Him for His Son, my blessed Redeemer, without the interruption of someone asking me to make them breakfast and turn on Elmo.
Sorry, am I complaining?

I got to make breakfast for my family, while humming
O Holy Night and We Three Kings.
Which gradually turned to singing.
Kind of loud singing actually.

And then everyone woke up to the smell of bacon
and coffee
and we were all ready for

present opening...

church going...

cupcake decorating...

And baked brie (Kim's Baked Brie) eating...
BY ME...
literally...
all by myself

And it was a good day.

And shortly after Christmas we packed some bags and flew down to

San Diego to visit the grandparents for a little R&R.

Aidan got welcomed with some new Vans.

Jason turned into a hipster

And I got reunited with Ethel
my car from highschool

Overall it was an amazing time with family and encouragement, and some great BBQ.

And then it was over,
as quickly as it started

And I really miss them

And that was the ending to our year.

But God is good, and this is a new year
that He has provided for
new challenges,
new lessons,
new decisions,
new mercies,
new acts of love,
new growth.
And I'm ready.
Seriously, I don't say that lightly.

so a great big welcome to 2012!
I know its like 10 days late...but welcome anyway!

And my new years resolution...

Thank you cards...which I shall begin today.

Happy Thanksg....I mean, uhhh Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T15:10:00.000-08:00

Wow, its been a while.

Actually, its been four weeks and two days

don't get me wrong, I've thought about it

even sat at my computer, fingers on the keyboard,

thoughts racing...but nothing

lots of thoughts, very little words = no post

sorry

but today, I have a couple thoughts, a few words AND lots of pictures

so here it goes

these last four weeks have been a time of firsts...

Aidan and her buddy went Ice skating...i love these two girls and I hope they're best friends forever

and Aidan skated by herself for the FIRST time

Ice skating day ended in tears when I surprised Aidan with a trip to Kaiser for her flu shot

I didn't hold her arm down enough,

and she jerked causing the needle to scrape her arm,

and then they had to stick her again.

FIRST time that every happened.

Her consolation present...the only thing I could find in the pharmacy

...a tooth brush.

Made my FIRST quiche for thanksgiving breakfast, turned out well. Don't you think?

Haley had her FIRST Black Friday shopping experience...she wasn't too happy about it

But I was...because for the FIRST (and most likely last) time, I saved more than I spent at Target

We knew Christmas would go fast this year...

doesn't it always?...

so we put up decorations right away

including the FIRST tree topper I've ever loved

its Mickey!

and it took me over 25 years to find it

Thanks, Mom for buying it

Well it wasn't my first time making these, but it was my

FIRST time pinning my own picture on Pinterest

In case you're interested...they're cinnamon brownies.

They're amazing and incredibly easy to make.

Box Brownie mix, substitute orange juice for the liquid, add some cinnamon chips..and TaDa!

FIRST time the Jasons put together a bunk bed

major, manly bonding happening here

FIRST time using Costco boxes as bumper cars

huge hit...you should try it

FIRST time, he fell asleep during The Holiday...

NOT!

First time I had the 6th grade girls from church over to make Gingerbread houses

guess which one's mine?

FIRST time Haley saw an oral surgeon, for biting completely into her tongue.

FIRST time I've heard Nothing But the Blood performed in a mall

Another friendship I pray, lasts forever

FIRST time, of the season, we went out to look at Christmas lights.

We're going again tonight

you can't read it, but this house put a huge banner of John 3:16 out front

Love that!

And last night we received an amazing present from the Youth/College/Career/ our FRIENDS

our very FIRST ipad

I was speechless, i totally cried

its something that i've wanted for a long time

never thought I would get

not sure that I need,

certain I don't deserve,

but absolutely sure that I love!

And that's been our month

And tomorrow is Christmas

Christmas is on a Sunday,

and I love, love, love that

I wish every Christmas was on a Sunday

And I can't wait to celebrate with worship and praise

Because my Savior was born

He came to earth,

He became flesh,

He died for me,

He rose,

He lives,

and His name is Immanuel

Matthew 1:21

"And she will bring forth a Son, and you

shall call His name JESUS,

for He will save His people from their sins."

recipes, wreaths, and random

2011-11-22T16:03:00.000-08:00

Its getting cold
like 58 degrees cold
and thats cold for me
but COOL weather means COOL presents from friends for little feet

those little feet were put to work this week catching up on the letter Hh

And today is Tuesday, which means two more days to Thanksgiving

which means two more days until turkey

which means two more days until 20 lb. gained

But I've begun the weight gaining early this year with some warm recipes for the cold weather

Oh Carrie, please share your recipes!

Oh ok, if you insist

First of all these three things are always the beginning of something warm

like vegetable soup

or if you have leftover honey ham from youth group

And for dessert, or breakfast, or snack, or anytime
Pumpkin Cream Cheese Bread

I use a recipe that makes two loaves because

this is what happens in the first day

I made this last night, and that's what it looked like in the morning

Do you like wreaths?

Does this one tickle your fancy?

or maybe this one

Well my friend Stephanie at sMr is having
an awesome give-a-way for them
check it out
or you can just buy one at her Etsy shop

And before I end, I posted this on Instagram last week
Caption read "straight from the vine"
didn't even notice the nose-picker in the back
what a great moment to capture :)

Happy Thanksgiving!

1 Chronicles 16:34
"Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His steadfast love endures forever!"

This year I'm thankful to the Lord for
1. My Lord and Savior Jesus. I don't even want to imagine my life without Him
2. the Nose-picker, Grape vine eater, and Giant (the man's 6'4") who make the chaos fun

3. A warm and happy home to celebrate the season in

4. God's provision for friends to make their missionary support for Scotland

wedding fun, disneyland fun, and a super long read

2011-11-18T14:30:00.000-08:00

Our trip began two weeks ago from today

We left earlier than scheduled, always a plus
7:30am instead of 8:00
picked up our Starbucks and began the drive for Atascadero

ever been there?
I doubt it...

unless you're actually from there you've probably only passed it
but our family is from there, so we go there, and we love it there

First night was the wedding rehearsal
it was so fun seeing aunts, uncles, grandma, papas, cousins, and friends
here's Aidan with her aunties. The tall one's the bride.

Next day was the wedding AND Aidan's birthday

The morning began with a birthday breakfast at Dennys and ended

playing Just Dance in grandma's living room
pretty good start and finish for a four year old, I think

But this was the in-between

flower girl prep in the morning

all the girls looked like little fairies in their tutus
no picture of cousin Karleigh, but she was a little beauty too
and my sister-in-law was something to behold

Jason and Uncle Zach shared the officiant responsibilities

Jason took the message part

and Zach did the vows and the rings

both did a lovely job

All the little girls did great going down the aisle

Grandma even got a babysitter for Haley, so I could stay for the rest of the ceremony

But all I could think about during the entire ceremony was Christ's return for His bride

and it was just so exciting

the reception was so fun

the band was awesome, and they love Jesus

the groom and best man did a duet of Neon Moon

honestly, first time I've ever heard that song

And they even had a special giant cupcake for Aidan and sang her happy birthday

what a cool Aunt and Uncle

I'm totally kicking myself for not taking more pictures of the decorations

This was the only good one i got, but I was just in awe

Everything was done by either my sister-in-law, my mother-in-law, step-father-in-law, or friends

And it looked great, from the food tiers made out of the stump of a tree, to the birdcage that held all the cards full of money, to the flower arrangements, to the home-made jam for favors

Seriously, if i saw it on Pinterest, I would have pinned it

I would have pinned it all

Once the party was over, we were all on clean-up duty

even the birthday girl

So now to Disneyland!!!!!

We left Atascadero Sunday afternoon, and made our way to Southern California in the rain
but God was so gracious that it let up once we got to Anahiem

We met my family at CPK for dinner
(shame on me for taking no pictures with my parents or siblings on this trip)
And my siblings and their friends were so awesome, and offered to watch Aidan and Haley
so Jason and I could spend some time at Disneyland, that night, alone!
THANK YOU: Tim, Corrie, Emily, and Allyson

So we had a date
coffee, carmel popcorn, and FANTASMIC

Our first official disney day began...

MONDAY

and to our surprise, we walked in to this

after we left the night before,

they had set up the big tree

and it made my week!

the rest of our day went like this

TUESDAY

we got to spend a lot of time with Aidan, while my parents watched Haley
We even took her on Space Mountain
THE GIRL LOVED IT

and I totally rocked Buzz Lightyear

Level 5, BABY! Level 5

WEDNESDAY

Mickey Family Photo Shoot... And if you haven't eaten one of these you haven't lived

we also became "THOSE PARENTS"

...the kind who put their kid on a leash

we found many friends

and then it was time to say goodbye

and we made our final walk back to our hotel

But you may have noticed there is a new countdown clock
Because the most awesome parents/grandparents in the world got us season passes for christmas
so we get to look forward to it all over again in the spring!

Happy Friday

final fun fact, final post before D-day, and FINALLY I get the whole wedding analogy

2011-11-03T22:59:00.001-07:00

FINAL
disney fun fact

Mickey Mouse ranks three in the most recognizable characters in the world, after Santa Clause and Ronald McDonald

Even though our va-cay officially begins today, D-Day is not for another couple days. First we're off to my sister-in-laws wedding. Big DEAL, it is the first time my daughters will be flower girls. I'm so excited to see them walk down the aisle in their tutu's, at least thats how theyve been described to me. Pictures will come soon.

Speaking of weddings, something finally clicked

At bible study we did the whole toilet paper bride game
Yeah we have fun
Anyway it got me thinking about the real wedding this weekend and then that got me thinking about my wedding and then THAT got me thinking about Ephesians 5 where the church (us) are described as the bride of Christ
And then it all came together with my study in 1 Thess.
And then I finally got it
And I'm probably the last person in the world who did, but I still got excited.
See I've always heard the analogy, but the emotion about it just hadn't hit me.
Ok let me back up
So in 1 Thess I've been studying about Christ's return. So when i began to think about the wedding my mind went to what I felt when the doors opened and I saw my groom at the end of the aisle. The day had finally come for us to be together, it was the beginning of forever. And it was the most exciting thing I'd ever experienced. That's what it's going to feel like when Christ returns. When we see Him ascend from the clouds that's the excitement we're going to feel because we're going to see our bride-groom and it will be the beginning of forever!

And every time I think about I get more excited.

PinterTest Kitchen: canvas painting

2011-11-03T17:24:00.000-07:00

disney fun fact

Donald Duck's nephews-Huey, Dewey, and Louie-were named after Louisiana politician Huey Long, New York politician Thomas Dewey, and Disney animator Louis Schmitt.

(source: Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland)

I'm not artsy

but I aspire to be

so I did this one for the

its another pin from my Simple DIY board

just Elmer's glue and then paint the whole thing one color

this one was clearly the one from Pinterest

here's mine

I used a cookie cutter to help outline my pictures

I used the fall leaf, in retrospect I wish I would have

used my Mickey cookie cutter

this is the face and oh-so-loud cry next to me as I was trying to work

upset that she ran out of go-gurt

and this is what it looked like after it was painted

the way the glue and canvas worked together was cool,

my art not so much

I'd like to do it again, but put A LOT more effort in my art design

OR just have someone else do the design

I think next month I'll do some PinterTest baking

linking up with

halloween-ness

2011-10-31T21:30:00.000-07:00

disney fun fact

Wayne Allwine the actor who has provided the voice for Mickey Mouse for the last 25 years,

and Russi Taylor, who has done Minnie's voice for about the same time,

are husband and wife in real life. They met on the job.

(source: Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland)

...now that's a love story

I'm pretty disappointed in myself
Usually by today (halloween) I will have already made these

and these

(the Pioneer Woman's are a lot fancier than mine, but i'm sure they taste just the same)

And I'd be attempting these

But this year, i got as far as putting buttons on this, but that's about it

I'm just not really into the spirit this year, and having some fun with the halloween food hasn't been on my mind...maybe its because i keep thinking about this

or because this last week everyone was sick like this

But whatever the reason, i've failed my children

I haven't made them fun halloween snacks and worked with them on fun halloween crafts

Its just kind of been blah

So I tried to get more into the spirit this afternoon by putting together three different costumes for them (Aidan) to choose from

Option A 49er chicks

Option B Batman & Robin (Thank you uncle Tim)

less girly, but SUPER cute

Option C Ballerinas

And so it was decided Aidan would go as the Ballerina, and Haley as a 49er cheerleader

and that's exactly what they did

Happy Halloween

Cookie Cups and a bunch of other stuff

2011-10-22T20:38:00.000-07:00

disney fun fact

He's Mickey Mouse to us,

but in Iran, he's known as Mickey Moosh;

in Iceland, Mikki Mus;

in Italy, Topolino;

and in Sweden, Musse Pigg.

Among the books lining the shelves of Minnie's house is one in

the kitchen that's entitled "Elvis. What Happened?"

(source: Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland)

Ice Cream Cookie Cups

from Disney FamilyFun Magazine

Ingredients

1/4 cup shortening
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup miniature semisweet chocolate chips

In a bowl mix shortening, butter, and sugar until blended, then add egg and vanilla and mix well

In a separate bowl mix salt, baking powder and flour

slowly mix in with sugar mixture

stir in chocolate chips

then lick your fingers

separate dough into two discs, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 2 hours

Once chilled, lay dough between two pieces of wax paper and roll out

use a circle cookie cutter to make circles out of the dough

take a 12 cup muffin pan and turn upside down

then lay square pieces of foil around each muffin cup

spray the tops with non-stick spray

lay out circles of dough around each muffin cup, and smooth around with fingers

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes

Cool for a minute

set on wire rack to cool some more

Add your ice cream and toppings and Enjoy!
I used Pumpkin Ice Cream
Helloooooo Fall!!!!!!

Look at my countdown calendar!

Do you see it?

two more weeks, BABY!

We bought our tickets today and I am so excited

But i should mention that before we go to disneyland,

we are going to be apart of a very special day because

We are getting a new member of the family on Nov. 5th!

NO, i'm not pregnant!

But my beautiful sister-in-law is getting married

and I couldn't be happier for her

And my new dresses

I'm happy for them too

i bought them a couple months ago

and tried them on this weekend to make sure they still fit

and THEY DO

So that's what I have to look forward to, but here's a quick look at the past week

1. I now feel like I'm apart of Cool Kid's club because we got iphones. Not sure who's uses it more, me or Aidan?

2. Went to the CA Academy of Sciences for the first time, great day with friends and seeing God's creation. Seriously, I'm in awe. God's amazingly creative.

3. Went to the park with friends, and this spot during the walk made me feel like it really was fall, even though we were walking in 73 degree weather

4. Ice skating with my buddy. I just love her

5. I don't have a picture of it, but I got to see the Holy Spirit work today, as He gave my friend understanding through the Scriptures. It might not seem like a big deal, but I can't tell you how blessed i get, when I see, literally watching, the Holy Spirit at work.

30 years in pictures

2011-10-15T21:52:00.000-07:00

Happy 30th Birthday, to the love of my life!

bowling

2011-10-08T21:09:00.000-07:00

disney fun fact

the tiny pieces embedded into the pavement of Main Street are sensors

that guide parade floats and ensure they hit their marks

Even at its fastest, Space Mountain never goes more than 30.3 miles per hour

(source: Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places)

Yes, two fun facts, because I forgot to post one at the top of my last post. Bad, bad blogger.

Friday morning, my oldest had a birthday party at a bowling alley. She'd been bowling once before at another party, but it was over a year ago. But she remembered exactly how to do it.

Yes, her name is spelled wrong there.

But I'm not splitting hairs.

If you're going to pay for my kid to

play two games of bowling, and feed her after,

you can spell her name ANY WAY YOU WANT

And she was so happy

Even if she got a gutter ball, she cheered and high-fived

And I don't mean to toot my own horn, but she kind of rocked the alley

PinterTest Kitchen: bowl fillers

2011-10-06T09:54:00.000-07:00

So my friend Jess had this great idea of a

And All are invited to join along. So yesterday (of course, procrastinator!),
I decided to make one of those Simple DIY projects

It all started with a trip to Michaels. I was looking at decor to spruce up our church office. And I saw these bow fillers. Now I really like bowl fillers. They're simple, vary in color, and just add a nice accent to baskets, vases, mason jars, anything honestly. But I think i could make this, so why buy it?
So i looked on Pinterest and saw these...the rainbow balls in the top row.

Read the description...and thought YES, this belongs on my Simple DIY board. REPIN!

So yesterday, I put my creative hands to work and this is what I got

Its incredibly simple.

Regular Glue

Yarn

and a balloon

I also used a cup for the glue

I diluted the glue in a cup with a tiny bit of water

dropped in the yarn, drenching it in the glue mixture

and then began to wrap around the balloon

At this point my daughter got completely disgusted by the idea of getting sticky

glue all over her hands and left me for Elmo

I then placed to dry on some cardboard lined with wax paper (that was my own SuperSmart idea)

I was a bit dissappointed at the amount of time it took to dry. Yarn is not like paper, it doesn't dry fast.

It takes quite a while. Like overnight. Actually, i found out even longer than that.

But after I thought it had completely dried, I popped the balloons

Immediately after popping one of the sides began to sink in.

Word to the wise: before popping pick up the balloon and make sure that ALL sides are dry.

So it might not be a perfect circle, but it actually turned out OK.

I WILL be doing this again, because it was just so easy.

And next time I'll make sure to use more yarn,

turn balloon frequently while drying,

make sure that its completely drying before popping balloon,

and not be so tack happy about popping the balloon

(i'll do a slow-air release instead of a quick burst)

haha, oops,

that last line could be used to describe something else.

I've been living with a boy too long

Sorry, to all you mature adults :)

Linking up with Jessica at

slapped

2011-09-29T18:55:00.000-07:00

disney fun fact

It takes 4 minutes and 41 seconds to complete Soarin' Over California

(source: Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland)

He slapped me
with His eternal truth

I was convicted,
renewed,
and supernaturally strengthened
in about 30 minutes

I have been wrestling with discouragement for about two weeks now

discouraged about life
discouraged about ministry
discouraged, discouraged, discouraged

not depressed, discouraged

like i'm not appreciated
like all my hard work is going unnoticed
like all my hard work isn't fruitful
like all my hard work isn't enough
and the WORK is just too HARD

And at my bible study yesterday, as I was taken through 1 Thess. 2:1-12

I felt like God went *SLAP* right on my face

It was like, wait, rewind...
"like i'm not appreciated

like all my hard work is going unnoticed

like all my hard work isn't fruitful

like all my hard work isn't enough

and the WORK is just too HARD"

*SLAP*
whose work???

Paul's motives in ministering to others in 1 Thess. were for God and God alone.

Of course I've been discouraged, its been about my work, expecting my results.

I've been working for an audience of many, instead of an audience of One.

And at the end of that 30 minutes, I finally realized my error

And just like that, my discouragement was gone

(it might come back, and then I'll have to go through the whole process all over again, but for now, gone)

I was convicted to redirect WORK for God, alone

My heart was renewed to WORK at being faithful for God, alone

And I was strengthened to WORK even harder for God, alone

Thanks for the slap, God.

It was just what I needed

ever been to a pet parade? ever made fried ravioli? have a verse?

2011-09-26T15:37:00.000-07:00

Of the eighteen teacups available to ride on the Mad Tea Party,

the plain lavender one spins the fastest.

(source: Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland)

Have you ever been to a pet parade?

Well I have!

Saturday morning our family went to breakfast at Neil's and then attended our very first Pet Parade.

For one morning I felt like a resident of Stars Hollow

Which I would kill to live in, if it were a real town

Everyone in town brought out their pets, and walked down Broadway led by an

American Flag, and the high school marching band

Some owners just brought their pets on leashes, and then some came out in costumes

Not just the animals, the owners too

Think of it as Bay to Breakers for pets

there were dogs dressed as bugs

clowns

princesses

and of course the orange and black got represented

but dogs weren't the only ones who came, there were rabbits, fish in their bowls, turtles, even parrots

And it was one of the most fun parades

I've ever been to

The girls had a blast

And we got to see one of our high schoolers from church perform in the band

Can't wait for the Pet Parade to come around again

Have you ever made fried ravioli

I have!

You should...seriously!

biggest crowd pleaser.

Give it a try.

Do you have a verse you could share with me?

I've been struggling with some serious discouragement lately

maybe I'll share more about it in a later blog

But have you been there? What verses were helpful to you?

Cause I could sure use some

sick day

2011-09-19T10:52:00.000-07:00

in Peter Pan's Flight, observant guests will notice a set of blocks, whose letters spell out D-I-S-N-E-Y from the bottom up, as they are escorted past the window of the Darling children's bedroom.

(source: Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland)

This picture was taken back in July when Haley was admitted to the hospital for pneumonia

and this was taken last night

almost immediately after Jason got home from church yesterday we headed over to the ER,

only to find out she's got pneumonia AGAIN

However, this time I have more knowledge about prevention the next time she shows signs of a cold

Also, can you see the goofy smile?

Have you every watched the episode of FRIENDS, where Chandler and Monica are trying to take their engagement pictures? Chandler has a great smile, until he steps in front of the camera. Then it gets weird.

We're pretty sure Haley has the same syndrome

Not sure what it is, but we've been seeing a trend the last month

when the camera gets in front of her face

case in point

But I love her, and it was great seeing her smile last night in the ER.

She made friends with staff and patients.

She was a total trooper.

and throughout yesterday, God showed me His graciousness when I was beyond stressed, by:

providing wonderful friends and family to lift us up in prayer

providing a sister in christ to watch Aidan for the day

providing a calm, easy-going husband who made all 5 hours at the ER somewhat enjoyable

providing me with scriptures and songs throughout the day reminding me of

His presence and tender hand

And NOW I'M sick, perhaps a gift from the Lord to make me take a SICK DAY

So that's what I'm doing.

Only 1 week into homeschool and we're taking a sick day

bathrooms are a complete mess, but I'm taking a sick day

laundry is not done, but I'm taking a sick day

And God is so good, to give me a sick day

pajama school

2011-09-17T08:33:00.000-07:00

Anyone, not just cast members, can wake up Jose the Macaw in the Enchanted Tiki Room. Simply ask the cast member as you enter, while the audience is being seated.

it should be called pajama school

but homeschool is what it is

and this week was our first week

I tried to be as prepared as possible

1. lesson plan book = check! thank you $1 section @ Target

2. LOTW curriculum = check! thank you confessions of a homeschooler

for being so awesome that I barely even used my own lesson plan book.

3. coffee = check! in my new favorite mug, no less

but I just couldn't get out of my pajama's

I had our schedule ready...

prayer

pledge

daily chart activities

Letter Aa lessons

snack

reading

game, computer, or leapfrog video

And I'm pretty rigid about it. We must get it ALL done in 1 1/2 hours.

Because after 1 1/2 hours, Haley wakes up from her nap.

I had my daily activity charts

Here's a quick rundown of the week

day 1, I taught in pajamas, and was ready to throw in the towel when Aidan wouldn't recite the pledge of allegiance. In her defense we have no flag, so it is a little awkward.

day 2, I taught in pajamas, and got Aidan to pretend there was a flag

day 3, we took a day off, but I was dressed by 9am. interesting...

day 4, I taught in pajamas, pledge went smooth, verses memorized, Letter Aa worksheets went great, reading went well (food for thought: did you know that if you just plant an apple seed, you won't know what kind of apple tree will come from it? Just because you plant seeds from a red delicious doesn't mean that's what you'll get. amazing!)

day 5, I taught in pajamas, pledge went smooth, address memorized, difficulty during Letter Aa work, end game was a hit!

I wasn't sure how it was going to work in our little kitchen, but it did

even in my pajamas

And I think she really loved the activities

A little rough, but not bad for a first week

my goal for next week is to make it out of my pajamas

but you know how much I hate goals :)

approved workman are not ashamed

2011-09-08T09:21:00.000-07:00

disney fun fact #4

There is a regulation size half-court on which employees

can play basketball inside the Matterhorn.

(from Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland)

A.W.A.N.A.

We go way back...

like 3rd grade back...

And Aidan had her first experience last night

She was excited even though

she'd never been...

didn't know anyone...

and hadn't had a nap all day

I thought she'd be nervous, and shy, and want me to stay

SHE DIDN'T

and I cried on the way home from dropping her off

really cried

But then I saw this when I picked her up

it reminded me of myself in SPARKS

it reminded me of the impact A.W.A.N.A. had on my life

the key role it had in my salvation...

rejecting legalism and embracing grace

and the verses it helped hide in my heart

countless verses

and the godly friends it helped bring into my life

life-long friends

Crys, Kris, and Alex just to name a few

And i LOVE that it will be apart of my daughter's life

and I hope it has the same impact on her

giving her the GOSPEL from the very first lesson

psalm day

2011-09-06T14:05:00.000-07:00

disney fun fact #3

On Disneyland's opening day, the cost of admission was $1.00.

(from: Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland)

just a psalm I came across this morning.

share your favorite psalm with me.

weekend wrap-up

2011-09-05T16:45:00.000-07:00

disney fun fact #2

The locked blue-green doorway on Royal Street in New Orleans Square, with the ornate address plate bearing the number 33, marks the entrance to a private

dining room known as Club 33. Membership in Club 33 stands at about

487 individuals and corporations, and has a nine-year waiting list that caps at 1,000 people.

(from Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: Disneyland)

Our family had a fun/busy weekend.

The festivities started on Friday with our youth group's annual BURGER BASH. Its our big evangelistic night where we tell the students to invite their friends, have a hamburger (or as Aidan puts it a "hambooger") eating contest, and a gospel message.

We had a lot of fun, ate a ton, and even hired Haley to be our mascot for the evening.

what a HAM-burger!

Saturday, was a birthday party for one of Aidan's best friends. They have an awesome pool, and Aidan made a huge milestone in it. She's always been the cautious child, and until this summer has had a love/hate relationship with the pool. She only loves them if she can touch the bottom of the pool with her feet, or is safely in Haley's floaty. But this time she took a leap of faith and went in the deep end with only her life-jacket. I was one proud Mama. And a special thanks to Teri for capturing the big moment!

I also had a good time at the party. This is me listening intently as my friend, Jessica, tells me about her Club 33 experience. Seriously, this might have been the most exciting moment of my day.

Sunday was filled with church family. Who I just ADORE. And even though I didn't get to hear Sunday School, or the Worship Message, the Lord allowed me to have some great conversations with people, where He showed me how I could pray for some, and then just caused me to get closer to others. In the evening we had a great time with our CCS group (College, Career & Singles). Filled with great conversation about SIN from this book

Peruvian Tamales

And a classic

chaos = clutter

2011-09-02T10:27:00.000-07:00

Amazing, the night of my last post my husband and I got to go on a little date for

ice cream and Barnes&Noble browsing, where he found a book for me called,

Little-Known Facts about Well-Known Places: DISNEYLAND by David Hoffman.

Its perfect for my fun fact addition in the blog, and a GREAT bedtime read!

disney fun fact #1

Disneyland's original Tinkerbell was Tiny Kline,

a 4'10" circus performer, who was 71 years old when she first flew down a zipline from the top of the Matterhorn to start the

"Fantasy in the Sky" fireworks show.

I'm pretty certain that chaos and clutter always go together. And my house is no exception. I wish that I had a magical wand that automatically re-arrange and organized my clutter...oh and went to target for me to do my shopping.

Side note: Seriously, wouldn't that be great if you could give your magical wand your target list? it would go there and do the shopping for you, while you went and got a mani-pedi with the money that you would have spent on extra things at Target if you had gone yourself.

Anyhoo, here is my clutter...

Living Room Clutter

Bedroom Clutter

Kitchen clutter

And, I am now in De-Clutter MODE

Not just because I don't like clutter - I mean, who really does? But also because I love my husband. And after working a long day at church, he deserves to come home to a clean,

orderly, relaxed home, where he can find rest. He also needs a relaxed wife

(and clutter isn't relaxing, whenever I look at it the tiny hairs on my arms stand up).

Since these pictures I have worked tirelessly on the bedroom closet, which doesn't look perfect but much, much better.

But it will get perfect; soon enough.

So stay tuned to future posts titled Clutter Revisited.

destination disney

2011-08-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

there are three things that our family loves

1. Jesus

2. coffee

3. disney

we love all things disney

mugs, toys, books, blankets, biographies, anthologies, figurines, puzzles, pictures, appliances, clothes, movies...oh the movies, video games, coloring books, towels, ornaments, holiday decor, documentaries, everything!

in fact I took some pictures of some of our disney stuff, just to prove it

See? I told you. And these pictures don't include the stuff at my husband's office, the dirty clothes in the laundry, toys around the car, and the countless hours of disney tracks on our ipods that we constantly listen to. Needless to say, we have a lot of stuff. And most of it isn't even for our kids.

And there's still room to grow

In fact, I'd love to add some of these items to our collection

(by: Kaboodle.com)

(by: DealstoDisney)

(by: fireplaceshop.wordpress.com/ category/disney/)

And it has been a dream of ours to take the girls to Disneyland for more than one day.

Even further, its been a personal dream of mine since 2006 to go to Disneyland when I'm

NOT pregnant.

It seemed like every single time I went to disneyland in the last 5 years, I've always been pregnant.

Which means no Space Mountain, no Indiana Jones, no Star Tours, no FUN.

But this is the year we're doing it. November 6th, the day after my sister-in-laws wedding, we're driving down to Anaheim and spending 4 days at the happiest place on earth. disney rides, disney clothes, disney food, disney music, disney shows. And I am counting the days.

So to get myself pumped for this trip I've included a countdown clock and will
include a disney fun fact at the beginning of each post until the big day arrives.

its destination disneyland, my friends

dedicated

2011-08-29T11:21:00.000-07:00

"She said, "Oh, my lord! As your soul lives, my lord, I am the woman who stood here beside you, praying to the Lord. For this boy I prayed, and the Lord has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the Lord."...

1 Samuel 1:26-28

Yesterday was Haley's baby dedication at church.

I remember standing on this stage three years ago for Aidan's dedication.

It was such a huge step for me, which may sound kind of funny.

But in the beginning of parenthood I really struggled with trusting the Lord with my kid's lives. More specifically, trusting the Lord if He decided to take their life. But I had to come to the realization that no matter what, I am not in control of their lives anyway. I can't be. I am a weak, fallen human being.

But "there is no one holy like the Lord, Indeed, there is no one besides You, Nor is there any rock like our God." So no matter what God decides to do in or with their life all I can say is...

TO GOD BE THE GLORY!

And I am thankful to say that yesterday was not a day of struggle,

it was a day of pure rejoicing and thanksgiving.

And a little bit of embarrassment considering I'm wearing the exact same denim jacket

I was wearing three years ago. I think I need new clothes.

aidan's vocab + translation

2011-08-24T11:20:00.000-07:00

I love my firstborn

I love her smile

I love her heart

I love her personality

and really love her language

Aidan's Present Vocab + Translation

"stop coughing me" = stop copying me

"chip stocks" = chop sticks

"alligator" = elevator

"mocamole" = guacamole

"brush teeth" = toothbrush

"chicken pox" = goose-bumbs

grandma's amazing chocolate cake

2011-08-22T10:23:00.000-07:00

So on Wednesday Aidan and I made cupcakes for Haley's birthday,

but we also made Grandma's amazing chocolate cake for Jason and I to enjoy.

Its basically my mother-in-law's recipe for a black-bottom cake. And it is beyond delicious.

You start with these and a greased 9x13 backing pan

The cake is made in 4 layers

Layer 1: DEVILS FOOD cake mix, oil, water, and eggs.

Mix with measurements as directed on box. And pour just 2/3 into your baking pan.

Layer 2: mix 2 eggs, 1/3 cup of sugar, 1tsp. of vanilla,

and 2 packages of cream cheese until well blended. Pour over cake batter.

Layer 3: spread 1 cup of chocolate chips over cream cheese mixture.

Layer 4: top with the rest of the cake batter

Bake at 350 degrees for about 45-50 minutes.

And refrigerate immediately.

Tastes best when its cold.

Enjoy!

We enjoyed this for about a day...it goes fast in our house.

1st birthday

2011-08-19T09:10:00.000-07:00

A year ago, Wednesday, the the Lord expanded our family and added Haley.

My little Haley.

My baby Haley.

And now she's 1. And according to my Kaiser Permanente newsletter, she's now a toddler. Which makes me kind of sad. Its just too soon. But to celebrate, Jason took the day off and we all traveled...

*put on Buddy the Elf voice*

past the whirly swirly fog,

through the spooky tunnel,

and across the Golden Gate Bridge

(Okay, that was truly the cheesiest thing I've ever done)

to The Bay Area Discovery Museum.

Which is by far, the best place to take toddlers and preschoolers. The girls had a blast.

And about 2 minutes after we got into the car to leave...

We hadn't eaten lunch yet, and it was cold. I mean really cold. Maybe you think that 55 degree weather isn't cold, but when you live in 75 degree weather, 55 is super cold. And what does super cold weather call for when you're hungry? COMFORT FOOD!

And you ask "why would you go to a coffee shop for comfort food?", YOU DON'T. You only go to a coffee shop when you didn't get the memo that your beloved Marie Callender's closed, you can't find parking at Chili's, and you're dying of hunger. Needless to say, I'm still waiting for my chili and cornbread craving to be satisfied. But the birthday girl didn't mind that she only got toast for lunch.

Because for dinner she got her fill of spaghetti and meatballs.

Which made a second appearance through her nose while she opened her presents. I think Jason thought it was one of the greatest moments of the day.

We sang a round of Happy Birthday, with our special birthday bear, ate some cupcakes

and opened presents

well...lets just be honest...Aidan opened presents. But Haley had a great time watching, and being pushed away every time she tried to help.

Psalm 127:3-5a

"Behold, children are a gift of the Lord, the fruit of the womb is a reward.

Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, so are the children of one's youth.

How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them;"

Happy Birthday little one! We love you so much!

the screams of sanctification

2011-08-11T18:57:00.000-07:00

First of all, let me just say HAPPY BIRTHDAY to my adorable niece.

She turned two today. Unfortunately we haven't seen her in almost a year, so I have no pictures. But you can take my word for it, she's a total cutie. Happy Birthday, Karleigh!

So back to today, Jason's working from home this week, so I wanted to take the girls out of the house for a while, so he could get some peace and quiet. So it was off to Toys R Us...

The girls always have a blast playing with the motorized cars. And of course we were having a great time up until the moment it was time to leave. Which is when it happened, major meltdown in the store by Aidan screaming, "Get Your Hands Off Me!" (First, of all I would like to point out that I was standing about ten feet away from her when she said this, so I really have no idea why she used this particular sentence.) Anyway, I put on my stern mommy look AND voice and started with, "I am your mother..."just to make things clear in case people came rushing with security, and we left.

(she's glaring at me, you just can't see it)

later on in the day, it was the little one's turn to meltdown.

And as much as I wanted to sit there and join them in their screaming, the Lord gave me some major understanding. He deals with the exact same thing with me, and He is ever patient with me. And it totally renewed my heart, for the response I needed to have with my girls today. I am so thankful for the opportunity He's given me to identify with Him as a parent; to understand what He goes through.

So yeah, it was a pretty good day.

Special times, and the moment of the week!

2011-08-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

I got a BIG break from the chaos last Wednesday. I met up with the college girls from church at BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse before they go back to school. We especially wanted to have a special send off dinner before two of the girls begin their freshman year. I love these girls, and I'm going to miss them all so much.

My girls make me smile, and this is why...

Earlier that day Thing 1 told us that she was reserving the car, because she needed to meet her friends for a meeting when they all grow up. I began to freak out about how grown up she's already acting, but my fears were quickly relieved when she called the mall elevator the "alligator". Whew, still a little kid, thank You, Lord.

I just had to take a picture of this. It was one of my favorite moments of the week.

Because soon, it would look like this again

We host a weekly college/career small group at our house which includes dinner. I enjoy cooking, and it gives me a great excuse to try out new recipes. This was one of my own copy-cat creations. Don't you just love lettuce wraps? I do! I love ordering them at restaurants, especially P.F. Changs. And I just always assumed they're really difficult to make, but I figured out I just make bad assumptions. So here ya go!

Start with some chicken breast cut into small cubes.

Keep the Kraft Asian Sesame dressing on the side. You won't need that until the end.

Then add some chopped celery, chopped onion, and garlic to the cubed chicken and cook. (no picture of that...sorry.)

Remove the chicken from pan, pour into a large bowl. Then just chop up some green onions, shred a couple carrots and add them to the cooked chicken mixture. Mix with a lot of that Kraft Asian sesame dressing, and scoop into some iceberg lettuce leaves. Then top with some crunchy chow mein noodles, and voila!

And if you have a really good recipe for this, please send it my way. I'd love to perfect my creation.

Spurgeon Speaks to my Soul

2011-08-05T11:01:00.000-07:00

I've never come across a devotional i really liked, until I picked up Morning and Evening by Charles Spurgeon. Two devotionals a day, one for the morning, and one for the evening. Sermonettes for my soul.

I cheat though, they're both read in the morning. Confession time: because as beautiful as Spurgeon's words are about our Savior, they tend to put me to sleep at night.

Anyway, without fail Spurgeon spoke to my soul again this morning, with my prayer for the day (and what should be EVERY DAY).

"O Jesus, if Thou come not in person to Thy waiting Church this day, yet come in Spirit to my sighing heart, and make it sing for joy."

-C.S. Morning and Evening

It's Time

2011-08-04T09:45:00.000-07:00

It's time to join the blogging world. I was totally turned off by the idea of blogging after watching the movie Julie & Julia. If blogging meant that you had to be completely obsessed with finishing a goal...not for me. (Why? Because I'm a total planner, but I hate goals. I'm not against them, I just rarely finish them, and then it makes me sad. Don't ask me how being a planner and anti-goal maker goes together, but it does.) However, now that i'm a total blog reader, have blogging friends, a blogging husband, and a life I like to think is worth blogging about; I realize its just a fun thing to do, and YOU DON'T HAVE TO MAKE A CRAZY LIFE GOAL OUT OF IT, so i'm in!

so welcome to my chaos...

I love them to death!