September...it's a good thing

September seems to be holding a lot of fun and exciting things for me! Nothing too big this week (though I'll enjoy having my hubby around and an extra day off tomorrow), but then next week the fun really begins. On the 9th we head out to Lancaster for a meeting - maybe doesn't sound like fun to you, but we get to spend some time with the other Dove pastors and their wives and then have lunch with our overseers, who we greatly enjoy. It's such a fun time of relationship building, and I always look forward to it. While the guys normally meet every month, the wives only get together every other month, and we had all taken off for the summer. So it's been a while and will be fun to see everyone again. ALSO on the 9th, my sister's house gets delivered!! Yay!! She is keeping my kids that day, so I'll be so excited to come back and see her house - all be it, in 'parts', sitting in her yard! (They are getting a pre-fab that will be delivered in sections).

Two days later, on the 11th they will be 'setting' the house (putting it together). I had planned on being there bright and early to watch, but then another exciting opportunity came up; I was really torn about what to do, but Bets assured me I should take it, and I will arrive back at her place for all the new-house festivities in the afternoon, so I won't miss out on all the fun. My friend Laura received 4 free tickets to be in the audience of the talk show "The View". I know some people don't like the show, but I must confess that I really do enjoy the political banter between the conservative and liberal personalities on the show, and can't wait to get to see what all goes into the production of a live television show!! And I'm hoping they have some awesome giveaway (they usually give something away to the audience)!(Laura's intention was for Bets to be along on our NYC outing to the show, but she had no control over when the tickets would be for, so unfortunately, she won't be able to be in on it. She was a little bit bummed - but obviously nothing can really dampen her excitement over her new house that much!!) And all this is on Betsy's b-day, so I'll have to be sure to bring her an especially good present (again, not that it will compare to her 'big' present of the day!). It will be very interesting to be in NYC on September 11th. We haven't talked about anything else we might do while there, but it would seem fitting that maybe we should stop by ground zero that day.

Then, another 2 days later, on the 13th we leave for FAMILY VACATION!! Woo Hoo!!! I cannot wait! It's so nice to actually get away all together as a family and spend time without anypressures of the "I shoulds". Being away like that really frees us to do nothing but spend time with each other; even when we are 'off', like tomorrow, it seems there is always something to be done, and there's not a whole lot of genuine just kicking back and relaxing. Last year was the first time we ever took a family vacation like that, and I can't even express how much the kids loved it...as did we. We've been counting down for months and can practically smell the saltwater in the air and feel those ocean breezes.

So, in case you haven't picked up on it...I'm a little excited for this month. And, in honor of all the 'special events', I'm going to finally use a gift certificate for a salon that I've had since Christmas - and am getting my nails done! I figure now's the best time, because normally I feel like it's a waste since I'm always doing things that are hard on nails, like cleaning, playing piano, etc. But I figure - since we'll be away so much, my hands might get a bit of a repreive, so I might as well play it up!

Yeah, I think I'm gonna like September...

perspective

I've been wondering the past few days what makes people vote the way they do, and why people get so passionate about politics. (I, of course, am including myself in this analysis.) At first I thought that maybe it was a 'me-centered' (what is going to meet my personal needs and make me more comfortable) versus a 'we-centered' (what would be best for the country overall, even if I personally don't benefit or seemingly 'lose out' in some way) perspective. I thought about it for a moment, thinking republicans would claim to be more 'we' centered in their thinking - a majority of them voting strongly on the abortion issue but then I realized that a large portion of democrats would make the same claim on the basis of feeling that the democratic party does more for the issue of poverty. So it's not necessarily a 'me' versus 'we'.

I think what must come into play to some degree is your own personal life experiences - good or bad - and also your belief system...what things carry a heavier priority for you. Actually, I think it's a combination of those things. This is how you can get even people within the same faith, church and even family coming at the voting issues from different angles. My conclusion? There's no formula to how people think when it comes to politics.

While I tend to get very passionate and wonder how people could not value the things I do, I want to always try to remember that they are not me - they have different experiences and perspectives that are not wrong simply because they are different than mine. I think that as Christians it's important to realize and remember there is not a 'christian party' and no candidate has all the answers.

I will even go as far as to say that while I greatly value the freedoms that we have in this country, and there really isn't anywhere else in the world I'd rather live, I am first and foremost a citizen of a different kingdom. If the elections don't go the way I want, it's okay - I'm not going to get angry or become fearful. Even if the worst scenario, if our country would decline and I somehow lose my freedoms, I still would maintain my first loyalty - to my King. I know that all things are in His hands, and while I have a responsibility to do all within my power to fight for justice, I also accept that God has an ultimate purpose and will work all things together for my good - even if that good is brought through times of trial and persecution. Do I hope for such refining? No. Do I accept it? Yes. And so my prayer through this political season is: "Father, have your way."

homeschooling humor

These were a couple bright spots in my day that made me chuckle:

• Bryce trying to name all the continents and listing one of them as "Anterecta".
• Me asking Seth to point to South America - and Luke jumping and in doing it first! (He'd listened to us go over it a few times apparently!)
• Luke walking around all day singing "Punc, punc... Punc, punctuation!" (He's also spent some time watching "educational videos" in the past 2 days).
• Seth being completely disinterested in learning to write the words "one", "two" and "three" but wanting to sit and write pages of addition problems for himself instead. (I think he's really annoyed at the concept that math includes spelling - it's supposed to be about numbers, not letters!)
• Kate trying to convince me that since we don't have her History curriculum yet (the one I got isn't working on our computer) that I should allow her to watch an episode of "Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman" and just count that as history for the day.

and we're off...

Well, we've made it through 2 days of the new charter school...and my head is still spinning. It's much more intense than I was expecting, but everyone keeps assuring me that I will develop a rhythm with it and it will get better...so I'm hoping they're right! As far as the curriculum and the school staff and everything...I really like all of it. It's been frustrating trying to limp through with an unfamiliar system and my materials trickling in one box at a time... I think it would still have been a fairly big transition had I had some time to look at everything and prepare in advance, but this has definitely made it much worse. But I will say, there was a big improvement from yesterday to today, so if one day made that much difference, that's a very positive thing. For example, 4 out of 5 Clemmers (that were at home yesterday) cried at some point during the day. Let's just say, the only one who DIDN'T was Kate. (Yeah...Mom had a meltdown. Bryce's impression of it at dinner tonight was pretty hilarious.) But today was almost entirely tear-free, so we're moving in the right direction!!

back to school

Well, summer's officially done here at the Clemmer house. I actually started easing Kate back into school yesterday, familiarizing ourselves with some new curriculum before my attention had to be divided with the boys. But tomorrow we're back in full swing with the boys logging in for their first day of Pennsylvania Virtual Charter School. We got our computers all set up and functioning (finally...had a glitch today with the printer that took me and the support guy about an hour to fix...by UNPLUGGING it and plugging it back in!), though our materials have been 'delayed' (the K12 company relocated and is now running behind in shipping...makes me "Not happy, Bob, NOT HAPPY!" - sorry, little "Incredibles" humor that we quote around here a lot).

Anyway, I have been working hard to try to shift my mindset into 'teacher' mode. It's actually hard for me; I realized yesterday I was literally fighting the urge to multi-task while teaching Kaitlyn spelling! I'm realizing, and making it a goal, to really FOCUS my attention on teaching during the day and letting everything else go. My tendency has been to try to teach, mother, clean, pastor, administrate, socialize and do a whole plethora of other things during the day. I am realizing, especially as my kids get older and all become involved in school day activities (even Luke gets excited about "doing school" and keeps himself fairly entertained for growing periods of time) that I owe it to them, and myself, to just let the other stuff go and give my all to teaching them. It's freeing for me to think about the fact that if I were working outside these walls, I wouldn't expect myself to simultaneously accomplish all those other things...so why do I expect it of myself just because my teaching position happens at the same address where I am a housewife? I don't know...maybe this sounds dumb or obvious to others, but for me it's actually something I'm having to conciously process.

Below are some pics of our school area for this year. If you notice on my desk (the little one with the lamp on it) that right under the lamp there is an apple. (It's fake, but you'd never know it!) I keep that apple on my desk because every time I see it I think "an apple for the teacher" and remind myself that's what I am. I am a teacher. And so tomorrow, I return to 'work'. And I'm excited about it (though still sad to bid farewell to the freedom I experience on summer mornings and awaken with the thought that I don't 'have' to do things...I actually have a choice of what to do!). AND I still have a beach vacation to look forward to in a few weeks...

So, for all of you who are, in some way, starting a new school year (be it yourself or sending off your little ones) - here's to a fresh start!

Tomorrow is always fresh with no mistakes in it.
~Anne Shirley, "Anne of Green Gables"

Our school area

My desk (see the apple?)

Kate's area (with the purple/Hannah Montana theme!)

my weekend

Too tired to say much at the moment, but here's 2 pics from the wedding we did this weekend...hope to post more soon (but the photographer left from the wedding to go on vacation, so it might not be for a week or so!) I'll share more of our fit of panic with this job on Monday!

THANKFUL (that) THURSDAY (is over)

I've had a rather aggravating day - nothing major - just a bunch of minor irritations, so I thought it was probably pretty important for me to remember to do Thankful Thursday to day and try to shake off my resulting crankiness from the day.

1. My house - even though I feel like it needs to be about twice its size!
2. My car - at least I have one to sit in 30 minutes of a traffic jam!
3. My kids - some people desperately want what I have and can't, so I truly am thankful for them!
4. My washing machine - I wouldn't want to be washing the mountains of laundry I have by hand!!
5. The prospect of a fresh start of a new school year - even if my materials aren't here yet!
6. My husband - even if we barely have time to talk, we can at least fall into bed together at night.
7. Skinless boneless chicken breasts - for days when dinner needs to be fast and easy!
8. Playstation and computers - for when I really just need them to go away from me (even though I really, really love them - occasionally I just need a half hour - or more.)
9. Chocolate - because it just makes me feel better.
10. My Savior - because no matter how frustrating my day's been, I am never without hope.
    

more political info

If you aren't into politics, just skip this. If, however, you are still deciding who to vote for, here's some more fodder for the mill. Again, all I ask is that you be informed, and don't fall for anyone's fancy campaign promises. (And if anyone knows of anything disturbing about McCain that you want to send me, in the effort of fairness, I will post that as well).

a bat-tastic party

Last night we celebrated Seth's 6th birthday (which was actually on Monday). I asked him what he wanted to do for his b-day celebration (secretly/silently hoping he wouldn't say a 'friend party' - Bryce only just had his first one this year. I'm not big into lots of kids in one place...especially that I'm responsible for entertaining!). Anyway, thankfully he thought for a moment and said that he really just wanted to have his cousins, so I was totally on board! That, and he wanted a "Batman" theme. No prob.

Below you'll find the pics...including a surprise guest...a bat. I know, I am an amazing mom to go as far as to have live bats at the Batman party, YEAH, RIGHT!! I was opening our patio umbrella...stuck my head up inside to make sure it was moving up right...when something dropped from inside the top to right in front of my face. It took a second for it to register what it was, and then about a nano-second for me to jump 10 feet from the thing and yell for Todd!!

Apparently our patio has an open invitation for disgusting creatures right now!! Anyway, Todd took lots of pics of it, then poked it a bit til it flew out - and planted itself in the rafters of the carport where we were having the party! Nice. The furry varmint finally left, and all us females breathed a sigh of relief; they just creep me out!!

The uninvited, but theme appropriate, guest:

Pin the Bat Signal on Gotham City:

Even 'Batman-blue' Gatorade:

The Bat-cake (figuratively, of course):

The crew (these are only the children of me & my 2 sisters!
And there are more, not pictured):The much-wanted guitar
(he wants to start lessons):Though it's not real, at least it's a puppy!

on the lighter side!

After all the heavy politics yesterday, we need something mindless today. So I will share with you all how much I LOVE cucumber salad!!! Seriously, I made a batch yesterday and could have sat and ate the whole thing in one sitting!! It's so easy to make, yet I rarely to...hmmm, I wonder why...

Anyway, here's the recipe, given to me by my dear friend Patty. I usually end up using pretty large cucumbers and needing to double the sauce part, but it's something you can just judge as you go.

Cucumber Salad

3-4 cucumbers
1/2 small onion

Peel & slice cucumbers; slice onions - mix. Salt & let sit together. Wring out (just squeeze - and actually, I don't do this part, but it was on the recipe, so I'll include it).

Mix:
1 c. mayonnaise
4 T. vinegar
4 T. sugar

(You may want to add the vinegar and sugar a tablespoon at a time and taste as you go to make sure it's to your liking, depending whether you like it more sweet or more sour).

Add cucs & onions!

Mmmm....


Tonight was Seth's birthday celebration with his cousins, and I have pictures and a fun story about a 'special surprise guest'...but I'm too tired to tell it and download pics now, so you can look for that tomorrow!! (Or later today, depending on when you're reading this...it's still Tuesday night for me, as I haven't gone to bed yet, though it's nigh unto 12:30...). Anyway, look for it sometime Wednesday...

OK, I'm babbling...time for bed.

uh-oh...politics

WARNING: Yep, it's another rant. As usual, I don't want to offend anyone, but needed to vent some political frustration. If you have thin political skin, please don't read any further.

I don't often post about political issues. I really want to be able to connect and dialogue with people, and generally, stating political stances isn't very conducive to this. However, I'm having a lot of trouble understanding where people who hold the same beliefs and convictions that I do coming out saying how much they like Barack Obama. It does make me wonder if they are looking at more than interviews and taking a close look at where the senator actually stands on the issues. (The most common answer I've gotten when I ask someone why they support Obama is that we need "change" and they haven't liked the current administration. That, and/or, they site his stance on the war. Or, probably the 2nd most popular reason: "I just really like him!" I just really like a lot of people - but I don't think they should be president!)

Listening to The Call DC on Saturday really set me thinking about some things. One that really jumped out at me was a scripture that was pointed out from Psalm 94:20-21:

Can unjust leaders claim that God is on their side – leaders who permit injustice by their laws? They attack the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.

The speaker pointed out that if we align ourselves with unjust leaders (as spoken of in this Psalm), we too share in their guilt, and we too will be answerable for our part in these injustices. That really hit my heart, as well as penetrated my mind. It's something we who call ourselves followers of Christ need to stop and think long and hard about - before we start worry and whine about the economy or anything else. And before we address the deaths from the war (which I find sad, an issue to be taken seriously and addressed, and in no way do I mean to minimize), we need to look at the number of deaths of unborn children and take some time to ponder what is truly meant by condemning the innocent to death.

I've been watching the interview with Sen. Obama done by Pastor Rick Warren. I really want to like Sen. Obama; I think he has a great personality. I know other Christians who support him. His interview sounded impressive...he even spoke of his personal faith in Jesus. However, I find his words and his voting record disturbingly contradictory. As I was listening to him speak about needing to follow Jesus words from Matthew (and he brought up this concept a few times in this 10+ minute clip I watched) about whatever we do "to the least of these" we do unto Him, I perused his record on the abortion issue. It broke my heart. Here's what I found on the "Fact Checker" page from Washington Post.com (please note, I got this from a secular, non-conservative source):

Obama said NO to a bill that asked for this:

Provides that a live child born as a result of an abortion shall be fully recognized as a human person and that all reasonable measures consistent with good medical practice shall be taken to preserve the life and health of the child.

And another one:

Provides that it is the intent of the General Assembly to protect the life of a child born alive as the result of an induced labor abortion.

(Yes, that's right, we're way beyond debating whether life begins at conception here folks, we are talking about purposefully NOT saving a living child.) I'd encourage you to go here to read more about the voting record, and what each of those bills actually means.

I could go on, (there's certainly plenty more to be said) but instead I would again implore you to check it out yourself. Let's suffice it to say that Obama has received 100% pro-choice voting rating from Planned Parenthood. So much for the least of these...

Now, lest anyone accuse me of voting on a single issue (which after viewing the voting record on this issue alone I do greatly question the moral fibers of Obama), a few other things that really don't sit well with me (just to name a few) are:

• In 1999, he cast the only "no" vote against bill that denies early release to sexual predators for good behavior.
• He wants government run health care (socialized medicine) (Let me just say, I have in the past for a brief period of time, experienced some government run health care; it was horrific. If you think socialized medicine is so great, you ought to experience it for a while first. You might think twice.)
• He supports the death tax
• I'm uneasy on his stance (or the fact that I cannot really find one!) on homeschooling. I wasn't impressed with what I heard from him back when California tried to ban homeschooling. Everything else I find when I tried to search his position on homeschooling is rooted ONLY in a quote from his book...and based on how quickly he backtracked what was said in his book about Rev. Jeremiah Wright, I'm not putting stock in something just because he mentioned it in a book.
  

So, no, it's not only about one issue - but yes, it does ride MOSTLY on one issue (and for the record, there are those who's only issue is the war in Iraq. I guess that's just a more 'politically correct' issue to hang your hat on...). I just cannot understand how Christians can justify overlooking the abortion issue, and be more concerned with their own comfort and welfare. (How can we NOT let this weigh heavily in our consideration of this, or any, candidate?) I think maybe this says it all:

Abort73 Graphics / Abort73 Shirts

my call

He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. ~Isaiah 40:11

At this season in my life, this verse has become very near and dear to my heart. Today is The Call in Washington,DC, a day of prayer/fasting/worship for our country. Todd & I wanted to go, and really wrestled with what the best thing to do was. Mainly because of our children. At first, I fully intended to go, but it just wasn't working out with regards to babysitting. It was going to be an incredibly long day, as the actual event was from 10 am to 10 pm; the crew from our church left the area at 6:30 this morning to head down to the capital, and would be returning very late. I wasn't sure how this would play out even if we did find sitters. So I was up and down, back and forth about what to do. Even yesterday we had someone call and offer to keep the kids for us, so I called Todd and we discussed what we should do.

We often have a hard time saying no to things, because everything feels important and/or exciting, and we are not really 'homebody' types anyway, so we always have a sense of not wanting to "miss anything"! But as we looked at our schedules, and how jam-packed it is over the next few weeks, we decided that, though we were sad to miss The Call, it was the best for our family to say "no" this time and spend the time with them, and around home, doing things we need to.

Today has been awesome. And even though I'm not there, I feel connected in my spirit to the things going on in DC. As I scrubbed my floors today, I thought about how fitting it would be to pray, as I was on my knees already! So I did - while I scrubbed, I joined with the thousands praying today, and lifted my prayers in unison with theirs, from miles away. Later, as I searched a scripture that God brought to my mind, I remembered that I could watch The Call live online, so I logged on and took some time watching/listening and praying with them.

God has reminded my heart today that He knows what it's like to be responsible for the care of young and tender ones. He knows that they have needs, and as a family we have to make choices sometimes that give them priority. He knows, because He himself is a Father who gently tends His young. And so he gently leads me, coming close to me right where I'm at, speaking to me in the midst of my 'mothering' duties, including me and not discounting me.

slug love

Tonight we (meaning my entire family) witnessed something gross and disturbing. (I'm not going to say blatently what it was because I don't want to attract any unseemly visitors to my site through any searches involving certain words...so this will all be very vague, but I'm sure you can get the point). Of course, the younger children didn't realize just how disturbing it was...though Kate definitely 'got' what was going on!! At first we weren't sure, but then we thought, "yep, that must be what happened". It was hilarious to hear the boys completely, innocently naive suggestions of what they thought we were seeing (including "maybe they are fighting!"), and to watch Kate practically die in fits of giggles while giving us 'knowing' glances (probably feeling very grown up, being 'in on' the adult understanding). After the boys were in bed, we Googled "slugs" and found this disgusting information on Wikipedia. When we read it Kate was like "Eeeewww...don't read it out loud!!! Ahhhhh!!!" There was also a video on YouTube of the exact thing we witnessed, but I don't want to post any links to that because it also brought up lots of other trash that I didn't want to be responsible for leading anyone to.

We took tons of pictures, though the one posted here (also from Wikipedia) is much clearer than ours (it was dark outside, so it was hard to get enough light for the pic). It was a great science lesson I guess. I'm much more acquainted with slugs than I ever cared to be, that's for sure!!

puppy

Well, we've given in. We broke down and told the kids we can get a puppy. It's been non-stop puppy talk ever since. Kate is seriously on a mission to find one. So far we haven't had much luck...here's why. Dad (a.k.a. - my dear hubby) isn't thrilled about the prospect of a 4-legged critter running around again - all he sees are visions of dog hair and poop, and says that every house that has a dog smells. But it was his decision to concede, mainly on the basis that Seth is such a lovey, nurturing kid, and just seems like the type of boy that just NEEDS a dog.

However...Todd really doesn't want to spend $$ to actually get the dog. (Our last dog, Casey, was a mutt from some friends whose dog was a little loose with her morals, shall we say. They needed to get rid of some puppies and so we just went and picked out the one we wanted. She was a great dog that we had for 12+ years. And then she died, and though we missed her, Todd felt greatly relieved of the responsibility.) So the thought of shelling out a lot of cash for something he's so torn about to begin with doesn't sit too well (besides the fact that the money isn't really in the budget). Problem is, we don't know of anybody simply looking to unload some cute little furballs, and even shelters charge an 'adoption fee' - not to mention there's a whole 'screening process' to go through, some even wanting to come do a "home inspection"!! Sheesh - there isn't that much screening to have a baby (thought, with some of the parents I've seen, maybe there ought to be! J/K...)!!

We've mostly been looking online at the rescues, SPCA, etc. There's plenty of dogs, but not necessarily puppies - and we want a puppy for several reasons. One is that Luke is fairly afraid of dogs at this point and we're hoping that the 'cute little baby' factor will help ease him into it. Secondly, Seth wanted a small dog that he can hold, but Todd & I don't like little dogs, so we want one that will be big...the compromise is starting with a small one that will grow. Also, we have a lot of activity around our house, and I want the dog to be very trainable for our lifestyle. So... that leaves us still searching... I'm not sure which of our criteria we may have to 'give' on...

At any rate, Kate wants to adopt every puppy she sees (most of which are out of state!!) and she totally reminds me of the part from the 'Esther' Veggie Tales. I couldn't find that exact clip online, but found this one, which really made me laugh because Kate loves "My Fair Lady" and I've officially dubbed this her theme song! So here's my tribute to Kaitlyn for today:

doubly blessed

Forgot to post this cool picture last week... We had a double rainbow at our house... Does that mean we're doubly blessed?

lazy day

We had a lazy summer day today...nothing planned, no place to be...and to top it off, I was sick, so we really did just sort of laze around. We read books, watched a couple episodes of Little House on the Prairie and Kate crocheted ALL DAY. This was her creation...

Then for dinner we had what I consider to be the 'perfect summer supper' (even though today did NOT feel like summer - 68 degrees in August?!?! - what's THAT about?!?)... BLT's and corn on the cob (tomatoes and corn both from my mother-in-law's garden). It was YUUUUMMMY! (And easy, which totally worked for me today!)

a bus sar, sar away

I wish I could capture the way Lukey talks right now and save it so I can pull it out in 5 years and remember his utter adorableness. Tonight Todd was out riding bike with the boys on the road, so Lukey had to stay in the yard and/or watch them from the sidewalk. He must've gotten bored with it and started to be a gentleman and bring me flowers...one at a time. He can't reach the doorhandle, so with each new flower I'd hear "Mom!! Can you open the door? I have a slower for you!" **as in flower with an 's' sound replacing the 'f' sound** One time, I guess because I took too long getting to the door one time he said "It's a disserent flower...a big one!" It was actually a bright yellow leaf, which he informed me
"I got it off a bus."
I said, "A bus?"
"No!" he tried again... "Dat big bus over there..." (The pointing helped...)
"OH! You got it off the bush?"
"Uh-huh!" he replied proudly.
Then I asked him where his dad and brothers were to which he said
"Dey's riding deir bikes...on da road...dey's sar, sar away; we can't see dem."

I could just eat him up! He really drove me absolutely batty today, but that 5 minutes of cuteness almost made up for it!!

live bloggin' the 'big event' :o)

So, I'm LIVE BLOGGING...from my yard sale!!! It's going pretty slow...we hung signs around the area, but when Todd & I went out for our date last night we saw that they were all down!! Aarghh! Best we can figure, the wind must've took them down...

So, we re-did them this morning, but they don't seem to be bringing in droves of people or anything... Todd always insists I should advertise more, but I just can't see paying money to advertise when I figure I don't have anything all that valuable to sell - probably wouldn't be enough to make up what I'd spend! I did put it on Craig's list (I'm OK w/free advertising...)

So, nothin' exciting to report... I like to think of it as working on my tan, and getting paid a little somethin' to do it!!

oh yeah, baby!!!!!!!!!

I am pretty stinkin' pleased with myself!! Check out the website I created for our business, Buds in Blossoms... (and keep in mind I have next to no actual computer knowledge!!)

Yep, that's one thing off my random list from yesterday... only a few more to go. This went amazingly well...did one of you pray for me?? Cuz I been fretting over this for weeks now, and all of a sudden today it just came together!! So whoever it was...THANK YOU!!!

Check out our site and let me know whatcha think!! And by the way, all the photos of flowers on there are all arrangements we actually did...no stock photos!! Also, there's still more to be done (a few newer photos to be added, etc.) so check back every now and again...

(WARNING: There is music, so if you're not a fan of websites w/music, you might want to turn down your volume.)

www.budsinblossoms.com

wildly random

OK, here's just some completely random stuff. If you have any input, suggestions, questions, answers or advise, please comment.

1. I have 2 curriculums that I am looking to get rid of. They are for kindergarten (or K-4) and first grade; A.C.E. programs. One is unopened. Let me know if you're interested in more details.
2. Planning on having a yard sale this Saturday; all proceeds go toward the "Family Vacation Fund". If you're in the area,stop on by and see if you want any of our junk...er, um...our pre-owned items.
3. I must stop obsessing about getting ready to start school and enjoy NOT having to do school, but I'm having some trouble doing so...I think maybe I need some new grab-your-attention fiction to read (I'm currently reading several non-fiction, but that never is 'relaxing' for me.) It's gotta be really good stuff, because I've been totally spoiled by the excellence of my early-summer reads.
4. Anyone in need of an upright freezer? Works fine, we just already have one, and it's not worth defrosting and trying to remove to replace with this one, which is slightly newer and small than the one we currently have. (I'm sick of having it in my carport!)
5. Anyone have any use for a seriously big/heavy color-copier? We had one donated to the church, but it's basically too big for our needs (read "too expensive for us to by the toner and service contract") - it's an actual office copier, and we really MUST get it out of my very gracious in-laws garage (it's been there entirely too long!! - I'm so sorry!!)
6. I'm looking for someone to give guitar lessons to Seth. Know anybody?
7. We totally need to get a website up and running for "Buds in Blossoms" and that's part of my job description...but I don't know my head from a hole in the ground on this one. I need HELP!!! Somebody???

Stephen Curtis Chapman on GMA

For anyone interested, Good Morning America is broadcasting an interview with Stephen Curtis Chapman and his wife, talking about the recent tragic death of their daughter and how they are coping and holding onto faith on tomorrow's show. Click the link below to see a preview.

http://abcnews.go.com/gma

spaghetti with herbed tomatoes and cheese

I can't remember if I posted this recipe before or not (that's why it would be helpful if I could remember to label my posts!) but it's SOOOOO good that even if I did, it's worthy of posting again! It's incredibly delicious and super-fast/easy to make and has always been a hit when I serve it to company. (Of course, Bryce doesn't eat it...but that's beside the point...) It's very nice looking to serve, healthy (I use EVOO and Barilla Plus pasta to help with this) and also re-heats as yummy as it was originally. It's a winner on all counts in my book!

Anyway, the recipe (originally from my mother-in-law...one of my favorite meals to have at her house when Todd and I were dating) is below. It's especially good with a salad and a thick sliced bread (my favorite is this quick, easy, homemade bread) - and a nice, slightly dry wine, if you like wine. (Additional note: I always double the entire recipe - I just use the whole 14.5 oz box of pasta, double all the rest of the ingredients - and because I LOVE cheese, I usually throw an extra cup of mozzarella in for good measure. However, I'll post the recipe as it was originally given to me, and let you play with it and find what works best for you.)

Spaghetti with Herbed Tomatoes and Cheese
1-8 oz. spaghetti
2 T. salad oil
1 sm. garlic clove, minced (or you can use about 1/8 tsp garlic powder if need be)
3 med. tomatoes, diced (I usually just use a can of diced tomatoes, as that usually gives more juice)
2 tsp. basil
1/2 tsp salt
1 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
1/2 c. grated (or shredded) parmesan cheese

Cook spaghetti as directed.

In 2 qt. saucepan over medium heat, in hot oil cook garlic til tender. Stir in tomatoes, basil and salt; heat through stirring occasionally.

Drain spaghetti and return to saucepan; toss gently with tomato mixture, mozzarella and parmesan cheese.

Serve immediately.

childhood summers

I've been reminiscing about the joys of summer when you are a kid. My kids have seemingly been 'on the go' to one place or another ever since we finished school. This week especially is finding me short a kiddo or two at any given time. Then again, later in the week I may find myself with an extra - who knows!! It reminds me of when I used to spend the long summer days playing with my cousins. As evening fell we were so reluctant to part that we would beg our moms to let us spend the night at either one house or the other. I remember the sheer happiness of receiving a 'yes' response!! I thought of that yesterday when Kate called from her best friend's house, asking to stay another night (funny, I got the same call again tonight...) and then later when I noticed Bryce and Anna scheming and doing the exact same thing we did at their age...if one mom says no, try to work the deal the opposite way... "if you can't stay over at my house, maybe I can come to yours..." Well, it worked, and the cousins have been playing together (at least in shifts) for going on 3 days now. I love it. My first reaction is usually a hesitant "Well...", but after I thinking back to my own joyous childhood summers, I thought "Of course, why not?!?! Isn't this what summer's about for a kid anyway!!"

My heart is warmed. :)

speaking his ove language - "quality time"

I had an interesting insight into Seth's love language today...

Both Kate and Bryce were off spending time at friends' houses, and this morning it was just the two younger boys and I. We had some running around to do, so I decided we could stop at Rita's for a special treat. After that it was back to the errands, but both boys were very pleasant. Upon arriving at Wal-Mart to pick up a few items, Luke sighed... "This is boring!" he said. Seth quickly turned and responded "But it's alone-time, Lukey!" Luke's bewildered look said that he wasn't buying Seth's viewpoint, but it grabbed my attention. I said to Seth, "You like having 'alone-time' don't you?" He nodded emphatically. (He's always the one trying to get dad to take him to Dunkin' Donuts on a Saturday morning, or go along with me to the grocery store, especially when no one else wants to.) I asked "Does it make you feel loved?" With a big grin he answered "Yep!" As we headed off to get the most mundane items (such as good band-aids!), Seth slipped his hand into mine and chatted happily. It set the tone for the rest of the day...I don't think I had to scold him once. He didn't even complain about having to clean up all the yard toys left out from our picnic yesterday without his older sibs to help. I really need to remember that those little 'deposits' into their 'love tanks' really do go a long way.

Now, hours later, I'm hoping he's still being as good and pleasant as he takes his turn sleeping over at Aunt Betsy's!!