More Pictures Of Brad in His Grandad's Clothes and Some Links I Love

This morning, I'm sitting in a waiting room at Children's Hospital, waiting on Phoebe's cardiologist to finish her heart surgery. It's different being on this side of the waiting room, and boring too (especially since my dad and Brad are talking taxes!), so I'm going to post more pictures of Brad in his grandad's clothes. (You can see the other ones HERE.)





This one really makes me proud.



Last Thursday was camo day at KU. Since I used Eli's old camo pants for Phoebe (you can see the heart patch I had to put over a hole in the knee!), I figured we needed to wear something cute in our hair.



One of my KU moms makes the cutest FELT FLOWER PINS/HAIRCLIPS. Not only are they precious (and I mean C-U-T-E!), they are inexpensive, too. I gave them to all Eli's "other" teachers (P.E., music, librarian, etc.) in his school colors for Christmas. She made a POINSETTIA for one of Phoebe's outfits at Christmas, too. Multi-talented, I tell ya!


My new favorite blog to stalk is one about a CRAZY CAT LADY in the South. Seriously makes me laugh everyday. And then I read them to Brad and he doesn't laugh. It's a tough crowd around here.


THIS is my new favorite blog for recipes. I haven't actually tried any of her recipes, but she has several that look yummy.


Have you been to MODCLOTH yet?! If you like clothes, you should probably stay away because it's a dangerous, dangerous place.


I *heart* THE PLEATED POPPY. She's so fun and creative and normal! I especially love her WHAT I WORE WEDNESDAY series.


Love children's literature? Then you'll love THIS blog like I do.

So there you go. Now you see how I'm wasting my time this morning...it's keeping the anxiety at bay. Sort of.

Matters of the Heart

When Phoebe was 2 weeks old, Brad took her to her first pediatrician's visit. (You can read about those adventures HERE.)She mentioned to Brad that she thought Phoebe might have a heart murmur. In all the hustle and bustle of that time, we completely forgot about it until her 2 month appointment with our pediatrician here in Amarillo. Our doctor here mentioned that she heard something "abnormal" with Phoebe's heart (she didn't think it was a murmur), and sent us over to the pediatric cardiologist. An echocardiogram and an EKG revealed that Phoebe had a hole in her heart.

I remember sitting in the doctor's office, holding my baby, while the doctor explained all of this and feeling a huge weight of worry and fear settling down on my shoulders.

It was diagnosed as ASD, or ARTERIAL SEPTAL DEFECT. The hole was about 1 cm in diameter, which doesn't sound so big until you think about the fact that Phoebe's heart was only as big as her teeny-tiny fist. He told us there wasn't much we could do right now because her heart was too small, but they'd continue to do check-ups and echocardiograms every six months to watch her progress and growth. Then they sent us on our way with a pamphlet all about ASD.

I immediately read through the literature and googled it. Not a good idea because there are all kinds of scary things medical things on the Internet! Symptoms ranged from lethargy and failure to thrive to respiratory infections and shortness of breath. Phoebe was our calm, go-with-the-flow child and we constantly wondered if it was personality or if her little body lacked the energy to do big things. We were told that in a few years, she would need surgery to repair the hole, but it would have to be done in Dallas or Houston because that's the only places it was done.

And then we waited.

Her heart didn't seem to cause her any problems. In fact, the pediatric cardiologist said he was surprised she was as asymptomatic as she was. She a tall, healthy girl. She's not prone to respiratory infections. Her energy level is great! So great, in fact, that I worry she'll become even more active after her surgery and then Lord, help us all! But the hole is still there. And it still needs to be fixed.

A few months ago, we began talking with the pediatric cardiologist in Dallas. The surgery date is set. Monday, January 31st and Children's Medical Center. On one hand, I'm glad to get it scheduled and take care of this little problem that causes worry and fear to nestle (while not as big) on my shoulders. On the other, I'm a little nervous about heart surgery on my baby.

Part of me wants to downplay the whole heart surgery thing. It's only an overnight stay in the hospital. They aren't cracking open her chest, instead going up through an artery in her leg. It's no more a big deal than getting tubes in her ears. She's going to do great. And then there's the part of me that's screaming, "THIS IS MY BABY! THEY ARE MESSING WITH HER HEART!! SHE'LL BE UNDER ANESTHESIA AND WHO KNOWS WHAT COULD HAPPEN!!! SHE HAS TO STAY IN THE HOSPITAL!!!!"

It makes this mommy's heart go cold when I think about what could happen. I second-guess myself for letting Eli stay home with a family friend so he won't miss a week of school because what if something happened. I wonder if this little hospital stay is going change our lives forever like the last time one of our family stayed in a hospital in Dallas. But then I shake myself out of such morbid reveries. I tell myself that I'm just indulging in my flair for the dramatics and that everything will be fine. Just fine.

It's funny, these matters of the heart.

The Bacon Shirts

There are alot of sewing blogs out there in blogland, and THIS is one of my favorites. This gal does a little of everything. A little sewing, a little crafting, a little baking...it's all there.

Trust me, I already have several more things I want to make from her website. Like THIS. And THIS. And THIS that I want to turn into a Menu Board for our kitchen.

Right after Christmas, she posted THIS tutorial...and I fell in love! I knew that if I didn't make it, I just might die. (Dramatic much?) I also knew I wanted to make one for my friend and other Huddle leader, D'Lynn. She has two beautiful, college-age girls who are fun and funky and were leaving her to go back to college in January (one in Abilene, one in Nashville) and taking all their fun, funky clothes with them. She needed a pick-me-up and I needed a guinea pig and an outlet. I get kind of lazy if I'm just making things for myself (like the two unfinished quilts I have for myself in the top of my craft closet), but I'm highly motivated to do something for someone else.

Here's the one I made for D'Lynn.



The shirt is from the Jr.'s department at Kohl's. They are my favorite layering tee's of all time. I can't remember the brand, but they fit well and have a nice wide cuff and I found it on sale for $6. I got the fabric at Jo Ann's in the "fancy" fabric section and the lace is crafting lace that's sold by the bolt.



Here's the one I made for myself.



I already had this shirt from the Gap that I had bought for $4 (no joke!) after New Year's. It was a little different shade than the one from Kohl's so I had to get a different kind of chiffon. Mine has an old-lady vibe, but I'm okay with that. I straightened my hair the day I wore my shirt. Just trying to mix things up a bit. I was going for a Rapunzel-look at the end of "Tangled" because how lucky was she that her man had such mad styling skills?



After I had given D'Lynn her shirt (which she loved) and I had finished sewing the buttons on my shirt (which is the most time consuming part, by the way), I showed my handiwork off to Brad. I was giddy with excitement, as I usually am when showing off my latest finished project.

He said, "It looks like bacon."

Sigh.

In A Few Years, This Is Going To Be Creepy

But right now, they are both loving this night time ritual. (Despite my protestations that curly hair should not be combed!)

A Legacy of Laughter

We spent this last Saturday and Sunday in Melrose, NM, remembering and saying good-bye to Brad's grandad, Neil. He passed away early Wednesday morning after a nine-month battle with lung cancer.

As some deaths are, it was bittersweet. His wife of 50-plus years had passed away two years ago and his health was failing. But he left behind so many people who loved him and will miss him dearly, including his daughter (Brad's mom) who took care of him the last nine months.

He's one of that generation who are passing away every day, it seems. The ones who lived through the Great Depression as a child, who married young and made a life in a booming America, who cared for people because that's just what you did, who retired to the old homestead in the middle of nowhere (quite literally), who are buried next to their mothers and fathers and cousins and infant children in a cemetery rich with family history. (We saw the tombstone of the woman who first carried the name "Mae", who passed it down to her great-great granddaughter, Phoebe.)
My generation isn't like that and I don't think many in my parents' generation are either. We might still have strong family ties, but most of us don't live in the same small town our grandparents did, related to almost everyone in a 100-mile radius.

At the funeral, where there was standing room only in that tiny Church of Christ, he was remembered as a man with a big, generous spirit and a wonderful sense of humor. He loved to laugh. I think a sense of humor is one of the most essential life tools one can possess. The ability to laugh at yourself, to laugh at others, and to laugh at life is one that will get you through life without becoming a bitter, lonely person. And Neil had it in spades. He left a legacy of laughter.

After the funeral, some of the family headed back to Neil and Faye's house for the night. The house that was literally in the middle of nowhere. My sister-in-law spent a little time cleaning out the pantry, throwing away cake mixes and crackers that had expired several years ago while Brad got to going through the coat closet and his grandad's closet.

Oh, the treasures he found in there!

There were probably 50 "TRUCKER" hats, several "Tom Landry" hats, various pairs of boots, and these.



Brad and his brother, Kevin, got a big kick out of them.





Brad is wearing his grandmother's hat in this picture.



We had a good laugh a their expense.





And as we laughed until we cried, it made me realize that Neil and Faye's legacy will live on. There names may not always be remembered, time will march on, lives will continue in the hustle and bustle of everyday-ness. But the legacy of laughter with their grandsons will live on. Hopefully being passed down to their great-grandchildren, too.

Dear Hominy

Dear Hominy,

I am so sorry. For years, I turned my nose up at you, thinking you were gross and slimy. As a child ransacking my mother's cabinets for cans to donate to the canned food drive at church for the Children's Home, I would toss you in with the peas (blech!) and the lima beans (yuck!). Surely the children I was donating to would love you more than I did. As an adult, I passed you by on the grocery shelves, opting for your sweeter, more common cousin, corn.

But all that has changed! Once I really gave you a chance (in my mother-in-law's posole and cheesy grits), I realized what a little gem you are. Like a little golden, texture-y gem...almost like a small, corn noodle. And we both know how much I love a good noodle.

Please accept my most sincere apology. I promise to try you in all kinds of new recipes and encourage my children to eat them, too. You'll be a welcome addition to our family's table. But this apology does not extend to your friend, Peas. They are disgusting and gross and I will never, ever eat them. Ever.

Your (new) fan,
Jordan


Due to my recent reconciliation with hominy, I'm sharing a recipe with you today. I find that on Thursdays (after a day at KU), I need a dinner that requires absolutely no effort on my part whatsoever. A dinner made in the crockpot that doesn't really require any side dishes. Of course, if I were a good mom, I would make a salad or get out some baby carrots or something one might consider healthy, but by Thursday I am too lazy to anything at all so I don't. My "good mom" card is constantly being revoked.

But I digress. This soup is really good and really easy and it has hominy in it. Perfect for a cold day!

And it makes a ton!

Crockpot Chicken Posole Stew
3-4 frozen chicken breasts
2 cans hominy, rinsed and drained (I used one can of golden hominy and one can of white hominy...just to be pretty!)
2 cans diced tomatoes, undrained
3 cups chicken broth
3-4 carrots, peeled and sliced
1/2 an onion, diced
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tablespoon cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
salt and pepper to taste

Add all ingredients to the crockpot and stir around. Cook on low 7-8 hours. Shred chicken. Serve with grated cheese and tortilla chips.

Preferably in paper bowls so you don't have to do any dishes.


Happy Hominy!

Show and Tell: Christmas Crafting Part II

Back before we went to DISNEY, I found THIS awesome memory game set on some blog I lurk around. (I can't remember which one because there are so many.) It was love at first sight! While the price was in our gift giving budget, I decided it would take me very long to whip up two sets for my nephews ('cause I'm crazy like that). I used wooden tiles that I got from Hobby Lobby and had a friend cut them in half. Then Brad sanded them down really well and I decoupaged photos on one side and scrapbook paper on the other. A coat of non-toxic sealant finished them up.

I also decided to make drawstring bags. You can find the tutorial HERE.



The instructions look much harder than they actually were and I might even make them again! And I hear that while Lincoln doesn't really play with the memory tiles yet, he does love carting around his 'man purse'!

I had Snow White help me demonstrate how my memory cards turned out.



See! The inside was a different color!





Each set I made had 20 blocks so I could use 10 pictures for each set and each set had the same pictures.



I tried to use mostly pictures of the grandkids and my parents because some of us (and I won't name names, Shane!) don't take very good pictures. Plus, I had plenty of those to choose from and not so many containing the adults in our family.





Lincoln's set had cars and trucks on them, while Isaac's set had retro space stuff.



Pretty cute, huh?

I also made a set of coasters for my brother and brother-in-law to go along with their generic gift cards, but I forgot to take pictures. Talk about easy! I took the small tiles (not the itty-bitty ones and not the big 12x12 ones, but the ones that are maybe 4x4) and decoupaged good family pictures onto the smooth side. Then I used gorilla glue to attach four small furniture movers to the back side. I stole the idea from a mom at KU who used zebra scrapbook paper and a paper monogram to make a teacher gift. It was a pretty perfect gift since Ben and Shane are both coaster kind of guys.

That about wraps up my Christmas crafting. Well, except for the quilt that I made my sister. I didn't post it because I didn't get it finished before Christmas due to sewing machine and stomach bug issues. Soon, hopefully.

I Just Wub De Way She Talks

There's something about Phoebe you should know. She is precious when she speaks.

It's true. Really.

I thought it was just me being a biased mommy towards her one and only baby daughter, but just today, a friend told me that she just loved to hear Phoebe talk because it's so darn cute. My mom has told me this before, too, but again, I chalked it up to a doting grandmother. I never realized until I had children how rose-colored those mommy glasses are.

The thing is, Phoebe has several letters that she mis-pronounces. I'm hoping this is just baby-talk that I'm not correcting and not a sign of some serious learning disability or speech impairment. (And if you are someone who knows of these things, please let me live in my naive little world a little longer with my daughter I view as precious and not in need of professional help.)

I know there will come a time when all of these things have been corrected and improved and it makes me a little sad. So I don't correct her myself. I don't know when the last time she'll say, "I wub you" instead of "I love you" will be and by the time I realize she no longer says it, I won't have savored it near enough.

For posterity, here are the letters that she doesn't pronounce correctly.

She says her l's like w's. As in "E-wi" for "Eli", "Bush-wand" for "Bushland", and "wub" for "love".

Which brings me to her v's that she pronounces like b's, but only in the middle of words like "eb-ry" for "every".

Her th's sound like d's. "Brother" sounds like "brudder", "mother" sounds like "mudder", "this" sounds like "dis", "those" sound like "dose"...kind of like she's Swedish. Although the word "things" sounds like "tings".

I vaguely remember the one speech therapy class required for my elementary ed degree all those years ago in college, and I think these are all pretty normal for an almost four-year-old. Not that I choose to believe that my baby girl is in any way normal or ordinary. :)

Like every other child, there's certain words that I continue to let her mis-pronounce. For Eli, he used to say "park" for "part", as in, "That's my favorite park." He also said, "I want to go snoogling," when he meant, "I want to go snorkeling." Phoebe says "pokey-pine" when talking about porcupines (it comes up more than you think), "ur" for "your" like "Dat's ur phone", and "yo-grut" for "yogurt". She's my baby so I love it...and I don't correct her.

And in a few years when she's rolling her eyes at me or not speaking to me at all, I'll pull out this little post and remember one of the things that I found very precious about my sweet, baby girl.

Show and Tell: Christmas Crafting Part I

Before Christmas I was crafting like a madwoman. And madwomen do craft. For reals. I'm fairly certain there's lots of craft time in the loony bin. Which is where I'm headed, I'm sure, so I'm okay with that. Mostly because I really like to give handmade gifts. It's like giving a part of myself away. So I get all these great ideas for things to make for people that I just know they will love more than any gift certificate I could give them and then my perfectionism rears its ugly head and I just can't give them any other gift than the one I know will be perfect. Then I stay up late, missing meals, to make all these things that I know will be so great (especially when my machine breaks!) and all of this makes me crazy. A vicious cycle, I tell you.

Since I use this as my scrapbook, I'm posting the things I made this year for Christmas. It's a two-part series, mostly because I don't want to upload a boat load of pictures all at once.

First, I was seeing stars!

hahahahahahahaha



Back this summer, I found THIS website and it's one of my new favorites. It's got lots and lots of great ideas that are pretty easy, too. When I found this STAR, I knew that I wanted to make it for my mom, my mother-in-law, my sister, my four sisters-in-law, my Huddle leader buddy, and my KU director. That's nine stars, people! Luckily, I found the stars half price at Hobby Lobby back in October and then started collecting the paper. (As a side not, the tutorial calls for fabric, but I used scrapbook paper. I think fabric would work better, because the paper was kind of stiff.) I forgot to take the picture until I had already given two of them away, but you get the idea. The only thing that doesn't really show up well is the glitter sealant that made them all sparkly and festive.

Here's a close-up of the one I gave Sarah, my sister-in-law who collects snowmen.



With Brad's family, we draw names among the brothers and sisters-in-law. This year, I drew my s-i-l, Kirsten. When I asked what she wanted for Christmas, she said she wanted some cookbooks to inspire her to cook dinner for her family. I gave her a couple of bought cookbooks (THIS one and THIS one) and one I made her myself of all our family's quick, weeknight favorites. I forgot to take a picture, but it was cute in a homemade-cookbook-bound-at-church-kind-of-way. I also made her a super-cute apron to wear when she whips up all these great meals.



I used the same pattern I did for this year's TEACHER APRONS. It's one of my favorites, really, because who doesn't love big pockets? And ric-rac? I told her if she wasn't going to use it, she should just give it back because I would! However, her daughter, Morgan (who loves to bake) loved it so I don't think I'm getting it back any time soon. :)

Next craft post from the loony bin.

Goop Soup

One of the great things about KU is the awesome recipes I get to bring home! I realize we're all there to enrich children's lives and grow their little brains and bodies and souls and blah, blah, blah. But I work with some awesome mamas that know what's it like to come home dog-tired to hungry kids and are willing to share their tips and tricks. That's what rest time is for, right?

Last week, Ms. Jennifer shared her recipe for Goop Soup. She has four kids at home and doesn't really like vegetables so I knew it was bound to be good! It did not disappoint. Well, except for the fact that my Velveeta curdled, but that's my crockpot's problem, not the recipe's, and the half-and-half smoothed it back out a little. How can it be bad with Velveeta and half-and-half?! It's like queso soup!



My children both loved it and it made enough to freeze for later. You know how I feel about leftovers and all. When I told Phoebe the next day at lunch that there was just enough left for her to have some for lunch, she made up a "Goopy Soup" song...cause it's just that good!

Goop Soup
2 lbs. ground beef
onion, diced (I didn't use this because I didn't want to cut one up and have my hands smell like onion all day long...and I felt lazy Tuesday morning.)
1 lb. Velveeta (or more...I added more)
2 cans Ranch style beans, undrained
1 package chili seasoning
1 can Rotel
2 cups half-and-half (I was out of half-and-half so I used milk and it was still yummy!)

Brown ground beef and onion in a skillet. Place in a slow cooker with all the other ingredients* except half-and-half. Cook on low 6 hours. When ready to serve, stir in half-and-half until combined and warm. Serve with tortilla chips.

*Apparently, my crockpot is too wide and too big and gets too hot to cook Velveeta for long periods of time. Even on low, when I make queso, I have to really watch it or it'll curdle. It still tastes fine, but it looks disgusting! Next time I make this, I'm going to add all the ingredients except the Velveeta and the milk. About an hour before we eat, I'll add the Velveeta and let it melt right at the end. Also, I'll only use one can of beans and add a can of diced tomatoes. Mostly because while my children l-o-v-e beans, I don't really care for them much.


This is the perfect soup to make when you've been teaching Pre-K all day, are dead on your feet, have two children who feel the need to eat several times a day, it's really, really cold, and your husband has an impromptu meeting at work at 6pm. Or something.

And then be sure to make up a song about it.

Ten on Ten: January 2011

Sometime in the fall, I came across the TEN ON TEN project hosted by THIS blog. I loved the idea and decided I wanted to try it in JANUARY especially since I haven't taken one picture since New Year's. I was all set to go yesterday and took a picture on the "10" of each hour starting at 6am until I realized (at noon!) that yesterday was actually the 11th. Seems to be how my week is going so I just went with it...although I did miss a few because I was in the car. I enjoyed capturing the little moments every hour...although I'm not sure those around me enjoyed my cell phone alarm going off every hour at 10 after!

6:10 browning ground beef for Goop Soup

7:10 brushing teeth with Phoebe



9:10 calendar at KU



10:10 math



11:10 chapel with the best co-teacher in the world



1:10 lesson planning



3:10 picking Eli up from school



4:10 homework



5:10 laundry folding



6:10 Goop Soup (recipe coming later because it's yum-o!)



8:10 bedtime book



By the way, Ms. Erin was reading the book with the kids. She's so sweet that way...and she paints her fingernails!


Ok, I also realize there are 11 pictures, but I couldn't decide which one I wanted to delete. My day is just waaaayyy to exciting!

Click HERE to see more 10 on 10!

Keepin' It Real

So last Friday, I became aware of something that I didn't really even know existed that I am apparently a part of. (Please, grammar-people, do not pick apart that last sentence. I know it's a run on and ends in a preposition, but it's just been one of those days!) The "mommy-blog". First, I read THIS POST by a woman I personally don't know very well, but I'm friends with her close friend and I know her children (and they are awesome!) so I admire her a whole bunch in a kind of a creepy-stalker-'cause-she-intimidates-the-heck-out-of-me-kind-of-way. (Again, with the impressing the grammar folks with my run-ons.) Then I got an email from a lady I don't know talking about "mommy blogs" and how she didn't read them, but she read mine.

It took me aback. Brad started this blog in March of 2007, when our lives took a drastic turn that would change them forever. I took it over soon after. It's become part journal of sorts, part family scrapbook, and part showcase for my creative outlets (cooking and sewing). I thought about my motives for posting as often as I do and I won't lie to you, I get a little thrill out the comments left after I've posted. The last few weeks have shown me that I still feel the need to post even when my mom is still the only one reading. I sincerely hope that I never make any woman feel like less of a mom because my life seems to be "perfect". I hope I don't give off the impression that I'm the "perfect" wife or the "perfect" mom or have the "perfect" faith whilst living in my "perfect" house surrounded by all of my perfection.

So I took a few days to re-evaluate. Mostly because I started running fever (again) on Friday afternoon and felt kind of puny all weekend. (As an aside, I think all the immunities I got from my first year of teaching have gone away. I seem to catch something every few weeks! Sheesh.) I want to be authentic in all that I do...even if it means being authentically bad because that's just who I am. I decided that the only way I could make myself feel better about this little blog o' mine was to keep it real. To bring to light several of the imperfections we're dealing with around here lately. And trust me, there are sooooo many.

* My Christmas tree is still up. All the other decorations are down, but the tree is still standing in my living room...mocking me. It's driving me crazy, but I just haven't had the energy to get it down.

* Phoebe is cussing. A lot. The worst part is, she's using said word correctly. It's no use telling you that Brad and I don't use this word. Which we don't...not because we have moral issues with cuss words, we just think you sound stupid when you use them. See, we're not self-righteous, we're just snobs. So much better, right? I don't let my children watch a lot of TV, and I'm fairly picky about what they watch, too. Anyway, she uses when she runs out of chicken nuggets at Chick-fil-A, or her brother steals some of her snack, or her dad starts the movie before she is completely ready. We're working on it, but so far, she can only go a few days without reverting to her favorite word.

* I am beyond behind on all things house-work because I am extremely fatigued and probably a little depressed. This one needs some explaining. My medicine makes me tired and achy. It comes and goes and it's so much better than it used to be that I really feel like a fool for complaining about it. Sure I have an excuse, Gleevec, but I'm also a perfectionist and a control-freak and not in the good way. I may take a medicine that I hate, but everyone has something. We're all walking around broken and wounded and why should I let my thing keep me from being the kind of person I feel the need to be? My thing isn't any worse than anyone else's and I just can't find a way to forgive myself for what I can't do because I know there are so many more things I need to accomplish in a day and I can't do them. It makes me feel worthless and guilty which leads to a little depression. Today's been a bad one. I didn't feel like I could move off the couch for several hours today. The tree was still standing (see above), there's a mountain of laundry to fold, the kitchen needs cleaning, and my children need attention. And I'm too tired to do any of them.

* Last week, Eli yelled at me, "I FEEL DISGUSTING!!" while we were working on spelling words. I'm hard on myself and I'm hard on my kids and I was pushing him because the boy struggles with his spelling words. He doesn't like to practice them and I was making him do them. It made us both cry. Luckily, today's review went a little better. I let him practice his words on his DSI and nobody cried.

* I am doing nothing to grow my children spiritually. Not. A. Thing. I'm in a place right now in my own faith where I struggle to not see God as a God who just put the world in motion, stepped back, and will just fix it all in The End when he comes back to redeem the world He loves. My prayer life is cold (if not non-existent), I feel far from His presence, and I've become a bitter, cynical, old woman. There's a lot to this (way more than this little bullet will hold), but so often I feel like a hypocrite when trying to teach my children the things my parents taught me. What kills me (and I mean really gives me nightmares) is that I'm wasting my children's most impressionable years and probably their eternity because I'm too selfish and cold and scared to make my faith-life something more than it is.


So there you have it. The real deal. There's so much more I could post, too, but I'm too tired and I'd like to go to bed now. In order to redeem the day that I feel I wasted. It's a vicious cycle.

The Post Where There's a Whole Bunch of Pictures of People Swordfighting

One of the things I love about my brother is that he still loves to play. And for Christmas, he and Eli got the same present. It was awesome.



Eli received two NERF LONG SWORDS, and my brother received a LONG SWORD, a BATTLE AXE, and a SHORT SWORD. This is not your ordinary foam, pretend battle gear. While still made of soft-ish plastic, they are sturdy enough to pack a powerful wallop and won't bend or break easily.

Naturally they had to try them out.





Phoebe was brought in for reinforcement. She laughs in the face of danger!





They tried to recruit Lincoln, but he was having more fun riding his new tiny four-wheeler.





















My dad and Brad decided that they, too, needed to join the battle. Supposedly Brad and Dad were on one team and Eli and Ben were on another. Mostly it looked like you went after whoever was nearest with a sword.





It's a good thing that I don't live in medieval times because while my husband is a lot of things, he is not a swordsman. Had I lived then, I would have been carted off into slavery mere moments after my wedding. The man just doesn't have sword-fighting abilities and pretty much stays in one place with one sword stance...bless his heart.















Oh, look, Lincoln with a battle axe!













Good time, folks. Good times.