Butterflies

Cultivating Weeds

This is what our house looked like when we were buying it last summer.  Yes, it was a suburban jungle.  The shrubs were out of control!  Here's what it looks like now:

My mother-in-law put me to work digging out a border along the front and edging it with stones.  I love it!  However, if you look closely you'll notice that everything green in the yard is a weed and the golden parts are the grass.  I've been battling the weeds.  My brother spread corn gluten meal in the fall, and then I applied some poorly-timed weed and feed (just before the rain, not after).  I've battled a couple times with weed killer in the sprayer, which has actually had a noticeable effect- to me, anyway.  Next is another round of weed and feed.  I'm sorry for contributing to the pollutants in the water supply.  I would like to be more environmentally responsible... any suggestions for organic weed control???

Happy Saint Patty's Day

Here is our latest kitchen creation!  My first batch of cupcakes with MK.  We are invited to a playdate/dinner tomorrow night, and the host asked me to bring a St Patty's dessert.  I wanted to use just ingredients I had on hand, otherwise, I would have made my friend Katie's yummy creme de menthe bars.  (Speaking of Katie, I miss you.  Are you still in the blogosphere?)

I had a box of German chocolate cake mix, a canister of cream cheese frosting, eggs to use up, and an unopened cannister of green decorator sugar (with no red mate).  I made a little shamrock template on a paper plate that I then cutout with a utility knife.  I actually made three until I got the results I desired.  It was a little tricky because the template would stick too much to the frosting each time.  Maybe I'll put some butter on it next time to make it "nonstick".  The best part of the whole process is that Molly loves to put the muffin liners in the pans- something I find tedious.  So we make a good team.   Here she is "frosting" her own cupcake.  Cute!

An Easter Book for Your Little One

Read and Share: The Story of Easter by Gwen Ellis is a perfect way to teach the details of Jesus’ resurrection to your child. My daughter is 2 ½, and while it is a little too advanced for her, I think this book will be perfect next year. It would probably also be ideal for 7 or 8 year-old children to practice their reading. The book contains thirteen stories which are each a paragraph telling an event in the Easter story. A lot of detail and insight is included. The book describes how the curtain of the temple was torn upon Jesus’ death and now we all have access to the holy place, while previously it was only the priests. For each section, the scripture references are listed. The book remains true to scripture. The illustrations are fun to look at, and the stories are brief enough to hold the attention of readers.


The accompanying DVD contains six short Bible stories, including ones like Philip and Saul Becomes Paul- topics that aren’t widely available as children’s videos. The video contains simple animation and story-telling. It might be too slow-paced for some children, but as a mom, I prefer videos that aren’t over-stimulating! The disc also contains Coloring Pages and Wallpaper that can be utilized from your computer.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book to review as a part of booksneeze.com.

Follow Me

As I talk to you, my friends that read this blog, many of you will comment on something I've written about.  It is fun for me to know that you are reading and following my life!  Would you consider becoming a follower of this blog?  Just click on the link on the right-hand side.  It is quick and easy and would help me know who's reading!

Thanks!

On the Town with Ma Mere

We headed downtown with Ma Mere who's visiting from Michigan.  Molly did an awesome job keeping up as we went shopping!

I Loved This Book!

As a reviewer for BookSneeze.com, I received a complimentary copy of Kaleidoscope by Patsy Clairmont. I have to say, I want to be Patsy’s friend! Actually, I feel like I am her friend! Her conversational style of writing is fun to read, and for the most part her humor is entertaining. Each chapter begins with a few words from a Proverb. She then draws wisdom from those words and invites the reader into her life journey as she illustrates and teaches with stories. Some chapters are entirely lighthearted- there’s a funny story about her being unable to find her sky-rise hotel twice when it was towering right behind her. However, I was amazed by the depths of her struggles as she also opened up about heartbreaks and inadequacies. The chapter ends with a list of questions to ponder- just like her writing some of her questions are airy and some heady and hearty. The scripture references that round out the chapters provide good spiritual snacking. As I read, I would often flip to the back cover to peer at the picture of the author. I was connecting so much with her heart in the book, I wanted to make a personal connection with her face, too. I loved this book even though it wouldn’t be one that I would normally pick up in the bookstore. I’m definitely going to lend this to friends and keep it close by to reread chapters meaningful to me.

Princess but not Cover Girl

Molly will not pose for pictures!  I tried snapping a dozen pictures of her, but she won't sit still and look at the camera- or smile!  We made our first batch of mother-daughter Tollhouse Cookies!  It has been years since I last made a batch of ordinary chocolate chip cookies.  I measure the ingredients, and Molly loves to pour them into the mixing bowl.

Here she is napping with the pillow MaMere gave her.  She is such a sound sleeper that even the flash in her face didn't make her stir.  For some reason, I think she looks a lot like Uncle Tim in this picture!

A Hostage's Tale

Twenty-four hours ago, I pulled the package containing Buried Alive by Roy Hallums form my mailbox. I just finished reading it a few minutes ago. Hallums was working as a contractor in Baghdad when he was captured from his office one evening. In this book he details his nearly year-long captivity.


The conditions in which he was held were horrid. He lived on little food, faced countless beatings and existed in just a few cubic feet of space. During his stay, he described the numerous hostages that came to share his suffering, but then left as their ransoms were paid. Amazingly, the tone of the book is very positive. I was concerned that the book would be difficult to read emotionally. However, while he tells of his experience in a matter-of-fact way, Hallums does not describe the most horrific details. He maintains hope for his rescue by focusing on his family and asking God for signs.

The story ends with his dramatic rescue by the US Special Forces. I finished the book with grateful reflection upon the sacrifice and skill of our armed forces serving in Iraq. From cover to cover, you’ll find Hallums likeable and entertaining as he recounts his captivity and delights in his eventual freedom.

Pickle Update

Molly's nickname is Pickle.  She is the sweetest little girl.  If we bump into each other, she says "I'm sorry!"  She is very good with her manners.  "More milk, please!" she'll request.  She is definitely a stubborn two year-old at times!  She hates it when I dress her or fix her hair.  That is the worst time of day for us!  Usually some kind of chasing ensues. 

We've been casually working at potty-training for several months now. She's good about peeing in the potty when I take her. She is also very good about using public toilets. On our trip to Michigan last month, we were delayed about eleven hours. We would have long run out of diapers if she hadn't done a super job using the potty at O'Hare.

Recently, I've let her go "bare butt" for an hour or two in the evenings after her bath.  During these times, she is awesome with using the potty.  She'll go into the dark bathroom by herself and use the potty.  Last night, she went in the bathroom for maybe ten seconds and ran out telling me she had gone poop.  I was doubtful.  After all, it was dark.  Maybe she just felt like she went.  Sure enough, there it was!  So, we're doing the "bare butt" method as much as possible. 

At our meal times, one of us usually prays and then we'll ask Molly if there's anything she'd like to thank God for.  Then, at bedtime, we would pray for her grandparents, aunts and uncles, and a couple special prayer requests in addition to praying for Molly.  The last few nights, Molly has wanted to pray at bedtime.  She'll start by praying for Papa (we thank God for his life, even though he doesn't need prayers in heaven!) and a couple other special people.  She then starts looking around the room and praying for anything she sees, "My blankets, mine animals, my backpacks, the blinds, my bunnies, my kitties, my blankets..."  Ryan and I stifle our giggles while she continues to look around unaware.  I guess she has learned that bedtime prayers take several minutes because it seems like she goes on and on.  Now I know how she feels!

She is very creative and makes up words, games and songs.  Yesterday I had a bucket of clean soapy water on our patio.  I was busy cleaning the grill, and she began entertaining herself with the bucket.  She had a ball squeezing the frothy water out of a cloth onto the concrete and declaring that she was "milking a cow"!  She milked the cow for ten minutes and then started pushing the soapy water around with a broom.  We have a really clean spot on our patio now!

Emily Cooks

Be sure to check out the new recipes I just posted on my cooking blog:  Emily Cooks

Bon Appetit!

Snow Day

We got 12 inches of snow here in Texas!  People don't shovel their sidewalks here, because the snow melts so fast.  I hear water running down the downspouts as the snow melts from the roof.  Ryan had a day off, and we are enjoying him being home with us. 

Dads: Perfect Valentine's Book for your Daughter

Thomas Nelson Publishers sent me a complimentary copy of Love Your Heart by Tim McGraw and Tom Douglas to review on my blog.  I was very excited for this book to arrive.  It will be perfect for my toddler daughter in a year or two. 

The main character is a spunky, imaginative girl named Katie.  Katie's very best friend is her dog, Palio.  As the book starts, she is talking with her dad over breakfast about her options for the school talent show.  She is immediately likeable and interesting.  Her relationship with her dad is heartwarming as is her decision to help out a friend sacrificially.  There are many good points in this book to have a deeper discussion with your child about loving others and being just who God created him/her to be.

The illustrator, Abigail Marble, has done a fantastic job capturing the action in her beautiful and colorful pictures. Even the text of the book is done in different fonts and colors which also grabs the interest of the reader.


This Valentine’s Day, snuggle up with your little girl and share this cozy tale. Then, talk about the talents God has given her and how she can use those to help others!

A Dose of God's Word

Do you need some good words to jumpstart your faith?  We've attended some amazing churches in different parts of the country.  You can visit their websites to listen to messages online.  Check it out:

Apex Community Church

         LifeChurch.tv 

Trinity Church 

I'm a Winner!

Before this weekend, the last time I called in to a radio contest was in my teens.  Yesterday, I was just pulling into our subdivision when I heard the DJ on KLTY announce that the seventh caller would get a Family Four Pack of tickets to Sesame Street Live.  When I grabbed my phone, I noticed that my mother-in-law was calling me.  After several seconds of ignoring the call, pulling my car over, finding the radio station number in my recent calls (I had tried to call Saturday), and hitting send, I heard the phone ringing.  The man that answered asked me, "Are you excited?"  I was the winner!  I really think that Molly will like it; I hope that the tickets are good.  So, I learned that it isn't necessary to call immediately after a contest is announced.  It was probably 45 seconds after I heard the announcement before I actually called.