Talk about infectious laughter...

OK, I was thinking I'd hold onto this until Friday, but it's just too good not to share on a Monday. Just TRY not to laugh. Seriously, I dare you!



(note from the original poster: This is my father. Yes, that is his real laugh.)

Skillet Pierogies with ham and peas

Several weeks ago I had mentioned that I cooked up a large ham, then chopped and froze the leftovers for future meals. Well, earlier this week I used some of that ham when I needed a quick meal. This is one of those "dump" meals that I adjust depending on how many I'm feeding and what I have on hand, but here's a rough recipe:

1-2 boxes Pierogies (use whatever variety you like - I generally go for Potato & Cheddar)
1 medium onion, finely sliced
1 lb frozen peas (sugar snap peas are even better!)
1 c chopped ham (pre-cooked)
1/4 c butter
3-4 Tb parmesan cheese
chicken broth (if desired)

Boil the pierogies until they begin to float then immediately remove from heat and drain. Meanwhile, begin browning onion with butter in a large pan. Add cooked pierogies, and allow them to brown slightly. Next add peas and ham, then cover the pan (but continue to stir every few minutes). After approx 8 minutes, stir in parmesan cheese. You can also add chicken broth at this point if you'd like a moister dish. Allow to cook for several more minutes, adding pepper or a bit of parsley if you'd like. Serve with a green salad and you're all set!

Friday Funny

And as a bonus, read about the world's funniest joke here.

...Flowers

"Whenever evil befalls us, we ought to ask ourselves, after the first suffering, how we can turn it into good. So shall we take occasion, from one bitter root, to raise perhaps many flowers."

w w w w w w w w ww w w ~Leigh Hunt

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But what a blessing that it is not solely on our shoulders to create good from evil!

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"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28

Spring has definitely sprung!

It's a beautiful day here, and I wanted to offer this proof that spring has arrived in Philly suburbia:

Forecast for the evening: 100% chance of baths.

"Three Secrets that Victoria Will Never Understand"

So have you ever heard one of those talks that was so good that you were tired just from listening? When your heart was really challenged, but the very human part of you just didn't want to think about it? Well, I had the distinct privilege of listening to our MOPS Mentor Mom speak a few weeks ago on "Three Secrets that Victoria Will Never Understand." I've been meaning to type this out for quite some time now, and I have honestly been busy, but I've sort of been avoiding it, too, as it's very convicting for me personally. (Please note that the majority of this is from her outline, but I'll be interjecting some thoughts, too)

Her talk was based on I Peter 2:18-3:6

Slaves, submit yourselves to your masters with all respect, not only to those who are good and considerate, but also to those who are harsh. For it is commendable if a man bears up under the pain of unjust suffering because he is conscious of God. But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. "He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth." When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. For you were like sheep going astray, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls.

Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives. Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. For this is the way the holy women of the past who put their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful. They were submissive to their own husbands, like Sarah, who obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are her daughters if you do what is right and do not give way to fear.

So, there are three secrets about marriage: the first is the secret of suffering. Now we're not talking about enduring abuse here, but God has called us to suffer in His name. We should be following Jesus' example. He never did or said anything wrong, but He suffered in silence, never threatening or retaliating. Instead, He trusted that God would make things right. I know that is NOT my response when I feel I've been wronged. If it's a situation with a friend, I'm much more likely to respond with love, but honestly if it's my husband that I feel has wronged me I'll probably lash out in anger. How sad that the man that I have pledged my love to is treated the worst. And one more point - if we refuse to suffer, then someone else will. Our children. Do I really want to subject them to that?

The second secret is submission. We talked a bit about what that actually means, and how we live it out day to day. One person said that they think about it this way: If after my husband and I have talked things out and we still disagree, then I need to accept that it will be his way. I like that way of looking at it. Simple, but once again not easy. It goes back to that phrase from another meeting back in February when we were talking about prayer, "It's not about being right, it's about doing right." And as an accompaniment to that, I'm now adding, "It's not about happiness, but holiness." Our husband's authority is ordained by God, and we are to be chaste and respectful. (Yes, that's me you hear sighing as once again I'm being convicted of just how much I'm falling short as a wife...)

Thirdly, there is Sarah's secret. We are to have a gentle, quiet spirit - traits that don't fade with age. Abraham put her through a lot, including not wanting her to tell anyone they were married as he feared for his own life. Two truths from Sarahs life: 1) Sometimes the path of submission may require great sacrifice, but it is always the path of greatest blessing. 2)Sometimes we may suffer as a result of our husband's poor decisions, but we are not at the mercy of their every whim. As we place our hope in God, only what has been sifted through His hands can touch us.

One last point about suffering - it is our most effective tool to bring about change in our husbands. Their hearts won't be changed as we nag or give them the silent treatment or just generally try to make their lives miserable. And obviously our attitude should not be "I'm doing what I'm supposed to, so now God can 'get' him!!" But I know that when I'm doing as commanded - even if I'm rebelling initially - my heart will be softened as a result of my obedience, and it does become evident to those around me, particularly my husband. He sees me as I'm pouting and wanting to throw things, and he will certainly notice as I demonstrate the fruits of the spirit.

Friday Funny

It's Tax Time!!

Some people think the government owes them a living. The rest of us would gladly settle for a small tax refund.

What's the definition of a good tax accountant? Someone who has a loophole named after him.

What do accountants suffer from that ordinary people don't? Depreciation.

Whomever said that truth never hurts never had to fill out a Form 1040.

Isn't it appropriate that the month when the taxes are due begins with April Fool's Day and ends with cries of "May Day!"?

Income tax time is when you test your powers of deduction.

Did you ever notice? When you put the 2 words "The" and "IRS" together it spells: "THEIRS."

Holy Schnikees!!

So last night I ran errands - headed to Payless for the BOGO to pick up some sneakers for myself and our daughter (who's feet are suddenly catching up with the rest of her!) Well, I pull into the shopping area, and notice quite a bit of smoke coming from the parking lot, a few rows over. I didn't think all that much of it at first - I figured someone just had radiator problems or something. As I pulled in to park, though, I suddenly saw a big ol' burst of flame, followed by steady burning and billowing smoke. YIKES! I pulled back out and actually drove around the other side of the building to wait until it was contained - my hubby later picked on me as I told him what happened ("Cars don't explode like in the movies!") but I figured it was better safe than sorry. The shopping center is right next to the volunteer fire department, so I knew it wouldn't be long. Sure enough, as I was pulling to the side of the building, the sirens on the truck came on and it came charging across the street. I waited a couple minutes, then proceeded on with my shopping. When I came out of the store, there were still several emergency vehicles and many people standing around discussing the fire.

But what is it with people?!? I couldn't believe how many people were standing only 10-15 feet away, watching the shooting flames. Even worse, some of them had children with them! I do find fire fascinating, but what happened to a healthy dose of fear? I just don't get it...

In other news, I found out yesterday that the new crown I need won't be covered. I'm so frustrated with this! I can't help but think about the tropical island we could have purchased in lieu of all the junk in my mouth. I had a pounding headache after speaking with the dentist's office, insurance, etc. and at this point I'm half tempted to just have them yank the thing out. Lord, I need a healthy dose of patience! (But I'd prefer the instant plan, as opposed to this current method of actually developing it)

Updated Kids' Songs

As I've mentioned many times in the past, we all love music at this house. It totally cracks me up when I hear some of the lyrics that the kids come up with. Thought I'd shared some gems from the past few weeks:

"The itchy, itchy spider climbed up the water spout..."

"Old MacDonald had a farm and Bingo was its name-0..."

'Tinkle, Tinkle little star..."

"The wheels on the bus go brown and brown..."

Catching Up (again!)

OK, I know I haven't said much in awhile. Yep, sometimes real life takes precedence over the computer one (gasp!)

So what's been happening here? We headed down to Delaware for Easter, part 2, on Saturday. The kids had a great time playing with their cousins (although our son was running a fever, so was much more subdued than usual) and although it wasn't super warm, the kids still had a ball with the easter egg hunt. Like our two little egg fiends? (Yes, they love hats and playing dress-up in general. In fact, we came home with quite a box of dress-up supplies, and a promise of more to come!) My hubby stayed home with the kiddos on Sunday morning (didn't want to pass on whatever little virus our son had), but I was off to church to teach the preschool class. The scheduled teacher's son was sick, and since I didn't have much time to prepare, we watched VeggieTales An Easter Carol and talked more about the message of Easter. In other church news, we'll be moving to our new building the first week of May. I don't think that reality has really hit yet - there's still a lot to be done, but obviously some things just have to wait until we're actually there. Please pray for our body during this transition period.

Had major rains on Sunday as part of that Nor'easter, and even some snow early Monday morning. Our backyard still has a lot of standing water, so I'm keeping the kids inside. Hopefully it will dry out soon!

And in the continuing drama known as "Trish's Mouth," the crown that was just reattached on Thursday (yes, this is the same one that we've been hassling with for well over a month now, including a root canal) came off while I was eating a piece of bread, and unfortunately I didn't realize until I had already swallowed. Yep, down the hatch. So now back to the dentist's office on Thursday morning to have a new crown made. Thankfully we don't have to pay for it (there's NOOO way it should have come off like that!), but it's still just one more thing...

There's still a lot I need to get done around here, and I still have the great talk from several weeks ago at MOPS that I want to share, but it will just have to wait a bit longer. Hope you all have a great day!!

Friday Funny

Need a giggle? Check out "Baby Got Book" (even funnier if you've ever heard the Sir Mix-A-Lot song "Baby Got Back")



"NIV with a ribbon bookmark... Thompson Chain with the big red letters..."

Easter Fun

I pray that you all had a wonderful Resurrection Day! Our weekend was quite full. My hubby got sick last week (mostly due to being so run down after the trip), so we didn't do as much as in previous years, but it was still really nice. He was off of work on Friday, so we went to my brother's place for lunch and little indoor egg hunt. Can you tell that our daughter likes chocolate?!? And we played outside at the "beach" for a little while too, so the kids were covered in mud and quite happy...


We laid low on Saturday, and managed to get some cleaning done. Purged some kitchen cabinets and got through more paperwork, which felt really good. It was quite cold outside, and we had snow flurries during the afternoon, but thankfully no accumulation.

Sunday was off to church. The kids looked super cute (particularly our little girl in that adorable hat - which I found at the Dollar Store of all places!!) but I simply couldn't get a decent picture of the two of them together. Oh well, they're cute regardless.



We'll be going to hubby's sister's house this coming weekend, and having a big ol' Easter Egg hunt in her backyard. And it's supposed to be sixty degrees!! Here's hoping the weather forecast is accurate, or the house is going to feel very, very small with all the cousins.

And as a last bit of Easter fun, I want to share this recipe for Resurrection Rolls. I actually meant to post this last week so that you could make them with your family over the weekend, but I'm afraid you'll just have to save it for next year.

• 1 package refrigerated crescent roll dough
• melted butter or margarine
• large marshmallows
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 Tb sugar
  
  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  
  Give each child a triangle of crescent dough and a marshmallow. (Explain that the roll represents the cloth that Jesus' body was wrapped in and the marshmallow represents Jesus)
  
  Have each child dip the marshmallow into the melted butter/margarine. (Symbolizes embalming oils)
  
  Then dip the marshmalow in the cinnamon and sugar (Represents the spices used to annoint Jesus' body)
  
  Wrap the coated marshmallow tightly in the crescent roll - not like a typical crescent roll, but bring the sides up and seal the marshmallow inside (Represents the wrapping of Jesus' body after His death)
  
  Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and place in the oven (oven represents Jesus' tomb)
  
  Bake for 10-12 minutes, then remove from oven and allow to cool slightly. When they've cooled, the children can open up their rolls... (Rolls represent burial cloths)
  
  ...and discover that Jesus is no longer there. HE IS RISEN!!
  
  If the crescent rolls are sealed well, the marshmallow will melt and the roll wil be puffed up but empty.

Snapshots from the day

Today is cold and rainy, but yesterday the sun was shining and the sky was sooo blue! Check out the dogwood blooms (and no, this photo was not altered in any way):

And then there's our silly little boy, having a ball with the finger puppets from his birthday card:

Gray...

I'm feeling very discouraged today. It's been building for awhile, and for a number of reasons (although all pretty inconsequential). Of course I'm still "up" when I'm around others, so it's really my hubby and kids that are taking the brunt of it. I'm reading Scripture, but it's just not energizing me. I'm praying, but often the words just seem to bounce off the ceiling. No, I don't think I'm clinically depressed (although the thought has crossed my mind as there is some family history). But I'm definitely going through a gray time. I pulled out a twenty year old CD and was listening to "Healing Touch" by Russ Taff this morning:

I stare at the door, trapped in a dream
Held like a captive by what people see
On the outside
They don't really know
And even with You, I deny what is real
The loving truth is a painful touch
When guilt is all you feel
I want to run away
You've got to help me stay

Your healing touch, to know Your love
Just to feel Your strength in me again
The rivers are deep where they're flowing
They're rolling through me
I want to be free

Shades of the truth, locked up in lies
Days run into days, when I open my eyes
See how far it's gone
Where do things go wrong?
Choices were made, dreams were pushed aside
Not so much a conscious thought
But resignation, a siege of the heart
But there's a part that calls to You

Bring me healing
I've got to know Your love again
I've grown weak
Let Your strength be mine again
The rivers are deep where they're flowing
They're rolling through me
You're the only one who can save me from myself

If I can make it today,
There's hope for me tomorrow
I can't make it along, I'm just not that strong
The rivers run deep where they're flowing
They all flow through You
So fill me up with Your healing

But now, this is what the Lord says...

"Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have summoned you by name, you are mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior."

- Isaiah 43:1-3 w w w w

But as for me, my feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold.
For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
This is what the wicked are like— always carefree, they increase in wealth...
Surely in vain have I kept my heart pure; in vain have I washed my hands in innocence.
When I tried to understand all this, it was oppressive to me
Till I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny...
When my heart was grieved and my spirit embittered,
I was senseless and ignorant; I was a brute beast before you.
Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you.
My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever...
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds. w w w w Psalm 73:2-3, 12-13, 16-17, 21-26, 28

Monday Memory - Special Delivery

Another wonderful topic so I just had to participate!!

Our son turned four last week, so I was just thinking back to his birth. I was due on Monday, March 24, 2003 - but nothing was happening. On Wednesday night, our little baby (we did not know gender at that point) was quite active, and my insides were taking quite a beating - seriously the most uncomfortable night of my pregnancy. Well I went in for my check-up on Thursday and found out just why it was such a painful evening - our little one had gone from being in the proper postion to butt down. After checking me out, the doctor asked if I was ready to have a baby tomorrow, as he would highly recommend a C-section. They did one last ultrasound, and estimated the size at 8 lb 9 oz - definitely too big to try turning (like they needed to tell me that!!) and awfully large for a breech delivery... I was stunned, and rather disappointed. I had planned my nice, natural delivery. This child was right there for all my prayers, hadn't he or she been listening?!? Well, with this newest turn of events it seemed the choice was out of my hands. I called my hubby, and let him know he wouldn't be going to work the next day. Headed home (praying the whole way), did some last minute research on C-sections (I always knew it was a possibility of course, but hadn't really thought too much about it), double checked the contents of my hospital bag, chowed down on a big ol' dinner from KFC (since I knew I wouldn't be eating again for quite some time), and anxiously awaited the time I would finally meet our precious little bundle of joy. By this time, my hubby is convinced that it's a boy as he's already turning our lives upside down :)

So on Friday morning, we headed to the hospital, and I filled out paperwork, got hooked up to the monitors, and waited some more. The hospital was really busy that day, so we had to wait quite awhile until they were ready for us. I was given the spinal, and then the doctor and nurses were there to open the "emergency row exit" (my hubby's term) My hubby was wonderful - right there holding my hand and watching the entire procedure. At 6:17 PM, our precious son arrived - weighing in at 8 lb 15 oz, and 21 inches. Not much hair, but looking a whole lot like Mommy. Extremely alert from the very beginning, and verrrrry hungry! What a precious gift - I can't believe he's already a "big 4 boy"!

Join in the fun and share your own memory here!

In Christ Alone

As we move from Palm Sunday toward Easter, I just wanted to share this great song:In Christ alone my hope is found
He is my light, my strength, my song
This Cornerstone, this solid ground
Firm through the fiercest drought and storm
What heights of love, what depths of peace
When fears are stilled, when strivings cease
My Comforter, my All in All
Here in the love of Christ I stand

In Christ alone, who took on flesh
Fullness of God in helpless babe
This gift of love and righteousness
Scorned by the ones He came to save
'Till on that cross as Jesus died
The wrath of God was satisfied
For every sin on Him was laid
Here in the death of Christ I live

There in the ground His body lay
Light of the world by darkness slain
Then bursting forth in glorious Day
Up from the grave He rose again
And as He stands in victory
Sin's curse has lost its grip on me
For I am His and He is mine
Bought with the precious blood of Christ

No guilt in life, no fear in death
This is the power of Christ in me
From life's first cry to final breath
Jesus commands my destiny
No power of hell, no scheme of man
Can ever pluck me from His hand
'Till He returns or calls me home
Here in the power of Christ I'll stand

(get chords and learn how this song was written)