Happy Pumpkin Day :)

Weekend Fun

Just catching up on some of this past weekend's happenings. On Saturday night, there was a Halloween family fun night at the library, complete with games, plastic prizes, and candy. Can't go wrong with that! Now on a side note, I must say that Halloween is a *much* quieter event down here. Back in PA, our neighborhood was all decked out with fake graveyards, shrieking door ornaments and the like. Here, well, I think I've seen 1 house with some orange lights in a tree. Now I'm definitely not complaining about that, because I really hate the spectacle that Halloween has become... on the other hand, I do love to dress up :) Anyway, when we arrived at the library I was surprised to see that many of the kiddos weren't dressed up - and the only adults with costumes were the library staff. Let's just say I stood out in my outfit (80s chick complete with teased hair, pink and blue eyeshadow, pegged jeans, etc) and hubby very quickly shoved his "Chachi" bandana in his pocket. Anyway, enough of the rambling and on with kid cuteness:


Our son had no school on Monday, and hubby had taken the day off as well, so we decided to go off on a little adventure. We had originally thought about camping, but Monday's forecast was rainy so we settled for a long day trip on Sunday and drove to Falcon Lake for some outdoor fun. Did a bit of fishing although we didn't catch anything. The kids splashed around. I read a novel (bliss!). We all watched the butterflies and dragonflies - I have NEVER seen so many in one place; it seriously was like the landscape was alive. Definitely an unexpected treat! We met up with some friends for part of the afternoon - they have a boat, so the kids were thrilled to zoom around on the water. And we dined under an amazing sunset sky before heading home.

Belated Friday Funny - For the Girls :)

Meant to post this yesterday in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness month.

A man walked into the Women's Department of Macy's in New York City. He told the saleslady "I would like a Baptist bra for my wife, size 36B."

With a puzzled look, the saleslady responded, "What kind of bra?"

He repeated "A Baptist Bra. She said to tell you that she wanted a Baptist Bra, and that you would know what she wanted."

"Ah, now I remember" said the saleslady. "We don't get as many requests for them as we used to. Mostly our customers lately want the Catholic bra, or the Salvation Army bra, or the Presbyterian type."

Confused, and a little flustered, the man asked "So, what are the differences?"

The lady responded. "It is all really quite simple. The Catholic type supports the masses. The Salvation Army lifts up the fallen, Presbyterian type keeps them staunch and upright."

He pondered that information for a minute, and asked "So, what is the Baptist type for?"

"They," she replied, "make mountains out of mole hills."

Good times, good times...

Music. It is truly an integral part of life for me. I grew up surrounded by music (even if it wasn't always the style I personally preferred - hi, Mom! :) and even now, virtually every waking moment has a soundtrack provided by my iPod, car radio, humming, kids singing, etc.

When we moved, we determined that a couple things simply weren't worth bringing along -namely my hubby's amp (cobbled together with a speaker he'd had since college and the MDF from our former entertainment center) and my piano. The piano was a tough call as my hubby had bought it for me as a Christmas/birthday gift the first year we'd bought our house. We had purchased it used, and after 12 years it needed some work (= money). After much debate, we decided to pass it along to someone else and invest in an electronic one once we moved here.

Now I had 8 years of piano lessons, but to say I'm rusty is a serious understatement; sitting down to play was pretty far down on the priority list. We've been in this house for over 2 months now, and I'm surprised by how much I miss the piano. Occasionally plunking out a simple tune. Grabbing the VeggieTales songbook to have a little sing-along with the kiddos...

Anyway, we'd set aside some $ toward our musical purchase, and last week we got our weekly email from Musician's Friend with the usual announcements of sale items. The big news, though, was that for 3 days there would be no additional shipping costs on oversize items. The time had come!! The big brown truck arrived last night bearing 4 boxes: my piano, the stand, hubby's amp, and 1 other box that contained a half-size guitar for the kiddos as well as some other fun stuff we're saving for Christmas. Hooray!!!!!!

It's not fancy, but I cannot even tell you how thrilled I am - and I was surprised at how excited the kids were, too. And hubby is loving his new amp - his fingertips are sore from plucking away last night, but he's not complaining.

And for your viewing pleasure, here is the first performance by little Miss D :)

Friday Funny

Now *this* is one way to break up the monotony at the office!

Beach Fun

This past Saturday, the temps were cooler (the high was only 80) and we decided to head off to South Padre for some fun. What we didn't think about was the fact that since it was so "cold," we'd pretty much have the entire place to ourselves. That is, unless, we stayed in town - it was Biker Week ("Roar By The Shore"). The kids enjoyed seeing all the bikes as we drove through, but had waaay more fun playing in the water...

Withdraw much?

I am an introvert. Now some people that know me might laugh at that statement, but it is absolutely true. After waitressing through high school and college, then working in Human Resources, I have learned to deal with people - but it is draining. Yet another reason this move has been difficult for me. I need time alone, and even when I am with other folks, I really prefer a group of 3-4 as opposed to party mode.

The Flourishing Mother linked to this article, and I found myself nodding mmm hmmm-ing a lot as I read it (although I think my "humor bone" is pretty well developed :). Good stuff.

And now I'm off to MOPS, as an exercise in developing a new inner circle.

More Crafty Home Stuff

Yes, this time I'm posting something that *I* made - you can read more about it here if you'd like.

I've been busy this week - gotten quite a bit done around this house, including trying out a wall color in the laundry hallway (it's a keeper!), spray painting miscellaneous small items, and setting out gourds and such to make it feel more fall-like despite the 90 degree temps.

And just in case my stories of domestic bliss are making you rethink stuff in your own abode, then head over to The Nesting Place, where she's doing a month-long series on Beautifying Your Nest :) Good - and cheap - ideas abound!

Friday Funny

Doesn't get any simpler than that! :)

Some Seriously Cute Shoes

I am definitely a craft geek. I've sewn, glued, and painted my way through all sorts of projects (although I'm mostly into stamping these days) - but I must admit that I haven't played all that much with Mod Podge. That may be changing soon.

I discovered "Oops! I Craft My Pants" (and on a side note, every time I even think about that name I just start giggling :) last month, and she generally features a Mod Podge project each week... Last week was this amazing pair of shoes - and now she's giving away a custom pair!!

I think these would make even my giant clodhoppers look pretty stinkin' cute. And here's a link so you can take a shot at winning your own!

Etsy Love

As we've settled into this house, the bare walls have irritated me. Larger house means more space to fill, and I wanted to find some good stuff. Off to etsy! I purchased the fabulous coffee print from Life Verse Designs, and it now hangs in my kitchen, adjacent to the dining area. The next two pics are from Cherie Lester Photography, and they're by the table (opposite the door you see in the background on the first photo).

I also wanted to address the empty space under the built-in cooktop. The folks at Vinyl Lettering were great to work with, and created this custom sized scrollymabobber (yes, that's a technical term). Won't it look great?!

Well, I'm sure it would if the cabinets had been properly primed and painted... Let's just say I'm really thankful that it was another shade of white paint under there.

On a side note - we're hoping to revamp the kitchen in about 2 years. It's not a great layout, and we'd like to knock out a wall and open it up into the dining area. Plus I can then replace the badly painted cabinets (complete with their faux aging that simply makes them look dirty...)

Book Review - Intimate Conversations

I had the privilege of reviewing Intimate Conversations, the new book from Alicia Britt Chole, which also happens to be the MOPS theme devotional for 2009. When I received it, I thumbed through, reading a few random sentences. And I was hooked. Even in a cursory perusal, I was thinking about my life - and my relationship with my Savior - differently. I liked the way the book was summarized over at christianbook.com: All women need strong relationships but the one that most often gets neglected in the busyness of the day is God himself. In Intimate Conversations, you'll find an encouraging God whose grace does not stop with our imperfection or exhaustion. Amen!

The book is broken out into 12 "Dear God..." sections, and each has 4 or 5 devotionals - perfect to work through in a week. They each open with a little story, and include a key verse and questions for pondering/journaling. They're quick to read, but provide plenty of food for thought, and made me want to dig deeper into my Bible. The "Dear God... I Feel So Unproductive" section really spoke to my heart, and I think it will resonate with stay-at-home moms. A few of my favorite quotes:

• Abundance may make us feel more productive, but perhaps emptiness has greater power to strengthen our souls. (Ps 1:3)
• Anonymous seasons afford us the opportunity to establish God as our souls' true point of reference if we resist underestimating how he treasures our hiddenness and take the time to decide whose attention and acceptance really matters in our lives. (Col 3:3)

The book ends with "Dear God... Grant Me Wisdom For This Journey" and the final lesson reminds us to enjoy the journey - for "Life is not about the scenery. Life is all about the Company. God is with us. And his presence is enough."

I can tell you that I am looking forward to reading this again at a more leisurely pace. And I'm definitely going to be checking out her other writings.

Available September 2009 at your favorite bookseller from Revell, a division of Baker Publishing Group