Easter Egg Event 2013!

I have to admit, St. Patrick's Day is a little too close to Easter this year for my liking.  It's kind of cramped my decorating style because I felt some compulsion to decorate for St. Patrick's Day.  But after tomorrow, all the St. Patrick's Day decor will come down and it will be full on Easter!

Actually it's been Easter for the past month, we just combined a little St. Pat's in with it :)

Tonight we dyed eggs as a family (and then watched Duck Dynasty, but that's a whole other post).  We usually wait until just a couple of days before Easter, but we thought it might be fun to enjoy the eggs prior to the holiday this year, instead of dealing with them for days on end afterward.

Below is just a sampling of our Easter dyeing evening:

I've been completely obsessed with wheat grass (as decor, not to eat) lately, so when I saw it in my grocery store I knew it was coming home with me.  I love it!  I know, it has nothing to do with dyeing eggs, but it IS grass, and it IS where eggs are often hidden, so in a way, it kind of fits into the post.  Besides, I think it's cute and wanted to show it off :)

Since last Easter I've been eyeing this adorable porcelain egg tray at TJ Maxx, and I finally broke down and bought it.  The eggs inside are a few that Cory and I dyed.  Unlike the girls, who love to make their eggs 'artful', I like mine to be simple, and deeply dyed.

Autumn with her first egg of the season :)

As usual, Cayla got creative and wrote cute and/or funny things on her eggs.  This one has spots!

Some of Autumn's creations!

A few of our plain ones.

Autumn and Chuck.  The smell drove Chuck crazy.  He drooled the entire time hoping an egg would fall on the floor :)

The designers!  I hope they always love to dye eggs as much as I do!

Happy Easter!

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life....."
John 11:25a

AWANA Bible Quizzing!

On Saturday the 16th, Cayla participated in AWANA Bible Quizzing.  It was her first time to participate and she was VERY nervous.  She did a great job though, and even placed 4th in her quiz category.  We were so incredibly proud.

The next Saturday, my niece participated in the high school quizzing, and while her team didn't place she was pure joy to watch.  Kelly was assertive, confident, and respectful when she delivered her answers.

My favorite thing about quizzing wasn't the competing, or the winning.  It was watching the girls knowing they were answering with confidence, Godly things that were hidden in their hearts.  Unlike a sport, or a talent, memorizing the Word is work for anyone who attempts it.  It's not something they're born with; it's not something they have a natural inclination toward; it's something that must be taught, and practiced.  And as a Christian mom, nothing makes me more proud than watching my children (yes, nieces and nephews too) grow in the knowledge and grace of Christ.

".....grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."  2 Peter 3:18

Cayla, receiving her award for participating and placing.

Cayla and Cory after the competition.  I think they're both beaming :)

What's On My Mind? Facebook

Disclaimer: *This post is meant to be humorous and should not be perceived as an attack on any one individual or group.*

Let me start by saying, I love Facebook.  It's a great way to connect with old friends, stay connected with current friends, and be a part of the day to day lives of loved ones both near and far.  I revel in pictures of family members, enjoy the daily cartoons, and thrive on the political pages I follow.

There is however, a dark side to Facebook, and for me, that's the negativity that seems to pervade the entire site.  While there are, no doubt, hundreds of definitions of negativity for Facebook, for my purposes I have divided it into four:  The Braggart, the Whiner, the Mixed-Messenger, and the Fisherman.

We all know the Braggart.  In fact, if your friends list tops 10 or more, you probably know several of them.   They're the ones who cannot wait to inform you of every single thing their amazing children are doing.  They're modest enough not to brag about themselves, but they have no compunction when it comes to telling you how incredible their offspring are.   "Johnny kicked a goal today in bumble ball."  "Susie scored 4 points for the meatlockers in her bajillionth match of the season."  "Mimi is so good at math, I can hardly keep up with how quickly she moves through the curriculum."  We get it.  Your child is a living prodigy.  And we rightfully should celebrate our children's successes, but at what point do we draw the line?  Was Johnny voted MVP? Great, please let me know so I can congratulate him.  Did Susie just finish Algebra as a 2nd grader?  I absolutely want to share your joy in how advanced your child is.  But in the words of Mr. Incredible, "(We) keep creating new ways to celebrate mediocrity."

Then there's the Whiner (aka, the Pessimist).  This is the poster who really never seems to have anything positive to say.  "My kid didn't sleep a wink last night, for the fiftieth night in a row."  "Oh no, it's snowing AGAIN."  "Woke up to the sound of the garbage truck.  WHY must he pick up the trash at 6am?"  "My nose won't stop running."  "I hate school."  And the list goes on and on.  I generally don't respond to such posts, but if I did it would go something like this, "Babies don't sleep.  It's part of their nature.  You knew this going in.  Deal with it!"  Or....."You live in the northwest for crying out loud.  It snows here.  If you don't like it, there are a dozen other states to choose from."  And finally, "You seem to be sick a LOT.  Maybe you should buy stock in Vitamin C and chicken noodle soup."

The Mixed-Messenger is a rare breed, but it's certainly one that baffles me.  This is the individual who posts completely mixed messages:  "Going out partying with my friends at the bar."  Or this poster may include photos of herself scantily clad with a drink in hand.  The next post might contain a Bible verse or some wise saying from a founding father.  Either way, it always confuses me.  This is NOT to say that I don't sin.  And it's NOT to say that I don't confess my sins privately to those involved, and of course God.  It is to say that I don't post my sins on Facebook for everyone to enjoy, and then turn around and talk about my amazing walk with the Lord.  This is pretty straight forward, it's a mixed message.  Are you a party girl? Or are you trying to live your life for Jesus?  Because you really can't be both!  And you definitely can't be an effective witness for the latter if you're living your life as the former.

Finally, there's the Fisherman.  I think my husband is bothered by this one a lot more than I am.  These are the posters who write intentionally evasive posts to elicit sympathy or questions.  "Spent the evening at the ER."  "Was up alllllll night."  "I am the luckiest girl in the world."  Obviously they want people to bite and ask them what's wrong?  What happened?  You sure are, but to what are you referring?"  Just come out and tell people, "Spent the night at the ER and came home with an RX for Dingo's ear infection."  Don't make us beg for answers.  Are you really that insecure?

In light of all this, I will remain a faithful Facebook follower.  I may have to 'hide' a few accounts, but it won't stop me from enjoying the adorable photos of my favorite nieces and nephews, reliving old times with friends from grade school, and being rejuvenated by uplifting scriptures shared by friends and family alike.

You've Got Mail!

After seeing some cute mailboxes attached to children's doors on Pinterest (where else?) I decided I too wanted my girls to have mailboxes on their doors.  I didn't have a specific plan, but figured I would fill them from time to time with notes, little treats, or trinkets they've left lying around the house.  Imagine their surprise when they find a pair of dirty socks inside their mailbox?!

After giving it a bit of thought, I decided I REALLY wanted the mailboxes because they would be adorable to use for Advent.  In previous years I've tucked their Advent treats inside a small pocket-calendar that hung on my wall, but this year I wanted to go big.  As the girls age, a small piece of chocolate doesn't have the same significance it used to, so I knew I wanted to find them some fun, and possibly large, Advent treats.

I looked online everywhere I could imagine trying to find just the right mailboxes, to no avail.  The ones I found were either too big, too small, oddly shaped, or too ridiculously expensive!  Then, just before Thanksgiving I thought to ask my talented Father in Law if he would be willing to make the mailboxes.  He readily agreed and within just a few days I had these adorable boxes hanging on the girls' doors.

They loved them, and they loved lifting the lid each morning in December to see what special item had been left for them to find.  Some of the treats were small, like bottles of nail polish, candy bars, or earrings, and some treats were bigger.......boxes of Goldfish crackers, notepads with pens, and of course their Christmas Eve pajamas.

Thank you Poppy Jim for making the perfect mailboxes!  We love them!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas from our home to yours!

The Case for a Kindle!

A couple months ago I noticed my niece was carrying her Kindle in her purse withOUT protecting it.  I was shocked!  Aghast!  Befuddled!  HOW could she keep it in her purse where it could get knocked around, scratched by a key, a nail file, a pack of Tic-Tacs?  Oh, no no no, it would not do for this OCD person.

So I sought to rectify the situation by crafting her a quick slip-in cover.  I scanned my fabric and settled on a quilted fabric I already owned.  I loved this blue and yellow and often looked at it longingly wondering how I should use it - problem solved.  There really was nothing to it.  I wrapped the fabric around my own Kindle for measurements (yeah, that's how I measure stuff) and pinned it.  I quickly stitched up the sides and sewed some gold fabric ribbon around the top as a binding.  Tada!

Since she wasn't using a case/cover at all, I didn't want her to have to deal with any type of closure, so buttons, Velcro, snaps and the like were all out.  I crafted the cover so the Kindle fits snugly inside and doesn't have much of a chance to slip out or escape.  It must have worked, because she's still using it today.  I'm glad she's keeping her little device safe and snug, wrapped in it's own 'blanket' in her purse :)     

Feeling Like Fall!

Even though we have a little snow on the ground, it still feels more like fall than winter.  Maybe it's because I've seen the forecast and I know it's supposed to warm up next week.  Anyhow, this afternoon I was in the "autumn" spirit and wanted to be all domestic and homey (no, not like the gangster, more like the house wife :)

Yesterday at JoAnn fabrics I picked up this adorable pumpkin print on sale for about $3 a yard, and made some festive cases for the little throw pillows on my couch.  I always make holiday appropriate cases for the small pillows for some reason and never for the large ones behind it.  Hmmmm, I'll have to work on that.

I thought they turned out really cute and they add just the right amount of 'Thanksgiving' to my couch!

Pumpkin Pillow Cases - just right for Thanksgiving!

I love my Crock Pot.  Let me say it again, I LOVE my Crock Pot.  And you know how I hate to cook, which is why I love the slow cooker.  I especially love dishes where you throw everything in and just leave it 'til it's done.  That's what this was, and it was E-A-S-Y peasy, lemon squeezy.  Let me assure you, if I post a recipe, it's gonna be a snap!

I found the recipe on Pinterest and admittedly I rushed it a bit because I wanted dinner to be ready when Cory came back from hunting.

I cooked it for about 2.5 hours total.  About 1 hour on high and then the remainder on low.  It was still just a smidge soupy, but none of us minded because it had a great flavor.  I have to be honest, it's not quite as good as my mom's oven baked mac 'n cheese, but it's a pretty close 2nd.  Oh, and it has fewer ingredients, and takes less effort since the noodles don't have to be pre-cooked.  BONUS!!!!  I garnished mine with a little cheddar on top and it was the perfect fall-comfort-food!  Maybe next time I'll spice it up with some ham.  Yum!  The recipe is posted below the photo.

Slow Cooker Mac 'n Cheese!

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

3/4 bag of uncooked macaroni or hearty pasta (9 oz. or so - I had a 17.5 oz. bag and I dumped 1/2 in)

4 cups of milk (I used 1%) 
2 eggs

4 cups shredded cheese (I used all cheddar)

1/2 t kosher salt (I guess I used Gentile salt, 'cause mine wasn't Kosher) 
1/2 t black pepper  (really?  I just sprinkled some in - it's pepper for pete's sake.  How can you go wrong?)

1 tsp dried mustard (OK, I totally omitted this step because....just NO!)

The Directions. 

Spray crock well with cooking spray. In a mixing bowl, whip egg and milk together. Stir in spices.

Add cheese and noodles, and stir well to combine. Pour the mixture into the crockpot.

It will be very liquidy.

Cover and cook on low for 2-5 hours, or on high for 1-3.

*Makes about 5-6 generous servings.  I don't think my crock would have let me double the recipe, but I know I could have done 1.5 recipes and if I needed more than that I would have to break out my other crock pot.