Show and Tell Saturday: Inspiring book

This week's show and tell is an inspiring book. Hmm...I've thought about it and narrowed it down to two and then had to pick between the two. They are both from the same people. A couple wrote one and then the wife wrote the other. I chose the one written by just the wife. It's called Created to be His Help Meet by Debi Pearl. Some of you may have heard of it, some of you may have even read it and/or own it. If you haven't read it, I recommend it. It will change your life. It's all about how wives were created especially to complete her man. Debi gives lots of stories from other women whose lives have been changed by following her advice. It has helped me see what my role in life is as a wife and mother. If you follow the principles she outlines in the book you will truly be the queen of your husband's heart and your home. You can purchase the book through their website. (Their button is also on my sidebar; the blue one with the child and NGJ on it). You can also find it on ebay through individual distributors.

Go over to Kim's site and find more inspiring books to read.

Until next time...

Who needs toys?

Really, who needs kids toys? Haven't you noticed how with all the toys that kids have these days, they continually gravitate to the mundane, everyday things lying around the house? Example:















"Oooh, Mommy, I've got to have one of these! Please, please, please?"

It's the latest in toddler entertainment...empty jelly jar and a few forks. To make the noise, ya know. Yeah...why spend $$$ on fancy-shmancy, colorful, music-playing toys when all you need is an empty jar and a few forks! Go figure!

3 of 52 photos of me

Well here I am again. A picture that is.

Carin is hosting 52 Weeks. Photos of mom with the kiddos. Go here to join in and see other moms.
















I'm at the far left all in black...black is slimming you know. 8 of the kids, 9th wasn't born yet. My mother in law in the back. We went to the Children's museum in Winston-Salem, NC. Met my bil and sil there (and their son). Loads of fun...as you can see. Actually it was pretty cool and we did have fun...this was at the end and the littles were getting tired...and hungry. We went to lunch after that. Well that's my pic for this week.

Until next time...

Thankful Thursday

I am thankful that my children are all healthy.
I am thankful that I am healthy.
I am thankful that my husband is healthy and the really bad cut on his finger is healing nicely.
I am thankful that it is sunny today and I can hang out the clothes because the dryer just hissed and died today. Yes, hissed and died.
I am thankful that my husband still has a job during this time when so many are our of work.
I am thankful that we have some extra money right now and can afford a new dryer; well, used, but new to us.
I am thankful for so much more, but there are still a few more Thursdays left in the year so I'll save some for later. :)

Other people are thankful today and wrote about it. Go see who over here.

Until next time...

Word-filled Wednesday - Be Quiet

Because today is Quiet Day, my verse for Word filled Wednesday comes from 1 Thessalonians 4:11.

"And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;"

And I'll leave ya hangin'. Go look up the rest of the passage for more. :)

This picture is from our library reading hour. Get it? Library? Quiet? Ok, ok this was the best I could come up with.

For more Word-filled Wednesday posts, go here.

Until next time...

Melted Snowmen

Yes, it did snow again here on Sunday. But it's all gone now, except for a little bit in the shady spots. But I'm not talking about the real snow here, I'm talking about some little candy things.
















Aren't they cute? The kids and I made them the other day. To get our sugar fix, you know.

I can't remember where I saw these. I thought someone sent me an email about them, but I guess not. Maybe I saw them on someone's blog. If you read this and you are the one who originally came up with it I apologize for not giving you the credit. I will say that I did NOT come up with it. I didn't follow the exact recipe, but made a few substitutions. I used white chocolate chips instead of the candy melts. You melt the chips, spoon out a little, spread it around, put on mini-chocolate chips for eyes, the orange part of candy corn for the nose, a mint and a rolo for the hat. Let it harden/set and then enjoy. I searched the internet for the recipe and couldn't find it anywhere. I swear someone sent me a link. I just can't remember! *frustrated scream*

Anyway, there you have it. They're pretty good too. :)

Until next time...

Book review - The Wisdom of Solomon

Wanda E. Brunstetter has outdone herself this time. I've read many of her books and this is the best one so far. If you've heard of Ms. Brunstetter, you're probably thinking of her Christian fiction romances about Amish young people. This book is also about Amish, but it is a children's book. I read this aloud to my children and we all enjoyed it. The main character is a boy named Solomon Lapp. The book is a collection of short stories about him and his family. In each story Solomon or a brother or sister learn a valuable lesson taught from the Bible. The lesson is woven into the fabric of the story line very well. My favorite one was actually the first one. Solomon is a pretty smart boy and his siblings and friends come to him for advice on varied problems. His advice is a little off and...well, you'll just have to get the book and read it for yourself. Honestly, I really enjoyed this book and couldn't find a thing wrong with it. In fact, I would encourage Ms. Brunstetter to continue to write more stories in this line. This book will definitely be on our bookshelf.

Not Me! Monday

I did not let my 3 year old stay in her nightgown until lunchtime, just because she was still feeling bad from strep throat last week.

I also did not attempt to get all 9 children in WHITE, yes I said white, shirts for a photo session. 9 children, 11 and under in white shirts? I suppose I am a little crazy. And yes, I had to change a couple of them before we left the house. Luckily I had actually bought a couple of extra shirts with that very thought in mind.

And then I certainly did not go out to eat with them all in white. I mean how crazy would that be? Apparently a little more crazy than putting them in white for pictures. Oh well...that's what Shout is for. And bleach.

So what did you not do this week? Head over to MckMama's place to see what everyone else didn't do.

Show and Tell Saturdays - Kitchen Gadgets

This is hosted by Kim over at Homesteaders Heart. I've joined in this week to show you my favorite kitchen gadgets.

As I was reading Kim's post I was thinking, "Hey, I've got that...and that...and that!" But instead of writing about my own Vita-Mix, KitchenAid mixer, and George Foreman grill, I picked some other gadgets. (Also, like Kim, I couldn't decide on just one). So I picked our water filter pitchers, crock-pot, and scissors. Scissors? Yes, they are good for more than just cutting paper and your little sister's hair.

First, our water filters. Our water is city water and it tastes...well...that's why we have water filters. Plus, it gets rid of all the yucky stuff that's in the water.
















Next up, we have the wonderful, can't-do-without Crock-Pot. Seriously, folks, how many of us busy moms absolutely looove our Crock-Pot? There are even whole cookbooks devoted to Crock-Pot recipes. (Oh, and ignore any stains, puh-leeze).
















And last, but definitely not least, are our handy-dandy scissors. I tell ya, these babies are my favorite small, hand-held, kitchen gadget. They can cut open packages and cut up food. I hate trying to cut up my littles food with the side of the fork. Do you know how long that takes? It is sooo much faster and easier to grab these and snip, snip - all done.
















Ooh - ooh, and you know what? They are less than $1 at Wal-Mart! How cheap...uh cool is that?!

So, there you have it, folks. My favorite kitchen gadgets. Ok, I changed my mind, I'll leave you with one more picture. I just have to put my Kitchen-Aid on here. It's red! My kitchen has a Chili Peppers theme (can you believe that, Arlene? I still have my Chili Pepper theme that I started out with!) so if I can't get stuff in Chili Peppers, I try to get it in red. Oh, and my husband bought me this at Sam's Club, too. (see Kim's post).
















Until next time...

You know you're from Texas when...

I read what Kristen over at We Are THAT Family said about being from Texas. I just had to post what a friend of mine sent me via email. We're from Texas and she was lucky enough to move back. :) Our other friend is stuck in AR and I'm in TN. Don't get me wrong; those states are great in their own way. There's just something about Texas. *sigh*

From my email:

Here is what Jeff Foxworthy has to say about folks from Texas ..

If someone in a Lowe's store offers you assistance and they don't work there, you may live in Texas ;

If you've worn shorts and a parka at the same time, you may live in Texas ;

If you've had a lengthy telephone conversation with someone who dialed a wrong number, you may live in Texas ;

If 'Vacation' means going anywhere south of Dallas for the weekend, you may live in Texas ;

If you measure distance in hours, you may live in Texas ;

If you know several people who have hit a deer more than once, you may live in Texas ;

If you install security lights on your house and garage, but leave both unlocked, you may live in Texas ;

If you carry jumper cables in your car and your wife knows how to use them, you may live in Texas ;

If the speed limit on the highway is 55 mph -- you're going 80 and everybody's passing you, you may live in Texas ;

If you find 60 degrees 'a little chilly,' you may live in Texas ;

If you actually understand these jokes, and share them with all your Texas friends, you definitely live in Texas .

Need to be cheered up?

Happy, Texas79042
Pep, Texas 79353
Smiley, Texas 78159
Paradise, Texas 76073
Rainbow, Texas 76077
Sweet Home, Texas 77987
Comfort, Texas 78013
Friendship, Texas 76530

Love the Sun?

Sun City, Texas 78628
Sunrise, Texas 76661
Sunset, Texas 76270
Sundown, Texas 79372
Sunray, Texas 79086
Sunny Side, Texas 77423

Want something to eat?

Bacon, Texas 76301
Noodle, Texas 79536
Oatmeal, Texas 78605
Turkey, Texas 79261
Trout, Texas 75789
Sugar Land, Texas 77479
Salty, Texas 76567
Rice, Texas 75155
And top it off with:
Sweetwater, Texas 79556

Why travel to other cities? Texas has them all!

Detroit, Texas 75436
Colorado City, Texas 79512
Denver City, Texas 79323
Klondike, Texas 75448
Nevada, Texas 75173
Memphis, Texas 79245
Miami, Texas 79059
Boston, Texas 75570
Santa Fe, Texas 77517
Tennessee Colony, Texas 75861
Reno, Texas 75462

Feel like traveling outside the country? Don't bother buying a plane ticket!

Athens, Texas 75751
Canadian, Texas 79014
China, Texas 77613
Egypt, Texas 77436
Ireland, Texas 76538
Turkey, Texas 79261
London, Texas 76854
New London, Texas 75682
Paris, Texas 75460

No need to travel to Washington D.C.

Whitehouse, Texas 75791

We even have a city named after our planet!

Earth, Texas 79031

And a city named after our State!

Texas City, Texas 77590

Exhausted?

Energy, Texas 76452

Cold?

Blanket, Texas 76432

Winters, Texas

Like to read about History?

Santa Anna, Texas

Goliad, Texas

Alamo, Texas

Gun Barrel City, Texas

Robert lee, Texas

Need Office Supplies?

Staples, Texas 78670

Men are from Mars, women are from Venus, Texas 76084

You guessed it...it's on the state line...

Texline, Texas 79087

For the kids...

Kermit, Texas 79745
Elmo, Texas 75118
Nemo, Texas 76070
Tarzan, Texas 79783
Winnie, Texas 77665
Sylvester, Texas 79560

Other city names in Texas, to make you smile.....

Frognot, Texas 75424
Bigfoot, Texas 78005
Hogeye, Texas 75423
Cactus, Texas 79013
Notrees, Texas 79759
Best, Texas 76932
Veribest, Texas 76886
Kickapoo, Texas 75763
Dime Box, Texas 77853
Old Dime Box, Texas 77853
Telephone, Texas 75488
Telegraph, Texas 76883
Whiteface, Texas 79379
Twitty, Texas 79079

And last but not least, the Anti-Al Gore City

Kilgore, Texas 75662

And our favorites...

Cut n Shoot, Texas
Gun Barrell City, Texas
Hoop And Holler, Texas
Ding Dong, Texas and, of course,
Muleshoe, Texas

Here are some little known, very interesting facts about Texas.

1. Beaumont to El Paso: 742 miles

2. Beaumont to Chicago: 770 miles

3. El Paso is closer to California than to Dallas

4. World's first rodeo was in Pecos, July 4, 1883.

5. The Flagship Hotel in Galveston is the only hotel in North America built over water.

6. The Heisman Trophy was named after John William Heisman who was the first full-time coach at Rice University in Houston.

7. Brazoria County has more species of birds than any other area in North America.

8. Aransas Wildlife Refuge is the winter home of North America’s only remaining flock of whooping cranes.

9. Jalapeno jelly originated in Lake Jackson in 1978.

10. The worst natural disaster in U.S. history was in 1900, caused by a hurricane, in which over 8,000 lives were lost on Galveston Island.

11. The first word spoken from the moon, July 20, 1969, was ' Houston.'

12. King Ranch in South Texas is larger than Rhode Island.

13. Tropical Storm Claudette brought a U.S. rainfall record of 43' in 24 hours in and around Alvin in July of 1979.

14. Texas is the only state to enter the U.S. by TREATY, (known as the Constitution of 1845 by the Republic of Texas to enter the Union) instead of by annexation. This allows the Texas Flag to fly at the same height as the U.S. Flag, and may divide into 5 states.

15. A Live Oak (known as Big Tree) near Fulton is estimated to be over 1000 years old.

16. Caddo Lake is the only natural lake in the state.

17. Dr Pepper was invented in Waco in 1885. There is no period in Dr Pepper.

18. Texas has had six capital cities: Washington -on- the Brazos, Harrisburg, Galveston, Velasco, West Columbia and Austin.

19. The Capitol Dome in Austin is the only dome in the U.S. which is taller than the Capitol Building in Washington DC (by 7 feet).

20. The name ' Texas ' comes from the Hasini Indian word 'tejas' meaning friends. Tejas is not Spanish for Texas.

21. The State Mascot is the Armadillo (an interesting bit of trivia about the armadillo is they always have four babies. They have one egg, which splits into four, and they either have four males or four females.).

22. The first domed stadium in the U.S. was the Astrodome in Houston.

Cowboy's Ten Commandments posted on the wall at Cross Trails Church in Fairlie, Texas:

(1) Just one God.

(2) Honor yer Ma &Pa.

(3) No telling tales or gossipin'.

(4) Git yourself to Sunday meeting.

(5) Put nothin' before God.

(6) No foolin' around with another fellow's gal.

(7) No killin'.

(8) Watch yer mouth.

(9) Don't take what ain't yers.

(10) Don't be hankerin' for yer buddy's stuff

Now that's kinda plain an' simple don'tcha think?

I just copied and pasted, didn't change a thing (well except for the font size; way too big before).

One more thing: thanks so much all of you who are leaving comments. I feel like I'm actually doing something worthwhile on here. Not that the rest of my life is not worthwhile...ah...you know what I mean? Anyway...thanks. :)

2 of 52

Well, somehow I ended up doing two things on Thursdays. I'll figure that out later. I've already done a Thankful Thursday. To read that, go here. Now I need to post a picture of me. Yep, you read right. A picture of me...moi...yours truly. To join in click the wanted poster above.

Now since today is also my oldest son's birthday (see my other post on that) I'll try to find a picture of him and me together. Hold on a sec...here ya go.















Until next time...

Thankful Thursday

Well this is fitting that today is Thankful Thursday AND my oldest son's birthday. He is 8 today. (note: he's not my oldest child, just my oldest son.) How quickly they go from this:




















to this:















I am thankful for my son. He is such a pleasure to have around. He is always willing to help out. He is modest. (he can read very well, but doesn't like to say he can) He is all boy. He is actually very neat. He likes to organize things and make them look nice. I am thankful for my son.

Word-filled Wednesday

And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.
For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.
Luke 11: 9, 10

If any of you have been wondering about my bank card, I'll set your minds at ease. I found it. This morning. In the washing machine. I'm guessing I left it in my shirt pocket. That's highly unusual for me. I always put things back where I found them. Oh well, not this time. I'm just glad I found it. :) That brightened up my day. I needed it since it's so dreary and overcast outside.

To see more Word-filled Wednesdays, go here.

Until next time...

Book Review: Gingham Mountain

I just finished a book and thought I'd share my thoughts about it. If you haven't read the Lassoed in Texas series by Mary Connealy you've missed out on some laughs. Books one and two, Petticoat Ranch and Calico Canyon were good. So when I saw Gingham Mountain in Sam's Club the other day, I had to pick it up. (Plus it was a good deal for $6.97). The book is about an orphaned young man, Grant, who takes in the "leftover" orphans on the orphan train at the end of the line. The story starts when a young lady new to town disagrees with what he is doing. He persists in taking on two more orphans and she decides to make sure they are well cared for. She suspects he is taking them for hard labor on his ranch. Hannah, the young woman had a difficult background having been an orphan herself and adopted by a cruel man. She ran away and ended up in the same town as Grant. The book is interspersed with misunderstandings on both parts, some rather humorous. Characters from Calico Canyon show up from time to time. However this book can be read without reading the other two first. I liked Gingham Mountain, but (you know there had to be a 'but'), something seemed to be missing. Maybe it was just me. Mrs. Connealy developed the characters really well. She laid out a good description of their background and their thoughts were clear. The humor she had in the first two books in the series was still going strong. I also really like the plot. However, in my opinion, the hero and heroine should have had a little more contact. They seem to fall in love pretty quickly considering the conflicts they had. You may not agree with me, but I never could stand the books where the hero and heroine fought the first 90% of the book and then in the last chapter they are suddenly in love. Overall the book was good. I liked the facts about the orphan train and the way the children have a major part in the book, not added in as afterthoughts. Even though I was somewhat dissatisfied with the romance part of it, I would like to see more books in this series. So if you are looking for some light humor and romance this spring, stop by your local bookstore and pick up any of these three books by Mary Connealy. Or visit here. Thank you for reading. Until next time...

What'd I miss?

Ok...it's Tuesday. What happened to Sunday and Monday?

I'm behind in my posts...hope you'll forgive me.

Not much happening around here...except that I seem to have lost my bank card. No worries though, I'm sure it's in the house somewhere...now if I could just find it. It probably would have made a good Not Me! Monday post, except that I forgot to write about it. Oh well. Moving on...

I'll just put a couple pictures on here for your enjoyment.

Myself and my second oldest daughter, DeLancey, and baby Abel in the carrier. We had went to Cherokee and Gatlinburg one day with some friends.

















See this picture? I went UP in one of these yesterday. ME! Oh, yeah, nothing much going on in my life. (I would have gotten a picture, but I didn't have my camera with me).




Until next time...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Here's an easy recipe for you to try if you like peanut butter with your chocolate:

Chocolate-Peanut Butter Clusters

2 cups peanut butter chips
1 cup milk or semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups dry roasted peanuts
1 cup crushed plain ridged potato chips

Melt the pb chips and the chocolate chips together. Stir in peanuts and crushed chips. Spoon onto wax paper to cool. It's kind of like no-bake cookies and the chips are really just for texture. You can't taste them once they're covered in ooey-gooey yummy chocolate. Make sure you share them (or not) or you will eat them all. They are sooo good. Point: I was going to put a picture on here...they're all gone. :)

Here's what the kids did for Valentine's Day.






























Hope you all have a love-filled Valentine's Day!

Surprise, surprise

Well as I mentioned in yesterday's post, my dh is not the traditional, romantic gift-giving guy. He likes to do things his own way. So I got my Valentine's gifts yesterday! Yay! It was a surprise; I didn't know I was getting anything yesterday. I mean, it was still two more days until Valentine's Day. I guess he wanted to get it while he was thinking about it and not forget. :) Whatever the reason I was happy. He got me this:















Let me tell ya, that balloon is HUGE!

And this:
















You know what's awesome about these roses? These roses will not die. They are made from wood! Can you believe that? That is so neat! Even in person they look so real.


And this:
















A heart pillow with a super soft throw, a bottle of sparkling grape juice (that's not wine), 2-count them-2 different containers of Ghirardelli chocolate (Oh YEAH!), and a diet Dr. Pepper. (It would have been regular Dr. Pepper, but when I had a kidney stone they said cut back on the sugary drinks.) The bag of chocolate is dark chocolate, my absolute favorite chocolate. Have you ever been to Ghirardelli's in San Fransisco? Oh yummy-yum-yum! I had a sundae there with their famous chocolate on it. If you like it from the store...well it's to die for when it's fresh. Oh wow! If you can't get it locally they are having a sale right now online. Buy 4 bars, get a 5th free; see here.

I would have been perfectly happy with just one of these things; actually I still would have been perfectly happy with nothing. But all of them together? Wow! My favorite flowers - roses, my favorite dessert - chocolate, my favorite drink - Dr. Pepper. *sigh* I'm so blessed.

Thankful Thursday

I am going to participate in Thankful Thursday. Every Thursday I will post what I am thankful for and the reasons behind it.
Since I am also participating in the S.W.A.K. Carnival from We are THAT Family, I will combine the posts today. So...

I am sooo thankful for my husband. He's not the type to bring me flowers and chocolate all the time. But when he does, it's unexpected and I think that is the best times. Sometimes it's not even a surprise (last night he asked what color roses were my favorite...hmmm). Anyway, sometimes he doesn't tell me about things he does and I find out by accident. Here's an example: yesterday I had to take my 3 year old to the doctor (strep throat :( ). I take my cell phone when I go somewhere (duh) and mine needed charged. I plugged it in the same outlet as my dh's phone, but put my phone behind some stuff on the counter; thinking he would pick up the one in front. For some reason he doesn't and accidently takes my phone with him to work. Oh well, I just took his phone. He has my phone number listed twice in his contacts. But he doesn't use my name. What does he use, you ask? Above Rubies is the first listing, Beautiful is the second. Whoa! Knock me over with a feather. How sweet is that!? I swear I smiled the rest of the day!
The thing that first attracted my to my dh was his sense of humor. Here's an example:















This was taken at the local fair. A guy dresses up as a clown and wears this hat. I'm not sure how my dh got his attention, but next thing I know he's wearing the hat and the guy put some of his face paint on. It was pretty funny.

He also entertains others:
















My dh is accomplished on many levels. He can remodel. Here's a picture of him working on a bathroom in a previous house.




















He built these cabinets:




















And these:















He built shelves for a clothes closet in our house; for pictures of that go here.

He got his doctorate in Theology a few years ago.




















He's great with the kids. He's always doing stuff with them. He takes them to the zoo (I usually go with them, but he used to take the 3 oldest when they were little and I had just had our fourth). He lets them help when he makes stuff. He used to be able to take them to work with him. (The job he's doing now is just too dangerous). He'll take one or two in his car when he takes the trash to the dump. He'll stop at the store and buy them a treat. He's patient with them, he plays with them, he teaches them the Bible, he reads to them at night, he babysits sometimes just so I can go out by myself, he writes them notes to tell them he loves them or he's impressed with what they've done. He taught our second daughter and oldest son to read when I wasn't able to.











































































He even lets them win sometimes:
















He loves his family. These were taken a few years ago at his step-mom's memorial service.















Our nephew:















He will do things that he doesn't like just because I do (he doesn't like bowling):















He's not afraid to try new things:




















Some guy's parrot.









Sack race at our birthday bash this past July.















(Yes, that is a dead boar).

There are other things he's tried and I don't have pictures of them.

He knows a lot more than I do about many things; the Bible, computers (90% of what I know about computers I learned from him), photography, carpentry, cars, planes, and a lot of other stuff I can't even think of. He can do things better than I can; swim, talk to perfect strangers, run faster. He can do different voices. He prays with us every day and leads devotions. All of these things are just the icing on the cake. He also does the mundane, every day tasks of going to work to provide for his family. He keeps the vehicle maintenance up and does it himself. He will stop by the grocery store on his way home from work to pick up something when I call and ask. Or stop by Wal-Mart (which he hates to do) to pick up diapers.

There are many things I admire and love about my husband. It would take me all day to list them all. Probably the biggest thing I love about him is his desire to learn more about God. He has taught me so much through what he has learned and he is always seeking to know more about Christ.

There were many, many pictures I wanted to share, but it would take up too much space. I'll leave you with just three more.

Then:


























Our wedding, 1996.

And Now:




















Cafe du Monde, New Orleans, LA, 2008

Head on over to We Are THAT Family and join in the S.W.A.K. Carnival.

Until next time...