Christmas Carols, Tic Tac Style

So, Tic Tac is very concerned about this song they are learning at school that says something about a mountain. (I'm paraphrasing him here.) He said they don't say Jesus is Lord, they say He's bored. "What??" I said. Then I got him to describe the song. OH. So I sang "Go Tell it On the Mountain" for him. "That's it! That's the song! See it says bored!" I held back a giggle and said, "Born, honey, it says born......"

And, while we're talking Christmas songs, what exactly is figgy pudding, anyway? Tic Tac wants to know. And now that he mentions it, so do I.....

Christmas Memories

MomRN2 is inviting us to share Christmas memories at her blog called My Quiet Corner. The memory she shares is really sweet.

One memory I have isn't so much a memory as a story I've heard all my life, since I must have been too young when it happened to actually remember it myself. Apparently one Christmas Eve when I was about 5 and my brother was 2, Mom and Dad tucked us into bed and we proceeded to go on off to sleep with visions of sugarplums dancing in our heads. Along about 11pm, I came dragging my poor sleepy brother into the living room to the tree, just sure it was already Christmas morning. "Santa" hadn't even put out the presents yet! Mom still laughs about that one.

I also remember one year when Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle L. were driving in from Tennessee. Mom had prepared all these great treats for the supper when they would be there. Well, there was a big crock pot full of cheese dip, and my brother and I kept sneaking into the kitchen and eating the chips because it was just that good.

Another tradition we had growing up was to read the Christmas story from Luke around the Christmas tree and drink egg nog. And Grandpa would always call on Christmas Eve to tell us that he'd just heard on the news that Santa was seen entering the airspace over Florida, could we hear the sleigh bells, yet? And the firetruck with Santa that would drive through the neighborhood passing out candy canes always brought us running out the door.

But my very favorite Christmas happened 13 years ago. Hubby and I were married on December 18 - yes, we were that crazy to get married 7 days before Christmas. Needless to say, subsequent anniversaries have been shared with work or church Christmas parties. But our wedding was beautiful. Our color scheme was royal blue, silver and white, with white poinsettias and candles. Lovely! The pastor of the church in Gainesville where we met officiated, and the service was held in the church in central FL where I'd grown up. And we had Christmas music played and sung (by Hubby's brother) at our reception. Then we went to Disney World for the first two days of our honeymoon. Disney all decked out for Christmas is a sight to behold. Then on to Sanibel Island, FL for the rest of the week, and we had such a sweet time together. On Christmas Eve we drove up to my parents' house and went to the candlelight service at church and spent the night at their house.

Then after Christmas we drove back to Gainesville and the condo that Hubby had lived in before we got married. Some of his friends had been there after the wedding on their way back north and dropped off the wedding presents and "decorated" the house for us with cute little things written on the windows with shoe polish, some of the furniture turned backwards, toilet paper streamers everywhere and cute little heart shaped notes hidden all over the house. We were finding those notes until the day we moved out of that condo.

So, a week from this coming Monday, I get to say Happy Anniversary to one of my very favorite Christmas gifts.

Christmas Shepherds

Well, the Christmas season has finally arrived at our house. We're a little slower than some of the other bloggy ladies I read, but we got here. Now that my little Bah-humbug spat is over, that is. I deleted that post, for the record. It was just too cranky. Tic Tac has been pestering, I mean, asking about when we could decorate, and we finally got the tree this week and put up the ornaments last night. I must say, it is beautiful, and the weather has cooled down, too, so I'm starting to feel like it might be Christmas. Oh, and almost all of the shopping is done. Great rejoicing in the land! I've been playing my Manheim Steamroller in the car, too. Monk can't stand it - he keeps saying, "I wish today was Christmas." And I keep answering, "No, you don't, because we haven't gotten the big gift yet!" So, there we are.

I've been thinking about the wonder of Christmas the past few days. For my kids, the wonder is still in the glitter and presents - I remember what it was like to be a kid with all the anticipation. But as I've grown up, I'm really coming to be so full of wonder about the fact that Christ came to earth. It's amazing that no matter how many times I read the Christmas story, something new will strike me every time. This week I'm thinking about the shepherds. Common, ordinary, ceremonially unclean. And the angel came to them - not to the priests and the religious leaders or the political leaders but to shepherds minding their flock of sheep one night, just like they always did, and they got to experience the glory of the Lord shining all around them. And they were afraid. What an awesome sight it must have been. They got to be the first to hear of the Savior's birth. Has it ever occurred to you how incredible it is that God so beautifully orchestrates even the details? How incredible that the shepherds who were guarding a flock of sheep, some of which were probably destined to be Passover lambs, were the first to be invited to see THE Passover Lamb - the One about whom John the Baptist would say just 30 years later, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Some of the lambs the shepherds guarded that night were born to die in the Passover sacrifice. And the One they hurried to see that night was also born to die - 33 years later on a Roman cross. That is why He came, and He never veered from that mission. He glorified His Father by living ever only for God's glory, a sinless life, and then dying on that cross to be resurrected on the third day, delivering all who believe on Him from our sins. And the first ones to be told of His coming were common, ordinary, ceremonially unclean shepherds, marveling and glorifying God for the One who is the Good Shepherd and the King of Kings for all time and the final, complete sacrifice for sin. How amazing.

Luke 2:8-20 "Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. Then the angel said to them, 'Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.'
And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!'
So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, 'Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.' And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. Now when they had seen Him, they made widely known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them."

On the Lighter Side

The sweet potatoes were scrumptious. My compliments to the chef.


This is what happens when you stick your finger in a light socket while wet after a shower. (Just kidding!!!)


Hungry?

Why I Changed My Name

The tea is just a tad lemony today. I made the decision last night to move the blog to a new site, change my name, and add a little more anonymity. I've taken a bit of a bloggy break for a few days, too, because my last couple of posts (now deleted) were kind of cranky.

I've been a little bit down lately for a couple of reasons. First of all, once Boo quit nursing for good, I was hit with a slump, and that really surprised me. I had a touch of baby blues after both boys were born - nothing serious, but it was there - and I thought I'd escaped that with my third. But apparently it just waited until she quit nursing to settle over me like a light fog.

Then there are the people who don't have enough to do, so they have to take it out on the rest of us. I used to work for a parachurch organization before kids came along. People used to call in to complain about the most nitpicky things or to try and make extra and unnecessary work for us. My boss would be so kind and gracious on the phone and then hang up and say, "Some people don't have enough to do." I would agree because I was usually the one who had passed the call back to her after having dealt with the person myself. I'm new to this whole bloggy world, but I'm finding that apparently there are people who have nothing better to do than to troll around to other people's sites and either leave weird comments or start arguments with blog owners with whom they disagree and enter into endless, fruitless discussion. After a conversation with someone about my site, I almost quit blogging. I was just so depressed over the whole thing. But I decided that rather than quit and give up something I've really been enjoying, I'd just edit my posts and become a little more anonymous.

Lord, help my stinky attitude today. Help me not be negative, depressed, or critical. Let me be a woman who will project Your joy!

He Knows the Days of My Life

Psalm 139:13-16:

"For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
My frame was not hidden from You.
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them."

Hebrews 7:25:

"Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them."

It is supremely, deeply comforting to know that Jesus is able to save to the uttermost. My hope, my faith, my trust is in Christ. How awesome is it to think that He is ever interceding for His own - those who come to God through Him.

It is also supremely, deeply comforting to know that the very days of my life are written by the One who created me. I believe that means not only that He knows how many days I will have, but also that He knows the details of each one of those days. He is sovereign. Nothing surprises Him. He doesn't say, "Oops." He is in control, and His will shall be accomplished.

Because He knows the very days of my life, though I may face a trial that is difficult or unexpected to me, I can rest in the knowledge that Jesus, my savior, is already interceding for me and the Holy Spirit has sealed me and will keep me and grant me the faith to persevere to the end. He is able to save to the uttermost. By His grace, there is no heartache that He will not give me the strength in that moment to endure. He will hold His children - those who come to God through Christ. Praise God today for grace. May I never forget what a gift it is, for I am a sinner. My prayer is ever, "Be merciful to me, a sinner." And He is. Praise His name, He is.

Even Though I Didn't Major in English...

Your Language Arts Grade: 100%

Way to go! You know not to trust the MS Grammar Check and you know "no" from "know." Now, go forth and spread the good word (or at least, the proper use of apostrophes).

Are You Gooder at Grammar?
Make a Quiz

Saw this at Fruit in Season. It's right up my alley! Certain grammar errors irritate me like fingernails on a chalkboard. Check it out and see how you score!

Seeking a Flu Shot

Because I wasted too much time on the computer yesterday, this was to be a blog-free day, but I just can't do it, it seems. I had to share this today.

Due to the fact that I've been on a two month quest to obtain a flu shot for myself, I found myself driving to the next town over to visit a pharmacy which is giving them for $25. I have been calling the military medical facility that is much closer and that would have given me one FOR FREE as an Army Reserve family member, but they were always either awaiting another shipment of vaccine or already out each time I've called since October. Keeping in mind that the little town we live in is the armpit of America, I called my doctor's office a few weeks ago and was told to call back today. When I did, I was told that only high-risk patients would be given the shot, but they'd put my name on the list if I wanted. Small tangent: the people who develop the flu vaccine each year have got to know that LOTS of us are going to be wanting it, so why can't they ever develop enough for all of us? Every year it's the same shortage. I don't understand how these things work, but as a mommy of little kids, I try to get the shot.

Back to today. My mother-in-law lives in that next town over and told me about the pharmacy thing, so in a fit of frustration I called her to ask if they still had flu shots there. Answer: yes. How come the military medical facility and the doctor's offices can't get it, but this pharmacy has had plenty for over a month now??? So, I packed up Boo and off we trekked - a 40 minute drive from "the island." I was first in line (woo-hoo!) for the flu shot clinic at 11:00am today. I filled out my paperwork and waited. Then I realized I was standing in the "confidentiality zone" by the front counter that is two whole steps from the waiting bench. I guess if you're sitting on the bench you won't be able to hear them talk to the person two steps in front of you at the counter?

So, I took two steps back and put Boo's carseat down in front of a little fish aquarium that was there, not really paying much attention to the normal-looking woman sitting on the bench. That's when the normal-looking woman said, "I'll move over, put the baby up here on the bench where she can see the fish." I just smiled, while thinking, "I don't think so." Then the normal-looking woman scooted over and promptly fell off the bench. Now I'm thinking, "Loopy!" But I said, "Are you ok?" while a worker from the store also asked if she was ok and helped her up. N-L woman says, "I'm fine, the bench just wasn't as long as I thought it was." Then she proceeded to strike up a fairly one-sided conversation with me and all the while I was thinking, "Her speech is a little off somehow and she's kind of strange. It's a little early to be drunk." So then she said, "Do you think since I did that that I'm dangerous?" I was thinking, "Starting to now....." But I said, "I just don't put her carseat up on benches." So she scooted back over and started talking. To the baby. Now I was thinking, "Please hurry up and call my name, please hurry up and call my name. Don't. Touch. The. Baby......" Then she reached out and touched.....the toy on the carseat handle. Now I'm thinking, "Great, now I have to take that toy off and wash it. Why is she in the pharmacy line? Is she contagious? I'm moving the baby RIGHT NOW." Then N-L woman said, "That must have been some head to push out." HUH??????? Stupid me, still trying to be nice, I said, "No, she was tiny when she was born." Then they finally called me back for my shot.

While I was back there, I happened to hear the name of the medication she was there to pick up. So much for the confidentiality zone. I kept on saying the name silently in my head so I could look it up once I got home. Guess what. It's an anti-PSYCHOTIC. No surprises there, I think. I'm glad to be home, for sure.

Island Living Part 2

We now have a new pizza place that (theoretically) will deliver to "the island," and it's located just down the road from our neighborhood. We decided to try it out on the night that is probably the heaviest pizza delivery night of the year: the night before Thanksgiving. With brother & sister-in-law as guests, because we'd been cooking all day for the next day, we, with great anticipation, called the new restaurant and made our order. For the first time in 3 years we were to have pizza delivered hot and fresh right to our door. That was the plan, anyway. Sadly, we function on island time, after all......

After about an hour or so of grumbly tummy waiting, while kids were growing more antsy by the minute and I was having visions of our pizza driver riding on a tricycle or something, Hubby called again to track down our dinner. He was told that out of 5 scheduled drivers that night, only one had bothered to report to work. So, the manager of the neighboring town's pizza restaurant (about 45 minutes from here) was busily making pizzas and delivering them, and by the way, since he had us on the phone, did we know where this other address was located? Poor man didn't even know the area and was having to be out delivering pizzas on the busiest night of the year. Our pizza arrived shortly after that call, not hot, not all that fresh, but we were thankful anyway. And, yes, we tipped the poor man who was having to make all the deliveries due to the island non-work ethic that left him holding the bag that night. Wonder how long this pizza place will last on "the island?"

The Holiness of God

"The holiness of God makes the angels cover their faces, and crumbles Christians, when they behold it, into dust and ashes."--John Bunyan

I found this quote on the Slice of Laodicea site. It reminds me of Isaiah 6:1-5
"In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. And one cried to another and said: "Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory!" And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. So I said: "Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts."

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with God's holiness that you just fell on your face? I have, but too rarely. Much too often I'm flippant with prayer and I forget just Who it is to whom I pray. And I become lazy in my praying. I'm finding that prayer and Bible reading are hard. It is hard to put aside the things I want to do and put aside empty busyness to focus on the important things. I pray for the perseverance to live holy and to learn what it is to live a life that glorifies God. I say these things after struggling tonight to read my Bible intelligently and to pray. Sometimes I feel that I'm just going through the motions, but I keep on because I know that my feelings are not the measure of my standing with God. Jesus' righteousness is the hope that anchors my soul. Praise God that my salvation is not dependent on my fickle feelings and emotions, but upon Christ's sacrifice on the Cross. I am a woman of unclean lips. Thank God for grace. I pray that God will lead me to live a life characterized by holiness and that I will learn to glorify Christ. I am also praying tonight for a friend who started her chemo treatments today and for her family as they walk this road with her.

Lord, once again I ask You to help me not to be a hypocrite. Help me to live what I know is true. Help me to be humble when I come before You, and not flippant and lazy. You are holy, and I want to live in a way that will honor You.

Gator Girl

"......Through all kinds of weather, we'll all stick togetherrrrrrrrrr, for F-L-O-R-I-D-A!!!!"

Some Pictures From Last Weekend

Tic Tac and Boo. Too sweet!


Tic Tac, Me and Monk



Boo and Me


Tic Tac and Monk wrestle a Gator at the UF campus

A Homebody at Heart

We're home!

We're home, we're home, we're home, we're home, we're home!!!!

Can you tell I'm excited to be home? Visiting with family is fun and all, but home is just, well, HOME! We had a great time seeing everyone, but I'm so ready to sleep in my own bed - not one with a super soft mattress that causes me to roll into Hubby all night, have my own bathroom - rather than sharing one with seven other people (nothing says closeness like having someone walk in on you in the bathroom, and nothing is more embarrassing than being the one who does the walking in), and just sit quietly for a bit tonight.

We drove home today, the worst day of the year to travel - the Sunday after Thanksgiving, via the great travelling parking lots that are the interstates. Thankfully we left early enough this morning that we were in front of the worst of the backups that usually happen later in the afternoon, though it took us about 2 hours longer than usual. One year when driving back to school at UF on the Sunday after Thanksgiving, I didn't leave Mom & Dad's house until later afternoon. The trip usually was about 2 and a half hours, but when I got off the FL Turnpike onto I-75, I hit a wall of brake lights with no end in sight. After stop and go traffic for an hour to the next exit and a painful hip due to my foot hovering over the brake for that long, I pulled off and called Mom & Dad in tears asking them to please look at a map and direct me to some back roads to Gainesville. I got a map for Christmas that year.

Back to today, though, we had thought about going to our old church this morning, but when we saw the huge, Purpose-Driven, seeker friendly largeness it has become, and when we thought about what a long drive we had ahead of us with 3 children who, although well-behaved this weekend, were extremely exhausted, we decided to just leave early. After driving around the town, where we lived for almost 8 years of our married life, we've decided you just cannot go home again, and that's ok. When we first left there 4 years ago, I cried for the longest time, but now I don't think I'd want to be back there. First of all, the church has changed. Alot. And I've heard enough from friends that are still there to know that it's not what we remember. Also, we drove by our old house and I felt so claustrophobic. No way was the yard that small back when we lived there! I guess I've gotten spoiled with my yard here and my front porch. And the traffic. Wow. Granted, it's been built up a great deal, but even though I complain about the slowcountry slowpokes here, at least there aren't 60,000 of them here.

The dog was quite welcoming when we came home, too. We sort of forgot that he would need to be placed in a kennel for the weekend until the Monday before Thanksgiving. Oops. So, of course, there was no more room for him "at camp." But Hubby found the teenage son of a co-worker who was glad to come and let him out and feed him for us. So Oliver got to stay home this time. Considering that the last time he was at camp he got attacked by another, larger dog and lost his bark for about 2 months afterward, you'd think he'd be glad of these arrangements, but I think he was lonely. He's been begging for bones all evening.

It was a nice trip, but the bittersweet side to it is that I am now totally done nursing little Boo. Since she is (probably) our last little one, this is a sad thing for me and was really hard for me to give up, but this is the second day in a row that she hasn't nursed at all. But, we made it to 6 months - that was the goal - and I don't think this trip would have been doable otherwise. And she's so much happier now. The boys are really bummed because one of them stepped on the DVD player getting out of the car and now it is broken. No more movies in the car. They were quite well-behaved even still, though they got a little squirrely when we hit Interstate brake lights, and I'm so glad I don't have to hear, "How much farther to home?" one more time tonight.

Oh, and remember those two pounds whose loss I was celebrating, lo, these many days ago? Well, they're baaaack. And they brought a couple of friends with them. So, starting RIGHT NOW, I'm back to eating healthy. Again. And walking more. If Boo will cooperate.

So, though we had fun, we're glad to be HOME. Hubby's family is sweet, loving, gracious, hospitable......but exhausting. And we love them all.

What a Good Bunch of Kids

A good time has been had by all. We came to Florida this weekend for a surprise party for Hubby's Aunt B. and Uncle G. - celebrating their 40th anniversary. I think it was a good time, and I think they enjoyed all the family and friends being here. When we first heard this was being planned, Hubby really felt we needed to be here, but I was so nervous. Boo, for a long time, would not sleep in her Pack and Play. Last summer when the AC broke at our house (that's right, we had 4 days during the hottest part of a very hot summer with no AC), we could not get her to sleep in it in our room even though it was fractionally cooler than her room. So I was pretty sure that Hubby and boys would have to make this trip without Boo and me. But I worked and worked with her, and she finally slept two full nights in the dreaded Pack and Play at home, so we decided we could brave the 6 hour trip.

Now. I have to brag, brag, brag on my children today. First of all, they all did great on the drive here, like I said. Boo did have a couple of screaming fits in the car, but that was only because she was tired and wanted to stretch out. Understandable. Unnerving, but understandable. The boys got along ALL DAY. Today, though, all three were just stellar! Boo has been so pleasant and grinning at everyone and just happy - even though you can tell she's tired and out of her element. What a change a few months makes. This is the same child that just a few months ago people at church were asking me if she was EVER happy - asked by the same people who seemed to obsess about if I was still nursing her or not. (Don't you wish people would just keep their kind opinions to themselves???? I mean, really, when a mom has a semi-colicky baby - and we've had two, the last thing she wants to hear is, "Isn't she ever happy?" Just tell the mamma what a pretty baby she is and keep your comments to yourself, thank you very much.) But that's because she was still nursing every hour and a half and needing a nap right during church time - and, again, would only sleep in her bed, which makes for a miserable baby at church. Anyway, Tic Tac and Monk have also behaved awesomely. NO fighting, and they've just been sweet all day. Even though the party was all adults. And we know how boring that is when you're a little guy. So, thank you kiddos, for making your Mamma proud!!

By the way, GO GATORS. That's all I have to say about that.

Travelling With the Kids

Well, we're in Florida. I haven't blogged about this trip until now, because we weren't 100% sure until this morning that we wanted to try this trip with Boo. But she did ok most of the way here, except for a couple of screaming jags and no quality naps, and the boys were great - it's amazing how well they travel now that Hubby has a portable DVD player we can use in the van. We don't let them watch much TV at home, so they actually look forward to long drives since they get to watch movies the whole way. I had practiced with Boo in her pack-n-play first and we decided that if she's tired enough, she will sleep in it - and we were right; she's sound asleep now without a peep. This should make it easier to travel in the future. I'll write more tomorrow if I get the chance about why we decided to come to Florida this weekend for a quick trip - going home Sunday.

We got to stop in Gainesville on the way, too and showed the kids where we went to school. They loved that! I'll try to put some pictures up once we are back home.

Oh, and yesterday was wonderful. The turkey did, indeed, thaw and the meal was nice and the fellowship even better. I wasn't too Martha-ish, just a little when the dishes needed washing up, but we all had a good time together. I hope our guests felt welcome and comfortable in our home, because we enjoyed them being there!

The Big Game

Saturday is the Florida-Florida State game. This is a big rivalry! It also brings back a funny memory. When I was a sophomore at UF, we played Florida State at home in Gainesville Thanksgiving weekend. I had student tickets and wanted to go back for the game and I had a guest pass, too, so I took my little brother up with me for the game. We had a good time together looking at the campus and then at the game. After the Gators scored near the end of the game, someone's drink cup went flying over our heads, spilling the contents over us and the people below us. My brother looked at me with this surprised look and said, "That was beer!" Yep, it sure was. So, we two non-drinkers, college girl and high school little brother, got to drive back home to Mom & Dad's house smelling like beer. Ah, memories.

So, hopefully the Gators will keep up the tradition and beat the Seminoles even though they aren't in the Swamp this year.

Thanksgiving Eve

Psalm 100

Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands!

Serve the LORD with gladness;

Come before His presence with singing.

Know that the LORD, He is God;

It is He who made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,

And into His courts with praise.

Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.

For the LORD is good;

His mercy is everlasting,

And His truth endures to all generations.

Things I'm thankful for:

Seriously -

• Salvation and the freedom from sin's bondage
• My husband
• My children
• My parents - they have loved me and been such an example of unconditional love (as much as is humanly possible) for me and my brother, and now for my children. They are also an example of a stable family, which is something that is becoming less and less common these days, so I'm thankful my children have both of my parents in their lives. I'm so thankful for the fact that they not only taught me about Jesus and the Bible, but they constantly talked about spiritual things and allowed me to hear and become part of the discussion. As they learned, I learned. They have given my brother and me and the next generation a great heritage.
• My brother and his wife - we've been having such a good visit today with them and it's been fun remembering things with my brother and getting to know my sister-in-law better. We haven't always had much time to do that, so I'm thankful they chose to come down and visit this year, even though it must be difficult to be surrounded with the constant chaos my kids provide.
• My husband's parents and family - they accepted me right from the start when they met me 14 years ago, and we've had a great relationship since. That is truly a blessing, I know. And for the great example of a stable family that they are and the way they raised Hubby and taught him to love Jesus as well.
• Friends
• Our home and the material provisions God supplies (food, shelter, clothing, etc.)
• Health
• The freedom to worship and read the Bible

Light-heartedly -

• The turkey is thawing and the food is mostly prepared for tomorrow.
• We almost got to see snow yesterday
• The window on the van has been fixed and I can open and close it again.
• Florida football and basketball (Go Gators!)
• Beautiful fall leaves - we're actually seeing some color this year.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

One of My Favorite Recipes

We have a dish that is an absolute favorite in our family - Acorn Squash Casserole. My mom found it in a newspaper article about Florida Thanksgiving and we always had it growing up. My husband loves it, so I got the recipe from Mom (thanks, Mom!!) the first time we had Thanksgiving at our house. I make it other times of the year, too, but it's a staple at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Acorn Squash Casserole

1 large acorn squash

1 small can yellow sweet corn

2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese

1 large can fried onions

1/2 cup egg substitute

1 tsp seasoned salt (or to taste)

Poke fork holes in acorn squash and cook it until soft. Discard seeds and scoop out the squash. Combine squash, corn, cheese, half of the onions, egg substitute and salt and mix well. Cook at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Top with the remaining onions and cook another 5 minutes.

Enjoy!

Update to Martha Monday

I'm not much of a decorator. I said I feel like Martha, but I didn't mean Martha Stewart. I don't think I've ever even bought drapes for the house; we've just sort of lived with what was already there. It's not that I don't want to, but, having me stay at home with the kids has meant that there usually isn't much extra cash in the bank account for non-essentials (diapers, food, and clothes being more important than nicer drapes and nick-knacks.) I'm not complaining, that's just how it is for this season. I'd rather have comfortable, hand-me-down furniture and sparse decorations with a mommy at home than a Southern Living style home with mommy at work and kids in day-care any day. You've heard of shabby chic decorating; I guess our style is shabby but nice enough. Even with extra cash, I'm not sure that I'd do too much differently. I just don't have the eye for decorating, and I'm not real crafty. In fact, I got so stressed out about my scrapbooking that I was waking up at night in a panic over how far behind I was getting and how uninspired I was to create beautiful layouts for it. I finally just bought some photo albums and put the pictures away in chronological order, and now I'm a much happier person. I call it the tyranny of the crafts. If Boo wants to make a scrapbook of all the pictures some day, she has my blessings to do so. Anyway, Tic Tac did a great job of helping us decorate for Thanksgiving this year. I just love the turkey he made for the front door! He has really gotten into the whole Thanksgiving thing since his teacher taught the class about the Pilgrims and Indians. He got really excited when we told him that he had an ancestor (on his daddy's side) who came over on the actual Mayflower! Yes, that makes this time of year extra special in our family to think I married a Pilgrim and we had little Pilgrim children.

Oh, and about that playroom that had me almost reduced to tears this morning? When Boo took a 2-hour nap this afternoon (that's right, little no-nap actually slept 2 whole hours this afternoon), I took a deep breath, waded in and straightened up the room. It wasn't nearly as bad as I'd thought, and now that Hubby has brought home the groceries from my last minute list, I think we're actually ready for the company that will be coming tomorrow. I just hope that turkey does thaw before Thursday......

Having a Martha Monday

So, it's the Monday before Thanksgiving and I have SOOOOO much still to do. So what am I doing right now? Blogging of course. I needed a bit of a break while Boo Baby is happy for the moment. My little no nap wonder took about 45 minutes this morning - just long enough for me to clean the bathrooms, dust the living room and straighten up the kitchen. Now she's playing with her toys for a minute and I'm at the computer, but will have to make it quick.

For Thanksgiving this year we'll have my brother and his wife (coming tomorrow afternoon, and we're so excited!!), Hubby's parents and brother and us, of course. Usually we have some of the young military families from church over, but we've kind of got a housefull this year and not much table space, so we couldn't do that this year. Anyway, I'm trying to get the house in order, and it's not looking real hopeful. I just went into the boys' playroom and almost started crying. Looks like that door will stay closed, Mommy just doesn't have the energy or will to tame it ONE MORE TIME this week. Those women who have tons of kids are pretty amazing to me - they must really be organized with all their kids. I need to learn how to contain the chaos. Actually, I could probably go into the room with a few garbage bags and get rid of a lot of the stuff and no one would even miss it (more about that closer to Christmas probably......). Maybe part of the problem is my perfectionism, but I just cannot stand clutter. And we have lots of it.

The turkey is in the fridge to thaw, and has been since Saturday, but it's still feeling pretty rock hard to me. What happens if it's still frozen Thursday morning??? Hope everyone likes the side dishes! And I've just sent my third update to the last minute grocery list to Hubby at work. I did the major shopping on Friday (good thing since the van is in the shop today getting that driver's side window fixed!!!!!!), but I keep on thinking of little things we still need. Hope that last update was really the last. Hubby probably hopes that, too.

What is this holiday about? Oh, yes, being thankful. So, if the house isn't perfect and we're short something nonessential, no one will really mind, I know. We Martha types need to step back and remember that the important thing is the hospitality - paying attention to the guests themselves and enjoying the fellowship, rather than sweating over every detail. And remembering the many, many blessings we have. Oh, and rather than breaking out the china, we're eating off some fancy paper plates that my mother-in-law supplied. So there.