The Knife Hostage

I accidentally brought this knife home from my parents house on Christmas day. It was in one of my food things I brought back home. Its a nice knife. I mean... honestly...I buy dollar knives... ones you get at Walmart or Dollar General and not because I can't actually afford a nice knife set but because I just don't buy nice things most of the time...if its functional and a dollar, I'm happy.... but wow, this is a nice knife. Its all shiny, sharp and pretty. The whole family, including Annah...they all see this super nice knife in the utensil drawer and they realize its not ours...its out of place...its nice... I know that I have to give it back to my parents. I can't just keep it and pretend its mine... everytime I cut bread with it I would know its not really mine. But its so nice. Therefore, I sent them an email as depicted in the picture....... I hope they don't really do a drop off because I'd really like to keep the knife. :)

And as for the bread, its a yummy seed bread that I made this morning using flax seed,pumkin and sunflower seeds. The recipe does not call for pumkin seeds but, I mixed half and half during the knead cycle.

"The Lord will guide you continually, and satisfy your soul in drought, and strengthen your bones, You shall be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:11

Oldies & The Bible Experience CD

Tiffany found this in the barn.... so its kinda crusty and icky but, it was our first Mobile phone...isn't it a hoot!!!! And the battery lasted like what.... 4 hours? We had these huge honking battery chargers that looked like shoe boxes in the car. But we were happening right? :)

Annah declared that she wanted someone to sit in her lap.... she is always parking in one of our laps so she wanted to be the giver this time... the resting place...the place of comfort. :)

The Bible Experience is an AMAZING dramatic audio bible on CD or MP3.... it has a ton of actors in it such as Denzel Washington...and when you listen to it, you have sound effects in the background...such as it might sound in Jerusalem with people talking in the background and donkeys etc...here is a really neat sample..Click here.

And this is about 10 minutes long but its a Youtube clip about it . I am getting for our son Alan for his birthday...which is Jan.1rst. :) He was a New Years baby!!! He was actually the first new years baby in Arlington... 1985 !!! I was of course extremely young when he was born. :)

Show me the money

My dad loves to save up his spare change and pass it along to Annah on special occasions...such as Christmas... here she is counting up the coins with Paul (she had to put on her play glasses to look like daddy)... it came to 35 dollars and some odd cents.
I am amazed my dad even gets that much change...these days its so ...so... so... cashless.... how does one acquire so much change when one uses debit cards all the time???

Did you know "Do not be afraid" appears 365 times in the Bible. Same amount of days in a year. :-)

Ending up 2009

I hope your Christmas was joyful and happy! Ending up 2009 has been full of different emotions from sorrow due to death of a loved one, several regrets that I personally have and joy that bubbles from the love of God and extreme gratefulness to His great kindness and mercy. Its SO great.

Christmas Eve, Annah saw our little terrier mix catch a cardinal and then gently put her down. The cardinal was in shock so I picked her up until she could feel like flying again. This happens frequently at our house as seen below this Summer when I acted like a real dork when one flew into our window... goofy goofy goofy.



So, I brought home this delightful Gingerbread house maker and when Tiffany and Annah opened it up it was all in bits and pieces and more bits and pieces but, I am amazed at how they took those pieces and crumbs and made something that still resembles a Gingerbread house...!

It snowed. I didn't get a picture because sadly I was sick. I was really really really sick and I probably infected my entire family... as I type, Paul is in bed with chills and sick sick sick...I am better...but, here is mom and Tiffany all bundled up to go out into to the snow. It snowed Christmas Eve and we absolutely had an amazing white Christmas right here in North
Texas.... unbelievable...absolutely incredible. We thanked God for the thrill of the snow to celebrate Jesus! I found it to be a hug from God...thats how I saw it. :)
And, like I said...I was sick. I fell asleep on the floor in the middle of the movie "UP".... Annah, who was also not feeling good, crawled on my back and fell asleep.
My mom painted this spectacular picture of Annah and her friend Angela from a photo I had of them playing the piano. My mom doesn't typically enjoy painting faces but, she did an amazing job of Annah and her hands... I just love it!

Merry Christmas !!!!!!!

Looking around

My son called me from Guatemala last night. He is there with YWAM ( Youth with a Mission - not just youth anymore but all ages.) on an outreach. He is there with his wife and 2 year old son and others. The area they are in is devastated by crime and poverty. He said that a young girl was brutally raped by 4 guys and another group went after them and burned them alive...no police intervention at all. They just turned their backs.

He was telling me his wife had gone into a hospital for ministry that day and there were 2 infant girls who had been abandoned. While many babies are adopted from Guatemala, I wonder if there are areas that are more remote like in the Panama jungles where babies are born unwanted and never end up in an orphanage.





















In the Volcan,Panama area, this area would greatly benefit from an orphanage as many children live in the jungles who are unwanted, need medical attention and are starving. Alan told me if a mother has an infant she does not or can not care for, she leaves it in the hut of someone she hopes will care for the baby. If they can not, they leave it in a hut... one YWAM leader has gone into the jungle on medical help... to provide medical help to the Gyuami Indians and she said young mothers have literally tried to give her their babies.

Life sure does have lots and lots and lots of areas of needs to be filled doesn't it. Every corner of this earth cries for help in one form or another whether its in another country or right next door.
I just ask God to make me be in the place where I can be most effective. To forget about what I have plans for ... my plans are surely self centered ... I want to be where He wants me to be and I pray He wants me to be somewhere.... here, there, over hear or over there or wherever... I just want to be in that place and not just living life for me and doing what I can on the side....sometimes thats how I feel...like I'm going along doing things that are for me and my family and throwing in goodness as it fits into my world... sometimes I just want to be dramatic and sell it all, abandon it all and hit the jungles of Panama.... okay, the end for now. :)



Amazing Coincendence..

In the 1920s, three Englishman were traveling separately by train through Peru. At the time of their introduction, they were the only three men in the railroad car. Their introductions were more surprising than they could have imagined. One man's last name was Bingham, and the second man's last name was Powell. The third man announced that his last name was Bingham-Powell. None were related in any way.

Do you think this is a typo...its an ad in the classifieds: Fully cooked boneless smoked man - $2.09 lb.

Happy Happy Happy Anniversary!!!

Happy Happy Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad! 47 years!!!!

Love you both !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The fear of Santa

We were at "Breakfast with Santa" and although Annah realizes he is just a man dressed up in a suite...she refused to get near him. We make Santa fun, not real. :) I thought maybe if I got my picture snapped with him she would see all is well but she would not budge until........
Daddy got in the picture...but as you can tell by her facial expression.... she's not so sure about the whole thing.

Baking makes me tired

I've been so busy baking peppermint fudge and sugar cookies that I'm plum exhausted by my efforts. And, it sure taste pepperminty...like "WHOO".... seriously. Forget mints, just pop in some of this fudge. I ended up crushing the peppermint in a coffee grinder so it came out less crushed and more powdered, probably made a difference in the texture but, if you like peppermint you would probably like this stuff. It was super easy to make, easiest fudge I've ever made.
I am going to do the same recipe but use chocolate baking chips for Chocolate peppermint fudge AND add nuts and hopefully it will look just like the picture! :)

I love this song and I love Fernando Ortega's voice. The below video is the one he did for Ruth Graham's tribute in 2007 but, I just now saw it. Beautiful.

Thrify Frosty,New Tree & Homelessness

This is Frosty-of course. :) I found Frosty at the Dollar Store. Doesn't looking at him just make you smile?

We gave away our 20 year old 7 Ft Christmas tree for this little scrappy Charlie brown type tree already lighted. We have such limited space in our itty bitty tree house cabin and this is definitely a space saver.

Did you know: That in the 1840s, Christmas trees were considered a "pagan mockery" of the sacred day, and you could be fined for so much as singing a Christmas carol or hanging an evergreen bough, let alone decorating an entire tree.

Christmas trees as we know them today actually originated in Germany in the 16th century and were brought to the United States by the German settlers of Pennsylvania during the 1800s. It wasn't until the 1890s that Christmas trees -- and Christmas tree ornaments -- became a part of the traditional American Christmas.

The first Christmas tree lights were mass produced in 1890. German-American immigrants used to decorate their trees with apples, nuts and marzipan cookies.

When I was at the homeless shelter this week a woman came in. I asked her if I could help her assuming she was there to volunteer or donate. She was a classy looking woman probably in her early 50's and my initial judgment on her would be that she was there to donate or want to help, not homeless. But, she was there seeking shelter.

Sadly, there was no room at the Inn. None. She looked so hopeless when I told her but she tried to keep a smile on her face, she tried to be positive and cheerful only her eyes read sorrow and tired. She proceeded to tell me she was staying in a cheap motel with lots of noise and she had been up all night unable to sleep. Her funds were running out and she was going to be left to face the streets. I continued to tell her to please keep checking back as people leave daily and its first come first serve,she wearily told me she would keep checking.

As she was leaving she turned to me and said, "I used to do what your doing. I used to volunteer in a homeless shelter when I was younger. I used to be you."

That tugged at my heart....probably caused an involuntary twitch..... what kind of series of events could lead any of us to homelessness?

Off to do my day..... I am wanting to make a big platter of frosted sugar cookies. I have to make a test batch to consume before I make any to give, its the right thing to do. :)

Plug Head - Inside Out

Children can be so creative! Who needs bath toys, just pull out the stopper and stick it to your head. :)


Last night I had errands to run before church.
I went to Kroger, Blockbuster etc.... As I entered into our home church I was delightfully greeted. Then a moment of silence as Kyley said to me "Libby, do you know your sweater is on inside out?" I said... "Nuh uh". She said "Uh huh". I've recreated this moment specifically for my blog...hopefully my hair didn't look as much as mess as it does in the picture because having a sweater on inside out is truly enough.

And gosh, are my ears really that big????

Have a happy Sunday full of bubbles and sunshine, mercy, grace and laughter!

Birth moms and Spanish Courses

I did a public search for Annah's birth mom... I twitch a bit when I use the word 'mom' but, when I watch all those Locator shows with Troy Dunn and such, they always say "Hi I'm your mom"...or "I'm your REAL mom"... Not sure how I feel about that...so I would be the fake mom? LOL :-) But still, I guess it just amazes me at how natural that just comes...for the birth parent after 18 or more years to automatically fall into the role of addressing themselves as the real mom or real dad... I think its just the way the brain is wired... if you have created them, you are, no matter what, their 'real mom' and the one who raised them is like the substitute teacher or something. I guess I watch to many of those shows...
Anyhooos, after 4 years I found her. She's locked up so, an address was easy. I printed out pictures of Annah and sent her a letter letting her know Annah is happy and healthy. Paul was hesitant asking me why I would do that when she may not even care... I said...of course she cares. The part of her that may not care is the drugs but the mother in her will always care and she hasn't seen Annah since she was 3 months old and I'm sure she has moments of thinking about her...I just want her to know she is okay and I felt very strongly about it.
I did not include any family pictures...just of Annah.
I also explained to her we changed her name as Regina did not name her Annah but rather "Ruby". I did not include a return address or email or any such contact information. I figure if she wanted to seek me out she could always contact our past caseworker. I'm not closed to contact but I am not certain or sure about it. I was sure about the letter and the need to let her know Annah is okay...but thats the extend of it for now.

I did it. I enrolled in a Beginner Spanish Class at the local college.
At first I thought...gosh, I'm probably to advanced for this class. ( hysterical laughter )... but Tiffany assured me I would benefit. I have decided I will take every single Spanish course offered. I think there are about 8.

On the other hand, I only have 2 other courses to take to acquire an Associates of Arts degree. All the online courses were taken. Can you believe it? I even registered early. I will try again for Summer.

Hit and Run Update - Another Easiest Apple Pie Recipe

*Update Hit and Run Doggy* (Click to read part ONE *** Click for Part TWO)
I know this looks encouraging and it is but its also not so encouraging because see her bended paw in this picture???...this is indication of severe nerve damage. If it is just bent nerves then they may heal, if its severed then in most cases the paw gets odd sensations due to death of the nerves and atrophy of muscles that the dog begins to eat its own paw and because there is no feeling at all in the paw, they drag it and it gets sores and infected etc... (I'm looking into dog boots).... the deal is, most of the time if its a severed nerve then the leg has to be amputated. This little doggy is right here in this picture only using 2 legs and then she hobbles on that paw and drags the fore part as stability. She can get up on her own but not easily and doesn't really attempt it yet. I am still carrying her outside and I place her standing and she is walking a good bit on it if I place standing. If the leg is amputated she would only have 2 legs. They amputate due to the extreme discomfort it brings the dog. Most dogs do fine on 3 legs but this would leave her with 2 legs. So, I'm just hoping its not a severed nerve but just some bent ones because as you can see, she has come so far!!!!

How many pie recipes can one blog have? I just HAVE to share the most easy apple pie recipe ever known to the human race. I mean, this pie was as easy as opening up a can of apples and pouring it in. I'm so serious.

The crust, though Pillsbury refrigerated taste as flaky and homemade as if I'd rolled it myself because of the final glazing touch.

All you do is roll out your bottom pie pastry shell. Next peel (the hardest part but no harder than fighting with a can opener.....) 7 small baking apples or 3 or 4 larger apples. Slice em up.
Pour em in a bowl and throw over them about 1/2 cup sugar or less .... with 1 TBSP cinnamon, mix em all up and together and then pour into your bottom pie shell. Melt a TBSP or two of real butter, stir in 1 or so tsps sugar and cinnamon and then pour over your apples in the shell. Put your top shell on. Next, take milk and sugar and brush over the top of the crust and on the edges. This took over an hour to bake but, check on it because it probably depends on your oven. I believe this is so healthy that you can perhaps eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner...due to the apples and all.

Stuck in my Hoodie

Getting dressed this morning I got stuck.

Learn from my mistakes... Put on your Hoodie First and then your hat. :)

“You're in pretty good shape for the shape you are in.”- Dr. Seuss

Thanks Day and More

I am just now getting round to posting my Gobble Gobble Happy Happy Happy Thanksgiving day pics.

First is the Pancake I made for Annah in the morning. However, don't let it fool you. It was awful. It tasted like playdough. What happened was that I was all out of Bisquick so I thought... well, gosh, how difficult can it be to make pancake mix??? Paul was on the computer so I didn't want to bump him off to look for a recipe... I didn't even think of looking in a cookbook...I just mixed up some flour, eggs, baking soda AND baking powder... oil... whipped and whistled and poured my batter into a hot skillet and came out with playdough. This is truly one of those moments where its the thought that counts.
Below: Tiffany and Annah, mom's famous odd rolls, mom's displayed giant acorns, Annah and I, dad and Tiffany, Games after dinner, Annah makes dinner!























































































Playing 'Chicken Toes Dominoes'... dad would stand up and hover over the game when it wasn't his turn... he proclaimed he was just checking out the board but, I don't really know...













In the meantime, today, while Paul and I were playing Tetris, Annah, obviously unattended... yet just in the kitchen... she whipped us up some dinner.... it has eggs, carrots, butter and a Ritz cracker. She poured in a pan, put it in the oven and then turned on the oven and the timer and baked it for us for dinner.















And her dear dear daddy ate some and pretended it was just amazingly delicious. As I type this he is telling her is full and she is asking him if she is sure he doesn't want more. He assures he is very full. Do you suppose this means I do not have to actually cook a meal tonight???? I declare dinner hour to be officially fullfilled. :-)



"Be Kind, for everyone you know is facing a great battle".
Philo of Alexandria

Conversation Cards, Gratefulness

“You know that just before that first Thanksgiving dinner there was one wise, old Native American woman saying, “Don’t feed them. If you feed them, they’ll never leave.” –Dylan Brody

Conversation Starter:

If you need some ideas or thoughts on how to start a conversation at Thanksgiving Dinner today, click to enlarge the graphic to the left, print on card stock and cut out.
Pass em around and let everyone have an opportunity to answer.

More printable conversation cards


Things I am so very grateful for are the man God gave me as my husband, my parents, my children, my friends, home, food, health, hope, love, faith and mostly for Jesus Christ who came, who died and gave me life...gave me hope for every day, for every situation, in the midst of every circumstance, a skip in my step, joy in my day, love in my heart - love that is bigger than myself.

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
have nary a lump.
May your yams be delicious
and your pies take the prize,
and may your Thanksgiving dinner
stay off your thighs!
Unknown

Happy Dance

I'm just SO happy. So Happy!!!!

This may look like a sweet picture of a cute little girl sleeping but, its SO much more than that.

Annah... she is finally sleeping in her own room, own bed, all night!!!!!!

It happened on its own. No drama...no taking her back to her room ... she just decided she would stay in her 'big room'...which is how she always referred to it... 'my big room'.... I'm just thrilled. I wasn't sure if this day would ever come until she was a teenager or something. I never tried to make her stay in her room or her bed. I suggested that she would want to someday but never really addressed it... I figured when she was ready to be a bigger girl she would just do it and she has. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy happy happy!

Happy! And not just happy, proud of her, so proud of her. :)

Now I officially need a baby. No I don't. Yes I do. No I don't. Yes I do. :) No.

Yes.


No.


Sweet Dreams!!!!

Candy Cane Fudge -N- Bubble Bath

I have decided that this year for Christmas platter gifts I will make a large batch of Candy Cane fudge and place a batch on a plain red ceramic plate and perhaps embellish with chocolate covered cherries. For an extra touch for some folks I may try to find some peppermint soap for fun. I am thinking the entire gift will cost around $6 - $8 dollars depending on the cost of the ceramic plate and if I add something like candy cane soap.
Here is the recipe for Candy Cane Fudge:

• 2 (10 ounce) packages vanilla baking chips
• 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract
• 1 1/2 cups crushed candy canes
• 1 dash red or green food coloring

1. Line an 8 inch square baking pan with aluminum foil, and grease the foil.
2. Combine the vanilla chips and sweetened condensed milk in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir frequently until almost melted, remove from heat and continue to stir until smooth. When chips are completely melted, stir in the peppermint extract, food coloring, and candy canes.
3. Spread evenly in the bottom of the prepared pan. Chill for 2 hours, then cut into squares.

And I really kinda like this idea.... You get a box of Bubble bath... Calgon or Vaseline or whatever...even one of those big jugs of bubble bath at Walmart that are kinda cute and cost around $2.97 or so... and you wrap a big bow around it and add the following note.... which I think would be a really awesome gift for a co-worker or such.

Bubble bath

When the rushing of Christmas gets you down
And you've had all the fun you can stand
Don’t get discouraged and don’t give up
Just let this present give you a hand…

Take a break from the kids and shopping
Let the phone ring…don’t answer the door
Lay back and relax in a hot bubble bath
And you’ll soon feel ready for more!!

Update on Hit and Run Doggy ---The vet said she should be attempting to maybe try and get up ... but she isn't. At all. I am thinking its too soon. The vet had mentioned euthanasia if she makes no effort after a week but, I am going to give it longer than that. I am thinking the vet may of just said that because she is a stray dog and its a lot of effort to care for an invalid dog and if we don't see progress then maybe just end it. But, again, I am going to give her a lot more time than that and only euthanasia if it becomes completely clear she will not be able to walk because it would be cruel to keep her living like this.
I am happy to report she doesn't soil her bedding at all. I carry her outside several times a day and she goes outside. She has been crushed, thats for sure. The vet said not even surgery can repair her, no amount of pins and special things to put her together again...she is that destroyed. But only on one side... she will still have 3 good legs. That is SO doable.

I still don't actually have a name for her. Because she was hit by a car and has 2 extra toes... I was thinking 'Autoe' is a cute name... Auto/toe combination.... I call her 'Baby' all the time and she sometimes wakes me up crying to go outside so... that could work ... maybe 'Seis' which is 6 in Spanish...for 6 toes... or just call her 'Sixtoe'....Paul still thinks we should call her 'Lucky' but I'm thinking...who says she's so lucky ya know???? She got hit by a car after all. Who says she's lucky just because we got her ... I mean someone else like a super star with a zillion dollars to get her lambswool heating bed may of made her lucky but for now she is in a little pool with an Elmo and Big Bird blanket...

Have a superdy duperdy Monday tomorrow!!!!!!!!!!!!

Birthdays & Sunshine

Spent the day yesterday celebrating my dad's 70'th birthday. !!!! He doesn't act a day over 40. He's stronger than an ox and the most awesome - Awesome guy!!!!! Nobody could ever offer me a different dad ever. He's the best. I love the genes he passed along to me...the ones that are kinda wild and crazy... restless.... antennas always raised.... did I say crazy????.... Fun, easy going, solitary but social enough to be fun in a crowd...good stuff. Thanks dad!!!
















My mom made her famous homemade vegetable stew.

She uses about 1 small can Campbell tomato soup, 1 can Rotel, Pure H20- fresh vegetables and seasoning. Mmmm good, specially wonderful with homemade cornbread!










We played Chicken Toes Dominoes and dad won every game. Then, Tiffany, my mom whom I call "Moon" and I played Bananagrams... to which I believe I won. :) I like to win. Alot. But, so does my whole family...cept my dad...he's okay when he doesn't win. But the rest of us have some issues with losing. I just don't like it at all.
It was a wonderful day with family. Paul had to leave early to go to work but he got to eat and open gifts.

I had ordered dad some coffee from the JavaCoffee.com and we had Cinnamon Pecan Coffee... it was SO good!

I hope your day was beautiful. I hope it was full of God's grace, full of His love. I hope it was full!