Quick Update

Dinner Party: Went wonderfully. We were blessed to have 39 people to join us for Christmas Dinner. I just wish I could have visited with each one so much more. Not enough time!

Sunday: Nathan and Annie were baptized. Clay's folks plus every single member of my family was there. As my sister says, we had Dad and his wife, every sibling and their spouses, every niece and nephew for two generations, all at a church service together, and it wasn't even a funeral! Praise God! Lunch at our house afterwards was more time for fellowship and fun.

Laundry: After everyone left, I hauled everything I could to the laundromat, and Travis brought the other half in his truck and we did 25 loads of laundry in four hours. Clean underwear! Yay! Still no washer.

Christmas Shopping: 99.7% done

Holly's 16th birthday: SHE PASSED!!!!!! Look out, world! Happy, happy day! Her dad took her out on her birthday date to dinner and a movie then she met me and drove her sister home all by herself! She even had to stop to wait for three deer to leave the roadway and we are thankful for God's protection on her first drive. Happy night!

The Barlow Girls Take a Stand

Becca, Alyssa, and Lauren Barlow are taking a stand against abortion. Care to join them? All the info is on the Never Silence Life website.

"Before you were formed in the womb, I knew you..." - Jeremiah 1:5

O Come O Come Emmanuel

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Wisdom from on high,
who orderest all things mightily;
to us the path of knowledge show,
and teach us in her ways to go.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Rod of Jesse, free
thine own from Satan's tyranny;
from depths of hell thy people save,
and give them victory over the grave.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Dayspring, come and cheer
our spirits by thine advent here;
disperse the gloomy clouds of night,
and death's dark shadows put to flight.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Key of David, come,
and open wide our heavenly home;
make safe the way that leads on high,
and close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, great Lord of might,
who to thy tribes on Sinai's height
in ancient times once gave the law
in cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, thou Root of Jesse's tree,
an ensign of thy people be;
before thee rulers silent fall;
all peoples on thy mercy call.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, Desire of nations, bind
in one the hearts of all mankind;
bid thou our sad divisions cease,
and be thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
and ransom captive Israel,
that mourns in lonely exile here
until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice!
Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel.

Words: Latin, twelfth century;
trans. John Mason Neale (1818-1866), 1851

What kind of idiot does this?

This year is the first time I get to have my family's Christmas dinner at MY HOUSE! I'm am beside myself with excitement. Now, as I may have said a time or four, when I was little, there were six of us. My mom, dad and their four children. So, when I started counting for dinner.....I kinda lost track after 35 or 36 or 37....and I don't want to start again.

Dinner is Saturday evening. I'm just giddy about seeing all my nieces and nephews again! I am following in the path of some of the most amazing hostesses I've ever been allowed to know...my mom, my dad's wife, and my sister. Those are some humongous shoes to fill. No stress there. So far, just giddiness!

So, I decided I just couldn't do it all unless I started a remodeling project. I will have before and after pics when I get time. For now, just know, that although not completely finished, today is my first day without painters here in awhile. Please understand, these painter-ladies are some fine Christian friends whom I love dearly, but I was glad to see their painter stuff go and be able to start putting Christmas decorations back up and putting furniture back again...you know, today is Thursday. The dinner is Saturday.

What kind of idiot starts a remodeling project at a time like this? Well, apparently this kind of idiot. Let me tell you, the house is looking sooooo much more "me". I told a friend I feel more relaxed and cozy than I have since we moved here. I just like....color.

Nathan's Room:

The living area and stairs:


And check out Annie's pink and black room:

The paint is too fresh to hang pics, so that will be...Saturday?

So, I'm plugging along on the lists. I have lists like, "To do this week", "To do Thursday/Friday/Saturday" (3 lists), dishes needed, shopping list, and the, ahem, list goes on. Then, yesterday, the washer quit. My laundry room is piled so high, I'm not sure how a repairman can swim through it. I'm debating on letting him try as to accentuate the NEED here, or get it all out so he will like me better. Ok, NOW I'm getting just a wee bit stressed. But hey, the tables linens are clean, so I'm still good.

Today I tackle the Thursday list. Oh, and I PROMISED to take Annie shopping for Christmas. Now THAT girl is stressed. I'm still just really excited.

Another upcoming post: Sunday is a very wonderful and special day!

Christmas in Washington

Last night we were able to catch most of "Christmas in Washington". I always avoided shows like that thinking they would be boring. My husband said, sit down and watch this! It's really good! So, thanks to the DVR, he rewound to the beginning of where he started watching and who filled the screen? One of my verrry favorite groups, Casting Crowns! They were singing what I think is my favorite song off their Christmas CD, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day". It is not even a different rendition of the traditional carol, it is completely different and I love it! In fact, I'm lobbying for my husband to sing it this season at church. He would definitely do it justice.

Several wonderfully talented people sang, but the next time I felt like jumping up and down was when Straight No Chaser came on. If you love a bunch of handsome men singing acapella harmony, check these guys out! They are You Tube sensations and that is where I first saw them. Because my son loves to sing music like this, we have all become huge fans. They have released a Christmas CD called Holiday Spirits, which I promptly put into my Amazon cart! For a taste of what we watched last night, listen to them singing "Carol of the Bells" on YouTube.

Madrigal Feaste

Last weekend, we had the privilege of attending a couple of fantastic Christmas shows. No, they weren't on Broadway. But they should have been!

First of all, on Friday, I helped other parents in the backstage at Travis's Madrigal Feaste. Then Saturday, we were able to attend it as part of the audience.

Holly and her Grandma

Holly and her Grandpa and Dad

I know, you think I'm one of those moms who will get all excited and tell you how spectacular it was and how you would never believe anything like that could come from a bunch of teenagers, that a lot of it was professional quality, etc. You will think I'm just a gushing mother. Well, you would be right. I am a gushing mother. But then, I'm right, too. It was....unbelievable.

Trav was Czar Tripsachov, who spoke with a deep "Russian" voice (sounded like a take off on Arnold Schwarzenegger, but, well, everyone was impressed anyway). He also tripped. (Tripsachov? Trip?...maybe you had to be there) He was at the head table, where, while we dined on "fine swine" (chicken cordon bleu), they ate such things as carryout pizza and chicken wings. The show began at 6 o'clock, when they started seating everyone. B, a good friend of ours, was the town crier, announcing every single family in his frumpy crier's voice. We were led to the table by lovely young wenches and ladies-in-waiting, asking in Olde English droll, "Would you like tea or watah?"

My Dad was selected as the Table Master

The show began with some old Latin hymns, and an acapella prayer. I think even God got goosebumps hearing that one. As the show progressed, we were served a fine meal, and our entertainment consisted of a show, a wide variety of music, the guys dancing a clog dance, the ladies and wenches doing period dances, a ballerina dancing a bit of the Nutcracker Suite, jesters, minstrels, and when the knights fought over the fair maiden, she declared her true love was....right, Clay. She gave him a kerchief (tissue) with her kiss on it for him to keep. Later, she came by and properly arranged it in his pocket. We were even treated to a fire-breathing dragon! My nephew was part of the dragon and had us rolling in laughter as he, um, "growled" at us. Sounded like a purr to me.

My dad and Mr. Dragon sans Dragon Costume

The acting was, eh, for some, and outstanding for others. There were lots of solos (yes, Trav had one!)

Trav and Holly

Trav and me

If only you could see the bottom half of that outfit.....men in tights galore! The night ended a full three and a half hours later with a lot of teary-eyed seniors mourning their last stage exit, and the MOST stirring rendition of "O Come O Come Emmanuel" I have ever heard. It is my new favorite song of Advent.

Soon, I will share pictures from the other show we attended.....stay tuned!

Lovely Links

This Post by Dr. Mohler speaks about recommended Study Bibles. Because at this time of year I am always thinking ahead on what version of Bible I will use to (attempt to) read the Bible through next year, I found this interesting.


Boo Mama's Christmas Tour of Homes 2008 is today! Enjoy!

Coming soon: a glimpse of the weekend's Christmas Productions. Madrigal Feaste was unbelievably wonderful and the perfect cap to the weekend was Nathan's and Annie's Christmas Program at church.

The Christmas Letter

Merry CHRISTmas!

We hope this finds you healthy, happy, and enjoying the 2008 Season. We have been maniacs this CHRISTmas Season, and boy, has it been fun!

We are reflecting, as usual, but this year we are doing a little more of it. There is a reason for that. If we were to choose one word to describe 2008, it would be “transition”.

Of course, the year began with a huge transition for Clay. In March, he moved his office from Advance to Cape Girardeau. He enjoys working so near to home, and since Cape offers a few more dining options than Advance, lunch is a bit more of an adventure. Sometime when you are in the area, drop by and take a “tour”. The highlight of his year was when we rode the Harley to Milwaukee for the HD 105th anniversary. It was a week unlike any other…..ever. ‘Nuf said.

Travis is in big-time transition mode. When you see Trav, you must look up. At 6’ 3”, he looms over the rest of us. He is in the throes of making the life-changing decision of which college he will attend after he graduates in May. At one time, it was narrowed down to two. Now, we’ve lost track of where he is applying. You know it is bad when the siblings complain about not seeing their brother enough when he is still living at home. We are sure he is still living here when we see large piles of laundry in the laundry room floor and all the lights are left on in the downstairs. He is having a lot of fun, though, and between choirs, baseball, work at Wib’s, volunteering at the hospital and tutoring, he doesn’t have much free time. Volunteering at the hospital has been great preparation for being a doctor. It has also provided some great stories for when he does show up around here.

Since Trav is gone so much, we really need another driver. That leads us to the transition for Holly. Guess who will be 16? It is a matter of days. Then, our beautiful sophomore will be able to go to any youth event, to school, to Cape, and best of all, she can get Wib’s BBQ and ice cream whenever she wants! We don’t know if there is enough gut medicine in the world for us to send her off on her own. Have you noticed how many crazy drivers there are these days? Of course, one of them may be her. That smile on her face seems permanent, at least for this month. She is full of anticipation for the big day. Oh, and thanks to Christmas break, she will be out of school for a couple of weeks. We’re not sure which is better!

Nathan and Annie have pretty much transitioned into that not really a little kid, but not really a teenager stage. The media calls them “tweens”. You know this has officially occurred when there are no toys on the Christmas list. (Exception: video games. There is no age limit for those.) They are being homeschooled in 5th and 4th grades, respectively. You know how those homeschoolers are, they never socialize.

Please don’t tell “Thing 1 and Thing 2” that, though. They would hate to give up jump rope class, piano and guitar lessons, soccer, baseball, basketball, and an endless array of church activities. We are especially thankful this year, as they are both going to be baptized the week of Christmas. What better time to show the world they have made Jesus Lord of their lives than the week of His birthday?

Nathan is a typical 5th grader; he makes up a lot of stories and jokes, plays video games, hunts, and annoys his sisters. He provides endless laughs and entertainment to us all, and we are fascinated by what seems an endless imagination. He is a social young man, but if you want to know a little secret, his favorite place to be is home. He is quite a homebody and we love that about him.

Annie is still pink. In fact, she is really pink. Let’s clarify that, though. Annie isn’t soft, gentle, ballerina pink. Annie is bright, dazzling, hot glittery pink. She is still growing tall, and soon will pass up her mom and sister. On a typical day you may walk in to our home and find Annie still in her jammies (at 4 o’clock), singing and dancing around or helping Mom cook. It would be at that point you would urge her to hurry and get dressed before her dad comes home! Then, if you knew Becky when she was little, you would laugh at how much Annie is like her momma.
Speaking of her momma, as with most moms, when the family is in transition, so is the mom. Say a few prayers for her to keep the mascara from running at all the senior and graduation events. To see how it goes, check out the blog at http://www.lifeindenim.blogspot.com/.

We are even in transition where pets are concerned. This spring, our faithful black lab, Buck, passed away. It was a sad time for our family. We are thankful for our other furry friends; Tiger, the cat; Charlie, the yellow lab; and Benny, the westie.

The whole family went to Mexico this summer with our special friends, the Beels. It was a ton of fun on the beach, in the jungle, and in the pool. We were hoping it would be a great culture lesson, and perhaps be especially valuable in helping Travis and Holly in their Spanish classes. It was a remarkable experience, but as for helping in Spanish…..not so much. In the end, we all came home with priceless memories and we are looking forward to someday going back.

So, there is 2008 in a nutshell for this crew. We cannot possibly fathom what 2009 holds in store. It is exciting, a bit frightening, and, we’re sure, wonderful. Stay tuned to see what happens next! Have a blessed and safe Holiday Season.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

With love,
The Hursts: Clay, Becky, Travis, Holly, Nathan and Annie

Revival and a Quote to Ponder

For a laugh, head over to The Sacred Sandwich. After you have a belly laugh, get serious and spend a little time pondering this quote, also found at The Sacred Sandwich:

“An honest man with an open Bible and a pad and pencil is sure to find out what is wrong with him very quickly.”
-A.W. Tozer

The Cat in the Hat

I frequently refer to Nathan and Annie as "Thing 1 and Thing 2". This is because, well, if you knew them, you would see how appropriate it really is.

This morning, I would have had to refer to myself as "The Cat In the Hat". I'm not sure which one it was, I'm pretty sure it is "The Cat in the Hat Comes Back" where the cat finds himself fighting an ink spot, where once removed from one thing goes to another, etc....

Thus, my morning.

First of all, let me preface this by explaining that last night, while cutting sweet potatoes, I made the statement, "I hate cutting these things up! It is like cutting pumpkin!" About 10 seconds later, the knife and the sweet potato took on some sort of enchanted lives of their own, and sprang to life! The potato jumped two ways at once and the knife did a ballerina twirl...in my hand. So, the ensuing loss of blood and trauma led me to really not wanting to get my hand in water too much this morning. It seems to make it require pressure again.

Okay, so no water. No problem. I'll start my grocery list with pen and paper. Not since elementary school has a pen exploded in my hand like that. It was everywhere. It was even cool to spray hairspray (the well-known ink remover) on my hand and watch the dark blue liquid pool and then drip, drop into the sink. (Why the Cat didn't try hairspray is beyond me) Ink residue, I might say a lot of it, still resides on my hands, but a good portion also went into my white porcelain sink. Like I said, it was pretty fascinating and made me wonder about the chemical reactions taking place to make such a wondrous sight appear....until I tried to rinse out the sink. I was starting to really relate to the cat at this point.

My previously-white-now-blue sink is sitting, as I type, with slightly abrasive bleach filled cleaner on it, attempting to rid ourselves completely of the ink spot. I have new respect for the Cat and his cohorts, Things 1 and 2.

Martha Stewart, Move Over....or not.

Finally finished. Part 1, done.

Christmas Preparation basically consists of four things:

1. Decorating.
2. Cards. (Letter, pictures, addressing and mailing)
3. Cooking....cookies, snacks, candy, etc....
4. Gifts. Purchase, wrap, deliver.

1. Decorating, done.

This year hubs moved his office to a new and better location. I gave them a chunk of Christmas decorations, chucked some of the others (21 years takes a toll, you know), and got a bunch of new ones.

We got prelit garland, berry branches, bags of pinecones and wire and although it ain't exactly ready for Better Homes and Gardens, it'll do.



Look! I learned how to make a bow! You CAN teach an old dog new tricks! I looked online and watched this video over and over 'til I figured it out! It was a proud moment!



Big bags of cranberries from Sam's brightened up this spot:



The worst thing about decorating is the mess.

I'm so glad #1 is done.

On to numbers 2-4.........

Christmas: What's it all About?

Check out
this Christmas video.

Amen and amen.

Holly, My Camo Girl

Holly has chosen a few auto accessories she would like for her birthday. One of her good friends recently turned 16, got a bright red car, and for her birthday received zebra striped seat covers. Yep, that would perfectly fit said friend. Holly, on the other hand, really, really, really wants this:




Which can be purchased, she pointed out, here.

If you ever call her a girly-girl, you may get decked.

Teen Humor

Anyone who lives with, works with, or interacts with teens in any way would get a kick out of this spoof by Sacred Sandwich.

A scarf, a sweater, a cd, and an abortion?

In this Washington Times article from Saturday, we find that "Indiana residents in need of a quick stocking stuffer this holiday season have an unusual option: Planned Parenthood gift certificates."

Under the guise of helping low income women afford health care, the Indiana Planned Parenthood chapter is offering gift certificates for their health services. Although the certificates may be used for an abortion, Betty Cockrum, president and chief executive of Planned Parenthood of Indiana, says "I can't imagine that could happen." She goes on to say, "An abortion is a tragic and urgent situation in a women's life, and gift certificates don't lend themselves to that."

The mixed messages and confusion abounds.

Is that what they tell women who come to them, upset and concerned about an unplanned pregnancy, that to have an abortion is "tragic"? Not having consulted them myself, I have no way of knowing. Somehow, though, I suspect that if it were deemed to be "tragic", it may send women right back out the door.

What about the fact that this is, hello?, CHRISTmas? "It's very typical of Planned Parenthood to pervert the meaning of Christmas, which is a time of life and selflessness and love and giving," said Katie Walker, a spokeswomen with the American Life League, a Catholic pro-life activist group.

I recently saw a sobering email where a woman came to her physician, pregnant, wanting to have the doctor "take care of it". She had a child, just a few months old, and didn't feel she had adequately recuperated from the first birth. The doctor, in his doctorly wisdom, suggested they do away with the child in her arms to allow her a few more months of recuperation before having to care for a child. Of course, that was offensive to the mother who would "never kill her child!" It, of course, is just a story. The irony is real.

Please get behind and support women's crisis pregnancy centers such as Open Arms. These people lovingly help ladies sort through their options, looking at things from a long term, even eternal perspective. They provide ultrasounds to help them see that this isn't a blob, but a real baby that they are growing and protecting in their own body. They help them find alternatives, such as providing a family who would love to have a baby of their own the chance to do so.

If only there was a way to force women to have to explain to their child that, hey, Uncle Elmer gave me this birth certificate, so I used it to kill you. If they had to face the reality of what they were doing, I can't imagine that nearly as many could go through with it. Seeing their baby on an ultrasound helps them to do that.

It terrifies me to think of all the babies doomed by gift certificate.

A Christmas Giveaway

Do you want to win a $500 Walmart Gift Card? Who wouldn't! You can't win if you don't enter! Go to To Think is to Create to put your name in the hat!

In Which Holly Gets a Car

In 23 days, Holly turns 16. I am excited for her. I am excited for me. I am scared.

We needed for her to have a vehicle big enough to take Thing 1 and Thing 2 with her.



It was a surprise. She had been having a hard day. She was happy and cried.



She quickly recovered. Here you see her with her very best friend, Charlie. Annie is in the back. We love you, Holly!

Jumpin' Into Christmas

I didn't go bargain shopping on Black Friday for two reasons: The first is that I really don't know what I need to buy, and the second is that I would have bought anyway. We had a TV that crashed so we did get a replacement for that in an online sale. After placing the order online, we just ran by the store and picked it up. Easy!

So, we spent our Friday at Hubby's grandmother's house, raking and burning leaves, and helping her prepare for winter. Although I wanted to spend the day at home cleaning and preparing for Christmas, how much better I felt about helping such a wonderful lady. Of course, I would have helped even if she wasn't wonderful....

Today, we spent almost all day just decorating our front porch. In retrospect, that is crazy.

These are dark (I'll try to get some in the daylight) but here is the result:



I really love these lights




I know you can't tell anything on the pics, but Holly, Annie, and I had a ball, even down to the smallest detail, putting red berries in the wreath and tree.

We have hauled all the decorations out of storage and right now my living room looks like someone set a bomb off in it. Hubby is bringing pizza home so I've gotta get at it. We're jumping into Christmas!

Thanksgiving

Philippians 4:6-7 (English Standard Version)
Do not be anxious about anything,but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Emphasis added)

These verses tell me that thanksgiving is vital to peaceful hearts and minds. This is a great day to remember thanksgiving isn't just thanking God for our blessings, but a step in the path to the peace of our Lord. Thanksgiving isn't just in the times we like, but in all our circumstances good and fun, or dark and painful.

Thessalonians 5:18 (English Standard Version)
Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
(Emphasis added)

I confess, I have found this to be a difficult thing for awhile now. God is working in my heart, though, and someday I will be able to be thankful in everything. I have a lot of growing to do. I know that as I trust Him more, I will thank Him more, and He will give me peace about things I could never begin to understand or accept without Him.

For a better, more thorough exploration of this thankfulness with which some of us wrestle, I would love to direct you to the thoughts of Greg Sponberg.

Happy Thanksgiving!

The. Best. Makeup. Ever

I have been around the block when it comes to makeup. Let's just say, I need the help. I've tried several discount store and department store makeups, plus some. Last Christmas, my niece and another sweet young lady I know turned me on to Bare Minerals.
They said I would never use anything else. After almost a year using it, I can honestly say it is The. Best. Makeup. Ever. I don't use it exclusively. I use other products to cleanse and supplement the eye colors, blush, etc. I tried their mascara and didn't like it. But I love everything else I have tried from Bare Minerals.

Once I started using it, when I would try my old makeup, you know, to use it all up and not waste any, my husband and kids said, "Waste it. The new makeup looks so much better." I have friends who have had the same reaction.

If you haven't tried it, find a local retailer and have them make you up. Give it a whirl for a day.

Although friends say I should sell it because I get so excited about it, please understand this is my opinion only. I am in no way affiliated with the company. I am in the chainsaw industry.

But that's a blog for another day.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Senioritis

Having a senior in high school in the house is a new experience for our family. Had I known what it was like, I would have "circled the wagons" to prepare. That is to say, I would have shut down life to the greatest degree possible.

Entering the senior year, we had our college choices narrowed down to University of Missouri-Columbia and Duke. Considering that Duke enrolls less than 1700 out of the 20,000 plus that apply, I felt confident we were settled on Mizzou, but giving God room to work "just in case".

Now, the picture is entirely different. He comes home with a new idea about where to apply almost weekly. Before, I was willing to go "anywhere" to check out colleges. Now, I'm not. We have been on four college visits, one of which required a 20-hour day to fly to the east coast and back. Unless we are on the final horizon of choice, I'm staying put.

The list today includes: Mizzou, Duke, Washington University, Vanderbilt, and Princeton. Thankfully, most of them take the Common Application, so we only had to fill out extra supplements.

Okay, so why the time issue? It takes a lot of time to educate oneself on the merits of various colleges to make a "short list" to which we will apply. Then there are senior parent meetings. We have to meet to discuss fundraisers to raise $14,000 (yes, you read that correctly) for the senior all night party and breakfast. Oh, but that is a whole other blog. Do you have any idea how much time is consumed in throwing away the dozen college brochures that arrive in the mail daily? The biggest time consumer is just the talking. Giving feedback on essays, discussing schools, test scores, making sure the applications are filled out on time and the letters of recommendation have been requested.

I'll be glad when this decision is made.

The Homeschool Song

This is good entertainment today.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obUHm1RxVJ8

Hat tip to Amy for the link. Check out her story about getting along with her neighbors for another belly laugh.

Recipe for Jambalaya

This recipe came from my niece and her husband via my sister. It is an amazing and easy recipe for a cool night.

Jambalaya

1 pkg italian or smoked sausage, cut in bite-sized pieces
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in bite-sized pieces
1 whole green pepper, diced
1 small onion, diced
1 cup celery, diced
28 oz stewed tomatoes
1 lb fully cooked shrimp (I use the frozen jumbo shrimp from Walmart)

In large pot, brown the sausage in 1 tbsp. oil just until slightly crispy. Remove sausage and add chicken. Cook until just barely done, and remove. Add pepper, onion, and celery and cook until crisp-tender. Add sausage, chicken, tomatoes and shrimp. Season with cajun seasoning or hot sauce to taste. Serve with rice.

Serves +/-6

My Munchkins

I am proud to be a mom of four children. Each of them are so different and wonderful. I'd like for you to meet them.

My oldest, Travis, is 18, a senior at our local public school, and is applying to colleges to become a premed student. I will give you fair warning: As a childhood challenge, Trav is now a source of great pride for his mom. (You may expect too much bragging.) He is also the one person who sets me off quicker than any other. (You probably won't hear about those times. )
He works at a local bbq place, sings, plays some great baseball, and volunteers at the hospital and as a peer tutor. Who couldn't love a guy like him? He is pictured here with his sister, Holly.

Holly is frightenly near 16 and a sophomore at our local public school. She is beautiful in every way, inside and out. She is one of the too good to be true girls. Although one wouldn't consider her in the "popular" crowd at school, she loves and is loved by a lot of folks, from very teeny people up to senior adults. She is active in our church in several programs, especially the youth program. Her grades are proof of her hard work in school, and I think I might cry without her hard work at home.


Next, you must meet Thing 1, a.k.a., Nathan. Nathan is sharp, his mind always racing, figuring things out, thinking up stories and jokes, and .... figuring out the best way to play video games without Mom knowing. His partner in crime, Thing 2, a.k.a., Annie does her best to be the boss because she is bigger, but Andy has a mind of his own. Annie loves puppies and everything pink, and she is a big help at home, especially in the kitchen.

Nathan and Annie are homeschooled in 5th and 4th grades, respectively. They love being homeschooled and are, for the most part, fun to teach. It is the other 20 hours a day that they make me nuts. They are both high energy and stay busy participating in a homeschool jumprope program, piano, guitar, soccer, and church activities. Andy also does baseball and basketball.
These four are blessings greater than anything I could ever have imagined and I am thankful beyond measure for them.

Mom Doesn't Sew....Really

This tale actually goes back many years to when my own mother was alive. She made a stocking for every member of our family, all the sons and daughters-in-law, and all the grandchildren. Then cancer claimed her life before the last two grandchildren were born. So, Grandma never did get to meet the two we call "Thing 1 and Thing 2". When Thing 1's first Christmas came, I dug through Mom's bags and baskets of knitting, crochet, and needlepoint and found an "extra" stocking she had made. Yes! Then, Thing 2 arrived. Bless her, she is nine now and has never had a stocking to speak of. Let's just say we made do.

Fast forward nine years. Thing 2, also known as Annie, needs a stocking. Now, I love to knit, but since I've been knitting the same sock (just one, not the pair...yet) for over a year, I have no false hopes that I can get one knitted in time. I balk at purchasing a "store bought" stocking, wanting her to have one with similar sentimental value that the rest of us share. So, we were on a decoration shopping spree last week and we decided it was TIME. She picked out the materials. We got excited. After we got home, it seemed those materials in the bag mocked me every time I walked by. They knew I have a history of getting the materials and never doing the project. They knew I was really really busy and didn't feel it was a good day to sew. They knew I hadn't sewn in years; indeed, I hadn't retrieved my sewing machine from the piles in our shop of items moved two years ago that still had not found a place inside the house. So, on Friday, I decided I was not going to put those materials in a corner. No, this time would be different. Several hours later (it wasn't pretty) we have this:

It still needs a lot of work. I need to attach the rather pathetic loop. Of course, her name will be added to the top. Can you guess what color the letters will be? I need to hand sew the edges of the toe and heel trim down, and I need to give an attempt to repair a botched spot on the trim where it is all lopsided. I am, again, NOT a seamstress. But this was fun. Did you notice the pretty beads that dangle down from the white trim? You sure won't find anything like this at your local discount store! I hope my sweet Annie can remember the day Mom made her stocking. It is very far from perfect, but it is already filled with a lot of love.