Happy Valentine's Day!

Ted's first official Valentine from one of the basketball players.

A fun Valentine thank you gift for our special guests.

Special Valentines from our children...

Dad's special Valentine treat for us for lunch...Italian beef sandwiches from Mr. J's.

Cupid's floral delivery guys.

My Valentine bouquet...picked out by the littlest man in my life.

Grammy's bouquet of yellow roses from Dad and the flowers that Teddy picked out for her.

Hope you all have had a wonderful day!  The sun has been shining and the temps are in the 40s!

Valentine Banquet Memories..."Sometimes you just need chocolate!"

My special Valentine!  We make a great team.  He knows what to do to lighten my load...and it always includes an "I love you" and a wink!  My mother-in-law and I make a great team too...with the help of GFS and some elbow grease...we served hot food on time to several of our church members and their guests.  The decorations came together beautifully.  Everything looked so nice and smelled so good!

Our special musicians and speaker for the evening...Grampy and Grammy!  Of course...we put them up at the best bed and breakfast spot we could think of!  We served the best food we could think of...cheese ball, punch, lasagne, salad, hot bread, coffee, and the chocolate fountain.  It was a hit!  The one question that was posed a couple times..."Where are the straws?"

Even if you didn't like chocolate...there were all sorts of treats to enjoy!

We agreed that there are no calories to this style of dessert when it is shared with church members!

My funny Valentine...with his yearly list of helpful "Man Advice".

We watched the I Love Lucy episode of "Job Switching"...which was the idea starter for the whole theme and color scheme of the evening.  Ricky, Lucy, Fred, and Ethel tried to switch roles...and it ended in a "funny" disaster.  In our real life situations...it isn't funny and doesn't end so sweet!  Are we "Finding sweetness in our God-given role"?

Dad and Mom opened with the song "His Name Is Wonderful".  Dad then led all of us singing "His Name Is Wonderful", "God Is So Good", and "He Is Lord".

Then they sang "What Wondrous Love", "Remind Me", and "If That Isn't Love".

I know that God ordered each step of this weekend.  I am grateful that God allows us to be vessels in His work.  I appreciate Dad and Mom's willingness to come to be with us for the banquet!  I loved hearing the message in song and the challenge from Dad...I count it a blessing. 

Faith...is internal.

Hope...is internal.

Charity...is internal that must be expressed!  

Love is guided by the directive of the will of God.  Love can't be separated from the will of God.  Galatians 5:22-23..."But the fruit of the Spirit is love..."

The end of the week festivities

Began with the first flute lesson!

Time in the snow!

Final touches on the banquet venue.

The anticipated arrival of Grammy and Grampy...and  a special treat from Grammy's bag.

Handmade dresses and headbands by Grammy for the American Girl dolls.

Cinnamon rolls with pink frosting for breakfast...

before Teddy's basketball game this morning.  They won, if you were counting...which we were!

A stop by church for a sound check and final walk through before tonight.  We have had time to sit around and relax this afternoon...before we spend time eating, laughing, visiting, listening, and chocolate dipping...

because sometimes...you just need chocolate!

A Gift of Love

Our little girl is growing up to be a big girl!  She is ready to move from the flutophone to a flute.  Her music teacher told us what to look for, what to do to get ready, and when we would start with the flute.  A special delivery was made yesterday afternoon...a gift of love that will be sweet to hear.  Her reaction was priceless and her thoughts full of thankfulness.  She and her Daddy have looked online at flutes.  They have talked about her desire and her concerns.  She is sensitive to the cost factor.  She knows what instruments cost.  She knows that this was a choice that comes with a responsibility...and she knows that her Daddy and Mommy will do their best to provide for her special desire.  Now she knows there are other people who want to encourage her...and that brought tears to all our eyes!

Ashlynn will take her flute with her to music lessons for the first time on Friday...and she is excited!

Daddy picked up a special treat...for the bottle.  Miss Music Teacher said we should practice blowing across a bottle to prepare for playing the flute.  "It is harder than I thought it would be," Ashlynn said.  We have the pop bottle trio...blowing for all they are worth...on bottles "like they had in the olden days".

We are excited to see the interest the girls have in learning to play these different instruments and we will continue to encourage them.  The neat thing...they have each taught Teddy to play a song on each of their instruments.  He does pretty good too!  His eyes brightened at the recital.  There were a couple guys who were playing the guitar...and we have one of those at our house already!

How to ruin a morning! and other insignificant information.

Dad...Go in and wake your children up by turning on the lights, talking to them, and then shaking them out of their slumber.  Walk away for a few minutes and then return with instructions to get up and get started with the shower.  Walk away and listen to the arguing that errupts from the beds as to who should be first.  Return and inform them that the first person will take a shower upstairs and the second person will take a shower downstairs.  Dad walked the crying little girl who lost the race to the basement door, "Mom, can you help Sisa with the shower downstairs?  There is soap and shampoo down there."  It was a solemn walk...that ended with a clean, awake girl.  I cheered silently...maybe this will be the key to less fiddling!  One can only hope!

 "Kari, I have never seen two girls move so fast!  Ashlynn took a nose dive out of bed." Ted was laughing hysterically as he described the scene. 

I chuckled loudly as I walked to the kitchen, "Guess it is my turn to ruin their day too!  Oatmeal is on the menu rotation for breakfast this morning...this is going to be a great day!"

It sounded like we planned to ruin their day.  We didn't.  It sounded like their misery thrilled us.  It didn't.  It is part of growing up...there are days we don't want to get up.  We do.  There are things that aren't our favorite.  We use what we have...and it has been a couple weeks since we have had oatmeal.

In other news, the Christmas cups have been put away.  I made a conscious decision to wear Valentine colors and fix myself up yesterday.  I survived grocery shopping and actually enjoyed my hour with me, myself, and I!   The banquet decorations are put together and the loose ends are coming together nicely. I have hung hearts up to brighten the snowmen displays.  The girls have been making special secret Valentines.  We have special company coming in on Friday and plans have been made with the help of three children.  I also took the time to pamper myself and cover up the grey.  In the process, I dropped the bottle which splattered coloring on the walls.  The kids saw the spots and were distressed...probably thinking they would get blamed.  I told them I did it and it happened when I was coloring my hair..."Mom, when you are really old, old, old, old, old, and have lots of wrinkles...and brown hair...people are still going to know you are old!" said Teddy.  Ted almost fell off his chair.

Come to think of it...maybe I did find pleasure in ruining his morning...he ruined the good feelings I had going yesterday!

Anyway...for the second day in a row...the sun is shining!

When all else fails...pull out a candy bar!

Ashlynn is learning how to work all sorts of math problems of the fractional variety.  Borrowing was the lesson yesterday...and it was as clear as mud!  1 = 4/4  made more sense when we looked at the KitKat bar!  In order to eat the illustration...Ashlynn had to get the problems correct.  She did a great job!

We found out that 1 whole can be shown many ways!  9/9, 8/8, 7/7, and so on.  Our two other students didn't think it was very "fair" that Ashlynn got a candy bar.  Their day is coming!

I feel like I will be stuck...

in winter forever!   I know it is the grey skies of today that make it seem that way.   I feel tired and yawny even after a good night's sleep!  AND...it is snowing again.  I also just realized I am drinking coffee out of my Santa cup.  Pathetic!  I look like I have gained 37 1/2 pounds because of wearing layers.  I even have a green shirt and red sweatshirt on...it is February!  Not Christmas!  The need to keep warm does not dictate my sense of fashion...I may need to apologize to my family!  

I do find great satisfaction in taking care of my family and home.  They enjoy clean bathrooms and can wear clean clothes.  I even vacuumed up all the dust around the familyroom from Christmas.  I am constantly looking for yummy recipes to fix...so our house smells good!  Tonight...chicken pot pie with biscuit topping...YUMMO!

It has occurred to me that I would be reprimanding our children for their whining...and yet it flows so easily from my lips...or rather finger tips.  Everything seems to be a chore.  I am already whining about having to go grocery shopping tomorrow when it will be below zero.  I should be thankful that I can go by myself.  I should be thankful for the ability and provision to go!  There are some things that are needed...and wanted.

"Mom, can you get some more whipped cream...and maybe sprinkles..?"

It made me laugh.  We all deal with things in different ways...and our kids need whipped cream and sprinkles to help them cope with the effects of the cold weather.

  I have had to refill the snowman jar three times with hot chocolate packets...mini-marshmallows and whipped cream have probably changed the make-up of our blood by now.  Maybe that is what makes us...adults...so sluggish!   The kids are bouncing off the walls due to the sugar rush or from the cooped up feeling.  The noise level increases.

We watch more movies and sit around wrapped in blankets.  Then we're hungry again.

My feet get hot in my slippers so I take them off...then my socks get wet from the puddles left from the snow that is tracked across the floor on the way to the basement.  The kids run around the house barefoot. 

I am stuck in the winter rut of whining about...everything!   Whine about how cold it is...remembering the whining about the heat and humidity of the summer.  I am feeling guilty about whining about this stuck feeling... 

pretty sure a brownie will chase away the whiny attitude.  Pathetic, aren't I!

"Just to prove that we are wired this way as men!"

Teddy hit the proverbial wall this afternoon with his Language paper.  He had to write "four long sentences...look at all those lines!"  He can do a super job...when he wants to.  Today...he did not want to.  Teacher Mom stepped aside and Principal Dad stepped in.  They moved their chairs together for a chat...and the teacher's and student's frustration calmed...
"Let's talk...just you and Dad.  We have some work to do.  Let's think...How do you build a snowman?"
You roll three balls...a big one, a medium one, and a small one.
"Then what do you do?"
You stack them on top of each other.
"Ok, and what do you do now?"
Then you get sticks, a carrot, and rocks for the eyes and buttons...Dad, can I just write that you put the stuff on it?

"Sure!  You got it!"
Principal Dad laughed as he filled the Teacher Mom in..."You see...when it comes to getting it down on paper...it is too hard!  And too many words!  Takes too much time to write all those details out...it is easier to just put the stuff on it!"

Sigh...it doesn't make for very "interesting" reading...but the assignment was completed.   Oops, what about the fourth sentence?  "What else is there to building a snowman?  We covered it all..for now." stated the Principal to the Teacher..."Well, I suppose you could have smashed it...that is what boys do." she muttered.

Now for the teacher to help correct the mistakes of spelling and lack of capital letters...after all "that is your department"!  As for following all the directions...sometimes...the Principal is best suited to determine which direction to take with the students.  I am thankful for my pal's help today!

We enjoy the football game for the snacks.

We had our monthly potluck after the morning service followed by an afternoon service.  Tonight's supper...snacks to go with pb & j sandwiches.  So far...not impressed with the commercials that everyone is so excited about.  I'm glad our children are playing in the other room...there are things that they just don't need to see or have explained at this point and time!  The halftime show is not even worthy of a comment.  It is sad to see what is put before Americans as entertainment...and what America allows as entertainment.

Pieces and parts are all collected...

now what will it all look like when it is all put together?!?  I've got ideas and sketches.  Hmmm?!  Are you wondering?  I am!  I better get it together...for next Saturday!

Makes me think of the joke we told when we were little...

What's black and white and red all over?

...there were many so many endings that we used...

the answer for this year is "a banquet"!

There are moments that I need to remember...

as a Mom!  Moments when our children do something without being told.   Moments when they demonstrate growth.  Moments when they show love and kindness. They see something that needs to be done...and they do it.  I called Ashlynn's name and she looked at me...and I said, "Thank you."  She smiled.  She knew I noticed what she was doing.  She knew I was grateful...and proud of her.

It is so easy to get bogged down with the daily nagging we tend to do as mothers.  We get in a zone...and we end up sounding just like the children we are trying to train and correct.  Ted has been around home more again and he has reminded me on more than one occasion, "You should hear what you sound like.  Take a step back and let me deal with this."  So I take that step backward...and listen to him and watch the kids respond to him quickly and obediently...while I replay the scenario in my head.  I don't want them to remember "that kind of mother"!  I want them to remember a loving, firm, consistent, grateful, and praising mother.  The moments of good decisions do outweigh the bad decisions...it is up to me to NOTICE and SPEAK words of praise and thankfulness!

The day after...

the "official" 14.3 inch snowfall, the temperatures have hit -30 below windchill and have affected all of us!  I think our brains (and stored up energy) were greatly affected by the changing barometric pressure and falling temperatures.  We fought through our school work.  We have fussed and feuded with one another.  We have whined about doing small chores...evidently, reading and practicing for music lessons is requiring too much effort!  We have sat unmoving in the the recliners...rocking gently.  We are constantly hungry.  We have consumed many different types of hot beverages.  We unwillingly went outside and took care of various obligations.  We are tired of all the Blizzard of Twenty Eleven recaps and pictures.  One of the local tv stations even designed a logo for this big event.  Silly people.  We have now turned on the tv and are escaping the four walls via movies, Food Network, and etc.  That may be one of the reasons for the constant appetite...or the fact that it is suppertime...again.

We are thankful for the warmth of our home...but we all have some sort of "cabin fever" to one degree or another.  We are thankful for electricity...that never went out!

I think chocolate helps me deal...and whipped cream helps too.  I wonder what kind of concoction we can come up with to help us make it to bedtime!?  The girls just reminded me that we have ice cream in the freezer.  We had better eat supper...quick!   It makes me laugh...when the temps drop...it is all about the food...every time.  I guess there isn't a mistake when mothers are compared to mother bears!

Yesterday, our area was declared to be in a "state of snow emergency".  That is nothing...I just looked...there is only one package of hot chocolate left in the snowman jar!  Now that is a state of emergency in sub-zero temps!