Laundrymat fun...

What better way to entertain ourselves



...at the laundrymat...



...than by taking pictures?

Don't squeeze the Charmin...

My toilet paper is white.

My toothpaste is also, white.

Thus, last night while taking a bathroom break from cleaning the kitchen, I did not notice that somebody [most likely under 3 feet tall] had apparently painted our toilet paper quite liberally with toothpaste...I did not notice, that is, until I was almost done using said toilet paper.

Oh, dear Goodness, the PAIN.

Of course, the girls thought it quite unfair that mom ran very quickly upstairs [squirming, cringing and moaning] for an impromptu "Bubble Bath" before the kitchen was clean and they didn't get to have one, too.

**I am beginning to think that Blogger will never let me upload pictures again. At least I am getting better at using Photobucket again, though.

Autumn Loves Snails...

I mean really, really LOVES snails. I have found them in bed with her. I have found them in her toy dresser. One night at the dinner table I heard her talking very quietly to something near her plate. I looked closely and there was a snail on her tortilla and she was lovingly trying to feed it a pinto bean that was half it's size.

So, imagine my delight when, this morning, while I was helping a neighbor find their lost pet rat, I found the Super Secret Snail Hideout. (Shh, don't tell anybody.) My neighbors probably thought I was a nut when I went into the house, got my camera, and came back out to snap pictures of, well, what else? Snails.

You might not believe it, but snails are actually pretty easy models to work with. They don't run off, they don't make funny faces, they move quite slowly so you don't have to worry about them losing their pose when you take a shot. Obviously you won't be able to get a whole lot of action shots, but, hey-there is beauty in simplicity.

Here, then, in this post, I present to you a couple of photos from Autumn's new photo collage of snails (coming soon to an art museum near you). The theory behind my snail photo collage is this: she is welcome to take the pictures to bed with her, to the dining table with her, anywhere her little heart desires. Hopefully she will leave the actual live snails at home with their "snail family".

**Blogger is still not letting me upload my photos. Please excuse the huge and way too small photos in my posts as I relearn how to use photobucket to add pics to my blog.

Prayers answered...

can be a funny thing. God has this strange way of answering prayer sometimes. Take my prayer to get up in the morning, for instance...ever since I prayed for Him to help me get up earlier, I have found that He has placed things in my life that actually make me HAVE to get up earlier. For example, my neighbor came to me a week or two ago and explained to me that sometimes she has to go in to work early (I mean really early-she has to be there by 6.) Her teenage girls watch her 10 year old son until they leave for school at 6:55, at which point she does not want her son to be alone until it is time to walk to the school bus stop. She asked if I would kindly watch him on the mornings she goes in early and walk him to the bus stop with my girls. I told her i'd love to. I really feel like it is part of Him answering my prayer to get up earlier. So, this morning when I woke at 6:35 and the sun was already mostly up behind the gray puffy clouds, I got out of bed and got myself some coffee so i'd be a bit awake already when my young charge got here. I enjoyed the solace of the morning (for a few minutes at least) and I got my dishes put away and some minor things done before the kids got up. It feels like I had a total head start to my morning!

Matthew 21:22 And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive.

To my delight, (and our family's benefit) another thing I have been praying for was granted to our family recently. We needed a vehicle pretty badly. (It is hard to go grocery shopping among other things around here with no working vehicle and several children. Public transportation in our area leaves much to be desired.) We have been bessed with a "new" van! It's a 2005 Chrysler Town and Country. It's in great shape, has less than 78,000 miles on it and it has only had one previous owner! I'm so excited! Please pray for us that we will be able to keep up our small monthly payments for the next two years. :)

I will insert pictures later, blogger is not letting me upload pics this morning for some reason. :/

Mornings...

^walking Gwen and Jenna to the school bus stop this morning

<--Autumn, sleeping

Proverbs 31:15
She gets up while it is still dark;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her servant girls.

I have been praying that God would get me up and out of bed earlier. I have always loved the time before the dawn and I enjoy watching a quiet sunrise in solitude while drinking my coffee. It is a great way to gather my thoughts and take some time with Him before all the kids wake and the day is thrown into our daily hectic schedule.

Right now I wake up at 7:00. I'm getting better-it used to be around 7:15 or 7:30. My goal is at least 6:30 or maybe 6. When the kids were little, I used to get up at 5 or 5:30 and I was always falling asleep by 7:30 at night because I was so tired, so instead of just waking up super early right off the bat this time, i'm gradually waking up earlier and earlier. It will get easier after we "spring forward" I think, and, of course, when it warms up a bit so that getting out of bed before sunrise doesn't seem so darned cold and uninviting-right now, my blankets are so warm and cozy I just keep snuggling up in them until I fall back asleep.

I sleep with my blinds open because I like to be awakened by natural sunlight. Usually if I wake and it is still dark, I go back to sleep. (Shame on me.) If I wake and the sun is up I get out of bed. I don't use an alarm clock, my body just naturally wakes up every morning-first at 5:30 (I go back to sleep) and then again once or twice by 7.

Right now, I wake up at 7, get my shoes on, get some coffee and have a few minutes of quiet, and then wake up the bugs (Gwen and Jenna) to get them ready for school. (Yes, they go to public school. I homeschool my 13 year old.) After I walk the girls to the bus stop I wake up Christian (he's lucky, he gets to sleep in until 8) and have him get dressed, eat brekkie, and we start on his lessons. I put away all the dishes and then start a load of laundry. Usually Autumn wakes up by 8 or so and we eat breakfast together and then we do her "schoolwork" too. (She's doing preschool work right now.)

My goal is to wake up earlier so that I can devote about a half hour to my morning devotional uninterrupted, and possibly have time to start my laundry and put my clean dishes away and do my morning housework routine before I wake up all the kids. It would be awesome to get all that stuff knocked out before the kids are up. The day would probably seem less busy as well. It might even leave me some time for sewing!

I am a constant work in progress. I'm striving to be what He wants me to be as a mom, and a human being, and it is coming slowly and with effort-but that's ok. At least it is coming.

Southern Red Beans and Rice Recipe

I made this for dinner tonight and it was yum! However, it was like 70 degrees while I cooked it. I think it would be great on a colder day. It's a very warming dish.

1 pound of small red beans
1 pound of sausage (less if you like less meat in your dish or are trying to save money by using less meat/many cooks prefer andouille but any good, firm sausage will do.)
1 medium sized onion, chopped
1 medium sized green bell pepper, chopped
3 large cerlery ribs, halfed and sliced
1 tsp. minced garlic (fresh is best)
2 tsp. cumin
Salt and pepper to taste

When serving:
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
Louisiana style hot sauce (I like Tobasco, or Crystal for a milder taste)


1.Rinse and sort beans into a large stockpot. Add about 6 to 8 cups of water. Bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Let set for one hour, covered. After one hour has elapsed, drain and rinse beans. Return to pan.

2. I use a 5 qt. stockpot for this recipe. I add enough water to hit the 5 quart line inside (i'm lucky to have pans that have measurements on the inside-yay
Ikea pots and pans! Disclaimer: I got my set for only $19.99, but I had to wait in a line that literally had HUNDREDS of people in it-SO worth it for great pots! /end crazy happy rant about pots and pans and back to the recipe.) Bring to a boil, and boil for about an hour, adding water as needed, and stirring occasionally.

3. While your beans are boiling, very lightly brown your sausage. I brown mine just enough to firm it up so that I can cut it more easily. Slice your sausage into rounds and set aside. Chop onion, bell pepper, and celery, and add your 1 tsp. garlic into a large mixing bowl.

4. After your beans have boiled for an hour, add your sausage and veggie/garlic mix. Give it a stir, add some salt to taste (not too much as the sausage will add some saltiness.) Add water, if needed-the pot should be almost full, about an inch and a half from the top. Bring it back to a boil and boil for an hour and a half to two hours, stirring occasionally and adding water as needed. (I like mine kind of like a stew, with broth.)

5. When your dish is finished, ladle it atop a heaping mound of white rice. Season with a hefty shake of Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning, and a few generous dashes of Louisiana hot sauce.

**Fresh french bread and a salad are also good acommpaniments to this dish. (I'll have to post my favorite simple french bread recipe later.)

January 12, 2009

<--Little Miss Autumn at her Santa Bear tea at Christmastime at the library. All the kids made little glittery reindeer antlers to wear. :)

Autumn woke up sick. I spent the morning cuddling with her and trying to nurse her back to health. Apparently it worked because by midafternoon she was feeling fiesty, playing with her sisters and eating everything in sight. :)

I'm trying to lose a few pounds and get healthier in the hopes that I will have more energy to keep up with my family! Last night we had a grilled London Broil over a really nice salad with some sunflower seeds sprinkled on top. Then I went and killed it by throwing some ranch dressing on it. ;) It was HEAVENLY! I'm sure it had a decent amount of iron in it as well, which I need really badly right now, as my anemia has been really bothering me.

I weighed in this morning and got my starting weight. I'd like to lose ten pounds. Not because I want to be a "hottie" or something, but because when I was about ten pounds lighter, I had a lot more energy (and I could fit into most of my pants! LOL!)When I weighed in this morning I got a pleasant surprise-I was about 5 pounds lighter than I had anticipated! :) I love the outdoors and it is hard to enjoy them when i'm anemic and sluggish and my asthma acts up-I have noticed, that in my life, all of these things can usually be kept in check with proper nutrition and activity. My body functions so much better when I make an effort to live healthfully.

I really feel like I need energy to do the Lord's work, to take care of this adorable, rambunctious family I have been blessed with. I have been praying that He will help me to eat healthfully and that He will just grant me energy and vibrance so that I may be a shining Light to my family. Wish me luck! :)

**I won't be posting my weight on my blog for personal reasons.