Oh, the Horror

I talked my poor brother into going with me and three kids to Walmart the other day. Notice I didn't say MY three kids, just three kids. In a flash of brilliance I decided to swap Allie with one of Emmie's little friends while we went to the store so both girls spend time with their buddies. So . . .

Let's call Emmie's friend, oh, I don't know. How about Jane? So once inside Walmart Emmie and "Jane" are giggling and running away from the cart constantly. Now I KNOW "Jane's" mom is always right on top of her kids with training and everything, and I know her daughter was just taking advantage of the situation of not having mom there. But I was still a little surprised because I've never had ANY trouble with "Jane" in the past. I tell Emmie's friend that she can call Jared "Uncle Jared" if she wants, but she settles on calling him "Mister". It's pretty cute when she asks him "What kind of cereal do you like, Mister?" and so on. Fast forward to check-out, forty-five minutes later.

The girls decide to help bag groceries. I'm already completely at my wit's end after trying to herd two 4-year-old girls and a busy 2-year-old boy. I can literally feel the steam coming off the checker as she tries to work around four little roving hands. My brother graciously offers to take the kids a few feet away and distract them. (Thank you Jared!) So I finish up paying and start heading to Jared and the kids, only now I can see a horrified look on his face. "Jane" had taken off once more, and she was FAST. Since I didn't see which way she went it was up to Jared to go after her.

He luckily caught up to her before she made it any further than the women's clothing, but when he said, "C'mon, you need to come with me," she belted out, "I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE WITH YOU, MISTER!"

Yeah.

There were a couple of older women standing nearby who looked at him like they were about ready to call security. Poor Jared. He said he never knew what it was like to feel like a child molester until that moment. I happened to catch up with him then and was wondering what the miserable look on his face was all about and why he was standing next to "Jane" but not bringing her back to us. We made it out of the store without any trouble, but I'm sure gonna think twice before I go back!

Ziplock Omelets

This looks like a fun and easy way to cook for a crowd. A friend emailed this to me and I think I'm going to try it soon!

Have guests write their name on a quart-size Ziploc freezer bag with permanent marker. Crack 2 eggs (large or extra-large) into the bag. Shake to combine them. Put out a variety of ingredients such as: cheeses, ham, onion, green pepper, tomato, hash browns, salsa, etc. Each guest adds prepared ingredients of choice to their bag and shake. Make sure to get the air out of the bag and zip it up. Place the bags into rolling, boiling water for exactly 13 minutes. You can usually cook 6-8 omelets in a large pot. Open the bags and the omelet will roll out easily. Be prepared for everyone to be amazed. Nice to serve with fresh fruit and coffee cake; everyone gets involved in the process and a great conversation piece.

If someone has made this and has any thoughts about it, let me know! :)

Spring is hoppin'

Wow, it's been busy around here. I'm sure everyone is in the same boat right now.

For starters, in the month of March both my grandpa AND my grandma passed away. (Mom's dad and Dad's mom). Both deaths were somewhat expected but still difficult, of course. Another sad event that took us completely by surprise was the death of our dog Taylor. She has been living with my parents for the past four years but we got her the day after we were married, so she had always been really special to us. She had been slowing down a lot but it was such a shock when the vet told my parents she had cancer. Three days later she was gone. So . . . I'm happy that April seems to be looking up.

Feel like making a few extra bucks looking at ads? I have been using this company called YouData to make about $5 a week. It's not much, but every little bit counts, right? You basically get paid to look at a websites for just a couple of seconds each. The longest part of the whole process was just getting started, but now it doesn't take me any time at all. If you're interested, you can get started by going HERE.

A few girlfriends have mentioned having another clothing swap party soon so I think we better plan it. I just met a gal who teaches couponing classes and I'm thinking of inviting her to come out on the same night. It will be like a recession party . . . we'll get to learn how to save money on groceries AND come home with a bunch of new clothes and accessories. Who can complain about that? (Oh, yeah, maybe our husbands who will be stuck with the kids all night! But it's for a good cause, right?)

Perfect Spot

We finally have pictures of my library with the shelves we got from IKEA back in February. It was my birthday present. :) Now I just need to find time to relax here!

Flunking Homemaking

Today we tried a new recipe from a book I've had since Christmas '07. I thought since my kids love chicken nuggets they would love homemade ones even better! WRONG-O. There's something about putting spinach in the coating that freaked them out. (Who woulda thought?!)

We went to the Home and Garden show this weekend. Saw a lot of plants. Now feeling totally inadequate. This is what our entire yard looks like right now.

Now THIS is more like what I'm planning. By the end of next month.

I can dream, can't I? Seriously, I am just going to be so happy to see grass. We are waiting to hear back about our fence from the company that regulates everything from the neighborhood covenants . The covenants state that our fence has to be twenty feet back from the sidewalk (we're on a corner) and that leaves us with just a measly five feet of side yard. We need that space! Where else is our pool gonna go? :)

Learning Resilience

You know, it's been seven months since he died. I can't believe it. Lately I've been trying to figure out why some people bounce back after tragedy and others don't. I think it is a matter of perspective. I read a really wonderful book shortly after we lost Isaac that asked the question, "Why not me?" It's natural to wonder "Why me?" I have to admit, even though from the moment we were told he was gone I knew it was all a part of God's plan, there have been times when I wondered why I was the one to lose a baby. I mean, I get SICK when I'm pregnant. This last time was really tough especially. So even though I try not to think about it, sometimes it makes me wonder why I would go through such horrible morning (all day) sickness and exhaustion for . . . nothing. But I can't really say it was nothing. Because I would do it again just to have that time with my little boy.

I remember when the nurse brought Isaac in for us to say goodbye to him. We had stayed up with him for a couple of hours past the birth but tried to sleep until morning, although it was extremely difficult. When she brought him in that morning she warned us that he would be cold, because he had been in the cooler. Even now as I write that it sounds strange. And I remember when she took him away she covered his face. It REALLY bothered me to see his face covered because it was so unnatural. I wanted to call out, "Wait! Take the blanket off so he can breathe!" but I stayed silent.

Even though we still hurt every day, and sometimes the littlest things will bring on a wave of pain, I am done asking why. I will remember to ask why not, because I'm no different or better than anyone else in this world who has suffered. And the truth is, I didn't deserve to lose my son, but I also don't deserve the gift of God's grace; the gift of eternal life. That's worth thinking about.

Catching Up

The girls making little pots out of bread dough.

Ryan's first time painting with a brush. He loved it until he tried painting the inside of his mouth!

A little sneak peek of a commissioned painting. The owner hasn't seen it yet so I won't show the whole thing.

Speaking of painting, Ethan has been urging me to go this art conference in May. I would really like to go, but it's in Ashland, Oregon, and that's quite a ways to drive alone. Does anyone else want to get away for a few days?