APRIL MENU…KINDA

The past several weeks have been a whirlwind. I have felt like the plate spinner at The Dixie Stampede Pre-Show…except without the lights, applause, and music. Yep, just me…Tom…and the plates. (I like him, quite a lot, by the way).

In the meantime, many-o-night, our dinner plates have remained securely tucked in the cupboard while Styrofoam cartons and cardboard pizza boxes have filled our garbage can. What astounds me is the fact there are STILL dirty dishes to deal with each evening. How does this happen?

Despite my failed efforts, I will NOT break my New Year’s goal to make a monthly menu. Even though this is only 1/2 of a monthly menu, I say it still counts...and I’m in charge.

We have entered such an exciting chapter of life. There are so many new adventures to write about and fun things to share, but it will have to wait for another day. There are other wobbling plates that I have to attend to.

I am about to reach my 24 hour shower expiration…and we don’t want THAT plate to fall now…do we?

Again…click on the menu to enlarge if you want to be able to read it.  Or maybe YOU can read it and it’s yet another testament to how badly I need to get back to the Optometrist.

p.s. ------ If any of you would like to come over and provide me with lights, applause, music, and possibly a smoke machine…I would be happy to return the favor for you during your next plate spinning spectacular.

 

Girls Trip

In an effort to bring things up to speed, let me tell you about my girl’s trip with Karah. In December, Courtney and I had a CAPPA Christmas party that we wanted to attend and we thought it would be fun to make a weekend out of it with our daughters. We were right. It WAS fun.

Lunch at California Pizza Kitchen was first on our list when we arrived in Kansas City. Just typing the words “Thai Crunch Salad” make me want to get in the car and drive there right now. Sigh.

We were too stuffed to eat at the CAPPA party, so we mingled for a bit, caught up with old friends and headed out early to make sure we had enough time to fit all the fun in before our time was up.

Later that night we took a horse drawn carriage ride through the plaza and enjoyed all the Christmas lights.

We sang Jingle Bells as we rode through The Plaza. If you don’t believe me, watch this.

Jingle Bells

The girls new we were officially in a “big city” once we spotted dirty band aids in an alley.

We grabbed some take out from Jack Stack BBQ for a late dinner and took a cab back to the hotel in hopes that we could inhale it before the pool closed.

We were successful. .

There were many lap races that the moms lost and the daughters won. I’m going to pretend that we let them win.

We then kept tradition and had the girls go out on the roof of the pool and do jumping jacks in the freezing cold. This was a tradition started by Tom the last time we stayed at The Marriott on the Plaza. It resulted in a case of the “Arctic Nipples”.

We stayed on The Plaza and got adjoining rooms, so the girls could have their slumber party and we could have ours. One room had beds that were jumped on and the other room had beds that were slept on. Our beds thanked us for not jumping…especially after California Pizza Kitchen and Jack Stack in the same day.

Slumber Party

Tuckered out.

Room Service for breakfast.

Sometimes I look at Karah, with her rosy cheeks, big brown eyes, and endless locks of beautiful hair…and think I am looking at my own little American Girl doll. She is so delicious. It’s hard for me not to stick her in a little equestrian outfit and find a big plastic horse to set her on. She is a doll. My doll.

Ice Skating at Crowne Center.

Me cold.

While it may appear that I am wearing a push up bra and my breasts are acting as a chin rest, be assured that those are my hands, clenched against my heart.

It was so cold, in fact, that I was forced to warm my rumpus under the hand dryer. It was quite pleasurable.

I lost count how many times I embarrassed Karah over the weekend. I bet she could give you the number, though.

I am so thankful that Karah has such incredible young ladies to be friends with. They are such good examples and are like the sisters she never had. We took a vote and decided this Christmas Girls trip needs to become an annual tradition for us. Already looking forward to December!

March Eats

CLICK TO ENLARGE.

Little Imposters

Cute imposters, indeed.

First Snow

We have waited and waited and our first snow finally came last night.

It wasn’t much accumulation, but enough to cancel school in this land of ”panic when it snows”.

I love my bear cub’s pink cheeks….especially the “other” pink cheeks that came in from the cold, begging for warm baths.

I photo- shopped the snot coming out of each nostril. You’re welcome.

Bryce opted out of this picture because his “hands were too cold to smile for a picture”.

The finished product. 

Hoping for many more snow days!

Monthly Menu: February

Double Click to see.

Servant Leader

Found a new blog to love. Check it out.

www.thefarmersnest.com

Here is a little diddy to make you understand why I love it so.

She says, “I'm in the process of reading The Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson. I highly recommend this book. I want to share a few excerpts from the book that describe my thoughts and feelings much better than I can articulate.”

"This is one of the best ways I can be a servant leader to my children. When I model patience in the midst of difficulty, joy in the midst of messes, contentment in the midst of lack, then provide them with a pattern for their own lives. They will learn that my joy is not circumstantial but real because I have an endless source of strength through the power of the Holy Spirit in my life."

"Often I served my children joyfully and enjoyed the memorable moments of their growing-up years. But sometimes I struggles irrationally with their demands and then felt guilty for struggling. Instead of understanding that this was normal and that how I handled it would make all the difference in their lives, I often fought against it. In doing so, I'm afraid I lost many beautiful opportunities to be a servant leader in our home."

"I have realized that one of God's purposes for my children is to be his tool for disciplining me to make me more holy! I do not have to be a perfect mom--just an authentic believer. From interacting with my children, I have seen my own selfishness and my lack of patience more clearly than ever before! I have blown it many times with my children, but even these mistakes have helped me to mature and depend on God more than I would have without my parenting responsibilities."

Love this. Good thoughts for my brain to chew before sleep comes to me tonight. “Servant Leader”…beautiful.