New Things Of The New Year

I've gotten some new tools this year that I'm absolutely loving! 

First off is this pan!  And ya'll, you should see my other cookie sheets/bar pans. 

Flimsy, crackling, discolored, and horrible.  

But Honey and I were browsing Kohls with my Kohl's cash (thank you Nana!) and I came across this pan.  Actually it's a Food Network brand but it's just about identical to this. 

Commercial grade, huge, and indestructible.  Plus it looks nice.  

I've used it for just about everything. 

Now I'm keeping my eye on the sales at Kohls and hoping to grab another one. 

.

If you're used to paying $2.99 for a cheapy potato peeler, you won't like the $13 price tag on this 

OXO Good Grips Pro Y-Peeler.

But it's worth every penny.  I promise. 

Easy to maneuver, super sharp, dishwasher safe and it gets the job done! 

This was just a necessity.  Plain and simple. 

My brooms and dustpan are tucked in a space between the dryer and the wall. 

They were always falling over, laying across the floor, and a mess. 

Best $7 I've spent all year. 

I wish I had a before and after picture of the shoe situation in my closet. 

Now my shoes don't look anything like these fancy ones, 

BUT I'd say it's a fair representation of what's going on in my closet now!

Except minus about 1/2 of them because I'm kinda a shoe minimalist. 

But doesn't that look nice? 

My kids bought me this book for Christmas and I've finished it, underlined it, and started it again. 

Lots of helpful advice!  

How 'bout you?  Did you get anything neat or helpful for Christmas that's making you smile in 2014?

Because I'm Not That Kind Of (Starbucks) Girl

Well we are nine whole days into the new year and I have nothing to report. 2014 has entered very quietly and a little boringly. Sometimes quiet and boring is nice. But sometimes you're like, HELLO! TIME TO MOVE ON. And I go back and forth between the two.

But Monday I had the most wonderful day with the most wonderful person. Our firstborn turned 22 and I got to spend the whole day with her eating and shopping and talking and laughing. I love that she still wants to spend her birthday with me.

While camping out at Target we made our way to the snack bar place and they have a Starbucks. Meg likes Starbucks. And she was sure I'd like it too. I'll just confess right here and now that it was my first time because I apparently live under a rock and have never understood the hoopla. So she ordered us a salted caramel something or other with complicated words. I don't even understand the lingo these coffee people use. Five dollars later (!!) we get a SMALL but very fancy looking drink with whipped cream and a straw. In a thin plastic cup. Which I don't understand because in my world when you pay $5 you should get a more substantial cup that you can take home and keep forever. But this was not the case.

I took a sip and EWWWW! It was coffee! And that might not be a surprise to you but when she ordered with the complicated words it did not include anything that sounded like coffee. So I was thinking this was going to be some chocolate type of frozen goodness. I was misled.
And it took forever to get that terrible coffee taste out of my mouth so we finally went to the grocery section and broke open a half gallon of white grape juice.

That's more my speed.

And It All Came Down To THIS!

Oh ya'll. I'm still smiling.  

I can't even tell you how happy the day was.

Everything was ready.  Everything in order.  Just waiting until the time to GOOO!!!!

The town lined Main Street at noon for a big send off.  In the freezing rain.  Horns honking, people waving and cheering.  The store windows had been decorated for weeks.

 And the bus drove toward Little Rock with a police escort.

It was so sweet I almost cried. 

But the weather was not looking good.  Thunderstorms in LR right at kickoff.  I had been watching it all day... and apparently so was the rest of the town because it was all the talk in the stands before the game began.

So we needed to leave early.  Meg and Ethan came to babysit until Lane got off work.  (thanks again guys!)

LB came with us since she was COW.  And it was fun to sport some of our new Tiger gear that Grandma made us. The thing I didn't have was a new shirt b/c they didn't have my size in the one I wanted needed. But Dana said it was a bad idea to try something so new this late in the game and I decided she was right.

We drove on.

And the closer we got, the clearer the weather got until there was a beautiful big rainbow in the sky welcoming us to Little Rock.   By the time we arrived at War Memorial the weather was perfect!!  No joke.

OH the stadium was beautiful!!  Lights, big screens, fancy seats.

We made our way to the stands and noticed that nobody looked familiar.  Wait...our people were on the other side!  Now there had been occasions at away games when we had no choice but to sit in enemy territory because the visitor side was so inhospitable.  But this was not the case.

While Honey was asking what difference it made where we sat, LB and I were already packing up.
Because it's important to be with your own people at times like THIS.

We had no idea what a good decision that was until after the game started and the other fans were so hostile!

Back at home, our fans were listening via web audio and cheering along.

The predictions for this game were divided.  One said we'd lose by 30.  Another said we'd win by 5.  Another said we'd lose by 1.

It didn't take long to see they were all wrong!  And that first touchdown was over-the-top exciting!!

Our boy had lots of opportunities to kick.  6 kick offs including a touch back, 6 extra points.
And my man was there taking around 500 pictures thanks to a sideline pass from Mr. Storey.

Now I've heard people say that they haven't seen a good Tiger game all year because they were all blow outs.   THAT IS a good game!!  Mercy rule is where it's at.

And they WON!!  

Happy coaches!

Happy kids!

Happy fans!

Christmas in Texas!

Here are some of my favorite shots of some of my favorite people. 

I say this every time.  But my grandmother is prettier every year.  And ya'll, she doesn't color her hair! 

Nana and Meg in her new Christmas shirt.

I have no idea how I made it into so many pictures.  I must've been hanging too close to the camera man! 

Baby Striker!!  Isn't he adorable?  And so tiny! 

But really, she should've asked me.  I could've totally hooked her up with a new kitty. 

And if YOU need a new kitty, I can hook you up too! 

Anybody??  

Lots of gaming.  My boy is a card shark.

Watching TV with PawPaw.  I used to do this with my granddaddy. 

I love both of these pictures with my mom and dad.  I want to have these printed.  

Nana's deviled eggs are always a hit.  And when they are around, everybody forgets how to share! 

Mally will talk Gram's ear off forever!!  

At least she didn't bring Pretty Pretty Princess and dress her up this time. 

Jes doing what he does.

So pretty these two.

Thank you to my awesome family for being so flexible to work around football games this year.  

And for their great hospitality and pure sweetness.  

I LOVE YOU!! 

Christmas With More Pictures Than Words

Such a fantastic day! 

I love the excitement in his sweet face. 

Our last day of our new Christmas devo

We got a lot of weapons this year...

Meg, Ethan, and Marc were over bright and early so as not to miss anything.

I

His new game that is so hard that nobody will play with him. 

Soaking up time with Lane before she left for KY the next morning. 

Target practice.  Look out dogs!! 

Time to play!

Because she ain't no yuppie girl! 

And neither is she.

Some football action where Lane decided to intercept the ball with her FACE and scored a bloody nose. 

Thank You God for sending your Son. 

Thank You for the celebration. 

Thank You for the joy. 

Thank You for my family.  

Next up:  Christmas in Texas! 

A Bunch Of Thankfulness

Well the senior mom dance was funner than I thought. Did you see it on FB?   No?   Because that's perfectly fine by me.

It started with the kissing game where they blindfolded the boys and told them a cheerleader was gonna kiss them on the cheek and they had to guess which one. At that point our 12yo decided he was done with football. Turns out the kisses were from mom and they all said they knew it all along. Yeah sure.

It was a fun night of getting to know the moms a little better and talk about the upcoming game. 2 more sleeps in case you lost count.

This morning our boy headed out early to Mr Smokey's house. Mr Smokey has a grandson on the team and all year he has cooked breakfast for all the senior football players on Friday mornings.

This morning is the last breakfast.
This game is the last game.

And I am so full of gratefulness for this opportunity.
Thankful that my neighbor saw him kicking soccer balls and started the whole thing. Thankful that the superintendent, principal, and coach thought he was worth their time and effort. Thankful for the friendships and the way they made him feel welcome and wanted.
Thankful for every Friday night warm/dry/cold/freezing/wet game I had the privilege to watch. Thankful for free passes for the younger kids. Thankful to Mr Smokey. And thankful for this town.

GO TIGERS!!

IT IS ALMOST HERE!!

State game against Glen Rose in Little Rock in only 3 more sleeps!

Three. 

T-shirts have been printed.  The school is decorated.  Coaches are talking about ring sizes.   

Tomorrow night is a town-wide pep rally that includes a dance from the senior moms.  It's some sort of surprise for the boys.  When I got the text from the cheer coach asking me to participate I decided to pretend that moment never happened.  But then I thought "What if I'm the only mom who didn't do it (unlikely) and my son had his feelings hurt for the rest of his life?".  Of course my next thought was something like, "he'll get over it."  

But then.  Well.  I said I would. 

And I can't even tell you how excited I am.  Except the opposite of that.  

Saturday, the town is lining Main Street for a big send off.  I can't wait to see this!!  

And to say that I'm totally obsessed with the weather in LR right now is an understatement.  I check it at least 5 times a day just hoping that thunderstorm will change its mind.   Why is it always game night? 

Tiger gear...check.
Megaphone...check. 

Lucky Charm...check. 

Rain suit....check. 

Stadium chair...check. 

Three more sleeps.   

Chickens, Apple Pies, and Weekend Fun

LOOKIT!!  We made a chicken!!  Actually 2 so far.  And it could not be any more exciting.  

We have 5 eggs that have been in the incubator for said about of time (I don't remember) and all of a sudden last night one of them popped through.  At first we only saw his beak and heard peep peep.

And it took forever.  So we went to bed.  But then!  At two in the morning we heard

PEEPBEEPPEEP  Super loud he was announcing that he had arrived.  The incubator is set up in the boys' room and the chicken was so loud the boys finally moved out to the living room after looking at him for a good long time.  

I'm guessing he's a rooster. 

Then this morning another one started.  This one was quick and efficient and quiet about it all. 

I'm guessing she's a hen.  

Aren't they just adorable?  And no, we are NOT naming them kids! 

~I tried a few new things in the kitchen today.....

First veggie cups.  

I've decided that if I want my family to snack healthier, I need to make it easy.  I got this idea from a TKD tournament where they were selling veggies in a plastic cup with ranch on the bottom for $1 each.  I decided to make these at the last minute and didn't have the veggies I wanted.  Next time I'll use long carrots instead of baby ones, and bell pepper strips.  

I used the small jelly jars and put about 2 tsp ranch in the bottom.  Then I added cucumber sticks, carrots, celery sticks, and grape tomatoes.  They are small enough to line up in the door of the fridge and grab anytime.  

~There are lots of homemade ranch recipes out there.  Here's how I make mine......

In the blender add equal parts of mayo and sour cream (about a cup each).

Add 2 garlic cloves, a sprinkling of onions, a big squirt of Dijon mustard, the juice of one lemon. plenty of salt and pepper, and some parsley, oregano, and basil.  Turn it on and stream in olive oil until it's at the right consistency.  

~ Homemade apple pies!!  

We are having pizza tonight and that means lots of dough.  So I used it by rolling out baseball-sized circles, spreading with butter, and filling in with spiced apples.  Fold the dough over and pinch with a fork.  Then butter the top and add a cinnamon/sugar mix and bake.  My kids went wild over these. 

I will warn you though, they are labor intensive.  Next time I'm calling in more helpers! 

TOMORROW!!  I can't hardly stand it.  

And I have new Tiger gear!  Coach K should thank my mother.  

We are coming to the end.  If they beat Earle, we are off the state game next weekend.  Meaning...this will be the last times to watch my boy play football.  I have loved every. single. minute. 

I'm already looking forward to next season with my younger boys and watching the 2014 Tiger team on Friday nights.  My son wants to work with the coaches to help their next kicker.  

But I will miss that incredible number 3. 

And then Saturday is the big parade followed by our annual egg nog night with Meg and Ethan. 

It's gonna be fun!  

My Future Reading List

As the year comes to a close, I am almost finished with all the books I'm reading.  I didn't mean for it to happen that way, but I think it'll be kinda nice to start a new year with a new book list.

Here's some reads I'm considering for 2014....

First the encores..

First We Have Coffee by Margaret Jensen

Hands down, other than the Bible, the most influential book I've ever read.  I like to re-read this at least once a year and I've read it so much I have lots of it memorized.  But every time I start it over, there is something that sticks out to me that didn't before.

I love Mama Tweeten.  And so many times when life is difficult, I ask myself what Mama would say or how Mama would've handled it.

I am friends with her only surviving child, Ms. Joyce, and we have had some neat conversations about Mama and her love for God and how she raised her family.  There will be a day in heaven when I will actually get to meet Mama, but for now, I have this book.

The Peace Maker by Ken Sande

This is an essential read for Christians and I'm adding it to my required reading list for my high schoolers.  Mr. Sande takes you though Scripture and teaches how to resolve conflict Biblically and how to live peacefully with others even when it's hard.

A long book with lots of words and full of truth that makes me take it slowly to really learn what he is saying.  It's a worthy commitment.

Live A Praying Life by Jennifer Kennedy Dean

Leola introduced me to JKD years ago and I've loved her since.  She has such an easy way of explaining things that are hard to understand.  I borrowed this book and loved it.  But since it was borrowed, I didn't get to to mark it up with squiggly underlines and notes.  For me that means I didn't get the full effect and I need my own copy.

~In just a few days I will have finished the Old Testament.   I've also finished the first 5 books of the New Testament.  I haven't done a yearly reading plan with my Bible, but years ago I finished it cover-to-cover for the first time.  Since then, I have tried different reading plans.  This is my 4th time to go through it.

Leola has introduced me to a new chronological study that I'm interested in....but should I start over when I'm so close to finishing this time?   I'm undecided.

For now I'm considering Experiencing The Power Of Life-Changing Faith by Kay Arthur to guide me through Romans.

I like her simple, yet detailed, inductive studies.

This Momentary Marriage by John Piper
This looks good.

Large Family Logistics
I've been wanting to read this for a long time.  The FBC library has it but I haven't made it over there yet.

A Little Salty To Cut The Sweet
I really really really wanna read this!!

New Stuff!!

Aren't these the prettiest bowls you've ever seen?  

They are bamboo and work perfectly with my new mezzaluna knife.  Think chopped salads at Subway...

This brought about a massive clean out of the mixing bowl cabinet and an ousting of cheap plastic bowls.  And while I was at it, all those ugly cloudy glass glasses needed to go too.  Because we just break them anyway, so we don't use them, so we don't need them.  

And the knife!  Where has this been all my life?  Super sharp, very versatile, and easy to use.  So far we've used it on chicken, carrots, celery, onion, potatoes, and salad.  And it's been here less than 24 hours.  

My moms came for a quick visit and brought all kinds of surprises like this new Tiger hat...

AND matching shirt and wool blanket.  So with all this going on surely the boys can pull out another big win this weekend.  I think my mom was worried about me sitting in the freezing cold so she also bought me a new jacket and thermos.  I know!!  But seriously the high for Friday is only 30 degrees and this week we are looking at a lows in the single digits.  So ya'll, it'll be brutal.  But at least I'll have some new gear that'll help.