My Birthday

This past week we celebrated my 35th birthday. Mom and Annie brought brunch one morning. We ate gluten-free so Mom could enjoy everything, too. Annie made peach bread with a gluten-free flour. The texture was amazing! (Click here to read more or leave a comment on My Birthday)  Read More

Planting Fall Mums (While Cooking Stuffed Pasta Shells)

The last few days I’ve occasionally felt a slight chill in the air! Maybe I’m just imagining it. Either way, it seems to me like sufficient reason for planting fall mums. A couple evenings ago, I started up some stuffed pasta shells, in my new quest to have sit-down family dinners more often. I boiled the shells, browned the onion and ground beef, mixed a pack of cream... Read More

Homemade Ice Cream Sandwiches with Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Macaroons

In the middle of our hectic parties, traveling, and unpacking this month, the kids sometimes get lost in the shuffle. Last week I decided to ignore my mile-long to do list and spend some time baking cookies with my daughters. This oatmeal macaroon recipe has been in the family for ages. My mom made these cookies with her mom. I made them with my mom. Last week my daughters made... Read More

Summer Evening Reverie

Summer evenings make some of the most nostalgic memories. We’ve been soaking up the evening play time, when the heat has relented a little, bedtime is still an hour or two away, and the light starts looking magical. The kids love it… At least, I think they do. Sometimes I wonder about the littlest. But they all seem to enjoy themselves, in their own ways… even... Read More

August 3 – Hebrews 12:5-8

Because a very big percentage of what the Bible has to say about the parent-to-child relationship is about training and discipline, I want to cover it — but it is with some fear and trepidation! I’ll try to just cover what the Bible says, and, when I interject my own opinion, I’ll tell you! Hebrews 12:5-13 is a good section on discipline — mostly how God... Read More

Welcome, Baby Gerber!

Annie and Drew’s baby was born late Wednesday afternoon! They’ve taken dozens of fantastic pictures already. I’m sure they’ll post them after they’re settled in. Some are up on facebook now. My husband and kids and I visited late Wednesday evening and tried to get some pictures in the dim hospital light. My new nephew is a perfect, sweet, healthy baby,... Read More

Annie Had Her Baby…Shower!

Last Saturday we threw a “Bee My Baby” Shower for Annie! She plans to use Burt’s Bees Baby products for her little boy, so we had fun planning a bee theme, with some daisies thrown in for good measure. (Click any image to view it larger. Click here to view my bee baby shower idea collection on Pinterest with links to ideas and places to buy supplies.) I had just... Read More

Aaaaahhh…..

We’re HOME. I’ve been waiting a long time to write those words! This has been a jam-packed week, and we’re only gearing up for more! There have been the usual frustrations with moving: – a sprinkler that won’t turn off and is watering the paved drive – a gas fireplace that is stuck in a no man’s land between on and off – a hitch... Read More

What Rhymes with Penguin?

Today is closing and moving day – a milestone and a sweet time for our young family. This is a filler post until I have my computer set up again. Happy, happy Wednesday! A while back, I read a post by Kristen Chase on Pioneer Woman’s homeschooling section. She asked readers to share some of the everyday questions that their kids ask, and to reply in Haiku. For the next... Read More

Flower Headbands and a Savvy Vet

I made my last shopping trip in New Mexico a couple days ago! While we were picking up shampoo, the girls spotted some headbands with enormous flowers on them. They were $7 each, and they were the kind that poke you behind the ears. Instead, we decided to make our own silk flower headbands. I let the girls pick some soft crocheted hair bands, plus whichever silk flowers they liked…... Read More