can i pee in peace... please

(mom gives the babe a new doo) 

You know... it used to be said that the bathroom was my little quiet happy place in the house. The one place for me to get away and find  peace and quiet.

So much for that notion.

This little baby has become quite the adventurous little explorer. Quite needy as well. Maybe it is the teething.

All I wanted to do was take a mini bathroom break. That's all. That's not too much to ask, right?

Wrong.

The little snotty nose, drooly, teething mini person sat outside the bathroom door crying... "mommy, mommy. I want you."

She wore me down. I opened the door. She crawled up onto my lap as I finished my visit to the potty.

Too much info? Sorry... that's motherhood.

and it's worth every minute!

Besides invading my privacy & stripping me of my dignity... her newest hobbies include eating all things wax and creating beautiful sharpie masterpieces throughout the house. 

It's awesome. This age is fantastic...

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Maddy update: 

She is back in America. I have talked to her a few times since she got back to the mission headquarters.  She is having a great time. 

She knows my mom is quite the worry wart. When she crossed back over the border she called and left her a message... "mimi, I'm not dead & I don't have malaria." Mom was happy. 

When I spoke to her she said. "mom, all I can say is... God bless America." I think she's happy to be back on American soil. 

I pick her up from the airport in the morning. I can't wait to get my hands on her. 

homemade bedroom door sign

According to Olivia this is the best craft ever. So I thought I should share how we made it...

Trace line & then cut inserts a little bigger than the traced line. 


Olivia made 3 inserts: 

-Please knock

-School time 

-God time 

She colored the inside of the plaque with the words "welcome"... 

for when the inserts are not in. 

Next she colored the inserts & the outside of the plaque.

Next glue around the edges of the uncut piece of poster board & place the colored outside piece on top. (don't glue the top part bc that's where the inserts slide in)

ta-da!

For such a simple craft Olivia has really been enjoying this. 

our stories

This morning I met up with my favorite mother of 5. She home-schools her children and she helped me get my home-schooling paperwork together to send to the county. I'll be home-schooling Madison this year! (much more on that soon) I'm very excited & can't wait to blog more about it.

Then my very sweet neighbor had us over for lunch. Having good neighbors is so wonderful. I love my neighbor... & not just because she feeds me... often. I love her sweet spirit & her generous heart. Our girls had a painting party while we sat and chatted. She shared some of her story with me. I think I have a tendency to ask way too many questions. I hope I didn't pry too much. I just love learning about people. I love to hear their stories. Do you know what I mean by that? We are all so different & we all have a  story. I love to find out about people's past... I love hearing stories of others journeys and what has brought them to today. Our past is what makes us who we are & I love hearing about that. We all have a story to share, don't we? It's taking the time to talk, listen and hear all about it that is special. Those times are precious to me. I love moments like today.

We chatted while our kids painted everything but the paper. She was so sweet about it too... "oh., let them be kids". So we did. Then we cleaned up later. They had fun, we had fun. It was nice.

Speaking of stories... I finally finished "My Love Story" post. Since this story is such a huge part of who I am I decided to create a little tab just for it at the top of my blog. Of course my love story is an on going journey, but for now... @ least the post is complete. Enjoy!

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Maddy update...

We FINALLY got word yesterday that everyone is happy & healthy. They painted a new church and have been involved in a lot of children's ministry. I checked weather.com & it has rained a bit in the part of Mexico that they are in. They are camping & I wonder how my little diva is holding up... in a tent.... in the rain. I'm sure she is fine. I pray that she is so much consumed with the experience that all of the inconveniences are second thought.

Today was their last day of ministry. Now they get to celebrate & have a little fun. I know the beach & a water park will be involved. Have fun Maddy-Poo... you deserve it!

(Maddy on the left. Photo courtesy of Global Expeditions FB page) 

I see this picture & it makes me want to hug that sweet neck of hers. Saturday... come quick please.

world missions

I remember a video that was played during one of my very first visits to my church. A mission team had just returned from Africa. The video was a recap of their experience. The images on the screen had me captivated. It literally took my breath away as tears filled my eyes. At that moment I knew that something like that was in my future. I knew that world mission was something that would be a part of my life.

I got my first opportunity in 2005. I went with a mission team to Chennai, India. 

A trip to another nation like this changes you. I came back a different person. The things that I saw and experienced took a part in making me who I am. You see images on TV and hear stories... but until you touch is, smell it & look into the eyes of this other world... you just don't know. I often say that we all need to experience this other world. This planet would be a lot different... that's for sure. Or at least I'd like to think it would. 

(each orphan had a trunk & in it was their only belongings) 

India was so amazing. The people were so precious. On our visit we did manual labor at the sites of many orphanages. We also brought over book bags with personal hygiene items and a few small toys for many of the village chldren.

Most importantly we brought the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. 

The children were so precious. We would sit and play with them. We didn't speak the same language... but it didn't matter. The girls would run their fingers through my hair and they loved rubbing my skin. They would feel and stare at my hands then giggle at each other. I was confused until one of the orphanage workers told us that they had never seen white people before. 

Could you imagine? 

I have so many stories from India to share & I plan to. 

I'm going to El Salvador in about 2 1/2 weeks. I know that this trip will produce many more stories of it's own. 

I'm not exactly sure what my future holds... only God does, but I know in my heart that this other world will be a part of it. 

I can't wait for the adventures ahead and I also can't wait to share the stories either. 

our favorite summer hang out

The kids and I had a great day at our favorite summer hangout.

The theme park.... Fun times.

We did something new today. We went up on the top of this thing...

It's a 1/3 scale replica of the Eiffel Tower. It was a little scary, but we had a fun time. I wish I could have captured Reece's expression. She was amazed the entire time. I did manage to get this shot...

It was so pretty up there.

(this is the coaster I blogged about here last year) 

(whatever you do... don't look down) 

I love going to this theme park. When I was a little girl my parents used to take me & I remember how magical it was back then. It's so cool to see the girls making their own memories on some of the same rides my brother & I used to ride together. One of these days I'm going to dig out my old pictures so I can scan and share them.



We even got to see a show.

Olivia was mesmerized by the pretty dancers. She decided she wants to be a theme park dancer when she grows up.

They did do a great job. I was just trying to figure out how those girls were doing all that jumping & hopping around without peeing on themselves.

They obviously don't have 3 kids... just saying.

 Good times for sure.

What's your favorite summer hang out?

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Maddy update: I have not heard from her, but I did get word that they arrived at their project site yesterday safely & they started their work today.

(sleeping on the bus. photo courtesy of Global Expedition FB page) 

our slow switch to organic

Our switch to organic has been about a 5 year process. It started when the doctor told us that Madison's early development most likely had to do with the hormones that were in the milk she drank when she was younger. You see... when she was little I only gave her milk until she was about 3 years old. I thought I was doing a good thing by giving her so much calcium. Instead of juice I just fed her a lot of fruits. Unfortunately the milk that I was giving her was not organic.

When puberty ends... so does the growing. The doctors were concerned that she would sprout up quickly & then stop growing too soon. She went through blood tests & bone age tests.  Thankfully (thank you Lord) it didn't stunt her growth... she is taller than me for crying out loud. She does have a few joint issues that are working themselves out though. That scare led me to investigate the differences between organic & regular foods. I've always been a bit of a naturalist at heart anyway. I like to keep it simple and as natural as possible. God created everything we need to sustain human life for as long as it needs to be sustained. (that's a whole other post... don't get me started.)

Our first organic switch was our milk. Now we buy organic meats, dairy & produce. Since we eat mostly whole foods... that's the bulk of our grocery shopping. Right now I am in the process of trying to figure out how to eat organic on a non-organic eating budget. It's been a challenge and what I'm finding is that due to supply and demand it may not be totally possible... but I'm determined to make it as close as possible. I'm convinced that with proper planning and research organic eating CAN be affordable for anyone.

This is a journey that I plan to blog about. After learning in anatomy how our bodies operate and also learning about how our food industry operates I've developed a passion for healthy eating. I'm even thinking that my future as a nurse may be involved in this area a bit. Not totally sure. For now though... what I am sure of is that I will find a way to make this organic eating thing affordable. I'm also convinced that I can't afford to NOT make the switch.

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Maddy update: She got her wallet on time & she arrived in Mexico TODAY! :) There is no electricity where she is so they already warned us that we probably won't get an update for a few days. 

I did get to talk to her before they crossed over the border & she has already decided she wants to either go to Italy or Panama next year. I told her she better get cracking on the fundraising as soon as she gets home :) 

Oh & she said she wants to adopt a child from another nation so they can always be appreciative of what they have. She hasn't even gotten there yet.... I know this trip is going to change her life. 

(photo off of Global Expedition Facebook page- VBS training) 

training

Maddy & I both had mission training today.

Her training in Garden Valley, Texas & mine at our church...

I love how Teen Mania (the ministry she is with) has communicated so well with us. They started a Facebook page where they post pictures and updates of her trip. They also have a 24/7 parent communications line that we can call for any reason.

(the picture Teen Mania sent yesterday after she registered) 

Last night they had a worship service. I got to chat with her a bit yesterday. She was excited that the campus had longhouses. That's where she will be sleeping until they leave for Mexico.

Today she went through personal evangelism training. I also got word that she does have her luggage. Whew. The FedEx tracking system shows that her wallet should be there in the morning... right on time. So that is very good.

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I leave for El Salvador in about 3 weeks. We started our training today. A big part of what we will be doing is street dramas. We were assigned our roles & started rehearsing today. We also went over our itinerary. Good times. Now that Maddy is off and taken care of I was able to let my trip sink in a little more. Todays session got me really excited. It's going to be good. 

(pictures from my training) 

blackberry pie recipe

I made my very first homemade pie! 

I had to do something with all those blackberries we picked at the farm.

I did it!... and I must say... it was pretty darn good!

I made 2. One for us & one for our 4th of July picnic.

I had to do a lot of research... Who knew homemade pie making was so daggon fussy?

Here's the recipe:

Pie crust: (x2... 1 for the bottom crust & 1 for the top crust):

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup butter (chilled & chopped)
1/4 cup of ice cold water

1) combine flour, salt & butter in a medium size bowl (use your fingers as less as possible... apparently the heat is not good for the dough... and don't work the dough too much!)
2) meanwhile put water in a small bowl in the freezer. Once small ice crystals start to form in the water then mix it all into the dough 1 tbsp. at a time.
3) once all water is added gently form dough into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap & refrigerate overnight.
4) when you are ready to make pie, roll 1 ball of dough out into an 10 inch round circle.
5) wrap dough around rolling pin & gently place in the bottom of a 9 inch pie pan. (wrapping dough around pin helps transfer to pan easily)

Pie filling:

5 cups fresh blackberries
3/4  cup of white sugar (separated)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
3 tbsp. of lemon juice
2 tbsp. butter
1 egg (beaten)

1) combine 3 1/2 cups of berries in a medium size bowl w/ 1/2 cup sugar and all of flour. Mix until you no longer see the "white"coating on the berries... it might take a bit of time.
2) brush 1/2 of the egg on the bottom of the pie crust. (this will keep it from getting soggy)
3) spread berry mixture in the bottom of the pie crust.
4) spread the remaining 1 1/2 cup berries on top of sugary berry mixture.
5) sprinkle lemon juice on top of filling & then dollop butter on top
6)  roll out 2nd pie crust ball into a 10 inches circle & cover filling.
7) crinkle edges with a fork & cut slits in the middle of the crust OR use pizza cutting to cut strips & form a lattice top crust (I used this video to create a lattice top... it was worth the extra effort.)
8) brush top of the pie crust with remaining egg & sprinkle top with remaining sugar.
9) bake 425 for 15 minutes and then reduce oven temp to 375 for additional 30 minutes.
10) let cool for at least an hour before you cut.
11) ENJOY!
(adapted from this recipe & this recipe.)

I hope you likey likey as much as we did. My husband said it was the best homemade pie he has ever eaten. That's saying a lot... he's from a small mountain town where they know how to throw down in the kitchen.

Happy Baking!

and she's off....

Madison's dad & I dropped her off at the airport this morning. Her flight left at 7:00a. She seemed really excited. She has landed in Texas & will stay there until Monday when they will head off, by bus, to Mexico.

She had to wear this cute little green shirt & her plastic "unattended minor" necklace.

We were standing at baggage check-in when she spotted another green t-shirt behind us. She approached the girl and found out she was going to Mexico too! She was relieved to be able to fly with someone she knew. (I was too!... it took a huge load off knowing she wouldn't be alone.)

The great thing about the unattended minor program is that we got a pass to get through security & to the terminal to wait with her. The flight attendant came out and told us that she was able to get the girls 2 seats together. I thought that was awesome. I just feel bad for whoever had to sit beside the 2 chatter boxes. :)

We were able to watch take off from the end of the terminal.

Once we got in the car... to my horror... I found her wallet (with her passport AND all of her cash) in my pocketbook! After a mild freak out moment Maddy's dad reminded me I could just overnight it to her. So I did... this morning. She will get it Monday morning. I called the mission headquarters & they said that would be ok. Then I got a frantic call from her letting me know that her luggage was left here in Richmond. Great...  I spoke with the mission rep & American Airlines has promised her luggage to be delivered before they leave for Mexico.At least she has her sleeping bag, snacks & most importantly.. her camera in her carry on.

(packing) 

Two whole weeks without my Maddy-Poo. :( I'm so proud of her though. She is so brave to take a trip like this. I know it's going to be life changing.

We had a fiesta for her Thursday night with my parents, brother & a few of her closest friends. It was nice.

Friends and family also sent a bunch of sweet messages that I bound together in a little "book of encouragement" for her... something to encourage her in case the homesick blues try to creep up on her. She opened it on the airplane. She said "it made me cry". I could tell it meant a lot to her.

We have indeed had a little drama this morning... but I'm just glad that she is there safe on the ground.... now I can relax & get started on this Saturday. On the agenda: absolutely NOTHING... my favorite kind.

a happy 4th & a hot date

What a great extended weekend!

We had a perfect Independence Day...

a cook-out with dear friends, a ball game, and fireworks.

It was grand.

I love you America!

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Monday was amazing too. Stephen had off of work for the holiday so we went on a hot date (that's what we like to call them). Usually our hot dates consists of an evening out at an ethnic restaurant. That's our favorite past time. We love checking out ethnic restaurants in our city. Monday was an all day hot date though. Madison went with her dad for the day & the youngest 2 went with my parents all day. They had a blast & so did we!

I surprised him &  planned a day at a local state park. We went mountain bike riding and then we went kayaking. It was amazing.

Our 1 mile mountain bike trail ended up being a 5 miles trek around the lake. Turns out the blue trails are the advanced trails. Who knew?

I had to stop about every mile to rest and cool off.

As we sat on the forrest logs Stephen fantasized about having a forrest in our back yard so that he could bike ride every morning. That was great.. I was just trying to get my throbbing heart beat to stop pounding in the temple of my forehead.

It was nice to sit there though all alone deep in the woods with nothing but nature surrounding us. It was very romantic. My favorite part of the bike ride was stumbling across this little brook.

We used my bandana to scoop water on our heads & down our shirts to cool off. I thought about Kate & Sawyer on LOST. I thought Stephen was going to eat a tadpole like the Survivor man... but we made it through. I think we'll find the green beginner trail next time though.

I do love the feel of the wind in my face on a good down hill. I want a trail with all down hills and no rocks or roots. Maybe we can find that trail next time.

After our bike ride we cooled down in the ac of the van & then hit the lake. Our first time kayaking. It was awesome... except for when we rammed into a tree branch & got stuck for a bit. I thought we were going to tip. And even though I knew there were no alligators or crocodiles it still seemed at the moment that it could be possible & I really didn't want to be eaten.

After that it was smooth sailing though. Literally.

We even beached for a bit for 1 last time to soak in all the quietness of the forrest. Ahhh.

It was so relaxing. 

What a perfect hot date with my hubby!