So, if you were ever curious about where I got my blog title (other than the Bible, of course) here's the answer...Mark Lowry. Have you ever heard of him? He's hilarious. He's like the Weird Al Yankovic of the Christian world. I remember back in the early 90's, he did an album called Mouth in Motion and it was a spoof of Amy Grant's Heart in Motion (and yes, I had both cassette tapes).
Anyway, Mark had this one skit he did called "Open Heart Surgery" and one thing he said in that bit has always stuck with me. I mean it has stuck with me since I was 12 years old. It has become so ingrained into my heart that when I decided to start a blog, there was no other way to title it in my opinion.
Here's the video...if you want to hear the part that was so inspirational to me, fast forward to 5:31...but if you have time, the whole thing is just hilarious!
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Lions and Tigers and Bears...Oh My!
It's been close to two weeks now since Paul and I took the girls to the National Zoo in DC. Paul and I love zoos pretty equally for different reasons. He sees zoos as a chance to get some really great photos (I think he's secretly hoping National Geographic will see one of his pictures on the world wide web and come calling) and I just love animals. Not all animals, mind you...just the warm-blooded, fuzzy ones and I have two little girls whose hearts melt along side mine into a puddle on the hot cement when one of those adorable little Prairie Dogs pops up and looks straight at you...although, I'm a sucker for Meerkats too.
It wasn't our first time at the National Zoo so when we arrived, we decided on which exhibits were the most vital for this particular visit and the one exhibit we knew we just couldn't leave without seeing was the elephants.
We meandered through the park a bit making our way toward the elephant arena in a roundabout fashion. We were able to see a male Lion (a first for me and for Paul). It seems every zoo we've ever been to has an abundance of female lions but no males. So this was pretty cool...
We saw a gorgeous Bengal Tiger...
A cuddly little Panda Bear waiting for lunch at the zookeepers door...
And a lot of other flora and fauna from all over the world...
Until we finally made it to the elephants! We got there just in time to watch them in action too. It seems we happened upon the beginning of their daily training session and Eva was so excited!
After about 10 minutes or so of watching the two ginormous elephants do all of their tricks, Paul and I could see that our trip to the zoo would have to come to an end. The eyelids were becoming a bit heavy, tempers were getting short and the emotional outburst were starting to rear their ugly heads...and the girls were tired too. So we waved good-bye to the elephants and began the long trek back to the van.
However, once we were only a few steps away from our beloved elephants, one little critter did protest.
It seems he just HAD to have his picture taken with some of his distant relatives.
It wasn't our first time at the National Zoo so when we arrived, we decided on which exhibits were the most vital for this particular visit and the one exhibit we knew we just couldn't leave without seeing was the elephants.We meandered through the park a bit making our way toward the elephant arena in a roundabout fashion. We were able to see a male Lion (a first for me and for Paul). It seems every zoo we've ever been to has an abundance of female lions but no males. So this was pretty cool...
We saw a gorgeous Bengal Tiger...
A cuddly little Panda Bear waiting for lunch at the zookeepers door...
And a lot of other flora and fauna from all over the world...
Until we finally made it to the elephants! We got there just in time to watch them in action too. It seems we happened upon the beginning of their daily training session and Eva was so excited!
After about 10 minutes or so of watching the two ginormous elephants do all of their tricks, Paul and I could see that our trip to the zoo would have to come to an end. The eyelids were becoming a bit heavy, tempers were getting short and the emotional outburst were starting to rear their ugly heads...and the girls were tired too. So we waved good-bye to the elephants and began the long trek back to the van.However, once we were only a few steps away from our beloved elephants, one little critter did protest.
It seems he just HAD to have his picture taken with some of his distant relatives.
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
Giveaway
Hey guys! If you want to check out a great blog, and enter for a chance to win some great dishes from Pottery Barn, go to Whitney's blog and leave a comment describing what your weakness is!
Happy Entering!
Happy Entering!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
A Week in Pictures
Okay, so I know last week was a total loss as far as blogging goes. I'm sorry about that, but Paul had to go TDY and he took the camera with him. Plus, between potty training Eva, Izzy taking her first steps, trying to prepare for a Friday night Pampered Chef show with my sister in law, Anna, and just being a single mom for a week, I didn't have much time to sit down and blog.
And although I'm back now, I remind you that I have not had the camera so all I have to share with you is pics from the week before Paul left and a few that he took while he was in Washington state last week.
While he was there, Paul got to visit with two of his nephews that he hasn't seen in quite some time. Justin is a firefighter out in Spokane and so he gave Paul a tour of the station and even let him don the infamous garb. Of course, when Paul relayed the story to me, he did so in a very matter-of-fact fashion, but I saw that twinkle in his eye and heard the satisfaction in his voice. He had, for a moment, gotten to explore that boyhood fantasy of being a fireman!
Justin, the teacher...
Can't you see the satisfaction on Paulie's face?
Doesn't he look so adorably happy?
Paul also got to spend time with Justin's brother, Adam and his family. Adam has a little girl that is only 3 weeks older than our Izzy and Paul says that little Ashlyn is quite the cutie pie! I can't wait to see her for myself and introduce her to Izzy...her second cousin, would it be?!?
Anyway, Paul returned with vague stories about SERE but some wonderful descriptions of Washington. So wonderful, that I've been secretly looking at houses online. Don't get too excited about that...looking at houses is my way of daydreaming. I've also looked at houses in Australia, Spain, New York City and Forks, WA...er...I mean...Seattle...yeah.
So that' all for today! I'll post pics up from our Zoo trip tomorrow! But as for now, my coffee cup is singing to me. I need to fill it so I can get my morning started!
And although I'm back now, I remind you that I have not had the camera so all I have to share with you is pics from the week before Paul left and a few that he took while he was in Washington state last week.
While he was there, Paul got to visit with two of his nephews that he hasn't seen in quite some time. Justin is a firefighter out in Spokane and so he gave Paul a tour of the station and even let him don the infamous garb. Of course, when Paul relayed the story to me, he did so in a very matter-of-fact fashion, but I saw that twinkle in his eye and heard the satisfaction in his voice. He had, for a moment, gotten to explore that boyhood fantasy of being a fireman!
Justin, the teacher...
Can't you see the satisfaction on Paulie's face?
Doesn't he look so adorably happy?
Paul also got to spend time with Justin's brother, Adam and his family. Adam has a little girl that is only 3 weeks older than our Izzy and Paul says that little Ashlyn is quite the cutie pie! I can't wait to see her for myself and introduce her to Izzy...her second cousin, would it be?!?
Anyway, Paul returned with vague stories about SERE but some wonderful descriptions of Washington. So wonderful, that I've been secretly looking at houses online. Don't get too excited about that...looking at houses is my way of daydreaming. I've also looked at houses in Australia, Spain, New York City and Forks, WA...er...I mean...Seattle...yeah.
So that' all for today! I'll post pics up from our Zoo trip tomorrow! But as for now, my coffee cup is singing to me. I need to fill it so I can get my morning started!
Monday, August 24, 2009
I'm Featured !
One of the blogs that I check daily is Little Lovables! Lisa has a fantastic affinity for all things vintage and she's quite brilliant at designing jewelry and things. Her posts are always full of amazing photography, beautiful rooms, eclectic clothing and all things charming. And today, she posted about something that I found VERY interesting...ME!
Thanks Lisa for the ego boost today! I feel very honored to be featured on your blog! It has been an inspiration in the decoration of my home on more than one occasion!
Thanks Lisa for the ego boost today! I feel very honored to be featured on your blog! It has been an inspiration in the decoration of my home on more than one occasion!
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
A Dose of Reality...and Humilty
One of my all time favorite blogs is Mabel's House. Liz is an incredibly talented writer with a witty sense of humor and the ability to turn mundane events into a story that you can't stop reading through her blog posts.
This morning, Liz posted something a bit more serious. And I tell you what...it was humbling. All the while, being able to put her "Liz twist" on it. Enjoy!
This morning, Liz posted something a bit more serious. And I tell you what...it was humbling. All the while, being able to put her "Liz twist" on it. Enjoy!
Saturday, August 15, 2009
"Yeah...That"
Upon awakening from her afternoon nap today, Eva made the routine request for fruit snacks. This came as no surprise because that is when she gets fruit snacks every day. This time, when the familiar question came out of her mouth, "Momma, can I had some fru-nack?" I replied, "sure...but you have to give me a kiss."
She promptly puckered her lips and planted a juicy one right on the kisser. She then turned and positioned her little body to frolic toward the kitchen but I grabbed her hand and tugged her back to me which got her giggling.
"And you have to give me a big hug," I demanded. She rolled her eyes and wrapped her petite arms around my neck. As I had her in my embrace, I made one final request.
"Okay, now you have to say 'Momma I love you so much and you're my most favorite momma ever and my love of fruit snacks doesn't even come close to how much I love you,' okay?" She stepped back, looked at me and replied, "yeah...that."
She promptly puckered her lips and planted a juicy one right on the kisser. She then turned and positioned her little body to frolic toward the kitchen but I grabbed her hand and tugged her back to me which got her giggling.
"And you have to give me a big hug," I demanded. She rolled her eyes and wrapped her petite arms around my neck. As I had her in my embrace, I made one final request.
"Okay, now you have to say 'Momma I love you so much and you're my most favorite momma ever and my love of fruit snacks doesn't even come close to how much I love you,' okay?" She stepped back, looked at me and replied, "yeah...that."
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Painting Project
My neighbor, Michelle, is crazy creative and always comes up with the cutest projects and crafts to do with her kids. She's an excellent scrap-booker and makes the sweetest cards by hand with her massive assortment of stamps and decorative papers. I keep telling her she should start an Etsy shop but I don't think she realizes how good she really is.
Anyway...
A few days ago, Michelle knocked on my door and when I opened it she immediately held out an open plastic bag full of kitchen/cleaning utensils from the dollar store. There were sponges, dusters, squeegies and much more. I gave her a somewhat puzzled look and she explained that she thought it would be fun for the girls to paint with them. "Oh okay," I started and then the idea registered..."OH YEAH, that WOULD be cool."
So this morning, we dressed our eldest girls (she also has two little girls) in oversized dark colored t-shirts and wondered out into the overcast morning as our babies were asleep for their morning naps. We laid out large sheets of newsprint paper and squirted primary colored temper paint onto red plastic plates. We then unleashed our children, painting tools in hand. Emma started with a nifty little duster and Eva went with the classic paint brush (she's much like her momma; we tend not to think outside the box on our own).
An hour and half later, Michelle and I both had garage doors full of colorful masterpieces and two very proud little girls.
Anyway...
A few days ago, Michelle knocked on my door and when I opened it she immediately held out an open plastic bag full of kitchen/cleaning utensils from the dollar store. There were sponges, dusters, squeegies and much more. I gave her a somewhat puzzled look and she explained that she thought it would be fun for the girls to paint with them. "Oh okay," I started and then the idea registered..."OH YEAH, that WOULD be cool."
So this morning, we dressed our eldest girls (she also has two little girls) in oversized dark colored t-shirts and wondered out into the overcast morning as our babies were asleep for their morning naps. We laid out large sheets of newsprint paper and squirted primary colored temper paint onto red plastic plates. We then unleashed our children, painting tools in hand. Emma started with a nifty little duster and Eva went with the classic paint brush (she's much like her momma; we tend not to think outside the box on our own).
An hour and half later, Michelle and I both had garage doors full of colorful masterpieces and two very proud little girls.
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Cupcakes in a Jar
This weekend, I traveled down to Richmond all by my lonesome to sell cupcakes at the 26th Annual Carytown Watermelon Festival with Kim and all of her delightful jams. As with every show thus far, I freaked out the entire week before trying to figure out how on earth I was going to transport 150+ cupcakes and keep them cool all day. I searched and searched for ideas and finally came across this unique idea...
Cupcakes in a jar. Takes care of the transporting problem and they're much easier to keep cool in a simple styrophome cooler. I'm guessing they're probably easier to ship too, so be patient my friends...I may have something in the works :)
I quickly ran to Wal-Mart and grabbed up all the 4 oz canning jars I could find (which is SO appropriate, I think, since I make my cupcakes with Kim's homemade jams and jellies) and got to work back at home making these adorable little cupcakes. For this particular show, I had 7 flavors.
Blackberry Vanilla
Dark Chocolate Raspberry
White Chocolate Strawberry (my favorite)
Pina Colada
Blueberry Lemon
Strawberry Splash
Watermelon Festival Special (which is actually just a vanilla cupcake died pink with chocolate chips as "seeds" and green icing as the rind)
What do you think?!? Aren't they cute?!? You eat them with a spoon...
Are you drooling? Good.
And I even had a few people who were interested in buying them as little favors for showers, weddings and birthday parties. I could easily create personalized labels to go on them depending on the event.
And look how sweet they look with a bit of ribbon tied around...in aqua ofcourse!
I did fairly well. It was SO hot out there (over 100 degrees with the humidity) and I think most people were interested in the fresh squeezed lemonade and free bowls of watermelon that were being handed out. But, I love them. And I'm hoping to add a page to the Fresh Bath Jams website where people can place catering orders and eventually, orders to be shipped. We'll see...
Cupcakes in a jar. Takes care of the transporting problem and they're much easier to keep cool in a simple styrophome cooler. I'm guessing they're probably easier to ship too, so be patient my friends...I may have something in the works :)I quickly ran to Wal-Mart and grabbed up all the 4 oz canning jars I could find (which is SO appropriate, I think, since I make my cupcakes with Kim's homemade jams and jellies) and got to work back at home making these adorable little cupcakes. For this particular show, I had 7 flavors.
Blackberry Vanilla
Dark Chocolate Raspberry
White Chocolate Strawberry (my favorite)
Pina Colada
Blueberry Lemon
Strawberry Splash
Watermelon Festival Special (which is actually just a vanilla cupcake died pink with chocolate chips as "seeds" and green icing as the rind)
What do you think?!? Aren't they cute?!? You eat them with a spoon...
Are you drooling? Good.
And I even had a few people who were interested in buying them as little favors for showers, weddings and birthday parties. I could easily create personalized labels to go on them depending on the event.
And look how sweet they look with a bit of ribbon tied around...in aqua ofcourse!
I did fairly well. It was SO hot out there (over 100 degrees with the humidity) and I think most people were interested in the fresh squeezed lemonade and free bowls of watermelon that were being handed out. But, I love them. And I'm hoping to add a page to the Fresh Bath Jams website where people can place catering orders and eventually, orders to be shipped. We'll see...
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