Loss

This has been a hard week for my family. Both sides have experienced death. One was unexpected, one was not a total surprise. One was a mom with almost grown kids and lots of years left to live. One was an elderly man with totally grown kids, mostly grown grand kids, and growing great-grand kids, retired for many years and not many things left to accomplish on his life's to-do list, but still a treasured member of his family. Two different lives, the same kind of loss, one more sudden but no more or less a loss than the other. It hurts to see people you love hurting. Pray for us, for my sister-in-law and her family who lost her dear sister (a pain I can NOT imagine), and pray for my in-laws who lost a grandpa and father. I am thankful that I know a God that can comfort any loss, that KNOWS loss, and that sees the bigger picture. I am thankful that where I lack, and what I long for, He will use to draw me closer to him.

Favorite Pics

First time attempt to join a link party...over at Kelly's Korner, or actually EVERYWHERE with this new fancy link-a-majig...I'm sure I didn't do it just the right way, but I'll work the kinks out and you enjoy the pictures.

We're doing a blog hop of our favorite pictures. I have 14 nieces an nephews, plus 2 on the way...but for TODAY (and today only) this is my favorite picture. Lane Michael is 6 1/2 months old, red hair, blue eyes, squishy cheeks, and all around great guy. Come find me in another 18-20 years and we'll see about some arranged marriage plans.

**update** it turns out I can't post this until midnight. So I decided to kill time and wait to actually post it (b/c I don't even KNOW if it's possible to delay a linky post), and then I was overwhelmed by a wave of aunt guilt. So, following Lane are some pics of his cousins. I think I got them all (minus the two who are "in hiding"). He's the star (this time) so I won't do all the names. . . because who has that kind of time? But, look and see, I have been BLESSED to share some wonderful children with my siblings and my husband's siblings. I'm doubly blessed because I can sugar them up and send them home. Yes I did say that out loud!

***Replace this line with your content. This week, on TUESDAY, 7/7/09, the theme is A FAVORITE PHOTOGRAPH. Post up one of your favorite photographs and a caption that tells the audience about it. Here is a sample: http://mcklinky.blogspot.com/2009/07/mcklinky-photo-blog-on-tuesday-sample.html Do not change any part of this snippet of code except for this paragraph only.... replace the text that falls between (and includes) the opening and closing asterisks. Be sure to enter your own link to your own blog hop post as soon as the blog hop starts!***

Cinnamon Rolls and a Round of Comfort

If the title sounds like a snack and a shot of something stronger than Granny's iced tea, I apologize. But I only apologize if you're offended. If you're not offended, I'm not sorry.
Wait. . . I seem to have gotten off track. Please, someone dangle a shiny object in front of me.
SO. . . today I was picking up some homemade cinnamon rolls from my niece, Kaylee. She was my first niece and is now 11! You would think that would make me feel old, but really all it does is make me think "Man, her parents are OLD." It's a coping skill. It's called denial, and I love it.
Anyway, Kaylee told me a few months ago that she was starting her own baking business. Well, I generously decided to put aside my aversion to carbs, sweets, and all things covered in wonderful glazed icing, and support her. I'm a giver, what can I say? She made cookies for a baby shower I had (for a friend, calm down). She made an awesome cake for The Brat's birthday. So awesome that by the time we got around to eating the cake in the evening, there were not many icing flowers left and our tongues were blue, if you know what I mean. (I love saying "if you know what I mean" at really obvious moments, it cracks me up!). And this week, Kaylee emailed me to inform me she was now making cinnamon rolls. So I sacrificed my diet (please don't choke on your coffee, I was on a diet for exactly 7.5 hours) and purchased "some."
The point of this little post is not about Kaylee's awesomeness or her baking goodies, though I could (obviously) go on about both. The point is, when I arrived at the baker's home, where she is the oldest of 5 VERY active girls, I was greeted with hugs, playful punches, hair cut updates, and a general bedlam of chatter (which I LOVE). Then, in the middle of the crowd, I hear "I'm FOUR!. . . I'm FOUR" I look down to see Sarah Grace, the baby of the family, beaming up at me. "I'm FOUR. HOLD ME." Sigh. An aunt's gotta do what an aunt's gotta do.
I tell you, sometimes you just have to sacrifice for the greater good.
Bonus: 57 hugs and updates later, I made my way home with a plate of fabulously wonderful cinnamon rolls. No, you may not have any. Order your own!

It was only a matter of time

Before I became Blog-famous.
Not only do I offer you TWO fabulous, original, humorous, semi-addictive blogs, I am now being blogged about and, well, let me just say--that fits in to my plans perfectly. What plans, you ask? None that I can really think of. . . but my sister-in-law started a blog and I wanted to point it out. Enjoy!

The Niece

I have many nieces and several nephews. One niece, Laura, is 3. She has been scared of Murphy for a while now. Yesterday, she came over and we took him for a walk. She did very well. We talked about praying when we're scared. So every time he looked at her, moved in her direction, sniffed or sneezed. . . she would stop and pray "Dear Jesus, thank you for helping me not be scared of Murphy" in her very cute 3 year old voice. Of course, this made our walk take much longer, but Murphy and I didn't mind.
She also asked me "Aunt Carrie, why does Murphy not have to wipe?" I had just responded with a half-amused "Because he just doesn't" when she came up with the answer on her own, "Is it because him's bottom is so tiny?"
I do so enjoy being involved in the development of a child. Dog therapy, spiritual training, and biology all in one walk. Happy Mother's Day to all my nieces and nephews Mama's! You all rock, and I am so glad you share your kiddos with me.

Love,

Movie Madness

I saw this site http://www.xtranormal.com on another blog.
I tried it.
I loved it.
I laughed my head off.

Frugal Friday

I don't know about you, but I have not been couponing too much lately. First of all, I had about 20 boxes of cereal to go through! My niece now thinks that any time I see her, I should be bearing gifts of fruity cheerios and cocoa puffs. I haven't been planning lists or thinking before I grocery shop, either. But I also have not shopped a whole lot.
I did make a quick run to Walmart tonight. I had no plan, other than needing milk. I have decided to go ahead and move (may write more on that later) and found a place today. So my goal is to not buy any more groceries between now and then (May 1st), save a few bananas or loaf of bread. My goal is to use what I have in my cabinets and eat lots of sandwiches too.
As I was walking through the cheese and lunch meat area tonight, I saw one of those BIG HONKIN' HAMS. The kind you can take up to the deli counter and have them slice (as long as you're prepared for the heavy sigh and glaring look from the guy who has to manually slice 5 lbs of ham), then take home and bag in normal sized portions and freeze. The thought occurred to me, where did I first see that frugal habit? From my parents, of course! I remember my mom doing the same thing when we were kids, and helping her put away groceries and divide the ham when we got home. I also saw my parents participate in a food co-op, make use of produce given to us out of church friends' gardens, shop sales, and cook mostly from homemade. Not that I cared back then, I just wondered why our "Doritos" were such a weird, scary, dark dark shade of orange. But now, even though I am not feeding a family of 7 (thank you Lord!), I still use those habits, along with the new ones I've picked up along the way.
What frugal habits did your parents use that you also use with your family? What new things do you do? Do you find yourself (in these economic times blah blah blah) making more homemade things than prepackaged, boxed, or take-out? Do your kids or spouses notice?
Eventually, I will actually start writing entries on my cooking blog. I'm kind of waiting for the Farmer's Market to start up, because that is one of my favorite things to cook from. And this year, more than ever, I will be trying creative ways to cook what's in season. Turnips, anyone??

This week in Pictures

(I am going to put this on a t-shirt)

I would like to give you the impression that my recent non-writing life has been filled wondrous and exciting adventures, keeping me too busy to stop and write them down. But, since I see most of you every day, that would be difficult to pull off. I will say that my days have been full (sometimes of naps and procrastination, but still full). And I do have some things to share with you. My dilemma is, do I squeeze 4-5 somewhat interesting things into one amazing-ish post? Or do I drag it out and give myself material to post on over the next several days?

Lucky for you, I am not a believer of delayed gratification. And besides, who knows what discoveries I might make tomorrow that will trump the info I have handy today?

So, without further blabbing...I bring you...

Sisters.
Like me-n-my sister, they share a humor that is often beyond comprehension of those around them. Lucky for me, we're related, so I sometimes understand it too.

WHY. . . would I show you a toe with a nail in bad need of a trim?
Also, those flip flops are the best 10 bucks I've ever spent.
Maybe because it's not a toe at all.
I have wanted to take a picture of this from the day I got my camera.

Luckily, I have a sister with a great sense of humor. It will carry her through the hardships of her disability. She can't text. She can barely bowl. That sucker gets stuck in the ball!!

This is my Aunt Nellie (and her mom, my Granny).

We will never get a picture of the both of them smiling but not acting silly. They are two of a kind. And when I was little and Nellie was a teenager, I used to try to get her in trouble so I could watch Granny chase her around the house with the fanny-whacker. I was horrible, but thankfully, as you can see above, they are no worse for the experience.

This is a disgusting toy my secret Santa gave me. Squeeze it, and it comes squishing out all around that net stuff (it's too gross to take a picture of). My cube-mate stole it because she likes gross stuff. And from time to time she would squish it in my direction, because she's MEAN. And then it BROKE. And I was so. . . grieved. . .

And there you have it. A peek into the randomness of my life.

Ta-da!!!

Tricks of the Trade

How to take a picture of a 3 year-old and her birthday cake:

Start with a super sweet homemade cake, ignore the drippy icing,
focus on the millions of sprinkles.

Remind her that she helped make the cake! (we believe in slave labor around here).

Try to get her attention.

Try again. She is also mesmerized by the sprinkles. And tempted by the PINK PINK PINK frosting. She doesn't care that it's super drippy.

Tell her yes, it's ok if you have a nibble. It's your birthday cake and no one will know.
Except the four of you reading this. Shhhh....

Snap the picture quick! OR...wait until she's had a nap, and is much easier to work with.

Because. . .

No matter how many other....

cute, adorable, silly, squish you up pictures you've taken in the past 4 days

This is the one she has trouble posing for.

So, wait until AFTER her nap, and then the magic happens.

Happy Birthday, Mackenzie Jo!!

Cora Hay

Yesterday, Jimmy's sweet grandma, Cora, passed away.

This is the sunset as I drove towards Salina, Kansas, to be with my (in-law) family.

When Jimmy and I were first married, Cora's senior apartments were at the end of our block. We invited her and a friend or two over for lunch one Sunday, and I made some kind of soup or chili type dish. It may have been a bit on the spicy side, and Cora asked if I had anymore corn muffins. Unfortunately, I did not, and with tears in her eyes and a kind smile on her face, she said "Oh, well I would love to take a little more water, then." She must have understood the delicate connection between a new bride and her ability to cook.

She was a very sweet lady who loved her family more than anything. She raised a great son (or 3), who happens to be my father-in-law, Joe, who in turn treated her with great tenderness and honor as he (and Mary) cared for her when she could no longer care for herself.

As grateful as I am for my "regular" family, I am also extremely grateful for my in-laws. I could not have picked a better, more loving bunch to marry into.

Murphy meets Baby

We had house guests this weekend. My cousin Myrenda, her husband Kenny, and daughter MiraBella spent Saturday and Sunday with us. This was Murphy's first experience sharing his home with a BABY. MB is 8 months old and SUPER CUTE. We weren't sure how Murphy would do sharing his SUPER CUTE spotlight.

MiraBella thought Murhpy reminded her of a Snuggle Fabric Softener bear.

Mama Myrenda was really worried about Murphy being to close to MB.
Can you see the concern on her face?

They were fast friends.

MB wanted to tell Murph all her troubles.


Then it was Murph's turn.

Then they reminded each other they were a baby and a dog and had no real troubles.

Murphy took advantage of MiraBella's nap to get some 2 on 1 attention.
He's really suffering with these house guests.

We were glad to see this sweet family and get to spend some time together. As I type this, Murphy is making his 167th lap around the house checking to see if they really are for real really gone and really for real not here anymore.
To the Donovan Family, thanks for spending a chilly weekend with us, we love you!!

What I missed out on today

Today, all of my side of the family is meeting for our "Christmas." We generally do ours on New Year's Day or the first Saturday after...whatever works. This year we did the first Sunday after, due to work schedules. We're a pretty laid-back and flexible family. I didn't get to go because I've been struggling with some minor but very annoying illness issues. I could have gone, I could have driven the 2 hours there, 2 hours back, and spent the day with various siblings, cousins, aunts and uncle, and grandparents. I weighed the issue and once I decided not to go and that hour of no return passed...I regretted it. Even though I know that it would have sapped me of the energy I've been "working" all weekend to save...I know that I have missed out on something.

Not on gifts. I have long exceeded the age limit for gift buying at this event (sniff sniff). And though I'm sure the food was good...I am not missing that. Even the fun and chaos of a gathering...I am ok with that. What I missed out on was the chance to be in the presence of the two people pictured above. That's Grandad and Granny, to you (well, to me anyway). In the pictures they are holding my nephew Lane, born a few weeks ago in December (to my brother Mark and his wife Kristin). My grandparents love ALL their kids, grandkids, and great-grandkids. No doubt about it. But Lane, in his brand new life, has already filled a spot in their hearts. He is named after my uncle, Layne, who lost a brave, brave battle with cancer 21 years ago this December. And by sharing his name, Lane is both a tribute to a beloved uncle, and an honor to his parents, the son they still grieve is not forgotten. This little Lane even has a reddish tint to his hair, like his great uncle did. And this little one, like the rest of us, will benefit from the heritage of growing up under these grandparents.

That's what I'm missing most today (man can I get off track, or what??). Whenever I am around them, for an official celebration or just a quick minute...I always leave with a little bit of encouragement. Granny has long been president of my fan club. She sends me encouraging emails or letters (back in the day), she asks me the hard questions, she tells me what she thinks, and most of all--she reminds me that they are both praying for me daily. DAILY. Grandad is the detail manager. Is my car running ok? How's work? What class am I taking now? Here, let me fix your computer. They've been married for well over 50 years. They will never be rich (in money) and they won't leave any of us with an earthly inheritance. But they have set the example, the standard, of how to live out your faith in everyday life. And they have given us a heritage that can not be bought for all the money in...wherever. And today I miss seeing them.

P.S. After getting my computer "cleaned up" my screen saver now mysteriously says "Granny and Ole Grandad love you!!!" :)