My Sentiments Exactly

Mom: "Dad just called, he's on his way home, he'll be here in two hours."

Gracie: "Ohhhh, thank the Lord!"

My sentiments exactly. Dinner is over, Ratatouille is on, pajamas are on, blankies and baby dolls are out, I have a mug of hot tea, Miss Ella is on her second bottle of milk, we're settled in for the night and waiting for our man.

7 Quick Takes Friday

1.The girls and I are on our own for the next two days. Hubby is at a workshop in Sioux Falls. I know what you're thinking, "Why didn't she convince him to get a nice, comfy hotel room somewhere with a pool and hot tub and go along to SF where she could get her shopping groove on?" Because Gracie has dance recital pictures in Yankton on Saturday morning that's why. Sad but true. Pray for me. Pray that God will give me huge doses of patience, because I need huge doses of patience. Pray that, since dance recital pictures cost a small fortune, Gracie will be in a very good, very photogenic kind of mood. Maybe I can bribe her with a trip the the McDonald's playland if she cooperates. I know, I know. Bribery isn't a good idea. But remember, I'm on my own here. And while you're busy praying that God would bestow upon me extra helpings of patience, and that Gracie will behave at pictures, would you also pray that my little Ella will be pleasant as well? Once we make it through pictures it should be smooth sailing!

2. One of my forever friends turned 29 on the 15th of this month. We're back to being the same age. I turned 29 in March, not too long before her. Happy Birthday, Rochelle! Can you believe that Rochelle and I have been friends for over 20 years! Wow! She's the kind of friend that would leave her kids with her parents, get in her car, and drive for hours and hours and hours to come and support you at your dad's funeral. I love her.

Chelle, here's a trip back in time to 1990...

"Sittin' in the rain

Water on your brain

Got a hole in your boat

Trying to stay afloat

Has got you down

I've got a wind in my sail

Rubber boots and a pail

I'll throw you a line

Rest assured that I

Won't ever let you drown

'Cause when you're up against the wall

You know I'll be here for you, for you

When you rise and when you fall

I'll always be here for you, for you..."

For You by Michael W. Smith. Can you see just see the CD cover!? Tell the truth, I know you can.

3. I don't think I can do 7 Quick Takes Friday, even though I think it's a very fun post, because I'm sure I can't come up with seven takes every week. We'll see. And, knowing me, I'll forget it's Friday and that I need to do a 7 Quick Takes Friday post. Remember, sometimes I forget to take my child to school :)

4. We've had great weather this week, minus the wind, and the girls have LOVED playing outside. In fact, there outside right now, getting an early start to the day. We hope it's here to stay this time!

5. We're still trying to housebreak Drake. I can't talk about it too much or steam will start coming out of my ears, and I'm sure that's not an attractive look on me. He gets snipped on May 4th and I don't feel sorry for him. That's what he gets for peeing on my couch. Doesn't he know that my Hubby won't buy me a new couch for a long, long, long time.

6. I've already been subjected to watching the Hannah Montana DVD this morning. How many more rounds of it will I have to suffer through before Hubby comes to my rescue???

7. Gracie asked Jesus to come and live in her heart and be her Savior! I think this should have been number one of my quick takes Friday list! She's has been talking for a long time about believing in Jesus and going to Heaven when she dies, so the other night Mark prayed with her and now she has a born-again birthday, April 15, 2009. Not surprisingly, I cried. It's what I wanted most for her, and what I want most for Ella. To know Jesus and accept Him as their Savior. Now to train her up to be a godly woman. Talk about a huge responsibility, an impossible one without God!

There, I made it! Have a great weekend!

LPM Memory Verse #8

“In my anguish I cried to the LORD, and He answered me by setting me free. The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me? The LORD is with me; He is my helper. I will look in triumph on my enemies.” Psalm 118:5-7 (NIV)

Easter 2009 Pictures

Good Friday

Happy Good Friday!

A quick update on Ella. Her Tylenol level came back at zero, which means the one I got out of her mouth was the only one she'd gotten to. Thank you Lord!

We didn't get home until 10:30 last night, and Gracie put up a good fight for Hubby at bed time with me gone, so things are a little rough this morning.

I was thinking of this passage today. About the men who walked with Jesus on the road to Emmaus.

"When he [Jesus] was at the table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened us to the Scriptures?" And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, "The Lord has risen indeed..." Luke 24:30-34

May our hearts burn for our Savior who has indeed RISEN!

Happy Easter!

This Day Was Going So Well....Until

Ella found a child-proof, ha!, bottle of Tylenol in my purse, which was sitting on a chair by our front door. Gracie called to me, "Mom, Ella is eating something she's not supposed to be!" When I got to her she had one in her mouth. I pried it out of her little mouth and she wasn't too happy about it. Darn thing did look a bit like a skittle. The coating wasn't worn off of it yet, but I don't know if she ate any others, and, of course, I don't have any idea how many were in the bottle. First, I called Hubby. Hubby said call Ask-A-Nurse. I called Ask-A-Nurse. Ask-A-Nurse asked me a series of ridiculous, but necessary questions like is she breathing, is she limp, is she blue. Uh, no or I would be waiting for the ambulance I'd have already called. Ask-A-Nurse told me to call Poison Control. Poison Control told me since I'm a terrible mother who left a "child-proof" bottle of Tylenol in my purse, by my front door, where my almost two-year old could reach it they were going to call CPS...

Okay, seriously, they told me that since I really couldn't say FOR SURE that she hadn't eaten less than four pills, I would have to take her for a Tylenol level blood draw. You won't be surprised that the nearest hospital that does that test is 45 minutes from here. So, I will be heading there shortly. Remember those pictures I said I'd post later....

Easter Fun

The girls and I are off to the store to buy eggs. When Hubby gets home it's time for the Easter egg dying fun to begin! I'm going to try very hard to remember to take pictures for you. American Idol isn't on tonight, so I won't have that to distract me. I somehow managed to get Gracie to take a nap today so that she could stay up later that usual tonight to dye eggs. Of course I didn't tell her that was the plan because then she definitely wouldn't have slept, out of sheer excitement of course. But it was a happy surprise to get post-nap.

And, I better not fail to mention that today was the big Easter Egg Hunt at pre-school. Gracie is a good hunter. Must be all the rabbit and squirrel hunting she does with her dad.

Did you know that tomorrow is the big Hannah Montana movie premiere? You didn't? Of course it's also, MUCH more importantly, Good Friday. Our church is doing a play called The Victor. Hubby and I are going tomorrow night while my mom and grandma take our Hannah Montana fans to the movie. I've heard it's really good, the play...not the movie, and I'm so glad to get to go see it.

My little bunnies in the hat Gracie made at pre-school...

Okay, off to the store. More pictures to come later!

April Snow Storm

Painting, Swivel Sweepin', and Another Blizzard?

I'm sitting here wondering if we're going to get hit by another blizzard, and how we'll entertain our kids inside this weekend? Marley & Me? The forecast is that it's supposed to start snowing this afternoon and may get pretty bad tonight.

So far all we've seen are a few rain showers, but the big talk down at A-1(our gas station, cafe, movie rental place...I told you I live in a small town) is that the storm is on it's way. I'm kind of sentimental about A-1 because it reminds me of my dad. Although he was only there a few times, it's the kind of place he'd hang out. You know, burgers, coffee, and all the locals shootin' the breeze. Every time I go in there, my heart aches a little.

Yesterday I painted my kitchen. I've been wanting to do it ever since we moved in, but you know, priorities. I finally decided when I got up yesterday that there's no time like the present. I dropped the kids off at daycare, ran down to the hardware store, picked my paint and headed home to get started. LOVE. IT. Well worth the eight hours of none-stop cutting in around cabinets, windows, doors and ceiling. I'll post you a few pics, but I'm not sure how well you'll be able to see the color. It's called bonkers (why on earth you'd name a paint color bonkers I'll never know), but let's call it Dried Thyme instead. There's also a pic of the living room which I painted last January. It's called Golden Spike. My kitchen and living room are open to each other, so I hope the colors don't clash. What do you think?

Also, there is a new love in my life. I know you won't be surprised. It's called the Swivel Sweeper...

Isn't it fabulous. My hubby got it for me for my birthday. No, it wasn't the only thing he got me for my birthday. Not that I would have minded if it was though, this thing rocks.

As you can see, this is my first time shooting video with my camera. Now I know you can't turn the camera sideways while shooting. I promise to do a better job next time!

This morning I made our reservation for our family vacation to the Black Hills. We are so excited to go back this summer because we had so much fun last year. Gracie has been talking about it all year. This summer we're staying at the Palmer Gulch Lodge in Hill City. It seems very much geared for families and kids and it's very centrally located to all the Black Hills attractions. Last summer we stayed in a cabin so we had a shower, but no bathtub for the kids, beds, but we had to bring our own towels and sheets, and a kitchenette, but we had to bring out own utensils, etc. I'm looking forward to the lodge which is more like a hotel room. It will cut down on all the packing I have to do, and it means less cooking for me. Always a good thing on vacation. The lodge has a free continental breakfast too, which will be so convenient in the morning before we head out for a full day. The resort the lodge is located on has lots of on-site stuff to do too. A water slide and water park, pool, hot tub, game room, trail rides, a chuck wagon dinner, and a kid's bouncing pillow. Sounds like a good time to me. I'm glad I now how to shoot video on my camera now!

Okay, I'm off to get milk and a movie before the snow starts falling and the wind starts blowing!

LPM Scripture Memory Verse #7

"God's love is meteoric, His loyalty astronomic, His purpose titanic, His verdicts oceanic. Yet in His largeness nothing gets lost; Not a man, not a mouse, slips through the cracks. How exquisite Your love, O God!" Psalm 36:5-7a The Message