More Pictures to Share...

Considering the craziness of getting ready for Christmas 'doings,' I've succumbed to the superficiality and fun that is photo-blogging :o)

This ornament is a gift from one of our dear Israeli friends working at the nearby mall, Nadia. This is "Kathryn," "Alex," and "Chips" written in Hebrew (from right to left). We are having such a good time with our Jewish friends (long story short). Please pray that the Christ of Christmas will soon become their accepted Messiah. We recently were able to buy Bibles for two of them, written in Hebrew. They were so excited~ but not as much as I was excited that the response was so positive!!!






Just a pic of my favorite Christmas ornament~ a la Cracker Barrel last year.













Ethan, my younger brother, dropped in for a visit yesterday with his new fiancee, Jeri. This was our first meeting.











Jeri: very sweet, but a little shy. Hence the photo of her (sort of) :o)













Sleep in Heavenly Peace!

Visual proof (look closely) that Alex sucks on thumb and first finger intertwined~ never the thumb alone. And yes, he's sleeping on the carpet. Not our usual practice ;o) He rolled off his playmat and just conked out.






Stayed tuned for more pictures of Christmas festivities, travel, and friends (hopefully snow, too!)

Pictures from Our Day





Starting out, smiles for Mommy from Alex. This is pretty much his all-purpose expression ;o)






Down below... playing hard! Chips thinks I'm going to grab that bone- see the suspicious glare?!






























First Curlers... which came out almost as quickly as they went in... Charming smiles from Kathryn to herself (she likes to watch herself on the camera screen)

Is this a hairbow?














Random Thoughts from Our Christmastime...

So... I'm so tired these days, I really can't think of much to say on my blog. Actually, I'm having a lot of bloggy-type thoughts, but not enough energy to develop them into actual posts. So. Here are a few of those random thoughts rolling around in my head these days- if a blog were a tree, these are the seeds.

1. Deism. Been reading some of Thomas Paine's (the author of Common Sense) Age of Reason. Shocking stuff, indeed. Speaking of the Bible, he says, "We scarcely meet with anything, a few phrases excepted, but what deserves either our abhorrence or our contempt..." To be honest, he sounds very modern. I've always kind of thought of deists rather generously. I mean, at least they believe in 'God' as Creator. Quoth the raven, "Nevermore." The truth is part truth is more dangerous than full error.

2. Which leads me to random thought #2. Nathan's teaching through Galatians in Sunday School. Galatians, for those who haven't checked it out in a while, is all about Paul's confronting those who believed circumcision was necessary for salvation. Basically, if Christ + ANYTHING ELSE is needed for salvation, then Christ's death wasn't sufficient. We are saved by grace through faith alone. How do we 'stay saved' (hail to all Wesleyan-Arminians!)- by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone! It's been eye-opening. Come on, admit it. How easy is it to think that I'm saved by grace through faith alone, and I stay saved through my obedience. How many churches follow the saved by faith, preserved by 'rules' mentality? I know I myself have sunk many times in the checking off of spiritual disciplines on my list for the day as the way to keep in a right standing with God. That's just an example- I'm sure you can think of many others. Anyways, of course there is a balance, as in all things. The faith that saves, obeys. But this Christmas, I want to remember that nothing I do can or ever could save my soul. Christmas is ours to celebrate because God wrapped up His gift in human skin, and gave His grace to all. Such a gift!

3. And surfacing to my "real life": we're busy like all the rest of ya'll right now. Christmas parties to attend, presents to wrap, pounds to lose, miles to log on the treadmill, calories to count. OK, OK, you can see what's on my mind at the moment. The children are doing wonderfully- Kathryn is such a crazy nut. I tell her to leave the Christmas tree alone. She says, "I obey you, Mommy. Unfortunately, I obey you." Alex is too good to be true- seriously. He is all smiles all day, everyday. I almost feel guilty around other babies and moms. But then I remind myself: "I deserve this for surviving Kathryn ;o)" Have a good one, dear friends & lurkers.

Oh, yes. And if you're 1. still with me, 2. have seen Bro. Wolf direct the GBS choir, 3. want a laugh, link to Marianne's post to the right. Scroll down and watch the video of my nephew Allan imitating Bro. Wolf. Too funny.

Promised Pictures

My sister, Chelsea, and I recently went to Aldridge Botanical Gardens and took the kids. It's only a couple of miles from the huge shopping area of Birmingham, and was so relaxing to escape to after a day of crowded stores and noisy places in general.









Me and kids (note the big spit up/drool? mark and how Alex's foot is conveniently trapped in the hem of my shirt. Oh yeah! Have I got it all together or what?!










Another picture of my lovely sister and very good friend holding my munchkin.
















Kathryn sitting in the middle of a beautiful walking trail. A little farther down you can see tons of ivy covering the tree. Ah, this place was so relaxing!

















The simple pleasures of a fallen leaf. She took these and floated them on the little lake nearby.

Top Five Ways to Panic While Driving

Kathryn found the top ONE out today. While en route to the pediatrician's office for Alex's four month appt. (yes, pictures coming shortly), she calmly says, "What's that?" I say, "What's what?" "What's that?" "What's what?" "On my blankey." "I don't know, what is it?" "A spider." I missed the nearest paved driveway and settled for the ditch (thankfully, it wasn't much of one!), whipped around trying to think about how in the world to kill the backseat monster in spite of my phobia, only to see a wad a thread on her blanket. Relief, oh blessed relief. Then, "I will definitely hang you up by your toenails if you EVER do that again!"

Number TWO: Hand Kathryn McDonald's Happy Meal box back to her booster seat. Turn curve. Hear "I need a new one!"

Number THREE: Sound of "hot mustard explosion" from OTHER carseat. Thoughts of dismantling the insanely difficult thing (and wash it and drip dry it) command immediate attention.

Number FOUR: Wonder where I placed wallet at last stop. Begin searching wildly and blindly through diaper bag filled to brim with diapers of two sizes, extra wet wipes, and sticks of gum with bits broken off the ends for Kathryn's pleasure. Picture ID-theft maniac withdrawing, withdrawing, withdrawing to buy a Hummer. Find wallet in lap.

Number FIVE: Come around the curve of the interstate near home and see brake lights making a beautiful line off into the horizon. A lovely traffic jam on I-20. Cue baby- time to nurse...

The Day My Mom Didn't Like Me
by: Kathryn

On the day my mom didn't like me, she sighed a lot. Her face had funny crinkles on top, and she seemed sad. She told me to be quiet a lot, and got sad when I came in the room. I did color on the wall and undecorate the Christmas tree. Mommy talked really loud at me then. She kept saying something quietly, but I couldn't hear what it was. When I have a bad attitude, I get in trouble. Wonder what happens to mommies? She didn't snuggle with me at bedtime- I wonder if she'll still be upset at breakfast tomorrow.

The Day I Didn't Like My Child
by: Charity

The above is a not-so-far from the truth record of the recent days with my 2 1/2 year old. I'd love to say that I've never allowed my child's behavior to affect the way I've treated her, but we all know that's not true. So we love our children. But do we like them? I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I respond to her lately. The truth is there is a strong-willed little sinner living in my house, whose main goal is satisfying self. How about in yours?
And my expectations? I guess "winning the war of the will" is a little different than I thought. I don't think you can anymore (don't panic, fellow parents). I think we as parents are responsible for consistent, unconditionally loving, responses to them. We must win the "battles" and pray for our children's salvation. I think the Holy Spirit must win the war- drawing them by God's grace into a relationship with him and then maturing them over time.

OK, that's REALLY incoherent and rambling in places, but I'm too tired to edit it at the moment. Thank God that His grace and forgiveness is extended for my loser-mom days, as well as for my child. As Kathryn said the other day, "Mommy, are you sick? (no) Well, are you tired? (no) Well, then, are you just having a bad attitude? (ouch!)" Praying that on these don't-like-my-child days, Christ living in me will love her the way she needs to be loved.

Disappearing Heroes: A Tribute to the Veterans I Once Knew

Once upon a time, there were great story-tellers in my family. That's how I thought of them, anyhow. Truth was, they were veterans- the closest thing to a world traveler one ever met in the boondocks of Nixon Chapel, Alabama. This is a little story about their little stories.

My mother's dad, Dwight L. Moman. (The L. stood for nothing- a perfectly acceptable convention in the 20's South- like my Uncle Billy D. and J.D., etc.) Papa was a hard-to-please person, but he grew a little soft around the edges if he could interest you in a story. He spent WWII as a cook in the Pacific arena, feeding the hungry men fortunate enough to return for the next meal. The impression I got is that he didn't see a lot of first-hand action. Too bad, since he created some of his own from time to time. Like the time he fixed the latrine with chemicals that blew up under the behind of an unsuspecting and ornery superior officer. That was the closest he came to being sent to the front line, or so we hear.

My mother's uncle, Tommy L. Mitchell (his L stood for Lee). I was blessed to grow up around many great-aunts and uncles, and we were super close to Uncle Tommy. Oh, but his stories were amazing. A slight, mild-mannered man who in his post-war days became a professional watchmaker, he defined the word "genteel." So hard to believe he fought in the Battle of the Bulge, spent frigid weeks bundled in foxholes with suicidal comrades, and took Germany a house at a time. He told of an invisible hand that pulled him back onto a transport when he fell off in enemy territory. Of crawling under machine gun fire across snowy fields, of the grenade that finally took him out of the service. He would practically whisper these tales over a watch he was fixing. We tried to record the stories, but he didn't talk loud enough to get it all on tape.

Then there was Mr. Johnny, the one-legged man who kept the community cemetery mowed and weedeeded (I KNOW that can't be correct, but that's how it sounds) for donations left in a little metal box. And how my mom, looking under her bed to check for boogie-men as a child, saw his leg dressed and ready to go and nearly had a heart-attack. My grandmother had 'borrowed'? his leg for some weird reason- like show and tell for her kindergartner class or something. Sick.

And the family member, who shall remain unnamed, who survived years in a Japanese POW camp. He tells no stories, which is perhaps the most interesting story of all.

This Veteran's Day, I want to say thank you to all the veterans and active members of the service. Your sacrifice is... well, beyond words. I exercise the freedom of speech you've protected to say THANK YOU. All the people I've mentioned above are now gone, except for the POW survivor. If you have a WWII veteran left alive in your family, make sure to sit and hear their story one more time. I wish I could.

Apologies Gone Awry

(As a follow-up to my last post) Kathryn ran smack-dab into me yesterday, bumping me pretty hard. Once again, she gave me a blank stare as she was thinking of what she was to say. What came out this time was, "I forgive you, Mommy!" ;o) Aren't kids hilarious?!

P.S. Shameless Promotion of My Man: If anyone is interested, you may hear Nathan's sermon from this morning (he filled in for the pastor) at www.tarrantbiblemethodist.com under the Audio Archives. God really blessed his words today- to God be the Glory!

Girls Raised in the South

Contrary to popular belief, I am a girl raised in the South. It is only doubted by Southerners who think I sound a little too "Northern." Northeners know better ;o) In spite of my accent being dampened a bit by many years of Spanish and my itsy-bitsy forays into German and Chinese, I still find the classic phrases well-entrenched in my vocab. I do mash the potatoes, mash the button and mash the brake. At Wal-Mart I shop with a buggy, and at home we cut the lights. I use the evil multiple modals: "I might ought to have gone" & "You might should go with her." I drink lemonade in the summer and think kudzu is beautiful. And we have sweet tea year round in our fridge.

Nathan, not being a true Southerner (Floridians are not considered Southern by those of this area. Logically, nonsense- but true, nonetheless), is dismayed to hear our little girl drawling out those vowels. We go to the mayuhlbox to get our letters, etc. He suspects I revert to my dialect of origin when I hear his car pull away ;o) Anyways, all this to say, she is now a bonafide Southern girl. Last night, upon accidentally poking Mommy in the eye, she looked at me ever so sweetly and said, "BLESS YOUR HEART!" Music to the ears.... :O)

p.s. I just finished Jane Eyre, largely consumed in the only isolated spot in my house (the bathroom). Yes, Southerners can read, and we DO have indoor plumbing.

Some pictures from a recent trip to the zoo- pardon the odd layout...




Ah-Ha!!! Some Progress...

After 5 months! of sitting on the little potty, Kathryn has finally managed to do something on it. I kid you not, this is the first time! Anyways, I'll spare you the details, except that we all jumped up and down together, shouted hallelujah, and fulfilled our promise of a milkshake, french fries, and a bag of lollipops. Who couldn't be motivated by that?!

Things are definitely looking up... and above the promised pictures from a recent day at the zoo...

Agh!!

So. Alex is now heading up to the 3 month mark. New pics coming soon, I promise. Just thought I'd give the rest of you moms something to smile about.
You know, the guy who asked me if I was "waiting for my baby to arrive" when I was walking down the hospital hallway AFTER Alex was born, that I could understand. I also understood why he fled in terror from the scene ;o)
But...I'm stumped this time. Today, a very nice gentleman (family to some good friends of ours) casually asked me how many weeks I was. It took me a moment to figure out what he was asking, as I was holding our little (obviously new) guy at the moment. Yes, my weight loss is "plateau-ed" (is that a word?) at the moment, but this was utterly disheartening. My one great joy? He was more horrified than I was at the answer- heehee!! Ah... the power of the postpartum woman.
Later, folks. I've an appointment with the treadmill.

Mowgli, Ronald Reagan and Chicken Noodle Soup

OK, so we've been sick. That is, Kathryn and I have been sick. Thankfully, Alex and Nathan seemed to have avoided the evil sinus problems. So, what better to do when you're sick than to sit in bed and read? Actually, I get a good bit of reading done while feeding Alex everyday- but a lot of that is Scuffy the Tugboat #3,722.

This last week I branched out. I read the complete Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling and Jim Kuhn's book on the private life of Ronald Reagan. I went to the library and just grabbed a couple of interesting reads. While my child smeared her germs all over the kids' section, I made sure to touch every classic on the shelf. Just kidding. And before you other moms become disgusted that I would so flippantly take our sick selves out to infect society, I'll have you know I haven't been to church in AGES due to protecting the weak from us.

Back to Mowgli... my knowledge is expanded from "Disney" to the "complete and unabridged" work. Shere Khan dies early on, and the battle with the dholes (what are THEY?!) was quite impressive. I skipped back and forth between Kipling and Kuhn. I know why Nancy sought advice from astrology (she was trying to avoid another assassination attempt scare like they had when Hinckley attempted to impress actress Jodie Foster- now that's truly romantic, wouldn't you say?). I know when Jimmy Carter threw Reagan's jelly beans across Air Force One (on the way back from Sadat's funeral). I know a teentsy bit about the Iran-Contra Affair. Most of all, I know that Reagan was just as impressive as I already thought!

In spite of my trivial-sounding summary, they were both worthy reads. I grabbed some Dickens and Bronte for this week. (My background in classical literature is scanty to say the least- thanks to government education) So, dear readers and lurkers, grab a new book and enjoy some chicken noodle soup with us.

Fun With Family

Sunday we went to my parent's house for lunch. I thought I'd post a few pictures of our time together. I don't have pictures of everyone, but just so it's less confusing, here's how it is: I'm the second of five children. I have three brothers- Nathaniel, Ethan and Brandon & one sister-Chelsea. There are four grandbabies and one on the way.






My lovely mom, who is just as sweet-natured as she looks...












My little brother, Ethan, with Kathryn and my other brother, Brandon's daughter, Macy. He pulled babysitting duty for quite a while.














My oldest brother Nathaniel's lovely wife, Jenni, with their son Brody and our little Alex.












My dad (who loves babies) cuddling Alex while he sleeps.










The baby of the family, Chelsea, strikes a pose in the kitchen. She's nine years my junior, but old enough now that we have a blast together. (She's a senior in high school)

And Everyone Said...

ROLL TIDE!! Yes, college football season is in full swing. T-town (otherwise known as Tuscaloosa) is close enough that the excitement permeates everything and everyone. As the University of Alabama is our alma mater, we enjoy getting together with friends for fun, food and football (the football part is an acquired taste for me, the food part is not- this is unfortunate for my postpartum weight loss goals).

Enough rambling. My little sister (a rabid, albeit privately shrieking fan of the Crimson Tide) finally got to go to her first game in the stadium two weekends ago. Happily for her, it was a phenomenal game against Arkansas with lots of nail-biting and an eventual win in the last few moments. Chelsea is at heart a shy little creature, who would prefers to avoid strange places and people. I was curious as to how 92,000 strangers might affect her. Well, ever heard of crowd psychology? By the end of the game, she said she had screamed herself hoarse, had lost some hearing and had hugged people she'd never seen before :o) She testifies to moments of near tears, involuntary cheering, and heart-pounding adrenaline. I think she surprised herself, and she had a great time.

We humans do weird things when they mass together, don't they? Emotions are intensified, strengths and weaknesses alike are magnified, feelings of unity are produced among strangers.
It's just part of our makeup. Nathan and I began talking about this, and he brought up the largest crowd of all. Someday millions of redeemed humans will be worshipping our Savior in complete unity of heart and spirit. Well, perhaps I should say they already are- we'll just join in. Can you imagine the sensations, the emotions, the palpable excitement, Christ right there in front of our eyes? There's a good reason for glorification of the human body. I think in our present state, we'd probably have a heart attack (at least)! If an earthly crowd can build such excitement over a game of football, think of what a heavenly crowd will experience over an eternity with Christ!! And everyone will say... AMEN!

Dreams DO come true!

Two asleep at the same time?! Ah, the sound of silence! :o)

Fashion at Our House

Kathryn discovered my earmuffs today and thought they were just very cool! I'm sure the neighbors thought I was nuts as she traipsed around our front yard so adorned. Check her out...

AS REQUESTED...

Here are a few pictures I took of Alex tonight- almost 7 weeks old. This is also the first time I've caught a smile on camera! :o) Sorry the layout's so weird...


FIRST SMILES










STANDING GUARD














PLAYING WITH MY FILTER...












A YUMMY FIST

Here's two recipes since I skipped yesterday. The first is a wonderful new entree that I made for the first time this week. The recipe came from our friend, Lisa Messner, who is renowned for her great cooking at our church. I assume it could be broiled instead of grilled. The second is a fun recipe great for family nights around a Scrabble board or a chilly fall-time football party. I believe both came originally from Quick Cooking magazines.

p.s. I must say I'm dismayed at the lack of adventurous spirits in some of my friends. See previous comments on fudge recipes. ;o) OK, so it WAS a little weird, but where else can you get a low-fat, high-fiber candy?! Just think, you can skip your daily oatmeal and Citrucel...

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
6 slices of Swiss cheese
6 thin slices of deli ham
3 Tbsp. vegetable oil (I used olive oil)
3/4 c. seasoned bread crumbs (I used Italian-flavored)

Flatten chicken to 1/4 in. thickness. Place a slice of cheese and ham on each breast within 1/4 in. of edges. Fold in half; secure with toothpicks. Brush with oil and roll in bread crumbs. Grill covered over medium-high heat for 15-18 minutes or until juices run clear.


S'more Drops

4 c. Golden Grahams
1 1/2 c. mini-marshmallows
1 c. (6 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1/3 c. light corn syrup
1 T. butter
1/2 t. vanilla extract

In a large bowl, combine cereal and marshmallows; set aside. Place the chocolate chips, corn syrup & butter in a 1 qt. microwave-safe dish. Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1-2 minutes or until smooth, stirring every 30 seconds.
Stir in vanilla. Pour over cereal mixture & mix well. Drop by Tbsp-fuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Cool.

Yield: 2 1/2 dozen
Tip: 1 box Golden Grahams and 1 bag marshmallows makes 2 batches with some left over...

Well, Labor Day IS the end of summer, right? So, maybe it is a little early to be thinking Christmas (although I've seen some stores already decorating- yuck!), but we're definitely looking forward to the cooler days here in Alabama. Here's a fun recipe that's especially nice on the holidays, although I've made it for parties. Actually, it tastes really good. And yes, I know it should be renamed, since everyone assumes the "surprise" is the RESULT of the main ingredient...

Surprise Chocolate Fudge
(from Light & Tasty)

1 can (15 oz) pinto beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. baking cocoa
3/4 c. butter or margarine, melted
1 T. vanilla
7 1/2 c. confectioners' sugar
1 c. chopped walnuts

In a microwave-safe dish, mash beans with a fork until smooth; cover and microwave for 1 1/2 minutes or until heated through. Add cocoa, butter and vanilla. Mixture will be thick. Slowly stir in sugar. Add nuts. Press mixture into a 9-inch square pan coated with nonstick spray. Cover and refrigerate until firm. Cut into 1 inch pieces. Yield: 3 1/2 lbs (81 pieces)

When Nathan tasted this at a friend's house, he immediately renounced all other chicken casseroles! This is a must-try and a winner with all guests.

Poppy Seed Chicken Casserole

6 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
1/4 tsp. pepper
2 cans cream of chicken soup
8 oz. (2 cups) shredded Monterey Jack cheese
1 8 oz. sour cream
3 Tbsp. poppy seeds, divided
2 pkgs. ritz crackers
3/4 c. melted butter

Cook chicken, shred. Preheat oven to 350. Coat 13 x 9 with cooking spray. Arrange chicken in dish. Sprinkle with pepper. Combine soup and 1/4 c. water in medium sauce pan; cook over med. heat 3-4 minutes, stirring often, until hot and bubbling. Remove from heat; gradually add cheese and stir until melted. Stir in sour cream and 1 1/2 Tbsp. seeds. Pour mixture evenly over chicken, spreading to cover. Combine crushed crackers, remaining poppy seeds and butter, mix. Sprinkle over soup mixture. Bake uncovered until sauce bubbles and chicken is heated through 20-30 mins.

*Charity's variation: Cook 1-2 whole chickens, use both dark and white meats. Reduced-fat cream of chicken soup. I only use about half that many poppy seeds. Whole wheat ritz crackers. Makes it very yummy!!!