Camping In

What do the boys do on a Friday night when I am sick in bed?  They go camping.  They pitched the tent in the middle of our living room, aired up the mattress, and are camping.....in.  Oh, and they are watching baseball on tv.  Not too much longer and they will be camping out back again. 




A is for....

While at the bookstore Luke found some book markers. As he was looking he noticed some had letters on them. Since he could not reach to take one, he asked me to find the L. I located the Ls and handed one to him. “UGH! It looks like diarrhea!!!” He said, not so quietly. And truth be told, it did. It was that yuck greenish yellowish color. He asked for the S and he did not like it either, however, thankfully, he did not have a comment about it. He looked at the book markers with pictures and then decided he did not want one at all. We moved along looking at other books and I had somewhat forgot about the book markers.... and then….

Luke: What does awesome start with?

Me: Sound it out. What do you think?

Luke: O?

Me: Nope. Try again.

Luke: A?

Me: Yes! Good job.

Luke: Okay, can I have a book mark with the letter A because I am AWESOME!


Yes, he is and I love his self confidence! We got the A book mark.

Love You Friend

Today I called a friend during my lunch to see how her day was going and this was really my only reason for calling. She told me what she had been doing during the morning and what her afternoon would consist of.

She asked how my day was and how our family was doing so far in the week. She is one of those friends who truly want to know how things are, so I told her. I let her know what was on my mind and some of my concerns. It is funny how God will lead you where you need to be even when you have no clue He is doing so! How do people make it through life without God? I have no idea. I cannot even imagine it.

In talking to her, she made me laugh. I love laughing and I love laughing with friends. She made me see the funny in a situation that had been weighing on me.

She made me realize I was certainly not the first one to walk this road. It is amazing how we can start to feel we are the only ones in a situation. Life can be made so much easier when we realize others have been there, worked through it, and lived to tell about it!

She saw where I was coming from. I tend to second guess myself sometimes, especially in the big things. I like to think that I am not going about things all wrong, but if I am, I do not mind being told so. However, it is also good to have confirmation that my views are right on. The decisions made were good ones, and reasons for doing so were well thought out.

I was also reminded of how much she loves me and my family. What a blessing to have such a great friendship! To love all the quirks and oddities of our family is priceless to me.

I hope I am as much of a blessing to her when she needs it as she is too me.

Love you dearly, Friend. Thank you for the chat, for making me laugh, understanding, and loving us! Please know you eased my mind and made my day better.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up! Ecclesiastes 4:9-10

Growing Independence and Ice Cream

When your child marches himself into the living room with his piggy bank, you perk up and pay attention. You also wonder what he wants to buy.

The other night Luke decided to dump out all of his money and starts getting it in order, asking me to count. “What are you going to buy?” I ask. “Ice cream!” he responds. Right away, this melted my heart. He had just missed the ice cream truck going by that night. He never asked if we would buy him the ice cream, just decided on his own that he would buy it and get ready for the following day. I love watching his independence grow little by little in all different ways.

He counted all the money and he decided that he would use one dollar and twenty something cents for the ice cream, put some back in his bank, and leave some out to play with. We put the ice cream money by the front door for the next day.

The following day Joshua came home early so we were able to have dinner a little earlier than normal, which was great. Luke then got the money and we all went outside to wait for the ice cream lady.

We waited…………. and waited,…………………. and waited. Seriously, we waited a LONG time.

I started to think that of course she would not come this day since we were all prepared and ahead of our normal schedule. Then, off in the distance, we finally heard the music. Luke was so excited.

He started waving down the van when it was about five houses from us. We all walked over to the take a look at the choices and let me tell you, I do not remember there being that many kinds of ice cream to choose from when I was a kid! I was thankful he only had a little over a dollar as this cut down on the selection.

He picked out his ice cream on his own, paid for it, and could not have been happier.

My Luke

I love that Luke:

• looks like me
• reads
• asks questions about Jesus
• is funny like his daddy
• has blue eyes
• looks for the moon
• remembers my mother
• camps in our backyard
• has a drawer where he keeps his favorite things
• always wants to go to South Carolina to visit Grandma, Grandpa, and Aunt Charity
• will try new things
• knows the planets
• is a happy boy
• paints
• catches bugs
• likes the movie Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure
• likes road trips
• is a helper
• writes letters to people and mails them
• expects people to mail him a letter back
• is inquisitive
• collects rocks
• has curly hair
• sings
• writes books
• wants to live with my dad
• is my son

I am so thankful that God has blessed us with our Luke. I could not ask for a better son.

I love you Luke!

My Love

I love that Joshua:

• has known me since I was 15
• does not worry
• is funny
• took me back after I broke his heart
• is a Godly man
• has blue eyes
• knows when to let me be alone
• knows when to tend to me
• looks good with no hair
• is a family guy
• is thoughtful
• does not judge that I love beverly hills 90210
• stayed in Texas with me when his family moved away
• does not mind when I run off with my girlfriends for the day
• buys me seasons of 90210 on dvd
• cleans the bathrooms
• once made a bet with a friend that he would date me before his friend would..…okay, maybe I do not really love that one, but it makes me laugh
• is not bothered by my crush on jimmy falon
• lets me call him Joshua
• once caught me when I was sliding down a mountain
• likes to take road trips
• asked my dad if he could marry me
• likes the name Luke
• keeps our grass green
• gave my mother flowers
• is a good listener
• plays baseball with Luke
• once worked for my aunt and with my Nana
• was my friend long before we dated
• knows my faults and does not remind me of them

I love my husband.

Here we are, a long time ago, on top of a mountain. The same mountain he would later catch me when I was sliding down.

Teachable Moment

This week Luke was able to check out a book at the library and he was SO happy! The book he brought home was Silly Billy. I immediately laughed since this is my Dad’s name and could not wait to read the book.

As Luke snuggled into bed we opened the book and began to read. Billy was a worrier. Well, I know how Billy feels, so am I. He worried about all kinds of silly things and his Grandma told him they were not really silly (although really they were) and so she gave him worry dolls. Instead of lying in bed worrying, he was to tell the dolls what he was worrying about and then was able to sleep.
Cute book.
As we were reading the book I knew that once it was over, I needed to talk to Luke about what we should really do when we worry. Teachable moment at my door. So when finished I asked him what we were to do when we worried. He said just forget about it and go to bed. This is his father in him and I love it. I said that was good, but that we should also pray and give our worries to God.
Then I realized, this teachable moment was not really for Luke, it was a reminder for me. I have gotten so much better about my worrying, but I have let something slip up on me. I have been worrying about it for a while now and I have not even told anyone. But God knows even when no one else does. And He is so gracious to remind us of it when needed.
After Luke said his prayers and I walked out of his room, I prayed and gave my worry to God. I also knew I would have to continually give this worry to God, but that it was okay. The next morning I could not stop thinking about that book. In a library filled with who knows how many thousands of books, my child pick out this one and brought it home. I love that God choose my son to remind me of His.
Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, trust also in me. John 14:1

Mystery at the Stewarts

I used to put up decorations at our house more often than I do now. Currently, I am pretty much a fall and Christmas house decorator and I guess that I because those are the two I love the most. This past weekend I put up a few of our fall decorations.

Tuesday night, Joshua discovered that someone had added to my decorations. He assumed that Luke was the culprit and I agreed.
The following morning, I mentioned this to Luke and he said he did not do it. At first, I thought this was a little game of his until he became visibly upset that his mother did not believe him. So I decided that he was telling the truth and I let him know it right away. No need to be upset at Momma!
Hummm……so, who could it be?? The only other people in my house from the time I put up the decorations and the time Joshua discovered the “new” decoration were my best friend and her family. And let me just say, I have long thought that her and her family were a little suspect. He is a preacher. This makes her a preacher’s wife and their boys, preacher’s kids. Need I say more? No, I think not. I married a preacher’s kid, so I know how they are!
Onward.
I have decided the two year old did not do it. For one, he cannot reach the bar on his own and two, I never saw him climb up on the barstool. Plus, he is just a cutie and I choose to believe that he would never do something such as mess with my fall decorations. We are talking about a little boy who sings to me and looks at me all cute. He would not do it.
I have also decided it was not her older boy….who is six or seven and I am kicking myself because I cannot remember which it is. Ugh, I was there when he was born and attended every birthday party. I just cannot remember how many parties I went to. And this seems like a good time to mention that my best friend missed my son’s first birthday party. I do not care that it was for a good reason, I will never let her live it down. It does not really bother me; I just like to remind her of it. Anyway, I never saw him even by the bar. He was too busy playing with toys and such. So I have ruled him out as well.
I am starting to feel all Nancy Drew like. Years of reading those books are finally paying off for me!
I also do not think it was my best friend. She is not really the type to mess with my things. This is primarily because she too does not like it when others disturb her stuff. She is a neat freak and understands order. I love this about her. She is also seven months pregnant….with a girl….YAY! I would think that a woman who is seven months pregnant in the summer has better things to do other than jack with my stuff. Nope, I am not thinking it was her.
Please insert the sound effect from Law & Order. (dun, dun)
This leaves her husband -- her husband who DOES like to jack with me and my stuff. I would hate to blame someone for something they did not do, but I think he did it. There, I said it. I blame him! We once had a dog, Mylo, and he hated my friend’s husband. He would bark at him relentlessly when he would come to our house. It was so bad that we would lock up our little miniature dachshund when he would come over to avoid all the ferocious barking. I am beginning to think that our Mylo was just trying to protect our home from vandalism. I am also starting to think we need another dog. Yes, her husband would do such a thing and I believe he did.
Well….Note to best friend’s husband, the little red ninja from Ci Ci’s pizza does not belong with the fall ladies!

Happy Anniversary

Today would have been my parents’ 43rd wedding anniversary! I am so thankful to have been born to such wonderful parents. My parents are the perfect example of marriage to me. Laughing hard in the good times and sticking together through the hard ones. They love each other dearly and I have always known it. This is such a blessing to me and something that I will always hold near and dear to my heart.

My favorite memory of their anniversary is this: Dad had sent yellow roses (her favorite) to Mother at school. That afternoon she picked me up from school and I was riding in the front seat of the car holding the huge arrangement. And on the way home she was pulled over for speeding. To this day, I can still see the officer in my mind, standing in the middle of the road and waving her over. I thought surely the officer would inquire about the flowers and when he found out that it was her anniversary he would then let her go with a warning. Nope, she got a ticket! We walked in the house to Dad that afternoon, me holding the flowers and her holding the ticket.

I have thought about this every year since and it always makes me laugh.

Blackberry Cheesecake Goodness

There are just no words for how wonderful this cheesecake tastes. The only thing I can say is that it is just so good that it was almost half gone before I even thought to take pictures of it!! You must make it!

Ingredients:

Crust
1 box Vanilla Wafers
½ cups Pecans
1 stick 1/2 Cup Butter, Melted
1-½ teaspoon Vanilla

Filling
3 packages 8 Ounce Cream Cheese
1-½ cup Sugar
4 whole Eggs
½ cups Sour Cream

Topping
2 cups Blackberries
½ cups Sugar
2 Tablespoons Water
Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place vanilla wafers and pecans into the bowl of a food processor. Pulse until mixture becomes crumbs. Add melted butter and vanilla and pulse again until combined. Pour into a 10-inch springform pan and press crumbs into the bottom of the pan.

For the filling, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Add sour cream and mix again. Pour mixture into crust, smooth the top, and bake for 1 hour, 10 minutes. Turn off oven and open door and allow to sit in the oven with the door opened for 15 minutes. Remove and allow to cool.

For the topping, add blackberries, sugar, and water to a saucepan or skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook for 4 to 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to cool slightly.
Pour blackberries over the cheesecake and place pan into the fridge to cool and set for at least 2 hours. The more setting time the better!!

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/07/blackberry-cheesecake/

Eight Days

I was wondering how long it would take. And it took eight days. It took eight days for Luke to get into trouble at school. I first want to say that Joshua and I were both very proud of him for telling us up front that he got in trouble and did not just wait for us to find the note in his backpack. That being said, here is how it went.

Because I ended up working a little late, my Dad picked Luke up today and so he was able to witness Luke telling me about getting in trouble. Trouble for talking. Yes, my Dad could not have been happier to watch this. Things have now come full circle for him. His child, who once got a note sent home every day for a week for talking, now has her own little talker getting in trouble. Daddy watched with a smile and later said he would pull Luke aside one day and tell him of his mommy’s troubles as a child. Thanks Daddy.

Onward….Luke said he had his tag pulled at lunch but it was not his fault, a girl got him stuck there. What?? Stuck there?? He again told this story of her getting him stuck talking to her. Well, I am proud that he remembers his Bible stories…..get in trouble, blame the girl! Or, as his daddy said, “you are only five and a girl is getting you into trouble.” Well, again, after he said she MADE him talk, I explained that no one, not even a little girl, can MAKE you talk. You choose to talk. He understood. So, I asked, what happened to him since he pulled his tag. He said he had to do work all day and could not go to recess. Poor thing.

He then reads me a note he has written and hands it over. Well, I must say that I was so proud of him for reading it perfectly and it was written so well. So, I congratulated him on his great reading and penmanship!

And so, what does a mother do when she gets home after her son had just gotten in trouble for the first time at school? She makes him his favorite dish of pancakes and eggs for dinner! A boy has to know his momma still loves him and thinks the world of him. And after all, I know what it is like to just have to talk!