Basketball and the bags it requires....

Well the big kids are playing basketball this winter. Silas has asked for 3 years to play. In pre1st he was just too small still, 1st grade we had a new baby, 2nd grade we were remodeling- we don't plan our lives around grade school sports-


On our way to sign up, Cady pipes up- "I want to play." Ok. I recall all the kicking and crying we did in Kindergarten on the soccer field. I recall her making the all star team in softball- then complaining because she had to go play another game. Are you sure????? Yes. So they are both playing, in 2 different towns.

So we have totes- will travel...



Silas plays in Velma, his team is undefeated right now, he gets to play a lot and this past week he made a great shot! And I got to see it before I traveled to ...

He's the long haired one right in the middle



Duncan First BAptist, where Cady plays Upward BAsketball. It's been a good program, highly recommend it.




Here's our bonus child, Charis, sporting her basketball bag...she loves to cheer bubbie and Cady on "Go Comets!"





I have to show you the bag- my mom got it at http://www.worldcraftsvillage.com/

It was made in Africa by native artisans who partner with our missionaries.
The program provides jobs to those who need them. I have bought many things from them and all have been of excellent quality. Please check it out today! and sign up for an email about special deals, they offer discounts and free shipping a lot.

I thought we might explore the bag...what do you say? A two year old's bag at her siblings ball game- is there anything more entertaining? We'll see...




Hey Look - Dora likes her totebags too!




Oh course we bring money for ring pops, ball games are not ball games with lots of sugar!




Granny also sent us some "Loving Family" play people for Cady's birthday. They are so much fun to play with on the bleachers- here "dad" is flying

(for you "office" fans- doesn't it remind you of Dwight's avatar on the office?)




And this girl just had to go...




What can I say we are potty training- and doing well!

Snow Cream Tutuorial (PW style)

So we've been blessed (or cursed) by having a unusually active & cold winter. I've made this recipe since I was a kid, (I'll find that picture and post later) But I know much of the reading area is getting enough snow today to make this so I wanted to post asap- and my old friends back east are under much snow - so make the best of it....

if you aren't so blessed to have snow today- you could try an ice shaver? snow cone maker? or come for a visit- I have a spare room!




Snow cream requires this, make sure you get it from a clean surface and check for dirt. Dirt ruins good snow cream. I know, we've done it. Kids love making this stuff. My 2 year is asking for it as I write...so I'll continue




must have these ingredients. Now I just happen to have whipping cream or heavy cream but I usually use milk, the fattier the better (whole milk)

you'll need vanilla extract and sugar


and the amounts vary depending on how much you are making, how much snow you've been blessed with or how much clean snow you've been able to gather




Because time is very important due to the melting of the snow you need to gather the ingredients before hand and be ready to go as soon as you bring the snow in and if you have to stop for some reason just put the snow in the freezer- it'll be ok.


So add the sugar first, it'll look grainy. I think we used less than 1/4 cup for this batch




then add the milk or if your lucky and have cream of some sort add that...cream will make it creamier and if you freeze it, it'll be more ice cream like...hince the word CREAM :)

If I were really "together" I would have a picture here of pouring in a dash or two of the vanilla but somehow that picture is missing in cyberspace so imagine the picture, add the cream and let's go on ....



It will look like this at first but keep stirring, it's important that it doesn't look creamy yet, don't make the mistake of adding too much milk too soon. The snow will melt and work into a nice creamy looking dessert...remember you can always add more milk , you can't take it away...there's more to that life lesson...but I'll save it for another post



This is where a picture comes in handy, stir till it looks like this....




Freeze or eat immediately...we love the new pinch bowls I got recently so we served it up in those. We have also been known to eat it straight out of the bowl, everyone grab a spoon style



The kids don't care and they really don't care if you get it right or not so keep trying...if at first you don't get it right, I promise they'll keep eating it and they'll remember doing this 20 years from now- it's what childhood's all about...and again if you don't have snow I apologize- but you probably aren't even reading this if you don't your probably sun tanning or something...We'll be there in about 5 months! and we'll be wishing we had some cold arctic blasts



This is my nephew nathan, he was really blessed to have snow on his birthday this year, and due to loss of power at his house he was with me on that birthday and I made him snow cream- it's what a aunt's for you know-

Way too many totes...

Well here are the totes I loaded up in my suburban on Tuesday this week-
on top-
purse loaded up with cameras for Cody's big day
media bag- mostly books, to read while driving and to take back to the library later in Duncan
cady's bball bag- for her practice later on
reading material for myself- PW's cookbook (thinking ahead) and Believing God Bible Study and I think that's a box of whales up there :)


on the floor
my lessons bag, I'd be teaching later on
Charis' bag full of extra clothes, wipes and Snow White (highly helpful when your brother is watching her all day) and one diaper just in case but she hasn't worn one in awhile



this is where we were going...the capitol building



More specifically we were going to the Oklahoma's House of Representatives in session, Cody was asked to give the invocation. He was nervous, we were proud.

Because he was nervous we had to get there on time, on time to cody is an hour before time the event starts. We got there an hour and a half early. So first we found Corey Holland's office on level 5, he represents our district. His brother is the music minister at the church where I teach in Duncan. Then we walked around- it was quite busy! It was water day. There were many booths full of Dunkin donuts, candy, magnets, pens, etc. For a moment there we thought we were at the SB Convention. Then we decided to check out the place. First we had to find the hall of Chocolate Heads (Corey told us a funny story about his son thinking they were made out of chocolate)



Silas was very disappointed...he liked the idea....

we found the oklahoma avatar (a 10 foot indian statue that I couldn't get a good pic of) . It looked just like those avatar's on the movie, size wise.

Then we found the snack joint...

Then we found the marble stairs...

Then we found the bathrooms....

Then we found the Senate side...

Then we found the Lieutenant Governor's office...

Then we found some art work....

Then we found....



What the???

Why I'll be........

Oklahoma's own - a music teacher's friend-

the one and only Woody Guthrie....

"This land is your land, this land is my land..."

I didn't break out in song I promise!

But I did look twice at his mouth-

Is that a ???

A Cigarette? In a highly profiled Oklahoma musicians mouth?

Lord help us....(I think that is my new catch phrase)

I just love 2 year olds....

I just love 2 year olds, I mean what's not to love about these cute little independent people?





After a 2 min. "play time" in my bathroom yesterday she proudly donned her new glasses. I guess she just wanted to be like the rest of her family since we all wear them except Silas.



And I just love sharing my kitchen/office with her..





And later I found out she was doing more in the bathroom than finding glasses...



Oh the second year of life...

Well we are finally out of the freezing weather and have cold rainy weather coming. It's been a crazy winter. Crazy COLD winter. But inside I am doing my part keeping us warm by cooking away through "The Pioneer Woman Cooks" by Ree Drummond. It works on 2 levels, one the oven or stove is always on producing heat, two, we are getting fatter- insulation.

Well I took a 2 day break after a 4 day cook a thon (9 recipes). But couldn't stand it I have less than 20 recipes left and a goal to finish by Valentines. So I thought I'll try page 40 today. Page 40 shall remain nameless. You'll have to guess at what it is but PW told us not to tell the name and I follow all the rules (I wish).
The cake was done and I started the icing on the stove top and I heard the door shut. Charis thinks she's 6 and can come and go as she wants well she'd gone out for a stroll...



Yes it is 10 am and yes we are both still in our pjs, we'll get dressed before noon, I promise!


Well she had someone to visit...





Sorry I didn't get a close up on the boots, Cady's- and yes on the wrong feet, and yes she got all that on by her self. Remember...independent 2 year olds?


So of course I ran after her and left the icing cooking over med heat, it said "no need to stir" and to wait 5-7 min. till it achieved a certain color" so I set the microwave timer and followed her (with a camera)...I won't tell you what I was wearing.

"Charis, you sweet thing, let's go in, it's cold and momma's cooking"



"CHARIS! Come here"







well I was done then... I chased her down that hill grabbed her up, convinced her there were better things inside and came in to find this...




and this...







Me "Dadgumit"

Charis, the magpie, "Dadgumit"



but it turned out pretty in the end and being sugar based it came up in less than 10 min. from the cook top....




now if you'll excuse me she has found the tea party stuff (plastic, don't worry) and the water....

this was after she came to me saying "booty" with her pants half way pulled up...

and I now have 20 min. to get dressed as I promised you...


Note: did not make the noon deadline due to power failure and old computer equipment, but you can't have everything....I am quite content getting to spend my days playing with the cutest 2 year old around

and this is why I'm worried

she drew this for me this afternoon and wants me to fix her hair like this tomorrow for school

My Darlings...and their lunch totes

This is the girl's lunch tote- cute, darling, totally representative of her (if only it talked loudly)


and I have a boy- plain as it gets boy- and this tote also represents him in all his easy going simple being. T-shirt and jeans, hoodie in the winter, same ones every day if I'd let him.

I couldn't keep up with him as a toddler (partly because I was pregnant by the time he could walk). Then he was 2 giving me kisses and then 4 bringing me flowers and the he was 5 walking like his daddy and then he was 7 leaving behind the trains for more complex engineering- legos and then he was 8 talking like his daddy :) And now he's 9 and I don't know if I can say goodbye to his first decade.

Excuse me while I dry my eyes...

Ok, I know God has plans and I know they are good, and I would never want to stand in the way but this is rough and while I could list many reasons why there is only one I want to talk about...

The fact that it's over for me and boys, he has his dad and I am merely a source of food (don't get me wrong we have our hiking and late night talks, I'm not checking out by any means).I feel my future will be the perpetual begging for pink highlights and crying fits over what earrings to wear with which outfits. I have lived my life believing Philippians 4:13 but this seems big and vast and scary -this pink future.

Had I not put 6 years between the ages of my girls this future may not have been so vast, we could've plowed through, learned as we go but as it looks- it looks long, real long, twice as long.

My older daughter got a new fashion doll for Christmas, from a new line called Moxie Girlz- be true be you! I think I needed one- maybe I could throw it out there when I need a little courage to face the unknown world of sleepovers, makeup & fashion, & friendship drama. I was a girl, I know but I have never raised one. And from all accounts I was an easy one to raise...

I set out to write about what a lousy lunch maker I am...I know with all this cooking I'm doing you would've thought I am a pro but no. I am surprised no one from the school has called and asked why I haven't sent a sandwich with my son to school in 5 years? He doesn't eat them, he doesn't eat much of anything and I refuse to waste. (Go green) But these bags represent so much more to me- they represent the little hands , (ok we've moved on to medium hands at this age) that carry them to school and the unique personalities beyond those hands and how extremely daunting the task is to nurture those personalities. So I leave you with this...

Fuel for the future....

I love Joshua 1:9 but I can't leave out v. 8

"Study this book of the Law continually. Meditate on it day and night so you may be sure to obey all that is written in it. Only then will you succeed. I command you- be strong and courageous! (be a moxie girl)Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (even into the vast pink future)"

Thanks for reading, I just needed to get that out.

the grocery store

Well I have loved grocery shopping for sometime now. No, really I do. In fact that was my first outing with Cody, my husband. I was a senior in high school, he was a junior in college. I was a mature but young woman, he was a seeker....He was seeking my father, a seasoned minister and pastor of the church we both attended. We'd had conversations at church activities before but this was the first time we'd done anything together, not that we were "interested" in each other. He came looking for my dad, I was headed to the grocery store. Dad wasn't there, which makes all the sense in the world to me now, he rarely sits still. As I remember Cody came in, waited a few minutes, made conversation and was not in a hurry to leave. Now mom was taken and my younger sister was well,too young for this guy so I saved them both and invited him to go with me to the grocery store. Since getting my license I did this a lot, mom gave me a list, a check and I headed to Homeland in search of culinary delight. It was early November smack dab in the middle of the 90's and all the end isle displays at Homeland were thanksgiving related -translation- pies. "I love pie" "Pumpkin Pie is my favorite" " I can't wait for thanksgiving" "I wonder how you make that pumpkin pie?" "My mom makes a wonderful pie" "I like apple too" He never had a problem talking. I got what we needed, wrote the check- (oh how I miss mom's blank checks) and we went back to my home. Dad was still m.i.a- so Cody left for awhile....

to be continued...