No Longer Disappointed...

Guess What??? Got the big ol' Ear! Here it is...And I must say, that it was about the yummiest thing this little mouth of mine has eaten in a while. Ohhhhhh....Yummy. My summer has now been completed. Ready for Fall!

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One Million And One...

Reasons to love life. I have had the grumps lately. Don't know why, but just grumpy. Maybe it was the lack of Elephant Ear??? Maybe the lack of a clean house??? Maybe the lack of a lot of other things??? Who knows. But, I had to smile today. I took the kids for a photo shoot with Aunt Sara. It was actually Isaac's first photo shoot, since he has really known what was going on. I think his last one was done at his first b-day by Miss Sunny. Wow---almost 3 years ago! Anyhow, they turned out just wonderful. I can not even begin to pick favorites, so I will just put a million and one reasons to smile... :)

Oh---And Disclaimer---I edited these, not Sara, so the imperfections seen would be from this imperfect photo editor. Wanted to add that so Sara didn't spit in my food next time I see her. :P

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Christmas Presents...

I have already bought 7. Isn't that amazing??? I can not believe the early start I am getting.

Isaac found one of them though. He was really excited about it, until Abbie informed him of what happens to the present after little eyes spy it. ----IT GETS THROWN AWAY--- Abbie experienced this first hand. One year, she peeked on purpose, and saw her Biggest present and a small one. I threw away her small one right in front of her eyes. Watching her cry. (Talk about tough love.) I then told her that I would talk to Daddy to see if he felt we should throw the big one away too. We told her she would have to wait until Christmas to see if we had or not.

So, today, when I brought in that big bag, Isaac promptly ran to his room. Good Boy.

Now...the hard part. Restraining myself from giving the gifts early! One of them I really want Abbie to have...and it was the cheapest! $.69 to be exact. Gotta love a gift that a kid will LOVE, that cost less than a BUCK!

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And For Kelly---

Yes Kelly, Dan was close. An Elephant Ear is similar to a Funnel Cake, but heavier? It is like sweet, fried dough. And then cinnamon and powder sugar sprinkled on top. I think the cinnamon sets it apart also. An Elephant Ear is more condensed than a Funnel Cake. While the Funnel Cake is somewhat airy.

Ok...I know my sweets too well huh?

Oh---and the picture of the plant version, was not taken at my house. ;) Just one that I randomly grabbed off of Google. lol. Although, we did have an Elephant Ear plant at the house that I lived in as a child. My sister's and I would cut down the ears and "eat" them in our outhouse "playhouse". And yes...you read that right. Our playhouse was a reformed outhouse. The largest outhouse on the block! It was a 4 seater! And the holes were filled with cement, so don't get sick just yet. I just thought that I would add that bit of info for those germafobas out there. I can only imagine Melanie L. gagging right now!!!

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Elephant Ears...take 2...

Ok. This is for all those non-Hoosiers. Or the extremely sheltered. Or just Kelly and Julie :P

This is an Elephant Ear

Not This: Ok...well I guess this is too! hehehehehe.

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Disappointment...

Don't you hate when you are looking forward to something, and then it gets bashed??? Disappointment. That is what it is.

I have been looking to having an Elephant Ear for almost 9 months now. Just really really really want one. To me, an Elephant Ear symbolizes all that is good and fun. Clean fun. It symbolizes that carefree feeling of youth...Sailing through the air on a Carni ride, music bubbling in the background, lights shining in the dark night, and the smell of fair food floating in the air. Are you imagining it now?

Anyhow...last night I was supposed to get an Elephant Ear. I looked forward to it all week. I even held back at dinner so I could eat it with ease. We were supposed to go spend the evening in the apple orchard, get some great apples for cooking with, and then get an elephant ear. Well, the apples were not in season yet. And they were not fixing Elephant Ears. So, I settled for a caramel apple, eating 1/2 of it and then setting it aside with disgust that it was not my beloved treat.

On a mission now...I will get an elephant ear.

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Martha and Mary

Abs...ever the learner and thinker. Tonight, she was finishing up some homework. One of the questions was about Martha and Mary. She then looked at me and retold the story. She said, "Yeah mom, I am Martha and Isaac is Mary." It was everything I could do to not want to smile at her! She went on to tell me that Martha was too bossy and too worried about doing everything her way, that she forgot to do what the most important thing was. Abs then went on to tell me that Isaac does the most important thing. She said, "Isaac remembers to show everyone that he loves them, even if he forgets to pick up. That is the best thing to do. Like Mary."

I was so amazed that she put that all together. She is brilliant sometimes. Ok, so that is the proud mom talking. But, man... made me think which one am I?

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Pure Sweetness...

Abbie wanted to do something sweet for Brian. He has had a long week, and was just plain exhausted today. While he was sleeping, she pulled the patio table and chairs out to the middle of the yard, and set it so beautifully. Then she helped me make a great dinner. She even made fancy place cards for us (This is a thing she picked up from Nanna. She loves how fancy Nanna sets the table.) Here is her final production:

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Sharing a Cool Resource...

I have an online friend who is a former teacher. She has many years of experience!!! She has a business of lesson plans for home school moms and school teachers alike. Her website has fun ideas for any mom...or caregiver. Just wanted to pass on the info, and if you head over there, tell her I sent you. :)

www.lessonplansplus.com

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Too Funny...

I was going to write this post about a gift that I received last night...because it was a comical "God thing". But, it was too comical to share with the entire blog world. If you know what I mean. :P So, now, you will just have to sit back and wonder what I got from freecycle yesterday that was too funny to share! hehehehehehehhehehehheheeeee

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Jelly Bean Art...

I have to say that Jelly Beans are about the coolest thing. Especially in a kids eye. I got 24 pkgs of JellyBelly's for .04 a piece, so they are becoming a fun treat in our house...

Isaac loves to eat them, but he HAS to count them before he eats them. Today he counted 33, before he got bored and started popping them. I was surprised he made it that far. They must have looked so tempting to a 3 year old.

Abbie, who has never been a big sweets girl, likes to make art with them. At .04 a bag, they are cheaper than paints and playdough!!!


Here is her art today...It is supposed to be a flower, with the yellow sun, and a blue bird.


And I was taking care of laundry, when I hear Abbie say, "Mom you gotta come see this!" She had decked Baby Bella out in a crown. We call her Bella P Princess. :) Fitting huh?

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What He is...

I have been just floored by the discoveries of my God lately. Not that I have not always known these, but have just seen God using them to pull me closer to Him. Life has been filled with so much joy and contentment. And it is just little things in life that seem to be flowing the way they are supposed to be. But, it is enough to make me stop and notice Him. And What HE is...

He is Beautiful. His beauty abounds everywhere.

He is Gracious. I have fell so many times, and His grace abounds to my scraped up knees. Forgiving this unworthy woman of unfaithfulness to her Holy God.

He is Purifying. He cleans off those scraped up knees and washes my head. He breathes life onto all of my sorrows, showing His righteousness, and providing a cleansing rain and drink.

He is a Provider. He meets my every need. Whether it be a salvation for my sins, the need for wisdom for a situation, a gentle reminder that I am loved, or the money to do His good work on earth...He provides it.

He is All Knowing. I need not worry about the what if's of life, and I can let go of the past hurts, because He knows why they happen. Why should I spend my time on earth worrying about what my God holds softly in His hand?

I will try to come back to this list again later. I need to go get some of my work done now. I just felt the need to write down some thoughts before they escape my little mind. :)

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Take Two...or Three.

Well, I have now posted 3 posts that blogger did not send through. We shall see if this one works! Just a bunch of pictures as an update of sorts...

I love this one of them. It is funny how Isaac is trying to stand still with his hands folded,
but he had to show his energy somehow!

All About Helping the cause. Isaac wanted to do man's work badly.
Abbie jumped in at the last minute, and missed the picture taking time.

If you can not tell, this is my pathetic attempt at a magician's outfit. LOL. And this is Abbie's attempt to dress them as a Princess and Cowboy.
Isaac is wearing a John Deer t-shirt, boots, and a gun. She is wearing fancy shoes, crown, princess nightgown, and a beater from my mixer for her wand! CREATIVE!

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Gotta Shout Out A Praise!!!!!!!!

A BIG BIG BIG Praise!

God is good all the time, but today His goodness is shining even brighter. Today, in the mail, I received a package that was worth more than GOLD! It was all the materials I needed for the next 2 years of homeschooling Abbie!!!! Anyone who homeschools, knows how expensive of a thing this is! Not only did I receive grades 2 and 3, the dear lady is sending me Kindergarten for Isaac, and grades 4-8 as well!!!!!!!!!!! Isn't that just so stinking amazing?????

Ok, even if you don't get too excited about it, I am. And I am just so ultra amazed how God puts strangers together to do HIS good work. Charm and Grace yet once again...the Homeschool Lady.

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Guess What???

We got one more room down! Dining room has actually been sanded and painted now!!!! We still have the trim left to paint, but that is not a biggy at all.

Here are the various stages of our room:


Well...I honestly tried. Blogspot would not let me upload any photos right now. Stink.

So, just imagine nice smooth walls. They are a carmely tan. (Yes, that is an Annie word...carmely) Very nice. Gotta finish trim, clean up the floors, and make a window treatment of sorts (from freebie materials, which I still have to find ;) )

Another update is that we have 3 interested buyers for the house already!!! WOWSERS! We may actually move. I will be sad to leave this Little Lovely. It holds so many memories...but on to new ones!

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