Bedtime for Bonzo

It's bedtime at our house. Time for small children to put their jammies on and climb into bed. Goodnight Bonzo!

Those Good, Old Shoes

I am saying good-bye to some old friends. They are too old and worn out for me to keep them any longer, though they have comforted me many times when I was tired or aching. I had grown to love them like they were a part of me. Those old, lovable shoes... They have treated me well, but now they must go. The soles are worn thin, very thin, and the rain and snow often gets too friendly with my socks because of it. My toes are beginning to peep through the sides and the backs are being worn out too. I already have a new pair of sneakers waiting for me in my closet, but for some reason I am having a hard time letting go of these. My feet feel so at home inside these shoes... They fit "like a glove"... Please, won't you come and do the deed for me? I'm afraid I won't be able to say good-bye. Those good old Payless shoes.

It Looks Like Christmas

I think it is January. We have skipped right over Thanksgiving and the entire month of December. Two weeks ago we were enjoying 70 degree weather and now we bundle up before going out. We don our boots, hats and mittens. We mustn't forget our sweaters or our thickest coat. We would regret it if we were caught without our snow brush and hopefully it is still in the trunk of our car waiting for us from last winter. We trek through the snow here and there. We dig through the garden shed looking for the snow shovel. Oh, where did we put the leftover ice melt? Snow, ice and winter cold, you have jumped on us like an unexpecting mouse. Caught us unaware. The garden hose is still coiled in the garden. The leaves have not been raked out of the front lawn. I was about to cover my vegetable garden with black plastic. Now the remnants of fall have been covered by winters' first icy blast. Shall we see the grass again? Maybe. Maybe not... At least in looks like Christmas.

Hey Mom, What's That??

Today was this winter season's first day of accumulation. The snow was 2-3 inches deep by noon. When Josh and I left this morning there was no snow, so upon our return home, it was quite the treat for the little guy. After all, he doesn't remember last winters' snow. He was mystified by the white ground... He stepped (or rather stomped) into the snow, bent down cautiously and raked his fingers across the cold snow. Interesting. Good thing his mittens were handy, because then he could hold the snow and see how it tasted. I'm pretty sure he liked it. Time to break out the snow suit!! (If you are wondering what happened to his lip, he did that at Grandma's. ;)

Double Coupons (Finally!)

I was tickled with excitement today when I discovered that a local grocery store doubled their coupons up to $0.99. I hadn't been able to find a store that practices this since I started looking. So I am eager to try out shopping there. Maybe if my food coupons are doubled I am more likely to use them. (I usually find that store brands are cheaper than name brand items with coupons.) And to further my incentive to shop at this particular store, is that it is a "Mom and Pop" store- one that's been around for ages and doesn't belong to a large grocery store chain. And CVS shopping has been going swimmingly. Last week I bought shampoo, conditioner, shaving cream, 2 things of lysol, 2 palmolive dish soaps and a large bottled water for $2.55. Gotta love coupons + extra bucks! It is a rather fun game.

A Photo Tag

The rules…

Find the 6th folder in your pictures directory and post the 6th photo in it.

So here are the instructions:

* Go to your sixth picture folder then pick your sixth picture.
* Pray that you remember the details.
* Post it on your blog.
* Tag 5 others, leave a comment to let them know they’ve been tagged.


Ah, the infamous Beach Day. My buds and I hit the beach one fine summer afternoon a couple years ago and had a simply marvelous photo shoot together. What fine memories. This is Elisabeth and I. We've known each other about 13 years now. Fine friends.

I tag Stephanie, Jessica (I know she has loads of pictures ;), Veronica, and Sherri.

My Little Sailor

Isn't he the cutest little sailor? Josh amazes me more everyday. He seems to be a pretty bright kid, if you want my opinion. He makes car noises when he plays with his trucks. He points at the pictures when we read a book. Josh can even put shapes in his "shape house", though they go in through the chimney, not in the shape holes. I enjoy hearing him mimic the words I say and I love when he says "Mommom", which I know means me. People say that I will grow tired of being called Mom, because I will hear it all the time. But for now I enjoy it and try to believe that I will never grow tired of my child/children calling me Mom. I think it's the greatest thing anyone could be called.

Thoughts After A Busy Week

It is ten o'clock at night, Veterans Day. I sit sipping my grape juice while I type. My husband is gone to his late night hockey game and won't be home until at least midnight. The house is basically quiet, with the exception of an occasional murmuring from my son, who fell asleep at 7, only to wake an hour later. I finally find time to record the happenings of the past week. But can I recall anything worth sharing? The days were packed. My mind was racing.There were so many things to do and so much to think about. An election, political discussions and thoughts of scripture kept my mind occupied, while preparations for my sister-in-law's baby shower kept my body racing. There were cookies to bake, cupcakes to frost and last minute shopping to be done. There were friends to persuade, convictions to defend and truths to be made known. One busy week is over and another has already begun. My time at home is filled with things that need my attention. Laundry, dishes, sweeping, vacuuming, chasing Joshua... And what do I seem to be forgetting? Oh yes, the bathroom. And it has obviously been forgotten. Perhaps it will get cleaned tomorrow. I am considering, and praying about, cutting something out of my schedule. I am not sure if I can, though. This particular something is very important to me. Well, it's not actually the something. It's the someones who go along with it. I have mixed feelings. I feel that it is somewhere the Lord wants me. And sometimes like maybe the time He has had me there is drawing to a close. But I'm not ready yet. There is still work that needs to be done. It is like my little mission field, and I have yet to see any fruit from my labor. I know, I have not labored hard enough, but I want to redeem my lost time. You know how God sprinkles His children throughout the Earth and each of us has our own little group of people that we are to reach out to? I feel that I cannot cut this something out until there is someone else who can fill my spot. I guess, all I really know, is that somethings gotta give in this busy schedule of mine, and I don't want to sacrifice my home and family to the hectic life style I am currently leading. But I don't want to make any rash decisions, especially without taking the time to look to the Lord and really seek Him about His desire for our lives. He knows my every need and how I should, or shouldn't be spending my time. It's great that I can go to Him when I need answers. He is my faithful God and gives me strength in my weakness. Amen. :)

NEWS FLASH!!!

I'm still alive!!! And Josh said "Mom" for the first time yesterday! And I'll try my best to post soon, but have to leave home again in ten minutes. So little to do and so much time...

Meddle Not with Those Given to Change

“My son, fear thou the LORD and the king: and meddle not with them that are given to change: For their calamity shall rise suddenly; and who knoweth the ruin of them both?” – Proverbs 24: 21-22.

Make sure to cast your vote today. I, as well as my Mother, am so looking forward to this day being over. I already feel anxious. But as I read this morning, "The preparations of the heart belong to man, But the answer of the tongue is from the LORD." Proverbs 16:1. So I should not be anxious, but trust in the Lord. His hand is controlling all, even our future as a nation. Have mercy, dear Jesus.