Project 365 - Week 5

Here we are at week 5. How are you doing? I didn't miss any pictures this week!! That's a start.

For the last 2 days, we have been iced in. What is it about snow/ice days that makes you feel like it is a holiday? All work goes out the door and it is nothin' but fun all day long. We had a blast, but my house is a wreck and I didn't anything done....ugh! Now I have laundry and cleaning stacked up......BUT we had FUN!!!

Here's my week:

Sunday

our drama for the kids on Sunday.
Nebuchadnezzar praise the God of Daniel when the 3 were saved from the fiery furnace.

Monday

taking Lily to the groomer this morning.
She's lookin' a little nervous!!

Tuesday
Big pot of chicken and noodles.
we are feeding the homeless under the bridge tonight.

Wednesday

My Blurb book came!!!!
I LURVE it!!!

Thursday

My friend and I went to the mall tonight.
She was cracking me up how she was trying on a dress!

Friday

This is the kind of snow Arkansas gets.
no school today....yippee!!!

Saturday

More snow and ice today.
So, I headed across the street to my neighbors to make jewelry.
We also sewed and hemmed her bedroom curtains

What was your week like? Link up below and show us!

What do you do when you are iced in?

First you go outside to see if it is really as bad as they say because in AR they tend to close school for the slightest hint of weather...

You see that it really is as bad and the ice is coming down pretty hard.
And you wonder what your back yard looks like...

This is the kind of "snow" we get in AR.
Little ice pellets.....which make driving very dangerous!

You then decide to make your family a wonderful breakfast....at least the ones that are up.
Omelets.......yum!!!

Since you can't go anywhere, your current book is calling your name......
...and you now have the time to finish it.

....for the rest of the morning because it is so good you can't put it down!

Then if you are a dog....
...you get comfortable and watch all that is going on outside.

After lunch, you decide to have a family game...
......of course you choose one that will take a while, Settlers of Catan.

....and of course between turns you see what amazing things you can build with your pieces..

...which becomes a contest between family members...
..to see who is the most creative or can build the tallest.

When the game is finally over, and someone makes a surprise win that totally takes everyone by surprise, you decide to try and make Pioneer Woman's chocolate cupcakes she has posted today.

They don't turn out like they should and stick to the pans, so you decide to just eat them now instead of taking the time to make the icing.

They are pretty awesome anyway!

What's next? Of course a rousing game of Wii golf..

....or at least for the boys because Wii golf is just a bit too slow for me! just sayin'


.....so what do you do on a ice/snow day?

Pay it forward give away results

OK, thanks for joining my Pay it Forward giveaway!!

Random.org picked the following numbers

#1 Jamie at Six Bricks
and
#9 Just Breathe

Ladies, email me your mailing address and the answer to the following questions:

1. what is your favorite color
2. what colors are in your house
3. do you like to read...fiction or non-fiction
4. starbucks, walmart or Target?
5. favorite candy?
6. do you like spicy foods?

your answers will help me pick your special gifts!

Don't forget that you will need to write your own Pay It Forward post after you receive your gift telling about it, and in that post link back to my blog.
and then pick YOUR 2 winners.

Happy Friday everyone!!!

Random Dozen

I'm joining Linda at 2nd cup again this Wednesday for Random Dozen. She first had us watch a video....I couldn't get it to load here so you can go to her blog to watch....it's worth it and will make you smile!!

1. How good are you at delaying gratification? It really depends on what it is. If it is a surprise or a present, I am very good. But if it is a craving, not so good.

2. Maybe a marshmallow wouldn't be too difficult a temptation for you. What food (or anything else) would be most tempting? chips and salsa!! as much as I determine not to eat any when we go out for mexican food...I can.not.do.it.

3. On a scale of 1-10 (10 being saintly) how patient are you? oh how I want to say at least a 5, but if I am truly honest.......maybe a 3. I am sure this is one of those things that God just shakes his head on over me.

4. Have you ever waited for something in life only to be disappointed upon realization of the goal/object/etc.? I am sure there are plenty of times this has happened, but what popped into my head was being out of school and out on my own.....it wasn't as easy or as glamorous as it seemed.

5. Are you a person who takes shortcuts? maybe. when it comes to sewing, crafts, projects...it's all about the quickest way to get it done. But when it comes to life issues, I am pretty good about staying on the main path and realizing that shortcuts only cause more problems in the end.

6. Which line is hardest to wait in? starbucks...enough said. Although the return line at Wowmart is pretty unbearable.

7. Did you wait to discover the gender of your unborn child until its birth? we did not know the gender of any of our kids. I did try to find out on the 3rd one but that was when you had to drink what seemed like a gallon of water before the sonogram. Jared was not cooperating and I had to go to the bathroom soooooo bad, I finally told the doctor I didn't care...just let me off this table!!!

8. Are you more patient with children or the elderly? wow, I have never thought about this. I am really not sure.

9. Did you ever sneak a peek at a present? NEVER!!! I love surprises. However, I did shake a present once and my mom told me that you never know when you might break one. when I opened it on Christmas day, it was a little glass cabinet and it had a crack in the glass....my heart sunk. My mom finally told me the crack was already there (it was an antique)....I never shook another present....ever.

10. What is the longest you've ever waited for anything? probably my first child....over 2 years.

11. Who has more patience, you or your significant other? hands down.....my hubby.....really makes me crazy sometimes!

12. Which of the following songs about waiting is your pick for the best? (OK, you may substitute another, if you like.) A) Anticipation by Carly Simon


Don't forget, if you haven't commented on my giveaway here, go check it out.

Paying it Forward! .....a little late.

Before Christmas (maybe even Thanksgiving), Linda at Mocha with Linda hosted a Pay it Forward giveaway and I won! She knew exactly what would make me happy! and sent me one book I have been dying to read and another she knew I would love. She's wonderful like that! Let Darkness Come by Angela Hunt and Healing Sands by Nancy Rue & Stephen Arterburn.


How awesome is that?!!! I have already finished the Angela Hunt book and it was just as great as I had hoped!!

If you haven't visited Linda's blog, you need to. She has become a dear friend and if I ever need an idea for a good book to read....her blog is the place to find it!!! Plus she has the best sense of humor and just makes me laugh. And I might get to meet her this spring when my daughter and I visit a grad school in her town.......but I digress....

So now it's my turn to Pay it Forward and I realize it has taken me 2 months to get to it...sorry Linda!!! Better late than never......right?!!!

In order to win, you need to be willing to...

• Give me your mailing address so I can send a small gift your way.
• Write your own Pay It Forward post after you receive your gift telling about it, and in that post link back to my blog.
• Come up with gifts to send out to YOUR 2 winners.

If you'd like to participate, then please leave me a comment letting me know you'd like to be entered! If you don't have a blog, be sure to leave an email address so I can contact you if you win.

Comments will close Thursday evening (01/28) at 8:00 PM CST and I will pick 2 winners and post them on Friday. US Residents only please.

Have a great Tuesday!!!

Random thoughts on monday

What is it with Sunday nights?

Last week it was the phone call about Alyssa being in the ER

Last night it was my 18 yr. old feeling sick.
first he came in and asked for some pepto bismol
2 hours later, he needed more
1 hour later, he needed me
I couldn't help

So I start another week tired.....ugh.

They say that after 3 times something becomes a habit...
....oh I hope not!

Yesterday at church, we had a drama for our unit on Daniel. We came up with a very cool way (if I do say so myself) to convey the fiery furnace!!

We are a small church, but I want to give you a glimpse of the amazing talent we have!!! It was taken with my camera so don't judge the quality! :)




I didn't video the beginning, but the kids were so into it that when Nebuchadnezzar told the drama team to bow down to the idol when the music started playing....several of the kids immediately did it too!!! It was so cute!



I am off to find some toothpicks to prop my eyes open so that I can go to work....

Have a great Monday!

Project 365 - Week 4

Week 4...

....and I have already missed a picture!!

Oh, well. I had a busy week, but spent most of my time trying to recover from a sleepless night on Sunday. As I am taking a break to put this together, it is 6:30 pm and I still have a cake to bake for tomorrow......but first things first!!!

Here's my week:

Sunday

Our golden idol for our Daniel unit

Monday

some very tired eyes.
got a call at 1am last night that Alyssa was in the ER with abdominal pain. I was awake till 4:30 when we found out that it was another ruptured ovarian cyst. She is doing better, but it was a long day for this mama to be away from her baby.

Tuesday

Jared driving home after passing his driving test!!

Wednesday

Today was extremely busy!!
I barely had time to breathe

hence no picture....ugh!


Thursday

our unit this Sunday is the fiery furnace.
today we were testing out our stage and props.
you can't tell but the flames are moving and crackling.
This is going to be SO COOL!!

Friday

Shopping for our new comers dinner on Sunday..
..can you guess what I'm serving?

Saturday

All Region Band Concert today
Jared is the one in the white shirt.

I hope you all have had a great week and I can't wait to see your pictures. So link up by clicking on Mr. Linky!!!

Freaking out.....just a skosh.

Steve and I went over our February schedule today..
..and I'm looking for a paper bag to breathe into.

How we will accomplish it all...
...will be a minor miracle.

Here is just our weekend schedule for Feb.
(remember we also work on the weekends)

1st weekend
Jared in Jonosboro (2 hours away) for all state competition
winter formal...dinner for 10 kids at my house

2nd weekend
Steve and Jared in AZ for 16th birthday trip
Jason to JBU (3 hours away) for music scholarship audition

3rd weekend
Sara to Abilene to visit Alyssa
Jared to Hot springs (1 hour away) if he makes all state band

4th weekend
Sara in TX for 16th annual girls weekend
Steve at church men's retreat

...this does not include our every day stuff during the week!

Just praying that it all goes as planned and no surprises come up!!!

...ok, now where is that paper bag?!

Growing old....

one, ONE night of no sleep....

...and it has taken me ALL week to recover.
(hence no posts this week)

In the wee hours of Monday morning, we got a call that our daughter was in the ER with abdominal pain...she is 8 hours away.

I was up most of the night (who could sleep after that) waiting to get the final call that she was going home with the diagnosis of another ruptured ovarian cyst.

She is doing fine now, but it has taken me all week to feel like I have recovered.

Seriously, I used to be able to stay up all night and be just fine after a short nap.

What happened?!!!

Age

Here are a few more things that AGE has brought me...

grey hair that doesn't want to hold color any more
hormones that take over my body..
..physically and mentally
a lazy susan installed in my brain
age spots
hearing that is not so sharp
trifocals
muscles that don't like exercise....at.all.
a rogue hair on my chin

But age has also brought...

a deep love of my Savior
a knowledge, learned and lived, of His amazing love
a marriage that is more than I ever dreamed 25 years ago
adult/teenage children that are walking with God
deep friendships
contentment in who I am
wisdom
one step closer to Jesus

...and I wouldn't change it for anything.

...well, all except the rogue hair...that's just not right.

Random thoughs and a recipe

I'm answering questions today from this post.

I decided to tackle the random ones. So, here goes..

1. Any places you dream of traveling? I was able to take my dream trip 2 years ago with my mom and travel to Italy. Honestly, I would love to go back with my husband. Another place I dream of going is Norway. I have wanted to go there since I did a report on it in the 5th grade!

2. inspired by Pioneer Woman's Recipe book and her list of kitchen essentials, what's on your list? kosher salt, cast iron skillet, wooden spoons, real butter, garlic!!

3. One I've wondered from time to time...you seem to post and read quite a bit on Sunday mornings...how do you do that with all your church stuff? ha ha, this is a great question. We are a small church and have only one service on Sunday mornings. It starts at 10:30. I try to get to church by 9:30 for set up. Since I only live about 2 minutes from the church, am an early riser, and don't have to get children ready (they do that themselves) that gives me several hours in the morning to blog!!!

4. What do you usually eat for breakfast? How do I answer this question? What ever sounds good? I am not a creature of habit or one who eats the same thing every day (one reason I could never stay on any diet that told you what to eat). So, it could be toast with peanut butter, cereal, eggs, yogurt or a myriad of other things!!!

5. What is your favorite book of all-time? I would have to say Safely Home by Randy Alcorn. If you haven't read it.....you need to!!

Many of you asked for the recipe from my P365 post yesterday. This is currently a favorite at the Bowyer house. In my house, you know it's good when my boys go back for seconds or eat it as left overs!! Here it is:


Beef, Cheddar and potato pie

2 lbs ground beef
2 carrots,cut into 1/4 in cubes
1 large onion, cut into cubes
2 stalks celery, cut into cubes
1 large clove garlic, finely chopped
1 large baking potato, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch cubes
1/2 cup beer (you could use beef stock instead of the beer)
8 oz sharp cheddar cheese, grated
salt and pepper
2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed but cold
1 large egg yolk, beaten with 1 Tbls water.

preheat the oven to 375. In a skillet, combine the beef, carrots, onion, celery, garlic and potato and cook, breaking up the meat, over medium high heat until the beef is cooked through and some liquid has evaporated, about 15 minutes. Lower the heat to medium, add the beer and cook for 10 minutes. Add the cheese and salt and pepper to taste. let cool.

on a floured surface, roll 1 puff pastry sheet into a 12 inch round. place in a 10 inch skillet or deep pie dish. Roll the remaining puff pastry sheet into an 11 inch round. using a slotted spoon, transfer the meat mixture to pie. lightly brush the edge of the crust with some of the egg wash, then pace the second sheet on top press the edges to seal.

place the pie on a baking sheet. brush the top with more of the egg wash and cut an "X" into the pastry center. Sprinkle with kosher salt and pepper. Bake for 25 minutes, tenting with foil if the crust darkens too quicky. transfer to a rack to cool for 15 minutes.

Enjoy!!

Project 365 - Week 3

Week 3.

I was excited to see so many of you keeping up with P365 and even happier to see all the comments on everyone's posts! This is a wonderful community and having done this for one year already, I know that the encouragement helps in staying with it!!! Keep it up!

I have a question for all of you that have done the project before. If you could give one piece of advice to the ones just starting....what would it be?

My advice would be.....don't make it a "project" or think your pictures have to look professional. You most definitely will become a better photographer over the year (I did!), but the goal is to document your family's life! Those are the pictures that you want recorded!!!

Guess what?! I just today finished my blurb book for P365/2009. It turned out fantastic and I would love to share it with you. If you would like to view it, just leave me your email address in a comment and I will send you an invitation.

Here's my week:

Sunday

After a busy day....it was pancakes for dinner

Monday

Dinner.....my boys had seconds....pretty amazing!

Tuesday

one of our heating units went out over Christmas...
during the coldest winter on record in 10 years!
Steve's office was 44 degrees!!!

this is our new heating unit being put in.


Wednesday

Youth at our house tonight.
they had teams and when the youth pastor yelled out a word they had to become it as a group. Here the boys are making a winning guitar.

Thursday

Good bye hearing my dishwasher at the neighbors..
Good bye having to clean the dishes completely before loading..
Good bye broken soap lid..
Good bye tiny space with no room for large objects..

HELLO new dishwasher!!!!
We actually had to turn the TV down to hear it tonight!

Friday

iChatting with Alyssa today

Saturday

boys gone for weekend +
house clean +
no plans =

a day to sit on the sofa and finish this great book!!

Alright, now it's your turn. Link up and share your week in pictures!!!

Friday Fill-ins

1. The lesson I learned yesterday was that no matter what service organization you are waiting for, when they say they will be there between 8-12....they will always show up 10 minutes before 12.

2. Home, where friends and family meet.

3. All these years I thought I would feel "grown up" when I reached 50.

4. 1960 was the year when I arrived.

5. The truth is that God is who He says He is and can do what He says He can do.

6. Complete awe and love is what I remember most from that day when each of my children were born.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to sending my kids to the youth retreat, tomorrow my plans include who knows...we will be kidless!! and Sunday, I want to worship God with my church family!

Children questions....

You guys are awesome.....you know that?!

In this post, I asked you for some questions. Questions you might have about me. And boy did you come through! I am going to enjoy answering them as the days go on. Today, I am going to start with the questions about children.

So here we go...

What do you find most challenging about motherhood?

I think that what I find most challenging would be that they didn't come with a manual!! And just when you think you have gotten your kids figured out, they move into a new stage which is totally foreign to you.

How do you handle chores for your kids? And how did you handle them when they were younger?

When my children were small, I divided chores into 2 categories. First, there were chores that you did just because you were part of the family. Those would be things like making your bed, cleaning your room, picking up after yourself. Second, there were chores that you did for an allowance. These would be things like emptying the dishwasher, setting the table, vacuuming, cleaning the bathroom, etc. My kids started out with one or two age appropriate chores at 6 for an allowance....usually emptying the dishwasher, setting the table, basic dusting.

At first the kids got 50 cents a week allowance. When Alyssa was around 8, I read a book "money doesn't grow on trees". It was a secular book that gave help in teaching your kids the value of money. It's a great book. It talked about kids receiving their age/month in allowance. That is what we followed and broke it down by week. So if they are 8, they get $2/week.

Each year on their birthday, they would get a new chore and a raise in their allowance. We had the kids decorate 3 jars (also from the book)....spending, saving and tithing. They had to put 10% in savings and tithing and the rest could go into the spending jar.

One last thing, you had to complete ALL your chores to receive your allowance. If you missed even one chore.....no allowance. It really only took one time of missing their money to get their chores done!!! :)

Let's hear about some funny things your kids said/did when they were little.

This is a hard one because of my menopause brain.....I can barely remember last week, let alone 15+ years ago!!!

But one thing that popped into my head happened when we lived in North Dakota. Alyssa was about 4 years old and we were flying home to see my family. She was in the window seat and giving me a blow by blow of the take off........mommy, we're going real slow right now, mommy we are going faster, now we're going really fast mommy....and then as the plane took off into the air, she gasped and yelled "mommy..we're going to see JESUS!"

The lady behind me leaned forward and said "let's hope it's not today".

What do you love the most about the age each of your kids is at right now? The least?

My kids are currently 16, 18 and 20. What I love the most about age 20 is our relationship. We have moved from a "parent/teaching" roll to a parent/supporter roll...which is awesome. What I like the least about age 20 is that she lives so far away and I miss her terribly.

What I love about 18......is that he is planning to go to college! :) No really, I love that he doesn't mind showing me affection any more! I also love seeing his faith become his own. Seeing him do things to please God and not us....that is awesome! What I like the least is........ senioritis.

What I love about 16 is that he is my last to teach to drive....whew! What I like least about 16 is that I am still teaching him how to drive!! I also love the independence that starts with this age. Though this one is a homebody, there is some freedom for me that comes with them becoming independent!!

That's all for the children questions. Thanks guys, that was fun!

I hope you enjoyed it too....and maybe learned something that will help you as you walk this path of parenthood!

Urgent prayer needed

I am sure most of you have heard that a strong earthquake hit Haiti.

I am calling on all you prayer warriors to pray for the people of Haiti right now and the missionaries that are living there. The devastation is huge.

If you go to THIS website, you can get some idea of what is going on.

You can also go to THIS website.

Both of these are missions/missionary organizations serving Haiti.

And if God lays it on your heart, they will be in dire need of funds to help rebuild. There is a donate button on the Heartline blog site.

Random Dozen

Joining Linda at 2nd cup again this Wednesday for Random Dozen.


1. When was the last time you craved a food--what was it, and did you cave? Tonight!! and yep, I caved!! I was craving fried pork chops and mashed potatoes!!! Good southern comfort food. Boy was it good!

2. M & M's or Skittles? No question.....M & Ms. I prefer peanut.

3. Have you ever read the Bible completely through? yes.

4. How long does it take you to really wake up in the morning? a long time....just ask my family. When the kids were young (and didn't understand stay away from mommy till 1 cup of coffee), I would get up 1 hour before they did so that I could wake up on my own time!!!

5. Have you ever been on a cruise? If not, would you like to? YES!!! I have been lucky enough to go on several and I feel it is the only way to vacation!!!

6. Who is your favorite actress? you know, I don't think I have one because I can't come up with a name.

7. ______ is something that I will just never understand. vegetarianism. I love my meat!

8. How much of a technology junkie are you? compared to my kids.....very low. Compared to my parents.....extremely high. Compared to my peers.....somewhere on the upper 1/2.

9. Do you enjoy selecting greeting cards for people, or is it more of a cultural "have to" for you? I love selecting greeting cards. In fact, I am always looking for good ones. I buy them ahead and keep them in a box so that I have them ready when needed.

10. When was the last time you got a new style/haircut? a year ago...but with curly hair...all styles seem to end up looking the same!

11. What do you enjoy shopping for most? anything for my kitchen!!

12. What's the last thing you think of before you leave the house? Do I have everything I need....where's my list?

Christmas in Heaven

Many of you know that I lost my precious Aunt this last year.
And I have found that grief is a very "unscheduled" thing.
It doesn't follow a plan and can hit you at the most unexpected times.

Any of you that have lost loved ones know that the holidays are always hard that first year. I think one of the reasons it took me so long to get Christmas up was that so many of my decorations came from my Aunt.

I knew it would hurt to put them up.

What I didn't realize was the joy they would bring me this year and how much I would love looking at them.


You try to "plan" for how you are going to handle the loss.....
....my Aunt has always sent me pears at Christmas.
So, I sent myself some.....not realizing how hard it would be to receive them.

She always gave my daughter fuzzy socks...
at the last minute I got some for her stocking....not realizing the joy it would bring her to pull them out and remember.

But one of the most unexpected comforts came in a poem someone sent our family and I would like to share it with you...

Christmas in Heaven

I see the countless Christmas trees around the world below, with tiny lights like heaven's stars reflecting on the snow.

The sight is so spectacular please wipe away that tear, for I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I hear many Christmas songs that people hold so dear, but the sound of music can't compare with the Christmas choir up here.

I have no words to tell you of the joy their voices bring, for it is beyond description to hear the angels sing.

I know how much you miss me, I see the pain inside your heart, for I am spending Christmas with Jesus Christ this year.

I can't tell you of the splendor or the peace here in this place, can you just imagine Christmas with our Savior face to face?

I'll ask him to lift your spirit as I tell him of your love, so then pray for one another as you lift your eyes above.

Please let your hearts be joyful and let your spirit sing, for I am spending Christmas in heaven
and I am walking with the King.

copyright owned by Wanda Bencke

Are you curious?

Last night, as I was trying to come up with a blog post, I realized.....I got nothin'!

I have several things in my life that are taking all the brain cells I have to get the job done. Which being in the throws of menopause.....there aren't many there to use right now! And unfortunately, that leaves no more to have to think of what to blog about.

So, I decided to copy an idea I saw at my new friend and fellow Arkansan, Meredith at Life at 7000 feet.

She was feeling blah about blogging and asked her readers for some help. She asked them to ask her some questions and she would answer them on her blog.

HELP!!!

Here's your chance to ask me a question. Anything you're curious about? Ask away!

Like Meredith, I do reserve the right to censor and/or not answer a question. But I know ya'll will be nice!

.........you will ask won't you?

.............hello?

..................anybody there?

Project 365 - Week 2

Project 365, week 2.

Here we are at the 2nd week. I have to say that after doing it for a year, it doesn't seem as daunting to think I have 50 weeks to go!! So for you newbies....hang in there!

Speaking of newbies, we have quite a few new people joining us this year. So, for those of you who are old hands at this, please be sure and go visit them and encourage them with a comment. And those of you that are new, we all love comments on our pictures. So be sure to visit all the other links and let them know you were there!! No lurking in P365!! :)

Here's my week:

Sunday

We started a new unit in children's....Daniel!
the kids get to walk into the mouth of a lion!!!
the mane is coming!

at a youth meeting.
my kids making me a mummy....we lost!

Monday

It "snowed" in LR today. This closed schools....crazy!

Jared turned 16 today!!
Country Rigatoni was his choice for dinner

After diner we all played Band Hero....too funny!

Tuesday

Alyssa and I spent some girl time together today and went to a movie. I had a great time with her, but the movie was pretty bad. Good message, but expected more.

Wednesday

It is COLD out side!!!

Thursday

This beautiful cake was delivered to me today.
Our Youth pastor inadvertently dissed me while preaching a couple of weeks ago and I told him his only way out was a chocolate cake (he makes the BEST!)

look at that chocolaty goodness!!
oh and that "clean sweep of sugar" out of my house I talked about on Monday.....is going to have to wait!!!

Friday

What was supposed to be the "last breakfast".
She decided to stay one more day....yippee!!!

Saturday

The inevitable.....she had to go back.

Jared's birthday cake for his party tonight.
Red Velvet.

It really was a great week in the Bowyer house! Now link up below and share you pictures of your week!!