Something to think about Sundays

To Judge~
To form a judgment or opinion of; decide upon critically (dictionary.com)

Have you ever noticed how often people (myself included) judge others. We judge positively and negatively many times based on preconceived notions and appearances.

I am reading the book "The Shack" by William P. Young. There is a reflection on judging that really made me think. Read for yourself:

"Mack felt shame reddening his face. He had to admit he had done an awful lot of judging in his time. But he was no different than anyone else, was he? Who doesn't jump to conclusions about others from the way they impact us. "

"What right did he have to judge anyone? Sure, in some measure he probably was guilty of judging almost everyone he had met and many that he had not. Mack knew he was thoroughly guilty for being self-centered. How dare he judge anyone else? All his judgements had been superficial, based on appearance and action, things easily interpreted by whatever state of mind or prejudice that supported the need to exalt himself, or to feel safe, or to belong."

Think about it....
Do you judge others? Why?
Listen to those around you ~ do they judge.
Could you stand up for those who are being judged?

Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and the measure you give will be the measure you get. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye. (Matt. 7:1-5)

Remember the old adage, "treat others as you wish to be treated"?

Think about it ~ live your life righteously and do not be inclined to rush to rash judgement of others.

Look at what Smiley found!

It seems Smiley has found her tongue and wants everyone to know!

This is why...

On Wednesday and Saturday mornings there is a spin class that I love going to. The music is upbeat and the instructor is extremely energetic. I can easily burn 600 - 700 calories in an hour during this class. What a great way to start the day!

The obvious caloric benefits and the energetic feeling I get however, are not the only reasons I go to this class or work out in general....

This may have a little something to do with it:

Just so everyone knows, I blame this on my darling husband! When I was younger, we did not have "dessert" after every meal. However, after my husband and I got married (almost 10 years ago ~ WOW) I learned that the man eats meals, just so he can have dessert (ok, maybe not entirely ~ but he does have a sweet tooth and usually likes something sweet after lunch and supper). And because of his sweet tooth, I have seemed to have sprouted one as well! YIKES!

So, until that tooth of mine falls out (not literaly) I am destined to have to hit the health club. Good thing I enjoy it!

Family Time

What a wonderful long memorial weekend we had!

It started as a:

~DVD watching

~smiley squealing

~sunflower seed cracking

~political radio listening

~book/magazine reading

5 hour of fun car ride (with 2 more hours the next morning)

Once we got to where we were going though we enjoyed every minute.

It was our first fishing adventure of the season (plus some swimming time,golfing time and just plain old family time!)

JUST SEE FOR YOURSELVES:

Fun fishing

Nap time on the boat

Our Family

Golfing

We went on this trip with my in-laws (definitely not out-laws). The first day we all went fishing and of course, the fish were not biting.


Day 2 ~ My darling husband and his dad went fishing and of course caught their limit. The rest of us... we kept busy at the hotel. And thanks to Grandma (Thank you! Thank you! Grandma!)~ I actually was able to rest a bit (Someone had to stay close to the room ~ holding down a blanket and lounging in the sun~ while smiley took a much needed nap.) We did find out or actually reestablish the fact that Smiley LOVES water (she cried when I took her out of the pool ~ after over an hour of being in the pool mind you), Action could throw rocks into large areas of water for hours and Sassy, well she is mesmerized by the television. The evening was spent swimming, playing games and relaxing.


Day 3 ~ Once again the big guys went fishing. Action wanted to go, but when daddy woke him up at 6, he changed his mind and decide sleeping sounded like a better idea. Once again they caught their limit. We packed up and headed back to Grandpa and Grandma's house. The rest of the day was pretty much spent on the golf course.


Day 4 can you believe it.... more golf?

And then for the fun 5 hour trip back home.

~DVD watching
~Smiley yelling/crying (the car seat is not her favorite thing)
~Couldn't tell you what was on the radio
~small amount of book reading
~lots of singing and playing with smiley (who was not so smiley!)



A marvelous weekend! I hope you were able to enjoy it with your families!

Don't you hate it when...

I made this very pretty strawberry cake with grand marnier frosting. Sounds YUMMY huh? (And stop looking at the mess on my counters in the background!)

UGH! Much to my dismay ~ it was awful!

I love to try new recipes and this one went right into the trash! I hate when you spend the time creating something that sounds fabulous, but ends up not being so.

Oh well, maybe next time I will find a keeper!

Something to think about Sundays

With tomorrow being memorial day ~ stop, think and pray for those who have fought so bravely for our country.

A hero is someone who has given his or her life to something bigger than oneself.

~Joseph Campbell

Preschool is over!

9/2008

It is unreal to me the yesterday was the last day Action will ever go to preschool! How can this be? Where did the time go?

He has changed and grown so much physically and mentally over the past 9 months.

~He writes more often and his handwriting is somewhat legible.
~He has become more aware of the world around him and cause and effect. For example, the other day he stated very matter of fact, "Mom's sure like it when their kids help out, don't they?"
~His vocabulary has grown and he is better able to express himself with words. Another example: Instead of whining while I was on the phone one afternoon, Action stated, "Mom, I am feeling frustrated that you are on the phone."

I am sad that he is growing up so quickly and at the same time ecstatic that he is growing up.

He is loving, caring and empathetic.

He is learning and growing everyday.

I adore him and love him.

I am so proud!

5/20/09

"Nobody knows what a boy is worth, and the world must wait and see, for every man in an honored place, is a boy that used to be" - Phillips Brooks

Teething cookies

Smiley seems to be eating more and more lately. Now that she is 6 1/2 months old I thought she would enjoy these cookies. I found this recipe a few years back and they are a breeze to make!


Teething cookies

1 1/2 cups unbleached flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup maple syrup
3 tablespoons applesauce


Directions:
1. Heat oven to 300
2. Place all ingredients in a medium bowl and stir with a wooden spoon until dough begins to
hold together.
3. Dust counter with flour, then transfer contents of bowl to counter. Knead lightly until the
dough is smooth (about 3 minutes). If the dough is difficult to handle, dust with a little more

flour.
4. Roll out with a rolling pin until 1/3 inch thick.
5. Cut out biscuits using a round biscuit cutter or inverted cup. Then cut out the center (I
usually use the cap of a water bottle).
6. Transfer the "cookies" to a greased cookie sheet.
7. Bake until barely browned, about 35 minutes.
8. Cool completely on cookie sheet.
9. Give to your little one to enjoy ~ Under supervision of course!

*They will harden a bit more if you leave them out overnight.

*Store for up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.



I think they're a hit!

We built it ~ Will they come?

I was paging through a Family Fun magazine, while waiting for Sassy's gymnastics class to finish, and came across this project. Action and I thought all of the birds in the neighborhood would love it.

Terra Cotta Bird Bath

Supplies:

terra cotta saucer (whatever size you want for your bird bath)

grapevine wreath (one that fits around your saucer)

rope (we used 1/4" sisal rope)

decorative leaves (we used ivy)

Directions:

1. Cut the rope into 3 - 5 ft strands.

2. Tie the 3 strands together with one knot at the top and one at the bottom.

3. Tie the 3 strands of rope to your tree using more rope.

4. Set your grapevine wreath in between the 3 strands of rope.

5. Set your saucer inside of the wreath.

6. Decorate the wreath with the decorative leaves (we also used craft glue to help them stay in

place).

7. Fill saucer with water and VOILA a bird bath.

*For fun we also made a homemade bird feeder to hang by the bird bath. To do this you:

1. find a pine cone

2. spread peanut butter all over it

3. roll in birdseed

4. tie string around the pine cone

5. attach to tree

Just to compare

Smiley had her 6 month well check last week (I know, I know, she is almost 7 months old...). And aside from finding an ear infection, she is thriving and doing all of the things a healthy 6 month old should be doing. WE ARE BLESSED!

Just for fun I thought I would compare the 6 month stats for Sassy, Action and Smiley:

Sassy:

Length: 26 1/2"

Weight: 13 lbs 13 1/2 oz

Action:

Length: 27" (75%)

Weight: 15 lbs 5 oz (10-25%)

Smiley:
Length: 28" (97%)

Weight: 15 lbs 10.5 oz (25-50%)

Something to think about Sundays

"Always be joyful; pray constantly; and for all things give thanks; this is the will of God for you in Jesus Christ." (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18).

Thank and praise God when life is going well. Appreciate him for what he has given. It is easy to thank God under these circumstances, but are we able to praise God when things are hard? Are we able to pray and still praise God when life feels unfair and upside down? God has a plan for our lives and we have to learn to trust in him; to walk with him. If we choose this, we find peace.

Monster Cookies

I recently made dozens of Monster Cookies to take to a local homeless shelter (and a few extra for the family). Making these cookies bring back some of the best memories of my grandmother. She always had a stash of them in her freezer. Although we never got caught sneaking them, I'm sure she knew.....

ENJOY!

Monster Cookies

3 eggs

1 stick unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

1 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter

2 tsp. baking soda

4 1/2 cups oatmeal

M&M's

chocolate chips

Mix together all ingredients ~ amount of M&M's and chocolate chips is to your liking

Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes

The details

The other day, the weather was gorgeous so I decided to skip the health club and go for a jog around the neighborhood. I got the baby in the jogging stroller and Action decided he wanted to ride his bike with us. Lets just say the 1.75 miles turned into a 40 min jog. Action insisted we stop at every other corner so he could stretch and shake out his legs. When we made it back home he requested my caloric details from my heart rate monitor. Have I created a monster? He then decided he would like a heart rate monitor of his own. A 5 year old looking to see his average heart rate and caloric expenditure. Funny!

Why Me?

I often ask myself ~ "Why am I so lucky?"

I have not had a hard life. My family is loving and supportive, I have a wonderful husband, amazing children (I am only a tiny bit partial), understanding friends, and a strong faith.

This does not mean that things are always easy, my marriage perfect or my children angels. But I am truly blessed.

So why am I so lucky, when there is so much pain and sorrow in the world? I was thinking of this again today, because of this little girl named Kaleigh. You can read her story here: (http://kayleighannefreeman.blogspot.com/). The fight in this little girl is inspirational and she is only 10 months old. My heart aches for her family daily. They will actually be featured on the show "The Doctors" on Wednesday May 13th. There are so many stories like this and so many other stories of pain and sorrow!

(Update ~ was reading up on Kaleigh this morning and found out she is now in Heaven ~ please pray for her family!)

So why am I so lucky? I don't know. But I do know that I have my faith and my prayers. I do feel like I should do more to help those in need, in pain, in sorrow. And those struggling with yesterday, trying to get through today and worrying about tomorrow. But for now I pray ~ and pray hard. And I thank God everyday for the blessing he has bestowed on me.

On a lighter note:
Sassy won her first softball game of the season! 13-1

Contact Info

Need to get in touch with me?

E-mail me:

ordinarymol@hotmail.com

Tips

Make your life easier!

Ideas for getting organized

Linen Closet Organization 

Organizing toys and outgrown clothes

Organizing Puzzles

Storing Pancake Batter

Tutorials

Looking for Something to do?

A B C picture book

Acorn Frame

Advent Paper Chain

Birthday Book


Brighten up the Front Entry

Chalkboard Sign

Christmas Letter (crossword puzzle)

Curtain Rod Solution for a Bay Window

End of the School year WATER AMBUSH

Fabric Flower Headband (Satin)

Fabric Flowers

Faking a window

Fall Decor

Felt flower hair clips

Gold Leaf Monogram

Hair Clip and Headband Holder

Hanger ~ spruce up

Jesus Tree (Scripture tree for Lent)

Jewelry Holder

Jute Napkin Rings

Little League Incentive

Magnets

Minnie Mouse Skirt

Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

Organizing the laundry/mud room with: Chalkboard tags and a utility sink skirt

Organizing Puzzles

Peace Cupcake Toppers

Pom Pom Wreath

Recovering a Bar Stool

Spring Wreath

Terra Cotta Bird Bath

Thankful Jar

Tissue Paper Flowers

Tutu

Valentine's Day crafts (variety)

Yarn Eggs (spheres or what ever shape you need)

Recipes

Here are some recipes I think you should try! 

Come back and let me know what you think!

FOR BABY

Pasta with Tomato Sauce ~ for baby

Teething Cookies ~ for baby




Appetizer

Black Bean Salsa (aka: perfectly delicious dip)

Breakfast

Apple-Cinnamon Oatmeal ~ (slow-cooker)

Banana Bread


Blueberry Muffins with Cream Cheese Frosting

Ziplock Omelets

Zucchini Bread



Main Dish

Chicken Caesar Wrap

Chicken and Pasta Salad

Chili

Grilled Pesto Pizza

Pasties

Peanut Butter Chicken


Penne Pasta with Prosciutto


Ramen Noodle Skillet


Sloppy Joes



Side Dishes and Salads

Chopped Vegetable and Bean Salad

Desserts

Apple Crisp

Chocolate Chip Banana Cookies

Chocolate Frosting

Double Layer Chocolate cake with Ganache Frosting

Minnie Mouse Cupcakes

Monster Cookies

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies

Peace Cupcake Toppers 

Pie Crust

Rhubarb Dessert

Rhubarb Strawberry Pie