Book Review: A Little Salty to Cut the Sweet

First of all, let me say that I've been a terrible blogger lately. There really hasn't been a lot going on lately that's blog-worthy. There are some things that I'd rather forget (i.e. Kaleb's...erm...performance at the church's Christmas program) and some "winter blues" feelings that didn't seem right to post. So here I am, getting back into the swing of things with something I love...books! 

Over Thanksgiving, we went to Meridian to visit some family we don't get to see as often as either of us would like. We just somehow forget to make the effort to do anything about it. (I feel a New Year's Resolution in the making.) While all the nephews were playing at my aunt's house, I saw this book laying/lying/lieing/whatever on the coffee table. I picked it up, thinking it might be a new Southern cookbook or even a grief book, since my uncle died about 6 years ago. But it wasn't. It was a collection of stories, SOUTHERN stories, from a woman living in Birmingham but who grew up in a small town in Mississippi. I love the South, and I love books about the South. My favorite book of all time is Gone With the Wind, so there ya go. This book embodies Southern values: faith, family, food, manners, and laughter. 

She chronicles specific memories from her childhood all the way through adulthood. In one particularly hilarious chapter, well, I won't ruin it for you, but suffice it to say I was crying and shaking with laughter. My husband was asleep and I was trying so hard not to wake him up with my laughing. Eventually I just put a pillow over my face and let it out. I had to get up out of the bed and leave the room I was laughing so hard. You'll know it when you get to it. The last chapter is a collection of recipes from the foods she mentions in the book. That's always a bonus! 

I recommend this book to anyone who lives in the South, is curious about life in the South, or likes to read. 

Book Review: The Book Thief

This book will be in theaters soon so I wanted to read it first. It had been on my to-read list for awhile, but I hadn't gotten around to it. Well, I should've read it earlier. I LOVED it. It's set in Nazi Germany and the narrator is Death. That in and of itself grabbed my attention. (I've been interested in books about the Holocaust and WWII ever since we read The Devil's Arithmetic in 7th grade.) What I didn't know was that the author was so good at writing. There were so many phrases that he used to describe settings and events that painted such a vivid picture in my mind. I wrote down the page numbers down so I could come back and fill y'all in, but then I had to turn the book back into the library. Whoops! I loved how Death described things and how he told the story. I loved how realistic it ended. I just loved it. It's been getting some pretty high praise for good reasons.

Letter to One Year Old Peyton

Dear Peyton,

          Here we are. Your first birthday. It seems like yesterday we brought you home as a tiny little guy. And yet, it seems like you’ve been a part of our family forever. I guess in a way you have. God knew you would be our little bundle of love since the beginning of time. Words can’t express how much we love and cherish you.

          You weigh 22 pounds and are 28 inches tall. Everyone tells us how adorable you are. You have the biggest blue eyes and little chubby cheeks. We say they’re “full of sugars” and then give you lots of kisses. I remember when you came home you were a tiny, skinny little baby who wouldn’t go to sleep unless I was holding you. Now you’re a beautiful, chubby little boy who sleeps all night in your crib in your own room.

          You had a little scare when you were born and then a few months later at Christmas time. You have a sacral dimple on you back and we had to get an xray of your spine to make sure there were no abnormalities. Obviously there weren’t. You also got RSV on Christmas Day. We ended up taking you to the emergency room and you stayed in the hospital a few days. It was so sad to see you with a tiny IV in your hand (and then foot), but you were such a trooper! Because of the RSV you get coughs and congestion more, but now we just give you a breathing treatment and send you on your way. We’re so thankful that nothing turned out to be too serious.

          You still take a bottle right now, but by the end of the month we hope to have you fully switched over to whole milk in a sippy cup. You LOVE to eat. You’ll eat Puffs, other baby snacks, and then anything else we give you. You’re very expressive. You can say “mama,” “dada,” “bye,” and “hi.” I swear I heard you say “thank you” after I gave you a snack one day. You’ll pick up a phone, hold it to your ear, and say “hi” or sometimes “hi dada.” When your food is all gone, you’ll look at us, and hold up your hands like you’re asking “where’d it all go?”

          I can’t quite tell yet what you’re really going to like as a toddler/preschooler. You really like computers and phones so maybe you’ll be a technology guy like your daddy. You also love to dance whenever you hear music so maybe you’ll be a music guy…like your daddy. Then again, you like to play with Kaleb’s cars so maybe you’ll be a car guy like your brother.

          I can already tell you’re going to be a very smart, sweet, curious boy. You love being held and wave to everyone. I love picking you up from the daycare or nursery because you get a huge grin on your face, crawl over to me, and hold your hands up to be picked up. You are such a joy, and we love being your parents.

Forever and always,

Mama and Daddy

5 on Friday

I don't know how to link up to someone else's blog, but I've seen this "5 on Friday" before. It's just 5 things on your mind today. 

1. Mississippi Pecan Factory

I've never been to the pecan festival before, but I've always been curious. And by "always" I mean, since I found out about it last year. Tomorrow I plan on taking the boys down to Richton to have a fun day. My in-laws will be in town so we should all have fun together. Hopefully, pictures to come from the day.

2. Kagan

I'm going to be helping teach our professional development day on Monday! It's pretty exciting and really nerve-wrecking. I've done two days of a Kagan seminar and it's AWESOME. I'm glad that others will learn some of the structures.

3. Peyton

My sweet, precious baby will be ONE next month! Tonight I picked him up to rock him and he put his little head on my shoulder. I really want to cherish those moments because I know that all too soon he'll be too big and won't want me to rock him anymore.

4. TV Premiers

Okay, we don't have cable, but we have Hulu so I still get to watch some of my shows (not "Big Bang" or TLC shows). This week is premier week. I'm sure this will make me sound like a tv-aholic, but I'm excited about "Grey's Anatomy," "Vampire Diaries," "Glee," "Parenthood," "Modern Family," "New Girl," and "Once Upon a Time" starting back.

5. The Book Thief

I've started reading The Book Thief because it got good recommendations. So far it's really good. I wish I wasn't so tired every night so I could read more than one chapter at a time. Eventually I'll have more time, right?

11 Month Comparison

Kaleb at 11 months. My little baldy.

Peyton at 11 months. My little chunk.

11 Month Update

How incredibly darling is this child?!

Age: 11 months
Weight: 21.6 lbs
Length: 29 inches
Sleep: Kid loves him some sleep. He takes a little nap when he gets home from preschool and goes to bed about 8:00 so there are some days when I only get to see him for an hour a day.     :(
Likes: His brother is still his favorite, but he also has become attached to me more. He's saying "mama" a lot now and kind of whimpers a little when I have to drop him off. It's sweet and pitiful at the same time. He really likes food and crawling around eating anything he finds on the floor...yeah, gross!
Dislikes: He has a rash on his little boy parts right now, so that's no good. He also cut a couple more teeth this month (up to 4) and it seems like he's cutting at least one more on the top. Still a very content child though.
News: My sweet, darling boy is standing up by himself. No steps yet, but I'm not in any hurry for them. I still like him dependent on me. He's eating baby food three times a day and has a bunch of Puffs or applesauce or other snacks. He's also started nibbling on fruit loops and other finger foods. At church Sunday they said he ate TWO donuts! My little heifer. Can't believe the next post will be his one year update!!

Fall To Do

I know that most people have long lists of things to do in the Fall since it IS the best season. However, I barely make time to cook supper so my list is mighty short. At least I know I will most likely do everything on it.

1. Go to Mitchell Farms -  There are a lot of fun memories to make at Mitchell Farms. They have a corn maze, pumpkin patch, hay ride, and playground. We didn't get to go last year because I was "great with child."

2. Make apple butter - I have never made apple butter before and don't really even know if I'd like it, but I know I'll love how it smells. I'll probably end up giving it to friends as Fall gifts. Thank you Pinterest!

3. Go to a USM game - Sure, they may not be on a winning streak, but they're still my team. At the end of October there is a night game and in November there is an afternoon game. Need to figure out which one to go to.

4. Make a new soup - I can make a pretty good potato soup and taco soup, but I'd like to try some kind of chowder. The plan is a corn chowder with cornbread and some friends. Hopefully some hot chocolate by a fire will also go along with that night.

5. Go to the fair - I didn't get to go last year due to the same child, but I freaking LOVE the fair. I can spend $40 on food alone. The grilled corn, turkey legs, ice cream, chocolate covered strawberries on a stick (yes, you read the correctly), cotton candy, root beer, etc. make me so happy.

6. Have Peyton's party - My little baby turns ONE on October 11! Hard to believe. We're going to have a nursery rhyme theme and it's going to be really low key and really cute.

7. Read a parenting book - I've never read a parenting book before. I know, terrible. But this fall I plan to read one. Suggestions welcome and appreciated.

So that's what's going on during my Fall. I may add some things later on, but it seems like a good place to start.

Book Review: The Spectacular Now

This book was also on the list of books I mentioned in my previous post. I knew that it won a bunch of awards at some film festival, so that led me to assume that either someone dies tragically or it ends up all being an illusion of someone's imagination. The Spectacular Now is about this high school kid, Sutter, who, in all honesty, has a drinking problem and parties too much. He meets an average, so-so girl, Aimee, one hungover morning and decides to help build her confidence by hanging out with her. The reviews say that she "changes his life" yada yada yada. Sounds like every other typical teen movie. I won't give it away, but the ending kind of makes you...wonder. Like I said, it's already a  movie and should be out at your local theater sometime later this year or maybe early next year. I'll definitely go see the movie just to compare the two. In fact, I've rewatched the preview three times since reading the book. Would I recommend it? Eh. It's a coming of age tale so if that's your thing, go for it. There is a lot of swearing so beware of that, but I really liked how the author writes. He writes how I would talk; that made it a quick read.

Book Review: The Fault in our Stars

I know it's been a while since I've blogged. I've just felt ick for the past couple of weeks and didn't really have anything to write about. During that time, however, I've had a chance to read a few books. I saw a list on Pinterest called something like 12 Books to Read Before Seeing the Movie. I had already read about 4 of them and was very uninterested in 4, but the third 4 sounded pretty good, so I added them to my Books to Read List. I've already read two of them: The Fault in Our Stars and The Spectacular Now.
 

 

This book as been highly recommended by several people I know, and it is very good. It's about a girl named Hazel and a boy named Augustus. All of the main characters have a terminal or chronic disease...cancer really. It's a very honest, real perspective about dealing with the fact that you know you're going to die and living each day without any regrets. It's a love story with a not-so-typical ending. I mean, everyone has cancer, so there you go. I definitely recommend you read it. There is a slight language warning so be on the lookout for that. It's going to be made into a movie sometime next year so you have until then to read it. Don't worry. It'll only take you a day or two to read it.

Dear Four Year Old Kaleb

Dear Four Year Old Kaleb,

             I can’t believe you are four years old! I know I say it every year, but you have grown so much in the last year! I think this year held the biggest changes so far. When the year started, you were in diapers, sleeping in your crib, and staying at a daycare. Now you sleep in a big boy bed, wear underwear, and just finished your first year of preschool. You know all your letters and sounds, can count up to 20 (most of the time), sometimes you can blend sounds together and read words, and you can say the Pledge of Allegiance. I’m so impressed with everything you’ve learned.

            You’ve also been quite a challenge this past year. The place you stayed before preschool was all girls and there were only 3 of you. In preschool, you have many boys to roughhouse with and you took advantage of it. You are ALL BOY and, honestly, very strong-willed. You are also showing your temper more this year. (You get that from your daddy) If something doesn’t go your way, if you get in trouble, or –heaven forbid- you lose a race, you yell and stomp around. We’ve really had to crack down on your behavior.

            Probably the biggest change you’ve experienced this year is your new baby brother, Peyton. I’ll be honest. I was a little nervous when we found out you were going to have a little sibling. You’ve always been the center of attention and the apple of everybody’s eye – now you’ll have to share the limelight with a newborn. I wanted you to still get all the attention, and I was a little worried about how you would handle it.

You have always been a sweet, darling child, but when Peyton was born you started acting out at preschool. You have been super sweet with him, but school was different. It has been one of my greatest pleasures to see how you act towards your brother. Your daddy says that it won’t always be this way, but I refuse to believe it. Peyton adores you and you’re mighty crazy about him, too. You call him “my baby” and “brother.” If he’s crying in the car, you’ll start talking to him in a sing-song voice saying, “It’s okay brother. It’ll be okay. We’re almost there.” You make Peyton laugh until he’s blue in the face. He thinks you are funnier than anyone else.

You are still really into cars. In fact, you tell us that your favorite thing is transportation. No lie. You use that word. You can tell us the difference between a backhoe and an excavator (apparently, a backhoe has wheels and an excavator has tracks), name any and all types of transportation, and ask countless questions. You recently started becoming interested in dinosaurs. Cars are still your favorite, but Mimi bought you a dinosaur book that you really like too. Oh, and you really love The Lorax. We watch most every day. Thankfully it’s a really cute movie!

You really enjoy going to church now. Your favorite bible stories are Jonah and the whale and David and Goliath. We can’t wait for you to learn all about Jesus and really understand how much He loves you.

As far as family goes, PDaddy and Mimi are now in the running for first place for your affection. I mean, you LOVE all of your grandparents and you’ve even started asking to go to Mammaw’s house. That’s Daddy’s grandmother. Your grandparents have had to start being a little harder with you because you like to assert your, shall we say, independence. Aunt Millie is having a baby in December, so that should be really interesting.

Kaleb, Daddy and I love you so much and even during the hard times, we are always talking about how smart, amazing, funny, kind, and strong-willed you are. I hope you never change - except for growing in the Lord - and I can’t wait to write you a letter this time next year and see how much you’ve changed again!

 

Forever and Always,

Mama and Daddy

First Birthday

Second Birthday

Third Birthday

Fourth Birthday

10 Month Update

Age: 10 months!
Weight: 21.6 lbs
Length: 29 inches
Sleep: We're back to daycare this month so he's on a nap schedule there. Most days he finishes up his nap when he gets home then goes to bed between 7:30 and 8:00.
Likes: He ADORES his brother, but he also loves to be around any people. He can't sleep without his paci, but he doesn't have a particular blanket he must have. He just needs to snuggle. He also likes when people act silly, throw him up in the air, pretend to drop him, and blow raspberries on his belly. He likes watching "Color Crew" and eating. He really likes eating....especially Puffs. He didn't like them last month, but he eats them by the handful now.
Dislikes: If he's crying, it's almost always because he's hungry. He still doesn't like the stage 3 food because of the "chewing" he has to do with his gums.
News: Peyton is now pulling up on everything. I put his snacks all around the ottoman so that he has to travel to get them. He'll take some steps holding our hands but so far none on his own. He's in 12 month clothes still and wears a size 3 diaper during the day and a size 4 at night. He is absolutely precious and incredibly sweet-natured.

A New Perspective

 

     Today was the day I had been waiting for and dreading for over 30 years. Since the moment Father said goodbye to His son I have known that this day would come. Really, since Eve and Adam first chose to do things their way instead of Father’s way, this day was inevitable. As I watched the years, decades, centuries, and millennia pass by, I glanced forward to today with horror and anticipation. And now it’s here.
     Looking around the great crowd of witnesses, I see the old, familiar faces – Abraham, Moses, David, Gabriel, Michael. All of the saints and other angels are watching below with rapt attention. I see in Abraham’s eyes the slightest look of remembrance. He, too, was asked to sacrifice his son. I look at Father, with all of His glorious radiance, and there is a look on His face I’ve never seen before. I glance down at what is happening on Earth and understand the look.  
     Jesus, perfect, precious Jesus is being assaulted. He is being attacked by the sins of the world. To the onlookers down below, they are invisible, merely wind and that strange feeling. But to us, with our Heavenly vision, we see them as they really are. Hatred, envy, lust, disobedience, pride, guilt, and shame. They are black as night and press in on Jesus with an ever increasing force. There, in the glimmer of the sins, I see Lucifer’s face, grinning. He is enjoying this, reveling in it. Father can’t even bear to see that much sin covering His only son. He turns away. When He does, when He turns completely away from Christ, the world weeps. The clouds roll, thunder and lightening crash and flash, the angels weep. I weep. It is almost over. The darling of Heaven, who forfeited His glory and power and reign over all beings and creation, who took on flesh and became like man, who was mocked and hung on a cross, is about to return.
    We wait in anticipation for the moment of total defeat and total victory. “Father, Father, why have you forsaken me?” This is it. He glances upward at us. He breathes one, final human breath. The rejoicing and hallelujahs are deafening! It is finished! He has returned to us, to His Father’s side, to His rightful place on the throne! Hallelujah! Worthy is the Lamb!

9 Month Comparison

I haven't been able to take as many pictures of Peyton this month because someone has been sick for going on three weeks now. First it was Kaleb so I had to take special care of him. Then it was Peyton with some new teeth. Now it's Kaleb again. I did manage to get a couple Peyton pictures so here we go!


Kaleb at 9 months

Peyton at 9 months

Book Review: Sons of Encouragement: The Warrior

Once again, a Francine Rivers book. I probably sound like a broken record, but I LOVE her writing. It's always great. This series (Sons of Encouragement) is about five men of the Bible who were inspiring. The Warrior, The Priest, The Scribe, The Prophet, and The Prince. This book is technically the second in the series, but since they don't relate, you can read them in any order you'd like. Okay, on to the review. The Warrior is about Caleb (can you tell why I chose to read it first?). It starts with the plagues in Egypt and takes you through the Israelites taking the Promised Land. As Rivers would remind her readers, it is just fiction. She takes facts from the Bible and creates a story with them. I love character development so this is right up my alley. It made me want to read Exodus through Joshua all over again. The book really made me think about God's promises, protection, and provision. It was only six chapters - although they were kind of long - so it's a pretty quick read. Recommend? Totally!

DIY House Rules

Here's how I made our house rules with a pallet

I found this pallet on the side of a road in Laurel. I wanted one that was this color. It kind of reminds me of driftwood.

Eric took off 5 of the planks. Four were for the mini-pallet (see below) and one was to secure them together.

Here's what it looks like with the four planks nailed on top of each other.

 
 

And here are our house rules. We only have 2 because it is easy to remember and everything else falls under these two rules. Plus, Jesus said they were the two greatest commandments.

 

Books of the Week

We've been going to the library Tuesday mornings as part of their summer preschool program. We check out about five books at a time for Kaleb. Here are the books of the week:

The Construction Crew by Lynn Meltzer
It's no surprise that Kaleb wanted a book about the machines at a construction site. This book is actually pretty good. It includes all of his favorites like bulldozers and excavators, but it also includes extension ladders, power drills, and other tools. Kaleb really likes it!

Look Out! A Giant! by Eric Carle
I wanted to include two books a week by famous children's authors. Eric Carle is one of the most famous so I thought I'd start with his books. When we read all of the ones from the library, I'll choose another famous author. Netflix has a new show that reads 4 of Carle's books and shows the pictures. Kaleb really likes it, too. ANYWAY, this book is lesser known (at least by me). I was surprised at how short it was. There are flap throughout the book that Kaleb really likes lifting, but they don't really make sense in the book. Kaleb has now told me that he loves that book.

One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish by Dr. Seuss
I couldn't have books by famous authors and not include Dr. Seuss - the most famous of them all! I really wanted to start with some of the books we had as kids. We haven't read this one all the way through yet. It's kind of long for a four year old. No matter - love some Dr. Seuss. I have a new item for my bucket list: own all of Dr. Seuss's books.

Kelsey's K Book by J.L. Mazzeo
I changed it to Kaleb's K Book. I wanted to get a book that would be relevant to him. It has lots of things that begin with K. There's a book like this for every letter, so when he starts back school I'll try to get the one for the letter of the week.

Peter's P Book by J.L. Mazzeo
I also changed this one to Peyton's P Book. Kaleb  would say "P for Peyton and K for Kaleb!" At least he's making the connection. Similarly, this book gives many things that begin with P.

Tyrannosaurus Rex Up Close by Peter Dodson
Kaleb's newest thing is dinosaurs. He's even having a dinosaur party this year. This book may be a little scarier for him, but apparently boys like that sort of thing. I really like this nonfiction book because it gives information, but not so many that it's overwhelming.

Holy Moly Chicken

Another easy recipe that is holy-moly good! I had to force myself to stop eating it.

Ingredients:
5 cups boiled, cubed chicken
2 can cream of chicken
8 oz sour cream
1 1/2 sleeves Ritz
1 Tbsp poppyseed

Extras:
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp Worcestershire
pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Layer chicken on the bottom. Combine all other ingredients EXCEPT Ritz and poppyseeds. Mix together with the chicken. sprinkle Ritz and poppyseeds on top. Cook for 25 minutes. (The extras are what make it super delish)

9 Month Update

Peyton with his best friend!

Age: 9 months! Now he's been out as long as he was in!
Weight: 21.4 lbs
Length: 27 inches
Sleep: He takes a short morning nap (30-45 minutes) and a longer afternoon nap (2-3 hours). Some days he goes without an evening nap, but some day he just can't help it. He sleeps about 11 hours at night. So if we put him to bed at 8 he wakes up around 7. Some days we get lucky and he sleeps until 8.
Likes: He ADORES being around people! His favorite is his brother, of course, but he also loves to be around his family. He can't sleep without his paci, but he doesn't have a particular blanket he must have. He just needs to snuggle. He also likes when people act silly, throw him up in the air, and blow raspberries on his belly. He likes watching "Color Crew" and eating. He really likes eating.
Dislikes: If he's crying, it's almost always because he's hungry. He doesn't like Puffs or the stage 3 food because of the "chewing" he has to do with his gums.
News: He had another busy month. He started crawling at the end of June, learned how to wave and give high fives, started giving us kisses, and is saying "dada." Actually, he reserves "mama" for when he's hurt or angry. Otherwise, I never get him to say it. He's all about dada now. :) He started pulling up in the last few days, so look out for next month's news update!

Houses in Laurel

There are some things I've seen on Laurel houses that I'd really like to have one day.

Lovely small porch

Eric really likes the red iron on the stair rail

And on the windows

We'd love to have a small balcony on a second floor

 

How cool is that little turret?

Fun, swirly staircase

Love the big porch with a swing

I'm not sure why, but I love this porch. I guess because it's so deep

Another second story balcony

Hot Topic Issues Answered Biblically: Homosexuality

With all that is currently going on with the Supreme Court and same sex marriages, I thought it was an appropriate time to do more research and praying on this topic. I've read some Scripture and some articles on it. Here's the conclusion I came to.

Is homosexuality a sin? Yes. It is clearly defined as a sin several places in the Bible, both in the Old and New Testament. (Leviticus 18:22, 1 Corinthians 12:9, Romans 1:26-27) Unlike some of the other sins mentioned in Leviticus, homosexuality is discussed after Jesus came and sacrificed Himself. He says He came to fulfill the law, not to destroy the law.

Is it a choice? I don't believe so. I haven't found anything in the Bible (yet) proving this, but I have taught young children and can tell you that even when they are 5 they can show "tendencies." I believe that some people are born with those proclivities, just like any other sin. I've seen the following conversation:
Question: When did you choose to be gay?
Response: When did you choose to be straight?
This isn't an accurate response. The issue people have with homosexuality is that it is a sin. No one would say heterosexuality is a sin so the questions don't match up. A more appropriate response would be "When did you choose to be a liar?" In that case, the answer would be "The first time I told a lie." Homosexuality is a sin just like any other. Jesus said that anyone who followed Him would have to deny himself and take up his cross.  (Luke 9:23) I believe that those homosexual tendencies are some people's crosses to bear just like alcoholism and addiction.

Is homosexuality unnatural? Yes. In Genesis 2 God created man and woman to be united. The Bible says that a man will leave his mother and be joined to his wife. Ephesians talks about duties of a husband and a wife. 1 Corinthians also describes the duties of man and wife. Proverbs 31 describes the attributes of a godly wife. Nowhere in the Bible (that I've found or ever think I will find) does it tell how to have a godly marriage with two men or two women. That's just not how we were created. That's not how civilizations continue and grow. It isn't possible.

Is homosexuality worse than other sins? In the eyes of God, no. Romans 3:23 says all have sinned and that because of that sin we are separated from God. Adam and Eve's first sin of disobedience is as bad in God's eyes as my lying or someone's homosexuality. Luckily for us, God loved the world so much that He sent His son, Jesus, to die on a cross for all of our sins. We don't have to be defined by them. We can overcome them.

Why are Christians so hateful towards homosexuals when they let other sins like cheating slide? I don't know. God calls us to love everyone as He loves them. In Mark  12 He says the second greatest commandment is to love others the way you love yourself. We aren't supposed to compare our sins to other people's sins. We should strive to be like Christ. If I compare my sins to Christ's sins, I'm utterly and hopelessly lost. I think too many times Christians get caught up in the sin and forget to love the sinner. Jesus didn't come to heal those who were already well. He came to heal those who were sick. (Mark 2:17) I think Jesus would be hanging out with the worst kinds of sinners.

Some people may get angry about this post, but it's Biblically expected. Matthew 24:9 says "Then you will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. You will be hated all over the world because you are my followers."

Dear Moms of Little Girls

Dear Moms of Little Girls,

     As a mom of little boys, I promise to do the following for your daughters. I will teach my sons to hold open doors, put their dishes in the dishwasher, wipe the seat, put up their own clothes, love God, read His Word, respect women, put others before themselves, and look for the best in people. In return I ask that you prepare your daughters, also. Please teach them to honor and respect others, serve, be patient and loving, put God first, be full of grace and loveliness, and dress appropriately. It will be hard enough for my sons to stay focused on Him without teenage girls showing off their bodies. It is hard for me to concentrate in church with the women in currently stylish dresses; how much harder would it be for men? God created men and women to be holy in His image. I will do everything in my power to help ensure my sons will lead and be Christ-like examples for your daughters. One day my sons will marry your daughters, and I desire them to be pure and holy for each one another.

Sincerely,

A Mom of Little Boys

Easiest Cookies Ever!

I found this recipe on Pinterest and I actually had all of the ingredients on hand so I decided to make it. All you need is:

I took a picture after I made them so the chocolate chips are no more

1 c. butter, softened
2 c. flour
1/2 c. chocolate chips
1/2 c. powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla

• Beat the butter until fluffy
• Sift in the powdered sugar
• Stir in the vanilla
• Fold in the flour 1/2 c. at a time*
• Stir in chocolate chips
• Scoop out in 1 inch balls
• Bake 10-14 minutes at 350 degrees**

*This was the trickiest part. It's essentially a shortbread cookie so it takes a bit of time and elbow grease to mix the flour in well.

**Mine were too thick to start with so they weren't cooked through after 10 minutes. I split them in half and cooked them another 10 minutes. Gooey and delicious!

8 Month Comparison

Kaleb at 8 months

Peyton at 8 months

8 Month Update

Here's my sweet little guy at Adalay's birthday party.  He wasn't quite 8 months, but he looks the same.

Age: 8 months
Weight:  21 lbs
Length: 29 inches - I didn't get to measure him this month, but it' probably about the same.
Sleep: He's sleeping very well lately. He'll go to bed between 8 and 9 and stay asleep until 7ish. Once summer school is over and he's not going to daycare, we'll try to adjust that schedule so we can all sleep a little later.
Likes: He likes being in the same place as Kaleb and/or me and/or Daddy. He's a social little guy. His paci is still the thing he can't live without, but he's also starting to get really attached to the yellow blanket Angie made him. He really likes when Kaleb acts silly. You can't help but laugh when he's laughing.
Dislikes: Being hungry and falling over, which is happening more and more now that he's trying to crawl. He's fallen off the couch, bumped his head on our hardwood floors, and gotten a carpet burn on his face. I swear I watch him!
News: He had a busy month. He said his first word "mama" (yay!), but he only says it when he's unhappy. Not really sure how to take that. He also cut his first AND second tooth - hallelujah! They are teeny little things on the bottom. The first one caused him a few nights of grief, but I was so glad when it finally got came through. I didn't even realize he had the second one until I was trying to see the first one! He is trying so hard to crawl. He gets on his hands and knees and rocks back and forth like he's just hoping he'll apparate to where he wants to go. (Sorry for the HP reference.) He's taken a few little "steps" but I don't really qualify it as straight up crawling. He has mastered rolling over and going from laying down to sitting up.

Hot Topic Issues Answered Biblically: Drinking

I am a Southern Baptist born and raised. I've been in church all my life, done VBS, sang in the choir, the whole nine yards. We are notorious for all of the things we aren't allowed to do: no drinking, no dancing, no premarital sex, no spicy foods on Mondays (okay, not that one). But when asked questions about WHY I'm not "allowed" to do those things, I would simply reply, "because the Bible says so." I hadn't actually done the research myself. Our pastor has really been encouraging us to get into the Word and see what Father has to say about living true, Christian lives. I've been reading through Romans the past couple of weeks, and the answer to the question, "Is drinking a sin?" came up. Here are the Bible's thoughts (and a little commentary from me.)

Is drinking a sin? No. 

How do I know? Jesus drank wine (Matthew 5:27 - 31), and obviously He never sinned otherwise the universe itself would crumble. 

Will Jesus drink wine again? Yes (Matthew 26:29)

Wasn't Jesus's first miracle turning water into wine? Yes (John 2: 1-12)

Does that mean I can drink, too?! Depends.

On what? How the Holy Spirit convicts you.

While the Bible doesn't say "don't drink" (sorry Southern Baptist Convention), it does say many other things about drinking...namely, don't be a drunkard. In Titus, both men and women are told they "must not be a heavy drinker," (vs. 1:7 and 2:3). I can already hear the thoughts, I can drink just a couple and not be drunk. Awesome! Here's my question to you. Are you really so aware of your body that you can tell the precise moment BEFORE you get drunk? I know I can't. In an effort for full disclosure and transparency, I can honestly say that there have been times when I thought I was fine, but was definitely...tipsy. And I was NOT glorifying God in those times. Don't read into it that I was dirty dancing with a Swiffer broom and had a lampshade on my head because that's not even close to the case. However, I did not have clarity and full control of my mind, emotions, or tongue.

Romans 14:23 says, "If you do anything you believe is not right, you are sinning." The Spirit convicts us of our sins. This is one way to prove our God is alive. He is a personal, individual God who deals with each person on his or her sins. If you have any doubts about whether or not to drink, don't. Listen to the Spirit working in you.

The Bible also says, in Romans 14: 21, "It is better not to...drink wine or do anything else if it might cause another believer to stumble." As Christians, we are called to be little Christs. We are told in 1 Corinthians 10:31, "whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God." Maybe it's just me, but I can't see a time when drinking would glorify God. The Lord's Supper may be an exception. (1 Corinthians 11:23-30)

I'm sure in my quest for Biblical truths and answers, I'll come across more verses and stories that support my answer, and when I do, I'll come back and modify this post. But until then, here is my answer to the question of whether or not it's okay to drink: When we stop trying to get away with as much as we can, and start living lives fully surrendered to Father, we won't have the desire to drink alcohol.

Kaleb Quotes: May 2013

• He was running around the park and came to the bench where his juice was. Then he said, "I need a pet shop." aka a pit stop
• "I love you, but I poo pooed."
• "I always don't go to time out." Honey, the word you're looking for is 'never.'
• "My heart is singing 'Silent Night.'"
• "Mommy, do you have a bathing suit?" YES "Is it a girl bathing suit?" YES "Is it a princess bathing suit?"
• "I love you, but I have to go to the playground."
• "I don't love the family anymore." Who is this kid? A mob boss?

** I'm going to have to start keeping a notepad with me. He says some funny stuff but I don't remember to write it down. These lists could be twice as long.

Photo a Day in May

I've seen some other blogs do this and I thought it was interesting. One blogger did a picture a day for a year!  Yeah, I knew that definitely wouldn't happen so I chose to do it just in May. Here's a list of prompts for the month.

Day 1: Okay, really it's two pictures, but I can't imagine anything more (peace)ful than sleeping babies.

Day 2: There's not much in the way of a traditional (skyline) but this is a Southern view. From the porch and everything.

Day 3: Love blue jean Friday. This is (something I wore) today.

Day 4: Eric used to have a lot of (fun) making and shooting model rockets as a kid, so I bought him one for his birthday. He is now passing down the love to Kaleb.

Day 5: If I had to pick my favorite (bird) out of the bunch, it would probably be the little hot pink one. These guys were half off at World Market after Easter. Score!

Day 6: I think (you) can tell a lot about a person by his or her favorite Bible verse. Romans 3:38-39 is mine.

Day 7: Gone with the Wind is my favorite book and movie. Part of the reason I love it so much is because of Mellie. She is the opposite of Scarlett and is (someone that inspires me) because she is so selfless and always sees and believes the best in people.

Day 8: There are many (smells I adore) but they are so hard to capture. One that was easy was the smell of my freshly bathed kids.

Day 9: This is (something I do everyday) in the sense that I feel like I MUST read. If you're a true lover of books, the day just isn't complete without reading at least a chapter of something. At the moment I'm reading Anna Karenina.

Day 10: I don't know if this makes me crazy, but as a teacher one of my (favorite words) is August because it's the beginning of the new year. I still get that giddy excitement of starting fresh.

Day 11: This is what my (kitchen) looks like 3 days into a boil water notice. Ugh! Bring back the water!

Day 12: This little guy in huge glasses is definitely (something that makes me happy).

Day 13: Pretty sure this used to be a (mum). Mrs. Brown Thumb strikes again!

Day 14: This is going to make mowing the (grass) so much easier!

Day 15: I (love) our new tradition: Shipley's Saturdays!

Day 16: (What I'm reading) is still Anna Karenina. (and it probably will be for a long time)

Day 17: I'm kind of obsessed with this perfect summer (snack).

Day 18:  These are (something I made) for our bare bathroom walls. Thanks Pinterest!

Day 19: I know it makes me seem lazy, but my bed really is (a favorite place) in my house.

Day 20: Living in the south, ceiling fans are definitely (something I can't live without)!

Day 21: The place (where I stand) 180 days a year looks might lonely with no kiddos.

Day 22: I plan on wearing this (pink) dress to an interview Memorial Day. (I didn't end up wearing it - I also didn't get the job)

Day 23: (Technology) can be sooo frustrating when it doesn't work!!

Day 24: I haven't bought (something new) for myself in quite some time, but I bought a couple of pair of khaki pants that I love.

Day 25: It's quite (unusual) for us to see a movie anymore. Much less two in one weekend.

Day 26: It hasn't taken effect yet, but this is what our (12 o'clock) will look like once summer really begins...June 21.

Day 27: This (something sweet) is seriously one of the best flavors out there.

Day 28: (The weather today) was pretty typical for late May in Mississippi...hot, pretty, with a quick shower thrown in.

Day 29: The (number) of poison ivy spots seems to be growing daily.

Day 30: (My personality) shines through in these boys' silly faces.

Day 31: This view is (something beautiful) on a Saturday morning.