filling my quota

as i was trying to update the pictures to the left of my blog posts, blogspot infoms me that i have met my quota of pictures allowed and i have to purchase more space if i want to upload any more.  ??? what ???  i was replacing already existing pictures!!!  i wasn't even adding new ones...
so, i don't know what to do.  do i delete old ones from long-ago posts???  i don't really want to go to all that trouble.  what do i do?

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

how we spent our father's day

just one caption needed:  IT WAS THE BEST DAY EVER!

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

are you HAPPY?

i'm trying something new with the kids.  something prompted me to add another phase to my teaching list.  "fix your face" when they aren't smiling.  have you ever heard the phrase, "fake it 'till you make it"?  well, we're testing it out here at our house.
i wonder if part of the problem with society's depressed nature is not smiling more as kids.  i'm sure there are some people that you can think of off the top of your head who's one of those people who are always smiling.  yes?  maybe not.  i don't know.  there's not a whole lot of people that are always smiling ... not any more ... not the older i get.
i think that i was a smiler when i was younger.  maybe not.  i don't know.  of course all the pictures that i recall i was smiling in.  but those are pictures.  i still smile in pictures.  but in life... all the time.  one of my people that comes to mind to me that always have a smile on his face is my brother (i'll call him "trent").  all growing up he had a big smile on his face too.  he's just a happy guy.  always trying to make others smile too.  i like that.  and who doesn't, right?!
as the summer started i told my kids they needed to practice laughing more.  it was just a random thought i had.  but laughing is good...  we should do it more often. 
if you're happy and you know it then your face will surely show it.
if you can't think of anything to be happy about, how about the FACT that you have a father in heaven that loves you.  then there's the FACT that he sent his only son to die on the cross to cover up your sins and upon your acceptance, bring you to heaven to live eternity with him.  either one of those FACTs, even if everything else in the whole world is negative, is enough positive to erase it all and bring happiness to your heart (and face). 
the "fix your face" was prompted by a blog post i read about a dad in honor of father's day.  he is a very happy guy always with a smile.  he'd tell his kids "fix your face" when they had an attitude written on their face.  i like it.  so we're fixing our faces.  maybe you should too.  smiles really do increase your face value!  try it!

[insert smiley faces here]
Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

12 weeks old today

unless my counting is off.
i moved her on up to the 3-6mo. clothes.  i thought she was fine but she's a whole lot easier to get dressed in these bigger clothes!  oops.  a lot more colorful too.  those 0-3 were pretty much ALL shades of pink!
she's still as sweet as ever. 

i found a baby pic of binkins and put it on our fridge.  starboy noticed it and said, "dare's buttercup!"  :) 

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

monday menu #12 for 2012

i'm excited for my menu this week.  why?  because i said so.
otter pop and i (mostly he) have been slaving over cleaning out the garage for the past few months.  we're really making progress, and finding things.  i love cleaning and finding things!  yesterday we found all our camping gear!!!  i had packed it all up nicely in a great big huge bin to where spiders couldn't (hopefully... i mean, that was the idea) get all up in it.  in the camping gear, i included this great big 10 quart dutch oven that my sister gave me years ago.  it was still brand new in its box! 
so, i'm excited that now it's a great size for the family we have and i also learned you can use it in your oven at home too.  so, i got out my dutch oven cookbook and ALL my recipes are from the book.  some of them i will use in the crock pot, but wooo hooo!  i'm excited. 

here's the menu:

• beef stew and biscuits
• taco soup
• swiss chicken (crock pot) with green beans
• fried rice with mongolian beef
• russian chicken (crock pot) with corn and rice and cherry soda cobbler
• crown rib roast w/ mashed potatoes and cauliflower...  only thing is i have no idea what a crown rib roast is, so that might put a damper on things.  we'll see...

maybe you could might expect some pictures and recipes for you this week...

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

gratituesday : interrupters

i like to be flexible.  i like to be sporadic... fly by the seat of my pants (so to speak).  i love it when others do too.  what i REALLY love?!  when "old" friends drop in with just a moment's  notice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

i had a friend come over today, i shall call her "holli", with her hubs, how about "jake"? and babe, we'll just protect her identity altogether not even giving her an incognito name. 
i was so so soooo excited to see her that i let out a squeal.  i found out she was in-state just yesterday.  i'm so glad she stopped in.  i hadn't met her sweet baby doll yet and i hadn't seen her hubby in years...  she lives a bit away. 
she's a friend from high school.  a best one.  i gave her a little forewarning that the house was a little disarray... but honestly she's the type of friend that wouldn't care anyway.  she knows me.  she loves me.  she's not a judger-of-me-er.  as they were leaving they kept apologizing for interrupting our quiet time...  seriously?!  i would LOVE IT for her to interrupt quiet time any time it works for her.  so "holli" if you're out there... if you read my blog... come interrupt again sometime soon.  bring your hubs.  bring your babe.  and interrupt all you want!!!
thank you, God, for putting interrupters in my life.  they make me happy.  they make me squeal.  i love them!  i'm grateful for the "holli"s and "jake"s and "baby h+j"s in my life.  those that will take a little extra time to hang out when life is busy and full of other things to do...  God, YOU are good.  You know i needed that today!

and... she told me she read my blog.  <3
i wish i would've taken some pictures!!!!!!!!! 

Try to remember, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."