Sunday Devotions - Happy Father's Day!

Though we may not shower him with praise
Nor mention his name in song,
Though sometimes it seems that we forget
The joy he spreads as he goes along,
It doesn't mean that we don't know
The wonderful role that he has had.
And away down deep in every heart
There's a place that is just for Dad.....


– Anonymous


It was DR's idea last week to go see the movie Kung Fu Panda.

He insisted that we hurry and make it to the 3D showing of the film rather than the normal 2D version. I didn't really see what the big deal was. I'd never seen a film in 3D and I was sure it really didn't make a big difference which one we saw. DR, rather than trying to talk me into going to the 3D show, just said, "Trust me...you'll see how cool it is." DR was so excited and insistent I made sure we made it in time for the 3D Kung Fu Panda.

Don't my guys look good in those glasses? Doesn't Clifford look cute in DR's lap too?

Yahoo insisted on bringing the toy but then didn't want to hold it!

Once we put on those cool glasses and the movie started I could see the attraction and excitement of watching a 3D movie!! A few times I even jumped in my seat because of how real the movie seemed. I felt that all the objects on screen were coming right at me! Dads are pretty smart aren't they? Great things can be revealed by dads because they don't want to just tell you about something but they want to show it to you. There was no way DR could explain to us how cool a 3D movie would be; he could only reveal it to us by getting us to the theater and showing us.

At that time Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this is what you were pleased to do.



Luke 10:20-22

I think the great dads of the world must have learned their greatness from our Heavenly Father! He sees us all as his children and isn't here just lecturing and talking (like us moms sometimes can) but he reveals wonderful things to us in his own time and in his own quiet ways....like a dad taking his kids (and skeptical wife) to a 3D movie. Happy Father's Day to all you great dads out there...especially my kids' dad, DR! Love ya honey.

Dear Heavenly Father, Thank You for the gift of our Earthly fathers. Although they sometimes take a backseat to mothers and aren't often given the praise they deserve, fathers play a vital role in the family and lives of their children. Fathers are special, unique and irreplaceable. Thank You for DAD! Amen.

Just Five Things...

5 Things I Enjoyed Today

watching my boys jump off the diving board for the first time

eating oatmeal cookie dough

drinking a lot of iced coffee

 working in my garden, yep, I even enjoyed those weeds

 reading The Tragedies of the Medici (yeah, I'm a nerd that way)

5 Things On My To-Do List (Someday) 

run a marathon and not hire a babysitter to train for it

hike the Grand Canyon with my kids

paint a mural in a public place (hmmm, does a bathroom wall count as public?)

live in a house for at least a decade (that's a biggie!)

visit the Louvre in Paris just to see Michelangelo's David if nothing else

5 Things I would be very happy to not have in my life

Jehovah Witnesses coming to my door

900 miles separating me from my family

plumbing problems

 (I had leak under my kitchen sink the other day and when I pressed on the pipe to find the crack my finger went right through the pipe. Yeah, it was a bit old and rusted.)

Spongebob Squarepants, Barney the Dinosaur or any other equally annoying children's TV character

...okay, I must have a pretty happy life since I could only think of four things for that last list.

How about you? Do you have 5 things?

Foody Friday - Cheesy Sliced Crockpot Potatoes

I love crockpots. I've probably already said that but it doesn't hurt saying it again.

"I love crockpots!"

 

Cheesy Sliced Crockpot Potatoes

Slice up a BUNCH of potatoes, 6-7. Spray your crockpot with cooking spray and arrange a single layer of potato slices on the bottom. Brush the potatoes generously with melted butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Repeat these layers; potatoes, butter, salt and pepper, potatoes, butter, salt and pepper...until your crockpot is filled to desired fullness. Sprinkle about 1/4 cup of Parmesan cheese on top and turn on your crockpot. High for 4-5 hours or Low for 6-8.

Now experiment! Maybe put Parmesan in the middle of every layer or use different seasonings. How about mixing different potatoes together? Red, white and sweet potatoes together? Hmmmm.... I need to eat more potatoes!

My Summer Pet Peeve; Pool Moms

We are spending a lot of time at the town pool this summer. I can justify soaking up the sun because it's a block from the house, most of the Kansas summer has been above 100 degrees and it's never crowded. The kids love it and it's good exercise too. Who doesn't love going to the pool?

What bugs me about going to the pool are the other moms. I mean, we spent three hours there today and out of ten moms there were only about three that ever got into the water with their kids! Okay, I get it....going to the pool is a chance for moms to relax and sit while the kids entertain themselves. But 3 hours?? And never playing with your kids? I like playing with me kids, don't other moms? It's not like these kids are teenagers or anything; they are all elementary age.

It's not like this kids don't want adults in the pool either. I'm in the pool the whole time (because if I'm not on guard Yahoo would jump off the diving board....seriously, she fears nothing)...anyway, every time I get in Yip and Yap want to play sea monster. Sea monster involves Yip and Yap attacking me in an attempt to dunk me. Kinda vigorously too...which I love!  My own kids aren't the only ones to play either. A bunch of other kids are always asking me to watch them jump or swim or flip in the water. Kids ask for help in the deep water and they love splashing the grown up. These kids love adult attention! Moms!!! Get in the water with your kids...THEY WANT YOU THERE!

And don't use that excuse that you look terrible in a bathing suit!! First of all, the rest of the moms look the same way you do. We all have stretch marks, varicose veins, saggy boobs (or in my case no boobs) and chubby butts. Okay, yeah, there's always the lady with at least two kids, no stretch marks and the audacity to wear the yellow bikini in front of the rest of us but be comforted in the fact she's getting way too much sun with all that exposed skin and will break out in terrible wrinkles by the time she's 50. Okay? Get over it, get in the pool. Secondly, your kids don't care how you look. They just want you around and playing with them!  

This issue probably wouldn't bug nearly as much if there wasn't this one mom hadn't been reading the book The Five Love Languages of Children every time we're at the pool. How to show your kids you love them? Ummmm....oh, I don't know....how about spending time with them?? Has our culture gone so much to pot that we have to read a book in order to show our kids that we love them? Hey! Call me old fashioned but my parents spent time with me and told me they loved me and were proud of me and that worked just fine for me!

Okay, rant over. But really why don't moms want to get in the pool with their kids?

After the storm.

We had a storm roll through over the weekend. DR and I were watching the radar closely, not for tornadoes, but for cloud seeding!!! We are pretty sure we saw evidence the planes may have been up in the air during the storm. Crazy people!!

Anyway, as the storm was coming to an end I stepped out to take some pictures.

Lovely silhouettes!

Look! It's wet!! My garden looked fabulous the next day!

As I turned around to walk back in the house, I was welcomed by a full rainbow! I tried to get a pic of the entire arc but I could barely see it with my naked eye and nothing I did with the camera could get a good image.

I didn't notice until after I took this shot but the whole landscape was black and white except for the sun's reflection in the school's window. Neat!

This little bit of rain was very welcome and sure greened things up the next day but we are still dry and are hoping for some more summer rains like this one in the future.

Playin' with the Big Boys

We live right across the street from the high school in our town.

The past couple weeks, at 6:45 a.m., this was the scene before me.

The high school football players were busy with summer conditioning drills; lifting weights, running sprints and pushing sleds.

And my boy Yip, in his pajamas, watching every minute of it just wishing he could be out there too.

"Pick me coach, pick me!"

 Coach has already told Yip that he can get out there and run with the big kids....but my boy is still working up his courage. He's kind of shy around the big boys. Oh! If only one of those teenagers would just give him a bit of encouragement!

In the meantime I'm enjoying peering out the window at them and taking pictures of them all at 6:45 a.m. Peering out the window and not stepping outside because at 6:45 a.m. I'm still in my pajamas too.

Marker Monday - Chalkboard Con-Tact Paper!

I was SOOO excited when I found Con-Tact paper that was a chalkboard!

The roll measures 18" by 6' for $6.49, pretty good deal.

I pieced pieces together and covered two doors on a cabinet we have and I still have a ton left over.

It draws, looks and cleans like a real chalkboard

and the kids love drawing on it.

I'm trying to figure out what to do with the rest. I'm thinking of putting some on the inside of my pantry door for a grocery list when I run out of things.

  I combined the scrap Con-Tact paper from the doors with an old photo frame to get this. 

This has been handy to leave messages for my husband where I'm sure he can't miss them!

But I still have a few feet left of this Con-Tact paper. Before I use it, do you have any creative suggestions for me?