Frozen Fog

Over the weekend we had some heavy fog roll through which is kind of unusual. It left a heavy and dense layer of frost on just about everything. It was beautiful. 

I think this one is my favorite; the combination of textures. 

Almost eerie isn't it? 

Permanent Dinosaur Jammies

The preschool workings of the brain baffle me. How, for example, can Yahoo watch the same Dora the Explorer DVD everyday and never get bored? Why are cold hot dogs and macaroni and cheese preferable to hot ones? What on earth is the attraction of smearing hand lotion all over my bathroom mirror?

And now, the latest round of odd preschooler behavior....

...the dinosaur jammies.

Exactly 12 days ago I bought these pj's at a church garage sale. Yeah, I knew they were boy jammies but they were cheap, in really good condition, soft and warm. Yahoo said she'd wear them when I showed them to her so we took them home and she's worn them ever since.

Literally! EV-ER-SINCE. For 12 days straight she has worn them. She wears them to bed at night. She insists on wearing them at nap time too. In the morning I'll dress her in jeans but half an hour later she'll have changed into the dinosaurs. I'll dress her to go to the grocery store and as soon as we hit the front door she strips and puts on the dinosaurs.

I guess I shouldn't complain...at least she's wearing clothes now. A month ago I was worried I had a future streaker on my hands.

I've washed them three times in 12 days. And each time it was torture for Yahoo as she waited by the dryer with tears in her eyes. Weird kid.

Maybe this is just the beginning of fighting over clothes with my daughter. After all I remember fighting with my dad over my wearing jeans he thought were too tight or stealing his flannel shirts to wear when I was in high school. Flannel cool? Yeah, I guess I was weird too.

Maybe I should start a scrapbook just for Yahoo's crazy fashions through the years. If she's anything like me, I grew up in the 80's and 90's after all, it could be quite interesting.

*sigh*

It's time to wash the jammies again...pray for our sanity.

Lowering of the Flag

Saturday night DR, the kids and I headed over to Fort Larned, for the second year, to participate in an 1860's Christmas party. We ate some great food made from 19th century recipes; Marble cake, Cranberry Pie, Gingerbread, Eggnog...ugg..I had quite the stomach ache driving home.

The employees of the Fort were dressed in 1860's costume and a group of probably 50 or more huddled around a wood burning stove in a room lit only by candle light while we sang Christmas carols.

I fully intended to take lots of pics of the food and people but the room was so dark it was difficult to take many pictures. I could have of course, but the use of the flash in such a dark room really took away from the spirit of the old fashioned Christmas so I refrained from taking too many.

However, one of my favorite aspects of Fort Larned is the giant flag in the middle of the parade grounds. As you drive up to the fort you can see it over a mile away waving above the tree tops. Saturday night we happened to get there in time to see them lower the flag. It was really neat to see. This, I did take a lot of photos of. Scroll down quick...and enjoy the scene from a Civil War fort!

I'm such a sucker for just about anything historical!

Marker Monday - Fold a Dollar Bill into a Ring.

How to Fold a Dollar Bill into a Ring. 

Lay a crisp(ish) bill faceup on the table in front of you. 

Fold up the top and bottom white borders as shown. Crease the folds with your fingernails.

Fold the bill in half lengthwise. 

Fold the bill in half lengthwise again. 

Flip it over so that "The United States of America" is across the top. 

On the right hand (call it End A) end fold back the white border to create a tab. Then fold it again to form a square with the number 1 inside the folded square. 

On the left end (call it End B) fold up the end to the back to form a right angle, about 2 inches from the end. To make the ring even smaller fold it about 3 inches. Fold a few and you'll get the idea of where you need to make the fold to fit your finger. 

Fold End B down over the front of the strip. 

Now flip the strip over so End A and End B have switched places. 

Place end B on your finger and wrap End A around your finger and over End B and fit it to your finger. 

End B is now pointing down and End A is pointing to the left. 

Fold End B up...

...and over the back of the strip. 

Fold End A to the right over End B and tuck the white tab behind End B snugly. 

Your ring is now ready to wear! 

Sunday Devotions - Simplicity

I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.
3 John 1:4 


Once again it's Saturday night and I'm trying to come up with my Sunday devotional. Usually I don't mind skipping a blogging day now and then...but not Sunday. My Sunday blog has, for me, become the most important and hardest to write. I'm no great theological scholar, and consider myself lousy with words, but I write my Sunday posts with the hopes that someone, somewhere, someday my be led to Christ through something I've written. 


It's Saturday night and I'm grasping at straws...what to write? What to write?? I'm flipping through books and verses when I come upon a book on my Kindle I had forgotten about; Little Folded Hands Prayers for Children. I even found the prayer I grew up reciting. 


Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray Thee Lord my soul to take. Amen. 


...and there are others that caught my eye. 


I thank Thee, Lord, for sleep and rest. For all the things that I love best. Now guide me through another day And bless my work and bless my play. Lord, make me strong for noble ends. Protect and bless my loving friends; Of all mankind good Christians make. All this I ask for Jesus sake. Amen. 


All praise to Thee, my God, this night for all the blessings of the light; Keep me, O keep me, King of kings, beneath Thine own almighty wings. Amen. 


Sometimes I struggle with communicating my thoughts, especially on Sundays. I have the idea in my head that I have to have some long winded message. Have you ever noticed how quickly a child can get the truth out? Kids get straight to the point. A lot like some of the prayers I came across. They pack a lot of meaning in a few words. 


I have a hard time writing and communicating; I'm not good with words. And, sometimes, when I pray, getting my thoughts across in my conversation with God seems impossible until I find myself rambling. I guess these prayers for children have reminded me that prayers don't have to be grandiose. I can keep it simple because, really, even if I don't say the right words God knows my intent. 


Dear God, Thanks for listening and hearing me. Amen. 

Foody Friday - Avocado Stuffed Pork Chops

If you got past the name of today's post then I applaud you. I admit avocado isn't for everyone and I was the only one who ate this dish (and loved it!) but if you like guacamole I think this would be a fun recipe to try and play around with. 

Avocado Stuffed Pork Chops

6 - 1in. thick pork loin chops

1 t. salt

1/8 t. pepper

1 mahed avocado

2 T lemon juice

2 T butter

3 cloves garlic

1 diced avocado

1/4 c. flour

2 T butter

1 T olive oil

Preheat oven to 350. Cut a deep pocket into the side of the chops and sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. In bowl, combine mashed avocado, lemon juice, butter and garlic and mix well. Stir in diced avocado. Using a small spoon, fill pockets of chops with this mix. Secure with toothpick and sprinkle chops with flour on both sides. 

Melt butter with olive oil in a large skillet on high heat. Add chops and brown on both sides. Transfer to oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes. Let stand for five minutes then serve. 

I thought this buttery and melt in your mouth. I probably would have cut the garlic in half though, it was just a bit much for my taste. I think stuffing the chop with guacamole would be great too! What other variations should I try? If you make this I'd love to know what you thought. 

Our Gingerbread House Tradition

We had a pretty busy weekend! 

First a tumbleweed snowman then meeting Santa (and the realization that I no longer have babies!) and finally we finished our weekend with our third year of making gingerbread houses. 

Each Halloween I rummage through the kids' trick or treat candy, eat all the chocolate (kinda kidding) then freeze about half of it for decorating gingerbread houses. 

The first year I did this I thought I could stick the house together with frosting..WRONG! It fell apart. So since then I hot glue the houses together first. What a lifesaver! 

I don't decorate one just the kids. 

This is quickly becoming one of my favorite holiday traditions.

I just love to watch my kids be creative. 

Yahoo was going to join us that day but her nap got all screwed up and she woke up late. 

Not that she would have actually decorated anything; once she came to the table she didn't do much but eat candy! 

This year we invited a "grandma" from church to come help us. She only has one grandchild who's in college so we thought we could all enjoy decorating houses together. 

I think she had a lot of fun. I think she talked and played with us more than she decorated! 

And thanks Aunt Jewel for the gingerbread man kit! They turned out very neat! 

Yip even made a Frankenstein cookie. Can you pick it out? 

Hint; it's the one with the green face. 

A lot of people have been blogging about their holiday traditions; 

(read about Sarah and her family's Cookie Day...a tradition of 32 years!) 

We have one or two more holiday traditions I may get a chance to share with you. But I want to know what kind of traditions your family has? What special holiday activity do you look forward to sharing with your family every year?