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1. Take my entire family to Maui, and stay for 2 weeks at the luxurious all-suites Kea Lani hotel. I would hire a nanny to help with the kids--so all of the adults could have a couple of hours each day to lay out and relax.
2. Pay off my home mortgage.
3. Pay off my family's home mortgages. (Aren't I nice?)
4. Add onto our house: 1) A master suite, with a master bathroom embarrassingly luxurious; 2) Enlarge our kitchen--full gourmet kitchen, baby; 3) A garage apartment suite - So we could have a lovely space for our guests, or have the option to rent out the space to a part-time babysitter/maid.
5. Buy my husband his dream car--a beautifully restored 1962 Chevrolet truck, step-side, light green color.
6. Renovate our backyard--with a separate space for our dogs (who tear up the yard--grr), and a lovely space for a pool and patio. Oh yeah--and hire a full-time pool boy. Oh wait, I have daughters. Scratch the pool boy idea.
7. Spend a month at a time, exploring different countries of the world with our family. Also, finding a way to serve in that country while we are there. I want our daughters to have an understanding of the world we live in, and I want them to experience serving people in many different cultures. Have you heard of The World Race? I just heard about it this summer for the first time... THAT is what I want to do--but, with our KIDS.
8. Buy a retro silver Airstream, decorate it with bright red and white polka dot awnings, and put out my shingle, which would read: "MK's Cakes and Cones...gourmet cupcakes and sno cones." If I don't feel like being open every day, I'll just travel to places I want to see, and set up during craft fairs and seasonal festivals. Perhaps this should be my retirement plan!
9. Open a Chick-Fil-A in Branson. So I could eat there!
10. Turn our basement into a game room--complete with some of my favorite old-school games: Galaga, Centipede, a pinball machine, and Whac-a-Mole. One side of the room would need to have a long soda fountain bar with a Coke products only policy--and my very own Icee machine!
11. Oh, wait. I need one more. And money is no object, right? I would buy a jet, and hire a pilot to be at my disposal. That way, I could jet off to see my family any ole' day of the week...and jet to the beach when winter starts getting on my nerves.
Oh, I could keep going... But, I'll stop here. Did you notice there are no "Set up a savings account" or "Set up college funds" or "Invest wisely" items on my list? Yep, I'd be a real happy-go-lucky millionaire. No time for investments or financial planning--we've got to get busy HAVING FUN. I bet people's lists tell a lot about them...
This post is part of Mama Kat's Writing Workshop. Jump over there, and see what other people are saying! Oopsie daisie...Now that I am linking up, I see that I got the prompt a little wrong...It should have read, "10 things I would do if I didn't have to work."
I feel like we live in a society where peace is nearly unattainable. It's that thing that is just out of our reach. We all are grasping for it, sometimes touching it with the tips of our fingers, but just missing it.
And I'm not talking about world peace here. I'm talking about personal peace. The feeling you can have when sitting all alone in a quiet room--and your heart is satisfied. Or, the feeling you can have when you lay your head on the pillow at night and close your eyes--and there is a silence within you. Nothing is screaming out, pounding within your brain, or causing sleep to be elusive.
Oh, and just so you know, I am talking to myself here even more than I am talking to you. I run around half the time like a crazed woman--dashing out the door multiple times a week, yelling, "HURRY, girls. Forget that and GET IN THE CAR RIGHT NOW."
I fill my days so utterly full of STUFF--lessons and carpools and cooking last-minute dinners and schoolwork and exercising and refereeing fights and emailing and grocery shopping--that I leave no room for peace. My checklist is a mile long. How could peace exist when I'm continually running to the next item on the list?
Just recently I heard a wonderful message about peace. Dr. Kerry Skinner spoke to our church, and when he mentioned Isaiah 32:17, something resonated inside me. I grabbed my daughter's lime green pen and scribbled it down.
The fruit of that righteousness will be peace;
its effect will be quietness and confidence forever.
-Isaiah 32:17
Does the word "peace" have the same effect on you, as it does me? The word almost washes over me when I say it. Just like the verse above says--"its effect will be quietness and confidence forever." Who wouldn't want that?
Dr. Skinner said that people look to relieve stress in people, places, success, and busyness. And for a while, those things can fill the need, and help us feel good. I know busyness is a huge one for me. As long as I'm busy, I don't notice the nagging voice inside me. Or--being a little vulnerable here--give me a good book, and I can drown out the pounding inside my brain for a while. Especially if I can read until I fall asleep.
What about you? How do you avoid the stress, the nagging voice inside you, or the pounding in your brain?
In other words, how do you find peace?
What does the verse mean...How do I get that "fruit of righteousness," so that I can attain peace?
Flickr photo credit: Mark Fischer
(This is a re-posting from last year. But, I just HAVE to. In case there is someone in the world who does not know about this life-altering fall snack. Try it, you must.)
Okay, I know it's not technically fall yet. But, a girl can wish, can't she? School has started, football has started, September is right around the corner--so my brain is thinking FALL!!!
We all know what fall means, don't we???
Why, it means Candy Corn, of course!! Raise your hand if you can't eat just one candy corn. Unfortunately...both my hands are raised.
One of my favorite Fall snacks combines Candy Corn with dry roasted peanuts.
Oh my heavens--my mouth is watering just thinking about it! And guess what it tastes exactly like? A Payday bar--only BETTER!! Oh, but how do you make it? Mix equal parts of both, and store in a ziploc bag. Well...store the part that's left...if there is any!
(Go ahead and call me a snob...but, I'm sorry--Brach's makes the best Candy Corn hands-down...and Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts are my favorites. No, no, no--they didn't pay me to say that. I am just telling you the truth in love.)
Payday Mix is also a favorite traveling snack for our family. A handful of this mid afternoon on a long car trip just does the trick!
Oh, and so I don't get myself in trouble--I should give all credit and adulation for this AMAZING Fall snack to my friend Dawn! If it weren't for Dawn introducing our family to Payday Mix, I just don't know where we'd be today.
Do you have a favorite fall snack? I'd love to hear about it!!!
Or--even a favorite traveling snack?
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Even though my Mom and Dad BOTH taught me how...and even though I did it all growing up...I don't do hospital corners on my bed anymore.
Lately, I've been trying to keep track of my calories in a smart phone app, and even though I am the ONLY person to see it, sometimes I fudge a little--meaning, sometimes I record fewer calories than I actually eat.
I wear socks to bed every single night. I almost can't sleep if I don't have the socks. And just to amp up my nerd score, those socks are white over-the-ankle athletic socks.
I really, really cannot stand the sound of someone eating behind me. Mostly, I notice this phenomenon if I'm on the computer, and someone is standing behind me eating something. I literally want to come out of my skin. Usually, I just get up and leave the room for a moment.
I know I've said this here before, but I feel like I should get some sort of award for this... I have worn the same perfume--every single day--for 25 years. And I still love it.
I am not at all a picky eater. However, I do not like beets, turnip greens (or collard greens), cottage cheese, or liver.
I do, however, love Coca-Cola and ice cream. Heaven forbid I should become a diabetic. What would I do?
When my 6th grade daughter has a "conceptual" math lesson, I literally cannot help her. I can't for the life of me wrap my brain around that kind of math. Which is why Dewey Dunagin tutored me through Algebra II and Trigonometry in high school. I never did understand Trigonometry...
I have an unnatural love of jumping out and scaring my family. Or, occasionally, in the middle of Rebecca doing some schoolwork quietly, I'll suddenly yell, "BOO!!!" and I just laugh and laugh at how she jumps. I don't know WHY I think that is so funny! But, I do!
Okay, I do know WHERE I developed this love of scaring family. I come by it naturally. My parents--both of them--at one time or another, hid in my closet wearing a monkey mask. They just laughed and laughed when I'd open the door, and instantly fall to my knees in surprise. They called that my "drop seizures." Oh, and my brother, sister, and I all did the same kind of things to each other. Always in good fun--and we always laughed about it together. You know the saying, don't you? The family that scares one another, stays together.
This is enough confession for one day, isn't it? Okay, one more...
To this day, I am very insecure about playing volleyball. In fact, you will almost never see me play. Back in P.E. class waaaaay back in 12th grade, there were some very competitive girls--okay, mean girls--who yelled at me and trash-talked me when I'd miss a shot, or not play as agressively. Oh, and they yelled at other not-great players, too. I wonder if those girls are still insecure, too? Even though I don't at all feel emotionally scarred by those mean girls, it does remind me of the power of words.
Flickr photo credit: johncooke
Has the Pinterest craze bug bitten you yet? Well, why not?
(What IS Pinterest? Megan at SortaCrunchy blog wrote a great tutorial. Read, and find out about this little gem of a site!)
You should go right now and sign up. I'll wait on ya! Then, you should go follow ME on Pinterest. I'll follow you back!
I thought it would be fun to show you (especially you non-Pinterest lads and ladies) some of my favorite finds lately. There are TONS of wonderful ideas on Pinterest. These are actually ones that I would do, or use.
(Note: Click on the link below each picture to find out more...or to re-pin to your own Pinterest board!)
Necklace Holder - towel rack and shower hooks
What a brilliant way to hang a picture!
Ooh! This just makes my fingers itch to find an old toy, and some glossy spray paint!
I just LOVE these Candy Corn Pumpkins!!
One of my favorite things about Fall? Pumpkin bread! I really want to try these EASY pumpkin muffins!
And this? This just made me GIGGLE.
We've been working really hard around our house lately...studying Missouri history. Rebecca's homeschool academy holds a history banquet each year, and this year Rebecca chose to study Bess Truman, famous First Lady from Independence, Missouri.
Rebecca studied Bess Truman's life, created a poster about her, and wrote and memorized a 2-minute speech about her life.
Just this week, we got to celebrate with her class, as they all presented their famous Missourians.
I bet you can even guess who some of them were...especially if you know anything about Missouri history. (Hint--the person didn't have to be born in Missouri, just had to live here for some time.)
I know I am a little biased...but I think this is the prettiest Bess Truman I've ever seen! Don't you agree?
Oh, and look at her hair! Rebecca thought a French twist would help her look the most "First Lady-ish." She did it herself--that girl has some amazing hair talent! (unlike her poor mama...)
Oh, and here she is giving her speech. Doesn't she look like she's been giving speeches all her life?
We couldn't have been ANY PROUDER of our own little Bess Truman! It really is humbling to see your kids stretch themselves, do something they are not comfortable with, and succeed.
Where's my little drooling toddler with dirty knees from crawling all over the place?
Don't remind me...I know she's growing up...too quickly.
How do you show love to your kids when you're not around? Like, at lunch-time at school? Here are some practical ways I've found:
Of course, these ways can be shown AT HOME, too! There's nothing like spicing up a long homeschool day with a fun lunch. (Can I get an amen, homeschool moms??)
I really struggle getting our youngest to eat sandwich meat. By cutting cute little shapes (without crusts), she is more likely to eat the little turkey sandwiches. Score one for Mom! My oldest loves a turkey sandwich, but I like knowing she is reminded of my love for her...even on her sandwich!
Remember when I told you about sending water bottles for my daughters' lunches? Well, sometimes, it's fun to surprise them--with a little flavor in their water! They'll be reminded Mom is always looking for fun ways to show my love to them--even in their water. Oh, and I don't do it every day, either. Because then they'd expect it. I like to have little surprises pop up now-and-then!
(I bought mine in the pens and office supply section at Walmart.)
Once again, this is the fun idea of my big sister. She likes to surprise her sons with encouraging notes and positive character qualities she spots in them--with these fun shaped Post-it Notes on their mirrors, doors, etc. I think it would also be fun to put these in a lunchbox. But, the most powerful part of these adorable Post-its will be the message you write on them. I LOVE the idea of saying, "I really appreciate the (insert positive character quality here) you have been showing around our family recently!"
But, enough about me...
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I am from the lookout branch of the Magnolia tree, seemingly soaring above the St. Augustine grass, smooth and cool beneath impromptu kickball games.
I am from the buzzing chiming doorbell, and the individual rhythm of 6 young feet bounding down 5 steps, then 12 more.
I am from the rock garden of the back yard, where mini caves of damp dirt and soft moss became homes for Barbies, elegant apartments and satin dress parties dreamed about.
I am from storytelling over family meals, and the character quality of personal discipline (sometimes called stubbornness), from George and Virginia and Berry and Mary Athalene.
I am from the dislike of stuffy people and parties, and the urge to help the underdog.
From "breakfrust" callers and "happiness is a choice" tellers.
I am from the yellow brick church, 2nd row left side--just in front of the Aldersons--where I grew from counting light bulbs in the grand chandelier (and always losing count), to learning beyond the Baptist, soaking in truth that became tucked inside my heart.
I’m from Three Creeks in Arkansas, and the Florida house built by my grandfather and great grandfather; fried chicken on Sundays and always Key Lime Pie for company.
From the stories of Brother Mose's high-pitched "Hoo!" answering from the backyard, and the lilting bedtime voice of Grammy reciting our very favorite Little Boy Blue poem.
I am from the top of the stairs, the wall of mis-matched frames, the span of a dozen feet and 4 generations of familiar smiles and stories sealed behind glass panes...the whole story of our family, now long taken down and moved away, but still etched inside 5 hearts.
5 hearts--now 15--looking forward, looking back, finding home.
From Mama Kat's Weekly Writing Workshop suggestion, I am participating in the "Where I'm From" meme. Here is the original template. A description of the excercise is here. Pretty please join in the fun, and write your own!! Let me know if you do!
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In honor of Fall officially making her appearance this week, I thought it would be fun to talk about my TOP 10 favorite things about Fall. This is actually a re-posting from last year... But, reading over the list--I think it's still pretty much the same.
Seriously, I know Spring should be my favorite season...But, Fall wins every single year. I just love it!
Do you have any of the same TOP 10?
1. The clothes, oh the clothes. Sorry to start out so shallow, but it's true. I just love the deep colors, the soft fabrics, the layering, and how you can throw on jeans and a sweater--and look cute! You can't get the same cuteness factor with shorts and t-shirts, no siree, you cannot. (Well, unless you're a jogger--but then you're too cute, and I don't like you. Okay, okay, except Susan. And my cousin Becky. I like both of you in spite of your jogging cuteness, and that's it. No one else. That I can think of. Except that this year, I need to update this, dangit. Several of my dang friends are now joggers, and okay, they're pretty cute, too! But NO. ONE. ELSE.)
2. I love how you can be non-committal with clothes in the Fall. Like capris--is it hot out, or cold? Doesn't matter--you're covered for either! 3/4 length sleeves--hot or cold? You are good to go.
3. Candy corn. Can I get an amen? And I mean The Real Stuff. That pale pink and green pastel corn in the Spring just doesn't do it for me like the real orange and yellow does. Also, sorry to be a snob, but please do not buy me cost-cutter candy corn. My favorite brother-in-law would call that "bandy born" or "dandy dorn." I just want Brach's, and that's all.
Oh, and please tell me you already know about my FAVORITE fall snack made with candy corn and peanuts? I call it Payday mix!
4. The weather!!! If you don't just love the cool breezes and even the chilly evenings, then you are an old curmudgeon. Fall makes me want to take walks and sit on the front porch like no other season.
5. Friday night football!! Okay, I KNOW--my friends are snickering at me right now. But, I DO love Friday night football. Especially half-time, when the band comes out to play! I do not necessarily like the game of football, per se, but I just like the whole experience of a Friday night football game...the weather, the chit chatting with friends in the bleachers, the band, the flags, the nachos from the concession stand... Anybody with me here? (My brother is TOTALLY rolling his eyes at me right now.)
6. The starting up of school and activities. I am a girl who loves a good schedule. I don't necessarily like the busyness of doing too many activities...I just like our family being on a schedule every week.
7. The changing colors of the leaves. Sugar maple trees are my absolute favorite!!
8. Oh, all right, if you must know--the premieres of all the new seasons of television shows. However, I must admit, I barely even know what is coming on this year. What, with Lost and 24 being gone forever, what's a girl to watch?
9. I know that as a good Christian girl, I should not like Halloween. But, maybe it's the little girl still inside me, because I just love the idea of little kids dressing up in darling costumes, going up to a beloved neighbor's door, and shyly saying, "Trick or Treat" to get some yummy candy... Of course, when I see the teenagers--and ADULTS--dressed up in cheap, scary costumes, it just makes me MAD. As backwards as it sounds--Halloween should not be for creepy people. It should only be for cute, and nice little boys and girls.
10. Okay, we're all thinking it--the FOOD. When else can you eat caramel apples and not feel guilty? Oh, and homemade caramel? It was created for Fall. Apples picked right off the tree, and sliced up for a flaky crust apple pie. Or, an apple dumpling. Have any of you ever tasted a Silver Dollar City apple dumpling? Well, I am sorry for bringing it up if you have not. Cause they are divine. Warm apple cider on a chilly evening. Oh, and did I ever tell you that s'mores taste better in the Fall? Their oozy, gooey, melty warmness just tastes better when you are not sweating and swatting mosquitoes.
Okay, I'll stop with the Fall foods before I feel the need to go make myself a s'more in the microwave...
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