MarytheKaytheBlog

Memorial Day: Grateful, so Grateful for my Freedom

Today, I am keenly aware that because of this

 

and men like this

 

and men and women like this

 

and men and women who do this

Because of all of these things, I am GRATEFUL today...and every day...

 Because of these things, our family proudly flies this on our house 365 days a year 

Today, before I grill, before I picnic, before I enjoy time with friends...I want to spend some time PRAYING for the men and women who give their lives to protect our country.  Without them, my life sure would look a lot different.  I really don't take that for granted.

 Please join me in praying for them.  Let's also not forget all the families and loved ones they leave behind.  Their gift to our country is every bit as great as the men and women overseas.  I'm praying for them today, too.

 IMPORTANT NOTE:  If you have a family member or friend who is currently fighting for my freedom, I would LOVE IT if you would mention that person BY NAME in the Comments.  I would be HONORED to pray for your loved one by name today...Thank you.

Thank you. 

And God bless America!!

 

*(Reposted from Memorial Day, 2011)

Valentine Shmalentine Fi Fie Fo Falentine

Firtht of all, pleath let me thay how thorry I am for being abthent here on the blog.  I just needed to step away for a bit.  (Oh look!  My lisp is suddenly gone!)  Sometimes, life and living just have to take precedence.  I did a little self-care this past week.  And sometimes, that self-care was named:  A bowl of chocolate ice cream while sitting on the couch beside my husband to watch a little American Pickers.  Oh yes--we were living life on the wild side!

Okay, but now back to the regularly scheduled program...  A Valentine's post just for you--because I love ya so dearly and all that other mushy stuff.  I actually wrote this a couple of years ago, but I still mean every stinking word.

Sending you all a long, lingering, awkward Valentine hug today!!!!!  Well...to be completely honest...there are a couple of you scruffy and smelly guys...that I am sending an arm punch.  But, a meaningful one.  I promise.

Remember back in elementary school, when one of the Valentine games every year was to see how many words you can make from the words "Valentines Day?"

I always worked furiously on that game.  Man, I scribbled word after word, amazed at my brilliance.

valiant, Dane, dainty, salve, veal, instead, salient, van, tiny, leaven...

And every stinking time, some kid would beat me.  Usually by 10 words or more.

Those are some mighty groovy pants, girl!  And...a...halter top over a turtleneck??

But, most of my Valentine's memories are really great ones.  Valentine's Day is one of my favorite holidays...mostly because it comes right after my birthday.  Growing up, our family celebrated holidays in a big way.  My mom was just really great about that.  I'm pretty sure that all of my birthday parties growing up had a heart theme...heart cake, pin the arrow on the heart, pass the heart, heart cups and plates and tablecloth...  There were always Valentine treats on the table for my brother, sister, and me at breakfast.  My dad always sent beautiful flowers to my mom for Valentines.

But, I know that not everyone has a birthday right before Valentine's.  So, I'm sure not everyone has the same fond feelings toward the pink and red holiday.  Maybe even some of you have some sad Valentine's memories... 

Whatever the case, I sure hope that this Valentine's Day you remember the One who loves you most.  The Valentine who never disappoints.  The One who thinks you're beautifully made, and longs for a relationship with you.  The Valentine who created romance, and warm fuzzy feelings, and candlelight, and roses.  The only Valentine who loves you utterly, and completely, and forever.

That kind of love is hard to resist.  When you stop and think about it.

 “The Lord your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing.”  (Zephaniah 3:17)                                                   

What do you think about Valentine's Day? 

What are your fun memories?

What we've been up to...

 

Top Row - Books I read last week and LOVED!  (DISCLAIMER: This "Shades of Gray" book has NOTHING to do with the racy Shades of Gray books - this is historical fiction about WWII in Russia/Siberia.)

Bottom Row - Books I'll start this week, plus a new daily devotional.

For the last week and a half, we have driven over 1,500 miles, (I) have read 3 novels and cried at some point in each, watched more hours than I care to know on Netflix, have visited both sides of our families, have bought antibiotics for BOTH daughters, wrapped and opened Christmas gifts, and even had to un-wrap a couple of gifts when I completely forgot what was inside, and who they were for!

 Sounds like a busy 10 days, huh?

Oh, but it's been a wonderful, giggle-filled, memory-making, good family visiting, and (unfortunately for the ole' scale) yummy food-filled time!  There were even some snowflakes one day, which made everything even better!

Rebecca's and Sara Beth's sicknesses weren't wonderful.  In fact, both girls have felt down-right miserable.  And, of course they weren't sick at the same time...  We got to spread the respiratory cheer across both weeks, and to both families.  (I sure hope no one gets sick!!)  

A really great part about our wonderful family-filled time, is that we still have a WHOLE WEEK LEFT before jumping back into school and routines!!!  Can I get an "AMEN" from the crowd?

For the next free week ahead, we have discussed some home projects to finish, finishing and sending out the rest of our Christmas cards (I know! I KNOW--Should have already been done!!!)  as well as some day-adventure possibilities or even a fun road-trip!

What have you been up to?

What's on your agenda this week?  (Anybody else sending embarrassingly-late Christmas cards??)

Happy Thanksgiving...and a Little Music to Make You Happy

Ah, Nat King Cole's Unforgettable instantly transports me back to my Gram's kitchen...the smell of turkey and cornbread dressing, gravy simmering on the stove, and the whir of that 1-beater mixer as my Gram makes her homemade whipped cream in the crock with the chip...  The iced tea already sweating in the heavy green glasses...the small hands sneaking black and green olives from the middle of the table...Just waiting on the pan of rolls to turn golden--filling the house with their warm, yeasty aroma...

Finally.  Finally grabbing hands to make a circle in the middle of the kitchen.  These hands that bind our hearts together as family.  My Gram asking my uncle to pray--but NEVER failing to remind him, "Berry Lee, we've got rolls in the oven, so not too long."

I'd give anything to have that same circle again, hear those same heartfelt prayers again, see my short little grandmother with the splattered apron tied around her waist, directing us through the line and to our appointed places.  To sit leisurely at that table, and listen to those old stories again. 

I am full of thanks for happy memories.

Here's a little happy music to make you smile, and remember, while you cook today...

2008 Thanksgiving Dinner Party from dmckiernan on 8tracks Radio.

 What sights and sounds take you back...to Thanksgiving pasts?

(re-posted from Thanksgiving, 2011)

One Day: In Pictures

 Today's post is a little slice of our family's life--all in pictures!  From start to finish, I'm showing you a typical day for our family.  We didn't do anything extra exciting this day, but we did have some sweet moments sprinkled in.  (And nobody had a meltdown.  Even the mama!  Whew!)

When Laura at Hollywood Housewife came up with the idea for One Day, I hesitated at first...mostly because I can be (*cough cough* understatement) a little perfectionistic about some things.  The thought of taking quality pictures all day, and then editing all of the pictures, and then uploading them to my blog just sounded too overwhelming.  

However, since I am TERRIBLE at scrapbooking and picture-taking in general, I felt this was a great opportunity to record a little slice of our family's life.  I snapped pictures all day long on my phone, and decided not to worry one bit about quality.  I just kept thinking how wonderful it would be for our girls to be able to look back and remember a typical--and happy--day in our family.

Snap, snap, snap.  It was such a great day of capturing memories!

So, drum roll....I present to you....our day, Wednesday, November 14, 2012.  

(And, now, if I can just upload all of these pictures onto a digital scrapbook site and hit "Send" I will be very, very happy!)

6:50am: I really don't like these numbers. 

 

6:55am:  The first one to greet me every morning.  #hungry

6:59am:  I love these beautiful feet.

7:04am:  Morning love for my school girl.

7:08 am:  Lunch love.

7:15am:  Quiet mornings with my school girl.

7:32am:  Calling out to me

7:40am:  ...meanwhile, look who is awake.  I really wish I could quietly slip back into bed, unnoticed.

7:42am:  I so love kissing these sweet cheeks!

7:49am:  Oops!  Look who crawled back into bed.

7:51am:  Technology buying me a few extra minutes in bed.  #Wheres My Water

8:45am:  Breakfast of champions  #pumpkin bread  #Coke

9:00am:  School work      

 #MathUSee  #AllAboutSpelling  #HandwritingWithoutTears  #AllAboutReading  #StoryoftheWorld  #LunchMoneyLibraryBook

9:05am:  Math in jammies.  Is there really any other way?

11:15am:  It's been requested that I communicate via mailbox.  #old school

12:10pm:  Cheers!   #Lunch with friends

1:00pm:  One of my cute lunch dates  #Carissa  #Jenn  #Connie

2:00pm:  The letter board--SB's most DREADED part of reading and spelling.  Hate is not too strong a word.  And I really don't understand why...?

3:30pm:  A little after-school dollar drink!

3:31pm:  Make that TWO after-school dollar drinks!  Sweet tea and rootbeer.

3:40pm:  Quick drop-off and short visit at my parents'.  Such a welcoming front entry!

3:45pm:  Pops re-gluing my 2 broken pheasants.   #steady surgeon hands

5-5:40pm:  Dollar General Store for Operation Christmas Child shoe box goodies.  1 boy and 1 girl.  One of our FAVORITE Christmas traditions!  #left the girls at home for this!!  #saves money that way  #also saves sanity!  #Mine

6:15pm:  Dinner on the fly for the girls before Awanas and Youth Group.  #Mama needs to go to the grocery  #PBJ=Yum

7:00pm:  Youth Group worship.  #Did that really say repeat 7 TIMES???  #Choruses are redundant  #In my opinion  #Pretending to sing  #Sometimes

7:04pm:  Trying not to embarrass my cute junior higher at youth group.  #Geeky mom taking pictures

7:10pm:  The one and only #WardWiebe sharing with the youth about #JordanRomero and following your dreams.  What's your "Everest?"

8:15pm:  Daddy's back!!!!!  #Sweet moment  #Back from hunting

8:20pm:  Sweet friends  #Thankful

9:05pm:  Home.  Now time to wash the pre-soaked dishes and make a lunch.  #Big believer in the soaking method  #Long day, but good day!

9:45pm:  Impromptu piano, trying to figure out Moonlight Sonata together.  This makes me very, very happy.

10:03pm:  Giving Daddy some welcome home gifts.  Our sweet little gift-giver.  She said the little dog looked like her Daddy's Annie, who just passed away.  #Sweet girl  #Thoughtful

10:43pm:  Very late bedtime snuggles.  #Missed their daddy!

10:46pm:  Get OFF your iPod and go to sleep!!  The nightly mom patrol...Sweet dreams!   #Bedtime giggles are the BEST!

10:53pm and I get to crawl into bed!  Good night, #onedayHH--it's been a FUN day of pictures!     #I love the colors in my bedroom  #They make me happy

Now, go check out the other wonderful entries linked up on Hollywood Housewife's One Day Project.  All of the different pictures are fascinating!

Easy Thankful Gifts--Just in Time for Thanksgiving!

(Reposted from last year...But--come on--aren't you thankful AGAIN THIS YEAR?  If not, then you're an old crank, and won't like this post anyway!)

Who are you thankful for this year?

Your child's teachers... music teacher... dance teacher... postal carrier... secretary... car hop at Sonic...

How about an inexpensive and easy way to show your gratefulness for them? Last year, I made some Thankful Jars filled with peppermints.

This year, I was in a fallish mood to make some spiced tea mix to fill the Thankful Jars.   I made these jars for our daughters' teachers. (Shh! Don't tell!)  Here's what I did:

I purchased the ingredients. Actually, I purchased the Tang and lemon iced tea mix, and just assumed I had ground cinnamon and ground cloves at home. Ruh-row--guess who did NOT have ground cloves? (By the way, my 2 purchased ingredients cost $5.18, and was enough for 3 small jars.)

So, here's how I improvised--to turn whole cloves, into ground cloves: (Actually, my sweet husband helped me. He strong man make powder with big pound pound.)

Mix it all up (recipe below)--but PLEASE, do not inhale. We do not need any spiced tea hallucinations.

When you're done mixing (and not inhaling) pour the mix into your adorable little glass jars...I mean your Thankful Jars!

(I purchased mine at Walmart for $1.97 each. Mason jars would have worked great, too!)

Aren't they cutie pies?? I really love the idea of Thankful Jars, because they communicate thankfulness, yet are inexpensive and easy to put together!

I included the directions for the Spiced Tea Mix, as well as the ingredients. (Yeah, feel free to print yours...unless your stinking printer is broken like mine...) The "ribbon" I used was just some old fabric I had, that I ripped into a 1/2" strip.

Here's the poem I put on the front card:

I'm thankful for you, Mrs._______

And share this gift of tea

Thank you for being my teacher,

And caring so much for me!

And lastly, here's the recipe I used. There are lots of variations for this recipe, but this one seemed simplest, with the fewest ingredients. I suggest mixing this up, and trying a mug of it yourself--to see if you'd like to tweak it at all.

Spiced Tea Mix Recipe

2 cups orange-flavored drink mix (Tang)

1 cup lemon flavored instant tea powder (has sugar mixed in)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

TO MAKE A CUP: Mix 3 teaspoons of mix to a mug of hot water. Mmm, enjoy!

* Does this gift not strike your fancy? How about another FUN and VERY EASY idea-- Sonic Happies! *

Who are you thankful for this year?

Somebody in my family is REALLY OLD today...

We're talking half-a-century old.

Look and see if you can tell who in my family is celebrating 50 birthdays today...

Here are some hints:

One time he thought he was Superman, and leaped off the ladder...

Yeah, flying didn't turn out too well for that cute little boy.  But, isn't he a sweet thing?

 

Hey *may* at one time could have been called a "hippie."  Or, at least he drove a hippie van...

 

He's always been a true and loyal friend.  In fact, most of his friendships span decades...

And when you're 50, that's a LOT of DECADES!

 

There is a VERY GOOD REASON I fell in love with this dapper young fella...

No, no, no--not JUST for the Coca-Cola love.  (Although, that didn't hurt)

 

And, also not just because he is a collector of cool stuff...  (Well, most some of it is cool)

 

No, I fell in love with the old guy because of his kind servant's heart, his love for fun and adventure, his unwavering loyalty, and his desire to please God.

Please wish my best friend a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!  

Or better yet--a HAPPY HALF-CENTURY!!

Oh, and in case you're wondering...yes, his AARP card DID arrive in the mail!  *grin*

How to Remember Our Troops Every Single Day

Our daughter came up with a simple way to remember our troops every single day.  When she told me about it, I thought it was brilliant--and decided to join in!  

Whenever the clock reads 9:11--she prays for our troops.  

If she happens to notice the clock at 9:11 am, she says a quick prayer for our soldiers.

If she is still awake at 9:11 pm (and she ALWAYS is, the little night owl!), she prays for the soldiers.

It's such a simple gesture.  But, certainly, not so simple to the men and women who give their very lives so that my family is able to live a free life.  The VERY LEAST I can do for our troops is to PRAY FOR THEM.  And pray for THEIR FAMILIES BACK HOME.

Won't you join us?  Whenever you notice a clock that reads "9:11" please stop for a moment and pray for our soldiers.

I love our country.  Today, I am especially grateful for the men and women before us who have forged the way, who have fought the battles, who have stood for justice, and who have given their lives.

Happy Memorial Day, America!

And, thank you.

Who are you thinking about--and praying for--this Memorial Day?

Sweet husband, good medicine

Tonight, when I realized I'd forgotten to stop by the pharmacy on my way home to pick up some cough medicine for myself, my sweet husband said he'd be glad to run out to pick it up for me.

I bet your Sunday nights are a lot like mine was tonight--hectic and stressful--making school lunches, making sure clothes are ready for children to wear, and just organizing things around the house and in the kitchen for the week ahead.  Plus, tonight, I just feel cruddy.  I have a bunch of congestion in my chest, and know that coughing will keep me awake tonight, as it did last night.

So, when my husband so readily volunteered to run out and pick up my cough medicine, I gave him a great big, thankful, full-of-relief smile.

Then, when he came home and said he'd take over the putting the kids to bed routine so I could go take my medicine, I very gratefully accepted.

This is the bag of medicine he handed me.

Is he the sweetest husband--or what???

Small gestures sure go a long way, don't they?

My husband couldn't have found a BETTER way to show me love tonight.

I hope that I remember this gesture...when in the days to come, I feel the need to fuss at him about something, or feel frustrated about something...I sure hope I remember this small gesture of love he showed me tonight. 

And I hope I am able to offer him kindness and love, as he did for me tonight.

And, now, if you'll excuse me...I need to go scoop up a little "medicine."

Has someone shown you a small gesture of love lately?  Please share!

A Mighty Good Weekend: In List Form

A weekday with no school, and pretty weather outside

A jog with one of my daughters (and LOTS of circling back)

An impromptu lunch with my parents

Yummy spinach salad with raspberry dressing

A sweet wedding

Yummy piece of wedding cake with perfect buttercream icing

Stayed up too late watching a movie AND a good Biography

Slept-in, while a snuggly girl watched Netflix on my phone next to me

A solitary jog in beautiful weather

A grocery trip to fill a very empty pantry

Worked in the yard and trimmed scraggly shrubbery

Ate some deliciously grilled burgers with good friends

Dragged sleepy girls out of the bed with Easter basket bribery

Admired my sweet girls in pretty Easter clothes

Celebrated Christ's resurrection at church

Sang "Up from the Grave He Arose"

Won $5 from my daughter, who bet against singing that hymn

Ate a yummy holiday lunch at my parents'

Took a lazy Sunday afternoon nap

Watched our daughters giggle and drive the golf cart around

Ate leftovers for dinner

Sat on our front porch in a rocking chair

Walked around the block as a family

Chatted with a sweet, new neighbor

Snuggled on the couch and watched Pawn Stars

Giggled (as I typed that)

What was mighty good about your weekend?