Manic Monday-- Peanut Butter playdough

Since everyone is home on the weekend, and often, we have friends coming in and out. I try to focus on spending time with the ones that I love and save the housework for the week (this is hard for me because if my house is a mess, my head is a mess) But, I try.. Anyway, this makes for a mad rush on Monday trying to get things back in order. So, just in case, you too, are trying to get life back in order, I thought I would share a kids activity that might (no promises) keep the kids busy for more than a half a second.

This activity comes from my friend over at Hyperactive Lu. Lu is a very dear friend, a domestic diva (especially in the kitchen!) and just an overall fun gal!. You should check her out.

Alas, I give you peanut butter playdough!

JUST FOR KIDS: PEANUT BUTTER PLAYDOUGH
1 c. peanut butter 2/3-1 c. nonfat dry milk 2 tbsp. honey Mix ingredients. Add enough powdered milk to make playdough dry enough to handle. Shape into balls. Add raisins to make a face. Or stir in chow mein noodles and make a bird's nest. Or stir in Cheerios or chocolate chips for fun. Eat and enjoy!

I would be remissed if I didn't mention peanut allergies. So, if you've got little ones that haven't yet experienced peanut butter, keep that in mind!

Thanks for the great idea Lu!

How to make your own blog button

And per my friend Becky's request, I found some really easy to follow directions over at A Heart For Home.

Let me know when you make a button, I'd love to see what you create!

Blessings,
Dana

How to make a three column blog template.

If you are going to change your blog to a three column template, read this whole post before you start, less you find yourself like I found myself, frustrated and ready to throw the computer out the window because you were like a man and didn't read all the directions. (Sorry to the man out there that actually does read directions. I have not given up faith that you really do exist)

I have had a couple of people ask me about my switch to a three column blog template and how to put a "grab my blog button" link on a page. So I thought that instead of answering everyone's e-mails about it, I would just put it out once, just in case the information is useful to others as well.

No, I don't know how to use html. However, I have become quite skilled at making my computer think I do. I often will come into blogger and post something into my blog and then grab the html code so that I can use it somewhere else. But, instead of stealing the information that I used to change my format and posting it to my blog as my own, I decided that I would fess up and give credit where credit is due. You can find directions on how to change a blog from two columns to three columns by clicking HERE

Okay, now this is where I got frustrated. Once I got three columns, they were all squished together. I sat there making one minor adjustment after another in the html code until I got it close enough to live with (It still is off on the sides but I didn't figure it was worth the high blood pressure that it was going to cause me). Anyway, if I had just read all of the directions, I would have found that there were also instructions on how to adjust your margins within the columns which you can find HERE


Thanks to the guy or gal that was kind enough to build a separate blog for this!

PS: If this information was useful to you, I'd love to hear about it. If there is something else on this page that you don't know how I did, leave me a comment and I'll tell you how I did that too (or more likely, link you to the place where I found the directions). Information on how to get your own blog button coming soon!

Blessings,
Dana

Family Friday

I'm going to cheat and post a slide show of our trip to Alabama. I have so many pictures that I will never get them posted if I try to post them individually. We were there two and a half weeks and saw lots of our friends and family but still didn't see everyone. That's okay though because I'm quite sure that my friend Kristen and her family are going to be visiting me soon :).

I also need to say that I also had the pleasure of having such a wonderful visit with two of my high school friends Ashley and DJ. But, I failed to get a picture. Which, is really sad because we had a long chat about cameras. But, even though I don't have a picture of them, they are still two of my favorite people ever. I also missed getting Nana and Granny in a picture but they were there and lovely as always. The pictures that I'm posting of our college student center reunion, I totally stole from SUSAN's blog because mine are lost somewhere in my mess of a hard drive.

Anyway, we really enjoyed our trip and were so blessed by all of the people that we love. But we are glad to be back at home and in our own beds and living by our much more lax than the school year, summer routine.

And here, is a video that some of you requested of Adam singing with "Majesty". Thanks to Susan since I ended up with a Video camera and dead battery with no charger. Susan, you rock!

867-5309-- Jenny changed her number

Okay so that isn't my number and my name isn't Jennifer but did you ever wonder what happened in the lives of the people who actually had that number? I'm pretty sure they were disconnected pretty quickly anyway... Totally random but hey, that's how my mind works..

But, I do have a new cell phone number. I was sharing a cell line with my mom. But, my grandmother was needing a cell phone and we were going to get her a pay per plan but it turns out that with those plans, you have to put 20 dollars a month on those cards to keep them active and since she just wanted it for emergencies, it made more since just to add her to my mom's plan. Anyway, I handed my phone over to my grandmother and in the craziness of it all, I forgot to change my message. So, if you call my old number, it will say it's me but the phone actually lays in the hands of my grandmother who I'm pretty sure does not know how to check the voice mail.

And of course I'm not going to put my new number out here for everyone to see but, if you will shoot me an e-mail, I'll pass it on. And, after I have a chance to pass on the new number, I'm going to get rid of our home phone too because really, the only people that use that number are solicitors. And, the only reason I set up a home phone line to start with was because my cell phone wasn't local but now that is.. Let's face it, home phone lines are so yesterday. If internet communication is your main mode of communication, that is swell with me. You won't have to hear my kids screaming in the background!

And the Winner Is....

George at.. The Tri Runner

The winner was chosen totally random at www.random.org. However, he does just happen to hold a special place in my heart.

George was one of our students in our youth ministry when we were in Albany Georgia. We just recently got the privileged of spending the weekend with his family. They have a wonderful story of love and triumph over trials. You should also check out his Mrs. Tri Runner's blog.

And most importantly, George has teamed up with a group called Oneverse to raise money to translate Bibles into the language of languages that don't yet have a translation. I have no doubt that you will read more about this great cause on here but to find out what you can do to help George reach his goals, you can read about it HERE.

We love you George and family!

To Be So Inspired....

It's hard for me to believe that we have been in South Carolina for over a year.. Time flies when you are having fun. It was Feb. of 2008 when we decided that moving into a preaching ministry position might be the step we needed to take.

On the way back to West Virginia from visiting South Carolina for the first time, on Feb. 26th, 2008, Adam and I were discussing the changes that making such a move would mean for our life.. We talked about the stories that I've always heard about "PK's" aka, Preacher's kids. I talked about how I would break the preacher's wife mold because my disposition is the furthest thing than what one might expect from a preacher's wife.. We talked about a lot of fears that I had in my mind about taking such a huge leap but we also talked about the possibilities of being with a church and in a position that we wanted to stay with long term and how wonderful it would be to have a church family for our children to grow up in. We were contemplating all the big things that the future held for us and how our lives would change forever and then... I got a phone call on my cell phone... And all the thoughts and fears about what a career move would mean for our family became so small and irrelevant because of what I heard on the other end.

Dana, this is your cousin Tracy. April went to the doctor today. They couldn't find the baby's heartbeat. They are taking her in for another ultrasound but it isn't looking good. Please be praying... I'll call you back when we know more.

I am the youngest of 15 grandchildren. Ten on my mother's side and five on my father's side. My cousin Rick was the closest to my age being three years older than me. My mother is from Illinois. Since we have lived in locations that required a lot of travel to see our immediate famlies, we haven't made many trips to see our extended family up north. April is my cousin Rick's wife and I had only met her one time at a family reunion.

My take on life when things go wrong has always been, "it's okay, nothing that is precious to us has been harmed. We still have everything that is dear to our hearts and we can make it through anything else".. But, what would I do if we didn't? Honestly, I can't answer that question for you.. And, I pray that I never will. But I have seen upfront and personal, someone that can...

I got a phone call back just a little bit later telling me that just a week and half before the scheduled c-section, Jacob was gone.. Tracy and I sat there trying to answer all the questions that there were no answers for. When we finally got off the phone, I sat there, driving (I get terribly car sick so I always drive) trying to see through my tears. Tracy and I had not even talked on the phone for a couple of years but at that place in time, faith was our bond. In the following days, as April and Rick were living the most terrifying experience they have ever faced, Tracy and I talked helplessly on the phone and prayed.... We prayed prayers begging God for comfort and prayers of anger with a lack of understanding. Chloe was six months old. I sat and held my baby in my arms and as she looked up at me and smiled, I sobbed at the thought of the longing I knew that would be in a mother's heart that would never hold her baby and see him smile.

I saw April once again at my grandmother's funeral in Dec. of 2008. Chloe and I had made a very long 12 hour trip by ourselves to Illinois. Emma was still in school and with Christmas being just around the corner, we felt like the best thing to do was to have Adam stay here and take care of things at church and with Emma. He did a great job with filling in for me as room mother for Emma's class Christmas party btw. When we got to the funeral home on the same day that we had travelled, Chloe was not in the mood to sit still. I pretty much spent the time that I was there chasing her or trying to hold her still. By the time that we got to the graveside service for my grandmother, Chloe was done and was making no attempts to hide it. I sat in the van with her while she screamed. I have to admit that I was extremely frustrated. Even though I knew that behavior like that was to be expected from a 16 month old that had travelled clear across the country, I was frustrated that I had made that long and exhausting trip only to miss the whole funeral. But as I sat there feeling sorry for myself, I caught a glimpse of April out the window. She was standing there, with empty arms. And, at that point, the only thought that came into my head was, "I'm sure that April would love to be sitting in the car with a crying baby".

There have been several things that have happened lately that have put things in perspective for me. Our little bout with Chloe and the cardiologist, other family members that have had trying times, and people that I love considerably that are having marriage problems at this very moment. I think we often get to thinking that we are above those sort of things happening to us. But, I have become all too aware that we are all only one event away from having our lives turned upside down. When I think about the small things that aggravate me that don't really matter and how there are people out there who truly have a reason to be angry about their situation but choose a better way, I know how very far away I really am from being the person that God wants me to be. I'm so thankful that God has given me glimpses into what could be to show me how very blessed I truly am. And at the same time, I pray that He never lets me see that full picture.

A couple of weeks ago, I got the privilege of really getting to know April. Rick and April and their four children (April tells that story on her blog) stopped for a night's stay at our house on their way to Orlando. I really think there should be some sort of class that one can take that will tell them the things they should do and say when talking to someone that has experienced such a loss. I have to admit that I was a little nervous. I didn't want to ignore such a huge event that no doubt changed forever the person that she is but I also didn't want to bring up something that she wasn't yet comfortable talking about. I have a baby bed in our guest room. I wondered if having it there would bring up memories that she didn't want to re-live. Thankfully, April eased my anxiety about the matter very quickly. She talked about Jacob open and honestly and in just a few hours, we had poured our hearts out to each other and I knew without a doubt that April would be someone that I would continue to feel connected to long after that night.

I marveled at April's faith and how somehow even though she had experienced the worst pain possible, she had been able to see the good that had come from such a horrific experience and unselfishly seen through her pain to think about others. She talked about the difficult months that followed losing her child and how it was at my grandmothers funeral where the preacher talked about how our grandmother would be there to greet us with our favorite breakfast that "something clicked" and she was able to finally see that she would one day be with Jacob once again. And most importantly, she talked about the need to honor Jacob and make good come from such a horrible situation. She talked about how she felt that God wanted her to speak out to others that are hurting. She said that she would one day like to write a book and mentioned my blog and how she had wondered if the place to start was starting a blog of her own. I encouraged her to do just that. So, that is where you come in. Please go and visit April's little space in our cyber world and welcome her. Leave her a comment and click on follow and add her to your list. I feel sure that you will be blessed by her as well as she will be blessed by you.

I didn't end up taking the baby bed down as I had contemplated. I wanted April to know that when she does have the baby that her heart is longing for, there will be space for him/her in our home as well as the rest of the family. I hope that I get to spend more time with April in the future. I pray that April will always know the impact she has on other people's lives by sharing her experience. I know that because of my experience with her, my life has forever been changed.

And for the rest of us, may we never forget those who are hurting, may we savor every blessing that God gives us and may we be a blessing to those we encounter.

Blessings,
Dana

Are we there yet Papa Smurf?

Will you be traveling this summer? I don't know if traveling with your family is as fun as traveling with mine but, I would almost rather have a tooth pulled. Neither one of my girls have the ability to sit still so after a few hours, the whining sets in and I myself don't have the ability to tolerate whining. So, I thought it was quite ironic that I came across this site right after a road trip to Alabama. But, I thought that just maybe, that there is some poor mother out there that is carefully packing suitcases to make sure that her lovely's have everything they might possibly need. She will no doubt forget some necessity of her own in an effort to make sure that she doesn't forget the stuffed lamb that is missing an ear and once was white but now is brown and smells of who knows what because it's absence will result in a vacation of sleepless nights. But, maybe, just maybe there is hope that she can keep her sanity in the car...

And I will definitely be printing off some of these fun little games for our next trip.



You can print them too by clicking HERE

Fun Friday = Giveaway

Since I have been so sporadic in blog postings lately, I decided that I needed to try to win back some bloggy love by doing a giveaway.

My criteria for fashion these days consists of trying to find something that is fitted enough that it doesn't make me look larger than I am but not so fitted that I look like an old woman trying to pour myself into teenager clothing. I must be able to bend over to pick up small toys without showing my tail. It shouldn't wrinkle after children have wallered (there's a southern word for you) on me and if ironing is necessary, you can forget it! Honestly, by the time I get my girls dressed with their matching outfits and pretty hairbows, I resort to whatever is clean and can be put on without a fuss. Usually, this amounts to jeans and a t-shirt. As far as jewelry goes, I rarely stray from my silver hoop earrings, silver pendant necklace and wedding rings (I know, stylish huh?)

So, when I approached Adam's Aunt Vicki who owns the etsy site, SoMuchImagination, asking her if she'd like to give away a piece of jewelry on my blog and she asked me what I had in mind, I gave her the above description. I further explained that it would be nice for all of us hard working moms to have something that we can throw in with our hard working wardrobes to spice things up a bit. But most importantly, since most of us have kids pulling on us all day long, IT MUST NOT BREAK EASILY!!!

So, I now bring forth to you, the super fun, TUSCANY BRACELET. Aunt Vicki not only made a bracelet for me to share with my fellow bloggers but she also made one for me! Yea for me! Thanks Aunt Vicki!




So, here's what you need to know about the giveaway.. It is open to everyone within the continental US. You do not have to have a blog to enter. Winner will be randomly picked and announced here on Thursday July 2.

How to enter:
1. For one entry: In a comment, leave me your e-mail address for Vicki's address list so that she can e-mail you when she's got a new piece of jewelry. If you aren't comfortable leaving your e-mail address here, you can e-mail me at everythingpictured@gmail.com.

2. For one entry: become one of my followers and leave me a comment telling me that you did. Or, if you're already a follower, leave me a comment telling me you are.

3. And for 5 entries: blog about my giveaway on your blog and comment telling me that you did.

4. For 5 additional entries, go to Vicki's etsy page and come back here and tell me what your favorite item is and why.

So, you can potentially have 12 entries.

Blessings,
Dana

Do you have a unique product? Let me help promote your product by hosting a giveaway for you. Contact me at everythingpictured@gmail.com.

I'm so sorry....

my dearest Emma that your heritage lies in Alabama. I'm so thankful that your daddy came along and rescued me from my redneck family. And also my dear, I must beg for your forgiveness for the way that I am about to sabotage your birthday. I just can't pass up the chance to expose the humiliation that these significant women in my life have caused. Especially when one of them just posted a picture of me on facebook. IN A BATHING SUIT... But dear Emma, just remember, it could be worse. Think about your sister... She was born in West Virginia.

Emma and my mom planned out Emma's birthday party over the phone months before we made our trip. Emma had very specific requests for a tea party. I am still in contact with several friends that are still in the area but every last one of them have boys. Wanting to keep all of their masculinity intact, we decided that my mother, sister, my Aunt Nancy, myself and Chloe would have to suffice as her tea party guests. My mother had a list of items that she was to obtain. I must make it known that I do not allow my daughter to give me orders nor did my mother, her daughter. But as you might know, grandmother's tend to throw every motherly instinct that they have out the window and let their grandmotherly instincts take over, therefore, making a 180 turn in the direction of spoiling the involved child ROTTEN. In an effort to keep up her reputation of being at Emma's every becken call, my mother made a list as Emma named off the items that were of upmost importance to make her tea party a success. Among other things, the list included: fans, gloves, crystal tea cups and plates, roses, and mixed flowers. My mother and Emma talked regularly during the weeks that led up to the charming event. Pretending to be sure that she hadn't forgotten a detail, Emma repeatedly asked my mother to read her the list. I'm pretty sure that it was actually her clever way of making sure that my mother really did write the items down and that she was making it a top priority to keep up with the list. But my mother, being true to her word, found every last item and the the birthday party was set in motion.

It started out fairly normal. Emma opened gifts and blew out the candles. We all sang the traditional birthday song and even skipped the banjo accompaniment.


But, as fate would have it, trying to get my family to have a sort of sophisticated party could probably be equated to the difficulty of taking a monkey to the opera...

And here is where it all began to go off course.. My parents got a great price on an RV a couple of years ago. And Emma's favorite place to play at my mom's house is in the RV. It just made sense that with the RV being Emma's favorite, that we'd have the tea party in the RV. This story would maybe be what you would get if say, the movie "Sweet Home Alabama" and the movie "RV" had a baby... Did I mention that the reason my parents got a great price on the RV was because it was made in 1986?
I promise that we do not allow alchoholic beverages at children's birthday parties..

Besides, my mom and dad had finished up the last of the moonshine earlier that day.

Emma must have inherited some class from the Ellis side of the family because that child did not deviate away from the English accent that she has perfected in anticipation of this great event..


Somewhere, the crystal became paper plates. But if you look closely at the picture below, you will see that Emma did drink out of a very pretty pink crystal cup.

I know my dear Emma that you had imagined that you would have a tea party fit for a princess. And I promise my dear, next year, I'll make it up to you and splurge and have you a real nice party at McDonald's.

And I myself, sat and watched in horror and disbelief that I could have come from such uncivilized people. Because I myself am much too regal to ever participate in such shinanigans..


WHOOPS.. Who would have thought that my simple daddy could use my fancy camera???

PS: We visited many people that we love on our tour around Alabama. I have many more pictures to post including lots of pictures of cousins and friends and some of my beautiful niece and some shots of my handsome nephew doing his awesome wakeboard stunts and I hope to get those up soon.