Dancing to Ringtones

This should make you laugh. I found it on my computer and no, this is not the phone that was stolen. This is my phone.

Vietnam War Memorial Wall

Third graders went to visit the traveling Vietnam War Memorial Wall. It was a great way to bring history alive. C and I discussed the memorial and why it was honoring the victims fallen in the wars over the years. When you walked up to the wall, it was as if a hush fell over the world and you were in a different time and place. It was a time for honoring, remembering, and thanking. I told Ciara that our family was very blessed that we had no names written on that wall. I told her that many gave their lives so that we could live in a free country.

The dog tags show the names of those who lost their lives since 9/11. I showed Ciara the last that were added of a group who had died in August. She understood. She said, "Those people might have had kids like me." She began to cry. She got it. She felt the price of freedom filling her heart.

Not Me Monday

• I did not hear a mouse under my stove this morning when I was fixing to leave for school.
• I did not scream for Ciara to come get my shoes for me that were two feet away from me, but in the direction of the mouse.
• I did not run quickly out of the house, only to realize that I didn't have a lunch.
• I did not come home and gather up the card swaps only to forget them when I left the house. Sorry guys, I will deliver soon, I promise.
• I did not go to the associational meeting at our church where they served fish. I did not try the fish just to make sure I still don't like fish. And then I did not give my fish away to a little girl who dropped hers. Hmmmm.... kind of hungry now...
• I did not listen to Hank Hough talk about training his dogs and how we should train our children and how we in turn should listen to our master. I did not think this was one of the most wonderful things I have heard in a very long time. If you have a chance to get him to come to your church, do, it is great. Please click on this link and listen to some of his stuff. You will not regret it.
• I did not get a phone call from someone who I haven't heard from in almost two years. I did not stress over that phone call at all. I did not, not call him back.
• I did not have a really great Monday (well, except for hearing the mouse.)!!!
  

Ciara is Adopted!!!

Yeah, Ciara has been adopted!!

Now most of you that know me are probably thinking, that she already was adopted. This is a program at our church to adopt AWANA kids. You pay $25 and send them cards, pray for them, and sit with them at church once a month. This helps raise money for our AWANA store.

Ciara got a card in the mail Saturday from her new "adoptive" mommy-Beverly Wood. She and Ciara have a special relationship. I am so happy she picked Ciara.

Funny: When they first put up the sign for the kids who needed to be "adopted" and their pictures, Ciara got all excited and said, "Momma, let's adopt some kids." She thought real adoption and she wants siblings! I tried to tell her it wasn't that kind, but she saw her picture on the table first. She got all upset and said, "Momma, I don't want to be adopted. I want to stay with you." Finally, I was able to explain the adoption to her. It wasn't near as exciting then!

Cat Crazy!

Here's a couple of pictures of the little kittens trying to jump in the car with me while I am waiting for Ciara. It really is funny trying to get away from the house in the morning. When I open the door to get in, two cats jump in with me. I roll down the window and drop them out of the car, trying not to touch them much, cause I am ALLERGIC!!! Then I start driving slowly while Ciara captures them and takes them to the backyard again. She runs fast to the car and jumps in!! They have been sleeping in the house at nights. Smokey can get out from under the door, but Buttercups doesn't. I usually wake up around 4:30 with a cat making noise and scaring me or jumping on the bed with me. It is cat crazy around here!

(Even though they make me crazy, Ericka, please know that your cats are loved tremendously.)

Not Me Monday

Yesterday was Monday, so I am a little late. I just wanted to tell you a few things I didn't do.

• I did not avoid my craft room like the plague because we found some baby mice in there this past weekend. No, not me, I just walked right in and moved around all the stuff and sat my big bottom down and let them crawl all over me. I did not run through as fast as I could, take the fastest shower in the world, and run back through and get in my bedroom. AND, I do not want to hear your theories about mice being able to go into another room.... Just don't want to hear it!!
• I did not just start working on my card swaps that were due November 1st. Nope, finished mine long ago. I will probably not try to finish them up tonight.
• I did not make creamed spinach and listen to my daughter beg for more!
  
• I did not get itchy scratch and claw marks on my leg, arm and back because Buttercups and Smokey come run and jump in the car with me when I am going to school. I did not throw them out the window and leave it rolled down while waiting for Ciara to come out to the car only for Smokey to jump up through the van window and get back in the car with me. (If you have seen Little Miss Sunshine, that is kind of what we look like when leaving in the morning. Me driving the car off, Ciara running after it saying, "Go Momma, Go" with the kittens following trying to catch her. She jumps in the car somewhere around the mailbox and the kittens finally turn around. Although last week I did go home at lunch, just pull up at the mailbox to check the mail and Buttercups climbed up the mailbox and jumped through the car window to get in.) Where do they want me to take them??? Just wait til they have their first vet visit. Ha ha, then they won't want to ride with us anymore!!!
• I did not google what happened after the flood to read about how the earth got populated again and how we all ended up different races and in different places. I found out some good information. But since I don't know the difference between hundreds and thousands, well, it seems hard for me to imagine all that happening in such a short time!!!
  
• I was not challenged at Sunday School this week to think about whether I was perfecting or pretending my Christian life. Well, I haven't thought on that at all. I absolutely have not been pretending...oh wait, this is a not me Monday, so that means that everything I write did really happen.... so I have been pretending....well...uh...hmmm....maybe I should think about this some more....

Well, you guys have a great week while I don't stress over my current mousey house situation, don't turn in things on time, and don't think about my Christian life.

Stephanie

New Recipe

I invented a recipe!! I never experiment, so this was kind of exciting for me. I was really wanting some yummy soup last night and didn't want to start from scratch and make it, so I invented a new recipe. Ciara even ate a bowl, so that is great. Yesterday we had roast and potatoes and onions for lunch that I had cooked overnight in the crock pot. So I took some of the roast potatoes and onions and chunked them up. I added about two cups of water and about half a large tomato juice. Then I added some beef flavored ramen noodles (raw of course) and the little seasoning package. I cooked it in the pressure cooker for 10 minutes which was actually more than enough time. It was really yummy. So.... what should I name this new recipe? Beef ramen noodle soup??? Whatever I name it, it is a quick and easy recipe to use my leftovers.