Friday’s Feast :: my 15th!

Appetizer
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?

My husband. He knows exactly what I’m trying to say, even when I can’t say it in any legible way. And we think in such similar ways!

Soup
If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?

Based on culture and society, I am not sure. I guess my history isn’t so hot! I imagine that I would like Seville, because I picture crisp white sheets blowing over fields of lavender with neat and simple light colored adobe buildings rising in the background. I could imagine chewey, crusty bread baking in huge stone hearths, filling the home with it’s fragrance.

That’s what I want, good bread and wine, crisp white lavender scented sheets, and a clean home. Give me those things and I could live anywhere.

Salad
What is the most exciting event you’ve ever witnessed?

Exciting? That’s an interesting choice of words…

I once witnessed a vehicle accident in which a truck was air born and spinning over the top of my own vehicle. That was exciting in the sense that it got my heart pumping.

But as far as a happy/exciting, it may have been our wedding day. Or at least the ten minute ride in the trick to our wedding night cottage. Talk about anticipation!

Either that, or when I was giving birth to my first daughter and reached down and felt the long damp hairs of her pointy little head when it first peeked out to check out the world. That was probably the most amazing/exciting thing I’ve ever experienced.

Main Course
If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?

Nope, not for me. Can’t even imagine it.

Dessert
What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?

Well… I was 22, and I think that worked OK. But then again, she is pretty darn crazy.

Kinsleyism :: A lady cookin’ eggs.

This morning as I was fixing breakfast, Kinsley was sitting at my feet discussing everything that popped into her nearly two year old brain. I was struggling to keep up with it all, when Dan walked in and Kinsley asked “You a man, Papa?” When he confirmed her suspicions, she turned to me and asked “You a yeady (lady), Mama?” Once this matter was settled in her mind, she asked “A yeady cookin’ eggs?”

Kinsleyism :: Need a Brother

Last night as we were eating dinner, Dan said, “These girls… what are we gonna do with these girls?”

Kinsley paused from pushing her food around on her plate, and still carefully inspecting her dinner, said, “Papa, these girls need a brother.”

Just like that.

Thursday Thirteen :: 13 Random Recent Photos

:: Flowers in my kitchen window ::

:: Kinsley experimenting with water ::

:: Sophie. Just being way too cute. ::

:: My handsome and talented brother, Zion ::

:: A ridiculously fat baby foot ::

The niece line up…

:: Maddie ::

:: Bessie ::

:: Natalie ::

You’d think with this much beauty in the family, I’d be a knockout, huh?

:: Even my own daughters are breathtaking! ::

:: And they’re characters, to boot. ::

:: Even Sophie has not very photogenic moments, though ::

Then, there’s the nephews. Just a few, mind you. I have lots.

:: Gage – who has been called things like “bowling ball head” and “Racoon” in his day ::

:: And Glen – who’s about as wirey as they come. Man, can that boy work. ::

Was that thirteen already? Wow!

Friday’s Feast

Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?

I wish I had any routine at all! My laundry doing comes in spurts. I hate it. I hate folding it and putting it away most of all. I need to become more organized. It’s just laundry, right?

Soup
In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?

I don’t know. Maybe 70ish?

Salad
What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?

Short Term? To return order to my home.

Long Term? To raise my girls to be gentle, loving, and Godly women.

Main Course
Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.

The story of Madeleine McCann has really touched me lately. I can’t imagine how hard it must be for her parents.

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?

When I first saw this question, I was thinking somewhere around a 6. But after re-thinking of the McCann family, and thinking of my two sweet little daughters who are at home, safely napping in their beds, I think really I’m about a 10!

Gracious Hospitality

What things make you feel welcome when you’re visiting overnight or for any length of time? We will be hosting some special guests early this autumn, and we want to put them at their ease. Any suggestions? Leave a comment and let me know! Here are the things I have thought of so far…

Clean white sheets.

Puffy white pillows.

Good conversation.

Good Wine.

Late night snacks.

Candles.

Bath salts.

A basket with clean towels, toothpaste, mini-size soap, shampoo, conditioner and hand lotion is a nice touch.

An extra blanket on the bed.

13 Reasons you should vote for Ron Paul

1. Because who likes taxes? Not Ron Paul!

2. He is Pro-Life and Pro-Liberty.

3. He is Pro-Privacy

4. He voted against the Patriot Act.

5. He opposes the draft.

6. He is truly tough on immigration.

7. He stands up to the empire.

8. He believes in the Constitution.

9. He is against the US subsidization of China.

10. He has located the terrorist.

11. He supports the troops.

12. But voted against the Iraq War Resolution, before it was popular to oppose the war.

13. And, as he says…”The Social Security crisis is a spending crisis. The program could be saved tomorrow if Congress simply would stop spending so much money…”

And the bonus:

14. He isn’t willing to kick another hornets nest.

Wordless Wednesday :: The Evening Walk

vv

Kinsleyism :: I love me!

We’re in the process of an ever growing bathroom remodel (pictures of that mess to come). The medicine cabinet was sitting on the floor last Sunday evening and Kinsley had been entertaining herself in front of the mirror for a minute or two when I heard her say “I love me!”. I looked at her, and she was tilting her head and looking fondly into her own eyes. No problem with her self esteem!

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On Friday I asked her if she wanted to help Mama make dinner for Papa.

“No – Papa just ‘pank Kinsley” Kinsley declared.

“Just be sweet and then Papa won’t have to spank Kinsley.” I advised.

“No, Kinsley just be naughty. Kinsley likes to be naughty.” Oh help us all!

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Turns out Kinsley threw the first fit of the evening shortly after that. She thought it was truly unfair and inconsiderate of me to try to get her out of the bathtub. I threatened her with a spanking if she didn’t stop fussing, and she got very quiet and looked at me. Then she announced,

“Kinsley just mad, Mama. Really mad.”

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She’s been into telling a really good story lately. It’s even more interesting if it involves emotions which she can identify. Like yesterday when we were driving to my parent’s (Marme and Grandad’s) house, she told me that Grandad got “real mad, and then he fell and got a sore on his nose and it hurt really bad and then he cried and cried and cried”. When we got to Grandad’s office, I checked out his nose, but it looked fine to me.

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This morning when Dan was getting ready to go to work, I told him that there was a bowl of spaghetti in the fridge for lunch. We continued to discuss the bathroom project for a minute, when Kinsley came into the living room with the bowl of spaghetti. She had gotten it out of the fridge herself! She handed it to Dan and said,

“Here’s your noodles, Papa. Oh – I’d better cook ’em a little bit.” She took the bowl back from Dan and carried them to her play kitchen. As we watched, she tried to fit them into the toy microwave, but they wouldn’t fit, so she set them on the burner for a few seconds before bringing the bowl back to Dan and saying, “Be cayfull, Papa, the noodles so hot. Oh! Need a fork? Oh…” and she ran back to her kitchen and brought Dan a plastic (toy) spatula. “Here, Papa – fork!” Dan showed Kinsley the silver fork from his lunch bag.

“See, Papa has a fork already” he explained. He kissed all his girls and headed out the door. Kinsley followed him to the door, and with the spatula in her outstretched fist, sge hollered,

“Papa! Need Kinsley fork! Need it bad!”

So Dan has a small plastic spatula to eat his spaghetti with today.

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She’s not even two – what are we going to do?

The Elegant Trumpetress

Some pictures we took during a photo shoot of a trumpet destined for eBay.