Tub Paints!

Wow, this was EASY!! I got it from Family Fun (I love that website!)

Tub Paints
1/2 cup White or Clear hand soap
1 teaspoon of corn starch
food coloring

Mix cornstarch and soap in a bowl, and then put in separate containers for each color you want.


It was so simple, and it really worked. It was like fingerpainting on the wall. I didn't make the colors bright, because I didn't know how it would go, I only put in one drop of food coloring. I'll probably put in some more next time. Also, I may get some paintbrushes to use for next time too!

If you have any paint left over (we didn't, LOL,) they said to refrigerate it for up to 3 days.

(i forgot to take my flash off "still life" so my pictures didn't turn out well.)

We had so much fun! Gabey played for about 1/2 hour with the paints. I made a ton of drawings with him, and then we just washed it off.
It washed clean off the tub wall, and even made the water a little bubbly, bonus! LOL.

Crafty Christmas

Wow, I'm having so much fun with Christmas ornaments this year! We put up the tree, and it's not the little 4 foot tree from last year. We truly don't have enough to put on it! Not enough lights, not enough garland, and absolutely not enough ornaments, lol.

I decided that in addition to buying some of the stuff, I'd make sure we made some ornaments. I've been having fun this week. So far, we've made some ornaments from Foamie puzzle shapes, spelling out Christmas words, and also some beaded ornaments with beads and pipe cleaner. I'm also planning on baking those cool cookie cutout ornaments that Thimble Thoughts, Kristi talked about on her blog. I can't wait. I have all the ingredients and I think we may be doing it tonight!
Here are some pictures of our crafts so far. :):)


Jeffie helping Gabey, and doing some crafts of his own too.


Here are a few of the foamie ornaments we did. Mommy and I made even more today.


A few of my bead ornaments. I also am making bells and wreaths out of pony beads, they're a lot lighter, and smaller. These ones with the big flower beads are huge, and heavy, lol.

Christmas is coming!

How I love this season! I'm bringing Christmas decorations from the basement, and scattering them throughout the house. Last night, I was showing Gabey things that he played with last year, and we were saying, "I remember this!" He has 2 little ornaments that we bought him last year, and instead of letting them be on the tree, he played with them all Christmas. When I brought them out, he was so excited! He hasn't put them down yet. He went to sleep with them. I also got out the sweet nativity that my dad got us last year. It has a button that you push, and it makes music, and tells the Christmas story of the wise men. Gabey adores it, and is already standing at the table listening to it. He brought his ornaments over, and put them there, and said they were seeing Jesus too! Oh, wow! My heart!
I'll be getting the tree ready soon, I'm so excited. My brother offered to help put lights on the house! I've never had that, except for a few on the porch, wherever I've lived before. This will be so awesome!



Dear Christ, thank you so much for Your love, and Your visit on earth, that gives us the eternal hope of heaven. Thank You for letting us share a little in the wonder of Your Miracle, by inspiring us to celebrate Christmas every year, and helping us remember Your gift.

Artist Garbage Men

My garbage men are artists!! ROTFL!

Holiday Lull

So, this week is looking to be nice and sloooow. ROTFL.
I don't have anything big planned, and the weather has been wonderful all weekend.
Thank you Lord.



Thanksgiving was great. We went to my mom's first, and had my sister's famous dinner, and then went to my sister in law's and had a really nice time there too. Gabey liked playing with the playdoh with my niece, Amanda, and Rain was so lovable!
I didn't get many Thanksgiving pictures, but here are the ones I did take...



Gabey playing spoons.

Watching "Cars" the movie.


Bob, Andrew, and my mom.

Hopefully, the rest of the family will share their photos with me, since everyone has such nice cameras now. :):)

I ended up pretty sick the rest of the weekend, so I didn't really get to do much. I'm feeling much better, and tackled some of the neglected house today. Yikes.

Gabey's Birthday Cards

Gabey liked playing with all of his birthday cards. We colored them, and put stickers on them.

Monkey Bedtime Story!!

http://www.careerbuilder.com/monk-e-mail/?mid=16390942

http://www.careerbuilder.com/monk-e-mail/?mid=16390288

Making Things Right (long post, lol.)

Lately, God has been working on me to talk to my music director. I was starting to have a bad attitude in my heart about some of the new changes. I was starting to feel like the bad kid in the class, because of having to skip some practices and coming in late to others. The Lord wouldn't be pleased with the path my heart was taking, so last night, with my heart pounding out of my chest, I stopped my director, and apologized for my feelings of defensiveness. I went on to let him know some of the reasons that I miss, and told him I was really happy with the way he was leading the choir, and everything. He's really helping the music ministry so much. So, I'm glad The Lord gave me courage to tell him my heart, even though it wasn't easy. He was fine, and thanked me for coming to him. He said I was the first. I just knew I couldn't keep feeling the way I was feeling, and have a successful ministry in the choir.


Also, and this will take a lot more work. I've decided to try not to make hubby be something he's not. I've been trying to change him into a handyman since we got married. I've been leaving jobs for him that I thought he should be doing, and then I've gotten frustrated when I had to do it myself, or when so much time would go by without things getting fixed.

I've come to the conclusion though that to him fixing things and doing handy work around the house is as bad as how I feel about cooking. I'm not good at it, I'm clumsy, and things just don't turn out the way I want.

We had a really good talk earlier in the week, and I've decided that if I can do it myself, I will, and if I can get someone else to help, I will. I'm going to stop trying to leave things for him to do. I've been creating conflict that doesn't need to be there. My husband and I have a fantastic relationship. We have so much fun together, and he's awesome at helping me with Gabey. He really does so much that most husbands don't do. I'm so thankful for that. We have no big issues to work out, and if I can help us have a smoother time of it, I really need to do that.

Jeff works 6 days a week, and every day has some overtime. Plus, he walks for most of it. The job he has is mentally and physically taxing. I need to help this home be a haven for him when he gets home. He needs to be able to come home and rest in the evening. I'm going to help that happen. Lord, help me remember these things I've decided, and help put them into practice, so that our home can be less stressful, and a happy place to be.

Walmart :):):):)

Walmart has decided to change their plan!! I'm so excited! Now, I can shop there again with a clear conscience!


"Respect for the Individual and Corporate Contributions
Last Updated: Tuesday, November 21, 2006

Respect for the individual is one of the core values that have made us into the company we are today. We take pride in the fact that we treat every customer, every supplier and every member of our individual communities fairly and equally.

We are working hard to make our corporate contributions reflect the values of our customers, communities, and associates. As Sam Walton said, “Each Wal-Mart store should reflect the values of its customers and support the vision they hold for their community.

Wal-Mart will not make corporate contributions to support or oppose highly controversial issues unless they directly relate to our ability to serve our customers.

Wal-Mart does not have a position on same sex marriage and we do not give preference to gay or lesbian suppliers. Wal-Mart does have a strong commitment to diversity among our associates and against discrimination everywhere."


(this is the email I sent in response, as a thank you.)

"Dear Mr. Scott,

Thank you so much for listening to your customers, and making this new decision to stay neutral in the highly controversial issues such as same sex. Thank you for limiting your contributions also, it means a lot to me to know that you are looking out for the values of the individual customers that you serve.
Have a great day!"

The Winner issss......

ANDREW!!



Andrew guess the closest in our "Guess how many Cars" game.
There were 53 cars in the jar, and he guessed 50! He was the closest!



I couldn't choose a best train. They all look so awesome!
Here are the names of our wonderful artists....
Patty
Ike
Chrissy
Angi
Matt

Thank you all for making it such a fun party for all of us.

Gabey's Birthday Party

We had such a nice party! I was so glad that it worked out so well! I have some pictures. Jeff's Family, and my family all got to be there, and also my great friend, Angi and her family. Patty Nana was so sweet to get some pictures for me. I didn't really get to use my camera like I wanted. I notice now, that I missed out on getting a picture of my beautiful neice Rain. They stopped by for a little bit, and I was really glad, I can imagine how tired they were, but they made it a point to come, and that means a lot to me.

I tried to get mostly pictures of the kids, since I know a lot of my adult family doesn't really enjoy getting their pictures taken, lol. But, they were there, and I hope they all had a nice time. :):)

Gabey Baby Birthday Boy

3 Years ago today, I was holding a little burrito baby, and wondering how on earth the hospital was going to actually let us walk out the door with him, lol. We knew nothing about taking care of him, really. But, he's been holding his own, lol, and even with our faults, God has taken care of him, and helped him grow to be a wonderful little 3 year old.

Our High Priest

Hebrews 7: 16
Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment,
but after the power of an endless life.


I love the poetry in the Bible. Isn't it amazing? God chose just exact right words to explain Christ's deity, and power. He is our High Priest, our only way to God.
We no longer need a human man to make intercession for us. Because of Christ's death and resurrection, we may go straight to the Creator ourselves through Christ.

I hold to the KJV version. It is the only version in the English language that hasn't lost anything in showing the deity of Christ, and the shed Blood of Christ. The other versions water that down, and exclude so many passages about the deity and Blood of Christ. What else do we believe in that is as essential to our faith as those two issues? Those are the two most important things we need to have in order to have salvation. Check it out. NIV and the other versions may seem easier to understand, but they downplay many crucial DOCTRINAL issues.




The Bible is like a garden.
You walk through, and enjoy the beauty,
and the more you know about it,
the more you notice.
You can learn so much
just by being in it.
You come away knowing you've just
experienced something special.
You are closer to the Heart of God.

A Little Green on this Rainy, Dark Day

Mood Ring for Wives

WIFEY Jewelry.

My husband, being unhappy with my mood swings,
bought me a mood ring the other day so he would be
able to monitor my moods.

We've discovered that when I'm in a good mood, it
turns green. When I'm in a bad mood, it leaves a big
red mark on his forehead.

Maybe next time he'll buy me a diamond!

My friend sent me this little joke, and I changed it from menopause, to include all wives.

It's horrible, but my husband walked around with a huge red mark on his forehead all evening, metaphorically speaking of course. I've been asking him to take care of the windshield wipers on the caravan. It's such little job, and I should have just done it myself in the first place. It was my mistake trying to make it his responsibility. Well, it finally BROKE off the arm, while I was on my way to the doctor's yesterday. I had to drive the rest of the way without wipers. After the doctor, I tried to switch the wipers, so that the better one was on my side. As I started driving, the broken wiper started scraping against the glass! It made the worst noise in the world! I had to pull into a parking lot. I called Jeffie, and yelled at him for putting me through that, and hung up on him. (I know.. Bad wifey!) Then I calmed down, and went out and took the wiper off entirely, and lifted the wiper arm up, so it wouldn't touch the glass. It looked really funny as I was driving, sticking up in the air, but I had to use my wipers. I drove to Walmart (my first visit for months), and bought new wipers, and put them on.

I think both of us were in the wrong. I would have liked him to take care of this little thing months ago when I talked to him about it. It would have helped me feel confident in his ability to take care of me, and do the little things to make our life better. I was wrong in over-reacting, and not just stepping up and doing it myself a long time ago. I waited until it was a huge deal, and then blew up at him. I was wrong to yell at him, and hang up. Then, I was in such a bad mood when I came home, that I blew up at Gabey too, when he pushed over my pile of clothes while I was folding them. I spanked him and pushed him out of our bedroom, and closed the door. I shouldn't have gotten so angry. That wasn't a spanking matter, and I shouldn't have done it that way.

Lord, I have so long to go! I have such a bad temper. Please, help me learn to control myself. Give me wisdom on what to do in situations like this.

"Calvin" at the Doctor's Office

Yesterday was a rough as I had dreaded. Have you read the Calvin and Hobbes comic, where he's at the doctor's, and won't let the doctor touch him? Well, that's my boy! LOL! He cried hysterically, and fought whenever the doctor or nurse tried to do anything except talk to him. We had to football hold him, just so she could get a look in his ears. He wasn't having any shots or anything either! I had to pin him against the wall, so we could try to see how tall he is. What a nut! He's getting me back for the way I was when I was little. I remember being terrified of the doctor. I really was a "little, pink cushion" though (open heart surgery when I was 7).
I can see that he's traumatized, I mean he's being held down (and hard, I might add, he's a strong little guy). It's understandable that he hates it. He just doesn't understand that if he just sat there, it wouldn't be a problem.

I'm going to get a doctor kit so we can play doctor for the next YEAR, just so he won't embarrass me this badly next year. YIKES!

Another Wellness Exam

Pray for us. Gabey has his 3 year wellness exam today, and he still remembers his time from last year.
(I wrote about it, it's in my January posts.)
I mentioned it in passing to him yesterday, thinking I was being a good mommy to prepare him. Well, the whole day... he would come up to me and start to cry..."The doctor's not coming over?"

Oh mannn. I love our doctor, and I feel so badly that he's sooo sensitive about it. She's not the one who even gives him the shots, she doesn't do anything bad to him, just checks him out. I understand, I mean I was terrified of our doctor too. Now, the nurse... I can understand him being terrified of, she's the one who does all the scary stuff, like shots. She's the sweetest woman, too. My heart goes out to her every time we visit. She gets this sad look, because he's so scared of her, and cries so bad with the shots.

It's nothing new. Children have been dreading the doctors for centuries. This too shall pass. I'm so thankful to have a healthy son that only needs to go in for Wellness exams. Thank you Lord, for a healthy son.

Walmart

Well, I haven't shopped at Walmart since I heard of their decision to support the Gay/Lesbian Chamber of Commerce. The problem is that the only other store is Kmart, and I HATE THAT STORE. It's the worst store ever. The lines are like Cedar Point, the customer service is like Dick's Last Resort, and the music is like a rock hall. I don't want to shop there anymore. I don't even know what they stand for. They may be as liberal as Target. I just didn't happen to see anything recently about them. (I hate shopping, so I couldn't even imagine trying to go to all the little stores around to try to get everything I need, I'm just not a shopper.)

So, though I feel like I'm caving, I think I may start going back to Walmart. I still don't agree with them in their new partnerships, but I need to shop at a store that I can feel comfortable going to. They've stuck me. They have made themselves indispensable to me, and it makes me mad.

The only thing is that I can't boycott every store that holds to liberal values, EVERY store does. There isn't a store that isn't worldly, so I'm either going to boycott Walmart, and end up going to another store that holds the same stance, or I'm going to go back to Walmart, and feel like I've lost a personal fight.

Car Karaoke

Jeffie's Birthday

Here are a few pictures from hubbie's birthday. We had a really nice day. We went shopping for some of his birthday presents. :):)

In the evening, we had my family, and Jeff's parents meet at Ponderosa.

Have Back, Will Travel

It's funny how much we take our body for granted. We move around and never realize the miracle of all our body parts working together. It's only when something goes wrong that we notice.

I hurt my back at the beginning of the week. I don't even know what I did to make it mad, but I started feeling really tight in my lower back, and it hasn't gotten much better. It's happened before, so it's not something I'm worried about. I just strained it, and need to take it easy.
I haven't been able to get anything done though, and that stinks. I haven't really gone out much, so the shopping is wayyyy overdue. The house is a tornado mess, because without me to stem the tide, the toys and misc. junk keep flowing. I've been sweeping it all into corners and against walls, so we can have a path, LOL. It's pretty sad. Sooo, if you were planning on making a surprise visit to my house, you'll have to wear boots, and bring a shovel while you're at it.

I have been playing Animal Crossing to pass the time, I got the golden axe for keeping a perfect town for 10 days. I was thrilled and got pictures, LOL. My mom came over yesterday, and we talked and played the game. She's got everthing organized in notebooks, and she has a lot of the furniture that I haven't been able to get. Woohooo. She ordered a hamster cage for me! I've been looking at that hamster cage since we first got the game, LOL. I put it in my house right away. Also, I've gotten my GBA hooked up, so I can travel to the little tropical island.







Gabey's been so wonderful for me all week. He's kissed my back, and has been really sweet. :):) Jeffie has been cool too, bringing home dinner the past 2 nights for us. Thank you Lord, for such a great, understanding family.