How hard can it be? There are SEVEN people living here that have the ability to put the stinkin' (did I just say stinkin'?) toilet paper roll on the .... the.... thingy. But there it sits - right on top! Now c'mon - like we're all too busy while sitting there on the potty to do that tiny little chore. Nope. No excuses for this one except pure
LAZINESS!!! (and would you believe even after taking this picture, I STILL didn't put it on?)
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**Don't forget to go and visit Vonnie - Wednesday's featured blogger! :) You'll love her - I promise.
I have a little routine that I started with my girlies (Cecily and Anna) years ago. My mom actually gave me this wonderful idea and I've loved it ever since. It's nothing profound really - it's just a simple little method to get my children down for a nap.
I know that this breaks all the "together mom" rules. In fact, I never would have done this with my first two because it's just too.... too... easy!
Okay, here it goes....
I lay down with my children! There I said it. We all pile into my king sized bed practically smothering each other. I think the most I've had in the bed at one time was 4 (including me). I usually transfer the littlest to the crib after they go to sleep.
Really though, it's a precious time.
Right now my little napping buddy is Harrison. I mean, what could be better than being forced to stop for a little while and...
Snuggle my baby.
Read an adorable little book to him. You know how I feel about lovely, charming, beautiful children's books. (We read the same one over and over until it's memorized and then move onto another. The one we are currently reading is Bunny My Honey - and it's SO CUTE! "Bunny! My honey!!! Mommy! I want my mommy!" Harrison even sings the song with me. We're the little honeys a little honey is sweet. Quack! Quack! Squeak! Squeak! Thump your great big feet! I'll get a video sometime for you.
and actually fall asleep for a bit if I need to. Us mommas get tired too ya know.
So what in the world does nap-time have to do with a distressed piece of furniture? Well, see this picture? It's the view I have when I turn over on my side during mine and Harrison's nap. He likes me to turn over so he can put his feet up my shirt and directly on my back (and yes, sometimes they're ice cold). Weird I know - but he's a totally touchy feely baby.
So, I was looking at my wardrobe. It's an old wardrobe that my uncle bought in England and had shipped over to the states. I've had it for many years now - maybe even like 10.
I painted the wardrobe a pretty turquoise color and then distressed it. Why distress it? I think distressed furniture is beautiful! Distressed carries an attitude of experience. It proves that it's been used and sometimes abused. It shows that it's not just remained untouched in one spot it's whole life.
I have a certain amount of respect for signs of distress in furniture (yes, even if I'm faking by adding those signs myself). It adds character and beauty and shows me that it's been-there done-that.
So, I think I've decided at this point in my life, I would like to be viewed as a piece of distressed furniture! I want people to look at my distress signs - my little signs of age... my rough places... as characteristic of experience. Grief and heartache have certainly left their marks on my body. I have a few gray hairs, a few rough spots and some bold responses, all because I've suffered.
I hope when people look at me, they'll look at me the way I look at a piece of distressed furniture... with respect, love and admiration for where it's been and what it's experienced. I want people to enjoy me and appreciate me. I want people to love me for who I am and what I've become. And you can paint me turquoise if you want to. That color looks good on me!
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I LOVE helping bloggers connect. I consider it one of my lots in life. :) If you'd like me to introduce you and your blog to other bloggers out there, just click on the button and sign up!
How many of you sing the Getting to know you song from The King and I when you see this button? I do it EVERY time! So here... sing along! But then make sure you head over to visit our featured blogger! Make her day, okay! (and keep singing as you go!)
I've known Yvonne (Vonnie)for just about as long as I've been blogging. I was thinking I met her through my friend, Loni, but as I got to looking around for mention of each other their blogs I began to doubt myself. Hmmmm.... Yvonne, how did I meet you? Do you know Loni? Well anyway...
Vonnie has so much wisdom to share and such a beautiful heart. You'll be so blessed by visiting her, and besides, she has a daughter named Anna! Ah, I just realized that today and I thought how sweet it was that we both named our little girls Anna - which means "Grace" or "Gracious one".
I don't have this month's giveaway worked out just yet - but I'm sure God will provide something fun - and I have something in particular in mind that I know you'll love if it works out. So, head over and leave a comment on Yvonne's blog letting her know you're visiting from here so I can get you entered in this months drawing! Each comment gets an entry - and besides it's more fun for the featured blogger to know she got a lot of visits.
I'm writing like a crazy woman! I've been crying off and on for the past few days - they're tears of inspiration and awe. I feel so close to the Lord and so excited about what he's working out in my life, in my family's life and in the life of another person/family. I can't wait to share it with you, but please keep us all in your prayers. I beg you to ask the Lord to lead every step of the way in this book project and that I'll be very sensitive to the spirits leading in this project. I'm up to almost 9000 words and I just started this past week!
Tomorrow we start back in the school books after a nice long Christmas break. These past two weeks have been such a blessing! I feel refreshed and ready to get back to some routine.
I'm also on a diet of sorts - just deciding not to snack or eat junk. I hope to take off about 10 pounds. Ugh! I hope it's not too hard for me. I've not had a lot of experience in this area for the past 21 years. Pregnancies make me fat, but nursing makes me thin - and I've been pregnant or nursing for a good part of my marriage. In fact, I've been married for 21 years, and I've been pregnant 6.75 years and I've nursed, 10.75 years. Yes, pregnant or nursing for 17 1/2 of those 21 years! Whoa! That's a little freaky when I think of it.
Since I'm being random here, I thought I'd also let you know that I bought a new camera. YEAH! Now Abigail and I can have our own! I bought myself a Canon XTi which is a little upgrade for me - and Abigail is buying my camera - a Canon XT. We share very well, and we have a system we use to distinguish my pictures from hers on the camera - we take a picture of our foot (with shoe on) before we take our own pictures - but there are times we want to be taking at the same time - and handing it back and forth is a pain. So, YEAH! Your photo maniac friend is excited - and so is your photo maniac friend's daughter.
Oh, and one last thing (so I can add pictures to this post) - friends. Ahhhh!!! Gotta love 'em! We had a lot of friends over this past week and here are some of the fun pics.
Pretty Cecily and her lovely friend Lydia. (Anna should be between these two. They were all wonderful friends!)
Jared and Abigail had some of their friends over - and getting a serious picture was impossible! But that's okay - I like these better.
This was about as serious as it got. Jared and Abigail were trying very hard - but as you can see, they were with a bunch of GOOF BALLS!!!
I'm so excited about my newest project - more excited about a project than I've been in a long time - ever maybe. It's regarding my next book. The book project I mentioned here several times is on hold - because God told me to do something different. For those of you who were excited about the one I was starting to write, don't worry, I plan to get back to it.
This current idea came to me one day while I was alone watching a movie. It had nothing to do with the movie I was watching, but somehow God used that moment to speak to me about what he wanted me to do and I've been on cloud nine ever since.
I've become a maniac writer! I've written over 5000 words in just a few days. It's coming and it's coming fast! This project involves another person - and that's what's going to make it so unique and powerful.
I think I'll leave it at that for now. I want to get further into the project before I reveal what it is - but please be in prayer as I embark on this new venture, and also pray for the other person (if I told you who it was, it'd give it away), as we seek to glorify God through this book project.
And as a side note... here are some favorite Christmas pics.
Me and my two sissies. Little Sis Lonna on the left and Big Sis, Lisa on the right - Shrimpo Lynnette in the middle (they're like 5'8" and 5'9" and I'm barely 5'5")
Being the baby of the family, Harrison doesn't know how to treat kids younger than him. He's so weird around little people! HA!
All my kids checking out the contents of their stockings.
Silas was "Weird Cousin Ned" (from a little Christmas poem/skit daddy wrote) this year. The last one was Jared (when he was about the same age).
Harrison needs a sugar dry out. He didn't use to like sugar very much but after eating way too much like the rest of us - he's addicted. Poor little addict.
Look what the boys got for Christmas.But Harrison is Super-Spiderman. ha!
Engrossed in.... something. Although I'm not sure what.
And last but not least... 13 year old Cecily got her first cell phone and freaked out so much it was hilarious! Kyle called her phone and said, "Answer it!" The first picture was her answering her phone like a walkie talkie. ha! Then she started running back and forth acrossed the house absolutely ecstatic. The funny of the whole holiday!
I want to share one little thing with you today - it's so powerful - I don't dare share anything else to distract from it's message. It's a quote out of the book I'm almost finished with:
Today when I read this - I just sat and meditated on it - I think it's an awesome truth.
"We shouldn't pray for a lighter load to carry, but a stronger back to endure! Then the world will see that God is with us, empowering us to live in a way that reflects his love and power." Brother Yun
*Sit and meditate on that for a few moments... then head over to visit our featured blogger!
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Jeanette is another early sign up that I haven't featured yet. I'm trying to go back and pick up some of those blogs that I haven't gotten to for one reason or another. A lot of the blogs that signed up early on aren't even there anymore! I stopped by to visit Jeanette and was excited to share her blog with you. What a beautiful blog and a precious family!
It looks like Jeanette and her hubby have a lovely little addition to their family since they put their header together. Yes, they've adopted a beautiful little girl from China. You can see her in their Christmas picture on her blog.
Remember to stop by Jeanette's blog and leave a comment telling her you're visiting from my blog so that you can be entered for the Thread's of Hope giveaway! This is the last week to get your entry in for December's Getting to know YOU! I'll draw the winner for the hats and scarf on Saturday Jan. 2nd and post the winner over the weekend.
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- and it's SO CUTE! 
So what in the world does nap-time have to do with a distressed piece of furniture? Well, see this picture? It's the view I have when I turn over on my side during mine and Harrison's nap. He likes me to turn over so he can put his feet up my shirt and directly on my back (and yes, sometimes they're ice cold). Weird I know - but he's a totally touchy feely baby.
