The Little Things.

This weekend, I treated myself to a new coffee pot.  It's not anything special;  no fancy gadgets or settings.  But the old one was OLD and icky, and the new one is RED.    :)  If an appliance plans to remain on the counter top, where it will be seen often, why not make it a pretty one?

Girls' Night.

Have I mentioned how much I love our bible study group?  They are so near and dear to my heart.  My weekend began with a well needed break.  I invited the girls in our group to come over and just hang out, watching chick-flicks and eating junk food.  We had so much fun.  We polished our fingernails and french-braided hair... while the many boys in my family patiently spent their evening together upstairs and let Mommy "do her thing."  :)  I think they understand that sometimes Mommy just needs to be girly, and they're okay with that.  After all, they've never known their Mommy any other way.  :)

Time For A New Suit.

My two older boys have had their turns, playing ring bearer.  :)  I missed it with my oldest.  :(  I was eight months preggers with KS3, so I avoided the plane ride and stayed home with KS2.  My husband and oldest son flew to Alabama to see the hubby's brother and wife get married.  KS1 was about four years old at the time, and he and his cousin were the ring-bearing duo.  :)  My hubby was a groomsman.  I have a few snapshots.  I sent along my camera with instructions for my mother-inlaw to take as many pics as possible.  What was the first thing I noticed???  They switched the boys' tuxes.  KS1 is quite a bit larger than his cousin.  The sleeves were short on one... hanging off the arms of the other.  Oh well.  You just can't control everything, right?  :D  They still looked handsome.

A few years ago, my own brother got married.  It was KS2's turn.  He was also about four years old.  My sister-in-law happily allowed us to use a suit rather than renting a tux.  Oh, he looked so darling.  This particular suit was actually my youngest brother's, believe it or not!  He wore it in my best friend's wedding years ago, and it fit KS2 perfectly.  It still looked brand new and in style!  I would post a picture to ensure you he didn't LOOK like he came straight from 1995, but I still have some missing photo files from when I switched computers... I don't think I've told that story.  Ugh.  No reason to get into it now.

So, now, it's KS3's turn.  My best friend's little sister (who is also my friend :) has asked that KS3 be her ringbearer in her wedding next month.  Well, the suit KS2 wore is too small.  And the only one I had that "kind of" fit... well, take a look:

It was also my little brothers' (I've mentioned my mother keeps EVERYTHING, right?)... It belonged to one of them, anyway.  But it was probably a hand-me-down to one of them, even.  AND it's navy blue, which is NOT going to work... I don't know that I'm very good at telling when a little boy's suit looks dated, but I think I can recognize the extreme.

...which means... TIME FOR A  NEW SUIT!  We will remedy this before the wedding, I assure you.  :)  P.S.  No, he won't be wearing his Batman tshirt underneath either.  :)

It's Cold Again.

I've mentioned the recent weather fluctuations.  It has been CRAZINESS.  This morning, we woke up to the radio weather report, stating that we were back down to freezing temperatures, and to beware of the ice on the roads.  The following pics were taken just last Thursday.  It was gorgeous outside.  My brother and sister had come out to have lunch with me, and by the end of the day, all of my siblings had joined us, and we were enjoying a nice evening of visiting.  :)

After I picked my kiddos up from school, we went out for a DQ treat.  It was actually warm enough to enjoy our icecream OUTSIDE!  That's when I took the pics.  :)

Me and my handsome little brother.  He won't like these pics, because I didn't actually take the time to "make him smile," which he INSISTS is the only way he can smile in a picture.  So, I have to tell him some kind of corny joke or make a ridiculous remark, or just poke him in the ribs, at least.  I didn't do that this time, so this is what I got:

My niece, drinking Aunt Holly's soda:

KS3, enjoying his hot fudge sundae:

I am usually one for the cooler weather, it's true.  But I must admit that I'm ready for spring.  I'll probably be tired of it after a couple of weeks, especially when our April showers start flowing into my basement laundry room.  :(  ... (that's what happens when the rain has just gotten OUT OF CONTROL!)

In the meantime, maybe I can fit in a couple more evenings with a fire in the fireplace, and snuggled under a blanket to watch a movie with my family.  No complaints here.  :)

Another Sky Picture

I took this one on Friday morning.  Yes, I was in my car, but don't worry... I was at a stop light.  :)  I had dropped the kiddos off to school, and I was going to pick up a Starbucks treat for the hubby and myself.  This was the scenery for my little roadtrip.

The sky enamors me.  People are constantly changing what's on the ground.  We add and take away from nature... with buildings and landscaping.  Road construction and businesses are always popping up or coming down.  It's all around us.  A few years ago, a WalMart was built in the neighborhood where my husband and I lived when our first son was born.  Our old apartment complex was completely wiped out to make way for the new store and its neighboring businesses.  It's just the way life is.... the world in which we live.

But the sky remains the same, at least to the naked eye.  It looks like the same sky I saw when I was a little girl.  I can remember my sister and I looking out the back window of the station wagon, on long car rides home from visiting family in "the country," and we'd look at the starts at night... or the clouds during the day.  It's the same sunshine that I used to lie beneath in my parents' back yard during warm summer days.  And it's the same moon and stars that my best friend and I used to climb to watch from the top of the highschool roof down the street from her house. 

Something about the vastness of it brings comfort to me.  From where we are, it looks to be never ending!  And it's only a small portion of the wonder that God has created.  Isn't it amazing that He shares it with us?

Missouri Weather.

Last week, it was COLD.  I'm talking, wind chills in the negative numbers.  Snow and ice were covering the ground.  The lake in our subdivision was frozen solid!  Well, maybe not solid, but the geese were walking on top of it regardless.  Everyone was SO excited, because the weather-people were saying that the weekend was going to welcome temps in the 50s and 60s.  And it did!  ...only to get even WARMER!  I think, at one point this week, I passed a bank sign than said 77 degrees.  My eldest wore shorts to school yesterday!  The ice had melted from the driveways.  The sun was shining.  The sky was just beautiful.

Today... back down to 40.  Cloudy.  Chilly.  You just NEVER know around here.  :)  I don't know how many times I've thought it was easily time to pack away my kids' clothes for the season, when BOOM!... Nope!  God was just teasing with me.  Haha!  (It's okay, I HATE the chore of packing away clothes... so don't feel sorry for me... it just gives me a new reason to put it off a bit longer.)

No worries.  It is what it is.  I've grown up here.  I've never known it any other way.  However, I WILL say that I think the part I like the least is the snow... mounds and mounds of snow.  This week, we were approaching temperatures near the 80s and the lake was thawed!  But guess what was still in the middle of every store parking lot....

BLECH.  I strongly dislike it.  :/  But... I suppose no one asked me, did they?  :)

An afternoon with my Valentine.

I mentioned earlier that we celebrate Valentine's Day as a family... Well, that's true, but I didn't say that my sweetheart and I don't celebrate ourselves as well.  :)  Early on, we decided that "going out" on Valentine's Day was craziness.  We tried it the first couple of years we were married, and it was so crazy to get a table, even for two.  So, we would make dinner at home.  (This is how the tradition began to have a family dinner, by the way.)  But every year, we will do a little something special.  Some of my favorites are the special notes Jason will write to me on any given holiday.  Sometimes they might come on Valentine's Day, or maybe my birthday.  Those are near and dear to me.  Or we might exchange small gifts.  Well, this year, he took today off (the Friday AFTER Valentine's) and we just spent the day together, hangin' out... Oh... and picking out my gift.  :)

I wanted a chair for my family room.  Doesn't sound romantic to you?  Well, never you mind what YOU think of it.  My husband knows me well, and he knew this would thrill me... SOOO... he took me shopping for a chair.  :)  And I AM ELATED with our choice.  :)  Here we are!

Then, we had lunch.  YUM!  My 7-pepper steak salad.

Have you ever had the fried cheesecake dessert at Longhorn Steakhouse?  If you haven't, DO indulge at some time or another.  It's an old favorite of ours.  :)

We kinda licked it clean.  Haha!

I LOVE HIM!

It was a nice day.  The weather was beautiful, and I spent it with my absolute favorite person in the whole, wide world.  Happy Friday!

School Parties.

On Valentine's Day, I attended all three of my boys' class parties.  It was interesting to see the variation among the age groups.  I'll give you examples:

KS3's class had crafts galore.  We decorated these little candles with ribbon and tissue paper.  We made a paper valentine complete with tissue paper decoration and lots of glue!  And we had fun with making our own Valentine bookmarks... more ribbon... lots of stickers.  :) 

Other than the crafts, there were snacks and the Valentine exchange, which they were all just thrilled about!  Their previously decorated Valentine bags were lined up in a row, and each child had a turn to put his/her Valentine in each of the friends' bags.

We had a great time, and KS3 probably told me a hundred times how much fun he was having, and how glad he was that I was there.  :)

Later that afternoon, I moved on to KS2's party.  This one was all about activities and games.  We played "pin the heart-nose on the Valentine" and "Valentine Bingo."

They did decorate their Valentine bag as a craft, but passing out was much different.  Several students were given a turn, to hand their cards out to their friends while their friends waited patiently at their desks.  Like KS3, KS2 gave me lots of hugs and affection.  :)  It's just their way.  They're snuggle bugs. 

KS2 and KS1's parties overlapped a bit, but I was able to make it to the very end of KS1's... which was fine with him either way.  KS1 is my independant child.  He is loving in his own way, but doesn't like a lot of attention.  He has said himself, "Mom, I'm just a 'back row' kind of guy."  :)  For the last couple of years, he hasn't even wanted me to bring birthday treats to his class.  He says it just causes too much attention.

I actually had to coerce him into bringing anything to share with his friends.  He assured me only a few of the kids would actually hand out Valentines.  I told him the least we could do is buy a box of those Valentine bags of candy, and he could just put them on the treat table if he wanted.  That way, he didn't have to pass them out, but he could still contribute.  He seemed to like that idea, so he went to school that morning with his box of Skittle Valentines in hand.  :)

This is what I found on his desk when I arrived to his class that afternoon.

I really only planned to pop my head in to say "hi," because I knew they'd be finishing up their snacks.  No other moms were to be seen, so I cracked open the door and waved.  The kids all shouted a "hello" my way (they know me from helping out every week), and my eldest son smiled his sheepish, little smile.  His teacher said she had a craft that I could help with, so I figured I could stick around and help her out.

I didn't hover over my son, so as not to embarrass him.  I didn't go crazy with too many pictures.  I do my best to tread lightly as he's growing older.  He's the kind of guy who needs a little "space," so I try to respect that.  He says all of his friends think I'm great... AND hillarious, so I must not be doing it ALL wrong.  :)  I went along my way, helping some of his friends with the little yarn-creature craft they were making (trust me, the help was needed!). 

The time was about over, so I was headed out the door... I started to wave to KS1 on my way out, when he called out for me to wait!  And then it happened... Right in front of his classroom full of friends, he got up from his desk, walked to the door, and hugged me goodbye... no looking around to see who was watching... not any differently than he would have in our own living room. 

Yep, he's still my baby.  And I'm still his mommy.  I couldn't have asked for a sweeter Valentine's Day.  :)

It's a BENJAMIN!

So, were you all waiting with baited breath?  I kind of left you hangin', didn't I?  Well, probably not.  Any of you who read this, likely already knew.  :)

It is official, I am going to be the aunt to another nephew.  SWEET!  I love baby boys.  :)

Here he is, growing all healthy and strong!


(Left) My handsome brother and his beautiful wife and baby.  :)  This was before they came inside to announce the news to everyone.
(Right) The following day, we had a girls' day with our family and Lisa's to enjoy lunch together and do a little shopping spree for Baby Benjamin.  See that cute tummy?  LOVE IT!

We all stayed in the living room at my parents' house, and they walked in with the "surprise" behind Lisa's back... She revealed the little boy outfit they had gone out to buy after their doctor appointment.  :)  It's a BENJAMIN!  :)

And this is my favorite.  I had to play around with it, because the light in the background messed with my camera settings.  But I just HAD to save the image somehow.  Just look at that mommy's glow.  She is so excited to have this little one growing inside of her, she can hardly contain herself!  I'm surprised her cheeks don't hurt from smiling so much.  She just exudes mommy pride.  And my brother's expression in the background is just as precious... He has that content, happy gaze as he watches his wife... the woman carrying his child.  Pure joy.

Benjamin Thomas will arrive in July of this summer. 

I don't think I've told the story of his name yet.  Thomas is also my brother's name (incidentally, one of my own children carries that middle name as well!  I love family names.)  But his first name is Benjamin after the brother that none of us were blessed to meet, other than my parents.  #3 down the line of the children in our family, was a baby boy.  He was stillborn, after my mother had carried him for six months.  They named him Benjamin Michael.  I would have been four years old at the time, yet I remember it vividly.  I know God has a purpose behind those kinds of things, but we've all had our time of wondering what it would have been like if our brother had lived.  How would our family have been different?  I don't think there's a thing wrong with wondering.  It doesn't mean that we don't trust God's plan, even though we don't know His purpose behind it.  But I am confident that one day I'll meet my little brother in heaven, and I won't care about the why.  My parents have always included his memory in our family as we've grown up.  My mom finds comfort that her baby boy is in heaven with his earthly grandmother and heavenly Father.

Now, in this very special way, because God laid it on the heart of my brother and his wife YEARS ago, before they ever formed the baby she is now carrying, the name Benjamin will have another new and special meaning to our family.  The mere thought gives me goosebumps, and brings tears of joy to my eyes.

The gift of life is one that will continually amaze me.... the way God forms and designs a little, human body, down to each toe and finger.  He decided long ago if Benjamin will have eyes like his mommy's or a nose like his daddy's.  :) ...whether he'll be short or tall.  ...whether he'll like cars or music.  Either way, he will be loved by a whole lot of people.  Of that, I am certain.

Sunset.

I'm so glad I've been carrying my little point-n-shoot around with me again.  I was driving my son to basketball practice last night, stuck in some rush-hour-slowdown, and this was our view.  The image can't possibly do justice to the real thing, but it was breathtaking. 

We just started a new "life group" with some friends, and we're doing a book study... reading through Francis Chan's Crazy Love.  The first chapter talks about stopping and taking notice of God.  This was certainly one of those moments that it was kind of hard to ignore just how big and wonderful God is.

Just for Fun.

For my sisters:

Another hat:

New skirt:

Sister 1 said I could pull it off.  Sister 2 said I'd look like Mortisha Adams.  Sister 3 (that would be the brother's wifie-pooh) thought it was pretty cute, but it's possible she didn't want to hurt my feelings.  :)  Well, there it is.  Now, they can decide for themselves.  (Either way, it was only $5.00 on clearance at JC Penney, and THAT made me very happy!  :)

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I laughed when I re-read the first line of my last entry... "Do you read blogs?"  Well, you must read at least one, right?  Sheesh.  Well, anyway, that was just a side note.  I think sometimes, I feel like I'm journaling as opposed to writing something someone else might actually read.  I learned of a new reader this weekend, in fact! :)  My sister-in-law's sweet mamma reads my blog.  Hi, Mrs. Modglin!  :)  It's fun to know that others enjoy it.  It gives me an excuse to keep spending time on it.  :)

So, I have all kinds of great stories from this weekend, but I don't have time to tell about them at all right now.  :(  I've made it to one of three Valentine school parties.  I came home to eat a quick lunch, and I need to head back out in just a few minutes.  But I thought I'd share a couple of thoughts.

My husband and I currently lead a bible study for young single folks.  We have so many sweet friends, who range in age and life stage, and I've grown to really care for this group.  It's interesting how God starts to open your heart to be sensitive and aware of things you never thought of before, isn't it?  Today, of all days, I have them all on my heart especially.... today, on Valentine's Day.

Different people view "being single" in different ways.  Some folks prefer it and have chosen that status for their lives, while others are waiting to find that "right" special someone.  Some thought they'd found it, but it didn't exactly work out that way.  Some are perfectly content in being patient and NOT settling, while others are in full search.

I was married at age 20.  I had my first child at age 23.  I don't relate to the "single life" from experience.  I don't pretend to.  But I have special people in my life, who are near and dear to me, in my own family, who are in that stage of life, and I think the fact that touches my heart most is that I would NEVER want those people to feel unloved because they weren't "in a relationship."

So many people make the mistake of placing their individual value on the "person they're with."  OR, if they're not with someone at all, they feel they are of lesser value because of it.

When I see that, it makes my heart ache.

The older I get, the more I realize that my perception of myself has nothing to do with how my husband views me, or how my children view me... how my parents view me, or my siblings or my friends.  Ultimately, if I haven't grown to be accepting of who I am as I am and who God created me to be, how can I expect others to be?  Now, I, personally, feel that my self-acceptance is based solely on my relationship with God and how HE views me.  And I know that others may not see the spiritual aspect of that fact, but I believe you can't separate the two.  If I strive to please Him with my life, the rest will all fall into place.  That includes my relationships.

God created life.  He created mine.  He created yours.  If He didn't have a plan for you, He wouldn't have made you.  JUST YOU.  I find such comfort in that fact.  He is God, and He knows all my flaws and all of my weaknesses, and He loves me.... just as I am.  If that's not reason enough to celebrate love, I don't know what else is.

But aside from that fact, what about all of the other relationships God has placed in our lives?  Are they NOT worthwhile?  Why does society have to focus on a romantic kind of love on Valentine's Day?  Romance is great, of course.  But LOVE is what's worth celebrating.  We celebrate Valentine's Day as a family in my home.  Sure, there will come a day when my kiddos will grow up and want to focus on their girlfriends on this time.  But I want them to know and believe they are special and loved regardless of a girlfriend.  I want them to know that they are celebrated for who they are, and how God made them.  Side note:  When I was a teenager, my best friend and I loved to celebrate Valentine's together. :)  We would get one another candy or a small gift.  I have special memories of those holidays.  It's who we wanted to celebrate at the time, so that's what we did.

I would just encourage you, single or married, with or without a "guy or gal" in your life, to focus on your blessings today... and any other day, for that matter.  I would also encourage you, just as I continue to work on myself, remembering that your value of yourself is not dependant on any other human being.  Love God, appreciate how He chose to make you, and be thankful He loves you.  If you have no other focus today, that alone will be a celebration.  Happy Valentine's Day!

My Valentine.

I read a blog entry last night, that inspired me.  :)  Do you read blogs?  I have yet to understand what draws people into sharing personal thoughts with the cyber-world.  ...and what draws us into reading them?  I understand when it's someone I know, but how is it that I am interested by the story of a complete stranger?... moreso, by their every-day happenings?  Well, anyway, I have a few that I like to keep up with.  Some entries, I skim through while others captivate me and I read intently.  Last night, I was reading of a woman's story about how she got together with her husband.  It moved me to share a little bit of my own.  The last words of her entry were these:

If you have something in your past, in your story, in your love story, in your life that you wish hadn't "happened that way" - maybe you feel it was even wrong, ungodly. Maybe you even brought it on yourself. Maybe someone else did.


Let me encourage you!

GOD IS BIGGER THAN ALL THAT! ! !


He allowed what He did to draw YOU, His precious child to Himself in a deeper and more real way!


The imperfections in our stories, in our lives, they are what He uses to humble us. And God draws near to the humble.

He is a God who redeems. He works all things together for the good to those who LOVE HIM AND ARE CALLED ACCORDING TO HIS PURPOSE.

My thoughts???  I couldn't agree MORE!

Do you have one of "those" stories?  I have found that when we, especially in the Christian world, have an unseemly story in our past, we don't openly share it.  I'm not laying blame, because I really don't share mine either.  I'm not proud of it.  I don't broadcast it.  And let's face it, people can be judgmental and condescending.  That's the truth of the matter.

And I really don't plan to share all of mine today either.  My wonderful husband, Jason, thinks that there will come a day when my story will be used as ministry.  Maybe.  I don't know.  If that's the case, I'm not there yet.  I think that little portion of my past is where it belongs... in the past... and let's just keep it there.  :)

The GOOD part of it is, I don't have to share all of it, in order to tell of God's redemption.  I can give you the summary of my own mistakes, and give God all the glory for working His plan through my life even in spite of my own stupidity.

Jason and I did not have a fairy-tale beginning.  Oh, if I could do things over again.  You see, I KNOW and BELIEVE whole heartedly, that if I had been patient, and waited for God's timing instead of rushing my own, I could have avoided a lot of heartache... that I caused myself, AND others who loved me.  I could have chosen to listen to my family and friends who warned me against the choices I was going to make.  But I didn't.  I was young and stubborn and strong willed, and I thought I knew what was best for my life.  I ignored the little taps on my heart, that God kept giving me.  I went along with my own agenda.

Word to the wise:  Don't ignore the signs!  Trust your gut.  Don't let yourself get trapped in a hole of self-deception.  And, by all means, do NOT ignore God when deep inside, you know He is trying to tell you something. 

That being said, vague as it may be, I had made some decisions in my life that could have altered the entire course of my future for good.  But amidst my mistakes, when all was said and done, God worked things together for good.

Regardless of the beginnings, and regardless of the prices I had to pay for my mistakes, God blessed me with a husband who loves me unconditionally.  God worked His plan for my life, even when I was botching it up.  And here I stand, a picture of His grace and mercy.

My husband...  Where do I even begin?

He is logical.  I am emotional.
He is simple.  I am complicated.
He is patient.  I am... not.
He thinks things through.  I am impulsive.
He likes colors like brown and gray.  I'm more of a "RED" kind of girl.  :)
He's a homebody.  I'd rather go out.
He loves to read and study and learn.  I'd rather visit and chat with friends and family.
He didn't want to have kids.  I talked him into it (and he's an AWESOME dad, just like I knew he'd be.)
He has extreme self control.  I do everything IN extremes.
He is focused and determined.  I am completely random.
He loves quiet.  Quiet makes me feel lonely.

We are quite a pair, right?  And our beginnings were just that ... quite a beginning.  :)  I was 20.  He was 22.  We already had plenty of baggage to get over.  And we both had to pay for the mistakes of others from our pasts.  We had to do a lot of growing up together.  Some days, it was far from easy.

This is our fifteenth Valentine's Day together.  Here I am, in complete authenticity, telling you that I could not have chosen anyone who suited me better.  His love for me is unconditional.  He has seen me at my worst, and still thinks I'm wonderful!  He makes me want to be a better me, and I am so happy to be his wife.  I am blessed to be the mother of his children.  I look forward to seeing him every day, and I love watching him grow and learn and become a better husband and dad along the way.  He loves God, and he leads our family in strength and in faith.

God has blessed me abundantly.  I am eternally thankful, and I will continue to give Him all glory and praise for working HIS plan in my life!

Jason & Laura, THEN (1996):

Jason & Laura, NOW (2010):

Benjamin? or Zoe?

Tomorrow, my little brother and sister-in-law get to find out if their baby is a boy or a girl.  I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!

I love being an aunt.  That is one of the few things, as the oldest in my family, I didn't get to experience before my siblings.  They got to be aunts and uncles long before I did.  :)  But after experiencing mommy-hood for awhile, I finally had the pleasure of gaining my own little nieces and nephews.  On my hubby's side, I have one nephew and two nieces.  And on my side, I have one nephew, a niece... and another on the way.  Oh, they are a delight.  I can enjoy them.  I don't have to discipline them.  I can spoil them.  And I can send them on their way.  :)

The newest addition is to arrive this summer, sometime in July.  The names they've chosen are Benjamin and Zoe.  I happen to love them both.

Names are so hard.  When we were choosing names for our sons, my husband and I struggled!  Our tastes are just so different.  Not my brother and his wife.  They've had these two names chosen for as long as I can remember... long before the baby had ever been created. 

And tomorrow, the little peanut will let us know which it's going to be.  I wonder if I'll EVER learn the art of patience?!

“Before I formed you in the womb I knew you." 
-Jeremiah 1:5a

My Girls...

You've got to love these sweet babies.  :)  They have on their Valentine necklaces... although you can't see Mandy's, because she's too furry right now.

We're in preparation mode for Valentine's Day around here.  I have about sixteen things to do for the kids' school parties alone.  I think it's a fun holiday, and we always celebrate it as a family rather than just my husband and myself.  I'm planning our annual Valentine meal of steak filets and goodies on the side.  We'll light candles at the dining room table, and the boys will just get the biggest kick out of it.  :)  I'm looking forward to the festivities!  :)

Our Weekend.

More snow on Saturday.  I owe my bff in Romania a HUGE apology.  We've always had this little difference of opinion regarding the weather.  She likes it warm.  I like it cool.  It's one of our few differences.  :)  In Romania, it's cold a LOT.  It's rainy and snowy often.  While she still enjoys season changes, they're not nearly as drastic as the ones we experience here, and she misses that.  I've always maintained that I would be fine with her long winters.  I think I have to take it back.  I'm so sick of seeing this white blanket on the ground!  I know it's silly to complain about it.  I think it's ridiculous, really.  No one can control the weather, and yet we all go on and on about it as though it makes ANY amount of difference.  Just silly.  All of that, to give you another picture of... snow.

These would be our little lights shining in the evening.  They were on, even in the midst of their cold surroundings.

Saturday was not a loss due to the weather, though, of course!  I had a project in mind, and I was able to complete it with the help of my patient husband.  I wanted to recover my couch pillows.  Without boring you with the long, sordid details, I will simplify the story for you... 

• I've used a sewing machine, MAYBE once or twice when I was a kid at home. 
• My mother in law gave me her old one, just in case it might come in handy one day.
• I wanted new pillows.
• The frugal side of me didn't want to BUY eight new pillows (four for the couch upstairs; four for the couch and loveseat downstairs).
• My neighbor gave me the idea to use dinner napkins as pillow covers.
• That would be what jogged my memory that I am actually in possession of a sewing machine!
• I bought napkins (on clearance) at Target!  (I LOVE TARGET!)
• My husband remembered how to USE the sewing machine (it was his mom's, remember).
• He taught me.
• I muddled through it.

End result:

EIGHT NEW COUCH PILLOWS (for the complete cost of $24):

YAY, ME!  :)

Last but not least, we enjoyed a nice evening with friends for the Superbowl.  We've never thrown a Superbowl party.  I know nothing about football.... probably less about a Superbowl party.  We had food.  We had friends.  We had a TV with the football game on.  I assume that's all one needs? 

A huge entertainment area with enough seating would be have been a perk... but oh well!  No one complained nearly as much about the lack of seating as I did about the boredom I had to endure for having a football game on for four hours!!!  Whew!  :)  Maybe I should consider that factor when no one wants to come back to my house for the Superbowl NEXT year.  :)

These folks are our Bible Study group, once again.  We had people coming and going throughout the evening, kids running around, friends chatting and eating.  A few played games in the other room.  I love it!  :)  ...even though they were there for football.  :)

P.S.  That would be my little brother in the "comfy corner" of the couch.  I was so glad he joined us, too!  :)   Love him!

But as the night wound down, the families with kiddos had left, and my own boys were all tucked into their beds... only five of us were left for the viewing of Glee afterwards!  These people must not value true entertainment!  My goodness!

Sunshine

Give me some snow days, and take away my "restrictions" of a schedule, and I end up blogging MORE?!  Who knew?!  :)

I saw something today...   It's just what we needed.  Do you see it peaking through the icy trees?  Yep, it's the sun!

We HAD to get out of the house today.  Thankfully, I was able to get the van OUT of the garage.  That was the first step.  My sweet hubby attempted to shovel the driveway for us last night... and the shovel broke.  What's up with that???  Ugh, ICE!  Anyway, we got out with no trouble.  I took the boys to get some lunch.  And we made a little Target stop.  Check these out:

They're arm warmers... you know, like leg warmers... only for your arms!  So cute!  They were $3.48.  I love TARGET!!!  I saw on a friend's FB status today, that Target was her happy place.  I couldn't agree more.  With cute accessories like these, I am reminded why I enjoy winter.  :)  LOVE IT!

We came home, and my boys just hadn't had enough of being out.  Even in the chilly air, they just needed some time to get out energy.  So, what did they ask to do???  Take a look:

Yep... that's the garage... and my boys, riding around in it on their scooters and skateboards.  In fact, they're still out there as I type!  The door is shut.  The lights are on, and they're having a fantastic time, just riding around and burning energy.  Sounds good to me!  I haven't even made them come in to do their homework!  :)