Tuesday's Toss-up

Tuesday's Toss-up is here, and it's YOUR turn to comment on my blog!!! I love praise & worship -- so dear to me -- and I'm pretty sure near and dear to many of you... so, here is a quote I found on two different kinds of praise and worship music...

Read the quote, process it a bit, and comment on what crosses your heart and mind about this comment... and whatever else you want to share about praise and worship. Don't worry about length... it can be short & sweet, or long and detailed... just GO FOR IT!!

"...Hymns are like trees;

praise songs, like flowers.

Both are God's creation ...

neither more important than the other."

By: Gerrit Gustafson

P.S. Remember -- no Googling ... original thoughts from YOUR heart and mind only!!!

AND -- check back through out the day to see what others have shared!!!

Worship Guy!

Can I just say ... I am so impressed with Kim's sculpting ability (you know... KPJara from Can You Hear Me Now?). She is a bit more critical on herself... and I guess we all go there on occasion ... but really now... this is just awesome!

Take a few minutes and look at this magnificent sculpture she has created called, Worship Guy -- it really ROCKS! (Did you notice that??? SHE CREATED THE SCULPTURE... From her own hands)

Beautiful. Just beautiful.

Now go... go, go, go!

Monday Musings ...

1.) Monday, Monday ... la, la, lalalala... Well, you get the picture... I'm soooo happy, happy, HAPPY to be back at work. I always thought I would want to be a stay at home mom, and honestly, maybe being a part-time stay at home mom might not be too bad... but a FULL TIME stay at home mom? No way. Uh Uh. Not in a million years. How do you ladies do it??? Seriously? This is what a typical day for me was like...

7:15 - wake up with baby - feed baby, hold baby, play with baby, change baby (not exactly in that order...)
9:15 - put baby down for nap, jump in shower, dry hair, put on velour lounge pants and skanky top, throw a load of wash in washer.
10:45 - get baby from crib, change baby, hold baby, play with baby, feed baby, play some more with baby.
12:30 - put baby down for nap, fix lunch, transfer clothes into dryer and add another load in washer. Sit down for one minute to eat lunch.
2:00 - get baby from crib, change baby, hold baby, play with baby, feed baby, play some more with baby.
3:30 - Dad comes home ... yeah! Adult time!!!
3:45 - Dad lays down for a nap... what's up with that? Mom wants a nap too! But son doesn't want a nap... he wants to be held, and wants to play, and wants mom to pay attention to him... now!!! Transfer clothes from dryer onto guest bed. Transfer clothes from washer into dryer and add another load of clothes in washer. FOLD clothes on bed? Who has time for that???
5:30 - Try to feed son solids for dinner. Dad wakes up and wants to know what's for dinner. DINNER? I had to fix DINNER TOO? Yeah, right, buster... you better be kidding, cause mom's not a happy girl right now, and if Mom's not happy, NOBODY's happy.
5:35 - Dad scrambles to find something to fix for dinner while mom tries to navigate spoon full of sweet potatoes into screaming baby's mouth...
6:15 - Try to eat my own dinner that Dad made (not sure what it is) while baby demands attention.
7:00 - Give baby a bath. Dad helps with this and it goes very smoothly. Thank you, Dad!
7:45 - feed baby last bottle, put oragel on gums, feed Hyland Homeopathic teething tablets to baby, give baby motrin, and now fight against a temper tantrum that the six month old is holding the entire home hostage with, because his gums hurt, and he doesn't know how to deal with the pain.
8:00 - go back downstairs with unhappy and crying baby and wait for him to cry himself to sleep.
8:30 - take half-dead tired baby back up to crib and hope for best. Shhh ... close door ... sneak out... turn monitor on... listen, listen, breath, sigh. All is well. Baby asleep. Remove makeup, brush teeth, take 5,000 vitamins and miscellaneous pills, read book for 10 minutes and turn light off by 9:30.

Turn light back on... get clothing out of dryer and add to pile on guest bed, transfer now stinky clothes out of washer and into dryer... creep back into bed, turn light off, go to sleep.

2.) Now... it seems that when I work a full time job, I have more TIME to do the things I need to do than when I'm home all day long. Why is that? Is it because I can multi-task? Is it because I'm more organized? Is it because I know I have a small window to get stuff done in, and I just DO IT? Good grief --- I felt like I didn't get ANYTHING done the entire day I was home. And to top it all off, my good, quiet, loving, easy natured baby has changed into a screaming, temper tantrum throwing, body-bucking wild child... Maybe it's because he's getting about 3 or 4 teeth on the bottom, and a couple on top ... all at the same time ... and he's just in pain overload ... but let me just say that Mom is NOT amused by this turn of events. At all. And... it better be temporary, 'cause temper tantrums won't fly in my house!

3.) For those that are interested ... the Baby Safe Feeders (I had the name wrong) can be found at Baby-Outfitters.com for $13.50 -- they are so easy to use... much easier than the one made by Sassy. The original Baby Safe Feeder was invented by a father who almost lost his child to a choking incident. Very scary, indeed! In fact, I tried giving Hunter one of those melt-away things Gerber makes --- and guess what? They don't really melt away. FREAKED ME OUT. Guess I need to wait on that for a while!

4.) Finally ... I really did have a good weekend, but I'm looking forward to digging in to all of your wonderful, wonderful blogs... so if you see comments from me, like ... "I love you!" or... "You're so awesome!" or... "I missed you a ton!" -- don't think I've flipped my noodle... I just missed you all sooooo much and I'm so happy to be back... at work... where I can give you my undivided attention for a couple hours each day.

And... don't forget to dust off your thinking caps for Tueday's Toss-up ... I've got a good one planned! It's 4 words I'll ask you to comment on, and it's an awesome subject ... Well, at least it's a subject I absolutely love... Worship! Have a blessed day in the Lord!

Friday Food Fun

What do you get when you cross ...

Juicy Purple Grapes

With a Safe Infant Feeder?

About 20 minutes of perfect peace and quiet as your teething infant sucks every last bit of juice and pulp out of the grapes...

Leaving... nothing but slick, slippery, slimy skins!

And, in honor of the fun we had with grapes today, I leave you with a tried, tested, and true recipe that you have either already had, made, or know someone that did...

Blueberry Jello Salad

(can not be made as a molded salad -- make in dish you will be serving it in)

2 pkgs. (3 oz. each) grape jello

2 cups boiling water

1 can blueberry pie filling

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained

1 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese, softened

1 large container Cool Whip, thawed

Chopped nuts

In a 9x13-inch pan, mix the jello and boiling water until dissolved. Add undrained pineapple and blueberry pie filling. Stir and let set in the refrigerator. Mix Cool Whip and softened cream cheese. Spread on top of the set jello mixture. Sprinkle with chopped nuts. Chill in the refrigerator. This is a great potluck dish. It can be served as a salad or dessert.

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One thing I'm really missing ... free time. It has been non-stop baby time, and I haven't been able to keep up with my beloved blogs. I can't wait until I can go to work on Monday, and have a whole entire hour at lunch and some quiet time before I start working to catch up with all the blogs (oodles and oodles of them) that I have bookmarked on my computer at work. If you haven't seen me commenting on your blog, it's not 'cause I don't love you... it's 'cause I've been preoccupied wiping up vomit, poop, and slimy grape skins!!! But -- thank you all for all your comments, love, and support that you have left me.

Hope you all have an awesome weekend, and if I have a free moment or two, I'll pop by your blog and say HI!

Hugs!

Ayyy Ya-Yiiii

...Or however you write it...

It's just been one of those days... at home ... again. So, if I'm in the poor house next week, you'll know why ... Rotovirus. That's why. I may be starting a pay-pal account for donations. Or, just send canned goods or Aldi gift cards.

Actually, I think Hunter is teething in a major, MAJOR way. There are bumps all over his lower gums and he has been crying.his.head.off (read: I'm loosing my mind). My heart really goes out to the moms who have colicky (sp?) babies that cry and cry and CRY. I really am ever so thankful that I have such a great baby. I can deal with the occasional times when he becomes a nuclear bomb in a matter of minutes.

Do any of you remember that commercial that aired maybe about a year ago, and showcased a crazy family (kids jumping around) with a mom sitting on the couch talking about Netflix (or some on-line DVD rental place) ... the kids are screaming and jumping and running behind her, and she calmly speaks on, when the phone rings... and the husband, whom you don't see, shouts out something like ... "Honey..." (implying that she needs to get the phone) and she screams "MOMMY'S DOING A COMMERCIAL!" Yeah, well... that's what today felt like. Ten loads of laundry, dirty dishes, rumpled bed, screaming baby, and husband coming home from work, showering and laying down to take a nap... "MOMMY'S DOING LIFE!" UGH.

The play pen sheet did not fit. I'm pretty sure that if I had the stinking mattress here, I'd be able to make it the right size, but... given that I don't, and really, I have no patience after today to pursue MAKING anything... I went to Mr. Google-arama and found a 40x40 fitted sheet at Great Baby Products and ordered two. Whew... with that behind me, I feel 100% better. It was worth the $12 bucks for expedited delivery.

Now ... just in case anyone was wondering ... I have nothing spiritual to share, nothing inspirational, funny, or deeply philosophical for the day, or even the week. In fact, I don't even know how to spell philosophical. But, I finally got Hunter to fall asleep and I'm enjoying a cold glass of milk and a few Oreos as I catch up on my blog, your blogs, and listen to Casting Crown's NEW CD (WOOT!). So far, it's excellent!!! I do, however, want to share with you that I tried Lauren's Chicken with Chilaquiles and Salsa Verde and it was pretty good!!! It sort of reminded me of an un-formed tamale. So the next recipe I try will be her Santa Fe Casserole, which based on the picture, looks like a winner, too.

Good grief... Hunter is moving around and yelping in his sleep. Well, not really yelping just making tiny grunting noises of complaint.

DOH! Spoke too soon. Now he's crying. And it's only been 20 minutes. Maybe I won't be able to catch up on all your blogs after all! Sorry!

Gotta go.

Kisses!

A Whole Lot of Nothingness

Just because I own an awesome sewing machine, it does NOT mean I can sew. And, even though I have managed a few straight-lined stitches to make a few window treatments ... I still can't sew. So when my daycare provider approached me several weeks ago (notice I said several weeks ago) and asked if I could make a sheet for her 40 x 40 playpen, I should have known better... but what pops out of my mouth? "Yes, I can give it a try!"

What was I thinking? Just because I love her, and all ... doesn't mean I can help out here! Any way, she told me several weeks ago that she needed it by tomorrow -- TOMORROW -- because she's renewing her license, and needed to cover the custom mattress she has for this particular 40 x 40 playpen... the one my son sleeps on. Oh, so just rub it in, why don't you? Of course, I'll help!

So, that was supposed to be my project for this weekend -- my only FREE weekend in the past month. But, well ... you know what happened, and my plans to create a lovely mattress cover soon vanished. So, last night, I ran to the fabric store. I purchased three cute patterned fabrics, one quilted fabric, and a length of waterproof fabric. Now -- remember what I said earlier -- just 'cause you have a sewing machine, doesn't mean you can sew. Right? Well, just because you can go to the fabric shop, pick out lovely fabrics, elastic, and make it home in one piece still does not mean you can sew.

And, when you sit down at the sewing machine at 8:30 p.m. trying to "whip out a small 42 x 42 sheet in no time" ... you can pretty much expect time to slow to the speed of a 300 year old sea turtle.

I think I go on line and see if I can't find one that I can just purchase for her, daggon it!

Sooooo -- as I was busily trying to "create" last night, I had asked my husband to care for OUR son. Not mine, OURS. He was holding him, when Hunter got fussy, and I said, "honey, why don't you talk to him! He likes that!" Yeah, well ... here are a couple of little conversations I overheard (which may lead me to a SILENCE RULE):

1) "Son, the square root of 144 is 12, because you can multiply 12 times 12 and get 144. Now, if you plant the square root of 144 in your garden, you won't get anything. Unless you water it. Then, you'll get wet numbers. And if you fertilize them, you'll get wet and stinky numbers." (my comment from the other room: Honey, what in the world are you talking about? Never mind... you're talking. That's all that matters.)

2) "Hey, let's look out front and see if Mr. Gary and Mr. Mike are in their driveways talking. We can throw sticks at them and then run in and hide in the house -- uh, never mind. Forget you heard that. Mom would be mad if she knew I was teaching you something bad." (my comment from the other room: Uh, YA THINK? Why don't you go give him a bath?)

3) At this point, I have no idea what he was talking about with our son, because I only heard his voice, and no particular words, but when I went up and asked him what he was saying to Hunter in the bathroom, he said, "Uh, GUY things... can't share them with you... sheesh, what do you think ... that I'm going to tell you ALL our secrets?" (my comment: Yeah, buster, you keep thinking that, but my son will run to me and spill ALL your secrets when he gets older... guaranteed. Especially Christmas and Birthday gifts! Just remember that!)

See? It's not only children that make no sense at all. It's men, too!

Confession time again: I did NOT go in to work today. I know I said I was going to, but Hunter is still sick, I was nauseated, and so was my husband. So, I had to call my boss tonight and tell him I won't be in tomorrow, either... AGAIN. But, I missed him at work, so I tried him at home, and his wife said he wasn't home yet ... Hmmm ... HIS WIFE! Yeeeesss ... the wheels in my brain go round and round. Round and round, Round and Round... So I filled HER in on everything. She knew exactly what I was dealing with. She told me her sister just had that with her niece three weeks ago, and she would explain in detail to her husband so he would understand.

Wasn't that nice of her?

Wasn't that manipulative of me?

Beats getting fired for missing 5 or 6 days of work in a row!

Okay -- gotta go lay down. Have a great evening.

Catching Up

Revised this post to add: I have read all your comments over the past few days, but have only commented on my last post answering all your questions (I think) and thanking you. Can we start fresh from here on out? I'm so totally behind, I'm feeling left out! Thanks!

I have to say ... I JUST LOVE YOU ALL SO ... SO ... MUCH! Sigh. I have the bestest friends in the whole wide world. You're all mine -- and -- I'M NOT SHARING WITH ANYONE! (hee hee hee!) I can see I have some new friends to introduce myself to, and to go and read their blogs... which I'll do this week. THANKS for delurking during this tough time for me! And Carol, trust me when I say, I HAVE NOT FORGOTTEN YOU OR YOUR FAMILY -- not one second, friend!

And, thank you all for your well wishes, your prayers, your encouragement, and your humor. I love humor... even when the situation doesn't call for humor. In fact... sometimes... in can get me in trouble (no, really?). Actually, it can get my dear sister in law in mooooore trouble, because she has one of those..."girl -- you just crack me UP!" sense of humor ... or better yet ... "SHUT IT NOW! You're KILLING me!" sense of humor. Timing is everything, though... and sometimes... we both lack it.

In fact, sometimes I wonder what is wrong with me when I reflect on some of the thoughts that ramble through my head... and randomly pop out of my mouth. But I'm sure that more than one of you can relate. Otherwise, you wouldn't be my bestest friends.

So ... I just need to get this weekend off my chest... so, if you don't care to discuss death, rotovirus, or other stuff like that with a twisted sense of humor, then again, I must say -- move along and check back tomorrow.

First of all ... about my husband's Aunt and Uncle who lost their son... they have mourned deeply the sudden loss of their son. It has broken my heart, and I love them dearly, so, please... don't think I'm being disrespectful to them at all ... because I'd never say this to them just you, because -- we're close like that... any way... despite the fact that your child is gone ... and despite the fact that you'll never see him again on earth looking the way he did before he took his life ... you really have to wonder what people are thinking when they make rash decisions... like ... WHAT WERE THEY THINKING WHEN THEY MADE THE VIEWING (of a suicide victim with a shotgun wound to the head) AN OPEN CASKET?!?!? I mean, seriously! I love them, really I do, but at this point, I really think that was a decision made in grief, and should have been questioned seriously by their Pastor, or someone! People! It's NOT HIM anymore. Why hang on to every last piece of flesh... literally! (And let me say, that the mortician, or seamstress, or whoever did a great job with what they had to work with, and with what little time they had -- bravo to them! Even though I could have done.with.out.)

Okay ... enough insensitivity. It was a tough weekend. My in-laws dropped my son off on their way to church Sunday, then they went to the 2-4 viewing, came back to our house, and watched our son while we went to the 6-8 viewing. Let me just say that this is one of the BIGGEST funerals, if not THE biggest funeral, I've ever been to. There was a two hour waiting line wrapped around the outside of the funeral home to get in to pay respects. Then... the funeral was so packed that there were people overflowing into other rooms, and standing four and five people deep. It was estimated that between 500 - 800 people came to the viewing, and as many as 500 to the funeral. Wow. I was blown away, as were the parents, wife and sisters.

I totally lost it when they played the song "I Can Only Imagine" -- and the song it self was almost overpowered by the amount of people in the funeral that were singing and worshiping along with it. Including all of the family. It was tough. Also, I have never seen so many police cars zooming around, closing off main roads, off ramps, exits and highways to allow the processional to continue un-interrupted. One of our cousin's sisters is married to a sheriff, so ... yea to him. He did a great job getting his friends to help out.

For some reason, we had agreed to ride to the funeral and then to our relatives home after the funeral with our in-laws. Usually, we go on our own, especially with an infant... but... well ... I don't know what happened this time. And it all worked out pretty well... until about 2:30 -- when we were on our way home. And... my very loving and good hearted mother-in-law began to not feel good... and got worse, and worse, and worse... and we had to stop for a bathroom break... and then I fished out of my diaper bag a gallon-sized zip loc bag for her... just in case... and sure enough... she got sick and threw up right as we pulled up to our driveway -- she hardly got the door open, and she was very sick -- so sick that her false teeth came out. Top and bottom. Man, I hate it when that happens! And all this happened ON OUR WAY HOME, and not during the funeral, or the gathering afterwards, or while she was lovingly caring for my son! God is so good when it comes to timing. See? Even HE has a sense of humor! Of course, my husband and I feel horrible that we exposed our in-laws sick to this mess. But then again, my husband did have to hose the driveway off, and he did run in and get her a wet towel to wipe her forehead with, and I did send them home with a glass of ice water, a whole bottle of gingerale and my prescription anti-nausea pills (shhh... don't let any one know I'm sharing) that my doctor prescribed while I was on my death bed (umm... my mother-in-law went and picked them up for me) so... maybe we're even? Uh, no... I doubt we'll ever be even for all their gracious and self-less help they give us. I just hope we didn't get re-exposed. I can't handle getting that sick again... even if my jeans fit better because of it.

Ummm ... did I mention there were a gazillion people at the funeral home? Yeah... well, maybe we exposed more than a few people other than my in-laws to this rotovirus! Whaaaat?!? You do what you gotta do for the sake of family. They don't have to know where it came from! (insert evil laugh) (now take evil laugh out, because it scared me).

Okay ... I'm off to get into bed. I have to get up and go to work tomorrow. Yuck. But ... I will be able to read all your blogs during my free time! Yea!!! I don't care what you say ... That's going to be a Kiss of Sunshine right there!

Tomorrow, I may skip Tuesday's Toss-up, because I have other things I want to post about... we'll see. But for now -- Nighty Night.

Rotovirus - The Top Ten

Ah, yes... the one word that should strike fear in the hearts of any parent.

First of all, I must confess. In the last 3 days, I haven't gone to any other blog but my own. But -- I have read all your wonderful and encouraging comments and perfect scriptures. I feel as if these past few days would have been impossible without your prayers, support and thoughts. I truly felt them. And Lauren ... any time you want to come and clean up vomit ... that's fine by me!

Okay, let us begin with Dr. Googles definition of Rotovirus... Rotovirus (or Rotavirus) is a common viral infection among young children. It is the most common cause of diarrhea in U.S. children and is a leading cause of death among children in developing countries. The virus works by attacking the lining of the small intestine, causing often copious loss of fluids and electrolytes. The virus is spread through oral contact to fecal material, and is common in child care environments.

Well now, all I have to say is... Praise God we do NOT live in a developing country. So, for your educational reading, I'll fill you in on some key things you should know about Rotovirus.

***Warning... what I'm about to write is NOT pretty. If you are weak of heart, or mainly... stomach, or you detest bathroom talk... then move on to the next blog, and I'll catch you tomorrow, 'kay?***

1. Rotovirus is bad. Bad, bad, bad. It doesn't care if you are 5 months old, or 38 years old... it WANTS TO CONSUME you.

2. Rotovirus, in my humble opinion, was born in the fiery pits. It should stay there.

3. Wednesday at just before (or right at) midnight, my innocent, sweet, 5 month old baby turned into a puking, pooping machine. Not pleasant. Especially when it's explosive in nature. He still has diarrhea, but no more vomiting. We are trying to keep him very, VERY hydrated. Especially after our own experience (oh, yes -- it just gets better).

4. If you receive a call three days after your child begins getting sick (Saturday) saying that your child was exposed to another child that has been diagnosed with Rotovirus, and your child is displaying the very same symptoms, chances are... they have it.

5. If your child spends no less than 5 minutes vomiting and pooping all over you, you can expect to get it too. Especially if your child toots while you are cleaning his hiney and sprays you in the face with diarrhea. Nice. Really nice. Expect to be sick as a dog within 2 days.

6. I went to bed on Friday at 11:45 p.m. Yeah... me. And by 2 am, I was seeking God's face in earnest. Folks, I can honestly say that I thought I was going to DIE, and I must have called on God to remove this from me more times than I have in my entire life. And... who knew that adults could have projectile vomit (as well as other things) too?

7. Warning: Should you get this lovely virus... be sure to have an empty trash bag in the bathroom -- just in case you have both diarrhea and vomiting at the same time. (I warned you about the bathroom talk, didn't I?)

8. Both parents will come down with same virus within 4 hours of each other, rendering them totally helpless. Totally. Praise God for grandparents that can come and take infant home with them for his first night away from home because parents can barely care for each other, let alone baby. (SOB!)

9. You WILL become dehydrated. FAST. You will become weak, light headed, and sick, sick, sick. In fact, husband probably should have gone to hospital, but wife was too light headed and out of breath and energy to see it at the time. (Scary when you think about this a day later!)

10. Rotovirus - one way to loose 10 pounds in an 18 hour period. Not good -- but I'm not complaining. It's not like I'm ready to melt away to nothingness any time soon!

Now -- I must go lay down and rest. It's surprising how weak one feels after about 12 hours of sleep in an 18 hour period! I'm not even sure if we'll make it to any of the viewings today. And just for the record ... I have a totally new level of respect for parents that have dealt with this nastiness and have lived to tell about it. You guys rock!

Thanks for all your prayers. I know they have made all the difference. I'll touch base with y'all in the next couple of days.

Friday

Thank you all for your amazing words, your love, hugs, and support. I have shared them all with my husband, and he was truly touched. It's amazing the community that we have developed, isn't it?

As with all deaths, they are so hard to process, and difficult to understand. The blood just drains from our hearts -- but a suicide is so much more difficult to grasp. It feels like the tears come in waves, and the questions follow closely. Why? Why? Why? Our cousin had been struggling with depression for a couple years now. He was always reaching for the "shock factor" -- what can I do that will shock everyone -- His life was a spinning wheel with no grounding. For a while, he worked in the same office with my husband, and my dear husband wanted so badly to reach out to him and be a role model to him, but his cousin abruptly quit the job he had held for 15 years. That alone should have been a warning, but it went un-heeded. We all question what we could have done, but really, there was nothing other than pray for him, and he had many MANY people doing just that.

In the end, he cut his life short at the age of 28, leaving behind a young wife, and three children. It's very sad, and difficult to process. But, slowly, hearts will heal. There will always be a rift, but hearts will heal.

The viewings are on Sunday (closed casket), and the funeral on Monday. Please, continue to remember us.

Finally, as usual, I will post a Friday Food Fun post ... it's a twist to a comfort food, and I will probably be baking it this weekend for family members... I hope you enjoy it.

Side note -- I noticed that I forgot to add the glaze recipe for the chocolate cherry bundt cake (last Friday). I'm so sorry for that... it's what MAKES THE CAKE... I noticed this, because it's the same glaze I use on this bread, and I wanted to cut and past it in... but it wasn't there! So, please amend your recipes to include the glaze below...

Banana Chocolate Chip Bread

1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup chopped nuts
3 ripe bananas, mashed
2/3 cup chocolate chips
2 eggs

Fudgy Chocolate Glazy-Frosting (you will not use all the glaze)

6 oz chocolate chips
about 2 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp butter
About 1/4 cup powdered sugar

Cream together margarine and sugars. Beat in eggs, vanilla, and banana. Add flour and soda. Stir in chips and nuts. Bake in greased loaf pan for 50 minutes in 350-degree oven. Allow to sit in loaf pan for a few minutes (10) and then remove from pan onto a cooling rack.

After bread has cooled, drizzle with the glaze. I usually place a large spoon into the glaze, and then hold it over the bread and zig-zag it across the top of the bread. You won't want to glaze it too thickly.

Another thing I will do is double the recipe, and bake it in a bundt pan, pop it out of the pan, cool it, and glaze it as above. If you're in a hurry, and don't want to make it from scratch, or don't have ripe bananas on hand, just use one or two boxed bread mixes and add the chocolate to the batter. Bake as directed.

The chocolate in the recipe transforms this regular, everyday comfort food to a special, sweet snack or dessert. I promise your friends won't soon forget this!

I pray you all have a blessed weekend. Please know that I will hold all your words and scriptures close to my heart.

In Your Presence, O God

Thank you for your outpouring of love and prayers. This has been such a difficult evening. I always wondered what went on past 9:30 p.m. -- now I know. The trash man picks trash up at 1:30 in the morning. That's just not right. Fortunately, while my spirit is wounded, it appears that I still have a small sense of humor, and I'm finding a lot of humor in these poor waste management people running around in the middle of the night dumping our trash, while we should presumably be curled up fast asleep in a warm bed.

We received "the call" around 5 pm yesterday from another cousin. Evidently, our cousing shot himself at 11:00 am, and was found by a postman. We knew immediately that we had to be by the side of our mourning Aunt and Uncle, and our cousins two sisters and their husbands, along with our other Aunts and Uncles and gaggle of cousins.

My husband asked me not to go to far from him, because he just didn't know how to handle this. Or rather, how he would handle himself. I assured him I would not leave his side. Little did I know that my heart would be ripped in two. I assumed that my husband meant that he didn't know what to say to our grieving family. I was wrong. We arrived at their home, walked in, hugged some relatives, and I went into the other room to hug our Aunt. I stepped away for a minute to see who had or son, only to hear someone heaving gut wrenching sobs. I was startled. I turned around, and saw my husband in his Aunt's arms. Sobbing from the bottom of his soul. I can honestly say that my husband is a man of God. He knows in whom his salvation lays. He is strong. He is faithful. And, he has shed a few tears in his life. But in all my life, and I've known him for over 22 years, which is more than half of my life, I have NEVER known my husband to cry as he did last night. It just broke me.

And if things weren't already bad... they got worse. For us. We left there around 9:30, because we had to get Hunter into bed. And then, we both dropped into bed, totally emotionally spent... For some reason, I woke up at midnight. I didn't hear any sounds coming from the monitor. The house was quiet. But I decided to get up and check on Hunter. I passed my hand across his forehead, and felt something caked to his face. Then I felt his cheek. It was wet and gooey. I felt his bed ... wet, too. He had, at some time during the night, thrown up... many times. He was covered in vomit. I called for my husband to help me, and I laid him down on the changing table to put new jammies on him, when he threw UP again. Straight up. And trust me when I say... what goes up must come down. All over his face. So, I sat him up, and tried to clean his face with my hands, and he threw up again. All over me. And his changing table.

Needless to say, this was not what we needed tonight. But, since the stomach virus did not consult me first before attacking my child, we did what any other half asleep (read dead on their feet) parents would do in the middle of the night. We give him a bath. We ripped the bed apart (thank goodness for double layering sheets and waterproof crib pads). We filled an extra large capacity washer with blankets, sheets, wedge covers and parts, clothing, and towels. And collapse yet again in bed. Only this time, I couldn't sleep.

My mind and heart were just too consumed with grief, my hands full with a sick child, I'm feeling a wee bit nauseas my self, and I'm heavy hearted for my husband, bless his heart.

The only thing that comes to my mind, other than streams of prayers, are lyrics to a song ... I really connect to music. Especially scripture to music. And, it's one of my husband's favorite worship songs... In Your Presence, O God -- Words and Music by Lynn DeShazo, performed by Travis Cottrell on the Unashamed Love Worship CD. I'm not sure how to link you to a full sample you can listen to, but if you're interested, you can find a partial sample here at Christianbook.com -- just click on song number 9.

In Your presence, that's where I am strong; In Your presence, O Lord my God. In Your presence, that's where I belong. Seeking Your face; touching Your grace; in the cleft of the Rock; in Your presence O God.

I want to go where the rivers can not overflow me, where my feet are on the rock;
I want to hide where the blazing fire can not burn me, in Your presence O God.

I want to hide where the flood of evil can not reach me, where I'm covered by the blood;
I want to be where the schemes of darkness can not touch me, In Your presence O God.

You are my firm foundation, I trust in You all day long. I am Your child and Your servant,
and You are my strength and my song, You're my song --

Seeking Your face, touching Your grace. In the cleft of the Rock -- In Your presence O God.

Hallelujah. It is truly in Him -- in His presence -- that we find our strength. Thank you all for your continued prayers. They matter. A lot.

Immediate Prayers Needed

Folks, I really need prayers for my family right now. I can't even believe I'm typing these words... But, my husband's first cousin just shot himself and killed himself. We are in such a state of shock. I can't even express in words how despondent I'm feeling for our family right now.

He was raised in a Christian family. He walked away from the Lord when he got older. I pray that in his last moments, he cried out to the Lord.

Praise God we serve a just, loving and forgiving God who judges accordingly.

Thanks for your prayers.

Wednesday's Review

First off, I need to take care of some quick business... I want to welcome some new visitors to Kisses of Sunshine that joined in yesterday: Shalee from Shalee's Thoughts, Heather from Heather's Roller Coaster Ride, and Anne Glamore from Tales From My Tiny Kingdom. Thanks for stopping by, and I hope to see you come out of lurkdome frequently!!!

Next, I wanted to share a new phenomenon about the blog world... you develop friendships ... you learn to care about each other... and you worry about them when "stuff" is going on... like the tornadoes, the fires, etc. So -- Shalee -- thanks for checking in. It's good to know you and your family are safe and just fine!

Now ... it's myyyyyy turn!!! Wow! Again, I am truly amazed at all the wonderful comments. I love having Tuesday be "your day" -- it really adds so much to MY day! I check back regularly during the day to see all the new comments, and trust me when I say, it is TOUGH for me to keep my mouth shut and my fingers still ... but there is truth and power in the verse that says ... "Be still and know that I am God" (Ps. 46:10a) in more ways than one ... yes, it is important for us to be still and know that He is God... but it is also important to be still and listen to what others have to say because then, when we listen, we realize that He is God and it becomes even more alive! I sure hope that made some sense, because in my small brain, it did ...

So ... FIRST OF ALL ... I totally need to clarify that the author of this quote is Jim Elliott... not Bill Elliott. I'm not sure what happened to my fingers as I was typing... lets just call it a Brain Toot. But I think it's hilarious that Momma M thought of Bill Gates... how appropriate! I wonder how easy it would be for him to give everything away? It seems like the more we have, the more it hurts, doesn't it?

Quote: "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

The first thing that went through my mind was a post that Shannon, from Rocks in My Dryer put up a while ago... She was talking about being addicted to convenience (in other words... all our "stuff"), and about keeping her eye on the prize, and she shared this scripture... "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:24) -- Ain't that the truth?

Think about it. Let's say you wrote down all the things you have that you rely on... computer, dishwasher, hair dryer, car, washer & dryer, etc. Then, try folding up that piece of paper as small as you can, and try threading it through the eye of a needle. I don't know about you, but if you were to look at my list, it would be IMPOSSIBLE to thread it through even a tapestry needle, which has a pretty big eye!

These are all earthly things ... and honey ... trust me when I say ... you will NOT be taking them with you when it comes time to meet your maker! So, why do we hold on so tightly to them? Okay ... so maybe you're not going to give away your computer, your dishwasher, coffee maker, etc. But the point really is ... are we willing to give up our earthly possessions for our heavenly rewards? Are we willing to help others with our money, our time, and other things we hold on to so dearly? I would like to say that yes -- I am willing. But the fleshy part of me will whine and complain the entire time. How spiritual is that? Sorry... but it's the truth. I'm human. And I'm being honest here.

But ... I know first hand that the blessing you get in return for the less selfish act of giving of your self, your money, and your possessions, is far greater than the actual "thing" you were holding on to. After all ... God is the one who gave me everything I have in the first place! And as Sarah Grace pointed out ... this man ... Jim Elliot ... gave away a whole lot more than his earthly possessions. He gave away his life. Man! That's a brave person, right there, folks. That's a person secure in his relationship with Christ! I think I would be cowering, crying, and fleeing. I'm much more comfortable giving my jacket to a homeless person (than my life), because it's "safe."

A few months ago, I read a story about a woman named Carol Kane. She founded The Mustard Seed Furniture Bank in Florida back in 1984 out of her garage. She financed everything herself, and she and her family did all the work. Her dream was to help one homeless family per month that was starting over again and needed furniture. Then, a couple years later, several things happened. She moved into a warehouse, and a few weeks later, her husband was laid off from his job. He told her that the only way they would be able to continue this ministry was if they sold their home. And without a moment's hesitation, she did just that. Sold her own home so that she could help others. Huh. I'm not sure I could be so generous! But, her ministry has been so blessed. It has grown beyond what her wildest imagination of this minstry could have been. And the thing that struck me the most was... she was willing to become homeless herself, and give up everything she had to help other people. To me... she is a living example of holding her hands open to receive what God wanted to give her, and she also held them open to give back to others.

And just for the record... I absolutely LOVE what Peaches said... and I had never thought of it that way... It deserves repeating because it's another way to look at that quote: "...I also think it applies in how I treat my children. If I give of my time, effort and energy -- pouring my life into theirs-- I am essentially multiplying my life and sending them out to tell others about the Lord, too. The end result is eternal. "

I guess that the mom in me really relates to that. It's a win/win situation, really... and it's teaching your children to give of themselves!

Thank you all for participating in Tuesday Toss-up. As usual -- y'all just blew me away! And HolyMama -- I hear ya! Sometimes I have to read, re-read, and re-read stuff again just to find the true meaning, and that's what's so great about Tuesday's Toss-up -- we get many viewpoints that help explain something that might be tough to understand.

I know this was a long post, and I thank you for reading through all my ramblings. Have a great and joyous day in the Lord... and give away something of yourself!

Tuesday's Toss-Up

Here we are again ... it's finally Tuesday .... Today... it's your turn to post on my blog! It's your opportunity to express yourselves freely (g-rated, please) on the quote I'm posting below ...

But first ... if you live in an area that has been devastated by a tornado (Indiana, Missouri, etc.) or a fire (Texas) ... Please drop me a comment letting me know you're okay! Okay ... here we go...

Directions: Each Tuesday, I will post a scripture, quote, or thought. Most likely, it will be of a spiritual nature. You, in turn, will read it, and pop over to the comments and post the first thought or emotion (feeling) that comes to your mind after you read it. No googling allowed. No search engines, no concordances, nothing, nada, zip... Just you, your brain, and your heart. (Don't worry ... This one is an easy one!)

So... Let's Do It!

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

Bill Elliot

Monday Musings ...

Good day, friends! I trust you all had a lovely weekend...

First of all, I'd like to start of my Monday Musings by saying... Carol I'm thinking about you, praying for you, and sending love your way!

Now... on to less serious things...

1) Is it me, or are college grads getting younger and younger? Okay, maybe I'm getting older and older, but ... it doesn't matter how young or old they are ... didn't any of there mothers ever teach them about potty etiquette? As in ... wash your hands after you go potty? Ugh.

2) While we're on the subject of college grads... I think it's quite humorous watching the grooming habits they have. The go to the bathroom, then come out and stare at themselves in the full length mirror we have in the ladies room, flatten out their shirt (oh, because there are oh so many bulges poking out of your size 2 shirt), turn around and stare at the back side, while flattening that out too, turn back around, tuck hair behind ear, fluff back out and re-tuck hair, check makeup, stare at themselves for another minute, turn around and walk out. Notice: no hand washing. None. Zippo. Bleh! And, what's up with stiletto heels in the workplace? I thought that was strictly for street corners and pick-up bars! I can't even stand in them, let alone spend an entire day running from building to building. I'm also lucky if I glance at myself in the mirror while I'm washing my hands to make sure my skirt isn't tucked up in my underwear. Real lucky.

3) I had some fasting blood work done on Saturday morning (before the whole zoo fiasco). And let me just say... I'm scared to death that my sugar levels are high. I've been so thirsty lately and craving sweets. That tells me something is amiss. Also, I'm sure my cholesterol is going to be high after all the chocolate I've indulged in over the past... week. You would think I'd learn my lesson. So... out of guilt, I've decided to start eating salads for lunch again. AND NO MORE CHOCOLATE.

4) I love my husband. He's so kind and generous and self less. He gets up with me every night to heat a bottle for our son... even though he's waking up a half hour later. I know I've bragged about him before, but I just wanted to brag again. Love him.

5) My son is simply adorable. He wore his first pair of saddle shoes to church yesterday, and it made my heart melt. I wish my husband would let me post pictures of him, but ... you know ... an ax murderer might stalk me and ... well, he's very protective. Have I mentioned just how much Law and Order SVU this man watches? Need I say more?

6) If you're looking for a way to make a day in the life of your child extra special... then go visit Shannon's blog for an extra crafty idea... She makes pillow cases (very easy to do) for her kids for each holiday! I'm so glad she shared this idea--she's so crafty! I can't wait until my son is old enough to enjoy this ... thanks Shannon! Your kids will always remember the extra lovin you put into the special pillowcases!

7) I had asked y'all to pray for a young couple who just had their first baby three weeks ago. Things are going better, but it's still tough for them. The baby seems to be a fussy baby, and it's hard on the mom, if you know what I mean!!! Please continue to pray for DadJ, MomL, and BabyC.

8) Did anyone happen to catch Extreme Makeover Home Edition last night? It was a two hour special, and one of my readers ... can't for the life of me find her blog -- DRAT! ... blogged that she thought they were going to be doing a home makeover on a family in Ochelata, Oklahoma who had lost their father -- he was a Pastor in her town, who passed away, leaving his wife and 5 kids homeless (the White Family)... Well guess what? They did! It was a great show... Here's the highlights... The father was a pastor at Bluestem Baptist Church; he had a heart attack on the morning of their 19th wedding anniversary (heart breaking); the church allowed them to stay in the parsonage until they found a new pastor; the church then had fund raisers to help her out; she purchased a piece of land, and an old double-wide trailer that served at one time as an office; they had no stove, no heat, no shower, no hot water, no locks on the doors, and the home was in tremendous disrepair.

Instead of rebuilding the double-wide, they built them a totally new and drop dead gorgeous home, and renovated the old trailer which she wanted to give to yet another family in OK that was going through a tough time in their life. The church members made beautiful quilts for all the kids with their dad's clothing so they could wrap themselves up in "their father's love" (this is why I loved Shannon's post on pillow cases so much). It was such a touching story for a well deserving family. I hope you had an opportunity to see it. It brought tears to my eyes to see them helping a pastor's family, and it also made me laugh at how uncomfortable the Home Makover crew felt with the family's "faith" and things of "their faith" -- they never referred to them as Christians, or believers. They even looked like they felt awkward in the church when they went and surprised the family, and one of them kept saying, "I'm so nervous" and Ty turned around and said... "that's because you're in a church!" I also couldn't help but think of all my new blogging buddies in OK. I think I must have said to my husband ... "did you know I have some friends in OK" about five thousand times until he finally told me to shut it. Any way, the working crew and a local choir all sang OKLAHOMA ... and it was totally cool! Does everyone in OK know all the words to that song?

Well, that's about all the time I have right now... don't forget to visit tomorrow for Tuesday's Toss-Up! Until then, enjoy your day, and share God's love with someone!

What, Am I CRAZY?

I have two words for you ... two ...

Ti --- erd

Okay... maybe it's really only one word, but when you pronounce it the way I'm feeling ... then it's two words.

So ... tell me something ... what do you get when you take a grandma with two knee replacements, two teenagers, one toddler, three infants, 4 sets of parents (as in ... 8 more people), and four strollers ... toss them into the metro train, walk them up hill all day long, in one very large and hilly zoo?

You get ... Ti --- erd

See? I knew you'd understand. A whole day at the zoo, on an absolutely gorgeous eighty degree day in March with a gaggle of people. That's fun, right there! Yeah, right! Well, it's fun, but you really don't get what you ask for. Apparently, March is still considered WINTER in these parts. Even if you do have a freaky eighty degree day. Therefore, animals are housed inside, ponds and lakes are empty, and lines are plentiful at one National Zoo.

So what did we see? Well ... a lot of pregnant women, a lot of women trying to get pregnant (why do women that weigh 5,000 pounds wear thongs?), one very short giraffe, one small elephant, on very big hippo, a cheetah, a few monkeys, and a mule. Not just any mule... a brown mule. Aha! See, they are very very rare in these here parts! (Not!)

So, after waiting 45 minutes in a line that moved a nano-inch just so I could get a pretzel and soda (I had a fasting blood test that morning, and hadn't eaten ... and it was 3:00!), changing a poopy diaper in a stroller, trying to feed a screaming and hungry child his formula that is ice cold, then changing to solids... because it's easier ... we finally decided to hike back up hill and go get dinner at Famous Daves BBQ. All fifteen of us. On a Saturday night. With three highchairs, one booster seat, four cranky children, two hungry youth, one sore grandma, and eight ti---erd adults.

So, you'd think that after such a full and eventful day, we'd head back home to sleep ... but noooooo ... we're not that bright on the east coast. We all gathered at someone's home and chatted until Midnight.

Aaaahhh Haaaahhh! Now I know what y'all do up so late on a Saturday evening!

And Sunday school was not attended by this one, very tired mom. Although, one very important lesson was learned ... five-month olds don't give a flying hoo-haa about a zoo, an animal, any stinking lines, hills, metro trains, or fellowship. They only want to eat, sleep, poop and pee. And blow raspberries at everyone walking by. Because that's the cool thing to do at five months old.

How was your Weekend???

Friday Food Fun

Oh, what a beautiful day! The sun is shining, and it's going to get up to 70 degrees! What a beautiful gift from God. A little teaser for spring. Fortunately, this has been a fairly mild winter, but I think I've been slammed with spring fever! The birds are chirping and making their nests in our vents ... AGAIN ... the rabbits are out in full force frolicking around and pooping all over our yard ... it really makes my little dog curious, all these new animally smells around her, and she looses track of time and instead of taking 5-10 minutes to do her business, it takes her 20-25! I, personally, think she's got A.D.D., but who knows? Other animals traipsing through "her" yard can be somewhat of a bother to her. Oh, and some of those little bulby flower thingies are starting to pop up!!! What's not to love?!? Yes, my friends... Spring Is In The Air!

On another note, I heard this song on the way in to work, and I love it soooo much. I just wanted to share it with you... and ask that you take it as a personal challenge for this weekend.

Lifesong (by Casting Crowns)

Empty hands held high. Such small sacrifice. If not joined with my life, I sing in vain tonight. May the words I say, and the things I do, make my lifesong sing, bring a smile to You ...

Let my lifesong sing to You; Let my lifesong sing to You; I wanna sign Your name at the end of this day, knowing that my heart was true; Let my lifesong sing to You.

Lord I give my life, a living sacrifice, to reach a world in need, to be Your hands and feet. So may the words I say, and the things I do, make my lifesong sing, bring a smile to You

Let my lifesong sing to You; Let my lifesong sing to You; I wanna sign Your name at the end of this day, knowing that my heart was true; Let my lifesong sing to You.

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Now, after yesterday's very un-wise choice of snacks on my behalf, I almost hesitate to publish this recipe ... but it is so lip-smackingly, chocolate-satisfyingly deeee-lish! I just have to share it with you. The cake is so easy to make, and the frosting even easier, but once the cake is put together, it is so pretty, that it will become a favorite for pot-lucks, house-warming gifts, Christmas gifts, etc. For example ... This past Christmas, I went to the dollar store, purchased some pretty glass plates (and some of the ingredients, too), and made this yummy cake as Christmas presents for my Pastor and his family, and some of our closer neighbors. Also, a friend of mine just bought a new home, and moved into it last week. I'm planning on getting one of those cool plates they sell at Target and giving her the plate and cake as a housewarming gift. How cool is it that you not only get a cake, but a cake plate, too?

Any way ... a couple of notes first... If you're not quite a cherry lover, don't worry. You can use raspberry or strawberry pie filling instead, but I promise ... you don't even notice the flavor of the cherries in the cake. Also, you really need to use the almond extract, and not substitute it with vanilla extract, although if there are allergy related issues, I'm sure vanilla would work just fine. So .... with out further delay ... here is Friday's Food Fun ...

Chocolate-Cherry Bundt Cake

Ingredients:

1 pkg Devil's Food cake mix (the pudding-in-the-mix kind)
Ingredients (eggs, water) needed for the cake mix (less the oil)
1 large can (16oz.) cherry pie filling
1/2 t Almond extract

Instructions:

Make the cake mix according to package directions, except omit the oil. Beat for two minutes. Add the cherry filling and almond extract. Beat for a few seconds to blend and to break up the cherries a bit. Pour cake mix into a greased and floured bundt pan (or rectangle pan) and bake according to the package directions.

Optional Decoration

Maraschino Cherries (large sized)
Milk Chocolate Bar

Instructions:

Remove about 8 cherries from the jar and place them on a paper towel to remove the extra juices.

Slightly melt chocolate in a glass bowl in the microwave, stirring to complete the melting process. Partially dip each of the cherries in the milk chocolate so that the top part of the cherry is still showing through. Place the cherries evenly around the cake.

Dip a knife in the remaining chocolate and splatter/drizzle a thin line of milk chocolate around the top of the frosted and decorated cake. This is not a necessary step, but will provide a semi-professional and contrasting finishing-effect on the cake.

If I didn't loose you at the mention of Friday's Food Fun, and you try this recipe out, let me know how you liked it and how it turned out for you! I'll try to get a picture of it at some point so you can see what my finished product looked like.

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Don't forget ... May the words you say, and the things you do, make you lifesong sing, bring a smile to God!

Notes to self...

Note #1: Never ... NEVER ... try to eat a whole bag of anything, let alone chocolate. Ever. Bleeeh.

Note #2: Work on gifts of the Holy Spirit...

Note #3: MEMORIZE gifts of the Holy Spirit so there is never any question again... love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and [ehhhem] self-control.

Note #4: You are doing well with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, and gentleness ... but you may want to consider working diligently on self-control which will help you avoid illness from gluttony in the future.

A quickie ...

Okay, friends... I've been thrown a project at work that's going to have all my attention today and probably most of tomorrow ... but just so we wont miss each other too much... I'll throw a quick post out.

I can't say how much I've enjoyed Tuesday's Toss Up comments from each one of you, and then all of yesterdays comments. My goodness ... it seems like you are all so spiritually deep. I wish I could meet each and everyone of you and give you a big 'ol hug... but this will have to do ((( ))). There, now ... don't you feel better after an early morning squeeze of lovin?!?!? I know I do!

I have another cube mate story... We just got a new employee that transferred from another department. I overheard him talking to someone on the phone this morning ... just so you don't think I eavesdrop all the time, you can't help but hear each other's conversations because everything is so open. Any way... he was saying "there is just so much work to do, that it doesn't matter how hard each person works, because even Jesus Christ himself wouldn't be able to get all the work done." I wanted so badly to pipe in ... "Oh, yes He can, my friend ... yes he can." But, well -- then it would be considered eavesdropping and butting in. So, I just minded my own business and prayed that God would give me an opportunity to witness to this person. Maybe he already is a Christian, and the comment was taken totally out of context. After all... that's what happens when you eavesdrop -- err -- I mean, hear everything that's going on around you.

On another note, I dug into a bag of Dove Chocolate Promises ... and oh, my word ... they are sooooo wonderful. The chocolates are each wrapped in a blue foil wrapper that have little sayings in them, and I wanted to share some of the sayings I got today (yeah, I know it's too early to eat chocolate, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do!)... First foil said, Be Generous. Okay ... I think I'll be very generous with myself and dive into the bag for some more. The next one said Make Your Eyes Twinkle ... trust me ... this chocolate is doing just that! Then, I got a message that said Be Mischievous -- it Feels Good. Oh, yeah -- more than you know. And it is so mischievous and naughty to eat a whole bag of Chocolate by yourself! Then I got one that said, Keep The Promises You Make To Yourself. No worries there. I promise to eat all the chocolates -- by myself.

Seriously, if you haven't tried these little nuggets of chocolate deliciousness, then you just haven't lived. I let them melt in my mouth, and they are so smooth and yummy, and -- ehhheemm. Okay. I need to get back to work.

But before I do, I have a special prayer request for you. I have some dear friends that just became grandparents. Their son and his wife are both very young. Especially the wife. I think she's like 6 or 10 years younger than their son. And she's a new mom. Their baby was born early, and had to stay in the hospital a day after they released mom. Now that everyone is home and getting acclimated, the baby has been crying and crying and crying. He has acid reflux (takes meds for this), and they are just having a tough go at it. He's only like 3 weeks old. Can you please say a prayer for them? We'll call them DadJ, MomL, and BabyC.

Thanks. I know I can turn to you, my friends, when I have a request like that. Especially the moms. I know you'll understand what it's like to have a new crying baby -- heartbreaking when you can't make it all better. Frustrating when you can't get enough rest.

Have a magnificent day in the Lord!

The Wow-ness of it all!

Did y'all miss me yesterday? I was bed ridden --- as in beeehhheeed ridden --- with a migraine. Ugh. I wanted so desperately to check in on everyone, but the mere thought of the sound of a pecking key board and the blue haze that the monitor emits was much more than my poor head could handle. So, I quickly posted a few things then scrambled back into bed.

But today ... today I have taken in all your comments from yesterdays post, and me oh my ... I am blown away! You are all very profound thinkers and awesome writers! I am truly wowed by y'all.

I loved each and every comment. EXCELLENT and THOUGHT PROVOKING to see different views and perspectives. Even if you did need more caffeine before commenting!! So... now it's my turn... here goes nothing ...

I sat and read that comment in a book about the 23 Psalm. It was just a side bar, a brief note, just a little "somethin'-somethin'" added to the side of the chapter. But it really caught my eye. I read it. Re-read it. And -- read it again. I'm not really sure who Dag Hammarskjold is either, but the statement was really so very deep. I could imagine a child with a broken toy going to their parent and in their heart, they know that the parent will make it all better again. Or when their blankie gets dropped in a mud puddle, mom will make it clean again. Mom or Dad have, in their child's eye, performed a miracle for them and have made everything all better again. And the love that the parent has for the child is evident in their willingness to do anything ... anything to "make it all better." Sort of like that mini-van commercial where the child had lost their dear teddy bear. Mom went out, bought a new one, washed the van with it, ran over it a few times, pounded it, pulled an eye off, and made the bear appear all beaten up. Why? Because the child had lost her bear and Mom wanted to make it all better. Of course, this was totally NOT the point of the commercial -- but advertisers run that risk when I watch commercials!

Oh, if I could keep a child's eye when I need things to be made all better again, and remember to run in to my Father's arms. They are always outstretched. Always warm. Always waiting. And He never fails to make things 'all better' again. He can wipe away my hurt, my pain, my brokenness and he can 'make it all better' again. He can take the darkest, most secret pain in the pit of our lives, the one you don't think you could ever give up and be rid of -- the yuckiest splotch in our life that overshadows all other joy in our life -- and he can wash it clean. Make it new. He can provide the most profound and deepest forgiveness imaginable.

I never really "understood" how very deep the love of a parent is until I had my own son. I thought I understood, but until you have a child, you really don't. I think I've mentioned before that my husband's sister and her daughter (my niece, whom I adore as if she were my own) lived with us for a few years... Anyway, when she would get sick in the middle of the night and throw up, I would always walk away ... very fast ... and let her momma take care of her. Why? Because I would begin to gag and want to throw up too! But my sister-in-law always lovingly cuddled her, wiped her face, changed her, cuddled her some more, reassured her, and put her in her own bed without a second thought. That's a mom's love. Truly. I personally always liked to give a kid back when they were spewing. But a mom gathers her child in and loves them. And now, I understand that. If my son throws up on me, that is secondary to his own discomfort. My mind goes first to how I can comfort him, love him, and make him all better. Amazing, isn't it? A mother's love is that deep!

I can only imagine how deep the Father's love is for us that he is willing to forgive anything. ANYTHING. And he will comfort us and make it all better.

Tuesday's Toss-Up

Tuesday is finally here.... and I have been thinking about this all weekend long! I'm not going to blog at all today, because today... it's your turn to post on my blog! You all have such deep and profound things to say, and I want to give you an opportunity to express yourselves freely (g-rated, please) ...

Directions: Each Tuesday, I will post a scripture, quote, or thought. Most likely, it will be of a spiritual nature. You, in turn, will read it, and pop over to the comments and post the first thought or emotion (feeling) that comes to your mind after you read it. No googling allowed. No search engines, no concordances, nothing, nada, zip... Just you, your brain, and your heart.

So here it goes, ladies and gents... "BRING IT" !!!

"Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a

miracle by which what is broken is made whole again,

what is soiled is again made clean."

--Dag Hammarskjold

One more thought...

I know I said I'd shut up, but I just had two more thoughts I had to throw out there...

As I mentioned in one of my comments... I am totally SHOCKED to see that some of you are up so late at night commenting on my blog (as in 10:30, 11:30, 12:30, etc.). I can barely keep my eyes open past 9:00 or 9:30! And to top it off... some of you have three and four kids. Does that mean when I have more kids, I'll end up being awake late, too? Cause Mamma needs her sleep! That's just not gonna fly! And if everyone's gonna be happy, Mamma needs to be happy, and when Mamma doesn't sleep, Mamma is NOT happy. So, what are you doing so late at night, and why????? Do you get to sleep in the next day? Take naps?

Also, I have a wee problem, and I need the help of you ... my very dear friend. See, I go to a small church. About 80 or 90. We have Bible Study on Wednesday evenings, which I love, but we have no programs for children, because we only have like 1 or 2 kids that come out on Wednesday, and they are like in 4th grade, and even then, it's hit or miss with them. And then we have one infant. My son. And while I think he's the bomb, and a total angel, because ... well ... he is ... (go with me on that), I find that I end up not getting a single solitary thing out of Wed nights, because I have to hold him, rock him, feed him, make google faces at him, entertain him, walk around with him. He gets fussy, then he laughs and blows raspberries, then he squeals and chatters, then gets fussy again, because his bed time is 8:00, and Mamma is NOT following the routine he has self-imposed. I'm scared I'm distracting folks, even thought they insist I'm not (okay ... I KNOW I'm distracting myself, at least). And the stinky lady in charge of Christian Education is supposed to solve this problem... but since that stinky lady happens to be ME, I have to say that I don't have any solutions right now. Can't use the youth for a nursery, because they have youth group. Don't really have the budget to hire a baby sitter. Can't even do rotational sitting in the nursery, because I'd be rotating with me, myself and I.

So ... what would you do if you were in my shoes? Or, what did you do if you were in my shoes at one time? Please... any advice would be appreciated. Should I continue going and getting what I can? Because I see this becoming a real problem as he gets older!

Signed,
The Stinky Christian Education Ministry Director Lady that HAS NO CLUE.

Monday Musings ...

Okay ... here are some random thoughts of mine ...

1) Did you ever notice how much I talk? It's like my fingers have have their own voice and when I sit down to type, they need to talk, talk, talk. Not just on my own blog... but on comments I make at all my dear friend's homes! Good grief, I'm an embarrassment to my family! I need to learn to control myself. And it's not just on line that it's a problem, either. My husband and I often find that we are competing against each other to talk our friend's ears off. We are pitiful (notice how I included my husband in on that? I don't want to be pitiful on my own!) It's a shame I love to talk so much.

2) Do any of you have any "pet phrases" you just love to say, and have a suspicion that it irritates the snot out of everyone? Well, my husband says "Cheese and Crackers" to everything!!! EVERYTHING! "Cheese and Crackers, son... that's a big poopy diaper there!" or "Cheese and Crackers ... when did the price of natural gas get so expensive?" or "Cheese and Crackers, honey ... you look great!" -- Frankly, I used to love to snack on Cheese and Crackers ... but not so much any more. Then again... I noticed I say a few things to ad nauseam too ... like, Goodness Gracious! (pronounced Goodness Gwayshus) and Oh my Goodness! So, if you just re-read what I typed ('cause I'm lazy) with Cheese and Crackers and substitute that with Goodness Gwayshus or Oh my Goodness ... well you get the point. Soooooooo... is there anything YOU say that you think has become a Hallmark of all your personal expressions?

3) What would we have done if Blogging was never invented?

4) Isn't being a mother the most awesomist thing in the whole wide world? Who woulda thunk it?

5) Have you ever noticed what a bad speller I am? I wish they let you spell check comments before you post them!

and finally...

5) It's time to go digging through all your drawers, closets, and hampers to find your thinking caps, because tomorrow... I'm going to do something called "Tuesday Toss-up" -- I just love to get into your heads and hear what's rattling around in there. You are such a deep group of people, and always have such profound things to say, and I LOVE IT SO MUCH ... that I'm going to Toss Up either a scripture or thought at you, and let you post your thoughts on it in my comment section -- as in -- the first thing that comes across your heart and mind when you read it. No googling allowed. It's got to be your own thoughts -- whether deep or not so deep -- I can't wait to see all the different perspectives! Goodness Gwayshus I can't wait until tomorrow!

Well, have an awesome day in the Lord... and go make someone smile today!

(yes, I'll shut up now)

Five

Today is March 5th, and today, my beautiful little boy turneds five months old... Where has time gone? It seems like just yesterday, I was trying to get a handle on having a new born with projectile vomiting issues, acid reflux, and stitches. Lots of them. On me, not Hunter...

He has the most incredible personality a mom could ask for. So calm, so happy, so easy. For the most part, he rarely cries (unless he has a jagged tooth tearing through his tender gums), he coos, giggles, smiles, belly laughs, chatters, blows raspberries and flurbers. He's an absolute joy. And, to top off a wonderful personality, he's so handsome. He has blondish hair that's getting darker as we speak, piercing blue eyes, a perfectly small button nose, and the roundest chipmunk cheeks. I just want to kiss him, cuddle him, hug him, and eat him up. I can't help it... he's that cute! We have been so blessed.

So tonight, after he finishes his bottle, and snuggles with me and falls asleep while I'm praying over him, I will probably be looking lovingly at his hands, and running my finger along his sweet round cheek, praising God for his grace, his love, and his answers to prayer.

God is so good!

Friday Food Fun, & Other Things...

First... Friday Food Fun --

I just can't wait to share this totally deee-lish recipe with you. And for those of you with a gaggle of kids, I know that the Pillsbury Pop 'n Fresh ones might be easier, but I also know your kids will love helping with this, it's easy, and everyone will love them!!! Here it goes...

Mmmm-Mmmm-Gooey Cinnamon Rolls
(Yield: 16 rolls )

1 loaf frozen white bread dough, thawed in refrigerator (very important)
Flour, for dusting surface

Filling:
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2/3 stick butter, softened

Icing:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
1/3 cup cream cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Roll out dough on a lightly floured surface to form a 15 by 7-inch rectangle. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside. Spread 2/3 cup softened butter (I know all this butter sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen, but don't skip this step!) over dough and then evenly sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar mixture. Starting at the long edge, roll up dough like you would a jelly roll. Cut roll into 16 slices and then set aside in a warm place and allow dough to rise until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Divide rolls among 2 lightly buttered round baking pans. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden on top. While the rolls are baking, combine the icing ingredients with an electric mixer until fluffy. Frost the warm rolls with the icing. Serve warm with plenty of napkins!

Let me know if you try this recipe out!
===================================================================

Okay, moving on to other more mundane things ... funny things that happened to me the other day at work.

Wednesday, my secretary (oh, okay ... she's not my secretary... she's the departmental secretary - whatever) any way, my secretary asked me how my son was doing on solids. I told her that he hates meat, loves pears, sweet potatoes, green beans, carrots and squash, likes bananas and applesauce, and tolerates chicken and noodles (all either stage one or two foods). She then shared with me a special food that not only her son loved, but she loved too. She warned me that it's a little fattening because it's made with heavy cream, but oh so worth it. The to-die-for food? Beech Nut Sweet Potato Sawful. So, I repeated it back to her in form of a question... "Beech Nut Sweet Potato Sawful?" And she said, "yeah, Sweet Potato Sawful - it's sooo good, but hard to find." So, being stumped, I asked her to spell it for me so I could look for it... and yes, this was one of those AAAHHH HAAA moments that confirmed my suspicion that there really are moms out there that prove men's suspicions that we really do loose part of our brain when we deliver the placenta... the spelling of SAWFUL -- S-o-u-f-f-l-e. (As in SOO-FLEEH. The french stuff.) Yes, it took all my will power to control the muscles in my face and prevent them from bursting into laughter, because she was serious as all get out, and I wasn't about to burst her bubble. So, once my child is old enough, I'll be looking for Sweet Potato Sawful, errrr... I mean ... Souffle ... so he can experience how the upper crust lives. Oh, Lord forgive me anyhow... I'm sure I've made some vocab flub-ups like this! (umm... like just the other day?) And rest assured -- I'm not gossiping. She's a friend of mine, and after I taught her the correct way to say Souffle, I asked her if I could blog about it because it cracked me up so much.

So a little while later (oh, around 10-ish in the am), one of our new, and very young and GQ-ish college hires, with a matchy-matchy izod sweater over his plaid untucked shirt with neatly folded cuffs and pointy collar came over to the cube next to mine that houses yet another very young college hire with spiky (and I do mean stiffly spiked) hair, and this is the very educated (they went to the same College) conversation that ensued... GQ: Dude, here's the book I was telling you about. Spiky: Like, what is it? GQ: It's theeee BIBLE for project scheduling! Spiky: Oh, killer red binder! GQ: Yeah, killer! It cost me a fortune! Spiky: Dude, I'm totally broke! GQ: No waaahhhaaahhhaaayyy! Spiky: Totally! I got a cup of Jo this morning, and used the last of my green! GQ: Bummer! Spiky: Yeah, but my mom packed me a rockin' lunch, so I'm not bummin' too much, dude! GQ: Maaan. Wish my mom would do that! I hang out at the cafeteria for lunch, totally yacking.

Okay, I need to break here and just say ... this is the future of our corporation? THIS? Duuuuuddde that's like, totally scaaarrry! Well, I guess we all started out somewhere, huh?

Oh, and on this oh, soooo eventful day ... I was headed back to my desk from the cafeteria to scarf down my Chicken Marsala (which incidentally, I think the cafeteria prepared for the geriatric employees (that would be 90 and over) because it had absolutely no.salt.whatsoever). I was coming up to a very tricky three-way hallway intersection ... so tricky that maintenance installed one of those round bubble mirrors on the ceiling so you could see what was around the corner... And coming around the corner at a rather fast clip, was a woman, and a man, and they were talking, paying very little attention to the mirror that would indicate that IIIII was coming and had the right of way. And you know how a mom will hold her hand out to slow down a speeding toddler? Well, she did just that. Held her hand out. At toddler height. Right into the mans crotch.

Needless to say, an embarrassing moment was had by all. Red face, red face, red face! I'm sure she'll be checking that mirror as she comes 'round that corner next time, and she'll keep her hands to herself!

And finally... because I care so much about each and every one of you, I feel it is my duty to bring to light a very serious matter ... there is a number you should be aware of... twenty. As in, 20, or for some, twen-tee. Yeah, you heard right. That's the number of Oreo Thin Crisps that come in the 100 Calorie Pack snack bags. I know this, because I was counting. And, really, they are very tasty, but if you like to count up to, oh, let's say, 60 (as in six-tee), like I do... then, you'll need three bags of snacks, and we're looking at 300 calories instead of the original 100 that we started off with. I just thought you might want to know.

That about wraps up all the very important things that happened in the course of one very important day. All so fascinating, huh?

Well ... I started to comment several times on yesterday's blog, and had to stop each time because I was so flooded with much emotion. Your wonderful and supportive comments have caused me to shed my own share of tears this morning! (Although, I did finally manage some comments.)

First of all, I want to share something with you all ... I am so honored and inspired to be a part of a community of talented, and spiritual women ... all of you (okay, some men too). God has used each of you in so many different ways to cause me to think, pray, start a prayer journal, search scripture, be vulnerable, and grow. GROW! That is just amazing, considering that we have never met each other face to face.

I can't even begin to express the joy I feel in knowing that God is working through each one of us in so many different ways! I face a daily challenge to be open and honest on my blog, and because of that outlet, I have found myself opening up and witnessing to others around me more than I would normally have the courage to! And face it folks, winning others to Christ should be our goal, right?

When I first began toying with the idea to change my blog from one that belonged to the world of infertility (one that is so full of anger, bitterness, hurt, and fear) to this one ... I prayed that God would just have one ... one... person encourage me to do so. And... there was Shannon and Kim encouraging me to start fresh. How could I NOT? And that's when Kisses of Sunshine was born, and I can't even begin to tell you how blessed I have been because of it ... over, and over, and over again! And, nooo, silly one ... not because of my own writings (because I can barely cross my t's and dot my i's properly) ... but because of all of your loving, encouraging, and supportive comments.

So, my commitment to you is ... I will continue blogging about my silly, crazy, and mundane life -- and try to obey God when I hear Him prompting me on certain topics ... All I ask in return is ... that whenever any of you feel discouraged, or feel like you lack in support, jot me an email or drop me a comment letting me know you need extra prayers for the day! I hope you know that I'm here for you just like I know you're here for me.

And now, I leave you with a scripture that Kim shared with me on my old blog ... I just re-found it, and I love it so much, because it reminds me that not only will he carry me in his arms, but he will also lead me in every step of mothering... and I couldn’t ask for a better shepherd than God!

"He will tend his flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in his arms; He will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young." (Isaiah 40:11)

P.S. - At this point, I can't even bring myself to publish the original post I had prepared last night for today... it is just so trite, silly, and goofy in the light of all your brilliant comments that touched me so! Maybe later on... Maybe.

He was there from the beginning

Okay ... I just ran down, grabbed my very sweet, very warm cup of cream with a splash of coffee, my beloved everything bagel (mmmm - a girl needs her salt every now and then) with cream cheese and have returned to my computer so that I may jot down all these things floating in my head right now -- and you might want to get your own cup of coffee, because it may be a long post ... after all, there's a lot of room up in my head ... so ... excuse me if I speak with my mouth full.

It all started (these thoughts in my head) when I read a couple of posts -- and if you haven't seen them yet, you really must take a few minutes to read them so that you understand where I'm coming from. One post was from yesterday, in fact, it's a video clip, and you need sound to appreciate it, because the actual video means nothing without the story behind it. Trust me, I know. So go over to Lauren's Blog and have a look-see... just make sure you come back...

Now, the other posts that really struck me hard were found on momRN2's Blog... she did three amazing posts on her beautiful daughter, which they lovingly (and with God's grace can) refer to as Turnip ... remember ... it's a three-parter ... so start here with Part 1 ... then go here for Part 2 ... then go here for Part 3 ... Do I need to remind you to come back?

These women are just two of the many wonderful Christian blogs I read... and love. And they really get me thinking. Hard. Which can be exhausting... for me anyway ... because that usually means I'm UP ALL NIGHT thinking. Like last night. Thanks, ladies!

When I saw the video on Lauren's blog, I had the volume muted, and I just didn't get it (duh! it's a vi-deee-ooo). So I had to watch it again. And then, I re-watched (or rather, re-listened). Then, I started thinking about it. It must have been a segment that was distributed widely, because all day, I have heard people all around me (including our local Christian radio station) talking about it... (or ... they could all be reading Lauren's blog - which is a distinct possibility). Any way, the comments I've heard all range from how brave the young man was, to how brave the coach was, to how inspiring this young man is.

Yes. I got that too. But as I commented in Lauren's blog, the thing that struck me the most was the parents and how proud and happy they must be for their son. Now, you may be scratching your head, and saying to your self, "huh?" -- well, just hang with me for a second. It all started with momRN2's posts about her daughter. She just opened her heart to us and shared God's miracle of life, and all the struggles she experiences with her little girl. What struck me in her posts, was that her little girl struggles, her little girl fights like a champ, her little girl goes on with life. And, mom and dad have a daily struggle, too. A battle of questions looming in their minds - will my child get lost? Will my child be safe? Will my child be frightened? Will my child pass milestones normally? Will my child be able to lead what we would consider to be a normal life? But they face each day with God as the center of their day ... wow! WOW! I know it must be hard for them, and possibly heartbreaking. But God sees them through each day - step by step.

I think I saw pretty much the same things when I viewed the video at Lauren's ... a young man with his own personal struggles, and insecurities, but, my thoughts went to the parents. Are they Christians? Do they know about God's amazing GRACE? How do they handle their own fears and expectations for their child?

You see, the world puts labels on us ... what is normal, what is acceptable, what is right. If you're not wearing one of those labels, then you can pretty much count on having a tough go at it. Acceptance is so key in this world. But the parents -- oh, the parents. As a new mom, I can only imagine what inner turmoil a parent must have for a child that has health issues and struggles. I know that I would be feeling thoughts of fear over my child's safety, anxiety over their acceptance, and would have questions running through my head, like... Will my child be loved, will my child have friends, will my child succeed in life. I know I would, because I have these same thoughts about my son even now, and he's only four months old. Our hearts as parents go out to our children. They break. Over, and over, and over again. Even when the child faces a struggle or disappointment and bounces back -- I'm willing to bet it's much, much faster than the parent can! We hold our children so dear and near to us.

Last night, my son was crying. He was unhappy. He refused to eat. I think he wasn't feeling well, and his gums were hurting from his first, and very stubborn tooth coming in. I could not calm him. I couldn't soothe him. I was there for him, I was holding him, loving him, cuddling him, but I couldn't make it better. I was so close to tears, when suddenly, he was a happy baby again. Cooing, laughing, and slightly medicated with Tylenol and Hyland's Homeopathic Teething Tablets (thank you Shannon for your sage advice ... you ROCK!). I sat back feeling slightly dazed from that experience, and upset that I couldn't take this pain away from him. Not 30 minutes later, he was crying, cranky and upset again. We tried Mylanta for his acid reflux. We tried feeding him. We gave him a bath. A bottle. I rocked him, cuddled him, loved him. He fought me, sleep, and comfort. But, as he started to drift off, and as I prayed over him, it suddenly hit me.

God is there. Whether we can 'do' anything or not. He never, ever goes away. He is in control. Even if the outcome isn't what we want or what we're looking for, and momRN2 said it best ... He was there from the beginning. Wow. Yes -- he was, wasn't he? Why does it take some of us so long to realize this? (ummm ... that would be me - memememe)

God is so amazing. He is faithful to us. He loves us so much. And I began to think how sad he must be when he watches us struggle... or hit our heads against the wall... or wander around in circles... or try to be the Lone Ranger (ummm... again, that would be meeeee!) and not turn to him. He holds us, tries to soothe us, calm us, and make things better, but like my son, we fight against him, because we think we can do it better. Us... do it better ... Yeah, RIGHT!

I don't even know if I'm really putting all those thoughts in my head in a clear and concise format, or if I'm making any sense to anyone else but me... or if I relayed how precious momRN2's story is to me, and what an awesome reminder it was that our loving Father is there for us. Many times, I feel alone. Deep in my heart, I feel discouraged and not appreciated. I feel inadequate and many times, I feel judged by others because I feel like I'm not living up to their expectations. I know one day, my child will feel like this too, and maybe even you feel like that? But isn't wonderful to remember that when we are feeling like this, GOD IS THERE ... and not only is he there, but ... He was there from the beginning. Isn't that amazing?

One last think I want to share with you... the words to Indescribable by Chris Tomlin. I heard this song this morning, and it brought tears to my eyes...

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea; Creation's revealing Your majesty; From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring; Every creature unique in the song that it sings; All exclaiming --

Indescribable, uncontainable, You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name. You are amazing God. All powerful, untameable, Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim, You are amazing God.

Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go; Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow; Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light; Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night, None can fathom ...

Incomparable, unchangeable, You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same, You are amazing God, You are amazing God.

(Man! Why can't I write like that?)

My wish and prayer for you today is that you have an awesome day, and that you take a moment to revel in the love God has for you. He is there to comfort you, love you, hold you, rock you. And remember, that no matter what you're facing ... no matter how trivial or monumental it may be ... God is there for you, and as momRN2 pointed out... He was there from the beginning.