Used Toy Sale Soon

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There are two things that are wonderfully miraculous about this picture:

1. My camera is obviously still working ~ sort of. I have to hold it 'just so' and put pressure on the lens 'just right', but it's better than the alternative of buying a new camera.


2. My son escaped the 'camera breaking incident' with his life intact.

Monday, Zachary decided that he wanted to use my camera ~ which I generally store waaaaay up high, on top of the entertainment center.

Meaning he had to climb and reach to grab it. And he did so with the grace of a 4 year old, didn't have a good hold on it and dropped it to the wood floor.

Breaking one of my favorite lenses {the 50mm}.

Had you been present in my house at that moment...well, I cried. And had the presence of mind to have my son remove himself from the room before I did something I would realllllly regret later {and he had the wisdom to move quickly!!}.

After some manhandling of my camera, I was finally able to remove the broken lens and put another one on to test the camera and make sure the body was still working. And not rattling.

So far, so good.

Zachary was apparently aware of how seriously upset I was and quickly tried to smooth things over with me by apologizing and drawing me a picture.

This is a self-portrait of him standing in front of a table selling his toys to help earn money so that he can buy me a new camera.

His idea ~ not mine.

Anyone in the market for some beat-up toys? They won't be cheap...

We Do Use Soap ~ I Promise

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A few weeks ago we were visiting some friends and at the end of a day of wearing flip flops, the kid's feet were literally disgusting. Rick took Zachary and sat him down on the side of the tub to wash his feet and grabbed a bar of their soap to use.

As Rick used the soap to wash Zachary's feet, Zachary looked at the soap and said, "Wow! What is that thing?"

Rick started laughing and told him it was a bar of soap.

"Oh. I knew that..." but seriously, he didn't.

And before you think my son is crazy and we never use soap in our house, I will come to his defense. Because we don't have bars of soap in our house ~ it's all liquid or body wash.

The poor, deprived child. :)

_________________________________

Rick was trying to get Kaleb out of the tub the other night and he wouldn't get out because, "This tub is a mess! I have to clean it up!"

{Good boy!!!}

Once he was done, Rick wrapped him up in his towel and laid him on the changing table to get him dressed and Kaleb got the cutest look on his face, threw open his towel and yelled: "SURPRISE!!!"

{and got a great laugh out of Daddy!}

Head on over to Mary's at Not Before 7 for some more Tiny Talk Tuesday!!

I Can't Live Without...{Friend Makin' Monday}

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Friend Makin' Monday is being hosted by Amber over the next little bit. This week the topic is revolving around what we just can't live without.

Now aside from the obvious ~ you know, my husband, my family, God, my friends ~ here are a few things that I think just make my life plain easier and lovely. I'm sure I would manage life fine without them, but I'd rather not.

• Hi Speed Internet. Gone are the days of dial-up and I am so thankful that I don't have to wait to get access. Truly, a most wonderful, wonderful thing.

• Our Keurig. No more big pots of coffee. Messy coffee filters. Just a simple push of the button to get the caffeine flowing. Heaven in a cup.

• Google. How in the world did I ever find all the answers to my burning questions? Like ~ "Can a child overdose on Tums?" or "Is plant dirt poisonous?" I love Google.

• Chick fil A. Indoor playground. Waffle fries. Free wifi should I want it. Must I say more?

• My van. I would have a very hard time if we had just a car. The whole issue of 'how to cart around 4 kids in carseats' kind.

• My lovely Canon Rebel. To imagine a world without lovely pictures is just plain sad. ***Updated at 11:30 am to add that I may be imagining a world without for a bit, since Zachary just broke my 50 mm lens and quite possibly the camera too since I can't get the lens off the camera body. Sigh.***
  

• Books. Piles and piles of glorious books.

I'm sure that there will be other things that come to me throughout the day, but for now in my 'lack of having used my Keurig' state, this will have to do! Be sure to visit Amber to hang out and make some new friends!

What I'm Reading {9.26.09}

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Ever since I posted my reading challenge list, I've been working at my books a little at a time. Funny how listing a bunch of books can get you motivated, isn't it? I printed off my list and stuck it in my planning binder so that I can cross things off {and add} as I go along.

I just didn't have time to pull together a review for today, but still wanted to track the books that I did read this week and what is up next to read {or currently in process}.

Books I focused on this week:

• Farraday Road by Ace Collins ~ really enjoyed it and stayed up too late reading it one night. Wouldn't you know that it has a sequel? Nuts! Now I have to figure out how to get my hands on that one...
  

• Home to Harmony by Phillip Gulley ~ I'm about halfway through this book and poor Rick is probably hoping I'll finish it soon since I keep reading bits of it out loud to him. It just cracks me up! And there are some great little 'nuggets' in the book too that get you thinking.

• Blue Like Playdough by Tricia Goyer ~ I'm about halfway through this non-fiction book and there are some parts that have really spoken to me as a mom....review to follow on this book.
  

Here are the books that I currently have stacked up:

• The Power of a Praying Mom by Stormie Omartian ~ I've read this before, but am pulling it out to read each morning
  


• Return Policy by Michael Snyder

• Dawn's Prelude by Tracie Peterson

• The Carousel Painter by Judith Miller

Be sure to stop by and visit 5 Minutes for Books and their monthly meme called "What's on Your Nightstand?"

Delighting in Our Blessings

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One of the books on my reading list right now is Home to Harmony. I picked it up the other night to start and was laughing out loud at just the first few chapters.

I've been sucked in.

At the end of the second chapter, there was a passage that I loved:

"Sometimes we come to gratitude too late. It's only after blessing has passed on that we realize what we had....the time to delight in blessing is when blessing is close at hand."

{p. 25, Home to Harmony, Phillip Gulley}

I was sitting down and trying to read the book while the kids were playing outside...aka doing everything in their power to annoy each other and drive their mother crazy. That phrase just made me stop and think. Watch.

And thank God for the four blessings that I have so close at hand. Even when life is crazy. Even when I can only dream of a quiet moment without interruption.

Because someday, sooner than I realize, those little interruptions in my day will be gone. If I don't take the time to 'delight' in those blessings, I'm going to miss out on some of the most wonderful opportunities that God has entrusted to me.

And truthfully, I don't want to realize all-too-late that I had so much in front of me to be grateful for, but I was too busy looking for a way out or what was up and coming.

Yes, some days feel like I'm just in 'survival' mode, but if I take the time to stop and really focus on these four gifts...it's not too hard to find something to be grateful for.

Even if that little something just drew all over the wall. Again.

Chicken Tetrazzini {Recipe}

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Click on the picture to download recipe card

I found this recipe years ago and one of the reasons I love it so much {other than it being yummy} is because it actually makes TWO 9x13 pans. That means you can cook one and freeze one for later ~ a lovely bonus!

{And I'm sorry if the picture doesn't look super~appetizing...taking of picture of a pile of pasta doesn't work well}.

The recipe calls for 2 cups of shredded cheddar cheese, but we are generally a little more liberal with it. Because really, who doesn't like cheese?

Ingredients

~ 1 1/2 boxes {24 oz. total} of vermicelli or thin spaghetti
~ 3/4 cup of chicken broth
~ 4-6 cups of chopped, cooked chicken {4-6 chicken breasts}
~ 1 can cream of mushroom soup {10 3/4 oz.}
~ 1 can cream of celery soup {10 3/4 oz.}
~ 1 can cream of chicken soup {10 3/4 oz.}
~ 1 1/2 cups of sour cream
~ 6 oz. can of sliced mushrooms, drained
~ 1 cup of shredded Parmesan cheese {4 oz.}
~ 1/4 tsp. pepper
~ 1/2 tsp. salt
~ 2 cups of shredded cheddar {you decide how cheesy you want the top}

Directions

1. Cook pasta according to box directions and drain. Put it back in the pot and add chicken broth.

2. Stir cooked chicken with soup mixes, salt, pepper, sour cream, Parmesan cheese and mushrooms. Add pasta mix and mix well together.

3. Split the mixture between two lightly greased 9x13 baking dishes.

4. Sprinkle casseroles evenly with shredded cheddar.

5. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, or till cheese is melted and sides are bubbly.

Makes 2 9x13 sized dishes.

Note: If you would like to freeze one of the casseroles, I usually put the 1/2 of the mixture into a gallon size ziploc bag {before adding the cheddar} and then attach the bag of shredded cheddar to the outside of the bag so it is with the casserole when we are ready to use it. To use the frozen casserole, thaw it overnight in the fridge and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes. Bake as directed.

If you would like to download the recipe, just click on the picture above and you can print off a 4x6 recipe card - just cut along the line and then fold in half. :)