i just realized this today

When Austin and Noah went to Camp Agape last year, they each returned home with a handmade blanket of their very own. They have had these blankets for a year now.

I remember thinking "Oh, cute how Noah has a construction quilt. And Austin with those frogs that look funny like him." :)

It wasn't until today that I noticed something that is probably very obvious to everyone else.

One has fwogs and the other has Dozers (my blog nickname for Christian).

The boys didn't even pick them out, y'all. They were "randomly" handed to them. (I don't believe in random, do you?)

I can't help but believe that God revealed that (obvious) detail to me TODAY for a reason.

Because He loves me like that.

Sweet Shot: His Hand in the Sky

I have often seen God's hand in my life.

On this day, I saw His Hand moving across the sky.

And it took my breath away.

They were like spotlights running across the land.

I stand amazed in the presence...

Behold, the eye of the LORD is upon them that fear him,

upon them that hope in his mercy;

-Psalm 33:18

I'm also linking up with Jennifer here:

I Heart Faces: Pets

Hello, Snowball.

Yup, Snowball in June. Some of her favorite hobbies are squirrel hunting, barking at turtles, chasing tennis balls without returning them, and wrestling with Hank, our Redbone Coon Hound.

Isn't she beautiful?

To see more pets or join in the fun, run on over to i heart faces.

Woot woot! I made #8 with this one! That's two extra treats for you, Snowball!

I am such a follower

I got this from Melissa, who got it from Meredith... no, not the flowers... keep scrolling down.

What color are your socks right now? It's summer and way too hot for socks. Ick.

What are you listening to right now? Revlon commercial on TV.

What was the last thing you ate? PB&J on white bread, store bought. Jelly not jam so no nutritional value.

Can you drive a stick? No. I prefer cars. (I know, groooan right?) Can't drink coffee and drive at the same time if I did.

Last person you spoke to on the phone? My sister Coco.

How old are you today? 35 years, 2 months

What is your favorite sport to watch on TV? Women's Figure Skating Long Program at the Olympics

What is your favorite drink? Do you even have to ask? Starts with a C and rhymes with toffee.

Have you ever dyed your hair? No, but the white hairs are growing like weeds. It won't be much longer now. I know that lighter hair is supposed to make you look younger, but I am very tempted to go darker. Do you think it would just make me look mean?

Favorite food? Korean food. Second place would be anything that someone else cooks.

What is the last movie you watched? The Young Victoria

Favorite day of the year? I don't have one.

How do you vent anger? Depends on the severity. Medium anger means yelling. Extreme anger can lead to crying. I have to go for a walk or make myself go to my room to cool down. I have thoughts of smashing things but the thought of also having to clean it up keeps me in check.

What was your favorite toy as a child? My bicycle with the back seat that I got when I was 5. I remember hauling my little sister Lele around in it. Too bad I left it in the driveway where it got run over by the neighbor's car (we lived in a duplex).

Favorite Season? Spring and Fall although anything that isn't summer is ideal.

Cherries or Blueberries? Ranier cherries and blueberries from Moorehead's Farm.

Living situation? Yes, I am alive.

When was the last time you cried? Today. I was going through all the boys' books and sat there remembering those sweet moments of reading with each of my kids. They all loved train books the most! I miss reading to Christian. I bet he would be able to read to me by now.

What is on the floor of your closet right now? shoes, clothes that don't fit, and a small laundry basket.

What are you most afraid of? bugs with exoskeletons that fly erratically.

Plain, cheese, or spicy hamburgers? pepper jack and cheddar cheese.

Favorite dog breed? English Springer Spaniel, although I have always wanted a Siberian Husky. Too bad Houston would be torture for a dog like that.

Favorite day of the week? Monday.

How many states have you lived in? 4. Colorado, Texas, Ohio, Georgia.

Diamonds or pearls? Diamonds.

What is your favorite flower? Peonies with Hydrangea (blue) coming in a close second.

Did you get an H1N1 vaccine? No.

Let me know if you play along. I considered adding a few questions of my own but *yawn* I just can't think of anything. Feel free to add your own and mix things up a bit!

loving my new coffee

My friends Zephyr and Nathan just started a new business-- Cane Creek Coffee.

Yes, COFFEE. Yummy coffee grown in the mountains of Western Honduras and freshly roasted in Tennessee. Coffee and Tennessee are two of my favorite things. Does it get any better than that?

Oh wait, it does. Did I mention that my friends have a coffee business? Great coffee and friends really do go together. Especially if said friends can supply my addiction help make my mornings bright and perky. :)

Since I prefer a dark, bold coffee, I tried their French Roast, Chocolate Almond and Cinnamon Hazelnut coffees.

But not all in the same morning... boy, would I have been bouncing off the walls if that were the case!

It was a tough decision but I would say that the Cinnamon Hazelnut was my favorite. Mmmmmm...

If you want to try something new and delicious, visit my friends at Cane Creek Coffee and order a free sample!

Do you have a favorite coffee?

(or are you a tea drinker? i don't want my proper friends to feel left out. do you have a favorite tea?)

I'm linking up with TidyMom today. Hop on over there to see what other peeps are lovin'!

family pictures

Melissa is working on a family photo project and asked her friends when they last had their family photograph taken.

I will never forget our last family photo that was taken in February 2008.

I had a coupon for The Picture People at the mall. (This was before I purchased my Nikon.) I was determined to get a family photo-- not just of the boys or David and the boys, but Daddy, Mommy, Austin, Noah and Christian-- ALL of us!

After many poses, half-blinked eyes and dorky expressions, we just couldn't seem to get it together and produce a decent picture. The photographer suggested splitting us up and trying to get one of just the boys together.

I remember telling her "No, I came for the sole purpose of a family photo with ALL of us together! I don't want to leave until I have it."

So we stuck it out and came up with this that hangs in our living room.

I wish we had ordered some of the other poses... or paid the big bucks for the ginormous black and white enlargement.

But we didn't.

I just thought "We'll get that next time when I can get a better picture of all of us, one where we are all looking straight at the camera."

Only "next time" never came.

I went back to the store at the mall. With tears in my eyes, I asked them if I could order the other poses that we didn't deem "good enough". I wanted to get the enlargement that I had passed up before. But it was too late. They were already out of the system, gone forever.

I left with even more tears.

God did have a little gift in store for me though! Right before Christmas, I found where I could get some postcards made of a low-resolution picture from that session. It was stored on their old website and hadn't been deleted yet! :)

We used it for our Christmas cards that year.

Don't procrastinate your family picture.

Don't assume you will get another chance.

Don't dismiss the imperfect ones so quickly.

One day you will look back at those very pics and love them! You will see that your children's fake smiles, funny faces or even tears were a memory and moment in time captured. And you will see that their mommy and daddy are beautiful, even if they thought they were fat or unphotogenic at the time.

Real life, normal, the every day, family... go capture it now. And go get in the picture yourself!

Sweet Shot: rainbow

Like spring that whispers in the rain

and scents the earth with flowers,

Hope offers promises of faith

and rainbows for dark hours.

-Eugene Botelho

He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief;

but was strong in faith, giving glory to God;

And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised,

he was able also to perform.

-Romans 4:20-21

When in the middle of your own storm, look UP for the rainbows, born only when sonshine is added.

Pinewood Derby

The competition was fierce.

My sweet friend Doris was in the crowd.

There were trophies at stake. Kids LOVE trophies.

We doubt we'll ever win in speed. We just hope the car will make it to the end of the track!

Did you guess which one was Noah's?

This one.

It's the only iPhone we own.

Congrats to Noah on winning Most Creative Car! And a trophy! Woot woot! Totally made his year. :)

Maybe I should make up my own trophies for the kids. Y'know, for "best dishwasher of the month" and "I can brush my teeth without being told"... do you think it would garner the same amount of excitement (and motivation)?

I Heart Faces: All About Babies

I can't help it. I just have this expressive baby on my brain!

I adore how he furrows his brow.

You can read more about Ali and Adam's Journey to Samuel here. There is even a video of the first time his parents Ali and Adam saw him!

You can tell from the tears of joy that Samuel truly is the one that they have been praying and waiting for. God is so good to give us the desires of our heart!

Hop on over to i heart faces to see more All About Babies pictures.

blog friends and baby

I have been blessed to meet some fabulous friends after having stalked known them online for years.

Last week, I had the absolute pleasure of spending a few hours chatting it up with Ali from MyGodGivenMissionField and her husband. Oh. my. word. Ali is so beautiful both inside and out (and has the coolest green-brown eyes EVER)! Ali and Adam are such kind hearted, intelligent, sweet, and amazing people that truly love the Lord.

AND guess what?! *I* got to be the first not-the-mommy-and-daddy person to hold their newly adopted baby boy! (Yup, I am totally bragging!)

Eeeeeeeeeeee! Brown eyes, brown skin, expressive face, precious curly hair... perfect in every way.

Thanks Ali and Adam for sharing him with me! Y'all blessed me beyond words!

WELCOME HOME, SAMUEL!!!

On the Grill: Summer Slaw

While you don't necessarily grill the slaw itself, it makes for a wonderful side dish for almost any grilled meat, be it ribs, sausage or even fish. I love the creamy dressing and the sweetness that the corn adds to the slaw.

My favorite way to eat it is in a BBQ sandwich with a little Tiger Sauce on top. Mmm....

Summer Slaw

4 large ears of corn

1 lb bag shredded cabbage mix

2/3 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip *gag* if you prefer more tang)

2 T white vinegar

4 T white sugar (or sugar substitute)

salt and pepper to taste

1. Grill (or blanch) the corn. Cool and cut from cob.

2. Place cut corn and cabbage mix together in a large bowl.

3. Whisk next 3 ingredients in a small bowl until combined.

4. Add to corn/cabbage and toss well.

5. Salt/pepper to taste.

6. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour (or overnight), stirring occasionally.

Head on over to Robyn's to see more On The Grill recipes.

It's hot. I ramble.

When it gets all hot and humid outside, I tend to hunker down inside my casa where the temperature is a constant 74 degrees. I was tempted to lie and say I keep my house at a respectable 76-78, but I didn't. (Proud of me?)

The short jaunt (because that's how I roll around here) to the van (which is not a Swagger Wagon or a fantasy school bus, but a mighty fine machine nonetheless) must still be bad enough to toast a few brain cells because my thoughts are bouncing all over the place! (The parentheses are distracting, no?)

1. The perfect pair on a summer day (or night).

Don't worry, this blog is still family friendly! :)

Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and blueberry syrup that I made *all by my big self* with berries we picked last week.

2. Only 2 more school days!!! Even though we school year-round, we will be taking a break until July 5th. It sounds like I have it all thoughtfully planned out, huh? In all honesty, I just randomly picked that date to start back.

3. When my boys have too much time on their hands, they fight. So a 3-4 week break makes me a little nervous. I think I need to come up with some projects (aka PHYSICAL WORK) for them to do while we're on our brain-break. Too keep the peace, of course.

4. "How God Used a Thunderstorm" - we've been reading this devotional book for boys before bed each evening. You can see the full set from Timberdoodle here (and scroll down to read WHY they like it so much too). I love how the stories are historical and captivating. It would be very easy to sit and read this book in one sitting... I have to force myself to not read ahead and go through it with my boys.

5. MpixPro or Color, Inc. for printing your photos? Check out my sister Coco's review and tell me what you think. I have had the same issues and results as Coco, but others have had the opposite.

6. Have you seen Ruthanne's latest creation? I suddenly have the urge to make one of those red, white and blue cakes-- y'know, the ones with the strawberries, blueberries and whipped cream on top. But I much prefer pound cake over angel food cake (unless the angel food cake is made from scratch-- and not box baked either).

7. Speaking of cake and berries, can you help me find this recipe? When my sister Coco was prego with Emily-o, we had a baby shower for her. I made this dessert that we layered in a 9x13 pan. It was pound cake, strawberries, cool whip, and some sort of vanilla pudding that we made with condensed milk. Anyone have a recipe for this?

8. I am willing to share if anyone wants to drop by. *HINT, HINT* You know who you are, people. Seriously, how much bribery and begging is it going to take to force you to come visit me?!

9. Summer Movies. My boys are so excited about Marmaduke being out in theaters. As much as I try, I simply cannot force myself to take them to see this movie. I KNOW it will irritate the fire out of me. Silly animal movies just aren't my thing. I would be a CrankyMcCrankster if they brought me along. The movie *I* am looking forward to seeing is Despicable Me. Are you looking forward to any summer movies?

PS Does it bother you that there is no number 10?

Sweet Shot: she is fashion!

One of the highlights of my recent trip to Oregon was attending my niece's fashion show. She definitely has a style and pose all her own! (And apparently lunges are fashion!)

Whenever she would see something stylish or cute, she would say it was fashion. Don't even think about arguing with a 4 year old that something is fashionable... because you would be SO completely wrong. Trust me.

I can't believe she even has that mouth pucker thing down already.

I'm linking up with Darcy and a ton o' other Sweet Shots.

another sweet dream

I had a short but sweet dream about Christian this morning. I want to write down what I can before it fades from memory...

Austin and I were crying together when Christian suddenly appeared standing next to us. When I saw him, I knew he had died and had somehow come to be with us for a little bit.

(For some reason this is important to me... to not dream a dream, but dream a slice of reality- if that even makes sense).

I picked Christian up and held him close for a while. He seemed so big with his arms around me and his legs hanging down below my waist. My arms become a little tired with the weight of him.

He was wearing a gray shirt with blue sleeves.

Austin came closer, gently touched Christian’s leg and sweetly said “Hi, Christian!!!”

When I finally found my voice, I remember saying “Oh how I’ve missed you, Christian!!!”

He answered very matter of factly, “I in Heaven now, mommy.”

I asked him if he liked it there. I really wanted him to stay with me now. I really wanted him to say that he missed me.

He looked off in the distance like he often did and simply stated,
“I have fwiends there, mommy.”

I knew right then that he was going back and that he would be waiting until I joined him one day.

Suddenly he was gone again… my arms empty. I fell to the ground in a crying heap and wailed out loud, hardly able to breathe.

And then I woke up.

I don't know why Christian said what he did in my dream. It's not like I have been worrying about him in Heaven! I do find it comforting that he said he has friends there. :) The thought never occurred to me before but now, just thinking about it warms my mommy heart.

David told me that he's glad that I had the dream. It had been a long while since I had a dream. It's almost as if we are a little jealous of the other being able to see and talk with Christian in our slumber. For some grieving parents, dreams are something to be dreaded. The waking up from the dream and facing reality is torture. But for us, the dreams are a gift... I have woken up feeling the weight of him in my arms, the feel of his soft cheek on my lips, the sound of his voice in my ears. Things that are impossible to imagine at will sometimes.

Christian is gone.

But I know I’ll see him again. And it won't be in a dream.

Sweet Shot: give me angry

I told my niece and nephew to give me their angry face.

They totally crack me up! I wish I could look this funny and less mean when I lose my temper.

These guys belong to my sis Coco. She can make some funny faces too, but since she has worse pics of me than I have of her, I will stick with posting this pretty one. :)

Too see more Sweet Shots, head on over to Darcy's!