Snakes and snails and puppy dog tails

They don't warn you about big boys. Broken windows and exploding plastic bottles filled with baking soda and vinegar and teachers that make comments at conferences like " Your son makes Guinea Pig noises"....that's what big boys are made of.

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alpha

Either Jesus is who he said he is, or he is a liar. You have to pick. Alpha starts tonight. Come with your questions.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

THE way, not one of the many ways...

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l.o.g. was here

Our porch has been slowly sinking since it was shoddily constructed 10 years ago by a now bankrupt builder. A friend from church gave up most of his Labor Day to fix it with us. Well...I should confess, he mostly fixed it FOR us. I ran for drinks and sweat towels and dumped a few wheelbarrows of dirt while Kevin participated in a 5K.

George took advantage of the freshly poured concrete to do something every boy should do at some point: carve his initials. He did it all on his own, without any assistance. Hence....L.O.G. was here.  :)

nursing from a dinosaur

I was trying to catch up on some work while Caroline was being placated for the moment by her father. Miss Cling fusses if she can see me and she is not ON me so when it got to the point I needed to enter the room they were in I put on George's foam dinosaur mask. I went about my business and she stayed totally quiet. She was giving "the dinosaur in the room" the strangest looks but she stayed happy with dad and I stayed silent behind the mask.

I forget who thought of it, but I was very curious to see what would happen so I kept the mask on and without speaking offered her the breast. She greedily accepted with a very confused look on her face and continued to watch me warily as she partook.

So, if the going gets tough, I guess she's not really that discriminating.

seven

the number of posts in 2012 so far. how lame is that???

and there is so much to tell.....

remembering...

caroline speaks

the lure of the estate sale

My 9th grader loves the show Pawn Stars. There is only one pawn shop in our area and being on the lookout for a new camera for my birthday I thought we might score a deal there. So I took him. Were we ever disappointed. It was NOTHING like the pawn shop on The History Channel. The Las Vegas pawn shop is a glittery showroom. This was a hallway lined with 3 tiny bulletproof windows. You spoke to the shop owner through the glass. There was very little in the way of merchandise either. A few cameras, lots of power tools, and some jewelry.

Needless to say we left without a camera. But if you are looking for any power tools be sure to check it out.

Park and Pawn

So today, with high hopes of uncovering discarded treasures, we are off to his first ever estate sale. It's amazing what you can find at these things. He is super excited. He will even mow the ENTIRE lawn today and not complain.

have a blessed easter!

i-71 south circa mile marker 186

very similar to the scene out the passenger window, but the cows were brown

Mom, pointing: "What do you see now George?"
George: "um...big groundhogs?"

He is used to seeing cows standing up but come on...somebody may need an eye exam.  :)

in the kitchen with pop pop

I have so many special memories of George Olsen but my favorite is the time he taught me how to cook S.O.S. To the sailors that he cooked for onboard the destroyer the dish was called  $%#* on a Shingle but that wasn't acceptable language in my mom's kitchen.

It's a simple dish made of chipped beef, peas, and cream of mushroom soup but Pop Pop put much care into preparing it. The chipped beef was sliced thinly, the soup was diluted with just the right amount of milk, and the mixture was stirred gently so as not to mash the peas. The result was served over freshly toasted buttered bread.

Every time I prepare this for my kids we remember Pop Pop. I love it that it's something they are fond of too. Hopefully they will make it for their own kids and tell the story of my grandpa, a Navy cook and NYFD fireman.

S.O.S.

ingredients:
one package Buddig Beef
one can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup
one can Green Giant peas and pearl onions(if unavailable, substitute plain peas)

Add thinly sliced beef and DRAINED can of peas to UNDILUTED soup in saucepan. Gently fold in about half a can of milk and bring to a low simmer. Serve on top of buttered toast.

YUM.

welcome caroline

The source of the Unspoken prayer request...

courtesy of Portrait Innovations

safely arrived at 9 lbs 1 oz via c section for unstable lie last month. 

God is good.