Just for Today...

To my children...

Just for this morning, I am going to smile when I see your face and laugh when I feel like crying.

Just for this morning, I will let your choose what you want to wear, and smile and say how perfect it is.

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me to to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck, and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me back cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

Dedicated with love to my five wonderful children, who are growing WAY too fast: EJ, Morgan, Seth, Aaron, and Sophie

I've Learned...by Andy Rooney

• that the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person
• that when you're in love, it shows
• that just one person saying to me, "You've made my day" makes my day
• that having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world
• that being kind is more important than being right
• that you should never say no to a gift from a child
• that I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way
• that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with
• that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand
• that simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult
• that life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes
• that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for
• that money doesn't buy class
• that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular
• that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved
• that the Lord didn't do it all in one day. What makes me think I can?
• that when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you
• that to ignore the facts does not change the facts
• that love, not time, heals all wounds
• that the easiest way for me to grow as a person is to surround myself with people smarter than I am
• that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile
• that there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks
• that no one is perfect until you fall in love with them
• that life is tough, but I'm tougher
• that opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss
• that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere
• that I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her one more time before she passed away
• that one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them
• that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks
• that I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it
• that when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life
• that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it
• that it is best to give advice in only two circumstances: when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening situation
• that the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done

For Pam

Here's the No-bake Cookie recipe for Pam (and everyone else too!) ~

Ingredients:

2 c. sugar
1/2 c. milk
1/2 c. butter
3 T. cocoa
3 c. quick-cooking oats
1/2 c. peanut butter
1 t. vanilla
1/2 c. chopped nuts

Procedure:

~Put 1st 4 ingredients in pan and bring to rolling boil. Boil 4 FULL MINUTES *very important*. Remove from heat and add other 4 ingredients. Mix well and drop by teaspoonfulls on waxed paper. *It is helpful to lay out your waxed paper when you start and also measure out your oats and p. butter since they need to go in quickly.* ENJOY!

The Light of the Eyes

Jackie, over at Happy Wife.com *grin*, wrote an excellent post on keeping the light in our eyes. That has encouraged me to look up verses on this theme: there are 108 verses with these words in them in Psalms and Proverbs ALONE! Thanks, Jackie, what an excellent topic to study and most of all, to put in practice! You go, GIRL!

Contributions to a Happy, Organized Home ~ From Proverbs 27

Use, love, smile today! Don't know about tomorrow ~ v. 1
Don't talk about yourself...unless it's in a blog, of course! =) ~ v. 2
Don't have a "heavy" spirit - it weighs on everybody and it's hard to bear ~ v. 3
Be happy with what you have...envy is worse than wrath and anger (and THEY are bad!) ~ v. 4
Rebuke...means tough love ~ v. 5
Be a true friend...tell it like it is (sweetly, of course!) ~ v. 6
Don't eat too much...*sigh* ~ v. 7
V. 8 ~ YOU tell me what you think it means!
Give good, sweet counsel...it REJOICES the heart! ~ v. 9
Don't let your friends, much less your family, DOWN! Hey, you guys are my friends! ~ v. 10
Don't be foolish...don't listen to everything, watch (as in TV) everything ~ v. 12
Be careful in lending and borrowing...may as well give! ~ v. 13
Study to be QUIET, especially in the morning...yikes, is that what this verse means? Does it mean respect people who have a difficult time getting up in the morning? =) ~ v. 14
Don't be a like a rainy, dreary day, ladies! ~ v. 15
Let's sharpen each other up, especially in our families ~ v. 17
Do the right thing, serve the LORD, train your children DAY AFTER DAY...the fruit will come, and YOU will enjoy it! ~ v. 18
Be satisfied with that which you have ~ v. 20
Yikes! Don't be a FOOL! ~ v. 22
Know what is going on in your pantry, your checkbook, and especially in your most treasured possession, the lives of your loved ones ~ v. 23
Remember: the LORD will provide your needs! Praise Him! ~ v. 27

Menu (might not happen too often!)

Sunday - b- cinnamon twists, parchita juice; l- Eat out! s- "smashed" sandwiches, nestea

Monday - b- scrambled eggs, arepas, toddy; l- spaghetti, tajadas, tang, chocolate chip cookies; s- quesadillas

Tuesday - b- pancakes, con leche; l- pepper steak, salad, nestea, marquesa de limon; s- tuna, bollos, pop

Wednesday - b-"leftover" breakfast, cereal; l- leftovers, tang; s- apples, arequipe, popcorn, nestea

Thursday - b- cookie oatmeal, parchita juice; l- soup beans, cornbread, tomato-onion salad, snickerdoodles, pop; s- pasta salad, nestea

Friday - b- eggs/bacon/toast, o.j.; l- estofado de pollo, rice, cole slaw, tang, oatmeal cake; s- pbj, pop

Saturday - b- cinnamon rolls, con leche; l- chili, crackers, nestea; s- blt's, tang

Contributions to a Happy, Organized Home ~ From Proverbs 24

Don't desire that which evil men have...it's probably not as good as you think - v. 1
Build your home with wisdom from God - v. 2
Establish it with understanding - v. 3
Fill it with knowledge - v. 4
Make sure you give and get good counsel within your home - v. 5
Don't be FOOLISH or SCORNFUL - v. 9
Be strong in hard times - v. 10
Be aware of the problems of others - v. 11-12
Eat sweets...er actually, honey! - v. 13
When you fall, get up again and again...it is the mark of a JUST person! - v. 16 (Note: you can't do this without God!)
Don't be glad when others encounter troubles! - v. 17
Fear the LORD and the king (go Bush!) - v. 21
Don't be a brown-noser! - v. 23
Beware of calling good evil and evil good! - v. 24
Work...provide for your family! - v. 27
Take care of your home~even on the outside...others will know by looking what kind of person/family you are! - v. 30-31
Too much sleep brings poverty and want - v. 33-34

Contributions to a Happy, Organized Home ~ From Proverbs 23

Don't be greedy! - v. 1-2
Don't forget traditions, passed down from generation to generation... - v. 10
Read your Bible with an open heart - v. 12
Correct your children - v. 13-14
Fear the LORD all DAY - v. 17
Don't be a DRUNK! - v. 20
Don't be LAZY - v. 21
Listen to your parents ... - v. 22
Truth, wisdom, instruction, and understanding are very important in the home - v. 23
Keep away from the "strange woman"...she's lurking...on the tv...on the internet - v. 27, 28
AGAIN, don't be a DRUNK - vv. 29-35

Funny...From the Mouth of One of MY Babes!

Today...miracle of miracles...I made no-bake cookies. Yum, yum! (Good way NOT to shed the kilitos...argh). Anyway~this the not the funny! My 5 year-old, Aaron, came running down the hall to the kitchen to see what was up with the smell. He said, "Can I have one? can I have one?" Well, for those of you who have made these cookies, they take a little bit to "set up" and be edible. I said, "Well, they are not ... looking for the word..." He said, "You mean they're not TIGHT yet, Mom?" I had to laugh and share this with you. Too funny!

Contributions to a Happy, Organized Home ~ From Proverbs 21

Do RIGHT! - v. 3, 7, 21
Don't be Proud - v. 4, 24, 29
Be diligent, not in a big hurry! (I guess this implies that you have to plan ahead!) - v. 5
Don't be a BRAWLING woman - yikes! - v. 9
Be sweet - v. 10
Instruct, in order to raise wise children - v. 11, 29
Decide whom you DON'T want be like, consider, and be wise - v. 12
Share what you have as a family with others who don't have the blessings you do - v. 13, 26
Don't be a lover of pleasure...you shall surely come to want (either physical or spiritual) - v. 17
Don't be a CONTENTIOUS or ANGRY woman (don't nag...)- v. 19
Watch what you say...actually, keep your mouth shut most of the time...hmmm...blog? - v. 23
Don't be SLOTHFUL - yuck! - v. 25
Share with others in your family - v. 26
Don't speak constantly (oops...sounds like me!) - v. 27
Seek the LORD's wisdom for your home...there is NO WISDOM outside of Him! - v. 30
Be prepared...but put your TRUST in the LORD! - v. 31

Have a wonderful day!

Too True...

You Are a Little Messy

You aren't the cleanest person in the world, but you're definitely not a slob. You clean up when you have the time, but you're realistic about what you can get done. Generally, you're pretty organized and tidy - though you may have a few hidden messes. You eventually get around to making things spotless, but you do it on your own schedule!

Are You Messy?

Actually, my son Seth says that I'm a little messier than this! Sorry...he's right!

Me as a Frenchwoman!

Your French Name is:

Maryse Brassard

What's Your French Name?

More than Rita

You Are 16% NYC

At best, you're a tourist. At worst, you're a poseur.

How NYC Are You?

Your results:
You are C-3PO

C-3PO 72% Jar Jar Binks 63% Emperor Palpatine 60% Jabba the Hutt 60% Mace Windu 60% Darth Vader 58% Obi-Wan Kenobi 56% Darth Maul 54% Count Dooku 54% Qui-Gon Jinn 53%

You don't have a lot going for you, and you let everyone know it. You may have one or two close companions left, but if you keep complaining they may wander off.

(This list displays the top 10 results out of a possible 21 characters)


Click here to take the "Which Star Wars character am I?" quiz...

September 13

BIRTHDAY MEME


1. Go to Wikipedia and type in your birth date only -without the year.


2. List 3 events that occurred that day:
a)1503 - Michelangelo begins work on David.
b)1814 - Francis Scott Key writes The Star-Spangled Banner
c)Canada enters WWII.

3. List 2 important birthdays:

a)1948 - Nell Carter
b)1766 - Samuel Wilson, possible namesake of "Uncle Sam"

4. List 1 death:
a)Phillip II, King of Spain

5.List a holiday or observance:

a)Roman Festivals (Sept. 12-14)

Now, wasn't that interesting?

I'm terza rima, and I talk and smile. Where others lock their rhymes and thoughts away I let mine out, and chatter all the while. I'm rarely on my own - a wasted day Is any day that's spent without a friend, With nothing much to do or hear or say. I like to be with people, and depend On company for being entertained; Which seems a good solution, in the end. What Poetry Form Are You?

Whatever...

Your Celebrity Baby Name Is...

Caledonia Prima

What's Your Celebrity Baby Name?

Interesting Anyway...

I'm a Lamborghini Murcielago!

You're not subtle, but you don't want to be. Fast, loud, and dramatic, you want people to notice you, and then get out of the way. In a world full of sheep, you're a raging bull.

Take the Which Sports Car Are You? quiz.

I Miss Easter!

I was just commenting on someone's blog that Easter is so different in all the countries... This is the one holiday that I really miss the U.S.! Here there are no Easter bunnies, chocolate ones either (actually there are, but it's just not the same), neither do we color eggs. It is not customary to buy new Easter clothes or bonnets. Families do gather, to GO TO THE BEACH. But hey, that seems to be what Venezuelans do for all holidays! Here in Caracas, they talk about visiting "the seven temples." Basically, I think this means that during the "Holy Week", you are to visit the seven cathedrals here in Caracas. Always during Semana Santa, the Baptist men have a camp, so we ladies have "alone" weeks. I'm glad that they have their camp, I just think it would be nice to spend it with Matt sometime. Oh well...HAPPY EASTER!

Cafe!!!!

Mocha Frappuccino

Hyper and driven, you'll take your caffeine any way you can get it. Frappuccinos are good, but you'd probably chew coffee beans in a crunch!

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

Happy Birthday to You...

Today is my daughter Morgan's 13th birthday! Yes, 13 years ago today, she was born in Clinica Santa Ana in Lima, Peru. Matt and I were thrilled to have our little girl and so was big brother Ethan. So, as of today, I have 2 teenagers, 2 preschoolers, and a great 11 year-old right in the middle! Anyway, about Morgan...She is a social person, loves people. She also loves dogs, cats, hamsters, and I imagine anything "pet". She is a very nice person to have around...talks some, but not too much. She is a great artist, has a very nice voice, and she plays the guitar too. May God continue to bless my sweet girl, who is growing up way too fast for my liking!