If I Had A Blog …

Now that my youngest is almost five I don’t use a stroller anymore. When my babies were little I LOVED strollers. I would walk around the mall looking at strollers like a 16 year old in a car lot. During our strolling years we had the convertible stroller the car seat docks into, a couple of umbrella strollers, a double stroller with the car seat dock. a double jog stroller, a single jog stroller, a light weight compact stroller for the Disney trip, and a bike trailer (that converts to a stroller). If you add all those together I still don’t think it touches the price of this high-end celebrity style stroller. The picture above is the Stokke Xplory with the forest accessory packeage. Here is where you can check it out if you have a baby on the way and an extra $1200 laying around:) Glad I’ve kicked my stroller habit.

I am taking off this morning for sunny South Carolina with about 20 amazing Cornerstoners to take in the contagious passion of NewSpring Church at Unleash. All that said, watch this video that was put together by some Saddleback guys to see why I really go to conferences . . . yep the hotel![youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJ0gb-ve18s]

I am having a little bit of trouble getting used to the time change. The kids had trouble settling in last night and getting up this morning. I love that it is light until 7:30 but waking up in the dark is a little hard to get used to. On top of that I haven’t slept well without Mike by my side – so I’m feeling a little dead in the mornings. As you can see from the picture so are my boys. Emma was a little easier to rouse around this morning but Luke and Drew were dead heads. As you can see Luke had a serious bed-head induced mohawk.

Since the snow is probably going to be gone today I thought it was time to post some pictures from Sunday. It was the perfect day for playing- the snow was still falling, it wasn’t terribly cold yet and the kids were super excited.

When I was a little girl my Mama and Granny used to always help my sister and me make snow cream. It brings back good memories of my Granny when I smell the vanilla and sugar. I can even remember the big orange plastic bowl we used when we made snow cream at her house.

Here are pictures of my kids making snow cream and a quick how to if you have never made it.
(PS – if you think it is gross to eat snow you are missing it – live a little – just get the snow from the middle and don’t eat the yellow kind

First – it has to snow – there is no way to substitute for real snow so you just have to pray for snow – and you probably should pray for several inches so your not eating muddy snow

Second – get a big bowl of snow
(as said above – from the middle – avoiding yellow snow)

The ingredients- pure and simple – milk, sugar and vanilla extract

Find some cute kids to stir it all up – I don’t know how much of each but here is a guess – start with 3/4 cup of milk, 2 capfuls of vanilla and 1/2 cup sugar – add more milk if it needs to be thinner – more sugar if it needs to be sweeter – all depends on how much snow you have

When it’s done it will be like “melty” ice cream

ENJOY!!

This is soooo good. I just ate a warm piece from the oven. Great on a cold snowed-in day.

4 cups of all purpose flour (I used 3 cups regular and 1 cup whole wheat)
3 cups of sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
Dump all the above in a large bowl

In another smaller bowl
4 eggs
1 1/2 cups of oil
1 tsp of vanilla flavoring
1 1/2 tsps of coconut flavoring (probably not something you have already – I had to buy for this recipe – but get some – worth it – it really has a great flavor)

Mix wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until just moist – it will be thick and stiff – it’s OK

Now fold in
3 cups of shredded zucchini
1 cup of drained crushed pineapple
1/2 cup nuts (walnuts or pecans) – I left them out because Drew doesn’t like them

Line the bottom of 3 pans with wax paper and spray bottom and sides with cooking spray. Evenly spoon batter into the pans and bake at 350 for about 35-45 minutes – don’t overcook
Let cool in pans for 10 minutes and then remove from pans, gentely peel away wax paper and let cool completely on wire rack.

Enjoy – be nice and give one loaf away. You’ll make someone’s day.

I really enjoyed the second read of the Hoochee Book Club. This wasn’t a suspense filled book that begged me to pick it up every time I walked past. It was more like a cup of coffee by the fire with an old friend. An honest friend. The writing style was so genuine and authentic I felt like I was with family. Reuben was a wonderful character to tell the story. From his miraculous entry into this world and his special insight into his father’s “miracles” I felt instantly connected to him. I loved the Biblical references to scripture and stories from the Bible. This was a great story about faith and family. Although there was tragedy in the end, there was also peace. I guess that’s why Peace like a River is a great title for this book. No matter what circumstances come our way, there can always be peace when you believe in something bigger than yourself. This book wasn’t written to be a “christian” book to be sold in “christian” bookstores but I came away with an awe of God and a sense that miracles happen – as Reuben would say “make of it what you will.”

That’s what my kids say when it’s snowing and starting to accumulate. It’s not snow that’s piling up at my house it’s LAUNDRY!! Any of you that know me know that I hate laundry and most of you that have multiple children can relate. Since I have been feeling “yucky” with a rotten cold “it’s piling up”. This is a picture that I took a few months back wen I opened my dryer door and saw these little beady eyes staring back at me. They are Mr. Potato Head eyes that somehow made it into my wash. That’s how I feel today – the laundry is staring at me saying “HA, HA – you’ll never catch up now” OK – maybe that’s a little dramatic but it can be a daunting task. How do you handle laundry and keep it under control?

Mike and Scattered (our youth/Saturday night band at Cornerstone) lead a youth service at a church in Weber City VA/TN.  We took the kids with us and made a little side trip to Sevierville and spent a night at  Wilderness at the Smokies.  I have to admit I am not a huge fan of Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg.  There is some great shopping there and hiking trails if you get out of the hustle and bustle but mostly I think it is overcrowded and tacky.   We got there late on Sunday night – to a very clean, new comfy room and spent all day yesterday at the indoor water park.  We had a blast.  There were probably only 50 other people there so no waiting in line and once Emma had the wave pool all to herself.  I am sure this summer when they open the outdoor water park and the masses descend on the Smokies there will be long lines and crowded pools – not to mention the room rates double.  It was a great little mini vacation for us to spend as a family and a little bit of summer on a cold winter day.  Great Wolf Lodge is opening an indoor water park hotel in Charlotte near Concord Mills and the Lowes Motor speedway.  Indoor water park fun a little closer to home.  It will be open in mid April.

Yesterday my friend Boni and my mom and I headed down to Charlotte to the opening day of IKEA.  It was a little crazy with rain and thousands of people – but worth it.  Since we weren’t among the insane that camped for days and stood in the rain for hours we didn’t get in on the free chair or even the 2500 gold envelopes with gift cards.  An employee told us that the first 2500 people came through the doors by 10am – the store opened it’s doors at 9am.  The ice up our way  slowed us down a little so we didn’t get there until about 11:30 and I am a little ashamed to admit that we didn’t load up the van until about 6:30.  We took our time and enjoyed sitting on couches, laying on beds, eating chocolate cake in the cafe, and oohing and ahhing over the kitchens and kids rooms.  We were definitely wiped out and had to stop for a little nourishment at PF Changs to get us back to Galax.  Check out this picture gallery from the Charlotte Observer.