Wordless Wednesday - Parade of Lights

Easy Come Pie. Easy Go Pie.

Our Christmas shopping began today. The kids drew names and I took them out one by one to shop. We were having a really good time during the second outing when I remembered that I had signed up to bring triple berry pie to our Sunday School Christmas party this evening.

I called home and asked my wonderful husband to make the pie for me. He's quite handy in the kitchen as a helper when I make pies, so I knew he could do it. I told him the specifics over the phone, a bit of this, a pat of that, and sprinkle of the other. He didn't bat an eyelash but went straight to work.

I got home from the third trip out with just enough time to change, pick a white elephant gift, look up the directions online and run out the door. The house smelled delicious! And, trusted that all was well from that and the fact that my husband was proud of himself, but I never saw the pie. That is, not until he was putting it into the car.

I stopped.

Oh NO! What did you bake the pie in???

On closer inspection my worst fears (for the pie) were realized. Many years ago, when my big kids were little, I attended a "MOPS" group. One of our crafts had been to decorate a terra cotta plate with craft paint and "modge podge" over the whole thing to protect it from scratches. It was strictly decorative. And, being as I don't have a place to display decorative plates I stored it with my pie plates, that's where it fit. It was this plate in which my poor, unknowing husband chose to bake his lovely pie.


My neighbor and I discussed it and decided the pie was a complete loss, much to everyone's dismay. My husband was especially disappointed because he was anxious to show off his work (it really was a beautiful pie!) and gain brownie points with the ladies and bragging rights among the men. But at the risk of poisoning everyone, there was nothing we could do but go to the grocery store and buy an inferior substitute.

It's not very easy to throw an entire pie down the disposal. And, most especially not one that you dearest husband made all by himself.

Tonight I have to get to bed, but I'll edit tomorrow night to add the pictures I took of the beautiful Triple Berry Pie a la Disposal. :(

Friday Fives.

Five things I am thankful for:
1. That my husband has a job in this crazy economy.

2. That my children are healthy and happy and innocent, and that I do not have to make life and death decisions concerning them on a regular basis.

3. Friends that I can count on in any situation.

4. The healing of past hurts through God's design.

5. That God forgives and forgives and forgives.

Five things I am in prayer for:
1. My niece who does face life and death decisions for her son on a regular basis.

2. Three marriages of my friends that need healing.

3. My friend who was diagnosed with Minear's disease. (I don't even know what that is!)

4. For my friends (x6) that are struggling with infertility, early miscarriage, or the total and permanent loss of their fertility.

5. Identical twin girls in Cambodia that I love.

Cute Compassion.

Shopping at Sam's yesterday Bug(3) ran his hand along the little ipod cardboards (you know, the ones they have out instead of putting the actual product on the shelf?) and the result was a paper cut. OUCH! It produced enough blood to make a red line at the site of the cut, but Bug would not be consoled until he got a band-aid. Thankfully he did not insist that it had to be a Curious George band-aid.

We waited in line for several minutes at the customer service desk and he cried the whole time, facing away from Buzz(17mo). At one point I noticed Buzz. He was looking at his big brother trying see what the trouble was. I showed him Bug's owie. He got it. He started patting Bug on the back and trying to hug him. He also wanted to kiss it, but Bug would have nothing to do with that! But still, Buzz tried to make his big brother feel better and ease his pain. He even rubbed Bug's head. SO adorable!

I revelled in that precious moment, knowing that at any instant hugging and loving can turn to biting and screaming!

Wordless Wednesday - Winter.

Another Awesome Cause.

Mck Mama is having an awesome raffle/contest. This one has a humdinger of a prize (A Canon Rebel SLR camera, with zoom lens, designer bag, and designer strap) And it's all to benefit "String of Pearls" , along with 2 other charities.

You can click the button below to go see what it's all about, and I'll be adding the button to my sidebar.


Those of you who know me know how directly and personally this effects me. I showed the contest to my niece today and she was VERY touched by the thought of people donating to String of Pearls. She brought over her SOP Keepsake box today to show me what they had given her. I was impressed and touched by the things in that box. Things that my niece will cherish forever, and things that will help her through the first days, weeks and months. You can bet that I'll be donating, but I want you to know, that if I win that camera I will be giving it to my niece, because it would arrive just in time for her to learn to take pictures of Baby Mason. You can read more about my niece here and here.

Remembering Baby Brook-a-lee.

Who would have thought that a tiny baby I never met, born to a friend I've also never met could have such a profound impact on my life that I would be moved, inspired, propelled, and motivated to give a pint of my own blood to whomever needed it.


To understand how truly miraculous this is, you must first understand that I don't "do" blood. Once upon a time I thought it was a fear of needles that kept me out of the donor's chair. But in my many, many years of infertility I have gotten over that fear. It's the blood. I was the person that had to exit health class the day we were talking about the circulatory system. It was leave or pass out. I can't stand the thought of blood. I can't watch movies with blood. I can't talk about blood. And seeing blood, my blood, escaping my body, this is enough to put me over the edge. (I'm getting queasy just typing this!)

But then there's Brooklyn. Brooklyn was a twin IVF baby, born to an IVF mom that supported me through my IVF, miscarriages and even my surprise miracle baby. Brooklyn's mom cheered for me, and I cheered for her. We were brought together by the internet through circumstances that, frankly, I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy. Though we've never met in person, we're friends, we're family, we're sisters.

When baby Brooklyn and her sister Aubrey were born at 29 weeks, I was stunned. I prayed. Brooklyn, we knew, had a heart defect that would require surgery, but it would have been much better for her to be born later. We prayed for Brooklyn to be stable enough to receive the needed surgery and for weeks we prayed for her recovery after the surgery. She struggled and she fought hard all the obstacles that were in her way, but it wasn't enough. I don't know how a mom survives that kind of loss. It strikes a chord in me so deep that I ache for my friend. So, here, one year later if there's one thing I can do for my friend, one thing to give her precious daughter's life meaning and purpose, one thing that will help bring healing to her forever-aching heart, one thing that could selflessly change another life and even give life, then for Brooklyn, I will do it. For Brooklyn, I DID IT!