Whoa . . .

I haven't written a post in FOREVER. I'm thinking of changing up my blog a lot. I want to make it more of a helpful blog site, so I may start posting our weekly menus and recipe links, in case anyone is interested in seeing what we eat and getting some new ideas for meals. I'm also thinking of posting some of the different things we do in our homeschool, for those who might be looking for some new and fresh ideas. I think it would also be fun to post my Pinterest tries (and failures) with my evaluations about what worked, what didn't, and if what I made or tried was worth my time.

I would also love to share my passion and experiences about getting healthier with anyone who is interested in going down that road. We've made a commitment to making our home and lives as natural as possible. Still have a ways to go, but we're on our way! Can't wait to tell about where that road has taken us thus far!

First I need to come up with a new blog name though. Any thoughts or suggestions? Hopefully I'll come up with something that fits ;) I've missed blogging! Ready to jump back in!!

Rose-Colored Glasses

Earlier this year I had to buy some new sunglasses. Seems a little boy enjoyed trying my previous pair on just a time too many ;) I ended up getting a red pair, which is very unusual for me, as I tend to go for much more conservative accessories. I guess I am getting more bold and adventurous in my old age! But anyway, I had never noticed that the lenses in my red sunglasses have a slight red tint to them also, until this fall. I have discovered that when I'm wearing them, the fall foliage is a million times more colorful and vibrant than when I'm not. Don't get me wrong, there are a ton of absolutely gorgeous trees out there that look stunning even to the naked eye. But when I put those red-rimmed babies on, everything just POPS! It's so fabulous that I don't even care if what I'm looking at is merely an illusion. Rex laughs at me because we'll be driving down the road and I'll start making over a cluster of trees and talking about how beautiful they are, and he'll just say, "Must be your sunglasses." Sure enough, I'll lift up my sunglasses, and the leaves on those trees really don't look all that special. For just a minute I'm disappointed, but then I sit back, slide my rose-colored glasses back onto my nose, and just enjoy the breathtaking view.

Such a City Girl

OK--this one I'm telling on myself. Since idiotic comments come naturally to me, and pretty often, most of you won't be a bit surprised by this little story. I actually meant to tell it sooner, but I got busy and forgot about it until last night.

When we were in Oklahoma for the 4th of July (our yearly tradition), we had a great time visiting with family. Rex's brother Keith and sister-in-law Robin own and operate a chicken farm AND a dairy, and they keep VERY busy, as you can imagine. Often, we don't get to spend that much time visiting with them (or at least not as much as we'd like) because they are always working. This time while we were there, they both came down one evening and stayed and visited for quite a while, which was so nice! They stayed up later than normal, which I know was a sacrifice for them since they get up before God does in the mornings to milk. But we were so glad for the time spent with them!

Now that I've set up the background, I'll get on with my story . . . So, Robin and I were sitting on the couch enjoying some girl talk, which is kind of rare. It was getting pretty late, and Robin mentioned that they needed to get home pretty soon, even though they were thoroughly enjoying the visit. I remarked that it was definitely past their bedtimes, and that morning was going to come way too early. She agreed and said that in addition to milking the next morning, they were going to have to dry off cows. Now this city girl doesn't know much about dairy farms or cows (although I know more than I did before I married into Rex's family), and I had no idea what drying off cows meant. I thought about it for a minute and then asked, "Is it supposed to rain tonight?" Robin laughed and laughed and then proceeded to explain that the process of drying off cows involves removing the expectant cows from the herd and giving them a rest from milking several weeks before they calve. Then, once the babies are born, the cows return to being milked every day. I'm sure she explained the reason behind it all, but I've slept since then and don't remember. But I had to totally laugh at my ignorance because I was picturing the two of them out there before dawn with big ol' towels DRYING OFF some very wet cows after a thunderstorm (because, of course, you don't want any of that nasty rainwater running off the cows and into the milk!)

No, I'm not even a little bit country. ALL city. And very thankful that God didn't call me to dry off cows, no matter what that entails. :)

I LOVE Christmas Music

I have always loved music. I think it was inborn. I had some great exposure to music from the time I was tiny, so I'm sure that impacted me in some way. I don't love ALL music, but I do loves a lot of it. Christmas music is some of my most favorite. Rex won't let me listen to it year round, (and admittedly, even I would probably get sick of it right about March or April), but as soon as Thanksgiving is over, buddy, I'm all about the yuletide tunes.

Naturally, some of what I enjoy are the songs (and particular renditions of songs) that I grew up with. There are many however, that I never knew as a kid that are some of the most necessary songs for me to hear at Christmastime now. It's like it wouldn't be Christmas without those songs.

I've actually chosen a favorite Christmas song. I'm sure that those of you who know me well are picking your jaws up off the floor about now because you know that I don't choose favorites, particularly favorite songs. I like so many different songs so well that I don't like to commit to just one favorite. But, when it comes to Christmas songs, I've decided that there is one that moves me like none other, so for now, it is my absolute favorite, with many other favorites coming in close behind. It's called "O Magnum Mysterium" and it's by Morten Lauridsen. The song is an a cappella choral piece that I sang with the SWBTS Oratorio Chorus about 10 years ago, and it is breathtakingly gorgeous. If I knew how to put music on here, I would upload it, but since I don't, you should just get on YouTube and listen to it. There are many choirs that sing it on there--maybe I'll even upload the one from my CD.

I think if I had to choose one Christmas album that is my favorite, I would pick Nat King Cole's The Christmas Song. Gotta have that one, even if I don't have any of the others. Interestingly enough, neither my favorite Christmas song nor my favorite album were ones I listened to growing up. There are still plenty of those though. Maybe next time I'll make a top 10 list of my faves. That would be fun. Until then, I'm signing off and going to bed since it's late . . . again.

Tra-DISH-Un

I have always been a little put out by the whole idea of tradition for tradition's sake. But some tradition, I think, can be really good. Holidays seem to always be a time replete with traditions, at least in many families. My family always had certain traditions at Christmastime when I was young, but as I grew up, many of those have sadly gone by the wayside. As a matter of fact, I'm not sure there are any that have stood the test of time. Busyness and hectic schedules seem to be the primary enemies of those old traditions. What's more, I'm not sure Rex and I have ever established any of our own traditions for Christmas since we've been married. Every year brings something different and it's hard to make traditions stick when your plans are constantly in flux. Now that we have a child, I want that to be different. I want to have some special traditions that we share. I'm not sure yet exactly what they all will be, or how they will play out, but I am determined that we will have them.

We bought Nathan the Fisher Price Nativity this year, and gave it to him this past weekend. I wanted him to have a Christmas toy that he could play with, especially since there are so many other Christmas decorations that he can't play with. I chose the nativity because I want to use it to tell the story of Christmas--of the baby Jesus who was born that blessed night and brought light and hope to the world. I want the history to come to life for my young son and the truth of it to grow and deepen in the coming years as he hears it told again and again. He'll have visual and tactile learning as he also hears the Scriptures being read from Luke 2. And one day when he's older, I want him to be able to use the nativity to tell the story. That's one of the traditions I plan to begin with our family.

On a lighter note, Rex and I have also decided that each year we will take Nathan to the store and let him pick out a Christmas ornament of his choice. This year I actually picked one out for him--it's a miniature Tigger-in-the-Box, and Tigger actually pops out when you turn the crank. It's adorable. But next year, we'll let Nathan choose his own ornament and hang it on the tree. This is a fun way to make Christmas memories to enjoy every year, and also build Nathan's own ornament collection.

My brother and his wife were unable to come for Christmas last year, but they are definitely coming this year. We are so excited. One of the things that my brother wanted to do when they come is to celebrate some of our old family traditions. We used to always have our family Christmas on Christmas Eve. First, we'd all dress up and go to the Christmas Eve service at our church, which was always beautiful. On the way home, we'd take the scenic route and look at Christmas lights. Once we got home, we'd take some pictures in front of the Christmas tree, eat snacky-type foods and then sit around the tree and open our gifts to each other. Afterward, we always drank Braum's egg nog. So this year, in remembrance of our old traditions, we are going to try and do all those things on Christmas Eve. I imagine it will be very nostalgic, even though it will also be very different.

I'm looking for new and creative ideas for meaningful Christmas traditions and would love to hear what kinds of special things that others do for the holidays. Please share!

May I Have This Dance?

I am not a dancer. Now, behind closed doors, I'll dance with my little boy (he totally LOVES that) and I've been known to slow dance and even two-step, though a bit awkwardly, in public with my husband. But beyond that, you won't catch me on the dance floor. I don't have two left feet--I have three.

I didn't go to dances when I was in school--not Howdy dances or Homecoming dances or Christmas dances or anything. In fact, I didn't even go to my prom. I'm sure some of you just gasped in horror, but I honestly don't feel as though I missed a thing. I never had a date, and since I couldn't cut a rug with anything but scissors, I saw no point in paying good money to go to a dance by myself just to stand around and hold up the wall. No point at all.

I went to Oklahoma Baptist University during my college years, and being a Baptist college, they didn't have dances on campus--heaven forbid--because (didn't you know?) there is actually an 11th commandment and it is "Thou shalt not dance." They also didn't have what most colleges call sororities and fraternities either. They had what they called "service groups." Don't let the euphemism fool you though. They were very much still sororities and fraternities. Now, OBU would allow these service groups to sponsor dances off-campus, but they still couldn't call them "dances" because if they did, some of the trustees might stroke out and die. So, they called them "functions" which was actually short for "foot functions." Many of these functions were very casual get-togethers, open to all students, and not some formal affair (although they had those, too).

In keeping with my previous record, I arrived at my senior year of college having never attended even one of those functions. That is, until I saw a sign advertising that the Lambdas were hosting a function at the roller rink there in town. Now I had not been rollerskating in ages, and had many fond memories of doing so as a kid, and I thought that it might be very fun to go, and to get my roommates to go with me. I went back to my apartment and talked it up to my three roomies, and they got excited about it too. We all made plans to go together, and started really looking forward to having something to do on the weekend.

So, the big night came and we got ready to go. My roommate Tammy even had her own rollerskates and she brought them along so she wouldn't have to rent a pair at the rink. We pulled into the parking lot and got out, Tammy with her skates in tow. As we approached the door, the guy who was taking money for the event took one look at Tammy with her skates and said incredulously, "What are those?" Tammy said, "I brought my own skates." Then he said with a smirk, "You're not going to be needing those in there." At that moment, it dawned on the rest of us that there was not going to be any skating at that function. Only fuctioning. They just happened to be using the roller rink as a dance floor. How could we have been so stupid? Unfortunately, it didn't dawn on Tammy quite that quickly and she began arguing with the guy about why she couldn't use her own skates. Even though we really wanted to pretend that we didn't know her, we quickly ushered Tammy away and back to the car to put up her skates, explaining the situation to her as we went. At that point, we all felt really idiotic, but we decided to go on in and stay for awhile anyway, even though we were embarrassed about the misunderstanding, and disappointed about the skating. It actually ended up not being so bad. I tried to learn the Electric Slide and some other crazy line dance, but it was useless. Mostly I sat and watched everyone else. At least I had company.

So, at least I can say that I went to a function before my college days were over. Of course, I made an idiot of myself before I even set foot on the dance floor. Ain't that a trip?

Whooping It Up

Here's a little story my brother Paul told me. It makes me laugh every time I think about it.

It was finals week at the end of one of Paul's college semesters at Baylor. He and his friends had finished their finals early, and were enjoying a relaxing time throwing a football around in the courtyard of one guy's apartment complex, killing time before they headed home for the break. Sometime, amidst all the fun, Paul's friend Jason got the hiccups.

Now, Jason didn't have what you might call ordinary-sounding hiccups. Everytime he hiccupped, it sounded like a high-pitched "WHOOP!" It was completely unnatural- and hilarious-sounding. Of course, the guys couldn't resist the opportunity to mock, and so began this bizarre exchange of lyrical soprano "whoops" that reverberated across the courtyard, along with a great deal of laughter.

At some point, a couple of girls came out of an upstairs apartment and called down to the guys. They were still studying for their finals, and asked the boys if they could keep it down a bit as the noise was disturbing them. My brother and his friends apologized profusely and promised to be quieter. Then one of the girls said, "It really wouldn't be that big of a deal if it weren't for all the whooping." Again, the boys apologized, the girls went back inside, and the courtyard erupted in hilarious (but subued, so as not to disturb) laughter.