The Encourager

Yesterday as I dusted and vacuumed the house, Carter followed me around saying, "Good job, Mommy!"  Is it too early to think he may have the gift of encouragement? :)

Carter & Rosa Grace

Carter had his buddy Rosa Grace over for a playdate today.  They played so well together, and Angeline (Rosa's mommy) and I had a great time catching up and laughing at all the funny things they do and say! Here are a few pics for you to enjoy including Carter waiting at the window watching for their car and the "good-bye kiss." Too sweet!

For Nana and Papa

This one is for my in-laws, but all are welcome to read...I know it must be difficult not to be closer to Carter, so these are a few funny things he has said/done lately.  I hope it'll bring a smile to your face!

• Even still, though we've read it a zillion times, when asked "What did Noah build?," Carter turns with a grin and answers "Sandcastles!"  :)  Hey, after all that time on the boat, who wouldn't want to play in the sand?
• His latest saying, "Hello, Detroit!" while in his rock star stance with his hand in the air and guitar slung over his shoulder playing Guitar Hero 3 with Daddy.  At the end of the song, in the same pose, he says "Thank you, good night!"
• Perhaps the first part came from a story at school, but when he sees a picture of an alligator, he says "See that alligator, sneaky alligator, snap that monkey right outta his tree.  Momma called the doctor and the doctor said, 'No more monkeys jumping on his bed.'" (Obviously two stories blending together!)
• He's a streaker!  Scott got some funny video of Carter getting ready for bath time as he ran around saying, "Naked booty!"
• Carter has learned to say his own prayers at night.  A couple of nights ago his prayer was "Thank you for mommy and daddy.  Thank you for balloons.  Thank you for Elmo.  Thank you for sleeps.  Amen."  (Amen to the sleeps!)

I know there are so many other things I could include, but these were the first few that came to my mind.  Love you! ~Sarah

Lemon Meringue Pie

Have you ever watched your grandmother cook?  What a generation of women.  

My own grandmother, Nanny, lost her mother at the age of 12, (right, Dad?), and though she wasn't the oldest she had to drop out of school and became responsible for the motherly duties for her many brothers and sisters.  Instead of running down to the local Viking Store or picking up the latest fad for cookbooks, she learned to cook by trial.  And boy, can she cook?!?!?  Not only that, but she remembers everyone's favorite dishes and, despite our trying to convince her otherwise, she usually has each of them prepared upon our arrival.  For dad, it's her pot roast for supper and "Nanny Biscuits" with country ham for breakfast.  For my mom & sister, it's her pimento cheese.  For me,  fruit salad and ranch dip w/ veggies.  For ALL of us, it's her unbelievable iced sugar cookies, chocolate cupcakes, "Nanny Bread" and 2 definite crowd-pleasers, fried chicken and spaghetti (which I don't know I'll ever be able to replicate).  Are you getting hungry yet?

I need and want to spend some time in the kitchen with my grandmother while she still feels up to the task.  What an invaluable cooking lesson (not to mention life lesson) awaits in her kitchen!

Fortunately, I had the great pleasure of cooking beside Scott's grandmother several years ago to try to learn her secret to the perfect lemon meringue pie.  You don't know pie until you've had a taste of one of hers.  Literally, it's what she's known for.

As I watched in awe (and as she pushed my hands into the dough), I tried to make a mental note of every step of the way.  I even sat down and wrote how many fingers she used to measure each "fingerfull" of this or "pinches" that.  While my pies will surely never compare to hers, I am proud to report that I made my own lemon meringue pie this week!  The first in years!

The funny thing is that I felt such a sense of accomplishment just from making this one pie; whereas, Scott's grandmother used to make these in her sleep! 

While Grandma Harris's legacy will always be her pies, Nanny's will be her Nanny Biscuits (which my family has literally video-taped her making in an effort to replicate!), Grandma Lenhart's will be her yummy noodles...I sometimes wonder what mine will be...From all of these women I have seen examples of great strength, perseverance in the face of trial, and love for family  and have learned so much more than how to feed a crowd!  I pray I will do the same for future generations...

Love to all, Sarah

The Junk Room

A Junk Room...Do you have one?  Sure you do!  You may not want to admit it to the world, but we've all got those places in our homes that would surely cause us to cringe if our mothers discovered the mounds of chaos and disarray.  My poor mother and mother in law have probably both been appalled upon opening the "organized chaos" I call our guest closet or the storage space that had become a "catch all."  My mother really did train me better! :)

At any rate, it's there.  Yours may not be a large room, rather it could be a closet or corner of the garage.  It's that place where things land that we're either not quite sure what to do with OR that we for some reason aren't ready to let go of.  

As I prepared myself to head into our junk room and begin cleaning it out, it hit me that there is such a strong spiritual parallel here.  While we hate to admit to one another, we all have "junk rooms"...this is the place in our hearts where sin abides or where we fall into sin by clinging to things/situations where we should really let God take control.  Reflecting on my personal "junk room," I realize that there's nothing to be ashamed of in the fact that it exists.  Rather, I should find comfort in the community of believers and in the presence of God to say...SWING OPEN THE DOOR, peer in and gawk at what a mess it is, but know that I am a work in progress.  I go daily to God asking for his help in cleaning out my "junk room" and I thank him for the things he's helped me "throw away."

What does your junk room look like?  Have you taken time to examine it lately?  God's Word tells us this is good, healthy in fact, and necessary in growing in our relationship with him.

2 Corinthians 13:5a "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith..."

Happy Cleaning! :)

Carter's Prayer

I know I've already posted once today, but I couldn't let this precious moment as a mommy go by without sharing it!

Last night (and again tonight), Carter said his own bedtime prayers!  For quite some time we've recited a "Thank you prayer" together at bedtime...but this was his own, independent thoughts--without my prompting.

His first prayer...just as he said it...

Thank you God for daddy.

Thank you God for mommy.

Thank you God for Ally, Adaline.

Thank you God for Mimi and Don-Don.

Thank you for Adaline shoot it (I'm certain this refers to his cousin's basketball game we went to!)

Thank you for your this special day. 

Amen.

Tonight's prayer... (while much more simple, precious just the same!)

Thank you for daddy and mommy.

Thank you for this special day.

Amen.

There's a lesson here for me.  I too often come to God with my list of needs/desires that far surpasses the time I spend giving thanks.  While there are many things I need to lay at His feet, may I never forget to first give Him praise!

My Wild Hair

No, I'm not speaking literally...

I've gotten a bit of a "wild hair" in me as they say.  (Whoever "they" is!)

I can't believe I'm about to say this (and for those of you who know me you may not even believe it), but I have decided to participate in the Country Music Half Marathon...key words--participate (that means mostly walk, not run) and half (13 miles instead of 26--I'm not THAT crazy!). 

If any of you choose to wake up early on the morning of April 26th and wish to come cheer me (along with several supportive coworkers) on to the finish line, I'd love to see your smiling faces! :)  The only thing I ask is that you don't laugh at me crawling across the finish line!

If any of you want to attend the free concert that night with me...you can sign up too!  Otherwise, you'll have to settle for the bands along the marathon path.  

I begin my training on Thursday, but I will be changing some eating/drinking habits (as in more water, less coke!) as well.  I'm sure that these next few months will bring some good material for me to include here as I embark on this journey.  

Well--that's it for now.  I have to go find my walking shoes!

~Sarah

Happy New Year!

Greetings all!

One of my new year's resolutions is to post at least once a week (though I'm really hoping to do more!).  That said, here's my first post of the new year--some pictures from our Christmas that I hope will make you smile!

Love,

Sarah :)