Two Peas in a Pod

I have had the privilege of having a little company lately ...

These two peas in a pod are together quite often. In the bright pink jacket (and purple sweater) is Gracelyn, my niece. She's almost two and has the spunk that typically goes along with that number! Or does that come from her mom? Hmm. Maybe her auntie. Well, anyway. Not only does she have spunk, but she also knows the sounds that every animal I can conceivably think of makes.

You say, "Gracie, how do dogs go?" and she will quickly follow with a "Woof! Woof!" etc.

Now Jocelyn, the blondie in the light pink jacket, is Gracie's friend that her mom babysits. She's also two ... and she also has spunk! I'm not sure if she knows her animal sounds or not, but as I was quizzing Gracelyn about how pigs, cows, and ducks go, one of Gracelyn's sisters said, "Ask Gracie how Daddy's go."

So I did.

"Gracie, how does Daddy go?"

Blank stare.

"How does Daddy go?"

Two blank stares.

Then Jocelyn threw her hands palm up and said in a voice that made me feel like I needed to go back to Kindergarten, "Daddy go work!"

Silly me. Of course Daddy goes to work!

We won't reveal what Gracie normally says when you ask her how Daddy goes, because, well ... that's a family secret. But at least one record has been set straight ....

Daddy. Go. Work! 

And now that we all have that down pat ... here are a few pics of the two peas.



Gracie wasn't sure how she felt about the snow sprinkles.

After we came in to warm up ...

Eenie Meenie Minie Moe. Which one is the sassy one?

My, what big teeeth you have!

My, what big eyes you have!

Play ball!!

The end.

my first guest post

I'm so excited to be guest posting for Duane Scott today over at Scribing the Journey!! This is my first guest post everrrrrr, and I had a lot of fun putting it all together.

Hop on over and see for yourself - especially if you're hungry and cold!

pleasantly disturbed - r.i.p. little bunny, hello marcel the shell

I think Thursdays are a great day to celebrate being pleasantly disturbed. Come Thursday, I've usually had enough, so I had better start laughing to avoid crying. And who better to share that with than you - my lil' bloggy friends!?
Speaking of bloggy friends ... A new found bloggy friend give me an award for this here blog (pardon the prairie talk), and I still haven't gotten around to accepting it! Does that make me a horrible friend?

Speaking of friend ... I've been praying for a friend. A close friend. Other than my husband, of course. It's been quite some time since I've had one. This is due to several reasons (none of which have anything to do with being disturbed - I'm just sure of it!). So when I ran across this video, I knew my prayer was answered!! Marcel the shell would make a great friend, yes? I'm going to ask her if she'll be mine.




I just love her lil' doggy. And she's very lovable and not afraid to really give of herself. I mean, who else do you know who is willing to care for a lint pup? We're talkin' serious sacrifice here.

She's also hospitable enough to have friends over for a salad. Gotta love hospitality.

And self-esteem!! Lemme tell ya'. That girl's got some confidence, in spite of her .... uhh ... appearance.

Yes ... I think she'll make a perfect friend. Thank you, Lord, for answered prayers.

Speaking of perfection ... Excuse me while I drill myself:

Perfection is not the goal in homeschooling.

Perfection is not the goal in homeschooling.

Perfection is NOT the goal in homeschooling.

Perfection ... is not ... the goal ... in ... homeschooling.

Speaking of homeschooling ... A school day officially ends when you discover the pet bunny has died.

At that point ... it's funeral time.

R.I.P, little Fizzles.

This post has been part of Duane Scott's Pleasantly Disturbed carnival. It takes place every Thursday. Hop on over there and link up, or read more PDT posts!

Or both!!

off to boot camp

In case you're wondering why Jessie was feeling akin to Eeyore this last Monday .....

It's because Peter (on the left) was sworn in .....

To the Marine Corps ....

While we watched ....

.....ever so proudly. And while we're sad that we will not see him for four months (boot camp plus school), we are proud and thankful that he has chosen to serve his country. I, personally, am thankful for his newfound friend, Drew, whom he met the morning he shipped off. Within minutes of meeting Drew, I could tell that he was an exceptionally good kid. He'll be a good friend to Peter and vice versa. I don't know about Peter ... but that makes me feel better about sending him away. I thought it was kind of ironic how they looked like brothers, dressed the same, and had so much in common.

Is God good, or what?

We love you, Peter. I am praying for you and Drew both, that God would strengthen you physically, mentally, and spiritually. And that you would rely on Him to do just that ... and not on yourselves.

Please hurry home. There's someone here I'm taking care of for you while you're gone, but something tells me I'm a poor substitute.

These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things (Revised)

I wrote this to be sung to the tune of These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things. I think it'll give you a glimpse of what's been going on around these Prairie hills. ;)

Ahem! *clears throat*

Nose rings in noses, and more rings in navels,
Lil' barking doggies, and making you hoagies,
Baseball and sunshine, coming up this spring,
These are a few of my "favorite" things.

Math, Science, English, and Spelling and Vocab,
More Math, more Reading, more History, more Cursive,
I homeschool you, and I make all the rules.
How 'bout a snack and a nice little snooze?

Bridesmaid's and groomsmen, and flower girls, and candles,
Cakes vs. cupcakes, invitations where are you!?
You're getting married, he's yours and you're his,
You sure you can say without doubt that you do?

When the math's wrong, when decisions haunt,
When I'm feeling gaunt,
I simply remember it's not all 'bout me,
And then I don't feel so bad!

Changed hearts, new focus, with Christ at the center,
Friendships, and courtships, and challenging relationships,
All work together for our own good,
Yes these are a few of my favorite things!

Editing, and power points, and emails, and travel plans,
Vacuums, and dishsoap, and working with my hands,
Monday thru Friday, and sometimes weekends,
These fill my schedule, boy ain't it so grand?

Dinner with loved ones, and dinner with good friends,
Dinner 'round the table, devotions, then prayer time,
All make this poem indeed oh so grand,
Yes, these make my journey much sweeter than pie.

When life seems void, challenging with fright,
When I'm feeling sad,
I simply remember it's all about Christ,
And then I don't feel so bad!

Everything mentioned in this poem/song has been part of my life this week, in one way or another.

Except the pie.

~Brenda

Halloweenies

I don't normally do anything for Halloween. But this year, our church was having a Trunk or Treat.

Ever hear of such a thing?

Me either, until now.

In a nutshell, church members dressed up and decorated the trunks of their cars with a fun theme/game. We passed out flyers the week before, letting the neighborhood around us know of the activity. Kids came with their parents, dressed up of course, and "Trunk or Treated." If they did well in whatever game was being played, they got even more candy.

Cute idea, huh?

Anyway, we had a good turnout, and were able to gain some exposure, and meet new people.

I hadn't dressed up for Halloween since I was about seven years old!! It felt a little weird at first, and I felt like a bit of a weenie.

A Halloweenie.

But then I just let the kid in me take over (it wasn't much of a struggle). And I had a blast!!!

Someday, my grandkids are going to look at these and wonder if Grandma lost her mind long ago. But like I said ... it was a blast, so who cares! :)

Any guesses as to who I was before we start?



Any guesses at all??




Yep!! Minnie Mouse!!! So hang on to yer Prairie Bonnets ... we're goin' to Disneyland!!!!










Any guesses as to WHO Ashlee was?



Why yes!! She WAS a WHO!!



Me and my Pastor's wife, the running back!!




A friend from church in a cat and mouse chase!




And a few more random pics ...





I couldn't resist showing you this pic of a family in our church. They're totally incredible!!!! :)




I guess this is the "Who has bigger eyeballs" contest...




This is not a two headed figure. This is Ashlee the WHO, and Jessie the police officer! Now THAT is scary!!




Unfortunately, the night didn't end well for the WHO ...





... or the Police Officer. And Minnie is apparently a law enforcing citizen.

Not to be messed with!

Just so ya' know ...




And that, my Lovely Lurkers, is the end of all the Halloweenies!!

~Brenda, aka Minnie

Picture Post!

Anybody up for some pictures?

I hope so!

I thought I'd simply post a few from our busy weekend. Daniel came to see us. Ok, he mainly came to see Ashlee. But he did a good job of making us feel like he came to see us all. Ha!

So...the pics:


This is Andrew and I at the airport, right after we said goodbye to Daniel. I guess he's protecting me from terrorists ...

Or something.


We took a few snapshots before church. Jessie was running late so she didn't get in on them. Daniel does not help me feel tall, that's for sure!





At the airport again. I think they got a little bored waiting for boarding time.

Ashlee, Daniel .... and the Chick-fil-A cow. ;)

Lookin' good, lookin' fine....

The tall ones.

Daniel was able to meet a lot of the extended family, and we were able to talk face to face, and get to know him better. I mean, yes, we've known him since he was about seven. But there was an eight year gap where we moved away and lost touch. So while I feel like he's an old friend, there's still lots of getting to know each other that needs to be done. As you can imagine, that's difficult when he's a couple thousand miles away.

Shaun preached that morning, as our Pastor was away. He is at seminary as I speak, and we'll be glad when it's all over and we'll be able to simply minister. I'm not sure "simply minister" would ever be an accurate phrase. I know it's not simple. It's hard work, stressful, rewarding, challenging, etc. But it's God's work, and that is what we are called to. So in that sense, I am looking forward to it.

'Nuff said.

As for this week, we're doing everything from hunting, to cooking up a storm for the hunters, to dressing up for the church Trunk or Treat activity.

So ya'll come back soon for what is bound to be some seriously ridiculous pictures!!!

~Brenda

Sew Much Fun!!

I don't know if there is such a thing as a soul mate.

But if there is, mine came over yesterday.

Her name is Beth. We were born in the same month. We value the same things. We share a love of sewing and quilting, and she taught me everything I know about the latter. Certain acts of love and friendship move us both. We have the same Lord. And heck, she laughs at my jokes - which is essential to being my friend.

Ok, so there's a few things that are different about us. Little things, you know. Like the fact that she is single, and I am so not single. And she's a nurse/missionary. Put 'em together, and you have one brave, dedicated little lady!

I may be dedicated. But I am not brave. Beth is brave.

I admire her greatly for her dedication to the Lord's call, her willingness to answer that call, and most of all, her walk with the Lord. When she comes over to sew, or we meet for coffee, I always walk away richer than I was before.

So without further ado, meet Beth:




Isn't she cute?

I think so too.

Unfortunately, I only took one picture of Beth, and failed to get a picture of us together. But I plan to do that before she heads out on the mission field. So the rest of these are pictures of me that you'll have to buck up and look through. And please don't make fun of my hairy arms. Thank you.






Beth and I actually found something we didn't agree on last night.

We were discussing birth stones, and she mentioned she always felt jipped (is that a word?) by the birthstone of our birth month.

I said, "Yeah, isn't it that pale purple stone? I don't know what they call it."

"No," she said. "It's a pearl."

Blank stare.

"It is?"

She nodded her head.

"My birthstone is a pearl?? Why didn't anyone ever tell me?"

She laughed. "I don't know. But I don't like pearls."

Really looooong blank stare.

"You what?!"

"I don't like pearls."

"You're kidding me. Tell me you're kidding me."

She looked down at her fabric.

"I'm not kidding."

She looked back up at me.

"Are we still friends?"

I said, "Gee. I don't know."

Then we of course broke out into hysterical laughter, picked up our needles, and spent the rest of the night trying to find other things we didn't know about each other.

And that, my friends, was sew much fun!!!

~Brenda