My Peacefully Chaotic Life

Just a few of the things that bring joy to my life and simply make me feel happy. No particular order! :) Oh, and if you are wondering about the strange title just look at number one. 1. My husband making me laugh. ( The title is what he mumbled in his sleep as I woke him up this morning. Needless to say, it is our new catch phrase!) 2. My oversized coffee cup. 3. Cappucino in the morning in my oversized coffee cup. 4. The smell of my newborn baby's sweet breath. 5. Hearing my oldest son playing guitar. 6. The feel of my husband's arms around me. 7. The sound and smell of rain. 8. Walking through the leaves. (Preferably holding my husband's hand!) 9. Hearing the FlowerChild sing her made up songs. 10. Hearing little Ladybug sing her Christmas carols all year long. That's not it, remember it's just a few of the things that bring me joy! Just enough to get you to think about your own little pieces of happiness. Look for them in your life! I...

Sweet Potato Dumplins 2 cans refridgerated crescent rolls 1 large can sweet potatoes 1 cup water 3/4 cup sugar 3/4 cup butter or margarine softened Cinnamon and sugar Mash sweet potatoes and season with apple pie spice according to taste. Place a spoonful of sweet potato inside a crescent roll. Roll up and place in baking pan or casserole dish. Continue until all are filled. Mix water, sugar and butter and pour over. Sprinkle liberally with cinnamon and sugar mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until brown and bubbly. Note: This was soooo good! I think apple pie filling (diced up small) would probably be very good, too!

So, I was listening to the radio and an older country song came on...the one about it was 1980-something. Remember that? I couldn't help but laugh at some of the references in it. But it got me to reminiscing about the past. Do you ever get a bit down at just how HUMAN you are? I mean, all your failures, your weaknesses, your mistakes, do they ever just scream at you? Well, the thing is we have to remember that God created us just as we are. He created you with just the personality you have. He knew what all those weaknesses would be and just what mistakes and failures it would lead to. But He also made sure you had strengths as well. Strengths that lead to victory! He somehow can take all the good in you and the bad and mold it in such a way that suddenly your very frailty is what glorifies Him! I was teaching a group of children Sunday and the story was about Joseph and all he went through. I emphasized to them that we can not base God's love for us on our circumstances. If w...

So today we started back to school. Homeschool that is. The FlowerChild was so excited she could not eat breakfast. After her attempt at breakfast she rushed to get her books so we could get started. It is so great to have her enjoy learning! I could tell she had been off for a couple of weeks as we had to review some. But she got back in the groove pretty quickly. Hopefully tomorrow will go even more smoothly. I actually like the idea of homeschooling year round because it does keep her on a schedule. And she seems to respond well to staying on that schedule. It seems like the grouchies and misbehavior creep in more when she is off schedule. She is one of those children that has to stay very busy and occupied both physically and mentally. Which means she keeps the whole family very busy and occupied both physically and mentally, ha! The FlowerChild soaks up LIFE!

Wow, what a busy time it has been ! I have completely let the days slip by with no posts. We have had a nice time the last few days with friends. Let me share with you a few of the blessings I have had. On New Year's Day we went to a friend's house where she had a delicious meal prepared. She is a fantastic cook! I ate two things there that I had never even heard of. Her grandmother had made them so I guess the good cooking must run in the family! One was spiced figs. Now those of you from the South are probably like me and have grown up on fig preserves (YUM!). It was like that without the syrup and there was a spicy flavor kind of like pumpkin or apple pie, you know the nutmeg, cinnamon taste. They were so good! The other thing was candied cucumber. It was cooked with red hots. You would not know it was even cucumber looking at it because it was little slices without any seeds. Now I know it sounds strange but it was really good! It was a wonderful relaxing day and after we f...

The first day of the year has already come and gone. Did you eat your blackeye peas and greens with hamhock? I had mine! I checked that package 3 times just to be sure it said "ham hock" and I did not have some kind of counterfeit pig part! I also did not do any laundry today because the old saying is that you will wash your luck away. Which is why you eat blackeye peas. Or maybe it is that you will wash your money away. Which is why you eat the greens. Ah, well, I don't believe in luck and I don't have any money so it shouldn't matter! I think there is something about not sweeping, too. You know....maybe these are convenient stories those 'old wive' came up with to have at least one day a year where they did not have to do laundry or sweeping (brooming, as my girls say!) and the family would be happy to eat whatever they fixed! There is also the saying that whatever you do on New Year's you will do all year. Well, in that case I can't complain as ...

So does your chaos ever stem from having only one bathroom? We have a large family and lots of overnight company, sometimes as many as 3 or 4 extra at a time. (Friends who know me in real life are wondering right now "Where does she put them?!") So sometimes it is a constant in and out of the bathroom when everyone is getting ready. At other times it means ducking in while someone is in the shower and hollering at them "It's me, just need to brush my teeth"...get the hairbrush...whatever the case may be! Although, mind you, we don't do that to company! We don't put on airs around here and we do like to make folks feel at home, but that would be a little too much of the family treatment! But have you noticed how the mirror is all fogged up when you go in the bathroom after they get out of the shower? Now you could smear it up with a towel, stand there with a blow dryer and risk electrocution in the steam, purchase those anti-fog wipe things, or....clean ...