The Materialism Monster

A couple of weeks ago, we started this new series at our church called "Monsters". Last week our new pastor, Brian, challenged us on the "Me Monster". In other words, "we aren't the center of the universe" to quote my mother. Good reminders, steps taken, but still a daily battle.

This week was on the "Materialism Monster". Josh, our student minister, spoke about how if we constantly crave more and more, our focus is not on the right thing and we will never be satisfied. I'll be honest, the "Me Monster" is a much bigger challenge for me than the "Materialism Monster" or so I thought....

Fast forward two days to this morning. While I was buckling Levi in the van, Kara promptly crawled into the front and poured my drink in her lap and all over our new van (diet cherry pepsi to be exact- errr). I am not my best in the morning and immediately yelled: "Kara, you just ruined our new van!!!".

Levi promptly said: "Mom, it is STILL a new van".

Josh, I'm afraid Levi got the last line on your sermon. Ouch.

Something to try next year

I realize that Easter was almost two weeks ago, but I had to share this Easter cookie idea for those of you that have never seen it before. This was my first time to make these cookies with my own kids (and niece and nephew), so it was extra special.

Begin this recipe on Saturday, the day before Easter.
1 cup whole pecans
1 teaspoon vinegar
3 egg whites
pinch salt
1 cup sugar
zipper baggie
wooden spoon or a wooden meat hammer
duct tape or packing tape
Bible

Preheat oven to 300*F.
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon or hammer to break them into small pieces.

Explain that after Jesus was arrested he was beaten by the Roman soldiers. Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 teaspoon of vinegar into the mixing bowl. Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink. Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to the vinegar. Eggs represent life. Explain that Jesus gave his life to give us life. Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child's hand. Let them taste. Then put your pinch of salt in the bowl.
Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus' followers, and the bitterness of our own sin. Read Luke 23:27 So far, the ingredients are not very appetizing! Add 1 cup sugar to the bowl.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because he loves us. He wants us to know and belong to him. Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 10 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks form. Explain that the color white represents the purity in God's eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus. Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheets. Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus' body was laid. Read Matthew 27:57-60. Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF. Give each child a piece of tape to seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus' tomb was sealed. Read Matthew 27:65-66. Leave the kitchen. If you've been making these cookies just before bedtime, GO TO BED!
Acknowledge that the kids are probably sad that they've worked hard to make these cookies, and now have to leave them in the oven overnight. Explain that Jesus' followers were in sad when Jesus died and the tomb was sealed. Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie. Ask the kids to notice the cracked surface. Have them bite into the cookies. The cookies are hollow!
Explain that on the first Easter morning, Jesus' followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty. Read Matthew 28:1-9.
HE HAS RISEN!

I wish I had some pictures of the finished cookie, but we made them at Garet's parents house and we had to go home. Levi was pretty sad about that, but hopefully next year we can follow through. Special thanks to Kelly (Garet's sister) and Nana for their help too!

My Latest Endeavor: Coupons

After having several conversations with friends in recent weeks about "couponing", I finally decided to break down and give this thing a try. Keep in mind that before kids, I was very organized...to an extreme really. That all changed when suddenly my free time was zapped in half and then half again and is about to be non-existent. That's OK - the hugs and kisses are worth it.

Sorry to digress there. So, in my now less than organized way, I have been trying to work this whole "couponing" world (and it is a world out there). While I have been very successful at the large grocery store trips (I saved $56 on my last trip to Target!!), I still find myself spending way to much money on those "I'm just going to run in and buy a couple of items" trips.

Before I go any farther, let me tell you about my favorite website of the moment: Southern Savers Blog. This girl thinks like me and writes things down in a way I would and it makes it very easy for me. I decided to start with her CVS "plan" since I live so close to one. I must say that I have been working the system very well. Take for instance my shopping trip yesterday:

I got these 11 items for $17 with $13 in CVS dollars to spend on my next visit. If I had more time, I would have ended up spending only $8 with $5 in CVS dollars, but I didn't have time for another transaction. The hardest part has been trying to stay away from brand loyalty (trying new shampoos, toothpastes, yogurt, granola bars, etc). So far it has been OK, but we'll see. I also don't have any room in my house to hoard items for an entire year...I can only imagine the size of these ladies pantries! A good deal is a good deal, but not at the expense of floor space!

I've also got a number of friends that use couponmom.com. It took awhile to sign up, but it is free. I like that they provide Target and Wal-mart shopping lists since that is where I primarily shop. However, these ladies are working the Publix deals, so they may be my next endeavor.

My only problem with Publix and Kroger is that while you can get some fantastic deals on certain items, unless those exact items make up a meal, you are still going to have to buy the other items. Wal-mart is so much cheaper across the board that I'd really like to see a price comparison since you can still use coupons at Wal-mart (they just aren't doubled).

That's where I'm at. Any other "couponers" out there? What tricks or tips do you use. I really am quite fascinated at the money I could save. Thanks!

New Heights

Tonight Garet and I put up a bunk bed in Levi's room. This bunk bed has some history. My dad built it for my brother, Brian, when he was a kid. Thankfully for us, my parents didn't get rid of it and my brother said we could use it. My dad left fantastic directions and we put it up in no time at all.

The plan is to transition Kara into Levi's room at some point in the next 4 months. However, Levi loves sleep and Kara does not. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out. I have no idea of what kind of "theme" I am going to do in their room. I might stick with the Hawaiian/surfer theme, but we'll see. When I figure it out, I'm going to paint the bunk bed a lighter color and we'll be good to go!

First time up on the bunk:That's a long way down! Levi has never fallen out of his bed...never needed a rail or anything. Let's hope that his first time isn't out of the bunk bed!

Practicing the ladder (ignore the room - we were trying to move things out of the way and get it done before bed time):

Getting ready to go to bed:

Pretending to sleep for the camera - guess who got him to do this "pose":

Night Night. Love you, Levi:

Eggstravaganza

We had a busy, busy Easter weekend, but lots of fun. Forget the fact that I took NO pictures on the actual day of Easter - the kids baskets and outfits will just have to be a memory in my head. Maybe next year will be the year for photo greatness since it wasn't this year or last year.

We started the festivities off with coloring Easter eggs. I was lucky enough to catch Levi with a "natural" smile AND looking at the camera: Kara wasn't so sure about this dye stuff:

She did like throwing the "balls" into the dye, however:

Amazingly, no dye was spilled during this process:

Putting the final decorations on:

I had to include this picture, because Kara likes to prop her foot up on the table and it cracks me up:

The next day, our church had an Eggstravaganza for all the kids. Levi invited his best buddy in the whole world, Aaron, to come along. They have the best time together - I just love to watch them interact! Here they are working on their crafts:

Kara chowing down on a cookie. The girl has a serious sweet tooth:

What Easter party wouldn't be complete without tattoos? I think Kara was trying to decide whether or not it was permanent. Thankfully, hers was not:

Levi's on the other hand, will not come off! We are on day 9 and have tried numerous methods to remove it and it is still there. At least it is on his arm and since we seem to have the temperatures of Alaska this April, the long sleeves have hidden it:

Also joining in the festivities were cousins Caleb & Kaitlyn. Levi could barely contain himself with cousins & Aaron all in one place!!

The egg hunt for the 3 and under crowd. Planning the attack:

And they are off!

Kara will never be outdone:

Levi & Aaron scored big time. As the "older" kids on the hunt, they helped themselves to lots of eggs....42 to be exact. Let's just say that I was not anticipating having so much candy at the house. Baby #3 is enjoying lots of sugar. Sigh.

We are so thankful to be close to friends and family and to be able to celebrate that the "big rock was rolled away" (Levi) and Jesus is alive!

Sharing

Where are we? Here we are!

Levi & Kara are at a "fun" age right now for learning about sharing. Kara prefers the "I want that and I will take it at anytime regardless of who is playing with it" tactic. Levi prefers the "whine when someone takes my toy" method. Both happen quite frequently during the day and I find myself constantly saying "He/She was playing with it first" or "He/She was touching it first" followed by "wait until they are done with it, then you can play with it". Sometimes the toy is taken away completely if a wrestling match beings.

This is not new to any parent of siblings. It is a rite of passage - we will get through this stage (although I've heard it can last into the teenage years and beyond - yikes!) and they will grow up, hopefully be friends, and share with each other because that's what people do, right?

Apparently there are some people at my gym who have never learned this lesson. I'm on my fourth gym over the course of my life and the one I'm at now is a haven for "non-sharers" (if that is a word). I've pretty much gotten used to the people that sit on a machine for 20 minutes doing who knows what. There is no chance of working in, because they are "using the machine" while they sit there. I've also given up on the people that sit on a machine and talk to their neighbor - I've always wanted to tell these people that there are better (and more comfortable places) to socialize, but maybe they think they are really exercising. At least these people are trying to stay healthy.

The other day, this lack of sharing went to a new low. I've had to move from machine weights to free weights to support my expanding belly, so I head over to the exercise balls to get one to use as my bench. I roll it over to the weights and a lady comes flying across the room to tell me that she is using that ball. I promise you she was no where in any close proximity to that ball. I looked at her a little puzzled, put the ball back and watched as she walked back across the room and got on a machine. I mean seriously. I was almost done with my whole arm routine (on a different ball) before she went over and started using that particular exercise ball.

I'm sure there is something profound I could learn from this or some great insight I could share with you, but my pregnant brain is just too tired. (This is where I need Kimberly to figure it out for me since she does that so well.)

Instead I'll leave you a couple more pictures of the "sharers":

I had to include this one because seconds later, Kara fell, busted her lip open and blood was everywhere. Good times all around!

Now I feel better. Rant over. Good Night.

Let it Snow

In honor of the 30 degree drop in temperature we have had the last few days, I thought it would be appropriate to finally post our snow pictures. We got a pretty good dusting back on March 1st and the kids absolutely loved it. I stayed inside since I was still pretty sick at that point (that, and I prefer to be warm when given the option). The kids stayed outside until they were shivering, but they still had grins on their faces! Watching the snow come down:

Such an infectious grin!

Lightning McQueen Hat: Check. Lightning McQueen Gloves: Check. He is everywhere!

We are so nice to our kids:

Since it snows on average once every 4 years, we don't have a sled around the house. The ever inventive Garet tied a rope to a laundry basket and pulled the kids around the yard. They never knew the difference.

Our little snowman:

I'm really hoping this will be the end of the cold weather (since it is April after all!) and I can get the kids winter clothing put up soon. I've got to start making room for the new baby. I figure if I start now, I'll be finished by the time the baby is 3 months old!

The Grand Prix

Several weeks ago, our Awana program at church started advertising for their "Grand Prix" race. Always a kid at heart, Garet immediately went and signed up "Levi" for the race. The two of them had a good time painting and decorating the car. However, Garet had to be gone two weeks and we weren't sure if he would be back in time. He ended up taking the red-eye home and got back just in time to attach the wheels and head to the race.

Levi testing out the track before the race. His car is red for "Lightning McQueen" - who else?

Because Levi isn't quite old enough for Awana's, he was in the general church category which just so happened to be filled with ladies. Here he is with them getting ready to start:

And they are off! Levi's car won first on the first heat. He was so excited. Because he was the only boy, all the kids were cheering for him. Levi was totally taking it all in and was cracking me up. It was very out of the norm for him - he can be quite shy in situations like this.

Garet and Kara looking on:

After the races:

Levi got 3rd place for design and 3rd place for speed. He really wanted a "piston cup", but unfortunately they were only for the 1st place winner. Garet found an old trophy he had won and he gave that to Levi when we got home.

Ms. Mary and Ms. Susan rounded out the final three. I thought this picture was hilarious!

Instead of a "piston cup", Levi won some medals. Showing off the earnings:

Letting Kara get a glimpse of the winner's circle: