Introducing . . .

Okay, first off, you're all the nicest people in the world! I can't believe how many of you left such sweet comments at our news!

Which sort of made me feel like the biggest jerk in the world, since I'm not pregnant.

I repeat, I'm NOT pregnant.

But thank you for all the well wishes, in case I ever am pregnant. I'll just store them up, if that ever happens, because those were seriously the nicest comments, ever, and if I ever am pregnant again, it would be a shock, and I'd need those comments!

I'd feel really terrible for ever-so-slightly misleading you, except I laughed so hard last night reading your comments--and the Facebook comments--and the Twitter comments--and the frantic text messages from my sister-in-law and sister who were feeling very out of the loop, that I couldn't stop long enough to feel guilty. I never, ever, ever! pull a fast one on anybody, because I'm not quick enough to think of good ones, and I can't keep a straight face. That generally means that people trick me all the time. Case in point: my brother-in-law had nose surgery this week, and when my sister called to tell me his nose collapsed after they started the surgery, I was already in deep, heartfelt prayer before she told me she was kidding. She does this to me all the time; you'd think I'd learn. Remind me to tell you about my engagement outfit someday. That one was so good we both about wet our pants. If I think too hard about it even now, I laugh until I cry. The good thing, though, about never pulling pranks, is that nobody ever suspects you of one, when you do! My sister texted me in the wee hours this morning wanting to know if I was pregnant--and she even knew we were getting a new family member this week! See? She never even suspected me :)

Anyway, back to our news: thank you, seriously, for your congratulations, but just remember, I never actually mentioned adding a human to the family! So, with no further ado, meet Saint:

He's a brindle English mastiff, and we brought him home this afternoon. He's going to be one big dog--topping out over 200 pounds! So you can see how I was a little surprised when I agreed to this, especially since I just told Pace about a month ago that we'd never have three dogs. I said it emphatically, and I really, really, really meant it. Clearly I should never say never.

I'm not exactly sure how I, the reluctant owner of two dogs, have come to own three, except that our black lab turned a corner about a month ago and has become the sweetest, mostly-well-behaved dog, and my husband got me at a weak moment, I guess! He has wanted a mastiff for ages, and it's a small thing to make him so happy!

So thank you for all the congratulations, although I know you were talking about baby humans, not baby dogs! And I solemnly swear that if we ever again find out we're expecting, rather than expanding, I will make sure and tell you, no guessing necessary! ;)

Expanding

Well, I have to say I've been so shocked at this news, that I couldn't even put words into a coherent post!

So here it is: our family will be expanding soon. I'm still shaking my head in disbelief.

Never say never, I guess!

Wow.

Playing Possum and Such Things

It's a cold, cold February day here. Call me a baby, but I'm ready for some green leaves and 60 degree days! (I know, I know. I'll be crying about the heat in a few months. I can't seem to make up my mind.)

It's so cold that Caiden did the Wii Fit for P.E. today, and I did half a Jillian Michaels' DVD workout. With the sound off, because I don't like being grouched at while I'm sweating.

It's also so cold that the cat snuck in the house when I wasn't looking and is pretending to be asleep on my bed. I know she's not really asleep, but I think she figures if I think she is, I won't kick her out. She's right. I'm a sap for cats.

Speaking of cats, last night I saw her on the deck, thought she'd suddenly gotten very ugly, and realized it was a huge possum! It (he?) was eating her cat food, while the poor cat just sat in the corner of the deck, trying to be invisible. I banged on the glass door, thinking it would scare him away, but he kept on eating. So I opened the door, told him to scat, and let the dog bark at him. He moved toward the cat, like he was going to mess with her, and I grabbed the food quick! and dumped her bowl of water on him. For the record, he never played possum. He ran off, but the dogs barked at him all night long, so I'm guessing he hid under the deck. Also for the record, even though he was big and scary and a food thief, I felt slightly bad about throwing water at an outdoor animal in the winter. However, I was so proud of my fierce pioneer woman ways, that I texted Pace and told him all about it. He thought I was crazy. I probably am. The cat likes me a lot, though.

And that brings up my dog. One of them, anyway. We have a dog who has serious issues when it comes to sirens. He hides in the closet when the smoke alarms beep from low batteries, and if the siren ever actually goes off, he tries to climb into something safe, like the kids' bathroom or behind my toilet. Have I mentioned he's a 90 pound golden retriever? He doesn't fit behind my toilet, so this generally involves muddy prints and shredded shower curtains. Today a guy came out to work on our security system, and he called me while driving up to make sure my dogs wouldn't bite him. It seemed rather ironic that five minutes later, with the system beeping, the dog ran, tail between his legs, into my closet. I had to turn on the vent and close the closet doors, so he couldn't hear the beeps as much. I've never seen such a wimpy 90 pound dog in my life. He'll go after a mean old possum in a heartbeat, and he actually lunged at a horse that was trying to trample him, but let the microwave beep more than once, and he's hiding under the bed. Pitiful. Where is the Dog Whisperer when I need him?

So that's pretty much what's going on around here. Possums, sneaky cats, and neurotic dogs. The normal stuff, you know.

Hello Weekend! (Except it's Monday now.)

Oh, happy day it's *Saturday! Pace and I are sitting here in house shoes and comfy clothes, sipping something hot with laptops propped on knees. It's a nice break after a week of getting ready for and putting on our church's C3 conference. My only plans today are to take a shower, buy dog food, and go to church. The to-do list can wait til Monday.

In the absence of anything thought-provoking (because T.D. Jakes preached last night, and my brain is worked out!), here are some good links:

My sister is a creative genius, and she has great ideas on her new blog. You should see the gifts she gives my kids for their birthdays--sometime I'll post photos of Grayson's pirate pack she sent last year--she comes up with things that are so fun, generally very frugal, and entirely doable.

It's not too late to register for the MomHeart conference this next weekend in Irving, Texas. I'm bringing two friends this year, because the last time I went it was so life-changing to me as a mom, that I needed others to know about it! So if you're anywhere close and can get to it, here's the info you need. I hope to see you there!

This is a great blog to give inspiration on making your home a place of peace and joy--everybody could use more of both, right? I've been reading this blog lately and always come away inspired to do something, even if it's little or involves cotton swabs, to get things together around here!

Did you know that you can get great free knitting patterns here? There are several manufacturers of yarn, like LionBrand, that also post free patterns, but this one is possibly my favorite. I'm knitting "Flock" right now to hang above Addie's window seat, and the pattern is from a back issue of Knitty, found free on Ravelry.

There you go! New places for you to visit, new things to make and do. It's a happy weekend, for sure.

*I wrote this on Saturday and forgot to publish it until just now. Oops!

Sentiments on Being in Texas

I love Texas. Love, love, love, love, LOVE it. (Except, possibly, in August.) If you don't love Texas, that's okay. The Texans here love it enough to cover up everybody else's opinions on the matter. I've never lived in a state with as much state pride/love/mania before! I can say that with at least some authority, because before this state, I'd lived in 7 others, spanning west in Colorado, north in North Dakota, to the midwest (Illinois), the South (Tennessee and Virginia), the somewhat northeast (Pennsylvania), and the sweaty south (Florida) before landing here about 12 years ago.

Today I called my vet to investigate getting our naughty lab neutered, and the office manager answered and asked me how I liked our foot of snow last week. I laughed and told her we loved it, and asked her if she's freezing up there in Ohio. (Yes, you read that right. My Texas vet office is managed by a woman who lives in Ohio.) She asked about my parents, who are freezing their ears off in Pittsburgh, and told me she still misses Texas, deeply. I told her my parents will be here in about 6 weeks for their retirement, and she was jealous, no doubt.

She also told me about her 9 year old mastiff, who I remember from when we had our mastiff, many years ago, and asked me about the kids. What I love about Debbie is that if I say my name, she instantly knows who I am, what dogs I have, where I live, and my past history with pets. Now, I'm not saying that only happens in Texas--especially since Debbie is technically not in Texas--what I am saying is that it makes me love putting down roots. Before moving here, I moved an average of every four years, for my entire life. Before moving here, the longest I'd ever lived in a house was 6 years, and that was almost double the amount spent in any of my other houses. I haven't been back to that house since the mid-90s, and that does make it seem like I'm a little rootless.

So here I am, steadily earning years in the Lone Star state, growing roots, and very happy to do so, except those few weeks in August when I get sick and tired of being hot. My love for being deeply planted overrides my hatred of the summer (that, and the thought that this is where the paycheck is. I'd love a cooler summer, but not at the risk of being jobless.) and anything else I might not love about Texas. So after talking to Debbie this afternoon, I thought it interesting that my poor mom, a Texas native who is merely weeks from getting back home, wrote this today, while Amanda, a lifelong Texan, wrote this.

You know, no matter where you live, there's always something to love about it, and if you spin it in a positive enough light (i.e. "I love how clean the world looks covered in 9 feet of snow," or "I heard somewhere that sweating is good for the body, and boy howdy! I must be healthy living here in New Mexico."), you, too, can love your state the same way that Amanda, Mom, and I all love the Lone Star State.

It's easy for us, though, because we all know that Texas is just a little bit better.

Just kidding! Really! Mostly. ;)

The LL

Today has been a good day, a cross-it-off-the-longsuffering-list kind of day.

What, you don't have a longsuffering list? I do. Mine has things on it like "Make a Goodwill run, " "Finish the taxes," "Paint the hallway so handprints stop showing up," and "Put the pulls on the kitchen drawers."

My longsuffering list is all those things I need to do, or even want to do, but somehow never do, and that's why it's longsuffering. Unfortunately, when I don't do the things on it, I suffer for a long time, too. Like driving around with my rearview vision impaired because the Goodwill pile has steadily grown over the last two months (or more?). Or the year I didn't get the taxes in on time to our accountant and had to pay a late-filing fee. Ouch!

Today we started a week-long school break, so I decided to just do it all! Or at least as much as I could. I try to live in reality, after all. I ran six errands with the kids, which doesn't sound impressive unless you, too, have 8, 5, and 3 year olds, and especially if two of them are boys. Buying buttons can marinate a long time on the longsuffering list (hereafter LL or my fingers will fall off!) when the alternative is taking boys to the fabric store. But today? I did it. (And bought three times as many as I needed to avoid ever doing that again.)

I ran our stuff to Goodwill and congratulated myself for being able to see out of the back window again, and I even entered all the donated items on my online list (See www.itsdeductible.com), so that next year I won't have to enter a jillion items like I did this year.

I hung up the paper lanterns over Addie's bed that I bought in November, except for the one that had Buddha on it (How did I miss that tiny little detail before?), and I ordered the vinyl wall art for above her reading chair. I've "only" had that one on the list for 9 months!

I got Scout a new collar and even dissuaded Shadow from eating this one. (He has eaten at least 2 so far, but I'm holding out hope that the new one will actually stay intact. If not, it goes back on the list.)

I bought the air filters for our furnaces and replaced them, brought the trash cans in from the curb, and did about 38 other things I hate doing/put off doing/never seem to do on time.

And tonight, I feel like Xena the Warrior Princess. Or maybe like Martha Stewart, if Martha wore tennis shoes, her hair in a ponytail, and wasn't worth a billion dollars. (Actually, those are only our minor differences. I'm not a perfectionist, I don't know how to arrange flowers or care to, and I have never been to prison.) Either way, Xena or Martha, it's a really nice thing to cross things off the LL, and I'm pretty sure I've earned the right to soak extra-long in the tub tonight. Right after I finish painting the hallway walls.

So what's on your LL? What can you spend 15 minutes or less doing, that will take a weight off your shoulders and put a spring in your step? I encourage you to do it, cross it off the list, and then reward yourself! You'll be glad you did :)

Public Service Announcement: Yogurt

Here is a quickly-generated public service announcement:

If you make yogurt at home, it will be runnier than store-bought because it doesn't have gelatin. You can add gelatin, or you can leave it out because it's made out of cow hooves, and that's just gross. Your choice. My mom likes it thicker, so you can see where she stands on this issue.

Just thought you'd like to know, if you're confounded by runny yogurt.

Updated: A couple ladies told me about agar, a seaweed-

based product that thickens like gelatin but isn't made out

of anybody's hooves. If you're interested, click on the

comments to see.

p.s. For clarification, I eat beef. I just don't like to think

about their hooves being in my yogurt.

Oxymoronic, maybe. But there it is.

Why I Like Saturdays

• My husband is sitting next to me, on the couch, wearing a pair of long johns that fasten on the rear. With argyle socks and bedhead hair. That alone is enough to make my day.

• I slept in past 8. Enough said.

• It's still snowy out (We got over a FOOT of snow!!), and seeing frozen water on the ground makes me happy to be inside.

• I don't have to go anywhere until 4 p.m.,

• And then I get to go to church.

• Tomorrow is Sunday, which generally involves cleaning, laundry, easy meals, and lots of lazy time to read books, make things, and take naps. Who wouldn't like that?

p.s. Adding to my happiness factor is this: My husband was on the phone with a customer service rep, and when he told her our home email (In the midst of it), she told him, "Oh, that's neat! I have that saying tattooed on my leg!" Thank you, Ms. Customer Service, for making me laugh out loud today.

I hope your day is happy, too!

And Then, Hello Snow!

Mom and I compared notes today--it was snowing in both locales, somewhat amazing considering I'm in Texas and she's in Pennsylvania! I woke up to three (okay, four) hyper people at barely 7 this morning excited about the weather, and I looked out my windows and saw real, actual snow! It's still snowing 14 hours later, and we think we've gotten nearly 8 inches out here. In 12 winters here, this is the most snow I've seen in one day, and I think even in one season. More is falling tonight, for a grand total of somewhere between 10 and 12 inches! (If you live north of the Mason Dixon, this does not impress you. But if you're a Dallas-dweller, you realize this is almost supernatural.)

So today I scrapped our regular plans, and we called a snow day. Here's what it looked like:

Kids play in snow at 7:30 a.m. until breakfast (oatmeal, of course!) Grayson was so cold he ate THREE bowls. Wet jeans are all over the entry floor. (We do not own "snow clothes," whatever those are. If you see frozen kids wearing sweatshirt jackets with rain boots and knitted gloves, you'll know they're mine.)

Plumber comes at 9 to find source of last night's propane leak, determined there was no leak, and left right before the propane truck arrived to fill us up. Propane truck driver doesn't think the snow is charming. But the kids are back in the snow, thoroughly charmed. New pile of wet jeans on rug.

We eat lunch, then haul outside to carry freezing chickens back to the barn from the tire swing (What on earth is a chicken doing halfway up the field in snowy weather? They're not the brightest bulbs in the barn, you know.), and litter clothes all over the entry again. Third time.

Caiden talks to Mom, who tells him over the phone how to make snow cream. Three attempts later, he decides he doesn't really like it. Goes back outside, taking the dogs with him.

Fifteen minutes later: wet boy/wet dogs shivering snow all over the entry.

We fill a bathtub with snow (Thanks B, great idea!) and have an Army man battle in it. This occupies the boys for almost an hour, while Addie plays with a bucket of snow and My Little Ponies. Wet towels and mud (Where did mud come from?) are all over the floor.

We read "Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening," then "The Snowy Day," and then look up science experiments involving snow. Caiden measures our snowfall all over our property. Grayson eats snow. Caiden reminds him not to eat yellow snow, which tickles him greatly. It tickles me greatly when I see Grayson still eating it, not caring.

Addie brushes matted snow and mud out of Scout's fur while telling me if she ever gets her own dog, she'll name it "Booty." Fifteen minutes later, I realize she's saying "Beauty," and I'm still laughing.

Finally, after everybody is worn out, Pace comes home, we eat dinner, and bedtime goes by possibly faster than ever in our history. I lay out--count them--nine pairs of wet jeans on the boys' window seat. It has been a good day. A wet one, with tons of laundry, mud, and snowy dog prints all over the house, but a good one to be sure.

And the best part? We get to do it again tomorrow.

Today Was Fun . . .

because this morning's aura didn't turn into a migraine. Kudos to fervent prayer and a dose of Maxalt.

Today was fun because I learned a lot about *propane leaks. Crawling around in my attic with a stranger, a flashlight, and dish soap--sounds like something out of Clue, doesn't it?

Today was fun because I realized the skin on my hands is so dry I look like Methuselah's sister. Okay, not fun, but definitely funny.

Today was fun because we read "The Deliverers of Their Country" out loud at dinner, and Caiden laughed out loud, too. Dragons are always a hit around the kitchen table.

Today's Pilates was fun because I had to do The Hundred with the head of an 80 pound dog on my stomach. Way to take it up a notch!

Today was fun because I realized (big drum roll here) that my formerly-devilish dog, Shadow, is actually a little bit good. Shh, don't tell anybody.

Tonight will be fun once I grab my book, bubbles, and towel and head for the bliss of the tub. Even if today hadn't been fun (ish), that always seals the deal for me. Hot bath=good day.

Goodnight.

*Don't panic on me, Mom. We caught it before we blew up.

Hello, Sunshine

You know what's nice about the sun? It always shines again. Bad day, good day, ambivalent day--the sun shines regardless. Sometimes that's an affront, on the worst day of your life. On the best day, it seems an obvious fact. But it's those in-between days, neither awful or amazing, that the sun seems most a gift.

Today it's sunny, after both literal and emotional downpours over the last several weeks. It's like God is saying, "I got it under control. Good days are coming!" I love it. (Note: to those of you who live in Pittsburgh, don't take this to heart. Good days can still come, regardless of your relentless gray skies.)

I feel that sun today: I figured out how to use *Twitter, my devilish dog is learning how to be nice(r)--or maybe just less bad?--and I'm slowly crossing things off my to-do list. (Second note: put things like "brush teeth" and "drink water" on your to-do list when life is overwhelming. Then you know you'll at least get two things done!) Tonight is Flavour, and besides the obvious benefit of going and hearing Lisa Young speak, I also get to miss out on dinner/clean up/bedtime duties. Glory! It's going to be a good day.

Blessings abound if I look for them, even when it's raining: bread in the bread machine, chicks who've started laying eggs, cute shoes, hot tea, kisses from Addie (She's stingy with her love!), and a nightstand full of books fresh from the library.

But today, it's sunny, and that's a blessing all on its own. Cute shoes optional. Hello sunshine, I've missed you.

*Except that somehow I've linked to a Spanish version. I didn't even take Spanish in high school. Wow.

Super Easy Yogurt, with a Little Sour Cream for Good Measure

My kids eat a lot of yogurt. A lot. And because I buy organic yogurt, it's expensive, somewhere around $3.50 for a tub, and we usually go through at least two a week. That gets pricey, quick!

I mentioned to my mom that, empowered by my cheese-making venture, I wanted to try to make yogurt, but I didn't relish the idea of any more appliances on the kitchen counter. She suggested I google it, and sure enough, I found a great recipe!

You can go to this great site, Crockpot365, for the entire directions, or, better yet, you can buy the author's cookbook and get that recipe along with a ton of other great ones (Which of course my mom did. She's a bibliophile if I've ever known one.).

Here's basically what you do:

Gather these items--a crock pot, a gallon of pasteurized (NOT ultra-pasteurized) milk, and a bath towel. You'll also need 1/2 cup plain yogurt from a previous batch or store-bought container.

Pour your milk into the crockpot and turn it on to "low." Let it sit, with the lid on, for 2 1/2 hours.

Then unplug the pot. Take out two cups, whisk in 1/2 cup yogurt, and pour it all back into the crock pot.

Wrap a thick towel around your crock pot and let it sit, undisturbed, for 8 hours. (You can start this process around 5 p.m. and let it sit overnight, or start it in the morning and let it sit all day long. Just don't start it before bed, or you'll be up half the night!)

When the eight hours is up, you'll have *yogurt! I mixed in vanilla and honey to sweeten it a little, and then I poured it into wide mouth quart Mason jars. You'll get as much yogurt as milk used.

The second batch, save a little of your original yogurt to use in place of the store-bought you used the first time around.

Also, don't mix fruit into the entire batch, or it will get very runny. Instead, add it to individual servings as you eat it.

Pricewise, it costs the price of your milk, so that'll vary depending on what you buy. I buy organic, and it's around $5.50 a gallon right now. At 128 ounces per gallon, that means my cost for four store-bought tubs, at 32 ounces each, would be around $14, but my cost for homemade is $5.50. That's a pretty good bargain! If you buy regular milk, your savings will be even greater. Add in to that fact that I can control the ingredients (Have you ever looked at how much sugar is in vanilla yogurt, let alone flavored?), and it's a win-win situation.

If you try it, let me know! This was so easy, it inspired me to try sour cream. It was even easier:

Pour two cups half and half into jar. Stir in two tablespoons buttermilk or white vinegar. Shake vigorously, then wrap towel around and let sit in a warm place overnight. Twenty-four hours later, you'll have sour cream. Voila!

*Note that the whey will eventually separate from the yogurt and rise to the top, so your yogurt will be runny at first. Don't panic; just serve some in smoothies or let your kids drink it with straws, then refrigerate it. Once the whey rises, pour it off carefully, and the yogurt will be the regular, creamy consistency.

Feasting

Someday soon I will write about giving up sugar. My dear friend Erin called me concerned a little while back, making sure I was okay and sane and all, since giving up sugar AND diet Coke does make me sound like I've lost my mind. So I'll tell you the skinny on it, soon.

In the meantime, this is what we're eating this week:

Monday--vegetarian taco soup with crispy salad, blue chips, salsa, and guacamole (of course!)

I'd hoped to serve homemade sour cream with it, but my sour cream was more like sour milk. I'm trying again, though. I will not be beaten by a dairy product!

Tuesday--vegetarian hamburgers with avocadoes, caramelized onions, and homemade hamburger buns (Wish me luck on the buns; I've never made them before.) with potato salad

Wednesday--spaghetti (whole wheat, vegetarian) with caramelized onions and salad

Thursday--chicken noodle soup and homemade bread with butter, honey, or dipping oil, depending your preference. I'm a butter/honey fan, but my boys love their dipping oil! I have a recipe for it somewhere in my archives.

Friday--homemade whole wheat pizzas, our standard Friday night meal

Saturday--vegetarian lasagna with salad

Sunday--salmon and brown rice with baked sweet potatoes and some kind of dessert I haven't decided on yet

So you see, we're not starving here! We eat flexitarian at home--no meat, but we eat fish and the very occasional chicken--and we also have guests staying with us all week. Fortunately for us (and them) they don't eat red meat, so hopefully they won't be alarmed at the lack of meat products on the table! Caiden's chicks started laying yesterday, tiny little blue/green eggs, so we're about to be back in business! I'll tell you another day about our great egg disaster of 2010. It was gross. So I'm happy to see the littler ones laying finally, because I'm dreaming of omelets, hardboiled eggs, and the like. I love eggs.

So that's what's on the menu for this week! And Erin, I promise I'm okay. :)

*Recipe sources: The One-Dish Vegetarian; Cooking at the Imus Ranch; and allrecipes.com

Morning Encouragement

I have a little confession--sometimes staying home to take care of my children, when so many others are working at my church and doing "exciting" things, makes me feel left out and left behind. It doesn't happen very often, but this time of year, when our big church conference is about to take place, I feel it acutely.

Maybe you feel like that sometimes, when big things are going on around you with other people in your life, and all you can see is piles of laundry, homework, diapers, and runny noses. Oh, and endless preparing of meals. Can't forget that!

I read Sally Clarkson's newest post this morning, and it includes a letter a woman sent her after the recent conference Sally held in Denver. It bolstered me up and reminded me that what I'm doing is the most important thing in the world to me, and that raising up children who love the Lord, love people, and live to serve both, will take everything I have. If you're feeling discouraged this morning, or simply like more exciting and important things are happening outside of your house, go there and read it.

And if you're able, attend her Dallas conference at the end of this month. I went two years ago and came away deeply impacted, inspired, and challenged. I loved it so much that I motivated a small group to go last year, even though I wasn't able to go myself, and this year, I'm bringing along my best friend and some others! The conference itself isn't very expensive, and it's worth every penny. I still look at my notes from two years ago, and they remind me that this is a job worth doing, and worth doing well.

That said, I'm off to check schoolwork, fold laundry, wash oatmeal pots, and get ready for Grayson's allergist appointment. And I know, no matter what else is going on outside of my home in more exciting venues, that this is what God has called me to do, and I'm going to do it well.