Wordful Wednesday - At the Beach

These are some of my favorite shots that my SIL took of Ladybug at the beach last week. We took the girls (LB and the Nieces) so that we could have new pictures to give to Grandma and Grandpa (my in-laws) for Christmas. My SIL always gets great shots of Ladybug!

We had an unusually warm week before Christmas, and the beach is wonderful at this time of year. As you can see, we practically had the beach to ourselves!


For more Wordful Wednesdays, please visit Angie at SevEn cLoWn CirCuS.
And for truly Wordless Wednesdays, please visit here or here.

Random Ruminations

I apologize for my absence yesterday. Monday is Hubby's usual day off, and we had a major cleaning day yesterday. We're trying to declutter and recover from the Christmas season.

Decluttering is a stressful for me. You see, I'm a pack rat. I come by it honestly, as my mom is also a serious pack rat. Hubby is just the opposite. He wants to live simply (as do I), and to him that means "less stuff." I like "stuff" to be in its place. Decluttering to me means finding a home for everything. For Hubby, that means purging the stuff to either throw it away or give it away. My most common complaint during decluttering with Hubby is "but we might need that someday!"

Also yesterday, I finally ordered picture Christmas cards to send out. Well, they are going to be Happy New Year cards instead. I just didn't get around to it this year before Christmas. Instead of the obligatory Christmas letter, I directed people here, to the blog, to read more about what we've been up to. Since I write so much about our family life, I figured why reinvent something I've been doing all year anyway?

Another serious stressor in our home right now is the feline member of the family. Ruthie is a 7 year old Siamese. She's a wonderful cat, but she's rather high maintenance, and always has been. But before having a high maintenance toddler, it was no big deal. Ladybug drains my energy each and every day, and I just don't have the energy to deal with a whiny Siamese too.

Plus, Ladybug discovered the littler box on Saturday. The only place that we can keep the litter box is in the corner of the kitchen, behind the dining table. We block off toddler access with chairs so Ruthie can still have access. But Ladybug has gone into stealth mode and can move heavy chairs on a tile floor silently. So she thought it would be fun to sneak back into that corner several times and play with the litter. Ewwwww.

I wish there was some other place to keep the litter box so that Ruthie could access it, but we don't have a laundry room, a mud room, or even a garage. Before getting married, I would keep a litter box in the bathroom, but that's just not feasible in this house. We can't use baby gates as that would block Ruthie's access.

One more topic to ramble about: New Year's resolutions. It's that time of year, and I really don't like making resolutions because, like everyone else, I'm not good at keeping them. However, one of my main goals for the new year to eat healthier and in the process lose some weight. I found Mama Bear's challenge over at her blog to join the 15% Club. The goal is to lose 15% of my weight. We'll have weekly check-ins to post on our progress.

I do not feel comfortable in posting my weight here on the blog, but I will post about my progress and my goals for the week. Anyone else interested in joining the 15% Club? Sign up over at Mama Bear's blog.

I think that gets all the random out of my system for a while. Anyone have any advice on decluttering or dealing with the Siamese? I'm about ready to find a new home for Ruthie. Any suggestions in that area would be greatly appreciated!

Christmas Day Recap

Christmas Day with an almost 19 month old... whew! I'm tired! Thankfully, she slept in until 6:00. Most of this week, she has been waking before 5 am, and I try to keep her in bed until at least 5:30, just for my own sanity. But Christmas morning I looked at the clock, saw 6:00, and was ecstatic!

We hung out in the bedroom for a little while, Ladybug got her morning milk, then we all came out into the kitchen/living room area together. We didn't put up a tree this year. Go ahead, call me Scrooge. I just didn't want to say "no touch" a bajillion times a day, okay?
So with no tree, we stacked all of the presents around the cute little table and chairs that my mom (Grammy) bought for Ladybug. The only present that wasn't wrapped besides the table and chairs was a V-tech Alphabet Town keyboard. Ladybug saw that keyboard, ran to it, and started pushing buttons.She played with her Alphabet Town for an hour while I made breakfast. I don't usually do labor intensive breakfasts, but it's Christmas. So I made these great Biscuit Twists. I added cinnamon to the brown sugar and omitted the icing. We had biscuit twists plus fresh pears for breakfast.
After breakfast, we opened the rest of the presents. Ladybug got a Little People Nativity set from my Sister and BIL. Also from them, we all got Pajama-Grams! Adorable matching pajamas for the whole family.

Ladybug also got a piggy bank, books, and a sippy cup from my Aunt Judy K. In addition to the table and chairs, she also got a Fisher Price clock, books, and clothes from Grammy. In her stocking were SIX more duckies! I haven't taken pictures of the growing duckie family yet. Ladybug loves her duckies!

Ladybug didn't want to go down for a nap, so she and I hopped in the car and drove for a little while so that she could fall asleep and Hubby could finish getting ready to go to his mom and dad's house.

With only a 30 minute nap, we arrived at my in-laws just in time for brunch. After we ate, the nieces were anxious to get to the presents, but we sang some Christmas songs first, accompanied by wonderful Hubby.

From that side of the family, Ladybug got a beautifully painted wooden rocking chair, a Little People boat for the bath, clothes, books, wooden puzzles, and a plastic tub full of plastic food. Once a few toys were opened, Ladybug lost interest in the presents and was lost in playing with the food and puzzles.

Since everyone from that side of the family was able to be here this Christmas, we took family photos. The girls and the boys. The girls' sweatshirts where monogrammed by my MIL for each of us.As the post-present stupor set in, we came home to relax. The day went by so quickly. There weren't as many toddler meltdowns as I was expecting. With a full day and only a short nap, Ladybug had her bath and went to bed early. And I followed soon thereafter.

Now, as Ladybug quietly reads some of her new books, I want to be like Mary who "treasured all these things in her heart." In spite of the stress, this was a great Christmas. We took time to read the Christmas story together. We're starting to make traditions for our family.

I also found a nice way to respond to the question, "Is she ready for Santa?" "No, she's not ready for Santa, she's ready for Saint Nicholas. We want to focus on giving at this time of year too." That diplomatic response came to me after Christmas Eve service. Oh well. At least I'll be prepared for next year.

Hope y'all had a great Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas!

Wordful Wednesday - Signing Fashionista

Ladybug continues to amaze me with all of the signs that she is learning. Here she is signing and saying HAT. Notice her sense of style and how well she coordinates. Her beach party t-shirt from vacation Bible school. The floppy hat. And the links as a necklace. A true fashionista if you ask me!

For more Wordful Wednesdays, please visit Angie at SevEn cLoWn CirCuS. And for actual Wordless Wednesdays, please click here or here.

Three Memes and a Little Lady

I have been tagged for several memes lately, so I'm rounding them up into one post so as to not bore y'all with things about me. Actually, one isn't about me at all, so hopefully you won't be too bored!

First, The Babystepper tagged me for this picture meme. Go to your picture folder on your computer, whatever that might be titled, and choose the sixth folder, and the sixth picture in that folder. Then post it, whatever it is, and explain it a bit.This is from October, on a Sunday morning before church. Hubby was entertaining Ladybug while I finished getting ready for church. I turned the corner and came upon this scene. I said, "hold it!" and ran to get the camera. Unfortunately, Ladybug wasn't in the mood to pose for a picture. But it's still a great memory of all the music that is in our house every single day. Do you think Ladybug has any chance of NOT being a musician? Nope, me either!

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Then I was tagged for a Random Things About Me meme by Casey at The Beautiful Letdown. (I was also tagged for this meme by one of my college friends on Facebook.) Here are the rules:

1. Post the rules on your blog.

2. Write 7 random things about yourself.

3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post.

1. I find these random things about me memes harder than most people. Everyone always comments how easy it was to come up with seven random things; I find it very challenging!

2. Christmas is my absolute FAV-O-RITE time of year! Although we've had a couple of tough Christmases as a family, it's still my favorite time of year.

3. I just remembered that I haven't finished telling y'all our love story. I think I let off at the wedding. I remembered this because our 6th anniversary is this Saturday. (How's that for random?)

4. Red and green are my favorite colors. Honestly. My college colors were even red and green. (I think they have since changed the colors to green and white.)

5. This isn't about me, but I haven't said this on my blog yet. My sister is having a baby girl! I'm so excited. She called last week to ask how I felt about having another niece. Of course, I'm ecstatic. But I would be about a nephew too.

(See, I'm having a hard time with this!)

6. Everyone keeps asking me if Ladybug is excited about Christmas. Either I'm a bad mom and haven't been hyping Christmas enough to my child, or she's too young to know that something exciting is coming up. I'll vote for the latter. I don't generally tell her that something is coming except when it is time to do said thing. For example, I don't tell her when we wake up that we're going to do such-and-such. Because she'll want to go do that right then. And I'd like a chance to at least shower and put on some make-up before we leave the house!

7. I have really been enjoying this season of Advent. It's so easy to get caught up in the hecticness of rushing to Christmas without taking time to ponder about the amazing thing that God did at that very first Christmas. A virgin birth. The Son of God as a small, helpless baby. I'm so thankful that I have had time to reflect on the wonder of Christmas this year.

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And the third meme is brought to you courtesy of Dawn at Baby Addiction. This is another photo meme, but it's one I haven't see before. The blogger who is tagged is required (forced?) to take a picture of themselves RIGHT NOW and post it for all the bloggy world to see.

I've had my shower and done my make-up, but as you can see I haven't done anything with my hair. This is in our living room, where my laptop usually lives, so that I can surf the net while Ladybug plays.

So, there are the three memes. The first one included the little lady, if you're wondering about that.

I am tagging the following people to do any or all of these memes:

Melanie at Livin' With Me!

Jeni at Peace and Carrots

Kim at Beanish and Other Languages I'm Learning

And anyone else who plays along. Let me know if you decide to do one of these so I can stop by and check it out! Have fun!

More of Him Monday - A Relationship

Welcome to More of Him Monday! This is a weekly carnival in which we can share encouragement with fellow Christian bloggers. Please read here for participation guidelines.

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I was listening to our local Christian radio station last week. They are playing continuous Christmas music at this time of year, which I love. I'm sure there are people who tune in just to listen to the Christmas music and not because it's a Christian station.

I'm sure the programming directors at the station are aware of this as well. I heard a promo that talked about Jesus' birthday being the reason for Christmas. It was a great promo. However they used a phrase that got me thinking.

At the end of the promo, the announcer offered a toll free number so that listeners could call in if they wanted someone to pray with them to have a "personal relationship" with Jesus Christ. I have been in the Church all of my life, so I know what that phrase means. But would someone who has rarely if ever attended church understand what a "personal relationship" with Jesus is and why it is necessary.

If you are a regular reader here, then I am assuming two things. One, you are either a Christian or find Christian things interesting or intriguing. Or two, you are a friend or family member. In the latter group, you know how important my Christian faith is.

I think the reason the phrase "personal relationship" captured my attention is because we don't hear it much outside of Christian circles. So that led me to ask, is that phrase relevant or even appropriate in today's culture? Would someone just tuning into that Christian radio station for the great Christmas music understand what it is to have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

If that phrase is out-dated, then is there a more relevant phrase that explains the concept of accepting Jesus Christ as your Savior, which therefore allows you to have direct access to God because of having Jesus as your Mediator?

I know why the phrase is used, but does it adequately describe to a 21st century non-Christian what the core of Christianity is all about? Could it even be offensive to someone is not a Christian?

Yes, the Christian faith is centered around the belief that we are sinful human beings who need a perfect Mediator so that we can receive forgiveness from God and have the Holy Spirit as our Guide. Does a "personal relationship" with Jesus Christ convey that to someone who has been around the Christian faith?

Or is the English language far too limited to describe the lavish grace that our Heavenly Father gives to us so that we can acknowledge our need for Him and a relationship with Him through His Son, whose birth we celebrate at this time of year?

Lots of questions. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this.

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If anyone has a post along the theme of More of Him Monday, please leave a link in the comments. And pretty please, link back here. I like the linky love too!

Tackling the To-Do List

That's what I'm doing today, and it feels good!

• Ladybug was up early, so I started a cake, oatmeal snack bars, and bread - all before her morning nap. Really, it was all "started" before 9 am
• Ladybug had a good check up yesterday, although she didn't like getting poked, prodded, or even looked at by the nurse or nurse practitioner. Thankfully, no more shots until age 4! I like the NP; I had never met her before.
  
• I have a new post on the Wedded Bliss channel of Blissfully Domestic. Go read it! Please?
• Here's a great post continuing the Santa discussion that we started the other day. Thanks, Kaylea! (And don't forget to vote in the poll in my sidebar!)
  
• I still have a few more Christmas presents to buy. Hopefully I can finish that up on Monday.
• I need to get back to my to-do list, so that's all for now!

Have a great weekend!

Thankful Thursday - Rekindled Friendship

What a joy friendship is! Especially when it is a friendship that I thought was lost but has been rekindled!

This week, I was able to reconnect with a friend who I haven't spoken with in about two years. I have called a few times each year and let voice messages saying, "Just checking on you. Hope all is well. Call me when you have a chance."

I came home Monday afternoon to discover a voice message from her! After a tiny bit of phone tag, we were finally able to make connections with each other yesterday, and it was a joy! It was so wonderful to hear from her and catch up on life.

What a blessing to have a rekindled friendship!

I am also thankful for the joy of the Christmas season. Last night while driving home from church, Hubby and I sang Christmas carols to entertain Ladybug (and to keep her awake). I love singing with my uber-talented Hubby! And it was fun to see the joy on Ladybug's face as she laughed at Momma and Daddy

I so thankful for the family memories that we are making!

For more thankful hearts, please visit Iris at Grace Alone.

Wordful Wednesday - Ornament Exchange

I got in on the tail end of an ornament exchange over at The Siesta Fiesta Blog. And now I'm getting in on the tail end of posting my ornament.

Mary Beth was my siesta exchange partner. We were both sick and both got our packages sent out late. But I was so excited to get a package in the mail and to see all of the goodies that Mary Beth included.

The ornament (on top of the box) is a Willow Tree ornament, and it's so beautiful! I have a few Willow Tree figurines that my Sister gave to me while I was expecting Ladybug and soon after she was born. I think this ornament will gain a permanent place with those figurines!

Mary Beth also included some yummy hand lotion in pineapple. I wish I had some coconut lotion to make a pina colada lotion! There were also some yummy chocolates and the two candy canes taped into the shape of a heart. I thought that was SOOOO cute!! And of course, a nice note from Mary Beth.

Thanks so much, Mary Beth, for your thoughtfulness! I really enjoyed my package!

For more Wordful Wednesdays, please visit Angie at Seven Clown Circus.

What Do You Do With Santa?

First of all, thanks to every one who voted in my very first blog poll! I'll leave the results up in my sidebar for a while. A majority of my readers don't use/need an alarm clock. From the comments on this post, it seems that most of us have kiddos who wake us up!

On to a new poll - so if you're reading this in a feed reader, please click on over so you can vote!

The topic is Santa - what do you do with Santa at your house? Hubby and I have had many discussions and have come to the consensus that we will tell Ladybug the story of the real Saint Nicholas instead of current day myth of Santa Claus. We know that we receive a lot of weird looks and questioning comments when others realize that we won't be sneaking around and pretending that we are Santa, delivering toys in the middle of Christmas eve night.

Several reasons are behind this decision. First, we want to keep the birth of Jesus Christ as the central reason to celebrate Christmas. Not a magical, elderly elf who sneaks around the world giving toys to only good girls and boys. I realize that many people celebrate Christmas in many different ways. For our family, it's all about Jesus.

Second, we feel that pretending about Santa (and the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy for that matter) is teaching Ladybug that it's okay to lie. Children's belief in Santa comes from the adults in their lives. Children generally trust their parents, and some children feel betrayed by their parents when they realize that Santa isn't real.

And third, we would rather tell Ladybug the real inspiring story of Saint Nicholas. Giving to others who have less than we do is an important part of being a Christian (see Matthew 25:34-46).

This week, we received validation of our choice not to have Santa be a part of our family Christmas. In passing conversation, our priest mentioned that they have not had Santa be a part of their family Christmas either. They have three boys (we serve at an Episcopal church, where priests are allowed to marry and have families), and they have always shared with them about Saint Nicholas and kept Jesus at the center of their celebration.

Hubby and I were firm in our decision, but it's nice to know that other families feel the same as we do about Santa. (But please know that we are not critical of other parents who help their children believe in Santa Claus. Every family is different!)

So, what say you? How do you handle the topic of Santa in your house? Please vote in the poll in the sidebar, and feel free to leave your thoughts or comments here.

More of Him Monday - Testimony

Welcome to More of Him Monday! This is a weekly carnival in which we can share encouragement with fellow Christian bloggers. Please read here for participation guidelines.

NOTE: If you have a More of Him post, please link up in the comments. Thanks!

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It's amazing how God speaks when you open your ears to listen. I had something totally planned out for this More of Him post, but while sitting in church on Sunday, God spoke, and I had to listen.

The wonderful choir director/organist at our church was in a very serious car accident on June 21, 2008. She shared her testimony this Sunday, and as she shared about some of the difficult times in the past six months, I cried along with her.

Ann was driving home from a conference that she had been attending in Atlanta when she fell asleep at the wheel. (It was later determined that she has sleep apnea.) She had many severe injuries. The doctors told her family to expect at least a six month hospital stay, with a long rehab following that.

Ann's physical recovery has been nothing short of amazing. But it's her spiritual recovery that struck me so as she spoke. She knows that she could have died that day because of the severity of the crash. But she also knows that God saved her for a purpose.

I started to wonder, how many of us truly know and believe that God has a purpose for our lives? Do we really, truly understand how important we are to God? We are so important that He chooses to use us to reach out to others in this lost and sinful world.

While we are not all called to be eloquent speakers or writers, God has called us to be His hands and feet in this world. I think of the many daily opportunities that I have to serve and the people that He places in my path, and how miserably I fail.

Ann shared a story of how kind words and a prayer that she offered helped to turn a young man from suicide. Are we in tune with the people around us so that when the opportune moment arrives, we are able to seize it and share God's love?

I know that I get so wrapped in my own "stuff" that I fail to recognize the need around me. My prayer is that God will open my eyes and my heart, so that I can respond as He would want me to. Even if it to share God's love with only one person, I want to know that I am fulfilling God's purpose in my life.

Ann closed her testimony with the words of a hymn. This is my prayer as well.

Take my life, and let it be consecrated, Lord, to Thee.

Take my moments and my days; let them flow in ceaseless praise.

Take my hands, and let them move at the impulse of Thy love.

Take my feet, and let them be swift and beautiful for Thee.

Take my voice, and let me sing always, only, for my King.

Take my lips, and let them be filled with messages from Thee.

Take my silver and my gold; not a mite would I withhold.

Take my intellect, and use every power as Thou shalt choose.

Take my will, and make it Thine; it shall be no longer mine.

Take my heart, it is Thine own; it shall be Thy royal throne.

Take my love, my Lord, I pour at Thy feet its treasure store.

Take myself, and I will be ever, only, all for Thee.

(Words: Fran­ces R. Ha­ver­gal, Feb­ru­a­ry 1874.)

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Your turn. Where have you see More of Him in your life?

The White Horse That Never Was

I was really into horses when I was a kid. Model horses and stuffed horses were on my Christmas wish list every year. I loved to draw horses. And I was lucky enough to have my own pony. (that's another story for another time)

One Christmas, Santa brought me a HUGE (well, huge to me anyway) stuffed horse. She was brown with four white socks. She was laying down and made a great pillow to recline on. I loved that horse!! I named her Clarice (this was way before Silence of the Lambs, okay?).

The next Christmas, I was old enough that my belief in Santa was beginning to wane. I asked for a white standing-up stuffed horse that I had seen somewhere. When Christmas Day dawned, I was up before the sun. My usual habit was to get the flashlight and creep out to the Christmas tree to check out what Santa brought. Then I'd go wake up my sister, or try to anyway. She wasn't nearly as enthusiastic about Christmas anymore.

When I crept out to the Christmas tree with my flashlight that morning, I was full of hope and expectation. I knew that if Santa were real, I would have that white horse. But, there was no white horse. There was no horse at all!

Instead, there was a blue stuffed droopy dog with a note from "Santa." The note explained that he wasn't able to bring me a white horse like I asked because it would get dirty and would be hard to keep clean. Santa's handwriting was suspiciously similar to my mom's handwriting.

Not only did Santa not bring me what I wanted that year, but I also came to realize that my mom was "Santa." I was really disappointed. My belief in Santa was crushed.

Thankfully, my enthusiasm for Christmas did not wane. I began to learn and understand more about the true meaning of Christmas. That God sent His only Son to be a baby in a manger so that everyone could know Him and receive salvation.

For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

For more Flashback Friday about Christmas gifts that never came to be, visit BlogMommas.com.

Thankful Thursday

Today, I am thankful for peaceful sleep.

It's been a rough week in the sleep department. Last week, Ladybug started coming down with a cold. Then three days later, it caught up with me. Hubby is sleeping in the guest room in hopes of not catching watch we have.

It's difficult to have peaceful sleep with you are coughing, cannot breath, and do not feel well. Right now as I type this, Ladybug is napping on the couch next me. It's early for a nap, but she's sleeping and not coughing, and for that I am very thankful today.

For more thankful hearts, please visit Iris at Grace Alone.

Works for Me - Ground Beef Help

It's been a while since I've had a good tip for Works for Me Wednesday. But I used this tip the other day while preparing dinner, and I know that it definitely Works for Me!!

When browning ground beef, ground turkey, or other ground meats, I always have a difficult time getting the meat to crumble into small bits, especially for things like tacos. After the meat has browned, I use my pastry blender to break the meat up into the appropriate size for whatever dish I'm cooking.

Be careful not to scratch the bottom of your frying pan!

Reason #412 Why I Like Co-Sleeping

When Ladybug and I are both sick, we still only need one cool mist vaporizer.

I banished Hubby to the guest room last night since he is still healthy, and I'd like to keep him that way. He has a very busy week with work, holiday party gigs, and a huge assignment for his grad class.

But I'll tell you, it's difficult to night-time parent a sick child when you are sick too. We'll be watching lots of videos today.

A Rainbow of Hope

I look for a rainbow today

A rainbow of hope

A reminder of God's promises

That someday

Tears will be no more.

Tears freely flow

How can that be?

With the passing of time

I thought the hurt would heal

But I miss you just as much today.

But I look for that rainbow

To bring joy to my face

A smile amid the tears.

The joy in knowing

That I will see you again

In a place where there will be no more tears.

I look forward to that day

When there is no more sorrow

No more crying

No more pain

When the very hand of God

Will wipe away the tears.

The rainbow reminds me

That the day will come

When God will live among us

And the pains, the sorrows, the hurts of this life

Will not even be a memory

But more like the shadow of a long-forgotten dream.

How I long for that day

When the hope of the rainbow

Will no longer be distant.

I will reach for the rainbow

And find that it is in my hands.

All that I hope for now

Will be realized.

My thirst will be quenched

My hunger satisfied

When the hope of the rainbow

Becomes the joy of reunion.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.

Revelation 21:4

Happy 4th Birthday to our sweet daughter Susie in heaven

Baby Signing Resources

I've mentioned before that we are teaching Ladybug sign language. I wanted to let you know about my newest favorite baby signing resource - Baby Signing Time.

A while back, I won a giveaway on the Smart Baby Sign Language blog. Holly was giving away a package of Baby Signing Time DVDs and CDs, and I was so excited when we won! The package includes all four Baby Signing Time DVDs and five CDs. The CDs have the songs from the DVDs, plus one extra CD with great lullaby music.

In the first week that we had the DVDs, Ladybug learned 15-20 new signs. I lost track because she was picking them up so quickly. She already knew the sign for MOVIE and now she can ask for SIGNING TIME videos specifically.

Each video is about 30 minutes long and includes songs and instruction on which signs they are using. The songs are catchy, memorable, and feature toddlers using sign language. They definitely hold the attention of our 18 month old!

One funny moment to share with you that came as a result of the Baby Signing Time videos. One song is about opposites like HOT-COLD, YES-NO, and YOU-ME. Ladybug will sign NO-NO-NO-NO while saying the words when she knows that she is doing something she should not be doing. It's the cutest thing and it's so hard not to laugh!

We really love the Baby Signing Time DVDs and CDs! This is not a paid review, just my personal opinion of a great resource that is available to help teach and reinforce signing with your little one. Thanks to the Smart Baby Sign Language blog for this great prize - we love it!

Here is a snippet of one of the songs from Volume 1 - The Diaper Dance.

Thankful Thursday

So many things to be thankful for today!

~ We had a great visit from my mom over Thanksgiving. Her time here went much too quickly, and we're looking forward to seeing her in May for the birth of my sister's baby!

~ A wonderful church family, great folks on our music team, and fantastic ladies (and one gentleman!) in my Bible study.

~ This week's Bible study which started with Elijah and the prophets of Baal and ended with talk about keeping God as our first priority.

~ The ability to give to others who have less than we do.

~ God's provision. He is so faithful!

For more thankful hearts, please visit Iris at Grace Alone. Have a great Thursday, and thanks for stopping by today!

Wordless Wednesday - Bubbles with Grammy

We had a great visit with Grammy (my mom). One of the things that Ladybug enjoyed was bubbles! It became the way that Grammy would bribe Ladybug to let her change her diaper. Grammy was here for a week and a half. She went home yesterday and we miss her!

Click here or here for more Wordless Wednesday. Or click here for Wordful Wednesday.

NaBloPoMo Reflections

Because you asked, here are a few reflections on my participation in NaBloPoMo '08.

1. It's not as difficult to write a blog post every day as you might think. I didn't write lengthy, thought-provoking posts every day. But I always have thoughts running through my head, so it was just a matter of writing them down.

2. I didn't have as much time this year to make my bloggy rounds and discover new blogs. I did rediscover a few that I had read before, so that was nice. Last year, I sensed a lot more community among participants. Maybe I didn't feel that this year because I wasn't able to read as many other blogs.

3. My goal for participating this year was to hone my writing skills. I feel that I accomplished that goal.

4. This year, I had a weekly plan for writing, which made it much easier to post every day. Of course, I didn't adhere entirely to that plan, but it was a great jumping off point if I got stuck.

5. It was good for my personal discipline to be committed to posting every day for a month. I struggle in that area of my personal life, so it was good to make a goal and see it through!

6. I did use the new scheduler feature that Blogger has. I was able to write a few posts ahead and schedule them and not worry about it! I loved that!

You don't have to wait until next year to participate in NaBloPoMo! You can jump in any month. Just make a goal for yourself and go for it.

For me, I am back to my regular schedule of posting Monday through Friday, with occasional Saturdays thrown in. I like taking Sunday off, or using Sunday to prep posts for the rest of the week.

And for a little bit of a commercial: for the month of December, I'll be sharing Christmas cookie recipes over on my recipe blog. I'll start posting those this week. If you need some cookie inspiration, please stop by and check it out!

I'm Phoning It In Today

Whew! I finished NaBloPoMo '08! Thirty posts in thirty days, and I'm a little worn out. I'll be back tomorrow with some real substance, I hope. I'm ready to get back to a normal schedule.