Twirls 'n Curls

Inspired by my three little blondies: ~There is no challenge that, given enough time, you can't lick.~  ~If you don't like the way today looks,  you might need to change your perspective.~ ~When it comes to looking good in a swimsuit, confidence is everything.~

 As I set my alarm and slid into bed, I realized I had done it again. When I woke up that morning, I had every intention of reading my Bible. But somehow...life happened. The kids got up early. One wet the bed. Laundry. Cooking. Cleaning. Time had gotten away from me, and I found myself in bed praying pitifully, "God, I'm sorry...I'll try to do better tomorrow."  For just a minute, I couldn't help thinking God was angry at me. That He would take revenge by not answering my prayers, or I'd fall and break my arm the next day. Then it was as if God whispered, "You know me better than that. I love you. Yes, it hurts when you don't spend time with me, but I'm not mad at you. I'll always be here for you." Then, my thoughts oddly turned to my husband, who had not yet come to bed. To be honest, I'm sometimes grumpy when he doesn't do things on my timetable, and I let him know it. Like fixing the sink that won't drain. Or wrapping...

Lovin' being out of school, and out in the warm weather! Here's what summer looks like so far at our house... Pickin' flowers for my mama, Later nights, less bedtime drama, No more training wheels, I fear... Aren't you glad that s ummer's here? Sportin' shades to tame the sun, Brushin' up on summer fun, School is done, and smiles appear ... It's official! Summer's here!

Linsey just finished her second baseball season, and she loved it! I did too, it's really turned into a fun family event. Linsey at bat in coach pitch The catching equipment was heavier than she was!  The baseball field is connected to our local park, so Hannah learned how to climb the monkey bars and Linsey hit her first home run, all in the same day!  And Nattie discovered there is much candy to be found inside bat bags...  and under the bleachers...  and a ton of tree sap behind the ball field!  Even though baseball season is over, we're planning lots of trips to the park...how are you going to keep active this summer?

Time seems to be just flying by - I can't believe my youngest turned 2 this past week! Here she is, in all of her glory: Though fiercely independent,   She's totally a clown. Naturally mischievous, with smiles all around. She's a techno-whiz  Who loves music too, Keep your distance while she's eating,  if you know what's good for you.  And though sometimes  her cuteness drives me batty, I wouldn't trade the world  for my precious little Nattie! Happy birthday, Natalie! We love you!

I've loved all the Sneaky Chef recipes I've tried so far, even though my family knows about all the extra veggies I put in.  But the other day, I went a little too far. The recipe for Chicken Nuggets called for dipping chicken bits into spinach puree, then into bread crumbs. Well, I didn't think enough spinach was getting on there, so I kept dipping. Over. And over. It took forever. And the chicken nuggets came out very... green . (I'll spare you the picture. It was that bad !) As soon as Tom got home, I warned him that dinner would be "different," and to p-l-e-a-s-e go along with it. Amazingly, he did. The kids seemed to like them too, since they love spinach, but they definitely won't become a family favorite.  In fact, our after-dinner conversation went something like this: Me: "So what did you think?" Hannah: "These are ok, but I thought chicken nuggets came in dinosaur shapes! Those are sooo good. My friend's mom makes those...