All 10 Popes

It started with a conversation. And that’s how it usually begins…my writing process (if you can call it that.) This is how it went: I know you’re on the edge of you seat right! Right?? I’m asked by my second, “Mom, where is my punch card?” “They are in the junk drawer, son,” was my reply. Junk drawer... I couldn’t get the out of my head once it came out of my mouth. Junk drawer. Maybe it is because it’s not a junk drawer. It actually isn’t a drawer full of junk. It is actually a fairly well organised (probably the only place in my house that is on a regular basis) “catch all” drawer. Anything that I don’t have a place for at the time (or don’t want to find a home for) kind of gets stuck in here. And the truth is that there are things in this so called junk drawer that I would be lost with out…like the 5 th pair of scissors that I can always count on being there when the other 4 that we own are no where to be found. And that red pen I’m forever looking for. And batteries...

Aren't crock pots the best? I mean really, I'm not sure what I would do with out mine. I was getting the meat ready for our Sunday lunch tonight (Sat.) and thought this recipe is blog worthy. I don't think that I have ever served this meal with out the other person asking for the recipe. Really, it's that stinkin' good! The best part is that it is EASY and the crock pot (or the oven) does all the work for you. It's also a crowd pleaser and by that I mean...it can feed a crowd. We used to feed this to our small group and let's just say our group wasn't very small....more like mediumish.. sometimes bigger. Oh, how I miss feeding you small, errrr medium group family... I digress.. Now, if you know me at all you know that I am no original when it comes to stuff like this. I am a good forgery on most things and this is one of them. I am a regular subscriber to Molly Green Magazine written by The Old Schoolhouse Magazine. I got this one from a magazine aw...

Here I am, struggling against this post. It seems so insignificant. So small. But because our backwards God is always and forever using the small things in life to make himself big, here I am about to post about: organisation. A topic of which I know little to nothing about...just ask my mother. In the grand scheme of life this is really nothing and I realise that. I realise that life is more than about organisation and keeping a tidy house. However important this topic may be to you let me just say if you are a mess, like myself, it's ok...and it's really ok if other people know it. I did want to share with you what I have been using over the past couple of months as a planner. It's kinda genius and doesn't cost a lot. Two of my favourite things: genius and cheap! It might just be what you are looking for. I have had my fair share of planners. Big ones. Small ones. Red ones. Blue ones. I even now have an on line planner from Home Educating Family  (who...

I have the on going struggle with wanting things I say to matter. I want the things in this blog to matter. It's not that I don't think that the few number of you out there that read it don't care about my vacations with my family, or things that we are doing at home for school etc. Actually some of you would probably love it if I would just be less dramatic and intense sometimes! And I do have to say that I love reading about other's lives via blogs and facebook. One of my dearest childhood friends, Amy , has such a sweet blog and intertwines her lovely little life with her family and some other very serious topics in the dearest way. She always makes me smile. Lets just say: I heart her blog. I also love keeping up with the Johnsons  who are missionaries overseas to military folk like us working with Cadence International and are our dear friends. Nate does a wonderful job keeping me, er I mean all of us, updated.  It's just when I sit down t...

I often say to the Lord every morning of my life...my children...my husband, "they are yours Lord, I submit myself to your will," and almost always, I think "but what if you take one of them from me." and then I pray, "please give me the GRACE if that were to happen to glorify you." these are just words, and usually I just go about my day because none of us actually think that something terrible is going to happen to ourselves especially to these little and maybe not so little ones. But what happens when it does? What happens when your world falls apart? What happens when it goes from stomach infection to death in just a week? What happens when they air lift your 16 month old to the hospital and then try to keep him alive after his little heart stops breathing?! What...and why.... This is what happened to the Notgrass family. I don't know these people. I don't even know their first names, but was told their story about through Todd Wilson, of Fa...