Behold! The world's longest blog post!
I apologize in advance.
RANDOMNESS #1 - Josh had to work a double shift on his actual birthday (October 4). We asked everyone if they would be willing to get up early on a Saturday morning to eat pancakes with Josh before he headed to work...
And they said, "Okay!"
Those are peanut butter chip pancakes, Folks.
RANDOMNESS #2 - After eating breakfast at the Original Pancake House, Melia and Austin went one way, Josh and Roxie went another and Mikie and I headed to Pepper Place.
It was a beautiful day to stroll, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.
Mike enjoyed the free food after the chef demo.
No way.
RANDOMNESS #3 - I have a new top.
That is all.
RANDOMNESS #4 - We had Josh's Family Birthday Celebration from 2:00 to 4:00 Sunday afternoon. He opened presents, ate banana pudding and, as is our tradition, we played the 21 Questions Game (see game below).
Birthday Banana Pudding.
Josh received Batman underwear as one of his gifts... complete with a cape hanging from the back.
Guess what his favorite gift was Sunday?
Grandma, Josh and Grandpa.
Zac, Brad, Stephanie, Josh and Katie.
Uncle Tommy, Josh and Aunt Bev.
The 21 Question Game
We played this game at Austin's 21st Birthday Party, too. Josh won that time, so he and Austin picked a movie and spent a FREE evening together... just the two of them.
1. What is Joshua’s middle name?
2. When Josh turned three years-old, he declared his favorite color. It has never changed. What is his favorite color?
3. If Josh was a wild animal, what animal would he be?
4. Josh has a handful of favorite actors. Name just one of them.
5. What is Josh’s favorite date with a chick?
6. Josh’s number one occupational goal before becoming a Police Officer was _________________.
7. How much weight has Josh lost since high school? (Round it to the nearest 10 pounds… 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, etc.)
8. Josh has several FAVORITE foods. Name just one of them.
9. We have lived in seven different houses in 26 years. Austin, Josh and Roxie were all brought home from the hospital to a different home.
Which home did Josh come “home” from the hospital?
10. What was Josh’s first Disney theater movie?
11. Josh had surgery when he was eight years-old. What major holiday did he have his surgery performed?
12. What size shoe does Josh wear?
13. What has been Josh’s favorite job so far?
14. What super power would Josh want to have (flying, invisibility, x-ray vision, etc.)?
15. What is Josh’s favorite cake?
16. How many cavities does Josh have?
17. What goal is Josh and his Dad working on at the present time?
18. How many wrecks has Josh had?
19. How many vehicles has Josh totaled?
20. When Josh was almost three, I asked him if he wanted a baby sister or a baby brother. His answer was very surprising. What was it?
21. Josh would say this is his best physical feature. What is it?
Guess who won this past Sunday?
Chocolate Chip Pie
You will need the following:
1 pie crust, chilled
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
2 large eggs
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, cut into cubes
3/4 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted and chopped
1 1/4 cups (about 8 ounces) semisweet chocolate chips
1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour and sugars together until combined. Set aside.
3. In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the eggs on high speed until foamy, about 3 minutes. Remove the whisk attachment and add the paddle attachment. With the mixer on low, gradually add the flour mixture. Turn the mixer to high and beat for 2 minutes.
4. Scrape down the bowl and add the butter. Beat on high speed until the mixture is combined.
5. Fold the nuts and 3/4 cup of the chocolate chips into the filling.
6. Pour the filling into the frozen pie shell and spread it out evenly. Top the filling with the remaining 1/2 cup chocolate chips.
7. Bake in the center of the oven for 25 minutes, then cover the edges of the crust loosely with aluminum foil and bake for another 25 minutes. (This will prevent the crust from browning too quickly.)
8. Test the pie by sticking a knife in the center of the filling. If the knife comes out clean, the pie is done. If the knife comes out with clumps of filling sticking to it, bake for another 5 minutes and test again. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool before slicing.
9. The pie can be stored in the refrigerator, tightly covered, for up to 2 days.
NOTE - This is a VERY rich pie.
Good... but rich!
Devotions from the Pumpkin Patch
I wrote this little devotion to go with the Pinterest Owl Pumpkin.
Owl Pumpkin Devotion
You will need the following:
Pumpkin
Sunflower Seeds
Glue
Devotion - Story of King Solomon/Wisdom
Okay. I'm going to uncover today's pumpkin, and I want everyone to shout out what this pumpkin looks like.
One... Two... Three!
It's an owl!
Do you know a nickname for an owl?
(Wise Old Owl.)
What does it mean to be wise?
There are two kinds of wisdom... man’s wisdom and God’s wisdom.
Men think wisdom is being smart, getting a good education and having a successful life.
God’s wisdom is knowing God and what His Word tells us about how to live a life pleasing to Him. Having God’s wisdom brings true peace and satisfaction.
King David knew his son, Solomon, would be Israel’s next King. Before he died, David taught Solomon what he should do as he reigned as King.
King Solomon showed his love for the LORD by obeying God’s laws.
It is a gift to have family members who teach us to love and obey God. Just as Solomon heard what his father taught him, more importantly he showed his love for God by obeying what his Dad taught him about God.
Solomon knew if he was going to be a good King, he would need God’s wisdom... not man’s wisdom.
God was happy because Solomon knew in order to be the kind of King who could lead God’s people, he could only do it with God’s wisdom.
I will never be a King like Solomon.
However, you don’t have to be a King to obey God and have God’s wisdom.
We need wisdom to live a life that makes God happy, and so we can tell others about Jesus.
How do we get God’s wisdom?
Do you remember how Solomon received God’s wisdom?
Solomon listened to his father, David. He learned from him and obeyed him. By obeying David, Solomon was also obeying God.
Is there another way to find God's wisdom?
(The Bible.)
Do you think it made King David happy when his son obeyed him?
Do you think it makes God happy when we obey Him?
Yes. Yes, it does.
Let's pray we always take time to look for God's wisdom, and pay close attention when our parents or Pastor Kevin or our Sunday School teachers teach us about God.
End with prayer.
This is a picture of the Pinterest pumpkin.
NOTE - I glued sunflower seeds on two triangular pieces of construction paper for the ears. I glued sunflower seeds in two different rows on a cut-out circle of poster board for the eyes. The beak is exactly the same as the ears except a little smaller.
Depending on the age of your children, they could help make the eyes, ears and nose before you have the devotion with the family.
Way Back When...
The following two items were first posted in October of 2009.
Josh's Birth Day Story - Part Two
Yes. My EX-friend, Shelly, had to pay dearly for keeping me from my hot fudge cake minutes before I found out I could not eat sweets for 25 more weeks. I made her give me a Wipe and Dipe Shower. It was very nice, and she said she would have hosted it for me (punishment or not), but I have my doubts.
My second little complication with Josh's pregnancy came in the form of a migraine. I had never had a migraine before his pregnancy, and I've had three or four a year since he joined the family. Hmmm. I wonder? (I'm not talking the worst migraines in the world either. I have friends who literally have to take two or three days off work because they are so sick. Mine, when I have them, are controlled with Excedrin Migraine and are hormone induced... or living with three men induced... or living with three men and Roxie induced. Whatever the reason, I did want to clarify they are not extremely severe.)
Also, because of the migraines, I visited Cullman's finest (paramedics) fairly often. When you have migraines when you're pregnant, sometimes high blood pressure can be associated with them, and I would run to the Fire Department (one block from our house in Cullman), and they would give me a quick blood pressure check.
Actually, it was one of the highlights of my pregnancy. (I have a special place in my heart for paramedics. Basically, I think they do a difficult job very well and are wonderful additions to any community.) Here in Gardendale, the paramedics are only 3 minutes and 42 seconds away. Unfortunately, we've had to call them a couple of times, so the time response mentioned above is a fact and not an estimation!
Other than those two very small "problems," Josh's pregnancy went by pretty quickly. Especially since I was also taking care of an almost three year-old brother who was more than a little active. Austin was very excited waiting for his new baby brother to arrive.
As I said before, I was bound and determined to NOT have another C-Section. So on the day Josh decided to make an appearance, I reiterated that fact to the registration nurse, the nurse who put in my IV, the aide who came in to get something she forgot in my bathroom and the doctor who was to deliver Josh a mere 14 hours later. I think I made myself abundantly clear.
When the time was right, I received my epidural. Things were going well. They had estimated Josh's weight to be around 8 pounds (more or less), and told me I shouldn't have any problem delivering him without the C-Section.
A few hours later, I received a "boost" for my epidural. Things were going well, but slowly.
A few hours after that, I asked for another boost for my epidural. The doctor told me we were so close to delivering, "WE" didn't need the boost. "WE" were mistaken. I like to call Josh my "Little House on the Prairie" baby because by the time he was born, I had all the modern medical conveniences Laura Engalls' Ma had in the middle of said prairie during that time period (Code for NADA). I would have gladly taken a swig of whiskey and bitten on the nearest bullet.
Josh entered the world gnawing on his little fist weighing in at 9 pounds 12 ounces. Yes, he was 8 pounds (MORE or less).
I will say delivering a baby the "regular" way did have pros. But it definitely had cons, too. Before I left the hospital, I told my doctor one thing. "I'm coming back in three years. I've had a C-Section. I've had a regular delivery. You've got three years to come up with an alternative way to have a kid." And then I took my bouncing baby boy home to meet his really bouncing almost three year-old brother!
And then the fun really began!
I'll have Part Three on the blog Friday, October 10!
Soup Kitchen Date
This date involves visiting several family members. On a nice fall Saturday, you and your date will make a large pot of soup. (Depending on how many houses you visit, you may need to double the recipe.) You'll also be making cornbread muffins.
After the soup is made and you've decided which family members you are going to visit, pour the soup into disposable containers. (You can purchase these at the Dollar Tree.)
Depending on the size of the families you will be visiting (I suggest great-grandparents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.), make sure you give them plenty for their evening meal, along with the cornbread muffins.
Call each family before you deliver their surprise dinner, and depending on how busy they are, visit for a few minutes or up to an hour before delivering the next meal.
This "date" lasts most of the day, but the time spent one-on-one will be well worth the time. There will be a cooking lesson involved, as well as time spent doing something nice for the people you love the most.
Before you head home for your own dinner of soup and cornbread, enjoy a milkshake together and talk about your day.
This would also make a great Seasonal Tradition for you and one of your children each year.
Okay. The world's longest blog post is officially OVER. (Heavy sigh of relief.) I'll be back Friday with Josh's Birth Day Story - Part Three, another Devotion from a Pumpkin Patch AND some pics, I am sure.
Sincerely,
The Enchanting Belinda
Belinda, really like your new shirt !! And that 21 question game is a keeper!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the pumpkin devotionals. Have a great week! Andrea