Naked

I gotcha with the title, didn't I?

I am not an expert on marriage. Quite frankly, there are lots of people out there who do it better than I do. Two of those people are Billy and Annie Phipps. They're pastors at our church and super fun folks to boot. And they wrote a fabulous article about marriage over at Foundation Restoration that you've just got to read. If you're married. Or engaged. Because the word naked is pretty frequently mentioned. Otherwise go play solitaire or something. But if you're married you've got to read this.

Foundation Restoration is a brand-new site dedicated to helping folks have the best relationships they can. They're having a launch party and giving away lots of great stuff as well as featuring articles by several folks you'll want to learn from.

So head on over and check it out!

Gratituesday; I love Bloggers

Photo Credit

Join us for Gratituesday at Heavenly Homemakers!

Today I'm grateful for blogging. Why? I love all the amazing people I've met through their blogs. I love the dozens and dozens of new recipes I've tried and loved. I love the fantastic parenting advice I've gotten. I love the funny stories that have made me laugh and the testimonies that have built up my faith.

Blogging has connected me to an amazing community of women from all walks of life and parts of the country. I've received so much from that community!

So thank you bloggers! Thanks for your time and transparency and for sharing your lives and stories.

If you're willing, I'd love to get to know you better! I have two things to ask of you.

First, if you are a blogger, leave a link to your blog in the comment section. That way I can stop by and take a peek, and so can my readers. (Don't get too excited, I don't have that many.)

Second, please help me find a permanent name for my blog. Your combined creative genius FAR exceeds mine, and I could really use some advice! Check out this post and vote for your favorite.

Thank you so much!

I love Homeschooling

I may have said this before, but I love homeschooling.

Take today, for example. Normally at 10 in the morning on a Thursday we'd be in the throes of handwriting, math and Spanish. But last night we were all (including the little boys) up until ten because last night was the kick off of my amazing husband's amazing midweek service party for kids. It was amazing. There will be videos, once I learn how to post them.

And then this morning somebody forgot to tell the baby that staying up late leads to sleeping in. And then I found The Pioneer Woman. I adore The Pioneer Woman. She's feisty. She has cows. Do not go to her blog unless you have nothing planned in the next two hours. Consider yourself warned.

So today the kids are watching entirely too many cartoons, and I'm reading every single one of The Pioneer Woman's back entries since 2007. It's not that we won't do school today. We'll just start late. Like 10:30. Or 1:00. We'll see.

Oh, and I read this fabulous quote this morning and felt compelled to share:

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." -Luciano Pavarotti

Amen.

Also, it seems somehow wrong to post without a picture, but I couldn't think of a picture that went with this post, so here is a random shot of one of my kids, just because I think it's cute.

P.S.

I filled out the Blog Party Questionnaire yesterday (if you haven't yet, check out all the great blogs linked up to Dancing Barefoot - some real gems in there) and I thought I'd done a pretty good job at it. But then, last night, one of the questions kept popping up in my mind.

And I realized I'd misled my faithful readers.

Honestly, it's such a small, silly thing that I should have just rolled over and gone back to sleep, but there it is. So to set the record straight, I'll re-answer it.

The question was about the type of music I like. My answer was, "I'm not actually a music person. I have an iPod, but I lost it. I like classical and jazz. I hate hardcore. Honestly, I like quiet."

Now, that's all true. What I didn't say is that I actually really LOVE music. I like to participate in it. I've sung on worship teams and I love that. I love to be in worship services and concerts, because I get to join in. I also love to listen to real, live symphonies. For me, music is something to be fully enjoyed, and I don't like it on as background music. So to say I'm not a music person isn't really true. I'm just not much of a country, rock, R&B, alternative, etc. person.

Wow, my conscience is clear. I feel better. Thanks for listening.

You may now return to your regular programming.

About Myself, for the Party

For the Thoughts of Spring Blog Party (do you have a blog? are you linked up?), Lynette at Dancing Barefoot asked us to answer some questions about ourselves... here goes:

How would people describe your personality? (If they could only use ONE word.) Are they right?

The one I hear most is 'busy'. The grocery clerk, the lady at the doctors office, the folks at church all say I must be busy. And yes, that's pretty true. I guess it's not really a personality trait.. but I actually really like begin busy, so I'll go with that. 

What celebrity/celebrities would create a “Star-Struck” feeling if you saw them in real life?

I have a secret. I really, really do not ever want to meet any of the 'stars' that I love. I want to believe, forever and ever, that they are the perfect, ethereal beings I've made them out to be. I don't want to know if Colin Firth has a pot belly, or if Cate Blanchett is sarcastic or if Joyce Meyer is full of herself. Stay at arm's length, please.

Who is your favorite blogger? Why?

This one is hard! Every time I go blog hopping I find new ones I love! But check out my blog list for some of my favorites. They are all uplifting, inspiring, funny and instructional.

What is your comfort food/drink?

Cooking is my comfort, I love to do it when I'm feeling out of sorts. If I had to choose one food, of course it'd be chocolate. Particularly in baked goods. Speaking of which, I have some cookies downstairs that Owain and I made last night... I'll be right back.

Be brave – tell us something very random and weird about yourself.

Random and weird... I can pick things up with my toes. Caffeine makes me sleepy. I have a habit of losing expensive jewelry. I love the smell of old books.

Do you have a strong desire to do something you’ve never done? What is it?

Travel! I've never left the country (except Canada, but that doesn't really count). If we had our way, we'd pack up the family and travel the country, and then the world!

Movies: Action, Drama, Romantic Comedy, Documentary, Comedy? What are your favorite genres?

I love romantic, historical movies (Jane Austen, BBC) but I love movies of any kind. Except horror films. I have very strong opinions on the subject of horror films and their negative impact on society.. but I'll refrain. 

Books: Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, Biographies, True Stories, Self-Help, Devotional/Study? 

All and everything! I adore books. I love true stories and history books in particular. And children's books (the really good ones) are wonderful. 

What are your favorite types of reading material?

Only books. I don't read magazines or newspapers, really. 

Music: Funk, Rock, Country, Jazz, Classical, Film Score, Blues, Classic Rock, Crooner, Alternative, 

Heavy Metal, Techno? What are your favorite types?

I'm not actually a music person. I have an iPod, but I lost it. I like classical and jazz. I hate hardcore. Honestly, I like quiet. Edited to add: I've decided this is not entirely true.. here's why.

If you inherited a million dollars, what is the first thing you would do with your money?

Go to Disneyland! No, seriously. The Amazing Husband loves Disney, so we'd go there first. I also think it would be just delicious to have all that money in the bank and not tell anything or do anything with it for a while. Just savor the knowing it was there, like a secret treasure. 

Name one weakness of yours (confession is good for the soul).

I eat sweets every day. I know! And I'm supposedly a healthy eater! I tell myself I make up for it with all the fruits and veggies and no processed foods. Home-made cookies are better than Oreos, right?

If you could live anywhere at all (and take all your loved ones with you), where would you go?

I'd buy a motor home and live on the road, travelling all over. Then I'd buy a big farmhouse in the Seattle area. 

Strange Talent? Can you juggle basketballs, put your legs behind your head or perform some other strange feat?

I can cook dinner while nursing a baby, talking on the phone and drilling math facts. Does that count?

What’s something you consider yourself to be good at? (Don’t worry, it’s not bragging, it’s acknowledging a God given gift).

Reading aloud. Housekeeping. Losing my temper. What? I'm very good at it. Just ask my family. :)

What is one of your favorite things to catch a whiff of? 

Coffee and babies.

When you leave a social gathering, do you wish: You would have talked more or You would have talked less? 

Less! Sometimes I forget that not everyone wants to hear all my opinions. 

If money wasn’t a factor, what stores would you shop in?

If money wasn't a factor, I'd pay someone else to shop for me. 

What is your greatest fear or strange phobia?

Greatest fear - losing my kids. Strange phobia - heights? I guess that isn't very strange. I will tell you that  I'm always thinking about dangers and how I'd rescue my kids if they befell. (Like when we used to drive over the Hoover Dam pretty frequently. I'd always think, "Now if we went over the edge into the dam, how could I get all the kids out?" Then I'd rehearse it in my mind until I'd figured out the best plan. Hey, it's good to be prepared.)

What are your favorite animals?

No.

Are you a hopeless romantic?

I like romantic movies.. but if any of those things happened to me I'd probably laugh.

What movie or book character can you most relate to?

Depends on the day. Mary Poppins. The old woman in the shoe. Bella from Twilight. (That last is a joke.)

So now you know more about me, tell me about you! Leave a comment answering your favorite question (or questions)! I can't wait to learn more about y'all. 

A new blog find and a party!

Edited to add: If you've reached this page from the below-mentioned party, my apologies. In all my brilliant editing, I linked the wrong post to the party! How embarrassing. But all is well, here is the real party post!

I just discovered a wonderful blog called Dancing Barefoot on Weathered Ground. This woman has an amazing testimony and a beautiful spirit. Go spend some time with her!

She's also hosting a blog party the first week of March. There will be LOTS of giveaways, and if you're a blogger it's a great chance to get a wider audience and connect with other bloggers. 

It's Twinsanity!

I found this clever blog a few months ago after a friend recommended it. This woman had 6 kids in 5 years.. including 2 sets of twins! She cooks from scratch organically and homeschools and has lots of kids, so you can see why I like her. I thought you might, too. Go take a look: It's Twinsanity!