beautiful girl...

not that i love seeing her cry, but i LOVE this picture!!!

cause one is not enough...

interlude...

whilst waiting for the cookies to bake, jackson finally convinced mommy to let him get in the swing...he's been faithfully trying since i got it out for little zoey to use...she HATES the swing...so, why not...

and...lo AND behold...HE FELL ASLEEP...could not believe it. the boy who bounces in his bed for at least 25 minutes before falling asleep...asleep within 5 minutes of getting into the swing...unbelieveable!!!

being back in the swing must have taken him back to his baby days...when the swing was the only thing that soothed him...

baker man...

we made cookies this morning...oatmeal raisin.

yes, i let jackson "help"...yes, i know how a one-year-old "helps".

i HAD to...i HAD to get over the mess it would be...i HAD to let him help...it was therapy for me...a person who does not like mess, a person who likes to do things quickly.

when his hands began to find their way into the mixing bowl, i did not scold...he looked at me as if to ask, "is this okay? or am i going to be sent to the corner?" yeah, it's okay...your nutty, mess-free mommy is going to relax and let you have messy fun...

a grab...

and a taste...


and since she's not fussing...i'll try an ENTIRE RAW COOKIE...

i didn't let him eat the whole thing raw...i took it away...and YES...i put it back on the cookie sheet to bake...and YES...he did lick just about every other raw cookie before i was able to get them into the oven. no worries...you're NOT invited for milk and cookies...but the next time you are, it might be a question worth asking..."did jackson lick the cookies?".

enjoying the finished product...

week one...

no tv...have to admit...i am still a bit itchy to turn it on...but...

• my house is REALLY clean...i mean, REALLY CLEAN. i'm not saying that i would eat off of the floors or anything...because it's snowy here and sloshy, messy feet are constantly tracking in the salty/slushy goodness from outside...but you can certainly eat off of the counters.
• my house is organized...OR.GAN.IZED...the closets and drawers and cupboards...really, come and see...it's ridiculous...even for me.
• jackson is no longer asking for the tv to be turned on in the morning...instead he asks for music...and i happily oblige. we host regular dance parties...you're all invited!
• i've read four 300+ page books while the little ones are napping. shame on me for ever saying that i just don't have time to read anymore....hello, dummy, turn off the tv!!! i did...and it's the best thing i've done for myself.
• i've indulged a crafting itch...while perusing blogs, i was inspired to try my hand at something i saw on http://megduerksen.typepad.com ...she had a crafting weekend with girlfriends she met through her blog...how fun is that?!! anyway, scroll through her posts...to pictures of that weekend...and look at the hoops...FUN!

i decided to do mine a bit differently...frames instead of hoops.

confesssion: i actually had a panic attack in the process...i gathered everything together...had it all sitting out in front of me...and had a panic attack that i would start being crafty...and i'd do it wrong...and it would be ugly...and i would hate it and throw it in the trash...and that would be a HUGE waste of money. silly, silly me. something that was supposed to be fun and creative...almost ruined by over-thinking it...silly.

so, i got over it and just started...and here's the result...

what i used:

fun, bright material

rick-rack

embroidery floss

the fabric that you use for cross-stitching

fabric glue

white frames i found at target for $3.99

all stuff you might have around the house...go find it...don't have a panic attack...get busy and have fun!

next crafty-craft: tissue paper pom-pom flowers...wanna make some to hang over zoey's crib.

no tv??? okay...TRUTH...we still watch some...about 1/8th of what we used to watch...it's off all day...we record what we want and are able to watch the shows we love in about half the time by fast-forwarding through the commercials...yay, DVRs!!!

so, correction to the beginning of this post..."some tv"...baby steps...

hymn-singers, part 2...

one of grandma matchette's favorites:

DAY BY DAY

day by day and with each passing moment, strength i find to meet my trials here. trusting in my Father's wise bestowment, i've no cause for worry or for fear. He whose heart is kind beyond all measure gives to each day what He deems best, lovingly its part of pain and pleasure, mingling toil with peace and rest.

every day the Lord Himself is near me with a special mercy for each hour. all my cares He fain would bear and cheer me, He whose name is Counselor and Power. the protection of His child and treasure is a charge that on Himself He laid. "as your days, your strength shall be in measure," this the pledge to me He made.

help me then in every tribulation so to trust Your promises, o Lord, that i lose not faith's sweet consolation offered me within Your holy Word. help me, Lord, when toil and trouble meeting, ever to take, as from a Father's hand, one by one, the days, the moments fleeting, till i reach the Promised Land.

one of grandpa matchette's favorites:

I'D RATHER HAVE JESUS

i'd rather have Jesus than silver or gold; i'd rather be His than have riches untold; i'd rather have Jesus than houses or lands. i'd rather be led by His nail-pierced hand than to be the king of a vast domain and be held in sin's dread sway. i'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

i'd rather have Jesus than men's applause; i'd rather be faithful to His dear cause; i'd rather have Jesus than world-wide fame. i'd rather be true to His holy name than to be the king of a vast domain and be held in sin's dread sway. i'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

He's fairer than lilies of rarest bloom; He's sweeter than honey from out of the comb; He's all that my hungering spirit needs. i'd rather have Jesus and let Him lead than to be the king of a vast domain and be held in sin's dread sway. i'd rather have Jesus than anything this world affords today.

when i asked what their favorite hymns were, their first answers were identical to grandma and grandpa halsey's...VICTORY IN JESUS and FACE TO FACE...

LOVE THESE GRANDPARENTS!!!

la-la...aka elmo...

covered in elmo stickers...jammin' to the "peanut butter and jelly" song...LOVE THIS BOY!!!

hymn-singers...

hymns...make me think about sunday nights at mc coy memorial baptist church...when we could call out a hymn number for the whole congregation to sing. as a little girl, i felt so "in charge"...i got to decide what we would sing. my favorites? heaven came down and wonderful grace of Jesus. last weekend, i bought a hymn book...because i'm forgetting the words...i start singing a hymn to jackson and zoey...and have to stop because i can't remember the next verse...sad. i LOVE a good worship song...but i miss hymns. SO. MUCH. (sidenote: i'd love to get my hands on an old, green mc coy memorial baptist church hymnal...because the new hymn books have WAY TOO many praise choruses and not enough of the old hymns.) hymns...make me think of my grandparents...because they haven't forgotten the words...and on those hymn sing sunday nights i was usually sitting with one set or the other singing my little heart out.

just a few years ago...one of the most precious memories of my life...singing hymns with grandma halsey and grandma and grandpa matchette...in g & g matchette's living room. they certainly didn't need hymn books to remember the words...

one of grandma halsey's favorites:

VICTORY IN JESUS

i heard an old, old story, how a Savior came from glory, how He gave His life on calvary to save a wretch like me. i heard about His groaning, of His precious blood's atoning. then i repented of my sins and won the victory.

i heard about His healing, of His cleansing power revealing, how He made the lame to walk again and caused the blind to see. and then i cried, "dear Jesus, come and heal my broken spirit," and somehow Jesus came and brought to me the victory.

i heard about a mansion He has built for me in glory, and i heard about the streets of gold beyond the crystal sea; about the angels singing, and the old redemption story; and some sweet day i'll sing up there the song of victory.

o victory in Jesus, my Savior forever! He sought me and bought me with His redeeming blood. He loved me ere i knew Him, and all my love is due Him. He plunged me to victory beneath the cleansing flood.

one of grandpa halsey's favorites:

FACE TO FACE

face to face with Christ, my Savior, face to face--what will it be when with rapture i behold Him, Jesus Christ who died for me?

only faintly now i see Him, with the darkling veil between; but a blessed day is coming when His glory shall be seen.

what rejoicing in His presence, when are banished grief or pain; when the crooked ways are straightened and the dark things shall be plain.

face to face--o blissful moment! face to face--to see and know; face to face with my Redeemer, Jesus Christ who loves me so!

face to face i shall behold Him, far beyond the starry sky; face to face in all His glory, i shall see him by and by!

LOVE those hymns!!! MISS those grandparents!!!

must ask g & g matchette what their favorites are...i'll post those, too...

wanna a good read???

more like...wanna a disturbing/cringe-worthy/can't-put-it-down read???

very well-written, very thought-provoking, VERY good books!!!

finished all three within days.

so glad i didn't find them before all three were written and released...

they're meant for young adults, but i really enjoyed them...kinda violent...kinda graphic (descriptions of violence, not sex stuff)...with a love triangle thrown in for good measure.

i recommend...

OOPSY!!!

***OOPS!!! i put sugar down twice in the banana crunch muffin recipe...see below for correction!!!***

hope no one has tried to make the muffins...or you had good sense to find my mistake...or you called me, like katie did, to ask about it.

SEE?!! this is why i shouldn't be allowed in a kitchen...

M-MM-MMM...

banana crumb muffins:

1 1/2 c. flour

1 t. baking soda

1 t. baking powder

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. cinnamon

3 mashed, ripe bananas

3/4 c. sugar

1 egg

1/3 c. melted butter (5+ T.)

crumb topping:

1/3 c. brown sugar

2 T. flour

1/8 t. cinnamon

1 T softened butter

1. preheat oven to 375

2. mix muffin ingredients and spoon into cupcake papers or a greased cupcake pan

3. mix crumb topping ingredients and sprinkle over muffins

4. bake for 18-20 minutes

YUMMMMMMMY!!!

zu-zu...

LOVES to lay in her bed and stare at her animals...HAPPY, HAPPY baby!!!

snow day...

love the pant leg...