Now I've Heard It All

True story.

I was browsing through my Facebook newsfeed last night and came across something my sister had posted. She was drinking her Diet Cherry Pepsi and kept wondering why it tasted horrible.

I don't know how the story was then divulged, but it seems she has a little chemist-in-the-making at her house. Either that, or he's just a goofball.

My nephew apparently thought it would be fun to make ice cubes out of hand sanitizer and Adidas cologne, rather than water.

I know that hand sanitizer can be deadly to children if they ingest it, but I don't know what effects it might have on an adult. My suggestion to her was that she should induce vomiting, just to be on the safe side. I don't think she appreciated that advice.

Blogging and Your Family

When I read today's post at Gather Inspirit spotlighting Andrea of Under Grace and Over Coffee, there was something she said that grabbed my attention.  She said she,

...started blogging as a means to keep my extended family up-to-date on the happenings of our household. But then realized not one family member was reading it!

How many of you have done this as bloggers?  Did you anticipate that your family would read your blog?  Do they read your blog?

I'm very curious about this.  I know my sister and brother-in-law have read my blog at times, but I don't think they really keep up with it now.  My parents look at it occasionally, but usually only when I've told them there is a specific post that I really wanted them to see.  I'm also pretty sure that they don't know the URL for my blog.

So for me it begs the question.  Why don't our families read our blogs?  Is it that they don't "get" the blog thing?

Let me know if you have any insights. 

Just wondering...

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A Thanksgiving Recap

We had a terrific Thanksgiving with my family yesterday.  It included my parents, my grandmother, my sister and brother-in-law, their four kids, my husband, and me.

First, a note to self:  Do not make more than one can of yams.  My sister's family does not eat them, and you will have yam leftovers for a week.

Remember the pie dilemma?  Well, my sister had read my blog the night before, and she razzed me all day about my pie that was not homemade.  I think that at some point in the future I will have to make one again and prove to her that I am capable of making one without Marie Callender's help.  Honestly though, if you're gonna get help from any other pie baker, you might as well use Ms. Callender.  She makes a delicious apple pie.  I'm just sayin'.

After dinner the kids went off to play, and me and my sister went into the living room for our usual post-holiday-meal banter.  She went and found my mom's laptop and pulled up Tim Hawkins' web site.  If you haven't ever seen a Tim Hawkins video, you are missing out.  He is the most hysterical Christian comedian!  Kathy and I laughed so hard, and we would repeat the funny lines at the same time, only to laugh harder.

Awhile later it was time to cut the pies.  The kids all dove into the crustless pumpkin pie that my mom made.  She makes it crustless just for the kids because they always scrape the pumpkin off and leave the crust.  My Marie's apple pie was delicious, especially with the vanilla whipped cream I had whipped up FROM SCRATCH, and so was Mom's lemon meringue.  {I had just a small slice to taste.}  I had forgotten that I really like lemon meringue until I tasted it.

By the time we got home, just before 6:00, I felt like a zombie.  No energy to speak of and pretty much loafed the rest of the night.

Today has been recovery mode for me.  It meant getting on the treadmill this afternoon and watching my calorie intake all day.  Back to reality, I guess.  I know my waistline will thank me later.

The Zoo

My sister needed a babysitter this afternoon, so I agreed to look after her 7-year-old twins.  The other two kids went to camp today.  I decided it might be fun to go on an outing, rather than me just sitting at her house all day while the kids played with the neighbors.  Or worse yet, invited the neighbor kids over.

So the plan was made.  We would go to the zoo.  I was told that my rating as an Aunt would go through the roof. We shall see how that plays out in weeks to come.

It was a fun afternoon.  We saw some cool animals.      

We were captivated by some very hungry fish!

At the Zoo from Liz on Vimeo.

They begged me to ride the train.

And I think we bonded a little.

You know what?  I'm pooped out.

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It's Just What I Wanted

My dad is out in California this week for the Shepherd's Conference being held at John MacArthur's church.  Dad goes every year and comes home with a suitcase full of new books, either that he purchases or are given to all the pastors as gifts from the conference.  Of course, he always enjoys rolling his suitcase into the office his first day back to work and showing me all of his new treasures, while I ooh & aaah over the titles.

So I get a call from him today, asking me about the new personal-sized NASB MacArthur Study Bible in leathersoft that I've been interested in purchasing.  They had them for sale at the table at half price, and Dad wanted to know if I would like him to pick one up for me. 

YEEEES!  I definitely want one! 

I don't have a NASB yet, but I've been reading some scripture online in that translation and have enjoyed it.  I already own a MacArthur study Bible in NKJV and have used it well.  I thought I would enjoy a different translation and a lighter-weight Bible for carrying to church and Bible studies.

So I'll be getting one of these pretty Bibles when Dad returns.  I can't wait! 

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Finding the Perfect Gift

I'll be heading over to church pretty soon because we're having a picnic fellowship on the grounds.  I am going solo, though, because Rich is working again.  Church is like family, so it doesn't matter really.  My folks are getting back in town this morning just for the picnic, so we'll be together. 

Yesterday was my dad's birthday, and I'm looking forward to giving him his birthday present.  Shopping for Dad is a toughy every year because I never know what to get for him.  He loves books, but since he's a pastor, he picks up any of the books he's interested in on his own.  I run the risk of buying him a book he already has, so I steer clear of the books.  A gift card would be fine, but whenever I go that route I feel like I didn't put any thought into the gift. 

This year, though, things are different.  I actually got an idea for his gift two months ago and wrote it down on a piece of paper so as not to forget, and Rich went and picked it up the other day for me.  I hope Dad gets much enjoyment from it.  I think I picked a winner.

A Few Pictures

Alright, I honestly have not been ambitious, but I have a few pictures from our ladies luncheon Saturday. 

This is me and Kathy.  She was portraying the Proverbs 31 woman in a brief Bible character dialogue.  We are very silly together, aren't we?

 

This is the welcome sign I made with fabric and some clip art.

And these are the cupcakes that one of the ladies made for each table.  She made sewing notions out of chocolate and placed one on each cupcake.  Aren't they cute?  Unfortunately, I did not partake of them.  I just admired them very closely.

My Sister's Closet

If you have a sister, you probably know how fun it is when she decides to weed out the clothes she can no longer wear.  I tried to help her with that years ago when we lived at home, but she didn't appreciate it then.  Getting ready for school in the morning and bored with wearing the same things over and over again, I'd get into her closet and find something she hadn't worn in months and put it on.  I mean, if she wasn't going to wear it, then someone should.  But for some reason that made her mad.

Kathy has apparently been sorting through her closet this week, which reminds me that's something I need to do, too.  She sorted out a lot of things and sent me a big bag full of clothes to try on.  Of course, we won't talk about why she can't wear them anymore nor draw any attention to the fact that she is skinnier than me works out like a fiend to keep her girlish figure.  I am so glad she's got good taste in fashion because if this stuff fits, I'm gonna look GOOD this summer.  Can't wait to try it all on.

These Are A Few of My Favorite (Disney) Things

Dear Amanda,

I'm so glad you asked about such an important topic to me.  You truly are a kindred spirit of the Disney kind.

What's your favorite Disney memory?

I've been thinking about Disney memories since you asked me a couple days ago, trying to determine what was the shining moment that stands out in all of my Disney vacation history.  I don't believe there's any one thing that I can say is my favorite memory.  You see, the magic of our years of Disney vacations cannot be summed up in just one thing.  It is one big package of sights and smells and sounds and feelings that make up the memory that is Disney for me.

First, I need to take you back to when this all began.  My parents sparked our Disney addiction at an early age.  We took our first vacation to Walt Disney World in 1979 when I was 5 years old.  Way back then there was just one park - The Magic Kingdom.  My parents knew how to pinch a penny, so my dad converted the inside of our van into a makeshift camper.  He laid carpet, paneled the walls, and even built a bed frame at the back and put a mattress in there, just so we could camp in it.  We actually got to lay on the bed as we traveled.  That was high class to me and Kath.  Mind you, this was before the days of children being required to ride in a car seat.  We camped at a nearby Jellystone Campground.

After that we got even fancier, borrowing campers or tents and actually moving into the Disney complex, staying at Fort Wilderness year after year.  The Disney property grew as the years went by.  I even love to tout the fact that Epcot opened just for my birthday in 1982.  We got to see Danny Kaye and Drew Barrymore filming a Disney special at the park.  I know.  You envy me right now, don't you? 

Those are fun memories, but like I said, the memories are all just one big bundle of magic I carry with me in my heart.  And when I think about Disney, it's these things that bring on the longing to return someday...

1. Upon arriving at Fort Wilderness, having to hurry to the restrooms just to hear the bluegrass music playing
2. Eating pizza at the Trail's End buffet at Fort Wilderness and listening to the banjo player
3. Taking a boat ride at night from Fort Wilderness to the Contemporary Resort
4. Riding in the nose of the Monorail
5. Riding on the buses and knowing you're having a shared experience with the people sitting around you
6. Arriving at the front gate of the Magic Kingdom and seeing Mickey's face done in floral landscaping
7. The music that surrounds you at every turn
8. Walking up Main Street USA and gawking at Cinderella Castle
9. All the smells (flowers, mulch, food, water, Florida)
10. Wanting to ride Peter Pan's Flight, even though it's a kiddie ride and you've done it a hundred times
11. Popcorn
12. Browsing through the candy shop and wanting one of everything
13. Playing in the old arcade at Contemporary Resort and then watching Summer Magic in the little theater
14. Riding the monorail from resort to resort, looking for souvenirs to buy at each stop
15. Swimming at the Polynesian Resort pool
16. The tropical foliage in the center of the Polynesian Resort
17. Watching the sunset at the Caribbean Beach
18. Eating sundaes at the ice cream parlor on Main Street
19. Country Bear Jamboree
20. The original Enchanted Tiki Room (it's my favorite!)
21. The entrance music at Epcot
22. Standing at the base of Spaceship Earth and trying to fathom the ginormousness of the thing
23. Getting goosebumps during the American Adventure
24. Taking a boat ride from Dixie Landings to Downtown Disney
25. Shopping at Downtown Disney
26. Eating ice cream sundaes at Ghirardelli's 

And honestly... this is only scratching the surface of everything I love to remember.

Wishing I was there,

Liz

3/23/08 - The Other Woman

3/23/08 - The Other Woman
Originally uploaded by discoveringliz

I have been informed by my niece that she is going to marry Rich. She insisted on sitting next to him, NOT ME, at Easter dinner yesterday.

You Just Can't Take Me Anywhere

Last night I went out to dinner with my sister and a couple friends for her birthday. We went to a Japanese steak house, where they cook the food right at your table. I've never been to one of these before, so it was an experience that I was somewhat hesitant about. I'm not sure that taking someone who has a fear of fire to one of these restaurants is the best idea, but friends assured me that it was safe...as long as I didn't douse my arms with oil.

I ordered the Samurai Dinner, which was chicken and shrimp. Oh boy, do I love shrimp. I had no idea how much food they would serve us. It was incredible. First he prepared a shrimp appetizer that he cooked up with some sort of egg yolk, pasty looking stuff. I was told that I should ask for extra of the egg yolk pasty stuff, but I wasn't loving it as much as the others. Then he threw some chicken breast on the cook surface and started cooking that up while he made some more shrimp for the entrees. At the same time he cooked some vegetables and then brought out the fried rice. He just kept piling this meat and rice and vegetables on my plate, and I was like... BRING.IT.ON. Oh yeah!

After I cleaned my plate and came to my senses, I realized that I'm supposed to be watching my calories and maybe I shouldn't have eaten EVERYTHING ON MY PLATE. I think I was just mesmerized by the flames and and the amazing food and lost all sense of reality. It never even occurred to me that I could get a "to go" box to carry home the leftovers. That must be the 2 lbs. I gained this morning when I weighed in at First Place. *sigh*

The unfortunate incident of the evening was when I finished my meal. Not unfortunate that I finished my meal but what occurred after finishing my meal. I got sick. Within 10 minutes I was sick. Ugh! I've had a week-long trial battling some stomach upset since Monday. Friday afternoon I felt like I was on the upswing of this thing and my gastrointestinal tract was coming back into balance. Apparently, that is not the case. *sigh*

Christmas With the Family

Well, folks, I managed to get through every Christmas practice, church fellowship, and family gathering by indulging in only ONE sugar cookie. I can't believe I did that! People said it couldn't be done (people=ME), but it really can be. So to celebrate such a feat, I devoured an entire package of Oreos today.

I'm kidding.

Really.
My family had our traditional "Finger Food Christmas Eve". That's when we gather on Christmas Eve at my parents' and eat... well... finger food. Shrimp, meatballs, BBQ smokies, cheese & crackers, veggies & dip, little pigs in a blanket. Stuff like that.

In my earnestness to stay true to my First Place commitment, I prepared (or attempted to) several low-sugar low-fat treats like no-bake cookies (2 kinds), rice krispie bars, and a pecan and graham cracker thingy. Would you believe that NONE of the recipes were any good?!? Totally inedible. Translation = YUCKY! I really tried. :(

I took my guitar this year, hoping to sing carols with my nieces and nephews. I wasn't sure if they'd be game because we've never done that before, but they were great. They named a song, and we'd all sing. Dad sang as he passed through the living room. Mom was singing from the kitchen while she continued to prepare the food. It was a really nice thing, and I'm glad I did that this year.

Another enjoyable part of the evening is when I got to give my sister her gift. This was the big surprise of the year. Since I took up crochet this summer, she thought that I would be crocheting her something. I totally threw her for a loop, though, and I made her a no-sew fleece throw. She's been wanting one for a looooong time. There's a story behind that. There is a lady at church who has been making these fleece throws for several years for every new baby that is born into our church. They are THE treasured gift at every baby shower. We all sit with bated breath, waiting to see the throw unveiled and find out what motif she used for the new one. Every time Kathy sees one she says, Hey, when am I gonna get one? They are so warm and soft and snuggly good. We've heard of some new dads who steal the coveted baby fleece throw from their infant and to cuddle up in front of the TV. Can you imagine? So somehow during the weeks leading up to Christmas it dawned on me that I should make her one. So I did. And that was the big handmade gift issue I had last week. They're not as easy to assemble, if you don't know exactly what you're doing.

I only took a couple pictures, and none would be worth sharing. My sister, though, had some fun ones that her hubby took. My favorite out of all of them is a picture that my niece *K* took of me. She's 6 years old and may have a career in photography in her future. I think she captured my best feature... my cheekbones.

Merry Christmas, Puppy!

I've got a story to share today. It's sure to break your heart, especially if you love animals. Rich works at a superstore/supermarket, and as he was leaving work this afternoon he witnessed a peculiar thing. He said that because of all the snow we've gotten, there's a big pile that's been plowed over to the side of the store. He watched a car drive up next to the snowpile, a person get out, place a puppy in the snowpile, and drive off. He yelled after the guy, "Hey! What are you doing?!?" Another man and his two children were walking toward the store and also saw what was happening. He called after them, asking what they were doing. He yelled that they didn't want the puppy anymore, and the petstore wouldn't take it back. He cursed at the man then drove off.

Rich went and talked to the concerned father. He told him we already have a dog and couldn't take it in, but he'd be glad to take the puppy to the Humane Society. His kids were like, "Oh Daddy, can't we keep it?" He told Rich there was no need to take it to the shelter. They would take it home with them. He asked where he could find a good vet, and Rich recommended one up the street.

Can I get a collective "Aaaaaaw"? Can you believe this man chose to take that puppy home right then and there? At Christmas? How precious is that?

This poor little puppy was going to be abandoned in a snowbank today, but a very kind man saved him. How could I not share this sweet story?

Merry Christmas, puppy!

Wordless Wednesday

This is me, Mom & Kathy at our church Christmas banquet a couple weeks ago. It's very rare to get a picture of us all together, so this is particularly nice.

By the way, I got my personally handcrafted Christmas gifts finished today. They turned out great, and I'm just so excited!

Best-Laid Christmas Plans

I guess it's about time for another Christmas memory, having taken a few days off from this venture. I'm starting to wonder how many more of these I can post. Some of my memories may be a tad uninteresting to anyone who doesn't know me personally...and maybe even to those who do know me personally. I probably would bore you to tears. But I digress.

I remember one particular Christmas - I don't remember how old I was - when I decided it would be fun to go looking for the presents. If I had to guess, I was probably 10 years old. Now in order to understand the humor of my idea, you must know that I was the "good" daughter, meaning my sister was known for sneakiness and mischief. (Sorry, Kath.) It was totally out of character for me to go sneaking where I knew better than to be going.

I knew where Mom hid the presents. Up in her bedroom closet. I don't remember how I knew that, but it's not like we never went in their room. So how could that be such a big secret? But you see, this is evidence enough that I was known as being the good girl because they assumed I would never go up snooping in the gifts. My sister would be much too short at the age of 5 to reach the shelf in the closet.

So I dragged a chair into their bedroom and got it situated for the best access to the presents. Then I went and got Kathy and told her to stand on the chair and tell me what she could see. So you see, I was NOT the actual one snooping. She was. My plan was brilliant because I had not stood on the chair, and I had not looked through the packages. Yes, it was brilliant... unless you forgot to make a solemn pact with your sister that required her death upon divulging any information to the parents.

She gave us up! And yes we were threatened with the, "We're taking all your presents back, and you're getting nothing for Christmas." I don't remember if we got spanked for this offense. Most likely we did because it was a pretty big deal, especially for ME. That was the first and last time I went snooping for gifts. Really, it was.

Funny Blog

You have to go read Dawn's blog today. She is a mom of 6 who lives in Chicago, and she's the writer of the "Because I Said So" blog. She's got some very funny stuff posted today. Made me laugh out loud. You have got to bookmark her website because her stuff is hysterical, and she usually writes every day.

http://mom2my6pack.blogspot.com/2007/11/bless-his-heart.html