One definition of a·vail·a·ble according to Webster is “present or ready for immediate use.” The disciples that Jesus called were available. When He called them, they came without reservation or excuse. They followed “immediately” and “at once.” (Matthew 4:18-22). Patrick and I have always claimed that we wanted to be available. We didn’t want to walk...
Rainbow Nachos
In honor of St. Patrick’s Day, we’ll be eating rainbow nachos. The kids think there’s nothing better than being able to eat chips for dinner. RED: Salsa. Fresh, jarred, mild, spicy. There are so many options. ORANGE/YELLOW: Cheesy chicken dip. Combine melted Velveeta, a little bouillon, and cooked chicken. We did ours in the crock...
P.E.R.F.E.C.T
Multi-tiered, discarded furniture from educational institution for $1 + painted herb pots + sunny corner Equals P.E.R.F.E.C.T
{#16} Be your own advocate
When someone has a biological baby, we all know the etiquette on showers, meals, and hospital visits. Conveniently a pregnant woman carries around a physical reminder to remind us to throw a shower, plan a meal, and ask how she’s feeling and when she’s due. Adoption etiquette is a whole different ball game. The invisibility...
Awesome, Ty!
Last fall, I was really torn between putting Ty in preschool and keeping him home an extra year to make sure we were setting him up to succeed whenever he entered the world of structured, group settings. Then I found this fabulous program that was a 3-hour-drop off (major points) AND half preschool-half gymnastics (remember...
Lenten Chain Crosses
If you’ve been reading along for a while, you know we are pretty fanatical about our Christmas chain. It occurred to me today that we have been really bad as a family about counting down to Easter. I was remembering a conversation I had with PJ in December about which was more important–Christmas or Easter. ...
Spring is sprouting…hopefully
Gardening has officially begun for the 2011 season. Patrick has been wanting to experiment with growing herbs (or veggies) under grow lights for a couple years now. The now-empty corner of our dining room seemed to be screaming, “Grow herbs here! Who cares about the wine rack?” so we obliged. The light is bought (but not...
{#15} Possessiveness
Our kids are not our own. At least, I’m speaking from the perspective of Patrick and I. They, like everything else that’s “ours,” are God’s first and foremost and He has graciously left them in our stewardship while they are here on earth. While this concept is really threatening to some, it’s quite comforting to...