A few updates....

A few weeks back, the Middle Boy and I had that BIG DATE--all day event.   His doctor appointment.  Lunch together afterwards.  A trip up and down the aisles of Costco.  Matinee Movie to see Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs.  A visit to his Daddy's office.  Free cups of flavored coffee and tea from their beverage room (where he had too much fun with the whole Keurig machine.)  And culminating with a evening on the town to see Disney on Ice complete with a $12 snow cone in a Mickey Mouse Head.  That's like the proverbial cherry on top....an expensive proverbial cherry, none the less.  It's ice and water with flavoring and food coloring.....how does it cost $12???  

Anyway, we had a great time.  I announced early that morning on the drive to Children's Hospital, how excited I was about our BIG DATE.  He rolled his big brown eyes and smiled every so sweetly and stated, "Mama, I really thought I'd be driving myself on my first BIG DATE.  And if we wouldn't have been about to travel across 3 interstates in one fell swoop, and because state law prohibits 10 year olds from driving at all, there's a possibility I would have pulled over and let him behind the wheel.  I am a sucker for the big brown eyes and sweet smile.....

We did have a super time together---all day and night.  Such a joy for some one on one time with my Middle Boy.  He rated everything on the ride home. 

• 
  
  1st place was being released from activity restriction for his leg....obviously....and tying this spot for first was the trip to Dad's office.
  
  
  
• 
  
  2nd was the movie tied with Disney on Ice
  
  
  
• 
  
  3rd was Costco and Sam's ( we were on a mission, normally I wouldn't drag my kids to all the discount warehouses just for kicks)
  
  
  
• 
  
  and then after he stated all these facts....he so adorably announced....
  And the GRAND PRIZE would be getting to spend the whole day with my Mom. 
  
  
  

I know.  I melted too. It was the best date ever.  Too bad he's too young for me. And I'm already married.  To his father.  Otherwise...I'd be scooping him up before some other girl could snatch him as their own.

Baby Girl is still sickly.  Her tonsils and lympy nodes look GARGANTUAN as the pediatrician stated.  She will have surgery sometime soon to remove those tonsils. We pray this will help.  At the very least, I hope it stops her from snoring like a Grizzly Man. :)  She's puny, but a good sport about it all....and always a good patient. We've had a good time together this week she's been home from school. Pajamas are our clothing of choice!!

I thank you all for your sweet comments, calls, texts, hugs, and emails from the post a couple of days ago about our journey in parenthood.  Just as a small update....Elder Son is surviving quite well.  Last night was the first basketball game.  He was eager to attend to cheer on his school.  He says he's fine...and I believe him. The Dad and I discussed that it probably will be one of the best things that could have happened to him.....hard to see how it all will work that way right in the moment of hurt, but the future looks bright. 

The new net was put up shortly after the family talk Tuesday night.  Since then I have heard the distinct sound of the Thump, Thump, Thump of a basketball on every occasion possible.  He's been out there every free 5, 10, or 15 minutes he's had.....before school in the mornings, right after homework, right before the games yesterday afternoon. 

The House of Bowling will survive. 

Will Middle Son become a famous running back with his bionic titanium leg?.....not yet.

Will Baby Girl be the next Mary Lou Retton on the Olympic Stage?.....not yet

Will Elder Son fly through the air like Michael Jordan?.....not yet.

Not yet....but we'll see....the future's out there, just waiting for each of them.

Are they the best kids ever????  You bet.  That was a no brainer.

Have a great weekend y'all!!

It could have been all the houndstooth that made her sick.

Baby Girl had a gymnastics meet this past weekend.  It was hosted by her club...and the event is called the Bama Rama.   This year's theme, "where stars become legends"....with lots and lots of houndstooth...everywhere.  At any rate....she did very well in competition.  Her highest place was 2nd on beam...with a high score of 9.325.   Way to go TB.   She also placed 4th in the All-Around.  We are proud.  So proud, even with that houndstooth ribbon hanging in her ponytail.

Life lessons are hard....at any age.

Get a Kleenex.  I'll wait.  Seriously, if you decide to venture out and actually read this long post, you'll probably need it, assuming you're human. 

First and foremost let me make this little disclaimer straight out of the gate:  This post has absolutely nothing to do with the coach.  I agree wholeheartedly with his decisions.  This post has entirely everything to do with a mother's heart.  That's all.  Which is an ocean with no bottom....and that fact becomes more apparent every single day.

I have always intended to be honest, transparent and just myself here on the blog. Which sometimes translates to y'all getting short chapters of novels as posts. Because in all honesty, I can be a bit word-y.  But that's me.  And usually, the me you know or read, for the most part is peppy, happy, fun-loving, crazy....and often, word-y.  Today, I'm broken....but still word-y.  Bear with me, here we go.


So, this high school thing is still a roller coaster ride.....it seems not a lot has changed in the last couple of decades.  For 12 solid weeks, we've been experiencing a football induced high. I assume it could be likened to sniffing crack, except it's the smell of the pigskin that brings on the euphoria.  We made it to the 2nd round of state playoffs and even though we lost this past Friday night, it was a good run.  Finishing the year with a 10-2 record overall, was just delightful.  I love football, I think I've mentioned that a time or eight here on the blog! :)   The end of one season here in Smalltown, USA means the IMMEDIATE beginning of another.  And the next sport on slate is basketball.


Basketball is not my favorite....not even close.  However, Elder Son wanted to try out for the junior high team, so we said, "go for it."  Actually, in years past, I've said my boys would try out for every sport, because in our rural small school, sometimes it takes every kid we have that's willing to try out just to compose a team.  I knew it was a long shot that as a 7th grader he would make it.  There were several really good 9th grade athletes who were also trying out, like a whole bunch, and they are primarily the team.  But I gave him my best cheerleader mom style pep speech upon departing the vehicle to enter the gym....."just do your best, that's what matters".  A couple of hours later I received the phone call. 


"Hello"
"Hey Mama, can you come pick me up?"
"Are you finished?"
"Yes, mam"
"Well, did you make the team?"
"No, mam"
"Aww, I'm sorry, but that's okay, I'm still proud of you for trying, maybe you'll get it next year.  And I'll call Granny to come pick you up"


Click.  I didn't have a lot of emotion to offer up right in that moment because I knew he was calling from the gym (thus still around his friends) and I was sitting in the pediatrician's office waiting room with his sick sister waiting to be called back.  A lot was on my mind.  And little did I know that one call would change the course of parenthood for us. 


To be quite honest, one of the first thoughts that went through my head after hanging up was....thank goodness, at lease now I have time to make Elder Son a dental visit and haircut appointment, all after school, because for the first time since August, he will have no practice or games. 


I did call my mom later on to check on him and make sure he was really okay.  She said he was, and that only one 7th grader had made the team, Elder Son's best friend actually, and that Elder Son had already made a call to his mother and him to say congratulations and good luck. 


I knew he would be upset, but I thought that sounded like he was really doing okay. Then I arrived home to talk to him face to face. We discussed try-outs a little, with me holding his face in my hands, looking him in the eye as his lips quivered and telling him it was all going to be fine.  I was proud of him and if he didn't like basketball he didn't have to try out again next year, but if he did, he could work harder and try again.  He agreed, shook his head and began his math homework. 


Then his father arrived home.  Elder Son barely let him get in the back door before he met him in the hallway.  He was coming in from a board meeting and had stopped earlier at lunch, prior to try-outs, to buy a new basketball net for our goal outside...just in case, but we really needed a new net anyway.  He knew Elder Son hadn't made the team, but he brought the net in to show him anyway.  Life lessons are hard.  Elder son stood there and they began talking.....and then I noticed in an instance, Elder Son wasn't talking, he was so sad and was releasing that sadness while his father was talking.  I walked over to be with him.  And I held him as close and as tight to my chest as I could get him, while we both cried.   That scene just about broke the Daddy's heart.  It's tough to see the mama and the firstborn cry at the same time.


I've cried before. Plenty of times.  I've seen my children cry before. Plenty of times.  Even for hurts.  Like in 3rd grade when other kids were saying mean things about Elder Son's features, or just last year when other kids were talking about Middle Boy's small size for his age, or when Baby Girl lets loose on a crying spell, for no reason at all, and she admits she doesn't know why.....just because she's female, I suppose.


But this was different.  This was a first at our House of Bowling. It was a hurt we've yet to experience.  He'll be fine.  He's twelve.  There is next year, or the next. As his father stated to me, it's good for him, not to take for granted that you can just be on a team, you have to work hard for it.   And that is all true.  But it doesn't make it any easier to take right here in the moment. Elder Son is resilient.  He may not even remember this time and the feeling after a few weeks, months or years.  Certainly when he's older and he reads this, he'll probably think this is one of those made up "mama stories". 


But the mama.....she will remember it well.  It will be hard to forget when a chunk of your heart was broken slap into pieces.  Because this little creature that you gave life to had a hurt to bear, and you were there to bear it alongside him.  I won't forget what it feels like.  I know I'll feel it again with all 3 of them in some way or another, many times, over the course of their lives.  Things like boyfriends, girlfriends, work situations, job offerings, family matters, home, goals, school, break-ups, betrayals, loss, devastation, fear, anxiety.....the list is endless and then some.  We've all experienced them.  Life lessons are hard.


This is just where our story begins on the parenthood journey of it all.  I used to wonder why parents, especially mothers, would get so emotional about this kind of stuff.  I wonder no more. I have felt it firsthand.  You just always want the best for your child, for them to be happy, for them to be great at everything, knowing that perfection is impossible.   But you all know if you're a parent, you would wish for your child to never experience hurt of any kind.  As parents you want to shield and protect them...that's our job.  However, it's impossible to do....hurts are a part of life.  Life lessons are hard. Still, it just breaks your heart in ways you can't imagine, or at least I couldn't. I was totally unprepared for this. I don't know that you can prepare for it.  And really in the grand scheme of things, this is a really minor issue, just right now, in this moment, it's as raw as it gets.


I can look back on my life now, and realize things I thought hurt back when I was a teen, things I thought I would never get over, never be able to go on.....I did and I have.  I came through them all.  Not without battle scars, but I did indeed survive them all.  I remember the summer before my senior year in high school, after experiencing a devastatingly tragic loss of a dear friend, thinking that was the most horrid hurting imaginable.  Now I look at it, not as his friend or girlfriend,  but as a parent.  As a mother....what a loss, what a hurt that must be.  I had no idea at the time.  I understand it more now.   But back to the story, that fall, I decided to try something new, something completely different than anything I had done before.  Kind of a new outlook to get my mind off the hurt. 


I tried out for the volleyball team.  Please note I had never played a sport in my life.  Sure I had been a cheerleader for 6 years, but competitive sports....nada.  I made the team.....but I sucked. I even played, started as a senior at the setter position.  I tried hard at what my coach and teammates told me to do.  And I learned a lot that year. Like, a whole lot.  And I had a ton of fun.  At the end of the season, I received a trophy for "Most Improved".  Which basically just meant that I still sucked.....just not as much.


I loved being on the team. Being a part of a team.  My Elder Son enjoys that same feeling, being a part of a  team.   He's going to miss it for this season.  But I'm sure I'll be seeing him out there at that new basketball net trying his hardest to prepare for next year's try-outs. Hoping he won't miss out on that feeling again.

As I said initially, this post is not about the coach, heck, it's really not even about basketball. 


This whole month I challenged all who read our blog, especially those in our H3 group who are memorizing scriptures, to be thankful each and every day this November.  For something new each day.  It's easy to praise God on the mountain; it's more of a challenge to find the praise while you are down in the valley. 


After Elder Son had gone to bed, I laid in the dark trying to find slumber, without much success due to so much running through my mind. And literally my chest was hurting.....I'm sure many of you mothers know what I'm talking about....actual physical pain you feel after going through experiences or trials with your children.  I realized right then and there it was time to find the praises to give to God instead of worrying otherwise.  I thought of these:  I AM THANKFUL FOR,

• to have a son
• to have a son physically able to attempt athletics
• to have a son who isn't afraid to show us his emotions -- Is he going to show you? Probably not. Please remember we are still "cool high school guy"....but this episode was behind the home doors, where he felt his safest, in the arms of his Mama and Daddy who love him so dearly. 
• to have a son who knows that fact. 
• selfishly, to have a son I get to have all these extra hours with each afternoon now.  
• to the Lord for those hours and pray I use them to HIS advantage, to show more of Jesus during this time

I'll leave you with what I told Elder Son this morning.  Knowing he would have a lot to face, head on, at school this morning.  All of this life is fleeting.  Elder Son is on God's team and that's the most important thing in the world.  Bar none.  He can't get cut, and neither can you.  You don't even have to worry about try-outs.....there is a space for everyone.  All you have to do is say yes to His sacrificial blessing....His gift to be a part of HIS team....for eternity.


Life lessons are hard.....at any age.


At 12, it's hard to understand that you can sometimes try "too hard" for something.  And it hurts like crazy when you don't get it.  But youth is on your side and you will bounce back.


At 36, knocking very closely on the door of 37 (next week), it's hard to grasp just how much your heart can love.....and therefore because of that insurmountable love, it was even harder to grasp just how much your heart can hurt.

I hope you weren't expecting shish kabobs for supper.

So, I pass through the kitchen and find various piles of this:

Which is not toothpicks.  The picture may be deceiving.  It is actually bamboo skewers.

Bamboo skewers which Middle Boy decided made for excellent jousting sticks. Or lances.  Or whatever.

And so he created an entire army of bamboo skewer wielding horsemen.  Beware.

Shish Kabobs of The Round Table

Waltisms.....on babies.

We had the pleasure of "baby-sitting" our little niece a couple of weeks back. At the time, she was almost 10 months old. A fun age.  Of course, don't ask me, I think all the ages are fun!

Except for this cool, pre-teen, high-school age.....it's about to kill me.  Or the pre-teen.  :)


Here are a couple of Walt's thoughts that were profound enough he spoke them aloud.

• "Mama, I know it's all fun, and I bet it's fun raising a kid, but I just think it's probably more fun to just raise them every once in a while and not have to raise them all the time, just get to keep them, you know for fun events and stuff overnight and give them back."

Yes. And apparently Walt is under the assumption you can skip right over to grandchildren, as to miss out on all the sleepness nights of parenthood. He has an old-man's brain in his decade young body.

And then this tender-hearted statement, while looking at AK in her footed pajamas.....

• "Mama, I think I'm about to get a tear in my eye cause she's so cute."

Yes. I know the feeling all too well, son. And they don't even have to be babies in footed pajamas for it to happen.

H3---a month of thankful thoughts....the challenge is being met with a HUGE spirit of gratitude.

For our H3 scripture memorization group this month, the verse is on Thanksgiving.  Not turkey and dressing with pumpkin pie, but giving thanks!! The big challenge was to come up with something different every day this month to be thankful for....

I encouraged those participating to maybe post it on their own blogs if they have one, write it in the comments section, even mark it down on their verse card I mailed them earlier.  Day by day, something new to be thankful for.....

And boy are they knocking it out of the water.  I thought you all might be encouraged just by reading a few.....so go here,  here, here, here, here, here, here and here,.... and let your heart be filled.  Just a few who are posting it on their blogs, and sharing in this time of thankfulness.  Many folks without blogs or for personal reasons have sent me emails or left comments, and I even had a couple of people come up to me at the ballgame last Friday night stating they read the blog and were enjoying the H3 posts. 

• The Lord is at work, my dear internet friends, and don't ever let the devil tell you differently. 

I want to also direct you back to the original post for this month...November 3rd.  My dear friend, K.P. whom so graciously accepted her appointment as our Hebrew word search specialist, left us another nugget of gold to speak to our hearts concerning a deeper look at Psalm 100:4.  Please check back in on that post and read the comment section.

Again...let your heart be filled.  I know it's not even quite halfway through the month and mine is bursting already!!  Thank you all for participating whether with your blog, comments, emails, notes, calls, texts, etc.....the bottom line, however you are doing it....I appreciate you just for putting your hearts of thanks out there to encourage me and others. 

I cannot imagine a better way to spend this month of Thanksgiving than giving praise to the One who really deserves it....every single minute of our day.  And as much as I am enjoying this, laughing and crying at your words of thankful thoughts, reading your praises with my heart smiling inside, so happy....it is then that I realize this is what we will get to feel all the time in eternity with our Lord.  Now that is something to be THANKFUL for!

Because babies are just too much fun.....

• For your viewing pleasure, may I present a little conversation session with our sweet niece, AK:

Hey there Uncle T....since I'm staying overnight, my mama sent my bottles of milk....and my paci's.

Do you want me to open it for you sweet girl?

You don't even have to say please, I'd be happy to hold it while you relax. What do you see, AK? Do you see middle boy?

Hey there Middle Boy... what have you been doing today? Do you like my monkey pajamas? Do you want some of my milk? Do you know where they keep the sundrop around this place?

Hush up, Uncle T, I'm trying to talk right now.

Oh, middle boy, has anybody ever told you how cute you are? So cute.

Cute, right down to your little button nose.

Now, listen up. I've got something serious to ask.

Do you think I'm cute or what?

 

**H3 connection = I'm thankful for sweet little baby cheeks to kiss, and to those parents who share their wee ones with us!!! 

Thank a Soldier and his family....

My friend, Michele, sent me an email a few days ago...."The Sack Lunches"--it was a great story, but what really struck me hardest were these words located at the bottom of the story.... I'm not sure of the author, but wanted to pass them along.

• A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to 'The United States of America' for an amount of 'up to and including My life'. That is HONOR and there are way too many people in this country who no longer understand it.

Take the time today to thank any veterans, or presently serving soldiers that you can. We can never repay them with the gratitude they deserve. 

Another thing that is pressing on my heart....be thankful for the sacrifice and burdens placed on the families of soldiers.... be prayerful for them as well. 

**H3 connection -- I am grateful to any serving now, those gone on before, those who paid the ultimate sacrifice for you and I, those who have yet to volunteer....for providing my family and I the freedoms we cherish.  God Bless the USA.

Cooking Camp...RAINBOW CAKE

The elder son came home from church wanting to make a cake.  Sure thing.  What are Sunday afternoons for?  I said naps, the kids voted for cake baking. The kids won. However, I still rule things around the kitchen, so when Elder son brought out a red velvet cake mix (knowing I need it to make red velvet cookies for the hospitality room this weekend at Baby girl's gym meet), I balked.   And promptly bribed, suggested nicely, that we make a Rainbow Cake. A few weeks ago, maybe it was months, I saw a picture of one on MckMama's blog, (continue to pray for her son Stellan) and immediately filed it away to do sometime, knowing the kids would enjoy the process.  They loved the idea.

And so the saga began:

T-5 was amazed at how well we did on our Rainbow Cake.  I think the kids were amazed too, even though they made each layer and saw it bake.  When I called them in after I had assembled and iced each layer, I cut into it to show their Dad and everybody said WOW.   Now that's what you call "sweet success".  

I cut them a big slab and put it on a platter....because it's tall and a plate just wouldn't do.  In the photo below, I hope you can see the finger trails within each colored layer.  Baby girl had to try EACH cake color.  As a taste test.  Which she later informed Middle boy that the purple and green tasted best and thus were her favorites, the red, eh, not so much.  I tried explaining that all the cake layers taste the same....they were all made from the same mix, and food coloring does not give off any extra flavoring.  But it was to no avail, she just looked at me like I was crazy and took another fingertip full of purple and licked it clean, declaring it the hands down color of choice.

This last pic may need a little explanation:  I didn't have a cake dome high enough to cover this masterpiece, so we improvised with our big pasta pot.  No spaghetti this week until the cake is gone. :)

**H3 connection --- I'm thankful for free Sunday afternoons where we can make Rainbow Cakes, and be reminded that HIS promises still stand true today!!

It's been a long time coming for broken leg boy......

Middle Boy and I had a date last Thursday.  An ALL DAY and NIGHT type event.  The most important aspect of it was scheduled way back in the summer and is where our date story begins, with an appointment at Children's Hospital to visit with the orthopedic surgeon.  It was, for many reasons, a time middle boy has looked forward to for MONTHS.  Since May 29th, in fact, back when he broke his femur on the very last day of school. 

Here he is wearing his brand new argyle sweater vest just for this special occasion.  And as it turns out, and as Dr. Doyle and myself duly noted to him....that vest matched up with his paper hospital shorts perfectly!!  :)  He had to slip on his shorts so the doc could bend and push on his knee and leg....a lot, and watch him stand, jump, walk and run on his leg.  He passed all the tests with flying colors, (he's not being tracked by Duke University for nothing you know). 

And so there we 5 sat, in the patient room:  Dr. Doyle had decided to take a seat on the patient bed, I was in the "mom chair", middle boy was spinning around on what would usually be the "doctor's stool", and the 2 ortho residents in their fresh white lab coats were standing behind him.   Dr. Doyle spoke about the upcoming surgery to remove the rods.  The residents listened very intently not only to all the scientific surgical mumbo jumbo stuff he listed out for me, the ramifications, how they do things in Europe, the growth plate issues, etc.etc. as well as the residents were learning from the way he spoke to me.....like I was a real live mother of a precious child that he cared about and held his best interests at heart.  Beside 101...it goes a long way. In my book, anyway.  And Dr. Doyle...he must have been top of his class in that course for sure.  Not to mention, he's an AWESOME surgeon. 

But, there's still another funny story to tell.  One to share, because you'll laugh at it too.   As we all sat there, discussing the issues at hand, the doctor kind of paused, giving middle boy just the chance he needed.  His hand shot up and he declared, "I have a question".   And the following conversation ensued: 

W:  "I have a question"
Dr:  (pointing to Walt) "Okay,  you in the front row, what's your question?"
W:  "When you do the surgery to remove the rods, do you keep them, or can you give them back to me to keep?"
Dr:  (never losing face, addressing him like he was speaking at some Ivy League surgical conference)  "Well, there are some issues that would need to be addressed first.  Under normal conditions, we only allow patients with either the first name Walt, or the last name Bowling to keep the rods.  And even then, they are asked to sign a release form stating among other issues, that they will not use the titanium rods as a weapon to hit anyone over the head, they will not use the rods to poke or prod their siblings, and they will not use the rods as a nose picking device to reach boogers. 

Which is a very dangerous activity due primarily to the fact that the booger juice can have a reaction with the titanium oxide in the rods.  Which in turn can create a secondary infection in the airways leading into the lungs, called ------ (he used some big science made up name that ended in "osis").  And that would, well, it would just create an even bigger problem than the one you had orginally by breaking your thigh bone.  

Of course you probably don't have to worry about any of that because normally none of that occurs except in those rare patients that are what we call "wild", those who match the first name Walt, with the last name Bowling.  But I'm sure in your case there's nothing to worry about, all should be fine."

(He starts flipping through his chart, and scans the mouse over the computer on the wall that is showing the x-rays of the leg, the break, the rods,etc.) 

He looks up from all of this, and stares middle boy right in the eyes, with a look of complete shock and says...."Oh crap, you're Walter Bowling".

At which point we all bust out laughing.  It was a priceless moment, amongst many months of recovery.

Basically our day started out grand.  Middle Boy received the news he's been waiting to hear for so long now....he was released to be a  normal boy again.  Which may or may not include tackle football.....  From the looks of his blue jeans on Friday after school and then the high school game, he played hard whatever he was doing.  After months of clean jeans,  I'll be needing to invest in some good grass stain remover.  And I couldn't be happier about that little fact. 

He was just BEAMING when we left Children's hospital.  Can you imagine being his age and not being able to really "play" for almost 6 months?  Me, either.  I do ask for you to be in prayer for him....I'll let you know specifically when at a later time.  He will have surgery to have the titanium rods removed.  We have opted to wait until after Christmas for this to be scheduled.  Although the surgery itself is out-patient and should be relatively "easy", he will be in pain for a few days, missing school a couple of those, and will be sore for a bit afterwards.  And, the kicker, he will also need to be on activity restriction again for 6 weeks afterward.

He's ready to play a while.  He's ready to be off the restriction list for now.  And we couldn't agree more.  

Thank you all for your prayers, well-wishes and sweet messages, acts of kindness, gifts and goodies you have shown Middle Boy during this ordeal.  I hope it's the first and last time he breaks his femur. :)   

H3 connection = I'm thankful for his recovery & release and for his wonderful surgeon.

Happy Birthday!!

So, today is my sister's birthday. She's older than me. And often wiser.

This picture is not recent. It's from May 2008. When looking for one, and realizing I rarely stop to take pics of adults in our family, I'm usually just focused on whatever the kids are doing, I concluded that this Holiday season I need to get some adult photos to file away. Especially of me and my sister.

Regardless of the not so recent photo, I'd like to wish her a HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!

Plus, I'd also like to list a few thankful thoughts I've had this first week of November:

• Obviously, I'm thankful for my older, wiser sister. She's a real gem. That became very clear when she gave me an American Express card during my college years at Auburn. That I could use on Wednesday nights at Denaro's for Karaoke night. And the bill was mailed to her. And she paid it. And my friends and I had a good time..... :)
  Seriously, that's just a great memory, I'm truly thankful for all she has done and continues to do for me, my kids, and our family as a whole.

• I'm thankful for my friend, Lana, who just this week was kind enough to send some stationery business my way.

• I'm thankful for my mom, who took care of baby girl this week while I was tending to some business with the middle boy. I hated to leave her, with a fever, and so sickly....I like to be the one taking care of them when illness befalls them. However, I knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she would be very well taken care of, even if I was many miles away.

Are you joining us with H3 this month? It's a real blessing to me, and I bet you'd enjoy it too, even if only for this month. This month of thankfulness. We all have much to be thankful for....too much to ever be able to list. I may not always list all of mine here each day this month, but I'm keeping them written on our H3 verse card I mailed out to those I know who are participating. And if you didn't receive one and are participating, please email me .... bowlingfamilymoments@yahoo.com.

I better run....nice weather outside this Saturday...about to go enjoy it with the family!!

Have a super weekend!

Cooking Camp....Sausage Squares

This is the breakfast of champions. And the snack of champions. And the best baby brunch shower food ever. And so on and so forth. It's just plain good. We've been enjoying them for many years. The entire family loves them. The only problem, they don't last long.

The good news, it's just 4 ingredients.

• Crescent rolls.

• sausage and cream cheese

• shredded cheddar

It's a real love/hate relationship, which you'll experience as soon as you make a batch.

You will love me for sharing the recipe.

And after you eat the entire pan, you will hate me for sharing the recipe.

Yep, he's a future heartbreaker.

I've just returned from what could go down on the record books as the best DATE ever. EVER. And it wasn't with my husband....it was with this cute guy:

And my, oh my, have I got some stories to tell you....but my pillow beckons me, and I cannot resist.

Step aside, Susan Lucci, I received an award....

Yep. I know I'm really behind. It's how I roll. With a big behind. :)

At any rate, I must attend to the proper thanking of this award business first. Last week, Rebecca @ A Southern Boy and a City Girl was kind enough to give me this award......which I was indeed appreciative, but just couldn't find the time to get a post up about it. And then tonight, Krisha @ A House Divided was ever so kind to also give me the same award.

• So a great big thanks, to both you sweet gals, you made my day.....even if you are die-hard Alabama fans, I still love you! :)
  

Here are the rules for the award:

1) You must thank the person who gave the award and list their blog and link it.
2) You must share "10 Honest Things" about yourself.
3) You have to present this award to 7 others whose blogs you find brilliant in content and/or design, or those who have encouraged you.
4) Last, you must tell those 7 people they've been awarded HONEST SCRAP and inform them of these guidelines in receiving the award.

• 10 Honest Things About Me

1) I had no idea Prince Charming really existed until I found him in Section 19 at an Auburn football game in the fall of '93. However, he was not riding a white horse. In fact, for much of that year at Auburn, he borrowed my Pontiac Sunbird.

2) I still rock myself to sleep every night... by lightly swaying my body back and forth if I'm on my side, or if on my back, by moving my foot, knee or leg up and down or side to side to create a rocking movement as well. Weird, I know.

3) I secretly wish I could play the piano like my boys....maybe when they finish taking lessons, I'll start.

4) I heart football games. High School or College. Televised or Live in the stadium!!

5) In high school....a stay at home mom would not have made the list of my top 100 occupations to try to obtain. In fact, I'm not even sure if I wanted to have kids back then.....but now....I couldn't have imagined/created/designed/applied for a more perfect job for me. And with so many perks.

6) I stare at my kids, a lot, because I can't believe God gave them to me.

7) Some tragedies in life are hard to put behind...I struggle with them still, years later.

8) I say my favorite color is purple, because that was my Granny's favorite......but really I love all God's rainbow and would have a hard time choosing just one favorite.

9) I am a book nerd. I know it. I embrace it. And I don't really care what you think about my love of reading. :)

10) I am learning to trust HIM more, every day, with the big, small, good, bad and ugly parts of life.

I give this award to the following super fine folks:

Jennifer @ JENN

Bentley @ Adam, Bentley and Ella

Jenni @ Conversations with my hair dryer

Mary @ There's Something about Mary

Tabitha @ mm Hmm

Lindsay @ Southrn Exposure

Maryalice @ Hocutt's House

I shudder at the thought of making the dreaded "E"

Baby girl reminded me the other day that we have to take a copy of her report card to her training, as her gymnastics coach has requested it. A lot of outside time is put into gym practice, many hours each week, and the club wants to make sure that girls keep up their academics as well. Her coach has a rule that in order to maintain your spot on the competitive team, you must also maintain an A-B average.

The conversation went like this:

• "Mama, Coach said to be sure to bring our report cards to practice. We have to show them to her."

"Why?" (of course I know why, I just like to hear her tell stories, with all the drama and flair)

• "Because if you have any C's, D's, E's or F's, you will not be able to be on the team. She said we could only have A's or B's."

I have no idea how she's maintained ALL A's.... never having made a single "E" in her entire school career.

Hide His Words in your Heart---November's Verse

"Enter his gates with THANKSGIVING

and his courts with praise;

give thanks to him and praise his name."

~~Psalm 100:4

See, I'm true to my promise. Only one verse to memorize this month. Although it was hard, I really wanted to memorize the entire chapter of Psalm 100. Like most psalms, it's a beauty and such an encouragement. A psalm for giving thanks...and should be easy to remember during this particular month!! :)

Here's the thing....I want you to immediately think of the Lord's blessings when you walk into the grocery store, the craft store, the office supply store, when you look upon the bulletin boards or artwork at schools, the calendar on your desk at work, the butterball turkey commercials, the green bean casserole recipe from your Grandmother, the pilgrim hats your grandchildren will wear at lunch one day, the design graphics for all the TV specials and college football games......

Basically this is a deep sensory scripture memorization. Every time you see, hear, touch or smell THANKSGIVING, at any time this month, I want you to stop and thank the Lord. Give Him the honor and praise....for all of our blessings come forth only by HIS HAND alone.

And I must also give you an early challenge this month. I'm certain all of us will be able to hide these words in our heart long before the month ends. However, I would like you to take it a step further. Your challenge is this:

• Every single day, when you read your index card, or however you plan to memorize this verse, I challenge you to name a blessing from the Lord you are thankful for.....a different blessing, each day.
  

It's easy to come before God with a list of things we need help with, baggage from the past we can't let go, hurt, shame or pain that never seems to go away. And you know, we should, in fact we are commanded, to pray about those issues. However, we should also always remember to Praise God. Even in the bad times. Even when the day seems like there was nothing good that happened, nothing worthy to be thankful for, nothing at all. Look again. There is never a day we can't praise God by telling him how great he is.

I know that we have H3 participants (or their friends and family) in our group this month who will be experiencing life, the good and the bad with things such as heartaches, marital bliss, labor and delivery, travel, loss, marital dismay, a new business, unemployment, a new home, birthdays, financial burdens, physical therapy, the unknown....and the list goes on and on.

Every day we have SO much to be thankful for....even if it's when we look in the mirror and say, well, at least I'm having a good hair day. Because remember, he even knows how many hairs are on your head...including the grey ones!!

• Thank Him because your hair stylist can color those grey ones right up!
• Thank Him because your son can walk.
• Thank Him because the forecast shows no rain all week!
• Thank Him because your family is always there for you to lean on....even when miles separate you.
• Thank Him because sweet potato pie is your absolute favorite. Or pecan, or pumpkin, or anything dessert related!!!
• Thank Him because that cute sweater just went on sale.
• Thank Him because the foliage he paints every fall is gorgeous.
• Thank Him because your daughter reads His word.
• Thank Him because the weekends provide a time of rest, a big pot of chili, and some SEC football.
• Thank Him because you have parents who were Godly examples.
• Thank Him for dishwashers, I know I do.
• Thank Him for allowing you to know ladies who can make really good dressing. (I think you Northerners call it stuffing.) Too bad you don't have our southern dressing. I feel sorry you have to eat stuffing. :)
• Thank Him for showing you your mate...even if you were apprehensive to trust Him with that choice.
• Thank Him for the coupons in Sunday's paper, because they match up with your weekly meal plans.
• Thank Him because he holds your tongue.
• Thank Him for whoever invented cranberry sauce.
• Thank Him for Book Club.
• Thank Him because he gives you terrific friends to surround you in joy or sadness.
• Thank Him because he is your friend.
• Thank Him because he forgives you, daily.

Thank Him for sending his Son. Otherwise, we would certainly have nothing to be thankful for....

Okay, so get started. I encourage you to write down your thankful thoughts somewhere as reminders now and for years to come. Maybe on your calendar, in a journal, just jot down one word responses on a sheet of paper stuck in your bible, or maybe on a little something you'll be receiving in the mail from me. (And if you are new this month, or just didn't have time to participate last month, be sure to send me an e-mail (bowlingfamilymoments@yahoo.com) with your mailing address.) Or if you have aboslutely no idea what H3 is....click here to read more.

I may check in throughout the month, and post on what I was thankful for that day. I'd love to hear some of what you may be thankful for this month. If you have a thankful moment you want to share, a funny story, a sad time that brought about unexpected thankfulness, whatever the case may be, you can feel free to e-mail me, or leave a comment, or post it on your own blog, or send someone you are thankful for a note via the pony express. Who knows what blessings the Lord has in store for each of us this November.

And remember, EVERY day must be something NEW to be thankful for.....30 days, 30 thankful measures, no matter how big or small. Better start immediately, you're already 3 days behind. :)

Today, I'm thankful for all of you!

Monkey See, Monkey Do....

Once upon a time

....there was a lot of monkey business going on at the House of Bowling.

Our little niece, AK, blessed us with a little overnight stay this past weekend. And these two little monkeys had a ball playing almost all night long. Monkeys have A LOT of energy. Lucky for us, we had a birthday party to attend for another niece, Savannah, so there would be lots of helping hands to tame the monkey.

Basically, Savannah thought we brought the baby as her surprise birthday gift for the evening. She toted her around throughout the entire 2+ hours we were there. At one point, after they had been on a short hayride around the property, I heard Walt following them through the house saying, "Okay, Savannah, now you are just hogging her"........

Here's a shot of the inquisitive monkey peeking around trying to see what everyone's doing in the hay.





The monkey can also talk now. Smart little monkey. I asked her if she had a good time on the hayride with those kids....to which she replied with the open mouthed "baaaahhh,gahhhh,baaahhhh,maaaaahhh,baaaahhhh,bahhhhh"....which translated =...I had a BLAST!


The monkey had a few tricks up her sleeve for entertainment as well......dancing being atop the list. And as we noticed throughout the evening....walking, without assistance, is not a completely acquired skill yet, but it's certainly not very far behind.




The monkey can also crawl extremely fast.....and then pop up to offer a quick giggle to her cousins. She was a very happy monkey, who stole the hearts of all in just a short period of time.


We were sad to see the monkey return to her zoo. But hope to see her again real soon. Because I ask you the all important question,

.....What's life without a dancing monkey???

The End.