Happy Mother's Day Friends!

First off, let me wish all of you moms and future moms out there a very Happy Mother's Day.

I will be getting up with my family to make the early service at church, then we're off to my mother in law's for lunch. That should be fun. I've been blessed with a wonderful Step-mom, Linda, and mother-in-law, Jane. I'm working on Sunday evening from 11pm - 7am for a friend who is taking the night off. I do hope she has a beautiful time with her little one and hubby, getting to sleep at night like a normal person.

If you are planning to make a special Mother's Day post, please make sure and head over to Angie's at The Knightly News and join the fun! She is hosting a mother's day meme that you must join. That way I can read about your special day and the very special mother who raised you up.

The picture below was taken in 1979, after the birth of my baby brother George. I'm the oldest with the hippy-dippy long hair. My sister Jennifer has a Mork from Ork shirt on...remember those? And my sister Amy is just waiting to hold her baby brother. There are lots of things I don't remember, but that day I remember clearly. Thankfully, I have my own children to keep my mind off of the sadness I can feel on Mother's Day when I think of her. She died from cancer nine years ago, at the age of 54. So, before I hit the hay, I will give you five things I miss about my mother.



1. I miss calling my mom about the trivial and laughing about the ridiculous.

2. I miss sharing news about my kids with her. She would have loved that Meg received two scholarships at her award banquet last week.

3. I miss smelling vanilla candles and Jean Nate. Quite a delicious combination!

4. I miss talking with her about family and the hurts I know she would make better.

5. I miss hearing her joyful "Hi Honey" when I walked in her house for a visit.


For those of you who have your moms on this side of Heaven...cherish every moment. And for those of you who have little ones to hug tight....cherish every moment.

Motherhood is a precious and miraculous gift from God.

Paradise Bakery

The Paradise Bakery sign at the mall made my heart sink. "Didn't all of these bakeries close down?" I thought to myself. Like a magnet, this corner food spot with the fresh baked goods draws me near. As my feet lead me to the bakery, my mind transports me back to my past, twenty-five years, fifteen years, even ten years ago and I'm walking up to a Paradise Bakery with my mom.

My mom didn't enjoy shopping, least of all mall shopping. She was one of those people who knew exactly what what they are looking for and were in and out in a flash. She always shopped with a purpose.

The Paradise Bakery was one of the few detours she'd allow herself to take. It was their sugar cookies that seemed to call her name every time. Happy the child who was shopping with her that day. They always benefited from her one mall addiction.

The Paradise Bakery was appropriately named because one bite of these sugar cookies and you were transported into cookie paradise. Bigger than the palm of your hand with a soft almost doughy texture, the scent of vanilla and the gentle dusting of fine sugar became our one mall indulgence.

Brought back to reality, the clerk, inquires what I would like. I overindulge and ask for six sugar cookies. "I can't wait to let my children try one and surprise my sister Jennifer with a couple." I think to myself.

My mom has been gone almost eight years now. I do the math as I walk away, quickly digging in the bag for my special treasure. I feel a lump form in my throat. I begin to chew, my eyes open wide...the taste is not the same. Where is the delicious flavor? It smells the same, it looks the same...

But it's not the same.

My mom is no longer here to share one with me.

I remind myself that God's word says that in Heaven we will one day eat together at His banquet table. For the moment hope holds back my tears, as I wonder what my mom is doing right now.

I can't help but think that maybe, just maybe, mom is enjoying a sugar cookie at the ultimate "Paradise Bakery". Possibly waiting until that day when she can share one again with me.

Fulfill Your Ministry..

But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. 2Timothy 4:5


I can't begin to tell you how many times I have to be reminded of my ministry. My heart and hands take off in so many directions, towards almost every bright and shiny thing that comes along. "Is this your will for me God?" "Oh, maybe this is what you have for me." All along, my most important calling is right before me...being a godly wife and mom.

I could go on and on about my thoughts on this, but 'Chats With An Old Lady' has said it perfectly. Go to her blog and be 'BLESSED'.


Joanne :O)

Children to the right of me-Children to the left of me...

When my children started to wear on my last nerve, at around 8:15am this morning. (Hey, cut me some mom-slack, I am far from perfect). I told them they had to spend the day outside. Our weather isn't too bad yet, it is around 47 degrees and the 'big' storm had not arrived. I knew that I had a small window of 'outside' opportunity before we are cooped up for days inside our home. Pulling them away from their TV show and my teenager from downloading music onto her ipod...you would have thought that I had asked the kids to go build a small city or to find a cure for some terminal illness. Their groans and moans pained even me. They were back in the house less than twenty minutes later telling me they were bored. When our children complain to us that they are bored, we reply by telling them, "You are bored because you are boring."

Our children have a beautiful home, a basketball hoop, a jungle gym and fort, their own bonus room and a pool in the summer. They don't get much compassion from their dad and I.

It got me to thinking about how little my children do spend outside. Compared to their generation, they are outside quite a bit. Compared to my generation, not much at all. Later in the day, I ended up driving my youngest three to the school playground where they could ride their bicycles and scooters, and climb the jungle gym. Their groans and moans gone, they laughed and chased each other on the blacktop. My daughter Grace came over to where I was sitting and reading. I could see her walking over to me and I tried to envision an invisible force field that would redirect her to where the other children were all playing. With her soccer ball in hand she asked, "Mom, do you want to play soccer with me?" I had to hide the hidden moan I felt rising in my own throat, "Sure honey." I smiled, as I put down my book and tried to grab the ball out of her hands.

Fake it till you make it.

I told you...I am far from perfect.


**The picture above is of my children reading my blog post a few weeks ago for Meghan's birthday. This is pretty much what my mornings look like when I want a moment to myself.**

PEACE ON EARTH

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus." Phill.4:6-7


Christmas cards not finished, shopping for the angel tree left undone, two angel outfits to create, twelve pound cakes still to make…frazzled, you might say so. So why was I so surprised yesterday that I had a meltdown after being told by my son that he had forgotten his science project at home? Already at his school, car still idling, his head peeking in the passenger side window...I was not only irate, dare I say I was dressed in sweats and a sweatshirt, greasy hair, glasses on, bra off and morning breath extraordinaire.

Driving back home yet again to pick up my sons’ work, I was on the phone with my sister in a flash, almost in tears, commiserating about my stresses. After receiving some welcome comfort, I then called my best friend and my ‘Elizabeth’. She told me to just stop! She asked if I had been in the Word yet this morning. I told her I had wanted to, had given her the excuses why I hadn’t and then was quiet as she shared what she had read in 1Peter that very morning. I was touched that God had blessed her so, but was a bit irritated that she didn’t share the same comforting words that my sister had given me, nor had she justified my behavior…ouch!

When I got home I gathered up my Bible, ‘My Utmost for His Highest’, ‘Streams in the Desert’, and my journal…I was packed and ready for war. I had my nuclear weapons aimed and ready. Of course only minutes into my reading the Lord spoke right to my heart. As much as I had wanted to make this Christmas about Him, it was slowly becoming about everything but.

In just minutes I was feeling like I could breathe again. Perfect peace washed over me, that peace that surpasses all understanding, so much so, that I fell asleep. Those that know me, know that I am a morning person. I never fall asleep at 9:30am, 7:30pm maybe, but never 9:30am. My husband came in to find me in a state of heavenly rest that surprised even him.

My 1828 Webster’s Dictionary defines peace as; a state of quiet or tranquility, freedom from disturbance or agitation. The only way to feel ‘Peace on Earth’, is to know Him. If we are not feeling this peace then we are walking too far away from the one who gives this surpassing tranquility so freely. May His peace be with you today!

(The picture of my Christmas angel was taken quite a few years ago.)

Warning: Blogging Can Cause Pruning

While blogging last night I made the mistake of not waiting until all of our children were in bed first. At 7:50pm I absent mindedly sent one child into the shower, helped one with a spelling test, while unconsciously saying prayers with yet another. 8:00pm is bedtime in our home and I thought ALL of our kids were in bed.

I was still blogging at 8:16pm, when I heard my youngest, Samuel(age 6) scream, "MMMMAAAWWWMMMMM!" My world quickly came into focus as I realized that the shower was still going...with him still in it! I ran into our bedroom and pulled him out of our shower. Soaking wet and wrinkled like a little prune, he curiously looked up at me as I threw a towel around him. My mom guilt was at an all time high as I apologized to my sweet boy, and kissed his cheeks over and over while drying him off. When out of one squinted eye, he looked up and asked, "How long were you going to keep me in there?" I started laughing and hugged him tightly to my chest. He squeezed out of my grasp and with a worried little smile, emphasizing each word, he asked "No, really mom, how...long... were...you...going...to...keep...me...in...there?"

Mother of the Year 2007? Not a chance...

Mom Jeans

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This morning after dropping of my son at school I went down to the stores to shop for some jeans. Rarely do I ever shop for clothes. I am not what you call a fashionista by any sense of the imagination. I purchase clothes on a 'need to' not 'want to' basis. Maybe it is an in herited trait passed down from my mother. She would purchase something new only for weddings or funerals. I am not attending neither a wedding nor a funeral so this really felt like indulgant shopping. While perusing the racks at Ross I found my DNA causing guilty thoughts to pop into my head. "How can you be shopping for jeans when Grace needs new tennis shoes?" "The kids don't even have their own jeans for winter yet." While these thoughts were still wreaking havoc in my mind, slowly I became aware of something else...my middle age.

Could it be that I have been out of touch for too long? How many different kinds of jeans are out there?!? Dark blue, acid wash, boot cut, button fly...the choices were endless. I finally found a few pair and went into one of the dressing rooms. What I thought were a light blue jean was not light blue at all. My vision wasn't as good as it used to be...another sign of my middle age. While looking in the three way mirror with these jeans on, I instantly became a rocker chick from a Bon Jovi concert. Those definitely wouldn't work. Next I tried on some cute Levi's, they fit great but the length was more for a 2nd grader. Were these jeans or capri's? I had no clue so off they came. Then I found them,the perfect pair, they fit great, felt good and looked pretty good on...but there was a problem. Their flaw? They were WAY TOO LOW! My belly rolls hung over the top like a woman who was having an early midlife crisis or a later in life pregnancy. Who in the world can wear these kinds of jeans? Certainly only a 14yr old...then why were they in the woman's section?!?


I couldn't help but think of a Saturday Night Live skit that I had seen that had cracked me up. It is called 'mom-jeans'. I have attached the video below.

Oh, and by the way...I never did find a pair of jeans.