French fries
and
chicken nougats
and
Grandma
and
PawPaw
and
Skittles
Have a great weekend!
Hugs to y’all,
~penny
Thanks to an obstinate dairyman, I had a meeting scheduled out-of-town at 4 pm on Good Friday. Making lemonade out of lemons, my family traveled out of town with me on our way up to the Metroplex to visit cousins during the Easter holiday weekend.
That night, Lil Bit began coughing a horrible cough throughout the night. I called the local hospital to see if he could get RSV again (he was hospitalized with it for 4 days in February). “Yes!” was the reply. At 4 o’clock in the morning I dressed and headed to the small-town ER with Lil Bit coughing the entire way.
My thoughts were racing – if Lil Bit needs to be hospitalized:
I arrived at the ER and the doctors were quick to examine him. The doctor’s thought was that with his throat being so red that he may have strep throat. The nurses came in and tested him for strep & RSV.
The tests results came back quickly: No strep, no RSV, just a common cold. YEAH! We can leave!
When I got back to the hotel, everyone was up & ready for breakfast. Ready for an Easter egg hunt!
A funny thing did happen in this small-town hotel though. I thought it only happened in the movies, but….
the elevator broke down with my kids inside!!!
After that fiasco, we finally were able to head to my sister’s house & the cousins had such a good time together on their Easter egg hunt. They were so proud of their findings!!
Have a great week with your family!
Hugs to y’all!
These cookies are to be made the evening before Easter to demonstrate the story of Christ’s resurrection. Our family will be making these together for the first time this year.
You will need:
Preheat oven to 300 BEFORE BEGINNING.
Place pecans in zipper baggie and let children beat them with the wooden spoon to break into small pieces.
Explain that after Jesus was arrested He was beaten by the Roman soldiers.
Read John 19:1-3.
Let each child smell the vinegar. Put 1 tsp. vinegar into mixing bowl.
Explain that when Jesus was thirsty on the cross he was given vinegar to drink.
Read John 19:28-30.
Add egg whites to vinegar. Eggs represent life.
Explain that Jesus gave His life to give us life.
Read John 10:10-11.
Sprinkle a little salt into each child’s hand. Let them taste it and brush the rest into the bowl.
Explain that this represents the salty tears shed by Jesus’ followers, and the bitterness of our own sin.
Read Luke 23:27.
So far the ingredients are not very appetizing.
Add 1 c. sugar.
Explain that the sweetest part of the story is that Jesus died because He loves us. He wants us to know this and how to belong to Him.
Read Psalm 34:8 and John 3:16.
Beat with a mixer on high speed for 12 to 15 minutes until stiff peaks are formed.
Explain that the color white represents the purity in God’s eyes of those whose sins have been cleansed by Jesus.
Read Isaiah 1:18 and John 3:1-3.
Fold in broken nuts. Drop by teaspoons onto wax paper covered cookie sheet.
Explain that each mound represents the rocky tomb where Jesus’ body was laid.
Read Matt. 27:57-60.
Put the cookie sheet in the oven, close the door and turn the oven OFF.
Give each child a piece of tape and seal the oven door.
Explain that Jesus’ tomb was sealed.
Read Matt.27:65-66.
GO TO BED!
Explain that they may feel sad to leave the cookies in the oven overnight Jesus’ followers were in despair when the tomb was sealed.
Read John 16:20 and 22.
On Easter morning, open the oven and give everyone a cookie.
Notice the cracked surface and take a bite. The cookies are hollow!
On the first Easter, Jesus’ followers were amazed to find the tomb open and empty!
Read Matt. 28:1-9
Enjoy!
Have a great weekend celebrating the resurrection of Christ!
HAPPY EASTER!!!
Last October, upon leaving the doctor’s office after a routine visit, I was given a flu shot (not H1N1). After a bout with the flu in 1993, I do my best to get vaccinated. However, the next evening, after dinner, my lip swelled up & I broke out in hives! I was a polka-dotted Angelina Jolie!
After a series of tests, the allergist diagnosed me as allergic to, not only the flu vaccine, but ragweed, cats, mold, and elm trees! After another test, I was diagnosed with asthma. How can that be? Isn’t that a childhood disease that they can possibly outgrow? I’m nearly 45 years old!
My allergist informed me that I have adult-onset asthma. What? The diagnosis of asthma actually explained a number of concerns in regard to my health. The persistent cough I had struggled with for the last few years. The tightness in my chest that, at times, could become somewhat painful. All indications of asthma that I never considered.
There is no cure for asthma, only control. The doctor put me on a daily regimen of Singulair, Flonase, and Advair that have helped control my symptoms.
During my asthma test, I noticed a poster of Olympic swimmer, Amy Van Dyken. It stated that she had asthma since childhood. An Olympic champion? With asthma? Since forever? Wow!
I asked my doctor about exercising with asthma, and she suggested that exercise would, in fact, help build my lung capacity. I had been a long-distance runner in high school. I had also trained for the 2004 Houston Marathon, until a back injury at the 7-mile training mark sidelined me from completing the training program. I now made a goal of running a 5K.
As Texans, we become frozen with enchantment of a winter wonderland.
The anomaly of snow here in Texas brings out the kid in all of us!
In Texas, any amount of snow necessitates a winter weather advisory.
But 3 inches of snow in Texas is an Act of God!
An Act of God is a legal term used in contracts & other legal documents to describe events outside of human control, such as storms & natural disasters.
Not that the 3 inches of snow here could ever be described as a disaster,
but it is an Act of God!
A blessing!
And the timing of God’s blessings can show us all that He is in control of EVERYTHING!
Psalm 107:25 – “For He commands & raises the stormy wind,
which lifts up the waves of the sea.”
We were richly blessed by the snow this week, not only for the joy it brought into our lives, but in that our custody hearing for our foster baby was postponed another week!
Another week to enjoy & love this angelic baby as part of our family!
Another week to PRAY!
Isn’t it amazing that God is in complete control of every aspect of our lives?
“And we know that all things God work together for good
to those who love God” – Romans 8:28
Have a great week enjoying the blessings in your life!
Hugs to you!
~penelope
I have always believed that this was a dish that could only be made at a restaurant.I DID IT!!! And not only was it actually edible – it actually tasted quite delicious!
(The only thing about recipes is that they always tell you to fry meat for only a few minutes –
mine is NEVER cooked inside after just a few minutes so adjust the recipe accordingly)
If you go to The Pioneer Woman’s website, be sure & read her love story & how she fell in love w/ Marlboro Man – it’s very entertaining!
I can somewhat relate since I moved from a city of 4 million to a town of 1400
after I met (reconnected) with my special man…
Hugs to you all!
My last writing on our now 6-month old foster baby, he was in the hospital with RSV & we were to give him to a relative on the 9th. It has been a whirlwind since!!!
Lil Bit was admitted to the hospital on February 2nd – Groundhog Day, no less – for RSV. My wonderful husband and I took turns staying/spending the night at the hospital. (An adult has to stay with an infant at all times)
Already emotionally & physically exhausted, I received all the legal paperwork discussing Lil Bit, his birth family, & the home study of a family member. Instead of being placed with his 5 siblings & other children, the home study recommended that Lil Bit be placed with his great-aunt. (don’t freak out – she’s younger than us at 33 years young!) As I read the home study & how they already had a room ready for Lil Bit, I began to cry. This baby has a family that loves him & wants him! He has 12-year-old & 7-year-old cousins that are excited about having a baby in their home. Who are we to get in the way of that?
I spent Thursday night in the hospital alone with Lil Bit saying my goodbyes to the little man & sleeping very little. (Can you hear the violins softly playing in the background?)
On Friday morning, my knight in shining armor that I married 5 years ago, comes into the gloomy hospital room & tells me that he wants to meet with our attorney. “I just want to hear what the attorney has to say” were the words he repeated to me.
Later that morning, I received a conference call from the law firm – my husband & TWO attorneys. Some of the things discussed:
So much to digest in one call & a really tough, expensive decision to make!
I was both excited & shocked when my frugal knight in shining armour told me –
“LET’S GO FOR IT!!!”
….to be continued….
Hugs until then!
~penny
What a week!
I am still very nervous about what going to happen to Lil Bit, our 5-month-old foster baby. His case worker called me last Friday to tell me that they were going to send Lil Bit to the family member that has his other 5 siblings.
Since then, I have spoken with our attorney, and it all comes down to whether we, as foster parents, have standing for a court case. Foster parents can ask a judge to be considered as an option for placement if the child has lived with them for a year. Even though Lil Bit has lived with us less than 2 months – he has lived with us for 20% of his short life. But that doesn’t hold up in court.
We will have to prove that placing Lil Bit with the family member will possibly “endanger or otherwise cause harm” to him. Did I mention that, as I understand it, this family member has 6 children of their own? I know that the State is not recommending this placement; however, the family member does have an attorney & is requesting a sibling placement. I am meeting with our attorney tomorrow.
The worst part of all this is that I took Lil Bit to the doctor on Tuesday because he was getting a cough – and, turns out he has RSV! He was admitted to the hospital & is in isolation! I’m thankful I went ahead and took him before he had gotten worse! He has been doing well in that he is still getting plenty of oxygen; however, he has been fighting a fever & severe congestion.
Please keep Lil Bit and our family in your prayers!
Within the last 2 weeks, 2 of my dear friends lost close family members. It is by God’s grace & guiding hand that He has shown me that by coming home, I was able to share in their grief. Coming home was in His plan all along!
When I left for college in 1988, I really didn’t think I would ever return. After graduating from college, I moved to a big city of 4 million. I fell in love with all the excitement & activities that the big city had to offer. I became a bonefide “CITY GIRL” and loved my life there for over 15 years.
After a whirlwind long-distance courtship, I eloped & married a wonderful godly man that I had been close friends with during my youth. Soon afterward, I left a city of 4 million to move to a town of 1400 so that my new husband could remain an integral part of his 12-year-old son’s life.
In this small town, I missed the big city and my friends I left behind. Because I was a little over an hour from where I grew up, I was able to reconnect with old friends, albiet on a limited scale.
After a year of small town life, both my husband and I longed for the convenience of a city. We began to plan for our return “HOME”. I had been gone from Central Texas nearly 19 years and, although my husband did not grow up in the area, he had lived in Central Texas for nearly 20 years, so it had become “home” for him as well.
Since our move nearly 3 years ago, I have personally lost 4 family members and have watched as close friends have tragically lost family members as well. By coming home, I have been able to personally share condolences and hopefully give comfort to my friends and family. I wouldn’t have been able to do this living away in the big city.
Looking back, I can see God’s guiding hand in my life to bring me home. Proverbs 16:9 says “a man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.” As a single girl in the big city, I never thought I would ever leave big city life; however, the husband God chose for me determined the steps to bring me back home to my roots.
Thank you, Lord, for having plans to give me hope and a future that I NEVER expected! (Jeremiah 29:11) I love the fabulous life you have given me!!!!
Hugs to you!
~penny
http://txpenelope.blogspot.com/
