You take the good, you take the bad.

About once a year (not even, really), Andy makes a French Silk pie.  It is one of his favorites, and he really is the baker in the family, so he can make whatever he chooses in my opinion.  And he is so good about letting Whit do a lot of the work - such a patient man.  Sounds like the perfect situation, right?  A man who loves to bake, who teaches his kids how to bake, and feeds mommy delectable delights.  

I was cleaning the kitchen last night when he made his most recent masterpiece, so I was not paying too much attention.  That all changed when I walked over to the sink and was met with this horror - a spatula with a ton of chocolate still on it.  If it was not already soaked in water, I would have dug it out and gotten to work on ingesting it.

This matter was quickly resolved by me offering to pour the final product into the pie crust, and then proceeding to lick the new spatula and bowl clean.

He did let each of the kids lick a beater, which renewed my hope that he can be trained in the future so this disaster can be avoided!

Hump Day Break

We are halfway through the week, and I have no doubt that we've all earned a break.  Enjoy this brief yet beautiful moment in the forest while you sip some tea.  Then check out the website for the entire Hokkaido Garden Show that showcases this masterpiece - it's definitely time to plan a trip to Japan.

As American as Apple Pie

Happy 4th of July! We celebrated by making our secret family recipe apple pie to take to a BBQ later today...and fortunately had enough apples left to make an apple crisp to tide us over until then. Quinn felt the need to wear my onion goggles while Whit peeled the apples - safety first.

Ironman Inspiration

Looking for some motivation on this Monday? This should help. Andy and I became friends with Scotty and Tiffany Smiley when we were stationed together at Ft. Monroe in Virginia. They are a wonderful couple, and their story is an inspiration. Scotty completed the Ironman in Coeur d'Alene yesterday...and he is blind. This CBS story shows God's power in their lives.

Power of Prayer

I was struck by the picture seen above on a billboard during a recent trip through Tennessee.  It is refreshing to see a health care organization have the conviction to launch a major ad campaign based on the role that their Christian beliefs play in the care they provide.  As a staff nurse and also as a manager, I regularly prayed for my patients; I did so primarily in silence, but occasionally in tandem with them and their family members when requested before transferring them to the room in the picture - the operating suite.

The unique health system is named St. Thomas, and they cite the overarching theme of their ads as being based on Luke 1:37 - "For nothing will be impossible with God."  I have been deeply blessed over the past couple of months as I have had some health struggles and been surrounded by caring professionals, family, and friends who have offered incredible support through works and prayer.  The power of prayer is something that we can never fully understand, and one of the significant ways we can offer thanksgiving and ask for strength during life's times of trial.  It is an encouraging sight to see the staff above join together to invite the Lord into their work, and a great reminder for me as I care for others and myself.

Creativity QDay

Sylvia Plath once said "The worst enemy of creativity is self-doubt." Pushing beyond what exists at the present requires great courage. After you create something, don't you feel such a sense of accomplishment and pride? And as this article from Scientific American asserts, there are health benefits to this creativity. Too bad I can't use my HSA for my Hobby Lobby purchases!

All of us are creative in different ways. Sometimes we associate creativity only with an artistic nature. My husband is not artistic, but he is very creative in his problem-solving. Me, I love to make things that I dream up come to life. Sometimes this feeling to create is overpowering, and giving in to it is terribly therapeutic. I had a lot on my plate to accomplish last week, but I could not push through all of it without also focusing some effort on my latest dream - sewing a campfire for the kids to play with while "camping." It took a few days of work, but culminated in my son telling me, "Mom, this is really fun! You are so smart!" Icing on the fiery cake:) The point here? Take time to cultivate your creativity - doctor's order.

Campfire creativity for mom AND the kiddos!