Good Morning, Sunshine!

One Regret

I understand that I should try to live my life with no regrets.  And, I promise, I do try to keep that in mind with each choice. But, I confess, that I will breathe my last breath here on earth with at least one...that I did not start eating guacamole at a  much earlier age.  I enjoy it so much that my eyes are now open, looking for other ways to enjoy avocados (Thank You, Pinterest!).

I'm not sure that I have enough time in this life to make up for all the years in which I did not liberally add this green happiness to tacos...and enchiladas...and quesadillas...and nachos...and...well, you get the picture.  But the Bible teaches that life in the Father's kingdom will be so much better than the earthly life (e.g. no tears, no pain, etc. as told in Revelation 21:4). So, while I certainly have plans for the two beauties you see below in the coming days...my eyes are set on the uber-guacamole that just has to be served at the banquet table in Heaven.

15 Lessons I've Learned from Pinterest

In no particular order...and certainly not complete...

1. There is more than two ways to braid hair.
2. A person's "pins" are the perfect way to gather gift ideas for said person.
3. The girl with no head, hands or feet sure does look great in all those outfits.
4. My three daughters will be limited to three Pinterest-inspired wedding ideas.  There is not enough time or money to do it all.
5. Apparently, some people can see a coordinated paint palette in just about anything, like an acorn.
6. There are infinite design possibilities when it comes to painting your fingernails.
7. There are a lot of recipes that use avocados.
8. Almost anything can be re-purposed/recycled into something useful or beautiful.
9. It seems you can make a homemade version of any household cleaning product.
10. Crayons are not just for coloring anymore...they are for melting into art projects.
11. Scarves can be worn in many ways.
12. There are some completely ridiculous shoes out there.
13. Ordinary t-shirts can be turned into various scarves or trendy tops.
14. There are gobs of creative and inventive people out there.
15. I could be better organized, more crafty, more fashionable...or fashionable period.

I Love Surprises

The Hero had a field trip to Detroit yesterday for work. He brought these home from a bakery in Greektown...not just cannoli..not just chocolate cannoli...but Chocolate Chocolate Cannoli. They were the perfect treat!



Note:  I had to tag this with the "Health" label as a joke...because it was there in my history of labels used previously.  And it is healthy...right?  Who really cares...they were yummy!!

I Love Popcorn

This is one of my treasures acquired over the Christmas holiday...a Whirley-Pop...after years of testimonials from my sister.  I believe that my affinity for popcorn is genetic.  While I can't testify as to the earliest ancestor to salivate over the salted airy goodness, I do know that my Grandpa loved it.  I can still remember his metal electric popcorn popper.  While my grandma usually handled the cooking duties, this is the one snack that he officially had charge of.  He would ask "Sister, do you want some corn?"  The answer was always "Yes!" And he always made it salty.  I can't help but think about how much he would love the treat created in the Whirley-Pop...way better than anything combusted in the microwave.  While I do think I inherited the love of popcorn from him, it is too bad I didn't inherit his willingness to share.

A Sample of My Life

If you want to get just a little peek into someone's life, try going through their pics on their phone.  I was sitting at cheer leading practice for the 11 year old tonight...taking a break from reading...and decided to clean out the photos on my phone.  I really wish it had occurred to me to share many of the pics here...but the subject of my blog post for today had not formed yet.  So, while I have some to share below, you will have to trust me on the rest of them.  Here is a list of just some of the pics, going back to last summer...

• Sunset over Lake Michigan at Ludington State Park
• Pile of petoskey stones found in Torch Lake
• Our new roommate, a dachshund/beagle mix named Lucy
• Dog food labels with prices as we researched the best choice for our newest roommate
• Cover of a drawing book the 14 year old had found and wanted to remember for purchasing later
• Some gift ideas for loved ones
• Various crafts and decorations that I'm sure I can make...or that someone I know could make
• Our new camper
• Various pics of the kids...on a road trip to North Carolina, on a hayride, in class at our homeschooling co-op, at a cousin's wedding, standing next to a vintage purple slugbug
• My grandparents headstone
• Pics and notes by the kids
• And these...

When my parents and my in-laws leave town in the fall for warmer climates, I inherit what is in their fridge.  This year, the haul from my mother-in-law's kitchen included a head of cabbage.  The pic above is a simple recipe I found online via my laptop.  Not wanting to print or haul my laptop into the kitchen, I just took a picture of it.

I remember taking my firstborn to a special Santa breakfast with friends and we made crafts.  I remember taking my eldest and second daughter to the mall to meet Santa and have photos taken.  This year, I lucked out...there was a Santa just walking around the local JoAnn fabric store.  He gave them each a candy cane, asked them what they wanted for Christmas and then asked me if I wanted to take a picture.  This is it.  Check mark!!

This is just a small corner of a slice of heaven called "Charming Charlie".  I found it during a visit to one of the malls while Christmas shopping.  I had to take a pic and send to my sister in California, proposing to pay this bling-y wonderland a visit together while she was home for Christmas.  We did visit...twice...and we scored some treasure.

As I flipped through the various pics tonight, it was fun to recall details related to each...other memories from a trip, the comment made right after the picture was taken, or the thorough discussion over what was the best nutritious, yet economical dog food to buy for the dog.

Can't wait to see the scrapbook I unknowingly put together on my phone for 2012.

A Life Lesson, Courtesy of the Toilet

We had arrived home from church, each heading to their respective rooms to don Sunday afternoon hanging-at-home clothes.  It wasn't long before the 11 year old was calling her dad to the bathroom, her friend exclaiming, "Oh my goodness!" in the background.

Apparently, the 6 year old had made a stop in the bathroom prior to changing clothes.  After finishing her business, she flushed.  And when the water was not receding, but rising...she decided to keep flushing until it worked.  As you can imagine, the water level reached the top of the bowl and spilled onto the floor.

After the problem was resolved and the cleanup was finished, I pulled the 6 year old aside to explain that you only flush once and if it doesn't work, you seek help.  We went on to discuss that this is true of many of the challenges we have in life.  If you are trying to solve a problem, and the first solution does not work, you need to seek another solution or assistance.  Don't just keep trying to flush...the problem is just as likely to get worse, besides not going away.

Note:  With the subject matter of today's post, I've decided not to include a "pic of the day".  You are welcome.