Happy Christmas

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. The girls and I went to my mother's in College Station for a brief visit before Christmas. We enjoyed some great visiting, delicious food, and the girls loved their presents from Grandmother:  CD's for Rebecca, a sweater for Katherine and books for Abigail.  We did a little bit of shopping, a lot of talking, and the girls and I organized Grandmother's recipe files.  It was rainy and cold so we spent some time in front of the nice warm fire.  After hearing some horror stories of "Christmas with the Family," I was grateful to escaped unharmed from this particular malady.  

Where in the World Have We Been?

AUTHOR'S NOTE: I ACTUALLY UPLOADED THIS PICTURE AFTER SAYING I WOULD GIVE IT ONE MORE TRY. YEA! MAYBE I'LL GET BRAVE ENOUGH TOMORROW TO TRY AND UPLOAD TWO PICTURES. (ANYWAY, THIS IS ME WITH MY NEW SHORTER HAIR.)

Well, you already know that I can't seem to upload pictures to Blogger anymore, so I thought I would at least catch up all 3 of my readers with what's been happening in Fort Worth. Last weekend was the children's choir concert, "Christmas Time is Here." To see the full story and pictures, go to Barb's Wire.  It was a wonderful concert, and such a blessing to see the kids lead in worship.  

The girls all had final exams last week. Abigail finished on Tuesday, while Rebecca and Katherine completed their tests on Friday.  Of course, our evenings have been filled with basketball.  We did get one night off last week, and it was such a treat to stay at home.  

On Friday, Dec. 19 Abigail and I decorated and served at the Senior Adult Christmas Party at church. It's begun to be something of an annual tradition for us to decorate the tables, play music during the lunch, and serve meals. I tell the senior adults every year if they get tired of us, just let us know. They are always very gracious and seem to welcome our presence.

On Saturday morning I got my hair cut. It wasn't that long, but I just was tired of how it looked. So, I told Rann to go "considerably shorter" and he did!  It's so much easier to fix, and I love the quick drying time.  I would upload a picture, but well...my computer guy still hasn't fixed the problem. Maybe I'll give it a shot just for kicks.

On Saturday afternoon Kathy Nance and I took a group of kids to the Wedgewood Nursing Home Christmas Party. We sang a few carols, passed out cookies and punch, and handed out gifts. Such a sad place, really. I hope the kids brought a little brightness to their day.  Katherine handed out a gift to a lady who said she was 98 years old. Her gift was a peach, flannel nightgown and robe. She was really talking Katherine's ears off, so I stopped by and commented on how pretty the nightgown was, and how she would look lovely in it. "Well, that's just the problem honey," she said. "No one important will see me in it!"  Too funny.    

This morning our adult choir sang four songs in the morning service, about 3 more than we usually do. Of course, they were all Christmas and really beautiful anthems. They were extremely difficult to play and I have been practicing them at home for some time. Towards the end of the second service, my hands started quivering slightly. I think they were probably just saying, "Enough!"  Thankfully, I made it through, but will be enjoying a brief rest from playing that type of music for awhile. I'm not sure how much longer I will be the church accompanist, but will allow the Lord to direct that.

Lastly, we attempted to take pictures tonight for Christmas cards. What a mess! No one wants to cooperate, and here it is December 21. With weeks of sickness we've just not had a time when everyone was well enough to take a group shot. And, we still didn't get it. So, don't be offended if you don't get a card from the Holmes this year. I probably won't send any. 

So, for this week I hope to turn my attention to rest and some quality time with family. Hope your holidays are blessed. 

We Need a Little Christmas....Right This Very Minute

Talk about your "Bah Humbug!"  It's very hard to remain "jovial" (Rebecca's most recent favorite vocabulary word) when you are sick. The worst of it hit me on Monday morning, and today, Friday, I am finally starting to pull out of it. I seriously think I have gone through 3 boxes of Puffs Plus in three days. Seriously, you know you are blowing your nose quite frequently when even Puffs Plus tissues hurt your nose. 

Some part of me wonders if it isn't just a little coincidental that I fall prey to sickness just before my busiest weekend of the month -- the children's choir Christmas concert. Could it be that I'm worried? stressed?  FREAKED OUT???  Well, yeah, I guess it could be those things and my body says, "Enough! Go to the couch and lie down.  You have no choice."  

I am feeling better and hope to survive tomorrow's dress rehearsal and Sunday's concert. My girls have finals this week and hopefully we can spend some time relaxing soon. And, enjoying a little more Christmas spirit. 

Hey, things are looking up already. I managed to upload this one little picture of Abigail's new Christmas ornament. Only one, but hey...tomorrow it could be two.  

It's Sickening I Tell You

1. Still not able to upload photos.

2. Rebecca sick again.

3. Jeff currently in relapse of previous sickness.

4. I'm feeling a little achy and, considering the week ahead of me, that's not good news.

5. No Christmas pics taken because someone is always sick.

And, now you're updated with the Holmes family. Are you feeling a little sick yet?

Uploading............NOT!

I've been trying to post several things for a few weeks now and something, somewhere is not cooperating. I'm not computer savvy enough to know what it is, so....no posts.  I did speak to my I.T. guy today, so I hope he will carve out a few minutes soon to look into the problem.  Until then, I'm enjoying following your blogs, so keep 'em coming.

Just A Thought...

As you read in the previous post, my grandfather was buried this week. His funeral was such a tribute and memorial to his life, that I was proud to say I was the granddaughter of such a man -- a man of honor, integrity, a giver, faithful, one who shared his faith with his doctors and nurses, even to the very end of his time on earth.

It was hard to leave my grandparents house on Tuesday night, knowing that the place of some of my fondest childhood memories would soon be cleaned out, repainted and sold. But, without my grandparents there, it would not be the same wonderful place. Still, hard to walk away...

I received a card in the mail today and it was just the thing I needed, because I am emotionally worn out, and tired, and well, just sad.  Thank you, Debbie, for thinking of me.  The card reads:

Our parting is not the end of our relationship, only an interruption. Our loved ones are experiencing the joy of Christ's presence in a place so wonderful that Christ called it PARADISE.  And one day, we're told, in a magnificent reunion, they and we "will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words."  ~ Randy Alcorn

I am encouraged by that. Come, Lord Jesus.

My Grandpa

A grandfather is someone with silver in his hair and gold in his heart.  ~Unknown

Nobody can do for little children what grandparents do.  Grandparents sort of sprinkle stardust over the lives of little children.  ~Alex Haley

Here I am talking with my hands, explaining who knows what to my grandpa, and he, patiently listening as always...Nov. 2007

My grandpa was definitely a stardust sprinkler. He died Friday, October 31, 2008 at the age of 93 years.  He was a classic. I just wanted to honor him here with a few things that I most remember about him.

• He was a fanatic about taking pictures. He always had a camera around his neck.
• He would always pull out his pocket knife and slowly slit the tape on his Christmas presents. It took him forever!
• He loved to listen to me play the piano.
• He wore cardigan sweaters that just said, "Grandpa."
• He would take us to the corner store for candy.
• He called my girls "Little Boogers."
• He loved telling stories about his youth, especially about Clyde Barrow (of Bonnie & Clyde fame), who he said was "a rascal, even on the playground."
• He was a godly husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather.

And he will be greatly missed.

Deceptively Delicious - Take Two

I would like to first point out that this recipe was made BY REQUEST of one of my children. Truly. So, Katherine, this one's for you. Today's secret ingredients were carrot puree' and cauliflower puree'. The recipe was Carrot Muffins with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting. These were met with a little more approval than the brownies. Of course, everyone but Jeff knew what the secret ingredients were before even taking the first bite.

Note to anyone trying this method: make sure your veggies are completely smooth. Katherine took one bite and found a huge hunk of cauliflower in her muffin. Not good. She thought they were pretty good. Abigail said, "They're not bad..." and Jeff said, "I ate two!" (Nice try. I know you finished off Abigail's for her.) I haven't tried them yet because I'm waiting to have one later with a cup of hot tea.

I guess the funniest comment of the night came from Rebecca, as we were discussing why someone would put ground up vegetables in "regular" food. "Why are you upsetting the balance of nature??!!??" Because I can, Rebecca. Because I can. Sigh...

Squirrels Beware - This Could Be Your Fate

Looks like someone's taking action against the squirrels.

Read here.

Deceptively Delicious?

I came across this cookbook and thought it sounded like a great plan. Basically, you puree' fruits and vegetables and add them to your food before cooking. The idea is that your children will get the fruits and vegetables they need without the whining/begging/pleading that goes along with "eat your green vegetables."  The trick comes when they don't realize the veggies are in the food. Yea, right. My first clue should have been when I realized the author's children are 6, 4 and 2 -- plenty young enough to be molded to eat these types of food and develop a taste for them early on.  Since mine are 16, 13 and 11, I probably waited a little too long, but hey, the cookbook only came out last year!  

My mistake was in starting with a dessert.  Brownies.  They are made with wonderful ingredients -- chocolate, cocoa powder, brown sugar, etc.  Oh, yea, and 1/2 cup each of carrot and spinach purees'.  I thought I was busted when Rebecca asked to lick the bowl.  Looking down, horrified, at the tiny pieces of spinach on the spoon, I said, "Uh, um...uh, this has raw egg in it. Not good for you!" and promptly dumped it in the sink.  

The brownies were beautiful. I cut them into perfectly shaped pieces and dusted them lightly with powdered sugar. Then, I arranged them on a nice cut glass plate.  Everyone couldn't wait to bite into them after dinner. Katherine was the first vict....uh, I mean, the first one to taste them.  Well, the jig was up after the first taster. She immediately wanted to know what was wrong with the brownies. They were weird.  

Here's Abigail trying to figure out what was in the brownies that made them taste so strange.  She tried to be polite by taking a few tiny bites, but hers ended up in the garbage. (Yes, I found it Abigail...where you tried to hide it under the Doritoes bag.)

Rebecca came in later. "Oooo....powdered sugar!" (my sweet-tooth kid) One tiny nibble was all it took for her to run screaming down the street. "What's wrong with these?  They're nasty!"

Jeff was the most gracious.  He managed to eat two -- topped with Cookies and Cream ice cream, but hey, at least he tried.  I thought they were ok. Really, they weren't that bad. And, each one had 3 grams of fiber. So, that's a plus, right? How many other brownie recipes can make that claim?

I am unwavering in my plan to get my family eating more vegetables. Besides, I did not stand in the kitchen for 3 hours roasting/steaming/slicing/chopping/blending to throw it all away! So, when they least expect it, there may be some butternut squash in their casserole.  And, hopefully it will be deceptively delicious.

No Girl is an Island

No man is an Island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the Continent, a part of the main; John Donne

Abigail created this salt dough island for a project at school after reading "Call It Courage." She was very imaginative, and did most of the design and work herself.  The trees were straws, wrapped in jute and topped with fake leaves. She had a tiny lime tree and banana tree.  The lagoon even boasted a miniature gray shark fin. I was impressed with how she painted the salt dough in varying shades of green.  Great job, Abi G.

MY NEW MOTTO...

Panda Party

With Monday being a school holiday, we held Abigail's 11th birthday party -- finally! It was An Amazing Panda Adventure. We watched that movie, ate yummy chinese from Panda Express (some of us with chopsticks) and opened presents. Then, we ate delicious panda cake. "I want an ear! I want a foot!" everyone said. Abigail kept saying, "You can't eat the face!!!" Too funny. I have to admit, it is harder to cut into an animal shaped cake than a rectangle. As Barb said, "At least you didn't make the insides red velvet." Well, yeah.

Cute party favors in chinese takeout boxes.

Abigail, Emma, Claire

Ally, Brittany

He's too cute to eat!
(but we managed anyway)

Finish Strong!

The Grace Prep 8th Grade Lady Lions volleyball team wrapped up their great season with a second place finish at the Liberty Christian Tournament today.  This was our final day of volleyball, and I think everyone in the house is looking forward to the two week break before basketball starts.   Rebecca had a really good year, and her skills have improved so much.

Tired, but happy winner

My game buddies -- Angela and Lisa

The Fuschia Girls

Happy 11th Birthday, Abigail!

My sweet Abigail Grace, sucking her fingers and rubbing the satin lining out of Lambie's ears...

Some pictures taken since Abigail's last birthday...





Abigail means "father's joy," but she is her mother's also. Our family would not be complete without her funny faces, sweet hugs and grown-up vocabulary. After all, as Rebecca reminded me yesterday, she is our "sweetie baby."

Happy Birthday, dear Abigail. Happy Birthday to You!

The Last Rose of Summer

When I was growing up my mother would often say, "I look like the last rose of summer."  I have been known to use that very quote myself, especially on days where I feel like my appearance is wilted, tired or faded.  As I was walking around my backyard yesterday, I thought of those words -- how summer weather is almost gone and the flowers of that season are slowly fading. While I am excited about the appearance of fall with its pumpkins, mums and cooler weather, there are still a few plants holding onto the last little bit of summer.

These little red flowers just popped up a few days ago. They are especially enjoyable to me because my nanny always had them in her yard, and they make me think of her.

My rosemary plant (right) didn't fare so well. Oh well...if I want fresh rosemary chicken, I'll just go to Macaroni Grill.


I had great success with my potted tomatoes this year. I did finally give them over to the squirrels. That's right, you little evil things, have them!

Hydranges, even faded ones, are still my favorites.

Couldn't resist pics of our sweet little bunnies.

And, finally...the last rose of summer.

Our Volleyball Life

In our family, fall = volleyball, not football. (Well, except for Jeff, for whom fall = both.) Two nights a week will find us in a gym watching games somewhere in the metroplex. Rebecca was excited to make the gold team this year. This past weekend she played a tournament in Cedar Hill with the navy team, who needed an extra player.  It was a long weekend, three matches on Friday night and several on Saturday. The team hung on to capture a 3rd place trophy.  And, Rebecca loooovvvves trophies.

It is amazing to watch how much she has improved this year. She is a really good all-around player. And, due to subs needed on the navy team, has ended up playing on both navy and gold teams.  We're very proud of her hard work and commitment to her teams.  So, if you're ever free on a Monday or Thursday, give us a call and come enjoy some fall volleyball.

BFF'S - Emily, Amanda and Becky

The Tale of the Drawing of Peter Rabbit

ONCE upon a time there were four little Rabbits, and their names were Flopsy, Mopsy, Cotton-tail, and Peter.  They lived with their Mother in a sand-bank, underneath the root of a very big fir-tree.

Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail, who were good little bunnies, went down the lane to gather blackberries:  But Peter, who was very naughty, ran straight to Mr. McGregor's garden, and squeezed under the gate!

I have loved the story of Peter Rabbit for as long as I can remember.  When it came time to do my first nursery, naturally the characters of Beatrix Potter came to mind.  The beautiful watercolors were irresistable for a baby's room, and so Katherine's nursery was filled with Peter Rabbit, Jemima Puddleduck, Squirrel Nutkin and many others.

Recently we watched the movie Miss Potter and fell in love with her drawings all over again. I was inspired to ask Katherine to draw me a picture of Peter Rabbit.  She agreed, but like most artists, must wait for the right inspiration to create the watercolor.  As it seems, my inspiration was not her inspiration.  So, I did the next best thing:  I went out, bought some watercolor paper and a beautiful frame and plopped it in front of her.  Nothing. Not even the barest brush across the paper.  "These things can't be rushed, " she said.  Apparently.

Then, I tried the next best thing:  I nagged.  And, begged. Pleaded? Complained?  Cajoled? Gently reminded?  Nothing worked, until one day, in about 30 minutes time, she sat down at her desk and before you could blink, presented me with a beautiful watercolor -- the picture you see above and below. Miss Potter herself could not have done any better. (Well, actually I guess she did.)

It boggles my mind to think that the tiny baby I laid in the crib with Peter Rabbit sheets is now creating such a picture for me. I am honored to be the recipient of such a gift (even though I kinda had to beg for it)  I mean, she is a teenaged girl after all; but, thankfully one who is willing to humor her mother once in a while.

I am sorry to say that Peter was not very well during the evening.  His mother put him to bed, and made some camomile tea; and she gave a dose of it to Peter! But Flopsy, Mopsy, and Cotton-tail had bread and milk and blackberries, for supper.

THE END.

Thought for the Day

Life is too short to read bad books.

Twenty Years

I couldn't let today pass without mentioning that I have been married for 20 years! Jeff and I certainly have come a long way since that day in 1988. The older I get, the harder it is to remember events from so long ago, but some things still stand out clearly. Jeff, do you remember?

1. It rained -- all day.
2. You gave me a beautiful strand of pearls.
3. We saw each other before the wedding, and they said we wouldn't last.
4. Restless Heart.
5. My heavy bouquet that I could hardly hold.
6. Your too tight shoes.
7. Our cake fell.
8. Bird seed hurts.
9. 2 napkins x number of guests divided by 2.
10. You said "I do" and I did, too. I'm so glad we did.

September 3, 1988

September 3, 2008

HAPPY 20th ANNIVERSARY!

The Other Room

In answer to Paige's question, what's in the other room...