Templin Tantrums

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T19:39:00.001-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, I'm re-posting a previous post about the man I've given my heart to. I love you John Templin!

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth.

It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Today I am thankful for this man. My husband, companion, partner in crime in this thing we call parenthood. He is a good man, a hard-working man, an amazing father and the love of my life.

The only man you want to give your life to is the one who makes you hunger for Christ, believe in grace, experience the other-world love of God.

Ann Vonskamp

Crockpot Challenge: Days 22 & 23 (and more Jesse tree ornaments)

2011-12-09T11:04:00.000-08:00

Sorry. These posts are late. I've been sick. I'm still sick actually. So there's that.

Today's first recipe is courtesy of my new friend Shelby! She just moved here from Texas, so you know, we are sorta "insta-friends" because we're southern...

Cheesy Chicken and Rice

You will need:
4-6 chicken breasts
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 tsp Nature's Season
2 cups cooked rice
2 cans mixed veggies
1 cup shredded Monterrey Jack cheese

Place chicken breasts, soup, milk and seasoning in crock pot. Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove chicken and add rice, veggies and cheese to soup mix. Cook and stir on high until cheese is melted and rice and veggies are warm.

I thought this was pretty good. Again, I haven't been feeling well so nothing tastes fantastic to me right now. So you should definitely make this and decide for yourself.

This is the only picture I took because I'm sick...

These three ornaments are a dove, a tent and a ram. The dove is from the story of Noah: Genesis 6:11-22 & 8:6-12. The tent is from the story in Genesis 12:1-7 & 13:2-18.

The next recipe is a Three Bean and Barley Soup. You will need:
1 Tbsp EVOO
large onion - diced
stalk of celery - diced
large carrot - diced
2 cups of water
4 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup pearl barley
1/3 cup dried black beans
1/3 cup dried great northern beans
1/3 cup dried kidney beans
1 tbsp. chili powder
1 tsp. cumin
1/2 tsp. oregano
3/4 tsp. salt

Mix all in a crockpot and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. I cooked it on low. I baked some Grands Flaky Biscuits to eat with this soup and my family liked it. Again, I'm SICK and can't taste anything. Very annoying. Very. Annoying.

I know, these pictures are substandard. I've been a slacker. I'll try harder from now on:) Maybe;)

The 7th, 8th and 9th ornaments are a ladder, a candle and the coat of many colors. The scripture for the ladder is Genesis 27:41 - 28:22. Day 8, the candle, Isaiah 9:2-7. And the coat of many colors from Genesis 37: 1-36.

Crockpot Challenge: Day 21 and The Jesse Tree!

2011-12-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

Today's recipe is one I've made on occasion when we had NO GROCERIES in the house. It is very easy but pretty tasty if you like that sort of thing.. What sort of thing? Beef Tips and Rice!

You will need:

1 pound of stew meat
1 jar/ can of gravy

No this isn't the healthiest meal, but it sure is comfort food at its finest. And I don't cook it every week. More like every two or three months. So we're good. Right?

Place the stew meat and gravy in the pot and cook on low for 8 hours or so. The meat is so tender and it is so filling. I serve it over rice and with a salad and a piece of french bread. Except sometimes without the salad. Comfort food, remember?

Have you ever heard of a Jesse Tree? It is a really neat idea if you want to weave Christ into the holiday season. We believe that Jesus is the Son of God and was born into this world, perfect and blameless, to die for our sins so that we may have eternal life with Him. John and I really want to place more emphasis on Christ's birth than the gift-focused idea that is today's society. Don't get me wrong. We participate in the idea of Santa and do a lot of baking and naughty vs. nice conversation as much as the next family. We just want our kids to understand why we celebrate and that everything else is secondary.

On that note, I just heard about the idea of a Jesse Tree very recently (yesterday?) and decided it would be a really fun way to bring Christ into our daily routine leading up to Christmas Day. The problem was that it is a lot of work to try and translate it into something that small children will understand. So, if you are interested, I have taken the grunt-work out of it for you.

But you have to promise to look past my terrible artsy skills. You see, the problem is, I don't have any. So, that's a bit of a problem. But my heart is in the right place and I don't think my almost-five-year-old and seven year old will mind. So I hope you don't either.

Since advent actually started on November 27th and goes for 28 days until Christmas, we were a little behind so we actually will do a few each day until we are caught up..

This is the first ornament that we will place on our tree. It symbolizes "God's Family Tree". This actually worked out well that we just did JT's family tree assignment last week so the boys understood. Sort of. The scripture is 1 Samuel 16:1-13. It discusses how the Lord chose Jesse's youngest, most scrawny and unlikely "king material" son. And so our story begins...

Day 2: I chose the sun to symbolize creation. The scripture is Genesis 1: 24-28. This scripture ends with the Lord's command to Adam and Eve to be fruitful and multiply. This is where the journey starts.

Day 3: I chose the snake/serpent for this ornament because it symbolizes the fall of man and our need for a Savior, Jesus, to be born and rescue us. We read "The Terrible Lie" (Genesis 3:1-24) again from our Storybook Bible to remind the boys how doubt was placed in man's heart and how sad it made God. But God had a plan to bring us together again.

If you don't have a children's bible, I highly recommend this one. It integrates Jesus into every story and the importance of his birth. It's beautiful.

We sat down on the couch, letting the boys touch the ornaments and ask questions. Then we read the scriptures and talked about what they meant. Before they hung them on the tree we went over their meaning one more time. I pray that the Lord will speak to their tiny hearts through these small acts.

Crockpot Challenge: Day 20

2011-12-05T21:37:00.000-08:00

Well hello there! Miss me? I missed you:) Today's recipe is from my childhood friend, Deana. I don't have a lot of memories without her and one other family. Her younger sister and I actually took turns spending the night at each other's houses for something around two weeks straight... I was always jealous because there were three girls in that house and I wished I had sisters.

Tomato Florentine - you will need:

3 cups chicken broth
2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes with basil, oregano, and garlic
1 (15 oz) can tomato sauce
1 (10 oz) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 (9 oz) package refrigerated cheese-filled tortellini (wheat okay & freezer section kind okay)

Combine the first eight ingredients in the crockpot. Cover and cook on LOW for 5.5 hours. Add tortellini and cook on LOW for 30 more minutes.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese if desired. Ya'll this soup was sooooo good. She told me it would be but you know I'm a skeptic. John really liked it too and that is saying something since it doesn't have any meat. I'm serving the leftovers to my besties tomorrow!

I didn't have any garlic so I added garlic salt and I just realized that it only calls for one cup of chopped onion and I added the whole darn thing. My bad. You will love this soup. Trust me. So get going and make yourself some and let me know how it turns out!!!

Coming up this week: beef tips & rice and three bean & barley soup! Maybe one of your recipes if you want to send one this way: meredithtemplin(at)yahoo(dot)com.

Taking a Break - Be Back Tomorrow

2011-12-04T21:34:00.000-08:00

"It is good to be children sometimes,

and never better than at Christmas,

when its mighty founder was a child Himself."

Charles Dickens

Crockpot Challenge: Day 19

2011-12-03T16:35:00.000-08:00

Today's recipe comes from the Hillbilly Housewife. I have heard of this site before but hadn't really visited it until recently. I wanted something sweet so I googled it on my phone for something sweet to make in the crock pot and this recipe looked the yummiest. Is that a word?

You will need:

2 1/2 cups of brownie mix
1 egg
1/4 cup of good peanut butter
1/2 cup of chocolate chips
1 tablespoon of butter or margarine, softened
2 tablespoons of cocoa
1/4 cup of packed brown sugar
1/2 cup of water

Spray the liner of your crockpot (or crockpot bag) with a nonstick cooking spray. Mix the first five ingredients together and spread in the pot. Then mix the cocoa, brown sugar and water on the stove on medium-high heat until bubbly and pour over the top. Place the lid and cook on high for 2 hours. Then turn the crockpot off and let sit for 30 more minutes.

We ate this with the leftover ice cream from the peach pobbler - my mouth waters just typing those glorious words. Anywho, next time I make this (and I will be making this again) (very soon) (maybe tomorrow), I will cook on high for 1 1/2 hours and then turn the pot off and cook another 30 minutes or so. It was overdone around the edges. Not really burnt - just super done. It is very ooey gooey wonderful so you should prepare yourself for something wonderful.

Enjoy!!!

Crockpot Challenge: Day 18

2011-12-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

Today's recipe comes from my very own mother. The best cook I know. My mother who I have a phone coffee date with at least once a week and she has, on more than one occasion, fallen sound asleep during that date:)But she makes a mean chili so we'll let that slide...

For this recipe you will need:
1 pound of hamburger meat
2 packages of chili seasoning
1 small onion
1/2 green bell pepper
1 large can tomato sauce
1 small can tomato paste
1 can of pinto beans
garlic salt to taste

Cut up the onion and bell pepper and toss in with the hamburger meat. Cook until done. Drain and place in the crockpot. Add everything else. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.

We will eat this with crackers/french bread/corn muffins tonight and then with fritos and cheese tomorrow for Frito Chili Pie. It will be good football food to watch the LSU Tigers beat up on Georgia. Geaux Tigers!!!

Crockpot Challenge: Day 17

2011-12-01T21:21:00.000-08:00

Another thing I blame for my poor bloggy skills? Picking up a sick child from school. And lots of snow. Blowing snow.

Oh, and schoolwork. Did I mention that already?

Today's recipe is the one I cooked yesterday. But we ate it today too. Curious?

You will need:

1 chuck roast or eye of round beef roast (your call - I buy what's on sale)
1/2 onion - sliced
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
1 can beef broth

Mix the soup mix and beef broth together and pour over the roast in the crockpot. Place the sliced onions on top and cook on low for 8 hours.

The first day you can have this roast with some mashed potatoes, corn, a salad, whatever you choose. It is so tender and tastes fantastic!

My favorite day is the second day because you can make faux french dip sandwiches.
Cut some hoagie rolls in half, place some provolone cheese on one side and broil for a few minutes.

FYI:Stay focused on the bread under the broiler. This is one of those instances where "Mom, I peed on my shirt. Again." will inevitably distract you and you will burn up the toast and quite possibly your kitchen. My advice to you? Earmuffs... then you can focus on the task at hand and not be distracted by the miniature people peeing on their clothing in the bathroom.

Put some of the roast on the non-cheese side of the roll and place that yumminess together. We ladel out some of the juice and dip our sammiches in it. Delicious:)

"Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever." Psalm 136:1

Crockpot Challenge: Day 16

2011-11-30T21:04:00.000-08:00

I blame school. For everything. Especially my inability to post a blog in a timely manner. So, there you have it.

I know you were worried...

This recipe is really a no brainer. I love pulled pork sandwiches and don't really remember where I learned to make this. I just know that it's a favorite.

You will need:

1 pork loin or pork roast (I had this one in the freezer from a sale at Target)
1 bottle of barbeque sauce - any kind (I like KC Masterpiece)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon yellow mustard
1 tablespoon worstershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon of liquid smoke (less is more - the stuff has some serious flavor)

Mix all of the above in the crockpot and place the pork in the middle of it. Cook on low for 8 hours and then shred with a fork. We like to eat ours on little hoagie rolls.

*For the record, I do serve most of these meals with a vegetable or two on the side. I just don't take pictures of them because it really takes a lot of effort to take the pictures I do take. If you know me at all that makes sense:)

The Day After 15 and Before 16

2011-11-29T20:55:00.000-08:00

In other words, I took a break today. I know I was going to cook in my crockpot for the next 30 days, but I have a pretty big crockpot and a LOT of leftover food. I want to be creative and prepare good meals for my family but I also want to be a good steward of our money and resources and I just couldn't make myself do it today. We had to eat through the leftovers before I could feel okay with making something else... I hope you understand. All three of you:)

This actually happened on a good day because blogger is being really crabby and is taking forever to upload pictures so the pulled pork barbeque recipe will have to wait to be shared for tomorrow.

"But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that." 1 Timothy 6:8

Crockpot Challenge: Day 15

2011-11-28T17:03:00.000-08:00

Well friends, we're halfway there! So it seems fitting that one of my favorite eats so far would fall on this exciting day. I'm calling it Peach Pobbler. I thought it was going to be a pie, but it tasted more like a cobbler, so...

For this recipe you will need:

1 bag of frozen sliced peaches

1 pie crust

1/4 cup of brown sugar

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 stick butter

3 tbsp corn starch

3 tbsp flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Cut a circle out of the pie crust to fit in the crockpot and set aside. Spray the crockpot with nonstick cooking spray or with Baker's Joy (oil and flour). Slice the remaining crust into little 1 inch slices and line the bottom of the pot. Mix the peaches and dry mixture together and place on top of the crust slices. Slice the butter and place on top of the peaches and then place the circle of pie crust on the top. I sliced a few places in the top so it wouldn't puff up too much. Cook on high for 2 hours.

Serve with vanilla ice cream (we love Blue Bell) and repeat over and over again "Oh my dang this is WONDERFUL!!!"

I think Finley liked it the most. You know, since he was licking the plate!

Crockpot Challenge: Day 14

2011-11-27T18:55:00.001-08:00

So today I severely needed to go to the grocery store. I had planned on going yesterday but we got busy decorating for Christmas and I never really got out of my pajamas. I ended up making Chicken Alfredo Pasta in the crockpot the same way I normally make it in the oven - minus all the nasty clean up afterward. I may be a titch obsessed with the old gal...

The only thing you really need is some chicken and a jar of alfredo sauce. I really like the Bertoli Brothers (I think that's the brand), but I'm sure I got this jar on sale with a coupon so I used it instead. We aren't super picky around here. I placed frozen chicken in the pot and covered it with the jar of sauce. After about 7 hours I boiled some water, dropped in the pasta, mixed up a bag-o-salad and voila! dinner was served. I forgot to take an after picture so I just got up and told everyone to say cheese:)

They actually listened!

You should probably check in tomorrow to learn how to make a fabulous Peach Pobbler - that's what I'm calling it because I thought it was going to be a pie and it tasted like a heavenly cobbler. So, pobbler it is.

See you tomorrow!

Crockpot Challenge: Day 13

2011-11-26T19:02:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I was craving something sweet. And since we still had some Thanksgiving food leftover I didn't want to make anything big. So I made something small. But oh so delicious.

I'm calling these Ooey Gooey Cinnamon Apples. I'm claiming them because I looked up a bunch of recipes and came up with my own mixture in the end.

You will need:
6 apples
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
3 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. cinnamon
sprinkle of nutmeg (to taste)
1/2 stick butter

Mix all of the dry ingredients together. Slice the apples. I used my apple corer and then removed the skin. Place the apples in the crock and coat with the mixture. Place butter slices on top. Cover and cook on high for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Die because they are so good.

We had ours with a little bit of cool whip on top. I'm thinking of trying out some sort of apple pie in the crockpot next week with this little recipe. I also think these would be good with pancakes. The possibilities are endless folks. Just endless.

What is your favorite dessert?

Crockpot Challenge: Day 12 and a Winner

2011-11-25T21:56:00.000-08:00

Today's recipe is one of my childhood favorites, courtesy of my mom and, well, subsequently, me:)

Red Beans and Rice:

1 onion
1 small bag pinto beans
enough water to cover the beans
Beef or pork sausage
a dab of crisco (yes, I realize I just lost some readers there, but I'm a southern gal through and through and I occasionally cook with crisco) I apologize...
2 cans tomato sauce (there is only one in the picture because I'm a goober - but I used two)
As much Tony's Seasoning as your mouth can stand

Place the beans in the crock, cover with water, add the tomato sauce and dab of crisco (I'm guessing there are a couple of tablespoons on that wooden spoon. I'm an eyeballer:))Sprinkle with Tony's. (I actually use so much that it covers the entire mixture.) Cover and cook on low for about 4 hours.

After 4 hours, slice up the sausage and mix it in with the rest of the goodies and cook on low another 4 hours or so. You may need to add water occasionally throughout the day depending on how fast/hot your slowcooker actually cooks.

Serve over sticky white rice, yes white, with cornbread or corn muffins (our favorite!). Sweet tea is optional although it actually isn't at this house. Southern remember?

Enjoy!!! I didn't get any after pictures because John was in such a hurry to eat and then I took the leftovers to my neighbors house... My bad.

Aaaaaaand, we have a winner! My neice pulled a name out of a hat, okay my sister-in-law's lap, on Thanksgiving Day.

Lacy!!! Contact me at meredithtemplin(at)yahoo(dot)com with your address and I'll put your Starbucks giftcard in the mail. Congratulations!

Thankful

2011-11-24T18:23:00.000-08:00

Today I am thankful for this man. My husband, companion, partner in crime in this thing we call parenthood. He is a good man, a hard-working man, an amazing father and the love of my life.

The only man you want to give your life to is the one who makes you hunger for Christ, believe in grace, experience the other-world love of God.

Ann Vonskamp

Crockpot Challenge: Day 11

2011-11-23T12:09:00.000-08:00

Today's recipe is courtesy of one of my besties, Laura! Hey Speerio;) Laura was my carpool buddy until I stopped working as much. A Sonic buddy and fellow Twi-hard there's not much we disagree on. She is definitely one of the world's greatest friends and my life is richer because of her. She makes the best homemade Queso, Eggplant Parmesan, and apparently, Beefy Noodles!

You will need:
1 package of cubed steak
1 package Lipton onion soup mix
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
1 package sliced mushrooms
1 4oz tub of sour cream

Cut up the steak.

*I feel like I need to share a tip with you. If you have an electric can opener, you probably have a knife sharpener on the back. Use it. Before you cut the meat:)I didn't know this for years and it was the source of a lot of unnecessary cooking frustration for me. Ha!

Mix the soups, soup mix, steak, and mushrooms in the pot and cook on low for the day. An hour before serving add the sour cream to the mix. Serve over egg noodles. Or rice. Or mashed potatoes. I have an oral aversion to egg noodles so I served it to my family over rice. I was going to make mashed potatoes but I ended up going to the Cheesecake Factory with the girls. And then we saw Twilight. Again. So I didn't have time to make mashed potatoes. The end. Of that story.

I promise you will love this recipe. So give it a try.

And this is the last day to enter to win a Starbucks gift card... so get on it!

"Perfume and incense bring joy to the heart, and the pleasantness of a friend springs from their heartfelt advice." Proverbs 27:9

Crockpot Challenge: Day 10 and what good books have you read lately?

2011-11-22T22:06:00.000-08:00

"Did I just eat a piece of pineapple?" These words came out of John's mouth during dinner last night.

"Ummmm, yeah..."

"It's good."

And that is all I needed to hear. I don't know if John will ever admit it but I think he secretly likes my little crockpot adventure.

Today's recipe, "Stuffed Peppers", comes from my friend Jessica. Hey Jessica! I met Jessica 8 years ago when I started working nights at a new hospital in Denver. Well, not a new hospital altogether, just new to me:) Anywho, she sent me a message with this recipe and it sounded like nothing I've ever made before so I thought I'd give it a go. I'm glad I did.

*These aren't your average stuffed peppers. In the past I've tried the peppers with rice and some type of red sauce and hamburger meat and they were okay but these peppers are delicious. Seriously.

You will need:

4 or 5 bell peppers (I used 3 green and 1 yellow and 1 orange)
2 cans of chicken (or the equivalent in prepared chicken breasts)
1 package of sliced mushrooms
1 jar pineapple salsa (I used Peach Pinapple Chipotle - it's all I could find!)
1 can pineapple tidbits with juice (I used 3 snack ones - I had them in the fridge)
2 packages of grated cheese
2 packages frozen rice (I cooked 4 servings of Minute Rice)

Now Jessica's recipe calls for cutting up the peppers and mixing everything together (except 1 package of cheese) in the crockpot and cook on low all day.Then place a some cheese over the top before serving.

I like how pretty bell peppers look when they are actually stuffed. So I cut up 1 green bell pepper, mixed everything together and cooked on low all day. About 30 minutes before dinner I washed and "gutted" 2 green peppers and 1 orange/ 1 yellow and put the mixture inside, topped with cheese and baked on 350 for about 30 minutes. I bought some tortilla chips and served the mixture on them for the boys and called them nachos! Win - win!

This is honestly different from anything I've ever attempted before but I'm glad I tried it because I feel a little fancier for it. Oh, and Jessica made this recipe up by the way so kudos to the creative people of the world.

Enjoy!!!

Have you read any good books lately? I've been told that the Hunger Games are good and also The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. A few weeks ago I read Kisses from Katie and it was absolutely wonderful. Like a three hour read wonderful. And I've been told Beautiful Outlaw is also worth reading.

What books do you recommend?

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters" Colossians 3:23

Crockpot Challenge: Day 9 (and a pic of the burnt lasagna)

2011-11-21T18:04:00.000-08:00

So there it is - the big nasty. OR the burnt lasagna. Potato pototo.

In case you missed my post yesterday, I decided to post each meal the day after I try it. This way I don't feel so much pressure:)

Today's (yesterday's) recipe comes from my friend Mary. I have worked with Mary at the hospital for years and she is one of my favorite people. In fact, she solidified that status when I found out she got kicked out of one of those bounce house places. With her kid in tow. Because she was being a smarty pants:) I also enjoy giving report to Mary in the mornings because she has an icy Diet Coke in hand and tells me it's her "drug of choice". Oh how I could listen to her talk all. day. long. She's a funny one. And now I'll stop going on and on about her because after these pork chops, my husband may be in love with her and I don't want to add any more fuel to that fire. For realz. About the love and the fire.

Mary's Yummy Pork Chops! You will need:

pork chops (any kind, I used bone-in because that's what they had at the Walmarts)
2 cans cream of mushroom soup
a little bit of butter

Um, yeah, that's all. And it is so good. It makes the most magnificent gravy as it cooks all day.

In fact, John decided yesterday afternoon that he wanted to take me on a date. We found a babysitter and were going to go to dinner and a movie and just eat the porkchops the next day for lunch. I opened the lid to stir those angels and pulled out a piece for John to taste... and we ended up eating them for dinner that night and lunch the next day (today). They are that good. We were going to eat at the Japanese restaurant near our house and the porkchops trumped the fried rice. Darn you porkchops.

So, you know, just so you know. You know?

Put a little butter in a pan and brown the pork chops. (on a sidenote I'm not sure if pork and chop belong together or separately so I'm using them interchangeably because I can)I browned ours for about 30 seconds on each side.

Then place them in the crock pot. (again, one word or two? I don't know)Cook on low around 6-8 hours depending on how thick the chops are.

Pour the soups on top. Stir occasionally throughout the day. Sing Mary's praises for the rest of the evening. We did. And I hope you do too.

The end.

"Do not work for food that spoils, but for food that endures to eternal life..." John 6:27

*Don't forget to leave me a comment and be entered for a chance to win a Starbucks giftcard on Thursday. I've decided that anyone who leaves me a comment on any of the "Crockpot Challenge" posts will be entered to win, unless you tell me otherwise, in which case I may have to reconsider our relationship because you don't like free stuff.

Crockpot Challenge: Day 8

2011-11-20T22:35:00.000-08:00

So here's the truth. Or some truths.

1. I promise I will post pictures tomorrow of the burnt lasagna and the most wonderful, easiest pork chops ever that I made today.

2. My phone, camera, computer essentially all hate me at the same time and I'm having issues.

3. It works out well that all technology has a conspiracy against me because it made me realize that it is cuh-razee to try and cook and blog the same recipe every day. This way I will be one day behind and I can put more time and energy into each post.

4. Okay that last sentence was a lie. School requires most of my time and energy, as well as two little blonde-headed boys, so my posts will still have the same amount of suckage each day. (possibly more, who knew?).

5. I saw Twilight again tonight with my sister-in-law. I know! It's a condition. I may need a therapist. Or medication. Or an intervention. Or something.

See you tomorrow and I'm going to tell you how a nurse named Mary's (super easy) porkchops can save your marriage... or something less drastic.

Crockpot Challenge: Day 7 (and something else entirely)

2011-11-19T18:58:00.000-08:00

Go figure. I made two bad meals two days in a row.

Seriously.

This morning, I thought I would be really crafty and do something crazy like make lasagna in the crockpot with what I had on hand. I layered lasagna noodles, hamburger patties, garlic salt, marinara sauce and mozarella cheese in the ole girl and put the lid on. I HONESTLY thought I was going to blog about this fantastic meal we ate for dinner. Ha! Somehow, someone during the day turned the pot on high and by 4:30 I had a crockpot full of something awful. Terrible. Awful terrible ya'll. I did take pictures and I will post them tomorrow. I just wanted to get this on here so you will know that I did cook in the crockpot today but it was absolutely horrific.

In other news, I saw the new Twilight movie "Breaking Dawn". Let me just say that I, for one, am glad that teenage girls are in love with this series. Hear me out. Before you get all being in a codependent relationship with a vampire isn't healthy or romanticizing bruising/ pain associated with love is unacceptable, we need to look at the practical lessons involved, not the over-the-top ones.

1. Twilight tells the story of a boy and a girl who spend hours talking, excessively talking, and getting to know each other for who they are - the good and the bad. They accept each other. They develop a relationship through friendship, not jumping into bed with each other or groping each other through their clothes. Which leads me to my second point...

2. Twilight is teaching young girls that they are worth being pursued by a gentleman. Bella Swan is a clumsy, super-shy girl in the book. She isn't dressing provocatively or trying to jump into bed with Edward. She is intrigued by him, they get to know one another, and they fall in love. Contrary to the first movie, they actually develop their relationship over months (not minutes) and he doesn't even attempt to kiss her until the end of the first book. So there...

3. If you've stuck with me this far, congratulations!!!

4. Twilight is showing teenagers that it is okay to wait until marriage to have sex.

5. Twilight lets teenagers know that it is normal to have sexual feelings or urges toward someone you are involved with/dating/in love with, but the author has her characters show restraint; they balance each other out.

I could go on and on but no one really reads my rantings anyway:) My point is, yes there is a cheesy vampire/werewolf story involved and yes it is very juvenile in a lot of ways, but I think it is better for our teenagers to read this type of story than watch one episode of Teen Mom or the new 90210.

Is it super obvious that I felt really old watching that movie and need to justify why? Oh, okay, good then:)

*If you stuck with me throughout this entire rambling, nonsensical post (without pictures), leave me a comment to tell me what you think about Twilight and I'll enter your name into a drawing to win a Starbucks gift card!!!

(I'll draw a name out of a hat on Thanksgiving - seems fitting since most normal people are thankful for Starbucks.)

Crockpot Challenge: Day 6

2011-11-18T18:03:00.001-08:00

This is going to be a quickie... I've had a busy day and my hubby's plane just landed so the rest of my evening is reserved for the fam.

Today's recipe is courtesy of this blog. Again.

Cranberry Pork Roast
You will need:
1/2 lemon
1 can whole cranberry sauce
1 tsp. ginger
1/2 tsp. dried mustard
1 clove garlic (minced)
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 pork roast
1/3 c. cranberry juice
*the recipe calls for some golden raisins too.
*I left those out.
*because it just sounds nasty.

Mix all of the dry spices and garlic together, rub over pork and then pour cranberry sauce and juice on top. Cover with the sliced lemons. Cook on low for 6-8 hours, or on high for 3-4 until done.

Honestly? Not impressed. It was pretty at first but pretty food that doesn't taste pretty is ugly. U-G-L-Y.

I know there are plenty of people who would love this. Just not the person writing this blog thankyouverymuch. So, after cooking dinner all day I'm still hungry.

(Don't get me wrong. We still ate this. We just didn't really like it that much that's all.)

Good thing I have some cookie dough left... or I'd probably be mad:)

Crockpot Challenge: Day 5

2011-11-17T09:00:00.000-08:00

Well good morning! And a good morning it is because I woke up to breakfast in crock. What's that you say? You had breakfast waiting for you when you woke up this morning? How? How can I achieve this level of greatness aunti won kenobi?
Don't fret little padawans... I'm going to tell you right now.

You will need:

2 cups of steel cut oats
3 1/2 cups of water
Toppings - the possibilities are endless. Endless people.
*Some of our favorite toppings are chocolate chips and bananas, pecans with cinnamon and brown sugar, berries with cinnamon and nuts, you get the idea...

Either line your crock pot with a liner or spray with nonstick spray, place the oats in the pot and cover with water, cook on low for the night. The best thing I have found is to put them in the crock early, let them soak, and turn the pot on before going to bed. Or, if you have a husband who stays up late like mine and gets up all hours of the night, have him turn the pot on around midnight-ish and they will be perfect around 7:00 am.

Like them, you will...

This morning I had mine with peanut butter chips (what can I say, I must've gotten crafty last year sometime because I cleaned out my pantry this past weekend and I found these peanut butter chips that I don't even remember buying) and dark chocolate chips and a big glass of ice cold skim milk. It was glorious.

May the forks be with you.

You're welcome:)

Crockpot Challenge: Day 4

2011-11-16T09:21:00.000-08:00

Introducing Chicken Tortilla Soup (I just said that, out loud, in my best Gloria accent)

Then I said, in my best Gloria accent, "don't you give me and old tomato!"

And, FYI, this is where the magic happens:)

Sorry, sidetracked.

Today's recipe comes from my sister-in-law Melissa. Hey Melissa! She emailed me two recipes this week and one of them had me salivating and I actually had the ingredients in my pantry so...

You will need:

4 frozen chicken breasts (or thawed, whatever)
2 cans black beans, undrained (15 oz)
- I actually just realized this says 15 oz. I wonder what size I used?
2 cans stewed tomatoes - Mexican style (15 oz)
- Dang! Strike 2. I just realized mine are normal. No super angry mexican tomatoes here... hehe:)
1 cup salsa (I used Sprouts brand because it is pure deliciousness and it doesn't have any sugar...not that that even matters since I'm sure everything else does..)
And I used it because it was in the fridge.
1 can chopped green chilies/chiles? (4 oz)
1 can tomato sauce (14 oz)

(next time I make this soup I am going to put the stewed tomatoes in the blender for a few seconds... I think the kids will be more willing to try it without those big ole nasty tomato chunks in there)

Mix it all together in the "beast" as my friend Kim so recently called it (love it!) and cook on low all day. When the chicken is done, shred it with a fork and serve over tortilla chips. Top with shredded cheese, sour cream and green onions (optional as far as I'm concerned because I don't have any)(any green onions, that is). Freeze the leftovers! 3 of my favorite words:)

I had to include that last picture because it didn't feel right to leave it out...

So, here is what it looks like before you put the lid on. I didn't take a picture during the day because I actually didn't touch it all day. Score!

I'm not going to lie, when I took the lid off this evening I was a little worried. To be completely honest, this stuff looked nasty! I was especially concerned because while picking up my oldest from school, I invited another mother and her son over for dinner. You know the drill, "why don't you guys just come on over, we'll let the kids play... I have dinner in the crockpot so it's no big deal at all... I'll chill some wine", etc. etc. Then I took the lid off to shred the chicken breasts and my first thought was crap! I invited people over for a meal I've never even tried. But....

This soup? In a word? Tasty! It is like a little fiesta in your mouth. When I stopped myself to take a picture, my friend Nicole thought I was nuts! I told her what I was doing and she stuck her bowl alongside mine - you know - like a true girlfriend:)

We both ate every. last. bite.

And then I made cookies.

Because I'm a good friend.

Adios!

Crockpot Challenge: Day 3

2011-11-15T09:28:00.000-08:00

I had no idea that my fun little crockpot challenge would be, well, so much fun. I have gotten a few facebook messages with different recipes to try and they sound really good! So, if you have a recipe you think I would like or just want to be featured on my blog for my three faithful readers, send me a message to meredithtemplin(at)yahoo(dot)com. Thanks:)

Today's recipe, CrockPot Bacon and Cheese Chicken, is courtesy of this blog. I thought it would go nicely with our leftover Baked Potato Soup from last night.

Here's what you need:

2T Olive Oil (if you are using lean cut; if you are using fatty pieces - omit this)
6 Chicken Breasts (I used a 1 pound package of tenderloins - not frozen) but frozen works too!
12 pieces of cooked bacon, crumbled (I probably ended up using 6 pieces, maybe 7)
*don't get me wrong, I cooked 12 but dang you bacon you are so delicious!
1/4 c. teriyaki sauce
1/2 c. ranch dressing
1 c. cheese

Line your crockpot, or don't it is really up to you. Drizzle the olive oil around the bottom. Place the raw chicken on the bottom. After mixing the ranch and teriyaki together, (go ahead, taste it, different but good right?) pour it over the chicken and then use a spoon to get it in between the chicken pieces. Finally, put the cheese and crumbled up bacon on top. Turn on low, pop the lid, and walk away!

I decided to cook mine on low for 7 hours. You can cook on high for 3 - 4 hours if you please...

On a little bit of a side note, I have decided this is the kind of cooking for me. I turned on my iPod this morning, put on my apron, sang my heart out into a cooking utensil and cooked up the bacon to perfection. Perfection people. How many of you can say that you have done this with your family in the house at dinner time? Exactly! This morning, there was no pressure. (and by pressure I mean a child or two harassing the other or each other, or an emergent I can't really get my pants buttoned and I need you to do it right now episode; seriously, at least once a week I get side-tracked, burn something, and John inevitably walks into a smoke-filled house, smiles, and says "I see mommy is cooking dinner.") Anywho, I cooked the bacon, and while it was cooling off, I washed the pan. The past two nights have made me realize that I enjoy dinner with my family more because there is less mess to clean up afterward. I wash a lot of the prep dishes early in the day (and by wash I mean rinse and put in the dishwasher) and after dinner, the only things to load in the dishwasher are the dishes we actually used.

Back to the actual food: the chicken looked different than I thought it would, rather ugly actually, but it tasted really good so go figure...

I served it up with the potatoes from last night - they aren't very soup-y today and some carrots.

But let's be honest, the carrots on my plate were, well, for effect I guess because you know I didn't eat them:)

*I love carrots. I just wanted comfort food tonight...

The end.

Crockpot Challenge: Day 2

2011-11-14T17:29:00.001-08:00

Since John wasn't going to be home tonight for dinner (and I actually knew that in advance) I decided to make a potato soup in the crock pot tonight because the boys and I L.O.V.E. soup and we don't care if it doesn't have any meat in it.

I got this recipe from either my sister-in-law, Shalane, or her mother, Mrs. Phyllis a few years ago ( I can't really remember they are so alike )and I think I remembered all of the ingredients. If not, it still tasted good.

So there.

All you need for Baked Potato Soup:

1 bag of southern style hash browns
1 box of chicken broth (enough to cover the potatoes)
1 small onion (I did not use the whole onion in the picture - I used half)
4 ounces of cream cheese
salt and pepper

Next, put the potatoes in the pot (inside the cancerous plastic liner of course), cover them with the chicken broth, put the chopped onion and salt and pepper on top and mix with a spoon. Pop that lid on, turn on low, and walk away for 7 hours!

This is about half way through...

About an hour before serving, drop the cream cheese in the pot.

Stir before serving.

I put the leftover tomatoes, cheese and avacados from last night in mine.

The boys only wanted cheese. You win some you lose some. Eh.

Our sweet neighbor, Nash, came over to play Beyblades with the boys and he ended up eating 4 bowls!

You should really try this recipe. It is so easy and it really tastes fantastic:)

I also cut out fifty construction paper trains today/tonight (it takes a while!!!), so on that note, I'm going to bed.

(*this first picture is not an ad for Walmart's "great value" brand I promise. I just happened to shop there this week)

Crockpot Challenge: Day 1

2011-11-13T18:03:00.000-08:00

So, I decided to attempt to use my crock pot every day for the next 30 days. We'll see how long that lasts. I do, however, have the ingredients to use it for the next 7 so let's start there shall we?

I love my crock pot. Love. But the truth is I have gotten in a rut and cook the same things over and over and over. If I decide to use it for 30 days then I will have to put some effort into it and find something worth cooking (and blogging about) so that no one gets bored. Right? Right?!?!

So JT and I got on the trusty ole interweb and found some recipes here and there. I thought it would be good handwriting practice for the kid so I had him make the list for the store and off we went.

On a side note, when we were leaving the store there was a table for Veteran Appreciation with men in uniform. JT stopped in front of the table, recognizing who they were, and saluted them. And then he said thank you. And then I may have teared up and dang near lost it right there. He wrote a short note of appreciation to the soldiers who serve our great country and I was one proud momma.

So, for the day one recipe. I decided on Beef Fajitas because I really love Mexican food and, well, that's the only reason I suppose:) You will need the following:

beef stew meat - I used one pound
1/2 cup of water
1 package fajita seasoning
1 small onion sliced
2 bell peppers - I used a green one and an orange one (pretty huh?)

Mix it all together in the ole crocker and let cook on low for around 7 or 8 hours.

I thought they tasted fantastic. We had ours on flour tortillas with cheese, sour cream, tomatoes, fresh squeezed lime over the meat and avacados. Oh, and salsa. Can't forget that little gem. Everyone ate until they were full and no one asked for a snack after dinner so I'm calling it a success. And I didn't have any leftovers... good and bad I suppose!

And I definitely used the cancer-ridden plastic crock pot bags because I can't cook in the old girl for 30 days and have to scrub her every night now can I?

Whatcha think? Any suggestions?

Random Thoughts (like, really random) (you probably shouldn't even read this...)

2011-11-01T15:49:00.000-07:00

So here's the truth.

The hardest thing about blogging is actually blogging. I feel like I often see my life in blog. Through pictures. To music. I have the perfect post in my head, know exactly what I'm going to write, which lyrics will best accompany the pictures, etc. etc. And then I sit down to actually do it and I can't. I think this is called lack of follow through or something of the sort. Whatever it is... I have it. Sorry.

In other news HOW IN THE WORLD do I have a first grader and a baby who is almost five years old? Where did the time go?

And I cut back on the sugar. Way back. Like a teaspoon in my coffee every morning. My one cup of coffee every morning. And that's it. A moment of silence is most definitely in order if that's what you're thinking. It's what I'm thinking now that I think about it. hehe...

(and yes that means that I didn't eat any Halloween candy - NONE AT ALL!)

So that's it for now.

I suck. I know. Bad blogger.

THE END:)
(aren't you glad that's over?)

That DANG Chick-fil-A Cow!

2011-09-20T21:54:00.000-07:00

I know I haven't blogged in forever and I promise to update about all of our adventures over the past few months but I just had to share...

When we drove through a certain intersection, the CFA cow was dancing on the corner, taunting Finley into a massive meltdown....

When we sold popcorn at the carnival this weekend for cub scouts, the CFA cow was at the booth right next to us. Meltdown....

And when I thought it was safe to take the kids to school this morning - there he was - that CFA cow!!! We can't get away from him.

And I realized I may have said DANG one too many times...

Because JT asked Finley what he was scared of and he replied, "that DANG Chick-fil-A cow!!!"

That's great parenting right there.

Great.

Holiday Camping

2011-07-01T07:39:00.000-07:00

Obviously, I haven't blogged in over a week - sorry! I had a Statistics final to study for and take. Even though the final was HORRIBLE, I still got an A in the class so I'm okay with that.

We are getting ready to go camping this weekend. I'm a little nervous about Finley waking up early and wandering out of the tent... any suggestions? He is soooo quiet and it scares me.

I am actually taking eggs, hashbrowns, turkey sausage, kabobs, etc to cook. I've never done anything so fancy before - we are hotdog kinda people. And of course the boys can't wait for the s'mores. JT woke me up this morning full of excitement about the s'mores. and the swimming. and the tent. He's really excited.

He also asked Jesus into his heart this past week, but I'm reserving an entire post for that....

No pictures today. It's okay you don't have to stick around:)

Hopefully, I'll get some really good pictures this weekend (laugh all you want, a girl can dream) and I can write some good posts next week...

Have a great 4th of July!!!

Father's Day

2011-06-21T11:59:00.000-07:00

As sad as it is, I know that I will never celebrate another Father's Day with my dad on this side of heaven. He's been gone now for almost 14 years and it makes me sad when I realize I've been without him almost as long as I was with him. Does that make sense? I'm sad that my children will never get to go hunting or fishing with him and they'll never see what a wonderful man and father he was to me. I hate that they won't get to experience my love for him firsthand and maybe look forward to their own daughter's respect and admiration one day. I hope that John and I show our children the unconditional love that my parents showed me each and every day. I hope that they see our Heavenly Father through John just as I saw Him through my dad.

Although I don't get to celebrate Father's Day with the man who raised me, I do get to help my children celebrate their father. This year the boys made a present for John at school before it let out and we saved them until this past Sunday. We also planned a fishing trip for him and my brother-in-law so they can have some "man time" next month. Of course, it wouldn't be a true celebration without one of the kiddos spoiling the surprise. I won't go into detail but it started with "mom, you forgot to tell dad...." and ended with John grinning from ear to ear that he knew what his present was a day early:)We spent the day together as a family and enjoyed yummy food and even some ice cream for dessert.

All in all it was a great weekend and I am so thankful for my husband in so many ways. I feel a little guilty that it takes a manmade holiday for me to reflect on those things. I recently read a quote by an author that I love (Ann Vonskamp) and it sums up my thoughts about John perfectly.

"The only man you want to give your life to is the one who makes you hunger for Christ, believe in grace, experience the other-world love of God."

Thank you John Templin for being such a wonderful man, husband and father. We love you so much!

Drop Your Drawers

2011-06-20T12:58:00.001-07:00

So I guess it is time to let my three readers (Hi mom)know that I signed up to run my first 5K at the end of next month. I have a few friends running with me: Jaime (my PNP friend from the Springs), Brandy (NNP from work) and Carly our favorite preschool teacher/babysitter AND friend.

I actually couldn't say no when Brandy sent me the information. It is the 2011 Underwearness Drop Your Drawers and Run Wild 5K! (No mom, we don't run in our undies)
I'm just so excited that I've trained for this long which is about a month longer than I've stuck with anything else. I think John is pretty impressed as well because he knows that I don't typically stick with anything for too long (other than eating and sleeping and talking of course)and he bought me a present on Father's Day: the Nike + iPod. It is a nifty little chip that you put in your shoes and it communicates with your phone/iPod to let you know your distance, current pace, total miles, etc.

***Just a side note, if you do own an iPhone and haven't synced it in, say, over 12 months it will take ALL. NIGHT. LONG. I know this because I was so excited to use my new handy dandy shoechipthingy and I had to wait fo-rev-er (you can imagine me saying that like 'Squints' from the movie The Sandlot.) Go ahead, I'll wait...

To be honest, I think John is trying to encourage me since I've lost some weight through this whole running phase (not to be confused with my P90X phase - I got heartburn just typing that). No, John isn't a shallow man who wouldn't love me 10 pounds (OK fine! 15 pounds) heavier, but when John is doing something I like, I encourage him too so I can't really blame him.

***Another side note:Congratulations if you made it past that last paragraph. Pretty confusing I know but my closest two readers understood it:)

Are you wondering if you are one of my closest two now?

Don't be silly.

You know who you are;)

"You have made known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in your presence..." Psalms 16:11

Potty Mouth

2011-06-17T05:45:00.000-07:00

Soooo, I've been having a hard time lately. I don't feel well, I've been a single parent for the past few weeks, I have finals coming up and it's NOT EASY coaching 6 year old boys...(insert whiney voice here) Poor John, the past few phone calls have probably been excruciating. I just needed to vent to someone and who better than my husband because he really knows my heart (I hope) and knows that they are just words right? Wife of the year. I decided to research what the Bible has to say about my ranting and rumbling. In a word: bad.

"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen." Ephesians 4-6

"Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret - it leads only to evil." Psalms 37:8

"You shall not misuse the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses his name." Exodus 20:7 (pretty sure God dangit is included - don't you think?) :/

"I said, 'I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth...'" Psalms 39:1

Yep. That part about the muzzle is really in the Bible. I think I actually screamed Dang!!! when I read it. (followed by the old "sorry God, didn't mean that) Time to break the habit I guess...

An Interview with Finley

2011-06-16T10:30:00.000-07:00

Tuesday night JT went to a sleepover for a friend's birthday and left me and Finley all alone. So of course he slept with me Tuesday night and we had a fun little day together on Wednesday. I thought it would be fun to ask him about each picture as I post it... this should be interesting!

ME: Finley what are you doing in this picture?
FINLEY: I'm holding onto my pillow pet.

FINLEY: Drinkin' my gatorade. You remember that right mom? At karate?
On a side note...I love how he still looks like such a baby in this picture. Look at that little face!

FINLEY: I'm playing on a pirate ship.

ME: Did you like steering that pirate ship?
FINLEY: Yes ma'am!! (He pretty much growled that at me because I asked him while he was busy playing with something else... I think the interview may be over.)

FINLEY: laughs uncontrollably... I guess he thinks this is funny.

FINLEY: Swingin'. Mom! Where is my shoe? (don't worry, we left with it:))

So, nothing super exciting. We went to karate, went to the gym, found an awesome park and enjoyed each other's company.

And ate about 20 popsicles but who's counting?

"I prayed for this child, and the Lord has granted me what I asked of him."
1 Samuel 1:27

"Obnoxious"

2011-06-15T06:00:00.000-07:00

I got so tickled watching this video last night. I remember when I took this video and was so proud of Finley for sitting at the table like a big boy. I realized how much happiness these boys bring into my life and I am so thankful for them.

"A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones." Proverbs 15:30

Summer Fun

2011-06-14T11:21:00.000-07:00

JT has had a "wiggly tooth" for a looooong time now. And a few days ago, it was literally ripped out while he tried to open his sports bottle with his mouth. He came running up the stairs yelling that he lost his tooth and had blood dripping everywhere and you could tell he didn't know whether to be excited or scared or cry. So he pretty much did all three while his little hand was shaking uncontrollably while holding that precious tooth. Fast forward a few hours and he drew this picture of the tooth fairy coming into his bedroom. He had been waiting for this moment for a while now and the day was finally here. He even asked me, "this isn't a dream right mom? This is for real right?". Sweet boy:) So of course the tooth fairy had to wait until almost midnight to visit him because he was just too excited and couldn't settle down to actually, you know, go to sleep.

Guess all that waiting paid off! That money was burning a hole in his pocket so we went to Target and he bought a little box of legos that entertained him for the rest of the day.

On a completely different note, we found an awesome park this week. Any park where you can take your shoes off and play in a stream is okay in my book, especially on a day as hot as yesterday. I wanted to blog something about a "bubbling brook" or something to that effect (I mean, how neat does that sound? bubbling brook) but I'm obviously not a very eloquent writer so this will have to suffice.

You have to admit it looks like a lot of fun. So much in fact that Finley got brave and decided to join in the fun. I'm actually pretty proud of myself because I know that balancing in that water with all of that sensory input, without a melt down, has got to be some kind of therapy record. Yeah!

This swing was the perfect way to wind down before getting in the car for the long drive home. I wish we had one for our backyard;)

Finley's face? Pure joy.

JT got his fill of the swing too. We will definitely be visiting this park again in the future.

"Tremble, o earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool, the hard rock into springs of water." Psalms 114:7-8

Oh Sweet Moses!

2011-06-13T06:42:00.000-07:00

So last night I was mean to my kids.... like, yelling at my kids. And today I feel kinda bad. Don't get me wrong; they were acting like crazy kids - hitting each other and being ugly to the dog and disobeying me. The final straw was when they started screaming at each other in the bath tub and I screamed right back at them about not screaming and put them straight to bed. Mother of the year. I have been feeling convicted ever since. I started praying about my anger and proceeded to read my Bible and, honest to goodness, came across this passage. It is when Moses obviously had a hard time saying no to people demanding his time and his father-in-law tells him that what he is doing is no bueno. Here's the kicker:

"Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them his decrees and instructions, and show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave."

So, you know, actually show them (action) instead of screaming (just loud words).

If you read the whole story you learn that he also tells Moses to delegate so that only the big things are brought to him and the officials he chooses (men who fear the Lord mind you)take care of the small things. I haven't figured out how to apply that to my kids just yet, but you get where I'm going right?

So today, I am going to try to spend more time talking with my children instead of screaming at them and thank God that he covers me with so much more grace than I deserve.

"...show them the way they are to live and how they are to behave." Exodus 18:19-20.

This and that. That and this.

2011-06-12T09:49:00.000-07:00

This isn't really a blog post. Just a drive-by of sorts. I am trying to do a better job of journaling our lives since I've never been a "diary keeper" or baby book updater.. is that a word?

The boys were PERFECT at the wedding yesterday. I was so proud of them! We spent the time between the wedding and the reception (6 hours!) with my sweet friend Jaime and her family. Jaime has been my best friend for as long as I can remember and I'm so excited to be running a 5K with her next month!!! I should probably be a little jealous of her and the fact that she can run at least 4 miles any given day with no problem and JUST HAD A BABY IN FEBRUARY... but I'm not, not really anyway;) I'm so thankful to have such an amazing woman in my life who loves the Lord and isn't afraid to tell me what I NEED to hear, even when it isn't something I WANT to hear. And did I mention she is a friend from Louisiana who just happened to marry a military man and now lives only 1 hour away? Um, score?

In other news, the wedding was beautiful and the reception was a blast. In lieu of a cake, (the groom doesn't like cake... red flag of sorts?) the couple decided to have a chocolate fountain with bananas, strawberries, pretzels and other goodies for dipping. JT and Finley were in chocolate heaven. Their faces were filthy!!! And the best part? The boys slept super late this morning because they were worn slap out. You didn't know that was a phrase did you? Worn slap out. It is. And I use it all the time thankyouverymuch. That's a real word too, just so you know.

The end.

Just for Fun

2011-06-11T05:30:00.000-07:00

I know a lot of parents who try to teach their babies to read at 6 months or give their children math scenerios in the car ("if a train leaves the station at...."). John and myself? We do crap like this because it's so much more fun. I found this video last night:

Weekend Wedding

2011-06-10T11:00:00.000-07:00

A sweet friend of mine is getting married tomorrow and I will be taking the boys to the wedding by myself since John is out of town. I am excited for her but nervous about my children's behavior. However, it has taken me back to the days before my own wedding and I have been looking for pictures to show the boys so they might understand a little bit more of what we will be experiencing. They still don't get it but it's a start...

"...when I found the one my heart loves I held him and would not let him go"
Song of Songs 3:4

Give Thanks

2011-06-09T14:34:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I get frustrated when my children thank God for material things at nighttime prayers - like their transformers or legos... but I have to trust that this is a starting point for a life-long relationship with their Creator and be proud that they are at least thankful for those things right? RIGHT?

Today we are drawing pictures and sending cards to some of our favorite people. I, personally, still love to get a handwritten letter every now and again...

"I will give you thanks, for you answered me; you have become my salvation."
Psalms 118:21

Sing your heart out

2011-06-08T07:13:00.000-07:00

My kiddos love to sing - can you tell? Today we will turn the music up and sing our hearts out, because, well, who doesn't like to do that?

"I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations." Psalm 89:1

Door Hangers

2011-06-07T15:00:00.000-07:00

*This picture is from yesterday... After we ran through the sprinklers I decided to go for a run and wouldn't you know the dog was too tired so she hopped in the stroller. There's a reason we call her "lazy" Daisy:)

I thought today would be a good day to let the boys make a small craft. Nothing fancy schmancy or anything, just something they could get creative with and express themselves. I asked them to draw how they feel about God....

J.T. wrote, "win i senc abawt god i senc of the bibl." Translation: When I think about God, I think of the Bible. (He actually says think as "sink" so I guess I"m proud that he uses his phonics correctly!)Then he drew a little picture of him reading his bible. Finley on the other hand drew a pirate or something unrecognizable and promptly forgot about it so I didn't bother to take a picture.

"These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates." Deuteronomy 6:6-9

First Day of Summer

2011-06-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

School is out.. finally! I can't wait to spend so much time with the boys. Don't get me wrong, I love my two afternoons a week where they are both in school but recently I have felt this overwhelming sadness at how fast they are growing up. Where did the time go? Today we are going to play outside, run through the sprinklers, eat lunch in bathing suits and just enjoy each other's company. We are slowly making our way through the Children's Storybook Bible and the Old Testament and I think there may be something to starting one's day in the Word of God.... which is exactly what we will be doing every day this summer.

"Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul." Psalms 143:8

Lazy Weekend

2011-02-12T15:27:00.000-08:00

I am blogging from the mountains this weekend. My sweet husband brought me to my favorite place for a few days. There is something about cabin life that is so refreshing. Maybe it's the simplicity of it all - nothing but snow and trees.

How's your weekend?

Happy Birthday Finley

2011-01-23T14:51:00.000-08:00

When clouds veil sun, and disaster comes

Oh my soul, oh my soul

When waters rise, and hope takes flight

Oh my soul, oh my soul

Ever faithful

Ever true

You alone

You never let go....

You never let go

You never let go

You never let go.

When clouds brought rain

and disaster came

Oh my soul, oh my soul

When waters rose, and hope had flown

Oh my soul, oh my soul

Oh my soul

overflows

Oh what love, oh what love

O my soul

fills with hope

perfect love that never lets go.....

In joy and pain

in sun and rain

You're the same
oh you never let go
(lyrics by David Crowder Band)

"In the same way, the spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express."

Romans 8:26

"The Lord your God is with you, He is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, He will rejoice over you with singing."

Zephaniah 3:17

These verses have given me great comfort in times of need. I know some people may question why I always write about the bad times along with the good when it comes to celebrating Finley's birthdays. Here's why: In the Bible, whenever someone witnessed a miracle or someone was healed they were told to spread the great news; to tell everyone they encountered about what they had seen. I feel in a way this happened to us. We needed and prayed for a miracle and were given one... so we will tell of it until the end of our days. I thank God for Finley's life and can't imagine ours without him in it. We serve an amazing and gracious God...a God of miracles!

A Blogging Break.....

2010-02-12T09:49:00.000-08:00

I cannot express what this blog has been for me. Not just this blog, but the act of blogging in general. I so enjoy getting my feelings out there and on "paper" as a general sense of therapy, but also to update our family and friends on our everyday lives. This blog has been a way to journal our lives, the good times and bad, and feel a sense of community with other moms and families. However, I feel like my blogging life needs a break for now.... so I wanted to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who has faithfully followed my rantings and also to those who have come from the special needs community to offer advice and encouragement. I still plan on following everyone else's blogs... I've always been a lurker.... and hope that you all will continue to allow me to do so.

Smiles,

Meredith

Who Dat?

2010-01-25T02:58:00.000-08:00

I know I have so many other things to blog about but this just has to be said.....

I cannot believe that the New Orleans Saints are going to the Superbowl!!!!

Can you even believe it??? As a southerner, I am so dang proud.

Bless their football-lovin' hearts :)

Syrup and such

2010-01-19T09:23:00.000-08:00

Well, I haven't posted in a while because we have been super busy the past few months. At some point, I suppose I will blog about all of that, but for now my heart is aching and I just want to tell you about today.
At 12:30 p.m., Finley Paul will start preschool. Sigh. I knew this was coming. When he turns three (double sigh) he no longer qualifies for therapy services at home and must get them through the school district. So we picked out a backpack, HE picked out a motorcycle backpack, packed it with some extra clothes, all of his paperwork, emergency medication, etc. and at noon I will load him up in the car and try to drop him off. Try. Really hard. Maybe tomorrow?
As this day has been approaching, I can't help but catch myself thinking about the day he was born. I keep thinking about how he smelled and felt and made those sweet grunt-y noises that babies make. I'll skip all of the in between, but here we are almost three years later and I still think about how he feels and smells often.
When the boys are running through the house, I will often grab one of them up and hold them as long as they will let me. I smell their hair and their cheeks and try to hold onto it for the days I will no longer be able to.
Which brings me to the syrup. Finley, inevitably, always smells like syrup to me. I don't know why... he just does. This morning he smells like syrup and blueberries (probably from the blueberry pancakes we had for dinner). But other days he smells like syrup and playdoh, or syrup and a diaper (gross, I know). So, this morning as I was holding him and smelling his hair, J.T. asked me what I was doing to Finley. I told him I was just holding my baby and smelling his hair and he said, "What does he smell like mom?". I said, "Oh, you know, syrup and such" as the tears filled my eyes. J.T., being the super-sensitive child that he is, came and gave me a hug as well, and then said to me, with a straight face, "don't worry mom, I DO NOT smell like syrup-n-uch."

So, will you pray for me today? I know it seems so small to some people, but I feel like this is a big step for our family and is one of the final steps to no longer having babies in the house. I feel like I am closing the door on a huge part of my life and the ache it is leaving is painful right now....

What's in a picture?

2009-10-19T13:30:00.001-07:00

Last week my sister-in-law had us meet her in Parker to do a photo shoot with all of our kiddos. I have to warn you that she has mad photography skills and can capture some pretty wicked photos. :) Take these for instance, I'm sure I'm biased but I think my boys are so beautiful, it takes my breath away.....

I can't wait to have these somewhere in my house. Want some of your own?

( Your family silly, not mine!)

Contact her here.
Smiles,
Meredith

Meet Tough, Muff and Max... our 3 Butterflies

2009-10-01T06:00:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago, I won a blog contest from this little guy, who had a stroke just like Finley! We won a butterfly garden and were so excited to send off for our caterpillars the day our habitat arrived. We checked the mail every day anxiously awaiting their arrival. Finally, they came and I can't even describe how amazing it was to watch their transformation! I am obviously not the best with words, but I do take a lot of pictures....

During this process, which takes about 3 weeks, we also read the book Hermie... this is a book written by Max Lucado and is a "just like Jesus story." I am not sure how much the boys understood, but it is a start. I have recently gone part-time at work AND took the boys out of daycare.... and we are having such a great time! This was definitely a great way to start our new routine of spending more time together.

....and Ellen, you will be glad to know we DID NOT let the caterpillars drink and drive!!!

What exciting things have you been up to?

Sailing

2009-09-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

This past Saturday, the boys and I went to the Aurora Reservoir to go for a sail with some great friends. The day was gorgeous and the kids had a blast playing in the sand and water... just what we needed before our fast-approaching winter!

We also released our butterflies!

What did you do this weekend?

Smiles,
Meredith

Dear Walmart,

2009-09-20T19:46:00.000-07:00

I don't even know where to begin. I have loved you for so many years that I can't remember when it all started. I do, however, know that our relationship ended abruptly this past week and will never be repaired. I have, for at least 5 years now, walked through your doors once, if not twice or three times, each week and spent our family's hard-earned money. I have bought groceries, baby clothes, diapers and wipes, toys, plants, tires and oil-changes, fabric, stamps, rented the rug-doctor, and browsed through your clearance (your very messy clearance aisles I might add) and for what? For your customer service manager to be a raging and, in my opinion, very hormonal b*&$#! I don't think so. You have pissed off the wrong woman. Not only am I going to upper management, but I will tell EVERY SINGLE PERSON I encounter for the rest of my life how much I despise Walmart. Before this past week, I would daydream about my next trip to Walmart... what I would buy, which greeter I would have the pleasure of talking to upon entering, taking the boys down the fish aisle... Now, I loathe the thought of you. You have squished my hopes and dreams like a big, fat jellybean and I will never be the same.
The End,
Meredith

Sacred Marriage

2009-09-03T21:28:00.000-07:00

"What if God designed marriage to make us holy more than to make us happy?"

About a year ago, I was introduced to this book by a sweet friend of mine. I started it, then stopped, then started again.... and so on and so forth. Have you ever read a book that was so deep, so seriously important, that sometimes you just had to walk away and re-evaluate your life? Then, you re-read a chapter to make sure you fully understood what it was saying? Captivating anyone? (that is one of those books for women if you can get through it... definitely worth it) This is soooo one of those books. It has taken me almost a year to finish it! I think part of it is that I have been so busy with, well, life. But if I am honest with you all and myself, a big part of the problem was me. I will spare you all of the details, but John and I have decided to read through this book together over the next few weeks. I love my husband, more than words can say, and I feel that we have a good marriage, possibly even great most days. However, I have felt the Lord tugging at my heart over the past few weeks to seek Him wholeheartedly and I feel that this is an amazing opportunity for the two of us to experience together.

Have any of you read this book? What did you think? Any advice for us????

Smiles,
Meredith

Root Canal Schmoot Canal

2009-08-31T13:16:00.000-07:00

Just for those who care to know....

I showed up for my root canal, all Xanaxed up and everything, and only stayed for 10 minutes.

Why you ask?

I'll tell you. When placing the dam (sp?), the endodontist broke my tooth under the gumline and fractured my jaw. This sent me to the oral surgeon because it is considered a "surgical emergency", where my mouth and tooth and gums refused to go numb. OH YES, I WOULD NOT GET NUMB! Do you think that stopped him from drilling my tooth into a few pieces and ripping it out? Of course not. Fast-forward to today and many, many bowls of soup and yogurt later, and I now need an implant. (NOT the kind of implant I was wanting) Ahem. Google it.. go ahead.. I dare you. It is terrifying!

Know what else is terrifying?

SNAKES!

Like this one that was on our street last week. Heart. Attack. Gulp. I may never sleep again.

How have you been?

Root Canal...

2009-08-17T13:25:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I am going to the dentist for my very first root canal. My sweet friend Laura is driving me and I couldn't be more grateful, as I will be premedicating myself with Xanax.

In other news, J.T. had his 5th birthday party. I was a little upset because Finn started having seizures around the time I should have started planning it and his invites for his friends at preschool didn't get placed in their cubbies until the Tuesday before his party on Sunday. However, we had quite the turnout... 17 kids! I am so thankful to our friends and family who were able to attend on such short notice. It really made his day. See?

Shrooms anyone???

2009-08-04T21:04:00.000-07:00

Okay, that sounds awful doesn't it? Unless your name is Finley... you see I was going to title this post, "when it rains it pours", but then I thought, no.. here, when it rains we get mushrooms in our front yard. And FINLEY EATS THEM! That's right, he ate mushrooms out of our front yard. We wouldn't have known except for J.T. said "Ooooh, Finley you are in big trouble!" To which we responded, "what did he do?" and J.T. said, "he is putting mushrooms in his mouth."

"Spit those out Finley."

big gulp

Poison control was called, all is now well. The neurologist assured us Finley's seizures are not a result of the mushroom ingestion.

Thank you thank you thank you!

His EEG did show that he is having "left posterior epileptic (form) - ish? spikes and seizure activity": okay, maybe I shouldn't have put that in quotes. You get the idea. The plan for now is to use medication to try and get things under control. There are other options... but we are focusing on the medication right now and will only explore other options if necessary. (I have bad dreams, you see, when I think too far ahead and "borrow" trouble. :) )

Anybody know anything about the gluten-free and casein-free diet? (I am sure I spelled that wrong.. sorry!) I am considering placing the boys on it because it seems to be wonderful for brain development and incredibly nutritious and healthy... am I missing something big/ a disadvantage? Please tell me if I am!

We will see our neurologist again in a few months... until then, please pray for Finley to remain seizure free.

In other news... REALLY BIG NEWS... J.T. turned 5 years old yesterday! Can you even believe it has been five years since that tiny little fuzzball entered our lives??? He has been such a blessing!!!

For his big day, we had brownies for breakfast, cheese doritos and brownies for lunch, and quesadillas for dinner. (at his request, of course)

We took Finley to preschool for his Occupational Therapy, and then left him there! J.T. got a Target giftcard for his birthday from our neighbors and he wanted to use it, so we went to the store and he picked out a DVD: Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom. We took it home and watched it while eating popcorn and drinking bottled Coke! He even had his Lego Indiana Jones watch with us...

We played a little golf on the Wii....

I took pictures of his feet (what can I say? I think they are so dang cute!)

And today is our 8 year wedding anniversary! Goooooo marriage! (we got a Wii)

OH yeah: my newest nephew was born today....

Meet Aikman

See, when it rains it pours. It pours blessings of course! (Did I forget to mention that part?)

Maybe it pours scattered thoughts on my blog...

And finally:
Finley might have given me the stink-eye when we picked him up, but I couldn't really tell from the sugar-induced coma ;)

Any thoughts?

Smiles,
Meredith

Fingers Crossed for Today's Appointment

2009-07-30T09:11:00.001-07:00

Today is our appointment with the neurologist. Today we will find out the results of Finley's most recent EEG. Today is a BIG day because it could possibly have some answers.

And finally, TODAY the Wiggles are in town...

and we aren't going.

Sigh.

I really wanted to be able to take both of the boys because J.T. and I had soooo much fun 2 years ago when they came. See?

** Yes, thank you, I am very aware that my hair was, um, awful.

Smiles,
Meredith

We Survived!

2009-07-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

Today was Finley's EEG.... my plans for keeping him awake worked! My plans for keeping him calm during the electrode placement? Not so much.... he did, however, fall asleep from sheer exhaustion. Mwuahahahaha (evil and genius laugh implied here)
And of course, I took pictures to prove the entire process.

Sleepytown

So sweet to take a picture with mommy upon waking....

Completely over it....

Gooey, goopy hair, but glad it's over!

What did you do today?

Smiles,
Meredith

Do you.... tattoo?

2009-07-19T20:41:00.000-07:00

Hello... remember me? I'm the girl who has totally freaked out the past week over my son having sudden onset seizures. However, I think I am starting to adjust to our new normal. Well, that, and my mother flew into town today to help me this week while John is away. I know, I know... John has been out of town a lot and I manage fine on my own, but let's just say I have been a tad overwhelmed. But the show must go on... and on it has: See?

Finley playing in the sprinklers...

J.T.'s silly dance...

Taking a break... it's hard work being 2!

We had a blast at Southlands Mall today, letting the kiddos play in the water, letting them dry off as we ate dinner outside at Tokyo Joe's, changing them into their pajamas in the car and going grocery shopping for the week before bedtime.

I ordered and actually received (in only 2 days mind you) a medical ID band for Finn this week. I ordered it here, and also these cute temporary tattoos for when we are swimming so much in the summer. If those aren't cute then I don't know what is. If you are going to have a tattoo, you might as well say something!

On a more serious note, tomorrow is Finley's EEG at Children's Hospital. Please pray that our day is uneventful and that Finn will not be scared, but comforted throughout this entire process. Oh, and that we all survive him going WITHOUT a nap until then!

Smiles,
Meredith

Will you pray for Finley?

2009-07-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

After Finley's stroke, I was introduced to the blog world. At first it was a way to update family and friends, but then it became so much more. Soon, it became a place for me to get it all out and "say" what I was feeling or thinking at that moment. It is funny to look back really because I can't tell you how many "posts" I started and even finished, only to delete them shortly after. It was therapy enough to put it into words; I didn't need anyone to read them. Now, however, I am asking all of the blogosphere (is that a word?) to chime in and help me out.
This past weekend, Saturday to be exact, Finley had his first seizure since birth. We were at the ballpark for J.T.'s baseball game and Finley was sitting in his stroller. He just zoned out. His eyes glazed over, he began thrusting his tongue and drool was pouring out of his mouth as if someone turned the faucet on. The nurse in me began to time the "episode" and called the pediatrician to see what she thought we should do. However, the mother in me was terrified... especially because my sister-in-law was witnessing it with me and she looked like she may pass out/ freak out. (fyi: she is the calm one) Our pediatrician said to go to the ER, so we headed to Children's Hospital up the road. Once we were there, I will spare you all of the gory details, Finn had another "episode" and the Pediatric Intensivist felt very strongly that it was a seizure. HOURS later, we were sent home with an emergency medication in the event of another seizure.... and here we are.
So here are my questions and a little bit of information:

1. Have you ever used the Diastat Acudial on your child during a seizure? How do you think it worked? Were there any side effects associated with the medication that you felt were truly the medication and not the seizure itself?

2. If your child wears a medical alert bracelet, where did you purchase it? Are you satisfied with it? Are there any that aren't worth the money/ companies that I should stay away from?

This Monday, July 20th, we are having another EEG. He can't have any sugar or caffeine starting Sunday, no nap the day of the EEG, and needs to take a nap after the EEG is started. Okay, sure! Finley has had two EEG's in his life, but he was 2 days (inpatient) and 2 weeks (outpatient) old at the time. I have no idea how to do this. His EEG is at 2 p.m., soooo my plan is: Take J.T. to preschool in the morning and then take Finley to a 2nd breakfast very close to the hospital. I am going to park my car at the hospital and we will walk to our gym across the street where I will let Finley play until lunch. We'll have lunch at the cafe in the gym and then get on our swimsuits and swim for a while since he loves the water and it wears him out. Then, we will grab a little snack, and walk back across the street to the hospital where he will, hopefully, be ready to zonk out. I am scared to put him in the car because it is "insta-nap" for him. (I tend to have great ideas, but when it comes time to implement them, there are usually some holes the first time around... and I really don't want this to be one of those times!) So....

1. What would you do to keep your child awake? Keep your child happy?

2. How do you get a child to sleep with a zillion electrodes on his head and in a strange place?

3. Any experiences with this that may help me out?

A few days after the EEG, we will see our neurologist:

1. Has/ does your child take a daily anti-convulsant? Which one? Are you satisfied with the results?

2. What questions do I need to ask?

Oh yeah, just one more I think: How long does it take your child/ family member to recover after having a seizure? (It took Finley the better part of 2 hours to get back to normal.... and he slept the majority of the day in between.)

Okay, okay I'm not really done :)

Do you have any advice? I am so overwhelmed right now. I feel like our way of doing things has changed so much in an instant. I feel like I did immediately after the stroke. I am scared to turn my back on the boys in the bathtub for a second (more than usual), I worry every time we leave the house if I have his emergency med, if we will be able to get to the hospital in time if he has a prolonged seizure. Every time the phone rings when he's at preschool, I wonder if they are calling to tell me something has happened. I know that things could be a lot worse, but I guess whenever our normal changes, I have this period of adjusting that is very anxiety-ridden.

I truly appreciate your input.

Smiles,
Meredith

Making Progress

2009-07-02T20:50:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been, well, hot if nothing else.

So the boys have been playing in the sprinklers, climbing on the roof, you know, the usual.

Speaking of the deck's roof, it is really looking nice isn't it?

But, "all work and no play"..... you know what they say. That's why we loaded up the car with some of our neighborhood kids and went to eat at Tokyo Joe's.

Oh yeah, and saw the new Transformers movie. (and showed Bumblebee some moves of our own.) :0)

Have a great 4th of July weekend!!!

the post I wanted to title "How to Change a Flat Tire without Breaking a Nail"... but I broke a nail

2009-06-24T19:36:00.000-07:00

This morning John had a flat tire waiting for him...
so he took my car to work...
and left me with the flat tire....
and said he would find someone to fix it or just come home for lunch and do it himself.....
and I might have taken that the wrong way...
you know, that he didn't think I could do it....
so I showed him.....
and took pictures to show you.

Step 1: put something behind the back tires and pull the emergency brake:

Step 2: use the jack to elevate the car and, thus, the tire:

Step 3: remove the lugnuts....

Step 3b: keep up with the lugnuts as you will need them again:

Step 4: remove the flat tire:

Step 5: place the spare tire and use the aforementioned lugnuts to secure it:

Step 6: go to the nearest tire store to get it fixed properly (they were able to patch ours... for free)

So there you have it, how I spent my morning....

and now you can sleep tonight.

You're welcome.

It's Finished!!!....

2009-06-21T10:56:00.000-07:00

well, almost, you know... except for the parts that aren't finished. But we don't care. Enough of the deck is finished to enjoy family, friends, and good ole' southern food. See?

See those black things on top of the posts? Solar lights! Our neighbor Mark is brilliant, they soak up the sun all day and then give some ambient light at night.. perfect!!!

The stairs... I will never take stairs for granted again!

View from the back... the boarded up window should be fixed soon! It is a little unsightly! Our neighbors were nice enough to loan us an extra patio table and chairs until we can get some of our own. I can't wait to go and pick out a set of our own :)

This last picture is from a few weekends ago after a rainstorm. Everyone was giving me grief for calling all the kids over to look at the rainbow. I had to put my foot down and remind everyone how we marveled at the tornado and its destruction. We took this as an opportunity to talk to our kids about the meaning behind the rainbow and how it was one of God's many promises to us. I think everyone will cut me a little slack from now on... I don't think they want God sending a tornado their way. ;) Haha!

I wished I had my camera...

2009-06-18T09:09:00.001-07:00

On my way to work this week, I was almost run off the road by a State Farm Catastrophe Truck. I looked over to give him the well-deserved "stink-eye", and realized he wasn't paying any attention to me or my anger because he was texting. That's right, texting! I am pretty sure that insurance companies like State Farm would frown upon anyone texting and driving, especially their employees. I was wishing that I had my camera to take a picture of his offense and send it to the company... and then I realized that was just as bad as texting and driving, you know, taking pictures and driving. But still, I wished I had my camera....

and my cell phone and iPod for that matter. (they were stolen out of my car last weekend)

Wishful thinking it is!

I knew I didn't like Oprah

2009-06-10T10:36:00.000-07:00

I have always said I didn't like Oprah. I won't go into details of why, I just don't. I know, really judgemental of me. But some of you don't like House or Grey's Anatomy and I don't think any less of you, I just think we all have different tastes! Today, I found this video and it was very disturbing. Why? Because for the past few years, she has been labeled "the most influential person in America". And in this video, you have to get past the beginning where it is a little muted, she tells a large following that Jesus is not the only way. I have nothing else to say about it. You just need to watch.

On a side note: the lady that stands up to Oprah is amazing! Kudos to her!!!

Mom, Are You Scared?

2009-06-08T14:34:00.001-07:00

This is what J.T. asked me yesterday as we were huddled in the basement, during the hail storm, while the tornado sirens were blaring. "No baby, I'm not scared. We just need to be down here in case that hail hits the windows, we are just being safe."

and then the lights flickered....

and then they went out completely.

Again..."Mom, are you scared now?"

(gulp)"No baby, I'm not scared. God will protect us, we are just being safe."

At this point, I am thinking to myself that John had better get in here because both boys are wanting to be held, because they are scared, and my two arms can only hold so well. And then the hail gets louder, and we hear glass breaking, and John is still outside taking pictures! I will never understand that man, or his family, and their fascination with nature. Ever. Probably never, except these pictures were pretty cool. (as long as I didn't have to take them) :)

This is the glass we heard:

But, before the craziness began: progress was made!

See?

It won't be long now!!!

(and yes, while we were in the basement I was most certainly thinking: well this is just great! We finally decide to build a deck and a tornado, of all things, is going to destroy it!)

The end. for now.

Any Guesses?

2009-06-06T15:23:00.000-07:00

....as to what Finley was doing here before he fell asleep?

Yeah, we don't know either.

I do know, that I have a major shoe fetish:

How cute are these shoes???

because I like to take pictures....

2009-06-05T21:00:00.000-07:00

Lots and lots of pictures!

Can you say progress?

I can, and.....

it feels

sooooo

good!

And this afternoon

with the help of this guy,

and these guys:

look what happened!

?

It won't be long now!!!!

What the Deck???

2009-05-28T22:32:00.000-07:00

I'll just cut to the chase.

We are building a deck. I cannot tell you how excited I am because you wouldn't/ couldn't possibly believe that someone could be that excited about a deck.

But I am... and I can.

And in honor of our newest work in progress... I will document the entire process through pictures. Shocker, I know.

This is the back of the house, after the first day. Basically, they busted out the concrete "piece" (I don't know what else to call it because it was so small, yet amazingly hard to get rid of???), and bolted those board-thingies to the house. Our neighbor Mark is helping us, (okay, teaching us everything - we don't know ANYTHING about building decks) in more ways than one, because our kids are in love with his kids and it makes it a great day for everyone when the kids can play and be happy. On a side note, he would be so disappointed that I called those board-thingies "those board-thingies", because I'm sure he explained what they are, and I can't seem to remember.

The second picture is really just a close up of the first. Next, if you look in the bottom right-hand corner, they used that huge machine to drill enormous holes in the ground, that would later be filled with concrete tubes and posts.

This is the "two-man" something or another.... pretty impressive don't ya think?

Mark with the concrete bag that I didn't believe was 50 pounds until they let me carry one.... ouch!!! He made it look sooo easy!

Our neighborhood princess "P" and Finley sharing popcorn and a smile.

J.T. and his friend "L" are planning their next adventure over a drink of water.

Time for lunch? We jumped in the car and made a trip to the grocery store. I decided to just take all of the kiddos and they were super excited to have friends come along! (fyi: they are all in carseats, or age-appropriate boosters :))

So, in a few more weeks, we should be having our first "deck-warming" party. I can't wait!!! In the meantime, any fun stories about your experiences with building anything??? Any advice???

Smiles,
Meredith

Just Because

2009-05-13T22:21:00.001-07:00

Kris Allen ROCKS!!!!

I love him so much.

Good luck sweetheart... you deserve to be the next American Idol!

in which I blog about random things....

2009-05-12T20:58:00.000-07:00

such as... one of my favorite things... shoes!!! If these little toddler converse aren't some of the cutest things you've ever seen, then, dear friends, I just don't know what is!

Also, this little guy and his fake smile just so I will leave him alone... I will love him till I die...

Another random thing: did you guys watch American Idol last week, when Paul Abdul performed? Seriously, what. was. she. thinking????? And tonight, is she on drugs? She should stop talking.... altogether.... STOP SPEAKING PAULA. YOU. NEVER. MAKE. ANY. SENSE!!!! EVER!!!!

And what exactly does Kim Kardashian do again? Just saying...

I love Kris Allen by the way. In case you were wondering. I do. :)

This little guy, I also love. Especially the way he wants to wear his hat backwards these days:

One last thing: what the HECK happened on House last night? Did anything over the past few weeks really happen, or was it all a hallucination? I am totally confused and will probably be up for the next 2 weeks worrying about it. Okay. Probably not 2 weeks. Just 2 hours. Maybe. If my Dr. Pepper doesn't wear off. It was really disturbing.

Oh, and one more thing. I also LOVE Simon Cowell. Say what you will. I think he is a big ole teddy bear.

Bless his heart.

The end.

Long time, no blog

2009-05-11T09:11:00.000-07:00

I am not sure if anyone even reads my ramblings anymore, but since it feels so good, I will continue....
This past weekend was friggin' sweet, if I may say so myself. It all started with John getting home from Boston. He was gone on business and I was a single mommy for far too long! I don't know who was more excited to see him... me or the boys. Anywho! Saturday, we stayed outside all day long and worked in the yard. Okay, okay, I didn't really work in the yard but I played outside with all the neighborhood kids while my husband worked in the yard, and made everyone lunch, and let all the kids come inside when they were "sooooo hot". But the best part about this weekend? Mother's Day!!!Oh boy do I love mother's day. It is the one day of the year that I know I can sleep in and it is ohsowonderful! Not to mention my breakfast in bed (cinnamon rolls and a coke - I do live with 3 boys!),watching a little "The Sound of Music" - I do do do love captain VonTrap - and, wait for it, Notting Hill (not really a Hugh Grant fan but I love, love this line... "I'm just a girl, standing in front of a boy, asking him to love her.." makes me smile and get all warm and fuzzy inside every time. My boys did a fantastic job in the gift department: they got me a planter (so I can send another plant to plant heaven), chocolate goodies, a bottle of wine, and a gift certificate for a mani/pedi! Like I said, friggin' sweet!

Another fine point from this weekend? Finley decided he wants to sit at the table like a "big boy"... something I was not so sure about, but decided to give him a shot. We have a table from the "island collection" and have stools instead of chairs.

This, obviously, presents a problem for our little man.. but he did amazingly well. Goodbye baby seat, hello panic attacks and a big boy stool! I must say, he was soooo proud of himself!!!

What did you do for Mother's Day???

Love,
Meredith

Exhausted!

2009-04-05T21:13:00.000-07:00

This is how I feel today... the last few days to be honest. I feel like pulling my hair out, overwhelmed, tired and unable to sleep (could be my husband snoring or the toddler screaming down the hall.. pick one, I won't judge). Anywho! John has been sick this past week and today I took Finley to Urgent Care and, you guessed it, he is sick too! I just want to cry, or maybe I just did, I can't remember.

I don't know what I would have done today if it weren't for this precious,

adventurous,

silly little boy!

I love me a cuddly little boy!

He makes NO MISTAKE

2009-03-05T11:48:00.000-08:00

When I was younger, school age, one of my favorite songs was "He Makes No Mistake". I cannot for the life of me remember who sang it, only the words. It seems to me now, looking back, that I had no idea what these lyrics were really about. I am pretty sure it went something like this.

Turning back each page of time
I see where I have been
I see the place He brought me from
to let me start again
and I questioned many times the road
He chose for me to take
but I found out without a doubt
that He makes no mistake

He makes no mistake
no matter how rough the way
when it's His child at stake
He'll see me through
He understands the trials around me
that cause my heart to break
but I'm glad to know within my soul
He makes no mistakes.

I started thinking about this song as I was reading a letter that John wrote when we were at Children's Hospital, to update everyone who had been praying for us. What an amazing journey these past few years have been, a journey that I feel blessed to have been a part of! I hope that you enjoy it as much as I did.

Friday, January 26, 2007
A Letter From Mom and Dad

Friends & Family,

I wanted to express my sincere thanks for all of the support that you have provided for us this week. I think that if prayers were visible by satellite we would have seen an amazing cloud covering the country this week. I can't tell you all the stories that have been relayed to me about entire churches and communities praying for Fin. It has been a great blessing to see the healing power of God in my son.

Over the past week Meredith and I have ridden a roller-coaster of emotion as we rejoiced at the birth of our son, watched as he was revived about 20 times in the first 24 hours of his life, cried when we learned that he had a severe stroke, agonized as he fought to survive, and worried about test results and Fin's future. However, now we rejoice again as Fin has made some miraculous progress over the last 24 hours.

First, some background. Fin's EEG results did conclude that he is having siezures and that he has limited electrical activitiy on the left side of his brain. Fin's MRI showed that nearly the entire left side of his brain was damaged by the stroke. Despite what sounds like terrible news, Fin started breathing on his own last night and was completely removed from the ventilator and all oxygen assistance today. Fin has also begun eating on his own (he is a big eater like his dad), and no longer needs the feed tube. Fin also will have his i.v. tube removed tonight assuming all continues to go well. Fin is also moving the right side of his body and is very active and alert. Long story short, we are anticipating taking Fin home this weekend. What a miracle!

Moving forward, our neurologist tells us that Fin will face some challenges. She says that it is
likely that Fin will have siezures, will be weak or debilitated on his right side, may have trouble
learning, may have deficincies in his motor skills, and may have trouble communicating and seeing. However, our neurologist also says that a baby's brain is a clean slate and that Fin's brain has the ability to shift these functions to other parts of the brain and to create neuron pathways around the damaged areas. In any event, we have registered Fin at the stroke clinic at Children's Hospital so he will get the best care possible moving forward.

In the end, Fin's future is in God's hands and that is a good place for it to be. Especially,
considering the fact that we have a countless number of you praying on Fin's behalf. I ask each of you to pray SPECIFICALLY FOR FIN'S HEALING at this point and to claim God's promises for Fin. It is our hope that Fin's healing will be a glorifying testimony to God's amazing power.

In addition, I wanted to let you know that my sister Melissa (a.k.a. the blog queen) has already
posted a site online to keep you posted on Fin's progress. I have very limited access to the phone and Internet in the NICU at Children's and keeping everyone updated has been a challenge. However, we are very thankful for that challenge :) Also, please do us a favor and forward this message to your church groups, friends, etc. that don't know us but have been praying for us on your behalf. It is our hope that Fin's healing will be testament to the power and faithfulness of God.

Thanks again to each of you for all that you have done.

Sincerely,

John & Meredith Templin

Wow. I guess I should also be saying a big, fat THANK YOU to everyone who prayed for us during that time, because anyone who has met Finley knows that he has definitely been touched by the healing hands of God. We may still have a long road ahead of us, but look at how far we've come!

Thank you again, sweet friends!

Meredith

***Um, yes, that is actually me, not the woman who ate Meredith. I was just so hungry when I was pregnant with Finley..... Lots of women gain over 80 pounds these days don't they???

Happy Birthday John!

2009-03-04T08:59:00.000-08:00

This morning started out with a woman on a mission. On the way home from work I wanted to get John his favorite breakfast and put candles in it. No such luck chuck. First of all, I have no idea where to find a candle in my house, probably should have planned that better. Secondly, I realized almost too late that Finley has therapy today... no clean clothes or socks... my children look like hobos today! Twenty minutes later I am trying to coax the kiddos into the car only to realize that I have no keys! Seriously. I. am. not. happy. J.T. has a breakdown because he wants to wear daddy's sunglasses and a Star Wars shirt. "Daddy's sunglasses are missing, your Star Wars shirt is dirty, no you can't wear the one from yesterday even though it isn't stinky because it would make mommy look like a bad mommy! Why don't you wear this Wall-E shirt you love soooo much or look, here is your Incredible Hulk sweatshirt that Santa brought you... if you don't pick a shirt and put it on I'm gonna....."

Somewhere in another room, Finley is silent. You know the silence, the bad silence. Only when I track him down, he just smiles and comes when I ask him to get in the car. Strange. As we are leaving, (John found my keys) my sweet husband is searching frantically for his wallet (and sunglasses as far as J.T. is concerned) ;)
Fast forward a few minutes...
After getting the boys in their preschool classes (I have to sleep today, worked last night) (Finn's therapist comes to his school)I get a call from John explaining to me that when he took the boys to dinner last night he may have lost his wallet while climbing in the playland...?!?!

I drive to the playland, ask the management if his wallet has been turned in and am secretly mad at the liars behind the counter that I know found his wallet and have chosen to keep it, and proceed to climb ON MY HANDS AND KNEES through this playland that is covered in soooo many unholy things (I just know it!)to look for said wallet. After much grunting and sighing and evil looks from parents thinking I have lost my marbles or am a child molester, I begin to think that John's entire day is going to be ruined because of this disaster and we will always remember THIS birthday as the one that ruined our lives and our children's lives because of identity theft...
and then John calls me...
and he has found his wallet...
guess where it was hidden... and who hid it...

Busted!
Finley, with a wallet, in the playroom.

This post is dedicated to my ever-patient, handsome, amazingly wonderful husband, father to our two beautiful boys, whom without which, my children wouldn't have been nearly so dang cute!!!

I will love you for the rest of my life...

Meredith

Just a Random Photograph

2009-02-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite pictures from Finley's 2nd Birthday party. John looking adoringly at our baby boy... gives me that warm fuzzy feeling! I never thought in a million years that I could love 3 people soooo much!!!

Finley has the Flu!!!

2009-02-08T10:57:00.000-08:00

Well, it is official. Finley Paul has the flu. The doctor confirmed it yesterday morning. He has been pretty pitiful since... fever, cough, runny nose, NO SLEEP, just miserable. Both boys are on Tamiflu and Amantadine now and hopefully that will help. Our doctor said he will be super sick for 5-7 days with nonstop fever between 102 and 105. Great. Please pray for our little man. When he isn't happy.... well, you know.

A Quick Morning "Shout-out"

2009-02-02T08:47:00.001-08:00

Whoever thought to put a piece of fried chicken on a biscuit was brilliant! Truly!
Makes my heart smile...

Gymboree Birthday (exactly one week late)

2009-01-31T08:24:00.000-08:00

These pictures have been graciously provided by: Melissa Hatcher Photography

I wanted to post some pictures of Finley's birthday party last Saturday. He had such a great time... we all did actually. Thank you to our friends who took time to come and celebrate his special day. I will post more later as I can get them uploaded... our computer is suddenly acting a little silly. I stole these from the hubs facebook.

Birthday Party

2009-01-25T20:40:00.000-08:00

I am working on getting my pictures uploaded, in the meantime, go here http://www.melissahatcherphoto.blogspot.com/ to see Melissa's fantastic pictures from the party. And if you want, you can click here http://www.melissahatcherphotography.com/ to schedule your own photo shoot. I promise you will not be disappointed! Thanks Melissa for capturing wonderful memories of our sweet boy. I am also working on getting the video ready of Finley "blowing" out the candles on his cake.... by that I mean he actually just grabbed the flame between his fingers and "piched" it out! It happened so fast... Melissa, again, jumped in to high-five Finn before he could get too upset and disaster was avoided altogether. I snatched this picture, only one, for now and I think it speaks for itself:

January 23, 2009 - Happy Birthday Finley!!!

2009-01-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

The following pictures are my first installment of celebrating Finley's 2nd Birthday.... a look at his "firsts". (no particular order)

This is the first time Finley realized J.T. was sick... he followed him around all day long and laid beside him wherever he was! In this picture, J.T. was trying to hide from Finley - behind my bed on the floor, but Finley found him soon enough.

First Easter Basket

(in Louisiana)

First time I let Finley throw a temper tantrum without giving into him. Instead, he gave into his tiredness and took a nap in the middle of the kitchen floor. (Yes, I moved him after I took this picture.)

First time to taste guacamole.... he loved it!

First time to "stoop"... this was HUGE for him.

First time to eat spaghetti by himself!

First time wearing a Spiderman shirt! Hehehe!

First time to eat chocolate cake.. on his 1st Birthday!!!

First time to smile for my camera and "hold" it... you know how the digital flash takes forever and you miss the good smiles... he looks so much like my dad to me in this picture. (he is named after my father - Paul )

First time to pout on a porch??? Okay, I'm reaching but this picture is soooo cute! Thanks Melissa @ http://www.melissahatcherphotography.com/

First Owie!!!

(he fell off of the Diego jeep onto the concrete.. poor baby!)

First Birthday Night... First time to eat at Shogun.. mom and dad's favorite Hibatchi restaurant!

First Christmas Morning in his first pair of Christmas pajamas!

First Easter Service at Church (the car ride home)

(once again, first in Louisiana)

First day of daycare!!! (yes, I dressed them alike for a week!)

I will post more later; these were just some of my favorite memories, if not pictures anyway. Up next, our latest battle with our favorite almost two year old... the big boy bed! Oh yeah, and I will also be posting preschool party pictures and birthday party pictures, and so on and so on . I just can't get enough of this chubby little man!

Knock Knock

2009-01-22T19:43:00.001-08:00

Who's there?
Happy Birthday to
Happy Birthday to who?
FINLEY of course!

I cannot believe that in a few short hours Finley Paul will be 2 years old!
I cannot believe that mere hours after he breathed his first breath on this earth, we thought he was breathing his last.... and then God showed up (not that he wasn't there all along), but man oh man has he been working since then! What a blessing we've been given! What an amazing journey! I can't stop using exclamation points!!!!!!!

Tomorrow I will be posting some of my favorite pictures and memories....
tomorrow. Oh, how grateful I am that the Lord has given us so many tomorrows with our precious son.

Thank you Father for blessing our lives with such a miracle. We give you all the praise. Amen.

Beautiful

2009-01-20T09:47:00.000-08:00

Any questions???

Say what?

2009-01-10T16:32:00.001-08:00

Heard around our house today:
As I was holding Finley in the living room, staring at his bright red rosy cheeks that he tends to have after waking up from his nap, admiring his long eyelashes sweeping across his cheeks and shadowing his beautiful blue eyes, I ask a question...
Me: "John?"
John: "Yeah.."
Me: "What do you think our next baby is going to look like?"
John: not even missing a beat..."Probably a lot like your next husband."
Thanks honey.. just what I was looking for.. sarcasm.

You know, speaking of, I wonder if my next husband will look anything like this handsome fella..

A girl can dream.

Happy New Year.... and a felony?

2009-01-01T15:12:00.000-08:00

Isn't breaking and entering a felony? I have never been in enough trouble for such things to find out but my husband on the other hand....

Let me explain.

What would your thoughts be if you saw your husband walking through the door carrying this?

Okay people, not Jack Nicholson in "The Shining". Although, there was a screaming child in the background.

You've never broken down a door before? Well, maybe not a door, but the hinge and door frame and actual handle?

What, with wood pieces and metal flying to the ground?

Well, my darling husband did this morning... and you know what... it put a twinkle in my eye, because he was rescuing our precious baby boy, who had LOCKED HIMSELF IN THE BATHROOM IN THE DARK!!!

Now, don't be silly... I did try to pick the lock with a clothes hanger while slipping our little man goldfish under the door, but 15 very long minutes (seemed like 15 hours) later, our hero came down the stairs, tried the hanger trick, and swiftly walked outside. You can imagine my surprise when he returned with the weapon! Imagine my fright when I thought he would try to chop the door down, Jack Nicholson -style... "Here's Daddy!" Yikes!

However, he always knows best and took the very manly, heroic route instead, bashing the handle from it's resting place with one swift movement, while smashing the wood surrounding it! (Is it wrong for me to look at this man with such respect and admiration after the mess he created?) After the return of our child safely to my arms, he spoke not a word, but went straight back to bed (did I mention it was very early?) What a man!

Here he is... Finley Paul!

Too bad Batman wasn't around yet for our door bashing party!

Hope you all are having an exciting New Year as well!

Meredith

I've Been Tagged

2008-12-15T15:04:00.000-08:00

I almost forgot, I have been tagged by Caci. The tag is to post the fourth picture from the fourth album on your computer (unless it is something truly distasteful I am assuming...:)) So, here is mine... oh yeah, and I am tagging Jaime, Beckie, Christina, Emily, and Kim... good luck!

Rock Out

2008-12-15T14:45:00.000-08:00

*** don't forget to pause the playlist music before starting the video :)

This is a little video footage I took of J.T.'s school musical. In case you can't tell, it is a version of Christmas Don't Be Late by Alvin and the Chipmunks, except they "rock out" at the end playing air guitars and such. J.T., as you can see, is a little bit reserved. If they had done the song, say, 3 or 4 more times, he would have most certainly joined in. Or maybe not since he is on antibiotics for pneumonia!!! On a brighter note, for us at least, he slept in his bed all night long last night. He almost did the night before, but he did wake up once and I had to take him his Incredible Hulk flashlight... last night we tucked him in with it. I don't have the time to go into all of the details, but J.T. is a sneaky little man and ends up in our bed EVERY night since I got pregnant with Finley... who is almost 2 years old! Needless to say, this is one of the main reasons I have had to take a blogging break - I am soooo tired! Hopefully, consistency won in the end and he will continue to do well. I guess we will see. Stubborn parents yield stubborn children I guess...

Happy Holidays,

Meredith

Find a Happy Place, Find a Happy Place

2008-11-30T18:48:00.000-08:00

It's 6:55 p.m.... do you know where my kids are? IN BED! I posted recently that J.T. has been really sick, and now that he is feeling a little bit better - John and Finley came down with something else entirely! I won't go into all of the details, but John has been in bed ALL DAY! And in case you didn't know, it has been blowing snow all day - thankyouverymuch - and hopping in the car to head to McDonald's or Chick-fil-A to enjoy their playland was out of the question. Soooo, we had to find other things to do, while trying to stay out of the "infected" areas. Did I mention it has been snowing all day. Okay, just checking.

Back to finding my happy place, I wanted to post just a couple of sneak peaks from our photo session a few weekends ago. No, J.T. did not wear his Darth Vader shirt, but it was a precious photo op and I'm glad Melissa captured it.

Speaking of hide and go seek - no we weren't really speaking of it, but it is my blog, my transition! Anyway, hide and go seek was one small thing we did today to pass the time. Finley isn't the greatest hider, but most certainly the cutest!

Where's Finley?

There he is!

So, back to the snow. J.T. has been wanting to build a snowman soooo badly, and even though he has been super sick, I decided it was easier to bundle him up and get it over with than fight him all day long! Thankfully, Gigi (my mother) sent us a snowman kit a few years ago with everything you need to build a snowman - you know - except for the snow. Here is the finished product:

By lunchtime - oh yes, we're not even through lunchtime people - I was ready to pull my hair out. Not that I don't enjoy spending time with my children, I do, but I really like our weekends to be mommy and daddy time. I should also mention that at least 3 or 4 times every hour, the boys tried to go into, beat on the door of, yell at the top of their lungs into my bedroom at said daddy.. who was, in all honesty, laying on our marriage/his death bed, pale as a ghost and smelling of things ungodly....

Next please...

Speaking of lunchtime and minus the yucky smells, I ordered pizza online today for the first time ever! (Okay the second time this week (end), but the first time online!) One small feat accomplished! If only they could eat once a day! All of this to say that online ordering is one of the best things to ever happen to me - seriously - it was great!

After naptime (for Finn because J.T. gave up sleep for lint or something and never took it up again) I thought that some cookies were in order. Today, however, Finley wanted to help and J.T. (shocker) decided that it would be okay to let him! So, in case you wanted to know how to make Christmas cookies:

Preheat the oven to 375 (yes they are premade - I am all about convenience these days!)

Remind the child very loudly and multiple times that we don't eat them yet, just put them on the baking sheet

Very slowly (12 minutes) put each one on the sheet and cry when mommy moves them the 2-3 inches apart from each other that they need to bake

Let them cool off! (more crying involved)

I didn't get a picture of them eating the cookies because I was so frazzled by this point! Needless to say, we had pizza (again) for dinner, clean-up, a warm, special Wall-E Bubble Bath party, and off to bed. (after hugs, kisses, reading Space Chimps with sounds effects twice of course)

Thank goodness John brought home this wonderful treat earlier this week! All in moderation people - find a happy place.

Now that my kiddos are sleeping soundly and I have had a chance to wind down a little, I noticed that throughout this crazy day I have done most of the laundry, cleaned the house, mopped the floors and dusted the dusty.... and now I want nothing more than to curl up on the couch in my warm, cozy house and read a good book and drink a glass of wine! It is going to be needed, I am sure, as I am most definitely not sleeping in the "infected" room tonight! The only question left: bunk beds or the couch???

Friday, November 28, 2008 and other stuff

2008-11-29T07:21:00.001-08:00

Okay, I know it has been over a week since I posted last, but we have been having soooo much fun decorating for Christmas. We decided to put our tree up early since I had to work the Thanksgiving holiday, and we didn't stop there! John and I just love this time of year, and decided that we love our house the most when our Christmas decorations are out.... so we put them out! So, we spent the week decorating - a little at a time - and of course J.T. got sick - really sick actually - so we dealt with that - and my blogging little fingers had to sit idly for a while. That being said - I feel like I don't have the words to say it all - but I thought a numbers post would work quite nicely!!!
Here goes:
12 - number of hours I had just worked before embarking on my "black friday" adventure.
2 - parking spaces from the front of the store (Target). Score? Meredith - 1 The world - 0
1 - lovely husband to stay home with the kiddos so I could enjoy such an occasion
11 - the hour I arrived home in time to hop in the car with the fam to enjoy lunch
3 - number of children everyone thought I had - J.T., Finley, and Finn's atrocious diaper
2 - number of children I actually had
2 - number of Hot-N-Spicy McChicken's I consumed all by myself
2 - again - number of hours I slept before being awakened by needy children.
0 - number of hours J.T. slept!
12 - number of minutes I was in the warm, bubbly bath before J.T. got into the hair products
4 - seconds before I decided it wasn't a battle worth fighting
5 - products J.T. used while I was in said bathtub to fix his hair: water, gel, hairspray, Estee Lauder perfume (I don't get it either) and sunglasses for Finn to put on so he wouldn't get any hairspray in his eyes ( so thoughtful)
16 - number of times J.T. asked me if he could get in the bath with me (yes, I counted)
10 - number of times Finley turned the light on and off before I thought to just move the stool so he could no longer reach it.
5 - minutes Finn cried before getting over it!
22 - minutes it took our Pizza to arrive
22 - seconds it took to put a smile on not only my face, but everyone's faces
0 -you guessed it - number of meals eaten at home today
However, there is:
1 - crockpot full of yummy oatmeal with butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon that will be ready when we wake up tomorrow
8 -cups of Vanilla Biscotti coffee set to auto brew - also for tomorrow morning
and
1 more chance to start a new day, cook for my family, wrap some presents and tell my family how much I love them!

Run Finley Run

2008-11-18T19:37:00.000-08:00

Sorry about the title. I just couldn't help myself. This past week Finley was "casted" for his new leg brace (yes, just one - for the right foot) and I found myself in his closet looking for his old ones. I don't know why. I just wanted to see them. I remember the first day he got them. I put on the brave face while Jen put them on and we watched him crawl around and walk with assistance. I thought I was doing okay until I was strapping him in the carseat and I teared up (I know - shocker) just looking at him. It is amazing to look back and see how far we've come.

Sometimes we just need a gentle reminder.

I took this picture this evening. I didn't remember setting these down on his dresser. I just did. And while I was putting him to bed tonight and praying for him to grow to be a strong man of God, they caught my eye. You know what happened then? I smiled. Actually, I laughed. What a beautiful reminder of the Great Physician that we serve.

Finley will have these braces for a while I am sure, if not forever. I know that people will ask me why he has them, what happened, etc. and I welcome the opportunity to tell them.

Too bad that when we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior we don't get a little souvenier, some physical reminder of the glorious change that has taken place. Or maybe we do.

Maybe our lives and the way we live them are someone else's gentle reminder. I wonder when they see us... what do they see? Is it obvious enough that someone will ask why we are different?

Just thinking,

Meredith

A Night Out with the Retro Housewives

2008-11-15T07:52:00.001-08:00

Last night I had the opportunity to play Bunco with 11 of the funniest women I have ever met. To make things even more playful, we dressed up as "retro housewives" for the event. For those of you who do not know exactly what that is, think Pleasantville the movie or June Cleaver.... What a blast!!! My kids are currently having breakdowns, I mean tears and all, one is actually on the floor rolling back and forth like he is in pain... so I need to go for now.

Angela and I both won prizes!!!

My new kitchen shears.... LOVE THEM!!!

The coveted boa... BUNCO!

Angela... looks like she stepped out of the Cleaver Household

Look out Stepford

Hope you all have a great weekend!!!

Meredith

The kitchen shears were the prize I won... didn't mean to confuse anyone!

How to Make a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

2008-11-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Today J.T. decided it was time to make his own peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Up until recently, I would have never allowed it. Too messy. Takes too long. I can do it better, faster. Not today. He effectively made the best and most tasty PB&J in the history of the Templin family. Even Pappaw would approve, peanut butter on the bottom! Let's observe:

Peanut Butter

Then Jelly

Put it together
I did it... all by myself

Enjoy perfection.
Other exciting attractions in our house this week:

J.T. and Finley cleaned the floors and staircase with socks on their hands.

Couldn't have done it better myself.

In the words of my favorite "Flylady", "Housework done incorrectly, still blesses your family!"

Finley in therapy... hardly looks like therapy.

Picture day at school.

Oh yeah, and J.T. gathered up every toy downstairs and made a HUGE pile. Impressive.

Have a good weekend,

Meredith

Free

2008-11-02T18:40:00.000-08:00

For the past 21 months I have felt every emotion imaginable to say the least. I felt tremendous joy at the birth of our second child, fear when he stopped breathing hours after, anger with God and everyone around me for something I couldn't control, guilt that I didn't speak up for something I could control, uncertainty if he would survive at all. We rode a roller coaster of emotions from one moment to the next when Finley's life hung in the balance. However, to say that these were the worst times would be a complete lie. It was the months to follow, until very recently actually, that held the darkest times of my life. Fear is a funny thing. We all need fear to survive. A healthy dose of fear. My fear, however, has consumed me. I should probably start at the beginning.

On January 22, 2007 I went to my routine doctor's appointment and, being 39 weeks with occasional high blood pressure, we were discussing induction. My doctor decided that it wouldn't be a bad idea to start that evening, so my mom and I headed home to get everything ready. Before leaving the hospital, my doctor changed my plans just a little by asking me to deliver in a different hospital. He just felt better at this particular hospital because they were more "established". So, we went to register with Labor and Delivery so I would have a room. In the registration lobby, we saw the cutest baby stroller. We went over to take a peek and discovered that the baby inside had Down's Syndrome. We smiled and congratulated the new mommy and were on our way. This, for me, is where it all began. I cannot describe how I felt that afternoon. I looked at my mother and teared up. I said, "That was a bad omen mom." Of course, I have been known to be a little emotional, so on we went. Fast forward to that evening, we dropped J.T. off at aunt Lissa's house with his new Diego pajamas among other things (guilt is so powerful with my debit card). There were lots of hugs and kisses, more guilt on my part, lots of tears from me as well. I would later find out that after we left, at dinner, my niece Emily prayed for God to be with baby Finn.

God is still in the small things.

Our first night at the hospital was uneventful. The next morning I decided to get an epidural before the pain got too bad. My labor progressed at a normal rate and I started feeling the need to push. I told my nurse when she came back in the room as to not inconvenience her with the call light. She very politely blew me off and because I didn't want her to be upset with me, I waited a while before mentioning it again. She was, after all, an experienced nurse and probably knew what she was talking about. Finally, a few hours later, she called my doctor and it was time to have a baby. My doctor came in and 2 pushes later, we had our beautiful baby boy. He cried on cue, had pink little lips... a perfect baby boy. They wrapped him up and we all took turns holding him. John, my mother, and I all held that perfect baby and took pictures galore. Now, remember my "omen" that morning.... I had, for the rest of that day, told my mom I just didn't feel right. "I just have a bad feeling." My mom looked at me holding my precious boy and said, "See, Meredith, everything was just perfect." I conceded and decided to be grateful for my newest addition. The newborn nursery came to take Finley down the hall to give him a bath and give us time to rest and eat before J.T. arrived to meet his new brother. And then our lives changed. Forever.

A nurse practitioner came to tell us that Finley had stopped breathing in the nursery. She asked a lot of questions. "It's probably just an infection." Something about blood work. Being a nurse, I know that these things happen more than most people realize. I tried not to worry. I had to be strong for John, so he wouldn't worry too much. The practitioner left. I called my best friend Jaime to ask what the possibilities were. I worried. I cried. I didn't eat.

Not too long after that, the NNP came back in to tell us that Finley stopped breathing multiple times since our first meeting and they were admitting him to the NICU. I couldn't get out of bed yet but John could go with him. John had been with Finley for most of this time and I can only pray that the Lord will heal him from what he saw that night. No one should ever watch their child be resuscitated. No one should ever have to watch it more than once. John watched multiple times. By the time I was taken in a wheelchair to the unit, they were in fullblown CPR and intubating my baby. (a breathing tube to breathe for him with a ventilator) The NNP told us that apnea (to stop breathing) with no other symptoms in a newborn points to neonatal stroke. We would need a CT scan. It would be hours before they could fit him in. I don't know if you have ever seen my husband in action, but Finley was in and out of CT within the hour after John was done with them. (Good job baby!)

This is where our journey really began. We couldn't go with Finley to CT and J.T., Jimmy, and Melissa had arrived in the meantime. Jimmy and John stayed with J.T. My mom, Melissa and I stayed in my new room to pray. I remember hearing my mom and Melissa praying over me. I remember asking my mom if God would really take my baby. I remember feeling heat and cold and anger and an overwhelming sadness. Before we were given the results, I talked it out as reasonably as I could. Apnea is a sign of infection - babies get infections all the time - we are good people - we are christians - he couldn't have had a stroke - it's an infection, it's an infection, God it has to be an infection, please. We all prayed again. I heard voices, but I approached my God at my weakest moment. I prayed the hardest prayer I have ever prayed.

God, if it is your will to take my baby, then I want your will to be done. But please remember that I am a mother. Please remember that my heart is breaking. Please give me your peace.

Moments after I prayed this prayer, we returned to the NICU for the results of the CT. "I am so sorry. Finley has had a stroke....." I remember my face on fire, so hot, blood rushing in my ears. Everything was in slow motion. People were looking at me and their lips were moving.... no sound.. breathe. Pain. Breathe.

That night was a blur. I remember walking in on John praying out loud over Finley in the NICU (thought I was dreaming), I remember kissing Finley and telling him things that will forever be between him and me, I remember praying one more time for peace before I was forced, seriously, to take Ambien.

You know how when something bad happens, you dream about it all night long. The restless, awful, evil feeling that ensues. You awake and wonder what really happened and what you dreamed up.

Not me.

... a peace that passes all understanding.

I cannot describe the peace that came over me. But I can tell you that it was not the Ambien. It is good, but not that good.

As you all know, Finley survived. Our fair-haired soldier. He is a fighter. He came into this world fighting and hasn't stopped since.

And neither has satan.

The closer we draw to God, the harder satan fights to keep us away.

I can honestly say that in my life, more often that not, he has been successful.

Here's how he works. A few months after Finley's birth, J.T. had a knot in his neck. The nurse in me knows that this is probably an enlarged lymphnode from a strep infection since J.T. is prone to strep. However, the nurse in me was sleep deprived, scared, anxious, barely making it from one day to the next with a baby with colic. Satan knows this. He knows I am clinging to my babies for fear of losing them. So he invades my thoughts.

probably lymphoma, you will bury your "healthy" son, you've been neglecting him to take care of your "sick" son

you wouldn't have a "sick" son if you had been a good mother, if you had stood up to your nurse, took up for your baby

everyone blames you, your husband blames you, your only job was to carry a healthy baby, to be a good mother

you're a failure

He is the father of lies. He will breathe down your neck at your weakest moment and he hits below the belt. He is a deceiver. He will kill your hopes and dreams if you let him and turn your eyes to anything but the only One who matters. This is what he has done to me. This is the only thing he can do.

Want to know why?

Because the battle for my soul was fought before I was conceived. My fears and failures were fully known to the One who made me. The one who died for me. The one who is living within me.

He is still on his throne.

Today I felt the Lord's presence like I feel my toddler's tugging at my pants. Urging me to trust in Him. My grace is sufficient for you...

I have to let go of the fear. Fearing for my children will not change their future. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

What am I afraid of? That if I stop worrying about them, then God will forget about them?

I have to let go of the guilt. I know the plans that I have for you..

If I stop feeling guilty, then what??? I realized today that my God is so much bigger... bigger than a nurse or an infection or a stroke! Nothing that I could've done would have changed my little boy's life.... because he's not mine. He is God's. And nothing I could ever do or want for him compares to the plans of the God I serve. He makes no mistake. How blessed are we to serve a God who is able!!!

If I could go back and change one thing, or any thing, I can't say that I would. We are where we are and who we are because of what our Lord has done for us. His grace IS sufficient. Looking back, I wish I had realized these truths months ago and given God the glory through these times instead of sulking in self-pity and remorse. However, starting today, I am telling Satan "No more!" I serve a God who knows my thoughts and everything I have ever done.... and he has forgiven me! I am free..

Halloween - A Christian Holiday???

2008-11-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone! Recently, I feel like I have been under fire for my beliefs as a "christian". I just wanted to clarify what it means to be a believer. This is what I know to be true. That there is one true God, the creator of the heavens and the earth. That He had a son - Jesus, who came to live on this earth without sin and die for our sins. All sins, any sin you have ever and will ever commit. That those who believe in these truths, and ask him to come into your heart and forgive you of these sins, will have so much more hope in this life because we are assured of our destination for eternity. That being said...

Yes we are christian and yes we celebrate Halloween... maybe celebrate is too strong of a word. We participate in Halloween. Why? Because we have too many battles in this world for our children's souls and not allowing them to dress up as a superhero and participate in a fantasy for a day isn't a battle we are choosing to fight right now. We are teaching our children that we are in this world and not of it. Do we "believe" in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny? You bet we do! But we also stand firm in the Bible and the birth of Christ, His crucifixion and resurrection. Our salvation. We are trying to model their heavenly Father daily so that they are prepared to make the only decision that matters when the time comes. In the meantime, the reality of this world will be fully known to them all too soon and I choose, as a mother, to give them all of the luxuries of childhood that I can. I am allowing them to be innocent!

We do not take more pictures with Finley on purpose I promise... J.T. just was more into handing out candy than posing with mom and dad. Also, we had to put a profile picture of Finn the giraffe for all to see. He was so precious!!! At every house he said, "tyu" (thank you) and "bye bye". Hope you all had a blast! We sure did!!!

Happy Fall,

Meredith

A Great Read

2008-10-28T22:01:00.001-07:00

I just wanted to encourage you all to read Angie's "Ransom" post on her blog - www.audreycaroline.blogspot.com. She is such a talented writer and has encouraged me spiritually over the last few months. Just click on this link or the "Bring the Rain" blog to the right and scroll down a little until you see "Ransomed". It is a beautiful posting - get out your kleenex!
Smiles,
Meredith

Mommy's Little.. Sorry.. BIG Helper

2008-10-26T10:32:00.000-07:00

J.T. has been such a wonderful helper lately. A few weekends ago John went to the grocery store for me (what a man) and brought the bags in for me to put the groceries away. I put away the cold items and freezer stuff first and got busy with other things. This left the pantry food and misc. items still in the bags on the floor. You can imagine my surprise when I came downstairs to find J.T. had "unpacked" all of the bags, thrown them in the trash (remember John went to the grocery store and he doesn't take my "green" cloth bags), and neatly stacked all of the remaining items in the middle of the floor.

My surprise was even greater because he came and got me, took me by the hand and told me to close my eyes. WOW! What a big helper! I snapped a picture for obvious reasons - I just can't help myself - and filed it in my memory. This morning, I brought towels up from the basement to fold (John made me) and J.T. immediately went to work folding the towels.

I decided that even though they aren't folded to my standards, I should forget my standards and be thankful that he wants to help. I told him he was hired and I would pay him in goldfish.. I'll let you know how that works out. Please don't think I'm kidding people - these towels are going straight to the linen closet! I truly don't understand folding the towels anyway. Seriously, growing up we got our clean towels out of the dryer. I think we should bag them out of the dryer and hang them on the back of the shower door. Do they really need to be folded so we can unfold them, dry off, and throw them in a jumbled mess on the floor? Yes - I said on the floor - because that is where they land in my house! I even bought a duck and frog - yes frog - hampers and tell the kids to "feed the duck and frog your clothes and towels". I digress.

Hope you guys stop and smell the roses today - or in my case the clean and FOLDED towels - because our little ones are only little for so long. Enjoy them!

Happy "we're so close to the big candy fest" Halloween,

Meredith

Flashback

2008-10-20T11:28:00.000-07:00

This picture was taken in the fall of 2005, the day after our first pumpkin patch visit with J.T. I still remember that shirt and those pants.... I still remember that day! It is funny how some things never change. I was still working nights, we carved in the same place, that is even the same trailblazer in the background. I can't believe how big he has gotten and how much he and Finley resemble each other. Sigh... tears...
Meredith

Punkin' Patch

2008-10-19T19:18:00.000-07:00

Oh boy oh boy!!! The day finally came to go to Anderson Farms Pumpkin Patch. John and I took J.T. for the first time when he was just a little younger than Finley is now.... and we hope to make it a family tradition. When we were in Louisiana last year, we were truly sad when fall came and went without our visit to the patch. This year, as in years before, we met up with Jimmy and Melissa (John's sister and her husband) and their brood. Thanks guys for a wonderful day! First line of business - to see the animals. Llamas and goats and chickens and roosters. John actually pulled Finley's finger out of the chicken fence just in time... a rooster would've taken his finger off for sure. Finley also started saying chicken... too cute. Next, the kids played on the hay bales (not sure how to spell that). This is actually a maze with hay stacked up all around it, but the majority of the children there just want to run around on top and jump over the paths in the middle. There was also a jumping castle this year and everyone enjoyed that as well. Then the time came that we had all been waiting for... to jump on the hayride to the pumpkin patch. At the beginning of the hayride the driver stops to let you feed the cows, but we went so late in the day, I think they were full already - they just sort of stared at us. When we arrived at the "punkin patch" as J.T. says, the kids couldn't wait to find the perfect pumpkin. We must've looked at 30 pumpkins before we found the one for us. I also got to snap a few pictures in the meantime. After the finale, we went to eat dinner at a place called Cinzetti's, and let me tell you it was FANTASTIC! If you ever get a chance to eat there take it because the food is delicious and it is now possibly my new favorite restaurant. (kudos to uncle Jimmy for recommending it)

You can't buy a pumpkin and not carve it! We started Sunday afternoon cutting out the tops and "scooped the goop". J.T. and Finley really enjoyed this part. I grossed J.T. out though pretending to eat it - yuck mom! Next, we used some really neat stencils that daddy got for us to make a Haunted House and - J.T. picked this one out.. a WITCH! The boys played outside in the beautiful fall weather we are having while John and I labored away detailing the pumpkins. Okay that's a lie! We were like two kids again - so giddy to be outside having fun. However, when we were done the pumpkins didn't look like we thought they would. But, being the stubborn couple that we are, we didn't let on. Tonight though, when we lit them up with the candles, they looked exactly like they were supposed to - SCARY and so wonderful! Now we can't wait for Halloween!!! I hope everyone enjoys the pictures - they are the only reason for blogging you know :).

Happy Fall,

Meredith

PS... I carved the witch by the way... just so you know.

Blue Eyed Boy

2008-10-16T09:12:00.000-07:00

My friend just emailed me this picture of Finley at our picnic a few weeks ago. I can't get over how blue his eyes are! It was a beautiful day and helped keep me awake since I had worked the night before and hadn't slept yet. This was right after his first therapy evaluation and his follow-up appointment from his ear surgery. Things look great! On a side note, only 2 more sleeps until the pumpkin patch.. I can't wait for those pics!

Enjoying the fall,

Meredith

Home Sweet Crazy Home

2008-10-15T12:29:00.000-07:00

Now that he is home, I can say that John was out of town last week - an entire week! Tuesday to Tuesday to be exact. I didn't want to blog about it while he was gone just in case some psychopath tried to break in or something.... (just a side note to would be psychopaths - I don't think I could actually kill anyone who broke in, but I know I could mame you to the point where you wish you were dead... just so you know, you know?) Anyway, like I said, now that he is back I have so much to share. First, we decided to have a cupcake decorating party for J.T. and his BFF Marcus because who doesn't want to decorate cupcakes? So, I took a pictures of J.T. and Finley holding all of our ingredients, cupcake paper cups, sprinkles, etc. as a "before" picture.

I had no idea that the "after" picture would be days away because as we were photographing... strep throat was brewing in my little boy's throat. The day of the decorating came and went because we were in the doctor's office the next morning with a high fever, malaise, and an "owie" in J.T.'s mouth. We went to Walgreen's to pick up his antibiotics, popsicles, icecream, a batman ball (an US Weekly... shhhhh) and other necessities and then headed for home for a smooth recovery. HAAA! No way home skillet... J.T.'s fever hit 105.2 the very next day and off to the ER we went. I won't bore you with all of the details of our trip, but our little man is back to his old self once again.. just in time for daddy to get home and make me look like I made it all up. I did, however, manage to capture it all on film for those of you who are interested - as pitiful as it all was. This, my friends, is how it all went down:

I must say that Finley was so pitiful through his brother being sick. J.T. literally stayed in bed all day Saturday - either mine, his, the couch, or a blanket on the floor. But everywhere J.T. went, Finley was right behind him. He didn't understand why J.T. wasn't playing or stealing or being mean to him anymore. He was just a slug. So, I guess Finley thought that being a slug with J.T. was better than playing without him. I just love my children so much some times it hurts - which is way better than the times I just want to hurt them - haha! (that was a joke to would be snitches who would like to turn me in to social services) Okay, I guess that is all for now. I have so much more to say, but it will have to wait.

Happy Almost Halloween!

Meredith