unlikely buddies

Hope this makes you smile and laugh as much as it did us! God's creatures are amazing.

farkel!

Have you ever heard of the dice game Farkel? Our friends Benjamin and Jada (Benjamin is my former youth pastor--he married us) play it and always said how fun it is, so I bought it back around Christmas and have been trying to get someone to play with me ever since! Paul consented last night, and it was so fun! Suffice it to say, he is a bit of a sore loser, and I'm not much of a risk taker.

My first roll= 3 pairs. Score: notice how he gave me a new name.

Did I mention, sore loser? :)

He may kill me for this...

After 2 rounds we were 1 and 1. The tie breaker was embarrassing:

10, 200 to 1,550. Paul redeemed his reputation, and I was NOT a sore loser.

 We are having a re-match tonight.

So if you're ever out our way, stop by and

(Sorry, I saw this on google-images and couldn't help myself.)

grandmothers & granddaddies.

Tonight I visited with my Grandmother Loftin (dad's mom), and was reminded once again of how unbelievably blessed I am. Both of my grandmothers (& granddaddys) have always been a huge part of my life. My dad's parents lived just right across the pasture from us as I was growing up, and we were constantly over there...sitting in the swing in the back yard while Grandmother peeled apples for us to eat and we ate handfuls of Teddy Grahams from the pockets of her apron or she being sandwiched in between Steven and me reading either from The Chronicles of Narnia or Little House on the Prairie. And Granddaddy always had (and still has) some old joke or story to tell us while doling out a seemingly never-ending supply of Tootsie Rolls. My mom's parents only lived about 15 minutes from us, and we were constantly there, too. Grandmother Croft was an excellent seamstress, and she made lots of my dresses. I still have them and hope that one day if we have a little girl, she can wear some of her Great-Grandmother's stitching. And my Granddaddy Croft could make anything (and at 91, he is still out in his wood-shop hammering away.) My brother summed it up pretty well when he told his kindergarten teacher that his granddaddy was a "Genius!" We also spent a lot of time with them going fishing and camping.

All this is a bit nostalgic, I know, but I'm not exaggerating--and that's why I'm so grateful. I know that I wouldn't be who I am today had both sets of my grandparents not poured their time, love, and wisdom into me and Steven and Caroline. And even though I don't get to spend as much time with them now, they continue to pour into me.

And now, as they are getting older, I see even more clearly how their marriages are a testament to unconditional and sacrificial love. What a rarity that kind of love is. Grandmother and Granddaddy Loftin have been married for 51 years and Grandmother and Granddaddy Croft for 67. Of course, there are lots of times when they probably want to ring each others' necks--particularly the grandmothers wanting to ring the granddaddies because the granddaddies just seem to get more obstinate and contrary with every passing day! BUT, they've learned to laugh because they both know they'd be lost without the other.

This post could easily turn into a book, so one last thought: the faith in our Lord Jesus that both of my Grandmothers have and so unabashedly speak about is what I am most grateful for when I think of them. They've truly "set their eyes on things above," and I know they've got crowns waiting in heaven.

Oh, and one last brag: Both of my grandmothers each had 6 place settings of Arcadian Old Rose china, and when I was little they decided that when I got married they would each give me their set so that I would have "service for 12."

My most favorite wedding gift of all.

catching up.

Of course when I started this blogging thing I never intended to abandon ship for a month and a half! Nevertheless, here's a smattering of thoughts and happenings from life over the last few weeks...

a *good* read: One night last week I stayed up till 2am reading--and anyone who knows me knows I am not a night owl. And even as much as I love to read, and even if it is a brilliant book, I usually find it impossible to hold my eyes open. However, this was not the case the other night. I went to bed thinking I would just read the usual 3.2 pages of one of the 6 half-finished books on my nightstand [The Shack, A Prayer for Owen Meany, The Power of a Praying Wife, The 60 Minute Marriage Builder, The Spirit of Loveliness, & Here's to Hindsight] before I nodded off. I picked up Here's To Hindsight: letters to my former self, (the random book by an unfamiliar author I had just recently grabbed on clearance at the bookstore at church one Wednesday night before Bible study...it is a very bad thing for me to have even 5 minutes to kill anywhere near a bookstore), and could not put it down. Here's to Hindsight is by Tara Leigh Cobble, a Tennessee born and raised indie musician who loves Jesus, and who, as I quickly discovered, has a real knack for speaking truth. Her book--the way she told her story-- is just as real and both painfully and refreshingly honest as it gets. I saw myself on many of the pages. I could go on, but if you're up for a read that will challenge, encourage, and even entertain you, Here's to Hindsight is a definite "must read" and read again. Check her out: www.taraleighcobble.com

p.s. I'm liking her music too...

*dirt* under my nails: I'm itching to plant some flowers! I'm hoping for a warm and sunny weekend soon so we can get to work on and in our yard. Just this week our backyard has been invaded by lots of clever impostors (i.e. pretty weeds). But I've been glad to see them because that means no more dead, blah winter! I really do have a hatred for the cold. Hopefully, I have inherited by mom's and my aunt Cherri's (mom's big sister) green thumbs. They both have always loved flowers, being outside, and making things grow. And as I get older, I am more and more grateful that they see making their yards a lovely place to be as something that is fun, therapeutic, and never finished. In other words, I'm glad they have never hired out the lawn mowing and pansy planting. I'm usually off work on Fridays, and as of right now, the forecast is predicting sunny and 70 degrees...let's hope they've got it right (you never know with Memphis weather), and I'll be off to the greenhouse for some seeds and plants!

Consider how the lilies grow. They do not labor or spin.
Yet I tell you, not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.
Luke 12:27

This is a photo from Jones Greenhouse in Slayden, MS. My mom's best friend Katey along with the rest of her sweet family owns and runs this top-notch flower-growing place. My mom worked there when I was little. Love this picture.

turning *one*: Our niece Taylor (Paul's sister's little girl) will be celebrating her first birthday on the 26th of this month! Like they say, time really does fly, and she just keeps getting cuter and more fun to watch! She's almost walking...I think she can do it, she just likes to see us all make fools of ourselves trying to get her to! ha! She can say "Paul"--it comes out more like "Pah," but she definitely recognizes him. We're still working on "Ray Ray." :) She already knows how to point to her ears, feet, and belly, tell you a secret, and blow you a kiss. We tend to think she's genius, but we may be partial. I can't wait to see her dig in to her cake!

@ 6 months

cold.snow.ice. but enjoying being "stuck" at home.

It started coming down early yesterday (Fri.) morning--huge flakes. It would snow for a while, then sleet, then rain. Thankfully, neither of us had to work. Paul got a good bit of homework done, but, for the most part, we had a pretty lazy day. This morning it looked like it had snowed a bit more, and everything was frozen solid. Some people have lost power; thankfully, we have not. We are watching State play LSU right now, and, out the window, I can see the icicles beginning to drip, so maybe we are beginning the meltdown... It's always fun to have a snow day, or two.

Getting ready to do a little much needed cleaning and then cook Italian Meatloaf for dinner (another covert try, so keep your fingers crossed.)

2 for 3

So as of tonight I'm 2 for 3 on my covert kitchen ops success. 1) Tacos (with tomato & carrot puree) were a hit. 2) Today we both only worked a half day so when I got home I made chicken nuggets for lunch. The delicious deception came in the batter: first I dipped them in an egg and sweet potato puree mixture then tossed them in a bread crumb, flax seed meal, parmesan, paprika, garlic, & onion powder combo. Then I pan fried them in olive oil. Paul loved them--crispy & flavorful. I think the parmesan gave the breading that extra good something. 3) Later this afternoon I was craving a little snack and had a couple of bananas that needed to be used so I decided to make some banana bread. The secret veggie addition was 1/2 c cauliflower puree. I admit I was pretty skeptical. However, I thought it turned out great. It was really moist, and although there was a faint smell of cauliflower, I truly couldn't taste it. BUT, Paul was not too impressed. He said it wasn't sweet enough. It did only have 1/2 c of light brown sugar in it, but he is used to eating the Martha White banana bread packaged mix which is pretty sweet. So I guess I've got a lot of banana bread to eat this weekend. Nevertheless, I'll take 2 for 3!

Correction: 3 for 4! I forgot I had made Turkey Chili. I added carrot puree and a can of whole kernel corn. The beans were also pureed since Paul hates those too. It turned out really well...especially garnished with a little shredded cheddar and sour cream (only for me, of course)!

covert kitchen ops

It's no secret that Paul despises fruits and veggies. Besides the occasional teaspoon of green beans or corn, his diet consists only of meat and mashed potatoes. Well, thanks to my precious friend Emily McG. and her gift of a little book by Jessica Seinfeld (yes, she's Jerry's wife) called Deceptively Delicious, his picky eating habits are about to change, albeit through some covert measures on my part.

When I opened the package, Emily had added a little sticky note to the the cookbook's subtitle: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids [or husband!] Eating Good Food.

I was beyond excited and immediately began reading it. It is chock full of easy-t0-understand nutrition info about various fruits & veggies [did you know that Cauliflower is a great source of vitamin C and may help our bodies fight certain cancers?] which further convinced me that I should at least try my luck with this loving deceitfulness :)

So after making a grocery list that would all but clean out Kroger's produce section, I headed to the store early Saturday morning. I returned with 11 different fruits and veggies--Paul's expression as he helped me unload the car was priceless. Then I spent the rest of the day making great friends with my blender.

the Method:
1) steam vegetables such as carrots, broccoli, & cauliflower. roast things such as sweet potatoes and butternut squash. simply wash and peel (if you want) the fruit.

2) use a food processor or blender to puree everything. sometimes i added a few teaspoons of water to get a smooth texture.

3) portion the purees into freezer bags and freeze so you can just

pull them out as needed for recipes.

By Saturday afternoon, I had pureed & frozen: carrots, avocados, broccoli, butternut squash, cauliflower, spinach, sweet potatoes, apples, bananas, & blueberries.

Let the delicious [healthy!] deception begin!

the Result:

Paul says, "Tastes like tacos to me!"

For lunch I used one of the recipes to make tacos--just add a can of crushed tomatoes and 1/2 C carrot puree to the meat and seasoning and voila! tasty and nutritious tacos that Paul had to admit were yummy.

I hope this success will continue! We shall see...Chili with some secret ingredient is next.