Monday, October 31, 2011

Reading

Franklyn says he doesn't like to read.  But, for a kid that doesn't like it all that much, he sure does a lot of it.  Right now he is working on earning some Pizza Hut pan pizzas, so he is reading his heart out.  The form sent home by the school says that he has to read 10 books in order to earn a pizza.  He's now read 20 and he is hoping that means he gets TWO pizzas!

Last night he read to me while I was doing my sit-ups and weights in the living room.  Then he followed me to the kitchen and read to me while I popped popcorn.

Friday, October 28, 2011

LUIGI

Franklyn developed a love for Super Mario over the summer after spending countless hours playing a Mario game on his DSI.  While flipping through a costume catalog someone brought to church one night, he discovered a Luigi costume.  All I heard for the next several hours was, "Mom, can you pleeeaaase find me a Luigi costume for Halloween?"  I was sure it was a pretty original costume and that, if I could fine one on the internet, he would be the only Luigi at school and at our church's Trunk Or Treat...  So, one warm day in August I searched the internet for a Luigi costume.  I finally found one and was sooooo excited!  I bought it and was thrilled to rush home and have Franklyn try it on the day it arrived.  I thought for sure that it would be one of the most original costumes...  Several days later, when WalMart started putting out Halloween costumes, I was horrified to see rows and rows of Luigi and Mario costumes!  I am the type that likes Franklyn to have a fairly original costume.  I usually find his at Marshall's or TJ Maxx because I figure everyone else hits WalMart and Target.  So much for that... 
That being said, I got him dressed in his costume this morning for the costume parade and Halloween parties at school today.  He looked so adorable.  Nothing like a Korean Luigi!  Even if the costume isn't original, an ASIAN ITALIAN certainly IS!

Pumpkin Time

Scott and Franklyn carved our pumpkin last night.  Pitiful looking thing........
BOO!
                                                            Posing with the pumpkin!

PERFECT BROWNIES!

If you're like me, you love to bake brownies because you love to EAT them!  However, I DON'T like to make brownies when they are for other people to enjoy, simply because I am embarrassed by how they look!  I have never in my entire life made a pan of brownies that didn't end up looking like a chopped up chocolate gooey mess by the time I finished cutting them and putting them on a tray.  Not even thinking, I signed up to send brownies for my son's class Halloween party.  As the day to actually bake them drew near, I started to get more and more anxious about sending a pile of chocolate goo with him to school.  I could just imagine all the moms in attendance looking at the plate and saying, "Who made thoooooose?"  Sad fact that I am actually worried about what other people think about my brownie baking skills....  ANYHOW, the night before I had to bake them I decided to purchase one of those Perfect Brownie Pans.
This is definitely one of the BEST purchases I've ever made!  I had my doubts as to whether or not this AS SEEN ON TV product could live up to the commercials, but it seriously outdid itself!  I have posted pictures of my perfect brownies for you to enjoy.  If you don't have one of these things and you love brownies, you need to get one!!!!!
                                       Look at those perfect sides - NO clumpy, gooey mess!
                                                          Like I said, perfect brownies!
Notice, two are missing.  Franklyn insisted on trying them out before taking them to school!  As much as I wanted to try them, I resisted!  

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Franklyn's Baptism August 14, 2011

Franklyn professed his faith in Christ on Mother's Day at the age of six.  It was one of the most special days of my life and I would venture to say it will remain the MOST incredible Mother's Day ever for me.  I can't imagine anything that could top my son becoming a Christian.  We decided to wait until August to have him baptized because we wanted our families to be able to come.  It was a special day for all of us.  Scott was nervous about baptizing Franklyn and there was good reason for it.  Scott cries whenever something truly touches his heart and I knew he would barely be able to speak that morning in the baptismal.  It was so precious how Franklyn looked up at his Dad the whole time.  He was so comfortable and wasn't bothered at all by the fact that he was up there in front of the whole church.  Scott could barely say what he needed to say, but somehow he managed.  Afterwards, a church member came up to Franklyn and told him how beautiful it was and Franklyn said, "Well, Daddy got a little emotional...." 
After church we went to O'Charley's and then to our house to take some pictures.... 
                                                My beautiful boy.  So much love in those eyes....
                                                                        COUSINS
                                                                 MORE COUSINS
Franklyn and Aubrey...  Two beautiful six year-olds.  Look at the difference in those teeth!  This was before Franklyn lost his first front tooth.  Obviously it's after Aubrey already lost hers and got her Chiclets! :-) 

Monday, October 17, 2011

Sleep Deprivation...

We went to visit my parents in Jefferson City, Tennessee over Franklyn's fall break.  I only THOUGHT I was lacking sleep prior to the trip...  Our entire family (Scott, Franklyn, myself) has to sleep on my mom and dad's bed when we visit.  Not fun.  It's an antique full size bed and I swear the mattress is as antique as the frame!  When three people are on this bed, only the person in the middle gets any sleep.  The other two, those on the outside edges, are constantly fighting not to roll off the sides.  I told Scott I think I might have lost 10 pounds overnight just from contracting my abs to stay on the stinking bed!  I ended up only spending a few hours in the bed each night.  Between the ab work and Scott's snoring I just couldn't take it.  Thank God my mom has nice couches...

Monday, October 3, 2011

How God Works

What an amazing God...
I have been feeling very stressed and overwhelmed today because of issues at work, commitments beyond the norm, and convictions from God that I haven't dealt with properly.  I was feeling very anxious while out and about on my lunch break today and felt several times like I was going to have a panic attack.  I've been praying for God to give me a Word to help me simply rest and trust Him.  I emailed Scott and asked him to pray for me.  Then I started working on some paperwork here in my office.  Out of the blue I thought, "I need to hear the song 'Give Me Jesus' by Fernando Ortega."  I pulled it up on YouTube and started it playing.  Then I returned to my paperwork.  The first words of the song are "In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise, In the morning when I rise...  Give me Jesus."  Well, there you go.  God basically laid it out.  The first thing I do every single morning of my life is get on the treadmill.  I dedicate so much time to taking care of my physical body that I neglect the spiritual.  The "Power Of A Whisper" study I've done with the high school students the last 4 weeks already had me convicted of that very thing.  God sure has a way of making you face things head on.  From this day forward, I commit to giving the first portion of my day to the Lord.

Let me hear of Your unfailing love each morning, for I am trusting You. Show me where to walk, for I give myself to You. 
Psalm 143:8

Saturday Excitement

Saturday excitement?  Not quite.  We actually had a little free time this weekend and we took full advantage of it.  Well, not like some families would.  Full advantage to us is getting to run errands and not having to worry about having them done by a certain time because of other commitments.  Scott had a deacon's meeting Saturday morning so I cleaned the house and planned my Sunday School lesson while he was gone.  Franklyn slept late which gave me plenty of "me" time that morning.  I love my "me" time.

While I was working on my Sunday School lesson I heard Franklyn down in the den reading a book out loud.  I couldn't believe it when I found him reading a book Mimi sent him a couple of weeks ago.  It's a book called "Room On The Broom" and it has lots of big words in it.  Not only does it have lots of big words, but it's a LONG book for a first grader to actually sit and read.  
He read the whole book and I only heard him struggle with a few of the difficult words.  Every couple of minutes he would yell, "Mama, what does..........spell?"
After making our weekly Cracker Barrel trip we went to WalMart to pick up a few things.  Franklyn was being a bit lazy and decided he needed to ride in the buggy.  We had to buy snacks for the youth to have Sunday night during small group study so we just loaded everything on top of Franklyn.  He didn't seem to mind that much until the 2 liter Cokes were thrown in!
This is how we roll!

Saturday night Franklyn hopped up on the counter, grabbed my iPod Touch and wore the battery down playing Angry Birds and Downhill Bowling.  I wasn't a happy camper when I got up to get on the treadmill Sunday morning and found a nearly dead battery on my iPod!