He Leadeth Me

One of Caleb's favorite things to do when he comes to our house is to look at the photos on my computer. It's lots of fun for me as well. So I have decided to start FUN Photo Friday. I will just scroll through my photos and pick the first few that strike my fancy. You might get captions; I might just leave the meaning to your imagination! I hope you enjoy! This was one of the stocking stuffers that Santa Kelly left in Mandy's stocking. This is a really neat "attraction" at Houston's Discovery Green. There are two of these "bowls" sitting quite far apart (I am not good at estimating distance) If you are sitting inside one of the "bowls" and a friend is sitting in the other "bowl", you can hear what they are saying even if they are speaking in a whisper. Amazing!!! Jeremy and Mandy dressed up in their Roaring 20's garb for their friend Ryan's 30th Birthday Party. My friend Denise and I got to go to London together! Confe

I know this picture is a little late since there are obviously Christmas decorations in the background, and they have been put away long ago. But I thought it was important that you see Caleb's favorite form of transportation. It all started when he got a Superman cape for Christmas. But now, he takes advantage of any opportunity for Ducca to "fly him around". This is often the only way we can convince Caleb it is time to leave Nana and Ducca's house. He'll agree to leave as long as Ducca will fly him to the car.

It has been snowing in the Springs for about 3 days. A light feathery snow. Psalms 147:16 He sends the snow like white wool; he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes. What a beautiful world God made for us to enjoy! Have a beautiful week, whether you have snow, rain, or sunshine. God made it all for our enjoyment!

Happy Birthday, Poppy! This is my daddy with his sister, Aunt Wilma!

I haven't found any children so far who don't LOVE books by Robert Munsch. Here are some of my favorites! Book Covers Courtesy of Copyright © 2010 Follett Library Resources, Inc. Purple Green and Yellow has the word "cow plops" in it. When my mom, Sweetie, read this book to her grandchildren, she changed the word "cow plops" to "watermelons" to make it more genteel. When we were writing down things that we appreciated about my mom and dad recently for their 60th anniversary scrapbook, my nephew Josh, who can always make everyone laugh, had this to say. "You can substitute "watermelons" for "cow plops" but you really need to clue Poppy in on the changes." I would have loved to see the look in 3 year old Josh's eyes, when Poppy read the new and improved version of Purple Green and Yellow. Murmel, Murmel, Murmel is a fun book for a child expecting a new sibling. One sign of a good book is that the parent reading th

I used to sew when my children were little, but I haven't done much sewing in years. Lately I have been sewing burp clothes for the new little ones that our family is expecting to arrive in mid-April. But in the midst of the sewing frenzy, I am also working on a PowerPoint presentation. I told my sweet husband tonight that I feel like my two worlds are meeting. I guess that's what a happy retirement feels like. Oh, and those of you who are very observant might have noticed a few of Caleb's toys in the background. All my worlds are blending together. Take a look at some of the beautiful fabrics that will adorn my new grandbabies' burp clothes. Nesting is so much fun--even for Nanas.

I wish a very Happy Valentine's Day to... my precious niece Emily who we affectionately call Lady Em! picture by Rachel Debell Photography LADY Em is in Germany this Valentine's Day. Sorry I didn't get a real Valentine's Day card in the mail in time to reach you on February 14th. Hope a Blog Post will suffice. Love you! Keep having the time of your life. Love, Aunt Karen & Uncle David

Earlier this week on Facebook, I mentioned that my mom had made me a great foot-warming device. My friend Amy promptly dubbed it a "Foogie". Several people thought it would be a best seller for cold weather, and others wanted to see pictures. Below is the ORIGINAL! My mom, who we call Sweetie, has been making these for us for years. They are filled with rice and can be heated up in the microwave. They are great to use to keep warm or for aches and pains. I kept this one nearby at all times when I had the flu earlier this season. Sweetie then came up with the brainstorm of making one with a "pocket" where you can place your feet to keep them warm. The first picture below shows one foot in and one foot out. (Does that remind you of the hokey-pokey song?) This photo shows both feet warmly cuddled into my Foogie. Thanks, Sweetie, I love it!

This is my favorite Valentine's Day book for 2010. Each animal featured in the book is created using hearts. The book is filled with similes which makes it a teaching tool. And it is just plain cute. The little one in your life just might need this book. I know the little one in my life will get it. (Hope he isn't reading my blog or it won't be a surprise.) Book Cover Courtesy of Follett Library Services

ALL BOOK COVERS ARE COURTESY OF TITLEWAVE.COM If you want a beautifully illustrated book for a preschool or early school aged child, you cannot go wrong with any book by Eric Carle. My favorite professor and mentor, Dr. Richard Abrahamson, gave me a gift when I received my doctorate. It was the rainbow print from Draw Me a Star. It is one of my most prized possessions. Eric Carle uses tissue paper collage in most of his art. It is so beautiful and something you can do with your own child or grandchild. Eric Carle's ABC Board Book was one of Caleb's favorites. Caleb also enjoyed the board book Opposites. The Secret Birthday Message is one of my favorites. If I had to pick a favorite Eric Carle book, it would be The Very Hungry Caterpillar. The Art of Eric Carle isn't a book meant for children, but if you are interested in learning more about this fantastic artist and his works, you will enjoy this book. My daughter just informed me that Eric Carle has a blog. C

Don't you just love February?

Aunt Kelly saw this cute Valentine idea on a blog and thought Caleb and Nana might enjoy it. If you want to see the REAL project, go to the link above. If you want to see the Nana/Caleb version, read on. The idea is to make a heart shaped bird seed feeder. You start out with bread. (Yes, that's two slices of bread, slightly out of focus because of one excited little boy.) Place the bread very carefully on a cookie sheet and toast it. If you are like Nana and burn the first two slices of bread, just start again. Since we didn't have a heart shaped cookie cutter handy, we used the mouth of a glass to cut circles out of the toast. Aren't our circles pretty? Now you need peanut butter. Our choice is Peter Pan Creamy because it tastes good when you need to lick your fingers after spreading. Spread the peanut butter somewhat evenly on the slices of toast. For this next part, you will need a package of bird seed. One so large that you cannot lift it is the best kind. Spread th