Celebrating Pie Day...YUM!

National Pie Day was January 23rd. It was created by the American Pie Council and is dedicated to the celebration of pie. 'As part of our American heritage, this day is a perfect opportunity to pass on the love and enjoyment of pie eating and pie making to future generations.'

Does it get any better than that?

This past Saturday Roxie hosted a Pie Day celebration and, of course, the price of admission was PIE!!! We had a blueberry and cream pie, a sweet dough pie, a sugar cream pie, a triple chocolate chocolatey goodness pie (not the official name but it is descriptive), and a cream cheese pie. Yum, yum, and, well, YUM!

It was also a great time to celebrate the birthdays of January. There were no birthday cakes, only birthday pies.

It was definitely enjoyed by all those who attended.
Maddox ate his cream cheese pie with his fingers and then had to lick clean each of those fingers. It would be a shame to waste any of that yummy goodness!

Austin could barely contain himself prior to the pie eating, he kept chanting "Pie, pie, pie...pie."
My sentiments exactly!

What a fun evening celebrating birthdays, playing bananagrams, and enjoying the sweet goodness of pies. We definitely did our part in passing on the love and enjoyment of pie eating.

Really, does it get any better than that?

Happy Birthday, Bishop!!!

Happy 11th Birthday to my wonderful baby boy, Bishop!

(Shhh, don't let him know that I referred to him as my baby. He takes offense to that these days but all you parents know where I am coming from on this one. Even as I encourage him to grow and become a man, he will always be my baby).

I wonder what wishes he makes just before he blows out his candles.

I know that I wish for him a life lived with purpose, the kind of purpose that comes from living life according to God's will, in obedience to his plan.

As cliche as I might seem, I wish for him a life full of love and joy.

And, it is my daily prayer that he will be a godly boy who will grow to be a godly man, husband, and father.

The wishes of a mother...

As is our custom, we celebrated Bishop's birthday with a simple family celebration in which the birthday boy gets to make the dinner menu.

This year's menu was a mexican bar with flour tortillas, corn tortillas fried into taco and tostado shells, two different types of spicy meat filling and one that was less spicy, two different types of beans, homemade salsa, cheese, and the other accoutrements.

For dessert we had a cream cheese pie and ice cream sundaes.

Stuffed and satisfied from our meal, we then moved on to gift giving.

Bishop received a five-in-one tool kit for his 72-hour pack.

He also received a watch that went to Iraq with Dad.

A special gift for a special boy!

We love you, Bishop, and look forward to celebrating many more birthdays with you!

Our Epiphany

Let me begin by wishing my youngest son, Bishop, a very happy birthday!

I love you and look forward to celebrating your birthday tomorrow when Daddy gets home!

So, today we celebrated Epiphany.

The table is set in the liturgical colors of dark blue and purple, the spiced breads and apples are ready for serving,

and the magi are prepared for the final leg of their journey.

After reading Matthew 2:1-12, the boys placed the wise men in the nativity.

"From the East came the Magi to Bethlehem to adore the Lord; and opening their treasures, they offered costly gifts: gold to the Great King, incense to the true God, and myrrh in symbol of his burial, alleluia!"

"O God, who by the guidance of a star did this day reveal your Only Begotten Son to the Gentiles, grant that we who know You by faith may be brought to the contemplation of the heavenly majesty, through the same Christ, Our Lord. Amen."

"O Lord, Almighty God, bless this house that it may become a shelter of health, chastity, self-conquest, humility, goodness, mildness, obedience to the commandments, and thanksgiving to God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Upon this house and those who dwell herein may Your blessing remain forever, through Christ our Lord. Amen."

"May Christ bless our dwelling, and remain with us throughout the new year, and grant that our comings and goings will be in search of truth."

And so, we celebrated Epiphany and bring to an end the days of Christmas.

And as it ends I am reminded just how much I am in need of God's grace and mercy.

You see, the pictures and notes of my blog capture just a brief snapshot of our family and do not reveal the complexities of our relationships and a life lived together.

Certainly there was beauty in our celebration this evening but there were also relational irritations that make the above blessings even more poignant.

'O Lord, may our home please become a shelter of kindness and edification, of goodness, mildness, humility and self-conquest. And, O Lord, thank you so very much for your forgiveness and your gifts of grace and mercy; likewise, may we extend forgiveness, grace and mercy to those around us.'

Happy New Year!

"Happy New Year!!!" says Bishop.

Maceo, on the other hand, refuses to give you all a New Years greeting.

This goofy picture of Maceo was taken after he had given a New Year's Eve performance at the community theatre. (I told him that I would post on the blog whatever picture he permitted me to take...so here it is in all of its glory).

Each year, our arts council organizes a 'first night' celebration in our downtown area and we participated in this event last night.

We saw a college basketball game and Maceo's performance at the theatre.

And had a blast at the Discovery Center.

After performing, Maceo went to a friends house to bring in the New Year. He found their New Year's traditions to be particularly interesting; i.e. they all threw pennies out of the windows in order to ensure good luck in the year 2012.

Meanwhile, Herb, Bishop and I hung out at home.

Bishop and I listened to my Everly Brothers album while making gingerbread houses.

Bishop had a great time making this house...

...and making this mess...

...and making some noise!

Our family had a wonderful time celebrating the arrival of a new year and we hope you did as well. Also, we pray that you have a blessed 2012!!!

I Have Been Distracted

Please forgive me for not chronicling our Christmas. I have started several posts but I got distracted and failed to finish them.

First I got distracted by Pinterest. (Pinterest is a bit addictive but is a great organizational tool).

Then came this project.

For quite some time I have been working on this photo display.

I have been collecting inexpensive vintage and antique frames to use to display family photos.

I loved the idea of pairing contemporary photos with the older frames.

This idea also appealed to my frugal sensibilities.

All of these frames were inexpensive; not one of the older frames in this display cost more than five dollars.

It was only after I collected a bunch of frames that I realized I might have an issue actually framing the photos as frugally as I had hoped because most of the frames came without glass and are odd sizes that would require custom mats to be cut.

So, this project floundered for some time.

I have spent months (like maybe six months or more) with some of these frames mounted empty on my wall.

Toodling around on Pinterest, looking at the gobs of really great art out there on the net, got my creative juices flowing and encouraged me to look at what I had stashed in my studio.

Then I had an epiphany: I could forget the glass and mats and use foam board, craft paper, dictionary pages, masking tape, packing tape and glue to finish framing my pictures, get them up on the wall and begin enjoying them.

I am so pleased with the outcome!

On the top right are buttons my grandmother allowed me to take from her button tin when I was just a youngster. Years ago I sewed them onto a small canvas and now they seem at home here. Next to the buttons is a picture of my great-grandfather looking rather dapper. And below are two of my favorite photos of the year. They are photos of my kiddo's (plus Ian) taken while we were in Las Vegas this summer. These photos are beneath glass simply because the frame came with it. (As an aside, this frame only cost me two dollars at a local thrift store!) The photos are mounted on craft paper wrapped foam board and are accented with scraps of vintage dictionary pages.

The top photo's are of my mother as a youngster and the bottom one is of Christian and Maceo when they were younger. I put the shadowboxes together some years back and am pleased that they work so well with this grouping. On the left is my grandmother holding me as a baby and Bishop at three days of age is on the right.

The top right is a photo of my grandfather sitting in the back of a truck with his younger brother, who died as a child. It is the only picture I have that has little Preston in it. To the left of that photo is my grandfather at 90. Beneath my grandfather's photo I simply taped two photos of my husband as a child. I love the one of him with his mother; isn't she beautiful with that fro?

And beneath that is a photo taken by my little sister, Christie, of Christian as a youngster. He is wearing my grandfather's hat and, although you can't see it in this photo, he is mounted on a horse.

To frame my grandfather's photo I simply wrapped foam board with craft paper and used masking tape as photo corners.

Christian's picture was already matted and I simply used packing tape to tape it the foam board covered with vintage dictionary pages.

I am so pleased with the entire arrangement.

I can hardly stop staring and smiling.

For me, it was worth the distraction

but I will try to get back on track.

I will try to get Christmas posted before the New Year.

Oh my, the clock is ticking....

A Very Merry Christmas!

The kids awoke to a fire ablaze in the fireplace, stuffed stockings and presents under the tree.

According to tradition, the festivities begin with the dumping of the stockings.

In his stocking, Bishop received a Cardinals t-shirt commemorating his first time attendance of a baseball game. Now he has something appropriate to wear to next years games.

Then began package distribution which was done by Maceo, this years designated "wise man."

He was such a thoughtful and charming host.

Christian received a special 5-in-1 tool kit for his 72-hour emergency pack, clothes,

and these really hip glasses, gunnar glasses that are intended to help relieve eye strain for those who are on the computer a lot.

From Grandmama, Aunt Christie, and crew, he got his really cool book that has biographical sketches regarding Black Americans who have served in Congress. It is unbelievable!

Thanks guys!

Maceo received football-related video games, a football,

and Carolina Panthers gear. He is so proud of this shirt!

Bishop received an air soft gun, an r/c helicopter (which was a huge hit)

and Broncos gear. (We are a football loving family!)

Bishop has declared this to be a great Christmas, "one of the best ever, even the cat (who received special treats) thinks so!"

It was a beautiful day and a very Merry Christmas!

Christmas Eve

This evening we read the scripture pertaining to Christ's birth, placed Christ in the Nativity, and lit all the candles on the advent wreath.

We also roasted marshmallows over the fire and made s'mores.

S'mores used to be the designated treat for Santa but now we just enjoy them as a family.

The s'more eating came with a lot of football talk.

(I do live in a house full of guys).

Then came the traditional Christmas Eve gifts...

delivered to us by a very special elf, Bronco fan Bishop!

Every Christmas Eve the kiddos get pajamas...

and a book. I love how excited they can get over these simple gifts even though they have foreknowledge as to basically what is in the package.

Then the kiddos are all tucked in, comfy in their new pj's and reading their new books, while the stockings are stuffed and the presents placed beneath the tree.

Simple traditions and I love them!