Four Days of Flix

   

  

Christmas Flick of the Evening

Because You Always Have A Favorite Song...

25 Christmas Movies

I decided we would start a tradition of watching a Christmas movie every day or night through Christmas.  We may have to get some from Netflix or watch some of them more than once since we don't have 25 Christmas movies in our DVD library.  (Not that we have room for 25 additional DVD's.)  The one we will be watching today is A WowieBozowie Christmas.

Cheaper Than Eating At IHOP

Presto Cool Touch Electric Griddle

Walmart- $17.88

I can already picture flipping my pancakes and making fried eggs.

Our Wish To You...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Go Cowboys!!!

Another Wish

Conair Instant Heat 1-1/2" Curling Iron-- I know a large barrel curling iron seems like a weird "wish", but I do need one. My current one has 10+ years of hair gunk build-up on it, and the spring clasp has loosened so my hair is constantly sliding out of it. Only $12.97 at Walmart.

Christmas Wishes

Family members are now starting to ask what my Christmas wishes are so I shall give them some ideas. They are really in no particular order, and now they will have to read the blog over the next several weeks. Buwahahaha!!! Do you like the new background? I will probably change it frequently due to my inability to make a concrete decision. Anyway on to the first wish...



This is by far THE BEST cleanser out there. Although the price may seem steep at $20 for 8oz., you don't use much at all so it lasts much longer than the Oil of Olay cleansers I end up buying on a monthly basis.

Christmas Wish Granted

The Rockettes are coming to the Fabulous Fox in the Radio City Christmas Spectacular, and I am very excited to have tickets.  For some reason I don't see the same excitement coming from my husband.  Why, I ask, why??

Did you know there are 182 Rockettes?  I was curious as to how they would be performing in several places at one time.  Now I know.   I find it amusing that on the website there is a "content advisory."  I thought maybe the Rockettes were going to do something topless, but the advisory is for a Nativity Scene-- GASP!!  It is called Christmas Spectacular, and I am personally glad there is a nativity scene.   (Photo is courtesy of their website.)

Do You Need A Good Laugh?

Funny story.  Some may consider portions of this story to be TMI, but once you have a baby all modesty pretty much goes out the window.  

So, today we went to Marshalls to try and get some Christmas shopping done.  Noah is going through potty training and kept saying "pooh, pooh" so I figured we should let him try.  We went into the bathroom, and of course, false alarm.  I decide (big mistake) since I am already in the bathroom, that I may as well try and go.  I assume the position being careful not to let any part of me touch the toilet seat.  Noah comes over and starts smacking my bottom and saying "pooh, pooh!"  (For the record, I was not.)  Then, Carlie asks in a very loud voice "Mom, are you going pooh?"  I said, "Shhhh, no Carlie I am not" to which she responded, "Why do I have to Shhhhh?"   My response, "You just do." "Why?" "Because" "But, I just wanted to know if you were going pooh" "No, I wasn't" "Okay."  Then we were able to peruse the store without further incident or embarrassment.  

See.  I told you it was funny.  Have you stopped laughing at me and with me yet?    

Home: More than Just a Word

I received my email devotion today, and I thought it was worth sharing.  It was written by Marybeth Whalen.

         

Devotion:

I opened up my email to discover another one of those forwards we all get from time to time.  I almost hit “delete” but my eye landed on this acronym for the word “Home”:

 

Honor the Lord

Obey His Word

Minister to one another

Establish walls of truth

 

I was glad I took a look at this forward, because it made me think about whether or not these four components are present in my home.  When looked at it in this light, the word “home” means so much more than just a place to live. Isn’t that what we want all of our homes to be? More than a place to sleep and eat and occasionally clean, we want our homes to be a place where lives are shaped into God’s design. This little acronym zeroes in on four important goals we should have for our home.  The exciting thing is, no matter who lives there, or what problems we are facing, or what limits we feel like we have, with effort and intention our homes can be places where these four things happen. 

 

Honor the Lord: We can honor God with our lips, but yet our hearts can be far from Him (Mt. 15:8) — and the people who live with us will be the first to know when we do this! Let’s seek to honor Him behind the closed doors of our homes, living out our devotion to Him in a visible, gentle way as we realize that our families are watching.

 

Obey His Word: Obeying His Word at home is not always easy.  The Bible tells us to be submissive to our husbands, to love others more than we love ourselves, and to pick up our cross (as we pick up after our children, or care for our elderly parents).  When we do these things with humility, those we most want to impact will notice.  More than that, they will file it away in their hearts, and our lives will echo in theirs in ways we can’t possibly foresee.

 

Minister to one another: Ministry requires us to love others, to reach others, and to lay down our lives for the sake of those God has placed in our sphere of influence.  This must happen at home first.  And yet, if we’re honest, it’s usually the last place it happens.  We go out and give the best of what we have to offer to others, then give our leftovers to the people we profess to love the most. Let’s minister to those in our own homes first.

 

Establish walls of truth: When I first read this, I will confess that something prickled in me.  Establish walls?  How is it Biblical to establish walls? I questioned.  However, I soon realized I was thinking of walls as a means to keep people out.  When in actuality, we need to be building walls of truth—God’s truth, designed not to keep others out but to guard our hearts and give us a safe place to retreat and to rest.  These walls of truth make our homes into fortresses—a place to run to when our daily battles wear us out. 

 

These are not things we can just do once and move on.  They are daily requirements, regular sacrifices, and even personal struggles.  We won’t ever do it perfectly and there will be days we feel we are taking one step up and two steps back. But with God’s help, we can keep working to make H.O.M.E. mean so much more. 

Halloween Parade

Last night we participated in the Halloween Parade at Westport Plaza.  All the kids marched around the Plaza visiting various restaurants/businesses and collecting candy (and business flyers.)  It ended at the Sheraton ballroom where a juggler was performing.  This afternoon we are headed to Trick or Treat on Main Street in St. Charles.  

Movie Recommendation

It has been a long time since a movie we got from Netflix was worth the time spent watching it.  Well, I finally watched one last night that is probably one of the best I have ever seen.  It is called the Ultimate Gift.  If you've seen it, let me know what you thought.  If not, rent it (and make sure to have tissues handy.)  Here is the synopsis:

When his wealthy grandfather dies, trust fund baby Jason Stevens inherits his grandfather's crash course on life: 12 tasks-or gifts-designed to challenge Jason in improbable ways.  The "course" sends Jason on a journey of self-discovery that forces him to reevaluate his priorities and determine what he thinks the most important things in life really are.

Fancy Nancy Party

I took Carlie to the Fancy Nancy Party at the library. If you haven't read those books, they are very posh. The program included a speaker on manners and etiquette. Carlie came away with one of the balloon centerpieces so that made it all worth it for her.

Her friend, Meredith, from MOPPETS and dance was there.

Noah's 2!!

Here are a few pics from Noah's birthday.  No party this time, so there was little stress.  He seemed to have a good time.  

Apple Picking

Last week we went apple picking with Grammy and Pawpaw at Eckert's in Grafton. This year we actually got to pick them off the tree as opposed to last year when they were all in bins. We also picked out some pumpkins. I have made several apple pies (with more to come), caramel apples, and apple crisp.

Wow, I am in a picture!

Noah likes the dandelions as much as the apples.

Carlie shows off her apple.

Grammy, did you pay for that apple??

Pawpaw and Noah

Happy Birthday, Mike!

We celebrated Mike's birthday on Sunday. We went to La Salsa which has kid's meals for 99 cents on Sundays. Always a plus. The cake has a "1" on it because that is the only candle I had in the house.

Cards game

Mike and I went to the Cards game last Saturday night. They actually won 8-6. Shocking!! They did try to give the game to the Reds on multiple occasions, but the Reds just wanted to lose I suppose. This time I managed to put away toasted cannelloni, a few nachos, two diet cokes, popcorn, Edy's Dibs, and a giant cookie. All very tasty.

Albert

Troy Glaus

This position really looks painful.  No wonder pitchers are always hurt.

Hide Your Candy!!

Let me paint this picture for you.  Noah and Carlie were playing so sweetly together in his room at the end of the hall.  I decided this would be a great time to secretly fill the crystal candy dish with more M&M's for me to snack on during the day.  (This candy dish is hidden behind a picture frame on the buffet table.)  As I poured the M&M's carefully into the dish, there were a few slight "ping" sounds.  I thought nothing of it, and as I finished and put the M&M bag back in its hiding spot, I heard a disturbing sound.  Tearing out of his room, Noah comes running down the hall screaming, "Emma M, EMma M, EMMA M, EMMA M!!!"  Then he started hanging off the side of the buffet, "Emma M, Emma M, Emma M!!"  It was pitiful.  He has ears like a dog.  I quickly diverted his attention elsewhere as anyone who knows me knows I like my M&M's.  

Congratulations!!

Congratulations to Casey and Doug on their engagement. We are looking forward to a wonderful wedding. Clearly, you guys need to visit again since this was taken almost a year ago! What gives??

Little Sous Chef

Peek-a-boo

Outman and Outfan

That's how to beat the Illini in the season opener. Once again Illinois lost to Mizzou at the Dome, but I was glad we got a chance to attend. Thanks Chelsea for such awesome tickets!! Mizzou is definitely a good football team and the fans sure showed up for them. They had us about 3:1. We did manage to get some good shots though. The biggest disappointment was not getting to see Chief Illiniwek perform. Oh, and Mizzou may have a better football team, but we definitely have a better Marching Band-- and isn't that what really matters!!?? And, yes, he caught the pass!! (The first photo is a different play.)

Straight Talk Express

I dragged Mike and the kids out to a McCain rally in O'Fallon several weeks back. Awesome, but very hot and sticky. The worst part was that we tried to beat the rush to get out, but no such luck. All the gates were closed off with security until the guests of honor left. We were stuck in hot tunnel of people for probably 45 minutes. Is there some law against that? Anyway, it was cool nonetheless.

Did You Miss Us?

Yes, God has once again answered our prayers for a new computer. We are very, very thankful and humbled as the money came in a very unexpected way. I will try to update you on all we have been doing. Let's see... where to begin.

Blog Break

Life from Cardinal Nation will be taking a blog break until we get some computer issues addressed. This may take some time so we will email you once new posts begin.

Grammy R is so busted!

Carlie and I were having a conversation yesterday about who knows what. She changed the subject and asked me and I quote, "When are you going to give me money for playing with Noah while you made dinner yesterday?" I said, "Why would I pay you money for playing with your brother? You love him and love spending time with him." She then came back with... "Well, Grammy Rodgers gave Caroline money to play with us while she (Grammy R.) made dinner." She's a little shakedown artist. I just laughed and changed the subject. Kids say the darndest things.

Saying Goodbye

Last night we had dinner with our friends, A.C., Perrin, and Lia, to say goodbye as they are leaving town early this morning to begin their move to Sweden. We will miss them and hope to get over there to visit.

KD Anniversary Event

Several weeks ago I attended the 75th Anniversary Event for the St. Louis Alumnae Association of Kappa Delta. It was a fun look at KD through the years, and I just wanted to share one of many stories told that day. It was by Ruth May, who also attended Univ. of Illinois, and it was really cool to hear her talk about what it was like back in the early 1940's. I begged her to give me her speech so I could post for others to hear. I realize it is a little long but definitely well worth the read. Ruth is a great lady and we always make it a point to talk Illini sports at our monthly meetings. So, hear is her story...

I'm supposed to tell you what it was like being a Kappa Delta in the olden days. I started the University of Illinois in the fall of 1938, 70 years ago, but I didn't sign up for formal rush. Instead my focus was on settling into college while living in an independent house and considering rush later. Independents on our campus were very strong, but Greeks were strong also. Illinois had 54 fraternities and 21 sororities. That translates into about 2.5 fraternity men to 1 sorority girl, but who wants 1/2 man?

You might find this funny, but these were the days before laundromats. We mailed our dirty laundry home to our mothers. We always hoped that the laundry case would return with a package of homemade cookies or candy nestled among the clean clothes. I remember that during exams, Ruthie Guthier gave me cookies her mother had just sent in her laundry case. I thought they were the most heavenly cookies I'd ever eaten. Everyone makes them now- shortbread balls rolled in powdered sugar. Her mother sent her the recipe and to this day I have Ruthie's recipe card in her careful neat printing.

We were both Ruthies- if it was possible to add "ie" to our names, we did so- several Ruthies and Barbies and Dotties, Jeanies, Bobbies, and Vickies. Those were the days of panty raids. And of serenades- late at night after hours, in honor of a girl who had just been pinned by the guy's fraternity. We all gathered to hear and applaud them.

Those were also the days before cars were allowed on campus or in town. We walked to and from classes on a sprawling campus. Our house was fairly far out so we really walked! I thought I'd become hunchbacked from all that walking while carrying a load of books. These were the days before backpacks also.

I know some of you have heard about how I met my Bill. After the Homecoming football game in October, fraternity pledges were invited to an open house to meet our pledges. My junior year, there was an electrical storm and the power went out. Our housemother sent me upstairs for candles. As I came down the steps with one of the candles burning to light my way, I could hear pounding on the door. I answered it to a group of guys. They dispersed to find food and drink and girls. I mostly talked to Bill. He asked me for a Coke date and, because he was in engineering labs almost all day, we had to make it for 1 o'clock in the afternoon. I remember telling my roommate that because of the dim lighting, and because I was too vain to wear my glasses, I wasn't sure if I'd recognize him when he came to pick me up. She assured me that NO ONE would have a date in the afternoon- and she was right. For years afterward, Bill would give me a candle to commemorate our meeting.

The KD house at Illinois had an unheated sleeping porch. I mean it was frigid! We'd run and dive into bed and under the covers, and were unbelievably sexy in baggy flannel pajamas- and sometimes head scarves. My junior year, two Kd's were tapped by Mortar Board for outstanding campus activities. In those days, Mortar Boards were women only. Obviously things have changed because now Mortar Board includes guys.

A day I'll never forget is a day in December of my senior year. The guys were to come to our sweetheart dinner on the Sunday after our Christmas formal the night before. Early Sunday morning, we heard the news of Pearl Harbor. You can imagine the gloom of that day. Even though I was supposed to spend Sunday afternoon translating Latin, I decided that in the scheme of things, Cicero was not very important.

While many of the younger guys left school at semester to join up, most of the senior men were able to stay to graduate, but then immediately went into the service instead of starting new careers. Bill graduated, was commissioned and served in North Africa and Italy. And not just MEN dropped out. In some cases, our girls left school as well because brothers, and even fathers, would be shipping out and they were needed at home. It was really a momentous time in our lives. Like everyone else at that time our whole world was changing.

During the war years, we were all doing things like knitting socks for the servicemen. When I took my knitting home at Christmas, my mom took pity on my efforts and knit them for me. I never did learn to knit.

Because many girls were leaving due to the war, the KD house was left with a shortage of potential officer candidates. I am indebted to KD for offering me a scholarship to return for a 5th year and serve as chapter president while working on my masters- something I wouldn't have been able to do otherwise.

That year I was coming down with strep throat as a national officer came to visit the chapter. The minute she left, they shipped me over to the campus hospital just across the street. My hospital roommate- not very sick at all- was entertaining several boyfriends. I felt so rotten, I didn't care if I died, but before I died I plotted to strangle the whole group of them! By the way, those were the days before penicillin, but somehow I lived.

In college Kappa Delta, I made lasting friendships. I've been lucky enough to maintain some of those to this day. And of course I've had the experience of being part of our great alum group celebrating 75 years. Kappa Delta has truly been a special part of my life.

Ruth's display board with college memorabilia.

Ruth and me.

Happy Birthday, America!

To celebrate we went to the Riverfest in St. Charles, Missouri. They had a parade in the morning which the kids really got in to. The fact that the people on the floats were throwing candy was a huge surprise and big bonus. Tonight we plan to go to the fireworks at Frontier Park in St. Charles so the kids are taking longer naps this afternoon.