random tips

So here's some things I would pin - but I already do them so I don't need to remember them on Pinterest.  (I'm not really all into pinning my own stuff yet)

Just helpful or whatever things that we Pierces do and love. 

Fun stuff in the garbage disposal.

I got into a real vinegar kick a while back.  I still use it for a lot of stuff - but one really fun thing I do sometimes is freeze it in ice cube trays, then throw the frozen vinegar cubes in the garbage disposal!  Turn it on with no water and it cleans out all the germs and odors that build up down there.  Also, my friend Katie said she does the same thing with orange peels and it freshens the smell of her entire kitchen.  I tried it the other night with some left over lemon peel and a cinnamon stick from a Hot Toddy - that worked too!  

Frozen pancakes and glass of water. 

I used to get frozen waffles for Savannah to eat for breakfast.  I mean, who REALLY wants to slave over a hot stove at 7am?  Then one day I realized I could just make my own waffles (which ended up being pancakes because they're easier) and freeze them myself.  So now once a week I whip up a batch of pancake mix (which includes flax seed, some kind of fruit, and usually some mini chocolate chips), cook it all up, and eat 2 that day and freeze the rest. Then in the morning I just pop one pancake in the microwave with a glass of water and nuke them for 1 minute.  With the water n there the pancakes are fluffy and light and not dry and chewy.  This has saved me so much effort! 

The Frame

This summer while I was at church one of the pastors was talking about how we should always remember to tell our children about all that God has done so that the next generation will know and be able to tell the stories.  I got this idea to get a frame and let Savannah decorate it in a way that would make it hers and exciting.  Then every week (or month, or when we get around to it) we put something new in the frame that tells about something God has done.  We started with "God Made Savannah" and I let Savannah color the words.  We've also had "God Made Poppy", "God Healed Daddy's Body" and all kinds of stuff.  We tell Sav the story of whatever it was and make sure she gets it.  Then we hang the frame at the top of our stairs at her eye level.  I try to talk to her about it at least once a day.  It's especially fun when she recounts stories of things God did before her time. 

This particular picture is about how Travis used to have crippling arthritis - like couldn't even get out of bed or write his name some days.  He was really sick and hurting really badly and God used doctors and medicine to perform miracles and heal him so now he can play and run with Savannah!  We are so thankful!

Memory Monday #5 Faith Comes

Here's one I think we've all been waiting for.  I skipped a few discouraging pages from the last post  and decided to move right ahead to the first entry I made with my new heart.

May 11th, 2000 (Just before graduation my senior year)

Dear Lord, 
Thank you God for all the blessings you give me daily.  Thank you for each morning I get up that I can be clean.  T/Y for my bed, for my food, for clothes to wear.  Please help me to be content with my life and not long for what others have.  T/Y for Franks and everything there and for letting me help there and please let me be the best servant I can be.  Please bless all my time there.  Please help all the bands that go through there to witness well and to focus on you.  Please be near the bands tomorrow and let your spirit pour on the kids there.  Let us all be at our best.  Help me to make wise choices that honor you.  Please direct  me in the path of your will.  Thanks for making a plan for me.  Show me what it is for this summer.  Please God, show me what to do.  I love you.  
Amen


At this point I'd been following Jesus about a year and a half.  I wish I had something from the days right after my salvation, but I don't know if I'd really learned to pray even until around this time.  I went to youth group, and to church, and hung out with Christians, but no one was really teaching me how to BE a Christian really until I went to Franks.  Franks was a music venue in Des Moines that brought in Christian bands.  The people that worked there started investing more time in me and showing me how to pray, how to serve, how to share.  So that's why I was so thankful.  I also realized as I read this that included in the bands I was praying for was Spoken - the band Travis was in.  This prayer was written the day before I met Travis for the first time.  Weird!  I guess the spirit WAS moving :)  Just a little early since I was still in high school and Travis was 21 at the time.  We didn't talk much that night.  


I'm so thankful for this entry and for it's stark contrast to my previous ones.  I'm also thankful to have these pages to remind myself of all that God has done.  I hope that if you keep a journal that you save it.  Might be one of the few things that I'd be down for keeping around in the attic year after year!  

i love lani and maggie

Savannah made up a song about what was on her heart tonight.  

Cousins. 

More Pinterest Wins and Fails

This seemed to be a super popular blog post last time.  I had all kinds of people ask for another one, so here ya go!  It probably won't be as exciting as last time, just saying: 

WIN!!

Easy Margarita Chicken

Super easy and super good.  I think the key to this was the lime. Make sure you have one on hand.  We  did not have actual margaritas with this meal (Travis is on a low card diet deal) but I would suggest it.  

FAIL!

Nutella Cookies

Just eggs and flour - they were really really gross.  I don't know what I was expecting.  If it seems to easy and good to be true, then it is.  Plus I wasted a 1/2 cup of Nutella! Don't do it! 

WIN!!!

Coffee maker Cleaner

Uh, DUH!  Why didn't I think of this?  

So I ran 1/4  cup of baking soda with a cup of water through the coffee pot (no filter) and the first time tons of gross stuff came out.  My pot actually looked like this one, but with chunks of something floating in it.  I don't know.  Then I ran just water through three more times until the water was totally clear.  And guess what - my coffee tastes better!  

WIN!!

Mail a Hug

For Christmas we got out some butcher paper and traced Savannah hugging it (she was actually face down hugging the paper, not like this kid just laying there).  We then had her decorate the paper with hair and eyes and stuff.  It was awesome.  Folded it up and mailed it to my Grandmas for Christmas.  They both live far away.  I'm hoping that they wrapped them selves up in the paper when they got them.  Easy and meaningful. 

FAIL!!

Mirror Spray Paint

I don't know if I'm doin wrong or what.  Probably am.  But Mirror spray paint was not in anyway nearly as cool as I thought it would be.  My stuff didn't turn out like this.  It was blotchy and runny and sad looking.  It only looks like a mirror if you spray the back side of something clear (so glass or vases or whatever) because if you spray the outside then it looks like a tin can.  And it's really hard to get it even.  So just skip it.  Not worth it. 

WIN!!

This really needs no explanation.  It's just true. Come on people - loosen up!

WIN!!

Crock Pot Enchilada Soup

This was amazing.  I actually threw it all in just 3 1/2 hours before dinner time AND the chicken was frozen solid when I started it. Add some avocado chunks to the top and Sold. 

So this post was a little less impressive than my last.  I've been busy doing my own thang apart from Pinterest. Plenty of spray painting, cutting hearts out of paper, and making old things work like new.  Here's my latest mantel goings on - 

Oh, you just wait till I get brave and get my sowing machine out!

and winter shows its ugly face

Winter's coldness finally bought up to us!  Here's the run down on how it's "blessed" us: 

I went out to go to a meeting last week and my car didn't start.  Dead battery.  Luckily my parents live super duper close so my dad came and charged the battery and my mom gave us rides to where we needed to go.  

We have all had awful versions of the same cold for about two weeks now.  Well Monday morning I saw Savannah had light yellow snot coming from her EAR.  It wasn't bothering her at all though.  I took her in to ever faithful Dr. Nau and we're on antibiotics and ear drops now.  I honestly thought with her tubes that we wouldn't have to deal with this junk this year.  But at least it's not hurting her. 

Savannah COULD NOT WAIT for it to snow enough for a snowman - but it still hasn't really.  Since I don't really love the snow, she had to wait until daddy came home to play in it two nights in a row!  They suited all up and lasted all of about 7 minutes out there.  

Gee winter - so glad you're here!  

But not really. 

Memory Monday #4

If you've been following along with my Memory Mondays, you already know I was pretty bratty.  This post is skipping ahead (past several years of selfishness, trying to fit in, and worry after worry about who thought what of me) to the summer before my Junior year.  This entry was just 3 months before I gave my life to Jesus and changed Eternity!

Auguest 18th, 1998
Douglas, 
Hey.  I'm so dumb.  I just watched this scary show and then this guy came to the door at 1am asking about some free chair in the yard and then the door blew operand now I'm paranoid!  Anywho - today was a crappy day.  I worked - people didn't show up so we were very short handed.  But yah, my parents bought a new couch today and that really bothers me for some reason.  I was so comfortable on the other one, and I would sit at work and think about how nice it was and I just want to go home and sink into that wonderful couch cause it meant home and security, but now it's going to the church to the youth room.  The youth room means lies and boredom, and selfishness to me.  All of the opposites of what the couch meant.  I'm sure my sure my parents will get good use out of the new one though.  I don't understand why I'm so grouchy to my dad either.  I wish he didn't try so hard at parenting.  I'm tired. Let's just hope the buggie man stays away!
- Wendlin. 


Here's my thoughts: My being afraid of the dark and of people has been a problem for a while.  Even now I cannot stay home alone at night. I worked as a life guard at the pool for 6 years. It was the best job ever.  You just sit all day, in the sun and bake.  Every so often you talk to some kids about what they're doing wrong and ONE time I saved a Mexican dude from the deep end.  I would love to have that job again, but there's something weird about a 30 year old life guard mom.  Don't ya think?  


I clearly remember my over reaction to my parent's getting ga new couch.  I really liked the old one I guess.  I think there must have been some crazy hormones flying around my head too - I FREAKED OUT.  Crying, yelling... sorry mom and dad for that!  I can say that from reading my other entries that I wasn't very comfortable anywhere.  I always felt awkward and like no one really cared.  I think it's really interesting though how I viewed church.  It was only a month after that I decided to call myself Agnostic.  I was really searching for something.  I was searching for the GOSPEL and I didn't even know it!  I hated that I wasn't comfortable anywhere and I even hated how I treated my own family.  Funny how God started showing me my need for a savior (not a couch like I thought) months before my salvation!  Love it.  Can't wait for the next post!

Any by the way, I had to edit this because while I was mulling this all over in my head today I remembered that I wanted to note just how glad I am that my dad (and mom too) were trying so hard to parent me.  I bet it was hard!  And not very rewarding at that time.  But I know now (all too well because of what I see in our high schoolers at church) that they were doing the best they could to be involved and love me and guide me through some pretty rough growing up years!  Love you Mom and Dad.  Thanks!

tv, toddlers, and too much to handle

Travis had Monday off to celebrate being black so he got to stay home with Savannah all morning while I did my normal Monday meeting stuff.  Turns out staying home with daddy means lots of "show watching" and a visit to the free bounce house, followed by getting candy at the gas station, and more tv.  At the end of the day I added up Savannah's tv time and she had watched over 7 hours of tv!  I pointed out to Travis that is was obvious by the glaze on her eyes and the stare on her face that she'd been over loaded, but I had to take this picture for future proof.  

We went to play pals the other day and some good friends, Katie and Eisley, just happened to have the same idea that day!  This is funny because Katie's pretty preggo but still getting in there to play with her kiddo.  Good job momma!

Savannah had me take this one earlier today.  She also asked me to dry her hair, open her lip gloss, get her dress down, and grab her umbrella for the picture.  Are we in trouble?  I may have let her go a little over board for a 9 am photo shoot in the kitchen.   

Pinterest Eggs

I've been making these eggs for Travis lately and not only does he love them, they last all week, and they're in his "high protein" diet - but they are SUPER EASY. 

I looked in my boards and I couldn't find the original pin, but here's the deal: 

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together 10 eggs, 1/2 cup of milk, between 1/2 and 1 cup of frozen peppers and onions, and some salt and pepper.  

Spray muffin tins down with some grease and fill cups about 3/4 full. 

Bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 - 23 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.  Then knife around each one and remove from pan.  

You could just eat them, but we freeze them and Travis takes 2 - 3 for lunch every day. This makes 12. He loves it. 

My kitchen has the worst light ever and makes food look green.  Sorry. 

Dad's Karaoke Party!

My dad turned a whopping 53 last week. 

My dad and I have a lot in common, including that we both loved our Karaoke Bar Birthday Parties this year!  

Craig loves it just as much as I do!

This is funny!  Travis backed up and sat right in this woman's lap.  He didn't know her, 

but lucky for him, she's married to my dad's cousin, Randy. 

Here's my dad with one of his friends for life.  I don't know when exactly these guys found one another, but I have seen several pictures of them with hippie hair and clothes, so it was at least in the 70's. 

I guess foosball used to be pretty huge.  My dad and his old high school buddies played all night.  I wonder just how many hours these four have spent in this exact position.  INTENSE. 

And you can't have a Karaoke party post with out some video footage, now can you?
Legend has it that this is the song my dad used to sing to me at bed time. 

Happy Birthday Dad!

Christmas Video repost

I'm still learning so much about the internet and things.  

Youtube didn't like that I used copyrighted songs in my video so they took away the sound.  We'll see what blogger does with it :) Better listen quick before they catch me!

Prodigal God

I finished another book!  Good job me!
This is a huge accomplishment because I have, as long as I can remember, despised reading.  I don't know why.  My mom did all the right things.  She read to me at bed time every single night (this is a little embarrassing) until I was like 13!  It's not like there was no value on reading in our home - I just have always had too much to do.  Maybe it's because if you're reading, then you can't really do anything else - and you know how i love to multitask!

So I asked my boss if he would make me finish a book during Christmas break.  And being the kind hearted dude that Joel Vint is, he had me read The Prodigal God by Timothy Keller.

The book is fairly small. It's 160 or so pages, which is actually still a challenge for me to complete.  

It digs into the story of the Prodigal Son - you know, the son that takes his share of his inheritance and goes out and parties it away.  Then when the money runs out he realizes how good he had it and he returns to his father to plead for mercy.  His father takes him back in with no questions asked.  A lot of times the teaching stops there but this book focuses mostly on the response of the older son - he was super upset that the younger son was just forgiven and brought back in when he had been obedient and faithful the entire time.  

I like this part: 

"To truly become Christians we must also repent of the reasons we we ever did anything right.  Pharisees only repent of their sins, but Christians repent for the very roots of their righteousness, too.   We must learn how to repent of the sins UNDER all our other sins and under all our righteousness - the sin of seeking to be our own Savior and Lord". 

You're never fully dressed.....

....without a smile!

Travis and Savannah were both wearing hats the other day - They're such ham balls!  Seriously. 

Yesterday Savannah and I were going somewhere and I had to run back in the house to grab something.  I asked her to wait in the yard and when I came back this is where she was.  She just sat there with her back up against that tree looking out.  I watcher her for about 3 minutes before she saw me. What was she pondering?  I so wish I knew!

Sunshine and winter snow, 

Wendy

Christmas Thank Yous

Just wrapping up Christmas here ...
I was going to write Thank You's to everyone that was so good to us (namely Savannah, but Travis and I too) at Christmas time but I thought everyone might like it if I spent my time getting this video done instead - so Grandma Sue, Grandma Marry, Kevin and Donna, Keith, Cindy, and Emily, Karen, Gary and Pat, Uncle Mike, Mom and Dad, Frank and Glenda, Malisa, Greg and Shannon - THANK YOU!
We had a great Christmas going to service at Cornerstone, celebrating at my parent's house, our house, and in Oklahoma and visiting the Oklahoma Aquarium.  Enjoy!

Click on my Ads!

Okay - so you probably noticed the HUGE ads at the top of my blog.  I decided to see if I couldn't swing a few dollars off this blog of mine.  I saw in my Stats (thanks for all the new info blogger!) that I have had over 10,000 page views of this blog!  WOWZA.  Granted, I know at least half of those are my mom and Travis' mom - but still!  So I put adsense on my blog, which is google's way of making money and passing SOME of the earnings on to us, the bloggers.


Turns out to actually get any money from the ads, people have to click on them.  I have had ONE click since putting adsense on my blog.  I don't blame you - I haven't ever clicked on the ads either.  But let's do an experiment faithful readers - would to so mind clicking on the ads at the top every time you check out my blog for a little bit?  I just want to see if it's even worth it at all and if I still make no or little money, then I'll just take the ads off and we'll all be happy.  Thanks for your help.
Sincerely,
Wealthy Wendy

Edit: 

I just got this from google: Woops! : 

ENCOURAGING CLICKS: Publishers are not permitted to encourage users to
click on Google ads or bring excessive attention to ad units. For example,
your site cannot contain phrases such as "click the ads," "support our
sponsors," "visit these recommended links," or other similar language that
could refer to the Google ads on your site. More information about this
policy can be found in our help center 

Yeah - that's what I'm talking about!

Now you're doin the Mambo dance

Today Dora the Explorer taught Savannah a new trick and she could not wait to teach you!

So she falls on her ankle in the end there - but rest assured, she is fine and got right back up again.  There's another video we made right after this that's about a minute of the same thing.  Love it.

Nanana Norwex

I feel like I'm always selling stuff on my blog.  But really, when something works I think it's well worth the promo!  

My latest love is this: Norwex. 

It's just a wash cloth. 

NOT. 

This puppy is antibacterial and will clean N-E-THANG with just the cloth and some water.  No cleaning products required.  Let me list the things that I've clean and disinfected with my Norwex "envirocloth": 

MY FACE! - Yes, Just the cloth and water and my face was clean.  Like, really clean.  Make up off and all.  And I thought it would dry my face out, but no.  Exfoliated, clean, and awesome.  (I'd recommend a cloth JUST for your face though and a separate for cleaning everything else)

MY KITCHEN - Everything.  Walls.  Counters.  Floors.  Fridge.  Oven door.  Mircrowave.  Sink.  All disinfected and good to do with just the cloth and water. 

MY CARPET - There are always weird stains on the carpet in Savannah's room.  I seriously don't know what she's doing in there.  But I normally would result to carpet cleaner, then oxy clean, then a bowl of water, then a sham wow, more water, more sham wow...uhg!  But now - just the cloth and water!  I'm serious. Stains eliminated! 

MY WINDOW - Again, just the water.  No windex.  And no streaks!

MY CAR -  Stains on the seats and the entire interior.  CLLLEAN! 

Okay, I could go on and on.  I'm not even a clean freak or the kind of person that cares that much about disinfecting things.  But when it takes no effort and I can feel like a rock star mom / wife - why not!  

And watch out, because I am totally having  Norwex party (it's one of those products you have parties for at your house) and you are ALL going to be invited!  

(they have other products too for floors, laundry, kitchen..but I just have the one thing.  Check it out if you want.  www.norwex.com)

i heart global warming

Yeah - that's right.  I love global warming. Because today is January..i have no idea what number... but it's mid January and we had a picnic / play date at Bandshell park!  The high today is 60! That's like 70 degrees warmer than is normal for this time of year! 

Today Savannah climbed all the way up the slide on her own and she also kept the swing going by pumping on her own!  What will she be able to do by this summer - she's soooo big!

This is the view that most of the park got most of the morning.  My friends tried to pull her pants up so many times but girlfriend is just like her momma!  Poor kid - perpetual coin slot!

a face to die for

I have to admit - there isn't much I wouldn't do for this face.  

Even when It's covered in mustard and guzzling down a juice box.  

Or hamming it up because it knows it's being photographed :) 

sitting and smelling

I've heard some people talk about how they detest the smell of "outside" on people.  You know - that fresh air - stuck on you - trees and wind and grass smell? I'm not a huge nature person, but  oh boy do I love the smell of outside on someone.  Especially my girl!  It reminds me of life!

We took Brisco to a park today to let him run and I thought I'd get a quick  cute picture of a girl and her dog.  I had them both sitting and posed and the instruction was to stay.....

This is the best I could eventually do.... Guess it's true to life.  

Memory Monday #3

Just your average high school girl looking for some love.  I have always really really valued relationships. I think that especially since I was an only child, I longed for security in my friend relationships.  My parents were my only constant - and no teenage girl wants that! Sorry mom and dad - the entries get a little rough for the next couple years.....

july 7th, 1997 ( 15 years old)
So anywayz, It's 12am.  I just read all that stuff from before.  What a silly girl I was/am!  My life is good now.  I'm almost 16!  I have good friends, and at the risk of sounding conceded, i'd like to say that I am a very nice/friendly/good person - usually!  I just got back from the Alaskan cruise!  That was fun.  I made so many new friends!  I was actually popular for a while.  I don't know but I think summer is my high time.  I always have more friends and stuff in the summer.  What's up with dat!? I have a boyfriend now - his name is _____.  He's a sweet heart - too sweet sometimes.  Infact - he's a kiss a**.  Know what?  My room is a pit.  I go to bed now - 
Wendy
Sue


I thought about editing this one because of how jerky it is.  But ya know what - that was Wendy minus Jesus so I'm okay with it.  That's how teenagers who don't know Jesus are.  I was really concerned with friends and fitting in.  You'll see that more in future entries.  This was the start of it - or maybe the middle of it.  This was the summer I really started finding trouble in order to be accepted.  That I started being okay with finding trouble in order to be accepted.  And what about that comment about my boyfriend??  I had totally forgotten about that.  I hardly saw him - he went to a different school.  But we had a mutual friend and I probably thought that having a boyfriend would help me feel like I was fitting in better.  Obviously I didn't care too much for him, or his attention.  I read this one knowing that if I can continue to tap into and remember what this day felt like, then I can continue to do youth ministry for years to come.  

Memory Monday #2

Here's another look into my diary.  I've learned a lot about myself in the last couple of days through reading my old journals.  One thing that was confirmed through this one was that my guilty conscience was almost as good as any discipline I could have received!  When I know I am guilty, I can be pretty hard on myself.

april 16th, 1991 (9 years old)
Dear Diary,
I am a stupid idiet
who can even
have a good aditude
towds enny thing.


Today at girl scouts
we were trying to plane a pic knack
and I mess every
thing up.  Now my mom
hates me and it will
be very hard to earn back her respect for me.
Sighned,
stupid dumb itityit

Wowza!  I'm sure I was being pretty bratty and controlling.  That's one thing that being an only child can do to you.  My mom was our girl scout leader so that always made me feel like I had more control over our troop than I did.  I bet everyone else wanted to do one thing, and I threw some kind of fit because it all played out differently in my mind.  My mom probably didn't know what to do with me and I bet it ended up in a yelling fight between her and I after the meeting.  Then probably in her crying because she had such a bratty daughter and didn't know what to do with her.  Then me feeling guilty and sending myself to my room.  I don't remember ever really getting disciplined at all but I remember whenever I felt guilty (which was almost every time I made my mom cry, which was a lot) I would send myself to my room.
Also - I love that I was trying with all my might to figure out how to spell "idiot".  My spelling really hasn't improved, thank goodness for spell check and the word suggestions that pop up for  me now!

Memory Monday - a look at my diary.

Yesterday my mom handed me one of those "I don't want your stuff so take it or I'm thawing it away" boxes.  I think anyone who's moved out of their parent's house knows what I'm talking about :)
This particular box contained some old journals of mine.  Wow.  They ranged from 1991 (when I was 9) until 2001 - the year Travis and I started dating.  So maybe for the next several Monday's I will bless you with my private thoughts and then some commentary on how I feel about it now :)

january 15th, 1991 ( 9 years old)
Dear Diary, 
today has ben a bad and good day.  this morning my mom woke me up late.  And I was in such a hurry  I for got my shoes at home.  tonight I lost my tooth. and at school I helped Any dig a tunol in the snow at last recess just before the bell rang we met then it was finished. to night my mom yelled at me because I pushed the buten on the phone that sed speaker phone when she was talking.  other then that my day was fine.  Well maybe not all fine because Miss Mully got mad at me for something I didn't do.  Well that was my day.  


january 17th, 1991
Dear Diary, 
last night war started in Iran.  yesterday someone caved in our tunnel. 



I love how simple it all was.  Let me explain - I probably was upset that I'd had to wear snow boots all day long at school because I didn't bring any other shoes, and I had probably spent most of the day upset with my mom for it because I wanted it to be someone else's fault.  Interesting that the blame game starts oh so early in life.  I liked loosing teeth - so that was a good part.  And I was pretty excited about the tunnel thing.  I probably pushed the speaker phone button on purpose to annoy her - I used to do that a lot because I was a stinker and also kind bored a lot.  Who knows what I did at school to make my teach mad - but I really respected Mrs Mully for a lot of reasons, so I know that whatever it was, I really didn't do it - or at least didn't mean to do it.  I wasn't old enough by then to know that sometimes people get upset about other things and they accidentally take it out on you.

I think its funny that I wrote down that night when war started.  I remember watching on tv and seeing the little white lights (bombs) fly through the dark on tv.  I didn't have a clue what was going on, but I knew enough to know that I should remember that.  I probably thought I was going to end up being like Anne Frank or something.  But the tunnel getting caved in was probably what was really on my mind that night.

So really - it's not that simple at all.  No matter what age we are.  Motives, emotions, and wars can get in the way.