A Seasonal Antecdote

Well, I think it's official.... I have SAD.  No, I'm not sad, I have SAD {Seasonal Affective Disorder}.

I felt this same way last January and the January before it.  I get the winter blahs.  I lose my 'mojo', so to speak.  I long for summer's warm temperatures and lazy days.  I wish to be on a white sand beach, playing with my family.  I want to smell fresh cut grass and roast marshmallows over the fire.  Instead I am tired, bone tired and weary, sick of the cold and dirty snow, and ready to wrap up school.  Enough of winter already!!  I am ready to throw open the windows, paint every wall in my house a crisp white and put on my flip flops!

Our busy schedule this time of year and increased homework don't help either.  Did you know that third quarter is when the kids learn the most?  And at an accelerated pace none the less?  I never knew that until our oldest hit third or fourth grade.  Around here we refer to it as 'the quarter of death by homework'.  Add in basketball season {x2} and the Pinewood Derby and the great 'should we do early college testing or not?' debate, and you have a recipe for one SAD mama.

This year I am determined to counter the effects of this SAD season.  Fortunately, a really fun little box arrived on our doorstep the other day.  In it was pure sunshine!!  That sweet man of mine has a friend in California who just happens to have a Meyer lemon tree growing in his backyard.  He sent a lovely box full of those beauties to us and I am soooo excited!!  They smell amazing and look great in a big white bowl on our kitchen table.

                                            

This photo of pure lovely-ness was found at whiteonricecouple.com.  Their food blog is simply stunning and where I found the recipe for the Meyer Lemonade I am making today.  It is going to be part of the tonic I need to lift these winter blahs and put  smiles on the faces of everyone in my home.  I'll post the recipe here or you can click on the link to find it - I'm sure you could substitute regular lemons and get the same fabulous results.

I found the other part of my tonic in my quiet time this morning.

"But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head.  I was crying out to the Lord with my voice, and He answered me from His holy mountain.   -Psalm 3:3-4 {NASB}

He grounds my feet and is the lifter of my head.  He is water {or lemonade, in this case} for my parched and weary soul.  He alone is my holy need-meeter and the sunshine in my day.  He delights in showing me that He is the answer-er of prayers and the rock on which I stand.  He is the One.  He is the ONE!

Now go out and make some lemonade, Sweet Friends!

Recipe:

1/2 C. fresh Meyer lemon juice
1 C. simple syrup {recipe follows}
4 C. water
rosemary sprigs * {optional}
Combine all ingredients in pitcher.  Make sure to drop in a few lemon rinds so that the essential oils in the rind can further infuse the lemonade.  {emphasis mine}


Simple Syrup recipe:
2 C. water
1 1/2 C. sugar
1 C. light corn syrup
Combine all ingredients in saucepan.  Stir and bring to a simmer.  Simmer for 15-20 seconds, then remove from heat.  Allow to cool and store in sterile jar in refrigerator.

Blessings,
{K}

Attention, Please!

 

Hey there sweet friends,

I would just love to be meeting all of you for coffee this morning.  There is a storm brewing here and it just feels like a good day to sit around the table and gab the day away.  Don't you agree?  Warm coffee and some cinnamon rolls... mmmm! 

Anyway, I want to introduce you to someone today.  I've mentioned him here before but he really deserves a post all of his own...

Meet Boone.  He's our loveable, entertaining, rambunctious, nearly two year old beagle.  And he's not as tough as this picture would lead you to believe.  He's actually quite a push-over. Especially if you rub his belly.  Especially if my sweet man is around.  Boone gets that he is not the 'top dog' when Todd is home.  He will submit and behave as he should. 

He spends his mornings curled up in the corner near the heating vent, dreaming the day away.  If the sun is out, he's can be found lounging on the lounger in the back yard or stretched out sunning himself on the grass.

But, come 3:30, when I arrive home with the kids, he becomes a crazy dog.  He will swipe homework, steal shoes, or abscond with your socks.  If there happens to be a stray Lego nearby, it's his.  And should someone miss the trash can with their napkin or kleenex, he's on it.  Seems that used kleenex is his idea of a delicacy and he will choke it down faster that you can shout his name.

Lovely.

See, no matter how much attention we give him, he wants more.   In fact, he's desperate for it, regardless if it lands him in his crate or earns him a swat on his nose.  He's willing to pay the price for someone, anyone to pay him some attention - positive or negative!

We do that too.  Sometimes we are desperate to be seen, for someone to look our way, just to be noticed.  We can't help it, we were made that way.  Oh, we may never actually verbalize it, but it can come through loud and clear.  Maybe we die our hair an extreme color, or tattoo ourselves from stem to stern, or maybe we have perfectionist tendencies that rule our lives - we need for someone to see us as perfect.  The perfect mom or the perfect wife or the perfect _________ {you fill in the blank}. Or maybe our skirt is just a tad too short or we leave an extra button undone on our blouse.  The list goes on and on, it's endless really.  Whether with positive or negative attention, we just want someone to notice us.

But there is one who sees you.   One who knows you down to the very number of hairs on your head.  And to Him, you are enough just the way you are.  Rest assured, you are not forgotten.  I bet if you asked God, He could go on and on about the wonder that is YOU!  You are beautiful, you are His beloved, you are His lavishly loved daughter.  There is only one you.  Never before and never again will there  be any creature as beautiful as YOU.  Uniquely created by Him, for Him... of Him.

So today, rest in the knowledge that you are seen, you are loved, you are valued.  Just as you are and for no other reason than you are His.  If you have a chance today, lift up someone in prayer, would you?  Maybe it's a sister in the midst of hard times, someone's marriage that is on the brink, a sweet soul who needs to know that someone loves her.  Who knows, you just might change her day!

Have a great day!

Blessings,

{K}

Have You Heard??

Well, its been an exciting week around here.

The big game is tomorrow

{Broncos vs. Patriots}

and we are all ready to cheer Tebow on!

That's not the only reason we are doing 

a little happy dance.

Did you know that the mayors of Denver

and Boston made a little wager

on the game?

The wager for this game is 

Colorado beef for Maine lobster. 

OUR COLORADO BEEF!!

mmm... doesn't that look good??

 

yes, please!!

 Yes, Ralston Valley Beef

is pleased to announce that we

are providing the beef for the

bet!

It is a long story, 

so I'll just say

that an opportunity presented itself,

and after numerous texts and emails back and forth, 

it was officially decided late yesterday

that our beef

will be headed to Boston,

depending on the outcome of the game.

So, do we still cheer for the Broncos or not?!?!

But seriously,

we are thrilled that after almost three years

and much blood, sweat and tears,

{and I mean my husband's blood and sweat and my tears}

it looks as though our prayers are being answered.

To God alone be the glory!

Only He can take us out

of our comfort zones,

and strip nearly everything else away,

and leave us with just himself.

Only Him to rely on,

only Him to cry out to,

and only Him to be the 

hero of the story.

And He is enough.

While our story is not over,

today we stand in awe.

Today we give thanks,

for this is the day the Lord has made and we are rejoicing!!

 Blessings,

{K}