The Parking Situation

Several months ago, our pastor mentioned a woman he knew who was hyper aware of God's presence in her life.  For example, he said, when this woman went to the store and found a parking spot right by the door, she would say, "thank you Jesus, for this parking spot!"

The congregation laughed deprecatingly, perhaps thinking that was a little frivolous, or even ridiculous, to think that God would care about parking. 

Obviously, those folks don't have parking anxiety.

I, on the other hand, was nodding my head, thinking, "I do that, too."  Maybe not out loud, but I am seriously thanking God for providing a parking space for me.

As I have shared in the past, my parking anxiety has definitely affected my life.  I simply don't go places if I don't know what the parking situation will be.  It's not so much parking that is the problem--it's the worry that I won't be able to leave my parking place when the time comes.  'Cause as I've also shared, I'm not the best backer-upper.

But do you know what?  God doesn't want us to live in fear, and that's what anxiety is, plain and simple.  God doesn't want us to limit ourselves based on fear or anxiety or anything other than God's love. 

For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice,

but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline.

2 Timothy 1:7

 

My friends, I was a slave to parking anxiety, letting it tell me what to do, and what not to do.

 

And that's when I realized that God does care about parking.  Because God doesn't want me to be anxious about an . y . thing.  Nothing.  Not what I will eat, not what I will wear, not what tomorrow will bring, and certainly not where I will park.

 

“Therefore I tell you,

do not worry about your life,

what you will eat or what you will drink,

or about your body, what you will wear.

Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?"

Matthew 6:25

 

So I decided to claim God's promise--to live it out every day as it relates to my parking anxiety.

 

My friends, I stared to pray.  Each day, when I set out for a destination with an iffy parking situation, like say, my kids' school on the last day, or Dairy Queen right after lunch on a sunny 80 degree day, I ask God to prepare a parking space for me.

 

Do not worry about anything,

but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving

let your requests be made known to God. 

Philippians 4:6

 

And God has provided.  Every. Single. Time.

 

Now, sometimes, I will look at the spot, the spot that God has prepared for me, and think that God's got to be kidding.  Sure, I can get into it, but no way I'm getting back out.  But I stretch and I trust, and I do.

 

Frivolous?  Ridiculous?  I don't think so.  Because I've learned to trust God for that parking spot.  And if I can trust God to provide something as unimportant (in the grand scheme of things) as a parking spot, I know, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that God's going to take care of me on the big stuff.

 

My friends, what are you anxious about? What area in your life, big or small, do you need to trust to the Provider?  I challenge you to give it up to God today.  Right now, and as often as you need to.

 

And the peace of God,

which surpasses all understanding,

will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:7



A visit from the tooth monster

The tooth fairy visited our house last night (about time--MC's been waiting for weeks...major tooth fairy fail for the 10 year old.  My fabulous friend J thinks the tooth fairy has a drinking problem, 'cause that happens at her house, too) and look what he left for a certain little boy who just lost (and I mean really lost) his first tooth!

 

It's a tooth monster!  It didn't come with instructions, but I'm pretty sure Bubby's supposed to put his lost tooth in there, and the tooth fairy will leave a surprise.

I think he likes it :)

He lost it

My baby lost his first tooth!

 

(yes, it seems awfully early to me, too)

And by "lost it," I mean, he really lost it.  In his sleep, and nowhere to be found.  Probably snaking its way through an intestine right about now.

This is probably a good thing, I mean that he really lost it, because I thought I had another week or so to make the surprise, but since we don't have an actual tooth, the surprise is not quite as critical (shew! Disaster averted).  Even so, you can bet I'll be working on it today (pictures tomorrow, hopefully).

Birthday Treats

Well, it's my birthday today. Yay me.

Here's my birthday treat, ready to go into the freezer.  It's called S'mores Ice Cream Cake.  Click here for the recipe.  All I can say about this recipe is, if you have a stand mixer, use it.  If ever there was a worthwhile time to haul that heavy old thing out of wherever you have it stowed, this is it.  The chocolate layer took for-ev-er.  I think it'll be worth it, though, if the little tastes I snuck here and there are any indication :)

Here's my other birthday treat.  You know, the one I didn't have to make myself, because my fabulous friend J took pity on me.  And good thing, too.  That chocolate layer took so long to whip, we won't be able to eat the S'mores cake today because it won't have been in the freezer long enough.

This is a

Double Chocolate Godiva Liqueur Cupcake

with Baileys Flavored Whip Frosting

And yes, it tastes as good as it sounds, which is to say, heavenly.  Thank you, J!

The Course...for Life

Last spring, inspired by my friend MomoftheWildThings, who has two heathens, aged 10 and 12, I started putting together an outline for a very special class with the working title:

15 (or however many I come up with) No-Brainer Tasks

That You Need To Know How To Do

Because Your Mama Is Not Going To Be Around Forever

To Do Them For You

 

Because there are things that our children will need to know how to do as adults, and we've discovered that their education seems to be lacking in some of these key areas.

And now, for your perusal,

The Course for Life

(special thank you to my facebook friends

Cathy, MomoftheWildThings, The Helpful Boy Scout, and KD

for helping with class session development)

  

The bathroom section:

• No one wants to be caught with their pants down: changing the TP roll (MotWT) and its cousin the paper towel roll
•  *What* is that smell?: How to flush the toilet (yes, every time)
• I love you, but you stink: why personal hygiene matters

The laundry section:

• Dirty clothes go IN the hamper, and yes, socks are clothes too (KD)
• No, I will not buy you new underwear: How to use the washing machine (Cathy)

The general cleaning section:

• Dust Bunnies do not make good pets: How to use and put away the vacuum (MotWT)
• That is not a massive pile of blankets raised off of the floor: How to make your bed (MotWT)
• Please take a moment to locate the trash can closest to you. Keep in mind that the closest trash receptacle may be located behind you... : How to identify, pick up, and dispose of trash

The kitchen section:

• Do not wave that thing at me: how to (properly) use a knife (and other sharp things) (tHBS)
• How not to starve: basic cooking skills
• You are not starving: food does not materialize out of thin air (consisting of:  No, we are not out of peanut butter: where to find the pantry;  So you used the last of peanut butter: how to write it on the list; Yes, we are out of peanut butter: where to find the grocery store)
• Manners matter: how not to fart at the dining table
• The dishwasher won't bite: how to load your dirty dishes

The general life skills section:

• No, we do not live in The Ark, nor do we wish to invite 2 of every known insect to live with us: How to close the door (MotWT)
• The importance of staying warm: No, it won't kill you to wear a coat...but it might kill you not to.
• Money does not grow on trees: how to balance your checkbook (and refrain from spending every cent you obtain immediately so there's actually something to balance) (this might have to be a whole separate class...)

And there you have it.  The Course for Life.  Each hour-long session will consist of a pre-test, lecture, and hands-on practice in our fully equipped lab environment, ending with a proficiency exam--children will not progress until they have mastered the topic of each class session.  By the end of the 16 week course, your children will be proficient in all of these tasks.  The final exam, which will consist of a real home environment in disarray, presenting random challenges from among the topics taught, will be given, by appointment, in December.  I will be working on lesson plans over the summer and hope to offer the first session beginning in September.

A sappy wrap-up

Oh my goodness, I'm having a hard time writing this post!  Much harder than it should be.  I don't know how many times I've sat down to work on it, and multiply that number by about 237 to find the number of times I've thought about it in the past month and a half.  Sheesh.

Well, my friends, enough is enough.  Without further ado,

A Sappy Wrap-Up

With the appearance of buds on our boxelder trees at the end of April, the syruping season has finally come to an end.  In total, we collected more than 70 gallons of sap, which we reduced to about 1.5 gallons of syrup.

It was fun.  It was educational.  It was yummy.

The END

To read all of the sappy posts in this series, click here.

Freezer Cooking: Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

Morning, y'all.  I came across this recipe and thought I should share it with you (yes you, Chip).  So easy to put together, and makes enough for 4 meals--perfect to throw in the freezer for those busy days when you're not sure how you're going to get supper on the table.

Source: moneysavingmom.com via Scarlet on Pinterest

 

Chicken Broccoli Rice Casserole

• 10 c. cooked rice (I used brown, but a wild rice mixture would be yummy)
• 4 c. cooked chicken, chopped (to easily cook boneless skinless chicken breasts, just pop 'em in the oven at 350-375 until they're done)
• 4 c. chopped broccoli, lightly steamed (I actually just used fresh broccoli crowns and put it in without cooking
• 2 cans cream of mushroom soup*
• 2 cans cream of chicken soup*
• 4 c. shredded cheddar cheese
• salt & pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients in a large bowl

To freeze: Divide into four ziptop freezer bags, remove as much air as possible, and seal tightly. Freeze flat.  (Once frozen, these can be stored on their sides in the freezer like file folders)

To serve: Thaw overnight (or for 8 hours) in the refrigerator. Dump into a greased casserole dish (each bag will fill an 8×8-inch pan; two bags will fill a 9×13-inch pan). Sprinkle with additional shredded cheese, if desired.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes, or until heated through and bubbly.

Each freezer bag serves 4-5 people

* If you don't like using goopy cans of cream of whatever, check out this recipe for cream of anything soup.  You can make large batches and freeze in can-sized quantities to get the convenience of a can without any questionable ingredients.

I love recipes that are so easy to put together and make my life easier down the road as well.  This large batch took no more time (and produced no more dirty dishes) than it would have to make a single batch, and now I have supper for us and some friends for tonight, plus two more meals in the freezer.

And now...a teaser. 

Did you know my birthday's coming up?  Yup.  And as I've said before, the advantage of making your own birthday cake treat is that you end up with exactly what you want.  I don't like cake, but since cake is practically synonymous with birthdays, that's what I'd probably end up with if someone else was in charge.

Anyway...this is what I'm making.

S'mores Ice Cream Cake

 

Here's the recipe, just in case you want to make one in my honor.

 

And yes, I have noticed a disturbing S'more-ish trend in my desserts recently (see here, here, here, here, and here).  Disturbing because I don't like marshmallows, either.  Not sure what's up with that, folks, but you're welcome to enjoy it while it lasts :) 

Wishing on Willows: A Review

I recently read Wishing on Willows by Katie Ganshert, sent to me by WaterBrook/Multnomah for review.

Wishing on Willows is the story of Robin Price, a young widow with a 3 year old son.  Before her husband died, they shared a dream to open a cafe in small town Peaks, Iowa, and after his death, she has achieved that dream.  Robin loves that cafe, and all it represents--the lasting legacy of the love of her life, but it's struggling.  Robin runs the cafe more like a ministry than a business and rarely turns a profit.

 Developer Ian McKay shows up in town one day with a plan to tear down her beloved cafe and an important town ministry to build condos.  Ian has strong reasons for wanting the deal to go through, while Robin has equally strong reasons for not wanting to let the cafe go.  While Robin has obvious hurt and complications in her life, Ian is harboring hurt in his past as well, and is on a mission to push this project through.  He is a man with something to prove.

This book is excellent.  It's so artfully written and real, compelling, and almost impossible to put down.  Katie Ganshert's characters are so real, I felt like I knew them, like I could just pop in to the Willow Tree Cafe for a cup of chocolate, and I found myself grieving with Robin and wondering how she could stand in the face of all that had happened.

Katie Ganshert manages to portray beautifully the pain we bring on ourselves when we try to struggle on when our Heavenly Father wants to take the load from our shoulders.  She shows how our lives can turn out to be immeasurably more than we imagine, if we just allow God to direct them instead of trying to do things our own way.
I knew fairly early on how this book would end, but I couldn't picture how it would come to pass, so I had to keep reading to find out--there was just the right amount of literary suspense. Just like in our own lives as Christ followers, we know how it all ends, but we still need to show up and live our lives to find out how we get there, and all the wonderful twists and turns in between. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the WaterBrook/Multnomah Blogging for Books program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

For more information, please visit:

Author's Website

Author Podcast

More Info

Read Chapter One

Author Bio

Did you like this review?  Please take a moment to rank it below.  As a thank you, you will be entered into a drawing to win a copy of this book.

Prayer Warrior Mom: A Review

I recently read Prayer Warrior Mom: Covering your kids with God's blessings and protection by Marla Alupoaicei, which BookSneeze provided to me free of charge.

 

 

The book contains 15 chapters, each highlighting a different way moms can pray for their children.  Each chapter includes a several page explanation of a prayer type, a prayer that can be personalized when prayed by inserting kiddos' names, or specific worries or issues, plus several Bible verses pertaining to the topic of the chapter, meant to be memorized and prayed for our children, and a few small group discussion questions.

 

The back of the book reads:

Today's Christian moms want to be prayer warriors, standing in the gap for their kids.  But many mothers haven't been equipped with the prayer skills, scriptural knowledge, and practical strategies needed to fight the spiritual battle.

In Prayer Warrior Mom, author Marla Alupoaicei invites you to walk with her through fifteen life-transforming principles that will empower you to effectively intercede for your children.  You will learn to pray Scripture, be persistent, pray with power and authority, be your children's #1 advocate, hear God's voice above the noise of daily life, and much more!

I liked this book.  I do pray for my children daily, but I found it helpful to pray for them intentionally, and in new and specific ways each week as I read through the chapters.  Although written specifically for moms, anyone who love a child and wants to pray for them will find this useful.  I think this will be one I will return to again and again.

 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze.com® book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

 

 

Tuesday's Tip: Corralling Reusable Bags

We all have them.  And they seem to multiply while we're not looking.

Reusable shopping bags.

I had amassed quite the collection, because, you know, they give those things away for free.  And it's really difficult for me to pass up free stuff.  Especially useful free stuff. 

So they were kind of out of hand.  OK, seriously out of hand, taking up way too much space in Bubby's closet because there wasn't enough space for them in the mud room, and I didn't know what else to do with them.

Do you have this problem, too?  Well, you're in luck, my friend, 'cause I'm gonna tell you what you can do about it.

First thing you have to do is get rid of some of your bags. 

I know, I know!  They were free!  And they're useful!  But believe me, my friend, unless you are buying $1000s of dollars of groceries at one time, you do not need 37 reusable shopping bags.  I went through my stash and took out the ones with torn seams or handles, and one or two that I just plain didn't like, which brought me down to a manageable 7 or so.

 (This is not my entire bag collection.  It is not even my entire weeded-out bag collection.  These are the two I used on a shopping trip and then decided to take pictures of the folding process so that you can contain your bags in a reasonable amount of space, too.)

 Lay the bag out flat.

 Fold the bag into thirds, with the handles at the top.  Or bottom.  They just need to be sticking out somewhere.

 Start rolling the bag from the side opposite the handles.

 When it's all rolled up, it'll look something like this.

 Take one handle and wrap it around the rolled-up bag one way, and wrap the other handle around the other way.  Then, tie the handles together.  That's it!  So easy.  And so much more manageable!

Store your rolled-up reusable shopping bags in a small tote bag or box near the door or in your car, and you're all set.  When you need a bag or two, just grab 'em from your stash.

I know this information is life-changing.  You're welcome, friends.  Yup, that's me, saving the world, one rolled-up reusable shopping bag at a time...

Another Mission

Remember when I told you about this mission?

Well, the nice folks over at Smiley360 drafted me for another mission--this time to try Emergen-C.  Keep reading to learn how to get your own free samples of Emergen-C.

Just what is Emergen-C, you ask?  It's a powdered drink mix that provides immune support.  Each packet contains key nutrients, including 1000 mg of vitamin C, 7 B vitamins for energy, electrolytes, and more.  With over 20 varieties, you're sure to find one that fits your needs.  Oh, and the best part?  It fizzes.  Yes it does.

Smiley360 sent us 5 flavors to try: Blueberry-Acai, Cranberry-Pomegranate, Super Orange, Pink Lemonade, and Raspberry.  I didn't like any of them.  They were all too sour for my taste, and some of the flavors left a slight bitter aftertaste.

The kids, however, L O V E D it.  AKD's favorite was Pink Lemonade, MC's was Blueberry-Acai, and Bubby liked the Super Orange.  The loved the fizz, they loved the taste, they loved that mom was giving them flavored drinks in the middle of the day for no apparent reason...and you know, I try to feed my kids a balanced diet, but I know that their diet is far from perfect.  I love anything that helps get more nutrition into them, like Emergen-C.

If you'd like to try it yourself, click here for a free sample or to learn more about Emergen-C. 

Thank you to Smiley360.com for providing these samples for me to try, free of charge, for the purposes of this review. All opinions are my own.

Summer-at-a-Glance {link to free printable calendar}

Is school out for you yet?  Seems like most of the world is ending school in the next couple of days.  We still have a week and a half left, but I've been planning for weeks.  You see, I've discovered that, although it is exhausting, the busier we are, the less I yell.  And the less I yell, the happier we all are.

So I like to plan for all of that busy-ness.  One issue I had with summer planning in the past is I didn't have a way to look at the whole summer at a glance.  It is such a pain to have to keep flipping those calendar pages over to see what we have going on and it's impossible to get good feel for the entire summer that way. 

To deal with that problem, I found this customizable printable calendar online--it says it's a 12 week calendar, but you can totally tell it to print fewer or more weeks.  I input our school end date, told it I wanted 13 weeks so the calendar would include our school start date, printed it out, and started filling in swim lessons, camping trips, vacations, appointments, and day camps.

Here's what I've got so far.

I love how the months are delineated by shading, so I can tell right away which month we're in

 

A lot of full days (especially at the beginning of the summer--good gracious).  But a lot of blank days left to be filled as well.  Stay tuned for how we plan to go about filling in those days...

Happy summer planning!

The List

My oldest son is a Boy Scout.  He's working toward his Eagle Award, the highest award in Boy Scouting.  One of the Eagle requirements is to earn the Emergency Preparedness merit badge.  The other day, AKD asked me to help him work through a home safety checklist, which is one of the things he needs to do to earn the Emergency Preparedness badge.

You can read the whole checklist here (pages 11 & 12), but let me just give you a sampling of items from the list:

Stairs/halls are kept free from boxes, toys, brooms, tools, etc.

No.  Just...no.  However much I beg, plead, wheedle, and cajole the children to put their toys away, it just doesn't happen consistently.

Disinfectants & cleaning products are out of reach of children.

Um...and how are they supposed to use them if they're out of reach?  What happened to all those merit badges and pins where the boys were supposed to do chores around the house?

Spilled grease, water, or bits of food are wiped up immediately.

Well, sometimes.  But the truth is, most of the spills in our household are child-initiated.  They don't even report their spills most of the time, let alone clean them up.  See: Stealth Vomit.

Before bedtime, furniture placement is checked for orderliness.

Alright, sometimes, I will make sure that there is a path from the bed to the door through the debris, or from the door to the bathroom.  Does that count?

Wax on floors is thoroughly buffed.

Come on, people.  You really think we have time to wax?

Housework clothing has no drooping sleeves, sashes, or frills.

Shoes worn for housework have low heels.

Um...I'm supposed to have special housework clothing and shoes?  How could I have gotten this far in life not knowing this?

Everything has a place and is in its place.

And therein lies the problem, my friends.  Everything is most certainly not in its place at any given moment.  How could it be?  We live here.  And while I do have that handy-dandy mess-seeing power, there are four of them and only one of me.  My putting-away-ing is not able to keep pace with the pulling-out-losing-interest-and-leaving-it-where-it-lies-ing (which I have to admit, I do a fair amount of, myself).

I can laugh about it now, but as AKD was reading down the list, with each one of the questions that had to be answered to the negative, my self-esteem took a blow.  By the time we were done I was feeling completely inadequate and emotionally drained: like I could do nothing right.  These are basic safety requirements.  That I am not meeting.  Ergo, I am failing my family.  It's a wonder we're not all in the emergency room right now.

This happens every time I try to measure up against some outside standard.  Every time.  I look around and everyone is so much better at just about everything than I am.  And they have nicer stuff, too.

And that's the problem, friends.  I shouldn't be looking around, I should be looking up.  Up to the One who made me, just the way I am, imperfect on purpose.  Up to the One who loves me and redeems me.  Up to the One who deems me righteous.  God's standard is the only standard by which you or I can be judged.  And God has judged me...and you...worthy.

For our sake [God] made him to be sin who knew no sin,

so that in [Christ Jesus] we might become the righteousness of God.

2 Corinthians 5:21

The lilacs outside my bedroom window are blooming.  You know, the ones we didn't even know were there until last spring?  Those ones.  They're blooming.

It's a great reminder to me that just because you don't see something doesn't mean it's not there. 

Sometimes, in the busy-ness and routine and ordinary, I don't see God at work in my life.  The stuff and things of life block my view, and after a while I forget to look beyond the clutter and noise to the God of everything. 

And I forget that God is there. 

But like the lilacs, hidden from view by weeds and junk trees for years, just because I don't see God, don't feel God, don't hear God, does not mean that God is not present.

Be strong and courageous.

Do not be afraid or terrified because of them,

for the Lord your God goes with you;

he will never leave you nor forsake you.

Deuteronomy 31:6

On a Mission

I'm on a mission.

Does anyone else want to add, "from God" on to the end of that sentence?  Ah, the Blues Brothers.  It's been far too long since we've spent time together...

Anyway, this mission is not from God.  The nice folks over at Smiley360.com sent me two full sized bottles of new AVEENO Active Naturals Nourish+Dandruff Control to try--I chose 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner and conditioner, but you can also get shampoo.  Wasn't that nice of them?

And now, my mission, which I already chose to accept, is to tell y'all about it.  Keep reading for my thoughts and a $3 printable coupon below.

So I should tell you, I do not have dandruff.  I do have experience with dandruff shampoos--my husband used them for years, and I tried a couple of different varieties to deal with cradle cap with a couple of my kiddos.  And I do have an itchy scalp.  Ugh!  So annoying.

See, the problem with traditional dandruff shampoos is they tend to dry out your scalp, which, in turn, contributes to the dandruff issue, as well as making your scalp itchy.  The big deal with new AVEENO Active Naturals Nourish+Dandruff Control is that it combines an anti-dandruff ingredient with Active Naturals oat complex to soothe dry itchy scalp and infuse moisture into hair. 

So, you don't have to choose!  Isn't that great?

The scent is pleasant, and not at all overpowering, and it's nice and thick. My scalp was instantly soothed when I applied these products. But the very best part is how soft and manageable my hair looks and feels.

But, does it work, you ask?  Well, like I said, I don't have dandruff, and we don't even have anyone suffering from cradle cap right now, so I can't speak to that, but I will tell you that my itchies have been greatly reduced, and my hair is so soft and under control, even.  And believe me when I tell you, good hair days are few and far between around here due to my thick, long (because who has time to get a haircut), and very curly hair.  Since I've been using these products, I've had more good hair days than bad...so I'm sold.

I found AVEENO Active Naturals Nourish+Dandruff Control at Target, for around $5 for a 10.5 oz bottle, but you can get it at Walmart or drugstores as well.  And, if you'd like to save a little money while battling your dandruff and/or itchy dry scalp, click here for a $3 off coupon.

Thank you to Smiley360.com for providing these full-sized bottles of product for me to try, free of charge, for the purposes of this review.  All opinions are my own. 

Busy-ness

It snuck up on me: this perfect storm of busy-ness and chaos that is twirling and swirling around me, tearing at the edges of my sanity.

My mantra when it comes to laundry? "At least it's clean."
I call it Mount. Bluefield, and I'm diligently waiting for it to put itself away.

Somehow, I don't think this is what Jesus meant when he said if we just have faith we can tell mountains to move and they will. 
Then again, maybe it is.

Nah, it's not that bad.  It's just...that time of year.  The end of the school year "stuff" is ramping up, spring sports have started, and I still have all of my other household and family responsibilities.  It all leaves me exhausted, wondering, at the end of the day, what just happened.


You see, it's a delicate balance we've developed over here, and if we add one thing, maybe even two, we're OK.  But when you start adding eleventy-million field trips (why did they have to wait until now?), plus 6 sports practices/games a week (and that's only 2 children--what was I thinking, having 3?), a travelling husband, and all of the "fun" end of year school stuff, like kite day and the talent show and lumberjack breakfast and picnics and who knows what else they're going to throw at us...it's all we can do to keep moving forward.

And sometimes?  In this storm we call life, with the wind whipping and the rain pouring?  Progress is measured not by forward movement, but simply by not falling down.

Are you with me, friends?  One day at a time, one foot in front of the other.  Leaning into the storm.  Standing.


And...not completely unrelated...here's how my s'more cupcakes turned out.  Sounds like everybody loved 'em.