Liam at Church

Playing with toy keys on daddy's lap at the village church in Berrien Springs this morning. A little blurry, but still cute.

DIY Pancake Syrup

Tasty. Easy. Cheap.

1C white sugar
1 1/2 C brown sugar
2tsp maple flavoring (in the spice isle, with the vanilla)
1C water
1tsp butter

Bring to a full boil and keep it there, stirring often, for 10-15 minutes or until it's the desired thickness. Done! This is enough for 4-6 people for breakfast--about 16 pancakes depending on how much you use. Also very tasty on french toast and waffles.

 Put the rest in the fridge and warm it back up in the microwave for next time. Double or triple the recipe and keep it in an old syrup bottle or other squeeze bottle in the fridge!

A couple pictures

Cloudy with a side of rain

It's cold here and raining. But I refuse to let this ruin my day. Even though we still have no heat. (Thanks Michigan Gas!) The truth is that winter lasts until May here, or so I'm told. So if I let bad weather ruin my day the next few months are going to be, well, ruined.

Today Liam is wearing long underwear, jeans, a onsie, knee socks, and a sweatshirt. Yes he is inside. It's that cold. I felt terrible because I had to give him a bath today. Really. I had to. He was stinky. But he cried as soon as I took him out and was all shivering! So now he is bundled.

I wanted to take a video and send it to the gas company to make them feel bad for taking so long to come out and turn on our gas. But then I remembered what the people I have talked with are like and realized that they do not have feelings. At least not for customers--though techicially I am not a customer I suppose because they have not actually sold me any of their product yet. I'm a little frustrated.

Still, not ruining my day. FUN NO MATTER WHAT!

I really wanted to eat chocolate and watch Chocolate last night. But they don't have it for rent on itunes and there are no video stores in Berrien. So we watched an episode of Heros instead. And then I had super weird dreams. Note to self: Lindt and Heros = weird dreams.

I realize that this is a totally random post. Sorry about that. It's a random day. And although I am at work right now, there isn't actually any work to do. But I have to stay because I need the money and also someone might call me and then there will be work to do.

I will post some cute pictures of Liam later today. Keep an eye out.

To write with a broken pencil is pointless, and other puns.

OK, now I know not all of you are as excited by puns as we are, but here are a few that I think are hilarious! Ryan, this post's for you. :)

1. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
2. I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.
3. A bicycle can't stand on its own because it is two-tired.
4. Atheism is a non-profit organization.
5. When William joined the army, he disliked the phrase, "Fire at Will."
6. No matter how much you push the envelope, it's still stationery.
7. Opening a new funeral parlor can be quite an undertaking.
8. The magician got so mad he pulled his hare out.

Hope these put a smile on your face!

The doer of the undoable

A couple weeks ago, my Spiritual Formation class took a day-long spiritual retreat. As part of that retreat, I wrote a short Psalm in the Hebrew style based on Psalm 103:1-5. I don't consider myself to be a poet or even artistic, but I thought I would share this anyway. It parallels my own experience with God, and, no doubt, the experience of many others.

First, Psalm 103, then my Psalm.

Ps. 103:1-5
   Praise the LORD, my soul;
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the LORD, my soul,
and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins
and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,
who satisfies your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.


Praise the Lord, my soul;
Everything that I am, praise his name forever.
Praise the God of heaven,
for his glory is never extinguished.
He is the God of forgiven debts and cleansed hearts.
He is the Lord of healed wounds.
He is the God of those he creates;
the Father of those he recreates.
He is the Lord of those he calls,
the enabler of those he sends.
He is the God who does the undoable;
who restores the unrestorable,
and buys back the worthless.
His passion has redeemed me
and his tenderness has won my heart.
He is the God of unlimited mercies
and his glory reigns forever
Praise the Lord.
Praise his holy name.

making cookies with Liam