So in effort to keep proper perspective, a quote from one of my favorite authors with a picture from one of my favorite places … 

“I try to avoid looking forward or backward and try to keep looking upward.” ~ Charlotte Bronte

Our daughter, Emily, graduated from Baylor this weekend. And while everything seems to be changing so fast ~ I was reminded some things never change.

All weekend, I kept thinking … I can’t believe this precious child is graduating from college. Life is moving so fast.

The once strong-willed-wild-child is now a young lady.

It seems like only yesterday, Emily and Sara (who graduates from high school in twelve days!), were rough housing and jumping on the bed.

But look at them now … talking cell phones and nail color.

My girls. All grown up. They’ll be best friends forever.

And no matter how the years may pull them apart. They’ll always have each other.

What’s that quote about sisters? Ah, yes. Carol Saline wrote, “Sisters function as safety nets in a chaotic world simply by being there for each other.”

They’ll always have each other. For late night talks and phone calls. For support and perspective. For encouragement and companionship. Because sisters share everything.

It was so unimaginably sweet, I almost couldn’t stand it.

My precious, precious girls.

And then apparently, Sara couldn’t stand it.

And she jumped on Emily and smashed her.

Because what’s that quote about sisters? Ah, yes. “Sisters never quite forgive each other for what happened when they were five.” ~ Pam Brown

happy monday, y’all. ;)

Gratefully, my mom is still around setting a great example for me, my sister and brother, and a boatload of grandkids. This list is just a drop in the sea of Mimi goodness but here goes.

Ten things I learned from my mother:

1. To love Jesus

2. To go to church weekly /and support your church.

3. To care compassionately for animals.

4. To care even more compassionately for people.

5. To treat every person in your family with the same goodness and kindness.

6. To remember birthdays, celebrate holidays and look for ways to bring the family together.

7. To never, ever hold a grudge.

8. To expect the best in people but always realize nobody is perfect.

9. To exercise patience. Always.

10. To know a warm plate of homemade chocolate chip cookies makes a lot of sense in every situation.

Honorable mentions:

1. To gracious accept the title: Saint Margaret.

2. Understand even dogs want company while eating.

3. Accumulate the largest, most coveted assortment of painted sweatshirts ever.

Happy Mother’s Day Mimi! I love you!!!

What have you learned from your mom?

Mom … something really bad happened.

My heart seized and I held my breath as I listened. Emily explained that she and her roommates were at McDonald’s because they had to flee their house due to an overwhelming smell of skunk. We talked about possible scenarios other than a skunk then I advised she call the landlord but I wondered ~ is the smell really that bad and could a skunk really be traipsing around Baylor University’s campus in the middle of night spraying houses?

Well apparently, yes. It was that bad. The smell was hanging on their clothes, hair, their skin ~ completely sick. And the house was even worse off.  A fabulously helpful pest expert was called in and confirmed that a skunk entered the crawl space under the house ~ had a tangle with an unfortunate cat ~ and sprayed under the house. How weird is that?

It took a ginormous ionizer, air purifier thingy to suck all the stinkage out. Gratefully, all the girls (as well as the neighbors) had an excellent attitude about the whole affair and made a party of it hanging out at friends’ houses while theirs was restored to a new normal.

This morning, as I was making beds, I thought about how well the girls handled the situation. About how they really rolled with the whole bizarre scene. So in honor of the awesome roommates at the Phossil (the name of their house) …

4 Things to Remember When Life Stinks:

• Maintain a sense of humor. The girls, though inconvenienced, thought the whole ordeal was wicked funny. And so did the guys next door that suffered the malodorous consequences.
• Realize there is a solution to the problem. Be it a ginormous ionizer or a therapist ~ there is a solution to getting things back to normal. And things will get back to some kind of normal.
• It won’t last forever. When life stinks, it’s easy to get overly fatalistic and believe that life will always stink. But no … nothing lasts forever. Matter of fact, Emily says the house smells like cilantro now which is a much better option.
• When things do return to normal … and all of life is a low simmer of ho-hum chores, appreciate!! Putting away clean dishes, filling the car with gas, running errands, making dinner, and attending meetings can be a very lovely life indeed. These are the best days of all.

So this is the day ~ stink or shine ~ celebrate!!

My youngest daughter had a birthday recently ~ so that calls for a special breakfast. I found a recipe for Cocoa Buttermilk Pancakes and decided to give it a try. They were delish, so I thought I’d share in this loosely haiku-ed post. Because pancakes are so poetic, of course. ;)

My baby’s birthday

for breakfast she wants pancakes

choc-late banana.

Dusted with sugar

she likes everything sug-ry

that kid, her sweet tooth

Better with butter

banana-less suits me best

but they’re both delish!

Chocolate Banana Pancakes

2 eggs * 2 c buttermilk * 1/4 c butter, melted * 1 1/2 c all-purpose flour * 1/4 c unsweetened cocoa * 2 T sugar* 1 t baking soda * 2 t baking powder * 1/2 t salt

In a bowl, beat eggs. Stir in buttermilk and butter. Add all remaining ingredients ~ then stir til large lumps disappear. Don’t over mix.

Heat skillet ~ medium-high heat until hot. Lightly grease with butter. Pour batter on skillet using ladle. Place thinly sliced bananas on top of batter. Cook until bubbles appear on surface, then flip. Watch the edges that pancakes don’t overcook.

This recipe from Jenny at Be Delicious!

My cluttered kitchen table, the unmade beds, that mound of laundry begging for attention … just blessings requiring attention.

My over-tired teenager, my hard-working husband and even the little black cat that leaves tufts of hair all over the carpet … blessings.

It’s all in how I choose to see my life. And how I choose to feel about that list. My life is not perfect but I clearly have nothing to complain about. I will not let my list wreck my paradise.

If I am overwhelmed, it is by how much God has done for me. :)

So, what’s overwhelming you today?

Kate has a good eye.

And she captures things in a way that makes me smile.

She sees the angles that are interesting.

And different.

Kate captures the joy in life.

I crave her outlook.

And ability.

She sees life colorfully.

And beautifully.

If you weren’t paying attention, you might think that Kate just lands lots of jobs with gorgeous subjects. Stunning brides. Adorable babies.

And it’s true. Her clients are special. But come on, let’s be honest. It’s Kate that captures all this beauty. She is the one with the artistic eye. She is the one that sees it in the first place ~ and then gracious shares it with us.

This morning I realized … I don’t have to wait to have a good eye on life. To see things from a beautiful perspective and share it. I have all I need. Because I am blessed. Overflowing. So I will get in agreement that this is a day worth some serious joy and gladness

… and dance.

all photos by the amazing and the blessed, kate stafford

see more of kate’s gorgeous photography at peacock photography.

So grateful to Ronne for sharing her Dr Pepper cupcake recipe. These little darlings remind me of our family favorite chocolate cinnamon sheet cake but they’re lighter and most certainly less caloric. ;)

Now, I might not be a Texan by birth, but after spending summers here as a kid and living here more than two decades, I feel like one. And I certainly have a Texas-bred addiction. Dr Pepper.

And Dr Pepper cupcakes …

I remember as a little girl driving in the big old Cadillac for hours and hours to get to my grandparent’s farm in the tiny town of Jonesboro, Texas. And I remember what a treat it was to get Dr Pepper in Texas – because it was different than the Dr Pepper we had in Oklahoma. It was made with Imperial Sugar, and it had a rich dreamy flavor that was perfect on a hot summer day (or even good on a cold winter night, heated with a little slice of lemon).Now as a grown-up, I’ve found the best way to serve that Texas-born loveliness. Dr Pepper cupcakes. The frosting is yummy and not too rich, and the cake is a light and flavor-packed chocolate. There are several recipes out there, but this by far is my favorite one! I’ve provided two different ways to top the cupcakes too – a light and spreadable frosting and a richer pourable icing. Try them both!

Dr Pepper Cupcakes

For cupcakes:  1 cup butter * 1 cup Dr Pepper * 2 eggs * 1/2 cup buttermilk * 1 t. baking soda * 1 t. Mexican vanilla * 4 T. cocoa * 2 t. cinnamon * 2 cups flour * 2 cups sugar

Heat butter and Dr Pepper in a saucepan on medium heat until the butter is melted and the two are blended. Add cocoa, cinnamon, flour and sugar to the butter mixture. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, buttermilk, baking soda, and vanilla together until well-blended and add to mixture. Pour into prepared cupcake tins (with liners) and bake for 15-20 minutes or until toothpick inserted into the center of a cupcake comes out clean. Let cupcakes cool before frosting. NOTE: this batter is thinner than regular cake batters.

For spreadable frosting:  1/4 c. butter * 1/2 cup Dr Pepper * 4 T. cocoa * 3-4 cups powdered sugar * 1 t. Mexican vanilla OR 1 t. vanilla and 1/2 t. cinnamon. For more pourable “satin” goodness, add 2 T. heavy cream

Heat butter and Dr Pepper in a saucepan until butter is melted and the two are well-blended. If making spreadable frosting, remove from heat and beat in sugar with an electric mixer. Spread icing on cupcakes using a spatula or the back of a spoon. If making pourable icing, stir in remaining ingredients and keep stirring until well-blended and satiny. Spoon warm icing over cupcakes and allow to set. If desired, garnish with chopped pecans or milk chocolate.

I bet my addiction becomes your addiction too. Enjoy!

written by ronne

Check out this video of a dad who plays the Queen classic while driving his kids to school every morning.

They all know the song. The dad sings along. And the obvious, dad is driving his kiddos to school.

Now, that’s a good man.

happy friday!

So every once in a while, when an important verse like this comes around with an easy to remember address, I am so appreciative. Check out Psalm 91:11 …

more versions here …

Isn’t that perfect? I call it my 911 prayer. The just right thing to say out loud when my kids head out the door or my son is climbing a big, scary fourteener.

And yes, I realize there’s an extra 1 in there but come on … a girl like me will take whatever she can get.

How about you memorize it with me? Address and all. :)