Introducing the Van Cluck Sisters

We have some new fluffy babies around here- 

Chickens!  : ) 

We may have been slightly influenced by a certain royal wedding last week when we named our girls. 

We each picked out a chick of our own and decided they needed very aristocratic names.  Prince Charming had a little help naming his chickie.  "Bird" just didn't seem fancy enough.  : )    


Meet the Van Cluck Sisters:

"Goldie"
Lady Goldia Rosemary Van Cluck

Goldie is a Golden Sex Link chicken and belongs to Youngest Princess

"Angeline"

Lady Angeline Ann Van Cluck

Angeline is an Ameracauna chicken.  She will lay pastel Easter colored eggs.  She belongs to Oldest Princess.  

"Lady Di"

Lady Diana Van Cluck

Diana is a Rhode Island White chicken and belongs to King Charming. 

"Ramona"

Lady Ramona Augusta Caroline Van Cluck

Ramona is a Golden Sex Link chicken and she belongs to Prince Charming.

"Bea"

Lady Beatrice Anastasia Adelaide Van Cluck

Beatrice is also a Golden Sex Link chicken and she's mine!!  : )

We are so excited to have fresh eggs.  They should be laying for us before school starts again in the Fall.  Right now they are still in their brooder, but King Charming is hard at work designing and building "Cluckingham Palace" (a.k.a. The Coop).   

As soon as they establish their pecking order, and we can see who is the boss, we will know which of the ladies will receive the title of "Her Majesty the Queen".  After that we'll decide who will become our princess, duchess, countess, etc.   We're not having fun at all.   : )

I originally titled this post "Meet Our Newest Family Members" but King Charming put the kabosh on that.  He has told us over and over again they are not family members, to not get too attached, and to remember these chickens are food providers, might die, and might end up in soup.  We're prepared for the worst, but still having so much fun.  I can't believe how fast they are growing and changing.  On Saturday they were puffballs.  Now they are already getting their feathers.  

I like being a chicken farmer!  : )   

Want to vote on which one you think will end up Queen? 

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Seeing Green

The Corned Beef and Cabbage are all set to go for dinner tonight with Chocolate Chip Mint Ice Cream for dessert of course. 
Yum, Yum, Yum!!   

And after the fun we had with our Valentine's Hair-Dos, the girls and I decided we needed shamrocks in their hair today-

Oldest Princess

Littlest Princess

Directions for hairstyles are from this site: http://www.cutegirlshairstyles.com/ 

All Ready for a Green Day at School-

No Pinching! 

Hey!!  Did You Forget Someone, Mom! 

 See I'm wearing my green, too- 

My husband's family on his mom side came from Ireland only two generations ago, and although I can't claim as much, there's some Irish blood in me, too.  We have a lot of fun  celebrating our Irishness and St. Patrick, a man credited with bringing the good news of Christianity to Ireland and who was described as being "humble" and "thankful" for that honor.  

Happy St. Patty's Day Everyone! 

Love, 

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Last Year It Was That Mustache...

Last year he grew that THING-

 I think they call it a mustache?  I've repressed it.  : ) 

And now??  That King Charming of mine just can't seem to leave his good looks alone-

But this time I can forgive him because it was for such a great cause: 

Being the hero that he is, he shaved all his hair off to show his support for kids with cancer and to raise money to help find a cure.  

Before: 

After:

My Hero!

Thank you so much to all of you who put up with our constant begging on Facebook, and to those of you who contributed to the almost $500 he raised.  His team took first place with a total of $6,800 and the event here in our city raised over $50,000.  Awesome!

My new hero is the lady he works with who shaved all of her long, beautiful blond hair off in memory of her mom who recently passed away from cancer.   And one of the men raised another $600 or so when he promised to shave the mustache he had been growing since he was 16 years old.  Of course they took care of that on stage.  : ) 

It was a good lesson for our kids.  Prince Charming didn't recognize this new bald version of his daddy, but the girls are now growing their hair out for Locks of Love so they can be like their daddy. 

Hope you all are having a blessed weekend and surviving the Day Light Savings change. 

Love,

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Mercy!

It was already 4:00, and I just knew I was going to be late picking up my girls from choir practice at school. 

I hastily buckled in Prince Charming, jumped in the driver's seat, and threw the car into reverse. 

And then...

CRUNCH!

Instantly, I knew I had done something really, really stupid.  Something you can't just say, "oops" and then forget about.  

You know, it's always wise to wait for the garage door to finish opening before you try to exit the garage. 

As I inspected the damage, the door was off the track, looked slightly mangled and required a lot of effort just to get it up enough so I could back the car out.  There was nothing more I could do, and had to drive away, leaving the door wide open because it would no longer close. 

Driving to the school, all I could think about was how stupid I had been, of how much money I had probably just cost us, and I cringed, knowing I needed to call my husband and confess before he beat me home and saw the mangled door. 

So of course, I did what any sane, grown-up woman would do-  I called my mama.  : ) 

Unfortunately, she wasn't home, and my Dad answered instead.  And he was NO HELP AT ALL!  He chuckled unsympathetically, and quite cynically, and said,

"Oh man, he is going to be so mad at you!  He isn't going to be happy at all!" 

Thanks, Dad.  Just the encouragement I needed.

Unable to postpone the inevitable any loner, I parked in the school parking lot, and dialed my cell phone.  And you know what? 

Instead of condemning me or expressing the anger I was sure was due to me, King Charming said, "It's OK.  I'll check it out when I get home." 

At home, he whistled while he worked on the garage door, getting it back on track.  Then he walked in the kitchen, gave me a kiss and hug and said, "Well, it works again."  Then he winked and said, "And the big bulge in the door gives it character." 

I couldn't believe the difference between the reaction I anticipated receiving and the mercy and grace he showed me instead.   

I was given MERCY. 

The definition of mercy is NOT getting what you do deserve. 

I was shown GRACE. 

The definition of grace is getting what you DON'T deserve. 

I thought of how this little melodrama that unfolded here Wednesday afternoon was a picture of how Jesus treats me- forgiving me, taking my punishment upon Himself to show me mercy, and loving me with a grace that I do not deserve.  

This whole thing made me thankful, and humble. LOL.  

Don't they say that people want houses with character?  Mine has some now.  : )

Happy Friday All!  

Love,   

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Like Father Like Daughter

Remember how excited I was to see THIS HORRIBLE FURRY THING go away?



Well, first of all, I've been accused of being a 'stache hater, and I want to clarify that there are some lucky few who look VERY DISTINGUISHED and HANDSOME with mustaches. Men such as my debonair father-in-law, Joe. ; ) And if you are reading this and you or a close relative has a mustache, I'm sure it's perfect for you! Just wanted to throw out that disclaimer first so I won't get anymore hate mail. ; )

But King Charming, honey, I'm sorry to say you are not one of them.


I'm afraid if the casting directors for Reno 9-1-1 see these pictures, they may be calling for an audition.


And I'm also afraid King Charming left his on his face just a little too long. Look what happened!

I know they say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, but isn't this taking it a little too far?




Do you think she'll require therapy?

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I'm Thankful for...RAZORS????

I have been a terrible blogger! I have so much to tell you all about! Our family has been up to a lot these past few weeks!

But I want to begin with some thanksgiving.

This Thanksgiving Day, I had so much to be thankful for: a wonderful family, good food, a roof over our head, love, and razors.

???? Yep. I was thankful for a razor.


I bet you all were not aware that November is 'STACHE month, were you!

Yes, indeed, my husband came home earlier this month and informed me that he had been informed at work that he would be required to GROW A MOUSTACHE!!! As a new supervisor he really needed to to play along, to be a team player, yadi yadi yada...

Yuck!!!

I'm not a fan of hairy faces. Not even a little bit. Tom Selleck was the closest to looking OK with a mustache, and I'm sure he would have been cuter without one. To say the least, I was not thrilled about King Charming's announcement or his ever increasing 'stache.

I kept watching it grow, until one day I no longer recognized the man I married:


I just closed my eyes and kissed him anyway. : )


And pretended I didn't know him when we were in public. I'm such a sweet, supportive wife.




I even accused him of developing a lisp:

Thop that you thilly thavage!!!

To which he replied:

Whacha talkin' bout, Willis!

Thanksgiving night he obliged me and ended 'stache month a few days early.

AHHHHH, I am one content, happy woman, enjoying my smooth faced man.

I just realized I haven't taken a picture of the restored King Charming. I've been too busy kissing him. : )

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Works for Me Wednesday: Praying for my Husband

I had my post written already before I realized that this week is a theme week for WFMW. I'm sorry my post isn't about organizing this week. Maybe next week. Better late than never, huh? : )

Awhile ago, I did a WFMW post on how I pray for my kids. This time aroundI thought I'd share what is working for me in praying for my husband this time around.

I learned so much from reading Stormie Omartian's book The Power of Praying Wife. Reading that book gave me such a love for praying for King Charming. I would start there if you are looking for inspiration on how to cover your husband.

The other thing that has been super helpful for me is this formula I got from Renee Swope's blog The Journey of my Heart. This is how Renee prays for her husband. I've been using it to pray for my kids, too. Sometimes I use her words, sometimes I use my own, but I like the idea of praying for them from head to toe.

Head
"Father, continually renew ____________’s mind, resulting in a transformed life. Help him bring every thought into captivity to make it obedient to Christ. Give him a greater understanding of Your Word. Help him to think on things that are pure and right and worthy of praise." (Psalm 119:15, Romans. 12:2, 2 Cor.10:5)

Eyes
"Lord, keep opening ___________’s eyes to deep spiritual truths. Help him to see things as You see them. Please guard his eyes from looking at worthless things. " (Psalm 119:18, Psalm 119:37)

Ears
"Father, let ____________ hear Your voice clearly. Help him to recognize your voice with certainty. Protect him from listening to anyone who is not seeking and walking with You. Help him not to be affected negatively by what others say and to discern between good and evil. Give him the ability to determine what is of You and what is not." (Isaiah. 30:21, 1 Kings 3:9, 1 John 4:1)

Mouth
"Help _____________ to speak the truth in love. Help him to be quick to listen and slow to speak. Give him the courage to lovingly confront when necessary. Let the words he speaks be Yours, not his own. Help him speak words that bring grace and truth to the hearers. I also pray that you will help him to grow in his ability and desire to communicate with you and others." (Psalm 19:14, 119:13, 41:3; Ephesians 4:15, 4:29; James 1:19)

Heart
"Give ________________a heart that seeks passionately after You. Teach him to guard his heart with diligence. Help him deal with anything in his heart that is not pleasing to You. Create in him a pure heart. Enable him to lead our family with integrity." (Psalm 78:72, 119:10-11; Proverbs. 4:23; 1 Thessalonians. 3:13)

Hands
"Lord, I pray that everything ___________does would be done with his whole heart, serving You rather than man. I pray that You will also help him to increase his skills and his abilities. Bless everything he puts his hands to." (Psalm 24:3-4, Colossians 3:23)

Feet
I pray _______________ would love Your Words and walk in Your ways. I pray that He would be able to walk in a manner that is worthy of You, bearing fruit in every good work, and that He would pass Your truths to our children as he walks along life's path. Father, when he walk through the valley of the shadow of doubt and difficulties, I pray that he would fear no evil because He knows that you are with him. (Deuteronomy 6:7, 8:6, Colossians 1:10, Psalm 23:4)

Thank you, Renee, for this easy to remember way to pray for my family!

Works for me!

For other tips from bloggers this week, check out Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.

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Belated Anniversary

On June 19, King Charming and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. Only, it wasn't much of a celebration. We were unable to find a babysitter that night, so we rented a movie and made the most of a "stay at home" date.


When we got to Mom and Dad's "bed and breakfast," they volunteered to keep the kids while we got away for a belated anniversary date. We jumped at the chance! : )


So Thursday, we drove to Leavenworth, WA, a little tourist town at the base of the Cascades they've turned into a Bavarian village. You feel like you are in the alps!


Look at this view out our hotel room window!




King Charming, being the grand deal finder, was able to surprise me with a suite!


We walked in and found bathrobes,


chocolate mints,

even a rubber ducky!

I really felt like royalty.

That night we drove to the ski hill to an outdoor amphitheater and watched a performance of The Sound of Music. So fun! I loved walking up the hill on the path lit with white lights up to the amphitheater. The little kids in the musical were amazing and so talented. It was all magical.

Then the next morning, I woke up and said, "I miss my kids. Time to go home to Mom and Dad's!" I made it less than 24 hours! Ha Ha.

We stopped by Liberty Orchards Aplets and Cotlets candy factory in Cashmere on the way home and watched them making the candy. Aplets and Cotlets are my dad's ABSOLUTE FAVORITE CANDY IN THE WHOLE WORLD, so we brought home a thank you gift for the babysitting.



It was so nice to be away with my husband. 10 years has been a blink. I didn't think I could love you any more on the first day, but every day I love you more, King Charming.

I heard this song the other day, and I'm so thankful I will never have to go back to the day before you. Happy Belated Anniversary Baby!

I had all but given up on finding the one that I could fall into
On the day before you
I was ready to settle for less than love and not much more
There was no such thing as a dream come true
But that was on the day before you

Now you're here and everything's changing
Suddenly life means so much
I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and find out this promise is true
I will never have to go back to the day before you

In your eyes I see forever
And it makes me wish that my life never knew the day before you
Oh, but heaven knows those years without you
Were shaping my heart for the day that I found you

And if you're the reason for all I've been through
then I'm thankful for the day before you

Now you're here and everything's changing
Suddenly life means so much
I can't wait to wake up tomorrow and find out this promise is true
I will never have to go back to the day before you
It was the last day that I ever lived alone

And I'm never going back
No, I'm never going back

To the day before you.

Love,

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I'm So Thankful "I Did"

Ten years ago today, I said, "I Do" to the man of my dreams.

A decade later, I am so grateful "I Did."

I remember being so nervous to walk down the aisle. But as I stepped up to the door and looked down to the front of the church, the only thing I saw was him. All fear and nerves left me instantly. I thought, "I can't wait to get down that aisle to him."

He is still the man of my dreams.

Thank you for continuing to sweep me off my feet, King Charming.

I love you more than you can know.

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Dance Me Daddy

Don't miss my giveaway here. You have until Wednesday to enter.


Here are my girls listening to the CD that came with their new book, waiting for their daddy to wake up so they could dance with him.

That CD is getting a lot of play time around here.

They didn't give daddy more than 5 minutes of being out of bed before they pounced, insisting on a dance.

It's not easy dancing two girls at once! : )

Remember to enter the giveaway on my last blog post.

Each person has the chance to enter 4 times, increasing your odds of winning.

Here's to daddies, daughters, and living room dances!

Love,

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Ah...I'm so in love...

This morning I woke up feeling so yucky...I have a cold and wanted so much to crawl back into bed.

As I rubbed the sleep out of my eyes, I opened up my laptop and found the greatest surprise. While I was sleeping last night, King Charming got a hold of my laptop and made a few adjustments. Instead of the picture of my kids that is usually there, my desktop background now has a rose and the words "I love you." As my sleepy brain figured out the change, Windows Media Player popped up and started playing "our song".

I was shocked!
And moved to tears.

Flowers...a love song...and the day had barely begun.
I'm so thankful to be loved like this. And so thankful he doesn't mind waking up to me in sweats and the most recent round of spit up all over my shirt. Thank you Lord for making me wait for this man.

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Romance

Wow, King Charming earned some major brownie points this week. Because of work, we won't be able to spend Valentine's Day together, so we went out Thursday night to celebrate instead.

The evening began by him asking me to tell him my favorite color. I laughed and said, "You know it is 'sunset' why? Then he handed me a dozen roses the color of the sunset. He said he saw them and knew they were for me.

I keep looking at them sitting on the table. They are that beautiful, sunset orange, pink, red that I can never describe but that makes me smile so much. I've never had flowers make me so happy. : )

Then we put the kids all to bed, and Grandma stayed with them while we went out for a real, grown-up date. He took me to a quaint little wine bar downtown, and he doesn't even like wine. We sat at a candle-lit table and talked for a few hours while I enjoyed the wine, and he enjoyed watching me have a good time. The owner was a sweet, English woman, who didn't make me feel dumb for being really clueless about wine. I discovered I'm a fan of Riesling and Port with chocolate dessert. Yummy! : )

It was just an unexpected, memory making night. I love my husband so much. I love the life we have together. I don't ever want to take that for granted.

Last week we rented Fireproof from Netflix and it is a movie that has stuck with us both. Part of our conversation Thursday night was about Fireproof and some of the things we've thought about after watching the movie. Kirk Cameron (who you already know I have a soft-spot for) is the main character in this movie. It is movie that a church in the south (the same one that made Facing the Giants) made for about $500,000, but it ended up making over 33 million in the movie theaters. I believe the success comes from the amazing message about how special marriage really is. All of the actors were unpaid volunteers and it definitely is a low budget movie, so it took us both about 20 minutes to get over being critical of its low budget quality, but after that we were sucked into the story and so moved by it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

There is a part in the movie where Kirk Cameron's character is encouraged to study his wife again, like he did before they were married. I think that is the line that has stuck with me the most. I want to start studying King Charming again, to know him even more, and to learn how to love him even better and deeper. (If that is possible)

Marriage is such a beautiful reminder of the Greatest Romance of all- the love Jesus showed when he was nailed on that cross for you and me. I hope you all have a sweet, sweet Valentine's Day loving and being loved. Don't forget Jesus, the Lover of your soul, today, and if you have never given your life to Him or accepted His amazing Love Gift, don't let any more time go by before you do. If you have any questions about Him, I don't have all the answers, but I would love to try to answer those for you in a non-judgmental way. My email address is everydaybecky at gmail dot com.

Happy Valentine's Day!

By the way...did I mention I got flowers???? : ) : ) : )

Love,

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