August 25

Back to the dated titles. . . they're just so much easier than using the brain cells to think of something witty! Here's some random Monday Ramblings.

Went school supply shopping for Ian tonight. . . you know, for the wierd things some middle school teachers want. I'm thinking that when the kids get schedules a week before school starts, they should have teacher supply lists up on the website so that every parent of a middle schooler isn't cruisin' Staples/Office Depot/etc for wide ruled notebooks on the first day of school! I saw no less that 10 families that I knew in that store while looking for supplies tonight. Happens every year.

Alaina's been after me to find her a giraffe print lampshade. She has a "little" obsession with giraffes and after getting her giraffe print bedding for her birthday last year, she's so over the lavender lampshade in her room. It so "doesn't match!" I had no clue there was such a thing as a self-adhesive lampshade until I went shopping with my sister today and mentioned the need for said giraffe shade. So going to have to get one and do her up a cute little shade as a surprise.

Have you guys ever visited to Vanilla Joy? I'd never heard of it, but saw a link to go there on Lisa Bearnson's blog. Has some cute ideas of things to do with kids, some interesting looking recipes. . . and most of all, some terrific scrapbook giveaways this week. You should check it out!

If you do not know the story of Steven Curtis Chapman's family's loss this past May, you should check out the article in the current People magazine. I'd stopped buying it several years ago, but did buy this issue (the one with Elizabeth Edwards on the cover) so that I could read the Chapman's story. The Chapmans (and the 3 older kids) were also on Larry King Live and GMA while Andy and I were in France. Especially interesting to me was Larry King's day after recap statement. Steven wrote a 4th verse to his song "Yours" after Maria's death and you can now find it on iTunes. The Chapman family has really been able to show the world how through faith, you can make it through the hardest times.