Grandchildren

I recently updated the pictures of my grandchildren in frames for my living room. While I had them all in one place, I wanted to snap a picture of them. Aren't they cute? Is that seven frames? you ask. Yes. Two blank ones. One for Shonna and Blake's baby girl due in July and one for the recently announced Baby Prince #2 ,(Michelle and Brian's) due in October! Shonna and Blake's girl will even the score: 3 girls and 3 boys. The Hinton family is growing!

What's For Dinner?

Last night, Brielle called Grandpa Ken to read him her list of birds and wildlife that she's seen this year. (Was this maybe a Sunday project for her??) She read the names of each bird. When she got to "pheasant" Grandpa asked her if she saw the pheasant in their back yard. She said yes. He then asked, "What's the pheasant's name?" Brielle's answer: "Dinner!"

(I strongly suspect she was being coached by her Daddy. This sounds a whole lot like Jared humor!)

My Favorite Things- Lip Gloss!

Hello. My Name is Kay and I'm a Lip Glossaholic. I LOVE lip gloss. I can trace my addiction back to the Christmas my mom, errrr Santa Claus, gave me one of these in my stocking:

I think it was actually strawberry flavored- that first one. I was probably in my early or maybe even pre- teens. I loved it. I kept it on my nightstand and used it every night. Check my nightstand any time between then and now, and you'll see a pot or tube - or two or three - of lip gloss. I put it on every night right before I go to sleep. I never leave the house without putting some on (even if I'm just going to the gym.) I have it in my purse, in my car, in my make up bag, in drawers, everywhere I think I might go. I have a whole bowl of it on my dresser. I love lip gloss. These are just a few of my favorites: I love all of the brands pictured, but I really think Bonnie Belle still makes one of the best(though Gap is a close second.) I love flavored and unflavored, scented and unscented, tinted and plain, pots and tubes and squirts. I love it all. You know how there's often a display of lip gloss at the checkout counter of stores? That's because of me. Marketers know I'm coming, and they know I can't resist. I'm sure my daughters wonder why they got and get lip gloss in every Easter basket and stocking and birthday gift. Trace it back to that Christmas stocking of long ago. To me, lip gloss means love. It means happiness. It means severe addiction. But it's an addiction I'm not even trying to break! Lip Gloss- one of my favorite things!

Surprised By Joy

Surprised By Joy by C.S. Lewis My rating: 4 of 5 stars I just finished reading Lewis' "Surprised By Joy." It is an autobiography of his early years with emphasis on his spiritual evolution. The first thirteen chapters (there are a total of fifteen chapters) tell of his childhood, and the occasional "stabs of joy" he experienced. He doesn't know what they are or what to call them. I recognize them as spiritual experiences; whisperings of the Holy Ghost. His description of these experiences reminds me of one of my daughters' friends describing her first experience with a "stab of joy" or with feeling the spirit. She felt so strange after talking to someone about religious matters that she stayed up all night even taking Pepto Bismol, thinking she must be coming down with something. Lewis' early life was deeply disturbing to me. He lost his mother, his father was, well, strange, and sent he and his brother to boarding schools. He was severely abused at both schools: physically, emotionally, psychologically, and sexually. It is a sad story. But Lewis triumphed, becoming one of the world's greatest philosophers and writers. He claimed he was an atheist through those early years. I see him as more just unlearned spiritually. He was extremely intelligent and his desire for and pursuit of knowledge was amazing and inspiring to me. But to me the best part of the book was the last two chapters, where Lewis described as well as he possibly could his spiritual feelings and his conversion to Christianity. It is difficult to find words to describe spiritual experiences, but I thought he did a marvelous job. I was scribbling notes and thoughts in every margin as I read those last two chapters. In one margin I wrote, "Wow! This is blowing my mind." And it was. I loved going on that spiritual journey with one of the greatest minds that has ever lived. It seems to me that God took him by the hand and guided him to his destiny. I frankly admit that I didn't understand a lot of what I read in this book. Lewis is far too intelligent for me. I always feel like that when I read from his books. But I love how it stretches me and touches parts of my brain that don't often get touched. But, I also admit that I long to talk to him and share with him answers to deep questions spiritually that I feel I could answer. He desperately needed the fullness of the gospel. I wish I could share that with him. But my faith assures me that he has heard and accepted it and is feeling profound joy even as we speak. How very, very joyful! View all my reviews

Proud Grandma

The other morning, Kristen called me on G-Chat with a surprise. Brielle read me the entire Dr. Seuss "Green Eggs and Ham." Every word. She's only in pre-school, but she read every single word. She did it with great expression, too. I knew she was sounding out words, but I had no idea she could read an entire book! She ran to get help from her mom on "they", I think it was, but other than that she read it entirely by herself. It was such a proud Grandma moment that I had to snap a picture and share it with you (even though that is me with uncombed hair in my nightgown!)

My Favorite Things- Hummingbirds

You won't be surprised to hear that one of Ken's favorite things is birds- hummingbirds. It used to be that we had hummingbirds here only in the spring and summer, then they left for the winter. But I guess because of people like Ken who keep food out for them, one variety or species of hummingbird stayed all winter. They are called Costa's hummingbirds, and as you can see, they are beautiful. Not only did they stay all winter, but a beautiful little lady decided to build her nest right outside Ken's window at work. Then she sat on her nest of two eggs, leaving only to eat at Ken's feeder and to chase other birds away from his feeder. There are now two tiny baby hummingbirds in that nest that she is feeding. It's made for a great diversion from taxes at work. Hummingbirds- one of Ken's favorite things!