I'm No Ace of Cakes but I Received an Award Anyway

Calvin turned four on Saturday, and per his request, I attempted to make a space shuttle cake. To understand what a big undertaking this was for me, you should realize that the most elaborate cake I have ever made was a cake mix in two round pans, layered, iced, and covered in sprinkles. Usually, we get cake mix in a rectangular pan, poorly iced. This was still a box mix (actually two) and store bought icing, and it certainly isn't flight-ready. We nearly lost the icing on the 40 minute drive to my in-laws on the hottest day in weeks, but we got the cake in the freezer just in time, only a few minor cracks. As an added touch, we stuck the candles in the back to light them, so that the shuttle engines were "firing." Thankfully, four-year-olds are easily pleased, and I wasn't expected to be an ace of cakes.

In line with the space theme, Calvin received a plethora of space presents, including an astronaut suit that convinced me that he needs a career involving a uniform. Calvin has always had this way of revealing what he will look like as a grown man (we called him a little old man when he was a baby), and I have never seen it more clearly than I did in that suit. He is going to be a handsome fella! The helmet for the suit is about five times the size of a toddler's head, and Hobbes amused us all by walking around, helmet down over his shoulders, visor hiding his face, shouting "1-2-3-4-5 Blast Off!" (Hobbes hasn't quite figured out counting down.) Calvin also received a rocket from his Daddy, which they proceeded to shoot off a couple of times in my in-laws' huge field. All-in-all, it was a fantastic sort of day, even if it was as hot as Mercury!

Now we are suffering from some severe post-birthday syndrome, compounded by post-Nana syndrome, and it has been a rough day. I pretty much forced them both to take naps to keep us all sane. Hopefully I will have some interesting posts up soon, but I wanted to get a pic of the cake for those who requested it. I'm not sure why you wanted to see it, but now you have. I'm certainly not a brilliant cake maker.

I don't think I am a brilliant blogger, either, but Kerry of Ten O'Clock Scholar was kind enough to pass this award to me anyway.


I am not too good at this award thing, but I will pass it on to a few people. If you read my blog and see your name here, feel free to pass this on to others. Thanks for giving me such good food for thought!

Tipper at Blind Pig and the Acorn posts wonderful stories and music of my beloved Appalachia. She also gives away a wonderful piece of her folk art every month, so check her out.

My real-life friends Catherine and Farrah always write honest and thoughtful posts about motherhood and faith and many other topics. You won't be sorry you visited their blogs.

Kate at A Telling Place already received this award from Kerry, but that shows you how great her writing is. She is a Blue Ridge mountaineer living in Scotland, and her honest and deep writing has challenged me regularly over the past few months. She also has great taste in books.

My husband says that if you only read one blog it should be Father Stephen's. I am inclined to agree with him. A more humble, thoughtful, and well-written blog I have never found. Be careful, though, or he may convince you to convert to Orthodoxy!

Graces Undeserved and Shared

Just two days left to get in on my awesome book giveaway! Don't forget to tell your friends!

My dear friend, Em, recently wrote a post about God giving "alleluias" on her Lent. (For those of you aren't part of a liturgical, Christian tradition, we don't use the word "alleluia" in our worship during Lent, the most somber part of the church year.) It does seem to me that, as I focus on repentance and discipline during this season, God's graces are being displayed everywhere. Even in a somber season of reflection, His mercies and love are abundant and joyous. Perhaps it is the exceptionally warm weather. Spring is coming early here, with daffodils and crocuses in full bloom, trees with buds preparing to open up, and flowering bushes displaying their brilliant colors. Perhaps it is the rain, so much rain, soaking the earth of our town, which has seen so little rain over the past year. It is not enough to fill the lakes to the top, but it is a start. Those things are a glimpse of the new life coming with Easter.

But there is more. As I think about my sinfulness, as I fast and pray, as I meditate on Christ's sufferings, what I see are His graces. Other than our family fast, my Lenten observances have been sporadic at best. When I do take time to meditate on the cross, however, I am not burdened by my failures, simply filled with gratitude at His unfailing love. I can never do enough or be enough, that is what grace is all about. His gifts are so abundant.

And so I give thanks. Thanks for sweet time cuddling in bed with my boys last night until we all fell asleep. Thanks for a husband who took the boys to their beds and let me stay asleep. Thanks for the smell of warm Lenten pretzels baking on a rainy day and for fun lunch conversations with my boys while we eat our homemade creations. Thanks for sweet Hobbes, falling asleep in my arms even though he isn't really a baby any more. Thanks for Calvin, who is learning to obey and be kind and even occupy himself so mommy has a few minutes of quiet time. Thanks for so many things.

And thanks to my new Anglican, blogging mommy friend, Kerry, who so kindly passed this award along to me, for my posts on saving the Appalachian mountains.


So I pass it along, to five others for whose purposeful words I am so grateful.

To Em, who blogs with the purpose of listening to God rather than forcing her own opinions or ideas on the world. Her posts are truly refreshing.

To Farrah, who shares so well her unique perspective on motherhood, the sufferings that God has walked her through, and her passion for keeping children and mothers close. (Her slings are also fabulous, by the way!)

To BlueMountainMama, who fights for our mountains so much more than I. And who also has lovely photos and posts that will make you want to visit Appalachia.

To Missy, who, so far as I can tell, seems to do everything with a quiet and purposeful heart, creating beauty in a simple, everyday life.

To Wonders for Oyarsa, who is seeking to read the Bible as God's great story, and doing a fantastic job bringing us along as he blogs about it.

Check out these lovely blogs, and may you find the graces around every corner in your ordinary, amazing life!