The Hinkle Hut

New Fall Wreath

2011-11-07T13:10:00.001-08:00

Thirty-One Fall products

2011-07-18T13:33:00.001-07:00

Click here to view these pictures larger

July Customer Specials for Thirty-One Gifts

2011-07-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

I had a great first open house and more people came than I expected. I was very thankful and felt blessed by the great ladies who came to my home in support of my new business.

Thirty-One has a great customer special this month. For every $10 you spend on regularly priced items from our entire Thirty-One Collection, you can get one of these select fall items 31% percent off. Choose from the zip-up pencil pouch, keep-it cool backpack, upperclassman backpack, thermal tote or the lunch to go thermal.

Please contact me at ahinkle0112@yahoo.com if you are interested.

Thirty-One Gifts

2011-06-27T12:08:00.000-07:00

Last week I became a consultant for Thirty-One gifts. It's a business that sells super cute bags, totes, purses, wallets and things to help with organizing and stuff for babies. It's a really great company and I think it's going to be super fun. I have my first party tonight! If you'd like to see my website you can go to www.mythirtyone.com/ahinkle and place an order, if you'd like to host a party please contact me at ahinkle0112@yahoo.com .

it's a . . . .

2010-08-17T08:03:00.000-07:00

PUPPY!

So we decided over the weekend to get the kids a puppy. Her name is Lucy Jane and she's a labradoodle and she is about the sweetest little thing. The kids are super excited about having her. Caley wanted to know if we were "trickin" her when we got there to pick her up.

search and rescue

2010-08-02T09:11:00.000-07:00

This summer our Pastor has been doing a sermon series on 1 Peter called Search and Rescue, it has been a great series and has made me do some thinking in my life about some things I need to work on and some things I need to change. You can listen to the messages here at www.fbctopeka.org .

Each week there was something that stuck out to me. The first week was about the Great Commission and the 3 realities of it. First is that I've been selected for an opportunity, second, I'm a stranger with an identity and third, I have been scattered with a strategy and I need to live eternally.

The second week we talked about those who put their lives on the line for the Gospel and what they experience:

they develop a proven and real faith
they deepen their love
they discover the joy of their salvation
they discern their role in the greatest story

The next thing that really hit me was that we are always in such a hurry. We hurry so we can do the next thing, we hurry so we can get to the next place, we tell our kids to hurry, we hurry when we drive so we can get where we are going quicker. We miss so much because we are always in a hurry. I realized that hurry is the enemy of faith. If we/I would slow down a bit and take the time to spend in the word and in prayer our lives would be so much easier and we would be focused on what really matters and not all the things in the world.

Search and Rescue: Operation Marriage was the next topic and David preached that week and did a great job.

The original plan for marriage:

-God created roles in marriage to mirror His image. Gen. 1-2

-A husband's core role in marriage is a servant leader.

-A wife's core role in marriage is helper.

His (God's) best is always blessed when we pursue it.

The next week was about Rescue Heroes. A few things that stuck out that week were that a rescue hero turns away from selfish pursuits to take on the attitude of Christ. We will suffer in the short-term to gain in the long-term. Whatever God gives you use it to be hospitable to others. And the more I take on the attitude of Christ, the more glory God receives.

This past week was about the role of the Elder in the church and how the church is to respond to them. But what really stuck out to me was a question our pastor said, "What have you been chasing outside of the heart of God?" I've really been doing some thinking about that and what are the things that I've been chasing that are outside of the heart of God.

It's been a really convicting summer and I'm still trying to figure out what I need change and do in my life so that the things I choose aren't outside of the heart of God.

umm no thanks

2010-08-02T09:05:00.001-07:00

Blake says to us the other day, "Anyone want to smell my leg pit?"

let's worship

2010-07-23T11:05:00.002-07:00

This week the kids have been attending another church's VBS called High Seas Expedition. They have been having a great time and tonight is the ice cream social and their little program. They are very excited. So last year when they went I bought them the shirts thinking that they would love them which wasn't the case, so this year when I signed them up I told them I wasn't buying the shirts because they didn't wear last years. On Thursday when I picked them up Blake really wanted a shirt and I said I probably wasn't buying them because of what happened last year. Well today I caved and bought him a shirt and Caley wanted the CD with the songs that they've been singing.

She turned the CD on before lunch and we listened to it before, during and after lunch. David and I were still sitting at the table visiting after we ate and they were in the living room singing and dancing. Caley comes running to the kitchen and she says to us, "Come on, let's worship Jesus!"

colorado

2010-07-14T07:22:00.000-07:00

Last week we took a family vacation to Colorado, we had a great time got to do lots of fun stuff. We visited Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs, Denver,Winter Park and Grand Lake, CO. We also went to the top of Pike's Peak and Mt. Evans. We saw our friends Larry, Megan and their little boy Asher. We went through a really scary hail storm in Limon, CO our car has a few more dings in it from that. But overall it was great and we had lots of fun! Here are some pics that we took while we were in Colorado.

The picture above it what we saw coming into Limon, Colorado. Below is a picture of the hail on the ground at the gas station where we waited the storm out.
Us at the top of a rock at Garden of the Gods. It was so beautiful.

We got the opportunity to stay at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. It was a great place to stay and we definately didn't want to leave.

We made it to the summit of Pike's Peak, we rode the cog rail to the top. The kids thought it was cool that we got to ride up the mountain in a train.

Above is the kids getting on the train to go back down the mountain.
I have lots more pictures I'd like to share so I'll do that in another post.

summer sewing

2010-07-01T08:13:00.000-07:00

The other day Caley and I were looking at the website called Skip to my Lou and she had a post for Embroidery for kids. Caley saw the picture of this cute little flower that you embroider and then make a pillow and she asked if she could make one. I said of course because I love to do crafts and sewing and stuff like that. Plus I was super excited that she wanted to do it and it's giving her something to do this summer. She drew her flower on a piece of blank paper, then we traced it with a transfer pencil. Next we ironed it on to the yellow fabric she chose from my fabric stash. Then we had to make a fast trip to Joann's to buy a small hoop and of course she chose a pink one.

The she started to sew her flower. She chose pink for the petals and purple for the middle of the flower.

This is the flower finished before we made it into a pillow. I let her choose the fabric that she wanted for the border, ruffle and back. I sewed the pillow for her but next time I think she can do a little bit of the sewing.

So here's her finished project. She is so proud that she did it all by herself with only a little help from mom. Today she is starting her second project which is a cute picture of 2 strawberries that she wants to make into another pillow. She found the picture in her Strawberry Shortcake coloring book. I'll post a picture once she finishes.

i hogs

2010-06-28T14:28:00.000-07:00

The other day Blake tells me he wants to eat at "i hogs." I asked him what that was because I had never heard of a place called "i hogs." He then clarifies and tells me he saw it on tv and it's the place that serves pancakes and after you take one bite the pancake closes back together and it's a whole pancake again.

So I figured it out he really meant IHOP. Funny boy.

CALEY

2010-06-18T07:10:00.000-07:00

C- caring, cute, cuddly, creative, cheerful
A- always smiling, artistic, awesome,
L- loving, loyal, like-able, ladybug (nickname from gramma a), lovely
E- energetic, excited about life, encouraging, easy-going
Y- youthful,

Caley, Caley girl, Caley bugs, bugsy girl, bugs are all names that you've gotten over your 7 years. We love you and are proud of you. We are so glad that God has entrusted us to raise you into the kind of young lady that he would have you to be. We see so much in you and we are so glad that you are in our family!

Caley these verse mean a lot to us and we pray them for you too.
Phil 4:4-7 Caley, Rejoice in the Lord always, I will say it again: Rejoice! Caley, let you gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Caley, do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard Caley's heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Col.1:9-14 For this reason, Caley, since the day we heard about you, we haven't stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you Caley may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you Caley to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued Caley from the dominion of darkness and brought you into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

Caley we pray that as you grow and learn more about Jesus that you will always put to faith and hope in the Lord.

she's 7 (almost)

2010-06-14T17:24:00.000-07:00

This year we had Caley's party at Potwin Pottery, she kept calling is Popcorn Pottery. It was really fun. Each of her friends got to pick out a piece of pottery and then they get to paint it and then pick it up in a week. Caley got this plate and we all put our fingerprints on the back of it.

Getting ready to blow out her candles. She wanted a vanilla cake with strawberry icing. I found this super cute plate at Hobby Lobby.

I really can't believe that she will turn 7 this friday. Where has the time gone? She's growing up to be such a kind and sweet little lady. I just love her so much!

Each year we have the kids take a picture showing how old they are. I'm not sure what we are going to do once they pass 10. Happy 7th Birthday, Caley! We are so proud of you.

fake birthday

2010-06-10T18:54:00.001-07:00

Caley's birthday is coming up next week and we are having her birthday party a few days early on Saturday. Today she was wanting to know how many days until her real birthday and I told her it was next Friday. Then she asked when was her "fake birthday?"

memorial day weekend

2010-06-04T17:21:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun this Memorial Day Weekend. We went to Summer Safari Nights at the zoo, then I went to Clay Center/Morganville, KS with some girlfriends and we went to a place called Joanie's Junk and if you haven't been there I'd highly recommend going it was a cute little shop and I got some great stuff and the best thing is that it's cheap. Then Sunday after church we surprised the kids and took them to Great Wolf Lodge in Kansas City. It was a lot of fun, we'd never been and the kids thought the room with the "wolf den" and bunkbeds were really cool. It was great just to have some time to hang out with just our family.

The star wars characters at the zoo. This was the highlight of the night for David and Blake.

David, there really is a Clay Center, KS. This has been a running joke in our family.

The kids were really excited about where they got to sleep.
Going to get ready for dinner.
We got to eat dinner in a tent.

Caley and I in the gameroom.

Bedtime-I think David and I were more tired than the kids.
Day #2 at Great Wolf Lodge
The end result of two days of fun in the water.

1 year ago . . .

2010-06-04T16:54:00.000-07:00

I wrote my last post on my blog. I can't believe it! This year has flown by. Caley has finished 1st grade at Farley Elementary, Blake finished his first year at preschool. Caley's lost a total of 4 teeth so far, the 2 on the bottom are totally in and one top one is pushing threw her gums. Hopefully she'll have them by her 7th birthday in a couple weeks. 7, she's going to be 7 in a couple weeks, that's another thing I can't believe that's happening. I remember when she was just a little baby. Wow, time flies! I've been busy helping at the school and with bible study at church, and hitting lots of garage sales. We've had lots of good things happen this year. We ripped out some ugly bushes and an overgrown tree and put in some new landscaping. It's much more freeing when I pull into the driveway. David started an exercise/eating program and he's been doing it for about 9 weeks, I'm really proud of him! Me, I'm hit and miss with the exercise, I'm hoping to do better about that this year.

This picture is right after Caley lost her second top tooth in January 2010.

This is the before picture of our front yard.

This is the after picture of the front yard. It's much better now.

our graduate

2009-06-23T11:58:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little behind on this post. Caley has officially finished her kindergarten year of school. She had a great time at Jay Shideler Elementary with Mrs. Barrett as her teacher. They had a little program a couple weeks before school was our where all the kindergarten classes sang some songs and then each child told what they wanted to be when they grow up and why. When is was Caley's turn she went to the microphone and said:

My name is Caley Hinkle.

When I grow up I want to be a princess because I like make-up.

After the program we were able to go back to her class and watch their class video which had all the mom's needing a tissue or two. So all in all we had a great year and Caley has learned a lot and so have David and I. Our learning will continue as we step into first grade at a new school Farley Elementary. We are really excited about this and Caley is too knowing that a lot of her friends will be there too.
This is Caley's teacher Mrs. Barrett. She's a great teacher and loves the Lord which we are so thankful for! We are looking forward to the upcoming school year but for now we are enjoying the summer!

our garden in june

2009-06-23T11:47:00.000-07:00

About a month ago I posted some pics of our garden. This week we were able to pic our first zucchini squash and some lettuce. They were great! Although if you read my post from earlier Blake thought the lettuce tasted like dirt. Anyway I'm super excited about having some fresh produce this summer, hopefully we'll have plenty to share with our friends.

tastes like dirt

2009-06-23T06:55:00.000-07:00

Yesterday at dinner the kids were eating and I said to them, "Hey guys, you want to try some of the lettuce it's from our garden?" They both say, "sure." Caley puts hers in her mouth and chews hers up and then spits it back on her plate. Blake puts his in his mouth, chews a couple times, then he looks at me and says, "hmmm, kinda tastes like dirt."

caley lost a tooth

2009-05-03T12:32:00.000-07:00

This was a big week at the Hinkle Hut! Caley lost her first tooth on May 1st. Here are a couple pics.

our garden

2009-05-03T12:25:00.000-07:00

This year we've decided to put a small vegetable garden in our back yard. So yesterday we went to Home Depot to get the supplies. David started putting it together last night. So this morning the kids and I were talking about what we should plant in the garden.

Here are our responses:

Me: tomatoes

Caley: lettuce

Blake: Batman flowlers (flowers)

Since the garden is going to be in a wooden box Caley and I decided that we would decorate the outside pieces of the wood before it's actually put on the ground. Here are the almost finished pieces.

school work by caley

2009-04-19T18:41:00.001-07:00

My Dad likes to

Bak pankcak!

Wuns a pon u tim

I went to Desneland

what will you be . . .

2009-04-14T06:47:00.000-07:00

A conversation between Caley and Blake yesterday on the way home from school

Blake: Caley what do you want to be when you grow up?

Caley: A princess.

Blake: You don't want to be a super hero?

Caley: No, I'm going to be a princess!

Blake: You don't want to be superman?

Caley: No girls can't be superman.

Blake: Why not?

Caley: I'm just going to be a princess.

green eyes

2009-04-10T18:42:00.001-07:00

Tonight while David is explaining to Caley why we celebrate Easter, Blake looks at me and says, "Tonight when you see green eyes that will be the Easter Bunny."

my new purse

2009-03-26T07:07:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to post a couple pics of the purse I made yeserday. I think it's super cute! I found it at this website for those who might be interested: http://www.jcarolinecreative.com/ and then go to the "how to's" and it's called the Hobo Bag.

This is the inside pocket.

This is the inside zipper pocket.

two funnies

2009-03-26T07:02:00.000-07:00

A couple weekends ago the kids and I were at my parents in Oklahoma. We were almost done eating dinner when we hear thud, thud, thud. I jump up because both kids are out of the room and on the stairs and then Blake starts crying. I put him up from the bottom of the stairs and ask what happened. Caley looks at me and says, "Blake was doing cartwheels down the stairs."

This past Monday the wind in Kansas was terrible and it blew all day. Well I guess is was so strong that it knocked our electricity out for a while. It happened about 4:20 just after Caley got home from school. So both kids are so surprised that the lights and TV aren't working. But the best question was asked by Blake. He asked, "Mommy, if someone comes to the door and rings the doorbell what will we do?"

our little reader

2009-03-02T11:11:00.000-08:00

This year in Kindergarten Caley has been learning her letters and numbers and how they go together. Especially in the area of words and then sentences. We ask her when we are reading books at night to help us read them and on occasion she will tell us the words she knows. Well last night after small group we are usually hurrying around trying to get them in bed quickly because it's late and they need their sleep.

I walked out of her room to get something and she told me on the way out she was going to read the bible tonight. I said ok, I'll be right back. So I came back to her room and David and Blake were there and this was what she was reading:

Matthew 1:1-3 in King James (I'm typing exactly as it's written in this little New Testament so you can see what a good job she was doing sounding out the words. We were really impressed, she did need help with the hard words)

1. The book of the generation of Je'sus Christ, the son od Da'vid, the son of A'bra-ham.
2. A'bra-ham begat I'saac; and I'saac begat Ja'cob; and Ja'cob begat Ju'das and his brethren.
3. And Ju'das begat Pha'res and Za'ra of Tha'mar; and Pha'res begat Es'rom; and Es'rom begat A'ram.

She did good and you can see from the way it's written that it was a hard thing for our little reader to figure out with all the weird apostrophe's and when she would get to the next verse she would say the number too. So we are going to get her a different bible that will be a little easier to read than the KJV.

it's the little things

2009-03-02T08:17:00.000-08:00

This weekend was really great and we had two milestones. Well maybe they aren't really milestones but we (David and myself) thought they were pretty cool. On Saturday night after dinner we needed to give Blake a haircut but we really don't like to give him one because he has the biggest meltdown each time. So after dinner we told him that it was time for a haircut and he does the normal which is he starts crying and I carry him down the stairs. I tell him it's ok and then hand him to David who normally has to hold him down while I give him the world's quickest haircut. We Saturday he decided that it wasn't that bad to have his haircut and was laughing and telling us how he could see his hair on the floor and how cool it was. So we were giving him praise big time on how big of a boy he was and that he did a great job. Then when I was finished he said, "I don't need a haircut tomorrow right?"

Then yesterday (Sunday) we have what's called The Mountain at church for the kids and it's a really fun program and they have backpacks and shirts and it's just a fun place to learn about Jesus. So each week since January we drop Caley off at her class and then walk down the hall to Blake's class where he proceeds to cry and throw a mini-tantrum about not wanting to go to his class and saying the teachers are tape (see previous post). But after he's there for about 2 minutes he has the best time, it's just getting him through the doorway that's the problem. Anyway yesterday before we got to church Blake told me that he liked his class and that Mr. James was his buddy. So we got to church walked Caley to her class and then walked down the hall to Blake's room and he let go of my hand and went running to the door and ran in the class and grabbed Mr. James' hand that was it.

We were so excited we almost didn't know how to react.

that's tape

2009-02-23T06:33:00.000-08:00

Our son has come up with a slang term that it likes to say. It's "tape" or he says , "that's tape." At first we had the hardest time trying to figure out what he was saying or meaning but we conquered the language barrier of the 3 year old once again. Here's the definition according to http://www.dictionary.com/

tape

Pronunciation ,noun, verb,
taped, taping.
–noun
1. a long, narrow strip of linen, cotton, or the like, used for tying garments, binding seams or carpets, etc.
2. a long, narrow strip of paper, metal, etc.
3. a strip of cloth, paper, or plastic with an adhesive surface, used for sealing, binding, or attaching items together; adhesive tape or masking tape.

Here's the definition of my three year old.

tape

1. not good.
2. bad.
3. not liking the situation.

Here it is used in a conversation that we actually had yesterday.
Gramma- Blake are you excited about going to the mountain?
Blake- No I don't want to go.
Me- Blake you like the mountain, it's so fun.
Blake- Is it bible study?
Me- No that's on Tuesday.
Blake- Is is the boy teachers or the girl teachers?
Me- It's the boy teachers today.
Blake- Boy teachers are tape.

The other day David was getting him ready for bed and trying to put on some pj's and they weren't the one's that Blake wanted to wear and he said, "I don't want these they are tape."

So now if your child starts saying this you know what it means.

January 2009

2009-02-17T12:01:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted anything in a long while so I thought I'd just post some pictures to show you what we've been up tp these days.

I celebreated by 34th birthday on the 12th. It was a fun day and a great Italian Creme Cake for dessert.

It was cowboy/cowgirl day for the Kindergarten kids at Caley's school and being the city folk that we are she didn't have anything to wear. So I made her a little skirt out of 4 bandanas. It's was fun to make and she loved it. Blake was on an OU kick and the outfit of choice was a warm-up suit, that was a size 12 months so they are a bit short of him. He didn't care and obviously we didn't care that he wore them around the house "only!"

I'm sure that there are other things I could share about our January but that is now in the past and I'll try to do better about posting the funny things as they happen.

money savers

2009-01-26T06:54:00.000-08:00

In hopes to spend our grocery money wisely I've changed how I buy lunch meat and sliced cheese. I read this in a book called America's Cheapest Family. They say never to buy prepackaged lunch meat because it's so expensive for the amount that you get so I keep reading to find out what I should do. They go on to say to buy a boneless ham or turkey breast and take it to the deli counter and have them slice it, it ends up being a lot cheaper than regular lunch meat. And I have to agree, it cost me $6.98 for 5 lbs. of lunch meat that I had the deli slice for me versus $2.98 for about 8 oz. of prepackaged lunch meat. So I'm at Wal-Mart yesterday and I need some cheese so I did the same thing, I picked up a 32 oz. block of Colby Cheese for $7.00 and took it to the deli and had them slice it and now have lots of cheese versus 32 slices for $6.50 for the package I normally buy. I wish I would have thought of this about 11 years ago.

ants?

2009-01-26T06:51:00.000-08:00

Last night after small group we were in Caley's room and it was later than normal so we were just going to pray and then the kids would go to bed. So David was praying and was praying for our familes and specifically our Aunts/Auntie's and then he continued on then said "Amen."

Blake looked up and said, "Daddy, why did you pray for the ants?"

January Favorite Things

2009-01-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

In an effort to keep my house in better order for 2009 these are 4 of my favorite cleaning helps.

I got a new dustbuster because mine bit the dust. It works great! I had had my other one for 4 years and it just wasn't doing it's job so great anymore. With two kids I use it quite frequently.

Next on the list is my new Eureka "The Boss" floor cleaner. It's like vacuum but for hard surfaces.

Third on the list is Scrubbing Bubbles wipes. I like them because if you need to clean or touch up the bathroom but don't have time for a full cleaning you can use these and then toss them in the toilet and there's no dirty rags to worry about.

Last on my list is something I haven't gotten yet but my sisters and mom love it. It's the Bissell Steam Mop for cleaning hard surfaces without the need of a mop. I'm going to get one with my birthday money. I've very excited about this purchase coming up this month.

oh my aching back . . .

2009-01-01T07:24:00.000-08:00

Well not really my back by the muscles in my stomach/side. Somehow I've really pulled or ripped or did something to the muscles on the right side. The pain was so bad the Saturday before Christmas I thought that I might need my appendix taken out. Anyway it turned out not to be my appendix but some muscles in my stomach that I've hurt. I even have a bruise about 4 inches long to prove it although I'm not showing anyone. So I survived Christmas and fun times with my side of the family and we are back home and back to the normal routine for the Hinkle Hut.

So a couple night ago we started a new bible story book and we read the first story about God creating the earth and then we wrote down what we are thankful for in our Thankfulness notebook. We each say it out loud before we write it down and I said, "that I was thankful to be home and that my side was feeling better." And Caley looks up at me and says, "Oh Boo Hoo, Mom." So I don't really know what to say back to her so I look at David and he's laying on the floor laughing at what had just been said. Caley just has a smile on her face and I'm sitting there speechless.

my 4 new favorite things

2008-12-08T07:43:00.001-08:00

Just wanted to share a few things that have recently become my favorite.

* Snuggle liquid fabric softener Blue Sparkle. My good friend Vicky uses it and it makes your laundry smell so good.* Pillsbury Crescent Creations. It's like a crescent roll but it's all in one sheet so you no longer have to press the seams together. What a great idea, one that I wish I would have thought of.

* The Purpose for Christmas by Rick Warren. It's a great little book on the reason for Christmas, one I think everyone should read and it's great for a gift.

* Strawberry Jam that my friend Lauri makes. It's so yummy on fresh bread, biscuits, toast, etc. You get the picture, I'm sure the container she gave us last night will be gone by the end of the week.

being thankful

2008-11-30T23:03:00.000-08:00

Every family has lots to be thankful for each day of the year. So we've decided to start doing bedtime a little different at our home. We were reading a bible story and then a short book and then praying before we put the kids to bed. But with 4 people on a twin bed that doesn't leave much room for paying attention to the story when the two little people just want to climb on top of daddy.

So we've moved our bible story time to 7:00 pm in the living room and it's worked so much better, the kids are paying attention and asking questions about the story and Jesus. Yeah! We've also started keeping a notebook of the things that we are thankful for each day. I bought a cute notebook from Target and each night after the bible story we talk about what we were thankful for that day. Caley gets to write down her own with a little help from mom and dad. She can do that now since she's a big girl in Kindergarten she tells us. Blake tells us what he wants us to write down and then he makes a few marks on the page because he's a big boy and can do it himself.

It's been really neat to listen to what the kids are thankful for each day and takes the focus off ourselves and we can focus a few minutes on Christ and show the kids that it's important to think of others and not ourselves. I'm looking forward to keeping track and then in a few years going back and reading them with the kids and watching them grow through being thankful.

pizza family night

2008-11-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

This past Friday we did our first "official" family night, except that we did it at lunch because we had plans later that day. So we decided to make pizza for lunch and pizza cookies for dessert. First we made the cookies so that they would be cooked and cooled so we could decorate them after we ate our pizza. Caley and Blake were excited that they were going to have pizza cookies. I just bought the Pillsbury shortbread cookie sheets and we used a cookie cutter to cut them out.

We made 4 large pizza cookies and 4 small pizza cookies. They wanted to make more but we ran out of dough.

Next we played the "Pizza Game." For this we had 6 different colors of felt that were cut in the shapes we needed for pizza. We had crust, sauce, cheese, olives, green peppers and some meat. We assigned numbers 1-6 for each item for the pizza and then we took turns rolling the dice to try and get the 6 pieces that we need to make our pizza.

Blake ended up winning the game but we all had a lot of fun playing it. And we've played it through out the weekend.

Here are our pizza's once we finished the game. The picture is kind of hard to see so here's the list of the numbers that we assigned to each item. 1. crust 2. sauce 3. cheese 4. green pepper 5. olives 6. meat.I also wrote the items in the same color so that it would be easier for the kidsespecially since they can't read yet they could figure out what they needed by the color.

Next we moved on to making our pizza's. We let the kids make their own and they got to choose what they wanted on top. They both just chose sauce and cheese. Then I made a pizza for David and myself and we cooked them and then had lunch. Caley's pizza is on the left and Blake's is on the right. After we ate them we decorated out pizza cookies. It was really fun and no too were the same.

Caley's pizza cookie had some candy corn on it.

Blake's pizza cookie included a big blog of icing and lots of chocolate chips.

Needless to say this was a fun and creative way to spend time as a family. Keep posted for the next Hinkle Family Night.

(Like my friend Starr said in her blog about their families night. Just because all the pictures have smiles and everyone looks have and that we are having a great time. It wasn't without a few arguements and kids getting upset with each other.)

Peach Crisp

2008-11-15T06:57:00.000-08:00

This is a great recipe especially with the holidays coming up very soon.

Peach Crisp
1/4 C sugar
2 Tbs. flour
1 tsp. cinnamon
7 C peaches or apples
2 Tbs. honey
2/3 C crushed graham crackers (about 5 squares)
2/3 C brown sugar
1/3 C flour
2 Tbs. oats
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 C butter

Preheat over to 375 degrees

Filling: Sitr together sugar, flour and cinnamon; Add peaches; toss to coat. Spread in a 2 qt. dish. Drizzle with honey.

Topping: Stir graham crackers, brown sugar, flour, oats and cinnamon. Cut in butter until it forms coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over filling.

Bake uncovered for 40 minutes.

memories

2008-11-11T11:18:00.000-08:00

This morning the kids were looking at some photo albums before Caley had to get on the bus. They were the pictures from when Caley was about 22 months old. She was asking how old she was and then telling Blake the answer. She looked at one picture and then said to Blake,

"That was back in the old days."

halloween

2008-11-06T06:58:00.001-08:00

Halloween 2008

Caley's class at school. They all looked so cute.

Caley's new teeth.

So this year we all dressed up for halloween, it's was really fun.

Our neighborhood has a parade each halloween and we went this year. It was really fun and the kids thought it was cool to walk down the middle of the street instead of on the sidewalk.

Caley was a cheerleader.

Blake was a football player.

David as "Dave the band guy"

I had to include one last picture in this post. This is of David and our friend Bob Turner. There are really no words I have to express for this picture, it's pretty self explanitory

ring ring

2008-10-29T07:07:00.000-07:00

Yesterday after school Caley was so excited to show me what was in her backpack. So I wait patiently while she gets her shoes off and gets a snack and then she says, "Ok mom look at this." She pulls out the Jay Shideler Student Directory, it's has all the kids phone numbers and addresses in it. She was so excited we had to look at every page and she wanted to know the name of the teacher on each page so I told her.

Then she says, "Can I call a number?" I said, "No, you don't just call a number but you can call a friend." Then she says, "Ok, I'll call Taylor and say Happy Halloween." I said, "No, you can call her and have a conversation but you don't just call a friend to say Happy Halloween."

So we dial her number and I explain to Caley how to ask to talk to her friend and she did a really good job (I of course was the proud mom). So Caley and Taylor talk on the phone for about 30 minutes which I thought was so funny because Caley doesn't really like to talk on the phone and if she does it's to Daddy or Gramma and usually it's not longer than a few minutes.

So I guess that we've entered a new phase of talking on the phone after school, hopefully it won't happen every day. But if it does I guess that's ok too. I need to do a better job of showing her how to turn the phone off though because I did notice about 7:30 that the phone still said "Phone on" and they ended their phone conversation about 5:00.

you don't even . . .

2008-10-26T17:45:00.000-07:00

Tonight at bedtime we sang the usual songs, "Away in the Manger" and "Joy to the World". Yes we know it's not Christmas and yes we have been singing these songs for the past 3 years every night. Anyway back to the point of this post. David asked if anyone saw something that God made and then we could pray and thank God for this. Caley said that she was thankful for the really strong wind today. So she prayed and thanked God for the really strong wind.

Then I take Blake into his room and David stays to tell Caley goodnight and then we switch places. Well, David comes into Blake's room and says that he's heard the funniest line of the night and asks me if I want to here it. I say sure.

So David says that he lays down on Caley's bed and pretends to go to sleep and starts to pretend snore and such and she says to him,

"You don't even want me to bust on you"

Enough said.

the letter "t"

2008-10-22T06:54:00.001-07:00

Each week Caley's class studies a letter of the alphabet and they learn a song, learn about an animal, and words that start with that letter. Also her class has traveling books that they send home with the kids that have drawings of things that start with the letter. The book that got sent home last night was the letter "T". So each kid draws something that starts with this letter. I have to admit that the pictures that the kids draw are so cute and usually you can recognize what the picture is supposed to be. Here's our little artist's rendition of the "toilet."

you know you live in Kansas when . . .

2008-10-02T06:39:00.000-07:00

it's Oct. 2nd and your house is 66 degrees and you have to turn the heat on to warm it up to 69 degrees. I didn't want this day to come so soon.

knives

2008-10-01T07:06:00.000-07:00

So lately Blake has been enthralled with knives. He knows not to touch them he just really likes to talk about them and who can use them. He talks about how they are really sharp and can cut you on the face. Below is a list he tells me when we are talking about knives.

Who can not use knives:
Blakers (that's what he calls himself)
Caley bugs (that's what he calls her)
little kids
Bozzy and Noah

Who can use knives:
Mommy
Daddy (because he's a big dad)
God (because he's our other big dad)
Gramma and Papa

Boys, they are so much different than little girls.

i need help . . .

2008-10-01T06:58:00.000-07:00

These are my least favorite words to hear in the middle of the night or in the early morning, they usually come from Blake when he's lost his covers and can't figure out how to get them back on. I did hear them this morning and by the time I got to his room the poor little guy was trying so hard to get them back on himself but he just couldn't get it figured out. Thankfully he went back to sleep for about 30 more minutes!

high school musical

2008-10-01T06:54:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow night we are taking the kids to see High School Musical on Ice. They are both very excited but Caley more so than Blake. This morning we were talking about how it's only one more day till we go. Caley asks me, "Is it going to be real people?" I said, "Yes it is real people in costumes who are dancing and singing on ice skates." Then she asks, "Is is going to be the same show that we watch on TV?" So I think that she doesn't really understand what we are going to see except that it's High School Musical. I'll post some pictures in a couple days.

Here are some pics that we took at High School Musical. It was worth the $10 a ticket to go and e it, especially to see the kids excitement.

ribbon rags

2008-09-29T07:21:00.000-07:00

Front side of the ribbon rag

Back side of the ribbon rag

Ribbon Rags are great little blankie's for your little one. They can be made with various fabrics: satin, minkee, chenille, flannel and cotton and all sorts of ribbons. They can also come in various sizes, the one in the picture is 11X11 with four different types of ribbon. Prices vary starting at $10, if you would like to order one please email me and let me know.

Here's a picture of the pink one that I've made. It's pink minkee on the front and chocolate brown satin on the back:

that's a joke

2008-09-23T17:46:00.001-07:00

Blake : "Daddy you have a peanut on your nose."

David : "Thanks?"

Blake : "That's a joke Dad."

at church . . .

2008-09-23T12:45:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday mornings is our ladies bible study and in Blake's class they have been talking about how God made the whole world and it's so sweet because he comes home and can tell us his memory verse. He loves going every week.
Yesterday we were outside and he was asking where does God live and I told him that he lives in Heaven but he also lives in our heart when we ask him to be our Savior and put our trust in him. Then he told me that God is "our big dad" and I said you're right and then he told me that God lives in a big house in heaven and that only God can use "really, really big knives." Where that came from I'm not sure but I thought it was cute.

a new favorite

2008-09-23T12:41:00.000-07:00

Last week I checked out a book from the library for the kids called Mary and the Mouse, The Mouse and Mary by Beverly Donofrio and Barbara Mcclintock. It is such a cute book and the kids love it! Yesterday I probably read it to Blake about 5 or 6 times in about 20 minutes. I'm thinking it might be one of their Christmas presents this year.

sick day

2008-09-16T10:36:00.000-07:00

Caley is home from school today because she started throwing up this morning about 5:30. I'm not real fond of that time of the day. Anyway she was finally down to dry heaving so I let her and Blake lay on our bed and watch "Super Why" on PBS for a little while so I could check my email. So I come back about 10 minutes later to see how she's feeling and there's some puke on our sheet and the comforter and the bed skirt and the pillow sham that's on the floor and I'm wondering why she didn't get to the bathroom. I ask her how come you threw up on the bed and her reply was, "I didn't want to miss the show." Needless to say I was a little bit upset that she puked on the bed just to keep up with her tv show. Sick kids, gotta love them.

always wear a helmet when . . .

2008-08-28T08:47:00.001-07:00

you are playing in the sprinkler.

potty training

2008-08-27T08:12:00.000-07:00

Since Caley is in school now I thought this would be the perfect time to potty train Blake. So we started last week and he's been doing great except for the few expected accidents that we've had. But this week I've resorted to bribing (2 smarties if he goes #2), it worked yesterday so hopefully it will work today and then he can get that one figured out. Other than that little inconvience he's been doing great and we are one step closer to not have to be buying diapers.

Physical Education

2008-08-26T11:35:00.000-07:00

On Caley's second day of school she gets home and tells me she doesn't want to go to school anymore. I ask her why and she tells me it's because she doesn't like PE. I ask her why she doesn't like PE and she proceeds to tell me it's because they won't let y ou do anything and you have to be quiet and follow the rules.

I've been trying to figure out why she wouldn't like it and these are the conclusions that I've come to with a little help from my sister and mom:

The gym is really loud and echoey.
There is probably at least 2 classes of Kindergarten kids in there.
It's not just free play like in preschool.
There are rules and you need to follow them.
One teacher is a guy and the other is a girl.

So on Friday last week she gets home and we ask her how school was and if she had fun. I then ask how was PE and she says, "it was much more gooder today." I say that's great I'm glad that you had a fun time. How come it was better today and she says that the teacher who's a guy wasn't there and it was just the lady teacher and that's why she likes it better.

First Day of School

2008-08-26T07:01:00.000-07:00

Well the first day of school and come and gone. Caley was very excited to go and meet new friends and especially to ride the bus. I on the other hand wasn't too excited about that part but we let her ride the bus anyway. I thought that she would get to the top step of the bus and see all these unfamiliar faces and turn right back around and want us to take her to school. That was not the case at all she walked up the steps and kept going and found a seat. After school I asked her who she sat by on the bus on the way to school and she replied, "A big kid." It was very cute I thought. So here are a few pictures from that first day.

Caley eating breakfast on her first school day. Cheese toast, eggs and juice.

Caley and Blake were waiting for the bus at 7:50 and the bus doesn't come until 8:21. She was very excited!

Here she is our kindergartener. Getting ready to walk two houses down to the bus stop.

Now we are at the bus stop.

Have a fun day at school Caley!

She made it safely to school and into her class with Mrs. Barrett.

Poor bunny

2008-08-09T11:47:00.000-07:00

Today it's been so rainy here in Topeka. I was standing looking out the window in the basement bedroom when all of the sudden this poor little bunny runs in front of the window and underneath the slide. I feel bad for the little guy just hanging out waiting for the rain to stop.

Craft time with Daddy

2008-08-09T11:42:00.000-07:00

Caley and Daddy had a fun time making construction paper masks.

Daddy's mask.

Caley's mask.

2008 Book List

2008-08-05T07:17:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know me well I love to read. My mom thinks I'm a little bit nuts but I like to keep a list of what I read each year. I guess I'm a bit OCD on this, I've been keeping a list since the summer of 2003. I like to know what I've read and if I pick up a book that seems familiar I can go and check and see if I've already read it. So I thought I'd post my list from this year so far. If you need a good book I've read some this year. This year I've also tried to read some books other than Christian Fiction because that's what I normally would read. I'll try and keep this list updated every few weeks so you can check back to this post for new books. The most recent reads are at the bottom.

Between Sundays by Karen Kingsbury
Last Light by Terri Blackstock
Valiant Hope by Donna Fleisher
Night Light by Terri Blackstock
Amazing Grace by Danielle Steele
True Light by Terri Blackstock
Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez
Escape by Carolyn Jessop
White Chocolate Moments by Lori Wick
A Night to Remember by Walter Lord
Someday by Karen Kingsbury
Surrender Bay by Denise Hunter
Cassidy by Lori Wick
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa See
Waiting for Morning by Karen Kingsbury
Chosen: The Lost Diaries of Queen Esther by Ginger Garrett
Dawn's Light by Terri Blackstock
Bachelor's Puzzle by Judith Pella
Sabrina by Lori Wick
The Convenient Groom by Denise Hunter
In the Company of Secrets by Judith Miller
Moon over Tokyo by Siri L. Mitchell
Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson
To Love Anew by Bonnie Leon
Counting of Grace by Elizabeth Winthrop
Sister's Choice by Judith Pella
Whispers Along the Rails by Judith Miller
Yellow Star by Jennifer Roy
The Englisher by Beverly Lewis
The Brethern by Beverly Lewis
The Sand Castle by Rita Mae Brown
A Bride most Begrudging by Deeanne Gist
The Mailbox by Audrey Shafer
Sundays at Tiffany's by James Patterson
Sail by James Patterson
The Midwife's Apprentice by Karen Cushman
The Senator's Other Daughter by Stephen Bly
The General's Notorious Widow by Stephen Bly
The Diplomat's Wife by Pam Jenoff
For Such a Time by Elyse Larson
The Kommandant's Girl by Pam Jenoff
Sunset by Karen Kingsbury
Jessie by Lori Wick
An Uncertain Dream by Judith Miller
Anathema by Colleen Coble
Moment of Weakness by Karen Kingsbury
Halfway to Forever by Karen Kingsbury
Mending Places by Denise Hunter
Saving Grace by Denise Hunter
The Purpose of Christmas by Rick Warren

A new chapter unfolds

2008-08-04T14:00:00.000-07:00

You know when you have your first baby and they are so cute and all they do is eat and sleep and go to the bathroom. Those times were so fun and easy most days. I thought that it would last forever. When your baby is little and you think they are going to be with me always and then all of the sudden they are 5 and starting kindergarten next week! I didn't think that this day would come so quickly. I thought, "wow I have 5 years till she starts school." Then in April my friend whose daughter was in kindergarten this past year brings me the paper for Kindergarten roundup. I thought to myself, it's happening to soon. So I thought over the summer we'll have so much fun and do lots of stuff which we have and it's been a great. But it's going to come to a screeching halt next week when my baby gets on the school bus to go to school. She's very excited and I know she's ready it's just another adjustment in our lives that we have to accept and deal with even though it's come to quickly.

Today was enrollment day so we went to the school and turned in all the paperwork that you need for your kids to go to school. Caley was excited and wanted to know if she could ride the bus home today. I had to tell her, "no, that's next week." I signed up to help in her class like all mom's do and I'm excited to be there and be involved but I still think to myself, "is this really happening?"

On Monday of next week we get to go and meet the teacher and have ice cream and hopefully meet some new friends and if they rode on her bus that would be perfect. Then she goes to school for real on Wednesday. Poor little Blake will be lonesome without his big sister to play with during the day. What will we do?

So I guess that we are entering a new chapter in our lives that we thought was in the far off future. So we'll embrace this chapter and enjoy it while it's here because before we know it, it will be gone and another one will come.

So now we'll cheer, "Go Junior Blues!"

A God Moment

2008-08-04T13:51:00.000-07:00

The other night at dinner we were eating as we normally do when all of the sudden Caley and Blake started asking us questions.
- who made the sun?
- how did God make the sky?
- how did he make the animals?
- how did he make the ocean?
- how did he make people?
- how did he know how to make everything?
- why did he do all that?

So David and I are trying to answer their questions so that they can understand the wonderful God that we have. Hopefully they understood our answers. The next morning which was yesterday before I was reading Proverbs 3 before church. (Our church has being reading through the Proverbs this summer each day of the corresponds to one Proverb) Anyway in Proverbs 3:19 it says:

"The LORD made the earth, using his wisdom.

He set the sky in place, using his understanding.

With his knowledge, he made springs flow into rivers

and the clouds drop rain on the earth."

I think that it is so great that even when we as parents don't know all the answers God will continually show them to us if we are faithful to him. Although I don't think my kids would understand this verse right now. I know what to tell them in the future when they ask these questions.

Same hairdresser?

2008-07-26T07:28:00.001-07:00

Here are two pics of David and me when we were little. Now that I'm looking at the pictures I'm wondering if our mom's took us to the same hairdresser.

David when he was a little guy.

Me as a little girl:

Happy Anniversary

2008-07-26T07:18:00.000-07:00

Today David and I have been married for 11 years. I can't believe that time has went by so quickly. We were 22 and 20 when we sealed it with a kiss and lived in Tahlequah. Then we both graduated and moved to Dallas and went to Seminary. Caley was born and then we had one year left to finish up seminary. We met some of our best friends while we were in Dallas. In 2004 we moved to Topeka where David took his first position post seminary. Blake was born after we'd been here a year. We love Topeka and have some great friends here too. We wouldn't change a thing. I'm so thankful to be married to David and that he loves me and our kids. He's truely the man that God intended for me to meet and spend the rest of my life with.

Then: July 26, 1997

Now: June 2008

Future quilter

2008-07-23T09:39:00.001-07:00

I've been working on a couple rag quilts for a friend who is getting ready to have twin girls. Caley has been somewhat interested in what I've been working on so she's been helping out a little. She has helped pick out the fabrics and then I've let her tell me what colors to put next to another color. I've finished the quilts and here they are:

Each of the quilts has the same fabrics in them but they are different. I thought this was fitting since my friend is having twins.

This morning Caley has been doing a lot of coloring and tearing the pages out of the color book and making up stories to go along with the pages. I was working on another sewing project this morning and Caley told me that she was going to make a quilt out of her color sheets with her tape so I told her go ahead and make it and then I'll take a look at it. Well it turned out really cute and hopefully she will stay interested in quilting and sewing. I know that would make both of her Gramma's so proud.

A future in the fashion industry?

2008-07-23T09:29:00.000-07:00

Over the weekend my parents were visiting. We had a really great time playing with the kids, shopping, eating out, swimming, the guys were also able to do some golfing which they LOVE! One night after dinner Caley and Blake wanted to show Gramma and Papa their band. So we told them to set it up in the living room and we'd be in there as soon as we cleaned up the kitchen from dinner. So instead of being patient and waiting they brought the band to us. Their band consists of them and their instruments. Their instruments are the ukelele's, the little Cheetah Girls keyboard and the drums that are the top of the Lincoln Logs container, the two little white chairs and colored pencils for the drum sticks. Anyway it was really cute and they made Daddy get down on the floor and play the keyboard. After a couple minutes of playing their songs Caley decided she needed to get her band outfit on and this is what she ended up dressed in. So a future in the fashion industry is questionable at this point in time.

Sleepy guys

2008-07-23T09:26:00.001-07:00

I love both of the guys in my family, they are both so cute especially when they are asleep. I guess they got to worn out over the weekend from golf and swimming. Here's a picture of them taking a nap after a long days work.

The Cereal Box Fort

2008-07-16T16:46:00.000-07:00

Several months ago Caley and I were looking at a Family Fun magazine. I really have liked getting this magazine in the mail. It has some cute stories and fun things to do or create with your kids. As I was turning pages we saw a fort that was made out of cereal boxes (empty of course). Caley saw the picture also and asked what it was and I told her and then she asked if we could make one in our basement. I said sure, we don't really have big plans for the summer and it would give us something to do with our empty boxes before we recycle them. So we started keeping our boxes, then I realized that we don't eat nearly enough cereal to get this fort put together by the end of the summer. So I enlisted the help of some close friends who would give me their empty boxes. So our collection started growing. Sometimes we'd come home from running an errand and there would be boxes stacked on the front porch and we were so excited. So today I/we finished the fort. It was an exciting moment in the Hinkle Hut and we no longer have to collect empty cereal boxes.

Wedding humor

2008-07-13T14:52:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to a wedding at our church. We took Caley and Blake because it was an early wedding and we thought that they would enjoy watching everything. They were a little hungry and tired and were a bit on the squirmy side but they did really good despite all of that. So just as the pastor said, ". . . you may kiss your bride," Blake turns to me and said, "We made it, Mom." I had a hard time not laughing and so did the people sitting in front and behind us.

Gramma and Papa's house

2008-06-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Last week the kids and I were visiting my parents house. We were leaving on Thursday and as we were driving down the street Caley says, "Mommy it's sad to leave Gramma and Papa's house." I said, "I know it is," as I'm trying not to let her see the tears in my eyes. Then she says in her cute little voice, "I just look back at their house and it just looks so sad."

New bikes

2008-06-17T07:40:00.000-07:00

Caley's birthday is tomorrow and with some of her birthday money she got a new bike and helmet. She's very excited and hopefully soon she will be riding without training wheels.

Also with some garage sale money Blake was able to get a new scooter and helmet since we sold his other one in the garage sale.

HGTV Hinkle Style

2008-06-10T06:54:00.000-07:00

Ever since we've moved into our house I haven't like our front door. It's just plain white on one side and wood on the other. It's pretty boring to say the least. When we moved in I had mentioned to my dad that I wanted to get a new front door with a cute window in it. He said, "That's a solid wood door, you shouldn't get rid of it." I took his advice and kept the door because somewhere along the road I've learned to take his advice and figured he knew what he was talking about.

So a few months ago I was watching some show on HGTV where they were making over a front door and I thought to myself, "I'm going to do that on my front door." Well not really me but David can do that for me. So a couple weekends ago I went to Lowe's and bought the stuff that we needed and brought it home and said, "This is what I want on the door." David and one of our dear friends Brett updated my door for me. I love the finished product and my door is no longer boring.

My husband the handyman

2008-06-10T06:43:00.000-07:00

So we had a swing set that came with our house that we thought was cool but once the kids started playing on it we renamed it to the "death trap." It started rocking back and forth and was kinda scary so we decided to take it down and put up a new one. David built the whole thing except for a little help from Caley and Blake. Here's a picture of the finished product and the surprise slide off the deck. We've had a lot of fun with the new swing set and I know the kids have enjoyed just being able to play on it without me constantly telling them to be careful.

My little boy is not so little anymore

2008-06-10T06:30:00.000-07:00

Late in April we went to Dallas to see my sister and her new baby and Blake was still sleeping in a crib. Once we got back to Topeka I decided that we were going to make the switch to the "big boy bed." So we did and he's been doing great. He hasn't had any trouble going to sleep and staying asleep in his bed. I'm so thankful for that. It's funny because when he was still in his crib when he would wake up he'd call for us and we'd come in and get him out, he's still doing that in his bed. In the morning when he wakes up he calls for one of us and we'll go in and tell him he can get up, it's just funny that he hasn't figured out that he could get up whenever and come out. I'm a little happy about this because it means that he's still needing me and he's so not big yet.

Caley thinks it's pretty cool that Blake is in a big boy bed too.

Race to Recovery

2008-04-28T10:02:00.000-07:00

Growing up I was never really the athlete of the family but I was ok with that. I got to watch my sister and brother do sports and track. I was a cheerleading in 9th grade but didn't continue through highschool. So I'm not really the sports fanatic.

So last year at the end of our women's retreat at our church they told us the theme of women's ministry for the next year and it was/is Run the Race. The kicker to that was at the retreat this year on Saturday morning they were going to have a 5K race. So I figured that myself and a couple friends would walk the 3.2 miles, but then some of my other friends started asking me if I was going to run the race and I told them, "I'm not a runner, I don't like running so no I think I'll still walk.

Well David and a couple of my friends that do run started encouraging me that I could do it and that it was only 3.2 miles it's not that far. I'm thinking yes that is far considering I haven't ran that distance ever in my life. So I started training to run the 3.2 miles, gradually building up the time I ran each week for about 6 weeks. And in the end I was able to do it and stopped and walked twice but I finished it in 34 minutes and 19 seconds! I was pretty excited about it and it did feel good to be able to finish. So I'm not going to classify myself as a runner yet but I think that I'll keep it up for a while.

Hebrews 12:1 ". . . and run with endurance the race set out for us, keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of our faith."

Baby Evie

2008-04-21T05:59:00.000-07:00

So this week Caley, Blake and I are in Dallas visiting my sister and brother-in-law and their new baby girl Evie. She such a sweetie and she's already sunning herself.

Snow in April?

2008-04-12T07:57:00.000-07:00

Snow
–noun
a precipitation in the form of ice crystals, mainly of intricately branched, hexagonal form and often agglomerated into snowflakes, formed directly from the freezing of the water vapor in the air.

Yep, it's true it's April 12th and we are getting snow flurries this morning. I was hoping for sunshine and being outside but instead I'm inside with a fire in the fireplace. I guess winter is still here for a couple more days.

Kite Flying

2008-04-10T18:00:00.000-07:00

For those of us who live in Kansas we know that the wind can be really strong as was the case today. It was raining and windy this morning but as Blake was waking up from his nap the sun came out and it started getting nice outside. So I'm thinking to myself this is great, David is out of town how can I burn a little time and some energy. So we head outside to play, although we can hardly get out the front door because the wind is so strong. We walk down to the mail box and get the mail and then get blown back home. So we pull out the sidewalk chalk and start to draw.

Caley says with excitement in her voice, "Mommy lets draw kites because it's so windy out!" So we start drawing kites and Blake even joins in but you can't really tell that he's drawing a kite but it was still fun and they had a great time.

Hopefully they will still be there tomorrow for Daddy to see.

Spring Fling at the Zoo

2008-04-10T15:21:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to the Spring Fling at the zoo. It was a super nice day and all the animals were out this time. We went a couple weeks ago and there weren't many animals out. Blake only wanted to see the elephants and Caley wanted to see the monkeys and the giraffe's. After the zoo we had a picnic at the park and they each got a balloon animal. It was a really fun day and nice to spend it together as a family.

April Fools!

2008-04-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

First of all my sister is due to have her first baby (a girl) in a couple weeks. So I get a call from my mom this evening and she says that my sister's water broke and they are headed to Dallas. Well immediately my heart starts to beat fast and I'm so excited! I tell my mom that the kids and I will head down to Dallas tomorrow morning. I ask what time it happened because I had just talked to my sister about an hour before. So then my mom starts laughing hysterically and says, "April Fools!" Needless to say I'm really bummed out about this but I also can't believe that I fell for it.

My attempt at blogging

2008-04-01T13:47:00.000-07:00

So my good friends Kelly and Starr have conviced me that I can do a blog. They are both stay at home moms so I'm feeling confident that I to can keep up with a blog. So this is my attempt to start giving updates and stories from the Hinkle Hut.