Thanks for the Lemonade

Moving Day

2009-09-19T23:00:00.003-05:00

Guess what I did today? I moved!
Now, I know you are thinking, "Didn't you just move into a new house a few months ago?"
Yes, dear Reader, I most certainly did!
Today's move was far easier!
It didn't require sorting, purging, or packing. It didn't require boxes, paper, or a moving van. It simply required a quick transfer.
I have moved my blog over to Wordpress. Yes, I have moved over to the other side. :)
So, you can pick up on all the family antics at our new location: www.lemonadegal.wordpress.com (Notice I am now Lemonade GAL -- because girl was already taken.)
I hope you will make the move with me.

Kind-of Homesick

2009-09-18T08:55:00.006-05:00

Today, I miss Texas. I cannot really place my finger on what I miss. I just miss telling people I'm from Texas.

I think the sadness started a few weeks ago when I had to renew my driver's license. I went to the local DMV with all my paperwork in hand, including my expired license. After all the computer work and the miserable photo, the nice guy handed me my new Arkansas license. He politely smiled and wished me a good day. I immediately got the deer in headlights look and asked, "So, you keep my Texas license." He then explained that it was the law -- something about people creating fake ID's. I got to the safety of my car and cried. I know it is silly, but I had the same Texas license number since I got my learner's permit when I was 15. It was a faithful friend -- a part of my growing up into adulthood. This week, I had to go to the doctor. For the first time in 20 years, I had to pull out my wallet and look up my license number for the paperwork. It was a sad reminder of my new reality.

Then, on HGTV, some of the shows they've shown this week have been on homes in Texas. Just flipping the channels, I can tell from some of the architectural details that they are showing a Texas home. There is a difference that I cannot explain -- I can just tell when I see it. Of course, I stop and watch the entire episode -- just to catch a look at Texas. I even recorded one so I could look back at it. (I KNOW!)

It's not that I don't like Arkansas. And, I for sure don't question my reason for being here. I just love my Texas roots, and I miss the familiarity that came with living in the same state for 25 years. I knew the Texas way-of-things very well and today -- I miss it.

The Time of my Life

2009-09-15T07:59:00.003-05:00

I'm not much of a star gazer. In fact, I couldn't tell you much about Patrick Swayze and his life. But, the news this morning of his death has set me into a bit of a remembrance.
I didn't know Patrick, but I sure did know Johnny Castle! I cannot tell you how many times I've seen Dirty Dancing. I cannot say that it changed my life, but it did make my life happy. Dirty Dancing is one of those movies that I almost always stop and watch if I come across it while flipping channels. It is one of those movies that I can quote a scary number of lines from. In fact, I love it so much, I have a strange desire to sit and watch it right now -- just because of all the clips they've played on the news this morning.
After Dirty Dancing, Patrick Swayze moved on to other films -- one's that I never really liked. (See, I wasn't really a fan.) He went on to other successes. He had other names like Dalton and Sam. But to me, he will always be Johnny.
So, as family and friends mourn his passing. I will pray that God will comfort them in their grief. I will also be thankful that they shared Patrick with us.

3 Years in the Making

2009-09-14T08:02:00.003-05:00

Today - at 9:00 a.m. - You might possibly here the scream of joy coming from central Arkansas.
Today - at 9:00 - I will drop off the little sister at Mother's Day Out.
Today - at 9:00 - I will return to my nice, quiet, empty house.
Today, I will sit in that quiet house and hear NOTHING!
I will be ALONE for, count 'em, 1 ... 2 ... 3 ... 4 ... 5! Yes 5 WHOLE HOURS!
It will be the first time since sister was born. *sigh*
I don't have to go to work.
I don't have hubby home to interfere with my solitude.
I don't have company that wants to be entertained.
I have no one -- and I'm so excited.

Were You There?

2009-09-11T14:10:00.006-05:00

9-11-2001

It is a day that will forever be marked in my memory. Kind-of like some other historical days in other's minds -- the day the challenger exploded, the day of the Oklahoma City Bombing, the day JFK was shot, the day Elvis died. I think I will always remember with VIVID detail the sights, feelings, and happenings of 9-11.

Brother was just 8 months old. I had gotten up early that morning (which was the routine of those days). For some reason, hubby had already left for work, and I was feeding Brother in his bouncy seat at the kitchen table. I turned on Good Morning America for my daily news fix. I was met with the breaking news report of a fire at the World Trade Center. My immediate thought was to think back to the previous bombing of the WTC in 1993. Then, before my very eyes -- and thousands of others -- the plane hit the second building. I went numb. I couldn't believe what I just witnessed. This was clearly no accident. I immediately picked up the phone and called my hubby. My first question to him was if he could see the TV without any kids around. (At the time, hubby worked at a children's home and had the responsibility of caring for other's children during this crisis, and shielding the kids from the news.)

The rest of the day, while I remember it clearly, is also a blur because the time passed so quickly as I sat in front of the television. It was shocking to see it all. I remember walking through my bedroom when I heard the report of the attack at the pentagon. I immediately cried out to God and literally fell to my knees. Our country was being attacked, and He was the only one who was in control.

I remember the complete shock that washed over me as the towers crumbled into white ash all over the city. If I hadn't seen it, I would have never believed it.

As I look back, I'm grateful that Brother was just an infant. I'm grateful that he couldn't tell the fear and worry that ran through my veins that morning and afternoon. I'm grateful that he served as a distraction to me during the day.

It has been 8 years since that clear, blue fall morning in 2001. It is sad to me that the attacks weren't even mentioned at Brother school today. I know that life carries on, but I believe that I am a different person because of the 9-11 attacks. We live in a different country that we did before the 9-11 attacks. It was a day that forever changed our history books and our lives. I just think it needs some recognition, and all those who suffered loss that day deserve some remembering.

So, today I choose to remember. I remember those who lost a loved one on September 11th. I remember those who faithfully served in the aftermath. I remember those who cannot work in tall buildings because of the fear. I remember the children who are without parents. I remember the heros of the day -- both living and dead -- who helped our country during its most difficult trial. I will never forget!

Do you remember that day? Tell me!

10 on the 10th - Dreaming

2009-09-10T08:43:00.006-05:00

Recently I read another blog that talked about childhood dreams and questioned if we were at the place at 30 (ahem) that we thought we'd be when we were 16. It really made me stop and think about my plans vs. God's plans for my life. I've had lots of plans and dreams for my life, but most of all, since I first went to church when I was 12, I've wanted to live for Him. To bring glory to God in whatever I do.

I'm reminded of 2 scriptures:

James 4:13-15 (New International Reader's Version)
"Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city. We will spend a year there. We will buy and sell and make money.' You don't even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? It is a mist that appears for a little while. Then it disappears. Instead, you should say, 'If it pleases the Lord, we will live and do this or that.' "

Psalm 127:1 (New International Version)

"Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain."

So, to play along with Meredith's 10 on the 10th, I bring you my short list of different dreams/thoughts I had for my future occupation when I was a child:

Veterinarian - As a child I loved animals and thought this would be a fun job. I quickly learned that this meant lots of school, and I didn't like the idea of suffering animals, so I moved on.

Waitress - I had grand visions of carrying armloads of plates and handfuls of glasses to other people. This quickly faded as I realized my true capabilities to serve people without spilling.

Teacher - What little girl doesn't dream of being just like her favorite teacher when she grows up. I actually have an elementary education degree, but after student teaching, I realized that it isn't my thing.

Accountant - I just want the satisfaction of doing my own taxes. If I were to go back to college, (because I just adore school) this would be on my list of things to do.

Photographer - This is still a great interest to me. I appreciate good photography and desire to learn more about it. I just don't see it ever being a career for me -- just a hobby.

Architect - I have a strange fascination with great buildings. I just love to look at great architecture. I also have a HUGE love of homes and floor plans. I remember drawing up my own floor plan when I was in 5th grade. I had great hopes of building my own home one day. When I got realistic about schooling, I realized how much math was needed for architecture school and how competitive the market is, so I backed away from this plan.

Lawyer - Honestly, this was a short-lived dream, motivated by money and greed. After participating on the mock-trial team in high school, I realized that being a lawyer was more effort than I wished to put forth.

Secretary - I love organization, and I love office supplies. What a perfect job for me. Too bad they aren't better respected by the work-force

Physical Therapist - When I was in college, I had to see a physical therapist for over a year and a half. I really became interested in their work, and I appreciated all the help they provided to me.

Labor and Delivery Nurse - After my kids were born, I appreciated the love and concern that I received in the hospital when my kids were born. I think being able to witness the miracle of birth would be a great reward. I love babies, and more than that, I love getting to see families created.

WOW! I'm at 10, and I have even more to add. In the end, I am exactly what God has called me to be, and I am still seeking Him to lead me into something more. I have a seminary degree and was a full-time youth minister until he gave the the wonderful title of MOM! I love my mom title, and I wear it with pride. More than anything, as a little girl I wanted to grow up, love my husband, and raise beautiful, God-fearing children. (Well, I didn't add the God-fearing part until I was older and knew about God). Now, I seek Him daily and wait for Him to open up new ministry doors for me.

For more 10 on the 10th posts, visit Meredith's blog! It's a fun little game of lists. :)

On My Honor

2009-09-09T08:36:00.002-05:00

We have a new thing in our family - a cub scout. Actually we have a Bear cub. I guess that is the name. I'm all excited about Brother's new interest. I think it will a great activity for him. I think it will help him make new friends. I think it will teach him some important values like respect, honesty, and self-confidence. We are not a big atheletic family, so I think scouting has the potential of providing some important extra-curricular activities for Brother that don't involve nights of practice and loads of injury. Of course, I feel like I did when Brother played t-ball. I am just enamored with the uniform. Isn't it just the cutest thing!?! I think all little boys should wear a baseball uniform and a boy scout uniform at some point in their lives. Of course, that is just what I think!

Family Vacation 2009 (part 3)

2009-09-07T18:06:00.007-05:00

So, today concludes our trilogy of vacation recap posts. Sunday morning was a beautiful morning. I guess everyone was recovering from the busy day before because Brother (who usually gets up with the sun slept until 10!) So, sister and I enjoyed the quiet morning on the patio. Isn't she cute?
If you cannot tell, the chairs on the patio had the State Seal of Texas -- how appropriate! So, once everyone was up and moving, we headed out to Talking Rocks Cavern to do a little spelunking. We got to enjoy neat things underground like this

and this (they call those formations cave bacon -- can you tell why?)

Did I mention that the cave is underground? So, we had to climb these stairs to get there. The were quite narrow and steep.

While the cave was interesting, I'm not sure spelunking is for preschoolers. This is how sister felt about the cave. (Yes, I had to hold/carry her through most of it. Did I mention the many stairs? AUGH)

Brother is into science and stuff, so he thoroughly enjoyed the caving. Sister was much happier at the scenic overlook once we exited the cave world.

After a not-so-fabulous lunch (maybe another post), we headed back to the condo for swimming and a much needed nap for mom. YIPPEE!

Then, after getting cleaned up, the family showed our sporty side with a rousing game of putt-putt (commonly referred to as "little golf" by sweet Sister).

Brother took his golf game serious.

Sister was just more concerned about looking good on the greens.

She was so proud that she found a pink ball that complemented her wardrobe.

She did manage a few good shots, including this very close hole-in-one. We scored it as a gimme.

Aren't we a happy bunch?

Along the golf trail, we encountered various creatures. Some from the Jurassic era.

Others from more modern times. (That, my friends, is a groundhog!! Have you ever seen one other than Punxsutawney Phil? This one just lived at the putt-putt and wandered around the grassy area like a pet.)

After the game, (I'm not sure who won because we didn't keep score -- but I'm sure it was me) we went out for a bite to eat. We ran by a couple of stores, but because it was Sunday, they had all closed up for the evening. I got a chuckle out of this one sign.

Yes, that store wasn't closed, it was SHUT! HaHa

So, we moseyed back to our condo to pack up for the trip home. It was a fun get-away. One that we richly deserved and greatly appreciated!

Family Vacation 2009 (Part 2)

2009-09-05T10:22:00.005-05:00

So, we are still enjoying a fantastic Saturday in Branson. After the Butterfly Palace, we headed back to the condo for some swimming. I have to say that swimming was the main agenda for this vacation. The kids love to swim, and we just haven't had time for it this summer. However, mother nature had other plans for our family because it was a bit too chilly for swimming and the water was COLD! Not to be deterred, the kids still got in the water, but we had to wait until later in the afternoon so the sun could warm up a bit. Hubby drew the short straw, so he got in, too. I was official photographer.
I did eventually get in the water, but Hubby was not allowed to document any of that with film!

After swimming, we cleaned up and headed to Branson Landing for dinner. Sister was so worn out, that she fell asleep in the car on the way there (about a 8 minute drive). She slept on Hubby's shoulder for about 45 minutes!

We were excited that we could catch some "back home" flavor in Branson.

Nope, we didn't eat here -

We choose to eat here. YUMMY!!

We sat outside on the patio, so we could take full advantage of the beautiful weather and scenery. Isn't that was vacation is all about?

Plus, our outside seating provided a great view of the Fire and Water show! It was AWESOME!

After dinner, we strolled the shops and watched the street entertainers. Once again, we found a little bit of Texas.

Although we aren't hunters or fishers, we wandered into Bass Pro Shop. Where Brother had a brief encounter with a bear.

Sister got so excited by the fish that she apparently waved her arm right off.

And both kids added to their Christmas wish list.

We did buy something at Branson Landing - a table for the family room. Yes, we are crazy people who buy furniture while on vacation. It never fails that we find some treasure and have to figure out how to haul it home. Sadly, this isn't a first time thing for us. But we did make it work.

On the way to the car - after a long day - we caught the Fire and Water show again. It is really incredible.

So, we headed back to the condo for some much needed rest. It was a fun day -- one that reminds me how much I love and enjoy my family.

Family Vacation 2009 (Part 1)

2009-09-04T09:00:00.000-05:00

So, 2009 hasn't been an all-that-terrific year for our family. The summer seems to get away from us and unless you count our travel up and down IH-30, we never got to get-away as a family. So, before the craziness of back-to-school took over, we made a nice weekend trip to Branson. It was just great to be together and to not keep any specific schedule. (As I get ready to write all this, I realize that we can really cram A.LOT into one day. So, to save you the reading, I will break it down into manageable segments.)

We drove up on Friday - after Brother got out of school. It was a nice, pretty drive through the north part of my new state -- full of nice scenery. Best of all, the kids slept most of the way. SCORE!! We got to our condo (Thousand Hills Resort) just before dinner. The kids quickly settled in and made their room look just like home.

This place was FANCY! And had lots of great stuff - stuff that we would never use. This was the view off our patio.

Too bad we don't golf.

It also had this HUGE kitchen. One that I would love to have in my house.

I didn't come on vacation to cook, so the kitchen stayed this clean the entire visit.

So, Friday night we went out for dinner, then drove around, exploring the town. We stopped at Wal-Mart to get cereal stuff for breakfast, then we went back to the condo to sleep.

The next morning, we got up and hit some of the local shops. Sister found something that fit right into or vacation lifestyle.

After browsing other stores, we found a great place to rest our weary feet.

And here I thought things were bigger in TEXAS.

After grabbing a wonderful lunch, we headed out to the Butterfly Palace (thanks for the recommendation, Amber).

To our surprise, the Butterfly Palace has lots more than butterflies. First we saw creepy things that I do not like. Sister was so brave and gave it a touch.

Then we walked through this way-cool mirror maze. Brother and I thought it was great. Sister still calls it "the scary part." It is supposed to be decorated like the rain forest.

Then, it was time to set our sights on the butterflies.

We saw butterflies of all colors and sizes. It was really beautiful. The visit was even more wonderful because we "hatched" our own chrysalises this spring, so the kids knew all about butterflies.

I have to share a funny story: When we were in the butterfly room, a centipede came crawling out of the rocks -- right towards Brother's feet. He SCREAMED bloody-murder and ran to me. I think he was so loud that he scared the ugly thing and it crawled right back into the rocks. I was trying to calm him and tell him it was part of nature, one of God's creations, blah, blah, blah. Then one of the workers came up and said, "That thing is one of the meanest bugs on the planet. If you see it again, stomp on it." It was UGLY and creepy!

Here are my two favorite butterflies.

When we finished watching the butterflies, we went outside so Brother could climb the coconut tree.

He is so brave - and such a boy!

The rest of us sat on the sideline and cheered!

So, are you tired? Well, we aren't even half over with this day. :) After the Butterfly palace, we headed back to the condo. I'll fill you in on the evening activities later.

FALLing in Love

2009-09-04T08:47:00.006-05:00

Melissa at The Inspired Room is my kind of gal -- She LOVES fall. So, she is hosting a Fall Nesting party to inspire everyone to decorate and celebrate this wonderful time of year.

Fall is my favorite time of the year. I love to wake to the cool mornings; I love to have the windows open; and I love to hear the sound of football and marching bands on the local field. When I was a little girl, we lived outside St. Louis. I remember knowing that it was fall when we traveled to Eckert's Orchard to pick our own apples. When I was older and we moved to Texas, fall was official when I stepped out in the morning and needed a light jacket -- especially for those morning walks across the university campus. *sigh* It is just so wonderful!

So, in honor of fall, I wanted to share with you one of my all time favorite fall recipes.

Apple Dip

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Stir together the cream cheese, brown sugar, and vanilla extract until the sugar has dissolved, and the mixture is smooth. This can be topped with nuts, crumbled graham crackers, or (my favorite) toffee pieces. YUMMY!

********************

Now, Melissa is giving away an AWESOME prize for her Fall Nesting Party. Let me tell you - with this new house, I sure could use a gift certificate to HomeGoods. I love my new house! But, it sure could use some seasonal inspiration.

I love our living room, but it could use some "autumn accents" and not have such a summer feeling.

I also think my dining room (which I don't have a picture of) could use a new table runner and some other table decorations for the fall.

Fall - just another reminder of the bountiful blessings in my life. What about you? What do you like about this season?

In a Class by Herself

2009-09-03T12:54:00.003-05:00

Just look at that precious smile!! Monday was the first day of school (Mother's Day Out) for Sister. I was a bit nervous for her because she tends to be shy in new situations. However, she LOVES to play with other children, so I knew she would quickly fall into a new routine. Because of our move, we were late in the registration process. So Sister is only going to MDO one day a week. She was so excited to begin her new adventure.

I don't know if her excitement was because of the new princess lunchbox (poor thing has only had hand-me-downs before), or if life is just too boring with Brother in school -- no matter, Sister was up and ready EARLY on Monday morning. I have to say that I, too, was excited to have 5 hours to myself.

The most wonderful news of the day was that Sister LOVES, LOVES her new school!!!! She walked right into the classroom without shedding a single tear. When I picked her up, the teachers told me, "She acts like she's been here all her life." Oh YEAH! God knew I needed at least one easy child this fall. The only tears were when I told Sister she couldn't go back to school the next day. Unfortunately, because of Labor Day, she has to wait 2 weeks to return to her new favorite place. She has asked me EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. when she can go back and play with her new friends.

On another note - I have finally uploaded the vacation pictures -- all 189 of them. So, I will be posting vacation details for the next few days. Thank you for all your prayers for Brother. He is still struggling in his new school but I am confident that he will find his way soon.

He calls me Friend

2009-09-01T11:37:00.005-05:00

My hubby has had the same best friend since kindergarten. I could talk on and on about their friendship because I think it is simply amazing. Over 30+ years those two have been buddies. Their friendship has seen many different ups and downs, but they have always been there for each other. I remember early in our marriage how Hubby would stay up late, talking to his friend on the phone. I also remember times I would go to bed early when Brother was a baby, only to wake up for the next feeding to find hubby and his friend on the phone. (Just think of how much sleep I could have gotten if I formula fed since he was still up.)
Recently, their friendship has taken a change. The guys are both very busy with their jobs and hubby's friend has a new baby at home. So, their communication has been reduced to text messages, facebook, and brief phone calls during the commute to and from work. I hope this is just a phase in their friendship because my hubby needs to spend more time communicating with his friend. He needs to talk openly with the person who knows all about him. He needs to spend time with the friend who knows his past, present, and his future dreams -- and quite honestly, I'm not always the best person for all that talking. You know, guys need other guys. People who won't get all emotional on them when they just need to "talk it out." And friendship needs more than 120 character updates and brief phone calls.
I've been a bit introspective the past few days. It's been an interesting time for me. I've thought a lot about God - His will, His plan, and my purpose. I can't say I have any answers - in fact, I may have more questions than when I started. Do you have periods of your life where you just need to think it over? How do you make time for that? I get frustrated because I still have my wife and mom duties, and I feel like I'm unable to freely commit to "be still and know." Instead, I feel like I come to God and say, "Okay, I have a few minutes. Can you meet with me?" Or worse, I feel like my life is like a TV program, and I try to deal with God during the commercial breaks.
Not so productive!
I just feel like we need to have a long time visit and instead we just touch the highlights throughout the day. Just like hubby, I need to spend more time communicating with my Friend. I need to talk openly with The One who knows all about me. I need to spend time with The One who knows my past, present, and my future dreams. I need more than the brief times of prayer, meditation, or scripture reading (not all at once).
I'm working on it. I've taken more time the past week, and yet I still hunger for more.

It is a new place for me, but it feels good.

Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message)
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

To School

2009-08-20T10:06:00.003-05:00

See that smile? Brother was excited to try out his new school. Wanna know the sad part? That smile wasn't there when I picked him up. My heart is burdened because brother is not happy at his new school. I've spent the better part of the last 36 hours in prayer, begging God to give him a new friend at his new school, pleading that he will be happy in this new place. It is hard on this mom's heart. He is such a terrific kid! I think everyone should love him. Yet, he didn't have a good first day, and he even begged me to not make him go back today. This mom job isn't very fun today!

New Year, New Me

2009-08-19T11:44:00.003-05:00

Yesterday was my birthday. I am now 36 -- in the second half of this decade. For some reason, this was a difficult birthday for me. I guess I just obsess over the idea of being closer to 40. So, last night, I sat down and created a list of 101 things I'd like to do before my 40th birthday. This isn't really a "bucket list" because it has a different feel to me. It is more a list of goals and a "to-do" list for my life. Being the perfectionist that I am, it is hard for me to look at this list and not try to knock it out before my next birthday. I really had to challenge myself to think ahead and make some long-term goals. It was good for me.

Faith

Memorize 100 verses (That's a little more than 2 a month)
Adopt a Missionary family
See Sister be baptized
Worship freely without worrying about what others think
Plug into a teaching position (still praying about this one – as to where)
Participate in family mission trip
Establish “do-able” Bible study routine
Read through the entire Bible
Begin and maintain a prayer journal
Tithe regularly and have extra to give
Volunteer to help in church nursery and/or other ministry area as needed (once a month at most)
Join a Sunday School class or Bible study for personal growth – not for teaching others

Family

Teach my kids 100 verses – preferable the ones I learn
Go hiking with my family once a month without complaining
Stop what I’m doing when the kids need me
Read Bible stories together
Teach sister to swim
Have success in struggles with Brother
Go on ski trip
Record more family memories on blog
Finish the baby books
Take pictures/video of the kids at least once a week because they grow up too fast
Have family beach portrait taken
Spend more time with my grandmother before she is gone
Call my sister more often
Have date night with hubby at least once a month
Create chore charts for the kids
Re-establish allowance
Make plans for educating the children (private, public, or home)
Decide about a family pet (I’m still a firm NO!)

Home

De-clutter the garage
Find something to hang over the couch
Rid the house of all cardboard moving boxes
Create filing system for bills/receipts
Make a 2 week menu plan and STICK TO IT
Try two new recipes a month
Let Brother help more in the kitchen
Limit dining out to twice a week
Finish hanging pictures
De-clutter/decorate the Master Bedroom
Clean out and donate the clothes we never wear
Establish a family budget
Get out of debt
Come in under budget for 2 consecutive months
Set up monthly savings draft
Learn to garden
Get oriental rug cleaned
Have shower doors installed in Master bathroom
Bake treats for neighbors/co-workers/teachers monthly
Establish regular laundry day
Clean kitchen each evening
Paint the kids’ bedrooms
Reduce the number of toys in the playroom
Have company for dinner at least twice a month
Scan important documents (birth certificates, marriage license, etc) so we have digital copies

Personal

Cut back on Diet Coke
Eat breakfast everyday
Learn to run
Drink more water each day
Get to goal weight and STAY THERE!
Take a photography class
Learn Photoshop
Get facial
Color my hair to cover the new-found grey
Buy another pair of non-neutral shoes
Join a gym
Get a pedicure more than once a year
Participate in a Girls’ Night Out once a month – and even getaway every so often
Find a walking buddy
Start taking a multi-vitamin
Schedule dentist appointment
Schedule annual physical
Take medicine as prescribed
Join the choir
Reward myself without food
Be less of a wall flower and more confident of who I am

Fun

Go on cruise with hubby
Plan and budget for annual family vacation
Go to Disney
Spend at least one Saturday a month doing some family activity
Call or write old friends once a month
Go to Crater of Diamonds State Park
Go camping with the family
Regularly schedule playdates
Make time to read – one book per month
Finish Sister’s quilt
Implement “Game Nite” at our house
Go to college football game
Make time to sew
Have a reunion with my seminary gals
“Camp” under the Christmas tree once in December
Carve Jack-o-Lanterns
Visit “pick-your-own” fruit orchard

Simplify

Master clipping/using coupons
Use my crock-pot weekly
Get a family calendar – and use it
Organize my pantry
Get timer to limit computer time (for self and kids)
Keep some ready-made meals in freezer for “emergency”
Keep record of wants/wishes throughout year for Christmas shopping
Purge life/home of unnecessary things without guilt

I'll Tell the World that I'm a Christian

2009-08-16T23:34:00.010-05:00

Last Sunday, our family took a whirlwind trip to Mississippi to my hubby's home town. It is about a 400 mile drive round-trip. While we knew the trip would be an exhausting one, we were excited to make it, and even looked forward to it.

About a month ago, hubby made this drive by himself. He went home to visit with his grandfather. Pappaw is 87. He is in declining health, and my hubby wanted to visit with him. More importantly, God wanted my hubby to visit with Pappaw. You see, as long as I've been in the family (12+ years), people have verbally questioned Pappaw's salvation. Yet, they were always afraid of offending the family Patriarch. Well, about a month ago, God made it clear to my hubby that it was time to settle the questioning once and for all. So, out of obedience to God, and love for his Pappaw, Hubby paid a visit to Mississippi. I was still in Texas. I prayed diligently for my hubby while he traveled, and I asked the Lord to give him the right words to say and to give Pappaw a soft heart. The Lord answered our prayers. Pappaw was not at all offended by the conversation. He was in fact humbled and readily accepted the Lord into his life that Saturday afternoon.

At the time, Pappaw talked with Hubby about baptism. While he knew that baptism wasn't necessary for salvation, he wanted to make his decision public and follow in believer's baptism. He told hubby, "If I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do this all the way."

So, that is why our family made the trip to Mississippi.

Pappaw made his profession of faith public a few weeks back, walking the aisle of the church that his wife, Mammaw, has attended for 50+ years. It is the same church where hubby served as the church pianist during high school. It is also the same church where hubby got to baptize Pappaw last Sunday evening.

Pappaw is a frail man. He suffers from macular degeneration, COPD, and can only walk with the aid of a walker. The idea of him walking into a baptistry was a scary one. In fact, we had some family members call to ask us to try to talk Pappaw out of being baptized. They were afraid he would fall, or would become embarrassed by the help he needed to get in and out of the baptistry. But it was important to Pappaw. It did take a lot of work for him to be assisted up and into the baptistry. It did take a lot of time. It also required two additional helpers. But, in the end, he got to experience those baptismal waters wash over him - symbolizing his new life in Christ.

It spoke volumes to me about the powerful transformation that come when one accepts Christ as their Savior. You see, the "old" (meaning former) Pappaw would have been too proud to appear crippled in front of a group of people. And the "old" Pappaw would have scoffed at the idea of anyone climbing into the baptistry at the age of 87. But the "new" Pappaw wanted to follow his Lord to the fullest. The "new" Pappaw only had his sights on pleasing an audience of One -- not on the congregation of on-lookers. At 87, Pappaw doesn't have many more days to live for Christ on this earth, but it is clear that he intends to live each one in obedience. Christ has change the heart of this once hard man. It is so wonderful to witness

"Anyone who believes in Christ is a new creation. The old is gone! The new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17

If I had a Hammer

2009-08-13T22:42:00.005-05:00

So, before I begin. I have to say that I am the most untalented person when it comes to decorating my house. I watch a lot of HGTV, but never to say, "Hey, I'm gonna do that right now." Well, the new house has brought out a new side of me -- a person who likes to decorate and make things pretty. It is most likely because I have lived in the MOST GOD-AWFUL rent houses (not that I'm ungrateful or anything, just tellin' it like it is) in the last 2 places, so it is nice to get to do my own thing.

So, the new house has something we never had in Texas, floor vents for the AC.
These vents pose a dilemma for me because we people in the South love our AC. So, you cannot go and block these vents with anything like furniture. What's a girl to do when the "vent wall" is the only suitable location for the couch?

Well, I went searching for some inspiration and Thrifty Decor Chick had a great post about sofa tables that lead me to a WONDERFUL solution. The only problem was that I would have to create it myself -- from scratch. I've always admired people who could build, and I've always wanted to learn, but this is a totally new area for me (and I don't have a daddy who built anything either). So, I did the scariest thing first - I want to the lumber department of Lowe's. Talk about being clueless and feeling like I was in a foreign country. I survived. I bought wood, brackets, $1 spray paint, and peg board. (you will see why later). Then I came home and gathered my tools.

I then went about creating a sofa table. I connected the 1x2s to the 2x6s using the L-brackets. Then - to create ventilation for the floor vent - I used peg board for the tabletop. Genius! (It was hubby's idea).

So, I just nailed the pegboard to my tableframe -- all 8 feet of it. Love it!

Then, I stood the puppy up and spray painted the top and sides black. The inside won't ever be seen, so no need to use up all my paint.

Then, after it dried, I took it inside, placed some accessories on top, and Wah-lah. Beautiful sofa table that serves a duel purpose.

Unless you go snooping around to the back of the couch, you'd never know. Isn't it pretty?!?

I still may need to take some classes in arranging accessories, but I am pleased with the current result -- and I'm not sweating in my family room.

Somethin' New...

2009-08-11T16:49:00.004-05:00

You learn something new everyday. Wanna know what I learned today? Sure you do!

I learned that when your worn-out bra only has one clasp left, it is best to throw it away.

You see, I was just going to be working around the house today, so I figured, "No big deal."

Then, the Fed-Ex truck came and when I jumped up from my furniture building (this time a TV stand), BOING. The last remaining clasp snapped, and there went the support - faster than a floozie's bra at a frat house.

Needless to say, I didn't greet Mr. Fed-Ex at the door.

That's all I have for today.

Raindrops on Roses...

2009-08-10T15:05:00.002-05:00

Well, I sat down to do a short post about 10 little things that make me happy. Then I remembered by coincidence that it is the 10th. Mer isn't hosting her blog party this month (please say a special prayer for her today), but I thought I'd continue anyway.

Do you ever take the time to realize the little things that bring a big smile to your life? I know we are always quick to recognize the big blessings, but how about the small things that make life happy. Here is a brief list of things I've stopped to thank God for recently:

Afternoon showers -- Not rain showers (although those are nice, too), the kind where you don't have to rush to get ready for anything afterwards. You just get to sit around, wet hair and all, enjoying cleanliness.
Lingering at the table after the meal
Real, U.S. mail. The kind that is delivered by the mailman and is not a bill or advertisement.
Afternoon naps -- the kind where you wake up confused as to where you are and what day it is. (This one, not so recent, but I'm still happy at the thought of it.)
Laughter that makes your stomach hurt and your eyes cry.
Rainbows
Comfy chair and granny's quilts (and AC in the summertime)
Waking up before the alarm
Good, refreshing, shaved ice, sno-cones
Patio dining on warm (not hot) summer nights (add in some live music, and it is over the top!)

And a bonus one: Pajama day!

Do you have a blessed life? I know I do. What are some of your little smiles?

YES WE CAN!!

2009-08-08T12:42:00.004-05:00

It only took 10 hours over 3 days to complete this project. I have to say, it was completely worth it. I *heart* my new work station!!

I may be MIA for a while...

2009-08-04T12:54:00.005-05:00

Guess what came today?

That, my friends, is the wonderful, magical computer armoire that will transform from 2 flat boxes into this beauty:

It will just take a few short hours of my life, and hopefully some well-written instructions. Who am I kidding!?! I am the designated builder in my family, so we will see how much I love it this evening. I'll keep you posted.

Being Thankful...

2009-08-03T11:03:00.007-05:00

I have so much wonderful stuff to share, that I will definitely have to have more than one day of Gladitudes this week. I am truly blessed by God, and I want to share that joy with all of you.

I'm so in love with my new house! I will show pictures in the coming days of all the good stuff that I love. I'm thankful that most of the boxes will be eliminated by the end of the week and that things might be in order. HaHa! I'm also thankful that the furniture we ordered should be here this week because mindless TV just isn't as fun when you body hurts from lying on the hard floor.

I'm thankful for the sweet waitress at the Arkadelphia Cracker Barrel who made my son loudly proclaim, "I'm gonna love living here!" because of her strong southern accent and wonderful southern hospitality.

I'm thankful to be serving at a church where the staff wears suits on Sunday. Such apparel may be pricey, but I think if I am going to wear a dress, heals, and sometimes even don a pair of hose, then the least hubby should do is put on a tie. Plus, I have always had a thing for men in suits, so now I can gawk at my hubby at least once a week. (And can leave the bankers alone.)

I'm thankful for the loving church members who have brought us food for the past few weeks. It is nice to have some home-cooked meals without all the work on my part. Of course, they have also provided an immeasurable amount of sugar and calories that I could have done without. I'm still very thankful!!

I"m thankful that the puppies for sale on the side of the road were $800 - a price that quickly snapped hubby back into reality. I do not know who temporarily overtook his allergy stricken, dog forbiddin' body, but I'm glad I don't have a new critter to take care of. (Yes, I know that ends in a preposition, but I don't want to go back and fix it.)

I'm thankful for Brother's proud proclamation that he will be a music minister when he grows up. His logic is priceless: "Because I love God, and I love music. That way I can spend my life doing what I love." I am, of course, very prayful, too, because I know ministry isn't always a bed of roses.

I'm so very thankful that we found a good Mexican Food restaurant in North Little Rock because our family just cannot live without good salsa, fajitas, and enchiladas. I have to admit that we were a bit nervous after a miserable experience at another "Mexican food restaurant" in Arkansas. I'm also laughing that Brother commented, "It is good for Ark-Mex." (Instead of Tex-Mex)

I'm thankful that brother has already made some new friends in the church, and that he seems more relaxed now that we are here and is getting settled into our new place. I'm thankful that God answered my prayer by putting some boys in our neighborhood for brother.

I'm thankful for unlimited long distance on my home phone so I can stay in touch with my dear friends in Texas. I'm glad I didn't try to rely on my cell phone for said phone calls since my house is an AT&T dead zone.

Most of all, I'm thankful to have my family together again and my hubby gainfully employed. I have a new respect for those who have been laid-off from their jobs. It was not a easy time for our family, but I know it was a time for God to teach us some valuable lessons. I also have a new respect for single-parents, army wives, and women who have husbands who travel frequently with their jobs. I am a spoiled woman! My family just operates better, and I require far less medication, when my family is all living under the same roof. My kids need their daddy, and I need my hubby.

As I mentioned, my heart is just full of all the blessings from God. He has been so good to me!

You will pass through deep waters.
But I will be with you.
You will pass through the rivers.
But their waters will not sweep over you.
You will walk through fire.
But you will not be burned.
The flames will not harm you.
I am the Lord your God.
I am the Holy One of Israel.
I am the one who saves you.
Isaiah 43:2-3

Sharing Jesus

2009-07-30T10:55:00.003-05:00

I had an unusual opportunity to share Jesus the other day. The kids and I went to a local store to see about a new dress for me. (I know -- what a treat!) Believe it or not, I found 2 that I liked - along with a pair of capris and a shirt.

Well, when we went to check out, the man at the register hung my items on a hook by the cash register. Unknown to us, when he bagged the items, he mistakenly bagged 2 additional capri pants that had been left on the hook. We didn't realize his mistake until we got home and unpacked the bag.

So, I had to take the 2 other pants back to the store. The decision to take these pants back was a no-brainer. They weren't mine to keep. I knew the store would want them back. I knew it was the right thing to do. I did, however, wonder if they would believe my story.

So, a few days later, I loaded the kids into the car and returned to the store, pants in hand. Was it convenient for me? No! I really didn't have the time to go to the outlet mall again. Remember, I was in the middle of a move. But, it was the right thing to do. When I explained to the man (luckily the same one) what had happened, you would have thought that I had slapped him. He was genuinely shocked that I returned with the pants. When I explained that it was the right thing to do and that they weren't mine to have, he just commented that most people wouldn't be so honest. I guess he's right. So, I got the opportunity to tell him that as a follower of Christ, I believe that I have to "do the right thing" at all times.

He wanted to give me something for my kindness (like a coupon/gift card), but I refused. I don't need a reward for doing the right thing. My reward was getting to share Christ, knowing that I was obedient even in the smallest thing.

Officially an Arkie?!?

2009-07-28T13:58:00.003-05:00

Hi friends. I would like to sincerely apologize to all those affected by my lack of blogging as of late. I am sure you all have been stressed out, unable to eat, and incapable of functioning at work. Be sad no longer, my dears. Here I am :) Let me be the first to say that I missed the Internet more than anything!! Who knew it would take a week to get phone, Internet, and TV at the new place. PSA - If you are moving, schedule your phone, Internet, and cable hook-up RIGHT NOW! For some reason, they are booked a week or two in advance.

I have so much I want to put down here! I have a LONG list of lots of good things that are happening in AR and cute things that the kids have said. But, I have to first tell you that I am EXHAUSTED! I feel like we have gone non-stop for the past 10-14 days. It is amazing that I can even get these fingers to cooperate with this keyboard. My mom left this morning, and I was to get a long nap this afternoon, but the guy showed up to put together the swing set. So, no nap for me. :-( I'm very bummed by it.

The new house is WONDERFUL! I was so worried that we would not find a good place after the first house fell through. But, I have to say that God has taken extreme care of us, and He only blocked the other house, so we could have better. I love my new house. Mom and I worked and unpacked all the boxes except for the master bedroom. It is nice to have everything in its new place. I have 2 rooms that need some new furniture, and then I will have the fun of decorating the house. IT will be a long term project - mostly because of budgeting, but it will be nice to put my hand on it.

So, I promise to be back with lots of info - and some pictures for those interested. But first, I have to catch up on FB and blogs.

God's Promise Kept

2009-07-22T06:36:00.003-05:00

I am up early this morning, so I decided to take advantage of the Wi-Fi at the mission house. The movers will be here in a few hours to unload our worldly goods. I have to admit I was a bit sad to leave the old house. It was the place we brought baby girl home and the only place she's lived. It was a good home for us and Plano was good to us, too.

As I traveled eastward to my new home, I had 5 hours to think and reflect on all God has done in the past few months. I've always known that He has walked this journey of unemployment with us. I can honestly say that I would not had made it if I hadn't had Him with us. In the midst of all the uncertainty, I always had a deep seeded peace that He was over this and carrying out His plan. There were definitely times I wanted to rush His time frame, but I never felt alone. God is so faithful!

So, somewhere between Plano and North Little Rock, I received a great gift from God. I rounded a curve in the road and there before me was a HUGE, beautiful rainbow. It stretched from one side of the highway to the other. It was beautiful. I immediately began crying. What a great reminder to me of God's faithfulness. It was as if God was saying, "See, I always keep my promises." God promises that He will never leave nor forsake us. He promises that He has a plan and is at work to bring it to fruition in my life. He promises to give us good and perfect gifts. He promises that all things work together for good. I know He keeps His promises, and I am so thankful!

And then, because God likes to show off, I was blessed with another rainbow. Right as I drove into NLR to the new house. The picture above was taken from our new front porch by my hubby. (He's the one with a fancy phone that can take pictures). Another rainbow that reminds me that God will continue to walk this journey with me. He had brought me to my personal "promise land" and I will dwell in this land with Him. I'm so grateful for His guidance over the past months, and I pray that the lessons I have learned will continue to bless me and make me a better person for Him.

You Take the Good, You take the bad ...

2009-07-20T06:54:00.005-05:00

... The Facts of Life

Well, this is the day. The packers are coming today. That means my endless hours of purging and preparing have come to an end, and I am one step closer to being a complete family unit again. YIPPEE!

It also means that my mother is here. I was near crazy within the first hour of her arrival. It seems that I didn't clean enough for the packers. I will get over this (or at least through it). I will never measure up to her expectations. Should I yell and scream, telling her how I've juggled moving details with single parenting and how that isn't all too easy? No, I will just let her do her thing and know that I will be with my dear husband tomorrow night. This too shall pass.

It also means that I will be losing my internet and computer by this evening. We are all set to be FANCY in the new diggs - with the new AT&T U-VERSE. However, they cannot come out and install it for a week. It will be sad living as a pioneer without TV, Phone, and computer for a whole week, but at least we will have lights and running water.

So, as they say in the trucking world, "Catch you on the flip-flop." I will be back with great tales and adventures.

Imagine All the People...

2009-07-13T09:43:00.006-05:00

Did you have an imaginary friend when you were growing up? Do you still have one? How about your kids - do they have an imaginary friend?

My favorite stories from my hubby's childhood involve his imaginary friend - Donny. Donny was his special friend, and he drove a green pick-up. On occasion, people weren't allow to sit in certain chairs in the house because they were occupied by Donny. Once, my mother-in-law was scolded for putting the catchup on the table and blocking Donny's view.

When brother was younger, he had an entire imaginary posse. Brother has always been into police and fire. So, his imaginary friends were Rupsy and Kipsy - both policemen who also fought fires - and Rootbeer - their dog helper. Brother would play outside in the front yard, chasing down criminals with his posse. He would talk on the imaginary walkie-talkie to Rupsy and Kipsy, always saving the day. I'm sure the neighbors had plenty of conversations about the strange red headed boy who always dressed in rain boots, wore a baby monitor on his belt, and ran around talking to himself. Oh well! One of my favorite stories about Rupsy and Kipsy was when my mother-in-law was talking to Brother on the phone one day. She asked how Rupsy and Kipsy were and what they had been up to. Brother rolled his eyes and declared, "Nana, you know they are PRETEND!"

Well, now 5 years later, it seems that Sister is to follow in the family tradition. I'm starting to believe I am the abnormal one since I never had an imaginary friend. Like Brother, Sister has an imaginary dog friend, Bella. Maybe I should feel guilty and get these kids a pet, but the imaginary ones are so much easier. Sister doesn't really dress up to play with her dog friend, but she does her fair share of talking and barking. The other day we were driving in the car and Sister announced, "I have a new friend." When I asked for more detail, I realized that her new friend was imaginary -- Alan. I haven't learned much about Alan, but I'm sure he will be great company as we proceed in this journey of life.

Week in Review = Weak in Content

2009-07-11T16:24:00.000-05:00

Have you had one of those weeks where you have been so busy, but you haven't really accomplished much? Yeah, that has been my week. So, for those of you interested:

Sunday was hubby's first day at the new church-place. We went to NLR of the weekend to house hunt (again) and prepare for the first Sunday. I cannot put into word how much I LOVE our new church. As I mentioned before, it is just what my heart wanted. Since attending the services, I have come to realize that it has even more. One thing that makes me happy is that it is a "suit church." I just love to see men in suits, especially when one is my hubby. It thrills me that it will be at least a once weekly occurrence. (Be still my heart) At one point during the service, I was crying - for 2 reasons (1) because not only was it our first Sunday, but it was also July 4th Sunday. I love me a patriotic service - probably more than Christmas - so my heart was happy and (2) because I just cannot believe God's goodness to my family in giving us this incredible church family. Okay, I could gush on and on, so I will move on...

Monday was spent trying to get established in our new town. We opened a checking account and house hunted. We looked at 4 properties. We found one that we really liked and put in an offer. The rest of the evening/night was spent waiting to hear back from the sellers. We also toured the local Wal-Mart and got supplies for hubby to live alone for a few weeks.

Tuesday we heard back from the seller -- offer denied. UGH! I was loading the car, getting ready to return to Texas, but now we needed to find a place to live. One that we had previously looked at had it's current contract fall through. So, we went to look at it, liked it, and submitted an offer. Third time's a charm, right? It is a good house in the neighborhood that we wanted, so it is a winner situation for us. I then got in the car to drive with the kids to Texas. An hour into the drive, hubby called. Our offer was accepted without any counter. YEAH we will have a place to live.

During the drive home, I also had a scary experience at a gas station when Brother went into the bathroom and a strange man followed him. For a split second, I thought about going in there, too, but brother emerged safely from the bathroom. The man freaked him out, too, so he didn't stay in there. On, how I wish I had a hubby with me. The single parenting is DIFFICULT!

Wednesday was a day spent at home, recovering from the trip. I let the kids watch TV all day long (did I mention where we stayed in NLR this weekend didn't have cable, therefore, no real TV to be watched?) I have so much to do to get ready for the big move. The swing set guy came and dismantled ours for the big move. I'm so glad with get to take the big thing to our new home.

Thursday and Friday were both spent running errands around town. We had bought some furniture for the sunroom in the house that we ended up not buying. So, I had to return the chairs to Ikea and some other stuff to Target. Then we did some other returns and bought some new stuff for the new house. I promised Brother a final trip to the Lego store, so we went to the mall on Friday.

Once again, I was so empathic to single parents. Just as we sat down to eat, sister announced that she had to go to the bathroom. What to do? Do we leave the food on the table and all go to the bathroom? Do we leave Brother at the table alone to guard our spot and food? UGH! In the end, I told Sister to eat fast, and we'd go when we were done eating.

Today (Saturday) it is hotter than blue blazes, so we are staying indoors. I did work to clean some more stuff from the garage early this morning. We placed our first visit to RED BOX last night, so we are going to watch some movies and stay in comfy clothes all day. It is free slurpee day at 7-11, so we may venture out to get our freebies.

I'm tired. I realize how spoiled I am to have a wonderful hubby who is very involved in our kids' lives. There is an incredible emptiness when he isn't here. I also realize how lucky I am that he doesn't travel much with his job - and if and when he does, we are usually able to travel with him. This 2 weeks will be the longest we have ever spent apart since we were married. It is crazy busy, but it is something else, too. I cannot even put a word on it -- not lonely, not scary, not even quiet. It is different, and I'm ready to be back to normal. (However crazy that is.)

Wherever He leads...

2009-07-07T10:54:00.004-05:00

I am a house girl. I love houses. I love looking at houses, dreaming of houses, and drawing floor plans. I am the kid who would wander through the houses while they were being built in my neighborhood, dreaming of my own home one day. I am the girl who will forgo a Sunday nap to wander through the open houses on Sunday afternoon. But recently, houses have become like chocolate --too much of a good thing can make you sick. And maybe it is that I'm not partaking of the finest of houses, only that which I can afford. (Which isn't as much as I would like).

We are house hunting. It is a tedious process. We have fallen in love with one, only to lose it because the seller didn't disclose the $10,000 repairs that were needed. We then spent another 2 days looking. We found another that we loved -- maybe even more than the first -- put in an offer, only to go back and forth with no accepted offer. I'm tired of looking at houses. I'm ready to have a home. I ready to pack up my stuff and move to this new state and begin my new life.

I have spent a lot of 2009 waiting. I'm not a good wait-er. I never have been. I want the lines to move quickly. I want the traffic to part before me. I want to know the next step - NOW. God has a great sense of humor. And I guess he decided that it was my turn to learn about waiting. So, I cling to Psalm 37. It has become the psalm of waiting.

Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun. Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when men succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil ... Wait for the LORD and keep his way. He will exalt you to inherit the land. Psalm 37:3-7, 34

My "good friend" Oswald Chambers reminds me that God intends for us to "work where He sends us to wait." So, I will. I will go about God's business until He reveals to me a new place of business. I will trust Him to take care of the housing details. I will believe that He knows my wish list for houses -- just like He knew my wish list for churches. I will not be homeless. I just might not be in control, either.

Terrible,Horrible,No-Good,Very Bad Day

2009-07-03T09:06:00.003-05:00

I'm not in a very good mood. I try not to blog when I feel this way - I mean, who needs a downer? But since I couldn't sleep, I thought I'd chat with y'all. I'm not going to ramble about the drama behind the house we were to buy, or how dishonesty just get under my skin. No, I'm not going to list all the reasons I have to go back to NLR and house hunt. I'm not even going to let you know that I learned there are worse things than unemployment - homelessness. Instead, I'm going to tell you the wide variety of things I do when I can't sleep.

Have you every suffered from insomnia? Maybe it technically isn't insomnia - only that you cannot turn your brain off enough to go to sleep. I am usually one who can go to sleep pretty quickly. So, when I can't, it makes me CRAZY! So, here are some different things I do.

Pray. I know that you aren't supposed to fall asleep during your prayers, but when I can't sleep, the first thing I do is talk with God about it. I ask him to give me peace and allow me to drift off.
Quote Scripture. I try to remember all the verses that I have memorized over the years. I just think this is more of a challenge than counting sheep (and I don't like animals in my house), and it does successfully re-direct my brain.
Tense and relax. Starting with my head and working down to my feet, I tense my muscles, then allow them to relax. It feels good - even if it doesn't work.
Blog. I am always writing stuff in my head. Unfortunately, they always sound better in my head and I forget what to say the next day at the computer. I really need to write those great, brilliant thoughts down. Then you, dear readers, would have some brilliant things to read.
Give myself a deadline. I think of something that needs to be done around the house. Then I tell myself, "If I get to ___ time and still haven't fallen to sleep, I will get up and do that thing." Last night, it was, "If I get to 4:30a, I will get up and fold laundry."

There you have it! A short, bulleted list. Now I have to go fold laundry.

Treasure to Trash

2009-06-30T21:29:00.002-05:00

When I was 2 years old, my family moved from Texas to Omaha, Nebraska. It was my second move in Air Force life (the first was when I was 4 months old), but it was the first move where I was semi-aware of what was happening. Like a well-trained military wife, my mother had gone through the house and collected all the things we would need for our long haul move and safely closed the items in a bathroom, telling the movers that room was off limits. Among her stored possessions were my bazillion-and-one pacifiers. I, however, didn't know that there was a safe room for our treasures. So, when the truck closed up and pulled off down the street, I ran after it, crying for my beloved pacifiers. My loving daddy, in all his wisdom, turned to my mom at that point and said, "If she thinks they are on the truck, then we will let her believe they are on the truck." Less than a week later, when the truck pulled up outside our new home, I had forgotten all about the pacifiers and never asked for one again.

I think of this story as I contemplate our upcoming move. You see, there are LOTS of things that I wouldn't mind if they didn't make it to our final destination. My kids (and my hubby) have plenty of stuff. They have so much stuff, that they wouldn't notice anything missing for a long while. My kids have so much stuff, they wouldn't be able to take a proper inventory to see if every ~~piece of junk~~ precious treasure makes it to Arkansas. So, as I purge through the closets, drawers, and garage, I think of my daddy's wisdom and my dear mother's patience. If they can put up with a crabby toddler who cried for her pacifier, then surly I can stand up to the emotions that surface if and when a ~~happy meal toy~~ forgotten treasure is discovered to be missing.

It's Always Something

2009-06-26T10:44:00.003-05:00

When you have 2 very verbal kids - meaning that they talk ALL.THE.TIME - you are bound to have many opportunities for laughs. Oh, and Hubby is always chiming in with his own wise cracks. Here are a few of the highlights from the past few days.

Yesterday we made a quick round-trip to NLR for the home inspection. Brother got to spend the night with a friend, but sister had to endure the 10 hours in the car - along with the 4 hour home inspection and mama measuring all the rooms and taking photos. On the way home, she cracked us up when she proudly claimed, "I see Mr. Moon. I'm so glad Mr. Moon came out tonight. Now we can howl! HOOOOWWWWWLLLLLLLL!" She reminded me of the wild things in the book "Where the Wild Things Are."
In NLR, they have a large sign, proudly marking "THE BAPTIST BREAST CENTER." Now, we all know that it is an affiliate of Baptist Hospital. When Brother saw the sign, he was appalled. Then Hubby had to add, "It's a place like Hooters, only it is covered-dish."
During the same conversation about the Breast Center, sister loudly proclaimed, "I don't want people looking at my breasts." I'm not sure if she thought we were going to New Orleans instead of NLR, but were proud of her proclamation all the same.
We have been talking about getting new furniture for our family room once we move, only hubby and I are in disagreement about what to get. I want to get a leather sectional sofa, but he doesn't like a sectional. The other day, Brother chimed in on the conversation says, "Daddy, Mommy wants a sexual sofa. She really likes the look and feel of the sexual sofa." We, of course, didn't correct him because we were laughing too much. Hubby later told me, "Well, if you had told me that you wanted a sexual sofa, I would have been in all kinds of agreement."

Okay, so now that I've typed this, I see that our humor is mostly inappropriate. Oh well, that is our family. Sorry if it shattered any images for you. :) Hope you at least got a laugh.

P.S. Remember the brief mention of Hubby's scene at Macy's? Well that scene was followed up with a formal letter of complaint sent to the corporate headquarters. They were might prompt in their response, and they are sending us a gift card as a sign of their sincerest apologies. I think Ms. Grouch got a stern talking to.

Don't Mess with Texas

2009-06-24T22:56:00.002-05:00

You know what is worse than a dirty/messy house?

Cleaning for the maid.

Why do we as women do this to ourselves?

Okay, so I'm not really cleaning for the maid - although I have been know to partake in such activity. Not that I have a regular maid service, but each year for my birthday, we pay to have someone come in and clean the house from top to bottom. You know, it gives me a week to put my feet up and enjoy getting older.

So, I have found an activity equally as bad as cleaning for the maid -- unpacking for the packers. You see, we have about 20 10 boxes in the garage that haven't been emptied in the 3.5 years that we have lived here. So, because I'm just so sure that I might throw away a treasure that has been stored away in a old box for 3+ years, I've spent the day going through the boxes, throwing out what I really don't want and putting in a safe place anything that I want to be put into a new box and taken to our new location.

Insane!

And the terrible thing is that I need to do the same purging/organizing in every room! AUGH! Why do we have so ~~much junk~~ many treasures?

Wordless Wednesday

2009-06-24T00:22:00.001-05:00

Thought I'd share this video of my favorite pianist.

First Comes Love ... Then Comes Marriage

2009-06-22T10:27:00.007-05:00

Well, I'm back. And I'm here to tell y'all how GREAT God is. The scripture says that the Lord works in mysterious ways, and I am certain that is very true. He has a plan and only shows His way - in His time. It has been a process, but I am so excited to tell you dear readers that we have job! We have spent the past few days meeting, greeting, and as all good Baptist folks, eating. I'm so excited to know that Hubby has a FANTASTIC new ministry position. But first, I want to fill in some of the blanks...

When I started this blog thing, I was a discouraged minister's wife. I was looking for a message board or some sort of Yahoo group where I could "chat" with other women who lived in this fish bowl life. When I couldn't find what I was looking for, I decided to write about my own experiences. I am NOT a writer. In school, I would always opt for the standardized test rather than the essay. So, the idea of blogging was a bit scary - and I was unsure of the whole process. I am, however, a journal keeper. So, I just told myself that I had to write my thoughts and feelings as I would in a journal -- unconcerned about the audience.

So, I started my blog. I blog anonymously. I will even confess that my name isn't even Stephanie. My hubby requested that I use a pseudonym to protect the ~~guilty~~ innocent. My friends and family do not know about my blog -- well hubby does, but does that really count?

Then, unemployment happened. Blogging was no longer about the church, but it became a way for me to express my thought and feelings as I sought God during one of the most difficult trials of my life. As I kept writing, I also began reading other blogs. You know how it happens - one click here, then another click there, and before you know it, you are reading a blog that could have been written by you, but the words instead belong to another woman whom you have never met.

Well, that was what happened to me. Through a series of clicks, I wound up in a blog circle of women who knew each other IRL. I was the outsider. When I first read the blogs, they would mention their college - OBU. Well, I just filled in the blanks with my own background and assumed they were from Oklahoma Baptist University - being from Texas, that is the OBU I hear about. As I read more, I came to learn that the OBU was actually Ouachita Baptist and that these women, although they were now spread out across the states, were from Arkansas.

So, do you see where this is going? Back in March, Hubby was contacted by the one. We knew immediately that it was the position we had always hoped and prayed for. I told you earlier how it met my wish list. What I couldn't tell you until now is that we are moving to The Natural State! Hubby's new job is in North Little Rock - and let me tell you - it is so beautiful there! I just love the trees and the hills.

The funny thing is that when we were meeting with the folks these past few weeks, they would always ask, "Do you know anyone, or have any connection to Arkansas?" I never really knew how to answer that question. Would these people understand if I told them that I knew some incredible women from Arkansas, but I only knew them through blogland? Would they understand that God had already given me a love and appreciation for this state because of the random clicks of my computer mouse?

The LORD has been at work in my life - long before I even knew it. He has been preparing the way for me. He has been leading us to Arkansas, but He had to wait until the right time to reveal His plan. Leaving Texas is a difficult decision for me - I have lived here for over 20 years. God know my heart, so He gave me a connection to my new place so I would feel at ease during this transition. I've always claimed, "Wherever He leads, I'll go." I'm very excited to follow Him down this new path! I could go on and on about all the GREAT things He has done, but I am weary from all the weekend activities. I will have to catch you up in the next few days.

Sleep Tight! Don't Let the Grouch Bugs Bite

2009-06-15T23:35:00.010-05:00

I've been absent from the computer/blogging for a few days - partly by choice, partly because of my crazy-busy schedule and lack of interesting material. I've spent most of the weekend browsing online for Brother some new bedding for his room. When Hubby and I were in NYC, we saw this bedding in Macy's. It was love at first sight for Sister's "big girl room". (For those interested: Tommy Hilfiger - Rooftop Terrace)I totally love it. It is girly, but not too pink. I did NOT buy it in NYC, but I did set my heart on it. So, when it went on sale a few weeks ago, I ordered it. The buying process was quite dramatic and involved a half-dozen visits to the local store, a brush with the grouchiest sales snob I've ever encountered, and an online order to avoid giving the sale to afore mentioned grouch. Plus, the online prices were cheaper than the store prices and there was free shipping. As we said in the 80's - DUH!

Since it came in a few weeks ago, Brother decided that he was tired of his room and needed a re-do. I can't say that I blame him. He has lived in my "fantasy boy" room for 5 years. You see, when I was trying to get pregnant, I committed my future son to the blue Polo Bears bedding by Ralph Lauren. (Forgive the auction stamp - it was the best I could do.)

I love the preppy polo bears, but Brother - not so much! He declared that his room re-do was to be done by his choosing, and the bedding was to be "mature" and not in a theme. Do you know how difficult it is to find decent boy bedding that isn't a theme? Either the bedding makers think boys don't make their beds (which may be true) so bedding isn't important, or they believe that all boys are Peter Pan and don't grow up. I could buy tons of stuff if Brother wanted sports, super heros, cars, trucks, trains, or animals.

Well, I am happy to announce that Brother has made a choice -- and it was ON SALE! Once we move, his new room (which will have painted walls - since we've used the renting excuse to avoid any color commitment thus far) will have this bedding. (Tommy Hilfiger - Clayton)

I really love it! It is a bold choice for Brother. Until March of this year, he had totally sworn off anything plaid - which greatly upset his mother. He has now come to appreciate the Scottish wonder fabric, and likes that this fabric has lots of colors. I think it will be something that he can work with for a long while. Since our money tree died, we didn't buy the coordinating sheets, he will just have navy blue from Wally World - unless of course, he follows his mother's lead and wants orange. (BRIGHT ORANGE was my favorite color as a child. I had an orange wagon, desk, and rocking chair.)

Tonight's purchase did involve some drama, 2 different Macy's, and another brush with The Grouch. Hubby made quite a scene - which for those who know him can only imagine it. In the end, he snatched the bedding from The Grouch, told her he wouldn't be giving her the sale, and marched himself - with me and the kids in tow - to another cash register. He was right in principal, but I was so embarrassed - not that we have plans to mingle with her ever again.

So, that is the bedtime story for tonight. Now we just need to find a house, pack up, and get these kiddos settled into their new rooms.

Like the Pros

2009-06-11T22:19:00.002-05:00

Today I learned a ~~useless talent~~ new skill. See what it is?

I was so ~~jealous~~ impressed by all you bloggers who use the strikethrough tool in your blog to ~~make your post longer~~ add humor. So while I was ~~procrastinating~~ cleaning the study I took the time to do some research of my own. Now I can stikethrough like the best of you. I do have to say that the process ~~is a bit tedious~~ takes no effort at all. I'm not quite certain how often I will be using my new skill ~~if ever again~~. But for today, I am pretty impressed with myself.

That all you get for today. Aren't you glad you stopped by?

10 on the Tenth - Texas Style

2009-06-09T22:59:00.013-05:00

It's that time again. Time to join Meredith for her month blog party at life at 7000 feet. Today I am thinking ahead to our future job and realizing that I will be leaving this wonderful state that I have called home for 25 years. So, for this month, without sounding like a representative from the travel and tourism board, I present to you 10 things I LOVE about TEXAS!

1. Schlitterbahn - This watery wonderland of Central Texas is the best water park in the entire universe! It is filled with fun slides, tube rides, and an uphill water coaster.

2. Blue Bell Ice Cream - I am a food snob when it comes to ice cream. I will only eat Blue Bell. It is simply the best!

3. Mexican Food - It is my favorite food. Hubby could eat it every day. When we were on vacation last year - out of state - we ate at the Mexican restaurant voted "Best of" by the state newspaper. I cannot begin to describe how disappointed we were. Brother still groans about it. I'm convinced we will have to return to Texas for good Mexican food - or learn to make it at home.

4. Dr. Pepper - Now I know you can get Dr. Pepper anywhere, but only in Texas - Dublin, Texas - can you get the real Dr. Pepper - made with Imperial Cane Sugar instead of corn syrup. It is TASTY!

5. Canton Trade Days - Hubby would call it the world's largest junk pile. To me, it is decorator heaven. I can always find treasures for the house, for gifts, etc. in Canton.

6. Barbecue - Now, like the Mexican food, I know I can get barbecue in other places, but there is something about the slow-cooked, smokey flavor of good Texas brisket. YUMMY! Outside Austin, there is one restaurant - The Salt Lick - where you leave the restaurant smelling like a campfire because they cook the meat right there. It is soooooo good.

7. Bluebonnets - Every spring Texas comes alive with the wildflowers. It is my very favorite time of the year - and the best photo op for the kiddos.

8. Football - Football is BIG in Texas, and there is nothing like sitting in a large stadium, cheering on your favorite Big 12 team. To me, it is the official announcement of fall - even if you are sweating in the Texas heat.

9. The State Fair - They say everything is bigger in Texas, and that holds true for the Texas State Fair. It is a huge event each fall - they even give the kids a day off of school and free tickets to attend.

10. The final thing on my list is simple - I love the shape of Texas. It is unique, and there is something about it that makes people love it. I'm pretty sure that not many other people put there state outline in lights on their house at Christmas, but Texans do so with pride. You can buy almost anything with the shape of Texas, including ice trays for Texas shaped ice cubes

and waffles.

You gotta love it!!

We're Engaged!!!

2009-06-08T21:13:00.010-05:00

So, I have started this post a ba-zillion times - only to go back, delete, and start again. I cannot even begin to put into words how I feel about our job search and potential new place of service. I guess it is because I cannot begin to fully express the roller coaster that we have ridden throughout this whole unemployment process. It has been a journey full of high highs and very low lows - days where all I could cling to was Romans 8:28, forcing myself to believe that God would work this for good.

And then, I also have a ton of crazy emotions because I cannot really believe that God has blessed us in such an incredible way. I sit back in awe that God would really be this good to me. Why don't I see that He wants to give it to me? I have to remind myself of Matthew 7:11 "If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!" All I have to do is gratefully receive.

A month ago, I compared our job hunting to dating. So, I guess the post last week was a brief announcement that we were ring shopping. We knew both parties were interested, but the relationship hadn't been made public. Well, as of Sunday, we are engaged. It has been made known to the world that this church likes us and intends to bring us onto their church staff -- we just need to get past the church vote. (Which I don't foresee to be a big problem)

When you were single, did you make a list of all the qualities you wanted for in your future mate? I sure did! Well, I did the same thing for our job hunt. I am a list girl, and I like to have written down what I am specifically praying for. The most amazing thing is that as I go through that list, this new church seems to have everything I have hoped and prayed for - and let me tell you, some of them are pretty specific!

So, just so you can see how great my God really is, I want to share with you some of my list. Please understand that these are my personal opinions. They are not scientifically accurate, but God knew my heart and He provided what I needed. (Sorry if it creates a book, but I want to record it all)

Good Music Program - We are a musical family. I enjoy singing in the choir, and the kids both enjoy music. So, I wanted a church that had a good children's choir program that would allow them the opportunity to grow their music appreciation. Not only does this church have good choirs, but it also has a fine art program so Brother can take guitar lessons, too.

No Children’s Church - I know I'm in the minority in this, but I truly love worshiping as a family. Brother has attended services with us since he was 4, and I intend for Sister to do the same. I was praying for a church that would not offer a separate service for children because it just creates conflict for my family, when I want my children to be with us.

Pastor who has only served as a Pastor - I have a great love and respect for the man who served as my pastor when I was growing up. In my mind, I think what made him such a great pastor was that it was his true, complete calling. He never served in any other position, and He was committed to his "flock." Now, I know that other men have served in other positions and then been called into the Pastoral position, and I'm not meaning to slight them. I just wanted someone who had only Pastored - and God gave that to me.

Food Services Person - I told you some of these were weird. I wanted to attend a church where they had regular Wednesday night meals. I just need that break in the middle of my week. I remember when Brother was a baby, we attended a church that had Wednesday meals. On some days, the countdown until 5:15 when we could leave for Wednesday church was the only thing that got me over the hump of hump day. I need that in my week.

Staff of 6+ - You know, the Bible says to pray specifically, and this was specific. Hubby is not a Senior Pastor, nor is he a Youth or Music Pastor. He is the next guy on the staff. Throughout our marriage, he has served every combo of positions - education/counseling; education/children; education/discipleship/outreach; etc. So, I prayed that God would put us in a church that had a large enough staff (6 or more) that his job responsibilities would be more specific to his gifts, talents, and calling. At our new church, he will be one of eight! God is so generous!!

One Sunday School - I didn't want to serve in a church so large that my family would feel divided - especially as Brother reaches youth group age. So, I wanted just one Sunday School hour because in my heart it creates unity -- in both the family and in the church.

Personal Secretary for Hubby - Hubby is a busy man and very detail oriented when it comes to his job. He needs someone to come alongside him and help with the email, mail outs, Sunday School records, outreach assignments, etc. Once again, God showed off here because Hubby now has 3 women who will help him in his ministry area.

City Location - This was probably the biggest on my list. I am a city girl. I like the city things like restaurants, shopping, movies, health care, etc. We have served in some small towns, and while they were most definitely the place God put us at the time, they were not always easy for me. As we most all know, there are lots of small southern towns with Baptist churches. I just really prayed for a metro location - and I got it.

Similar Goals/Values - This one is pretty self-explanatory. I really prayed for a staff situation that felt like an extension of our family. After all, Hubby will spend most of his time away from us with the staff. I cannot begin to express that camaraderie that exist among the men and women of this church staff. When we met them for dinner the other night, we could have stayed and visited until the restaurant closed. It was immediate family.

Outside Referral - This was sort-of the "fleece." I prayed that God would provide a job for us that we didn't go searching for. This church was the only church Hubby interviewed with that did NOT receive a resume from him or from someone we know. Instead, a friend of Hubby's forwarded the resume to one of his friends. That friend, then forwarded Hubby's resume to the pastor. It was a total God thing!!

So, there you have it. My list of God at work. I wish I could sit down with each of you and tell you all the little signs that God provided along the journey. When Hubby and I went to bed the other night, we counted how many churches he spoke with that were not the right fit for us. We counted 8. Eight churches that were put along our path that were not the one God was offering for us.

So, I will wrap this up with a few more scriptures that I have clung to during this process:

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." Psalm 32:8
"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD." Psalm 27:13-14
"We are pushed hard from all sides. But we are not beaten down. We are bewildered. But that doesn't make us lose hope. Others make us suffer. But God does not desert us. We are knocked down. But we are not knocked out." 2 Cor 4:8-9

Gladitudes - Welcome Summer!

2009-06-08T09:38:00.004-05:00

I'm joining in Gretchen's gratitude party this week. Her weekly posts really bring a smile to my face, so I'm going to share the joy.

I'm so glad it is finally summer so hubby and I no longer have to "discuss" who is driving carpool in the mornings and I no longer have to make a lunch at ungodly morning hours.
I'm glad that is it 9:30 here and Sister is still asleep. My day is so much better when I can get some stuff done before she wakes. (Of course, I have to add that I jinxed myself. She started crying in her bed before I even got done with this bullet point.)
I'm glad that Brother got up at 7 am and entertained himself without waking me.
I'm over-the-top glad that Hubby has a wonderful job prospect. If all goes as planned, we will be relocating at the end of the month.
I'm glad that I got to celebrate the 4th anniversary with a special church family yesterday. I just love the people at CNBC and to celebrate their 4th anniversary in their new building was FANTASTIC! I wore a smile all day because I am just so thrilled for them.
I'm glad that I have my menu planned for this week and that Hubby and I are working together to eat healthier. I need help in this area! I'm just glad I have a hubby who will eat veggies with me. (Now, if only I could convince Brother of the veggie goodness)
I'm glad for the motivation to weed out all the superfluous junk lying around my house. My locate charities and junk yard will reap so many blessings from my new-found need to purge.
I'm glad for Sister's new desire to wear a hand-me-down leotard and tutu for the entire day. It just makes me smile to see her in it.
I'm so thankful for a God who has lead me through one of the darkest times of my life. I'm thankful for that still, small voice who kept me going when I wanted to curl up and sleep for days. I'm thankful that He had a plan and was at work to bring it to fruition. I'm thankful for his promise in Isaiah 30:21 "Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, 'This is the way; walk in it.' "
I'm thankful for friends -- real-life ones and blog-world ones -- who prayed with us through this journey.

Playing Catch-up (Who's the Mustard?)

2009-06-06T11:01:00.008-05:00

I've been away for a few days. We've been visiting the one. It was a great visit, and I will for sure share more details in the coming days. Today, I just wanted to leave you with a quick update.

A few months ago, I asked you to pray for Tucker Beam. Well, last weekend, Tucker lost his long, brave fight against cancer. I HATE cancer! My prayer was always that God would use Tucker and his story for His glory. Last Wednesday, 40 people received the free gift of God's salvation at Tucker's funeral. What a testimony of a wonderful family who was willing to allow God to use their tragedy for His triumph! Please continue to pray for the Beam family.

As Hubby and I have traveled our own difficult journey the past few months, God has been a constant in my mind. I am a musical kind-of person. It seems like I have songs running through my head all the time. I can look back on different seasons of my life and remember different "theme songs" for the events. I've had a few theme songs the past few months, but I think the one that has played in my mind the most is "Bow the Knee" by Chris Machen and Mike Harland (arr. Tom Fettke):

Bow the Knee
There are moments on our journey following the Lord
Where God illumines ev’ry step we take.
There are times when circumstances make perfect sense to us,
As we try to understand each move He makes.
When the path grows dim and our questions have no answers,
turn to Him.

Bow the knee;
Trust the heart of your Father
when the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee;
Lift your eyes toward heaven and
believe the One who holds eternity.
And when you don’t understand
the purpose of His plan,
In the presence of the King, bow the knee.

There are days when clouds surround us, and the rain begins to fall,
The cold and lonely winds won’t cease to blow.
And there seems to be no reason for the suffering we feel;
We are tempted to believe God does not know.
When the storms arise,
don’t forget we live by faith and not by sight.

Bow the knee;
Trust the heart of your Father
when the answer goes beyond what you can see.
Bow the knee;
Lift your eyes toward heaven
and believe the One who holds eternity.
And when you don’t understand
the purpose of His plan,
In the presence of the King, bow the knee.

This isn't my favorite performance of the song, I much prefer the choral arrangement, but here is a sampling. :)

LORD, Help my Unbelief

2009-06-02T19:59:00.008-05:00

Have you ever prayed for something so badly, but never really believed it would come true? Have you talked all the right talk, but never really trusted it in your heart? Have you ever gotten everything you ever wanted and stood back in awe of God? That is my life story today. I am reminded of the father in the 9th chapter of Mark. I am praying, "LORD, help my unbelief." The strange thing is that while I'm praying, God has already been at work to answer my prayer - and not just answer it, but "do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine."

So, what has God been up to? Well, we have been in conversations with the one for the past few days. In fact, Hubby and I are scheduled to go and meet with the staff this weekend. I have been in prayer for this visit, asking God to show us discernment and good favor. Well, last night we were contacted by one of the ministers. He explained that they feel confident in Hubby's character, competence, and compatibility. So, they want to make sure we make time to talk money with them while we are in town this weekend. They also want to present us to the church as the candidate for this position, planning for a church vote in a few weeks.

It is such good news!! Want to know my reaction? I cried -- BIG tears! It wasn't a happy cry - although I am happy. It was a scared, overwhelmed, guilty cry. I am so amazed that God is so GREAT! I am so humbled that He answered prayers that I was even afraid to voice aloud, but He knew because He knows my innermost being. (I will save those details for another post). I'm scared, because I do not feel like I deserve this huge blessing, yet I know that God is giving it to me and my family.

So, I've dug out all my scriptures on belief - 'cause I need a refresher course.

"If you believe, you will receive what you ask for when you pray." Matthew 21:22

"Then they asked him, 'What does God want from us? What works does he want us to do?' Jesus answered, 'God's work is to believe in the One he has sent.'" John 6:28-29

"Delight yourself in the LORD and He will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:4

"Who were they who heard and rebelled? Were they not all those Moses led out of Egypt? And with whom was he angry for forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose bodies fell in the desert? And to whom did God swear that they would never enter his rest if not to those who disobeyed? So we see that they were not able to enter, because of their unbelief." Hebrews 3:16-19

I don't want to be like the ancient Israelites. I want to believe and follow God into our promised land. God has given us a good thing. I am humbled and very grateful.

Pity ... Party of 1, Your Table's Ready!

2009-06-02T15:08:00.008-05:00

I'm tired - more like exhausted! I don't feel like I've slept in YEARS. I've been so stressed out by all this stuff: unemployment, job hunting, possible moves, Brother's behavior issues, life transitions, etc. I have kept too many balls in the air -- trying to keep my family together. All of a sudden, I feel like it is coming down on top of me, and I feel like I've failed.

My mother is coming to keep the kids for the next few days. You know what that means? My house has to be immaculate. I cannot just stuff things in the unseen corners and tell her to stay out of that room. She will have full access to all nooks and crannies for 48 hours. She will be so disappointed in my housekeeping skills.

I have washed the same load of towels 3x's because they get forgotten in the washer.
In the midst of poverty, I have resorted to dining out as the best option to keep my kitchen clean and my sanity (relatively) intact. Why won't my family eat sandwiches?
Despite the dining out, my dishwasher is full of clean dishes and my sink is full of dirty ones.
All my laundry baskets are full of clean laundry waiting to be folded and put away. In the meantime, my family keeps wearing clothes, so the hampers are almost full, too.
The only bed with clean sheets is Sister's - because she keeps peeing on them during the night.
The only person with a good supply of clean underwear is Sister - because she keeps peeing in them during the day.
You can write my "to-do" list in the dust on my furniture.
My refrigerator has too many containers of "mystery leftovers" that need to be thrown out.
I'm considering getting a dog so I could eliminate the sweeping chore. Don't dogs eat crumbs?
I have a garage that doesn't hold any cars because we began "cleaning" it 2 months ago.

It is just too much for me right now. I'm going to take a nap. I'll be in a better mood later. :)

Say CHEESE!

2009-06-01T07:46:00.002-05:00

WOW! Another busy weekend! I cannot believe all the stuff we packed into the past 3 days. I am tired from all the running around, and I'm beginning to remember how HOT summers can be in Texas. My body needs to re-adjust to these temperatures.

One of the things we did this weekend was pose for family pictures. Now, I cannot begin to tell you how much I loathe having my picture taken. I am usually the one behind the camera, capturing all the fun and successfully avoid having to see myself in full color. But, Hubby's new beau (a.k.a. The One) requested a photo of our family. Since all the family photos we have are either a year old and/or contain a Christmas tree or other merry decorations, we decided it was time to head to the studio for new photos.

So, fortunately, I had already ordered some matching outfits for the kids. It was like the inner voice knew I would need cute, summertime brother/sister outfits. Bonus: They were 40% off!! So, I only had to coordinate outfits for hubby and me to match the ever wonderful Brother and Sister. The exploration into the depths of our closet yielded fair results, so we were off to the photographer. So, after various lectures about good smiles vs bad smiles, brainstorming of happy thoughts, narratives about how the photographer is our friend, so there is not need to be shy (for sweet Sister who had decided that she is shy), we were able to capture some great shots of the kids.

While we also got some great family shots, I cannot say that I am too pleased. You see, they contain ME! I just am unable to fully appreciate any photo that contains my mug. I see all the imperfections in myself. I am reminded of the pounds that need to go away. I'm self-conscious about the hair, make-up, clothes, etc. I just don't photograph well. But, to keep it real, I will let you see one headshot:

Yeah, that's how I feel. That's who I see in my photo with my darling family. I hate picture day!

Done! (almost)

2009-05-29T08:15:00.002-05:00

Today I packed my last lunch for second grade. It was a happy moment - although not fully celebrated for a few hours until I was awake enough to realize that the moment actually occurred. Now remember, the celebration did NOT mark the end of second grade - no way, Jose. We still have 4 half-days to wade through before the second grade year is officially over. I guess the lunch people just get to start summer vacation a bit earlier this year.

I am so not into these last 4 days. I was annoyed by the concept of 1/2 days well before the note went home about the 1/2 days. But then, the note arrived - describing in detail what the precious children will be doing. Let me summarize:

Monday: 8:15 start work on second grade book, PE, recess,
classroom games, dismiss at 11:15
Tuesday: 8:15 class breakfast with parents and
students. Parents may leave with student when they are
ready. WHAT?!?
Wednesday: 8:15 the entire elementary will assemble to
view a movie, classroom games, dismiss at 11:15
Thursday: 8:15 Honor Roll Chapel dismiss at 9:30. Why are we even bothering?

Now, I know that the state requires 180 days of instruction. But, I pay good money for Brother to attend private school. They aren't required any number of days. Why are they wasting my time?

Anyways ... Second grade has been a challenge for me. I've had some issues with the school and with Brother's teacher this year. I will be glad to check this year off our list and move on to something and someplace new. However, I have to give the teacher credit for Brother did learn some amazing things this year. He reads proficiently and has even discovered that he enjoys reading. He learned cursive and has the most beautiful handwriting (and I'm not exaggerating a bit)! He learned to carry for addition, borrow for subtraction, and began learning multiplication and division. He studied the life of Moses and memorized the 10 commandments and the beatitudes. He learned to write stories and enjoys writing in a journal. He learned to work with his classmates, solve everyday problems, and to be responsible for himself. It has been a busy year. It is such a bittersweet moment for this sentimental mom.

It's Thursday, but I Didn't Tell you about Monday

2009-05-28T08:09:00.003-05:00

As you know, Monday was Memorial Day. As a teenager, Memorial Day was one of my favorite holidays because my friend's family had a pool, and Memorial Day was "opening day." I would get up early, get ready, and head over to the Murphy house for a day of swimming, snacking, and all around fun. The thing I liked about getting to the Murphy house early was that her family had a flag raising ceremony to celebrate the true meaning of Memorial Day. We would all congregate outside and hang a flag on the garage. Then we would say the Pledge of Allegiance, sing "God Bless America", and pray for our country. It was a special time.

Well, this past Memorial Day didn't have a flag ceremony for us, but it did involve a day full of family and friends. To begin with, we went out for breakfast (really brunch) as a family. I don't know about you, but I love to eat breakfast out. I know it is eggs, but they taste better when I don't have to do the cooking and clean-up.

Later in the afternoon, we went over to our friend's house for swimming and bbq. I was a bit nervous about the swim party because it was with families from our church - and some of them we hadn't seen since we left. I was afraid it would be awkward. Instead, it was just what my heart needed - a reminder of the love from this church family. We had good food and good fun.

Brother was is heaven with the swimming - I didn't even capture his photo. Sister was so cute because she was able to play with her "best friend." The girls are 6 months apart and LOVE each other. Even through they haven't played together for a couple of months, Sister constantly "talks" to her friend on her play phone. They were so excited to be together again. They are 2 peas in a pod and it is so sweet to see their friendship forming at such a young age. My prayer is that our moving won't hinder Sister in making friendships in the future.

So, I'm thankful. Thankful for my family. Thankful for our friends. Thankful for a day to remember the men and women who gave their lives for the safety of my country.

Stop the World ... I want OFF!

2009-05-27T08:07:00.004-05:00

I'm tired of it! I'm done! I've had my fill of bad news. I'm tired of words like cancer ... affair ... divorce ... abuse ... death ... miscarriage ... infertility ... diagnosis ... foreclosure ... lay-off. If I were in a cute-sy mood, I'm sure I could come up with the ABC's of words I have come to hate hearing.

I know that God is at work in and around us, but I am daily reminded that we also oppose an enemy who seeks to steal, kill, and destroy each of us. I believe that these evil things aren't more prevalent in our society. I believe that with the ever-shrinking internet world, we just have more access to the bad news - as people share their hurts and needs with one another. And, please do not her me wrong - I enjoy the privilege of praying for those who I have come to know their stories. I am just weary from all the suffering around me.

I've been away from the blogosphere for the past few days. I needed some time to re-group and re-prioritize my life. (It seems to be a common conviction in my circles these days.) I took advantage of the time to meditate in God's word. Here are some truths I reflected upon:
"Come to me, all of you who are tired and are carrying heavy loads. I will give you rest." Matthew 11:28 (New International Reader's Version)

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever." Hebrews 13:8

"As his children, we will receive all that he has for us. We will share what Christ receives. But we must share in his sufferings if we want to share in his glory. What we are suffering now is nothing compared with the glory that will be shown in us. Everything God created looks forward to the time when his children will appear in their full and final glory." Romans 8:17-19 (New International Reader's Version)

While it may feel that the devil is claiming victory around me, I remember that God was victor long ago, and He remains victorious today. Today I will rest in Christ. I will know that He is in control of the circumstances surrounding me. I will trust that the same God who heard the groans of the Israelites and showed concern for them has a plan and is working it out today. I will share in Christ's suffering so I can share in His glory as well. I know that God will be glorified as He works in and around me, so I will keep a watchful eye.

Happy Memorial Day

2009-05-25T07:05:00.001-05:00

Dear Heavenly Father,
As we remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom, we think of how they have followed in the footsteps of your son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Please hold our service men and women in your strong arms. Cover them with your sheltering grace and presence as they stand in the gap for our protection.
We also remember the families of our troops, and ask for your unique blessings to fill their homes and your peace, provision and strength to fill their lives.
May the members of our armed forces be filled with courage to face each day and may they trust in the Lord's mighty power to accomplish each task. Let our military brothers and sisters feel our love and support. In the name of Jesus. Amen (Prayer by Mary Fairchild)

Lego Mania!

2009-05-23T15:07:00.005-05:00

You know how I mentioned going to Legoland? Well, today we journeyed to the next best place - the new Lego store at the mall. It is a Lego wonderland! They have so many kits, bricks, and stuff that I never even knew existed. I could have spent hours in there, looking at all the neat Lego stuff. They even have a whole wall of loose bricks, so you can "pick a brick" of your choice. They say that the Lego name is from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means "play well". I, however, learned that the true meaning is from the English let go, as in "let go of all your money."

Inside the store, they had 2 large builds - one of R2-D2 and the other of Indiana Jones. I am so very impressed with the detail - even from just Lego bricks. The salesman mentioned that they are building a large Yoda for the opening of the other Dallas store. (We, of course, got details of the build time, so we can get in on the fun.) Around the store, they has tons of other smaller builds -- so cool!

Sister was thrilled to find PINK Lego bricks. She jumped up and down and insisted on getting some. She informed Brother that they were for her room.

Brother bought the Coast Guard Patrol Boat and Tower. He came immediately home to work on it. I'm about to believe it is worth the money if it keeps him quiet and occupied for a few hours.

All in all, I'd say it was a trip that made for happy mama, happy brother, and happy sister. Hubby was along with us, but he doesn't enjoy reading directions, so he doesn't understand the thrill of Lego bricks. In the end, I know he will get on board with the Lego love and appreciate the quiet.

The Reading Room

2009-05-22T07:36:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe that the end of the week is finally here. I haven't gotten much accomplished, but I am ready for a long weekend. We don't have any big plans. We are still waiting for the one to call us back. It will be nice to hang out as a family - and not have to hassle with school on Monday.

Much of my time this past week has been taken by the books I am reading. I love to read, but when I start, it will consume me. Reading is my escape. I told a friend at Bible Study the other day, "My life has been pretty stinky these days, so I'm choosing to be a pioneer woman." Here is the book that got me started:

My friend loaned it to me. She read the series - yes, I said series - while she was in Russia, adopting her little boy. She must not consume books like I do because she was there for a month, but I finished this first book in 2 days. My intention was to wait before starting the next, but I couldn't. So, I moved ahead with the next book.
This one is just as good, so I finished it in another 2 days. Luckily for my household, it is just a trilogy, so I have started the 3rd and final book.

I've practiced more self-control with this last book, so I still have about 1/3 of the book to go. (It's been 4 days) Now that re-run season has started, I will probably finish it tonight. I have told myself that I MUST put away the laundry before I can lie down to read.

If you are a reader, I'd recommend these. They are in no way deep literature - just little escapes into another time and another place. They are Christian based, so it is nice to learn a bit about the Lord while reading. I have enjoyed the luxury of reading this past week. I hope you will take some time to treat yourself to something you enjoy. If you do, I'd love to hear about it. Also, what do you like to read?

Oh Brother!!!

2009-05-21T11:29:00.001-05:00

My 8 year-old son is like a little adult, and knows more about stuff than he should. His mind is like a sponge – he just needs to hear something once, and it is forever in his memory. It is one of those things that is endearing, but annoying all at the same time. Well, last night was one of those times. Here’s the set up:

We have been having trouble with the kids coming out of their rooms after they have been tucked in bed for the night – with Sister being the main offender. I cannot tell you how many excuses she has to come out of her room, but I must say that my favorite was, “the dogs (all stuffed – THAT PRESLEY!) are being noisy and I can’t sleep.”

Anyway, so last night when I went into her room to say prayers, give kisses, etc, I told her – loud enough so Brother could hear me across the hall – “It’s time for little people to go to bed and stay in bed so the parents can have special adult time.” Now, you may see where this is going, but I was simply meaning quiet, kid-free time with my hubby, Blue Bell, and T.V.

Well, Hubby went into Brother’s room to say prayers, give kisses, etc. While they were saying their goodnights, Brother casually mentioned, “I think I want a brother this time.” A bit confused, Hubby asked, “WHAT?” Brother simply explained, “Mom said you were having special adult time, and I know what that means.”

Hubby quickly blew him off and put him to bed. He then came to tell me the story. I was completely HORRIFIED! I don’t know which is more disturbing – the fact that my son knows/thinks about his parents and “special adult time” or the realization that he thinks a baby come from each “special encounter.”

Fast Food Love

2009-05-19T16:17:00.009-05:00

It is well established that I am in good company of others who love Sonic. Who couldn't love 1/2 price drinks in 150 ba-jillion combinations? While I love me some Route 44 goodness, I haven't joined the Sonic Facebook group, because we all know how I feel about those ridiculous groups. However, Today when I was on the Sonic website, I noticed something very fun. People can go there and upload photos of them enjoying Sonic goodness. I believe we all should go to the website and upload a photo. It would be like a big, bloggy Sonic party - and who doesn't like a party? AND, we could all be FAMOUS! (all 3 of us :) ) So, I'll be looking for your photo - and since I do not have a fancy phone, I will have to take my SLR to Sonic and capture our family moment.

Okay, really my post today was to be about my other Fast Food Love - Chick-fil-a!

Can I get an "AMEN, Sister"? Who doesn't love Christian chicken? Now, I know some of you dear readers may be attached to the sweet tea. Being a Southern transplant, I cannot claim such an addiction. While I enjoy the flavor of sweet tea, it has yet to become my drink of choice. I have so many reasons I love Chick-fil-a, and I refrain from listing them here (although I have a great love of bulleted lists). BUT, I did have to share my one new love - cleanliness. First, I have to say, I am not a clean freak kind of mom. I strongly believe that exposure to germs is a great way to build a natural immunity. Not in an "attend a chicken pox party" kind of way, but in a "a little dirt won't hurt" kind of way. But the chick-fil-a won my heart today when I was at the mall with sweet sister. We ordered our usual kids meal, and when I got to the table and opened the bag, what did my happy heart find? Not only a correct order, but also included was a table protector thingy, a purell handiwipe, and a mint! Clean, Christian chicken goodness!

On a final note, I need to address my dear friends who cannot benefit from the chick-fil-a cuisine. Please, promise me you will eat all you can when you find one. Oh, and Whimzie, if you fall into the above mentioned category, I don't care how beautiful the leaves may be in the fall, you need to get out of fast food hell and return to the South.

A Bum Life

2009-05-17T09:48:00.004-05:00

I've come to dislike Sundays. Sundays have always been a bit of stress in our family because of Hubby's work. But now that we are in limbo between ministry positions, Sundays have become a whole new monster in my life. I miss having a church home. I miss the accountability of church family. I miss walking in the church each week, being greeted with a knowing smile, and a genuine interest in my well-being.

Don't get me wrong, we have attended some nice churches the past weeks, and we have met some very nice, friendly people. However, these people aren't family. You know how it is with family. You can be yourself - warts and all - and they still love you. They have taken the time to really know you and can tell your mood by a few, brief questions. They know your history, they are your history, and know your prayer needs specifically. They cannot be fooled by the curt, "Fine."

You see, we have become church "attenders." Anyone can be an attender. It really is quite simple. You get up, get dressed, and go to some house of worship. I'm ready for more than a place to attend, I'm looking for a church HOME. Being involved within a church home implies not just some place one visits but rather has chosen to reside within -- to live and to grow. It's a place that is not merely an address but rather a place of shelter, warmth, joy, security, and a place to go forth from each day to enter the world.

Simply put, we have become spiritually homeless. As I expressed my frustration last night to my sweet hubby, I called us spiritual bums. I don't want to be a bum.

"Finally, I want all of you to live together in peace. Be understanding. Love one another like members of the same family. Be kind and tender. Don't be proud. Don't pay back evil with evil. Don't pay back unkind words with unkind words. Instead, pay them back with kind words. That's what you have been chosen to do. You can receive a blessing by doing it." 1 Peter 3:8-9

Just a Short Note

2009-05-15T17:29:00.002-05:00

I haven't been around to blog in the past few days. I've been reading a book - and that means I suck up all my free time for that instead of anything else. I needed a little break from the life of waiting for the Lord to move, so I escaped into a fictional Kentucky town. It has been a nice respite.

I wanted to make sure I posted today for my Prayer Warriors. Today, I'm requesting prayer for Maggie Nail. She is a 4 year old little girl in need of a kidney transplant. She has a 2% chance of finding a donor match, so I am praying for a miracle in this little girl's life. Please join me in praying. I cannot find a family website, but here is a link to the family's story from our local news.

I also want to put Rich Behm and his family on our prayer lists. Rich was paralyzed in the Dallas Cowboy's stadium collapse a few weeks ago. He has a wife and 3 kids. Please pray for his recovery and for God to provide peace, comfort, and direction to this family.

Okay, that is all for now. I hope you have a fun-filled weekend with your families. Our looks to be a bit soggy - but maybe soccer will be canceled. :)

There's No One Exactly Like ... ME!

2009-05-13T16:52:00.005-05:00

Today is Wednesday - the day all of Brother's graded work is sent home from school in the special red folder. I guess his teacher is a bit slow, because in today's Wednesday folder was an extra special Mother's Day card - created by my lovely first-born. It was one of those fill-in-the-blank cards. It is so special, I wanted to transcribe it for you and add my much needed commentary so you can see why it brought me to tears.

My mother is very special. She is five feet tall. I am 8 inches taller than 5 feet, but I'm thankful that Brother doesn't see me as a giant. She weighs 145 pounds. Um, not since jr. high, but thanks for the lowball guess. My mother is 35 years old. ding, ding he got one right. She wears a size 38 dress. Not even close, but his logic is good. See, he is 8 and wears a 10. So, since I am 35, I must wear a 38. She wears a size 9 1/2 shoe. Sad, but true. Why does he know this about me? My mother has green eyes. I guess that is right. Her favorite thing to drink is Dite Coke. True, so true. Bless him because he has my spelling skills. I'm sure if he had enough room, he would have written Diet coke with easy ice. Her favorite food to eat is hamburger. I'll let this sneak in because technically, I do like to eat a hamburger. It may not be my favorite, but since I obviously eat a lot to fill my size 38 dress, the poor kid can't tell what my favorite is. My mother's favorite thing to do at home is Play on Facebook. Okay, now I feel convicted. I'm glad he didn't lie and say vacuum or laundry, but really -- did I want the whole school, and by now I'm sure it is the whole school, to know that I spent entirely too much time on the computer? The very best thing about my mother is that she is "MY" mother. I love her very much!

WOW! Isn't that a treasure?!? Yeah, I'm not sure if those tears are for really, or just because I've laughed too much. Don't you just love Mother's Day?

Laugh to Keep from Crying

2009-05-12T17:05:00.006-05:00

One of my favorite parenting techniques it to take advantage of "teachable moments." You know, allow them to mess up, then teach why it turned out so badly. Well, I guess that isn't the only kind of teachable moment. Sometimes, I get to take the opportunity to tell them the "truth" before it turns out badly. Such was the case with sweet baby girl. But first I have to give you a bit of background.

Sister had her tonsils and adenoids removed in December. When we checked into the hospital, the volunteers gave her a stuffed dog. I don't know why the attachment was formed, but since then, Sister hasn't gone many places without her beloved Presley. Presley has become like another member of our family.

I also must add, that I have a bit of bitterness in my heart towards Presley because he has replaced Marvin the Monkey. Marvin was Sister's first buddy. I loved Marvin - still do! The week before surgery, I drove all over town looking for a second Marvin - just in case the original got lost. Now I have 2 unloved monkeys. Anyway...back to the story.

The other day, Sister and I were driving to pick up Brother from school. She mentioned to me that she was excited to tell Brother about her day, "because he will be jealous." I, being the wise mother that I am, took this opportunity to correct Sister. I told her that we are not to be happy when other people are jealous. I told her that the Bible tells us to be sensitive to other people's feelings. Sister quickly jumped in and told me that it wasn't her that wanted Brother to be jealous, but it was Presley. (Isn't it always someone else's fault?)

I just simply ignored her and mentioned that it doesn't make Jesus happy when we are mean to our friends and family. That the Bible tells us to treat others as they wish to be treated. Sister, not about to be convicted of her sin, came back with, "Yeah, well, Presley doesn't like Jesus."

So, I guess I need to have some more "teachable moments" with Presley - and maybe let him tag-along to church a few Sundays. I bet Marvin loves Jesus!

Gladitudes - Motherhood Edition

2009-05-11T09:19:00.002-05:00

I think I was the only person who participated in Mer's 10 on the 10th party who didn't focus on moms. So, I have chosen to make today's gladitude post all about motherhood -- because I truly have a lot to be thankful for.

I'm thankful that I get to wear the title of mom, because there was a time in my life when I wasn't sure my dream of motherhood would ever be fulfilled.
Along the same lines, I'm now thankful for the struggles I had to become a mom, because they taught me the power of prayer and allowed me to witness God's power in my life. It has also made me appreciate my little rugrats - even during the difficult times - for these are the children for which I prayed.
I'm thankful for my awesome husband and the wonderful blog post he had about me for Mother's day. (I'd give y'all the link, but his blog is linked to his ministry and has his complete name, and I don't want our last name out there since I post pictures of the kids.) It was a wonderful thing - better than any card - and reminded me again that he is a much better husband than I am a wife.
I'm thankful for the great breakfast cooked for me yesterday, because nothing says "Happy Mother's Day" better than being awakened by the smoke detector.
I'm thankful for my grandmother and that she is still active and able to be a part of our lives. I love that my kids will have family pictures with 4 generations in them.
I'm thankful for my mom. For her generosity and love - especially during this time of uncertainty in our family.
I'm thankful for my mother-in-law's improved health. She had a stroke last summer, and we almost lost her. I'm so thankful that she is a walking miracle - with no real side-effects from the stroke.
I'm thankful for the blog world, because reading other's posts about motherhood like this and this remind me of the mom I want to be and inspires me to do more for my family and for the women around me.

Happy Monday! I'm now off to participate in the some of the not-so-wonderful tasks of motherhood - cleaning the bathroom and doing the laundry. But I'm still grateful!

OH! The Places We'll Go

2009-05-09T23:31:00.005-05:00

Welcome for another day of 10 on the tenth, hosted by Mer at Life at 7000 Feet.

Last month, one blogger shared places she would like to visit. Well, I wanted to take a bit of a spin on the same theme. But first, I have to reveal one of my quirks. I have no desire to ever travel outside North America. I just have a big love for the United States, and I think it has plenty to see and do inside its borders. I was raised as an Air Force brat, so I have been to/through 42 of the 50 states, but I still have so many other things I want to see. I used to say that I wanted to die without getting a passport, but since one is now required for cruising, and trips to Mexico and Canada, I foresee that I will have to get one. Hubby and I honeymooned in Vancouver, Canada, and we hope to return one day and ski Whistler.

Anywho ... Now that is out of the way, here is my list of places I want to see with hubby and the kiddos. Some I have already seen as a child, but would like to experience them again. These are in not particular order – just simply as the pictures loaded.

1. Yosemite National Park - I haven't ever been there, but I think it is just beautiful and would like to see it in person.

2. Washington, D.C. - I was fortunate enough to be born in our Nation's capital. It is such a fantastic city, filled with such great history. I really believe everyone needs to see it in person. 3. New England in the fall - When I was 5, we lived in Rhode Island for a year while my daddy attended the Naval War College. I was young, but I still remember the splendor of the trees in the fall. They are just beautiful! I was to go back and see them again - and taste the fresh maple syrup.

4. St. Louis, Missouri - I also lived in St. Louis as a girl. I want to take my family on the tram to the top of the Gateway Arch. St. Louis is a great vacation place because many of the attractions are free - including the zoo. What a great place to take a family!

5. New York City - My hubby and I just took our first trip ever to New York City in February. It was such a great city, but we still have things on our list that we want to see and do - including a visit to Lady Liberty. So, a next trip is definitely on our list of must do's. We will even take the kids this time.
6. LegoLand - I cannot imagine a more magical place on earth. We haven't done any theme parks with the kids, but LegoLand is at the top of our list. My little guy is crazy about Legos, and I am so impressed with the things they can build with those colorful bricks. I look forward to our first trip to LegoLand.
7. Savannah, Georgia - I haven't been to this southern city, but I hear it is wonderful. While there, I want to eat at Paula Deen's restaurant because I need more calories in my diet.
8. The Grand Canyon - I can only imagine how small one feels on the rim of the Grand Canyon. And now they have a glass walkway that hangs over the edge, so you can walk over the rim. How cool is that?!? I really need to see it for myself.
9. Albuquerque Balloon Festival - Our family has a love affair with hot air balloons. We have been to several different balloon festivals, but we haven't been to the grand-daddy of them all.
10. Mount Rushmore - Brother did a state report in the first grade. He picked South Dakota by telling the teacher he wanted to do "the one with the heads." Now that we learned so much about South Dakota, we have a desire to see it in person. I think it is just a wonderful monument and a great wonder of the world.
There you have it! Now, if only I could figure out how I could get someone to pay for me to visit all these places, life would be good! If you've visited any of these places, I'd like to hear your reviews. Also, do you have summer vacation plans?

Finally, Happy Mothers Day to all my beautiful friends who have the hardest, and most rewarding, job anyone can have! God bless each of you!

Ace of Cakes ... not me!

2009-05-09T11:52:00.007-05:00

When I was a little girl, my mom had a fabulous book of cut-up cakes. My sister and I always knew our birthday was getting near when mom would take the cake book out and have us flip through and choose our birthday cake for that year. When Brother was born, I was so determined to continue in the homemade birthday cake tradition. So, I went to Michael's and took all of the Wilton cake decorating classes. I really enjoyed cake decorating - and even managed to make some cakes for money. Then, little boy got to be big enough to mess in my icing and I got a bit too perfectionistic. I would stress that I spend 3-6 hours on a cake, only for it to be cut and eaten. So, I put away my cake tools - only to be brought out for family occasions (Birthday cake for Jesus, Brother, and Sister).

This year, my niece called and told me that the thing she really wanted for her 8th birthday was a cake by Aunt Steph. My sister even offered to pay me for it. So, not because we need the money, but because I really love my niece and enjoy cake decorating, I agreed. My niece didn't have a birthday theme in mind. She only wanted something grown up because, "8 is no longer a baby." So, I took the opportunity to create something new. I've always liked the present cakes, but I do not like the taste of fondant. I iced the cake in buttercream and created (for the first time ever) a fondant bow. I'm very happy with the result! I know dear niece will be happy, too.

Happy Mother's Day Weekend

2009-05-08T07:58:00.000-05:00

Since it is the weekend that we celebrate moms. I wanted to share with you my son's favorite MOM SONG. My mom is coming into town this afternoon, so it will be a good weekend for us here! I hope you all have a special time of celebration. I know that you are appreciated for all the wonderful things you do as a mom!

Dating AGAIN?!?

2009-05-07T10:09:00.008-05:00

September 22, 1996 - a day I remember with sheer joy.
The day I got engaged.
Oh! it was a happy time. Not only was this man that I was crazy about committing to spend the rest of my life with me, but he was also rescuing me from a dark, evil world - the world of dating.

You ladies know what world I'm talking about.
Constant questions ... Crash dieting ... Desperate prayers ... Lonely evenings ... Self-doubt ... Waiting for the one
Need I go on???

Well, I have re-entered that world. I thought I could avoid it until sweet Sister was ALOT older, but it has come into my life in a new form - job hunting! I don't know about job hunting in the business world, but job hunting in the ministry world is not just interview and reject/hire. No! It is a courtship, engagement, and a marriage. It is a journey full of those same feelings - the same ups and downs - the same desperate prayers. (even a diet - although in a more sensible form.)

So, a few months ago, hubby was talking with a church about 100 miles from where we current live. He began talking with them right after we learned that he would be losing his job. He went to the interview alone. I stayed home, walked the floor, and prayed that God would give us discernment. We don't just want to take a job because it is out there and we need income. We want a job that is a good fit for Hubby, and for our family. Remember - it is a marriage. And just like a marriage, a bad fit could equal lots of heartache!

When Hubby came home, he told me that it was "okay." When I asked what that meant, he explained, "Well, I find myself hoping that the prettier girl calls me tomorrow." So, we prayed about it, and although it broke a major rule in dating/employment - Don't leave one unless you have another waiting in the wings - we knew it wasn't the one for us. We were so glad when they came to the same conclusion and hired someone else.

A few months later (and a few other interviews later) we were contacted by the prettier girl - although for the sake of the analogy, it is now the handsome guy because we all know that good Christian girls don't call boys. :) Hubby flew out of state to meet with them, and came home proclaiming that this was the one. Now, we just had to wait for them to proclaim the same. Well, we waited and waited and waited some more. My dad was even impatient and called me to ask if there was any way we could contact them. I reminded him that this is a courtship and that the girls do not call the boys. Isn't he the one who enforced that rule when I was younger??? We began to doubt ourselves and even threw around "He's just not that into you."

Well, finally they called! They had been praying - how holy is that? - and really would like to know more and see where this relationship led. So, we were overcome with joy! I mean, we've known for 3 weeks that they were the one. What took them so long? So, hubby flew out again to meet with the committee. He says it went well, and that they are discussing a third visit - and I get to be a part of it this time. So, they are ready to meet the family. That is a bold move. They know our situation, and while they aren't ready to ask us to not talk with other churches, they have expressed their desire to get to know us better. I think we are beyond "hanging out." I think we are "going together" - I just haven't gotten the official "check yes or no" offer.

I'll let you know when we start ring shopping. Just keep praying!

Graditude...Join the Fun

2009-05-05T07:34:00.011-05:00

I'm a day behind the others because I read Gretchen's post after I had already written mine for Monday, but I love the new button and want to be sure to my list of things I'm thankful for. So, here it goes:

I'm thankful for solitude. I'm the kind of gal who needs her some alone time to remain sane. Since Hubby has been home for the past month, life has been fun, but I have missed my alone time. Today I celebrate because Brother has school, Sister has her one day of Mother's Day Out, and Husband has a meeting with a friend. That means I have the place to myself!
I'm thankful for my Wednesday morning Bible Study ladies because they have become my new family during this time of "spiritual homelessness." Being without a church home has been harder than I thought it would be.
I'm thankful for facebook because it had pictures posted to my account - pictures that I thought were forever lost when our computer was stolen a few months ago. I was able to retrieve them, resize them, and restore them on our new computer (with a backup flash drive).
I'm thankful for the thunderstorms that came through this weekend and that we were all safe from any destruction. I'm also thankful for the time without electricity because it gave Hubby and I some quiet time to be still and talk with one another. Don't you just LOVE the quietness of the house when there is no power?!?
I'm thankful that my diaper days are mostly over because nothing make me feel more inept than potty training. I mean, really, does anyone know how to do it? I think it is just a lot of trial and error. Very frustrating!
I'm thankful for the beautiful flowers that my sweet hubby bought me yesterday. They are for Mother's Day. I LOVE fresh flowers and I love how my house feels so happy when I have fresh flowers. And, I love that these are florist flowers instead of grocery store/SAM'S flowers. Not because I'm snobby like that, but because it is a splurge that we don't usually partake of. So they are special.
I'm thankful that Hubby has a decent lead for a new Associate Pastor position. It just makes waiting easier when you can see a flicker of light coming from the end of the tunnel - and this time it doesn't feel like a train.
Finally, and always, I'm thankful for my family, especially my crazy kids, because they make life so much fun and fill each day with a bit of laughter. Where else can you go and see these two characters on a regular basis!?!

Wounds from a Friend can be Trusted

2009-05-04T09:37:00.006-05:00

I did it.

I have been avoiding it for months.

I finally went and touched base with an old "friend" today.

I use the term loosely. For this friend is one of those that you love to hate. One of those that "tells it like it is" and doesn't let you pretend to be something you aren't. One of those that you avoid when you know you have sinned because you don't want to be reminded of your poor choice.

It is a tricky relationship because this friend can also be the most encouraging when I am making good choices. This friend will help me celebrate even the tiniest of successes. This friend will keep me going when the going gets tough and pushes me to be a better person. This friend is the one who holds one of my deepest secrets, and doesn't tell a single soul. It is a true Proverbs 17:17 friend, "A friend loves at all times. He is there to help when trouble comes."

So, despite my recent failures, I decided it was time to re-connect. Time for me to move past the past 3 ... maybe 4 ... okay 5 months of resentment and really listen to the truth of my friend. So, I got up with my alarm, said a small prayer, and went into the bathroom.

There it was.

My old "friend" ... the scale! GASP!!

Like I expected, the news it had for me was discouraging, but full of the truth I needed. Now that I have rekindled this relationship, I can start re-creating (or is it recreating as in recreation) myself.

Saturday Soccer and Storms

2009-05-03T09:30:00.009-05:00

I prayed for rain, but it came a bit too late to cancel Saturday's soccer game. Is it bad that I wanted the game to be cancelled? We like to teach Brother the importance of team sports, and the fact that you keep a commitment, but sometimes it is just so hard to sit out on the soccer field and cheer. While members of our family may be a wee bit competitive (ahem), we are not an athletic family at all. While, I know I'm not raising any professional athletes, I want to teach my kids the importance of physical activity. So we encourage Brother's love of soccer. He plays at a near-by church in their not-so-competitive league. Once we treked through the mud and dodged a sprinkle, we enjoyed an hour or so in the great outdoors.

Our Favorite Cheerleader

Our Soccer Star

After the game (which we loss b/c the other coach doesn't fully understand the concept of "not-so-competitive"), we went to lunch at my favorite Saturday lunch place. It is a local pizzeria that makes the pizzas - including throwing the dough - in front of the kids. It is a nice place to sit and visit as a couple while the kiddos are entertained by the kitchen. The pizza is really good, too. If you were to look for us around noon on Saturday, you would most likely find us at Brooklyn's.

All, this, and it still hadn't rained. But, never fear, I fully trusted my friendly weather guy, and like a good girl scout, I was fully prepared. Next door to the pizza place is the Blockbuster. Yes, we are one of the few who don't Netflix. We don't DVR either. Aren't you sad for us? Anyways, we ran in there and got 2 movies to fill our rainy day afternoon. Here's what we rented:

We got home and settled in for the afternoon of movie bliss. I just love sitting around and watching movies, and I'm so glad I have kids who like to do that with me. We made it through Bolt with a few claps of thunder and ever-darkening skies. When the movie was over, and we turned it off, the TV immediately showed a scary-red radar. Then the wind kicked up and the sky poured down. Then, we heard about this:

You can only image the television coverage that got right here in Cowboy Country. Then, the tornado sirens went off, sending Brother into the hallway to duck and cover. Aren't we such great parents? We didn't even move when the sirens went off. We could see the radar. We knew we were safe. Once we convinced him that the family didn't need to join him, and that he needed to join us, we were able to pop some corn and continue with our double feature. Thankfully, we got through the movie, and got the kiddos tucked into bed (but not asleep) before we lost electricity. Of course, they both tried to argue that they couldn't sleep because it was too dark. Yeah, right! They both sleep in dark rooms with the the covers over their heads! It was a long day, but Hubby and I waited up until 12:30 when the lights returned and we could properly shut down the house and go to bed ourselves. Another wave rolled through about 4 a.m. I didn't get up to check the radar. Instead, I stayed in bed, praying that the thunder wouldn't wake the sleeping beauties in my house. God answered that prayer!

Fun Friday!!

2009-05-01T13:07:00.007-05:00

It is my blog, so I'm taking a deviation from my normal Friday post. It has been a tough week for me, and I believe laughter is the best medicine, so here is a list of random things that brought me a good, hearty laugh.

Yesterday, we received hubby's final check from the church. It is the equivalent to 5 months salary. It is the most money we have ever had at one time. (yes, I know Dave Ramsy would be greatly disappointed that we don't hold that much in savings on a regular basis.) Well, I promptly went to the bank and deposited the check into our savings account. A few hours later - right after I told hubby that I hope that check cleared - the bank called. I thought for sure they were calling to tell us they had to put a hold on the funds until they were verified, or something else like that. No, they were just calling to thank us for our business. I guess that is the treatment the rich folks get. The bank will be so sad to know that is our last deposit for a while. It was nice to see how the other side lives.

I went to Walmart by myself the other day. *bliss* I preceded to spend 30 minutes in the card section. Some of those cards were just too funny. I think my favorite was the wedding card with the couple on the beach - girl still in her wedding dress. There were thought bubbles over their heads. His: Sex! Sex! Sex! Hers: Thank you notes! Thank you notes! Thank you notes!

My mom sent me this email. I don't want to be political, but I liked this one:

If you have a Facebook account, go log into it right now. Scroll down to the bottom left corner where you see “English” and click that. Change it to “English (pirate)." Then waste hours of time entertaining yourself with the pirate jargon. I'm still loving the fact it says I was born in Arrrrgust and "friend request" is "sorry lout thinks they're yer mate!"

So, now that I've lost you all to Facebook, I will sign off! Have a great weekend.

Boy Crazy

2009-04-30T08:28:00.005-05:00

Do you just love your kids? I mean really!?! Today I was dropping the boy off at school, and when he stepped out of the car, my heart was sad - not like disappointed, but sad to send him into the big world of school. I know he is in second grade - it's not like it was the first time he walked into that school. I just love him so much and I want so very much for him. As I cried and prayed on the way home, I wondered if other mothers feel that same way about their kids. I know you must because - although they may push us to the very edge on some occasions - they are just the greatest gift on Earth. When I was pregnant, an old lady in our church called babies "immigrants from Heaven." Isn't that just sweet?

And wow! Who couldn't love this little bundle of goodness?

Not only is he good looking, but he is fun to be around. I don't think there is any other child out there who can tell you an elaborate story about a kid at school, have you sucked in, then end with, "Well, at least that is how I suspect it happened." Or what 8 year old will stop playing with his friends at recess to chase his 3-year-old sister when her preschool class comes out to the playground? Mine will because that is the kind of kid he is. (Of course, he wouldn't go near her the next day.) Brother is an incredible kid. He is articulate and wise beyond his years. At 8, he shows himself to be an incredible leader, and I pray everyday that he will use that gift for God's glory and not his own. I am so very blessed to be his mother. He is the child for which I prayed, and he is greatly loved.

Thank you for letting a mom share the overflow of her heart. It will happen again - because in all fairness, Sister will have to have her day. Just in case she reads then when she is older. Hug your kiddos!

Guest Post - Mrs. Cranky Pants

2009-04-29T09:32:00.009-05:00

It is one of those days. It is 9:30 in the morning, I'm up for the second time - because I went back to bed to try to start over - and I am still cranky. I just don't see any sunshine to my day.

Oh wait, maybe that is because I have gotten up to rain or fog for the past few days. Is the weather affecting my mood, or is my mood affecting the weather?

Or maybe it is the laundry list of other things that just don't seem right/fair/happy.

Maybe it is just the laundry that is never done.

Maybe it is that my house looks like it was hit by an F5 tornado. (You know how it is not easy to clean up the house when the kids are home, undoing everything you've done? Try doing it with a hubby at home.)

Maybe it is that I'm disappointed that my smart son inherited my terrible spelling skills and is now disappointed that he didn't get into the spelling bee.

Maybe it is that I keep getting my high scored beat in bejeweled.

Maybe it is that my lovely dinner last night was eaten with an arguing 8 year old, defending his case of disobedience. (That boy better grow up and become a rich lawyer and take good care of me in my old age.)

Maybe it is the fact that I put my kids to bed at 7:30 last night (30 minutes early because they were so bad) and I still saw Sister up and out of her room until 10:00.

Maybe it is that I am living in a holding pattern, waiting for God to move.

Maybe it is that I'm afraid of where God will move us.

Maybe it is that I was awakened at 2 am by a fit throwing Sister because she was mad that daddy was taking her potty.

Maybe it is that I was awakened at 2:45 by Sister because she wet the bed.

Maybe it is that when I went to the linen closet at 2:50, I discovered that her other set of sheets are still dirty from the last time she wet her bed. More like they are sour in the washer because I forgot all about them.

Maybe it is that I lied (layed - which one is it?) in bed awake for an hour, feeling sorry for yelling at baby girl about the wet sheets.

Maybe it is that the alarm clock went off too early this morning.

Most likely, it is that I haven't made time for God and His Word.

"The Lord God is like the sun that gives us light.
He is like a shield that keeps us safe.
The Lord blesses us with favor and honor.
He doesn't hold back anything good
from those whose lives are without blame.
Lord who rules over all,
blessed is everyone who trusts in you." Psalm 84:11-12

No Place Like Home

2009-04-27T22:45:00.003-05:00

We had a fantastic weekend at my parent's house! It was so hard to come back home -- if only Brother didn't have school!!! I tell you what, that schooling is getting in my way. :)

I am tired, so I won't give you a play by play of the weekend, but I have to tell you, it was a weekend full of good eatin'. If I lived near them, I'd be fat(ter) and happy. Friday night, we walked into the house and found my mom frying porkchops. Girls, no one - and I mean NO ONE - makes better white gravy than my mom! I could make a meal of just the gravy, but I made sure to balance my plate with meat, mashed potatoes, broccoli, and fruit salad (yummy, yummy).

On Saturday, she cooked us a "country breakfast" when we got up. For those who don't know, that consists of scrambled eggs, hash browns, sausage, bacon, and biscuits. I totally forgot about the leftover gravy, or I would have slathered some of that goodness on my biscuit. Oh well - I guess I saved some calories. Then for dinner that evening, daddy grilled us some good, Texas-sized steaks. YUM-O!

So, we are home, and we are back to the low-fat lifestyle. I'm glad I don't have to get my cholesterol checked this week. Sometimes it is just good to indulge.

Other highlights from the trip: Hannah Montana movie, swimming, church, sleeping in. It was all good!

TGIF

2009-04-24T10:50:00.004-05:00

It's Friday!! I'm so excited! Friday is always a great day at my house because it is the end of another school week and that much closer to the end of school. I think I am counting down the days to summer vacation even more than Brother - only 28 more days if you wanted to know. Fridays are my day to drive Brother to school because I let my love sleep in on his day off. I know that technically everyday is a day off for now, but this little agreement was started waaay back in Kindergarten.

So, on Fridays, Brother and I get up, get ready, and head out to door for breakfast. For the first 2 years, we were totally loyal to Sonic. So much so, that Sherri, the Sonic girl knew us and would say, "You want the usual." Now THAT is a serious Sonic addiction. This year, we have branched out a bit, and added Chick-fil-a to our breakfast options. Now, I prefer Sonic because they are cheaper, but sometimes, you need to support the Christian chicken place - and really their food is better and I can get a fruit cup and feel less guilty. I still feel a bit of guilt because I know that Sherri is missing us that morning.

The other great thing about Fridays is that Brother buys his lunch at school. Woot! Woot! I don't have to pack a lunch - and we all know how I feel about that burden. Friday is the only day they have "buy all the junk you want" instead of the "healthy meal plan" that they offer Monday - Thursday. How dare they serve vegetables at school!! On Fridays, Brother chooses to spend his money on chips, pizza, and ice cream. No drink because he learned that if he drank water from the water fountain, he could get the ice cream - and mama ain't giving him more money.

This Friday is especially grand because when we pick Brother up from school, we are going to my parents' for the weekend. It has been a while since I have had the luxury of hanging out at my childhood home, watching my children get everything they want from two people who love them bunches! What is even better is that this weekend we don't have to rush back on Saturday evening so we can work on Sunday. We actually get to go to church with my parents. This is the church I was raised in; the church we were married in; the church full of people who have prayed for us and our sweet kiddos. I'm just so excited to get to fellowship and worship with them this weekend. So, have a good weekend and enjoy your Friday!

WEEKEND WARRIORS
I only have one new child for you to add to your prayer list.

Gavin Smith was diagnosed with a brain tumor the size of an orange. Please pray for his continued healing and God's protection of this family.

Stop the Madness

2009-04-23T10:41:00.007-05:00

Today I offer the following PSA to those readers who have only one child: Stop while you are ahead!! I was a better mom when I only had one. I was fun. I was full of energy. I was productive. Now, as a mother of two, I am constantly tired and seems to have a to-do list that never gets shorter. While I am tempted to curl up in a little ball and feel defeated, I have come to realize the WHY to my condition - and I will win!

You see, while Sister may be cute, charming, and girly, she is also the embodiment of all those prayers my mother offered to God while I was a child. You know those prayers: "Lord, may she have one of these of her own someday!" I am convinced that she was sent to this earth to break me down! I am also convinced that she got extra credit in creation school for attending extra sessions in "How to Pester your Brother" and "How to be the Perfect Baby Sister." Either that, or she has some extra spiritual giftedness from God in those areas. I spend so many countless hours refereeing between the two kids, and while I know Brother isn't an angel, I am wise enough to see that the little person is really the most trouble. (and I was the baby of the family, so I know how those baby sisters act!) It just wears me down and wears me out.

So, here is the story: Yesterday the family - all 4 of us - went to run some errands after picking Brother up from school. On our way home, Sister started whining. When I looked in the back seat and asked what was wrong, she said, "Brother smiled at me." I told her if his smiled bothered her, she needed to either close her eyes or look out her window and not look at him. So, she rolled her eyes and turned toward the window. Not a minute later, I heard her calling Brother's name, but he would not turn and look at her. (What a good boy - avoiding the evil snare of the woman at such a young age.) I then asked her what she needed. She said, "I want him to look at me." I then told her, "Okay, but I don't want to hear any complaining when he smiles at you." She then smiled her mischievous smile and said, "But I like complaining." At this point, I was done. Hubby just looked at me and asked, "What do you do with that?" I simply replied, "Blog about it!"

Oh, the little girl will make me old beyond my years! (but she is still my special blessing from God!)

Our Nursery Rhyme Life

2009-04-21T09:00:00.002-05:00

Some people dream of a happy ending. Others live a fairy tale life. But our family has them all beat. We live a nursery rhyme life. Now, I know you are mentally running through all the Mother Goose you know trying to figure out which one is our family. Maybe Old Mother Hubbard since our cupboards are bare? Nope. How about Jack and Jill since we are accident prone? Nope. Definitely not the Old Woman who Lived in the Shoe, either. No, at our household, we are living Jack Sprat. Are you familiar with that one?
Jack Sprat could eat no fat,
His wife could eat no lean,
And so betwixt the two of them
They licked the platter clean.

You see, I have two children who could not be any more opposite in their eating habits. Brother is a typical child. He HATES anything vegetable. Now, we don't use the word hate in our household very much, but it truly is the only word that adequately describes his feelings toward anything that grows up from the ground. It's not just green vegetables, but the child doesn't like orange vegetables (carrots and sweet potatoes), yellow vegetables (corn and squash), purple vegetables (eggplant), or red vegetables (tomatoes and bell peppers). He doesn't even like potatoes! Every meal is a battle with him to eat a few bites of veggies -- because that is the rule in our house. He proudly tells anyone that he is a "meat-etarian." The boy could eat his weight in steak - which is a trait he gets from his mother.
On the other hand, sweet little girl hates anything meat. If given the choice, she would gladly choose to only eat fruits and vegetables. I am quite certain that she is the only child in her MDO class who brings cherry tomatoes in her lunch box. And I know from her teachers that she will choose to eat those said tomatoes before she eats anything else in her lunch. If I ask Sister where she would like to go out to eat, her answer will most likely be Souper Salad -- an all you-can-eat salad bar place. And when we go to Souper Salad, she will beg for me to load her plate with things that I don't even like to eat! Unfortunately, every meal is a battle with her to eat a few bites of meat -- because that is the rule in our house.
So, imagine my frustration the other night when I had both children crying at the table because they couldn't have dessert until they ate their designated bites. I should just give up and fix one plate for them to share. It would be less battles and less dishes to wash.

PRAISE THE LORD!

2009-04-20T22:47:00.004-05:00

Three posts in one day! WOW! I just couldn't wait to share the great news with all my prayer warriors. Hubby just received the following update about his seminary friend:
Dear Prayer Partners,
We have received word that God has answered prayer in a mighty way. Lynn is now awake, and eating regular food. The doctors are in the process of analyzing any possible damage and have noticed some weakness on the right side. Discussions are now focused on rehab programs. His wife, Debbie, rejoices in the movement of God in their lives and her heart rejoices in “knowing” the power of prayer.
God is so good! This is the family who was researching long-term care facilities on the advice of doctors because the tests showed no neurological functioning. He has truly done a miracle in this man's life. Thank you for praying -- you got to be a part of God's work!

Simply Put - Thankful!

2009-04-20T11:15:00.005-05:00

When I was in high school, this book came out.

It isn't all that fancy, it is just a list. The author describes it as "A quirky, compulsive, irresistible list of all the little things that make us happy." But, you know what? I like lists, and I like many of the fun things that she listed, so I bought it and committed to read a page or two a day. I even began to write my own list of things that make me happy.

Then, I grew up and didn't have so much free time to read lists and write lists that didn't involve "to do" or "to get". Then, I came across this blog. I don't know this lady. I don't even know her name. But she caught my attention because I realized that I need to spend more time being thankful for the many blessings in my life. Shortly after that, I came across Gretchen's blog. She does a post every Monday - just like the other lady (I really need to learn her name) - that list things good things in her life. So, I figure that's enough to convict me into gratitude. So, I'm not committing to every Monday, but I will start with my list of what I am thankful for today:

I'm so very thankful for God's provision and protection during this time of unemployment. I'm thankful for other's generosity through monetary gifts, gift cards, and food items. I thankful for tax refunds. I'm thankful for budget numbers that don't work out on paper, but work out in "real life."
I'm thankful that my hubby cooked dinner twice this weekend when I was feeling sick. It was so great to know that my household was cared for.
I'm thankful for springtime and the beautiful things it has brought to our yard - wildflowers, bunnies, squirrels, tulips.
I'm thankful that our family got to witness the wonder of God through the metamorphosis of Brother's mail-order caterpillars into beautiful butterflies. Our God is so great to create such an amazing process. And, I'm so thankful that the butterflies "hatched" Easter weekend, because what great timing to talk about new life.
I'm thankful that I got to hear Sister "read" her fortune cookie at lunch. I can't tell you what it really said, but she read, "You are a beautiful and happy girl."
I'm thankful for rainy days that cancelled the soccer games this weekend. We needed some time family time at home.
I'm thankful that my daughter is still young enough to think I look like a "rock-star" in my sunglasses.

My heart overflows! I am so blessed! What are you thankful for today?

A post by Sister

2009-04-20T09:20:00.002-05:00

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This is what happens when a mom attempts to take a shower while the child is still up and moving.

Friday Hodgepodge

2009-04-17T07:11:00.004-05:00

Okay, I have crawled out of by dark hole. I wasn't accomplishing much in there. Just making myself and my family more tired and anxious. Plus, I realize that if I am going to trust God, I am going to have to trust Him COMPLETELY! It isn't enough for me to pray about the situation and talk about following God's leading, if I then sit back and worry about it. God wants my complete obedience during this time of uncertainty. Complete obedience involves words, thoughts, and actions. Complete obedience is not just a matter of the mind, but a matter of the heart. I have said with full confidence, and I fully believe it: God has brought hubby and I to this place. He is with us in this place, and He will lead us out of this place. If I believe it, then why do I worry? Why can't I just rest in that knowledge? So, I will live out my faith and my actions (lack of worry) will show my complete trust in God. Moving on ...

WEEKEND WARRIORS
I have 2 more people for you to pray for this week. These are personal friends of our family, and they don't have websites, but I know you will lift them up.

My friend, Melissa, is struggling with infertility. She and her hubby want to have a baby so badly. They are preparing for their first AI treatment in May. So, if you will please pray that God will bless them with the baby they desperately want. I know she will make a GREAT mom!
My hubby has a friend, Lynn, who is a pastor in Arkansas. Lynn got some kind of infection and it attacked his brain. He has been in a coma for a week. The prognosis doesn't look too good. The doctors aren't sure if he will ever wake up. (He was air-lifted to Vandy Medical) Please pray for a miracle in this man's life. He is a man of God and has a sweet family, including children who are still at home. I know God is able to do something miraculous in this situation.

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen." Ephesians 3:20-21

Final Thought

I have to give a shout out to my fellow blogger Whimzie because I found out yesterday that she lives in a place that doesn't have Sonic. Although I knew that such places existed, I didn't know that people actually lived there. So, while I tell God "wherever He leads, I'll go," in my heart of hearts I pray that it will be a place with a Sonic. Because I just don't know what I would do if I couldn't celebrate Happy Hour on an all too frequent basis.

Wake up Call

2009-04-16T13:00:00.002-05:00

I guess it happens to the best of us. I should set down the laptop, throw away the takeout containers, and get myself to the gym. If this could happen to her, I can only guess what could happen to me. I bet it was too many bad carbs. Just goes to show that dream homes and sporty cars don't fix everything.

I'll Make it Brief

2009-04-15T09:00:00.004-05:00

Welcome to another installment of Wednesday's Rant. I'm trying not to be so negative, but girls, somethings just need to be said. So, here is my list of gripes for today:

Facebook - Okay, so not only is it a total time-sucker, it is getting totally ridiculous. Does God really need a fan page? I have no desire to become a friend or a fan of God. I like God. I really love God. I completely follow God. But, do I have to become His facebook friend to feel secure in my relationship with Him? Is God really into facebook? Come on, now!

Customer Service - I'm not talking about the "push 1 for English" people - although that can join this list. I'm talking about the people who wait on you and me at restaurants. Twice this week, I experienced wait staff who began clearing the table -- taking away food -- before I was done with my meal. One guy actually took my water glass off the table and back to the kitchen. Really!?! Can you not leave the water glass until I have left the restaurant? It wasn't even empty. What's with that?

School Lunch - Before I was a mom of a grade-schooler, I had grand visions of packing healthy lunches and tucking wonderful notes of encouragement in to the lunch box. I even thought how wonderful it would be to make the lunches each night before bed, so they would be ready to go in the morning. Then, reality hit. By nightfall, I'm too exhausted to even think about the next morning. Then morning comes and I am slapping PB&J together through my half-opened eyes while practicing spelling words, reading the notes from yesterday's folders, and signing permission slips. Has Brother gotten any love-filled notes? Not from me. Why am I so defeated over packing a lunch? Why do I look forward to summer vacation so I don't have to make a lunch at 7:00 a.m.? Am I alone in this?

Okay ladies, I guess that is all I have for today. I'm off to Bible Study, where I know I will be encouraged and strengthened by God's word. I hope you have a GREAT day!

******************************************************************************

P.S. It is April 15th. Have you hugged your favorite CPA?

We're discouraged...

2009-04-14T16:13:00.006-05:00

Hubby has been talking with a church about a new ministry opportunity. Well, they said they would contact us, and they haven't yet. It is very discouraging. I am trying to remain positive and trust that the Lord is in control of all of this. However, I really want to just curl into a ball and sleep until all this stress has past. So, say a prayer for our family.

In the meantime, here is my new theme song:

"I am still confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD."
Psalm 27:13-14

Happy Easter

2009-04-12T23:02:00.015-05:00

The Easter adventures continue at our fun-filled abode. Last night, we finally got it all together to dye eggs. I don't know why we always wait until the very last day for eggs. This year, we remembered the not so good results we got last year when we used washable crayons on the eggs. So, we hunted (so punny) for the permanent crayons so we wouldn't have little crayola flecks floating in our egg dye. Brother was so intent on "making a special one for the Easter Bunny." He thought we would set one out for the Easter Bunny like we leave cookies for Santa.

Isn't that such a happy box of eggs? Egg dying is a total different art in our home, but always a fun time. Now we will gobble them up - one by one.

So, I know that the day is about the resurrection of Jesus. And I know that Easter truly is the basis for our family's belief. Without Easter, we would not have a relationship with God and eternal security with Him. So, I feel that I should be a bit holy in my discussion about today. But the truth is, our family is just so humorous. I have to pass along the highlight of my Easter Sunday:

Because we are currently between ministry jobs, we are taking the opportunity to visit other churches in the area. Today, we worshipped at a large contemporary church for Easter Sunday. As we settled into the comfortable theater-style seats and watched the pre-service videos, our precious 3-yr-old leaned over and said to me, "I think I'm hungry for popcorn." I guess it didn't register to her about church since we weren't in the usual hard, wooden pews. Kids really do say the darnedest things!

I pray you had a blessed Holy week and Easter celebration! Christ is risen ... He is risen indeed!

Family Weekend FUN!

2009-04-11T19:53:00.016-05:00

We are fortunate to have a 4 day weekend because Brother is out of school both Friday and Monday. (You've gotta love Christian school!) So, we have plans to spend some fun time as a family. This is the first Easter holiday in EONS where we haven't had responsibilities at the church. (See, there is a bright side to everything - even unemployment.) This time last year, I was rushing around, stuffing THOUSANDS of plastic eggs for the community egg hunt, walking neighborhoods to distribute promotional flyers for the Sunday service, memorizing lines for the Children's puppet show, etc. It is so nice to be able to spend the weekend focusing on my family and to get to sit and enjoy the Sunday service, focusing on the Lord! It is a good change of pace and a great time of restoration for our family.

Good Friday was a bit different. Hubby was actually out of town - exploring a new ministry possibility. So, the kids and I spent the day around the house. Like a good Southern Baptist family, we made sure we had fish on Good Friday -- lunch at Long John Silver's. Yeah, that grease was enough to last me until NEXT Easter. They enjoyed it, though, and that was the point.

This morning, the kids and I took a trip to the most wonderful place on earth - TARGET! I love, love target. Hubby has limited my visits to this place because I always spend too much. He tells me, "You're the only person I know who can go in for Tide and come out $100 later." Um-no, other people do that, too. That is the beauty of Target. But, I digress ... So, I went today to get Sister a white sweater to wear over her Easter dress, because the weather is not going to be spring-like tomorrow. I don't know why I bought a sundress for Easter. We always get a cold snap for Easter. I don't know how the date for Easter can change every year, yet the weather always seems to know just went to come out with a late frost. CRAZY! (I digress, again...)

Anyway, Target was out of white sweaters. Seems that everyone was in the same dilemma. So, I pondered going to another store. But then, I saw this:

How cute is that!?! It is a child-size trench coat! Another shopper assured me that I couldn't leave without it. Sister looked too cute with it on. AND, it was on sale and is a size larger, so we can wear it until next spring. So, I snatched it up. She will be perfect in her trench-coat for a cold, rainy Easter Sunday. I can hardly wait!

The kids had money that my mom sent them for Easter. Brother also had a Target gift card and some money leftover from his birthday. So, I agreed to let them peruse the toy department. Brother knew exactly what he wanted to buy. He came home with this:

The Nerf N-Strike Vulcan EBF-25 Blaster. I don't know much about it, but the review is that it is THE BEST NERF GUN EVER!! (According to Brother). Now some of you may be against guns, and I respect that. I tried to be that kind of mom. But, my sweet son has an Uncle who serves as a state trooper and is into anything "law enforcement." So, we allow Nerf Guns in our home. This machine gun will hopefully be the end of our arsenal. Don't you think it says, "HAPPY EASTER!"? Sweet baby girl picked out a Disney princess coloring set. A nice, calm, quiet toy.

Our fun continues. I'll keep you posted.

Weekend Warriors

2009-04-10T09:30:00.001-05:00

On Sunday, I had the opportunity to share with you about the Powell family and the privilege I had to pray for them. I cannot begin to explain the impact their family had on my own spiritual life. The most important lesson I learned by following their story was how one could pray for others and make a difference even if the people are complete strangers. As I mentioned in my previous post, I have never meet Ben or Becky Powell, but I feel a connection with them because of the countless hours I have spent in intercession for their family.

So, as I remembered Ethan and his journey on Sunday, I came to realize that I want to have that praying experience again, and I want others to experience it as well. Therefore, I came up with a plan. Every few Fridays, I will post 2 or 3 links to other families who are struggling and need the prayers of other believers. I realize that there are so many people out there who can benefit from the prayers of God's people. So many have sick children, struggle with infertility, or suffer from a chronic illness. I believe that we can use this great tool called the Internet to bring their stories to others attentions, so they can be lifted up to heaven. My prayer is that you will be diligent to pray for one or two of these families as I post them. And, if one should full capture your heart - as Ethan did mine - I pray that you will continue to pray for that family and follow their journey. I know that God will bless the families, and that He will also bless the people who are praying. I hope that you will let me know of your celebrations and the blessings you receive as you intercede for those you may never meet.

So, for today, I have

Margaret Romph and her parents Sherline and Eric Margaret (age 5) was in a terrible car accident in January and suffered a spinal cord injury. You can read more of her story and get details on how to pray for her by visiting her caring bridge site. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/margaretromph
Tucker Beam and his parents Courtney and Jason Tucker was diagnosed with Rhabdomyo sarcoma in 2001 - shortly before his first birthday. God healed him after a year of chemo, radiation, and surgery. He was cancer free for 6 years. In February 2008, they discovered that Tuck had a second cancer, ostoegenic sarcoma. In March of 2009, they also diagnosed him with AML, a form of leukemia. You can read more of his story and get details on how to pray by visiting his caring bridge site. http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tuckerbeam

Thanks for your prayers for these families! I know their struggles make me so thankful for my healthy family!

10 on the 10th

2009-04-10T09:25:00.004-05:00

Meredith over at lifeat7000feet started 10 on the Tenth last month and it's all about making a list of 10 things about anything. Since I'm new to all this blogging stuff, I thought I'd play along. So, here are my 10 favorite things to do to treat myself.

Sleep -- I mean really, what mom doesn't want/need more sleep. Hubby and I had a discussion this week about sleep. While he would prefer to sleep in, I would prefer to get up, do something, then have a long nap. Maybe we are compatible, after all. Of course, that discussion is based on the assumption that you cannot have both.
Eat out -- now I must admit that our family consumes too many meals away from our home. While not every meal out is a treat, it is nice to have the occasional trip to the "fancy" restaurant that brings refills, has more than one fork, and doesn't have a play area.
Take a Bath - A good, long soak in the tub - with the door locked - can wash away more than the day's grime. Anyone remember "Calgon, take me away!"?
Pedicure - If I cannot have the long tub soak, I'd settle for the pedicure. Nothing fancy - just $15 at the local strip mall salon. Then I have good sandal feet, too.
Catch a movie - I am a movie fanatic. I LOVE to go to the movie theater. One of my favorite feelings is going to a summer show - because I usually need a sweatshirt to keep warm from the A/C - and then walking out of a cool, dark theater into the warm bright sunshine. Ahhhh! Unfortunately, I don't get to go to the movies so much because of the cost and the quality of the movies that are out there.
Read a book - I love to read, but I have to be careful about when I choose to pick-up a good book. I am not capable of reading a chapter a day. I'm one of those who cannot stop reading until I've finished the book. So, to read a book means to forgo the our household things until the book is complete - a total indulgence.
Sew - My sewing habits are a lot like my reading habits - not to mention that my sewing room is also our dining room. So, my sewing days are few and far between (although Sister is in need of some new spring outfits, so I will be breaking out the machine in a few weeks.)
Go shopping without kids - I think this one is self-explanatory. Isn't it a treat to be anywhere alone?
Go to the gym - Okay, I may not have many nods for this one, but it truly is a time when I can focus on myself and not on my roll as wife or mother. I cannot tell you the great times of worship and prayer I've had on the treadmill. If I could only remember that it is a treat, when I'm trying to talk myself out of going, I would be doing good. Maybe I should move it up from #9 of my choices of treats, too.
Shop online - I'm not a big shopper. I don't like the pressure of trying on stuff in the dressing room, and I become increasingly frustrated by clothes that do not fit. So, when I have extra money, or I deserve a treat, I shop online. Then I have the freedom to try on whenever I feel skinny. ;)

Wednesday's Rant ... Because sometimes a girl just needs to vent

2009-04-08T09:00:00.000-05:00

I've faced some (okay a lot) of frustration the past few months. Some of the frustration is understandable, but for the sake of personal mental health, I feel the need to list some grievances:

Why do grocery stores (and more importantly, Wal-Mart) feel the need to re-arrange? Do they not know that I have everything that I need mapped out in my mind so I can quickly enter, grab, and go? It is not fun to wander from one side of the store to another in search of items.

Why, oh why, can my dear hubby not understand that toilet tissue is made for wiping bottoms, and Kleenex tissues are made for noses? I know that both can do the job, but I cannot begin to tell you how many times this woman goes to the restroom only to discover that the end of the TP has been used on someone's nose. If you are unable to change your tissue habits, at least replace the empty roll for the next person who may be caught with her pants down. :o)

Why is it that the woman who has the most kids -- all of them difficult -- is always "sick" on the day it is her turn to help in the church nursery? Isn't it an understanding that she has experience with kids since she has so many? I know she has her hands full all week long, but the church nursery isn't meant to be her life-long respite. Everyone else has to fill in their time, why can't she? And why can't we refuse to keep her kids until she serves her time? (Okay, that one got me worked up.)

Why is it that I always leave a cell phone store and feel like I just got taken? Why can't they make cell phone plans easy? Any why are there always hidden charges on my bill? Okay, so they aren't really hidden charges, just things that they added on for a free trial - without my permission - then charge me an arm and a leg when I don't remove them from my plan. I would have removed them had I known they were there. Nothing can make me feel more dumb than dealing with a cell phone company. I just smile, nod, and leave the store with whatever they have given me. Then, I drive away knowing I got ripped off.

WHEW! I guess that is enough ranting for the day. I do feel better now that I got some of that said. I will save up more for next week. Do you have any to share??? Let me know because I hate to get all upset alone.

Our TRASHY family

2009-04-07T12:48:00.015-05:00

Well, we have lived through the first week of unemployment. I have to say is isn't all that bad -- except for the no money thing. I like having Hubby around the house, and we are really getting some projects completed in anticipation of a move. I figure that we have the time to get organized now, so we won't be moving stuff we no longer want or need.

One thing we have discovered is that our family has a serious trash problem. I would love to blame this on the kids, or even on the husband, but the truth is that our whole family has trouble throwing stuff away. I'm not talking about purging out the stuff you are saving for a rainy day. I'm talking trash. We had to have a family discussion at the dinner table the other night about throwing away your trash. I cannot tell you how many times I walk through the kitchen only to find the counters covered with drink cups, candy wrappers, empty chip bags, etc. We do not have a large house, so the trashcan is only steps away. Why can't the items make it to the proper receptacle? When we cleaned out the garage, we filled up 4 black trash bags of garbage. Some of it was broken toys, some was old magazines and receipts, but some was also drink cups, boxes from Christmas toys, etc. Why have we kept on to this stuff?

Now, before you judge me and my family, I must clarify that I am a self-proclaimed neat freak. I love for EVERYTHING to have its home and be in its place. So, that is why the garage was such a source of depression and angst to me. I would pass through all the junk in the garage into my nice, mostly orderly (I do have 2 kids, you know) home and close the door on the ugliness. Only when I forced myself to face the clutter and clear the way, did I realize that there is an issue that needed to be addressed. Not only did the trash need to be thrown out, but the old, useless stuff needed to be disposed of, too.

How often are we like that with our spiritual lives? How often do we have so much that is neat and in proper order, but then have one area of clutter that we keep behind a facade? It is hard work to clean out the dirty places. It is sometimes difficult to throw away those old "treasures." But the reward is far greater than we can imagine. In both the physical and the spiritual sense, getting rid of the clutter allows us to move on with greater ease.

"Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Hebrews 12:1

Remembering Ethan

2009-04-05T11:15:00.002-05:00

Over the past few years, I've had the privilege of praying for the Powell family - Ben, Becky, and Ethan Isaiah Powell. Ethan was just 2 months old when he was diagnosed with leukemia. Almost immediately, the word traveled through the Internet, and millions of people joined in prayer for precious little E. Through my year of praying for Ethan, I learned many things about God. I got to see first hand that there is great power in prayer. I saw the unsurpassing peace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. And I got to witness the goodness of God and His people. Unfortunately, Ethan lost his 14 month battle with this terrible disease on April 5, 2008 - a year ago, today.

"PRAYeR WORKS" was Ben's "battle cry" through their 14 month journey. And, while I know the prayer for Ethan's miraculous healing wasn't answered as we wanted, I know that God still heard each and every prayer and answered them in His way. I see how God gave Ethan a first birthday - which wasn't expected. I remember how God raised and lowered lab counts in ways that could only be attributed to Him. And, most importantly, I see how God used Ethan and his story to change people's hearts. Ethan was a mighty warrior in his battle against cancer, and a mighty warrior for the LORD. I know that his ultimate healing occurred when he was carried into Jesus' arms.

I've never met Ben and Becky. I became familiar with their story through a friend. However, I have grown a connection with them through my deep prayers for them and their family. They are spoken of around our home by first names. And they are still prayed for - today. I pray that God has surrounded their lives with His presence and they have been able to move through the unthinkable grief. I pray that God blesses Becky's studies at school. I pray that God blesses Ben's work. I pray that God continues to use them and their story to raise money for cancer research. I pray that Ethan's legacy will continue on and that more people will come to know God through the Powells.

Because of my experience of praying for the Powell family, I want to be used to minister to more families who are struggling. So, on Friday I will post more details of my plan. Until then, please be in prayer for the Powells as they travel this difficult journey.

Attitude is EVERYTHING

2009-03-30T22:35:00.008-05:00

When I was a young child. I had a Mickey Mouse record player in my room. Maybe you had one, too? I remember that the arm and needle were Mickey's arm and hand -- with his index finger pointed out.

One of my favorite things to do was listen to music. I think I had every Sesame Street record ever made. (If only my mom had kept those -- I'd be rich). I remember one song that means more to me now than it ever did when I was a child. My crazy brain can still sing it:

Looking at my feet and the crack in the sidewalk,
an old tin can by the side of the road,
I nearly missed a rainbow,
I nearly missed a sunset,
I nearly missed a shooting star going by
So the meaning of the song is that we can miss some pretty good things if we are too busy looking down and feeling sorry for ourselves. In these crazy times, I am reminded to look up - up to where God is on His throne, working out His plan for our family. I am reminded to look up and see all the wonderful things that he has already done in and around me. I am reminded to focus on the rainbows, sunsets, and stars instead of tired feet, cracked concrete, and dirty trash.
Psalm 121:1-3, 7-8
1 I lift up my eyes to the hills—
where does my help come from?
2 My help comes from the LORD,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
3 He will not let your foot slip—
he who watches over you will not slumber;
7 The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
8 The LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

On a Lighter Note

2009-03-27T10:00:00.003-05:00

My kids are the absolute light of my life. Motherhood has its full of frustration, but it also has its moments of complete and utter joy. So, I thought I'd share with you some of this month's highlights.

Toward the beginning of the month, sweet Sister had the flu, despite getting the flu shot. Anyway, the next week, out weather was cloudy, cold, and just blah. Here is a conversation we had in the car during that dreary week:

S: I think the sun is sick
Me: Sick?
S: Yes! I think it has the flu.
Me: Why do you think that?
S: I think that it has been in bed under the "cloud covers" for a few days.
Brother is naturally smart - like in a "where did he get that" kind of way. Because learning comes easy to him, he has poor study skills. Unfortunately, I'm not very good at checking and double-checking his homework assignments to make sure he is "on task." Well this week, he came home and reminded me that his book report is due on Friday. When I asked if he was done reading the book, his quick reply was, "No, but I know enough about it. I will pull it off." Unfortunately, I know he is right.
Sister had a bad dream the other night. I guess it was the first time she had really ever had one. When she came into my room, instead of telling me she had a bad dream, she said, "Mommy, there were monsters in my eyes."

I'm still here...

2009-03-26T08:34:00.007-05:00

I've been away for a while. I just haven't had the energy to write about the whirlwind of emotions that have been swirling around us. Hubby and I finish up at the church this week. It has been very difficult for us and the church. It is such a completely new situation for us, that I can hardly explain it all.

In my heart of hearts, I know God is at work in and around me and this situation. For most of the time, I am at peace with our departure and excited to see where God will take us next in our ministry journey. We've always prayed for God to let us know when it was time to move on in ministry, so I guess I should be thankful that He made if perfectly clear that we are done in our current situation. So, I just wait. There are other times, however, that complete panic overtakes my heart and I worry about the money, the bills, the food, and the family. I look around at our nation's economic situation, and I wonder if we will ever find a new ministry position. It is scary times out there, and I know that our church isn't the only one that's struggling with the finances. So, I cling to God's promises. Mine for today is Psalm 31:24 "Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord."

It is so very weird to be leaving a church - full of people that we love - and not be going to another church - full of people to love. We have left ministry posts before, but it was easier because the "break-up" was on our terms. In those situations, the parting was full of anticipation and excitement over the new ministry location. Here it is just a sad good-bye.

We have decided to go ahead an visit other churches in the area instead of attending our current church until a job opens up. This decision gives us time to get some spiritual feeding, allows us to see how the other people "do church", and also give the church a chance to begin moving forward without our leadership. To us, it was the obvious choice. To the church, they are a bit confused over our decision not to worship with them until God moves us away. I know it is the best for us spiritually and emotionally. I will not ever be able to describe the roller-coaster of emotions that flow through my body on Saturdays, Sundays, and Wednesday nights when I am at the church. It is draining me to remain a positive role model in times when I want to shake my fists and declare my frustration and distraught.

We also need to exit the church because there are select members who are still trying to fight for us to stay and another staff member to leave. I do not like being in the middle. I do not like how the enemy is trying to use this situation to tear up God's church. I do not like people pulling me aside in the church hallways to whisper that they have "rallied some troops" for our cause. I believe God is leading us to a new place. So, we need to leave and allow God to heal the wound.

So, thank you for your prayers!! I know that is what gets me through most days. I will keep you updated.

Dieting Update

2009-02-04T16:46:00.004-06:00

Well, if you read the previous post, you will better understand why I haven't been posting for a while. Things have just been a bit chaotic in our household. I probably don't have to explain this, but with the stress, the dieting has also gone south. I love food, and I love to eat when I don't feel so happy. So, with all the job stuff, I have not been very disciplined with my eating.

To be fair, I have continued to weigh-in and keep track. My official weigh-in day is Saturday. This past week, I was up 1/2 pound. I was very frustrated by it all -- even shed some tears because of it. Weight loss is just so difficult, but regardless of my stresses, I need to be more responsible for my food choices and take better care of this body. So, I have been better this week, and hope to report a loss at the next update. Until then...I'll be drinking crystal light instead of lemonade.

We've been TRUMPED!

2009-02-04T16:26:00.006-06:00

If you play card games, you may think I'm talking about my good card being taken by one that is superior. Unfortunately, I'm not talking games here. We've been Trumped - as in Donald Trump - as in "You're Fired!" This is definitely NOT a game, this is life.

The church is behind in their tithes and offerings for 2008, so the only other place to cut the budget -- after placing a spending freeze on the staff -- is personnel. Unfortunately, my love was the last one hired...first one fired. We don't have many details because the church is still working up a plan. We have loads of questions:

How long will we have a job?
Will there be any compensation/severance pay?
What about our insurance?
What do we do now?
Is there any other options?
Is this all God's plan?

It is a confusing time for us. I know in my heart that God is in control. I know in my innermost being that He has not lead us to this place, only to abandon us here. I just also need to know in my checkbook that everything will be taken care of. I need some reassurance that God will reward our faithfulness -- not by health and wealth -- but by safety and security. I don't like seeing my hubby stressed out. I don't like seeing my son worry about the future for our family. I don't like that my kiddos have seen me cry more in the past week than they ever had in their entire lives. I'm looking to God for the light and the BIG sign as to where we go from here.

It's is worse than Target -- Wednesday's Rant

2009-01-21T16:12:00.006-06:00

I try to be positive and upbeat in my posts, but sometimes, you just need a place to put down your thoughts and feelings -- regardless of how ugly they my be. For the sake of my readers, I will try to contain my complaints to Wednesdays! I may even be able to skip some weeks. :)

So, my target (no pun intended) is stores that have ridiculous return policies. In the past, I have had many frustrations with Target stores. Their return policy is that you must have a receipt or gift receipt for any return. If you do not have either one, you are limited to 2 returns (without a receipt) per driver's license per year and the item can only be exchanged for store credit. While I understand the necessity of policies, I feel that certain things -- like items on a gift registry or items that are continually in stock at their stores -- should be exempt from such strict limitations.

Well, dear friends, I have found a store with a worse return policy!!

Here is the background. Sister had her birthday this past week. Wouldn't you know that my sister and Hubby's brother both bought her a Cinderella dress-up costume. So very cute, but what are the odds that both would pick Cinderella for their "out of town" niece? I mean, I know Disney makes other costumes. Anyway -- I thought it would be simple enough to take one of the Cinderella outfits to the store, walk up to the counter, explain the situation, and walk away with one Sleeping Beauty costume (since Sister requested "the pink one"). Boy, oh boy, was I ever the wrong one in that!!

I walked into Toys R Us and explained the situation. The girl behind the counter asked me, "Did you get a receipt with that?" I explained that I did not, but I just wanted an even exchange. She then told me, "No receipt means no refund, return, or exchange." I explained, again, that it was a gift. She than said, "Well, if you give me their phone number, I'll look it up to verify it was bought at our store." I explained that one person is from out of town and the other giver is out of state. She told me, "No matter, they will be in our system." (Can anyone say, "Hello, Big Brother"?) I politely declined and exited the store. I then went to Target and used up one of my "no receipt" returns for the year. :)

So, PLEASE, hear my warning: Do not buy any gifts at Toys R Us unless you know for sure the person is wanting to keep it and/or you provide a gift receipt. I know there are dishonest people in the world, but why, oh why, must we all suffer the consequences?

Dieting - YUCK!

2009-01-19T10:03:00.005-06:00

Well, I'm dieting. I know that the politically correct term is "lifestyle change," but it still feels like a diet -- no matter what I tell myself. I'm not sure my lifestyle will ever be happy without chips, dip, and ice cream, but some sacrifices will be required along this journey.

A few years ago, after Sister was born, I followed the South Beach diet (SBD) and lost over 50 pounds. Then I got a bit too comfortable and have now managed to gain 35 of those back. Since I never met my goal in the first place, I really need to get serious about this! Why is struggling with my weight going to be the burden I bear for the rest of my life? I wonder if I will ever feel successful in this.

SBD has 3 phases. The first is the most limited. Its purpose is to eliminate any cravings your body may have for sweets. For 2 weeks, the rules are no sugar, no fruit, and no bread/grains. I will faithfully suffer through this phase, knowing that my body needs to be shocked into reality. The second phase is the true weight-loss phase. Its purpose it to learn how to eat a balanced diet of protein, "good" carbs, and veggies. It really is the fum part of the plan because you lose weigh, while trying new foods. The final phase is 3 - maintenance. I've never achieved this part, so I cannot telly you anything about it, but I'm sure it is wonderful, but challenging in its own way (or is it weigh?).

So, now that the holidays and birthdays (yes, my kids both have January birthdays) are behind us, I will move back into the dieting phase of my life -- contemplating every bite that is to enter my mouth, weighing the pros and cons of each cheat. I will keep you posted on my progress, and share some helpful tips (if I find any) along the way. I am actually looking forward to it -- so I can feel better - both physically and emotionally.

A Little More about Me

2009-01-08T10:56:00.028-06:00

Here's a little more information about me:

What is my age?

What is my middle name?

What is my dream vacation?
Where was I born?

What is my favorite color?

What is my drink of choice?

What's in a Name??

2009-01-08T09:15:00.000-06:00

So, we have all heard the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." I even referred to that saying in my previous post. It is usually tossed around to people, encouraging them to make the best out of a difficult situation. While I appreciate the sentiment, sometimes the saying goes against my beliefs. Life can give us all the lemons in the world, and we are by nature unable to make anything good of it. I believe that sometimes we need to look past the "lemons" and see things as God intends for us to see them.

I am reminded of the story of Joseph, found in the book of Genesis. Joseph was handed a bowl of "lemons." He was sold into slavery, falsely accused, suffered in prison for many years, and separated from his father. However, in the end, Joseph was able to recognize that his life wasn't 'lemons' afterall. In Genesis 50:20, he tells his brothers, "As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today."

A few months back, I heard the song "Lemonade" by Chris Rice. It really expressed my heart. God has GREATLY blessed me -- and I don't necessarily know why. Sometimes, I don't always see the "lemonade", but I have to trust that my Heavenly Father sees the big picture and knows the very best for me. I have to remember the lesson of Matthew 7:9-11:

Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!

So, I titled my blog "Thanks for the Lemonade" to remind myself that God has given me something good. I haven't been given lemons that I have to turn into something good. Life is sweet, refreshing, and full of flavor and for that, I am truly thankful!

Blogging

2009-01-05T13:51:00.001-06:00

I’m blogging. I don’t know why I’m blogging. I’m not sure I have time to blog. I’m not sure I have much to say. I don’t have any amazing experiences, but here I am – blogging. My hubby tells me that my motherhood stories are funny and that I should write them down. My friends say that I have entertaining stories and I should share them with others. So, here I am – blogging. I’m not sure where to start, and I’m not sure where all this will go, but here I am.

I guess to start out, I should introduce myself. I am a 35 year old stay at home mom. I have lots of education and have worked off and on, but I mostly love being home with the kids and taking care of the house.

My hubby is a minister. In high school, my girlfriends and I had an “imaginary” boyfriend, and he was PERFECT! His name was Chris. If we didn’t have any weekend plans, we would tell one another, “Oh, I have plans to go out with Chris” – that was code for “I’m staying at home with my boring parents Friday night.” So, my hubby isn’t imaginary, but he is perfect – perfect for me. We have quite an adventurous life – not because we jump out of planes or take exotic vacations, but because we deal with people – on a fairly regular basis. Ministry can be a difficult life. People are oftentimes in your business when they shouldn’t be and out of reach when they should be about God’s business. We share a lot of humor in our home – it’s a huge coping mechanism. We try to see the best in people and situations. My granny called it “making lemonade out of lemons.”

We have 2 children. Our oldest child is 8. Brother is truly a great gift from God. He is wise beyond his years, yet still a rowdy, adventurous boy. Our “baby” is 3. After struggling to have a second child and giving up completely, I found out that I was finally pregnant. Sister is God’s daily reminder of His love and grace to us. She is all girl – her favorite colors are pink and purple – but she is TOUGH and can stand up to her brother very well.

I really love my life and the calling that God has given me to be minister wife and mother. However, I do have time where I become overwhelmed and have a need to vent. Ministry can so rewarding, and most often it is, but it can also be a lonely place during trials and angst, so I will share the good, bad, and the ugly. I don’t need a “following,” just a safe place to share my heart. Thanks for reading.