Monday Morning

It's Monday morning and NO ONE IS SICK!!!! Which means I have the entire day to catch up. I have a list a mile long and am positively giddy knowing that I have the time to get it all done. I hope to be able to report tonight that I am finished Christmas shopping, I have ordered Christmas cards, I have groceries for dinner and the rest of the week, and I got to eat lunch with my hubby. What a wonderful day it's going to be, I'm sure of it.

I'm Back

These past few weeks have been crazy. We've been sick and busy, and those 2 things don't mix. This week has been a blur. I got strep at the beginning of the week and spent Monday and Tuesday in bed and pretty much out of it. Last night, we had my hubby's work colleagues over to the house for soup so I spent Wed. and Thurs. throwing everything together for last night. It went great and I'm so glad we did it, but I'm more glad it's over. I now get to start back up on the Christmas stuff. I need to do some shopping, our Christmas cards, plan my kids' school parties, fun stuff like that. I definitely feel like I can get it all done, and I'm anxious to get to it. Hope you all are doing well and will write more later.

Another Day of Fun

We've been to the dentist this morning. That statement says it all. I am in such a grumpy mood after being there. This time, the kids did great but I have a cavity. So, I get to go back next week. Oh joy. I have been flossing every day so I was really upset and frustrated by that. Oh well. They also forgot to seal Mr. T's teeth so I have to take him back on Monday. They didn't have time to do it because it was time for them to go to lunch. They also couldn't get his xrays because the tech that we all love wasn't there. I told them it wouldn't work if she wasn't there. I think next time I'll take the kids to a kids' dentist. Can you tell I'm still mad about the whole trip? I can't believe I have to go back next week. ARGHGHGH!!!!

Oh, and I told the hygienist something positive about myself that I had started to do and then jokingly said, "I bet you don't believe that." And she agreed by saying, "No, I don't believe that." And it hurt my feelings. There I said it. I really expected her to be nice and try to argue, not agree. Do they really all think I'm that pitiful? I struggle with wanting everyone to like me, even my dental hygienist that I see for 40 minutes twice a year. How pathetic is that. I don't know if I'll have the courage to go back next week or ever again. :)

Oh, and my kids set a bowl on my endtable that my grandparents gave me as a high school graduation gift, and it left a horrible ring that ate right through the finish. It's the second time so now the table has 2 LOVELY rings on it. I really should give up trying to have nice things. Maybe Darron could refinish it as part of a Christmas gift when the kids move out. Gloom and despair. :)

I am going to stop now that I've gotten that all off my chest and focus on the things I have to be thankful for. I am thankful for my kids, my wonderful house that is warm all the time, for my hubby, for my God, for family, for teeth that haven't completely fallen out :), for vacation days from school so we can hang out together as a family. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.

The Gift of Today

I thought that today we were going to have stuff to do, but our plans changed and I am now finding myself with nothing to do for a couple of hours. I know I get hours of alone time during the week, but this is time that I had something scheduled and now I don't. I cleaned yesterday; I even conned the kids into helping. I finished my work last night. I got the kids ready for the day early this morning. So, now I actually get to curl up on the sofa with the newspaper or a book and just enjoy a few FREE hours. What a gift. I almost don't know what to do. There really is nothing that I need to be doing. I could pull out the rest of Christmas but I think I'll just go chill out instead.

P.S.-I would have much rather gotten to do what was planned. :) Miss ya sis. We'll make up for it next time.

The List

Here's an update.

Mr T has strep. Figures. That makes 5 out of 7 cousins on this side of the family with that junk. The verdict is still out on Miss A and myself.

I get the bad mother of the week award for sending Mr T to school for 2 hours so that he could infect everyone; I knew better.

We skipped church tonight so that we would not infect anyone. The people I called to tell them I wouldn't be there didn't get the message so I look like a total slacker. They called here looking for me. I let my hubby answer the phone. :)

At the doctor's office, the nurse asked me to spell my first name and I actually replied, "M-O-M-M-Y."

I did not get even one minute of that all-day nap I planned.

On the positive, I have some work to do, for the first time in weeks, and I should hopefully have all day tomorrow to do it. That is if no one else gets sick. We'll see.

It Feels Like A Monday

I had all these great plans for today and they are all blown apart, even though it's only 9:30. I have not been feeling good the past couple of days, but I had stuff I HAD to do so I just kept on trucking. I was so looking forward to spending my day alone, recuperating. It is my first sick day with both of my kids in school and I was looking forward to being sick in peace. That plan disappeared when Mr T woke up croupy in the middle of the night. I kept him home from school and began to try to figure out what we were going to do. But, by 8:30, he was feeling so much better that he talked me into taking him to school. So, I think my day has been redeemed and all is back on track. As I am driving home, I get a phone call from my sister in law saying that both her kids have strep. And it's like a light bulb went off. I bet that is why I've been sick and I'll bet Mr T has it too. So, I am now waiting to go retrieve my kids from school for a 11:30 doctor's appointment.

Explain to me how I can go into school and re-check out my sick kid. They already looked at me like I was a horrible person for bringing him to school when I said he was late because he was sick this morning. I get the BAD parent award today. And I can't tell you how much my daughter hates the strep test. She really is good at the guilt trip. I am hoping that eating lunch out and then ice cream will help smooth things over.

So, I have totally forgotten my hopes of laying around all day. I may need serious meds after today is over. :)

Our Sunday

It's been awhile but I have been very busy. My girl Ashley was baptized yesterday and it was truly a wonderful day. Seeing her take that step of faith was huge for me. What a blessing my kids are to me. I got to stay with her and watch her be baptized from "behind the scenes." It was like we got to share that time together. Lots of family was able to come and we had the best time being with them. We ate and ate and ate some more; we played games; and we laughed together. It was perfect.

I just finished talking to a dear friend, and she was pouring out her heart to me. I hung up and was overwhelmed with the reminder that people really hurting. I get so insulated with my life and my "to do" list that I forget that there are people who really need God. In my Bible study this morning, I was reading about focussing on including God in every part of our day. I want to consult him before I make any decision. I want to be right where he needs me so that I can help others.

I have some great pictures that I'll try to add soon. Love ya'll.

Quick Update

I have lots to write and only a few minutes so I'll probably have to come back to this. I'm going to Bible study this morning, and I am really excited about it for some reason. I have started singing "This is the Day that the Lord Has Made" to my kids each morning. For some reason, that really seems to put everyone in the right mindset for the day. What a great way to start the day.

I wanted to update you all on school. I had both my kids' conferences yesterday, and they went great. Miss A's teacher said that she expected Miss A to grow up and be something great and very special. Mr T's teacher said that we had done a good job with him. Both those reports just really encouraged me. I struggled so much with this whole school thing, and I know I am doing the right thing by having them where they are. But it's nice to get encouragement every once in awhile too. I have learned to really rely on God during this time because He is the only one who can keep them safe. I spend alot of time on my knees praying for my kids, something I would not have been doing if I had gotten my own way. So, there are good things happening. I just want to remember next school year not to pitch such a fit when I don't get my way. I want to handle the whole situation alot better; I think it's time I grew up. :) You all are free to remind me of this next August. :)

I got a call from work saying that they couldn't send me any work for awhile, until things turned around. So, once again, I feel like I've been fired. When I was working so much, I remember thinking that I wish I had done some things on my "to do list". Now I'm going to do them. I am determined to use this little break to accomplish some things I've left undone, to have something to show for this time once it's over. I'm over feeling sorry for myself and I'm going to make this time count.

This weekend the boys are supposed to go camping, if it doesn't rain, and the girls are going...shopping. :) I've promised Miss A new curtains and she wants some with butterflies on them. So, we'll see what we can come up with. Yes, that means I will attempt to sew....or at least con my mom into sewing them for me. :) She'll do a better job anyways.

My Little Photographer

My daughter won 2nd place in her division in a school competition for this picture she took all by herself. Way to go!!! She was excited about winning but showed it like her daddy shows emotion, subdued and with little outward signs. I, on the other hand, was showing it by hugging and laughing. (Notice the bird flying in the sky on the left side of the picture If you click on the picture, you can see it bigger.)

Here's another one she took that is now hanging in her room.

The Demise of our TV Viewing Selection

Two quick things.

My hubby discovered last night that we get the "Do It Yourself" network on our cable package. He was glowing. I figure I'll never get to see anything but fix it stuff. Good bye chic flicks and cheesy movies. I should have deleted that channel while I had a chance.

I am going to meet a college roommate for lunch. We are eating at Johnny Rockets downtown. I cannot wait. I get to see a dear friend who lives far away. I don't think I've seen her for 2 years. I get to go downtown--which I LOVE. And I get to do it without worrying about taking my kids. I knew this school thing would eventually pay off. :)

So I'll Remember Next Time I Pity Myself

I was having a very good pity party for myself this afternoon. It was rather cozy there all. There was just myself and my pity and my horrible jealous thoughts. But I was desperately praying to God that he would help me stop those horrible thoughts and feelings I was having. And guess what he did? A complete stranger stopped by and said, "I just love that blouse. It is so beautiful. That color is just beautiful on you." She even reached over and touched my arm. Then she walked on. I do believe it was an angel. :) My God really cares about little ol' me.

What's Goin' On

I don't have anything great to share. We have been busy getting our house back into order. While we had our hardwood floors refinished, we moved out of our house and stayed at my hubby's grandmother's house. It was great to have a place to be but after a few days, I was dying to come back home. We moved back in a week ago Monday, and lived for a week with no furniture downstairs. We would lay the kids down at night in their beds and then when we were ready for bed, we would move one to the floor and take their bed. It was great be home, but I was still longing for some normalcy. So, last Friday, we moved all our furniture back in and finally had somewhere to sit, somewhere to eat, our own bed to sleep in. HEAVEN!!! I'll try never to take those things for granted. I have spent every minute since trying to bring all our "stuff" back inside from the garage where we stored it. My mom came up and spent Monday and Tuesday with us. We decided to purge our kids' rooms. By the time we were finished, we had taken out 10 bags of trash, 8 bags to the local thrift store, and I have about 5 more bags I'm going to try to consign before I donate. The upstairs looks amazing. My kids are so excited to be able to finally see what toys they have. Less really is more. (The kids haven't even mentioned one thing they miss.)

This morning, I met a dear friend for breakfast, and we had so much fun just talking about our lives. I haven't seen her in about 4 months so it was alot of fun catching up. Afterwards, I decided to treat myself to some shopping. I bought the cutest clothes at Kohls; I got the best snack stuff from BJ's; and of course I had to run into to WalMart. I can't wait to try on my new clothes again and make sure I like them. I got the greatest pants at Kohls. I wanted to wear them out of the store; they were that comfy.

Life is good here but busy. There is always something to do it seems. It is raining today, which is such a blessing. It could honestly rain for days and I wouldn't mind.

Here are a few pictures we had taken while we on vacation. Enjoy!!




Our Family


The Kids


Mr T loses his first tooth and gets glasses

Here's the crazy thing about the glasses. We had them for less than 24 hours before I KNOCKED them off his face and he stepped on them. It took less than a second for the whole thing to happen and YES, they did have to be replaced. Welcome to my world! He now has new ones that fit him like a glove and look even better on my cutie pie, if that's possible.

Clean House, Here We Come

Once again, I have more thoughts than time to write them. We are back in our house. We've been living at my hubby's grandmother's house while our floors have been sanded and re-polyurethaned. The floors are finished now so we are living at home. There is no furniture in my first floor so my fridge, my bed, my sofa, my clothes are all in my garage. We lay the kids down in their beds and then move them to the floor so we'll have somewhere to sleep. Needless to say, I am ready for live to be "right" again. Tonight, we are planning to move everything back in so it won't be long.

Right now, I should be putting my kitchen back together, bringing my clothes back into the closet, or hanging up pictures. What I'd like to do (and in this order) is go back to bed for a long nap, get a shower, go shopping at Wal-Mart and the outlet mall, and watch tv (which I haven't seen in over a week and half.)

As busy as I feel, today is the first day in over 2 weeks where I don't have to go somewhere. I am really enjoying the aloneness and the quiet. I can't stop smiling because I am all alone with nowhere to rush off to (and it seems like these days I'm normally running late.) Hope you all have a great day.

Life at Warp Speed

I have so many thoughts and stories running around in my head so I'm just gonna throw them down on paper. We have been running this week, running to meetings, running to work, running to get it all done. It would not be so bad but I fully expected this week to be lighter but it's been busier.

I got a call Monday night telling me I had work to do. And while I am thankful for the work, staying up until 2 a.m. to finish it is something I would rather have left to my college days. Needless to say, I was dragging all day Tuesday. I got to volunteer in both my kids classrooms, which was a treat. I even got to eat with both my kids. What a sweet day. Here's the best part of the day. The principal caught me as I walked out the door and said she had to talk to me about my kids. I couldn't imagine BOTH my kids getting in trouble at the same time. But, that wasn't it. Both were chosen to get the "Star Student" award for their class for the month. The character trait for the month was "knowledge" so they were chosen based on their "knowledge." Could my head and heart get any bigger with pride? I certainly don't deserve the kids God has blessed me with.

We are still struggling to find gasoline around these parts. I finally found some to fill my hubby's truck up with yesterday. He was filling his truck up with gas from the lawnmower tank to make it back and forth to work and that was running out. I have about half a tank and am about to go out searching when I finish this post. Who knew that gas for my car would be something I would have to worry about. **I added that "for my car" part so you wouldn't think I meant "gas". :)

We took the kids glasses in to be fixed and they informed me it was just a matter of time before my son's broke. So, we get to buy another pair. I could just cry over that. They should make those more indestructible or I'll just have to be more coordinated.

This morning, my son found a dollar in his drawer and came running to inform me that we HAD to go to the dollar store today. He smiled and then I saw it. He was missing a tooth. He lost his first tooth last night in his sleep. My husband was sure he swallowed it, but I found it under his pillow. I can't understand how the tooth fairy missed it, but I'm sure she'll be coming tonight. My son wanted to take the tooth with him to school to show everyone but we talked him out of that.

Today is early release from school so I get to run my niece to gymnastics then go pick up my kids. Then, I hope to get a couple of hours worth of work done (this huge job goes out tomorrow) so that I can go to AWANA with my kids tonight. Mr T got his new Sparks book and has been taking it with him everywhere. He loves that Sparky book. They have new books that come with the coolest CD that basically tells them all the Bible stories that go with the verses they are learning. It's great for my little guy who can't read yet.

UGH!!

My house is completely empty on the main floor. There is nowhere to sit, nothing to write on, nothing. It is depressing and overwhelming all at once. It feels so empty and void, cold and foreign.

My son just got glasses and in my haste to get them for him, I picked them up without him being there. So, they don't fit. He's had them one day and I just knocked them off and he stepped on them, making them the most lopsided things you've ever seen. So, I get to drive at least 30 minutes again to probably pay $100 to have them fixed or replaced.

Can you tell I'm in struggling today? I need a nap but there's nowhere to lay down except on the floor. :) And the floor is too dusty to really down....or I just might sit down and never get up. And I don't want to sweep or dust because on Monday the floor people come begin sanding and refinishing. My life couldn't get any better, I don't think. :)

A Quick Update for the House that is in Transition

I am waiting for some of my work to download on my computer so I have a minute to write. My hubby and I have been "updating" our house. We replaced the tile on our kitchen cabinets. For a week, I didn't have a kitchen sink, oven, or dishwasher. It was hard trying to live in a house without a kitchen sink, but we made it. I'll try to post pictures soon. I have pictures that I took at different stages but don't have any of the finished project.

As soon as we finished the kitchen we moved to the rest of the house and began painting the interior walls. Last Christmas, my hubby finished out some attic space to give the kids a little playroom. After he finished painting it, he went to every room in the house and touched up with left over paint all the spots that need painting. Well, he didn't realize he was using glossy paint to touch up flat paint. So, we had shiny spots on almost every wall in the house. So...we are painting.

The crazy thing is we decided to have our hardwoods resanded and the people are coming next week. So, every non-essential piece of furniture is in the garage. And my house looks like a tornado has hit. It's a mess. I can't even describe how crazy it is around here. And to top it all off, I am back working again for a week or two so I'm busier than ever. So much for those slow, lazy times.

But when it's all done, we won't need to do anything to our house for a very long time. And it's going to look so good. I can't wait.

Pictures are coming soon.

Praise

I am having the best hair day. I know it sounds vain, but I am. And it feels good. :) All day, I've been smiling. It was confirmed when I saw my niece this afternoon and she said, "Your hair looks great today." I know girl, I know. Wish I could pinpoint what made the difference so I could bottle it up and never change it.

A Fun Memory

Today I met my hubby for lunch at the local Mexican restaurant. It was great food and even better company. As we left, we saw several local county government trucks in the parking lot. Each had a bright orange cone behind the trucks. And I just had to giggle. When I worked for the Department of Transportation in college, I got to drive an "official" DOT truck. Whenever I would park the car, I had to put out the orange cone behind the truck. The reason for this is it requires you to walk around the back of the truck before you leave. I'm sure it worked for everyone but me. I cannot tell you how many times I would back out of the parking space and hear the most horrible bumping, dragging sound. Then it'd hit me, "You backed over that stupid cone again." There were even a few times where I would drag silly thing all the way back to the DOT office. So, if you saw a DOT truck going down the road dragging an orange cone underneath about 10 years ago, that was me. I admit it.

Finally Friday

I had a post written complaining about my day and the obstacles in it. But before I posted it, I did my Bible study and I was totally convicted by what I read. I was studying about the Israelites and the spies who went to scout out the land the Lord had promised them. Most of the spies saw the bounty of the land but also the giants they would have to fight. Only two spies remembered that God had promised them that land.

And I was reminded that I know my family is where God wants us. And there are giants that we are facing, but God is good and he's going to give us what he has promised. He's going to watch over us and lead us where he wants us to go. So, for today, I will follow and try to rest in his arms.

Another Day Here

Day 4, and it's getting easier. Mr. T keeps telling me every morning that he does not want to go, he's scared, and he just wants me to teach him at home. I think that'll be the norm for awhile. I'll just have to toughen up.

I heard the funniest thing from my niece this morning. My sister-in-law and I carpool the kids to school, and it was my morning to take. I love driving them all to school because I get to "eavesdrop" on their conversations. This morning my niece was complaining because she had not been able to get much homework done after school yesterday at my mother in law's house. It seems she was talking too much so my MIL moved her to a bedroom so she could be by herself. I heard my niece say, "There were 2 mirrors in there and everyone who knows me knows that if I see a mirror I HAVE to look at myself. I HAVE to. I can't help it." She has a flare for the dramatic.

2 Days Down

Shooo-weeee. What a crazy couple of days. Yesterady, I picked up my babies from school as they stepped off the daycare van, and Mr T looked like he was in shock. There were no smiles and he had little to say. He said that recess was no fun because he hadn't gotten swing and the slide was too hot. His teacher made him throw away his special note from me at lunch because it was on his napkin. Needless to say, last night, I was a bit disturbed about how school was going.

This morning he said that he didn't want to go and wanted to know when would he get used to this school thing. I was beside myself. I spent alot of time praying and trying not to completely melt down. I had promised my hubby's grandmother that I would join the card-playing-ladies for lunch. I walked in and had to walk back out because I didn't know if I could make it. But I went back in and let me tell you, there were like medicine to my broken heart. They all said they knew exactly how I felt and even shared their kids' and grandkids' funny first day of school stories. They even had tears in their eyes. It was so sweet. Imagine getting 6 sweet grandmas to love on you all at once. I don't mean this ugly but so many women my age seem almost glad that their kids are in school so I end up feeling like I'm slightly off my rocker for being beside myself with grief.

Well, I go to pick up my kids today and Mr T comes off the bus smiling and introduces me to another little girl who is in his class and rides the same bus. He was chatty and when I asked about PE, he got really excited and said it was fun. He was so excited about his "notebook binder" he brought home. I didn't ask him too many questions because I figured he will tell me what he needs me to know but he did seem happier, much happier.

So, for now, my heart is ok. I think tonight I won't have to cry myself to sleep. And I'll keep reminding myself, 2 days down, 178 to go. :) That's not completely true. I have been telling myself that all I have to do is make it through today. I don't have to worry about how I'll make it through the year. All I have to do is get through this very minute. Somehow that makes things much more manageable.

By the way, Miss A is in heaven. Her teacher gives them alot of free time to read and her only homework is to read. She is so happy to be there, and nothing seems to really upset her. She is happy, unbelieveably happy. What a relief. I am praying that a friend of Miss A's in another class gets to be in Miss A's "gifted" class. They won't announce that for a week or so but it sure would help to have the friend there because Miss A doesn't have the teacher she has last year for this special class. And we love that teacher. So, maybe.

Well, don't read this and wonder about me. I am doing fine. I'm a bit lost with no work to do. Floundering might be more like it. I have cleaned my shower so that it looks brand new; I've run all my errands; and I've gone to the church to clean up a supply closet. Tomorrow I think I might actually try to exercise. I really do need to get a job. :)

Random Thoughts

My babies are at school. Mr T starts kindergarten today and Miss A is in 3rd grade now. We managed to get everybody out the door with everyone still smiling. I managed to keep the tears in check until my hubby drove out the driveway. I have never wanted to chase a car down so badly. I kept thinking, "Why do I have to do something I don't want to do? Whose brilliant idea was this anyways?"

Yesterday at church, everything seemed to be about following God even we don't want to do it. We studied Jonah and I kept telling the kids in my class that sometimes we have to do things God wants us to do even if we don't want to. Um, I hear yeah God. I get it. I know that today my kids are where they are supposed to be. God won't give them or me anything to do that he won't give us the strength to do. And he will be with them every step of the way. So, I'll try to chill out and rest in Him.

Last night as I was washing Mr T's hair, he starts to sing "Since Jesus Came Into My Heart." We both were singing it at the top of our lungs. And God whispered to my heart that he hears my tears and my fears, and He is in control and He is going to protect my child. If my kids go through yucky stuff, it's because he is going to teach them something awesome. He will be with them.

So, enough about kids. I HAVE TO FIND A JOB. :) My hubby thinks I'm just gonna lay around and be a bum so I've got to find a job so I can say I worked. I need an excuse to not have the house clean and dinner on the table every night. :)

Oh yeah, thank you God for sweet friends who call to make sure I'm ok. :) I'm off now to begin my list. I've been putting stuff off for weeks so I have a list that should carry me through the week. I'm going to my in-laws house to clean out my hubby's old closet. Fun, huh? I am sure it's full of "World's Best Son" trophies.

Just a Note to Catch You Up

It's been awhile since I've posted. The main reason is that we have been crazy busy travelling and trying to squeeze the most fun out of our last few days of summer. We've been to 10 days of camping out for camp meeting, a week at the beach, and weekend at church camp. In between all those trips, I have been busy doing all the "life" stuff like paying bills, returning phone calls, washing clothes, etc. Needless to say, there has not been a spare minute.

We go tonight to meet the kids' teachers. Miss A's teacher called to welcome her and it turns out she's the mother of a girl in Miss A's 1st grade class. So we already know her, which relieves Miss A from all the "unknown" worry. Thank you Jesus. Mr T's teacher called and left us a sweet message. By her voice, she sounds really sweet.

I have not yet been overcome with fear about this new school year. Normally, I'm almost paralyzed with fear and grief over the coming school year but not this year. Miss A is ready to go so that makes her easier to send. Mr T is such a fun person that I'm mostly sure that he'll adapt well. I know it'll be miserable when they start school but for now, I'm doing ok. It's a peace I don't understand.

I realized this morning that for the past 8 years, I've had a little one by my side ALL day long, and it's going to take some getting used to being on my own. I am trying to tell myself that it'll take months to adjust, but that I will like it eventually. I also keep telling myself that this is a baby step toward setting my kids free. My job is to teach them to stand on their own and I'm trying. I also don't think about how fast they are growing and how fast my time with them will be over. I don't think about that. I just DON'T THINK ABOUT THAT. :)

My job that pays me has fallen through due to the slow economy so I really have no idea what I'll be doing when school starts. I have a list that should last a week. After that, I might be finding the want ads and looking for a job. :) Any suggestions?

Have a great day and pray for us if you think of us over the next week.

School is 2 1/2 weeks away

My daughter announced at lunch today to myself and a friend that she is READY to go back to school.

SIGH!!! PAUSE!!! UGH!!!!! More sighing, more pausing.

I know I should be thrilled because it means that it'll be easy to get her to go in a couple of weeks. I know I should be thankful that she really enjoys learning. I remember being a kid and missing school by the end of the summer so I completely understand with my head. It's just my heart that kinda hurts. Why does letting go have to be so painful? Thank God it happens a little at a time.

Pictures from our Lives

Some of you have requested pictures and I've been slow to do it. So here's a few gems. The one with the flags is at the July 4th Parade here in town. The others are from our trip. The sign is a McDonald's sign that has parking for buggies too. (Definitely taken in Amish country.)

My Kids Creation

It may be hard to see what is in this picture but I promise you, it is about 300 wedding invitations from mine and my hubby's wedding 11 years ago. My kids found the box of them and had to make a village out of them. I had no idea 11 years ago that this was the fate of these extra invitations. I would have laughed had I known.

There's a story behind those invitations. We had a dear friend write out our wedding invitations for us. She has the most beautiful script, and the invitations were sure to be gorgeous. We got her copy to the printers and were told they couldn't use it. So, we just had them print them up with plain old computer script. Somehow during all the back and forth, the name of the church got left off the invitations. And like the spoiled young bride I was, I become completely unreasonable and just HAD to have them reprinted. It was suggested that I place an extra card in there with the church's name on it but that simply would not do. Hence the extra 300 invitations.

I have changed, thank you Jesus. And today I would have taken out a Sharpie (no, maybe a crayon) and added an addendum with an apology and the church's name. I might have even draw a cute smiley face too (without the nose.) :)

Here's the best part. See the big pile of paper in the center? That's a church. My kids built a church; not a house, not a store, not a school, but a church. I pray that God will always be the center of their lives. I pray that all day long. Something that once caused me so much frustration has turned into something beautiful. May my whole life be like those invitations.

Time for a Change

Guess what I did yesterday? I rearranged my living room furniture. Now to those who know me, you may be surprised that I would just change my furniture around. You KNOW I hate change. It seriously took me a couple of weeks to work up the nerve to change it, but there was a bigger factor than my fear. I am so totally cheap.

Our sofa that we've had for 11 years has begun to sag terribly in the middle. Shouldn't sofas last longer than 11 years? Please don't get me started. Anyways, when my hubby and I would watch TV, we would squish up on one end of the sofa because it was the only "high" place left. And even that spot had begun to squeak. So we began talking about new furniture, which is great but that's something I want to shop for slowly, not because I have to have something. So, we switched the love seat and the sofa's place. This is turn required us to move ALL the furniture in the room. We now have more room on the love seat than we did on the sofa. Who knew?

My son watched all this in wonder and had to ask, "Mommy, why are you doing this?" I replied, "It's what we girls do. It's what we do." My daughter got right into the fray and was barking out orders to me and her dad. And all of her suggestions were better than mine so I guess I should say that my daughter rearranged our living room furniture yesterday. It looks really good.

The Real Country

We just got back from vacation and it proved to me that we do NOT live in the REAL country. We went to Ohio to visit all my cousins, aunts, uncles, and all my extended family. It was wonderful. My parents and my younger sister went with us so we were guaranteed to have a great time.

All the animals had just had babies so we got to see baby rabbits, horse, cows, donkeys, buffalo, cats, dogs. You name it, we probably saw it. My kids had so much petting all the animals.

I know to my family, we seemed extremely busy but for me, it was such a wonderful time of slowing down and focusing on people. So much of my life sometimes feels isolated and lonely, and it was refreshing to feel welcomed and invited. Seeing old friends was like coming home. It was refreshing to remember that I do have roots of my own somewhere. I came home feeling refreshed and like I could do anything I wanted. In the every day living, I get so bogged down with the petty things that don't matter. I wish I could slip away to Ohio every couple of weeks or so and remember that life is more than just existing from one task to the next. It really was a good trip.

What we miss because we live in the country

My kids and I went to the mall yesterday to pick up a book and a couple of other things that I couldn't find anywhere else. We rarely go to the mall because it's a half hour away, and it's just easier to find stuff that is closer. Plus, going to the mall with my kids stresses me out. They just want to hide in all the racks and just play. I often wonder if my kids will avoid shopping when they grow up, and if it'll be all my fault.

We walked into the mall yesterday and I heard my daughter say, "Mom, I love the mall." Music to my ears. We'll have to try to go more often.

Love This

I've never posted anything like this but I just loved it and wanted to share it.

Happy Birthday

I had the best day yesterday. It was my mom's birthday (Happy Birthday Mom.) Mom, thanks for sharing it with us. My younger sister flew in from out of town just for the day. What a great surprise. My older sister, myself and our 4 kids went to the airport to pick my younger sister up. We were all so excited to see her that I think she heard us coming before she saw us. I felt like I was in a car in the circus with crazy music playing. All we needed were clown outfits and to come pouring out of the car. Hilarious.

There's something about family that I can't find anywhere else. We tease, joke and enjoy each other. It was fun to relax and play for a day. Sisters, Mom, Dad, I'll try not to plan anymore lasagna lunches without seeking input from all. I'll try not to copy my daughter's Christmas cards ever again. And, I'll thank God for you all when I go to bed tonight. Love ya.

Where Has The Time Gone?

My dear friend K called and invited me to ride with her to mall to buy a swimsuit. I of course was up for a trip to the mall and decided that I might just look for a swimsuit for myself.



It didn't take me long to realize that it had been 14 years since I had bought a swimsuit. Yes, my current suit was one I purchased in college. I love that suit. I remember when I bought it. My college roomies was interviewing for a job in a town about an hour away so I rode along and shopped while she interviewed. I remember seeing it in the outlet mall and KNOWING it was the right suit for me. How could it have been 14 years? It seemed like just yesterday.



My hubby informed me that I was definitely to get a new suit. So, K, her son, my son and myself headed to the mall. And thank God for K. Without her forcing me on, I would have given up after about 2 seconds. Everything was either inappropraite or old lady. UGHGHGH!!!! And who knew that swimsuits could look that bad on me?



I tried one on and my son immediately began to laugh. K said that if he was laughing, it could not be good. And Mr T was right, it was hideous, but did he have to laugh? This was not going well.



I finally found a black suit with some blue on it that was flattering and then a pair of black swim short with a black and white top that I just adore. So, it was worth it. Two suits should last me FOREVER, right? And the old suit? I'm burning it. Who knew I would ever grow sick of the thing? It only took 14 years.

Some Good News

I haven't shared this because I wanted to spend alot of time getting this said just right. I wanted to try to convey in words a wonderful thing but I don't think I'll be able to so I'll just say it as best I can.



My daughter got saved at VBS last Wednesday, June 4 and it was a truly wonderful experience. God is so good. I am so glad he did it the way he did, when he did, where he did it. He is so perfect in all the details. She asked Jesus to come into her heart at the church my hubby grew up in, which was extra special for us all. It was so easy to see that God was there and he was working and moving. I wish everyone could have been there. God is so good.



She has been telling everyone about it, which is almost an even better blessing. I am so thankful that she can't wait to share what God has done for her. May she never stop sharing how awesome God is to her. May he seem more real to her every day. God has blessed us so much; I have tears in my eyes just thinking about it. Thank you Jesus.

Why Won't They Trust Me?

I was just thinking about our VBS and feeling kind of sad because we had some kids who have such potential and yet they are just more interested in doing whatever they want. I was thinking and praying about how frustrating it is to try to help someone who doesn't want to be helped. I keep thinking that I do know what is better for them and they should just trust me.

And then God hit me upside the head and said, "Are you listening to yourself? What do you think I've been yelling at you forever?"

There was a particular time in my life where I prayed and prayed for God to do something, something good that I know would have been the right thing. And he said NO! There was no question that he said no and the time passed with him not changing his mind. And I am still a little bitter over the fact that he didn't do what I wanted. I was just telling him this morning that I didn't know why he didn't do what I wanted; I know it was a good thing. Can you imagine me telling him that?

And he just said to me, "I know what's good for you. Trust me. Trust me. Trust me." So here I am, trusting him, finally, over 8 years later and KNOWING and BELIEVING that he does know best.

It feels so good to trust someone who is totally faithful. It also feels good to know that I tried to help some kids and I'll try again and again and I'll pray but the rest is up to God. Thank goodness He can do anything.

Our Busy Summer

It's been a long time but summer is so busy. I feel like I don't have a moment to spare. If I'm not playing with the kids, or cleaning up the messes we make, then I am working or trying to figure out how to keep the kids busy.

Last week, we had Bible school at my in-laws church and had swim lessons for Mr T. This week we have Bible school at our church and swim lessons for both my kids. Not only are both my kids taking swim lessons, their 4 cousins are too. And somehow I am the person with the most time so I'm the elected to take them. My mother-in-law has been helping take but she doesn't get in the water will ALL SIX KIDS at the end so they can swim for fun for a little while. What a job!!!! Did I say ALL SIX KIDS? I have to keep up with ALL SIX KIDS in water. Most of the cousins can't swim enough that you can take your eyes off them. Talk about stress. The best part is that for half an hour, I get to sit in the sun and just soak it all in. Heaven!!! I feel more human after I've had my time in the sun. It all quickly fades after watching ALL SIX KIDS. :)

The Fog is Lifting

For the first time in 2 months, I feel like I am going to make it. I feel like the sun will shine again. It's been a hard time and I can't even begin to tell you what's been wrong; it's just been hard. Ever have a time when life is just plain hard and there's no other to describe it? Well, I feel like I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Here's one of the ways I know it's getting better. With all that I have been dealing with, I would still do it all over again because I have learned so much. I am so proud of myself for coming through this time relying on God and not myself, and for actually going through something tough with the mindset to learn something and not just lay around and complain. I am proud of how things have gone. I would do it again.

My daughter's softball team is in the playoff game tomorrow night, which has been fun and exciting. I am learning that she is braver than I am. If there is something I struggle at doing, I'd rather just not do it and never let anyone know that I struggle at something. She gets out there, does her best and is extremely happy and proud of herself at the end. Two games ago, she got a triple and got on base 3 out of 4 times. That never would have happened had she hid out like I do. I am so proud of her and her strength.

Tonight my daughter gets an award for completing her book by learning all her verses. She worked really hard and I am proud of her for sticking with it.

I know I wrote about work a few days ago. God totally worked that out. I was talking to a co-worker about coming back to work more hours and in the fall. When she mentioned that to my old boss, who is her boss, he said, "We've been waiting for Mr. T to go to kindergarten FOREVER." It warmed my heart because it felt so good to know that someone has been waiting for me to come back to work, to know that they value me as a person and an employee. They truly are the most flexible and awesome company to work for. Everything I have ever asked for, they have worked to make it happen. How nice to know that someone wants you and thinks you do a good job. I don't think we say that to each enough.

Another Simple Question

My son just came into my office, pulling on his hair.

He asked me, "What color in my hair?"

And I replied, "Blonde; it's a beautiful color sweetie."

He said, pulling even harder, "But I want to see it."

I simply suggested he try a mirror.

And he replied, "Oh," in a tone of voice that implied, "I never thought of that."

A Long Time

It's been a long time, and the only reason I have is that I haven't felt like posting anything. It's been a tough month. We are busy finishing up everything, from school to gymnastics, to softball, to preschool. Last night was Mr T's graduation from preschool, and he was so grown up. I am slightly dreading the fall when kindergaren comes, but I am DETERMINED to get every fun moment out of this summer possible.

Mr T recently began to tell me about a little preschool friend who gets to eat ice cream for breakfast every morning. He wanted to know why he wasn't so lucky. He lamented, "All I ever gets is muffins, and biscuits, and cereal." Poor little guy.

Miss A has a softball tournament this weekend, and I am looking forward to that being over. It's takes a lot of time, and I think we've had 3 games all season where it's been warm enough to watch her play without huddling under a blanket. Who could have imagined that May would still be cold? So much for all that sun I was hoping to get. Miss A also got promoted to the next gymnastics class. She couldn't care a bit, but I'm excited and proud of her. Gymnastics is so much fun, and she just loves running around and working off some of her extra energy.

I am praying about what I'll do in the fall with both kids in school. I told my hubby that I am going to start listing the things I CAN'T do rather than looking at the one of 2 things I can do. The things I can't do include: preschool PE teacher, art teacher, receptionist (I hate to talk on the phone)...the list could go on and on. I'm hoping to pick up more work from the office I work for already but we'll see. That still leaves me working from home and provides me even less opportunity to get out of the house. Oh well.

The Mouse in the House

I know it's been forever since I've posted anything. It's been a long month, and I just haven't had it in me to post anything. Things are starting to look up finally, but not before I thought I was going to lose my mind. This past week, I found a half eaten piece of candy in my daughter's cubby, and when I questioned my hubby, he remarked that it could NOT be a mouse because the mouse would have eaten the whole thing. I blindly and totally believed him. First mistake.

The next morning, I saw something furry and brown run out of our utility room and KNEW we had a mouse. I got the kids off to school and spent an hour sitting on my bed, wondering how I could out the door without seeing the intruder again. My husband set some traps, but I really wanted to see brooms flying and serious searching going on. No way was my hubby gonna do that.

That night, after clapping and saying "shoo" every time I entered a room, my hubby and I set traps all around the house with Starbursts on them because that was the kind of half eaten piece of candy I had found. To catch a mouse, you gotta think like a mouse, right? At 11:00 p.m., we heard a trap go off, and we had our mouse. I still have traps set just to make sure there isn't a "sibling to the mouse" still lurking about, but there has been no more evidence of any mice.

Who knew such a tiny creature could me into such a panic mode. :) My son prayed at lunch thanking God for our food and that He would "kill the mouse." He got a loud "Amen" from me.

April Fools Day?

It's been forever, but I have been SWAMPED with work. It was the kind of job where it just consumes me, and I can't do anything but think about it. So, I have been kind of holed away in my office for a week or two.

I just signed my little man up for Kindergarten. I was ok until they pulled out his birth certificate. And I realized that it was just yesterday when this wonderful person was all mine. In the beginning, I didn't have to share him with anyone and now, just 5 years later, I am about to have to give him up for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week. And to be honest, it stinks. I hate it. (Here is where Mr T would pipe up, "Mommy, you said a bad word. Hate is a bad word.") No, it's not if it says what I really need it to say and I do hate it. I hate it.

I remember holding him for the first time and staring into that beautiful face. I remember everybody being asleep, and I got to feed Mr T and snuggle with him all by myself. I remember how he never cried really; he'd just start wiggling and grunting and I could feed him or change him and he would be happy. He was the best baby. I prayed and prayed that I would not be so hormonal with Mr T and God heard my prayer. We had so much fun together. And no one says that kindergarten is going to stop those fun times. They'll just change, and in case you haven't noticed, change is hard for me.

Have a wonderful April 1st.

A LIttle Praise Dancing

Yesterday, we had a softball game that I was worried about how it would go. I prayed and prayed about it and planned to just spend all my time watching Mr T ride his bike while his big sister played ball. And that is mostly what I did. My hubby did watch Mr T for a few minutes and during that time, my little girl hit a triple. The smile on her face could have been seen from outer space, I'm sure. While she was batting, I was praying God would let her get a hit and he did. And behind my sunglasses, there were tears of joy. Not so much because my daughter got a hit, but because I have a God who loves me so much. And even though I tend to live like I don't care about him, He still loves me, provides for me, and gives me special blessings like a triple for my daughter at a softball game just because he can. I am in awe of that fact that God gave his son to die on cross for e who messes up so often and lives so selfishly. God is too good.

While I was walking behind Mr T, I had my $10 mp3 player and was listening to Mandissa's CD. I was honestly walking around the park with my hands raised in the air. It took all I had to keep from dancing right there (now that woulda been a sight.) What a great praise CD. Get it if you don't have it.

A fish outta water

I am once again finding myself in a situation where I am totally out of my comfort zone. And let me just say that it is painful. You'd think it would get easier each time I am forced into a place where I am a fish out of water, but it hasn't. I am really trying to learn from this experience so that maybe I won't have to learn this lesson again.

And I am learning. In high school, I would just hide and dream about never coming out when I found myself in a place that I felt completely alone. In college, I learned that the way to solve a problem was to get 4 or 5 of your best girl friends, get a tub of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream and eat the whole container. No bowls, just a bunch of spoons flying. In my first job, I learned that stress really will cause migraines every day if you let it and sometimes it's ok to quit when you are miserable.

Just a few minutes ago, I was hiding in the kitchen eating every bite of the tube of cookie dough. I think I've decided that food worked best in college, and I'll try again. Or maybe it was the friends that made life easier. Either way, this situation will all be over in a couple of months and maybe I'll have a new coping skill that doesn't involve food.

The glasses

I've been promising a picture of the glasses. So sorry it's taken a couple months to get it. Here we are at the circus. Enjoy!

Another Snowy Saturday

It's been almost over a week since I've posted anything, but it's been a crazy week. We've had softball practice, soccer practice, a field trip, a "Green Eggs and Ham" party at preschool, a presentation on North Carolina by my daughter, and then the normal piano and gymnastics lessons and church and MOPS. I am worn out. At MOPS, I taught the 3 and 4 year old class and shared the Easter story using the "Resurrection Eggs." Each egg has a different object in it that helps tell the Easter story. For example, there's a whip, a cloth for Jesus' robe, a crown a thorns, an empty tomb. One of the kids speaks up and wants to know where the spit is that they spit on Jesus. I had to swallow my laugh.

My hubby was gone today so my parents came up to spend the day, which was such a treat. We just stayed at home because it was cold; it was such a treat just to hang out with my parents. My mom saw some crows in our back yard and told us about when she had a pet crow named "CawCaw." She said when she was a child, a bird nest was destroyed so they adopted the baby crow. It would ride on her dad's shoulder or hat as he rode around on the tractor and it would come to them when they pulled out anything shiny, like a coin or piece of metal. I can't picture my grandpa riding on a tractor with a crow on his head. I do remember once when we went to visit and my grandpa had a hummingbird land in his hand. I remember thinking the bird was amazingly beautiful, and my grandpa was amazing for getting to land in his hand. Now I know he had previous bird experience with the crow.

Thunder and Lighting

My hubby and I were awakened at 5:45 this morning to all manner of thunder and lightning. It felt like the thunder and sounded like the lightning was inside our bedroom. We definitely weren't going to back to sleep quickly.



It would have been a great time to snuggle and talk about future plans and dreams. To plan vacations where we won't take the kids, to dream of our "dream home," to talk about who we want to be in 10 years. I say "would have been" because we had both kids in between us. Why won't they sleep on the outside of the bed? Why do they HAVE to be in the middle? And why do they put their cold feet on me and not their dad?



It may be a LONG day.

Small Blessings

I bought a new cordless phone and am so excited. I have been talking on the phone to my hubby walking around the house, just because I can. We had a cordless phone before but it crackled and buzzed if you moved more than 12" away from the base. Which basically means it's NOT a cordless phone when you have to stay in one place to use it. I am so excited by "on the move" again. It's the small things in life that make me happy.

A Not So Quick Survey

Earlier tonight, a young man from a local college called to say he was helping with a survey on medical insurance. I felt sorry for the guy and ended up spending the next 20 minutes answering all manner of questions. He started with background questions and moved on to questions about our insurance. We were doing great until he moved to the questions on overall health. He asked me to rate on a scale of 1 to 5 my over physical health. Then we rated the others in my family. No problem. Then...he asked me to rate my MENTAL health on a scale of 1 to 5. And I just burst out laughing. If he could hang out with me for a day, I have no doubt he would rate my mental health as lacking ALOT. I also bet that because of the laughing, he refused to enter the "5" I squeaked out. I bet he fudged the answer and went with his gut reaction of "1."

How I Know I Am Old

Yesterday, I was finishing my grocery shopping, I realized that I was the ONLY ONE in the store under the age of 80. And it occured to me that my life schedule is very much like an old lady's. I shop whenever there won't be a crowd. If the weather "ain't fittin'" I just stay at home. I eat lunch at 10:30 and dinner at 4:30. I went to bed before 9 p.m. at least twice last week and there is nothing I like better than a good nap in the middle of the day.

Here's another way to tell that I am old. My toe that I broke a couple of years ago falling off down 2 stairs was hurting last night. I told my hubby jokingly that I bet it was going to rain. Wouldn't you know we woke up to the pouring rain this morning? Great, I can predict the weather by my toe.

Here's what makes me really old. My husband's grandmothers get together with friends every Tuesday to play cards. Several of the ladies can't play today. One lost a tooth, one's hubby is in the hospital, and one can't drive in the rain. So, THEY CALLED ME. That's right. They know I don't have a life so they call me to fill in for the ones who can't make it. So, today from 10 to 12, I am going to the outlet mall food court and am playing cards with ladies who are over 50 years older than me. But, in spirit and mind, I am right where they are. :)

The Clothing Saga Continues

We are spending our Sat. today getting ready for a wedding. My husband's cousin is getting married today. The wedding date was set for in the fall, but the bride's brother is being sent to Iraq next month so the date was pushed up.

I am really excited for them, but getting ready for a wedding takes so much work. I promise it will take me longer to get the 4 people in my house ready than it will the bride. I was ironing everyone's clothes when Mr T began to complain about what he has to wear. He doesn't mind the short sleeve shirt, but the sweater vest is JUST TOO MUCH for him. He then wanted to know if he was going to match his daddy. (I have used that line before to get him into long sleeves.) I told him that he wouldn't match his daddy because his daddy was wearing a suit. I look up from my ironing to see my son with the biggest frown. He cries, "Daddy gets to wear his bathing suit?" Wouldn't that be a hilarious? If I crack up during the wedding, you'll all know why.

Camping at Home

I am supposed to be working but I just had to post this. My kids are playing "camping" in their rooms. I just heard my daughter tell my son, "It's raining. Get the animals in the tent." She is the one in charge, you know. Then I hear her tell him, "Here's your gun. Go kill a bear or something; we need alot of meat to eat." Bear? We don't eat bear. We don't eat any meat that anyone I know has killed.

We have had a great weekend. My hubby was back home, which has been wonderful. I took my kids to The American Girl store yesterday and we had the time of our lives. Miss A knew all the doll's stories and it was so neat to see them excited over dolls and history. I think ever other young girl was there too. I wish I had come up with that idea. I'd be rich by now. :)

Valentine morning, I woke up and started to get ready. I didn't even remember it was Valentine's Day; maybe I was in denial since my hubby was out of town. I heard my kids telling me to come out into the hallway; they needed me. What I found just made my heart smile. I had 2 homemade Valentines given to me that had "I Love You" written all over them. These were my first homemade Valentines that they made all on their own. They made my day. I am blessed with the 2 most wonderful kids in the world.

I told you so

I know you probably don't care but last night, my daughter realized she had lost her eyeglass case. Thank you Jesus the glasses weren't in it....but, it took us ONE day to lose the case. ONE day. How is that possible?

Life Lessons

Today has been quite a day. It's late and I'm ready to go to bed, but I can't until I've typed this out and my mind can rest. I learned a few things while my daughter got glasses this afternoon.

I learned that my daughter is still a child, not the grown up I expect her to be way too many times. She was thrilled to have new glasses. She kept reading far away things, things she's never seen before. She commented on how things had so many colors now; she said things were black and white where before they were grey.

I learned again (as I'm sure I'll learn again and again) that I am not in control of my life or my childrens' lives. Only God is in control, and thank goodness because he can do it best. But in the day to day living, it's so easy to begin to believe that we can orchestrate our childrens' lives. It's so hard to let go. God is getting me ready daily for some future "let-go's."

I am reminded to slow down and treasure each moment. When I'm old and grey, I will remember these moments. My daughter is absolutely beautiful. I never want to forget how proud I am her for being so brave, so innocent, so sweet. She is truly a treasure. I can't wait to watch her grow into a beautiful lady. (Just don't hurry sweetie. Mommy needs to do this slowly.) :) Protect her Lord and keep her safe.

A Quick Update

It's 11:15 and I'm still in my sweatpants. My hubby hates it when I wear sweats so I really try not to. But, he's outta town today on business so I can be a bum. I got up this morning and cleaned the entire house so that now I can play the rest of the day. I have rented a couple of Janette Oke's movies and am dying to watch one during Mr T's nap.

We go today after school to pick up Miss A's glasses. I'll try to get a picture posted as soon as possible. My hub's has the digital camera with him so it'll be a day before I get it scanned in. We are also going to try to go to the American Girl store and replace the broken glasses that her doll has.

Then, we are heading to gymnastics. After that, we'll go out to dinner, kids choice. I heard them discussing Taco Bell, which tickles me. My kids had never been there until a few months ago when a friend of mine took them. We didn't avoid Taco Bell; there just isn't one really close to us. Now, they love to go there. And I must admit, that was my favorite place to eat as a kid. I wanted to work there when I grew up. I had such high hopes and dreams, huh?

Here is a picture of the "infamous" birthday cake I made. Go ahead and pity my son. I know it's bad. :)

Good times with the family

It's been awhile since I've posted. We got to go to my parents' house for the weekend, and everyone in my family was there. We went to my niece and nephew's basketball games, which were awesome. I love basketball. We celebrated my sister's birthday, which isn't for a month but it was a good excuse to buy a cake and order pizza. We just hung out and were our silly selves, as usual. My family are my most favorite people in the world because I get to be ME around them. There aren't many people I can say that about in my life right now.

We took Miss A yesterday and ordered her 1st pair of glasses for reading things far away. I thought I would be traumatized but it really wasn't bad. She looked so cute in those glasses. I am by far the most reserved person when it comes to clothes and accessories, but I got her a pinkish-purple pair of glasses. They looked so good on her face that I just couldn't resist. She didn't want to take them off; which is good. I'll post pictures when we get them in 5 days.

A Glimpse Into My Family

Three quick stories that may give you a better understanding of my life and my family.

Last night, we had a Sunday school get-together and we didn't pick our kids up until 9:00. On the way home, Miss A asked what time it was. She is obsessed with time. She comes by this honestly; her parents are obsessed with not being late. Mention that we're late and she begins to go into a panic attack. (Not really, but it does stress her out when she hears the word late.) My husband and I can't sleep in a room without a clock. Sad, huh? Anyhoo, I answered Miss A that it was almost 9:15. She peaks around my seat and says, "No, it's 9:13. Mommy, don't lie." AAARRRUGHGHGHGH!!! She also hates it when I try to estimate.

Then, she begins to tell a joke. We have all heard this joke numerous times before but it's easier to pretend the joke is new and funny than to say you don't want to hear it.
A: Knock, knock.
Me: Who's there?
A: Little Old Lady Who.
Me: Little Old Lady Who Who?

The punch line is "I didn't know you could yodel." Get it? Say it, and it sounds like you are yodeling. Anyway, before she can say the punchline, Mr T shouts out, "I didn't know you could struggle." We all die laughing so he says, "I mean, I didn't know you could all juggle." More laughter.

A quick update on our continuing saga to get my little boy to wear long sleeves. I force him to wear long sleeves on Sunday. The rest of the week short sleeves with a coat will do but not on Sunday. So, this morning, we get baths, we iron clothes, we get all cleaned up. My hubby puts on my son's long sleeve shirt and I turn around to see the biggest frown on Mr T's face. He sadly declares, "I knew I'd look like this." Where did this obsession with clothes come from? It keeps us all laughing.

Two Dogs, a Fish, and a ...Lizard?

My son just came into my office and asked if he could have a lizard? Do what? Where did that come from? Ick. I immediately replied that he would have to ask his daddy. That's right, make Daddy look like the bad guy.

So, we call my hubby at work, and my son begins his pitch to get a lizard. My husband asks my son what lizards eat. Mr T replies that they eat grass and lettuce, he thinks. (Sorry kid, that's bunnies and you aren't getting one of those either.) The conversation goes on for awhile then I hear Mr T ask my hubs, "Now Daddy this is serious. Are you allergic to lizards?" (My hubby is allergic to cats so it naturally makes sense that he might be allergic to lizards, right?) My son sounded so serious. I pray this phase disappears before we have to actually consider another pet for ME to take care of.


Last night at the dinner table, we were discussing a possible trip to south Georgia. My hubby has to help a friend install some cabinets in his farm house so we were thinking the rest of the family might tag along. My hubby would love for all of us go hear Jimmy Carter teach Sunday school at a church in Plains, Georgia.

Hubs asks my daughter, "Would you like to go hear Jimmy Carter teach Sunday school?"

My daughter replies, "Isn't he a race care driver?"

That's my girl. If she were older, I'd complain about what she's not learning in school, but I'll just leave that alone. :)

Let it Snow, Let it Snow, Let it Snow

We have had the best time being "snowed in." Two times in one week is something of a miracle for Georgia. Yesterday, we made a life-size snowman, walked through the woods, went sledding down the neighbor's hill, and made snow-creme. The kids were nearly frozen by the time we got in, mainly because we don't own ANYTHING that's water proof.

My hubby cleaned out my car and found my digital camera so I can't wait to show you pictures of the pitiful birthday cake I've made for my son's birthday. Cake decorating is NOT my thing but for some reason I continue to try. I once made my daughter a Cinderella cake that make the princess look like she had been using way too much fake tanner. This year, it's a dinosaur cake. I made the cake chocolate so it'd look like dirt and frosted it green and stuck dinosaurs on the top. Truly Martha Stewart had better watch out. I am so gifted with cake decorating.

We have friends coming over to play cards this afternoon because we are all a little stir crazy. Another one of the things I am not is a wonderful hostess. We'll see what mistakes I make this time. I'd just really rather go to someone else's house and let them worry about entertaining. How selfish is that?

The Best of Friends

One of my college roomies (for almost 5 years) just called and is coming into town tomorrow. We are trying to meet up Friday, and I pray the snow won't stop that. But, even if it does, it was just so great to talk to her. I need to make a habit of calling my friends more often. I made some really awesome friends in college; those kind of people are few and far between. When you really know someone, the conversation just flows. I am so excited and giddy.

God is really teaching me to trust him and not look to friends for my comfort or worth. So when he sends a friend my way, I take that as a sign, a special blessing. I try to value times with friends as something more precious than anything.

Will it Snow?

Will it snow? That is the million dollar question. Based on the empty milk and bread shelves, it seems that everyone thinks it will. I wish we would get a few inches of snow so we could go out and play in it, really play in it. We'll see.

My son is at a friend's house and Miss A is at school so I have had a few minutes of free time. And I have absolutely nothing to show for it. But it's been great. Hope you all are having a great day.

Fun Saturday

I had the most wonderful stuff I was going to write about but I'm tired, the kids are in bed and my hubby is busy for another hour in the shop. So, I think I'm going to curl up in front of the tv and watch whatever I want. (Remember, we are now down to 3 stations on our tv and the only movies we own are "Sleepless in Seattle, The Man from Snowy River part 1 and 2, Major League 2, and Monty Python.") How sad a selection is that?

My daughter and I went with another friend and her daughter to see Annie today, and it did not disappoint. I truly enjoyed it as much as my daughter. Things are so much more fun when you do them with friends. We did sit in the 2nd to the last row of the theatre, which didn't seem like an issue until my daughter told my mother in law that the dog Sandy was a chihuahua. When I laughed and disagreed, my daughter began to cried. I should not have laughed but come on, it was a labrador retriever--not a chihuahua.

Let me just pause to say that my daughter was so fun to hang out with today. I get so busy that I forget to just stop and enjoy her company. She is becoming quite a little lady.

Cabin Fever and It's 65 Degrees Outside

These past 2 weeks have been so tough around here. There have been so many things that have gone wrong and even though they have almost all been resolved, they have left their mark. I feel almost physically bruised from all that has been happening. I know I am emotionally bruised. It's exhausting.

I really just want to stomp my foot and say, "I will have things my way. I will. So deal with it and do it my way." I look around me at my life and I think things like, "How did I get here? How do I stop feeling so stuck? How do I go on? Why not my way? I had no idea life would be so hard."

I recently read this article, and I am trying to take it to heart. It is from my MOPS magazine and it is addressing the issue of Cabin Fever by Caryn Rivaderneira. "Turns out, the cure for cabin fever is contentment - enjoying what we've been given when it's given. That's God's advice, too - learning to be content with whatever my circumstances are because he gives me the strength....I'm keeping my eyes off spring and trusting that the cure for cabin fever is in living and loving the season I'm in." It's time to dig deeper and stop trying to get my way. It's time to kindly speak my opinion and then let it go. I'm not in control..of anything. (Isn't that the scariest thing you've ever heard? It is to me.) So, I better get over it and just fall into my Savior's arm and rest there. Let the rest happen and stay in His arms. Mind you, I still want to be mad and make others pay for not listening, but I'll try to let it go. That's something, right? I better trust God because he's the only who can really do it right. He can and He will.

Big Birthday

I only have a moment, but I really want to write this. Today is my little guy's 5th birthday and I never want to forget this moment. I am so thankful that I get to stay home with my kids so I get to share more than enough wonderful moments with them. Even today at lunch as he ate his peanut butter sandwich, I was thinking, "These are the moments I'll remember."

I was remembering the day Mr T was born and thinking about how I had no idea how much joy he was going to bring into our lives. He continually keeps us laughing and on our toes. He has such a sweet, sensitive spirit that makes me right now want to run into his room, wake him up and spend some sweet time lovin' on him. He melts my heart.

I want to remember that he had to wear his overalls to preschool this morning because that's what his dad wears when he works in the shop. Never mind that they are about 2" too short and make him look like he has grown a foot overnight.

I want to remember that he wore his Cars short sleeve t-shirt underneath because Mr T hates long sleeves and jackets. And it's 60 degrees outside, which to Mr T means short sleeves and shorts. (I am the same way about long sleeves and coats, but I refuse to admit it.)

I want to remember that his cupcakes had smiley faces and Tweety birds on them and he chose a Tweety bird.

I want to remember that he hugged and kissed me when I dropped him off at preschool and as I walked away, he stood at the door smiling blowing me kisses.

You are my heart little man. I pray you continue to grow and become more like God and your daddy each day. Be who you are meant to be and don't settle for anything else.

Howdy Strangers

Well, here I am. We have been so so so busy, especially now that Christmas is over and Mr T is feeling all better. I wake up each morning promising myself that I'll spend all morning just playing with the kids, only to realize at lunchtime that I haven't seen them all morning because they have been upstairs playing by themselves. My hubby finished a cute little attic room for the kids to play in. It's a wonderful room just begging the kids to imagine they are in their own little world. Pictures wouldn't do it justice. I love it; I know they do too.

So, this morning, once again I let the hours get away. Around 10, I called Miss A into my room and we just cuddled and talked about what we wanted to be when we "grew up." It lasted about 5 minutes, but it was the best 5 minutes of my holiday vacation. We then sat around and played games together while Mr T played Legos. I feel like now she can go back to school knowing her mama loves her deeply.

I wish I had something profound to write about this coming year or last year. I haven't had time really to stop and reflect. I am planning to write out 4 things that I want God and I to work on this year in the front of my prayer journal so I can see how we progress. I think I'll start with patience...or maybe time mangement. The others I won't tell you. :)

Anyways, we are great, just running out of time. I could just cry when I think of school starting. Wonder where my daughter gets her dread of school from? :) We'll just get through it together...again. I'm ready for summer.