The Duet that wasn't...

almost. After we went to Lowe's last night to make our Duet purchase (on sale for 2 more days if you want one), we came home and measured the laundry closet. Yes, we should have done that first! We called Lowe's back and told them to cancel delivery for today because that way cool Duet was not going to fit in our laundry closet. Major bummer. I asked Olaf if you can stack the Duet? We did an online search and YES you can stack a Duet if you purchase a Duet stacking kit. We remeasured and still...not enough room. We needed a few more inches. Olaf went to Lowe's and bought this. Now we can stack the Duet and it will fit in my laundry closet. Woo Hoo! It is scheduled for delivery on Monday.

2005 in review

January - Celebrated my 17th wedding anniversary. Went out on a date with my husband. Our women's Bible Study was doing "Calm My Anxious Heart". Saw Dennis Swanberg in concert. Went to a Homeschool Winter Tea. Had a rare ice storm in Georgia. Olaf took a 10% pay cut.

February - Everyone except Caleb was sick with the flu. He got the shot!:)

March - Started doing the FIRM. Camille turned nine. Caleb's spring baseball season started. Caleb's spring horse riding therapy started. Olaf's back completely locked up for a few days. I got my hair layered a bit.

April - Caleb competed in the Special Olympics. He also had spring break that month.

May - I had a root canal. Went to the GA Homeschool Conference. Olaf went to the cardiologist for testing. Everything was fine, praise God! Camille had her homeschool choir performance. Grace turned four. My friend, Karen, was diagnosed with stage 4 breast cancer. Last day of school for Caleb.

June - I went on antibiotics for some ailment. Registered for the 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk in honor of Karen. Had my yearly GYN appointment. Went to the dentist for my crown that didn't fit. Took Josiah to the doctor for tachycardia.

July - Camille started 4th grade! Shasta, our cat, went to the Emergency Vet for what turned out to be an abscess. Olaf interviewed for a foreman position. Stopped doing the FIRM! LOL!

August - Olaf found out he made foreman. Caleb started school. Fall baseball started for Caleb and Camille. I am training for my 3 Day Walk. Got a crown that fit.

September - Olaf went to Germany for five days. Caleb turned 10. Another pay cut announced. We went to the county fair. Olaf turned 37.

October - The 3 Day Breast Cancer Walk! I met Cheri and Holly from Women at Home! That was SO awesome.

November - I turned 38. Chantell got married. Took another 9% pay cut. (That's 19% total in less than a year!)

December - Josiah turned three. My friend, Jeannie, had a baby boy! My girls got their ears pierced. My friend Tammy from high school sent my children Christmas presents. I got a new digital camera and a new washer and dryer is being delivered today thanks to 12 months no interest, 10% off, and free delivery! My washer can only wash on the heavy duty cycle and it is tearing up our clothes.

It's almost the New Year

2006 is just a few days away. Amazing. It really is true that once you have children, the days seem to fly by. I guess that's the way it's supposed to be.

Olaf and I were really excited when my period was three days late. We thought maybe, just maybe, the Lord had blessed us again with a baby. But alas, she reared her ugly head and we were disappointed. The infertility roller coaster is never fun. Even if you already have children, the longing and yearning for another baby is still real. Time is no longer on my side. So, would you put us on your personal prayer list and pray that the Lord opens my womb again?

My friend had her baby last night. (Ironic that I start my period yesterday and she has her baby.) He was much bigger than her other two weighing in at 9 lbs 2 oz. He came 12 days early according to her due date. She tried to have him at home but got too tired and went to the hospital for the epidural so she could push more effectively. I guess she had a cervical lip and couldn't push through it at home. She had her other children at home with no problem. Maybe it was because they were smaller??? I dunno.

Olaf has asked me to go to Paris with him for an Avionics conference in April. Unfortunately, we have no one that would come stay with our children for a week. My mom will not fly (she hasn't even seen Grace or Josiah) and I don't know who else to ask. It's not an easy task. Caleb requires more attention than normal since he could have a seizure etc. He is also up at 5 am, so I need someone kind and compassionate. Someone like Ms. Martha. She is the pastor's wife of the church we used to attend. We love her. Anyway, Olaf will probably go alone although he says he doesn't want to go without me. Yeah, right! I'd be out the door before you could say escargot! With or without him!:0) Just background in case you don't know me in real life, we have never left our children. EVER! I mean at the same time. If I go somewhere he stays home and vice versa. So, in the ten years that we have had children we have never had a night apart from them ... alone ... together. We have had just a few "dates" away from them. We may go out once a year. Usually on or near our anniversary which is January 23rd. (Eighteen years I might add!) The last time we went out on a date was in June. We saw the new Star Wars for Father's Day. So you can imagine that a whole week away from the children is hard for me to think of. And since it's not going to happen....I'll stop rambling.

I just did a spell check and it suggested I change escargot to Eucharist. Snails to the Lord's Supper. And besides "Olaf" and "dunno" which I spelled wrong on purpose, I am OK. Oh, and it doesn't recognize the word "blog" which is hilarious since this is a blog afterall.

Here I go to start this beautiful Friday!

Josiah turned THREE yesterday

Happy happy birthday Big Boy!

Just what he wanted! A diesel 10 cake! (If you are not familiar with Thomas the Tank Engine you will not know who Diesel 10 is.)

Then we went to Build A Bear.

And off to Chuck E. Cheese.

It was a fun, fun, fun day! He loves his trains and they have taken over my living room.

Tammy Settlemier

Hey you! I need your address. I have the old one and cannot find your newest one. Can you e-mail me and let me know so I can send you a thank you card?

Merry Christmas

My Gracie Girl


Caleb


Camille Rose


Josiah


You can see more at Flickr but you have to sign up and then be added by me as "Friends and Family." The photos are not public like some of my other photos you will see at Flickr.

Christmas Eve

Edited to add: Turn on the volume for a Christmas song from the Jorek's!

We open presents tonight! Oh yes we do! Everyone is giddy with excitement and it's only 9:00 am. I will post pictures this evening, so check back! We will also have our traditional Christmas Eve dinner. Cold cuts and crusty rolls. Olaf will eat steak tar tar as well but I'm not one for salmonella so I will refrain. We always get liverwurst, ham, salami, (Oh Jamie I hope you are not reading this) and a lot of different types of cheeses. Then we put a slab of REAL butter on the rolls and pile high the cold cuts. YUM! After dinner we will try to dress up a little (Olaf's tradition) and then listen to the Christmas story read from the Bible by Papa. Then...CHAOS! Let the present opening begin! See you tonight.

I am having way too much fun...

Olaf and I are addicted to ebay! We have sold a few sets of Disney Store Narnia action figures in the last two days and thus far have made a profit of $150 with more sales pending. Gotta love that! Disney Stores are just now starting to get these action figures in and they are hard to find. We went to a mall about 40 minutes away and bought six sets. Two to keep and four to sell. We sold two complete sets (6 figures each) and listed the other two sets as individual pieces. One set of six sold with Buy It Now for $155! We paid $60. The other full set currently has a bid of about $112 and the auction doesn't end for three more days. We sold a few individual pieces for a Buy It Now price of $30. This gravy train won't last long though. As more people see the easy money to be made (maybe someone reading this right now) the market will be flooded and we'll be screwed. So, now I kindly ask if you are going to sell these items will you please wait until ours end? :0)

Camille said the cutest thing yesterday. We were in the van going to the mall (for action figures) and she said, "Mom. I caught Papa right handed!" She meant red handed. I laughed at her cuteness. She is nine years old and she still says things like that.

To expound on the ear piercing stories... We went to Callaway Gardens Sunday night for Fantasy in Lights. Well, the only time slot available was 8 pm and we got there at 4 pm to purchase tickets. We decided to drive into LaGrange to eat and kill some time. We went to this little mall in LaGrange and there was a Claire's. I asked Grace if she wanted to get her ears pierced because she had told me in the past that she wanted to. Get this. She wanted to get her ears pierced just to see how bad it hurt. She already wants to take her cute little earrings out of her ears because she felt the pain and that's all she wanted. PLEASE PRAY FOR HER! Anyway, I asked Camille while we were there if she wanted to get her ears pierced. She, being just the opposite of Grace, said no way. She was afraid of the pain. Monday I had to go to WalMart for some Christmas stuff and Camille said she wanted to get her ears pierced there. She hesitated a bit, almost cried, then decided that she would. She finally did and she is in heaven with her pretty earrings.

I cannot believe that Christmas is just a few days away. Josiah will be three years old in four more days. He is my only child that hasn't been fully potty trained by this age. He likes his Pull-Ups to pee in. He is real good about going poo in the potty though. In a few more weeks I'll take away the Pull-Ups and have a few days of peeing in his big boy undies. It shouldn't take long. (I just realized I am blogging about poo and pee. I hope you are a mom if you are reading this!)

I need to get my children some breakfast. Have a great day.

Too busy to blog

because I am too busy ebaying! LOL!

More pictures

Look how cute! This is my sister in law pregnant with her first baby. She is due March 7th. Aren't pregnant women just precious? Frances is a lawyer (real estate) in New York City. Fancy Schmancy, eh? She is married to Olaf's brother, Scott. They live in Queens. Better them than me. I really had a hard time adjusting to New York when I lived there. It is a whole different lifestyle. Anyway, I cannot wait to be an Auntie! How fun! And I have no idea who gave them this shower. They didn't tell me! LOL! It looks like they got spoiled though. I hope they let me kiss the baby on the lips. That is my favorite thing to do. Kiss those little baby lips and smell that newborn breath. It's almost heaven I tell ya.

And not to be outdone....

by her little sister! Tah Dah!

Grace gets her ears pierced!

Grace before. She was very brave!



Getting marked!




One, Two, Three...





Look at my pretty earrings!

Narnia AGAIN

Olaf and Camille went to Narnia again today. Olaf said he enjoyed it today more than the first time. McDonalds has Narnia Happy Meal Toys so I'm sure we'll eat there a bazillion times the next few weeks. He bought the entire set on Friday from one of the local McDonalds and I bought a set off ebay. One is for the children to play with and one is to keep in original packages. He wants the Narnia action figures that you can only purchase through Disney Stores, but not a lot of stores carry them. I tried to order them through the Walt Disney World Resorts personal shopper, but they wouldn't let me. Of course they are on ebay and a set of six sold for $80! They only cost $8 each retail. These figures are not made by Hasbro like the figures you can buy at Toys R Us. They are produced exclusively for Disney. So, if you are reading this and see Narnia figures in the Disney Store, I'll buy 2 sets from you!

I went Christmas shopping for Olaf last night and came home empty handed. I don't think he is going to have any presents to open this year besides a Napoleon Dynamite DVD! And he knows about that one already. So much for the element of surprise!

We are going to Callaway Gardens tomorrow night for the Fantasy in Lights show. My children (minus Caleb) enjoy it. Caleb just tolerates it. Who am I kidding! Caleb just tolerates anything we do as a family. As soon as we get to a destination (any destination) he says, "Mama home!"

I MUST go grocery shopping tomorrow before Callaway. Our cupboards are bare! No bread, no milk, no nada! Off to print my grocery list and cut coupons.

Morning Blogging

I like blogging in the morning. Before the rest of the children get up. Well, Caleb is up and waiting for the bus right now, but once he's on the bus I have at least a half hour before another child is out of bed. A cup of coffee and the click, click, click of the keypad.

In case you haven't noticed I changed my comments to haloscan. Why? I'm not sure. I just went to the website and it looked cool. There ya go. So when you see "yada yada yada" that is where you leave your comment.

I have not wrapped a single gift, nor have I sent any out-of-towners their presents. Olaf will go to DHL on Monday and send them all second day air. He gets a discount there. We are going to be burning the midnight oil the next week trying to wrap, pack, and sort. I still haven't bought Olaf a Christmas present. How is that for last minute?

Our ladies Bible study group went out for dinner last night. I ordered prime rib. I felt SO guilty about spending that much money on food. I brought half of it home for Olaf though. It was very good. I was impressed. We exchanged gifts and Charity made the cutest wall calendars on her computer for all of us. It had photos of all of us and special dates like birthdays and anniversaries printed on there. It was very thoughtful. Suzanne gave us honey made with her own bee hive along with tea and chocolate. Krista gave us a Longaberger Christmas crock with potato soup mix inside. Mrs. Mike gave us some pretty boxes with candy inside. It was a fun night. Speaking of Longaberger, I did something really dumb. I resigned effective 11-30-05 and forgot to print off all of my order history etc for tax purposes. ARRRGGHHHH! I know if I call them they will be NO help whatsoever! That was such a dumb thing to do I could bite myself.

Today is riding lessons. And it's pretty dern cold out there too. Maybe the littles will want to stay in the van. Yeah, right. I am certainly not complaining about the cold. I like it. I like it so much better than summer in GA. If it would snow I'd be in hog heaven.

Deep ponderings from my heart

Lately (well, the past month or so) I have been studying 1 Cor 11. The Lord has really been humbling me through a series of circumstances. Mostly it has been through my husband. It's really a long story, so go get a cup of coffee or something. You see, I have always thought of myself as rather smart. I have a very high IQ and desperately want to take the test to be a member of MENSA. I have always wanted to be a medical doctor and even joined the Air Force so I could get the GI Bill to go to college when I got out. I just knew that I destined for greatness in some sort of influential career that made a lot of money. When I became a Christian my focus totally changed. I no longer desired a career. What I desired was a family. A house full of children and me a full time mother.

My husband started with Delta Airlines as a peon junior mechanic. He became a mechanic and then applied to be a lead mechanic. He had to interview for the position and he got it. He was becoming very well liked by the "powers that be" and excelled in his job. Then the position of foreman came open. He prayed about it and felt like he should put in for the job. Guess what? He got it. He is currently the foreman of two shops, in charge of 40 men, and handles a huge budget. It really is a good job for someone who never went to college. He is super smart, excels in all he does, is very well liked, shares his faith to whomever he feels lead, just is an overall really nice guy. (Here it comes...) And you know what? I find myself jealous. Jealous that he has this great job (I wanted a great job), jealous he gets to go out to eat lunch at nice restaurants at vendors expenses (I have to make lunch before I can eat my pb&j), jealous that he has an office of his own (I don't even have a bedroom all my own). You get the idea. It was all about me, me, me. Of course, I know this thinking is completely wrong. I am not trying at all to excuse my behavior. That is where 1 Cor 11 comes in. (I really was going to get to the point eventually)

But I would have you know that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God. Every man praying or prophesying, having his head covered, dishonoureth his head. But every woman that prays or prophesieth with her head uncovered dishonors her head: for that is even all one as if she were shaven. For if the woman be not covered, let her also be shorn or shaven, let her be covered. For a man indeed ought not to cover his head, forasmuch as he is the image and glory of God: but the woman is the glory of man. For the man is not of the woman, but the woman of the man. Neither was the man created for the woman, but the woman for the man. For this cause a woman ought to have power on her head because of the angels.


Now, I have been taught (and thought for all this time) that this was a cultural thing limited to the Corinthian church. Something about prostitutes and shaving their heads and yada yada yada. However, when I just read the text...just read it with no preconceived ideas...it plainly states that a woman ought to cover her head when she prays. As I pondered this I realized how incredibly prideful and nonsubmissive I am toward my husband. The thought of covering my head to show submissiveness to Olaf (and the angels) is almost unbearable to me. That, my friends, is a HEART issue. As I pray and seek the Lord about it (my heart and pride) the more I feel Him say to me to cover my head. Not because it is "required" but because my heart needs to be humbled before my God and my husband. A physical covering is certainly humbling and a wonderful reminder of my place in the home and in the chain of command mentioned above in Scripture. You have to understand if you do not know me in real life...I am a T-Shirt and jeans woman. I do not wear dresses and denim jumpers. I am not "plain" and I do not think one has to look Amish to be spiritual. So, this head covering thing is really, really, really out of the ordinary for me. That is why I know it is from the Lord. I haven't done it yet. I'm still fighting Him. Maybe I'm not fighting, just negotiating. Do I have to wear it all the time Lord? The thought of wearing it really makes my stomach turn. That is how incredibly prideful I am. I am SO prideful that the thought of wearing it in public doesn't bother me a bit! Why? Because people would look at me and think I'm just one of those "conservative" or maybe "weird" Christians and that would suit me just fine. I'd look "holy" on the outside and be a tomb of rottenness on the inside. A Pharisee. The problem I have is being home with it on. Home. With the man I desperately love and the children who will wonder why Mama has gone completely nuts.

Just as a side note...I have done a lot of study on 1 Cor 11. I know the theories, I have read the commentaries. But I went Solo Scriptura and came to my own conclusions. Did you know the second half of 1 Cor 11 is quoted at almost every evangelical church on communion Sundays?

For I received of the Lord that which I also delivered unto you, that the Lord Jesus that same night in which He was betrayed took bread and when He had given thanks, he brake it and said, "Take, eat: this is my body which is broken for you. Do this in remembrance of me." After the same manner he also took the cup when he had supped saying, "This cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye as oft as ye drink it in remembrance of me." For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup you show the Lord's death till He comes.

Is that just a cultural thing as well? Hmmm....

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog.

And what to my wondering eyes should appear?

But a box full of presents for my children! Tammy, my friend from high school whom I haven't seen in real life since 1985, sent Christmas presents to my children! Was that incredibly nice or what?? Thank you a thousand times Tammy. It's times like these that my flesh wants to say, "You shouldn't have done that" or "Why did you do that?" but I will not do that this time. I will receive the blessing that has been undeservedly given to us and just say Thank You! I am humbled by your generosity. Big hugs to you!

Mom's Corner

From Teri Maxwell

December Mom's Corner
What About Me?
Part 3
------------------------------------------------------------

When others find out that I am a homeschooling mom, one of their first questions will be, "When do you get time for yourself?" As I have reflected on my answer, I realize how prone I am to accepting their judgments that my life is not fulfilled unless I have personal time to do what I want to do. It is easy to buy into the "what about me?" mentality because it is most certainly the bent of my flesh. Because of this, it has been necessary for me to go to Jesus with questions about my time, my focus, my energy, my expectations, and my needs. In this series of Mom's Corners on hard work, I am sharing with you what the Lord has put on my heart concerning these issues.

"Let not a widow be taken into the number under threescore years old, having been the wife of one man, Well reported of for good works; if she have brought up children, if she have lodged strangers, if she have washed the saints' feet, if she have relieved the afflicted, if she have diligently followed every good work" (1 Timothy 5:9-10). This sounds to me like a busy woman--one who has worked hard all of her life as she obediently followed Christ. There is no mention of anything she did for herself but only what she did in service to others that qualifies her for care from the church in widowhood. We see a picture of a woman, with her heart fully focused on the Lord, who spends her time in serving others.

Use of our time such as 1 Timothy 5:9-10 describes is of eternal value. This investment of our energy is where we are to find joy and fulfillment rather than in a quest for personal time, fun, or entertainment.

"But the younger widows refuse: for when they have begun to wax wanton against Christ, they will marry; Having damnation, because they have cast off their first faith. And withal they learn to be idle, wandering about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully. For some are already turned aside after Satan" (1 Timothy 5:11-15).

In these verses, I believe we see the possible results of a self-focus in our lives as women: idleness, tattlers, and busybodies. Perhaps today we have a tendency to wander more from house to house via computers, but the idea still applies. These qualities are not held in esteem in these verses, but rather they are presenting a condemnation of this kind of selfishness and its outcome.

The direction, then, to keep from this kind of sin is to marry, bear children, and guide the house. In other words, the young widow is to be productive with her time in her own home. It sounds much like being a busy homeschool mom to me. Raising children and keeping house are encouraged as fruitful activities that cause Satan not to be able to speak reproachfully of us. My first priority is to be my family and my home. It is not to be getting time for my entertainment, hobbies, or fun.

My heart cry in these Mom's Corners is to encourage each of us that the busyness of our lives, if it is spent in service to our family, is a good thing. It is what Jesus is calling us to do. If we are feeling overwhelmed, it may mean we need to go to the Lord and to our husbands to reevaluate priorities. Titus 2:4-5 makes it clear that our service begins in our homes, "That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed" (Titus 2:4-5). Too often, moms struggle not because of their daily work and homeschooling, but because of other responsibilities they have taken upon themselves.

Rather than the feelings and disappointment that go with not having quantities of leisure time, I would like to suggest that we embrace the workload we have with diligence, determination, and joy. We are told that everything we do we are to do as unto the Lord. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men" (Colossians 3:23). It is hard for me to justify time spent in personal pursuits as being done unto the Lord if there is still serving of my family to be done.

Again, I want to emphasize that I am not saying we will never be able to spend time doing what we would choose to do, that we will never be able to relax, or that we should ruin our health by continual overworking. Instead, I am encouraging an acceptance of the workload we have been given with a focus on Jesus and on serving. In the midst of this, the Lord will give opportunities for what we like to do, and He will bring physical rest. He gives rest to our souls when our hearts are turned to Him rather than to ourselves. When my focus is on me, there is never enough ease or entertainment. I think if we want contentment in the calling God has given to us, we must receive the work before us and look away from "what about me?"

The question looms before me as it is regularly repeated from well-meaning friends: "When do you get time for yourself?" My response depends on the focus of my heart. I can begrudge what Jesus has called me to do. I can resent the gobbling of time that homeschooling my children takes. I can resist the workload of my homemaking tasks. I can be disappointed if I don't get time for my own fun or pleasures. On the other hand, I can be filled with delight that I am able to homeschool. I can view each minute I have with my children as an opportunity to turn their hearts to Jesus. I can rejoice over every act of service I am able to offer my husband and my children. I can say, "Lord, my time is Your time. Use it as You will," trusting Him fully with my life.

Teri Maxwell
www.Titus2.com

Word Searches

Camille has been doing spelling for 6 hours now. Yes, SIX hours. Why? Because there is a word search involved and she despises word searches. Her little brain cannot see the words even if they are horizontal reading from left to right. Usually I wouldn't "make" her do it, but sometimes in this life we have to do things we just don't like. It's good for her. Needless to say, we will be doing school right up until her bedtime tonight. Usually we can finish school in less than 2 hours. (Math, Spelling, and Language Arts) Not today!

Narnia Review...SPOILERS

Do not read this review if you want to see Narnia!! Close the window now.


I saw The Chronicles of Narnia yesterday.

The bad:

The score

The fake snow (why oh why cannot Hollywood make snow that looks real???)

Aslan. Both the way he looked and his voice. Liam Neeson does not do him justice.

The overall special effects were just not that great. Even the battle scenes looked rehearsed. Especially the climax of the fighting between the White Witch and Peter.

The good:

Adaptation

The children were cute.


Should you go see it? Yes. Especially if you have read the book. It is family friendly with the scariest part being when Aslan is sacrificed. I actually think it was filmed with children in mind. That is how I felt watching the film. Like I do when I am watching a film geared toward a younger audience. However, I personally would NOT take any child under the age of 8 or 9. And I would only take a child who has read the book so they will know the story line prior to seeing the movie. My nine year old daughter LOVED the movie. It is now her favorite movie of all time beating out "Two Brothers". She and her father plan on going next week to see it again. If you go over to Cami's blog, will you please leave a comment for her. You know how little girls are:0)

Off to yet another fun thing for Camille and Molly today. They are going to the fairgrounds to make 5 crafts to give away for Christmas. Junior Master Gardeners is hosting the FREE event and even buying them lunch. I couldn't pass that one up. I love the woman that leads it. She is incredibly sweet. So, off to the shower I go. Have a great weekend.

Jingle Bells, Jingle Bells, Jingle all the way!

Just wanted to get a song stuck in your head.

Brr baby, it's cold outside. It's doing that raining/misting thing and it is about 42 degrees. Just that stinging cold I-really-don't-want-to-be-outside feeling. I take our dogs out to go potty about every three or four hours and the 5 minutes I spend out there is pure torture. Torture I tell you.

Tomorrow is the big day! The Narnia day. Wooty woot woot. Olaf and I are supposed to go out to dinner tomorrow night with all the other foreman and do whatever foreman and their wives do. I don't think we will go though. I just don't like to leave the children. Especially at bedtime. They want to meet for dinner at 7:00 pm!! My goodness! We eat supper at 4:30! Dinner at 7:00 would have to be a second dinner for me because there ain't no way this girl can wait until 7:00 to eat. They are going to Carraba's which I really don't like. I actually don't like Italian food at all.

I check the mail with expectancy everyday now hoping I'll find a Christmas card or two. I have gotten three so far. I love Christmas cards. I keep them every year. I just went through the cards I got last Christmas to make sure I didn't leave anyone out who sent me a card. It's fun to reread the Christmas letters and look at the photos that were sent. I just sent my cards out yesterday to all the out of town family. I will mail the local cards later. Olaf has to send cards out to all the guys in his shops. I think there are about 40 total. I addressed the envelopes, he just needs to sign them.

Camille is SO into Yahtzee right now. She is so competitive though. It's a good opportunity to teach her how to be a good sport and not to wish evil onto others. We let Grace play with us today and she kicked our keesters. Grace got a score of 309! A perfect score in Yahtzee is 375, so she rolled the dice like a Las Vegas pro. Humbling for Camille to say the least.

Humble Pie

EDITED: I was wrong. Thumper said blossoms and not clover. Humble pie AGAIN! Pointed out to me by me dear daughter.

That is what I am eating. It doesn't taste good but it sure is good for me. Kind of like spinach. Or when Thumper says to Bambi, "Don't eat the green stuff, just eat the blossoms." And his Mama says, "Thumper, what did your father tell you?"
"'Bout what?"
"About eating the blossoms and leaving the greens?"
"Oh, that one. (clears throat) Eating greens is a special treat. It makes long ears and great big feet. (whispers) But it sure is awful stuff to eat. I made that last part up myself."

That's me. Eating the awful green stuff but knowing it's good for me. It's making me grow and that is a good thing. Excuse me while I throw up!

Noon on Friday

That is the first showing of The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe and I will be there with my daughter, her friend, and her friend's mom. I am so excited. I haven't been this excited about a film since...well...never!

I went to WalMart today to pick up the prints of the children for the Christmas card. Here is the one we are using:


Sorry to ruin it for you if you get a Christmas card from us. I try to send out pictures and letters to family and friends who do not read my blog. Especially old people. Like my Aunt Dorothy. She is in her mid-nineties and lives with her only daughter who is in her mid-seventies. Her daughter, my Aunt Bubbie, has never been married and has always lived at home with her mother. She was a librarian and is smart as a whip. Aunt Dorothy is my Grandmother's sister. My Grandmother passed away almost 2 years ago. I think she was 78 years old when she died. She had dementia real bad the last few years of her life.

That was a rabbit....

We also went to Blockbuster today and I rented Madagascar, Thomas the Tank Engine, and Spy Kids. Camille has never watched a Spy Kids movie. I am hoping she is old enough for it. I think she will enjoy it. She loves to play spy with her friend, Molly. I bought her some Nancy Drew books for Christmas, but I am not sure if I want her to read them. Nancy Drew has a BOYFRIEND for Pete's sake! It's nothing major, but I don't think I need to expose Camille to that this early in her life. I will have to finish the book before I decide. Anyone know of any good spy books with a Christian theme?

Pizza for supper tonight. We have a buy one get one free card from Papa John's. When Mama doesn't cook, it's pizza night!

Being Pure--Be Sure to Shelter

Do people ever accuse you of sheltering your children? Instead of being defensive, be thankful for the wonderful opportunity to shelter. Do you sometimes make the mistake of allowing your children to see, hear, or read something impure? Don't you feel terrible after it happens? Did you learn the Sunday School song "Be Careful Little Eyes What You See?" It's true. Our Father up above is looking down in love, so we must be careful what we allow our children to experience. It isn't true that it doesn't matter what a child reads as long as he is reading something. Purity matters. Today make sure that your children experience only what is pure. It's worth it, even if your child does miss out on something popular. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. Matthew 5:8

Taken from Daily Encouragement for Homeschooling Mothers by Charlene Notgrass

We never went to the Christmas parade. Do you know why? It was too flippin' HOT! 76 degrees!! We decorated the tree instead.

I am still playing with my new camera. I love it. It is our Christmas present to each other. I must. must, must take the children's picture tonight for the Christmas cards.

I made the no flour peanut butter cookies today. I just had a craving. They are so easy. One cup of peanut butter, one cup of sugar, and one egg. Mix it up, roll them into balls, and then flatten them out with a fork. Bake for about 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees. They are great with a cold cup of milk. That is why I am gaining weight instead of losing it.

My new camera

Olaf just bought this! WOOT!

Don't rain on my parade

It's Sunday morning and Olaf is frying bacon. We will have pancakes and bacon this morning and then go see the Christmas Parade this afternoon if it doesn't rain. The Budweiser Clydsdale Horses are supposed to be there. Camille is psyched about that. I want to go to the Dollar Tree by myself today too. Don't know if I'll get the chance, but I want to go. Tomorrow is St. Nicholas Day Eve. It's a German tradition where the children set their shoe outside their door before going to bed that night. When they wake up they have some sort of treat in it. That is why I want to go to The Dollar Tree!

Josiah didn't cough at all last night. Woo Hoo! I didn't give the children cough medicine either. I think they are on the mend. Praise the Lord!

Look at my cute new sig tag! I got it here.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree

We went to the local tree farm to buy our tree. We go there every year because they have bunnies for the children to hold, a fire to roast marshmallows on, a lake to feed the ducks, hot cocoa...all for FREE! On our way down to the lake the skies opened up and it started to POUR. So, we ran back up to the van (no easy task) and all of us started coughing up a lung! If you want to see a few pictures you can go to my Flickr account and look. Reminder...my digital camera sucks. I have NO zoomability and it is only a 1.3 mega pixel. I cannot wait to get a new camera in the very near future. Until then, you have to deal with my not so great pictures. I suppose we will decorate the tree tomorrow sometime.

Olaf saw The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe today. He loved it. He cried like a girl. It's a must see. While he was watching the film, I took the children to Camille's riding lesson. She fell off the horse today and landed on her back. Knocked the wind right out of her. She couldn't breathe and it scared her to death! Not too scared that she won't ride again though. I think she'd have to be killed in order for her not to get back on the horse. They were doing a trail ride at the end of her lesson and the horse started to trot up a steep hill. Somehow Camille lost her stirrups and got scared. She leaned forward to grab the horses neck (don't ever do that) and fell off the horse sideways. This is only the second time that she has fallen off the horse. I told her it was bound to happen a few times in her life!:) That's the kind of mom I am. Suck it up girlfriend! I'm not big on empathy which sucks for my children. There is no cuddling or kissing or coddling when my children get hurt. DROP DOWN AND GIVE ME 50 MISTER!!!!!

My feet are like ice cubes. They always are. Socks are on. Shoes are on. Feet are freezing. It's not fair.

Calling all experienced moms

My little guy has a problem. Whenever Josiah has a bm his tummy hurts. He cries and doubles over in pain. His stool is soft, he is not constipated. This has been going on about a month now. No new foods have been introduced and after the bm he is fine. He doesn't complain about a tummy ache at any other time except during a bm. And it is horrible to watch him in so much pain. He literally takes his hand and jabs it into his tummy trying to get the pain to go away. HELP!

On the mend

which is a good thing. We are all still coughing and probably will be for a few weeks. That part sucks.

Olaf gets to see The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe this Saturday. It is a sneak peek an entire week early. A local radio station is giving away tickets to the same showing, so obviously it's not just for VIP's afterall. Olaf has to distribute 29 tickets to VIP's from local ministries and businesses. Then he can go in and watch the film as well. He was going to take Camille with him, but her riding lesson got moved to Saturday and she really wants to go to that. She hasn't been riding in four weeks! He is appalled that she would choose a horse over the movie, but she says she'll just wait for the movie to open here next week. He is going to make a few calls this evening to try to find someone to go with him. He has a few people in mind.

My lips hurt bad! GOSH! (I've just broken out into Napoleon Dynamite!) They really do hurt though. Chapped. I bought some of this because Cheri told me to. Love it. They had a 2-pack at Walmart for the price of one. I think it was about $6. I also bought this because of Cheri. Love it too!

Must run. Survivor is starting...Guatamala calls!

Somedays....

I just want to go back to bed and start over. This would be today! No one is feeling well. The two little ones are coughing so hard they almost vomit. I have a cold that has pretty much made me useless. I am premenstrual which is not helping my mood or behavior. Say a little prayer for me.

Bark, bark, bark

That is what my Gracie and Josiah sound like. It's just awful. Grace started with the bark last night and definitely has the cough part worse than Josiah. Josiah, on the other hand, still cannot breathe. Being the pseudo doctor that I am, I started Grace on Prelone today. I would have started Josiah on it as well, but it tastes AWFUL and I cannot get him to keep it down. Before bed tonight I am giving them both a MAJOR cough medicine with codeine in it. I hope it lets them get some sleep.

Olaf took today off. He wasn't feeling well and he wanted to help me with the children. I thought that was very kind of him. So tomorrow we will get back into our routine. Routine is good. I like it.

I am FULL. Olaf asked me what I wanted for supper and I said "tots". Off to Sonic to get a big huge order of chili cheese tots for me. Now I feel like a beached whale. Serves me right. I hate stupidity and that was just stupid!

We bought a used wooden Thomas the Tank Engine Railway with cars today. We just can't figure out how to put it together. It will be for Josiah for his birthday or Christmas. They are very expensive new and we got a good deal on it from a fellow homeschooler. Olaf needs to repaint the engines because they are very worn, but Josiah will love it. It's like the sets you see in the bookstores or in Toys R Us.

I need to start addressing Christmas cards. I also need to take the children's picture for it. Hopefully we can get that done this weekend. I really want a new camera to take their picture, but that is the tail wagging the dog.

OK, off to tend to littles who need their mama.

Everyone is sick, sick, sick

See! I told you we'd all get it! But poor Josiah and Gracie got the worst of it. They started running fevers Thursday night and Friday night Josiah had croup. He has no voice whatsoever and that dry barky cough. His breathing is fairly labored and very loud. I called the nurse last night who told me to take him to the ER immediately. I drive to the only po dunk hospital we have and it was slap full of the Crips, Bloods, and highly infectious children. I turned around and walked out. I didn't even sign in. I figured if he got worse in the middle of the night I would take him then and hope that the ER would be semi cleared. But once he fell asleep, he sounded better. His breathing is still labored but his color is good. Needless to say, we have spent the entire holiday weekend inside not doing much. We did decorate the house for Christmas minus the tree. (Go to FLickr if you are a contact to see) We get our tree the first weekend of December at a local tree farm. There will never be an artifical tree in our home. Never. We watched The Polar Express fifty two thousand times.

Olaf may get to go see the new Narnia movie a week early. They may be having a screening in Atlanta for VIP's and he is on the list to go! WooHoo! It's not set in stone (pun intended for those of you who know the story) but if it happens it will be this Saturday. The movie opens December 9th and I am so excited about it. I cannot wait.

Happy Thanksgiving

The pumpkin pie has been made. The sweet potatoes are boiling for the sweet potato casserole, the turkey has been smoked and is waiting in the fridge. We just need to make our stuffing, mashed potatos, corn, green beans, and rolls. And across the street there are people roofing a house. If they are still there when we eat I will take them a plate.

I will leave you with the words of Abraham Lincoln who offically instituted Thanksgiving as the fourth Thursday of November.

No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently and gratefully acknowledged as with one heart and one voice by the whole American People. I do therefore invite my fellow citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next, as a day of Thanksgiving and Praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the Heavens.

It's almost Thanksgiving

I took that graphic from Liberty. Thanks girl!:) Well, today is pie baking day in most homes. When I was growing up my mom always made pies the day before Thanksgiving. And she made a lot of them. Pecan, Apple, Cherry, Pumpkin. I have never been a pie girl though. I mean, I will eat a piece but it isn't my favorite. Unless it is Strawberry Rhubarb. Then I'll eat more than one piece. And mom never made Strawberry Rhubarb. I, on the other hand, will be picking up two pies from a local bakery! Olaf will most likely make the Pumpkin Pie tonight. He makes it with fresh pumpkin (in the freezer from our pumpkin carving contest) because it tastes better that way. One year he even made his own crust!

I am eating a Clementine right now. They are the best little things ever! They are usually sold in a crate (not by the pound) in the produce department. They look like a tangerine but SO MUCH BETTER. No seeds and sweet as candy.

If you like to laugh you really must read Sara's blog on a regular basis. I love her. She is a young (20 something) single woman who loves the Lord, but is hilariously funny. Her mama did a good job raising her!:)

Well, happy baking! Peace Out (done in the voice of Kip from Napoleon Dynamite).

Gingerbread Coffeemate

Did I mention that I finally found the holiday Coffeemate at WalMart of all places? Usually Publix or Kroger will have something like that before WalMart. Anyway, I bought them all. They have Pumpkin Spice this year. My favorite is still Gingerbread though. I am going to the grocery store this evening to buy a few things. Me and thousands of other procrastinators. I'd load up the children and go, but Caleb is pretty miserable with his stuffy nose. He doesn't know how to blow his nose, so that makes for an awful time as you can imagine. He has to breathe out of his mouth so he is constantly drooling. Then the snot is always running down his lip. We have went through hundreds of Kleenex in just 24 hours. Yucky! Wanna see?



Last night we gave him Nyquil! Are we good parents or what???

OK, time to go fix the children (mostly Caleb) lunch. You'd think he wouldn't be able to taste anything but he is still asking me to eat constantly.

No Oregon for us

Caleb woke up this morning with a cold. I guess that seals our fate regarding going to Oregon for Thanksgiving. We will stay here and eat smoked turkey with all the fixins. The rest of us will probably get his cold sometime about Thursday, so it may be a miserable weekend. I am loading up on echinacea and vitamin c right now. I forgot a few things at the grocery store so I may go this evening after TOPS. Speaking of TOPS, I really don't think I lost any weight this week. I'm easing into it;)

Hey, does anyone know anything about this camera? It seems like a good deal and the reviews on Amazon are all terrific. This may be our Christmas gift to each other. Right now we use our free Fuji 1.3 Mega Pixel, no zoom at all, have to look through the viewfinder, camera.

Need to run. Supper is done and I need to get it on the table. (Yes, it is 4:30. We eat early!)

The wedding was...

fabulous. Short, sweet, and the bride looked lovely. I have uploaded pictures to my Flickr account. They are marked for Friends and Family, so if you aren't on my contact list make sure to e-mail me. We tried desperately to put some curl in my hair. HA! I used a can of hairspray and still HA! I have hair like an Asian woman. Straight as a board and black as the night. I got home early...somewhere around 9:00. The children were still up waiting for me. I'm glad I got to see them before they went to bed.

Olaf has decided that he wants to hang up our outside Christmas lights today. We don't do a lot of decorating. We just put out a nativity scene with a lighted star and then do some lights in the tree. The children are thrilled. Christmas is so much fun for them.

Caleb has the entire week off from school this week. In the past he has only had Thursday and Friday off, but they are trying something new this year. He has less Christmas vacation though. We are toying with the idea of flying to Oregon for Thanksgiving, but the car rental is over $400. We really can't afford that.

~~~~~~~~~~8 hours later~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

We just got back from a first ever family event. We went to the movie theater and saw Chicken Little. The last time we went to the theater was to see Toy Story 2. Caleb was about 5 years old and he FLIPPED out. We haven't attempted a movie since. But today we tried it. And you know what? Caleb loved that movie. He laughed all the way through it. Especially at the pig. How did we get from putting up Christmas lights to the movies you ask? We didn't have anything in the house to eat so we decided to get lunch and then go to Target to buy some more Christmas lights. After lunch we passed the movie theater and I (on a whim) said, "Hey! Let's go see Chicken Little!" Thus, the diversion to the movie theater. We did go to Target and buy the lights. Then to the grocery store to buy some grub. Now we are back home and it's too dark to put up the Christmas lights...and it's raining.

So, here's to a long day but memorable day!:)

Tonight at Bible Study we will be celebrating MY birthday. WooHoo! Too bad I started dieting on Tuesday. I totally plan on skipping dinner so I can indulge in a little of the tasty treats that will be there.

Thank you to everyone who put a pin in my map. I think I got seven responses to my plea. Muah!

Yesterday Olaf was gone from 5:45 am to after 6:00 pm. Yuck! I would really hate it if he had to work that long every night. Who knows? If Delta goes under he may have to. But right now I don't like it. I guess I am just spoiled. I am selfish beyond belief. This "die to self" part of being a Christian is not pleasant and I am certain that it will never be. I know there are people who have attained the ideal of "it's a ministry to my family and therefore a blessing to me" but I'm still at the "this sucks" stage. I mean, I have my good days too. And I really do try to keep a Godly perspective at all times (isn't that what this is all about anyway?), but I do have my pity party days and yesterday was one of them. It's when I start comparing my life to "others" that I get into trouble. We choose to homeschool our children. That means my children are with me 24 hours per day, 7 days a week. There is no "break time" for Mama. People who choose to send their children to government schools have at least 6 hours of time away from their children where they can grocery shop, clean the house, whatever... Even children as young as three are going to pre-school. On the other hand, I get up in the morning, make breakfast, and then start teaching my fourth grader how to find the greatest common factor and the least common denominator. We read history together and learn all about commas and direct quotations in Language Arts. I try to clean the house with my children...to train them for the day that they will run their own households. Yes, that makes for slow going at times. By the time lunch is finished, well it's time to start supper. My man likes to have supper ready when he comes home. We eat supper between 4:30-5:00 pm every night. In order to do that I need to start thinking about it by 2:00. Thankfully baseball is over for both children and the only extra thing going on is horseback riding. If I had to run around on top of everything else, I think I'd drop. I love my family desperately. I am SO blessed by the wonderful man I married and the children that God has so graciously given me. I need to focus on THAT and put my big girl panties on deal with it. So forgive the rant. I'll shut up now.

It's early

Caleb is on the bus and everyone else is asleep. Olaf is driving 3.5 hours this morning to a Marine base for some type of training/tour. He was happy to get away from the office for a day. Yes, he has to pay for his own gas down there, but he's still happy.

The Amazing Race wasn't on last night. I did watch The Biggest Loser. Those people look FANTASTIC! They have been at that ranch for three months. Can you imagine being away from your family for three months? Not me. Anyway, because The Amazing Race wasn't on we watched what came on after The Biggest Loser. Something like "My Name is Earl" and "The Office." We laughed hysterically at The Office. Oh my. We will watch it if it is still on after The Amazing Race. If I had Tivo, I'd record it.

Oh my! It is now 1:00 pm and I really should just post this!:) We just got back from Kohls and WalMart. Spent too much money but I was able to buy Olaf a Christmas present at WalMart with the grocery money. I bought presents for my mom, Gracie, and Josiah at Kohls too. Now I need to go eat some lunch.

OK you lurkers!

Please, please, please go put a pin in my map. All you have to do is put in your zip code and a little message like, "Hi from Washington." and that is ALL. I see on my stat counter that I have vistors from Belgium, (coughellocough), Singapore, The UK (coughZoecough), Everett, WA, Marietta, GA, Sheridan, OR, Cherry Hill, NJ, Mableton, GA, Denver, CO, Hampton, VA (coughLisacough), New York, NY, Chicago, Milwakee, Brownsville (coughChericough)...C'mon man! Put a pin in my map and make me HAPPY!

DIEt

Well, today I went back on the diet. The first three letters just about say it all. I MUST get off the sugar. It's a vicious cycle. Eat more, want more...eat more, want more. I went to TOPS last night. TOPS stands for Take Off Pounds Sensibly. It is way cheaper than Weight Watchers although I will still be following the WW plan. I just need that scale accountability. TOPS is kind of corny, but I think it will be good for me. It is only $6 per month. They have fun things like paying a quarter for every pound (or portion thereof) that you gain and at the end of the month, the biggest loser takes the kitty home. If you are the biggest loser for the night you take home a small wrapped present etc. Just fun little things to try to keep you motivated. They read a portion of Dr. Phil's Weight Loss book last night and let me borrow the Dr. Phil food guide. At the beginning of each meeting you have to say the TOPS pledge. (I told you it was corny)

I am an intelligent person.
I will control my emotions, not let my emotions control me.
Every time I am tempted to use food to satisfy my frustrated desires,
build up my injured ego, or dull my senses,
I will remember, even though I overeat in private-
My excess poundage is there for all the word to see.
I WILL TAKE OFF POUNDS SENSIBLY.

The last line used to be: HOW FOOLISH I HAVE BEEN, but they changed it:) I guess too many people complained about it. I guess I need to start that Weight Loss Blog again.

Camille did Math, Spelling, Language Arts, and History today. We are learning about the New England Colonies right now. I love reading it to her because I learn so much. I didn't know that Rhode Island was the first colony settled for the sole purpose of having complete religious freedom. Massachusetts was settled by the Puritans and kicked anyone out that didn't believe in their religion. So, a guy named Roger Williams (a Baptist) started Rhode Island and called that first place he settled Providence. Y'all probably knew that, but I didn't. Their charter ensured that anyone would have complete religious freedom and not be penalized in any way if they believed (or didn't believe) differently. Mr. Williams knew that no one can force a person to believe in Christ. I think I would have liked him.

The Delta pilots are threatening a murder/suicide if they don't get their way. They don't want to take the pay cut that Delta wants them to take and say they will strike and put the airline under for good. Gotta love greed. I know that taking a 23% pay cut is HUGE, but Olaf has taken 19% this year and he doesn't make 1/3 of what the pilots make. The average Delta pilot makes over $160,ooo per year. And 23% of $160K is a lot of jack! It's $36,800 to be exact...ouch! But, they would still make $123,200 which is better than.... let's say.... nothing! So, pray for Delta my friends. It doesn't look good. Our pay cut started November 1st, so today is our first pay check with the 9% loss. (We took 10% January 1, 2005) Pretty soon we will be able to qualify for WIC. I'd laugh if it weren't true. One more baby or one more pay cut and we'll be there. BUT, the LORD is good and we still have more than we need. I have nothing to complain about. Nothing at all.

I am off to clean toilets. And tubs. Where are those maidens in Proverbs 31?

Monday

Monday. Back to the old grindstone. Camille is finishing up school, the littles are watching "The Little Bear Movie" and I am washing sheets. My Monday chore. I love doing laundry though. It is my favorite chore to do. We have flannel sheets on our bed all year round because I love the way they feel. Since we only have one pair of flannel sheets, I wash them every Monday!:) They are holding up nicely though. I think they are from LL Bean or Lands End Overstocks. I also like those knit/T-Shirt type sheets but I don't have any for our Queen bed. The girls have them for their bunk beds though. I need to do a lot of cleaning today (always have to on Mondays because we trash the house over the weekend) but I'd like to exercise too. I want to do the FIRM but the TV is currently in use with Little Bear, so I may go out and walk/jog a bit. More walking than jogging mind you.

The cat never came back. I didn't think he would. Actually, I didn't think he could.

My right tonsil is better. I may cancel my appointment with the ENT doctor. I took echinacea and vitamin c for a few days and it seems to have helped. I really, really, really, do not want a tonsilectomy. I am a huge wimp.

Chantell's wedding is this Saturday. I have NO idea what to do with my hair. I am the one doing the toast. So, here it is: May the strength of three be in your journey. What do you think? I found it online somewhere. Short and simple. I do not know the groom at all. I have only met him on one or two occasions, so I cannot wax eloquent about him. So I will raise my glass, look at the married couple, say "Kerry and Chantell. May the strength of three be in your journey." The non-Christians will be confused.

We borrowed Napoleon Dynamite from a friend. We have to watch it again. I like your sleeves.

It's a beautiful autumn day

Olaf is outside cleaning up the yard. I think he will clean the gutters too. The children were outside playing for a long time and now they are watching an episode of Little House on the Prairie. It's a nice sunny and brisk day.

On a not so nice note, our 17 year old cat is missing and presumed dead. My husband somehow forgot to deadbolt the basement door where the cat lives and he escaped. He has never been outside a day in his life and here he is deaf, blind, and senile. I am hoping he died the first night out. We have coyotes in the woods behind us so I am hoping it was quick. The thought of him wandering out there is too much to bare. It has been 2 full days now and I am quite certain he won't make it home. What a demise!! Poor cat. Well, now that he's gone we can clean up that basement. There was hair all over it. I would love to finish the basement, but we just don't have the money to do it. I'd love a playroom down there for the children.

Napoleon Dynamite is a funny movie. But, you have to watch it more than once! Olaf and I are quoting it all the time now. GOSH!

Have a great weekend. Enjoy your family.

Got this today from Dayspring!

Giving Thanks for God’s Overwhelming Generosity

By Roy Lessin, co-founder DaySpring Cards

Everything in your life that flows out of love has come to you from God. Everything in your life that is good has been initiated by God. God has done everything for you, He is everything to you, and He is enriching other lives through you. His generosity is overwhelming, His blessings are limitless, His love is endless.

No one has favored you more than God. He has removed every stain of your sin, He has cleansed all the defilement of your iniquity, and He has silenced every voice of condemnation that hung over your head. He has saved you, redeemed you, and justified you.

All of God’s grace abounds toward you, all of Christ’s riches are made available to you, and all spiritual blessings are provided for you. In Christ, you have received the treasures that can never be taken away, the hope that can never fade away, and the life that will never pass away.

As you walk with Jesus day by day, you will find that your thankfulness to Him is an ever-increasing symphony of praise, building into a lifelong crescendo of gratitude that flows from your heart to His. You, who have so little, have received so much, because He has been so generous.

There are so many riches that He has given to you; so many answers to prayer that He has granted to you; so many kindnesses that He has manifested to you; so many joys that He has provided for you; so many mercies that He has extended to you; so many benefits that He has showered upon you. Everything you have has come from Him, and that is the reason why your heart can be so grateful.

Thank Him today because—
He formed you and made you.
He has given you the breath of life.
He has given you this day.
He is working in you to become all that He has intended you to be.
He is working everything in your life together for the good.
He is using your difficulties and trials to conform you to His image.

Thank Him today for—
The forgiveness of your sins.
The peace that passes all understanding.
The smiles that have come to your face because His joy is in your heart.
The comfort of His presence that has quieted your heart and calmed your fears.
The hope that is in you because He has promised to always be with you.
The place in heaven that He has reserved and has prepared for you.

Thank Him today with—
Words of exaltation.
Songs of celebration.
A heart of strong devotion.
Thoughts of deep reflection.
Acts of admiration.
Claps of loud ovation.

By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Hebrews 13:15 (KJV)

Time for cake

Yes, I really am tired. I look tired. That massage really messed me up...in a good way!

Oh, it's not over yet!

TRAPP Candles, Willow Tree, and Yankee Candles too! They lurve me!:)

Back from my massage

and now I need a nap! I guess that means it was a great massage, eh? Thanks for all the birthday wishes. I have the most awesome friends (and brother) in the world!
Now...tah da da....the cake!

Birthday Update...

I leave for my spa massage in half an hour. My family got me this! And this. Stephanie from wah sent me the cutest little notepad with my name on every page and some yummy chocolate velvet flavored coffee. (Check out her website. She does that for a living!) I received two e-cards today. One from Becky and one from Monika. And the best part, the day is not even half over! Check back for more birthday updates. ::giggles::

Yes, it is my birthday

Today I am 38 years old! Honestly, I never thought I'd live to be 38. I also never thought I'd have a husband who is crazy about me and four wonderful children to boot. I am so blessed.

The computer is not working correctly. I think I need to reboot. Have a great day.

Tomorrow is my birthday

And Mary sent me a card. Thank you Mary. You look the same and your grandson is adorable. Grace saw the picture and said, "this little boy looks like Josiah."

I think I have gotten all my presents early. I'm real bad about that. If something comes in the mail, well I just want it NOW! Olaf got me some of the greatest perfume ever made. Did I write about that on my blog already? I probably did. Anyway, you can see it here! I also got this. Yes, yes, I know....
He also bought me this but it hasn't shown up yet. He's not real happy with the company he bought it from. (Which isn't where I linked to btw) So, I've already been spoiled and my birthday isn't until tomorrow. Oh, my mom sent me a cool pair of earrings too. I can't wear them though. As soon as I put them in my ears, they got real red and itchy. I think I need sterling silver. I cannot do gold. Oh, and Tammy Pitts (before she left) gave me a Yankee Candle for my birthday. Pumpkin Pie!

Caleb is now on the bus and I am going to try to go back to bed. I will probably update again later on.

My blessings and me

Mothers Day 1995

Dear Lord,
I don't know why you are withholding the blessing of children in my life. I long desperately to be a mother. We have prayed for years for a child and yet, in your sovereignty, you have closed my womb. Lord, direct our path. We have our adoption application in Lord. Bring to us the child that is meant for our family. We are trusting in Your perfect timing, but it's difficult at times. Help me to focus on You Father.

After praying this prayer, Olaf and I drove up to Helen, GA so I could pout. I couldn't go to church on Mothers Day. It was too painful. It was a reminder of what I didn't have. What I so deperately wanted. So we played hookie from church and drove up to the mountains of GA. We went to Anna Ruby Falls. It was raining that day. The day matched my mood. Dreary, pitiful, sad. Olaf took my picture. I forced a smile.

Fast Forward....

Oct 16, 2005

Dear Lord,
Thank you God for the blessing of not one, not two, not three, but FOUR children. You have certainly blessed me indeed! I pray for more blessings Lord. Open my womb again for Your glory. Thank you and praise Your Holy Name!

We went to Anna Ruby Falls again. This time I took my picture with my blessings.

We love Callaway Gardens

The day started out overcast as you can see from the picture above, but it turned into a gorgeous day. We went to Callaway to do some bike riding. It was the very first time that Grace has taken her own bike!



Her little legs were going a mile a minute, but she kept up! She was adorable.



My Josiah boy!



At the Butterfly Center - Camille's favorite! LOL! Camille is deathly afraid of butterflies. She always has been. She absolutely hates going into the butterfly center.



A cool looking spider we saw there. I need to look it up online.



Isn't this GORGEOUS? It is what we see when we drive home from Callaway every Autumn. God is so good to gift us with beauty like this.



My view in the car. My windshield is really dirty, but you get the idea.

It's back!

Can you believe it? My right tonsil seems to be infected again. Do you know what that means, my friends? A tonsillectomy. I have heard they are very painful as an adult. I have an appointment to see Dr. H. the day before Thanksgiving. Please leave me a comment if you have had a tonsillectomy as an adult. I want to know just how bad it really is. Caleb had his taken out last year and it was 10 days of pure h-e-double toothpicks.

Caleb had his party for his Challenger League Baseball Team today. We went to a pizza place and Olaf handed out trophies. It was very crowded with about 10 other teams of varying sports there. Crazy.

I just need to share something kind of gross right now. If you are queasy about flatulence then skip this paragraph. My dear husband passed gas about half hour ago while sitting on this computer chair. Now every time I sit down on it, the smell gets pushed out of the cushion and wafts into my nostrils. I really don't understand how it can linger this long. And how can it get trapped in the chair?? My husband is very proud right now.

I need a...

home based business. One that I can actually do at home. I am not interested in going anywhere to do a "party" or joining Amway or Melaleuca. I have a ton of stuff that I can sell on Ebay. Maybe I should just start there. Any suggestions? Olaf took another pay cut and we need to make some adjustments in our budget. We are actually thinking of getting rid of the internet and cable tv. That would save us about $50 per month. Of course, I could no longer blog unless I went to the library. Caleb's school lunch is $27 per month. I could cut that out. Our phone can have all the bells and whistles turned off. I'm not sure how much that would save. We could get rid of the cell phones. That would save about $60 per month. So far I have saved $150 per month! Not bad, not bad. Camille's riding lessons are $40 per month. Oh I just wish Olaf could find another job and not have to worry about Delta. Please pray for him and our family. Now to come full circle, what can I do from home to help out the finances?

I got an early birthday gift!

Look at my new beautiful banner. It's from Cheri. Isn't is lovely? Cheri picked out the picture and verse and then Becky made it for her to give to me. Thank you my friend. It was such an incredibly toughtful thing to do.

Pictures

Off to get the children's pictures taken. Here is what they look like right now. Notice Josiah's scratch on his face from his collision with the trampoline!



Precious, precious children!

Today I am going to try not to eat any sugar. There is candy galore in this house, but I need to get off the sugar. For breakfast I had this cereal.

It's pretty good. Three points for the ceral by itself. It has a lot of fiber in it which helps bring the points down a bit.

Olaf told me yesterday that the foreman and their wives all get together for a Christmas dinner at some fancy schmancy place. I don't see us going. It's not that I don't want to go, it's just that we don't "do" babysitters. Especially at bedtime. We'll see.

Chantell's wedding is coming up. I am supposed to do the toast. I think a man should do it though. Anyway, I need to figure out something short, sweet, and simple. Any suggestions? I bet I can find something online. I'll Google it.

Off to our appointment!!

You have the Renoir girl look. Youd have enchanted
the French Impressionists, who painted lively
girls at work and play. Their models were
ballet dancers, girls of Paris enjoying
themselves at open air dances or in music halls
and cafes, delighting in the sunshine or the
bright lights of French nightlife. The Renoir
girl loved to experiment with make-up and were
fun loving, sexy yet elegant. The following
painters would have loved to paint you; Dietz
Edzard, Edourad Manet, Edgar Degas and Auguste
Renoir.


'Pretty As A Picture' - Which Artist Would Paint You?
brought to you by Quizilla

Biggest Loser

Wish it were me! Are you sick of me complaining about my weight yet? OK, I'll shut up.

Stampin' Up! put their catalog ONLINE. WooHoo. That may make it easier for me to stay active. Although, I have gained 2 really good customers from that little soiree I did last month.

I just sent the girls back to bed. It's 6:45 am and they are trying to get up! No way Jose.

Yesterday, while I was grocery shopping, the children were outside playing with Caleb's wheelchair. They were giving rides to each other up and down the driveway. (You moms know what's coming, don't ya?) Well, Camille decided to let Grace (4 years old) push Josiah (2 years old). We have a steep hill at the end of our driveway that goes into the backyard. At the end of that steep hill is either: a. a fence or b. the trampoline. You guessed it. Grace pushed Joisah down the hill and he ran into b. He has a goose egg on his head and a scratch down the side of his face. And guess what? Our homeschool pictures are scheduled for tomorrow. Figures.

Alicia posted on her blog that her child, who is the same age as Josiah, has started to tell knock knock jokes. I thought that was funny because Josiah has started the same thing.

Josiah - Knock Knock
Me - Who's there?
Josiah - Banana
Me - Banana who?
Josiah - Banana from a store.

Laughs hysertically!

I need to dust today. That will be my goal. You see, I hate to dust. Yes, I let the children help me because they LOVE to spray the Pledge. But they can't get the picture frames and the high spots and the cobwebs. Or vacuum the ceiling fan or the air intake for the duct work. My celing fans are gross. I really have to keep on top of them or they are one dusty mess.

I never made it to Kohls yesterday. If I went I knew I'd spend money that we don't have. I'll take Olaf with me and then he can spend the money we don't have. He loves to shop. Yes, that's right. My husband loves to shop. If we go to Kohls he is the one putting stuff in the cart. That makes me happy:)

Oh, I almost cried last night when that family with the cute children were eliminated from the Amazing Race. Those little children were precious. And the parents were so sweet and kind to each other and to the children. Watching that little girl hold back her tears was so hard to watch as a parent. They did terrific though. It was that darn coffee bean that killed them. And that New York family is still there. Oh, I wish they would get knocked off! They drive me NUTS. They complain all the time.

My blog is worth $3,387.24.
How much is your blog worth?

coffee crisis

There is no Toasted Almond Creamer for my coffee this morning. So, I improvised. I took Nestle Quick Vanilla and put it in my coffee. It isn't nearly as good, but it will do for the one cup that I drink. I think my dependence on my one cup of coffee is purely psychological and not caffeine addiction. If I drink more than a cup or two it tears my tummy up. I don't know how people can drink it all day long. My dad used to drink coffee ALL THE TIME. Of course, he died at 54. I'm not saying the coffee killed him. It was the bologna and mayonnaise everyday and the 2 pack a day habit that got him. I think it was heart attack number six that killed him. The first five warnings didn't make him change his lifestyle. He was either stubborn, dumb, or a tad of both. Well, he had to be both to live with my mom!:) For those of you who don't know my childhood, it is way too deep to explain. Maybe someday I will bare all. It may be therapeutic for me. And completely enthralling for you I'm sure. (said very facetiously)

From coffee to my dad. My thoughts are freely flowing! LOL!

Today Kohls is having a 50% off sale. I think I might load the children up and GO! Not that we have any money. We don't. But sometimes a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do. Yesterday I loaded up the children and we went and had lunch with Olaf. Then we went through an interrogation to get into his work! Security is tight for Delta Employees families! I finally got to see where my husband works. I wish I would have had more time there. I only met a few of the guys, but it was fun anyway. I was amazed at my husband's demeanor though. I kind of expected him to smile and be relaxed, but he seemed a bit tense and almost protective. It was weird. Anyway, I did my usual 'I'm not shy and I will show you' to everyone I met. They probably all think I am a loon. A fat loon.

Cami is up! Need to run.

Goodbye Mrs. Pitts

Last night we went to a "going away" party for some dear friends. We have known Tammy and Terry Pitts since we were in the Air Force. Terry got a new job, left Delta Airlines (who could blame him) and they are moving about 2 hours south of where we now live. It was sad to see them go. There were a lot of people at the church and of course, a ton of food. Karen was working like a mad woman in the kitchen! Can you believe that? Stage 4 cancer and you'd never know it. She is even going to sew a pair of pants for Caleb. The woman is amazing and I praise the LORD for it all!

It's quiet right now. Everyone is still sleeping. I have my cup of java and I am happy. The girls will be up any minute though. I hear the door opening now as a matter of fact.

My birthday is in ten days! Cards and presents always welcome:0)

Heavenbound

Jodi, a friend from Women at Home, died Thursday night in a freak accident. Somehow, which hasn't been fully explained, her van ran her over. She was conscience until they took her in for surgery for internal bleeding. It seems the doctor's knew from the start she couldn't be saved. Please pray for her family. Click on the her memorial in the sidebar for more information about her family.

That should probably end my post for today. It would seem trivial to talk about my life when a young woman just lost hers. I'll post tomorrow. Until then, hug your husband and your children.

Not even an honorable mention

The pumpkins that won were really cool though. I forgot to take pictures but the first place prize went to a pumpkin carriage from Cinderella. They painted the pumpkin pink and had toy horses drawing the carriage. It was cute. Camille did get $5 just for entering though.

Today I need to pick Caleb up at school and then take him up to Olaf's work. Olaf will take him to the neurologist from there and probably be home somewhere around 6:30. It all depends on that lovely Atlanta traffic. Caleb sees the neurologist twice a year for his seizure medicine refills. This January will make two years without a Grand Mal seizure (PTL!), so they will probably do another EEG the next time we take him up. His med dose is fairly high. When he was on lower doses of the same drug he still had seizures. It was within therapeutic range, but just not high enough for Caleb.

My friend Cheryl has a thought provoking post up about "gentle parenting." (That is the no spank philosophy for those of you wondering) I thought the article was very well written and everyone should go read it. That said, I don't agree with all of it;) But what we both agree on is the goal of parenting should be to shepherd our children's hearts. Whatever the method is that works for your family, your main goal of child rearing should be to raise them for the glory of the LORD. We've all seen the people in WalMart beating their kids. That is NOT training their hearts. We've all seen children running the household and being absolute brats. That is NOT training their hearts. As a parent we guide, instruct, love, and admonish just like a shepherd does with sheep. Unlike sheep, our children have the capacity to understand, feel, and think. We can get all the "outward" appearance of good, but if there is no passion from within themselves to KNOW good, then it is all useless. That child WILL rebel. Oh parenting is not easy my friends. Everyday I screw something up and am so sure that my children are forever marred. I pray every night that the LORD would undo all the crap that I did. That He would protect their little hearts and not hate me when they get older. Then I claim the verse "His mercies are new every morning. Great is His faithfulness!" I fall asleep knowing that my Father has given me a new opportunity to be a better mother tomorrow. A better mother, a better wife, a better friend.

I'm steadily gaining my weight back. Someone please help me get motivated. I don't want to be fat, but I don't want to stop eating! LOL!

Humor me

Will EVERYONE who reads this post do me a big huge favor? Will you go here to put a pin in my map?? It's really easy. Puh-Leeze!

Yesterday we did something new. For the first time since the children have been born, we carved a pumpkin. We do not celebrate Halloween so we have never carved a jack-o-lantern before. Well, there is a pumpkin decorating contest on the court square this afternoon and Camille really wanted to enter it, so we caved. This is our entry.



It looks beautiful with the candle glowing inside. When Olaf was cleaning the pumpkin out he talked about all the gook in our lives but when we ask Jesus to be our Savior that he cleans all that gook out, just like Olaf was cleaning out the pumpkin gook. And when he put the candle in he said that was the Holy Spirit living inside of us shining His light out through us. Pretty cool. I seriously doubt we will win though. What do you think?

OK, I need (and I mean NEED) to clean the bathrooms right now.

Baking Cookies!

I tried to upload photos of the children baking cookies today, but Blogger is being contrary. You can see them here though.

I get so sidetracked

OK, I am writing this with a dirty diaper beside me (wet, not poo). Why you may ask yourself? Well, I just made the bed and grabbed the pee pee diaper that I had just changed off the nightstand. As I was going to the garbage can in the kitchen I had to pass the computer. I stopped to see if I had any e-mail (ah, the blessing of cable modems) and then clicked on my blogline feeds. I then decided that it had been too long since my last entry and my fans (HA HA) would definitely want to know about dirty diapers, so I logged into blog. My day is usually like that. I wander from task to task not knowing exactly how I got there. However, "school" is done and the children are outside playing in the nice COLD weather. LOVE IT! Grace is doing well with phonics. She read the sentence "Sam met Tom" today. Pretty good for four years old. Granted she still cannot sing her ABC's correctly, but the letters she does know, she knows the sounds for. I think she'll be reading pretty good by Kindergarten. I skipped the "Learn How to Write a Report" section of Language Arts today for Camille. I am so not in the mood for report writing. We are delving into grammar instead. Writing a report means I have to take all three children to the library so I can teach her how to use an encyclopedia and all that jazz. I know, I know, I could do it online. But there is something about doing "real" research at the library that just cannot be dismissed. We'll pick it up next quarter. Maybe we'll do a report on Walt Disney closer to May when we will actually be going there. She'll love that.

I did my grocery shopping yesterday. Of course, I used my coupons and did pretty good. I think my total coupon savings was about $60. I love having food in the house. Praise God that we have more than enough. "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus."

My sister-in-law is now 21 weeks pregnant. Fun! I'm trying not to be jealous. I'd love another baby. Alas, my 38th birthday is approaching and I am not sure of the Lord will bless us again. I mean, I know that 38 isn't OLD or anything, but conception has never been easy for us:)

Off to put this diaper in the garbage. I'll probably stop again before I get there though.

Uncle Bob

We went to Uncle Bob's Farm today. It was SO hot. We were there about 2.5 hours. Click on the Flickr badge in the sidebar to see the photos.

Lookie, lookie, lookie

FUN, FUN, FUN! We had so much fun tonight. We closed down Gandolfo's. Cheri and Holly were just like I imagined them. I guess wah posts do a pretty good job of telling who we really are. Thank you ladies for a great night out!!



Cheri, Me and Holly!




Charity, Cheri and Me!




Cheri and Holly

Applebees and a good friend!

I just got back from eating dinner with Misty. We went to Applebees. I ate a Weight Watchers Chicken Fajita type thing. And yes, I SO ate the yummy Blondie with the ice cream and maple syrup on top for dessert! I brought babyback ribs home for my husband to eat. His meal cost more than my meal, drink, and dessert cost! It is kind of weird for me to have a friend named Misty. But Misty is awesome. She lets me go on and on about myself. LOL! What a trooper. If you drop by her blog leave a comment. She is a baby blogger and needs to know who is reading her. They are in the process of building a house. A nice house I might add. All brick and four bedrooms. I am not jealous at all.

Oh, when I got home tonight there was a dozen fresh Krispy Kreme donuts waiting for me courtesy of my good friend Krista. We were talking on the phone today about Krispy Kreme's pumpkin spice donut that they put out this time of year. Lo and behold her husband and daughter show up on our doorstep with a dozen donuts. She is awesome! They even bought 2 of Olaf's favorite donuts. I cannot believe she is so attentive that when I mentioned Olaf's favorite donut, she remembered.

OK, off to help my husband eat his ribs! Not that I need to help him eat his ribs or anything!