I know I shouldn't post this, but it is just too cute. Whenever he goes poo on the potty he needs a magazine to read. In this case it's "Southern Living." He just turned two 12-26-04 and I haven't changed a poopy diaper in weeks! WooHoo!

Linkworthy

as my friend Cheri would say. Read her ramblings for the day and be blessed. For those of you that have your children in public school you may want to check out We are Family and their pledge. I found this information at Molly's site. Check out Molly on a daily basis for some thought provoking articles.

Ice Ice Baby...

I was in the middle of posting last night when we lost power for the second time that day! We've had a wicked ice storm for Atlanta. It's been kind of fun being cooped up in the house and figuring out what we can eat that doesn't require cooking. Our home is 100% electric, so when it goes out...we are roughing it;) We built a fire and Olaf put together a new entertainment center. It looks pretty nice for pressboard. Our old entertainment center only fits a 19 inch TV, so when we got our bigger TV (a few months back) we had to set the TV on an end table. Losing power... more later.

OK, power was flickering and I wanted to post at least that. It isn't flickering anymore. So I'll continue.

Back to the weekend. We ate Pop Tarts without toasting them, saltine crackers with butter, pretzels with dip...my children were loving it! Then the power came on long enough for me to fix supper. RATS! We put the children to bed around 8 pm and lost power again about 10:30 pm. I'm not sure what time it came back on but I would guess somewhere around 1:00 am. We have this really cool lantern that we bought for Y2K. It's called an Aladdin Lamp and puts out the same light as a 60 watt bulb. So, there was my fun weekend.

Camille is watching "Little Women" behind me. I love that book and movie. She is watching the updated version with Susan Sarandon (pray for her) and Winona Rider (pray for her too!) Camille has been reading a lot this weekend since there was no TV to watch! She read Jessica's First Prayer. What a lovely book! I highly recommend it no matter your age. It's a great book to read aloud to your family.

OK, I need to run. Josiah is a mess and I need to clean him up!

Mickey got iced!

Update

My friend Chantell just called. The results of her biopsy were good. They said the cyst is benign and to come back in three months for a follow up ultrasound. Praise God for that good news. On another breast cancer note, another friend of mine who is going through breast cancer treatment right now called me to see if I would make her family a meal next Friday. She starts chemo again on Tuesday. She has four children and homeschools as well. I hate cancer. I really do! I know nothing comes our way that isn't filtered through the providential hands of the Father, but I still hate cancer. Chantell was telling me today about her friend Tim that was just diagnosed with cancer all over his body and has 6 months to live at best. He has a two year old son and his wife is due in April with a baby girl. I am so thankful...so thankful...that we are healthy.

My house is a wreck. I'm not quite sure how it got this way either!:)

This morning I happened to glance up at the calendar that we use to keep track of Caleb's seizure meds. He gets his meds twice a day and we check it off on the calendar. Once in the morning and once at night. Anyway, I notice that there was no check for this morning. So, I call Olaf at work and ask him if he forgot Caleb's meds today. Well it's all a blur. Caleb gets meds twice a day, everyday, and one day just runs into the next. Olaf said he didn't think he gave Caleb's meds to him. So, I loaded up the children and go to Caleb's school (which is about 20 miles one way) to give him his medicine before he falls down and flops for everyone!:) I haven't had a phone call yet, so being late on the meds must not have hurt him this time. He'll probably wait until tonight to have his seizure. We are supposed to get freezing rain and the ambulance won't be able to come. Cynical Misty...

Tante Babel just called. That is Olaf's aunt in Germany. She speaks English fairly well and told me that she wants to come out to visit us in August. That will be a lot of fun. She smokes like a chimney, so she'll have to endure the heat when she wants to smoke. She also is not a Christian and thinks we're in a cult! LOL! Germany is rather pagan, so being a born again Christian is nonsensical to her. I have never met her so I think it would be a lot of fun. Maybe Olaf's brother and sil could come down for a few days as well. That would be great. They think we're crazy too and they live in Queens!:) If you're reading this Ducky, we love you!

Oh, and I started my period today. My hormones should level out in the next day or two and I can be civil again.

Off to clean. Or at least tidy up. Clean is a hard word!:)

A close up of my little dog eating. If you notice there is another little dog behind him. She didn't want her food on the floor for some reason.

This is Joisah eating his cereal like a dog this morning. You can tell he's my fourth child. Whatever works!:)

So sad!

I was reading my MOMYS list (Mother of Many Young Siblings) and someone posted a link to this. The only station I let my children watch is PBS. I know they have a liberal agenda, but most of their children's programming is pretty good in my opinion. I just like the fact that there are no commercials on PBS. I guess we will just have to limit TV time to videos only.

Tonight is Bible Study. The chapter was called "Worry is like a Rocking Chair." It keeps you busy, but you don't go anywhere.

Dennis Swanberg was funny last night. The audience was very old though. I think I was one of the youngest people there. It made it easy to get out before everyone else:) "Run, Jeannie, run! They can't keep up with us!" Old people crack me up because they just don't care anymore. They stood in the little narrow aisle ways and talked and talked while the rest of us wanted to get out of the auditorium. I finally blew past them and left Jeannie in the dust.

I haven't heard from my friend Chantell about her biopsy. I have left three messages for her, but she hasn't returned my phone call yet. When I hear any news I will update.

Blessings!

Please pray for my friend Chantell today. She is having an aspiration and biopsy done on a suspicious mass in her breast. It was caught during a routine mammogram and is 3 cm. You'd think with it being that large she could feel it, but she says she can't. I am hoping that it has to do with breastfeeding. She didn't fess up to the doctors that she ocassionally nurses her almost three year old child because she was embarrassed. So, I'm praying for it to be milk when they aspirate!:)

Tonight I am going to go see Dennis Swanberg. My wonderful husband allowed me to purchase two tickets and I am going to take Jeannie. My original plan was to take Chantell, but she is a single mom and a pharmacist, and just couldn't juggle the schedule.

I am premenstrual. I really do not like feeling this way. I get very hormonal and just want to be by myself (which is impossible!) I think if I could go live in a cave somewhere, I'd consider it.

Does anyone know why I can't change the background on this webpage? When I preview it, it shows up fine, but then when I republish the blog, it disappears. Anyone? All I know about html is what I have learned through online tutorials. Since this is a premade template from blogger, I am just learning by trial and error!

Oh, what do I make for supper this evening? It's choir day, so that will leave me feeling rushed this afternoon. I didn't take the roast out of the freezer for the crockpot. Oh, I know! Captain Crunch!:) Are you reading this Goose? It's cereal for supper. But you're used to that already.

Enough already. I need to go see if any of you have updated your blogs!:)

Weight Loss

You can check out my weight loss blog here!

It's cold outside! I am not looking forward to riding lessons today. We leave the house around 9:20 ish and her lesson starts at 10:00. I guess the littles and I will sit in the van the entire time. I better dress Cami up warmly though. She is going to freeze.

I went grocery shopping yesterday. I bought so much junk food. I guess because it was on sale and I had coupons for it. I can resist most of it, but poor Olaf has no self control. Do you know that my husband eats a piece of chocolate every morning before he eats anything else? He thinks I'm gross for eating pizza for breakfast, but the first thing in his mouth is chocolate. I am amazed at all the food and cleaning stuff and toiletries that we have in this house! I stockpile when something is really cheap, so we have nine tubes of toothpaste under our bathroom counter. We have just as many bottles of shampoo and conditioner. I have four or five huge containers of laundry detergent. It's so nice to spend less than I used to and get so much more.

I weigh in this evening. I have not stayed within points at all this week. I also did not exercise. I hope I didn't gain. I plan on fasting today. I just want to have the Lord help me with self control. What better way to practice self control than fast? God is faithful and He has really been the center of my weight loss effort. I want my eating habits to glorify Him. I do not want to be gluttoneous. The Lord's Table was a good Bible Study about that. I didn't get all the way through it, but it did give me a new perspective on food. It's a free online study if anyone wants to do it.

I just read a great post by Molly Go check it out!

Blessings!

17 years ago today...

a young boy (19) and a young girl (20) were married at Outpost Wedding Chapel, Hesperia, CA. A few friends from the Air Force were there in their jeans and T-shirts. No family attended. My roommate in the dorm was my maid of honor (where she is today I have no idea) and a friend from the shop I worked in gave me away (ditto on where he is today). Olaf's best man was a friend from base (again, no clue where he is today). It was a sunny day. High of about 70. After we got married (no blood work required) we went back to the dorm room and spent the first week of our marriage living in separate rooms! LOL! We couldn't move into our apartment until February 1st. We never had a honeymoon. I didn't wear a wedding gown. My wedding ring is humble and doesn't even fit me anymore. (I weighed 135 and I am 5'9") But, we were married before the Lord. Even though we were not believers, God had a greater plan. Ten months into our marriage, when both of us wanted nothing more than a divorce, God intervened. He saved both of us and gave us new lives. Now 17 years later, I cannot imagine my life without my husband. Just think...in a few more years I will have been married half of my life. We have grown up together. Now we are growing old together. Nothing is better than spending this lifetime with your best friend and knowing that you'll have eternity together as well.

We're going out...

Tonight Olaf is taking me out for our anniversary. Our anniversary is actually tomorrow, but we are going out for dinner tonight. We'll probably go to the Christian Bookstore and look around. Our friend Melissa is coming over with her 14 year old daughter to watch the children for us.

So far my horrible eating habits this week haven't caught up with me. They will though. I got on the scale this morning and was surprised to see I had not gained. I was afraid to get on it. We'll see what the WW scale says on Monday.

Off to clean. I don't want her coming over to this mess:) More later...

Oh my!

Check this out

Late night!

It's late. I just got home from the Homeschool Tea. My stomach is upset. I drank two cups of decaf with cream, ate a piece of cheesecake and 2 chocolate cookies. Blech. I feel like I'm going to barf. I ended up helping out and not really listening to the speaker. I was in charge of making the coffee. 150 women, ONE 12 cup coffee pot. What was the organizer of this event thinking?!?!?! She said that last year they didn't have a lot of coffee drinkers. Well buddy, this year the entire room wanted coffee. I was brewing pot after pot after pot. We finally caught up with the demands:)

I cleaned the clutter on the kitchen counter today! I decided to have a down day from the computer. It is a time waster for me. I need, absolutely need, to read all of your blogs when I'm on this thing. I can't help myself. It's addicting for me. I can totally relate to a heroin addict. So, I decided (well, God decided) that I needed a computer free day. Today was that day. It took me forever to clear that clutter due to the interruptions from my blessings, but it is done. My husband walked in the kitchen and said, "Oh girlfriend! You've been workin' today!" I also got the sheets washed and supper made. Camille did math, language arts and reading. She started parentheses problems today. Like 8+ (9 X 6) - 7 = I don't remember doing things like this in the third grade? Do you? She will be adding and subtracting fractions in the next few weeks. I KNOW I didn't do THAT in the third grade. Now if I could just get her to write legibly. LOL!

OK I really need to get to bed. It's late and I have make-up to take off.

I received this photo in an e-mail a long time ago. I have no idea who these children are, but isn't this hilarious?

Time to update

Today was choir and I just have to brag a minute on Camille. When she was leaving choir they were handing out suckers to the students as they exited. Camille asked if she could have a sucker for her little brother and sister and the girl told her no. So she politely said, "Then I won't get one either." How sweet is that? I am so proud of her. She was "thinking more highly of others than herself." I love to actually see the fruit of our labor! ;)

I have done absolutely nothing today. Well, it seems that way. I did do laundry and dishes, so I guess that is something. Josiah is really tired. On choir days he misses his nap.

Tomorrow night I am going to a Homeschool Tea where the guest speaker will be Cindy Rushton. Most of the ladies from our Bible Study are going. It should be a nice time out for us homeschooling moms! I hope to be refreshed in the Lord and renewed in my enthusiasm for training my children's hearts. It's from 6:30-9:00 pm. WooHoo! Three whole hours including drive time.

I read my chapter in "Calm My Anxious Heart." It was a good one. One quote from the book really hit home. "Quiet tension is not trust. It is simply compressed anxiety." I can look good on the outside, but be horribly anxious on the inside. No one can see it though. I look more spiritual that way. I highly recommend this book. Even if you don't have an "anxiety" problem. It's really a great Bible Study.

OK, husband is home. I need to go and give him some lovin'!

It's Early

Caleb just got on the bus and I was going to go back to bed. I decided to blog instead. I guess I want to get my "to do" list down somewhere. First of all, Camille needs to get school accomplished. I need to vacuum and clear clutter. I know I'll vacuum today, I doubt I'll clear any clutter. It's overwhelming clutter. The kind only a husband, with no emotional attachment to the clutter, can clear. So Olaf, for our anniversary, I want you to clear the clutter! (He did that for my birthday!) Maybe I can get him to do it on Valentine's Day, St. Patrick's Day, Canada Day:) I'm sure I can find a holiday every month.

It's really cold here. We went from the 70's last week to freezing our tushies off. I'm glad it's finally cold, because hey, it's January. It's supposed to be cold. But the huge change in temperature is what got me.

I downloaded AOL IM. If you want to add me to your buddy list my screen name is lebbaal. Leb is "heart" ba'al is "husband." (in Hebrew) It is translated in Prov 31 "heart of her husband." I didn't come up with that on my own. My best friend helped me.

OK, I need my coffee since I am not going back to bed. I need to pray. I won't have much time before everyone is up and running, but I need to none-the-less. Have a great day in the Lord.

I updated the weight loss blog

OK... go check it out here.

Holiday!

Olaf is home today thanks to Martin Luther King Day. He took all of the children this morning to Camille's riding lesson so I could stay home and pray. It was so nice praying uninterrupted for more than 5 minutes. Cheri has been reading a few books on prayer and posting some great things on her blog. I have been convicted through her reading:) I talk a lot about prayer, read a lot about prayer, know I should pray more, but don't spend nearly enough time actually praying.

We all just got back from the Baby Superstore. We bought a new booster seat for Grace. Josiah is getting Grace's old carseat. This was all prompted by the fact that Josiah cannot sleep in his current carseat very well. It is designed in such a way that his head cannot lay back. It hangs forward when he sleeps and is very uncomfortable. It was less expensive to buy Grace the new booster and give Josiah the old carseat. Grace is really excited about having a new booster seat. She's cute.

I weigh in tonight. Check back this evening to see how I did. I did not exercise once this week. My friend Becky has started a new way of eating started by Dr. McDougall. You can find some information here.

I need to run. Josiah is going crazy behind me. Check back this evening!

Late post

Today we went to Callaway Gardens. You can see all the photos below. We always have such a nice time when we go there. We played aerobie (like frisbee) and of course I threw it on top of a building. Olaf got it down by patiently ~oh so patiently~ tossing our ball up there and moving it inch by inch.

Yesterday was Olaf's first payday with the pay cut. It was a little more than he figured he would be getting, so that was a nice surprise. However, who in their right mind welcomes a 20% pay cut? However, we are grateful that he still has a job. I am going to remember the 5 holy habits of contentment and practice number one: Never allow yourself to complain about anything, not even the weather.

It's late and I am hungry. I will not eat, I will not eat! Olaf is watching "The Pianist" behind me. He loves WWII movies. He also likes chick flicks, so that is great for me!:) He liked Sense and Sensibilityand Life is Beautiful.

Anyone know where I can find horse blinkies for Cami? If you come across any let me know. I have looked at all the sites that I know and did a google search too. And be sure to click so she can watch the counter go up. Thank you to those of you who leave her comments. She gets so tickled.

I haven't exercised all week. I am not sure if I have lost any weight or not. I need to poop or get off the pot, wouldn't you say? Sheesh.

It's late and I must do some chores before I can go to bed. Buenas Noches.

This is my little Gracie girl.

Just a WAY too funny picture of my little man!

Camille took this picture, so we are slanting! This is my best friend, my Gracie and me. We are in the Sibley Center at Callaway.

My husband spied this little guy in the Sibley Center. I would have never seen it.

This was in the Sibley Center. I am amazed at all the plants and flowers they grow. It's different every week.

Papa was making them laugh! Still the Whiperwhill Trail at Callaway.

Walking the Whiperwhill Trail at Callaway Gardens.

Did you figure it out?

Since only two people commented, I am assuming the other 8 people don't read my blog. I guess I'm just a voyeur:0P

I went to Bible Study last night. It was fine although the chapter was about writing your life's purpose. What a thought? Of course, as a Christian, all of our lives should be lived for Him and Him alone. Isn't that every Christian's sole purpose? To know Him more intimately and express His love to others. He gives us different platforms for His purposes though. I'm just not quite sure what to write. I am looking forward to the next two chapters through. They are about worrying. I am the world's best worrier. I've got you all beat, hands down! I'd put money on it, but I'd worry about how to pay just in case I lost. I know that worry is a flat out sin, so please pray for me in that area. It can cause anxiety and a lot of BAD things. As my walk with Christ strengthens, the worry tends to fade. Then there are those valleys I find myself in and once again I am swallowed up with worry. The ebb and flow of my Christian walk. I really long for the day when it doesn't ebb anymore.

To completely change the subject, I have baby fever! It is ALL Charity's fault. Baby Grace is such a blessing! Oh I just love her. I originally wanted to name Camille, Selah. Now I see from another blog that there really is a Selah somewhere! If I have another girl her name will be Selah or Providence. Don't make fun of the Providence name. I know an old woman who is 98 years old named Providence. She is a Godly woman and writes the most beautiful poetry. Camille was almost Providence too! What a great name... Selah Providence...meaning stop and think about God's care, guardianship, and control. How awesome is that? Yes, I know Doug Phillips from Vision Forum named his latest child Providence. He stole it from me. BTW, Doug will be speaking at our GA Homeschool conference in May. Anyone want to come?

OK, school to do with Camille. She's had it easy this week!

Guess Who?

Cheri did this and I thought it was neat...so following her lead I'm copying. (literally, right Cheri?) I'll describe some blogs I read without actually naming the person. Can you find yourself? Hmmm...

1. You have helped me with my own blog!:) I enjoy reading about your life and your children. We have shared some of the same experiences, are very close in age, and I admire your generosity and talent. You are the reason I know about wah.

2. You are a precious sister in the Lord. Beautiful both physically and spiritually. We share a lot of the same beliefs and convictions although I am way older than you! LOL! And if you don't know who you are already, this will give it away...babies should be born at home!:)

3. You are a new read for me. I am encouraged in my struggle with my weight when I read your blog. I have some of your blinkies on my Weight Loss Blog. Well that totally tells you who you are!:) Thanks for letting me in on your life!

4. When I go to your blog and you haven't posted anything new, I am disappointed. I look forward to your sense of humor and really laughing out loud. You are a gifted writer and can convey your thoughts and feelings in a way I envy. I just tell myself I'm probably better at math than you! I would love to meet you in person!

5. Ah, as I think of this person, I think of your precious heart. It comes through in everything you write. You are much younger than I am, but an encouragement all the same. When I read your blog, I feel your struggles and joys with you. You are the reason I even know what a blog is! You invited me into this world and I am thankful.

6. You and I have a lot in common. Yours is another blog that I am disappointed if it's not updated daily!:) I look forward to hearing what you have to say. You are a kindered spirit that I would love to get to know more deeply. Your blog is fun to read and at the same time, you share information that is convicting and inspiring. I wish we were next door neighbors.

7. Eloquent, gifted, talented, crafty, pretty, spiritual, encouraging, convicting, simple. I LOVE YOUR BLOG! Thank you for sharing your talent and your life with me.

8. You haven't updated your blog forever, but I understand! I really enjoy reading about your family and your new blessing growing within you. I hope you write soon.

9. You are the newest blog I have been reading, but I so love the way you communicate about your life. Your children, your husband, your everyday. When I read your blog, I feel like your talking to me on the phone. I love that! Since I don't think you read my blog, you'll never know this is here!:)

10. You are thoughtful, I know that full well. You are a wonderful MOMY and you need to update your blog more than once a month!:) No Penny, this is NOT you!

That's it. I don't read 20 blogs like the rest of you. I can barely keep up with the 10 I do read!:) I guess it won't be so hard to figure out who's who, eh?

Hump Day

Olaf goes back to work tomorrow. I'm bummed. He's my best friend and I will miss him.

I fasted today until dinner time. I still managed to eat 20 points at dinner, so I ate a full day's worth! I didn't fast for WW though, I was fasting for other reasons. I have a book by John Piper that I started reading about fasting. It was really good. I tried to find it today, but I cannot locate it in any of my piles of junk. I don't like to have piles, but they seem inevitable in my house. Any surface area that is flat is fare game. I tried Flylady, but my flyswatter killed her. I am doing Motivated Moms, but haven't gotten to the "clear all 2,000 piles of clutter from your kitchen counters."

Thank you to those of you who responded to my plea to visit Cami's Blog. She was so excited to see her counter at 4! Then she had a COMMENT from Dana. Oh, Dana, you made her day! Thank you for being so kind. Any clicks are appreciated. She has no idea I'm begging here;)

I need to run some errands tomorrow. Off to the PO to mail a book (yes, Cheri, there really is a book fairy), then to the pharmacy for Caleb's seizure medicine, then to Office Max to buy some 9X12 envelopes for the fundraiser I am in charge of for Cami's choir. Then we will hit Parable Christian Bookstore because Camille got a $10 gift certificate there and it is burning a hole in her pocket. I don't know what she'll buy for $10, but it will be fun watching her try.

I wore full fledged make-up today. Foundation, blush, eyeliner and mascara. I kind of feel like a transvestite though. It just doesn't feel natural anymore. I used to wear make-up regularly, but I feel kind of self-conscience with it on now. I need to wear my contacts more often. My glasses kind of hide my eyes anyway, so why put on make-up?

It's the kid's bedtime and chaotic here so I need to run. Lots to do... Blessings!

My daughter's blog

I am in the process of creating a blog for my eight year old daughter and she is so exicted about it! She really wants to see her counter go up, so can you please click here? Thanks!

That ebay site was pulled.

In case you didn't get to that link in time, a woman was trying to sell her FAT! She is 70 pounds overweight and was offering her services as a customer to anyone who wanted to put her on a diet or provide her with supplements. The bid was at $55 when I looked and already had 16 bids with five days left. I thought it was funny. I guess Ebay did not!:)

Olaf got the plumbing all done and it works. Now he is going to dig those trenches deeper! He decided after it was all said and done today that he needed to dig the trenches deeper and do something else with our gutter runoff. I just shake my head and say whatever. He is going to take a third day of vacation tomorrow to finish his new plan. In the meantime, I AM DOING LAUNDRY! I am excited.

We are having stuffed peppers tonight. That is one of my favorite meals. The children don't like it, so we only have them once or twice a year. My mouth is watering thinking about it. I think I'll put some tabasco on it. YUM!

My friend Jeannie came over unexpectedly today. It was nice visiting with her. Grace likes to play with Audrey. I really have a hard time exposing my children to other kid's behavior though. Her children are just really loud and she allows them to argue with each other etc. Our views on child rearing are not the same. Her son is 5 and her daughter is almost 4. My view on child rearing is not the same as most people though. I am very conservative; that is why I homeschool. I want to train my children's hearts, not just their behavior. The Maxwell's have a great book about that called Keeping Our Children's Hearts. Then of course there is the book Shepherding A Child's Heart by Tedd Tripp. I want to train my girls to be keepers at home and loving mothers. Now that is certainly crazy to the world (and to Christians) now a days. My son I want to prepare to be the sole financial provider for his family and to fufill the God given role as the head of his home. The Maxwell's happen to have another great book on that subject called Preparing Sons to Provide for a Single Income Family. I do believe in sheltering my children. I believe not only is it a good thing, it's what I am required to do as a parent. Corrie ten Boom in "The Hiding Place" relays a story of how her father kept information from her because he thought is was too "heavy for her to carry." Much like a large suitcase is too heavy for a small child to carry, that is how I look at sheltering my children. The world offers things that are much too heavy for my children to bare. When they are strong enough, they will encounter it. Their strength is determined by their spiritual walk with the Lord.

Well, I have certainly let loose, eh?

Why didn't I think of this?

Such a great idea!

NOT!

Painting pictures of Egypt

I don’t want to leave here
I don’t want to stay
It feels like pinching to me
Either way
And the places I long for the most
Are the places where I’ve been
They are calling out to me
Like a long lost friend

It’s not about losing faith
It’s not about trust
It’s all about comfortable
When you move so much
And the place I was wasn’t perfect
But I had found a way to live
And it wasn’t milk or honey
But then neither is this

I’ve been painting pictures of Egypt
Leaving out what it lacks
And the future feels so hard
And I want to go back
But the places they used to fit me
Cannot hold the things I’ve learned
Those roads were closed off to me
While my back was turned

The past is so tangible
I know it by heart
Familiar things are never easy
To discard
I was dying for some freedom
But now I hesitate to go
I am caught between the Promise
And the things I know

If it comes too quick
I may not appreciate it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?
And if it comes too quick
I may not recognize it
Is that the reason behind all this time and sand?

Sara Groves
~~~~~~~~~
What can I say? I'm on a Sara Groves kick!:)

I weighed in this evening and was surprised.

Olaf needs to take another day off to finish the plumbing. He should be able to get it done tomorrow. In the meantime, I have about 6 loads of laundry that have piled up. I took Camille to riding lessons today. Amanda said she did real well trotting. I can't watch her because I am too busy chasing the other two!:) Tante Barbel's package of Christmas Chocolates came today. Olaf is in hog heaven. He loves Niederegger Marzipan and she sent a lot of it! She also sent Kinder Country chocolate bars, Ritter Sport, and Asbah Uralt brandy chocolates. YUM! He really should make another trip to Germany to see his family. Last time he went was about four years ago. He tells me every Christmas that he wants to fly over to buy chocolate and then come right back home. He is trying to convince me that 24 hours without him is worth German chocolate. I don't think so...

Josiah has been exceptionally trying the past few days. I'm sure the others did it as well when they were two, but I just don't remember it. He has started this new behavior where instead of talking he will kind of whine and mumble under his whine instead of just saying it correctly. It drives me nuts. I don't do "whine" well.

I didn't clean nuthin' today except the dishes. And here I sit in front of the computer. I would really love to finish "Stepping Heavenward" too. Maybe I can read a chapter this evening.

Leave a comment or a tag. I really do like to know you've been here. I'll catch you all tomorrow.

The trenches have been dug.

Olaf worked all day digging the trenches to lay the pipes for the lines he is running. He is taking tomorrow off and hopefully can finish the job. We are hoping that re-routing the bathtubs and washing machine will help alleviate the stress on the septic system. It will help put off the inevitable of replacing the field lines. We just don't have the money to do it right now. I just pray he does it correctly and we don't have a big mess in the basement from leaky plumbing!

I did a lot of cleaning today thanks to Penny's blog. Click on her homemaking link. I also am motivated by Motivated Moms. I mopped my kitchen and dining area. I also cleaned the master bathroom. I played Sara Groves as I cleaned the bathroom. She writes incredible songs imo. Then I vacuumed the living area and called it a day!:) I made Hamburger Helper for dinner. I never do that but it was a new one and was half price at the grocery store. We ate it in tortillas and it was pretty darn good. I can't remember what it's called though. Something like Double Cheese Quesedilla.

I walked/jogged on the treadmill this evening. I listened to my Easy RockCD as jogged along. It is easy rock from the 70's and early 80's. Songs that make me smile for some reason. Songs like What a Fool Believes, Biggest Part of Me, Just the Two of Us, Lost in Love...Who doesn't like Air Supply??

Riding lessons tomorrow for Camille. I weigh in tomorrow night. Oh please, oh please...just a pound!

70's

If you're old enough to remember the 70's, you'll love
this site. Have fun!

Grocery Shopping

I went grocery shopping today. Kroger was having their 10 for $10 sale, so I picked up a lot of great deals. I saved 45% at Kroger and about the same at Publix. Gotta love those coupons and sales. The best deals were Betty Crocker Instant Potatoes FREE, Ken's Salad Dressing 16 oz bottle .50, Hormel Pepperoni .25, Butterball Turkey Franks $1. I need to go to Publix tomorrow to get the Sunday paper and the mystery coupon. They always have something for a penny, but it is only good on Sunday and Monday with a $10 purchase.

The septic system is backing up again. We can only do one load of laundry a day and only one person can shower a day until we get the thing pumped or the field lines replaced. Olaf went out there this evening and dug up the cap to the tank and unclogged the opening. What a man! I couldn't do that if you paid me. BLECH! I'd barf for sure.

It's still warm here. It's just not normal. It's supposed to get real cold next week though. In two days time we will go from 76 degrees to a high of 40. What is wrong with this weather? One day we are literally running our a/c, the next day our heat. Praise God for a/c and heat though. We are truly blessed.

I walked/jogged on the treadmill today for 30 minutes. I listened to the Mercy Me CD the entire time. It was nice doing it first thing in the morning. I usually exercise in the evening. I hope I lost a pound this week. I fell off the wagon a couple of times, but I still would like to see a pound gone.

Time for me to rock Josiah. He is saying, "chair Mama!"

I added some links in the sidebar. I will add more as time goes by. Just wanted to let those of you know who never scroll through my whole website!

Fell Off the Wagon

OK, so I baked a Pumpkin Struessel Bundt Cake for Bible Study last night and ate two big slices. Tammy brought her famous chocolate chip cookies so I had to have one of those as well. Oh bother! It was very nice to get back together again. There were eight of us last night because Charity and her baby came as well as Esther. It was just fun to be fellowshipping again. Baby Grace is SO, well, newborn! I could just eat her up. She smells good and when Charity nursed her it was heaven to my ears to hear that gulp, gulp, gulp. Aw, I just love newborns. I pray the Lord blesses us again. I don't know where we'll put another child because Josiah is still in our room. We don't want to put him in with Caleb because of all of his needs. I mean, Caleb is up at 5:30 am every morning and I don't want the baby to wake up then. Caleb has sensory issues and vomits very easily etc at night. Not to mention his seizures. Oh well. If the Lord gives us another baby, then I am quite certain we will figure it out.

I just got Caleb on the bus and for the past week I have been going back to bed until Josiah wakes up. I decided to blog this morning. However, I have nothing to blog about:) The weekend is here and Olaf will be working on our septic system all weekend. Yes, it has backed up again. Our field lines are clogged. We need to hire a backhoe and have them dig up our entire front yard...literally. I am not looking forward to that. We don't have the money to do it, nor do we have the money to make the yard look nice again! Oh well, God will work it out. Our front yard may look like a mudwash for a few years.

Bible Study

I go back to Bible Study tomorrow. We have been off since mid December, so it will be nice to see everyone again. We are still doing "Calm My Anxious Heart." We are now on chapter six. Chapter six is entitled "Never Enough" and it's about having contentment with "things." I feel like I am very content in my material possessions. I rarely get the greed bug or feel like I need more. Of course there are things I'd like to have or see accomplished, but it doesn't bother me if I never get them. Our memory verses are: I rejoice in following your statutes as one rejoices in great riches. Psalm 119:14 and Hebrews 13:5 which says, Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have. For He Himself has said, "I will never leave you nor forsake you."

Camille went to choir today and I spent the hour talking about fundraising with Rhonda. We will probably do the Little Ceasars Pizza Kits and Cookie Dough again. I will be in charge of it this year from start to finish. The biggest pain about that is everything needs to be frozen, therefore you need to deliver the goods to the customer as soon as you pick it up. I don't have extra freezer space so I have to pray the people are home when we deliver. It can be a real mess. A man came in today to try and convince us to sell his cookie dough. His dough comes in buckets as well but does not need to be refrigerated. Ever! You can open it, make three cookies and put it back in the cupboard. He said it's the way it is processed. We tried the cookies and they weren't that good in all honesty. But it would be easier from a logistical stand point. We'll see what Karen decides.

Rambling

I took the children out today to Target. We needed cat food and a present for Emma Pitts 8th birthday. We looked all around that store for a suitable gift and I couldn't find anything. So, I bought her a gift card!:) I found some fun stuff in the $1 section. Did you know Target has a $1 section now? Right when you first walk in the store. It's fun. I bought some little pink ceramic heart dishes to put candy in for the ladies at my Bible Study for Valentine's Day. We ate at Chik-Fil-A for lunch, swapped out our movies at Blockbuster, and came home. The weather is gorgeous, so we stayed outside and played for an hour or so. Then I put little guy down for a nap because he was being grouchy. Here I sit... Camille is watching her movie, Grace is playing with Play-Doh, and I am blogging.

In case you didn't check out my weight loss blog, I am down 19.6 pounds. Only 4 tenths away from 20. I want to jog today because the weather is so wonderful. It reminds me of the day I got married. January 23, 1988 in Southern California. It was about 70 degrees and sunny. Winter days like today remind me of my wedding day. We eloped mind you, but it was a beautiful day none-the-less. I was 20 years old, he was 19. We were in the Air Force and decided that we would make more money if we got married. So, the next weekend, we did! People in our shop took bets on how long we would stay married. The most time anyone gave us was 2 years. The least was 6 months. Oh where are they now? Sadly, most of them are divorced.

Camille goes back to choir tomorrow. She is excited about that. We start riding lessons again next Monday. We'll see how all of this pans out with Olaf's pay cut. He has everything budgeted, but you know how that goes.

Gracie is calling me to play Pay-Doh with her. She is making pizza for me to eat.

Go to my weight loss blog for an update!

Waiting, waiting

I am waiting for weigh in! I don't want to eat too much which just sounds silly. I really want to see a loss this week and I'll starve myself today to see it! LOL! I'll post when I get home.

It was a busy day. Caleb went back to school, Camille had a full day of school today, and I tried to clean this and that. I feel much better about life because I started my period on January 2nd. Praise God! Sometimes I get so hormonal that I don't even want to be around me. I feel so much better after it starts and my hormones go back to an even keel. Just to do it again in three weeks! Ah, the joy!

We went to Callaway Gardens yesterday. It was a gorgeous day. The high was around 70 degrees and beautifully sunny. We went walking on some trails. The children always have a good time. Papa tells them to keep an eye out for arrowheads and makes up great stories about holes in trees, and paths where Indians used to run.

I have a meatloaf in the oven. I won't eat it until I get home from WW though.
Not that I love meatloaf anyway:) It's just an easy, edible dinner.

I'll write later.

Blessings to everyone on this day, January 1, 2005. I can't believe how blessed I am. My kiddos are playing behind me, my husband is at Blockbuster and the Lord has more than provided for us in every way possible.

Last night Olaf and I watched the movie Luther. It is a movie about Martin Luther's life. It was really good if you like period pieces. I'm not sure how accurate it is because I don't know enough about the reformation to tell you. I think Olaf is going to get some action movie for tonight. We did the trial of the Movie Pass at Blockbuster. It ends on the 10th of January, so we need to rent as many movies as possible before that:) It was $14.99 for the first month, but it's normally $24.99. There is no way we rent $25 worth of movies every month so we are going to cancel it. I may try the online version though. It's only $15 per month as well.

Olaf picked up that treadmill that my friend gave me. It's really nice. I was going to use it today, but the weather here was SO beautiful I went outside instead. It was sunny and 70 degrees. The children played outside for a few hours. Molly came over for awhile and they had a good time together.

I am trying to start a newsletter for our street/subdivision. I made a letter up, put them in everyone's mailboxes, and asked for their input. I'd like to have a directory for our street as well. I know a few of my neighbors, but there are 50 houses on my street and I may know 8 or 9 families. In the newsletter I was thinking of spotlighting a family or two, have a "for sale" section, letting people write articles that interest them etc. I have gotten three families to respond so far and it's been a few days since I handed them out. We'll see...

I'm getting a head cold. My eyes are watering and I am sneezing like crazy. Josiah keeps telling me "Bless You Mama!" So sweet!