In all your ways acknowledge Him...

The Best Things

2011-11-30T22:00:00.001-06:00

The best things in life are nearest:

Breath in your nostrils,

light in your eyes,

flowers at your feet,

duties at your hand,

the path of right just before you.

Then do not grasp at the stars,

but do life's plain, common work

as it comes,

certain that daily duties and daily bread are the sweetest things in life.

~Robert Louis Stevenson

The Artist Writes

2010-08-18T16:31:00.002-05:00

This month we are celebrating my Mom's first book!

After teaching Art for many years at the local High School, my mom retired to travel and write. Her stories have been published in Christian Woman Magazine and Guidepost Books. Set in rural Arkansas in the 1880's, No Tattletales is especially significant to our family because it is based on the life of my great grandmother, Mary Jane James, and on stories passed down through our family for generations.

Some of the privileged few who have managed to acquire an early copy of this coveted historical novel. You can get your copy of No Tattletales from Barnes & Noble, Amazon.com or AuthorHouse.com.

Swimming Safety

2010-07-15T22:53:00.002-05:00

At 18 months I enrolled my first born in swimming lessons, when number two came along she was jumping into the shallow end of a pool by the time she could walk. Number three, my fearless dare devil, would catapult himself off of the diving board into the deep end and he was still wearing swimming diapers. When the kids were little I worried about their safety around water. Because of that fear, I made sure they could swim before they were even potty trained. It gave me some peace of mind, yet they never swam unless they were supervised by an adult. Years have passed since my first toddler-in-the-water-anxiety attacks. Water sports have turned out to be a way of life for the younger two, who both swim competitively and are doing quite well. I came across this article and decided to re post it here. We have swim meets for the next three weekends, prayers for each to do their best would be appreciated!

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning
by Mario Vittone on May 18, 2010

The new captain jumped from the cockpit, fully dressed, and sprinted through the water. A former lifeguard, he kept his eyes on his victim as he headed straight for the owners who were swimming between their anchored sportfisher and the beach. “I think he thinks you’re drowning,” the husband said to his wife. They had been splashing each other and she had screamed but now they were just standing, neck-deep on the sand bar. “We’re fine, what is he doing?” she asked, a little annoyed. “We’re fine!” the husband yelled, waving him off, but his captain kept swimming hard. ”Move!” he barked as he sprinted between the stunned owners. Directly behind them, not ten feet away, their nine-year-old daughter was drowning. Safely above the surface in the arms of the captain, she burst into tears, “Daddy!”
How did this captain know – from fifty feet away – what the father couldn’t recognize from just ten? Drowning is not the violent, splashing, call for help that most people expect. The captain was trained to recognize drowning by experts and years of experience. The father, on the other hand, had learned what drowning looks like by watching television. If you spend time on or near the water (hint: that’s all of us) then you should make sure that you and your crew knows what to look for whenever people enter the water. Until she cried a tearful, “Daddy,” she hadn’t made a sound. As a former Coast Guard rescue swimmer, I wasn’t surprised at all by this story. Drowning is almost always a deceptively quiet event. The waving, splashing, and yelling that dramatic conditioning (television) prepares us to look for, is rarely seen in real life.

The Instinctive Drowning Response – so named by Francesco A. Pia, Ph.D., is what people do to avoid actual or perceived suffocation in the water. And it does not look like most people expect. There is very little splashing, no waving, and no yelling or calls for help of any kind. To get an idea of just how quiet and undramatic from the surface drowning can be, consider this: It is the number two cause of accidental death in children, age 15 and under (just behind vehicle accidents) – of the approximately 750 children who will drown next year, about 375 of them will do so within 25 yards of a parent or other adult. In ten percent of those drownings, the adult will actually watch them do it, having no idea it is happening (source: CDC). Drowning does not look like drowning – Dr. Pia, in an article in the Coast Guard’s On Scene Magazine, described the instinctive drowning response like this:

Except in rare circumstances, drowning people are physiologically unable to call out for help. The respiratory system was designed for breathing. Speech is the secondary or overlaid function. Breathing must be fulfilled, before speech occurs.

Drowning people’s mouths alternately sink below and reappear above the surface of the water. The mouths of drowning people are not above the surface of the water long enough for them to exhale, inhale, and call out for help. When the drowning people’s mouths are above the surface, they exhale and inhale quickly as their mouths start to sink below the surface of the water.

Drowning people cannot wave for help. Nature instinctively forces them to extend their arms laterally and press down on the water’s surface. Pressing down on the surface of the water, permits drowning people to leverage their bodies so they can lift their mouths out of the water to breathe.

Throughout the Instinctive Drowning Response, drowning people cannot voluntarily control their arm movements. Physiologically, drowning people who are struggling on the surface of the water cannot stop drowning and perform voluntary movements such as waving for help, moving toward a rescuer, or reaching out for a piece of rescue equipment.

From beginning to end of the Instinctive Drowning Response people’s bodies remain upright in the water, with no evidence of a supporting kick. Unless rescued by a trained lifeguard, these drowning people can only struggle on the surface of the water from 20 to 60 seconds before submersion occurs.

(Source: On Scene Magazine: Fall 2006 (page 14))
This doesn’t mean that a person that is yelling for help and thrashing isn’t in real trouble – they are experiencing aquatic distress. Not always present before the instinctive drowning response, aquatic distress doesn’t last long – but unlike true drowning, these victims can still assist in their own rescue. They can grab lifelines, throw rings, etc.

Look for these other signs of drowning when persons are in the water:
Head low in the water, mouth at water level

Head tilted back with mouth open

Eyes glassy and empty, unable to focus

Eyes closed

Hair over forehead or eyes

Not using legs – Vertical

Hyperventilating or gasping

Trying to swim in a particular direction but not making headway

Trying to roll over on the back

Ladder climb, rarely out of the water.

So if a crew member falls overboard and everything looks OK – don’t be too sure. Sometimes the most common indication that someone is drowning is that they don’t look like they’re drowning. They may just look like they are treading water and looking up at the deck. One way to be sure? Ask them, “Are you alright?” If they can answer at all – they probably are. If they return a blank stare, you may have less than 30 seconds to get to them. And parents – children playing in the water make noise. When they get quiet, you get to them and find out why.

Is It Summer Yet?

2010-06-14T22:52:00.003-05:00

Each year the end of school activities usher in the beginning of summer fun. We have competed in Special Olympics, Field Day, Clarinet Recitals, Violin and Band concerts, multiple awards ceremonies and year end dances. Summer is officially here and Jack is expecting rain!

When did it become cool to be a nerd?

2010-05-06T11:23:00.003-05:00

My daughter and her friends went to one of those new fangled 3D movies. Instead of tossing the 3D glasses in the recycle bin on the way out of the theater, they poked the lenses out and put the frames on, laughing all the way out to the car as they pretended to be hard core nerds. What's even more curious is, they hung on to these black plastic spectacles and pulled them out of the dark recesses of their junk drawers in order to relive the nerd experience at a restaurant, months later.

Donning the nerd glasses has been so much fun that my daughter has even embellished her pair with lime green duct tape.

As a teenager, I do not remember being so self assured that I would go out in public to purposefully draw undue attention to myself wearing goofy anythings. I'm glad my daughter and her friends are confident enough to have fun and do goofy things at this age, instead of worrying about what people think of them. They must be truly "cool", in a nerd way...but what do I know, I'm old and I'm a real nerd.

The State of the Union

2010-02-02T13:50:00.004-06:00

As I look back on 2009 I am greatful for all we have. Our oldest started High School this year and the transition was not difficult at all. I am glad that he does not really drive a car, that would be scary, but it is fun to see him sit behind the wheel of this 4-wheeler! The smart, pretty one was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society and we are proud of her. She made the volleyball and basketball team at her school again this year and is continuing to swim on the swim team. In addition she plays in the school band and has kept the 1st chair clarinet spot so far (knock on wood). She does not realize how smart and talented she is and she makes it all look so easy. Our youngest, the talker of the family, finished his second year on the football team and was proud to wear the green stripe (only the biggest boys get the green stripe). His position is offensive left tackle. He plays the violin in the Orchestra at his school, but has informed us that he does not want to do that again next year. I accentuate the word "that" because when he says it, he says it with disgust as if he is spitting out some bad tasting medicine. He also swims on the swim team and plays on a basketball team. All in all, it has been a good year. We are thankful for our family, our friends, our home, our health and the fact we have a job!

What's been going on here!

2010-02-01T22:11:00.002-06:00

If it weren't for ~~nagging~~ prodding relatives, you know who you are, then this blog would not be updated today. I am shamed into rejoining the world of blogging, since my long hiatus from this time consuming endeavor. Blogging wouldn't be so bad if I didn't take so long to do it. What inevitably happens is, I do my update and then check on all my blogging friends. That's what takes so long. Before you know it, the day has flown by, the laundry and dishes have piled up and then hubs comes home from work, looks around and says..."So, what have you been doing all day?" "Paperwork", I say and smile.

The kids are growing and busy. We spent this past weekend at a Cub Scout Pinewood Derby, All City Band rehersals(and a lunch break with friends) followed by a swim meet. The pace never slows down and we all enjoy it like that. Nite all!

Yawn and Stretch

2009-01-18T22:21:00.004-06:00

After a bit of a blogging rest, I am crawling out of the cave where I've been hybernating. We have been passing around a cold germ since Christmas and I am still under the weather. Hopefully, I will be the last casualty of this bug. For more exciting family fun go visit my other blog, Including Jack.

Where Dreams come True

2008-07-12T11:21:00.008-05:00

After a long sabbatical, it's good to be back online and back home. As you can see we've had a summer vacation, and I might add, it was magnificent. We wound our way through the south, stopping at one of the nicest beaches I've ever been too (Destin, Fl), on our way to none other than the very place where "Dreams come true"...DISNEY WORLD. The destination of all summer vacation destinations.

I was surprised at how easy the drive went, compared to road trips with my family when I was a kid. Back in the olden days we didn't have CD players, Nintendo DS, and cell phones to keep us entertained and connected with our friends while we were away. My daughter was content in the backseat snuggled up with her pillow and cell phone, happily texting away with her friends about nothing in particular. The boys entertained themselves with movies and games and hubs and I spent our time going back and forth over which road to take...darn GPS things...it created more controversy than an old fashioned map, but that's another story. What short cut to take and where the best restaurant was located all faded away, once we reached the Magic Kingdom.

Disney World

Testing 123

2008-04-19T20:39:00.006-05:00

Hello Bloggy Friends.

I am sorry to say I am still having technical difficulties. I hope to be back online soon.

Until then please talk amongst yourselves.

More Exciting than Cake?

2008-04-16T22:26:00.006-05:00

What could be more exciting that chocolate birthday cake? Getting reconnected! I've been without an Internet connection since the big storm. Maybe it was a coincidence, but my Internet connection has not worked since that night. Thanks to hard work from Hubs, I'm back on line. Hurray. Many exciting events have occurred since I last blogged. I've been to swim meets, birthday parties, Volleyball victories and witnessed tween age mini dramas play out right before my eyes. It's good to be back.

The Beverly Hillbillies

2008-03-30T15:37:00.007-05:00

Much to the delight of the community, our little town is sitting upon a 20 year reserve of natural gas. It has never been drilled before, because the price of natural gas has not been high enough to warrant getting to this reserve. This reserve has been hard to get to because of the shale that has to be cracked to get down to the gas, plus they have to do horizontal drilling which is a fairly new/costly technology.

Every weekend I see gas folks walking the neighborhood, trying to get people to lease their mineral rights and give them access to the gas under their property. At the same time homeowner associations are banding together to try to negotiate better lease agreements between neighborhoods and the big gas companies that have come to town to court homeowners. There is strength in numbers. The media has begun to talk about these activities, and one comment this morning was"our part of the country will not see a recession because the gas reserve is our own little stimulus package".

The people who own the land where a drill site is located and people with large pieces of property, will fair pretty well. I just don't know how much income this will actually generate for a homeowner. Nevertheless, if it were a little warmer, I'd invite the neighbors over to have a BBQ to celebrate our good fortune and we'd all take a dip in the cement pond.

"Jumping Up and Down Screaming" Wonderful

2008-03-01T19:39:00.019-06:00

I don't know about you, but I can fill up an SD card with pictures in no time at all. Digital photos are better than sliced bread in my opinion. The reason I think it's so great is because I admire the technology and ingenuity behind uploading pictures and hurling them across time and space in the blink of an eye, to grandparents and friends near and far. The ease and speed with which that is done is very appealing. As I transferred my pictures from my camera to the computer today, I marveled at the speed with which all of our family activities were cataloged and preserved for who knows how long (hopefully longer that the time we own this computer, thankful for backups). I did pause to reflect on the nagging feeling that time was passing quickly. No other time do I feel that reminder, that time marches by, more strongly than when I look at pictures. If I took all of my digital pictures and scrolled through them from front to back, I could probably view all of them in an hour or two, and in that hour, I could watch the kids grow up before my eyes. A scary thought, but it only reminds me to make the most out of the day that God has given me.

This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:24

On that note, I would like to share with you the gladness we have enjoyed this past week...

My daughters joy of a personal best in the 200 IM at the swim meet, and my son's joy that the swim meet was over.

The joy of being silly at school in a lip sync contest.

The joy of a family wedding...

and realizing that you won't die if you have to dress up in a suit and tie.

The joy of knowing that chocolate cake awaits you, and that there will be plenty of leftovers, because what you see here is only the grooms cake!

The joy of getting "hard to get" tickets to the most exciting concert of your life and getting "jumping up and down screaming" crazy with your cousin (thank goodness for earplugs).

May God bless you and your family with a "jumping up and down screaming" wonderful week like he has given us.

I Said It's Too Dangerous

2008-02-12T13:49:00.000-06:00

What is it about kids, when you tell them something is dangerous, it makes them want to do it that much more? Our trampoline is in disrepair. The safety net that enclosed the trampoline got torn in several places (because our wild kids and their friends would throw themselves at the safety net and bounce off again), so we took it off. The bumper pads that cover the springs, have come to pieces in spots and it needs to be replaced. I mentioned this to my husband, the fact that we needed to get a new safety net and bumper pads, because the kids hadn't jumped on the trampoline in months. Well wouldn't you know, they all heard me complain about how dangerous it was to have this thing on the hard concrete in our back yard, so they just had to all pile on it, husband included.

One of their favorite trampoline games is "crack the egg", and the 2nd favorite one is "flip the bacon". I won't tell you the rules, but you can imagine how safe those games are in this trampoline. When the yard apes finish off this trampoline, I guess we'll get another one. Until then, I'll just keep the video camera close by and maybe you'll see us on " America's Funniest Home Video's".

Whose Race Is This Anyway

2008-02-09T09:08:00.000-06:00

The Pinewood Derby is an annual event that kicks up a lot of excitement in our Cub Scout community. This year was my son's third year to race and he captured 3rd place in his age level. I thought his car was great and he had fun building it. He was not entirely happy with his placement, you might notice the attitude in the post race picture and the crossed arms as he's receiving his award. Last year he got 1st place in his age group and was on top of the world, but that's how it is when your the car to beat! Competition gets more intense every year.

This year we had his den over to our house to cut out and sand the body of thier pinewood derby cars. One of my son's friends (actually his mother) made a point to get my husband to cut out a car identical to my son's winning car from last year. That car captured first place in the race, and my son noticed. He was a good sport about it, but he learned not to share his racing secrets with anyone (yes, there are racing secrets and it's very confidential I might add!) The Cub Scouts have to check in their cars the day before the race. At check in everyone has the opportunity to get a look at the competition, and I have learned enough about pinewood derbys that I can spot the potential winning cars. I can spot the winning families by how much graphite they have under their fingernails (including me, my husband, and my son in that order I might add, and that leads me to make the statement "Whose Race is this?"). The top cars are usually within a few tenths of a second difference in times, so you can imagine how competetive it can become.

The races are run very well with a computer software measuring the finishes. It's quite a thrill to see the times flashed up on the video screen that's set up for the fans. Racing music plays in the background while parents and kids all fill up on pizza and coke. Oh, the thrill of victory.

When I was color blind

2008-02-05T12:55:00.000-06:00

I've waited a month to post this post, because I was not sure I knew how to properly write about this subject, yet I feel drawn to talk about it considering the geographical closeness of this incident to my neighborhood.

Until recently, I had never spent much time contemplating race relations in our country or in our town. I grew up in a predominately white community and I don't remember any children of color attending my school until I reached Junior High. The most unhomogeneous aspect of the community was the answer to this question: "are you Catholic or Protestant?". Unbeknownst to me, in the late 60'2 and early 70's, a whole flurry of activity was swirling around in the world outside of my bubble...from the hippies and Woodstock, to the Civil Rights Movement, the Women's Movement and Watergate.

When I was in third grade we studied slavery in the south and I was horrified when I found out that white people had black people as slaves. It was news to me. I can remember being ashamed to be white, and thinking what in the world were those people thinking. I was immediately determined to be nice and befriend any black kids that came my way, but in actuality, I never ran into any, and so I bopped along oblivious to the events happening in the world around. They say "ignorance is bliss" and it was for a time.

When I got to High School, I was still unbelievably niave and so were my friends. I know that now, because that's when my friend Michelle and I looked at each other and I realized she was Hispanic and she realized I was white. Until High School apparently I had been color blind and so had my friend. That's because friendship trumps color everytime.

Before you get the impression that I've never experienced anything outside of the little bubble of my community, I have to say that when I went to college, I was in the minority. My classmates were Syrian, Iraqui, Iranian, Jordanian and Israeli, Chineese and Japaneese and they were all men. That's what you got when you went to any Engineering School 25 years ago. Suddenly I didn't have that warm fuzzy feeling of knowing and understanding where people were coming from. What my classmates thought about the world around us was very different from what I thought about the world around us.

But I've drifted from my subject...the topic of what has happend in our town recently. A black man and his girlfriend bought a house on the street that I grew up on, and not long after that a fire destroyed the house. They had origionally planned on tearing down the house and rebuilding a new house on that spot, so that is what they did, they took the insurance money from the fire and began construction. It has taken them two years to get to the point that they are now, in building their house, yet the house is still under construction and they have still not moved in.

A neighbor lady (white) was walking her dogs in the neighborhood (off leash which is against the law in our town) and the lady(black) who is the girlfriend of the man building the house happened to be in her front yard and there was a confrontation and the white lady (who happens to be a 60+ senior citizen) hit the black lady with a 2 by 4 that was laying in the front yard. The black lady ended up in the hospital. Jeff Foxworthy and his "you might be a redneck if..." comes to mind as I'm writing this.

Even though our town is big, it still has that smalltown feel to those of us who grew up here. I happen to know the family of the white lady. But on with the story...not long after this incident someone painted words on the black mans garage door. I've cut out one of the inflamatory words, because I don't want to post something like that, but here's his garage door: The neighborhood, made up of little old retired folks and widows, was sincerely saddened and shocked that this happened to that man. I know that because my parents live within sight of this house. Most of the retired folks keep to themselves and don't get out much, because frankly they might just fall down with their walkers and hurt themselves. It is yet to be determined who may have done the graffiti, but the little old lady that's white, is the prime suspect (apparently she had been in jail they had let her out of jail , maybe good behavior, I don't know and then hauled her off again when the words appeared on the garage door).

To make a long story, longer, the black man did not immediatly paint over this graffiti, but left it up for weeks, causing his neighbors, who had originally been concerned for him, to become agitated with him. Apparently he had no intention of painting over the graffiti, but gathered together some folks from the NAACP and they had a big march through the neighborhood (how'd you like to live in that neighborhood?).

Needless to say, the neighborhood folks were not happy about the organized march and having to look at his garage door for weeks. In addition, all the uproar over the graffiti, caused people to forget that there was a lady who had been hit with a 2 by 4 on the street! The doors are now covered with a blue tarp, some folks from a nearby church convinced him to cover over the words, while he's waiting on replacement doors. When the replacements arrive he has decided to donate the old doors to a civil rights museum in another southern state. For awhile, things were hoppin' in the little old neighborhood, with police in patrol cars watching the house 24/7, but all that has passed and the neighborhood talk and all the activity has died down. I feel bad for the man and his girlfriend, and I feel bad for the neighbors who had to see those words everyday and host a march in their quiet neighborhood.

It's too bad we have to grown up and realize each others differences. Things would be much simpler if we were all color blind.

Pick Me Pick Me

2008-02-01T14:09:00.000-06:00

Have you ever wanted something so badly, but when you got it, it turned out that it wasn't all that great after all? My daughter has experienced that recently. She finally got chosen for Safety Patrol duty. Can you tell she didn't want her picture taken? At first it was a coveted appointment until she realized that she had to be at school 30 minutes earlier than usual, and it has gotten quite chilly around here in the mornings. The prestige of waving a stop sign and blowing a whistle has gone by the wayside, as early morning fatigue sets in. She has four more weeks before she is relieved of duty.

Shopping for Treasures

2008-01-04T09:38:00.000-06:00

The after Christmas sales have never been a big deal to me. I'm not much of a shopper, because I don't like to fight the crowds, but the kids must have a stray shopping gene. They can't wait to get to the stores to spend the Christmas money that's burning a hole in their pockets. My oldest particularly likes to peruse the DVD isles.

Amidst the flurry of Christmas activities this year, my youngest asked me out of the blue, "now why do we give each other gifts at Christmas?", "it's not our birthday, it's Jesus' birthday, right?". I thought to myself, this is another one of those trick questions kids ask grownups. Not wanting to flunk the grownup test and unsure of how to answer him, I ponder the idea of Christmas with no presents! Yikes! That would be awful. I think to myself, what was that story about St. Nicholas and how does that play into all of this gift giving ritual? Now, I'm feeling like the most uneducated mom, and make a mental note to research the St. Nick thing soon (surely there's a "Christmas Histories for dummies" book at the Christian book store that will tell me everything I need to know). Finally, I explained to him that we give gifts to the people we love, like the Wise Men(Maji) brought gifts to Jesus, to celebrate Christ's birth. He was happy with that answer and ran off do to what ever 9 year olds do, and I was happy that I had saved the Christmas gift giving tradition in our family. Whew, close call.

This incident prompted me to remind the kids that all this stuff we give and get is just stuff to use and enjoy, but that our real treasures are in heaven.

But store up for yourselves, treasures in heaven where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. Matthew 6:20

I have to admit, the shopping and the wrapping and the giving and the getting can be a distraction to my kids if I don't continually point them to Christ and remind them that... his birth is the reason we have joy and his death is the reason we have life.

A New Year

2008-01-03T09:32:00.000-06:00

Happy New Year blogging friends. I hope that you and your family had a wonderful Christmas with all of the blessings of family and fun. Our family had a great Christmas break and now we're back to our regular routines. I am thankful for that. Having so much fun can be tiring. We traveled north to visit family and got to actually see a little snow. Those of you who see it all the time are probably rolling your eyes right now, but where we live, snow is a rarity so it is really special when we get to actually see some of the cold fluffy stuff. I couldn't keep the kids out of it so they were soaking wet after a few minutes.

Since pictures are worth 1000 words, I'm going to share several thousand words worth of pictures...and a glimpse into our holiday festivities.

Merry Christmas to all

2007-12-23T13:22:00.000-06:00

No, I haven't dropped off the face of the earth, but I have been celebrating this season of Christ's birth. It's amazing what I can get done when I don't blog!

Our family has enjoyed several Christmas Parties and Christmas Musical Celebrations. My daughter is now playing the Clarinet in the band (she gave up the viola for the clarinet) and she is suprisingly good at playing the clarinet (much better than the viola, ouch, I can testify to that, if your reading this honey, I'm just kidding you were ok at the viola, you're just better at the clarinet). So far, she has managed to stay in the first chair spot and I don't have to remind her to practice (which is a big improvement over last years episodes of "Nagging Mother knows Best")

While I lectured her on signing up for two many activities, she managed to wrangle a speaking part in our church's yearly Christmas Pageant. The show was great and she did a good job.

I am now ready to sit around with family, sip hot cocoa, play silly board games, look at christmas lights, and share the season with friends and family. I pray that you are having a Merry Christmas as well!

Master of One

2007-12-05T13:26:00.000-06:00

The last game of the Volleyball season is over, and basketball starts next week (swim team goes on year round mind you). I love that the kids enjoy sports, and music, and scouts, but I'm ready to have them settle down and specialize in something. As a parent we want to give them every opportunity to explore their talents, and discover their strengths, whether it is in sports, music, academics, or other service type activities. I believe that is why we as parents have trouble saying "no more", but that is exactly why we should say "no more", because if we continually open doors, the opportunities available are more numerous than the time we have to try them all. All those choices seem to muddle the decision making process when it comes down to figuring out what activities my child needs to be involved in, and which need to go by the wayside.

I once had someone tell me they were the Jack-of-all-trades, but Master of none. And now I know what that means. A person can be stretched to thin, you can be involved in a lot of things, but not really good at any of them. If you want to be really good at something you have to figure out what your gift is and concentrate in that area. Only then can you master what you set out to accomplish and be the very best at it.

Thankful for Family

2007-11-25T10:43:00.001-06:00

It's nice to get away from the hustle and bustle of our everyday life. We headed out to the old home place, my grandparents farm, 60+ acres of woods and meadow, 5 miles from nowhere, and an hour from any major after Thanksgiving shopping sales. My grandparents are not with us anymore, but we still have the farm. Being there reminds me of all the fun I had with them as a child; exploring the woods, running through the fields, gathering hen eggs, picking tomatoes, getting chased by Brahma Bulls, and fishing in the pond. I hope your Thanksgiving was like ours, filled with family fun.

Smells Like Christmas

2007-11-20T13:52:00.000-06:00

Every year about this time, typically the day after Thanksgiving, I clear out a spot in our front room to set up the Christmas Tree, we use and artificial tree, the others make me sneeze. I try to do an extra good job of dusting and rearranging so that we have plenty of room for the tree, presents and Christmas decorations that find their way from the attic into the house. I also take this time to toss the old scented plug-ins and replace with my favorite Apple Cinnamon or similar Christmasy smells. When I did this last year, "the inventor" walked into the house after I had transformed the front room, saw the Christmas tree up, took a deep breath and said "Ah, Christmas air". I didn't tell him that it wasn't the artificial tree that he was smelling, but the wall plug-ins that I had just replaced. Why burst his bubble.

By far the most fun I have about this time of year is baking cookies. One of our favorite family traditions is baking and eating cookies while we put the ornaments on the tree. I do like Thanksgiving, but for me it is just the first celebration of the Christmas season. It's the warm up band for the main concert. When the last dish of the Thanksgiving meal has been washed and dried, I'm ready to break out the Christmas CD's, warm up the oven, and mix up a batch of cookies. Here's a great place to find those recipes that you can't seem to locate in your recipe box.

Mrs. Claus' Cookbook

The Fall Garden

2007-11-19T13:34:00.000-06:00

Every time I work in the yard or the garden, I can't help but have scripture pop into my head. I realize that when Jesus spoke to his disciples in parables he used stories that related to their lives so that it would help them remember the lesson he was teaching them. So it is with me, I go to pull up weeds and Matthew 13:30 comes to mind. I gather tomatoes or squash from the garden and John 15:7-9 echos in my head.

I promise, I do not have a green thumb, but this year I have had the best garden and I have no explanation other than God saw fit to send the rain. I am terrible about watering regularly, and I haven't put in a drip system because I don't really have enough square footage for the garden to merit that kind of attention. This year we did have a lot of rain and I am still reaping the fruit of the harvest. My tomato plants are so loaded with tomatoes that the tomato cages that I set up to support the plants are groaning under the weight.

This summer the hubs, the kids and I enjoyed, corn, canelope, squash, bell peppers, jalepeno peppers, tomatoes and peanuts (they're still drying). It really has been an unbelieveably good gardening year, and I can't take credit for the bounty that we have harvested. What is most surprising is that I'll probably pick three dozen tomatoes off these vines within the week, thanks to 80 degree temps for the past few days which will continue on until Wednesday. It was so warm yesterday that my oldest put on his swim suit and hopped into the pool. I admit, its a little too chilly for my liking, but the kids aren't as particular when it comes to water temperature as I tend to be.

Even the rose bushes are still working overtime, which reminds me that I need to prune them back. I usually forget and they get all gangly and ugly looking by spring, and by then I hate to cut them back because they've already started flowering.

Thank you God for a wonderful summer garden and the extra fall fruit!

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Our Week in Pictures

2007-11-16T20:14:00.000-06:00

Prayers and Petitions

2007-11-15T08:36:00.000-06:00

Have you ever had one of those light bulb moments? It's a feeling that washes over you, and out of the blue you finally have that moment of clarity and understanding. When I was in college, I often went to bed late at night after a grueling day of working homework problems for some of my math and engineering classes. There were always a few problems that I couldn't quite finish. Many times, I would wrestle with that problem in my dreams and wake up the next morning able to sit down with a pencil and paper and scribble down the solutions to complicated equations that I had solved in my dreams. I attributed that to divine intervention. I figured God was being merciful to me, because he knew I was in over my head.

Yesterday, I had a similar light bulb experience, thankfully not about math problems. I was listening to a woman I know talk about prayer. She made the point that prayer's purpose was not for me to change God's will about what ever was concerning me, but for God to change me so that I could follow his will for my life. "Hello!" I know probably all ya'll mature christians already knew that, and if I thought about it long enough I would have agreed as well. But honestly, I don't think I really have thought, I mean really analyzed my prayers. God's probably rolled his eyes at me on multiple occasions as I posted my "wish list" up to him..."and I'd like this and I'd like that"...instead of praying how I ought to pray, with praise and thankfulness while I petition him for his help.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Now that I've got that off my chest, I'll just fess up, that I also don't like it when God says "No". Have you ever had that happen to you? Well it's not fun, and when things don't go my way, I'm sure that I haven't acted like a happy camper. Thankfully, I haven't been struck by lightning for throwing a tantrum when God says "no". He is so patient and kind, much more so than I am with my children, but I'd hate to press him on an issue, just in case, remember Korah in the OT, Numbers 16. (shiver).

Retro Giveaway

2007-11-13T11:17:00.000-06:00

It seems that retro sells, have you seen the Flintstones in the insurance commercial? I loved the Flintstones when I was a kid and that commercial does what it was designed to do, catch my attention when it pops up on the TV. Now what I'd really like to see is a commercial where Gilligan is selling beach front property.

Maybe this is just me, but I like to buy toys for my kids and things for the house that remind me of my childhood. Retro things spark those nostalgic memories of growing up in the 60's and 70's, where things were made well and held up for 20 years. Not like our current DVD player which is broken right now and is made so cheaply that it's not worth it to get it fixed, but cheaper to just replace it; which we have already done multiple times. In my mind, the stuff of today is disposable, and the toys I had as a kid were built well and timeless. That's why I got so excited when I saw that 5 Minutes for Mom was having a Retro Giveaway . What I'd like to win is this Crosley Traveler Stack-o-Matic record player! It looks exactly like one I used to play with as a kid, except I think I had colored all over mine. If you'd like to check out this giveaway and put your name in for the drawing, head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom. You might also want to check out their store Pedal Cars and Retro Collectibles. The winner will be drawn on Friday November 30th, just in time for Christmas.

Monday Monday

2007-11-12T19:07:00.000-06:00

I can remember when I did not like Mondays. Monday morning always came to soon, and I was dead tired from a busy weekend when the morning alarm pulled me out of a deep sleep. If I had rested or played all weekend I would probably have not had such an aversion to Mondays, but because I worked all week, my weekend consisted of all the stuff that stay-at-home moms take care of during their week; going to the grocery store, shopping for kids clothes, replacing things that break around the house, paying bills, not to mention the standard housework, yard work and other non-fun stuff. I didn't have that free time to regroup and reorganize myself or the kids, so when Mondays came I was wishing for an extra night of sleep.

I can remember slapping around on the night stand in a half awake stupor, trying to quiet the buzz buzz buzz that interrupted my drowsy world. When I'd finally opened my eyes enough to see that I was running late, the adrenaline rush would catapult me from my cozy cocoon and get me up and running in a frantic rush to do everything that I should have taken care of the night before but didn't have the energy (like lay out my clothes and the kids clothes and pack the diaper bag for daycare).

I'd feed and dress the toddler and the baby, take them to daycare, peel them off of me and head for work. Of course, no morning is complete without that dose of Mommy guilt that comes with leaving my children at daycare. It begins with the babies crying Moooomeeee" and holding their chubby little arms out as I drive away, which I would think about over and over, all day, until it distracted me so that I'd have to call the daycare to make sure that everyone was still alive. I'd work all day, watching the clock slowly wind it's way towards quitting time. The moment the clock struck 5 I was outta there, heading for the daycare to gather up my little chicks to take them home, play with them, feed them, bathe them and put their sweet little chubby cheeks to bed, only to do it all over again the next day.

It was an exhausting time that taught me to trust in God and that he would provide all we would need, even if I could not imagine how he would do so. This is my verse, the one that I held on to during that time:

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future...Jeremiah 29:11

I am happy to report, I no longer have to take the kids to daycare. My oldest, the one with Down Syndrome, (he was 4 at the time) bit a daycare worker in the stomach and got kicked out! So I quit my job. That was ten years ago and I am still at home, and I don't mind getting up on Mondays.

Bloggers Block

2007-11-11T19:27:00.000-06:00

When I typed out my first little blog entry earlier this year, I wasn't sure that I would be able to think of anything else to write after that first day. I had Bloggers Block. I didn't really have much to say, and in fact, I never was able to keep up a diary, as a child. So as you can imagine, this blogging thing looked a little daunting, but I wanted to give it a try. What I soon came to realize, and what all of you probably already knew, is that blogging is not at all like writing in a diary. Bloggers get comments and Bloggers give comments, and that interaction with other people can be tons of fun! Plus, I don't have to get all dressed up and go into the office to interact with smart people. I can just blog along writing nice things, and you'd never know that I was sitting here in my fuzzy rabbit slippers, with my hair in a ponytail on the top of my head, wearing my glasses on the end of my nose, while sipping on a diet coke and eating a Hershey's chocolate bar (the diet coke cancels out the chocolate bar calories, you know that don't you). That's what makes this bloggy world so much fun.

It's even more exciting when you receive an award:

I am one of the recipients of the Blog Friend Forever (BFF), awarded by Hol&J, and I am honored to be the recipient of such a great award. Thanks!

Wisdom In A Pan of Biscuits

2007-11-09T20:14:00.000-06:00

My grandfather lived more than 80 years in a tiny Oklahoma farm community. His formal education stopped at the 8th grade, but I thought he was the smartest man around. He was a tomato farmer during the depression. He was a husband and father to three girls. My grandparents eloped when they were teenagers, because my grandmother's Papa didn't think that my grandfather would be able to support his daughter. He would tell my my Grandmother, "he ain't no count". I understood what that meant when I learned how to play 42. Fortunately for all of us, they enjoyed a long and happy marriage, I was a teenager when they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary, and they went on to have many more anniversaries.

By today's standards, he would be considered a progressive man. He used to brag to the grand kids that he could cook breakfast better that my grandmother. He said that by the time she got the biscuits cooked, her eggs had gotten cold. And if she cooked the biscuits first, then they'd have cold biscuits when the eggs got done. He would tell us, "I can take 'em all up at once, Granny can't do that!". Meaning not only could he cook the biscuits, eggs, and bacon, but he could time it so that they'd all be done at the exact same instant and he'd put them all on the table at the same time. Surprisingly, he could do that, and my grandmother would just laugh and let him do all the cooking when we were visiting. Now who's the smart one there?

I remember one morning he pulled the biscuits out and they were flat instead of fluffy. I said, "grandpa, what happened to those biscuits?", and he said, "they got cooked in the squat". "What do you mean?", I asked. "Well", he said, "they squatted to rise and got cooked in the squat. That happens to people sometimes too". He went on to explain that sometimes people get all ready to do something great, and something happens that discourages them, or causes them to doubt. So instead of doing that "great thing", they quit. Just like those biscuits, they get cooked in the squat, about to rise to the occasion, only to fall instead.

So on those days when things don't go as I had planned, and my enthusiasm gets squashed, my kids are less that helpful, and I can't find any clean socks in the laundry, I think about my grandfather. I think about how difficult his life was compared to mine. I remember his wisdom and his love for his family and I am glad that he warned me about getting cooked in the squat.

It Was Just Right

2007-11-05T08:09:00.000-06:00

We had the best weather for our Girl Scout camp out, not to hot, not to cold, it was just right. And I felt like little Red Riding hood, traipsing through the woods, but instead of looking out for the big bad wolf, I was dodging spiders and poison ivy.

We did archery, games and a ropes course.

The Girls

By that evening everyone was beat. We finished up our day with skits around the campfire, and peach cobbler baked on the coals. Yum.

A perfect end to a perfect day.

2007-10-31T14:26:00.000-05:00

And so I wish you all a happy day!

Let's do the Twist

2007-10-30T16:41:00.000-05:00

Halloween is not my favorite holiday, but it marks the beginning of the march towards my favorite holiday; Christmas! Halloween is fun for the kids. We've already started our pre-Halloween activities such as pumpkin carving, and I've made a couple of costumes this year. The inventor choose Link, the guy from the video games. My daughter choose to be the Ice Princess, the wicked lady from Narnia. I did not make the ice princess costume, however I did make her a poodle skirt for a 50's dance that about 100 kids from her grade (that would be just about everyone) attended. There's a local dance instructor in town that teaches ballroom dancing to kids and she is enrolled in that class, and yes they have to dance with the boys. It's done really well, the kids switch partners every 3-4 minutes so that a girl will dance with every boy in the room by the end of the class. They also teach manners; thank goodness. The boys and girls are given etiquette lessons, how to introduce themselves and others, how to behave at the punch table, the boys have to bring the girls the refreshments, open doors and escort the girls out of the room after class. They are taught how to accept a dance and how to cut in on someone. It's a lot of fun to watch (there's a window into the dance studio that parents like me peek in on the class, and I duck every time my daughter looks to see if I'm watching). There's also a dress code for class, the boys have to wear dress pants, shirt and tie and the girls have to wear dresses. After the 50's dance class, about half of the kids and parents went to a local favorite pizza place. This is a great group of kids and parents, and we are lucky to have such a fun, safe introduction to preteen socializing.

Remember Headless Barbie

2007-10-26T08:42:00.000-05:00

I've often heard that in order for a person to overcome a problem they first have to acknowledge that they have a problem. They have to own it, before they can fix it. So I would like to confess that I am a pack rat. Not only am I a pack rat, but my daughter has picked up on my pack rattishness and she too has become a pack rat. I have to admit that I have trouble throwing away something that I think is perfectly good, because I fear that one day I'll wish I hadn't thrown it away. I know logically that I could run right out and buy something if I needed it, but I can't help thinking, why buy it again if I have it now and can store it for some undetermined amount of time, that doesn't seem like such a long time, especially if I could possibly need it in the future. Right? So that leads me to tell you the story of "Headless Barbie"...

I can't remember exactly when "Headless Barbie" lost her head. I remember it was awhile ago, OK, several years ago, and there were lots of tears and glue. I can't even remember which brother pulled her head off, but my daughter was very sad that Barbies' head could not be successfully glued back on. My daughter absolutely refused to throw "Headless Barbie" away, so she lived among the other Barbies, in the Barbie Box in my daughters room. This Barbie Box contained more Barbies that I care to count, along with all of the different Barbie clothes and accessories. What's a Barbie with out her clothes and accessories?

As you can imagine, "Headless Barbie" did not get invited to participate in any more pageants or fashion shows. She lived a quiet and isolated existence in the Barbie Box, virtually untouched for years. Luckily, her fellow Barbies accepted her and loved her unconditionally, and overlooked her most obvious beauty flaw. Had my daughter not been a pack rat, "Headless Barbie" would have been history. But as fate would have it, "Headless Barbie" was one day called into service, thus making every pack rat's dream come true, the ability to produce something out of the closet that should have been thrown away years ago!

You see, my youngest son had to enter a pumpkin carving contest and he wanted to create a Carnivorous (Girl Scout eating) Pumpkin. Thus the need for a sacrificial Barbie. When my daughter heard of his plan she jumped to her pack rat little feet, and said "I have just the person for your project!", wouldn't you know, she dug out "Headless Barbie" who hadn't seen the light of day in years, and she offered "Headless Barbie" to her little brother, to use in his Pumpkin Contest. I could tell she had that thrill of digging out something she had saved, and finally putting it to good use, and doing that had made her little heart go pitter patter. It's the sign of a happy pack rat.

So, after all those years in the Barbie Box, "Headless Barbie" finally had a purpose. She did a good job as "Headless Barbie" in the Carnivorous Pumpkin, and she and my youngest son won first place in the Funniest Pumpkin Category.

It just goes to show you, that old saying "haste makes waste" could possibly be true, and the next time I'm cleaning out my closet I won't be so hasty in tossing out my old junk, because I'll remember "Headless Barbie"!

Please don't pet the pumpkin

2007-10-25T21:02:00.000-05:00

A chill is in the air, at least in the mornings and it dosen't hit 80 until noon, so it must be fall. Time for pumpkin carving, and stocking up on our favorite Halloween candy. Tonight was the Cub Scout pumpking carving contest and I present to you the 1st place winner in the "Funniest Pumpkin" Category... The Carnivorous Girl Scout eating Pumpkin.

Ladies and Gentlemen please do not pet the pumpkin.

The State of the Fair

2007-10-12T22:31:00.000-05:00

I love looking at scrapbooks, because each page holds so many memories. I haven't scrap booked my pictures in a long time, but for awhile I was pretty good at keeping up with it all. I don't know about you, but I re-live the moments when I look at pictures I have taken of our family. I think that's what appeals to me about Blogging, it's a little like an online scrapbook. As I finished downloading my State Fair pictures, I had to laugh, because looking over the pictures made me remember the day...

Here we are in front of "Jack's French Fries" one of our favorite haunts

The State Fair is an annual event for our entire family, and has been for many years. My Dad (now 76) used to tout the fact that he hadn't missed a State Fair since he was in 4th grade (because of health reasons, he missed for the first time last year).

We usually start at one end of the Midway, ride a few rides, and eat our way towards the exhibit halls, craft tent and finally the car show.

Every year they have the "new" food...this years new food was fried coke. I didn't try it, I stuck to the old favorites. The kids on the other hand, had a bit of almost everything, candy apples, corn on a stick, cotton candy, Fletcher's Corney Dogs (of course), French Fries, Hot Dogs, Grilled Cheese, Nachos, Chocolate dipped cheesecake on a stick, chocolate milk, you name it someone in the group had it. It wasn't long before the heat and the smells got to "the inventor". I have to admit he is prone to this type of behavior. We were leaving the food court when he announced the he needed to go to the bathroom real bad.

This is "the inventor" with a mouth full of cotton candy, just minutes before his "I need to go to the bathroom real bad" announcement.

I am apparently incredibly dense about these subtle hints of impending doom, because I turned around to him and said that classic mom statement, "why didn't you go before, when everyone else went?", and with out another word, everything he had eaten came up and out. Well we couldn't have been in a worse place, right in the middle of a crowd of people in a food court trying to buy their lunch, while my child was in the process of loosing his lunch. I'm sure sales plummeted at the Gyro stand, which we were standing in front of, when this calamity broke forth. He had that wild eyed look on his face, like there was more where that came from. So, I hurried him outside to finish up, and he did.

This is "the inventor" about 5 minutes later( notice the new shirt, moms think of everything)

As you can see within moments he was back to his usual self, and having fun, but sadly no more snacks for this boy, or for the rest of us for that matter, we were all sufficiently "grossed out". Except for that one little tiny, itsy bitsy incident, all went well at the Fair and I look forward to next year.

The Thrill Of It All

2007-10-11T16:21:00.000-05:00

At the request of my daughter, and against my better judgement, my mom, my sister and I took all the cousins to the State Fair on the hottest day imaginable. Not only was it hot, but The Jonas brothers were performing a free concert out on the Main Stage and it was crowded. Crowded actually doesn't even begin to describe the claustrophobic atmosphere. I've never, in person, seen so many tween aged little girls swooning over a teen idol. It was a throw back to the Elvis or Beatles early days where girls would line up screaming and jumping up and down with excitement and with the anticipation of seeing someone up close and personal, that they had previously only seen taped up to the walls of their room.

The heat was so bad that before the concert, the concert organizers were out on the stage telling the girls to hold up their hands if they felt dizzy or felt that they needed medical assistance. Then they proceeded to spray down the crown with fire hoses, which 30 years ago I would have thought that was great fun, but not anymore, so we kept our distance. Luckily, I had been to my share of out door concerts as a teen, and had come prepared with lots of water, sunscreen and snacks. My sister and I also didn't let the girls out into the wild crowd until the very last minute. The mistake outdoor concert goers make, is they cue up early to get a good spot, then they end up waiting a long time for the concert to begin, all the while getting sunburned, hungry and dehydrated. What the newbie little girl concert goers don't know, is that if you travel light, you can shimmy your way to the very front at the last minute. So my sister and I filled the girls up with a good lunch and lots of water, and sent them packing with extra waters and a cell phone, to brave the little girl crowd of concert goers. As I expected, the two of them worked their way through the crowd and ended up front and center with a great view. My sister, my mom and I and the boys then sat at the back in the shade, sipping lemonade and eating popcorn in our portable soccer chairs that we had brought with us. It was great. They got to get up close so they could sing along, yell and scream, and we got to sit in the shade and relax. Sometimes it's good to be old.

Peace

2007-10-07T09:42:00.000-05:00

A lot of people have weighed in on the war that we are in the midst of. Even as I sit here typing in the morning hours of the day, in the comfort of my own air conditioned home stocked full of clothes, food and plans for friends and fellowship in the next few hours, I realize that it is almost 9pm in Afghanistan. It's hot, humid, dusty and dangerous. I have just finished IM'ing my nephew who has sent these pictures home. He is stationed in Afghanistan. The people there cannot move about freely, with out fear of harm. The majority of the inhabitants of that land do not recognize Jesus and his saving grace, and they have been thrown headlong in to a battle for their land, between the Taliban/Al Quaida and it's bondage and US, who we perceive as being the good guys. It's hard to keep that perception of being the good guys, when we do bad things (I'm thinking of the horrible prison incident in Iraq). I wonder often if the people of Afghanistan and Iraq know that the average American on the street really does not wish bad things for their country and their people. The average American, I believe, just wants to live in peace. So we send our family and friends to war, to hopefully help the people of Afghanistan and Iraq. We are at war to protect our own safety, as well as the hope of helping people we do not know or understand, but we wish for them to live as freely and comfortably as we do, and we hope that they will come to know the saving grace of Jesus Christ.

We should all take inventory of the comforts around us and then give thanks for all that God has given us. Pray for the safety of all those who have gone to war for our country, that they will make us proud and that God will protect them and bring them home soon.

More Free Stuff!

2007-09-28T09:09:00.000-05:00

I found this out from my good friend Rachael Ray, I say she's my good friend, because I invite her into my house at 9am every weekday after the kids have gone to school...Anyway, there is a company that has been running a nationwide wireless phone safety program, by giving away free cell phone headsets to promote safe driving. Here's the link:

Drive Safe!

I love freebies

2007-09-27T20:27:00.000-05:00

I love to win drawings and get freebies, there's something really thrilling about getting something for free. I was surfing today and found Free Coffee...

so I thought I'd share it with you.

Spoiled Bumble Bee

2007-09-26T12:32:00.000-05:00

Those of us with children can relate to this familiar tune.

Hi Ho Hi Ho it's off to work we go

2007-09-24T16:25:00.000-05:00

We spent our Saturday washing cars. It was a fund raiser, a family event with moms, dads, brothers and sisters. My daughter and her Girl Scout Troop were raising money to fund their service projects. The girls really did a good job washing cars and it was almost a party atmosphere as the girls soaped up cars and sang along with the radio to the tunes of "High School Musical". I could tell as the day wore on, they became less enthusiastic about soaping up the cars and more involved in soaking each other and everyone around them. The grown ups went home with sore muscles and sun burns, but the girls seem full of energy, probably from the gallons of soda and dozens of donuts they had consumed. When we got home, my daughter bounced in the door of the house and said, "That was sooo much fun, when can we do it again!?!". "Hopefully never", I thought to myself, feeling like Grumpy from the 7 dwarfs, I guess I'm officially old.

Total Momsense

2007-09-20T10:01:00.000-05:00

It's true kids, Mom's really do know everything.

Good Books and Disgusting Cookies

2007-09-18T13:12:00.000-05:00

Have you ever felt like things were careening out of control? Maybe you're like me, I've got too many irons on the fire. That's when I know it's time to sit down with a book and read, ignoring all that swirls around me. I can pick up a good book and hours will fly by. Before I know it, either schools out and I'm late to pick up the kids, or I've burned the dinner, so I've learned to put a timer near by. I definitely don't have ADD, because I can become so absorbed in what I'm doing, especially reading, that I am hopelessly unaware of my surroundings. I don't usually read fiction, but recently I have picked up a few good Christian Fiction books that have gotten me totally hooked on the stuff. Here are my Highly Recommend Christian Fictions each one is the first book in a series:

Redemption (The Redemption Series #1) by Gary Smalley and Karen Kingsbury

Fame (The Firstborn Series book #1) by Karen Kingsbury

Sunrise (The Sunrise Series book#1) by Karen Kingsbury

I recommend reading each series, I've read them all and have thoroughly enjoyed each one.

On another note, I went to my child's school to eat lunch with him today and a friend of his, sitting nearby, decided to tear into his dessert first (wouldn't you if your mom wasn't around). He eagerly picked up his baggy of cookies and began to inspect a particularly delicious looking one. After a few seconds of cookie inspection he burst out in disgust, "Is that a raisin!". He must have felt like his mother had played a trick on him, trying to pass off a yucky raisin cookie for what he though was a delicious chocolate chip cookie. I actually thought the raisin cookie looked lip smackin' good, but that little boy just cast it aside. It got me to thinking about my own contentment with what God has given me. How many times have I casually cast aside his blessings, by not being thankful for what I've been given. Have I forgotten to be thankful for the many irons I do have in the fire, or for that matter, that I have a fire!

Inquiring Minds want to know

2007-09-09T19:36:00.000-05:00

The first half of this tale, was my previous post about the Molar Mystery. I did sneak into his room with my flashlight to try to see if he had lost a baby tooth (molar). I thought he was completely asleep, he doesn't fake snoring. So I whipped out my flashlight and went to work prying open his mouth so that I could peer inside. Wouldn't you know, he started to stir and roll around, fighting me off in his sleep. I gave up, not wanting to risk waking him up. I'm such a coward. I started having flashbacks of when he was a baby. The one thing that strikes fear in the heart of a tired mother is the alert and wakeful look on her infants face right after a 2:00 am feeding. Those of you who are mothers, know what I'm talking about don't you. Little Juniors ready to get up for the day and play at 2:00 am and mom's so tired she can't see straight. Scary. So I left my child's Molar Mystery for another day. The next morning he would only let me get the tooth brush in his mouth, but wouldn't open it any further. Now I suspect he's hiding something, maybe a tender spot where a tooth used to be?

Molar Mystery

2007-09-06T21:36:00.000-05:00

My oldest came home today with someone else's ice pack, and a tooth in his lunch box. I didn't know that he had a loose tooth, he never mentioned it. Not that he would... mind you, he dosen't chat alot. But then again, most kids with Down Syndrome & Autism don't have normal chatty conversations, especially in Junior High. So I held out the tooth, and I said to him "Is this your tooth?", and he said "tooth". I know, not alot of information, but that's how it is...usually one or two words and he finished with his part of the discussion. So of course I did what any mother would do, I said "open your mouth, let me see if this is your tooth?", and he then gave me an emphatic "NO!" and he was off. End of conversation, he would have none of my prying into his business, or his mouth. I began to suspect that it could be somebody elses tooth, so I dropped it and quickly washed my hands. It's one thing to hold your own kids tooth in the palm of your hand, and quite another to hold a strangers tooth. After closer inspection of the tooth, it appeared that it was not brushed regularly and I know that I've been overseeing the brushing of my little darlings teeth and they are pearly white, so I am beginning to suspect that this indeed is someone elses tooth. It would have been really nice if the teacher had sent me a note home saying "Junior lost his tooth today at lunch and we put it in his lunch box", but that would have been too easy. My plan of action now, is to sneak into his room tonight after he is sound asleep, pry open his mouth and shine my halogen flashlight down his little throat so that I can count his teeth and look for the proof that this is or is not his tooth. Wish me luck and tune in tomorrow to find out the answer to this riveting mystery! Good night.

It's nice when people think your nice

2007-09-05T16:39:00.001-05:00

I'm nice too! Thanks Hol&J

for the really nice "Nice Award" I am honored and will continue to try to be nice. This is my very first online award and I am speechless.

Salvation

2007-09-03T10:37:00.000-05:00

I saw this video on God Tube and thought it was really fantastic

Favorite Fotoz

2007-08-25T15:03:00.001-05:00

Cleaning Up Popsicle drips

2007-08-23T09:21:00.000-05:00

Is it me, or has this summer flown by? I seems like just yesterday we were eating Popsicles by the pool. Oh, I guess that was yesterday. I was just settling into a routine and all of a sudden it's time to hit the stores for school supplies! I'm not really the shopping type. I don't mind going alone, maybe with a Cafe Mocha in hand as I browse, but I have to have a list, a mission a purpose. I don't like to go shopping for the sake of shopping. School starts on Monday so I unavoidably had to head to the stores with the kids. Yes, I took the whole circus to shop for school clothes and supplies! We bought clothes, shoes, backpacks, lunch boxes, notebooks and other miscellaneous school supplies. My daughter likes to pick out her own clothes and most of the time we'll both like the same things. Every once in a while, what I thought looked darling on her, would make her eyes roll back in her head and she'd dash back into the dressing room as if I'd asked her to parade around in a clown costume. My youngest, the inventor, was yet another challenge. Everything bought for him had to be red. It sounds simple but nearly impossible to do. My oldest, and you'd think he would be a little help but he 's not (he has Down Syndrome & Autism), was busy picking things off of the shelves and adding them to the pile of clutter in the basket while my back was turned, causing me to have to go through every item at the checkout counter to make sure it was meant to be purchased. What's more incredible about his antics was that he was in a wheelchair. Yes, it seems he can reach any store shelf with ease, darn those wheelchair accessible engineers. This wheelchair has really been a lifesaver, it folds up and I can toss it into the back of the car. He likes it too, and he rides around in style, sipping on refreshments and snacking on what ever I've packed for him. After a long day shopping, he's the only one who's not dog tired. We got it for him, not because he couldn't walk, but because he could easily wander off from us in public while my back was turned. He also had this bad habit of sitting down where ever he was when he was tired of walking. That was fine when he was little, I'd just pick him up and carry him, but I can't manage 100+ pounds on my hip now. We are now officially ready for school to start. I am finished with the shopping and ready to move on to other intellectually stimulating activities, like cleaning the Popsicle drippings from the inside of my freezer. I hate leaving summer behind, it was really fun.

The Inventor

2007-08-12T09:09:00.000-05:00

When asked, "what do you want to be when you grow up?", my youngest child will say "an Inventor". He loves to rig up things in his room, and he has motion detectors, electric eye/laser alarms and all kinds of fun stuff he likes to tinker with. I have to be careful when I go in there, I might set off a booby trap, stumble over a tripwire, or set off an alarm of some kind. He says he has to protect his stuff from his big sister, but there's not a thing in his room that she would be interested in. If I can't find the scissors, tape or string, I go to his room and rummage around. He has his own tool box, with real tools. He's built a motorized bug (with a photoelectric sensor so that he can control it with a flashlight), he's built a motor with magnets and batteries, and he uses all of the paper out of my printer to draw up plans for his inventions, which at the moment happens to be a robot. Once when he was 3, he took apart the bathroom scales, because he wanted to see how it worked. I could not figure out how to get it back together, so I just threw it away.

We're Hot!

2007-08-11T10:11:00.000-05:00

It's just plain hot. It's so hot around here leaves are falling off of the one tree we have in the backyard. It's really crazy to have to rake leaves in the summer. That's a fall chore, not a summer chore. If I don't get the leaves picked up, they'll all end up in the pool. I've been so fed up with the leaf problem at our house (and so tired of raking them), that yesterday I went to battle against the leaves. I brought out the "big guns". I got out the leaf blower and blew all of the leaves in to a big, huge pile and then I mowed 'em down with the lawn mower. When I was done, there was nothing left but pulverized, mulched, specks of what used to be leaves. I dusted my hands off and put away the mower, I had won. I'm looking outside right now, and low and behold, its as if the tree is mocking me! There are more leaves out there this morning. I guess I should just be thankful for the shade, who cares if the yard looks like no one lives here. In honor of the triple digit temperatures today, I am decreeing no hot meals, just ice cream. Ya think the kids will go for that?

It's good to be home

2007-08-06T14:42:00.000-05:00

I'd really like the beach a lot more if it weren't so hot and humid. I went to Corpus Christi this past weekend on a Girl Scout trip with my daughter and her friends. We spent two days at the beach and one of those nights we slept on board the USS Lexington. The accommodations on board the ship were more comfortable that I expected, that is if you don't mind sleeping in steel bunks the size of coffins. Which I didn't mind, because the mattress was very comfortable. Later, I found out that a casket company was responsible for making those comfy mattresses. Had I know that earlier, it would have been a little creepy. We did get at taste of what it was like living on an aircraft carrier, and while we were there, the ship was closed to the general public. We were taken on a guided tour as well as given the opportunity to explore the whole ship. Before lights out, the crew gathered the "live aboards" together and told us the Lexington ghost stories. As you can imagine, none of the girls could go to sleep after that.

For many years before it was decommissioned, the USS Lexington was used for training purposes. Young pilots from all over, would come to the Lexington to learn how to take off and land on a moving aircraft carrier. One of the stories that stuck with me, was the story of a young pilot who had come on board for training purposes. On her second day, she went up to the flight deck, and at the same time a jet was landing. The jet lost control, flipped over and landed on her. It's a tragic story and one that reminds me of the verse:

"Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for alittle while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." As it is, you boast and brag. " James 4:14,15 (NIV)

We should make the most of each day that the Lord gives us, we don't know what will happen tomorrow, but we should not be afraid of tomorrow, what ever tomorrow brings.

"For I know the plans I have for you, " declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

He called a child

2007-08-01T14:32:00.000-05:00

It's summer time and the ice cream flows freely around our house, especially on hot afternoon's like today. I've just finished dishing out the cold creamy stuff to my three. My oldest, however was not interested in joining us for "Cream". He was dancing around outside of the laundry room door ( I keep it locked, lol, and that's another story), because he wanted the DVD player inside, which is in time out at the moment. He was very grumpy, because he wasn't getting what he wanted, and he was on the brink of an all out melt down about this DVD thing. After I had the bowls of ice cream ready, I told my other two at the table to sing the favorite song...(that would be the Happy Birthday song). I knew if they sang it, my little "Grumpy Gus" would break out in a big smile and run to where the singing was going on, because he knows that ice cream or cake is being served. Sure enough, we hadn't gotten a few words into the familiar tune, when here he came, happy as could be, with all of his frustrations and grumpiness forgotten, running at full tilt towards his bowl of ice cream. It reminded my of how Jesus told his disciples (Matt. 18:1-4) that unless they changed, and became like little children, they could not enter the kingdom of heaven.

At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?". He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18: 1-4.

I wonder if they knew what he was talking about at the time. The first time I read it, I did not have children, and it's full meaning was lost on me, until I experienced motherhood. My oldest, was born with Down Syndrome & Autism, so even though he is a teenager (14) he is very much a child and will always be...and that's how God created him. He gets frustrated, grumpy, angry, stubborn and pitches a fit when he doesn't get his way, but he has the heart of a child. He forgives, he forgets his troubles and moves on. He will never get puffed up on his own accomplishments, self righteous or any of the stuff that trips the rest of us up. He doesn't get bogged down in grown up worries. He is happy to be who he is, loving, laughing, trusting his parents to take care of him, just like we should trust our Heavenly Father to take care of us. Wouldn't it be great if the Happy Birthday song brought us running with a smile on our face to our Heavenly Father, knowing he has something special for us, maybe cake, maybe ice cream, maybe heaven!

Bungling Blogger

2007-07-28T16:34:00.000-05:00

I've recently begun blogging because I want to acknowledge Gods work in the life of my family, I want to become a better writer, communicator, and try out a few big words once in a while. Since I know nothing about blogging, I've been frequenting this Blogging Basics site (click the icon and it'll take you there). For the most part, I have been able to get all of my questions answered (but they can't help me with my grammar or punctuation). The problem I have is figuring out what questions I need to ask, maybe some of you can relate. I don't claim to be knowledgeable in the computer arena, and frankly some of the terminology really trips me up. It's like learning a new language.

It was a recipe for disaster, a tablespoon of one big mess!

2007-07-27T23:45:00.000-05:00

Hubs, the kids and I were heading down the road today with the radio blasting, the windows down, singing at the top of our lungs to a silly song that reminded me of something that happened this year, that I laugh about now.

Our Girl Scout troop had gone on a weekend camp out. I was driving, because I had just gotten a brand new car and it could hold a lot of Girl Scouts. This car was so new that my own kids had not even eaten as much as a cracker in it. It smelled good, and it was as clean as a whistle. I was glad to finally have plenty of room and a clean car to haul kids around in. Anyway, the Girl Scout camp out was fun. The girls hiked, played games, cooked food that really only they liked (because they had planned the meals); Coca Cola Chicken, yum, macaroni and cheese, yum, s'mores, yum. You get the picture. By the end of the day, they were all dirty, tired and tanked up on sugar. After all the campfire songs had been sung, and the last of the s'mores had been consumed, I packed up the car with my daughter and one of her little friends. We had to head back a day early.

We hadn't as much as gone around the block when the two little campers began asking to stop at Sonic. Well, being the kind and generous mother that I am, I stopped and bought them drinks and snacks, thinking, oh they're just tired of roughing it and want some artery clogging fast food to help regulate their little systems. Besides, what could sipping on a cherry limeade hurt anyway. It's not like these responsible little Girl Scouts will spill anything in my new car. We finally got on our way and seriously, we had not even gotten a mile from our campsite (and the Sonic) when my daughters little friend began asking "How much longer?". I thought to myself, this is gonna be a long car ride.

It was an uneventful ride home, except for the occasional inquiry of "How much longer?", which I noticed had become increasingly and alarmingly more regular. We had traveled almost an hour and a half when the announcement came. "I'M GONNA TROW UP!", declares my daughters little friend. " What?" I said, not really believing my ears. We're in my brand new car that still smells good and no one, and I mean no one, has even eaten so much as a cracker in it! "Hold on hun, we're almost home", I yell from the front seat, frantically looking for a place to pull over. There was no place to stop, and the palms of my hands were gettin' sweaty. Did I mention we're in my NEW clean car that still smells good. We're on the highway, there's traffic all around me, and no shoulder. Further more, I look out at the exits and the neighborhood is full of unsavory businesses and liquor stores, and I'm not about to let a little Girl Scout out in a dark liquor store parking lot to throw up! So I tell her in the cheeriest voice I could muster up, "roll down your window Hon, maybe a little fresh air will help". But before the word "help" was out of my mouth, up comes the Coca Cola Chicken. Eeeew, all over her lap, and my daughter was now sitting as close to the window on her side of the car as she could with out actually falling out. By then all of the windows were down, so I tell her "Hang your head out of the window, maybe you'll feel better", and up comes the macaroni and cheese. Mac and cheese sprays all over the inside and outside of the window. The wind catches it and blows it back into the car at 60 mph. Not just back onto the nauseated little camper, but onto the seat she is sitting on as well as the row of seats behind where she is sitting. Now I'm frantically looking for a place to pull over, and really, there is not a spot. Sadly, my searching for a safe spot to stop was all in vain, because once again up comes another "Heave Ho", the "Last Hurrah" in football you'd call it a "Hail Mary",...everything she had for dinner sprayed towards the window, coating the outside and inside of my once clean car, beginning at the door where she was sitting, all the way back to the rear bumper. I'm thinking to myself, she must have eaten the whole pot, I've never seen so much macaroni and cheese! I was in shock, all I could think to say was "Sweetheart, did you have seconds at dinner tonight?"

6 Seconds

2007-07-25T16:33:00.000-05:00

It may not seem like much, but 6 seconds is a long time when your talking about a race that lasts less than a minute. Our last swim meet of the season was this past weekend, and my "I don't want to be the last one out of the water" daughter was less reluctant to compete, than she has been in the past. She is actually quite a good swimmer, much better than she realizes, but she's scared of coming in last (which she has never done), she thinks everyone is looking at her (and they're not, just me, everyone else is watching their own kid) and she's afraid she'll lose count on her laps or get disqualified (DQ'd) . In past swim meets, all of the aforementioned fears have paralyzed her, sometimes to the point of tears. On one hand she loves being on the team, but she does not like to compete. Until recently...and that's because prayer is powerful. I got some of my favorite BSF prayer warriors (thanks girls) all over it, and nothing can stand in the way of praying moms. So you can see how I was pleasantly surprised this past weekend when my child comes running up to me all smiles, dripping wet, and says "did you see that mom, I knocked off 6 seconds in the 100 Free!" Of course I saw that, and I was thankful. Thankful she was no longer afraid, thankful that she was not comparing herself to others, thankful she was working to obtain her personal best, thankful that I have friends to pray with, and thankful that God answers our prayers. And here is the verse that has been on my heart through all of this:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,

with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

Harry Who?

2007-07-21T19:02:00.000-05:00

We are caught up in the Harry P. frenzy. My daughter & I attended a party at our local book store, and we were in line at midnight along with 7 of my daughters little friends and 600 other close strangers, just so that we could be one of the first to purchase the coveted novel. Even so, I am conflicted about letting her read all of these books because of her age, so we have had many conversations about the books and what they portray. I have noticed, as you may have also, that each one is a little darker than the previous book. I will leave you with this one thought to ponder ...

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy- think about such things. Philippians 4:8

News from the front lines

2007-07-19T16:19:00.000-05:00

I can hear the battle from where I sit, typing. Lasers whiz back and forth, bombs explode, shaking the windows. Destruction is everywhere and the noise is deafening. There are more casualties than I care to describe, yet...I am not afraid, because...in a minute, the timer will go off and I will walk into the den and make the announcement that all kids have to get off of the "Lego Star Wars" video game they are playing. There will be groans of agony, howls of protest and pleadings for "just one more minute!"...all to no avail.. I am determined to march my rowdy crowd outside to play! Yes, today this is my battle on the "front lines". It's a battle between good and evil. A battle to manage & monitor the content of all that the kids absorb through TV, video games, movies, books and friends.
Above all things guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Proverbs 4:23
And this is the task at hand...to fill their hearts and minds with all that will cultivate a life fixed on faithfully obeying Gods commands, so that they will serve him with all their heart and soul. Deuteronomy 11:13
Fix these words of mine in your hearts and mind; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home, and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the door frame of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many...Deuteronomy 11:18-20
Pray that I will do just that.