Conflicted

It's been a hard week to blog for me. I try to write things that are encouraging, funny, insightful, something.  But last week a dear woman from our church passed away from cancer at the age of 44.  A dear lady who has two daughters (one of whom was in my lifegroup as a high school student) and a husband who are now left wondering "Why?" And I have to admit, I don't have an answer for them. 

But I've been reading a book, and it has, in a small way, helped.  I don't believe it is a coincidence that I happened to buy this book right when all of this was about to happen.  The book is called "One Thousand Gifts" by Ann Voskamp, and in it she writes about how important giving thanks is.  And not just giving a big ol' "Thanks, God!" at the end of the night.  We need to be thanking God for all of the gifts, big and small, so that we see all of the things He has done for us and continues to do for us.  Yes, life is hard.  Yes, things come that will rock our world and leave us broken.  But God is still here. 

Here are some quotes from the book so far that have really spoken to me:

*As long as thanks is possible, then joy is always possible.

*(We need) to learn how to be grateful and happy, whether hands full or hands empty.

*God is in the details; God is in the moment. God is in all that blurs by in a life--even hurts in a life.  God!

*Some days, ones with laundry and kids and dishes in sink, it is hard to think that the insulting ordinariness of this truly teaches the full mystery of the all most important, eucharisteo (giving thanks). . . But if I miss the infinitesimals, I miss the whole.

*Life change comes when we receive life with thanks and ask for nothing to change.

*God gives us time.  But who has time for God?

*I cannot think of a single advantage I've ever gained from being in a hurry.  Hurry always empties the soul.

*Live fully in the moment.

*I want to slow down and taste life, give thanks, and see God.

*Joy and pain, they are but two arteries of the one heart.

*Only the Word is the answer to rightly reading the world, because the Word has nail-scarred hands that cup our face close, wipe away the tears running down, has eyes to look deep into our brimming ache, and whisper, "I know.  I know."


I hope today you take some time to talk to God.  Share your thoughts, your fears, and most importantly, your thanks.  Tell Him thank you and recognize that, no matter what, He loves you and has a plan for you.

Sorry if this is random.  This is how my mind has been running this week.

Thursday Thank-yous

I am thankful for. . .

51.  laughter after tears.
52.  electricity.
53.  Rooibos tea with a little cream on a snowy night.
54.  free Edwin McCain song downloads.
55.  upcoming ski trip.
56.  the halfway mark of my online class!  4 weeks down, 4 to go!
57.  my husband's opportunity to go see an old friend for a long weekend.
58.  hearing new words come out of my daughter's mouth every day.
59. date nights.
60.  eternity.

What are you thankful for?

Africa

As a new year starts (okay, it's almost 1/12 over, but I'm slow) I started thinking about ways I have changed over the last 12 months.  I would say that one of the biggest things that changed about me in 2010 was that my focus became more global instead of just local.  Part of it was all of my experience with Haiti in 2010.  Part of it was reading Radical by David Platt ( You MUST read it!!!).  And part of it is committing to pray for every country in the world in a year's time.  As I am walking my way through this, I have been reading about Africa.

A country with a long history of extremes, from beauty to terror, from wealth to poverty, from peace to war, Christian evangelicals and devout Muslims.

And as I read I can't help but be convicted about how comfortable my life is.  Not just the money, but the freedom.  The peace.  The education available.  All at my fingertips.  And yet I find it so easy to forget all of that.

So, this year, I have found a mission in Africa who I am collecting goods for.  It is The Mercy House (http://www.themercyhousekenya.org/) and you can read all about it on their website, but they are opening a maternity house for women to live in while they are pregnant.  While there they will be taken care of physically, but will also learn parenting skills, spiritual lessons, and a trade to take with them. 

Each month the Mercy House is collecting different types of donations to be taken to Africa.  The month of February is going to be medical supplies (gauze, bandages, tylenol, etc.).  If you are interested, you can send donations directly to the Mercy House U.S. office:
The Mercy House
8000 Research Forest Drive. Ste. 115-110
Spring, TX 77382

Or if you live near me, just drop them off at my house and I'll ship them at the end of the month.

And if this mission isn't your thing, please find something to do that reaches to people outside of the U.S.  We have so much excess here, in every capacity.  It's time we look around and see what we can do.

Thursday Thank-yous

I'm thankful for. . .
41. Several blogs, but mainly this one today especially.  I'm getting her book in the mail any day and I can't wait to read it.
42. Diet caffeine Free Dr. Pepper.  How many names can a drink have?
43. Noel's wonderful pre-school
44. 80's music to rock out to when I'm exercising
45. answered prayers
46. seeing my kiddos play Candyland TOGETHER for the first time tonight
47. religious freedom.  I've been reading about Africa, and some of it makes me very sad.
48. chapstick, lotion, and all other things that help this girl out in the middle of winter
49. good health.  I take it for granted way too much
50. the person who returned my wallet that I left in the Meijer parking lot.  I don't care that you took the 8 bucks.  I'm just glad you left the cards.

What are you thankful for?

Slow Down and Be Thankful

I'm not sure if it's just an American thing or not, but our society is in a hurry.  We pride ourselves on how much we can accomplish each day.  We rush from one event to the next.  We speed through every meal, every activity, every conversation, with more on the way.

And I wonder if we are truly experiencing all of the joy from each of those experiences if we're always in a hurry.

Do I take time to enjoy the moments of my day?  Even the trivial, mundane ones?  Can I stop and give thanks today, as I'm doing dishes, for hot running water that comes to me so easily?  Can I sit and enjoy my children without dwelling on all of the things on my to-do list that will go undone?  Can I live each day embracing it instead of wishing for something else?

We have been given so much, and yet our first instinct is to want for more.

Let my life be full of gratitude instead of longing.  May I stop and relish every waking moment that I've been given today and be filled with joy. Will you join me?

Thursday Thank-yous

31. coffee creamer. . .mmmm...
32. college basketball
33. pixar movies
34. a warm house when it's cold outside
35. a cool house when it's hot outside
36. frozen waffles
37. getting to help at Bridges Outreach
38. my adult small group
39. my student small group
40. being able to take an online class instead of trying to figure out how I can get childcare to take a class

In a nutshell

I have several ideas that I would like to share in different blog posts.  Lots of things I'd like to share.  But the truth is, life has gotten a little crazy.  I am taking an online class to keep my teacher certification up, and it requires about 8 hours of work each week (fortunately, it's only 8 weeks long).  Anyway, I haven't had much extra time to come up with witty, interesting ways to tell some good stories, but I will give you the highlights:

*I got called to jury duty. Again.  Seriously, this is getting a little weird.  I served on a jury in 2004, and when I did that the judge said, "For most of you, this is a once in a lifetime experience."  Since then, I have been summoned 3 times.  The last 2 times I've made it up to the day before the trial and then it is cancelled for some reason or other.  Oh, well.  Most people really complain about it, but I kind of find it fascinating.  In fact, I think I should ask to excuse myself because I watch way too many courtroom dramas and investigation shows (Homicide, Without a Trace, 20/20, Primetime, 48 Hours Mystery), so I feel like I have an unfair advantage over the other jurors. 
I'm just sayin'.

*I got to see one of my old roomies, Miss Sarah Szoke, now Mrs. Sarah Lowery.  It was so fun to see her, her hubby, and her sweet little biscuit, Eden.  And for some reason all of the stars aligned and the kids were wonderful at the restaurant.  Poor David was hardly a part of the conversation because he played with Noel all night.  It was really sweet of him, because he knew I really wanted to talk to Sarah.  They live much closer now, so I'm hoping we can see more of each other.

*Friday night I did it again.  What is it, you ask? Oh, I just dropped my wallet in the parking lot of Meijer and didn't realize it until Saturday morning.  Who does this??  Only me!!  So, David called and nobody had turned in anything.  I ran a few errands, even drove through the parking lot to check, and then I realized we hadn't prayed about this.  So I promptly pulled the car over and prayed.  When I got home I called again, and lo and behold someone had turned it in.  The cash was gone, but everything else was there.  Who knows?  Maybe my prayer convicted someone to turn in a wallet!  Whatever the case, I'm just glad I don't have to get a new license and cancel my credit cards.  Again. (By the way, I've done this 3 times before, including losing my husband's wallet at Lucas Oil Stadium.  Yes, I am that ridiculous.)

*Lastly, our little angel Elise finally did what we knew she would do sooner or later.  She hurt herself.  She's kind of a monkey, and after Sunday dinner she thought she would try to push herself away from the table, which ended up flipping her chair back and landing flat on her back on the hardwood floor.  She banged her head pretty bad and there was blood everywhere.  Poor David.  I wasn't even there, so he had to clean up the mess, figure out where she was bleeding from, and try and calm her down.  We thought she might need stiches, but I think she's okay.   She has a half-dollar size red spot on the back of her head that got his pretty hard and busted the skin.  But I'm sure her luxurious hair will grow right over it and nobody will ever notice (If you've never seen my husband and me, you won't understand that last statement as total sarcasm.  Between the 2 of us there is no hope of our children having any kind of thick, curly, long, great hair.  Sorry kids!)  We are all breathing a sigh of relief that it wasn't worse, and hope she has learned her lesson.  Except that tonight she already jumped off the couch and hit her head on the coffee table.  Again.  This girl is destined to make us crazy!

Happy Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, everyone!  May we all live with the passion and conviction he had.  Hope you have a wonderful week.

Thursday Thank-yous

21. mousetraps!
22. a good book that sucks you in and you can't finish quickly enough.
23. a 20 month-old little girl's toes painted bright blue.  Melt. My. Heart.
24.  the sound of my kids laughing together.
25.  days getting longer after December 21.
26.  that we have 2 vehicles that run and 0 car payments.
27.  hand-me-down clothes.  I don't remember the last time I bought an item of clothing for my children.
28.  pay at the pump
29.  apple cider that has been frozen and is now thawing, all slushy and full of goodness
30.  fleece sheets

A year ago

A year ago today I was . . .
dealing with a 9 month old
probably complaining about the cold/snow
planning a youth ski trip

And then January 12 came along.

I vividly remember being at a high school swim meet and getting a text: 

Have you heard?  There was an earthquake in Haiti.

And a new story began.

A story that involved praying for days for a missing friend.
A story that brought boxes of food, water, and medicine through our garage on its way to Haiti.
A story that added a whole new dimension to our upcoming trip to Jacmel.
A story that changed my worldview forever.

I can honestly say that a year after the earthquake I am not the same person.  I have learned so much this year through my trip to Haiti, through working with HCO, through becoming friends with a missionary, through reading Radical and Operation World. 

This world is big.  There are some 6 billion people in it.  Millions will go to bed tonight without food in their bellies or a warm place to sleep.  And every single one of them need Jesus.

I don't think I would have admitted it a year ago, but I am so convicted now about how comfortable we are in the U.S.  We have everything we ever need and most of the things we want.  And it's so easy to forget about the poor.  The lost.  The lonely.   The wars raging.  The oppression.

And so I choose not to forget. 

Please pray for the people of Haiti, and the many other countries who are not only in dire poverty, but in need of salvation.  If we don't help them, who will?  As David Platt says, "There is no Plan B."

**Sidenote:  If you are interested, I am collecting vitamins and pregnancy tests (both of which can be purchased really cheaply at Dollar General) to ship to a maternity house in Kenya http://themercyhousekenya.org/ I will be shipping these goods out at the end of the month.  If you are interested in helping, please let me know.

I can't believe I forgot to blog about this!

I finally got around to putting some pictures in my album (yes, I'm old school like that), and I was looking at some pictures from our Thanksgiving trip to Florida.  As soon as I looked at the picture above, I realized that I had completely forgotten (or had I mentally blocked out?) one of the most exciting events of our trip.

Now, I tend to share on this blog about how sweet and wonderful my children are, but never you fear, they can cause some major trouble.  Case in point:  YOLO.

YOLO is a store that in on Captiva Island that sells all kinds of rental vehicles:  bikes, trailers, scooters, golf carts, etc.  (By the way, YOLO stands for You Only Live Once, which I thought was genius).  We went there on Monday of our trip to get some bikes and a trailer for transportation for the week.  And while YOLO had lots of rental equipment, their store was quite small, and full of things that little ones can break.  This picture was taken as David was waiting in line for rentals. 

I quickly realized that my kids were like little magnets to all things breakable in that tiny store, so I shuffled them outside, thinking, "What could go wrong there?"

We went to the back to check out the bikes we were renting.  While we are wandering around, Noel gets in one of the golf carts, which I thought nothing of (now, as I type this, I realize that was a ridiculous idea!) So, Elise starts motoring a different way, and just as I grab her, I see Noel press a button on the golf cart. 

Lo and behold, the cart starts rolling. . .right into the side of a parked car!!!!

So, there I am with a 20-month old in my arms and a 4 year-old who has just had his first car accident (and you all thought I was bad!!) 

I tried to push the golf cart back in its place, but of course it was too heavy.  So we just left and ran back in the store, trying to act as if nothing happened.  I kept whispering to David, "We HAVE to talk," to which he kept whispering back, "Just a minute!" I'm sure he was thinking I was just being overdramatic.  And then I finally took him out back to see what had happened!

Of course, David took the high road and went and got the manager and talked to him.  After they moved the golf cart back there wasn't any damage done to the car, thankfully, and we were on our way, a little wiser, a little traumatized, and with yet another crazy story to add to our lives.

Little is much when God is in it.

I've been wanting to share a story from Christmas Eve on my blog, and I keep forgetting to.  I know it's past the holiday season, but one of the most moving parts of Christmas for me was a reminder that God is always working, even when we don't realize it.

On Christmas Eve we went to our church for the 5:30 service.  We intended to sit with some friends, but they ended up moving because some more of their family showed up.  Instead, I sat next to a lady I had never met before.  I was a little nervous about having both kids in the service, what with their being young and, well, LOUD!  And then someone came up and asked David if he could help with the offering, which meant standing in the back for about half of the service. (Sidenote:  please don't get me started about how inappropriate I thought an offering was at a Christmas Eve service.  I'm choosing not to think about it!)

Needless to say, my nervousness about the kiddos acting up heightened greatly.  There I was with both of my kids, no husband, a "quiet" Christmas Eve service planned, and strangers next to us.

Gulp.

Overall, the kids were pretty good.  Noel drew, wrote his name, and kept himself busy for the most part.  But Elise got antsy.  She was talking, waving, clapping, you name it.  And for some reason, she kept leaning over to the lady next to me, talking to her and trying to take her candle.  The lady was really kind and played with her numerous times throughout the service.  After David came back he ended up having to take Elise to the back for a little bit, but it was nothing too traumatic.

After the service, I introduced myself to the lady sitting next to us and apologized for Elise being such a distraction.  And then she told me that it was the best thing that could have ever happened to her.  She had just lost her father a few weeks prior and was having a really hard time with the season.  She said entertaining Elise was such a joy for her.  And I realized how God moves in ways we never even know about.  He knew before we even walked into church that night that there was a woman struggling, hurting, mourning, who needed to be given a gift.  He knew that my daughter, who is crazy and funny and loud and stubborn could be that gift for an hour.

Thank you, God, for using all of us, your little children, to be Your light, Your love, Your joy to a weary world.

Thursday Thank-yous

This week I'd like to share some of my thanksgivings.  I'm thankful for:

11.  cell phones and texting.
12.  that the Bible is true.  It is alive, relevant, convicting, confusing, scary, and God's love letter to me.
13.  the fact that every day is a new day, a fresh start.
14.  my guitar.
15.  my husband's Saturday morning breakfast ritual that he makes for us:  fried potatoes, onion, bacon, and an egg on top.
16.  a healthy body with legs that can run, even though they don't run fast.
17.  50% off Christmas candy, bows, and wrapping paper. 
18.  parents who live in the same town as I do.
19.  the opportunity to teach others in so many ways outside of the classroom.
20.  my son's love of games.  Board games, UNO, dominoes, Kerplunk.  I love playing games, and David doesn't, so I'm glad to finally have someone to play with (even if that someone is 4 years old.)

What are you thankful for this week!!  Don't let the day go by without being thankful!

Why didn't I think of that?

So, for a couple of weeks Noel asks where the middle of his bed is every night before we tell him good night.  He wants to make sure he is smack in the middle of the bed.  I thought it just had to do with him falling out of bed and/or not wanting to hit the wall next to his bed. 

Turns out, I'm wrong.

Tonight we found out the reason why. 

Noel asked David where the middle was, David tells him, and then he asks, "Noel, why do you want to be in the middle?"

Noel's answer:  "So I don't wake up on the wrong side of the bed anymore."

Classic.

Love him.

I'm not as brave as I thought I was

I would like to consider myself a fairly brave person.  I don't get too freaked out about very many things.  And I always thought people who screamed and ran away from a teeny tiny mouse in their house were overreacting.

I'm currently eating my words.

Last night as I was trying to set the table, I opened the silverware drawer and found, in addition to the knives and spoons, a little grey tail wiggling away.  It took a couple of seconds for it to register that attached to said tail was a mouse. And then. . .well, I officially freaked out.  I jumped up on my tip-toes and ran to the garage to tell David, except that I couldn't even make coherent sentences.  All I could whisper was, "Mouse. . .kitchen. . .help."

It was pathetic.

We ended up catching the mouse at 3:40 am.  And when I say "we" I mean that I found the mousetrap at Meijer and David set it up, caught the mouse, and took the trapped mouse to the garden.  I still consider it a team effort.

But I have learned my lesson. Not the lesson that mice aren't scary. Oh, no, they are definitely scary.  And I'm fully conviced I would react the exact same way if Mr. Mouse has a friend who is visiting our kitchen as well.  No, the lesson I've learned is not to speak too soon and judge when I see someone freaking out about something.  The mouse is always scarier when he's in your kitchen, right?

Oh, Lord it's hard to be humble, when you beat yourself up every day.

Yesterday, my pastor talked about being a servant like John the Baptist, and one of the things he said that really hit me was that you have to be humble to be a servant. 

What is humility?

For years I have struggled with humility, not because I think I am so much better than everyone else, but because I can spend countless hours feeling sorry for myself. 

For the things I want to do but can't.
For the way I look.
For the talents I don't have.
For the mistakes I've made and continue to make.
For being rejected and cast aside.

But feeling sorry for yourself isn't being humble.  It's just a different kind of pride.  Humility is when you think less of yourself than you do of others.  Whether it's thinking about how great you are or how awful you are, it's all taking the focus away from being a servant to others.

So when you (like me) are tempted to feel sorry for yourself for whatever reason you deem important, remember that it is a sin, just like pride.  Remember that God doesn't make mistakes.  He made each of us and loves each of us with an indescribable love.  A love that sent His son to a terrible death.  Remember.

Thursday Thank-yous

During the month of November, I tried to post something every day that I was thankful for.  I received a lot of really nice comments about how those posts were neat to read.  So I decided that for the year 2011 I am going to make a conscious effort to be more thankful all year, not just during the Thanksgiving season.  I realized that if I just came up with 10 things every week that I'm thankful for I would have over 500 "thanks" by the end of the year (Yeah, my math skills are THAT good!).

So, I will take an early jump and start the thanks.

1.  Beautiful snow on the ground every day for the month of December.
2.  A good friend who never gives up on me.
3.  Clementines.  Can I just say how much I love them?!
4.  New books for Christmas from my husband.
5. Noel asking really good questions about God.
6.  Hearing Elise's new words every day.
7.  Insurance
8.  God hears my prayers, even when I don't know what to say.
9.  Bedtime for the kids, especially when I'm home alone with them for the week.
10. Free coffee samples in the mail. 

It's not the holidays without traditions

I'd like to share some of the holiday traditions we have started over the past few years.  Feel free to steal at random:

*We always buy a real Christmas tree, even having to chop it down.  (See previous post)

*Every year since we have been married, we have bought a Christmas tree ornament that is a picture frame.  We make sure to write the year on the back.  And then every year when we get out the decorations we get to walk through the years by looking at the pictures (insert, "Awww. . .")

*If we are in Kokomo on Christmas Eve, we always visit We Care Park, which is a crazy, redneck lit up wonderland that you can ride through and even get out and walk around. 

*Baking.  My three specialties are chocolate fudge, caramel corn, and chex mix.  These are also the three reasons I run on a regular basis but do not lose weight!

*Lots and lots of Christmas music.  If you haven't tried it, I highly suggest typing in "Barenaked Ladies (Holiday Mix)" on Pandora.  You can thank me later.

*This year we are starting 2 new traditions:  eating cake for breakfast (birthday cake for Baby Jesus) and spending a little time volunteering at Kokomo Urban Outreach.  Very excited for both of those.

*Instead of making New Year's Resolutions, we make New Year's Predictions.  We write down our guesses about sports, celebrities, politics, people we know, and just about anything else we can think of.  I'd love to share them with you, but, like a birthday wish, if you say it out loud, it won't come true :)

*Reading the Christmas Story from the Bible on Christmas morning.  What an amazing gift we have been given!  May you find your own traditions as you celebrate the season.

You want a what??!

My husband is a wonderful man.  He works hard at his job and at home.  He rarely complains about anything.  He is thoughtful and considerate.  He even makes my coffee up for me the night before so that it is ready to go in the morning.

But sometimes the listening skills are a little off.

The other day I told him about how I had just tried the Dunkin' Donuts Dunkiccino and how much I loved it.  It's just like gas station cappuccino, almost syruppy with a hint of coffee.  Not something for every day, but a nice treat.

Anyway, when we were headed to the airport for our big trip to Florida, I thought it called for said dunkiccino.  So the next few minutes while we are driving there, David is making comments about what a funny name it is, why they would call it that, whatever.  He drives up and orders a small "Donkey--chino".  And just like that drives up to the window. 

This is when it hit me that this whole time he thought the drink was called a donkeychino. (insert light bulb)

Needless to say, we were laughing so hard we were crying by the time the server brought the donkeychino to our window.  Also needless to say, a)there were puns and jokes about that word for the next several miles of our trip (example:  "You wouldn't believe it, I had him by the donkeychinos. . ." ) b)that drink will forever be referred to in our house as a donkeychino.

I love him.

My husband.

Well, and the donkeychino.

December Fun

Here are some things we've either already enjoyed or are looking forward to this month.  Happy December!

*Christmas concerts.  Although they are a little exhausting with little ones on my lap, I really enjoy going to see my neice and nephew in Christmas programs.  I like to see kids shine, proud of what they have worked so hard to do.  I like to see parents supporting their kids.  I like to be reminiscent of when I was a student and sang in Christmas programs.  Good times.

*Snow.  We have had snow on the ground every day so far this month, and it's been beautiful!  I kind of wish it was just a little bit warmer so we can actually go outside and play in it.  But I'd much rather see snow than rain in December.

*Baking.  I love to cook and bake and make treats, and December is a wonderful time for that.  My fudge hasn't turned out quite as well as I'd hoped, but the caramel corn, chex mix, and lemon poppy seed bread have been really good.  It's a good thing I'm giving some of it away!

*Jingle Bell Run.  Speaking of eating too much, it's a good thing David and I have been running.  We ran in a 5K in downtown Indy with my friend, Laura on Saturday, and I had my personal best time.  It feels good to work towards a goal and achieve it.  Now if I could just stop eating the leftover fudge I might get rid of this 2 year-old baby weight.  Ha!

Other highlights include building fires in the fireplace, watching Christmas shows on tv, attending the Christmas Eve service at church, and getting Christmas cards in the mail.

In the midst of this busy time of year, remember to take time and enjoy every minute of it! 

Don't Forget the Lyrics

Every year for about a month we all listen to Christmas music.  And with a few exceptions, it's usually the same songs we hear every year.

But do I really pay attention to the lyrics?

Yesterday, as I was on the elliptical machine, my kids were jumping on the bed next to me dancing to Christmas music.  And then "O Holy Night" came on.  Since I was trying really hard to forget about how un-fun my elliptical machine experience is, I tried to focus on the music. 

And that's when I heard it.

"A thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices"

And I think it hit me for the very first time how weary this world is without Jesus.  Can you imagine all of those generations waiting for a savior?  They were living in a very corrupt time, longing for the One they had heard about for so long.  They were weary, to say the least.

And then a star appears.  And not only do they rejoice, but they fall on their needs in worship to the new King.

So, what does this mean for me?  How is my Christmas season an act of worship to the King of Kings?  Or am I too busy shopping, decorating, going to activities, and eating?

I've been very convicted this year to make Christmas about Christ.  I know that sounds corny, but I'm serious.  I don't want my kids to think of presents when they think of Christmas.  I don't even want them to think about family and fun.  I want them to think of how awesome it is that Jesus came to earth for us.  And not only did He come to earth, but He came as a baby, wrinkly, soft, vulnerable, and beautifully perfect.  I want this season to honor Him.

Here are some ideas that I've found to help with that:

*Jesse Tree Reading for the month of December
*Giving to those in need
*Celebrating Jesus' birth on Christmas morning instead of Santa's arrival

What are you doing to remember the birth of the Savior?

Favorite moments from Thanksgiving Vacation

So we went to Captiva Island for Thanksgiving last week.

Now before you get mad at me, this was a very rare occurance for us.  We usually head to sunny Belding, Michigan for events such as Thanksgiving, so when David's family invited us to spend the week with them in Florida, we decided to make that our family vacation for the year.

And it was wonderful.

There were definitely some stressful points, since, you know, we had a 4 year-old and an 18 month-old (who, by the way, has learned the word "no" with flair and gusto.  So much so that she has to say it at least 7,000 times a day).  But overall, we had such a good time.  Here are some highlights.*

1.  Seeing Noel ride a plane.  He LOVED it.  It was so much fun to watch him look out the window and see us take off.  I love seeing the world through a new set of eyes.

2.  The pool.  We had a pool at the house we stayed in, and it was so nice.  Noel absolutely loved swimming.  At one point, he laid back on a floatie and said, "Ahhh, I could do this all day."

3.  The Island Cow.  The night before we left, David and I got to go on a date out to eat.  The restaurant (The Island Cow) was a fun little fish-fry-style restaurant, where we ate way too much, but had such a sweet time just talking and being together. 

4.  The beach.  Of course, we loved spending time on the beach.  The weather was beautiful, and I've never seen so many shells.  One day the waves were especially high and we all (except the little ones) went way out and played in the water.  Such fun!

5.  Exploring.  We rented bikes for the week and rode around every day.  We would always find a way to make a pit stop for some sort of treat for the kids (usually something in the ice cream family), so they enjoyed it to.

6.  Being with family.  There were 14 of us in the house.  We don't really get together too often, so it was such a joy to see my kids fall in love with their family.  To see Elise blow kisses to Jacob and get her toes painted by Becca.  To watch Noel dance for Abby and play ball with Grandpa Ed.  I will cherish these memories for years to come.

*I wish I had pictures to go with all of these, but we either forgot to take a camera anywhere we went, or didn't want to take the camera for fear of sand getting into it

The Waiting Game

I'm getting so antsy to decorate for Christmas.  Everyone I talk to has their tree up, the lights strung, and all of the festive decor up.  But we have to wait. 

Why?

Because we are old school and get a real Christmas tree.

Now, I'm not complaining, because getting a real Christmas tree is one of my favorite thing to do in December.  We drive out in the country to this patch of woods where a guy sits in a little shed (no phone, no hours of operation posted, just him and his fireplace).  We pay him $30 and he gives us a saw.  We stomp out through the trees to find the one that will stand in our living room.  Then David hacks her down and we drag her home.

It's so much fun, and it really is so beautiful.

But we can't do it yet, or come December 25 the tree will have approximately 9 needles left on the tree.

(Oh, and I need to mention that David, being the engineer he is, has created a self-watering system for the tree.  I can't even explain it except to say that it is worth coming to our house to see, and should be on an episode of  "Modern Marvels".)

And so I wait.

But in the meantime, enjoy your imposter of a tree!  (Just kidding. . .)

Torn

We had a wonderful vacation (which I will post about soon, I promise), but in the midst of the fun, I got an email that left me feeling, well, torn.

Bob Pemberton, a missionary in Zimbabwe who was only 52, died of a heart attack.  I have known Bob since I was little.  He is one of the first missionaries I ever knew.  I have memories of him eating dinner at our house and telling stories, teaching us songs and dances, and telling us about the amazing ways God works through us if we just let him.

I had several opportunities to spend time with Bob and his amazing wife Nancy.  And every time it was so good to catch up with them.  It was so inspiring to see that there is so much more God has planned than this "American Dream" we all try to chase after.

So, on the one hand my heart is a litle broken.  I think about how Nancy, and their children, and their grandchildren.  I think about how much the church in Cheredzi will miss Bob. I think about how 52 is way too young to die.  And then I think about where Bob is now.  He is celebrating in Heaven.  He is walking with God.  And I can't be sad about that, can I?

If you're reading this today, please take time to realize how short life is, how wonderful God is, and how others need to know that too.

And we're off. . .hopefully

On Saturday we will embark on our first Wittenbach family of four vacation via an airplane.  We're headed to Sanibel Island to be with some of David's family for the week of Thanksgiving. 

These are the things I'm excited about:
*warm weather
*flip flops
*getting away from household duties (aka cleaning)
*spending time with family
*the beach
*relaxing
*good food

These are the things I'm nervous about:
*both of my kids are congested and coughing.  I really don't want sick kids on vacation!
*sleeping arrangements
*flying with 2 little ones on an airplane
*spending time with family
*what to pack/how to pack

I'm trying not to let the "nervous" list get the best of me and just enjoy this trip.  I get so worked up about little stuff, especially when it comes to my kids.  It's so strange because when it was just me I hardly ever let the small stuff get to me.  I guess that's what happens when you're in charge of more than just yourself.  Another thing I never realized before becoming a parent.

Bon Voyage!

If you're reading this. . .

If you're reading this,
*Thank you for not giving up on my blog even thought I've been very negligent.
*Please know that I have all kinds of intentions to blog regularly again soon.
*Life has been crazy the past couple of days.
*Noel has been sick with 3 different illnesses in 3 weeks, and 3 trips to different doctors.
*I've been sick, run my first 5-mile race, played single mom for three days, and worked on an upcoming retreat for high school students.

Please forgive and don't forget me.  I'll be back as soon as I get caught up with all kinds of thoughts that you could probably live without. Ha!

Eternity

If you didn't read my last post, I'm sharing the devotions I'm working on for our upcoming fall retreat for high school students.  I'm hoping you can get something out of them as well as let me know what can be changed to improve it.

In our last “God Time” we focused on the fact that Jesus is our one, true hope. Without Him we have nothing. But with Him we have an eternity in Heaven. And that’s what we are going to look at today: Heaven.



When you think of Heaven, what are some thoughts, words, or pictures that come to your mind?






Instead of coming up with our own ideas of Heaven, let’s see what the Bible says about it.


Read Hebrews 11:11-16.


Think about all of the amazing creation God has made here on earth. What is the most beautiful place in nature you have ever been to? Describe it.














Think about this: If God made something here on earth that beautiful, can you imagine how awesome the city is that God is preparing in Heaven for us?


Read Philippians 3:12-4:1.


Who will be in heaven with us?






What will our bodies look like?










Read 2 Corinthians 5:1-10. In this passage Paul is comparing his body to that of a tent.


Do you like camping? Why or why not?










Most of us like camping for a short time, but we wouldn’t want to live in a tent for a long period of time. Why?










Think about how our bodies are like tents. They sustain us through this life, but they don’t last forever. They are fragile. They get torn and damaged. And that’s just another reason why we long for heaven. This tent of a body will be replaced with one that will never be destroyed!


The book of Revelation is full of descriptions of Heaven.


Read Revelation 21:1-4 and 21:22-27. What are some things about Heaven in these verses that make you excited?














Revelation 20:10 gives us one of the best parts of Heaven.


“And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.”


We will never have to deal with Satan, his lies, his schemes, the pain he causes, any of it!






So, Heaven is going to be amazing. Awesome. Beyond our wildest dreams. And the best part is that we get to spend eternity praising Jesus, who is the reason we get to be there at all.


But what does this mean for me right now?


Read Revelation 22:12-13 and 2 Corinthians 4:16-18.


Don’t give up! Life is hard. It is full of struggles, temptations, frustrations, and disappointments. But we must live with eternity in mind! This life is not the end, it’s just the beginning.


Think about all of the day-to-day problems that you encounter. Do they matter, in light of the fact that we have eternity with God waiting for us?














Think about the hard situations you are going through right now. Please be comforted in knowing that it is not going to last forever! Think eternally!

You're the Inspiration

I've been a little overloaded in the writing area as of late, so I've lost some of my creative "juices" (if you will).  Right now I'm working on some devotions about hope for an upcoming high school retreat.  Instead of writing twice, I'd like to share my first devotion.  Let me know what you think, cause I still have a few weeks before it will be given to the students.

What kinds of things do you hope for?


What is the difference between hoping and wishing?


The only reason why we have any hope at all in this life is because of Jesus.


Who is Jesus?


Who is He to you?


How is Jesus our hope? Read the following verses and come up with a 3-4 word summary of each verse/passage.


Romans 4:25 ________________________________________________________________________


Romans 5:7-8 _______________________________________________________________________


Romans 6:23 ________________________________________________________________________


Romans 8:1 _________________________________________________________________________


Acts 2:21 ___________________________________________________________________________


Acts 4:12 ___________________________________________________________________________


Ephesians 2:13-18 ____________________________________________________________________


Colossians 1:12-13 ____________________________________________________________________


Look back at all of the things you just read. That is how Jesus is our hope!


Think about all of the things that you hope for. What if they were gone? Think for a moment.


What if the car you hoped for was gone?


What if the spouse you are hoping for doesn’t happen?


What is the career you are hoping to have doesn’t work out?


What if your future plans change and aren’t what you were hoping for?


We might be discouraged, upset, or frustrated if these things we hope for are gone, but stop for another moment and think about this:


Where would you be if all of those hopes came true, but you didn’t have Jesus?


You see, nothing in this world matters if we don’t have the one, true hope of Jesus. Take a few minutes and write a thank you prayer to Jesus for being our Hope.

Our Father, who art in Heaven

Those are the first words of the Lord's prayer.  Words Jesus used to teach us how to pray.  Yesterday, my small group of girls talked about prayer:  struggles with prayer, why we pray, what to pray about, etc. And I think I learned more than the girls did.

I learned that while some parents are great, some parents are very immature and make their children have to grow up way too soon.

I learned that in a room of just 10 girls, one of them might have cancer, one hears voices telling her to hurt herself, and one has fallen away from God and desparately wants to come back.

I hurt for these girls.  I wish I could make their problems go away.  But more than that, I give these girls to God in prayer.  If I truly believe that God answers prayer, then now is the time to show it.

Everyone is going through something, but we just don't take the time to sit and talk to them about it.  We pass through so many days with shallow conversation and miss out on opportunities around us.  While our Father in Heaven is whispering to us, "Talk to them, ask them how they really are.  They need you."

I pray that I make time to have more of those conversations.  That I don't get so caught up in what I'm doing that I miss those around me who are hurting, who need my prayers, who need to know there is more out there than what we see in front of us.

It's kind of like a hat. . .

Okay, sorry for all of the focus on Noel, but he really does some funny stuff. Plus, I spend almost every waking hour of my life with him.  Think of all the stories I could be telling.  Ha!

So, tonight we had coupons for free Frostys and the kids had eaten a good dinner, so we headed out to Wendy's.  As you can imagine, Wendy's in Kokomo on a weeknight at around 7:30 was hopping.  Besides our family there was one employee eating a meal and an elderly lady dining alone.

For some reason, we have this tradition that when we are at Wendy's we play "I Spy".  And we had played for about 10 minutes, when Noel comes up with "I spy something white."  David and I are looking all over and guessing, and Noel keeps saying no.  Then we see him looking at the lady out of the corner of his eye.  We both start realizing that it's probably her he's "spying" (how many things can you point out in an empty Wendy's?  Plus, who am I kidding?  He is my boy, of course he is a people watcher!)

Then Noel says, "I'll give you a hint:  it's on your head. . ."

(At this point we are both trying not to laugh)

" . . .and it's kind of like a hat."

He was, of course, innocently spying her white hair. 
Just when Noel takes me to the brink of frustration, he reminds me that you can't buy 4-year-old entertainment like that.  Thanks, Noel Man.

The CD dilemna

I've really been convicted about having too much "stuff" over the last year.  And we have done a pretty successful job of keeping our things to a reasonable amount.  If we buy something new, something old has to go.  We consider purchases instead of making kneejerk decisions.  David just recently cleaned out Noel's closet and got rid of some old/broken toys.  And although we still have much more than we really need, I am feeling better all of the time about the materials we have.

But I have an dilemna.

And I'm reminded of it every time I sit down to the computer.  Right to the left of the computer desk is a cd tower with probably 150 CDs.  CDs we never listen to.  Most of these CDs have been burned onto the computer.  Almost all of them are old.  Let me give you a few examples (not joking):
Audio Adrenaline "Don't Censor Me"
Dixie Chicks "Fly"
Steven Curtis Chapman "For the Sake of the Call"
Dave Matthews Band "Under the Table and Dreaming"
Mr. Holland's Opus Soundtrack

I cannot tell you the last time I've listened to any of these, let alone the rest of them, minus the 6 Christmas CDs we bust out in December.

So what do I do with them?

Try to sell them?  Who wants to buy our terrible CD collection (no offense, Mr. Holland, you had your time in the sun, trust me).

Give them away?  Who wants this collection, even if it were free???

I'm at a crossroads, and don't know what to do.  Any suggestions?

Listen up, sonny

I teach Sunday School (we call it Insight) on Sunday mornings to high school students.  I really enjoy it.  The kids make me laugh.  They make me think.  But most importantly, it encourages me to look at the Bible in different ways to keep things interesting and relevant for teens who are diligent enough to show up at 9 am on a Sunday morning to learn about God. 

So the past few weeks we've been looking at the 10 Commandments, and I am always so surprised (why am I still surprised) that God shows me something new every time I let Him lead my lesson planning.  This week we're looking at the 5th command:  Honor your father and mother. 

Here are just a few things that I've come to realize through the course of this study:

*although I am still someone's child (and should still honor them) I am now on the other side of this command.  Am I being a parent who is teaching my child to follow God?
*The command doesn't say to "obey" your parents, but to honor them, which encompasses a lot more than just obedience.  To honor someone is to prize them highly, to respect them, to care for them, and (yes) to obey them.  Once again, God's plan is so much more than just rules.
*This command was sooooo important back then because the only way a child really learned about God's law was from his parents.  And even though we have Bibles and internet and programming and more resources than I can name, we are all just one generation away from being a people who do not call on God.  Read the book of Judges.  Even the godliest of leaders had kids who turned away, and the Israelites were back at Rock Bottom before they knew it.

So, if your parents are with you, please tell them how much you appreciate and respect them.  Don't take for granted all they have done (and continue to do) because you are their gift from God.

My Cup Runneth Over

Noel went and got a step so Elise can see outside with him. 
Here he is explaining the porch lights.

Playing house with a dishwasher box.

There is a fine balance between motherhood and insanity.  I'm sure of it.  Some days I just want to bury my head back in my pillow and not have to be in charge.  In charge of meals, cleaning, diapers, discipline, entertainment, clothing, schedules, the list goes on and on. 

And then I take a breath and look at these two amazing people.  And my heart is overwhelmed.  With love.  With responsibility.  With thankfulness.

Please take time to look around and let your heart be overflowed today.

Farmer Up

Okay, so I have had all kinds of intentions of writing more on my blog this week.  But the combo of writing small group questions and Sunday School questions for our high school students at church has kind of zapped all of my creative writing energy.

Excuses, excuses, right?

Anyway, not to make every post about Noel, but we did celebrate his birthday this weekend.  I now have a four-year-old.  Wow.  We had a little get together with a few of Noel's friends on Friday night.  A month or so ago we read a book from the library (it was a Franklin book, in case you're interested) that told the story of a birthday party that had games in the back yard.  Ever since then, Noel has wanted that for his birthday.  So we had cornhole, parachute games, a sandbox, a hammock, and the highlight:  a fishing pond.  We filled the kiddie pool with water and about 50 goldfish.  The kids used nets (and eventually their hands) to catch as many goldfish as they could.  They loved it!  It was so much fun to see them play and scream and run and enjoy being together.  There was also a Cookie Monster pinata, which was obliterated by the end of the night.  Noel ended up sleeping with Cookie's head that night.  I hope he doesn't need counseling later for that.

His actual birthday was Monday, and for his big day David took him out to a friend's farm to ride in a combine.

Do you know how exciting that is for my son??  He has not stopped talking about it since.

Not only did he ride in the combine, but he got to ride in "Mr. Anthony's" semi, help move the corn to the silo, and sweep the leftover corn into the grate. 

He's still smiling 24 hours later.

I asked him if he thinks he'll be a farmer when he grows up, and he says, "yeah, or a semi driver."  And then he thinks for a while and says, "or maybe I'll just be Mr. Anthony's helper and ride in the semi with him."  Not sure if that's a career option, but we'll leave it on the table for now.

Farm on, big man, farm on.

A beautiful view of the combine right before sunset

sweeping up the corn

John Deere boy

so excited to be in the semi

watching the corn drain out

Flashback Tuesday!

Noel's 4th birthday is right around the corner, and as I was going out to get the mail this afternoon, I had a flashback of an incident that occurred when he was a teeny tiny baby.  I think after you read this you will understand why I might not be getting the mother of the year award. 

When Noel was really little, probably 2 or 3 months old, he cried.  A lot.  I'm sure all babies do, but he was my first one, and I had no idea what I was doing, much less understood that sometimes babies just cry.  He wouldn't sleep.  He wouldn't take a pacifier.  He just cried.  And cried.  And cried.

One afternoon, I was at the end of my rope.  I needed a break from the crying, so I put him in his little baby swing and ran out to get the mail, slamming the front door behind me.  As soon as I slammed the door shut, I realized I had locked myself out of the house.  Which wouldn't have been such a huge deal, because we keep a spare key hidden (of course I won't tell you where. . .duh!).

Except that just a few days earlier I had locked myself out then, used the spare key to get in, and proceeded to leave the spare key on the kitchen table.

Huge deal.

So the scenario so far is:  screaming baby inside, crying mom outside.  What to do?

I take the walk of shame.

Now the walk of shame might mean something different to you, but for me that day, it meant going to my neighbors' house and asking to use their phone BECAUSE I HAD LOCKED MY BABY IN OUR HOUSE AND ME OUT OF IT.  Which in itself might not be too embarassing, except that I had probably given these neighbors some of the most condescending looks ever.  I won't go into details, but let's just say there were lots of various people living there, coming and going quite frequently, and the police drove by at least twice a week.  I once watched an entire squad team surround the house and arrest a guy.  We never saw him again.  Suffice it to say we were not what you would call great friends.

So as I knocked on the door, I realized that nobody has there stuff together.  We've all got issues, and I have no right to judge. 

In the end, I used their phone to call a friend who had an extra key, and she saved the day.  Noel was still fine in the swing.  I can't even remember if he was still crying.  For some reason (!) it didn't seem to matter much anymore.  And months later when one of those neighbors came to our door asking to use the phone, I was a lot more understanding than I would have been.  God definitely has a sense of humor!

Happenings Around Here

Happy Fall, Everyone!!

Lots of fun, exciting things going on around here.  We're putting some stuff together to celebrate Noel's 4th birthday this weekend.  Hard to believe.  I know lots of people say, "Where did the time go?" But I have really enjoyed watching him grow up.  Being here with him and seeing him change from a baby to a toddler to a kid has been such a neat experience.  Yesterday we went to the park, and I was checking to make sure Elise could get up the stairs at the playground.  Noel says, "You don't have to come up here, Mom." It immediately took me back to when he was 2 and wouldn't go on the playground without me. 

How things change.

Other upcoming fall activities I'm looking forward to:
high school fall retreat
football games
trip to Florida in November
running a 5K in the near future (I'm halfway through the Couch to 5K program)
teaching Sunday School for the high schoolers

What are your fall plans?

Crock Pot Applesauce

Just wanted to share an easy recipe for making applesauce

1 bag (2-3 lb.) apples, peeled and coarsely chopped (can be cut into large pieces)
4-6 T. brown sugar (to your taste)
1 t. vanilla
1 t. cinnamon

Put everything in the crock pot and cook on low for 4 hours.  Mash with potato masher.  Add more brown sugar if the sauce is too thin.

The original recipe I used called for 1/3 c. apple juice, but I didn't use any (didn't have any on hand) and it was fine without it.

Enjoy!!

Do you KNOW who my grandpa is?

Continuing in our onslaught of fun activities for Noel over the past few days, on Tuesday, Noel's preschool took a field trip to . . .

(wait for it)

Farlow's Orchard!

If you aren't from Kokomo, or maybe even if you are from Kokomo but don't travel to Russiaville much, you don't know about Farlow's Orchard.  According to Mr. Taylor, the tour guide, Farlow's Orchard is the oldest orchard in Indiana that has been run by the same family.  It's a cute, 15-acre orchard a few miles west of town.  Students and any interested parents (and siblings) met up at the orchard to see how the bees make honey, how a cider press works, how they sort the apples for selling or cider-making, and the highlight:  going on a wagon ride where the kids got to pick an apple and take it home.

A fun time was had by all.

Of course, the trip was a little underwhelming for a little boy whose grandpa was apple person of the year, and whose uncle runs a 300+ acre orchard in Michigan.  Noel immediately walks up to the tractor and wants a ride.  He has a hard time understanding that he doesn't get to ride on the actual tractor, just the wagon.  Then he is upset when Mr. Taylor tells us not to eat the apples we picked because they haven't been washed.

To which Noel replies, "We can just wipe them off with our shirts!"

Then he was disappointed when they didn't have any Paula Reds. 

Who is this kid?

The highlight for me was just getting to see Noel in action in preschool and to see who his classmates are.  He can't remember anyone's names, and I don't get much info about how school went beyond the snack of the day, so it was an interesting peek into a part of his life that I'm not a part of. 

And so it begins.

All of the preschoolers who went to the orchard.  Notice their little apple name tags.  Adorable.

Noel's class and his teacher in front of the pumpkins.  Hard to wrangle them all up.

Noel and Grandpa Ed at Wittenbach Orchard last summer

Put Me In the Zoo

To continue the fun times, we took a family trip to the Fort Wayne Zoo.  It was a wonderful time.  The weather was perfect, the new African exhibit was amazing, and the company was, of course, my favorite!  This was the first time that Elise really enjoyed seeing the animals.  It was so fun to see her discover some of God's creation that she had never seen before.

By the way, if you have never studied the giraffe, you should.  Once you learn about how God created the giraffe so uniquely, you'll never question creation again.

Elise taking charge.  Her expressions are priceless!

The merry-go-round with Grant

Noel and I rode on the chair lift over the African Exhibit

We could reach out and touch the giraffes--so cool!

Up and Away

We have had some really action-packed days, especially considering that we are usually pretty low key in the Wittenbach house.

On Saturday, David took Noel to the local airport for Family Fun Days, where he got to see different kinds of airplanes and play on bouncy fun-ness.  The highlight of the trip was that he and David got to ride in a 4-seater airplane over Kokomo.  They had just the best time.  It was all of Noel's favorite things in one place:

bouncy things
airplanes
mac 'n cheese
popcorn
lemonade
being with David
Russ Taff playing on the radio (Okay, Noel doesn't even know Russ Taff, and if you don't, then consider it a blessing--ha!)

Posing by the worm he crawled through over and over and over and. . .you get the idea.

Bouncy goodness.  This shot is great because Noel is in mid-air.  Neither of his feet is touching.

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Looking out the window during the plane ride.  Love the look on his face!

Standing on the wing of the plane he got to ride in

Back to Work

For the past three years I have been a mentor/tutor at elementary schools here in Kokomo for children who need a little extra one-on-one time.  It's been a great experience, and I have really enjoyed getting to work with students in younger grades, which is something I've never done before.

But it's time for me to get back in the saddle.

This year I'm back with middle schoolers.  I am volunteering on Thursdays to help at an after school program for 6th, 7th, and 8th graders called Bridges.  Yesterday was my first day.

About 45 students came.  We meet in the cafeteria for snacks, life lessons, homework time, games, and free-time.

It's chaotic, it's loud, it's a room full of strong personalities and stubborness and poverty and possibility.

I loved it.

Did everything go smoothly?  Of course not.  Kenesha walked out before the end.  Shyann said she was never coming back.  Not much homework was done.

But there's hope.

The hope of building relationships.  Of kids seeing their potential.  Of a parent getting a little bit of help raising a child alone.

I'm so honored I get to be a part of someone's hope.

There are programs like this all over.  If you have the opportunity, please do something to support your local public schools.

Questions I have

These are some questions I have rolling around in my head.  Some serious, some not-so-serious.  Does anyone have any answers?

*What is the deal with Naomi and Wynona Judd?  Seriously.  Someone explain it to me.

*Who is Oprah's fashion consustant, and who is going to fire them?

(Can you tell from these first two questions that I just turned the tv on?)

*Why are there shows called Hoarders, where the people need intervention, and American Pickers, where their houses are gold mines?  Aren't these the same kinds of people?

*Does anyone else spend as much time as I do watching their neighbors through their front window?

*Why is our country obsessed with shopping?  Can't we find something better to do with our time and money?

*Why does every person from the age of 13-30 say there is nothing to do in their town?

*Who thinks Jay Leno is funny?  I don't get it.  At all.

*Why am I always dead tired until it's time for bed, and then I'm wide awake?

*Why is it so hard to lose one pound, and so easy to gain one?

*Why are fart jokes ALWAYS funny?

*Is there an easier way to put a crib sheet on my daughter's bed?  I cannot do it without sweating and coming darn near close to cursing.

*Why didn't Dairy Queen come up with the mini-sized blizzard years ago?  Genius!!

*How many of those mini-sized blizzards does it take to gain a pound? 

I think I'll find that one out myself. :)

Dear Blog,

Dear Blog,
I'm sorry I haven't taken very good care of you over the past few weeks.  My kiddos have been taking turns being sick.  I promise when they are both better I will pay better attention to you. 

Sincerely,
Me

Things that make me smile

. . .in no particular order

*the moments right after both children go to bed and right before they wake up.  The house is so quiet.  I love them and enjoy my time with them, but I love time to myself, and it is rare.

*fall weather, unless I remind myself that winter is coming.

*celebrity Jeopardy.  I can answer almost every question, and that's not saying much

*on Saturday morning, David and I have a tradition of guessing all of the local football scores.  It's a running competition all season.

*Rebo coffee (straight from Haiti)

*free stuff.  Have you seen this website?  Full of fun free stuff

*the fresh salsa David has been making all summer from our garden.  It was so hot this week we were sweating.

*anything in the mail that is personally addressed to me.  Makes me feel special.

*being barefoot

*knowing that a new season of shows is about to start, including my faves:  The Mentalist, Parks & Recreation, Castle, The Big Bang Theory, and The Office

*knowing that there is so much more to this life than all of these little things, and yet God lets me enjoy these little things makes me smile, too!

Have a blessed weekend!

She says it better than I ever could

I'm going to do a little cheating today.  I've been reading some blogs from a group of people who are in Guatamala on a trip with Compassion, International.  If you don't know about Compassion, you definitely need to check them out.  They serve thousands and thousands of children all over the world by connecting them with people who support them financially, spiritually, and educationally.

Anyway, this blog post made me cry.  It's about how our riches make us callous to the needs around us.  Instead of reading a blog post from me today, read it.  Please.

Keep it movin'

So, I read on a blog yesterday (can't remember which one) some tips about how to keep your marriage "alive".  They were good tips, but there was one statement that really stuck with me.  She said that the marriage relationship is in a constant state of movement.  Your marriage never stays the same; you're either getting closer together or getting further apart.

And then I got to thinking.

The same is true with all of our relationships.  Nothing stays the same, as much as we want it to (or maybe not).  Our friendships.  Our family.  Our relationship with God.

Either we're getting closer or moving further apart.

And I'm guessing that if I don't know which way I'm moving, it's probably not closer.

I need to make a conscious effort to develop the relationships I have with those around me.  My family.  My Savior. 

Time.  Communication.  Trust.  Sharing.  Giving.  Secrets.  Tears.  Laughter. 

All of these need to be given, and received, to build relationships. 

God never meant for us to do this life alone.  Look around you and see how you can build the relationships you have today.

Since When?

It's been quite the weekend. If I wanted excitement on my birthday weekend, I sure got it. Friday I got to go out with my hubby and eat at Martino's, which is an old, locally owned restaurant in Kokomo. It's nothing fancy, but it was fun just to be together and not have to wipe anyone's mouth but my own. Then I got to get a new phone, which was free, thanks to David's work. You have to wait for a long time in the Verizon store, but it was like free entertainment, watching all of the people come in with their phone problems. Love. it.

Then Saturday was excitement of a whole different nature. Noel got sick. He had some sort of fever, sore throat, throw up bug that was pretty gross. It was a long, hard day, and I was reminded of two things:
1. I am so thankful for my children's health
2. I hate--absolutely hate--seeing my children in pain
On a lighter note, I did slip away with Elise for a little while and enjoy dinner with my side of the family.

Sunday we stayed home from church just in case anyone was contagious. And then we went on a 5 mile bike ride on the Nickel Plate Trail, which is a few miles north of Kokomo. It's a paved bike trail that takes you through the country. Call me Lesley Knopp from Parks and Recreation, (best show on tv, by the way), but I loved it! I think more people should definitely take advantage of it.

And today we relaxed. We got our annual family picture taken, ate at Wendy's, and played outside for hours. Not sure exactly why we have Labor Day, but I was very thankful for another day with David home after all of our "excitement" this weekend.

But I do have an important question that I've been throwing around in my mind for the last three days?

What is the etiquette for taking your pet around if it is a snake?

On Friday, I took the kids to a local park to play.  As they are playing, another 2 couples (with one child for the four of them) came to the park.  As they start to get closer, I realize the man has something around his neck. 

Surely that's not what I think it is.

It is.

Oh my goodness.

A snake.  Wrapped around his neck.

I tried to not freak out, but I'm sure my body language gave me away, not to mention my high-pitched question, "IS THAT A SNAKE??"

The guy's girlfriend/wife/baby mama/lady friend said, "Get that out of here."  So what does he do?  He carries it over to the yard next to the playground, just lays it in the grass, and comes back over towards his friends.

And this is where I officially freak out.  "Did you just leave that snake alone AND LOOSE in the grass over there?"  So the guy went and got the snake, put it back around his neck, and stayed far enough from the playground (and me and my kids) so I could breathe normally.

But all of this leads me to think--did this man ever think that carrying an animal that most people find creepy, if not downright scary might not be the best idea?

Since when is this okay?????

Is this a Kokomo thing, or am I behind?

Someone help me!!  And please, if you come to help me, let the only thing around your neck be one of those cute really long scarves!

35

35 doesn't sound like a lot in some contexts:

"I only have 35 cents."

"This drive is about 35 minutes."

"Can you eat 35 Hershey kisses?"

But being 35 years old feels, well, like a lot. I'm not even in my early thirties anymore. I'm halfway to 70. Yikes!

I don't want to be afraid to get old. I want to embrace every year, cherish the things that happen. I want to make a difference, and to do that, time has to march on. So if I'm getting older, let it ride! But I want to make every day count. I don't want to look back when I'm 40 and think, "Where did the time go?" Instead, I want to look back and have a mountain of memories. Of ways that I showed God's love to others, helped them to see how special they are.

Welcome, 35! Have a nice year!

Give it a Rest (Thoughts on the Sabbath)

Why is it that most of us think some of the 10 commandments are more important than others? Stealing? Don’t do it. Murder? Of course not! Adultery? No way.
What about honoring the Sabbath?
Hmmmm. . .
Over the course of the past few years I have really been convicted about this commandment. It seems like our society places so much importance on what we can accomplish, that this commandment has been all but forgotten. Now I’m not saying we turn into legalists and demand that nothing of any nature occurs during Sunday, I am saying that we need to be much more aware of how God made us and what is best for us.
Sabbath was originated by God to remind us to rest. I don’t think it necessarily has to be a specific day, but I try and choose one day (usually either Saturday or Sunday) and make it a point to spend time resting. I don’t mean sleeping all day. I mean not doing a million things.
This might look different for different people, but for us it means we don’t do household chores on that day. We don’t spend the whole day running around and trying to get as many errands run as possible. We try and spend extra time together as a family just being together. The other stuff can wait.
If you’re reading this, I’d like to encourage you to start recognizing the Sabbath in some way or another. God commanded it. He wants us to rest in Him and not run ourselves ragged. Don’t believe the lie our society tells us that we have to do, do, do all day. Just be. God will take care of the rest.