Little A

Some updates...from the kitchen

2012-01-31T20:10:00.000-08:00

My latest few things I have made...delicious pavlova. Made this yummy dessert above for my parents. The one below is my take on mini apple pies. I saw the recipe on Pinterest, and I didn't have the refrigerated pie crusts, but I made use of some butter biscuits from Pillsbury and it was really good. I want to try it with the refrigerated pie crusts next time.

Monster cupcakes

2012-01-11T14:02:00.000-08:00

I had a bunch of fun with this one, and the boys got involved too! I got a calendar for Christmas that showcases a different cupcake each month, and the recipe is included, so Jakin decided he needed to help me make it each month. So, we mixed up the batter and baked the cupcakes.

Then the boys unwrapped the mini cupcakes and stacked them on the big cupcakes.

Then they found matching suckers for the eyes for all of the cupcakes.

Next they frosted the cupcakes.

Then they picked out which color eyes they wanted to use.

They attached the m & m's to the suckers like eye balls after adding the peachy rings around the suckers!

All done! Cute, huh? The cupcakes are adorable too!

Nason did the yellow and Jakin did the green.

Here is our group of monster cupcakes! Thanks to my mom-in-law for giving me the calendar!

Hopefully you can tell which cupcakes are mine! Messy to eat, but a great sweet treat!

Breakfast cups

2012-01-10T16:46:00.000-08:00

I got this recipe off Pinterest, and tried it this weekend, and it was SO good! Roll pieces of bread flat, then cut out circles and put them into greased cupcake pans, sort of mashing them to the bottom and sides. Cook bacon until about medium or half done, either in microwave or on stove in pan. Then put slices or a slice of bacon (I like to cut mine in half so they don't go all over the place) in the cups with one or both ends hanging over the edge.

Then crack an egg into each one and salt or pepper if desired. Then bake in the oven on 375 for 20-22 minutes or until the whites are just set. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then gently lift out with a fork and serve!

Animal snacks

2012-01-10T14:14:00.000-08:00

This was a super easy treat and quite quick as well. Makes a small batch, which was perfect for us! First, you crush the vanilla wafers, using either a rolling pin and a ziploc bag or a food processor.

Melt white chocolate and add crumbs to it, then add sour cream. Mix thoroughly and then refrigerate for approximately 20 minutes until it is not so oozy and can be shaped.

When you put it into the frig it will look something like this.

After refrigerating, simply shape into small animals and accessorize with whatever candies and things you have on hand, then dust the animals with powdered sugar! I might dust them first next time, because as you handle the dough, it gets quite sticky. I had enough to make two owls and two bunnies.

Once you are finished, chill them for a bit or until ready to serve.

Below is my cute little bunny, which was a delicious treat for my boys! My oldest son told me it was his new favorite dessert!

Australian Delight (otherwise known as Pavlova)

2011-12-26T18:05:00.000-08:00

When my Aussie Mum and Dad were here, she taught me how to make several delicious things, so I decided to try my hand at Pavlova on my own for our fabulous dessert for Christmas dinner. It's a fabulous, airy, sweet and delicate dessert, starting out with the egg whites.

After whipping the egg whites to a stiff consistency, you add the other delicious ingredients, and then gently fold in corn flour, followed by spraying a tart pan and then sprinkling it with corn flour.

This is what it looks like before it goes into the oven, and then it bakes for an hour and a half, and then you leave it in the oven to cool completely.

After allowing it to cool completely, whip some heavy whipping cream with a bit of sugar and when it fluffs up good.

Then spread it on top of the pavlova and add what you wish on top.

It is great with almost anything, including chocolate, but my family likes fresh fruit the best!!

It's a dreamy dessert! So delicious, you won't be able to stop with just one helping!!

Apricot Scones

2011-12-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

I made these scones for the first time on my own without the help of my Aussie Mum! Hopefully they will taste good with my coffee in the morning! A little butter in the middle and warm them up a bit! Yum!

You can add almost any dried fruit to this recipe. Very easy one to make! Use 4 cups of self rising flour, mix in approximately 5 TBS butter with just your fingertips until it is crumbly. Then add in 1 cup of dried fruit, and I like to chop it up. I chopped my apricots up, because they were huge. Mix the fruit in and then make a well in the center, and add 12 oz of milk or buttermilk. Mix using a knife until it is a large ball. Then dump onto a floured surface and knead together until a smooth ball. Then roll out until about 1/2" but not too thin. Fold in half and cut however you want, squares, triangles, etc. Bake on a METAL pan on top of baking paper for 15-20 min on 425 degrees. Top and bottoms of scones should be golden brown. I also added a bit of butter to the tops and a bit of sugar on top of that before baking, but that is optional.

They look good! Can't wait to have one in the morning!

Cake Pops! Yum!

2011-12-21T21:24:00.000-08:00

I had fun making cake pops for the first time last week. I made them for the boys' teachers for Christmas. Here are some pictures...They were delicious.

First, bake a cake, and let it cool. Then crumble the cake and mix it with frosting. Form the mix into balls about 1-2 inches in diameter. Freeze for 10-15 minutes. (If you want the cake pop to be flavored, you can add flavoring to the cake and frosting as you mix it.)

Melt chocolate or almond bark or melting candy wafers in your chosen color or flavor. Dip the sticks into the melted chocolate and stick into the cake pops. Return cake pops to freezer for 10-15 more minutes.

You can do a variety of flavors and toppings.

After dipping them in chocolate and covering the entire cake pop, sprinkle or top with desired decorations or toppings immediately, as the coating will harden quickly. Put the cake pops in some sort of holder. I used a 2x4 that my husband drilled holes into. He made holes the size of the cake pop sticks. Then you can stick them up in a cup filled with rocks, peanuts, or other items which will keep the pops from tipping over. They were so yummy!

Vanilla French Toast

2011-12-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

It was a hit with my family this week! Vanilla French Toast! Super easy and so so delicious. Forgot to take pictures, but we really enjoyed it--so much so, that the boys asked me to make it again, so we had it twice this week!

It used eggs and milk and heavy cream and other yummy things, and you soak the bread all night and then bake it for 10 minutes in the morning and it is SO good! We made just 6 for all of us and it wasn't quite enough. I made 8 the second time and it was just right for the four of us.

Homemade Granola Bars

2011-11-22T15:35:00.000-08:00

Well, I probably won't wait a week to make a new recipe during this whole 52-week thing, but I will try to make at least one new thing each week. Yesterday's recipe was Homemade Granola Bars. It was super easy and a smashing success with my boys.

Not much detail to this blog because I am super sick, but James said it was better than any of the store-bought granola bars! Success!

52-week project

2011-11-19T20:52:00.000-08:00

So, my husband was challenging me to get rid of some cookbooks today as we were doing a deep cleaning of the kitchen, and I had a very hard time, managing only to get rid of a few. I kept telling him I use all of the cookbooks, but I realized that lately that has not been true. I have been making cakes and cupcakes for people, but I haven't been trying anything in those cookbooks in the recent past.

So, he challenged me to try something from the cookbooks each week. Something new and different. So, whether it is a recipe in my books, one I find online, or one I create myself, I am going to give it my best shot.

Tonight's creation was the first of hopefully many. We had three small chicken breasts in the frig along with leftover rotini pasta with no sauce on it. I soaked the chicken breasts in a mixture of milk and heavy whipping cream all day. Tonight I drained that and coated them in an Italian bread crumb mixture I had. Then I pan fried them in a tiny amount of oil for about 12-15 minutes. While doing that, I created a lemon-butter sauce in another pan, and then I added the cold pasta to the lemon-butter sauce and tossed it lightly until it was covered and also heated. Then I sliced the chicken breasts into narrow slices and put them on top of the noodles on each plate, and then I sprinkled the entire plate with parmesan.

Delicious!!! I will try to stick with this! We will see!

Dreary Day

2010-12-07T15:31:00.000-08:00

Today is a cold, dreary, gray day, and that is how I am feeling. It's annoying that although I am working two jobs now, it is still not enough to pay all the bills, and certainly not enough to have anything left over, not even to fix our car!

So much to do, so little time to do it, and it's not even really because of the holidays. I am just not able to get it all done and keep up with everything, which means some things get moved to the back burner, and unfortunately, sometimes that includes my extended family.

By the time my family gets home from their jobs in other time zones, I am already in the middle of supper with the family, or at karate with the boys, where I can't talk on the phone, or at youth group, and then after that it's get the boys ready for bed and then I usually have less than an hour to spend with James. That means that I rarely have time to catch up on anything else, and I have to get to bed so early because I have to be up so early, that family rarely gets called. I hate that, but I am not sure what else to do.

I have also discovered that I really hate to talk on the phone. I despise it, and I would rather text/email/facebook someone 500 times than talk on the phone. I don't know why I hate it, but I guess I have never really liked it. I use to like it more back before email and facebook and texting became really popular, but now it seems draining to me. If I don't feel like I have time for a long conversation, I'd rather not take a call because I know I will only have five minutes, but that's not a really good way to manage things.

New Year's resolution this year might be to call family more. What a dreary day. Ugh.

Glazed bliss

2010-11-30T15:03:00.000-08:00

Today it is time to discuss the qualifications of the perfect glazed donut. First of all, we would be talking about a Shipley's glazed donut. Secondly, we will cover the perfect time to eat the donut, the perfect time to box a donut, and the perfect time to handle a donut.

1. The perfect time to eat a donut is when it is of course, still warm. When the donut is sitting on the glazer and it is still dripping, one might be tempted to just scoop it up and eat it. However, you will get your fingers VERY sticky when doing this. I find that the glaze tastes sweeter when the donut is still warm and drippy, and the same goes for the donut holes. The taste of the donut melting in your mouth is worth the stickiness.

2. The perfect time to handle a donut is sometime after the perfect time to eat it and the perfect time to box the donut. If you need to put the donuts in a bag or on a tray, waiting just a few minutes will allow the glaze to dry slightly and though the donut will still be warm, it will not stick to everything, including the bag, napkins and the little tissue things we use. (it is so annoying to get an order for a dozen glazed donuts that are hot off the presses, er, um, I mean glazer, because your hands are covered in icing, and getting them in a bag is very tough. They also squish much more easily) Handling a donut is much easier when the tissue does not stick to them.

3. The perfect time to box a donut is when it is just slightly warm. At this point, the glaze is completely dry and the donut is barely warm, but still malleable, so it is easy to grab three donuts at a time to box them for a half dozen, dozen or two dozen box, and it will fit easily into a box without squishing up because it's too warm and soft, but it isn't so fluffy it won't fit. It's also not so cold it sticks to other donuts as you are picking them up. Boxing a donut when it is really hot means glaze will run off the donut into the box and most likely, out any cracks there are in the boxes.

So for me, glazed bliss occurs approximately five minutes after a glazed donut has been glazed. This time is cut down in colder weather when the drive through window has to be opened.

Snow rememberances

2010-11-25T18:55:00.000-08:00

In honor of the fact that I will not have to deal with snow, here is some interesting snow tidbits from my childhood, just to show you that I did once enjoy snow, but now as an adult it is not so fun. The information below came from my sister's blog, and my response to her blog entry is below that in a different color.

Memories of yesteryears gone by...

So many snowstorms I can't even count them infiltrate my childhood memories. There were a few, though, that were true blizzards of epic proportions. I will never, ever forget one in particular. I know I was in high school, and although my dad may correct me I'm thinking it was in 1997. The blizzard came roaring in and absolutely crippled the entire county. We were still living on the farm then, of course, and had the great big tractor and loader that could dig us out of anything. Somehow the electricity managed to stay on in our house, but went out for my cousins and some friends. Due to that circumstance, our old farmhouse became home base. They really did move in! My mom, my aunt and our pastor's wife took up residence in the kitchen and supplied a constant stream of chili, hot chocolate, and other warm offerings. Because we had thousands of cattle that still needed to be fed, the operations had to continue. My dad and his brothers worked tirelessly around the clock to get the food to the cows. Their sheds and feed bunks, however, kept getting snowed in. New winds would come up and the snow would fill it all in, making it impossible to get the food to the animals. That's where we kids came in. We were outside almost nonstop, shoveling out feed bunk after feed bunk after feed bunk. One would think it's something like child abuse and breaking all sorts of labour laws, but I think that every single one of us that were working had one of the best times of our lives. We STILL talk about that winter and that experience. We still reminisce about the breakout snowball fights, games of king of the snow mountain and deliveries of cookies and hot chocolate from my mom and her cooking buddies. I hold those few days as some of my fondest memories. We would tromp in from the hard work, peel off our wet clothes in the basement and shove the mittens and gloves next to the heater to dry while mom gathered up all of the snow gear and threw in it the dryer to ensure that it was warm and toasty for the next round. We would tromp up the stairs and file in around our huge kitchen table, gulping down bowls of hot chili or chicken noodle soup and devouring biscuits, dessert, and other yummy offerings. Random (and slightly abusive) bouts of the card game Spoons would break out and laughter could be heard nonstop. Snow can definitely bring and help to form some good memories. But then there is the scary...
In that same winter storm we received a call from my other aunt and uncle that lived a few "fields" and roads away from us. They were out of almost everything and needed some reinforcements. My mom packed up some boxes of supplies and sent me, my cousin Matt and our friend David off on the snowmobiles to deliver it. We got there just fine, it was the trip back that became problematic. A fierce wind came up and we were suddenly in the middle of a true Midwestern Whiteout. You can't imagine how scary this is. We were driving through the fields that we had worked in our entire lives and thought we knew like the back of our hands, only to discover that we had absolutely NO idea where we were, or how to get home...and it was getting colder by the minute. I remember the true and absolute fear that crept around my heart as we discussed which direction we should go. Finally, we ran across an irrigation ditch. We were able to figure out our direction from there and eventually make our way home, but not without some scary moments and thoughts of being stuck in that field going in circles for hours entering our minds. Scary indeed.
I recall hours and hours spent on our "sledding hill." It was a big hill just a few minutes walk from our house. All of the cousins would come over once it snowed and we would hurtle ourselves down the hill, only to grab our sleds and trudge back up to the top again for another round. This hill was the site of my broken ankle of 1993. I was at the top of the hill with my cousin, Steven. At the time he was pretty small and as we looked down I remember saying, "Are you SURE you want to go over the jump?" He was sure, so off we went. We flew through the air-and out of the sled-and as I came down my foot was pointing straight down. It lodged into the snow and snapped back, breaking my ankle in three places. It was just two days before Thanksgiving. I spent that entire night in pain on the couch in the living room while they waited for swelling to go down just a little. The next day was spent at the hospital in Rapid City waiting for them to fix it. I was in so much pain that my mom finally lost it and I remember her saying, "Can't you just give her something!?" Thanksgiving Day I spent on the couch at my grandma's house, my foot propped up on a pillow, while various relatives came to visit and chat with me. Something like 8 or 10 weeks later the cast was off. The next winter I finally tackled that hill again...I won't say I wasn't scared, but I won.
This isn't really a particular memory, but something about the deep cold that I'm always trying to express to my husband. It's how the cold freezes things...water, hair, nose hairs, you name it, when it is that cold outside it seems nothing is safe. I remember many walks across my university campus when the icy cold air would freeze all of the nose hairs together and if my hair was wet when I stepped out the door whatever was left hanging out of my hat would immediately turn into hair icicles. I definitely don't miss that about the cold.
I also recall the chilly breezes that tried to enter our house every winter. Before my dad had new windows installed in our old farm house I could put my hand up to the windows and feel the cold air leaking in along the sides. Every winter after that first cold snap my dad would seal up the windows with some sort of plastic and I seem to remember a hair dryer being involved somehow, but maybe that is my mind playing tricks on me. Regardless, I was always thankful when that saran wrapish stuff went over the windows, because it meant our bedroom would be much warmer.
Another memory is the way the snow could always pile up. When it is that cold outside, the first snowfall doesn't melt. The next one simply falls on top of that, and the next on top of that. The next thing you know, there are huge mounds of snow everywhere. They become piled up so high in the streets that it is hard to see around them when you are trying to turn. They always became piled up so high on our farm that we could have some pretty amazing games of King of the Mountain! In the spring it was always so interesting to see how long it would take those massive mounds of snow to melt down. The steady drip, drip sometimes even caused some flooding if it was combined with a massive spring rain storm.
Another great winter memory I have is ice skating. We weren't great at it, but we always tried. We would take our skates and head down to whatever pond or patch of ice seemed frozen over enough for us to attempt to glide across it. The gliding, however, wasn't so easy. Usually the ice froze with little bumps and bubbles on it because the wind in South Dakota never seemed to let up. It was tough to really get going smoothly with all of these little bumps in the ice. We definitely weren't figure skating! I do remember one night in particular though. The winters were long and hard for my dad, and usually by the time he was done with all of his chores on the farm it was dark and time for dinner (and probably a late dinner at that). One night, though, he came and told all of us kids to get into the pickup truck. He loaded up our skates-and some for himself! I remember being so surprised, thinking that I didn't even know my dad COULD skate. He then drove us out into one of our pastures where he had found a relatively smooth little pond, he lined the truck up on the pond, left on the headlights, and we skated there for what seemed like hours. It was such a special time. For once the icy cold wasn't penetrating every bit of exposed flesh and we were laughing and having fun with my dad. The darkness around the pond combined with the brightness of the headlights on the pickup truck made it seem almost magical. Maybe it was, just a little.

I'm pretty sure I could go on forever, but I should leave it at that. These memories make me both nostalgic and thankful. Thankful, perhaps, that I don't have to scrape snow on a regular basis, or breath in air so cold it hurts my lungs, or try to navigate treacherous, icy sidewalks. Nostalgic, however, for those days gone by. Snow is magical. It creates an entirely different world. As a child, I think that snow is one of those things that often has the ability to open up your imagination even further and help you to create and have memories that become a little fuzzy around the edges, but beautiful just the same. Thanks for the memories, snow!

So many good memories. I enjoyed reading about them. Remember all the fun snow drifts, like the one that would blow between the house and the shed with the car in it and also the big one over by the shop? I use to love to dig a tunnel into that one and we would lay in it. Remember all the times we would slide down the big hill of snow into the drain ditch? And we would try to hide from dad when he was in the feedtruck? LOL

I remember chasing cattle on New Year's Eve one year down at the Fortak place. They got out and were all over those two fields closest to Aileen's and we were in our snowsuits and we chased cattle on foot. I came to one of the little irrigation ditches but didn't know it and the snow was so deep that when I ran over the ditch I dropped completely out of sight in the snow. I freaked and I was all alone and I was afraid I would get trampled by a cow in the snow before I could get out.

I also remember the time when Daddy had to dig from the garage to get out to go get Charita and Kevin and the boys to come stay at our house. Don't remember if Dean and Julie, Gary and Aileen and Grandma and Grandpa came too, but I remember when it was so bad the power was out and we had to use the generator.

And how about at Nisland in the big field? Wow, some good times in the snow there. Remember playing that game where you would make a pie shape in the snow and you had to stay in the lines to play? And I remember one time we made a HUGE fort in the snow, it was several classes, and we had stacked snow bricks SO high that we couldn't see over the walls, and we had HUGE rooms in it and it was so awesome!

Good times ice skating too, remember going up and down the drain ditch? HA HA HA, little skating steps all the way down and back on the bumpy water. I do remember that time Daddy took us to the pond though, what a good memory! Remember when we would ice skate on the dam up at the feedlot? That was usually pretty good ice. The hill was always good too. I remember Candy running in the door all out of breath screaming about you being hurt and we drove up there so fast, and then I was so worried about you and trying to get Daddy to stop in the feedtruck that I ran down the hill in the snow and got going so fast I couldn't stop and I fell down and almost couldn't get up in time to stop him and then he was fussing at me about running down the hill.

I also remember when they use to hook our sleds up to the pickup truck and pull us behind them either on that or the four-wheeler and we would be in the tire tracks and it was SO fun and we would go so fast that it would really hurt when we wrecked!

Wow, good times. I still don't miss the snow, but those were some fun times. Thanks for the memories, sis! And yes, you can tell when it is below zero by whether or not your nose hairs freeze instantly when you walk outside! I remember when the snow came so early one year at SDSU that the people with bicycles didn't have the chance to put them inside and the snow was so deep it was over the bikes. We never saw the bikes again until spring thaw, and we had been walking over them all winter and the weight of us and the snow bent them all out of shape so they were all ruined when the snow melted.

I also remember people getting really long extension cords to plug their cars in WAY out in the parking lots from their dorms so their cars would start in the cold weather. LOL So funny.

Mmm...Food!!

2010-11-20T15:45:00.000-08:00

Why does food have to be so delicious? I mean really, I am trying to lose weight, but it is so tough when I bake things or make a meal at home, and I eat a bowl or serving of it, and then I feel like I have to clean my plate.

And my mom taught me to clean my plate, so I feel like I am being wasteful if I don't. And then sometimes, well, okay, let's be honest, LOTS of times I just don't WANT to stop after one serving. I mean, I made chili the other day and had two bowls and really wanted to keep going on a third bowl, and it was extremely difficult to stop myself!

The donuts. Oh boy. Fun job, but I don't think it's helping my diet at all, even though I really don't have time to eat much while I am working. I am hungry, the donuts are there, and I can eat a few for free while I am working and why pay for a breakfast or eat something at home that I have paid for when I can do that? I am so cheap and frugal that I reason that way, but yet I know it's not good for my body weight to eat a ham and cheese kolache and two donuts for breakfast, and then go home and have another donut at home for my lunch.

Also, I haven't been cooking as many home made meals lately and I know that isn't good for us either. I wish I could like yogurt, because that would be healthier for me to take and eat but I just can't force it down. I tell myself I like it and buy some and then I can't choke more than one cup of yogurt down. Ugh.

If I was limited to disgusting food or rice cakes, maybe I would do better. I try not to buy a bunch of junk food for the house, but it seems like it is there anyway. Or it is hard for me to limit myself to something healthy or a smaller serving when I feel my stomach growling.

If I could get myself into a better workout routine maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but I can't seem to do that. I mean, the dog needs to be walked right now, but what I really want to do is run, and I can't do that with the puppy right now because he is not suppose to run until he is older, plus he can't run for long now anyway.

Excuses, that's all these are. I just need to buckle down, realizing I am NOT 21 anymore and able to eat whatever I want and not exercise and remain a size 4. HA! A size 4? I haven't seen that since I was a freshman in college! Right now I would settle for getting some flab off in a couple of places!

Like Ants We March

2010-11-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

So I have been noticing an interesting thing/pattern at work lately. When someone is at the drive thru window and they call out an order, the rest of us rush to help fill the order. When we do so, it is somewhat like ants delivering things to the queen ant in the pile.

"I need two sausage and cheese, a chocolate milk, three white iced donuts and a dozen glazed," you might hear, and we all snap to attention and start calling out things. "I've got the chocolate milk and the white iced!" I yell, while someone else says, "I've got the cheese!" and yet another says, "I'll get the dozen glazed!" and somehow they are all magically delivered to the drive thru person at nearly the same time.

While you are delivering your items to the person at the window, you notice the others filtering toward the the window as well, and you also notice that you have to do a fine dance to stay on the path while not colliding with others who are getting other items or helping another customer.

Saturdays are a great example of this, as they are so busy you often have several people on drive thru and three or four people on the front registers. The people helping the drive thru customers rush into the front of the store to grab items such as regular donuts, cake donuts, drinks, kolaches, etc, and attempt not to collide with those helping the customers in the front of the store. Bending to grab a box or reaching for a bag while ducking under someone filling a dozen donuts in a box can be tricky, while grabbing a chocolate milk on the fly and managing to get the sliding door on the cooler shut again is an athletic move of grace...well, maybe not.

"Leave that drawer open," you yell, as someone grabs two jalapeno kolaches, and you grab the ones you need and use your thigh to close the drawer as you quickly move off to grab another item. Knowing when to stop pressing the button for the cappuccinos in order to get the cup filled just the right amount without overflowing it or to leave enough room for the whip cream is a work in progress. After a certain amount of time, you begin to get to the point where you know exactly when to stop the flow of liquid to get the perfect amount in the cup.

Even filling/stocking the drink cooler can be somewhat interesting. Filling the cooler with the newer drinks in the back can be difficult, and can take quite a bit of time, so while doing it in between customers can be a bit tough and take some time. We have so many choices, it is important to make sure it appears fully stocked at all times so the customers can have plenty of selection to choose from. There is Gatorade in various flavors, as well as several different Powerade choices, milk, chocolate milk, strawberry milk, apple juice, orange juice, cranberry juice, cran-grape juice and sunny delight. You can also get water, cappuccinos, sodas and coffee.

The donuts themselves are a whole different matter, and while I understand the principle of how to ice/frost them and fill them, I have not had much opportunity or practice at that particular part of the job yet, and I am okay with that. (That job requires coming in even EARLIER than I already do, so I am okay with not knowing that! Ha!) I could do it in a pinch, but they wouldn't look pretty.

And I am completely clueless on how to actually make the dough and fry the donuts or cook the kolaches. Totally okay with that as well, as I don't want to be at the store at 2:30 in the morning to get those started! Yuck! (But the guys that do it are always fast, efficient, and they do a delicious job!)

There are also patterns of how to move about the store, and they change throughout the morning. For instance, in the early morning until about 9am, you can find the hot or warm glazed still on the glazer or right next to it, but after about 9:30 or so, the glazed donuts will be located on trays on a rolling cart near the windows. Once the guys start their cleaning process, it is more difficult to get around the store, so you have to become inventive to get around. Many times you will run to get something for someone at the drive thru and you come around the corner only to find you are blocked from the window, and you must pass the bag or box off to the person at the window by handing it over whatever is blocking your way, whether it be a table, a box or bag of trash, or other equipment. Also, in the morning you can find three of the four kolaches in warming drawers in the front of the store, but after about 9am we move them to the back, since we don't need nearly as many of them, and this means that many times you forget they have been moved, even if you were the one to move them!

Come see us in action off 3009 and 35 sometime!

Sickly randomness

2010-11-11T14:00:00.000-08:00

So, today it will probably not be anything funny or interesting, just a bunch of random information from the mind of a sick person. Not from a sick mind, just from a sick person. Not sick in the head, well, but I guess my head DOES hurt, but anyway, there you have it.

So I am trying to go through my craft books and figure out some neat but inexpensive gifts to make for some of my friends around here for Christmas, but I have been sleeping on and off most of the past two days and I come out of the bedroom and discover my house is a complete wreck!!! The dishes are piling over my deep sink onto the counter, there is trash all over the house, on the ottoman, the floor, the counters, tables, EVERYWHERE! The trash can itself is overflowing, no one has played with the poor dog in two days and food has been left sitting out to rot. My boys ate popcorn and it is all over the floor but I can't even let the dog in to clean it up because the rest of the flooring in the house is covered with monster trucks, cars and legos which are all fun to chew up!

I finally managed to get together a load of laundry, since that seems to require the least amount of strength from me, and I sat on the floor and folded a load of laundry also. But that aching in my gut just won't go away. And yet, I also have the same "I am starving" feeling that you get when you haven't really eaten in days, and I know I need to try to eat something, but I don't really want anything. Except Lipton's Chicken Noodle soup. That's what my mom use to make me when I was sick. That is always what I want now, whether I have a head cold or am recovering from the stomach flu. However, it's not the same and doesn't feel like it has the same healing effects if you have to make it yourself, so I need my hubby to come home and make it for me.

The boys had fun running around in the 81 degree weather running up and down the sidewalks. I love how safe I feel here in this neighborhood. Strangely, I feel safer here than we did in our neighborhood in Durand! I think it's because we know they (our neighbors) are really watching out for us. And DO they! Last weekend our neighbors on one side offered to keep our puppy all weekend while we were gone to Houston, because they didn't want us to leave our back door unlocked! How nice! And two weeks ago, our neighbor on the other side let me know that a couple of days earlier he had seen our puppy out and figured out it was because our gate was unlocked and so he had put the puppy back and made sure the gate was securely closed for us.

And the neighbors are constantly cooking out in front of their houses at night, and they are always inviting us to come over and hang or whatever, and it's so nice! I love it! And the weather is fabulous! So far I am not missing the cold weather! I love stepping out at 3pm on the 11th of November and being greeted by a balmy and delicious 81 degrees! No freezing to death while my hubby fries the turkey this year!!! He is used to having to wear his warm Russian fur hat with tons of layers of coats and gloves and snowpants to stay warm while he watches the turkey. LOL.

Well, this has been completely random, so why not throw in some fun photos of us we recently took with my new computer? We have fun with this new thing on my computer and I just love it!

Useful items

2010-11-08T16:12:00.000-08:00

Ok, so everyone knows what a box is used for. You put things in it. And everyone knows what a napkin is used for, but did you know it can have other uses? And a box with a scotch tape refill can come in handy as well as unused register tape rolls. How, do you ask, can these items have different uses? Just come to Shipley Do-nut and you will find out!

Up first is the standard box. We have a half dozen, one dozen and two dozen box. These can be used for donuts or kolaches, but there can be other uses too! For example, when donuts are hot off the presses, or, um, actually they are still HOT and still ON THE PRESSES, and have just been glazed but you are in a hurry to get them to a customer, those boxes come in handy! They work great as a fan to help dry the glaze just a bit to make them less messy to get into a box or bag.

Next in line is the lid for the soda cups! Now WHAT can this be used for, you might ask!? Besides the obvious use on top of the cup, it works great to fan the top of the drinks when you are trying to get the fizziness to subside so you can make certain the cup is full before handing it to the customer.

The trays are extremely versatile, and besides holding donuts, they can also be used for holding lids and cups. Cups obviously are designed to hold liquids, but we use them to hold markers and pens in various areas throughout the store as well as cutting one in half to use to hold straws at our second drive-thru window in order to save space.

Dry-erase markers are used to keep track of who has done what on the cleaning list, but they are also used to mark bags and boxes to help the customers keep track of which donuts or kolaches are in the bags or boxes.

A box with a scotch tape refill in it can also be used to weight down napkins that tend to fly away in the breezy times at the drive-thru window and register tape rolls are also used to hold up the credit card machines when needed.

Bags can be used to hold donuts, kolaches, donut holes and also "extras" that are needed, such as when a customer requests cream, sugar, etc on the side. The hot water button is used for tea, cleaning out the coffee pots, sudden needs for hot water for cleaning and also to soak the soda heads in at the end of the day.

We are interesting individuals. God gave us a creative, problem-solving mind, and we make do with what we have. So, when we need that donut to cool a bit, we get out the boxes, and when we need those napkins to stay in place, we look for something to weight them down, like the scotch tape boxes. We adapt to new things and come up with new ideas to make things work better, faster and more efficiently. Stay tuned for updates from the donut shop!

A few of my favorite things

2010-11-02T19:34:00.000-07:00

Well, I know it seems shallow, but I am really thankful for my new house. Let me count the ways:

1. My bathtub. I could stop there, but I have to go on. It is not a whirlpool tub, but it is large and so great to pour salts and oils and bubbles into it and just soak away my aches, pains, cares and stress. My feet get very sore at my job, so soaking them in epsom salt is very helpful. I try to get into that big, beautiful bathtub at least 1-2 times per week. I make time for it, even if it's only 20 minutes. Sometimes I read. Sometimes I just sigh. Sometimes I fall asleep. It's awesome, and I love it.

2. My washer and dryer. I was so blessed because I did not have one when we bought this house and we would have had to get just a cheap pair, but these were part of the promotional things with the house to sell it, and it has all the bells and whistles! I love being able to set it and walk away and know it will run in the middle of the night or later in the day. It does a great job and there are so many settings. They are both front loading and there is plenty of space for me to just sit on the floor and pull dry clothes out to fold on the floor and it makes me not mind folding laundry quite as much as I use to.

3. My kitchen. Although my appliances are not my personal choice and I want to upgrade them someday if possible or when/if we ever sell the house, I love the size and the tile and the sliding glass doors into our private fenced back yard (more on that later). I like all the counter space and the island and all the storage. I like that the cabinets are tall and although they don't go all the way to the ceiling, they are so high and have very little room at the top to keep me from being tempted to stick "junk" up there.

4. The backyard. It is fenced, need I say more? Oh sure, and it is OURS. It's awesome having our own private fenced backyard again. It's been a long time, and we have a puppy again, plus it's beautiful weather here and I like to sit on the patio in our chairs and eat or work on the computer or watch tv and just relax. I really enjoy it.

5. Okay, this might seem stupid, but I REALLY like my front door. I have NEVER had a front door with a window in it, and part of the deal with buying this house when we did is that we got a free upgrade to a Texas Star door. It is SO pretty and makes me feel like it makes the house more fancy. It is a pretty wood color and I just really love it, plus I like being able to see who is standing on my porch before I open the door.

There are many things I like about this house, including the reliable hot water, the neighborhood and other things, but that is all the time I have for now. I am so thankful for the Lord giving them to us. Certainly more than I deserve.

The Vanna White of Donuts

2010-11-01T15:29:00.000-07:00

Well, recently when I was boxing a dozen donuts for a customer, I realized I was moving off to the side after placing each donut in the box in order to give the customer a chance to look at the donuts. I thought silently how "Vanna" it seemed, for instance, as I selected a donut and moved, it was as if I was turning a letter and then moving back to one side or the other so everyone could see the puzzle again.

Now, what little girl hasn't wanted to be Vanna White just once in her life? Glamorous gowns and a "beautiful" job. However, although I am merely placing donuts in a box and wearing a simple t-shirt and pants, I feel my job is just as important, if not more important than her job. I mean sure, she gets to wear fancy gowns and make a bunch of money to stand there and look pretty and be envied by many women. However, I also get paid (surely not as much as Vanna, lol) and my outfit HAS to be more comfortable in my tennis shoes and pants and t-shirt than her fancy gowns and high heels, and let's face it, they no longer need Vanna. She "touches" the letters, but they could just make them change automatically. They don't need her, but the donut shop does need me! The customers simply CAN'T get the donuts without me!

Also, it's important that I select the right donut! If they want a raspberry filled and I give them a cherry filled, it's going to ruin their day. I have to make sure I get the right cake donut or they will be unhappy. Vanna use to have to make sure she turned the right cube around, and now I think they just make sure the square changes when she touches it. I mean maybe it is touch-sensitive, but the donuts simply won't leap into the customers hands without me there to make the connection.

There are other ways we present donuts, such as when we share with them that the top two rows are the same price, I usually use a sweeping gesture with my arm and hand, so they know exactly what I'm talking about. I also use other gestures, such as pointing left or right as I mention that we also have coffee, soft drinks, juices and milks, along with mentioning that our regular glazed are in the back. It's my job to sell the donuts, and to make the customers happy.

So, although I am not wealthy, and I do not regularly wear fancy gowns or have a personal stylist for my job, I AM the Vanna White of Donuts.

More to come on this funny subject of donuts in the future.

The Donut Dance

2010-10-30T12:59:00.000-07:00

Working at Shipley Donuts can be like an interesting dance, especially during the really busy times. No one can teach you the dance moves though, you just have to learn them over time to help you move more efficiently and more quickly.

For instance, there is the "duck" move, where you must duck when using the microwave so your head doesn't get hit by the register drawer flying out. The duck move is also important when grabbing napkin stacks or cups/lids/sugar and other refill items when someone is moving over you with a hot kolache or tray of donuts.

Then you have the "tummy tuck," which is performed also in various areas of the store. The first area is when you must squeeze through the donut cutting table and the second drive-thru window to take an order. It's a slimming spot for sure, as you must suck your gut in while twisting your hips to rotate through the spot. The tuck can also be performed when passing someone in the drink machine and kolache area, particularly when someone else has a kolache drawer open.

There are also skating moves, which are usually performed just after the floors have been mopped. One must take care not to move too quickly, especially on the tiles in the dining room area, because they are super slick. You simply have to skate along the floor with small steps.

The "stacking & stocking" move is another great one, most often performed when stocking boxes or drinks. This can also be a repeated move when loading donuts or kolaches into boxes for a customer.

The "sweep" is an easy move to understand and master. Simply sweep the floor to keep things clean. The dance moves are often accompanied by a lot of yelling, as we yell orders out to each other to keep the customers happy in the shortest amount of time possible.

These are just a few of the interesting moves in the Donut Dance. Come visit between 6:30-8:30 a.m. any day of the week to see these moves in action.

Surprise, surprise

2010-02-09T15:49:00.000-08:00

Yes, I know, it has been awhile. I just don't have time to blog, with all the writing I do for the paper and between Facebook, texting and Blackberry instant messaging. Oh yeah, and keeping my house clean, cooking and my children!

But, it HAS been awhile, so whether anyone still checks this or not, I will send it out into the void. It has been a crazy few weeks. I think God is working in some interesting and fascinating ways in our lives, and I am at times unsure we are ready for the ride and at other times feel like I am strapped in and ready for the ride of our lives, so bring it on!

I have to trust Him. I know He has always provided and will always provide, but once again, we find ourselves in that spot where there is a lot of uncertainty and we just have to wait, and watch how God is going to solve everything. Should be interesting.

Anyway, I am missing my family. Wishing I could be with one sister as she plans her makeover on her bedroom, wishing I could be with my other sister as she goes through a difficult time and as she sets up housekeeping in her very own home! I am wishing I could be with my brother as he and his almost wife plan the last-minute details for the wedding, and wishing I could be home to give my Daddybear a big hug and have a nice long chat with my mom.

Hurry up and wait. That is where we are. And it is driving me crazy.

Manfrotto

2009-08-28T21:38:00.000-07:00

Manfrotto, thy name is love. Yes, it's true, I have a new love! I love our tripod! I know, I know, it seems silly, but here is something you don't know: It's NEW!!! While at the beach, Jamey's VERY OLD tripod finally bit the dust, so we had to invest in a new one and decided to get a nice one that might help me out with my job too.

I was a little hesitant to use it, but my hubby encouraged me to strap the camera on and let it roll to get better shots, so I gave it a whirl, and BOY!!!! It is a ball head tripod and it is soooo nice! I was able to keep the camera on it all night and not have to hang the camera from my neck and also get good pics! It was also really easy to use, which is not typical of things my husband encourages me to try when it come to technology.

I left the camera attached and picked up the whole thing to run around back and forth down the field all night, and I was really loving it. Up until the moment when it was almost crushed. I had it, the perfect shot, and I was clicking away, noticing that the runner was getting VERY close to me. But I saw his line and knew he was going to land just past me and I should get some good shots. However, I failed to notice the defender trailing behind him and saw him through my lens just milliseconds before he nailed me. I managed to lift the camera high in the air, tripod and all, and yes, I saved the camera!!! And the tripod!!! Good thing, because my husband would have killed me!

However, as I was celebrating the salvation of my coveted technology, I felt pain and looked down, realizing the defender's helmet was connecting with my right knee and my legs buckled. I didn't go down completely, but OUCH!!! The poor player felt so bad and apologized, but I told him I was fine (yeah, walk it off, girl--ha ha yeah right!) As the player walked off and I bent over in pain, I was aware of several players and even an assistant coach grinning at me. "Oh great," I thought to myself, "Here it comes" they are going to laugh at me almost getting knocked down. Then I realized it was a different kind of grin. One player said, "THAT was a nice save!" and nodded at my camera. I laughed and a coach on the left said, "No kidding! Great save!" I'm starting to think they think I'm cool now!! Then he looked down at my legs and nodded toward me before saying, "Bet your knee hurts, doesn't it??" Darn. He had me!

something new

2009-08-27T14:51:00.001-07:00

I am just testing this out. I hope it works.

Dark Chocolate

2009-08-21T17:58:00.000-07:00

You know how dark chocolate is so rich it is almost bitter? But it is SO good too, you just can't eat a lot? That is how my life feels right now. Bittersweet. The bitter part that makes me take it in small bites is adjusting to my baby going to school next week. He seems so little compared to his brother at that age. I know part of it is that he is actually smaller in size than Nason was, but part of it is just that my baby, my last little guy, is going to be gone every day all day from now on during the school year. It's over! That sweet time at home that seemed to drive me crazy, when he would ask me to read and spend time with him and it seemed like all I wanted to do was housework and I should have been spending time with him! That makes me feel bitter, because it's hard to realize I should have said yes to him more often.

But yet sweet, because it's so neat to see my oldest child developing a real personality, and having actual conversations with him of an adult nature, without whining and crying, that is just so new and so fun! For instance, he convinced me he needed a robe and he wanted to start sleeping with his door partially open at night. He had calm, rational discussions about each item, none of which involved yelling, crying or whining. (Nason didn't whine either! Ha!) I am enjoying the sweetness of seeing him mature and his reading skills are way out there.

And sweet, because it's also fun to see Jakin's total and complete enthusiasm for school. Bouncing and smiling at the eye doctor, in the dentist's chair, and even when he had to get shots at the doctor's office, all because he knew that got him one step closer to SCHOOL!!!! I get sad when I think of my little guy at school all day, learning and leaving me behind. I tell him I don't want him to go and leave me alone all day, and his favorite comeback is, "Mommy! You can come and eat lunch with me!" Yeah, like that's going to make up for the fact that he is away from me for 7 1/2 hours the rest of the day!!

And sweet, because I will finally have time for me. Ok, so I am selfish and often took time for me before, when I shouldn't have, but now I can do it guilt-free. I am getting another job hopefully, which will help the finances, but also having time during the day to scrapbook uninterrupted if I want, wow! Strange and glorious! =) Maybe I'll finally get started on Jakin's baby book! Oh wait, there is my cruise album and the Disney album to finish first!

I find I am actually looking forward to the challenge of packing new and interesting lunches each day for them, and I can't wait for Monday, when I can surprise Nason with a note in his lunchbox!

So, dark chocolate is my favorite type of chocolate. I can only nibble it, I can't bite off big chunks, but I think that is what God intended for our lives. You take each day as a little nibble, do the best you can, and enjoy the time you have with your children, whatever stage they are in, and don't guilt yourself for the should-have-beens or the what-if-I-hads. I certainly intend to enjoy this phase of my life, spending time each afternoon and evening with my kids, soaking up their love and thirst for knowledge, listening to Nason read, watching Jakin learn to read, and watching the Lord shape their lives.

I think I'll go have a nibble of that dark chocolate right now and help Jakin check off another day on his calendar he is keeping until that tragic/exciting first day of school on Tuesday! With tears in my eyes and a smile on my face, I will hand him that marker and then accept his joyous hug when he sees how close he is to asserting some independence from me!

Stupid Commercials

2009-08-16T21:11:00.000-07:00

So, do you ever watch tv and see those ads for medicine and they list side effects that make you want to laugh?? For instance, tonight we were watching tv and saw an AmbienCR commercial that made us giggle. One of the things they said was "This medicine may cause drowsiness, so you should not operate machinery or drive a car." SERIOUSLY??????

We laughed so hard, because really, isn't that WHY you are taking the medicine?? I mean really, if you take Ambien, are you seriously going to get in a car?????? To drive it?? How ridiculous!!

Lunches!

2009-08-08T17:11:00.000-07:00

School lunches are becoming increasingly more expensive every year, and unless you qualify for free or reduced lunches, it is becoming harder and harder to afford them, especially as the number of children you have in school increases.

I have found that I will need to pack a lunch for my boys for most days, and I need to make sure it costs enough less than $1.75/day in order to make it worthwhile. That means about 25 cents per drink, main meal item, side item and snack/dessert item. That would total $1 and would save us about $30 per month! I will let them eat about five days a month at the school for their favorite items, so I guess it will only save us about $22.50 a month to pack lunches, and that is only if I can pack a lunch that is still nutritious without costing more than a dollar! This is going to be a challenge!

If anyone out there has good solutions, let me know! I have the lunchboxes already and am preparing to make a trip to Sam's Club to get bulk items to help us out! I have to make a list! Yikes! Although this will be a big challenge, I find I am also looking forward to the challenge of packing a lunch every day for my boys, trying to find things to surprise them with and yet remain nutritious! Nason likes salads, so that will help, and Jakin will eat many fruits. I hope I can figure something out! I think I need a schedule of what to pack each day!

Well, I better get going and make my list! Agh!

something new

2009-08-07T21:15:00.001-07:00

today i am trying something new: blogging from my phone. so this is just a test.

The Haze

2009-01-08T10:55:00.000-08:00

My life right now seems like a big haze. It's like I vaguely remember that I have a life back in Illinois, but I have been gone so long it doesn't seem real right now. At this point, it seems like I have permanently moved in with my sister, her husband, and her new little girl. By myself. Oh yeah, I have to keep reminding myself I have two little kids, a husband, a job and a life that is waiting for me to step back into it and remember how to do everything!

Right now, it seems like I only remember how to change diapers on a tiny little baby. I talk to a four-year-old and a seven-year-old on the phone, thinking "Oh yeah, those are MY kids!" I haven't been out of the house in days, but I am so thankful for this time with my sister and my niece. I love her to pieces, she is so tiny, but already changing so quickly! Just in this first short week, her face has already started to fill out a bit, and we have learned that she has a difference in cries...yeah, she definitely has an I'M MAD cry! Boy oh boy! She is already growing out of outfits and eating all the time! My poor sister feels like a milk cow, but it is exciting to know that she is providing everything her daughter needs, and that the baby is growing so well and doing so great with nursing and stuff!

When I get home, I can't wait to post a couple of pictures from our trip to South Dakota, but since my family has become very disjointed this week, I am at a loss as to how to proceed. My four-year-old has been living it up at his grandparents' house, getting all the attention from my parents, and my seven-year-old has been back in IL with Daddy and then being shuffled from house to house while my husband does what he would normally do when I was there to be with the boys.

I have loved my time here, because I got to spend time with my new little nephew (more about THAT later) and then now with my sweet little niece, but I will be ready to head home on Saturday with my four-year-old!

A FULL LIFE

2008-11-23T13:17:00.001-08:00

Well, at times I feel like I don't know whether I am coming or going, my life is very FULL right now. But it is a good full. Sometimes I get a bit overwhelmed, and I either sit down and read a book with the boys and pretend I don't have a million things to do, or I make a list so I feel like I won't forget anything, or I just go to bed, knowing they will all still be there tomorrow and I will have enough rest to tackle them without freaking out.

THESE ARE DOUBLE CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO COOKIES...SO TASTY!

So, now I am working about 15-20 hours a week at the cafe, and that is because I have now become the new baker! I am baking 2-3 days a week, early in the morning. Yum. I am baking things like scones, muffins, pastries, breads, desserts, cakes, soups, creating the special sandwiches of the day, etc. I am having fun with that, because I love to bake, and the kids love it because I am bringing home the old stuff that we don't sell. =)

It's a fun time, and now basketball season is starting, so I will get really busy with the paper again, which is a good thing. I am also still doing Mary Kay and Pampered Chef, so that keeps me busy a bit too, although I don't usually do anything crazy with those. I had my Open House yesterday and it was good!

Besides all that, Nason has had Upward Basketball (doing very well in that, I might add) so I have been going to the games and practices and helping to coach him on some moves in between times. Then there's the laundry, dishes, etc and keeping up with all that. We have the students over on Monday nights for football, and there are usually 30-40 people here, which is CRAZY but so fun! Then youth group on Sundays and trying to fit in some family time and make it a priority, as well as me and hubby time...it gets interesting, but we are making it work! I must say it will be a relief to pay cash for gas this year when we drive home for Christmas instead of putting it on the credit card to gain interest forever.

My Life as a New Working Mom and Wife

2008-10-20T16:36:00.001-07:00

Well, things have been truly crazy lately, but in a totally good way! We've been saying for awhile that I needed to try to find something part time to help out with finances, and for two months I applied EVERYWHERE!!!! Ok, not McDonald's, but I did apply at Walmart, so you know how desperate I was getting! I just kept saying, "Ok God, if you really want this to work out, and I am suppose to have a job, then You will provide." And...NOTHING. So, I was getting discouraged, but thinking that although I had felt like I had confirmation from Him that I was not suppose to go for directorship again in Mary Kay for now, maybe I had gotten my signals crossed.

Then it happened. I got a call from the editor of a paper. I had applied to be a junior high sports writer but didn't think I'd be able to take the position because it was for a school about 30 minutes from us, so I didn't think they would be able to pay me enough to make up the gas costs and make it worthwhile. However, she was calling to offer me a position as a freelancer for varsity sports for three different high schools all within 20 minutes of me!!!!! Wow! I was excited and quickly agreed to start the next night with a football game in Pec. Well, this is like a dream job for me, because not only do I LOVE writing and that is what my degree is in, I LOVE LOVE LOVE sports!!! I totally love being on the front line, right at the action, which is what this job allows me to do. So, I have been writing and covering stories and pictures for soccer, football, cross country and volleyball for three schools, which can keep me VERY BUSY, but also I have had some opportunities to do some neat feature stories, which has been fun. It quickly turned into much more than I thought possible, and with our income gap bridged, I began to dream of chipping away at our debt.

Then, the incredible. I got another phone call. This time it was to a job I had also applied for, but weeks before and I had given up on it. Fraiche Cafe, barista, server, sometimes sandwich maker, and cashier. That is what I do there. I love it! It is something totally unlike anything else I've ever done, and I can go and do it and when I leave I am done. I don't have anything to do here at the house to get ready for it or anything like that. That is a nice job to have. I also earn tips, even though I earn a full wage, which is a blessing because it wasn't something I expected. I also discovered that I like to serve people. Strange. I never thought that was in me. =) Anyway, they are so so good to me, working around my schedule with Jakin in school, so generally I work four days a week, three of them mostly only while Jakin is in school, and Mondays for a couple of hours over the lunch rush. They are also great when I have to take a day off, like I do when Nason doesn't have school at the beginning of November for two days.

Now, this does make for a crazy schedule. For example, two Saturdays ago, I had to work from 9-2:30 and then rush to the church for my son's basketball game, and that meant that my husband had to watch the boys while he was reffing the other games for awhile before I got there, and then I brought them home and then when he got home we quick got changed and went off and tried to have a date. This Saturday, I didn't work at the cafe, but I had to be at a volleyball tournament for the paper from 9-11ish and then rush back to the church to take the boys, who had been with my husband at the church since 9am for band practice and then he started reffing at 11. Then we had to rush home, eat lunch and hurry back to the church for the basketball game, then hurry home, then I had 3 stories to write and over 500 pictures to edit for the paper!

So, things are crazy, but good. My husband and I were talking the other day and we feel such a relief to be able to pay all our bills and not worry about where the money is coming from and also to be able to start paying down debt. In just the first month, we've already been able to pay off one credit card, and we are working on the next one now! It's also nice to have the tip money. That is what we are using as our "mad" money, to buy things we don't have room for in the budget, like the other day when my hubby asked if we could get Mario Kart for the Wii. I happened to have enough saved up for it in my tip jar, so that was a great feeling! One of the things we also really wanted to be able to do was to help out more when missionaries or people in our church needed financial assistance, but we felt so stuck in our financial bind that we felt like handing over even our normal tithes was stretching us completely. This week, for the first time in quite awhile, we were able to give extra to a missionary friend of ours to help with a new roof for their building. Now, it's not much, but it's extra, and although we could have used it to pay off more of our debt, we wanted to give it, and it feels great!!

So, while it gets crazy sometimes and we have to balance our schedules more carefully and totally hoard our family time, this feels great. James has adapted really well, moving his schedule around to take Jakin to school and bring him home every day so I can be at work when I need to be and then come home. He has also stepped up his assistance at home, which is great. When I was just a stay at home mom (JUST????) I had plenty of time to do laundry, dishes, keep things clean, get groceries, etc. Now, if I can't get to the dishes, they could literally sit there for several days, so he HAS to do them! He has stepped up to the plate and really helped out! Many times I will come home from covering a story to find him rinsing the dishes and loading the dishewasher. What a relief! What a great husband! (Not that he didn't ever help before, it's just that now he is really helping a lot without me even knowing it! (Now, hopefully he's not doing this so I will buy him something...)Hehe...

Anyway, I am loving my life right now, even though I am a little more tired than I have been in the past. It is a happy tired! It's an I've-worked-hard-and-played-hard-and-it-shows tired!

Fraiche

2008-09-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Well, things are interesting. I got a new job, and started today! I think I am going to absolutely love it! I will be working mostly when Jakin is in preschool, with a few hours on most Mondays while James is home and a few hours one Saturday a month. That is cool for me. It gets us a little extra money, it is a fun place to work and the people are SO nice!

I get to listen to Christian radio while I am working there, and they are very flexible with me because the manager and the owner both have small children and know you have to be flexible! It is called Fraiche Cafe and that is French for "Fresh" and it's pronounced just like "FRESH" so it's not too confusing! It is a little adorable European/contemporary/modern cafe/coffeshop and catering business! They have delicious chocolates there, as well as t-shirts, specialty items and of course, food and drink! It is in Winnebago, IL and directly across from Cimino's. Stop by if you get a chance!

I had fun and can't wait to go back on Thursday! Of course, all Jakin remembers from when I dropped off my application is that they have chocolates, so when I got home today, he asked if I'd gotten him any chocolates!! Hehe...little bugger. So, I am excited about working there, and still enjoying my job writing for the paper. I have two stories to cover tonight and James will be keeping the boys so I don't have to take them with me. I usually can take them, but sometimes it is easier not to!

Now What?

2008-09-19T20:10:00.000-07:00

Well, now I don't know what to think. First, I was trying to get a job to help meet our budget better, and it seemed like NO ONE was calling, and now it seems like jobs are dropping out of the air like flies!!! I am already enjoying one job, writing for the local newspaper, and then today I get a call out of the blue, asking me to come in and talk with the lady at the cafe I wanted to work for. She said she is willing to work around the hours that Jakin is at preschool, so I am going in to talk to her.

Now, this might make me busier than I can handle, but it might be fun, and if it can bring in some extra cash, all the better! I think I'd really like it! Guess I better go get some shut eye! I have a REALLY big day tomorrow!

Just a Quick One

2008-09-17T15:52:00.000-07:00

I know it's been awhile since I've blogged anything worthwhile, but I just don't have much time lately. This is because I have a new job!!!! I love it! I am a reporter for the Gazette, a local paper, and I am covering sports for 3 different high schools! I am having fun and the family comes with me sometimes, so it has been a blast. I love sports and this gets me right in the action, so I am having a blast! Plus, with all the writing I am doing, I don't have the desire to do as much blogging! Today I got my first paycheck! =)

God is Good, ALL the time!

2008-08-30T21:50:00.001-07:00

When the going gets tough, the tough finally rely on God to get them through. Well, I've been talking to God a lot lately, and I try to keep my relationship with Him in the forefront of my mind. Lately, I had to once again recommit my family to Him, knowing that we were in between a rock and a hard place and I'd been trying to get us out on my own, without His help. I finally recognized that my fear was coming from giving it to God and then taking it back, over and over.

I think He just wanted me to admit that I KNEW I couldn't do it on my own before He would step in. I've been searching for a job all summer, and had been turned down by the first one I applied for, which was a slight relief, only because I didn't actually think I would enjoy the job, I just knew it seemed perfect on paper. It seemed like the answer to all our problems, but God knew better. Following that, I took the area by storm, applying for anything and everything, but to no avail. I didn't even get a "Sorry, you're not what we're looking for" from ANY of the 10-15 places I applied at. Very strange indeed. Last week, I reached the breaking point, the point where I took a good, hard look at how I'd been handling my problems. I realized THAT was the key. I had been "handling" my problems. I said the words, meant to give them over to God, but I hadn't really meant them in my heart.

Once I figured that out, I quickly corrected the problem and had a long chat with Him. Within days, I received a call: I had a job!!! And it was one that I would truly enjoy! God knew what I would love to do, and that was to write. So, starting last night, I am a freelance reporter for a local paper, covering varsity sports events in the local area. I really love that, combining my love for watching sports with my love for writing is so great.

Now, that was good news, but the next day, I got more good news! The babysitting job I had been praying for was being served up to me on a platter. Two jobs in two days, and they will work around each other, and each is flexible and still allows me to be home with Jakin during the day and home most nights when I am not at a sporting event! When God delivers, He does it in a BIG way that excites and surprises us sometimes. I don't know why it surprises me so much, but I guess it's because I put Him in a box like a lot of people do, looking at only one thing as the answer, when He sees the bigger picture. So, my reporting job started last night, and as I was standing on the sidelines, getting paid to be right on the field with the action, I marveled that God would provide me with a job that I would love so much I'd do it for free! How great is that? And the babysitting job will just be starting next week or the week after, and it will just be a couple of afternoon/evenings per week, but will give us a substantial increase in our income to help out. Jakin is excited to have a friend come over a lot, and I am hoping to use it to show Jesus to this family.

God rocks! I just need to remember who is in charge, and that God is the one that should be handling my problems, NOT me! Thank you for the lesson again, God! Sorry it took all summer for me to relearn it!!

First Day of Second Grade

2008-08-28T12:33:00.000-07:00

Coming home from the first day of second grade!

Coco Key Fun!

2008-08-26T14:59:00.000-07:00

We went to Coco Key in Rockford last week before school started as a last family day before the summer was over! It was so much fun, enjoy the videos!

Big Jim

2008-08-26T12:42:00.003-07:00

Wow, we rode in a REAL monster truck! What fun!!! We rode in a real monster truck in Pigeon Forge, TN in August. It was a real highlight for both the boys! (And, well, we have to admit, we enjoyed it too!)

Big Jim

2008-08-26T12:42:00.001-07:00

Family Fun

2008-07-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

We had a blast at Orman Dam on the 4th and 5th of July. My cousin Matt has a great boat and I waterskiied for the first time ever and we had fun watching the guys try to knock each other off the tubes. Watch this amazing video!!! Alex (my brother-in-law) is on the left and Steven (my cousin) is on the right.

Nason's First Grade Circus

2008-06-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

Nason had his first-ever acting job. He was so excited to be a ringmaster at the annual First Grade Circus at the end of the year. The students were the animals and performers and there were about 6 different ringmasters. The three first grade classes were combined. He did a great job and we were very proud of him!

Tour de Jane Addams

2008-06-14T18:14:00.001-07:00

Last Saturday the youth group did a 22 mile bike ride together. It was a lot of fun and great exercise on a beautiful day! Jennie was the driver of the "chase van" and boy, were we glad for that! I popped a tire and had to switch tires with someone. Then there's Kim, Nate, Caitlyn, Cassidy, Me, Megan, Elliot, Andrew and Rachel. James came too, but he was taking the picture. We stopped halfway for lunch but otherwise we were riding the whole time from 10-2!!

Summer Fun

2008-06-14T18:09:00.000-07:00

Mother's Tea

2008-03-22T16:35:00.000-07:00

Jakin again. He was so cute, I hope this second video works. He is the one in the middle in the front with the red shirt, gray pants and stylish red crocs.

Jakin

2008-03-22T15:00:00.001-07:00

Adorable. That's a word for my 3---almost 4-year-old Jakin. I hope this video works, he's pretty cute! This is from the Mother's Tea they did for his preschool program at the beginning of this month.

Denim

2008-03-22T13:32:00.000-07:00

Denim. It's a versatile fabric, it has many uses. For example, I have a very ugly, but well-worn and well-loved denim quilt that was made for me by a special friend of our family as a high school graduation present. When I got that blanket, I actually cringed inside a bit, because it was so ugly and so unlike something I would ever pick out for myself. However, as I moved to college, winters in Brookings, SD are very cold and snowy, and the dorms are VERY drafty. I remember many times when our window was frozen shut and the insides of our walls had frost on them from the cold. However, I was NEVER cold, because my quilt kept me toasty warm even in subzero temps. To this day, many years after graduation, that quilt still appears each winter to grace my bed and warm me from head to toe.

Jeans also consist of denim. Jeans are great--so comfy, they can be dressed up or slouched down, but they rock. Get a good pair of jeans and you feel great.

But one thing denim should never be used for? Can you guess? (maybe if you are my sister, you can) DENTAL REPAIR!!!! Yes, you might be a redneck if you have used denim to patch holes in your 30-year-old dentures in order to avoid a trip to the dentist!! You might be asking, WHY would this even be an option???

My grandfather on my mom's side was finally forced by family members to go to the dentist after many many years. When he arrived, he was already complaining and fussing about spending money. When the dentist looked into his mouth, he saw a nightmare of denim, copper wire and epoxy. Yes, I did say copper wire. My grandfather is beyond what I would consider frugal and so because he wanted to save money, he has been repairing his upper and lower dentures for over 15 years with basic MacGyver tools such as the copper wire, denim and epoxy cream. Copper wire is interesting, I am totally wondering how in the world he has not gotten some sort of infection because of that. The epoxy cream makes me sick to think about.

But denim? Yes, the bottom had a gap or hole, and he patched it with denim. Now, I have heard of patching holes in pants, in the knees and even in shirts with denim, but I can't imagine using it in your mouth! I would think it would get moldy and how has he stayed healthy all these years? The dentist just leaned back and said, "I don't believe I've ever seen anything like this before!" My grandfather was furious that the dentist thought he needed to replace both the top and bottom dentures, fussing that it was too expensive. My mom talked him into it after some sweet talking, but it was difficult. Then, they said he'd need to come back several weeks in a row for fitting and stuff to make sure they fit right, and he stalled again, claiming that they could just make it and he would adjust it "himself." The dentist, knowing what had already happened, said, "I believe you could, but I think we should do this my way." Grandpa grudgingly agreed, and now, according to my mom, he is singing their praises. They sent him a card thanking him for his business, and on his way out the door, even after all his fussing and sputtering, the sweet and patient dental assistant looked at him and said, "I'm looking forward to seeing you again!"

So, just so you know, MacGyver, if you get in a jam and lose a tooth, just rip off the bottom of your jeans and patch it up with some of that copper wire you've always got laying around!

Time Flies

2008-03-11T12:37:00.000-07:00

Here we are. Nearly 10 years later. Wedded bliss? Definitely. Hard times? Oh yeah. Still happily married? For sure! Sometimes when I think back, I can't believe all the things we've already been through together in just 10 years. Four moves, 2 wonderful children, one tragic miscarriage, two very difficult youth positions, one stolen car, several times of extreme financial difficulty, three surgeries, many many many medical tests and sooooooo much more.

I think back to 10 years ago, and realize we had NO clue what we were getting ourselves into at the time! Did I love him? Yes, but I didn't have a clue what REAL love would come to mean over time! The "I'll love you through good times and bad, sickness and health, etc, etc," type of love is not something you really think about. When you are in your beautiful gown on that perfect day, exchanging vows, it's hard to imagine times will ever be tough. You feel like you can conquer anything as long as you have each other.

God has strengthened us enough to meet each new challenge, and adventure as He allows them to come our way. The challenges and excitements and hard times have only drawn us closer. The days when you have to say, "I love him, even if I don't like him very much right now, and I am choosing to love him today even when it's not easy," are still there, but easier to overlook now. After 10 years, you know which battles to pick and fight over and which ones don't matter enough to rock the boat. What do you let go and what do you hold on to for your marriage's sake?

When he walks into a room, I still know it instantly, and yes, when he gives me that look from across the room, it still makes my hands tingle and my belly clench in excitement, knowing what that look means, or what that man can do to me, and how he excites me and thinks of me and loves and cherishes me. We use to think we could communicate silently, and we could, but boy, after 10 years of marriage and 13 years of being together, that silent communication has turned into entire conversations held with one look. I know him. Intimately, physically and emotionally. I know when to let things go, when to push, and when to realize he's going to need me to be there for him later. I know when to be the silent strong partner, supportive and quiet. I know when he needs me to be outraged for him or someone else and share that, venting out loud. I know when he needs my hand to hold and a long silence. I know when he needs space and when he's had enough space and I need to force my way in for his own good. I know when to expect him to say and do certain things. I know what he will forget and what he will remember.

So it sounds like there are no surprises after 10 years---that is FAR from the truth! For example, just this weekend, he called me from town and said he'd thought of me and decided to stop in this store because he knew I needed a new winter coat. (More on the reason why later if you want!) Well, he said he'd found one and it was a nice color he thought I'd like. I was nervous about him buying something expensive like that without me to see if it fit and was a nice color. To my surprise, it was beautiful, and fit perfectly! It is a pretty teal, Columbia coat, and the inner jacket is white with white embroidery on it--so pretty! It fits so nicely and is so warm and he got it for a steal! I was so excited, and he was like a teenager bringing home flowers to his girlfriend--he was so worried I wouldn't like it and he was visibly excited to see me wear it on Sunday! What a guy! I can't even imagine how great it will be to still be married to him in 10 more years!

Great Expectations

2008-03-06T20:54:00.000-08:00

Woohoo! I am excited! We are getting a surprise visit from my Daddybear tomorrow! Now, it's not a total surprise, because he told me about it nearly two weeks ago, but it was an unexpected visit. We have not seen him since Thanksgiving, and we didn't expect to see him again until June, so when he called to say he might have some meetings near me, I was so excited!

I have prepared a bunch of goodies for him. Normally, he would sleep in the unfinished basement where the guest bed is. However, we've had some flooding due to the tons of snow melting quickly and I don't want him to be down there in case it happens again. So, Nason will sleep on the bunk bed with Jakin and Dad, a.k.a. Grandpa, will sleep in Nason's bed.

I have goodies to make for him. My mom is allergic to pork, so I know they don't have that much. I have big, thick porkchops processed by the best processing plant in the local area, and we hope it's warm enough to cook them on the grill Saturday night, plus I am fixing mac and cheese. I know he likes that a lot, southern style, and I am also making mint brownies. They taste like Andes Mints, which are one of his favorite things to eat as a special treat. I also have some other yummy things to fix for him, plus he'll get to see Nason at his Bitty Ball practice on Saturday. I know he'll enjoy that, and James and Nason are planning to ask him for help with a project Nason has to do for school--an invention! Using recyclable items from our house, like paper towel rods, etc.

It seems like we have enough things to keep him busy for a week, but he'll only be here from Friday night until Monday morning, so we'll have to pack it all in! I can't wait to see him! All my life, no matter what has happened, good or bad, everything seems to be all right when my Daddybear gives me a hug. There's just no feeling like it, and the older I get, the harder it is to say goodbye to him when he leaves or we leave him. I have no plans to do anything other than church and youth group and spend time with him while he's here!

Don't worry, Daddybear, we'll change Nason's sheets for you!

Forever

2008-03-05T06:55:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, it's been MONTHS since I've posted. I've been a little busy living life. Between my husband's job, my job and the kids, it's been crazy. And I've been trying to think of something funny to talk about, but I just can't even think of anything right now.

Since we returned from Christmas vacation on January 3rd, much of our time has been spent with Kate and her family. She was in a horrible and nearly fatal car accident on the 3rd, on her way to school that morning. She is only 17 and has been through so much since then, and just yesterday we found out her situation has gotten so much worse and she now has to have a very dangerous surgery performed by a specialist, the only one in the country who can perform it, in Nashville next week.

It's only been done a handful of times, and it is very scary. We have become very close to the family through all of this, and we are praying that all goes well. So, I will try to find something funny and happy to write about, because my children often provide humorous things to talk about. We'll see. Maybe I'll show some pics of the boys playing Wii. We got one for Christmas and Jakin is so funny to watch.

Life is Short

2007-10-10T17:14:00.000-07:00

Lately, I have been busy thinking about our mortality. Life is really short, and sometimes, for some people, it's shorter than others. Other times, it has seemed people have lost their quality of life at far too young of an age. For example, there is a boy that is related to a girl in our youth group and he was just suddenly diagnosed with a brain tumor. Fortunately, they got it out, but even though it was benign, a young teenage boy will have to learn to read again and many other things due to the problems this tumor caused.

Then there's the co-worker of a relative of mine. She has already faced cancer recently, and they believed she was cured, then several weeks ago she fell, and now she is facing the terrible uncertainty of a possible brain tumor or bleeding in her head, neither of which is a positive situation.

There is a lady related to our music pastor who lost her son and daughter within 1 year of each other, then recently lost her father, all within 18 months. Why does this happen? I don't know. But I sure do know that with all our medical tests lately, it makes me remember to focus on the important things: My family. Sharing Christ with others. That's it. That's all there is. When you boil off all the extras, those two things are what's left. Life is short. No matter when you lose someone, it will always seem like you didn't have enough time with them.

The Cuteness

2007-08-14T16:50:00.000-07:00

The newest member of our family---DARTH VADER. Once again, Nason has picked a winner of a name!

Growing Pains

2007-07-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

Growing up can be tough. Nason learned that the hard way this week. We lost a faithful family member...it was a very sad week. On Wednesday, our dog attempted to bite a neighbor child. She didn't actually really bite the child and draw blood, but as she's gotten more aggressive in the past few months, we've been forced to consider putting her down.

Well, after the friend left, I talked with Nason and broke the news that the dog would have to "go away." As I watched his lip quiver and his eyes fill, my heart broke. My son has never known the emotional pain of loss. I wanted to protect him from it as much as possible, knowing he will have to face plenty of pain eventually. I moved to hug him and soothe, but he wanted more. More info. My throat closed up. I knew what was coming.

"Mommy, where will Bria go?" Those baby blue eyes looked trustingly into mine, waiting for me to tell him truth. I have always been truthful with him, no matter how silly or painful, because I want him to always know he can trust me. But this time, I didn't want my honesty to hurt him. I skirted the issue, but he pressed me. "I don't want to tell you, Nason," I said, hugging him tightly. "Mommy," he said, "WHERE will she go?"

I bit my lip, knowing I had to tell him, but wondering how to break it to him gently or let him discover the answer himself to make it easier. "Well, what do you think we have to do with dogs that can't be around people anymore?" His watery eyes widened as it dawned on him. I squeezed his hand, and gently kissed him on the cheek, knowing he had discovered the truth. "We have to kill her?" As I nodded, his whole face fell, and he laid his head on my shoulder and cried again. It's been awhile since he really sat in my lap and cried, but I certainly didn't enjoy comforting him. My heart was torn. I knew my children were more important than the dog, but didn't want my son to lose the dog that had been with us since he could walk.

Goodbye, Bria. We'll miss you, girl.

Within 48 hours, we sadly said goodbye to her, getting our last hugs and pictures with her. I couldn't help myself, I was weepy all day, and when James attached her leash for that last time and led her out to the car, I followed, wracked with shudders, sobbing like a baby. I wanted to scream, "Wait! We're not ready for her to go! Wait, I've changed my mind!" But I knew I could not. She's just a dog, I told myself. Why am I so upset? I didn't know, but I couldn't stop tearing up. Twenty minutes later, James called to say the deed was done. He met us at the park, where I'd taken the boys so I could distract Nason.

Nason just sat in the sandbox and played with the sand, not moving much. I said, "Whatcha doin', bud?" He said, "I'm just thinkin' about Bria." Then he came over to me and said, "Mommy, she's probably already dead by now, isn't she?" I nodded, saying, "Yeah, baby, that's why Daddy called a little while ago." He just sighed, resting his head on my shoulder and saying, "Okay." I was torn up! It's hard being a kid, and now I know it was hard for my parents when they saw me sad or suffering, because it's really hard to see your kids really emotionally upset about something!

We talked today and decided to write a list of funny things Bria use to do to help us not be so sad. Here it is:

Bria’s Funny Things

She climbed up into the chair during fireworks because she was scared.
She pooped herself because the fireworks scared her.
She chased the cat and played with him a lot.
She would rub her back on the floor with her legs in the air, and she really liked doing it right after we would vacuum, because the floor was clean.
Her sniffer didn’t work very well.
She had one ear that would flop down all the time.
She would try to squeeze in between daddy and the boys when they were screaming as they wrestled.
She climbed up on the couch suddenly one day and surprised us all.
She was scared of everything, including plastic bags, balloons and Baby Jaguar.
She would bark at the vacuum cleaner.

So, we are in a time of mourning. Daddy has promised to get Nason a puppy real soon, to help us forget our sadness, but right now we are trying to adjust to not having an animal to feed our scrap food to, not having to put the dog out, etc. Even the cat is in mourning. He misses his wrestling buddy and keeps going to the door to look into the backyard to see if Bria is there, and he waits by the door, patiently waiting for his friend to come in and play. I can't get use to the fact that after Nason vacuumed yesterday, there isn't anymore dog hair matted on the floor in every area. I am sure I will still find her hairs in our stuff for quite some time, but for now, I really do miss that stupid dog. I feel like a kid again, going through the loss of a beloved pet. I still remember bringing her home from the animal shelter almost 5 years ago to this day. Nason had just learned to walk, and he unsteadily chased the puppy around our backyard. We all miss Bria. Goodbye, girl.

Bria, 2002-2007

9 Lasts

2007-07-10T21:30:00.000-07:00

9 lasts

1. Last dollar spent: A cheese sandwich at the cheese store in Davis on Sunday evening
2. Last beverage: Pink lemonade
3. Last movie: Star Wars Episode II
4. Last phone call: My Mary Kay director, Deb
5. Last song played: Are you kidding? I don't remember that.
6. Last bubble bath: Years ago? I don't have a bathtub.
7. Last time you cried: Tonight, watching Anakin's mom die in his arms...*sniff*
8. Last thing you ate: A peanut m&m
9. Last place you went: To the church for youth water day

8 have you evers
1. Have you ever dated a best friend: well, probably not, unless you count james
2. Have you ever skinny dipped: does a private hot tub count?
3. Have you ever kissed somebody and regretted it: oh yeah, for sure
4. Have you ever lost someone you loved: yes
5. Have you ever been dumped: yes & no, it was a mutual thing
6. Have you ever been lost: yes-in the middle of downtown Pretoria, South Africa
7. Have you ever ran away: yes, Stacy and I ran away when we were little...but we came home within a couple of hours!--yeah, that was hilarious! All those feathers! Tee hee!
8. Have you ever lied: yep

7 states you've been to (just 7?)
1. South Dakota
2. Missouri
3. South Carolina
4. New York
5. Ohio (football hall of fame, baby!)
6. Georgia
7. Texas

6 things you've done today (in no particular order...)
1. Ate breakfast
2. Got dressed
3. Took the boys to the church
4. Cooked supper
5. Deposited checks at the bank
6. Watched a movie with Nason and James

5 of your favorite things (in no particular order...)
1. God
2. My husband!
3. My boys
4. Free things
5. Prime rib

4 people you can tell [almost] anything (in no particular order...)
1. James
2. Stacy
3. Uhhh...I'm drawing a blank here...there's really not a lot of people I can tell ANYTHING to
4. Mostly Deb, my Mary Kay director

3 things that make you smile
1. My man
2. Sitting in my backyard watching the boys play and my husband working and just knowing it's ours and we can relax
3. Frasier

2 things you want to do before you die.
1. Go on a fabulous surprise trip with my husband (the surprise for me)
2. Go on a fantastic, far away vacation with my sisters (we've never gotten to do anything really like that (or maybe even a fun trip with us 3 couples!)

1 thing that you cannot live without
1. God--duh
Sorry, but I also can't live without my son's smiles and the little spot on their cheek near their ear that I love to kiss.

Hotdog of a Pizza

2007-07-10T20:16:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. It started with yummy homemade muffins shared with the boys, followed by a good morning of time with the boys. Nason helped me with my Mary Kay order. He usually likes to help me unpack my order, but today he READ my order list to me for me to double check to make sure I had everything.

THEN, he totally astounded me. He asked if he could help me put my products away on the shelves. My eye colors are alphabetized, and he wanted to put those away too. I explained how to alphabetize, and suddenly, he was silently repeating the alphabet and placing the eye shadows in their rightful spots! Much to my surprise!! He's one smart cookie, that's for sure! After that excitement, we had to call the grandparents to brag, and then he made lunch for Jakin. He followed a recipe from his recipe box (given by his favorite Aunt Stacy). Hotdog of a Pizza! He got out all the ingredients, cut the hotdogs, etc, and then put them in the oven!

After lunch, we headed up to the church for a youth water day. As it turns out, it poured down rain for most of the afternoon, so we had fun playing in the rain and throwing water balloons when the rain stopped. The boys loved it, even after Jakin got hit in the arm by a water balloon launched from a balloon launcher. It stung for awhile and he cried pretty hard, but all afternoon and evening he was talking about how much fun he had up there with the water balloons. It was fun! We had a nice family meal and evening together, which ended with Nason getting to stay up and watch the second of the 6 Star Wars movies. We are slowly watching them with him over the summer, as we want to be sure to explain things to him carefully. It's been fun so far. He loves the privilege of getting to stay up hours after Jakin to do something special with Mommy & Daddy. It was a great day!

Happyness

2007-07-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

What is it that makes us happy? Is it fame, fortune, money, a great career, nice home or any other thing? Nope!

I watched a depressing movie tonight that made me want to slit my wrists before it was over, but at the same time it was so good and emotionally involving that I couldn't tear myself away from it. What is it, you ask? The Pursuit of Happyness. Wow. The dedication of that father and I kept wondering, "Oh my gosh, what is he going to do now?" It was awful and awe-inspiring at the same time, and it just goes to show that kids can get through a lot, and they can overlook any situation as long as there is love involved. Wow! Wow! Wow! Sometimes I think everything has to be perfect and I have to try to provide the best for my kids, but I get tied up in the providing and forget about the moments that Nason wants to tell me a joke or see the expression on my face when he shows me his latest trick.

It makes me want to go back there and kiss Jakin on the cheek because he kissed me on the leg today just because my leg hurt. He didn't care that I'd been running and was sweaty and stinky, he didn't care that there was dirt on my shorts, he just loves me and wanted to express that love. I think the pursuit of happiness is what brings us the true pleasures in life, and we won't find true happiness in money, food, big homes, etc. True happiness is called "joy" and it comes from the Lord in many forms. It could be in the form of Nason, so excited to show me his bike-riding skills or how fast he can put his new puzzle together. It might be in the form of Jakin, running out in all his naked glory to tell me he went peepee on the potty, totally unashamed of his nakedness. It might be in the quick and yet fun bike ride I took this afternoon, which solidified the idea that's been rolling around in my brain to get a bike to enjoy life while getting exercise! When I've had a bad day with the kids and my child tells me he loves me, little stabs of happiness come shining through.

So, pursue happiness! But don't put blinders on and forget to look at the little joys that come along each day. That is where you will find the true and lasting happiness.

What Would YOU Eat?

2007-06-15T13:01:00.000-07:00

You know, when you see those shows on tv and see people eating strange things, there are some things you say, "Dear God, please don't ever make me eat THAT!" Well, Peru gave me the chance to experience some of those. I am actually a fish-hater, there are only 2 kinds of fish I like, flounder and grouper, and they have to be fried. I can't stand looking at fish eyes or fish scales, etc, but Peru is known for its fish, and we expected to eat a lot of fish there.

Well, we'd flown into the country and then took an 8-hour bus trip over the Andes Mountains to La Merced. We got there and had to go eat supper, and it was ordered for us, so we didn't have our choice of food. There was an odd soup, and then, there it was: FISH. It was fried, so I thought I might be able to choke some of it down, but I was nervous--the really fishy tasting fish really gross me out! I squirted my lemon juice and James' lemon juice all over it and then delicately bit in.

DELICIOUS!!! Yum! Yum! It was so good, I scarfed it down, ignoring the fried yucca and fried banana. Ooh, baby, it was the best fish I've ever tasted!

Well, you thought THAT was the story, didn't you? The next day, however, is where the true fun begins! After the fish fest, the next day we got on the road and for lunch we stopped on the side of the road at a "restaurant," and I use this term loosely, because Jorge even told us he was sorry we had to eat there, because they know the food is not good. To save time, they ordered for everyone again.

Well, imagine my surprise when THIS was set in front of me!

Yes, it IS----the one, the ONLY, CHICKEN FOOT SOUP! Now, you don't actually eat the foot, but it still had the skin, the toenails, even bits of feathers not plucked off on it! Agh! Ack! Ew! Yick! Eh...let's just say my gag reflex wanted to make an appearance REAL bad, but I didn't want to offend, so I just stayed as far away from the foot as possible and TRIED to make myself eat the noodles. (All the while, I was digging in my pocket for my chewable Pepto Bismol! I started popping those babies like they were candy!) Sure enough, about 30 minutes after eating, I was feeling awful, but oh well, I had another 3 hours in the back of a bumpy 4x4 before getting to Shiringamazu! Woohoo!

So, people, here is what I can say about this: I HAVE eaten Chicken Foot Soup, and it was not so bad, if you can ignore the foot actually bumping into your spoon, and if you can try really hard not to imagine those little toenails clicking across the table. Do I ever want to try it again? No siree! We had so much chicken while we were there, by the time we got back to La Merced, we were BEGGING for that fish again! And boy, it was SOOOOOOOOOOOO good!

So, I wonder, what thing have you always seen on tv that you fear you will one day have to eat in a foreign country that just makes you want to go "EW!" ? Or have you already eaten it?

STUCK

2007-05-26T20:02:00.001-07:00

As luck, fate or destiny would have it, I was stuck. Completely, stuck-in-the-mud-and-not-getting-out stuck. My hero--my husband--was ahead of me, snapping pictures right and left, in a state of euphoria over all the jungle eye candy.

What could I do? I was literally stuck in mud almost to the tops of my knee-high boots, and sinking faster. Help came with a kick in the butt. Well, okay, just a push in the butt, from a most unsuspected source---a nine-year-old child! During our time in the jungle, I lost track of how many times we literally put our lives in the hands of children, 3, 4 or 9-year-olds! This particular nine-year-old was our favorite kid--we all just loved his sense of humor, fun and mischief!

This child, Jorge, was so awesome and just loved to tease us and have fun! When we gave him our shirts to wet in the river to cool us down, he teased us that he was going to drop them into the river, meaning we'd be left to bake in just our swimsuits all the way back to the village! He had a smile that would light up the world, and a laugh that will always haunt me. We lived to make that child laugh, and I die a little inside everytime I try to remember that laugh, knowing I may never hear it again, and next year if I do go back, it's not likely that he will be the same. We only had 4 short days with him, but it seemed like a lifetime, and he would tag along with us and became like our pesky younger brother.

This child got us out of a lot of scrapes, and kept us from touching plants that were poisonous and from falling off cliffs we didn't know were there. And yes, he rescued me like a knight in shining armor from the sticky mudhole. I felt myself sinking, and suddenly, I realized something was shoving me in the butt from behind. I looked back and it was Jorge, grinning at me with those bright white teeth and the mischievous look in his eyes. He pushed me and pulled me, tugging on my hands and shoving at my legs and rear end until I was safely on dry...well, ok, safely on wet ground and not mud. He made the trip fun. I miss that kid, his smile, his infectious laugh and his love for life.

(Jorge on Sean's back.)

The Sign

2007-05-23T21:55:00.000-07:00

Flying along on the back of a 4x4, my knees were getting weak. My hands were tingling, almost lacking sensation at all. I removed one and noticed the blisters forming. I looked down and saw the bruise already blooming on my right knee. My face and teeth were covered with grit, and the last stop we'd made, everyone had noticed my bright red face, a testament to spending eight hours in the sun.

With another bump, I hunkered down, nearly jarring my chin on the rung in front of me, and as I did, I got a knee to the back. The next time, I banged my head on the rung to the left and hit my knee again on the board next to my leg. What in the world was I doing? And, more importantly, WHY was I doing it?

I was doing it for the sign. Yes, the sign. As we continued our journey and got closer and closer to the final destination, we noticed the foliage at the edge of the road had been freshly hand cut with a machete for at least a mile before the village. Just when we started to wonder how much longer it would be, we were THERE! Where? Shiringamazu!

Suddenly, the trucks stopped and my palms started sweating. I didn't know what we were suppose to do when we got there! We hopped off the trucks and grouped up, the 12 of us, and just looked---we were stunned.

They had made us a sign---in ENGLISH, that welcomed us! They stood there, holding the sign, silently waiting. We stood there, empty-handed, silently waiting. I was overwhelmed, seeing their sign, their faces, the obvious amount of preparation that had gone into this trip on their end. That's when I realized: They had been preparing for us to come for as long as we had been preparing to go! I leaned over to my friend Megan and whispered, "Can we just jump 'em?" I was so overwhelmed with sudden love, my emotions poured out, and the tears started flowing. One by one, they each approached us to give us hugs and kisses and welcome us as their sisters and brothers in Christ.

James wanted to capture our emotions as we arrived, so he pulled out the video camera, but the moment was too precious and special for even that. I realized within 30 seconds of our arrival that four days wouldn't be enough time with those people--four YEARS wouldn't be enough time, and I was already dreading the moment we had to leave them behind.

After just four short days, we'd built relationships with people we could barely converse with, in broken Spanish I tried to tell them how much they meant to me as I sobbed "Te amo" in Rosmiry's hair as I hugged her. She was eight, and was my little shadow, eternally there in my every waking moment. As we left, she ran up to hug me one last time, and then stood back, tears running down her cheeks as she watched us pull away. I can't remember the last time I cried that hard and for that long--I think it was when I had my miscarriage. I felt the same, like something I'd barely been able to love was being torn from me whether I liked it or not. Great shudders wracked my body as I watched the children and adults banding together, singing our favorite song through their tears and pleading with us to return. As we left, my tears grew stronger as I saw again the foliage that had been cut for us by hand. After living with them for four days, I knew how hard it was to cut that, I'd watch them cut it for us as we walked through the dense, thick jungle, and it hit me again how much love they'd shown us when we were still perfect strangers.

The people there showed me in a more real way the love of God than anyone else ever has. While we were yet sinners, strangers to Him, He loved us. He had already prepared the way, had cut down the foliage through the gift of His son dying on the cross. Amazing. We serve an amazing God. He can create an awesome world that is beautiful and people that are different, amazing, and seemingly separated by water, land and language barriers, but He can lift those barriers in an instant. They gave us what they had, the best of what they had and even better, because we'd come to help them. We felt like we did nothing for them compared to what they did for us, but God is the same way. What we do for Him seems so insignificant, but all He wants is our love. They wanted our love, and they got it! Here's to Shiringamazu, a people forever in my heart. I'll miss you.

Blue

2007-05-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

Brilliant Blue. A shimmering, gorgeous blue. They were all around us, fluttering, flittering, flying free--the beautiful blue morpho butterfly from Peru. As we rode into the heart of the jungle on the backs of 4x4 vehicles, these fabulous creatures were flying through the air, surprising us by hovering right by our shoulders and landing nearby.

These were so amazing, I had to have one for myself to remind me of the beauty of the trip. It adorns the wall in my kitchen, the perfect complement to my new colors in that room. It will always bring a smile to my face and another tear in my heart as I think of that trip, the people, the emotions--the memories. I can't forget them...they are still with me, I miss Marcela, her daughter Rosmiry, little Jorge...the list goes on and on.

It was more difficult than I realized it would be to come back to my normal life. I have a great life. Don't get me wrong! But sometimes, I think to myself, "Is this it?" And then I look at the butterfly and smile. Yes, this IS it, but IT is a wonderful life! I get a fabulous family, great job that I love, a wonderful place to live, and the trip of a lifetime to Peru! How much better can it get?

Peru

2007-05-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

I can't describe it. I'm speechless. Where do I begin, and how do I explain my thoughts and feelings about my trip to Peru? I wish I was still there. I wish I'd never had to leave. Before, when I went on mission trips, it was while I was in college and didn't feel like I had a "settled" life. Now I went and had to come back to what I knew was my REAL life, and it feels strange, unsettling, and unsatisfying. I miss the people. I miss the beautiful scenery. I miss the simplicity. I MISS SHIRINGAMAZU.

I have a thousand stories, laughs, times of tears, fears, etc, that I could share. I don't know where to begin. I believe I'll just share as I get time and think of things. It might take me awhile. I feel like I'm not really back. It seems like I never went. It seems like a part of me will always be there. I left a big part of my heart there, with those people who begged me to return. I have a deep love for those people, and I won't forget them.

The Birthday Boy

2007-04-17T19:05:00.000-07:00

Okay, we'll start out with a story. Nason got a pack of glow-in-the-dark stars for his birthday from a friend. They are foam and I knew they wouldn't last long, so I said, "Hey, why don't you and Jakin do something with these?" Well, they did! I looked all of a sudden, and they had stars all over their heads and they were in the laundry room, laughing in the dark. Hehe...It was pretty cute! They glowed well, but the cat loves to chew on stuff like that, so although they decorated the laundry room too, I had to take them down when the cat started chewing on them.

Nason had a special birthday this year. He and I made a special "Nesting Chicks" snack to take to school for his class snack. Then, I ran to the grocery store and selected one of his favorite Lunchables--I never let him have those, but it was a special day! Anyway, I surprised him with it at school, and then Jakin and I picked him up at school at the end of the day and we met Daddy for a special surprise treat after school!

The cheese store! He was so excited to pick out whatever ice cream he wanted, and we all decided to get some too! We had fun there, just shootin' the breeze, and then Daddy had to go back to work for a little while while we went home.

He had picked out a very special (and oh-so-difficult) birthday supper of hotdogs, yogurt and yes, you guessed it--MORE ice cream for dessert! (Yes, a boy after my own heart!) Anyway, he made it easy on mom, so I fixed him the supper while he played video games with Daddy, because we'd told him he could do whatever he wanted with us for the evening since it was his birthday.

Then, we enjoyed our delicious and simple supper (thank you, Nason!), followed by yummy ice cream! He decided he wanted to play Candyland, but use the Dora the Explorer Chutes and Ladders game pieces! =) I thought that was funny, but it added to the excitement of the evening! Anyway, Jakin even played, although after awhile, he lost interest. We had fun with the game, going back and forth, and Nason even ended up winning (and no, we did NOT rig it!).

Anyway, it was a great day for Nason and for the rest of us!

Someone's Lost

2007-04-14T20:10:00.000-07:00

I lost someone today. Someone very near and dear to me, and yet, at the same time, so very far away. Someone I loved, and yet had never met. Someone I couldn't wait to hold and squeeze and spoil, and yet, I don't even know the name of this person. I lost someone special today. Someone very special to me lost that someone special. I never knew just how hard I could hurt for someone else, but this person is so very special to me, and hearing about the loss of her baby just 14 weeks after conception is almost more than I can bear.

Unfortunately, I know just how she feels. It brings back memories of when I too, lost a baby early in pregnancy. At the time, I could not understand the loss and grief, but I knew there was a reason for it. I know God doesn't do things for no reason, but for His reason, but sometimes it sure is tough to take. Today, more than 3 years after my miscarriage, I believe one of the biggest reasons He allowed that in my life was so that I would have compassion for other women who go through the same thing.

And so today, my heart hurts, it aches, my tears fall. I have to say goodbye to one I never knew, and know that means that someone I love very dearly is saying goodbye to this precious child too. It was too early to know whether it was a boy or girl, but somewhere up there, a beautiful, happy, healthy baby is probably playing and laughing with my own child. Someday we'll see them for the first time, for we never knew them.

All the words in the world can't make the situation change, or make it better, but time does heal wounds. God is the Healer and the One who creates Time. The pain will fade gradually, although never completely, and as the pain, both emotionally and physically, starts to fade, His plan will come shining through. Somewhere out there, is a woman who will hurt with the loss of her own child, and the one I love dearly will come by her side and comfort her, just as others comforted me and I have comforted others. I can't be with her physically right now, and that is the hardest of all, but I will place her in God's hands and know they are big enough to put the pieces of her heart back together. She has already been a light to those around her, with her acceptance of His will. It's not easy, but she will let God use her through this, and she already tells others this.

I pray for her and her husband. I pray God's peace and blessings and love will cover and surround them. He gives and takes away. These words are ones that a friend shared after they lost their baby at 26 weeks and she endured the excruciating emotional agony of having to deliver what they already knew was a stillborn baby. When asked how she was coming through the grieving with such grace, here is what she said:

"Yes, my heart is hurting. I miss my baby, I miss the tea parties we'll never have...the birthday parties that will never be...the graduations, wedding and grandchildren that will never be. But I know, I will NEVER have to wonder late at night...where is she? Is she safe? Is she warm? Hungry, tired, hurt? Is she doing something she shouldn't do? Has something happened to her? Will she accept the Lord as her Savior? Will I teach her how to love Jesus right? She loves Jesus, and is already sitting at His feet, totally happy, totally healthy and totally praising Him, safe."

Those words amazed me when I heard them, but went through me like an arrow just moments after I heard the words I never wanted to hear from the doctor..."I'm sorry, but we have bad news..." When I remembered these words, I felt the peace of God rush over me, and I knew I would make it, and not only that, but that God could use me!

So today, I say goodbye. Goodbye to a dear little baby I never knew. I love you, dear one. You are no doubt with Jesus even now, looking down with my own child, wondering why we are crying. I live for the day I will meet you in Heaven. You are safe and warm. You'll never be hungry, tired, sad, lonely, sick, lost or hurt. Thank you, Lord, for this brief little life. Be with the one who is so dear to me and comfort her now with Your peace and grace.

Best 20 Minutes of my Day

2007-04-13T15:15:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you have to stop and smell the roses. Sometimes those roses smell like beautiful fragrant roses, and sometimes they smell like sweaty, six-year-old boys. In my day of washing clothes, doing a glamorous Mary Kay facial with someone, selling product and making money, dropping Jakin off and picking him up from the babysitters, phone calls, etc, sometimes I feel like I've lost the whole day and don't know what I've gotten from it.

Not today. Today, the best 20 minutes of my day wasn't when I made $35 an hour while doing Mary Kay. It wasn't when i ate my lunch, as yummy as it was. It wasn't even getting to sleep in a little bit. The best 20 minutes of my day?? Twenty minutes of Lego building with Nason. He earned a new small set of Legos from me with his Mary Kay bucks, and was thrilled to get them, even though he'd just gotten several new Lego sets from the Lego store just last week! Suddenly, we decided to sit down before Jakin woke up and just play with the Legos. Normally, I don't enjoy Legos, so we usually pick something else to do, but for some reason, today I didn't mind!

We used the directions and a combo of him instructing me and getting frustrated with me, and also me teasing him, to laugh hysterically and have a great time. He was proud of me for being able to help him! Imagine, a six-year-old, being PROUD of his mommy!

Hehe...Anyway, that time was truly one of my all-time favorite moments in time with him so far! He loves hearing stories about when he was born, and so today I told him about my first day home from the hospital all day with just him and me and what we did. He thought it was hilarious how we would have to get in the car and drive him around in the middle of the night on the interstate so he'd go to sleep! =) He loved hearing that all he did was eat, sleep and mess his diapers for those first few weeks!

It was great fun, and I realized again how truly blessed I am to have him in my life!

The Writing in the Sky

2007-03-18T13:26:00.000-07:00

Today I saw it...the writing in the sky. Well, okay, not literally, but it might as well have been! I was at church, and several people shared with me that they are excited that I'm going, and one other person came up and asked if they could keep Jakin during the day while Nason was at school while we are in Peru!! Isn't that great? I did not ask this person, she volunteered--and also asked if they could take our dog for us so we didn't have to pay for a kennel! Wow!

God DOES show you what you need to know, He just doesn't always use a sky-writing plane! =)

What to do?

2007-03-16T19:58:00.000-07:00

Dilemmas can be good. They are not always bad. Right now, I am faced with a dilemma. A good dilemma. Commit to going to Peru? Or stay? It seems like a simple decision--do I want to go or not?

However, it's not all that simple. If I break it down, YES, 100%, I WANT to go. But, therein lies the dilemma. I am currently in the middle of one of the most busy times of my business. In 6 weeks I will be finished with that part and sailing through the next couple of months. I have the opportunity to finish up 2 weeks from now, or 1 month early. However, it's not something that I just decide, "Okay, I am going to finish on March 31st instead of taking the whole month of April." If that was the case, yep, I'd just decide that! But, it is up to God. We have been working hard on finding those women that want to work with me in my business and finding the ones that want to join us on our journey, but it's not something you can rush--it's up to me to work hard and then let God do His thing, if it's His desire for me!

So, here is the dilemma: If I back out of the trip by the 19th of this month, I only owe a non-refundable $100 for the plane ticket. Plus we've paid over $300 for shots, as well as an extra $75 to expedite (sp?) my passport to make sure it would get here in time for me to go. If I don't back out by that date, and I don't finish directorship this month and have to back out of the trip in April sometime, I will owe the entire cost of the ticket--$630. Plus the shots and the extra for my passport. So, it might be best to NOT go, and just say at this point that I'm NOT going to go. Right?

Maybe not. On the flip side, there are still 2 weeks left in this month, and we are in a pretty good place, and it could easily all fall together, if God wills it. PLUS, we will be gone for 10 days, and somebody volunteered to stay at our house so the boys could stay at home while we are gone. We just needed daytime care for Jakin during the week! Just today, someone else offered to help with at least 2 of the days, just out of the blue! I DIDN'T ask these people to do it! Also, someone generously donated enough for everyone to go on the trip without raising any support, so it covers my shots, ticket, passport, etc. James also would really like me to go with him. So, if all that is so awesome and seemingly falling into place, I should plan to go or else it would be like saying "My God isn't big enough to finish this up before I need to go to Peru!" Most everyone is encouraging me to go. So I should commit to going. Right?

Agghhh! What do I do? I vacillate between feeling sure I should say I'm NOT going to go, then swinging wildly toward feeling confident in saying I AM going to go. D-day is Monday. What to do? I need prayer! Sitting here with my arms aching from yellow fever, typhoid, flu, tetnus and hepatitis shots, I feel annoyed to think it could all be for nothing. But I also feel annoyed to think I could end up wasting $630!!

I don't know what to do, and God isn't writing it in the sky for me, so I guess I will just work...and...wait.

Still waiting, God.

Way to go, Mommy!

2007-02-21T10:26:00.000-08:00

Last night, I saw hero worship shining in my son's eyes. The reason? It's simple, but let me weave the story.

At approximately 6:30pm, Nason and I were talking in the kitchen. I was cooking supper, and I carelessly said I was upset with his kitty, Stop. When Nason asked why, I said it was because he had eaten the gecko on Monday night. I thought Nason realized this, but apparently not.

I looked over to see his lip quivering and tears filling his eyes. Suddenly, his expression crumpled and sobs wailed out of him. "I don't waaaaannnnt the gecko to be dead!" I grabbed him quickly and hugged him and apologized for bringing it up that way. I held him for a minute and then he leaned back, valiantly wiping tears from his eyes. There was a light of hope in his eyes when he leaned over again.

"Mommy, maybe the kitty didn't eat him, maybe he crawled out of his cage after the kitty broke it open!"

Knowing the truth, but not wanting to crush his hopes and see the grief again, I responded gently. "I guess it's possible, but I really don't think so, sweetie. Even if he did crawl out, he's been without his heat lamp for a whole day already and he would be so cold, he might be dead anyway. And if he was out of his cage, how would we find him? The chances that we would find him are slim, and not in time, most likely. He could have already gotten out of your room if he did make it out alive, and he could be ANYWHERE."

Well, Nason's eyes started filling again, and I held him some more, while Jakin (the culprit who left Nason's door open to the advances of the mighty black cat), hugged Nason too. Finally, I set him back from me and said, "Well, here's what we'll do. I think the kitty really did eat the gecko, but if it means that much to you, after supper, we'll get a flashlight and you can help me look for him in your room. But we're only going to look one time, ok? So if we don't find him tonight, we're not going to keep looking. Do you understand? And if we don't find him, we'll just have to be okay with it, and move on, and if we do happen to find him and he's dead, we'll have to accept it, ok?" Nason nodded slowly, dreading those possibilities, but yet still excited that I was willing to look at all.

By the time we were done with supper, it was almost bedtime, but I had promised, so I got the flashlight and the portable gecko cage and headed to Nason's room. "Now," I began, "if the gecko climbed out of the cage alive, where is the first place he would be?"

"On the top shelf," said Nason, and started rifling through his ties, the books and other various things on the top shelf, but it was obvious he was definitely NOT there in plain sight. Nason was in charge of holding the flashlight, and the beam was steady and true.

"Where would he probably go next?" I asked. Nason pointed to the second shelf, so I sat on the bed and told him to hold the light very still, because I was going to gently move books around. I told him that if he was there and the books fell on him, the gecko wouldn't make it anyway, so he had to be careful not to bump me. Again, disappointment--no gecko.

I stooped down to the 3rd shelf, and had to take the flashlight from Nason because it wasn't low enough. I swept the beam from left to right, and paused. Peering intently at the back of the shelf, I wondered what I was seeing. Suddenly, my heart pounding, I shoved the flashlight back into Nason's hands and whispered, "Oh my gosh!" My voice was shaking, and suddenly, the flashlight beam wasn't so steady in Nason's hands.

"Did you find him? Did you find him? Huh? Mommy!!! Did you find him, didyoufindthegeckodidyoufindhim????" His words were rushing together and I put my hands up, palms out and tried to get him to calm down.

"Nason, I THINK I found him, but I need you to remember, he's been without his heat lamp for 24 hours, and that's a long time for a gecko. He's also possibly been crushed by books, so I want you calm down a little, because he could be hurt really bad or he could be laying there dead." I saw his chin quiver and his eyes fill, but even as his expression was crumpling again, he was nodding and saying, "Yes, Mommy," trusting me to deliver the impossible.

I looked back, still unsure of what I'd seen. Three little toes, that's all I could see. I gently moved some books, and suddenly, the toes disappeared. I didn't know where he'd gone, and books were starting to slide everywhere! Now that I was sure of having seen the gecko, I was frantic to discover his condition, was he hurt, had he dropped his tail in fright in the fight with the cat, was he even now being crushed by books I couldn't stop from falling? Was I going to crush the gecko right there in front of my child, who was trusting me to be the hero? Agh!

We moved around to the other side of the shelves and I directed Nason to shine the light at the back so I could move the shelves and books and try to find the gecko. Suddenly, as I was moving the shelves, I realized I saw him curled up on the floor! It looked like I had moved the shelves directly ONTO his body! I was freaking out, and I shoved the flashlight I had grabbed from Nason back at him, saying, "Take it! Take it! Oh my gosh! I think I'm crushing him!"

Nason was shouting, "Be careful, Mommy! Oooooohhhh! I see him! I see him! I see him!!! Get him, Mommy!" I had no choice but to move the shelf back and try to get him, hoping I hadn't crushed him already.

He has a nasty habit of hissing at us and then biting us when we hold him, so he hasn't been out of the cage in a long time, so I suddenly realized, he thought he was fighting for his life, and he would probably bite me. Although it doesn't really hurt, I was afraid it would surprise me enough that I would drop him and then he'd really be hurt. I instructed Nason to run and quickly get some gloves to protect my hands. When he was back in a flash, I put on the gloves. I started to reach for the gecko, then I realized I was wearing James' huge ski gloves and there was no way I would have the dexterity to pick up a 10" gecko without hurting him. I stripped off the gloves and moved in for the hunt. Nason was chanting, "Put the gloves on, Mommy! He'll bite you! Be careful!" over and over again.

As I slid my fingers gently under his belly, I realized how critical it was that I get him under his heat lamp. His belly was ice cold, and it scared me. I lifted him carefully, and cradling him in the palm of my hand, I cautiously transferred him to the travel cage. I told Nason how cold he was, and Nason, being the sweet and thoughtful child that he is, immediately shined the flashlight at him, saying, "Don't worry, Mommy! I've got the flashlight on him, he'll be okay!"

Then I stopped, realizing my hands were shaking from excitement, and told Nason I thought the kitty really had eaten the gecko, so what did he think we should do? "Tell Jesus 'thank you'," he said without hesitation.

"Yes," I said, realizing with a lump in my throat that I hadn't believed the gecko could be alive, so I hadn't taken the time to pray with my child to ask the Lord to help us find the gecko in the first place. Did the Lord care about a gecko? Yes, He did. He also cared about the fervent wishes of a precious five-year-old.

After we prayed, I fixed the gecko's cage up, placed duct tape around the edges until my husband can seal it again, and gently placed the gecko back in his cage. He wandered around, and Nason convinced me to feed him some crickets in case he was hungry after a cold night and day behind the bookshelf. As I slid the lid back onto the cage, I looked down at my son. He was looking up at me, his eyes shining with delight and wonder, his right hand lifted in the air for a high five. "Way to go, Mommy!" He smiled and I returned the smile, the high five, and squeezed him in a hug. I'll never forget the look of wondrous surprise on his face when Nason finally saw the gecko for himself, and the look of admiration on his face when he said those 4 precious words to me.

Does God care about the little things in our life? Yes! Does He care about the geckos, the parking spots we need, the little things? He absolutely does! Does He deliver when His people need Him, even when they forget to ask for help? Oh, yes, most definitely. WAY TO GO, GOD!

Samson is no longer with us

2007-02-20T19:21:00.000-08:00

Well...last night was it. The cat, Stop, got into Nason's bedroom and then proceeded to terrorize the gecko. When James arrived at home last night, the gecko was no more.

Nason was traumatized and distraught. Claire, the babysitter, was really upset, because she was here when it happened. All day, I kept going into Nason's room, finding it hard to believe the cat had really eaten the gecko! He's tried for over a year to get into the cage and has been successful several times.

I finally believed it was true though, when I went into the laundry room and saw that the cat had hardly touched his food I gave him last night. Usually, he eats every drop, so I was finally convinced that the cat, had indeed, disposed of our gecko, Samson, whom we'd had for 4 years on Valentine's Day!

...or did he?

A Life Full of Decisions

2007-01-25T21:41:00.000-08:00

Life. It's all about decisions. I make decisions every day. Some of them are hard, some of them are easy, some of them aren't even a thought in my mind, just automatic. Like, will I stir my steamer 7 or 8 times? Or will I get up and get the blanket or lay here and be cold for a little while longer?

Others are much harder, like am I going to stop what I'm doing, even though it's really important, because my son wants me to read him the same book for the 4th time today? Or, what do you do when a student tells you something so secretive as though it's common knowledge and you have no idea how to respond--sympathy, advice, a listening ear, what do they want?

Sometimes I need to go to sleep to clear my mind from all the decisions weighing me down. Thank goodness God is not a God of chaos, because when I am feeling frazzled and chaotic, all I have to do is stop for a minute and think, is this good crazy or bad crazy? Because if it's bad crazy, it's definitely not from God. My mind starts racing, telling me about all the things I need to do, decisions I need to make, lists I need to cross off, phone calls to make, people to see, places to go, demands to be met. Whose demands are they? Mine? Other peoples' demands? God's? Slow down and do a check. If they are my demands, do they line up with God or not? If not, I better drop them like hotcakes. If they come from other people, they are not my yardsticks--drop it.

Something I have made a decision about though is a good thing, I think. I have been reading a powerful book after listening to another one on CD. The first one on CD was Dale Carnegie's book How To Influence People and the book I'm reading in snatches right now is uh...sorry, it's late and the book is in the dark in my room, so I'll just have to go with the theme---no, wait, it's called The Power of Focus, written by the guy that wrote the Chicken Soup books. It is really great! Anyway, I recently read a patch about the people you allow to influence your life. It says we should totally drop all the negative people that just constantly drain us 100% of the time. Not the people who genuinely have a problem and will listen to our problems, but those that are the constant whiners and complainers and only drag us down. It said we need to focus on spending quality time with the people we say are important to us. For example, if I say my sister is important to me, do I prove it by spending time with her often? Well, she lives 2400 miles from me (or something like that). But that is no excuse. There is this blog that we communicate by, and there's also the phone. How hard is it to call her? Not hard at all. We can do it for FREE through Vonage! Wow!

So anyway, I haven't yet figured out who I am dropping to get rid of constant negativity in my life, but I already know who are the important people in my life. I talk to my parents often, and my youngest sister regularly, even if only for small bits of time. But my other sister is a different story. We are several hours different in time, so it does make it a challenge to connect. However, it's not impossible---I just have to put some effort into it. How hard was it? I emailed her today to ask if she would be home tonight. I knew what time I'd be done with everything for the night and that although it meant getting to bed an hour late, it was worth it a couple of times a month to catch up with her and keep our relationship tight. So, Sissy Bubbles, it begins with you. You are one of the VIPs in my life, and I am committing to communicating with you more regularly. I love you!

There are others, I'm trying to email my brother more and call him occasionally. There are only a few others. Then there's my kids. Just being in the same room with them does NOT count as quality time. So, this past Tuesday, I spent an hour listening to my son read to me (my son! how time flies!) and then we played xbox together for almost another hour! So much fun! And it only took 2 hours of my time to make cookies, do laundry together and read and play games. And the rest of the night he wanted to be playing with his brother, he didn't make huge demands on my time because I'd given him some quality time! It's amazing!

Wow...this blog is really dragging on. Sorry. I started out talking about decisions, so to wrap it up, here is a decision that is easy to know what to do: My family is important to me, so I will communicate better with them! It's not a resolution, because those are made to be broken. It's a commitment to focus on the things that are important to me.

I love you guys!

A New Year, A New Me!

2007-01-23T20:55:00.000-08:00

Wow! Life is great! I am working hard toward some wonderful goals, but I have to say that there is one thing that is most exciting to me: My new face! What? Did I have cosmetic surgery? No! But my skin is clearing up like a miracle from God and I am getting my confidence back! Thank you Lord! I know it's quick, but that's all I've got for now--I am just thrilled!

There Once Was a Blanket

2006-12-29T14:07:00.000-08:00

There once was a blanket, a lonely, new blanket, waiting for someone to love it. This blanket was oh, so soft, and blue, white and black, with a soft, silky dark blue satin edge. It waited, wrapped in shiny green paper, ready to bundle someone up in its softness.

Then it happened, --oh! Blessed day! The light appeared as the paper is torn off, and suddenly, an exclamation of joy and hands are touching it, loving it already! The hands held it up for everyone to admire, and many hands touched its' silky edges, agreeing that it was soft, warm, and always needed.

There was also a couch. The couch was waiting too, waiting for people to sit, sinking into its' softness, wanting to wrap them in its' comfortable cushions. The couch was lonely too, and waiting for a friend.

The blanket joined the couch, and they made an inviting pair, saying, "Come, sink into soft cushions and wrap up in silky warmth." They waited, but not for long.

Soon, she who had received the blanket sat down, sinking in and wrapping up. A great birthday, warm and happy. But even with the blanket and the couch, she was lonely.

Her Daddykins snuggled in too, ready to warm up.

Family starts to pile in, each wanting to join the happy group. The blanket, the couch, the owner of the blanket, her mom and her dad.

Her favorite 5-year-old nephew joins the gang...

Followed by his daddy, the Southern Gentleman.Then his other son, her favorite 2-year-old nephew jumps in too.

Next it's her younger sister who joins the crew...

Then a friend who is like a sister pops on top.

Followed by her older sister, they think it's over.

But wait! There's room for two more! Her brother-in-law...

And of course, her love from Canada.

Family, all snuggled together, is what it's all about. The blanket is not lonely anymore.

Time to Ponder

2006-12-07T21:19:00.000-08:00

Recently, I had some minor surgery, and it's given me time to ponder. Why do things seem to come easily to some people and harder for others? Why does it seem like some people have no problem paying off their debt and not owing more, or paying off their hospital bills with no problem, and others seem to go from one financial problem to another? Or why, for instance, do some people find it so easy to have children, while others yearn for that child, going month after month or year after year without that one thing they really desire? Why do people find jobs easily while others go for months searching and searching for some sort of work, just barely scraping by?

Right now I have some friends who are desperately searching for jobs, trying so hard to trust God for provision, but still searching, months later. I also know what it's like to just pay off all your hospital bills, and then to suddenly have another one come up, so that you can never seem to get ahead. I also have some very close friends, who desire to have a baby, wishing and hoping and praying, while it seems others' success in that area comes so easy.

It is so hard, because we all know, in our heads, that God will provide, in His perfect timing. Well meaning friends and relatives try to help, but don't always understand, and don't realize it doesn't really help to tell us all that, because we know all that. Knowing it, and really being able to let go and let God have control are two different things. Do I believe God really will come through? Of course I do! Do I know that He truly cares and protects us and will provide for us and take care of us? Of course!

Does that mean it is easy to wait? Easy to believe? Easy to trust? No! It is not easy to wait for that job, when your family is still needing to eat and have a place to live. It is not easy to wait for those bills to be paid off, when you really want to pay off your debt instead. It is not easy to wait for that test to come out positive, when you really want to go out and buy a crib.

All that said, I know that I have been in enough binds and scrapes that the Lord has gotten me out of, that I believe 100% that He will come through for me this time too, and every other time for me and everyone else that is trusting in Him. Life is hard. He doesn't promise it will be easy, but He does promise to be there for us. So, that leaves us waiting. Wait for the Lord. Wait for the job, wait for the bills to be paid off, wait for the children to bless our lives. So, for you out there, my friends looking for that job to fulfill you, I pray for you, and I wait with you. For you out there, my dearest friend, waiting for your empty arms to fill, I pray for you and I wait with you.

Hhhhhh...sometimes it's so tough.

Remember When

2006-11-13T21:44:00.000-08:00

Remember when life was simple
And we were young...
Things were different,
Our biggest concern was
Whether Dad would see us
Playing on the hay bales
Or sledding toward the drain ditch

Life was simpler when
We could hang out on the front lawn for hours,
Eating big multi-colored marshmallows
We could divide our room with poker chips
Or "run away" from home for a few hours
And come back when we were hungry

Remember when
We could lay in bed
And talk silly talk until Mom
Yelled at us to go to sleep?
Times were simpler when we could drop in
At the cousin's house and
Grab a snack and turn the tv on
And feel just as much at home there,
Playing ball in their yard
Or locking out younger siblings from their treehouse

But then one day...
Life got hard and beautiful
All at the same time
Simple and easy were replaced
By brides and husbands,
Children and distance

The distance made life hard
The new lives, husbands, and children
Made life beautiful
Holding on to the past is a beautiful dream
But a dream only...
The past is a wonderful, easy, simple place to visit,
But life is now, and we must claim it
However we must, whatever it takes
Make the most of life now,
Love your husband, children, life
Embrace your life now, but
Never forget your past and what made you YOU
And never lose contact with those you love
Never let your present life change who you are
So much that those that love you don't recognize you

When life was simple and easy,
We didn't think about it getting hard and beautiful one day
We didn't know it would--no one told us
They wanted us to enjoy our childhood and not dread losing it
But I wish, oh how I wish, we could run freely in the fields again
Letting the gushing geysers from the pipes hold us up,
Or singing at the tops of our lungs in the stump in the backyard
Or snuggling in bed calling each other silly names
I'd go back in an instant, to relive those great moments

But not at the cost of what I have now, it's
Too precious--those children, husbands, friends
Lives we live now, in the present must be embraced
Keep in touch...
Don't forget those that love you
Life passes quickly, how truly we know that now
Our childhood passed so quickly it seems at times a million years away
But we can draw out our lives now, keep each second precious
Love those near you and those far away
Show them how much you care and wish the distance was non-existant
Faith, family, career is how it should be
But family includes more than just your immediate family...
Love those who have always loved you, and remember
They are the ones who always have your back,
No matter what...
Don't take it for granted

Big Helper Boy

2006-10-25T11:10:00.000-07:00

Jakin absolutely loves to help out around the house! Kristen and I had our own garden this year, and when she brought the second round of beans by for us to wash and snap, he wanted to help too! He was quite good at crawling into the bucket for the small green beans, and he loved helping to wash them! But, that's where it ends--he certainly didn't want to eat them! =)

Particular Boy

2006-10-25T11:06:00.000-07:00

Jakin has to have things just right. He loves to line things up, stack things up, undo them and then do them all over again. He is so particular. I think he got that from his mommy!

The Many Sides of Jakin

2006-10-25T09:26:00.000-07:00

Jakin is a very funny child. The other day, everytime I looked up, he was in a different position, still playing the game boy. He had all these positions within about 10 minutes. It was so cute! The final position, I found him in his box, and he has his blanket in there with him too, you just can't see it.

My funny Jakin boy. He's got cheeks to die for, a grin that won't stop, charming blue eyes, lashes that flutter over them and can get anybody to do anything--we love him so much! Just yesterday, he walked into the cheese store and just was so cute that the owner took him behind the counter and let him pick out any ice cream he wanted and gave it to him for FREE just because he was so cute! So, it just goes to prove, you CAN buy things with just your looks!

Microwave Society

2006-09-29T08:46:00.000-07:00

Another member of our family has suffered a horrible, tragic end. Last week, while cooking, it hit me. My microwave was not what it had once been. Okay, well, let's face the honest truth: When we got married over 8 years ago, we were cheapskates and got the cheapest, smallest microwave we could find, 700 watts, and it served it's purpose well for several years. A couple of years ago, we started complaining about it. It wasn't big enough. It didn't cook fast enough. It didn't get things hot enough. It didn't do much other than just heat and defrost. Oh yeah, there was the wonderful "popcorn" button.

So, recently, we discovered we've probably been running on much less than 700 watts for some time. I was following some directions, and I was use to adjusting the time a bit to allow for my specific microwave, because I knew it took longer to cook things. The directions said, "Cook potatoes for 6 minutes, then mash slightly." Well, let me tell you, I cooked it for 10 minutes, then another 10 minutes, then another 15 minutes and when I pulled them out, not only were they barely warm, but the chunks were still so hard I couldn't cut them with a fork, much less MASH them! That is when we realized: It was time for a new microwave.

We are very picky. We have a stainless steel frig and stove, so we wanted stainless for our microwave too, but it had to be just the right one. Would just any microwave do? No, it had to have all the buttons, gadgets, new things, etc. It took me an hour to read the user's manual! Could it just be simple and zap the foods quickly? NO!

That started me thinking this morning about how we want things "yesterday" in our society and we are so unwilling to wait for things that we will buy special appliances that can cook things in "half the time" or have the option for "manual" or "speed" defrost, in case we're in a hurry! (If you are defrosting it in a microwave instead of just letting it come to room temp, aren't you in a hurry anyway?) So, I guess God was reminding me that I need to learn to have His patience.
Good lesson, but I still came home with my new over-the-range microwave oven, Professional Series, stainless steel, delay start, etc, etc, etc. And so now, I give you:

THE NEW MICROWAVE

Incidentally, if you are interested in purchasing a small, piece of junk 700 watt microwave that actually only produces about 20 watts, please contact me! Hehe...of course, it may be used for testing purposes now.

Creative Tag--You're It!

2006-09-09T23:35:00.000-07:00

Make a Difference

The little stone laid on the ground. All he ever wanted was to be important, but he was alone. No one picked him up and held him in their hand, noticing how smooth he was. No one even kicked him to the side of the road. He simply wasn't noticed at all.

Then one day, it happened. A small hand picked him up, rubbing the stone's smooth edges with his fingers. The stone warmed at his touch, knowing THIS was it! This was his moment...the one where he became important! He'd heard of friends who had been picked up by small children and lovingly taken home to be known as "pet rock." He didn't know what this meant, but he was sure it was wonderful. He could hardly wait! To be important, to make a difference, that is all he'd ever wanted.

But wait! What was this? Something wasn't right! The boy was heading toward the pond. Oh no! This was the worst! He'd heard about this, too! How a hand would pick you up and toss you carelessly into the water, where you would stay, forever. Alone. No! He wanted to make a difference!

Suddenly, he was sailing through the air, the wind rushing against his smooth sides. If stones could cry, this little stone would have sobbed in disappointment as the water loomed closer and closer. He longed for the warmth of the hand, to be treasured forever, to make a difference.

The water was cool and still as glass when he broke the surface. As disappointment settled in, he noticed a small splash on the surface. A splash, then a tiny ripple, which grew and grew, until he could see the ripple all over the small pond. He drifted toward the bottom of the pond, realization dawning, as his descent slowed. His small stature, as tiny as it was, had caused a splash and a ripple that affected the whole pond! It might smooth out again in a few moments, but for those short moments, he had made a difference!

So, the question is...where is your pond? What will your ripple be? And, will you make a difference? Will you make a ripple of difference, wherever the Hand places you, or will you hope for the easy road, where you do nothing but sit on a dresser, dusty and forgotten as the years go by? I choose the ripple!

This is for all of you who wish to be creative writers. If you aspire to be, whether you are already a writer, you totally stink and you know it, or whether you just wonder...THIS is the tag for you!

Here is what you do:

1. Look at the pictures below.
2. Pick one
3. Now write a short story about it!
4. Pass on the tag!

Get going! Leave your story in my comments, I'd love to know which picture you picked and what your story is! In a few days, I'll write my story about the picture I pick and I will post it here so you can read it!

What's Really Important in Life

2006-09-09T12:26:00.000-07:00

When it all boils down, this is what makes me tick:

So, what's really important in your life? Everything I do for the Lord, I also do for my family. Just a few pictures to remind myself why I do what I do.

First Day of School

2006-08-24T22:40:00.000-07:00

The day started early, at 7:00a.m. My Mommy woke me up by cupping her hand on my cheek and telling me it was my first day of school today. As I rubbed my eyes, it dawned on me...YIPPEE! Today was the first day of school! I got to see Mrs. Dolan!

I was so excited, I jumped right out of bed to go to the bathroom and then dressed in the special new outfit Mommy had laid out the night before. My tennis shoes were sitting there too, and nearby was my backpack, loaded down with all my school supplies, along with the stack of kleenex boxes I was to take with me.

I soon ran into trouble, and I came out of my room and down the halls, tears starting as I realized my new shorts were too big around and wouldn't stay up! "Mommy," I cried, "These shorts are too big!" Mommy was in the kitchen making me a special First-Day-Of-School breakfast of oatmeal (I love it!), but she stopped and immediately came to my room with me and said, "Let's see if we can fix this little problem." (Sometimes she gets frustrated with me, but not today!) She found some other nice shorts right away, and I smiled and finished dressing while she went to get my brother Jakin up in his room.

I came out all dressed and sat at my spot at the table and Jakin sat in his spot while Mommy finished the oatmeal. (From scratch and that is the best) She sat down and ate with me. I really liked that. I even told her so. "Mommy, you know what I like best about eating oatmeal?" She looked at me and said, "What, baby?" I said, "Eating it with you!" I don't know why she looked like she wanted to cry. I thought it was a nice thing to say.

I had gotten a haircut the night before and all I needed to do after I ate was brush my teeth and I was ready to go. Mommy told me to calm down, because it was only 7:30 and we weren't leaving until 8a.m. so I needed to wait patiently and not get my bag yet. I just couldn't stand the suspense, so I went to my room and struggled to put my loaded backpack on my shoulders, then I grabbed the stack of kleenex boxes and made my way out to the kitchen. Mommy and Jakin were still eating, and I said, "Hey, Mommy, look at me!" She said, "Oh! Wait!" and then she got the camera. I posed, and told her to take the picture from several angles, even the back, 'cause I like my Superdog backback.

I was all ready for school, but Daddy wasn't ready yet and it was too early to leave anyway, but I didn't want to take my backpack off, so I laid on the floor and watched Jakin play under the table.

Mommy thought it was cute and started taking pictures again. She's always doing that. Finally, I heard Mommy say the magic words, "Let's go!" and I was SO excited! I was in the car like a flash, and waited patiently while they put Jakin in the car.

We parked across the street and I was ready to head over to the school. Mr. Alberstatt, the principal, showed us where we were suppose to go and line up. I lined up, and Mommy insisted on taking a bunch of pictures, but I didn't really mind, especially when she wanted to take a picture with me. Then Jakin copied me and leaned against the wall, but the sharp brick poked him in the head and he cried and pointed to the brick, telling Mommy what had happened. Finally, we heard the bell, and then it was time to go in. I took a deep breath, took Daddy's hand, and took my first step into the school. Boy, was I excited!

I was happy to see Mrs. Dolan's classroom, and she'd written a special note to us on her board. I found my desk right away and stacked my kleenex neatly on the desk. Mommy looked happy and sad at the same time and for some reason, her voice sounded weird when she told me she loved me and gave me a kiss goodbye. I didn't even notice that they never left the room until I saw them over by the door. I waved, and then the teacher started talking. She told us to get our cubby boxes, and I obeyed right away.

Then Mrs. Dolan told us to bring our kleenex boxes to her and I did it right away. I almost fell on the way and I sort of dropped one box, but it was okay, I picked it up and took them to the teacher. I love Mrs. Dolan. She's my favorite part of school. I told my Mommy that the day before I went to school! I had only met her once, but she's really pretty.

I listened to the teacher really well, the first thing she said was that we were going to put all the stuff from our bags into our cubby boxes. I proceeded to stuff EVERYTHING from my bag into my cubby box, not paying attention to the teacher's other instructions to put one of everything into our pencil boxes before putting the rest of them in our cubby box. Suddenly, she looked over and saw my mound of things in my box, including my gym shoes.

She's so nice. She came to help me figure out what to put in my pencil box and what to put in my cubby box. Then she told us to bring her our paint shirts and our desk covers, so I did it right away. I saw Mommy & Daddy wave goodbye, and then they were gone. I was off on my adventures for the day.

Those adventures included so many fun things: We had snack TWO times! I got chocolate milk at snack time and I was so excited that the gingerbread men for our snacks were hiding in the school and we had to search for them! They were hiding in the library! We found them and took them back to our room and had our snack, then we made gingerbread men puppets. I had recess THREE times, and boy, was that fun! We also heard a story about a fly who was naughty and got smacked. I had pizza, fruit, chocolate milk and sherbet for lunch! It was yummy! For my other snack, I had fun fruit and I rested on my rest mat. It was 1:04 when I got to get up from my rest. We got to read books while we laid on our rest mats.

I was in the computer lab making a green rabbit when I heard the door open. It was Mr. Alberstatt, our principal, and MOMMY! I was happy to see her and I smiled, but I had serious work to do, so I focused back on my rabbit. A few minutes later, Mrs. Dolan came to get us and take us back to our room. While Mommy waited for me to get done in the computer lab, she took some pictures of the school. She also took a picture of my name on the wall and my locker. My Mommy said she can't believe Kindergarteners get lockers! Then Mrs. Dolan sent us to our lockers to get our stuff and get ready to leave.

Then Mrs. Dolan said I could leave because my Mommy was here, and Mommy looked inside the room and saw that I was the only one that had gone back to my desk to sit down like a good boy to wait until the teacher let us go! Mommy said she was very proud of me when I got in the hall. I showed her my paper that said I'd had a good day, and of course, she wanted ANOTHER picture!

All that hard work made me thirsty, so I had to stop for some water at the water fountain. Mommy kept touching my head and hugging me, I don't know why. She said she might cry that day, but I don't think she ever did! I don't understand why she would have cried. I was so excited to go to school! Then we got in the car and we found out we were behind Bus #21, which is the bus I will start riding next week. I thought it was cool! I found out I am stop #3 and I will be home only FIVE minutes after I leave the school! I will get on at 7:55 in the morning!

I got home, and Daddy was there to meet me at the door. He was excited to hear about my day, so I sat down and started showing him everything and telling him all about it. I told him my favorite thing about the day was finding the gingerbread men snack that we had. Then the doorbell rang. I don't know who it was, but I saw GREEN balloons and I knew it was for me! Mommy helped me get the balloons and then I found out they were from Grandma & Grandpa for my first day of school!

After all that hard work, I had to relax for awhile. The day before, I had gotten a new lego truck in the mail from LaLa & Papa as a special first day of school gift. I wanted to take it apart and put it together again about 50 times. And that concludes my first day of school! What a day! I can't wait until Monday comes so I can do it all over again!

Dog Days of Summer

2006-08-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

Nason and Jakin got in some pool time last minute before school started. They had a blast. Nason had to help Jakin into the pool, and then Jamey surprised them by coming around the corner with a bucket of water. He kept dipping it and throwing it on the boys, much to their delight!

Jakin also decided to find a green marker and apply it to every single area of his body as artistically as possible. He was punished, and then I laughed and had to take a picture, remembering a little boy named Nason who was just his brother's age when he ate a whole pack of gum, squirted out an entire bottle of my expensive lotion all over the carpet, bed and his body, and used a water gun all over my expensive new bedroom suite. I remember being too angry to take a picture then, and I've learned something since then. However, Jakin did get punished, so that is why he is crying in the first picture.

These next pictures are from Wednesday, when Nason got a special gift in the mail from LaLa & Papa for his first day of school.

He was so excited, the Lego truck said ages 7-12 on it, but he followed the instructions and put it together ALL by himself in a matter of 25 minutes! I was so impressed!

Jakin also showed us his cute self after a bath, when his teeth were chattering and I wrapped him up in his blankie!

He was so adorable I couldn't resist a picture!

COMING SOON: First Day of School!

Dallas-Part 2

2006-08-12T13:02:00.000-07:00

Left to right: My director, Deb, friend, Melinda,
one of Deb's director's, Kimmie, Stephanie, my team member, Kristen, another one of Deb's unit members, Cherie, Deb's next director, ME!, and one of Deb's other directors, Amy on Awards Night!

Kristen Long and me back at the hotel room after an exciting awards night! This is the night many women's dreams come true, and dreams are born in the hearts of others. For us, we had many dreams born that night, and we are excited about seeing them come to fruition in July of 2007!

I love my Deb! She's so kooky, and so much fun, but one of the wisest people I know. She always has a great answer for everything, good advice for every area of your life, not just your Mary Kay business. If I can grow up to be half the director she is, I will be so happy!

The new Pontiac Vibe that is available for consultants to earn! I test-drove one after I went to Dallas and they are so fun! It's great that they are FREE! I can't wait to get mine and park it in my garage!

The ooh-la-la dress I want to buy for Seminar for Dallas next summer. It is beautiful, fits me like a dream and makes me feel like a princess. It is flowy, so it will help me to glide down the stairs onto the stage!

This is me, test-driving the Pontiac Vibe, after I left the MK Pink Bubble and went back home. I may have to go drive one every month until I get one, just to keep me motivated! Of course, nothing's more motivating than getting rid of my current car payment and getting a new car for free!

There are more pictures I could have shared with you, but that will sum it up. My trip was wonderful, a dream, and yet I could picture myself in the reality of the glitz and glamour, accepting beautiful diamonds and sashes for helping other women and it was very exciting! Thanks for going along with me on my journey!

Consistency is Key

2006-08-10T14:29:00.000-07:00

You know, lately I've had an epiphany. It's so simple, I've made it hard. WHY has my life seemed so difficult--why am I in debt? Why am I frustrated financially, spiritually, children-wise and emotionally? The answer is consistency!

I've been very consistent my whole life: Consistently inconsistent. Consistently putting things off until the last minute, consistently not spending quality time with the people I love, consistently slacking off and not giving 100% in every area of my life. All those consistencies have made me realize that I've been consistently inconsistent my whole life. (Now that word is starting to look really weird)

So, now the question is, now that I have discovered this area of my life that needs work, am I really willing to change it? Am I really willing to put in the work it takes to make my relationship with my children better, to make my business more successful, and most importantly, improve my relationship with God? My heart wants to...yearns to, but my head is afraid. My head is the practical side of me--the side of me that says, "Oh, don't worry, no matter what she says, she won't carry through with it--she's never been consistent a day in her life!"

So, will I change? That's the million-dollar question. Will I change?

Dallas-Part 1

2006-07-28T19:21:00.000-07:00

Dallas. Wow, what can I say? My new goals will come later, but for now, just enjoy the photos!

The ring I will earn when I become a director this year!

Mary Kay Corporate Headquarters!

Me, Deb, Kristen & Cherie at headquarters!

Mary Kay's office! I'll get to sit at her desk when I become a director...

Us again on our National Sales Director's Awards Night.

Having fun at our table...

For James...

My crazy sales director, Deb!

This will be my new outfit with Mary Kay this year--it's the new director's suit!

When Deb is a half-million director next year, this is the prize she will choose.

The jacket I'm trying to earn this quarter!

Anniversary Trip

2006-07-28T16:14:00.000-07:00

For our anniversary this year, we decided to drop the kids off with my parents and then head up to the Mall of America for a few days. I had found a beautiful, very romantic hotel that had a free 24-hour shuttle to the Mall, so that was nice. The funny thing is, neither of us like to shop, so going to a huge mall to spend 3 days there was kind of silly for us. Oh well, here goes:

When we arrived at Le Bourget Aero Suites, we were impressed with the lobby and knew already we had made a good choice. Then they told us the good news: We had been upgraded to a king-sized suite instead of a queen. (There weren't any king left when I made reservations) Then there was more good news. The romance package that I had ordered was FREE! Wow! It included dinner for two up to $50 in their restaurant, breakfast for two in their restaurant, and dessert and champagne delivered to our suite at the time of our choosing! Wow!!!! Cool!

Then we went up to our room. Holy cow. I was speechless. It was so beautiful. The bathroom was large, with a waterfall shower head with good pressure, granite counter tops and top of the line shampoos and samples. The suite was over 400 square feet, with a wet bar sink and coffee maker near the mini frig. There was a couch and table, and then on the desk was a beautiful, large flat panel tv.

Then there was the bed. I think the beds in heaven will be like those beds. I know we won't need to sleep in heaven, but there just might be beds like that just because they are so beautiful and comfortable. The blankets and sheets were sumptuous and silky, and the mattress---oooh, the mattress. It was a pillowtop, firm yet soft somehow, and there were really neat nightstands and lights over the bed. It was so awesome, I wanted to crawl right into it and never leave! (Mind you, we had been on the road for over 12 hours with no sleep, so just looking at the cushy bed made our minds drool!)

We went to the Mall for supper and to just look around quick, found Joe (more on that later) and then caught the movie "Click" in one of the 14 theater screens at the mall. The next day, we got up late and spent the entire day at the mall, finishing with another movie that was FREE!

How did that happen, do you ask? Well, it just so happened that American Eagle was giving away free movie tickets if you tried on a pair of their jeans, so we were game! James is thrilled to report that the size he thought he needed were actually too large! (I, however, had the opposite problem!) So, we went to see Superman and were sorely disappointed. But hey, it was free!

Saturday we headed to downtown Minneapolis and walked around a little bit in the skyways, but it was really boring, so we headed home and got fancied up for our date night in the restaurant at the hotel. We both had delicious filet mignon and then we headed upstairs where we waited for our champagne and desserts. This is where it gets interesting. Up until this point, the hotel staff had been the BEST I've ever seen! They were extremely courteous, they remembered us when they met us in the hallways and could ask how we liked our trip and specific details, they were right on top of any requests we had, and they were to deliver our dessert at 10pm sharp. I expected them to be right on time, because they were for everything else. At 10:15, I called down and asked where our dessert was. The girl said she would tell them to get it to us right away. At 10:45, James called and asked where our dessert was. She told them they were really busy downstairs but that she would tell him right away to get it ready for us.

At 11:05 I'd lost it and I went down to the front desk and asked where it was. She said they were already on their way up to our room. Thinking I'd passed them in the elevator, I rushed up to the room, not wanting to miss the presentation and the fun! When I got there, James was the only one there, and he did NOT have dessert and champagne! I called AGAIN and they said they would send it right up...10 minutes later we received two desserts that had obviously been hurriedly put into glasses, and four small bottles of champagne. Then we had to call them back, because we realized they'd sent no forks and no glasses for the champagne. They sent those right up, and then we realized the champagne bottles had tops that had to be popped. I told Jamey to call down for a bottle opener, but he tried with a fork first and then suddenly he was gushing blood from 2 different spots on his hand.

Then I called for bottle openers and the front desk girl brought me one herself (plus two bandaids) and apologized for the delay in the desserts. Two minutes later, we had just managed to get 1 of the 4 bottles open and the bartender who had screwed everything up called us! I thought he was going to apologize, but all he wanted was to get his bottle opener back and could he send someone to get it!? What?? Wow. Anyway, to top it all off, we started to eat the dessert and then realized it had espresso in it, which we specifically requested that it NOT have that, as we don't like it! They had assured us it wouldn't! Crazy!

The next morning we took advantage of the free breakfast and then we wanted to check out and take the shuttle to the mall, where we would catch the train into the city for a Twins game. We had reservations on the 11 o'clock shuttle because it would take 10 minutes to get to the mall, 15 minutes to walk all the way around the mall to the other side to get to the train connection, 5-10 minutes to get a train, then about 30 minutes to get to the stadium, then the time it would take to find our seats and stuff, and I didn't want to miss anything, since it was my first ever professional baseball game! Well, we arrived downstairs at 10:59, and the shuttle had already left!!!!!!!! I asked what had happened and they apologized all over themselves and assured us he would be back within 25 minutes to take us to the mall. Thirty minutes later, the guy behind the desk stepped out to us and said, "If you'll go wait outside, I'll bring around a van and take you myself." Wow! He took us to the mall and that was very nice!

Anyway, our favorite stores at the mall were the Field of Dreams, which has a gorgeous framed picture of the wonderful Joe Montana, and the Eastside Grillz, which featured fake teeth caps with designs airbrushed onto them! Crazy! James' favorite was (surprise, surprise) the Lego store, which we visited 3 different times, and passed many times while we were cruising through the mall. We also liked the Oxygen Bar, where people would pay crazy amounts of money to sit down and breath pure oxygen, the Courderoy store, where the bean bags had king-sized beds in them that you could pull out and sleep on, the Swarovski Crystal store, and many more. It was fun, and I had a BLAST at the baseball game! I want to go to another one! We had a wonderful time on our little mini vacation together.

ATTN: GOAL ATTAINED

2006-07-08T10:14:00.000-07:00

I am so excited to share with you that I attained my goal of 100 faces by the end of June, and I also did my 10 interviews for the month, and it paid off with 1 team member, 3 possible future team members, and several thousand dollars in sales! Yippee!

This month I am already rockin' and rollin' because I've set a huge goal for myself this year--Queen's Court of Personal Sales! When I complete $36,000 in personal retail sales between July 1st and June 30th, 2007, I will earn a beautiful $1000 ring ONSTAGE at Seminar next year in Dallas! (Wanna know what that is? Just ask me! I'd be happy to tell you all about the Cinderella experience!)

I will be able to choose from 3 different rings worth $1000 when I make that court, so my choice is shown below. It is beautiful, and anyone who helps me earn it will get to try it on when I see you! (unless I don't see you) Online parties work great for those of you in the US who don't live near me--ask how you can earn FREE Mary Kay products!

Anyway, enough about that--I wanted to share about what I earned with the help of my wonderful customers this year: Two pink ice rings, a cubic zirconia necklace & earrings set, a bracelet from the company, a new alarm clock, a set of MK lawn chairs, an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, a beautiful backpack & matching wallet, a jeweled calculator, many ribbons, a star recruiter pin, the famous Red Jacket, a swarovski crystal watch, an emerald ring, a magnet and a free fabulous luncheon at Career Conference, not to mention the cash I earned from sales! I sold approximately $16,000 retail this past year and I earn 50% of that! Whoohoo!

So, thank you to those of you who have encouraged me throughout the past two years, and those of you who helped me! I already have one new team member for the year, and 4 other possibles! It's so fabulous to be able to do this around my kids and not have to sacrifice time with them to become a success! I plan to make this my best year yet, with Queen's Court of Sales, Queen's Court of Sharing and Directorship!

Ode to MK

2006-06-30T17:29:00.000-07:00

Okay, I just have to say it. I LOVE MARY KAY! There are SO many reasons, but the one I am thinking of right now has to do with my littlest sis, Candy Pandy. She is six years younger than me, and let me tell you why Mary Kay is something I love because of her.

Candace is six years younger than me, but looks a good bit like me, and acts JUST like me most of the time. She can be VERY stubborn, very difficult, tempermental, emotional...well, I could go on, but since I'm all those same things, I think I'll stop! She has fierce loyalties, and when those loyalties are broken, watch out! Due to the fact that we are JUST alike...oh yeah, did I mention pessimistic and skeptical? Glass is half empty? Anyway, I digress again. Due to the fact that we are SO alike, we have never really gotten along well.

I didn't understand why she wanted to wear the cowgirl outfit and a belt that Mom made for her ALL the time...or why she wore the SAME skirt to church every week, but she didn't understand why I liked to poof my hair up so high or wear huge earrings. So, it started young. Once I moved out, our relationship drifted even farther apart. We didn't fight too much, only every time we talked on the phone. (Don't get mad, Candace) She would never say she loved me, even when I said it at the end on purpose. I also didn't try to see things her way very much.

As the years passed, we would talk...but not a lot. I didn't make the effort to call much because I knew we would just disagree and be at each other's throats. Right before our sister Stacy's wedding, I joined Mary Kay. While at the wedding, I was impressed by what my tomboy sister Candy knew about how to apply makeup! I told her I thought she would be a great Mary Kay Consultant and she just laughed and said, "No way!"

To my surprise, 9 months later I was doing a Mary Kay party for her wedding friends, 3 months before her own wedding, when she announced that she thought she was going to do Mary Kay! Boy, was I shocked! But excited too! She was one of my first team members and I was so excited! Anyway, she joined the company, and suddenly, I was getting phone calls from her all the time! "How do I do this? What should I do here? How would you do this?" And the even more amazing thing--she actually started ASKING for advice and TAKING it too! I tried not to give advice before, because she usually didn't want to hear it, so for her to be asking, I was very excited to help her out and show her how she could make some extra cash!

Only a few months after she started, she was already talking about how she was looking forward to me being her Director in Mary Kay and how I would be awesome and that she was planning to come out for my debut, whenever it happened. She always tells people how awesome I am, and she tells me that she tells people that, and boy, does that make me feel good! We love being sisters now, and we love being Mary Kay Sisters too! I love encouraging her, and last summer, she asked for a very special gift for her wedding--she wanted me to scrapbook her wedding album for her, and I was so honored! It was a true joy to work on her valuable pictures and showcase her love for Alex and vice versa, and now she proudly tells everyone I made the album when they look at it.

To sum it up, because of Mary Kay, and Candy's involvement in my life through that, and having something in common besides our temperament, we have become closer than ever. She showed me just how much she loves me and believes in me this past year and I hope that she knows I feel the same toward her. Because of her continued belief in me, I am looking forward to becoming her Director now, and she took her hard-earned money and precious time and made a very special gift for me for my birthday!! She made me a really cool fleece blanket that has MK on the corners and on 2 edges it has "To Believe is To Achieve" which is a popular Mary Kay saying. It is hot pink on one side and pale pink on the other side and I just love the reason why I now have it!

So, I love my new blanket, because it symbolizes where I am in my life right now with Mary Kay. I am believing that it will happen, I will achieve my goals, and I am just working the numbers and not worrying about it and God is blessing my business! I got the blanket on my 2nd anniversary with the company, and that is such a special way to remember it--I love snuggling up with it on my couch at night. So, thank you, Candy Pandy! I wish you were here right now, but I believe I will see you soon at my new Director debut!

Welcome to the Rockpile

2006-06-29T15:40:00.000-07:00

We took Nason to his first Rockford Raptors game a few weeks ago. He was so enthralled! I think part of it was just getting Mommy & Daddy all to himself. He walked in and they handed him a package of trading cards of all the players. That was cool.

Then we went and got drinks and he was so excited to get a pop all for himself---until the cotton candy guy started walking around.

They introduced players, he stood for the national anthem, and then the game was on! He was so excited when they scored their first touchdown!

He wanted Daddy to catch a football, but it didn't quite happen. He sat still for almost 3 whole quarters and got a little squirmy in the 4th, but he did very well! We were very proud of him and he had tons of fun!

At the end, we got autographs and got to go onto the field. He was very curious as to why the kicker had two different shoes on his feet. The kicker was very popular as he won the game for them in the last 4 seconds, so Nason wanted to meet him.

We finished off the evening by going to Baskin Robbins for ice cream!

Just Hangin' with the Cat in the Hat

2006-06-29T15:13:00.000-07:00

Oh to be a cat. Just to eat, sleep, relax and HANG all day. Our cat is named Stop, named by my at-the-time 4-year-old. He's not the brightest, and he gets in trouble a lot, but it sure is fun to watch him in the evenings when he gets crazy and runs around the house. He is definitely "cat-like" because he will come and just climb up on top of you and demand your attention, and you start petting him, and suddenly he bites you because he's tired of it. Very annoying, but pronounced healthy at his recent vet visit!

We will find him lying in the oddest positions or the strangest things in the house. He tries to eat the gecko and the gecko's crickets on a regular basis. He also loves to chew up the knobs on my washer and dryer. Last week, I found him this way, literally, "The Cat in the Hat" and just had to have a quick picture!

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Our Life Together

2006-06-23T11:44:00.000-07:00

Well, after waxing poetic about my lovely 8 years of marriage, I feel it's only fair to share with you the funny thing that happened on the way to our life AFTER the aforementioned wedding!

Okay, so here is the scenario: Saturday, we get married, it's wonderful, we head off in our limo to our hotel for the night. However, we had to be up VERY early the next morning to catch our flight to South Carolina, where we would be living. We were looking forward to our honeymoon, which was to be a whole week of laying around at the beach in Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina. James' aunt and uncle had generously given us their beach house for the week as their wedding present to us. So, there was our excitement!

Well, we arrived at the airport the next morning, and much to our surprise, my family is there to see us off, which was a nice surprise! James' mom, dad, brother, grandmother, grandparents, aunt, uncle and 3 cousins and his best friend were also there, because they were flying on the same flight to Minneapolis as us. That was fine, we knew that was going to happen, but we were pleased to discover our seats were quite a ways from theirs on the plane. We were ready to be alone and enjoy our honeymoon bliss.

Soon after we board the plane, the announcement came over the speaker system: "On behalf of Northwest Airlines, we would like to congratulate newlyweds James & Adrienne Lewis on their wedding ceremony!" (Gee, how did they know we just got married? I don't know WHO would have told them that!) Anyway, the airlines proudly presented us with a bottle of cheap wine in honor of the occasion. (We aren't wine drinkers, so we just laughed, but we promised we would sample it on our honeymoon just because it was a nice gesture.)

We arrived in Minneapolis, no problem. Jamey's aunt and uncle and their 3 boys headed for their next flight to Charlotte, NC, while the rest of us made the connection to Memphis. Upon arriving in Memphis, we started the true adventure. When we had checked in for our first flight in Rapid City, SD, we stood in one line with Jamey's grandparents and his best friend, Patrick, and his grandmother, mom, dad and brother stood in another line. We were checked through and had seating assignments for each of the 3 flights, but they did not. When we arrived at our gate in Memphis, they were informed that the flight was overbooked and there was no way they were getting on the flight. James and I, along with his grandparents and Patrick, were fine. We were getting on the flight. But it was actually triple-booked, so with only 30 seats, there were about 60 people still wanting to get on that flight. It was crazy, so they started offering money to people to get off the flight, first $250 each in travel vouchers. Jamey and I wanted to get on to the beach and our honeymoon, and we determined we were NOT getting off the flight.

Jamey's dad, Jimmy, really needed to get back for an important meeting on Monday for work, but there was no way now that he would make it, because the flight was too full. Suddenly the price was up to $750 apiece, and Jamey and I started thinking, "Hmm...we'd have a lot of money in travel vouchers and my family lived far away, so we could go see them a couple of times for free...let's think about it." Well, then we heard them saying, "$1000 apiece, a hotel room, long-distance to call people, and free food vouchers." We were sold. We walked up to the counter and asked if we got off, could someone specific take our spot, such as Jamey's mom and dad, so he could get back for his meeting. "No," she said, "But thank you for volunteering! I've got vouchers for you right here."

So, suddenly, we were off the flight. Jamey said, "Well, before we get off, we want to know we can keep our bags, because we have nothing to get through to tomorrow without our luggage." (Now, this is pre-9/11, so don't be shocked) "Certainly, sir, just follow me and I'll take you down to point out your luggage." She took them to the TARMAC and they pointed out Jim, Laura, Clay, Grandma, mine and Jamey's luggage, and physically took them off the luggage cart.

Well, we waited for about an hour for the whole voucher process to get figured out, and everyone got $1000 apiece in travel vouchers, plus a free night at the Ramada, free 20 min of long distance to call our relatives, and food vouchers. Jamey's grandparents, the Newmans, and Patrick went on the flight and headed back to SC. There were 6 of us left overnight in Memphis. They told us to go down to the luggage claim area and our stuff would be sent down there, then we could wait for the Ramada shuttle to take us to the hotel.

After what seemed like forever, (I think it was only about an hour) we finally saw some baggage coming. Lo and behold, my bags and Jamey's bags were there! Yippee! Dad and Clay got theirs, but that was where the good ended and the bad began. We had received a shelf as a wedding gift, and had no way to get it back except to check it. Grandma had only 2 bags, so we put her name on the shelf and she checked it for us. Instead of sending the bags that she NEEDED and we pointed out, they sent the SHELF! We laugh now about the image of Grandma wearing only a shelf, but at the time, it was not funny, because she really needed her medicine that was packed in her bag that had been sent on to South Carolina! Mom (Laura Lewis) got HER MOTHER'S bag of DIRTY laundry instead of her own, their names aren't similar, Laura Lewis and Nancy Newman, so we don't know how that happened, but needless to say, Mom had nothing to wear but Nana's dirty underwear, also not funny at the time, but hilarious now.

Well, Jamey went to report the baggage problems to the lady at the baggage claim counter. Meanwhile, it has now been several hours since we'd actually started the whole process and we were tired and bored and getting very cranky. Clay, Dad and I pulled out a deck of cards and tried to make the best of it while we waited with Grandma. Mom went with Jamey for moral support. We could see the baggage customer service from where we were sitting on the airport floor by the baggage thing. (By the way, the airport was now completely dead, because it was getting later in the afternoon/evening, so we could easily sit on the floor anywhere and not get stepped on) Suddenly we sense a problem.

My sweet Southern belle mother-in-law, whom I'd NEVER seen lose her temper, was on the other side of the glass, pushing in front of Jamey and waving her hands in the lady's face. By the rigidness of her body, we realized she was extremely angry, so I jumped up to go see what was going on. Translation: My curiosity got the better of me! Turns out the woman had been on the phone trying to figure out what was going on about the situation and Jamey started to ask her a question and she put her hand up and said, "Just hush!" Oh...don't EVER tell a woman's child to hush in front of her! Mama Bear almost went over the counter on the woman! She pushed in front of Jamey and put her hand up and said, "Don't you TELL my son to hush!" Whoa! I'd never seen that, but now I knew, DON'T UNDERESTIMATE HER, AND NEVER MAKE HER REALLY MAD! Whew! It was awesome and terrible at the same time! I don't even remember what really happened after that, but they finally said they would get the proper bags and get them to us later that evening at the hotel. She then told us to go out and wait for the shuttle for the hotel.

Two hours later...STILL no sight of the Ramada shuttle! AGH! We are starving and tired and cranky and one of us only has a shelf to change into should she get sweaty in Memphis in the dead of summer. We finally called about the shuttle and they said one came every 15 minutes, weren't we watching for it? Of course we were, and there had been NO shuttle, but finally, it did arrive and we piled in. (Meanwhile, Jamey and I are trying at every opportunity to share some thoughts and feelings alone, hold hands, etc, all those things newlyweds usually are able to do because when they are on their honeymoon, they are NOT with people they know!) When we arrived at the hotel, we let them check in first. Then we walked up and said, "You know those people that just checked in?" The man nodded. "We want a room as FAR away from them as possible! We just got married and that's our family and we are stuck here for our first night as a married couple!" The man smiled sympathetically and placed us on a separate floor.

We get to our rooms and just want to relax, but I was excited to call my parents and tell them we could afford to fly back and see them in a few months. (My mom was upset that we wouldn't get to come back until Christmas, so we decided to tell her we'd come back and see them in August too) After that, Jamey's family calls...yes, they just can't leave us alone. Well, they invited us to go eat in the restaurant in the hotel for supper. We figured, "We have no car and not a lot of money, so we might as well go down and make the best of it." We joined them and had a nice meal, and none of us had ever been to Memphis before, so we were talking about going downtown to sightsee a bit, since it wasn't too late. They figured we would probably want to be alone so they would go separately, but we figured sharing a cab would be cheaper and we'd probably end up having fun, so we all crowded into a piece of junk cab and headed downtown.

We decided against the whole Graceland tour, but did stand outside and look at souvenirs for awhile. We walked a long ways, went to Beale Street, went to the Peabody where the ducks come inside and had a great time overall. Wow! What a start! At the time, it was an inconvenience, but now that is one of the funniest stories we as a family tell to others and reminisce about--the time Mom went nuts! What a trip! After that, who knew what was going to happen on our new adventure: Life together.

Incidentally, we did finally get the right luggage, they delivered it about midnight that night! We did finally sample the wine on our honeymoon, a day and a half late, but we determined what we already knew--Northwest Airlines is cheap!

June 13

2006-06-13T13:16:00.000-07:00

I woke up today, wanting to turn over and grab a few more minutes of sleep, as usual. For some reason, it seemed like today of all days, I wasn't suppose to do that. Suddenly, I shot up in bed, realizing what it was! Today was THE day! My heart was pounding, and I was breathless as I flew around the house. I had so much to do before tonight!

Thinking about my list, I realized I had so little time to do so many things: Eat, shower, shave my legs, blowdry and curl my hair, do my glamour makeup...then slip into my "costume" for tonight's festivities. I could be talking about my Mary Kay meeting tonight, and how I have to slip into my Red Jacket for our annual meeting and director debut tonight.

But I'm not.

I'm talking about that beautiful white gown, made for me by my mom. I'm talking about my wedding day. That day, 8 years ago, when I became a wife...wow...it seems like ages ago, and yet at the same time, just like yesterday. I stood in that room in the basement of my church, looking in the mirror, waiting for what seemed like ages to get married!

As I walked down that aisle, preceded by family and friends, surrounded on all sides by hundreds of the same, there were no nerves as I suspected there would be, there were no tears (not from me, anyway)--I was just too excited! I had waited and waited for that day--and finally I was standing in front of my prince charming, and he was crying as he pledged his love for me.

The next year, we were still in school, getting finished up and I was working for the Carolina Alumni Association. What that whole situation set into motion was amazing!

Two years later, I once more stood in a white gown on June 13. This time the gown was short, rumpled, frayed and open in the back. I laid down on a gurney and waited again, just as I had 2 years earlier. Finally, the nurse came in to administer my anethesia. Just a few minutes later, I celebrated my 2nd anniversary by having my gall bladder removed while James was 2000 miles away in Idaho.

The following anniversary, we had a fabulous little baby boy named Nason. He has been such a joy! We had moved to South Dakota and James' first full-time youth position. Shortly after that, we had one of the most devastating things happen with having to move suddenly from that church.

The next year, we'd moved yet again, this time to Goose Creek, South Carolina and James' second full-time position.

The following year, the Lord helped us through the loss of a pregnancy, and then blessed us with the birth of another baby.

Our sixth anniversary was an emotional one. We were happy to have our two little boys, Jakin having been born April 30th, but we were facing yet another unhappy situation in a church. We were again forced to leave that situation, but we were unable to find another full-time position for James, so we were still in Goose Creek for about 7 more months.

The 7th year of our marriage was a joyous one, as we felt like we had finally come home...and we were celebrating God's blessings in our lives and marriage. God has shown us how to be grateful for what He has given us, because we have been through some difficult circumstances and moves and such. We are so grateful that He has placed us here, and we are pleased to be here as we celebrate...

Year Number Eight! God has blessed us with friends who readily help us in times of need, and a church family that backs us up and strives for excellence, growth and the promotion of the gospel in all we do. We love our church. We love our boys too! Nason is a five-year-old with a cool mind. Although I sometimes wish silently that his mind would rest, I realize I would miss all the times he says cute stuff, such as the other day, when James asked him if he remembered talking about something and he said this, "Sometimes stuff gets in my head and stays there and sometimes it doesn't." Ha! He's so funny! Or Sunday, when he said, "When the kitty is purring and you don't see anyone petting him, Jesus is petting him." Heheh! Or Sunday night, when at church at youth group we were talking about our favorite food and Nason was standing beside me, messing around. I said, "How about you, Nason? What's your favorite?" (I did not say "food") He promptly threw his arms around me in front of everyone and said, "Hugs from you, Mommy!" Awww...

And then there's Jakin. The silly, funny, wild man who is constantly on the go. He loves to copy his brother in everything, and he makes us laugh by making silly faces at the dinner table and then slapping his hand on the table repeatedly and throwing his head back in a silent guffaw. He is my Super Snuggler. That boy, as long as he has his blankie, will snuggle almost anytime. He has one special corner of it that he messes with and it is way more frayed than any other corner. He and I have a special game to find that corner that always brings out that adorable giggle of his.

But enough about the church and our friends and our kids. What is our anniversary really about? Us. Meaning Me, James and God. Although I am sure we have not always done exactly what God wants us to do, we have made efforts to follow His leading, and that is what has brought us here, to our dream church. (For the most part, it is our dream church) He has continued to bring the two of us closer and closer to Him throughout the years, and we have been through adversities that have really strengthened our trust in Him and our love for each other. We know each other intimately, and I love how I can communicate silently with James from across a crowded room. His piercing greenish brownish eyes and that direct stare still have the power to make me tingle and shiver all over just by looking at me. Our children know how much we love them and how much we truly love each other, and I thank God for that, although I know I don't thank Him enough. I am married to a man of extreme integrity, honesty, goodness, faithfulness, compassion and yes, even a romantic man! He knows he is not very romantic and it is a struggle for him to be romantic, and yet he continues on, trying to catch me by surprise. He scored yet another major victory today by surprising me with a new book I've been wanting for MONTHS and some fabulous Godiva chocolate, actually ON the day of our anniversary! A great job, and yet not so expensive that I would balk at accepting the gift due to our strict finances right now! (No, we are not destitute, we are just working our way out of debt and we are setting extreme limits on ourselves right now, so he knew if he went overboard too much, I would make him return it!)

God has blessed me, truly, with a man that makes me tingle, a relationship that has only gotten better in EVERY area, and a fabulous life I never thought we'd find! God brought us here, and the only thing I have left to want is for family to be closer. However, when I married this man 8 years ago, I said that HE would BE my family, and that wherever he would go, I would follow, because that was what God was calling me to do. I have come to trust him even more now than I did back then, and I trusted him a lot. I would actually have accepted if he had proposed to me just weeks after I met him, I knew that strongly that he was THE ONE. Today, 11 years after I met the man and 8 years after I married him, I realize I had NO IDEA just how much he would come to be THE ONE, and how it would only get better and better with time. We don't get to go out at the drop of a hat because of the kids, but we are very resourceful, and we work very hard to grow in our love. I can truly say I love him WAY more than I did when we got married, and I enjoy marriage way more than I did then---I just THOUGHT I was having fun then!

THIS is LIFE, HE is THE ONE, and I am IN LOVE!

Me Too

2006-06-12T21:50:00.000-07:00

We arrived at tball that first night, and Jakin watched his brother put his cleats on, accept his new team hat, and take the field. Well, okay, so Nason more like LAID on the field, but still, to a two-year-old, who worships and eminates his older brother, Nason looked COOL.

Jakin started off by sitting in his stroller, happily watching his brother and daddy out on the field. Then he got antsy, and tried to run out ON the field. Miss Claire was there to watch Nason too, so she helped me distract Jakin from the action a bit. They sat down together and he ate snacks, which lasted about 5 minutes before he was ready to run back onto the field. We struggled with him, and finally got him back to the side of the field. I watched Nason batting, and suddenly I heard Jakin. "Mommy! Me!" (Translated: "Hey Mommy! Look at me!") I looked at him and saw the ultimate in cuteness: Nason's hat on backwards, his glove on upside down, the whiffle ball in the glove, long red shirt hanging over his shorts nearly to his knees. SO ADORABLE! He was throwing the ball into the glove repeatedly, just like he'd seen his brother do just moments before.
Miss Claire then offered to play catch with him, so he was thrilled to have a friend to play with.

They tossed the ball back and forth for quite some time, occupying Jakin until practice was nearly over.

Jakin had a good time, but each time we are there, he runs out onto the field shouting, "Ball! Ball!" several times during practice! He seems to be saying, "Me too!"

Two more years, buddy!

T-ball Time

2006-06-08T14:50:00.000-07:00

Nason had so much fun throwing the ball at his very first t-ball practice last Thursday night! He was put on the Red team, so he had a red hat and then he went out on the field to field balls from the Orange team.

Nason has never played ball yet except with Daddy at home, so this was interesting. No matter where the ball was hit, Nason ran and tackled kids to get the ball. Then he would grab it and run back to James, regardless of how loudly we yelled that he needed to throw it to first base. James gave him instructions from the field, but when they switched to hitting, James informed me that he had been convinced to become the head coach of the t-ball teams. (Actually, he said they pretty much begged him...yeah, right)

Nason didn't hit too well from the tee, because he hasn't hit from a tee much in several years--he usually hits while James pitches to him, and he crushes the ball then, so we aren't too worried. He had fun, and that was important! He ran the bases, and then while he waited for the rest of his team to hit, he sat and played with a little girl's hair. He's so funny!

At the end, Jamey gave the teams some instructions and we headed home. He had fun Monday night (sprawled out on third base while kids were running the bases over him) and we return to the field tonight for some more entertainment! T-ball is so great!

Slave Labor

2006-06-07T23:28:00.000-07:00

Life with a five-year-old can be tough. It can be interesting. It can be fun. It can also be rewarding. Take, for example, the picture shown above! My sweet child thinks it is GREAT fun to suck stuff up in the vacuum. Last month, he volunteered to help me. In my hurry, I was trying to get ready for his grandparents to come, and I wanted to do it right and fast. Well, anyway, I told him I'd give him a chance to try his skills in the laundry room.

To my surprise, he cleaned that floor so good, I've not seen it that clean before, even when I clean it! (That's where the litter box is, so it is usually quite dirty) I then happily allowed him to clean the kitchen floor, which he did just as nicely! He then asked if he could go around and suck the dog hair up from the carpet, and before I knew it, the whole house was clean!

He thinks this is a reward for him, so I am milking it for all it's worth! I ask him often if he wants to suck stuff up, and he always jumps to his feet and runs to get the vacuum, happily sucking stuff up! Someday, I am sure there will come a time when I will have to beg, threaten, bribe and cajole him into doing a simple chore like this, but for now, I am loving slave labor, especially when he doesn't realize it's actually work! =)

The Call of the Road

2006-06-03T19:24:00.000-07:00

Legs like jello. Lungs on fire. Heart pounding. Mouth dry as cotton. Eyes watering. I want to die. Stumbling past the last mailbox, I feel like I just won a marathon. I am a champion. Have I missed running? I can't believe it, but I think the answer is YES!

Seem strange? I loved to run in high school. I hated trackmeets, but I loved the practices, the six mile runs...the sprints, etc. I really did love those practices! When I was in college, my sophomore year I was in the best shape of my life. The reason? My Workout Tape. I had a set of songs taped that I would play in my Walkman while I ran, used the Stairmaster and Rowing Machine, and finally as I cooled down. It was a certain set of songs that got me really fired up and made me WANT to run! I never realized that is how those songs made me feel until today.

I recently purchased an mp3 player and found my songs online. For a mere $9.68, I downloaded my workout songs, and BAM! I WANT to run! Coming home from my Mary Kay party today, I threw in the cd with those songs on it, and it made me want to pull over and run! I could hardly wait to get home to convince my husband to watch the boys so I could get in a real run! See, I can only get a real run in once or twice a week. When I am with the boys, I am having to push a stroller and also slow down for Nason, or stop on a hill so he can push his bike up the hill, so I don't get to just keep running the whole time and really challenge myself.

So tonight, I had the songs on my player, popped my earbuds in, stretched out, and pushed the Play button. As The Eye of the Tiger filled my ears with pumpin' sound, my steps became light, my eyes slanted and I heard the road calling--a challenge--it dared me to take it on. I accepted the challenge, not really having a clue how far I would run until I turned the corner and headed up the hill after my first 400 meters. I ran all the way to the park and back, I think it's just over a mile, and comparing it to my best time in the mile back in high school, it depressed me, but yet, it challenged me to keep doing it.

As I finished up, I came down the homestretch as "Maneater" shot into my ears. It lifted my tired head and put a little bounce back into my step as I tucked down for my final 50 meter sprint to the last mailbox on my street. As soon as I stopped running, my traitorous legs nearly gave out, and I heard the sound of my own breathing--wow! I dropped to the grass in our yard, and I thought I heard the pavement laughing...daring me to return.

Slip 'n Slide Fun

2006-06-03T10:29:00.000-07:00

The boys got a cool slip 'n slide for their birthday, and it was finally hot enough on Memorial Day to get it out and give it a try. First, the proper preparations needed to be made--sunscreen, water, adjustments, etc. Then, the boys looked on while Daddy gave them a couple of lessons on how to use the slip 'n slide.

Soon, Nason was running, slipping and sliding his way down the slide too, but Jakin was afraid and just watched from the sidelines.

Jakin refused to go down the slide until Jamey led him down, holding his hands all the time. He shrieked and kept gasping, because the water was SO cold!

It looked like so much fun, and it was so hot outside, I even decided to give it a try! It had probably been 20 years since I'd been on one, and I was suddenly afraid! I stood there, anticipating the cold water and fearing the landing, trying to talk myself into it--or out of it, I'm not sure. Finally, I decided to take the plunge, and boy, was it fun! But so COLD!!!

We captured some great shots of us sliding into the water at the end of the slip 'n slide. It was a lot of fun and a great way to cool off for awhile! Then the boys had fun in the little pool for a long time!

All in all, it was a great day! We had fun, we were together, and it was free! Yippee!

Visit From the South

2006-05-31T12:41:00.000-07:00

We had a lot of fun with Jamey's parents and grandparents, who visited us from South Carolina two weeks ago! Jakin likes to pretend to shoot you with his finger, and when you fall down and close your eyes, he will run to you and give you a kiss on the cheek to "wake" you up! Then he shoots himself and struggles across the room in a very dramatic death scene before falling on the floor. It's hilarious!

PaPa tried to teach Jakin how to balance a bat on his finger. It was cute when Jakin tried! We also took some pictures...ok, so Mom took a LOT of pictures! She told us to stand up and face her, so we all turned around, just to be funny.

We even had a cheese tasting at the local cheese store. It was really neat and lots of fun!

Then Nason sang Happy Birthday to me while giving me a hug. It was so sweet!

Jakin was so cute in this picture of him smiling! He usually has his finger in his mouth or his tongue hanging out.

My Brother's Keeper

2006-05-31T10:17:00.000-07:00

Nason volunteered to help Jakin put his tennis shoes on yesterday. It was so cute, and he was very patient with Jakin! (Well, okay, he only yelled at him once)

The Prayers of a Pre-Schooler

2006-05-21T23:23:00.000-07:00

Nason with his prayer chain at graduation

1. Please pray for Stop, he's my cat, help his diarrhea go away.

2. Please help me to have a safe trip home.

3. Please pray for my friend, Christabelle's mom, Amy, she had arm surgery.

4. Please pray for Jakin, he's my brother, he has a cold.

5. Please pray for the sore in my mouth. (And my cat, he's sick again)

6. Please pray for my cat, he's sick.

7. Please pray for my friend Christabelle's mom, Amy, she broke her arm.

8. Please pray for my cat, Stop, because he wouldn't stop it! And when we say Stop! he won't stop, and his name is Stop and we say stoppit, and he won't stop! (I made everyone laugh for a long time that day)

9. Please for my dad, he has a sore stomacheache.

10. Please pray for me for courage when I had stitches in my head. (That was 2 years ago, so not sure where that came from!)

11. Praise-Jakin, my brother, stopped throwing toys.

12. Please help my brother obey and play nice.

13. Please pray for my cat, he ran away.

14. Please help my owie and Mommy's pimples to go away.

15. Please help my dad feel better.

16. Please help my arm, it hurts from my shot.

17. Please help my dad, he had an operation.

18. Please help my parents, they are out of town, Daddy is in Chicago.

19. Please protect Mrs. L. from getting hurt.

Throughout the year at preschool, Nason's teacher, Mrs. Loofbourrow, taught the children about prayer. Each day, if they wanted to, they could go to her and ask her to pray for something. She would write it on a chain and put it on a prayer chain at school that spanned the length of the room several times. Nason is really great at praying anyway, so he had lots of requests to share, many about his cat, Stop, who really is not sick as often as it seems! =)

Nason has been taught by us at an early age that he can pray anytime about anything anywhere he is, and he takes me literally! Many times there is a situation in which I, being the smart, educated, wise adult that I am, I don't even THINK about consulting God in the matter. But Nason has no problem saying, "Oh Mommy, we better pray to God about that!" If I say yes, that's true, he's immediately praying! For instance, on Wednesday, we were at the park on his bike and I had pushed Jakin in the jogging stroller, when we noticed some nasty clouds coming up fast. It looked like rain, and possibly lightning, so I said we better hurry home. Well, we were about 1/2-3/4 of a mile from home at the park, and so I knew we better really hurry. He said, "Why?" and then I explained it to him.

He's behind me, riding his bike as fast as he can while I'm jogging with the stroller in front of him, when I suddenly hear his breathless voice..."Dear God, thank you for helping us get home before it rains..." Oh me of little faith! I didn't even think to consult God in the race for the house! Suddenly, I am voicing my own prayers as I see lightning race across the sky. The thunder comes right after it, and we are moving even faster. Nason prays as though it's already happened, "Dear God, Thank you for..." I LOVE IT that he prays that way! He prays believing!

God uses my children to teach me lessons all the time! Maybe someday I'll write a book, entitled, Lessons I Learned from my Children.

29...and holding...

2006-05-19T22:34:00.000-07:00

Well, it's come and gone. Another year. Down the drain. Or, archived in history? As I get closer to 30, I find it harder and harder to accept. I guess it's because I always wanted to be in my twenties, married, fun-loving, etc.

So, what's it gonna be? Approaching my thirties...good, or bad? It's just another phase of my life. While I am in my 30's, I will see my oldest enter high school and my youngest graduate from elementary school. These things I know. But what else is there? Another decade of possibilities! What could it be...where will I go...who will I meet? What will I do? Maybe I will work my business and move all the way up to the infamous title of National Sales Director with Mary Kay and make millions.

Or maybe not. Maybe I will just be a stay-at-home mom who welcomes her children home each day at 3. Maybe I will do homework with them and then cook supper and have a quiet evening at home with my family. Is that a bad thing? If I just want to be a mom, does that mean being "just a mom" is not enough? There's SO much to being "just a mom." Right now I am having fun finding that out! Riding bikes and jogging to the park...scrapbooking...lazing at home watching cartoons with the boys...cooking...and yes, even cleaning. And do I dread every day? NO! Believe it or not, I actually find that I am having fun! Yes, it's true, I am not working my business as hard as I could right now, and I could be making a lot more money. But, I find I am enjoying my life. Actually, I LOVE my life right now! I love my husband, I love my boys, I love my family, and mostly, I love being with them more! That IS why I decided to do Mary Kay in the first place!

So, 29 and holding...or 29 and loving it? Bring it on, THIRTY!!!!!!

21 Hours with Grandma

2006-05-09T10:03:00.000-07:00

Nason jumping from bed to bed in the hotel room

Last week we crammed a lot of activity into 21 hours so the boys could spend some special time with Grandma. (Of course, I was glad to see her too!)

We picked her up at 1400 hours and drove immediately to the aquarium. We didn't park immediately, though. Nope! They didn't have very good signage, so we drove around in a circle 3 times before we realized where we needed to go. The parking was a ridiculous $15, whether you were there for 4 hours or 4 minutes, but oh well. It was only 21 hours with Grandma, so Grandma said it was worth it.

Upon entering the aquarium, Nason thought it was fun to stand in line and weave back and forth the way you do on rides at theme parks like Disney World & Six Flags. He'd never done that before, and he said it was fun. That was just the line to get our admission tickets! =) Anyway, Grandma did get in free because she's a teacher, so that was cool, and Jakin was free too. We got our tickets and headed around the corner.

To Jakin's thrilling eyes, we saw a huge round aquarium, which he just LOVED! He pressed his little face against the glass and watched fish of all shapes and colors swim right past his nose. He squealed, pointed, giggled and oohed and ahhed, all to our enjoyment. Nason loved it too, but he didn't scream bloody murder when we walked away. Jakin literally threw himself down on the ground and screamed "No! No! No!" That was his favorite part of the whole aquarium, although he really loved watching the dolphins underwater too!

Nason loved the dolphins the best, and then the Komodo Dragon was neat too. He asked, "Will it spit fire out like other dragons do?" Hmm...maybe too much tv? Heheh...

When we were ready to leave, we walked through the gift shop and Jakin, loving stuffed animals the way he does, immediately latched on to the first one he saw, a small stuffed squeaky penguin. He hugged it, and knowing the usual rule when we are in stores, he started to hand it back, but Grandma said he could keep it. Nason was so excited, he started looking for his own toy to keep. He wanted the $40 cheap looking water gun, but settled on a $2 eraser pencil that you could pop the erasers out like those old pencils. Jakin was in love with the penguin until he saw the wall of Nemo fish, then he shoved the penguin at Grandma and said, "All done!" and started pointing at the fish, saying, "Fishy!" until we grabbed one for him!

After the success of the aquarium, we drove along Lake Michigan toward Grandma's hotel, searching hopefully for a sign of food, but there was not a single restaurant that would be kid-friendly. So, she gave me directions to the closest Olive Garden, hallelujah! Olive Garden was delicious, as usual, then we headed to her hotel. Nason was thrilled that Grandma let him use the "credit card" to open the door to our room each time we came in! That was his favorite part of the whole time in Chicago, he said.

Grandma brought a cool book that had Dora games in it, and Nason & Grandma had fun playing several of those. Then we all snuggled up and went to sleep. In the morning, Grandma let them have Pop Tarts while watching cartoons on the tv while we got ready. Nason had the opportunity to use the "credit card" a few more times and then we walked down the street to look at Lake Michigan and take a few pics. After that, sadly, our 21 hours had come to an end, and we took Grandma back to her conference, where we literally had to kick her out of the car on the move! Nason talked about his visit with Grandma and Jakin snuggled his new "fishy" all the way home!

What fun we had---thank you Grandma!

Faces update...

2006-05-08T07:50:00.000-07:00

Well, I don't think I'll have my 100 done by May 10th, but I do have only 50 faces to go! I'm halfway there, and I have to admit, I've not been working much at all. I've been really busy with youth activities and doctor's appointments, etc.