Sunday Mornings

What is it about Sunday mornings?? My morning started out with putting on a sweater that I love and realizing it had a hole in it, right in the front. Did my wood shelf snag it or is something in my closet eating holes in my clothes? Then my children continue to fight over EVERYTHING which causes my husband and I to fight due to our frustration. I started feeling a little better after watching my family perform in a Sunday School skit. My husband was one of the three wise men (or Magi), my daughter the star child and my son...King Herod ( a role that fits him perfect right now). ;) After realizing one of my good friends was in the same mood I was...because of similar reasons, I started feeling better. As my friend said "Misery loves company". I thought things were better as we sat down as a family for Worship. I have been looking forward to hearing the sermon all week. About the time during the sermon I was remembering my own sons birth and reliving those amazing feelings you have when you first hold your child, my son says...."MOM, what time........". I immediately cut him off by holding up one finger...no, not that one, the finger you hold up as if to say...one minute. So he preceded to write me a note and held it in front of me. When I grabbed it and didn't read it, he kept tapping it. It took everything I had not to elbow him in the chest!!! After the service we had a talk about letting me worship even if he didn't want too. His comment...."Mom all I wanted to know is when my friend can come over" UUUUGGGGHHHH.
So, my dear friend, what I heard of your sermon today was wonderful. Thank you for helping me relive that first moment I held my son. It has kept me from sending him away today. :)
I know I am blessed to have two incredible kids. They make me laugh, they make me cry, they make me angry, happy and proud. But what is it about Sunday mornings?

Wii

"Wii" had a wonderful Christmas with family and friends. It is awesome to have family you love to spend time with but also to have friends you love enough to consider family! It has been a relaxing, low stress Christmas this year!!

The highlight of this Christmas has to be playing "Wii" with my family, including my parents. How many people can say they bowled, played baseball,and tennis on Christmas. We had fun. We probably even worked off some of the cookies we ate. I never thought I would enjoy a video system this much but it's fun. Let the Wii tournaments begin!!

Happy Holidays

Recently at work, we were having a conversation about retailers not saying Merry Christmas but saying Happy Holidays. My friends/co-workers were surprised that as a christian I wasn't more upset about it. Some comments were made that "they" are trying to take Christ out of Christmas. My thought was...(and I wish now I would have spoken up, but the words weren't there) nobody can take Christ out of Christmas. That is what Christmas is about. Regardless of how we greet someone during the holidays...oops...Christmas season. As I learned today in a Sunday School class, Christmas is also about a lot of other things. I am not less of a christian because I smile and feel warm inside when I hear the story...Twas the Night before Christmas or I say Happy Holidays.

In the car on the way home from church today we were talking about this subject. My 11 year son said..."What is wrong with saying Happy Holidays? Then all the people who celebrate through other religions are included. " Thank You. My comment was...why can't we all just get along. Why does it matter if Santa comes to your house? My kids know the reason we celebrate Christmas but they still love getting presents. I love seeing their faces light up when they get exactly what they asked for. Do we talk about Jesus birth? You bet. Usually one of the kids will sing Happy Birthday to Jesus on Christmas day. Do we read or watch movies about Santa? You bet. We watched the Jim Carrey version of "The Grinch who stole Christmas" the other night. The best part of the movie for me is when the Mayor is very upset that the Grinch stole Christmas (because all the presents were gone) but the father of Cindy Lou who says something like...even the Grinch can't steal Christmas. We still have each other.

I guess what I am trying to say is, Christmas is about family, friends, presents and so many other things including Jesus birth. Its all in what you make it. Why argue or get offended because someone is celebrating differently than you or not greeting you the way you want them too. I think God just wants us all to get along. Let's be happy for goodness sake it's Christmas.

So, Happy Holidays everyone. I will see you at the recycle bin with all the wrapping paper. I have to go help the kids get cookies ready for Santa and make sure we have enough carrots for all the reindeer.

Ready for Christmas

Only a few days left before Christmas. I am actually ready. Today we had our annual cookie baking/hang out and visit party. It has grown from 4 families to 8 families. Just the moms and kids come. The husbands are on their own. Usually it ends up that the moms bake, the kids play and then we all eat. It was a fun time. My kids had their closest friends over for at least 4 hours and now all I am hearing is....."I'm bored". UUUGGGHHH what is a mother to do. Of course they don't like my idea of cleaning their rooms. No, they actually have the nerve to ask me if they can have a friend over. "WHAT, You just had about 10 friends over here." "WE'RE BORED" wow. When is Christmas break over?? Another week and a half....uuuggghh. I'm sure it's just the pre-Christmas excitement. After Christmas we will have all kinds of things to do.

I am looking forward to a few relaxed days without big plans. Tomorrow we will go to church and.... uuuhhh thats really all we have planned. I love being ready and relaxed and able to actually enjoy Christmas. Maybe this year I won't have the big Christmas let down/Christmas Blues. Now all I need is enough snow to make it a white Christmas but not enough to cause traffic troubles.

I wish everyone who reads this a wonderful, relaxed, peaceful Christmas.

Happy Birthday Jesus.

National Young Scholar

For the second year in a row, my little drummer boy has been nominated for the National Young Scholars Program. This year his band instructor nominated him as well as 5 other students from his school. This nomination gives him the opportunity to go to a University, spend a week with other Young National Scholars and take fun advanced courses and also learn leadership skills. It seems like an incredible experience. It is very expensive and we wouldn't be able to see him the entire week. He could call us, on a cell phone we provide, in the morning and in the evening. I have mixed emotions about letting him go/not letting him go. If I let him go, I will wonder about his safety (mom won't have control). If I don't let him go, will he be losing an opportunity to increase his knowledge and challenge himself? He is such a bright kid, most of the time the way his brain works amazes me. There is also the expense, but you can't put a price on a good education. UUUUGGGGHHHH what's a mother to do?
Here is the website.... http://www.nationalyoungscholars.org/
If you have time, take a look at it and tell me what you think.
We decided not to send him last year because of the expense and because of his age. I'm starting to wonder if that was the right decision.

It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas....

The first snow fall of the season and its a good one for our area. We started out with about 2 inches of snow, then some rain and now a beautiful thick fluffy snow fall. We are supposed to get anywhere between 3-9 inches. It is so beautiful with the Christmas lights.

Little Drummer boy turns 11

Today is "little drummer boys" birthday. He is 11. I remember the day he was born as if it was yesterday. I had been in early labor for a week. Even being monitored he was born quickly without time for medication. He was 4lbs and 120z and fit in his dads hand. He was so tiny. It has been a quick 11 years. We are so proud of the person he is becoming. He has his moments but for the most part he is a wonderful son, who makes us proud. I thank God everyday for my children. Those first 11 days were tough and the past 11 years have not been easy but I wouldn't trade them for anything. Our little peanut is now our "little drummer boy". Happy Birthday Buddy!! We love you.

Righteous Anger

I have been dealing with my own anger over the past few days. Even after a powerful, emotional, and healing worship service on Sunday, I am still getting fired up and angry. Today a very dear and special friend said to me..."It's righteous anger". That statement is slowly calming my anger. I know I will eventually get over these strong feelings even though my beliefs will not change. I am slowly learning to focus on the incredibly good things that have been happening over the past several days. So to my dear friend who took the time to listen to me today...Thank you. I hope I helped you a little too. We will all be ok. As a wise person said recently... GOD REIGNS. Thats what I need to focus on.

I love Christmas...but....

I love Christmas...the entire season of Christmas, not just Christmas day. I love the lights, the music, the special services, seasonal food, all of it. BUT....shouldn't we be thinking about Thanksgiving now. Even before Halloween the stores had Christmas decorations out. Adds on t.v. were coming on. People in our small town have Christmas lights on already. I understand putting them up while it is still warm outside, but maybe we should wait to turn them on until after Thanksgiving. I couldn't even find Thanksgiving towels at my beloved Target. I think we are forgetting about Thanksgiving. I love this time of year, the fall colors, the crisp air, the earthy scent in the air. What has happened to enjoying Thanksgiving. I can't wait till Thursday. We watch the parades, relax with family and eat, eat, eat. Then take a walk. Its a day to count our many blessings!! I am looking forward to it. Then....the day after Thanksgiving....the shopping and decorating begins.

I was talking to my brother today about presents. We have decided not to exchange this year. Christmas gets so expensive and in the hustle and bustle of shopping and spending we felt like the true meaning of Christmas is getting lost. So this year, Christmas will be about spending time with each other and celebrating the birth of Jesus. Uncle Tinman still plans to get the kids something, but the adults are just going to enjoy each other. It makes it easier for all of us...and less expensive.

Yes, I do love Christmas but....I want to enjoy Thanksgiving first. Then I will be ready to get into the Christmas spirit. HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYONE

Do Nothing Days 2,3 and 4

One "Do Nothing Day" has turned into 2, 3 and almost 4 days. I got over whatever was making me tired and drained last week and ended up this week with some gastroenteritis thingy. YUCK. I basically have done nothing for the past 2-3 days. I don't plan on doing much today either. I'm tired of being tired and sick!! whah, whah, whah. Yesterday, I actually got tired of laying down. So, today I will take it easy and try to eat a little more, do a load or two of laundry to try and catch up. Luckily, I have a great family who doesn't expect much when mom is sick. Tomorrow I will go back to work at the place that is probably making me sick. I wash my hands continuously, so I'm not sure how else to protect myself!!! I guess as a mom and a nurse I am probably going to get sick. I'm just glad it was me and not the kids. Anyway, I hope everyone else out there in blog land is healthy. I'm trying to get there.

Do Nothing Day

I have been feeling a little under the weather lately. I haven't been to the Y, I'm not getting things done around the house. I feel like I could just sleep all the time. No Tinman I am not depressed. I think the flu shot has kicked my butt. Last year I got the stupid shot because we are basically told we have to working in a hospital setting. Last year I was flu ridden for a couple of weeks, months after getting the shot. Different strain, I was told. Yet, as my boss said.....YOu didn't die. So, I will continue to get a flu shot, even if it doesn't prevent all strains. Maybe its not just the shot making me feel so worn out. Maybe its Gods way of saying....have a "do nothing day". My husband says I deserve them too.
So, today is going to be a do nothing day. No laundry, no housecleaning or picking up. I'm just going to lay around and read. I might even take a nap. As my mother would say.....It will all be there tomorrow.

I've been tagged, 10 things you don't know about me.

I have been tagged by Liz. Gosh, most of you probably know most everything about me...lets see.



1. I do not have very good time management skills when it comes to keeping up with housework, laundry etc.



2. I get more things done the busier I am.



3. I live in a log home that I helped build, log by log, with friends and family.



4. I do not cry easily, I don't like people to see me cry.



5. I jammed 2 fingers playing basketball in high school P.E.



6. I have lived in Germany as a child



7. I have two kids that are in high math and I still have to count on my fingers??!!



8. In college my sorority sisters voted me as their Greek Goddess my senior year. I lost to a friend at our rival sorority.





9. When my kids were babies/toddlers, it drove me crazy when the lids to the bottles or sippy cups didn't match.





10. I am a jack of many trades........master of none.

Happy late Halloween

This is a little late and the smoke from the fire is distorting the picture...but oh well...you get the idea. YO HO HO....we hope you had a great Halloween.

WHERE'S JOY???

1. Spending time at the new Target :)
2. Spending hours on the phone making dentist appointments, Dr's appointments and trying to find a Wii (mission accomplished)
3. Spending a half hour several mornings a week at the YMCA
4. Field Trip to the ARCH with 100 3rd graders and 86 parents....we had lunch at the "Old Spaghetti Factory...yumm
5. Girl Scout Field Trip to the Alton Lock and Dam....awesome, something everyone should see
6. Getting ready for Halloween
7. Helping out parents with house renovations (not as much as I should have)
8. Spending time with my in-laws (not as much as I should be)
9. Helping out a friend (wish I could have done more)
10. Volunteering at the kids school and at church (probably more than I should...I did say No to the church Nominating committee today. My family would not be happy if I added another evening away. The Youth Ministries committee would have been fun though.)

Hope to be back soon. Maybe November will be slower!! hahahahahahaha

Retreat

I just spent an incredible weekend with about 40 other women. We spent time sharing, relaxing, thinking, praying, learning, listening and eating, lots of eating. We heard the faith stories of our friends. We met women that we recognized but have never talked to. We also spent time thinking and talking about our own faith stories. We renewed and strengthened established friendships and made new friends. Most of all, I think we all left feeling closer to God and each other. Its amazing what just a game of Yahtzee will do.
My husband will attend the men's retreat in a few weeks. I pray that his retreat leaves him refreshed, renewed and feeling closer to God.
Dear great and loving God, thank you for the experience of the women's retreat. Thank you for the treasure of friendships. Help me to continue to feel close to you and share my story with others. I pray that the men's retreat leaves my husband and all the men that are attending feeling closer to you. Thank you for sending your son Jesus.
Amen

shopping part 2

Our new Target is wonderful. It seems a little silly to be excited about a store, but when you live in a small town where all "the good stuff" is about 20 to 30 minutes away, its exciting to have something so convenient. The best part of the new Target is......it has a STARBUCKS. I thought I was going to hyperventilate when I saw it. I will be spending a lot of time and money there. So good bye Wal-mart. See you later today Target.

shopping

I have had a great week of shopping. JCPenny had a great sale...basically everything 50% off. The best part was that on Weds. I only had about 1/2 hour and I found exactly what I was looking for and........it fit. UNBELIEVABLE!! That never happens to me. Today I went to Kohls and actually found pants that fit. Its a great week of shopping. Nothing cures a down day/week better than a successful shopping trip. I even found things for the kids....that they liked. I only had to exchange one pair of pants for little drummer boy because they were too big. We should be ready for fall now!!!

Later I am meeting Alex at Target. The day has finally come. Our new Target is open. Now I only have to drive 15minutes not 30. YAHOO We have been planning this trip to Target since probably around April. Its a great week of shopping. Wonderful therapy!!!

A Day of Emotion

This has been a day filled with nausea and worry, to my heart bursting with pride. All this caused by my children.
My little girl has been working through some pretty powerful anxieties. Her teacher called me today so that my little girl could talk to me. Her teacher was hoping I would be able to calm her down. My little girl had herself so worked up that she was nauseous. We talked for about 10 minutes. It turns out that her cousin and a quick trip to the nurse got her through the rest of the day. She was so wound up with happy energy the rest of the day that I almost forgot about the heart wrenching phone call. It took all my strength and energy NOT to go get her from school and bring her home to make it all better. We made it through. I am very proud of her strength. Yes mom, I told her that!! :) Hopefully her tomorrow will be better.
Little drummer boy had a school band concert tonight. He told me he had been working on a piece with the tympani (kettle drum). Tonight, just before the 5th grade band was to play. The band teacher said...."We have a 5th grader (little drummer boy) who is going to play the tympani, we don't usually have someone in 5th grade with such skill". I was bursting with pride and couldn't stop smiling. He was awesome!!
So the day didn't start out so well but it is ending with my heart swollen with pride, love and admiration for the accomplishments of my children.
Thank you God for my children!

I've been tagged

Sorry, I have been gone for awhile. Hopefully we are back into a routine and I'll be able to blog more. I'll start with this.....



Besomami tagged me for this meme:



Four Jobs I've Held
babysitter
waitress at Ponderosa
nurses aide
Library assistant



Four Films I Could Watch Over & Over
Top Gun
St. Elmo's Fire
Posideon Adventure (The original...I can't spell it)
Grease



Four T.V. Shows I Watch
ER
House Hunters and most HGTV shows
The Today Show
The Bachelor/Bachelorette



Four Places I've Lived
Louiseville, Kentucky
Las Crucas, NM
Germany
Laurinburg, NC

Four Favorite Foods
popcorn
pizza
anything chocolate
Filet Minon (thats probably not spelled right either)



Four Websites I Visit Daily
email
blogs
whatever peaks my interest for the day
(I know, thats only really 3....sorry)


Four Favorite Colors
Grass green
Cardinal Red
any shade of blue
deep purple

Four Places I Would Love To Be Right Now
snuggling with my kids
a beach in the Carolinas
Breckinridge, Colorado
napping in a bed with fresh clean sheets



Four Names You Love, But Could/Would Not Use For Your Children
Elizabeth
Margaret
Zachary
Michael (we wanted names that didn't have nick names....Michael/Mike.....etc.

I'm tagging:
Tinman
Sheepdays
Lambsoup (if she reads this)
and anyone else who is reading and wants to join in

OK Tinman and Brett, you have been tagged twice!!! I'll be looking

Change

I decided to change the look of my blog. I get bored with things easily. I"m constantly changing my hair. Grow it out, cut it short, highlights, etc. I was starting to get a little bored with the way my blog looked. I am ready for a change. This picture of a harbor was relaxing to me. Just what I need right now. Maybe, I will make this a monthly thing or a seasonal thing. I'm definately ready for fall. I love the changing colors of leaves, the crisp air, the smell of bonfires, and pumpkin pies baking in the oven. It needs to get cool again so we can start making chili and open up the house. Goodbye September, Hello October.

Easy Day

Book Fair is over...whew!! It was an exhausting week. It was also a lot of fun. I finished the financial forms today. I had a lot of other things I wanted to do today too, but I am forced to take it easy. My little drummer boy is home today with a fever. Seems like it wasn't too long ago I was spending quality time with my little girl while she was home with a fever.
I have spent a lot of time on the computer today...not for me, but to watch several computer games. Some on the internet, some on discs. We have built a city with roads and buildings. My son is actually the mayor and has to make decisions based on the cities needs.
We have also played in Webkinz world. He has 5 different animals and each animal has its own room. He had to feed them, harvest his garden, bathe them and put them all back to bed. It is much more involved than that but I decided he needed to get off the computer. He would spend all day on the computer if I let him. Its nice to have time with just him. It is also nice to have a quiet day.
Tomorrow, I go back to my paying job. It will be nice to get back into routine. I miss my friends at work. They are such an incredible source of comfort and support. I need to tell them that. So, book fair is over and hopefully we can all get back into our normal routine. Whatever normal is.

Book Fair Week

Its the eve before a crazy week. Its book fair week. As exhausted as it makes me, it's one of my favorite times. I love being in the school, seeing my kids and their friends several times throughout the day. My co-chair and I feel like its therapy. I actually go through book fair withdrawal when its over. I am thankful that I will be with a good friend everyday this week. We are good for each other. I'm looking forward to a therapeutic, exhausting week full of laughter and several hugs a day from some of my favorite kids. Just what I need.

Busy Tuesday

Well, my little girl is home again. We thought she was fever free but about 1:30 she had a slight fever. Not as high as it has been but up again none the less. The cough doesn't seem any better either. Stupid virus.


We have been busy today with homework. Its amazing how much they miss in one day. Good thing she is caught up, she will get more tonight. We also made daddy a cake for his birthday. Today he is 44. We aren't having a big party, just the 4 of us. He and little drummer boy have their music lessons tonight. So we will have dinner and cake. We will sing happy birthday and then they will head off to music lessons. It will be nice. Hopefully this weekend my little girl will be better and we can go out to dinner to celebrate.


His new guitar is his present. Which made things easy for me and him happy. I'm sure it will be a nice night.

Lazy Monday

My little girl is home from school today. She has had a cough and a fever. We did go see the Dr. this morning. We are fortunate to have a place that gets sick kids in fast. The cough is caused by drainage from allergies which has caused one of her tonsils to swell. The strep test was negative. Luckily, my little girl does not have a sore throat. The Dr. said the fever is just a virus. We were trying to treat the allergies with Claritin but apparently thats not helping. So, she will now be on Zyrtec. I hope it helps.
Sometimes its nice to have one kid home from school. They both want me to sit with them when they are sick. It forces me to slow down and relax. It also gives me quality one on one time. Not that I want either kid to be sick but I have to take advantage of this time when I can. We have had two fairly lazy days. I guess I better enjoy it now, book fair is next week. I will basically be working full time retail at the school. So, for now I will enjoy my lazy days and spend some quality time with my little girl. Hopefully her fever is gone for now...but if it comes back, I will snuggle and comfort her again.

lazy Sunday

OK call us heathens. We skipped church today. My little girl had to stay home anyway. She has had a cough this past week and a fever on and off all weekend. She didn't need to be spreading her germs. My little drummer boy and I went to the Cardinal game last night (the Cards finally broke their loosing streak and kick some Cub b---!!). He kept me out a little too late. That boy knows that stadium better than he knows his school. I had the grand tour. He even showed me Jim Edmonds gold glove award. We stood by an outfield camera man and found seats in the bleachers right above the bull-pen. The best part was that the Cards beat the Cubs!!! We had a wonderful time. I hope little drummer boy grows up with fond memories of going to Cardinal games with his mom. I know he enjoys the games with his PawPaw too. As wonderful a night as it was....it was a late night. Needless to say it was hard to get up this morning. He actually got up and then fell back asleep in the recliner. Its hard to get one kid going when the other one gets to stay home curled up on the couch. So, we all stayed home.

About the time I started feeling guilty and missing my worship time, we saw a doe and her fawn in the yard right next to the swing set. What a wonderful, time stopping moment. I bet we watched them for about a half hour. They were nibbling from our yard and we even witnessed the fawn nursing from her mother. We haven't seen deer in our yard for awhile. It was so peaceful.

After the moments with the deer, I was lounging on the couch with my coffee, in my pj's watching an episode of HGTV's Curb Appeal listening to the sounds of little drummer boys snoring and an acapella jazz version of "Show Me Your Ways", one of our praise songs. My bass playing husband spent about a half hour going over music for our Praise band.

I still miss the fellowship and worship at First United but it is nice to have these spiritual moments at home with my family. We have so few moments at home to relax in our pj's and do nothing that maybe just maybe God planned this for us, to remind us to slow down and enjoy the simple things like a doe and her fawn, the sounds of peaceful rest and joyful music.

Great and loving God, thank you for time to worship, at church and at home, in our Sunday best and in our pj's. Amen

MaryMartha night

Tonight is one of my favorite nights of the month....It's MaryMartha night. Mary Marthas is my Presbyterian Womens group. We are just a group of moms, all different ages, who come together once a month for a lesson, treats and a short meeting. We spend a lot of time sharing our lives with our friends. We help each other with problems, we pray for each other and we play. We might go to a movie after the meeting or we might go out for a drink together. We have made some great friendships. Our fearless leader asked us to think about 3 things we can share about ourselves that nobody else knows. hahahahaha, I'm not that deep. Most people I know, know what there is to know about me. But I did come up with a few things. It wasn't easy.

1. I would love to go up in a hot air balloon someday.

2. I would love to sky-dive someday.

and last but not least.....3. I would love to be up on stage singing with Rascal Flats, Vince Gil, Chris Tomlin and especially with Darlene Zschech With Hillsongs.

I don't know how if that's really what she was looking for, like I said...I"m not that deep.

If anyone reading this wants to share three things about your self that nobody knows, please comment. It could be fun.

Driving Home

Driving home from work is usually a way for me to get my thoughts back to home. Once I am over the bridge, I try to leave work behind. Last Friday it wasn't that easy. We all had been praying for rain for so long. It finally came. But with the beauty and need for rain comes the dangers of rain. Lots of bad car accidents. About 2 hours before the end of my shift a beautiful blonde headed boy came in after a bad accident. His mother went to another hospital. His father came with him. By the time I was leaving for home it was apparent that the boy probably wouldn't survive. His mother might not either. I left home knowing my family was safely in their beds also knowing a husband and fathers life was surely about the change. I felt horribly guilty. Between the rain and the tears it was difficult driving home. I found myself yelling at cars speeding by me to slow down. They had no idea what this poor man was going through. I didn't want anyone else to have to go through it. Knowing they couldn't hear me I started yelling at God. I knew God was listening. It took me awhile to feel like I could go to bed. The hugs and kisses I give my kids when I get home from work took much longer. I didn't want to let go. It was a rough night. Saturday, I was physically and especially emotionally exhausted. It was a long tiring day. My heart was not totally into my little girls birthday party with our families. Sunday came and it felt like I was getting back to normal.

I did find out on Monday, when I went back to work that the beautiful blonde boy had died. It helps to know he is with God. How can he not be. So, pray for this family and the nurses and Drs who took care of him. I was only on the sideline but I hope my prayers for the dad have helped in some way. Driving home Monday night was much better. I was able to bring my thoughts back home.

WEDNESDAY

Yah!!! It is finally Wednesday, September 12th. PYC or Presbyterian Youth Club starts today. My little girl will be joining PYC this year. For the past several years since little drummer boy started PYC, I have been picking up my two kids as well as my niece and my friends two kids and taking them to PYC. It is the highlight of my week. I love to listen in on the conversations of these wonderful children. Sometimes they sing all the way to church. Don't get me wrong...I'm still not sure how mothers of more than two survive. But I love it. In 6th grade, my niece is now too old for PYC, so she won't be joining us anymore :( however, another one of my friends daughter will be joining us. She is also a good friend of the rest of the carpool. I am really looking forward to this afternoon. The kids are excited too. :)
Its also an exciting day for another reason. WNL or Wednesday Night Live starts tonight. The praise band...The Four Legged Lambs....that my husband and I are in, will start a new form of worship tonight. We will play and sing for the first part of the hour and then our senior pastor will start a BIble lesson. Tonight it is about Dysfunctional families. We are looking at Adam and Eve. It should be good. I will miss our intimate, just the praise band rehearsing Wednesday nights, but if we can share what we all experienced on rehearsal Wednesdays, I am all for that. Its going to be an exciting day!!!

September 5, 1998

Nine years ago today at 9:16 am a beautiful red haired baby girl was born. My little girl came quickly into our lives. I often call her my saving grace. My mother has always said..."Every mother needs a daughter". For my friends who only have sons, you will someday have daughters-in-law that hopefully will bless your lives.

My little girl is 9. That is hard to believe. She is beautiful, bright, has the most incredible giggle and knows how to make me laugh when I am angry. She also knows how to push my buttons...as my mother would also say. She has a beautiful singing voice and uses it daily..especially in the shower. This summer she has began growing and changing from a little girl into a third grader. My 6lb 12oz baby is now reading at a fifth grade level. Wow, how fast the time goes. We have gone from buying baby dolls to Nintendo DS. At least she still likes to snuggle with her mommy at bedtime. I hope she never grows out of that.

Happy 9th birthday my sweet girl. I love you more than you understand...Until you have a child of your own.

a bass guitar

A little more than two years ago I was at praise band rehearsal. Our fearless leader said something like....we sure need a bass player, If anyone knows of someone please let me know. My husband had been tinkering around with his acoustic guitar for awhile and had been playing around with little drummer boys drums. So, I went home and said something like....The praise band needs a bass guitar player. You need to learn how to play bass. He didn't say NO. After playing around with the churches bass, working with our fearless leader and starting lessons his new hobby began.

He is now a pretty great bass player if I do say so myself. As I have said before, music is a huge part of our family life and a lot of the reason for that is my husbands love of playing the bass. For 15 years or more I had been praying for a way to get my husband interested in something with church so he would be as active as the kids and I were. Little did I know it would be music and a bass guitar.

Yesterday my husband purchased a new bass. He's feeling a little guilty about spending the money. Not me, it made my heart leap for joy that he loves being a part of this praise band so much that he wanted a better instrument. He is so happy with that bass in his hands and I'm happy he is using his talent to praise God.

Sometimes we have to wait for what seems like forever for a prayer to be answered, but when that prayer is answered, it is definately worth the wait. Little did I know that the answer would be in the form of a bass guitar. Thanks be to God.

Thank Goodness

I haven't blogged in a few days. It has been a sucky week. That's the only way to describe last week. Just a few minutes before praise band rehearsal with the Four legged Lambs last Weds. my husband and I found out some pretty bad news about someone close to us in his family. Its about the worst news anyone can get. Pretty sucky. Things are still in limbo but we hope to find out more this week. On top of this bad news, my back took me out for a couple of days. Thank goodness for chiropractors and new shoes. My back is still achy but much better than last week. I was hoping for a better week this week but my husband received some bad news about a co-worker this morning. Sometimes life just sucks!!!
You would think with all this bad news I would be mad at God. However, I realized last night even before this mornings bad news that I'm not mad at God. "She" as a good friend would say, didn't make these things happen. I am angry at cigarettes, chemicals in our food, cancer and guns. I'm angry that Dr's. don't do more to get sedentary people up and moving. God is not responsible for this stuff, we are.
Thank goodness for friends and co-workers who support us, love us and pray for us even when they don't know what is really going on in our lives. Thank goodness for the blessing of a praise band who unknowingly is therapeutic through a truly dark time. Thank goodness for a Senior Pastor and an Associate Pastor who are good friends as well as our pastors. Thank goodness for parents and family who support us through everything. Thank goodness for our kids who love us even when we are crabby and short tempered for reasons they don't really know. I am going to focus on all my blessings and continue to hold onto my faith. God will get us through this. As the Tinman reminded me, not to long ago, God suffers when we suffer.
Thank "GOOD"ness!

Sunday to Wednesday

A couple of years ago the senior pastor at my church asked me if I would like to sing in the praise band for our Contemporary Worship service. I didn't even have to think about it. I said "Sure, that sounds like fun". Little did I know how much fun that would be. Eventually my husband became a part of the band playing Bass guitar. My kids have come to many rehearsals and my dad is the head honcho of the tech crew. My family has definitely changed for the better because God lead us to this group. It is not just a group. We have all become very close friends and rely on each other for many things. We are the "Four Legged Lambs" family.

Four legged Lambs is the name of the praise band. That may be explained in another post.

This Sunday will be our last Sunday. The Contemporary Worship service is ending. Most of us are sad and grieving a little. This Worship service has a lot of meaning for a lot of us.

However, we are on the verge of a new beginning. Starting September 12 we will be worshiping on Weds. eves. Our Weds. evening rehearsal have been just as much a worship time for us as our service on Sunday. Now, we get to share Weds. with the whole church. Its an exciting time. We will share the songs that mean so much to us with many people who have never heard this type of worship music. Hopefully it will be as meaningful and moving for them as it is for us. We will also spend time studying the bible. So, now we will have worship and study time on Sundays and on Weds. Watch out Tinman I might start catching up to you on all the theology stuff you throw out at me! :) I might be able to understand some of the conversations we have. hahahahaha.

Even though I'm sad about our Contemporary service ending, I am excited about the changes that await. What could be better than learning more about the God that loves us. I read something in daily devotional once that said...."If you want to get closer to God, study and learn more about God". So, Goodbye to the old and hello to the new. I'm ready.

Youth Sunday

Yesterday was Youth Sunday at my church. It was an incredible experience. Our Youth/Teens went to Arkansas on a mission trip this summer. The scripture, prayers and message tied into this mission trip. They talked about their experiences in a homeless shelter, a food bank and a Spinal cord awareness dinner. The one thing that touched me the most was that they were so moved by what they experienced in these places that they used their spending money to buy groceries for the homeless shelter. They thought they only bought enough for 1 meal but they bought enough for 3. Incredible. What wonderful inspiration these Teens are for me, my children and the church familly. I was very teary (joyful tears) while listening to their message. There was alot more to what they did than buying groceries but that touched me the most. It was a wonderful reminder to take time out of our busy lives and money out of our pockets to help those less fortunate. Isn't that what Jesus would want us to do. Thank you to the Teens in Ministry for reminding us of what is important!!

Everyone invited, All ages....???????

I must vent. It makes me feel better. We received an email recently about a "group", shall we say, that was going to be formed for a short time. Everyone one is invited....all ages..all "jobs", etc. However when I inquired about this "group" I was told, in a similar statement....I don't think we will be needing anyone else to do that particular "job". OK, what does everyone invited, all ages mean? My familly member that was interested in this particular "job", doesn't usually want to be a part of something like this. So, when my family member mentioned being interested, I was thrilled. Upon finding out that this particular "job" was not needed, I asked how I was supposed to explain to my interested family member that he was not needed, after all the email did say...everyone invited..all ages. Needless to say a "job" was formed.
I'm not sure why my family member wasn't needed at first. Is it because the leader of the group didn't know that my family member could handle the "job"? Or did the leader just not want to find him something to do. I'm sure I am more aggravated about this than I need to be but....why send out and email saying everyone invited if you don't really need everyone?

Anyway, I know this probably doesn't make a lot of sense because I am so vague but it does make me feel better to have it written down. OOOHHH and the"job" my family member is doing made a big difference in the "group". In my opinion!!!! :) Thanks for letting me vent.

Missing Summer

It has been awhile since I have blogged. It is amazing that school starts and things immediately become more hectic. We are busier only because school has started. We had a busy weekend with piano lessons, an incredible wedding, and a parade. I picked up 4 extra hours at work yesterday morning while the kids were in school. Then yesterday evening we had homework.
I miss the lazy days of summer. It is still automatic for the kids to get up in the morning and lounge on the couch. I have to remind them to get ready for school. I guess we will get into routine soon. It is still very low stress and we have been getting to school on time. I am thankful for that. Summer is almost over. September will be here before I know it. Labor day weekend my little girl will have 2 parades and celebrate her 9th birthday the Wednesday after. We will also be gearing up for the fall bookfair at school. My school volunteering will be in full swing. I miss the lazy days of summer. I am blessed to be able to enjoy summer with my kids and volunteer at their school to be close to them. So as much as I miss summer, I am looking forward to what this school year brings.
Dear God, thanks again for our great kids. Amen

Quirks and Superstitions

As most of you who read this blog know, I am a pediatric nurse. Frequently my job is a sedation nurse. I administer medications to patients so they sleep through a painful procedure without pain and then wake up almost immediately without recollection of the procedure. Occasionally there are complications, but we anticipate them and attempt to prevent them.

I work with several different Docs and several different nurses. Lately we have been discussing different "quirks" we all have. One Dr. in paticular says he doesn't have quirks, he just does things "the right way". This of course made everyone laugh because each Dr. thinks he does things "the right way". So, I decided to look up quirk in Websters. There are many definitions but the one I like is....a peculair trait or idosyncrasy. One doc asked me yesterday what my quirks are. I told him it was hard to come up with any on the spot only because I try to keep up with all of theirs. He actually found that humerous. I did remind him that I only have two hands (they like to give us several things to do at once) and I don't like to miss meals (I get really crabby). :) Then I remember how it bugs me when trash is laying around. I like to have all the syringe wrappers, used alcohol wipes, empty medicine bottles,etc all in one place or I am constantly cleaning up when I have a spare moment.
We were also discussing superstitions. One of the nurses will not order the xray in the computer until she knows she is going to need it. I won't mark on the sedation record that the patient was returned to his room until we are returning him/her to their room. One of the Docs won't sign the sedation form until the sedation is over. We are all worried about "jinxing" something.
So, I looked up superstition in Websters. Again, there were several definitions but the one I liked or thought fit this blog is.....a false conception of causation. So when I get to work today I think I might put the definitions on our board.
I does make my job alot easier knowing everyones quirks and superstitions. Now it is just a matter of remembering them.

First Day of School

Open House went well last night. The kids like their new teachers and so do I. I have been waiting for the drama to begin but it never did. My little girl has gone from a timid Kindergarten kid who had horrible issues with riding the bus and seperating from me, to a first grader who cried and had to be pulled away from me everytime there was a substitute teacher, to a second grader who gradually learned to deal with her anxiety about substitute teachers but still always wanted me to walk her to the door, and now to a very confident and excited third grader who walked into the main door with her older brother by her side. I think she is growing up. Maybe he is too. He didn't run ahead of her to try to get away from her. He walked right by her side.
It was even a low stress/no stress morning getting them out the door.
I'm sure things will change and we will have some stressful mornings, but a mom can always hope, right!!! It was great to see my bright, beautiful children walk into school with confidence and smiles. What a wonderful first day.
Dear great and loving God, thank you for a wonderful first day of school. Amen

Joy FM

I was reminded today by a co-worker of this radio station. This station plays a lot of the songs we use in our Contemporary service. Its very uplifting to listen too while on the computer or in the car. Even if you are not in the listening area it has a daily scripture and lots of other great things to read. I especially like the daily scripture for today. "May your unfailing love rest upon us, O Lord even as we put our hope in you (Psalm 33:22). This website is now in my favorites. Enjoy

Proud Mom

Well the "gig" was a lot of fun. Little drummer boy did a great job. What a proud mom I am. It is so fun to watch him play in a real band. I am proud of my little girl too. As mean as little drummer boy can be to her sometimes, she continues to try to be nice to him. She turns the other cheek a lot!!
Their first day of school is tomorrow. They go for one hour. It is really a pain to get them ready and out the door for one hour. I guess its a way to slowly get them back into the groove. Friday they will go all day. Tonight is Open House. We will go and find their classrooms and meet their teachers. My little girl tends to have anxiety about being away from me all day. She likes for me to walk her to the door. This year because she is in 3rd grade she has to go in the main door, walk through the halls to the multi-purpose room and sit with her class until school starts. I'm sure this will cause some anxiety. We have talked about it and she seems fine but if history repeats itself she will start crying tonight and will cry after breakfast tomorrow. I was thinking this morning I should write down a comforting scripture that she can put in her backpack as a reminder of Gods love and mine. Maybe something like... For nothing is impossible with God (Luke 1:37) or I can do all things in Him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). I have several like these on my refrigerator but I'm not sure. If anyone reading this has any suggestions for either scripture or any other comfort measure, please comment.
Great and loving God, thank you for blessing me with beautiful and bright children. Be with us tomorrow as we begin a new school year. Help us to remember that nothing is impossible with you. Help us to remember that you are always with us. Amen

Music

Music has been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. I have always loved to sing. My mom tells stories of me bouncing up and down to several bands she and my dad used to listen too and I'm sure still do. I love all types of music. I have sung in school choirs, swing choirs and church choirs. I remember singing Donna Summer, the BeeGees and especially Supertramp in my bedroom growing up. Now I spend most of my time singing Contemporary Praise songs. Along with my husband, who plays bass, I am a member of the Praise band at my church. As I said my husband plays bass, my daughter and I take piano lessons together and my son plays drums. We do love music.
My son has actually been playing in a band all summer. At 10yrs old he is a drummer in a band. At the music store where we all take lessons, he has been enjoying..."School of Rock". Several kids who take lessons get together to jam. Tomorrow is his first.... "gig". They are only going to perform one song but I can't wait. I have watched School of Rock several times and it is incredible what these young kids can do. He doesn't really like to play in front of people. I hope tomorrow changes that.
Whatever he ends up doing with his life I hope music is a part of it. I always dreamed of singing in a band and I am. My husband who wasn't much of a church goer, is now....mostly in part because of music. Gods plan all along I know. Thats a great story for another day. I can't even begin to explain how proud and excited I am about this one little song during tomorrows recital. Just maybe it will spark a life long interest in music and drumming for my son.
Dear creator of music, Thank you for the joy music has brought to this family. We will continue to use it in worship with you. Amen

GREEN

I am a big fan of HGTV. My favorite show is House Hunters. No, I am not looking to by a house, its just fun to watch. I am also learning inexpensive ways to update my own home. It is amazing what new rugs in the bathroom will do.

I have also learned that I love the color green. We built our home in 1995 and put in hunter green kitchen counters. I still love the color. The downstairs bathroom...accessorized with hunter green. The new rugs for our master bathroom are a pale green. Our master bedroom has several shades of green. I have only come to the realization recently that my favorite color is green. I really don't know why this is important enough for me to write about, I just found it interesting. So I googled the color green and this is what I found.

Green is the color of nature, fertility, life. Grass green is the most restful color. Green symbolizes self-respect and well being. Green is the color of balance. It also means learning, growth and harmony. Green is a safe color, if you don't know what color to use anywhere use green.

So, I guess I like balance, well-being and harmony. Who doesn't. Maybe that's why God made the grass and tree leaves green. So if you need a little balance and harmony in your life spend some time with green and especially God, the creator of green. Maybe next I will look up "Cardinal Red" and Ocean Blue.
Dear Creator of life and colors, thank you for all the colors that give us balance and make us feel safe. True reminders that you are never far from us. Amen

Funny email

I read this in an email today and couldn't stop laughing! I had to post it. I will be emailing it to all our church buddies. Especially the ones we go camping with "at the river". Some of you reading this may get it twice. Enjoy

A minister was completing a Temperance sermon. With great emphasis he said, "If I had all the b e e r in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river." With even greater emphasis he said, "And if I had all the w i n e in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river." And then finally, shaking his fist in the air, he said, "And if I had all the w h i s k e y in the world, I'd take it and pour it into the river." Sermon complete, he sat down. The song leader stood very cautiously and announced with a smile, nearly laughing, "For our closing song, let us sing Hymn #365, "Shall We Gather at the River." Smile, life is too short not to !! See you at the river

Decluttering

I am not even sure if decluttering is even a word. But thats what I have been doing this past week. I only have two more rooms to go. The kids toy room is one. It has recently become more of a storage room because our real storage room is so packed. The other room is the computer room/loft/music room. There is just too many temptations in this room. I'm not sure why we let rooms get so cluttered. I'm sure Oprah would say that a cluttered home reflects your life. We were a little cluttered this summer with vacations and activities. After the rooms are decluttered I will start working on the closets. Maybe I am in clean-out mode because school is starting soon and I need a project. Maybe its to keep me from worrying about my little brothers possible surgery/procedure. Who knows....but the house sure looks better. Oh well, I guess I should stop analyzing and just go with it. I am sure getting alot done. School will start in a few weeks and at that time we should know more about what little brother will be going through. Maybe by then I will be able to get into my closets and storage room.
We had a wonderful, relaxed evening last night with some new friends and my family. It was a wonderful evening with lots of laughter. I feel very blessed to have these new friends in our life. It could have been a more somber evening but our new friends helped us all relax and have fun. I guess "decluttering" and a fun evening with friends and family is just what I needed.

Off to work I go

Hi ho hi ho its off to work I go. I am getting ready to leave for my "part time" job. A few years ago a women in my church who apparently "knew me as a child" asked me what I was doing now. I told her I was a Part time RN and a full time mom. Her next question was.... "How can you be a full time mom if you work part time?" (She wasn't joking). Luckily my mother was there to hold me back and calm me down. I remember thinking... take a deep breath and talk nice!!
I then explained to her, in as nice a tone as possible, that even when I am working at the hospital I am still a mother. I can answer phone calls with questions about where socks are, diagnose symptoms, mediate fights and give hugs and kisses over the phone, I have even been able to help with homework while at work. Being a mother doesn't stop when I am at my paying job. Even being a mom I still need my mom.
I am still to this day amazed at that question. So off I go to my part time job. I am sure that in a few hours I will be called, at work with a question only a mother knows the answer to. Oh and by the way....my full time job that I don't get paid money for is definately my favorite job.
Gracious and loving God, thank you for giving me two jobs that make me happy and reward me in many ways. Amen

Peace and Quiet

Only 3 more weeks of summer vacation for the kids. This morning they went to summer classes that are provided by the area college. They have done this the past few summers and they love it. It is only half a day and that is enough. It gets all 3 of us back in the groove of getting up early and going to class. It also gets me back in the groove of being home alone a few days a week. It is almost too quiet.
I'm not ready for school to start. I love summer vacation, Christmas vacation and Spring break. I'm one of those unusual moms that isn't ready for school to start. I enjoy spending the day with my kids. No, I won't miss the bickering back and forth, but I do miss the sweet moments when they are playing together like best friends.
I am definately not ready for the homework fights and the screaming about not having the right shorts or shirt for PE. But, life must go on. I always feel like the beginning of school is the end of a part of their lives. We do have 3 more weeks and I plan on enjoying it.
Lots of people used to tell me.....enjoy them while they are young, it goes by so fast. They were right. It really does go by fast.

First blog

Well here it is my first blog. This is definately a work in progress. I am supposed to be helping my daughter clean her room. Maybe this is my way of getting out of cleaning. Cleaning is definately not one of my favorite things. I'd better go help.
More later.