Merry Christmas!!!

We've had a good Christmas this year, and it's been a laid back time for sure! (I didn't get out of my jammies until dinner time yesterday! hehe) We started the holiday with a service at our church on Christmas Eve, followed by reading "The Night Before Christmas" before bed as is the tradition in our home. Jerry and I stayed up until almost 3 a.m. finishing up putting things under the tree....and then Santa came!

Elisabeth woke me up Christmas morning, and I was dreaming, so I thought she was yelling at me to "Save the game! Save the game!" (as in, on a video game).....when I fully awoke, I realized she was screaming "Santa came! Santa came!!!" We read the story of Jesus' birth from Luke 2 as a family, and passed out stockings. After that, we opened all of the gifts. The whole family got bikes. Nick got a cell phone and an iPod Nano, along with some other stuff. Elisabeth got a beautiful ballerina quilt made by Nana, a doll and her horse, a Disney Princess video game, and several other items too. We ate chocolate peppermint pancakes for breakfast, then we took some late morning naps.

In the afternoon, Nick and I made lefse and we had my family's traditional Norwegian meal (usually done on Christmas Eve, but it was good a day later too!). I think it was the best lefse I've ever made, perfect in size, texture and moist enough to wrap up without cracking or tearing! We ended the day watching movies, hanging out, and going for a bike ride in the dark. We took Rocky with us, and he pulled me most of the way on our ride. It was a great day!

Today, I came across this video on YouTube, and was really touched by it. Be thankful for all of the blessings you have to celebrate this Christmas!!!



Here are the lyrics to "When Are You Coming Home"...

You were almost sixteen when I came into the world.
Mom and Dad had you first then 3 more boys I'm the baby girl.
I sure have a lot to look up to in you, you're really smart and funny with a big heart too.
After one year of college you knew what you had to do.
It's just like you wanting to help with the war.
So you joined the army when I was only 4.
This time of year we talk of big plans but you're over seas in some distant land.
You can't be here for Christmas, I don't understand.

Chorus:
When are you coming home, Shaun?
When are you coming home?!
We lit up the house like we always do but it doesn't seem bright 'cause we can't have you.
In my prayers I ask God to keep you safe.
And I'm trying to be really brave.
Tell me that the fighting's through.
Come home!
I really miss you.

It's hard to enjoy the holidays without you.
But we're so proud of you and all the red white and blue.
Remember that Jesus is your best friend,
And someday our families will be together again.
Wow! You know we'll have a great big party then.

Chorus

I want to show you how tall I've grown and introduce you to my new friends at school.
Maybe we could go and get some ice cream together but I really don't care what we do.

Chorus

Merry Christmas, But Never Winter...

I changed my myspace background...I'm wanting to see snow, so I figured I could put it on there and it would help....we'll see. Don't take me wrong, I do love living in Florida...beaches, palm trees, sandhill cranes, seagulls, Spanish moss, all of the fun things, etc. But a snow day would be nice once a year...snowmen, snow angels, snow ice cream, snowball fights, skiing, sledding, ice skating, ice cicles...I miss that!

We had a great Christmas, just us, hanging out in our PJ's all day. We started off the day with reading Luke 2 as a family and opening presents. The kids were so appreciative of their gifts, and it was a good time. Breakfast was Chocolate Peppermint pancakes...YUM! We hung around and enjoyed and played with all of the gifts, then everyone took a nap. After that, Nick and I made lefse (a Norwegian flatbread), and we had a nice dinner. To end the day, we all took a ride on our new bikes, and Rocky went along too. It was so funny. I had him on his leash and I was on my bike. He pulled me up and down the street trying to keep up with everyone else. Too funny! Guess I won't get much exercise doing it that way!

Merry Christmas, enjoy winter if you live "Up North", and eat some snow ice cream for me!

I've been tagged....did I tag you?

A - Available or single: Neither, I've been married for 13 years, and taken for the past 16!

B - Best friend: I don't really have a "best" friend, but I'm friends with everyone.

C - Cake or pie: What's with this "or" stuff? I love cheesecake, I love cake, I love pie. End of story!

D - Drink of choice: Mountain Dew, anything from Boston's (I miss Boston's!), and margaritas...love lime and salt together!

E - Essential item you use everyday: Computer....deodorant....computer....deodorant...Do I have to pick one?!?

F - Favorite color: Red

G - Gummy bears or worms: Neither...I don't like stuff that glues itself to my teeth!

H - Hometown: Growing up--Belle Plaine, KS....Now--Wesley Chapel, FL

I - Indulgence: Anything chocolate works for me1

J - January or February: February--both kids' b'days, the Super Bowl, and Valentine candy!

K - Kids & names: Nicholas and Elisabeth

L - Life is incomplete without: Love, Laughter and Music...can't imagine it without any of those.

M - Marriage date: July 31, 1993 (in Asbury Chapel on the TTU campus, Chattanooga, TN)

N - Number of siblings: This is where it gets complicated...3 that I currently am in somewhat contact with, 3 that are deceased, and 6+ I've never met.

O - Oranges or apples: ORANGES!!! I do live in FL you know!

P - Phobias or fears: My kids dying before their time...

Q - Fave quote: "I'm happier than a tornado in a trailer park!"

R - Reason to smile: Christmas Break!

S - Season: Summer--no more school, no more books, no more students' snotty looks!

T - Tag 3 or 4 people: Sherri, Nikki, Kim

U - Unknown fact about me: I sewed my own wedding dress AND I know how to operate bulldozers and tractors!

V- Vegetable you don't like: I never met a veggie I truly hated...I need to eat more of them!

W - Worst habit: Being a perfectionist, which causes me to procrastinate.

X - XRays: Yep, too many too count.

Y- Your favorite food: All of it! I love homecooking and all kinds of ethnic foods, it's hard to pick just one!

Z - Zodiac sign: Virgo...perfectionism at it's best (or worst!)

Remembering Ruth...

I was just reading on a forum about aprons and patterns and someone posted a picture of an apron pattern book her daughter found in her grandmother's steamer trunk. Here's what she said that set me off on my reminiscent tangent...

"Isnt that just adorable??? I know I am getting a little carried away with it but it is just so special to me. AND best thing...it smells just like my granny's house. All I could do was hold it to my face and smile. There are aprons to be made..."

So I have this old trunk, it's dark and made of metal and wood with leather handles on the sides. The metal has this beautiful scrolling flower pattern on it. It sits in my family room with a vintage table cloth draped over it and a lamp on top. Every once-in-awhile I open up the trunk. There's a wooden tray in the top that comes out, and underneath are the wonderful quilts I inherited along with the trunk. One is lavender and is tied rather than stitched. The other is yellow and just beautiful with all of the many pieces of fabrics that were most-likely dresses and clothing worn by family members of whoever made it. When you open the lid of the trunk, there's a bit of that old musty smell that you smell in museums and old basements. But when you pull out the quilts, they smell like my Grandma Frame. So I close my eyes and remember...

Grandma Frame was not my biological grandmother, she was the mother of my step-dad who married my mom when I was 5 years old. She never treated me as if I weren't a part of the "Frame family", and she taught me a lot of things.

Grandma was a piano teacher, and it was from her that I learned to play. She would make me practice 30 minutes every day, which bugged me at the time but I'm ever so grateful for it now. She could play the piano like you wouldn't believe. Her fingers just flew over the keys, even when her arthritis was bothering here. She would play "Eidleweiss Glide" and "Woodland Echoes" and my cousins and I would dance around the livingroom to the music. Sometimes, if were were lucky, she'd pull out this beautiful pink dress she'd made as a girl for a school program and let us take turns wearing it while she played. I have that dress also...it's made of fuschia colored cheese cloth with tissue paper flowers sewn onto it. It's not nearly as "vogue" as we thought it was when we were little girls, but it's still so very special to pull it out and look at it and think of those great times. Now, my daughter sees it and wants to try it on...I think she may be old enough to be careful and not rip it soon.

Grandma was a seamstress, and it was from her that I learned to sew. From the very first year she knew me, she made clothes for me. The first dress I remember her making was a pink gingham Easter dress that went to my ankles. It was sleeveless, and she made my mom a matching dress. The next year, Mom was pregnant with my little brother, and she still made us matching dresses. Mine was pink and hers was blue. She made me skirts and vests, and even a beautiful plaid taffeta dress for Christmas one year. Thanks to Grandma, I made my own wedding gown. And thanks to Grandma, I can sew clothes for my own daughter, as well as many other items. She also taught me how to embroider and do latchhook rugs, along with many other creative/crafty things.

Grandma was a cook, and it was partially from her that I learned to bake and cook almost anything that I can imagine. My first memory of cooking was with Grandma Corky, my mom's mother, she let me help make scrambled eggs. But, Grandma Frame could make anything taste good and nothing ever went to waste. She made the prettiest gingerbread church, yummy candies and cookies, and all sorts of cakes and pies. She could fry chicken better that Colonel Sanders, and she could even make bologna "salad" sandwiches taste good. She canned everything my grandpa grew in the garden, and her homemade icecream was to die for. Thanks to Grandma, my kids eat a variety of foods and love almost everything I make. My husband touts my meatloaf as being better than his grandma's...and that says a lot! She taught me a love of providing delicious and nutritious meals for my family, and it's because of her that I absolutely love making Thanksgiving dinner as my own tradition, along with making a variety of Christmas cookies and goodies every year.

Grandma was frugal, and I learned how to "waste not, want not" thanks to her. When Grandma died, she lived in a small 2 bedroom home...a far cry from the spacious 5 bedroom home she lived in for years prior, which also had a full basement. We were amazed at how much stuff she had neatly tucked away in that tiny home. She was organized and still saved a lot of items for reuse that most people would toss in the garbage these days. She married Grandpa at the beginning of the Depression, they were homesteaders in New Mexico, and they had 5 children. She couldn't afford not to be frugal and resourceful. Thanks to her example, I've been able to make ends meet at times when it was next to impossible.

All of the things above are great, but the best thing about my Grandma is that she loved the Lord and used her talents for Him. Thanks to her, I learned to be willing to let God use me also. She sang in the choir and played the piano at church. She helped people no matter what the sacrifice might be to her. She prayed before every meal, along with Grandpa, and read her Bible and prayed every day. I also have her Bible, and it's amazing how worn and loved it is...it's barely held together by tape, so I keep it safely put away.

My Grandma Frame was precious to me, and she taught me so much about life and living it to the fullest. She taught me about sacrifice and giving of yourself for the well-being of others. Her white hair, smiling eyes and quiet demeanor were always a comfort to be around. Everyone loved going to Grandma's house, and we had family reunions and get-togethers there several times a year. The first time my husband met her, we counted over 100 people entered her home at one point or another over the course of just a day or two.

I realized this evening, as I was reading on the forum I mentioned, that it's been 10 years since Grandma passed away on October 31st. Our family was planning to go to her home for Thanksgiving that year, so we did. But it just wasn't the same without Grandma there, putting everyone to work peeling potatoes, setting the table and washing the dishes after dinner, that became my job. My children will never personally know how wonderful of a woman she was, but her legacy lives on in me, and hopefully I can instill just a portion of what she taught me into their lives. Elisabeth is expressing desires to learn to play piano and also to sew, and those are two things I can pass on to her...and in that way, along with so many others, we can always remember Ruth Mabel Frame.

A Little Liberation...

Out of the crazy busy-ness of the week, I chose to opt out of two things I was trying to fit in, but weren't necessary. It gave me time to make cookies for the women's party, and this evening I'll have time with my family and we'll be putting up the tree.

The ladies' party was fun. I won "best decorated" award for my cookies: White-Chocolate Cherry Shortbread Aren't they pretty??? I got a Charlie Brown Christmas mug from the white elephant exchange, and gave it to Jerry for his birthday present. (See? I thought about him even though I was hanging out with the girls.)

After the party, I stayed awhile and hung out with two women who are quickly becoming great friends. We stayed there talking and stuff until about 2:00 a.m. It was so nice to have "girl time" and I definitely need to do it MUCH more often.

I am definitely loving our new church and how we're finally finding friends who have lots of stuff in common with us for a change! It's really feeling like our family, and it's great.

Today was fun too (after opting out of one thing...and not making the cookies for it). We had two soccer games. Nick went to a crazy middle school birthday party. Then, we picked up Amber from youth and took a turn ringing the bells for the Salvation Army in front of our local Wally World. Our youth group took the whole day's time slots and it was pretty good. We had fun ringing the bell and meeting people. Afterward, we went inside and Jerry was awesome...he found me the pink Motorola L7 SLVR... isn't it pretty too? Guess I'm a little "Pretty in Pink" these days. (I know my blog and myspace layouts are red, but they're festive for the holidays!)

Off to put up the "Bolt Family Christmas Tree"....yeah, it's a little late, but better late than never, right?!? :)

Just a Little Holiday "Fun"...

....just stealing this from Amy and Jen...

Welcome to the 2006 Holiday Edition of Getting to Know Your Friends!

1. Egg Nog or Hot Chocolate? Both. And Wassail too!

2. Does Santa wrap presents or just sit them under the tree? Depends on the size.

3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? White minature lights on the tree, red and white ball lights on the house, and red and white miniature lights on the palm tree trunks.

4. Do you hang mistletoe? Yes! Any excuse to give random kisses...or get them!

5. When do you put your decorations up? Whenever we have time to do it...soon I hope!

6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Lefse...a Norwegian flat bread

7. Favorite Holiday memory as a child? Lefse-eating contests

8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? Not sure, but I pretended for my brother's sake. (He's 7 years younger than me.)

9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? Sometimes.

10. How do you decorate your Christmas Tree? Gold star on top, red and gold balls and beads, various ornaments.

11. Snow! Love it or Dread it? Love it when I get a chance to have it....since I get to choose, or it's a random freak act of Nature!

12. Can you ice skate? Oh yeah, and I wanted to be Dorothy Hamill when I grew up!

13. Do you remember your favorite gift? Holly Hobbie phonograph (record player)

14. What's the most important thing about the Holidays for you? Taking time to worship Christ, celebrate His birth, and spend time with my family.

15. What is your favorite Holiday Dessert? Peppernuts and Apricot Bread...made by Grandma Corky

16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? Candlelight Service with my family on Christmas Eve

17. What tops your tree? Gold star

18. Which do you prefer giving or Receiving? Giving

19. What is your favorite Christmas Song? "Breath of Heaven" by Amy Grant, and "Wishing for This" by Leigh Nash

20. Candy Canes! Yuck or Yum? YUM!!! I love anything sweet and peppermint during the holidays!

21. Favorite Christmas movie? "It's a Wonderful Life"....I love that move!!!

22. What do you leave for Santa? Cookies, milk and reindeer food out on the lawn.

Holiday Happiness...

Christmas is one of my favorite times of the year....along with Easter, Thanksgiving and Summer. Usually I'm not a big fan of winter, but it's so mild in Florida this time of year that winter's not bad here. I do, however, find myself longing for a snow day or two and a ski trip. I don't want to live in the frigid cold, but an occasional snow would be welcome...as long as it was balmy and warm (like today) in between! LOL

Anyway, back to Christmas....We have lights on the outside of the house and plans for a couple more things for the exterior. We went to see "The Nativity Story" (very good movie, by the way). I've done a little bit of holiday shopping. And I'm looking forward to making lefse (a Norwegian flat bread made from potatoes). Other than that, I need to get on the ball. My Christmas cards are still in the un-opened box in the closet. My tree and all of the festive decor sits in the garage. See? I need a snow day, just so I can stop my life for a little bit and concentrate on Christmas!

But, even with all of the stuff that needs to be done, I love this time of year because it reflects on Christ and who He was, and why He came to earth and became flesh....to deliver us and to show us His ultimate sacrifice of LOVE. Today (it's past mid-night) is the first Sunday of Advent, I'm eager to begin the anticipation of the celebration of the birth of Christ. I love this time of year because if you can stop for just a minute and forget all of the things that need to be done....you can reflect on the true meaning of the season. Hopefully I won't forget to stop and "ponder" all of the things that happened that day so very long ago...

...I challenge you to do the same!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

PS--Check out Leigh Nash (formerly of Sixpence None the Richer)...she's got some great songs on her new album...
Wishing For This.

No Rest for the Weary.....Right?

The holidays have barely begun and already I'm behind on everything as usual! We did get the lights up on the outside of the house and they look good, if I don't say so myself! The inside needs to be decorated by Sunday, as the youth group will begin meeting at our house this week.

My week includes working full-time at my school, tutoring 4 days a week, Nick's soccer on Tuesdays, Worship team practice on Tuesdays, Bible study group on Wednesdays, Elisabeth's soccer and Brownies on Thursdays, soccer games on Saturdays, and a day full'o'church-stuff on Sundays. Add to that, the fact that I work 2 nights a week at Target (carrying on my ability to use a discount on anything and everything) and it's Christmas shopping season....yeah, I'm tired! I worked at Target on Tuesday night, and I got off at 2:30 a.m., came home wide awake and got 2 hours of sleep. I haven't caught up yet and am working again tonight! "sigh"

Add to that all of the holiday stuff to do...
I'm trying to make a few presents for the grandma's, so I'd better get on that quickly for sure.
Still need to do LOTS of Christmas shopping.
Hosting a Christmas party for the youth.
Attending multiple Christmas gatherings (church, school, friends, etc.).
Baking
Cooking
More shopping....

I want to hibernate for the winter, could I? LOL

Thankfulness...

Wow, there are so many things for which I'm thankful so this will be hard but here goes...my list of things I am thankful for...

1. My faith--I have a tendency to take it for granted, but I realize more and more each day how much I need God and how grateful I am that He loves me...no matter what. I also appreciate those who were instrumental in helping to form my faith, allowing themselves to be used by God to help others.
2. My husband--He's my best friend. I can't imagine life without him, to make me laugh, to let me cry, and to love me. He's a great guy, words can't even begin to say how much he means to me.
3. My children--There's nothing better than getting a hug from your child. I tend to find myself in a busy frenzy most of the time, but I want to cherish their childhood as much as possible because it's already flying past me.
4. My health and the health of my family--If the worst thing we have to deal with is allergies/asthma and a few stitches or broken bones here and there, that would be great! So far so good!
5. My church--It's a rare thing to find a church that truly feels like home. Ours is brand new, but that sense of home and family is definitely growing and I love worshipping with my friends there.
6. My pastor and his family--Their vision and passion for our community is evident. They are so positive and hopeful of what God has in store, it's wonderful!
7. My community--I think Wesley Chapel is the best place in the world. I love living in Florida, but could not think of a community where I'd prefer to live. I've met some of the nicest people in the past 5 years of living here, it's truly home to me.
8. My country--No matter what you think about what's going on in current events, the US is the best place to call home. I am so thankful that I live here and have the freedoms that our military fights for. We had the privilege of having a Navy guy here for dinner today, he's an awesome guy, and if most of them are like him, we're in good hands!
9. My extended family and my heritage--I know I don't let them know it as often as I should, and it's hard to keep in touch when life gets so busy, but I love my parents and all of my extended family. I just hope my children will grow to love the traditions we have kept as much as I've appreciated them over the years.
10. My home--I am so happy to have a home where our family is happy and healthy. We have lots of space to share with others, and it was a blessing to be able to open our home to friends today. Need a place to hang out? Come on over!
11. My job--I work for the best (and biggest) school in our county. We have the best principal and teachers, and it's so much fun to go to work. How many people can say that? I love my job, and I love working with children. Helping them learn is one of the biggest rewards ever.
12. My talents--I don't use them nearly as often as I'd like, but I'm so thankful that God has pretty much made me a "jack of all trades" when it comes to talent. I love the whole quote about that: "Jack of all trades, master of none, though ofttimes better than master of one". I can sing, cook, sew, knit, fix things, teach, play the piano and flute, write poems and stories...just to name a few. I need to take more time to use my talents to their fullest, but I'm so thankful that I can do so many things, and actually do them rather well. (Not trying to brag on myself, but on God here...)

I could go on for days, but this one is basically over so I'm going to stop there. My life is brilliant and beautiful and I want to live my life with gratitude because I've been blessed with so much!

Hope your Thanksgiving was a wonderful as mine!

Since I think in song, I'll close out with the lyrics of a song our worship team sings...

I come before you today, and there's just one thing that I want to say... Thank you Lord,Thank you Lord

For all you've given to me, for all the blessings that I can not see..Thank you Lord,Thank you Lord

With a greatful heart, with a song of praise, with an outstreched arm, I will bless your name...Thank you Lord,I just want to thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord, Thank you Lord

For all you've done in my life, you took my darkness and gave me your light...Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord

You took my sin and my shame, you took my sickness and healed all my pain...Thank you Lord, Thank you Lord

With a greatful heart, with a song of praise, with an outstreched arm, I will bless your name...Thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord, Thank you Lord, I just want to thank you Lord, Thank you Lord

Leaving a Legacy...

I've been thinking a lot about life and how it's really so fleeting. Over the past couple of years I haven't been the most "spiritual" of people. I had sought God out, trying to figure out where He was right in the midst of the worst moments, not feeling His presence when I was crying out to Him. To even aspire to figure out the mind of the Almighty is not something I could even fathom. His ways and His thoughts are far too complicated for me to even grasp the tiniest glimpse of most of the time.

I know He's been with me through the bad times, because His presence is very real and He's pouring out his blessings on my family. I strayed from Him, I gave up at times, but He was always there, watching out for me. I think it's like a parent and a child. Something bad happens, and you try to console your son or daughter, but they are beside themselves with emotion about what's going on and they clam up, push you aside, and no matter what you say or do, you can't make them feel better at that moment. So, being the loving parent you are, you back off a bit though you never leave. You don't push yourself on them, when they're ready to talk, to listen to your advice, to feel your love....when they're ready, they'll seek you out and you'll be there for them...just like you always have been and always will be. That's God. That's my take on it anyway, and that's what I see as happening over the past bit of time.

So, let's fast forward from then to "now". My life is busy and I don't take the time to seek out God as I should, as much I need, or as much as I desire to. But then, something happens to make you think again and re-examine where your priorities lie. Something happens to give you a whole new perspective...

My pastor recently challenged us to write some "thank yous" to a few people who have truly impacted your life and you want them to know. I wrote a
post about an amazing lady who has had a MAJOR impact on my life. (Please read it before continuing.) When I wrote that, I had heard months ago that she had cancer and only had a few months to live. I hadn't heard anything else since I was first told that. I'd asked for an email address, but didn't get one for whatever reason, so I never knew anything else. I wrote that "thank you" not sure if she'd ever know how much I appreciated her or not, but hoping at least that her husband would know. This past week, I was asked for my email address because her husband, my pastor from when I was in high school and college, wanted to contact me. I braced myself for the worst, but hoped for the best.

Here's what he said: ...forwarded a posting you placed on "My Space". Wow! Thank you so much for your kind words!! Lynn was taking chemo as I read them. I brought them over to her while she was still taking chemo. She said "obviously she was told about my condition", to which I replied, I don't think so. She said "Wow!"

Whether you know it or not, she has Ovarian Cancer and has about an 8% chance of surviving 5 years. She goes in tomorrow for a blood transfusion. Your kind words are valued and appreciated.

When you get a moment, drop us a line.

"The Cookie Monster and Diet Pepsi freak!". :-)

Every time I read that, tears come to my eyes. I'm overwhelmed by the blessing that God allowed me to experience, by letting me have the chance to let her know how much she has impacted my life. I'm also overwhelmed at being given the opportunity to hopefully help her experience a small blessing of knowing the appreciation that I have for her. And by her example, I hope to have just a small impact on the world I leave behind. As a youth pastor's wife, those are some big shoes to fill, to always be positive and leave behind a legacy of faithfulness on impressionable youth with whom I come into contact. Life hasn't been easy, and I don't want to hide that fact from anyone. The life of one who chooses to follow Christ is filled with challenges and hard times, but the triumphs outweigh those 1,000,000:1 and I'd never give up the life I've been given to do anything else. Pursuit of a high-paying career could be do-able, but I choose to work with children in an educational field. Pursuit of acquiring "stuff" could be attained, but I would never have the chance to impact others, and be the blessing that Lynn is. I'd just have a house full of stuff that will eventually be outdated or destroyed, and nothing to show for my life when it comes to eternity. So far, Lynn's impact on the world (as well as her husband's) has helped to influence me into making the choice to become (and stay) a pastor's wife. In turn, the last we heard, two of our former youth have themselves become youth pastors, one has committed to becoming a missionary or doing something of that nature for Christ, and numerous others have decided to follow Him with their lives in whatever career they choose to do, even if it's not full-time ministry.

You may never know the impact you have on those around you, but if you're lucky you'll find out just a glimpse of the possible impact your faithfulness to the Lord has made on this world. I choose to leave a legacy of following Christ, to impact young people, and to put my treasure up in Heaven. I haven't always done that in the past, but this is my desire from this point forward. With that, I'm ending with the lyrics of one of my all-time favorite songs (from my high school years), and oldie, but a goodie...

"FIND US FAITHFUL
sung by Steve Green

We're pilgrims on the journey
Of the narrow road
And those who've gone before us line the way
Cheering on the faithful, encouraging the weary
Their lives a stirring testament to God's sustaining grace

Surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses
Let us run the race not only for the prize
But as those who've gone before us
Let us leave to those behind us
The heritage of faithfulness
Passed on through godly lives

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful
May the fire of our devotion light their way
May the footprints that we leave
Lead them to believe
And the lives we live inspire them to obey
Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

After all our hopes and dreams have come and gone
And our children sift through all we've left behind
May the clues that they discover
And the memories they uncover
Become the light that leads them
To the road we each must find

Oh may all who come behind us find us faithful

Wide Awake...

Thanks to working at Target tonight, I'm wide awake. Unfortunately, I want to clean my house...but would wake everyone up if I tried, so I'm here instead. I haven't had much "me" computer time lately, so it's a nice way to unwind and try to get sleepy (note: "try" is the key word here, but it's not working).

My goal this weekend is to get everything that is IN the house organized and put away, then I can start thinking about what's still in the garage that needs to be organized and all. The den needs to be set up, and the master suite needs some TLC. Those are the two main areas that need my attention before tackling the garage. I do have 8 boxes of "school stuff" to take to school, maybe next week. The trampoline will be out of the way this weekend too, so that will help immensely. I think if I could just get laundry all done and put away properly, that would be the biggest obstacle to overcome! But laundry is never truly finished, is it?

I want to hurry and get things in order so that I can do some sewing and fun stuff like that. (Making pumpkin butter is on my list of things I must do too.)

Okay, so I'm rambling, so I think I'll stop now! haha I think I'd better try to get to sleep...since I have to be up in less than 3 hours!

God is Faithful...

I wanted to post something like this back in September, but I wasn't ready yet. I knew there were numerous blessings coming, but nothing had happened yet. So here it is now... I got the inspiration for this post from a Sheri's hubby's blog. Our stories are different, but show God's faithfulness...

Over the past couple of years, our family has gone through a lot. But God is truly faithful, and has carried us through. We've had church, housing, and vehicle issues beyond belief, and though things are not "perfect" (they never truly are, are they?) we definitely see where we've been, where we are, and where God is blessing us.

CHURCH---is going very well. We have an awesome pastor who is fun to be around. The church is growing and so far there is no major stress there. There are always bits of stress with trying to get everything done "right" or "on time", but that's self-imposed, so I can deal with that! The youth are great, we have such a good group of kids to start out with, and hopefully it will continue growing. Our church is now 7 months old, and it is growing and becoming a family. It's awesome!

HOME---This time last year we were having the hardest time finding a place to live, nothing decent was available and we settled for a place that we pretty much hated the whole time. Now, we've found a better, bigger, and MUCH nicer place. It's so nice to be comfortable with having people over and having plenty of room for them to hang out in too! We have decent furniture in all of the house for the first time in forever. (Except the den...no furniture there at all! It's coming in a couple of weeks, hopefully! The lanai is naked too, but that can wait a bit! haha) I can't wait to have more guests over. We had Elisabeth's soccer team over for a parent meeting, and it was great. I want to invite people for Thanksgiving dinner too. We're going to have the youth Christmas party here as well. I want to have a busy house with people over all of the time like we used to have in WV and even when we lived in the parsonage a few years ago. I miss that.

VEHICLES---We still have our old car, and it's still running. But now, Jerry has a work truck. On top of that, we just got another car too! It's nice, a Grand Prix with an awesome engine, black and fast!

FAMILY---Since Jerry has started his new job, it's been wonderful. We actually see each other and eat dinner at a decent time most evenings. We went to the grocery store together yesterday, just to hang out. We hardly ever do that together, there's never been time. Football season is over for the kids, and soccer season is beginning, which is exciting for everyone. Jerry's coaching Elisabeth's team, and Nick loves soccer and was ready to start it back up. I love being a soccer mom, so we're all happy!

God is blessing, and He's just pouring them out these days...now just to get my degree underway and we'll be super!

Home Sweet Home...

Here's a picture of our new house. This view looks kind of funny because both houses on either side are 2 story homes. Anyway, it's 2,051 square feet. It's got 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, a den (Jerry's office), a nice lanai and it's backyard goes to a lake. I LOVE this house, and very soon it will be "Home Sweet Home"!!! The electricity will be turned on tomorrow, and the water will be on Wednesday. I still need to get the cable squared away and a truck reserved and we'll be set. Everything should be in by Saturday, then we can work on getting settled in and making it our home! Yay!

God is great...all the time!

Good thing #2--Jerry gave his 2 week notice at work because he's been offered the other job he's been considered for. Better pay, better hours, owned by Christians, it's a good thing!

Good thing #3--We'll probably be getting our other car this weekend too!

This is a good week.

All the time...God is good!

Got the Keys!!!

Now, to just move all of the "stuff" over there! I forgot to forward the email with pictures from work to my home email, so I'll have to post a pic tomorrow (if I can find the time).

Today was crazy. Church from early morning until just past noon....setup, worship, break, worship, tear down. Soccer evaluations lasted until almost 2 after that. We ate a quick meal at Taco Bell. Came home (old place), Jerry got a phone call, I had a headache and took a nap, and then we headed out to the host home for Youth Alpha. We got home around 8:30 or so. No moving accomplished today!

Tomorrow, I tutor until 4 p.m. then have to run back to KRK to pick up Nick's book report book he left there this morning during church. Hopefully I can get a couple of car loads of stuff moved in there before getting Jerry from work. Then we'll try to get a few more before it gets too dark. I think the plan is to be completely moved by next Saturday. That works for me, so long as all of the stuff can be in the garage until I can unpack and organize things in the house properly!

Yay!

Today...

Today, we have a cheerleader to watch...Elisabeth is just too cute out there on the field!

Today, we have a football player to cheer on...Nick has a double-header and loves playing football.

Today, we sign the papers for our new house (brand new, never-been-lived-in house!)...which is huge and pretty and perfect!

Today, we discuss a new possibility...that could really help in a lot of ways. Finances, scheduling, stress...would all be non-issues if this works out.

Today is the start of some great things for our family! I can't wait to get in, get settled, and be out of the funk we've been in for so long. My house will be a home. It will be organized and pretty (we've been in cramped quarters lately). We will be in a nice neighborhood, with friends nearby. The dog will have a great dog park to visit. The kids will be closer to their schools, and I'll be closer to my job. Jerry will have an office so he can study, plan and pray...perfect for the youth pastor of a brand new church. The kids will have bedrooms with the right kind of space. We will have an allergen-free space...no old house mustiness or previous occupants' messes to mess with Nick's allergies. Our family is so blessed, and this is the icing on the cake!

Hopefully I can post some pictures soon! I may be AWOL for a bit while we move and get settled in.

The Light at the End of the Tunnel...

That's what Jerry equated the upcoming changes we're making with... We've been in a tunnel of turmoil and disappointment and change for two-and-a-half years now. We've been seeing the light at the end of the tunnel for awhile as things have stablized a little bit here and there. Hey, we've lived in the same home for a whole year now...that's more than we've stayed anywhere since March 2004 when we left the church that brought us back to Florida. We've had job stability for awhile too, so that's always good. I'm working for the District for the 4th school year now (minus the two weeks we missed when we were in DL and deciding to move back here). Hopefully over the next few weeks and months I will have LOTS of great things to brag on God about, because He's been taking care of us and blessing us.

We've found the house we want to move to, it's really nice. (We need more furniture it's so big! LOL) It's on a cul-de-sac and has a lake in the back yard...complete with your complimentary resident alligator. It's a 3 bedroom home (we're currently technically in a 2 bedroom), with 2 bathrooms (we have that now), a 2 car garage (we have a carport now---and no place for storing stuff like you can in a garage) PLUS a den (perfect for Jerry's office, since he needs a place to think and plan and meditate on what God wants for our church's youth ministry). The yard is a nice size, pretty big in the back, but also can be mowed in less than an hour---easily. The place has a dishwasher (thank you God!!!) and great appliances. I can't wait to get moved and post some pictures. I may have to drive by and get a pic of the front just to post sooner than later.

We've also found a great car that we're going to be buying from a friend of mine. It needs a couple of minor repairs first, so it will be a couple of weeks before we actually have it, but it'll be ours.

Well, I need to get the family ready for church tomorrow. We have to be there by 7:45 for set-up and then have a Vision Team Meeting in the afternoon followed in the evening by the youth group meeting....busy day!

I really need to get some packing done this week....dontcha think?

Am I busy? Nah...

Okay, here's a sample schedule of what I do each week...

Sunday--Church & Youth Group (we help set-up for church, I sing/play keyboard for the worship team, we have evening meeting for youth)
Monday--Work (at school)
Tuesday--Work (at school), Cheerleading practice & Worship Team practice (evening), Work at Target (at night)
Wednesday--Work (at school), Bible Study and Football Practice (evening)
Thursday--Work (at school), Football practice (evening), Work at Target (at night)
Friday--Work (at school)
Saturday--Football games/Cheerleading (morning/afternoon), occasional youth activities (mostly afternoon/evening)

On top of that, I drive Nick to the allergist once a week to the other side of Tampa, and pick Jerry up from work every evening (20-ish minutes from home).

...then it starts over again! Basically Monday and Friday are our "family time" and we go to the Middle and High School sporting events.

We got to go to a USF Bulls football game last Saturday evening for FREE (thanks to 5 free tickets from my principal). That was really a great time, we had awesome seats in the lower level on the 50 yard line, and Nick was able to bring a friend too. For my birthday we went to a local Japanese steakhouse and watched the chef cook our dinner right in front of us. The kids really enjoyed that and Elisabeth was very grown-up acting while there, it was fun. Other than that, we basically stick to the busy schedule.

My job at school is going well, I'm working with a great team of teachers this year and I still love my school. I'm really hoping to get back into college in January, the reading specialist has been hounding me to finish my degree so I can teach (she's even offered to write any recommendation letters I might need). It's a nice stroke to my ego too. haha I'm hoping to get some more tutoring students (I have one that will start next week probably) so I can cut back my Target hours to just one night a week (just to keep the discount, it really helps).

Nick's enjoying Middle School. He's got some great teachers this year. He's been sick a bit with his allergies and asthma and is fighting a cold right now too. Football has been fun for him, and soccer season will be starting up in about 8 weeks. He's trying to learn to play the guitar better. He's been invited to join People to People (it's a prestigious organization that picks students to invite based on academic achievement, several Presidents have been on their board over the years) on a trip to England/Scotland next summer (he was invited to go to Australia this past summer, but didn't go). He's trying to think of ways he can start raising money to join this trip.

Elisabeth is in an accelerated 1st grade class, rather than promoting her on to 2nd grade a year early. She seems to be doing really well and is starting to grow up too quickly. She has started reading chapter books and is really excited to be able to do so. She's having a blast at cheerleading, and I'm hoping to get her in dance again sometime. She really wants to learn to play the piano and keeps asking when I can teach her, so hopefully we can get on that soon! (That's on the Christmas list, so we'll see.)

Jerry's doing a great job with the youth at our new church, he's really in his element when working with them. It's definitely his calling, and I enjoy watching him! He preached twice during the summer, and I know that if God ever called him in the direction to be the Senior Pastor he'd do a great job....but youth is our passion right now and we're very happy to stay in this area of ministry. Since our church is only 5 months old, our youth group is still small but there has been some good growth and we have some faithful families who have stepped up to host activities and help chaperone. It's really exciting to start a church from scratch and see it grow, we're really having a great time working with Jeff and Heather and getting to know their family. The youth are going to Rock the Universe tomorrow night, wish I could've gone. I can't believe Carl Cartee is playing! He was our music guy at a SBC camp we went to while in WV. I told Jerry I was perterbed about not going...we played the cup game AND the animal game with Carl that summer! He's a super guy, listen to him sometime if you get a chance!

That's about all we've been up to lately. (It's enough, right?) We need another car, and I think it's coming together better than we had hoped. It's really hard to keep our schedule with one vehicle! Also, we're looking for a new place, mainly because our current house isn't the healthiest place for Nick's ongoing respiratory issues, but also because we really need a little bit more space. The possibilities are numerous right now, so we're hoping to get a really good deal on a bigger place than we could've hoped to get this time last year. The prices have come down, and I found 8 places available just by driving through two neighborhoods, so it shouldn't be too hard to get something squared away. Our lease is up in October, so we're hoping to find something and get moved and settled soon. So pray that everything works out for us in both of these areas!

The Summer's Out of Reach...

Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach.
I feel it in the air, the summers out of reach.
Empty lake, empty streets, the sun goes down alone...

Yep, one week of school is down and there are 176 days to go until next summer! School started Tuesday, I went back last Friday. So yeah, summer is gone until next year.

I'm kind of glad in some ways because of working and sleeping most of the summer. In others...my freedom is gone. I don't have a say over my weekdays any longer! But hey, I can't complain about working at school. I get all of the breaks with my kids and I do get the flexibility that summer brings.

Last Sunday we had a really cool "Summer Burnout" event at our house. The youth came, and we had one HUGE slip'n'slide!!! That sucker was 10'x100' and took up most of the length of our front yard. The kids played on that forever. We cooked out for supper, and they played on it some more. Once it started to get dark, Jerry gathered everyone around the firepit in our backyard and we had a fire, roasted marshmallows and made s'mores (twice in one month, that's pretty good...yum!). We ended the evening with Josh, our church's worship leader, playing the guitar and singing a few songs with us and a devotional led by Jerry. I think it was a great evening, and the kids who were visiting family from NV even showed up and were really fun to hang out with. I think this youth group is shaping up to be a really good thing. It's only 4 months old, and everyone seems to mesh already.

Well, it's the last "free" Saturday for awhile...football games/cheerleading start next Saturday, then soccer will be close behind that. I guess I'd better get caught up on stuff quickly!

I promise to post pictures of our vacation soon!

PS---Derek and Katie are getting married today. Wish we could be there guys! Congrats! Jerry and I can't wait to see pictures and hear everyone's stories about it!

Vacation was actually a vacation!!!

We ended up leaving MUCH later in the day than we'd planned last Friday, I think it was around 4:30. We had to pick up the rental car and stop by Busch Gardens to upgrade our passes to Platinum, then come home and pack the car up. This was after I'd worked all night at my summer job at Super Target. I slept for awhile as Jerry drove, and we switched back and forth and made pretty good time, arriving in West Virginia around 6:30 a.m. on Saturday morning. We slept a bit and hung out most of the day with Jerry's mom and grandma.

Saturday evening we went to Jerry's class reunion and had a pretty good time. He ran into several friends he hung out with in high school, so I got to meet them. We also saw Bryan, who used to go to his home church, and it was great to see him again. He actually came and sang (I Will Be Here by Steven Curtis Chapman) in our wedding almost 13 years ago. We also ran into Christy, who ended up going to our college, she's now married and they are missionaries to South Africa with Word Of Life. It was great seeing them both.

Sunday we went to Jerry's home church with his mom. We ended up talking to the pastor and he asked Jerry to speak that night, just to update everyone on our current ministry, he agreed. Thatt afternoon we went to the Reunion picnic at Coonskin Park, it was a nice casual day, hanging out, good food, Jupiter Jump, and beautiful weather. We ended up talking more to Christy about the WOL camp that is near us, sounds like something good to look into for our youth, we'll see. That evening at church, Jerry shared with them about our new church plant ministry and expressed appreciation for the faithfulness of that church's people for helping him in his spiritual walk as a kid. He saw several of his Sunday School teachers in the congregation and that humbled him, to see they're still faithful and serving God and that they were used to reach him as a kid too.

Monday we left for VA. We crossed the James River on a ferry, then drove to the State Park and found our campsite and pitched our tent in the dark.

Tuesday we went to Busch Gardens, we rode all of the roller coasters and the weather was perfect. It was overcast and cool, and no humidity! (You don't get that in FL in the summertime, that's for sure!)

Wednesday we went to Colonial Williamsburg. It was really hot, but we had a good day. Elisabeth got a mob hat and Nick picked out a replica old coin from Virginia. They learned some cool stuff and had lots of fun. We ate supper at one of the Taverns, that was really neat too. We ended out the day making s'mores and roasting marshmalows.

Thursday we took our time getting home. We decided to check out the oldest church in the US, but they were closed and filming something there. Everyone was dressed in period clothing. Then we decided to drive to Chesapeake to check out the area "we almost moved to" 5 years ago instead of coming to FL, I think we like FL much better. LOL After that we headed South. Around supper time we found "Pedroland". If you're ever driving on I-95 near the NC/SC line, you must check out Pedroland!!! There are signs for it all of the way down I-95 through all of NC. It's a big tourist trap, but so corny it's totally cool! We ended up getting home early Friday morning.

It was a good vacation. I felt refreshed and rested, not only physically, but also spiritually. I had time to reflect on God and my relationship with him. I had the experience of listening to my husband, and really being appreciative of our calling, even though we've had some really rough times. Vacations like that are truly rare, and this was a good one!

Fun in the Summertime...

The youth trip to the beach was awesome. We had a great time, and the girls from Minnesota had a blast finding sand dollars. Josh (our church's worship leader) and I swam out to the buoys and were "orange flagged" by the lifeguards for doing it. LOL It was a blast though, and I'd do it again! (Said in my defiant voice.) It made me realize how much I miss having a pool at my daily disposal...need to take care of that soon.... Anyway, Jerry did this cool little devotional where you close your eyes and think about God while he's talking and just at the time he was saying something about imagining you're a seagull...flying wherever you want to... a huge flock of seagulls came up to the pavillion and started squawking because Elisabeth was feeding them a hamburger bun! It was quite funny, but also made the point a little stronger. (They all had their eyes closed, so they didn't see "why" all of the birds were there all of a sudden..., but I was watching Elisabeth because she'd been mischevious most of the afternoon.) It's so good to do youth ministry. I absolutely love it, and even though this is totally different since we're starting with a brand new church, it's still great.

Tomorrow we leave for "vacation". We're heading northward for a class reunion for two days, and on the way back we're going to be camping at a state park and taking in some area attractions. It will be so nice to actually do something as a family that is not centered around visiting family (though we will be seeing some for the first couple of days), and having a vacation together doing some fun stuff. We need to plan family vacations more often, even if it is just camping. Maybe we can take off this Fall and camp some, once it cools off here...and the alligators aren't quite so active. We enjoy canoeing, but not here, not in the summer at least! Of course, once it cools off, the mosquitoes won't be as likely to carry someone off either!

Hopefully I'll have some great photos to post when we return! We'll have a couple of days of vacation left when we get home (we're renting a car, but only for a week), so we'll probably head to the beach or something around here too. After that, it's only a week until school starts and life will get back to "normal" with our schedules....which is usually crazy/busy, especially with cheer and football getting into full swing by then.

My, my, how time flies!!!

Okay, I sooo love summer vacation (usually), but this one has gone by WAY TOO FAST!!! In less than 3 weeks, school will be in session, and summer will be a distant memory. This summer has not been bad, it's been "normal". Nothing major has happened, which is the way I like it. No major stress, no major move, no major changes...."sigh" (of relief and contentment). BUT, on the other hand, I haven't done all of the things I'd hoped to do. My two main "projects" were to make a slipcover for the sofa and to re-do my dining table and chairs that I found behind the Post Office. Neither of which have been accomplished. I've been working overnights at Target and coming home and sleeping the days away for the most part. We've been to the beach, I managed to take the kids to Adventure Island once, and we've been to Busch Gardens a few times, but not as much "fun" as I'd imagined. We are planning a trip to West Virginia next weekend for Jerry's 20th class reunion (yes, he's MUCH older than he looks!!!). We'll pop in to see his 'rents for a couple of days, head to Busch Gardens Williamsburg, camp a couple of nights along the way and be home sometime about a week later.

I think summer is overly romanticized in the minds of people, they're a nice break, but they're never as great as you think they're going to be. I was discussing this with Nick a couple of weeks ago, as I was apologizing for him having such a sucky summer. But then when we started thinking about it, there haven't been any "fun and carefree" summers. Sure, there are some fun aspects and some high points for summer memories, but not nearly as rosey as you'd like to think and remember them being.

On the other hand, I'm looking forward to summer ending too. We can be back in a normal routine of waking up in the morning and going to bed at a decent hour (except for the couple of nights, half shifts, I plan to continue at Target...just for a little extra money for this or that). I really miss that, more than you can imagine. It's not just staying up all night, it's standing on your feet for 100% of the time you're working and about 50% of that time you're climbing up and down ladders and lugging boxes around. (I work in the backroom and on the floor, much more work involved in the stockroom!)

Cheerleading and football practices are starting up, I'm running into students and co-workers from school, and you can almost feel "Fall" coming. (No, not in the weather, it doesn't cool off until January around here.) That excitement that comes with a new school year and football season. The anticipation of the unexpected...what will the teachers be like? who will be in my class? will our team be great? I haven't heard much about it yet, but I'm sure Bucs training camp is just around the corner...football games, hot wings, cold beer and good company, along with an occasional Sunday afternoon spent at Beef O'Brady's watching it on the big screen. Yep, I'm looking forward to Fall, it just seems as if the time flies way too fast. My kids keep growing and time doesn't want to slow down even a little for me to watch them slowly growing up. Nick's entering middle school, Elisabeth's cheering, it all just seems so surreal to see them grow up so quickly right in front of me!

Okay, so working hasn't been all bad. I do have to say that I LOVE my discount! I stopped by Target today and got a new swimsuit for about $8 and that was for two separate pieces. I also got two beach chairs for $3 each. All just in time for our youth beach trip to Ft. Desoto on Sunday. I think it will be a great time. We have 4 families coming, plus maybe a few other youth. There will also be the 3 girls on the mission team joining us. For a chuch and youth group that is less than 6 months old, it's a good crowd. So many exciting things going on there, it's been a great experience.

I'm rambling now, and I think it's because I've had less than an hour sleep since yesterday so I'll shut up now and let you get back to doing something more productive than reading my blog! :)

Summertime and Traveling Pants?

I just recently heard (in the middle of the night when I woke up to hear this song because I'd left the TV on) one of the best voices ever, I LOVE her sound. Corinne Bailey Rae, check out my profile song, just love it! Anyway, as I was reading the lyrics I thought of the movie "Sisterhood of the Travling Pants". I just saw it a few weeks ago, and call me corny, but I loved the movie. (Yes, I'll admit it, I even cried!) Anyway, as I was at work the other night (3rd shift at Target, my summer job) I was working in the book section and saw the set of books and want to read them all. Maybe I'll find time someday...

Until then, check out these lyrics. They are awesome!

Put Your Records On by Corinne Bailey Rae

Three little birds, sat on my window.
And they told me I don't need to worry.
Summer came like cinnamon
So sweet,
Little girls double-dutch on the concrete.

Maybe sometimes, we got it wrong, but it's alright
The more things seem to change, the more they stay the same
Oh, don't you hesitate.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

Blue as the sky, sombre and lonely,
Sipping tea in the bar by the road side,
(just relax, just relax)
Don't you let those other boys fool you,
Gotta love that afro hairdo.

Maybe sometimes, we feel afraid, but it's alright
The more you stay the same, the more they seem to change.
Don't you think it's strange?

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow.

Just more than I could take, pity for pity's sake
Some nights kept me awake, I thought that I was stronger
When you gonna realise, that you don't even have to try any longer.
Do what you want to.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

Girl, put your records on, tell me your favourite song
You go ahead, let your hair down
Sapphire and faded jeans, I hope you get your dreams,
Just go ahead, let your hair down.

Oh, You're gonna find yourself somewhere, somehow

Never enough time...

even in the summertime! I need to reorganize my thoughts about what I want to accomplish this summer, and take into consideration "sleep time" since I'm working 3rd shift several days a week. I think I'll be making a list later today, I've gotten away from making lists and I seem to accomplish so much more when I have an active one going.

In the meantime, I came across this version of Proverbs 31 that someone posted on a youth pastor's forum about a year or so ago. I copy/pasted it to look at "later"...LOL

*A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve,and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long.
*She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, and enjoys knitting and sewing. *She's like a trading ship that sails to faraway places and brings back exotic surprises.
*She's up before dawn, preparing breakfast for her family and organizing her day.
*She looks over a field and buys it, then, with money she's put aside, plants a garden.
*First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
*She senses the worth of her work, is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
*She's skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, diligent in homemaking.
*She's quick to assist anyone in need, reaches out to help the poor.
*She doesn't worry about her family when it snows; their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
*She makes her own clothing, and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
*Her husband is greatly respected when he deliberates with the city fathers.
*She designs gowns and sells them, brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops. *Her clothes are well-made and elegant, and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
*When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, and she always says it kindly.
*She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, and keeps them all busy and productive.
*Her children respect and bless her; her husband joins in with words of praise:
"Many women have done wonderful things, but you've outclassed them all!"
*Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades.
The woman to be admired and praised is the woman who lives in the fear of God.
Give her everything she deserves! Festoon her life with praises!

Something to think about...

Summer, my favorite season...

Beach trips, picnics, cookouts, homemade ice cream, watermelon, Busch Gardens, swimming pools, waterslides and lazy rivers, the smell of rain, the smell of fresh cut grass, planting flowers, riding the lawnmower, sleeping in late, staying up all night, lightning, thunderstorms, cherry limeades, frozen hot chocolate (which I make now!), sunburns, trampolines, long walks, blowing bubbles, water fights, and lying on the trampoline at dusk...

Just a few things I love about summer!!!

I have to say I'm having a pretty good time hanging out with my family and just "chillin"!

Ahhhh! I love summer break!

And I can't wait until I can actually take the summers off. (I'm hoping that will be possible either next summer or the year after...once I finish my degree and actually make a teacher's salary.)

Tomorrow afternoon I go in for orientation at Target. Part of me is dreading the idea of working there because it's 3rd shift and it puts a cramp on my summer a bit. But the other part of me is just happy to have the extra income AND the discount too!

There are a few really cool things that have kind of fallen into place lately. Just little things, but the little things seem to make a big difference after having stress for so long. It's as if the tide is finally turning and even the little things are working out.
1. A guy came to the house out of the blue last week and asked if we wanted to sell our minivan. (This is the van that died a couple of months ago and was sitting here until we figured out how to get rid of it.) So he started it up, said the engine needs replaced and offered us some money for it....SOLD! Now he just needs to come and get it out of our yard so I can mow in that spot! hehe
2. We are now the proud owners of a riding lawn mower! The neighbor lady across the street had it sitting by the road with a "For Sale" sign on it. It sure beats waiting to mow our lawn until our next door neighbor was home to let us borrow his, or using the push mower on the 1.5 acre lot we're on! As it is, it takes almost 2 hours to mow the lawn on the riding mower. (I got out there and mowed the lawn yesterday and worked on my tan a bit!)
3. The previously mentioned piano...that's going to be awesome! We're going to be getting that later this month and I'll start giving some piano lessons to some friends' kids. I can't wait to get that in and started on teaching Elisabeth to play too.
4. Busch Gardens passes...we've re-purchased passes to BG Tampa, Adventure Island (water park) and SeaWorld. We've decided to upgrade to platinum passes so that in July when we are on a minivacation, we can get in free to BG Williamsburg. We headed to BG on Saturday evening and spent about 3 hours there. Elisabeth rode the Gwazi (a huge wooden roller coaster) and the Python (twice), along with the Cheetah Chase. Her favorite thing there was the Carousel though. LOL Sheikra was closed when we got there, so we'll ride it later. I think we may head over there tomorrow evening. When we were leaving, we said that this was the one thing we were missing from making the move back to the Tampa area complete...and now it feels like we're "home"! (Corny, I know!)

Today is "clean the house" day. Things have been so crazy lately that it's been a little bit neglected. It will be "Bright and Shiny" by day's end. (I hope!)

Schoooooooool's Out For Summer!!!!

I'm so glad this school year is over, I'm ready for a bit of a break. Nick's finished with 5th grade and is looking forward to Middle School, and I've heard AWESOME things about the Gifted program there and the lead teacher seems awesome so I'm sure he'll have a MUCH better time next year. Elisabeth has completed 1st grade (as a Kindergartener) with great grades, so it looks like she will likely be put into a second grade class come August. I'll be working for Target this summer, during 3rd shift, as soon as I can get my drug test taken (Tuesday?). I think it will make for a good summer. I'll get a discount to my fav store, I'll work when the kids are with Jerry and won't miss much family time. I'll be home in the early morning, sleep until noonish, and then head to Busch Gardens, the beach or Adventure Island....Yup, it will be a great summer!

I also have tons of "projects" planned. We "finally" got cable w/ a DVR and RoadRunner, so the computer has been moved to the "den". My first projects will include sorting/cleaning/organizing the den and closets. Once that's completed, I have some decorating/sewing projects to do. I can't wait to get my slipcover made for the sofa, and my "junque" dining set made-over. (Painting it black, putting in tin ceiling tiles in place of glass, and cover the seats in black/cream/tan toile...and making some matching placemats, table runner, napkins, etc.)

On the "outside" front...my first tomato is getting bigger, my bell pepper is gaining ground and my cherry/grape tomatoes aren't far behind. I can't wait to get my herbs planted and some flowers out, along with my aloe that's coming from my friend Becky. If we just had a pool and a hammock, we'd be set!

Oh yes, this will be a FUN summer!!!

Year in Review?

No, I really don't want to go there. I think it's been the toughest year of my life, and it all started a year ago this month! (And I thought the year before was tough, I had no idea what I was in for...)

If I wanted to be negative and bitter, I could list tons of stuff that went wrong this year, but that is not what this post is about. Hindsight being what it is, there are several things I'd do differently, and the first one would be to insist that my gut instinct was right about many things, people and situations. I used to totally rely on my intuition and was usually right...well, I'm still usually right, but I have not been going with what I "know" either. I think I'm going to resolve to "go with my gut" from now on, and even though what I "feel" might meet some resistance I will have to say "I must insist"!

Right this minute I am struggling with some aggravation and disappointment, but fortunately it's also at it's end. Life has been getting better and better over the past few months, but right now I want to kick myself for allowing certain things to happen. Things I had options to change but didn't, not realizing how I'd feel about not changing things when I had the opportunity right in front of me. Then, there are some things I was told today that makes one think a little more about some other stuff. Hmmm...

I know that I'm talking in riddles, but I don't really want to talk specifics here. I just want to say that I'm glad this year is over and life is good because God is good.

God is good all the time.
All the time, God is good!
(I just need to follow the instincts He's given me and we'll be good! LOL)

Before I Was a Mom...

We had a nice day yesterday, the kids made really cute pictures in children's church, we went out for the buffet at Tiki Hut, and I got a pink cowboy hat! :) (I picked it out, even though my family thought I was crazy! LOL But I like it and that's ALL that matters.)

I got this in an email from my Mom, and thought it was pretty cool.

Before I was a Mom...
I slept as late as I wanted and never worried
about how late I got into bed.
I brushed my hair and my teeth
everyday.

Before I was a Mom...
I cleaned my house each day.
I never tripped over
toys or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not my
plants were poisonous.
I never thought about
immunizations.

Before I was a Mom...
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on. Spit on.
Chewed on, Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind and my thoughts.
I slept all night..

Before I was a Mom...
I never held down a screaming child
so that doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy
over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night watching a
baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom...
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put it down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces when I couldn't
stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small could affect my
life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would
love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom...
I didn't know the feeling of having my heart outside my body.
I didn't know how special it could feel to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small could make me feel so important and
happy.

Before I was a Mom...
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night every 10 minutes to make
sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth, the joy, the love,
the heartache, the wonderment or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much before I was a
Mom.

Crazy Busy, what can I say?!?

The last few weeks have just taken off like a rocket as far as my time goes. Jerry started holding youth group meetings, (Middle Schoolers meet on Sundays, and High Schoolers meet on Mondays) and it's going well. Thursday evenings I go to praise and worship practice (I alternate playing the keyboard and singing). Mondays I tutor after school until 4 o'clock too. It seems like there's no time to stop, and it's been the same way at school the past few weeks too. BUT, I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel there....only 11 more days of school!!! Summer break will be nice. Yeah, I'll still be busy...working a summer job, tutoring some, and maybe giving some beginner piano lessons (Elisabeth will be starting this too), but it will be good. I'm going to sew, do some home projects, work on some gardening, go to the library, take the kids to Busch Gardens and Adventure Island....yep, it'll be much more relaxed even though it's still busy.

Not much exciting has happened in the past few weeks, but there are a couple of things I want to mention...

Elisabeth won a pickle eating contest at Children's church.

I beat Steph at eating the rest of the pickles/pickle juice from a cup (same day as Elisabeth's triumph)!!!

Steph and I tied for the title of "SPEW QUEEN". (Yup, that's where you put an AlkaSeltzer tab in your mouth, take a drink of Sprite and hold it in your mouth without swallowing or "spewing" and see who can go the longest....we've gotten that down to an art and went about 5 minutes! hehe)

I'm the "Shape Sorter" (baby toy) champion...it took me 16 seconds to get all of the pieces in!

Okay, that's all of my bragging, I'll stop now! LOL (Can you tell I get competitive at challenging games during youth group? haha I'm also the Polar Plunge queen from a previous group, beat out the swim team kids....but we'll see if I can still hold that title here....later.)

Have I ever mentioned how much I love to work with youth?!? It's just great!

On another cool note, God has provided a way for us to get an electric piano so I won't have to tote the church's back and forth any longer, and I'll be able to start teaching Elisabeth (and Nick, if he wants to) how to play the piano. Such an awesome thing!!!

Life is good and getting better all the time....

My former motto was "The end will justify the pain it took to get us here"....and it sure has!

(I'll try to post again soon, I have more pics to put up, some of Easter that I never got around to.)

Another Beautiful Day in Florida...

Nick had to have his yearly physical today. After the check-up, we got a snack and some bread and headed to Zephyrhills City Park. We fed the ducks, squirrels, and curlews. We walked all of the way around the lake (it's rather dried up right now due to lack of rain lately--check out the picture of it below...), and then played on the playground. Toward the end of the time there the SnowMan (snow cone guy) showed up, so we got a large one and split it before coming home.

I didn't have my regular camera with me, but here are some pictures I took while we were at the park today...

Take Time to Smell the Flowers...

Elisabeth's wearing the new outfit I made for her. I finished LATE last night, but had started LAST Spring, just before "the move".

Today I took her for her yearly check-up. Her vision is 20/20 (thank goodness she has my eyes), hearing is fine, she's 57 pounds and 50 inches tall.

After that, I wanted to go to our local quilt shop because they have really pretty fabric, beautiful vintage prints. I haven't been to that shop since my step-mom visited Christmas '04. Anyway, down the little strip mall from the quilt shop was a rug hooking shop so we stopped there first. I'm going to take a class on that in the Fall, it looks so easy and BEAUTIFUL!!! (She said I could come during the summer and she'd help me get started, but the teacher for the class goes on vacation up North during the summer.) She said it's so easy that Elisabeth could learn along with me! (I used to do latch hook rugs, and it's as easy as that!) We stayed there and talked to her for awhile, then headed to the quilt shop. Too bad I don't have any money, because I would've bought several fat quarters for projects for E's room. I'm also inspired to make a quilt now, and it was a really easy one too....simple, but VERY elegant looking and PERFECT for Elisabeth's room!!! After that we went next door to the scrapbook store. I don't SB really (just do digital scrapping), but I "had" to get this BG paper that has a vintage look and a story "The Runaway Doll". I'm going to figure out a way to display that paper as a wall picture, not sure if I'll frame and embellish it or decoupage it to some wood or something. (Which also gave me an awesome idea for ANOTHER project where I want to decoupage SB paper on these tin hanging vases for her room---so I'm on the lookout for the paper I want for that! LOL)

So now we're home and I need to get the electric piano set up so I can practice it. We have Worship Team practice this evening, and I'm supposed to play Sunday...Yikes!

I took a bunch of pics of Elisabeth this morning, here are a few more...

Balance...

(aka: "Everything in Moderation") that's pretty much my viewpoint on most things in life. I'm not prone to being too fanatically bent on any particular subject. But some of my viewpoints are changing, evolving, or maybe just metamorphosing (as in maturing from one stage of life into another). I've had some thoughts and ideas, mostly ingrained from my childhood, about being "earth friendly". "Don't waste water (even though we had a well, and it was free)." "Turn the lights out when you leave the room." "Separate the paper from the plastic and metal items." "Eat your veggies (thanks to growing up on a farm, we had plenty...especially since my grandpa had a garden and we did too)." Etc. etc. etc... Add to the influence of my farming/self-employed/church-going parents, my Depression-era grandparents, Girl Scouts, and 4-H, and I think that explains a lot in how my childhood background has influenced my point of view.

Anyway, as I stated earlier, I'm really starting to want to think more along the lines of being "ecologically correct" in my thinking and living. Not to the point of being a fanatic and trying to change the whole world (or other people's ways), but to take care of my little corner of the earth, and to have a healthy and happy family. I just read an article in this month's SELF magazine about actress Amber Valletta, and it reaffirmed my viewpoint pretty well.

I want my family to be healthy above all, but I want the earth to be a decent place for my kids and their children too. God put us here to take care of the earth, and I have to say I don't think a lot of Christians have done a great job at being very earth friendly. Recently a friend sent me an article called 50 Ways to Save the Planet. I am going down that list, and am planning to implement as many of those things as possible in our home. The first one that comes to mind, though we don't consume "that much" of it, is to recycle aluminum cans...Habitat for Humanity takes aluminum can donations and uses the proceeds from recycling them to help raise funds for building their houses. Not only would we be helping the environment, we'd be helping people who need it.

I've also found my Dream Home, check out the picture. It's too cool! It's made from "green materials" and has "healthy products" used throughout. Not only is it earth friendly, it's family health friendly too! (Especially with one child having severe allergies!!!) One model even has a "Green Roof" over the garage with a door leading to it...a terrace garden just outside my 2nd floor, wouldn't that be neat? If only I could also have my Dream Vehicle too!

Anyway, my thoughts have really been focused on this way of thinking and living, and I believe that God is bringing me to the realization that He wants us to live more healthful lives, and to take care of the planet He's given us to call "home" for the time we are here.

Tomatoes Anyone?

Well, it's been 8 1/2 weeks since Nick's been on his 15-item-free diet, so I decided that we'd reintroduce tomatoes this weekend. (Technically a week early, but it's basically been 2 months.) Last night we had Mexican food, tonight we had Sonny's BBQ and he had baked beans and ketchup with his french fries. He was in tomato heaven! (Except for last night when I made him eat his tomato wedge! ROFL, that was fun to watch! hehe He doesn't like tomatoes, just tomato products!) So now we're on a 30 week adventure of adding back food items...this should be fun! (Oatmeal is next--13 days and counting!)

Spring Break has begun. I'm going to dig out the Resurrection Eggs from my "school" stuff (from when I taught K4 at Heritage), we're going to make some "Spring" cookies, Jell-o jigglers Easter eggs, and who knows what else. I'm going to make Elisabeth's Easter dress this week. It's going to be made from some cotton chintz fabric with peach roses on it....fabric our bridemaids' dresses were made from. I have an outfit that I started for her that I will also finish up this week, along with a couple of aprons and maybe a purse that I wanted to do. Also, I have a few other projects I need to do this week (along the lines of decorating/organizing), along with completing my spring cleaning. It will be nice to get "almost" caught up on everything (I know I can't get everything done that I want to). Then of course, there's always yard work to be done. So yeah, it's going to be a busy week! My plans also include kick-starting my exercise regimen and eating more healthy, as I've really slacked off on that too. Spring Break....a break in the routine, so I can get myself back in order. Good plan, dontcha think?

One last positive thing..."tut, tut, it looks like rain"!!! We've had no rain in over 40 days, and the grass looks like it does in Kansas in late-August...dry and brown and parched. (Though it sure does smell good when it's like that, reminds me of a wheat field ready for harvest!) A line of showers is supposed to be coming through during the night, so hopefully we'll get something here.

Well, off to bed...another exciting week at church awaits in the morning! That will be followed by "A Taste of New Tampa" for Jerry and Nick, and an afternoon at home for Elisabeth and me. Maybe I'll pull out the sewing machine...

A Good Day...

Today was the first "regular" service for our new church, our "grand opening". It went really well, and I think we had about 80 people total for both services. (The count was over 100, but some of us were there for both.) A new boy came, close to Nick's age, so that was encouraging. Elisabeth went up to the front during the early service (our "family" service) to help sing/do motions for a song and didn't get stage fright or start crying...so much different than ANY time of doing that kind of thing in the past! (Except for her part in the Winter program at school.) Jerry got host homes for youth group meetings set up too. The ball is in motion, such a great feeling to be part of something new to see the potential of reaching our community and connecting with new people. I'm so excited to be a part of something like this from the beginning and watch it come to life!

We left church a little early (before "tear-down" was complete) to meet our friend Rod for dinner. He comes to Florida every year about this time and he was on his way out of Tampa this evening. It was nice visiting with him and reconnecting with an old friend, even if it was at Perkins instead of Hops or Carrabba's...Hops was closed at the location we were supposed to meet, and Carrabba's was closed for a private party. Good friends, good food....as Martha Stewart says..."It's a good thing"! LOL

The only negative of the day was a "Sunday afternoon nap"....and no it wasn't bad. It's just that when we got home around 5, Elisabeth was asleep in the car and stayed asleep since. I'm just hoping she'll not wake up for the rest of the night, as she's already been sleeping for 7 hours now! I got a good nap too, but now I'm wide awake...that's not a good thing! Guess I'll go run a load of laundry and get things ready for school/work tomorrow before I turn in.

One more week until Spring Break....can't wait!!!

Allergies, Spring Cleaning, and Healthiness in General...

have gotten me thinking...

Due to lack of funds, lately I've been buying "cheap" cleaning stuff to clean my home. I'm thinking that I need to make it a priority to buy more environmentally friendly stuff, not only for the earth's health, but for my family's health too. Nick's allergies seem to be much better since he's on a full arsenal of meds and now taking allergy shots, but I am sure I can do more. I have determined to get my house as allergen and toxin free as possible, and that will take some time as I'm not independently wealthy. But I'll be working toward that with future purchases as I run out of this or that around the house. Also, I'm going to start saving up for an air cleaner. The one I want is almost $600, but I may get the smaller one of that version for about $200 first so the air can start getting cleaner sooner than later. A GOOD vacuum cleaner is on my list too (even though I just bought a "cheap" one out of necessity).

I'm also thinking about the fact that our family really needs to be more healthy in the nutrition area. As soon as it's financially possible, we will start stocking up on good (organic, earth-friendly) vitamins and supplements. Sooner than that, we'll be eating MUCH healthier (as soon as I can get to the grocery store to get the proper items). The whole family has been down with one virus or another since January (or maybe even earlier than that), and I've had no energy either. Exercise and eating well, along with proper nutritional supplements will be good for our family.

Unfortunately, being healthy is not cheap, but it's a necessary goal. So yeah, that's what I've been thinking about since I woke up at 4 a.m. (wide-awake) to Nick coughing for an hour or so. Gotta work on having a healthy home and a healthy family. (Once we buy our own place, things will be better b/c I can rip out carpet or whatever needs done to make it less allergenic too....someday!)

Build a New Boat...

Do not continue
to bail out
the leaky boat

let it sink
save your energy
to build another

I read this poem, written by Andrew Frueh, and it spoke volumes to me about my life. Good words of wisdom to ponder and act upon. There are many things that I've been working hard to "fix" and maybe I need to to consider coming at things from a different direction. Very cool.

Suburban Farm Girl...

Lately I've been thinking about stuff. Doing stuff, dreaming up stuff....just stuff!

Anyway, as I was growing up, I lived on a wheat and soy bean farm. We had chickens, and horses, and kittens, and dogs, a couple of ducks, and a tom turkey. It wasn't bliss, but it was my life. Riding on a pile of just-harvested wheat in the back of the wheat truck on the way to the grain elevator. Eating fresh wheat by the handful, turning into "gum" from the gluten. Digging up dirt with nothing more than a shovel and a hoe for our garden. (The tractor and plow were always used for Granddaddy's turnip patch, but not our garden by the house.) Walking in a wheat field full of golden heads of wheat with that dried grass smell wafting on the hot summer breeze. Walks down to "The Crossing", skipping stones in the creek, shooting tin cans with BB's, wading in the cool water. My mom taught me how to knit, my grandma taught me how to sew. Both of them, along with my other grandma taught me how to cook and bake and make homemade icecream (and snow icecream). My family wasn't rich, I wore clothes from the thrift store (before it was the thing to do), and we saved everything because it might be "something useful" later on.

So we'll fast-forward to life today. I work full-time, and I'm getting ready to start classes (summer or fall, not sure which) to finish my degree. I live in "suburbia" with all of the fast-paced-ness that it brings. We're helping start a new church, which brings a few time-consuming events along with it also. There never seems to be "time". Time to just do "stuff". Lately, and I guess it's coming with life finally settling into some kind of crazy routine again, I've been thinking about making things, fixing things, growing things, sewing things, stitching things, baking things, canning things....well, you get the picture. I'm on a quest to have a little "country" in my suburbanite world. No, not hickville or wanting to be redneck (thought that can definitely be fun at times too), but to find the simplicity of the country life and the warmth that it brings into my home. A friend and I are plotting at a business/hobby venture, and we'll see where that goes, who knows? But also, I just want to teach my kids the art of so many "country" ways that seem to be lost here in suburbia.

In my internet searching of all things cool and country, I came across MaryJanes Farm. On my search of her site, I found this excerpt, and it really spoke to me, about Farmgirls:

A farmgirl is anyone
who sews or knits or weaves
(or wants to learn how).
A farmgirl remembers
her mother or grandmother paring apples for pie.
A farmgirl believes in the strong arms of friendship,
community and the just plain fun of being together.
A farmgirl believes in connection.

A farmgirl ...
isn’t afraid to go it alone.
A farmgirl takes joy in the quiet satisfaction
of making things with her own hands.

A farmgirl wants a world that is sane, and just,
and clean, and is willing to do her part to make it so.

You’re right Toni,
a farmgirl doesn’t have to live on a farm.
There’s a farmgirl in all of us.

Farmgirl is a condition of the heart.

Yep, that's me. And you know what they say..."You can take the girl out of the farm, but you can't take the farm out of the girl!!!"

So yeah, I have tons of projects going on right now, and that just helped give me the push I needed to continue being inspired!