Flying in

His Motorcade coming in

His Motorcade returning to the airport

These were the only 2 black suburbans that I remember. I think he was in the second one, but of course we can't be sure! 

Good-bye Mr. President! Thanks for visiting!

Blogger Barf

Well, not sure what was going on with my blog, but I sure am glad it is working again! I was getting some forbidden message. Other blogs were working though. Weird.

It is about 80 here! It is lovely, but I am sure the gnats are awful. One disadvantage to the south are those pesky gnats.

We went to a different church yesterday. We've never really found a church home since we moved here. Not like music is everything in a church, but hymns just don't cut it for us. Well, it has been probably 2 years since we heard non-hymn music in church- not since North Carolina. It was nice to hear some praise songs. They had a bit of a southern twang to them or something, but the people were praising! The church had a special speaker, so we didn't get to hear the pastor preach, but we really liked it. We will continue to go and 'test the waters', so to speak. I just want a church home and some fellowship already! The special speaker was Ashley Smith, the 'Unlikely Angel' from the Atlanta hostage situation that took place last year. We bought her book and had it autographed. What a powerful testimony she has! Now I have to admit that I hadn't heard her name before, or if I had I didn't remember it, but I did know the name Brian Nichols.

Tomorrow I will join a Bible study from the church we were attending and where the children go to Awana. It is called Conversation Peace. I realized I have not been in a Bible study for myself since we lived in North Dakota! It will be nice to be a part of a Bible study again and hopefully it will help me with some of my faults!!!!

Speaking of Awana, J's got 12 Bible verses memorized from his Cubbies book! And he can't just tell you the latest one- he has to tell them all! It is so awesome to see my little guy memorizing the Word of God. And H is cruising through her Sparks verse and memorizing many verses too! She usually polishes off about two a week! I am so proud of them!

I am going to try to make these Chocolate Peanut Butter cookies in the near future. They look SO wonderful! You gotta love Allrecipes!

A Funny

Large Family

A large family, with seven children, moved to a new city. They were having a difficult time finding an apartment to live in. Many apartments were large enough, but the landlords objected to the large family. After several days of searching, the father asked the mother to take the four younger children to visit the cemetery, while he took the older three to find an apartment.
After they had looked most of the morning they found a place that was just right. Then the landlord asked the usual question: "How many children do you have?" The father answered with a deep sigh, "Seven...but four are with their dear mother in the cemetery."
He got the apartment.

March Madness

Yesterday was a fun day at Park Day with our homeschool group. Afterwards we picked Zach up from work and ate dinner at McDonald's. As we piled out of our car (we drove our tiny Focus), a black man was sitting in his truck next to us. He asked Zach if we had 2 kids in there (the car) and he answered, "No, 3". The man began to talk to H and J, then told how he is retired from the military. He then takes $5 out of his wallet and gives it to my children! How sweet was that! I just wanted to cry. First of all, down in Mississippi you normally don't see this kind of treatment between whites and blacks. Second of all, to be seen and recognized positively for serving our country is sometimes few and far between these days. I am proud of my husband for serving in the Air Force!

As I ordered our food I looked at the clock. 4:00. I place my order, and a few people are behind me and place theirs. I see cars go through the drive thru. People are waiting for their food. I stand there. H comes to ask me, "Mommy, how many minutes has it been? Where is our food?". These ladies behind me that ordered had 'special' orders (no salted fries, etc). This worker who looked like she had no clue what she was doing was trying to get them their order. Meanwhile all I have on my tray is 2 orders of French fries and 2 drinks. By this time it has been 15 minutes! This is FAST food people! I am watching as the workers put the same food that I ordered into bags and give it to the people in the drive thru! If you know me you know that I normally never speak up about these kinds of things. But, its now 4:20, H has been by about 3 times asking what is going on, other people are asking to see the manager and commenting on how long I'm standing there. I am furious. I speak up. I tell them I've been there for 30 minutes now (which by this point its gotten there). They are so confused about what foods to put on our tray. How hard can it be? I've never worked at McDonald's, but I could have gone back there quicker than that to get my own food! Finally, after I had ranted and raved quite a bit (I was MAD and I could tell my face was RED), I had my food on my tray. Then I got quite a refund back (I think we only ended up paying for Zach's meal). All in all we were in McDonald's for a stinkin' hour! It was unreal. Oh well, I got my food and it is over now. Supposedly we'll be getting coupons in the mail to eat there for free.

Today is our 100th day of school. H has been in kindergarden for 100 days. I have been formally teaching her for 100 days. Hard to believe. She made a hat and some 100 glasses. We sang some songs. We colored 100 days of school pictures. We will probably play outside again this afternoon, but I'd like to celebrate somehow. Maybe I'll take the munchkins out for ice cream! I am proud of H, for all that she has learned in this time. It is amazing to watch them grow right before your eyes! She was in speech therapy last year and I decided not to put her in it this year. I am glad of that decision, for I have seen so much progress just by teaching her to read.

 

 

 

 

God's Creation

What a gorgeous day! My windows are open all throughout the house. I hear the birds chirping and singing. I hear the bugs humming and speaking. The fresh air feels wonderful as it seeps into my home! The sun basks down upon me and my boy as he sleeps in my arms. Once in awhile I feel a light breeze, as I watch the branches dance to its beat. The sky is so blue, with not a cloud in sight. It is glorious! Spring is in the air on the Gulf Coast! Thank you, Lord, for this beautiful day!

Winter Blues

I have the blues lately. I'm not really crabby. Just blah. Irritated. Everything bugs me. I wish it would go away. I feel like I can't even control it. I tell myself I will not get irritated, but I do. I know it is a combination of things going on right now, but it is frustrating me. It's supposed to be that time of the month, so that doesn't help matters.

And down here it is Fat Tuesday. Do you know that I called the dentist about a question and it was closed??? It is like a holiday down here- everything is closed. I find it ridiculous, especially when those same places are open on holidays like Presidents and Veterans days. I just don't get it... I'm so sick of this heathen world...

Blahhhhhhhh

Fulfillment in My Home

While many women choose to work outside of the home, I choose to work in my home. I have a 4 year BSW degree that I have never used outside of my home. Will I use it in the future? Probably not. Do I regret getting my degree? No. If I hadn't gone to college I wouldn't have met my dear husband! While I am still in debt over my college degree, I am totally at peace in my home.

I am so thankful that the Lord has put it upon my heart to stay at home with my children. There are many days when I feel I will go crazy over one more question being asked of me, or one more mess or spill I need to clean up. But then I think about how blessed I am for these children of mine, and that I get to stay at home and care for them! I don't have the slightest inkling or desire to leave my home to work. Are we rich? Heavens, no! Zach is in the military and the pay gets us by, but isn't much. But I realize the value of my children. I couldn't imagine putting them in daycare where somebody else raises them, teaches them, sees their first step and hears their first word. I couldn't imagine being separated from them for 8 hours or more a day!

Ever since I can remember I have wanted to be a mommy. I would play with my dolls and be their mommy as a little girl. I would play with my Barbies and they always had their babies they took care of! I think even my marbles I would play with had babies! If you observe little girls in a daycare or nursery setting they are so interested in the little babies. Do you think that is just coincidence? I don't. I believe God has put the nurturing, mother-heart in all of us females. At the Above Rubies retreat I went to last month, Nancy Campbell mentioned how even lesbians have this nurturing spirit in them, for if you notice the majority of them have dogs that they treat as children, nurturing them as they would a child.

Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to waitress or be a real estate agent or some other job or career, but it is just a fleeting thought. I want to raise my children in the Lord. I want to teach them the things the Lord instructs me to teach them. I don't want them to learn some perverted 'truth' out in the world, but I want them to have a Biblical worldview.

While I often struggle with enjoying my children, or being patient with them, I know that I am exactly where the Lord wants me to be- in my home, raising my children to be a light for Jesus in this lost world. Please note that I do not intend to offend anybody that chooses to work out of their home. I simply want to share how blessed I feel to make my home, children and husband my 'career'. I feel so blessed to stay at home. Today there are so many people who voice their opinions and who look down upon us homemakers, thinking we're weak or unable to work. So, I simply wanted to take a stand for myself. I am not a 'Desperate Housewife', but a fulfilled woman of God! I will leave you with this:

Deuteronomy 11:18-21

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land that the LORD swore to give your forefathers, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth.

Here you go

After a million pictures being taken, this was the best I could come up with. Of course I can't get it to look exactly like the Jennifer Aniston picture, but oh well. I like it. Tell me what you think! Be honest! After having long hair for at least 2 years I was in major need of a change!

You Think I'm WHAT?????

Fill in the blanks...tell me what you REALLY think!!!

Aspiring Boxers

My champion boxers!

 

Hair Affair

Why is it that the stylist fixes your hair so cute, but you can never get it to look like that? I have no clue how to make my hair do what she did. Neverless, I still like it, its just not styled... But it is refreshing. It is pretty short, not even really touching my shoulders, and layered. It is supposed to look like this, if only I could figure out how to work the brush and hair dryer simultaneously! Ah well, maybe one day I'll get it to look right. In the meantime, it is nice (and weird) to not keep pulling on my hair when I sit or lie down! I'm lovin' it! And I promise to get a picture of myself posted on here soon...

Quads Anyone?

Have you ever seen anything so darn cute, yet so funny? This had me cracking up, yet thinking how adorable those sweet babies are and how blessed is that mama. Thanks, Kirstin.

This Homeschooling Journey

Lately I have really been struggling with my thoughts on homeschooling. While I really like the curriculum I am using (Bob Jones), I guess I am a bit tired of how I don't feel like I have much leeway to teaching. Not like I have to follow it to a tee, but I enjoy it. The Phonics book is broken up into 5 lessons a week. So, this week we're talking about Lakes & Rivers. Last week we talked about the Prairie. So I feel like I need to keep it all in a week, you know? That is the type of person I am (and sometimes I really roll my eyes at myself for it). I mean I don't want to do 3 lessons of something one week, then continue it in the next week and be all thrown off. I'd like it all to flow together. Plus Fridays are book days, where we read a new book, which often pertains to what we've talked about all week. What about those days when I don't want to do school? Like President's Day? Or if we just want to take a day off here or there and go on a field trip or something? So I feel like I have to cram 2 lessons into one day then (being the type of person I am). Sometimes this is ok, because sometimes it seems like we fly through lessons. But other times I don't want to do that! So this is where I am at. As I begin to think about school next year I wonder what to do. I want to be more flexible, but not too flexible because I really need to maintain a schedule. Sometimes I want to throw my own things in there and do this or that. I know there are different ways to homeschool an there are so many curriculum choices. I guess, being that I am new to this journey, I am learning the type of homeschooler I'd like to be. I don't want our home to be just like a public school. I want us to have fun learning. I want to do hands-on things. Learn through counting money or pulling weeds. At the same time I'm not a very adventurous person, so while I think these thoughts I wonder if I would actually do something like this! So, right now I am torn. While H doesn't seem to mind the way we do school, I'm wanting a bit of a change. Nothing drastic, just maybe something different. And once J will start school I don't expect him to sit still for long amounts of time learning like his sister can! Then again, knowing me I'll order Bob Jones again for next year! Who knows! Just some random thoughts I've been having. Any advice would be MUCH appreciated!

AAACCCCKKKKK!!!!

I am getting my hair cut in one hour and have no idea what to do! It has been long for forever, won't grow anymore and I am ready for a bit of a change. What do I do!?!?! Hoping the stylist has a few ideas for me!

The Truth Revealed!

The answer is #4! Yeah to those of you who got it right! When I approached my RA about the porn she just suggested we make paper clothes to cover up the parts. I was like, "I don't THINK so!". And of course all the other girls on my floor thought the posters were pretty cool and thought it quite funny (obviously I did not go to a Christian college).

#1 Wasn't totally true, as I wasn't driving quite that fast on the roads. I did spin out of control a couple of times and landed my butt in the ditch. Luckily for that truck behind me to pull me out! The next day as we drove by my parents commented on somebody going in the ditch. It was years before I told them it was me! I didn't want to lose driving privileges! Obviously both the car and I were OK!

#2 A friend and I really did ditch the conference but all we did was drive around Marquette for awhile. We did get into trouble by the youth leaders and our parents. The youth leaders were really concerned on where we were! We were always the ones causing problems in the group! Boy, I feel awful now!

#3 This Native American girl who was a few grades younger than me (and a few pounds heavier) and sometimes rode my bus came up behind me after lunch one day and yanked on my hair. I didn't do a thing about it though, but she had said something about me commenting on her hair. I didn't even know her name, had only seen her a few times and had never commented on her hair! I was a bit unnerved by her for awhile as I wasn't (still ain't) the fighting type! My boyfriend could've kicked her butt though;)

#5 While on our class trip to NYC some guys were throwing things out of the hotels windows and got busted. Not sure if they hit somebody, but I think they came pretty close to! When we ventured to Toronto to finish off our trip the manager of that hotel heard about it and really lectured us, locking us in our rooms at night and putting tape on the doors so nobody snuck out! I think even the chaperones were in shock!

So, that is the truth of the matter! Hope you had fun playing!

True or False

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!!!!!!

I was tagged by Bethany for this fun meme! Here's how it works: Write five things about yourself with only ONE of them being true. The other four are fiction, and everyone else gets to guess which one is not fiction. Let me know in the comments which one you think is true!

1. While in high school I was driving 60 mph on snow covered roads in the country, speeding through the many curves in the road. Alas, I started to spin out of control only to end up spinning right into a tree! Luckily, a plow was right behind me and stopped to give me a hand out of my car. I only sustained a sore wrist from hitting it on the steering wheel somehow. I wasn't allowed to drive again until the snow melted!

2. While attending a Billy Graham youth conference with my youth group a friend and I ditched the conference with two boys we knew from another town. We ended up getting lost as we hiked up a mountain, drove along Lake Superior and ended up a bit drunk, plus we were late getting back to the conference. Our leaders were so worried about where we had been and we were 'suspended' from youth group for a time! I was not allowed to associate with friends for a month!

3. In high school I got into a fight with a Native American girl. She came up behind me and yanked my hair, so I turned and punched her in the face. We hit one another a few times before my boyfriend broke up the fight. She ended up with a bloody nose and my left cheek was all bruised and swollen. Turned out she heard I had made fun of her hair so she decided to try to kick my butt. We both got detention for the week.

4. My freshman year of college I had a psycho roommate. At first she seemed normal, but then she began to get a bit weird. She would be gone all hours of the day, avoiding me at all costs. She and I and our suite mates had always gotten along, but now she was nowhere to be found. She would return to our room only when I wasn't there, and wouldn't even sleep or shower there! Nobody really knew where she was and the RA got a bit worried! Then she decided to hang up porn all over our bathroom. When I sat on the toilet there was a naked guy in front of me. When I looked in the mirror behind me was another naked dude. It was disgusting!

5. During my high school senior class trip to New York we decided to throw things out of the 10th story window down below. I took a bottle of hairspray and a pair of cheap sandals and sent them sailing below. The hair spray hit this gangster looking guy on the head and he ended up coming into the hotel to complain at the desk. The cops were called- real NYC cops- and my friends and I were reprimanded and had to stay near a chaperone for the rest of the trip!

Your turn to play along!

Peanuts Anyone?

You are Marcie!

Which Peanuts Character are You?
brought to you by

Back to Normal

Well, our company has come and gone. We had such a good time visiting, even though Zach ended up working. We still managed to do what we wanted to though, and we had such a nice time seeing the kids play together and just spending some time together! I don't have many pictures of us to post on my camera, but Jamie will be emailing me some and then hopefully I can post a picture. Their last morning here we all went out to breakfast and the waitress spilled water all over my diaper bag, which was on the floor. My camera was on the outer part of the diaper bag and now it doesn't quite work- I can't get it to turn on. I did manage to somehow get it turned on Saturday night, but I am not sure what I will do. I am so disappointed. It's a good little camera and best of all it was free!

Saturday night I got to meet Bethany and her husband, Josh. I am not sure who's blog Bethany found me through, but she commented on mine that we're both from the same area! We finally decided to meet and were planning to go out to dinner, but instead I had marinated these steaks all week and invited them over for them. We had such a good time visiting with them and our children really hit it off also! It is so weird how most of the people I've met down here are through the internet. Sometimes you never know if you are going to encounter some weirdo or psycho, but Bethany and Josh were completely normal people and we had a blessed night of fellowship! Hopefully we can get together again!

Now it is back to life as normal...started school again today, back to the library for books, to the Post Office and all of the other errands we do on a normal basis. Hopefully we will get our taxes done this week also!

 

Boys, Bellies and Blunders

My son is obsessed with ladies bellies. He thinks every lady with a bigger belly has a baby growing inside. About a month ago when some friends were over for dinner he walked up to my very pregnant friend and was trying to lift up her shirt, saying something about taking her baby out and where is her baby. He really wanted to see that baby that was in her belly and I think he thought by just lifting her shirt up he'd see it!

Last week a friend stopped by and he said, "Look at her big belly!". She doesn't even have a 'big belly'! I felt horrible!

Yesterday at Awana I was talking to H's new Sparks teacher. She is a shorter lady and a bit on the heavier side. Now mind you, my son has seen many 'bigger' people in his days, be it family, in church, at the store or at a restaurant. So I'm talking to this lady and the next thing I know he goes up to her and is trying to lift up her shirt and asking if there is a baby in her belly! I felt horrible once again!

Kids will be kids, but sometimes they sure do embarrass the heck out of us! So, if you are in the neighborhood and my son tries to lift up your shirt, please just know he is searching for your baby!

A Tribute Of Sorts

It was the summer of 1999. We were newlyweds arriving at our first duty station (Minot, North Dakota), pretty much new to the Air Force. That is where we met the best friends anybody could have, Scott and Jamie. Zach & Scott went to Tech School together and both got orders to Minot. When we arrived in Minot Zach somehow got a hold of Scott and we went to their house. They were just moving in and there were boxes everywhere. I remember thinking how weird they talked! They are from 'Wuhsta', Massachusetts! Jamie and I seemed to hit it off pretty well. She was, after all the first person I met in Minot (and we do have the same name)! The next day as we looked at houses (they gave us 3 choices) on base we picked the one nearest to them (which happened to be the nicest one). We often would get together with Scott and Jamie, eating dinner together and playing games. Jamie and I often talked about getting together when the guys were at work, but time would go by and we still hadn't gotten together without the husbands! I don't know why, we seemed to get along great while the four of us were together. (Seems weird to think back to the days with no kids). Zach was a cop in the missile field, gone for days at a time, and Scott was a cop on the flight line, so they worked different schedules. Finally, Zach got switched to working on the flight line also. Wow! Jamie and I often began doing things together with the guys working the same shift (from like 2 pm to 7 am). Being we were in North Dakota, there wasn't much to do, but we often visited at one another's house or took a walk. We discovered how much we love to play Scrabble! Thus began the road to our friendship...

They were there all through our first years of marriage and parenthood. Jamie came and watched H while I had J. It seemed our holidays were spent together, as well as our off time. And like I said Jamie and I got together far more often while the guys worked. We went through a lot together up in the frigid cold on the prairie, er Air Force base.

Almost six years later...We now live in Mississippi and they are moving from California to Washington D.C. We moved from Minot back in August of 2002, leaving behind the closest friends we've had. That is one thing that I hate about military life- leaving friends behind. It is so hard to come across good friends! And oftentimes you find there are some people that just don't keep in touch as well as others, although maybe you'd like to. I remember saying good-bye to Jamie at TLF, just bawling my eyes out. Now don't get me wrong, I was SO glad to leave North Dakota (and joked not to look back for fear I'd turn into a pillar of salt), but I just wanted to pack Scott and Jamie up in our van and take them along!

I remember one weekend when we were living in North Carolina. Zach insisted I not go anywhere this Saturday morning while he went to work. He said he had a surprise. Now I knew that Jamie was up around Maryland working at that time, as she traveled for work. We were going to arrange to see one another but it didn't work out. So, I just assumed Zach must have been having flowers delivered. I'm going about my day doing something in the kitchen, talking on the phone when the doorbell rings. I look out the window and see a lady standing there and I think (and even comment out loud) how strange it is that she isn't holding flowers. So, I go to the door and open it, puzzled by this lady on my doorstep, when it hits me. It is Jamie! I stood there, my mouth hanging, in utter amazement, speechless. I politely get off the phone and cry and laugh at the same time as I hug Jamie. I could not believe my eyes! Here she drove all the way down to see my for only one night! What a friend! We had a blast!

Now, as they travel from west coast to east they are stopping to see us! They arrive tomorrow! I have been anticipating this day for a LONG time! I cannot contain myself and I know I'm going to have trouble sleeping. You see, Scott and Jamie are no longer just Scott and Jamie. They have a lovely 2 year old son that I get to meet for the first time! They adopted this sweet boy from Russia when he was about 10 months old! I have seen numerous pictures and heard many tales of this budding boy, but to actually see their child! It is hard enough anticipating seeing them...But their son! I know how much they desired a child, prayed for and yearned for a child. Once they moved to Cali adoption fell into place and now they are parents! The amazing thing is to see Jamie's faith in the whole matter, that one day God will allow her to conceive. Oh, I pray so! I know they are awesome parents!

So, as I sit these next 12-24 hours waiting for them to arrive, I will ponder the memories of our times in North Dakota. It is exciting to get company no matter who it is, but when it is somebody this special...And we have never had friends visit us before (from out-of-town), it has always been family (doesn't that sound sad and pitiful)...This will truly be a special time.

*On the flipside, Zach is unable to get leave this week. It will take a miracle. So, please say a prayer that he is able to get time off. Not only does he have to work, but he has to work horrible hours, not allowing him much time with Scott.*

Above Rubies Retreat

This past weekend I went to the Above Rubies retreat in Alabama. What a blessed time! I was a bit apprehensive going, not really knowing anybody, although I had met some ladies from last year's retreat that would be there this year. I also knew I'd be taking G since he still nurses and I figured he would have me chasing him about all weekend and that I'd be stressed and worried.

I carpooled with a lady that lives in my area, so the hour and a half it took to get there flew by. She had been there last year too, and it was nice getting to know one another. I roomed with a Marine wife, so that was fun! I saw many ladies I met last year and had the opportunity to get to know them better this year. But best of all I was able to be encouraged by Nancy's teachings. Even though I did chase around my little fellow a bit I was able to get from it what i knew I needed to hear. It was so encouraging and refreshing. And one of Nancy's daughters, Pearl, was there along with her 10 year old daughter, Meadow. Pearl and sister Serene have two CD's that you can purchsae through Above Rubies. They are the sweetest, most encouraging songs about motherhood (and you can order them through the Above Rubies site, and I HIGHLY recommend them!!!). Serene and Pearl used to be 'Considering Lily' (if you have ever heard of that Christian band). Well, since Serene wasn't there (they just adopted 4 children from Liberia), Pearl and Meadow sang. Can you picture it? This 10 year old girl singing with her mother. But, she wasn't only singing words, you could tell she meant what she was singing. Oh, it was such a beautiful site. She had the most beautiful voice! And if you know me, you know that I was trying to hold back those tears! I just kept thinking how I pray my daughter will have such a love for the Lord like that as she grows. And to watch mother and daughter. Little Meadow was massaging her mama's back, helping with her 14 month old sister. You could tell they had such a bond, a friendship. How I yearn to be my daughters friend, not just her mother. Sometimes I feel like I am just a dictator at times, saying, "Do this", or "Don't do that".

Part of Nancy's message was about Adam & Eve being made as one. Now I know this, but for some reason it really just struck me this weekend and I really needed to hear it. I am always quick to open my mouth about things, nagging and complaining about this and that. But this weekend as I listened to the word of the Lord through this wise woman of God it really hit home for me. I vowed to come home changed. Renewed. Keeping my mouth shut more often. Even if I don't agree with my husband on something, to stand by him, being one with him. I was tested even before I came home, let me tell you, and I succeeded, only because I relied upon the Lord for His strength.

G was so good! Friday night he ran around like crazy, but it wasn't stressful at all. The other days he seemed a bit calmer. But I really enjoyed him! Even though he was sometimes so busy I never lost my patience! I feel I had a chance to bond with him a bit more than usual, being just he and I. I was able to enjoy him and all his little antics. And he was so sweet. He has never been around babies. We don't really know many people around here with babies. But at the retreat there were babies. He would go up to them and call them "Nana". Don't know how he gets that out of the word baby! He would rub their head and smile at them, rub their belly. Oh, he was SO gentle, SO loving to these sweet little babies! It was so sweet to see (and it only reinforced my desire to have another). So, now that I know that my baby is cool with babies, bring it on Lord;)

A bit of paint and...

It's amazing what a bit of paint can do! My kitchen looks so different to me, with just a bit of paint! I am so glad to be rid of that ugly border at the top! The kitchen feels so much warmer and homier. Just thought I'd share!

Proverbs from the Mouths of Babes

Has anybody ever kept a journal of their children's sayings? I have been thinking lately alot about the things my dear children say. Some of the following can be heard at times:
"Mommy, when I get big I'm going to paint my living room orange."
"I'm a scherba."
"I want 4 girls and 1 boy. If I don't I will cry and pray to Jesus."

Not to mention all of the questions they ask:

"What does humble mean?"

"Did God made everything?"

"Mommy, can I marry you?"

So, I've been thinking how it would be neat to write down some of the things they say throughout the day. That way I can look back and laugh (especially at those times they're driving me bonkers), and it will be a great thing for them to read when they're older. Has anybody done anything like this or heard of anything like this? Not sure how good I will be at doing it...running to the notebook every time something cute comes out of their mouth, but it is worth a shot!

This 'N That

So, I've been playing around with my living room a bit. And you know what? It is finally exactly the way I want it! I absolutely love it! I bought new curtains last week (I haven't had curtains up in there in awhile because I didn't know what to do with the shape of my windows). Then I bought some new lamps. When asking Zach what he thought of the lamps he commented, "What are you trying to make this look like an officers house?" I simply want a nice home, not fancy, just nice, to my appeal to make a home for my family. After all, the lamps only came from Wal-Mart! Do officers shop there? I don't know!

(I have 3 long skinny windows hiding behind those panels which is why it took so long to find curtains I liked!) . And here is a closeup of my new lamp. It really goes with my living room!

Did I mention before about the quilts the ladies in Minnesota made? I've been wanting to take a picture of the munchkins with the quilts to mail along with a thank you. Here's a snapshot!

Aren't they adorable?

Yesterday I picked up a new book from the library called 'The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns' by Ann Budd. Looks very good (and modern, as most books were from the 60s or 70s). Lots of nice patterns I wouldn't mind trying to knit sometime!

Have you seen this article yet? It tells exactly how I have been feeling living down here on the Mississippi coast. I think we all feel like this down here. I may have seen it before, but it really struck me last night.

Last night I had all sorts of things running through my mind that I was going to blog about, but I could not get into blogger for the life of me and of course now I have forgotten.

My First Knitting Project!

This is my first official knitting job. I just LOVE knit dishcloths! My mom makes them for me, but now I think I can do it on my own! I'm hoping to learn to knit many other things. It really isn't that difficult! It is weird to see how popular knitting is nowadays.

H lost her first tooth today! 

Snow Much Fun!

Did you know there is 'snow' in Mobile, AL? My friend told me there was a snow park there, so we coordinated a trip to take our families! Yesterday was the day. Now, if you look at the pictures online it looks like a neat little thing to do. Considering we have no snow down here, I thought the kiddos would enjoy it. I did keep wondering to myself, though, why I was PAYING to play in snow!!! Who would think, growing up in Michigan, that you would go to a special place to play in snow!?! Not I! Anyway, it turned out to be a joke. There were two 'slides' to tube down and one little place with 'snow'. The people said it is because the weather has been milder, that it is difficult to keep the snow! I guess I can understand in a way, but the pictures make it seem much better than what it was. The kids still did have fun, as you can see by the pictures, but us adults were rolling our eyes. It wasn't a total wasted trip into Mobile though, since our friends from Pensacola had met us and we got to visit with them and enjoy a scrumptious meal together!


Here is G on his only trip down the 'hill'. I'm not too sure what he thought of it. There was no smile, but there were no tears either!

Here is H having a blast and smiling for the camera, as usual!

J was just chillin' in his tube!

Poetry

H has been wanting to read poems every morning after we do our Bible time. I came across this one and wanted to share it. I don't have too much else to post about anyways.

God Give Us Homes!

Homes where the Bible is honoured and taught;

Homes with the Spirit of Christ in their thought;

Homes that a likeness to heaven have caught.

God give us homes!

God give us homes!

Homes with the father in the priest-like employ;

Homes that are bright with a far-reaching joy;

Homes where no world-stain shall come to annoy.

God give us homes!

God give us homes!

Homes where the mother is queen-like in love;

Ruled in the fear of the Savior above;

Homes that to youth most inspiring shall prove.

God give us homes!

God give us homes!

Homes with the children to brighten the hours;

Budding and blooming like beautiful flowers;

Places of sunshine- sweet, sanctified bowers.

God give us homes!

By J.R. Clements

*Taken out of the book 'Verses of Virtue' from The Vision Forum.

I certainly hope someday my home can look like this!

Sometimes Sharing is NOT Caring

I know I've posted things like this before, but it really just angers me....
Yesterday I was sitting here at the computer and my neighbor came over with her two kids, ages 2 years and 6 weeks. No big deal, I don't know her well and it was a nice surprise. I haven't had somebody 'just drop in' since I've lived on base! Well, after about 3 minutes of her being here I realized both she and her 2 year old had colds. She kept coughing and her daughter had the nastiest nose. What could I say? "Get out of my house, you are sick!" I just kept sitting there praying we wouldn't get sick! Then H invited her for dinner! Boy, I felt real unhospitable, but I was thinking about all the germs that were already lingering in my home! I'd like to have her over, just last night wasn't good. So I made up some excuse about not sure what we're eating, and it being last minute. When she finally left I went around the house with the Clorox wipes and with my Sol-u-Guard and sprayed everything!!! This morning J's been coughing a bit, but I'm not sure if he could catch a cold that fast! Just praying we all stay healthy here...And wondering WHY people make an appearance when they are not in the best of health!
***UPDATE: Well, it must have been my imagination on J's coughing this morning, because all has been fine so far. I guess I'm just a big germ freak!

Nothing New...

Not much has been happening here lately, so I haven't really had anything to write about.

Larry flew back home on Friday. We had a nice visit and they did a lot of work on the house. I even got a new kitchen sink! I absolutely love it! My other sink wasn't very deep, so I went on the deep end and got an extra deep one! You can see it here. Now to paint the kitchen walls...

Since Larry left I figure I'd get G used to his bed. He would never sleep in a crib so I had taken that down sometime after Christmas. He has been sleeping in his bed for naps and doing real well. I can't believe he is big enough to do it, and I don't think H & J were as little as him when they went into their big kid beds. Then again, they didn't sleep with us either! Last night I put him in his bed for bed and he slept in it for like 2 hours. At least he is getting used to it! I can't believe how much he is growing. He feeds himself like a pro and makes less of a mess than his 3 year old brother!!! I guess when there are other siblings that need mommy's attention they learn to grow up a bit quicker.

On Sunday I took H and J to Awana for the first time. I said I'd help in Cubbies. This is the first time my children have been to anything of this nature. We don't go to Sunday School, we homeschool, etc. I wasn't sure what H would think and I had volunteered to help in J's class. J is in Cubbies. He was a bit clingy, saying, "Mommy, Mommy!". He isn't very good with changes though. I am hoping after a few times he will be more relaxed and I won't have to stay right by him! I don't want to make it a miserable experience for him though. He did seem to enjoy himself and he's even memorized a few verses! H came to find us after Sparks and she had a good time, chatting about it the whole way home. She seemed to do fine with my not being right there! She generally does good with new situations though.

We finally began school again this week. H was so excited to start! I told her Sunday night and she was practically dancing in her chair, asking what we were going to learn and if I was for real! That sure made me more enthusiastic to prepare her lessons. She does awesome in math. I hate math and I wasn't sure how it would go, but she sure is catching on to adding! She still tends to read words with sounding them out and if I ask her not to sound them out she doubts herself. Hopefully she'll get it soon! I even did some school with J. Once H was excited, he was too. Last night I hauled myself to the Dollar Tree and picked up a few books for him. As if I don't have enough workbooks around here, but these were only $1 and I figured he'd enjoy them. So, we've been working on shapes with him. This is all stuff that I did with H when she was way younger than he is now, but many things he catches on to when we do it (like colors and counting). It was nice to have some time to teach him too, and I'm sure he enjoyed the attention. So often I feel like he gets 'pushed aside' as I teach H and nurse G.

I have been knitting again and teaching a lot of it to myself. I did have a friend's daughter show me how to cast on, but otherwise I've been learning binding off and purling myself. My first project was supposed to be a dishcloth but was a bit messed up so I gave it to H & it worked for a Barbie blanket! I am attempting another dishcloth now. Hopefully I'm doing it all the right way!

That's a little update on us! Nothing exciting...

Fun & Learning in One!

Last week we took a trip to Mobile with a friend and went to the Exploreum. We had such a fun time! Here are some pictures of the kids having fun! First is H playing the harp. Only this harp had no strings, but if you move your hands it detects the movement of your hands and plays music. J is at the bottom of the slide in the room where you learn about poop! And G had a blast playing with the water!

Tagged Again

Amie tagged me for this meme, so here goes:

Four jobs you've had in your life:
1. Pizza Maker/Waitress
2. Burger flipper/ice cream designer
3. Bartender
4. Secretary

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Sarah Plain & Tall
2. Cheaper By the Dozen
3. Dying Young
4. The Polar Express

Four places you have lived:
1. Upper Michigan
2. North Dakota
3. North Carolina
4. Mississippi

Four TV shows you love to watch : (I don't watch TV much anymore, so I'm just saying 4 that have been my favorites at some point in time)
1. Full House
2. Beverly Hills 90210
3. Seventh Heaven
4. One Tree Hill

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Olympia, WA
2. Rapid City, SD
3. Winnipeg Canada
4. Myrtle Beach, SC

Four websites you visit daily: (I'm excluding blogs)
1. CNN
2. Allrecipes
3. Ebay
4. My Yahoo Groups

Four of your favorite foods:
1. Anything with Chocolate
2. Chicken Fajitas
3. Pepperoni Pizza
4. Baked Ziti

Four places you would rather be right now:
1. California visiting my best friend
2. North Carolina visiting friends
3. Michigan visiting family
4. In my bed napping next to my baby

Four bloggers you are tagging:
1. Bethany
2. Marisa
3. Bobbie Jo
4. Anybody else who wants to join in

North woods vs. South bayou

In the North woods you greet people by saying, 'Hey yous guys. How are ya?'
In the South bayou you greet people by saying, 'Hi there ya'll. How are ya'll doing, honey?'

In the North woods you spend your winters snowblowing, shoveling and sitting by the woodstove keeping warm.
In the South bayou you spend your winters outdoors, doing house repairs from the season's hurricanes. You also need to mow your lawn a few times and you've never seen snow so you can't even imagine what it is.

In the North woods you have to drive about three hours to go shopping. You call up your ma and say, 'Hey, I wanna go Green Bay. Wanna come?'. It takes you about 6 hours to drive there due to the snow drifts on the road.
In the South bayou you drive down the road to the local shopping mall when you get shopping fever. A road trip is reserved for when you need to evacuate during hurricane season.

In the North woods you see more snowmobiles that you soon dream about them.
In the South bayou you see more shrimp boats that you consider investing in the business.

In the North woods you are glued to the TV screen to keep track of the snow count.
In the South bayou you are glued to the TV screen to keep track of the latest tropical developments.

In the North woods fireworks are reserved for the 4th of July.
In the South bayou fireworks are seen all year long: 4th of July, Labor Day, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's, Valentine's Day, etc...

In the North woods 30 degrees seems warm to you.
In the South bayou 30 degrees is freezing and you are wearing the warmest coat you have.

In the North woods you grow icicles off of your mittens by the time you get indoors and you have to dry your boots by the heater.
In the South bayou you have never seen a pair of mittens (and have only heard of them in The Three Little Kittens story), and the only boots you own are cowboy boots.

In the North woods the only people racially different from you are the college students.
In the South bayou all of the people are racially different- you live in a mixed neighborhood.

In the North woods you've never seen a real train.
In the South bayou the trains wizz by you every 5 minutes.

This is just some of the differences between the North and the South. I could come up with many more but my computer time is over! Last night I laid awake for hours listening to the whole neighborhood go crazy lighting off fireworks and celebrating the New Year. I had never seen fireworks on New Year's until I moved to Mississippi! Strange land, this is. Happy New Year!