|
A Life of Balance
Mar. 24, 2007
Its been a long while!
Its been a while since I have blogged over here...
For the most current notes and thoughts by Renee :) you must come to
http://alifeofbalance.wordpress.com/
Eventually I'll move everything from here over to there, but that hasn't happened yet. Too much going on amidst trying to get renters out, and getting them out finally and finding the place TRASHED and doing major renovations as fast as possible trying to get it rented out, then changing our minds and trying to sell it. That is where we are at now... renovating adn selling. SIGH!! HUGE job! amazing!
I am 33 weeks pregnant !! yeah - getting large and uncomfortable!!
anyway... come visit over at the other place and say hi! |
• Comments
(2) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Feb. 19, 2007
The Good, Bad and the Ugly
We'll start with the Bad... its 1 degree outside!!! YUCK!! SO cold.
Ugly... me teaching Keenan math. oh my word. I can't get over how frustrated I can get over a few measly math problems, that he's probably figure out in a year on his own anyway with NO teaching!! The kid is so, so bright and I could screw that up that love of learning, and that confidence with crappy attitude while teaching math. sigh.
Good ... it was starting to look light outside this around 8:00!!! - sunrise officially at 8:35am... but for us, at 9:52, it JUST peeked over the mountain, and there is hope for spring yet... (I know, its only mid-February!!) and it doesn't set about 5:30 - wow. |
• Comments
(1) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Feb. 14, 2007
My Love Story
Jan. 30, 2007
3.4
NOTE: you must know the context of this post... preemie babies and complicated pregnancies...
Are you wondering what this lovely measurement is? In the words of my Obstetrician:
"A cervix to be proud of. 3.4 centimeters"
"Thanks, doc, I'll be sure to tell the world"
SO, there you have it. 25 1/2 weeks along, and still... long! :) I apologize to all of you who REALLY didn't want to know that!!
|
• Comments
(0) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Jan. 29, 2007
A New Place to Blog
Hi there,
Since I am so non-adept at HTML and finding my way around here, I am moving to where a dear friend can help me, since she knows all about Wordpress! 
My new address is, once again an attempt to live A Life of Balance but this time over at Wordpress. I'm not done adding all of you to the side bar, and all that good stuff... but it's shaping up!
Please come visit, and let me know you are dropping in, I"ll add you to my Friends list (I know, it's SO prestigious - insert rolled eyes)
I will keep this sight up for a while, and "double post', for those of you who take a little time to switch me over... plus I really do like it here, even though my new look is... black. :)
|
• Comments
(2) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Jan. 19, 2007
"The Page 123 meme"
Valerie from Life's Good tagged me with The Page 123 meme:
I cheated and went to my bed side table, since the only book close to me is the phone book... yeah, didn't think you'd be TOO interested in THAT!! Or Keenan's school books...
1. Grab the book closest to you.
2. Open to page 123, look down to the 5th sentence.
3. Post the text of the next 3 sentences on your blog.
4. Include the title and the author's name.
5. Tag 3 People.
1. This is the closest book to me at my bed, which is where I WISH my computer was, so it's half true!
2. pg 123, (actually, pg 122, because there aren't 5 sentences on pg 123) 5th sentence is "Some of us are suspicious of addressing the soul in worship, not because we have seen emotional manipulation firsthand but due to accounts of emotionally driven moments that have strayed far from biblical teaching or resulted in great conflict.
3. and the next 3 sentences: Maybe you know of churches that have been torn apart or indiviuals who have been deeply hurt by emotional excess or manipulation in worship. These memories echo in the ears of those who would tell us to check our emotions at the sanctuary door, yet at what price? From the very beginning of the faith, there has been a risk in opening our soul to God in worship.
4. Experiential Worship by Bob Rognlien (subtitle Encountering God with Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength)
5. and I am tagging... hmm, Holly at Seeking Faithfulness , javamama at ponderings... , and Jimmie at One Child Policy Homeschool
Thanks for playing in advance... forgiven if you choose not to!! :) I chose women from different corners of the world ... at least in terms of where they come from... so go check them out!! I like them each dearly! |
• Comments
(3) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Jan. 2, 2007
Christmas and NewYears...
So, a little update for those who are interested, specifically family!!
Christmas Day was fun... the kids and I just hung out, went to visit Daddy at work around 11am and had lunch with him. He was pretty busy, so could not just hang out like we had hoped... BUT that is ok. It was fun anyway.
While we were leaving who drove up but... SANTA... with a reindeer and elves in costume as well. handing out stuffed animals to the residents and such I guess, but MY were my children enthralled. They waved, then he came over said "Ho ho ho, have you been good this year?" and handed them each this beautiful large stuffed animal each. They were absolutely enamored, and apparently it was the highlight of the season!! :)
We went to Bryans parents around 4, met Bryan there with some clothes for him to change into. Dinner was going to be at 5, but the turkey was being a bit of a stinker in the smoker and took until 6:45 to be ready... The kids were besides themselves, but INCREDIBLY patient while they waited for dinner to be over, and the adults to have desert and coffee... and then EVERYONE get pictures in front of the tree... etc.
FINALLY just after 8pm we started opening presents. The kids were great, though got more hyped up and lacked all their self control we had been working on as the night wore on... they were SO SO tired!!
Here is our picture... its not great, but at this point I was not going to spend more than 2 minutes trying to get a picture... it was not worth it.
and here is 4 generations... Cleo, (big grandpa to my children, just grandpa to Bryan  ) Dennis (grandpa) Bryan (dad), Heather (sister) with their children...
We took our down stairs tenants wife, who JUST ARRIVED from the Phillipines to the zoo... a much needed outing... it was snowing, absolutely beautiful!! and all the animals were out in the snow... except the bears :)
AND New Years Eve we had a party for the littlies with some friends before we went Neon Bowling. The kids loved it, and I am so glad because it cost WAY more than I thought it would!! They had poppers, and then we went outside for the sparklers.
Thad wasn't too sure about the noise... he did pull one while I held his ears for him! LOL
SO that was our week, in amidst working on the projects they got from Auntie Heather, and dealing with a puppy with a tummy wog (EEEEEW!!! Gross!!!)
Next big thing... Keenan's birthday party! Aagh!! There is tons of pirate stuff, and cowboy stuff, and all that stuff, but not much knights and princess and dragons and castle stuff... sigh. If I went to the specialty store, I am SURE I would find something! :)
to end with, our Family Verse for the year...
Colossians 3: 12-14
You are the people of God; he loved you and chose you for his own. So then, you must clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.
Be tolerant with one another and forgive one another whenever any of you has a complaint against someone else. You must forgive one another just as the Lord has forgiven you.
And to all these qualities add love, which binds all things together in perfect unity. |
• Comments
(2) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Dec. 25, 2006
And then there was Christmas Eve (which includes house pics!)
after watching the PBS special the night before with Renee Fleming in Germany... (it was fabulous, by the way, but what of Renee Fleming is NOT fabulous!! Even the kids really enjoyed it, operatic though it was)
AND being up far too late, trying to get things done that needed to get done so we could just relax the next day, which of course didn't exactly happen...
AND then having a horrible tummy ache from left over ham an bean soup for TWO hours in the middle of the night, I was SO SO tired when the kids came into our bed... Keenan disappears for aminute then comes back, in his LOUDEST stage whisper (so as not to wake the dog) Santa was here!!! i felt all our stockings, and there is stuff in them!!! 
so we dragged ourselves up, lit all the pretty candles and turned the Christmas lights on, put the cinnamon rolls I mad the night before in the oven... grabbed some coffee... and opened stockings. I am so thankful they didn't seem to notice that Santa wraps presents in the SAME paper mommy does!! I am not too good about being careful, since they don't REALLY believe it anyway... Oh I am so confused... I just try to follow Keenan's lead... not spoil his fantasy, yet not lead him on either!!
EVERYTHING they got out this is how the conversation would go:
K: "OH, another present that is wrapped"
Th: "Me too!"
K: "OH its my FAVORITE (fill in the blank) EVER!! I love it!!"
Th: "Its my favorite too!! I love it!!"
Here is the lovely LR... notice the curtains I picked out at the beginning of December... I just love them. burgundy, rust, purple, some yellow... very shimmery and bohemianish. The door on the right is a large closet that backs up to the MBR hot tub (that doesn't work) We inherited this couch from someone... we are such scavengers!! Our coffee table we are storing for our pastor, who inherited it from someone but it doesn't fit in their house... so we get it for now!
IF ONLY we could have found our plug in for the video camera, we could have had it charged and been videoing... but alas... could not find it ANYWHERE!!
followed by breakfast, where K: "Mommy, you make the best cinnamon rolls in the world!" please note our Jesse Tree ornaments hanging up over the archway thingy...and go ahead and note all the the shiny wallpaper... where are the unicorn pictures when you need them!!
and presents under the tree... (this pic is taken from the kitchen... the entry way is directly to my right) - we are looking thru the dining room into the sun room
They were really great this year, as far as saying thank you, and looking / waiting for others when they opened theirs, saying thank you when it was from us, or brother... (great improvement from last year, mom and dad!!!  )
then there was playing of new games, etc. and.... ONCE MORE... otu to shovel the huge amount of fresh fallen snow... 2 hours later (longer for Bryan) we came in to eat the ham / cheese rolls I had made the night before also, and finish getting ready for the Christmas Eve service... we were ready...
Here is the sun room... I am standing in the center kind of ... so you'll miss the middle section... yes it is that big! to the left is the dining room....
(looking the other direction... Keenan's book case on the right... directly to my right you can't see our desk... to my left the second set of large huge picture windows, and the book shelf keeps their chapter books and puzzles and whatever else. There is a tiny TV for their use and the truck bin the shelf high in the wall is for our games and stuff. Its a fun room... SO much light and beautiful views.)
EXCEPT as the first people arrived, and I greeted them.... I realized I was STILL in my pajama bottoms!! oops!! yes, I shovelled snow in my PJ's... but I had snow pants on top, so its not like you noticed or anything!!
The service was lovely, short, lots of singing, a nice communion, then we put the kids to bed and watched some corny dumb movie on TV while folding laundry...
Of course we had one more present to prepare... you'll appreciate this Dad... separating habanero powder and jalepeno powder into separate jars for every one... yes, the men in Bryan's family and extended family LOVE LOVE hot food!!! Here is Bryan... yes its a mask!! and it still got in his throat and nose!! |
• Comments
(6) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Dec. 22, 2006
The Love Chapter for Christmas...
I am borrowing this from Mozart and Mudpies
If I decorate my house perfectly with plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights,
And shiny glass balls, but do not show love,
I am just another decorator.
If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies,
preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table,
but do not show love, I’m just another cook.
If I work at the soup kitchen, carol at the nursing home,
and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my own family,
it profits me nothing.
If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes,
attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s cantata,
but do not focus on Christ,
I have missed the point.
Love stops cooking to hug a child.
Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the spouse.
Love doesn’t envy another home that has coordinated Christmas china
and table linens.
Love doesn’t yell at the kids.
Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return,
but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things,
endures all things.
Love never fails.
Toys will break; pearl necklaces will be lost; golf cubs will rust.
But giving the gift of love will endure.
~Anonymous |
• Comments
(2) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
Dec. 17, 2006
A litle Christmas info on me...
1. Eggnog or Hot Chocolate? Eggnog and brandy, but I'm pregnant... SO... eggnog. pastuerized.
2. Does Santa wrap presents or just set them under the tree? He wraps of course
3. Colored lights on tree/house or white? white all round, but with the kiddos, I think, the colored will be coming out next year!!
4. Do you hang mistletoe? no... don't know why!
5. When do you put your decorations up? Day after THanksgiving, or the first day after when Bryan has off work.
6. What is your favorite holiday dish (excluding dessert)? Sweet Potatoes... with this amazing pecan / brownsugar topping. granted there is SO much sugar it is like dessert... but it ISN'T... really!!
7. Favorite holiday memory as a child? I remember the Christmas Eve we boated 6 hours, and still couldn't get all the way home, and hiked the rest of the way... it was just a sweet together Christmas. We opened the packages and ate treats on the river in amidst the mud a mosquitoes.
8. When and how did you learn the truth about Santa? It was just fun... I don't think I ever believed in him... I mean... if I did, it would have only been for snowy countries, surely!!
9. Do you open a gift on Christmas Eve? We always opened one family gift. This year, Christmas Eve will be our Christmas, because Bryan has to work on Christmas Day... and I am NOT opening stockings at 5 in the morning!!!
10. How do you decorate your Christmas tree? lights, collected ornaments that all tell a story... and an orange yellow and brown Thanksgiving link that my son INSISTED was a Christmas ornament!!
11. Snow! Love it or dread it? love it... BUT I do wish it was only 3 months of the year instead of 7 plus!!!
12. Can you ice skate? yes... not gracefully, but still!
13. Do you remember your favorite gift? no...
14. What's the most important thing about the holidays for you? being with family, and baking lots and lots of yummy treats.
15. What is your favorite holiday dessert? all things dipped in chocolate, my new favorite, peppermint bark, and a new tradition... sticky date pudding with some ridiculously yummy sauce... Bryan and I had it in Alice Springs!
16. What is your favorite holiday tradition? driving around looking at lights, and the setting up of tree and decorations day. our new tradition this year... the Jesse Tree...
17. What tops your tree? some star looking thing from the '70's that used to top Bryan's tree when he was young... its kind of cool!!
18. Which do you prefer, giving or receiving? Giving... except I love receiving at my in-laws. ITs like being a kid again, knowing you will be totally spoiled...
19. What is your favorite Christmas song? O Come O Come Emmanuel... although I guess that is advent. so O HOly Night
20. Candy canes, yuck or yum? crushed in dark chocolate... YUM!!
Feel free to leave your answers or comments in my inbox, or your link if you fill this in at your place!!! |
• Comments
(2) • Post A Comment! •
Permanent Link
|
|
|
|
|
