Nov. 6, 2008 - Superhero Central

Our house is Superhero Central.  A Watch Tower located on Earth.  And we are not only populated by the Justice League, but any superhero you can imagine and some that are unimaginable excpet to my children.  Take Isaac for instance.  He can be Batman, Spiderman, Bibleman, Buzz, The Hulk, and a handful of other heros, or any combination of costuming and superpowers.  Sometimes he whips off a costume to reveal yet another hero underneath.  He has no mild mannered alter ego, however, because when not in costume he is Super Ike.  Always ready to swoop in and save the day. 

And Angel and Faith are not left in the dust either.  They have been all of the above on a couple occasions, but they prefer to make up their own heros.  Angel is Angel with all the powers.  No, one is simply not enough.  Two or three, that is to be scoffed at.  She has them all.  You name it, she has it.  You make it up, she takes it.  And Faith, of course, has the power to became any animal and has the powers that animal has.  There are some animals she only turns into for fun not the defense of the planet.  An aardvark, for example,  really has no special power, but it is fun to say.   And the only real power Ihave seen the dolphin come up with is a loud high pitched sound that is meant to peel off the wallpaper. 

As they were playing superheros the other day, I got to thinking about what superpowers would be pretty cool.  Aside from my sarcastic wit and sense of irony, what powers should I have?  Isaac is convinced that I have a Mom Sense- a tingle that tells me when he is about to do something he shouldn't.  I think all mothers share that power.  And x-ray vision.  I know what they are doing upstairs when I am in my room putting away laundry, or in the kitchen making supper.  Add to that super sonic hearing for all those times I hear what is called nothing but I can pinpoint the sound and the offender from a great distance.  And mind reading ability for I can tell if they ask for tape, string and if I have seen the cat I know they are up to no good.  I have more detailed abilities also.  For instance it takes a doctor years of training to tell you what is ailing someone.  I can tell you from a dead sleep with no proir info or warning not only what is wrong, but with which kid and why you should run for a bucket.  At the slightest cough in the middle of the night when my x-ray vision is not its sharpest because I do not have my contacts in and therefore can only see as well as, let's say, a cross-eyed mole, and I can't even find the glasses I had on right before I laid down for the night, I can locate the Vicks and the humidifer that we have not seen for 6 months.  I may step on every small toy in the house in the process, though.  I also have super other  vision because I can find the other.  Doesn't matter if it a shoe, glove, soccer ball, or child.  If someone in my house can find one, the other is my responsibility.  I have a mess-o-meter that helps me locate the messes that no one else seems to be able to see but yet they can conviently step over.  I also come equiped with a two-way voice locator.  I can pinpoint the location of my child by the slightest sound, even when they are hiding in WalMart.  And they locate me by screaming through the house.  Now that I am pregnant I have the 3-2-1 Penguin made popular super gravity belly, also.  With that particular super power I have the amazing abilty to run into things with my belly that should be too far away for it to reach and it seems to draw peoples hands like magnets.  I also use it to knock the lids off crock pots at potluck dinners and baby showers.

So, despite the fact that i persistanly wear my underpants on the inside of my clothes, only wear tights when hard pressed, and do not regularly wear a cape, do not be fooled into thinking that I have no special powers.  I am cleverly disguised as a pregnant homeschooling mom who can't even find her own van keys.  As quick as Superman can locate a phone booth, however, I turn from my mild manner alter ego into Super Mommy. 

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Nov. 3, 2008 - Election Time

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Oct. 2, 2008 - It's a ...

We went for an unltrasound yesterday.

It's most definetly a BOY!! 

We are all very excited. 

His name is David. 

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Sep. 18, 2008 - Finding Time For Me

These past few weeks have been challenging.  For two years I worked wanting to be here.  Now I am here and have no idea what to do.  The housework is piling up.  The schoolwork is piling up.  The laundry is reproducing faster than I ever imagined.  I wander from room to room trying to fight against the mess and clutter, only to be weary and defeated as I drag myself to bed at night.  I can't seem to accomplish the things I want to each day.  I feel as though I need to carve myself out from under the mountian of stuff I decided needed done when I was done working.  Two years worth of stuff. 

I know, I know, being pregnant, homeschooling three kids, being as sick as I was, those are all reasons.  But each night as I walk through the house and see messes everywhere, and each morning as I see my laundry piling up higher in my room, I feel like a failure. 

There is so much I wanted to do when I was done working that I have not had time to do yet.  Material I wanted to go over.  Cleaning that I wanted to do.  Games I wanted to play with the kids.  Field trips.  Scrapbooking I wanted to catch up on.  I did not realize what this was doing to me until my birthday.  I got a book from my mom that I could not wait to read.  I put the kids to bed and snuck into the bathroom with new candles and new bath stuff.  I lit the candles, ran a hot bubble bath, and slipped into the tub.  I looked over at my book and suddenly realized something.  I was not as happy as I thought I would be.  I could not relax.  I had no desire for that new read and hot bath.  Being the fighter that I am, however, I perserved  and got absorbed (see that nice pun- tee hee hee) in a wonderful bath and a great new story from the mind of my buddy Ted Dekker. 

As the days have progressed, I have begun to see the things that are weighing me down.  I have had no desire to do what I love to do.  I am too tired.  Too busy.  Too guilty when I stop for a minute.  I have become out of touch with myself.  Not taking time for me.  Time for tea late at night.  Time to read.  Time to relax.  Time to have fun.  Everything has begun to take on a "been there, done that" feel.  Played this game.  *sigh*  Watched this movie already *sigh*  Don't have time for that *double sigh*

ENOUGH.  There needs to be time for me to do what makes me happy, what makes me ME.  I have no been creative enough, challenging myself enough, experiencing the things I love best enough.  No more.  And the clutter, oh the clutter.  We all do this, I am sure.  "I can't get rid of ______________ becaue so-and-so gave this to me."  "Oh, I have held onto that for years.  Why toss it now?  "  "Just stick it in the closet, I will worry about it later."  Only later never comes and you go to hang up your coat and get hit with an avalanche. 

I have been talking about this with a good friend.  She knew what I was talking about.  Holding onto stuff because you used to like it.  Now I am just tired of dusting it.  Or around it.  Or ignoring the dust because I did not want to move it.  While on the phone with her tonight, I said enough.  I went to THE CLOSET.  The one that is scary to open.  The one that actually has a closet inside it.   I was armed this time, however.  In one hand I held a huge trash bag.  Beside me was the trash can.  And in the other hand, the phone.  We talked and laughed as I tackled shelf number one.  And two.  And three.  There are now three boxes and one overflowing bag of stuff that is on it's way to Goodwill.  Stuff I moved with 6 or 7 times.  Stuff I have no idea where I even got it from, or who I got it from.  Stuff that is just ugly.  Or broken.  There are two more shelves in that closet, but I need back up.  One is way high and I am too short.  And one is really low, and from here until the baby comes I have a strict no-bending-over-unless-totally-necessary policy.  This can only be broken if one of my children is injured.  Or by chance I drop chocolate.  Emergencies  only, people.

Wow, the power of filling up those boxes and bags, of carting it out of my house.  It was cleansing.  I feel renewed.  I am ready to conquer greater things, like, um, the school room.  Only that is too big.  So tomorrow after school I will be in the closet.  There are two more shelves in the hidden closet, plus a shelf that runs the length of the main closet.  Plus a whole lot of floor to un-cover.  And I have a shelf ready to store my scrapbooking stuff, way from fingers that want to stick my Creative Memories stickers to the TV.  If only I can find the scrapbooking stuff...

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Sep. 18, 2008 - Kids Make Me Say The Darnedest Things

I am suprised from time to time at the things I hear spewing from my mouth.  And the situations that call for those odd things.  Here is just a sample of things I have said to my children this week.

• Take the matches out of your underpants.
• Don't hit your sister with a snake- I don't care if it is soft.
• Why does the sound of "nothing" sound like you are covering the cat in tape?
• Do not shoot marbles from your nose.  They don't belong in there in the first place.
• Poopy is not a bad word, it can be mean sometimes, though.
• Do not put play dough in your ears anymore.  It is too hard to get out.
• Who put foot prints on the top of the dining room mirrors??
• Are those butt prints on the bathroom mirror?
• I do not think that a fork fell down and just happened to carve your name in the cupboard on the way to the floor.
• If you pull out your teeth for money the Tooth Fairy only gives you a penny.
• Get down from the ceiling and put that boogie in the trash where it belongs!

That was all this week.  Not too mention the day I had to point out live fish cannot breathe if you put them in your underware, they need water.  And many, many more.

Now, try this at home.  Say "Take the matches out of your underware.  All of them.  Right now."  Forcefully enough to mean business while on the phone with your brother who is laughing hysterically in your ear.  If you can do that then you can come babysit.  Oh, and as a side note, only one of my children did not need to hear any of those pearls of wisdom from me.  You can figure out which one.  The other two tied. 

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Sep. 17, 2008 - School Days

I have been off work for a month now.  We have been working at putting the house in order, getting into a routine around here, and doing school.  Of course, that has been inbetween my doctor's trips.  I ended up with an abscessed tooth that needed to be removed.  And I am allergic to penecillin and pregnant, so I am taking this really strong medicine that makes me sick.  Hard to get into a routine.  Add to that the fact that Andy has been laid off for quite a while and tensions are running high around here.  And not a lot is getting done. 

Our first day of school went smoothly.  The kids were all exctied about new pencils, notebooks, folders, and various school supplies.  Day two excitment was still high, but beginning to decline.  Day three I hid in the pantry and called my mom to ask her why she never told me it can be this hard.  And I made her promise it would get better, even if she had to lie.  Day four was okay and day five was a co-op day. 

I know that they are not excited by math worksheets or language arts exercises.  Even Spanish does not thrill them when it seems so much like WORK.  One insists she can't read, the other forgets how to count, and last but not least I have one sitting on top of the bathroom door way holding the door open so that no one can go in and shut the door.   One who is super focused but won't read, one who can not focus, find a pencil, or sit in her chair with out falling off, and one who needs talked down off the funiture and makes his worksheets into paper airplanes.  Granted, the last one does not need to be in school, but I do not trust him on the loose anywhere in the house while we are busy.   I am sure it is too early to say that he is hyperactive.  I mean, he could calm down, right?  RIGHT?!?  I already have a highly distractable child.  One is enough.  The school room is not big enough for two of them.  I am not energetic enough for two of them.

Due to this, our school days run a little bit south of traditional.  While doing numbers, my daughter contorts her body into the shape of the number.  She sings her answers instead of writing them.  She does her addition problems while hoping on one foot and language arts to the tune of Beethovan's Ode to Joy.  add to that the not-run-of-the-mill "why"  and "What happens when..." questions I hear daily.  The scariest are usually followed by an "Oh, never mind.  I just figured it out...    "Why was there a screen in my window?  What happens when it isn't there anymore?  Why do we need to have that thing I found on the doorway?  What happens when you pull it off?  Oh, Never mind.  I just figured it out.. What happens when pencil marks get on the monitor?  What happens if you put a beanie baby on a light bulb and turn on the lamp?  What happens if you accidently write on the wall with nailpolish?"   A day here is never dull.  That is not just the school day, either.

I have not been feeling well, and today decided to take advantage of my husband being home.  I laid down for a nap.  The door to my room popped open and my son handed me the end of a white ribbon.  I mumbled something along the lines of "What's this?" He said he just needed  me to hold it.  He climbed the secret passage way, ran through our attic, back down two flights of stairs, around the living room, into the sunroom and finally finished up in the basement.  The whole time he was holding the spool of ribbon, unraveling it as he zoomed along.  Enter Daddy, stage left...into the tangled mess of ribbon.  It was not pretty.  I heard it in my half slumber, and realizing that I was a part of it, let go of my ribbon.  My husband does not handle this kind of creative game well.  He took the ribbon and sent them outside to burn off some energy.   I am not sure that will work, but at least they were quiet and I could rest. 

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Jul. 10, 2007 - Ahh...Summer

It is about the end of the AmeriCorps year.  We had a meeting today in which we were asked to talk about our greatest challenges and accomplishments in three minutes.  That hardly scratches the surface.  I never doubted the good that would come out of this year, especially for the students that I was working with.  And I have worked with students long enough to know that means I would be changed as well.  However, I realized that I have been overcoming a problem that has nothing to do with AmeriCorps, but with myself.  I have very little self disciplne in certian areas.  One is food.  Another is time management.  And money.  Okay, there has been no big change in the food and money departments, but I am beginning to try.  Perhaps that is change enough for now. 

But I am coming to the end of the year.  I stuck it out.  There were days I wasn't sure if I would, or could.  To me, that is my biggest accomplishment, and an unexpected one at that.  I have had jobs before, but never that lasted really long.  I was never fired, I just quit because of different circumstances in my life at the time.  School.  Pregnancy.  Stress.  I never needed to stick it out.  But this, well, this was different.  I was determined to make all those hours away from the kids worth it for us in the long run.  Yes, I get the education award, and that was my motivating factor for doing this.  But it was hard.  Really hard.  Hard to balance work, school for Angel, moving, life in general and still work full time around all that.  And my heart sure wasn't in it like it is in homeschooling or taking care of my family.  There were many days I came home too tired only to find myself behind at home and having to press on.  Too many mornings that I wanted to shut off my alarm and sleep for hours, days even.  I have seen my desire for the things I love take a back burner to the things that demand my attention.  I have not had the time to read a lot or scrapbook at all.  I feel like the demands of life have sapped my creative energy.  I am actually GLAD that I am not directing VBS this year, which is wierd because it is my joy to do so. 

On the other hand, the sweet sense of accomplishment is incredible.  I am almost there.  I have perservered.  Go me!!  I have been looking at this as a two year commitment, and now I am half way through.  It is as though I have trudged upward all year and now I am at the top of the mountian looking down, awaiting the wind whipping through my hair on the fast ride down.  Perhaps this coming year will take my breath away, but each hour is another notch on my belt and I will be ever closer to my goal.  Smooth sailing from here!

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Jun. 1, 2007 - Let's Go Fly A Kite

On the last windy day we had I took the kids to the ballfield to fly their kites.  Isaac has a Spiderman kite that he had up there pretty high.  He would run all around the outfield, chubby hands gripping tightly onto the string, yelling with joy for all to hear.  Faith has a Diego kite.  She would get hers going, but then she would run in circles and the kite would be against the wind and it would crash to the ground.  Neither one of them stood still and watched the kite soar.  They were too excited to stand still.  Angel has a Dora kite.  She patiently and lovingly put it together.  She sat on the ground and wound out just enough string that her kite was about two feet above her head.  She had to stay in motion to keep it in the air because no wind could get under it.  She was getting frustrated and angry that her kite wouldn't fly, but at the same time she was too afraid to let it go. 

I watched her for a few minutes.  I could see that she was afraid of losing her kite.  She picked it out and bought it herself.  She took time putting it together.  She remembered that last year Tony's kite string broke and his kite took off on its own.  I tried to explain that his kite string was old and broke easily, but hers was new.  Her string wouldn't break like that.  She was afraid the wind would tear the string from her hands.  I tried to show her how to hold it securely.  She refused to let her kite sour for fear of losing it.  She pulled in the two feet of string and took it apart.  She tucked it safely in the stroller and sat on the ground crying for fear that Isaac and Faith would lose their kites.  I held her, reassuring her that it would most likely be okay, and even if they did lose a kite we could go to the store and get another.  It only cost $1.50.  I tried to soothe her, but was struck with how similar her plight was with my own.

I spent nine months preparing for her to be born.  Seven hours in labor.  Months of bouncing her all night long when she was colicky.  Endless hours nursing her.  Tears of joy when she said Mama.  Tears of frustration when she wouldn't sleep- ever.  Tears of pain when she hurt.  Hours of fear when she was in the hospital.  At various times I dried her tears and blood after falls.  Cared for her when she was sick.  Paced the floor singing to her when she couldn't sleep.  Prayed feverently for her when she had nightmares.  I tried to be reassuring when she was first hurt by another child and had to encourage her to be kind regardless, even though I really wanted to spank the little bugger myself for the way he treated her.  My heart overflowed with pride when she decided to not play a soccer game becase she forgot her pads and at the same time broke because I let her down by tring to convince her to play anyway, breaking the rules.  I poured everything I had into her for the past seven years.  I now how it feels to want to hold on so tightly, keep her close, keep her safe. 

But at the same time, I need to give her string, let her go, encourage her to test the wind and soar to where God has for her.  Every centimeter of string costs me dearly.  A small peice of my heart is let out too.  My job is not to hold her so close, but to teach her to soar.  It is scary.  What if she gets lost along the way?  Temptation, sorrow, heartbreak, injury, sickness, death.  Sooner or later she will face them all.  What if the string that ties us together breaks?  She gets married, moves away.  Do I hold her close, only giving her the briefest taste of freedom, pulling her back when the wind tugs in the slightest?    How much will it cost to let go, to allow God to control her as the wind controls the kites we are watching?  To give her all the string she needs as she grows, and finally, one day to let the last bit out and watch as she soars away, out of my hands and into the future God has planned for her? 

I sat on the ground holding her closely.  For right now, I can hold her close.  I dried her tears.  I told her that I know how hard it is to let go.  We gathered up the kites and kids.  We walked home hand in hand, and my heart was full.  Full of joy that she is still mine to hold close.  Full of apperenshion for the time to let her go creeps closer everyday.  Full of thankfulness that there was someone who held me close, and when the time came, let me go so I could be here right now, right where God wants me, holding the hand of my own daughter.  Full of hope that I can be that strong when the time comes.  Full of joy that I do not hold the string alone, God's hand guides mine, letting out just enough string, pulling her closer when I need to, standing back and smiling with me as we watch her fly higher, filling my heart with peace.

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May. 29, 2007 - It was the best of times...

Lately I have been so overwhelmed by the blessings that have been poured upon us.  That is a good way to be overwhelmed, to be sure.  I am sure that the house has so very much to do with it, but that is just more of a spring board to the other blessings that have come along.  The house is great.  We have a new van.  Okay, the check engine light will not go away, but we will get to it.  We paid off our credit cards.  We are headed on a brief vacation.  We are blessed with enough clothes to clothe the kids.  And me.  From many different sources.  No, Andy does not have to run around naked, he just keeps less clothes, and shoes, than three girls.  Go figure! 

It really does feel like the best of times.  Perhaps this makes no sense, but we still have the same car that is broken down, more bills to pay, and fear that Andy may not have a job much longer.  I still have to work and I hate it.  The van still needs fixed and gas is way too expensive. But everytime we walk into our house, well, things are just better.  It is a big reminder that God has provided a home for us and will continue to provide for us regardless of our circumstances.  Difficult times give Him the oppertunity to work in our lives in ways that we may never "allow" otherwise. 

It just makes me want to give my house a great big hug!

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May. 23, 2007 - Finally, the moment you have all been waiting for...

Here it is.  A picture of my new house.  And an actual (SHORT) blog post. 

And some rooms that were box free...

Here is a close up of the backyard.  It is much greener now.  Those plant-y things are taking over.  What are they?  I am not so good with plants.  My Mother's Day flowers were killed in under 12 hours.  A new record.  Next year, I request chocolate.

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Apr. 14, 2007 - It's about that time...

After much ado, we are closing on the house on Monday evening!  We are very excited.  As of Friday morning our closing date was, at the earliest, April 30th.  I called in the troops (yes Mom, that's you) for prayer because we need to be out of here by the end of the month with a few repairs done and the 30th didn't leave any time.  Friday after lunch I got a call and an email scheduling closing for Monday night.  Praise God!

We will be staying there as of Monday and slowly moving.  (That is until you get here Dad, then we will pick it up a bit what with Andy taking the afternoons off and all.)  I will be off line for a few days waiting for the DSL at the new house, so I am not sure how many posts there will be between now and then.  I know I have been promising a house picture, so I will try to get that uplaoded and posted before the DSL is shut off here. 

Well, the packing is getting serious, and unless I want Andy to do it all (tempting) I better get to it!

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Apr. 10, 2007 - April Showers

Our closing date is rapidly approaching, but the paper work is not in order.  We had to fill out paperwork for an extension.  Our new date is on or before April 30.  That was disappointing.  Even worse was the phone call we recieved from our current landlady.  She was irrate and wants us out by the 16th.  That will be impossible.  Her problem with letting us here longer) despite being paid up for the month on rent) is that the insurance will be finished for this house on the 16th.  That was a mistake, so I am hoping she calms down and will work with us a bit.  Our new house insurance begins on the 16th so the insruance agent ended our old renter's and house insurance on that date as well.  It is taken care of now, especially since we already paid for the entire month.  They are contacting her to inform her that we are paid through the month and it will not end until the 30th.  She can still try to cause a problem, but she doesn't really have a leg to stand on.

How is that for an nice April shower??  Better than the April snow we have been having!  On a happier note, the kids have been having a blast with their Uncle Scott here during the day.  He got laid off for a bit due to slow work, so he has been here with all 5 kids while Theresa and I work.  It really brightens up my day!

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Apr. 9, 2007 - Ode to Mommy

Have you ever seen the Will Ferrell movie "Elf"?  Think back to the scene when he tells Jovie that singing in public isn't hard.  He proceeds to stand in the store and sing "I'm in a store and I'm singing..."  

Faith is alot like that.  She sings everything.  She sings when she wants something, to tell a story, just singing nonsense words to classical music.  No idea where she gets that.  Okay, fine, it's from me.  It happens more than you would think!  I just never sing in front of people besides my very close family.  Here is a song Faith sang to me the other day.  Will the cutness ever end??  I doubt it.

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Apr. 9, 2007 - Ode to Mommy

Have you ever seen the Will Ferrell movie "Elf"?  Think back to the scene when he tells Jovie that singing in public isn't hard.  He proceeds to stand in the store and sing "I'm in a store and I'm singing..."  

Faith is alot like that.  She sings everything.  She sings when she wants something, to tell a story, just singing nonsense words to classical music.  No idea where she gets that.  Okay, fine, it's from me.  It happens more than you would think!  I just never sing in front of people besides my very close family.  Here is a song Faith sang to me the other day.  Will the cutness ever end??  I doubt it.

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Apr. 8, 2007 - Faith and Pofficer Chicken

Faith has a rubber chicken.  Several, in fact.  I have no idea why.  Her favorite came in her Christmas stocking.  It was a keychain that laid an egg when you squeezed it.  She bite off the egg and cut off the keychain.  Now it is just a tiny rubber chicken.  His name is Pofficer.  (Again, no idea.)  The poor thing has been lost in the snow, mauled by Isaac, and hidden in he underware when she thought I meant that I'd take Pofficer Chicken for lunch.  For the record, I said  leftover chicken.  Easy to understand the confusion seeing as how I am consistantly snacking on rubber chickens.  With a little salt, not too bad...

Faith takes Pofficer everywhere with her, which means he has been left everywhere.  Yet he aways turns up.  Sometimes it takes a while.  She loves Pofficer.  This should show you how very much. 

Yes, she really wrapped him in paper, taped him up, stuff him in a box, covered him with a sponge and taped the box shut.  Apparently now he is safe.  And ready to move. 

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Apr. 7, 2007 - Good Friday

This Easter we have been out of touch with most of the traditional Easter celebrations with moving.  Last week on a warm day I tossed a box of decorations down from the attica and said "Have at it."  They decorations got put wherever the kids wanted and the rest are in the box on my dryer.  I could care less if there are little bunny foot prints in the yard or plastic eggs on the trees.  We are MOVING!!  That was not enough for the kids, so there ARE little bunny foot prints and plastic eggs.  We even got crafty.   And baked cookies.  Then decorated eggs.  Go us. 

We did have a great time on Good Friday.  Angel played a lead part in a skit.  It is not her first part.  She was baby Jesus at 2 months, and minor parts in others, mostly just walk ons, but once an angel for a slightly longer part.  But this was bigger.  She was there the whole time, and even by herself a lot.  Her face was so sweet, so sorrowful as she gazed upon the cross that it almost broke my heart.  She did great.  I was afraid that she would be too nervous.  She said that Pappy told her she was the star, so she knew she could do it.  And she did. 

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Apr. 4, 2007 - The Countdown

We are counting down to the BIG MOVE.  Only 12 days to go.  Every morning Angel wakes up and says "Only ... days left!"  And I was worried that they would be sad to leave this house and yard!

I have not had a lot of time to blog with working a ton and packing.  And doing school with Angel.  And packing.  And all that pesky housework.  Today is a slower day, however, because I had a docotor's appointment.  I was messing around in the yard and stepped into a hole.  I heard and felt a "POP" in my ankle.  So, now, here I sit with an ankle brace and a few hours off work.  Plus a long weekend stretches before me.  And I blog...

And on that note, Happy Easter!!  We are surrounded by empty and full boxes and plastic eggs.  It looks interesting here to say the least.  Looks can be deceiving, so that is why I haven't been blogging.  Who wants to hear about the hunt for boxes and the packing or tossing of everything in my house?  Everyday is the same: work, cook, clean up, bath kids, pack boxes, sleep.  Then the weekends are a refreshing variation.   Pack, cook, clean, pack, cook, clean, visit Dan, cook, clean, bath kids, pack, sleep.  Then there is church on Sunday.  If it wasn't an awesome house, I'd really regret this!

Everytime I think of how wonderful the house is, how blessed we are, and our new van, I can't help but be overwhelmed with the love of God.  Yes, we worked, and still are working, hard towards this goal.  Yes, we had to plan and save and tighten the belt at times.  But we NEVER dreamed that we would be owning a house so nice.  N.E.V.E.R.  God can do exceedingly and abundantly beyond all that we ask or think.  And He does.

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Mar. 18, 2007 - Book List

I came acroos this book list on a blog, and thought it was interesting.  In the list of books below:
- make the ones you've read blue
- make your personal favorites purple (Cagey added this category)
- make the one you wouldn't touch with a ten-foot pole red
- italicize the ones you want to read
- put a plus (+) in front of the ones on your book shelf
- and an asterisk (*) in front of the ones you’ve never heard of.

If you do the meme, please let me know, as I'd love to see your list!

1. The Da Vinci Code (Dan Brown) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
2. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
3. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell)
4. +The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
5. +The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
6. +The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
7. +Anne of Green Gables (L. M. Montgomery)
8. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
9. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
10. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
11. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
12. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
13. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
14. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
15. Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (Rowling)
16. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
17. The Stand (Stephen King)
18. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban(Rowling)
19. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
20. +The Hobbit (Tolkien) (J. D. Salinger)
21. The Catcher in the Rye-- (J. D. Salinger)
22. + ( I have 2!) Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
23. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
24. Life of Pi (Yann Martel) --
25. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
26. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
27. +The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
28. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
29. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
30. Dune (Frank Herbert)
31. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
32. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
33. 1984 (Orwell)
34. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
35. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
36. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
37. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
38. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
39. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
40. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel)
41. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini)
42. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
43. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
44. +Bible
45. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy)
46. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
47. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
48. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
49. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
50. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
51. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
52. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
53. Great Expectations (Dickens) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
54. The Great Gatsby(Fitzgerald) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
55. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
56. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
57. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
58. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
59. The time traveler' wife(Audrey Niffenegger) -- on the Great Booklist of 2007
60. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
61. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
62. War and Peace (Tolstoy)
63. Interview with the Vampire (Anne Rice)
64. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
65. One hundred years of solitude(Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
66. The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (Ann Brashares)
67. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
68. Les Miserables (Hugo)
69. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
70. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
71. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez) (Doug also loves)
72. Shogun (James Clavell)
73. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
74. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
75. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
76. A tree grows in Brooklyn(Betty Smith)
77. The World According To Garp (John Irving)
78. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
79. Charlotte’s Web (E.B. White)
80. Not Wanted On the Voyage (Timothy Findley)
81. Of Mice And Men (Steinbecck)
82. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
83. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
84. Emma (Jane Austen)
85. Watership Down (Richard Adams)
86. Brave New World(Aldous Huxley)
87. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
88. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
89. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
90. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje) (Golding)
91. Lord of the flies-- on the Great Booklist of 2007
92. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
93. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
94. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
95. The Outsiders (S. E. Hinton)
96. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
97. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
98. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
99. Ulysses (James Joyce)

I figured that I should add the ones I read more often, since many of those were a VERY long time ago.  I have read all the books by several authors, including Ted Dekker,  Frank Pereti, Dee Henderson, Karen Kingsbury, and Alton Gansky, most of which I own.  I happen to like Clive Cussler, too.  I also love Colleen Coble, but there are so many of hers that I have not read.  That doesn’t include Max Lucado, Chuck Swindoll, Barbra Johnson, and Liz Curtis Higgs! 

I love to read.  I read a lot and very fast, so I am always looking for good books.  They are like good friends.  Reoccurring visits with them are still fresh and fulfilling.  I own multiple copies of several books, like Little Women.  The first copy is the one my mother gave me that was hers.  It is literally falling apart, and the second is the one I read more often. 

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Mar. 10, 2007 - Happy Birthday Dan

Tomorrow, March 11, is my brother Dan's birthday. 

Happy Birthday Dan, and many, many more.  Next year there will be cake, lots of cake, and ice cream.  And much joyous celebration.   

Perhaps no pinata, though! 

I love you Dan!!

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Mar. 10, 2007 - I'm the Packing Queen

Perhaps you have heard the ABBA song "Dancing Queen".  It is on one of my favorite movies, Miss Congenailty or I may never have heard it.  It has been runing through my head, only kinda like this:

You can pack, you can wrap, having the time of your life
See that box, pass that tape, movin’, the packing queen

Friday night and the lights are low
Looking out for the place to go
Where they have the right boxes, getting in the swing (of packing)
You come in to look for scissors
Any body could have packed them
Night is young and the music’s high
With a bit of rock music, everything is fine
You’re in the mood for packing
And when you get the chance...

You are the packing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen (yeah, we’ll go with that…)
Packing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can pack, you can wrap, having the time of your life
See that box, pass that tape, movin’, the packing queen

You’re a packer, you wrap ’em up
Leave them boxes stacked and then you’re gone
Looking to pack the next thing, anything will do
You’re in the mood for packing
And when you get the chance...

You are the packing queen, young and sweet, only seventeen

Packing queen, feel the beat from the tambourine
You can pack, you can wrap, having the time of your life
See that box, pass that tape, movin’, the packing queen

Yes, I am fully aware that I am a dork. 

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