Jan. 24, 2008 - JustAnotherBlogger who Can't Afford a Blog

Last week, I was talking with my husband and told him that my dear blog friend forever Emily was going on a cruise, and lamenting that I didn't know how I'd survive the week without her; to which he replied, "Do I need to start a blog?" I had no idea he was serious, but start a blog he did, and he actually posted twice today, and he's already been funny and deep! So, since this is my first opportunity to post myself, and I'm far too tired to actually write anything coherent, I thought it was a great opportunity to introduce you all to my dear husband. Personally, I think he's awesome, and hysterical, and I never did anything to deserve him, so I'm confident that you'll all love him too! Oh, and those of you who have husbands with blogs, be sure and encourage them to go say hi to mine. Maybe they can become best blog friends forever too and then we'll have all the more reason to get together in real life. :)
Click here to welcome EEEEDaddy (hey, how come you didn't call yourself that?) to the blogosphere. Really he's JustAnotherBlogger who Can't Afford a Blog. (Or so he thinks!)

Grace and Peace,

Jan. 23, 2008 - Happy Birthday, Baby!

Dearest 4dd5,

Happy 5th Birthday! Five isn't much of a baby, and I have a hard time understanding how you managed to grow up into a "big girl" so quickly. You are such a delight to me, and I love you more than chocolate, but you knew that already! :) I wanted to share with the world (or at least this little part of the blogosphere) why I love you so much, I know you pretend to be shy, but I don't think you'll really mind!

• I love the way that you act shy when you're truly gregarious!
• I love how you have all the grown-ups at church, and many of the teenagers, wrapped around your little finger, and how there's always a line of people wanting to give you a hug and greet you!
• I love the way you say, "Oh, bugs!" when something frustrates you.
• I love the way you say, "phewF!"
• I love the way you roll your eyes (remind me of this when you're about 16!), it makes me laugh.
• I love that you're so impressed when you notice that you have a pattern of crying, then laughing, and crying, and then laughing; although I'd prefer that now that you're 5 you'll do a lot more laughing than crying.
• I love the way you say, "But I'll be so lOnely!" when I ask you to go upstairs or downstairs by yourself. (Honestly, it can be quite infuriating, but you're so cute!)
• I love the way you say to me, "Mommy, you're being kind of me!" in such a surprised tone, as if it's such a rare occurance.
• I love how you grab my face by the cheeks and give me eskimo kisses when I'm trying to focus on something else.
• I love how you always want to be the center of attention, and yet when you are the center of attention you get all shy, but then you milk it for all its worth.
• I love how you play so independently.
• I love how you talk with a British accent when you play with dolls.
• I love how you have to report everything so matter of factly, with one hand on your hip and the other emphasizing your point; like how Lainey was going upstairs and you had to tell her, "No, Lainey!"
• I love all the different faces you make.
• I love that you're silly.
• I love that you always say, "That's crazy!" You're crazy!!!
• I love how you say, "You're funny!" when really, you're the funny one. No! You're funny!
• I love how you carry the kitten around all over the house.
• I love how you still climb into my bed to snuggle with me. (Except not so much at 4am, 'kay?)
• I love how you bring joy into my life, and make me laugh, and make me stop whatever it is I am trying to do, and love you!

Nov. 7, 2007 - Wordless Wednesday: dh & 4dd4 worship

Visit Tiany for more Wordless Wednesday entries.

Oct. 18, 2007 - On a brighter note

I've been in a bit of a funk lately.  It happens from time to time.  My sleep schedule gets thrown off and I choose to snuggle deeper into the warmth of the covers rather than rise early to snuggle into the arms of my Father and dive deep into His word.  It only takes a few days until the melancholy sets in and the attitudes in my house plunge.  I know in my heart what I need to do, but the funk is so thick that I struggle to do it.  Fortunately, God sees and knows and often sends in reinforcements to kick my butt into gear and get back on track.   

I met Jill in Virginia about 3 1/2 years ago.  She had four kids and was from small-town Indiana.  We met at a homeschool sharing night, and being new to the area, she asked me if she could follow me out of the development to the main road so that she wouldn't get lost in the dark.  So, I got lost instead and she patiently followed me as I drove her around and around the development until I finally figured out how to get back to the main road.  I knew she'd either think I was a ding-dong and love me forever, or not.  Fortunately for me, she chose the former.  We were immediate kindred spirits.  She was a breath of fresh Mid-west air in what could be very stuffy Northern Virginia.  (Don't get me wrong, I loved it there, but strangers look at you like you're crazy when you try to talk to them in the grocery store!  It's just not Indiana.)

She was jealous when we moved back to Indiana, but, soon after, they moved to Louisiana, and after only eight months, they moved to Illinois, outside of St. Louis.  It's been great as we've gotten to see them a few times during quick stops on their way to visit family in Indiana.  Every visit has brought that same breath of fresh air that I appreciated so much in Virginia.  I realize now, it's not just Indiana, it's Jill.  So this week, while her husband is on travel, I decided to pack up the kids and go visit her.  It turns out she was in a funk too!  God knew!  So we talked and talked and talked and talked and stayed up late talking, and she made me laugh, and she laughed at me. :)  Yes, it was just what I needed:

a friend who knows me and loves me anyway,

a friend who understands my heart and is willing to share her own,

a friend who loves my kids and knows the feeling is mutual,

a friend who's not afraid to be real, and gives me the freedom to be real with no fear of rejection,

a friend who can both encourage and challenge me in the Lord, and let's me know how God has used me in her life too.

Friendships like those don't come along everyday and it's hard to be separated from fabulous friends.  It would be nice if four and a half hours were just around the corner, but at least it's not eight or ten or twelve or twenty!  The kids are happy too!

Dearest Jill and kids,

Thanks again for allowing us to come invade your house with our craziness! 

We love you guys!

Love, Us

Aug. 23, 2007 - Eight Random Things About My Marriage

Writer's block.  One minute there are a thousand ideas swimming through your mind, the next...nothing!  This has been a tougher week, I've been very tired and had a migraine yesterday and still don't feel quite right today (and no, I'm not pregnant...I don't think).  We've managed to get a lot of schoolwork done, but not everything, and the house has been sorely neglected.  Blogging has just not been a priority!  But, I remembered that I'd been tagged (by StillHisGirl I think)  for this latest spin of the 8 Random Things meme.  So here are 8 random things about my marriage.

1. I met my husband our sophomore year of college and on our first meeting, I argued with him about whether or not he was in the housing group that he said he was in because I knew all of the sophomore men who were in said housing group and I did not know him.  So do you think he was attracted to my absurd arrogance?  Maybe he found it amusing? 
2. I wasn't intending to get married nor did I want to have kids, and I certainly didn't intend to fall in love.  I was pursuing a noble career with the support of many; I knew there would be no way to balance my career with having a family!  (I had seen women try to do it, working 60-80 hours a week while a nanny raised their kids. No thanks!)  I tried to deny my feelings and even played the, "let's just be friends" card, but there was no denying the fact that I was growing to love this man.  Night after night, after spending the evening with him; walking around campus, talking, I would return to my dorm room where I would sit on my bathroom floor and pray for hours.  It was there that the Lord revealed what has become one of my life verses.  "The mind of man plans his way but the LORD directs his steps."  I had planned my way and it had brought me this far, but step by step as I followed the Lord's leading, my heart for my career was being overcome by a heart to get married and have children.  (We wanted 4.) :)
3. We were married on my grandparent's 50th Wedding Anniversary.  Their cake was prettier than mine.  :)
4. Our best man was my husband's roomate freshman year and I did know him; in fact, he was obsessively infatuated with me and plagued me from the first week.  I rejected him so many times only to later grow to adore him as a dear friend all the while falling madly in love with his best friend.  I suppose it was only fair that he announced to our guests during our wedding reception toast that he liked me first, poor guy!  I wish I knew what happened to him!
5. In an effort to wait 2-3 years before having kids, we implemented Natural Family Planning techniques and I, very naturally, got pregnant one month after we got married.   Brilliant!
6. I didn't know how to drive when we got married, so my dear, sweet, husband had the great pleasure of teaching me how to do so.  It's only by God's grace that our marriage survived such a trial! ;)
7. My family knew that he was the man for me the first time that he visited our home.  I had (have?) quite a temper and they were amazed at how quickly it was diffused by a simple touch of his hand on the small of my back.  He continues to have a calming effect on me, and I wish I could keep him around all day long. 
8. After years of searching for that one bosom friend and enjoying countless friendships with girls but never really having that "best friend" that you do everything with and talk to about anything all the time, I finally found my best friend in my husband.  He's still the one I run to about everything and anything, and I've talked him to sleep more nights than I can count.  I'd rather be with him than with anyone else in the entire world!  I thank God for Him repeatedly every day and cherish every moment I have with him!  It doesn't hurt that he gives the best back rubs! ;)

There you go.  It was hard to pick just 8.  I could have easily listed 8 about our dating years, 8 about the wedding, and another 8 about our marriage! 

So, now's the time when I get to tag others, and I just can't do it.  I'm too tired to choose and link and all that, so if you haven't participated and you'd like to, TAG! You're it!  Just let me know when you do so that I can come read all about your marriage. 

Aug. 11, 2007 - Beloved Hymns

I love the old hymns!  I grew up singing them and knew so many by heart that my mother and I spent hours, as we drove from Indiana to Pennsylvania, singing multiple verses of all the ones we'd stored in our heart. 

I love praise music too!  I grew up on Maranatha Music.  My mom loves to tell the story of how I, as a 4 year old, would walk around the apartment lifting my hands up as I sang along to Maranatha 1, "I lift my hands up unto Thy name, my lips shall praise Thee, thus will I bless Thee, I will lift up my hands unto Thy name."  I still lift my hands to worship.  My mother loves to worship, my dad has a fabulous baritone voice and always belted out the old hymns, and they have handed down that heritage to me.  I've put a lot of effort into passing along my love for these hymns to my own children.  We have thoroughly enjoyed the Hymns for a Kid's Heart series of books by Joni Eareckson Tada and Bobbie Wolgemuth.  They are exceptionally well-done and it has brought great joy to my heart to hear my own children singing Trust and Obey.

More recently, I have attended contemporary churches, where the old hymns have been mostly forgotten, if they were ever known at all.  There are many people who were saved later in life and never learned the old hymns.  So we don't sing them much, and I miss them.  I've been excited to hear contemporary Christian artists singing more hymns and incorporating parts of the hymns into new songs.  Selah, Chris Tomlin, David Crowder Band and others are bringing back the timeless songs that I've loved since infancy.  Recently, I purchased the new WOW! Hymns, and it's one of the best modern compilations that I've heard.  I don't HEART every song, and still get annoyed when people mess with the original variations too much, but overall, I'm enjoying listening to Nichole Nordeman sing Just As I Am and Casting Crowns sing I Surrender All.  More than anything, I'm just thrilled that these precious hymns are being introduced to a new generation. 

I believe the worship pendulum is swinging away from the "7-11" (same seven words, sung eleven times) praise songs back toward the doctrinally and musically rich ancient hymns.  There is a place for both, and my hope is that we can preserve the best of both words and move toward more balanced worship.  That being said, I was really excited when our worship leader asked Chris and I to lead worship this Sunday, because I want to sing hymns, and when you're leading you get to choose what you sing. :)  It's not as easy as it sounds.  Playing hymns on the guitar can be tricky.  We've tried it in the past and it's tough.  Chris has spent a lot of time tweaking and modulating, to make it work this time.  But we're just about ready, and we're both very excited about what God is going to do.  I don't know how our very casual, wear your shorts and flip-flops church that meets in a fitness center is going to respond, but we're praying that the Spirit will be moving in our midst, that God will be glorified as He is worshiped in spirit and in truth and that the congregation will be blessed. 

I thought I'd take a page out of Renne's book and post our worship service here.  I always enjoy when she does that!  I wish you could join us!

Days of Elijah

     Greeting, Announcements

O For A Thousand Tongues to Sing

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

In Christ Alone (with The Solid Rock)

The Wonderful Cross (When I Survey the Wondrous Cross)

How Great Is Our God (with How Great Thou Art chorus)

     Sermon

Jesus Lover of My Soul

I Surrender All

Optional: God of Wonders (with Holy, Holy, Holy) & Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Days of Elijah

Jun. 2, 2007 - Garage Sale Success (but not mine)

Garage Sales make me crazy! 

Finding the diamond in the rough is not one of my gifts.  When I go to a garage sale, all I see is junk.  Looking through piles of other people’s trash is more liable to push me into a panic attack than to cause me elation over the thrill of the treasure hunt!  I admit to becoming quite envious after listening to my friends’ tales of the great bargains they've found.  They make it seem so simple and at times I’ve been inspired enough to give it another try as a result, but I never have the kind of success that my friends do.  Besides that, sleeping in on Saturday morning is much more enjoyable to me than rummaging through often unorganized piles of stuff.  So I’ve pretty much given up on “garage-saleing.”  (I know; some of you are absolutely appalled!) 

Imagine my surprise to awake this morning to the sounds of children emptying their piggy banks to count their money.  I thought the ice cream truck was around the corner; but no, our next door neighbors were having a garage sale!  To my elation, my eldest daughter found quite a treasure for quite a bargain.  She hasn’t had a bookshelf in her room and has wanted one.  I never could have found anything as cute as the one she bought for $5!!!  She and Daddy split the cost and prayed together; thanking God for His provision and for giving her the desire of her heart!  After she scrubbed it down, I helped her organize her room.

I’m thrilled for her!  How precious to have procured her own bookshelf!  She’ll always have the satisfaction of knowing that it’s hers and that she bought it with her own money!  My Mommy imagination started fast-forwarding to the day she’d take it with her to her own home, and how it may even end up in her daughter’s room someday, and before I knew it, I was in tears.  It happens so easily!  J

 

Apr. 3, 2007 - More Spring Flowers

I continue to be awed and amazed by the glorious flowers that keep popping up in my garden!  I can't resist taking pictures and sharing them with you.  These pictures hardly do them justice; I would so enjoy taking a photography class to learn how to better capture the deep colors.  It would help if they would freeze for a moment and stop swaying in the gentle Spring breeze so poetically.  If you happen to know the names of any of these varieties, please share with me.  The pink and white tulip may be 'Claudia' and the yellow & pink may be 'Banja Luka.'  Also, on the new image window, there is a box for "border" but I don't know what to insert into that box to put a border around the pictures, nor do I know how to center them or get them to line up side by side.  If anyone has some technical advice along these lines, I'd appreciate the assistance! 

Mar. 29, 2007 - Daffodils

The early spring flowers are so lovely!  The daffodils especially!  They remind me of my mother-in-law.  So, I thought I'd post some pictures for her and the rest of you!  Enjoy!

Mar. 22, 2007 - Pretties in His Pockets

Jan. 21, 2007 - Miami, Here We Come!!!!! GO COLTS!

WooHoo! 

The Indianapolis Colts are

going to the SUPERBOWL!

and in the words of team owner Jim Irsay:

 "We're giving all the glory to God!" 

Nov. 17, 2006 - Unexpected Blessings

Sometimes God just decides to bless you!

One of my best friends in the whole world who lived in Virginia and then moved to Louisiana after we moved to Indiana called me last night to ask if we were busy THIS MORNING!  Suprise! They are visiting family in Indiana and her dear husband was so kind to detour and stop to visit with us! 

What a tremendous blessing!  I didn't even realize how much I needed a visit from such a great friend!  And, shhh...don't tell, but they might even stop back on their way home and spend the night, on my birthday!!! 

God is so good!      

Now, I'm trying not to be homesick for all my other great friends! LOL

Nov. 16, 2006 - No More Virginia Town-House

Praise the Lord, we have closed on the sale of our Virginia town-house!

It was a struggle to the very end, but God is good and we are excited to not have to pay two mortgage payments and bills for two houses.  WooHoo!

Thanks for all of your prayers!  God is faithful and His timing is always perfect!

Sep. 28, 2006 - Family Room & Kitchen Photos

Some of my friends back in Virginia have been requesting interior photos of our new house.  So, I finally took and uploaded some. 

This is dh playing Praise Songs on his guitar in front of a warm fire in our family room.  What could be more comforting at the end of the day?

These are kitchen pictures.  Can you smell the chocolate chip banana bread baking in the oven?

Joyfully, I finally have enough cabinet space to fit everything with room to grow! 

See, there's even room for my clutter.  I should probably be working on finding homes for these things instead of blogging.  Sigh!  There's always room for improvement!

I miss you all, so, so, so, much and wish I could have you over! 

Sep. 14, 2006 - A Happy Tenth Anniversary

September 14, 1996

September 14, 2006

What happened to those skinny kids?  Huh?