Get the Lead Out

I can always count on Tim Hawkins for a laugh

2009-09-11T11:20:00.004-04:00

Blogging again. Part 2.

2009-06-16T23:02:00.003-04:00

The first week we were back, we spent w/ my dad & Nancy in Yoncalla. It was a great time to relax & get acclamated to the new time zone. 3 hours difference sure does...make a difference!

The girls hung out in the shop a lot. I rested my body a bit. I had been feeling under the weather for a few months. I actually noticed a lump in my stomach a month earlier & the nerves of not knowing what it was...was wearing on me.

Within a few days we were in our rental. Ross & I decided to wait to buy. We don't want to get stuck in something until we know where we want to live.

About 5 days after moving in I had a Dr. appt. They discovered that my uterus was enlarged quite a bit. It was the equivalent of someone's who is 16-18 weeks pregnant. Yikes. The Dr. scheduled some bloodwork & an ultrasound right away. There were 2 possible problems. It could be a fibroid tumor or a sarcoma tumor. 1 is an easy fix. 1 is not. I went back in after 2 weeks & it had grown even more. My uterus was now 18-20 weeks prego looking.

A week later the ultrasound showed it was a fibroid tumor. They would still test it once it was out, but it looked like an easy fix. There were 2 of them. 1 the size of a roma tomato. The other the size of a palm sized basketball. The only way to get rid of them was a hysterectomy.

Of course I'm freaking at this point. I don't want to go through menopause at 32. The Dr. was pretty confident that he could save at least 1 ovary. 1 looked pretty damaged because of the size & position of the tumors, but the other looked great. Whew.

3 weeks later I had the hysterectomy. They had to do a vertical incision vs. the horizontal so healing would take a bit longer, but all went well.

After the whole mess was out, it was the size of a basketball. I feel so much better w/ it all out! Recovery has been pretty simple. The girls have been super helpful. Ross has been so accomodating & the best news was that it contained no cancer. Hooray.

I'll be back in a few days to share more. Love you all for sticking around.

Peace & hair grease.

Blogging again. Part 1.

2009-06-12T18:35:00.003-04:00

OMW - it's been forever since I've blogged. Not that stuff hasn't been happening. My life has been so chaotic. I probably could've USED the blogging outlet. I just never made the time.

Well that's all gonna change...at least for today. So here's what's been happening in my life since Spring.

Part 1.

At the end of March, Ross came to Indiana & we were able to sign papers for our house closing. The new owners had asked for a 45 day close, so I had plenty of time to box up a ton of stuff. With 4 feet of snow outside, what else was there to do right?

We had arranged for our pickup to be hauled out by semi & our furniture & such would be hauled out by semi seperately.

With the help of awesome friends we loaded the whole house in less than 4 hours...and it was 3100 square feet! The semi truck driver was ecstatic that he could get a head start about 7 hours earlier than planned! We said our goodbyes to neighbors & headed to a hotel.

We spent a few days just enjoying time w/ Ross. He left Dec. 4th & we were able to see him for a week over Christmas & a weekend over Valentine's day. Talk about a hard 4 months! I have a whole new respect for shoveling snow. I was outside shoveling one day for 3 hours. And that was just for the morning routine. I did another 1.5 in the evening!

So we spent a few days together at a hotel until we flew out a few days later. Once we landed in Portland we were able to enjoy lunch w/ the totally awesome Clayville Clan. Jenni, Brian & their handsome boys.

It was a hectic few days, but also comforting to know we were back home.

So there's part 1. I'll try & add more tomorrow. Sorry for the lack of writing, but after each installment you'll understand why I've been absent from the blogosphere. Love you interpeeps.

I love Tony Campolo

2009-03-24T08:42:00.003-04:00

I'm sure some of you have already seen / heard this story. Tony Campolo tells a story about some ladies he met in Hawaii. It brings me to tears every time I hear it. Thought I'd share.

No more country club churches. Amen.

Hide n Seek

2009-03-18T19:18:00.002-04:00

The other day Campbell wanted to play hide n seek. I despise hide n seek. Mainly because I can't win. There are only a few spots that a grown up can hide in our house. A closet, behind an open door, under the table or behind a curtain.

Those are all great places EXCEPT...the dog. She doesn't leave my side. If I'm hiding behind the curtain, she's standing in front of the curtain. She's like a stinking alarm screaming "SHE'S RIGHT HERE. LOOK OVER HERE. RUFF RUFF. HURRY UP. I'M TIRED OF STANDING HERE."

But the other day was different. At about 1 o'clock I was feeling pretty sweaty after a day of packing. I wanted a shower. By myself. Alone. I only need 10 minutes. Hmmm...

So I asked Campbell if she wanted to play hide n seek. "OF COURSE!" she said.

I asked her to count to 20. As soon as she covered her eyes. I ran upstairs, shut the bathroom door & jumped in the shower. After about 5 minutes or so I hear her run upstairs. She opens the bathroom door & walks passed. (Sh...she didn't see me). Never mind the shower's running...she didn't figure it out. She doesn't even think or realize that I'm in there. I? Am a genius.

She leaves. A few minutes later returns & says "mom are you in there? I found you!"

She thinks she won. But we all know who the REAL winner is? I got 15 whole minutes. Alone. Ahhh...

I love Daft Punk

2009-03-12T14:29:00.002-04:00

I'm on a youtube kick. This video is awesome. Wait a little bit for the hands to start jiving!

St. Patrick's Day VeggieTales edition

2009-03-11T09:45:00.002-04:00

This is a great video on the Sumo Of The Opera DVD by Veggietales.

It's a great explanation for kids that tells of the history of St. Patrick's Day.

Missing my hubs

2009-03-04T07:26:00.002-05:00

I'm missing hubs today. Actually, I've been missing him for awhile. I'm trying to keep things alive...but not sure if it's been successful. =/

I know this video has been through my circle of friends, but I still love it. Can't wait to laugh with you babe...(yes, laugh is code).

Twitter - all the juicy details

2009-03-02T07:30:00.005-05:00

I've been pretty absent from my blog lately. Between our Indiana house selling & offering on a new house in Oregon, it's been hectic. Wait, those aren't the REAL reasons I haven't been blogging. The blame is really on Twitter.

I've been doing it for awhile, but I'm really enjoying it more & more everyday. Here's an explanation on how it works. The little tidbits that come across from people all over the globe can be insightful & hysterical. It's become second nature to type in things that are happening in my life. If I find a good deal on milk, I'll twitter it. When traffic is backed up, I'll twitter it. When a child pooped their pants at Walmart, I twittered it. When a blister pops in my new workout shoes, I twitter it with a picture. My followers get all the juicy details before anyone else.

I'm gonna tell you the only problem I've had with Twitter. When I send someone a picture from my phone it's super easy. I do it several times a day, so I'm good at it.

Problem is, when you want to send your husband a picture of your cleavage cause you've been seperated for over 3 months & don't want him to forget what he has waiting for him at home.

You type in the twitter email addy instead of your husband's. Within a minute of posting it, your husband calls you & informs you that your "girls" are making their internet debut on Twitter.

So I run downstairs (hanging up the phone by accident on the way) only to discover I've closed everything out. Twitter pulls up, I delete the tweet.

Ahhh....breathe....relax. Call hubs back.

Ross says "I CAN STILL SEE IT!"

Oh shoot! It has to be deleted from Twitpic too. *point, click, click, delete* Ahhh...there we go. Hopefully no one will notice.

I sit there clicking the replies tab & the refresh button waiting for someone to comment. My fears were recognized when SadeeLady (Selena) says "@mandyconforth what the heck is that a pix of? Looks like an unmentionable, or was that the point?"

Dang it. Someone saw my bits.

I direct messaged her & told her of my horrible mistake. She replied with "CAN'T STOP LAUGHING! must breath.....oh! my head. It huurts 2 laugh that hard!"

Which made ME laugh uncontrollably.

Anyway, no one else reponded. THANK YOU JESUS!

Hubs & I (and Selena) had a good chuckle.

And the "girls" are in hiding.

When I said my Twitter peeps get first dibs at all the juicy details...I wasn't kidding.

Camp Counselor

2009-02-09T15:52:00.003-05:00

In High School I was an counselor for the Outdoor School program at one of our local grade schools. High School students basically went to camp for a week to mentor 5th graders in various outdoor & group activities.

Every night we had campfire. We were blessed to have an indoor area to host it. Whether rain or shine we enjoyed campfire.

There were 2 counselors in charge of seating kids in neat & tidy rows. Those neat & tidy rows had to be re-adjusted everytime we did a stand up, action song (Cinnamon & I sang Singing In The Rain).

But at the end of the night, each row was excused one by one by the man in charge. His camp name was Tigger. He had a beautiful, masculine singing voice. Two songs he sang make me tear up ... even today. One was called Bamboo, the other was All My Life's A Circle. I found versions online, but none do it justice. His version was slow & calming. The kids were silent & were excused row by row while the rest of us sang this song w/ him, waiting for our turn to head back to our cabins for lights out. Here are the lyrics:

All my life's a circle
Sunrise & sundown.
The moon rose through the nighttime
Till the day break comes around.

All my life's a circle
But I can't tell you why.
The seasons spinning 'round again
The years keep rolling by.

Seems like I've been here before
But I can't remember when.
And I got this funny feeling
That we'll all be together again.

There's no straight lines make up my life
And all the roads have bends.
There's no clear cut beginnings
And so far no dead ends.

BTW - my camp name was Porkchop. I nickname given to me by my dad when I was a baby. I had fat thighs.

Did you ever go to camp? If so, what was your favorite song?

I hate peeing in the woods

2009-01-25T13:08:00.003-05:00

This HAD to be invented by a woman. A woman who went hunting w/ her hubs & splashed herself while hovering over a log. This is ingenius. And only $40. You know you want one.

My hubs is hard to buy for, but I think the girls & I would use it more than he would.

Who's the hardest person to buy a gift for in your family?

ht: Ross Conforth

Check their homework

2009-01-17T19:01:00.004-05:00

Thanks to Michelle for sending me this!

I'm dedicating it to Mandy Thompson. Sorry for poking fun last week. Love ya.

Mommy's reply to teacher about homework:

Dear Mrs. Jones,

I wish to clarify that I am not now, nor have I ever been, an exotic dancer. I work at Home Depot and I told Sarah how hectic it was last week before the blizzard hit. I told her we sold out every single shovel we had. Then I found one more in the back room, and several people were fighting over who would get it. Sarah's picture does NOT show me dancing around a pole. It's supposed to depict me selling the last snow shovel we had at Home Depot. From now on I will remember to check her homework more thoroughly before she turns it in.

Sincerely, Mrs. Smith

Like Mother Like Daughter

2009-01-12T19:04:00.003-05:00

So you all know I have these 3 gorgeous girls. I haven't posted any blog pics for awhile. Seems they all get stuck on twitpic. Dang that twitter. It's such a time waster. And NO, I won't give it up! ;) But aren't they gorgeous y'all? Scrumptious.

So anyway, the girls & I have had a lot of time to talk about what it means to be a woman of God. Conversations about honesty, friendship, worship, manners, money & yes...even boys (blech) have all happened over the passed few weeks.

I've noticed that I have a definite opinion about parenting. I am not the parent who lets their kids run through the grocery store. I am not the parent that gives in to their kids when they ask for a treat. In fact, if you beg in our house...it's a def. NO! I am not the parent who lets their kids say hate, dumb, stupid, shut up, fat, or I'm gonna kill you. I think those are all words that tear people down, not build up.

Only today (ouch) I realized that I said hate, dumb, stupid, shut up, fat, crap, s*** & a few other choice words. I wasn't around the kids for all of them...but still. I need to work on practicing what I preach.

I want to raise young women who have respect for others & themselves. Guess I should start by exuding that same trait huh?

I'm gonna start working out

2009-01-08T13:36:00.001-05:00

I'm not telling you all this so you'll keep me accountable. In fact, if you call me on NOT working out, our friendship is over. No, I'm serious. Finito.

Anyway, I made this silly resolution to lose weight this year. It's time. I've been hanging on to it for about 9 years. Eating is fun. Being chubs is not.

Since I made this commitment to myself I've been noticing the way people talk to/about each other. I notice a lot of folks belittle people for their weight. I even saw a blogpost that someone put up that called someone a dough boy because the man was "pouring out" of his seat & blocking this couples' movie view. And the guy that wrote it & his wife are both overweight.

I never want to be the person who says or does hurtful things. I know I have in the past. Maybe even about someone's weight. I think most of us could stand to be a little healthier. Maybe that includes mental health too, cuz making fun of people is jacked up.

Menu planning pays off BIG

2009-01-05T12:29:00.003-05:00

I won't ever do this post again, but I was so excited to see how menu planning pays off in a BIG way. Here's the menu for 2 weeks. I can mix & match depending on my mood.

Breakfasts- 14 total
Pancakes & fruit
French toast & fruit
Eggs & sausage (x2)
Cereal (x2)
Fruit bars & muffins (x2)
Banana Bread (x2)
Pumpkin Bread (x2)
Oatmeal w/ raisins (which I'm sure will end up being Pop Tarts)
Cinnamon Rolls

Lunches - 14 total
Nuggets & fruit
Nuggets & veggies
Turkey/veggie wraps (x2)
Taquitos & veggies
Taquitos & fruit
Grilled cheese & soup
Tuna sandwich & veggies
Turkey sandwich & fruit
Quesadilla & veggies
Bagel pizza & fruit
Slice beef, cheese, crackers & veggies (x2)
Macaroni & cheese cooked w/ veggies

Dinner - 14 total
Chicken, rice & veggies soup w/ rolls (x2)
Tacos
Chicken parmesan, salad & garlic bread
Fried Chicken, mash taters & corn on the cob
Chicken, bacon salad w/ hb eggs
Meatloaf & baked potatoes w/ asparagus
Spaghetti
Sliced beef, cheese, crackers w/ veggies (x2) - using up our Cmas stash & it's NO COOK!
Pork fried rice
Pork chops w/ creamy rice & salad
Lasagna, salad, garlic bread (x2)

I also planned out 28 snacks (2 per day), and dessert that would be served every other day. Things like cookies - I made the batter, baked enough for one day then froze the rest in perfect scoops. That way I'm only baking enough for that night's dessert. Chocolate chip muffins - I baked them all, then froze for a later snack day.

I also planned for schedule hiccups. If something happens I have extra cans of soup & a few rice a roni boxes...better to know I have another option instead of saying "Oh well, let's just his McD on the way home."

My total at the grocery store was 137.81 including tax & including one bottle of Windex, 4 rolls of paper towels & 1 stick of deododerant.

Can't wait to go back home

2009-01-01T12:02:00.000-05:00

My review of Seven Pounds

2008-12-29T08:24:00.003-05:00

Spoiler alert: I'm gonna share my detailed thoughts of Seven Pounds starring Will Smith.

Turn away NOW if you haven't seen it & want to.

I'm warning YOU!

Fine then.

As soon as I got home the babysitter asked me "how was it?" The popcorn was great. Peanut M&M's divine. The movie? Not sure.

I think Will Smith is an AH MAY ZEENG actor. Seriously, he can pull off just about any role. From alien fighter to homeless dad....he's got it going on! And his performance in this is nothing but top notch. And I should know because...well, just because.

The problem was the story line. I LOVE the idea of giving...from your heart...your whole heart...just not sure I meant literally.

The idea of trying to reconcile the deaths of his fiance & the other car of strangers just doesn't work for me. It's like people who do, do, do good things hoping they'll get into heaven. They're amazing people. They have a kind heart. But did they ask for The Savior? Are they doing these things in His name? Or are do they believe "I'll get to heaven if I'm a good person" ?

I have a friend who said that to me once "I'll get to heaven if I'm a good person". It reminds me of Mark Beeson (our pastor) talking about how he explains the acceptance of Christ to people he encounters. He asks them to rate themselves from 1 to 10..based on how good of a person they think they are.

Got that? 1-10 based on how good of a person THEY think they are. 10 being Jesus - cause he's perfect. 1 being Satan - cause he's...well...the devil. Of course he throws in that Mother Theresa was probably a 9. I think he said most people will say they're a 4-6. He then explains that accepting Jesus is filling in that gap from 4-10 or 6-10. We need someone to fill that gap, because we can't do it ourselves.

You can't fill the gap w/ actions. But you can w/ Grace. You can't fill the gap w/ money. But you can w/ Mercy. You can't fill that gap w/ warm fuzzy feelings. But you can w/ Love.

Will Smith was obviously trying to fill a gap. A gap of guilt, shame, responsibility. I've felt that gap. I still feel that gap. Even though I know it's filled w/ concrete, I sometimes fear it's only quicksand. I have to be reminded constantly.

I think most in the theater felt, that when the movie was over...he had earned forgiveness. Forgiveness for the deaths. Forgiveness for the stealing. Forgiveness for the lies.

I didn't feel that way. Yes, he gave away a lung, a kidney, part of a liver, his heart, his eyes, his home & bone marrow. Those are all unbelievable things. But in order to do it he had to kill himself. He. Had. To. Kill. Himself.

You can see it in the scene where Will is stung by the jellyfish (& also when he gives bone marrow) that he's punishing himself. He wants to feel pain like his fiance did. He thinks that will somehow make things right. But we all know that's not the way it works. He's empty...not whole...broken...

I'm not a theologian, a biblical scholar or a good person for that matter, but I know that God uses broken people. In fact I would say He uses me MORE when I'm broken. To whisper a word of encouragement or bless someone w/ a hot meal. I'm more receptive to His guidance when I'm submitting...when I'm broken...

I just can't help but think about all the people in my circle of influence who are broken...looking for something to fill the gap. Maybe it's w/ good works. Maybe it's w/ sex. Maybe it's w/ drugs. Maybe it's w/ shopping. Maybe it ends w/ suicide. Maybe it's all of the above.

Maybe it ends w/ ME or YOU...showing up...pouring into...emptying out...

Disney's Desperate Housewives

2008-12-24T08:59:00.005-05:00

ht: Lisa Donati - no link, just credit.

Marriages I look up to

2008-12-23T13:13:00.004-05:00

It was 1998. I was attending a Mary Kay retreat on the Oregon Coast w/ my Mom. I was a peon consultant, she was an upcoming director.

We were listening to someone speak (please Jennifer, don't ask me who. I can't remember). They asked us to write down the name of a couple whose relationship you respected. I wrote down the parents of a friend. They had been such a loving, funny, giving couple...ever since I could remember. I was friends with their daughter & had been since age 3.

My Mom had seen the name I wrote & immediately got offended. I didn't understand that she had expected for me to write her name down as the best marriage I had seen. It took until this morning in the shower, reliving that horrible day of arguing, for me to get it.

She yelled at me for quite awhile explaining that the husband had cheated on his wife at work. He'd gotten caught by fellow coworkers. The wife was humiliated in our small town where everyone knew. They had moved out of town to get away from the drama. (please note that all this info is hearsay, I don't know the exact details)

Maybe it's just me, but I respect that woman. To work through the trouble spots instead of giving up. Most of us would rather give up than put effort into our relationships. How easy it would have been to walk away. It must have been difficult to stay. To hash things out. To earn trust again.

I think of them so often in my own marriage. How would THEY treat each other if this happened? Would THEY be able to laugh this off?

I hope my marriage has the ability to help someone through their tough times. I bet this couple doesn't even know the effects they've had on me & my husband. I think of them quite often, even though I haven't seen them in 17 years.

Is your marriage an example of tolerance, forgiveness, diligence, love? Mine isn't always, but I put energy into it. If I don't...who will?

Christmas Angel?

2008-12-15T21:12:00.003-05:00

Kenady burst into my office to tell me the news.

Kenady - "People who are really really really really nice...when they die...they become Christmas angels. Maybe Mema (my mom) is a Christmas angel!"

Me - under my breath "She wasn't THAT nice."

Kenady - w/ out missing a beat "Well, maybe she's a Halloween angel then."

For my brother

2008-12-15T15:51:00.002-05:00

My brother & I used play this song over & over at Christmas. We even made up moves once. Which is hard because you had to run to the other room, hit rewind, run back before it started. Remember hitting rewind? Is that what we call "the good ol days?"

Here's another favorite.

You're about to call in sick

2008-12-13T14:51:00.001-05:00

I love blondes. Really I do.

2008-12-12T21:43:00.002-05:00

BLONDE IN THE SNOW

It was snowing heavily and blowing to the point that visibility was almost zero when the little blonde got off work. She made her way to her car and wondered how she was going to make it home. She sat in her car while it warmed up and thought about her situation. She finally remembered her daddy's advice that if she got caught ina blizzard she should wait for a snow plow to come by and follow it. That way she would not get stuck in a snow drift. This made her feel much better and sure enough in a little while a snow plow went by and she started to follow it.

As she followed the snow plow she was feeling very smug as they continued and she was not having any problem with the blizzard conditions. After an hour had passed, she was somewhat surprised when the snowplow stopped and the driver got out and came back to her car and signaled for her to roll down her window. The snow plow driver wanted to know if she was all right as she had been following him for a long time. She said that she was fine and told him of her daddy's advice to follow a snow plow when caught in a blizzard. The driver replied that it was ok with him and she could continue if she wanted, but he was done with the Wal-Mart parking lot and was going over to Sears next.

Christmas Letter 2008

2008-12-10T21:27:00.003-05:00

It's here! It's here!
Christmas 2008
I'm behind writing my letter.
I hope it's not late.

Life at our house has been nothing but crazy
With 3 little girls, there's no time to be lazy.
Each day in our house there's so much to be done
From sunrise to sundown we are all on the run.

Cyra is 9 now, and growing so tall.
She started 4th grade this year in the fall.
Her favorite pasttime is reading & art.
Anything Disney grabs hold of her heart.

Kenady is 5 & is loving school
She making new friends & is totally cool.
She picked up reading & spelling so fast.
I'm sure she'll be at the head of her class.

Campbell is 3 now & is as popular as can be.
She sees friends all over town from GCC.
She can sometimes be like Jekyl & Hyde,
But we're doing our best to bring out her best side.

Our dog Coco is still as cute as can be.
She letting the girls play with her...finally.
Mostly she just follows me around
And picks up food dropped on the ground.

Ross has some changes heading his way
A new job in Oregon starts in a few days.
Starting over is going to be a fun thing
Can't wait to see what this adventure brings.

Now for an update on little 'ol me
Just trying to be the best mom I can be.
Sewing, cooking, cleaning & clothes
No explanation needed, you all know how it goes.

Can't wait to see our family back home
It's just not the same talking to you all on the phone.
Pretty soon we'll be making another cross country move,
Pray that the transition is easy & smooth.

I'll pray for you all that your Christmas is blessed
By the One who gave us the greatest gift.

The Conforth family
Ross, Mandy, Cyra, Kenady, Campbell & Coco

We had so much fun taking this pic with Daley. The girls were laughing inbetween shots. I know we don't look like the Corleone family...but we had fun pretending!

Hey ya! Charlie Brown style

2008-12-08T20:14:00.002-05:00

ht: diaper diaries

$100 challenge on WSBT Part 2

2008-12-06T13:52:00.001-05:00

Here's the conclusion to our grocery challenge. I didn't know she was going to ask me what meals we made, so I started rattling off stuff I normally make. The truth is we ate 3 meals a day. No take out. No hot lunch.

Check out the final interview.

$100 challenge on WSBT

2008-11-20T22:54:00.004-05:00

I recently had the chance to help WSBT with an experiment. Can a family of 4 eat for a week? 3 meals a day. No frozen pizza. Just home cooking. (Yes, I know I have 5, but they are all small)

Check out the first of 2 interviews.

I'll post the vid next Monday of our final interview & you can see if I was able to do it or not.

Huge dead snake

2008-11-20T16:17:00.002-05:00

We're moving

2008-11-20T15:47:00.003-05:00

For those of you who aren't on Twitter...you should be...

If you were, you'd know that Ross accepted a new position in Eugene this week. He's taking off for Oregon the Wednesday after Thanksgiving. We're staying until our house sells.

Pray for a quick sale!! I don't think we'll be able to be seperated for that long.

Halloween family night

2008-11-19T14:03:00.010-05:00

I have been so bad about taking pics & posting our family nights. I've gotta figure out how to categorize them too. Kem said it's easy, but I don't think so. If anyone wants to help me...I'd love it.

We had a fun time going through the dress up buckets & figuring out what everyone was going to wear. We ended up w/ a butterfly, a princess, Minnie Mouse, Popeye & a ballerina. I was supposed to be Olive Oyl, but didn't think anyone would know who I was since Popeye was out trick or treating.

Speaking of trick or treating... the family got invited to go on "the trailer" this year. It's full of parents, kids, a keg & candy..good times..good times.

Here's a pic of the family.

Next we carved pumpkins. Cyra chose Minnie Mouse.

Campbell chose Mickey Mouse.

I carved mine for Ross...Jack Skeleton.

Ross carved his for me. Even though he thinks emoticons are so high school..he made one for me.

For some reason, we didn't get an individual pic of Kenady's but here it is in a group shot.

Rodney Atkins & Winston Churchill knew what they were talking about.

2008-11-14T21:09:00.003-05:00

This song describes the passed 4 months of my life. Trying not to slow down...

An a capella tribute to Star Wars

2008-11-11T11:16:00.001-05:00

ht: bagsbunch

School art projects

2008-11-10T15:41:00.004-05:00

I have a HUGE bin full of my kids' art projects. I'm sure all of you do. I know you keep each & every scrap of paper that your kid has drawn / scribbled on right? I thought so.

Well, I only keep the top 10%...the creme de la creme...of the art projects.

But, I have a pet peeve when it comes to kid art projects.

You see, I used to teach an after school program to low income children. One day I planned a project where we were using different items to make a collage. Some of the items were feathers, bit of scrap paper, buttons, broken plastic toy bits, dried beans, peas, noodles...and much more.

The kids were all sitting around the table w/ their glue, paper & bowls of treaures to start their project. I walked around supervising. Helping little ones squeeze the bottle. Encouraging. Whatever.

Some kids were just dumping stuff on the paper. Some were drawing a pattern & being very precise. But there were 3 kids, 2 boys & a girl, all siblings. They were picking out the dried beans, dries peas & pasta. The kids were stuffing those specific items into their pockets.

I watched for a minute until it clicked. These kids were stealing only the food items. They were hungry.

I seized that moment to say "STOP". I explained that I just realized that maybe we should be using such a valuable resource, such as food, for art. We take food for granted in our country. And here I was gluing it down while 3 kids in my class were hungry.

I gathered up the last of the food items & carefully stuck them into the eldest boys' backpack. I didn't have to say anything. He knew, that I knew.

I will never use food as a craft project again. I also encourage my kids to say no when it comes to projects at school that use food items as craft supplies. When a craft project comes home that does use food, I simply tell my story to the teacher.

Whatcha think? Should food be allowed for craft projects at school or daycare?

President Elect

2008-11-07T08:05:00.004-05:00

To be totally honest, race did not play a card in this election for me. I heard one reporter say that voters my age were color blind. We didn't take race into consideration. I guess I'm one of them. I voted on issues alone.

I kept hearing news anchors talk about how momentous this was...that an African American man would be in the White House. I didn't see the importance...until I saw this picture.

It gave me chills. The good kind.

I found the picture above posted on Rebecca Woolf's blog - Girl's Gone Child.

She's passionate...I'll give her that...

2008-11-05T11:57:00.003-05:00

This morning Cyra woke up early to get online & see who had won the election. She was rooting for McCain even though most of her friends were rooting for Obama. One friend in particular, she was very surprised about. She said "I thought we believed the same things."

Cyra's explanation for supporting McCain was that the Govt doesn't have the heart of Jesus to be able to care for old & poor people. She also said that she was against sucking the brains out of helpless babies.

Yeah.

So last night she was rummaging through the newspapers, searching for a picture of Obama. I asked her "what for?" She wanted to make a collage w/ a big red X through Obama's face to put in her folder at school. Just to irk her friends.

I let her know that in the morning we would have a new president either way. And out of respect for that man, and those who voted for him, she shouldn't be hurtful. Not to him or to her friends.

It was a good lesson in loving others. To not alienate yourself from others who don't believe the same things as you do.

I don't agree w/ Obama's ideals. I never will...unless they become WAY more conservative. But I do believe God can use anyone to do His will.

He's used me.

1 more B4 11 04

2008-11-01T22:24:00.001-04:00

Next year's costumes...I wish

2008-11-01T18:23:00.001-04:00

Voting & your pastor

2008-11-01T17:58:00.003-04:00

Tim Stevens posted a blog earlier in the week asking for his readers to convince him one way or another...if he should share whom he's voting for.

I've had numerous conversations over the passed few weeks about this very topic. Folks are saying that if their pastor spoke on the act of murder and then voted someone in to office who is pro-choice...they would stop attending.

Tell me. Can your pastor preach one way & vote another & you would still follow his teaching?

Eating Out

2008-10-28T20:53:00.003-04:00

My family used to LOVE to eat out. Torero's at least once a week.

But since we've started eating healthier, my family gets tummy aches when we eat out.

It seems in Granger, folks eat out quite often. We get a Sam's Club pizza once / month. We substitute a casual sit down place maybe 4 times a year & a nice restaurant once a year. Well, and we grab fries from the drive thru once a week.

How often do you eat out w/ your family?

For Raianne

2008-10-28T09:38:00.003-04:00

I don't usually do these things, but Raianne asked me to. I simply could not deny her...

1. WHAT TIME DID YOU GET UP THIS MORNING? 6:44
2. DIAMONDS OR PEARLS? I don't like jewelry. Except my ring. Diamonds.
3. WHAT WAS THE LAST FILM YOU SAW AT THE CINEMA? HSM3
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE TV SHOW? Boston Legal
5. WHAT DO YOU USUALLY HAVE FOR BREAKFAST? Pepsi & whatever else I grab.
6. WHAT IS YOUR MIDDLE NAME? Claire
7. WHAT FOOD DO YOU DISLIKE? brussel sprouts
8. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CD? Prince - anything.
9 . WHAT KIND OF CAR DO YOU DRIVE? Lincoln LS
10. FAVORITE SANDWICH ? Roast beef w/ mayo, heated up
11. WHAT CHARACTERISTIC DO YOU DESPISE? Controlling
12. FAVORITE ITEM OF CLOTHING? My slippers
IF YOU COULD GO ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD ON VACATION, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? Disneyworld
14. WHAT COLOR IS YOUR BATHROOM? Pale yellow
15. FAVORITE BRAND OF CLOTHING? Whatever is on sale
16. WHERE WOULD YOU RETIRE TO? Cabo
17. WHAT WAS YOUR MOST MEMORABLE BIRTHDAY? 27th My first w/out my Mom
18. FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? Cheerleading
19. FURTHEST PLACE YOU ARE SENDING THIS? Sorry, not sending it anywhere
20. WHO DO YOU LEAST EXPECT TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? See #19
21. PERSON YOU EXPECT TO SEND IT BACK FIRST? OMW - don't you listen?
22. FAVORITE SAYING? Not sure...let me think on it.
24. ARE YOU A MORNING OR NIGHT PERSON? night
25. WHAT IS YOUR SHOE SIZE? 6
26. PETS? A pomeranian (Cora Estelle / Coco) & a betta fish (Frito)
27. ANY NEW AND EXCITING NEWS YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH US? We're still hanging on financially. That's pretty exciting considering the 80% decline in our commission only job.
28. WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU WERE LITTLE? A ballerina
29. HOW ARE YOU TODAY? Pretty good. A little tired.
30. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CANDY? Toffifay
31. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE FLOWER? Don't like flowers. I like banana plants though.
32. WHAT IS A DAY ON THE CALENDAR YOU ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO? Thanksgiving
34. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? Ritz crackers
35. DO YOU WISH ON STARS? Nope.
36. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Brown or red
37. HOW IS THE WEATHER RIGHT NOW? Frosty
38. FAVORITE SOFT DRINK? Pepsi
39. FAVORITE RESTAURANT? Torero's
40. SIBLINGS? 1 brother
41. FAVORITE DAY OF THE YEAR? Christmas
42. WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY AS A CHild? Monchichi
43. SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer
44. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs
45. COFFEE OR TEA? neither
46. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA? vanilla
47. DO YOU WANT YOUR FRIENDS TO E-MAIL YOU BACK? Yes
48. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Yesterday
49. WHAT IS UNDER YOUR BED? Air & probably a little dust
50. WHO IS THE FRIEND YOU HAVE HAD THE LONGEST? Kim Bolton (Snauer)
51. WHAT DID YOU DO LAST NIGHT? Carved pumpkins & watched Boston Legal
52. FAVORITE SMELL? A baby's head
53. WHAT ARE YOU AFRAID OF? A stolen / injured child
54. SALTY OR SWEET? sweet
55. HOW MANY KEYS ON YOUR RING? 2 fobs, 3 keys
56. HOW MANY YEARS AT YOUR CURRENT JOB? 9 (a mom)
57. FAVORITE DAY OF THE WEEK? Saturday
58. HOW MANY TOWNS HAVE YOU LIVED IN? 6
59. DO YOU MAKE FRIENDS EASILY? Yes!

Trunk or treating

2008-10-27T07:34:00.002-04:00

We used to live in a small town & went to a church that skillfully protested trick or treating.

Our church rented a small fairground & filled it with fair type games. Darts & such. The prize for participating in each game was a candy or small toy. Everyone dressed up. It was a fun alternative to trick or treating. Too crowded, but fun for kids.

A neighboring church did trunk or treating. Their congregation would sign up to hand out candy from their trunks to kids in the community. They had a decorating contest to see who in the church could come up w/ the best themed trunk. One year my SIL did Christmas. Blow ups, lights the works. I didn't get to see it, but knowing her I'm sure it was amazing.

Here's my gripe about trunk or treating... isn't it just luring kids w/ candy to a stranger's car?

I know the intent is different. But the concept is the same. And in the mind of a 5 year old there is no difference.

I also question the lessons taught by going to ANY stranger's house asking for candy. We only visit people we know.

What do you all do on Halloween?

I'm missing her tonight

2008-10-25T21:14:00.002-04:00

When I was in the 3rd grade, my Mom asked me to sing "Let it Be" at her funeral one day. I said "Ok. But you have to play Purple Rain at mine"

I couldn't sing Let it Be at her funeral. I gave up singing in the 11th grade. But we did play it.

Sometimes I listen to it just to remember her.

Sometimes I just need to cry.

Political cartoon

2008-10-23T18:26:00.002-04:00

Cheesy Chicken Noodle Soup

2008-10-02T17:39:00.003-04:00

This is one of our Fall / Winter favorite soups. It's cheap, easy & tastes delicious. Here you go:

3 chicken bouillon cubes
3-4 C. water
2-3 sliced carrots
1 sliced stalk of celery
1/4 minced onion
Cook on medium until veggies are semi-tender
Add:
1 large diced potato.
Cook until semi-tender
Add:
1 C. frozen peas.
2 heaping handfulls of dry pasta (any type)

Spices:
I use garlic powder, salt, pepper, basil & oregano to taste. I add the salt & pepper at the end, but the others at the start.

When the pasta is cooked through, add:
1 can cream of chicken (any cream of soup works, but if you use celery be careful how much salt you add)
2 heaping handfuls of shredded cheese.

Once it's all melted...it's done. I have to taste mine a few times to make sure the spice combo is right, but that's part of the fun right?

Bailout

2008-09-26T10:36:00.006-04:00

The blogosphere is all over this bailout decision. This is such a scary time in most of our financial lives. That is unless you are debt free & don't have any gov't backed loans.

Here's what I know.

We don't live within our means. And by "we" I mean most Americans. I know many folks who make 50k a year & live in a 400k house. Seriously. Who did that math? What banker looked at those numbers & said "sure! I'll loan you 400k. As a matter of fact, let do it via an 80 / 20 loan or an interest only loan so you can avoid mortgage insurance & you can LIVE YOUR DREAM!" That banker is selling a lifestyle, not arranging responsible mortgage loans. Whatever happened to 3% down or ANYTHING down for that matter. Loan officers are approving people left & right that really have no business getting a loan that size.

Even worse is the fact that the Federal Government hasn't stepped in to say "Whoa...this method of loaning money isn't working. The risks out weigh the benefits." The banker isn't saying it because, he got his money. The Gov't isn't saying it either. People were taking out large loans which (ideally) would mean large amounts of $ coming in. But now, responsible homeowners are being punished because these bankers & govt officials didn't do the jobs they were hired to do.

But I think there's another layer. What about personal responsiblity? Why on earth would I find it ok to get a 400k loan if I only made 50k a year? Several reasons. 1)I think people aren't taught personal responsibility at home. Our parents shelter us when it comes to consequences. 2) We don't have enough knowledge where finances are concerned. Most HS finance courses are developed by credit card companies. Hello? Red flag.

If the Gov't doesn't buy these loans, they could be called. Which means you'll have 30 days -6 months to pay your loan in full. Yes, IN FULL!! Which bank are you going to go to, to get a loan? You won't be able to find one. Many will lose their homes in this situation. Those that have cash on hand will have the opportunity for some great buys at that point.

If the Gov't DOES buy all of these loans, they could hold on to those that are being paid by homeowners. Those that aren't being paid could be sold (yes, maybe at a loss) but that money could be loaned out to recoop that income several times over. Then, when the market picks up again, those loans could be sold to banks at a large profit. I MEAN LARGE. Trillions.

One fear is, the Gov't may find some charity to give the housing to at little or no cost & that income will be lost. Yes, the charity will benefit. Don't think I'm not for charity, but this is a HUGE deal for our economy. Especially when discretionary income is at an all time low.

I don't claim to know everything about this situation, but I do know a lot about the housing market.

Would love any input on this subject...

Do Something

2008-09-17T08:35:00.004-04:00

I'm loving the new vibe Mandy Thompson's blog has. If you haven't seen it...check it out!! Seriously, some folks over there are changing the world.

I just don't know where I fit into all of it. I'm not good at listening to what God wants me to do, to be a part of. I usually come up w/ my own ideas, and then get worn out.

For example: I decided in 04 that I was going to use all my Mom's old fabric & make baby quilts for the Eugene Mission. I had the stuff, I had the machine, I had the time, I had the skills. The first few were beatiful. Flawless. Warm. I even quilted John 3:16 into them.

The next few were less quality. The last few were thrown together. I was so worried about quantity that I gave up on quality. I ended up making 17 of them. The Mission was grateful, but I was disappointed in myself. I wasn't giving my best to these folks even though they deserve it.

How can I stay focused in my "Do-ing" for others instead of getting off track so easily?

Disney 2008 Part 1

2008-09-16T07:51:00.004-04:00

Heading out to Disney was so much fun! This time I had only given myself a few days to pack, so I made these huge lists w/ everything I needed on them:

snacks

ibuprofen

map

tickets

laundry soap

hundreds of other things.

We left at around 11:30 headed to Indianapolis. We stopped at Cici's pizza for lunch. Ok, that place is just weird. Mac n cheese pizza? Seriously? Weird thing is, my kid LOVED it. I loved the breadsticks & the cinnamon rolls. Mmm...

We stayed at the Adam's Mark hotel. It looks better in the pictures than it did in real life, but it had 24 hour shuttle service to & from the airport. The property was kind of 70's so it was fun to explore. We found this section of leather couches in a small lobby out back. We stayed there relaxing w/ a drink & letting kids run. It was fun. Sorry about the fuzzy picture. I was trying to keep up w/ the fam!

Kem's bday

2008-08-30T14:10:00.004-04:00

This is Kem. It's her birthday weekend. She's 40. I know...she doesn't look 40 does she? She doesn't ACT 40 either...as if you couldn't tell by the pic I posted.

I've had the chance to spend minimal time with her, but can tell you that I want to spend more. She is full of energy, love, passion & has a great sense of humor. Twisted, but great.

Our families have enjoyed time together. I've spent time with her kids. She once twittered me in a time of need. Our hubs golf together. I hope that doesn't all end, when she realizes what I've done to her blog & twitter over the weekend. BTW - head over & leave her a bday comment. it's ok if you don't know her...she's friendly like that.

Kem - I adore you. I hope this weekend was memorable. Can't wait to see you. And....your hubs made me to it. =)

KEM'S BLOG HAS BEEN HIJACKED

2008-08-29T22:47:00.002-04:00

It's true. Kem's hubs Mark highjacked her blog.

Check out the video below. Then go to her blog & check out the cool videos & comments folks have left her. Even better, write a bday post to her, then link it in the comments.

She'll have access to it on Sunday evening, so let's send as many well wishers her way.

Sunday Setlist

2008-08-26T14:51:00.004-04:00

I have been so lazy lately about charging my phone!!! I haven't been able to take notes at church as to what songs we're singing during worship. Excuses, excuses right?

Here's our list this week:

I couldn't place the intro song...who knows it? Go listen & then come back & tell me...it's driving me crazy.

Today is the day - Lincoln Brewster
Everlasting God(Today is the day) - Chris Tomlin
You never let Go - Matt Redman
My Glorious - Delirious

Spotlight songs -
Gravedigger - Dave Matthews band
The House of God Forever - Jon Foreman

Here's the link to the service. Click on watch the service entitled Fear of Death. The video at the end was too much for me. I was wrecked.

Check out Fred's blog for more Sunday Setlists!!

Family night

2008-08-26T11:15:00.004-04:00

We have had several family nights since my last official family night post. Truth is, I'm working so hard on getting pics of the activities, food & kids...I wasn't enjoying myself.

This week's no different. It was Disney night, we were busy, I got no pics because I was busy enjoying myself.

Here what we did. For a centerpiece we had a mini suitcase w/ Disney stuff inside, stuffed characters around the house & food...lots of food.

We had Pizza Planet pizza, mickey & cars shaped pasta salad, deviled eggs w/ sliced olive mickey ears & our guests brought cupcakes & fruit salad.

We played Disney Scene it & told each other the things we're looking forward to the most about our upcoming trip.

Tiffany was so nice & brought the girls Disney themed notebooks & pens.

Tiffany works w/ hubs & is taking her family to Disney the week before we go. But, we overlap 1 day so we're hooking up at Chip & Dale's campfire singalong before they leave.

It's so much fun to share family night. And even w/ no pics, the kids will remember these for years!!

This just in

2008-08-24T09:24:00.002-04:00

When you post music on your blog...it makes it very difficult to read. The music distracts from your content. Wait, maybe that's your plan!?!

I like the feel of checking blogs manually, instead of using RSS. Seems to be more electric. More of a community.

Listening to The Killers while looking at your baby pictures ruins for me.

Boomama did a poll & that was the #1 complaint...music on blogs. I saw a huge decline in the use of music after her findings were posted. I ended up reading several new blogs because they had gotten rid of their tuneage.

Does music on blogs bother anyone else? Or is it only us Boomama readers? Do you RSS your favorite blogs?

Things are changing

2008-08-24T08:46:00.003-04:00

I've been absent from the blogosphere for about a week now. I was still commenting & looking at all of YOU, just not writing my own posts.

Our life is hectic right now. But that's about to change...sort of. Here's what's been happening:

The girls started school. Cyra loves her teachers & so does Kenady. I had a mishap w/ one of the parents in the K class that had me in tears for a day & made me reconsider homeschooling. It was nasty. Both of their teachers say they are smart & respectful. That makes me feel all warm & fuzzy inside. =)

It's no secret that the RV industry is in a HUGE slump. We receive a small salary, but mostly commission. That commission is currently down 40% & looks like it will get worse before Winter hits. Yikes. So we had a yard sale to help make ends meet next month. We walked out w/ $410. Not great, but considering we only had small stuff..pretty good. We also had someone look at our Excursion. If I'm not driving GS around this year, I really don't need a big vehicle. We're going to take the cash & buy a little car.

Yep, you heard it...no GS this year. I've decided instead to start working again. My neighbor has graciously offered to get me a job at a hotel. I love working at hotels. I'll either be swing shift or graveyard (please pray for swing!). This will bring in enough income to cover the disequity in hubs' paychecks!!! So GS is out. If I'm working swing, I wont' be available during after school hours. If I work graveyard, I'll be sleeping during those hours.

I want my girls to see that if things get rough, we all have to chip in. Dad will change his hours at work. His boss was great about understanding our financial need. Girls will take on more chores & Mom will be bringing in some big bucks (not really).

Two things I'm thankful for right now:

1)Last night's sermon. I hold on to so many worries, doubts & fears. I forget how big God really is. Even though He's shown me how much I matter to Him...I still think my problems are too big. I'm going to change that "stinkin thinkin".

2)We have minimal debt. Hubs & I completed the Dave Ramsey class last August. We still have our small house payment & 1 car payment (it's worth SO MUCH LESS than we owe). We'd have to take out a loan to cover the diff. I can't imagine how stressful it would be if we hadn't taken care of all the small debt we had accrued.

I just wanted to let you all know where I had been lately. Busy with life...and learning to love every minute of it.

My kid likes to wipe herself

2008-08-15T12:38:00.005-04:00

My littlest Campbell is awesome at using the potty. She has a Dora potty seat for inside the house & a Pooh Bear potty for in the car.

When we're out, I just open up the barn doors & she goes right there in the back of the Excursion. Like so:
he refuses to use "toilet papers" when we're out. Yuck.

At home, she uses her Dora potty. After she goes, she insists on only using "ONE SQUARE OF TOILET PAPERS!"

None of these pieces made the cut. It can't have a tad missing. It can be a tad bigger. It has to be JUST RIGHT!

If she doesn't go, she saves the "toilet papers" for later by tucking into her potty handle. I would say she's frugal because of that, but she just wasted 9 perfectly useful pieces of toilet paper...she BETTER save that usable one.

Grade school punishment

2008-08-13T14:02:00.002-04:00

I just got back from Kenady's Kindergarten Orientation. What a joke. We sat through an hour of description of what they're going to teach.

Seriously. Aren't you going to teach counting to 100, basic phonics, responsibility, respectfulness, being a good friend & SIT DOWN & SHUT UP. I prefer the majority of the school year be that last lesson. Just kidding...relax.

The teacher also gave us a list of rewards & consequences. Here is that list:

Rewards are Praise, Postive note sent home, Gold slip reporting good behavior & prizes from the prize box (which the teacher says she rarely gives out). These are all fine & dandy. My middle daughter would love to get any of these & will work her fanny off to get them. My oldest is all about the prize box....the other stuff is child's play.

Consequences: My middle daughter would be crushed if any of these things below happened. My oldest who is a self proclaimed comedian will give Mrs. Teacher a run for her money. This kid is the cream of the crop in every subject & makes sure to correct her teachers when they are wrong. YES - she has caught them doling out incorrect information to the classroom. I received a phone call from the teacher, that's how I know. She was trying to punish Cyra w/a phone call home for pointing it out during class. I said "was Cyra correct, or were you correct? Was she disrepectful at all? No? so you were just embarassed?"

Here are the consequences
First time: verbal warning - Kenady would be crushed & sobbing if this happened. Tender little thing.
Second time: name on board - why does this scare kids? All it means is that your teacher A. remembers your name & B. she can spell it accurately.
Third time: time-out & note sent home - this would scare me. My Dad would have been irrate. But not at me, at the teacher. I could do no wrong in his eyes. This became a huge problem once high school hit & boys were in the picture.
Fourth time: sent to principal - Cyra would be upset at this point. It would take the biggest punishment to get her to even THINK about changing her behavior. And I only think she'd be upset at this point because she'd lose some serious perks.

I got sent to the office one time for wearing too short of a skirt & an off the shoulder blouse. My Mom (who worked at the school) was called in as well. Mom's answer "I think she looks GOOD"

How many times were you sent to the principal's office & what for?

Driver's etiquette

2008-08-13T10:48:00.002-04:00

I set off this morning to take care of last minute Kindergarten registration. OK - I totally lost my registration packet & had to have it re-filled out.

I pulled up to the kids' school & of course there are NO PARKING SPACES OUT FRONT. I pull around again & find one. It's at the very back where you have to be a good driver to get out...and that's if you drive a normal vehicle. NOT something the size of a school bus.

I run in a drop off paperwork. I get back in the car & start it. I look back & 2 cars were pulling into, and parking in, the turn around area. I hop out & asked if the ladies where just running in papers or staying awhile because I wouldn't be able to get out until they left. One lady was even sticking out at least a foot. I would have creamed her Yukon.

The ladies both say "do you want us to move?" Are you kidding me? Of course I want them to move. I can't get out until they move. They shouldn't park in the turn around anyway, let alone block a HUGE vehicle in. Move dangit, Move.."yes please, that is if you don't mind. Otherwise I'll have to wait until you finish w/ your lunch to get out"

They both slam it in reverse & move ...after being persuaded.

Sad thing is, I think one of them is one of my GS leaders. Maybe she didn't recognize me...or the fire in my eyes as I said "Please"

I will not join them

2008-08-09T20:28:00.004-04:00

Hubs & I are so discouraged. Please help us figure out what's happening. Maybe we're doing something wrong here & just don't know it.

We both lived in an area where we felt very connected & loved. We attended church each week & had a few couple friends there. These friends would come over every Sunday afternoon for family time. We'd potluck, grill, watch movies, play poker...whatever.

Our kids had their share of arguements but were thrilled to play together for the most part. I always had someone to call if I needed someone & vice versa. There was never a doubt that I had their support in my life.

Even now...when I have a problem...guess whom I call? Yep. My old friends from Oregon.

I knew that good friends were hard to find, but this is getting so ridiculous.

I am officially discouraged when it comes to meeting & hanging out w/ folks in Granger. I see a lot of the same folks each week at church or in my neighborhood, but no one responds when I leave a message inviting them for pie or drinks. We had a new neighbor move in & I stopped by (apparently they weren't home) with a box of Godiva chocolates & a card. Asked them to call so we could get together...*chirp...chirp*...nothing.

I've baked bread & delivered it to everyone w/ in a 2 block radius. I've volunteered myself to watch kids, water dogs, pick up mail...anything just to spark some interraction. They take me up on it, but it never reaches more.

The invites are never RSVP'd, who knows if the cards are even read...I sure hope they ate the bread, cause if not, they're missing out.

If one more person say s"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em"...I'm gonna scream. Please pray that THAT doesn't happen. I couldn't stand it if I'm stuck in a place where I just survive from one day to the next. It would kill me.

Tell me - what could I be doing better to encourage REAL interraction here?

Fetus Friday #3

2008-08-08T09:33:00.006-04:00

Fetus Friday is a carnival hosted by Amy Beth to help her Roomie learn all she can before giving birth in a few months.

I have to admit that I'm not the normal Mom after I give birth. I don't rest when the baby is resting. My house looks amazingly clean. I prepare great meals. All of that is because I feel so much better after that thing is out!!! In fact I had Campbell at 5:43 in the morning, left the hospital at noon, & attended a church potluck that night at 6. Not normal, I know.

The reason is that I get extremely sick during my pregnancy. Can't go anywhere. Lose some weight. The first I lost 23 lbs, second I lost 18 lbs, third I lost 16. Of course I gain it back (plus) after baby is born. =(

If you feel more normal after your birth (and by normal I mean...hit by a train) please accept help from those who offer. BUT, be clear. A lot of good meaning people just want to come hold your baby. Truth is...YOU'LL want to hold your baby. Tell them what you need help with. Laundry, freezing meals, grocery shopping, mopping floors....anything at all. My Mom came for a week and did all of this for me. Even though I didn't NEED it...once she left...it was a huge blessing.

You'll want as much quality time w/ baby during those first few days. Don't feel like you have to let everyone hold him just because they offered help. BTW - some of this fear will ease with each subsequent birth. =)

Another thing people will do is grab baby's hand & kiss it.....YIKES. Babies put their fists in their mouth. Your baby could have just gotten herpes...seriously. When people come up to my baby, I'm quick to put my hand up & say "I prefer you touch her hair & not her hands. She likes to suck on her fists." Surprisingly kids are cool with this...adults are not. But I WILL NOT risk my baby getting something nasty because I was worried about hurting people's feelings. I am their only advocate.

Of course you could just put on those little mitten things too. But I always had girls & painted their nails so...I CAN'T DO MITTENS! Here are some pics of my middle girl Kenady:

My brother holding her at 2 weeks.
Her little puckered lips...Mmmm...kisses.
This girl has some great eyelashes.
And great hair.

bloggy break

2008-08-07T12:38:00.000-04:00

I'm taking a short bloggy break to get ready for back to school. The kids go back in a week & I'm not ready!!!

See you all soon.

Sunday Setlist Carnival

2008-08-04T19:22:00.003-04:00

My family decided to skip church this weekend (GASP) & instead spent time at Bonneyville Mill. We watched wheat being ground by an old mill stone, played in a waterfall, picnicked & did some hiking.

BUT, I did get to watch the GCC service online & here's the setlist rundown.

1)Today Is The Day That You Have Made - Lincoln Brewster
2)Awesome Is The Lord Most High - Chris Tomlin

& a spotlight song Courage Is - Strange Familiar

I received several messages saying "only 2 songs? do you normally do more?"

Nope. We usually have 2 during the weekend services & several more during our mid week meeting. It's always amazing & God shows up...even in only 2 songs.

Here's the link if you want to watch. Go down to the sermon entitles Change Is Good & click watch.

School's starting

2008-08-04T10:13:00.003-04:00

School is starting in 9 days! 9 days!

I remember my first full school year here. I went to Walmart w/ my oldest to get her list & buy what she needed. We searched at Walmart's list kiosk & our school's list is missing. Not one of the kiosk's had it. I asked a passerby & they told me that at Penn, we don't buy school supplies.

HOORAY! No school supplies? That'll save me about $30 for the year. Yippee.

Then I get a letter from her school. With a list of items that THEY will provide...for a HUGE fee.

Cyra's first year was $150. They have us buy new books every year!! Every year!! Where do the old books go? That's what I wanna know.

This year Cyra's school fee is around $165. Kenady's is $95. Imagine if you had 5 kids in school. That could put some people in a very bad way considering our area has lost over 1500 jobs in the past month.

The school will allow you to make no interest payments until February. But seriously...I do not want to get in the habit of financing ANYTHING. Not even interest free school supplies.

Anyone else out there have the same sort of school supply fiasco?

Fetus Friday #2

2008-08-01T09:33:00.006-04:00

It's Fetus Friday again. We're helping Amy Beth's roomie learn all she can from us veteran moms. Cyra & her lovely baby Christina are helping me this week.

My second installment is going to be on burping your baby. Colic is a nasty, dirty, horrible, very bad thing. Most babies get colic from gas not being able to escape their little bellies. OK - let's let out a collective "Ohhh....poor little thing" ...ok good.

First, when feeding your babe stop every once or so to burp them. Sit them on your lap like so

Start at the bottom of the baby's back, putting pressure on him, rub up. You'll know if there's a burp in there, because you can actually FEEL the air. I can't explain what it feels like, but they sort of wiggle when you get to the spot that's full of air.

It also works well to hold them on your hip, facing out. You can support their little neck & get your other hand around to work it out. Although this position encourages spit up...at least the spit up is AWAY from you.

Laying baby on your legs works good to. Either straight up & down or sideways. Both work. Use the same rubbing motion. Start the bottom, rub up w/slight pressure. Repeat. This will usually put baby to sleep, especially if you bounce your knees slightly.
I know it seems like burping is a small issue. I can't tell you how many moms don't do it thoroughly & end up w/ some nasty colic.

Better out than in right?

Family night.

2008-07-31T08:27:00.005-04:00

Last night's family night was so much fun. We invited Kem Meyer & Mark Meyer (along w/ their kiddos) over for the event.

We started off w/ some chips & pureed frog skin & frog guts (salsa & guaco). We drank pond scum (7up & sherbert).

For dinner we had frog legs (chick tenders) swamp sludge (green mashed potatoes & green gravy) & lilly pads (salad). Dessert was a scoop of green ice cream w/ junior mints & gummy lifesavers for eyes. Kem's daughter doesn't like ice cream so we also had sugar cookies...but she did end up eating the ice cream too. =)
For fun, we made origami jumping frogs. Where I was accused of rigging the instructions so mine would be the only one that jumped. THEY WERE WRONG!

Then the kids played a frog throwing game. I laid out 3 lilly pads about 8 feet away & they had to try & get the frogs ON the plate.
The kids ended the night w/ some pool splashing.

The cost for the night was a little more than normal, but I had been saving on previous nights to compensate. We were at about $32.

It was so much fun to share our family night w/ others. We'll have to do that more often!

Check out Heather's blog for more posts on Family night.

I've been tagged...

2008-07-29T23:20:00.002-04:00

Last Movie I Saw in A Movie Theater? The Dark Knight.

What Book Are You Reading? Sex begins in the kitchen.

3. Favorite Board Game? Sorry.

4. Favorite Magazine? American Girl.

5. Favorite Smells? Chocolate chip cookies, Japanese cherry blossom.

6. Favorite Sounds? Piano music.

7. Worst Feeling in the World? That second just before you yak...it's nasty.

8. First Thing You Think of When You Wake? Pepsi

9. Favorite Fast Food Place? Jimmy Johns

10. Future Child’s Name - Kanyon

11. Finish This Statement - “If I Had a Lot of Money…. I would pay off any and all debts,bank the rest and live on the interest”...ditto to Jennifer's answer.

12. Do You Drive Fast? 2-5 MPH over the limit.

13. Do You Sleep With a Stuffed Animal - He's fluffy & he's an animal.

14. Storms - Amy Storms is cool, tornado type storms are scary

15. What Was Your First Car - 1969 VW bug.

16Favorite Drink -Pepsi.

17. Finish this Statement - “If I Had the Time, I Would…" - this is dumb, because I have all the time in the world, it's the $ I lack to do the things I want to do.

18. Do You Eat The Stems on Broccoli? if forced

19. If You Could Dye Your Hair Any Other Color, What Would it Be? Used to dye it red, but it's so spendy (or salty if you're in the midwest)

20. Name All the Different Cities in Which you Have Lived - Cottage Grove OR, Drain OR, Creswell OR, Selah WA, Yakima WA, Granger IN.

21. Favorite Sport to Watch? cheerleading or boxing. Combine both & that would be amazing.

22. One Nice Thing About the Person Who Sent This to You -She's a loyal friend!

23. What’s Under Your Bed? Air.

24. Would You Like to Be Born as Yourself Again? Totally

25. Morning Person or Night Owl? night Owl

26. Over Easy or Sunny Side Up? Scrambled or hard boiled

27. Favorite Place to Relax? At Jauncho's in Cabo

28. Favorite Ice Cream Flavor? Cold Stone Cheesecake.

29. Of All the People You Have Tagged, Who is the Most Likely to Respond First? nobody.

Sunday Setlist Carnival

2008-07-28T10:10:00.005-04:00

OK - so although I'm not in the paid ministry, I seem to be in this large circle of pastors & worship leaders on the blogosphere. Hence my post about our worship setlist last week.

Fred McKinnon is starting a new weekly carnival called Sunday Setlist. We post on our own blog the worship setlist & then link back to him.

This is going to be a great way for folks to share ideas!! Great idea Fred.

GCC this weekend used these songs to bring their attendees closer to God:

Heaven Come Down (Robbie Seay Band)
The Heavens Declare Your Greatness (Lincoln Brewster)

Where is the Love? (Black Eyed Peas)
Resistance (Aaron Neiquist) I was convinced I was going to hate this song (it ended the service)I'm so glad I was wrong. AMAZING!! It got a standing ovation at the Sat. 7:30 service.

Here is the link to the service. Go down to the Power AROUND you service and click watch on the right! It was awesome. Jason Miller knocked it out of the park!!!

P.S. - I love that the guitarist is wearing a TWLOHA t-shirt & Dustin (the drummer) is wearing pink.

P.P.S. - check out the new "commercial" for our upcoming series about change. Hysterical.

Hepatitis song

2008-07-27T20:09:00.004-04:00

Does anyone remember that Public Service Announcement about Hepatitis that used to air in the early 80's?

It's been stuck in my head for weeks. I'm hoping by "singing" it on the blog, it will somehow stop.

Here goes

Hepatitis has some symptoms we should learn to recognize.
Like fever, feeling very tired & loss of appetite.
Your tummy hurts, you feel real sick, you will not eat a bite.
Your eyes sometimes turn yellow where they only should be white.

So wash your hands after going to the bathroom.
Wash your hands after changing babies too.
Cuz we don't wanna catch hepatitis.
And we don't want hepatitis to catch you
Who?
You!

There I feel better now. BTW - I tried to find this on video for you all, so you could ~~get it stuck in YOUR head for weeks~~ get the tune, but no such luck.

UPDATE: Big thanks to PSPam for forwarding this vid to me. At about 1 min 50 sec you will hear the best Public Service Announcement ever created. It's not the original (obviously), but you'll get the gist.

Birth plans Shmirth plans

2008-07-24T21:29:00.009-04:00

Hooray! This is the first week in AmyBeth's Fetus Friday Carnival. Head over to her blog & read why we are all excited for this time in her life.

First I have to bring attention to my oldest daughter Cyra Lynn. She is 3 days old in this pic. She was born August 12, 1999 at 8:06 a.m. Weighing 6lb 7 oz & 18 3/4 in long. She had the most beautiful black hair...*sigh*

Here's my advice...First edition:

Everyone (over the last decade or so) feels like they MUST have a birth plan. That's the plan you have in place that describes in detail what you want to happen in the delivery process.

For example I have a friend who decided she MUST NOT use drugs. Another one who wanted Enya playing in the background while she was laboring. One who wanted a video camera "down there" documenting that beautiful thing they call birth.

I had my first labor planned in my head too. And then my water broke. It was "supposed" to happen while hubs was home and on a weekend so I could immediately go back to work on Monday morning. Yeah right. It happened on the toilet. Splash. Uh oh.

Then I was supposed to labor for a day while I waited for my parents to come from OR. Nope. I didn't labor at all. Not for 12 hours. Once it did start...I. HAD. 36. MINUTES. TO. PERFORM. That's right 36 minutes from first contraction to delivery.

I had planned to have an epidural, but 36 minutes isn't long enough. Dang it.

So my advice is...don't have such a rigid plan. God has one for you & for your little one. You really have no say in the matter. Roll w/ the punches.

The pain may not be so bad that you need drugs (mine wasn't). You may decide you don't want TIME magazine documenting every curse word or exorcist type outburst (oh yes, you'll have a few). And you may decide to watch Wheel of Fortune instead of listening to your mixtape of relaxing music. "Can I have a W Alex. For WHY ON EARTH DID I EVER GET MYSELF INTO THIS PREDICAMENT. FOR ALL THAT IS HOLY...MAKE IT STOP!?!"

My Mom told me..."The only thing predictable about labor & delivery...is that it's unpredictable." Amen.

No matter how your labor goes, at the end of the day (or 2, or 3, or 36 min) you still have a beautiful baby in your arms. God intended it that way...so you'll keep reproducing. And you will actually WANT to take care of that alien that somehow got your cheek bones.

Dinner at home costs pennies Part 2

2008-07-23T16:59:00.010-04:00

It's been so much fun to calculate how much I'm spending on feeding my family each night. I think it's going overboard though. Now I'm trying to see how LITTLE I can spend on feeding my family each night (while not skipping on size or quality).

Tonight I'm making Bruschetta Chicken Bake. I ~~stole~~ borrowed it from Shannon over at Rocksinmydryer. Here the recipe & the cost was only $5.30 for my family!

1 19 ounce can stewed tomatoes, undrained (or 15 oz can of tomato sauce)
1 pkg Stuffing Mix
2 cloves garlic, minced (or garlic powder equivalent)
1.5 lb chicken breasts, cut into bit-sized pieces(I used 1 breast & 2 small thighs)
1 tsp dried basil leaves
2 cups Mozzarella shredded cheese, separated

PREHEAT oven to 400. Place tomatoes in medium bowl. Add stuffing mix and garlic. Stir until moistened.
PLACE chicken pieces in greased 13x9 baking dish. Sprinkle w/ basil and 1 cup cheese. Top with stuffing mixture. Sprinkle with remaining cheese.
Bake 30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through.

Uncooked chicken sprinkled w/ basil & topped w/ mozzarella
Topped w/ stuffing mixture & more cheese.

Waste Allocation Load Lifter Earth-Class

2008-07-23T14:22:00.002-04:00

Wall - E was such a great movie. Who else but Disney could keep kids occupied for an hour w/ only a handful of words? No one, that's who. I can't even do that w/ my own kids.

I love the idea of robots having feelings & wanting mates. I also love the awareness it brought to my kids. Buying all that "stuff" & then knowing it all has to go somewhere after it's lost its lustre (usually w/in 24 hours). I'm hoping I can use this story line next time they are begging for a new toy at Stuff Mart.

If you haven't seen it yet...GO NOW! It's really cute.

Positive Post Tuesday

2008-07-22T12:47:00.002-04:00

This is my first time participating...feel free to welcome me with open arms. =)

I want to write about my friend Joan. Joan is the mom of 2 and works full time at a bank. She is a woman after God's own heart. Her oldest daughter is in my Girl Scout troop.

There have been so many times I've been discouraged in my role as their leader. It involves SO MANY hours of training. Which means babysitting costs, gas costs, time away from family & sometimes hubs taking time off of work.

I get very little thank you's or support from my moms. Except Joan. She is quick to say "thanks". She's quick to call when an email for help goes out. She understands that I can't do everything myself & doesn't "punish" me for that.

Because she works, she can't volunteer for everything. But does when she can (or sends hubs). They both have been a blessing to me this year. I'm grateful to have them in my life.

40 Day Fast

2008-07-18T18:08:00.005-04:00

This is my day to participate in something called The 40 Day Fast (no I'm not fasting for 40 days!) There is a widget on the side bar that you can click for more information or to read the other bloggers' posts. This is an effort to bring attention to organizations that are feeding hungry people all over the world. Check out my teammate Randel's post.

I asked to write about Feed the Children. Check out their humble beginnings, and how you can help in all sorts of ways...big or small. They are committed to feeding families... and not just with food.

I have to admit that I've been feeling the need to fast for about a month now. The idea has presented itself several times while I've ignored it. Even when the 40 Day Fast sign up came out; I found myself signing up, but kept thinking "What am I doing?"

GET THIS: Once I signed up, our church did a sermon on fasting...No coincidence there huh?

Our pastor talked about saying "no" to basic desires. Desires that can take our time, attention & money. Like food. Like tv. Like Twitter. =/ All of the things that bring attention to "me" and my "comfort" my "enjoyment". If I take the energy away from these things for a short time, if I remove those dependencies from my life short term...Whom would I become dependant on instead? To Whom would I direct all that energy? Time? Money?

One of our pastors posted this quote out of Muhammed Yunus' book Banker to the Poor. It took my breath away.

"There are many ways for people to die, but somehow dying of starvation is the most unacceptable of all. It happens in slow motion. Second by second, the distance between life and death becomes smaller and smaller, until the two are in such close proximity that one can hardly tell the difference. Like sleep, death by starvation happens so quickly, so inexorably, one does not even sense it happening. And all for lack of a handful of rice at each meal. In this world of plenty, a tiny baby, who does not yet understand the mystery of the world, is allowed to cry and cry and finally fall asleep without the milk she needs to survive. The next day she may not have the strength to continue living."

I know some of you may already be involved financially with an organization. But let me say that sometimes giving time is just as valuable. Find out if you have a FTC distribution center near you. I go a few times a year and along w/ dozens (sometimes hundreds) of others...we pack MASSIVE amounts of boxes. We touch each item before it goes into the box. Some pray as they do it. Prayers of hope, that those who receive it will feel the love of Christ. Yes, the love of Christ sometimes comes in the form of beans, rice & toothpaste!

I have also distributed those boxes to families in inner city Chicago. Imagine pulling up to the projects in Chicago with truckloads full of food & personal care items for folks that are in some serious need. One little girl, about 3, was alone for the day. Her parents were at work and had left her to fend for herself. She spent the day with me. ME! She helped me hand out boxes to her peers. What an amazing gift for me, for her & for those people. I have prayed numerous times that she remembers that day years from now. That SHE was the face of Christ for her community.

Watch this video of our church members gathering in December (it was 4° that day) to deliver packed boxes to folks in our area from Feed The Children. After packing the boxes, then packing the trucks, we got to hand deliver the items to the actual families. IT. WAS. AMAZING. Praying with people. Helping people. Smiles. Love.

During this fast, my family is taking the money we save on food and giving it to Feed the Children. It's probably around $10. That will feed 1 child FOR AN ENTIRE MONTH.

We are the hands & feet of Jesus. Let's put on some boots & gloves and fight dirty. Are you in? If so, aren't you excited about what that sort of life will look like?

I don't know about you, but a lot of times I feel hungry. Hungry for just the right thing, to hit just the right spot. What if that included an increased diet of the Bible and some Living Water? I know it's a lot to chew on (ok, I'll stop now).

New Vacation Clothes

2008-07-17T10:52:00.007-04:00

UPDATE: I've had so many requests for the pattern. Silly me, I forgot to link it. Here it is ladies. Can't wait to see what you all find!

We've had a vacation planned since last August. And through extraordinary circumstances, we're still able to go even through our financial stress.

The girls started asking last week if they were getting new vacation clothes. Sometimes I'll get them a new swimsuit, shorts or dress. I decided to try & see what I could get for $20, which was how much fun money I had to live off of for the month. We went to Goodwill for 1/2 off day, but nothing tickled their fancy. I remembered a pattern I saw once where you used a men's shirt to make a little girls' dress.

We headed to the men's section & found 6 shirts (2 each) and bought them all for $15.

I've gotten pictures of 5 of them. The baby wouldn't hold still for the 6th. Check 'em out.

This Hula one was the hardest. The yoke in the back was round instead of straight. I did a lot of piecing, but it turned out adorable. It was a men's XL.

This orange one was a men's L. So cute. And it's super soft.

Kenady is so tired of being a model. She probably had 4 fittings for the straps. Sorry kiddo.

Cyra about screamed when she saw this flaming shirt. We call it "Little House meets Nascar".

This one was a women's XL and had long sleeves. I ran out of elastic, but as you can see, I'm using the sleeves as knickers.

My hubby was proud of me for taking the time to give them something new and teach them how to reinvent something. I just do it to see that look on their face & to hear "Mom, is my dress clean yet? I want to wear it AGAIN today."

Family night.

2008-07-17T10:11:00.003-04:00

I have a weekly budget of $10 for our family nights. That's supposed to cover any decor, extra food, games or gifts. We are having guests over for our family night in 2 weeks, so we're doing our best to save $ on the nights preceding it. So, last night we did camping night.

We started off with tacos in a bag (or walking tacos). You crunch up any flavor of corn chips in their single serving bag & then add tacos fixings. You can then eat it out of the bag w/a plastic fork and have NO DISHES. That's what I'm talkin' about.

We sang campfire songs that Cyra learned at camp & some I know from being a counselor for so many years & from being a Girl Scout leader. We sang Baby Shark, There was a Moose, Princess Pat, Tony Chestnut, Swing Low, OREO and many others.

The kids made ice cream in a bag. You put sugar, milk & vanilla in a small freezer bag. Then take rock salt & ice in a large freezer bag. Put the small one, in the large one & pass it around (shaking it) for 5 min. (you can also do this inside a coffee can & make it "kick the can" ice cream.)We topped it all off w/ smores.

It was a fun (less work) kinda night. I like those kind. All I had to buy was the chocolate bars ($2).

Let me know if you do a family night....I always need new ideas.

Dinner at home costs pennies

2008-07-15T11:08:00.005-04:00

I've been posting twitpics of my dinners lately. Not sure why, well actually it's because Brent over at inworship asked me to once...and I just keep doing it.

I decided to start calculating how much I'm spending eating in. I've been trying to convince myself that I really don't need to order out anymore. I've been so surprised that I can feed my family for around $5 a night. That's 2 adults, and 3 kids ages 8, 5 & 2. They don't eat a lot though.

Last night we had Chicken Alfredo. I usually put brocolli in it, but didn't have any. So, I chose the green vege that was easiest to reach in the freezer. Here's the recipe & the costs:

1/2 stick of butter (melted over med. heat)
1 C. Heavy Cream
1/2-1 teaspoon garlic powder
1/8 teaspoon ground pepper
bring to boil, then simmer until thick
Add 1/4 C. parmesan
(you can easily double this to serve 6-8)

I also used about 1 C. frozen peas (or broccoli...whatever really)

I broiled the chicken w/ a little garlic powder, salt & pepper

Prices:
butter - .25(the whole box was 1.99. I buy it on sale & freeze it)
cream - .75 (3.89 for a container which is 4 C)
spices - .25 (estimated)
cheese - .25 (grated, cheap stuff)
peas - .30 (.89 for a whole bag)
pasta - .33 (.99 for a box)
chicken - 2.00 (6.00 for 6 breasts at Aldi)

That's $4.13 for the entire dinner! The cream sauce is heavenly! How much are you spending on dinner? Calculate it tonight and come back & let us know!

I heart The Soup & the iphone

2008-07-11T22:44:00.000-04:00

You thought what?

2008-07-10T12:14:00.002-04:00

So, I have this friend, who wanted to go skinny dipping with her husband (which is totally ok if you're married, and have a tall fence).

His reply "Um...not today."

Hers "Why not?"

His "Cuz, it's "that time for you"

Hers "So"

His "How CAN you?"

Hers "That's why they invented tampons."

His "Oh, I thought you'd have to wear a swim diaper or something."

Hers "Silence...wheezing...hysterical laughing..."

Authenticity

2008-07-08T15:05:00.002-04:00

I see SO many people in the blog world talk about being "authentic'. People throw that word around without really understanding it's meaning (probably myself included).

It does not mean "This is who I am. You get what you get. If you don't like it, sorry...it's just me."

The definition is "made or done the same way as an original". Whom do we think the original is?

Is it really "authentic" to have a foul mouth because "It's just who I am".."I'm being authentic"

Mark Beeson once said that "We should love folks right were there are, but too much to leave them there."

Isn't THAT authentic? Made in His image...doing what He would do.

I'm ALL for accepting people's flaws, but should we really call that authenticity?

Writers Blog (ck)

2008-07-08T11:37:00.002-04:00

I've got nothing to write about.

Seems my life is SUPER mundane in the Summer.

I've been doing my best to get ALL my housework done by noon so I can do other things.

One day we went to Lisa Donati's house to swim. We've been to Michelle Wegner's to play w/ her girls. We've been going to the library. We even went to the mall one day where I whipped out my credit card to buy some school clothes for the girls that were on MAJOR sale ($30 for 2 dress tops, 2 dress slacks, 2 headbands & 1 pair of tennis shoes). I haven't used a credit card in over a year! I decided I won't go back to the mall for the rest of the Summer, so I won't be enticed to spend any money.

There's an update on my Summer happenings. If you want a more detailed report, you can follow me on Twitter. I update that every hour or so.

Throwback Thursday

2008-07-03T08:50:00.004-04:00

This is a pic of me & my Dad in 1977. He worked in the woods (like the Axemen). He is a great Dad and an even better Papa.

Look - we have the same hair.

Family night.

2008-07-03T08:33:00.003-04:00

This week's family night was much more serious than our usual ones. Our theme was "Family Board Meeting." And sorry, I was way too busy to snap pics. =(

After dinner we sat at our long table and had a "Caste your vision meeting" We talked about what our vision is for our family nights. We decided it's to make us closer & have fun with each other.

Next we did a "build each other up" game. Dad started by throwing a "stuffie" to someone he wanted to compliment. Then they threw it to someone THEY wanted to compliment. We probably went around the whole table at least 3 times. Dad made me cry w/ his compliment...it was so sweet. =)

Next we started creating our Family Mission Statement. Dr. Stephen Covey describes this as an important part of creating a strong Family . It will probably take us a few weeks to write, but here are our notes:

Money - be good stewards, tithe, no debt

Physical - excercise so we'll live a long life, feel good too, eat healthy, moderation

Intellectual - be willing to learn from each other, mentors, books, bible...take time to read.

Emotional - home is a safe place to talk about anything, honesty, trustworthy

Social - be a good neighbor, choose friends wisely, invest in quality friendships, show people the love of God

Family - once a year vacation (or staycation), when we're all at home we're spending time together(not at opposite ends of the house), we stand up for each other, kinds words to or about each other, show respect & have manners, respect & take care of our home & stuff, HAVE FUN.

The girls did a great job coming up w/ stuff that was important to them in our family. I was quite impressed. I have been waiting to do this until they could have more input.

When we're done writing the final draft, we'll have it printed & framed for our home. I'll post it then too!

Monday Prayer

2008-06-30T13:35:00.003-04:00

My new BFF over at kristiapplesauce does this cool thing on Mondays. I've decided to copy her, since we are new BFF's and that's what BFF's do...don't you remember H.S.?

If you have a prayer, leave it..then come back later and pray for those that have requests. Answers to prayer would be cool to see as well!

Conducting business the right way

2008-06-30T10:58:00.008-04:00

Some of you know that I'm considering selling my house...for those who don't SURPRISE!

We are looking for something to rent while we wait for the RV market to pick up & while we research the best spot to be for schooling & eventual resale.

I got on Craig's List last week to look for rentals and there was a listing posted for someone looking to buy a Granger home. It didn't look like a professional ad, just Joe Blow needing a home. It said "Need to move ASAP"

I replied with details about my home including the price. And a few hours later, I received a response. She asked if we would be willing to do a "subject to" arrangement. For those who don't sell a lot of houses...here is the jist of "subject to" arrangement. If you don't want to read all of that, it's basically that the "new owner" takes over bank payments and then turns around and rents it and gets to keep the difference. You are then free to get a mortgage on a different home. Of course she didn't explain what she was talking about just typing "subject to".

I responded to her email by saying that our neighborhood does not allow anything other than a standard sale. I got no response. No "I'm not interested at this time. Allrighty then, never mind." Nothing.

Interesting fact: This woman attends my church. She's involved in the drama group and in my kids' classroom.

Please hear me: I do not care that she didn't respond to me. I have sold many, many houses in my day and know the deal w/ folks who are out to make quick $ in real estate. I don't even care that she attends my church.

What I DO care about is if someone ELSE responded to her request...THEY got no response from her. Then THEY researched & found out that her "subject to" is not REALLY like a property sale. Or that she didn't need to "move ASAP". What if THEY googled her and found out that she attends & is active at GCC....what do they now think of US? Of our church?

Dancing w/ the Star Wars Stars

2008-06-29T16:35:00.002-04:00

I saw this vid over at Brad Ruggles' blog. Love it so much...have to post it on my own. I'm a HUGE Star Wars fan & LOVE Dancing w/ the Stars.

These two go so natually together..why didn't I think of it?

Throwback Thursday

2008-06-26T17:01:00.001-04:00

This is a pic of 8th graduation (1990). I wore hammer pants...nuff said.

Family night.

2008-06-26T09:08:00.008-04:00

I was so surpised when Los twittered on Monday that they were having a Christmas themed Family night....THAT WAS MY IDEA FOR THIS WEEK! The girls had been talking about it for a week! Wed. was exactly 6 months until Christmas.

I decided to go ahead and do it anyway. And I'm so glad I did. We had a great time. First we put up our stockings that were filled with a few small treats. I LOVE our stockings. Grandma Wally taught me how to do them. They're 3-D and full of sequins & beads. So cute!

Next we made ornaments out of paint sticks. They turned out so cute. We even made a few extras.
The extra ornaments were personalized for our neighbors. We handed them out while we were out Christmas Caroling! They all had a HUGE smile on their faces seeing the girls at their door! Except poor Michelle who was out wrangling her 4 boys. We just sang to her in the street!

We came home and had a FULL ON Christmas dinner. I got a picture of the turkey & gravy...but we ate the rest too fast.

We followed it up by watching The Santa Claus 3 in the basement. I've been trying to keep track of how much I spend on these nights...Christmas night's total was JUST UNDER $4. I already had the food, it was just the small treats & the library movie rental. I already had the paint & hubby got the paint sticks from work!

If you do a family night, leave a comment...I'd love to check it out!!!

Global Food Crisis

2008-06-25T12:36:00.001-04:00

WHAT IS THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS?
The World Food Program calls the global food crisis a phenomenon, a "silent tsunami," that is affecting families in every nation on every continent. Food prices for popular menu items like rice, wheat and beans have doubled in the last year. Though increases in food prices have hit all budgets, it's the poor who bear the brunt of price inflation. The higher prices are forcing people who survive on just $1 a day to spend upwards of 80 percent of their budgets just on food. As a result, many people, including millions of children, are going hungry. The longer food prices rise, the more people will be plunged into hunger and poverty.

WHAT IS CAUSING THE CRISIS?
Since 2005, food prices have risen a whopping 80 percent because of...
* rising fuel costs
* rising food demand from populous nations like India and China
* natural disasters destroying crop yields all over the world, including the United States
* growth of biofuels

The global food crisis is forcing poor families to spend more of their household budgets on food, leaving little for anything else. In Bangladesh 95% of the 11,782 children Compassion serves there are affected. Many children are eating only at the church-based center (also known as a Compassion project). In Haiti, inflation rates have risen 40%, pushing up food prices. All 60,000 children served by Compassion in Haiti have been affected by the food crisis there.
Experts predict the combination of a weakening dollar, soaring oil prices, and reduction in food production will not dissipate. They are predicting this long-term crisis will tighten its grip on poor countries, causing more children and families to suffer.

ABOUT THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS FUND
Compassion International has launched the Global Food Crisis Fund to bring aid to those most adversely affected by rising food costs. More information is available and donations can be made at https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/global-food-crisis.htm

Donations to the fund will provide:
* food vouchers to children and families needing immediate relief.
* seeds and agricultural tools so that families can grow their own food as well as earn extra income.
* supplemental nutrition services offered at Compassion-assisted centers around the world.

ABOUT COMPASSION'S DAY OF PRAYER AND FASTING
Compassion International has set aside June 25 as a day of fasting and prayer to honor the victims of the global food crisis and pray for them.

Granger Pure Sex series

2008-06-23T15:03:00.001-04:00

This is a vid GCC did during the first few months I moved here. I LOVED it!

Class of 1994 Reunion

2008-06-20T21:45:00.002-04:00

In 2004 I planned our 10 year HS reunion. I spent a year gathering addresses, emails, info etc from every resource at my disposal. Trying to find every one of our classmates.

I found quite a few (around 150) and handed that over to my helper(whom I ADORE). There were 2 of us that planned THE ENTIRE THING!

Our agenda was this: Friday night - a get together at the bowling alley. I rented the entire thing so it would only be 1994 students (& spouses if they wanted to come along). Satuday afternoon we planned a golf outing and a tour of the new High School (the old 1 had been torn down). Saturday evening we had a HUGE barbecue trailer that provided BBQ chicken & all the fixins along w/a bar. I arranged a DJ, decor & giveaways. The party eventually made it to our local bar...there's only 1 in our town. Sunday consisted of a family day at the lake. We had parent / child games, with really cool prizes, bring your own picnic, swimming...just a fun, casual day.

I thought it was going to go well, but of course things (many) went wrong.

1st we had numerous complaints about our noise level. The hotel accidentally put a block of rooms for a convention right next to our loud party. 2nd, nobody danced...I mean nobody. And this dj rocks. They're just lame. 3rd, cheapskates tried to get in w/ out paying. And not just to socialize, but to eat & drink. 1 girl refused to pay and said some nasty things (w/in ear shot) but ended up paying because I forced her to. (I, meaning, my helper's hubby, who is about 6'3" and 250 lbs) Umm...if you don't pay for yourself, who gets to pay for you? ME that's who. I ended up $300 in the hole instead of $600 because of hubs' negotiating skills w/ the hotel.

Anyway, helper & I decided to NEVER. HELP. AGAIN. No matter what. And guess what? They don't want our help anyway. They've decided to go camping at the lake. Nothing planned. Hang out. Drink beer. Smoke weed. Ya know..."cool" stuff. =/

Now the class of 1994 has a myspace page. In the "about me" section it says "Unfortunately, we have been unable to retrieve the contact list that was compiled for the ten year reunion. That said, we hope that in two years' time, all of us will have opportunity to spread the word and encourage attendance"

Apparently helper friend didn't like the attitude that was thrown her way when the new planners asked for the deets and didn't give up the contact info. So, being the nice girl I am ;) I sent them all I had. Too bad they haven't changed their "about me" page. I've gotten several emails about it already. I look like the bad guy...again. I thought I was through being the bad guy once I graduated...guess not.

I am planning on going to CG that week, but doing my own thing. Hooking up w/ old friends. Visiting my Dad. Checking up on my house. Meeting new people.

WE WANT MORE IN '94....uh...not really. =/

Fun Fact Friday

2008-06-20T18:28:00.002-04:00

This is a new series that I'm doing where I state an interesting (or not) fact.

Today fact is about Oregon:

Eugene Oregon was the first city EVER to have one way streets.

There are so many of the dang things in downtown (pearl st.)...they drive me crazy!!

Family night.

2008-06-19T11:17:00.008-04:00

This week I let the girls use their family night idea and do all the decorating.

They chose Disney princess night. =/ The table was decorated w/ my wedding shoes, and tons of princess figurines.
We had Chicken Cordon Bleu...their favorite...and sorta fancy. I served their dinner on dragon plates. You know, prince slays the dragon, saves the princess...
While I was cooking they built castles out of their Princess blocks.

After dinner we played plant the kiss on the frog prince. I won.

The girls love to dress up (except Campbell). Cyra was Jasmine, Kenady was Belle, then Ariel. ...and Campbell dressed up for the 1st time (w/ out screaming) as Minnie!

Throwback Thursday

2008-06-19T09:41:00.006-04:00

This week I had a hard time scanning pics in, so you're getting one that was already downloaded.
This pic is from 1978. My Mom always made these short little dresses for me...so my ruffly bum would show.

I'm sure I was out visiting the neighbors. I spent most of my time socializing w/ the old folks in our hood.

Leave a comment letting me know if you're participating in Throwback Thursday. I love to check it out!!!

Sleepy girl

2008-06-18T14:24:00.002-04:00

I swear Campbell can fall asleep ANYWHERE. And while doing ANYTHING. In this first pic she was helping me sweep the kitchen. I asked her to turn up the music and apparently she sat in one place too long.
I don't even remember what we were doing here. But again...if she sits still for too long...
Ross came home from work early and they were wrestling. I guess they wore each other out.
Here she was banging incessently on Cyra's door wanting to play w/ the older girls. She sat there for over an hour trying to wait it out. Cyra apparently never let her join them.
Don't you all love it when little ones sleep w/ their butts in the air? Precious.

An old friend

2008-06-16T11:42:00.003-04:00

I have an old friend that I've known since kindergarten. I'd post a pic, but (even though we haven't talked in nearly a year) she'd hunt me down and slice my bowels open. =/

As adults we became REALLY close, like tell each other everything close. EVERYTHING. But we always seemed to argue about something, be unable to resolve it, then split for a year or so. We still came back to each other, but after a long break.

Last year I. TOTALLY. MESSED. UP. It was my fault we argued, my fault we split. I apologized and she called me a few months later and forgave. BUT, we haven't spoken since then.

It seems like when we're together, we both have so many problems we're dealing with. Which (of course) we drag each other into the middle of. Asking for advice that NEITHER of us will EVER take. When we're apart she seems to thrive and so do I.

Do any of you have someone in your life that you'd LOVE to be friends with, but just can't seem to make it work? My hubby calls them "toxic friendships".

RagamuffinTop Challenge

2008-06-13T22:37:00.004-04:00

This is week 3 in the RagamuffinTop Challenge. I'm posting a day early because I'm super busy tomorrow. Tackling the yard & some kitchen cabinet smack down!!!

So my hubby bought me a scale to (ahem) "help" w/ my weight loss. So far all it's done is confirm that I need to lose more weight than I thought I did.

Does that happen to any of you ladies? You don't realize how much you've really gained after 15 years of "after graduation" life, kids, bags & bags of Oreos? You think I'm kidding, but I'm not. I can eat a package of double stuff in one sitting....even w/ no gall bladder...TOP THAT!

I know, NOT something to be proud of.

So this week I did a lot of walking, and cut back portions by about 1/3. Tonight I walked to Gwen Stefani, JT & a little Blackstreet.

And, in total, I've lost (drum roll please).....5 whole lbs. And this is the only current pic I have. I've lost 3 more lbs. since this pic was taken by Daley Hake...a.k.a. "The Jam"

Family night.

2008-06-13T11:09:00.006-04:00

I'm so glad that Heather Whittaker decided to do Famiy night as a weekly carnival. Maybe it will encourage me to actually TAKE pictures and then actually post them.

So far we've done National Treasure night, Cinco de Mayo, Luau, Monkey night, Movie night & our favorite was Pirate night.

Here are bits of the past 3 weeks that I didn't take the time to post.

We had Backwards night. Where we ate under the table. We had pizza in our cup, 7 down and unbirthday cupcakes. I didn't get a pic but we had an inside out pinata. I just hot glued candy to the outside of a balloon. We also played limbo, but instead of going under, we jumped over the stick. It was a lot of fun.

Next we had a Pajama Party. Dinner was pigs in a blanket. We played Midnight Madness board game where you have to act out certain things. Ross had to be a cowgirl and romp around the room giving his best Yippee Ky Yeah....it was hysterical. Then we snuggled down in the living room for some bedtime stories.

This week we had Under the Sea night. We had "seaweed" for dinner (spinach pasta) and wore Ariel costumes & swimsuits. We used pretzels as fishing poles, pb as bait and goldfish crackers for a "fishing" snack. Then we swam in our blow up pool and followed it up by watching Nemo.

Fun Fact Friday

2008-06-13T09:15:00.002-04:00

We are in week 2 of my new weekly installment!!!

Fun Fact Friday will be a simple post stating a fact that maybe some of you don't know. Sometimes it may be funny, sometimes it may be dumb (more than likely the latter).

Did you know that the tongue of a blue whale weighs around 8000 lbs? That's larger than most elephants!

Daley Hake pic 2

2008-06-12T15:08:00.004-04:00

Daley Hake pic

2008-06-12T14:50:00.005-04:00

Throwback Thursday

2008-06-12T08:25:00.002-04:00

This pic is from December 1989. I was in the 8th grade.

We were having our Christmas dance at Lincoln Junior High.

Mom helped me make this dress! I was WAY overdressed compared to the other kids.

If you participate in Throwback Thursday...let me know in the comments. I'd love to check it out!

She misses Daley

2008-06-11T16:45:00.002-04:00