Thursday, April 30, 2009

Learning...

Our day of class started out like this...

Me : Everyone come up to the table. Today is our first day of school.
The kids all run up and sit nicely in their seats.
Me: Now, today we will be learning about plants.
Kaitlyn raises her hand ever so nicely.
Me: Yes, Kaitlyn.
Kaitlyn : Mommy, today I would like to learn about where babies come from instead.
Me: (I would like to think I did a great job or not changing my facial expression) Well, Kate, we can do that some other day. Right now we are going to learn some exciting things about plants.


I have been thinking of something to do to enrich the quality time that I have with my kids when I am not working. I start my actual part-time hours today. I have decided that 2-3 times a week, we will be "doing school". They have some great stuff out there online. I found a ton of free printable worksheets, crafts, and other ideas. Let the learning begin!


Coloring and cutting their seed books


The flower I made each one for a snack.

The diagram I used to teach the basic plant parts.




Collin got in on the fun.


We went out and pulled up a real live plant to look at the parts.


Landon was pretty facinated and proud of his discovery!







Wednesday, April 29, 2009

My 26 + 1 birthday...

Yesterday, I woke up, trying to feel good about being another year older and got a reminder from the incredible edible:
A reminder on the eggs : This is the day that the Lord has made.
So, I thought. Instead of using my birthday money to buy stuff I don't need, I decided to take my family to the Zoo for the day. It was a wonderful day!


Collin on Daddy's shoulders...he loved hanging out there.

My handsome Landon enjoying the Zoo...he was a little concerned that the bear was going to jump out and get him.


My three beautiful kids and me

This Lion took a liking to Kaitlyn...she has no fear

My birthday cake. Dan humored me and put 27 candles on it plus the number 27 so there were actually 29 candles on my cake...grrrr. :-)


What I have always wanted!! Dan's parents got me my Life is Good - Gotta Run shirts and hat!!!!
My day was complete...I couldn't have asked for anything more.






Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Hello...ugh...twenty-seven...

Twenty-five, I loved. Twenty-six sounded okay. Today I turn twenty-seven. Twenty-seven is just not a number I want to be for a year. I might just have to lie this year and say I am twenty-six...next year I will jump to twenty eight (my golden birthday).



In my 26th year (in no particular order):



  • The first thing that comes to mind, even though it's not most important, is that I finally conquered the stick shift. Huge accomplishment for me! I was sure I would die not knowing how to drive one.

  • I did something I never said we would do (again)...we got a dog...and kept her.

  • I ran 2 10K's and a 10 mile race...the 10 mile being the hardest thing I have EVER done in my life...yes, even harder than having two of my three kids without drugs or epidural.

  • I learned that change isn't such a bad thing...but I still don't like it. :-)

  • I watched my sister become a Mom to another boy, from a distance and so wished I was closer.

  • I witnessed my baby brother marry the love of his life...and then, a few months later, got the news that he is going to be a daddy.

  • I got, not one, but two tattoos...and will get another.

  • I learned what I am really made of.

  • I experienced a friendship that I never thought I would find in anyone other than my sister...the best news is that she likes to run and she lives right next door.

  • I found something in my marriage that I was searching for and I love him more than ever.

  • I actually know what trusting God feels like.

  • I cut up my credit cards.

  • I crashed another car...I always made fun of my Dad for totaling so many vehicles...I am catching up.

  • I got a job at walmart...and then 4 months later called in and quit.

  • I am no longer a full time stay at home mom.

  • I landed a job doing what I love to do and I am pretty darn good at it.

  • I still don't have any cavities.

  • I became a brunette, but I do think blondes still have more fun. :-)

  • I danced the night away and loved it.

  • I have a vehicle and no car payment

  • I slipped to lower middle class but feel rich.

  • I had the wind knocked out of me but learned how good it feels to breathe again.

  • I did not become pregnant, have a child, or breast feed a child...it hasn't happened since my 20th year of life. :-)

  • I learned to let go.

  • I was blessed over and over and over...

  • I was taught what being content feel like.

Here's to twenty-seven!

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Last call for the ER bus...


Seriously, anyone else in our family want to head up to ER. I will be more than happy to take you, but this is the final call.


Last night, Dan and I went out to celebrate our birthday's together (yes, mine is coming up too). We had a great time together. Dan's parents said that they would take the kids overnight. So, we were just getting home around 9 and we had two messages on our machine. His Dad's voice sounded like something was wrong. Dan called him back and after a minute or so, said that Landon was in the ER and Dan headed out the door.


I feel like I should do a "Not Me Monday" post about this. I would never, while my son is in ER, stay home and deep clean my house and take full advantage of having it empty. I would never turn the music up so loud and spend that time enjoying how loud it could be at 9:30/10'o clock at night...be the only participant in my own little worship session. Definitely not while my son is in ER.


Landon got home close to 11. He was talking non stop and pretty happy with what had just transpired. We sat down on the couch and I played 20 questions with him. He had a sparkle in his eye. I felt bad for Dan's parents that it had to be them that had to deal with this happening while he was there at their house. I asked him if he had gotten blood on Grandma's carpet. His reply, "Yes, I did and Grandma was not even mean to me!" Priceless.


Grandma's house:The only place you can go and bleed all over the carpet and have no body be mean to you. :-)


I am just afraid, the way he was talking, that ER is the "funnest" place in the world to him and we will be back there shortly. These boys are going to put me in an early grave...or at least make us frequent fliers at the hospital. I am just thankful that our insurance hasn't been cancelled yet...it's coming the end of May.


Grandma and Grandpa:


Thank you for "not being mean" to my son when he bled all over your off white carpet. Thank you for caring for him like I know we would so that I could clean my house, turn up the music, have my own worship session knowing he was with you. Thank you for loving my kids! P.S. Sorry about any trauma this may have caused you and for the blood on your carpet. Love you both!

Friday, April 24, 2009

My Larry...

*I have nicknames. I give them to people I love. I gave "Larry" to my Dad. It's a long story but after he ripped his face off in a body surfing accident and had to have his nose put back on his face he developed a funny whistle every time he would breathe. I dubbed him Whistler Larry. Over time, I dropped the Whistler and he was just my Larry.*

No, I didn't ask his permission. He is afraid of Mom telling me certain things because he says they will be on facebook for the world to see. Mom please don't tell him. :-) He's too high on pain killers anyway to even care. I talked to him yesterday and he rambled on and on...something about working out 35 hours a day to keep in shape. I laughed silently inside of myself at that one. Must be on some good stuff.

Please pray for my Dad. He is in an incredible amount of pain right now, enough to make a grown man cry. He has been dealing with severe back pain and doesn't know what it wrong. He went to the ER early morning on the 22nd and they were unable to do a MRI. They have been waiting for his doctor to get back from vacation and get the MRI approved by their insurance, which was like jumping through a flaming hoop . Anyway, his MRI has finally been scheduled for tomorrow morning at 8. Meanwhile, his doctor has put him on bed rest for the next two weeks and he will be unable to go to work during that time. He has never been one to sit still for very long (that's where I get it) and I know he will be stir crazy. Also, pray for my Mom as she takes care of him...especially as she tries to get all drugged up 200+ pounds of him out the door tomorrow in time for his MRI.

Poor Larry. Although, right now would be a wonderful time to drive out there and sing to him while he is unable to run away.

Friday Photos

Yes! It really is that warm here! The thermometer says 79*!











Thursday, April 23, 2009

My Prayer List...

...keeps getting longer:

A little guy who has had more than his share of time in the hospital and his Mommy that is separated from the rest of her family while she is with him.

A family who is grieving the loss of a husband, father, and grandpa.

My Papa who was in the hospital with an irregular heartbeat...more tests to follow.

My Dad who was rushed to the ER early yesterday and is still waiting for his MRI and trying to deal with the pain while he waits

My Mom who takes care of him.

A friend and her family who has received some devastating news about her baby girl.

My little guy's hand

A friend that has just received the news they have been waiting for that will grow their family to five.

the list continues to grow
it all puts things in perspective
I come with a grateful heart
He hears every word
He answers every prayer
I. wait.

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

Only My Favorite Number

I was tagged by Hollie and of course I am going to play along...it's a bunch of eights!


8 things I am looking forward to...

  1. Dan getting a job
  2. Running The CRIM
  3. Sunny days at Mom and Dad's pool
  4. Fires on cool summer nights with our best friends
  5. Seeing my whole family and being together again
  6. Seeing my niece for the first time
  7. Going to Cancun
  8. Going on a Missions Trip

8 things I did yesterday...

  1. Cleaned the playroom
  2. Had a playdate with my sister-in-law and her two boys
  3. Missed Dan
  4. Missed my family
  5. Constantly prayed for two babies
  6. Watched Biggest Loser with my best friend
  7. Laughed at my kids
  8. Watched Twilight

8 things I wish...

  1. I wish Dan would find employment
  2. I wish I could freeze my kids at the ages they are right now
  3. I wish that the weather would stay 68 and sunny
  4. I wish that I lived closer to my family
  5. I wish my house would clean itself
  6. I wish I could have fresh flowers everyday
  7. I wish I didn't have to get any older
  8. I wish we lived on a lake

8 shows I watch...

  1. Survivor
  2. Amazing Race
  3. Biggest Loser
  4. Dog the Bounty Hunter
  5. The Office
  6. UFC
  7. Oprah
  8. So You Think You Can Dance

I think everyone has been tagged...if you are reading this and haven't been, I tag you.

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

My Baby's Hand



My youngest is a ball of energy, purely mischievous. I am surprised it has taken this long for our first ER visit with him. I am sure it is the first of many to come.

On Saturday early evening, we rushed our little guy to the ER. His sister was on the treadmill and he had found his way in there and somehow got his hand caught in the moving belt. It stripped layers of skin off of all four fingers on his right hand. There was black skin hanging off his little hand when I found him.

They were great in the ER. I had just worked with them a couple of hours before and I was happy with who was on staff that evening. They showed me how to wrap Collin's severely burned hand and explained what I needed to do to take care of it and also explaining what to watch for. In no time, I walked out of there with my ball of 1.5 year old energy feeling much better (I think it had something to do with the pain killers they gave him).

I have been faithful in keeping it clean, wrapped properly, and it seems to have not really bothered him as much as I thought it would. Dressing changes are the worst. He sits there and screams mostly the whole time. It breaks my heart and also makes me so thankful that my kids have been , for the most part, perfectly healthy. He's a trooper. We go tomorrow for a follow up with his pediatrician. Crossing my fingers that we hear a good report and a "keep doing what you are doing."





Day one, shortly after we came back from the ER



Day Three - in tub trying to rinse the cream off and clean it up before dressing it again.

Monday, April 20, 2009

Happy Birthday, Dan!

You're the prince I dreamed of rescuing me...


Someone I can laugh with and can always count on for a good time...

A wonderful father to our kids...

I thank God everyday for you. You're a gift. You keep me grounded. Thank you for the man you have been to me this year, the best friend I have in you, the father you have been to our kids. I pray that year 28 is better than you can dream. I love you beyond words!



Friday, April 17, 2009

Imagination

It's amazing what a box can become...especially to two creative kids.

I loved playing in boxes when I was a kid. My Dad would put together different sizes to make us a huge house with doors, widows, hallways...it was great. We would stay down in the basement for hours. I think it was the plan.


We had a box in the basement. Today, I needed to get some laundry done. It's amazing how it backs up when Mommy is working and neglects some of her household duties. :-) So, I pulled the box out and cut a huge window in it, expecting them to use it as a McDonald's drive thru. A few minutes later, I looked over to see Kaitlyn performing and Landon watching intently.


They had turned it in to a TV.




Wednesday, April 15, 2009

He Prepared...

It's amazing when I think about it. When I think of the path that I chose out of highschool. God knew what I was preparing for. I just thought I was killing some time before my prince came along. I was planning on becoming a surg tech. Deep down what I really wanted was to get married and live happily ever after. I chose a shorter path and learned the ins and outs (went way more in depth than I should have) of phlebotomy. Along the way, I found my niche...and also discovered my prince was right under my nose.

God knew.

God knew that 6 years later it wouldn't be the happily ever after I dreamed of.

God knew that I would need to step up take one for the team.

God knew that we would be in a little town with a hospital not even 10 minutes away.

God knew they would need a phlebotomist at just the right time.

...And here I am today...

I am so thankful for my job, for my boss, for the people I work with. I got my part time status last week (I have been PRN since January)!! I was able to pick up extra hours this week and I am earning paid time off for each day I work (gotta love that!!). I just keep thinking, God prepared me for such a time as this. I am actually enjoying going to work. I love what I do. It's a challenge and it's never the same day twice...I like variety, always up for a challenge, and I am easily bored. What a diffence it makes when you actually like what you are doing and enjoy the people that you work with. I chose to take some of the burden off of my husband. I got my man's back and we make a pretty good team. I'm loving what I am doing!

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Because He Lives

Happy Easter!

Saturday, April 11, 2009

In Christ Alone

Happy Easter. Remember the reason we celebrate! He is risen!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Taken

This morning, I cleaned two trash bags of food out of our house. It was not my choice.

Last night, I went down to get a loaf of bread out of my freezer. I heard dripping. I was alarmed and then noticed that the loaf, which I had just taken out, was not freezing in my hands. It's amazing the things you can miss the first time when you are preoccupied with life. I opened the lid again and saw that EVERYTHING was room temp. Yes, I have shed tears over all the food that was lost...6 OMAC meals, two huge bags of pork chops, a thing of chicken breasts, two packs of steaks, a turkey, a few bags of veggies, a few pounds of ground beef, three loaves of bread, frozen pizzas, and a couple of novelty items. A few weeks worth of dinners, about $150, gone. I was planning on not shopping again for three more weeks, now it's inevitable.

I am not sad about the loss of the freezer, well, not really. It gave us a pretty good run. It was something I was praying for about three or so years ago. One night, about two weeks later, my hubby was taking the trash down and found a freezer. He ran an extension cord down to see if it worked and it did! So, we payed nothing for it. I was just hoping it would last a little longer, especially since we had all of that food in it.

So it's with a lump in my throat that I once again stare at the verse and mouth the words:

“The LORD gives and the LORD has taken away. Blessed be the name of the LORD” (Job 1:21).

Monday, April 6, 2009

Where a kid can be a kid...

We have been waiting for just the right time. When we woke up this morning to snow on the ground, we figured now was the time...before depression started to set in. My parents sent us money for Chuck E. Cheese last month for Valentine's Day and we were able to give them their extra special treat today. We had a blast!









































Friday, April 3, 2009

Friday Photos

Kaitlyn wanted me to try and capture her in the tub spitting water out of her mouth. I am no photographer, but I gave it my best. She was thrilled.




Yes, my 1.5 year old is walking like a pro, no hands, on the treadmill. I start early around here. I am training up little running buddies.

Thursday, April 2, 2009

Seven months...

...still no job.


Bummer, another month gone by. It's April and my husband lost his job back in September. It's been a long road, a lot of learning, and many chances for growth. I am finding out what I am made of.

Yet another month of provisions to report. God is so good! I have had many opportunities to pick up extra hours at the hospital this month, all of which I jumped at. Just yesterday I was told by the lab supervisor that a part time position is being created for me in May. I will be banking paid time off and also have the option of a few benefits!! We have had money given to us along with a lot of food. What a blessing.


This month has been the best month for me as far as giving things over to God and not worrying about them. Part of it might be because of the busyness and not having the time to sit around and worry. I would like to hope, however, that I am finally to the point where I am fully trusting the goodness of God.


First let me say that we are not financial experts and we still slip up and buy things that we don't need or make unwise choices with the money God has given us. I guess when Dan first lost his job, we started thinking of money in a different light mostly because it was all given to us by other people. When you have done nothing to earn it, it's hard to justify spending it on a meal out or something you think you deserve. But, what I started to really get is that none of it was ever ours to begin with...even the stuff we "earned". When thinking of it that way, it's so much easier to make smart decisions, give to others in need, or deny ourselves. I think that my generation, at least, has an attitude of entitlement. I certainly did (and find myself still doing). We are entitled to that big house, we are entitled to have nice cars, we are entitled to the meals out, to the stuff. We are running up our credit cards on stuff we can't afford and are behind on our bills, but at least we have the latest jeans in our closet, a big beautiful house, nice cars to drive, and everything looks nice on the outside. I needed my slap in the face, my wake up call and I got it 7 months ago. Not that we had gotten to an extreme, but that's where we were headed. I was incredibly materialistic.


So, fast forward 7 months to today. It has been painful, not too fun, and incredibly hard. My God knows what he is doing. My God and me have had many arguments. I have doubted Him several times. I still find myself face down on the itchy carpet beside my bed some days (Tuesday being one of them). But, we have never been delinquent on one bill, we are not living "paycheck" to paycheck, our stomachs are full, we are closer to living debt free, and drumroll please :







The used van that I have been praying for, is now in my garage...paid for with cash! This van is a testimony of God's provision. God made a clear way for us, we thought on it, we prayed about it together, sought wise counsel, and He allowed us to walk in there and pay $3995 less for it than the sticker(we got it for less than 2/3 of the original price)! I am still amazed every time I look at it, every time I drive it. No more all 5 of us cramming in our little Chevy Aveo. What a gift!

Thank you everyone for praying for us. Continue to pray that God would provide a job for Dan.


This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of him.
- 1 John 5:14-15


The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective
- James 5:16


Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

A question from my four year old...

"Mommy, did God make a mistake when he made bad guys?"


I love teaching moments like this. Who cares if it was way past bed time. We lay there talking. I explained to her that God makes no mistakes. We are all born and given choices to make. Some people chose to do good, and some chose to not care about people or follow the rules.


It's by the grace of God that we are not all "bad guys".