Lent, Teeth, BBQ, Kids, Life....

There are so many things on my mind lately. I blame it on having to stay home and rest for way to long. I know everyone is tired of hearing about my teeth but I have just one more update. On Tuesday I was still in a lot of pain so I called my dentist and he said I should come in and be seen. So, I take the kids thinking it will just be a quick pop in and I will be out of there. Boy was I wrong. He sits me down while the kids are playing in the waiting room and takes a look. Ends up I have the very dreaded dry socket. This is the thing that I was most afraid of, that I was very careful to avoid. I had been eating only liquids for almost a week. Well, what's done is done and needs to be taken care of. He numbs me up REALLY good and cleans it out OUCH! Then packs it with this stuff that smells and tastes horrible. Then sends me on my way. The kids were great but just did not really understand what had just happened to me so they just acted like they always do (asking a million questions, wanting lots of food) It all worked out ok and things are great now. I am still on the liquid diet but today is my first pain killer free day and it has been exactly one week. I feel bad for my family. It was not supposed to take this long to get better. My husband has had to take up a lot of the slack and I just have not been myself on the medicine but today is much, much better. I think things are going to be looking up from now on.


We as a family have decided to give up TV for lent. I have never done anything for lent before but my friend mentioned that she is giving up coffee for lent and I thought it was a good idea. The same thing happened when my son turned three. He developed a one track mind for television. It is not that I am against it, it is just that there are so many other things we can do with out time and my daughter has developed the same one track mind. I think a break for all of us will be good and it is good to talk to the kids about lent. We made a list this morning of things that we can do instead of watch tv and we came up with quite a few. Now if the kids ask to watch it I tell them to go pick something off of the list.

Me and the kids went to IKEA today to pick up a couple of things that I needed. They had all their new outdoor furniture and BBQ stuff out. It made me get really excited about the upcoming warm weather and then the excitement which is summer. I do not think I have looked forward to summer as much as I am this year. I do not know why but I am so excited about having people over for BBQ's, going to the river and lakes, swimming, parks, the beach, picnics, the list could go on and on. While I was at IKEA I picked up some cute summery napkins and a big beach bag. Let summer come quickly.

As a last little note I did a crazy thing today. I have been talking about cutting some bangs because I have been bored with my hair. I have been going to the same girl since before I had my daughter so almost 4 years. But today I went with my kids to Super cuts and had the girl cut my hair. Just some random girl and I just did it. So, I will post a picture so you can all see the crazy thing I did. I have not gotten used to them yet so I am not sure what I think.

This is a pain, literally

So, I thought that I was recovering really well and then last night was not so good. I woke up at 1am and it took me until 4:30 to fall back to sleep because this one tooth spot was hurting so bad. I took pm pain medicine finally and then I slept until 9am. My family came home today and it was not how I had planned it. I had wanted to have everything in order so that when my husband got here there was nothing he needed to do and I would be totally refreshed. I was so sad that I was not doing better than I was. I have this fear that I have a dry socket which is my worst nightmare but I talked to my dad tonight and he does not think I do. I think it is just healing and painful in the process. So I will continue to take the strong pain medicine and hope that it passes soon. I feel really weird with the pain medicine and antibiotics but I feel worse with out the pain medicine so that is that.

Now that I have totally bored you with my update I will write a few points that are things that make me happy in hopes to get my mind off of the throbbing pain on the left side of my mouth.

1. A great big hug from my girl after not seeing her for way to long

2. The pure joy that my son expressed when telling me all about his ski lessons and how well he did

3. I am thankful that I really like soup since that is about all I have been eating for days

4. Friends who are so sweet and bring me flowers, magazines, and soft foods

5. A husband who enjoys being with his kids and does not make me feel bad about not doing much lately

6. Sitting and watching Nanny McPhee with my daughter which is what I am going to go do right now

Wisdom Teeth

I survived the dreaded teeth pulling. I went in yesterday morning and am doing really good. I think I got myself to worked up about it. It was not as bad as I was thinking it would be. I have an amazing husband who has taken the kids for the weekend to Tahoe so I can rest. It is weird to not be doing anything. Usually when I have some time at home without the kids I have projects that I want to get done. This time I have been warned time and time again that if I do anything today I risk getting really sore and getting dry sockets which I really do not want. So I have had the perfect excuse to just lay around and do nothing.

I have some really great friends that have brought by flowers and soft foods and mind less magazines to read. It is like a mini vacation with a sore mouth. I am just hoping that I feel better tomorrow and that it does not get any worse.

I am really glad to have it over with. I have been putting it off for awhile and now it is just done and I do not have to think about it anymore. My husband is getting his done next month so it will be his turn to get a break with a sore mouth next.

I am going to go and enjoy every minute of this time because an excuse like this only comes around so often. The problem is that I am already missing my family.

Happy Valentines Day

The day of hearts and candy and remembering the ones that we love the most. I LOVE Valentines Day. I have a soft spot for it and I do not really know why. I like it when the stores get all the pink and red stuff. I like to think about what I will do for my husband to show him that I love him. Now I get little things for my kids to and they love it. I know that some people do not like this holiday and think it is just a dumb made up holiday so that the card makers can make more money but I like it. I also know that it can be a time of year that people feel lonely but I think that it is an opportunity to make those people feel loved. Who says that we cannot give a friend some sugar cookies or send a card to a friend far away.

I like having holidays to help us stop our regular days and think about other people. We went to a friends house yesterday and had a sugar cookie baking party. It was a lot of fun and a good excuse to have a party. Tomorrow my kids will wake up and have a little hunt to where there card and small gift are but more than that we will talk about how much we love them and that is what they will remember down the road. Then my husband and I are lucky enough that my parents will have the kids that night and we are going to go on a double date with another couple. I am really looking forward to that.

It might be silly but I think that in February when it is cold and everything is dead and it seems like it will never be warm again it is nice to have some bright happy colors around and some pretty flowers and enjoy some cookies or candy. I makes me have a brighter day and I hope it does for other people also.

My kids have been having a couple of hard days. I am not really sure why but this morning we talked about how when you wake up you choose what kind of day you are going to have. So we sang the song

It's a good day and I thank God for the weather
It's a good day cause I'm living it for my Lord
Living each day by the promises of God's word


I hope that is helps them come out of their funk and I am looking forward to seeing them smile as they see that we went to the trouble to set aside a day to say I LOVE YOU.

Can you say throw-up?

I have been living in the world of throw-up for the past couple of days. Not me but my family. On Friday I went to visit my great-grandma. My girl was acting kind of funny but I just thought she was tired. That afternoon I am sitting there having a conversation with my mom and grandma with my girl on my lap and all of a sudden we are all covered in the lovely stuff. Poor thing. We got it all cleaned up and were sitting on the couch. She was on my lap still and here it comes again. I know this is to much information but really. How often does someone actually get thrown up on unless you are a mom or dad. So we stayed the night she slept good and was fine the whole next day. We came home later that afternoon to find my husband making runs to the bathroom himself. Let's just say it is a real blast at our house right now. My girl was good all day Saturday, all day Sunday until we went to church. We go to church at 4pm so she had been good for almost two whole days. My husband took her to her class and then she threw up there all over him. Fun, now we are even. He took her home, they got cleaned up and then again all over both of them. My poor little girl. The hard thing with kids is that there is no warning. They are just sitting there and then they are throwing up. So, it is Sunday night, she is in bed and seeming to be pretty good. I hope that was the end of it and that the rest of us can stay well.

Doesn't that make you want to come visit us?

Another Bit of Wisdom That I Have Learned From A Book I Just Finished Reading.

I just finished this book called Life Is So Good about a black man's life who is 103 years old and learned to read when he was 98 years old. It was such a good book. He has so much wisdom and had seen so many different things in his life time. At the end of the book the man interviewing him asked what he thought was wrong with families that kids are shooting each other in schools and things like that. His answer was that he felt like it was the grown ups and this is why

He said some people grow kids and some raise them. He said that people grow hogs by feeding them, giving them somewhere to live, and making sure they do not get sick. He said that raising kids is a whole different thing. That to raise them you have to teach them, be there for them, love them, meet their emotional needs and so on.

I thought that was so well put. Some people see it as growing kids and some see it as raising them. I want to raise my kids. I thought it was well put.

He also said that a lot of people think that 100 years is a long time to live but that to him is seemed short. That time went by fast and that life just keeps getting better.

If you get a chance it is a great book to read. He is an amazing man and I learned a lot from the book.


As a side note, I am sure some people are wondering what is going on with the adoption. The fact of the matter is that there just has not been anything to tell about. We are just still in the waiting stage and there is not a lot going on. It has been hard to be patient but we know that it is going to be in God's timing. Also we know that at this point all we can do is wait so that is what we are doing. I promise I will post any news as soon as there is any. We are still 100% excited about it and ready for our new addition we just do not know when that will be. Patience is that word of the day around our house.

Happy Birthday Princess!

My sweet little princess,

Can it be true? Did you really turn three today? You are no longer a baby but now you are a girl. You have changed so much the last couple of months. You are talking so much now and so clearly. I can have actual conversations with you. You got a real hair cut and it made you look so much older. My little girl is growing up and it is a good thing but I miss my little baby sometimes.

This year you asked for a pink, princess party so we did it up with the pink and the princesses. You informed me that my shoes that I put on this morning were not princess shoes and picked out the ones that were suitable. You were so excited about your party and kind of got overwhelmed with all the attention. We had a family party and you loved having everyone at our house. You thanked every person after each gift that you opened and showed pure delight at each and every gift. The ones from your brother were extra special to you. He made and wrapped them all by himself. Then we feasted on pink cupcakes and you were in pure heaven. As the party died down you kept asking if it was still your birthday and were happy to hear that it still was. Now you are sleeping in your bed a very tired little girl but one who knows that she is very loved.

Things we love about you right now:

That you say happy burbay for happy birthday

That your response to most questions is " of course"

That you are such a girl and love girly things but you can play rough with the boys and are much more tough then you let on

We love to watch you in gymnastics and swimming lessons. You do everything with your whole heart.

That your teachers at Bible study get a genuine grin on their faces when they see you coming. You are truly a ray of sunshine in everybody days that is so blessed to spend time with you.

That you suck your two middle fingers and hold your stuffed kitty's tail just under your nose in just the right way, it brings you such comfort.

The nights that we let you and your brother tell each other stories before going to bed.

The way that you love all of us. Our lives would not be a fun of joy without you. You make us laugh and feel loved every single day.

Happy Birthday Princess.

We love you more than we can tell.

Movies from New York

My son started realizing while we were in New York how many movies and books he had read and seen where from New York. So we started counting them and noticing even more. There was the central park zoo and grand central station from the movie Madagascar, the plaza hotel where Eloise lived, the swan from the book trumpeter of the swan, the newspaper stand at times square from the book Harry kitten and Tucker mouse, Stewart Little drives his car through central park and the list goes on. We had a great trip. It was freezing but we still had a lot of fun. We stayed at the Embassy Suites and I think the kids favorite part was that we had breakfast there every morning and they could pick all their favorite things. My husbands meetings went really well. The kids were great travelers and we did not have any of the incidents that we had last time with kids getting sick. We felt very blessed to be able to spend great time together as a family.

Winter New York Trip

Do you want to be water or lemonade?

I read this great article the other day that has really stuck with me. The story goes like this.

The little girl comes home from school and tells her mom that a certain girl does not like her. The mom asks the girl if she knows of anything that everybody likes. The girl thinks for a little bit and then the mom says, the only thing I can think of is water and that is because it is colorless and tasteless. Then she asks, "Do you want to be water?". The girl gets it and says no, I want to be hot chocolate or better than that , lemonade!

The lady goes on to explain that we do that so much in our lives. We want everyone to like us so we tone down ourselves so that more people will like us but what we lose is our real selves and the part of us that makes us interesting and makes us who we are. She also talked about how we do that to our kids also and want them to calm down, blend in and not make a scene. We want everyone to like them to.

I have to admit that this is really true for me. I find myself sitting and thinking about a certain person and wondering if they like me or not. Maybe they are annoyed by me, maybe I spoke my mind a little to much last time we talked, maybe I talked to much or not enough, or maybe they just plain don't like me. The problem is that then I try to figure out how I should do things different the next time I see them to make things go more smoothly. This is where I get into trouble. I should be saying, I am who I am and if that person does not like me because of that then that is all right. Everybody is not going to like everybody unless we are all water.

The truth is, I like people who are unique and different. Those are the people that I am drawn to. I like to talk to people who have different opinions and ideas then me. I can learn from them or just be entertained by someone who is different then me. I think if we really thought about it this would be true all around. I think that the things that make me uniquely me are what some people are drawn to also.

She talked about how it is the people in history that were a little bit different that did amazing things. I know this to be true because my husband is one of those people. He is very unique and does things his own way but it has gotten him really far but not only that but people really like him. Sometimes I will be out in town and meet someone that knows my husband and they will just rave about him. I think that is pretty amazing. I also know that sometimes I get annoyed and want him to do things my way but when I step back and look at it I know that life would be really boring if my husband was just like me. Just like life would be very bland and boring if everyone out there was just like me.

God made us all different for a reason and I want to embrace that and stop worrying if everybody likes me. I want to be LEMONADE.

NEW YORK, NEW YORK

We are leaving tonight to the BIG APPLE. I should be finishing our packing but I just wanted to write a little. Just a couple of days ago my husband asked if I wanted to go to New York with him. He needs to meet with a guy there about his job and we thought it would be a good opportunity to take the kids on a quick little trip before we get a new addition. The adoption placement is taking longer than we were thinking so it is a nice time to travel before we can't as easily. Our kids are at great ages to travel. I put them to bed so that they can get a couple of hours sleep before we have to wake them up to go to the airport. We are leaving at 11:30pm. This will be my third trip to New York.I love it there. Not the " I want to live there, love" but the " I love to visit it, love. I am hoping for a smooth trip but with little kids there is always some kind of adventure.

Like the first time I went to New York. My girl was only about 8 or 9 months old. We went on the same late flight that is a red eye. We went with friends of ours. She did really good on the flight but as soon as we landed she threw-up. That was pretty bad. Then we got on a bus to go to our hotel and she throws up again on the bus. We get off the bus and into a van. Then my husband discovers that he left his wallet on the bus. We have this great van driver and he tracks down the bus and a total miracle happens. My husbands wallet is still on the seat of the bus. In the meantime my daughter has pooped and it is leaking out onto my lap. Nothing like being a mom. We arrive at this really nice hotel and I am covered in throw up and poop. Not the kind of impression I wanted to make. I was never so happy to get into a hotel room and take a shower. My daughter was such a trooper through the whole thing. She was not even crying or anything. So I am just praying that this trip with the kids goes a whole lot better. I don't know if it could get much worse than that.

SO, I better go pack and double check everything. I think we are going to freeze our butts off but we will have fun. We always do.

What Community Looks Like In My Life...

A little recap of the last few days for me and my family...


Tuesday night was back to soup night, me and a friend make soup, invite anyone that wants to come and we eat together and meet new people. I had really missed having it and I was so happy to start it up again. We had a very full house. Lots of kids running around and playing, people sitting and standing while they eat their soup and bread. One couple stayed a little later and we got to really talk to them. It was what you would call a really good conversation. I shut the door after them and felt blessed to have so many great people in our lives and in our city. My kids ask when soup night will happen again. It is a good time for everyone.

Community

Wednesday found me at a bible study that I go to called Community Bible Study. It is not led by one church but by a group of women that want all women to be invited and to study the Bible together. We are studying the book of Acts this year which deals a lot with community. I have learned a lot so far. The biggest realization so far is that the church of Acts lived in such a way that they we aware of each others needs. They felt safe enough to be vulnerable with each other so that in turn they could meet each others needs. That is what I want in my life. I want friends that we can be honest when we need something and everyone else will be willing to reach out and fill that need.

Community

Wednesday night I went to my mother in laws house (three blocks away) and meet with a bunch of ladies to raise money for some friends that have had some hard things happen in the last few months. We talked, drank wine, and just had a lovely time all around.

Community

Thursday my daughter was with my parents so my son and I packed up his school stuff and went to cafe Rufugio ( a wonderful cafe owned by a friend of mine). We got drinks and tim tams and hung out at the cafe for about two hours. Doing school work and reading. It was wonderful. It is a great space with wonderful coffee. The best part about it is the owners really want to reach out to the community that they are in and are always coming up with great ideas of different things to do to accomplish that goal.

Community

Having friends that live just blocks away, neighbors that know my kids names, my husbands business is full of people that I call my friends, the local librarian that greets my family every time we go to the library, having friends that will just stop by, never feeling alone, having some friends that live far away but feel so close and considering them an important part of my life, my blog "friends", getting together to share a meal or a cup of coffee or tea.


This is what community looks like in my life and I am thankful for it. What does community look like to you?

Treasure

I just went upstairs for the third time tonight to tell my daughter to go to sleep and stop banging on the wall. She asked if I would cuddle with her for a little bit. Usually I would tell her no because I had already cuddled with her and put her to bed and now it was time to just sleep but I decided a little bit would not hurt. I layed down next to her and she just layed there so still for awhile. Then she stroked my face and said, " you are my treasure" She has completely stolen my heart. I am so glad I agreed to one more cuddle.

It's a new year.... what does that mean

HAPPY NEW YEAR


I know that the normal thing to do for new years is to make resolutions. Or to reflect on the last year. I am having a hard time doing either because all I can think about is the new baby that will be joining our family some day (hopefully in the near future).

I tried to make resolutions and all I came up with was

1. exercise more ( that is always on my list)

2. have a new baby added to our family


Then I get stuck and start sitting and thinking about that.

It has been a great year. My kids have changed so much over the last year. I feel like I have changed also. I have read many good books, made new friends, and taken on the new endeavor to home school. But every time I try to look back and think about the last year all I can think about is the future and all the unknowns and I just kind of get stuck there.

So for this new year I think I will just sit and wait, well I have two kids so I will not really be sitting but you know what I mean.

Our life is a little bit on hold right now and I am so ready for us to be placed with a baby so that we can move on into the next stage of life as a family. I know it is in God's timing but that is easier to say than to live. I pray everyday for the new addition to our family. Wherever he or she might be and I will continue that from now on. I already feel like there is someone missing from our family and just want it to be complete. That might sound weird but we have made a place in our hearts for a child and now it needs to be filled.

On the other hand we had a wonderful vacation. My husband was back to work yesterday and I was back to teaching school and all the other normal things of life. It is hard to get back in the swing of things. It makes me feel like I am not doing a good job at homeschooling but I think we just need to get our rhythm back.

So, I am going to go jump feet first into our day and try to keep my mind off what is trying to fill every inch of my brain right now. I am so thankful that I have two wonderful distractions so that I do not drive myself completely crazy thinking about when and how and who ( the adoption will happen) It really is in God's timing and all this waiting will feel like seconds once I am holding our new baby in my arms.

Dressing up at the children's museum

Some Christmas pictures

We spent Christmas with my parents, my sister, and my grandma. The kids had so much fun. My girl got her first doll house from my parents and she loves it so much. My boy got one of those robot dogs that do what you tell them and all kinds of fun stuff, also from my parents. They got lots of other wonderful things from everyone that loves them so much but most of all we had a very relaxed, beautiful day.

Merry Christmas

The kids are in bed. We are in the mountains at the condo. There is snow outside. I am so tired I can hardly keep my eyes open. So, I am going to get the stocking filled, the presents under the tree, and off to bed for me. I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas. It is a good reason to celebrate.

Merry Christmas Everyone

Colds, Waiting, and Kids

We all got the winter cold. It is not so bad except for my daughter. She is so grumpy and it is making it hard on all of us.

We are in the waiting stage of our adoption. We are ready to be placed with a child but we just have to wait for one to be matched to us. I think this has been the hardest part. It is hard when there is nothing for us to do. We just sit and wait. I am glad that we have Christmas to keep us busy. It helps to keep our minds off it but it is always there in the back of your mind.

Today is my husbands last day of work until after New Years. I am so excited. The whole office will be closed so it will be a real break without anyone calling him or needing him for anything. We are looking forward to some good, quality family time.

The kids are just, well, I don't know how to say it... busy, loud, funny, frustrating, crazy, loving... Everyday is a new challenge and a new joy.

I am looking forward to this Christmas. We do not have a lot of plans but we are going to go to Tahoe and stay up there for a few days. I actually found some presents that I think my husband will like and the kids are both just so excited that it is rubbing off on us.

I feel so incredibly blessed this year and it is hard not to kind of feel guilty when others are having a hard time. I like to think that God wants us to use our blessed times to make others hard times a little easier so I will be looking for ways to do that. May God use us all in all times of our lives.

Only one week until Christmas Eve!

I cannot believe that it is almost Christmas and I have not even written anything about it yet. The reason this is so shocking to me is that I love Christmas. It really is one of my favorite holidays. I like holidays in general but Christmas is extra special. I was sitting in our living room with the Christmas tree lights on and just loving the feeling. I think a tree makes a home feel like home. We decorated our house and tree last Sunday. I love pulling out all of the Christmas stuff and how excited the kids get. No matter how many times you do it, it is still exciting every year.

Some of our traditions are:

We get the kids an ornament each year. My mom and dad did this for me and my sister and when I moved out I got to take mine with me. I can remember each one and when I got it. I am hoping to do the same for my kids.

We do an advent sock thing. It is 24 baby socks hung up in a row and in each one is a piece of paper with something for us to do that day written on it. Things like do a puzzle, color together, movie night... things like that.

We bake Christmas cookies. This year we are doing it with my mom, sister, and grandma. I am looking forward to baking with everyone else.

One night we all get in the car with popcorn or some snack and drinks and drive around and look at Christmas lights. This is also something I did with my family and I love doing it with my kids.

We read as many Christmas books as we can get out hands on. The library is a good place to get these but we also are always adding to our own colection.

We read the Christmas story (the real story) before we open presents on Christmas morning ( also something my family does)

We listen to lots of Christmas music.

I love traditions so I am always excited when I can make them with my own family. Some years we do other things but these are the things we do every year. I think it is so important to build memories and whatever you do as a family is building memories. I want my kids to look back and remember this as a good time that we had as a family. Not a stressfull time but a time that was about family. I hope that is what they will remember. And that we had a lot of fun!

What we will be doing tomorrow...

We are so excited about tomorrow night and attending this fun event.

This is the latest thing that my husbands business is putting on and we think it should be fun.

Birthday pictures

Happy Birthday

To my first born son,

You turned six today. I can hardly believe it! Six sounds so old. I do not know how it happened so fast.

This year you was the first year that you wanted an all boy party. So we invited six boys over and had a fort party. You and your dad built forts all over our house. Then you guys played with dart guns and silly string and ran around like boys should. You were so excited about the whole thing. The friends, the cake, the presents, the fact that it was all for you.

You are becoming your own little person. You have your own ideas about how things should be and you are always wanting to learn. I am having a lot of fun teaching you this year. You are so interested in everything that it has made me get excited about leaning along with you.

You are a take charge kind of guy. You can enter a room and just make yourself comfortable. You make friends easily. You also have a strong sense of justice and can get very upset if you see a wrong being made.

I love that you still like to sit with me on the couch. You like to be read to and you like to cuddle. You are so sweet. You take me on little dates and you really like to spend time with people. You enjoy going to work with your dad and being grown up and you like to talk "business" with the guys.

You are an amazing big brother. You really look out for your sister and you truly love her. You are proud of her when she does something for the first time. You care when she gets hurt and you laugh when she is funny. You guys play with each other really well and I love watching your imaginations grow. You play king and queen, mom and dad, cooking, and cars and trains.

You are also our neat freak. Your room is always pretty clean and if I want to do and organizing project you are right there with me helping every step of the way.

When we ask you what you want to be when you grow up you say with no hesitation " I am going to work with daddy" You love to build things and are always coming up with new ideas of things to make. You really are our little builder.

This is the year that you stopped believing in Santa Claus because things were just not adding up for you. You still love Christmas and actually you enjoy every holiday.

You are our first born and so that means that we have had to try things out on you and see what works. I hope that has not been to hard for you. You are a good sport and I know you know we love you. I am looking forward to experiencing year six with you and seeing how you change and grow this year.

Happy Birthday my wonderful boy

Love,
Mama

What music is playing in your day?

I read a post by this girl and I loved the concept. The idea is that instead of a schedule your day has a rhythm. I have been thinking about it a lot lately and I will think in my head " what is playing right now? Is it classical music, rock, smooth jazz, worship, hip-hop, R&B?" I do not know if that is exactly what the girl meant when she wrote the post but it is how I have imagined it. I also like the idea of not haveing a really strict schedule but that there is some "rhythm" to our days. There is a flow and it may change some days and some days are a faster flow and some days are a slower flow but there is some reason to what we are doing and some thought to our days. When things feel like they are getting out of control and I am going to go crazy with the noise I mentally turn down the volume and figure out where our rhythm is out of line. I really like this concept and I think it just explains life so well. It is something I can really understand and put into practice in our lives.

Things I am enjoying

I love this website. It is great for Christmas presents or just for yourself.

This is a blog that I am enjoying but I also am reading this book and loving it so far.

If you read my blog about coffee you know that I like the stuff. I am dying to try this coffee and I think you should to.

I am liking this one for food ideas. Every mom can use good ideas.

Seven Years

Today I have been married to my wonderful husband for seven years. I cannot believe that it has been that long and at the same time I can barely remember what it was like before he was a part of my life. We have decided that we want to change our anniversary date because December 4th is just a very busy time. Our sons birthday is the 10th and there are other family member birthdays and then there is Christmas so we are moving the date to sometime in the spring. We have not picked a date yet. All that to say that we are not really celebrating today and postphoning it until later.

I know that it is easy to get used to someone and then only noticing the things that maybe bother you or get on your nerves. I want to take this opportunity to say that I am very thankful for my husband. He treats me really well and he puts up with my crazy moods. He makes me laugh and he is a great father.

All I can say is that I am thankful that I married well.
He is a real catch!

Coffee

Is it a problem that I really love coffee? That I could drink it all day, every day? We have this coffee maker that you put this little pod in and then pull the handle and it makes a cup of coffee right into your cup.

My son, who is almost six, has learned how to make coffee for me. He is so cute making it. He even knows how to put the cream and sugar in it. Let me tell you, he can make a really good cup of coffee.

The other day it was the late afternoon and he asked me,"do you want a cup of coffee mama?" It was just so sweet. He knows that it is something that I enjoy and it is something that he can now give to me.

My husband is amazing and sometimes I do not even want to tell people this because I feel so spoiled but most mornings he brings me a cup of coffee and the paper in bed. I get to have enough time to drink a cup of coffee and look through the paper. It also gives me some quite time before I have to take on the day. I know, I am totally spoiled but I am going to enjoy it while it lasts.

I was laying in bed thinking that when we are old and have been married for a million years this is one of those things that I will look back on and smile. It is a way to love me and touch my very heart.

Ok so maybe coffee is a weird topic to write about but it is the one pleasure that I look forward to everyday and it is a thing that is just for me. I do not have to share it or make it for anyone else and I can just sit and enjoy.

I also like that it is something that you can do with a friend or family. In my family we drink coffee non-stop. There is almost always a pot brewing. I think that is part of it. It reminds me of home. It is something that I watched my parents do everyday and now I am that parent. I like that everyone has their way of making their coffee. I like mine with cream and sugar. Not a lot but a little of both. Most of my family drinks it black.

We actually owned a coffee shop when my boy was about six months old. We both worked their but my husband more than me. It was fun to be able to make any drink we wanted any time. I liked to watch how different people acted in the morning. Some people were morning people and ready to take on the day and some were just dragging themselves in in order to get their coffee so that they could get the day started. It was a nice atmosphere to work in and when you are your own boss there is nobody looking over your shoulder. The hours were really hard and there was always more work to do. So, after awhile we sold it and now we just enjoy going to other peoples coffee shops.

There is nothing quite like a good strong cup of really hot coffee with a little cream and sugar, (especially if it is made by your amazing little boy)

Samaritan's Purse

We have this change jar by the front door. My huband and I put change in it whenever we have to much or don't want to carry it. Then I got a magazine in the mail from the group Samaritan's Purse. There is a section in the middle that are less expensive and say that they are gifts that kids can give.
Then I had an idea.
I took the kids and our change jar to one of those coin machines that you put the change in, it counts it for you, and then you get cash for it.
It came up to 33.00 and some change. I asked the store cashier for small bills.
Then we came home with our money and sat down with the magazine and I let my son pick out what he wanted to buy with the money we had.
He picked a dozen chicks, milk,a warm meal for a week,a little lamb that plays Jesus loves you. At the point we were out of money but then he saw the one that says "Help a child learn to read and write" He was so sure he wanted to do that one. I think the fact that he loves to read made this one really stick out to him. So I told him I would see how much cash I had in my purse. When we counted it we were still six dollars short. So he decided to get out his wallet. In there was a five dollar bill that he had found in the grass at the park and he had told me that he wanted to give it to someone who needed it. So this seemed very appopriate to him. Then we were still one dollar short. He pulled out another dollar and put it in the pile. He was so proud and happy that we were able to buy so much with the money we pulled together and we were really celebrating the true meaning of Christmas.
We put the change that was left over in the jar to start all over again. We will save our change for the year and next year we will look through the magazine and bless more people because God has blessed us so greatly.
I encourage you to look up there web site if you do not get this magazine in the mail and check it out. It is so tangable for kids and the amounts are something that they can really pay for. Ten dollars for a dozen chicks, four dollars for milk for a week, seven dollars for a warm meal for a week.... And in meeting the real needs of these people it opens the doors for them to meet their spiritual needs as well.
It is never to early to start celebrating the true and real message of Christmas.

What makes a five (almost six) year old happy

1. Rootbeer Floats

2. Building forts day and night

3. Planning for his upcoming birthday party

4. Reading a whole book in one day

5. Watching The Amazing Race

6. Doing science experiments

7. Drawing pictures

8. Building pretty much anything out of everything

9. Taking photos

10.Playing with his cats

Updates

My friends Kristen and Brody had their baby boy last night and everything went really well. It is their third boy and he is beautiful. I am so happy for them.

We have completed all of the paper work for our adoption and will be able to meet with a social worker soon.

I have started a whole new school program with my son and I am really liking it so far. We have only done it for two days but I am happy so far. It is the Sonlight program and I love that they include so much about other countries and missionaries. I am still getting the hang of it but he seems to be liking it and learning a lot.

My daughter had her first experience with shots today ( we choose not to do them all or at the time that you would regularly but we are not starting with some of them) I felt so bad for her today and now I am letting her just sit and watch movies.

I got to spend the weekend with my mom and sister and had a really nice time. We shopped and ate and shopped and ate and did a little more shopping and eating. I am glad I got to spend that time with them.

I am going to now go and make lists. I do a lot better when I am feeling overwhelmed with things that need to get done if I make a list. Around this time of year I always need lots of lists.

Turning 28!!!

Tomorrow November 7th I will turn 28 years old. I love birthdays. I love my birthday and I love other peoples birthdays. I feel like I have been celebrating my birthday for a long time already but tomorrow is the official day and so I thought I would share my birthday thoughts.

Wishes for this next year:

1. That we get our new baby through the adoption and that we all adjust well

2. That I continue to exercise because it makes me a better person

3. That I will continue to mature and grow as a person


Facts about me:

I was a little over 8lbs at birth. I am the first born. Like most first borns I was a stubborn child and still am. I was born in Auburn, Ca. I had very chubby cheeks just like my daughter did. People say I look just like my mom.

I have always liked birthdays and thought that they were and are very special.

Some of my friends like that I try out an age before they get to it. I don't really mind because I feel like with every year that I get older, I get more sure of myself, I enjoy life even more, and I have less people to impress.

A special birthday memory:
I do not remember exactly which birthday it was. I think about 5th or 6th. I really wanted one of those birthday cakes where the cake is the dress of a barbie doll and you put the doll in the top. I had seen a picture of one that my dad had made when he was younger and so that is what I asked for. Well, when my dad went to make it he had a really hard time. I do not know exactly what was going wrong because I was in bed but I know that he stayed up most of the night working on it and when I woke up it was done and it was beautiful. I was so happy to have that cake for my birthday.

So, here I go into the unknown of 28 and excited to see what is going to happen.

Thankful November

I think this is a good month to think of things that we are thankful for. It is the month of Thanksgiving afterall so it is a good time to concentrate on those things that make our hearts glad.

1. I am thankful for pumpkin scones and coffee on a cold morning with my mom and great-grandma.

2. I am thankful for my birthday, it is nice to have a special day

3. I am thankful for starting my day with a wonderful swim

4. I am thankful for my kids imaginations

5. I am thankful for a warm, cozy house

Birthday Weekend

My birthday is not until the 7th of November but we decided to celebrate it early because that is what worked for us. So this last weekend we went to the beach. My husband, kids and me. We left Saturday morning and took our time driving to the beach. Along the way we would stop and the kids would give me a gift and let me open it. It was such a fun way to spread it out and enjoy each gift. The first that I opened was the movie The Mod Squad. It is the first movie that Levi and I watched together when we first realized that we liked each other. I could not believe that he thought of that and bought it for me. So thoughtful. The next was a book by Real Simple about party planning that I was so excited about. I love getting new ideas for parties and then throwing a party and having everybody enjoy it. Then I opened a present from my son that he picked out and payed for himself. It was some really cute magnents that have Christmas trees on them. He is so thoughtful. Then when we finally reached the beach I opened the last one. It was a card that had a membership card for a local gym in it that I have been wanting to go to for awhile. I was so excited. Not only do I get to go but it is all done for me and all I have to do is walk in and start swimming. That is what I love to do for excersise and they have a great pool. This was a very sweet present. Then we spent a wonderful time at the beach. It was really warm and the kids even went in the water. They built a big sand castle and just played for a long time. Then we went to a hotel and relaxed and just had some nice family time. The next morning had been day light savings time so we were up extra early. So we decided to go into San Fransisco and show the kids around and do a little shopping. Then we headed home and my daughter and I slept almost the whole way home. It was a perfect birthday celebration. I am so thankful for my family but most of all for a husband that cares so much about me and my happiness.

I went to the gym this morning and swam and it was just amazing. I have felt good all day and just having that time to myself is so nice. I am looking forward to going again tomorrow. How did I get so lucky to marry a man like him?

Roller Coaster

Up... We are at the doctor for a routine blood test for the adoption process. We get it done and are on our way. No big deal. I have done it every time I have been pregnant which I thought was interesting that I had to do it again for the adoption.

Down... I get a call while at Costco with the kids. It is the doctor that we had just seen for our physicals. She tells me that my husband needs to be seen tomorrow because his blood tests came back and it looks like he might have diabetes. Not good news. Your blood suger is supposed to be around 75 to 95 or maybe 100. His was 310! So no sleep last night and a very large knot in my stomach all day today. I could hardly concentrate all day. My husband saw the doctor at 10am and they took another blood sample.

Up... My husband comes home from work at almost 4pm and calls the doctor. They call right back and tell us that his new blood test came back at 93. Thank you God!!! He is totally fine and the first test was just a mess up somehow. I am so glad.

I really do feel like I have been on a roller coaster. I felt like we should celebrate but I was so worn out from worrying all day that I just want to go to bed. All I can say is that I have a new found respect for our health and am thankful that the Lord has kept us all well.

Star Light, Star Bright...

I thought that I would share with you the great evening that I just had. My husband has been out of town all week so it has been just me and the kids. We decided to go to Tahoe and stay at the condo that we have here. It has been really nice but I was so tired today. My girl has decided that she does not need naps anymore even though she acts tired and we all know that mama needs a nap. But after I made dinner I decided to take them to the hot tub even though I was exahusted. We got there and it was just getting dark. The clouds were pink and blue and grey and just beautiful. Then it started getting dark enough to see stars so I said the old rhyme "star light, star bright first star I see tonight, I wish I may, I wish I might have the wish I wish tonight. Then we all took turns making a wish.
My son, wished that we would all stay a family forever ( broke my heart)
My daughter, wished for a pink dancing dress ( that's my girl)


On a side note. My daughter lives in a pink world. She says she wants things pink that you cannot have in pink like a pumpkin, or a lake tahoe. All she can think about is pink. I might say, I want the chocolate one she will reply, I want the pink one. It just goes on and on all day every day. She has also started this imaginary world that does not know when to stop. She can make anything a toy and she just goes into this other world. We put her in her booster seat and strapped her in so that she would have to stay sitting with us at dinner, a few minutes later her spoons are having a converstation and we do not even exist. This morning she woke up at the crack of dawn so I pulled her into bed with me hoping to get a little more sleep. She started an entire world with mamas and daddies and all kinds of stuff going on. At 6 in the morning! I do love to listen to her play and it is like a little peek into her mind. When my husband was sick the people in her little world were sick alot, now with him out of town, they are gone a lot or on an airplane. It can be frustrating when I am trying to get her atention long enough to get dressed or to eat something but I know that this will be gone too fast and so I am going to enjoy being a little fly on the wall in her world and listening in on her imaginary world.

Pumpkins

We had a great time at the pumpkin patch. I love getting pumpkins. I think that I get just as excited as the kids do. There is this really fun place called Bishop's Pumpkin Farm that we have gone to the last two years. There is so much to do there. There is the petting farm, the train, the corn maze, the hay ride to go out and pick your pumpkins right off of the vines, and so much more. We were so tired when we left there and so dirty. That to me is a sign of a good time. To me picking out our pumpkins is like the true start of the fall season and I get so excited. It has been getting colder here kind of grey. I have been able to burn candels now that it gets darker earlier and the house feels really cozy. This is a wonderful time of year and I am going to enjoy every bit of it.

T.V. Shows

I kind of have this love/hate relationship with the telivision. We do not watch a lot of tv but I am sure we watch more than some people, less than others. We have three shows that we watch on a regular basis. Gilmore Girls, The Office, and The Amazing Race.

Gilmore Girls is my show. I have been watching it forever and I have not missed very many episodes. I love the humor, the love, the realationships and the escape from reality.

The Office: What can I say. This is something that my husband and I look forward to. We laugh, and laugh. It is a half hour that we just sit and enjoy ourselves, together.

The Amazing Race: This one is not as popular so maybe you have not seen it but it is a family favorite. It is on Sunday evenings and we all watch it together. There are teams of two that are racing around the world for a million dollars. There are things they have to do to get their next clue and so on. We each pick a team that we think will win. Last season my son picked the winning team on day one. This season my team is already gone, my husbands team has turned on each other and just not really any fun to watch, my son picked the young guys ( who are doing pretty well and are nice) my daughter picked the young, blond girls ( who are also doing very well and are very nice)

I say all that to say that I think that kids are pretty intuitive. I think some kids more than others but I think they all have it in them more than adults. I wonder what makes that happen. Do we lose that as we get older? Do we stop listening to that little voice or feeling that we have inside? My daughter will pick out a girl from a room full of girls as the " one that she likes" and it will turn out to be the nicest girl there.

So, will it be the young girls or the young guys this time?
I will let you know in the end.

A couple of years ago

My son had an infatuation with "mama cows" at this point in his life. He as a very happy cow and my daughter was his farmer.

We are better

I am happy to report that my husband is much better. After spending another day in the emergency room we went home. Sunday was spent resting and being sick because my parents had the kids so we were able to really rest. Then that night we realized that maybe he was having a bad reaction to the antibiotics. So he stopped taking them that night and by the next morning he was feeling much better. We had a doctors appointment scheduled that day so he went to that and she said that he was having a reaction and that he should throw them away and never take those again. It was a such a good feeling to know why he was still sick and to see him actually improving. I do not know why we did not think of it sooner but now we know. My husband is very sensitive to everything. ( caffein, alcohol, medicine) So now we know to be much more careful about what his is taking and how he is reacting to what he is taking.

So now life goes on....
I love this time of the year. It is my favorite. I like the weather, the food, the holidays, everything about it. We are planning on going to a pumpkin patch on Friday and I think I am just as excited as the kids. My husband is going to be able to come with us and that makes me really happy also. We are having a great time homeschooling and we are going to be studying Christopher Columbus tomorrow.
This weekend we go to our second class for the adoption. After this class we can start meeting with a social worker and then things really start moving along. We are getting really excited.
It is so weird to see yourself in one of your kids. My son has started to do things that I remember doing as a kid. He has a book with him where ever he goes, he likes to be in on all of the conversations, and he loves holidays and doing projects.
My daughter is just a light in our house. She makes us laugh and cares so much. Every night when we put her to bed she wants to pray for our grandma ( the one she is named after) but she is very specific about what she wants to pray for. She wants to pray that grandma gets chocolat. It makes me smile every time she says it.

So, now I am hoping to get our live back to normal. I want to meal plan, and actually cook dinner for my family. I want to go out and do things together. I want to just get back to being us.

I am a pro at the ER

I spent all of yesterday sitting in the emergency room once again with my very sick husband. He has been sick for a week and not seeming to be improving. Then yesterday he seemed worse, very weak, light headed. So, we took him back in. My mom and dad were so nice to take off of work so that they could take the kids. It was such a relief that I did not have to worry about them also. I was kind of freaking out. It just was hitting me that he might be really sick and what if it was something really serious. Anyway, he went in, they did a ton of tests, they said that he was sick but they do not know the exact cause of it, to go home and rest and see a doctor on Monday. Skip to today and he is resting, reading, watching movies, and trying to eat. At first it sounds kind of nice but for my husband he is about to jump out of his skin ( except that he does not have the energy to do that) He is eating wierd things like jello, chicken broth, and rice. I am trying to make sure that he is getting enough to drink and eat and keep him company. All of this is a lot easier to do without two little kids running around. We are enjoying the peace and quiet. I do not know what I would do without my parents. They have been so good to me and caring and generous and the kids are so happy. My son caught a 20in fish that broke his fishing pole and my daughter gave it a great big kiss. Today they are going to some farms that are having a kind of open house. I am sure they are having a blast. Me, I am trying to take advantage of not having them here and getting ready for the week. I am going to clean, get ready for school next week, and get some paper work done. This whole thing has made me appreciate my husband so much more and realize that we are really blessed to have each other. I do not know how long it will take for him to get better but I am praying that I do not forget all that I have learned through this.

How we are getting along

Things here have not changed much. My husband is still sick and having a hard time accepting the fact that he really is sick. He tries to do something but then ends up on the couch in a lot of pain. Me on the other hand, I am tired. Very, very tired. It is hard to do everything all day and not get frustrated that he cannot help. I know that he can't and should not but it is still hard. I just wish I knew what was going on. We have not been able to get any more information from the doctors and so we do not know what is exactly wrong. He is supposed to go to a doctor for a follow up appointment so hopefully we will know something after that.

On a different note I got my hair cut today. It is a lot shorter but I think that I like it. It is going to be much easier to take care of and maybe I will be able to make it look good more often instead of always having it in a pony tail.

We have spent a lot of time at the park lately. The weather has been beautiful and the kids have been loving it.

Home schooling is going good. We just got done trying the five in a row book. I highly recomend it. We got to study all about Jewish things and being a good neighbor, and found out where Poland is and we went to a Jewish deli today. It was a really fun study. I am looking forward to our next one.

We are planning a trip to visit some friends on Sunday until Wednesday. We are all looking forward to it. The kids have been counting down the days. I am hoping that my husband is feeling up to the trip, but if not we will go ahead without him.

It is Friday night and I really like Friday nights. I like the feeling that the weekend is just starting and that I get to look forward to Saturday mornings. I like how slow we can take it on the weekends and that the kids seem to just be happy to hang out. I like making a big breakfast or going out to breakfast. I like getting the house cleaned up and ready for another week. I would have to say that Friday nights and Saturday mornings are my favorite times of the week.

I am going to go to bed now. I have a very full day ahead of me.

P.S. check out my adoption link to find out more details about our adoption process.

The Mystry Sickness

In order to tell this story I have to give a little background. For as long as I can remember every time I get sick a couple of days later my husband gets sick and then he has a new found sympathy for me because now he knows what it really feels like. So I had been sick for a couple of days. Not really a big deal, just a cold or something but I felt pretty bad. Then Sunday morning he wakes up, is totally fine for about an hour and then suddenly he is sick. So, I did what I usually do and complain that he always gets sick after me and that it is not fair that he is sick on the weekend when he can rest blah, blah , blah... So he stays in bed most of the day. I take the kids to this thing at the park ( a children's fair) and then we head home about 3pm. When we get home he tells me that he does not think that he is ok and that he needs to go to the doctor. Now a little more background. My husbad does not go to the doctor unless it is really bad so I knew that something was not right. So we drop the kids off at my friend, Vanessa's, house and go to the urgent care. They find out what is wrong with him and tell us that we have to go to the emergency because they cannot treat him there. At this point I am getting a bit freaked out but trying to keep it together. So, off to the ER we go.

Once we get there it is more paperwork and waiting. I hate emergency rooms. They have always freaked me out. It seems like the most fitlthy, contaminated place. Besides the fact that there is always something really gross that happens while I am there everytime. One time I was waiting in the ER and this guy came in with a nail through his finger. This time it was a coung guy that had a bike accident and his face was all cut up and he was crying and I was just so sad for him. It was an absolute zoo in there. It seemed like everyone there waiting to be seen had brought about 15 extra people with them, kids running all over the place, it was just crazy. Then they call our name.

We go in, they ask a couple of questions and start an I.V. The first thing is that they say he is very dehydrated. So they start some fluids, take some blood for tests, and try to make him comfortable. At this point they are saying that it is probably a virus or food born illness.

I leave after he is comfortable and get the kids, take them home, feed them, and put them to bed. Then my great friend, Vanessa, comes over to stay with the kids while I go back to the hospital. So, I find out that while I was gone they gave him some morphine for the pain and as soon as they gave it to him, he had a horrible reaction to it. His head started hurting even worse and his oxogyn went way down. So, they stopped that and gave him something else. I guess we should have told them that he is very sensitive to everything.

Anyway, when I got there they were talking about giving him a cats scan to rule out the possibility of Crohns Disease. So I started really getting worried. They made him drink this gigantic cup of fluid and then wait an hour and then took him to the cats scan. After that was done I figured I better go home and get some sleep so that I would be able to take care of the kids in the morning. I got to bed about 1am. My daughter woke me up at 7am which was actually an answer to prayer because shw has been known to wake much earlier.

So, about 9am the kids and I walked over to the hospital ( it is only four blocks away) to see (daddy). He was looking a bit better, they still had him hooked up to everything and we still had not heard anything from a doctor about the cats scan or any of the blood tests. So after a visit I take the kids home. It is not really fun to try to hang out at the hospital with little kids. We hung out at home, did some school, cleaned the house, did some laundry, ate lunch, took naps, all while waiting for the doctor to come and tell us what was going on. I would call every hour or so and try to find something out and my husband would say the same thing each time, " I still have not seen a doctor". I was about to go crazy. What if my husband had this horrible disease? What if he was not going to get better? What in the world would I do without him? It was getting pretty bad and all this with the kids and trying to stay positive for them. Finally at about 3pm the doctor came and said that it was not the worst case thing with the disease and that they were now sure that it is a virus that is making his colon really unhappy. They will not know what exactly it is for a couple of days but that the antibiotics that they had him on would take care of it, with time.

I got to finally go and pick him up at 5pm. When we got there, he had taken his IV out himself! For those of you that know him, you are probably not that surprised. He did get in trouble with the nurse when she came in and found out he had done that. He was really ready to come home.

So, now back at home I am very relieved. He is not better but he will be able to get better. I am so thankful. He had a bunch of visitors today and that was really great to see how many people really care about us. He is on a pretty strict diet and he actually asked me to make him some chicken broth tonight. He said that mine was much better then the one at the hospital. What a compliment, I must me an amazing cook. I do not know how long it will take for him to get better but we will just take it one day at a time and I know that I will be very thankful for each and every one of those days.

Today was the day we....

Well, we....

1. Changed from an international adoption to a dometic adoption.

2. Went to get our fingerprints and should have been in and out in 15 minutes but ended up being there for over an hour due to a mix up and the change in our adoption. This with our kids and in a very small office.

3. I got sick today and it is just so hard to be sick and get anything done. I hate being sick

4. Realized that we will be getting a baby in our house sooner than we were thinking and need to do some planning and preparing. It is still awhile off but not as long.

5. Put our daughter in time out at least 6 times (this morning)

6. Watched the season premeire of Gilmore Girls. I really enjoy that show.

7. Need to go to bed because we all need to be heading out the door a little after 8am tomorrow morning and that is a feat that I do not feel up to at this moment. I hope I wake up feeling better.



( I will put more information on my adoption link soon)

Dress-up at Grandma's house

What?

My husband just explained to me that he used to wish that he could use his sleeping time more productively. So instead of having dreams he wanted to figure out things, like solve problems. I already thought this was crazy but he then proceded to tell me that he is able to do this now. He wakes up most mornings with an idea that he worked out in his head, in his sleep. I think he is crazy. If there was ever a time to take a break and relax it would be while you are actually sleeping. I don't know what else to say but that he is one of a kind for sure.

It's a boy!

A beautiful baby was born last night. I was asked to be a doula and the woman had her baby last night. It has been a long journey for her, from starting to go into labor at 32 weeks and being put on bed rest to being induced 10 days late. I got there at 5p.m. and they had started her on pitocin at around 4p.m. She labored really well and her husband was a great support. I was amazed at how well she did. She stayed calm and really just took one contraction at a time. Then she delivered a very healthy 9lbs. 9oz. baby completely naturally! We were all shocked. He is just perfect and the mom and baby are doing well. I am so glad that I got to be a part of such an amazing miracle.

I Did It

I am very proud to say that I had a great two days and I did not get a lot done but just enjoyed myself. Thanks to my wonderful husband I got to go out to breakfast with a friend (for 4 and a half hours), get some shopping done, buy myself a purse, watch a movie in bed, take a bath, read the paper and drink coffee, go to a ladies tea, and now I am getting ready to go out to dinner with some of my family. Am I spoiled or what? I have loved every minute of being alone but I am missing my kids and husband and am looking forward to them coming home.

There were these questions in a magazine I was reading and I thought they were fun so I am going to answer them on here.

1. Life would be simpler if....

I knew that I was always doing the best thing for my kids and family and we never had to say good bye

2. I feel most beautiful....

After being outdoors either riding my bike or hiking or walking or after a good swim

3. The quality I like least about myself is...

Worrying that everyone else is happy and not mad and not just being able to relax

4. Something that no one knows about me is....

That being social makes me tired and I can only do it for a little while at a time without getting really worn out

5. Guilties pleasure?

Reading magazines

6. My favorite possession is...

My house

7. When I was little I wanted to be.....

A mom

8. What surprises me most about my adult life is...

Everything, where I live ( in a city), homeschooling, my husbands job ( land developer), the list could go on and on

9. The big decision I'm currently wrestling with is...

Should I join a gym and swim a few days a week or wait until the kids are older

My motto is....

This to shall pass ( told to me by a friends mom)

Two Wonderful Days

Right now my husband is packing the kids and himself to go to Tahoe with another friend and his kids tomorrow morning. I am very excited. What to do with all of my time. That is the hardest part for me to decide. Do I get a lot done, or just rest the whole time or a mixture of both? That is what I think I will do. I am loving having my son home and doing the whole homeschool thing but I am about to go crazy with the constant talking. He has so many questions and sometimes I think I might go crazy if I do not have a moment to just think a complete thought. I am going out to breakfast tomorrow morning with my wonderful friend Vanessa. I love to go out to breakfast and I am looking forward to catching up with her. Then I am going to go on a hunt for a purse. Then on Saturday I am going to have the whole morning to myself and then a ladies tea in the afternoon. I am not really into the whole ladies tea thing but I want to see the women that are going to be there so I will go. I feel so blessed to have a husband that will take the kids by himself for that long and that my kids are old enough to go without me. Maybe I will be able to have a complete thought this weekend and be able to write about something that is actually interesting.

Life Right Now

Ever feel like you are playing catch up all day long? There is so much to do and not enough time or energy. On the other hand does it really matter if I put all the clean clothes away today or tomorrow. Will anyone suffer if I don't pick up the toys today and just wait until tomorrow? When do I pass the line of being lazy and just trying to enjoy life? These questions go around in my head a lot these days.

I am not a person that likes to have a " right way" to do everything. Some weeks it works to do a meal plan and make dinner every night, other weeks we eat take out almost every night. There are times when I like to have my days planned and know what to expet. Other times I like to wake up and say " let's go to the beach and have a picnic".

We had a good weekend. We went on a couple of bike rides, we went out with friends and no kids one night. My dad came and went to church with us where we celebrated the churches one year anniversary. It was exciting to see how much the church had grown in the year that we have been there. I did a ton of laundry and we ended the weekend by riding our bikes to one of our families favorite places The Big Spoon. It is this self serve frozen yogurt place that has more toppings than you could dream of and it is all self serve so you can pick any mixture that you want and pile it on. The kids love it. I love it. We left very happy.

Today we continued on with our homeschooling and it is going well. We even did two math lessons because my son was so into it. My daughter is pretty much potty trained and that is a nice feeling. She is also a big handful and a very funny girl. She keeps us laughing all day long.

We start community Bible study this week and I am looking forward to the study of Acts. I think I will learn a lot and make some new friends.

We are also going to go visit my great-grandma tomorrow who is not in very good health. She is such an important person in our family and it is so sad to watch her body start to give out. I will write a whole post on her soon because there is so much to say.

So, now I am going to go and decided if I am going to put all those clothes away today or tomorrow?

Those Hiking Dads

These are pictures from the latest dadshike. They did an urban hike this time all around the city. If you did not go this time and want to go next time check out the web site on my links.

Firsts

It has been a very busy week. We had our first day of school on Tuesday and it went well. I have some learning to do but we had a good first day. The kids were bursting at the seams on the first day. I like the program a lot and it seems to keep their attention pretty good.
Tuesday was also our first soup night. I was so excited getting ready and then a little nervous wondering if anyone would come. As it turns out we had about 12 adults and a handful of kids. They were people that we know from all different places and I was surprised at how well everyone got along and it just all went really good. We had plenty of food and the kids had a great time playing with their friends. My daughter said " let's do that again". She will be happy to discover that this will be an on going thing.
The last fist for Tuesday was that it was the first full day of my daughter being in underwear for the whole day without any accidents. I am so happy. It looks like we may be able to have her out of diapers before we get the next one.






Us in our new " school room" it is also the room that we just got done painting.

I Love Three Day Weekends

We have been having a great weekend. It is the last holiday before school starts and summer goes away. We stayed home considering that we had been gone for so long but we have had a very productive and restful weekend. We painted what is going to be the "school room", I got it all organized, we cleaned the house, we did other ramdom projects around the house, moved my daugther to a " big bed", and today we went to an art thing in the park and later after naps we are off to a BBQ. Overall we have just had a good time as a family and getting things in order to start our new adventure of homeschooling. The kids are so excited they can hardly stand it. I feel prepared now and things are in order so I can relax and enjoy the rest of the day. Tomarrow night is also our first " soup night" and we are looking forward to seeing how it goes. I hope people come, eat, and have a good time. So, for the rest of this day I am going to enjoy the tail end of our three day weekend which I think is one of my favorite things. It is like that extra added bonus that you were not expecting.