This was a good month for reading! All titles are hyperlinked for those who want to know more about the book.
For One More Day, by Mitch Albom
What would you do if you could spend one more day with someone who has died? That's what happens in this book. As is the case with Mitch Albom's books, I really enjoyed this story. His books are always short, easy reads that are unique.
Fostering Or Adopting The Troubled Child, by Janet Clayton Gatz
This book was recommended to me by someone on the Sonlight forums. We are confident that we want to adopt a child with special needs, but we don't know if those needs will be predominantly behavioral/emotional or physical. So, I've started doing some reading on the behavioral stuff, just in case. This book was straightforward and practical, which I love.
Bridge Called Hope, by Kim Meeder
I found this book at the library near the other adoption books. It's about a ranch in Oregon that adopts abused and neglected horses, then lets hurt and troubled kids help to take care of them. Neat program! This is the second book about the ranch, so I'll get the first one read next month. Ironically, the Oregonian ran an article about the ranch on Christmas day, just a week after I finished the book.
Dave Barry Is From Mars & Venus, by Dave Barry
This was a book my dad received for Christmas and I started reading it at his house. It was hilarious!! Some chapters were just all right, while others had me trying my hardest to breathe and not pee my pants. I hopped online and reserved it at the library because I wasn't going to have time to finish it at my dad's. It was waiting for me when I pulled into town and I finished it right up. Funny! We also checked out the CD so that Tim can listen to it on the drive to work.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
ORPHANS & WIDOWS
There is a verse that I've been thinking about a lot over the last few months. I'll share it with you here.
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Our desire to adopt out of the foster care system is in the forefront of my mind these days, so it makes sense that I'd be thinking about this verse more than usual. However, we all need to be looking after orphans and widows. Every single one of us. That means the Ws (and we're going to become more active in this area). That means you.
How are you helping orphans and widows? How can you help orphans and widows? The answers to those questions will vary from person to person and family to family, but we all need to be doing something. Anything. And while I believe that it's important to pray for the orphans and widows, I'm confident that the verse in James is talking about practical, tangible, physical ways of helping.
I thought I'd list out some of the things that I've thought of, but I'd love for you to share more ideas in the comments section. Some of the things in my list are for the elderly population in general, as many of them are widowed. Other things may include kids in single parent homes, foster homes, etc. While these kids may have a real or substitute parent, they don't have the complete set of parents that they should have. Items in green are hyperlinks for you to get more information.
WIDOWS
* drive them to appointments, stores, etc.
* mow their lawn
* watch their kids (not all widows are elderly)
* stop by to visit, do puzzles, etc
* invite them over for dinner & give rides, if needed
* visit a nursing home, assisted living, or adult foster care facility
* acknowledge their deceased spouse's birthday, date of death, and anniversary
* make sure they have food, heat, etc during a storm
* volunteer for Meals on Wheels
* anonymously put money toward their account (rent, electricity, garbage, etc)
ORPHANS
* foster a child
* adopt a child
* give money to organizations that care for orphans
* provide foster parents with toiletries, kids' clothing, gas cards, etc
* provide money to a family who is in the midst of an expensive adoption
* join Big Brothers Big Sisters
* volunteer for a missions organization that serve in orphanages
* host a shower for an adoptive parent (they'll need stuff for new kids who aren't babies too!)
I know there are a gazillion more ideas out there, but these were off the top of my head. Please share the things that you do to help orphans and widows. Or brainstorm ways that those who are new to the idea could get started. Include links to websites when possible!
James 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
Our desire to adopt out of the foster care system is in the forefront of my mind these days, so it makes sense that I'd be thinking about this verse more than usual. However, we all need to be looking after orphans and widows. Every single one of us. That means the Ws (and we're going to become more active in this area). That means you.
How are you helping orphans and widows? How can you help orphans and widows? The answers to those questions will vary from person to person and family to family, but we all need to be doing something. Anything. And while I believe that it's important to pray for the orphans and widows, I'm confident that the verse in James is talking about practical, tangible, physical ways of helping.
I thought I'd list out some of the things that I've thought of, but I'd love for you to share more ideas in the comments section. Some of the things in my list are for the elderly population in general, as many of them are widowed. Other things may include kids in single parent homes, foster homes, etc. While these kids may have a real or substitute parent, they don't have the complete set of parents that they should have. Items in green are hyperlinks for you to get more information.
WIDOWS
* drive them to appointments, stores, etc.
* mow their lawn
* watch their kids (not all widows are elderly)
* stop by to visit, do puzzles, etc
* invite them over for dinner & give rides, if needed
* visit a nursing home, assisted living, or adult foster care facility
* acknowledge their deceased spouse's birthday, date of death, and anniversary
* make sure they have food, heat, etc during a storm
* volunteer for Meals on Wheels
* anonymously put money toward their account (rent, electricity, garbage, etc)
ORPHANS
* foster a child
* adopt a child
* give money to organizations that care for orphans
* provide foster parents with toiletries, kids' clothing, gas cards, etc
* provide money to a family who is in the midst of an expensive adoption
* join Big Brothers Big Sisters
* volunteer for a missions organization that serve in orphanages
* host a shower for an adoptive parent (they'll need stuff for new kids who aren't babies too!)
I know there are a gazillion more ideas out there, but these were off the top of my head. Please share the things that you do to help orphans and widows. Or brainstorm ways that those who are new to the idea could get started. Include links to websites when possible!
Monday, December 29, 2008
TUNES WE LISTENED TO - DECEMBER
While you read through this month's list of music, be thinking of CDs that you want to recommend. I'll listen to anything I can find at the library.
Schindler's List (Soundtrack) - I really enjoyed this CD. Sometimes I just want instrumental music and this was a nice CD.
The Military Band - Salute To The Services (Band) - Fun stuff for the offspring to march to.
David Lanz - Return To The Heart (New Age) - I love David Lanz! I already have Cristoferi's Dream and the piano music is so relaxing. This CD was equally fantastic!
When Harry Met Sally (Soundtrack) - What's not to love about Harry Connick Jr.?
Dadawa - Sister Drum (World - Chinese/Tibetan) - This is a Chinese woman singing Tibetan music and I really liked it. The boys thought it sounded funny, which is what I expected.
Santana Greatest Hits (Pop/Rock) - Fun music!! Perfect for cleaning house or washing dishes.
Natalie Cole - Unforgettable: With Love (Pop/Rock) - Fabulous CD!
The Brian Setzer Orchestra - The Dirty Boogie (Pop/Rock) - Well, this one was a major hit with the boys, as it's really fun dancing music.
Magical Strings - Crossing To Skellig (World - Celtic) - Another keeper.
So, what music do you want me to check out on my next trip to the library?
Schindler's List (Soundtrack) - I really enjoyed this CD. Sometimes I just want instrumental music and this was a nice CD.
The Military Band - Salute To The Services (Band) - Fun stuff for the offspring to march to.
David Lanz - Return To The Heart (New Age) - I love David Lanz! I already have Cristoferi's Dream and the piano music is so relaxing. This CD was equally fantastic!
When Harry Met Sally (Soundtrack) - What's not to love about Harry Connick Jr.?
Dadawa - Sister Drum (World - Chinese/Tibetan) - This is a Chinese woman singing Tibetan music and I really liked it. The boys thought it sounded funny, which is what I expected.
Santana Greatest Hits (Pop/Rock) - Fun music!! Perfect for cleaning house or washing dishes.
Natalie Cole - Unforgettable: With Love (Pop/Rock) - Fabulous CD!
The Brian Setzer Orchestra - The Dirty Boogie (Pop/Rock) - Well, this one was a major hit with the boys, as it's really fun dancing music.
Magical Strings - Crossing To Skellig (World - Celtic) - Another keeper.
So, what music do you want me to check out on my next trip to the library?
Sunday, December 28, 2008
PICTURES
I'd like to formally announce that I have updated our Webshots page. Nothing has been added there for two months, as our camera died. However, I have a bunch of pics my dad took over Christmas that I have loaded tonight. Plus, we were blessed with a new camera, which means the weekly Sunday updates will continue next week with our own pics.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
OUR CHRISTMAS
We have spent the last three years alternating between our house and my dad's house for Christmas - 2005 there, 2006 here, 2007 there. The plan was that we'd all be here this year. However, we were thrown a curveball when we found out in late October that my dad could only get Christmas day off this year, making it impossible for him to travel here. There are three people at his work who take turns getting extra time off at Christmas, so the "every other year" plan won't work anymore.
That wouldn't normally be a big deal, except for the facts that I've never spent a Christmas without my dad (I'm big on tradition!) and we hadn't budgeted for a trip south. My dad's schedule and our budget just wouldn't allow us to spend Christmas day together. We came up with a backup plan, which involved my dad coming up alone the weekend before Christmas. I was bummed, but realized most people have spent a Christmas without their parents by my age and I needed to just make the best of it.
Flash forward to the tenth of this month. That's the day a friend of mine tells me that it's ridiculous that money would stand in the way of spending Christmas with my dad and that we would be receiving a chunk of change to pay for a trip south. Well, that was a total blessing ... except for the fact that I didn't know if it would work on my dad's end. They already had Christmas plans at someone else's house and my dad needed to get up early on Friday for work.
After several e-mails and questions and decision making we realized it was going to work! Woo hoo!!
Then, it snowed here. And it snowed some more. And it snowed even more. Our yard had a foot of snow, the roads were covered in snow and ice, and the storm wasn't over. We didn't think we could get out of our driveway, much less out of town. So, we let my dad know we probably wouldn't be there.
Then Tim said we should just give it a shot and let the roads decide for us. Well, the money we were given paid for chains (our first time using them), lodging for my grandma (we'd already planned on having her to our house for Christmas and weren't going to head south if she wasn't with us), lodging for us (we spent one night at a hotel because we left a day early, and at the last minute, to beat the last of the storm), meals, and gas. Such an incredible gift we received!! Devon was pretty excited about his first hotel experience too.
Our time at my dad's was great. We were invited to join the group they were spending the day with, a hodge podge of relatives that I'd need to make a flow chart to explain to you. Instead of the traditional Christmas turkey we had a Mexican potluck. Oh my! Tons and tons of good food! Debra, my dad's wife, made an awesome cheesecake that I'll have to post on FOR THE LOVE OF GRUB. It was so tasty that Tim, who doesn't like cheesecake at all, loved it! We were able to catch my sister's family on Skype on their Christmas morning, which was our Christmas Eve night. It was fun talking to them and seeing each other via the webcams. Debra and Ashley took the boys on a date to Cactus Jacks and "Old McDonald's" on Friday, which the boys thought was a ton of fun.We didn't have much opportunity to visit friends while we were down there, but did get to stop in and see Ryhan and Marie on our way out of town. Time spent with them is always so refreshing.
So, are you getting bored with all the details? Sorry, I have more. Oh wait. I forgot to mention that the first 25 miles of our trip south took four hours. That's right. Four hours. That was the longest trip we've ever taken to my dad's! We had no accidents though, so we won't complain. I will mention one more time, however, that the first 25 miles took four hours!!!
Now, here's the ending. We pulled into our driveway about 5:30 tonight, scarfed some dinner, ran some errands, then had another Christmas. We still had some gifts at home from various people. We thought about opening them before we went to my dad's, but I was afraid the roads would be too bad to drive on and we'd have to come home, which would have meant nothing for the kids to open on Christmas day. Anyway, the kids opened a bunch of gifts tonight from friends and family. They had a ball! It was my favorite year of them opening gifts so far. Naomi got a huge kick out of tearing paper and the boys were truly delighted over the things they got. So fun!
Notice I only mentioned the kids? That's because we did a "kids only" Christmas this year. First time we've ever done that, but it was the wise thing to do for us this year and we're ok with it. Sometimes the wise thing isn't the fun thing. However, Tim and I were blessed anyway.
First, we got a camera!! In case you haven't noticed, I haven't posted any new pics here, on the forums, or on Webshots since the end of October. Our camera just stopped working. It would occasionally work for Tim and never for me. So, with gifts from two different people/families we were able to buy a new camera. I'm in love with it. Truly. It's not fancy shmancy, but it's nicer than our last one, which was a camera I was already perfectly content with. You know how much I love taking pics, so it's been a huge bummer for me to not have a camera and not have any way to get a new one. So, the one we have now is a blessing all around. I'll be back to weekly updates on Webshots in no time flat.
Anyway, that would have been enough for Tim and I, but it didn't stop there. We came home to an envelope overflowing with gift cards to various places, both practical and frivolous. I see some free dates in our future, plus some other shopping and dining!
So, that's that. It was a fantastic Christmas!
That wouldn't normally be a big deal, except for the facts that I've never spent a Christmas without my dad (I'm big on tradition!) and we hadn't budgeted for a trip south. My dad's schedule and our budget just wouldn't allow us to spend Christmas day together. We came up with a backup plan, which involved my dad coming up alone the weekend before Christmas. I was bummed, but realized most people have spent a Christmas without their parents by my age and I needed to just make the best of it.
Flash forward to the tenth of this month. That's the day a friend of mine tells me that it's ridiculous that money would stand in the way of spending Christmas with my dad and that we would be receiving a chunk of change to pay for a trip south. Well, that was a total blessing ... except for the fact that I didn't know if it would work on my dad's end. They already had Christmas plans at someone else's house and my dad needed to get up early on Friday for work.
After several e-mails and questions and decision making we realized it was going to work! Woo hoo!!
Then, it snowed here. And it snowed some more. And it snowed even more. Our yard had a foot of snow, the roads were covered in snow and ice, and the storm wasn't over. We didn't think we could get out of our driveway, much less out of town. So, we let my dad know we probably wouldn't be there.
Then Tim said we should just give it a shot and let the roads decide for us. Well, the money we were given paid for chains (our first time using them), lodging for my grandma (we'd already planned on having her to our house for Christmas and weren't going to head south if she wasn't with us), lodging for us (we spent one night at a hotel because we left a day early, and at the last minute, to beat the last of the storm), meals, and gas. Such an incredible gift we received!! Devon was pretty excited about his first hotel experience too.
Our time at my dad's was great. We were invited to join the group they were spending the day with, a hodge podge of relatives that I'd need to make a flow chart to explain to you. Instead of the traditional Christmas turkey we had a Mexican potluck. Oh my! Tons and tons of good food! Debra, my dad's wife, made an awesome cheesecake that I'll have to post on FOR THE LOVE OF GRUB. It was so tasty that Tim, who doesn't like cheesecake at all, loved it! We were able to catch my sister's family on Skype on their Christmas morning, which was our Christmas Eve night. It was fun talking to them and seeing each other via the webcams. Debra and Ashley took the boys on a date to Cactus Jacks and "Old McDonald's" on Friday, which the boys thought was a ton of fun.We didn't have much opportunity to visit friends while we were down there, but did get to stop in and see Ryhan and Marie on our way out of town. Time spent with them is always so refreshing.
So, are you getting bored with all the details? Sorry, I have more. Oh wait. I forgot to mention that the first 25 miles of our trip south took four hours. That's right. Four hours. That was the longest trip we've ever taken to my dad's! We had no accidents though, so we won't complain. I will mention one more time, however, that the first 25 miles took four hours!!!
Now, here's the ending. We pulled into our driveway about 5:30 tonight, scarfed some dinner, ran some errands, then had another Christmas. We still had some gifts at home from various people. We thought about opening them before we went to my dad's, but I was afraid the roads would be too bad to drive on and we'd have to come home, which would have meant nothing for the kids to open on Christmas day. Anyway, the kids opened a bunch of gifts tonight from friends and family. They had a ball! It was my favorite year of them opening gifts so far. Naomi got a huge kick out of tearing paper and the boys were truly delighted over the things they got. So fun!
Notice I only mentioned the kids? That's because we did a "kids only" Christmas this year. First time we've ever done that, but it was the wise thing to do for us this year and we're ok with it. Sometimes the wise thing isn't the fun thing. However, Tim and I were blessed anyway.
First, we got a camera!! In case you haven't noticed, I haven't posted any new pics here, on the forums, or on Webshots since the end of October. Our camera just stopped working. It would occasionally work for Tim and never for me. So, with gifts from two different people/families we were able to buy a new camera. I'm in love with it. Truly. It's not fancy shmancy, but it's nicer than our last one, which was a camera I was already perfectly content with. You know how much I love taking pics, so it's been a huge bummer for me to not have a camera and not have any way to get a new one. So, the one we have now is a blessing all around. I'll be back to weekly updates on Webshots in no time flat.
Anyway, that would have been enough for Tim and I, but it didn't stop there. We came home to an envelope overflowing with gift cards to various places, both practical and frivolous. I see some free dates in our future, plus some other shopping and dining!
So, that's that. It was a fantastic Christmas!
Monday, December 22, 2008
CREATING WORDS
We have a few words around here that we've never heard other people use. Thought I'd share them with you in hopes that you'd also have some to share.
attackle (uh TACK ul) - verb meaning to attack and/or tackle someone, often involves pouncing and tickling
americaussipina (uh mer i CAW see pee nuh) - adjective used to describe someone, my sister, for example, who was born and raised in America, works with Australians, and lives in the Philippines and speaks quite strangely when combining the language of those three countries
synonyms for the above word include:
filipaussican (fil i PAW see cun)
aussipinican (aw see PEE ni cun)
So, does your family have any words that no one else uses?
attackle (uh TACK ul) - verb meaning to attack and/or tackle someone, often involves pouncing and tickling
americaussipina (uh mer i CAW see pee nuh) - adjective used to describe someone, my sister, for example, who was born and raised in America, works with Australians, and lives in the Philippines and speaks quite strangely when combining the language of those three countries
synonyms for the above word include:
filipaussican (fil i PAW see cun)
aussipinican (aw see PEE ni cun)
So, does your family have any words that no one else uses?
Saturday, December 20, 2008
PSA FOR BLOGGERS
For the record, PSA stands for public service announcement. I know other people think it stands for some numbers related to prostate problems, but that's not the case when I'm using it. Okey dokey?
Anyway, here is the reason for the PSA. I have had several people tell me they've stopped allowing comments on their blog because they spend too much time looking for new ones, others who never allowed them in the first place for that reason, and others who have missed comments that were several days or weeks old.
So, here is my PSA, my act of community service that I've already given to the poor souls described above. Ready? You can have all the comments on your blog e-mailed to you. Yes, it's true. I have no idea why so many people aren't aware of this fact, but there it is in black and white. Or shades of green, since you're reading my blog. Whatever.
Here's what you need to do. Go to your dashboard, click on "settings", then on "comments". Now scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says "comment notification e-mail" and type in your e-mail address. That's it. You're done. Now all the comments from your blog will come to your inbox. Say goodbye to the time you spent searching your blog in hopes of finding out that people think you're witty, your kids are cute, or that you are stinkin' smart. The proof will be in your inbox.
Anyway, here is the reason for the PSA. I have had several people tell me they've stopped allowing comments on their blog because they spend too much time looking for new ones, others who never allowed them in the first place for that reason, and others who have missed comments that were several days or weeks old.
So, here is my PSA, my act of community service that I've already given to the poor souls described above. Ready? You can have all the comments on your blog e-mailed to you. Yes, it's true. I have no idea why so many people aren't aware of this fact, but there it is in black and white. Or shades of green, since you're reading my blog. Whatever.
Here's what you need to do. Go to your dashboard, click on "settings", then on "comments". Now scroll down to the bottom of the page where it says "comment notification e-mail" and type in your e-mail address. That's it. You're done. Now all the comments from your blog will come to your inbox. Say goodbye to the time you spent searching your blog in hopes of finding out that people think you're witty, your kids are cute, or that you are stinkin' smart. The proof will be in your inbox.
Friday, December 19, 2008
CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENT
I love watching Christmas movies, reading Christmas books, and listening to Christmas music! So, I thought I'd share the flicks, books, and tunes that have been enjoyed at our house lately. Some belong to us and others are from the library. We like them all, some more than others. However, I don't want to influence your choices, so I won't tell you our favorites.
I've linked the items I could find on Amazon. I'd encourage you to browse the list, making note of the things that interest you. Then you'll have your library list ready for next year. The library is an excellent way to enjoy a budget friendly Christmas season! Speaking of budget friendly, we've also scored some great Christmas books at Dollar Tree and Goodwill.
MUSIC
Christmas Guitars
Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Silent Night
Children's Christmas (Westminster Children's Choir)
Kidz Bop Christmas
Christmas With The Stars (Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, etc)
A Folk Era Christmas
Vienna Boys' Choir - Messiah
Kathy Troccoli - A Sentimental Christmas
Christmas Rock
Encore - A Capella Christmas
Harry Connick Jr. - When My Heart Finds Christmas
JC Penney - Unwrap The Magic
Bebo Norman - Christmas: From The Realms Of Glory
Plus we have some Christmas stations on ...
PANDORA
Diana Krall
Harry Connick Jr.
The Jackson 5
Mannheim Steamroller
Michael W. Smith
As a sidenote, if you live in America and aren't familiar with Pandora, then check it out here. It's fantastic!
MOVIES
White Christmas
The Very First Noel
Christmas Cartoons
The Christmas Miracle Of Jonathon Toomey
Mrs. Santa Clause
The Toy That Saved Christmas
The Star Of Christmas
BOOKS
Was That Christmas?
The Little Drummer Boy
The Nativity
The Town That Forgot About Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas (first version)
The Donkey's Christmas Song
Christmas In The Big Woods
One Small Lost Sheep
A Christmas Story
The Christmas Ship
Hannah's Bookmobile Christmas
Bartholomew's Blessing
The Animal's Christmas Carol
Coyote Christmas
The Angel of Mill Street
The Christmas Candle
Christmas Lullaby
Hallelujah!
Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer
The First Night
A Stable In Bethlehem
The Littlest Christmas Elf
The Night Before Christmas (first version)
The Twelve Days of Christmas (second version)
The Night Before Christmas (second version)
The Elves & The Shoemaker
The Christmas Message
Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect
The Christmas Story
A Christmas Carol
The Nutcracker
Snowmen At Night
The Little Fir-tree
Counting Christmas
Look-alikes Christmas
The Joy of Christmas
The Snowman
Room For A Little One
The Lion Storyteller Christmas Book
The Night Before Christmas (third version)
The Night Before Christmas (fourth version)
The First Christmas
I'll Be Home For Christmas
I Spy Christmas
The Very First Christmas
Jolly Old Santa Claus
Christmas Carols That Never Grow Old
Religious Christmas Stories For Children
The Story of Christmas For Children
And another we love, but someone beat us to at the library ...
The Night Tree
I've linked the items I could find on Amazon. I'd encourage you to browse the list, making note of the things that interest you. Then you'll have your library list ready for next year. The library is an excellent way to enjoy a budget friendly Christmas season! Speaking of budget friendly, we've also scored some great Christmas books at Dollar Tree and Goodwill.
MUSIC
Christmas Guitars
Mormon Tabernacle Choir - Silent Night
Children's Christmas (Westminster Children's Choir)
Kidz Bop Christmas
Christmas With The Stars (Bing Crosby, Frank Sinatra, Rosemary Clooney, etc)
A Folk Era Christmas
Vienna Boys' Choir - Messiah
Kathy Troccoli - A Sentimental Christmas
Christmas Rock
Encore - A Capella Christmas
Harry Connick Jr. - When My Heart Finds Christmas
JC Penney - Unwrap The Magic
Bebo Norman - Christmas: From The Realms Of Glory
Plus we have some Christmas stations on ...
PANDORA
Diana Krall
Harry Connick Jr.
The Jackson 5
Mannheim Steamroller
Michael W. Smith
As a sidenote, if you live in America and aren't familiar with Pandora, then check it out here. It's fantastic!
MOVIES
White Christmas
The Very First Noel
Christmas Cartoons
The Christmas Miracle Of Jonathon Toomey
Mrs. Santa Clause
The Toy That Saved Christmas
The Star Of Christmas
BOOKS
Was That Christmas?
The Little Drummer Boy
The Nativity
The Town That Forgot About Christmas
The Twelve Days of Christmas (first version)
The Donkey's Christmas Song
Christmas In The Big Woods
One Small Lost Sheep
A Christmas Story
The Christmas Ship
Hannah's Bookmobile Christmas
Bartholomew's Blessing
The Animal's Christmas Carol
Coyote Christmas
The Angel of Mill Street
The Christmas Candle
Christmas Lullaby
Hallelujah!
Rudolph The Red-nosed Reindeer
The First Night
A Stable In Bethlehem
The Littlest Christmas Elf
The Night Before Christmas (first version)
The Twelve Days of Christmas (second version)
The Night Before Christmas (second version)
The Elves & The Shoemaker
The Christmas Message
Why Christmas Trees Aren't Perfect
The Christmas Story
A Christmas Carol
The Nutcracker
Snowmen At Night
The Little Fir-tree
Counting Christmas
Look-alikes Christmas
The Joy of Christmas
The Snowman
Room For A Little One
The Lion Storyteller Christmas Book
The Night Before Christmas (third version)
The Night Before Christmas (fourth version)
The First Christmas
I'll Be Home For Christmas
I Spy Christmas
The Very First Christmas
Jolly Old Santa Claus
Christmas Carols That Never Grow Old
Religious Christmas Stories For Children
The Story of Christmas For Children
And another we love, but someone beat us to at the library ...
The Night Tree
Thursday, December 18, 2008
12/18/08 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I'm thankful for a visit from Frann, one of my mom's friends who I haven't seen in nearly 20 years. She met the boys, mesmerized Naomi, and brought us homemade chicken soup.
What are you thankful for?
What are you thankful for?
KEEPING MY MOUTH SHUT
Sometime back in the spring I mentioned that I'd been made aware of how often I interrupt. At the time I made a conscious effort to curb that nasty habit. Well, lately I've noticed it's bad again. And if I'm annoying myself, then I must be driving everyone else up. the. wall.
As I was reading my Bible this morning there were two verses that stuck out to me. Here they are.
Proverbs 18:2, 13 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame.
I'm pretty much a shameful fool. My prayer included two things this morning. First, I want to really listen, not just let someone else talk while I think about what I want to say next. Second, that I would truly seek to understand what others are saying, even if I don't agree with them.
When the kids are interrupting I ask them if what they are going to say is an emergency. If so, then speak. If not, then wait. I'm such a hypocrite! I suppose I should mentally ask myself the same question when I start to interrupt other people.
I'll leave you with part of one more verse that the ones in Proverbs reminded me of.
James 1:19 Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.
Funny how the listening part is mentioned first. As people say, that's why God gave us two ears and only one mouth.
Off to apologize to my family for all the interrupting I've been doing and have them hold me accountable. I'm going to spend the next week paying a quarter to each person I interrupt, each time I do it. That should raise my awareness of my interrupting and motivate the fam to help me stop.
As I was reading my Bible this morning there were two verses that stuck out to me. Here they are.
Proverbs 18:2, 13 A fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions. He who answers before listening - that is his folly and his shame.
I'm pretty much a shameful fool. My prayer included two things this morning. First, I want to really listen, not just let someone else talk while I think about what I want to say next. Second, that I would truly seek to understand what others are saying, even if I don't agree with them.
When the kids are interrupting I ask them if what they are going to say is an emergency. If so, then speak. If not, then wait. I'm such a hypocrite! I suppose I should mentally ask myself the same question when I start to interrupt other people.
I'll leave you with part of one more verse that the ones in Proverbs reminded me of.
James 1:19 Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak.
Funny how the listening part is mentioned first. As people say, that's why God gave us two ears and only one mouth.
Off to apologize to my family for all the interrupting I've been doing and have them hold me accountable. I'm going to spend the next week paying a quarter to each person I interrupt, each time I do it. That should raise my awareness of my interrupting and motivate the fam to help me stop.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
W - W - W - W - W - W
The above title would have been so perfect for a pregnancy announcement!! So stinkin' perfect. Alas, I'm most certainly not preggo. Oh well.
In an attempt to make up for the wasted title opportunity, I'll talk to you about the three little Ws that already exist.
W#5 - Naomi is a squeaker. She keeps her lips closed and makes squeaky grunting noises to communicate, changing the inflection according to what she's "saying". Other than her lack of verbal skills, she's a doll. She loves eating bread and apples, being chased by her brothers, mimicking her family members, waving to Daddy when he pulls in at the end of the day, and sneaking my phone
W#4 - Devon is super smart. He has an incredible memory and is quite the problem solver. He does well with puzzles and mazes, sings constantly, likes to get "wake up snuggles", loves fruit, hates meat, and raises his eyebrows when he's trying to trick someone. He's also Mr. Meltdown and we are always working on teaching him to handle frustration in a socially acceptable manner.
W#3 - Silas is really gifted athletically. He can throw, dribble, and hit balls like a pro. He loves to cook, enjoys playing Phase 10 and SkipBo, loves meatloaf, hates cilantro, dances 24/7, and purses his lips when he's trying not to smile. He can also be a bit of a stress case and is constantly being taught to relax.
In an attempt to make up for the wasted title opportunity, I'll talk to you about the three little Ws that already exist.
W#5 - Naomi is a squeaker. She keeps her lips closed and makes squeaky grunting noises to communicate, changing the inflection according to what she's "saying". Other than her lack of verbal skills, she's a doll. She loves eating bread and apples, being chased by her brothers, mimicking her family members, waving to Daddy when he pulls in at the end of the day, and sneaking my phone
W#4 - Devon is super smart. He has an incredible memory and is quite the problem solver. He does well with puzzles and mazes, sings constantly, likes to get "wake up snuggles", loves fruit, hates meat, and raises his eyebrows when he's trying to trick someone. He's also Mr. Meltdown and we are always working on teaching him to handle frustration in a socially acceptable manner.
W#3 - Silas is really gifted athletically. He can throw, dribble, and hit balls like a pro. He loves to cook, enjoys playing Phase 10 and SkipBo, loves meatloaf, hates cilantro, dances 24/7, and purses his lips when he's trying not to smile. He can also be a bit of a stress case and is constantly being taught to relax.
Monday, December 15, 2008
SHOWERS OF BLESSINGS
We've had our socks blessed off over the last month or so! I just want to share some of the cool things that have happened. So, in no particular order ...
* Someone paid for us to get our favorite pizza for lunch last Wednesday, the day after I was up much of the night with a barking & snotting Naomi.
* Someone paid for me to attend our church's ladies' Christmas dinner.
* Someone hung out with our kids while I was at the dinner. Tim couldn't watch them because he was officiating a game.
* Someone let us stay at their house for three nights while our electrical panel and furnace got replaced.
* We were given tickets to a Blazer game, plus money for snacks & parking.
* Someone hung out with Naomi while the rest of us went to the Blazer game.
* Someone has paid for Tim to attend our church's men's retreat in January.
* Someone is going to replace our camera. It hasn't worked right since the day after Devon's surgery, which is why our webshots page hasn't been updated in forever.
* We were given money to travel to my dad's for Christmas.
* Tim and I were treated to dinner and a concert with friends.
* Someone hung out with our kids while we were out at the concert.
* We've been blessed with some extra money from various sources to put toward Devon's hernia bill.
* Someone sent an e-mail that encouraged us in parenting the little Ws.
* Someone has blessed us with money for the last three months to help cover the unexpected shortfall in Tim's salary.
* Someone surprised us with Noah's bagels for breakfast when they dropped their child off for us to watch.
* Someone decorated beautiful cookies for us with our initials on them.
* Someone brought flowers to cheer me up when I was stressed about our lack of heat and electricity.
* A few people have sent me really sweet notes lately, for absolutely no reason at all.
I hate to wrap this up because I know I'll leave out an obvious thing or two. So, if you've blessed us lately and you aren't on the list, please don't take it personally. I need to write these things down as they happen, rather than trying to remember them all later.
God is good and we are blessed to be surrounded by awesome people!!
* Someone paid for us to get our favorite pizza for lunch last Wednesday, the day after I was up much of the night with a barking & snotting Naomi.
* Someone paid for me to attend our church's ladies' Christmas dinner.
* Someone hung out with our kids while I was at the dinner. Tim couldn't watch them because he was officiating a game.
* Someone let us stay at their house for three nights while our electrical panel and furnace got replaced.
* We were given tickets to a Blazer game, plus money for snacks & parking.
* Someone hung out with Naomi while the rest of us went to the Blazer game.
* Someone has paid for Tim to attend our church's men's retreat in January.
* Someone is going to replace our camera. It hasn't worked right since the day after Devon's surgery, which is why our webshots page hasn't been updated in forever.
* We were given money to travel to my dad's for Christmas.
* Tim and I were treated to dinner and a concert with friends.
* Someone hung out with our kids while we were out at the concert.
* We've been blessed with some extra money from various sources to put toward Devon's hernia bill.
* Someone sent an e-mail that encouraged us in parenting the little Ws.
* Someone has blessed us with money for the last three months to help cover the unexpected shortfall in Tim's salary.
* Someone surprised us with Noah's bagels for breakfast when they dropped their child off for us to watch.
* Someone decorated beautiful cookies for us with our initials on them.
* Someone brought flowers to cheer me up when I was stressed about our lack of heat and electricity.
* A few people have sent me really sweet notes lately, for absolutely no reason at all.
I hate to wrap this up because I know I'll leave out an obvious thing or two. So, if you've blessed us lately and you aren't on the list, please don't take it personally. I need to write these things down as they happen, rather than trying to remember them all later.
God is good and we are blessed to be surrounded by awesome people!!
Sunday, December 14, 2008
WHICH SEASON IS IT?
It's hard to tell what season it is at our house tonight. According to the calendar, which says December, it's autumn. According to the thermometer out our back door, which reads 19 degrees, it's winter. According to the carnations in our living room, which my grandmother gave to me over three weeks ago, it's spring. According to the dessert we ate tonight, which was root beer floats, it's summer.
Friday, December 12, 2008
WANT TO DO SOMETHING FUN?
My dad just posted the following on his blog. It's a game we've played at Christmas, but he's sharing it with the rest of the world this year.
This is a Christmas game using the lyrics to “Silent Night”, but using the tunes of other well-known songs. Twenty-eight different tunes complete this game.
The game is played simply by watching each video in the link below and then guessing the name of the tune and guessing the name of the artist or group that made the tune famous. After clicking the link below, start with #1 in the upper left corner of the page that opens, then continue numerically through #28.
The game begins as soon as you click here:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=brcprkns&view=videos
Go see how you do!! If you have fun, or even if you're willing to publicly admit that you were a "Name That Tune" failure, then go let my dad know at the link for his blog.
This is a Christmas game using the lyrics to “Silent Night”, but using the tunes of other well-known songs. Twenty-eight different tunes complete this game.
The game is played simply by watching each video in the link below and then guessing the name of the tune and guessing the name of the artist or group that made the tune famous. After clicking the link below, start with #1 in the upper left corner of the page that opens, then continue numerically through #28.
The game begins as soon as you click here:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=brcprkns&view=videos
Go see how you do!! If you have fun, or even if you're willing to publicly admit that you were a "Name That Tune" failure, then go let my dad know at the link for his blog.
Thursday, December 11, 2008
12/11/08 THANKFUL THURDAY
Oops! Forgot to do this last week.
I'm thankful for a husband who has blessed me twice this week -by letting me stay home alone on Sunday night and taking yesterday off to help out after a sleepless night with a sick kiddo.
What are you thankful for?
I'm thankful for a husband who has blessed me twice this week -by letting me stay home alone on Sunday night and taking yesterday off to help out after a sleepless night with a sick kiddo.
What are you thankful for?
Wednesday, December 10, 2008
WEDNESDAY UPDATE
Tim called a sub!! That means I'll have help today. More good husband points.
I slept!! It was for about 5 hours of interrupted sleep on Naomi's floor, but at least it was something.
Naomi slept ... and is still sleeping!! She's coughing, but sleeping through it.
Today isn't going to be ideal, but at least it won' t be as bad as it could have been.
Luke, thanks for praying. Dad, I'll pass your messages along to the appropriate family members and be praying for you too.
I slept!! It was for about 5 hours of interrupted sleep on Naomi's floor, but at least it was something.
Naomi slept ... and is still sleeping!! She's coughing, but sleeping through it.
Today isn't going to be ideal, but at least it won' t be as bad as it could have been.
Luke, thanks for praying. Dad, I'll pass your messages along to the appropriate family members and be praying for you too.
TOMORROW (I SUPPOSE THAT WOULD BE TODAY) IS GOING TO BE LONG
It's 2:09am. I haven't slept at all tonight. Naomi started snotting and coughing after she went down for the night. She only sleeps longer than 20 minutes if I sit or recline with her on my chest. Have I mentioned that I can't sleep sitting up? Or that I can't sleep while holding a child? Well, it's true.
I've been up for 20 hours. The boys will wake up in about 5 hours.
Please pray that the boys will be spectacularly behaved tomorrow, that I won't be a grouch, and that Naomi will get better quickly.
I've been up for 20 hours. The boys will wake up in about 5 hours.
Please pray that the boys will be spectacularly behaved tomorrow, that I won't be a grouch, and that Naomi will get better quickly.
Monday, December 8, 2008
CHRISTMAS NEWSLETTER - 2008 EDITION
I just wanted to share our newsletter and family here for those who we weren't able to give the real thing to. If there are things you want to know more about, then try checking the labels in my blog sidebar. You'll probably be able find more info there. Enjoy!!
What a year! We’ve had tragedies and miracles, mellow weeks and insanely busy schedules, milestones and routines. Here’s a quick peek at the moments that stood out in 2008.
Devon taught himself to read. Silas turned into a chef and baker. Tim’s mom moved back to the area after living in Florida for several years. Tim played on the church softball team, participated in a golf tournament, and officiated basketball. We attended concerts and a production of Willy Wonka in local parks. Naomi identified her first (tongue – wagged on command) and second body part (eyes – blinked on command). The boys had their first dentist appointments (and, by the way, their teeth looked great, despite the fact their parents took way too long getting them to a dentist). We discovered Ciara, a cute little girl that prompted us to finally pursue adopting a child with special needs. We ended our second and started our third year of home schooling. Bethany’s grandmother moved to the area from Grants Pass. Devon had an incarcerated hernia, which led to our first combination of ER visit, overnight hospital stay, and surgery. We visited Bethany’s dad in August and went on a church campout over Labor Day weekend. Silas lost his first tooth and was visited by the tooth fairy. One of Tim’s nieces died in a tragic car accident. Several of our days had “do nothing” written in ink on our calendar. Naomi learned to sit, crawl, walk, climb, and a myriad of other things. Bethany spent a weekend in California with a bunch of women from the Sonlight forums. We hosted a summer potluck series, had various families over for dinner, and had visitors from as far as New Zealand and the Philippines. Silas drowned, and then came back to life. Tim and Bethany had their last single digit anniversary. Devon learned to ride a bike without training wheels. We saw an IMAX movie, watched the city parade, and the boys slid down a hill on cardboard while we saw hundreds of swifts roost in an old chimney.
So, there’s our year in a nutshell. We’ve had our share of struggles this year, but we’ve also seen a ton of blessings. It’s been a good year! Merry Christmas!!
Silas proving that he is completely unable to stop dancing.
Trying to be serious, but failing miserably.
Silas looking handsome.
Don't you just want to kiss Naomi's little feet?
The start of Naomi's trademark scrunch face smile.
All 5 Ws
And more of the 5Ws.
2008 - A WEATHERSBY YEAR IN REVIEW
What a year! We’ve had tragedies and miracles, mellow weeks and insanely busy schedules, milestones and routines. Here’s a quick peek at the moments that stood out in 2008.
Devon taught himself to read. Silas turned into a chef and baker. Tim’s mom moved back to the area after living in Florida for several years. Tim played on the church softball team, participated in a golf tournament, and officiated basketball. We attended concerts and a production of Willy Wonka in local parks. Naomi identified her first (tongue – wagged on command) and second body part (eyes – blinked on command). The boys had their first dentist appointments (and, by the way, their teeth looked great, despite the fact their parents took way too long getting them to a dentist). We discovered Ciara, a cute little girl that prompted us to finally pursue adopting a child with special needs. We ended our second and started our third year of home schooling. Bethany’s grandmother moved to the area from Grants Pass. Devon had an incarcerated hernia, which led to our first combination of ER visit, overnight hospital stay, and surgery. We visited Bethany’s dad in August and went on a church campout over Labor Day weekend. Silas lost his first tooth and was visited by the tooth fairy. One of Tim’s nieces died in a tragic car accident. Several of our days had “do nothing” written in ink on our calendar. Naomi learned to sit, crawl, walk, climb, and a myriad of other things. Bethany spent a weekend in California with a bunch of women from the Sonlight forums. We hosted a summer potluck series, had various families over for dinner, and had visitors from as far as New Zealand and the Philippines. Silas drowned, and then came back to life. Tim and Bethany had their last single digit anniversary. Devon learned to ride a bike without training wheels. We saw an IMAX movie, watched the city parade, and the boys slid down a hill on cardboard while we saw hundreds of swifts roost in an old chimney.
So, there’s our year in a nutshell. We’ve had our share of struggles this year, but we’ve also seen a ton of blessings. It’s been a good year! Merry Christmas!!
THE 5 Ws
And here are the family pictures we had taken this year. Are our kids stinkin' cute or what?!
Devon trying not to smile.
Devon's fantastic smile & characteristic fingernail picking.
Doesn't he look grown up?
Silas proving that he is completely unable to stop dancing.
Trying to be serious, but failing miserably.
Silas looking handsome.
Don't you just want to kiss Naomi's little feet?
The start of Naomi's trademark scrunch face smile.
As some women at church say, she's just "yummy".
Evidently the studio liked the pose we used at home a couple months ago.
All 5 Ws
And more of the 5Ws.
SOME "GOOD HUSBAND" POINTS
I've been craving some time alone in my own house, but that's hard to come by this time of year. Life is busy and Tim's started basketball. So, the odds of having my craving satisfied are slim to nothing.
However, Tim saved the day and my sanity last night. We were supposed to go to home group, but he took the kids and left me home. I had just over three hours of silence in my house. I turned the ringer on my phone off, shut down the computer and turned off the Christmas music. Then I wrapped some gifts. Then I took a scalding hot shower, which is the only way to take them, until I ran out of hot water. Then I put on jammies and crawled into bed. Then I read Mitch Albom's book "For One More Day.
It was glorious! A festive task, a perfect shower, and a whole book. All in silence.
Tim also did all the bedtime stuff with the kids and washed the dishes. Major "good husband" points!! I'm so thankful for the break Tim gave me!!
However, Tim saved the day and my sanity last night. We were supposed to go to home group, but he took the kids and left me home. I had just over three hours of silence in my house. I turned the ringer on my phone off, shut down the computer and turned off the Christmas music. Then I wrapped some gifts. Then I took a scalding hot shower, which is the only way to take them, until I ran out of hot water. Then I put on jammies and crawled into bed. Then I read Mitch Albom's book "For One More Day.
It was glorious! A festive task, a perfect shower, and a whole book. All in silence.
Tim also did all the bedtime stuff with the kids and washed the dishes. Major "good husband" points!! I'm so thankful for the break Tim gave me!!
I CORINTHIANS 13 ... WITH A TWIST
Let me introduce you to Misty, a forum friend of mine. She just posted the following on the Sonlight forums. It totally challenged and encouraged me. I wanted to share it with you, as I'm sure many of you also struggle with being loving, whether or not you're a mom or a homeschooler. If it blesses you, then say so over at Misty's site, where she also has it posted.
If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels,and teach my children Latin conjugations, Chinese and Portuguese, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal, and no matter what I say, they will not hear me.
If I have the gift of prophecy,and know my children’s bents and God’s plan for their lives, and know all mysteries and all knowledge,and am the keeper of the teacher’s editions and solutions manuals, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, and even keep up with my giant piles of laundry and dishes, but do not have love, I am nothing, even if all the people at church think I’m Supermom.
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and my formal dining room gets turned into a schoolroom and our family vacations look more like educational field trips, and if I surrender my body to be burned, never having time to get my nails done, put makeup on or even take a bath, but do not have love, it profits me nothing, because all my family cares about is the expression on my face, anyway.
Love is patient with the child who still can’t get double-digit subtraction with borrowing, and kind to the one who hasn’t turned in his research paper.
It is not jealous of moms with more, fewer, neater, more self-directed, better-behaved or smarter children.
Love does not brag about homemade bread, book lists, or scholarships and is not arrogant about her lifestyle or curriculum choices.
It does not act unbecomingly or correct the children in front of their friends.
It does not seek its own, trying to squeeze in alone time when someone still needs help; it is not provoked when interrupted for the nineteenth time by a child, the phone, the doorbell or the dog; does not take into account a wrong suffered, even when no one compliments the dinner that took hours to make or the house that took so long to clean.
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness or pointing out everyone else’s flaws, but rejoices with the truth and with every small step her children take in becoming more like Jesus, knowing it’s only by the grace of God when that occurs.
Love bears all things even while running on no sleep; believes all things, especially God’s promise to indwell and empower her, hopes all things, such as that she’ll actually complete the English curriculum this year and the kids will eventually graduate, endures all things, even questioning from strangers, worried relatives, and most of all, herself.
Love never fails. And neither will she. As long as she never, never, never gives up.
1 Corinthians 13 for Homeschool Moms
If I have the gift of prophecy,and know my children’s bents and God’s plan for their lives, and know all mysteries and all knowledge,and am the keeper of the teacher’s editions and solutions manuals, and if I have all faith, so as to move mountains, and even keep up with my giant piles of laundry and dishes, but do not have love, I am nothing, even if all the people at church think I’m Supermom.
And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and my formal dining room gets turned into a schoolroom and our family vacations look more like educational field trips, and if I surrender my body to be burned, never having time to get my nails done, put makeup on or even take a bath, but do not have love, it profits me nothing, because all my family cares about is the expression on my face, anyway.
Love is patient with the child who still can’t get double-digit subtraction with borrowing, and kind to the one who hasn’t turned in his research paper.
It is not jealous of moms with more, fewer, neater, more self-directed, better-behaved or smarter children.
Love does not brag about homemade bread, book lists, or scholarships and is not arrogant about her lifestyle or curriculum choices.
It does not act unbecomingly or correct the children in front of their friends.
It does not seek its own, trying to squeeze in alone time when someone still needs help; it is not provoked when interrupted for the nineteenth time by a child, the phone, the doorbell or the dog; does not take into account a wrong suffered, even when no one compliments the dinner that took hours to make or the house that took so long to clean.
Love does not rejoice in unrighteousness or pointing out everyone else’s flaws, but rejoices with the truth and with every small step her children take in becoming more like Jesus, knowing it’s only by the grace of God when that occurs.
Love bears all things even while running on no sleep; believes all things, especially God’s promise to indwell and empower her, hopes all things, such as that she’ll actually complete the English curriculum this year and the kids will eventually graduate, endures all things, even questioning from strangers, worried relatives, and most of all, herself.
Love never fails. And neither will she. As long as she never, never, never gives up.
Sunday, December 7, 2008
DINNER WAS GREAT
I tried something new last night that was delicious. Want to know what it was? Here goes. I pulled out the crockpot and put three frozen chicken breasts in it. Then I dumped about 1/3 of a bottle of Ken's Honey Mustard Dressing in. Never used that brand? Well, let me introduce you.
Then I turned the crockpot to high. Keep in mind this was my circa-1975 crockpot, as my new one would have been way to big. New ones cook hotter, so cooking times will vary. Anyway, it cooked on high for about 3 hours, then I turned it to low for an hour. It was done by then, so I pulled the chicken out and shredded it. Then it went back in the crockpot with about 1/2 of the remaining dressing. Once it was all heated I served it over rice. Yummy comfort food! Even better was the fact I got that dressing for free - on sale for $2 and I had a $2 coupon. I think the fact that it was such a bargain actually improved the taste.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
THE MAX
Today we officially reached Devon's maximum out of pocket expenses with our insurance. That means any claims he has for the next ten months will be paid in full and it means we know exactly what we owe for his hernia emergency. I like knowing exact numbers. It makes my box-checking, planning ahead brain very happy.
Anyway, I'm thinking about removing all bodily parts that he can live without. It would be free, so why not? We could just do one big operation and get rid of adenoids, appendix, tonsils and anything else he doesn't really need. Maybe we could even put in new ear tubes, just for kicks. Donate a kidney?
What do you think?
Anyway, I'm thinking about removing all bodily parts that he can live without. It would be free, so why not? We could just do one big operation and get rid of adenoids, appendix, tonsils and anything else he doesn't really need. Maybe we could even put in new ear tubes, just for kicks. Donate a kidney?
What do you think?
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
GOD'S PROVISION
I know a lot of people are stressed about money these days, so I just wanted to share what's going on with us as a reminder that God doesn't always do things the way we expect him to.
Devon's hernia repair at the end of October was expensive. Obviously insurance will cover some, but we'll have to cover a chunk too. Emergency hernia repairs are chunks of money you don't typically budget for. God totally covered the thousands of dollars that Silas' drowning cost, so I knew he could handle this one too. But this one was going to be more costly. We figured we'd make small payments until our tax refund came, then pay off the balance with that money. We've never had to make medical payments before, but sometimes that's the way life goes.
Well, we still haven't received an actual bill, but the EOBs have started coming in. We know there is at least one more EOB that will arrive in our mailbox, but we know some of what we'll owe. We'll call that amount "X".
Here's the cool part. We have over 80% of X in our bank account already, though an actual bill hasn't even arrived. Part of that 80% is a gift someone contributed to the "Will The Ws Ever Stop Having Medical Emergencies" fund. But the other parts are total God things. Not that a gift isn't a God thing, but you know what I mean.
One chunk is from our insurance. Remember that mammogram I had back in July? Well, I'm technically too young to have insurance pay for it. However, because my mom died in her 30s of breast cancer I'm considered high risk, which means my insurance should pay for it. Now, I'm willing to pay for it if I have to. It's important for me to get them and I'm willing to pay for them until I reach the insurance's age for payment, but if insurance will pay, then I'd be happy to let them. So I've spent the last four months sorting out mixed messages between the insurance company, the imaging place, and my doctor's office. Everyone has been nice and helpful, but things weren't getting straightened out. Until last week, that is. We received a refund for part of the money we paid for my mammogram. Woo hoo for perseverance that paid off!!
Then we spent six weeks with furnace troubles. First the furnace didn't work at all. Then it put out heat ... along with major gas fumes. Then our power blew in all rooms except the kitchen and living room. It was a mess. Well, our landlord just refunded us a large portion of our rent for November to compensate for the hassle and the extra use of electricity while we used space heaters. Woo hoo for our landlord!!
That means 80% of X has been paid off because I have a mom that died of breast cancer at a young age (which led me to pay for a mammo, which resulted in getting some money refunded) and because we lived without heat and power (which led our landlord to refund some of our rent to us).
How's that for some silver linings? So, just remember that the way God provides for your needs may be a little random, but he will provide.
Devon's hernia repair at the end of October was expensive. Obviously insurance will cover some, but we'll have to cover a chunk too. Emergency hernia repairs are chunks of money you don't typically budget for. God totally covered the thousands of dollars that Silas' drowning cost, so I knew he could handle this one too. But this one was going to be more costly. We figured we'd make small payments until our tax refund came, then pay off the balance with that money. We've never had to make medical payments before, but sometimes that's the way life goes.
Well, we still haven't received an actual bill, but the EOBs have started coming in. We know there is at least one more EOB that will arrive in our mailbox, but we know some of what we'll owe. We'll call that amount "X".
Here's the cool part. We have over 80% of X in our bank account already, though an actual bill hasn't even arrived. Part of that 80% is a gift someone contributed to the "Will The Ws Ever Stop Having Medical Emergencies" fund. But the other parts are total God things. Not that a gift isn't a God thing, but you know what I mean.
One chunk is from our insurance. Remember that mammogram I had back in July? Well, I'm technically too young to have insurance pay for it. However, because my mom died in her 30s of breast cancer I'm considered high risk, which means my insurance should pay for it. Now, I'm willing to pay for it if I have to. It's important for me to get them and I'm willing to pay for them until I reach the insurance's age for payment, but if insurance will pay, then I'd be happy to let them. So I've spent the last four months sorting out mixed messages between the insurance company, the imaging place, and my doctor's office. Everyone has been nice and helpful, but things weren't getting straightened out. Until last week, that is. We received a refund for part of the money we paid for my mammogram. Woo hoo for perseverance that paid off!!
Then we spent six weeks with furnace troubles. First the furnace didn't work at all. Then it put out heat ... along with major gas fumes. Then our power blew in all rooms except the kitchen and living room. It was a mess. Well, our landlord just refunded us a large portion of our rent for November to compensate for the hassle and the extra use of electricity while we used space heaters. Woo hoo for our landlord!!
That means 80% of X has been paid off because I have a mom that died of breast cancer at a young age (which led me to pay for a mammo, which resulted in getting some money refunded) and because we lived without heat and power (which led our landlord to refund some of our rent to us).
How's that for some silver linings? So, just remember that the way God provides for your needs may be a little random, but he will provide.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
TUNES WE LISTENED TO - NOVEMBER
All The Best From Greece (World - Greece) - We'd never listened to Greek music and enjoyed this cd.
Barlow Girl (self titled) (Christian) - This one ranked second for the month in the "best dancing music" category with the offspring. I thought it was ok.
Cabaza Percussion Quartet (self-titled) - The boys really enjoyed this cd.
Lura - Di Korpu Ku Alma (World) - This was a 2 disc set, but only one worked. I liked it though.
Queen - Greatest Hits (Rock) - I had Another One Bites the Dust in my head one dayand was humming hit. The boys wanted to hear the real deal. So, they listened to that one and We Will Rock You.
Barbra Streisand - The Barbra Streisand Album (Pop/Rock) - Her voice is just so unique, enjoyed the cd.
Sweet Home Alabama (Soundtrack) - Super fun cd. The kids liked dancing to this one.
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James (Pop/Rock) - Are there actually people who don't like James Taylor?
The Brian Waite Band - Musicmaker (Children) - We've checked this cd out a gazillion times. Bumbo and The Freeze are the two favorite songs around here.
Windham Hill Classics - Passages (New Age) - Super relaxing. I loved it.
Barlow Girl (self titled) (Christian) - This one ranked second for the month in the "best dancing music" category with the offspring. I thought it was ok.
Cabaza Percussion Quartet (self-titled) - The boys really enjoyed this cd.
Lura - Di Korpu Ku Alma (World) - This was a 2 disc set, but only one worked. I liked it though.
Queen - Greatest Hits (Rock) - I had Another One Bites the Dust in my head one dayand was humming hit. The boys wanted to hear the real deal. So, they listened to that one and We Will Rock You.
Barbra Streisand - The Barbra Streisand Album (Pop/Rock) - Her voice is just so unique, enjoyed the cd.
Sweet Home Alabama (Soundtrack) - Super fun cd. The kids liked dancing to this one.
James Taylor - Sweet Baby James (Pop/Rock) - Are there actually people who don't like James Taylor?
The Brian Waite Band - Musicmaker (Children) - We've checked this cd out a gazillion times. Bumbo and The Freeze are the two favorite songs around here.
Windham Hill Classics - Passages (New Age) - Super relaxing. I loved it.
BOOKS I FINISHED - NOVEMBER
I only finished one book in November. How embarrassing. I actually started a second, but it was so painfully boring to read that I gave up. I'm reading a third book, but haven't finished it. I'm using the fact that November was a super stressful month for me as an excuse.
How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Anyone Else, by Michael Gates Gill
This book seems a bit like a really long ad for recruiting Starbucks employees, but it's not unpleasant. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. The author had a high paying job at a big name company and knew a lot of famous people. Then he got fired. This book is about his new job at Starbucks and how he had to start rethinking his biases.
How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Anyone Else, by Michael Gates Gill
This book seems a bit like a really long ad for recruiting Starbucks employees, but it's not unpleasant. Didn't hate it, didn't love it. The author had a high paying job at a big name company and knew a lot of famous people. Then he got fired. This book is about his new job at Starbucks and how he had to start rethinking his biases.
Sunday, November 30, 2008
MY LEGS ARE SO HAPPY
I have been secretly coveting fleece jammy pants for a really long time. A really, super, duper, incredibly long time. Well, last night I hit Old Navy to spend a gift card for our offspring. As a sidenote, it's really fun to spend someone else's money on cute clothes for your kids. And to shop alone. And wander. And not worry about the time.
Anyway, as I was shopping for someone else's Christmas gifts to the little Ws I spotted fleece jammy pants. For adults. Like me. I showed tremendous maturity and kept walking. Well, there was some immaturity, as I kept glancing back at the $10 sale price they had marked on the rack. Suddenly, I had a vision. It was God speaking to me, I'm sure of it. I could see very clearly in my mind's eye a gift card someone had given me for my birthday back in June. A gift card that I had with me. A gift card that still had $10 on it. So, in an attempt to follow God's clear direction, I snagged a stinkin' cute and very warm pair of fleece jammy pants for myself. In blue, of course. Aren't they cute?
Anyway, as I was shopping for someone else's Christmas gifts to the little Ws I spotted fleece jammy pants. For adults. Like me. I showed tremendous maturity and kept walking. Well, there was some immaturity, as I kept glancing back at the $10 sale price they had marked on the rack. Suddenly, I had a vision. It was God speaking to me, I'm sure of it. I could see very clearly in my mind's eye a gift card someone had given me for my birthday back in June. A gift card that I had with me. A gift card that still had $10 on it. So, in an attempt to follow God's clear direction, I snagged a stinkin' cute and very warm pair of fleece jammy pants for myself. In blue, of course. Aren't they cute?
Friday, November 28, 2008
GOODBYE THANKSGIVING, HELLO CHRISTMAS
I recently mentioned our sneaky snowman on my "T" post. Figured now that Thanksgiving is over I should tell you about him. Here's the scoop on his magical abilities. Every night the kids say "Sneaky Snowman so cold and white, please go hide while I sleep tonight". As long as they do that, then he hides while we're all asleep. We have no idea how he gets around the house, as he has no feet. And adults find it impossible to find him during the day. He can only be found by children. Once he's been found, then the kids can play with him until bedtime. If they don't say their goodnight to him at the end of the day, then he can't hide. That's happened a couple times and the boys found him the next morning in the same spot they'd left him the day before. The magic is in the words they say to him.
Here's some non-magical info that may interest you. He's only about 5 inches tall, too big to get lost, too small to be in the way. We discover him when we unpack our Christmas decorations and he stays around until the decorations are taken down. We can only assume that he lives in the Christmas boxes during the rest of the year. We've seen snowmen that seem to be related to him at Dollar Tree. And that, my friends, is your introduction to the Sneaky Snowman.
And I'll wrap this up by sending you to see my Dad share a little Christmas spirit with you. He has a reputation for taking songs and tweaking them for the sake of amusing us. I wanted to embed the video into this post, but I'm not smart enough to figure out how to do that. Evidently using the "embed" option at the video doesn't work. Go figure. If anyone feels like telling me how to do it, then you'd be my best friend for the day. Meanwhile, just click on the link to see the video.
Here's some non-magical info that may interest you. He's only about 5 inches tall, too big to get lost, too small to be in the way. We discover him when we unpack our Christmas decorations and he stays around until the decorations are taken down. We can only assume that he lives in the Christmas boxes during the rest of the year. We've seen snowmen that seem to be related to him at Dollar Tree. And that, my friends, is your introduction to the Sneaky Snowman.
And I'll wrap this up by sending you to see my Dad share a little Christmas spirit with you. He has a reputation for taking songs and tweaking them for the sake of amusing us. I wanted to embed the video into this post, but I'm not smart enough to figure out how to do that. Evidently using the "embed" option at the video doesn't work. Go figure. If anyone feels like telling me how to do it, then you'd be my best friend for the day. Meanwhile, just click on the link to see the video.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
11/27/08 THANKFUL THURSDAY
It's Thanksgiving and I could list a bunch of things I'm thankful for. I'm going to stick with one thing each Thursday though.
I'm thankful for our landlord doing a bunch of upgrades and repairs over the last week or so.
What is one thing you're thankful for?
I'm thankful for our landlord doing a bunch of upgrades and repairs over the last week or so.
What is one thing you're thankful for?
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
SHE'S GONE
Ciara's page is no longer available. It's just been one month since it was posted. Assuming that means she now has a mom and dad, I'm so happy for her. Of course, it makes me really sad for the kids that are on the Northwest Adoption Exchange site for years and years.
Oh man, I want one of those kids. I'll do some work toward adopting another W in the next few months, but won't go hardcore until the spring. Basketball has started and I'd be setting myself up for a nervous breakdown if I started a big project right now.
Oh man, I want one of those kids. I'll do some work toward adopting another W in the next few months, but won't go hardcore until the spring. Basketball has started and I'd be setting myself up for a nervous breakdown if I started a big project right now.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
V - V - V - V - V - V
Victory - The Blazers beat the Kings last night, 91 to 90. Thanks to Greg & Lisa, who had tickets they couldn't use, we were able to take the boys to their first NBA game. The four of us had a great time and Naomi got some quality girl time with Kema while we were at the game.
Vocational Training - Today the boys are at work with Tim. They really look forward to the couple times a year that he brings them along! I'm enjoying the day too. I've had lots of time to play and snuggle with Naomi, read my Bible, and bake cookies. Do your kids ever go to work with their dad? Unless it's completely impossible (your husband is an ER doc, pilot, or something similar), then you should send them on occasion. It's good for them to see what their dad does when he's gone all day!
Voice of the Martyrs - Americans are so blessed to be able to choose if, what or whom, and how they worship. It's a blessing we can easily take for granted. If you go to the Voice of the Martyrs website, then you can sign up for a free monthly magazine that tells you about people being persecuted for their faith around the world.
Sunday, November 23, 2008
U - U - U - U - U - U
Unsurpassed, Unbeaten, Unbelievable - That's the kind of customer service we get from Sonlight. Not only do they treat their customers well when it comes to ordering, but they truly care about their customers as people. Devon received a personal card last week from the co-founder and head of Sonlight letting him know that they were praying for him during his hernia crisis and in the days following his surgery, as he recovered. We're thankful for such an awesome company to do business with!
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
2 T. plus 1c. all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. fennel seed, crushed
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. salt
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese, (optional)
In a saucepan, cook the sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, basil and fennel; mix well. Add tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Place the remaining flour in a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, milk, oil and salt until smooth; stir in Parmesan cheese if desired. Pour over casserole. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned.
Notes: I always use way more that ½ t. of basil and I often replace it with Italian seasoning. I never use fennel, as there is already some in the sausage. I frequently use whole wheat flour because it’s healthier and people who aren’t crazy about it can’t really taste a difference due to the strong flavor of everything else in the dish. I think the Parmesan is a must, and more than 2 T. You can never have too much cheese! I always make a double batch of the base and then freeze the extra in quart-sized freezer bags. You can pre-grate and freeze the cheese too.
Upside Down Pizza - Just thought I'd share a favorite recipe around our house. There are few things that all 5 Ws are equally fond of and this is one of them. It's on my recipe blog too, in case you want to give feedback on it over there.
~ Country Magazine, Aug/Sept 2000
1 lb. bulk Italian sausage
1 medium onion, chopped
1/4 c. chopped green pepper
2 T. plus 1c. all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 t. dried basil
1/2 t. fennel seed, crushed
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
2 eggs
1 c. milk
1 T. vegetable oil
1/2 t. salt
2 T. grated Parmesan cheese, (optional)
In a saucepan, cook the sausage, onion and green pepper over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Stir in 2 tablespoons flour, basil and fennel; mix well. Add tomato sauce. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Transfer to an ungreased 13x9-inch baking dish. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese. Place the remaining flour in a mixing bowl. Beat in the eggs, milk, oil and salt until smooth; stir in Parmesan cheese if desired. Pour over casserole. Bake uncovered at 425 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until browned.
Notes: I always use way more that ½ t. of basil and I often replace it with Italian seasoning. I never use fennel, as there is already some in the sausage. I frequently use whole wheat flour because it’s healthier and people who aren’t crazy about it can’t really taste a difference due to the strong flavor of everything else in the dish. I think the Parmesan is a must, and more than 2 T. You can never have too much cheese! I always make a double batch of the base and then freeze the extra in quart-sized freezer bags. You can pre-grate and freeze the cheese too.
Urban Camping - That's the term that Becky used to describe our lifestyle lately. We've been without a working furnace for several weeks, but we've had space heaters to keep us warm. Then our electrical panel blew last week and we've had no power in our hall, bedrooms, or bathroom. We've been peeing and showering with a flashlight for several days. However, we will have a new electrical panel tomorrow and a new furnace on Tuesday. Woo hoo!!
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
I'M OFFLINE
Word on the street is that people have wondered if I dropped off the face of the earth. First I post about how rough life is, then no one hears from me online. Guess that created some suspense and concern.
I'm fine. However, we have no power in the back half of our house, which is where our wireless is hooked up. So, I have no computer. I'm typing this from Becky's, but I may not be online again until next week. I'll be back next Wednesday though, unless I pop in from someone else's computer before then.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
WHEN IT RAINS, IT POURS
To say that my life has gotten progressively more stressful over the last 5 1/2 weeks would be an understatement. There has been stress and frustration in multiple areas, none of which I'm going to hash out here. However, I think the tide is slowly turning and I'm thankful for that.
I'm also thankful that my grandmother lives just around the corner. And that she brought me flowers when I was wiped out yesterday. And that she has let me use her computer two days in a row.
Next week will be better, right? It has to be. It's Thanksgiving week!!
I'm also thankful that my grandmother lives just around the corner. And that she brought me flowers when I was wiped out yesterday. And that she has let me use her computer two days in a row.
Next week will be better, right? It has to be. It's Thanksgiving week!!
Monday, November 17, 2008
3:30 AM
I was wiped out on Sunday night. It had been a long week and I was already tired. Plus I did about four hours of yard work after church. I love yard work, but it pushed me over the edge from tired to exhausted. I desperately needed some downtime.
So I took a shower and crawled into bed with a book around 6:30. I turned out the lights at 7:20. Everyone else was still up and playing, so I didn't fall asleep right away. It was still nice to rest though. The kids went down at 8:00 and I was asleep within minutes. I woke at 9:15, then fell back asleep. I woke at 11:15, then fell back asleep. I woke at 12:30 and am still awake. I stayed in bed for a while. Then I got up to read my Bible, type out a bunch of stuff that's on my mind, and send off an e-mail I normally do in the mornings. I tried going back to bed, but couldn't sleep. So, I've just been reading my Bible.
Monday is going to be a long day. I hope I can take a nap.
So I took a shower and crawled into bed with a book around 6:30. I turned out the lights at 7:20. Everyone else was still up and playing, so I didn't fall asleep right away. It was still nice to rest though. The kids went down at 8:00 and I was asleep within minutes. I woke at 9:15, then fell back asleep. I woke at 11:15, then fell back asleep. I woke at 12:30 and am still awake. I stayed in bed for a while. Then I got up to read my Bible, type out a bunch of stuff that's on my mind, and send off an e-mail I normally do in the mornings. I tried going back to bed, but couldn't sleep. So, I've just been reading my Bible.
Monday is going to be a long day. I hope I can take a nap.
Sunday, November 16, 2008
T - T - T - T - T - T
Therapist - My therapist called on Saturday night to see if life was still in the "stink, stank, stunk" phase. I explained to him that there were three main areas stressing me out. One has naturally taken care of itself. The second still stinks, but my therapist prayed for me over the phone. The third area was improved a little after my therapist reminded me of an important detail I had forgotten. So life isn't all sunshine and roses, but I'm feeling better. I've got a great therapist. I call him "Dad".
Traditions - I love, love, love traditions! I mean, I really love them. Seems that the holidays bring out many, so I thought it would be fun to share them. Here are some of ours. I'll try to stick to ones that aren't necessarily traditional (like Easter egg hunts).
Birthdays - It's "Doughnut Date with Daddy" for the birthday kid's breakfast. We cancel school (we school year-round) on each family member's birthday. The kids pick a birthday cake that I bake and decorate. Take a picture of the birthday kid in a pair of jeans and white t-shirt that belong to the same gender parent. It's the same outfit every year, so we can see how they grow.
Valentine's Day - We do a homemade valentine swap with people from the SL forums. We save all the valentines we receive in a basket until 2/14 . Then we spend the morning decorating heart-shaped sugar cookies, which we eat while opening all the valentines. We also map the places the valentines came from.
Christmas - We have a Sneaky Snowman that arrives around Christmas. I'll tell you more about him another day. The kids open one gift, jammies from Tim & I, on Christmas Eve. We drive around to look at Christmas lights. We go to Zoo Lights. Decorate the tree as a family while listening to Christmas music. We read tons of Christmas books. Listen to lots of Christmas music of our own, from the library, and on Pandora. Tim and I watch White Christmas (I love it, he loves me) while I eat pumpkin bread and apple butter (I love it, he doesn't). We do stockings first thing on Christmas morning. We watch the Christmas Ships. Tape all the cards, newsletters and pics that we get to the wall. Decorate tree shaped sugar cookies. Have dessert and crockpot cider on Christmas Eve after reading the story of Jesus' birth in the Bible. One ornament per kid per year, which they'll get to take when they move out. We go to an awesome concert for free.
Random - Tim does "four corners" with the kids, particularly when they're babies and toddlers. He kisses their forehead, each cheek, then their chin. The boys have carried on the tradition and do it with Naomi. I tell the kids "you're my favorite __ year old/baby" all the time. Sometimes that morphs into ...
Me: Guess what?
Them: I'm your favorite __ year old?
Me: How did you know?
Them: Because you tell me all. the. time.
I'll include some of my dad's, simply because they involve our kids. He has traditions of taking the kids to "Old McDonald's" and Chuck E. Cheese when he visits, taking us to a pumpkin patch, and doing magic tricks. He and Debra have a tradition of getting each of our kids a teddy bear when they're born.
I'm sure I'll think of more later, but that's the bulk of them. I'd encourage you to start (and keep!) traditions in your family. They don't have to be spendy, time consuming, or super exciting. They're just the things that make your family a special group to be part of, that give a sense of belonging and comfort, that provide something to look forward to and depend on.
So, tell me some of your traditions!
Turkey - I got a turkey for 22 cents/lb at WinCo last night. If you spend $50, then you can get a Butterball for 58/lb or a generic one for 22/lb. That's 17 lbs of meat for less than $4.00! I know Safeway has a similar deal going on. So go snag some cheap meat for your family! If anyone else has the opportunity to score a cheap turkey that they don't want, then let me know. I'd love to pay you back for 22/lb meat!
Traditions - I love, love, love traditions! I mean, I really love them. Seems that the holidays bring out many, so I thought it would be fun to share them. Here are some of ours. I'll try to stick to ones that aren't necessarily traditional (like Easter egg hunts).
Birthdays - It's "Doughnut Date with Daddy" for the birthday kid's breakfast. We cancel school (we school year-round) on each family member's birthday. The kids pick a birthday cake that I bake and decorate. Take a picture of the birthday kid in a pair of jeans and white t-shirt that belong to the same gender parent. It's the same outfit every year, so we can see how they grow.
Valentine's Day - We do a homemade valentine swap with people from the SL forums. We save all the valentines we receive in a basket until 2/14 . Then we spend the morning decorating heart-shaped sugar cookies, which we eat while opening all the valentines. We also map the places the valentines came from.
Christmas - We have a Sneaky Snowman that arrives around Christmas. I'll tell you more about him another day. The kids open one gift, jammies from Tim & I, on Christmas Eve. We drive around to look at Christmas lights. We go to Zoo Lights. Decorate the tree as a family while listening to Christmas music. We read tons of Christmas books. Listen to lots of Christmas music of our own, from the library, and on Pandora. Tim and I watch White Christmas (I love it, he loves me) while I eat pumpkin bread and apple butter (I love it, he doesn't). We do stockings first thing on Christmas morning. We watch the Christmas Ships. Tape all the cards, newsletters and pics that we get to the wall. Decorate tree shaped sugar cookies. Have dessert and crockpot cider on Christmas Eve after reading the story of Jesus' birth in the Bible. One ornament per kid per year, which they'll get to take when they move out. We go to an awesome concert for free.
Random - Tim does "four corners" with the kids, particularly when they're babies and toddlers. He kisses their forehead, each cheek, then their chin. The boys have carried on the tradition and do it with Naomi. I tell the kids "you're my favorite __ year old/baby" all the time. Sometimes that morphs into ...
Me: Guess what?
Them: I'm your favorite __ year old?
Me: How did you know?
Them: Because you tell me all. the. time.
I'll include some of my dad's, simply because they involve our kids. He has traditions of taking the kids to "Old McDonald's" and Chuck E. Cheese when he visits, taking us to a pumpkin patch, and doing magic tricks. He and Debra have a tradition of getting each of our kids a teddy bear when they're born.
I'm sure I'll think of more later, but that's the bulk of them. I'd encourage you to start (and keep!) traditions in your family. They don't have to be spendy, time consuming, or super exciting. They're just the things that make your family a special group to be part of, that give a sense of belonging and comfort, that provide something to look forward to and depend on.
So, tell me some of your traditions!
Turkey - I got a turkey for 22 cents/lb at WinCo last night. If you spend $50, then you can get a Butterball for 58/lb or a generic one for 22/lb. That's 17 lbs of meat for less than $4.00! I know Safeway has a similar deal going on. So go snag some cheap meat for your family! If anyone else has the opportunity to score a cheap turkey that they don't want, then let me know. I'd love to pay you back for 22/lb meat!
Friday, November 14, 2008
STINK, STANK, STUNK
That's my week in a nutshell. I'd say it sucked, but then I'd end up offending someone. That would result in some online scandal, which would take my week all the way to stonk, stenk, stink-o-rama. And that, my dear friends, would be more than I can handle right now.
I must say that there have been bright spots - my grandma taking the kids and I to McDonald's after Devon's post-op appointment, having friends for dinner on Monday, IMing my sister, and some super cute pics taken of the fam at Penney's. But it's still been a hard week. I'm discouraged, overwhelmed, and tired. Blah.
Hope next week is better.
I must say that there have been bright spots - my grandma taking the kids and I to McDonald's after Devon's post-op appointment, having friends for dinner on Monday, IMing my sister, and some super cute pics taken of the fam at Penney's. But it's still been a hard week. I'm discouraged, overwhelmed, and tired. Blah.
Hope next week is better.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
11/13/08 THANKFUL THURSDAY
I am thankful for easy access to good medical care and health insurance that helps to pay for it.
What are you thankful for?
What are you thankful for?
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
FACEBOOK STUFF
I have had no desire to get on Facebook. E-mail, two forums, and two blogs take enough of my time. However, I found out my sister was on it. So, I signed up just to see her stuff. Then I got some friend requests. I'm a Facebook snob and will not approve everyone. I'm just not interested in having 539 friends who I don't really care about and who don't really care about me. I've let some through though.
Today is only the second time I've logged on and I'm just thinking it's cluttered and confusing. Like the News Feed. What's the point? So I can know what each of my friends is doing right now? And whose sites they've all commented on? I don't care whose sites they've commented on! Status updates? Just a less cluttered view of the news feed? And live feed is the same info all over again?
What am I missing here? What's the big draw? I'll stay if I can be convinced it's worth my time. So, if you like using Facebook, then tell me why. If you don't, then I guess you can tell me that too, but I'm mostly interested in the reason for doing it.
Today is only the second time I've logged on and I'm just thinking it's cluttered and confusing. Like the News Feed. What's the point? So I can know what each of my friends is doing right now? And whose sites they've all commented on? I don't care whose sites they've commented on! Status updates? Just a less cluttered view of the news feed? And live feed is the same info all over again?
What am I missing here? What's the big draw? I'll stay if I can be convinced it's worth my time. So, if you like using Facebook, then tell me why. If you don't, then I guess you can tell me that too, but I'm mostly interested in the reason for doing it.
Friday, November 7, 2008
S - S - S - S - S - S
Sisters - Just have to say my sister is fantastic. Her name is Belinda and she's younger than me, which naturally makes me more mature than her. This isn't about me though, it's about her. Right? Anyway, she desires to be a good wife and mom and works toward those goals. She is way more girly than I'll ever be, but she's not prissy. She's crafty and artistic. She married her high school sweetheart and they've been married ten years. She desires to grow closer to God and works toward that goal. She has moved a gazillion times since graduating from high school. She lives in the mountains of the Philippines. She's honest. She can speak Tala Andig and used to speak Cebuano (until the Tala Andig took over). She's funny. I could go on, but I have two more "S" things to write about and only so much free time in my day. One more thing though. She introduced me to cracker nuts. That's too important to leave out.
Sleepless - When I turned the computer on Wednesday morning I realized it hadn't been shut down properly the last time it was used. Weird. Even weirder was that there were kid games on the screen. I knew for a fact that I hadn't been playing kid games before going to bed the previous night. A bit later Silas woke up. The first thing he said was "I woke up and played games while everyone was sleeping. It was 1:01 on the microwave clock when I woke up. I played for a while, then I went back to bed. It was all in the middle of the night." Fabulous. Another insomniac in the family.
Song - I have a friend, Susan, on the SL forums whose husband is in the music business. Just after Silas drowned she told me that his drowning was the inspiration for some lyrics that she and her husband had composed. Well, they were finally able to share the song. Before I link you to the song, let me share what Susan posted a couple days ago. For those unfamiliar with internet shorthand, "dh" means "dear husband". And "The Big Bison" is Susan's online nickname for her husband.
Here's the song the Big Bison and I wrote for Bethany! Well, OK, we didn't actually write it for Bethany. But something that happened to her inspired it.
Here's the back story. Dh asked me to help him write 4 songs he was commissioned to write for a music house in town. The way this works is that periodically, the music house puts out CDs of music that radio and TV stations and advertisers can license music from. You might here it as background music for a commercial on TV. They commissioned him to write 4 "modern folk songs" (whatever those might be) on any subject he desired.
So, he started bugging me to give him some ideas, and I turned to YOU ladies, because on these forums you certainly find a sampling of life in all its aspects: hopes, dreams, tragedies - topics ranging anywhere from the mundane to the glorious. (And may I say, that very often, the glorious is found in the midst of the mundane. Which sounds like an idea for another song.)
So, at about the time that he was bugging me to come up with some ideas, Bethany's son Silas almost drowned. What a shocking thing that was!!! One moment they were in the midst of a relaxed family get-together, and the next, the unthinkable had happened.
It took my breath away to read about it, and I prayed earnestly for Bethany and Silas and all the W's. And it got me to thinking about the concept of "life". How fleeting, how fragile, yet how tenacious and determined is our very breath, our very heartbeat. So, I jotted down some phrases for the Big Bison, and he did the rest.
And here is the song. It is just audio, no visual, and is about two minutes long. Enjoy!
Sleepless - When I turned the computer on Wednesday morning I realized it hadn't been shut down properly the last time it was used. Weird. Even weirder was that there were kid games on the screen. I knew for a fact that I hadn't been playing kid games before going to bed the previous night. A bit later Silas woke up. The first thing he said was "I woke up and played games while everyone was sleeping. It was 1:01 on the microwave clock when I woke up. I played for a while, then I went back to bed. It was all in the middle of the night." Fabulous. Another insomniac in the family.
Song - I have a friend, Susan, on the SL forums whose husband is in the music business. Just after Silas drowned she told me that his drowning was the inspiration for some lyrics that she and her husband had composed. Well, they were finally able to share the song. Before I link you to the song, let me share what Susan posted a couple days ago. For those unfamiliar with internet shorthand, "dh" means "dear husband". And "The Big Bison" is Susan's online nickname for her husband.
Here's the song the Big Bison and I wrote for Bethany! Well, OK, we didn't actually write it for Bethany. But something that happened to her inspired it.
Here's the back story. Dh asked me to help him write 4 songs he was commissioned to write for a music house in town. The way this works is that periodically, the music house puts out CDs of music that radio and TV stations and advertisers can license music from. You might here it as background music for a commercial on TV. They commissioned him to write 4 "modern folk songs" (whatever those might be) on any subject he desired.
So, he started bugging me to give him some ideas, and I turned to YOU ladies, because on these forums you certainly find a sampling of life in all its aspects: hopes, dreams, tragedies - topics ranging anywhere from the mundane to the glorious. (And may I say, that very often, the glorious is found in the midst of the mundane. Which sounds like an idea for another song.)
So, at about the time that he was bugging me to come up with some ideas, Bethany's son Silas almost drowned. What a shocking thing that was!!! One moment they were in the midst of a relaxed family get-together, and the next, the unthinkable had happened.
It took my breath away to read about it, and I prayed earnestly for Bethany and Silas and all the W's. And it got me to thinking about the concept of "life". How fleeting, how fragile, yet how tenacious and determined is our very breath, our very heartbeat. So, I jotted down some phrases for the Big Bison, and he did the rest.
And here is the song. It is just audio, no visual, and is about two minutes long. Enjoy!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
11/5/08 THANKFUL THURSDAY
We are dealing with a very frustrating situation with our house right now and my attitude stinks. I'm justified in my frustration, but I don't want to turn into a grump. So, I'm starting something new. Each Thursday I'm going to name one thing I'm thankful for and ask you to do the same. I allow anonymous comments, so you can leave a comment even if you aren't registered.
I'm thankful that Tim and I get to go on a free date tonight.
What is one thing that you are thankful for?
I'm thankful that Tim and I get to go on a free date tonight.
What is one thing that you are thankful for?
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
FREE CHRISTMAS CONCERT
We went to a fantastic Christmas concert last year and I wanted to give all my local readers a heads up about it. It's held at and put on by members of Portland Christian Center. It's big, it's professional, and it's free!! Performances are being held 12/5-12/7 and 12/12-12/14. Last year there was a childcare available. We didn't use it, so I'm not sure of details. If you are counting on using their childcare, then it would be wise to call and confirm that it's available this year and the ages they'll take. Hurry and click here to snag some tickets!
Monday, November 3, 2008
JUST FOR THE RECORD
I'd like to publicly declare that I am enjoying my kids. Three months ago I was really struggling with feeling like a failure as a mom. I was overwhelmed, discouraged, and not really enjoying my kids.
Today things are so much better. Obviously there are moments I'm fried on motherhood, but most of the time I'm happy with how things are. I've spent more time praying for them, hanging out with them, and smiling when I speak to them. I've made a conscious effort to not complain about them, whether in serious frustration or lightheartedly. I've also spent more time reading my Bible and praying, reprioritizing the way I spend my time (housework, school, computer, etc) and taking time to relax by myself.
I don't want to be one of those women who only talks about motherhood in a negative light, so I just wanted to make sure I told you all how much fun I'm having as a mom to the little Ws these days.
Today things are so much better. Obviously there are moments I'm fried on motherhood, but most of the time I'm happy with how things are. I've spent more time praying for them, hanging out with them, and smiling when I speak to them. I've made a conscious effort to not complain about them, whether in serious frustration or lightheartedly. I've also spent more time reading my Bible and praying, reprioritizing the way I spend my time (housework, school, computer, etc) and taking time to relax by myself.
I don't want to be one of those women who only talks about motherhood in a negative light, so I just wanted to make sure I told you all how much fun I'm having as a mom to the little Ws these days.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
DEVON AT DOERNBECHER
Devon was discharged on Friday about 8:00pm. He's doing well, though his recovery has been different than Silas' recovery from a hernia repair. Devon's surgery was the result of an incarcerated hernia and Silas' wasn't. Devon's surgery was bilateral and Silas' wasn't. Devon's surgery was laproscopic and Silas' wasn't. I think the fact that Devon's belly button, which is one of the places they went in, was involved is why he's been moving a little more slowly. You can't ignore sore belly muscles! Anyway, he's doing well - went to church, is playing around the house, etc.
Just thought I'd share some pics of the adventure. Some were taken by me when I took Silas, Naomi, and my grandma up to see Devon before surgery on Friday. Some of them were taken by Devon. I told him we'd do a blog about his hospital stay like we did with Silas, so he took a bunch of pics of his room to share with all of you. One picture is the "photo shoot" taken during his surgery. I'll save it for last and give you a warning, in case pics of internal stuff gross you out.
* Devon thoroughly enjoyed having the ability to control the lights, TV, and bed movement from his own nifty remote control.
Just thought I'd share some pics of the adventure. Some were taken by me when I took Silas, Naomi, and my grandma up to see Devon before surgery on Friday. Some of them were taken by Devon. I told him we'd do a blog about his hospital stay like we did with Silas, so he took a bunch of pics of his room to share with all of you. One picture is the "photo shoot" taken during his surgery. I'll save it for last and give you a warning, in case pics of internal stuff gross you out.
* Devon thoroughly enjoyed having the ability to control the lights, TV, and bed movement from his own nifty remote control.
* The view from the bed. In case you were wondering, that's a scale to the right of the TV. Devon found that to be noteworthy.
* Nurse Kelly, who I'm sure would love this picture.
* The smoke alarm, track for the privacy curtain, and sprinkler ... all in one picture!
* Cool pictures and design bordering the wall.
* The super cool, glow-in-the-dark moon and stars above Devon's bed.
* Devon was being a little bit solemn and grumpy. It had nothing to do with medical problems and everything to do with copping an attitude. So, while everyone else went to hunt down the cafeteria, Devon and I did a photo shoot. He absolutely loves getting kissed by me. Loves it! Can you tell? The fact that I have him in lockdown is coincidental. I assure you that he was not trying to escape. And his hand by my chin? That's a stroke of affection and not a defensive push.
* Little case of the giggles.
* I specifically told Devon to be serious. He's so defiant.
* Abs of Shrek, which is way cooler than abs of steel for any boy. The top one is for the belly button entry, the other two are the hernia sites. In case you missed it, when they pushed the incarcerated hernia back they discovered a mild hernia on the other side. So, he had both repaired. Did you notice how nicely his iodine skin matches his orange sheets?
* The next pic is of his insides, so feel free to be done reading if you have a wimpy tummy. The pics are small and aren't particularly gross or anything, but I know some people can't handle seeing anything internal under any circumstances. So, I'm just trying to be thoughtful. Nice of me, isn't it?
* Nurse Kelly, who I'm sure would love this picture.
* The smoke alarm, track for the privacy curtain, and sprinkler ... all in one picture!
* Cool pictures and design bordering the wall.
* The super cool, glow-in-the-dark moon and stars above Devon's bed.
* Devon was being a little bit solemn and grumpy. It had nothing to do with medical problems and everything to do with copping an attitude. So, while everyone else went to hunt down the cafeteria, Devon and I did a photo shoot. He absolutely loves getting kissed by me. Loves it! Can you tell? The fact that I have him in lockdown is coincidental. I assure you that he was not trying to escape. And his hand by my chin? That's a stroke of affection and not a defensive push.
* Little case of the giggles.
* I specifically told Devon to be serious. He's so defiant.
* The loot! Devon came home with all sorts of goodies from the hospital and his visitors. We didn't get it all in this pic, but you can see how fruitful his visit was. They even had a bag of candy for him, since his surgery was on Halloween.
* Abs of Shrek, which is way cooler than abs of steel for any boy. The top one is for the belly button entry, the other two are the hernia sites. In case you missed it, when they pushed the incarcerated hernia back they discovered a mild hernia on the other side. So, he had both repaired. Did you notice how nicely his iodine skin matches his orange sheets?
* The next pic is of his insides, so feel free to be done reading if you have a wimpy tummy. The pics are small and aren't particularly gross or anything, but I know some people can't handle seeing anything internal under any circumstances. So, I'm just trying to be thoughtful. Nice of me, isn't it?
.
The two pics on the left are where his incarcerated hernia was. See how there's a darker red area on the top left of the top picture? That was the hole the intestines, which are on the bottom left of the pic, went through. So, if you'd been watching the hernia happen, then you'd have seen the back of the intestines as they went away from you through that hole. In the bottom picture on the left you can see how they tightened the hole up so no more intestines can try to escape.
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The two pics on the right are where his mild hernia was. I think those pics are harder to "read". The top picture has a dark spot in the upper center. That's the escape hole. The bottom picture has a spot that's obviously been tightened up, but I have a hard time matching it up with the first picture. It's just not as clear as the first set of pics.
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