Roller Coaster

Anyone that’s been on a roller coaster understands the adrenaline rush that comes from that initial slow climb before the first drop. I remember this time when I went to Busch Gardens with my best friend and her dad. We were going to ride the Alpengeist and I was scared to death! Amanda sat on one side of me and her dad on the other side. As we started that climb, they began to tease me because of how scared I was. That initial climb is so slow and even though I knew what was coming was going to be exhilarating I still couldn’t keep from being somewhat scared. I was putting all of my trust in the engineers that built that massive ride to keep me safe. I was counting on that harness to stay locked and keep me from slipping out of the seat. In the end, I made it through just fine and loved every minute---except that initial climb of uncertainty. I'll never love the initial uncertainty, but that's where faith comes in right?

It's not the type of roller coaster at an amusement park I'm talking about here. It's the roller coaster of life. Sometimes I feel like I am starting up that initial climb and instead of making it to the end I wind up suspended upside down in a looptie-loop hanging on to the harness for dear life. In real life it's not the engineers I have to put my faith in but Christ. I know that He will see me through to the very end. Even if I do get stuck upside down for a while, knowing it's HIS harness that is keeping me safe is far more comforting than the thought of some engineer putting something together. I know the harness has been tested time and time again, but men sometimes fail us and Christ will never fail us.

Here lately life has been a bit of a roller coaster. There have been many times when I thought I made it to the end only to jump back on and go through the ride all over again! I wish that I could be more telling of this roller coaster ride, but as of right now "Mum's the word". I pray that Brad and I would be sensitive to His will in our lives and not our will. It's in His plan that we find perfection. I'm so thankful for His provision and the gift of discernment in our future endeavors. :)

Sleep

Sleep, oh how I miss thee. This remodeling of the bathroom is going to kill me!! We’ve been staying up so late working on it and the kids do not care---they get up ever earlier than normal when I haven’t slept!!! What’s up with that???

We didn’t get too much done on the bathroom yesterday. Sundays are always busy days and yesterday was no exception. We had a lunch after church with the pastor search committee and their families and had a WONDERFUL time of fellowship with them all. Brad made the mistake of telling the kids that Golden Corral was an all you can eat ice cream place. We had a room to ourselves and as I was eating the kids snuck out and got some *major* dessert! Apparently I was craving carbs yesterday. When I got back to the table I had: salad (yay me), sweet potato, potato ‘fries’, mashed potatoes, and teriyaki chicken. It was yummy, but oh my.

After lunch we came home and chilled for a little bit before heading back to church for the Lord’s Supper. I had nursery last night so the little ones were under my control! MUAHAHAHA! Then I dropped Brad off at Lowes and went to Jimmy Johns to get dinner. Brad asked me when I dropped him off, “Do you have your check card?” Of course I had my check card. I got Jimmy Johns, ordered the subs, pulled out my wallet and found my check card was not in my wallet. ACK! I knew then my check card was at home so I went to Lowes, found Brad, admitted I was wrong, got HIS check card, then went back to Jimmy Johns.

We did find out that the price of the tile we bought on Wednesday has now dropped 34 cents. I’m going to go back to Lowes today and get a price adjustment. We should get back around $30! Today I have to finish stripping the wall paper in the bathroom (I was too tired to finish it last night). We also have a creek excursion to go on today. I promised Jasmine that we would go down to the creek so they could look for tadpoles. :) Have a happy Monday!

My Girls!

I am so proud of Haeley and Jasmine!!! They have worked so hard this year learning Bible verses and the books of the Bible. They ROCKED it today! AWESOME JOB GIRLS!!!!!!! They have improved so much since last year. Their confidence is probably the biggest difference I saw. Last year they were very unsure and somewhat confused, but this year was completely different. They knew what to expect and they really prepared and have taken God’s Word and hidden it in their hearts. They are amazing and I desire to know the Bible in the ways that they have learned. What’s really cool is that they don’t just memorize verses and such, but they actually learn what the verse means and find ways to make it personal to their lives. Gabe was able to compete, but he was not confident that he could do it. Next year will be quite a year of Bible Drill. Haeley and Jasmine will be in the Youth, Gabe will be in the 4th-6th grade level, and Justin will be in the 1st-3rd grade. I still can’t believe Justin will be 1st grade!!! Where on earth does the time go?? We got some pretty good pictures at Highland Lakes too!

After Bible Drill we ran to get a birthday present for Sarah’s son, Andrew. We were going to get a terrarium for a frog, but those were so blooming expensive and then there are so many other issues with setting the tank just right. Instead of a frog, we settled on a hermit crab and now Justin wants one too. The hermit crab was HUGE and poor Benjamin got scared out of his wits over it. Benjamin had a bit of a rough day; he got car sick 3 times on the way to Highland Lakes and then was heartbroken when I told him the party was not for him, but for Justin. Justin had a blast at the party and I’m thrilled for him. He told me at bedtime tonight that he made some new friends at the party too! :) The hermit crab was a HUGE hit too. :)

After I dropped Justin at the party I headed back to Menards to pick up Brad and the rest of the kiddos. I left them there so I could drop Justin off. We picked out our bathroom vanity, countertop, faucets for the sink and tub, and all the accessories we need. WHEW! We loaded everything up, came home, unloaded it, and then I picked up the little man.

Over the past several days we have been watching season one of “Leave it to Beaver”. Justin has a new nickname. Beaver. :D There are some many similarities that it’s not even funny!!! While I make dinner the kids watch “Leave it to Beaver”. It’s become a nice ritual. I love them coming and asking to watch it.

It’s now gotten late and we have church in the morning, so away I go!!!!! I hope everyone has a WONDERFUL Sunday!!!

Ho hum.

How on earth is it April 29th already?!?!?!?!? I can NOT believe time has flown by so quickly. This past Sunday we were blessed immensely by a lady in our church, Terri. She is wonderful and is giving Jasmine riding lessons. It is amazing because it’s not just about learning how to ride the horse but learning how to handle the horse. Dollar, the horse, was a little wound up when we got there, but Jasmine was able to learn so much so quickly. Dollar’s back was bothering him so Terri used the English Saddle for Jasmine to ride and she did AWESOME! Jasmine had such control over dollar that it was crazy. She really impressed both me and Terri.

We are working on the master bath. It’s only taken 10 months, but that is still quicker than some projects that we have started. ;-) I’ll post some pictures of before and after once we get it done. We are tiling tonight and the jacuzzi tub will be delivered tomorrow. Brad and I are having some difficulties seeing eye to eye on the wall tile for the tub/shower and for the vanities. Ugh. I know we will figure it out soon, but until then....

Today the girls are doing the associational drill for Bible drill. I am so proud of them! They are learning so much scripture that it is crazy! They can get to the books of the Bible in no time at all and they enjoy what they are learning. This year, Jasmine did better at our church drill than she did at state last year!!! We have state drill on Saturday and then we are going to do another church drill during service one Sunday in May.

I think I have our curriculum for next year picked out. Now it’s just a matter of putting it all together and getting it ordered. I’m so excited for the kids---3 weeks and we are DONE!!!! I know they are super excited too!!! Alrighty, off I go...until next time!!!

So I said...hey....what's going on?? :)

I said, Hey...What’s going on???? :D

It’s been quite a whirlwind lately. God is up to something in our family and I’m anxious to see what it is! This past Sunday we had the privilege of voting in a new pastor for our church, The Church at Avon. It was a very exciting time for our church. Our new pastor and his wife have 3 boys and God has really blessed our church with this family.

As of today, we have ONE month left of school! ALL of us are ready for school to be over for the year. I have decided that we are going to do a little switch-a-roo next year. We are sticking with the Alpha Omega Publishers, but changing the curriculum. We’ve been using Switched-on-Schoolhouse, but next year we will use a combination of Horizons and Lifepacs. Haeley and Jasmine will use the Lifepacs exclusively. Gabe and Justin will use a combo of Horizons and Lifepacs. I’m excited for the change. Switched-on-Schoolhouse is a wonderful program, but just not the right fit for our family. We only have one computer for school and Haeley, Jasmine, and Gabe all have to cycle through the computer throughout the day. I look forward to sitting down at the table next year with all the kids and doing things as a family. I look forward to the time to help and teach the kids more in that aspect. I do not however look forward to grading and the record keeping. Ugh. Oh well, that’s all a part of it, right?

We’ve had our share of bonfires this spring. The yard is getting cleaned up rather nicely and the kids are loving their hot dog roasts, and s’mores. Any ideas on what else we can roast??? I’m OVER hot dogs. I love sitting by my man out at the fire. I love getting to talk with him and hearing nature’s nightlife. The only downside to spring being here has been the allergies. I really think Justin is fighting some serious allergies. It’s been going on for a good 2 weeks now and he is just miserable. I hate it for him. I’ve had a bit of a spring cold. We have allergy testing scheduled for Justin in May. Then a week later we have Gabe’s testing too. I know that it is going to be a very difficult thing to watch and do, but I pray that we get some answers for these little guys. I’m pretty confident we have some food allergies---rather, food sensitivities with these two. Time will tell.

Since my last post, I still have maintained a healthy relationship with Facebook. It’s still there and I still visit it on occasion, but it is not the time hogger that it was in the past. I can’t believe that a month ago we were in Costa Rica. If I could go back and do things over again, Costa Rica would still happen. Brad and I had such an amazing time and the Lord really used that time to speak to the two of us on our relationship with each other and Him. My time in the Word has been stronger since we have been back from Costa Rica and my desire to be in the Word has been stronger. All I know was that while in Costa Rica God worked a mighty wonder in my life with Him and my family. I find myself truly appreciating most moments now. I do love being Mom. I love where God has placed me and I desire to serve Him better.

Thank you Lord for my family. Thank you for your wisdom. I thank you for blessing Brad and I with our trip. I do not ever want to forget all that you taught me in that time. I thank you for re-aligning my priorities and for drawing me closer to You. Lord I thank you for our friends and our church family. I pray your hand of blessing on this time of transition and I pray for an understanding heart from the current church of our new pastor. I love you Lord. Amen.

Facing Facebook

So, it’s no secret that I have had an addiction of sorts to Facebook. When I first signed up for it I was not quite sure what it was and I didn’t do much with it. Then I discovered the joy and fun of Facebook. And the more time I spent on Facebook, the more I was getting hooked on it. I enjoyed hooking up with old friends and keeping tabs on my family. I enjoyed looking at everyone’s pictures and seeing how they were doing in their lives. Then I got introduced to the games. First it was Bejeweled Blitz. Then Farkle and FarmTown. Soon after that it was Restaurant City, Cafe World, and FarmVille. Even with the similarities of the games they were so different in many different aspects. I was never playing more than three at the same time ( I know that still is a lot ) and I would talk with my other gaming friends about the differences and so forth. I would find myself seeing at all hours of the day what my friends were doing on FB and I would have to go check it out. I found myself spending more time on FB than I would like to admit. There were days when I was embarrassed at the amount of time I spent there, but it was my escape when the kids were frustrating me. It was my little escape from life. However, my escape from life began taking over my life.

This was not entirely clear to me until just recently. Brad and I enjoyed a glorious nine day vacation in Costa Rica with our good friends, Steve and Lettie. While in Costa Rica I received that escape from life that I had so desperately been seeking through my time on FB. And I also received something else. And amazing epiphany from my Lord! I do not need the games on FB. I do not need FB. I need one thing and one thing only---Him. While I seeked my escape from the games on FB, the status updates, and the pictures I missed out on the big picture. My escape needs to be in prayer and in the Word. Not the words of others’ status updates. Don’t get me wrong, FB is not the problem. I was the problem. I was allowing FB to take priority over too many things. My house suffered, I would be willing to say my kids suffered, my relationship with Brad suffered, but most importantly, my relationship with my Lord and Savior suffered. Upon this realization I promptly turned off the applications on FB that I had been using. I don’t need them.

When I started FB’ing I quit blogging. I love blogging. I love writing stories of my kids and my family. I love having that collection of thoughts to go back to and read over on those days when yesterday seems so far away. So, as I write this I know in my heart that while I will stay on FB and keep up with people, but my focus, my concern will not be there. My focus is on the prize. I will press on in life towards a more intimate relationship with my Lord. I desire to be closer to the Lord, closer to my man, and closer to my children. I pray that as I embark on this change (even if it seems silly to some of you) in my life that on the tempting days I will put that temptation at the foot of the cross.

Love to all!

Tonight I had the pleasure of having a mini-date with Brad. We had a meeting to go to at 7:30, but my neighbor got here at 6:30 so we could go to dinner first. We met at Outback and Brad had already gone in and gotten us a table and ordered our food. He knows me so well!!! Coconut shrimp, diet coke, 9oz sirloin (medium rare), yummy mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies! MMMMM!!! I love me some steak! Then we headed to the Roger's house and had a wonderful time of fellowship with coffee and dessert! I needed this evening so much. I sang Natalie Grant's song "I believe" the whole way to the restaurant, to the Roger's, and home. It is such a powerful song with a great message of Christmas.

I'm almost done with my Christmas shopping! YEA! Hopefully I'll be able to finish up this week. Brad's birthday is on Thursday. I got him Wii Sports Resort. Shhhh...don't tell him! I know I'm safe posting what I got him because he never reads my blog. Maybe if he realizes I post sensitive information he will come check it out. ;-) I'm going to hit the sack. G'nite-

Creative Writing by Haeley

I gave Haeley a creative writing assignment today and she did a pretty good job. There were definitely some punctuation errors, but I think she did a good job on the content. Her assignment was..."If you could visit any place in the world, where would it be? Why ould you want to visit there? What would you take with you? How would you get there and would you take anyone with you? Why or why not?" This is what she wrote:

If I could go any place in the world, I would go to Tokyo, Japan. I would visit Tokyo because not only did my mom live there , but I also love the food, houses, designs, basically everything. I also like things from Japan, such as dolls, pajamas, and other things. To get there I would fly to San Francisco, California. Then, catch a boat to Hilo, Hawaii. After that, I would catch another boat to Tokyo, Japan. To prepare I would bring: shirts (long and short), capris, pants, underwear, my flower jewelry box with my favorite jewelry, hygiene bag, and all its contents, small snacks, portable drinks, and money, as well as something to do on the way. If I could, I would bring my dad. We don't get to see him much, only on holidays and weekends. So, I would be able to spend time with him. Tokyo, Japan, here I come!!!

The part in there about her taking Brad made me smile but also made me sad. His job requires so much of his time that he hasn't had a lot of time at home lately. I pray that changes soon.

Hillsong - At the Cross - With Subtitles/Lyrics

This is such a beautiful song. I love it.

I think I will post this on my bathroom door.

Dear Kids,

Don’t be alarmed, the world isn’t coming to an end. I am simply taking a shower. It will take about 30 minutes and will involve soap and water. While I’m in the shower, I’d like you to remember a few things;

1. The large slab of wood between us is a door. Do not bang on the door to hear my voice. I promise that even though you can’t see me, I am on the other side. I’m not digging an escape tunnel and running for the border, no matter what I said earlier. I didn’t mean it. Honest.

2. Believe it or not, shouting "telephone!" through the closed bathroom door will not make the phone stop ringing. Answer it and take a message. Since the amazing mind-reading mom has the day off, you’ll have to write it down. Do not use your brother and the laundry marker. We can’t send him to school with telephone number-tatoos.

3. Water makes me wet, not deaf. I can still tell the difference between "nothing" and a child playing the piano with a basketball. I can also hear you tattling at the top of your lungs. I’m choosing not to answer you. Don’t call your dad at work and tell him I’m unconscious in the bathroom. He didn’t appreciate it last time. He won’t appreciate it this time, trust me.

4. No matter how much I would like it, water does not make me forgetful. I remember who you are and why you are grounded. No, you can’t go to Albert’s house to play. No you can’t go to Albert’s house to use the bathroom. If someone is in our other bathroom, you’ll just have to think dry thoughts and wait. Unless you have 4 feet and a tail, do not think of going outside to water the lawn. I know the dog does it. The neighbors don’t feel the need to call me when the dog does it.

5. Unless the house catches on fire, stay inside and keep the doors locked. Do not go outside and throw rocks at the bathroom window to get my attention.

6. Do not set the house on fire.

7. Call me if there is an emergency. Emergencies are:

Dad has fallen off the roof

Your brother/ sister is bleeding

There’s a red fire truck in front of our house

Emergencies are not:

Dad has fallen asleep on the couch

Someone on T.V. is bleeding

There’s a red pick-up truck in front of our house

One other thing: Being forced to use the last roll of toilet paper for a towel does not make me happy. It makes me sticky with little white polka dots. In the future when the tub overflows, use a mop to clean up the water instead of every towel in the house... For my sanity’s sake, lets pretend it was the tub, Okay? No, I don’t want to hear the real story....Ever.... Especially not while I’m standing in the pool of water you missed.

8. Be good. Entertain yourselves. Yes you can do both at the same time.

Try coloring, playing a game, or paying that big stack of bills on the coffee table. I’ll be out soon. Maybe.

Love, Mom