I recently came across a question that prompted a good deal of thought.  It was an interesting question, and I've spent a bit of time thinking about it.  Here are my thoughts.  (No, you don't get the benefit of the original question. :D )

If I refused to submit to my father's wishes (in any area that those wishes did not go against Scripture) before I got married, what would that say about my willingness to submit to my husband in the future?  If I'm starting that relationship based on rebellion against my current authority, it only bodes ill for the future of that relationship. 

If I refuse to submit to the wishes of my boss at work (again in any area that those wishes do not go against Scripture), I will likely not have that job for very long. 

If I refuse to submit to the driving laws, I will likely get ticketed and possibly lose my license. 

There is no Bible reference telling me that I have to gain my father's permission to marry a certain man, and he may have irrational reasons for his disapproval, but if I go against his wishes I might end up marrying into an unhappy, possibly abusive marriage. 

There is no Bible reference that tells me to call in if I'm not going to make it to work, or to schedule my vacation days a month in advance, and it may be irrational to have to fold the fabric cuts into thirds and then quarters, but if I don't submit, it may cost me my job.

There is no Bible reference that tells me to stop at a red light and avoid turning left at an intersection until it's clear, and it may be irrational to have to slow to 50 for that half mile, but refusing to obey/honor/submit to those laws could cost me and others dearly. 

These are just 3 examples that popped into my head, but the concept can be taken into each aspect of life.  The simple truth is, we are always going to need to submit to those in authority.  There will always be those in authority over us, and it will be so much better for us all if we choose to obey the Bible references that clearly tell us to "Obey them that have the rule over you and submit yourselves" (Hebrews 13:17)

UFOs

How many do YOU have?  I have far more than I should.  You see, I'm horrible about getting bored with a project, so starting another, getting bored with it, but not yet ready to get back to the previous one, and "Oh Hey!  That one looks cool!"  So, I start another...and another...and another.  So, my Un Finished Objects (UFOs) start piling up. 

Right now I have:

• one adult sweater I'm knitting
• one baby outfit that needs sewn together and the finishing work done
• four quilts in varying stages of completion
• one baby bonnet I'm tatting
• one knitted pillow that needs sewn together and stuffed
• one baby shirt that needs buttons and buttonholes
• one baby shirt that is cut out
• one macrame watchband that is about half done
• one fuzzy scarf I'm knitting
• one set of curtains that I need to revamp to fit my windows
• one afghan I'm crocheting

That's all that's actually in progress, then I also have materials for several other projects that I'm longing to start.  Specifically, I have:

• fabric for a Winnie the Pooh quilt
• fabric for a Christmas throw quilt
• yarn for a sweater for me
• yarn for a couple of pairs of socks - for me and others
• yarn for soft fuzzy mittens
• fabric for a baby quilt
• fabric for several little projects that I have in the back of my mind, waiting for the right time. 
• a few sewing kits I was just given that look like so much fun

While I'm letting my arms/hands/fingers have a little break from knitting and tatting, I think I'm going to finish the sewing projects that I have started, so that I can make the things from the kits.  Yup!  That's my goal for the next little while.  I'll keep you updated, and may even give pictures of finished projects!  :D

I Am Thankful

I have a goal of writing a list of 100 things I'm thankful for.  I thought I'd share it here. 

1. I'm thankful for my Salvation
2. I'm thankful for God's grace
3. I'm thankful that God deals with me as His beloved child
4. I'm thankful for the Holy Spirit working in my life
5. I'm thankful for my husband
6. I'm thankful for my son
7. I'm thankful for my brothers and sisters
8. I'm thankful for my church family
9. I'm thankful for parents who taught me well
10. I'm thankful that I have the Bible in my language
11. I'm thankful for the freedom to worship Christ openly
12. I'm thankful for a beautiful home
13. I'm thankful that my sister is cancer free for almost 4 years now
14. I'm thankful for my niece and nephew and the new one on the way
15. I'm thankful for AWANA and the firm biblical foundation it gave me. 
16. I'm thankful for my health
17. I'm thankful for entertaining yet clean, books to read
18. I'm thankful for heat and air conditioning in our home
19. I'm thankful for abundant, good food to eat
20. I'm thankful for good friends
21. I'm thankful for the opportunity to be a stay at home wife and mother
22. I'm thankful for the 4 months I had the opportunity to love our foster children
23. I'm thankful for a safe neighborhood to live in
24. I'm thankful for the Police, Firemen and other emergency personnel
25. I'm thankful that my husband stands for the truth of God's word
26. I'm thankful for my independence
27. I'm thankful for transportation
28. I'm thankful that I got to see my Grandma again, and introduce her to my son before she passed
29. I'm thankful that my Dad was here with family when he had his stroke
30. I'm thankful that my Dad is still alive, and seeing improvement daily
31. I'm thankful for an electric stove and oven
32. I'm thankful for a washer and dryer
33. I'm thankful that I have the knowledge to fix some things when they break
34. I'm thankful for music
35. I'm thankful for a soft bed
36. I'm thankful for mail
37. I'm thankful for technology that helps me keep in contact with friends and family all over the world
38. I'm thankful for the soldiers and their families who sacrifice daily so that I may have freedom
39. I'm thankful for my sewing machine
40. I'm thankful that God is in control.  I don't have to worry
41. I'm thankful for modern advances in medicine
42. I'm thankful for thunderstorms
43. I'm thankful for creative people who write patterns and recipes
44. I'm thankful for my husbands good job
45. I'm thankful for clean water
46. I'm thankful for hot running water
47. I'm thankful for electricity
48. I'm thankful for indoor plumbing
49. I'm thankful for precise measuring devices
50. I'm thankful that I have all 5 working senses
51. I'm thankful for disposable diapers
52. I'm thankful for our furniture
53. I'm thankful for hangers
54. I'm thankful for pharmacies
55. I'm thankful for local stores
56. I'm thankful for farmers who work hard so I can have food to eat
57. I'm thankful for an electric steam iron
58. I'm thankful for my KitchenAid
59. I'm thankful for beautiful flowers
60. I'm thankful for boneless meat
61. I'm thankful for a refrigerator
62. I'm thankful for nice clothes
63. I'm thankful for shoes
64. I'm thankful for cameras
65. I'm thankful for memories
66. I'm thankful for sharp knives
67. I'm thankful for tools
68. I'm thankful for chocolate
69. I'm thankful for paper products
70. I'm thankful for doctors
71. I'm thankful for white flour
72. I'm thankful for pens, pencils, and writing paper
73. I'm thankful for written history
74. I'm thankful for logic and reason
75. I'm thankful for soap
76. I'm thankful for fluffy towels
77. I'm thankful for hair
78. I'm thankful for working drains
79. I'm thankful for plumbers
80. I'm thankful for year round produce
81. I'm thankful for truck drivers and freight trains
82. I'm thankful for pacifiers
83. I'm thankful for nice neighbors
84. I'm thankful for the ability and freedom to choose
85. I'm thankful that my Sr Pastor brings biblical messages and encourages me to live in accordance with the Word of God
86. I'm thankful for shopping carts
87. I'm thankful for synthetic fibers
88. I'm thankful that I can paint my walls
89. I'm thankful for the ability to read
90. I'm thankful for laughter
91. I'm thankful for games
92. I'm thankful for free time
93. I'm thankful that I am not alone
94. I'm thankful for the promise of a future without sin or pain
95. I'm thankful for plastic bags and containers
96. I'm thankful for my soft fuzzy robe
97. I'm thankful for clocks
98. I'm thankful for phones
99. I'm thankful for George Washington Carver
100. I'm thankful that my wish list was fulfilled in my husband

I may expound on some of these later on.  If there are any that you would like to hear more about, please let me know in a comment on this post.

Proper Use of My Liberties

Romans 14:14  I know, and am persuaded by the Lord Jesus, that there is nothing unclean of itself: but to him that esteemeth any thing to be unclean, to him it is unclean.
15  But if thy brother be grieved with thy meat, now walkest thou not charitably. Destroy not him with thy meat, for whom Christ died.
16  Let not then your good be evil spoken of:
17  For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
18  For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God, and approved of men.
19  Let us therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.
20  For meat destroy not the work of God. All things indeed are pure; but it is evil for that man who eateth with offence.
21  It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
22  Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth.
23  And he that doubteth is damned if he eat, because he eateth not of faith: for whatsoever is not of faith is sin.
1    We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

Even though this passage is speaking directly of what foods we eat, it can be applied to all aspects of our lives.  Am I living a life that follows the principles contained in this passage? 

I've recently come across a discussion that got me thinking hard about this.  How many times do I go about my merry life, doing what I want because it is my right to do so, never caring about how my choices affect others?  I need to be careful to consider others in everything that I do.  If I am hindering my ministry to others by excercising my rights, I need to give up those rights.  It would be better for me to live a more constrictive lifestyle than to cause offense.

For example, I was having a conversation with my sister via text message the other day.  After several back and forth texts, I waited an hour or so before receiving another reply.  In that reply she explained that she had been with her husband's grandmother, who finds texting to be rude.  So, she'd refrained from doing so while visiting with her.  Certainly she has the right to text, there's nothing in the Bible saying that texting is a sin, even if you're with others - but she gave up that freedom to avoid causing a rift in that relationship. 

As a Christian, I should always be willing to sacrifice my freedoms to serve others. 

Just for Fun

Here's my little baseball player!

Isn't he cute?

Back in the Race!

When we left Oregon, we were both really hurting emotionally. The way our ministry out there ended was really painful for us, so we knew we needed a time of emotional healing. At first, we simply enjoyed being a part of a church that loves us, just soaking up the love. Then, after we'd been here about 6 months, we were contacted by a pastor who is looking for a young man for him to groom to take his place when he retires.

We met with him and his wife for lunch, and they set up for my husband to come preach for their church. As we made the plans, I realised that I wasn't yet ready to get back in the race. I still hurt. A lot. I wasn't yet in a place to minister well to those around me. Talking with my husband and our pastor and his wife, I said, "I DO want to get back in the ministry, just not yet. I feel like a runner that had to drop out due to a broken leg. I want to get back in the race, but not until my leg is healed."

Well, several things brought us to the decision that that particular church wasn't our next field of ministry. I was glad, as that gave me more time to heal. After we'd been here about a year, my darling and I realised that we were ready. We were starting to feel excited, and looking forward to our next area of ministry. We started looking for an opportunity to serve. I felt like my leg was healed now, I was just waiting for the next race to start.

Interestingly enough, two opportunities quickly presented themselves. One was with the church we are currently in. The other was back on the West Coast, in WA. I didn't have a proper attitude about the WA opportunity at first, but kept praying about it, and God worked in my heart so that I was submitted even to driving back across the country to serve in WA again, if that was what He had for us. I think it was only a week after I fully submitted to that possibility, that the email came.

"Thank you, but we found someone else" was basically what the email said. So, now we were down to the possibility that was right next door. (Literally!) We just didn't know what the church was wanting to do.

At our business meeting on Wednesday, the church decided to bring my husband on as assistant pastor! We are back in the race! We are looking forward to serving here, and ministering with the wonderful people already here. We are so thankful that God has made our paths so clear, and that He knows just what we need, and when we need it! We are also so very thankful for the people that allow God to work through them, and shine His love to the world. Isn't it wonderful to know that God cares for us?

Murder is Murder

I didn't watch the Casey Anthony trial, so I have no real idea what went on, and have no opinion of whether she is guilty or innocent. However, I'm rather puzzled, and slightly disgusted by the huge uproar that has been made over this, while there are thousands of babies being killed and thrown away each day by abortion. I'm struggling to understand.

Just a few months ago I discovered what is known as "selective reduction". This is where a woman who is pregnant with multiples (normally more than two) decides to kill one of more of the babies, (normally dropping the number to twins or a singleton) I just can't fathom or stomach the fact that this is really okay! What is the difference between these women and Casey Anthony?

Each day there are thousands of women who kill their babies in Government sanctioned clinics because having the baby would be inconvenient for them. What is the difference between these women and Casey Anthony?

As long as the unborn are being murdered and thrown away, we should not be surprised when the same is done with the born.

Friday Fill-Ins

I thought it might be fun to give this a try.  :D

1. Blue skies without a cloud in sight make me smile.

2. A trip down memory lane is an almost daily occurence!

3. Kids love my baby, and my baby loves them.

4. Having my husband nearby all the time, sleeping in, relaxing; these are some of the best things about vacation.

5. Love is defined by action, not feelings!

6. I have never heard of submarine races.

7. And as for the weekend, tonight I'm looking forward to chili cheese fries for dinner, tomorrow my plans include looking at a house with a friend, tearing down wallpaper, and teaching a class on knitting, and Sunday, I want to enjoy the Sunday services!

Pictures! Long overdue.

I said I'd do a picture post next, so here goes! 



Boy! were those carrots good!



He fell asleep chewing on my finger.  Must have been tired!



I didn't think to get this picture before my other sister and brother left...

We're only missing 9 of my Grandma's grandkids!

And this is all 6 of her great-grandkids (not counting the 2 on the way)

I made this outfit for some friends.  Their daughter was born 3 weeks early, and has Trisomy 18.  She's doing remarkably well so far, but still needs our prayers.

 

I taught my little brother how to knit so I could test my instructions.  The cable on the circular needles was getting him frustrated, so he hooked it around his foot.  :D  Classic smile!

Okie Dokie

I'm finally getting around to updating.  It's been crazy!  I'm planning a picture post for the next update.  We'll see how that goes.  For now, on to some long thought out subjects.

         I have a keychain that reads "A woman who wants to be equal to a man lacks ambition."  When I saw it, I thought it was great and had to get it!  (It wasn't until several years later that I realised what it was supposed to be saying.)  I got it because it so well put into words what I'd been thinking.  The highest ambition I - as a woman - can have, is to be the very best woman I can be.  Anything else is less of an ambition.  God made me to be a woman, not a man, so being a man would not be the best I could be.  Therefore, to desire that would be to lack ambition. 

It still bothers me to hear women talk about how they can be just as good a man as the men are.  It's sad to me, because I know that as long as that is their goal, they will never reach their full potential.  It's so wonderful to follow the way God designed things!  It just makes life easier and so much better!

This should be good!

I have a few posts brewing.  Hopefully soon I'll take the time to sit down and write them out.  They should be pretty well thought out by the time I get that done.  :D

It's been awhile!

A lot has been happening the last couple of weeks.  Yet when I try to think of what we've been so busy with, it just seems like everyday stuff.  :) 

I'm missing my Grandma so much.  I keep thinking "I should call Grandma and tell her about..." then remember I can't.  It's really hard right now.

I'm really wishing my little sister lived closer.  There's so much I want to share with her right now.  It would be so much fun to go shooooooping with her again, go get some (non)coffee, and laugh at my son's antics, like we did so many times with my foster kids. 

While on the topic of missing, and foster kids, I miss those two sweethearts so very much!  I wonder how they're doing. 

The Relay for Life for our area is going on right now in the park just a block away from the house.  While I think it's really neat, and certainly a worthy cause, I really wish I couldn't hear/feel the music.  The bass is making me nauseous. 

I actually finished 2 different projects that I've been "working" on for the last year or so.  Three sweaters (2 cardigans and 1 pullover) and a knit overall for my baby.  The crazy thing is, the seeaters fit him perfectly right now!  (It's 80-90 degrees most days right now, so definitely not sweater weather!)  I have a feeling that by the time he could use them, they'll be too small.  The pants should fit him well, though. 

I'm excited about some possibilities that my husband and I are looking at!  I might go into more detail later on.  :D

I think that's all my randomness for today.  I hope you're all well, and holding up in this weather!

Why I Won't

I Do believe that:
      My  husband is a great husband
      My son is wonderful, and I'm proud to be his mommy
I enjoy being an Aunt to all of my nieces and nephew
I have sisters/brothers I love
I wish we could find a cure for:
       MS
       Diabetes
       Cancer
       Heart disease
I have lost a little one, and wish miscarriage wasn't so common
I DO put my faith in Jesus Christ, and in Him alone!  I'm NOT ashamed to say it!
I do support our troops, having "under God" in our pledge of allegiance, and "in God we trust" on our money.

However, it doesn't seem to mean much to me to just copy and paste this from someone else's status on Facebook.  I prefer to use my own words to say these things at times that it's really on my heart.  So, you won't see me copying and pasting any time soon. 

Then there are the other types of "copy and paste".  Those I check out on "hoax-slayer", "fact or fiction", and "snopes" before I even think about copying and pasting.  Most of the time, it ends there. 

5 Months

Five months of changing diapers

Five months of interrupted sleep

Five months of drying tears

Five months of soothing cries

Five months of being puked on, peed on, drooled on, slept on

Five months of doubled laundry loads
Five months of new discoveries almost daily
Five months of sweet smiles and coos
Five months of snuggles
Five months of enjoying tremendous growth
Five months of excitement and laughter
Five months of double the amount of love
Five months as Mommy!
Five months God has given you to me so far.  I am so blessed!  Happy 5 months little one!  I love you so. 

One day old!

Almost 5 Months!

Sitting up so well

So excited about the new toys Mommy's buying for you

You fell asleep at a friend's house, and I put you in a laundry basket to keep you out of the way of their dog, so you wouldn't get stepped on accidentally. 



A Proper Heart

True obedience and submission both require that the heart attitude be right.  I'm working on this.  Sometimes it's incredibly hard.  I'm willing to do what is right, what is set before me to do, those tasks that God has given me.  However, if my heart isn't right, if I'm grumbling about what I've been asked to do, I'm not truly being obedient or submissive.  I've recently been reminded that I need to work on this.  *sigh  It's not easy!

Reality Check!

I logged on to Facebook this morning to post a whiny "poor me" status because my wonderful husband was working and it's a Saturday!  Granted, this is nothing new.  He's been working Saturdays for over a year now, so I should be used to it.  Anyway, I logged on to Facebook, and read through all of the new posts on my homepage.  I have a few friends who are military wives, and some of them had posted about the struggles of their husbands being on deployment. 

Well, that caused me to think twice about my whiny status.  I was reminded that I am very blessed that my husband has a job, that he gets to come home at the end of his shift, and that he gets 3-4 days off each week that we can spend just hanging out doing things as a family.  I have no idea what it's like to not have him home for months on end, and be worried for his life.  Saturdays all of a sudden don't seem so bad.

Thank you all of you who are in the military, and are married to military!  You have sacrificed more than I can know, and I am so grateful for your sacrifices for our country! 

Tried, Convicted, and Sentenced

Something happened last week to make me pause and think about my stand on some issues.  Without going into details of what happened, I'll give you the conclusions I came to. 

  If I am not witness to a conflict, I cannot make a judgement as to what happened.  Even if I hear both sides of the story after the fact, there may be missing information, skewed perspectives, misrepresentation of the facts, or any number of other problems making it hard to tell what actually occurred.  All I can say, is that as a Christian, I cannot allow someone's opinion to color how I treat people.  I am supposed to treat each person that comes across my path with kindness.  No matter what. 

  I think all too often I've found myself hearing about one friend's conflict with another mutual friend, and wanting to be judge and jury, convicting (the other friend), and sentencing them (to a little bit of cold shoulder).  For example, I'm told that Friend A is upset with Friend B because of x, y, and z.  I then find myself getting upset with Friend B, and wanting to be a little more distant with them because of it.  That's not the proper response!  The proper response - the response I will now actively be trying to have - is to continue to treat Friend A and Friend B with love and friendship like I always have. 

I Can't Think of a Title...

I really enjoy making a nice meal for my sweet husband.  It's especially nice when I can make something that looks nice as well as tasting good.  That was my plan tonight...I have a recipe for a fantastic chicken dish, that I haven't made for a while.

 I got started in plenty of time, got the chicken coated, the pan heated, the butter melted, put the chicken in the pan, picked up the cranky baby, transfered him to his highchair - where he's a little happier - turned the chicken, and noticed it was a little darker than normal.  Thought it would be okay, so cooked it the rest of the way, while putting water on to boil for some egg noodles.  The chicken was done, so I pulled it out of the pan - now second guessing how good it would be with how dark it was.  I added my noodles to the now-boiling water, measured my cream for the sauce - after tasting it to make sure it was still sweet (plus, I find I'm really fond of that little taste of pure cream!) - poured it into the pan so it could gather all the nice (burnt?) flavor from the chicken.  It looked pretty close to the right color, just a smidgen darker, so I tasted it.  It tasted just a tad different than normal, but not burnt, so it should be okay.  I put some green beans in the microwave, stirred the sauce till it was thick, added the rest of the butter to finish the sauce, it looked almost perfect! 

At that moment my sweetie got home, so I threw the colander into the sink so I could drain my noodles, drained the noodles, grabbed the pan with my sauce in it, put it on the table (on a trivet), picked up my little guy out of his highchair, turned off all the burners, and went to greet my hardworking man.  He came in, hugged me and the baby, dropped off his water jug on the dining room table, then went out to get the mail.  I went back to finishing my dinner preparations (just the dishing out of all the seperate items), and noticed the sauce had broken.  (Instead of being a creamy sauce, there were basically grainy bits of flavor swimming in oil)  Now, all this time, my sinuses had been getting more and more troublesome, and this was just the last straw.  The chicken was burnt (I could see that clearly now, no optimism left), the sauce was broken, and my head hurt!  I took the pan to the door so I could show my sweetie.  I showed him, and cried.  At least the noodles were done right! 

He thanked me for working hard to make him a nice meal, got me some pain killers for my terrible headache and ordered pizza.  I truly am blessed! 

Baby Wipes

I make my own baby wipes.  My mom used to do this when my siblings were younger, and she still needed wipes.  I've discovered it saves quite a bit of money, and works just as well as the wipes you can buy in the store.  To give you an example, I buy Bounty paper towels, the 'select a size' version, in a huge pack from Sam's Club.  I get 12 rolls, or 1848 sheets, for $18.48.  I then buy the Parent's Choice baby wash from Wal-mart, I get 15 oz for $2.00.  Each batch of wipes costs me approximately $1.79 for 154 wipes.  For comparison, you can get:

640 Pampers wipes for $19.88,

720 MembersMark wipes for $13.28

720 Huggies wipes for $15.48

1232 My wipes for $14.32, or, for comparable numbers,

770 my wipes for $8.95

I figure for a few minutes effort, I'm getting almost twice the amount of wipes for the same amount of money.  It's certainly worth it to me!  Here's the process. 

I gather my supplies.  One roll of paper towels, my baby wash, and my Rubbermaid container.

I add 3 cups of water to the Rubbermaid container

Mix in 1/4 cup baby wash

Add the paper towels to the mixture

Since the roll is slightly taller than my container, I smoosh them down in a little

Close the lid

Then turn the whole thing upside down to let the soapy solution soak through the whole roll

Once all the water has been absorbed, simply pull out the (now soggy) cardboard tube

Pull the end out of the middle far enough to easily find it when needed. 

And you have a roll full of perfectly sized baby wipes for a fraction of the cost of the premade ones. 

Another super bonus to this, is that with all of the scents of baby wash out there, you can have almost any scent you'd like for your baby wipes!  

Salt & Pepper

Yesterday I showed you my new springtime salt and pepper shakers.  What I failed to mention was that I now have a set for each season, as well as for valentine's day and Easter!  :D  It's a fun, easy way to decorate (along with my seasonal m&m's, but that's a different post!).

These stay on my stovetop year round to season my cooking.

Valentine's Day

Easter

Summertime!

Fall



And Christmastime/Winter.

I may try to find just a couple more sets, (maybe snowflakes for winter, keeping the holly for Christmas, maybe some shamrocks for St Patricks, etc. )  but for now, I'm good!  :D

Pictures! May 1 & 2

I actually remembered to take pictures yesterday and today!  So, without further ado, pictures!

We went shopping on Saturday, I had a couple of things in mind that I wanted to get.  My wonderful husband knew what I was looking for, and both items he actually found for me.  He said they made him think of me.  They're perfect!

Springtime salt and pepper shakers!

A glass cutting board

Then, today my little guy had his first taste of solid food.  Rice cereal.  He loved it!

He liked his first taste!

 

So, I made him some more!

And he couldn't get enough!

 I have quite a bit of belly left after having my son, so in my efforts to get rid of that, I am giving up sodas, and trying to tone up a bit. 


My new excercise equipment!

And that is all for today!  More tomorrow.  

I Can Do It!

Last year I proved to myself that I can completely give up something that I really like.  I haven't had any coffee (except what was in the tiramisu I had last week) since the middle of February 2010.  It's been hard at times, (especially in the midst of the reminders of Indiana winters!) but I did it!  So, now I'm going to do it again.  :D 

I know it would be better for my health for me to give up soda.  I have a rather high risk of developing type 2 diabetes down the road, and I need to do what I can now to help prevent that.  I had successfully switched to diet while I was pregnant, but then the baby started reacting when I drank it after he was born.  So, I've been back to regular soda.  It's such an easy habit to get into!  I start out just having a 20 oz every now and then, then order a coke when we go out to eat, then we pick up a 2 liter or a case of cans to have at the house...It just snowballs!

I decided that when we go out, I will order either unsweetened iced tea (left plain) or water with lime or lemon.  For those times I really want something fizzy to drink, I found "La Croix cran-raspberry flavored sparkling water" (they also have lime flavored, and unflavored).  It has no sugar, no artificial sweetener, no sodium.  It's basically just water.  There is a bit of natural flavoring in it, but it doesn't add any nutritional value to the drink.  It's awesome!  I think I might like it even better than soda! 

Hmmm

I'm again wondering what I should blog about, so I think I'll just ramble a bit.

I feel like I've settled in nicely to a new normal with my little guy. He'll be four months old tomorrow, but it feels like he's always been a part of my life. He's now jabbering at me quite a bit, playing with his feet whenever he can get to them, blowing raspberries, and wrapping his daddy and me tighter and tighter around his tiny little finger.

I have started taking Greek from my wonderful husband. I'm on my third lesson, and enjoying it so far. It's giving me a bit of a mental challenge, which I've really missed. I figure I'll be a little better equipped for helping him with typing up his notes and such. There have been times that I've had to interrupt his current study to ask a question about notes for a previous study, and I hope to get a good enough grasp of the language that I don't have to do that anymore.

I'm waiting for the rest of the tulips to die so I can get back to work on the ivy. I have noticed that the section that I have done already has little bits of ivy popping back up here and there. Never fear! I WILL win this battle! Eventually that silly ivy will get the picture, and we won't see it again. The tulips have been a beautiful sight! I've had yellow, white, pink, purple, dark purple ruffly, pointy pink, orange, red and pink and white striped tulips all blooming in the front beds. They're a fabulous array of colors. Unfortunately, I once again didn't think of getting a picture of all of them until some started dying. *sigh. One of these days...

Speaking of pictures, I've decided that to try to help me remember to take pictures, next month I am going to try to take a picture of at least 2 different things of interest every day. Keep a lookout for that!

Last for tonight, I've started copying a pattern from a finished cross stitch that my mom had. It's a birth announcement type cross stitch, with a stork carrying a baby in a blanket (blanket appropriately colored for boy or girl), with full name and birth date under the baby. Mom had 2, one for one of my brothers, and one for one of my sisters. They're both rather old and dirty, but fine for making a pattern from. I'm thinking I'll make eight of them. One for each of us kids, then I'll turn it into a quilt for Mom. I may enlist the help of my sister(s) over time so that we can get it done sometime this century! :D

My cranky baby (due to teething) is needing me, so I will end with this jumble of thoughts. Good night all!

Have They Changed?

I'm copying this idea from my little sister. This is one of those "getting to know you" emails that wwent around several years ago. I dug it up and reanswered it. (Actually, I had to have my little sister send me my old answers. :D) My new answers are in italics.


1. WHAT COLOR ARE YOUR KITCHEN PLATES? Mostly blue, I also have some with pink roses and some with harvest gold flowers blue
2. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? The Bible, various library books Essentials of New Testament Greek, and Psalms
3. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? no mouse pad no mouse pad
4. FAVORITE BOARD GAME? Life Dicecapades
5. FAVORITE MAGAZINE? McCalls needlework and crafts McCall's Needlework and Crafts
6. FAVORITE SMELL? Baked goods fresh from the oven my baby
7. LEAST FAVORITE SMELL? burnt sugar rotten food
8. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN YOU WAKE UP IN THE MORNING? Not already!! What time is it?
9. FAVORITE COLOR? Blue and Green Dark Red
10. LEAST FAVORITE COLOR? White Pastels
11. HOW MANY RINGS BEFORE YOU ANSWER THE PHONE? 1 It depends on the ring. Sometimes I let it play one full song. :)
12. FUTURE CHILD'S NAME? Girl: Salina Jane Boy: William Alexander Girl:Salina Jane Boy: Charles Fredrick
13. WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT In LIFE? My salvation and relationship w/ Christ. Without it my life would be worthless My salvation and relationship with Christ
14. CHOCOLATE OR VANILLA ICE-CREAM? vanilla vanilla
15. DO YOU LIKE TO DRIVE FAST? no Nope
16. DO YOU SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL? a living teddy bear :)
17. STORMS - COOL OR SCARY? COOL cool
18. WHAT TYPE WAS YOUR FIRST CAR? Honda Civic Ex black 1993 Honda Civic EX
19. IF YOU COULD MEET ONE PERSON DEAD OR ALIVE WHO WOULD IT BE? Jeb's parents Fanny Crosby
20.FAVORITE ALCOHOLIC DRINK? I've had pineapple that was pickled in alchohol, and tirimasu soaked in rum, and they were both positively disgusting. None
21. WHAT IS YOUR SIGN & YOUR BIRTHDAY? I have no idea, and 2/18/xx Dunno, 2/18
22. DO YOU EAT THE STEMS OF BROCCOLI? Yes no
23. IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY JOB WHAT WOULD IT BE? None, just housewife and mother. If I had to work outside the home, it would be waitress
24.HAVE ANY COLOR HAIR. I like my hair the way it is. I still like my hair the way it is
25. IS THE GLASS HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? Are you pouring or drinking? Are you filling or emptying?
26. FAVORITE MOVIE? The Devil Wears Prada Sound of Music
27. DO YOU TYPE WITH YOUR FINGERS ON THE RIGHT KEYS? yes When I'm not holding a baby!
28. WHAT'S UNDER YOUR BED? an empty shoebox, and a book Boxes of clothes
29. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SPORT TO WATCH? None None
30. WHAT IS YOUR SINGLE BIGGEST FEAR? Losing my family Losing my family
31. SOMETHING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU: she's my first answer to prayer My little sister
32. FAVORITE CDS? Classical and celtic The Pryor Sisters: See Him High and Lifted Up
33. FAVORITE TV SHOWS? I haven't watched tv for years tlc makeovers
34. KETCHUP OR MUSTARD? Ketchup spicy brown mustard
35. HAMBURGERS OR HOTDOGS? Hot dogs, cause I haven't had any for a while. Hamburgers
36. FAVORITE SOFT DRINK? GingerAle, club soda GingerAle
37. THE BEST PLACES YOU HAVE EVER BEEN? Niagara Falls, Awana camp Niagara Falls, AWANA Camp, Home!
38. WHAT SCREEN SAVER IS ON YOUR COMPUTER RIGHT NOW? None None
39. BURGER KING OR MCDONALDS? Burger King. Chicken? McD's Burger? BK

Did you learn something new about me?

A Different Dish

Wednesday I decided to try making roast with Yorkshire Pudding. Roasted potatoes, carrots, onion, and asparagus on the side, and we were good to go! It was sooo yummy! The Yorkshire pudding was a new twist to an old favorite of mine. (roast, potatoes, carrots, and onion) There's really not a way to describe it, cause I haven't had anything like it before. I tried describing it like a somewhat dry, firm custard, but that completely defies the definition of a custard. My husband said it was like a savory bread pudding, but it wasn't at all soggy, and wasn't really very eggy, so that doesn't work either.

Intrigued yet? :D It's super simple to make. You can even make it without the roast, it just won't have the flavor from the roast juices. You simply heat the juices (fat) drained off the roast (and/or oil to make 1/4 cup) in a square pan in a 450 degree oven. While that's heating, mix up 1 cup milk, 1 cup flour, 2 eggs, and 1/2 tsp salt. Pour that into the hot fat in the pan, and bake for 18-20 minutes, or until it's puffy and browned. Then, enjoy!

(I'd share a picture with you, but I'm the one that never thinks to take pictures until it's too late. Maybe next time!)

I Have to Say

I am so glad that we have progressed in the medical field so that it was possible for me to have a c-section, and have my baby and me both be whole, healthy, and alive! I understand that not all c-sections are necessary, but mine was, and I'm thankful that my Dr understood that, that it was a possibility, and that we were in a medical facility that was prepared to handle it.

I know a woman whose niece's baby has severe mental retardation because of the fact that they didn't do a c-section when there were several indicators that it was needed. The baby ended up having oxygen supply to the brain cut off due to the cord being wrapped around it's neck, and compressed during contractions and pushing. They finally did do a c-section after several hours of nonproductive pushing, but it was too late.

I know of another woman whose baby broke it's collar bone during delivery because it didn't have the necessary room to be delivered naturally.

I am so glad that my Dr was willing to allow me the opportunity to be induced a second time, and to labor for as long as I did before deciding for the c-section. She didn't just jump straight to surgery, it truly was her last resort to helping me have a healthy baby. I appreciate that!

Mixed Signals? and Other Weird Calls

Last night I got a call on my cell phone. I looked at the number, rolled my eyes, and answered. I was determined to take care of this once and for all.
"Hello"
A man's voice responded, "Hello, who is this? This is Derek, you called me"
"I'm not sure what's going on with your number and mine, but about a month ago I had several calls from your number from a guy asking for Derek. I have not called your number, and would appreciate it if you would stop calling me."
"I'm not calling you, you're calling me, I'm not putting in your number, just hitting send." Then he hung up.

That was the third phone call from him saying I'd called him. Hopefully that's the last! What's really weird is that about a month ago, I did have several phone calls from that same number, but some other fellow asking for Derek. I finally asked him what number he was trying to reach, and he gave me MY phone number. I explained to him that that was the number he was reaching, but it wasn't Derek's. He thanked me, and said he would try the other number. That was the end of that! (Or so I thought, until his number started popping up again, but with Derek on the other line this time!)

I had another call awhile ago with a woman asking for Kelly. I told her she had the wrong number, she asked if this was (my number). I told her it was, she then asked if I was the one who had emailed her about a horse. Mmm, NOPE!

A few years ago I got a call for a woman I'd never heard of. I told them they had the wrong number. They then asked if I knew where she was. When I told them that she didn't live here, and this wasn't her number, they said "So you DO know her!"

Another time I got a call from a cemetery place offering a free plot. When they found out that I wasn't old enough to qualify, they asked if I knew of anyone who would be interested in their offer.

I think my all time favorite, however, will always be the time my dad called the house collect from his work. I answered the phone the way I always did "N------'s residence, this is Heidi speaking". I heard an automated voice say, "I'm sorry, you have reached an answering service," followed by my dad saying, "No, that's my daughter!"

Sometimes it's No

I wrote this up for my other blog a few days ago, and thought I would share it here. There have been a couple of incidences recently that brought this to mind, and I think there are many life situations in whch we find ourselves tempted to respond in this way.


Sometimes when we pray, we get the answer we're wanting - "yes". Sometimes it's "wait". Not fun, but doable. But sometimes the answer is "no". Am I willing to submit my will to God's, and accept the "no"s? Am I going to do things my way to get what I want anyway? Should I then be upset when He steps in and reminds me His answer was "no"? Let's think about this for a minute. Imagine a young child asking for a cookie. Their mother says no. We see the child go into the kitchen, rearrange chairs to enable them to climb up onto the counter, get a cookie from the cookie jar, and just start to take a bite when their mother comes in and takes the cookie from them with the words, "I said 'no'!" Would we berate that mother for being unfair? Would we comfort the child in the fact that they didn't deserve to have that cookie taken from them, tell them how much they deserved that cookie, and how sure we are that their mother will give them another cookie? Why then, do we do the same things with our loving Heavenly Father? And why do we then call it trusting God? Am I really trusting God today? Or am I expecting Him to be my genie in a bottle, ready to fulfill my every wish?

Picture Post

I couldn't think of anything good to write today, so decided to share some pictures with you. Here are a few of my favorites.

This is what I saw when I checked on my baby after my shower yesterday. :D

Trying to get a good picture of my little "joey".

My guys!

Finally I realised that I could use the smile detector on my camera to get a good smile picture of my son. :D Isn't it great?Last, but not least, the picture of my flowers that I uncovered out of all the ivy.

That was more complicated than I thought! I may have to go ask my little sister for pointers for adding pictures to a blogpost. :P I hope you enjoyed!

Five Years Ago

• I was finishing up the drapes for my mom's house.


• I got to meet the first of my in-laws.


• My husband and his brother showed up at Mom's house in time to go out for lunch and pick up the tuxes.


• My Grandma broke the ball off her hip while washing her car so it would be pretty for my wedding.


• It was the day before my wedding rehearsal.


• My next to last day as a single woman!

So much has happened in the last five years! We've moved across the country, down the coast, and back across the country. We've loved and lost three children - one miscarriage, and our two foster children that we transitioned into a new home so that we could move back across the country. We've stood firm for the truth of God's word through one of the biggest trials we could face. We've been given a fourth child to love, and to bring up in a godly home. We've ministered in four different churches in three different states. We've made friends all over our wonderful nation. We've grown more fully and deeply in love with each passing day.

These past five years have undoubtedly been the best five years of my life! Thank you sweetheart for five wonderful years! I hope to spend seventy more with you.

Tomorrow

I will write a better blog post. :D

Is that what I think it is?

It sure is! Ivy is growing inside my house!

Ohio Visit

I've been putting this off because I don't really know how to say what's in my heart and mind here. We (my older sister, her two kids, my son and I), went out to Ohio last week to visit family. Really, we went out because Grandma is dying. She hasn't been out of bed for almost 2 weeks now. I was able to stay out there for an extra couple of days to get a bit more time to visit with her and with my mom and siblings who are still at home. Grandma was able to meet my baby boy, and held him on her lap for awhile. That was the last time she has sat up. It was incredibly hard to see her so weak and in pain. This is the lady who broke her hip - she broke the ball off of her hip joint - and stood up leaning on the car so the EMTs wouldn't find her on the ground. So for her to admit that she's in too much pain to sit up means that it's a lot! I was so glad to see her, and that she got to meet my sweet son. I got a picture of the two of them that I'll share with you all later. Mentally, she's still the same person she's always been. She told some of her favorite stories, gave advice, and chuckled and rolled her eyes at my stories. She's obviously lonely, I was glad to be company for her. I'm also glad that my siblings are there every weekday afternoon after school to keep her company. This is all so garbled, but that's how it is in my head, so it would have to come out that way. There is so much more I want to say, other heartaches from that visit, but it just won't come out. There are things I just can't open up and share with the world. I was glad for the visit, and am so very glad to be home again, in my own home, with my two guys.

Deja Vu

This past week I was sitting in the kitchen in my mom's house, talking to my wonderful husband on the phone at 5 in the morning. This is what I was doing 5 years ago! I truly didn't think I would ever be doing that again. It felt really weird. I almost expected to find my coco wheats in the microwave, and a cup of coffee on the table in front of me. If I hadn't had my son with me to act as a testimony to the reality of the last five years, it truly would have felt like the horrible waking from a dream too good to be true, yet so real you could feel it. However, my marriage has been a dream come true, we have been married for (almost) 5 years, and I am now home again where I belong. I am so glad I had to opportunity to take this trip, glad for my sister and my mom who got me there and back, and glad for my husband who let me (us) go for this week. I'll tell more about the trip later on, but for now I'll just say that this is the only - let me stress that now...ONLY - reason I would ever willingly be separated from my husband. I felt like I had a major part of me missing. Our son was just as bad. There were nights that the only thing that would calm him was hearing his daddy's voice on the phone. Now we're all together again, and our world is back in order.

A Realisation

This week an announcement was made on an online game that I play. The announcement was that the game would be shut down, and a new version opened. This created such an uproar among some of the regular players that I realised something. There are people who get so caught up in online stuff that it becomes their world! Kind of sad, kind of scary. I have friends in real life, and so very much enjoy the fellowship with them! I'm glad I don't have to rely on an imaginary world to feel safe and on made up characters to have friends.

My Grandmas

My Grandmas are as different as night and day. They're both wonderful ladies! My dad's mom is a sweet, gentle little lady, what you think of as the stereotypical Grandma. My mom's mom is rather gruff, often seen as hard, stubborn, and very opinionated. While my dad's mom will never correct her grandkids, my mom's mom has always said "I'm not going to treat my grandkids any differently than my own kids" and she hasn't. They both have done beautiful sewing and other handwork, but can no longer because of health issues. I'm a bit closer to my mom's mom simply because I've lived nearer to her for most of my life. While it's easy to see the caring side of my dad's mom, I think a lot of people are fooled by the roughness of my mom's mom, and don't or can't see past it to the caring underneath.

I think I would want to be a good blend of the two should I ever become a grandmother. I realise that that possibility is years down the road, but the time to work on developing the admirable qualities I want to have is now!

The End

...of a lovely weekend. My husband's schedule is such that our weekend is Sunday through Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on the week. This week today is the end. We had a grand time just spending some time together, thoroughly enjoying each other's company, and our delightful little boy. Today we wandered around several bookstores, ate at a fantastic breakfast place for lunch, decided we want a boiled dinner tomorrow, and spent a few hours just talking. I never imagined how wonderful it would be to be married to a loving, godly man! I have been so abundantly blessed!

What a Beautiful Day!

The weather is so pretty right now! My baby and I went to school with my darling, as he was preaching for Chapel today. When we stepped outside at 6:30 this morning, I could tell it was going to be gorgeous! Sure enough, it was. I was able to finish pulling up the ivy on one side of the porch. There's still just a bit going along the side of the house, I'm going to work on it the next pretty day we have.

So, the tally for interesting finds in the ivy so far is:

• 1 broken CD
• 1 golf ball
• 2 cigarette lighters
• 1 hot cheetos wrapper
• a bunch of Hyacinth, and tulips(?)
• More worms than I wanted to count
• 1 piece of broken pottery
• 4 or 5 fist sized rocks, and
• 1 stump

I'm going to take before and after pictures of the other side of the front, so you can get an idea of the difference. Digging up the roots on the side that's finished (I didn't actually get all of the roots up), I found one root that was an inch in diameter! I followed it for a little ways, but realised that to dig up the entire thing, I was going to have to dig up the entire yard. So, I used my fabulous shears and cut the thing out of the ground. Ivy is crazy!

The Tough Early Days (warning, this post may be hard to read, especially for my family)

I just finished watching "My Sister's Keeper" I cried. It was a tough watch, as it brought back so many memories. Ever since the movie came out on DVD, I've see-sawed back and forth about watching it. I knew it would be a good movie, but didn't know if I would personally be able to handle it. I don't like crying over fictional stories. I've been meaning to record my memories, and figured this would be a good time to do so, since they're right at the surface now.

I remember my baby sister being not like herself. She was complaining all the time of her tummy hurting, and wanted to sleep all day long. My mom kept taking her to the Dr, wondering if her pneumonia had come back, or something else was wrong. They said her lungs sounded clear, and couldn't figure it out. 10 days after she first started acting weird, she was going to the Dr yet again, as it was obvious something wasn't right. As we got her dressed, I noticed her breathing didn't look right. Her ribs looked odd as she breathed. I still can't think of how to describe it, but I remember thinking something was terribly wrong.

Several hours later, I got the dreaded phone call. My mom called to tell me they were taking my baby sister to the children's hospital. She needed me to go pick up the van from the dr's office. Her mom was on the way to pick me up to take me out there to get it. I asked if they (the Drs) had figured it out. She said they were pretty sure, they thought she had cancer. She had to go, I had to go, so we hung up, and I cried. I held it together long enough to get to my bed, then sat there, and cried. Two of my siblings had heard the phone ring, and, since we were all waiting on news of the youngest, came to see if that was it. I don't think I will ever forget the looks on their faces as they realised that I was crying. Their faces fell, their shoulders drooped, it looked like they'd just taken the weight of the world on their shoulders. In that moment, I knew I had to be the strong one for everyone. My oldest brother looked like the world had just come to an end. I told them what Mom had said, we all hugged and cried for a minute, then Grandma was there, and I had to go.

Dear Grandma! I still smile through my tears thinking of her response. I got in her car, and she said, "Well, all your mother said was that I had to come get you so you could get the car from the Drs office. What do they think it is?" I started a fresh round of tears. "Crying isn't going to help anything. What is it?" Yeah, if you don't know my grandma, you can't tell that that was her way of saying "It's going to be okay. I wish I could take your tears away and make it all better right now!" I told her they thought cancer, and she kind of grimaced and nodded.

Later that night I had the difficult task of updating my older sister, who had just gotten married. Before I told her what the Dr said, I asked if her husband was around, I knew she'd need him. I also told her to sit down. I remember hearing her burst into tears, and wishing I could be there for her. I then called several others, got the prayer chain started at church, called my husband (who at that point was a dear friend, but not yet even to the point of boyfriend), and another friend, who offered to come over. I accepted the offer, knowing that we all needed some kind of distraction.

The next day we went in to the hospital for a conference with the Drs to have them explain to us all just what was going on, and what was going to be happening. It turned out she did have cancer. High Risk, T-Cell, Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL). Her spinal fluid was 75 % leukemia cells, which meant she could be brain damaged from the cancer, and she would definitely need radiation on her brain. Her white blood cell count was horrible - I can't remember at this point whether they were through the roof high, or incredibly low, either way, that added to the high risk. And, she had a massive tumor in her chest cavity, which was putting such pressure on her heart and her lungs, that they could not put her under general anesthesia to hook her up to the dialysis tubes, catheter, and pic line, for fear she wouldn't wake up from it due to the stress on her organs.

I think that the sight of seeing my baby sister lying in that hospital bed, oblivious to all that was going on around her, hooked up to all those machines, is a sight that will never leave me. She was in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) for just over a week before she was able to be moved to a regular room. She was in the hospital from January 12 until the 28th, for her first hospital stay. There were many of them over the next almost 3 years. I stayed with her a couple of nights so that my mom could get a halfway decent sleep at the Ronald McDonald house. The first time I stayed with her, she started thrashing around, and wouldn't calm down. I took her hand and started singing softly to her. After a couple verses of her favorite song, she calmed down, though she hadn't shown any signs of consciousness. It was hard seeing her there, not knowing if she would take her next breath.

It was a long hard few years, but those first couple of weeks were the hardest. As the tumor shrank, she started being more wakeful, started getting a little bit of her pep back. Once she got to the point of playing "Pac World 3", making pacman body slam the ground again and again and again, we were fairly out of the woods for the time being. The Drs were all amazed at the progress she made with the first round of treatments, and we could only give God the glory.

I remember when her hair started falling out, she didn't want to brush it, cause each stroke carried with it great gobs of hair. She was self-conscious, said she looked funny. I told her that I'd rather have her lose all of her hair, and be getting healthy, than to have all of her hair, and not have her. After that she was fine. We've always had a special relationship. I was the one who could get her to eat and drink what she needed to, and was the only one she would let touch her bald head.

After roughly 3 years of treatments, she had a party to celebrate the removal of her port, which signified the end of her cancer. I was on the West Coast by that point, so wasn't able to make it to her party, but did talk to her at that point. I told her I was glad she was done with her chemo, she replied, "I am too! Know why?" When asked why, her response was, "I don't have to wait to eat anymore!"

As I look back, I see the hard things, but I can also see good that came out of those hard years. It helped me to be able to go with my husband to visit the sick in the hospital, because I no longer saw it as a place of death. Those were still real people in those beds, no matter how many machines they were hooked up to. I didn't see that until it was my own sister in the bed hooked up to the machines. It also helped me to see my absolute dependence on God. Knowing that the drs were experimenting to try to help my loved one, but knowing the Great Physician, and that He knew just what she needed, I spent a lot of time in prayer. I have learned the need to see not only the one physically suffering, but, perhaps more importantly, the ones silently suffering as they watch the physical suffering of their loved one, and are pushed (however unintentionally) to the sidelines because their needs are not as visible.

I'll end with the wonderful news that she's still cancer free 3 1/2 years after her celebratory party! She's becoming a beautiful young lady, and I can see the potential for her to become an amazing woman. God has done great things in her life!