Dirty Little Secrets

To follow suit with Megan, Bree and Angel.

1. I can stack all of the dishes I own in my dish strainer at the same time. I do it frequently.

2. I used to hide dirty dishes in the oven until they caught fire one day.

3. I have a humiliating public bathroom story that could rival our dear friend R.B.'s - the details of which will go to the grave with me.

4. I am reformed from texting while driving.

5. At any given time there is some form of pet excrement on the floor in my house.

6. I don't ever park in the nurses' parking lot. I park in the closer patient parking lot. Sometimes when it is cold and the nurse with MS walks in from the nurses' lot, I feel bad. (Disclaimer: I am not lazy it is just that I am always running late.)

7. I am addicted to hairspray. There is a can in the bathroom at work. I use it every time I go to the bathroom. The can is not mine.

8. I lie about my weight. Before getting my epidural with Joel, the doctor asked me how much I weighed. I said, "1XX pounds." Brian said, "Are you really willing to risk dying?" I said, "Can I get back with you on that?" The doctor then said, "I will go check her chart."

9. I love the Weather Channel. I find it soothing and comforting.

10. I run bath water when I am worried. I don't take a bath then

. . . I just run the water.

Lucy, You Got Some Splainin' to Do!

I kind of got myself in between a rock and a hard place. No real surprise - it has happened before.

Like the time I was the go-between on a business deal Brian had set up . . . A friend of Brian's at work bought Indy 500 tickets from a friend of ours at church. Or was it the other way around? I don't really remember now. The point is . . .

I was the one to transfer the money: $350 in cold cash.

Trouble is, there was a span of about three days between the day I got the money and the day the money was to be delivered.

You can probably guess what happened . . . straight from an I Love Lucy episode. The day of delivery came and I was a little short on cash - $350 short!

Fortunately, my situation this time does not involve cash . . . well, not directly.

I volunteered to host a table at a fund-raiser. Not just any fund-raiser mind you. The charity hosting the fund-raiser is a big time donor to the oncology center where I work.

Translation: job is on the line.

It shouldn't be that big of a deal, right? How hard could hosting a table be?

I just have to decorate the table . . . eight place settings . . . fine china . . . and silver.

I don't own any china.

My plan when I agreed to host the table (in addition to helping a worthy, charitable cause) was to expand my current jadite collection and decorate the table with that.

My current collection, however, consists of the following:

• one jadite restaurant ware D-handle coffee cup;
• one 1/4 cup measuring cup; and
• one Jane Ray salad plate.

Not a real big collection. Definitely not service for eight.

But because I have a wonderful husband who is used to me getting in tight places, we are now winning the bid on a -

93 PIECE COLLECTION OF JANE RAY DISHES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Please don't go bid against me - remember my purchase is going toward a charitable cause and will be used for this purpose for many years to come!

Keeping my fingers crossed.

I will worry about the silver later.

People skills . . . I need them

I tend to have this effect on people.

Pictures that made me smile . . .

Summertime and the livin' was easy.

You would think the toilet man would have given us

a break on the new septic system with all the help he had.

Miss Personality Plus

Dad with dark hair and a monkey on his back.

Levi preparing to live in Russia.

Gracie - flash forward a dozen years and this won't be funny!

Scooby and Joel before the growth serum.

Meet Megan's boys . . .

Joel

Levi

Joel (again)

and now Adam!

My Psalm

Crazy how fast life changes.

Slowing down and enjoying the season we are in is hard. Microwaves, cell phones, high speed internet . . . we live fast paced.

Dangerous ground, especially for Believers.

Rarely are we quiet.

Rarely do we take time to meditate . . . to digest . . . God's Word.

This is something I am trying to change in my life. Studying some of the Psalms and doing my best to meditate on them and digest them has resulted in a Psalm of my own.

Broaden my vision, Lord.

Enlarge me in my distress.

Give me peace - shalom.

Let me sleep knowing that You neither slumber nor sleep.

You are God who sits in high places.

You are in control; let me remember that.

Lord, work things together for good.

Heal brokenness . . . soften hearts.

Quiet evil doers.

Be the Balm of Gilead to those in need.

Convict where there is sin. Change the heart of the hard.

Comfort the hurting. Silence the gossips.

Restore fellowship where it is broken.

Break the teeth of the liars.

Strengthen the faith of the weak - even mine.

Give encouragement to me in my need.

Show yourself mighty and strong and let my eyes be open to see it.

Thank you for your protection and your watch care over us.

Thank you for being outside of time and circumstances.

Thank you for being holy and pure, righteous and just.

Thank you for your perfect love.

Help me trust you in all things - even with my children.

Thank you for them.

Keep their hearts right. Let them serve you.

Guide them in all they do.

Keep them pure. Guard their hearts.

Forgive me for doubting you - for doubting your love for me.

Forgive me for my hardness and callousness against you.

Thank you for loving me despite my unfaithfulness;

despite my idolatry and worship of myself and what I desire.

You have blessed me even though I am unworthy of blessings.

You have loved me despite the fact that I am unlovable.

You have saved me even though I deserve Hell.

Lord, let me walk in truth.

Like you, let there be no darkness in me.

Grow me, sanctify me, purify me.

Refine me - pour off the dross.

Let me be more like You.

Let my life bear fruit.

Let me live for You all the days of my life.

Flying Then and Now

Joel is getting ready to fly out to New Hampshire to see his beloved Amanda.

Ah, spring is near and love is in the air!

Speaking of in the air, I love to fly! Brian and I flew to Florida on our honeymoon - my goodness, a lot has changed since then!

Brian liked to wear his shorts really short back in 1987!

Pre-9/11 families could wait at the terminal

with you to see you off!

My brother, Danny, who was little enough

to sit on my mom's lap is 30 now!

When I sit on Brian's lap now he closes his eyes

because of the pain and not because my hair is in his eyes!

See the sweet look on my mom' s face?

She is is thinking, "Oh, look my little girl is all grown up

and married now."

Now I am the one with that look on my face!

*NOTE: Just a little side note here, but what I wouldn't give

to have those arms back! I would NEVER wear long

sleeves again!

Ah, to be young and innocent again

with two paid tickets to Florida!

My Valentine

Some of Brian's senior pictures.

I am thinking these were taken late summer 1983 -

right after I turned 14 and he turned 18!

Scandalous!

Happy Valentine's Day, Brian . . .

we should get matching shirts again!

*I love how Blogger lets me back date a post

making it look like I am never late.

The electric company could really take some

customer service tips from them!

Thankful

Saturday, February 5, 2011

9:35 am: Levi leaves for work.

9:40 am: Brian prays over our breakfast:"Lord, thank you for this food. Protect Levi as he is on his way to work. Be with Megan and Adam today. Be with Elaine and Joel and me as we are at home."

9:40 am: Unbeknownst to us, Levi is spinning out of control less than 3 miles from home.

9:42 am: Levi walks away unharmed from this -

9:44 am: my phone rings

Me: Hello.

Levi: Mom, I need to talk to Dad.

Dad: Hello.

Levi: I am really sorry Dad, but I just flipped the Jeep.

So very grateful for God's very obvious hand of protection.

Another snow day?

When we were home schooling, sometimes the kids would give me grief about having to do school work when the local schools were having a snow day. That is when I came up with the following rhyme:

January - school.

June - the pool!

I think come June, Joel is going to wish he was still home schooled!

He's Back!!

Happy, healthy Joel is back! Thanks for your prayers!

Quick! Someone Call 911!

What I wouldn't give for a time machine!

I would go back to 1995 and stay there forever!!