Thoughts of a preacher's wife

Nationals at BJU

2011-04-16T14:05:00.001-07:00

The large instrumental ensemble Joel plays baritone in just placed

2nd at the AACS National Competition!!!!

Congratulations Joel!!!

Pyrex Love

2011-04-15T15:16:00.001-07:00

Me and Ginger c. 1974

Since starting my Etsy shop, I have spent some time searching for and researching vintage Pyrex dishes . . . actually, I am starting to become a little obsessed.

I am not sure why I love Pyrex so much . . . actually maybe I do know.

For me Pyrex dishes just feel good. Somehow, much like Pepsi Throwback, Pyrex takes me back to the 70's.

Brian and I talk about it all the time . . . we both just had really, really good childhoods. I am not sure what the political or social climate of the 70's was - but life for kids was great.

We played outside. We watched great shows on TV like Emergency and The Brady Bunch. We wore cool clothes. And we ate supper at home every night out of Pyrex dishes!

Life was simple and just plain good.

When I come across different Pyrex patterns memories of Aunt Ann's meatloaf, Aunt Janie's chicken casserole, or Aunt Rose's garden fresh tomatoes are evoked.

But more than that it is just remembering being a kid.

Is it crazy to feel all of that about a glass dish? Maybe, but I must not be the only one to feel this way.

While trying to research a Pyrex pattern that I had never seen before, I ran across the most AWESOME website. Awesome that is if you love Pyrex.

At pyrexlove.com you can see EVERY Pyrex pattern ever made! Talk about nostalgia!

My plans tonight are to sip on a Pepsi Throwback and look at old Pyrex patterns while watching Emergency on DVD!

Life is still good.

Joel and Amanda

2011-04-10T19:22:00.000-07:00

Joel and Amanda in Manchester, New Hampshire

at a hockey game.

Something tells me they weren't that interested

in the hockey game.

New Venture

2011-04-02T14:06:00.000-07:00

I have officially entered the world of Etsy!
Go to TheWifeandDaughter to check out my shop!

Nor'easter

2011-04-01T19:31:00.000-07:00

Squinting in the sun - but at least the sun was shining!

I can't believe they were filming a documentary

about our trip to Niagara Falls!

American Falls and Bridal Falls in the background.

It has been spring break week here and Brian and I blew through New England like a nor'easter! We left Sunday morning after church for our 18 hour trek to take Joel to see Amanda in New Hampshire!

Considering neither Brian or I had ever been any farther east than Columbus, Ohio, we were excited to see some new parts of the country. Thankfully the weather was good and we made good time.

We got to New Hampshire around 5:30 pm on Monday and had a great evening with Amanda's family. Tuesday morning we were able to visit with Amanda's grandparents, Richard and Diane (missionaries with Open Air Campaigners), who are responsible for getting this whole "Joel and Amanda" thing going in the first place!

Brian and I were were back on the road by noon on Tuesday and made it to our destination of Niagara Falls by 10:00 pm that night. We stayed at a hotel within walking distance to the falls and had a great time there on Wednesday morning.

We were back in the car by noon and amazingly enough were home by 9:00 pm Wednesday night! Wow! That was a lot of driving . . . but we were able to add the states of Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, New York, and New Hampshire to the list of states to which we have been!

We are the Champions!

2011-03-06T11:01:00.000-08:00

Joel and the TCM Eagles ended the 2010-2011

as IACS State Champions!

(watch highlight video here)

I thought about writing a poem, maybe a haiku, about basketball

. . . something to reflect the emotions and ups and downs of the season. But instead I will just summarize in bullet form and end this post with an ode:

Season started with a lot of pressure. This was THE team . . . the team they had been preening and nurturing since junior high.
Joel was the 5th starter. . . the only junior among the 4 starting seniors.
First big game . . . Joel sprains in ankle in the FIRST quarter. The rest of the season is filled with a lot of tape, ice and ibuprofen.
The first week of December was spent in sunny Florida at the PCC basketball tournament. The boys played well and had some fun on the beach. Brian and I enjoyed the time on the beach too!
Christmas break was spent at a not-nearly-as-fun tournament in Richmond where the team faced the stiffest competition of the season. They got their hat handed to them on occasion but out of the pressure emerged the stronger, more confident player in Joel. Coach said if he were giving out a tournament MVP award it would go to Joel!
January came and so did Megan's wedding. Joel missed a pretty big game which conflicted with the wedding . . . but I don't think he minded that much. He liked his tux and loves his sister!
Joel battled the coaches and proved to them and himself that he was a determined ball player. I am confident that the steps he took to establish himself as a player will benefit him on and off the court for years to come.
January also brought with it the full-blown flu. Although he only missed one game due to it, he practiced for a week and played one game while running a 101 degree fever. I guess it is true that that which doesn't kill you makes you stronger.
February brought changes to the team and the starting five which consisted of four seniors and Joel changed to three seniors, one sophomore and Joel.
February also brought a lot of snow which meant a week off of school, missed practices and cancelled games.
Later February brought make-up practices and make-up games. On one such make-up game Joel was leading scorer with 20 points and had an awesome highlight reel worthy put back!
Late February, more changes to the starting line-up . . . now two seniors, two sophomores and Joel.
March Madness finally came and with it the state finals. Shock and Awe was their intent . . . the team resolved to play their hardest . . . full-tilt until the end. And shock and awe they did! Joel, unfortunately, fouled out early in the second game but made up for that in the final game with several big blocks, powerful defense, and some needed buckets. Friends and family there cheering him on, TCM history was made!

Ode to Basketball

I know what plays are Spartan, Michigan State and L from all of my basketball watching.

My bottom is flat from all of the bleacher sitting, and

my belly is flabby from all of the McDonald's eating.

My throat is sore from all of the cheering, and

our bank account is empty from all of the spending.

Our tires are worn out from all of the driving, but

my Tuesdays and Fridays will now be empty.

I will now have no excuse not to go to Zumba.

I love Hoosier basketball especially when my boys play;

I would do it all again in a heartbeat . . .

I guess I will next season!

Dirty Little Secrets

2011-02-27T13:41:00.001-08:00

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!

2011-02-25T09:09:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-23T11:42:00.000-08:00

I tend to have this effect on people.

Pictures that made me smile . . .

2011-02-23T06:01:00.000-08:00

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 . . .

2011-02-22T11:38:00.000-08:00

Joel

Levi

Joel (again)

and now Adam!

My Psalm

2011-02-19T08:03:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-15T13:26:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-14T13:08:00.000-08:00

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

2011-02-05T10:26:00.001-08:00

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?

2011-02-04T13:08:00.000-08:00

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!!

2011-02-01T15:58:00.000-08:00

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

Quick! Someone Call 911!

2011-02-01T15:53:00.000-08:00

What I wouldn't give for a time machine!

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

How I See Him

2011-01-28T08:48:00.000-08:00

Joel has been sick for one week now.

First influenza and now a wicked sinus infection.

Fevers are miserable.

He has felt absolutely rotten, but he has still gone to school

- sorry to everyone he has exposed -

and he has still played basketball.

He went to the doctor yesterday -

hopefully the antibiotic will help.

I am ready to have my happy Joel back.

Even if he is bigger now.

Do I Feel Warm? Wedding Story #2

2011-01-24T16:08:00.000-08:00

Brian and one day old Megan.

November 15, 1989

There is no question that Megan is a Daddy's girl. . . And there is no question about the fact that Brian is pretty smitten with her as well.

He always has been.

When Megan was a newborn, Brian would walk in the door, hold his arms out and say, "Where's my girl?" It only took a couple times of jumping into his arms to realize that he didn't mean me - he meant Megan.

But that didn't bother me, I would snuggle on the couch beside him and enjoy him holding his girl.

Knowing how special their relationship is, I knew once Brian relinquished to the idea of Megan getting married . . . which did take a while . . . there would be no end to the lengths he would go to in order to give her the wedding of her dreams.

Once a theme was established for the reception and details were drawn up, Brian set to work making the necessary items. His work order: Fourteen 8-foot wooden trees on which to string lights. Surely there would be plenty of time to devote to these trees in between work, church, Joel's basketball games and tournaments, Christmas . . .

But considering Brian rarely works under favorable conditions (i.e. septic lift pump repair in -30 degree weather, major engine work in the CVS parking lot . . .) this didn't deter him one bit. Thanks to a 1000 candle power flood light bulb perched atop the house, the driveway was transformed into a woodworking center the likes of which Santa could have been proud.

Every night after supper Brian would don Levi's FedEx coveralls, flip on his flood light, and head off to the driveway for an evening of wood working. Most often Megan would come in around 11:00 pm after being out with Adam.

Megan: Those look great Dad!

Brian: Thanks.

Megan: It's really cold out here.

Brian: Yes, it is.

Megan: Have you been out here long?

Brian: Came out after supper.

Megan: Well, I'd stay and talk but it's really cold.

Brian: Yes it is. Good night, Megan.

Megan: Good night, Dad. Hey, are those Levi's FedEx coveralls?

Brian: Yep.

Megan: They are really short on you.

Brian: Good night, Megan.

This went on the entire month of December and, faithful Dad that he is, the trees were done in time for the wedding. But there was a pay-off.

Brian was now sick.

Oh, I have given him grief over the years about always being sick on big, important days. A claim that does not go unsubstantiated -

March, 1997 - Our move from M-town to the Hills. Brian is on the couch for 3 days straight with a sinus infection and high fever. The boys, aged 3 and 6, single-handedly cleaned out the basement. You think I am kidding? Sadly, I am not. It is quite shocking how much a 3 year old can carry in a push-comes-to-shove situation.

May, 2008 - Megan's graduation party. Brian comes down with a case of Giardia - he blames it on the ice from McDonalds. All I know is half-way through the evening and WAY before the clean-up, his stomach bloats to the size of a beach ball and he starts making noises I still have nightmares about.

Now, the day before what is possibly the biggest day yet in our lives, Brian is sick.

Brian: Do I feel warm?

Elaine: I don't care if you are warm. We need to get the reception set up.

Brian: I am achy all over. And my chest hurts.

Elaine: Really? You had better take a couple Ibuprofen and pray for healing because we have A LOT of work to do.

I guess I was just doing my impersonation of a Halls Cough Drop - you know, a pep talk in every drop. But still, probably not some of my kinder moments.

But it worked. Brian worked non-stop. From early Thursday morning into Thursday evening - stopping only to attend the rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. Then he resumed his work on Friday morning.

Lights were hung, tables and chairs were moved, decorations were set . . . There was no stopping him. He was running on pure adrenalin and love for Megan.

Friday evening came and went. His little girl was given away . . . and his adrenalin with her.

We sat exhausted in chairs while friends and family whisked away table cloths, dirty plates and cups, and organized table decorations into neat piles.

Saturday morning we returned to the church with the daunting task of un-transforming the fairytale hall back into a gym. I laughed and called Brian an old man as he walked hunchbacked and slow across the gym - that would definitely come back to bite me later.

Flash forward 10 days and now I am the one with the fever, cough, and body aches. Lying in bed and feeling horrible, I thought of Brian and how miserable he was during the wedding. I thought I had better apologize.

Elaine (texting): I am sorry you felt so bad during the wedding and still had to do all of that work. I don't know how you did it.

Brian: You made me. That helped.

What's that smell? Wedding Story #1

2011-01-14T10:34:00.000-08:00

As it turned out, the week of the wedding I worked more hours in the clinic than I normally work. Murphy's Law I guess. With all the busyness of last minute preparations and Joel on Christmas break, our vehicle situation was strained to say the least.

Wednesday found me at work vehicle-less, penny-less and lunch-less . . . which, unfortunately, is an all too common occurrence for me. But after hearing Megan had returned from the city and was in town, I quickly requested a double cheeseburger (one of many weaknesses I have) be smuggled into work for me.

When she brought it in, I was with a patient but I could hear her sweet Minnie Mouse voice in the nurse's station. I was glad the other nurses at work got to see her and talk with her before her big day because they think she is the cat's meow!

Later that afternoon when Megan picked me up from work, I noticed a very distinct smell in the Jeep. Assuming that it was left-over McDonald's causing the smell, I asked if she had eaten in the car. She replied that she had. Although this smell wasn't typical for McDonald's, I let the matter go.

When the two of us walked in the house, I noticed that Megan had a nice glow about her. Knowing that she had gone to the tanning bed a couple of times recently, I mentioned that she was really starting to look tan. She smiled politely and thanked me for the compliment.

When she took her coat off and hung it up, I again caught a whiff of the smell I had noticed in the Jeep. No, definitely not McDonalds. This was a pungent, earthy smell.

I walked over and grabbed her coat and put it to my nose . . . I then walked over to her and put her to my nose. "It is you!" I said. "What is wrong with you and why do you smell like compost!"

"I got a spray tan today. Doesn't it look good?" she replied. "Don't worry, Mom, I know you don't like chemicals. I went to a place that's all natural. The spray is made from a mixture of beet juice and walnuts!"

All I could think of was that in less than 48 hours my daughter who had just been sprayed with two of the most stain-producing items on the planet was going to squeeze herself into an ALL WHITE dress, have hundreds of pictures taken of her, and stand before over 200 of our closest friends and family . . .

and she smelled like the bottom of the potato bin!

Why should I worry?!?

I know the wedding is all about the bride and not about the mother-of-the-bride, but at this point in the game my nerves are about shot. We had weathered bridesmaid dresses not fitting, hairstyles not working . . .

"Are you just trying to add stress to our lives, Megan!" was my response. But considering she had already been sprayed, there was not much else to say.

We went about our evening getting ready for church. I noticed, however, that each time we passed in the house, she looked a little different.

She smelled the same, unfortunately, but looked different. She was darker . . . with each passing minute she was getting darker!

After trying to explain that the spray tan consists of a color coat followed by a clear coat that wears off over a few hours revealing the color coat that darkens over time . . . It became clear to me -

We have no idea what color Megan will be for the wedding!

My immediate suggestion was that she shower repeatedly - with her Dad's Lava soap. Megan reassured me that by picking a spray made of beets and walnuts rather than carrots and pumpkin she would have a more bronze look and would NOT end up looking orange.

I guess the trade-off was she could have smelled like pie instead of compost.

All in all, the spray tan worked well. It did not rub off on her dress. She did not end up looking orange, and the smell went away the next day.

Maybe I will get one.

New Friends

2011-01-11T07:22:00.001-08:00

Scooby and Misty

Misty missing her girl.

Scooby being a good friend.

*Note: This picture WAS NOT staged.

Me and My Boys

2011-01-09T11:49:00.000-08:00

Levi - Me - Joel

A candid shot of the boys and me at the reception.

The boys were a HUGE help getting ready for the wedding and reception. Having gone to school at TCM and having helped with numerous school programs, plays, events . . . they know the school/church like the back of their hand.

The boys did everything from setting up the scaffolding, hanging the ornaments from the gym ceiling, setting up the tables and chairs (after first finding all of the chairs), hanging lights, finding all of the plug-ins . . .

Their help was essential.

While Joel did the bigger more visible things, Levi was meticulously working behind the scenes with all of the unseen things - like taping all of the extension cords to the floor and being sure all of Megan's things got put in Adam's car. The jobs they chose to do were so typical of their personalities.

Both worked tirelessly and without complaint - all out of love for their sister.

I love my handsome boys, the love they have for Megan, and their servant's heart.

Wedding Day!!!

2011-01-07T11:48:00.000-08:00

Megan and Adam

January 7, 2011

So many stories to tell . . .

so many blessings to count . . .

so many answered prayers to share . . .

I look forward to telling them all!

Still Mom

2011-01-02T14:11:00.000-08:00

My emotions are raw right now . . . tears are never far away.

It is actually silly to be sad, however, because this is what we set out to accomplish.

Megan has grown from a small 6 lb. 12 oz. infant girl who was dependent on us for everything into a beautiful, mature, fine Christian lady who is ready and capable to care for herself and her husband.

But as a mom, it is hard to let go. It is hard to be done with a job you have worked so hard at doing.

I heard that Da Vinci loved the Mona Lisa so much that he tarried in finishing painting it for 15 years. And that after it was finally finished, he carried it with him wherever he went and never sold it.

The selfish side of me would like to do that with Megan - to keep her at home with me longer.

But truth is - I love her too much to do that.

I love - love. I love being a wife and a mother - and I am looking forward Megan experiencing this and to experiencing the newness of it again through her.

There are so many firsts ahead of her . . . so many exciting days ahead.

In reality I know that even though she is now grown, I will always be her mother - and she will always need me.

I still need my mother - so I know this is true.

I am looking forward to the phone calls asking me:

How long do you bake your meatloaf?

What medicine should I give Adam for his cold?

How do you get cat puke out of the carpet?

It is nice to always be needed.

Siblings

2011-01-01T20:00:00.000-08:00

Joel: This is weird.

Megan: What is weird?

Joel: This is your last Saturday at home.

Megan: I know, it is weird.

Looking at Joel, she notices the expression on his face.

Megan: Are you sad?

Joel: Of course I am sad.

Megan: Why?

Joel: Because you are my sister and I love you.

Target

2011-01-01T19:51:00.001-08:00

I love Target!

Even better - I love Target when things are 75% off!!!

Megan and I were out today shopping for the final items for the reception. Kind of on a whim, we stopped at Target where we found ALL of their Christmas items 75% off!!!

Lights . . .

Ornaments . . .

Ribbon . . .

It was awesome!

We hauled out TWO carts of stuff!!

The look on Brian's face was priceless as he saw our MANY bags filling the backseat of the Jeep. He was VERY pleased and MUCH relieved to find out what good bargain shoppers we had been!

One Week!

2010-12-31T17:05:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had that feeling where you plan and plan for an event and then you suddenly find yourself in the middle of it?

I felt that way at the birth of all three kids - after 9 long months of anticipation I suddenly was in labor and there was no turning back. Kind of like being strapped in a roller coaster and heading up the hill - knowing whatever lies ahead you were going to have to face.

As Brian and I were sitting at Joel's basketball tournament in Richmond on Tuesday I had that same feeling. We had known about this tournament since the beginning of the school year and now here we were.

Even more surreal to me was knowing that the next time I would feel that feeling would be at the wedding - just ONE week away.

Can you believe it?

2010-12-19T14:45:00.000-08:00

(This picture has NOTHING to do with this post. Ha ha.

It is just another beach picture I wanted to share.)

For the FIRST time in my life I took four dresses into the fitting room and . . .

ALL four fit and I liked ALL of them!

After much parading around outside the JCPenney dressing room, it is settled.

I have my dress!

What I like about my dress in bullet form.

It has sleeves. Therefore, there will be absolutely no arm jiggle going on.
It has rouching - rouching is good, very good.
It is very comfortable to wear. There should be no tugging and pulling. If I do it will be simply out of habit and not necessity.
It doesn't make me look old. At least I don't think it makes me look old. Please humor me and tell me it doesn't make me look old.
There is absolutely NO beading. I am not ready to wear beading. Beading=postmenopausal status.
It is in a nice color that will blend in well with the wedding party. The last think I want to do is stand out like a sore thumb.
Brian went "Oh ya!" when he saw it - enough said! At that point it didn't even matter if it was on sale.

Crunch Time . . .

2010-12-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

So far this week:

Megan and I met with Pastor Z. and walked through the ceremony;

We also meet with Mr. M. regarding the reception - Wow! There's a lot of tables and chairs to move!;

Megan and Adam picked up their wedding bands;

We finally decided on tonight for the boys to get measured for their tuxes;

We gave the flowers to Mrs. P. - and we were promptly informed that we don't have "nearly enough flowers" for a bouquet;

Megan talked to Aunt Carol and emailed cake pictures to her;

Megan had the final, final fitting on her dress;

We found out Emily's dress does fit!! Yay!!;

Megan and Adam got their marriage license;

We purchased ALL of the reception paper products;

We FINALLY mailed all - well, almost all of the invitations;

I tried on 4 potential mother of the bride dresses;

I started a crash diet.

All of this was done in addition to -

Having an AWESOME Christmas cantata and Christmas Dinner on Sunday;

Surviving a winter storm;

Going to one away basketball game;

Working;

Grocery shopping;

Starting a crash diet and actually sticking to it;

Cooking;

Laundry;

Cleaning.

Who am I kidding - those last three things never happened!

Wedding plans in a nutshell . . .

2010-12-10T08:29:00.000-08:00

We interrupt this wedding planning for a trip to FLORIDA!!!!!!

Let me just begin by saying, I know it is not all about me -

BUT I NEEDED this trip - I NEEDED the beach!!!

Thanks to Joel's hard work along with the hard work of his fellow basketball team members and coaches, Joel's team was invited to a basketball tournament in Florida - where they finished in second place!

Thank you, Joel!

Brian was more than amazing to me on this trip! He went out of his way SOOOO many times to make sure that I had time on the beach!

He even risked getting chewed out by an armed military guard at midnight - just to get me to the beach that first night! Thankfully the guard was nice and instead of shooting us politely showed us where to turn around and gave us directions to the PUBLIC beach!

But two days of driving . . . two days on the beach . . . three INTENSE basketball games later . . . we are back in the thick of wedding planning!

Wedding plans in a nutshell -

Wedding Dress: Alterations are complete - Megan will be trying on the finished dress TODAY! Veil is in the works. Need: head piece to go with veil.

Bridesmaid Dresses: Everyone has a dress - except Emily. Talking about it makes my ulcer hurt.

Tuxes: Picked out - my boys just need measured before 12/20. Decision to be made: Does Brian want to wear a tux or buy a new black suit?

Sanctuary Decorations: Fortunately this was easy - the church will be decorated. Just some minor rearranging will be needed. I am in LOVE with the unity candle Megan picked out!

Flowers: NOT DONE - Mrs. Parker HELP!!!!!

Cake: Thanks to Aunt Carol and Rhonda the cake is in the works - Megan just needs to look through their catalog and pick one out! Hopefully, that will not take long.

Reception Decorations: Megan and I went out on Black Friday and hit the sales at Michaels, Hobby Lobby and Old Time Pottery - everything we bought was either 50 or 70% off! What an answer to prayer!!! But that being said we still need: round table skirt, tableware, candles, candles and more candles, white Christmas lights, sand, wood . . . still a few things to get!

Pictures: Nana is in charge of pictures!

Catering: Another TOTAL answer to prayer!!! TCM's school lunch lady was also a classmate of Brian's, and I think she is really giving us a GREAT deal on catering the reception. Yummy menu!!

Hair and Makeup: Megan and her bridesmaids (besides Emily who is away at college) had a trial run with their makeup. They all looked gorgeous! Hopefully things will go smoothly the day of the wedding!

My Dress: I don't want to talk about it. Too much pumpkin pie and Christmas candy has only added to my stress with picking out a dress. The only fancy dress I have EVER worn was MY wedding dress! Oh, I have worn plenty of nice, pretty dresses in my lifetime . . . but nothing that compares to what I need for the wedding. This is a HUGE source of anxiety for me right now.

Well there are the wedding plans in a nutshell! A lot done . . . but still a lot to do!

Subtract from our remaining days:

Christmas cantata practice and performance

Every Tuesday and Friday night basketball games

Joel's school Christmas program

Christmas Eve and Christmas with everyone

Joel's Richmond basketball tournament

Helping Levi get the Pathfinder fixed, titled and plated

New Year's Eve party

Work

Megan's finals . . .

. . . there is plenty of time!!

Wedding Dress!

2010-11-12T13:24:00.000-08:00

Do you know how hard it is to find a wedding dress with sleeves?

We met with Megan's seamstress or tailor or alterationist today . . . whatever her title is she is our lifesaver!

It was a good day today . . . a lot of progress made!

Here are some pictures that gave us inspiration . . . no peeks at the real dress until January 7th!

Reception plans . . .

2010-11-02T13:36:00.000-07:00

Megan and I sat at the dining room table for FOUR solid hours a few days ago and plotted and planned and plotted and planned . . .

and replotted and replanned until . . . the reception was TOTALLY PLANNED!

Now the hard part . . . making, buying, and putting together all of our ideas!

Here are some pictures that gave us inspiration . . .

Thank you, Bree for this one!

There will be lots and lots of these . . .

you can't even imagine what we are going to do with these . . .

aren't these GORGEOUS!

Yes - trees . . . this is her Dad's specialty!

Wedding Update in bullet form

2010-10-19T13:18:00.000-07:00

Megan and Adam have their first premarital counseling session with Pastor Zemple on Thursday. I think he is more excited than they are!
The church threw a WONDERFUL shower for Megan a couple Sundays ago! I am working on a post with pictures from this shower and the one my sister and nieces gave Megan - hope to have it soon.
Mary, my three year old niece who is to be one of the flower girls, is not exactly excited about the wedding. Translated=she runs off crying anytime Megan's wedding is mentioned.
On the other hand, Gracie (a/k/a three year old niece and other flower girl) seems okay with the wedding and, in fact, met James (a/k/a Adam's four year old cousin and ring bearer) and they got along fabulously!
We found out that we can't get the gym to start decorating until after 5:30 pm on Thursday! Not good!
Centerpiece ideas are coming along.

Overall, progress is being made - although probably not at the speed it should be at this point. Megan stays really busy with college and substitute teaching which doesn't leave a lot of time to work on the wedding.

Dresses

2010-10-09T07:38:00.001-07:00

On a mission -

Megan left school on Friday and headed to the mall. Her goal - bridesmaid dresses.

Mission accomplished -

Purchased today were four bridesmaid dresses that:

1. are deep purple;
2. meet the criteria (sleeves, length, neck line);
3. come in all the right sizes;
4. were on sale (added bonus);
5. Megan and all the girls love!!!!

Colors

2010-10-07T12:54:00.000-07:00

After flower shopping last weekend, Megan and I both concluded that adding an additional color was a necessity.

Welcome deep purple . . .

meet dark orange . . .

mossy green . . .

chocolate brown . . .

and pale yellow.

Accomplished this weekend:

1. Colors finalized.
2. Final number of bridesmaids decided.
3. Bridesmaids' bouquets purchased.
4. Color of bridesmaid dresses picked . . . and the winner is . . .

Three Months!!!

2010-10-03T12:05:00.001-07:00

The whole reason I started this blog was to help chronicle memories - you know, kind of like keeping a journal.

Unfortunately, living this life has proven too time consuming at times to take time to journal it! Whew!!!

I wish I would have blogged about:

Joel's amazing soccer game Tuesday night where he scored two goals in less than 5 minutes!
Levi's recent car purchase where he got the DEAL OF A LIFETIME!!!! and a project to boot!
My ohmygoodnesswhathaveigottenmyselfinto situation at work.
Megan's college adventures and the fact that typing those words doesn't require me taking Zantac first.
Brian's Auto Mechanic 101 course and why he hates automobiles and would prefer we buy a horse.
My near come to fists, knock-down, drag out with my doctor! Well, I guess I made it out to be more than it really was. Imagine that! lol

Anyway . . . the point is a lot has been going on! Not to mention the fact that we are now knee deep into . . .

PLANNING A WEDDING!!!!!!

Three months! Three months!! Three months!!! THREE MONTHS!!!

Sometimes I wake up in a cold sweat just thinking about it only to find Brian sitting in bed with a little short, stubby pencil crunching numbers!

Ha! Who am I kidding? Nothing keeps that man awake at night.

I have decided that these precious days need to be documented. I mean if anything is journal worthy it is the days leading up to your baby girl getting married, leaving home, and making her own little nest!

Posts will probably be short and to the point and will hopefully included pictures a long the way.

Labor Day Weekend

2010-09-07T19:10:00.000-07:00

We had some great family time this weekend.

Here's a quick list recapping the weekend:

went through a mystery fun-house - twice
found out Joel drove in KY for the first time (we thought Levi was driving)
had a somersault competition on the hotel bed - I think I won!
toured Mammoth Cave
ate a lot of chicken
didn't eat rum cake - Aunt Dixie was still sick:(
said ya'll way too much
laughed at Levi hitting his head in Mammoth Cave - twice
made an impromptu decision to stay an extra night
cringed when Joel splattered a cherry limeade from Sonic ALL over the hotel room
worried as Megan and Levi made the 4 hour trip down by themselves
missed Scooby - Ok, maybe I was the only one who missed Scooby!
oohed and ahhed over a bunch of new babies
listened to Brett preach from the back of the wagon
watched Star Wars while piled together on the king-size hotel bed
relished our time with the kids
enjoyed seeing family

What more could you want?

Ginger

2010-08-19T13:38:00.000-07:00

Ginger and Me.
c. 1973

Dog Days of Summer

2010-08-16T19:55:00.000-07:00

Praise God for the break from the heat!
Scooby thinks it's even cool enough
to snuggle under a blanket!

Family Tradition

2010-08-12T18:23:00.000-07:00

One of our family's favorite things to do is to lie out on the trampoline at night and look at the stars.

Yes, we do have cable, a Wii, and the internet - but still this is one of our favorite past-times.

You might say we live simply here in the woods.

Star gazing is something we have done for several years. Hope and Adam have even joined on us occasion. Kind of a rite of passage thing.

We have laid out under the stars in the dead of winter wrapped in blankets and huddled together - and like last night, we have laid out under the stars in the heat of the night fighting over who gets to lay next to Joel because the mosquitoes are drawn to his Axe body spray.

We have seen several shooting stars over the years and have had many wonderful conversations while waiting to see one. Ah, the family memories we have made.

Megan: I saw one.
Brian: That was a lightning bug.
Joel: These mosquitoes won't leave me alone.
Levi: That's because you smell like a dirty butt. Wait a minute, I think I smell like a dirty butt.
Me: You both smell like a dirty butt. Go lay next to Dad.

August is one of the best times of years to see shooting stars. The Perseids occur in August and, in fact, tonight and tomorrow night are peak nights!

This is the most famous of all meteor showers. It never fails to provide an impressive display and, due to its summertime appearance, it tends to provide the majority of meteors seen by non-astronomy enthusiasts.

This meteor shower gets the name "Perseids" because it appears to radiate from the constellation Perseus. An observer in the Northern Hemisphere can start seeing Perseid meteors as early as July 23, when one meteor every hour or so could be visible. During the next three weeks, there is a slow build-up. It is possible to spot five Perseids per hour at the beginning of August and perhaps 15 per hour by August 10. The Perseids rapidly increase to a peak of 50-80 meteors per hour by the night of August 12/13 and then rapidly decline to about 10 per hour by August 15. The last night meteors are likely to be seen from this meteor shower is August 22, when an observer might see a Perseid every hour or so.

For observers in the Southern Hemisphere, the Perseid radiant never climbs above the horizon, which will considerably reduce the number of Perseid meteors you are likely to see. Nevertheless, on the night of maximum, it is possible to see 10-15 meteors per hour coming up from the northern horizon.

There are other, weaker meteor showers going on around the same time as the Perseids, but the Perseids will generally appear to move much faster across the sky than meteors from the other showers. In fact, the Perseids are among the fastest moving meteors we see every year. Another way to know if the meteor you saw was a Perseid is to mentally trace the meteor backwards. If you end up at Perseus then you have probably seen a Perseid meteor!

Although we have watched the Perseids for several years now, we have never been able to see 10-15 meteors per hour - although that would definitely making staying up til the wee hours of the morning worth it!

Last night we saw five meteors - one large and four smaller.

Almost as exciting as seeing a meteor is seeing a satellite scoot across the sky. We even saw the space station one night. No kidding, we really did.

The plan tonight is to go to bed and set our alarms for 1 am when we will rendezvous on the trampoline in the back yard. We will then bleary-eyed stare at the sky, laugh at Dad snoring, swat mosquitoes, and enjoy being together.

Brothers

2010-08-05T11:44:00.000-07:00

Levi is proving to be a very self-motivated and hard-working college student. He entered the program for his Associate of Applied Science in Law Enforcement this past spring.

Although frustrating at the time, I think it has worked out best that he didn't start last fall. By delaying the start of school to January, he was able to focus on working at FedEx for a few months before adding on college classes.

In my opinion (maybe it's because this is what I did - lol) working and commuting to school separates the wheat from the chaff so to speak. It's not easy doing both.

During his small two week break between summer and fall semesters, Levi wants to take advantage of his FedEx flight discounts and go on an adventure with Joel.

Those two crack me up.

They have worked out together at the YMCA most mornings all summer. Sweat must form bonds.

They were close before - but now they are pretty tight.

Levi welcoming Joel to the family.
3/24/94

Worth a thousand words

2010-08-02T06:33:00.000-07:00

Adam recently gave Megan the okay to begin transforming his bachelor pad apartment into their new home.

Given the fact that this apartment has housed as many as four 20-something single men at a time, I was concerned that transforming it into a home - regardless of how much estrogen influence was involved - would not be possible.

Those fears were laid aside yesterday.

A barefooted, happy, and very proud Megan met us at the entrance and welcomed us inside.

There I discovered that the shared entry hallway and stairs were brightly lit, nicely carpeted, and very homey feeling. Not at all how I had imagined (discarded cigarette butts, blood from the last homicide . . . my mind tends to gravitate to the worst).

As we entered the apartment itself I breathed another sigh of relief as I breathed in air conditioned, Clorox-laced air. Megan and Adam had spent the afternoon exerting some serious elbow grease and had the place impressively clean for its debut appearance to Brian and me, Levi and Hope, and Grandma (Joel had been there one time in its previous state).

Megan and Adam both took pride in showing us their new Ikea table and chairs that Adam built with his own hands. And I envisioned Megan putting away laundry as she showed off their more than ample walk-in bedroom closet.

Paint colors have been picked.
Curtains are being planned.
Rooms are being rearranged.

A home is being made.

This picture is going to be very cathartic for me the next few months.

I will look at it when:

I am sad Megan has grown up.
I worried she is leaving the safety of our home to start her own.
I feel selfish and want to keep her little and with me.
I get frustrated with the wedding planning.
My heart hurts and misses her being three with short, curly hair.
I worry that she is not ready to be married.
I wonder if she will be happy.
I am overwhelmed and saddened by how fast life passes.

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die;
a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down,
and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh;
a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;
a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep,
and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew;
a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war,
and a time of peace.

Ecclesiastes 3:3-8

Fiestaware Update!!!

2010-07-22T15:35:00.000-07:00

Well as it turns out Megan's dishes are the real McCoy!
Fiestaware - Turf Green!!
I am so happy for her and only slightly jealous!

Fiestaware?

2010-07-21T08:28:00.000-07:00

Megan and Adam were given some dishes by Adam's aunt. She picked them up at the local Good Will for a pretty good price.

When Megan saw them, she thought immediately that they looked like Fiestaware but didn't think they could really be Fiestaware.

Despite the stamp, they don't match ANY color Fiestaware I have seen online. Not even any of the Homer Laughlin Riviera or Harlequin pottery.

I am totally baffled.

Are they really rare, super-collectible or are they fake?

Any ideas?

Get-Away

2010-07-20T19:21:00.000-07:00

Last week all three kids counseled at church camp - leaving Brian and I home alone. Well, besides Scooby and the cats.

We enjoyed our week immensely. It was perfect.

We knew the kids were together, safe, and having fun - which left us to just really enjoy spending time with each other.

We went down Thursday night to see the kids at camp and then headed to Carl and Peggy's cabin. Between the pouring rain, darkness, and traveling on unfamiliar roads - the trip to the cabin itself was an adventure!

It was great the next day to head out without a real plan or anyplace we had to be. We ended up in West Baden/French Lick area where we perused some antique shops and spent some time in the West Baden Springs Hotel!

West Baden Springs Hotel is anything but ordinary—
it is an extraordinary experience.
You will be captivated once you step foot inside this
National Historic Landmark (NHL) built in 1902.
With its one-of-a-kind domed atrium spanning 200 feet, it has been called the "Eighth Wonder of the World."
Rooms rise in six tiers around the dome, and balcony rooms provide a panoramic view of the atrium.

I definitely want to go back and STAY in that hotel! Brian said maybe around Valentine's Day we could say there.

Hotdiggitydog!!!!

After supper at Red Lobster (thanks Tim and Linda!), we headed home with enough time to lie in bed and watch a movie!

It was a wonderful, romantic, peaceful, stress-less, relaxing two-day getaway!

Jadite Nightlight

2010-07-19T19:56:00.000-07:00

How cute is this!
I found this here.

A long post about a long weekend

2010-07-02T16:44:00.001-07:00

I love summer! The only problem is that summers go waaaaaay to quickly.

I can't believe it is already July!

Here's how our long weekend is shaping up so far.

Tonight. Friday, July 2nd - Joel drove himself to his first real high school party tonight! Hopefuly he is having a good time AND behaving himself. Brian and I are hanging out at home. We are thinking about making a camp fire, roasting some marshmallows, and laying out under the stars. Levi, Hope, Megan, and Adam are discussing the prospects of seeing fire works tonight.

Saturday, July 3rd - Most likely will be spent with last minute preparation for tomorrow's VBS.

Sunday, July 4th - Rockets, Bubbles, and the Bible. This is our traveling VBS! Sunday nights we are taking it to the parks in some of the nearby towns. Afterward we will watch fire works!

Monday, July 5th - We are going to Ikea! What is even better - we are going to Ikea as a family.

Really - all five of us are going!

We, the kids and I, have decided to re-do Brian's office/Batman room for his Father's Day/birthday present.

Our goal: the most awesome Batman room ever!!!
We are going to buy THREE of these Detolf glass door cabinets at Ikea. These will house Brian's ever-growing Batman collection and keep his many Batmans and Robins from accumulating layers of dust and Scooby hair as they currently do.

*Insert funny story here: Monday night Brian's Jeep broke down in the Walgreens parking lot. Levi stopped by on his way home from school to help. The two of them went to Auto Zone where they bought a new battery. After putting the new battery on, they went into the Auto Zone bathroom to wash their hands. It was there that they discovered they were quite the Dynamic Duo. Brian was wearing a Batman shirt (as usual) and Levi had on his Robin shirt! I wonder if the guy at Auto Zone noticed? lol

Anyway, back to the Batman room make-over.

The room will get a fresh coat of Batman blue paint and once his many Batmans and Robins are in their proper place, hopefully there will be more room for his office stuff.

Don't tell Scooby, but I think his chair is getting thrown out. It really stinks.

Actually, I don't know if I have the heart to do that. Maybe I will try to Fabreeze it one more time.

When we get back from Ikea we are having our annual 9 Fingers Fire Works Show at Brian's parents. Brian, his nephew, Blake, and Joel put this annual event on for us and are quite the showmen.

Tuesday, July 6th - Brian's 45th Birthday! Now would be an appropriate place to make jokes about him being old, but I am having a hard time finding any humor about getting older.

We have all taken the day off work to celebrate with Brian. No real plans yet. My guess is we will be washing his Batman collection and helping assemble his new cabinets!

Brian on his 23rd birthday - one month before our 1st anniversary.

I know it is cliche - but my how time flies!

Speaking of old pictures. This is me on our honeymoon.
I was 18.
I think the me of then looks a lot like the Megan of now.

Happy 4th of July!

Sunbeam Mixer

2010-06-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

This would be awesome!

Relay for Life

2010-06-04T19:40:00.000-07:00

Saturday 9 am - Sunday 9 am
24 hours because cancer never sleeps.

All Grown Up . . .

2010-05-22T20:04:00.000-07:00

We shopped for a wedding dress today . . .

. . . she found the perfect dress.
But don't worry, it isn't this one.
You will have to wait until January to see it!

Samuel Robin a/k/a Sam

2010-05-18T16:33:00.000-07:00

Pictures of a younger Sam and younger Joel and Levi too!

Too bad this picture is so blurry, but Sam is a hard one to catch for a picture.

Sam is our family's first best dog. He is about 13 years old now which makes him 74-76 in human years according to my internet research.

Here's a brief overview of Sam and his life in bullet form.

History

Found in a box with his siblings outside of Walmart one early fall day
The box said Free to a Good Home
Original name was Adam
Had short, slick hair as a puppy
Ate at least three pairs of black dress shoes as a pup
Joel was 2 when we got him and was the only one of the kids who wasn't terrified of him - Joel would wrestle him for hours behind the dining room table
Sam caused Brian and I an extreme amount of marital conflict
When we moved to our current house, Sam became an outside dog
He carried off survey flags, 2 pair of gloves, and a hat from the man who put in our septic system
He is the best mole-hunting dog this side of the Mississippi

Tragedy Sam has experienced:

kicked by a deer in the leg
lip busted by someone or something - He spent one whole winter on the basement couch recovering from this injury.
hit by a truck on the highway - We seriously thought he was dead! He laid on the couch for over 24 hours in a daze.
shot with a BB in the hip - He has almost recovered from this although the BB remains lodged in his hip.
the plague - I don't know what else to call this. He lost all of his hair one summer. He had red, scaly, and horribly itchy skin. This bizarre skin affliction was also accompanied with severe constipation - which is probably way TMI!

Things Sam loves:

digging up moles
chasing butterflies
killing bees
riding in Levi's old truck
working outside with the boys
sleeping in the sunshine
the FedEx guy, UPS guy, and water company man - they all bring him treats
hotdogs
his other family
life

The retired couple that live down the road from us share Sam with us. This is really a perfect thing for all parties involved. They love Sam. We love Sam. They travel a lot and therefore can't have their own dog. We are in and out a lot during the day and appreciate all of the hotdogs, biscuits and gravy, and left overs they give Sam. And Sam loves us all!

Sam is just too good of a dog to only be loved by one family.

Things Sam hates:

fire works
big birds
storms

Sam seriously hates storms.

Despite unfortunately going deaf this last year, Sam still somehow manages to detect a thunderstorm long before it ever thunders or lightnings. The local weather station should seriously think about hiring him.

He even can discern how serious the storm will be:

Thunderstorm - he is satisfied with laying on the floor in the middle of the basement bathroom
Severe thunderstorm - he insists on laying behind the toilet in the basement bathroom
Potential tornado - he knows the only place to be is in the shower of the basement bathroom

Sam also hates fire works.

One July he spent 72 solid hours hunkered down in a laundry hamper. You could only see his eyes peeking out.

I used really hot water to wash that load.

There is one kind of morbid theory at our house regarding Sam. It has been proposed that Sam is actually a ghost. Yes, a ghost.

It seems he can get inside when all the doors are closed - leaving no open door behind him.

Case in point - one morning Megan woke up with Sam in bed beside her.

She was very disturbed by this because Sam's last bath was 7 years ago.

He is not clean. His beard has turned into dreadlocks and he's been known to have more than one highjacking tick on his back.

I can see why Megan was upset.

Joel was once surprised to find Sam laying in a pile of clothes in the bottom of his closet. Just a dark pair of eyes peering over dirty socks and basketball shorts.

This however provided me with a good object lesson to teach Joel the dangers of having piles of clothes in the bottom of his closet.

Joel, however, wasn't nearly as grossed out as Megan was - I guess being a boy, Joel somehow understands Sam.

The crazy thing is that both times no one heard Sam come inside - no one let Sam inside - and the doors were all found to be shut behind him.

See what I mean about the whole ghost theory?

Bottom line is we love this old, dirty dog.

He is the Head of Lodge Security even though he wouldn't hurt a fly.

Just don't tell the bad guys.

Gone

2010-05-14T14:46:00.000-07:00

We've been gone so much this week Scooby thinks he's an orphan.

Poor orphan dog Scooby - sweet puppy with no family to love him.

Sounds like the beginings of a book.

I would write it if I had time.

Mother's Day

2010-05-09T15:12:00.001-07:00

Guess what two things are my Mother's Day presents?

Give up?

If you guessed the microwave and the nesting tea cups
from Star Bucks - you are right!!!

My kids went in together and bought me a brand spankin' new microwave.
It is black and chrome and it looks awesome in the kitchen
next to my new black stove.

Now if I only had a black refrigerator . . .
. . . just a not so subtle hint to Brian. Ha, Ha!

Brian was bidding on a Jadite batter bowl for me
but lost the bid in the last hour.
Oh well, it is the thought that counts.

BUT he did get me the super cute nesting tea cups from StarBucks!
In fact, I am drinking coffee out of one right now!

Megan made one of her famous homemade cards.
I absolutely love it.
I think she is an amazing artist and should pursue
publishing her line of people.
She captured herself and boys perfectly!

I have had a wonderful Mother's Day
because I have a wonderful family!

Happy 16th Birthday Joel!

2010-03-24T10:51:00.000-07:00

My baby turns 16 today! I think he is shocked too!
Happy Birthday, Joel! Love Mom

To see a little of what Joel has been up to the last several weeks,
check out his dad's blog here.

Days 3, 4, and 5 Week 2

2010-03-20T07:33:00.001-07:00

Day 3 - No time to exercise before work - busy day at work then church. But being the good girl that I am, I came home and exercised before bed!

Day 4 - Up at 4:30 am to travel with Joel and the rest of the Bible Quiz Team 4 hours away to their Fine Arts Competition. Great day! The drive was nice, the company and conversation was great, and the competition went better than expected. Although our quiz team did not place, they made it farther than we had expected!

I was the designated chaperon for the group. Six kids, including Joel, were left with me at the hotel that afternoon. Thankfully, they are all great kids and I could trust them to be good while I retired to my room.

Again, being the good girl that I am, I brought my portable DVD player and Slim in Six DVD. It wasn't pretty, but Day 4 got done.

Brian, Megan, and Levi drove up to the hotel and got there around 10:00 pm - just in time to turn in for the night.

Day 5 - I did not manage to fit exercising in on Friday. But surely the amount of walking I did in chunky heels counts as exercise!

It was a great day of competition! I am so proud of Joel - he was involved in a lot and performed very well!

I am especially proud of him for competing in the string solo. He played Canon in D on the guitar. And while he was maybe a little under prepared and a little over nervous, he did a fine job. This will be one competition under his belt and it definitely prepared him for next year.

In addition to the string solo, Joel competed in a small vocal ensemble, large vocal ensemble, choir, choral group, and large instrumental ensemble. He also took two art projects - print making and color photography.

All performances went well, and our large instrumental ensemble gets to make the trip to National Competition at Bob Jones University! I wish I could say they get to go because they placed first, but they placed second to a school that chooses not to go to Nationals.

But now our instrumental ensemble has three weeks to work hard and become first place worthy!

Day 2 Week 2

2010-03-16T08:25:00.001-07:00

It is getting easier!

Day 1 Week 2

2010-03-15T08:54:00.000-07:00

I am off and running on my second week of exercising. I was supposed to exercise last week for six days straight (and lose 10 pounds). But day six fell on Sunday and being the literalist that I am, Sunday is a day of rest.

So by starting exercising this week on Monday, my six days will be done on Saturday. Maybe I will lose ten pounds this week!

Levi is car shopping this week. It is a little sad to see him be so practical. For years all he has talked about was either a big four-wheel drive truck or a Jeep with a 3-inch lift. But practicality has won out and he is looking for a fuel efficient car.

Parenting newly emerging adult children - maybe that will be a future post.

Day 5

2010-03-13T08:18:00.000-08:00

Did it. That is all I have to say. . .

. . . about exercising that is.

We went to a wedding last night. I had never been to a Friday night wedding but I decided that Friday night weddings are great.

It was a beautiful Baptist wedding - simple and quick. Cover all the bases and then get out of Dodge!

Seriously, the wedding started at 7:30 pm and at 9:50 pm we were throwing rose petals at the bride and groom as they left for their honeymoon! Neat and tidy.

We went to Wendys after the reception and Brian mentioned to Megan to keep in mind when picking out a wedding dress how little time she will actually spend in it. Continuing on to say if you break the cost of the gown down per hour - that is one ridiculously overpriced expense.

To which Megan responded by fluttering her long eyelashes and saying, "Oh, Daddy."

I think Brian could feel the money drain from his wallet.

Just a little bragging . . . .

2010-03-12T09:37:00.000-08:00

Sarah, Andrew, Kathryn
Mary, Lauren

I have to brag on my sister's kids a little. They went to their fine arts competition in Kentucky last night and cleaned house!

My 10 year old violin prodigy of a niece, Kathryn, won elementary string solo and was picked "best of show" and performed in the closing program - which was streamed live on the internet! Joel and I huddled around the computer at home, Megan watched on Adam's lap top at Adam's apartment, and Grandma and Grandpa watched from their house. How cool is that!

She had nerves of steel as she played her VERY impressive piece while her older sister, Lauren, accompanied her on the piano. I was busting with pride! Not that I have anything to do with their talent. LOL

Kathryn - Elementary string solo - 1st, Elementary Large Vocal Ensemble - 1st
Sarah - Jr. High pencil drawing - 1st, Jr. High sacred piano duet - 1st, Sr. High large vocal ensemble - 1st
Lauren - Sr. High small instrumental ensemble - 1st, Sr. High sacred piano solo - 3rd, Sr. High Large vocal ensemble (she was the accompanist) 1st

Way to go girls!

Day 4

2010-03-12T07:56:00.000-08:00

Well I managed to get in another day of exercising. But if I am going to lose ten pounds in six days it is going to have to all fall off in the next two days!

Here's hoping!

My plan so far has been to exercise first thing every morning before I can talk myself out of it. A little bit like how I used to eat lima beans when I was little - eat them first and get them over with!

There is a slight chance of severe weather today. Yippee! I love storms - not tornadoes - just storms.

I think my love of storms and weather, in general, stems from being a farmer's daughter. When I was at home, it was my job to watch the weather and report it to Daddy. Not that Daddy didn't end up watching it himself - but farmer's tend to obsess over the weather. Farmer's daughters tend to obsess over the weather.

This is a habit that I have found impossible to break.

When Brian and I were first married, I would proudly announce the five-day forcast to him when he came home from work. To which he would usually sarcastically answer, "I was wondering if I would be able to get in the field today," or "Daggone it, I just cut hay!" Smarty pants.

I remember the first bad storm that came through when we were newlyweds. Before Brian got home from work I hurried around and filled every pitcher, bowl, and basin we owned with water. I filled the tub with water and had a bucket of water sitting beside the toilet.

I could hardly wait for Brian to walk in the door so I could show him what a good, industrious, and capable wife I was. When he finally got home, I proudly showed off my 100 gallon collection of fresh water. His puzzled look prompted my explanation of wanting to be prepared for when the power went out because of the storm.

After he stopped laughing, he proceeded to explain to me that we lived in town now (albeit a small town) and had city water - not well water. There was no need to hoard water because we didn't have to worry about the electricity to the pump being off.

Talk about feeling silly. But being the good husband that he was (and still is) he commended my preparedness and thanked me for the water because he was feeling a little thirsty anyway.

Day 3

2010-03-11T13:17:00.001-08:00

Another day of exercising. I can't say I am enjoying it - but I am glad I did it when I am done!

I didn't weigh today but I have my attorney on speed dial!

Yesterday was SOOO beautiful!

I rushed home from seeing the doctor and getting Joel and washed three loads of clothes and hung them all out. I LOVE to hang clothes out on the line.

not my clothes line -
my was FULL of FedEx sweatshirts and T-shirts

I know, that is weird. But this is something that I always have loved. I think it is because I used to help mother hang out clothes when I was little. Sometimes after she had spent all day helping Daddy in the field, she would come home and do laundry and we would hang out clothes in the dark!

I thought hanging clothes out in the dark was just too cool - staying up past my bedtime and being outside in the dark to boot!

When we lived in Morgantown I had the BEST clothesline. Brian built it for me out of landscaping timbers and it was PERFECT!

I remember hanging clothes out there about this time of the year hoping I would go into labor with Joel. It didn't work.

Now I use Scooby's trot line as a make-shift clothes line. My dream is to have an umbrella type clothesline.

Some girls dream of diamonds - I dream of circular clotheslines.

Day 2

2010-03-10T12:17:00.000-08:00

I exercised this morning BEFORE work even though I still feel like
. . . well let's just say I still feel REALLY bad.

It was MUCH harder today. But I am determined to keep with it.

Just a note - I have not lost one pound yet. Ten pounds in six days was the claim. I may have to consult my attorney!

I did finally go to the doctor where I got an antibiotic and a lecture on diabetes because I am a little (well maybe more than a little) past due for my A1C blood test. And the doctor wants to know why I wait so long to come see them. Ha!

I am formulating a post on what is wrong with health care today - from a nurse and patient perspective.

Believe me - a lot is wrong.

No, really I am . . .

2010-03-09T06:47:00.000-08:00

I am FINALLY (maybe) starting to get over this wicked bug. It helps that the sun has been shining the last two days.

It probably would have helped if I had gone to the doctor. But no good nurse goes to the doctor - we just treat ourselves. Right?

Anyway I feel well enough to say that I am actually going to start exercising TODAY!

No, really I am . . .
I know I have made those claims before, and I know I asked Brian for this DVD series over a year ago and I have yet to even watch it. But when I was home sick from church on Sunday, I saw the infomercial again and was yet again reminded why I asked for it. It really looks like it will work.

The infomercial said you can lose 10 pounds in your first 6 days! Surely they can't lie on TV. Right?

Here goes Day 1. Hopefully I will survive.

State Basketball Tournament - Updated

2010-03-06T07:09:00.000-08:00

Last night's game was amazing! I will post pictures as soon as possible.

Joel was on fire!

We had been praying all week for Joel to have a stellar game on Friday, and the Lord was kind. Joel scored 10 points and had a ton of rebounds and assists. Along with pictures I will try to post his official stats.

The final game is at 2:00 pm today. Prayers are appreciated!

*Update: Saturday's game was well fought and went into overtime - but was not ours to win. Joel played another great game as did all of the team. The last few minutes of overtime were played with three of our starters fouled out and on the bench. We'll get them next year!

I will post pictures and stats as soon as I can!

Love Through the Years . . .

2010-02-13T07:24:00.000-08:00

Many waters cannot quench love,
nor can the floods drown it . . .
Song of Solomon 8:7

Valentine's Day, 1983 . . . and that was just the beginning!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Snow Day

2010-02-09T09:08:00.001-08:00

What does a snow day mean to a teenage boy?
Quality time on the couch with your dog.

What does a snow day mean to a dog?
Quality time on the couch with your boy.

Essential Winter Wear

2010-01-21T05:50:00.001-08:00

Hoodies!

Warning!

2010-01-19T20:00:00.000-08:00

Do not - I repeat, do not EVER teach a Sunday School class on anger.

Why? Because the very next day you will be put to the test to see if you practice what you preach.

Next week I will be teaching on having the right attitude when you find $1,000,000 buried in your back yard.

Thinking

2010-01-17T12:18:00.000-08:00

Thinking.

I have been thinking lately. The kind of thinking that makes Brian's head hurt and his wallet feel vulnerable.

No - it's not the new matching wedding bands that I have been thinking about. Although, since the string trick worked and Brian's old wedding band has been freed from his finger, I have been thinking that new matching wedding bands would be nice.

But this is bigger. This involves hiring an electrician and maybe even a plumber.

This intensive thinking has monopolized my weekend. I have measured and stepped off and re-measured and re-stepped.

I think it will work. I really think it will work . . .

. . . and I think I am ready to propose my idea to Brian.

At least if he says no to my idea, the new matching wedding bands will now be an easy sell.

Fifty Cents!

2010-01-08T15:42:00.000-08:00

TS&T LuRay Pastels U.S.A. 6 48
(the 6 48 is the date of manufacturing June, 1948)

I broke my favorite coffee cup the other day. What a bummer, I knew exactly how much sweetener and how much cream to add to make the perfect cup of coffee.

Any other cup and my proportions were off a little.

So today when I was at Trader Baker's, I found the perfect cup. Little did I know what the find it ended up being.

This little pink cutie is a LuRay Pastel. I paid 54 cents for it - turns out it is worth $15.00!

A few more years, and I can take it on the Antiques Roadshow!

The cup I bought is pink - Sharon Pink to be exact. After doing research on the internet, I found that LuRay Pastels were sold in four colors pink, blue, green and a beautiful yellow called Persian Cream.

I will be going back to Trader Baker's tomorrow and search that particular booth over for more LuRay Pastels. Maybe I will find a Persian Cream piece!

LuRay Pastel History:

Taylor Smith & Taylor Co. (TS&T Co.) began producing a brightly colored dinnerware line called Vistosia in January of 1938 in response to lines like Fiesta Ware from Homer Laughlin and similar lines from other companies. By the fall of 1938, TS&TCo. decided to make their own bold move by introducing a pastel-hued line that was coined "LuRay" after the leading salesman had visited the Lu-Ray Caverns in LuRay, VA. The line continued through 1962. Original marketing materials suggested the paler colors were perfect for the new brides of the day and offered an alternative, more soothing pallette than the brighter colors of the competing lines, including their own Vistosia brand.

The four original LuRay colors were: Windsor Blue, Surf Green, Persian Cream, and Sharon Pink. Persian Cream, a soft yellow color, was the best selling color. For a time in the late 1940's, pieces were most readily available in this color which explains why many pieces still around today are Persian Cream. The only change to the available colors came in 1947 with the addition of Chatham Gray, but poor sales led to its being discontinued in 1952. During its short life span, Chatham Gray pieces were available in a variation with a platinum ring and also with applied flowers. The other colors also have some variations with rings and flowers.

From Mother with love - updated with more pictures!

2010-01-08T09:00:00.000-08:00

(click on pictures to enlarge)

This year for Christmas my mom made me, my sister, and my sister-in-law each our own quilt wall hanging. In addition to the quilt, we each got a shelf on which to hang our new quilt.

She did such a good job matching not only our personalities but also our houses when she picked our individual designs. She even included the history behind each of our quilts.

(Be sure to click on these to see the hand quilting)

My quilt is a sampler quilt which she hand quilted. I opted to hang it in the kitchen, and I use the shelf to hold some of my favorite things.

The other two quilts are just as beautiful as mine.

(Definitely click on this picture to see the detail of the embroidery)

My sister's quilt has embroidered flowers on white squares with a light green fabric in between. The flowers were patterns printed weekly in the newspaper back in the 1920's. I could be wrong about the date - I didn't get to read her history. But what is really neat is that my great grandmother saved these patterns and had made some of them but was missing a few. My mom did some research, found the missing patterns, and embroidered them all. How cool is that!

My sister-in-law's quilt is more similar to mine but with one design. Hers is the bear's paw pattern. One story is that it was part of the Underground Railroad. The bear paw quilt signaled escaping slaves that they needed to follow the track, perhaps to find water or shelter. Mother made this quilt in deep, rich, dark colors which will go perfectly with Bree's house. Her quilt was Megan's favorite because she loved the colors.

My mom is amazing and talented. I am convinced she can do anything - seriously, I mean anything.

A few Christmas's ago my mom made my sister and I lap quilts from material she had saved through the years. This wasn't just any material though, this was material from clothes she had made us growing up.

I love to sit and look at the fabrics in this quilt. I can remember wearing practically every fabric! Seriously, I wore my clothes and then my sister's hand-me-downs!

This corduroy is from
my FAVORITE pair of overalls Mother made me!

The top right fabric and the bottom middle fabric
were from flannel nightgowns Mother
made my sister and me.

My mom was pretty frugal with patterns too. When she got a new pattern she would usually make me two or three versions and my sister two or three versions. Which meant I ultimately wore six versions of the same pattern.

That was fine if you like the style - but that wasn't always the case. What was there to like about the "dog ear" collar phase from the early 70's. I have a school picture in which the collar on my dress is so long it extends past the bottom of the picture!

We were very well-dressed girls in the 70's though, thanks to Mother's sewing. We always had ponchos, handkerchief sleeve shirts, dresses with empire waists, stretch-in-sew short sets, and matching Sunday dresses!

But I digress, I was talking about quilts.

My mom also made me the quilt on our bed, and she made the quilt on Megan's bed. She is working her way through the granddaughters - making them each a quilt. She is on number three out of seven.

Considering my brother and his wife just added two girls in less than three years, she should have opted to make the boys quilts.

There are only three of them!

Throwback

2010-01-05T18:48:00.001-08:00

You gotta try it!
Instant flashback to the 70's.
One sip and I was a little girl again with a Dorothy Hamill haircut.
Time travel in a bottle.
Definitely worth the $1.49.

Mr. Varsity

2010-01-05T18:26:00.000-08:00

For Christmas this year we got Joel his letter jacket.

Isn't he handsome?

Joel earned his varsity letter last year in basketball and this year in soccer. He will varsity again this year in basketball, so he will get a chevron at the end of the season. His graduation numerals (12) have been ordered and hopefully will be in soon.

His favorite part of his letter jacket though is the round conference patch on the back! TCM had a great soccer team this year, and they proved it by winning their conference.

Joel made honor roll this first semester and has proven to be a valued leader at school. He is on student council, in ensemble, choir and band in addition to being on the soccer team and varsity basketball team.

His most proud achievement though . . .

he made pro bowler status on the Wii!

Santa's Helper

2010-01-02T14:56:00.000-08:00

Did your packages arrive on time for Christmas?
Have you hugged a FedEx employee lately?
I have!

New Year - New Blog!

2010-01-02T10:57:00.000-08:00

Happy 2010!

Instead of turning over a new leaf, I started a new blog! Farmer's Daughter Cooks

Stop by and sit a spell.

Top 10 Christmas Presents

2009-12-21T18:41:00.000-08:00

Leave it to Brian to bring me out of my blogging hiatus! While not being a member of the "boys' toy club" means I wasn't officially "tagged" to participate, reading the Brians' (What My Dad Saw- Yesterville Toy Room)posts on Top 10 Christmas Presents made me do some reminiscing . . . .

#10 Play Kitchen

While this is not exactly what our play kitchen looked like, it is pretty close. I have vivid memories of playing with our kitchen with my sister. The sink really worked! You could put water in a pan below the "sink" and the faucet would somehow magically pump it out - kind of recycling it. What was even more amazing was that Mother would actually LET US put water in the sink! Many hours of my childhood were spent playing "wife and mom." I guess it paid off!

#9 The book Giant Stories

While I don't really remember unwrapping this book at Christmas, I think it was a Christmas present. Even if it wasn't, this book is hands-down one of my all time favorite books. I am pretty sure it was a book my mom ordered from The Weekly Reader. The pictures were awesome and stories were just a little scary. I would love to have this book again!

#8 Fisher Price Dollhouse

My sister and I played with this dollhouse for years. What a classic! Role playing at its best. We bought Megan the 90's version of the Fisher Price dollhouse and she spent hours upon hours playing with hers. This has to be one of the all time best toys Fisher Price ever made.

#7 Sunshine Family Dollhouse

While not the Fisher Price dollhouse, the Sunshine Family dollhouse ranks high with me because it was such a surprise for me. I saw it in the JC Penney catalog and fell in love. I never dreamed that I would actually get it for Christmas! Pure 1970s fashion and theme - the Sunshine Family was the original "green" family and I LOVED them!

#6 Colorform set

I can still smell them! I loved my Colorforms. So much fun and creativity and reuseability! Great toy. Why don't they still smell the same?

#5 Super Jock

While not a real sports fan, I can remember wanting this toy REALLY badly. It was probably 1977 or 1978. My sister and my dad and I played with this toy a lot. It even survived long enough for my little brother to eventually end up playing with it.

#4 My doll Stephanie

While not a huge doll fan, I do still love MY first doll. Purchased, as most of our toys were, from the JC Penney catalog, this doll is big with kind of crazy wild blonde hair and sleepy eyes - you know the kind where her eye lids close when you lay her down. She even cries when you move her back and forth - can anyone say "shaken baby syndrome." lol The crazy thing about Stephanie is her name. I named her Stephanie - why? I don't know. I don't like that name and never have. Sorry to all the Stephanies of the world.

#3 Yellow Housecoat

This was a beautiful yellow robe/housecoat brought back from Florida for me by my mother's parents. I am quite sure that this housecoat singlehandedly started my love affair with bed clothes! It was nothing shy of beautiful and I felt so special when I had it on.

#2 Dusty and Nugget

This is the only toy I really remember asking - no begging for from my parents. I truly thought I would die if I didn't get this toy for Christmas. I am certain that is was the TV commercial than ran during the Brady Bunch that hooked me. Dusty looked amazing and Nugget - well, he looked real. That year my mom ordered a lot of stuff from JC Penney's. Enough stuff that she had a large box full of Christmas presents in their bedroom covered with a quilt. I am more than embarassed to admit that one day while under my older sister's not-so-watchful eye, I sneaked a peak under the quilt. Seeing Dusty and Nugget in the box was too much for my 8 year old self control. I spent the better part of the afternoon playing with them - neatly putting them back in the box before my parents got home. I hope my mother doesn't read my blog.

#1 Emergency MEGO Playset

Considering Emergency was my FAVORITE TV show, this toy was my FAVORITE toy. John Gage and Roy DeSoto were amazing! And while the MEGO company didn't do that great of a job capturing their awesomeness, I played with this set quite a lot. Rampart, This is Squad 51!

Merry Christmas!

Home today!

2009-07-25T08:40:00.000-07:00

My girl is coming home today!

Fussy

2009-07-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Tonight is one of those nights that if truth be told I should probably be spanked and sent to bed without supper.

I miss my girl. She has been at camp for nearly 2 weeks, and I need her home.

I love my boys, but they never do the dishes.

Scooby peed and pooped under the table, and my mop is worn out from overuse. But lucky for me, Brian and Joel just went to Walmart to buy me a new one.

My legs hurt. I am tired of being diabetic, and I want a candy bar.

See what I mean. Spank me and send me to bed!

40 years ago!

2009-07-20T06:17:00.000-07:00

40 years ago today -
Apollo 11 landed on the moon
and I was due to be born!

New Look - Inside and Out

2009-07-18T13:35:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking a lot lately about a lot of things. The big 4-0 is approaching and I have started getting all reflective - but in a good way.

I am changing a lot of things - this blog included. When I have more time, I will elaborate more. But right now the technical aspect of changing "Thoughts of a Preacher's Wife" are taking most of my available free time.

So for now here are a few of the things I have been pondering - in bullet form:

Work - new job? I actually sent out two resumes! Why did I do this - I hate change!
Home - rearranging/getting ready for winter. Sounds primitive I know, but last winter was hard in so many ways. I am taking my cues from Proverbs 31.
Kids - lots of thoughts about the kids growing up and the new challenges they face. Exciting yet scary! These are the thoughts that keep me awake at night.
Me - entering a new decade! Redefining myself. I am determined to be a new, better me!
Church - new convictions about my leadership with the kids. Doctrine - it's all about doctrine. Building our house on the rock.
Health - eating and cooking healthier more consistently. I truly believe we are killing ourselves with our diet. That is going to stop!

I am thankful for the transformation God has brought me through. I don't know if it hurts a caterpillar to turn into a butterfly, but I am thankful for my recent growth and change despite the pain.

God is good and His love is perfect.

Zucchini Bread

2009-07-17T17:39:00.000-07:00

Zucchini is a small summer squash. The zucchini can be yellow, green or light green, and generally has a similar shape to a ridged cucumber.

In a culinary context, zucchini is treated as a vegetable, which means it is usually cooked and presented as a savory dish or accompaniment. Botanically, however, the zucchini is an immature fruit, being the swollen ovary of the female zucchini flower.

Interesting. I don't like squash - but I love fried zucchini and zucchini bread. Go figure.

Zucchini Bread - by Aunt Jannie

3 eggs

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 tsp. vanilla

2 cups zucchini (peeled and grated)

3 cups flour

1 tsp. baking soda

2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Grease and flour two 9x5x2 loaf pans. Mix all ingredients, pour into loaf pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 60 minutes. Serve warm with butter. Enjoy!

2012

2009-05-15T06:45:00.001-07:00

Joel reminding me that HIS graduation isn't that far away!
Wow! Time flies when you're having fun!!

Joel's latest fascination.

I am better with this than I was with the Marines.
The Coast Guard does fit his personality a lot better.
Joel is a saver and not a killer.

But we are a LOOOOONG way away from an ocean!

Happy Hope!

2009-05-15T06:39:00.001-07:00

He is on his way home!
I am happy!!
I am sure Hope is happy!!!

P.S. Isn't my mother-in-law an AMAZING photographer!

Yet another self potrait

2009-05-11T20:00:00.000-07:00

Levi and gang on their senior trip.
He said they got lost and ended up walking 20 miles.

He sent me this picture this morning.
What I can tell from this picture:
they must have found a sale on blue-blocker shades,
nobody was wearing sunscreen, and
they look like they are having fun!

More Self Portraits

2009-05-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Megan and Adam

Car Troubles

2009-05-02T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Explorer during happier times.

Bad news today.

Our Explorer is dead - died the big one, kicked the bucket, bought the farm.

I am having a hard time coming to terms with it.

We have four vehicles and we need four vehicles. The Explorer, while not without its faults, was our best vehicle.

Now it is gone.

I am trying to look at the positive things:

1. Megan wasn't hurt when it stopped running while she was driving it last night.
2. Adam was there to push it into an empty parking lot.
3. The parking lot happened to be pushing distance to an auto shop.
4. The Explorer didn't quit on Megan while we were states away from her a couple weeks ago.
5. My parents who rarely go to G*** were literally blocks away from Megan last night when she had trouble. Although we nor she knew it at the time, how awesome that God had in place safeguards and help for her.
6. We hadn't put new tires on it yet.
7. It did not break down on Levi and Hope late at night when they were on their way home from prom (Levi was planning on driving it tonight) leaving them stranded on a dark, curvy road. Oh my, that could have been bad for many reasons!

I am really trying to think of 10 positive things, but I am having trouble.

8. It did not break down on Levi and Hope late at night leaving them stranded on a dark, curvy road with nothing but state forest around them. I know I already mentioned that, but I think it bears being mentioned again.
9. It needed cleaned out anyway.

This is getting lame.

10. Our insurance will be cheaper without it.

Self Portrait

2009-05-02T17:42:00.000-07:00

Levi and Hope at The Seasons for prom.

His Life

2009-04-09T18:44:00.000-07:00

Levi wrote this for his Senior English class.
He entitled it "My Life."

Walking on a small bridge that stretched over Young’s Creek on County Road 400 South, my girlfriend Hope and I stopped to skip rocks and listen to the flowing water echo under the bridge. It was spring and the water was a little higher than is typical due to the rain the night before. Sitting there on the bridge we had fun imagining that one day we would be sitting on a bridge that I had designed, because in a few short months I would be going to school to learn how to design infrastructures such as this bridge. Why did I want to do this? It is the job the sums up most of my eclectic interests. How did I know this? How did I become who I am today? It is who I am. It is my story.

I was home-schooled by my mom up until my freshman year of high school. She is still my favorite teacher to this day. My parents decided to send me to TCM my freshman year so that I would be able to get involved in music and sports.

Growing up I have always been known as the guy who has sporadic interests and was called the jack of all trades. There is no surprise that I became this way. My dad’s interests are just as sporadic as mine are. My parents have always supported me no matter what I had a desire to do. Well except if it was dangerous, then my dad would try it first to make sure it was “safe.” Personally, I think he just wanted to try it as bad as I did. I know he would confess to that if you asked him.

My interests varied all the way from rock climbing and dirt biking to building hydrogen fuel cells and converting used vegetable oil into bio-diesel. My parents have always supported me, and they have never told me that something was too hard for me to figure out or too hard for me to do.

My house and yard were the best a young teenage boy could ever ask for. It has dirt-bike trails all the way around it and through it with berms and jumps. My dad even bought a quad-axle load of dirt and borrowed my grandpa’s skid-steer so we would build some bigger jumps and taller berms for our corners.

The yard has a one hundred and fifty foot zip-line across it, a home-made fort, and it is full of trees. One summer my brother Joel and I camped in our yard for an entire week.

When I was thirteen I decided that I wanted to learn how to weld. I have lost three pairs of pants and two shirts to fire since that decision. I went as far as to take an adult welding class my junior year at Central Nine Career Center. My classmates, all twenty to thirty years older than me, always offered to rub me down with asbestos before class started.

I have always loved engines. You can probably thank my Uncle Danny for that one. By the time I was thirteen, I had rebuilt three dirt bike engines and a three wheeler engine. Ok, the three wheeler engine had to be rebuilt twice, but that is only because a friend didn’t believe in shifting out of third.

When I was fifteen my dad bought me a 1975 Ford F-100 with a three hundred cubic inch straight six. It barely ran, but after a couple of weekends I was yanking branches out of trees that we needed cut down and roasting tires on back roads.

My parents have tried their hardest to make sure that I was well-rounded. My mom has taught me more than I can write in this chapter. She has taught me about everything from cooking and cleaning to rearranging and school work. My dad has always been there for me as well. He has taught me how to do anything and everything you could imagine around the house and how to stand even when others are falling. Their influences and support has shaped me into who I am today.

When I was eight years old I realized that I was a sinner and I had broken God’s laws. At that moment I made the most important decision in my life. I cried out for God to save me. That decision gave me the desire to change the path that I was traveling.

All my life I have known that I wanted a job that I could work with my hands and use my head. The summer after my freshman year I got a job as a lifeguard at the Painted Hills’ pool. I made four rescues that summer and applied enough band-aids to supply a third world country. I have worked there and at the YMCA pool for the last four years.

This year, my senior year, I have been working with my Uncle Danny at the machine shop where he works. I try to work every Saturday from six am to about noon. I really enjoy the work that is done up there and it seems as if they are always faced with a new challenge. I typically drive the fork lift helping Danny get parts in and out of his lathe. I also deburr a lot of parts (knocking off sharp edges and corners with a grinder or a file). Recently I have been shown how to run a few machines such as the lathe, mill, and the bandsaw.

Working at the machine shop has opened me up to the world of precision and fabrication. That is why I have decided to become a civil engineer. I am going to school to get my Associate’s Degree in civil engineering which will allow me to design bridges, roads, and other infrastructures.

I feel like the experiences that I have gone through and the instruction and support of my parents have prepared me for the world ahead. With God on my side and the support of friends and family, I am not scared to step out into the real world. I am ready to go out, make a stand, and make a difference. Someday maybe you can sit on my bridge.

I love that boy!

Super Hero

2009-04-07T07:52:00.000-07:00

Me as a Super Hero.
This is pretty much what I look like when I go to work.
Only I don't wear my underpants on the outside. Well, not usually.

Happy Birthday Joel!

2009-03-24T19:50:00.001-07:00

What Joel should still look like . . .

but he doesn't!

Happy 15th Birthday Joel! Love Mom

Becoming Diabetic

2009-03-23T09:39:00.000-07:00

Having grown up in a family strewn with diabetics, I am quite familiar with diabetes or "sugar die-beetus" as my grandparents called it. I hate the word because of what mental images it produces for me.

I see my dad's Uncle John who was missing an arm and a leg from "sugar die-beetus." I was present at a reunion he was at when I was a toddler, so all of my memories of him are from a single snapshot taken that day.

Type II diabetes or adult onset diabetes has a stigma associated with it of fat, doughnut eating, Pepsi downing, couch potatoes who would rather eat than breathe. At least this is how I feel people look at us. Yes, I am now in the ranks of "us."

Although Type II diabetes IS associated with lifestyle (ie. overweight, sedentary lifestyle) there is also a huge genetic component. And although you can change your lifestyle, you certainly can't change your genes.

The way I look at it, I was destined to become diabetic. I may have been able to delay the onset by 10 or 20 years, but it was knocking on my door.

I had gestational diabetes at age 20 when I was pregnant with Megan and again at age 24 when I was pregnant with Joel. I was in nursing school when I was pregnant with Joel and we were learning to use the glucometer. We had to test ourself. My blood sugar was 324. I told my class mates my meter was broken.

Fast forward 15 years and a lot of denial later.

Around Thanksgiving I began to become concerned that my legs were swelling. Nurses stand a lot. It was not unusual to have edema at the end of the work day, but it was usually resolved by morning. Not so any more. The edema was sticking around morning, noon, and night.

I also noticed that I was not urinating very much. Nurses are notorious for "holding it" all day. I vowed to drink more, pee more, and try to sit more at work.

Enter the Christmas season and all of the goodies associated with it. We were inundated at work with homemade candies, cookies, and cakes. I tried to stay out of them without much success.

A day or two after Christmas I was in a meeting at work. Toward the end of the meeting I began to have a really bad pain in my right side - a flank pain. When I stood up and walked out of the room the pain became severe, taking my breath away and almost causing me to pass out. It was severe for about an hour and bothersome for a couple days. No fever, no chills - just pain.

I still don't know what that pain was but it turned me into a different person. From that day and for the next 6 weeks, I urinated like a different person. You know, peed like a Russian race horse and all of those other famous urination metaphors.

And talk about thirsty. At work I do patient assessments every day and one of the questions I ask is, "Have you had any excessive thirst or urination?" I now know how to describe excessive thirst and urination. It is excessive. If you have it, you know it.

All I thought about was drinking. Water, milk, tea, coke, windshield wiper fluid . . . it didn't matter. I drank the remainder of drinks left in the car while I was driving - not even caring whose they were or how old they were. During this time my most valued possession was my white plastic cup kept in the bathroom for me to drink out of when I was up every two hours urinating.

Yes, I said up every two hours to pee. Sometimes I would have to pee so bad that despite running to the bathroom, I found myself mopping the floor. Probably way TMI - but my point is the next time you are at the doctor's office and a nurse asks you if you have excessive thirst or urination don't worry that you do and you just aren't aware. You will know.

The reason uncontrolled blood sugar causes excessive thirst and urination is because the body is trying to correct itself. We are fearfully and wonderfully made and God designed our bodies to want to be in a state of homeostasis. A state of balance. When blood sugar is high the body tries to dilute the sugar out of the blood - thus making you desire/need to take in more fluids in an attempt to filter the sugar out through the kidneys. Awesome.

Because of this I was peeing pure sugar. Okay, probably not pure sugar, but I am sure I could have given Kool-Aid a run for their money. Bacteria loves sugar. Put two and two together and that makes one killer yeast infection.

This was actually my final clue that something was wrong. Not that the excessive thirst and urination weren't clues enough - and the 10 pound weight loss without trying. But I knew that the only thing that causes repeat yeast infections was diabetes. The denial was over.

February 13th Joel had a basketball game and then a lock-in at church. It was 9:50 pm as we were driving past CVS. I pulled in telling Joel he could pick out some snacks to take to the lock-in. I walked back to the pharmacy and and the pharmacist helped me pick out a glucometer and all the trappings that go with it. We left the store at 9:58 pm.

It wasn't until 4:30 pm February 14th that I got up enough nerve to test. 367 was the reading. There was no more denying. Brian took me to the hospital where they drew labs, gave me a liter of fluids, a prescription for Metformin 500 mg BID, and a diagnosis of diabetes.

Changing

2009-03-23T08:27:00.000-07:00

I have been thinking about my blog lately. Thinking about taking it in a different direction. A lot has changed in this head of mine since starting Thoughts of Preacher's Wife.

When I started the blog I was a . . .

Thirty-something wife, mom, and nurse who really doesn't have time to be blogging. I just wanted a way to chronicle everyday life - both good and bad. Lots of new things going on in my life - new church, new to being the Pastor's wife, new to having teenagers, new to not homeschooling, new to infertility, new to blogging.

First of all let me address the "thirty-something wife, mom, and nurse." To be truthful, if my age were a price tag I would be $39.99.

But that is just the first of the problems with that description.

I have been a Pastor's wife at Cornerstone Church for soon to be four years! Megan will be 20 in November - no longer a teenager! I haven't home schooled in three years! I have been infertile for longer than I care to think about. And like me, this blog is no spring chicken.

There are a lot of new things going on in my life . . .

- I am a newly diagnosed diabetic (Okay, I admit that was painful to write);
- I will be entering a new decade of life this summer (More painful, much more painful.);
- I am adapting to life with adult children (Talk about pain!)
- I am discovering the world of healthy eating and exercise;
- I am embracing my new love of bowls, especially nesting bowls, old dishes, and cheap furniture finds at Trader Baker's (It helps with the pain.);
- and I am finally coming to terms with the fact that God blessed me with three children, two dogs, and two cats and that may be all I get. Well, maybe the dog thing is negotiable.

The whole infertility thing which is the real reason I started this blog is still with me. I don't know if it will ever fully go away. It is kind of like hemorrhoids - painful, always there. Okay, maybe not hemorrhoids. More like a bruise. A deep bruise that doesn't show on the outside but one that is painful when just the right or wrong pressure is applied.

I admit that a lot of my desire/need to have another child was an attempt to replace or rather replenish the three that were growing up so fast. I couldn't imagine my life existing outside of their lives.

My thoughts sunk so low as to even think God cruel for not "understanding my desires" and "fulfilling my needs." I still don't understand God's ways, but as God told Job, "I am not a man. My thoughts and ways are not like yours."

Amazingly, I have learned that my growing kids do still need me. I was reminded of this as I was mopping puke off the floor in Joel's room last week.

God works in mysterious ways.

Free Time

2009-03-23T07:33:00.000-07:00

Who would think that the down turn in the economy would effect nursing!

I showed up to work this morning only to find out that the doctor moved today's clinic patients to Thursday because there were only five patients scheduled for today. I guess he had better things to do than come in for five patients.

Being a PRN (as needed) nurse - I was the expendable employee today.

I have never worked full-time as a nurse. When I first graduated from nursing school I took a part-time evening shift job in a great hospital on their Cardiac Step Down Unit. After four years I changed hospitals and took another part-time evening shift job in a not as great hospital this time on a med-surg unit. Working part-time (actually I called it part-part-time/usually 32 hours in a two-week pay period) allowed me to still technically qualify as a stay-at-home mom and yet feel like I was contributing to the household. Working part-time also gave me paid vacation but it required that I work every other weekend.

After a year of missing every once a month Patch Club performance at church, I decided to take a leap of faith and go from part-time to PRN. I stayed at this PRN status during the five years I worked in OB, and I remain PRN now that I am in oncology. During this time, I have come to expect peaks and flows in staffing, and I realize that full-time and part-time employees get first dibs when the hours get short. My hours although usually very dependable are not guaranteed.

Thus, I am unexpectedly home today.

Considering the fact that I am awake, dressed, and presentable I decided to weigh my options of what to do with my day.

I could . . .

- forget the fact that I am awake, dressed, and presentable and climb back into bed and sleep until the kids get home from school;
- send lurid texts to Brian and seduce him into coming home and joining me for the above;
- opt to spend a few hours on the couch under a blanket with Scooby watching worthless daytime TV;
- start a cleaning project;
- go shopping at Old Time Pottery for nesting bowls and Mexican restaurant style dishes for Joel's birthday dinner (the bowls are merely a new addiction of mine - hey, better than Little Debbies);
- spend the day blogging and emptying my head of all of the random thoughts circulating around.

Although spending the day in bed does sound tempting I am quite certain Brian would not heed to my texts. I didn't say he wouldn't enjoy them - but in the end he would say something about the mortgage, electric bill, and Levi's Jeep's ever empty gas tank being what keeps him on the straight and narrow and ultimately a good boy who can't come home in the middle of the day.

I would start a new cleaning project - like tackle the mound of clothes in Joel's room. But how can Joel learn responsibility if I am always cleaning his room? Whew! I am glad I thought of that.

I would love to go shopping for nesting bowls and Mexican dishes, but feel the shopper's remorse I would suffer after spending money while missing a day's pay would just be too great to bear. Who am I kidding? I just don't feel like driving to town by myself.

While I am sure I will spend some time today on the couch with Scooby, it looks like my day is going to be spent emptying my head of random thoughts.

I feel lighter already!

All in the Family

2009-01-18T12:41:00.000-08:00

Family - there's just something about that blood connection.

There are 18 of us cousins on my dad's side of the family. When we were little we were close, but now as adults we rarely see each other.

Jerry - He starts the list of cousins. Jerry is now 50 and not it great health. He is the oldest cousin and was born on July 11
Cathy - She is Jerry, Laurie, and Jimmy's sister - I haven't seen her in years.
Larry - He lives close to my parents. Larry used to help Daddy farm and spent a lot of time with us when I was in high school.
Laurie - She has done a lot in her life. She was a nun for a while and now is a teacher at a Catholic high school. Laurie is a great mom to her two boys one of which has severe disabilities.
Cheri - She married Mike who is a big-time farmer a few hours a way. Cheri home schools her 6 kids who are all successful in all they do. No - I am serious, they really are.
Lisa - She is a chemist at Eli Lilly's and a single mom to Jonathon whom she adopted from Russia. Lisa has recently taken a leave from work to home school Jonathon and spend more time with her mom, Aunt Ann, who has Alzheimer's and is in a nursing home.
Diane - My sister.
Jimmy - He is a 3rd generation farmer. Daddy helps him farm now that he is retired.
Me
Steve - He is my most notorious cousin. Steve has grown up a lot and now has a great wife and three kids. His son Dallas is just like him, and we are all enjoying that! Steve drives a school bus where he's known as Porter; however, it's still hard for me not to call him Stevie.
Tracy - She is 6 months younger than me but is a grandma - not necessarily by her choosing. She is sweet and hard working. I am glad to see her in a great relationship now.
Billy - I haven't seen Billy in years. His is the son of Aunt Mary whom no one has seen in years although she lives just a short drive away. I heard Billy got married not too long ago. He dated a girl for years and years and she died of cancer; it took him a long time to get over that.
David (Shannon) - He is a fireman and doesn't live that far away. He has a beautiful wife and two kids.
Missy - She is the daughter of Aunt Jeannie who died at 33 from breast cancer when Missy was just 10. Missy married Jerome who is a mortician/funeral director and semi-pro wrestler! She has one son and still lives in her hometown.
Toby - He is Tracy's brother. Toby has a wife named Charity and two kids. He served in the military for a while. I haven't seen him for 4-5 years now.
Chris - He is the other son of Aunt Mary. I can't even remember the last time I saw Chris. I am sure he wouldn't recognize me at all, in fact, I don't know if he ever even knew who I was. I heard he looks just like his dad. I think he is a teacher and tennis coach.
Doug - He is Missy's brother. Doug races motorcycles and has a pretty wife and two adorable boys. I am pretty certain that he is in business with his dad.
Danny - My brother. Youngest cousin and was born on July 11 just like the oldest cousin.

My parents host a family reunion every August, but unfortunately, not every one comes. It has been years since we have all been together collectively as a family.

But despite not seeing each other often, when we do we are definitely still family.

This is a picture of Joel and my cousin Tracy's daughter, Ciara. They are both freshman in high school. TCM played Ciara's school on Friday night. Joel played and Ciara cheered. Although they don't even know each other, I think you can tell they are family.

Samuel Robin

2009-01-16T13:28:00.000-08:00

How do you reward years of faithful service? Well, in Sam's case you let him sleep on the couch when the windchill is -27 degrees.

Sam is our faithful first dog. He is 12 years old and has spent 11 of those twelve years outside guarding "the Lodge."

The story of how we got Sam is a little bittersweet for me. You see, Brian had been adamant about the fact that we were not to get a dog. He didn't want one - not yet. We were planning on moving in a year or so and Brian wanted to wait until we had more room for a dog.

Actually I might have just made all of that up. The fact was Brian didn't want a dog - he just didn't like dogs. A fact that would later change - but I digress.

Anyway, the problem was that I really wanted a dog. I wanted a dog now.

One weekend, Megan and I had to run to Walmart for some screws for a dresser Brian was putting together. As we walked into the store we passed a box of "free puppies." That's where we saw Sam. Instead of smiling at the puppies as we passed them by - we stopped and fell in love.

Megan and I agreed to do our shopping and while in the store pray about whether we should take one of those adorable free puppies. I realize now that praying about whether I should blatantly disobey my husband doesn't exactly line up with Scripture.

Needless to say, after five minutes of shopping and "praying" Megan and I had both come to the conclusion that we should take one of the puppies home. We picked a puppy originally named "Adam."

He was so small and sweet. He fit on Megan's little 6 year old lap and she wrapped him in her sweater. You would think we would be ecstatic that we finally had our puppy - but instead we both cried all the way home.

We knew we had disobeyed. We knew we were in the wrong. We should have just turned around and taken little "Adam" back to Walmart, but we didn't. We took him home.

Brian was upset, but even worse than that he was disappointed. It was the first time I had out and out disobeyed his request. And to top it off, I had dragged Megan into my disobedience.

"Adam" who we renamed Sam was everything Brian didn't want in a dog. He pooped on the floor, constantly chewed on things - especially shoes, wouldn't stay in the yard, dug under the fence, and Megan and Levi grew to be afraid of him and his needle sharp puppy teeth.

"Dog Whisperer" Joel, who was only 2 at the time, would wrestle Sam and and carry him around. And I would try to defend Sam's actions and make excuses for his behavior.

It was a rough couple months.

I finally apologized to Brian for my disobedience and asked him to forgive me and swore I would never blatantly disobey him again. We did end up moving and Sam became an outside dog. Things immediately improved and Sam became our beloved mole-hunting, guard dog.

He has served our family well. Brian loves him and appreciates his service to our family.

Sam is old and deaf now. He has arthritis and he smells bad. But I still love him and the lesson I learned from getting him is worth me giving up the couch for a few days.

The Fruit of the Spirit's Not a Watermelon

2009-01-15T14:40:00.000-08:00

I was meeting Megan at the Verizon Store to upgrade her phone. We knew she was eligible for an upgrade in January. Her phone had been giving her fits and she was more than ready for a new one.

I listened to one of my favorite radio preacher's on the way to the Verizon store. He was preaching on the fruit of the spirit. It was a very good message, and as he preached I was reflecting on my own life wondering if my walk with the Lord was producing visible fruit.

Enter the store.

Sales Clerk: May I help you.

Megan: I'm here to upgrade my phone.

Sales Clerk: What's your cell phone number.

Megan: **************

Sales Clerk: Oh, I'm sorry. You are not eligible for an upgrade until January 23.

Me: What! January 23. That is just one week away. We drove all the way from ****ville just for this upgrade. (Patience?)

Sales Clerk: I'm sorry, ma'am. There's nothing I can do about it.

Me: Well, we need a phone today. Not in a week. We have five cell phones with Verizon, and pay a whopping monthly bill. We need a new phone today. (Peace?)

Sales Clerk: Well, I am sorry, but I can't do that. It is a strict company policy.

Me: Her phone isn't working right. It is going to be -27 degrees tonight and she is going to be driving home from a late class. She needs a phone that works!!!!! (Gentleness?)

Sales Clerk: I'll tell you what I will do. This is a one time deal. I will give her a new battery to get her by for another week.

Me: Okay. Thank you. [walking away to allow Megan to finish the transaction] (Self control? maybe)

It was at this moment that I became sensitive to the Holy Spirit's conviction. Would this sales clerk now be receptive to me witnessing to her or inviting her to church. I doubt it.

I could hear Angel singing:

The fruit of the spirit's not a watermelon.
The fruit of the spirit's not a watermelon.
If you want to be a watermelon, you might as well cheer it.
But you can't be a fruit of the spirit.

For the fruit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control . . .
Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Family Picture

2008-11-11T11:07:00.000-08:00

Me and mine - October, 2008

So far the fall has been pleasantly busy. I plan on posting a pictorial update soon complete with lots of pictures of Levi as Long John Silver (peg leg and all!), Joel's first year playing soccer, my college girl Megan, and our overnight getaway in a 5-star hotel!

But until then - here are a few bits and pieces . . .

- As of this week, Megan is an official substitute teacher for our local public school corporation!
- We are thinking of an arranged marriage for her. Just joking - I think.
- She is saving for a Mustang. Don't tell my parents.

- Levi hasn't gotten in trouble for his sideburns yet this year.
- Levi's entire senior class spent an hour in detention because they went to class via the attic - Levi's idea.
- Basketball season starts Friday. I don't think Levi is going to get to start this year. I am more upset than he is. I hate basketball.

- Joel made student council - he is a natural leader.
- Joel wants to be a Marine. Megan has reminded me not to get too freaked out yet - he wanted to be an Olympic swimmer this past summer.
- Joel is starting JV and dressing Varsity for basketball. If the coach makes it a competition between my boys as to who gets to play, I may have to hurt him - the coach not Joel. I hate basketball.

- Sam got a dog house. He is so proud of it. He laid in it for three solid days without getting out.

- Scooby has been wearing his sweater because the house is too cold for him. What a sissy.

- I have a new responsibility at work. I am the Nurse Navigator for the Tuesday clinic in the Breast Center. I don't know why, but nobody at home wants to hear me talk about work now.
- I have had two very good witnessing encounters at work recently. Although working as much as I have been is not what I desire, it is obviously where God wants me right now.
- I spent the last hour looking up Spanx on the internet. I am in need of an industrial strength pair in order to make me fit in the hunter green formal dress I have to wear as the accompanist for Ensemble.

- Brian loves me despite my womanly hormonal moodiness and took me to a 5-Star hotel last weekend!
- His blog is getting 500+ hits a day. What a goober.
- He will be proud of me for finally posting!

and a little randomness . . .

- there are five loads of laundry in the laundry room and the dryer isn't working right
- we NEED another car
- the wood stove does a good job keeping the house warm as long a there is wood in it
- I need to make a menu and get groceries
- I think I have to help make and serve spaghetti tonight for a senior fundraiser
- the Patch Club's Christmas program is in 4 weeks . . .
- I think I am hyperventilating because the Patch Club Christmas program is in 4 weeks
- so far I have bought only one Christmas present (it's for Levi - he will LOVE it!)
- Scooby needs a bath and so does his little red sweater
- my plan to eat only Raisin Bran and excerice three times a day hasn't panned out, and there is no way I am going to fit in that hunter green formal dress even with industrial strength Spanx.

5th grade fun

2008-09-07T17:33:00.000-07:00

The Name Game
(Ok, I admit this is a little 5th grade - but it's kind of fun.)

1.Your rock star name (first pet, current car): Ginger Explorer
2.Your gangsta name (favorite ice cream flavor, favorite type of shoe): Chocolate Flip-Flop
3.Your Native American name (favorite color, favorite animal): Yellow Dog
4.Your soap opera name (middle name, city where you were born): Sue Franklin
5.Your Star Wars name (the first 3 letters of your last name, first 2 of your first name): Butel - Know this sounds stupid I do. (That was my Yoda impersonation in case you are wondering.)
6.Superhero name (2nd favorite color, favorite drink): Green Milk
7.NASCAR name (the first names of your grandfathers): Russell Allen
8.Dancer name (the name of your favorite perfume/cologne/scent, favorite candy): Amazing Grace Peanutbutter Cup - Ok, I would be a rather conflicted dancer:)
9.TV weather anchor name (your 5th grade teacher’s last name, a major city that starts with the same letter): Winter Washington
10.Spy name (your favorite season/holiday, flower): Fall Hiacinth
11.Cartoon name:(favorite fruit, article of clothing you’re wearing right now): Strawberry Pants
12.Hippie name (what you ate for breakfast, your favorite tree): Brownie Locust
13.Movie star name (first pet, first street where you lived): Ginger Highway

I really need to get out more.

Cake anyone?

2008-08-27T11:52:00.000-07:00

Life with three busy, active teenagers - need I say more?
No wonder I can't lose weight -
well, at least it gives me someone to blame!