Life Goes On...for Some of Us...

Even though I haven't been to blogspot in a while life continues as usual here. There have been some changes in the last few months (pain, death, sickness). My kids are growing like weeds. My ten year old daughter is sitting next to me reading over my shoulder and she laughed and said, "We are weeds? I'm not a weed, I'm a flower!" Okay they are all flowers then... Hmmm maybe my son should be a tree, since if I don't know where he is I just need to look up and I'll probably find him in a tree.

I went in to a horrible time of back pain on March 14th and was hardly able to walk for a week. I couldn't get up by myself or even lift my feet. A friend from church brought me a walker to use. It took me five excruciating minutes to move from my living room to my kitchen (in a townhouse). Then on March 21st my mother unexpectedly died. She was only 59 and we were planning her annual trip to visit my family for Easter. I'm actually thankful for the bout with severe pain right before she died because I was able to tell her that I had a better understanding of what she deals with on a daily basis. I'm not unfamiliar with pain, but this pain was debilitating and I was actually afraid that I could end up paralyzed. I've been told that is a possibility.

When I told my children that Grandma died, my seven year old son fell to the floor weeping and my ten year old daughter sat on the couch with tears pouring down her face. My fifteen month old obviously didn't comprehend the loss, but she knew something was wrong. She walked over to my son and wrapped her little arms around his neck and just hugged him. Then she walked across the room and picked up a tissue and went to my daughter and began wiping her face. The sweet baby was like an angel as she ministered to her siblings.

While the me and the kids were in Ohio, my husband fell and got a blood clot in his leg (DVT). I was so worried about him, but unable to get home because I was stranded in Ohio. Since I was having back pain, I knew I couldn't drive to Ohio, so some wonderful friends helped transport us to Ohio. Then I was baffled as to how to return. I didn't have to be confused long because before I began looking at my options to return home, a friend called and told me that she and her husband wanted to come and get us. Talk about Jesus in action - those friends are definitely walking the walk and talking the talk.

I'm still not used to the fact that my mother is dead. When I returned home from my two weeks in Ohio for her funeral, I picked up the phone to call and let her know I made it home safely. I've actually started to call her quite a bit. There are some things in life you don't "get" until you experience them and I believe losing a mother - the woman who gave you life is one of them.

Keep my family in your prayers!




My mother 16 years old.

My mother on our horse, Angel.


Me and my mother (she was visiting me at college).

Me and my mother at my wedding.

My mother and my daughter at one of our annual trips to the National Zoo.


My mom and Aunt Rebbie last summer.

Still kicking...

Just wanted to touch base to let anyone who might stumble over know that I'm still kicking, but not posting too much. Life is busy and full with a nine month old and two older children. On Monday we returned from visiting my family for 10 days. It was so nice to see everyone and for the kids to get to spend time with family too.

My little one started walking on the 17th - she took 6 steps one time. It will be a while before she is walking all the time, but it's fun to watch her change and develop. She popped a new tooth today also. The older kids are having so much fun playing with the baby. They are all treasures.

I'm Still Here...

Hello to anyone who might possibly pop in... Just wanted to say that I'm still alive and well, just really busy with my life in the real world. I haven't had much time to blog or check blogs lately, but miss reading and writing blogs. I still try to post Scripture and Quotes to those blogs and to my Reading Room Blog, but haven't been as faithful here because this one takes the most effort...

My kids are doing well (although sick with allergy issues now) and the baby is growing so fast - 5 1/2 months old - where has the time gone?

Keep me in your prayers that I am the wife and mother that God wants me to be.

Thanks!

A Walk in the Park

If only life were this simple... Two of my children walking through a peaceful park exploring and enjoying God's creation. My youngest slept in a stroller as I pushed her along the way.

Still here...

Greetings! Nothing profound here - just a quick shout out to say hello. I've been busy with being a new mom again. My little sweetheart celebrated two months being here with us yesterday. Time sure flies. She is so precious and greatly loved by all who know her especially her sister and brother. I'm busy with homeschooling and taking care of my newest treasure.

I will be back to posting more here as time allows and will try to catch up with blog reading as well. I've been keeping up with posting daily Scriptures and quotes on those blogs and posting about my journey to fitting my jeans again (as well as other topics) on my Healthy Living blog. My Reading Room blog is also seeing fewer posts because I haven't had as much time to read, but plan to post more when I am able.

Keep me in your prayers that I'm able to do the things that are most important each day.

Trunk or Treat

I was uncertain how what my family would do on Halloween four years ago because I wasn't sure how I felt about celebrating that day, but found out about an alternative celebration at an area church that was open to the community called Trunk or Treat. It was really neat to give the kids a chance to dress up (they love dressing up even now four years later and not just on October 31). I've never bought costumes - we've just always used their dress up clothes. This year was the first time I went to so much effort to dress them up, but it was great fun!

Last night I took them to trunk or treat at a local Methodist Church again and they went as election booths. Half the costume was red and the other half was blue. The front said voting booth with McCain on the right side and Obama on the left side. Half the box was dedicated to McCain and the other half to Obama with propaganda from each on their side.

Picture taken by my friend Cheryl

Everyone loved their costumes. I told people they could vote early and often (early because its early and often because it was two kids). Perfect strangers were stopping us and asking for pictures of the kids. I was sitting on a bale of hay between my two kids and one man walked up and asked if I was Sarah Palin (obviously he was blind, but it was fun). We never had so much fun or attention at trunk or treat. I don't think we ever got so much candy either because people were putting extra candy in their candidates slot and the people who didn't want to reveal their candidate put candy in both slots. Several people went crazy stuffing the slot of their choice.

Hunger and Thirst

July 2006
I asked my daughter if she wanted some ice cream...

Six year old Daughter: (Dancing and jumping in the air) joyfully exclaimed, "YES!"

I gave her a small bowl of of ice cream.

Daughter: (After swallowing first bite asks) "Mom why do you always ask if I want ice cream? Here's a lesson for you. You never need to ask me if I want ice cream because you already know the answer is YES!"

If only we were so excited to consume all that God offers to us through HIS Word... Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Matthew 5:6 Just hurriedly reading the Bible to check it off our to do list is like inhaling a bowlful of ice cream. You miss the pleasure. In one of my graduate classes the professor told us to consume the textbook to make it part of ourselves or we would never comprehend it. We need to consume God's Word we need to chew on it and think about it. I read a powerful little book, Be Still and Know that I am God, that I plan to post on sometime in my Reading Room blog. I shared something useful from the book at Memorize This a couple months ago - check it out. Ever since reading the book, I make an effort to not just quickly read a Scripture passage but to let it sink in deeper. It makes a difference. Give it a try... Hunger and thirst for Jesus...like a child hungers for ice cream, like a starving person hunger for a bowl of rice... Jesus is waiting and ready to fill you and me.

Just Another Day in My Life

June 5, 2006

The Scene: I'm working at the computer and my children are contentedly reading and playing on my bed three feet behind me...

Then for no apparent reason...

Son (3) started crying and screamed, "I'm going to die! I don't want to die!" and Daughter (6) was crying hysterically beside him. I jumped up to find out what was wrong.

More info - somehow a necklace of Daughter's got broken and Son swallowed a bead.

I explained that he wouldn't die and the bead would come out when he went potty, and held him in my arms and assured him that he would be fine.

Son still distraught abruptly walked out of the room.

Daughter said, "I'm glad he didn't die. I thought he would die. If he died I would keep a picture of him in my room forever."

Son comes back into the room and loudly announces, "I'm still not happy!"

Daughter said, "Well at least you aren't dead."

If you are sitting here reading this then you aren't dead. Things may not be going the way you had envisioned, but if you turn it all over to Jesus it will all work out according to HIS plan. Sometimes we can feel overwhelmed with our circumstances and we may not clearly understand why something has happened, but rest assured the Creator of the Universe and the author of our salvation knows and cares. Turn it all over to HIM and rejoice that you aren't dead and you still have a chance to make an impact in this world.

What Have Your Kids Taught You?

I was cleaning out files on an old computer this evening and came across something I wrote when my daughter, B was 2 and 3/4 years old.

This morning as B and I were walking ouside to run some errands she exclaimed, "Look at the beautiful leaves that Jesus made." Then she stopped on the steps and said, "Jesus, thank You for the leaves You made and for this beatuiful day and all my friends. Amen!" Then she opened her eyes, raised her head and kept walking down the steps.

How many times do we stop in pure joy as we are scurrying out into the world and thank Jesus for what He has made? I'm guilty of not doing this enough, but I'm so thrilled that B's spirit is soft to things of God.

Another instance around that same time frame:

The other day B's eczema flared up again and I suggested that she pray to Jesus about it. She instantly stopped what she was doing and said, "Jesus thank You for my eczema." Hmmm - Are we adults so quick to thank Jesus for the pain that comes our way?