Well, it's official, in case you hadn't noticed, 2011 is here to stay. January is over, February has stood her ground. She doesn't want to come into '11 as an underachiever, so she dropped the windchill to -36 for tonight...ahhh, tropical!
My close friends will attest to this--every spring(err, late winter) I go hog wild on cleaning and reorganizing. Something along the lines of cabin fever takes hold of me, and I cannot shake it until every nook and cranny is cleaned out to absolutely barren.
I think I get bored. I dream of sunny skies, and time to twirl around the yard with my children. Both of which must not be enjoyed if my closets are beckoning.
So I clean out the aftermath of 2 winter birthdays and Christmas. I remove all the lint from around the dryer area, install new shelving, countertops, brackets, hooks, loops, bins and wire. This addiction has begun to start earlier and earlier each winter...this year it was January 1st--most people were still fighting off the post-holiday coma. Not this gal, I was spackling holes and installing an extra closet rod.
So for the aforementioned reasons, I have decided to begin recipe blog...look for me soon! It will give me something to do for the other 6 months of winter. :)
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Thanksgiving
We had a great time this past weekend. We had 20 people over for Thanksgiving. We did the Black Friday Freakout--fun and fun! We bummed, napped and watched some movies with friends & family. Ate some good food. Played a little hockey. Hung out with friends again.
Tucked into all the activities was church. I really liked all the things we did. But church was my favorite. We had an open mic testimony knock your socks off sharing time. For 75 minutesX2 the Holy Spirit blessed our socks off. We heard stories of transformation, hope and gratitude.
When something like this is done, you are taking a large leap of FAITH. Knowing that God will provide, but not knowing what exactly it will look like. As a producer, this can be tricky. I am faithful that God will do what God needs to do today, and everyday. But sometimes I just need a reminder of that! ;)
Of course as promised, He delivered.
We heard from people who were healed, had witnessed healing, and firmly believed they were alive today only because of the power of prayer! :)
We heard from folks who had found reconcilliation, sobriety and a home. All through the power of testimony. Glory be to God!
The feelings listening to these stories cannot be described, but must be witnessed. I am not a crier--today, I was a crier. And you know what? I didn't care. I got to witness first hand the strength and mercy of our God. I say our because I am willing to share. Don't miss out on the transformation that God can make on your life. He was at your Thanksgiving this year, and He will be at the next one. Whether you invite Him or not. Why not make a friend out of the deal and extend the invitation to Him?
Tucked into all the activities was church. I really liked all the things we did. But church was my favorite. We had an open mic testimony knock your socks off sharing time. For 75 minutesX2 the Holy Spirit blessed our socks off. We heard stories of transformation, hope and gratitude.
When something like this is done, you are taking a large leap of FAITH. Knowing that God will provide, but not knowing what exactly it will look like. As a producer, this can be tricky. I am faithful that God will do what God needs to do today, and everyday. But sometimes I just need a reminder of that! ;)
Of course as promised, He delivered.
We heard from people who were healed, had witnessed healing, and firmly believed they were alive today only because of the power of prayer! :)
We heard from folks who had found reconcilliation, sobriety and a home. All through the power of testimony. Glory be to God!
The feelings listening to these stories cannot be described, but must be witnessed. I am not a crier--today, I was a crier. And you know what? I didn't care. I got to witness first hand the strength and mercy of our God. I say our because I am willing to share. Don't miss out on the transformation that God can make on your life. He was at your Thanksgiving this year, and He will be at the next one. Whether you invite Him or not. Why not make a friend out of the deal and extend the invitation to Him?
Saturday, November 13, 2010
White as Snow
November is usually gross. It is grey and overcast and just plain gross. This November has been different. The sun has shone. 7 days ago, I went to a garage sale. I got a cute lamp, a sweater and 2 dresses.
2 days ago, it was 69 degrees. I turned on the air conditioning in my van.
Today, I woke up to my 3 year old screaming with delight, directly into my face and spitting on me(not intentionally), that there is snow outside, let's go play!
The snow is blowing, swirling, twisting around out there. The temperature is 22 degrees with a windchill. I haven't used the term windchill since February.
Our new floors were scheduled to get installed today. The floor guy cannot make the drive. He drove for 45 minutes and made it 15 miles.
We are supposed to be heading out to a benefit for a close friend--it starts at 4pm. With 3 kids, I am not sure it is worth the risk. I feel bad not attending, but on the other hand, do we as human place so much importance on our own presence that others wouldn't really notice if we weren't there? Or is it ownership? Or would they notice?
The snow has us grounded in a sense.
Remember as a kid, you begged and pleaded with God for a snow day? The kind of day where all of commerce was shut down and you got to go out and throw snowballs and then mom would make hot chocolate while your mittens hung in the foyer dripping over the heat register.
The kind of day where for no other reason, you are excused from all activities other than to just 'be'.
With God, everyday is a snow day.
"Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Isaiah 1:18
Your sin is gross like the November day--overcast and depressing. God turns it into that beautiful fresh fallen snow, white and clean, with nothing else to do that rejoice in the fact that it is a snow day.
2 days ago, it was 69 degrees. I turned on the air conditioning in my van.
Today, I woke up to my 3 year old screaming with delight, directly into my face and spitting on me(not intentionally), that there is snow outside, let's go play!
The snow is blowing, swirling, twisting around out there. The temperature is 22 degrees with a windchill. I haven't used the term windchill since February.
Our new floors were scheduled to get installed today. The floor guy cannot make the drive. He drove for 45 minutes and made it 15 miles.
We are supposed to be heading out to a benefit for a close friend--it starts at 4pm. With 3 kids, I am not sure it is worth the risk. I feel bad not attending, but on the other hand, do we as human place so much importance on our own presence that others wouldn't really notice if we weren't there? Or is it ownership? Or would they notice?
The snow has us grounded in a sense.
Remember as a kid, you begged and pleaded with God for a snow day? The kind of day where all of commerce was shut down and you got to go out and throw snowballs and then mom would make hot chocolate while your mittens hung in the foyer dripping over the heat register.
The kind of day where for no other reason, you are excused from all activities other than to just 'be'.
With God, everyday is a snow day.
"Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow." Isaiah 1:18
Your sin is gross like the November day--overcast and depressing. God turns it into that beautiful fresh fallen snow, white and clean, with nothing else to do that rejoice in the fact that it is a snow day.
Friday, November 12, 2010
God is Always at Work
When you are awake you work. Maybe 8-5 Monday through Friday, or maybe more sporadic like a retail schedule--9-5 one day, 10-2 the next. At some point, though, your body will require rest. Not complete shut-down of systems, but rest.
Your eyes get heavy, your shoulders tense, maybe your muscles get achy, you yawn. Your systems need repair. You get to lay down and shut your eyes--letting all of your worries go--you go to sleep.
When you wake, you likely feel refreshed. Some nights are better than others. Some nights the baby wakes you up, or the furnace kicks on for the first time all season and jolts you awake. Some nights you lay your head on the pillow and the next thing you know the alarm is going off telling you to get up and do it all again. Other nights you wake startled, covered in sweat from a bad dream.
God doesn't rest.
His body doesn't need repair.
His systems don't shut down.
His eyes are never heavy.
His muscles never tense.
He never goes to sleep.
He never wakes in the night.
He is simply always 'on'. Always with you. He doesn't punch out or take a vacation. (short of being a mother, I cannot think of a tougher job, am I right ladies?)
Isn't it wonderful? I cannot think of how many times I have thought to myself, "God, where are you in this situation...why did you? Why didn't you?"
I got a call from a friend today. He has been struggling with his faith--Christianity as a whole. God has revealed Himself to this friend. Without the struggle, the trial, God would just be a mom...always there, but nothing spectacular on a day to day basis(at least to a 5 year old). But we are given the trials, the bad dreams to remind us of how big God is. How amazing. How wonderful.
God never sleeps.
Your eyes get heavy, your shoulders tense, maybe your muscles get achy, you yawn. Your systems need repair. You get to lay down and shut your eyes--letting all of your worries go--you go to sleep.
When you wake, you likely feel refreshed. Some nights are better than others. Some nights the baby wakes you up, or the furnace kicks on for the first time all season and jolts you awake. Some nights you lay your head on the pillow and the next thing you know the alarm is going off telling you to get up and do it all again. Other nights you wake startled, covered in sweat from a bad dream.
God doesn't rest.
His body doesn't need repair.
His systems don't shut down.
His eyes are never heavy.
His muscles never tense.
He never goes to sleep.
He never wakes in the night.
He is simply always 'on'. Always with you. He doesn't punch out or take a vacation. (short of being a mother, I cannot think of a tougher job, am I right ladies?)
Isn't it wonderful? I cannot think of how many times I have thought to myself, "God, where are you in this situation...why did you? Why didn't you?"
I got a call from a friend today. He has been struggling with his faith--Christianity as a whole. God has revealed Himself to this friend. Without the struggle, the trial, God would just be a mom...always there, but nothing spectacular on a day to day basis(at least to a 5 year old). But we are given the trials, the bad dreams to remind us of how big God is. How amazing. How wonderful.
God never sleeps.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
aarggggggggggghhhhhhhhhhh
Now I love my kids, don't get me wrong, but you know the kind of day where you get out of bed--and before they are all awake you know it is going to be one of those days?
Yesterday was one of those days. So I was determined to make today great, as only I can. Today was also not great. I have pretty good kids all around. Sure the baby was caught two weeks ago, filling the toilet with clean tp and then plunging it down, but all in all they are good. Ask my sister--she doesn't really like kids--and she says they are good.
Before my shower, I tell the older ones to get dressed and get their teeth brushed...I shower. I return to the upstairs...they are lounging in their pj's. Calmly, I ask them to get ready...I retreat to the basement to finish getting ready. I begin the climb upstairs and hear scattering...they are now moving to get ready. I tell them to brush their teeth--they break down crying that they haven't eaten yet :( This is going nowhere fast. 45 minutes later, we are out the door.
We get in the car. Crying. Fists. Seatbelts flying. Someone steals a 'jewel' from someone else. Not in that order. ARGH! This is where I lose it for the first time today: Idon'tcarewhodidwhattowhojustgetinyourseatsbeforeIbegintoflipout. Begin? That was 40 minutes ago...I am just great (err....ok) kinda ok at disguising it. But nonetheless, sit down!
I go do the one errand in town, and determine that this day is exactly like yesterday. At 6pm yesterday I threw in the towel. It is 10:05 a.m., and I am delightfully throwing in the towel. There is laundry to be washed, dried, folded and put away. There are bills waiting to be mailed. Food waiting to be thawed and cooked. Work to be done on my latop that is dying a miserable death. All these things begging--no crying out--for me to do them. And you know what? I am human. A wife. A mother. A producer. A store owner. A maid, drycleaner, friend, sister, daughter and the list goes on and on.
Today, and maybe tomorrow, I cannot be everything to everyone. So just for today--if it's okay with you--I am throwing in the towel. I am just going to be mom.
Until 3 pm. When. I. Get. To. Leave. And be something else.
And then when I return around 830pm, I will hopefully be human again. The green tentacles will have retreated back to blonde and chestnut lowlights. The fangs will just be teeth. The talons will be short, poorly manicured nails(kinda bitten). And then fur will be replaced with my skinny jeans and cute boots.
Being a mom is great. Turning into a monster while you are a mom is not. Today (and yesterday) I threw in the towel. Because being everything to everyone, isn't as great as being the best thing to your someones.
Yesterday was one of those days. So I was determined to make today great, as only I can. Today was also not great. I have pretty good kids all around. Sure the baby was caught two weeks ago, filling the toilet with clean tp and then plunging it down, but all in all they are good. Ask my sister--she doesn't really like kids--and she says they are good.
Before my shower, I tell the older ones to get dressed and get their teeth brushed...I shower. I return to the upstairs...they are lounging in their pj's. Calmly, I ask them to get ready...I retreat to the basement to finish getting ready. I begin the climb upstairs and hear scattering...they are now moving to get ready. I tell them to brush their teeth--they break down crying that they haven't eaten yet :( This is going nowhere fast. 45 minutes later, we are out the door.
We get in the car. Crying. Fists. Seatbelts flying. Someone steals a 'jewel' from someone else. Not in that order. ARGH! This is where I lose it for the first time today: Idon'tcarewhodidwhattowhojustgetinyourseatsbeforeIbegintoflipout. Begin? That was 40 minutes ago...I am just great (err....ok) kinda ok at disguising it. But nonetheless, sit down!
I go do the one errand in town, and determine that this day is exactly like yesterday. At 6pm yesterday I threw in the towel. It is 10:05 a.m., and I am delightfully throwing in the towel. There is laundry to be washed, dried, folded and put away. There are bills waiting to be mailed. Food waiting to be thawed and cooked. Work to be done on my latop that is dying a miserable death. All these things begging--no crying out--for me to do them. And you know what? I am human. A wife. A mother. A producer. A store owner. A maid, drycleaner, friend, sister, daughter and the list goes on and on.
Today, and maybe tomorrow, I cannot be everything to everyone. So just for today--if it's okay with you--I am throwing in the towel. I am just going to be mom.
Until 3 pm. When. I. Get. To. Leave. And be something else.
And then when I return around 830pm, I will hopefully be human again. The green tentacles will have retreated back to blonde and chestnut lowlights. The fangs will just be teeth. The talons will be short, poorly manicured nails(kinda bitten). And then fur will be replaced with my skinny jeans and cute boots.
Being a mom is great. Turning into a monster while you are a mom is not. Today (and yesterday) I threw in the towel. Because being everything to everyone, isn't as great as being the best thing to your someones.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Faith Like Potatoes
If you haven't seen the movie, "Faith Like Potatoes, please run out and rent it, buy, illegally stream it off the internet--whatever it takes. (and no that wasn't a plug for our store). Just get this movie. It is a true story about a family in Scottish family who moves to Africa. The father, a farmer, becomes a Christian through an Altar Call at a church near the village where they have moved.
This story of ups and downs had me laughing and praising God, and also brought me to my breaking point with tragedy that I didn't know would affect me in the way that it did.
So often we walk by sight and not by faith...Angus shows how true faith can do much more than sight ever could! :)
FYI: The audio was tricky for the first 15 minutes or so, as this is a "B" title, but it is worth the frustration of having the volume on 40+ just to hear it!
This story of ups and downs had me laughing and praising God, and also brought me to my breaking point with tragedy that I didn't know would affect me in the way that it did.
So often we walk by sight and not by faith...Angus shows how true faith can do much more than sight ever could! :)
FYI: The audio was tricky for the first 15 minutes or so, as this is a "B" title, but it is worth the frustration of having the volume on 40+ just to hear it!
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Back to school...
As many of you know I have decided to homeschool my kids this year--for a variety of reasons. The first two weeks have gone surprisingly well. Logan and Kjirsten beg to 'do school' at all hours of the day and night, and little chubba bubba, Silas, well he gets into everything that he should not during school hours.
I had every intention of doing the school gig in the basement, away from the real-life chaos of the kitchen, etc. That lasted for less than one day, as Silas made friends with the kitty litter box, XBOX 360, the movie screen, crawl space and downstairs toilet. He is also quite clever at crawling up the stairs when no one is looking. Going down the stairs is another matter entirely...one which should not be discussed because it will tarnish my parental record.
We moved the school room back upstairs into my office, which allows for door-shutting at the end of the day. This also helps to allow little bubba chubba to play in his room, his siblings room or anywhere he pleases, as we are baby proofed on the upper level.
So far I am appreciating my kids--there are many things I never knew they knew--only because I never asked. This deal has required me to plan and think outside the box. I am hoping they are more challenged than I. However, I am sure there will be days when that is not the case!
Anyone out there have a kid who is tall for their age? Kjirsten is. I have to constantly remind myself that she is 3, and only 4 inches shorter than Logan, who is now 5. I have to do a reality check when she loses patience with things more quickly than he does. But also remind myself to rejoice that God knit her together the way she is for a reason.
Next year, when she is taller than me, I am sure we will both be more patient. ;)
I had every intention of doing the school gig in the basement, away from the real-life chaos of the kitchen, etc. That lasted for less than one day, as Silas made friends with the kitty litter box, XBOX 360, the movie screen, crawl space and downstairs toilet. He is also quite clever at crawling up the stairs when no one is looking. Going down the stairs is another matter entirely...one which should not be discussed because it will tarnish my parental record.
We moved the school room back upstairs into my office, which allows for door-shutting at the end of the day. This also helps to allow little bubba chubba to play in his room, his siblings room or anywhere he pleases, as we are baby proofed on the upper level.
So far I am appreciating my kids--there are many things I never knew they knew--only because I never asked. This deal has required me to plan and think outside the box. I am hoping they are more challenged than I. However, I am sure there will be days when that is not the case!
Anyone out there have a kid who is tall for their age? Kjirsten is. I have to constantly remind myself that she is 3, and only 4 inches shorter than Logan, who is now 5. I have to do a reality check when she loses patience with things more quickly than he does. But also remind myself to rejoice that God knit her together the way she is for a reason.
Next year, when she is taller than me, I am sure we will both be more patient. ;)
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