An Iowa Girl

more tinkering...

2012-01-25T11:15:00.000-08:00

I'm thinking something like "Creation Station" or "Craft Hackers". Offer a recycled craft source area and then die cuts, accessories, fabric, ribbon etc. People could bring in their own stuff and use the hardware to assemble a product OR they could visite the recycle area and bag up stuff. Could charge for the new stuff and/or charge by size of project. IE....like their item would fit in a certain size bag and price it by size of bag. Have classes....open for party or clubs to resource together. Hmmm.....

Further thoughts...

2012-01-23T11:26:00.000-08:00

I've decided that I don't want to be the "manufacture" person of a business but rather the person that inspires creativity. Having beautiful foundations for folks to work from. Maybe offering "fulfillment" process where I would create something to go with an event they are planning. Fabric, die-cut services, craft findings, classes for different art forms AND maybe an area to showcase a local artist. Seems like ideas are starting to come together :-)

New Year

2012-01-11T09:39:00.000-08:00

The new year started off with the oldest moving up to campus! So exciting for him....hope he does well at school with that arrangement. Enjoyed cleaning up the remains of his room and making the bed in there and actually leaving the door open! Moved some of hubby's instruments and his "tool boxes" for instrument repair in there as well. He had been piling those things up in the newly refurbished "study room" (what had previously been his office but really was more of a junk room). Probably will do a little more cleaning and sorting in there and just leave it alone. It will be used by him during his off-school time when the dorms close down. I'm enjoying just looking in there to a nice and neat area!

Husband will be talking with him (during their weekly leadership one-on-one meeting) about him gearing up for some sort of summer employment. He is assuming that he will be able to work at the summer camp but I'm not getting a good sense from leadership that he will be able to do that. We want to get him thinking of other options and ideas for the summer months. Maybe even getting a word in now of his availability to work at Penn with their summer maintenance work. Just don't want him to sit around the house all summer with nothing to do.

still thinking...

2011-12-19T06:53:00.000-08:00

Maybe a business with hubby with an on-line shop. Etsy....ebay....amazon... Need to do some research. Also stopped by the local craft shop in town. She does her own crafts/wood items as well as sells parts & pieces. Anyway, she was working on a dollhouse refurbishing project. I had a nice chat with her and shared some of my ideas with what we did with our little house. Then she showed me a Victorian kit house she built for someone. It was lovely! She says that she does several of these types of houses each year and that people pay her to build them . So sweet....just really love doll houses at the moment!

Took some time over the weekend to clean up the flat surfaces in my craft area so that when some inspiration hits over the holidays then I can be ready to get at it! I'm feeling like a quilt or a bag is in order for the week!

Dreaming....

2011-12-16T07:24:00.000-08:00

I keep dreaming of starting a business. Just can't get my mind off of it! I think that a fabric store/paper/stamping business would be awesome. Sometimes I just daydream about a business name and what it would look like. Hmmm...probably need to talk with an area quiltshop owner to see how to start something. I would probably have more than just quilting stuff especially since the local WalMart downsized its fabric department.

Do I have faith to step out in a venture like this? Hmmm....

2011-12-08T07:13:00.000-08:00

christmas prep

2011-12-07T08:37:00.000-08:00

It is another year almost done! Our tree is up and decorated and have added some socks on the fireplace mantel. I am looking forward to doing some stocking stuffers this year (thankfully they are small stockings to fill!). Now it is the waiting game of seeing how much of a christmas $$$ gift we get from the pastors association and from my job at the church as the janitor. I also have some funds to collect from our health insurance savings account. It is always tight for the holidays especially when we add in gifts for husbands family. Our little bit just doesn't stretch far so that means some creativity!!! I think that next year we will be cutting down on gifts to Elias (now that he is a college student). My folks starting switching gift amounts at that time and I know that husbands family usually just gives him money. But for this year....he will get a couple of presents along with some money.

I often wonder if I would enjoy the holiday more if we weren't always so strapped for cash each year. The last couple of years we were more generous with the kids because of the $$$ from my mom's estate. We didn't go overboard but it was definitely easier. This year we are back to strict budgeting as the savings is nearly gone. Actually I need to refrain from using that "budgeting" word and change it to a "spending plan".
Anyway....glad that we have never gone overboard with gift giving because it makes the "spending plan" easier :-)

Moving forward

2011-11-30T07:12:00.000-08:00

Hurrah!!! I'm so glad this year is nearly completed. It has been a stressful long year. Husband finished up his masters program and graduated in early June. Son graduated from high school and is at college now. He will be moving onto campus next semester (a move that I think will be good for all). Oldest daughter got her driver's license and is now employed. She is making good decisions about youth group, friends, and school. Middle daughter is back on meds and is doing pretty O.K. with school. Working on boosting her skills so she can have opportunities for other classroom setting. And our youngest is on swimteam this year (along with oldest daughter) and is becoming quite obsessed with reading! We definitely are NOT a perfect family but seem to live together well.

I've started to workout at the YMCA while the youngest daughter is at swimteam practice. I'm kinda enjoying it and have lost about 4 pounds since I've started (I'm also trying to eat WAY less food too). I have a goal of losing another 6 pounds by Christmas. Still struggling with our church choice. It is a pretty unmotivated group. However, I have enjoyed teaching Sunday School and the other regular family's mom is teaching the other class and she is fabulous. Our middle daughter is in her group and seems to be perking up with wanting to be at church (a welcome change!). Need to find ways now to get the girls involved in some sort of service missions work.

Feeling pretty broke as we end up this year. We have pretty much spent through our savings accounts and are now tightening up the belts of our finances. Having our son not at home should help with the grocery bills and eating out expenses. Husband got a raise this year but that will all be going to paying off student loans. Will be cashing in our reward points on the credit cards to supplement our Christmas spending this year. The kids all enjoy getting a gift card and I enjoy the "free" money!

As always....I'm feeling pretty much in a holding pattern while I wait on God's direction.

education

2011-11-15T17:07:00.000-08:00

I have been dwelling on the thought of schooling and education with the kids. Our 3rd child has special needs and has always gone to a public school for education. When we transferred the kids to our local district (which is quite a bit bigger that the last school) we have noticed that her grades & development have been slowly declining. It is really showing now that she is in a "life skills" class. There really is not the same push for education there but more about learning skills for living.

I'm struggling with that at this time. She is just in 7th grade now and I'm thinking that there should be more of a push for academics yet. SO, after meeting with her neurologist last week and the doctor making a comment about me teaching her, I've been doing some thinking. Perhaps I could make time in the afternoons (after lunch) for her to come with me for some private "tutoring" time. Give her more of a nudge...try to get her closer to her peer group. I have scheduled to meet with her teacher and a representative from the AEA to discuss this option (a dual-enrollment of sorts). I have to get permission from the AEA because she has what is called an "IEP" (Individual Education Plan). Our meeting is scheduled for Thursday after lunch.

If there isn't the option for this than I'm planning on doing some extra work with her in the afternoons. Not sure what but hopeful that whatever we do will boost her level of learning to the point that the teachers take notice! It would be amazing for her to jump up in her learning level! I'm thinking about open-enrollment next year or officially working on dual-enrollment with her.
Please pray for us!

Paying attention

2011-11-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

Had a quick stressful conversation with the husband regarding last night's "Proxy station" prayer vigil regarding modern day slavery. He commented that the men that took up the station with chained hands and ducktape over their mouths as a representative for those that can't speak as a modern day slave, were harrassed by the black people of the campus. There was signage right by the white student "proxy" but the black students took offense because they were the ones with slavery in their history. However, if the black students would have just read the sign and literature provided then they would have grasped what was going on!

Then our son chimed in about serving food at a food service company and young adults would ask "what's on the special" even though there was a sign right in front of them with a description.

What is with our modern coulture? Are we raising a generation who are unable to capture the details of life? Are they too distracted/busy to pay attention? I read a comment regarding today's student body (at colleges) that a professor said. He said the biggest problem today with students is that they are distracted and addicted. There is just so much going on with technology that kids are barely staying on task. AND then they are also struggling with addictions (such as overeating, video games, youtube, drinking, porn....etc).

It's time for us parents to step in a help our kids (as well as others in our sphere of influence) to learn how to pay attention and notice LIFE. It is certainly a discipline that needs to be taught.

just some thoughts on my mind.....

Life in the "driver's seat"

2011-11-03T09:56:00.000-07:00

      This last week I've heard a couple of analogies about life and driving. This got me thinking through how I'm "driving" lately. Am I paying attention to the road signs along the way (health, weight, family pressures...etc)? Am I staying in my lane? I could go on about this way of thinking but you can get the picture. The sermon at church last Sunday was about "round-abouts" and other types of road designs.

      I was especially intrigued by that thought...being on the round-about. As you know, when you enter the round-about you can only exit by taking a right turn AND to enter you have to merge into the flow of traffic. We have one of these near our elementary school and it makes it very efficient to approach the school without the headache of the a traffic signal. Anyway, when thinking about this in regards to life I am challenged by the thought of being in the "holding pattern" of the round-about and then about exiting to the next road. I know that there is a new road ahead in my life but I don't know what that will be yet nor do I have any inkling as to when it will be. So, in essence, I'm waiting!

   The other analogy that was presented was in regards to looking back while plowing a field (but could be applied to driving). When we look back in life we tend to make crooked pathways. It is a natural occurance! This is especially true when you have a trailer hitched onto your vehicle and you are trying to back into a parking spot....It is very CHALLENGING! If I'm trying to look back and relive (or regret) a certain era of life....what about my kids and others that are "in tow" right now? I truly need to be concentrating on THE NOW and driving FORWARD ! If not...then I will be leaving a crooked path for my kids to follow instead of the straight and narrow road of Christianity and responsible adulthood.

    I hope all this makes sense! AND I hope that you like the new layout of the blog. I'm hoping to expand what I do here....we will see!

Gentleness

2011-08-25T06:47:00.001-07:00

I see that my friend Sonja has returned to blogging!!!! Yeah! I have also been desiring to return to this venue as well. Not sure what I will write about but I'm sure I'll find something. Today was a morning that needed "kind" words to be spoken at our house. I am really trying to concentrate on speaking gently with the kids/girls even when there needs to be correction. This is certainly challenging and goes against my normal response modes!

Lord...help me with my GENTLENESS :-)

Craft Room

2010-10-12T11:31:00.001-07:00

Feeling pretty accomplished about getting my craft/sewing place done. Here are some photos of the project. Remember that we began with icky paneling that was painted over and gross flooring. Started by replacing the window and putting some drywall over the paneling.

Got some great carpet squares and just cut and taped them to the floor. We had some icky alligator green covered by "stone" gray vinyl (which was really cold in the winter!). and Now it is a nice brown with some pattern....looks so nice and clean.

Put up some peg board in the corner (not the best job but it works!) and painted. Just need to finish the trim work (so easy to just stop here and leave it). I'm looking forward to getting some projects going this winter!!

I also had to defrost our freezer during this process. I made a mental note to self to not let it go so long between cleanings!!!

The Daily Grind

2010-09-28T07:15:00.000-07:00

The last couple of days have felt like I'm trudging through a marsh. I've come through a period of really growing in Christ....getting inspired to pray more and read the Bible more thoughtfully. This part is good! I just read a verse in psalm 119 that talked about the "unfolding" of God's word. That is such a cool thought. How often do we read a scripture and nothing sparks and then suddenly the words "unfold" and a new dimension of Christ comes to light. I LOVE that.

However, the daily grind of living gets to me. I would really like to do something more exciting. An adventure! Most days is like, however, is like moving in slow-motion. Same thing...day in...day out. Husband and I are always dreaming of something different. I think that when he is done with his master's work next spring that if nothing opens up in his job (teaching...pay raise, etc) that we may start to look around more seriously. Perhaps taking campus ministry to a different level....or working with a group like InterVarsity that might include some travel.

Anyway...gotta get back to the job.

compassion practice

2010-09-13T06:59:00.000-07:00

Another beautiful day here in the midwest. Today I'm thinking about the outdoor cats that have befriended us (our neighbor takes care of them). They have been an amazing source of pleasure for our girls (the boys don't like cats....although husband doesn't mind them too much). One of the cats, Inky, had gotten an injury on his leg. This has gotten infected and is now getting to a point where he might not make it if it doesn't heal. Anyway, our girls are learning caring skills by loving on the cats (3 of them) and now seeing one who is injured and needs special care. They are all quite concerned for him. I love opportunities for the kids to practice compassion skills....and being concerned for others. Our culture is so concerned for self. I'm becoming more conscientious about finding opportunities for compassion practice!

Becoming "Christian"

2010-09-10T06:57:00.000-07:00

When I gave my heart to Jesus some 25 years ago it was such a life-changing experience. It was like the lights were on and I couldn't believe how amazing the world was. Growing in faith and grace has been an amazing experience. I have such a child-like faith now.

Now it is time to truly REST in God's provisions and lay my kids in his hands. THIS is truly challenging. I so want to cover and protect them. We have worked hard to lay a good foundation, have sought out godly people for friends/leaders and just pray like crazy for them. BUT, there is definitely a time when it is up to them to choose. Up to them to trust and believe in salvation. I can't MAKE them believe....they have to do it. VERY HARD to watch this process. I'm finding that I have been waking up at night with burdens for the kids and pray for them....pray that they dream dreams and that Godly friends would come into their lives. We are seeking out missions trips that we can go on and other events that will speak a God connection to them!

So each day, I'm celebrating a fresh day made by God and am looking expectantly to what HE will reveal for that day! If you have read this blog today....please pray for our family. Thanks!

prayer

2010-09-02T11:34:00.001-07:00

Kids have started school....husband is on break and will start back with his final 2 semesters of the master's work....his work is back in full swing and he is excited about the new year. As for me, I am trying restore some order to the house, trying to finish up some projects, and praying like crazy! I wish that fall would truly kick in and it would be pleasant to be outside and work. The bugs have been just aweful because of the crazy wet weather this summer! I'm gearing up for putting in a couple of windows on the backside of the house (where no one will see it) but I'm waiting for the weather to be pleasant for a couple of days in a row!!
As for the praying, I'm praying for husband to finish well with the master's course. I'm praying for our oldest as he pursues starting an after-school FCA chapter. It is incredible to see him really take off in his faith! I'm praying for Lydia as she navigates hormone challenges, starting high school, and working out her faith! She really needs a girlfriend who is also a christian to walk together through life journeys. I pray also for her friend that goes to our church. She is not saved.....so I've been praying for God's revelation in her life. She's a neat kid that is incredibly creative! Praying for Abigail that she holds steady as we reduce her medicines. She is doing great and is liking school (so far). And then, praying for Joanna that she continues to grow in the Lord and that she has some self-control when it comes to scratching bug bites (and then picking at the scabs!). I've been seeing some answered prayers (big ones) that has me energized to keep on going.

Prayer for children

2010-07-22T06:44:00.001-07:00

Had a great summer vacation with the family (although the drive was exhausting!). It was so good to connect with old friends....it just seems like yesterday we were all together out on the coast. Got a prized "Kiva" t-shirt and a bag of great coffee in Eugene (the kids thought that was strange but I always loved their coffee). We saw an amazing amount of this country! It is indeed beautiful.

I've been feeling nudged lately by the Spirit to concentrate on praying for the kids. I came across a Stormie Omaritan book on Praying for you Children and also had received a prayer card for praying a daily prayer for kids. I've been using them both each morning and it has been EXCELLENT. I have already seen answered prayers (God is Good). This season of watching my kids grow-up and preparing them to live independently is the most challenging thing. I so much want to take care of them but know that they need to jump out there on their own. This year we will be working with our oldest on basic life-skills (laundry, shopping, checkbook, car maintenance, etc). The others need prayer for keeping strong in the faith and reliance on God rather than friends. We are trying to help them see that talents that God has given them and how to use them. I hope that they will feel inspired to dream BIG and trust God!

TIRED!!

2010-06-17T07:13:00.001-07:00

I'm tired!! To me, summer is not this wonderful, fun, relaxed, and family togetherness time. Most days I feel like I've just accomplished mostly nothing and certainly that nothingness is full of interruptions!! I keep thinking that if my boss would let me work shorter hours in the summer (like just mornings) and possible and 4-day work-week then everything else would calm down. This summer has the potential for being better than the previous ones in that husband's work has allowed him to work just afternoons and so that definitely helps with the homefront. Anyway...pray for me and the family that we can all just take it down a notch and relax.

Remembering

2010-05-28T06:39:00.000-07:00

Coming up on memorial day brings out lots of memories of those I've loved that have passed on. Mostly thinking about how they have affected my life. This, of course, makes me think about how I'm affecting other peoples lives. It is such a challenging season of life right now. I never could imagine how full our schedules could be. Most days I just struggle to get my Bible reading in (gotta do it first thing in the morning or it just doesn't happen), work (which is mostly boring but we need the income), taking care of the home/kids/husband, and possible an outside activity with friends (few and far between). I think to myself...."how did my mom do it?"....or "how are others handling it?" I think that I have to really focus in on the true priorities. God first, husband/family, work, then everything else. I have been working on my speech/verbage and making sure that my language truly reflects this priority list. Anyway....I hope that my life will be a reflection of the greater work that God did in me. I also need to keep remembering that this season will eventually slow down and for now...I need to keep focused on the family because they are my mission field right now.

Planting Trees

2010-05-10T06:48:00.000-07:00

The weekend turned out to be quite lovely. Husband was back home following his 2nd week away to Bethel campus (he is gone this week too for a leadership conference for InterVarsity). Anyway, we went up to the Earl May garden center on Sunday and picked out a flat of flowers for the 4 planters that I had. Been meaning to plant those up for the last 2 Years(!!!) and am just now getting it done. The girls had a blast planting them! Of course....I forgot to get pictures of them in action....I need to get my picture groove on!!! The other item that we got was a ornamental tree! I am super excited about it. We found a flower plum tree that should be just the right size for the area near our back door (our garage sits behind our house and makes an "L" shape back there). The area was in desperate need of a tree (southern exposure....very hot in the summer) but because of the driveway there was definite limitations to what could go there. Got it planted and mulched in....now hopefully it will thrive there. We decided to get the tree from the garden center because they have a 1 year guarantee on them.

While we planting the tree we started remincincing about other trees we planted (a total of 9 others) and awful walnut trees that we have removed from properties (3 in total!). We have always enjoyed driving by our old houses (whenever we visit or drive through towns we have lived in) and seeing how "our" trees are doing. I think of it as a gift to future owners of our houses!

Garden Clean-up

2010-04-21T06:47:00.001-07:00

Been so very busy working on my yard. This is truly the best time of year to get out there (before the bugs!). Got some nice hostas from a friend and divided them up into 8 nice clumps and dispersed them among the borders of the yard. Also went through an overgrown area that had iris plants in it (it was overgrown with grass) and dug those out and moved them to a sunnier spot (hopefully they will do better there). I them put in several of the hostas there and will get some more from a different friend (some of the big leaf ones) to put in the back of that area. It should look much better when done. Got some mulch (6 bags) and got started filling in with that. I need LOTS more but the areas that were done look so much better and will need much less watering :-).

As for the continuing saga of cleaning out the house and working on the storage areas....I worked over the closet in our back entryway. It was a mess!!! I pulled everything out and took out the homemade closet rod with a peg-board shelf (someone was definitely using scraps of stuff the make that). I then put up a rail/shelf thing that I got at Menards. Super easy to install. Just put the rail bar at the top and then the standards hook on that. From there I put in 4 shelves and a coat rod (much lower than before). On the shelves I put the mitten boxes (every family member has their own small box with a lid), the winter boots and shoe cleaning kit. The snow pants went in a extra-large zip-lock storage bag and then put way in the back corner! It was SO much nicer when done. The closet bar needs to be attached in a different way but I will deal with that later this summer.

School is almost done and we are working on the summer plans. It is looking busy (which is good).

Bulletin update

2010-03-31T07:06:00.000-07:00

Found the website for the children's bulletin downloads. I'm so excited!! When I had did it before they didn't offer it in a download format. It is going to be so much easier to work with this way. Today I'm going to go get the clipboards for the bags and I hope to make the bags today too! I have some great canvas material (green stripe and blue stripe). I will use one color for the 3-6year old bags and the other for the 7-12 year old bags. Hope that the kids like it!!

Went to the movies last night with the kids. Saw "How to Train Your Dragon". It was great! Joanna got a little emotional toward the end but it all was O.K.

Activity Bags

2010-03-30T06:31:00.001-07:00

Just keep thinking about our Christian Education Dept. at church. I'm thinking that perhaps I need to be part of the committee that helps with all of it. This would give me input in what's happening and maybe help with the creative end of things. The other area of children's ministry that has been neglected is the activity books that are available in the lobby for kids. The gal that had been keeping track of that doesn't come to church anymore (or VERY infrequently). I've been thinking on this one for awhile on ways to improve and freshen the area up. I had seen at a church we had visited some activity bags for kids that had a box of crayons, stencils, stickers, a small clipboard with paper, and an activity sheet. I'm thinking that I could do that. Started working on general clean-up of the boxes yesterday and found a shelf/rack that I could house the bags on to keep the area neat. Just need to find the activity pages to use and then assemble the bags. I'm excited about this project!!!

The weather has been incredibly nice here. Yesterday it was in the upper 60's and today it is going to be in the 70's!!! Spent some time raking the yard out yesterday and doing just a little bit of cleaning in the flower beds. Looking forward to digging around some more this week!!!

Christian Education

2010-03-29T06:56:00.000-07:00

I took a turn yesterday at teaching the 3-5 grade Sunday School class. Usually I don't mind doing it...kinda of fun to hang with the kids. However, I found yesterday's session challenging. My own 2 kids were being quite obnoxious and not good at being "present" with the lesson and the other two (a member's daughter and her friend) were really out there too. Usually I don't have a problem with the class (I've taught it before) but yesterday was not good. I'm wondering if the regular teacher just isn't teaching well and commanding their respect. It took about half my time to just get them centered on reading some of the scriptures for the class. This shouldn't have been so hard. My youngest said something along the lines of "we don't usually read from the Bible but read from a worksheet". I think that there is a need to get hands on experience with reading the Bible. I even made it easy because we used the same version of the Bible and I gave them the page number of where they needed to be. The other part of the problem (I think) was the cirruculum. They were starting in on the "winter" quarter with the text being the Christmas prophecy and story. Strange to work with because it is almost Easter and should have been something about the last supper or palm Sunday. I'm going to ask the pastor about it and see what's up. There has been a real laxness on the part of the Christian Education at our church and I'm concerned. There are some fabulous people in our church whose talents are not being used. Hmmm....gotta meditate on how to approach all of this.

Visitor

2010-03-26T09:08:00.001-07:00

I have a friend coming over to visit today. She is the youngest daughter of a couple who were very active in our church in Mason City. She is in school right now to get her nurse's degree because she is desiring to be a missionary nurse someday. Isn't that the coolest?! I hope that my children have that kind of vision as they grow up. Even if they don't serve full-time in a mission's field....I would pray that they would want to serve! Anyway, it is a lovely day here and I am looking forward to playing around outside with our friend! Have a great weekend!

Snow?!

2010-03-19T07:29:00.001-07:00

We had such a nice meal for St. Patrick's day. Husband had downloaded some coloring sheets for the girls to work on so we could have some refridgerator art. Then we broke out my mom's old pink china set, used "the silver" and then REAL glasses for our beverages! I had baked some large cupcakes and then Lydia got excited about making homemade frosting for them. So we got her going on that part. It was nice and beautiful. I didn't even mind all the hand-washing that china and silver require!

Spent some time outside yesterday doing some basic clean-up work on the flowerbeds. It was so beautiful and spring-like. Of course, they are forcasting SNOW for tonight through tomorrow! Geesh....it is crazy. I suppose that I should dig around the garage and look for my bag of grass seed and spread some out before the snow. This is a great trick for starting grass. The snow is just heavy enough to help the seed sink slightly and then as the snow melts it waters the seed. Before you know it....you have beautiful grass without all the watering that goes along with starting grass seeds.

We all went to the International Dinner last night that was presented by the International Club at Penn. The food was very delicious. Afterwards, I finally sat down at pasted my gardening notebook pages. Just need to make a cover page and I'm set to go. Need to get my recipes in the clear page protectors so that project will be done too!

Happy St. Patrick's Day

2010-03-17T07:34:00.001-07:00

It is spring break for my kids this week. We have definitely been struggling to find some rythym to our day. Now that internet is part of our "inner world" at home we have been working hard at maintaining some balance with that. A couple of the families from church have gone on vacation to warm places this week and I think that the older kids (especially Lydia) feels like we need to have a destination vacation as well. There seems to be this need to "get out of town". Hmmm, I must get my creative self in gear and direct their energy. Who knew that children would have problems with things to do! I'm going to download some shamrock artwork stuff and see if we can't create a festive atmosphere for our St. Patrick's meal tonight. It's brisket with potatoes and biscuits for supper. Hopefully a green cake as well :-) .

On another note, I finally found the end of the magazine piles (they were A LOT of them!). Last night I sorted into piles (recipes, outdoor/garden ideas, and home ideas) and trimmed the articles out of the pages. Today I'm going to make the gardening notebook. Now that the weather is nicer I'm really wanting to get out there and work in the yard before the "bug season" starts.

Happy Spring!

2010-03-11T06:44:00.000-08:00

I guess that I can "officially" say that spring is here. Why? Because I saw my first robin!! Last night at our Bible study group there were several that had said they'd seen some but this morning was my first siting. The snow pack is nearly gone as well (which shows that my yard is in desperate need of attention)....and this morning it was near 45 degrees outside! I think that we may get to 50 degrees today AND the sun is trying to shine. These are all good signs.

An organizational update. I've officially finished the STACK of magazines (YEAH)! This felt really good to accomplish. Also, I was working on our bedroom closet cleaning out a corner so I can update Spencer's clothes/hanging system and saw what a mess my wrapping paper stuff was. I dug it all out and threw out some bags, cleaned up the rolls of paper and put them neatly back in the container that I have. I also found a lidded clear container to put the gift bags, bows, ribbons, and tissue paper in (much nicer than randomly strewn across the back of the closet). Then it went back into the corner with the box of bags & bows sitting on top of the wrapping paper container. SO MUCH NICER!!

Recycle center update

2010-03-09T07:42:00.001-08:00

I've expanded the recycle center since I posted the pictures. I found out that I had another one of the shelf units in the house (hiding in husband's office!). I carefully took it from there without much disruption to his space and put it next to the other in the garage. I had to get one more tub from Walmart and now I have 4 "drawers" for plastic, tin, glass, and pop cans. On the top I have the bins for paper and cardboard sitting side-by-side and then my shoebox for magazines on top of those. It is all very nice and easy to use (an important feature!). I'm think of adding a shelf to the wall and then some peg board or hooks below that. I need to keep by broom, a shovel, trashbags all near this same spot.

I'm nearly through my recent pile of magazines that I found "hiding" in a box and I think that I have another pile under my sewing table that needs to be worked over. I saw a "projects/idea" notebook in another blog that I think that I will try. She used a spiral bound book and basically made scrapbook pages with the pictures of room ideas and then made notes of what she liked in the picture. It looked easy enough that I might give it a go!

Mom's watch

2010-03-03T11:14:00.000-08:00

After cleaning out my "junk" drawer in my dresser I had came across a watch that my mom had worn. It's not a valuable watch but nice looking. Well, after not wearing a watch for years I decided that I would wear this one. All my other watches needed batteries (after so many years of non-use!!) and this one was not running either. So, today was the day to take it in and get it running. At lunchtime I went to our local mall where the only jewelry store in town is located and asked for a new battery. The nice lady said she could do that. Off she went to the back room and then came back out and said that it didn't need a battery that it was a watch that just needed winding. COOL! We gave it a quick wind and it is running like a champ. It's nice to wear this little something that reminds me of my mom. She loved to wear a watch and when the Alzheimer started to progress, she would occasionally wear 2!!! Interesting.

Projects

2010-03-02T06:49:00.000-08:00

Along with the general cleaning out of the house and getting it under control is the need to finish some projects. The first one that I did was the T-shirt pillows for Joanna and Abigail. I had done this same project with the older 2 kids and knew that I needed to finish the cycle! I had saved their all-time favorite t-shirt (you know, the one that they would wear everyday if I would have let them!) with the intention of getting this pillow done for them. Well, the shirts have been waiting for at least 2 years now! Last week I got the pillow form from Wal-Mart and got the shirts out. This was truly a super-easy sew project....I just sewed the armholes and the neck hole shut, put the form in the shirt, and then sewed the bottom shut. Took me all of 20 minutes to do! I didn't even get it "perfect" but it is done! I tucked the pillows in the girls hampers with their clean clothes pile (Saturday is laundry day) and when they found them there was SO much excitement and joy!

The next project to work on is cleaning out the magazine pile. I'm an avid fan of magazines but the pile is getting LARGE. I am working on going through them and tearing out pages that I want to keep and then putting the magazine in the recycle (I have a shoe box that is just the right size to put them in). I am planning on taking the recipes and putting them in page protector sheets and then storing them in a 3-ring binder in the kichen. The rest of them will go in some files that I had started years ago. These files are catagories like "craft ideas", "bedroom", etc.

Pictures!

2010-02-26T11:39:00.000-08:00

This picture is from the side. On the right is the paper/cardboard bins (notice the overflowing pizza boxes?)!! These bins are 2 parts from a rolling cart-thing that I have. The wheel base piece is being used for something else right now. The shelf thing with tubs is on the left.

The picture at the top is from our door going to the garage. See the nice handles to pull the "drawer" out?

I think that I need to practice using the picture thing but hopefully it gives you an idea. I need to paint the wall behind this area....but that is WAY down on the to-do list!!

Recycling Clean-up

2010-02-24T06:34:00.000-08:00

I've tried many different things to keep the recycling area under control. When we lived in Mason City we got spoiled with the curbside pick-up. All we had to do was throw everything in the blue tub and put all the paper stuff in a brown paper bag. They took care of sorting it from there. Since we have moved to the southern part of the state we now have to take our stuff the the recycling drop off sites. (it's a good thing that I truly like to recycle!). So began my quest for a good sorting system that is compact and easy to use.
The first thing I tried was some trash cans with lids. That was O.K. until it got too full and the lid was then permanently open. Also, when I put the trash can in the van to transport to the center the cans just never fit right in the trunk space and would shift or spill out (because they were tall and had a narrow base)! It also took up too much floor space because the were not stackable.
Next was those tubs designed to stack on each other with the door flap on the angled front area of the container. They are a great idea because you can stack however many you need and not eat up lots of floor space. The draw back is that you have to unstack everything to take out the container that is full. And when I went to load in the van they just didn't fit right....just a pain!
Yesterday I had an idea for how to work the system to fit my needs and style. I found a square shaped shelf system at WalMart that has 4 tube legs that fit between each layers (3 layers in all). Then I found some tubs (they came with lids) the fit nicely in each space that have a grab handles on the sides. This "center" sits very nicely in the spot right by the garage door and the handle on the tubs makes it easy to pull the tub out (like a drawer). I've got cans, glass, and plastic in the 3 spots right now. Started sorting out the bags of stuff and already took 2 bins worth of recycle to the center. The tubs fit nicely in the van without being tippy.
Now I have to get busy and get the rest of the pile sorted out and off to recycle. I will probably add another shelf set to accomodate the newspaper and the cardboard but for now I have those in something else that is working for the moment. However, it would be nice to have it all in one tower area it doesn't eat up valuable floor area!

Olympic thought

2010-02-22T10:08:00.000-08:00

Sock drawer DONE!! Pajama drawer DONE!!! Lydia went right to sorting her drawer too and came out with a bag full of socks, etc that she doesn't wear any more. I'm enjoying getting this done...its very satisfying!

Different subject: I've been enjoying watching the Olympics and the amazing work and talent there is out there. They had showed a clip of the medals ceremony for the Bode guy (the skiier) who had won the gold medal for the event. I was sad to see that while our national athem was playing that he didn't mouth the words to our anthem nor did he put a hand over his heart. Why did this bother me so? Do other athletes from our country act the same way when they win a competition? Hmmm, I got to think about that and watch to see how others are when they win.

Owner's manuals/receipts

2010-02-19T07:18:00.000-08:00

The other thing that I did while cleaning out my "box of doom" was to take the manuals & receipts from recent appliance purchases and tuck them in those clear plastic page protectors and then store them in a 3-ring binder. Thought that was a nifty idea! I'm thinking that my sock drawer may be the next area of attack! Going to Target this afternoon to see about getting some more of those spring-loaded drawer dividers for that drawer!

More Baby-step cleaning!

2010-02-18T07:27:00.000-08:00

The baby step cleaning is continuing!! I did my "junk drawer" in my dresser. Found an expanding wood organizer at WalMart in the kitchen drawer storage area. It felt really good to get it cleaned out, trash thrown out, and stuff that I "inherited" that I never wear/use sent off to Goodwill. Then I sorted the rest and put them in the cubbies. I have been catching myself just opening the drawer to admire the organization!

I have now moved on to my bill/paper box. THIS IS A LARGE TASK!!! I had been pretty lazy all year (and last year too) and threw everything into a box to sort "someday". Well, it is tax season and I needed to find some receipts for my accountant guy. That meant that I needed to sort through the box of doom! I spread it out on the floor and made pile of the various catagories. Gathered up all the old credit card offers and checks from the credit card companies so I can shread those. Then I put the other piles in individual file folders and put them back in the box. I will need to go through those more thoroughly later but for now it is MUCH better! From this point forward I will have a CURRENT year file folder (one of those expanding ones with dividers). It will be on the table at bill paying time. I also have a 5X8 size 3-ring binder with pocket files for each month that I sort my bills into (done that for years and works very well for me). That binder also houses my labels, stamps and few envelopes. The idea is just to set both items out when I pay bills and just sort everything RIGHT AWAY!

Probably need to work on the kid's paper/keeper storage next. I have a crate FULL of stuff as well as some plastic drawer things and some shoe boxes for each of them!! Need to get everything into ONE storage container and then have a CURRENT year storage box. Someday they will enjoy looking back at those items. I know that I enjoyed the few items that mom stored for me! I certainly don't keep everything but I do keep a few of the interesting and unique items for each of them.

Baby-step Cleaning

2010-02-10T11:39:00.000-08:00

Another goal that I have set for myself, in regards to the Bible Study, is to clear out the junk! After cleaning out the attic at the house where I grew up, I said that I wouldn't do that to my kids. I had forgotten about it until now. If something should happen to me I would want to leave things orderly. So I have started small and cleaned out a dresser drawer and added some nifty spring-loaded dividers (found them at Target) and then sorted the items. I have to say that I love not having to dig around through the drawer in the morning to find a clothing item!! When I emptied out the drawer I was shocked at some of the junk that was lurking in the back. So it now clean and sorted. Definitely baby-steps at this point but will continue on my journey!

New Bible Study

2010-02-01T06:44:00.000-08:00

There have been several ideas converging on me at once. Let me explain. Our church is embarking on a "30 Days to Live" event. The idea is to think of what you are living now and how would you live differently if you only had 30 days to live. Then.....on a blog that I like to read they have a month long challenge to either get up extra early everyday to pray for your family OR to fast one meal a week to pray for family. THEN I started seeing references to binding scriptures to you to keep the LORD in the forefront.

This has really gotten me thinking about life. One of the first steps that I am taking is having a "mother's ring" made so that I have a visual reminder to pray for my kids! They NEED me to pray for them! I am hoping to add a fasting meal each week as well (shouldn't be too hard....I am definitely NOT starving!). The other thing that I/we want to do is take the family to the ocean! We love the ocean and husband & I have been wanting to take a trip out west again. The kids are old enough now to make that happen. So the planning has begun!!!

I am hoping that this month-long study will reveal other areas of life that need GOD's light to shine!

motivation

2010-01-28T06:43:00.000-08:00

I am coming to realize that I'm not very self-motivated when I'm by myself. Not a pretty part of my life! I like solitude on small scales but I think that I really enjoy the presence of friends and people. Need to pray on how to get more of that at my job. My boss is gone from the office many days out of the month and he keeps a fairly irregular schedule when he is here. So that leaves alone alot at work. My work is not very busy (although some times of the year are better than others). Hanging in there until husband gets done with his master's work then we'll see what happens from there.

cleaning up

2010-01-25T06:56:00.000-08:00

A new year always brings about the desire to clean out the house. Started with a small cupboard in the kitchen. Emptied it out and washed all the cups and threw out the stuff that was just junk (why did I even put it in there to begin with?). Then I put in there the cookbooks that are not used much (but I want to keep), the teacups and all my coffee gear! It looks so nice now that I am tempted to take the door off so I can see it all the time!!!
Anyway, the next project is Joanna/Abigail's room. We moved their beds (actually....I moved the beds). This means that they had to clean out all the stuff under the beds first (what a PILE). This got me looking at the flow of traffic in the room and how their toys are stored. Decided that the shelf thing that usually houses the bulk of toys is now going to be stuffed animals and some of Polly Pocket gear. Everything else is moving away from the bed area. Hopefully that will keep the area around their beds more clear! I think that I might go up there randomly and move some stuff out all together. There is just some things they don't play with anymore and I don't think they will miss. Perhaps it will go in a rubbermaid tub to a holding place (labeled with something to remind me to get it gone if it hasn't been touched). I'm dreaming of making a bean-bag type sitting area in the room for reading and listening to music.

A new Year

2010-01-11T06:55:00.000-08:00

Hello....just notice that it has been awhile since posting! Been busy with work and family (the usual). It was a crazy month of December. The weather was awful and the kids' school schedule got off because of snow days....lots of stress! Anyway, just gearing up for the new year. Finished a quilt just after Christmas and hope to start the next one as soon as my sewing room warms up some (it is in what used to be a back porch so it is not the best insulated area!). Right now I'm working on crocheting a scarf. Have some yarn that is a gray and black boucle that is super soft! It is working up quick and I can't wait to wear it. Hope all is well for everyone!

Character Enhancement

2009-11-04T06:33:00.000-08:00

Well, the first day of some restriction at the computer was not too bad...partly because the girls had other activities in the afternoon. After supper, when I took the 2 younger ones to the YMCA for swim lesssons, Lydia was playing a little bit on a site that is O.K. However, the restriction box pops up alot during it (because of all the advertising) and she got frustrated. When I got home she was not happy about it. She was even having problems with facebook and the flair page. Anyway, I got that smoothed over. then later she was doing research for homework and it was restricting sites again and she was MAD. I turned off the program so she could just do homework. When I came back later she was doing something else and not homework. So I had her turn it off. Some of her issues have to do with a friend from church that has unlimited access to the computer (as far as I know) and when she goes over there they play alot on it. I really feel that time should be limited with it and that other activities should be going on. She just gets locked in to playing on it and kinda zones out.
All in all, I glad that we are doing this for now....I think that it will teach some self-control and maybe patience too!!!

restrictions

2009-11-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Well, we love having the internet at the house although the children would love to have other computers with connections so that they wouldn't have to share!!! We are going to stick to our guns and just have 1 home computer plugged-in to the internet connections. This last weekend, however, we encountered our first attack of some sort of virus or malware. It was VERY frustrating and I was annoyed with the tactic used to get us to click on the box (said it was a virus scan or something). Anyway, we called Jeff and he got us on a good malware program and we found 9 of those stinkin' bugs!!! ARGH!!! So, after that got cleaned up I set about using the free filtering program and will hope to control what sites are being visited and what items actually show up on web pages. It is a little frustrating now but hopefully our list of approved sites will get built up and the kids will be back to using the computer with ease. Elias wanted to add You Tube as an approved site but I said that I wanted to keep that under parental control because there is stuff there that shouldn't be visited (in our opinion). So for now....that particular site will only be allowed when we (the parents) know about it!

Productive weekend

2009-10-19T07:17:00.000-07:00

Had a really beautiful weekend. The weather cleared out and warmed up (for which I'm very grateful). Husband and I along with our son spent Saturday doing some outdoor repair work. Our basement cellar entrance was in really bad shape after many years of service. Although we didn't fix the actual door...we did completely replace the framework for it. The old boards were in sad shape and had some insect damage. We used some of the pressure treated lumber that was removed from a deck on the other side of the house and framed it in. It is not perfect but at least it is sealed up better. Today we are cleaning out the rest of the junk (from before we moved in) that is in the cellar. Tomorrow is the city will be picking up the junk for free...so we are making good use of that service!!! The next step will be to add some plastic (i.e. can't rust) storage shelves down there to house the paint cans, caulk and other items that can't freeze but need a remote storage area. After that I want to put down some sort of plastic flooring squares (like you see in YMCA locker room areas) and make it a little nicer. There is occasion for us to be down there when there is a tornado warning and the place is pretty gross!! I'm hoping to at least get a corner decent enough to hunker down in as well as maybe setting up some emergency type items down there (like a crank style radio and flashlight and maybe a latern or something). I don't want to go all out but it definitely needs some attention.

We also cleaned out the garden beds and filled in some siding on the house that is in disrepair. Next year we are hoping to embark on siding the house...one side at a time. And we will probably fix/replace windows as we go along. We hope that if we approach it in this manner that it will be not so expensive and if we don't get it all done in a year...then it will not look so bad in the process of repair.

The girls had fun playing outside during all this work time. We had made a makeshift fort out back by using one of our old aluminum boats upside-down for the roof and a ladder in the corner. They like climbing up there and sitting on top (which husband doesn't like but is o.k. with) and then pretending they are explorers or something. Ahh... the creative life of children!

A fun "found" item was our carrots in the garden. I had really given up on them ever producing (they were planted too close together) but found that we had about a dozen of them grow big enough to eat. So, we will be making a potato soup with them!!!

Internet

2009-10-07T07:24:00.000-07:00

Finally broke down and got internet hook-up at the house. The older kids really need it for school work and going to the library or our offices was getting too cumbersome! So I made a makeshift desk with a piece of nice plywood and some closet maid shelf things. It turned out nice although I should paint or put some sort of finish on the plywood so it doesn't get stained or ruined.

So yesterday at lunch hour I put the computer together and hooked it up. Everything is great (except our printer is still not "talking" with the computer yet). BUT....since we have never had internet connection to our home computer (it is 4 years old) we had about 50 microsoft updates downloaded!! It took about 2 hours to get the batch in and then another 2 1/2 hours when we powered down to have them installed!!! WOW. Now if I can get some time in on the machine I will download some photos (either here or one facebook).

It is nice to be catching up on technology!!!

Building Memories

2009-09-08T06:42:00.000-07:00

Life is Busy!!! It's the mantra of most people I know. I definitely have a way of getting caught up in the busyness if everything and then when the end of the day comes....I'm all done in. This can be a good thing but lately I've been challenged to think outside of myself. I've been challenged to consider how my kids see things. Some days I feel like I just brush them aside. So I've been purposefully working toward building memories with them. This last weekend was one of those occasions. There was a "girl day" on Saturday. Me and the girls went to the zoo, had dinner at Culver's (an especially good burger restuarant with fabulous ice cream!!), then a quick shopping excursion to Kohl's. We also set up the tent in the back yard and did an overnighter out there (I only made it to about 3 in the morning before I went back to a regular bed!). It was a good thing! Then yesterday we spent a family day with a bike ride at a trail near a lake and took along a picnic lunch to eat along the way. Afterwards, we loaded everything up and then headed down to the beach for awhile. Kinda reminded husband and I of going to the coast except without the crashing waves, the smell of saltwater, and the ocean view (but it was good enough for Iowa!). We all enjoyed the day very much and was a good bonding time for all. I hope that these are memories that the kids will come back to when they grow up!!

Garden Gifts

2009-08-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

I have found our little raised garden beds to be quite a delight! It is like finding presents everyday when I visit it....and the raised beds have hardly any weeds to contend with....so much the better! Lately we have been harvesting green beans, okra, yellow squash, some yellow pear tomatoes and roma tomatoes. There is also basil which has been amazing! I really love it's scent and the beautiful flavor in our food. We are seeing some great looking tomatoes on our beefsteak variety...they are all still green but will be amazing when they get ripe. Can't wait to eat them! Then there is the banana peppers which are just now starting to come on...looking forward to pickling them to enjoy this winter. The cucumbers are putting on plenty and I'm considering making some bread and butter pickles or some dill pickles with them. Or maybe some relish instead.

We planted some strawberries at the beginning of the season and I had thought that nothing had happened with them. However, the other day I was weeding the planter box that they were in and found 1 plant did finally come in. YEAH!!! I know that it will begin spreading and that we will have strawberries in our garden next year. There is nothing like the taste of fresh picked...vine ripened strawberries (while they are warm from the sun). MMMM...just like heaven.

Next year we will make sure to cage our tomato plants better....they are just laying all over the place! I will probably separate them into their own area rather than mixing them with other plants.

Schedules!

2009-07-22T06:34:00.000-07:00

Husband's direct supervisor/boss got fired about a week and a half ago. This was very unexpected (but a possibly a blessing because the boss liked to micro-manage a lot). Yesterday husband had a meeting with his new supervisor (probably temporary...but may be a while before a true replacement) and straightened out vacation, professional leave (for his on-site master classes....2 weeks fall and spring) and his general schedule lay out. The new boss basically said that he has confidence that husband can set his own schedule and that vacation means just that....VACATION! So, starting yesterday afternoon he started vacation for a week. YEAH!!! This has helped my schedule tremendously now that I'm in the crunch time before our big annual sessions (I do all planning and registration work). He will basically be "Mr. Mom" for the next week. I will be asking my boss about reducing my number of hours per week by about 10 hours so that I have more time to keep on top of the home life. Hopefully all will smooth out this coming year.

Blueberries

2009-07-15T06:38:00.000-07:00

A member from our church is away on a trip to visit family. She has 4 lovely blueberry bushes. Knowing that we love them (we picked some last year from her bushes) she asked if we would stop by 2 times a week to pick them. Of course, we humbly said YES!!! Last night I rode husband's bike over there (he has a geeky basket on the front of his bike) and picked a 1/2 gallon of them. They were BEAUTIFUL!

This morning the family was greeted with fresh blueberry muffins that were (in my opinion) delicious! It is a good recipe that I got from a Bed and Breakfast that we stayed in while traveling through Washington.

God is so very good!!!

Garden

2009-07-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

I feel that I have been on the negative note of late. Sorry about that! Today I am relishing in the work of God. It started at the beginning of summer when we built 3 raised beds for a garden spot. I planted seeds...etc. and left the work in God's hand. Last night while working on taming the overgrown grass surrounding the boxes I spotted 3 ripe and ready to pick squashes and 1 cucumber!! These are huge plants and will produce plenty for us. There are also many tomatoes (of several varieties) that are green but will be an abundant harvest as well. Can't wait to can some of them so we can enjoy them this winter.

Some other plants didn't fair so well...namely the peas and the carrots (and the green bean bush doesn't seem to be going anywhere either). Next year I will plant those items in their own beds and keep them away from the tomatoes and squashes (which like to take over the territory!!)

The raised beds are so much easier to tend to then having a large plot tilled in and planting in rows. So far it has been a pleasant experience.

Staying above Stagnant Water

2009-07-13T06:18:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was our church's business meeting (which are usually pretty dry). One of the subjects was the proposal to install a motorized window covering over the middle stain glass window (that faces west). One of the main reason for this is that any evening event has to deal with the problem of blinding light that comes in that window. You simple cannot sit in the middle section and not be uncomfortable with the amount of light. this has been a problem for years and sometime in the past they use to have shades for those windows that had been removed but the old brackets are there.

Well, the older generation (those 70 and older) just had a fit! They are concerned that the sanctuary will become like a public auditorium or will be less "worshipful". Or that the stain glass is what inspires worship. Our pastor had originally started the conversation several months ago about installing a projector system that would also have the screen placed over that window (there are two other windows that flank the center one....but those will be left alone) with the dual purpose of projection and covering in the evening. this concept was trashed because of the expense. However, the trustees want a covering system that will be minimally obtrusive. Those older generation folks just keep talking about that the curtain/shade will lead to the projection system. Something they don't want. There were comments made that if the youth like the media systems then maybe those items could be installed in the youth room or the in the fellowship but that we should not change the sanctuary because it is a place of connecting with God.

Then, there was also some statements made that there are a number of families that have stopped attending church and that offerings are low and the budget tight.

I think that there is connection between the two. The older generation likes to see the youth there but they don't want to embrace them. The person that did the presentation and his wife are very spirit filled individuals and are in the 70's. They both were very sad that this body doesn't want to change to reach out to youth. They are both very active in the church and are willing to help anywhere needed. The wife sat beside me and said that the issue is pretty much dead in the water. She was sad about it.

I was glad that Spencer wasn't there....he would have had a fit (although it might have been good for them to hear his passion). When I told him of the conversation his comment is that this church is going to end up a museum....a statement of the past but with no real impact on the future. I think that we are going to do some visiting of other churches that are in our denomination that are vibrant and see how they handle their generation connectedness. Of the 35 churches in our state....there are only about 6 that are truly growing. The rest are stagenant and dying. Another alarming point was that our summer youth camp attendance was noticably lower this year....because there is really not a lot of youth in the denomination. Those churches with growing youth numbers are deciding that missions trips are a better use of their summer youth emphasis. Interesting!

Passing along FAITH

2009-06-17T06:47:00.000-07:00

Last night our pastor called to let us know that a man from our church had died suddenly (he was in his mid 50's with no known illness). This was very sad news. Husband and I know that he was not saved. He came with his mother (whom he lived with) and sat behind us in church every Sunday. We would hear him critique the sermons during the sermon and make little comments. He was a very sour person in his attitudes and speech.

This had me thinking about the passing on of the faith. Both of his parents were/are faithful Christians and served in many ways to the church community. I'm sure that their kids always went to church with them and they continued to do so in adulthood. One of their children is going to be a pastor while this child lived with his parents. But somewhere there was a disconnect of faith.

This thought has been on my mind already. Parents....bring your children up in the Lord! This has to be a very deliberate exercise on the part of the parents. I have been realizing that our younger 2 children have been put on the back burner lately with me working so much and husband working and doing his masters' studies. So, we are working on a plan for me to be able to spend more time (really THERE time) with the kids. Passing along the faith to our children is really a top priority!!!

Layers of creation

2009-06-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

The hired-out portion of the kitchen work is done. LOVE having my counter space available when doing meal prep and not just a big pile of dirty's waiting for washing (or clean ones in the drainboard waiting to get put away!). Now I just got to paint, do the back splash and figure out a way to make a pull out trash can holder.

The real topic for today is how amazing God is!!!! Was out in our yard yesterday working on our raised garden beds. Was appreciating our peony bush and it's flowers. Decided to cut a bunch to bring indoors to enjoy. After cutting and arranging 2 pots worth, Lydia and I were appreciating their delicate fragrance (not strong like our Lilac!!) and the softness of the petals. Isn't it cool how God layers HIS creation!! LOVE IT!

Phase 1 of kitchen

2009-05-27T06:41:00.000-07:00

Today is the day of the kitchen work - phase 1! We are changing the countertop, moving cabinets, fixing the outlets, and adding a dishwasher. It is so very exciting!!!! We found a contractor who we trust (he was the group leader for Awana's for Joanna's age) so I'm very optimistic that it will be done well. By Friday (if all goes well) we will be done! YEAH!!
We had decided to work on the kitchen (which really could use a total makeover) one wall/section at a time. I'm going to try my hand at tiling the backsplash and if that goes well then I'm going to try to tile a small countertop area next to our stove. Phase 2 will hopefully be the pantry wall shelving and a rack to hang our cast iron pans from (and a shelf above for cookbooks). And then Phase 3 will be removing the wall between the kitchen and dining area. That will be a big one because we will be moving the chimney run, adding supports to the ceiling and fixing the ceiling in both rooms (they have those 12" ceiling tiles). We will make a pennisula/eating bar there. Husband kind of likes the idea of doing that but doesn't want to tackle the work. We may have to hire out some of that project.

I took a picture of the before of the area. So hopefully I can figure out how to load pictures and send a before and after.

The Estate

2009-05-19T06:39:00.001-07:00

It has been nearly a year since my mom passed away after a long struggle with Alzheimer's disease. The saying "the long goodbye" is true. Watching her decline was one of the hardest things I have had to work through in my life. I'm so very thankful for good care that was found in an "Alzheimer Care Facility". While it was hard to see her there....they took very good care of her right to the end. They were like extended family in some ways.

Just this last week her estate finally settled. I hadn't been expecting much (due to the amount and length of care she needed) but when I got the check it was a surprise. About 3 times what I had been expecting. So....now it is time to consider how to handle it well and not spend it all!!! I had been reading Dave Ramsey's book "7 steps to Financial Freedom" (or something like that). His advice is to stop getting in debt (duh!!), build a 3-6 month emergency fund, pay off ALL consumer debt (other than the house), and then start working on a retirement fund (there are some more steps after that). With this blessing from mom we are able to put the emergency fund into place. We had already dealt with all consumer debt so now it's time to plug something into retirement. It is a place I never thought we would get to.

I am amazed how it feels to come over this hump. We have lived paycheck to paycheck almost our whole married life. And now that we are here I can see how God has spent these many years breaking away my need for STUFF. If this event had happened earlier in life I think that I would have not done well with it. But now....the stuff is just not important! Last Sunday I was able for plug some $$ into our churches Good Samaritan Fund and that felt really good. We are now looking at doing a family mission's trip next summer (hopefully). The kids will have to do some "investment time" for this to happen. Perhaps it will be to earn some $$ or collecting something that we can give to the mission work.

It is good not to be servant to our debt anymore (other than the house) and instead be able to serve wholeheartedly to the Lord and his work through our local body of believers!

The Beauty of the Lord

2009-05-14T06:51:00.000-07:00

There is a benefit to sleeping on the couch. Last night (like many other nights recently) I was having trouble sleeping. This gets compounded by husband's snoring. Most nights he is willing to move to the couch to sleep but last night I went out there to the family room. It took some time to get comfortable and relax but then sleep was good. As morning arrived, I was pleasantly awakened by the birds singing! This is the benefit to me. It was such a happy sound! Thank you Lord for the beautiful sounds of birds (crows are a different issue....but I won't go there!)!

Take time to seek the beauty of the Lord today! It is everywhere!

Birthday Day

2009-05-11T11:55:00.001-07:00

It is a birthday day around here. It has been an amazing journey these last 11 years with Abigail. With her debut at 4:45 am logging in at an amazing 10 pounds and 6 ounces(!!!) through her collective journey of health concerns. It certainly was a path I would have not necessarily chosen (and then again, how many things in life do we truly choose?) but it is a path that has made me a better person and christian believer. Truly, when faith gets challenged in the fire....it is when the dross falls away and you are left with something more pure.

So here is to FAITH and to GOD for choosing (or allowing) difficulties and blessings to challenge my path. Lord....keep on lighting my way!

Sticky Notes

2009-05-05T09:10:00.000-07:00

http://vimeo.com/1700732

You all need to visit this link to see a cool video about sticky notes!! Too fun!

Where are the Youth?!

2009-05-04T06:37:00.000-07:00

Where are the young people? Went on a trip yesterday with my son to Eastern Illinois (almost to Indiana). It was about a 6 hour drive one way. We decided to just do the whole thing in a day (Yeah....I'm still crazy after all these years!!!). It was a good bonding thing to do with my teenager and he got to practice his driving skills (which also increases the amount of white hair on my head!!). Anyway, we were to drop off some computers to a staff member at the national level of our denomination. Those will be going to a missions work in Belize. We attended church there (a small town of about 1000). There was about 50 in attendance. I think that I saw one other teenage person and about a handful of elementary kids there. We have also had the opportunity to visit some churches over the last couple of years (now that husband is not pastoring) and I find it very alarming the lack of youth in many of those churches.

What is happening?! I had heard a sermon the previous week (again at a church with only 2 other children in attendance!) and the preacher was speaking on passing down the blessings from the older generations to the younger generations. Afterwards they had a potluck meal and I noticed that no one was sitting with the youth (and the couple of college age kids) and interacting with them! The older people all just like to congregate to their comfort zone. That has really been on my heart. I'm just not seeing the older generation stepping up to the plate and getting involved in the younger generation. At our church, it is pretty much the parents who do the work with the children and youth. Most of the next generation (50 and older) just like to be together and not involved in a large way with the passing down of the faith to the youth. Some will kind of help with special events but even then....it is not much.

I really feel stuck in between. I really need those in the next generation up to get involved with my kids. And I'm just not quite available enough to start sowing into the next generation! This is tough. How does a person start a "rally cry" to the body? I need to pray and TRUST God!

Body Betrayal

2009-04-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

I feel like my body is starting to betray me!!! I'm not even going to the realm of the weight with this post (be happy!). It all started last year (and probably before that with some minor injuries from poor body mechanics). I got excited to begin digging up and cleaning our landscaping. "Shouldn't be a problem" I said to myself. HA!! I ended up with some carpel tunnel syndrome issues with hands tingling and falling asleep during the night. This is absolutely miserable! Well, after backing off of some of the more labor intensive digging work and having our son do all the mowing (have to pay for that!) I started to feel better. Then, there began the pains in the shoulders from painting and home repairs. This became discouraging....what was going on with my body?! After some work from the chiropractor and some weight lifting to strengthen my back and shoulders, I am making some headway on that.

Well, yesterday was the day to start mowing the yard. It was getting pretty lengthy and it was the first run of the mower for the year, so I thought I would mow it and have the kids make supper. By the time I was done, my wrists were in agony again!!!! MAN!!! So back to pampering them....and having son do the work (which is OK....he needs jobs to do).

I miss the days of just doing whatever....and there is no reminders from my body of my age!

Teenagers

2009-04-24T06:50:00.000-07:00

Having teenagers around is a very challenging time of life. Yesterday, our church was setting up for a garage sale to support a missionary from our congregation. I sent our 2 oldest children there to help carry boxes, etc (nothing like young people to do the manual labor!!). They did great, however, our oldest (15 and will be 16 this summer) saw a computer. He really wanted this computer for his room. Now let me give some backround. He has a laptop already in his room (it's keyboard is not great and he has to plug in a different one in order to use it), we also have a nice desktop unit in our "office" room....which is fine except it doesn't like to "talk" to our printer. I asked him why he needed this computer when we already have 2 others (the one at the garage sale was older that both of our models). He said he wanted to be able to play games without his sisters bugging him. I said that he could do that in the office because it has a door that could be closed. Then he said that he has no life because we don't have modern technology in our home (i.e. internet, cable, his own cell phone....). I finally put down a firm no and that was the end of that!

I got thinking about that "no life" comment. I think a lot of that stems from hanging out sometimes at a friends home who has all the modern conveniences of life including an almost unlimited time on internet and playing on the computer. The friend is a nice kid (a little geeky....but nice). Then I was thinking.... how would hanging out by yourself in your room give you a life? We have a no game/tv in bedrooms rule that really drives him nuts. However, I think that kids need to learn how to be part of the community/family. Thankfully, he is very involved in our statewide youth leadership program and has an interest in serving at camp this summer (probably that is a glorified way of being out of the house). Our churches youth group is lacking real leadership and challenge....that is a different issue, however.

After he completes driver's ed he will have to get a job (this will be awesome!!) in order to be able to drive. Part of our deal is that children will have to pay for their portion of the monthly insurance and their own gas. Probably will have to buy their own car too...but can probably use ours to begin with.

I hope that he will be ready to "have a life" because that means responsibility and being part of the community! Ah....the joys of growing up!

Remodeling

2009-04-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

When we look at our home some 2 years ago, I thought it's livable with lots of space and a great beginnings of a garden. Well, now I see all the work and fixing!!! We knew it was coming but I was hoping that I could resist the urge to do it all at once (darn that sin nature!!). So last year it was the roof project. It really consumed all our summer and it wasn't even on our list of things that needed work immediately. However, the leaks made it a priority! We took the winter off from anything major (Husband had much rejoicing over that) and now we are starting phase 1 of the kitchen work. This space really needs some love. We thought that we would tackle it one wall at a time. So the first work is adding a dishwasher. In order to do this we need to move some cabinets, fix the outlets on the wall, and extend our countertop! Considering our lack of true expertise on home repairs....we are hiring someone to do this project (I think that if there wasn't a sink/plumbing work to be done we may have considered doing it ourselves). Now I've got to coordinate the appliance guy, electricial guy and the general remodeler guy to get this done in a way that we won't be without water for too many days!!! It will be awesome when it's done.

Also, we have built our boxes for raised bed gardens. Can't wait to get started on that!!! I read a book called "the New Square Foot Garden" that really is what I want to achieve for the space. I'm looking forward to fresh produce...hopefully critters won't want to snack on it!

Pieces of Flair!

2009-04-16T06:46:00.000-07:00

I've been cleaning my folders/storage stuff lately. Took all my files out of husbands office space so that he can have "free" reign there to do his master's study stuff. So, all my files/storage will now go into my sewing area (small area by laundry area!!). I had this massive pile to sort through and can't believe all the junk!!!

Anyway, within this pile is some of my "antique" stuff. One item in particular is the pencil case I made in highschool out of blue jean material and velcro at the top (also a pocket on the front for notes from friends!!). It's really of no use anymore but I just enjoy seeing it every now and then. Well, during high school I enjoyed collecting pins and putting them on this pencil case. It was a way to show Identity!!! My teenage daughter saw it and asked about it (especially the pins) so I explained it's origin and then dug out some other pins that I had in my jewelry box. She got such a kick out of it! Then my oldest came in and exclaimed....hey, that's like Pieces of Flair! I thought to myself....cool, I have the original Flair!

Still makes me smile.....have an awesome day!

Various thoughts

2009-04-03T10:54:00.001-07:00

I'm so excited about our tax refund!!! It is better that it has been in years because husband is no longer "self-employed" (pastoring). We are looking at appliance updates since most of ours are "found" ones given to us by family members or work friends. Our list includes microwave, dishwasher (adding this new because there is not one in the house...at least the automatic variety :-) !!), chest freezer (our side-by-side freezer section is just way too small for a family of 6!!), washer/dryer, and a flat screen TV. Our larger size one frizzled out and we are now watching TV on a 19" TV that we got from Vickie (thanks Vickie!). Husband is certainly hesitant about all those items so for now we are looking at just the kitchen things. Those items will greatly improve our meals and operations in the kitchen. Now we just need to find a handy friend to help up rearrange our lower cabinets and change our countertop so the dishwasher can fit. This all very exciting stuff.

This last week, I attended 2 meetings at church. One was to work on a summer youth intern. We had a candidate who we were ready to go with and then he back out last weekend. So, we ended up putting the whole thing on hold. We are hoping to find 6 interested people/couples to tag-team work with our youth over the next year (each taking a month at a time). We'll see. The person that is doing it now really doesn't offer anything of substance and challenge. So hopefully this will be a better option. The second meeting was our board of elders. This is a fun group, however, we are facing some declining attendance and shortages in funds for the budget. So there was much talk on how to approach members who are not attending regularly. Many of those are young families. I think that our family is pretty much the exception at church. We are always there for just about everything. Many (actually most) just don't do it. We are really seeing this struggle between the older generation and their style and the younger set. The service is pretty traditional (really lacks charisma but the preaching is good). They even increased the amount of Sundays with organ accompaniment from 1 per month to 2. This just about drives husband nuts!!! We are really seeing ourselves as "missionaries" at this point. I think if it wasn't for the pastor....we wouldn't be going there.

The last thing that is on my mind is that today....the Iowa courts overturned a previous ban on gay marriages. So for now, we are the 3rd state to allow this. Can you believe it?!!! I just never imagined that Iowa would be that liberal!!! Anyway, been thinking about Christian school again and possible home-schooling. I just don't want some of that thought going into my kid's young minds.

Have a blessed weekend....Mary

Spring Break recovery

2009-03-23T06:40:00.000-07:00

I feel like I just survived some sort of marathon. Last week was spring break for the kids. They had the whole week off. This is an incredible amount of time when there is no holiday nearby, no funds (or time off) for a vacation, or no fun outdoor activity to go do (like the pool or the park...too yucky of weather). At other schools they usually pair spring break with Easter which works very well with our work schedules and usually allows us to travel to visit family. So, we ended up taking a night away after work last Thursday and then back home by Friday morning. We rented a nice suite at a motel in Pella (about 20 miles away). Then we went out to eat, swam at the pool and watched cable T.V. The hot tub was out of order and the in-room jacuzzi had yucky stuff in the jets when it was turned on, so the girls just played in the big tub while we watched TV. It was a good break but we all were extremely out of sync the next day!

Then there was a huge wedding at the church over last weekend which I had to work my cleaning schedule around (challenging!!) and husband had a "gig" at a church for Saturday night and Sunday morning (he did come home for the night however). That made the weekend somewhat stressful!

So we ended up wrapping up our "spring break" with a girl day yesterday with some friends (mom and her daughter who is friends with Lydia). We went shopping to Target, JC Penneys and Herberger's .....some great sales!!! And Elias went to their house and had a boy day with his friends and played Rock Band on the Wii. We all ended the day watching Celebrity Apprentice last night. We enjoy the business lessons that get portrayed by those on the show. It also gives some good life lessons to the kids. We also made a wish list for items needed at the house (as well as some repairs). We are expecting our tax refund soon and the final closure of my mom's estate. After blessing our church and putting away a chunk for an emergency fund (something that I have always wanted to do!!!) we are going to get at some appliances that need replacing and some other things....EXCITING!!

Blessings to you all.....Mary

the ultimate cheap meal

2009-02-27T06:48:00.001-08:00

Before I begin this final menu of the cheap week (today is payday and groceries!!!)....I must preface by saying that I saw my first robin!!!! Hurray....now I know that spring is almost near. I probably need to go to the YMCA and start doing some mild weight lifting to prepare for the gardening season (I have been having problems with my shoulders with pinched nerves that get aggrevated when I do lots of strenuous work...such as gardening :-) !).

Anyway...our meal last night was not served at home. It turned out that the 2 older kids had food at the Tech Club meeting (which they brought some leftover punch from campus ministry stuff....husband had it) and the rest of us ate some food in the kitchen before an event held at our church. Husband actually got to go through the line and said ALL the food was fabulous. The 2 younger kids and I had some green bean casserole and ham balls and apple slices. So yesterday was the ultimate in CHEAP!!

I did have to make an item for the meal at the church...it was escaloped corn. Super easy and cheap too and I had all the ingredients on hand (had to use powder milk in it....but with baked stuff nobody knows the difference). I had some crumbs left of garlic croutons which I used on the top of the dish. Spencer said it was Awesome.

Hope you all enjoyed this view into our homelife on a very interesting week.

Wednesday's meal

2009-02-26T06:26:00.000-08:00

Wednesday's menu: I did manage to get bread going in the bread machine while I was home for lunch (that was leftover macroni and cheese with a peanut butter sandwich and a side of carrots). So for supper we had:
homemade bread
mashed potatoes
hamburger gravy (husband makes the best gravy and 2 of our kids just can't get enough of it...this is the ultimate compliment!!)
the rest of the pinapple chunks and some canned orange slices

It was a good meal....something for everyone. I ended up making scones for breakfast this morning. It's an easy recipe and I can make powder milk to use with it (nobody notices that when I use it for baking....it does taste gross for just drinking :-) !!). I have been making latte's in the morning with my espresso machine....that certainly gets me on the move. However, with no milk to add to it this morning I just put sugar in the espresso (it was probably a double shot worth). It was VERY strong but tasty. Husband kept trying to sneak a sip!! He's funny that way.

Tonight is the grand finale of our cheap eating week.....not sure what we will come up with. I think that I have some chicken nuggets left....I'll probably work with that.

Till tomorrow....blessings!

Tuesday menu

2009-02-25T06:34:00.000-08:00

Onwards with the menu gig! Last night was the ever popular Speghetti and meatballs (used the last of the frozen meatballs and the 2 leftover spaghetti sauce containers from the fridge....there was some compliants about not enough sauce but I thought it was just fine). Garlic toast...always well received....and pinapple chunks. This is not Abby's favorite meal but she had food at the library's story time (pancakes and sausages...her favorite) so I didn't care if she ate supper.

I did run out of milk this morning so I'll scrounge around for money and get another gallon (cereal just has to have milk!!). I could just make pancakes in the morning and skip the milk (I use powder milk for that)....I'll have to decide.

I'm thinking that I'll make some homemade bread in the bread machine today (I can start that at lunchtime and set the timer so it comes out just in time for supper) not sure what to put with it.

Usually we are O.K. for groceries every month but for some reason we are short this month. I make it a mental game to try to make it stretch....then it doesn't seem so bad. Only 2 more meals to go until grocery day!!! (that is...2 more supper meals :-) !).

Monday Menu

2009-02-24T06:26:00.000-08:00

I've calm down since my last post (and the weather has gotten warmer!!). Husband watched the younger 2 kids while I went to Ankeny to pick up the older 2 kids last Saturday night. I went early and had the chance to shop with my Christmas gift certificates (shopping therapy!). Anyway.....got a cubby shelf thing at Menards to use in my sewing room (acually more like a corner, but a girl has to dream :-) !). This inspired me to get my act together and get creating. I really love making things but the mess has been holding me back. My area is next to the laundry as well as next to the mud room area. Things/stuff usually get set there (i.e. dumped) and that leads to frustration. So, I've cleaned and organized the piles and life is moving back in the right direction and I'm feeling inspired...not sure what I will work on first but definitely gonna get going on something.

This is the last week of the month and we both get paid on Friday. Usually by now we are generally out of money and I have to stretch the groceries/menu until shopping day (Friday!!). So I thought I'd share our dinner menu for the week. Here was Monday supper:

Apple cinnamon muffins (from a mix....used the last of the oil but had enough!!)
Shells and Cheese (macaroni noodles with Velveeta cheese)
Tuna (to put with the shells and cheese)....used the leftovers for tuna salad for lunch today
beef hot dogs (the last 4)
the last 1/4 can of pizza flavored Pringles (much "discussion" on how much each child gets)
Tropical fruit mix

All were happy and we had leftover muffins....so that took care of breakfast!

the Edge

2009-02-18T06:36:00.000-08:00

The other day I realized that I live very close to the emotional edge. That day started like this....I had not had a good night of sleep (I have been having trouble with my hands falling asleep during the night which wakes me up) and then husband was not feeling well so I had to take all the kids to school. This led to a serious time crunch. By the time I got to the elementary school and started walking Abby to class (I usually do this because she has a way of not getting to her destination well) I was very spent emotionally. Then a staff member of the school stopped me and told me I needed a visitor's pass (something that I had never needed before nor had I ever seen other parents of special needs kids have this in the morning). This really just tipped me over the edge!! I went to meltdown mode (NOT a pretty site!). I proceeded to unload on the school secretary about it (NOT something that I'm proud of). The rest of the day was shot!

After analyzing the whole thing, I realized that something has to change. I'm seeking God on life issues and how to get myself away from emotional overload! Also, I need to find a Bible study group or a mid-week meeting that would fuel up spirit. I definitely need a creative outlet!

Lots to think about....but I know that God is with me in ALL that I do!

LOVE

2009-02-06T06:42:00.000-08:00

You know that you have married a great person when they are willing to go clean up puke in the middle of the night!! Rock On to my man!! He really is amazing....working on a full-time master's program, full-time campus ministry and full time dad/husband. He make the best food (although the less mature taste-buds in our house haven't caught on yet :-) !). He has a great sense of music and creativity....What a wonderful gift he has been (through thick and thin and all the other stuff that makes up a marriage vow)!

Lately I've been helping out (when I can) at a friends house. Their family is working on going out as missionaries to Belize. They have 4 kids about the same ages as ours....I can't imagine the logistics of the whole process! Anyway, they have been living in a extreme fixer-upper house and have been worried about selling/renting it. So, a group from our denomination has come forward to provide $$ and man-power to provide our own "extreme home makeover". It has been amazing to see so many come and help...incredible! Can't wait till they see it (they have been out raising support for their work and are expected home on Valentine's Day). I hope they feel the love that has been poured out to them.

To all who read my posts....make sure to share the love of Christ to all!!

Blessings....Mary

Cabin Fever

2009-01-13T06:47:00.000-08:00

As usual, winter has a way of making me feel unsettled. Call it cabin fever...if you will. Life really just feels routine and it seems that all I do is work at "motivating the masses". Such is the life of a mother. So many days I wish that I could just stay home and take of business there but that is just not possible. Pretty much our whole married life has required me to work at something to make ends meet and so, husband has endeavored on a master's degree. Our hope is that will land him on a more stable job with a better financial outlook. Working in the ministry has always been a year-by-year thing....never knowing if the "job" will be there. This is tiresome!

In my devotional reading, Elisabeth Elliot has been writing on the Supremacy of God. She commented on things that she had worked so hard on "in ministry" are no longer evident. Was it all in vain? No, she said....because those times were a fire of purification in her life. Those testings were an opportunity to lay down her life for the Lord. Hmmm, good stuff. It has help me look at life as a seasons of opportunity for God to purify me.

Great Anticipation

2008-12-31T06:43:00.000-08:00

Another year done. All in all it was good. There is some dissatifaction with some areas of life and a lot of the time we feel like we are just on the treadmill of life....always running but never getting anywhere. But that is not true!! My spiritual life has grown deeper and my relationship with husband more sweet. The kids are making good choices in life (except for those younger 2....they are still in the frisky years!)

I've been reading Dave Ramsey's new book and from his point of view we are doing well financially (although it still feels like we are living paycheck to paycheck). Also been reading a devotional book by Elisabeth Elliot and how God can be trusted in ANY and ALL circumstances and how not to doubt when trials come and test us and purify our faith (really good and deep stuff).

So, here is to the old year and looking forward to the new with great anticipation!!

Blessings to all who read this blog.....may you approach your new year with great anticipation as well!

The Jesus Gift

2008-12-23T06:41:00.001-08:00

I've been pondering the real Gift of Christmas. So often I've just focused on His arrival....the meager circumstances....the young parents, etc. This year, however, I've been looking through the glass of Christmas the other way. Where He came from....the sacrifice of coming to us....maybe even how the angels guarded His birth and the preciousness of the gift from the Giver. It was a HUGE gift....a gift that was thought of for a long time and how expectant God must have been when it was given. Then I think of the vulnerability of Jesus as a baby. Totally dependant on Mary and Joseph to protect and nurture him....WOW!!

So here is to expectant giving....May I do more of it in 2009!!

Merry Christmas to all who visit me here! Mary

Thoughts

2008-12-15T06:51:00.001-08:00

I have this little desktop calendar with the daily flip pages. I am not usually good at keeping up with those kind of things but todays was nice....
"In the presence of hope -
faith is born.
In the presences of faith,
love becomes a possibility!
In the presence of love -
miracles happen!" by Dr. Robert Schuller

I like it!

Play Day

2008-12-12T11:32:00.000-08:00

Today is a day of feeling bored. Life is feeling stagnant....just the same old routine. Usually this starts a whole lot of "what if"...like "what if husband earned double the money and I could then work something more fun?". Then I have a tendency toward feeling depressed.

I think that I need a play day! You know, the kind of day where I just slack and not really be responsible for anything. Perhaps if I (or we as a family) were better at taking a weekly sabbath rest then life would be better. Hmmm...something to think about.

Living forward....mary

2008-12-08T06:53:00.000-08:00

I was watching and thinking of the youth at our church yesterday. It seems that there is a lack of vision among the middle-age or older group about mentoring the youth that is within their own walls. What is the deal?! There are so few older people willing to take on a Sunday School class and be a resource to young parents. They are planning a program for next week and as I sat in on rehearsal (I was asked to sub for one of the teachers) there just seemed to be no leadership or enthusiam. The person running the show (who just graduated from high school last year) is just depending on the kids to read their scripts (it is to be a reader's theater show) and it's just not very well done. I think that parents would be so blessed if there more mentors out there for their kids and for them as well. Even the nursery is pretty much run by families..where are the "grandma's"?

The next issue is the youth group for jr/sr high kids. the leader and her family are preparing to leave as missionaries to Belize and will be one the road after the New Year to meet churches and raise support. They are the only other consistant family in the church. My kids are already wondering about church after they leave because there is just no LIFE among the other youth. The group has really fallen apart over the last year and it is usually our kids and the leader's kids on any kind of regular basis. They do get a great turn-out if there is a activity/special event but nothing otherwise. We are really wondering what to do. Husband and I don't feel that we should take it over so we are beginning to pray for a new leader. the church is going to hire another youth leader so we are praying for someone who has a thirst for the Lord and a desire to reach those kids that are on the fringe.

I just see such apathy in the churches of our denomination. So very lukewarm. We have considered changing churches but really feel that we need to stay and be a voice there.

Ah....the challenges of life!!

Mary

Reflecting

2008-12-02T06:58:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is over and it went very nicely!! I'm glad that I had obsessed about a lot of the details because it made it special. I still wished that my family would have stayed overnight and we could've had breakfast together but after watching my brothers and one sister-in-law drink excessively at the hotel....it was probably better that they didn't. I really don't know why they need to drink so much...it really was never done at my home growing up. Dad would occassionally have a beer but never more than one. I guess one really needs to consider what they are role-modeling....because the next generation might take it to excess.

Anyway, it is now on to Christmas. It is truly one of my favorite times of year. I have been reflecting about my salvation some 21 years ago and how I now view Christmas. What a beautiful gift that was given to mankind. Such an innocent way to enter world. But trying to keep that focus when the world is screaming "Buy stuff to show love" is challenging. I'm sure that anything given will be received with excitement but will the kids SEE the real Christmas gift of Jesus?

Living forward in Christ....Mary

Heirlooms

2008-11-24T12:12:00.000-08:00

Here it is.....the week that I've been working toward for what seems like forever!!! Hosting this event at my home is giving me a chance to really LOOK at some of the items I have in my house. Especially tableware stuff. I inherited quite a bit from mom (and my grandma as well). I have decided that as this meal/holiday is presented that I'm going to see what things did not get used and them ask myself if is truly essential to keep it. I can already think of a couple items that are slated for the local outreach. Keeping stuff just because it was my mom's is really pointless. I'm sure that she would not have wanted to bog me down in that! And I certainly don't want to pass that off to my kids.

So onwards towards simplicity!

Tired

2008-11-21T07:00:00.000-08:00

I'm just plain tired. Husband has been slowly shaking off a sinus cold (which always results in snoring!) and now that the weather is colder at night our bedroom is COLD. I added an extra blanket to our bed that is already clad in flannel and electric blanket. It seemed to help. Now if I can just get the snoring to stop!!

Hopefully tomorrow will see the end of the home repair projects that we have been trying to finish before the holidays. I'm looking forward to some slack time where I can do some quilting (definitely one of my favorite things!).

Less than a week before the family comes to visit. Told my daughter that her cousins will not be staying overnight. She was sad because she was really looking forward to that. My brothers definitely have double standards about stuff....which is annoying. However, I have taken to heart "live in peace as much as possible". So, I'm choosing peace over annoyance.

Living forward in Chirist....Mary

Stuff

2008-11-19T06:49:00.000-08:00

Why do I continually seek "man's" approval? With my family coming next week (both of whom are known perfectionists) I am trying to make everything visible "perfect". Why? I have been asking myself this over and over. Yes, clean is good. And matching everything would be nice. And new furniture would be nice. And....and....and Does it ever stop? It is no wonder our economy is in a mess. We always want "it" better and more perfect. But really....are we just trying to replace our worship of God with worship of stuff. I think that we tend to worship stuff because it is tangible and in OUR control. God, cannot be boxed in that way.

So there. I am working toward a Simple life and have now tooled down many "things" that I want for Thanksgiving and want to approach the whole thing with simplicity in mind!

Living forward in Christ.....Mary

Magnificent Transformation

2008-11-17T06:35:00.000-08:00

So I didn't get to my weekend project but I/we ended up working in our back hall/mudroom. I have been wanting to pull down the drywall ceiling and a wall that had water damage from our roof leak during the spring. The whole thing was GROSS!! A pastor/friend was going to be in town last weekend and was handy AND willing to help us tackle the project. I must say that I loved the tear-off part....lots of aggression just gets taken care of during this part. Then up went the bead-board ceiling. I did all the measuring and cutting on the table saw and husband & our friend did the installation. It was a magnificent transformation (we still have to finish the wall and put the trim back on....and probably touch up the paint too :-) !). Like any project in an old house, it took a lot longer than expected! A total of 10 hours and we are still not done.

I really reflected on the process and it was kind-of like my life. I got really GROSS in sin from the rain of junk that entered my life. But then God did a tear-off!!! And then began the installation of a new fresh spirit. This has certainly come with lots of "measurements" and detail work ( and some areas of work/transformation have taken longer than expected) but the end product is going to be magnificient when I get to heaven.

Living forward in Christ! Mary

Overwhelmed

2008-11-14T06:30:00.000-08:00

How has it happened that I have overbooked myself and family? Yesterday was just a running from one thing to the other. As supper approached and I was supposed to go to a board meeting at the church I questioned husband when he needed to go to evening bible studies on campus. I wondered if he could go later or just skip (they are supposed to be student-led....so I don't think that he really needs to be there every week...my viewpoint). He said no (I think that he wants to support the students in their leadership) and so I called the pastor and backed out of my meeting. I really just felt like I had run around all day and was emotionally spent. I would have enjoyed an evening with just adults but then when we leave our oldest in charge....the younger ones just end up being hyped-up when we return. So most of the time that is not worth it.

So....I'm evaluating the many things that I have volunteered to do at the church and looking at what can be cut. It is a medium size church so I know that there will be others to do the work. I'm feeling that it is in the best interest of family that when I'm home that I'm present for them and not just "there" but thinking of the next thing.

This morning I heard a little bit on the radio from "Revive Our Hearts" ministry with Nancy Lee DeMoss. She is an advocate of biblical womanhood and it is always challenging to hear her show. This morning it was on serving without the need to be complimented or noticed for our service. We should delight in the opportunity to serve in love (with God's grace). That certainly provided an attitude check. I was certainly annoyed with husband but now I need to check my attitude and look at my priorities. I just can't live in a constantly overwhelmed state of life. So today it is an attitude check day and really "being" with those I love!

Living forward with Christ! Mary

obsessing

2008-11-13T07:08:00.000-08:00

I have already been obsessing about the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. My family is coming and I want everything to be lovely. Since we have this "fixer-upper" house, I have been trying to at least finish some of the interior projects before guests come. Everything is pretty much picked-up and organized....so now it is matter of just staying the course with that (hopefully the family won't get bored with staying tidy!!)

My major part of the obsession is how to stream-line the "Feast" so that we are not running around on Thanksgiving morning trying to get it all done. To that end....I've begun planning a "do-it-ahead" menu. I have this cookbook called Make-A-Mix and there are some mix bases that I'm going to try (such as pie crusts and bread starters). I'm also thinking about things that can be made now and frozen (such as pumpkin bread and banana bread). Some of those are actually better done in this fashion. Also, I'm thinking Jigglers for the kids (instead of a jello side like my mom would have made) and maybe even making the gravy ahead of time and then the drippings can be added that day to give it that extra punch (husband is crazy for gravy!!)

Lastly, I am thinking of the table decoration and serving dishes. I've never cleaned silver so I have found a "silver dip" method to clean it all. I'm trying that this weekend. I'll probably lay out all the dishes the week of Thanksgiving and make sure it is all sparkling!

With all that being said....I need to first get my focus back on the Provider of all these good things. Perhaps I need to make some Thankfulness note cards to stash here and there to keep me on task and help my Center to be there in all these preparations. Certainly I am truly grateful to God!!! Lord, help it to show through in all that I do!

Living forward in Christ.....Mary

Sunlight

2008-11-12T06:48:00.000-08:00

It is another day of overcast weather. Ohh....I can only stand one day of it before my mood turns sour!!! Kinda like connecting with God. After one day of no "sonlight" and I tend to get sour. Heard David Phelps song on the radio called "Standing Ovation". In the chorus there is a line that says "anyone that knows You always has a smile". Hmm....need to check my smile quotient!!

Living Forward....Mary

Provoke unto Love

2008-11-11T07:11:00.000-08:00

Yesterday was an interesting day. I was fighting off a bad attitude regarding an event that husband planned at our home. It meant extra work cleaning and preparing food for an unknown number of students from the university. In the end....it ended up great. There were only 2 that came (must be intimidating to go to dinner at the minister's house!). And although I prepared for a small crowd (maybe 8-10)....most of the food can be used for lunches this week (chili and cornbread). One of the 2 students was an exchange student from Burma. He spoke very good english and was very pleasant and interesting to talk to. I have prayed that this is a beginning of a relationship with this student and a connection for him to come to salvation.

This morning in my devotion time I read this verse from Hebrews 10. "Let us hold fast the profession of OUR faith without wavering (for he IS faithful that promised), and let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works (Hebrews 10:23-24). This was definitely a speeedbump in my reading. How am I provoking others unto love and good works? Certainly not by my bad attitude!!

So, today I am making sure I am examining my motives and listening to my words that are spoken to others (especially to the kids!!). And I am praying that I can be a person of provocation!!

Living forward with God.....Mary

Getting Started

2008-11-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

After being inspired by my friend Vickie....I am going to try this blog thing. I have been looking for a way to just put some of my thoughts somewhere and maybe others would like to see them too! I'm calling it Daily Grace because each day presents a new challenge and I need God's grace to get me through. Life is challenging and I really need to be PRESENT at each moment and not just let life roll over me! I NEED GOD!! I need his Spirit directing me!! So here it is. Hopefully I'll be faithful in posting.