What a Life!

Happy Valentine's Day

2012-02-14T12:24:00.001-06:00

Here I am on another post telling you about another "homemade" project I've done. If you read the previous post on my homemade laundry detergent, you'd know this is not normal for me. So you should be very worried. I am.

Here are the valentine's I made (with the help of Pinterest) for the kids, followed by a few special treats for breakfast and an afternoon snack!

Caden's

Savannah's

Two Ingredient Strawberry Fudge (one bag of white chocolate chips, melted, 1 can of strawberry frosting, mix them both together and spread in a greased 8x8 dish, refrigerate until set, store in air tight container for up to a week)!

Homemade buttermilk biscuits that I used a heart shape cookie cutter when cutting them out.

All in all, this is shaping up to be a decent day. It's mostly fun for the kids and I have always enjoyed doing special things for them on this day.

Homemade Laundry Detergent

2012-01-26T14:45:00.001-06:00

I made homemade laundry detergent. This is huge for me. I don't do "homemade" anything, except food. I'm not crafty. I'm not resourceful. I just don't do it. Maybe I should try harder. Maybe this is the start of something new. It's a brand new day! Okay, let's not get carried away. It's just the one thing. But it is a cool thing!
The entire batch cost me under $25.00! It looks like it will last me AT LEAST three months. I'm hoping for six. I have no idea how long it will last. But normally, I buy detergent about every three weeks at almost $15.00 a bottle. So, in the end, this could save me a lot of money. And I'm all about saving money. I've done a few loads with it, and so far, it looks to be doing a better job than my regular detergent.

Here's what you need:
3.5 pounds of Oxyclean (3 small containers @ 3.86 ea)
3 bars of Fels-Naptha Soap (@.97 ea)
55 oz. of Arm and Hammer Super Wash Soda (@ 3.24)
4 lbs. of baking soda (@2.12)
4 lbs. of borax (@ 3.99)

I found all of these items at my local Wal-Mart in the detergent aisle. I guess you could use the off brand of oxyclean and baking soda. Easy-peasy.

All you have to do is grate the bars of soap. And stir everything together in a 5 gallon container. Again, easy-peasy. It took me like ten minutes to do it all. I use the scoop that came in the Oxyclean container. And I use 2 scoops per load.
I use mostly cold water for my laundry and had no problem with the soap dissolving. I don't have one of those fancy, high-efficiency, washer and dryers (although, that's my plan soon), but I did read it works fine in those. It was suggested that you put it directly in the drum, though, rather than the dispenser.
So, there you go!

Best Year Ever!

2012-01-16T20:08:00.000-06:00

Out with the old and in with the new! I'm hoping this is going to be an amazing year. I've sat down and made some short term goals, as well as some long term goals. Personal ones, family ones, financial ones. Will they all work out? I don't know. But what I do know is that my attitude determines my altitude, as well as the altitude of those around me. Here's to an amazing year! What goals have you made?

Worst Christmas Ever

2012-01-04T13:45:00.001-06:00

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the WORST Christmas ever. Christmas is never really bad. I know, there's all the "holiday cheer," the "reason for the season," blah, blah, blah. I'm such a negative Nelly. Or is is Debbie downer? Maybe, I could just classify it is as the worst December ever. Nah, that makes it sound even worse.
If you read my last post, you read that I was sick throwing up on my birthday. Not just throwing up. But, THROWING UP! It was the worst I've ever been sick. Caden got sick, too. It was his first time ever throwing up. Pretty amazing for a six year old, if I do say so myself. And, as many of you know, I have this intense fear of throwing up. Whether it's me, my kids, my neighbors (hey, their germs could float over here), my friends at church (nope, not shaking their hands!). I'm pretty sure I should be on some sort of medication for it. It's a horrible thing for me. Someone even mentions vomit, and immediately, I feel nauseous myself. I even feel a little nauseous typing this post. But we spent the better part of a week and a half recuperating and sanitizing the house. It was a major ordeal.
Okay, back to the worst Christmas ever. My parents have not been to our house at Christmastime for many years. It's not that they don't like us, but I don't think they like being away from home on holidays. But, by some miracle, I talked them into coming up here. Holidays are stressful enough as is, so I wanted to keep it low key, but I also wanted to have plenty of things to keep us busy. I think they think we're lazy, tv watching people (which we are), and I wanted to prove them wrong. I had cookie making, goodie baking, gingerbread house making, a night at the movies, Christmas light displays, all kinds of fun holiday activities. But, do you know what happened? They got sick. Both of them. Throwing up. They arrived Thursday and got sick Friday. They were supposed to leave Monday, but were so sick and weak, they couldn't leave until Tuesday. So, we had a great Thursday night and Friday afternoon. But ixnay on the rest of the eekendway. You can only imagine the toll this took on my nerves. I spent the next week fretting over which one of us would be the next to get sick. None of us did. Just goes to show you, worrying does nothing for you.
After a few stressful hours and after the shock wore off, I, with the help of my blessed husband, pulled myself together. I figured it may be the worst Christmas for me, but I didn't want to ruin it for my children. And, I think, as far as they are concerned, they had a great Christmas. So, most of the fun things we had planned for my parents, we put off and saved until the next weekend of new years. Whew. I'm glad we made it through all that.

UPDATE: Okay, as I go back and read this, I realize it may come across as superficial and ungrateful to some people. Things could be so much worse than just being sick on Christmas. I think I am funny, and sometimes tend to be too sarcastic. I hope you realize that. If my mom read this, I would hope her feelings wouldn't be hurt. I'm pretty sure they wouldn't. At the time, Christmas was not fun. But as time passes and we look back at all the "events" that took place, it's kinda funny. I'm sure it will be a Christmas we won't forget for a long time!

This and that

2011-12-13T11:55:00.002-06:00

My 35th birthday has come and gone. I actually spent the day before, the day of, and the day after worshipping the porcelain god in my bathroom. It was a nasty bug that I am glad to see gone. I guess the Lord was knocking me down a little, since I always tend to get a little "puffed up" on my birthday. Anyhow, it's done now. But one year, just one, I want an actual birthday cake on my birthday. Is that too much to ask? Why is it that mothers always make sure that every one else in the family has a big day on their birthday, complete with cake and wrapped presents, but no one seems to take care of mothers on their birthday? Good question. Bad Chad (ha, ha. he did have wrapped presents for me. no cake, though. although, this year I really could have cared less since I was sick.).

Back in October, I started working part time at Kirkland's. I like it so far. It is very busy, since it's the holidays, and it does make me tired. But I like having the extra money. So, for now, it's worth it. Although, I never realized how hard retail work is and the long hours involved. Maybe it will slow down after Christmas. I can't imagine keeping up at this pace all year long.

Also, about the time I started the second job, we had a cat show up. It actually found it's way into the garage one night (that's where we keep Rudy's food). I tried to get rid of him by taking him away and he found his way back. So, I guess he's ours now. The kids have named him Casper. We feed him. He stays in our yard. He comes when he is called. So I guess there is no going back now.

Chad is officially an old man!

2011-12-02T13:10:00.001-06:00

I can say that, because I still have over 5 years before I reach 40!

I wanted two things. One: to throw him a big party for a milestone birthday like 40, and two: I wanted it to be a surprise. And if you know anything about me, you know, one: I am a terrible secret keeper, and two: I cannot tell a good, believable lie. Those two traits, do not mix well when it comes to throwing a surprise birthday party. But, I managed to do it.

He was completely surprised with the birthday party. He said he had an idea I was planning something--he just didn't know exactly what.

We had about 35 family and friends over to the house for pizza and cake. I had all football and Notre Dame decorations. And I gave him something he's been wanting for quite sometime, a satchel from Saddleback Leather.

Chad is an amazing man, son, husband, and father. I am so thankful to have him in my life. He is one of the hardest working, dedicated, likable people that I know. Sometimes I wonder how I ever got so lucky when he chose me (of all people) to be in his life. I don't know how it happened, but I sure won't ask questions!

Just for me

2011-11-14T13:18:00.001-06:00

This particular post is a journal entry, of sorts. It will include personal ramblings of my life that I want to remember. It will not be exciting (well, that's not much different from my normal posts). The grammar may not be correct. And there could possible be some spelling errors. So, you can stop reading here if you don't care about all these rocks rolling around in my head that I'm going to try to put on paper. Or, if your bored, nosey, or just plain interested, then keep on--by all means!

I know my children are not that old (9 and 6 at the time I'm writing this), but already I miss those days when they were toddling around and doing silly baby things. I was looking through some older pictures and wistfully wished those days back. I can't go back to them now. I can't change mistakes I may have made. I can't go back and do more activities with them. I can't laugh with them more. I can't read with them more. I can't even go back to tell myself to be more patient with them, even when I think I had run out of patience. As I sat and looked at the pictures it made me think of several cute things they did that I don't want to forget. Like the time pastor asked for someone's favorite song for the congregation to sing and my son yells out, "BATMAN" or the time my daughter peed on the floor at church, then removed her panties without me knowing and then the pianist went to throw her in the air and he got a nice view of all her girly parts. Or maybe there was the time Savannah told someone that her mom was really big and she bumped into things a lot (I'm NOT big!!). Or the time Caden and Savannah wanted to dig a hole to hell in the front yard (that's just weird). Or the time Caden pulled his pants down and pooped in the front yard for everyone to see as they drove by. And if I were to sit here too long and think about all the time gone by that I didn't enjoy, I could get depressed. I looked at several of the pictures and, on a few of them, what should have been good memories, I had bad ones. I remembered something like, "Oh, that was the time she wouldn't leave me alone while I was trying to read a book." And now, looking back, I don't even remember what it was that may have made me mad at the time. All I remember is that I was mad and, judging by the smile on her little chubby face, I should have been glad. The cold hard fact is that the past is past. You can't change it.
And while it sounds cliche, the future isn't here yet, either. And I shouldn't spend too much time dwelling on what's going to happen, what might happen, or how it will all unfold. All I have is today. Today I can do something with my children. Today I can laugh with them. Today I can read with them. Today I can be more patient with them, even when I think my patience has run out. Today I can make new memories with them so that, hopefully, I won't have any regrets tomorrow.
It's hard. It really is. Being a parent is difficult. No one ever said it was easy. And if any parent had known how hard being a parent really was, they probably would have never become one. I guess that's why no one tells us until it's too late. I know I've made my share of mistakes. I know I am not a perfect mother (in fact, I am so far from it than you can imagine). But I try. And that's all I can do.

Caden--Six Years Old!

2011-11-10T14:26:00.001-06:00

Caden turned six years old today! Time flies when you are having fun, right? He has been a range of emotions for us from day one. While Savannah was the easy going, happy baby and toddler, Caden was the exact opposite. But now that he's gotten older, he is such a happy-go-lucky kid. He loves life to the fullest and is never unhappy. It's funny how your children change as they get older and also how they each get their own, individual, unique personalities. While Savannah is a horrible liar, Caden is an excellent one. While Savannah has a tender heart and gets her feelings hurt easily, Caden is tough as nails and nothing seems to bother him.
Here are a few fun things about Caden:
His favorite colors are green and gold.
His favorite movie is Cars 2.
His favorite thing to play with is his racetrack.
He still loves any kind of car and will sit and watch speed channel like a grown man.
He is starting to enjoy watching football on television with his daddy.
He especially loves playing basketball.

He is enjoying Kindergarten, although, if you ask him, he'll say he doesn't like it. He seems to be doing very well (I knew he would), with the exception of penmanship. I guess if that's all I have to worry about, we're ok.
This little boy is the love of my life and I pray daily for him to grow into a young man that loves the Lord and that he will be a hard worker that does his best in everything.
Happy Birthday, Caden Anderson!

Halloween

2011-11-01T11:37:00.000-06:00

This year, Savannah chose to be a "Greek Goddess." She was very careful in her pose selection, she wanted it to be just like the photo that came on her costume package. She told me, "Mom, how can one dress make you feel so beautiful?" I'm working on her, she may turn out to be a fashionista like me, after all!

Caden chose to be a pirate this year. We went through several costumes before we finally decided on this one. He was pickier than Savannah was!

And this is our annual halloween shot. I don't know how it got started, but I always have to take a picture of Chad and the kids as they start our on their trick-or-treat journey!

I love my daughter

2011-10-29T18:51:00.000-06:00

So, my daughter and I have this weird relationship. In our family, I'm usually the one that says "no". Usually if the kids, especially Savannah, want something they go see Daddy. He doesn't always say yes, but he is more likely to say it than me. Savannah has this bad habit if she wants something and both of us parents are in the room, she won't say it out loud. She'll whisper it in our ear or write it down. It gets on my last nerve, but it's what she does. I guess she's afraid if one of us hears what she is asking the other one, then we will cut in and say "no" before the other one has a chance to say "yes". Do your children do this?
Anyway, tonight Savannah had this conversation with Chad by paper. She had gotten in trouble earlier about stealing halloween candy and eating it and then lying about it. It was a big deal and she got in big trouble. If she had asked for the candy in the first place, I probably would have said yes. But she didn't. She took it, ate a ton of it, then hid all the wrappers under the bed where I wouldn't find them. But I did find them (of course, I'm a grown up. I know where kids hide things!).
And so, a friend asked her if she could go to "trunk or treat" with them. And this is the note that ensued. She obviously forgot about her transgressions earlier.

Savannah: Hi!
Chad: Hi!
Savannah: Can I see when the trunk or treat is?
Chad: Do you think you should get to go when you lied today?
Savannah: Do I still get to trick or treat?
Chad: On Monday. Yes.
Savannah: I will be your servent Sunday through Fri. (do whatever you want till 8:30)
Chad: How about you do whatever I want till you go to college?
Savannah: Sure!!!!!! Can I go?
Chad: On Monday.
Savannah: What about today? (Servent until I'm 1,000) --this is where an arrow points back to the top referring to trunk or treat question
Chad: No
Savannah: FINE--scribbled out then Fine--written really small. I guess that was her way of yelling like she was mad, then stopping herself and putting herself back in her place.

Have I mentioned I love my daughter? She supplies us with endless joy and laughter and I can't imagine life getting any better with her! She definitely keeps us on our toes.

I'm back! I'm back! I'm back!

2011-10-20T07:57:00.002-06:00

I don't have time to post a big post right now, but I'm back and that's all that matters! Who knew the internet was so important? Not just for dumb things like facebook, twitter, and blogging. But important things like school projects, recipes and banking!! I'm back and it feel so good!

Checking In

2011-09-03T09:37:00.002-06:00

Here I am. Back. Only briefly, though. We are currently in Florida visiting for my mom's 60th birthday. We had a nice party for her last night and about 40 people showed up. She is an amazing woman. One thing I will always admire her for, is her thoughtfulness. She remembers everyone and every occasion. She is always ready and waiting with a card or gift. That is one quality of hers that I don't possess and wish I did.
We also had plans while we were down here to enjoy one last weekend fling at the beach. But instead, we are stuck inside. Riding out Tropical Storm Lee. I'll admit, my meteorology nerd genes are coming out. I've tried my best to refrain from gluing myself to the Weather Channel. If you know anything about me, you know how much I love weather. And being from Florida, hurricanes and tropical storms are right up my alley. I'm not sure what we'll do the rest of the weekend, but it is nice being with my family.

The kids have started back up to school. Savannah is in 4th grade this year. Growing up too fast (I always say that). She is an amazing young girl with a good heart. Caden started Kindergarten. It was much harder than I anticipated seeing him go to "real school". He is my baby and now he is officially grown up. It's like a chapter of our life is over and a new one begins. Sad and happy at the same time. Does that make sense?
And so, there is a quick update. See you again soon, maybe...

So Long, Farewell

2011-06-28T08:49:00.002-06:00

I know I've been terrible at posting the past few months. In fact for the past six months, I've been through so many sagas, it is not even funny. And now that I have had to come to terms with my new, cold, harsh reality, I'm ok. I can see a light at the end of the tunnel. Which leads me to "so long".
As of this week, we have cut our home phone (who even uses that anymore) and sadly, our internet. I hardly use it anymore anyway, since my iPhone has internet on it. However, it is hard to post on my blog from my phone. It can be done, but my fingers don't always punch the right letters and my eyes don't adjust well to the small type (I'm getting old, I know). We've also made some other cuts in our budget (gym membership, netflix, and nail appointments, just to name a few). And our plan is to make these budget cuts work to our advantage for the next nine months.
So hopefully I'll be back soon. Hopefully, I can use the library computer or a friends computer occasionally to update things, but for now...farewell!

Happy Birthday Savannah!

2011-06-22T11:15:00.003-06:00

On June 20, 2002 my precious Savannah was born. She weighed in at a whopping 6 lbs. and 12 oz. Nine years later, she is still just as beautiful as I remember when I held her on that first night.
For her birthday (which was supposed to be a small party, but ended up costing as much as if I'd had a big party) we started with lunch and a pedicure with Moochie. Then, I took her and her cousin, Brooke, to the mall. They visited their favorite stores, Claire's and Build a Bear. After an expensive shopping spree, we went back home and had pizza followed by a delectable chocolate cake. It was an all-around good day.
Here are a few things about Savannah:
-she loves attention
-she wants to do right (which leads to my next point)
-she's a horrible liar
-she likes to boss people around
-she loves fashion and shopping
-she loves to write stories
-she never meets a stranger
-she has a love/hate relationship with school
-she is very smart
-she managed to get an A in spelling the entire year, yet she is the worst speller I've seen
-she is NOT organized and she is always losing things
-she is a daddy's girl

I'm so proud of the young woman she is becoming. Happy Birthday, Savannah! We love you!

Not a winner

2011-05-16T20:26:00.003-06:00

Have you ever met someone who always won things? My mother in law is one of them. It never fails. Every ladies meeting, wedding shower, baby shower, raffle, or any other activity where there is a prize drawing, she wins. It is almost comical how often she wins things. I always tell her she should play the lottery, because I'm sure she would win.
I, on the other hand, cannot win anything. If it is some type of 'guess the number' thing or 'whose birthday/anniversary is closest' I'm always the second runner up. Not a winner.
When I was in college, I entered a contest through the local radio station to a get front row tickets to a concert. And guess what? I actually won. "Well, why are you putting that on here," you ask. Because the concert got cancelled! That's why. Not a winner, after all, eh?
Also, in college, I was on the homecoming court. When voting day came around for Ms. Temple, I (being the ever so humble person that I am), voted for another girl. I mean, it would be wrong to vote for myself! Guess who won? Not me! She did! And do you know by how much? ONE VOTE! My vote put her over the top. Way to go, Sarah. Not a winner.
In high school, I was a cheerleader for all four years. In fact, I was the captain of the squad for my junior and senior year. I carried that squad, people (okay, that sounds a tad bitter)! Our senior year, a new girl transferred in and joined the squad. She was an awesome girl, she was. And a really great cheerleader. Guess who got voted MVP? Not me! She did! Not a winner. Although, I must insert in here, that while I still consider myself somewhat slim, I would not consider her slim anymore. Not. at. all. Shallow? Yes. It's all I got people. She's still got the MVP trophy, remember?
It makes me mad. And I just wanted to share all this with you. I realize this is a shallow, somewhat negative sounding post, but remember: this is all sarcasm. No, I'm still not a winner. I never win anything (BTW, did you see my previous 5K post?).

I finished my 5K

2011-05-10T09:39:00.002-06:00

It was everything I thought it would be and then a little more. I've actually dreaded doing it, because everytime I run on the treadmill, it's so hard. I didn't think I could run 3.2 miles without dying. But you know what? I did it! And you know what else? It wasn't as hard as I thought. I should have known better, I prefer running outside to the treadmill anyday. Did I excel and beat all my previous time records? Nope. Not even close. In my age category (female, 30-39) I finished like 30 of 36. Not that great. Overall? About 175 of 300. My time was 39:00. So it really wasn't that great. But I am thrilled with the fact that I actually did it! If my knee didn't hurt so much, I could have gone much faster. In fact, I didn't feel like I was dying, endurance-wise. I just don't have the speed because of my injury. Will I run another 5K? I'd like to. As for the half marathon or full marathons, I don't think I could do it. At least not yet.

Springtime in Indiana

2011-04-28T09:04:00.004-06:00

I should really split this up into two posts. However, I am currently on a cleaning streak and don't want to sit in one spot for too long, for fear I will lose my motivation! So, here goes:
Easter this year, was interesting. Too say the least. Most of it, was my fault. I put everything off until the last minute and that made for some harried moments. Next year, I will plan more wisely. Poor planning is very uncharacteristic of me and I regret that I let it get to far out of hand. Also, it rained. And rained. And rained. In fact, we got rain for over a week straight. Almost thirteen inches to be exact. That makes for some wet, soggy egg hunts. It makes stir crazy children and parents, too.

I took a drive down to our favorite park, the Newburgh Locks and Dam. At normal water level, as the tugboats pass through the dam, you can barely see the tops of them. But as you can tell, the water is up so high, they cannot pass through at all. I also included a picture of a fence (well, at least the top of it). This is another spot where we walk up to the almost 7 foot high fence and watch the boats and barges. The water is up so far, that you can only see the top foot of the fence. It is crazy how high the river is. I think they said it is the worst flooding we have had since 1997, or maybe before that.

But, today, the blue sky is here and the sun is out. I have almost forgotten what they look like! So I will hold on to the beauty it brings and cherish it while it's here, because who knows how long it will stay! Springtime in Indiana!

Am I crazy? A 5K? In two weeks?

2011-04-25T12:59:00.003-06:00

Last summer, my goal was to complete a 5K. That's not really a big goal for some people, but it was for me. It was going to be difficult, but attainable. And then I fractured my leg. And while my leg is fully healed, I still can't run at the pace I was working on before the injury. Every time my knee starts hurting, I stop running and walk briskly. I don't know if I'm supposed to push past the pain or not, but the last time I did that, I broke something! So now I'm scared to death to push it hard.

Which leads me to my post. I've been getting a little boastful lately and talking smack to some people (including my husband) and now it is time to put my money where my mouth is, per say. Although, please note, there is no money involved. Well, there is money involved, I had to pay for my registration. But that is not the money I am talking about where my mouth is. But I think you get the point.

In two weeks there is a 5K in my town. The route runs along the Ohio River and it is a beautiful, scenic run. I just don't know why I thought I could do this. My goal is to finish. I know that sounds corny and lazy, maybe. But, let's be honest. We all know I am not going to come in first. I can barely do a 9 minute mile. However, it is my first ever competitive run. So it should be interesting. Will I die in the process? Probably. Will I be able to come out with any shred of dignity? Probably not. But, who cares? I'm doing it anyway. I'll let you know how it goes.

Ugly Feet

2011-04-20T20:47:00.004-06:00

I have been made fun of all my life for my ugly feet. I can't help it. I also can't believe I'm posting a picture of them for all the world to see. Please note I, on purpose, made it fuzzy and black and white. You really don't need to see EVERY detail of their hideousness. However, every spring, after a long winter's nap, my ugly feet come back to haunt me. I feel like I should offer some sort of explanation for them. And I can. I have a good one.
You see, I took classical ballet lessons for over 12 years. In those twelve years, my feet were put through a lot of rough stuff. Bunions, callouses, blisters, squished toes. Have you ever watched a ballerina? They look so graceful and beautiful, but did you happen to notice their shoes? Yeah, the toes of the shoes are HARD. And our toes are squished in that! And all the tape and lamb's wool in the world, won't cushion enough to keep feet from not being damaged. I'm amazed at the positions my feet were put in.
If you've ever done any type of ballet for any amount of time, you probably understand. Maybe you don't have ugly feet like I do. Maybe mine are just in my genetic makeup. I choose to blame 12 years of ballet.

A Polar Bear

2011-04-14T07:21:00.002-06:00

The following is a devotional I read this morning. It was written by Mrs. Glorianne Gibbs, so I cannot take any credit for it. Nevertheless, it spoke to me and I felt it is something many wives should remember. Especially, me.

At my wedding shower, my husband's great-aunt gave us a beautifully wrapped box that she said was very fragile. When I opened it, it was a figurine of a bear! On a card with the present she had written this:
"The secret to a happy marriage is to bear and forbear--so let this polar bear be your constant reminder."
In marriage, as in every relationship, to bear each other's burdens and to forbear each other's shortcomings is a main component to a happy, well-adjusted relationship.
God wants us to be quick to forgive, eager to encourage, and always ready to help with the other's burdens. Although it requires both parties of a relationship to follow these guidelines for complete success, if you are the only one "endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace," then you must also be doing it "with all lowliness and meekness,"and "with longsuffering," for it to be truly effective.
Many husbands have been won to Christ through the diligent and sweet forbearance of their wives. Many parents, sisters, brothers, cousins and others can be won to Christ by your sweet forbearance.
In marriage, there are things that come up that irritate us, disappoint us, and anger us at times. It is during such times that we should remember to bear and forbear. Love requires a show of kindness in spite of the the things we don't always like.
The next time you see a 'teddy bear' of bear figurine, think about this!

Instagram

2011-03-25T20:04:00.002-06:00

A friend of mine from church introduced me to Instagram. It's an app for my iPhone. I have no idea if other phones can get it. I would assume so. However, I LOVE it! It's my all time favorite app on my phone. It makes me look like a professional photographer. I don't care how great my iPhone is or how great your cell phone is, let's face it....cell phones don't take great pictures. BUT---using Instagram, you can make your cell phone pictures look professional! Did I say I love it? I realize the examples above may not be great examples, but I think you get the picture (heh-heh, pun not intended). So, scroll through your apps and find Instagram. It's worth a try!

I miss them!

2011-03-03T11:16:00.002-06:00

This is my dad and mom. Mary and Tim. Forever youthful. Seriously, I'm pretty sure they haven't aged. In fact, I may catch up with them if they don't stop it. I haven't seen them since Thanksgiving and I miss them. It's been a long, hard winter and I miss them terribly. Barring some sort of miracle, I don't think I'll be able to go down there and see them until July. Boo hiss.

NASCAR

2011-02-28T10:10:00.002-06:00

Well, the NASCAR season is upon us and it's just in time for my redneck, southern roots to come out! I love race cars! I love watching races! I know it's weird for a girl to like racing so much, but I do. Most girls who like it, like it for the drivers, but not me. Now don't get me wrong, there are a few drivers out there who are little cuties, but my main enjoyment comes from watching the cars go fast. I love it! My favorite part is at the very beginning when they start their engines. What a sweet sound! If you've never watched a race, try and watch just one race in its entirety. Bristol would be a good one to start with. I love my racing!

Okay, now you can go ahead and make fun of me!

His Eye is on the Sparrow

2011-02-26T20:15:00.003-06:00

Why should I feel discouraged, why should the shadows come,
Why should my heart be lonely, and long for heav’n and home,
When Jesus is my portion? My constant Friend is He:

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
I sing because I’m happy, I sing because I’m free,
For His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

“Let not your heart be troubled,” His tender word I hear,
And resting on His goodness, I lose my doubts and fears;
Though by the path He leadeth, but one step I may see;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

Whenever I am tempted, whenever clouds arise,
When songs give place to sighing, when hope within me dies,
I draw the closer to Him, from care He sets me free;

His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me;
His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me.

My grandmother was the organist at our church for many years. Growing up, I can remember many days listening to her play the organ or piano and singing. This was always one of her favorite songs and has always been one of mine. I remember standing beside her while she played and sang, trying my best to sing along with her. The old song has a tremendous message and brings many good memories every time I hear it.

I think I'm back

2011-02-21T10:27:00.002-06:00

I think I have entered the land of the living again. I think. It's been a long couple of months. I feel like a cloud of darkness has followed me around and no matter how hard I try and shake it, it just won't leave me alone! However, I feel a little warmth coming through the cloud. I can see a glimmer of light peeking through.
It's hard when you are going through a rough time. You don't want to complain. No one wants to hear it. I have one particular family member who complains to me every time I see them. And then they always finish with, "but isn't God good?" I hate to hear that. If God is so good to you, then tell me the good things. Not all the complaints you have. My point is, no matter how hard things are for me, I don't want to get on here or Facebook or twitter and complain about it. Everyone has problems and the last thing they want to hear about are someone else's problems. And while things are still not where I'd like them to be, I feel like I'm learning through it all and it's all going to be okay.
One thing that makes it okay is nice weather. We've had unusually nice weather for the middle of February and it has been a nice break from the unusually cold winter we've had. We may pay for it later, but I'll soak up every bit of it I can. One of the first nice days we had, we took a drive and made a few stops. One of the places we stopped was Audubon State Park in Henderson, Kentucky. In the 12 years I've lived here, I've never been there. Unfortunately, we stopped at a time when the museum was closed. So, I've made plans to take the kids there over spring break. It's something different that I think we'd enjoy. I can imagine it will be a beautiful place when everything starts blooming.

Bible Reading

2011-02-13T20:27:00.002-06:00

I have a confession to make. I don't read my Bible through, cover to cover, every year. I usually use some sort of Bible study guide book to read for my daily devotional and about every three years or so, I read the Bible cover to cover, beginning to end. I don't know if that's good or right or what, but it's what I do. This happens to be the year to read through my Bible.
It's usually about this point in the year where it gets hard. You've been there. This is the point where a lot of people get into it and it gets hard and they quit. You know what I'm talking about. Right now, I'm in the book of Numbers. The first five books of the Bible, to me, are the hardest to get through. There are a lot of difficult names to pronounce. There are a lot of laws telling the children of Israel what to do and what not to do. There is a lot of repetition and repeating of things. I'm not going to lie, it's hard to get through some mornings.
But it got me thinking. And that's dangerous. I could be totally wrong, but bear with me. The first five books of the Bible were written by Moses. Remember Moses was the one who complained to the Lord that he could never be the leader of the children of Israel because he was of 'slow tongue'? Maybe, since he's the author of those books, that means he's not only a poor public speaker, but also not the best writer. WIth all the hithertos and thous and thees and whereofs, it gets hard. But here's where I'm going with this: reading through these difficult parts has taught me two major things.
1) It's important to stick with something, even when it gets hard. Don't give up, because the best is still yet to come.
2) Isn't it a wonderful thing that we are no longer under the law? I'm so thankful for God sending His son, Jesus, to earth to die on the cross, in my place, so that I no longer have to live under the law.
So hang in there, if you're in the middle of reading through the Bible. There are so many blessings to be had if you will stick with it. If you have never read through the Bible, it's not too late to start!

I'm still here

2011-02-01T16:39:00.002-06:00

1. I'm still here.

2. Both my children were sick, and now recovered.

3. My throat hurts.

4. I still don't have my car back from being repaired. That is a whole different post in itself. A post of which I don't care to type out for fear that I may start crying (again).

5. It's still cold.

6. Did I mention I'm still here? I'm alive, but not necessarily well. But, don't worry. I'll make it.

Hard Times

2011-01-16T09:56:00.003-06:00

Our pastor always says, "If you're not in a hard time right now, you probably just came out of one or you're getting ready to go into one." He's a smart one, that pastor of mine.

I'm there. Right now. It's been a tough week.

I can't even find a joke to lighten it up (Wait, maybe I can.....my hard time is bigger than this giant zit on my forehead. Okay, so maybe I'm not ready for a joke just yet.)

This week just plain stunk. There have been hard times before. Harder than this one. Easier than this one. But it doesn't matter. Things were going so good for so long, I just knew it was coming.

It starts slowly with just one or two small things. And you think, "No big deal, we can make it through this." Then a few more get added in. Then a couple of the small things blow up into big things. And it just turns into one big snowball going downhill fast. And here I am.

The good thing is, I know I'll get through it. We always have.

Ephesians 3:15-21
For this cause I bow my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
Of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,
That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man;
That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,
May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height;
And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God.
Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,
Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.

A source of contention

2011-01-13T12:37:00.002-06:00

"What a cute little owl," you say. I cuss. Okay, so not really. I don't cuss. But I came awfully close on this one.
My sweet, little girl has been dying to learn how to sew. The poor thing really has no idea at how horrible I am at sewing. I am so bad, in fact, that I can hardly sew a button on a blouse or pants. That's a sad thing to admit, isn't it?
When I was out doing some Christmas shopping, I found this cute little kit that came with all the items needed to sew a large stuffed owl and a small stuffed owl. I must have had too much caffeine or maybe it was the day I had three red bulls, but for whatever reason, I bought the stupid thing.
I put her off as long as I could. It was a beginner kit, but still needed some supervision as well as some adult help. I should have passed her off to Chad. He can sew better than I. I did good, though. I smiled (while gritting my teeth) while showing Savannah the stitches on the instruction sheet. I was patient and helped her fix a few mistakes. I even learned a few things myself.
Anyway, the stupid pillow is done. She is so proud of it. We'll see how long it takes to get to the small one. I may have to hide it.

I'm not like everyone else

2011-01-09T15:40:00.005-06:00

I think we all fall into the trap of wishing we were more like someone else. Especially nowadays with all the technology. I used to find myself browsing through countless blogs of moms. All these blogs would highlight all the special things they did with their children and all the special places they would take them and all things they would buy them. Well, I'm not them. And I'm okay with that.
I never bought my children play dough. We never made homemade play dough. I never bought them finger paint. We never made homemade finger paint. I never did elaborate crafts that called for pipe cleaners and glitter. I never decorated a whole wall with all of their artwork. I never did those things, mostly, because I don't like to clean up the mess that goes along with it. Does that make me a bad mom? I don't think so.
I never took my children on a Disney cruise, and probably never will. I never took them to Gymboree play time or Kindermusik or Soccer Tots. Are they worse off for it? I don't think so.
I never bought them Lelly Kelly the pretty shoes or Baby Alive or a giant dinosaur that is annoyingly loud. Do they miss those things? They might have, in the moment, but not now.
What I did do with them is sat on the floor and dressed up countless barbies, lined up millions of hot wheels, and read trillions of books (so far). I did take them on special vacations to historic places, memorable museums, and beautiful scenery. I did buy them a plethora of books to encourage their imaginations and toys that they would appreciate more as time went on.
We have had countless family soccer, kickball, volleyball, and baseball matches in the backyard. We've watched impromptu ballet performances in the living room. We've even had gymnastic competitions and fashion shows on the weekends.
Am I a perfect mom? Not hardly. Not even close. I've made more mistakes than I care to admit to. In fact, if the little boy in the next room doesn't quit ramming that truck against the wall, I am about to make another one. But the fact is, I love my children. I've only done what I thought was best for them, within my means, not trying to keep up with all the moms I read about in the blogs. And that's all we can do. Don't compare yourself to everyone else. Just be the best that YOU can be, with what you have.
It's been hard and it's been a sacrifice. But it's something more moms should be willing to do today. We're not raising children to 'show off' to others of how talented they are or how smart they are or how much they know. I understand those things are important, but It's about raising them with character. There's a difference between knowledge and wisdom. And all the glitter and flashcards in the world, won't give them that. I made it a point when they were babies to give them over to God. And daily, I pray for them to turn out to be well adjusted citizens who make a difference when they grow up. They're not there yet. But I am so proud of them and proud of who they are developing into.

Christmas

2011-01-06T10:25:00.004-06:00

I realize it is well after the new year and I am just now posting Christmas stuff. I don't have a good reason other than I just didn't want to sit down and take the time to do it.
The kids both said they had a really great Christmas that they would never forget. It is so exciting, now that I am a parent, to see their excitement in opening their presents. I think I get more excited than they do on Christmas eve before going to bed.
Savannah was thrilled with her new electric scooter, Bible, barbie, and boots. Caden loved his monster truck Mater and Lightning, as well as his hot wheels track and moon dough.
We had one minor setback over the holidays. Our Audi got rear ended, which pushed us into the car in front of us. It was not a pleasant experience. Savannah was frightened to tears. Caden, on the other hand, said he wasn't scared of anything, so not to worry about him. It caused almost $6,000 in damage and is currently in the repair shop.
Chad was also off of work for the two weeks that Savannah was off of school. It was a nice two weeks, however, I'm glad he is back at work and the kids are back on their school routine. I like schedules.
Hope your Christmas and New Year's was as good as ours!

Snow

2010-12-15T09:29:00.002-06:00

I could give you a list of about 1,534 reasons why I hate winter. Snow, being one of them. I really like to look at the snow and I like the "idea" of snow. But the actual snow, itself, is just cold, wet, and slippery. And just to go out in it, you have to bundle up in 127 layers. Then after about 5-7 minutes of playing in it, you are cold and wet and ready to come in. So then you come in and have to shed those 127 layers. Then your floors get all wet and slushy and you have a whole new load of clothes to wash and a floor to clean. Why we got our first snow of the year so early, I don't know.
In the pictures, it looks like a lot more than it really was. We only got about 3-4 inches, but the wind was blowing so hard the night before, that the snow drifted up in areas and the kids really loved playing in those spots.
And so along with dry skin, salty cars, shocking everything I touch, and snow; I'm done with winter. And it's only December. And I live in Indiana. Great.

Getting ready for Christmas

2010-12-07T10:00:00.004-06:00

The finished product!

Almost done!

At our house, the star goes on first (okay, so actually right after daddy's Notre Dame football ornament)!

It seems each year, I get more forgetful (did you see the post from a few weeks ago?). This year, I forgot the ribbon on the tree. You're supposed to put that on BEFORE the ornaments. And as you can see, it didn't happen. Oh well, there is always next year. What I'll do is put the ribbon on the TOP of the ornaments in the box instead of UNDERNEATH them so I'll remember to put it on FIRST before we start the ornaments. It's just that we get so excited about decorating and pulling out all the ornaments, that we forget. And so, the tree looks a tad bare, but that's alright. We had fun and that's what matters, right? Right?

Thanksgiving

2010-12-02T10:04:00.002-06:00

Thanksgiving has come and gone. It is my favorite holiday of the year. Here are a few of the reasons why I enjoy it:

-it's in autumn. I love autumn. The cool relief from the heat of summer. The leaves that change colors (that is one thing I've really come to enjoy since living in Indiana. Florida doesn't have leaves that change colors!).
-there is an air of excitement for Christmas is coming soon!
-seeing all of my extended family. We've gotten together with my dad's family for as long as I can remember. My first memories were at my Aunt June's house in South Carolina. Then we went to my Uncle Jerry's in Panama City for several years. Then we went to Aunt June's again, but this time at their church in Pensacola. Then we went to Knoxville to my cousin Wendy's home. Then we started going to Chattanooga to various homes and places. There are probably more places in between all those that I've forgotten, but the point is I love visiting with the Mattheiss family!
-staying in the Smoky Mountains. In the past ten years or so, my immediate family has started renting a cabin and staying in either Pigeon Forge, Townsend, or Gatlinburg for the long weekend. It's always been a fun and special time.

I just love Thanksgiving. It is such a special time to come together and remember all we have and all we should be grateful for. And now we move on to Christmas. I've never been one to shop ahead. In fact, I'm one of those who wait until the last minute. That may surprise some of you, since I really am organized. But I'm just not into all the crowds at this time of year. In fact, I'd rather spend more money and shop online than get in the middle of the mad rush! So here we go....

Forgetfulness

2010-11-18T09:25:00.002-06:00

So, last night I was lying in bed (or is it laying?) and I came up with an idea for the most awesome post for my blog. And then I fell asleep.
I have found that the older you get, the shorter your memory becomes. And while I certainly don't consider myself old, I know my memory isn't as sharp as it was in my twenties! You know how when your camera's memory card has to be erased to make room for new stuff? That's what happens, I think, every night when I go to sleep. My memory card gets erased and pushes out all the 'unnecessary' stuff to make room for a new day. The bad thing is, some of it is not 'unnecessary'! Good thing I keep notes everywhere and my phone has alerts. I'd be lost without those!
Oh well, maybe my awesome post will return to me at some other time and I can put it on here. And next time it comes to mind, I'll remember to make a note of it until I get to the computer. Until then, you're stuck with the boring stuff.

Caden is Five!

2010-11-10T07:05:00.003-06:00

My little boy is five years old today! He is such a joyful child and I can't imagine what we would do without him. He may have started off a little rough (hey, five months of colic is rough!), but he is turning out to be an amazing young man. Here are some of the things he likes to do:

sing-he loves singing songs and even making up some of his own

cars-where to begin with this one? This kid LOVES cars. I don't know if it's normal or not, but he can name just about every car that we pass by on the street. He also knows just about all the different types of race cars (nascar, indy car, drifters, etc.), including their drivers!

riding his bike-he got a new bike for his birthday and on the side it says, 'speed demon'. I told him yesterday to slow down because he was getting too far ahead of me and he said, "I can't slow down, mom. My bike says, 'speed demon' it's what I'm supposed to do!" He literally is a speed demon and dare devil on that bike. About once a week, he shows me a new trick he's trying to perfect. Note, the training wheels were on the bike when we bought it, but he's been without training wheels for almost a year, now so those are gone. Way to go, buddy!

He likes to watch cartoons, loves to eat candy, and loves to snuggle with anyone who will snuggle back. He also loves to torture our cat, Rudy.

Happy birthday, Caden!

A little of this and that

2010-11-04T09:44:00.002-06:00

Can you believe fall is here and now winter is quickly approaching? We've had an eventful few months and that is okay with me. I like staying busy!
Savannah is doing well in third grade. She is growing and maturing way quicker than I'd anticipated. People always tell you your children grow up quick and you're supposed to enjoy it. And I'm finding out that is definitely true! I love that girl and am so proud of her!
Caden finished up his first soccer season. Unfortunately, they only won one of the seven games they played. However, he didn't seemed phased by it. He loved it and can't wait for the season to come around again next year! He is our true athlete in every way. He gets that from his dad, for sure!
Hope your season is going well. We are looking forward to Thanksgiving and seeing all my family. That is one of our favorite times of the year!

An outlet

2010-11-01T16:49:00.002-06:00

Do you have an outlet in your life? You know, a way to release some of the pent up energy and emotion you carry everyday with you? Some people are crafty, some people exercise, some people write. Everyone has something. If you don't, you need to find something! It's not good to keep so many things bottled up inside.
I'm definitely not crafty. So you can mark that one down. You'll never find me knitting a blanket or scrap booking.
I do like to write, although I wouldn't consider it my strong point. In fact, I write stories a lot on the computer. If I ever die and you go through Word on my iMac, you'd find all sorts of stories I've written. I've never shown them to anyone, I'd be embarrassed to. But writing is somewhat of an outlet for me. Writing helps me keep my imagination from getting away from me. When I write things down, it keeps all my thoughts in order. I like order and organization.
My next outlet I've recently found is exercise. When I get angry or upset, riding my bike or running helps bring me back down to a good place. It doesn't hurt that it's healthy for you, too. Too bad my knee is still out of order. I've needed to get out quite a few times the past four weeks! (BTW, still four weeks to go before I run again. I'm hanging in there, though!) I don't know what I'll do in the winter time. Not sure how that will work when it's 20 degrees outside. Maybe I'll get a treadmill for Christmas. Somehow, though I don't think it will be the same as the fresh air outside. We'll see.
Another thing I like to do is drive! It sounds silly, but getting in a car and going fast is exhilarating. Turn the radio up, roll the windows down, and just go!
What is your outlet in life?

Forgiveness

2010-10-13T12:17:00.003-06:00

How many times have people failed us or done us wrong? How many times do we get mad at them and swear up and down we will never speak to them again? The Bible tells us we are supposed to forgive them. Not once. Not twice. But seventy times seven. That is 490 times! And something tells me that if you are willing to forgive them 490 times for the same offense, then you're probably willing to forgive them 491 times. Don't give up on them.

Frustrated

2010-10-04T08:28:00.004-06:00

No one likes a complainer. I say that on here all the time. And here I am, complaining.
When I posted the previous post, I was at a point where I was so proud of myself. I was proud of the fact that I'd started something and I hadn't quit yet! I was excited about my goal of running a 5K. I was on a roll, people!
And then it happened. I went to my next level up on the program and my knee was KILLING me during the run. But, I fought through the pain and finished the run. I got home, iced my knee, took some ibuprofen, and figured it would feel better the next day. It didn't. No big deal, I thought. It was a rest day from running, so I'd have a whole day for it to get better. Nope. I tried running the next day, but didn't even get through the first part. I limped all the way home. My knee was slightly swollen, very tender to touch, and difficult to put weight on. So for the next four or five days, I limped around waiting for it to heal. Finally, I called the doctor and went in. He took an x-ray and found nothing. He was slightly concerned it might be some torn cartilage or a torn ligament, so he sent me in for an MRI the next day. I was not happy about this. If something was torn, that meant surgery. And that meant 6-8 weeks of recovery. The following day after the MRI, I went to get the results. And it turns out I have a stress fracture in my tibia (my knee). Good news and bad news. Good news: no surgery. Bad news: crutches and no weight bearing. All for two weeks. And after that, who knows how long it will take to get back to running!
Do you realize how hard it is to be a mom and run a household with crutches and not put weight on your knee? I will say, that sitting on my butt all day and not putting weight on my knee makes the pain much more bearable. However, when you're sitting on your butt and your knee feels better, it is not the best feeling. I sit and look at all the things that need to be done and I CAN"T DO THEM! I'm halfway tempted to continue to limp around in pain just so I can continue on with life. But on the other hand, I know that knee will never heal and then I'll be in really bad shape.
I want to run again. And that is my plan, but it just may take awhile. And, I'll probably have to start the whole program over again. But that's ok. I just need to focus on getting better right now. And focusing on getting better feels a lot like being lazy right now. I don't like lazy.
So there's my frustration. I'd feel so much better if my Mom were here to help me. Unfortunately, she can't come. And I'm a little bit mad about that. But I know she's needed down there. That is a whole 'nother post in itself.

Couch to 5K Running

2010-09-23T13:06:00.003-06:00

It happens with all of us as we age. After you get married, you gain a few pounds. You have a few children and gain a few more pounds. With me, once I hit 30, my metabolism came to a screeching halt and I gained a few more pounds. So, as it stands, I went from 21 years old and 100 pounds to 30-something years old and 100-something pounds. Those "somethings" are holding me back so I've decided I've got to get rid of that extra weight. My youngest child is almost 5 years old now, I can't claim them as baby weight anymore!
We are on a pretty tight budget so joining the gym was not an option. I like to sit on the couch and watch TV too much, so exercise videos are not appealing to me. Well, I mean, I enjoy watching them. But I'm not sure a bag of chips and a glass of coke while watching exercise videos counts as actually exercising.
I'm not sure exactly where I found the Couch to 5K program, but it has been a lifesaver for me so far. I've never been a runner. I tried a few times, but never really enjoyed it. Once I found this program, I went searching for an app for my iPhone to go along with it and I'm hooked! I just finished week 3 and have 6 more weeks to go. But so far, I am really liking it. The kids are not allowed to go with me and the time by myself running is turning out to be very therapeutic. Running helps clear my head. It hasn't been easy. In fact, it's been downright hard at points. And I'm sure it's not going to get easier as I progress. But one thing I know, is it is like a goal set before me that I have to reach. I keep pushing myself and each time I reach those checkpoints, I feel so proud of myself!
So here it goes! Hopefully I can get rid of about 15 pounds and feel good about myself again!

Where have I been?

2010-09-21T13:06:00.000-06:00

Hmmm....good question. I'll get back with you later, when I have an answer.

Caden's Turn!

2010-08-26T12:25:00.002-06:00

This week Caden started his first official day of Pre-Kindergarten! He was so excited! I, on the other hand, was a little teary eyed. I can't believe how fast my children are growing up.

Which path do you choose?

2010-08-23T09:27:00.004-06:00

Have you ever met someone whose emotional switch is broke? You see them at the highest of highs and the lowest of lows all within one day? I hope I'm not one of those people. I tend to be emotional, but I try to keep it in check, because I know everyone else has problems, too. And the last thing they want to deal with is a woman who rides the emotional roller coaster.
People come to crossroads all the time. Here they are traveling down one road. It's bumpy at times, but overall it's not hard to travel on. There is nice scenery, the people they come across are mostly friendly and nice. But it's the same road. The same scenery. The same people. The same weather. It's so predictable.
And then they come to the crossroad. Do they take the other road? It looks nice. It's different. If they choose to travel down that road what will it bring? They'd have to do it alone. And that could be hard. Would they be sorry? Would they miss the things from the other road? Would they feel guilty for leaving it behind and trying something new?
How do you know which path to take?

A New School Year is Here!

2010-08-16T15:55:00.002-06:00

It's that time of year again! Savannah has started school. She is in third grade this year and is super excited! I am taking this year off of teaching to be at home with Caden his last year before he starts Kindergarten. I was a little nervous about leaving her at school by herself. This is the first year I've taken her to school without going inside with her (talk about a control freak)! Of course, she did fine and was so excited to tell me all the new stuff going on this year. I hope she keeps that good attitude throughout the year!

Summer Fun

2010-08-10T08:56:00.003-06:00

If you've never been to Chattanooga, you have to go see all the tourist attractions! Rock City, Ruby Falls, The Incline, Point Park, etc. It makes for a really fun vacation!

We don't look very happy in this picture. Not sure why?!

About this time of year, the kids make their yearly visit to my parent's house. Due to my parents busy schedule, the trip was shorter than normal, but nevertheless, I'm sure the kids had a great time. When it was time to pick them up, we met them in Chattanooga. We went to Ruby Falls and also got to meet up with several members of my extended family there. Chattanooga has always been one of my favorite places to go. Even though I'm not from there, it still feels like going home. Besides the fact that Chad and I both went to college there, I have four uncles, an aunt, and all their families that live there. So, as a little girl, we spent many summers up on Lake Chickamauga.
It won't be long and school will be starting up. We are in the midst of buying school supplies and updating Savannah's uniform. She will be in third grade this year. Time sure does fly! Caden will be going to pre-K at a local preschool. It's the same one we sent Savannah to when she was that age. I am taking a year off of teaching to be at home. It's Caden's last year before Kindergarten and I know I'd always regret it if I didn't make the sacrifice to be with him this last year before he officially grows up!

My love of cars: It's only just begun!

2010-08-02T12:34:00.003-06:00

I would never consider myself a redneck. Although, you'd think being a girl and all, my fascination with fast cars would put me in that category. You have my dad to blame for it. Growing up, it was bred in us. As babies, dad would sit us on the fenders of the cars with the hood open while he did some fine tuning on the engine or was filling up fluids. He'd put us on the creeper with him and we'd roll under the car while he taught us how to change the oil. It was our job to man the jack while he changed the brakes. Several times our neighbors would complain about the loud engine noises going on at all hours of the night. But they loved it. They loved my dad, rather. So they couldn't argue with such a nice guy for long.
Often times, you could find us on trips to drag races, autocross races, late models, dirt tracks, motorcycles, basically anything that had an engine. And we weren't always spectators. Many times there was a Mattheiss mustang or corvette entered. In fact, my mom was the queen of autocross in her little 76 red corvette! We also loved visiting our hometown track, Five Flags Speedway. We rooted on our friends, the Thorpes, and helped out when we could.
In fact, we love cars so much that even when there is no car to be fixed, cleaned, or to watch racing, you could probably find us kicking tires at any one of the local car dealerships.
And the tradition continues. I love to watch races on television, read articles about cars, and even have been known to kick a few tires on my own in my married life. In fact, while most women peruse through the grocery store trying to decide which salad dressing is the healthiest, I peruse through the automotive section trying to find which product will make my tires the shiniest. So you see, while you read my previous post about all the snobbish "class" I possess when it comes to fashion, I really am somewhat of a redneck at heart. I just love cars. What can I say? Did I mention I just got a new car? It's an Audi. It's a fast one, too. I like fast.

I did something I said I'd never do

2010-07-26T18:37:00.004-06:00

I know I'm no fashion 'diva'. However, I do think I have some sense of style. I don't like frumpy. I don't like fru-fru. I just like a good, classic, stylish look. And I've never, ever, ever thought Crocs fit my style. Actually, I swore on my Grandmother's grave I'd never buy any shoe that was so ugly as a Croc. I don't care who has them. I don't care how many people have them. I don't want them.
BUT....
When we were packing for our trip to Chicago, I made sure everyone packed their tennis shoes. I knew we'd be doing a lot of walking, and I didn't want to hear any complaining about someone's feet hurting. And, while in the process of bossing everyone around, I was the one who left our home and forgot her tennis shoes! I mean, did you read my previous paragraph? I have style. And tennis shoes don't necessarily fit that style! So I got by for the first two days with just my sandals and by the end of that second day, I knew I had to do something. And since we stayed right on Magnificent Mile, and we were on a budget, my choices were limited. Especially on a budget. Right away I found a Crocs store but snobbishly passed it by. I couldn't find a Payless. I couldn't find a tennis shoe store. So after looking and looking, I came across the Crocs store again. I decided my options were slowly dwindling away and I had to bite the bullet and try them. My feet were killing me! So I walked in, passed right by the classic pair of crocs that you normally think of, and found the least repulsive shoes I could find. Didn't have my size. I looked for the next least repulsive shoe (which was this one). Didn't have the color I wanted. I decided I needed to at least put my feet in one of the pairs and try it. What could it hurt? And at that moment all the blisters from my sandal wearing days just melted away! Ahh! Comfort! I settled for the sky blue. And while I still say they are somewhat ugly and rather expensive, they ARE comfortable. Do I wear them with all my clothes? Definitely not. But they are great house shoes and running around shoes. I'm glad I overcame my prejudices and bought them. Don't be a hater!

Chicago 2010

2010-07-16T11:46:00.001-06:00

Camping

2010-06-26T15:18:00.003-06:00

For whatever reason, I got the bright idea that we needed to go camping. Since I've never been camping before, I figured a good testing ground for us would be our own backyard. So we borrowed Chad's brother's tent and then collected all our camping supplies. We got hot dogs, ingredients for smores, drinks, bug spray, sleeping bags, chairs, and wood (for the fire, of course!). We started out by grilling some hot dogs. Caden proclaimed they were the best hot dogs he'd ever had. After that we played on the swing set and had several soccer games. Once it got dark, we roasted our marshmallows and made smores. Savannah and Chad loved them, Caden liked roasting the marshmallows, but didn't care for actually eating them. We told a few "ghost stories". They actually ended up being more of silly stories, but it was fun, nevertheless. Since by this point it was too dark to much of anything else, we tried to settle down to sleep. It was not easy, let me tell you. This body was not made to sleep on a hard ground with no mattress between! We all finally did go to sleep, but about 3 AM, we gave into the temptation and we all went inside and slept in our own beds!
All in all, I'll say we had good, quality, family fun time. No phones, tvs, or electronic devices. But just as I already knew, camping is not for us!

Savannah is 8!

2010-06-21T07:14:00.002-06:00

It only seems like last month that I was holding her in my arms as a baby. It only seems like last week when I would pinch her chubby legs and cheeks as a toddler and make her giggle. It just seems like yesterday that I watched the sweet, quirky, innocent, sensitive four year old play her imaginative games.
She is still sweet, sensitive, quirky and innocent. But she is growing up and there is nothing I can do about it! She may not realize how much she means to me, but she is my world. I am so proud of the young lady that she is becoming. I am looking forward to many more happy birthdays with my special girl!

Her birthday celebration is being delayed a few weeks, but we did celebrate the day with a cake and some gifts from family. The delayed celebration is in July: I'm taking her to the American Girl store in Chicago. She is SO excited about this!

We all need a laugh

2010-06-16T14:39:00.004-06:00

You'll probably need to click on it to see it in bigger size, but I thought some of you might enjoy this! I can totally relate to this on a couple of levels. I remember a year or two ago when we had the terrible ice storm, we waiting in line at Sam's for a generator. People were literally throwing money at the poor workers who were bringing the new shipment out. Secondly, I've had many a student say some pretty weird things about their parents, when I knew they weren't even close to the truth. That's why I've always said to parents, "please don't believe everything your child says about me and I won't believe everything they say about you!"

My last view of the beach

2010-06-02T20:46:00.004-06:00

I am totally upset over this whole oil spill thing. My pristine, white beaches of Pensacola, Florida are in danger of being ruined by globs of oil! I pray that I am overreacting. And it's not that I am some kind of environmental nut case worried about the animals. Animals are important, but the fact is, the gulf coast's main sources of income are tourism and fishing! Both of which are in jeopardy of going belly up if this oil spill impacts the coast in any way, shape, or form. And to make matters worse, hurricane season is upon us. What will become of the oil when churned up even further by a hurricane? What a mess!
By the way, I had a really nice visit this past weekend with my family. It was nice to see my dad, mom, brother, and his family.

Caden has taken off!

2010-06-01T13:52:00.001-06:00

This week, Caden started riding his bicycle with no training wheels. I took them off and within about three tries, he was on his own! He is a speed demon and not much will slow him down!

The baby bird is here!

2010-05-25T07:57:00.009-06:00

This is what the daddy bird does to distract your attention away from the eggs. He squawks and limps and acts like his wing is broken.

This is the mamma bird puffed out over the baby bird and egg.

Here is the baby bird and extra egg. I didn't have my good lens with me, so it's a little blurry. Sorry.

Since we found the baby bird eggs, we have been going to check on them about twice a week. After a recent soccer invitational tournament, two of the eggs disappeared. Of the two that were left, one egg has hatched, but I don't think the other egg is going to hatch since it looks damaged. I don't know how much longer they will be out there, but it's been fun for us to check on!

If You Give a Mom a Muffin

2010-05-24T12:32:00.001-06:00

Are you familiar with the book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie? If so, you'll enjoy this variation:

If you give a mom a muffin, she'll want a cup of coffee to go with it.
She'll pour herself some.
Her three-year-old will spill the coffee.
She'll wipe it up.
Wiping the floor, she will find dirty socks.
She'll remember she has to do laundry.
When she puts the laundry in the washer, she'll trip over boots and bump into the freezer.
Bumping into the freezer will remind her she has to plan supper.
She will get out a pound of hamburger.
She'll look for her cookbook. (101 Things To Make With A Pound Of Hamburger.)
The cookbook is sitting under a pile of mail.
She will see the phone bill, which is due tomorrow.
She will look for her checkbook.
The checkbook is in her purse that is being dumped out by her two-year-old.
She'll smell something funny.
She'll change the two-year-old.
While she is changing the two-year-old the phone will ring.
Her five-year-old will answer and hang up.
She'll remember that she wants to phone a friend to come for coffee.
Thinking of coffee will remind her that she was going to have a cup.
She will pour herself some.
And chances are, if she has a cup of coffee, her kids will have eaten the muffin that went with it.

by Kathy Fictorie
based on "If you Give a Mouse a Cookie" by Laura Numeroff

Proud Mama Post

2010-05-24T09:13:00.003-06:00

Last night, we had our awards ceremony for the 2009-2010 school year. Savannah finished the year with two awards: A silver star award (B honor roll) and Most Improved Student in the elementary. She is blossoming into a lovely young lady. She does have her quirks and she still has a ways to go, but she makes me so proud!

He's Back!

2010-05-19T14:55:00.002-06:00

This morning, my Dad arrived home from his second, year-long deployment in Mosul, Iraq. I am so proud to call him my Dad. I am so thankful to have him home SAFE!
And not only is my Dad amazing, my Mom is, too. She has endured these deployments with the greatest of courage and pride. She is just as amazing as he is!

Tootie

2010-05-06T17:42:00.004-06:00

The other day the kids and I walked across the street to the playground. While there, we found what we thought was a hurt bird. It squawked and puffed itself up and scurried around but never would fly away. Then we realized there are four eggs in one of the railroad ties used as a parking stop. So since the bird makes so much noise, the kids called it Tootie. We've been checking on Tootie everyday now. We've been very careful now that we know Tootie is an expectant mother. I sure hope those eggs hatch before soccer season starts or they are in trouble!

That's What I'll be Willing to Do

2010-04-30T08:11:00.003-06:00

For today, I'm reminding myself of some things. You can eavesdrop if you want.

I listen to Dr. Laura regularly because I love to hear people being told how to behave. One of the things she often says is that it's not important what you are feeling, but how you are behaving.

I need to hear that. A lot.

It's a good thing to remind myself because sometimes I want to behave out of how I feel instead of in spite of how I feel.

I feel hurt. I feel wronged. I feel frustrated. I just feel mad. I want to snap at people. I want to tell people off. I want to strike out at people. But I know better.

So do you know what I do? I get alone with God. I cross my arms across my chest and scowl like I did when I was six. I tell Him that people are stupid. I tell Him that I'm mad. I tell Him it's not fair.

And He says, "I know."

So I ask what I should do.

And He says,"He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?"
Micah 6:8

It doesn't matter how I feel. It matters how I act.

For as long as I can remember, I have sung this chorus:

To be like Jesus
To be like Jesus
All I ask— to be like Him
All through life's journey
From earth to glory
All I ask— to be like Him.

So how can I be like Jesus? God says, "I'm glad you asked. I wrote about that, too."

"For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls."
1 Peter 2:21-25

I should follow in His steps. I cannot tell you how many times since I committed that passage to memory that I quote the little phrase "but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously."

So I uncross my arms. I relax the scowl. I unball my fists. I drop my shoulders. And I surrender to the Shepherd and Bishop of my soul.

Whatever It Takes
by Lanny Wolfe

verse 1
There’s a voice calling me
From an old rugged tree
And His whispers draw closer to me
Leave this world far behind
There are new heights to climb
And a new place in me you will find

chorus
For whatever it takes to draw closer to you Lord
That’s what I’ll be willing to do
For whatever it takes to be more like you
That’s what I’ll be willing to do

verse 2
Take the dearest things to me
If that’s how it must be
To draw me closer to thee
Let the disappointments come
Lonely days without the sun
If through sorrow more like you I become

For whatever it takes to draw closer to you Lord
That’s what I’ll be willing to do
For whatever it takes to be more like you
That’s what I’ll be willing to do
I’ll trade sunshine for rain
Comfort for pain
That’s what I’ll be willing to do
For whatever it takes for my will to break
That’s what I’ll be willing to do.

Thanks, Terri.

A Blogging Break

2010-04-25T19:20:00.002-06:00

I'm not sure if it's the end of school, if it is spring fever, or if it is something else entirely. All I know is I've mentally hit a brick wall. I haven't had anything nice to say for some time and it's time I did some inward reflection to correct that. Remember the old saying, "if you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all"? Well, I need to take a break and rethink some priorities. It may be only for a day. It may be for a week. I don't know.
I know this is no controversial blog. It's mainly just a way to keep cute pics of my family out there for other family and friends to see. But, it is something that takes up time. So, for just awhile, I need to use the time I would normally spend on the computer to be productive.
See ya later, friends!

Easter

2010-04-07T13:53:00.001-06:00

What a lovely day! Perfect weather for a beautiful family!

Trip to Pigeon Forge/Gatlinburg

2010-04-05T11:35:00.005-06:00

I have had an extremely stressful last few weeks and I desperately needed to 'get away' from it all! At first, I was hoping mom would come to our house and visit. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized I really needed to just get out of town. So after throwing around a few different options, mom came up with the idea of meeting in Pigeon Forge for a few days. We arrived on Sunday and left on Wednesday. We had a really great time. We went to Wonderworks, which is somewhere the kids have been dying to go to every Thanksgiving when we go there, but never have had time to do. It turned out to be a really neat place and I'm glad we finally satisfied our curiosity about it! We also went to the aquarium in Gatlinburg. It was absolutely fabulous! We also did some indoor swimming at the hotel, some shopping for Easter clothes at the outlet malls, and lots of eating! It was a really fun time. Just the right prescription for my ailments!

This was at the end of our visit to the aquarium. We were fortunate to be able to catch the workers feeding the sharks. It was very interesting and cool to watch!

The aquarium had a moving sidewalk that went underneath the huge, huge tank where sharks, turtles, and all kinds of fish swam. The tunnel seemed to go on forever! It was amazing!

The wonderworks building is built to look totally upside down. And when you walk in the parking lot, you hear a really loud creaking noise like the building is going to fall. My children have been totally entranced by this every time we visit. When Savannah was really small, we would always try our best to direct her attention to the other side of the road when we passed by this building. Otherwise, we would never hear the end of her talking about the 'upside down building'. I'm glad we finally bit the bullet and went inside!

Old Pictures

2010-03-24T08:33:00.003-06:00

One of the cool things about the modern age of computers is being able to download pictures from miles away. One of my favorite things to do has always been to sit with someone older and dig through all their old pictures while they tell me all the stories that go with them. I found these old pictures from my mom, who found them from her cousin, who found them from her mom. Or something like that.
Regardless of where I found them, it's nice to see pictures of my grandmother (aka Goochie). The first one is of her and her sister, Mama Ote, and her brother, Tip. The second is Goochie and her sister on the front porch of the house in Mississippi. Now that I am older and live in the northern portion of the United States (boo), I realize now how funny all my family names may seem. But in the south, those funny names are just normal. Names like, Mama Ote, Tip, Bunny, PeeWee, and Cooter. Ok, call me redneck, but a nickname is special to us southerners!
These pictures bring back many happy childhood memories spent in the hot Mississippi summers. Memories of one stoplight towns, tractors, swimming holes, hide and seek in the cemetery, canning vegetables and games galore. Ahh, to be young again!

All I really need to know about life I learned from The Cosby Show

2010-03-08T16:04:00.005-06:00

Ok, so not really. But honestly, who can't say that there are some valuable lessons that can be learned from Cliff and Claire Huxtable. And I know there are lots of things on tv. I'm not going to lie. I like to watch tv. But one of my all time favorite shows is The Cosby Show. I know you've seen the show. Here is one of my favorite clips. The show in itself is filled with lots of funny things that always make me laugh. It's like a tv show is supposed to be. But the more I watch it as an adult, the more I find that there are so many lessons I need to teach my kids! Here are a few things I've learned from Cliff and Claire Huxtable:

1. In today's society, we have let the children run the household. We believe every little thing they tell us. Many kids are lazy and they tell us so many stories and excuses that parents today don't even question their motives! So number one lesson, is that kids are liars and lazy. Don't trust them!

2. Children need to be challenged. Don't let them settle for half-way. If it's a job worth doing, then it's a job worth doing right. I remember learning as I was growing up that "It is a sin to do less than your best." You might have to work harder at something than someone else, but hard work DOES pay off!

3. Have fun! Don't let life get you down. We focus on all the hard things and we forget to have fun along the way.

A fun day out!

2010-03-01T14:38:00.003-06:00

This weekend we had one of those rare days where together, as a family, we went out and had fun! I know that sounds strange, but normally when we go out it is for errands and such. But Saturday, we decided we needed something different. And I'm glad we did. We started out by going putt-putt. There is an indoor course here and Toyota was sponsoring free golf for it's employees. So we took advantage of it. Neither of our children have ever been. We've been waiting until they got big enough to actually enjoy it. And enjoy it, they did! Caden, especially loved it. Then we played some video games there. After putt-putt, we went to McDonalds (kids choice, of course). We actually went inside and sat down! After McDonald's, we went and used our free Krispy-Kreme donut valentines that Savannah and I had received from school. Yum! And then, we topped the day off with a trip to PetSmart. Just to look. The kids love to go there and check out all the animals.
So there you have it. A day in the life of the Darnell family!

I'm taking stock in Sephora

2010-02-22T13:02:00.003-06:00

My new favorite store in the mall is Sephora. I know that may surprise many of you. Because while I like nice clothes, shoes and purses, I've never been one to really "go all out". I do like to look nice, and I think that is important. However, I am also cheap. So anything super nice that I do have, it has mostly been given to me or I have found it on a really good sale. But despite all my cheapness, one thing I've never squandered on, is make-up. And, I don't even wear that much of it. Just the basic stuff. No smoky eyes, plumpy lips, or special effects. Just the basics, ma'am.
Recently, I ran out of my nice make-up that I had currently been using. It's by Urban Decay. I really like it, but due to my current acne-filled face, I needed something with better coverage. On that desperate day, besides being cheap, I was also lazy. So instead of going to the mall, I headed to Wal-Mart. Big mistake. I spent what seemed like an eternity looking over all the brands hoping for some heavenly beam to shine down on exactly what I needed. The light never came, so I chose what I thought would be my best bet. Nope. Not even close. In fact, when I came to school the next day after getting my new, cheap make-up, one of my students said, "Boy, Mrs. Darnell, you look pale and sickly today." Thanks.
So for the past two weeks, I have been mixing all of my almost-empty containers of make-up to make-do until I get new stuff.
FInally this weekend, Chad drove me to the mall and practically pushed me out of the van. "GO GET SOME MAKE-UP", he said as I rolled out of the van and onto the sidewalk. I think he was tired of hearing me complain.
And so $125 later, I come out with all new, nice, better coverage make-up as well as a new skin care set for my acne. After some advice from one of their well-trained associates, I decided on Make Up Forever and the acne set from Murad. We'll see if it works. One of the other things I love about Sephora is the fact that they are very liberal with their return policy. They will take back just about anything, even if it is halfway used. Because we all know everyone's skin reacts differently to make-up.
And so, despite being lazy and cheap, I still love that store. You should go there, because make-up can be your best friend or your worst enemy. Trust me, I know.

Rudy and Water

2010-02-15T11:29:00.002-06:00

In this first picture, you will notice a nice clean glass bowl. In this bowl is fresh, filtered water from the refrigerator door.

In this next picture, you will find a bathtub filled with about one inch of not-so-clean water. In this water is dirt, dust and random pieces of hair. You will also find a cat, who hates getting baths, standing in the inch of water to get his fill of drink.

Why, oh, why does the cat prefer to drink nasty water out of the dirty bathtub, a dirty toilet or straight from the bathroom sink? Cats are so stupid.

The Perfect Teacher

2010-02-03T08:51:00.002-06:00

The perfect teacher I am not. But do I love my kids? Absolutely. Do I yell occasionally? Of course! They'd probably worry if I didn't. My life as an elementary school teacher is not all about imparting knowledge. It's also about helping children become good citizens and neighbors. I try to help them get along with one another, learning about other cultures, and helping them adjust to their life at school. Sometimes I feel I have a great deal of responsibility, an enormous task, and a task that is not always appreciated by others. My life can be very stressful, dealing with children and helping the parents to understand what is happening in their child's life at school.
At times, I feel overwhelmed by being a teacher and a mom. But, I know that in the end it is what I was called to do. It's my job and I love it!

Keep your mouth shut!

2010-02-01T09:03:00.004-06:00

Did you know talking behind someone's back is bad? I know that, but learned the lesson the hard way. Last week, I said some harsh truths that really didn't need to be heard. Sometimes critical things are best left unsaid. I have no idea if the person ever actually heard me, but just the same I felt guilty. The fact that everything I said was true does not justify my bad behavior. And so, I've learned my lesson and will move on.

What is it with schools and smells?

2010-01-28T13:25:00.000-06:00

As an elementary school teacher, I am amazed at the smells my nose is assaulted with everyday. You name it, I've smelt it. Wow. I sure don't get paid enough at this job. I can't possibly keep working in this type of environment. Oh, wait. I love them. Stinky or not, kids are awesome. I guess I can put up with it after all. Just hand me the air freshener and some germ-x and I'll be fine.

The Pioneer Woman Cooks!

2010-01-27T08:50:00.002-06:00

Just ordered this cookbook last week and received it in the mail yesterday. I love it! I first saw her blog several months ago. I really enjoy reading her posts and she has some really neat recipes. The cookbook is full of beautiful pictures, stories and of course, recipes. If you are looking for fancy cooking and a wide array of recipes, you won't find it in this book. But what you will find is lots of charm and an easy book to sit down and read (and even cook from!).

What goes around, comes around

2010-01-22T22:27:00.002-06:00

You know, that saying is a very scary thought. Let's say I plant a field of wheat. But I like corn. There's a LOT of corn in Indiana. So I decide to put out signs around my field that state I planted corn. I tell all my neighbors how well my crop of corn is coming along. I start making corn labels for all the canning I'll do when it's ready to harvest. However, it doesn't matter what I do, it ain't gonna come up corn. I planted wheat, so wheat is what I'll get.
Wow, people. What are we doing to our children today? We come to church all prettied up and talk the right talk and walk the right walk. But we sure don't live it. When things don't go our way we treat others so spitefully. We disrespect authority right in front of our children. We believe them before we believe the teacher. We are hateful and backbiters. Why is it we expect our children to come up roses when we are just planting seeds of hate and discontent in them?
Raising children is one of the hardest jobs in the world. Don't let televison, cell phones, computers, and all the other distractions in today's society get in the way of rearing your children. Spend time with them. And I mean actual time. Sit down with them and play a game with them. Read them a book. Talk about their day. Pray with them. Pray FOR them. Read YOUR Bible. We are becoming the remnants. But we can still be beautiful. We can still shine.

Snow Fun!

2010-01-08T14:52:00.001-06:00

Snow Day

2010-01-07T10:55:00.001-06:00

Today is our first snow of the winter season. It has been very cold for the past few weeks. I kept saying, if it was going to be this cold, it at least ought to snow! And last night, it finally did. As of right now, we only have about two inches. But it is still coming down lightly. I imagine when all is said and done, we will have had about 4 inches. The bad part is is it is very cold and windy, so if the kids go out and play, it is only for about 10 minute increments. The good part is there is no school! I know we'll have to make it up, but for me, a snow day is like Christmas morning all over again!

Revive us Again in 2010!

2010-01-03T17:26:00.002-06:00

Christians today need a fresh vision of God. Almost without our realizing it, a spiritual myopia has afflicted us; we are not seeing life clearly because we do not see God clearly. A right perspective on God gives us the right perspective on everything else -- life, work, money, service, relationships, and so on.
The reason our problems often seem overwhelming is because we allow the things of time to loom larger in our gaze than the things of eternity. The tiniest of coins, when held close to the eye, can blot out the sun. Seeing God clearly will enable us to see all other things clearly.
Read through Isaiah Chapter 6. When King Uzziah died, a period of darkness descended on Judah. In the midst of this spiritual despondency Isaiah was given a vision of the Lord high and lifted up. We look up at God only when something happens that knocks us flat on our backs. How sad that sometimes earthly securities have to be removed before we can see the glory of Him who sits upon the throne! The sooner we learn to make God our security the better, for we are going to face some dark and difficult days ahead. But remember, every kingdom is shakeable except the kingdom of God. Be assured of this: Christians are people who belong to an unchanging God and who dwell in an unshakeable kingdom. God allows some kingdoms to be shaken so that we might discover the unshakeable kingdom of God. God's Word is the only thing we can trust today. God is King! Crown him again in your heart.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-03T17:12:00.003-06:00

Here's a link to the album from our trip to Florida over Christmas. We had a really good visit with my family. Everyone seemed to have a great time. I just wish we were closer so that we could visit with them more often. It always is a little stressful when you try to pack in four months worth of visiting in one week!
Just a tip for viewing the seventeen pictures, if you go to the bottom and check the small box that says select all, then go to the top right and click the red slideshow button, it makes for better viewing!

2009-12-22T21:44:00.002-06:00

Well, Christmas is here again! This year has flown by! I can't believe how quickly the end of the year is upon us. Here are a couple of pictures from the school's Christmas play. Savannah played Mary. She was so proud of herself due to the fact that she actually had a speaking part (she had four lines). She did a great job!
I also included a picture of the kids in front of the tree. I really didn't do as much decorating as I have done in the past. No real good reason for that, other than laziness. Well, I do have one reason. We are in the middle of redecorating the living room and kitchen, so the furniture is a little out of place right now. I'll blame my laziness in decorating on that!
We are off to Florida again this year to see Dad, who is home on his short leave from Iraq. I'm so excited to get to see him! I'll post some more when we return.

My new favorite blog

2009-12-10T13:26:00.004-06:00

I enjoy perusing through other people's blogs. There are a few, though, that evoke such strong emotion in me. This new blog I found is one of them. It is VERY funny! When you get a minute, you should look through it! Cake Wrecks: When professional cakes go horribly wrong!

Pictures of the Kids

2009-12-01T22:08:00.003-06:00

Last weekend, I had pictures made of the kids for Christmas cards. It's been a year since I had them done, so I figured it was about time. My friend down the street, Adrienne, is a photographer (among many other things). She is an amazing, talented woman. And since I am too lazy to actually post pictures myself (see previous post), you can go to her site to see just a few of them (along with some of her other amazing photos). I have about 90+ pictures to go through and choose from, so I guess I'd better get cracking!

What we've been doing...

2009-11-28T13:37:00.003-06:00

I realize it's been a while since I've posted. And it's not that we've been overly busy or that I've had nothing to post. I guess it's I'm just plain lazy. I wish I could find an easier way to post. Maybe if I could click the picture in my mind and think about what I'm to write, then somehow transfer it from my head straight to the computer without all the leg work inbetween the two. Let me know what you come up with.
So here's what we have been up to:
1. Chad's brother got married. Very exciting! After 13 years, we had about lost hope for him. However, in less than a year he found the one! Jeff and Debbie have known each other for awhile. But, after Debbie got divorced last year, the two of them just seem to hit it off. It happened quite fast, but we couldn't be happier for the two of them!
2. Chad's birthday. Yes, that's right. He is officially 38 now. And old man for sure!
3. Christmas decorations. Last year at this time, Chad was in Japan so we never really got to put any up. But this year we talked him into it!
So, there you have it. All the excitement over the past three weeks and much more to come!

Caden is Four Years Old!!!

2009-11-09T08:54:00.005-06:00

We had family over for his birthday. For the birthday dinner, Caden requested spaghetti and meatballs. The kids were a mess by the time we finished!

Caden picked a Cars cake for his birthday! He still loves Lightning McQueen!

One of the many presents he got.

My boy is growing up!!!

On November 10, 2005, our power was out from a tornado that had happened on four days previous. I was humongous pregnant and my doctor mercifully helped me out of my misery by admitting me to the hospital for a c-section. A few hours later, my 8 lb. bouncing baby boy was born. I remember hearing his first cry and it was the sweetest sound I had ever heard. I saw his perfectly round head and remember thinking he was the most beautiful baby boy I'd ever seen. A few minutes after he was born, I watched his big sister hold him and his daddy wrap his arms around the both of them. I don't think I'd ever been that happy than at that very moment.
Over the next several months (which seemed like an eternity) we had many ups and downs. Mostly downs, due to the colic, but it was still a precious time, nevertheless. Now he is growing into a boy. He is no longer a baby. Here are a few things that Caden does now:
He RUNS everywhere! He doesn't walk, skip or jump. It is all or nothing with him.
He sings ALL the time. He sings songs from church, songs from the radio, songs he makes up. He sings!
He loves his big sister. He always has. They do have disagreements from time to time, but more times than not, they get along wonderfully!
He is somewhat of a picky eater. Every meal begins with: "I don't like this". And then, he ends up eating every bite. He goes in waves right now, he'll eat like a pig for a few days and then go for a week, eating like a bird.
He is starting to mimic everything his dad does. He likes helping Chad, especially when there are tools involved!
He can name almost every car that goes down the highway. "Look, there's a Toyota Tundra! There is a Ford Mustang! Look, there is a Chevy truck!"
And lastly, he likes anything with an engine. Trains, planes, automobiles, boats, etc. If it goes, he goes with it! That is the true Mattheiss coming out in him!

Jefferson’s 10 Rules – Wisdom to Apply in “Practical Life”

2009-11-05T10:54:00.002-06:00

Today, my fourth grade class had a reading assignment that lists ten rules Thomas Jefferson believed were essential for leading a fulfilling life. I don't know where I have been the past 30 something years, but I had never seen these before! I didn't know what I was missing! According to the book they were reading, these were compiled at the request of a father who had named his baby son Thomas Jefferson Smith. They were pared down somewhat from an earlier list Jefferson sent to his granddaughter, Cornelia Jefferson Randolph.

It occurred to me as I saw this list, that this type of accumulated life wisdom – particularly from a mind as sharp and disciplined as Jefferson’s – is something I ought to remember and then share! So, here are Jefferson’s 10 Rules, which he described as a “decalogue of canons for observation in practical life.”

1. Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today.
2. Never trouble another for what you can do yourself.
3. Never spend your money before you have it.
4. Never buy what you do not want just because it is cheap.
5. Pride costs us more than hunger, thirst and cold.
6. We never repent of having eaten too little.
7. Nothing is troublesome that we do willingly.
8. How much pain have cost us the evils which have never happened.
9. Take things always by their smooth handle.
10. When angry, count ten, before you speak; if very angry, then count hundred.

Certainly these words apply as well today as they did in Jefferson’s time – or any other time, for that matter.

Halloween '09

2009-11-03T20:52:00.001-06:00

I've never been one of those crafty people who come up with the cutesy costumes. I wish I was, but it just doesn't happen! So, we settled for a Japanese Princess and Spiderman. The kids loved it and that is really all that matters, right?

2009-10-28T17:00:00.002-06:00

While my Mom was visiting us this past weekend, she told Caden if he didn't eat that he would shrink. Being the somewhat picky eater that he is and being only three years old, he believed her. I haven't said much about it, but Savannah has really played it up with him. He is convinced if he doesn't eat he will shrink. I guess I won't say any different. I mean, he IS eating....So I decided to try and catch a little of it on the camera. He has never eaten quite like this, though!

A quick trip to French Lick

2009-10-26T16:18:00.001-06:00

This weekend, my Mom came to visit us. I was so glad to be able to see her! She told me before she came up here that she wanted to do something different. So, I began looking on the internet for something different! I remembered hearing about some interesting things at French Lick Resort in French Lick, Indiana. At the resort, they have a casino. But we don't gamble. However, the resort is a beautiful place that is loaded with history. We were able to swim and eat at a really neat restaurant. The next day we visited a train depot that is next to the resort. So we were able to take a ride on the train. While on the train, they do a staged robbery. We really enjoyed our time away. It was the perfect time of year to go with all the fall colors. I'm so glad we decided to go!

A cold, rain-shortened pumpkin patch trip!

2009-10-16T15:26:00.003-06:00

Our first attempt to go to the pumpkin patch last week was cancelled due to heavy rain. This one, we were bound and determined to make sure happened. While is was cloudy and cold, we were determined to tough it out and go. It was a cold 45 degrees when we left (normal high for this time of year is 69). Once we got there it began to lightly mist and rain. So we skipped the corn maze and the tour of the property and just took a quick hayride to the pumpkin patch! We ate our lunch in the barn with many different types and sizes of pumpkins, gourds and squashes. Just seeing the pumpkins and the tractors and the barn cats made it fun for all the kids. Usually, this is one of my favorite trips to make. Unfortunately, this visit was not one of them. I would, however, like to go back to Goebel Farm. It seemed to be a really neat place!

Various Stuff

2009-10-10T21:30:00.004-06:00

We got out all the fall decorations a few weeks ago. Fall is my favorite time of year! I especially love it here in Indiana where the trees actually change colors. While we don't get as many beautiful colors that the people more north do, it is still more than we got in Florida!
Of course one thing that comes with fall is the changing of the wardrobes. As with all children who are growing normally, they need new wardrobes every season just about! Thankfully, Chad has gotten some overtime and the bit of extra money has helped to supply those new clothes!
We are doing good. Settling into a routine now that school is in full swing. We've been dodging the sick bullet. Both kids have had a cold so far, but neither has been worthy of a doctor visit. And for that, we are truly thankful! Hopefully it will keep up. It seems everywhere I read or every news story I see on TV is about sickness! Keep away!
Lastly, and not really that important, I included a picture of a bug. The kids found it outside and I thought it was interesting. So, of course, I took a picture of it. It is a rather cool picture if you click to see the full image. You can see a drop of water on it where the kids were trying to drown it!

Ladies Day Out

2009-10-04T20:07:00.002-06:00

Saturday, several ladies from church got together and went to Nashville, Indiana in Brown County. I had never been there before, but have always wanted to go. It is a little early for the leaves to be changing, but I still enjoyed seeing all the amazing shops, inns, fall decorations and such. It would be such a neat place to go back and spend more time there. I'd love to stay at one of the inns and then wander through all the alleys where neat little shops are tucked away. The whole atmosphere was so quaint and 'movie like'.
The picture is me with my friend, our co-Pastor's wife, Debbie. We found these glasses at one of the handbag shops. Long live the 80's! I wish I had taken my camera. There were so many things I would have loved to photograph!

I'm so proud of my Dad!

2009-09-27T19:16:00.002-06:00

This deployment for Dad has been especially interesting. It's amazing the technology advances that make keeping in touch so much easier. Mom, Dad, Mark and I all have webcams so we've been able to talk to him on a weekly basis. The kids really enjoy seeing him and it makes me feel good being able to talk to him. He talks to Mom almost every night and I know that makes her feel better.
The last deployment he was in a safer area (Kuwait), but this time he is actually in Iraq and is right in the middle of everything. So I know he is in more danger. Seeing him on the camera makes our relationship much sweeter knowing all the turmoil around him. I love my Dad and hope you will keep him, as well as all the other troops, in your prayers!

2009-09-12T12:22:00.002-06:00

I got a new computer! Our other computer was upwards of seven years old, so it was definitely time for a new one! We had upgraded the hard drive about three years ago, but it still was a dinosaur! And so, after much consideration and lots of studying, I decided on buying an iMac. I have never heard anyone say anything negative about Macs. And so I decided to drink the kool-aid and see what all the fuss was about. We got it in on Thursday and then our good friend, Ryan, came over and helped us set it up and gave us good tutorial to get us started. I absolutely LOVE this thing! Can't wait to play around with it and become more familiar with all the features so I can put it to good use!

Just Pictures....

2009-09-08T17:45:00.002-06:00

You have to click on this picture to make it bigger. You can see the drops of dew on the web. I found this web in the backyard on Tuesday morning. It had been built overnight. Such a neat picture!

Caden got his haircut this weekend. Chad fixed it just right for church Sunday morning. While he was waiting for us to get ready he was walking around with his hands in his pocket. He looked so grown up so I had to get a picture!

Conversations with Caden

2009-09-03T07:51:00.001-06:00

"Mom, are you thinking what I'm thinking?"

"I don't know, Caden. What are you thinking?"

"I'm thinking about pennies."

"Really? What about pennies?"

"I am thinking about one penny."

"What about one penny?"

"I swallowed it."

"Why did you swallow a penny, Caden?"

"I don't know, but now my belly hurts!"

Don't you hate it when....

2009-09-02T17:21:00.002-06:00

Our brand new, plasma, 50 inch, Samsung TV broke last week. It has been Chad's pride and joy since we got it. And, while I hate to admit it, I've enjoyed it myself. Our old TV broke this summer. Chad never even checked to see if could be fixed, he'd been itching for a new TV for some time.
So the new one went to the shop (thank the Lord for warranties) and the part needed won't be in until next week. But this weekend is the worst time of all for a TV to break. We have a couple of reasons to be upset. For one, this weekend marks the beginning of college football season! I root for Florida State, Chad's team is Notre Dame. I LOVE football season. It is that time of year where on Saturdays, we open all the windows and let the cool air in. We spend all day going in and out of the house and keep the TV blaring to check all the scores.
The second reason that this is a bad weekend is a race comes on Sunday night. Night races are my favorite! Sounds kinds of sad, I guess. But this family loves their sports! While we can still watch them on our little 19 inch TV in our bedroom, it just won't be the same!

On another note, Caden has had a runny nose for the past week. Last night he started running a fever, so I guess we'll be making a trip to the doctor tomorrow. He's been laying in my bed watching TV and he keeps calling to me every five minutes, "Mom! Am I still sick?" The three year old little boy NEVER slows down. So, when he stays in one spot longer than five minutes, you know something is not right.

Space and Rocket Center Field Trip

2009-08-29T09:57:00.002-06:00

One good thing about a small school, is you get to do many things that you couldn't normally do with a larger school. Thursday after school, we left for Huntsville, Alabama. We arrived at the Space and Rocket Center and spent the night and the whole day Friday there. There were so many neat things we got to do. Even if you are not interested in space or astronauts, it was a very cool trip. There were a few things we got to do that normal visitors don't get to do. And there are even more things that week long space campers get to do that we didn't get to do. Between the IMAX, exhibits, rides, games, lab activiites and food we had an awesome time!

Savannah's First Day of School

2009-08-18T16:44:00.003-06:00

So, the first day of school was successful! Savannah was leary at first and wasn't ready to go back (although, neither was I), but once she (and I) got there, she (and I) were fine. I think she will make an excellent second grader.
We had a brief discussion about making friends and not being bossy. And she told me she had already made up her mind she was going to "cut out all the nonsense" (her words). I told her I hoped she could keep it up for a long time and she said, "Nah, Mom, it'll probably only last a week". Well, at least she is honest.
Notice the spot on her jumper. What would a picture be of Savannah if she didn't have a stain on her clothes? How it happens, I'll never know. Between eating cereal and a banana and then brushing her teeth she somehow manages to get her clothes dirty. Amazing.
She also got 'cool' knee socks that she just had to have a picture of. And then, of course, we had to get a real Savannah pose. I love this girl!

2009-08-15T14:14:00.002-06:00

This was my Goochie. Her name was Sarah Louise Hopkins. She would have been 100 years old today! She died in 1999. She was an amazing woman who loved her family and always wanted to help them. She lived with us for several years up to her death. I have some very good memories of her and she is missed!

Things that make me mad

2009-08-14T10:31:00.001-06:00

I spent a whole month on three major projects at school. My computer was acting up, so to be on the safe side, I moved everything to a flash drive. However, after my computer was fixed, I never moved those files back to the computer. And now, my flash drive is dead. D. E. A. D. I tried it on four different computers and it doesn't work. Waaaaaa! All that work down the toilet. Back to square one.

Blogging Break

2009-08-11T17:53:00.004-06:00

All the grandkids (from left): Brody, Caden, Tabitha, Savannah

Caden and Chad coming in from their ride.

Savannah and Chad on their way out.

The Boys (aka: TROUBLE)

The Girls (one is bossy, the other just follows--can you guess which?)

I have taken an unintended hiatus from my blog. And as I was so sweetly informed by my Aunt Mary Jane, I need to get caught up! I have been SOOO busy at work, I've barely had time to breathe. Since the time we came back from our vacation to Chattanooga, we made some major changes in our school program. We felt these changes were sorely needed as our school was getting to be behind in the times and we needed to bring our kids into the 21st century! And while I have been praying for these changes for at least three years, I wish they would have come about sooner! So that is where I have been. School starts next week, so hopefully things will slow down or fall into routine and I can get back to blogging on a more regular basis.
I'm including some pictures from our last trip to see my cousin, Rick, before he leaves for Iraq. We were able to meet up with my brother and his family while there. The kids were excited to see each other. My Mom came, too and we had a great time swimming and eating (our favorite pastime)!

Skinny Girl, oh Skinny Girl, Where Have You Gone?

2009-07-30T17:25:00.003-06:00

I have been a very blessed woman my entire life. However, the thirties are not being kind to me. It seems my once very active metabolism has come to a complete stop! I have gained more weight in the past ten months than I have in my whole life (pregnancies aside, of course). Not sure why, but I HATE it! So, the past month, I've begun a routine. Running (actually jogging) and biking every other day. I enjoy the bike more, but am trying to keep up with the jogging just to say I am not a quitter! Although, I imagine the people in our subdivision are probably a tad concerned when they see me run by. Between the huffing, red face and sweat they probably think I am about to pass out! I can hear them now, "Should we go help her? Should we call her husband to come get her?"
I miss my skinny days. Sigh!