November 9, 1996

For most, it is just another normal day. For others, it is a day to rejoice in the birth of a new little one. Others yet may remember this day with sadness... perhaps someone was lost. For this girl, however, November 9, 1996 is a day of wonder and surprise and love.

*** CAUTION: Mush ahead. Proceed at your own risk. ***

You see, nine months earlier, I realized something... I was in love with my best friend. Trust me, I tried talking myself out of it... Problem number one, I had decided that I was done with guys... they were all jerks, they would only hurt you... Problem number two, he was five years older than me, and at a couple weeks shy of 17, that is a pretty big age gap. However, there was no talking myself out of it... I KNEW that someday, I would marry him.

On Saturday morning, Batman came to pick me up... We had plans to go hiking. After saying goodbye to my parents, we drove to G------ and parked at the trailhead. We walked down the trail into the gorge to the foot of a beautiful waterfall. There, he sat me down and proceeded to hike BACK up to the car. Someone "forgot the camera." Whether he ever actually brought down the camera, I don't know... I absolutely cannot remember. When he did return, he knelt in front of me, and held out a little black box. I remember thinking, "what on earth is he DOING?!?!" He opened the box, looked me in the eye, and asked, "E, will you be my princess forever?"

* Quick side note for anyone wondering why on earth I would think I am a princess... Read that question again. I'll wait. Ready? Good. Moving on.*

It took a moment for all of it to sink in. My initial split second thought was, "this must be fake, he's teasing me, this is just practice.....," but then reality set in... As much as reality can set in at that moment, anyhow. With tear filled eyes, I told him yes, with all my heart, I'd marry him.

That was fourteen years ago today. We've had our good times and our struggles, our sunny days and our dark nights. One thing that is certain: Batman, I love you with all my heart and I'd marry you all over again. Thanks for being a good man, a good husband and my best friend.

Train up a child....

The Girl's Language work today had the following directions:

On a separate sheet of paper, use each of the following words in a declarative sentence:

princess
rose
wish
castle

For "princess"... (wait, I need a moment to compose myself and wipe the tear from my eye. I am SO PROUD......)

Ok... The Girl wrote:

"I am a princess."

Yes, my love, you are. I am so glad that all the girlie training is paying off. You are a girl after your momma's own heart. Would you like to go to the salon later? We could paint our nails this afternoon with matching colors if you'd like.....

Changing Seasons

My house smells like cinnamon.

I know, that is a strange introduction after an absence nearly three months long. What can I say? I've been wrapped up in my love affair with summer - with the sun and the warmth, with flip flops and polka dots, with garden fresh veggies and all things grilled. Despite the love and enjoyment of this summer, I have to admit, every time I've looked at this page, I have had ZERO inspiration. Don't fret, I still have been stopping at your pages. I haven't been ignoring everything. :)

Now I am ready to settle back in, bake, soak in the heat from the wood stove, and find some inspiration to blog. Bean-bag school is in session and routine is back. All of us at the "Guthrie homestead" are looking forward to what is in store for us this season. What I heard from the littles today while they did school is perfect:

"But God's plans are not always the same as man's plans."

I'm glad His plans are not mine. He is far more creative and caring (and all knowing!!) than I am. Here's to new seasons, God's bigger plans, and the beauty of autumn.

I am...

I am Batman's wife.
I am The Boy's and The Girl's mom.
I am an EMT.
I am F-town's ambulance captain.
I am a daughter.
I am a sister.
I am a best friend.
I am an aunt.
I am a girlie-girl.
I am my Daddy's child - the Father's little girl, apple of His eye.

Why isn't that last one first? Of the myriad of things that I identify myself as, why isn't the most important first on the list? Here's a story I can relate to, and maybe you can as well....

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!"

"Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." - Luke 10:38-42.

Martha spend so much time being a good hostess (another identifier I strive for) that she misses it, yet Mary sits at His feet. She laid everything else aside. God said that her time at His feet was NEEDED. It's not just something nice to do, it is a necessity. Priorities.

My heart wants to get it all lined up the right way, but my persistance to get it done? Well, that's not really my strong suit. I read Luke 11:9-13 - ask, SEEK, knock - then jumped up a couple verses and read. This is when I seemed to "get it" a little more. This clicked for some reason.

Then he said to them, "Suppose one of you has a friend, and he goes to him at midnight and says, 'Friend, lend me three loaves of bread, because a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have nothing to set before him.'

"Then the one inside answers, 'Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children are with me in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs.

"So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened." - Luke 11:5-10

I say to my friends, "call me anytime you need me - even if it's the middle of the night!!" And I do mean it. Really. But, in all reality, they will probably have to be pretty persistent about it. They'll have to call at least twice. My phone is in the living room - far far away from my sleeping head so my brain cells don't fry, but close enough to hear through a sleep induced fog. Probably. So, this little excerpt in Luke about Friend A going to Friend B's house at midnight grabbed me. That act in itself is pretty persistent. I can't picture myself showing up on your doorstep at midnight needing something. Eight or nine o'clock and needing a place to crash, you bet! Midnight, not so much. BUT, if I did get that far, I imagine that I'd keep banging on the door til I got my answer, just like Friend A did on Friend B's door. And, "I tell you, though he will not get up and give him the bread because he is his friend, yet because of the man's boldness he will get up and give him as much as he needs." ... Immdediately following that verse is God's instruction to ask - keep asking, SEEK, by all means, keep seeking! Keep knocking. Persistence may not be everything, but it sure is a lot.

Did you screw up or falter today? Pick yourself back up, dust yourself off and keep seeking. He WILL be found. That much I do know.  I am The Father's daughter, and I will seek Him.

Lesser Lovers

Recently, God has been speaking to us about our time, our hearts, and our affections. A dear friend was in town and cautioned us about having "lesser lovers." Lesser lovers?!?! What?!

Reading, surfing the net (Facebooking!) racing, keeping "house", etc. - there is nothing wrong with any of these activities, but when they become more important than my time and relationship with God, they are out of order - they are lesser loves. Not one of them is even remotely as worthy as God, but taking my time and attention and affection nonetheless. This morning I picked up my devotions and read this:

Again

I've been reading through the book of judges - or rather, reading a chapter now and then as time and memory allow (you know how it goes) - and recently the opening line of chapter 13 got my attention: "Again the Israelites did evil in the Lord's sight..." It was the again that jumped out at me. Obviously there was a pattern developing there, but I'd been reading the book so slowly that I'd lost track of the thematic thread.

So, I skimmed back through Judges from the beginning and realized what I'd been missing was a phrase that's used over and over to introduce each new episode - "Again the Israelites did evil" (see Judges 3:7, 12; 4:1-2; 6:1; 10:6-8; etc.) - always paired with this curios little phrase: "So the Lord handed them over to [insert enemy here]." This is significant. The point isn't just that the Israelites kept messing up. The point is that every time they did, they lost their freedom.

How many agains are to be encountered in our lives? We turn away, and God steps in and helps us - He brings people into our lives who tell us the truth, for example - and for awhile we repent and attempt to get ourselves on track. But then the material attractions of the world glitter before our eyes, or we receive the attentions of popular people, and before long we are no long interested in spiritual things but start chasing after the things of this world. Again is a lifestyle, an ongoing pattern of resistance to the living God. And it's not without consequences: Sooner or later He turns us over to the things we crave. He hands us over to other masters who do not love us - to what we thought we wanted.

Are material possessions what you're chasing after? Fine, God says - I'll hand you over to those things until you're a modern-day slave trapped in bondage to credit card debt. Is it sexual pleasure that you crave? Okay, God says - I'll hand you over to every indulgence until you can no longer feel anything at all. Or what about romance? Sure, God says - I'll hand you over to another human being until you experience how similar love can be to hatred in the end. Is it popularity you want? Go for it, God says. I'll hand you over to your heroes until you can no longer speak or breath without needing their permission.

And so on and so forth. How many agains are they re to be in my life before I recognize my worthless idols for what they are?

Judges 13:1

Hmm... What in my life is a lesser lover? What is keeping me from taking that time with my King? What is my "again"? Am I so consumed throughout the week with making my house what I feel it should be? Cleaning, or laundry, or dishes, or school work? Other peoples children? Recouping from the weekend for the first half of the week and preparing for the weekend for the second half? What am I allowing to take precedence over that quiet time with the Father? My time to worship, to listen, to feed, to pray, to draw near to His heart?

I don't want any lesser loves in my life. I want "again" to cease being a lifestyle.

Breaking the Silence

You might be wondering where on earth we have been, and even perhaps if we fell off completely. Fear not, we didn't. I've been right here all along, just feeling rather busy. I definitely have the post on what God has been teaching us all ready and written, but Batman said that it really would be better if our "story" was posted first... Then what God has been speaking would be more pertinent... Since this post hasn't been written and ready, I have to admit, I've been avoiding it. Well, no longer! Here I sit, in the quiet, worship music in the background, gathering my thoughts so you can be brought up to date.

It all started on a Friday evening... Friday, April 9, to be exact.... It went something like this:

Bruce - "Hey, there is a racetrack about an hour away from here. They have practice runs all day tomorrow. We should take the boys and see how they do."

Batman - "Yeah, why not? I'll go home and let the wife know and meet up with you in the morning to head up there."

Bruce - "Sweet. See you latta."

Batman (upon returning home, to me) - "Hey, Chub and I are going to take the Boy and the BFF racing tomorrow."

Me - "Oh, ok. How long will you be gone?"

Batman - "I dunno, probably all day."

Me - "That's fine. The Girl and I will be going with you. I refuse to sit home alone every weekend. I know this is just to check it out, but I know where it's going, and we are a family, so we go as a family."

Batman - "Ok, you can go. I'd rather have you with me anyway."

The next morning, we got up and while I gathered everything together at home, Batman ran downtown to do some errands. When he came home, he informed me that the Boy and the BFF had a sponsor. Wait, what?? They haven't even started yet! Cool, God!!! :D We finished packing up and away we went. The boys had a blast and decided that, yes, they did in fact want to start racing officially. We left Silver Springs and returned home, fell into bed, and awoke V.E.R.Y. E.A.R.L.Y. the next morning to return to Silver Springs by 7:00... AM... Ack!! We looked around at all the campers and decided that staying overnight in a camper really was the way to go... But we didn't have a camper.

That afternoon the brother was at the track watching the Boy race, and commented that we should get a camper. My response was along the lines of not being able to buy one, someone would have to have to give me one. Hear that, God? The next evening, I called him to tell him that in the morning I would be picking up my camper... that had been given to us. Hmmm.... Reason number 7,098,234,987,987,001 why I know God hears my every thought and word.

Batman has wanted to race all of his life, but his parents didn't have the money to put him in it. Since the Boy was an official racer, Batman was REALLY feeling the itch. He hopped on craigslist and found a motorcycle to race... The kid selling it was willing to trade it for a car. Batman had a car that he didn't need or use anymore... Hmmm..... They were in contact with each other and set up a time to meet. He loved the bike and the kid loved the car. Away we went with the bike in the back and we signed Batman up the following weekend.

In order to race, you need riding boots and jersey and pants and chest protector. A friend of ours handed Batman a jersey and pant set. (WHAT?!?!) We found boots and a chest protector for great prices (at first he was borrowing his cousin's). Our whole racing adventure has been a series of things just like that... Sometimes a very big deal to us, and other times something small yet still very tangible. Throughout this journey, we have prayed for God's guidance, direction, and protection, for Him to continue to open the doors if this was the right direction, and to shut it right down if it wasn't. It's good to know when you are on the right track. :)

Taking the Shot

Here's a taste of our new life. The story will follow... Shortly. I promise. :)

The Girl's Observation of the Day

While watching the new baby bunnies out the window with mommy, colors, sizes, and fuzziness levels were all noted. As the babies played and grazed next to their mommy, The Girl made this observation:

"That mommy bunny must have married a Wild One (bunny)."

Yes, dear girl, there are girls in the world that are inexplicably drawn to the Wild Ones. Bunnies included.

Climbing on top of the pile of straw

When one straw falls on you, it is no big deal, but what about when the next one falls, and the next, and the next? Eventually, you can find yourself buried under a pile of straw. One piece is lightweight and small - no big deal, but if you don't brush off and essentially conquer that one piece as it falls, you have the possibility of being buried under it all. Once your are under the pile rather than on top of it, getting back on top can feel like such an insurmountable task. I know. I feel it all too often.

Thankfully, in this great big blog world, encouragement and helpful tools can be found. One blog-buddy has encouraged me and given me helpful tips and ideas, and kept me entertained as well with her own stories of KCF - otherwise known as Kitchen Combat Fatigue. Problem number one - I D.E.F.I.N.I.T.E.L.Y. had KCF. No doubt about it. I firmly believe that you don't have to be an expecting mom to get it. Not even a homeschooling mom. Hey, you probably don't even need to be a mom, or even a homemaker, or married to get Kitchen Combat Fatigue. I imagine that ANYONE that actually COOKS in their kitchen can easily get it. But enough about the requirements. I was worn out, frustrated and downright discouraged in my kitchen. I am not naive enough to think that as soon as our kitchen remodel project is finished, those frustrating feelings will magically disappear. I needed to reevaluate and reassess the goings-on in my kitchen.

Problem number two: I have such a hard time with jobs that you do once (yes, this is an issue in the kitchen as well, but for this part, we are covering the rest of the house), and then no later than the end of the day, you have to do the same job over! Solution one? Buy disposable clothes, and locate a self cleaning bathroom and a robot vacuum cleaner. Back to the real world, though. I am a person of FANTASTIC intentions and plans. Oh yes. I can make a list for anything, make a schedule and hang up a chart for anything, but if I am not remaining on TOP of the little pieces of straw, those lists, schedules and charts do me no good at all. I also have a very difficult time thinking OUTSIDE the box. I think that is why my schedules and plans and charts ALWAYS look the same and ALWAYS end up failing me. Or maybe I am failing them. I am great at the start, but then I falter. Hmm... What is that verse about running the race with perseverance? Yeah...

Spring cleaning "season" has helped me dig out from under the pile, but the last thing I want is Fall to roll around (or worse yet, next Spring) and some of those jobs that are done rarely are back on the list of things that REALLY need to get done, but I am frustrated because they R.E.A.L.L.Y. needed to get done a long time ago. I'd rather just stay consistent with all of it, but is cleaning my ENTIRE living room from the ceiling to the floor and EVERYTHING in-between every Monday really feasible? Not if I intend to cook, do dishes and laundry, and attend to school needs that day as well, it isn't. And I KNOW this, but really, I would LOVE to have my living room - and the dining room - be cleaned that way every single Monday. Then the bathroom on Tuesday, the kitchen on Wednesdays, bedrooms on Thursdays and the bathroom again on Friday. That isn't too much to require of myself, is it? Maybe not if it was a quick dust job, run the vacuum, and make sure everything is straightened, but, I tend to be an all or nothing person. We are either going 100mph or standing still - which is also something I need to work on - slow and steady wins that race. Because I can't keep up that schedule on my terms, I started looking around for not only encouragement because I was honestly feeling like such a failure as a wife and mom, but I needed ideas on how to fix it as well. One day I was visiting Sarah's page and came across her post on how she keeps a clean house. I followed the link she provided and went ahead and grabbed my very own Motivated Moms schedule. (See, I told you I'm a sucker for schedules.) Why did I grab yet ANOTHER schedule? Thinking Outside The Box, people out of the box. See, I can Spring Clean and organize and perfect like nobody's business, but keeping it all together and not getting discouraged or worn out with the day to day maintaining is where I lose it. This new perspective was part of what I needed. (You mean to tell me I don't have to clean the entire room that day? Really??)

The last problem? I'll admit it. Lack of sunshine. This girl desperately needs the sun, and by the time winter is winding down, a few good days of sunny, warm brightness do wonders for my winter blues funk.

So, here I am, on top of my pile of straw. I will continue to put one foot in front of the other, and with the help of The Son, I will "throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let (me) run with perseverance the race marked out for (me)." ~ Hebrews 12:1

Adventures with The Boy

Have I ever said life was dull? No? Didn't think so. Over the last week, the weather has been so accommodating, so The Boy has been able to take his motorcycle out and about. After returning home from a very nice afternoon spent with Grandma and Grandpa, the Aunt, Uncle and cousins and the other Uncles, The Boy got together with his counterpart to go riding. After all, racing season will be upon us soon (next month?!?) and the boys need to practice up.

Around and around they went, engines roaring. First one boy was in front, then the other, then back again. The Boy's best bud went through, then the best bud's cousin. We all looked back up the hill and waited. No Boy. I glanced toward the back of the hill where The Boy should have come down and then around and saw a red clad arm pop up. "He's down!" I cried to Batman. Immediately all the momma-bear instinct in me rose up, while the level head in Daddy instructed me to stay put. He was going for him. See, Daddy knows me all too well. He is completely aware of the fact that I am a competent EMT, but he also knows full well that when it comes to the littles, "Mommy" comes first, and there would be no such thing as a level head. I remained down at the house with our friend, staring up at the hill. M smiled and told me it was ok, Daddy and the Best Bud's daddy were up there. I quickly responded that was great, but it was completely against my nature to stay away. That's my baby up there! The Girl then piped up and informed me that The Boy isn't exactly a baby. Ah, to explain again that no matter how old they are, they will always be my babies and I will always love them and want to protect and shield them and make everything all right. She'll get it someday. :)

When the entourage made it's way down to the house, I pounced. I knew that Daddy had undoubtedly checked every single finger and toe and everything in between, but now it was my turn. After ensuring that nothing was broken, I pulled out the light and checked his eyes. Two beautiful brown eyes. Check. Pupils reacting and equal. Check. We said goodbye to the guys and took The Boy inside and deposited him on the couch.

Suddenly, he began repeating the same phrase OVER and OVER and OVER. We would tell him that he just told us that - ten times - and his response was, "oh, that is probably a problem." Pause. "I had a dream. It was all a dream." *deep breath in. and out.* Boy, you told us that. Ten seconds ago. "I did? I don't remember." Pause. "I had a dream..." Ack! To the car. We knew he had a concussion, but with the repetition, we weren't going to play around. Down to the ER we went. Again.

By the time we got down there, The Boy's head seemed to be on straight again, but getting checked out was still a good idea. Dr. R was on - the same one The Boy saw for his lip, so of course, he was immediately harassed. We promised that this time his helmet had been On. His. Head. The Boy was handed one of those very attractive dresses hospital gowns to wear for the duration. He was checked head to toe again and thumbs up were given. He looked fantastic and was sounding like himself again, but it was one of those "better safe than sorry deals." Afterbreaking his helmet, not remembering a good half-an-hour to forty-five minutes long chunk of time and repeating himself, a scan was definitely in order, so, we sat back to wait for the CAT scan tech.



While we waited, we finally got to the bottom of "the dream." It seems that a month ago or so, The Boy dreamt that he and the Best Bud were out riding and he wrecked and hurt his head. He said that right before he went up the hill, he remembered the dream, but thought that was a funny thing to remember - everything was fine. Hmm... Didn't we JUST talk about this in church that very day? Why, yes, we did! It's all about learning to listen (and follow) that still small voice. We told him that if something like that ever happened again, by all means, LISTEN! That was God speaking into his ear and warning him.

The tech came in and took The Boy away, and we waited. He was brought back after what felt like hours in short order. We were given two thumbs up once again, signed the release papers, and made our way home.

The results of the CAT scan?

Kitty says he's just fine. Incidentally, so do the doctors.

We kept him up until after two in the morning (not supposed to let them sleep for a few/several hours with a concussion), so this morning he is understandably tired.

Other than that, he is no worse for the wear and is ready to jump back on the bike. 'Atta boy. I guess. Helmet? Check. Riding boots? Check. Every.Single.Other. piece of riding equipment? Check. I know one mommy that is quite grateful for the hand of God and for helmets, chest protectors, neck braces, riding gloves, pants and boots. And for a level headed and caring daddy. And for the protecting hand of God. I mentioned that one already? Sorry, I figured it was worth mentioning again. :)

Thought for the day...

"There is no one so good that he can save himself;
Neither is there any so bad that God cannot save him."

~ Unknown

I just realized...

It's almost flip flop season!! :D (Yes, Eye, there IS a chick flail involved here.) Let me just say:

I ♥ FLIP FLOPS. Of every kind. Fancy flip flops, plain flip flops, flat flip flops, heeled flip flops (although, then I think they are technically called "thongs" but it's the same concept, so I love them.) Yes, I even have a flip flop charm necklace from Lia Sophia. I'll admit, Batman thought I'd lost it when I actually bought a flip flop charm, and lots of people see me wearing it, stop, stare, then ask, "um, are you REALLY wearing a single flip flop on a necklace?!" Yes, thankyouverymuch, I am.  Other flip flop lovers see my flip flop necklace and appreciate it just as much as I do.  Flip flops - my warm weather weakness. One of them, anyway.

I love flip flops. And Spring. And Summer. Very very very very much. Just in case you couldn't tell. I know, it is really cold out today, BUT the sun is shining so brightly and the sky is so blue and the clouds are so white and fluffy. The forecast for the weekend? Forty degrees (peeps from the South, don't say a word. This is the beginning of Spring. Forty is SIGNIFICANTLY nicer than ten. Just sayin'.) and SUNNY! It's officially Spring Cleaning season and I L.O.V.E. it! For now I'll only wear my flip flops inside, but it won't be long and they'll be on my feet every. single. day. Amen.

More Winter Fun

Since we are surrounded by beautiful and enormous mounds of snow, I thought today would be the perfect day to post about Batman's ice races. Yes, I said ice races - for the three wheeler (or four wheeler or motorcycle, but since his baby is the three wheeler, that's what he races). Now, since I do my best to never even STEP on ice unless ice skates are on my feet (even then it isn't a pretty picture), the idea of RACING on the ice is a very foreign one to me. To Batman, though, it was something he looked forward to ALL. YEAR. LONG. Literally. As soon as we found out that they were being held on Superbowl Sunday this year (*ahem*, yes, I am playing catch-up, here), we called our friends and rearranged our Superbowl party schedule just a tad so he could still go. The littles and I packed up in the truck with him at some ungodly hour bright and early and away we went!

When we arrived, I was surprised at the number of people there and at the condition and quality of the place that we were at. We were in Podunk Wh---ville! Needless to say, for insurance purposes, we are now members of the Wh---ville Rod and Gun club. Huh. Batman says it would be a perfect place for a summer picnic with friends out by the pond/lake/marsh thing. I hold out that it is a little far from H--- and that we don't have any friends that live there, anyway. As far as using it for the gun club, um.... well.... it isn't like we can't just go out in our own back yard for some target practice. But whatever, I digress. Back to the ice races.

Batman had A BLAST, the kids thought it was terrific, and one of their favorite parts was watching the remote control cars race around the pond. Not kidding. They also loved watching all the vehicles with actual drivers, and the boys made plans to practice up on their motorcycles and enter the races with daddy next year. The Girl, however, held firm. She plans on standing at the edge and watching with mommy. Driving and slipping around in circles on the ice? No, thank you. Watch other idiots adventuresome people do so? Sounds like fun.

The Boy's bike comes home

The Boy L.O.V.E.S. riding. Really, really loves it. He even dreams of racing someday. Mommy will be hiding her eyes supporting him the entire way. Both the Boy and the Girl very gratefully received new dirt bikes two years ago. The Girl is happily keeping hers for one more summer, but the time had come for the Boy to get an upgrade.

So, Mommy and Daddy packed up in the truck and made the trek to PA. Not, mind you, right over the border, PA, but deep into the underbelly of the backwoods, PA. Like, backwoods of Tennessee, underbelly of the backwoods. All of the houses that we saw were either in gated "communities" or had bleached out skulls over the doors. Literally. Upon seeing these... houses.... I realized that we had no cell phone coverage. At. All. It was a tiny bit nerve racking.

We finally made it to the house where we would be purchasing the Boy's new motorcycle, and I was pleasantly surprised and relieved! The owner was not at all like Michael Meyers after all!! *whew* He was, in fact, very kind and refined and definitely knew his motorcycle stuff. As an added bonus, there was not a single skull hanging anywhere on his house. Batman and the homeowner talked motorcycles and racing and motorcycles and racing and more motorcycles for a long time, then we loaded up the Boy's new ride in the back of the truck and headed out. On the way home, I realized we were in the Poconos.

*Note to self: DO. NOT, I repeat DO. NOT! EVER, under any circumstance, hop online and find a "nice cozy get-a-way" with one of those champagne glass hot tubs and heart shaped bed and tell yourself that it would be nice to rent it and go hide away with the hubby. DON'T DO IT.*

Hey, maybe those places really are a nice, romantic get-a-way, but my first impression of the Poconos wasn't fabulous, so I'd really rather just not go back. I'm just sayin'....

Back on the road, we started looking for gas stations with good prices and a snack. Spotting decent prices, we pulled in, filled up, and grabbed a picture or two of the bike so the Boy could enjoy it's journey home. Then, gas in the tank and snacks and coffee in hand, we were underway, headed home!

It was dark when we pulled in, but it didn't stop the Boy from flying out the door, up into the truck bed, and onto his motorcycle. Could you hear his delighted squeals at your house?? In the morning, the bike was brought in to warm up next to the wood stove (no, I am not kidding), where Crumb-Crumb checked it out, ensured that it was a Suzuki, and gave his approval.  It was then taken back out, started up, and the boys gave it a spin. Approval ratings? Quite high. Mommy went out in the cold to watch him climb on, but quickly retreated to the house so I didn't have to watch remembered a few very important things that I had to do to get ready for our guests that would be arriving later that evening.

The bike is now home, the Boy has new boots and a chest protector to keep him safe (just so you know, that was Daddy's idea) and the special oil to mix with his gas has been ordered. All we need now is a warm day.

How does he love me? Let me count the ways....

Batman is a great man. He is faithful, he is honest, he is trustworthy. He is a terrific father and he provides for us and cares for us. And let me just say, as husbands go.... W.O.W. Yep, he's pretty terrific.

This man can make me laugh like no other. Sometimes it's a giggle, sometimes a smile and a roll of the eyes, and sometimes the laughter is that deep-down, can't-stop-even-if-you-wanted-to belly laugh.

Batman makes me feel safe. I love the way my hand fits in his... Completely surrounded and covered. He makes me feel beautiful... That look in his eye and little smile he sends me, even when I feel rumpled and frumpy. I feel protected with him. I know that he always has my back and would do anything to make sure I'm safe. I love how tender he can be. People that know him some might scratch their heads at that one and question... Tender?? Absolutely. Time and a place for everything, and he absolutely can be tender, and it always makes me feel so cherished.

The one thing he always said he WOULDN'T do is dishes... He did so many when he was younger that he said he was DONE. That was one of the prerequisites for a wife. One that would do dishes and not consider it her hubby's job. Um... I'm a stay at home wife/mommy. Of course it's my job. But do you know what he is doing right now? I am curled up on the couch with the laptop and the flu (yay) - everything hurts. My fingers are moving and that is about it. He is in the kitchen doing dishes so that I don't have to. The one thing that makes him cringe he is in doing so that I can rest. It may seem like a small thing, but to me, that is huge. I never even asked. He just tucked me onto the couch and disappeared into the kitchen. Batman truly is a great hubby (he would be without the dishes thing, but seriously, that just earned him like a dozen gold stars!)

So, Batman, thank you. Thank you for your love and your tenderness and your humor and your hard work, and most of all today, for serving. I love you and appreciate you more than you can know. I am proud to be your wife.

Stalling and Gaining (Weeks four, five and six)

Oh. Lord. Ack. Dear Father in Heaven, HELP. Amen. Let's just say the last three weeks have not exactly been... productive... in the weight LOSS department. If I was her, I'd get excited... She should now be ahead in the pound-for-pound challenge. By how much? Well, week four, I was at a stand still. Same with week five. Six, on the other hand.... Yeah...... Up 4.2 pounds. Grrrrrreeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaat. I'd love to say it is because we went out on a date. I'd love to attribute it to pizza. Or being tired. Or a multitude of other things. But I need to be real. Yes, those things happened, but I can't make excuses. Those things are just life. I need to be able to follow through even when "life" happens. Otherwise it will just be a yo-yo forever. So, back to square one. Twelve pounds to go. What do you think, E? Can you gain 12 in the next seven months? Ready, set, GO!

Catching up and such

Once again, I've disappeared. Not for an insanely extended amount of time or anything, but long enough for Batman to begin to worry that all our faithful readers will disappear. Ha.

I've just been laying low for the last week or so, feeling very tired. And no, not because the pregnancy epidemic has spread to our house. Rest assured, it has not. I've just been quite pooped. A visit to the doctor (you know, that once-a-year kind. *shudder*) has verified that everything is hunky dory. Weight (*scoffs*), blood pressure, general health... And the normal blood work results to tell about cholesterol and all the other nonsense very important blood level readings - lovely. Every last one of them is lovely. Yay. So why I am so utterly exhausted is still in question. Answers will be forthcoming, soon, we hope.

In the meantime, what I really wanted to say was this:

I love my hubby.  Now that I've said that, allow me to grant you a little window into why:

Growing up, my daddy not only showed my mom how much he loved her, he never hesitated to show me. I grew up with the knowledge that little girls (and grown-up ones, too) are to be cherished, and every Valentine's Day, my dad would do something special for me. The most memorable Valentine's Day for me is February 14, 1997, just four months and three weeks before our wedding.  My dad came in to the house and gave me a bouquet of flowers (don't worry, mom got one, too, and hers were always bigger ;) ). I remember tears in his eyes. I know there were tears in mine. He gave me my flowers and told him they would be his last Valentine's Day present to me. The next year my husband would get to take over.

Batman has done a great job. Not only does he shower me with love, but he has carried on the tradition of showering that love on his own daughter as well. I firmly believe that a large chunk of a little girl's feelings of self-worth stem from her relationship with her daddy. I am so thankful that my little girl is cherished by hers. Both The Girl and I are immensely grateful that Batman knows the way to our hearts.

One for each of us. He's a great man, I tell ya.  No, I'm not sharing.  Well, ok, maybe just one.

What I WILL share is this: a post about another race, one about the adventures of a motorcycle, a weigh-in, even though I'd really rather not, and maybe a few others.  Stay tuned!  I will be back! :)

What is that sound?

A few days ago, I was driving down the road with The Girl and The Baby. I had errands to run and couldn't very well leave The Baby at home, so he had to tag along. For the sake of a quick trip, The Girl joined us so she could sit in the van and occupy The Baby while I ran into the bank. As I drove, I heard the sweetest little baby belly laugh. Every parent and big sister or brother or aunt or uncle out there knows the one. That darling, infectious, innocent laugh. All The Girl was doing was playing peek-a-boo with The Baby, but he loved it, and giggled with pleasure.

Today while visiting my parents, we were all in the kitchen talking about a kitchen.... mishap... and the laughter started. Something silly and random was said, and the three of us just laughed and laughed.

This laughter prompted a thought: How much laughter is in your home? Is laughter a normal sound or is it foreign to your ears? I realized how important laughter is and how, sometimes, we might take it for granted. Laugh a little today, even at the simplest and smallest things. While you laugh, remember the Source of our joy. Even in the midst of a tough day, we have that joy and laughter.  Remember, the joy of the Lord is our strength.

Psalm 126:1-3

A song of ascents.

When the LORD brought back the captives to [a] Zion,
we were like men who dreamed. [b]
Our mouths were filled with laughter,
our tongues with songs of joy.
Then it was said among the nations,
"The LORD has done great things for them."
The LORD has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.


Job 8:20-22 (New International Version)

"Surely God does not reject a blameless man
or strengthen the hands of evildoers.
He will yet fill your mouth with laughter
and your lips with shouts of joy.
Your enemies will be clothed in shame,
and the tents of the wicked will be no more."

Excuse me, sir, have you been taking any recreational drugs?

What that really means is, "dude, are you HIGH?!" On the ambulance, that is not a question I particularly love asking. At home one day, though, I didn't even need to ask...

I could see the evidence. Toys were strewn everywhere. The sound of thundering feet tearing through the house could be heard. Even a few branches had been broken off of my palm tree.

When I finally caught up to him, I could see it. His little eyes were dialated. He was breathing fast and hard and could barely sit still. Then and there, I knew the answer......



He had been into the catnip.

Progress Report (Weeks two and three)

Just in case any of you noticed that I didn't post anything on this last week, take heart: I did not quit. :) Last week I was pretty much in hiding due to being sick and very worn down. Posting anything just was not on my list of things to do. I also ended up moving the "official weigh in day" from Mondays to Wednesdays. I've noticed weekends are not so great, and when I first started counting points, I actually started on a Wednesday, and it went SO. MUCH. BETTER. Monday and Tuesday allow me to recoup from the weekend.

Last Wednesday I weighed in 2.6 pounds down. Yay! For the most part I drank my water, although, I'll admit, with a very sore throat, the thought of drinking anything wasn't a pleasant one. Most of my water intake was probably in the form of Theraflu. *shudder* Exercise? Hahahahahahahahaha- oh. Extending the week by two days actually allowed me to get four workouts in. Also not bad considering.

This week I am down 1.6 pounds. I'm noticing a pattern here: Week one was 3.6, week two, 2.6. week three, 1.6. Time to break the cycle. A 0.6 pound weight loss for next week just WILL NOT be acceptable. :) As far as inches lost, I have no idea what last week was, but since the last check in with you guys, I've lost a total of two and a quarter inches. Slow and steady, wins the race, right?

How would I rate the success of this week(s)? Gotta admit, I'm sticking with that 5. I'm still not mastering exercising five times a week, and I definitely need to! I also need to get back on track with drinking two FULL Nalgenes a day. I did find some great songs for my iPod, though, and good tunes are a must! Last night while I was sweating my over-sized little hiney off, I was transported away to memories of being a love-struck teenager holed up in my room... What was playing on the iPod?  The Best of Rock Ballads.  Absolutely classic.  Not exactly get-your-blood-pumping-workout-music, but great tunes, nonetheless.  What amused me more was talking to Batman and discovering that I knew more of the songs than he did!  How did that happen?!?!  I'm certain that all of those songs were more from when he was a teen than when I was.... Hmm....

A Little Me Time

It's three o'clock, the dishes are done, the house is clean, the bedroom is spotless - even the bed is made! (Sad to say, on a day that I don't have "off" the bed doesn't get made before Baby leaves... By the time Batman gets up, it's time for Baby to lay down, so... yeah....). The original plan for this day off was to head to W-ville today, but, The Boy wasn't ready for travel and a day away from home yet (another story for another day... perhaps when prettier "after" pictures could be posted with the original "not-so-good-when-it-happened" pictures.) Anyway, since we didn't travel to W-ville with Batman today, I was able to accomplish all of the normal day activities. A mug of coffee poured, I ventured out to the mailbox to find:





IT CAME IN!! YAY!! :D

Now I am off, mug of coffee in hand, to curl up in the rocker in said clean bedroom (kinda hard to curl up in the rocker if the extra pillows are on it when the bed isn't made...) and spend some refreshing quiet time. Just for me and God.

I've Been Slapped

Recently I came across a devotional on All You Have to Give. Fascinated by what Lori had to say about it, I opened up the excerpt she had at the bottom of her post. And I was sucked in. I'm great at starting, I'll admit it, but oh, the follow-through... It gets me every time. What makes this time different? I don't know. I do know I'll keep plugging away until I get it right.

The same day I saw it on Lori's page, I went on various sites and found my very own copy for just a couple bucks (yep, you read that right!!), including shipping. Each day I pop back over to Lori's page, open the excerpt and read the next day's (or two) devotional, while I am impatiently waiting for my own to arrive via media mail. What I read today struck such a chord with me, that I thought I'd share it with all of you. A little food for thought. While you are reading, I think I am going to go carve out some time for Him.

(Excerpt taken from The One Year Daily Grind by Sarah Arthur)

JANUARY 5
Addicted

My kind relatives gave me a coffeemaker for Christmas, which is in one sense like giving a
heroin addict a syringe and in another like giving a Christian a devotional book and saying,
“Here, I know you’re gonna need this.” (Hold on, cowboys: I don’t use metaphors lightly.)
My family knows I’m addicted to caffeine, which is clear when I go without it for even
one morning. I feel foggy and crabby and get a headache by midafternoon. If I’m traveling
someplace where coffee isn’t on hand for breakfast, it’s something of a crisis until I find a
drive-through Starbucks or whatever—and then of course there’s always a long line of irritated
junkies just like me. Sad, really.

The funny thing about it is I hated coffee for a long time and couldn’t understand
why people drank the stuff. It’s the kind of thing you have to develop a taste for. It doesn’t
come naturally, but then when it’s finally part of your routine, you’ll move mountains to
get your hands on it.

Kind of like the spiritual life, when you think about it. We know it’s important to
spend time every day reading the Bible and praying, but it’s not the kind of thing that
comes easily to us at first. We have to develop a taste for it. But once we get in the habit
of it, life feels out of sorts if we go without it for any length of time. We can’t think
straight. We feel crabby and start growling at the people we love. Then when it finally
occurs to us what the problem is, we wonder, How could such a tiny ritual be so important?
And yet it is. We’re not really content again until we’ve spent some time each day
nurturing our spirits with the revitalizing presence of God.
What would happen if I got as addicted to God as I am to coffee? How can I move
heaven and earth to carve out time for him every day?

Psalm 63:1-5

How To Tutorial

Recently, it has come to my attention that I have readers that I didn't know I had... How cool!! That got me thinking... how many more are out there that I don't know about? So, I turned to my stat counter (I had ignored it for MONTHS) and realized there are quite a few of you lurking out there... checking in, reading all of the nonsense posts that I write, and then disappearing again. There are some of you that leave me an occasional note on the sidebar, and I have to say, I love those little notes!! :) Keep 'em coming!! But, do you want to know what every blogging girl L.O.V.E.S?? I'll tell you.....
  
COMMENTS!!

I

♥

Comments!!

Really, I do!!

You see, when no one comments on a post (or, only a daddy, a cousin and a sister-in-law do comment), a blogging girl can feel a bit like maybe she is just talking to herself.  I'm just sayin'... Really.  So, since I see you lurking out there, I thought I'd give you a tutorial on how to leave a comment, because, just maybe, you didn't know that you COULD leave comments on the posts.  Maybe.

• First, read the post.  That's easy.  You should have that part down by now.  
• Next, at the bottom of the post, you should see a line that says "X people have left their two cents."  That is a link.  Click it!!  The link takes you to the little comment window.  There you can leave your comments for this blogging girl to read so she no longer feels like she's talking to herself. 
• After you write your comment in the box, choose your identity. 
• Last, type the letters you see in the verification box and hit the "publish your comment button."

It's as simple as that!! :)  Happy reading and commenting, everyone! :)

Three Wheeler Races (or "How to Catch a Cold")

Saturday morning dawned gray, cold, and misty. And early. VERY early. Much earlier than this girl likes to get up on a Saturday morning. (I have mentioned it was early, right? Oh yeah, and cold.) Our alarms went off, I whimpered, then I whined, while Batman bounded from bed. Well, it seemed like he bounded, anyway. Grudgingly, I crawled from bed and shuffled into the littles' rooms to wake them up. With a stretch from each of them, they bounced out of their own beds and hurried to get dressed, chattering excitedly about the races to come. How these three could be so chipper was beyond me, especially since any other morning they would be just as bleary-eyed and cranky as I was. (It could have had something to do with the fact that we were called out in the middle of the night, so ambulance duty sucked about three and a half hours of my night from me, but I don't know....)

After layering on as many clothes as I could find and ensuring that the kids did the same, we were off to meet Batman's cousins one road over. All the three wheelers and snowmobiles were loaded in the trailer, so away we went - to the gas station down the road. Tanks of gas, a couple full throttles and bags of chips later, we were off again. This time ensuring that the trailer doors were secured. We made it to the next town over to meet the rest of our group, although this time we were following a "truck driver who knows where he's going." Right. Several wrong turns later, we jumped back into the lead, followed the advice of our handy dandy GPS, had to turn around once, then F.I.N.A.L.L.Y made it there... With an hour to spare. The boys unloaded their rides and got themselves registered and were off to play. They needed to see whose ride did what. Not that they didn't already know, but maybe Pennsylvania snow is different than New York's. Hey, you never know....

The races finally began, and we all watched as many snowmobiles raced and were either finished, or moved on to the next bracket. Then, it was THEIR turn.... With engines revving, the boys readied to race down the now muddy track. Batman won the first two races, giving his cousins their first strikes each. Then the cousins raced each other, so one was out... He'd been eliminated twice, so he was done. Batman and his same-named cousin were up against each other again. This time, Batman lost. Back around they went, with the end result being a tie. The crowd was in an uproar. Ties were NOT what they were there to see. By now, they were in a frenzy and ready to see someone get creamed! The announcer called Batman and cousin back around once more, and this time, the cousin won. Batman says that the cousin's two-stroke 250 something three wheeler is much nastier than his own four-stroke 350X. I just nod and pretend I get it when they start talking that language.

All the races were finished, and it was time to hand out trophies. We dutifully clapped and cheered for all the winners of the different snowmobile classes, and then, the three wheeler class was called. All of us were patting the cousin on the back and congratulating him... He had won fair and square. But then the announcer surprised us! He called both Mr. Smith and Mr. Guthrie up. There was hand shaking all around and the cousins beamed at each other, both holding their own trophy.



It was time to load up and head for home.  We'd been in the cold Pennsylvania outdoors for about seven hours.  Remember, it was COLD.  And wet.  But mostly cold.  The next day dawned to a sniffling Batman.  A couple days later, I started sniffling.  I'm pretty sure Batman thinks that the races were worth it, though.

Hmm....

Good timing, maybe?

So, lately, God has really been speaking to me about my place and position in our home, and my attitude towards it. I so desperately want to be a Proverbs 31 wife, mother, and child of God, but SO OFTEN feel myself falling way below the mark. Maybe some of you feel the same. I had to smile when I popped over to a friend's blog to see what she had to offer for the day, and I read about this giveaway. Knowing that this book would be encouragement in the right direction for how God has been speaking to me prompted me to immediately go sign up! Now I'm giving you guys (well, girls) the same opportunity. :) Go on over to Passionate Homemaking to see the giveaway for yourself, and sign up if you're interested.

In the meantime, I'll keep running after the prize, and continue to serve my family as an act of worship. Someday I'll get it just right. :)

Window With a View

Being part of a homeschooling family allows me a view into my children that unfortunately, many parents don't have. Or, at least, they don't have as much of that particular view.

Today awarded a glimpse of a variety of facets of both of the kids.

Glimpse one:

My kids get ambitious when it is a bright, cheerful day outside. Today's example, The Boy decided he wanted to rearrange his room... I mean REALLY rearrange... as in, move his bunk beds, empty the entire room, clean top to bottom and put everything back in completely different places - rearrange. So, being the opportunity grabbing mom that I am, I said, "sure! But you need to get daddy's tape measure and measure everything first, then plan out where you are going to put it!" Math class? You better believe it!

Glimpse two:

The Boy gets just as frustrated when he is moving heavy furniture as mommy does. Instinct was to jump up and help them, but I held back, remembering that, as they get older, they have to learn to do things by themselves. I waited patiently for them to come tearing into the living room and ask for assistance from mommy's muscles. The request never came. I think they are growing up.

Glimpse three:

The Girl is a planner and a list maker (not unlike mommy at all). Not only did she draw detailed plans for The Boy's new arrangements, but later she began making plans for summer vacation (already?!?). Next thing I knew, she was presenting me with a list of her plans:

1. Go camping with Bud.
2. Go swimming with Bud.
3. Ride dirt bikes with Bud.
4. Climb trees with Bud.
5. Go jumping on the trampoline with Bud.
6. Play army with Bud.
7. Have squirt gun fights with Bud.
8. Go to the woods with Bud.
9. Go to the gravel pit with Bud.
10. Water slide with Bud.

I noticed a couple things in this list. One, she plans on spending a lot of time outdoors. Hurray. Two, she seems to adore her brother. Double yay! Even better, The Boy approved of said list.

So Tired

This week we have been on a full fledged "days" schedule, rather than me being on a days into nights schedule, while the rest of the family is on a nights schedule. Batman has been on days this week, so we've all been up early... I've even been up early enough to get my workouts in BEFORE the baby shows up! Now THAT is impressive.

BUT, sad to say, this new schedule has definitely taken it's toll. For instance, one morning The Girl groggily got up, grabbed her book for reading, and went to the recliner. A few minutes later, I rounded the corner to find her diligently reading sleeping.




Getting up at seven in the morning is rather tiring for a little girl.

At the End of Week One

It has been one week since I started counting points officially enough to share it with you guys again, and progress has been made. Not as much as I was hoping for, but it is still a good start. I will admit that I slipped.... That's right, I hopped on the scale before this morning. *sigh* What can I say, maybe I'm a scale-aholic.... Because I checked before the "official weigh in," I know that I one point (Friday) I was down five pounds. Yup, F.I.V.E. Needless to say, after this weekend, I was NOT down five. My official count is down 3.6 pounds and 1 3/4 inches. Eh. I'll take it.

I was somewhat disappointed in the amount of workouts I was able to get in, but, with the way the week went, three might not be so bad. My goal is to get five in, though. Hubby fixed the Bowflex last night, so I don't need to wait on that, and the elliptical is, of course, always available. I'd like to do three on one, two on the other. I think persistence will be key there. On an up note, I did VERY well drinking water this week! Aside from Saturday, I think I consistently went through two to two-and-a-half Nalgene's a day. EXCELLENT for me!! (Normally I drink ONE glass a day... if that. Not much of a drinker... working on changing that.) Towards the end of the week, I found my body actually craving the water. Yahoo!!

One thing I definitely will be mindful of from now on is to make sure that we do not eat or snack right before bed. Aside from obliterating my points on Saturday (road trip food will do it every time!) we ate right before we went to bed Friday, Saturday and Sunday, and I noticed huge issues there. (Almost two pounds worth... Ack.)

The handy dandy points tracker has a spot at the end where you record your weigh in, and asks "on a scale of one to ten, how would you score your success this week?" I'll give it a five.

See You Later

No one is ever ready to say goodbye, I don't think, especially when it wasn't a planned goodbye.  I am still trying to wrap my brain around the fact that "goodbye" needed to be said at all. 

How do you say goodbye to a friend that would motivate you, straighten you out, push you, and tell it to you like it really is?  How do you say goodbye to a friend that fought for you, prayed for you, stormed Heaven's gates for you?  How do you say goodbye to a friend that held your husband accountable and who was held accountable by your husband?  I don't know... I haven't really figured it out yet.

Jim, you were an amazing person.  You were a true warrior for God.  When you set your sights on something, you ran for it, no matter what.  You always called at just the right time, with a word of encouragement or, shall we say, motivation.  You believed with us for what many would say is impossible, and you prayed daily for it, and for us.  Yesterday, someone said that everything you did and were about was over the top.  It was so true!  Your personality and presence would fill a room as soon as you walked in.  You motivated to the fullest, encouraged to the fullest, pushed to the fullest, and you definitely would never take any crap.  You'd call us up and ask if we've been doing what we are supposed to be doing - whether spiritual or physical - and just as soon as the "uh..." would come out of my mouth, your response was "don't even give me any of that!  I already know the answer already!  Get on the ball!"  I've already found myself jumping off the elliptical in a tired, panting mess, thinking, "wait til I tell Jim I actually got back on it!"  Then I remembered I can't.

If anything, your death has caused us to step it up a little, to be more serious about doing what we are supposed to, what we are called to, what is good for us, what is right, because, as this week has proved, you just never know... So, Jim, thank you for the mark that you left on my family's life.  None of us will ever be the same.  We will push a little harder, fight for what is right with a little more passion, storm Heaven's gates a little more faithfully.  I won't say goodbye, but "see you later" instead.

The Desert

There are moments, days, weeks, maybe that feel like a barren desert. There are times when it seems like every single thing is crashing down around, that everything is against you. Then there are times high on the mountain top, when everything can be seen clearly. No matter what time, what season, what situation, I still cling to the knowledge and the hope that He is still God. Always in control. Holding me in the pain, carrying me through the hard times, and laughing with me through the good times.

Desert Song
(Hillsong United)

 

This is my prayer in the desert

When all that's within me feels dry

This is my prayer in my hunger and need

My God is the God who provides

And this is my prayer in the fire

In weakness or trial or pain

There is a faith proved

Of more worth than gold

So refine me Lord through the flames

And I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

This is my prayer in the battle

When triumph is still on it's way

I am a conqueror and co-heir with Christ

So firm on His promise I'll stand

And I will bring praise

I will bring praise

No weapon formed against me shall remain

I will rejoice

I will declare

God is my victory and He is here

All of my life

In every season

You are still God

I have a reason to sing

I have a reason to worship

This is my prayer in the harvest

When favor and providence flow

I know I'm filled to be emptied again

The seed I've received I will sow

Today I declare that I WILL bring praise. I WILL rejoice. God is still God and I will always have a reason to sing and to worship.

Well, it's that time of year again....

... You know the time... Resolutions, a time to make changes, a purging, if you will. Out with the old and in with the new. There is a bit of that going on in our household as well. Not so much "resolutions," but definitely changes being made and, I'd like to think, some purging. BUT, there will be more on that later.

Today isn't really about "in with the new," but rather a reinstating of something old. Yep, after a six month stint on birth control (gotta love those automatic ten pounds) and the holiday EATING season, I am staring an extra 15 pounds full in the face. And belly. And hips. Oh yeah, and thighs. Sigh. Stupid scale.



Time to count points again. And this guy has the right idea. At least part of it.




Last time I was counting points, using a smaller plate was actually one of the tricks I utilized. Portion control is significantly easier if your plate doesn't look empty. Batman is forever telling me to stop feeding him so much in his lunch. It's mental. I feel like I need to fill his containers. Just like most people need to fill their plate. His solution? He got me smaller containers for Christmas. :) (Ah, but that is part of that other post...) So, today I start over. Smaller plates, check.



Points counter, check. Measuring tape, check. Handy dandy points tracker that the sil/bf sent me last time I was counting, check.



A resolution? Hmm... Perhaps I should resolve to stay off the scale until next Monday morning. So far, so good. Yes, I am fully aware that it has only been an hour. Yes, I think I can do it.

Ta ta for now. I am off to see if I've lost anything by being good for breakf...... Oh. Shoot. Avoiding the scale may be harder than I thought.

"No, Mom, I'm not.....

...tired!" were the words flowing insistently from The Beloved Boy's mouth one day shortly before Christmas. His level of rest was of great concern to me because we had an appointment at the local picture studio later that day. You know, the professional kind that makes all mothers, mothers-in-law, grandma's, grandmothers-in-law, etc. happy.... The ones that we don't do very often. I am more apt to be the type to grab our camera, have fun with the littles for a bit, then choose some great shots, print them off and frame them. Well, we won't discuss how long it had been since the littles had actually had their pictures "professionally" done, but let's just say that it had been a while.... Ok, a long while.

Outfits had been chosen, tears had been shed, I had been questioned on why a child can't wear their favorite jeans, regardless of the holes or the stains, or why not this shirt?! Why do I really need to match her?!? *Sigh.* "BECAUSE! I SAID SO!!"

Children were nestled in their beds at a reasonable hour, though not necessarily sleeping, mind you.... And visions of black eyes, missing teeth, disastrous hair and other picture-day catastrophes danced in my head. Finally, the house was quiet and all were asleep. We hoped.

When I woke up, I tiptoed out to the living room and was greeted by a big surprise! A surprise about the size and shape of an eleven year old boy informing said surprised mommy that he had been up since 4:00 am. WHAT?!?! WHY?! "I don't know, I just couldn't sleep. Don't worry mom, I'm not tired." Right. If he wasn't tired, that very pale face and raccoon eye syndrome was REALLY confusing me.

"That's nice, dear Boy, you ARE taking a nap this morning."

"But, mom-"

"No buts, Buddy... There is no way on God's green earth that you are NOT taking a nap!"

"But, mom, I-"

"Don't care. You. Are. Taking. A. Nap."

"But, mom! I can't sleep during the day!"

"Try."

"But, mom-"

"Try. Now. End. Of. Discussion." And I walked out of the room. About one minute later, I returned to find this:



Nope, not tired at all. I can't imagine what I had been thinking, insisting that he take a nap. I left the room (after snapping the above picture, of course) and came back a little later to find this:



Looks like he had been tired to me! Then, I glanced at his sleeping form a little closer. On that pale cheek was a long, bright red scratch!! *sigh* How much of a nap would it take to make THAT disappear?! I think this is why we don't get them "professionally" done.