Ryan's Day

We recently celebrated Ryan's birthday! I can't believe the little man he is turning into. Oops...I mean big man. He informed me that he is not little and I needed to quit calling him that.

He ended up with three days of celebration. The first day was a personal party with Grandma. They had Burger King for dinner and then of course, cake and ice cream to which he had two or three pieces. Call me crazy, but I agreed to it only on this one occasion. As you can imagine, he was bouncing off the walls. Come to think of it, he was that way before we even got to Grandma's apartment. I think she mentioned something to me about giving someone a tranquilizer but I can't remember if I was suppose to give her one or Ryan? They had a grand time together.

Day two was his actual birthday. We celebrated by going to the park with friends. I did let him open one of his presents in the morning because he wore me down with his nagging question of can I, can I, please, please, PLEASE just open one????? We came home from the park thoroughly tired from running around...oh wait...that was me, not the kids. We had cake and ice cream and presents. For some odd reason, he didn't want us to sing or put candles on the cake. Perhaps he didn't want to waste any time or perhaps he doesn't like our singing. I'm not sure which was the case. He went to bed with a skip in his step and a smile on his face. It was another good day.

Day three was celebration time with Grandmom. She ended up having to buy more cake and ice cream to help with the third celebration. Can you have a party without cake and ice cream? Not in Ryan's opinion. This time he even got to blow out candles and he allowed us to sing to him. Now his birthday is complete and was properly celebrated to the max.

He got a Spiderman skateboard, and Ironman costume, nerf guns and a game for his DS. Now if I only can convince him to take that costume off....at some point, you need to change your underwear....at least that is what my motherly advice is telling him. I don't think he sees it my way.

A New Addiction...

I realize there are many social networks out there. I haven't joined any of the them...until just recently. I am now on Facebook! Can you believe it???!

I was under the impression that it was for the younger generation of people (not that I'm old...yet). I was wrong. I actually have quite a few friends and some family members on there. I guess I'm a little slow. But now that I'm more hip and with it, I have a profile...lol.

It's a lot of fun and I can't believe already that it's enhanced some of my relationships with people I didn't have opportunity to communicate with as much. It is a great tool to keep in touch. I do need to be careful though, I did notice that I was spending quite a bit of time on there...yikes!

Another cool aspect of it is that it's another tool to promote our business too. One thing I've learned this year is that the key to getting your business moving is to network with other people! It is so important to get people to trust you and know how you operate as a business owner. Once you earn that trust, they feel comfortable using your services and giving our referrals which is where most of our business comes from.

Which reminds me....I need to go update my profile!

Christmas in July

The kids were given this gingerbread house kit last Christmas. They've been itching to get to it ever since. I forgot that I had put it up in the cupboard for something to do at a later date. I had it in my mind that after all the holiday excitement wore off and the house was vibrating back and forth to the 100th degree (like January/February) that then would be a good time for a distraction/project but I forgot about it. I lovingly refer to this as kidtimers. (I know....groan...)

As I was digging in my cupboard for a cookbook, I saw the kit sitting there and so did the kids. Squeals of excitement met my ears. I hate to disappoint the children so of course, I said that it was time to pull it out and have some fun, fun, fun!

Grace being the creative one and having a certain plan in mind for this creation, had a bit of a time of it with her younger siblings. She was in charge of putting the house together and to hold it in place while the icing dried. This did not set well with the younger ones. They did not for any reason ever want to wait to put the candy on. I am amazed that they didn't lick all the sugar off the gumdrops or suck on the gumballs till they were a sticky mess. That would have certainly added a different dimension to this project.

Finally, it was candy time! They did a marvelous job minus a few eaten pieces. Before it was even completely done, they were itching to eat it. I, being the Mom, had to inform them that they needed to wait till after dinner to start having a munch fest. The disappointment was evident.

During the course of dinner making, I noticed that there was one gummy drop missing, then another and another. I looked over and there was eight little fingers holding on to the cupboard along with two eyes and a nose peeking at me. Upon looking further, what I found was a mouth full of yumminess oozing down her chin. Kara was the gummy thief!

Then another kid noticed that she had been stealing the candy and decided he would try it too, then another and another. They are sneaky buggers. Pretty soon the front lawn to our beautiful gingerbread house was all gone. Do I not speak in a language they can understand? Should I try a different one to see if that works?

Amazingly enough, there was some left for an after dinner dessert. I left the room for a few minutes and what was left wasn't even enough to satisfy a mouse.

Hope In The Midst Of The Fog

I haven't mentioned our struggles to too many people. It's a hard thing to talk about. Sometimes, I think I might fall into a puddle of tears if even one person shows me some compassion and I am not saying to not show me compassion but I hate crying in front of people. My eyes get puffy and my face gets all red...it's just not a pretty sight.

I know that there are so many people around us that are losing their homes, their cars and their jobs. When we lost so much including our apartment and car back in the 'early' years, I was so embarrassed, humiliated and felt so empty inside. It's a hard thing to swallow when you can't take care of yourself and your family. Sometimes your friends can't even handle it and relationships are broken at that point.

I keep hearing people talking about how awful things are right now in our economy and our state. It's so easy to get wrapped up in all the negativity. I agree that things are rough. We are all living it whether it's the grocery prices or the gas prices. However, I know that we are a resilient people. I think we are all pretty smart too. I know and have faith that we as a people, in this country, will find ways to improvise and to make things better. That is just what we do.

We have so many more opportunities to make a change for good. With the internet and the technology available to us, I know we can do it. One thing that I have been feeling God laying on my heart, is to be watchful of those around me, listening for ways I can help a neighbor or a friend or someone I don't even know. I think that is one of the first steps in making a change. If we can focus on helping others even if it's just to keep hope alive, what an impact we can have!

The last couple of weeks I've been saying to my husband that we, as a family, are thirty seconds from destruction. I suppose that is not being little miss cheery sunshine. It certainly isn't helping our family keep their chins up. One day, my husband looked at me and said this....'we may be 30 seconds from destruction but we are 29 seconds from victory!' He's right, you know. It's so easy to spew out negative thoughts and for some of us, we get so wrapped up in our situations and what's going on around us, that we lose sight of the hope God has to offer us.

I decided to try to be more positive even though I am not feeling it. I am a female and my emotions are all over the place. One day, I am feeling up and the next moment, I can't see the light through the fog. I do know that even when I am not feeling it, I can still say something positive. Your words have a definite affect on those around you. If we are going to make it through this, we've got to encourage those around us to see the good, the positive, the silver lining.

We had a miracle yesterday. We came home from church and there was a envelope in the door. It contained $200 with a little card that said 'you are precious in His sight'. An anonymous gift that had God's fingerprints all over it. I cried, Bob cried, we all cried. Bob had stayed home with the younger two and commented that he didn't even hear anybody open the screen door. My response was...God is stealthy like that.

If you ever wonder if God really cares, HE does...very much. Wait expectantly for Him to reveal himself. HE will...in ways you can't even imagine. Maybe my God-size miracle will come in little packages. Only He knows and I am looking forward to seeing how He works all of this out.

A Rough Road

It's so doggone hard to write a post when life feels like it's closing in on you from every side. I refer to it as being in a pressure cooker. Have you ever felt like that? I like humor. I like to laugh. I'd much rather be passing on encouragement or writing a humorous post that has people in stitches than having a big ol' pity party for myself. Sometimes it's hard to find the good in all that is going on when you are in the middle of a mountainous mess.

My first response is to question God. Is He punishing us for something? Why, when things are at the bottom of the bucket, does He seem so far away? Why does it always seem like His answer is No, no and no.

I've been reading the book of Job lately. I was encouraged to see that Job, the man that found favor with God, had himself a big ol' pity party...just like me. It let me know that even in spite of my emotional roller coaster, that God still cares for me and is listening. Sometimes, there are just no answers for what life is throwing at us. I was listening to a sermon once on this very topic and was reminded again that just because we belong to God, doesn't make us exempt to the evil forces of this world. So God isn't punishing me, I just happen to live in a sinful world. Thank goodness, I have God to carry me through all this mess. I can't imagine how things would be if God were not on my side.

I have to continue in faith and trust and believe that all things will work out. I made a comment to my husband the other day that I wondered why it always seems that God's answer is no, no and no again. His response was a good reminder to me also. He said that we don't see every thing that God is working through to answer us. I suppose he was right. Faith is the substance of things hoped for, not seen, right? You have to hold on to hope. That is what keeps you going. Don't lose hope. (Hebrews 11:1 (NLT)...What is faith? It is the confident assurance that what we hope for is going to happen. It is the evidence of things we cannot yet see.)

I don't want to go into all the details but it's pretty heavy for me to bear on my own. If you think of it, I would really like for you to pray for us. We need God's wisdom, His strength and a pure God-size miracle.

Another loss

We recently lost another family member from my husband's family, his father's sister. It has left a gaping hole in our family. Aunt Loretta was diagnosed with cancer last year and fought furiously to beat it. We will miss her. Please keep us in your prayers.

I Am President.....

Hear me 'Roar!'

I am the president of our company, Bob's PC Pro LLC. Why, I don't know but it does have it's benefits. I've met some very neat business owners who are trying to get their name out there and make a difference in our community. One other benefit is that I have to attend 'PPN'. For those of you who are wondering what that is, it is this....Presidential Pie Night. I have a very good friend who is also the president of her company and PPN happens to be like a support group for us.

Anyway, I wanted to take a minute to talk about our company. My husband has 14 years of experience in the computer industry. Since losing his job last May, we decided to embark on a scary (for me) adventure. It's hard getting your name out there so that people become familiar with it and find out it's a name they can trust. It really has been a learning experience for both of us.

One area we are trying to specialize in is 'Remote Support.' What a pain it is to have to pack your computer up and take it in somewhere. With remote support, we can hook up to your computer through a secure connection and see what the problem could be. You can even watch what we are doing...how's that for some fun entertainment??! There is no cleaning involved to make your house presentable for someone to come to your home and you can even be in your pajamas without us knowing :-) Of course, if we find out that it is a hardware problem, then you will need to make human contact which we also do too. Unless of course, you are in Wyoming....then we would recommend you take it in somewhere near you.

We've had several people attempt to go through a well-known company's remote support only to not understand the person on the other end of the phone line along with them just wanting to wipe out your computer's hard drive losing important information. Often times, they get their computer back in worse condition then when they originally took it in along with having to pay tons of money for a non-fixed computer. My husband has been able to help repair computers without losing any data. We also run our business on integrity and make sure it's working right before we are finished. He is really good at what he does. This isn't just a hobby for him, it's a passion. He loves technology and he loves impossible computer problems. This makes him excellent at what he does.

If you need help setting up a business email for your company, are in need of a website or would like to purchase a computer through Dell, we do that too. Why not give us a try? We would love to be of service to you!

Did I mention I'm the advertising specialist too....lol!

What's In Your Backyard?

It was mid-morning, the sun was shining, the kids were playing outside and I was happily sitting at the picnic table enjoying the day. As I was chatting at one of the kids, I realized that Kara had become very, very quiet. You know someone is getting into something at that point.

Grace found her at the back fence. She was picking berries off the branches on the fence. She had some in her little play bucket and the rest were squished in both of her hands. Hmmm....I thought to myself. There are quite a few kinds that poisonous. So I looked in her mouth but I couldn't tell for sure if she had eaten some or not.

I had Grace take her into the bathroom to wash her hands and arms thoroughly while I went to the internet to find out what I could on this mysterious berry plant. I couldn't find the exact match but what I did find is that if she had eaten any, it would cause some abdominal distress like vomiting and diarrhea. So I wasn't too freaked out.

Brad finally woke up from his hibernation period, found out what was going on and immediately 'Googled' it and found what we were trying to find. It happened to be the Deadly Nightshade. When we went to the site, in big, bold, red letters it read "POISON!!!" Apparently, it's a very dangerous viney-weed-like plant which can have FATAL effects on children if only a couple berries are consumed.

Bob called poison control and they told him they couldn't identify the plant over the phone. We needed to take it to a florist for exact identification. We happen to know someone who is a horticulturist and she said that it was definitely the Deadly Nightshade. So off to the emergency room we went.

The doctor was very concerned when I showed him the sample of the plant we took with us. He said that it was indeed what we had thought and that she was going to have to stay for at least four hours so they could monitor Kara's breathing, her heart rate and to watch for convulsions. Now I'm freaking out. I also had to get her to drink that awful charcoal drink. After wrestling with her to get it down, she and I both looked like we had been in a coal mine.

God was merciful to me during our stay.....Kara finally fell asleep in my arms instead of the screaming hysterics that were previous to that. I am sure the other patients were thanking God for His mercy too! We were finally released with the caution to watch her for the next twenty-four hours. (So far..so good!)

After we had eaten dinner, I went to town at pulling all those vines out of the fence. It is growing over the fence from the neighbors yard so it made it somewhat difficult to get all of it. However, I removed all the vines from as far as I could reach. My husband had contacted the neighbor while I was in the hospital with Kara to let them know. We just had no idea that, that weed was so dangerous and there was so much of it along the fence. I filled up our garbage can with it and it was full when I finished.

I guess I should pay more attention to what is growing over the fence from all of our neighbors yard. Just because it's a pretty vine with pretty purple blooms on it, doesn't mean you should let it grow. Lesson learned!

Today, I am grateful for God's protection and His mercy. I am also thankful that my baby girl is just fine and is able to find all kinds of more trouble to discover.

A Marked Adventure

Once upon a day in the land of fairies and squeals, lived a girl named Kara. Kara loved, loved, loved to discover new things and conquer new lands.

One day as she was skipping and twirling along the river (we peasants call it a livingroom), she came upon a lift (chair). Dear Sir, (she squealed) will you help me upon it? Oh, nevermind, I can do it myself, she announced most emphatically.

Up on the lift (chair) she went which lead to new lands undiscovered. With a twitch of her fingers and a sparkle in her eye, she went ahead with this new adventure. As she moved her fingers about in anticipation, they came across a beautiful dark as the deep night sky black Sharpie marker.

A flittering about this little fairy went. In her mind, she had discovered a piece of make-up to be put upon her face making her the most beautiful one in all the land. She was such a precious little one who loved to share her 'treasures'. Who better suited to display her new find than Mr. Bear, of course! (You can't see it in the picture but the bear is wearing her mark of creativity too.)

Happy 4th!

The fourth of July is another one of my favorite holidays. Not only does it symbolize our independence but it also is a reminder to us that we are free to worship our God boldly, gather together as family and friends, move about as we please without fear. This is a priceless gift that I never want to take for granted.

My mother in law planned a wonderful celebration for this holiday. We gathered early in the day and left late. It was the perfect day for all our festivities.

The kids were given butterfly nets and net containers. They spent hours trying to catch them and of course, crickets too.

We played badminton, volleyball, jumped around in the sprinklers (well...not the adults, the well water was a bit chilly) while I hogged my new niece, Emma. She's a keeper :-) In a previous post, I mentioned that Aaron decided to play putt-putt golf billiard style. Well, today, he invented a new way to play badminton. I must say it was quite creative and effective. He went and got the butterfly net to use as his badminton racket. He was able to catch the birdies. Now hitting them back wasn't quite as efficient. He was having a great time though. You should have heard his laugh. It kind of sounded mischievous.

Tim, my brother in law, planned a hayride for us. The kids were so fascinated by the dogs that chased our hay wagon as we passed by the neighboring farms. I don't want to forget to mention the throwing of the hay as it also was a hit (with the kids, not necessarily with me). What could be more fun than trying to bury your Mom in the hay and her coming out beneath with hay in places that just weren't meant to store hay. It's kind of itchy! My mother in law lives on forty acres of beautiful country. Naturally, she's the one who hosts our holidays.

To end our wonderful family day, a bonfire along with s'more making and fireworks were the grand finale. Thank you, Dave, for being our willing fireworks ignitor.

My Homeschooling Journey - Part I

I always enjoy reading or listening to other people tell their journey on how they came to homeschool their children. It's like listening to their testimony on how they came to God. It's one of those decisions that drastically changes your life, your way of doing things, they way you think.

I grew up in a Christian home, had two parents and two other siblings. My Dad worked for a auto maker on the line, was extremely involved in Boy's Brigade at church and was very dedicated to his family. My mother was an extremely talented seamstress (she made my wedding dress), worked part-time at a local store and raised her children to love the Lord.

Junior High was rough for me. I was a timid, shy, afraid to make mistakes for fear someone would laugh at me kind of young lady. I didn't fit in. As a believer, I was o-d-d. I chose not to listen to the kind of music the others did, I didn't smoke, do drugs or dance. I wasn't allowed to attend homecoming or any of the other parties that were going on. So people laughed at me anyway. They cajoled me on the street corner before I even got into the school building and they harassed me on the way out not to mention what happened between classes. My stomach was in knots and I felt sick pretty much for three years straight. Kids can be very cruel. To me, they seem worse now that I have kids of my own. They are not just cruel, now they are violent. I am so grateful for a Mother that helped me through that battle.

High School wasn't as bad. I seemed to have found my own place along with a group of friends with which I 'hung' out with quite a bit. I was still very odd because I wanted to serve God with my whole heart. I disagree with people who want to send their kids to public school so they can be a light in the darkness. It doesn't necessarily work that way. Most of the time, instead of goodness being of influence on the sinfulness, the sinfulness seems to be the influence of choice. I did not embrace what was around me at the school and I got teased for my stand. By God' grace, I was able to stand firm on my faith in God. And somehow I made it through but I do remember one thing: I was overwhelmed much of the time.

I remember my Mother contemplating homeschooling at one time. She even had a book on it that she was reading. I remember praying and praying and praying that this would happen. It didn't and I was disappointed. Looking back now, I know that I could have done so much better in school had this happened. She thought she just wasn't capable. I disagree.

I am amazed at parents who think they aren't capable of teaching their own kids. If you can go through labor, you are capable of homeschooling. From day one, you are teaching your children. We teach them how to walk, talk, eat and use the bathroom. Those are great feats....why is helping them develop their brains by introducing them to reading, mathematics and how to spell any different? I was one of those parents. I thought that I couldn't teach my own kids. I am here to tell you, you can do whatever you put your mind to.

Nothing ever comes to one that is worth having except as a result of hard work. - Booker T. Washington

OPK's (Other People's Kid's)

I am going to rant here for just a minute.

Typically, I don't mind when the neighbor kids come over to play. My kids love it. The great outdoors is so much funner (Ryan's word) when there are friends to play with. I especially like that they seem to be able to entertain themselves for hours. Did you notice my bolded word?? H-o-u-r-s! That is time that my house comes to a standstill, the vibrations from running, jumping, crazy kids comes to a halt and my head comes out of the spin and I find myself faced forward.

We had this wonderfully, sweet older lady that lived behind us. Her name was Mary and she loved to do yard work. Everytime she was outside, she'd take a few minutes to chat with my kids or myself. Then, a couple years ago on Christmas Eve, she died. The family had to sell the house. When this happens, you get new neighbors.

I so had this idea that we would have wonderful neighbors who we got along great with and we'd help out from time to time when they were on vacation and so on. Do you envision my idea of walking through the meadow, dancing with the butterflies??? This is so not reality for us. We do have a few neighbors that we are more friendly with but they happen to be the ones without children. Hmmm.....maybe there is something to that???!!

Anyway, back to my rantings....

The new neighbors have been pretty friendly but there have been quite a few different faces of people living there and I'm perplexed as to who is who and who is the real owner. I see a little boy there quite often and I assume he is younger than Kara. Needless to say, we haven't had many problems.

Now here comes the fun part....

One of the young ladies has apparently taken on a babysitting job and I can only hope that it doesn't last all summer. (Ooops...I suppose I shouldn't say that because perhaps there is a real need there. Life isn't all about me!) Ok, let me rephrase that, I hope that I am not having to be the bouncer all summer long.

Out of politeness, I always require that my children check to make sure it is alright with the parents if they can go into backyards to play and I always want that politeness from other people towards our backyard. However, the babysitting young lady isn't familiar with my law of backyard politeness. The three kids she is watching are 5, 4 and 2. She's been popping them over the fence for them to play without even checking to see if that was alright with us.

I didn't say anything to her because I thought to myself...oh, just let them play for a little bit and then you can send them home while we eat. Well, in two seconds flat, the three girls had everything in a stir. They quickly became known as the 'mean girls'. I felt that I needed to be out there with them during this visit. The thing that got me is that as soon as the babysitter popped them over the fence, she disappeared and I became the babysitter. They were our visitors until I sent them home so my kids could go to bed.

Today, first thing this morning, I looked out my window and who do you think I saw? Yes, indeed....I saw the three little girls that came to visit yesterday. I was so hoping that they weren't popping over the fence before I had my coffee. Much to my surprise, they didn't come for a visit until late this afternoon. However, they were here for two seconds and I had to send one of them home for trying to kick Kara down the slide and then proceeded to tell me she didn't have to listen to me. Of course, I set her straight. The funny thing is, while I was standing there having this stern conversation with this five year old, the babysitter was just sitting there in her lawn chair texting whoever without any concern as to what was going on. Interesting, I thought to myself. The little girl was back in my yard, five minutes later.

After dinner, I was informed by my kids that the 'mean girl' said that when she is bigger, she's going to beat me up and kick me in the nuts and then I'll say, oh, you were the girl that was in my backyard. Should I be worried???? I miss Mary :-)

Ice Cream Social 2008

Today was our homeschooling Ice Cream Social event. The kids had such a great time! They had made a 40 foot long ice cream sundae which thrilled the kids to death. Ice cream is the name of the game for our family. You just can't go wrong with that. I think our oldest said he had four bowls which was about the amount our four year old had. Wow!

The day was full of running around the park, eating more ice cream and let's not forget to mention the brownies they had to go along with it. They had hillbilly horseshoes and a bounce house on top of all that. They were forecasting storms and rain but it all held off for our event and God sent the sunshine! It turned out to be an absolutely beautiful day.

Follow That Red Suburban to Outdoor Adventures

My grandpa and grandma bought a membership at a family resort a few years ago on the idea that it would be something our whole family could enjoy and even vacation together. It was also a place for him and grandma to get away to that wasn't too far away but just enough that it was relaxing.

The resort is Outdoor Adventures. They have several of the resorts around Michigan but our favorite is the Lake Shore Resort. It's the bigger of the resorts and has many more options available to the member. For example, they have a beach on Lake Linda, they also have an indoor and outdoor pool, a cafe, putt putt golfing, kayaking, planned activities and so much more.

Last week was our week to go camping in our travel trailer and grandpa and grandma rented a little cabin. The kids love the time they get to spend with grandpa and grandma along with all the fun things there are to do. I tried to get them to slow down and not do everything on day one but they were determined to wear me out!

Ryan got to be a hero and save the day. Grandpa had locked his keys in his cabin and contacted the maintenance guy to let them in but he didn't have the right keys. So Ryan got to climb in their window and unlock the door thus saving the day! He was pretty proud of himself.

One of the days we were there, I took all of the kids putt putt golfing. Yes, I even took little Kara. She is wicked with the golf club as she swings it around in the air. She loved the game but after awhile she just wanted to carry her ball to the hole and just throw it in. Aaron got tired of the way you are suppose to play and decided it was much more efficient to place the ball near the hole, lay on the ground and shoot the ball into the hole billiard style. It became a little chaotic when Kara was throwing her ball into the water, me trying to get it out then running in the other direction to get Aaron to stay with us since the game goes quite a bit quicker if you play his way. By the time this game was over, I was about comatose and in need of a Venti Frappuccino but much to my disappointment, they didn't have a Starbucks shack on the premises. Maybe I should jot that down on the suggestion card.

We took a trip to the beach. I usually avoid beaches due to the gross water and bathing suit attire issues but I caved in and took the crew. I could so write another post on this particular subject. I had contemplated taking pictures with my camera phone to upload here so you could see what I saw but I changed my mind. I just don't understand why bigger women want to wear bathing suits that are missing material. I will stop there. The kids had a great time running and jumping and splashing and throwing mud at each other. They ALL slept the night through. I guess it did have it's benefits.

They had a Father's Day card making activity for the kids which we went to. They loved having a craft to do. Ryan made his card for grandpa and insisted putting grandma on it too. He carefully drew a picture of himself between grandpa and grandma because he loves them. Then he was itching to go give it to him before anybody else was finished. He is quite a character.

Kara got quite attached to grandma. The first thing she wanted to do as soon as she got up every morning was 'walk, walk' down to grandma's cabin. Everytime Kara would get a glimpse of her, she'd start talking in her sweet high pitched voice....'grandma, grandma, grandma' along with taking tiny little marching steps. I wish I could have gotten that on video! It was priceless.

We spent the evenings roasting marshmallows and sitting around the campfire. This is one of my favorite things about camping. When the day is quieting down, the smokiness of the fire and the warmth of the company sitting around talking and reminiscing, those are memory making moments.

I'm an Aunt again....

My sister in law, Pam, had her baby this week. A little girl named Emma Collette. We haven't had a chance to to see her yet but I will post some pictures when we do.

Family Time

While my aunt was still in town, we decided to all meet up at a family favorite restaurant, Zehnders. Some of my fondest memories are of eating there as a family since way back when. So it really was an appropriate place to dine. I love their homemade noodles and their vidalia onion soup.....yum-o!

This year my kids were all happy to see the walking chicken named Drumstick. A couple years ago, Ryan, just loved that chicken so much that he didn't want it to go. I do think he would have invited him to sit and eat with us but alas, a chicken has to do what a chicken has to do. So upon our perusing the little stores they have beneath the restaurant, we found a stuff one and bought it for him. A few months later, that very chicken left this world for chicken heaven. Ryan was trying to help me cook and he threw that stuff thing on my gas stove. Thank goodness I have a quick hand. It left a nice little burnt spot and the smell......well, have you ever smelled stuffed animal material singed? Not a pleasant smell. It didn't remind at all of the chicken we eat at this wonderful restaurant.

My aunt's visit has come to end and I'm sure she will need a nap when she gets home. I know she wore my Mom out but in a good way. We have some new fond memories to cherish.

It's Party Time

You ever have one of those days that has made you a little more then stressed? A day in which you needed everything to just go the right way because you've got so much to do in so little time? Let me tell you about my recent experience.....

My Aunt has come in to town. We haven't seen her in four years. We were excited that she had the opportunity to come up for a visit. However, when you go visit your home state, there are a lot of people to see in just a short time. How you handle that is, have several of the relatives over at one place, at one time, throw in some yummy desserts and you've got a party. My house was the chosen party destination......and I found out about it the day before.

I always enjoy entertaining and I love it when my great aunts, uncles, and grandparents get together so it was a wonderful opportunity to have them over. However, if you have children, you homeschool, run a business along with life in between and cleaning seems to always drop down to the bottom of the list, a day's notice is sometimes not enough to get your house in order.

I must admit that there was some yelling involved to get the children motivated. Ok, maybe there was a smitch more than little. They just did not see what I was all up in a stir about. After all, it was just family coming over. Overall, the kids did a great job at helping. The house was presentable...not perfect, but presentable. However, I still had the deserts to put together. For that to happen, I needed to run to the store and I also needed time to take a shower.

With only three hours before party time, I grabbed my purse and headed out the door. When I got to the car, I thought to myself, why is there all this condensation on the driver's side window? Then, I realized it wasn't condensation but that is was shattered. A huge groan escaped my being. I surely didn't have time for this nor was this convenient financially or timely. What could have done this and where was the person who did it. I needed to explain to him/her how this just was not on my agenda for today. Someone needed to pay or at least let me rant and rave while I was jumping up and down in a fit.


Have you ever talked to yourself? Well, I did at that moment. I was already stressed beyond belief and I didn't need a dumb ol' window sending me over the edge. I took a few deep breaths and muttered to myself that it didn't matter how it happened, it just happened. We needed to take care of the situation and continue on with what needed to be done. After my husband and I grumped at each other for a little bit, we took the next step.

A quick call to the police to make a report for our insurance company was made. Of course, it wasn't an emergency so we waited and waited and waited. After he came and went, we had to take it to the repair shop and clean all the glass up off of the ground. What a mess!

Thank goodness I had made the brownies for my trifle earlier that morning. My husband offered to run to the store for me while I took my shower. That worked out splendidly. In the end, my trifle got made, my hair got done and my house was presentable. I could breathe a sigh of relief.

Inspite of all the chaos and crisis we had during the day, the party went smoothly and everything came together like it needed to. It was great seeing everybody and catching up on what's going on with each of them. As to the car.....I am so thankful that the damage to the car fell under the smaller of the two deductibles. What a day!

Final Resting Place

My father in law passed away back in January. He was cremated and we had a memorial service at the church at that time. However, what to do with the ashes has not been decided until recently. It just didn't seem settled until now. Grandma Loretta decided to have the ashes placed in a Veteran's cemetery. Bob's Dad was very proud to have fought in the war, to have fought for our country so it was very fitting that he be placed there.

Several of the family got together including my brother in law, Dave, who just got out of the hospital a week ago. We all gathered around and my husband prayed. It was an emotional time for all of us. He is very missed.

We all had dinner afterwards at a restaurant named the Riveria. It was right on the lake and we sat where we could watch the boats. The kids loved it. The ferry boat entrance was right next to the restaurant which totally enthralled Ryan and Aaron. To watch the semi trucks getting on the ferry boat truly amazed them. The bus boy will have to wash the windows where the boys had their hands and faces glued to the window.

After we stuffed ourselves with the over-indulgent portions, we sat on the dock watching more boats go by. I think the kids will remember this day for a long time.

Another Meme

I've been tagged by a friend of mine over at 'You've Got To Be Kidding' for a new meme. Sorry it took me so long to get it done, Ellen!


Favorite person outside of family? This is hard because I have several....Lisa, Becky, Robin, Shelly, Betty.

Favorite Food: Mexican

Quirks about you: I didn't see a need to drive past 14 mile till I met some of my favorite people....now look at me, the world's our playground!

Any regrets in life? My first marriage

Favorite Charity or Cause? Karmanos Cancer Institute

How would the person who loves you the most describe you in ten words or less? A quote from Bob: Sensitive, Loving, Wife and Mom, Friend, Coffee-lover, Wonderful Cook

Favorite Blog recently? A pondering heart has been a new favorite. She's a 17 year old young lady trying to follow Christ.

Something you can't get enough of? Hugs from my kids

Worst job you ever had? Kentucky Fried Chicken. The assistant manager didn't like me for several reasons so he gave me the gross jobs like cleaning out the bottoms of all the garbage cans and bathroom duty. I quit after two weeks. I thought that was ample time to give it a shot.

What job would you pay not to have? Garbage clean up. Gross!

If you could be a fly on the wall, where would you be? I think it's better to just not know about stuff sometimes.

Favorite Bible Verse right now? Psalm 34:18...The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those who are crushed in spirit. This verse is full of comfort and brings me a sense of peace. Knowing that God is close by, warms my heart.

Guilty pleasure? Chocolate and coffee

Got any confessions? I like what Ellen said.....between me and Jesus

If you had to spend $1,000 on yourself, how would you spend it? I could really use some new clothes. Oh, and I would love to buy several pairs of shoes.

Favorite thing about your house? The bathroom. It's usually where I get two seconds to myself.

Least favorite thing about your house? My laundry room.

One thing you are bad at? Organization

One thing you are good at? Cooking

If you could change something about your circumstances, what would it be? More 'paying' customers.

Who would you like to meet someday? George Bush, our president.

Who is your real life hero? My Grandpa. This is a post in itself. He is a living example of Christ. I've seen him back up his faith with his actions time and time again without complaint. He is gentle and kind and is all around amazing.

What is the hardest part of your job? Not much time for myself and not enough of me to go around.

When are you the most relaxed? In the evening, when the kids are all tucked in and the world is quieting down for the night.

What stresses you out? When the money doesn't stretch as far as it needs to, when I have too much on my plate and when I do not get enough sleep.

What can you not live without? Christ

Why do you blog? To capture the events of my life. It's the story behind the picture.

I'm not tagging anyone in particular but if you would like to share your answers with me. Please let me know. I'd love to read them :-)

Okay - rules:
1. Answer ALL the questions
2. Link back to whoever tagged you
3. Tag eight bloggers to do the same, 2 from each category.
New/ newer bloggers (since we want to share the love and send them traffic)
Bloggy friendsBloggers you’d like to get to know better
Bloggers you don’t think will respond, but you hope will

Addiction

Our two year old is an addict. That seems like such a crazy age to have addiction problems but she does. It's kind of like her coffee fix. She wants it, when she wants it. If you don't move fast enough, she will start hitting your arm repeating the word's "frog", "frog" till you finally give in. Then, she takes your hand and leads you to the computer.

What in the world am I talking about? I'm talking about Youtube.com, of course.

When Barbara and Sharlene were staying with us, Kara was so hysterical most of the time. In order to calm her down, Bob would whisk her away to his office and play some 'youtube' videos just to get her mind off of all that was going on. She fell in love with one in particular.....Crazy Frog. I don't know why but that one just tickles her fancy. Now she wants to watch it over and over.

I need to get her on video to show those crazy frog producers what effect they have on young viewers! She dances to the music and she has the crazy frog 'beep beep' down to a science.

What did we ever do before Youtube? I've just recently seen some music videos to songs that were popular in my teen years. I didn't even know they were out there.....boy, do I feel old now!