February has been a doozy of a month for us. In January Eric had 2 colds, I think. On Jan. 31 Ethan had a terrible earache which prompted a Sat. visit to our Dr. I am so glad they are open on Sat. We left there with the first shot in the hiney that our kids have had...poor little guy, and then we were off to the store to have his prescriptions filled. I started coughing that Friday and on Tuesday I had lost a bunch of sleep from the coughing and was running fever so Eric called and got me in that day. I left there with my first ever hiney shot, a diagnosis of walking pneumonia, paid the bill (which guess what, I had a balance so it was way more than usual) and was off to have my prescriptions filled. BIG $$$ there. By this time we have spent 3 times our budgeted amount for random sicknesses. I finished up my 10-day round of antibiotics about 3 days before my wisdom teeth were removed this past Monday. I was in the bed til Wed. and just today consider myself to be pretty much pain free...as long as I'm taking motrin. I don't like the feeling of having these holes in my mouth and am neurotic about food getting stuck in there---gross. And so of course yesterday Isaac had fever and so he stayed home from school and was off to the Dr where he has a touch of my pneumonia (he didn't get to sleep tonight till almost 11 due to the cough). Luckily he didn't have to get a hiney shot but is on antibiotics More $$$, we're over our med budget 4 times now. Whew! No one is allowed to get sick next month, we do need dentist appts though. Alas, it never ends. So woe is me!!! Kidding, I'm not trying to dwell on all that, I have just noticed the toll it is taking though. I'm ready for health.
Isaac's last b-ball game was tonight and he did great. I'd say on the whole, his team wasn't terribly aggressive but they were very dedicated. Isaac really came into his own learning to rebound. He and one other boy on his team were about the same size and they stood head and shoulders above just about every other kid on the court. It was great to watch him be successful in Upward. It has been a great experience. We're on to baseball that starts in mid-march which he loved last year.
Some of you on facebook know that I put a status update out there a couple of weeks ago that I would be deactivating my page at the end of the month. I still plan to do that, it just may not get done tomorrow because there's a lot planned for the day. I still feel pretty committed to doing it. I am planning on emailing all those fb friends referring them here and giving them my regular email address. I'm real good at email and find that it doesn't take my time like fb has.
I plan on posting some recent pictures in the upcoming week. I'm sure those of you who have checked my blog in the past 3 weeks have wondered where I've been and you may have forgotten what my kids look like. Well, we can't have that so I'll post pictures soon.
Have a wonderful weekend, Everyone.
God Bless
D
Friday, February 27, 2009
Saturday, February 7, 2009
Gifts
Sometimes I see my children as extensions of myself. That can be very gratifying and also very frustrating. When they do something good or say a kind word (with actions and words I have taught them) I swell with pride and feel like they have passed my love and kindness on to another. When they do something mean or rude (with actions and words they have probably heard from me) I cringe inside, feeling as if I have been the one to lash out.
But then there are times when they do something so independent of me; they act or speak in a way that is their own, in a way that I wouldn't have done, and it it makes me marvel at the real person they are. They ARE. Separate from me but forever a part of me. It makes me stand in awe of their Creator, knowing that He is my own. It makes me wonder what He knows about my children, that I can never know. It makes me feel, just a tiny glimpse, of what He feels when His children pass on His love. I wonder if we ever surprise Him by doing something so independent or unexpected that He sits back and marvels at us all over again.
I remember when Isaac was a baby, a tiny baby, holding his tiny hand while he slept in his crib. I remember thinking that I love him SO much. Then the thought came that God loves him SO MUCH MORE than I do. Right on the heels of that Deep Thought came this one: He loves ME more that I love Isaac. That one sorta surprised me. I am terribly thankful that I have known that I am loved, every single day of my life. It is my desire to pass that gift, at least, on to my 3.
But then there are times when they do something so independent of me; they act or speak in a way that is their own, in a way that I wouldn't have done, and it it makes me marvel at the real person they are. They ARE. Separate from me but forever a part of me. It makes me stand in awe of their Creator, knowing that He is my own. It makes me wonder what He knows about my children, that I can never know. It makes me feel, just a tiny glimpse, of what He feels when His children pass on His love. I wonder if we ever surprise Him by doing something so independent or unexpected that He sits back and marvels at us all over again.
I remember when Isaac was a baby, a tiny baby, holding his tiny hand while he slept in his crib. I remember thinking that I love him SO much. Then the thought came that God loves him SO MUCH MORE than I do. Right on the heels of that Deep Thought came this one: He loves ME more that I love Isaac. That one sorta surprised me. I am terribly thankful that I have known that I am loved, every single day of my life. It is my desire to pass that gift, at least, on to my 3.
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Time to Vent: Rants and Pet Peeves
I've had this blog in mind for a while so I decided that today is the day I'll post it.
I'm going to tell a couple of my pet peeves and then you can leave a comment agreeing with those (or agreeing with a previous commenter) or you can list a couple of the things that irritate you the most. One rule: please don't use the word 'hate' I don't want it to become a hate-filled post but rather a post that lets us air our grievances to whomever might read.
Most of mine have to do with driving:
1: I don't like it when people drive under the speed limit. If it's 45, let's drive 45...at least
2: When I see the light turn green up ahead of me, it irritates me when I still have to stop at the light because the car that was first in line wasn't paying attention.
3: At walmart, it bothers me when the person in from of me carries out their entire transaction on the left side of the cash register instead of going on down to the card scanner thingy where there is a little shelf for wallets, etc. If they would move down I could get my stuff unloaded faster!!!
We'll see what other things 'stick in our craw' . I'll keep this post up for a few days and then post a new one so that we (I) aren't tempted to dwell on these small aggravations but I thought venting them wouldn't hurt.
Take care and have a great week
D
I'm going to tell a couple of my pet peeves and then you can leave a comment agreeing with those (or agreeing with a previous commenter) or you can list a couple of the things that irritate you the most. One rule: please don't use the word 'hate' I don't want it to become a hate-filled post but rather a post that lets us air our grievances to whomever might read.
Most of mine have to do with driving:
1: I don't like it when people drive under the speed limit. If it's 45, let's drive 45...at least
2: When I see the light turn green up ahead of me, it irritates me when I still have to stop at the light because the car that was first in line wasn't paying attention.
3: At walmart, it bothers me when the person in from of me carries out their entire transaction on the left side of the cash register instead of going on down to the card scanner thingy where there is a little shelf for wallets, etc. If they would move down I could get my stuff unloaded faster!!!
We'll see what other things 'stick in our craw' . I'll keep this post up for a few days and then post a new one so that we (I) aren't tempted to dwell on these small aggravations but I thought venting them wouldn't hurt.
Take care and have a great week
D
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
We all need saving
My sweet brother, Jason, has sent me a bunch of CDs in the mail recently. He figured that I may be forced to listen to Veggie Tales and other kids music for most of my time and might just appreciate hearing some grown up music. One of the CDs he sent is by Jon McLaughlin and has this great song on it called We All Need Saving. I listed to the whole CD when I got it but then didn't get to listen to it much after tha. But I got a little iPod shuffle right after Christmas (thanks Dad) and so I downloaded a bunch of stuff from our iTunes librbary onto it. Now this is my favorite song right now. It has great lyrics. I found it on youtube so I can post it for your listening pleasure. There isn't a video, it's just a picture of Jon McLaughlin.
~~~~~~~
In other news, we are really enjoying Isaac's basketball games on Friday nights. He has had 3 and has improved so much already. He's the tallest one on his team and Eric has been working with him on his rebounding. Last Friday he probably got 8-9 rebounds and even scored 6 points! It's all very exciting.
We are finally back into our work/school groove. It's about time, now that January is about over! It feels good.
Ethan is in the process of giving up his nap. He never complained about laying down in the afternoon and would take a good 2 hour nap on most days. But he started not going to sleep at night until after he had been in his bed for 45 minutes or so which is not good. So we're in that adjustment period when he starts acting crabby because he hasn't slept but it's not quite time for bed yet...hopefully it will be over soon:) He will still have a quiet time in his room for at least an hour while Jaylie sleeps because I need that for my sanity!
I think I'll post one more thing for those of you not on facebook. I was tagged and had to fill out a 25 random facts about me thing. Here it is, in case you wanted to know:)
1. I've never had braces and still have my wisdom teeth but they'll be coming out soon
2. Eric and I were high school sweethearts and married right after he graduated high school in 95 at the ages of 19 (me) and 18(him). 14 years this August!
3. My parents moved from TX to MS to be near us and the kids and live in our neighborhood and I LOVE that.
4. I hate touching raw meat.
5. I dislike running. I think I plod like a Clydesdale.
6. My bellybutton is off-center...will a tummy tuck fix that?
7. I lived in Germany for 3 years as a kid and traveled all over Europe.
8. I have a picture of me standing at the Berlin Wall. apparently I'm THAT old already.
9. I went to 3 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools due to Air Force moving.
10. As a married couple, Eric and I have had 13 addresses. We have had this one in MS the longest; it will be 3 years next month!
11. I have 3 children each with different hair colors/textures. Isaac has thick red hair. Ethan has super straight, fine brown hair. And Jaylie has real curly blonde hair.
12. I get cold when it's about 72 degrees.
13. I live in MS and can't stand grits.
14. I have lived a lot of my life in TX and can't stand guacamole.
15. My older brother lives in south Florida on the beach and works for the opera. He's my supplier of fantastic music.
16. Even though I got a little iPod shuffle for a New Year's present (thanks Dad) I can't listen to it for more than a few minutes at a time due to the interruptions from children and such.
17. There are 4 computers in our house.
18. My mother and I have the same middle name.
19. My oldest friend and I have been friends since we were 11. She moved across the street from me right before 6th grade and we've been close ever since, despite the Air Force. Love you Shanda!
20. One of my good friends is a very successful Broadway star. You go Merle
21. I failed my drivers' test the first time I took it but have never had a wreck or a ticket to this day:)
22. I love being a stay at home mom and hope Eric never insists on me earning a real paycheck.
23. I am hooked on recycling. I rinse off our paper plates to put in the bin.
24. I want to be an early riser, but can't seem to actually rise early.
25. I've had 3 C-sections...seriously, can a tummy tuck fix that?
I hope everyone has a great week.
Blessings
D
~~~~~~~
In other news, we are really enjoying Isaac's basketball games on Friday nights. He has had 3 and has improved so much already. He's the tallest one on his team and Eric has been working with him on his rebounding. Last Friday he probably got 8-9 rebounds and even scored 6 points! It's all very exciting.
We are finally back into our work/school groove. It's about time, now that January is about over! It feels good.
Ethan is in the process of giving up his nap. He never complained about laying down in the afternoon and would take a good 2 hour nap on most days. But he started not going to sleep at night until after he had been in his bed for 45 minutes or so which is not good. So we're in that adjustment period when he starts acting crabby because he hasn't slept but it's not quite time for bed yet...hopefully it will be over soon:) He will still have a quiet time in his room for at least an hour while Jaylie sleeps because I need that for my sanity!
I think I'll post one more thing for those of you not on facebook. I was tagged and had to fill out a 25 random facts about me thing. Here it is, in case you wanted to know:)
1. I've never had braces and still have my wisdom teeth but they'll be coming out soon
2. Eric and I were high school sweethearts and married right after he graduated high school in 95 at the ages of 19 (me) and 18(him). 14 years this August!
3. My parents moved from TX to MS to be near us and the kids and live in our neighborhood and I LOVE that.
4. I hate touching raw meat.
5. I dislike running. I think I plod like a Clydesdale.
6. My bellybutton is off-center...will a tummy tuck fix that?
7. I lived in Germany for 3 years as a kid and traveled all over Europe.
8. I have a picture of me standing at the Berlin Wall. apparently I'm THAT old already.
9. I went to 3 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and 2 high schools due to Air Force moving.
10. As a married couple, Eric and I have had 13 addresses. We have had this one in MS the longest; it will be 3 years next month!
11. I have 3 children each with different hair colors/textures. Isaac has thick red hair. Ethan has super straight, fine brown hair. And Jaylie has real curly blonde hair.
12. I get cold when it's about 72 degrees.
13. I live in MS and can't stand grits.
14. I have lived a lot of my life in TX and can't stand guacamole.
15. My older brother lives in south Florida on the beach and works for the opera. He's my supplier of fantastic music.
16. Even though I got a little iPod shuffle for a New Year's present (thanks Dad) I can't listen to it for more than a few minutes at a time due to the interruptions from children and such.
17. There are 4 computers in our house.
18. My mother and I have the same middle name.
19. My oldest friend and I have been friends since we were 11. She moved across the street from me right before 6th grade and we've been close ever since, despite the Air Force. Love you Shanda!
20. One of my good friends is a very successful Broadway star. You go Merle
21. I failed my drivers' test the first time I took it but have never had a wreck or a ticket to this day:)
22. I love being a stay at home mom and hope Eric never insists on me earning a real paycheck.
23. I am hooked on recycling. I rinse off our paper plates to put in the bin.
24. I want to be an early riser, but can't seem to actually rise early.
25. I've had 3 C-sections...seriously, can a tummy tuck fix that?
I hope everyone has a great week.
Blessings
D
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Swearing off Facebook...at least for a little while
Update: I am spending much too much time on facebook so for a while, I'm not going to be lurking around over there. I have posted my blog address over there so I suppose if anyone is really wondering what's going on, they can check my blog. I don't know if anyone else suffers from too much fb but it can be a time sucker.
Thankfully the rain has quit but the cold has definitely come in. I'm fine with it. As long as it isn't raining, I'm good.
2 of my 3 kids are sick with colds which is not fun at all. Especially since Eric's in Nashville. Luckily, they haven't run fever yet so they just cough and sneeze and talk funny but still have enough energy to play and cause mischief.
My Grandmother left last Friday and is taking a very scenic route home to Beeville, TX. From here she went to Quana, TX which is almost to OK. She was visiting some adopted family there. From Quana she was going to Amarillo to see my cousin, Chandra. From there it was Lubbock to see my cousin Brad and his new wife Taryn. Then to Abiline to see my cousin Dan and his fiance' Krista. Then to Georgetown to see my cousin Melanie and her hubby and sweet sons. Then on to Austin to see my uncle and aunt. Then to San Antonio to see my other uncle and aunt and finally to Beeville! She is one independent lady and I am so grateful for that! She should be home sometime before next Christmas, hopefully.
I hope everyone is enjoying the return of American Idol. I don't watch it so I wouldn't know. Just about everyone I do know is pretty excited about it though. I'm just waiting for a new Office episode.
As you can tell, I'm pretty much rambling. Sorry about that. I hope you each have a great week. I'll be more interesting later.
D
Thankfully the rain has quit but the cold has definitely come in. I'm fine with it. As long as it isn't raining, I'm good.
2 of my 3 kids are sick with colds which is not fun at all. Especially since Eric's in Nashville. Luckily, they haven't run fever yet so they just cough and sneeze and talk funny but still have enough energy to play and cause mischief.
My Grandmother left last Friday and is taking a very scenic route home to Beeville, TX. From here she went to Quana, TX which is almost to OK. She was visiting some adopted family there. From Quana she was going to Amarillo to see my cousin, Chandra. From there it was Lubbock to see my cousin Brad and his new wife Taryn. Then to Abiline to see my cousin Dan and his fiance' Krista. Then to Georgetown to see my cousin Melanie and her hubby and sweet sons. Then on to Austin to see my uncle and aunt. Then to San Antonio to see my other uncle and aunt and finally to Beeville! She is one independent lady and I am so grateful for that! She should be home sometime before next Christmas, hopefully.
I hope everyone is enjoying the return of American Idol. I don't watch it so I wouldn't know. Just about everyone I do know is pretty excited about it though. I'm just waiting for a new Office episode.
As you can tell, I'm pretty much rambling. Sorry about that. I hope you each have a great week. I'll be more interesting later.
D
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Happy 2009
So I didn't make it up to the computer yesterday with enough time to post; sorry about that. Yesterday was actually a fun-filled (if busy) day for me. 2 sweet friends of mine took me (and Jaylie) out for brunch in the morning. It was so nice. Jaylie loves to do things with 'Ladies'. She definitely notices when there are no boys around. After that we went to the church building to set up my table for tomorrow's ministry fair. We grabbed Ethan after school was out for him and then headed home for a late lunch and nap. I went to get Ike at 2 and then we had a relatively calm afternoon. We were gearing up for the main event...Isaac's first basketball game!! It was at 7:45, which is late around here, but we had a great time cheering him on. This is his first ever basketball game and it moves a lot faster than baseball. It is kind of confusing the first time but I thought he definitely held his own out there. They don't keep score at this age, which is a good thing. But we had a great time and laughed a lot. By the time it was over and we were home, it was pushing 9:30. He showered and fell immediately to sleep. I think it's going to be a great season.
Backing up a bit, this past Monday, my Grandmother, Mother, Jaylie and I went to Natchez. Natchez is a neat place to go, as we discovered, and it is just about 2 hours from here, right on the Mississippi river. We got there around 10 and bought tickets to tour 3 antebellum houses. It was really neat. I just can not imagine living in a house that had a hallway 72 feet long and 23 feet wide! I mean seriously! The only damper on the day was the weather. It rained a lot of the time which means that it was difficult to explore some of the outbuildings on the properties. I do intend to go back again, hopefully on a sunny day.
Speaking of weather. It has rained entirely too much for my taste around here. In December, we had about 9 inches of rain. So far this month I think we're about to 5 already. We have a great back yard but it does have a low spot in it. I have no idea how long it will take to dry out completely. A long while, that's for sure. We had 3 days of sun this week during which I shooed the kids out to play. The mud didn't bother me too much, I was just glad they were out from the allure of screens! I am looking forward to Spring, though. With this much rain, I bet it will be beautiful!
One more quick anecdote. The other day Jaylie woke up from her nap and decided to cuddle on the couch with me. It was on one of the sunny days so we were just lying there looking out the window at the rays coming in. Most of you know that when it is sunny and rays are coming in, the sunlight illuminates the gazillions of dust particles that are floating about. I can remember watching these float when I was little. Anyway, the other thing that is illuminated when sun streams in through windows, is smears and fingerprints. While I was mentally noting that I needed to clean off the panes in the back door--just one more thing on an endless list of housekeeping things that always need doing--Jaylie says,"Look at the sparkles. Aren't they so, so pretty?" To which I replied,"Yes, Darlin'. They really are." It made me think that I wish I could only see dust as sparkly. That I only appreciated the sun for the beauty it brings, instead of overlooking that beauty to see one more chore that will need to be done--by me. I wish that I could see the sparkles instead of the smears. No wonder Jesus loved to use children as examples of how we need to be to be used in His Kingdom.
Here's to a sparkly New Year.
Blessings
D
Backing up a bit, this past Monday, my Grandmother, Mother, Jaylie and I went to Natchez. Natchez is a neat place to go, as we discovered, and it is just about 2 hours from here, right on the Mississippi river. We got there around 10 and bought tickets to tour 3 antebellum houses. It was really neat. I just can not imagine living in a house that had a hallway 72 feet long and 23 feet wide! I mean seriously! The only damper on the day was the weather. It rained a lot of the time which means that it was difficult to explore some of the outbuildings on the properties. I do intend to go back again, hopefully on a sunny day.
Speaking of weather. It has rained entirely too much for my taste around here. In December, we had about 9 inches of rain. So far this month I think we're about to 5 already. We have a great back yard but it does have a low spot in it. I have no idea how long it will take to dry out completely. A long while, that's for sure. We had 3 days of sun this week during which I shooed the kids out to play. The mud didn't bother me too much, I was just glad they were out from the allure of screens! I am looking forward to Spring, though. With this much rain, I bet it will be beautiful!
One more quick anecdote. The other day Jaylie woke up from her nap and decided to cuddle on the couch with me. It was on one of the sunny days so we were just lying there looking out the window at the rays coming in. Most of you know that when it is sunny and rays are coming in, the sunlight illuminates the gazillions of dust particles that are floating about. I can remember watching these float when I was little. Anyway, the other thing that is illuminated when sun streams in through windows, is smears and fingerprints. While I was mentally noting that I needed to clean off the panes in the back door--just one more thing on an endless list of housekeeping things that always need doing--Jaylie says,"Look at the sparkles. Aren't they so, so pretty?" To which I replied,"Yes, Darlin'. They really are." It made me think that I wish I could only see dust as sparkly. That I only appreciated the sun for the beauty it brings, instead of overlooking that beauty to see one more chore that will need to be done--by me. I wish that I could see the sparkles instead of the smears. No wonder Jesus loved to use children as examples of how we need to be to be used in His Kingdom.
Here's to a sparkly New Year.
Blessings
D
Thursday, January 8, 2009
Stay Tuned
I have been trying all week to get a new post up. I will later today or for sure by tomorrow. Don't take my link off your bookmarks yet!!! I guess I've been busy catching up with my life or something...I'll get back to you in a bit. Have a super Thursday everyone.
D
D
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