Me- A to Z

Me-A to Z

age - 41 (for a little longer)

bed size - King, this gal needs her space!!

chore you hate - Laundry for sure

dogs - The two best ever :)

essential start to the day- My Coffee!!!!

favorite color - It changes, probably navy blue or red

gold or silver -  Silver for the most part, but rings are usually gold

height - 5 foot 1 and 3/4 inches!!! and shorter than 2 of my children already

instruments you play - None :(

job title - Child Care Specialist (Literacy and Quality)

kids - The 4 best gals on Earth and 2 boys in Heaven

live -In a place that is too cold in the winter for my liking

married - To my honey for almost 14 years

nicknames - The usual shortened versions- Pen, etc

overnight hospital stays - All related to child birth or pregnancy

pet peeve - Hmmm, somedays everything gets under my skin, other days nothing.  I hate buzzers, beeps, etc that will not stop and that go off for no apparent reason.

righty or lefty - Righty but always thought being a lefty would be cooler

siblings - My brother Jim who I loved so much and miss greatly.

time you wake up - Alarm at 5am, lucky to get up by 6:15

university attended - EIU

vegetables you dislike - Brussel Sprouts, lima beans, butter beans

what makes you run late -I'm not a planner, so just about everything.

x-rays you’ve had - Hmmm I cant remember.  More ultrasounds than xrays

yummy food - PIZZA, Chicken and Noodles, Soups, anything with cream cheese

zoo animal favorite -  Kangaroos

Blessed Sunday

 

 

 

Today I am thankful for community.  I am thankful for my small town, my church, my neighborhood, and my children's school.  When I was younger, I did not value the small size like I do now.  I felt that life here was boring and sometimes even annoying.  Now I value that others know who I am, will watch out for my children, are willing to jump in and be involved in our lives and who look out for one another. 

I enjoy catching up with people in the grocery store, post office, or on a nice summer day- the community pool! 

I am thankful for teachers who let my children sit with them at ball games, principals who I watched grow up, and school nurses who know me on a first name basis.

I am thankful for a church that loves one another, and has amazing church dinners....smile. 

I am thankful for my girls 4H leaders, piano teachers, and coaches. 

I have lived in a bigger community, but when God changed the course of my life, I learned that this truly was home.

Have a wonderful week!!

Wordless Wednesday

Manic Monday

It's just another manic Monday oh oh, wish it were Sunday, yeah yeah, cause that's my fun day.......Now that the lyrics of my favorite Bangles tune is in your head, this is what's going on around here.

It is actually not a manic Monday. I have the day off of work for Martin Luther King Jr.'s Birthday and my children do not! I am missing them though or at least I will after a while...lol

I think Katherine the Great has quit as my tech support.  I say “I need help with my blog”, she rolls her eyes and then magically disappears.  I had to fill her car up with gas last time to bribe her.  So I guess I’m on my own…..sniff sniff

 A few posts back, I did a Currently post that I saw on another blog.  Since I cannot figure it out on my own (cutting, pasting, saving, text boxes, etc.)  I am making up my own.  So here goes….

 Listening to:  Nothing!!! I am the only one home!!

 Loving:  That I have the day off and may get something accomplished…may being the significant word in this sentence.

 Thinking:  It might be time to take the Christmas tree down. However, it has been up longer than this a few times.

Wanting:  To take a nap this afternoon.  I love naps!! My Dad was a napper and I think it is genetic, smile.

Needing:   To be better at making my kids do chores.  Truly, I understand Cinderella’s stepmother at this point.  Maybe she wasn’t mean; maybe she was just in her 40s and tired.  However she would have gotten way more accomplished if she hadn’t played favorites.  Three girls doing the chores would have accomplished more than one, and those girls needed something better to do. 

What I am Reading:  People Can't Drive You Crazy If You Don't Give Them The Keys

by Mike Bechtle

Have a wonderful Monday!!

Blessed Sunday....

"PRAY FOR EACH OTHER SO THAT YOU MAY BE HEALED. THE EARNEST PRAYER OF A RIGHTEOUS PERSON HAS GREAT POWER AND PRODUCES WONDERFUL RESULTS."

-James 5:16

This week I got to experience something wonderful.  Several of my dear friends from my church and I  met and prayed for one another and others on our hearts.  It was a time where our group connected on an intimate level.  There is something powerful when two or more Christians join hearts and hands and let the Holy Spirit move within them.  I can't say I remember ever feeling this same type of prayer connection before. 

As a society, we need prayer.  We need to feel others are right there with us joining in our joys, sorrows, ailments, and concerns.  Connection is something we are losing.  It is becoming more and more common and even expected to believe everyone has enough of their own problems that the considerate thing to do would be to keep it to ourselves.  This is NOT how God wants us to live.  Jesus expects his body of believers to bear each other's burdens. 

I am blessed to have a wonderful church that expresses this view quite amazingly.  They love me and I love them.  My family is their family and their families are mine.  When one is hurting, we are all hurting.  When one rejoices, we all rejoice.  I tend to hold a lot of feelings and concerns in.  God put me with the right group to bring them out in the open. 

My wish for all of you is to find a group that makes you feel as mine do.  Even if you are not a believer, you need a community to share your walk with.  We are not created to be isolated individuals.  Our children need others in their lives who love them as we do, who can be there when we can't .  Families do not have to have a blood connection, but rather a love connection.  Blessed Sunday......

Let's Talk

Words.....they can build us up, tear us down, and mostly just define who we are.  You can usually tell a teenager by the way they speak.  You can tell a witty individual by the words they use.  I have been thinking about this a lot lately.  I have never gotten past the eighties with my "awesome" and if I am really impressed it's "freakin awesome".  I use "freakin" a lot, but not like some may say as a substitute for the other "F" word, because I don't use that word as a regular in my vocabulary (yes, I have used it before, but I am not proud of it....and I was super duper mad!).  I just think "freakin" makes the adjective I am using more "dynamic" (another word I love).

I also love phrases.  One of my favorites is "a hot mess".  As in, ugghh that girl is a "hot mess."  However, I did look it up in the urban dictionary and ewww...... I don't know if I will continue to use it, but most likely I will. When I was subbing, one of the preK teachers used to say "well isn't that the cat's pajamas?"  I loved it!!! However, I always forget to say it.  It just sounds like a little old lady and I love that.  My grandmother used to tell me stories of when she was young and "full of pep and vinegar".  What the heck does vinegar have to do with anything? But again, I loved it. 

When I was reading to a group of children the other day, we were playing a word game on the IPAD and the word "astonishing" came up.  Now there is word that is so neat but I never say it.....I am planning to look for ways of incorporating it into my vocabulary,  as well as "groovy".  So, everyone reading this.... Have a groovy day. Do something astonishing so I will think you are the cat's pajamas, and of course I think you are all freakin awesome!!!!!!



Blessed Sunday......

 

 

 

Today I could write about so many blessings.  I am thankful that I am feeling  much better.  I am blessed to have had a great weekend with my sister in law at a wonderful Christian conference.  I am blessed to come home home to a family that was so excited to see me and missed me even though they had seen me the morning the day before.  My little dog Cloe had tons of kisses and a tail that would not quit wagging!! She makes me feel so good.  She is my first dog ever who has picked me as her favorite.....now I get how people become so wrapped up in their dogs.

My sister in law and I went to see one of our favorite authors speak.  Her name is Jen Hatmaker and she is an amazing teacher of the Bible, as well as a woman who has opened many eyes regarding excess, simplicity, and making the Bible come to life in our every day lives.  My favorite book of hers is

7 An Experimental Mutiny Against Excess

You can not read this book and have it not change your life and way of thinking.  I learned so much from her this weekend at the conference.  She reminded me that in order to be the church to others we must love our neighbors as ourselves.  Easy right?  Not always.  I can love my family, friends, and people I don't have any conflicts with.  However, that is not what Jesus meant.  We are to love EVERYONE as we love ourselves.  I am supposed to love the people I don't like, the ones who offend me, the one's I have no human desire to get know, and therefore I must seek Jesus in order to fulfill this command.  Oh my.......

I would encourage you to read one of her books, perhaps start with this one.  I have read several of her other ones as well.  Have a Blessed Sunday and remember we want to leave this world with nothing left on our table, all of our cards played, all of our talents and resources exhausted!! Heaven does not require a suitcase.....Give all of you!!!!!!

Happy New Year

Happy New Year Friends and Family!!  Doug's knee was hurting him last night and my throat is getting sore (great) so we decided for a New Years at home.  We had some pizza rolls and cheeseball about 10 o'clock and some sparkling grape juice at 11 o'clock when we watched the ball drop (everyone was tired, ok!).  It was fun watching the girls play Just Dance 4 and they were all getting along!!!

I found this survey on another blog and decided I wanted to share my answers with you.  If you have never checked out this lady's blog I highly recommend it.


Kelly's Korner asked 5 questions to recap 2012...

1. What are you most thankful for?        God, my family, and my friends.  It may sound generic but without these three things life would not be worth living. God gives me strength and hope, and serving him gives me more in return than any other thing that I do.  My family is amazing and they are the reason I do the day to day things I do.  My friends give me an outlet to let loose and the support I need to get through the hard times.  All are special and the best part is that my family also are my friends which is the best of both worlds.
2. What were the highlights of 2012 for you?       Katie turning 16!  Seeing her excitement over her car and independence was amazing.  She has been so grateful and so helpful with errands and running sisters to and fro that having a third driver has been a blessing.  Casssidy cheerleading.  She is so happy and enthusiastic.  I love seeing passion in my children.  She makes me smile even when she is just talking about it.  Madi has really grown up this past year and is becoming a fun friend to hang with while grocery shopping, etc.  She loves to talk about what she plans to do when she is an adult...it will be here in the blink of an eye I know.  Lucy too is growing up so fast, she reminds me a lot of Katie at that age.  I love that she is so girly.  She talks about wanting most to be a mom, that makes my heart burst!!  We also got a new puppy and she is adorable!! Doug is always a highlight to my life and seeing his excitement about his new seed business has been an answer to our prayers.  2012 brought new friendships and  new connections, and also helped us to remember those close to us and how much they mean. 
3. What are you hoping for in 2013?       Healing.  Life brings us curve balls all the time.  Loss of loved ones leaves huge craters in our lives but healing allows us to climb out and see the good that still remains in our lives.  It is easy to stay at the bottom but the climb out is worth more to ourselves and others.  I also want to minimize my "want list" and focus more on my "already have" list.  Contentment.....

4. What were some of your favorites of 2012? (Clothes, movies, songs, TV shows, )    I still love cardigan sweaters and pretty necklaces, cute flats, and jeans.   I loved the new Twilight movie and am sad they are now over.  I still watch too much Real Housewives of wherever except Atlanta and fell in love with Duck Dynasty.  I read a lot of great books.  I liked The Hunger Game book series and movie. 
5. Who was God to you in 2012?   More real than he has ever been.  I have needed him more just to get through the day than any other time of my life.  I have opened myself up more to his word and asked more for his answers for MY life, rather than trying to do good works and mimic others walk.  God is good all the time!