5 Things I dig (love) about Jesus Meme

This post goes out to my dear friend Michelle in MX!
This is a long overdue Meme...I actually owe you a few. I hope that doesn't make me more in debt!
Hey I have four kids so I always have a good excuse for messy house, forgotten things, procrastination...etc, right?

Well this is the "5 Things I Dig (Love) about Jesus Meme"

1...I can talk to Him any time of the day or night....Any!
2...I can talk to Him any where...(shower, library, store.....)
3...He still loves me and forgives me, even after I got upset with my kids.
4...He 'chose' to love me!
5...Even when I've done stupid things and I feel like an idiot, He gently calls me back to Him, and tells me I'm not.

Yeah...my list could go on too...
He is just so awesome...

The Buzz!

My husband and I have arrived at a new level in our marriage. I am not sure if it is a step up or down....maybe it is sideways!
Over the years (almost 10!) I have offered to help my husband out by cutting his hair. I do not have any formal training. Just being witness to my mom buzzing my 5 younger brothers hair. That counts for something...I was an accomplice?
Well he has ALWAYS said "NO WAY!" In order to preserve our marriage, he would not let me touch his hair!
Well he came to the place where he did not want to spend the money on the haircut ($8-$10+tip). You know when you get to the bottom of the barrel, $10 is alot of mulla.
So he got out his beard trimmer he uses for his goatie and put it to his head!
Aaah!! I told him if he's gonna do that..please let me help!
So I gave him what we affectionately call, the "Lonnie" cut. It is your basic buzz. But it has been named after a friend. I'm sure he'll be honored...maybe?
I spent a long time buzzing, trying to get it just right. But in the end it looked like I spent less than 5 minutes! Then our son decided it was 'Awesome' and he wanted a buzz like Daddy! I was feeling pretty proud of my guys...they looked real good with some gel in there hair...real stylin'!

Oh, and by the way....our marriage is doing great!

And our pocket book doesn't get thinner!

How Nice....

I picked this didy up over at Laurel Wreath's...




Well isn't it nice to know you can come and bring your kids to read my blog!
But I think the few intimate friends that really now me, know that that rating is WAY off!

Some thoughts

Recently I have been talking with either a family member or friend about marital problems. Not mine though. I have just been thinking about how so many people see divorce as an option. That if there was just some way for people to see that marriage is not the wedding and you're done. But that it is a whole new beginning. And it is actually one of the biggest challenges of your life!
I have come from a broken home and know the pain of it. I have also seen strife in the home from discontented Christians. Unfortunately there is no magic potion or easy answers. It just starts with making priorities, and interestingly enough, your spouse is one of them. I am saying all this, I guess mostly to remind myself I suppose. That today I need to take the time and tell my 'Man' that I love him. But to not only say it But to also show it through my actions throughout the day.


Reminder to self...go tell him!

A Compendium of Pontifications ...

1. I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger. Then it hit me.

2. Police were called to a daycare where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

3. Did you hear about the guy whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right now.

4. The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.

5. To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

6. When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.

7. A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

8. A thief fell and broke his leg in wet concrete. He became a hardened criminal.

9. Thieves who steal corn from a garden could be charged with stalking.

10. We'll never run out of math teachers because they always multiply.

11. When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U C L A.

12. The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.

13. The dead batteries were given out free of charge.

14. If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.

15. A dentist and a manicurist fought tooth and nail.

16. What's the definition of a will? It's a dead giveaway.

Girls...Girls...Girls

Well summer is on it's way! Yay..which means more time to spend with my kids. I'll be working during the summer too but not full time and not the whole summer. These past few weeks have been such a whirlwind.
My eldest daughter turned 9 and she had a slumber party. We kicked my son and hubby out.My daughter invited 9 friends and I invited one of the moms to help me out and keep me sane. I Came to realize though that the total body count was 16! My daughter+9 friends+my friend+her 2little ones+me and my 2 little ones= One fun and crazy slumber party. We watched Princess Diary 1 and 2 and ate pizza and popcorn. Then decorated cupcakes. The next morning was muffins, bananas and oj. Notice how I didn't cook anything? (except for the cake). Then when the girls left on Saturday we left to0 visit my Grandparents and Aunt, who live 3 hours away and spent the night at their place. Needless to say...we came back tired. But it was a fun weekend. I think this weekend we will spend at home...the whole time!


I want to thank you all for the prayers for my brother. Please...please continue to pray for him. This has been such a trying time for him and the whole family. Please be praying for his two boys as well. Thank you.

Thanks

Thank You all for your support and prayers. My brother is out on bail and his arraignment has been postponed for a little while. He was able to visit with the family over the weekend (the week before last). They are interviewing lawyers at this time and have hired a private investigator to look into a situation where there could have been 'foul play'.
We are confident that God is in control of this situation. And that many good things will come from this. I know my brother is in the palm of Our Father.
On a side not..but a happy one...my family in California had a nice surprise the same weekend this brother was visiting. One of my other brothers has been away for a year (Iraq). He showed up the same Saturday that the family was together. I could not be there, but my heart was with them.

Urgent prayer request

Thank you for your prayers. My Mom arrived safely and we are enjoying her stay. But I have a critical prayer request to ask.

My brother in CA just got in a very serious car accident and killed the other driver(70 yr old man). He was in ICU, but his injuries are not life threatening. He will be eventually transferred to the county hospital.

He is under arrest at the hospital because he was driving under the influence (alcohol). He was driving down the wrong way on a one way street.

He has two young sons (ages 11 and 9). He has always been responsible and cautious. A young man with a big heart. All this has really shook him up. We are certain there will be jail time. We just don't know how much. His arraignment is set for about three weeks.

Please be praying for God's mercy in this situation. And for His strength and comfort as well.

Thank You.

Vacuum cleaner contest!!

Hey for all who need to, love to or just vacuum as a hobby. This contest may be of interest to you! 5 Minutes for Mom is having a contest.... it is for a new Dyson Slim Vacuum! Go on over and check it out...what have you to lose. The only thing to lose is a clean floor!
We all love good clean fun!

Prayers

Hey Y'all, I need to ask for prayer for my mom. She is leaving today from California and she is on her way out here to Texas. She will be stopping to visit my Grandparents (her mom and dad who live about 3 hours from us) on her way.

She will be driving by herself. I know she is capable of driving it but it is such a long way, ya know!

On top of this, her sweet basset hound, Clover, just had to go into the hospital. This caused her time of departure to be delayed and has made leaving more difficult. She is not sure what the result of Clovers' blood test will be. It has also cut her money back that she would have used for the trip.

Pray for angels to surround her her entire trip and for Clovers recovery from whatever is causing her sickness. That God would give her peace and comfort on her journey. And for her finances.

Our whole family is looking forward to her arrival on the 6th of April (and my dad coming the following week for a few days).

We have not seen my family in a year and are anxious for their safe arrival.

Thank you!!

Wordless Wednesday

A little bragging

This is a bragging post. I realize I have not spoke much about my son. He just turned 7. And he has three lovely sisters surrounding him in age, helping to mold him into a well rounded young man. Well, his sister who is two years older than him has been taking ballet lessons for just about 5 years. When we were living as missionaries in Mexico is when she first started. The picture here is of one of those recitals. Now that we have been stateside, she has been taking a combanation class of ballet/jazz/tapp. Ever since she started, he has wanted to learn to dance as well. She had even tried to teach him a little herself. But back in Mexico it is really not the 'macho' thing to do. So when she signed up for classes here, he followed suit. Their spring recital is coming up. And I just received an e-mail from his teacher. This is what she had to say about him."...By the way, he is doing incredibly well in class - and I love having him there. He is a natural dancer and you should be very proud...."

So can you tell? I am very proud! I am also very proud of his older sister who has inspired him to dance. She is a beautiful dancer. I am very proud of both of them!

Weekend Reflection

Well considering this has been Spring Break and I work for the school district, I was off for the whole week! As you may already know. I must stop and actually ponder my week.

--Hubby worked on garden out front with kids. Eldest daughter (Miss A) planted seeds she bought with her own money.

--My son (Mr. C) had his 7th Birthday on Thursday. I had different plans I was thought about doing but time and money said otherwise and we ended up having it at the park with a bunch of moms and kids from church....it was great!

--My daughter (Miss A) bought my son a Bionicle (Lego made toy) for his birthday with her own money. I just love that my kids learn to save their own money and buy their siblings gifts!

--I aspired to do a lot of cleaning...but got only some done. I will have to be happy with what I accomplished. I did get the kids rooms cleaned and vacuumed. That was no minor feat! I did not do the cleaning...I only guided. There are only two rooms.

--I started walking more and taking the kids on walks more (this includes going to the park). I intend to keep this up for two reasons. 1..because I work full time and some overtime...so it is good for me and the kids and gives hubby a chance to be at home alone (although he may be cooking dinner at the time) and 2..because at the school district where I work they are having a "Biggest Loser" contest that I joined! Yeah, I can lose weight and win money...I'm not sure which is better? So the extra walking is a needed routine!

--My hubby and I have been spending more quality time together. This has been very good. At the same time it brings things to the surface which is good but can sometimes be painful. But the end result is good.

--Went kite flying for the first time with my kids. Like I said..we are going to make the park a bigger part of our routine.

--I may have finally gotten smell of cat pee (male) out of Mr. C's room! This is a very big thing and my elder female dog has leaking problems when she sleeps too! So these are serious issues, you can understand I'm sure, for those of you with pets. I would keep them out all the time if weather permited. But we let the cat stay in because he is not fixed yet. And let the small dog stay inside because he is old and the biggest dog stay inside at night because we feel safer.

All in all the week has been good. I honestly did plan and want to get more done. But I need to learn to bite things off in small bites. So I will have to pick an evening when the kids are asleep (cause that is when I can be most productive) and pray for energy and tackle one of my projects.

Spring Break

I am so happy for me that spring break is here! But my poor kiddos still have school such is the life of a homeschooler. Oh the cruelty! Yeah well, when your kids are 'graduating' 6th grade mine will be graduating high school. Right? Ok, Maybe not.
The real reason they are still schooling on vacation is...
1.They need the routine for the sanity of the family
2.My mom is coming out for Easter break from California and we will cancel school for a week to enjoy her visit. We are really looking forward to it since we haven't seen my family in almost a year. My dad might even decide to join her, last minute!

So I am trying to make the most of my week by doing some faux 'spring cleaning' AND do my son's 7th birthday AND enjoy time home with my kids!
Has anyone figured out yet how to get more hours in a day?
I've tried just about everything and staying up late at night doesn't work!

PARTY TIME!!

These are are three of our past parties and it is my decoration for this party! I am also trying to gather my thoughts and creativity to celebrate my son's b-day next week..he'll be 7!









I have been intending to invite you to this party!



And I will inroduce myself too and I hope to get to know you more as well.

I have been married for almost 10 years and have 4 children. I had been in Mexico for 12 years as a missionary to the deaf. Which is where I meet my husband (who is hard of hearing himself) We have been off the mission field for about a year now and I have been working full time as an interpreter for the deaf in TX. Looking back over my life I have done so many things that I thought I would never have done or accomlished. Like going to a foreign country without knowing the language or any of the people I'd be working with. Or like now, I never thought that once I had kids that I would be a working mom. As in a 9-5 job and sometimes overtime and my husband staying home and doing the homeschooling, cooking and etc.. But alas it is the season of life we are in. I believe children truly are a blessing from God and I love mine dearly! My blog is usually and mostly about my family and personal experiences and the funny things my kids say and do ... and then some!

Who needs normal!?

You Are 35% Normal

You sure do march to your own beat... But you're so weird, people wonder if it's a beat at all You think on a totally different wavelength And it's often a chore to get people to understand you

How Normal Are You?

The good, the bad ......

Life here in our household has been in a bit of a 'upheaval'...we have had everyone sick on and off for over a week now. I am the only one not to go down before the 'porcelain throne'. I pray that I stay healthy too, because I need to be able to keep working.
I have been very blessed though. A friend sponsored me to go to a womans retreat with my church this past weekend and it was a much needed break and a wonderful weekend. There were so many highlights that I cannot share them all right now.
Yeah...just need to get myself to bed cause I need to wake up and go to work in the morning. Thank you Lord for my job. And that my family is getting healthier everyday.

Time well spent

I don't really do New Year's resolutions. And besides the new year has passed, sorta. But in the light of making improvements, I have been working on one thing. Well on a few maybe but this one is the most important and lasting.
I have been trying to make a point to spend more quality time with my kids. Not just time...but the kind of time that they will remember. You know it is easier to remember the negative things and more difficult to remember all the positive. So I am making an effort to be, on the whole, spending more quality-positive time with my kids. I think this has stemmed from the fact that I am working full time now. I had gone from being a missionary mom who was sometimes not home. To a full time stay at home mom then to a full time at work mom. We have all gone through a lot of changes over the past almost year. I am trying not to raise my voice so much and praise good behavior. It is not any easy job, nobody said it would be easy. But it is so worthy and worth it. My children are so worth it.

Word of explination on the pic's...ok so that is my husband reading our 2 older kids a story, not me. But it is a picture of spending quality time. Just in case you needed an example!

My sweet little felon

Tonight as we left Walmart, the alarm went off. I realize this is nothing new because it goes off for about every other person. The catch was, we had not bought anything. I was only doing a return. I had been in the jewelry section placing an order for a wedding ring (my dear husband had lost his a few months ago). So back to the embarrassing moment...
I happened to have all 4 kids with me and when the alarm went off I turned to them and said "ok, empty you pockets!"
It turns out Little Miss A, the 3 year old had put a ring (big fake one) in the front pocket of her sweater! I asked her what happened and she said it was an accident.
Well, I had let them look at the jewelry while I was busy and I expected her older siblings to keep an 'eye' on her. I guess I was asking for it.
Sheesh, but it was still embarrassing. I did explain to her that that is called stealing. Even if she didn't realize what she had done.

No school--for some

Working for the school district+school cancelled = No work!!

Yeah I stay home today with the kids! So the only bummer is I woke up at 6:15...oh well.

But we did make a funky little leaf filled snowman the size of my 3 year old. Can you see the brown hat and the carrot? Hey, I'm from California and have been in Mexico for many years so this little snow is a big deal for us! You better not be laughing at us! The backyard looks even more white.

And 'our' school was not cancelled. Meaning, because we homeschool and becacause my husband is a diehard (I say that in a loving, endearing and affecionate way) my kids are still being schooled. Which is why I am doing my 'thing' and catching up on housework...oops..and blogging! But it sure does look pretty outside!