Goodbye, I'm dropping Google

I have not been finding the time to blog, as you obviously can tell. I wanted to hang onto my blogsite, though, in the hopes that I would get back to it. I enjoyed the time I spent blogging with you ladies, and still read your blogs as a lurker. I wish you all the best, and hope I will be back someday.

In a few days I will be closing this blog, and if I come back to blogging I will find a different host.

Google is publicly working against traditional marriage regarding Propostion 8 in California.
That is their perogative, but I choose not to use their services in response.

The Bible clearly states that homosexuality is wrong.

May Day or Mayday!?

South Dakota

The first day of May

Where else could you have a blizzard with 2 ft of snow on the western side of the state

and tornadoes on the eastern side of the state?

Did you get that this is MAY?

And those of us in the east may still get snow tomorrow night!

a kick in the pants

for myself! I haven't weighed in a while, but knew I wasn't being careful. Anyway, what with Easter goodies and birthday goodies (my daughter) and late night eating I was still shocked when I got on the scale this morning. 5 pounds! How can it go on so fast and come off so hard! So, I'll just stick a "kick me" sign on my own back.

more snow, and then....spring?

If they don't miss their prediction again, we are looking for several inches of snow by tomorrow morning. I'd be happy with a snow day or a late start!
But what is really exciting is the prediction for the end of the week. They are talking 50's people! Yeah, I know, fantastic!
I will be subbing for high school English all week, so you may want to pray for my sanity. I will need that springy weather by then!

Weight Wednesday

Sorry, I missed last week, didn't get a chance to weigh. This week I am down a little. I do so great most of the day, but about supper time I just want to eat and never stop! What's up with that?

funny, or is it?

rock, folk, show tunes, harry potter

Where did I find all these combined? Last night our high school Relay For Life team held a benefit concert. I was very impressed by the show they put on. A Christian rock band formed by 4 high school boys performed, followed by a parent/musician who treated us to some folk music. A group of boys did a Readers Theater based on Harry Potter that was funny. And our Madtown Show Choir put on their performance of Sister Act. The show choir is always so much fun to watch!
Though I don't have anyone in high school right now, I still know a lot of the kids, so it makes it even more fun to watch them perform. And for a great cause!

grrr!

That's all I have to say today, and of course, it is not directed at you. Just how I am feeling in general. A pity, too, on such a warm, sunny day!

weight wednesday, make that thursday

Our morning routine was off yesterday, and I did not get a chance to weigh myself. I did that this morning, and it was worse than I feared. I spent all weekend eating out and was not as careful as I should have been the last few days.
So, I hate to admit it, but I gained 2lbs this week.
Back to square one; why do I do that to myself?

sadness

I do not know why the news of 4 children dead in a bus crash has affected me so much tonight. I know no one in that area, and while all news like this brings stunned sadness, tonight seems to be more so for me.
My prayers are for those who are injured and for the families of those who died. God be with them!
http://argusleader.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080219/NEWS/302190004

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

SHARE THE LOVE!!!

Enjoy the day, and don't forget the extra hugs and kisses for those you love.

weight wednesday

I am joining Nickernoodle (I really need to learn how to do links) in weight Wednesday. So I started my journey last week. No, I am not going to tell you how much I weighed, I won't even tell my family. But, as of this morning I am down 2.5 lbs. That is really good for me, and I do not expect that much every week. But at least it is a great start!

my mouth is watering...

I have leftovers in the fridge I need to use tonight, but tomorrow we are having .... beef! From my freezer, which is stocked with beef. Ground beef, roasts, steaks (yum, ribeye), even some liver! We got 1/4 cow from a local farmer and just picked up the meat from the locker yesterday.
Not only does the meat taste so much better, but we can actually afford steak. We haven't gotten the bill from the farmer yet, but I am guessing the total cost will be around $3 per pound. I don't know why we don't do this more often, though this meat will last us quite awhile.
Happiness is...a deep freeze full of meat!

prayer

I came across this prayer that really spoke to me. It is in the book, Fix Your Eyes on Jesus, by Anne Ortlund, which I am also finding challenging.

O my Savior, help me.
I am so slow to learn, so prone to forget, so weak to climb;
I am in the foothills when I should be on the heights;
I am pained by my graceless heart,
my prayerless days,
my poverty of love,
my sloth in the heavenly race,
my sullied conscience,
my wasted hours,
my unspent opportunities.
I am blind while light shines around me:
take the scales from my eyes...
Make it my chief joy to study thee,
meditate on thee, gaze on thee,
sit like Mary at thy feet,
lean like John on thy breast,
appeal like Peter to they love,
count like Paul all things dung...
Let not faith cease from seeking thee
until it vanishes into sight.
Ride forth in me, thou King of kings and Lord of lords,
that I may live victoriously, and in victory attain my end.

Old Puritan prayer

a 5th season

Okay, I am convinced we need to add another season, spring, summer, fall, winter, and .....
HELL IS OFFICIALLY FROZEN OVER!

Not that I'm complaining, oh no, not me!

another sick weekend

I thought we would finally make it to church, after missing I don't know how many
Sundays in a row. But Abi, (yes the one who has been sick for so long and was finally back to school full-time) began throwing up Saturday night. She had a miserable day yesterday, also fever, headache and achy body. I let her sleep in this morning and will keep her home from school the entire day, as she is still very tired. Will this child ever get well and stay well!?
Miranda was home for the weekend, so we did enjoy the time with her. I went up to check on September last night to see if she was finally asleep. She wasn't so I told her she should be sleeping. "No," she responded. "I should be sad". Big sis was leaving in the morning, and that is always a sad time for a 7yo.

the mind of a 12 year old

My 7th grader, Abi, has been sick since shortly after Thanksgiving, first a bad cold, which turned into sinus infection. We thought she was getting better, then started feeling ill again. We took her to the dr about 3 times only to find out that she has a virus and it has to run its course. She has been extremely fatigued, achy, headache, sore throat, etc. This week, she has finally gone to school ALL DAY, EVERY DAY and while certainly not over it, she is getting better.
So last night she went to Youth Group, sis went to AWANA, and I went to Bible Study. When I met the girls after the study Abi informs me that they didn't do a study for youth group. They went to the outdoor icerink and played broomball. Did my daughter have proper winter clothing to keep her warm? Does she have the energy for sports? Does she really think she will get better doing this?
As an adult, I would have said, "sorry, I can't do this" and waited at the church. No, my 12yo told me "We had to go, Mom,".
And I would have had the same mindset when I was 12.

its faster to walk

We live 2 blocks from the elementary school, and I usually walk September to school. Today is cold and snowy and very windy, so I decided we would drive rather than brave the elements. It is faster to walk! It took 20 minutes from the time we walked out the door until I walked back in. Most of that time was spent sitting in line waiting to get to the drop off point. Seriously, it takes less time to walk there (more like 3 blocks the way the sidewalks are set up) and back, then to drive. Next time we may just bundle up really well and face the weather!

do you want the long or short version?

Short version: September got a new coat today.



Long version (are you ready for this?): September has been wearing a hand-me-down coat from her big sister. It looked like it was still in good shape last fall, but over the winter the fabric has cracked and developed some holes. We had a dr. appt. in SF, so we combined trips, did some shopping and found a coat she liked on sale. The next morning she wore the coat to school. Now, I happened to be subbing that day and was summoned to the office. When I got there, I discovered a very hot, very frustrated 1st grader who could not get her coat off! Yep, the zipper was broken, high enough up that we couldn't even pull the coat off over her head. I finally got the zipper down and she has been wearing her old coat (complete with holes in it, I cringe to admit) until Friday when I finally had a chance to return it. Of course, they no longer had a coat in her size, so we began the hunt again. After checking a couple of stores, we headed to the mall. When we got out of the car, September spotted an envelope on the ground. I picked it up and inside were several uncashed checks. Being a good samaritan, I took the envelope to customer service, way at the back of the mall. Only to find out it was no longer there! So we left the envelope at the mall office (which was back there). Since we were now by Younkers, I decided to look there first. They had 1 coat in the right size! And September liked it! And it was 60% off! Even cheaper the coat we had to return!
She will wear it for the first time to school Monday morning. Keep your fingers crossed that she can get it off!

sleep without guilt

I can't count how many nights it has been since I was able to sleep through the night. With kids not feeling good, somehow Mom is required to be awake when they are. (Which I really do feel is my duty, and I really do feel bad for them.) So, today both kids are back to school, at least for now, and I am thinking a nap this afternoon sounds really good, but....
every time I think about that nap, I think about the scores of things that need to be done around here, and how much easier it is to get them done when I am alone.
So, I will let you know later, did I let the guilt keep me from my nap?

UPDATE: Okay, I tried! I slept for about 10 minutes, then the phone woke me, and I couldn't get back to sleep. But, boy, did I enjoy those 10 minutes!

that's the way it goes...

When my kids get the stomach flu, it is ALWAYS after having a spicy meal!
Vomit is horrid enough, but add a spicy smell to it and Mom almost gets sick too!
September is home with the stomach flu and Abi is still home fighting her viral thing. Fun times in my household, I'll tell ya!

its a new year, will anything really change?

So now is when I make all kinds of promises to myself about this year being different! I will lose weight, become organized, keep a cleaner house, be a better mother, spend more time reading my Bible and praying, and on and on. But, at the end of the year will I truly see any change in myself? Why is it so hard to make these changes when I know they are for the better?

I did change one thing, the look of my blog! But being a blog baby, it took quite a bit to get it changed and I lost all my extras. Computer literate, I am not!