The Wonderfuls

I Didn't Know It Could Be This Good

2011-11-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

I can remember being a teenager and wondering if I would ever have the privilege of marrying, let alone marrying 'Mr. Right.'

And then I met him at age 17. When I saw him across the auditorium my first thought was, "He is soooo 'out of my league' gorgeous." I thought there wasn't a chance that he would notice me. But I was so wrong! That night we met...and the rest.....is history!!!!!

September, 1987 (at the Puyallup fair)

1987

1987 (our engagement picture)

September, 1988

November 4, 1989

May, 1990

January 5, 1991 (hours before Lyndsey was born)

January 6, 1991 - Daddy with Lyndsey minutes after birth

December, 1991

1992

1994

Spring, 1995

July, 1997 (Lyndsey - 6, Phyllip - 1 week old)

February, 1998

June, 1999 (Lyndsey - 8, Phyllip - almost 2, Tyler - 4 months)

September, 2002

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009 - Lyndsey's high school graduation

2009

2010

2010 - spaghetti kiss

2011

To the man I have been privileged to share my life with:

As I reflect on the 24 years of our relationship (2 years dating and 22 of marriage), I have discovered that you truly are the man of my dreams. You are everything I ever wanted in a man (tall, dark and handsome :) ). But even more than just physical looks, you are exactly what I wanted in every way. Though I didn't realize it at the time and for many years to come, God made my dream come true.

Thinking about our wedding vows, you have stayed by my side for better or for worse and for richer or poorer; through sickness and health - you have loved me and taken such gentle care of me as I journey through the disease of lupus (Praise God, he has spared me from much suffering). To love, honor, and cherish - you have loved me when I was unlovable, honored me countless times, and cherished me always.

I thought I knew what love was when we said our marriage vows 22 years ago. Ha! How naive I was! Reflection has a way of showing just what I didn't know. As we've aged and continue on our journey of life together, I can say that I do know what love truly is now. And I've learned what true intimate love is. You have shared your innermost self with me. It's so much more than the physical union - it's knowing you on the deepest level. I can look at you at times and know what you are thinking. Someone can ask me a question about you and I can answer it exactly the way you would. Intimacy is KNOWING you!

I am so thankful that God gave you to me to share this life with! You are my best friend in this whole wide world! Outside of my salvation, you are the second best gift I've ever received! I LOVE YOU my SWEATHEART (he he he he!) always and forever!!! ♥♥♥

Mr. Wonderful,

I found the following and it describes you perfectly in my eyes!

You are so beautiful to me
You are so beautiful to me
Can't you see
Your everything I hoped for
Your everything I need
You are so beautiful to me

Such joy and happiness you bring
Such joy and happiness you bring
Like a dream
A guiding light that shines in the night
Heaven's gift to me
You are so beautiful to me

♥♥♥♥HAPPY 22nd ANNIVERSARY, MR. WONDERFUL!!!! ♥♥♥♥
Love, Mrs. Wonderful

I Think This Will Be His New Favorite

2011-06-10T09:14:00.001-07:00

Mr. Wonderful has always loved Campbell's Tomato Soup, especially when he is sick.

Somehow, he and Flip ended up very sick this week. Poor guys...and on Mr. Wonderful's vacation, no less!

I happened across a full length video from Food Network's "Barefoot Contessa" show. This recipe looked so good I had to make it.

With Mr. Wonderful sick, I asked him if he wanted tomato soup. He said yes so I set out to make it. It smelled equally as good as it looked!

I served it to him and he REALLY liked it! I do believe this recipe will be the new 'go to' recipe when he is sick again.

Try it...bet you'll like it!

A Light Bulb Moment

2011-03-31T20:24:00.000-07:00

I was sitting in church last Sunday morning and a light bulb moment occurred in my head.

The odd thing about it is that I've read this passage of Scripture many times in the past and apparently I just didn't get the true meaning, which just boggles my mind.

Galatians 5:19-23
"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law."

Our world has made laws against things such as adultery, fornication, uncleanness, etc. We can go to jail, and even in some countries, be killed for committing any of the above listed in Scripture.

However, there are no laws against love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, etc.

The light bulb moment came when our pastor said this: "Imagine saying 'I love you' and then being told you are under arrest." That doesn't happen!

As Christians, we should practice and live the 'fruit of the Spirit.' I believe we will all be a lot happier if we do!

Hiding

2011-03-10T09:38:00.000-08:00

I came across this verse today and it practically smacked me in the face.

Proverbs 10:18 "He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool."

How many times have I been like that??????? Oooooooo, this verse cut right to the heart!!!!

I have, down through all my years of life, been guilty of hatred towards others.

The Hebrew definition for hideth (or hide) is this:

kâsâh (kaw-saw')
A primitive root; properly to plump, that is, fill up hollows; by implication to cover (for clothing or secrecy): - clad self, close, clothe, conceal, cover (self), (flee to) hide, overwhelm.

Webster's 1828 Dictionary defines hide as:
HIDE, v.t. pret. hid; pp. hid, hidden.

1. To conceal; to withhold or withdraw from sight; to place in any state or position in which the view is intercepted from the object. The intervention of the moon between the earth and the sun hides the latter from our sight. The people in Turkey hide their grain in the earth. No human being can hide his crimes or his neglect of duty from his Maker.

2. To conceal from knowledge; to keep secret.

Depart to the mountains; hide yourselves there three days. Josh 2.

Tell me now what thou hast done--hide it not from me. Josh 7.

3. In Scripture, not to confess or disclose; or to excuse and extenuate.

I acknowledged my sin to thee, and my iniquity have I not hid. Psa 32.

4. To protect; to keep in safety.

To hide the face, to withdraw spiritual presence, support and consolation.

Thou didst hide thy face,and I was troubled. Psa 30.

How many times do I/we put on a smiling face in front of the person(s) I/we hate? It doesn't matter what they said or did, I/we will be a fool if I/we hate them for it.

That's not to say it's easy to forgive and forget. But that's what I/we are supposed to do and let God work out the situation.

I've learned and continue to learn that if I just go to God and cast my cares and burdens on Him and let Him work everything out in His time, everything turns out right.

I do not want to have hatred in my heart nor have lying lips. Lord, help me!

I Am The Easiest To Please...

2011-02-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

on Valentine's Day.

But, I haven't always been as easy as I am now.

My parents never made a big deal out of Valentine's Day. They usually bought us some candy hearts or a small heart box of chocolate. I was very ok with that, too.

After we got married, I wanted my husband to ravish me on Valentine's Day (though I never really told him that). After all, it's all about the romance! But, we were usually so broke that he couldn't get me the things I thought I should get.

And then we had an amazing rose garden so Walter would tell me he didn't need to buy me roses. After all, I had a garden FULL of roses!

Fast forward about 15 years after we were married.

Walter decided to surprise me for Valentine's Day. He bought me a beautiful teacup full of gorgeous flowers (he couldn't afford to get me roses because they were about $90 a dozen) and some chocolate. I felt incredibly special.

THEN...............

I saw the receipt for the flower purchase. He had spent $45 just on the flowers! I about fell over! I told him that I didn't want him to ever buy me flowers for Valentine's Day again.

He looked at me with a confused look. He was silent. I finally had gotten what I wanted - flowers - and within a few minutes of getting them I told him not to buy me them again! Huh? He still has not figured me out after all these years of marriage. I even surprised myself with that, too.

This year was no different. I told Walter the week before Valentine's Day not to buy me anything at all. I didn't want it. He was quiet again. He honored my request. But, he did take me to dinner - where I wanted to go. Nothing fancy - exactly what we both wanted - Souplantation (and it was really good). While we were eating I thanked him for not buying me anything. His response? "You're weird!"

Moses

2011-02-06T21:01:00.000-08:00

I finished reading the book of Deuteronomy in the Bible today.

I was struck with a thought and it's stayed with me all day.

In the beginning of Deuteronomy and even all through the book, Moses preaches to the children of Israel and gives them their duty to God and reiterates the law of God.

Included in all of this were the laws and judgments, a call to obedience to God, recounting of Israel's rebellion, observing of the feasts, the priestly inheritance, the rules of war, the blessings for their obedience, and even the curse if they did not obey, etc.

Moses exhorts so much to the children of Israel. I picture him pleading with them to be obedient; I picture the compassion he must have had for every one of them.

The Lord says the following phrase to Israel: Be strong and of a good courage (Deuteronomy 31:6, ). Why?

Verse 6 goes on to explain. Verse 6 "...fear not, nor be afraid of them (Israel's enemies): for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Moses then says the same thing to Joshua when Joshua is about to become the leader of the Israelites.
Verse 7 "...Be strong and of a good courage: for thou must go with this people unto the land which the LORD hath sworn unto their fathers to give them; and thou shalt cause them to inherit it.
Verse 8 "And the LORD, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed."
Verse 23 "And he (Moses) gave Joshua the son of Nun a charge, and said, Be strong and of a good courage: for thou shalt bring the children of Israel into the land which I sware unto them (Israel): and I (the LORD) will be with thee."

I guess there are a couple of things that have sat with me today.

The first is this. This was Moses' last sermon. His life on earth was over and God would lead him up into a mountain and Moses would die. After Moses finishes his sermon, God then revealed something to him and it is found in Deuteronomy 31:16, "And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them."

Wow! After everything God had done for them, this is the thanks He gets. That boggles my mind. And then my husband reminded me as we were talking about this...that's much, if not exactly, like we are today. Pastors all over the world are exhorting to us to walk with God, to follow after Him, to be obedient, etc. and what do we do? Are we not like the children of Israel? Do we not go a whoring after the gods of this world? I realize that some of us will change and not be like that, but just how many...I don't know.

The second thought is this. God says, "...be strong and of a good courage..." Why? Yes the task before Israel was huge. How were they going to receive their inheritance God had promised them when other nations were occupying that land? God would provide a way. How? His answer was, "I will be with thee." See, God doesn't want us just to obey like little robots. He wants to walk along side of us. God is the one who gives the victory. We cannot accomplish His will in our own strength. We must have God's strength to accomplish the task that is set before each one of us.

Do you know the will of God for your life? Do you really know or even care what the will of God is for your life? I cringe as I write that last sentence because I ask that question of myself.

We had a missionary at church this morning. I don't think I've ever heard a sermon as necessary (outside of salvation) as the one preached today. It was on knowing the will of God for our lives.And then tonight our pastor preached just about on the same thing.

I want to be used of God. I don't want God to use someone in my place because I refuse to surrender my life to Him and what He wants for me. Just thinking of the possibilities of what can be done when I am in the exact center of God's will puts a giant smile on my face. Oh, the task may not be easy at times, but walking hand in hand with God to accomplish it will see the victory! Oh, the victories that await us!

Oreo Cake

2011-02-02T21:15:00.000-08:00

Here's one of our favorite 'cake' recipes.

16 oz. Oreo cookies, crushed
1/2 cup melter butter
16 oz. cream cheese (2 8 oz. bricks), softened
2 cups powdered sugar
32 oz. container cool whip (the large container)
2 small or 1 large pkg. instant chocolate pudding
3 cups milk

First layer:
Mix crushed cookies and butter. Press into 9x13 inch pan to make the crust. Save enough cookie crumbs to sprinkle on top of the cake when done.

Second layer:
Beat cream cheese til smooth in mixer. Add powdered sugar and mix. Fold in 2 cups of the cool whip. Layer over cookie crumb crust.

Third layer:
Blend pudding and milk, mixing well. Spread over cream cheese layer.

Fourth layer:
Spread remaining cool whip over pudding layer.

Sprinkle remaining cookie crumbs on top.

Chill. Keep in refrigerator.

Enjoy!

Welcome to Adulthood

2011-01-26T21:26:00.000-08:00

For the last 1 1/2 years, Lyndsey has been looking for a job. Unsuccessfully, I might add.

When she came home for the Christmas break, she continued to look for a job. Application after application was filled out and turned in or submitted online. Then the followup phone calls were made and she heard time and again, "Sorry, we are not hiring."

She got somewhat discouraged.

A couple of weeks ago, her daddy and I sat down with her and had a long talk with her about life. Things that she basically knew but we needed to get them out in the open so we all were on the same page about where her life was going - back to college or not. It was a good talk, but a difficult one, nevertheless. This decision was hers to make and hers alone. We believe she is old enough to make decisions like this now and we felt we would be interfering if we made it for her. Welcome to adulthood, Lyndsey.

She wanted desperately to go back to college. But with a small outstanding balance left over from last semester and no job to promise the college she could pay the bill for the upcoming semester, it was looking very bleak for her to be able to continue this spring.

Lyndsey put job hunting into high gear for the last couple weeks she was home. Hours and hours of scouring the internet, filling out applications, followup phone calls, being told no, etc. But she kept trying.

Lots of people were praying for her. Several were fasting and praying for her. She was fasting and praying.

With each passing day, she became a little more discouraged. The prospect of going back seemed to dim more and more.

She started filling out applications locally thinking that she might as well look for a job here since she couldn't find anything in Lancaster/Palmdale.

Friday was miserable for her. Walter talked with her again. He told her to start thinking 'outside the box.' That maybe college needed to be put off for a while and she could come back to it a little later. That maybe she should think about joining the military (boy do I chuckle to myself just thinking about her joining the military - I don't really think she's military material) or something like that. Who knows? Lyndsey did NOT like that idea at all. I think it really set the tone for her day - miserable.

She struggled all day Friday. Very quiet, but totally unsure about what to do. We didn't really talk about Saturday at all. We just tried to keep the day as light and cheery as possible. Walter and I knew the weight of the decision was so heavy on her. It was a decision that we could not make for her.

Saturday rolled around and she was still unsure of what to do. There were two options: go back and stay until Wednesday (the last day she could register) hoping for a miracle or go and pick up all her things and come back home. We reassured her that if she sat out for the new semester, it wouldn't be the end of the world (though I don't believe she saw the situation from our point of view). She could hopefully get a job and save up for the fall semester as well as work on getting her driver's license.

We waited for a few hours for her to make up her mind.

She finally came to the same conclusion we had already stated as an option. She said, "I figure that I've got nothing to lose by going back and staying til Wednesday, so I'm going back." It put a smile on both her daddy's and my face.

On the drive back to school, I realized a pattern that is emerging in Lyndsey's life. God works a pattern in each person/couple but not the same pattern for everybody. For instance, with Walter and I, God always tells us both the same thing (I'm talking about major life changes) at the same time but we don't usually tell the other person for a while. Then when one of us starts the conversation, the other one already knows what will be said. But how God works with us isn't always how He works with other people.

For the last 3 semesters, Lyndsey has gone to school with only enough money to buy books. But each time she has gone back, the amount of money has been less than the time before. It was basically no different this time.

Monday, she went out job hunting and was hired at Wendy's, but only technically. She has a job but not until a position opens up. God provided a job for her but still no income. We were thrilled for her, but told her to keep looking just in case something else turned up. Nothing did.

With a large amount of money due today, she was very nervous as to what to do. She asked if she should go to the finance director and talk with him to see if he would extend her some time. She did and was a little disappointed. He told her if she could come up with $300 today, he would let her finish registering for classes. We had gotten a surprise check in the mail yesterday for her for $100 and that was all we had. I paid that money on her bill asap. But she still needed $200.

Walter called her and talked with her for a long time. He told her to form a plan - call the manager at Wendy's and find out all the little details, then go back to the finance office and tell the director what money she had and what Wendy's told her. We don't know why, but Lyndsey really didn't want to do any of it. She just knew the director wouldn't accept what she would tell him. Walter encouraged her not to pre-judge the situation and told her it was her last chance to stay.

Well, she told one of her friends the predicament she was in - she needed $200. "Valerie(for privacy sake) (a fellow student) asked her how much money she had - $100, but she was saving it to buy any notes she needed for her classes. Valerie told her to use all of it for her bill and talk to her teachers about getting the notes emailed to her. Then Valerie told her she and a couple of other friends were pitching in and giving her the other $100 she needed!

She hightailed it back to the finance office and paid the $200. Lyndsey was able to register for classes and they begin tomorrow morning, bright and early!

We have much to pray about as she still owes $5,000 for the spring semester and she doesn't have a penny to her name right now. But with God, ALL things are possible!

Job hunting will continue every day and we covet your prayers in this as well.

A Belated Christmas Day

2011-01-25T15:21:00.001-08:00

We decided to buy BB guns for the boys for Christmas. That was the highlight of their gifts.

We also knew they would beg and plead to go shooting Christmas Day so we made sure to be prepared for that.

We took them to a field not too far away from home. They had a blast!

Here are some of the pictures.

It was a beautiful day in the desert

loading their guns

Dad getting in on the action

The original target

Target #2 - they were much better at hitting this one

Target #3

Target #4 (it was very hard to capture the holes in this bottle)

They had a great time and go shooting as often as possible.

Living Desert

2011-01-24T18:07:00.000-08:00

Walter had last week off.

We decided to get an annual membership to the Living Desert, one of our valley's attractions. We had one several years ago and had enjoyed it.

The family loaded up and went last week. We had an awesome time walking around and enjoying not only the animals, but the outdoor train setup and the hummingbird and butterfly aviary.

Here are some of the pictures.

Tyler being a goofball

Coyote

Badger

Wolf

Hummingbird

a pig of some sore - I can't remember

leopard

We got six carousel tickets and the kids decided to ride it
Lyndsey - so beautiful and photogenic

Tyler

Phyllip refused to look like he was enjoying the ride

It was a fabulous day...I love spending time with my family!

Reptile Show

2011-01-24T17:27:00.000-08:00

Walter and the boys had been looking forward to the reptile show for months. I believe, since last July or August.

January 8 was the day. Oh, they were excited! I almost think Walter was the most excited. It was the day to bring the newest members of our family home - two chameleons.

The five of us hopped in the car and away we drove. Down, down, down the freeway to the show we went.

And it did not disappoint! (I will admit now that I wasn't so sure I would like it, but I was pleasantly surprised). Thousands of people were there and I think just about every kind of critter of the reptile kind was for purchase.

Enjoy the pictures!

This boy was a vendor's son

I believe he only sold bearded dragons. He had another one hanging on his back.

This was the area to have your picture taken with snakes. There's a giant 12 foot yellow python in the background as well. Your choice... Some things are just too weird!

This is a Jackson Chameleon

Snakes, snakes, and more snakes in tubs like this - some giant, some medium, and others very small.

This chameleon was just up at the top of this stick - about 10 feet in the air so no one could touch him. Love his coloring!

This is a pair of beaded lizards (I think). Notice the price of them...

Female monitor lizard with her rhinestone collar on. You can actually walk them on a leash.

I realize that snakes have their place in the world. However, it's just odd to me how many people like them for pets...

Lots of 2 month old chameleons

A vendor with her snake - not sure if it was for sale

A 'regular Joe' with his pet snake. Weird!

"I'm hungry!" He was climbing down from his perch to eat.

Tyler's choice - her name is Vette.

Phyllip's choice - her name is China.

We've now had them for just over two weeks. They've grown quite a bit and are really neat to watch.

I never thought I would ever have reptiles in my home but these two are actually fun to have.

20 (Warning....Picture Overload!)

2011-01-15T22:20:00.000-08:00

What is 20?

Twenty is a generation.

Twenty is a score (20 years in the Bible).

Twenty is, obviously, a number.

Twenty is also how old my/our daughter is.

Wanted to post some pictures of her down through the years.

A belated happy birthday, Lyndsey!!!!

Just Plain Awesome!

2011-01-12T22:37:00.001-08:00

I started studying the book of Romans in my Bible a while back. I didn't get very far before I was distracted. Ahem.

But this week I went back to it. And I learned something so awesome.

Romans 1:7 says "To all that be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ."

I wanted to know what a couple of word actually meant so I looked them up in Webster's 1828 dictionary.

Called = invited; summoned; addressed, named; appointed; invoked; assembled by order; recited.

The Greek word for called is kletos.
It means called, invited (to a banquet)
invited (by God in the proclamation of the Gospel) to obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom through Christ

And then I wanted to know the exact definition of 'saint.'

The Greek word for saint is hagios.
It means: most holy thing, a saint

I got so excited when I discovered this! We are all invited, through salvation in Jesus Christ, to be a most holy thing! Wow! Can you wrap your brain around that??!!! Incredible!!!!

It definitely put a skip in my step!

Analysis

2010-12-27T23:22:00.000-08:00

I've discovered something about myself.

I analyze things way too much.

And suddenly, a very minor situation becomes Mt. Everest in my eyes.

I guess it's because I'm a 'glass is half empty' kind of person. But I know it's because of my sinful nature.

Oh that I would keep my eyes on Jesus! And if I do, everything stays in perspective.

Protect Yourself!!!!

2010-12-22T09:07:00.000-08:00

We just found out about the latest in identity theft. Click here to watch the video.

Click here to go to the website.

A few dollars spent now can save a whole lotta trouble later!!!!!

I Am Woman!

2010-11-29T10:04:00.000-08:00

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!

Yesterday, I had to take Lyndsey and all her friends back to school.

There are several freeway changes on the way to Lancaster from our desert location. As we were coming up on the last change, I thought seriously about stopping at a gas station to use the restroom. But then I thought, "All the girls are asleep. Na, I can make it to Littlerock or Palmdale." And so we continued on the journey.

BIG MISTAKE!

After many minutes of praying, we made it to a gas station. I got out and ran to the bathroom only to discover that I had to pay to use it. *sigh* I ran back to the car, got a quarter, and went inside.

As I was finishing washing my hands, someone was trying to get inside without paying.

I opened up the door and a person was there and said, "Oh, sorry, sorry, " and walked in. I watched said person and was very perplexed.

I kept looking at this person and I thought I better give some advice (why this time, I don't know). I said, "Ya know, this is the woman's bathroom." To which the following reply was given. "I know! I am woman! (as she pointed to herself)" Shocked and feeling REALLY stupid, I said, "Oh, sorry!" and quickly left the bathroom and ran for the car.

This woman looked nothing like a woman! She was very stocky. She had a man's haircut. She was wearing gray sweats, a gray sweatshirt, unisex tennis shoes, and a unisex coat (and had no makeup on). She also was not originally from America - she had an accent.

I think that was my "open mouth, insert foot" experience for the year! This one definitely tops the list!

Just Thoughts

2010-11-22T21:04:00.000-08:00

As I think back on the last month it's been busy.

Just a lot of randomness.

We celebrated 21 years of marriage. How can it be that long ago we got married? I still think we should be 25!

We've had four dates this month! That's unheard of! But I'm not complaining at all! I am more in love with my husband with each passing day. He IS Mr. Wonderful! Am so thankful God created marriage. He created it perfectly! Marriage truly is a beautiful union. One I never thought I was worthy enough to get a chance at. But God had other plans for me and I rejoice that His plans were so very different than mine.

Went and spent time with Lyndsey at school. Spent the evening with one of her teachers and his family. Had a marvelous time! So good, in fact, we lost track of time. Almost got Lyndsey in trouble with her curfew. We got home VERY late, but it was so worth it!

It's not so bad living in an apartment. Everybody just needs to be considerate of each other. It's definitely a long lesson in patience. I didn't realize the walls were so thin. Thought they would be thicker since it's newer construction (but what do I know about building anything?).

God is so incredibly wonderful! His love for me is amazing. He shows me every day. I marvel at His mercy and grace and longsuffering. My finite mind doesn't comprehend His longsuffering, patience, compassion, gentleness, etc. That's why He's God and I'm not, right?

Lyndsey comes home for Thanksgiving on Wednesday. She's bringing four girls with her. We will be packed like sardines in the car and in the apartment. We'll have a giant 4 day slumber party! But, oh the fun that awaits us! I AM SO EXCITED! I love having an adult daughter. She's so much fun. All of the girls want to go "Black Friday" shopping with me as well as the boys. *SMILE*

I love the ages my boys are at. I get excited just thinking about what they will look like when they grow up. Am even more excited to find out God's plans for them.

Tyler sprained his wrist last week. I believe it would be doing much better if he would leave it wrapped and supported.

The boys are very happy their friends have moved back down here. In fact, tonight they are spending the night with them.

I believe this Thanksgiving will be much different. It's going to be really good! The Lord has worked this one out for me. He knows exactly what I need. Praise God!

We Started Out

2010-11-04T22:36:00.000-07:00

like this...

and then a year later, we grew to this...

and then six and a half years later, we became this...

and 20 months later we looked like this... (couldn't find a picture with all five of us)

to now, we are this...

Time sure does fly by when you are having fun! :)

21

2010-11-04T22:22:00.000-07:00

years ago, I married the man of my dreams.

I never thought I would be as blessed as I am. I don't know why, but I've always felt that I didn't deserve to be given so many blessings.

In fact, God has proven me wrong and continues to prove me wrong every single day.

The blessings just keep coming.

I think we were married about 12 years when I finally thought about what I had dreamed and desired to have in a husband. And I discovered that God gave me EXACTLY what I wanted in a man. I do believe God cares about what we desire and He shows me that continuously.

I never thought I could love my husband more than I did on our wedding day. Again, I was wrong. I love him so much more 21 years later!

He is my best friend, my confidant, the absolute love of my life, he makes me laugh, he wakes up every morning with a smile on his face (I am NOT a morning person but slowly I am changing), he works hard so that I can stay at home with the kids, he's my encourager, he gives the best hugs and kisses, and best of all - he loves me back!

Happy 21st anniversary, darling! I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!

This Hit Me Like A Brick

2010-11-03T11:57:00.000-07:00

I was reading my Bible today and the following passage "hit me like a brick."

Psalm 8
1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3. When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained,
4 What is man, that thou are mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?
5 For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour.
6 Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of thy hands; thou hast put all things under his feet:
7 All sheep and oxen, yea and the beasts of the field;
8 The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the sea.
9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!

So the part that really hit me today is verse 5. "For thou hast made him (man) a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour." We HAVE crowns of glory and honour! God could have chosen the angels to do His work but He chose man and with that He has crowned us with glory and honour. That is amazing to me. God Almighty has crowned ME! Wow!

According To His Plan

2010-10-07T22:58:00.000-07:00

Life has been good. Nothing has "upset the apple cart" so to speak, lately. We've kind of been in cruise control mode, I guess.

Just about two weeks ago, we got a call from our landlord (a very special person to us - he and his wife mean the world to us) saying they were moving back in three weeks (life changed drastically for them very quickly) and we would need to be moved out. I would say that definitely "upset the apple cart" (no offenses have been taken - it just meant life would be crazy for the next three weeks).

We put life into high gear and started searching immediately for a new place to live - as in right after Walter hung up the phone.

We discussed and agreed that we needed to move out of our current city because finances have been so tight. If we could move to another city that is more central to where our 'hub' of life is, we might be able to breathe a little more financially. Not to mention, our drive time will be cut dramatically.

We contacted a realtor and asked him to look for something for us. Our price range is not very high but we are trying to be wise and live within Walter's base pay (you see, we made some foolish financial decisions over the years and have learned our lesson the hard way). We tried to look at some condos but weren't able to get in and look at them (God did not want us to live there, but the property was absolutely gorgeous!).

We decided to look at apartments. We just happened upon a set of apartments that we didn't even realize were there. We stopped in, found out there were openings, looked at one of the apartments, they accept dogs, talked with the manager for a bit, found out they are having a move in special, and went on our merry little way.

I actually liked the apartment. Sounds weird to me when I haven't lived in an apartment for 20 years now, but I really did like it.

We looked at 2 houses in our current city. One really needed work and we just didn't care for it. The other one was beautiful but was really out of our price range when everything was considered.

We found some other houses in our price range in our new city. We called for information and left messages for the property managers to call us back. Went and drove by the neighborhoods of those houses and I just didn't care for the area. There wasn't a sense of peace about any of them. Looked at another set of apartments as well, but again, didn't have peace with those.

My mind kept going back to the first apartment. In my mind, I could see us living there. I could see the whole place set up with our furniture in it. I mean, everything in my mind said that was to be our new home. I called Walter and told him (he thinks I'm weird, but what's new about that? :) ). He asked if I wanted to keep looking. I said no.

We got the application, filled it out, gave the money required with the application, and waited to see if we would be approved. I tell you, I felt like I was walking on pins and needles the whole day waiting to hear back from the manager! But alas, she called and said we were approved! Hooray!!!!!

God works everything according to His plan and according to His timing and it's all done perfectly every single time! He just amazes me over and over again. My husband asks me why I am always amazed that God does everything perfectly for US. My response is always the same - I don't know!

So...........here are the things that show us that we are moving to the EXACT spot God wants us to be at.
1. We don't have a lot of money to work with - the move in special was a $199 deposit and the first month's rent is $500 off
2. The paperwork we got when we originally looked at the apartment said they accept dogs but they have to be 25 lbs. or less. Well.........I didn't see that until we had decided to apply for the apartment. Walter said he would call and ask about that. He did but what he said was, "What's the weight limit for dogs?" The manager's response was, "The weight limit is 35 lbs." When Walter told her what the flyer said she said, "Oh, that's a typo!" Our dog weighs 35 lbs.!
3. We were approved (that one is kind of a "DUH" thing)
4. We actually had every penny we needed to move in (including the $500 dog deposit)
5. Apparently we were going to have to pay an extra $25 per month for a second parking space but we didn't know that. The manager told us that fee would be waived because she hadn't told us about it.
6. While we were signing the lease, we found out our November rent will be prorated because we signed the lease a week into October. We will be saving almost $150!
7. We decided to move next Wednesday because it's Walter's day off and since we've signed the lease we might as well move in. Unbeknownst to us, our church's normal Wednesday night service had been changed to Thursday night. So we don't have to be in a rush to get everything done and head on to church.
8. The one physical belonging I care most about is my piano. It was my grandmother's. My grandfather bought it for an anniversary gift to her a very long time ago. If we were to get an upstairs apartment, it would have to go into storage. But....it would get ruined in storage. Well guess what? We got the only downstairs apartment that is currently available. I don't have to worry about that anymore!
9. There are some little things I was concerned about. Where our parking spaces would be in connection with where our apartment is. The first one is right in front of the apartment. The second one is caddy corner to the first one. The garbage dumpster is right across from the apartment. The laundry room is just down the building from us.
10. We are within walking distance to the post office and the closest grocery store (if I actually want to walk).
11. We are in a gated community with a security guard on duty 24/7.
12. It's a very quiet community (I like that - can't handle a lot of action, noise, drama - I like peace and quiet)

I am sure there will be more things in the very near future that I will be able to point out as well.

Now, we don't know why God would have us to move to an apartment at this time. But, just like He has always done, He will show us in His time and according to His plan!

My Blessings Today

2010-10-07T21:47:00.000-07:00

1. I woke up
2. I had a great night's sleep
3. The sun was shining
4. The weather was PERFECT
5. The kids got their schoolwork done
6. My husband still has a job
7. My husband got paid today
8. I have a GREAT marriage
9. All 5 of us are healthy
10. I live in the USA
11. I am saved by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, who died, was buried, and rose again the third day for my sins!
12. All my children are saved
13. God has allowed me to live another day
14. We signed the lease on a new place to call home and got the keys - yay!!!!!! (can I get an AMEN?)
15. We have a nice car that runs great and I absolutely love it!
16. God protected us as we ran errands today
17. We were able to eat out tonight
18. We were able to buy groceries
19. Was able to talk with Lyndsey and my sister a couple of times today
20. I know people are praying for me and my family!
21. I had food enough to eat 3 meals today
22. God provided food, clothing, and shelter today
23. Our November rent payment has been prorated and we are saving almost $150
24. I have a great church and church family!
25. I have LOTS of friends!

There are probably others that I can't think of right now, but I'd say I am richly blessed! How about you? Isn't God AMAZING?

How Do You...

2010-09-22T21:18:00.000-07:00

view your day?

Is it through the lens of "blessings" or through the lens of "how many things can I find wrong with this day?"

I don't know how many people are like me, but I'd venture out on a limb and say that because we are all sinners, we have pretty much the same outlook on daily life.

My outlook on life is usually on the negative side. I try to find the blessings, but my mind seems to always go back to something that happened that wasn't so "blessed."

I have told my children for quite a while now that the hardest job they will ever do is work with people. We all have different personalities, likes, dislikes, sensitivities, etc. Learning how to work with individuals is a challenge. But we do it every single day. We have to. There's no getting around it. The question is, am I learning to work with and encourage them or am I causing grief in their lives?

I am finding lately that relationships can be difficult. How is it that I have become so sensitive to other people and the things they do or say to me (whether intentional or not)? How is it that when someone has wronged me, I dwell on that one thing instead of all the blessings God has given me not only that day but for the last 40+ years? That sure is a blessing buster, let me tell you...and it changes my whole attitude until I confess my sin of bitterness and give the situation over to the Lord and ask Him to work it all out.

I've been thinking for a while about God's daily blessings in my life. A preacher recently said that for many years now he has kept a "blessing journal." He records his blessings daily and as of that night, he had recorded over 27,000 blessings! Wow! I bet that puts a skip in his step and it ought to put a skip in my step! This has been ringing in my head for several weeks now and I have now decided that I am going to start a "daily blessing journal." I bet I'm going to be incredibly surprised at just how many blessings I record on a daily basis!

Will you join me in starting a "blessing journal?" It will change your attitude for sure!

Faith

2010-09-14T21:09:00.001-07:00

This particular post is similar to this post from last year.

This whole summer while Lyndsey was home from college, she tried to get a job. She applied everywhere (except for some places we believe are a little too scary for her to work at). Nothing. Nope. Notta. Zilch in the job market. She couldn't find a job.

As the months wore on, we (or maybe just Lyndsey and me) began to get a little nervous. After all, Lyndsey isn't a newbie when it comes to college. She's been through it before. We KNOW this year what will happen the first week she goes back to school - that first payment is due.

But nothing happened. Our family was praying for a job for her or provision of her needs. Our church was praying for her as well. Friends and extended family were praying.

And still....the Lord seemed to be silent on the whole issue. We were completely in the dark as to what God's plans were for this situation.

Our financial situation was much bleaker this year than last and we weren't/and still aren't able to help her in any way financially.

The only thing we knew to do was to take her back to school and trust God that He would provide.

The day we took Lyndsey back she had less than $100 in her bank account (she had $400 last year). I can't even begin to tell you the number of butterflies in my stomach that day. But we took her and came back home.

My girl told me that she was incredibly nervous when we said our goodbyes. She started having doubts about whether or not she was supposed to be there. Then she went to church that night. She said when she walked into the auditorium and sat down it was like the Lord told her, "Don't be nervous. You are right where I want you." She said an overwhelming peace came over her and she wasn't nervous anymore. To that, I say praise God!

She worked so hard those first five days she was back (She works part-time on campus which helps to pay a small portion of her bill) But she was loving every second of it.

The first week on campus is when the students register for classes, get settled in the dorms, purchase books, and make that dreaded first payment (at least it was dreaded for Lyndsey this time).

She had until Friday morning to pay the bill. She was waiting and waiting and waiting until the last possible minute to go to the finance office just in case some money just so happened to come in the mail or someone gave us some money for her or the Lord dropped it in our lap somehow.

Lyndsey and I were talking and I told her she might as well go to the finance office because we had checked the mail already for the day and I really didn't think anything would happen that day money wise. She really doesn't like going there if she can't pay the bill. She gets really nervous and because of her nerves, she cries and especially if she has to talk to Dr. Rasmussen (the head of the finance department and a very kind man, too) about her bill. She said, "Mom, I don't know what it is about going in to Dr. R's office, but every time I do, I cry! I really don't want to go there!" I told her I understood but she HAD to.

We were praying Dr. Rasmussen would give her an extension on paying her bill. He already knew she didn't have any money a couple of weeks before she went back because we had seen he and his family and he told us to bring her back anyway.

She got into his office and....she bawled like a baby! He looked at her and said, "Lyndsey, I am signing this paper and giving you an extension and trusting that somehow, some way the Lord will provide your bill." She called me right after leaving his office. She was laughing and crying at the same time and I was right with her and praising God the whole time.

Also, this year at the school, a new scholarship program has been started. Dr. Rasmussen told Lyndsey he made sure she was a participant in the program because he knew how much she needed the money. As long as she meets the requirement, 25% of her bill will be paid at the end of the semester. Hallelujah!

So......we've just been praying and waiting for God's perfect timing with her bill. Oh, and her bill is five monthly payments of almost $1,000. Whew! That's no chump change!

Last week, I got a text from someone very dear to me asking me who they should write a check to for Lyndsey's bill. I told them the information and decided that I was not about to count my chickens before the eggs hatched whatsoever! I was just thanking the Lord for any amount because I KNOW that He would multiply it greatly.

We got the check in the mail yesterday. When I opened the envelope, a check for $1,500 was inside! Glory to God! PRAYER DOES WORK!

This is such a faith building lesson that continues to be so very evident not only in our lives but in Lyndsey's life as well. I heard a preacher say recently, "Faith doesn't mean you aren't scared or nervous, but that you are obedient." Wow! I've thought for many years that I didn't have the right kind of faith because so many times I have been scared or nervous over different situations.

God really does reward our faith. I KNOW and have known (as well as my husband and Lyndsey) that West Coast Baptist College is EXACTLY where our daughter is supposed to be right now. It is so evident to us. There are other little things too that have happened to solidify this to us. I can't say it's been easy to have faith, but it definitely has strengthened my faith!

Faith = obedience
If God wants you to do something, just be obedient. He WILL work out all the details right down to the tiniest. If He's done it for me, He will do it for you, too!

Who He Knows

2010-09-09T11:17:00.000-07:00

Walter and the boys get their hair cut every four weeks. They go to a barber shop in our little town. It's reasonable prices and the woman does a really good job.

The owner of the shop is a Hispanic woman (who I will call Rachel just for this story - I really don't know her name) who speaks broken English but is very kind.

Walter told our pastor about this little shop. He goes there every so often when he's in town.

Unbeknownst to Walter, Pastor had gotten his hair cut and had left a gospel tract with her inviting her to our church. The next time Walter and the boys went in to get their hair cut, Rachel commented about the tract and he told her that was our pastor (Walter has given Rachel a gospel tract or two inviting her to our church as well).

A few weeks back, Pastor went in to get his hair cut. As she was cutting his hair, they had a discussion.

Apparently, Walter had tried to describe Pastor to Rachel and she didn't understand. As Pastor and Rachel were talking, he described Walter and the boys to her. She knew exactly who they were. And then she had her very strong opinion about Walter's descriptive abilities.

She said, "He no no how to scribe who he nos!" (you must use a very strong Spanish accent when saying this)

Um......I think he needs some work on describing people (at least in Rachel's opinion)!

What Do I Title This?

2010-09-06T12:33:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago I was walking towards the boys' bedroom. In the hallway right in front of their door was the following picture.

Notice that the sign says "worrier" (who's his spelling teacher?????)
(This sign was made by my Tyler)

Actually this is for a "warrior" club. Apparently they need money to buy their gear! I don't know how much they need for their club but it doesn't hurt to ask for donations! I secretly put a quarter in the little envelope at the bottom of the sign. Also notice that there is 62 cents in there.

I had to take a picture of this. I want to remember this sign from them being little.

It Takes Going To...

2010-08-28T11:52:00.000-07:00

the school of hard knocks to get me to learn some things.

Sad but true.

The other day, my husband got a phone call from a company we were waiting to hear from about returning a book we had purchased.

The man explained to my husband that under no circumstances whatsoever would we be able to return the item. My husband explained that it was something that we could not use; we had not made copies of any of the pages in it nor had we passed the information in the book on to others. The man became irate and started yelling at Walter calling him a liar and a thief.

Walter told him what it was we thought the book included. The man said that it was not something that we would want anyway. Walter asked him why. He wouldn't answer.

The man actually made some threats, too. Shocked and absolutely befuddled with what this man was saying, Walter hung the phone up. He didn't want to say anything that would be wrong.

You might be thinking, "What's the big deal?" Well, the big deal is that this man is a Christian! Or at least he works for a Christian organization.

Walter was very upset. He can usually let things go but not this time. It almost haunted him for the rest of the day. His flesh wanted to get back at this guy, but his spirit said to let it go.

So this whole incident has gotten me thinking the past couple of days.

I know that I haven't always had the Christian testimony of loving my neighbors in every situation. In fact, I'm ashamed of the hurt I have caused other people (and Christians) down through the years. How many times is it going to take to get me to learn how to treat other people correctly?

I hope I've learned, but if not, may this man's testimony remind me of how NOT to act towards others.

Last Family Day...

2010-08-27T06:35:00.000-07:00

before she leaves for her second year of college.

Last Saturday, Walter's employer paid for every employee and their families to go to Knott's Berry Farm (they even paid for parking, too). An all-you-can-eat bbq was included.

We were excited to go. We got there safely and finally got parked (their signs for parking are frustrating, to say the least) and had lunch outside the park.

Once inside, we told the kids they could be by themselves (since Lyndsey was with them and she has a phone, too) and we would go our own way. We are much slower these days and we discovered this time that we just can't handle all the rides like we used to. It's soooooo sad! We both love rides (Walter likes more of the extreme rides than I do, but I didn't used to give up a good roller coaster).

The very first ride Walter and I rode was the Silver Bullet. I thought it was one we had ridden years ago, but it wasn't. This one was incredibly extreme but I didn't know it at the time and I was in for a rude awakening. I screamed for almost the whole ride. I opened my eyes for less than a split second only to close them and keep them that way till it was over. As soon as the ride was over I noticed my throat hurt and it continued to hurt the rest of the day. I think I did it in when we rode the SideWinder later. Hence, my voice was partially gone for a couple of days! My husband says that's not necessarily a bad thing! *smile*

We got sunburned and felt like we had sweat about 10 pounds off (which really isn't a bad thing).

Didn't get too many pictures of the day since we were apart from the kids but here are the ones I did get.

Our first attempt at a family picture

The second and final attempt

Gorgeous girl!

Handsome young man!

This cutie is naturally funny! I love it! :)

One of a few attempts of just us

The best one of us I could get. Do I look tired? perhaps hot and sweaty? Oh my, how we sweat that day!

Standing in line waiting to ride the stagecoach

Pictures with this girl are getting few and far between with her away at school now - had to get as many as I could.

I just love this girl!

so handsome - will do anything for his momma!

my "little man" loves his momma unconditionally and I'm so thankful

Sisters

2010-08-24T21:47:00.000-07:00

I was going through my pictures today.

Been meaning to load them to the computer and then on to my external hard drive in case something happens to all my pictures and they get lost or burned, etc. So I started that whole process today.

Boy, what a very LARGE project that is!

Anyhow, I ran across some pictures that I absolutely love.

One is with my sister. I think it's my all time favorite of her and I. I will post that one and then several others and see which one you like best.

2002 - my favorite

2005

2007

2008

2010

So which one is your favorite?

Guess What I Learned?

2010-08-20T07:25:00.000-07:00

I started becoming interested in cooking oil (weird, huh?).

Then I wondered which oil(s) were actually good for consumption.

So I started reading up on the different oils (canola, vegetable...aka...soybean oil, sesame oil, olive oil, coconut oil). And I learned a lot.

I read about hydrogenated oils - ABSOLUTELY bad for us! Here is just one of the websites I read about it on.

Canola oil is REALLY bad for us...from what I've read, the plant that canola is made from, animals won't even eat it!

Vegetable oil...aka soybean oil...not good for us at all. Soy is bad for us all the way around.

Olive oil is good for us but not for frying and at a high temperature. When it reaches a high temperature it changes chemically and becomes bad for us.

Sesame oil has a wealth of benefits. Just google it and you will see some amazing benefits. Two of my kids suffer with a dry, itchy scalp that looks like dandruff. Sesame oil is supposed to help cure that. It also works on athlete's foot (which my husband suffers from). It is good as a moisturizer. And the list goes on and on. As far as cooking with it...very good for us.

Coconut oil is wonderful! It cooks well at a high temperature and doesn't burn or change chemically. I also read that it's very healthy and for those that suffer with high blood pressure, this helps somehow.

So I cleaned out my cupboard of the bad oils and bought some sesame and coconut oil. I made egg rolls last night for dinner and cooked them in the coconut oil. They were the best I've ever made! The flavor was incredible!

There are other oils that are good for us as well like avocado oil, almond oil, and palm kernel oil, just to name a few.

Just wanted to share!

Funny

2010-08-18T22:08:00.001-07:00

This has to be one of my all time favorite posts!

Click here to read it.

Great Message

2010-08-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

I just heard a great message on how to help those in need.

1. Pray for them
2. Praise them
3. Perform (put yourself to action to help them - i.e. buy groceries, clean house, doctor appointments, etc.)
4. Give financially

Giving financially should be the last thing we do because it's more of a bandaid, or a quick fix, to soothe our conscience. Genuine help really is the first 3 things.

Really made me think about my priorities in helping people. How much do I pray for others; how much do I praise them; how much am I willing to do for them; and lastly, do I give of my extra cash to help someone buy some food or pay a bill, etc? Food for thought!

Lots of Pictures

2010-08-06T21:10:00.000-07:00

My sister and her family were here for two weeks. We had a great time just hanging out (mainly at their resort because it was bigger and cooler there).

Sad to say but I didn't take any pictures until the last night they were here. Shame on me! I am usually taking all kinds of pictures but this time it slipped my mind over and over again. I took the camera with me each day and proceeded to forget about it.

So here's what I did get.

Me and my sister
I was having a bad hair day

Richard, Nancy, Me, Walter

The whole lot of us

It's really hard to get all of them to smile or just stand still to take one good picture. I thought it was hard when they were little! Sheesh!

Just the guys
Tyler, Phyllip, Richard, Matthew

Just the girls
Rebecca, Katie, Lyndsey
Lyndsey and Katie have looked alike for a very long time. I don't see so much of a resemblance anymore. Kinda sad.

These two look a lot alike these days. I never saw a resemblance til last year.

Look at their side profile. It's more pronounced in this picture.

I love my family!

Out of the "You Just Never Know" File

2010-08-05T13:02:00.001-07:00

Walter came home from work today and told me this story.

He was finishing his paperwork in his truck when one of the mechanics (Victor) came walking up to him. Victor is a short Mexican man who speaks very broken English.

The conversation went like this:

Victor: Walter, I like you. And do you know why I like you?

Walter: No, why do you like me, Victor?

Victor: I have Jesus and I know you have Jesus. I know you have Jesus because every time I get in your truck I see those books (his Bible and Bible promise book) and those cards (gospel tracts). What you don't know is I've been taking a few of the Spanish ones for a long time and giving them to my friends and family. Sometimes I run out and make photocopies and hand out the photocopies.

Walter: Where do you live?

Victor: Riverside.

Walter: Where do you go to church?

Victor: The Catholic church. The Catholic church does not talk about needing Jesus and my family needs Jesus.

Walter: Victor, you don't need to sneak taking them. I will give you a handful.

We live about an hour from Riverside. So our church's Spanish tracts are floating all over Riverside and nobody knew it except for Victor.

Goes to show that we just never know who we impact and how God will use us!

She Went From This....

2010-08-05T12:48:00.000-07:00

To This!!!!!

Poor baby was panting so much in our very high heat. Dear husband said it was time to get her shaved so she could have some relief. I agreed but never expected her to look like this! Not sure what I was expecting, though. We laughed and laughed when we picked her up from the groomer. She even seemed embarrassed by her looks (I know that's applying human emotions to an animal, but that's the way she was acting.)!

But she's not panting hardly at all anymore. In fact, I found her shivering the other day. So I covered her up with a blanket and she went right to sleep. Go figure!

Oak Glen

2010-07-20T11:55:00.001-07:00

So, my sister and her family are here. Yay!!!!!

We decided to take them to a place about 40 minutes from here called Oak Glen. It's up in the San Bernardino mountains. A group of apple and cherry farms are there.

We took them to the different farms with their little shops and we had a great time. Especially the village shops. Nancy and I just loved it!

We also took them to a bed and breakfast Walter and I just happened upon a couple of months ago when we were on a date. This place has a petting zoo complete with horses, llamas, goats, and deer. Not to mention they also have a pond with about 500 fish and a couple of dogs. Then there's the wild bear that come down to the property just about every night.

We had a marvelous time. The owners of the bed and breakfast were so very kind. They let us just stop in and pet the animals and they were very hospitable even though we weren't staying. I think we were there about an hour.

When some of the kids were done with the animals, they decided to go lizard hunting. Matthew, Katie, Lawrence (my "third son"), and Tyler spent about 30 minutes hunting before they caught a lizard. The screams of joy when the lizard was caught were loud! And you should have seen the look of success written on their faces! It was great! That poor lizard, though! It was absolutely stiff as a board. I think it was scared (duh!).

The bed and breakfast owner's wife went inside and got a large bowl with a lid to put the lizard in. While we were waiting for the bowl, we turned and looked at the brick wall and noticed another lizard on top. The kids immediately went over there and caught another lizard! But this lizard wasn't going into captivity without a fight! It dropped its tail (the kids screamed over that one), was thrashing back and forth, and appeared to be biting Lawrence. Poor kid had a hard time keeping hold of it! But he managed and now they had two lizards! A very profitable day indeed for them!

On we went to the village shops after the petting zoo. Lawrence and Tyler decided that the lizards were theirs (which was ok with everybody, amazingly).

Lawrence had brought money with him and he wanted to get gifts for his family. I got a warm and fuzzy feeling watching him look for the perfect gifts! He was so sweet, too. He got his mom a pair of earrings, his sister a dream catcher, and his dad a mile high apple pie! They all loved the gifts and Lawrence was definitely on his family's good side that day!!!

The only negative thing about the whole day was that I forgot my camera! I couldn't believe it! But my sister had hers so I guess I'll have to get them from her.

Laughable

2010-07-07T09:48:00.000-07:00

My boys had a friend spend the night (or two) the other day.

They had a funny conversation. It went like this:

Lawrence: "One day I drank a lot of water and my pee was clear."

Me: "That means that your body is well hydrated."

Lawrence: "Yes. But there's one thing I don't get. After I get done swimming, my pee is clear."

Phyllip: "That's because the water soaks into your body through your spores."

Me: "Phyllip, we don't have spores. We have pores."

Phyllip: "Oh, yeah."

And everyone laughed!

So Much Fun!

2010-07-02T20:58:00.000-07:00

Tonight was family night.

It was my turn to choose the activities and I was so excited.I made mexican food with homemade salsa and guacamole and homemade german chocolate cake for dessert. Yum!

Then it was activity time. Blind man's bluff! We played in the house. It was a blast!!! We haven't laughed like that in a long time! And we worked up a sweat playing, too.

Then we played a dice game called Farkle. That was fun, too.

The kids said that was one of the best family night's we've had in a while. I agree!

13

2010-06-30T09:26:00.000-07:00

Today our miracle baby turns 13!

I can remember when he was just a dream to us. Oh, how I longed for another child!

Lyndsey came along so easily. We (or maybe it was just I) couldn't understand why our family wasn't getting larger.

That journey has been the most difficult of my life. Wanting another child but not being able to make it happen. The waiting was so hard.

All the other women in our church were having babies seemingly easily. But us? Nope. And it was hard! All the baby showers (and there were a lot) - some I went to (if I was up to it emotionally) and some I didn't.

And then.......I found out I was pregnant!!! Yippee!!!!! That day was so surreal! Walter just happened to be at the doctor's office with me. We were actually going to start infertility treatments. I guess God had different plans for us.

And then a week later, I began bleeding and over the course of the next week ended up miscarrying. Oh, the heartbreak! That was almost unbearable. Walter had such a strong faith that everything would be fine. But God had other plans for that child and accepting that very fact was painful.

The doctor told me if I wasn't pregnant in 3 months to make an appointment and we could start infertility treatments.

Three months later, I was pregnant again! Yippee!!!! I called the doctor and made an appointment. A few weeks later at my appointment, the doctor did an ultrasound and we got to see the baby. Strong heartbeat, etc. And from then on the pregnancy was perfect.

Nine months later on June 30, 1997, at 12:27 p.m. our miracle baby, Phyllip James, was born into this world (six and a half years after Lyndsey was born)!

God is SO good!!!!!

My "Little Vacation" - part 2

2010-06-29T18:30:00.000-07:00

To read part 1 click here.

Friday, May 7

I couldn't sleep in (sad but true) at all. I just 'woke up'.

And this is what I woke up to (a half inch of snow in MAY!)

We got ready to go and have breakfast. But first, we had to stop by the funeral home and meet the MORTICIAN (it cracks me up every time I hear or see that word!).

Nancy and I walked in and stood in the lobby. Dad, on the other hand, marched himself through a doorway, right past a man standing in the doorway, and over to the mortician (who was on the phone) and began talking to him. The mortician graciously asked Dad if he would wait until he was done with his phone call. After his phone call was done, he came out to meet us. A very nice man he was. Dad was finally satisfied and we left to have breakfast (the cafe happens to be right across the street, but Dad had to drive the car over there).

Being that New Rockford is a small city of about 1300 people, EVERYONE knows you are a visitor! And you feel like you are under a microscope when you walk into the cafe. Everyone turns their heads and just stares at you. But once you've been there several times they quit doing it.

We finished breakfast and headed over to the nursing home to see Grandma. Nancy and I couldn't wait to see her! It's been 6 years since we've seen her and her health is such that she needs to be in a nursing home. Grandma is almost completely blind from glaucoma, has some dementia, needs a hearing aid, and is just weak physically.

We got there as the residents were starting to come in to the dining hall for lunch. Grandma was already there so Nancy and I went in and sat down next to her. It was sad because she didn't know who we were at first. We had to tell her several times who we were and then she kept asking over the next couple of hours which one of us was which.

L to R - Grandma, Nancy, Dad

L to R - Grandma, Me, Dad

The way my dad described Grandma and her condition, she had one foot already in the grave. Now, I know she is weak, but I believe his assessment is a little off. Her lunch came and I fed her and she let me.

When we went back to her room, Grandma got bawled out (nicely) by a nurse for not feeding herself. So, Nancy and I made sure she fed herself after that.

Nancy and Grandma in her room

Grandma and me in her room

Grandma - my hero

We stayed in Grandma's room for several hours just enjoying her company. It was so good to be with her again. She has been one of my heroes for as long as I can remember. I love her with all of my heart. To see her health slowly getting worse is difficult but to be with her and hear her voice and listen to her stories (the ones she remembers correctly) was so peaceful for me. Grandma has always given us something when we have visited (we've never lived close to her house). This visit was no different. She went through every little thing she had in her room (which wasn't much because the rest of her things are back at Dad's house) trying to find something that we would like. And.......there was nothing (which was ok with us). One thing that struck me this visit was that she kept looking at both of us and trying to remember who was who. She was right most of the time.

(Dad's patience is dwindling. I'm not surprised, though (and I mean that in a nice way). See, he's an only child and he has the burden (or joy as some may see it - I would like to say it's a joy) of caring for her. She lived with him for 17 years before she moved to the nursing home. He loves her dearly, but he has a hard time showing it. He doesn't just lack patience with Grandma; he lacks patience with life (or at least it seems that way). He's pretty grumpy most of the time. He doesn't look at the good side of life; it's always the negative side (and can I just say that it will depress you rapidly). Dad goes to the nursing home at least twice daily to spend time with Grandma and I applaud him for that. So many people just put their loved ones into a home and never spend time with them anymore. Not my dad. He DOES love her but he gets frustrated with her easily. She doesn't hear well and she gets this "deer in the headlights" look on her face. So he keeps repeating himself over and over and getting louder and louder each time until she finally hears him. Nancy and I both believe that she just needs a hearing aid. We found that if we got about an inch from her ear and talked slowly she understood everything we said. We told Dad that she needs to be tested for a hearing aid but he doesn't believe us. He says it's her dementia. We believe emphatically that he's wrong.)

We stayed and had dinner (or supper if you're from the Midwest) with Grandma. I was actually hungry by this time because we had skipped lunch. We were sadly disappointed when the food came. All we got was about 6 slices of sausage link and 2 pancakes. And that was dinner! Needless to say, we left the table hungry.

Grandma's younger brother, Uncle Donny, came by to see her just as we were finishing dinner. He and Dad DO NOT get along. I think Uncle Donny gets along with Dad but Dad REFUSES to get along with Uncle Donny. It was amazing to Nancy and me watch Dad's attitude and countenance change drastically as soon as Uncle Donny walked in the room. Dad is VERY rough around the edges but it got worse with Uncle Donny around. His language changed A LOT, too. Nancy and I both were flabbergasted and disappointed by the words coming out of his mouth occasionally. We even spoke up and let him know that we heard what he said. I'm not sure if Grandma ever heard the conversation - which is actually a good thing considering.

It was time for us to leave Grandma. She was very tired and we were needing to get home and comfortable for the evening.

Nancy and I were getting ready for bed and I had to get my camera out and take a couple of pictures. The background on the taking of these pictures I must give. Grandpa taught Grandma many decades ago that you always buy in bulk if you can because you get the best price. That has been passed down to Dad as well. Hence the next pictures.

Including the bottle in the shower, there were 14 bottles of shampoo!

Including the bottle he was using, there were 7 bottles of cologne (and it smelled gross, too)!

The reason for the next picture is because it just cracked us up. Nancy and I laughed and laughed over this one. Apparently, Dad doesn't like to use up a bar of soap completely and apparently he also doesn't like to throw them away, either.

7 bars of soap stacked on top of each other

We finished getting our pajamas on and settled in to watch a movie with Dad for the evening and then went to bed.

To be continued...

Finally, I Am Back!

2010-06-25T11:54:00.000-07:00

I'm finally ready to write again.

Too many things have been happening and I just haven't wanted to write.

When I got home from my trip last month, we found out we were going to have to move.

As humbling as this whole situation was, we have looked at it and have seen God's hand orchestrate every single thing perfectly. Praise God!

We began looking for a home to rent. There are hundreds if not a few thousand homes empty in our little city. I was amazed! Lots of beautiful homes and the rent wasn't too bad - just more than we wanted and needed to pay.

We were able to look at one home on the inside. There was nothing wrong with the house. It was just very different from what I was used to. Pretty much everything was smaller and the carpet was blue, the blinds were pink, and the linoleum was pink and blue (ugh! Can you say, "Right out of the '80s?)). The landlord was very nice and gracious. Walter wanted to tell him yes on the spot but I was not ready for that.

We went home and began talking about it. Then we decided to get some more advice. Walter called Pastor Nolan (someone we like to call our dad because he is so special to us) and talked with him. We discovered the day before that his rental house in our little city was vacant. After getting some advice from him, Walter asked him how much the rent was on his house. It was in our budget! And, better yet, he was willing to rent it to us!!! Hooray!!

A couple of weeks later, we began the process of moving.

It was a slow move over many days. On a side note - I'm not sure which kind of move is best - moving everything in one day or moving a few things over many days. It's all HARD work!

The Lord worked out everything. We had the money to pay our attorney for his services and we had the money to move and pay rent. We are now living in a home that is 16 years newer than ours was. It's also MUCH bigger and MUCH more beautiful than ours. We are on a very quiet street now with no neighbors right next to us. I can FINALLY park my car in the garage (hooray! It's so nice to get into a car that is cool instead of sweltering!)!

The Lord has something in store for us - Walter and I can feel it. We just don't know what it is yet. Though the way is humbling for us, we KNOW beyond a shadow of a doubt that we have done exactly what God wanted us to do! We have had complete peace about all of it.

Blessings until next time!

Building Character

2010-06-03T21:21:00.000-07:00

Sigh...my heart breaks because of things my children do that end up teaching them a very hard lesson.

Phyllip got a stereo last Christmas. We've told him that he can use it at night several times a week. He sleeps well with music playing. Tyler, on the other hand, HAS to have silence to sleep. And since they share a bedroom, this has been an ongoing struggle with them since Christmas night.

So, they were, once again, arguing over the volume of the stereo last night.

Tyler got out of bed to turn it down. Phyllip blocked him.

Then, Tyler said, "If I touch your stereo, I will give you all of my legos (and believe me, he has A LOT!)."

Phyllip said, "Ok."

Not 10 seconds later, Tyler gets out of bed again and TOUCHES the stereo! Yep, you read right! He now owed his brother ALL of his legos.

Walter and I knew nothing of this deal until this morning.

Tyler desperately tried to get out of the deal. Walter and I talked to him and pulled out all of the details and.......told him he had to be a man of his word and give Phyllip his legos. (Can I just tell you how heartwrenching it was to break Tyler's heart like that????? He sobbed for over an hour. His eyes were swollen half shut.) He did give them to Phyllip.

Walter and I told him he should have thought about what he was saying before he made an agreement like that. In the end, he KNEW that he was the one to be upset with and no one else. I think that's the thing he had the hardest time with; knowing that he couldn't blame anybody else but himself.

Building character in our children - it's hard sometimes. But when they're adults and they have good character, it'll all be worth it!

BTW, Phyllip has been kind enough to give some of the legos back to Tyler - now that's good character!

My Little "Vacation" of Sorts - Part 1

2010-05-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

Disclaimer: Some of the things written in this entry, you may find to be disgusting, irritating, or just plain not funny. My sister and I happen to find that a good chunk of this entry is hilarious (we try to find the humor in everything). However, this particular post is written for the shear purpose of me being able to remember my trip to North Dakota.

This story has to be broken up into segments because it's just too long.

My dad called my sister and I back in January and told us that our grandma was not in the best of health and that we should consider taking a trip to see her before she dies (she is 95 years old).

Nancy happened to have 2 vouchers with an airline so she offered for her and I to use them to go see Grandma. We decided to be there over Mother's Day.

I flew to Seattle on Wednesday, stayed overnight with Nancy, and then we left together Thursday morning for the trip to ND.

Thursday, May 6
We had checked in online the night before our flight so we only had to check our suitcase when we got there. We decided to check our bag at curbside. There was a really nice older black man who helped us. So he picked up our bag (we decided to take only 1 bag since we had to pay to put it on the plane) and he said, "Hmm, feels like 46 pounds." Nancy and I looked at each other puzzled. He then put it on the scale and said, "Well, what do you know? It's 46 pounds!" We thought that one was funny.

I've determined that anytime you fly, it's a very long day (unless it's just a short flight). We left Nancy's house at 9:00 a.m. and landed in Jamestown, ND, at 7:00 p.m. (pacific time). The flights were fine. Just a long day. We had a great time talking and catching up (we hadn't seen each other in 1 1/2 years). We laughed and joked and just plain had a good time.

We deplaned and headed in to meet our dad (biological). We got our luggage and headed for home (New Rockford).

In the first 20 minutes of the car ride, we had heard the same story about Dad's shocks and struts on his car 6 times. As he was talking about the struts he said, "When I have to change the struts, I'm going to put on struts that'll make a semi seem rough." Now, I'm not exactly sure what that means but he thought it was important for Nancy and I to know.

About halfway home, Nancy was talking to her husband on the phone. Out of nowhere, a raccoon darts onto the road and seemingly stops right in front of us. I'm not too sure if Dad saw it right away, but Nancy and I did and we screamed. Dad swerved and missed it and our hearts were beating rather hard for several minutes after.

We got home and took our luggage to our bedroom. Dad followed right on our heels to show us how to fix the toilet in our bathroom after we flushed it.

He made sure to tell us at least 3 times how to fix the toilet and reiterated how important it was that we take care of it each time it was flushed! LOL!

We were trying to get unpacked and ready for bed and Dad just wouldn't leave the room. Apparently, he had some "things" he wanted to tell us. One of which just kept me laughing. (Dad was going to make sure that while we were in North Dakota we were introduced to his attorney and the mortician, or as I like to call him, funeral director.) It was so important that Dad just had to tell us again for the 10th time (or more) that Friday morning he would take us to see the mortician. Every time he said that word it made me laugh. I don't know why it's so funny. I couldn't even hold the smile back.

Dad finally decided to go to bed so we got ready, too. We went in the bathroom and got a closer look at it. My grandma moved into a nursing home in August, 2008, and the bathroom hasn't been touched since the day she left. It was never cleaned (eeeewwwww). It was gross!!!! There was a mountain of dust that had collected everywhere and our allergies (my sister has asthma) kicked into high gear! It was so bad that we couldn't go to bed til it was clean. Then we decided to go through the cupboards. There was stuff that had been there for many years. We got rid of everything!

I don't even think Dad noticed we cleaned out the bathroom (he doesn't even go to that part of the house).

For as long as I can remember, Grandma has always slept with many blankets on her bed. When we pulled the bedspread down, we uncovered about 6 blankets. Now, it was very cold there - about 30 degrees. But 6 blankets was just too many for me!

It just felt good to pillow our heads from a long day.

To be continued...

An Unexpected Pleasure

2010-04-16T23:21:00.001-07:00

Do you remember the Pritchard Family?

They are the missionary family we went to see in Madagascar back in 2008.

Well, they surprised us with a visit tonight. They were passing through on their way to Phoenix.

We met them for dinner and spent a wonderful couple of hours with them!

If you want to read about our trip, scroll down and click on the label titled "Madagascar" on the right side of the page.

A Family Day

2010-04-12T18:19:00.000-07:00

Life has been crazy busy for a long time now. It has seemed like every time we planned to do something, our plans were changed for us.

I finally told Mr. Wonderful last week that I needed to get away from home for the day where nobody could call and get ahold of us; that I just needed and wanted a family day without interruption.

I had a homeschool meeting to go to Saturday morning. So we all loaded up and away we went. The meeting was over and then our official family day began.

We had looked at going hiking up by where Lyndsey was. But we had made a backup plan in case it wasn't going to work for her to go with us. She ended up sick.

So we decided to go to the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles.

It was really neat!

There is only a small parking lot at the observatory but everyone can park alongside the road. And let me tell you, that road is steep and winding.

We had only ever seen the "Hollywood" sign on tv or in pictures. We didn't realize that the sign was right there in the hills behind where we were at until someone pointed it out. Not that it matters much to us (after all, it's only a wooden sign) but I decided to get a picture of the boys with it in the background anyway.

The views from the decks were spectacular of Los Angeles. I always thought in my head that the city was BIG but until I saw it from the deck, I didn't realize just how vast it really is. And I know I didn't get the whole city in the pictures, either.

One of the highlights of the day was when we thought back on the day and realized that we only spent $20 the whole day! Now that is a feat living here in SoCal!!!!

We would really love to go back some day soon but in the evening because they have telescopes you can use to look up into space but they only work after dusk.

A much needed day away was what I needed to recharge my jets!

Between the Boys

2010-04-12T18:16:00.000-07:00

The other night the boys were in the kitchen.

Phyllip was cleaning up some spilled chocolate milk.

The conversation went like this:

Tyler: Phyllip, when you grow up your floors are going to be sticky.

Phyllip: That's why I'm going to hire a maid!

Flowers + Tyler = Happiness

2010-04-09T11:37:00.000-07:00

Tyler has been pestering us for a couple of months to have his own flower garden.

Walter told him to clear out a section of the front yard from weeds and he could use it for his garden.

Last Saturday we took him to get his flowers. We let him pick out what flowers he wanted. When we got home, he planted them.

He is a happy little man!

What Is The First Thing

2010-04-07T10:57:00.000-07:00

you do after an earthquake?

Get on the computer, of course!!!!!

This is what happened afterward. Everyone was looking for info on the earthquake.

A group of students from WCBC were at our church for Easter services.

L to R
Gideon, Shari, Kim, Hannah, Kayla, Matt

We were all at our pastor's home for the afternoon when the 7.2 earthquake struck in Calexico. That is only 1 1/2 hours away from us.

We didn't sustain any damage but boy, did we feel it! It was an odd feeling having the earth moving underneath you and there's nothing you can do to steady yourself.

WALL to WALL Testosterone

2010-04-02T21:22:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, we had a group of college students from West Coast Baptist College come to our church to run a youth rally.

They came in on Friday afternoon and stayed until late Saturday night.

We hosted all the guys in our home. There were 8 guys altogether.

We had used just about every inch of space in the house to sleep them all.

I was the only girl in the house (but it really wasn't all that bad).

We had a blast with all of them. They were so kind to Phyllip and Tyler. I think my boys made life long friends with one of them.

One of the guys, Thomas, had his devotions with both our boys. He was so patient and kind. I wish I had a video camera and I could have captured it. It was so precious to my heart. The boys loved it, too.

On to the pictures now.

Lindsay, Debbie, Katherine, Tasha, Sharon

(not sure why it's turned - can't fix it)

Braeden and Jon Michael

Phyllip, Thomas, Tyler

Thomas is incredibly talented with kids - he's amazing!

Daniel, Ray, Matt

Ray - an incredible guitarist - he makes it look so easy. It was relaxing to listen to his playing.

Oscar, Tyler, Phyllip, Joemel

An Object Lesson Just For Me

2010-04-02T17:55:00.001-07:00

My husband and I have been struggling with some parenting issues lately.

We've been trying a few new things to get our boys' attention of which they don't seem to have worked. It's frustrating watching your children (doing what you believe to be the best for them) and wanting them to be obedient, yet they keep pushing back at us with disrespect, disobedience and outright rebellion.

Lo and behold, last weekend at church I just happened to be talking with our pastor's wife and the subject of child rearing came up. She then proceeded to tell me what they have implemented in their home.

Today Walter and I decided to implement the same thing, but with a twist to fit our home.

So here's where the object lesson begins.

I wrote a list of chores on paper that the boys had to accomplish today. I went over it with them making sure they understood what they were supposed to do.

Then I sat back (figuratively) and watched them. To my disappointment, they did not accomplish a lot of the list.

So at dinner tonight, Walter and I talked with the boys and discussed what the Bible has to say about work - that he who doesn't work doesn't eat "Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger." Proverbs 19:15 "The sluggard will not plow by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest and have nothing." Proverbs 20:4 We told them that if they don't get all their chores done by dinner each night, they won't eat until the chores are completed.

We are trying to teach them good work habits. Boy, it's tough sometimes!

It seemed like the Lord hit me upside the head while I was making dinner.

We tell our boys what they need to do (obedience) but they haven't been doing it - at least not the first time. So, I decided to write them down on paper making sure that it was easy for them to understand.

God knew that if He just told us to do things, we humans wouldn't do it, most of the time (we needed something to look at, to speak out loud, to memorize, to meditate on). So....He wrote the Bible. It's for us to read so we can gain understanding and wisdom and knowledge to live the right way (obedience) and accomplish God's will for our lives.

How obedient am I to God????? Talk about a sword piercing my heart...

This, That and the Other

2010-03-22T16:02:00.000-07:00

Life seems to be going by at the speed of light these days!

Lots of things going on and the last thing on my mind is being on this here blog.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Lyndsey was home last week for spring break. In her own words this morning, "Mom, break was NOT long enough!" She is back at school with only about 6 weeks left til summer break.

The Lord is so faithful!!! I can't even begin to thank Him for His provision for us. He has seen fit to pay for Lyndsey's school bill. Despite her commitment to search for a job almost daily this last semester, no job has been secured as of yet. But...God has paid her bill!

~~~~~~~~~~~
Why is parenting sooooooooo hard some days????????!!!!!!!!

What is it about us as humans that make us so prone to disobedience (it's our sin nature)??? Why do we like to 'bend' the rules? Why do we act amazed when we receive punishment for our disobedience?

These are some of the questions I have had lately.

People told me years ago that parenting is not always easy. They were right. I thought parenting 2 kids 19 months apart in age was hard when they were babies. I think it's much more difficult parenting 2 kids 19 months apart in age when they are approaching adolescence. Oh, the fights and arguments and the scowls and the.....(insert so many things here)! The difficulty is because we MUST exercise tough love and a LOT of it right now. This mother's heart breaks when we MUST do it. I dislike punishment (come to think of it....who enjoys it at all?). But, so far they seem to be doing better (at least right now at this very moment:) ).

Another difficulty is hoping that we, as parents, are making the right decisions while raising them. Do my children see Jesus Christ in me and in their dad? Does my life make them desire a relationship with Christ more and more each day? Do I encourage them to serve God? Are my words critical or do they uplift?

More than anything else, I want my children to accomplish God's will for their lives. Walter and I have friends that have raised their children in godly homes and yet the children choose to live their lives completely opposed to the Bible (it's their choice, obviously). Oh, how my heart breaks for those parents and for those kids (turned adults), too! I pray that my children will choose to serve God as adults.

~~~~~~~~~~~
Tyler had his birthday last month. A friend spent the night and Tyler really wanted to have a nerf gun war. With only 3 boys, that was not going to work out. So, I decided to play with them (can you believe it?).

I had the time of my life!!!! It was a blast!!! I screamed like a girl so many times!! The boys loved it.

We turned out all the lights in the house. Two would hide at one end of the house and the other two would seek. Lawrence had a laser light that we would use to see with. We played for over 2 hours. The dog had a blast, too. She gave up the hiders so many times but it was still a blast.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
We have a college student from Lyndsey's school coming out each weekend to help us with a Spanish ministry. His name is Oscar. He stays at our home.

Last weekend, Oscar was here and Lawrence stayed the night as well. He brought his nerf guns, too.

The boys really wanted to have another nerf war. I was too tired to play but Oscar decided to play. "What a sight" is all I can say! I think that was funnier than me playing with the boys! Those boys screamed like girls (all 4 of them)! They scared themselves silly! But, oh the fun they had!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This coming weekend our church is hosting a youth rally. A group of college students will be coming from West Coast Baptist College to help us with it. Walter and I will be hosting 7 young men in our home. It's going to be a blast!!!! Phyllip and Tyler are looking forward to them being here and are hoping for a humongous nerf war with the guys!

Coming Soon

2010-02-26T09:37:00.001-08:00

More posts with pictures.

At one point we had 4 computers in our house. A few weeks ago, we lost one of the towers (which had our music and pictures on it). The current tower we are using is going down - it's only a matter of time - problems with it as well. If I load pictures onto it it will be as slow as a snail. Lyndsey has hers at college. And that leaves us with my mobile office computer for our church (I try not to use that one for personal use). We have currently found a computer we like but are trying to be frugal and just wait until this one has crossed the point of no return.

However, my Mr. Wonderful bought me an external hard drive a couple of weeks ago. I did happen to save all our pictures to cds which are in the safe so as soon as I find time to figure out how to work it, I will be able to load pics again here.

I have lots of pictures from January when we had a week of storms. Beautiful mountain pictures. But that will have to wait a little while longer!

Something You Need to Read

2010-02-15T11:01:00.000-08:00

Update: Oops! I did the wrong link. I fixed it.

Just click on this link and read the post. You will find it funny! I promise.

Ragu Bolognese

2010-02-04T20:06:00.000-08:00

I love getting my Taste of Home cooking magazine in the mail. It is always chock full of great recipes that are really yummy! The latest issue has not disappointed!

I tried the Ragu Bolognese and it is absolutely fabulous! I know it's great when my husband tells me to throw out any recipes I have for spaghetti sauce or lasagna sauce and use this one!

DO NOT let the amount of ingredients scare you. It's VERY easy to make. So here's the recipe:

Ragu Bolognese
1 lb. ground beef
1/2 lb. ground pork
1/4 lb. bacon strips, diced
2 medium onions, chopped
2 celery ribs, chopped
2 small carrots, chopped
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup beef broth
1 can (28 oz.) crushed tomatoes (I used stewed and they worked fine)
1 can (15 oz.) tomato sauce
2 Tbsp. tomato paste
2 bay leaves
2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. dried thyme
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1/2 tsp. each ground cumin, nutmeg and pepper
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
2 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. minced fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese (fresh is ALWAYS better!)
Hot cooked pasta and additional Parmesan cheese

In a Dutch oven, cook the beef, pork, bacon, onions, celery and carrots over medium heat until meat is no longer pink; drain. Add garlic; cook 2 minutes longer. Add broth; cook for 4-5 minutes or until liquid is reduced by half.

Stir in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, bay leaves, sugar and seasonings. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until thickened, stirring occasionally. Discard bay leaves. Add the cream, butter and parsley; cook 2 minutes longer. Stir in cheese. Serve with pasta and additional cheese. Enjoy!

Randomness

2010-01-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

Well.....where do I begin?

I took a bit of a break from the blogging world because life got so crazy.

Lyndsey came home for the Christmas break the 15th of December and since that day, I think I've only been home without going anywhere 3 days total since then!

She ended up getting an interview and then a job selling Cutco cutlery. The schedule for training was crazy, to say the least. But after training was over, the actual job was even crazier - almost like organized chaos! We would leave the house between 8 and 9 am and most days didn't get home til around 9 pm or later. This went on for about 10 days. We were exhausted - we were snapping at each other from the stress of going seemingly all.the.time. There was no such thing as family time and it got old real fast!

It turns out that the company Lyndsey was working for wasn't exactly forthcoming with how the business works (which I had my doubts about from the beginning - just call it mother's intuition). She got to where she absolutely despised it. But she was able to make some money and finish paying off last semester's tuition.

The knives are incredible, though. We got to keep the sample set of knives and I am in "knife heaven" so to speak. If you are in the market for new knives, get Cutco - their guarantee is really great.

Momma had to drive her around to all her training (120+ miles roundtrip for 5 days) plus her appointments. It was really hard to be gone all day every day. The boys didn't exactly like it, either. I was happy to drive her around but even she got tired of the constant traveling.

We didn't let Lyndsey get her driver's license because she wasn't going to need it in college and we couldn't afford to pay the insurance for her. We are rethinking that one now! If she comes home for the summer, she WILL get her license and pay for her own insurance.

~~~~~~~~~

Walter was offered a second job back in November (I was trained in the job as well so that we can be on call 24/7). He jumped at the chance because we have been praying for a way to help get Lyndsey through college.

We flew up to northern California a couple of weeks ago - just Walter and I - to meet the owner in person and to be trained.

Wow! That's what came out of my mouth when we got to the cottage we stayed in. I wish I had had my camera while we were there. It was the most beautifully decorated home I've ever been in! It had top of the line furniture in it that was incredibly comfortable (leather armchairs that were oober comfy with throw blankets over them, the bed - incredible, a massage chair that Walter fell in love with, bose home theatre system, etc.). The decorations were just enough - not overstated at all. Beautiful antique lamps and end tables finished it. We were given access to the internet at our leisure. There was a hot tub (we didn't use it because of lack of time plus it was soooooooooo cold while we were there). The bathroom towels were plush and soft. The bed sheets were "out of this world" comfortable.

Tom (the boss) had emailed us a few days before we went there and asked what kind of food and snacks and drinks we liked. He told us to be specific and not bashful. We're the kind of people who are happy with pretty much anything but we did give a couple of specifics. When we got there and looked in the kitchen everything we had told him and more was loaded in it! The refrigerator was full - the freezer was just about full! Tom's wife had even left us a gigantic Hershey's chocolate bar on the end table next to the bed.

We were treated like royalty while there!

Tom and his wife are very strong Christians and he was looking for someone of like faith to help him take care of some business that we live close to.

The cottage we stayed in is what Tom's church uses for all of their guest speakers and missionaries. Walter asked who had stayed there before us and we felt like we were walking where royalty had been. We felt like we were part of the family while there.

We have since started the work down here and so far, we like it.

Riddle

2010-01-19T08:57:00.000-08:00

How many men does it take to change 4 lightbulbs in my 2001 Buick LeSabre??????

3!!!!!!!

We were pulled over by the police a couple of weeks ago because our tail and license plate lights were out (didn't know about the license lights). The officer let us go and I went the next day to get the replacement lights.

Walter had tried 3 times to replace the lights but finally gave up because he ended up not having the right tools. Jiffy Lube had offered to replace them a couple weeks back and Walter turned them down thinking he could replace them. We ended up taking the car back to them on Sunday and asked if they would change them for us.

They did. But.....it took 3 of them to do it!! No joke and no exaggeration!!!!! It took one to hold the trunk lid and one to unscrew. After that, it took one to hold the tail light/license plate contraption (one big piece), one to hold the trunk lid, and one to replace the bulbs!

In their defense, they had no other work going on at that time and they were really very nice guys. It just made me laugh thinking about the old joke that says, "How many guys does it take to change a light bulb?"

Merry Christmas to All!

2009-12-24T08:54:00.000-08:00

Just wanted to say Merry Christmas to everyone!

Life is very busy these days (we aren't home much) - so much for a vacation! We are very happy to announce that Lyndsey has gotten a job!

She starts training on Monday. We are thrilled for her.

We hope everyone enjoys this Christmas season.

Prayer Needed

2009-12-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

I would ask for everyone to pray for a very dear couple in our lives.

I don't have permission to print their names here so I will just give their initials.

I was talking to L this morning. She told me that her husband, D, was diagnosed with liver cancer last Thursday. Not only does he have cancer, but he also has hepatitis C and cerosis (sp?) of the liver. D is not an alcoholic at all. He apparently inherited the hep C and cerosis from his mother at birth.

D has been put on a liver transplant list. Even if he survives the cancer, he will die if he doesn't get the transplant because his liver is 80% dead (that is according to the doctor).

He's been give a year or less to live.

Both D and L and their family are very strong Christians. They are asking for a miracle in all of this but they want God to be glorified as well.

Please pray for their emotions as well. They have been through the fire when it comes to life's experiences. So many things have happened to them in the last several years; things that most of us cannot handle. Yet, they still serve the Lord with all they have.

They are a testimony to Walter and I of God's grace in their lives. How they have endured everything and still love and serve the Lord is a tremendous work of grace. They still have a smile on their face and still see God's goodness in their lives.

We love them dearly and just ask for everyone to pray for them.

Something I Learned

2009-12-15T05:28:00.000-08:00

As I was reading my Bible this morning, I came across some verses that perplexed me. I decided to look up a few definitions in the Webster's 1828 dictionary and also look up them up in the Greek dictionary as well.

I didn't know that these words were tied together until I looked them up.

2 Timothy 2:16 says, "But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness."

2 Timothy 3:6 says, "For of this sort are they which creep into houses, and lead captive silly women laden with sins, led away with divers lusts," (To understand the whole passage you need to read starting at 2 Timothy 3:1 and reading down thru verse 7.)

I randomly looked up 'babbling' after I read chapter 2 and then after I read the word 'silly' in chapter 3 I looked that one up.

They both mean the same thing. Silly = babbling. I will even copy the definitions here so you can see it for yourself.

phluaros (this is the Greek word for babbling and silly)
Thayer Definition:
1) of persons uttering or doing silly things, garrulous, babbling

Webster's 1828 Dictionary
SIL'LY, a. [Heb. This may be radically the same word, with a prefix. Class Sl. No. 26]
1. Weak in intellect; foolish; witless; destitute of ordinary strength of mind; simple; as a silly man; a silly child.

BAB'BLE, v.i.
1. To utter words imperfectly or indistinctly, as children.

2. To talk idly or irrationally; to talk thoughtlessly.

3. To talk much; to prate; hence to tell secrets.

How many times I have been guilty of babbling and being silly! I don't want to be like that anymore. The Lord, in His mercy, will help me to overcome this. I am so thankful that the Word of God is alive, powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword. Lord, help me to apply your wisdom to my life!

All I Can Do Is Laugh

2009-12-06T21:56:00.000-08:00

Our church set up a time with a local nursing home/assisted living center to come in and do some Christmas caroling. We went yesterday morning.

I wasn't prepared for how many of the residents showed up. I figured that maybe 10 or so would be there, but there were almost 30. I'm not quite sure why I wasn't prepared, though.

As soon as we opened the door and started walking in they all began to clap for us. That was a weird feeling.

The reading of the Christmas story and caroling began. Oh, how the folks enjoyed it! There were so many smiles on faces. They especially enjoyed the children.

We had wrapped some gifts for them and were handing them out to each of the residents. There were only 3 or 4 men in the room and we had a lot of mens' gifts so each of the them got 2.

There was a man and a woman sitting on a couch. Tyler went up to the man and handed him his second gift. The woman sees that the man has two gifts and she only has one. She looks at Tyler and says, "Do I get two gifts, too?" Tyler, not really knowing how to react, says, "I'm not sure. I will have to ask." The woman is not too thrilled with his response (I can see the scowl on the woman's face and can imagine that she thinks it's not fair). He does get another gift for her and brings it back to her and she says, "Is that for me?!!!!"
____________________________________________________
There is a woman in our church named Lucy.

Lucy is one of a kind. Lucy is VERY outspoken (for the most part, her outspokenness (sp?) is ok). But, she is sweet and will do anything for you to the best of her abilities. She's also very ill. To add to her illnesses, she's going blind.

Tonight, she had something to give to me.

From across 3 aisles of chairs, she says loudly, "Rhonda, I have something for you. You are Rhonda, right?" I said, "Yes, Lucy, it's me." Lucy turns and says to someone sitting close to her, "I can't see faces, but I know it's Rhonda by her hair!"

All I could do was laugh with the rest of the whole church!

We Would Ask...

2009-11-30T12:10:00.000-08:00

Update: We rejoice to say that Walter's company has figured out a way to prevent any layoffs at least through February! That IS an answered prayer!

that all pray for Walter's job.

He found out that his company is probably going to be laying off some people. At this point, Walter doesn't think his job is in jeopardy but we just don't know.

We aren't worried, though. We know that God will take care of us. We just want God's will in this situation.

Wiggle

2009-11-26T20:17:00.000-08:00

Yesterday we picked up Lyndsey and one of her friends from college and brought them home for Thanksgiving weekend.

The morning started out normal/uneventful but progressed in the opposite direction a few hours later.

The boys and I left the house at 6 a.m. The drive was easy; very light traffic.

Lyndsey was to be out of chapel service by 8:30 and I wanted to get home before all the major traffic backed up.

We got up there a few minutes early. I looked at the outside temperature reading on the car and it said 38 degrees. Needless to say, the boys and I were NOT ready for that. Tyler and I had light jackets on and Phyllip didn't bring one. We were cold!

Lyndsey had a couple of friends she wanted me to meet. I was sitting in the car and rolled the window down but then decided to get out to meet them.

A few minutes pass and I'm heading down to the other end of the campus in the car to load the girls' suitcases. I pushed the automatic window button to put the window up and nothing happened. The window was stuck in the DOWN position and it was 38 degrees outside! I mistakenly hit the down side of the window button and watched and heard the window drop completely down inside the door. That was NOT a good thing!

We got the girls loaded up and left with the window down. We drove all the way home with the window d.o.w.n. It was a very cold drive for the first 90 minutes or so. When we got to San Bernardino the weather was warmer and it wasn't such a bad drive.

Walter 'fixed' the window when he got home. When we have more time he will really fix it.

It's got to be that normal uneventful outings are just plain boring! I think that's why we don't usually have them.

(We also seem to have cars that have quirks. For instance, our van's windshield wipers don't work most of the time when you need them to. But when they do decide to work they change speeds on their own. We don't have to turn the lever - they change from normal to warp speed to in between and so on all on their own!)

So...on to the title for this post.

We were still in the car. Lyndsey had her phone and it rang. After she hung up the phone, Tyler asked her, "Lyndsey, is your phone on wiggle?"

(Lyndsey has her phone set on 'vibrate' so that if she gets a call during class or church service, it doesn't interrupt. Tyler didn't know the word was 'vibrate' so he called it 'wiggle'.)

In Awe

2009-11-22T20:52:00.000-08:00

I write this with so much excitement!

God is just so awesome!

There almost aren't right words to describe what God means to me.

I can go through all the BIG things that He has done for me. I'm not minimizing those at all. It's just that these are kind of like the 'givens' so to speak. For example:

*He has given me salvation through the shed blood of Jesus Christ
*I have a marriage made in Heaven - yes our marriage is THAT great!
*I have 3 fabulous kids
*etc.
*etc.
*etc.

But lately I've been focused on the little things that God continues to do for me - and they truly are just for me (but I want to share them to encourage you).

*I wrote a couple of weeks ago about candles being given to me and how much I love them.
*I've had my eye on a music cd for several weeks now. We haven't had the extra money to buy it. Today, my pastor's wife told me she had something for me. It was a music cd that someone had given to her. She knew about our car being broke into and all the music stolen. She decided to give it to me. Guess what? It was the exact cd that I had been wanting! And, even better, ONLY God knew how much I wanted it!
*I've been looking for makeup remover (I know this one seems a bit silly). I've been using a particular brand of skincare for several years now. I try to buy most of it on ebay at discounted prices. I haven't been able to find it there lately and I don't have the money to buy it at full price. I happened to get an Ulta magazine earlier this week and hadn't looked at it until yesterday. In it was a coupon for a free item. Guess what one of my choices was? Yep, one FREE makeup remover! Now, it's not the brand I usually use, but I'll take FREE anyday!

I am truly in awe of God's love for me. It completely humbles me and makes me want to bow at His feet and just stay there a while in praise and worship to Him.

I would describe my relationship with God like that of a husband and wife (the Bible does speak of Christ being the bridegroom and we the bride). Just like my husband showers me with love and things that I take pleasure in, God does the same. More and more I see that God proves His love for me over and over and over each day. I just haven't been focused enough on Him to see all of it until recently.

During this thanksgiving season, look for ways that God shows you how much He loves you. I bet you will be absolutely astounded at everything He has done and continues to do for you! I know I am!

I Have Watched Waaaay Too Many Thrillers!

2009-11-16T20:47:00.000-08:00

Walter and I were laying in bed last night having a nice end-of-the-day conversation.

The conversation was pleasant. We were laughing, making jokes, and having a few serious thought segments.

(Insert background music to any thriller movie that lets you know something scary is about to happen.)

Everything was going along smashingly when I saw one of the most terrifying images. Imagine seeing the silhouette of a man walking around in your yard. I suddenly became tense and grabbed my husband's hand and said with a frightened tone, "Honey, someone is in our backyard!" Walter flew out of bed and ran over to the window. He cautiously opened the blinds, but couldn't get a good view.

He quickly put his robe on and walked out of the bedroom very commandingly towards the back door. I, on the other hand, quietly ran on my tippy toes out to the dining room and stayed far enough away so as not to be seen by the intruder.

Walter looked out the back door and still could not get a good look. He decided to take the dog out and get a better look (it's the cop in him). I was frighteningly nervous, my heart was practically beating out of my chest, but I was poised to hear him shout at me to get the gun. I also had my phone in hand ready to dial 911 in an instant.

The dog remained totally calm and she and Walter walked casually back to the door and came inside. Walter then whispered to me that it was our next-door neighbor in his backyard. (Another neighbor up the street has a light that somehow picked up our neighbor's silhouette and it was shining in our bedroom window.) Phew!!!!!! Hugh sigh of relief suddenly overwhelmed me and we walked back to our bedroom, climbed into bed, and drifted off happily to the land of fabulous dreams.

Indeed, there are too many thriller movies under my belt. No, I don't watch them anymore. And, yes, this really did happen last night! I am NOT exaggerating! I can't make this stuff up!

I Love It When They Think They Can Pull A Fast One On Us!

2009-11-12T09:30:00.000-08:00

A couple of weeks ago, our church held a "Trick or Trunk" alternative to Halloween. It turned out far better than we could have imagined. There were well over 100 people that showed up.

On to the story...

Phyllip and Tyler were talking with their friend, Lawrence, at the Trick or Trunk.

The conversation was already underway when it was overheard. It went like this:

Lawrence: I can't do that! I'm grounded...remember??!!

Phyllip or Tyler (I don't know which): Yeah, but you're only grounded when you're at home!

Lawrence: Oh yeah! (you could tell that he had put 2 and 2 together and the light bulb went on in his head) I'm gonna go tell that to my mom!

Insert David, an adult, who overheard the whole exchange.

David: Lawrence, I don't think that's such a good idea.

Lawrence: Why not?

David: I just wouldn't tell your mom.

Lawrence: Ok.

About 30 minutes go by and Lawrence and my boys race past David again and he hears the following:

Lawrence: I'm going to tell my mom that I'm only grounded at my house!

David: Ok, buddy. You do what you think is best.

Insert Esha (Lawrence's mom)

Lawrence: Hey Mom, did you know that I'm only grounded at home?

Esha: Go tell your dad.

Lawrence runs over to his dad - insert Jeff (his dad).

Lawrence: Hey Dad, did you know that I'm only grounded at home?

Jeff: Nice try, buddy!

Just for the record, Lawrence's parents didn't fall for it!

Our Anniversary Gift

2009-11-11T10:29:00.000-08:00

Tyler decided he wanted to give us a gift for our anniversary.

He gave us a gift of time.

This young man wrote up a menu of meals that he knew how to cook and handed it to us and asked us to pick what we wanted for dinner.

The menu included the following:
Quesadillas
Ramen
French Toast
Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich
Meat and Cheese Sandwich - with choice of mayonnaise and mustard
Toast
Oatmeal

How could we say no to that?!!!

He fixed our dinner and he went all out. The table was set with lit candles and music was playing softly.

Then the four of us sat down and ate.

It was the best anniversary gift I could have asked for!

My Example

2009-11-10T08:15:00.000-08:00

I find that I/we have made many mistakes in raising my/our children. Does anybody else besides me wish to be a better example to their children?

The more I read my Bible, the more I realize that I have such an awesome opportunity to raise my children to be godly adults/parents.

I want them to be used of God so much. I want to see them live victorious Christian lives and never turn their backs on God.

But...what does my life show them? What are my priorities? Are my words harsh, negative, critical, belittling, etc. or are my words loving, encouraging, uplifting, etc.?

I am learning that words are so important. The old saying when I was a kid I still hear kids say today: "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me!" That is one of the biggest lies!

I was called names growing up. Some of it was done in jest and some of it was done to be mean. I grew up believing that I wasn't loved. My feelings were hurt more times than I care to remember. And because of it I ended up harboring bitterness for many years in my life. I really believed that I was unworthy of any one's love and for many years I found myself amazed that someone had actually fallen in love with me and wanted to marry me and live the rest of his life with me. It took me a long time to admit I was bitter and to go to the person I was so offended at and make things right with them. I don't want my children to have to experience that EVER!

I still struggle today with acceptance. I find that I even struggle with God's love for me today because of things in my childhood (yes, I need to 'get over it'). It's hard to change thought patterns that were shaped in my mind as a child. I am very much a non-confrontational person today. I hate confrontation with a passion. I will do almost anything to avoid it. I tend to talk about 'safe' things with others and don't get too deep into opinions or personal matters. Have my children's thought patterns been shaped correctly? Do they struggle with God's love for them or do they embrace Him with every ounce of their being?

What about my actions? Do I portray the love of Christ to my kids and spend quality time with them or do I just brush them off and make them feel unimportant? Do I answer their questions rudely and with harshness or do I take the time to help them understand the answer in a way that shows they are important to me (even if I am tired or busy)?

What about discipline? How do I discipline my kids? Do I do it in love or do I scream at them and say things that are unnecessary and even hurtful? Do I show them from the Bible how they are wrong and how to correct their actions or do I throw my hands up in the air and give up trying to correct them?

How I have failed my children! I can't even count the number of times I've had to apologize to my kids because of my actions, words, wrong discipline, etc. But the Bible tells me that God's mercies endure forever and are renewed daily. With God's help, I know I can be a right example. God, help me to be the right example to my children!

How Could I Forget?

2009-11-09T11:00:00.000-08:00

We made plans to visit Lyndsey in Lancaster last Saturday.

The whole day was just fabulous. Having all 5 of us together again was wonderful.

We laughed and talked and played games and enjoyed each other's company all afternoon.

It hit me this morning - I had forgotten how much I love Lyndsey's laugh. When she gets to laughing hard - that's when I think she has her best laugh. How could I forget?

If there's one piece of advice I could give to anyone at this moment about raising children it would be to just soak them up. Drink in every ounce of their being because one day........they will be all grown up and leave the nest and you, too, might just find yourself forgetting some of the things you enjoy most about your children.

It Was Definitely An Adventure

2009-11-08T22:36:00.000-08:00

It wasn't the adventure we had planned, though.

Walter had Thursday and Friday off last week. We had planned to do some things locally because money just doesn't grow on trees around here and we are pinchin' pennies like most people I know.

We decided to go hiking Thursday morning and also Friday morning. Thursday morning came and we headed up to our hiking destination. It was a beautiful day. The area was gorgeous and we spent a couple of hours taking in the scenery and letting the boys play in the river catching frogs and just having a good time. We found out that we could go camping for free there (that caught our attention).

We mosied home for lunch. We remembered that our local zoo (The Living Desert) has a program where people can camp inside the grounds of the zoo. We thought it would be a great experience for the boys so we checked into it. They only offer it on the weekends. So...on the spur of a moment, we packed up all our camping gear (and borrowed a couple items from fellow campers) and headed back to Whitewater to camp for the night.

(Oh the visions we had for the evening and the next morning! It was supposed to be a beautiful evening and we were going to wake up and see the mountain lions walking along the ridge of one side of the mountains and on the other side we were going to see the bighorn sheep walking on the actual side of the mountain. There was also an occasional bear and snake that roam that area. I must insert here that I was not thrilled about any of those animals being close to us except for the sheep. You can call it the 'chicken' side of me.)

We were the only campers that night in the whole park. Camp was set up in less than an hour. The boys were having a great time exploring. Ruby (the dog) was just as giddy as ever wanting to participate in everything. I had started cooking dinner when I heard a blood curdling scream.

I turned around to find Phyllip on the ground and rolling, holding his left leg. I walked over to him and looked at his leg. Everything appeared normal, at least on the outside of his leg. He couldn't walk. He just laid on the ground for quite a while. I helped him get to a chair. I figured he would be running around again in a few minutes - he always is. Not this time. He just kept holding his left foot and moaning. I gave him some ibuprofen hoping that would help. He wanted to sit in the car and prop his leg up.

Shortly after he gets to the car we are scared out of our wits when two incredibly vicious sounding dogs came out of nowhere and started to lunge at us and Ruby! Walter started screaming at them and Tyler to get rocks and throw them at the dogs. I quickly got Ruby off her chain and practically threw her in the car for protection. Ruby came unglued when she heard and saw them. I've never heard her growl and bark like that. I guess her little 'vacation' back in the summer helped her to 'grow up'. We were able to scare the dogs off and everything went back to 'normal?'.

We tried to stick it out. We ate dinner and the pain had gotten so bad with Phyllip that he was sobbing and asked if we could just go home and take him to the doctor. By this time it is pitch black outside. There were no lights at this campground. We had our flashlights and that was it. We decided it was just too mean and heartless to stay there and packed up everything as quick as possible.

Phyllip and I ended up at the cattle call, I mean emergency room, a short while later. There were only a few seats left. It was so packed in there. It was awful.

I haven't paid too much attention to the whole swine flu thing. I believe it's too hyped up - not that people aren't getting sick from it, but the media is blowing it way out of proportion. Anyway, so many of the patients have the flu - you would have to be blind not to see it. They all looked the same - red sunken eyes, red nose, coughing, absolutely miserable feeling, etc. I was almost scared to stay in there.

But we got checked in and waited. And waited. And waited. You get the idea. We were there for 4 hours when we finally got the diagnosis - Phyllip had broken his foot!

If I had just been told I broke my foot, I think I would have cried. But...I'm a girl. Phyllip acted like he had just scored the winning point in a football game! He threw his hands up in the air and shouted, "Cool!" Then he looks at me with the biggest smile and says, "That's 1 down and 205 to go, Mom!" I'm not exactly sure that he actually wants to break all 206 bones in his body, but at that moment he thought it was a great idea! In my head I'm thinking, "You just wait, buddy. You aren't going to like that cast or crutches after a day or two." But, there was no convincing him of it at that point.

He got a splint put on his foot, was given crutches, discharge papers, and we were off. It was very late. He thought the crutches were so 'cool' that he had this sudden burst of energy and he just wanted to 'walk' everywhere. He was all smiles and chatter. I, on the other hand, just wanted my bed. I was exhausted. Just thinking about all that Friday would hold with doctors' appointments and such made me even more tired and it basically ruined any and all plans we had made.

It was a rough night of sleep. Walter had an allergy attack and couldn't sleep. I couldn't get into the REM sleep pattern. I was catnapping. Phyllip woke up a couple of times screaming that his foot hurt and we had to rewrap it for him. We ended up getting about 3 hours of sleep.

I was up as early as I could be and was getting ready to leave in a moment's notice in case the doctor's office told us to come immediately. I had started calling the pediatrician's office to get a referral to the orthapedist's office but they weren't answering the phones yet. In the meantime, I got a phone call from the hospital saying they had read the xray of Phyllip's foot wrong and he didn't break his foot after all. He just sprained/brusied it badly. A huge sense of relief came over me. All adrenaline that had been pumping through my body instantly drained. I was completely and utterly mush - good for nothing.

But, I had to keep going because Saturday was a busy day with a homeschool meeting and then on to see Lyndsey for the rest of the day. I needed to get groceries and fix lunch and dinner to take with us so we didn't have to spend money eating out.

By the time Saturday rolled around, Phyllip discovered that crutches aren't as cool as he thought. They are actually a lot of work. That poor kid had to use them so much. His foot just wasn't up to a lot of walking. His upper body strength was drained out of him quickly. This morning he was mush - bemoaning the fact he needed to use the crutches. Tonight he said, "Well Mom, I learned that crutches just aren't that fun after 1 or 2 days."

We are very thankful that Phyllip didn't break his foot. It has definitely been an adventure - just one that I don't care to repeat.

It Seems Like Yesterday

2009-11-04T22:28:00.000-08:00

I married the love of my life.............and today we celebrate our 20th wedding anniversary. I still remember our wedding like it was yesterday.

It doesn't seem possible that we've already raised one child nor that our youngest should be almost 11.

I love being married! Our marriage grows sweeter each day. It won't be long and we'll be celebrating our silver anniversary.

I remember when we went to an 25th anniversary party back when we were in our early 20s. I thought the couple was way old! Ha! Look at me now! I'm not far from that! I wonder how many people think that about us!

I love you, babe! Thanks for sticking with me all these years! You are the BEST!!!!!

Ugh!

2009-11-03T07:29:00.000-08:00

Both of our vehicles were broke into last night. (sigh)

The stereo in the van was taken (it was a piece of junk anyway). All the music cds in the Buick were taken along with some audio cds. Amazingly, they didn't take the stereo.

Boy, were those thugs in for a surprise when they got home and dumped out all their 'goodies' they had just stolen! They got a bunch of gospel music.

As far as the music goes, we had burned all of our cds onto the computer so we can make copies. I don't think we will be putting master cds in the cars anymore.

Oh well. Maybe God will use those cds in a marvelous way and those thugs will end up getting saved! We have something new to pray for!

It's The Little Things

2009-11-02T21:09:00.000-08:00

There are a few things that I get enjoyment out of in life. One in particular is candles. Anyone who knows me knows that I LOVE candles. I try to light a candle every day (vanilla are my absolute favorite).

So, for the last several weeks I've been trying to buy some candles. With the economy in the tank, money is very tight and I just haven't been able to justify buying candles. Candles are one of the 'little things' that happen to be way down on the list of priorities for purchase. Other things like FOOD, clothing, etc. seem to take precedence (wink).

We have been in the midst of remodeling our church building these last 10 days or so. Everything has been gone through and if it wasn't necessary or wanted it was either thrown away or Walter and I took it to sell or keep for ourselves.

We brought home about 3 carloads of stuff. As we unloaded the car, one box happened to make its way into the house instead of the garage. It's been sitting in the dining room for the last 3 days staring me in the face.

And then it was like God hit me upside the head today (metaphorically speaking of course). Inside that box is a load of candles! And not just any candles. Can you say my favorite candle? That's right...vanilla and pear scented candles!!!! Not only that, but I had been looking at some new candle holders in the store as well. In the box is also several candle holders. I finally put 2 and 2 together today and realized that God gave me one of the little things I take pleasure in!

I say it over and over again. I continue to be amazed by God and all His wondrous works. My husband asks me why I am amazed that God would provide things for me because, after all, I am one of His children and He loves me and, of course, He would do things like this for me. My answer to that is...I know I shouldn't be amazed but that is the only way I can describe the feeling of KNOWING that God Almighty loves little ol' me!

Life is Just Plain Good!

2009-10-30T10:30:00.000-07:00

Just a note to say that I love my life! God is always so good to me and my family!

I can't think of one time where He has ever let me down. Even through the trials of life, God has always been amazing. We do have our fair share of trials but God allows us to go through them to strengthen us.

God has strengthened our faith so much just since Lyndsey left for college. To be honest, we didn't have even a penny to give to Lyndsey when we dropped her off at college. We just kept praying and asking the Lord to provide. And provide He has! Most of her school bill for the semester is paid and we haven't paid the bill except for what we made from a garage sale. The Lord has brought the money in!

We made almost $600 from the sale and we still have about half of our stuff left! Has anybody else made that much money from a garage sale? I haven't heard of it, but I suppose some people have. The people just kept coming! I think there were about 200 people or so that came. We handed out invitations/gospel tracts to each person that came and by the number of piles of tracts we went through we arrived at that number. We have been given quite a few more things to sell in another garage sale.

Walter and I continue to look for ways to sell things or earn extra money to help Lyndsey and it's amazing when you start to go through your closets the things you will find that you don't use that someone else will.

Our family continues to grow closer together and it's great! We are seeing our boys transform into young men and it's fabulous!

In fact, our church has started a remodeling project and we built a new platform among other things. Hardwood flooring was put on the platform and Phyllip was one of 2 guys that installed the flooring. He worked so hard and we are so proud of him. Tyler equally has worked hard for the last 3 days. Both of the boys have gone to sleep quickly each night after a hard day's work! I like that!

Life is busy and just plain good!

More Yummy Recipes

2009-10-20T10:28:00.001-07:00

I found a recipe last year that was a new take on Chicken Cordon (sp?) Blue. It's called Chicken Saltimbocca. I found it on Taste of Home's website.

It's very tasty. I however, tweaked it a little to fit my tastes and convenience.

Here are my tweaks:

1) I don't flatten the chicken breasts - takes too much time

2) I also don't roll the chicken and put toothpicks in them. I did this the first 2 or 3 times I made it and it was just way too much work for my liking. But you can do whatever you want

3) Because I started making dinner way too late yesterday, I cooked the chicken in the oven in a covered baking pan at 350 for 1 hour instead of the crockpot and it turned out the same

4) I did not use wine - I substitute with chicken broth

One of these days, I'm going to make the REAL Chicken Cordon Blue.

I served it with Twice Baked Potatoes

I don't have a recipe for it. I just winged it and they came out really good!

Here's what I used:

red potatoes - medium to large (remember that you cut them in half lengthwise so 1 potato can serve 2 people)
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup milk
1/2 cup cheese (I used Boursin cheese - my husband brought home an entire box of this cheese free and it's out of this world good - but you can use cheddar, swiss, jack, or whatever you want)
salt and pepper to taste

Bake the potatoes in the oven at 400 degrees until fork tender (No need to put them on a pan or cover with foil - just put them on the oven rack). Cool. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and scoop out potato leaving thin shells.

Put cooked potato into food processor. Add butter, milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Process until mixture is of desired consistency (I like it smooth). Scoop spoonfuls into potato shells (you can heap the mixture in the shells). Top with grated cheese of your choice.

Place potatoes in baking pan. Put in 350 degree oven uncovered about 30 minutes or until heated through.

Tip: My measurements are approximate - you may need more or less. Really, it's up to your taste.

I hope your family enjoys this meal as much as mine did!

Autumn Chowder

2009-10-15T09:28:00.000-07:00

In trying to get more (ha!) organized, I decided to make a monthly menu. It is working very well.

It's not quite that easy to come up with a month's worth of recipes off the top of my head so I resorted to the internet - Taste of Home to be exact.

I made one recipe earlier this week that I won't even try to tweak because it was just that bad. I'm not even sure how it made it onto the website. But, I'm willing to try recipes at least once.

Anyhow, onto last night's meal - Autumn Chowder. It was really good. And easy. I made baking powder biscuits to go with it and they actually turned out good, too. It's hit and miss with biscuits for me. I haven't quite figured out why that it, though. Maybe the weather.

Go to the website and print the recipe and try it. You won't be disappointed!

I Should've Listened To Mama

2009-10-12T13:33:00.000-07:00

Last Saturday we went to Riley's farm in Oak Glen. We went with a few other families from church.

It's harvest season and there were pumkins, squash, and apples galore!

Our family actually went to several different orchards/farms that day.

The weather was beautiful.

People were everywhere! And, oh, the smell of the food cooking! My, my, my! It was a heavenly smell! Corn on the cob, barbecued meat, apple everything cooking...mmmmmmmmmm! And then when you walked into the gift shops, there were samples...apple butter, pumpkin butter, apple pie, etc. Might I add here that the apple and pumpkin butters were out of this world! I think I'm going to have to try making some homemade butters.

We made it to a place called Parrish Canyon. We went through the different shops there and one really big shop in particular.

I decided to buy some apples I'd never tried before - Arkansas Black apples to be exact. We were standing in line and I glanced to my left. I noticed a tortilla maker. I walked over to check it out. Then something on the shelf above and to the right just a bit caught my eye. I looked at it and couldn't figure out what it was. I picked it up only to discover that there was a base underneath it that was hidden. The base fell to the ground and I heard a pop kinda like the pop when a light bulb breaks. I still didn't know what this contraption was and didn't realize it was ceramic yet, either. I picked up the base and discovered that it was broken. Sigh. I still didn't know what this thing was and had to buy it because I broke it.

You know that old saying, "Don't touch. If you break it, you buy it!" Well, my mama told me over and over (probably thousands of times during my childhood) not to touch things in stores so I didn't break anything (I've said that to my kids probably thousands of times, too, down through the years). I don't remember breaking anything as a child. Now, at the ripe old age of 40, I still should've listened to mama.

My boys hopefully learned a lesson from their mama this weekend. Boy, did I feel like an idiot! At least it only cost $5.50.

It turned out to be a toothpick holder. Just looking at the thing, you wouldn't have known it. We had to look at the display of them to figure it out.

I learned my lesson - don't touch if you don't want to buy!

It Was Great and Bittersweet at the Same Time

2009-10-07T21:50:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago Lyndsey put in a request to be gone from the college campus for this last weekend. It was accepted and we kept it hush hush and told no one she was coming home. She likes the element of surprise.

The boys and I drove up to Lancaster to pick her up. We had lunch with her and loaded her up and took her to the mall to hopefully land an interview. She is in need of a job and has been filling out applications everywhere but nothing has turned up just yet. If you think about it, would you pray for her about this? I will say, however, the Lord has provided miraculously for her college bill. The money has been coming in and He continues to amaze me with His marvelous ways! You know who you are that have/are helped/helping and from the bottom of our hearts (including Lyndsey's) THANK YOU!!!!!!! To those who have and continue to pray for Lyndsey, another big THANK YOU from the bottom of our hearts!

My plans didn't work out like I thought they would. It seems they don't most of the time these days. Hmmmm, maybe I should try something different???? Anyway...I wanted to be home around 3:00 or so Friday afternoon, but we didn't get home until 7:30 p.m. Then we were supposed to have a family night but it went 'bust' because of the time and because her computer has been acting crazy since before she left for college. We did get the computer fixed but ONLY after spending almost the entire weekend working on it.

Saturday came and went. She was with us the entire time, but we were all so busy getting things done that HAD to be done that we didn't exactly spend the quality time as a family that I would have liked. But at least we were together, right? Lyndsey spent a good chunk of the day doing schoolwork. I am thankful that she is motivated to get it done and even get it done early.

The plan for her to come home couldn't have been more timely. Lyndsey needed to come home for a few days. She had somewhat of a rough day last week and she just needed familiar surroundings and family to help get her focus back.

I have a hard time admitting it, but it was kinda weird having her home. I know it's only been 5 weeks since she left but we've gotten used to her being gone. (Has anyone else experienced it so quickly? People told me that I would have a major 'meltdown' after she left, but that didn't happen. I guess I had accepted that this day was coming so long ago that it didn't really phase me. Weird, huh.) She even commented that her room didn't feel like her room anymore. It felt more like a guest room. Sigh!

We got her back to the campus 30 minutes before the evening church service was to start. Again, another one of our plans that went 'bust'. This one was not our fault. It was because there was a forest fire and the main road we take was shut down.

One of the surefire ways to know that Lyndsey is happy and feels at home at college is when she got her suitcase back in her dorm room, she announced to her roommates that she was 'home'. Ya think she's happy? I'd say so!

This whole 'send your child to college' thing has been different. I thought our relationship with Lyndsey would stay the same. Silly me, right? I guess I thought she wouldn't grow up so fast and not need us as much quite so fast. We still talk about 4 times a day and for that I am happy. But I guess I was blind to the fact that I wouldn't be 'raising' her anymore. It's time for her to 'spread her wings and fly' on her own now. In the back of my mind I've known this, but to actually experience it was odd. This is now the time when our relationship becomes 'adult to adult'. Wow! I don't feel old enough to have an adult child (oxy moron, right?)!

We left shortly after the evening service was over. It didn't hurt to leave her this time. I guess it's 'welcome to the new normal' for our family now. I've heard people say that your relationship with your kids gets better as they get older. I'm sure it will, but it's getting used to a new normal that is so strange.

She is doing so well at college. Her grades are excellent and we couldn't be happier. She is growing in her walk with the Lord and she's making friends at the drop of a hat and having a great time.

So...it was great and bittersweet all at the same time.

It Was Begging To Be Cleaned

2009-09-29T18:56:00.000-07:00

I decided to make homemade pizza tonight. It was going to be a really good one.

I had put fresh basil in the sauce and extra basil on top of all the vegies. Mmmmm...my mouth is watering just thinking about it.

It was done cooking and I was pulling out both of the pizzas. I had made one for the boys and one for Walter and I.

I got the boys' pizza out no problem. I was pulling out our pizza. The hot pad I was holding onto was slipping and I didn't want to burn myself. I tried to compensate for it and ended up overcompensating. The pizza tilted just so and whoosh, the whole top of the pizza slid right onto the bottom of my oven! I was so shocked! I couldn't believe it had happened!

Walter and I ended up eating quesadillas instead. Bummer! Certainly not the dinner I had planned!

Oh well. The oven hasn't been cleaned in a long time. Like the title of this post says, it was begging to be cleaned!

If Thou Canst...

2009-09-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

Mark 9:23 "Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth."

I read this verse yesterday in my devotions.

I have read particular passages in the Bible many times. I can read the same thing 2 or 3 days in a row and one day it will just smack me in the face with amazing understanding! That's what happened when I read Mark 9:23 yesterday.

I believe it all has to do with where I/you are in life.

Walter and I are about to embark on a voyage in our marriage that we've never been to before (our marriage is incredibly strong so please don't think we are having marital problems). We both completely agree with the direction. I am having a little bit of leeriness because I can only see this voyage through 'foggy windows' so to speak. I know that the end result will be better but going on the voyage is foggy at best right now. That's where Mark 9:23 comes into the picture for me. I must claim that verse to take away my skepticism and just believe. Believe that Jesus is leading the way for us because the verse says that ALL things are possible to him that believeth!

We have seen the Lord do some incredible things in our lives and Lyndsey's life since she went to college so I KNOW this verse is true!

I hope you will claim the verse, too!

Spoiled Rotten

2009-09-22T19:16:00.001-07:00

I have to admit that last week I celebrated another birthday (the big f-o-r-t-y). Yikes - am I really that old? I remember when I was 20 thinking that 40 was soooooooooooo far away. And now here I am and truthfully, I love my age.

We had a nice, quiet evening just my husband and I alone for the whole night. And I will say that after the day I had, a night away from the kids was just what the doctor ordered!

Saturday rolled around and we went on a deacons retreat to Big Bear. Things were a little weird that morning. Our pastor called and asked us to pick up a few items on our way to meet at the church before heading to Big Bear. And then he said, "When you get to the church, DO NOT open the refrigerator!" We said ok and just shrugged it off. Sure enough, the sign was there in VERY BIG letters.

Everything is great. We make it up to Big Bear and are parking when I see our pastor's wife talking to someone. I thought I recognized her. And then I realized who it was. Do you remember the missionary family we went to see last year in Madagascar? They were there!!!! They are back in the US for a furlough to raise more support and get some health issues taken care of. We were elated to see them! Dear pastor's wife then tells me that part of my birthday present was to bring the Pritchards out to see us (so sweet). Pastor had told us back in August that he had lined up someone special to come out but he absolutely refused to tell us who it was. His lips were super-glued shut about it. Turns out that everyone except Walter and I knew about it.

We had a great time in Big Bear. We traveled back down the mountain and headed to one of the deacon's homes for dinner. We were treated to authentic mexican carne asada. Can I just tell you how mouth watering good it was! Our pastor's wife had cupcakes made especially for me and that's when I found out why I wasn't allowed in the refrigerator. Then I was given a couple of gifts - a candle that smells out-of-this-world good with a candle holder and then a $200 gift card. I didn't open the card until Sunday because I thought my pastor's wife said it was something other than it was. Boy did my mouth hit the ground Sunday morning when I opened it up!

We were able to spend the day with the Pritchards on Sunday as well. They were our guests in church. It was so great to see them and spend time with them. Walter and I had forgotten just how passionate Ja is when he preaches about missions. It really stirred up both of us for missions again.

I was definitely spoiled rotten!

Report

2009-09-22T19:10:00.000-07:00

I am happy to report that Lyndsey LOVES college! So loves it, in fact, that she doesn't miss home (she will soon - I just know it!).

Also on the joyful front, she took her first real test and got a 95 (all the others were pop quizzes)! What was a little weird was that she was mad at herself for only getting a 95. She wanted that 100 so bad she could taste it!

I'm not so happy to report that my daughter (aka social butterfly) is sick. Apparently, a lot of the students are sick and it's now Lyndsey's turn.

Wasted Spaces

2009-09-09T22:27:00.001-07:00

We decided a few years ago that it was time for us to shut the tv off (that turned out to be one of the best decisions we've made - I'm not saying it's for everyone, just that it's been good for us). We got rid of the satellite dish and chose not to get cable or use rabbit ears as well.

There are a few channels I miss being able to watch still after almost 4 years with no tv. They happen to be Food Network and HGTV.

Upon surfing the internet one night a couple of months ago, I ran across some shows from HGTV and DIY channels.

We started watching an episode here and there.

Little did I know that watching "Wasted Spaces" would have such a profound effect on Phyllip. From the very first episode the kid was hooked. So hooked, in fact, that he asks to watch one episode at least once a day (and we hear Tyler yell, "Nooooooooo!)!

Not only does he love the show, but for about a week, he would go around the house looking for 'wasted spaces.' With tape measure in hand, he would search and search. He even got Tyler helping him to find space that was being 'wasted' in our home. One day he said he found room between the main bathroom and our bedroom closet. Turned out to be only 4 inches. Another day, he got a brilliant idea. We should convert our attic into a storage room. That's not happenin, either!

I just like to watch the shows. You can get some pretty good ideas from them and one day those ideas might just come in handy when we have enough money to tackle a do-it-yourself home remodel project.

Until then, Phyllip will just have to keep watchin'.

A Few Things I've Learned

2009-09-07T14:12:00.000-07:00

In the last week, I've learned a few things.

First - parenting is H.A.R.D.!

After all the phases of raising a child(ren), Walter and I have come to the conclusion that the most difficult part is allowing them to be adults. You can tell them, show them, remind them several times of things they need to do, etc., but in the end, it's up to them to actually complete the tasks set before them the correct way. You hope they choose the correct way the first time so they don't have to learn the hard way. Interestingly, though, I believe we learn better and faster from our mistakes (or at least most of us).

Letting go of Lyndsey last week at college was easy (I shock myself when I say that - I didn't think I would be able to). Letting her learn how to be an adult now that she's 'on her own'? INCREDIBLY DIFFICULT!

Lyndsey had a few days last week that turned out completely opposite of what we had expected. In a fitting phrase I will just say that 'life bit her hard.' Add to that far less sleep than she's used to and learning time management without Dad and Mom around to remind her and you wind up with a young lady who's beside herself with stress. However, a little sleep and food did wonders for her!

Walter and I did what we could to assure her that she would make it through and to remind her that she needs to keep her trust in the Lord and Him alone to help her through this. She's only ever watched us deal with problems. She's not really had to deal with anything so stressful on her own before. But God will make a way for her.

Lyndsey made it through those rough days, but she's not 'out of the woods' just yet. I would ask you to keep her in your prayers. Her college years will hold some of her greatest memories, but they will also have some very difficult times, too.

There is a praise to go along here, too. Lyndsey was out soulwinning on Saturday with several girls and she was able to win a couple of young teenage girls to the Lord! So, even though last week was somewhat bumpy for her, the Lord rewarded her for her faithfulness to stick it out!

I do know that eventually we will hear the words, "Gee, Dad and Mom, you really do know some things!"

We love that girl so much and miss her!

The second thing I learned is from today.

Down here in our desert a lot of people take their animals to the hardware stores. I even saw a woman with her cat in a shopping cart at Home Depot once.

So being the animal lover that I am and not wanting to disappoint our very excited, happy-go-lucky little dog, I suggested to my husband that he take said dog to Home Depot with him. I mean, after all she would have a great time, right? And she's not gone anywhere in the car since she went to the groomer back in July! What could go wrong?

Wonderful husband gives in and takes Ruby with him. She is the happiest dog you've ever seen. She got to go bye-bye!

He comes home and unloads the car. A few minutes later he says to me, "It wasn't such a good idea to take Ruby to the hardware store." I asked why. "She was a chick magnet!" Those were his exact words!

Come on, think about it. Who wouldn't want to pet a cute dog? But I hadn't factored in all the women that would use the opportunity to flirt with my husband!

Can anybody ignore such a cute face? She's adorable!

My eyebrows went way up and then I started laughing. I'm still chuckling now typing this! I can envision how the whole thing went and my husband is just rolling his eyes because he wants to 'get in and get out' of the store! That's how he operates. He just doesn't like to shop.

So the moral of the story is, don't send your husband to the hardware store with your animal unless you go with him! He will get attention he didn't ask for!

I REALLY Love Where I Live

2009-09-02T08:34:00.000-07:00

I really do love the desert.

I'm reminded of how much I love the desert each time I have to leave and drive somewhere in SoCal.

Yesterday was one such day.

I was to attend a church management and tax conference at a hotel just outside LAX. In order for me to get there on time, I allowed myself a 3 hour window. It took me 3 hours and 20 minutes to get there. I left my home at 5:30 a.m. Ugh!

I finally get there and there's no regular hotel parking. There is a parking garage underneath the hotel and it's airport and hotel parking. The best part is....it costs to park! I had no idea.

I'm driving thru the garage to find a spot to park. I found one and then the unthinkable happened.

I HIT A PARKED CAR!!!!!!!!

Now, I'm not only late to the conference, I'm crying because I wasn't careful enough while driving, I'm sweating because of all of this and my bladder is FULL to the brim!

The only damage done to the car I hit was some paint was scratched off, but nonetheless. My car has no damage (only gray paint on my front bumper). I left my name and number on the windshield.

I was a wreck when I finally got up to the conference room. It took me quite a while to calm down and concentrate on the conference.

The drive home wasn't any shorter of a time period. The freeways in SoCal are a nightmare at best. Stop and go no matter what time of day it is (at least during the week). When you get to a certain little city close to home, the freeway clears out and it's smooth sailing all the way home. We don't get that kind of traffic here in the desert.

So....to reiterate the title of this post... I really love where I live!

She Misses Me, I Just Know It!

2009-09-01T21:00:00.000-07:00

Our dear daughter is now at college. We dropped her off last Sunday.

Since Sunday, she has called me about 9 times.

I miss that girl more than I could ever describe.

Today, we were talking and she said, "Mom, there was something I was going to tell you but I can't remember." I said, "You were going to tell me how much you love me and miss me and you want to come home!" "Um, I do miss you but I'm not ready to come home," dear daughter says.

Can you believe that?

Lyndsey and I have an awesome relationship. She tells me everything. She has a great sense of humor and I miss seeing her smile (it's beautiful).

Just for the record, I wasn't offended by her comment.

A New Chapter Begins Today

2009-08-30T05:17:00.001-07:00

In just a few short hours we will be saying 'goodbye' to Lyndsey. Today is the day that she leaves for college.

A new chapter begins for our family. While she is so 'cottonpickin' excited about college (she was in bed for only 4 hours last night if that tells you anything), we, on the other hand, have to get used to life without her.

We are thrilled for her, but sad for us. That girl is incredibly special and she is so close to her daddy and me. I understand now why my mom cried while my sister and I planned our wedding and cried buckets on our wedding day (though hopefully a wedding isn't in our future for several years). The boys won't admit that they will miss her. They will shortly.

At least we get to take her to college. West Coast Baptist College is only 2 1/2 hours from home so it is comforting to know that she is only a short drive away. We are leaving in a couple of hours so that we can enjoy this last day with Lyndsey at her very soon-to-be new home and church - Lancaster Baptist Church.

Blessings until next time!

They Make Me Laugh

2009-08-29T17:31:00.000-07:00

Our family was invited to the birthday party of an 84 year old man today (He and his wife attend our church).

We went and were having a nice time. People were steadily arriving. Walter and I had the privilege of sitting next to the "birthday boy."

A couple of women walked in and came over to him to wish him a happy birthday. One particular woman caught my attention. The conversation went like this.

Woman: "Happy Birthday, Bill."

Bill: "Thank you."

Woman: "Hold on. I have something for you."
She digs in her purse for a card and a can of Pepperidge Farms snacks. She hands him the card not looking at him and continuing to dig out the can.
When she finally gets the can out of her purse she hands it to him while looking in another direction and says the following.
"Here, these are for you. I've heard they taste good but I don't know." And then she walked off.

Bill just looked at her the whole time.

Picture a thin but gruff woman who looks like she'd rather be doing anything else but going to this man's home to celebrate his birthday. I don't think she smiled the whole time she was there.

Old people.....they make me laugh every time!

"You Don't Look...

2009-08-21T09:00:00.000-07:00

old enough to be Lyndsey's mom. You look like her older sister."

That's the compliment I got the other day!

Wow!

Lyndsey's response was, "Gee Mom, I guess all those expensive creams you use on your face are paying off!"

Just for the record, I usually get them on ebay at a discounted price.

Check List

2009-08-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Computer: check

Cell Phone: check

Email Account: check

Skype Account (to keep up with Mom and Dad): check

Checking Account: check

Luggage: check

School Supplies: check

Clothes: check

Shoes: double check (Lyndsey loves shoes!)

All other supplies: almost check

Our Lyndsey will be leaving for West Coast Baptist College in 10 days! We have almost everything for her - just a few odds and ends left to be tied up. We have the privilege of taking her there.

I didn't think I would have that hard of a time with her leaving...but I have discovered just the opposite. Now, I'm not depressed or anything like that, but I do find myself getting choked up every once in a while. Lyndsey has teased me about being a 'ball bag' the night we actually part ways and I have said that I would not be bad at all. Now...I don't know.

Lyndsey is at the age (and has been for a few years now) where we have become very close friends. I love it that we don't just have a 'mom and daughter' relationship now.

She is a beautiful young woman and she will be missed dearly while she is away. Even her brothers will miss her (but they won't admit that today!).

I am so happy that she is moving on to the next phase of her life. She is beyond excited. She would have left a long time ago if she could have. She's always wanted to be older than she is. I've said ever since she was 5 that she's 5 going on 25.

Until next time...

Do You Know Your Vegetables?

2009-08-04T18:24:00.000-07:00

This post is lovingly dedicated to our daughter.

Lyndsey was finishing making dinner tonight.

She was making a salad and frying some zucchini to go with baked chicken.

We were at the dinner table enjoying our dinner. My husband says, "Lyndsey, the zucchini should be brown." It wasn't. It just looked transparent with no color change.

Lyndsey started laughing and said, "Tonight there is a special ingredient but I'm not telling what it is until all of you have tried it."

Tyler tried it and didn't like it. I tried it and thought it tasted ok. Walter tried it and he said it was fine. So we asked what the special ingredient was.

She said, "When I opened up the bag with the zucchini in it I didn't realize until it was cooking that I had actually cut up a cucumber instead. I tried to get it to brown but it wouldn't. This is as close as it got." She was laughing almost uncontrollably the whole time. She continued, "Well, how was I supposed to know the difference between the two. They look almost identical. Mom, you usually get the skinny ones. These ones are fat just like the cucumbers! It's not my fault."

This top picture is clearly a cucumber.

The bottom picture clearly is a zucchini.

While I realize they can look similar the two are unmistakably different.

Do you know your vegetables?

The Easy Bake Mobile

2009-07-27T15:50:00.001-07:00

We have owned our 1994 Chevy Astro van for almost 10 years now. We have lovingly referred to it as the "beast" for the last several years because it's so old and has had so many breakdowns. Well...the beast now has a new name.

"The Easy Bake Mobile"

Here in the deserts of So Cal we have had above average temps for the last 3 weeks. Sometimes it has reached into the 120s. Let me tell you, THOSE temps are incredibly hard to live with even in the air conditioning. Those wonderful air conditioners can only cool down a building or car so far. Needless to say, we have done our fair share of sweating around here lately!

On to the details behind this new name...

We had an appointment on Saturday afternoon. Walter and I were on our way to it when the whole ventilation system turned off for a few seconds. We looked at each other and said, "Oh no!" Then it kicked back on again. We shrugged it off because this van has so many quirks about it.

We took care of our appointment and left. We pull up to a gas station and smelled an electrical smell...not good. We get some gas and turn the engine back on. No ventilation system AT ALL! Nope, nadda, zilch!!!! It's 105 and very humid outside! Great...now what are we going to do!

We discussed our options (which weren't many) and decided the van is nothing but a money pit these days (the engine is just about ready to go out, the radiator is leaking, etc.). So we set out to buy another car (no brand new cars here...cannot afford new).

We went back to the same used car lot we dealt with about 5 years ago. We didn't really care what we got just as long as it didn't get worse gas mileage than the van and as long as the air conditioning worked really well. We sat in a Saturn (the compact car...the name escapes me right now). That was funny....we don't fit in a Saturn!

We then test drove a 1999 Buick Park Avenue. Nice car but the a/c didn't work well and the salesman admitted they'd had to put more freon in it that morning (BIG red flag). Not only did we see the red flag, but the salesman was very rude.

We asked him if he did car faxes to see if the vehicles have been wrecked. He said and I quote, "I'm not doin nothing!" Not a good start to a potential sale. We shrugged it off and got in the car. The salesman rode with us. I asked if he knew how many miles per gallon the car got. I thought he might know. He turned around and looked at me and said, "What difference does it make? 22, 17, 20, 18...doesn't matter. It's a big car! You're not going to get good mileage!" I was shocked! So I said, "Gee, all I did was ask a question." He said, "And you got an answer!" Are your eyebrows up at this moment reading this? Mine were! This guy definitely did NOT want to sell us a car! So I told Walter that as far as I was concerned he could just drive the car back to the lot because I wasn't interested in buying the car. This guy actually thought he was being cordial! I told him the sale was a bust because of his attitude. He said, "I don't have an attitude. I didn't say anything wrong." Walter said, "Yes, you do have an attitude. All she did was ask you a question and you bit her head off. You obviously don't sell many cars." We took the car back to the lot. This salesman told us, "You just missed out on the sale of the century." I told him, "No, we didn't miss out." We left and went down the street to the next lot.

There weren't any prices in the windows of any of the cars. So we went inside and started asking for any cars within a certain price range. We test drove 1 car and it ended up being the car we bought.

Can I tell you a secret? The car we bought was actually the one I had been wanting for a very long time. I've been praying for this particular model for many months, maybe even a couple of years.

But on Saturday, I really didn't care what we got. I was looking for anything, really.

So, do you want to know what we got?

We

got

a

2001 Buick LeSabre (fully loaded, I might add). Leather seats, great stereo, fabulous air conditioning, rear a/c, no road noise, smooth ride.

God is soooooooooo wonderful! He loves me. I can tell. I had dropped hints to Walter a long time ago that I would like to get another LeSabre some day but he didn't know that I had been praying for one (I've also been praying for another model of car as well, but that will have to wait for now). God gave me EXACTLY what I wanted. I shouldn't be amazed, but I still find myself in awe of Almighty God and how He works in our lives. He really takes care of His children. We are soooooo blessed.

So...the van is the "Easy Bake Mobile" because there is absolutely no air of any kind unless you roll down the windows and that air feels like a turned on oven!

Turning Up The Heat

2009-07-18T06:05:00.000-07:00

Whew! The temperatures are going up, up, up here!

Yesterday the temp was 119 degrees! Thursday it was at least that or more and we had to be out in it just about all day - yuck!

I have made the house like a cave just to try to keep it cool. We were able to keep the inside temp at 79 (that's very warm for us). We're used to about 73 inside. The swamp cooler is working its little 'heart' out day and night keeping us as cool as possible.

It seems this heat wave is going to last at least another 4 days. Ugh! I wish I could just stay home and not go outside whatsoever, but, that's just not practical. Oh, well. It's only for a few more days.

Life's Education

2009-07-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

I can remember when I graduated from high school thinking that finally my education was done and over with. Ha!!! Little did I know that I was just embarking on a life full of learning! But life's education is and has been very healthy for me. I have learned so much just from life. That said...

Ruby has been home a week now and we are so thankful.

She has put quite a bit of weight back on but she is not herself yet. She does have a couple of spots on her front feet that we are concerned about because she is limping but other than that she looks great. We will take her to the vet if those spots don't heal soon. We are anxious for her to get back to her old silly self again, but we wait patiently for that.

Last Tuesday night, we gathered as a family and went around to each one of us to find out what we learned from Ruby running away.

Tyler: He learned patience
Phyllip: He learned how to wait on God
Lyndsey: She learned not to take Ruby for granted - that we will always have her
Rhonda: I learned patience; my faith was strengthened at the EXACT moment I needed it! This taught me how BIG my God is!
Walter: He learned compassion. He said he didn't realize just how much of a friend Ruby had become to all of us until she ran away.

There are several miracles we see in this whole situation.

-The temperature outside had climbed to 110 and above for several days before Ruby came home. When she finally showed up on our doorstep, she was severely dehydrated, skin and bones, exhausted and very smelly/dirty. She would not have lasted much longer out in the heat.

-We put countless hours into finding her. We passed out hundreds of flyers, walked many miles, drove many miles, called for many hours for her, put ads on craigslist for her, looked several times a day at the animal shelters for her. None of it brought her back home. We finally decided that God would have to bring her home. Oh, how we prayed daily for her that she would be safe and that God would direct her back here. We just trusted...and prayed. It got harder and harder each day to believe she could still be alive knowing the area of the US we live in. I had prayed and begged God on Monday to strengthen my faith because I was feeling weak. I told Him I needed to see Him do something just for me. And do something He DID!!!

-From this situation I was able to get a glimpse of God's love for each and every person in this world. Just like we were looking for our lost dog and calling her, Jesus is calling each and every one of us and He wants to show us just how much He loves us and wants to care for us. He wants each one of us to live with Him in heaven for all eternity.

This small situation in our lives has given me a greater compassion for people and their eternal destination. I want to show the love of Jesus to each and every person I can. Lord Jesus, please help me to show others your love!

What Tyler Learned Yesterday

2009-07-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Did you know you can burn leaves and kill bugs with a magnifying glass on a hot day (115 degrees with no end in sight)!

Yesterday he burned leaves.

Today, he figured out how to kill ants and centipedes! Ewwww! If that's not bad enough, he came in and told me he was doing it and proceeded with sound effects. For instance, the ants will pop when they get hot enough. Yuck!

Looking at life through the eyes of a boy is very foreign to me. I grew up with one sister and didn't know the first thing about boys and their imaginations. They have taught me well! I shouldn't be surprised at the things they do, but they still amaze me even at their ages today.

____________

The other day, Phyllip had a few friends over to celebrate his birthday. We were on our way to church when the boys were talking about the price for the xbox 180 (it's the newest xbox - the first one was the xbox 360) being $180. Here's how the conversation went.

Tyler: Dad, did you know that the xbox 180 only costs $180?

Walter: Wow! That would mean you only get half of an xbox 360! That also means you get to pick which half of the game you get to play. You can pick the top half or the bottom half of the screen.

Kirk: Or the left side or the right side!

We all laughed at that one!

Boys! They keep me guessing all the time!

Home!

2009-07-07T14:07:00.000-07:00

RUBY IS HOME!!!!! And she was not at a shelter, either!

We were getting ready to take my nephew to the airport this morning and all of a sudden, she was on the doorstep!

She is very thin, tired, and dirty but we are so thankful to have her back. Praise the Lord!!!

Maybe, Possibly.....Yes????

2009-07-04T16:08:00.000-07:00

I was browsing the animal shelter websites today for Ruby.

We think we may have found her!!!! Notice that I said 'may.' The picture of this dog is not the greatest but when the kids all came and looked at it, they all said it was Ruby. I have a little reservation about whether or not it is her, though.

Unfortunately, the shelter is closed for the holiday and they don't reopen to the public until Tuesday.

I am asking if you would pray about this with us. I don't want to get my hopes up in case it really isn't her.

Thank you for your prayers.

A Post Full of Pictures

2009-06-28T15:55:00.000-07:00

This post is dedicated completely to my daughter. I suppose I could have done a slide show except for the fact that I don't know how to do it.

I've wanted to post these pictures for a very long time, but chose to wait until she graduated. They are her senior pictures - only a few out of the 300+ pictures we have.

This one is my personal favorite!

The BIG Day

2009-06-26T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here it is two weeks later and I'm just now getting around to posting about Lyndsey's BIG day.

She actually had a BIG weekend.

It started on Thursday, June 11. The kids and I had to leave early before everyone else because she had to be at rehearsal by 6 PM. Her graduation was not local. It was in northern Los Angeles. Since we homeschool, the independent study group we are with is based out there.

The display board of Lyndsey's life

a closer look at the pictures

We left beautiful (but cool for this time of year) 85 degree weather and headed into 55 degree (and overcast and cold) weather. We forgot our coats and just about froze our little tails off (just a minor exaggeration). At least it felt that way.

We stayed in a Marriott about 10 miles from where the graduation was held. Thanks to my brother-in-law, we got an awesome rate there.

As I was driving to the hotel on Thursday night I recognized a mall that I had been to several years ago. I told Lyndsey that we were going there the next day for makeovers.

After breakfast, Grandpa and Grandma and Lyndsey and I went to the mall. We went to the Bare Escentuals boutique and both got a makeover. The makeup artist did an AMAZING job! And the best part was it was free!

We had the pleasure of having a very leisurely afternoon. It felt great to have nothing pressing for the better part of the entire day.

We were treated to a small meal at the church for all the seniors and their immediate family members before the ceremony started. I wish I had been there right at the beginning. All the seniors were having professional pictures done as an entire class (there were 17 graduates). Lyndsey only brought one pair of nylons and they ended up having a run all the way up the leg. So.....Mom had to run around and find another pair for her - which wasn't the easiest thing to do because she HAD to have black. Tan would NOT do. Nosiree! By the time I got back, the pictures were done.

Some of the pictures before the ceremony.

But she did have a few minutes to herself and so we did our own pictures.

The ceremony was fabulous! I wish I had the money to purchase the dvd from the graduation! It was first class!

During the ceremony

Lyndsey was the most gorgeous girl on the stage (and I'm not being prejudiced, either - no, seriously! :)). She seemed far more calm than I expected. I did get choked up a couple of times during the ceremony, though (surprise, surprise).

After the ceremony, her attention was wanted by soooo many people. I hardly saw her except for the pictures I took of her. She definitely was beaming that night!

After the ceremony

Lyndsey with Ron and Sheryl Brown

Our pastor and his parents with the graduate

Lyndsey with Serena

Lyndsey with LeeAnn

Lyndsey with Cody (LeeAnn's brother) - also a graduate

Lyndsey with family friends - the Sundquist family

Last, but not least, the 3 Muskateers
Richard, Lyndsey, Eddie
Richard and Eddie graduated 2 weeks before Lyndsey
This is the last picture of the 3 of them before they all enter adulthood officially.

Sunday evening we had a reception for Lyndsey at our church. The girl made out like a bandit with graduation gifts! But it is all much needed since she's leaving for college in 2 months.

Her graduation cake

I have been so excited for my girl. This has been an event that I have looked forward to for her for so long. She just makes me so proud! I love that girl (turned young woman) so much! For days leading up to graduation I had been thinking about the day she was born and holding her in my arms for the first time. I remember thinking that 2009 was sooooo far off and I had an enormous amount of time to be with her. And now she starts a new phase in life.

All in all, it was better than I could have imagined. We are so proud of our little girl. She has grown into a beautiful young woman who loves the Lord and all she wants to do is to serve Him. We could not have asked for a better daughter!

A Small Request

2009-06-15T13:16:00.000-07:00

Update: As of Friday, June 19, we still haven't found Ruby. However, we did get 2 phone calls about her. We followed up on them and didn't get her, but are thankful that folks care enough to call. We continue to put flyers throughout the neighborhoods and have covered the laundromats, pet groomers, barber shops, and library. It is comforting to know that quite possibly she is still alive even after being gone for a week now. We were thinking that someone had her and either she wasn't wearing her collar with her id tag on it anymore or they just didn't care enough to call us.

We just have to keep waiting on the Lord for answers. For years, I have prayed for patience. This little trial is really testing my patience (hopefully growing it). Sometimes I find myself upset over this and wonder why patience is so difficult for me. Then other times it seems easy to wait out this whole thing. I KNOW that no matter the outcome of this, my God is still good, awesome, merciful, gracious, caring, compassionate, etc. and my family and I will continue to serve Him.

Ruby is a huge part of our family (we are BIG animal lovers) and I realize that some people don't understand why we are putting forth such effort to find her because she is just a dog. Ruby has been loyal and faithful to us and has always given 100% of herself to protect us and she's just an all around great dog. Very loving and obedient.

We have returned from a very big event in the life of our daughter (i.e. her high school graduation). More on that later.

Right now I would ask each of you who read this post to pray for our little dog, Ruby.

Lyndsey's graduation was not local for us. We had to drive for 2 hours to get to the church where it would be held. We had decided to make it a 3 day vacation. One hour before Lyndsey's graduation ceremony was to begin, we got a call from the people who were taking care of her that she had run away and they couldn't find her. We actually weren't worried about her at that time. We figured she would come home in a few minutes or by the next morning. We chose not to tell the kids until late that night about Ruby.

We decided Saturday morning that we better get home and look for her. We've been looking for her and others have been as well since to no avail. I've made up a poster and will be handing them out as soon as Walter gets home tonight. We've been through the neighborhood and beyond many times and just returned from about a 2 hour walk thru a different one with no luck.

The kids (Tyler in particular) are having a hard time with Ruby being gone. Tyler cried for hours on Saturday. We have put her in God's hands and have asked Him to take good care of her and to bring her home. Would you please pray with us for her? Thank you to all who do.

Do You Know Anyone Like This?

2009-06-05T22:28:00.000-07:00

Or are you like this?

Lyndsey and I were shopping tonight at the grocery store. We were in the produce section when the following scenario took place.

A older man and a woman (and apparently the man's dad, I think) were in the produce section just a few feet from us. Each of them had their own shopping cart (we thought it was odd that 3 people needed 3 carts).

The woman is looking at something. The man is over at the bagged salad section and he grabs a bag and proceeds to put it in his cart. The woman (I think his wife) sees what he got.

Woman: "No, you are not getting that! You put that back right now! You can't have that with your diet! You ruined your salad the other night with all that mayonnaise you put on it! Put it back right now!"

The man then puts the salad back.

Lyndsey and I are watching the whole thing and have BIG smiles on our faces because it was just plain funny. I happened to glance at the man's dad and he had a BIG smile on his face, too!

We go about our business and all of a sudden the woman starts talking really loud again.

Woman: "I told you to put that back! You can't have it!"

The man had just gone back to the bagged salad section and picked up the salad again and put it in his cart.

Man: "I win! I win! I win!"

I look up and the man and I look at each other. I couldn't help it! I was outright laughing at this whole thing! The man is smiling and softly chuckling.

I tried not to be so obvious, but you know how those things go! The woman sees me laughing and she taps me on the shoulder and says "You know how these things are! He just won't listen! And then he ruins his salad by putting a half cup of mayonnaise all over it!" I just laughed. She actually did have a smile on her face by this time (she wasn't smiling at the beginning of all this).

The man walks by me still smiling and saying, "I win! I win!"

The next and final time we see the man he's in the bulk candy section. I don't think that was the best place for him to be if he's on a special diet!

Do you know anyone like this? I can almost see this being a scenario that will play out with Walter and I when we are that age!