1. My uncle once had an awesome green Camaro it sparkled.
2. Never in my life have I been to Disney.
3. When I was five I had a really fun birthday party and my mom did everything and I love M&M Bingo to this day for it.
4. High school was meh.
5. I will never forget Mark’s transplant
6. Once I met Robert Townsend at a basketball game at my high school.
7. There’s this boy I know who is adorable, and looks like Nick Jonas. They both have diabetes.
8. Once, at a bar, I got in and was like 17 or something – and I didn’t even want to be there in the first place. Lame.
9. By noon, I will have consumed four cups of coffee.
10. Last night I went to bed before anyone.
11. If only I had paid more attention.
12. Next time I go to church I will be “extra” thankful.
13. What worries me most is that which I cannot control.
14. When I turn my head left I see a very messy kitchen.
15. When I turn my head right I see a very messy closet.
16. You know I’m lying when I can’t keep a straight face.
17. What I miss most about the Eighties is Reebok hightops.
18. If I were a character in Shakespeare I’d be … can I be Shakespeare?
19. By this time next year I hope that I have more answers.
20. A better name for me would be Rachel, apparently, people always tell me that or have called me it.
21. I have a hard time understanding numbers, math, the whole right side of the brain.
22. If I ever go back to school, I’ll study religion.
23. You know I like you if I tell you I do, or suggest we should spend more time together or get to know one another better. Why play games? Tell ‘em!
24. If I ever won an award, the first person I would thank would be God.
25. Take my advice, never my clothes.
26. My ideal breakfast is at a comfy restaurant.
27. A song I love but do not have is Jars of Clay “There is a River.”
28. If you visit my hometown, I suggest Kirchbaum’s!
29. Why won’t people believe.
30. If you spend a night at my house, you’ll sleep with a dog on your bed.
31. I’d stop my wedding for any emergency.
32. The world could do without just about anything that blows up (except fireworks!).
33. I’d rather lick the belly of a cockroach than eat a live octopus.
34. My favorite blondie is from Applebees. Yummmmm.
35. Paper clips are more useful than tape.
36. If I do anything well it’s “be there”.
37. I can’t help but I can listen.
38. I usually cry when I am just too overwhelmed and feeling depressed and have held it in just too long.
39. My advice to my nephew/niece is to read the Bible, everything you need to know is in there.
40. And by the way, it really doesn’t matter how much money you make, whether or not you have a degree or that you have everything big and great and beautiful. It matters that you make your life right with God. All you take with you is you character.
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Music. Show all posts
Friday, November 28, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Santa's Little Helper
It's hard to believe how fast time is flying. I am starting to think about how I am going to shop for Christmas gifts, wondering where all our Christmas decor might possibly be (Here? In storage?). I am getting anxious for Christmas music... do they have a station here like in Chicago that plays all Christmas music from Turkey Day to New Years? This will be our first Christmas away from IL. It's going to be strange, for sure. I am thinking positive that it will still be as meaningful, cozy and full of love that it always is. It's what the season is about, no matter where you are. Er, I am.
Even though in recent seasons Christmas has come to mean more to me than just cookie exchanges (though I love them!) and gingerbread lattes (okay, love those, too!), there is a fun tradition we (okay, I) began with the kids. I was introduced to this fun tradition in our neighborhood a few years back. Elves.
Yes, elves from the North Pole visit us from December 1st until Christmas Eve. In some homes, each child might have an elf assigned to them, or one elf might watch over all the children. These elves of course have a job while at the North Pole, and if/when they get their work done they can come and stay with your kids and report on their behavior to ol’ Mr. Kringle. Then on Christmas Eve when Santa delivers, he also picks up the elves and takes them home with him.
The elves do as much or as little as you like. North Pole Magic has done all the work for you, with their 25-day fun calendar and elf notes, kits, goodies, treats and more. We just up the naughty factor ‘round here. Our elves tend to get into a LOT of trouble at night while they are with us. They have TPed the bathroom, hung Dax’s underwear on the Christmas tree and rearranged the entire pantry. Now, they aren’t always naughty. These elves will play a game of Uno at night with the Barbies, or read ALL the books that were on the bookshelf. They bring a new DVD or special PJ’s for the kids. It all depends on how tired mom is. I mean ‘they’ are… the elves… How tired the elves are! The children have been sad to see them go many a year. The first year Remy cried for Delaney to stay. That's her elf's name. She is a horse-toy-maker. Dax’s elf, Spencer, is in charge of the car department at the North Pole!
I just hope that Remy is not too old this year. Both my kids still talk about Santa, so I think I might have another year or so until Remy has to keep mum for her brother. I want them to 'believe' for a while yet. Keep them young as long as we can. Keep that magic alive.
Take a trip to the North Pole Magic and see who can come visit your kids for the season. One of the women that own the company was a neighbor of mine in IL. She is a sweet, sweet gal that adores Christmas-time and she is so passionate about making this fun for the kids, and making a memory for the children to last the whole month through. Or throughout the years to come, even.
The kids in the old neighborhood already had elves. When our kids got them all the kids would play together with their elves. Kids even dressed like the elves for Halloween around there! I got my sister hooked, and her girls have them - imagine the fun when all the cousins get together! It's elfin madness! Grandpa got one when he retired too, because he was going to get into too much trouble with all that free time on his hands, so he needed someone to keep him in line and report to the Man in Red!
Unlike all the other holiday decorations, I have the elves, I know where they are and I am ready for their arrival. But what will they do next, this year? I can’t wait!
Even though in recent seasons Christmas has come to mean more to me than just cookie exchanges (though I love them!) and gingerbread lattes (okay, love those, too!), there is a fun tradition we (okay, I) began with the kids. I was introduced to this fun tradition in our neighborhood a few years back. Elves.
Yes, elves from the North Pole visit us from December 1st until Christmas Eve. In some homes, each child might have an elf assigned to them, or one elf might watch over all the children. These elves of course have a job while at the North Pole, and if/when they get their work done they can come and stay with your kids and report on their behavior to ol’ Mr. Kringle. Then on Christmas Eve when Santa delivers, he also picks up the elves and takes them home with him.
The elves do as much or as little as you like. North Pole Magic has done all the work for you, with their 25-day fun calendar and elf notes, kits, goodies, treats and more. We just up the naughty factor ‘round here. Our elves tend to get into a LOT of trouble at night while they are with us. They have TPed the bathroom, hung Dax’s underwear on the Christmas tree and rearranged the entire pantry. Now, they aren’t always naughty. These elves will play a game of Uno at night with the Barbies, or read ALL the books that were on the bookshelf. They bring a new DVD or special PJ’s for the kids. It all depends on how tired mom is. I mean ‘they’ are… the elves… How tired the elves are! The children have been sad to see them go many a year. The first year Remy cried for Delaney to stay. That's her elf's name. She is a horse-toy-maker. Dax’s elf, Spencer, is in charge of the car department at the North Pole!
I just hope that Remy is not too old this year. Both my kids still talk about Santa, so I think I might have another year or so until Remy has to keep mum for her brother. I want them to 'believe' for a while yet. Keep them young as long as we can. Keep that magic alive.
Take a trip to the North Pole Magic and see who can come visit your kids for the season. One of the women that own the company was a neighbor of mine in IL. She is a sweet, sweet gal that adores Christmas-time and she is so passionate about making this fun for the kids, and making a memory for the children to last the whole month through. Or throughout the years to come, even.
The kids in the old neighborhood already had elves. When our kids got them all the kids would play together with their elves. Kids even dressed like the elves for Halloween around there! I got my sister hooked, and her girls have them - imagine the fun when all the cousins get together! It's elfin madness! Grandpa got one when he retired too, because he was going to get into too much trouble with all that free time on his hands, so he needed someone to keep him in line and report to the Man in Red!
Unlike all the other holiday decorations, I have the elves, I know where they are and I am ready for their arrival. But what will they do next, this year? I can’t wait!
Monday, August 25, 2008
Say goodnight
Again with the lyrics... but JoBros said it man - Hold on tight, It's a roller coaster ride we're on, So say goodbye 'cause I won't be back again, Up and down, You're all around, Say goodnight and goodbye.
There has been so much going on and I have wanted to post for a couple weeks. When I try to put it all together all I can think is to randomly list what I can of it all...
Remy has been having high blood sugars. I am not overly concerned. I assume she is growing.
Mark has been having low blood sugars. Ugh, I hate this. It reminds me of the days when we were dating and he would get low. It scares me. His transplant just can't go bad. It can't.
Mark recently had his A1c done, and it was high - 8.9
Remy's last A1c came down since her last one, 8.4 from 8.9
I am worried that Remy's is still going to be high when we go in this week to see the endocrinologist.
I worry about Mark, that with his blood sugars going so high and so low, he's going to end up back on a pump.
My folks came out to visit us a week or so ago. They went and looked at some houses while they were here.
None of them were in the exact town that we live in. There are some great houses that would be perfect for them!
The house in Illinois. I don't know if I even want to talk about it. But you wouldn't even believe some of the things that have been going on. The play area in the basement has a shelf with a rod attached to it for the dress up clothes. My folks found it on the floor of the playroom, completely ripped out of the wall. All the things that were on it were strewn all over the room. There was a toilet completely, how shall I say... "full" and clogged. The whole house smelled of it, I guess. One of the blue stone stepping stones from the back yard was stolen. Someone keeps smoking on the back deck. There were muddy footprints on the pool cover. One time when my folks stopped at the house to check on things, the neighbor took the liberty to let his party guests' children use our swing set. The kicker was this last week though. My mom went back to the house to take care of the toilets. They get so gross just sitting there. Molding. The first toilet she went to was in the Master Bath Room on the first floor. Inside the toilet was a squirrel. Yeah, dead. I'll let you take that in for a minute. How does that even happen? Someone had to put it there. Seriously.
This past weekend was a nightmare with an Open House at the IL house. I won't get into it in detail. I'll just say there is some kind of egotistical battle between our realtor, her husband and my parents. Ugh. Enough already!
It just goes to show me that I come from a long line of crazy people. (It makes me fear for my kids. What have I done passing down my DNA to them?) I can't understand these situations that God keeps presenting me with. After this weekend, I honestly didn't know what to do. I just wanted to curl up in the fetal position and remain there for a good long while.
The hardest part of the whole event was the fact that Mark got this voicemail from our realtor after we had this great morning. Mark and Remy went to the lab, first thing in the morning and Remy did great getting her blood drawn. She said it really didn't hurt. Then both kids went right in to Children on the Move at church - gladly! The sermon series has been about parenting and very timely. After church they had an info session on a Dave Ramsey series that the church is doing for thirteen weeks. Also, there was a new friend of mine there, that I know from the neighborhood and her daughter and Remy are in the same class this coming year and they also have a son the same age as Dax... long story short, she and Mark graduated high school together! We were meant to be here!
So when all this happened after a great morning... I crashed. Surprisingly, I didn't cry. I felt stronger than that. But, I felt like I just don't know what to do anymore. It's an awful feeling.
Regarding the house. The house has been on the market since the end of March. Early April? We started out listed at 648,000. It is now listed at 599,000. We owe that much in mortgages. That leaves nothing for the realtor, taxes, lawyers, stamps, yada yada yada. We are doing a short sale. Which means any offer that is made goes to the mortgage company to approve. We have nothing to do with it. The offers we have received are 425,000 and the latest is 465,000. But we hear nothing from the bank. There is no follow through, follow up, or communication. An appraiser from the bank was supposedly out at the house. There is no record of it, no one knows anything. Anything we fax (with confirmation of it going through) they say they have never received. Mark spends his days and nights on hold with Chase for either our first, or our second, or the realtor, or the attorney, or the attorney for Chase. (He now calls daily, seriously) No one knows anything. No one has anything. Mark was on hold again tonight and after getting transferred for the umpteenth time, he gets to the person’s voice-mail box, it says, "There is not enough memory for this mailbox. Good bye." Mark says, "You got that right!"
Oh, and the date has been moved up for the auction on the house if it doesn't sell. It was originally going to be auctioned in February. Now it is December 20-something. Merry Christmas! Someone can get a great deal on a house from the bank for Christmas!
We are getting every last thing out of the house this weekend when we are in town. We didn't plan on this. We are getting a storage in IL. I would have rather brought everything up here, so I felt like I actually "had" it. We have no money to rent a trailer. We have no money to rent the storage. We have no money. Period.
Thank the Lord for Mark's office manager at work. She understands our situation, and gives Mark an advance on his paycheck. It doesn't last long, as we buy groceries and meds with it. Or gas for our cars. It makes no sense how fast it's gone. When do those financial classes at church start? Not soon enough!
Kids are still home this week. School starts after the holiday. They are excited to go back to IL for the weekend.
Before we leave, the kids have "Sneak Peek" at school. They drop off supplies and meet their teachers.
I have a feeling this year is going to be a good one. Well, as far as school goes!
So, I had this group interview, for a retail job. I filled out all the paperwork after the interview to get hired. I know they called one of my references. But I have not heard anything else. I was hoping it would all be moving right along... they do orientation that takes a few nights to complete. They also require drug testing before hire. Maybe nothing will happen until after the holiday. I am excited to get out and work and have money to contribute to things we need, like food. medicine. heat. I don't look forward to retail, drama, and hawking the store credit card. But the store discount is sweet.
Work is good for Mark. Thank God for that. Humbly, I really, really thank God for that. It is going well, he seems to like it there and I am thankful it brought us here.
My life couldn't be stranger... even if it were fiction.
Now go watch some Ace of Cakes. Duff can make anything awesome. Out of Cake. Yummmmmm.
There has been so much going on and I have wanted to post for a couple weeks. When I try to put it all together all I can think is to randomly list what I can of it all...
Remy has been having high blood sugars. I am not overly concerned. I assume she is growing.
Mark has been having low blood sugars. Ugh, I hate this. It reminds me of the days when we were dating and he would get low. It scares me. His transplant just can't go bad. It can't.
Mark recently had his A1c done, and it was high - 8.9
Remy's last A1c came down since her last one, 8.4 from 8.9
I am worried that Remy's is still going to be high when we go in this week to see the endocrinologist.
I worry about Mark, that with his blood sugars going so high and so low, he's going to end up back on a pump.
My folks came out to visit us a week or so ago. They went and looked at some houses while they were here.
None of them were in the exact town that we live in. There are some great houses that would be perfect for them!
The house in Illinois. I don't know if I even want to talk about it. But you wouldn't even believe some of the things that have been going on. The play area in the basement has a shelf with a rod attached to it for the dress up clothes. My folks found it on the floor of the playroom, completely ripped out of the wall. All the things that were on it were strewn all over the room. There was a toilet completely, how shall I say... "full" and clogged. The whole house smelled of it, I guess. One of the blue stone stepping stones from the back yard was stolen. Someone keeps smoking on the back deck. There were muddy footprints on the pool cover. One time when my folks stopped at the house to check on things, the neighbor took the liberty to let his party guests' children use our swing set. The kicker was this last week though. My mom went back to the house to take care of the toilets. They get so gross just sitting there. Molding. The first toilet she went to was in the Master Bath Room on the first floor. Inside the toilet was a squirrel. Yeah, dead. I'll let you take that in for a minute. How does that even happen? Someone had to put it there. Seriously.
This past weekend was a nightmare with an Open House at the IL house. I won't get into it in detail. I'll just say there is some kind of egotistical battle between our realtor, her husband and my parents. Ugh. Enough already!
It just goes to show me that I come from a long line of crazy people. (It makes me fear for my kids. What have I done passing down my DNA to them?) I can't understand these situations that God keeps presenting me with. After this weekend, I honestly didn't know what to do. I just wanted to curl up in the fetal position and remain there for a good long while.
The hardest part of the whole event was the fact that Mark got this voicemail from our realtor after we had this great morning. Mark and Remy went to the lab, first thing in the morning and Remy did great getting her blood drawn. She said it really didn't hurt. Then both kids went right in to Children on the Move at church - gladly! The sermon series has been about parenting and very timely. After church they had an info session on a Dave Ramsey series that the church is doing for thirteen weeks. Also, there was a new friend of mine there, that I know from the neighborhood and her daughter and Remy are in the same class this coming year and they also have a son the same age as Dax... long story short, she and Mark graduated high school together! We were meant to be here!
So when all this happened after a great morning... I crashed. Surprisingly, I didn't cry. I felt stronger than that. But, I felt like I just don't know what to do anymore. It's an awful feeling.
Regarding the house. The house has been on the market since the end of March. Early April? We started out listed at 648,000. It is now listed at 599,000. We owe that much in mortgages. That leaves nothing for the realtor, taxes, lawyers, stamps, yada yada yada. We are doing a short sale. Which means any offer that is made goes to the mortgage company to approve. We have nothing to do with it. The offers we have received are 425,000 and the latest is 465,000. But we hear nothing from the bank. There is no follow through, follow up, or communication. An appraiser from the bank was supposedly out at the house. There is no record of it, no one knows anything. Anything we fax (with confirmation of it going through) they say they have never received. Mark spends his days and nights on hold with Chase for either our first, or our second, or the realtor, or the attorney, or the attorney for Chase. (He now calls daily, seriously) No one knows anything. No one has anything. Mark was on hold again tonight and after getting transferred for the umpteenth time, he gets to the person’s voice-mail box, it says, "There is not enough memory for this mailbox. Good bye." Mark says, "You got that right!"
Oh, and the date has been moved up for the auction on the house if it doesn't sell. It was originally going to be auctioned in February. Now it is December 20-something. Merry Christmas! Someone can get a great deal on a house from the bank for Christmas!
We are getting every last thing out of the house this weekend when we are in town. We didn't plan on this. We are getting a storage in IL. I would have rather brought everything up here, so I felt like I actually "had" it. We have no money to rent a trailer. We have no money to rent the storage. We have no money. Period.
Thank the Lord for Mark's office manager at work. She understands our situation, and gives Mark an advance on his paycheck. It doesn't last long, as we buy groceries and meds with it. Or gas for our cars. It makes no sense how fast it's gone. When do those financial classes at church start? Not soon enough!
Kids are still home this week. School starts after the holiday. They are excited to go back to IL for the weekend.
Before we leave, the kids have "Sneak Peek" at school. They drop off supplies and meet their teachers.
I have a feeling this year is going to be a good one. Well, as far as school goes!
So, I had this group interview, for a retail job. I filled out all the paperwork after the interview to get hired. I know they called one of my references. But I have not heard anything else. I was hoping it would all be moving right along... they do orientation that takes a few nights to complete. They also require drug testing before hire. Maybe nothing will happen until after the holiday. I am excited to get out and work and have money to contribute to things we need, like food. medicine. heat. I don't look forward to retail, drama, and hawking the store credit card. But the store discount is sweet.
Work is good for Mark. Thank God for that. Humbly, I really, really thank God for that. It is going well, he seems to like it there and I am thankful it brought us here.
My life couldn't be stranger... even if it were fiction.
Now go watch some Ace of Cakes. Duff can make anything awesome. Out of Cake. Yummmmmm.
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Fireproof
This looks incredible! Be sure to watch the trailer and the music videos. Looks to be a powerful message through film.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
He is in this place.
Mark's been working on his witness for his CRHP (pronounced 'chirp', google it) weekend. I am so proud of him. He dragged his feet about going (I thought it was because I wanted him to go). Mark was just not ready for it. God knew what He was doing. So, that first year he signed up and a few days before the renewal weekend he backed out. Then, that fall I went to Women's CRHP. The following spring he went. It was best that he didn't go that first year, as there was a certain witness he needed to hear when he did. I think it was the one that changed him forever. This year, Mark is a witnesser. So much of our lives changed for each of us with that one weekend. It's what brought us here.
So, tonight I was helping Mark pick out his songs for before and after his witness. They are perfect - Hold Fast by MercyMe and Song of Hope by Robbie Seay Band. He really picked them, there were a few others, so we read the lyrics and listened to the songs together, and these two are like I said... perfect...
After the kids went to bed, Mark hit the computer again to work on his presentation. I took the dogs out one last time for the night. It's pretty amazing here (to me). The moon shone so bright, just that little sliver of it that there was. The stars, so many stars, winking back at me. I, personally, like the constant hum from the factory across the street. (A lot of people say it takes some getting used to. I like white noise, so I don't even notice it. I notice when I don't hear it!) As I took it all in, it just hit me. This was a moment with God, and I began talking with Him. I didn't even notice I was bawling. The dog jumped up to me and "hugged" me, she freaks when anyone is crying. But, I was okay. It's okay. I am finally beginning to be, just... me. I think I am happy, for once, in my skin. My husband and my children, the way we are together here is unlike before. Better. So much better. He is in this place, here with me. With us.
This is probably the second time in my life that I felt Jesus' presence. Have you ever felt Him with you? I'm not talking about a sign from God. Those can be misinterpreted, I think. You look into anything hard enough and you can make it mean whatever you want. I mean His presence. It wasn't that long ago, the first time I did. My CRHP group was doing a form of meditative prayer. As I sat in a dark room with only the sound of others' breathing, my palms up, repeating "Peaceful Counselor" over and over silently in my head, I felt Jesus. I actually felt Jesus. It was as if he was resting on me, leaning on me. As if to let me know I was finally "getting it". It may sound crazy. To me, I felt blessed. I was at peace. I felt so alive when I walked out of that room that night.
Tonight wasn't so much like that. But I surely felt His presence. I know that it is by God's grace we are even here. This move is what is meant to be. (We don't know how long that will last, but for now it is. God will let us know the truth.) I am only human, so I still worry what will happen to us next, or how we will be tested for His Glory. But then I think that it's all God's plan and it is for our good, and not harm (Jer. 29:11). Then, I know it's all going to be okay. Sometimes that only lasts a moment. So, I have to pray again. Again. And again.
I have not read or heard Mark's witness. Mark said he will do his practice presentation for me. I feel so proud and honored to hear it. I know Mark has quite a story to tell. It will tell of his childhood, his transplant, and pretty sure our marriage. I am certain, though, it will be more about his relationship with Jesus, past and present, and the dark times in between Mark was in disguise as a true follower. I think I will see my husband, quite possibly, for the first time. His hope is to make a difference for one person, as one made the difference for him that weekend a year ago. I pray for all the men attending this renewal weekend that this is true.
So, tonight I was helping Mark pick out his songs for before and after his witness. They are perfect - Hold Fast by MercyMe and Song of Hope by Robbie Seay Band. He really picked them, there were a few others, so we read the lyrics and listened to the songs together, and these two are like I said... perfect...
After the kids went to bed, Mark hit the computer again to work on his presentation. I took the dogs out one last time for the night. It's pretty amazing here (to me). The moon shone so bright, just that little sliver of it that there was. The stars, so many stars, winking back at me. I, personally, like the constant hum from the factory across the street. (A lot of people say it takes some getting used to. I like white noise, so I don't even notice it. I notice when I don't hear it!) As I took it all in, it just hit me. This was a moment with God, and I began talking with Him. I didn't even notice I was bawling. The dog jumped up to me and "hugged" me, she freaks when anyone is crying. But, I was okay. It's okay. I am finally beginning to be, just... me. I think I am happy, for once, in my skin. My husband and my children, the way we are together here is unlike before. Better. So much better. He is in this place, here with me. With us.
This is probably the second time in my life that I felt Jesus' presence. Have you ever felt Him with you? I'm not talking about a sign from God. Those can be misinterpreted, I think. You look into anything hard enough and you can make it mean whatever you want. I mean His presence. It wasn't that long ago, the first time I did. My CRHP group was doing a form of meditative prayer. As I sat in a dark room with only the sound of others' breathing, my palms up, repeating "Peaceful Counselor" over and over silently in my head, I felt Jesus. I actually felt Jesus. It was as if he was resting on me, leaning on me. As if to let me know I was finally "getting it". It may sound crazy. To me, I felt blessed. I was at peace. I felt so alive when I walked out of that room that night.
Tonight wasn't so much like that. But I surely felt His presence. I know that it is by God's grace we are even here. This move is what is meant to be. (We don't know how long that will last, but for now it is. God will let us know the truth.) I am only human, so I still worry what will happen to us next, or how we will be tested for His Glory. But then I think that it's all God's plan and it is for our good, and not harm (Jer. 29:11). Then, I know it's all going to be okay. Sometimes that only lasts a moment. So, I have to pray again. Again. And again.
I have not read or heard Mark's witness. Mark said he will do his practice presentation for me. I feel so proud and honored to hear it. I know Mark has quite a story to tell. It will tell of his childhood, his transplant, and pretty sure our marriage. I am certain, though, it will be more about his relationship with Jesus, past and present, and the dark times in between Mark was in disguise as a true follower. I think I will see my husband, quite possibly, for the first time. His hope is to make a difference for one person, as one made the difference for him that weekend a year ago. I pray for all the men attending this renewal weekend that this is true.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
33 Miles
We physically moved a many a more mile than 33. More like over one hundred or so. 33 Miles is a favorite Christian group of mine. Where am I going with this? To better understand, take it from the band’s MySpace page, “their name, [is] a simple metaphor for the 33 years that Christ spent on Earth, and how He lived them. “He was a friend to the friendless, He loved the unlovable, and He gave of Himself selflessly by dying on the cross in our place so that we could live forever,” Jason explains. “We want to follow Christ. We want our ‘Miles’ to have purpose and meaning and to make a difference for the Kingdom of God. We aren't promised a certain number of miles, so what are we going to do with the "Miles" that we are given?”
I truly feel that this move is the beginning of my “miles” that are going to count. Not that my previous years’ “mileage” hasn’t. When I started this blog, it was the eve of my thirtieth birthday. So much was happening. I was changing. I was beginning a relationship with Christ. I found it of significant meaning that I was coming into Christ at the supposed age Jesus was baptized. Luke 3: 23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph… I have read that in order for Christ to begin His ministry, first he most likely had to be washed with water – baptized, and anointed with oil. Since my thirtieth birthday I have a new appreciation for my own baptism, and I have submersed myself in the Word. And I have never looked back. The reason I bring this up, is that this May, I turn 33. And funny, look where we are.
When the opportunity came up for our family to make this move, I laughed at Mark and said %*!# no! Then, I opened my heart. I also Googled. And what do you know – my thoughts changed. We were moving! This was a complete act of God, and we have completely followed His lead. Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
It’s hard to believe that a week ago I was driving up here with Angel (again, her name, the irony), our lab mix, and a truck filled to the gills with all of our belongings. It’s a good feeling to be here. It is surreal to be here. I have arrived!
What a week it was. The kids started school straight away last Monday. It was brutal. School starts an hour earlier here than in Illinois. Seeing as we didn’t get the trailer unloaded and dinner on the table until after nine at night, getting up at 6ish was quite a feat. Amazingly, and with excitement, they did it! We were very unprepared though. We couldn’t find the Ziploc bags for lunches and snacks. We ended up sending the kids without anything for snack at all! I felt like the total deadbeat mother. Luckily, the school gave them back-up snacks. We were to report to the school office by a quarter to eight. We arrived at about 8:00 am. I got to take the kids to their classrooms and get them all settled. It was great to see the classmates so excited to meet their new friend! As we walked to their classes they announced the arrival of Remy and Dax, and the kids got to hear their names on the loud speaker. Neat. I met with the school nurse then, and went over all of Remy’s diabetic needs. The school nurse has a son in the same class as Remy, whom also has diabetes. I wasn’t too worried about leaving either child that day. If anything, I knew it would be fun and different for them. However, my little guy was going from a 2 hour 45 minute Kindergarten day, to a 7 hour 15 minute day and lunch at school, to boot. He loved it. Well, the first day a girl did share her cookie with him. I was more worried that when I got home to the empty house, I was going to finally break down. I had been holding things together pretty well thus far. And I was fine. I had so much to do, I couldn’t think about being depressed. I did find the Ziplocs though!
By Tuesday, both kids were getting hot lunch. Dax was like an old pro at it! Remy announced she had a new total BFF. The kids have enjoyed gym, music, art, Spanish and library time. The author of “Frankie, the Walk n’ Roll Dog” came to talk with the kids. Frankie, her dog and inspiration for the book, came along! The kids loved it; Dax even got a lick on the cheek from Frankie. Both kids got a copy of the book, signed and paw-tographed to them. Friday, Dax got to bring home the class chicken, named Checkers. We need to show Checkers a good time this coming week, but I think we could stand to have him show us around a bit! This week also means that Dax is the Star Student and gets to do all kinds of fun things and help his classmates get to know him better.
Over the weekend, Dax learned to ride his bike without training wheels! Mark and the kids went down to the trail along the ravine that has a winding path with stone bridges that cross over the little creek. We ate at a great little drive in (which I learned of in Checkers’ journal!) and had shakes and got groceries at the Piggly Wiggly. The weather had the neighbors outside on Sunday and we got to know each on either side of us better (their canine companions, as well). We live next door to Candice. Is that crazy or what? At least I can remember that!
Friday after school on the walk home, the kids did ask if we could go back to Illinois to visit Grandma and Grandpa for the weekend. They miss them and the constant contact. Already. There were quite a few phone calls last week to report on school, lost teeth (Remy on Tuesday) and riding without training wheels (Dax called on the spot with Dad’s cell phone. I have pictures of the phone call to go in the scrapbook along with Dax on the bike)!
Like I said, I have been waiting for reality to hit and the depression to set in. It’s surprisingly been at bay. What with unpacking all week, and having the house to myself, I haven’t had to worry about anything outside our four walls. Saturday felt more ‘weird’. We were out running errands and driving around. I was removed from my element, my comfort zone. Naturally, I started to get that “what if we made a mistake,” “Did we do the right thing?” feeling. I then realize it’s the chemical imbalance talking loud and clear, and what I need to be doing is listening for God’s whisper. If I worry, I am not trusting God. I have to pray, unceasingly, and just have FAITH. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Now, I know you are asking the burning question (but, remember this is my blog)… Mark is doing great at his new job. He is bringing organization and refreshing changes with him to the department. He deals with issues that the previous manager simply wouldn’t do. Mark has shown others how to do things the previous manager told them was not even possible. More importantly, he is building friendships. For all involved, things are good.
The neighborhood is reminiscent to me of the town I grew up in. Unique brick houses, with stucco and color and great old limestone churches. The Kohler clock tower chimes the hour! There is so much charm here. The houses have... personality! We walk the two blocks to school and can ride our bikes pretty much anywhere. The classrooms in the school even look like my old elementary school rooms. The community pool is the summer hangout. That was a favorite of mine as a kid. I look forward to making our roots here, and for the kids to have the small town life we hoped for them. It is nice to have the comforts of Big Box stores and trust me, I NEED my drive-thru Starbucks (By the way, THANK YOU Fran!). But I like to think the kids can have that small town life in modern times. We truly do want the ‘miles’ ahead of us to have purpose and meaning. This path, a new journey, an adventure. Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
I truly feel that this move is the beginning of my “miles” that are going to count. Not that my previous years’ “mileage” hasn’t. When I started this blog, it was the eve of my thirtieth birthday. So much was happening. I was changing. I was beginning a relationship with Christ. I found it of significant meaning that I was coming into Christ at the supposed age Jesus was baptized. Luke 3: 23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph… I have read that in order for Christ to begin His ministry, first he most likely had to be washed with water – baptized, and anointed with oil. Since my thirtieth birthday I have a new appreciation for my own baptism, and I have submersed myself in the Word. And I have never looked back. The reason I bring this up, is that this May, I turn 33. And funny, look where we are.
When the opportunity came up for our family to make this move, I laughed at Mark and said %*!# no! Then, I opened my heart. I also Googled. And what do you know – my thoughts changed. We were moving! This was a complete act of God, and we have completely followed His lead. Proverbs 3: 5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
It’s hard to believe that a week ago I was driving up here with Angel (again, her name, the irony), our lab mix, and a truck filled to the gills with all of our belongings. It’s a good feeling to be here. It is surreal to be here. I have arrived!
What a week it was. The kids started school straight away last Monday. It was brutal. School starts an hour earlier here than in Illinois. Seeing as we didn’t get the trailer unloaded and dinner on the table until after nine at night, getting up at 6ish was quite a feat. Amazingly, and with excitement, they did it! We were very unprepared though. We couldn’t find the Ziploc bags for lunches and snacks. We ended up sending the kids without anything for snack at all! I felt like the total deadbeat mother. Luckily, the school gave them back-up snacks. We were to report to the school office by a quarter to eight. We arrived at about 8:00 am. I got to take the kids to their classrooms and get them all settled. It was great to see the classmates so excited to meet their new friend! As we walked to their classes they announced the arrival of Remy and Dax, and the kids got to hear their names on the loud speaker. Neat. I met with the school nurse then, and went over all of Remy’s diabetic needs. The school nurse has a son in the same class as Remy, whom also has diabetes. I wasn’t too worried about leaving either child that day. If anything, I knew it would be fun and different for them. However, my little guy was going from a 2 hour 45 minute Kindergarten day, to a 7 hour 15 minute day and lunch at school, to boot. He loved it. Well, the first day a girl did share her cookie with him. I was more worried that when I got home to the empty house, I was going to finally break down. I had been holding things together pretty well thus far. And I was fine. I had so much to do, I couldn’t think about being depressed. I did find the Ziplocs though!
By Tuesday, both kids were getting hot lunch. Dax was like an old pro at it! Remy announced she had a new total BFF. The kids have enjoyed gym, music, art, Spanish and library time. The author of “Frankie, the Walk n’ Roll Dog” came to talk with the kids. Frankie, her dog and inspiration for the book, came along! The kids loved it; Dax even got a lick on the cheek from Frankie. Both kids got a copy of the book, signed and paw-tographed to them. Friday, Dax got to bring home the class chicken, named Checkers. We need to show Checkers a good time this coming week, but I think we could stand to have him show us around a bit! This week also means that Dax is the Star Student and gets to do all kinds of fun things and help his classmates get to know him better.
Over the weekend, Dax learned to ride his bike without training wheels! Mark and the kids went down to the trail along the ravine that has a winding path with stone bridges that cross over the little creek. We ate at a great little drive in (which I learned of in Checkers’ journal!) and had shakes and got groceries at the Piggly Wiggly. The weather had the neighbors outside on Sunday and we got to know each on either side of us better (their canine companions, as well). We live next door to Candice. Is that crazy or what? At least I can remember that!
Friday after school on the walk home, the kids did ask if we could go back to Illinois to visit Grandma and Grandpa for the weekend. They miss them and the constant contact. Already. There were quite a few phone calls last week to report on school, lost teeth (Remy on Tuesday) and riding without training wheels (Dax called on the spot with Dad’s cell phone. I have pictures of the phone call to go in the scrapbook along with Dax on the bike)!
Like I said, I have been waiting for reality to hit and the depression to set in. It’s surprisingly been at bay. What with unpacking all week, and having the house to myself, I haven’t had to worry about anything outside our four walls. Saturday felt more ‘weird’. We were out running errands and driving around. I was removed from my element, my comfort zone. Naturally, I started to get that “what if we made a mistake,” “Did we do the right thing?” feeling. I then realize it’s the chemical imbalance talking loud and clear, and what I need to be doing is listening for God’s whisper. If I worry, I am not trusting God. I have to pray, unceasingly, and just have FAITH. Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.
Now, I know you are asking the burning question (but, remember this is my blog)… Mark is doing great at his new job. He is bringing organization and refreshing changes with him to the department. He deals with issues that the previous manager simply wouldn’t do. Mark has shown others how to do things the previous manager told them was not even possible. More importantly, he is building friendships. For all involved, things are good.
The neighborhood is reminiscent to me of the town I grew up in. Unique brick houses, with stucco and color and great old limestone churches. The Kohler clock tower chimes the hour! There is so much charm here. The houses have... personality! We walk the two blocks to school and can ride our bikes pretty much anywhere. The classrooms in the school even look like my old elementary school rooms. The community pool is the summer hangout. That was a favorite of mine as a kid. I look forward to making our roots here, and for the kids to have the small town life we hoped for them. It is nice to have the comforts of Big Box stores and trust me, I NEED my drive-thru Starbucks (By the way, THANK YOU Fran!). But I like to think the kids can have that small town life in modern times. We truly do want the ‘miles’ ahead of us to have purpose and meaning. This path, a new journey, an adventure. Isaiah 30:21 Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
Friday, August 31, 2007
It's just a jump to the left. And then a step to the right.
With your hands on your hips... Name that tune?
Check. Check one. Two. Is this thing on? Hi. It's me. I'm here. I'm back. I'm alive. I was gone. But I came back. I did. Did you even miss me? Did you give up all hope? I can't archive all my old entries. A lot has happened since I started this crazy thing, called blog. Are you new here? Are you my blog stalker? You know who you are... are you still with me? Are you a lurker? Do you check all the time to see if I have posted a new entry? Then leave a comment! No lurking for you! Okay, that latte I had is making me loopy. Until next time... Same bat-time. Same bat-channel.
Let's do the time-warp again...
Check. Check one. Two. Is this thing on? Hi. It's me. I'm here. I'm back. I'm alive. I was gone. But I came back. I did. Did you even miss me? Did you give up all hope? I can't archive all my old entries. A lot has happened since I started this crazy thing, called blog. Are you new here? Are you my blog stalker? You know who you are... are you still with me? Are you a lurker? Do you check all the time to see if I have posted a new entry? Then leave a comment! No lurking for you! Okay, that latte I had is making me loopy. Until next time... Same bat-time. Same bat-channel.
Let's do the time-warp again...
Wednesday, April 27, 2005
Well it’s no wonder the man is retiring
I read that after the next Tour de France Lance Armstrong is retiring. Well, after tonight’s Cardio Cycling class at the Y, I can see why! My word, it was so hard! I can’t stand and pedal (known as second position) or do third position either which is like leaning over the bike. Holy smokes, I had two six-pound babies with no epidural and it was less painful than sitting on that spin bike seat. I even had the add-on cushy seat thing! I’ll tell ya, I am going to be sore tomorrow. I can’t believe that when he had cancer and things swelled on him that he just kept movin' on! You know what I am talking about right, you all watch Oprah, don’t you? They talked about it. I don’t want to talk about it. But one thing is for sure; I am ordering a Live Strong band ASAP. I don’t have one. I have a green Donate Life and a purple Live Well (National Kidney Foundation for kidney health awareness) but I hadn’t been quick to get the Live Strong one. Well, I’m gettin' one. I’m also going to dive into the book that he wrote that my friend Amy let me borrow. Now I am intrigued. All from one little bike ride. I came in the house and said to Mark, ”That was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.” He says to me, “What? Ride a bike?” Mark won’t be doing much of anything but watching movies and eating bon bons here in the next week. He’s getting his hernia(s) repaired down at Northwestern. I am kind of freaking out about it, but trying to stay relatively calm. I know that things won’t be as hectic as they were when he had his transplant. But the same transplant surgeon that did the kidney-pancreas will do this procedure, as well. That’s good. It’s also like an hour and half surgery instead of eight. Still, it’s scary and just well, okay, scary. So, I’ll be even more nuts than I have been this week. I am so distracted. I seriously am just not together. I realized it when I took Remy to school today. But man, I don’t know what it is. (The full moon?) Maybe Mark’s surgery is a subconscious worry. This also just happens to be the busiest time of year in general for me. But if I wasn’t this busy, I would be miserable. I have to be busy, it’s just something about me. My kids are well on their way. They don’t seem to be happy lately unless they are miserable. It saddens be greatly. Remy had picked out an outfit that totally didn’t match and I said okay to it. It’s a battle I am trying not to pick anymore. But, even after saying yes (did she think I would say no?), she still was upset and went on to pick something even more mismatched. She was upset with me about having to wear long sleeves so she just went way over the top on this one. But, it all got straightened out and she went to school looking lovely. When Remy went to bed I sat with her for a bit, and Taffy was lying in there with us. I love to see how much she likes having a dog. She had her arm wrapped around her and would stroke her fur now and again. It was sweet. Then, you could tell it kind of bugged her. Taffy was kind of laying on her legs on top the blankets. Remy tried moving a bit and couldn’t. As we laid there listening to the Playhouse Disney CD, the Great Big Book of Everything song from Stanley came on. There’s this part in the song with kazoos that reminds me of Sixteen Candles! That made me think of teen movies, which I still love. I think Clueless is one of my favorite movies. I loved Felicity and 90210 when that was all on TV, too. Speaking of ages ago, they had great tunes in this Cardio Cycling class tonight. I’d like to be able to get the “Y” soundtrack. It was a great mix of Beastie Boys and Red Hot Chili Peppers with some Green Day and Kelly Clarkson mixed in. Yes, you read that right. This chick that’s never watched American Idol likes Kelly Clarkson. My niece would be so proud! I want to start making my own CD’s to play in the car. When the weather gets nice I love blasting the tunes with the windows down. Yeah, I still think I’m, like, 18. I must look so cool in my SUV... with the carseats in back. I am a total dork. And, how many places do I really go by myself. Yeah, that’s me in the grocery store parking lot, jammin’. Getting back, it must take a lot of time to do though, compile all the songs you like. How do people do it for iPods and stuff? I am so not there yet. I looked at the Yahoo Buzz the other night and checked out the soundtrack music links, I love soundtracks! One link led me to the Garden State soundtrack; the movie from Zach Braff. I like him on Scrubs. Funny guy. That then led me to his blog. I am so intrigued by this blog thing. Especially intrigued by the celebrity blog. I checked out David Duchuvny’s (he is promoting his latest film, House of D), which is here on Blogger, before starting my own blog. I used to watch X-Files with Mark but I love Return to Me with him and Minnie Driver. You know, it’s a transplant movie. We actually saw it long before we even knew about Mark needing one. Weird when I think about it now. I can’t even get through the movie now without bawling. So, it’s neat to me to read these other people’s random (promotional, subliminal perhaps even?) thoughts. Totally enjoying Zach Braff’s blog, though it makes me question if it’s his or not at this point. Pretty sure it’s him. He writes, “anyone saying it’s me at any other site isn’t me.” That’s like when you get those emails that are a hoax. See Step 3 from about.com’s steps to spot an email hoax:
3. Look for statements like 'This is NOT a hoax' or 'This is NOT an urban legend.' They typically mean the opposite of what they say.
Okay, so maybe not totally the same. But it seems like it to me. Make a note to self - bookmark the about.com Urban Legends site and go there anytime you question an email that you get. Do that before sending it on to everyone else! Now, back to the ZB blog, he does something that I think is cool. He’ll list things to check out, like music or just sayings or whatever, sometimes-random thoughts. So, here’s my list:
Live Strong
Moreena started it all for me!
And yes… I’m still feeling the burn.
3. Look for statements like 'This is NOT a hoax' or 'This is NOT an urban legend.' They typically mean the opposite of what they say.
Okay, so maybe not totally the same. But it seems like it to me. Make a note to self - bookmark the about.com Urban Legends site and go there anytime you question an email that you get. Do that before sending it on to everyone else! Now, back to the ZB blog, he does something that I think is cool. He’ll list things to check out, like music or just sayings or whatever, sometimes-random thoughts. So, here’s my list:
Live Strong
Moreena started it all for me!
And yes… I’m still feeling the burn.
