There's so much to share, that I get overwhelmed putting my thoughts together in a way that is organized! So, I'll ignore all the news about our new Blackberry phones (oooh-lah-lah, fancy schmancy!) and my successful completion of a 5K (woot! woot! it rocked!). I'll fail to elaborate on my opinion of LOST (best show evah!) and almost forget to mention my failed attempts at making salsa (5 attempts people, FIVE! And I still can't get it right... someone bring me some home made salsa that ROCKS or I'm going to go crazy over here trying!)... I wanted to blog about the kids, the fish, the car situation, Rich's prospective new employers (prayers, please!), Julia's imagination, Rebecca's new words (Everything is "NO"... even if it's "do you want ice cream and a million dollars in your pocket and a new house with ten maidservants and all the happiness in the world?" she'd still say "no" so casually and convincingly). I wanted to share with you all the fun things that happened this weekend (I went and saw Twilight - AGAIN - during my date out among other adult girlies... was a blast) and all the stress that has come from our busy-ness (who has time to clean the bathrooms?!! Geesh!)...
But instead? I want to talk politics real quick.
If you follow me here, you kinda already know where I stand (uhm, I make it pretty blatantly obvious, okay? Just work with me... this post is non-partisan, I swear!) And my public service announcement comes to you today in the form of encouragement. Ten minutes ago, I just sent three e-mails - one to my representative and one to each of my senators. I don't need to tell you what my e-mails said (Uhm, are we really working to fund greener grass on the national mall? In the form of 200 MILLION dollars? Seriously!) but I do need to tell you how. stinking. easy. it. was. to. write. my. congressional. peeps.
Go to congress.org and sign up to get notified when there's a vote about to happen that have anything to do with the issues YOU care about (You get to pick and choose your issues, people! Imagine that!) You can also request to be notified when the votes are cast, and you'll get to see how your own congress members voted on those particular subjects. There are easy to follow links to navigate the site - and congress.org makes it VERY easy to send your reps and senators a note - you can choose to do it by e-mail or snail-mail. You can read all sides of the story*, and get caught up on where your people stand on your issue. You can make informed decisions.... but it's all VERY EASY.
I don't care if you are happy or mad, sad, disappointed, elated, excited or confused about who is in office, who has left office, who will be in office next... Just go to congress.org right now and read up on the things that YOU CARE ABOUT and be a responsible citizen. Thank you. My name is Maggie and I approved this message.
*Ok, so I had to dig a wee little bit to find out this one piece of information I was looking for... and I just happen to be a conservative republican. Coincidence? Probably not!
Monday, January 26, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Sacrifice
We all know that being a mother requires sacrifices... that's a no-brainer. But, sometimes - whining and crying, bitching and moaning, wishing and wanting and venting about it all? Can totally help! So, this one's along those lines....
I'm a huge fan of the show LOST. If you don't follow it, I'll (accidentally) bug you about it and ask you everytime we see each other if you watch, and then WHY NOT!? I'll try and talk you into taking our season 1 DVD's to enjoy... and you'll get annoyed with me but be polite and keep reminding me that it's just not your thing or whatever. But anyway, I'll let you know that the lost Season 5 premier is on Wednesday, January 21st. I'll let you know not to call or come by that evening, because I'll be glued to the tv beside husby. The kids will be... i dunno.. enjoying a DVD in their rooms or going to bed early or something. It will be *MY* time with husby... one sacred time for ME ME ME ME... do you get the picture? Don't call me during the show!!
But, did you catch that? The season premier is TONIGHT! And, while I've been counting the days until Jan 21st, and have been reminding all my lostie buddies that the show starts on the 21st of Jan, it's a Wednesday, don't forget, only x days left until weds, the 21st - which is the premier of LOST ... I failed to remember something kinda important.
You see, my darling 4 year old - Julia - has dance class on Wednesdays. She loves dance class. She wants to be a "ballerina AND a ballerina-teacher" when she grows up. She dances in her spare time, making up dances to the beat of the music. She has dance class just once per week and looks forward to Wednesdays every single week. But, she's so shy and so quiet and such an introvert, that she never really dances in dance class. She'll barely do the motions with the rest of the class during the time that she's there - only coming half-way out of her shell during the last 5-10 minutes of the 50 minute class.
And, she loves to know that I'm watching - because it helps her confidence and it makes her feel the need to show off what she knows. Unfortunately, the dance school was very poorly designed (in my opinion) because parents are not encouraged to watch at all. Parents are not allowed inside the classroom, and are kept in this holding room (okay, waiting room, but it feels more like a holding cell) which is no bigger than the walk-in closet in our master bedroom. The holding room has two skinny little benches and one tiny square window that peeks into Julia's classroom. The hardcore parents are always hogging the window, making commentaries on their little dancers' every move. I rarely get to peek into the sacred window... so, I usually take off for the 50 minute class and skid back into the building just in time to pick Julia up at the conclusion of class.
The kicker of this story is that this happens to be Visitor's Week. Which means that moms and dads are invited to come inside the classroom and watch the whole time for this week only.
So, I'll be sacrificing my plans for the night I've been looking forward to for a very long time in order to go with Julia to dance class.
But really, when I say it like that... watch TV or watch Julia dance - it really seems like no contest. heh..
See? I feel all better already! Thanks for listening.
Somehow, I'm going to have to watch LOST before I read any blogs tomorrow or talk to any of my Lostie friends.... I wonder how soon they'll get the episode up on the website..
I'm a huge fan of the show LOST. If you don't follow it, I'll (accidentally) bug you about it and ask you everytime we see each other if you watch, and then WHY NOT!? I'll try and talk you into taking our season 1 DVD's to enjoy... and you'll get annoyed with me but be polite and keep reminding me that it's just not your thing or whatever. But anyway, I'll let you know that the lost Season 5 premier is on Wednesday, January 21st. I'll let you know not to call or come by that evening, because I'll be glued to the tv beside husby. The kids will be... i dunno.. enjoying a DVD in their rooms or going to bed early or something. It will be *MY* time with husby... one sacred time for ME ME ME ME... do you get the picture? Don't call me during the show!!
But, did you catch that? The season premier is TONIGHT! And, while I've been counting the days until Jan 21st, and have been reminding all my lostie buddies that the show starts on the 21st of Jan, it's a Wednesday, don't forget, only x days left until weds, the 21st - which is the premier of LOST ... I failed to remember something kinda important.
You see, my darling 4 year old - Julia - has dance class on Wednesdays. She loves dance class. She wants to be a "ballerina AND a ballerina-teacher" when she grows up. She dances in her spare time, making up dances to the beat of the music. She has dance class just once per week and looks forward to Wednesdays every single week. But, she's so shy and so quiet and such an introvert, that she never really dances in dance class. She'll barely do the motions with the rest of the class during the time that she's there - only coming half-way out of her shell during the last 5-10 minutes of the 50 minute class.
And, she loves to know that I'm watching - because it helps her confidence and it makes her feel the need to show off what she knows. Unfortunately, the dance school was very poorly designed (in my opinion) because parents are not encouraged to watch at all. Parents are not allowed inside the classroom, and are kept in this holding room (okay, waiting room, but it feels more like a holding cell) which is no bigger than the walk-in closet in our master bedroom. The holding room has two skinny little benches and one tiny square window that peeks into Julia's classroom. The hardcore parents are always hogging the window, making commentaries on their little dancers' every move. I rarely get to peek into the sacred window... so, I usually take off for the 50 minute class and skid back into the building just in time to pick Julia up at the conclusion of class.
The kicker of this story is that this happens to be Visitor's Week. Which means that moms and dads are invited to come inside the classroom and watch the whole time for this week only.
So, I'll be sacrificing my plans for the night I've been looking forward to for a very long time in order to go with Julia to dance class.
But really, when I say it like that... watch TV or watch Julia dance - it really seems like no contest. heh..
See? I feel all better already! Thanks for listening.
Somehow, I'm going to have to watch LOST before I read any blogs tomorrow or talk to any of my Lostie friends.... I wonder how soon they'll get the episode up on the website..
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Open Letters
Dear President Obama,
Congratulations on the new job. I've been praying for you. You've got quite the reputation to live up to. Hope. Change. Fairness. Balance. Restoration. Wish I could say, "Don't get sucked into the politics of it all." Good luck with all that.
In Christ,
Citizen Maggie
Dear Valerie,
The 5K is FIVE DAYS AWAY. Are we ready? I know you are ... but will I survive?? Thanks so much for motivating me to do this! You are such an awesome friend.
Love ya!
Maggs
To cancer,
You suck. I've nothing nice to say to you. You're messing with a lot of lives. But, a lot of your targets are strong fighters. They will prevail.
yours truly,
me
Dear LOST,
We gots a hot date tomorrow, yes? I hope you're not screwing with us... the premier better in fact be tomorrow night. I can't help but ask if you are having the season premier in some weird, undisclosed location that is set apart from where I live by a few days or something. I can't wait to be sucked in. Love you muches.
xoxo,
Maggs
Dear Abbey,
You're the bestest BFF evah! I wish I could come visit you in Houston. But really? That wouldn't be such a good idea - cuz all I'd wanna do is sit around and chit chat with you and maybe play a little AC, which somehow immediately turns into a LOT of AC and I wouldn't get anything done. So maybe it's good that we have our distance, ya know. But, I miss you and Pete like crazy. Give the pets lovin for me, yes - even the cats GAH.
Love you darling!
Maggs
Dear Old Man Winter,
My mom used to tell me, "poo or get off the pot." ...Well, her language was a bit more colorful than that. But, I'm ready for some pretty snow or even some (light, no damage please) ice. But, this frigid air with nothing to show for it? BOO. It gives me spring fever. Winter, you and I have had a love/hate relationship for a very long time... the love part is fading fast. Show some results, or be gone with you!
Thanks!
Maggie
Dear people-who-need-to-get-their-ducks-in-a-row,
I'm ready for my sweet husby to get that new position. I know there's a pretty good chance that you want him. I know he wants the job. I know I want him to have the job. Quit being all government-like and just start the hiring process, already! Gah! Thanks, love ya!
Kindly,
Maggie
Congratulations on the new job. I've been praying for you. You've got quite the reputation to live up to. Hope. Change. Fairness. Balance. Restoration. Wish I could say, "Don't get sucked into the politics of it all." Good luck with all that.
In Christ,
Citizen Maggie
Dear Valerie,
The 5K is FIVE DAYS AWAY. Are we ready? I know you are ... but will I survive?? Thanks so much for motivating me to do this! You are such an awesome friend.
Love ya!
Maggs
To cancer,
You suck. I've nothing nice to say to you. You're messing with a lot of lives. But, a lot of your targets are strong fighters. They will prevail.
yours truly,
me
Dear LOST,
We gots a hot date tomorrow, yes? I hope you're not screwing with us... the premier better in fact be tomorrow night. I can't help but ask if you are having the season premier in some weird, undisclosed location that is set apart from where I live by a few days or something. I can't wait to be sucked in. Love you muches.
xoxo,
Maggs
Dear Abbey,
You're the bestest BFF evah! I wish I could come visit you in Houston. But really? That wouldn't be such a good idea - cuz all I'd wanna do is sit around and chit chat with you and maybe play a little AC, which somehow immediately turns into a LOT of AC and I wouldn't get anything done. So maybe it's good that we have our distance, ya know. But, I miss you and Pete like crazy. Give the pets lovin for me, yes - even the cats GAH.
Love you darling!
Maggs
Dear Old Man Winter,
My mom used to tell me, "poo or get off the pot." ...Well, her language was a bit more colorful than that. But, I'm ready for some pretty snow or even some (light, no damage please) ice. But, this frigid air with nothing to show for it? BOO. It gives me spring fever. Winter, you and I have had a love/hate relationship for a very long time... the love part is fading fast. Show some results, or be gone with you!
Thanks!
Maggie
Dear people-who-need-to-get-their-ducks-in-a-row,
I'm ready for my sweet husby to get that new position. I know there's a pretty good chance that you want him. I know he wants the job. I know I want him to have the job. Quit being all government-like and just start the hiring process, already! Gah! Thanks, love ya!
Kindly,
Maggie
Sunday, January 18, 2009
blogging
Do you ever have one of those moments when you think, "Yah - when I get
home, I'm totally blogging this!" and then you get home or whatever, and
you lost the desire?
home, I'm totally blogging this!" and then you get home or whatever, and
you lost the desire?
My day was like that. How was your day?
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
cooking by trial and error
I'm new to this cooking thing. Bless my husband and kiddos who are on this journey with me. It's not that my mom never cooked - quite the contrary... she was always whipping up stuff. Mostly unhealthy junk food - which we loved. She would "invent" things in the kitchen. I will never forget her pizza rolls (before Totinos, before hot pockets, before the pizza roll as we know it was ruined with preservatives and freezer burn). I remember fondly the Saturdays I spent playing in my room while guessing the smells that came from the kitchen. Often, there was always a great variety - she'd sometimes make cookies the same day as her pizza rolls and/or hand-pulled chicken noodle soup.
Unfortunately, though - the mantra heard from the kitchen was always, "Out of the KitchANNN!!"
She loved the kitchen time alone. And I totally get that now.
I use my kitchen a lot more now that I have some help. It took me years... YEARS! to graduate from my Betty Crocker cookbook for beginners. Actually, I'm not even sure if I really did graduate that yet, but I definitely grew tired of it. I wanted to finally add some flavah to the staples I've learned how to make. But, I'm putting myself out there as I admit that I'm just now learning to to make the most basic things. Potatoes, for example. Sure, Betty taught me how to bake or mash a tater... but, do you realize how many different potato related dishes are possible!?!
Last night, I tried my hand at skillet potatoes. (God love the internet for it's vast array of recipes. However, I admit that I'm overwhelmed by all the choices and opinions out there.) I wish someone was there to coach me. I probably would have heard, "MAGGIE - PUT THE GARLIC DOWN." or "Stop looming. They haven't had time to get HOT, let alone to get turned. Relax. You want crispy. Leave them alone."
But, I'm alone in the kitchen. Rightly so, I might add... the kitchen - just like the road when I'm running - is my new escape. It's my time to be creative without getting paint every where or worrying about kids eating the glue. It's my own little way of relaxing at the end of the day. Too bad, I can't quite relax when the meal is ready for consumption. Instead, I wonder - what if I'd done this different? Does husby really like the garlicky potatoes or is he just being polite? I can't believe I forgot to sneak a veggie into this meal.
I'm also trying to learn from my own experiences. When the kids come into the kitchen, I want to (SOMEDAY) have them wash their hands and jump right into the cooking process. For now, I let them play in there, and I talk them through what I'm doing. (Often, Julia gets a chance to help or completely take over some of the dishes... but, not as often as she would like.) I don't want to be one that kicks my kids out of the kitchen. Even if it is my time to enjoy winding down. I just need to come up with some additional creative ways to keep the kids entertained but not in the way.
Ahh - but if these are my worries at the end of the day, I admit that I've got it pretty good.
Ten minutes left until the banana bread comes out of the oven. Rest assured, I didn't pull the garlic out of the fridge for that one.
Unfortunately, though - the mantra heard from the kitchen was always, "Out of the KitchANNN!!"
She loved the kitchen time alone. And I totally get that now.
I use my kitchen a lot more now that I have some help. It took me years... YEARS! to graduate from my Betty Crocker cookbook for beginners. Actually, I'm not even sure if I really did graduate that yet, but I definitely grew tired of it. I wanted to finally add some flavah to the staples I've learned how to make. But, I'm putting myself out there as I admit that I'm just now learning to to make the most basic things. Potatoes, for example. Sure, Betty taught me how to bake or mash a tater... but, do you realize how many different potato related dishes are possible!?!
Last night, I tried my hand at skillet potatoes. (God love the internet for it's vast array of recipes. However, I admit that I'm overwhelmed by all the choices and opinions out there.) I wish someone was there to coach me. I probably would have heard, "MAGGIE - PUT THE GARLIC DOWN." or "Stop looming. They haven't had time to get HOT, let alone to get turned. Relax. You want crispy. Leave them alone."
But, I'm alone in the kitchen. Rightly so, I might add... the kitchen - just like the road when I'm running - is my new escape. It's my time to be creative without getting paint every where or worrying about kids eating the glue. It's my own little way of relaxing at the end of the day. Too bad, I can't quite relax when the meal is ready for consumption. Instead, I wonder - what if I'd done this different? Does husby really like the garlicky potatoes or is he just being polite? I can't believe I forgot to sneak a veggie into this meal.
I'm also trying to learn from my own experiences. When the kids come into the kitchen, I want to (SOMEDAY) have them wash their hands and jump right into the cooking process. For now, I let them play in there, and I talk them through what I'm doing. (Often, Julia gets a chance to help or completely take over some of the dishes... but, not as often as she would like.) I don't want to be one that kicks my kids out of the kitchen. Even if it is my time to enjoy winding down. I just need to come up with some additional creative ways to keep the kids entertained but not in the way.
Ahh - but if these are my worries at the end of the day, I admit that I've got it pretty good.
Ten minutes left until the banana bread comes out of the oven. Rest assured, I didn't pull the garlic out of the fridge for that one.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Comment Love
Credit to Petroville. She clued me in, then I stole the image from her blog.So, today is Delurking Day. That means - if you read my blog, today's the day you decide to let go of your inhibitions and leave me a comment. I know I don't have a huge audience, but humor me, here. Even if you don't comment TODAY - if you read this tomorrow or next month or a few years after I die, I'll still love you for leaving me a comment. Just do it. It won't hurt, I promise.
Great Weekend!
I had an awesome weekend... a perfect birthday. The only thing that I wished for and didn't get was the time to call my dad.
Friday was work, as usual - which is okay, because I love what I do and I do what I love and that's the best thing there is about working for yourself! Friday evening we went to my favorite restaurant of all time - Mi Ranchito - and I pigged out on a large margarita and their fabulous espinaca enchiladas. Rebecca must have known it was almost my birthday because she didn't act up once while we were there - and restaurants are not her forte.
Saturday, I tried to sleep in, but couldn't resist getting up with the rest of the family. I love it when my kids wake up happy. Husby had a late morning band thingy to do - so he left the house to just me and the kids. I was anticipating Saturday afternoon to feel a lot like work - just another day with the kiddos - but the kids were being so good! (Do I sound surprised? I am!) I put The Little Mermaid in for Julia... a movie she's never seen before despite her obsession with Ariel (she just loves her for the bright red hair) and Rebecca and I hung out. I made nachos (my FAVE) for lunch and the kids went down for a nice long nap.
While they were sleeping, I enjoyed solo time with the wii fit - and later learned how to buy and use wii points. Then, I wasted two whole hours of my life playing the old school Super Mario Bros. That was awesome. Husby came home about the same time the girls woke up - and everybody was still in stellar moods. We packed the girls' things and loaded them up for an overnight at grandmas - perhaps the best birthday present I got this year!
Husby and I hung out "in town" ... messing around at Target and Best Buy (where we *almost* blew a fair chunk of the budget on a new camera... whew glad they were sold out!) and later met up with some friends (and also childcare clients) at Old Chicagos. Another splendid meal which consisted of a Boulevard Wheat and some kind of calzone with artichokes. I'm talking a lot about food here - but rest assured that the company we were with was awesome as well.
After dinner, we headed to a local bar (local - as in... whole-in-the-wall, not far from home) and enjoyed the Led Zeppelin Tribute Band and the accompanying drunk dancers. I laughed so much Saturday night that my cheeks and my abs are still sore.
Sunday was an early morning, but it didn't bother me much. I worked with "the sound guy" at church and learned a thing or two about setting up for sound and running the sound board and equipment during services. I really enjoyed it and see it as something I would enjoy doing for the church on a regular basis. The weather was amazing - and I got a great run in with my friend.
Sunday night, we went to my fantastic mother-in-laws for her phenomenal lasagna (another favorite!). We finished the meal with a few rounds of Catch Phrase and a piece of Cookie Dough ice cream cake from Coldstone.
All in all, it was a perfect weekend.
Friday was work, as usual - which is okay, because I love what I do and I do what I love and that's the best thing there is about working for yourself! Friday evening we went to my favorite restaurant of all time - Mi Ranchito - and I pigged out on a large margarita and their fabulous espinaca enchiladas. Rebecca must have known it was almost my birthday because she didn't act up once while we were there - and restaurants are not her forte.
Saturday, I tried to sleep in, but couldn't resist getting up with the rest of the family. I love it when my kids wake up happy. Husby had a late morning band thingy to do - so he left the house to just me and the kids. I was anticipating Saturday afternoon to feel a lot like work - just another day with the kiddos - but the kids were being so good! (Do I sound surprised? I am!) I put The Little Mermaid in for Julia... a movie she's never seen before despite her obsession with Ariel (she just loves her for the bright red hair) and Rebecca and I hung out. I made nachos (my FAVE) for lunch and the kids went down for a nice long nap.
While they were sleeping, I enjoyed solo time with the wii fit - and later learned how to buy and use wii points. Then, I wasted two whole hours of my life playing the old school Super Mario Bros. That was awesome. Husby came home about the same time the girls woke up - and everybody was still in stellar moods. We packed the girls' things and loaded them up for an overnight at grandmas - perhaps the best birthday present I got this year!
Husby and I hung out "in town" ... messing around at Target and Best Buy (where we *almost* blew a fair chunk of the budget on a new camera... whew glad they were sold out!) and later met up with some friends (and also childcare clients) at Old Chicagos. Another splendid meal which consisted of a Boulevard Wheat and some kind of calzone with artichokes. I'm talking a lot about food here - but rest assured that the company we were with was awesome as well.
After dinner, we headed to a local bar (local - as in... whole-in-the-wall, not far from home) and enjoyed the Led Zeppelin Tribute Band and the accompanying drunk dancers. I laughed so much Saturday night that my cheeks and my abs are still sore.
Sunday was an early morning, but it didn't bother me much. I worked with "the sound guy" at church and learned a thing or two about setting up for sound and running the sound board and equipment during services. I really enjoyed it and see it as something I would enjoy doing for the church on a regular basis. The weather was amazing - and I got a great run in with my friend.
Sunday night, we went to my fantastic mother-in-laws for her phenomenal lasagna (another favorite!). We finished the meal with a few rounds of Catch Phrase and a piece of Cookie Dough ice cream cake from Coldstone.
All in all, it was a perfect weekend.
Friday, January 9, 2009
Over 30
Tomorrow, I'll officially be "over 30" but you know what? I don't care.
Because my wii fit and I - we kissed and made up and now all is right
with the world since it said I've lost 3 pounds (since I started keeping
track like 2 weeks ago) and that I'm only 26 years old.
Because my wii fit and I - we kissed and made up and now all is right
with the world since it said I've lost 3 pounds (since I started keeping
track like 2 weeks ago) and that I'm only 26 years old.
When I start forgetting about the lil wii fit again, it will probably
get cranky and say that I'm over 40 (again) and then I'll give it the
silent treatment and cold shoulder again.
But for now? The day before my birthday? I'm only 26 in wii fit years.
So there.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
The Power of Music
For the last week or so, I've been lost in my own thoughts and emotions. I really related to this song:
But, last night husby and I were talking about some stuff which seemed to help me turn myself around. Without getting into the details, suffice it to say that I lost track of who my Father is. After our conversation, Rich retreated to the office in the basement, where he likes to practice bass for the church band - and I planned to go read my book in bed. But, hearing his guitar - boom, boom, boom - playing to worship music struck me differently last night, and I felt compelled to join him in the office while he played. (That's something I need to do more often!) At about that time, he started playing Throne of Grace. Throne of Grace is my favorite song.
Suddenly, and I do mean suddenly, it hit me. All the questions I've been asking were the wrong ones. All the things I'd been worrying about or lamenting over, were insignificant. I cried as I listened to the lyrics last night:
It's wonderful that God uses music to speak to me. It's even more wonderful that I worship at a church that plays that song regularly. That song uplifted me and humbled me at the same time last night. I went to bed praying prayers of humility and thanks. I slept so well last night, and woke up happy today. I have a new, different way to approach the situation that bothered me into a depression all week long.
God is good.
Matthew West
Miscellaneous
The Turnaround
This rock is tied around my ankle
This thorn is buried in my skin
I wonder why I have to srtuggle
But then again
If I wasn't drowning I woundn't need you to save
And if I wasn't broken I wouldn't need you to heal me
You keep me broken
CHORUS:
Don't let this river get lost in the ocean
Don't let this rock take me down, down, down
My heart is standing at the edge of the world
I need you to help me make the turnaround
So many puzzles with no answers
So many questions with no peace
So many second guesses, but then again I guess
If I wasn't drowning I wouldn't need you to save me
If I wasn't broken I wouldn't need you to heal me
Oh Lord I'm drowning
REPEAT CHORUS
BRIDGE:
I need you
I know I need you
But, last night husby and I were talking about some stuff which seemed to help me turn myself around. Without getting into the details, suffice it to say that I lost track of who my Father is. After our conversation, Rich retreated to the office in the basement, where he likes to practice bass for the church band - and I planned to go read my book in bed. But, hearing his guitar - boom, boom, boom - playing to worship music struck me differently last night, and I felt compelled to join him in the office while he played. (That's something I need to do more often!) At about that time, he started playing Throne of Grace. Throne of Grace is my favorite song.
Suddenly, and I do mean suddenly, it hit me. All the questions I've been asking were the wrong ones. All the things I'd been worrying about or lamenting over, were insignificant. I cried as I listened to the lyrics last night:
Throne of GraceI hesitated to post this, for a couple reasons: First, I worry that this revelation will come across as another cheesy bible-beating thing to some of my readers. I can't possibly ask you to understand any of the emotions I felt as my husband played this song last night. It wouldn't be fair to the moment if I tried. And second, Throne of Grace is a compelling song - one that, for whatever reason, is hard to find on the internet. I got the lyrics from my talented husband. After I wrote my last post about this song, I got a few comments and a few other e-mails asking where I found it. People have heard this song at their churches, but don't know where it came from. With a bit of research (okay, I just emailed the band leader), I found that there is no information about the song available. He said that he got the lyrics and chords to the song from another church, where he heard it. And the music leader at that church didn't have information about the song, either.
Oh Lord, here I am now
Bowing humbly down before your throne of grace
I am in awe of your unmerited love
In spite of my sinful ways
Oh Lord, here I am still
Trembling and clinging to you – my strength & my shield
Oh Lord, I feel the pain – this wretched existence of sin
Is writhing within my soul
My Father, my Teacher, my Master,
The lifter of my trampled spirit
The Author of all that is righteous & holy
All praise & all glory to You, my sweet Savior
In You, sweet Lord Jesus I rest… I rest… I rest…
Oh my sweet Lord Jesus, Savior
Gave yourself & set me free
I lift up my voice & praise you
You are wor – thy - You are worthy, Lord
It's wonderful that God uses music to speak to me. It's even more wonderful that I worship at a church that plays that song regularly. That song uplifted me and humbled me at the same time last night. I went to bed praying prayers of humility and thanks. I slept so well last night, and woke up happy today. I have a new, different way to approach the situation that bothered me into a depression all week long.
God is good.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
You take the good, you take the bad
I'm so moody lately. I think it has something to do with it being
post-holidays... finally. "The holidays" were fun, but also as daunting
as those little quotie marks will allow it to seem.
post-holidays... finally. "The holidays" were fun, but also as daunting
as those little quotie marks will allow it to seem.
I've got a lot of excess baggage. In my hips and on my thighs, but also
in my brain and in my emotions. And the holidays never seem to help with
any of that.
Don't get me wrong - I loved LOVED loved "the holidays" this year - my
dad's surprise visit to us was perhaps the hi-light. But, I'm glad
they're over.
I'm excited that we get to continue on our journey, uninterrupted,
again. And, I'm glad we will always have convenient interruptions -
holidays.. er, holy-days.
Let the normalcy begin!
Sunday, January 4, 2009
This, the beginning
My dad and I joke all the time about what this country is coming to. And, while I admit that I don't "have the balls" to blog about all my opinions about our government taking over my life, I will direct you to this article which demonstrates just one more example of how too much government can be such a ridiculous thing. It's about the Consumer Products Safety Improvement Act.
It's going to be a very long term, my friends.
Friday, January 2, 2009
How much love
Every night when Julia goes to bed, we talk about our favorite part of
the day, we pray together, and we tell each other we love eachother so
very much. She loves me until I can count to a thousand hundred.
That's a lot. I told her I love her more than the whole entire world.
That's a lot, too.
the day, we pray together, and we tell each other we love eachother so
very much. She loves me until I can count to a thousand hundred.
That's a lot. I told her I love her more than the whole entire world.
That's a lot, too.
But then she asked me, so sincerely, "Do you love me more than Jesus does?"
And I said, "I feel like I do, but I know that I probably can't even
imagine the amount of love that Jesus has for each one of us."
What a wonderful way to end a wonderful day.
Keep it simple, part 2
Today, for the daycare, I made the Kraft Mac & Cheese. Yes, out of the
box - Yes, I know that this crap is incredibly unhealthy. However, when
you have three one year olds running amok and a four year old insisting
to help with cooking, sometimes the Kraft crap is a best option.
box - Yes, I know that this crap is incredibly unhealthy. However, when
you have three one year olds running amok and a four year old insisting
to help with cooking, sometimes the Kraft crap is a best option.
Know what I did?
Instead of adding 1/4 cup of margarine, I put in 1/2 cup of butternut
squash puree.
And the kids didn't even know.
And they're eating it right now, double fisted. Can't put it in fast
enough.
This inventing recipes thing is fun!
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Keep it simple
If there's anything I learned this year, it's to keep things simple. I learned this from my kids, from my husband, from my job experiences, and also from daily happenings. Today, I kept it simple while cooking dinner.
For Christmas, I got the Deceptively Delicious cookbook that I asked for. I love this book! I have tried four of the recipes in it, and didn't really care for the way three of the things turned out. So, tonight - I used the cookbook for inspiration, then took the process from there, inventing my own recipe.
Before I continue, you should know that cooking is not my forte. If it doesn't come out of a box with explicit step-by-step directions, I get intimidated and overthink things... and, though I have to admit that it usually turns out okay, it's more trouble than it's worth.
Today, I tried out the spaghetti and meatballs idea on page 120 of this book. But, I replaced half of the sauce ingredients with a cup of salsa. Instead of adding breadcrumbs, I added oatmeal (credit where it's due: my husby is an awesome cook and he ALWAYS uses quick oats in place of breadcrumbs).
Anyway, I was pretty pleased with how supper turned out. The sauce was a wee bit too runny for my likings, but everything tasted fabulous. And, it didn't come out of a box. And, it was super healthy... Here's what I did, in case you want to try it for yourself:
1 lb of lean meat
1 cup of quick oats
1 clove of garlic, minced (whatever that is... I just mushed up a garlic clove and chopped it up real small - is that minced? lol - I truly have no idea)
a bit of salt
a little bit of pepper
nonstick cooking spray
*** it actually didn't occur to me until just now that i (accidentally) ommitted the olive oil that the recipe calls for here)
1 big can of whole peeled tomatoes with its juice
blender
1 cup of salsa
spaghetti pasta (wish we had whole wheat pasta... the sauce in this would make up for the bland wheat taste)
1) In a large bowl, add the first 5 ingredients and mash it all together. Use your hands - it will blend better that way. Then, shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and put them on a piece of waxed paper (this makes for easy cleanup)
2) put the can of tomatoes into your blender and puree it for a minute or two. Then add the salsa, and a bit of whatever other flavah's you like (I think I may have added some oregano or something, just to be silly) Don't blend these in, that's silly. Just stir it.
3) brown the meatballs in a skillet for a few minutes, turning often with some tongs or something, then add the blended ingredients
4) cook the noodles as directed, then serve with the sauce and meatballs.
Oh, one more thing... I used some leftover hot dog buns to make garlic bread in our toaster oven. The dog buns were good because they are thicker or fluffier or something...
Now, just in case there's some legal issues here somewhere, I must ask you to try the original recipe yourself, after you buy the book. I'm sure it's really good - and it calls for some more healthy goodness, like butternut squash and carrot puree. It really does sound good. But, I will be using my version of the recipe again, I liked the spicy sauce! Enjoy :)
For Christmas, I got the Deceptively Delicious cookbook that I asked for. I love this book! I have tried four of the recipes in it, and didn't really care for the way three of the things turned out. So, tonight - I used the cookbook for inspiration, then took the process from there, inventing my own recipe.
Before I continue, you should know that cooking is not my forte. If it doesn't come out of a box with explicit step-by-step directions, I get intimidated and overthink things... and, though I have to admit that it usually turns out okay, it's more trouble than it's worth.
Today, I tried out the spaghetti and meatballs idea on page 120 of this book. But, I replaced half of the sauce ingredients with a cup of salsa. Instead of adding breadcrumbs, I added oatmeal (credit where it's due: my husby is an awesome cook and he ALWAYS uses quick oats in place of breadcrumbs).
Anyway, I was pretty pleased with how supper turned out. The sauce was a wee bit too runny for my likings, but everything tasted fabulous. And, it didn't come out of a box. And, it was super healthy... Here's what I did, in case you want to try it for yourself:
1 lb of lean meat
1 cup of quick oats
1 clove of garlic, minced (whatever that is... I just mushed up a garlic clove and chopped it up real small - is that minced? lol - I truly have no idea)
a bit of salt
a little bit of pepper
nonstick cooking spray
*** it actually didn't occur to me until just now that i (accidentally) ommitted the olive oil that the recipe calls for here)
1 big can of whole peeled tomatoes with its juice
blender
1 cup of salsa
spaghetti pasta (wish we had whole wheat pasta... the sauce in this would make up for the bland wheat taste)
1) In a large bowl, add the first 5 ingredients and mash it all together. Use your hands - it will blend better that way. Then, shape the mixture into 1-inch balls and put them on a piece of waxed paper (this makes for easy cleanup)
2) put the can of tomatoes into your blender and puree it for a minute or two. Then add the salsa, and a bit of whatever other flavah's you like (I think I may have added some oregano or something, just to be silly) Don't blend these in, that's silly. Just stir it.
3) brown the meatballs in a skillet for a few minutes, turning often with some tongs or something, then add the blended ingredients
4) cook the noodles as directed, then serve with the sauce and meatballs.
Oh, one more thing... I used some leftover hot dog buns to make garlic bread in our toaster oven. The dog buns were good because they are thicker or fluffier or something...
Now, just in case there's some legal issues here somewhere, I must ask you to try the original recipe yourself, after you buy the book. I'm sure it's really good - and it calls for some more healthy goodness, like butternut squash and carrot puree. It really does sound good. But, I will be using my version of the recipe again, I liked the spicy sauce! Enjoy :)
Did I tell you about our van?
I think it would be nice to have a Happy New Year post here, laden with resolutions and reflections from the past year. I should write about my kids, and about how they've changed so much since this day last year. I could even write about all the fun we had last night with family as we played Apples to Apples (fun game!) and enjoyed Rich's aunt's perfect daiquiri's. ....But, instead - I will tell you a story that is completely non-related to the tossing of an old calendar and hanging of a new one.
If you know me at all, you know that my husby and I are working on becoming debt free. We're going to pay off all our debts, except the mortgage and start investing money for the kids' college and for our retirement. We're following Dave Ramsey's program, thanks to his class Financial Peace University. Let me just say real quick that Dave Ramsey is amazing. The stuff he teaches is complete common sense, but he's funny and engaging and you can't help but like the guy.
You might remember a set of posts I wrote called "When it rains" and "it pours". Yeah, this post is right along those lines.
We're doing pretty good with our debt snowball. We've paid off all our credit cards (there were only two, one from Home Depot because when we moved in here, we had to replace just about every floor in the house and also had to finish the basement which is now the playroom - where I make all my money... and a Visa that we used for big purchases like our dining room table and whatnot). We paid off our car - which is just an old Camry, our "family car" that is a nice, old, reliable car for frequent travelling.
We started to apply our debt snowball to our big, fancy-pants van in late September. We bought the van for road trips and convenience, thinking it would be nice to have the van to haul kids around and still have room left over for STUFF. The van was used when we bought it (thank God), but it was still a major huge purchase that we probably would NOT have made if we had learned from Dave Ramsey sooner.
Because of the Financial Peace University class, we agreed that we should try and pay off as much as we can on the van and then sell it for a little more than the rest of what we owe on it. We were going to practically give it away.... and I was having a hard time with that because I love that van. It has so many "bells & whistles" that made it so purty to own. I've never had a vehicle like that in my whole life. But, the debt of the van was getting in our way, and we agreed that it would be so nice to be debt free, save up some money and buy a van (or some other vehicle) with cash!
We put a sign in the window and parked the van at the end of our street, which is a great location... but we had no bites. We didn't advertise much more than that, because we still owed quite a bit and knew that it wouldn't sell for as much as we owed, so we were going to attack the debt first, then get more aggressive about selling.
Then, the economy tanked overnight. And we knew it wouldn't sell. We decided just to let go of the van for whatever anybody would be willing to buy for it. We were prepared to take a small loss.... by this time, we'd paid off a good hunk of the loan and now only owed about 5K for it. We talked with some friends who sounded very interested in buying the van, and agreed to let them take it for a weekend long "test drive" over Thanksgiving weekend. Then, they would buy it from us for 6K.
Again, I just have to stress that we were looking forward to being out from underneath that debt. Plus, our friends had hinted in the past about wanting our van - but they didn't want to pay for it what we had on the "for sale" sign that we posted in the window back before the economy tanked.
The van sat in front of our house - on the street - every day for months on end. We never drove the van. Gas prices soared up to $4/gallon, sometimes more... and we realized how impractical the van really is. Rich has a company vehicle. I work out of my house, and don't need a vehicle for commuting. When we do go somewhere, we're always together anyway... the van really never even got started, unless it was to drive it to the end of the street for it's optimal selling position and back. Once, the van didn't even start.... it had been sitting that long with no activitiy.
Such a shame.... a beautiful "brand new" van, sitting on the street in front of our house collecting dust and rotting.
Then, a few days before thanksgiving, the van was hit. Hit hard. I was serving breakfast to the daycare kiddos when I heard the crash. I ran outside to see what the crashing noise was and found an upset teenager and his little sister up in arms... their full size truck resting in the trunk of our van.
Nobody was hurt. At least, not physically. The poor kid was really beating himself up. I invited them in, we called the cops, had a police report filed, his (dad's) truck was towed away, and that was the last time I ever saw my van.
Remember, we owed about 5K on our loan. We were going to let it go for 6K to our friends. The poor kid that hit the van, hit it in all the right parts - because the insurance company determined that it would cost about 7K to repair.
So, of course we opted to have the insurance company cut us a check for the repairs, and told the body shop not to fix the van. Then, it happened that one of the body shop mechanics is interested in buying the van from us for a thousand bucks.
Everybody wins! Well, except for the poor kid that plowed into our van. (I'd just like to point out that it was a sunny, dry day when the van was hit.... the van had been parked there for a MONTH, maybe more. I don't know what happened, but can only imagine that he was going too fast and was maybe messing with the radio or his cell phone or something.... we all have one dumb thing we did as a kid, right? Some of us have more than one, heh... He'll be fine. He wasn't hurt. His sister wasn't hurt. His dad was MAD, but the only damage done was to inanimate objects.)
.... So anyway, I've hesitated to share this story with many people, because we're still waiting for the final transactions to be made. It has taken FOREVER for the insurance company to cut us our check for the damages. It's taking even longer for the bank to send us our title! We still need to take the title out to the body shop, where our sweet van is waiting and shakes hands with the body shop guy and collect his thousand bucks.
But, as of right now, the van is finally paid off and so our debt snowball is now working on my student loan. When we knock that out within a year or so, we'll be completely debt free (except for the house). Thank you, Dave Ramsey!
But, there you have it ...that's the long story about our van!
If you know me at all, you know that my husby and I are working on becoming debt free. We're going to pay off all our debts, except the mortgage and start investing money for the kids' college and for our retirement. We're following Dave Ramsey's program, thanks to his class Financial Peace University. Let me just say real quick that Dave Ramsey is amazing. The stuff he teaches is complete common sense, but he's funny and engaging and you can't help but like the guy.
You might remember a set of posts I wrote called "When it rains" and "it pours". Yeah, this post is right along those lines.
We're doing pretty good with our debt snowball. We've paid off all our credit cards (there were only two, one from Home Depot because when we moved in here, we had to replace just about every floor in the house and also had to finish the basement which is now the playroom - where I make all my money... and a Visa that we used for big purchases like our dining room table and whatnot). We paid off our car - which is just an old Camry, our "family car" that is a nice, old, reliable car for frequent travelling.
We started to apply our debt snowball to our big, fancy-pants van in late September. We bought the van for road trips and convenience, thinking it would be nice to have the van to haul kids around and still have room left over for STUFF. The van was used when we bought it (thank God), but it was still a major huge purchase that we probably would NOT have made if we had learned from Dave Ramsey sooner.
Because of the Financial Peace University class, we agreed that we should try and pay off as much as we can on the van and then sell it for a little more than the rest of what we owe on it. We were going to practically give it away.... and I was having a hard time with that because I love that van. It has so many "bells & whistles" that made it so purty to own. I've never had a vehicle like that in my whole life. But, the debt of the van was getting in our way, and we agreed that it would be so nice to be debt free, save up some money and buy a van (or some other vehicle) with cash!
We put a sign in the window and parked the van at the end of our street, which is a great location... but we had no bites. We didn't advertise much more than that, because we still owed quite a bit and knew that it wouldn't sell for as much as we owed, so we were going to attack the debt first, then get more aggressive about selling.
Then, the economy tanked overnight. And we knew it wouldn't sell. We decided just to let go of the van for whatever anybody would be willing to buy for it. We were prepared to take a small loss.... by this time, we'd paid off a good hunk of the loan and now only owed about 5K for it. We talked with some friends who sounded very interested in buying the van, and agreed to let them take it for a weekend long "test drive" over Thanksgiving weekend. Then, they would buy it from us for 6K.
Again, I just have to stress that we were looking forward to being out from underneath that debt. Plus, our friends had hinted in the past about wanting our van - but they didn't want to pay for it what we had on the "for sale" sign that we posted in the window back before the economy tanked.
The van sat in front of our house - on the street - every day for months on end. We never drove the van. Gas prices soared up to $4/gallon, sometimes more... and we realized how impractical the van really is. Rich has a company vehicle. I work out of my house, and don't need a vehicle for commuting. When we do go somewhere, we're always together anyway... the van really never even got started, unless it was to drive it to the end of the street for it's optimal selling position and back. Once, the van didn't even start.... it had been sitting that long with no activitiy.
Such a shame.... a beautiful "brand new" van, sitting on the street in front of our house collecting dust and rotting.
Then, a few days before thanksgiving, the van was hit. Hit hard. I was serving breakfast to the daycare kiddos when I heard the crash. I ran outside to see what the crashing noise was and found an upset teenager and his little sister up in arms... their full size truck resting in the trunk of our van.
Nobody was hurt. At least, not physically. The poor kid was really beating himself up. I invited them in, we called the cops, had a police report filed, his (dad's) truck was towed away, and that was the last time I ever saw my van.
Remember, we owed about 5K on our loan. We were going to let it go for 6K to our friends. The poor kid that hit the van, hit it in all the right parts - because the insurance company determined that it would cost about 7K to repair.
So, of course we opted to have the insurance company cut us a check for the repairs, and told the body shop not to fix the van. Then, it happened that one of the body shop mechanics is interested in buying the van from us for a thousand bucks.
Everybody wins! Well, except for the poor kid that plowed into our van. (I'd just like to point out that it was a sunny, dry day when the van was hit.... the van had been parked there for a MONTH, maybe more. I don't know what happened, but can only imagine that he was going too fast and was maybe messing with the radio or his cell phone or something.... we all have one dumb thing we did as a kid, right? Some of us have more than one, heh... He'll be fine. He wasn't hurt. His sister wasn't hurt. His dad was MAD, but the only damage done was to inanimate objects.)
.... So anyway, I've hesitated to share this story with many people, because we're still waiting for the final transactions to be made. It has taken FOREVER for the insurance company to cut us our check for the damages. It's taking even longer for the bank to send us our title! We still need to take the title out to the body shop, where our sweet van is waiting and shakes hands with the body shop guy and collect his thousand bucks.
But, as of right now, the van is finally paid off and so our debt snowball is now working on my student loan. When we knock that out within a year or so, we'll be completely debt free (except for the house). Thank you, Dave Ramsey!
But, there you have it ...that's the long story about our van!
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