Merry Christmas 2010!

It's been another very eventful year for our family. Go figure! Here's a bit of what happened..


Ashley, started high school (and outgrew her MOTHER!! urg)! She spent a week or so at the high school in town and quickly decided that the life there wasn't for her. So she joined her brother in Connections Academy, an at home Charter School (we call that home school, C.A. doesn't)!  After a little period of adjustment to the added requirements of this school, she fell into place and loves it. She's part of the Student Council, is the 9th grade Class Representative, and has joined the Pen Pal Club. As usual, she is making lots of school friends, and was ecstatic when her friend,Missa, joined Connections Academy this year as well. Ashley loves drawing, any kind of art, puzzles, music, dance-off's with her Aunt Laura, and snuggling with her Sadie girl (the dog). Ashley was also able to go compete in the National Fine Arts Competition, in Detroit! Ash worked so hard to get there between fundraisers, letters to family, and manual labor. She had an amazing time, and thanks all of you for your contributions. It meant the world to her, her life will never be the same after having had this amazing experience.


Jaden is now in 3rd grade, and second year of Connections Academy. He loves that his sister is home doing school with him and Mommy. Jaden is a member of the Pen Pal program at school, as well as the Robotics club. He LOVES field trips! Jaden was also very excited when his 2 friends, Gabe & Daniel, joined Connections Academy this year. Jaden loves going to the library, and the bank (free popcorn). He also still loves to draw, and anything else that could classify as art. Jaden loves playing with his cousins, and working with Grampie and Uncle Jon on the ranch. He's growing like a weed, and will probably outgrow us in a few years! He is still active in Taekwondo as well, and is excelling. He is now a Camo belt, and considering joining the Leadership Program.


Chris had a very busy year with work, the time spent in the office has increased quite a bit. Who knew that was possible!? But, we are so thankful that he is employed and acknowledged for his efforts. Speaking of rewards...His employer sent us both (no kids allowed) to the World Series this year, all expenses paid! It really put a smile on his face like we hadn't seen in awhile. Being recognized for a job well done is priceless. He also hosted quite a few basketball/game nights here at the house, played in a church softball league, participated in another awesome "Wing-off" competition, and hosted a few poker games. In his spare time (haha), he was involved with endless fundraising, and helped coach a drama team into the National Fine Arts Competition in Detroit, Michigan! They had a great time, an experience that won't be forgotten. He is so grateful for your contributions towards the trip.


Sarah is still home full-time, working on school with the kids takes up most of her days.  It's not all sunshine and giggles, but it comes pretty close. If nothing else, it's extremely rewarding. She wouldn't trade this time for anything.  Sarah started walking even more this year, before she knew it the normal quick 15 minute walks turned into 9 mile walks!  She spent lots of time at the pool, and cheering Chris on at his softball games.  She enjoyed a few camping trips this last summer, constant bbq'ing, game nights with friends, and lots of evening bike rides.  Sarah adores time spent with all of her nieces and nephews, and the rest of the family.  She dabbled in a few crafts, really got into her word searches/crosswords, and enjoyed a LOT of desserts. ;)


As a family, we have grown so much closer this year. Our home knows more joy, and is filled with even more giggles. We are so thankful for the time the Lord has given us, and for the friends who share their lives with us. We've also faced many challenges, and have had to say goodbye to things, and people, we hold dear. But, the Lord is ever faithful to lead us into new territory with grace, hope, and promise of a beautiful future. Our love for Him grows deeper by the day.


We pray that you all have had a wonderful year, and that the coming year will be even better. May the Lord bless you as you continue to seek His face. There's no better place to be, than in His arms. 


With love,


Chris, Sarah, Ashley, and Jaden Mendiola

To see His face..

Prayer, Sarah Palin, World Series, School & Holidays! Oh my!

The last month or so has been so filled with loss, tragedy, sadness, and struggle.  It seems every time I turn around I get a text/email/call from someone asking for prayer for something serious.  Really makes me realize, even more than normal, time is short.  Make sure the ones you hold dear know you love them, and that they are valued.  You just never know when your time with them will end, but one thing is for sure..it will be sooner than you'd like.   As you think about it, please be praying for those who have lost loved ones, or are struggling through disease, life altering instances, etc.  When we pray for others we open up all of Heaven.  Let's open up all of Heaven together, and ask for peace to rain down upon the Lord's people.

School has been a bit rough, not even gonna try to sugar coat it for you.  This year is when they want us 3rd grade learning coaches to start pulling back in our involvement as far as school tasks go.  It's quite the adjustment for us.  Where we used to get to work through everything together, he now has to sit for much of the time figuring out things on his own, etc.  The hard part for me is, I know if I would just read something to him (he's a very good reader, that's not the point), or re-word something, he would get it right away.  But, instead I have to sit back and let him try to weed through it on his own and come to his own conclusions.  Then helping him after that.  The teachers tell us Learning Coaches that this is a huge transitional year for all 3rd graders, so to expect it to be a bit of a struggle.  Anyway, I do see progress so that is encouraging.  But, not only does it frustrate the teacher side of me, it hurts the Mommy side of me.  He needs me less and less.  In some ways I welcome that.  In others, I resist it.  But, he must grow into the young man he's intended to be, without the umbilical cord.

Ash is doing really well with her classes, and is very involved with student council as well as other clubs and activities.  Math, I think, may always be a struggle.  But she's giving it her best, and that's all we ask for!  I'm in no way a math genius, so I can understand the frustration caused by not excelling in it.

Chris has been working his butt to the bone, as usual.  But, we are ever increasingly thankful that he has a job, times are hard.  HP (his employer) took the 2 of us (no kids!) on an all expense paid trip to game 3 of the World Series.  It was AMAZING!  Truly the trip of a lifetime.  We got to go with a group of other people who also worked on the account that got picked for the trip.  We shared lots of laughs, great food, and made the most awesome memories.  We even got to meet, and hang out with, Hank Aaron!  We also got to see President and Laura Bush, and Nolan Ryan.  Oh, and Kelly Clarkson!  I mean, come on.  Really?  I'm pretty sure this is a trip we will never, ever forget.

We watched the first of 8 episodes of Sarah Palin's Alaska the other night.  Wow, Alaska is gorgeous.  Breathtaking, really.  I must go there sometime.

I'm gearing up for Thanksgiving.  Thanksgiving is "my" holiday..no traveling, just staying home with my family and having that quality time that we never get any other time of year.  Some think it's selfish.  And, maybe it is.  But, I guess I just don't care.  It is very rare that my family gets to come together for time without limits.  And this is our time to do that.  Every year is also one I fear will be the last with my beloved Gramma.  I love my time with her.  She's threatened not to come this year, she's being stubborn and saying she will stay in the retirement home for the day.  I, as usual, tell her she has a seat waiting for her.  So far she's always shown up and had a wonderful time.  We shall see if she graces us with her angelic (haha) presence this year.  I'm sure she will.  If not, I promise to only ugly cry in private. 

I'm actually feeling kind of excited for Christmas this year.  Not sure why, but I am.  I even have Christmas music playing right now.  Can you flippin believe it!  I can't.  We think we are going to get a real tree this year.  Ash is very excited for it.  Jaden is threatening to move out due to the fire hazard it creates.  And such is life in the Mendiola home.

I bought our Christmas cards last night.  I am trying to decide if we will include a letter in with it this year, or not.  Your thoughts?

Well, J is almost done with his math work so I better wrap this up.  I pray you are all well, and finding many reasons to smile.  I know it's become cliche, but I just want to say, "Jesus loves you."  Because, He does.  So very much.  Be blessed my friends. 

We'll chat soon..

Back pain, home school, mosaics, and Tom Selleck

Threw my back out, again. So..what better thing to do with my bedridden state than blog? Not much. :)

The kids are both doing homeschool now, have I mentioned that? They are doing great. Ash thought it was really hard the first week, but she's gotten into a groove now and is learning how to navigate the system. Taking advantage of the live lessons, and even meeting some of her classmates, and running for student body positions!

I'm thinking of starting up a mosaics club of some sort. Maybe meet at my house once/month in the garage and just enjoy making things. I enjoy doing things where I get to smash junk and turn it into something beautiful. No wrong designs, no wrong way to do it. I know of a few people who are also interested, so it could be fun. I know Ash and I want to do it! So, even if no one else shows up, we'll still have fun. :)

Well, I suppose I don't have much news to share. Hey, are any of you watching the new Tom Selleck series? It's great!

Take care of yourself, I love you!

We'll chat soon..

When Life Hurts Most

Anchored To Hope: When Life Hurts Most from Lifepoint Church on Vimeo.

He said..

I keep hearing lately, "I just don't understand what the Lord is doing." "I don't understand why He is letting this happen." "I don't understand why He won't just..." "I really think I'm doing what He wants me to do, so why is He making this so hard?" "I'm really frustrated with what's happening" .................. (I've said a few of these myself!)

Let's not let the enemy fool us into believing that it was the Lord who let us down in situations. Jobs, friends, churches, lovers, bills, etc. It wasn't Him. The Lords plan is the same always, and it's a firm plan. He clearly said: MY plan for you is GOOD. I have not planned a disastrous future for you. I HAVE a HOPEFUL future planned for you. Line your desires up with my Word, let your actions line up with those desires.

He was also sure to tell us: In this world you WILL have trouble. But, don't freak out! I've overcome that troublesome world!! I understand what you're going through, I've been there and then some! Come to me, and I will comfort you and give you peace. I will always be close to you. Even closer than your brother. Please don't focus so much on the things that go wrong. Just focus on all of the wonderful things you have, focus on Me, and everything else that is lovely and pure. Don't let yourself get bogged down with this worldly junk, it's all temporary. I am eternal. Hide in me. Together we will soar!

He told you: I have to go away for awhile, but I will be with you in Spirit. I'm gonna prepare a magnificent place for you. Don't go thinking that I've orphaned you, ok? You're NEVER alone. Even though you won't see me in person for awhile, don't think I've forgotten. It’s gonna get rough down there, but don’t be scared. I am still keeping my promise to you, I'll be back. And, when I come back, I will take you with me! Hold on, soon you and I will be together in My Father's house for forever. It's going to be GREAT!

He said: Will you do something for me while I'm preparing our new home? Will you please prepare for our move? That way, when I come back you will be ready. Don’t forget me, and I won’t forget you. There will be some people who try to lead you astray..There will even be some people who will try to make you think that they ARE Me! So, make sure you know my voice. Oh, and make sure your friends are ready too. I don't want you to have to move to our new home without them, I know they are important to you. And, they are important to me, too! Make sure you know where we're going, and why. And, please don't store up too many treasures there. You won't need them here. I already have more than enough treasure for you to enjoy. Just focus on our upcoming move, and remember, even on the hard days (and they will get hard) when you think I might be too busy for you, I'm not. Just call my name, and I'm there for you. My eye is always on you. I know your name. I know every little hair on your precious head, even the one's you’ve lost. :) I formed you in your Mother's womb, how could you think I would forget such a magnificent thing! I love you, yesterday, today, and forever.

He said: Don't put your hope in men, ok? They can't save you. Put your HOPE in me. I CAN save you. If you put hope in men, they will fail you. Why? Because you guys weren't created to be perfect. That's why you have Me! I do want you to seek WISE council, but I don't want you putting your hope in man, ever. Seek WISE council, and test the spirits. There are so many out there that are claiming to be wise, but they aren't. My words and truth are the same, always. I don't change. I am steadfast. Come to me when you are weary, and I will give you rest. I give you peace. It's free. So please don't try to pay me back for the gifts I've given you. Gifts are free. You invited me to live in your heart, and so I did! Now let me give you things! I love to give you things. I've given you SO much, have you stopped to notice?

He said: Wear your armor. Use your tools. When we go into battle together, we can't lose. So, don't forget to take me with you! The battle will be long and nasty, but in the end, I win. And if you are with me, you win, too. So, stay with me, k? I'll keep you safe, don't worry.

....so....why are we complaining again? ...why are we taking out our earthly frustrations on Him? He's never left us. He's given us everything we need. He's preparing something fantastic for us. He's still here for help. He's coming back to bring us home with Him. He's fulfilling every promise He's ever made, why do we doubt?

When we complain, we are saying He isn’t enough. He didn’t do enough. He didn’t give us enough. He isn’t powerful enough to fulfill the desires of our hearts. And, I don’t want to say those things about my Savior. He IS enough. In EVERYTHING, He is enough. FOR everything, HE is enough. THROUGH everything, HE is enough.

Though people and things will fail us, He won't. And though we may not understand all that life brings us, we can understand that His plan for us is secure and GOOD. We can rest knowing that He has it all under control. Just have to keep things in the right perspective, and have eternal vision.

We'll chat soon..

Just Give Me Jesus

I keep wanting to update..but the words don't come (not necessarily a bad thing!).  Instead, I will share this video with you.  It's one of my most favorites of all time.  Have listened to it for years.  And, on the bad days, I listen to it on repeat.  It's filled with hope and truth.  And those are two things I just LOVE. :)  Life is good.  And His plan is perfect.  You have to trust in that.  Remember to smile, I love you.

So, I'm a rambler..deal with it. :)

So..life is interesting. It's been busy. My patience is on a short fuse..but maybe that's not true. I think I have a lot of patience, but it's finally starting to run out. Perspective. Regardless, God is good! More than good, FANTASTIC. Always.

Chris and Ash leave for Detroit on Sunday. Mom n Dad left for Seattle today. J and I are leaving for Kuna on Sunday..oh wait, we live here. ;) Well, it's not a vacation, but it will be different. And, you KNOW I'm gonna try to find time (and money) to paint..and maybe a fire pit is in my future. Shhh..

Changes are coming, I'm very excited, but sad..really sad. I just wish that things could have been different. But, to everything there is a season. And when one season ends another one begins. I can either embrace the new one or waste time dwelling on the old one and miss the beauty of the new one. It's been a long time coming..and I do mean LONG. We tried to make the change in our own timing, but the Lord had other plans. Now, it's His timing and we are thankful for waiting. Although, it doesn't meant it's easy. It's actually one of the hardest, yet easiest, decisions we've ever made. I know for some this sounds vague..for others it's clear. Regardless, please be praying for us as we welcome in our new season. Pray for understanding, peace and new found joy. The Lord knows His plans for us..and we trust fully in His capability to make that future a wonderful one. As I write this Kirk Franklin and his choir are chanting, "It's gonna be a brighter day! Brighter day!" Perfect timing. :)

Chris and I are getting ready to celebrate FIFTEEN years of marriage!!!!!!!! Holy crap. I still remember people, even on our wedding day, murmuring that we wouldn't make it a year. And for the first few years we survived pretty much just to prove them wrong..yet we were falling apart. And the few years after the first few were even worse than the first few! Haha But the last 9 years have been blissful. Better every day. I just adore the man the Lord made for me. Couldn't have asked for a better friend or husband or daddy for our kids. I am truly blessed beyond measure. My cup runneth over and over and over and over..

Ash is starting high school next month. EEEEEEEK! Lord be with us, and her. I pray she is a light in the darkness.

J's books just arrived for 3rd grade a few days back. We were SO excited! I'm excited for another year with him. I will cherish it for as long as the Lord allows. (lump growing in throat) Who knows, that could be just another week or so. :) I tell ya, I'm learning all sorts of new things lately. Every time I think I have the Lord figured out, He goes and shows me something new.

Ashley just came in and described to me the process of "Doing the sponge"...I'm confused, but amused. She's a funny girl.

We went camping a few weeks back...J got baptized while we were there. It was so sweet. His friend, Delainey, got baptized, too. I have lots of pics. If you want them, let me know, I'll email them to you! We're hoping to go again..but will be going with family. We hope! We're all so busy we haven't had time to see each other much less get a weekend together.

Well, the enemy has been attacking from all directions, but the Lord's army has been quick to defend us/me. It's interesting how when you get in His will, the devil just hates it! :) Oh, I need to find something..hold..ok got it! I'm a fan of the Living Waters Facebook page. And, the other day (much like most days) they had something that I LOVED:

"Let’s bring Satan into perspective. Satan means "Arch enemy of good, and accuser" SATAN IS: Fallen, Defeated, Nothing on his own, Small, Ignorant, Weak. HE WILL NEVER FIGHT YOU AT YOUR STRONGEST MOMENT-Rather he will wait until your weakness is shown. REALITY: He is a coward, a liar, and a thief. THE BIBLE SAYS: Satan ...is "AS" a roaring lion, he is really a little kitten with an amplified voice."

And then, this lady left this comment, which I ADORED!!:

My mom had a dream a few years ago that she was being chased by a giant lion (in the dream she knew it was Satan)...she ran while he chased her and she climbed up a tree. She cowered on the branch and hid her face in terror. God spoke audibly to her and told her to look down at the lions face. She begged God in fear not to ask her to look, but when she did.....he was skinny and weak, as if sickly. He weakly roared at her a pathetic roar and she noticed as he did he HAD NO TEETH! PRAISE GOD! The Word says that Jesus disarmed principalities on the cross! The battle is not ours but the Lords and the victory is also His!

I thought that was pretty cool. The enemy can and will attack, but he only has as much power as you allow him to have. You have the power to cast the devil out. And, The Lord is quick to send in the troops when you call upon His name.  We must not grow weary.  He IS coming.  But, and I've been talking about this with Ash lately,  If we don't know the voice of the Father, we have no hope of knowing the voice of the Liar.  If we don't know the truth, we won't be able to tell when we are being lied to.  It's so important to know The Word.  Know who and what you believe in.  Don't put yourself in the position to be deceived.  Time is short. And the Enemy is pulling out all of his nasty tricks and putting on all of his pretty masks, parading around as someone to believe in..to look up to..to be like.  If you don't know JESUS, you won't know when He's being impersonated.  It's time to get intimately acquainted with Daddy.

So .. I like to swim.  And, I'm considering going swimming today.  But, I'm tired.  And laundry needs to be done.  Hmm..decisions, decisions.

I made focaccia bread for the first time yesterday! It was DELICIOUS!!! I want to make it everyday. But, then I will eat it everyday. And, that's not the best choice. So, I won't. Thankfully, it takes about 24 hours to make, so it's not an impulse make. That's good for me.

I also like Maple Bars.

Ok, I'm rambling, and obviously hungry. Better go for now. But, I love you. And, yes, I realize this blog is disjointed and rambling-ish..but that's what I do. :)

We'll chat soon..

Playing with the blog

Loving my new banner/header..not sure about the background..hmm Wish I could find the background that goes with this header!

Anyway, hope you are all having a lovely week. Love you lots!

We'll chat soon..

God is in the "excepts"

I got this from the Living Waters Facebook page yesterday..they always have amazing thoughts to share:

‎"When you think you have nothing, begin to remember the excepts in your life. I have nothing, except, a couple of dollars, I have nothing except the clothes on my back, I have nothing except an automobile to drive, I have nothing except a roof over my head. You see it’s not in the nothings that God works, but God is working in the exceptions."

We have to shift our focus off of the crap surrounding us and instead focus onto the blessings drenching us! Don't open your door this morning and step over the blessings in order to get to the complaining. Instead, stop and enjoy the blessings. They're yours! And before you know it, all of those complaints will be meaningless. You ARE blessed. ♥

Have a great day! Love you lots.

We'll chat soon..

Always Enough

Always Enough

In a dry and weary land
Lord, You are the rain
In a sea of shattered ones
Your love comes rushing in

You hold the world within Your hands
And see each tear that falls
Through every fire and every storm
You're always enough, always enough

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages
And You're always enough for me

You keep my heart in perfect peace
My life is in Your hands
When confusion hides my way
You're always enough, always enough

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages
And You're always enough

I rejoice for my Savior reigns
I rejoice for He lives in me
God on high, He has set me free
And worthy is the Lord

I rejoice for my Savior reigns
I rejoice for He lives in me
God on high, He has set me free
And worthy is the Lord

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages
And You're always enough for me

Your love is peace to the broken
Faith for the widow, hope for the orphan, strength for the weak
Your love is the anthem of nations, rings out through the ages
And You're always enough

I rejoice for my Savior reigns
I rejoice for He lives in me
God on high, He has set me free
And worthy is the Lord

In a dry and weary land
Lord, You are the rain

He's got my whole world in His hands

Loving this video right now. It pretty much sums up everything I really want to say. But, you know I'll ramble on a bit before I go..



So, I'm wanting a new layout. Tired of this one. It was intended to be temporary after I completely toasted the last one on accident. Remember? Well it just sorta kept staying and I kept letting it. I need a new one!!!!!!!!!! I'll do it..really, I will.

Fireworks booth is almost done. I can't complain about it because others have done much, much more work on and with it than I have. But, I will enjoy having one more thing checked off of the "to-do" list for summer.

Camping is coming up rapidly. We sat and figured out a menu for it today. I'm excited. Hoping my back is better by then so I can sleep on the air mattress without having to take my chiropractor with me. Hmm..not a bad idea just in case. haha

Speaking of the ol' back..as most of you know (if we are FB friends), I threw my back out on Tuesday. No bueno. It's all jacked up from my fall in April (The garage incident, remember?). Doc says that it's mostly due to stress and then the kicker was the fall. So, I have to go 3 times a week for awhile. I was like oh my Lord how will we ever pay for that..and honestly was only going to go until I felt better and then not ever go again. Cuz that's just how I am. Cheap. Now, if it were one of my kids I'd take them as long as need be. Yes, I know..I am just as valuable. Got it. Thanks (Swede).

Anyhoo..I was sitting in the office hearing the cost and time frame. Chris sitting next to me. She gives us the numbers, I want to cry. Then she says, "BUT!" And shows me some account HP has for us that pays for stuff! We don't pay into it. They do it for us I guess. I don't really know. We never use the insurance cuz we don't go to the doc. So this was a surprise to me/us. SO, I don't have to pay a penny :) YAY! So then I almost started crying out of joy and thankfulness..but I refrained. Cuz crying hurts right now..as does sneezing, yawning, yelling, laughing, breathing deeply, swallowing, etc. I've tried it all. No likey. Anyhoo..we got in the car and I told Chris I was just so happy and thankful. He said, "Babe, I told you not to worry about it. That it would work out, that it always does. That you just needed to have faith." I said, "Oh I DO have faith, it was just the mustard seed kind." haha

For some reason I have a much easier time trusting and having faith in huge things..but struggle with the little things. I've always been that way. Don't know why. I'll work on it.

Anyhoo..can't sleep. It's almost 2:30. Wide awake. It hurts to sit here. But it hurts to lay down, too. And, it feels nice to sit here and pretend that I'm doing something normal and not something due to being in pain..like laying around. Although I have immensely enjoyed the whole laying around thing. :) I said on Facebook today, I prayed for a vacation and it came. Just not exactly in the form I had envisioned. haha Regardless it's a vacation and I am enjoying the simplicity of it. Sit, ice, sit, ice, chiropractor, sit, ice, ..you get the idea. I really, REALLY want to rearrange the furniture downstairs though. Chris moved my recliner upstairs for me and now the downstairs looks even more bare and annoyingly bland than before! Oh well..all in time. I also wanna get our firepit dug out.

Well, I guess I don't have anything else to say. Love you bunches, though. And I'm really liking this scripture, so I'll leave you with it:

Matthew 11:28-30 NLT

Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

We'll chat soon..

In the words of Elton John..I'm still standin'!

I have the Elton John song, I'm Still Standing, playing in my head as I tried to think of a title for this blog entry..haha I love that song. Here it is, in case you wanna have it in your head too. :)



Just haven't felt like blogging.  I have still been reading a few here and there and trying to stay somewhat caught up..sounds like everyone is having an eventful life!  This is good. :0)  Glad to hear it.

Life here is good, still busy..busier than ever, really.  The Fireworks booth opens tomorrow at church..so our family will spend a lot of time down there.  And drama practices for the Nationals trip are in full swing, so a lot of time is spent with that.  And then we have softball..that takes up pretty much all of the rest of the little bit of time we had.  I won't lie, I'm a little cranky.  Don't get me wrong, I love all of these activities.  I just miss my family.  But, everyone else does, too.  Supporting the youth is important, and we are glad to be part of it.  We are looking forward to a great time of rest afterward, though.  Anyway, if you need fireworks, come on out to Kuna Life Church and buy them!  You will be supporting a good cause, and we'd love to see you!

I've been swimming at the neighborhood pool as I can..it's really nice this year.  Water is a bit warmer.  There are a lot more people there this year, though.  Hmm..no likey.  Don't they know it's MY pool?  haha  We've had some good times there so far.  Hopefully I can get some time in this week to go..I like to find a time when everyone else is probably busy..lunch time...dinner time..nap time.. :)

Chris and the kiddos are well.  Chris has been bogged down with work stress for 2 weeks, working tons of hours.  Over 100 hours more than he should have had.  These are times that I would really like to be back on hourly wage instead of salary!  haha  It all evens out in the end though..sort of.

The weather has been fabulous!!! Nice and warm, with a few fun storms mixed in too! The kids and I are loving it. As are the dogs. Speaking of dogs, Greta is still destroying. We should have named her Destruction instead of Greta. How such a tiny little animal can cause so much ruckus I will never know. She's soft and lovey though. I'll give her that! :) Her eyes are just precious.

We get to go camping next month with a bunch of close friends, I can't wait! Will be so fun to just get out of dodge for a few days and laugh and enjoy the outdoors.

We got to spend the whole day with Jess and her kiddos today out in Nampa. We were supposed to come back early but I ducked out of everything we were supposed to do so we could have more time. Sometimes you just have to do that. Enough is enough. We had a blast. It was a great, relaxing getaway.

Well, I'm gonna go eat some cake and have some time with the hubby.  Have a great night.  We'll chat soon..ish.

Take care of yourselves. Love you much.

I will leave you with this:

My dear, dear friends! I love you so much. I do want the very best for you. You make me feel such joy, fill me with such pride. Don't waver. Stay on track, steady in God. ~Philippians 4:1~

We'll chat soon..

Shaken, not stirred.

Still in my season of silence..it's hard. It's hard to be quiet. And it's hard to hear the things I hear because of the silence. Somehow words aren't just words anymore. But, I can't offer anything but silence in most cases. The tears are always just a breath away, though. Not tears of sadness necessarily, although there are those too. Just tears that come with deeper understanding.

What has been especially hard is when someone says something that I SO want to respond to, it's like the Lord wipes my brain of any coherent words to offer. Leaving me with only the ability to listen. I find myself saying "hmm" a lot in conversations. Not because I really want to, but because the Lord is teaching me something in listening beyond the words. In listening for what HIS response is to the words being said, even if I'm not to share them with others. Maybe none of this makes sense to any of you. But maybe it does.

I also find myself asking, "Why, Father?" a lot. And in all different contexts. The answer comes quickly and clearly. "Everything that can be shaken will be shaken, daughter. Focus on Me, just Me." Sometimes I say, "Not now." And then I wish I hadn't. Other times I say, "Ok, Daddy." And in that moment of sheer obedience, even as the storm rages around me, I find peace beyond understanding. And I find rest, knowing that when all else fades (and it will), He will still be.

It's not time to have wandering eyes. It's time for our eyes to be firmly focused on Him. The enemy is hot in pursuit of anything it can get a hold of. Don't be deceived. Not everything is as it seems. As I've said before, just because something's changed doesn't mean anything is different. Sometimes it's just a new dress covering up the same old festering wound.

We were watching the season finale of Chuck last night and one of the characters said, "I don't want a brain bath..I want the truth."  I couldn't have said it better.

Seek healing. It's yours. Seek truth. It's yours.

Check this passage out when you have a minute: Philipians 4 <-- click there. :)

Love you. We'll chat soon..

Neglected?

I know, it's been pretty quiet around my blog home since going back to Facebook.  But, really, I just don't have much I'm willing to talk about.  I'm kinda in one of those "seasons" where it seems it's better if I say nothing at all.  I'll choose to learn instead of speak.  If that makes sense.  Don't get me wrong, I still talk all the time (how could I not! haha).  Just not about certain things.  That's a stupid comment and seems vague and like I want you to ask but am not going to say it.  Like I'm on a fishing expedition.  But, I'm not.  Sometimes it's just best to leave things unsaid.  And offer thoughts, worries, joys, troubles, etc up to the Lord in prayer.  He's best equipped to handle them anyway. :)

I know that paragraph will probably spur emails in my inbox asking if I'm ok.  Please, believe me.  I'm fine.  Really.

Isn't it amazing how when we choose to be silent we can hear His voice so much clearer?  It never ceases to amaze me how much we miss out on when we are too busy being loud.  If we insist on making incessant noise, we can't expect to hear His voice.  He speaks softly for a reason.  So that we will be still, let the rest of the noise fade, and just give Him our full attention.  Just as we would a new lover.  He longs for you.  Do you long for Him?  I do.  And I'm in a receiving mode.  But in order to receive I have to give.  And, right now, I'm giving my silence as an offering.  Please, don't mistake it for anything else.  I'm not growing complacent.  I'm not being rude.  I'm not depressed.  I can't say that I am always joyful right now though.  Cuz it's just not true.  I have moments of joy, moments of introspection, moments of anger, moments of whatever else.  There are a lot of changes going on right now, and I just need a bit to soak it all in and learn what the Lord wants me to learn in all of it.  In growing, there are growing pains. I've been noisy, and now I'm choosing to be quiet.

He's been preparing me for this season for quite some time, and I'm so thankful for being in the spiritual place I'm in now instead of where I was a year ago.  But I can't say I'm perfect.  I've spouted off when I shouldn't have and kept quiet when I should have spoken up.  I'm a human and my human flaws are evident.  Thankfully, His grace covers it all.  And His joy comes in the morning, over and over and over again.  :)  He's a fantastic Daddy, isn't He?  Makes me smile whenever I think of Him.

Hmm..what else..I do have a new song that I love.  I know, go figure!  Here's a video of it..


Lyrics:

Gorgeous Face
Your face is what I long to see
Your eyes, piercing the depths of me


Come quickly, my Father
Your child is here waiting
Show me Your face
No more veil’s covering me
Burn me with pure love
So I can see
My Lord, my Lord


Awesome splendor
Glorious majesty
Faithful Father
Gorgeous face


© 2009 Rick Pino and Kari Jobe

Another cool thing..school is out for J and I on Tuesday!!  Maybe earlier if we decide to do extra work.  I can't wait for summer break!  Yeeehaw!

I'll leave you with this:

NOW FAITH is the assurance (the confirmation, ^[a]the title deed) of the things [we] hope for, being the proof of things [we] do not see and the conviction of their reality [faith perceiving as real fact what is not revealed to the senses].  Hebrews 11:1 AMP

Take care of yourself.  Don't forget to take time to listen.  Love you.

We'll chat soon..

Ahhh Facebook, how I love thee

So happy to be back on Facebook, I can't even tell you! Dang, I missed my buddies!!  I didn't miss all of the dramatic junk..but oh well.  I'll just focus on the good. :)

Anyway, if you get the chance, read Isaiah 42-43 in The Message. Um, amazing. I was all sorts of into that yesterday. Still am today, but you know what I mean. :)

I had a donut today. EEEEH! Donut, coffee, banana, strawberry. Yeah, just one strawberry. It was the size of 2. It was HUGE. I liked it. :)

How do YOU spell donut? Doughnut? Donut? I like donut. Doughnut seems too formal. And I don't feel formal when I eat donuts. I feel free when I eat donuts.  :) And, just for the record, I don't usually even want donuts. But when the craving hits..oooh baby. "Me..Love..Donuts!" (<--cookie monster voice) I like to say "donut" a lot right now, can you tell?  Sugar high!!!!!!!!!!

Getting ready to take Ash and Bradee down to the fundraiser car wash for their school. They have to be there for two hours. Then back here to get ready for the get together later. I have to vacuum. That takes a long time. About an hour. Stupid, stupid dog hair.

Fake people annoy me..just by the by. By the by, what a weird saying. Who came up with that. ANyway..if someone doesn't truly care, why bother asking? I mean seriously. Just shut the mother up and go ooze your fake junk on someone else. Just thought I'd add that in, for good measure.

The weather is GORGEOUS outside today! Oh my goodness, I am SO excited to be able to be outside whenever I want to! Without a jacket! Good weather, pleeeeease last. Well, have a wonderful Saturday everyone! I super love you and am so glad you are alive. Make the most of your life! ((hugs))

We'll chat soon..

Countdown to Facebook

I have The Final Countdown song stuck in my head as I think of the last few hours of my Facebook fast.



Kinda funny..haha..Wow those boys were manly. LOL! Ok, enough of that.

Woke up this morning feeling light. Gosh it was nice. The heaviness of the past few days was gone. Thank the Lord. And thank you my friends for praying. The enemy sucks. We all know that. But the Lord is KING.

Watched my friends little son, Kenneth, this morning for a few hours. He was so much fun! Very well behaved and super happy. Was nice to see his Momma for awhile, too. They live in Pocatello so I don't get to see them very often. I'm hoping to be able to go up again for her birthday in June. I did last year and we had SO MUCH FUN! We shall see. :0)

The sun is out in all its glory today. The breeze is light. The air is perfect. I'm guessing somewhere around high 60's/low 70's but I'm not sure. Just feels great.

Ash and I are gonna start painting her room today. The color? Island Orange. It looks like .. well .. an orange. :0) She likes it. And it will brighten up her room quite a bit! haha Should be fun. I love to paint.

We will have Bradee with us all weekend! Also, this weekend we have basketball/dinner/games get together, a sleepover with friends, a fundraiser carwash for the girls' class, a graduation party to set up for and then attend, and maybe even a birthday party if I can get back in town early enough..also a softball practice and drama practice starts back up as well. Not quite sure how it will all fit in, but it will. And we will have a blast with almost all of it!

Well you guys have a wonderful Thursday. I'll see you on Facebook at midnight!!! Oh, and btw, unlike my magnificent TV fast which produced great things in me..the Facebook fast sucked from beginning to end. In the first few days I learned that I was using it as too much of an outlet for feelings instead of taking them to the Lord. Great, fixed that. The rest of the days just sucked because I spent a lot of time fellowshipping on FB, and studying the word to share and discuss with my friends, etc..and when I wasn't on FB, I didn't do those things. So, if anything my walk suffered a bit. So, what did I learn? My Facebook addiction isn't all bad. Just needs to be kept in line. Much like everything else in life.

Love you, we'll chat soon..

Before The Day

Jen over at The Days I'll Remember posted this song on her blog this morning. Um, I fell in love. I've sent it out to pretty much everyone I can through email. But, I thought I'd post it here, too. Thanks, Jen! I'll post the lyrics, too.  My video is different than hers, I found one that had an awesome thing written on it before the music starts.


Title: Before The Day
Artist: NewSong

Last night when I was sleeping
You were watching over me
While I dreamt about tomorrow
You knew my every need
Now another day is waiting
For me to make it through
And there's no way that I could face it without You
Before the day slips away
I want to stop and say
I love You I love You
Before the world rushes in again
I want to stop and say there's none above You
There's none above You
I'll just be still and know You are God
Be still and know You are God
There's something about the morning
The stillness of it all
It calms my heart to hear You
When You gently call
Here I am in Your presence
Where I long to be
Alone with You in the silence
Bring down Your love and Your mercy
Whisper softly to me

Victory is on the way :)

Sometimes the storm knocks you down.  Sometimes the fight seems too hard.

But, when the storm rages, work with the gusts, don't quit! Even in the storm, there is beauty. Are you willing to see it? It might require a change in perspective. Instead of letting the storm knock you down, use it to gain strength. Endurance.

The wind might beat at your back, and the rain might pelt your face. Use the wind to soar, and the rain to cleanse.

Grow, prepare and be ready. So that when the sun breaks through the clouds and the rainbow spreads across the sky, you will be ready to fully embrace the glorious moment of long awaited victory.

The best rainbows come after the worst storms.   It's coming. Can you feel it?  Look UP!

The truth is, when you forget (or refuse) to look up..you miss out on seeing The Helping Hand stretched out for you.

 

To Know Your Heart

Even when you know the storm is coming, it still hits harder than you'd expected. But the peace that comes, when you allow it, is beyond understanding. My heart is beyond heavy and the tears seem to be never ending. But my soul is soaring on wings of eagles. Which is hard, even for me, to believe.

I got in the car today after church and sat in silence for quite awhile. Just listening for my Father. Feeling His embrace. Drowning out all that surrounded me and just being nothing more than silent in His presence. Then felt the Lord urge me to turn the radio on. I did, and this song was just starting. I've never heard it before. It was perfect. Thank you, Father. For loving on me so completely. For comforting me beyond what any human can offer. For being my Friend Who sticks closer than a brother. For being my Shelter. For hiding me in the shadow of Your Wing. I love you, always. With YOU all things work together for my good. You've never failed me, so I won't doubt in You now.



Love you guys. Oh, and Happy Mother's Day. You are beautiful, adored, cherished and valued. Not even one of you is alone. Even if you feel that way. He is always with you.

We'll chat soon..

The Cure for Worry!

 Pastor Laurie does it again..or shall I say the Lord does it through Pastor Laurie.  That's more accurate!  Willing vessels are my most favorite thing ever!  Anyway, this devo hit my inbox just as I was worrying about the day and complaining about my shoulder pain..wondering how I was gonna go scrub floors and tubs.  Thankfully, my God is bigger than any shoulder pain..and He will give me strength I can't find on my own. :0) 

Also, I love that he used the word "perspective"!  You all know that's my new favorite word.  Dang it's an easy one to say, hard one to apply.  But, I'm getting better.  It seems I'm constantly reminding myself, "perspective".  And every time I do, it's like hearing it for the first time!  LOL  Oh yeah, perspective!  :0)  Anyway, I highlighted the sentence where he says that..for your viewing pleasure.  heehee  Love you!  Have a GREAT Friday!


FRIDAY, MAY 7, 2010
The Cure for Worry
Greg Laurie

From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety.
— Psalm 61:2


There are things in life that scare us, even terrify us sometimes. We have concerns about the future, about our health, about our family, and about our finances. The list of things that cause us to be filled with anxiety goes on and on. So I have a suggestion for you: the next time you are tempted to worry, pray.

I worry, and I don't admit that with pride. Worry can be a sin in which we are failing to trust God. Philippians 4:6–7 gives us this solution for worry:
Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.


Notice these verses don't say that as you pray about everything, God will take your problems away. Rather, it says that God's "peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." Maybe God will take your problem away. Or maybe He won't. But what will happen is that you will gain perspective as you see God for who He is and your problem for what it is.

If you have a big God, then you have a relatively small problem. But if you have a big problem, then it might be that you have a small God. You are not seeing God in His glory and what He can do. The psalmist wrote, "From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed . . ." (Psalm 61:2). When I cry out to God, He gives me His peace and His strength. And He will do the same for anyone who will call on Him.

Matt & Laura's Haiti video

Can't even begin to tell you how proud I am of them. They make differences in the lives of many, daily. And get out of their comfort zone to do so. I wish I could bring all of those kids home and love on them forever. And, I wish videos of kids in the USA would show such joy. Our kids really don't know how good they have it..neither do we.

Anyway, I thought you all might enjoy to see the video since you were my prayer buddies while they were there! Enjoy.

Sunshine, sweat, and yelling.

Yup, woke up to SUNSHINE. Will it last? Even an hour? I hope so. Yesterday we had minutes of sunshine, hours of dark nasty wind, bursts of snow, hail, rain, and just all around muck. Yesterday's weather was like a woman's emotions when going through PMS. ..Oh, and just a side note, we do all realize that it's mid MAY and I used the word SNOW. Right?

First song that popped up on my player when I signed in was Zac Brown Band: Chicken Fried.  LOVE IT!  Such a fun band.  Now, it's Toby Keith: I Wanna Talk About Me.  Love that song, too!  How funny!  Must be why it's on my playlist.  haha  Anyway, it reminds me of when we lived in Texas.  The song had just come out.  And our friends son, Brian, just LOVED it and loved to sing it whenever it came on.  So cute.  Every time I hear that song I think of Brian and all the laughs our families had together.  You'd think they still live there the way I talk, right?  No, they live 30 minutes away from me.  I see them once a year, maybe.  Sad!  I should work on that.

After last weeks Biggest Loser episode where they did the 5K run, Chris told me that he wanted to do that with me the next time we went to the gym.  After my whole falling issue we didn't go that Friday, or Monday.  (Remember, I literally could barely walk on Monday.)  So, last night was the night!  I was like..oh man, why am I doing this.  Now..5K really isn't that big a deal.  It works out to 3.1 miles (thank you Google)..I usually do 5 miles on the elliptical. (yes, we did elliptical, not treadmill..I wonder how that changes things?) But, as soon as I got on the elliptical last night my legs and hips were already on FIRE.  My body was like, "ARE YOU FLIPPING KIDDING ME?!?!"  At 1.6 miles I looked over to Chris and told him, "I'm not gonna make it."  And in usual fashion, my husband yells, in the gym, because he still (at 34 years of age) can't figure out that when you have earphones in you don't need to speak so loud..."WHAT?  HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE LEFT? 30 SECONDS?  YOU CAN'T MAKE IT?"  I almost punched him off of his elliptical machine.  In my head I saw him flying through the air.  I told him, "You're yelling again."  "WHAT???  ISN'T IT JUST 30 SECONDS LEFT?  YOU SAID YOU WERE DOING 30 MINUTES?"  I said, "You're yelling."  He then pulls out his earphones.  Jeez, thanks.  Novel concept.  Turns out he doesn't realize that I set my timer to show how much time I have left, not how much time I've done.  I don't feel like explaining it, so I just turn my face away from him.  And just for the record, I was going 45 minutes, not 30.  So regardless, he made no sense.  Ok, I wasn't really going to tell you all of that.  I love my husband.  HAHA  Anyhoo, Then at 1.74 miles I thought, I am going to DIE.  It was SOO HOT IN THERE!  I really need to get that manager to crank the A/C.  74* for a gym is like working out on the face of the sun.  And it's totally humid in there with peoples nasty butt sweat.  Moving on...well, wait.  Staying put for a sec.  When we first started going there it was nice and cool.  And, no butt sweat.  What happened?   OK..NOW moving on...so at 1.74 miles I decided I wasn't going to look at the progress screen anymore for awhile.  I got sucked into my Hoarders show (GREAT SHOW) and next time I looked I was at 2.33 miles.  Sweet!  I look over at Chris and say, "Did you say it was 3.1 miles or 3.6 miles?"  "WHAT??"  "Did you say it was 3.1 or 3.6 miles?"  "THREE POINT ONE"  Again, everyone on the gym looks over.  They feel my pain, I'm sure.  Well, actually, they are probably used to it.  Because as he watches whatever show he's got on he laughs just as he would at home..makes comments on the show in a very loud voice..it's actually kind of funny.  Just not when he's making it sound like I can't make it 30 seconds on a machine.  Then all the funny runs out.  I'm rambling again.  I know.  SO..I finished my 3.1 with lots of time to spare so I kept going..because I wanted to finish watching Hoarders.  So..in the end I made it 4 miles and went for an hour.  I usually make it 5 miles in just a little over an hour..so I'm running, in theory, about 5 minutes behind that.  Which means I need to get into the gym more.  I'll deal with that later.  Actually, the last 15 minutes on the machine I went super slow..so maybe if I'd given it my all, I would have gotten 5 miles.  Yeah, I'll go with that. haha

Well, that's really all I had to share.  Except that our Cinco De Mayo dinner was super yummy.  And Chris has decided that he will have the left over meat with eggs this morning.  The kids and I almost threw up.  But, I do realize that many people like cow and eggs.  That's fine.  I don't.  I hope he super enjoys it!  He's up sleeping right now.  Got up to take Ash to the bus stop, but must not have had a meeting because when I woke up he was back in bed with me!  He's such a sweetie.  I just love him.  Even when he's yelling at me in the gym..on accident, of course.

Love you!  Have a wonderful day.  Remember, Jesus LOVES you with a love that is limitless.  His love never runs out, or walks away if it gets too hard.  And He is forever faithful to you..without fault..He loves you because He WANTS to.  He's not forced to.  He CHOSE you.  He WANTS you!  You are the apple of His eye.

We'll chat soon...

Cinco De Mayo!!

Yay! I just love this holiday and am proud to be part of my husbands heritage..even if only by marriage. :0) J told my Mom a few weeks back, "I'm not sure I want to be part Mexican. Even though I really like Mexicans." My Mom asks him why and says he should be very proud of who he is. J replies, "Well...I can't speak spanish." awwww it was so sweet. He did learn a little bit last year and will start learning more in school this coming year. I told him Mommy can't teach you many words that are good for you to know, so you better wait for school..haha Chris should be able to teach him everything he needs to know, but he's forgotten most everything he learned. Bad!

We've had the carne asada marinating since Monday afternoon (some say to only marinate for 2 hours, no more than 24..we don't agree). I'm in the process of making green sauce for dipping...and we've decided against making our own tortillas today. Just not enough time. Too many other things going on. But we will imagine them. The last ones we made turned out really well!

Well, enjoy your day! We plan to enjoy ours. Yahoo!

Love ya

We'll chat soon...

Help! I've fallen..but I got up.

Our Golden Retriever has serious separation issues. When we leave, she digs to try to get out..not even near a gate..that would take too much brainy activity. She just literally goes crazy and starts maniacly digging and drooling and shaking and running. So, we can't leave her outside. And we can't leave her in the dog kennel because she does the same thing in there that she does outside. So we get home and she is sopping wet with drool. Gross. SO, we leave her in the garage when we leave. That worked well for awhile cuz I think she kinda figured we were inside, not gone. Then at some point she figured it out and started flipping out..trying to eat herself into the house by destroying the doorframe. Stellar. So, we now baracade the door. We put the kennel in front of half of it and then the baby gate on the other half of it so she can't get at it. It actually works really well. She just walks around with my slipper in her mouth and waits for us to get home. Sweet!

All of THAT to say..I had it all set up in the garage the other day (Friday) and noticed that I had forgotten to put her bed down on the concrete for her to lay on. And, J was bringing out her bowl of water and I didn't want him to have to climb over the gate. So, I went over the gate. Literally. The tip of my shoe caught on the handle of the mop that was wedged in between the wall and gate and I went flying. In the nano seconds between standing and laying, I thought, I could keep trying to regain balance, or I could just fall. I thought, screw it, I don't even care. And, I fell. Full force onto the ground. Pounding my entire right side into the concrete. Probably wasn't the best idea. But, I'm tired people. There comes a point in life where you just decide, screw it, I don't want to fight anymore. And that was the moment I had in the garage. I just didn't feel like trying to fight against something that was going to happen, in some form, anyway. So, I jacked up my shoulder pretty good. Shooting pains everywhere. But, it's all better now. I got a nasty concrete burn (like a rug burn) with a hideous bruise all around it and then on my thigh I have a huge bruise in the shape of the outside of my fist (think donut)..which my thigh firmly landed upon. Of course, my hips always hurt (thank you Hartmann family tree) so this only made that lil problem about a million times worse. No biggee.

So then on Sunday, Amber, Val and I were supposed to go hiking. But between the weather and my "fall", the hike was out. This was going to be the repeat of the death hike I did last year with Val. Some of you will remember that hike. It is straight from the pit of hell, but so worth it. So, I told Amber I thought I'd be fine to just walk on flat ground..just not ready to go push myself up the hill for hours on end. SO..she came over and we walked..and walked..and walked. I wanted to finish a loop that Tierney and I had started a few months back. And, we did! My hips were hurting pretty good by half way through..and when we got done they really hurt. Some would have stopped. I told my body to suck it up. I was busy. We ended up walking over 7 miles. I can hardly walk yesterday night and today. Cool, right? LOL My poor, poor hips. One day they will realize that I'm not giving in. Or, they'll win and I'll get a hip replacement..whatever. Either way, I'm gonna keep walkin.

So, back to Friday. We were getting ready to leave because Ash was gone for the weekend to Montana for Bible Quiz, and J was going to my parents' house for the weekend. AND, Chris was taking me out for my belated Birthday dinner and outing over the weekend (specifically that night). So, it was super cool to destroy myself just as we are getting ready to walk out the door, right!?! LOL Chris said, "Babe, maybe we should just stay home." I said, to hell with that. We are going OUT. Us Mother's have to take it where we can get it! We stopped and got some bandaids and a huge bottle of ibuprofin. I took a bunch and felt better. See, honey!?! I'm totally ready to go out! ;) We had a blast. Yummy dinner, great movie (Date Night..an objectional moment but otherwise great), walk around the mall for our breakfast the next day (Mrs. Powell's Cinnamon Rolls) and a stop by The Cheesecake Factory for our to-go desserts. Then home to overdose on Ibuprofin relax.

Saturday we laid around totally lazy..oozed around like beached whales as we ate the cinnamon rolls. Then went out to grab some lunch, a birthday present for our weekly birthday party (haha) and a dessert. Then over to his brother, Dave and Amber's house for dinner. Had super fun there, I grinned through the pain and kept popping pills.

Sunday, we again lazed around and ate the rest of the cinnamon rolls..and then my walk..and then a birthday party..then Ash came home! And then the real hip pain set in. And now here we are. :) The family is trying to be nice to me and not make fun of how stupid I look when I walk..well, in reality, this isn't the first time this has happened. My hips actually despise me and do this often, just not this bad.

In the meantime I was able to get all of our laundry done, and grocery shop, get the library books returned, solve quite a few crossword puzzles, have a race down a parking lot with J (it doesn't hurt hardly at all to run..weird, right?), and go through yard sale stuff! It was a FABULOUS weekend!!!

Well, there's the update. It was a long one, huh. I have to figure out how to stop rambling so. But..then..I wouldn't be me.

Soduku Guru?

I've been working on solving puzzles in my Soduku puzzle book for about a year now.  I got through the Novice section, no problem.  Then got through the Master section with challenge, but not too much.  Now, I'm in the Guru section and can't solve them on my own for anything!  Urgg.  Are any of you Suduku masters?

And, just by the way, how DO you spell Soduku?  I find it spelled differently all over.  My book shows it as "Sudoku".  The internet shows it as "Soduku".  I've seen it with varying o's and u's.  Hmm. 

See God's Goodness In The Midst Of Evil

My buddy, Ernesto, forwarded this to me today.  It is AMAZING!  I just love how when we choose to change our perspective on a situation, everything is made clear.  Anyway, enjoy..


See God’s Goodness In The Midst Of Evil
By: Joseph Prince


Matthew 2:13
13… an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

God does not play a game of counterattack with the devil — the devil does something bad, then God steps in to bring something good out of it. The truth is, when something bad happens, it is the devil reacting to something good that God has started. The Lord once told me, “Tell My people that if they want to understand what I am doing, just look at what the devil is doing and see it in reverse. That is what I am doing, multiplied many times over.”

I see this truth in the Bible. When Christ was born, soldiers were sent to kill all baby boys under the age of two in Bethlehem. The folks in Bethlehem then would have seen only evil. But there were those like Mary who saw God’s goodness. They knew that God had sent a Savior into the world! The killing of the infants was just the devil’s reaction to the gift of salvation that God had sent.

The Lord showed me that this was how we were to look at the bird flu when it hit our region not too long ago. While I was pondering the significance of birds, the Lord showed me Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?”

If God takes care of the birds, how much more will He take care of you! So, by attacking the birds with disease, the devil is, in essence, reacting to God’s provision for His people. In other words, he saw that God’s provision had already been released on His people in a big way!

With every new virus that the devil throws at us, you must discern that the devil is trying to pervert and reverse what God is already doing. Then, you will know that something good is going to come out of it. You see, every new strain of virus tells us that God has already released a new anointing of health for His people. And I believe that He releases new levels of prosperity for His people too. So don’t just see the evil. See the good that God is already doing!

Facebook, itchy throats and sunshine

Good afternoon, blogging buddies :)

How is your life today?  Treating you well?  Are you enjoying the moments?  My life is nice today, treating me fine, and I'm enjoying most of the moments, as long as they don't piss me off.  And, I'm PMS'ing, so .. yeah, nuff said.

A fantastic bit of news, the sun is out!  Yesterday was so funky weather wise.  It's nice to have a break today, although it is cold and super windy.  At least the sun is out.  I can deal with the rest.

Kirstie Alley's BIG LIFE is still cracking me up.  What a funny show.  Anyone at all watching it????  And, I haven't heard anything from you all on my Biggest Loser post a few days back.  Is anyone watching that????  I like to use a lot of ?????'s

Still in the thick of the Facebook fast.  Just talking about it makes me want to swear.  And I work very hard at not swearing, so maybe we shouldn't talk about it..but, I will.  And, I won't swear.  Promise.  Tomorrow will be 2 weeks w/o FB.  It feels like 2 years.  I don't miss the actual website, or anything it offers.  I just miss my friends. :0(  Quite a few have been emailing me, so that has been nice.  Some of the one's I miss most have proven that with or without Facebook, we won't be separated.  That brings a smile to my face. See?  There really WAS life before Myspace/Facebook!  And the continued communication proves that.  *wink*  But there are still so many times that I want to go post something..or get an emotion out, or whatever..and can't.  So, I either end up blowing up or bottling up or both or nothing or.. yeah.  I'm lost.  Ok, that's a bit dramatic.  I'm not lost.  Just having to find a new outlet for my emotions/thoughts, etc.  Anyway, I told Chris Facebook is my "dope" and, like Mike Starr, I'm dope sick (any celeb. rehab/sober house fans out there?).  Oh, did I mention my friend Mike Q. joined me and Jess in the Facebook fast?  It's great to have company.  Jess was only a part time lover of FB anyway, so it hasn't been too rough for her.  Mike and I on the otherhand..well let's just say, we are walkin by faith.  LOL

More people have moved on in other areas of  life.  It's sad.  I keep wondering, how many more? I'm trying to stay positive and peaceful and choosing to put my focus on Him instead of outward things, but sometimes (about 4 million times/day) it gets hard.  It's a constant adjustment from outward to upward.  I find myself saying, "I give it all to you Lord" more than you could possibly begin to imagine.  I know that in all things, He has my best interests in mind and will work everything for the good.  And I know that to everything there is a season.  But, ...ok I need to stop talking about this and move onto something else. 

Allergies.  Horrendous.  Payday will bring more allergy pills.  Thank you, Jesus, for payday.  I'm itching, my son is making loud snorting sounds to itch his throat, Chris is coughing.  I don't know what the daughter is doing, she's at school.  But we here at home are miserable.  However, as soon as I look outside and see all of the gorgeous green grass and trees and the beautiful rainbow of colored flowers, it's all worth it.  NO SNOW is a wonderful thing. 

Well, have a wonderful day friends. Praying the best for you and believing for great things on your behalf.  Life is good, don't ever forget it.  You are loved.

We'll chat soon..

Announcing....

My new playlist!  I'm still workin on it..but it's got a lot of my faves so far. 

The Biggest Loser

Anyone watch this weeks episode?  Cuz I was crying for the whole last half of it.  O'Neil got me good.

The other thing that I loved was when Koli reminds Victoria of something great.  And, I've heard it before on the show but for some reason it just really stuck out at me yesterday.  He said, "Your potential is limitless."  That is SO TRUE (obviously)!  People will say, "Now THAT one has potential."  But the truth is, we ALL have it!  And it's LIMITLESS!  What a freeing statement.

"Go GRAYS!!!"  Love my gray team (Sam & Koli).   Yellow (O'Neil and Sunshine) is still my 2nd fave..but the grays just had my heart from day one.  They're good boys.  But, O'Neil..man, I love him.

Have a great SONday everyone.  Love you!

We'll chat soon...

Happy Birthday to me!

Today is kinda cool cuz it's my birthday.  Ok, I don't really care for my birthday.  BUT, the cool part of it is that I am 33.  I love that my age is two of the same number. 

So..many of you remember that today was my weight loss goal date.  I wanted to be at 140 today (started at 167).  Here is my report. :)

Mom & Dad gave me some birthday $$ yesterday so today I went out shopping for a few hours.  Got some make up (sorely needed) and some clothes (also sorely needed).  I went to try on the clothes..it's never a good experience.  But, it's getting better, slowly.  Anyway, I had no idea what size pants to buy because I haven't bought pants in a bazillion years (minus the pair I bought at Christmas that never fit right but after returning them twice and getting new ones I just didn't care.  I wear them even though they are huge).  So the pants in my closet are 10's, 12's and 14's.  Usually I get a 12 and they are snug.  Today I thought, eh, what the heck..I'll try an 8..and then they didn't have the color I wanted in an 8, only a 6.  So I thought, what the heck, I'll try it on.  Never thought it would fit, just thought I'd try..because that's what I do.  I try things even if I don't think they will work.  Call me sadistic..call me optimistic.  I'm sure, at times, I fit either description.  Anyway, THEY FIT!  I mean, they aren't loose.  It's not a "perfect fit" by any means.  But, they fit!  I haven't worn a 6 since before I had J.  He's 8.  Yeah.  I never thought I'd get back into a 6.  And, still, an 8 would probably be a better choice.  LOL  The body of the pants fit perfectly as a 6.  The waste "band" needs to be an 8.  But, to hell with that.  I bought the 6 and will work out.  I don't wear skin tight shirts anyway..and before I started working out, my 14's and 12's fit like my 6's do now.  So, who cares??

Also, in a bit of sad news..I had to get new bras.  Last time I bought a bra I was a healthy D.  Now?  normal B.  *sigh*  I told Chris, I need liposuction, a tummy tuck and a boob lift.  I may be wearing the 6 and the B bra, but I in no way look the same way I did last time I wore these sizes.  He says, it's time to add in weights to my work out and he thinks that I will acheive the look I want.  We shall see.  If I don't, can I have liposuction, tummy tuck and a boob lift?  Honestly, though, when all of the bills are paid off, I really will consider calling my plastic surgeon and going in for a Mommy Makeover.  Why do all that work if I still have to look like crap afterwards?  I can't think of a reason.  It was one of the main reasons I didn't want to lose weight..because I didn't want to be a saggy woman.  Don't get me wrong, I still have plenty of plump..but the sag is starting to increase.  urgg..one step at a time, Sarah, one step at a time. 
I also got a large shirt and a SMALL shirt!  OK, can't hardly ever wear a small and definitely not anytime recently.  My shoulders are too big for smalls.  My boobs are too big for smalls.  It's just always been that way.  But this one is kind of a tank top so my shoulders have no issue.  My newly tiny boobies still are a little snug, but it's not bad.  Do you really want to know this?  LOL  Anyway, I usually wear an extra large.

SO, even though I didn't meet my weight loss goal for todays date (I wanted to be at 140, I'm at 149), I am super happy with where I'm at.  I will still lose more as time goes on, but I'm in such a better place now emotionally and physically, I feel a million pounds lighter.  I haven't worked out in about 3 weeks..maybe longer?  Anyway, at that time I was 150..so basically the other pound I've lost since then is probably muscle.  No good.  We are gonna start going to the gym again on Monday.  Next gym goal: Get rid of back boobs :o)  (no, I'm not talking about my butt..it's already long gone).

Well, we had a great day today.  Next weekend, after payday, my hubby is taking me out to get some Asian Fusion for a belated bday dinner..can't wait!

OH and I came home to a BEAUTIFUL bouquet of multi colored roses from Jess.  They smell SOOOOOOO good.   And they are beautiful. 

Thanks to everyone who has texted/called/emailed to wish me a happy birthday.  It's been happy, indeed!

Love you!

We'll chat soon..