Christmas Tree Fiasco!

Okay, so I had it all planned out.  Saturday we would get up, have breakfast, pull out the Christmas decs and cook our own turkey dinner(went to a friends for Thanksgiving, it was so good that I wanted leftovers).  Anyhow, sounds great right?  Well let me tell ya, not so.  Whew, here goes.  And by the way-Jim was a trooper!

The dreaded furniture rearrangement.  Not such a big deal for me but an annoying experience for my husband! Sorry honey!

Get out the decs!

Bring out the pre-lit tree.  What a novel idea these are.  Just put it together, plug in and your off!  Whatever!  Many rows of lights not lighting.  I think there was a better solution than what I did.  I will tell you about this a little later.

Okay-we will just add a couple string of lights to fill in the darks spots and off we go.  No so simple!  Can’t find the box that the lights were in.  After thirty minutes without results, I decide we need a change.

I want red lights!!!  Jim’s face was just tooooooo precious.  Well, not a face that a wife on a mission wants to see but remember I said Jim was a trooper.

Okay, let’s just cut off all the lights and we will just string the lights outselves.  Do you know how many lights are on a pre-lit 9 foot tree? Alot.  Jim would probably say too many! Sorry again honey.

Okay, so two hours later I am finishing up my cutting and Jim comes home with 400 red  Christmas lights.  Four hundred lights-nine foot tree.  I don’t think this will be enough. 

“Honey, will you go out and get about 600-800 more lights.” 

“Sure” he said

Ring Ring-the cell phone.  “Honey, they are all out of the red lights here at target, what would you like me to do?  White ones?”

Okay, not good, I don’t want to see another white light again.  Not good.  Be gracious and ask him to go get 1200 red lights from another store. 

“Honey, could you go get 1200 lights from another store?”

“1200?”

“Yeah, the ones you bought probably won’t match so we will have to start all over again”

“Okay honey”

Finally, 8 hours later I finally get the lights on the tree and BAM! It is so red, I have too many lights.  So being gracious to my husband I left them all on the tree cause he worked so hard on his day off. 

Decorate tree:  ALL MY DECORATIONS ARE RED!!! OOPS
We had to go out and find silver bulbs because all red was not going to work. 

So that was out tree decorating drama.  The one thing I love about this is that Jim and I will have an awsome memory to share together forever.  I have to say it was a funny day and I can hear the laughs for years to come.

Oh yeah-I could have just changed the fuses from the orginial lights

Lost Teen Girl (part II)

When I was 15 years old I didn’t have much direction in my life.  My parents were divorced, we didn’t go to church and I had a boyfriend (trust me, not a good situation).  My mom did a great job of teaching me right from wrong but there was an absence in my life.  Absence from what mattered most.

You see, the picture above was me when I was fifteen.  I was walking in the middle of life without a father.  I am not talking about my earthly father, I am talking about my Godly father.

When he looks at all of his children who don’t know him yet, he is dreadfully seeing them in the middle of life without him and it hurts him so much.  Just picture seeing your 15 month old baby walking in the middle of the street. What would you do?  I would scream at the top of my lungs and run as fast as I could to save my precious child.  This is how God feels all the time. He wants to run in the middle of our lives and save us. 

Share with others who their true Father is.  Wouldn’t you want to know?

Which Way?

Sunday morning Turner had a meltdown.  He loves going to church but he can’t stand being in the kindergarten room for 3-1/2 hours.  I don’t blame him.  He is in school all week, we are in Freedom’s Gift practice Saturdays and Sundays which leaves Turner without his parents undivided attention alot-ALOT!  I don’t like this. I initially dropped out of the production because of Turner but was asked to come back because someone had to drop. 

When it was time to get ready for church the other morning, Turner was standing in the corner of his room on his bed with his hands in his jammies saying, “I don’t want to go it is too long!”  I had to stop and think for a minute.  My son is trying to tell me something.  He is saying, “I need you, I miss you and I don’t want to do this anymore.”  He was defiant in getting dressed and made it very clear he was not going to obey me.

Which way do I go with this situation? I could discipline him for disobeying me and make him get dressed with force.  Not a good option.  God spoke to me so quickly. He made me realize that my action at this point could dictate his view of church and how he could possibly feel about God later. 

I said to him, “Turner, it is a long time in class.  I realize we are really busy and that you want our time and I am sorry that it has been this way.  I need your help today Turner.  I promised Brian I would be at church to help.  I will see what I can do about next Sunday.  Can you get dressed and help mommy today?”  He hugged me and got dressed. 

The important thing is that children need to be listened to.  Even when we are in a hurry and don’t have time to deal with getting our children dressed.  In their young hearts, they are still learning how to deal with their own feelings and how to express themselves.  When we respond in a way that acknowledges their feelings, speak to them with understanding and explain in simple ways for them to grasp, the situation can be resolved quickly. 

Here is the cool thing.  I do not have to be at Kingdom Kids because the director took care of it.  Next year Turner will be in the class and he will love big group.  I think the most important lesson to learn from this is to never sacrifice your family on the alter of church ministry. God gave me the responsibilty to minister to my family first.  We are to be involved in church ministry but not to the extent that it could harm the spiritual growth our child.

How not to take a test!

I have been studying for the RMA(registered medical assistant) exam through the AMT for the past month.  I have put this off for years(20) because in Washington State the Nursing Board governs certification and there is no need as long as you have gone to an accredited school.  I was in the Navy as a Hospital Corpsman.  In Illinois there is no governing state board so hospitals and clinics require a national certification by an accredited body.

I wish I would have gone further in my education to become a physician but God did not have this for me.  Maybe he did but I did not follow.  He gave me a wonderful family and I would not sacrifice the family over my own ambition or success.  God gave me a duty and responsibility to be a mommy and a wife and I cherish this.   Who knows, maybe when the kids are older I can look into this but until then I am a mommy and a wife!

So anyway, the test scared the crud out of me by question #2.  I studied a book that I ordered from Amazon.  NONE OF THE STUFF I STUDIED WAS ON THE TEST.  So here is how it went:

1.  Half way through-crying(thinking I am going to fail)

2. Getting to the end of the test and saying “forget it, you failed just finish it and no reason to review your answers”

3. End of test: putting my face in my hands when the result came up on the screen.

4. Peeking through my fingers to see if the screen says pass or fail.

5. ”PASS”-HOLY TOLEDO OHIO BATMAN!

6.  Leaving and getting my score:  Scoring scale: 0(being worst) to 99(best)

7.  My score 99-you have got to be kidding me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

8.  Okay who botched the scoring? 

9.  Praise GOD!

Anyway, I am thankful for God’s providence over me through the test.  I am thankful for Jim because he gave me alot of time to study.  My kids were patient and this was a huge help.  Nugget of wisdom: Worrying through the test did absolutely nothing for me other than needing to go to the bathroom, give me a headache and a yucky stomach ache.  Oh, one last thing-make sure the study material you have is a suggested resource by the test giver! Good suggestion-wish I would have done this!

Favorite After School TV Shows!

Okay, so Jim posted his favorite cartoon characters, so I felt the need to post my favorite afterschool shows.  I actually didn’t get a chance to watch my favorite cartoons when I was younger because my older brother was a tv hog.  So here are my favortie afterschool shows:

6.  Zoom-actually only liked this a little-not much to watch back then, so this was what I turned to.

5.  Electric Company-Loved this show-especially the floating half words.  Jim, can you tell me how they did that?

4.  ABC Aftershool specials-they were pretty good about teaching you not to do drugs.  Worked for me. 

3.  The Flinstones-great show! Fred and Barney were-well-not the sharpest knives in the drawer.

2.  Here’s Lucy-Life has changed so much since these days.  Lucille ball was a talented woman.

1.  Gilligan’s Island-Absolutely brilliant show. Gilligan was my favorite.  I could never understand why the Howells brought so much stuff for a 3 hour tour.

So you are probably wondering why it is not a top ten list.  Okay, we didn’t have cable.  At least we had a TV!

Splitter…

  

So why do they call it a headache?                       

Okay, so I have a headache.  Why do they call it this.  When I think of an ache I think of maybe like a bruise that is sore to touch.  Or maybe gas pains-that’s achey (sorry but I couldn’t come up with anything else-guess this happens once in a while-sorry honey). Or maybe sore muscles after lifting weights, besides that kind of ache actually feels good. 

When I get headaches 3-4 a month, they don’t ache, my head is “SPLITTING OPEN AS IF IT WAS BEING SQUASHED IN A VICE GRIP”

Long verbage for a headache.

I had meningitis in 2002 and since then I get headsplitters all the time.  Not migraines just splitters.  Okay, so meningitis-not fun.  Don’t wish that on anyone! Really don’t like morphine either-I felt like I was in a boat and the sheets in the bed were waves!  EEEEWWWW-nausea!  When I got to the hospital the 2nd time (first visit they said it was a migraine) they made me sit in the waiting room.  I took a chair and sat in front of the nurses station.  Finally after 15 minutes I started yelling (I was out of it, gotta remember meningitis okay) “I either have a brain tumor or meningitis-take me back now!”  That worked-got back to the room and I told the nurse I needed to vomit.  She handed me this tiny, little, itsy bitsy emesis basin!  WHAT-not happening!  Give me the garbage can!  Glad I said that cause-well-nevermind!

So anyhow-spinal tap, brain scans and the whole nine skippy!  Oh yeah-5 days in isolation.  Nurses treated me like I had the plague.  Or maybe they were smiling but I couldn’t see cause of their face masks.  Maybe that was it. 

Back to the whole “headache thing”.  What do ya think?

What can you come up with that makes absolutely ZERO sense?

Like why do they call them ‘hotdogs’?  We don’t heat up a dog and put it on bread do we? And why are they called buns?  I thoughts buns were things we sat on?  And why are they called hamburgers?  It’s made from beef folks!  Why is it called a sandwich?  Sand-beach and wich-what is a wich? Why is it called a driveway when we park in it and a parkway we drive on?  I am confused-help me folks.  Maybe I should take something for my headsplitter?

Lost Teen Girl (part I)

Being a teenager really stinks sometimes.  No, I’m not a teen now but I sure had a tough time growing up.  All I wanted was for someone to listen to me.  I didn’t know the Lord and had no direction.  I was from a divorced home and was only told what to do and how to do it, not why we do it.  I had horrible grades and stinky friends.  I had no confidence and chose horrible boyfriends.  

When I was in high school, I had a friend Jeannette and her father was a pastor.  She would spent alot of time with me in our home (what was wrong with this pastoral father?)  They would never let me stay at their home because they were always so busy.  Her parents started to not care for me because Jeannette started getting in trouble.  She would lie to her parents about what she was doing and then they would think I was the problem and well, I probably was.   Soon, Jeannette was no longer to be my friend.  My heart was broken.  What was wrong with me?

Here is the deal.  If her parents would have invested in their daughter and her friends, I could have come to know the Lord sooner.  I realize God’s plan was written for me but the point I am making is this…

Invest in a teen through your kids.  Let them invite kids who don’t know the Lord into your home and church. Don’t push those kids away, just embrace them, listen to them and encourage them.  Make the investment in them.  Always use discernment and encourage your own teen to be a light on others. 

Jeannette’s parents lost a chance to share the Gospel and lead a troubled teen to the Lord.  What if that time in my life would have been the only time I would have heard the Gospel?  I praise God that I know him and that I was blessed with life!  You may be the only one that shares Jesus to a teen-I’d hate to see you miss that opportunity…you may be the only opportunity.

Change!

                         

Awsome post on Jim’s blog today!  God’s Word never changes but his Word is all about CHANGE!

What’s on TV?

Our home has become invaded by Hannah Montana.  I am sure others can relate!  I really wanted to make sure that there was some sort of Christian view on this show and this was the site I found. The site is from Focus on the Family! Yeah… Just click the pluggedin photo to go to the site. I guess Hannah Montana will continue infiltrating the home after reading the review.  I really like this show so I was glad to see that the review was so good!

Kids Say The Darnedest Things!

Turner comes up the silliest stuff.  I wish I would have been documenting everything from the time this comic genius started talking but I guess now is a better time than ever.

We ran out of toothpaste and Taylor said she really liked ours.  Good thing cause it gets so expensive buying the “fun” paste.  Seems like Turner is always playing with it and swirling it on the mirror like its paint or something!

Anyhow, we were at the bus stop this morning and Taylor was talking about how white our toothpaste makes her teeth(they probably look whiter cause she got her teeth cleaned last week). 

So Turner walks up to her and says, “Let me see sissy.” 

Taylor says, “look-don’t they look white?”

Tuner says,  “No, they look rusty”

I nearly bust a gut!