Saturday, August 13, 2011
Here comes Fall
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Summer 2011
It's been a busy summer so far. The first week of vacation was full of Doc. appts. and car appointments. We have our last appointment of the summer later today when the kids go for their dentist visit. Yay! So glad to have our appts out of the way soon! The week of June 20th, we had our 2 local nephews come over every day (except Mon). We stayed busy that week! It was a pretty good week and the cousins enjoyed having lots of cousin time.
We did a family camp out in our backyard that weekend, too. It was fun to sleep out in the tent, cook hot dogs over the fire pit and have smores. We stayed up pretty late and were so exhausted the next day! Eddie worked a lot of OT in June, including weekends. In fact, he worked 13 days straight before he finally had a day off...and then spent the following day off, fighting a bad migraine. So, June was good, but long. We were definitely ready for our trip to Landrum SC to visit Granny come July 1st
We drove to Landrum and made good time. It only took 10 1/2 hrs to get there. We had a lot of family time while we were there. We got to visit with Granny, Uncle Pat, and Uncle Jim. We would have like to see more family and friends but the trip was just too short and too busy. It was hard to say goodbye on the 9th when it was time to go. The trip back took slightly longer because we stopped for longer periods and had more traffic but we made it home in 11 hrs.
This week, the week of July 11th, we're having our 2 nephews stay again. Kim drops them off every morning around 7 am and they stay until around 4pm. It's been a fun week so far. We've been to a local pet store that has sting rays to pet, went to a petting zoo, had an indoor picnic, swam in our neighbors pool, toured the Herr's factory, played outside and had a pretty good time overall. The cousins get to join us for our dentist visit today but that should be ok. There are lots of toys there. Tomorrow, Fri, will wrap up our time together and I think we'll probably hit the local park for a picnic and time in the creek. They can spend hours doing that!!!
The last two weeks of July don't have a lot happening. We're looking forward to celebrating Barry (my brother in law) as he rings in 40 years soon. Kim is throwing a bash for him and it should be lots of fun!
August brings in a dear friend from NC to visit. She'll be with us the first week of August. We're also looking forward to witnessing Kim and Barry get baptized in a local creek the first Sat in August. It's been awesome to see them growing in the Lord and now taking this step. I'm proud of them. They're an amazing example to me! We'll be celebrating Amanda and Michaela's birthdays in August as well. I can't believe that they'll be 7 and 11! Time flies!
There are some other birthdays in the family this summer, too. Our nephew, Caleb had a birthday in June. My other nephew, Matthew has a birthday next week! Our niece, Hannah will have a birthday in August. Also in August, Aiden has a birthday. In September, Kieran will have his birthday. So, lots of birthdays between June and September!! I'm not sure how everyone will celebrate the birthdays, but it's fun to see everyone growing up!
Well, that's an update so far. I guess I should mention that my BRACA testing came back negative so that means that I don't carry the gene for breast and ovarian cancer that my Mom carries. It doesn't mean that I won't develop cancer but that I'm not genetically predisposed to it. Also, my recent mammograms and ultrasounds came back clear. As long as I'm updating our health, I should mention that Michaela is now wearing glasses and has transitioned into wearing them pretty well. Hopefully, she'll do fine in MS with them in the Fall.
I hope everyone else is having a good Summer! I hope to update again later but at least you have a glimpse into our Summer now.
We did a family camp out in our backyard that weekend, too. It was fun to sleep out in the tent, cook hot dogs over the fire pit and have smores. We stayed up pretty late and were so exhausted the next day! Eddie worked a lot of OT in June, including weekends. In fact, he worked 13 days straight before he finally had a day off...and then spent the following day off, fighting a bad migraine. So, June was good, but long. We were definitely ready for our trip to Landrum SC to visit Granny come July 1st
We drove to Landrum and made good time. It only took 10 1/2 hrs to get there. We had a lot of family time while we were there. We got to visit with Granny, Uncle Pat, and Uncle Jim. We would have like to see more family and friends but the trip was just too short and too busy. It was hard to say goodbye on the 9th when it was time to go. The trip back took slightly longer because we stopped for longer periods and had more traffic but we made it home in 11 hrs.
This week, the week of July 11th, we're having our 2 nephews stay again. Kim drops them off every morning around 7 am and they stay until around 4pm. It's been a fun week so far. We've been to a local pet store that has sting rays to pet, went to a petting zoo, had an indoor picnic, swam in our neighbors pool, toured the Herr's factory, played outside and had a pretty good time overall. The cousins get to join us for our dentist visit today but that should be ok. There are lots of toys there. Tomorrow, Fri, will wrap up our time together and I think we'll probably hit the local park for a picnic and time in the creek. They can spend hours doing that!!!
The last two weeks of July don't have a lot happening. We're looking forward to celebrating Barry (my brother in law) as he rings in 40 years soon. Kim is throwing a bash for him and it should be lots of fun!
August brings in a dear friend from NC to visit. She'll be with us the first week of August. We're also looking forward to witnessing Kim and Barry get baptized in a local creek the first Sat in August. It's been awesome to see them growing in the Lord and now taking this step. I'm proud of them. They're an amazing example to me! We'll be celebrating Amanda and Michaela's birthdays in August as well. I can't believe that they'll be 7 and 11! Time flies!
There are some other birthdays in the family this summer, too. Our nephew, Caleb had a birthday in June. My other nephew, Matthew has a birthday next week! Our niece, Hannah will have a birthday in August. Also in August, Aiden has a birthday. In September, Kieran will have his birthday. So, lots of birthdays between June and September!! I'm not sure how everyone will celebrate the birthdays, but it's fun to see everyone growing up!
Well, that's an update so far. I guess I should mention that my BRACA testing came back negative so that means that I don't carry the gene for breast and ovarian cancer that my Mom carries. It doesn't mean that I won't develop cancer but that I'm not genetically predisposed to it. Also, my recent mammograms and ultrasounds came back clear. As long as I'm updating our health, I should mention that Michaela is now wearing glasses and has transitioned into wearing them pretty well. Hopefully, she'll do fine in MS with them in the Fall.
I hope everyone else is having a good Summer! I hope to update again later but at least you have a glimpse into our Summer now.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Friendship
My mind has been on friendship for a long time now. I've been thinking about it a lot and I was ready to start complaining here about friends but I think I'll list the things that I love about my friends, instead.
1. It doesn't matter what time of day or night it is, I know I can count on my friends to be there if I need them.
2. My friends don't care if I'm fat, thin, pretty, ugly, fashionable, mismatched, rich, or poor, they know the real me and accept me as I am.
3. My friends aren't afraid to tell me like it is, in love, and to help steer me toward truth.
4. My friends are willing to be open and honest and share their hurts and let me try to help them through their trials.
5. If I call them, they call me back.
6. If I contact them, through email, FB, or other means, they take the time to get back to me.
7. Even though their lives are hectic, they make time for me.
8. When they say they'll do something, they do it. I can count on them.
9. If we don't always agree on something, it's ok. We don't need to agree.
10. They're not afraid to be real and deep. It's ok to show each other that we don't have it all together.
That's just some of the things that I love about my friends. I am so thankful that God has placed some true friends in my life and I am honored to be their friend. I hope that as my life goes through various stages, that my friendships will grow, too. I hope that I can reach out in love and make new friends and even strengthen the bonds of existing friendships. If you're a friend of mine as you read this, thank you for being you and being part of my life. What a blessing a friendship can be in this world!
1. It doesn't matter what time of day or night it is, I know I can count on my friends to be there if I need them.
2. My friends don't care if I'm fat, thin, pretty, ugly, fashionable, mismatched, rich, or poor, they know the real me and accept me as I am.
3. My friends aren't afraid to tell me like it is, in love, and to help steer me toward truth.
4. My friends are willing to be open and honest and share their hurts and let me try to help them through their trials.
5. If I call them, they call me back.
6. If I contact them, through email, FB, or other means, they take the time to get back to me.
7. Even though their lives are hectic, they make time for me.
8. When they say they'll do something, they do it. I can count on them.
9. If we don't always agree on something, it's ok. We don't need to agree.
10. They're not afraid to be real and deep. It's ok to show each other that we don't have it all together.
That's just some of the things that I love about my friends. I am so thankful that God has placed some true friends in my life and I am honored to be their friend. I hope that as my life goes through various stages, that my friendships will grow, too. I hope that I can reach out in love and make new friends and even strengthen the bonds of existing friendships. If you're a friend of mine as you read this, thank you for being you and being part of my life. What a blessing a friendship can be in this world!
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
Prepared for Betrayal
This is from Dr. Stanley's InTouch daily devotional. Click the link to access the devotion.
Prepared for Betrayal
Prepared for Betrayal
Sunday, April 10, 2011
exercise, etc
Our exercise routine did not get very far. Right after I implemented it, the children became ill and we've been fighting to get well ever since. Hopefully, tomorrow, we'll be starting our new routine again. I am looking forward to getting up and getting moving. Well, maybe not the getting up part but it will be nice to be active.
Speaking of which, I have been thinking about trying to get back into shape. Which, is going to be so very hard for me. I need to lose roughly 50 pounds at this point to get back into a healthy weight range. That seems so impossible for me. I use food to soothe my nerves, my emotions, my stress, my life. I know that is unhealthy and it is going to be really hard to replace those habits. The other thing that will be difficult is getting into a normal exercise routine and sticking with it. I can't tell you the number of things that I have started on and then went strong for a month or two and then gave up. I really want to succeed in this but it is going to be so difficult. It's a whole new way of life. Not a diet fad. A new way of seeing the food I put into my body and a new way of examining what I do with my time and energies.
I've been debating joining Planet Fitness but I hate to do that because I do not want to be seen by the general public huffing and puffing away on some piece of machinery. I am hoping to invest in a recumbent exercise bike and to walk the neighborhood. I enjoy walking so I just need to do it. Ya know, like Nike's slogan, Just do it.
So, those of you who know me, check in with me every now and then and ask me how it's going. I need to be accountable. I know I need to be accountable to God but I need to be accountable to Eddie, too. But, I think it would help if other people held me accountable, as well. I mean, there are times when Eddie will ask if I have exercised and I get angry with him or I feel like he's trying to point out how badly I need the exercise. Which, is not the case at all. That's not a fair reaction to him, especially when I've asked him to help me out in this area!!!
Well, there's more that I wanted to blog about here but I really don't want to spend the emotional energy expounding on it right now. It can wait until another blog. Take care all and have a wonderful week!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
My new brainstorm
Rise and Shine!!! I am going to attempt to get the kids and myself, up 1/2 hour earlier in the mornings so that I can get them moving. Literally. I've been thinking about how difficult it has been for all of us to get going in the morning and to focus and have energy throughout our day.
So, I decided that we'd have dance parties in the morning for 15-20 mins (or more, depending on time). I'll put some fun music on and turn it up and we'll just jump up and down, dance, jump rope and just act crazy for awhile. While they are cooling down and getting dressed afterward, I'm going to make sure I fix a nutritious breakfast. Most mornings, my kids do eat breakfast but it is usually just a hurried bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios or something similar. I'm thinking of a cooked breakfast with a side of fresh fruit and glass of milk. Some mornings might consist of cereal and fruit or maybe some whole grain toast with fruit. I'm not exactly sure of all the details, yet. I will get ready for work while they eat.
I'm going to attempt this tomorrow. We'll give it a trial run and see how it goes. I'm hoping it will help us all to get active, and to start the day fresh and alert. We'll see. I know this means more work for me, but if it helps us all start the day off on a good foot, it's worth it.
So, I decided that we'd have dance parties in the morning for 15-20 mins (or more, depending on time). I'll put some fun music on and turn it up and we'll just jump up and down, dance, jump rope and just act crazy for awhile. While they are cooling down and getting dressed afterward, I'm going to make sure I fix a nutritious breakfast. Most mornings, my kids do eat breakfast but it is usually just a hurried bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios or something similar. I'm thinking of a cooked breakfast with a side of fresh fruit and glass of milk. Some mornings might consist of cereal and fruit or maybe some whole grain toast with fruit. I'm not exactly sure of all the details, yet. I will get ready for work while they eat.
I'm going to attempt this tomorrow. We'll give it a trial run and see how it goes. I'm hoping it will help us all to get active, and to start the day fresh and alert. We'll see. I know this means more work for me, but if it helps us all start the day off on a good foot, it's worth it.
Monday, March 21, 2011
EAT DIRT!
GO EAT DIRT!!!! Well, okay, not dirt. But, maybe some of this pudding dessert instead? This is a fun treat to make for the kids. If you have never tried it before, give it a whirl! I'm going to try and make it this week with my kids and see what they think! I've had it before at church and at school and all the kids enjoy it!
 | |
| | |
| | | | | | |
|
| Prep Time: 15 min Total Time: 1 hr 15 min Makes: 10 servings   | |
| Ingredients:
Preparation:
|
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Spring
Today marks the first day of Spring! Yay!!! Welcome Spring! I wanted to have a party to celebrate but David spent much of last night in the bathroom on the seat of the throne, so I'm not sure how much partying we'll be doing. If he is up to it later on, I'd like for all of us to go 0n another hike and enjoy the weather. It looks like we'll be either rainy or snowy, or both, over the next few days so we'd better get out while we can.
I had hoped to make some fun Spring treats but didn't get around to it. Maybe I can find some fun Spring activities for us to do. The web is a good place for that!
Well, I hope you all have a good first day of Spring!! I'm hoping that we'll be outside enjoying the day soon!
Friday, March 18, 2011
Hello Friday!
With a beautiful day in store, the kids and I are heading out to Chickies Rock County Park. It boasts beautiful vistas and water scenes. We've never been there before but it looks like an easy 40 minute drive from us. I'll try to post pictures later. Well, I'm off to pack some lunches and snacks and get everyone geared up for a day of sunshine, fresh air, and hiking trails! Wonder how many ticks we'll bring home? Oh, here's a link to the website for anyone who wants to see some pics ahead of time! Enjoy! http://www.co.lancaster.pa.us/parks/cwp/view.asp?a=676&q=518276
Thursday, March 17, 2011
FB
When I first signed up for FB, I was very excited to befriend old schoolmates, connect with family, and stay in touch with friends of various circles. It was very nice to be able to send photos to Granny in SC and to share albums of the kids with other people in such an easy way.
But, over time, I started to have problems with FB. Well, not really FB, but more so with my own thoughts and perceptions. It didn't take long before I'd see statuses by friends and start thinking and comparing them to my own life situations.
I'd see someone on vacation somewhere and think, "oh, it must be nice to go away and not have to worry about the cost." I'd see someone flirting with their husband online (in a modest manner) and think, "oh, I wish Eddie had FB so he could say cute things like that to me." Or, I'd see that people went away for the day as a group and think, "it must be nice to be able to hang out with a group and laugh and live life together." Do you notice a trend? Every time someone was happy about something in their life, I was beginning to turn it into something to be jealous of. So, instead of being excited for a vacationer, I'd be annoyed. Instead of being happy that a couple remembers to make time for one another, I'd feel like my own relationship wasn't where it should be. Instead of being excited for people who got out and had fun with others and asking to see pics or hear funny stories about their adventures, I'd begin to seethe and wonder what was wrong with me that I didn't get invited, too.
Simply put, I've entered into a battle with myself. It's a battle of self worth, jealousy, and contentment. It's probably always been there but FB shone the light on it. So, now I need to put my focus back to where it belongs and that starts with remembering who God says I am and looking to Him to fill my voids....not FB.
So, for those of you wondering why my sudden departure from FB, that's why. It's ugly. It's immature. It's also the truth of the matter. Someday, hopefully, I'll be able to rejoice when others rejoice and to stand in the mirror and see a person wonderfully made by God but right now, I struggle with it so FB is not the place for me. Hopefully, others reading this do not struggle as much as me with this and are able to view FB for what it is... a social interaction tool. Not a measuring stick.
But, over time, I started to have problems with FB. Well, not really FB, but more so with my own thoughts and perceptions. It didn't take long before I'd see statuses by friends and start thinking and comparing them to my own life situations.
I'd see someone on vacation somewhere and think, "oh, it must be nice to go away and not have to worry about the cost." I'd see someone flirting with their husband online (in a modest manner) and think, "oh, I wish Eddie had FB so he could say cute things like that to me." Or, I'd see that people went away for the day as a group and think, "it must be nice to be able to hang out with a group and laugh and live life together." Do you notice a trend? Every time someone was happy about something in their life, I was beginning to turn it into something to be jealous of. So, instead of being excited for a vacationer, I'd be annoyed. Instead of being happy that a couple remembers to make time for one another, I'd feel like my own relationship wasn't where it should be. Instead of being excited for people who got out and had fun with others and asking to see pics or hear funny stories about their adventures, I'd begin to seethe and wonder what was wrong with me that I didn't get invited, too.
Simply put, I've entered into a battle with myself. It's a battle of self worth, jealousy, and contentment. It's probably always been there but FB shone the light on it. So, now I need to put my focus back to where it belongs and that starts with remembering who God says I am and looking to Him to fill my voids....not FB.
So, for those of you wondering why my sudden departure from FB, that's why. It's ugly. It's immature. It's also the truth of the matter. Someday, hopefully, I'll be able to rejoice when others rejoice and to stand in the mirror and see a person wonderfully made by God but right now, I struggle with it so FB is not the place for me. Hopefully, others reading this do not struggle as much as me with this and are able to view FB for what it is... a social interaction tool. Not a measuring stick.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)