Ang Grams

First Post

2010-10-26T22:28:00.000-07:00

So the new blog has a post! So go on over and take a look. I'll explain it all when you get there. I'd love to hear from you. I've hidden this blog on my blogspot account. You can keep following it, but it will probably mostly be pictures for grandparents, etc. My writing will be on the new blog.

Angela's Musings - Revamped

2010-10-26T10:38:00.000-07:00

Just wanted to let you know that this blog is moving. I've been trying to "consolidate" myself and build a place I can write about anything on my heart - but protect my family's privacy a bit mtected place to share family photos with grandparents.
ore than I do here. So....in not to very long, this blog may disappear...or go to being a password pro
You can now find me (and my empty blog) at angelacgifford.blogspot.com

You can follow me on Google there, and I'll be adding subscription options, etc. soon....and then get back to writing. My heart is pretty full from such a long break. :)

Summer's End

2010-08-29T18:54:00.000-07:00

I'm a little sad today. The fall sun has replaced the summer sun. It is cooling off. There is one week left before school. I love the fall. It *is* my favorite season. But August is just too soon for fall.

Speaking of fall.....I took a nasty fall on my bike today. If it had been one of my kids, I would have taken them in for stitches. But Bill assures me I don't need stitches. I hope he's right. At the moment, I'm practicing the art of not bending my knee.

Ian and Riley had a great time at camp this week. You can read a little more about that here. Hayden and I also enjoyed a lot of great time one-on-one this week. He's never gotten much of that as the baby of the family. I know it meant a lot to both of us.

We had a little excitement around here last night. We had an old friend and a new friend over to help us roast marshmallows. They were here until well after midnight. After they left, we worked on settling down our boys and two extras that were having a sleepover. At about 1 a.m., the phone rang. It was my brother. Of course, I'm wondering who's in the hospital and what happened. He said calmly, "I want you to lock your doors." Turns out, he was calling on official police business. They were tracking a drunk man who had abandoned his truck on our street and told them he was walking up the hill looking for a place to hide - which was essentially our driveway. A little lights and sirens are just the thing to liven up a dying sleepover.

So the question is, what is scarier to have in your yard?

Random Drunk Guy?

Today, we had a nice cookout in the beautiful weather with the worship team and are excited to start our kids on their school, bedtime routine tonight! Yay!

Updates, updates

2010-08-23T00:45:00.000-07:00

I'm really going to try to be better here....just because I know that family depends on news that isn't shouted to the world.

My dad got here tonight! He will be here for two days working on our new business together. It is always good to see him!

This week is generally busy. Tomorrow, Ian and Riley leave for a week of children's camp. We have a dinner tomorrow to discuss details of home group happenings this year....right before I had off to Bible study. Just two weeks left of my summer, ladies' group. It's been so fun!

Tuesday is Middle School Registration. I am speaking for our local Maggie's Place home and have a My Shopping Genie seminar to show up late too and get some more training.

Today, Clayton and I used My Shopping Genie to find the netbook he's been saving for. We found it for $50 cheaper than we've seen it anywhere else - with free shipping. That means he can buy it this week - instead of in another several weeks of working. Woo hoo!

We've been doing lots of school shopping and are getting pretty close to being ready. Still have a few supplies to look for and some shirts to get monogrammed.

...and now at 1 a.m., it is time for bed!

What's Going On?

2010-08-22T02:55:00.000-07:00

Where have I been? and why am I finally blogging at 3 a.m. on a Sunday morning?

Well, that is about all the time I have around here.

So much is going on! Some good. Some not so great....and a lot of just busy.

I'm still working full time at Mom 4 Life. I'm working from my house, which is nice in the fact that I don't have to pay childcare expenses. But the downside is that I have four boys in my office all week - which leads to things like fist fights and baking soda bomb construction in my office - and and occasional snake being thrown on my keyboard.

I'm also sort of blogging on Let's Talk About Boys - which if you haven't take a look at lately, you will have missed most of what has been happening around here with the boys.

After a year online, I've done some re-evaluating and reorganizing of Those With Young. There is now a download available each Sunday with a whole week of journable devotion sheets to use. The verses are still posted daily, so whichever is the best format for a mom, it is there for her to use.

Ian and Riley leave for camp on Monday and are very excited. Ian asked Riley tonight if he could sit by him on the bus, so that he knew what to do. So cute!

Clayton is busy working for anyone he can get jobs for, so he can buy his own net book. He is almost there!

Bill is still currently working three jobs: 1. Full time customer service for Capital One 2. Part time course maintenance for the Coeur d'Alene Resort Golf Course. 3. His own business (which is in the busy season (Coeur d'Alene Golf Club Repair)

Bill has been singing on our church worship team for the past couple of months. He loves it!....and it is really fun to worship with him in that way again. Being on the worship team at Real Life means singing in all five services every other weekend, so it is quite a commitment.

Bill and I are also going to lead a home group in an area apartment complex starting this fall. It has been really fun to watch how God laid this on both of our hearts and the things he has done to bring it all together. We are really having fun watching how God is already working, and what He has up His sleeve!

One of the things I'm really excited about right now, is a new business I've started. Ya, I know, like I have time for anything else. I know.

BUT, there is a reason this works for me. It totally ties in with everything else I do online, so it isn't something hugely stretching for me.

When I was a stay at home mom, everyone had a great business they wanted me to get in on. I never could get excited about any of them because I just wasn't passionate about it, and couldn't see myself spending even the "10 hours a week" necessary on them. I also struggled asking anyone to help me out by spending money they didn't have on something they didn't need.

Well, I've found something better. Something I can give away for free! Yep! You got it! It is called My Shopping Genie. My Shopping Genie is a downloadable tool that helps you save money with all of your purchases. It simply helps you find the absolute best deal on anything you are looking for. It works with Google and other search engines to bring you your searches by the best price.

How do I get paid? Well, Google pays other sites that drive traffic for them, so commission comes by advertisers paying per click for traffic to come to them. The cost is on the companies who pay Google. I've been lucky enough to find a low investment business that gives the average joe an opportunity to have a bite of the Google pie, so to speak.

So! If you are interested in saving money....consider downloading the Genie. It doesn't cost a penny to you EVER!...and it is very safe.....and it will help get the Gifford's out of debt. LOL! If you take a look today, go here so you can really learn how to use it.

If you want a bite out of the Google pie too, ask me how you can get a license to distribute My Shopping Genie yourself. I can help you with that too.

Birthdays!

2010-06-22T21:38:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday to my fellow birthday friends!

Happy Birthday, Lisa Rakes!

Lisa and I think we're related because my brother's wife is best friends with her husband's sister. Did you get that? We've spent many hours visiting while my son picked up her dog's poo and while our kindergarten classmates played on the playground after school!

Happy Birthday, Taylor Maliblah-blah!

(otherwise known as The Lumberjack's Wife)

I've know Taylor since she was in elementary school.....but I wasn't exactly in elementary school She is much younger than me. It has been fun to reconnect with Taylor as mommies and bloggers!

Happy Birthday to Amber Ronningen!

Amber and Taylor (I believe) were both in the same junior high Sunday School class that I once taught.

Happy Birthday, Nancy Riberdy!

Nancy is a friend from Arizona. I miss her.

Happy Birthday to Roxanne and Brian

(from my home group) who also have birthdays this week!

Happy Birthday to my cousin Megan and my niece Leigh Anna,

who share a birthday this week....

consequently they also share the day that my Grandpa Lefty was born into heaven 17 years ago!

My dad has a tradition of taking us out to breakfast on our birthdays. He's been doing it probably longer than I remember. I still have memories of going to breakfast in my strawberry shortcake dress and getting strawberry syrup all over it.

This year, daddy is here! So guess who took me to breakfast today (a day early!) Guess who is in town for my birthday? Mom, Dad, and Casey!

....and Dawnell!!

Can it get any better?

Casey's Graduation

2010-06-12T22:24:00.000-07:00

My baby brother graduated from high school today!

Casey Brandel was an honor student, and he majored in theatre at

The Academy of Arts and Academics (A3).

Graduating Class of 2010

Springfield, Oregon

Hayden's Kindergarten Celebration

2010-06-12T20:55:00.000-07:00

Customize your own free photo slideshow

The Medical Diaries

2010-06-06T21:03:00.000-07:00

Riley has had strep four times since Christmas, so last week, we paid a visit to an ENT. He is now scheduled to get his tonsils out, July 12. I'm so hoping this results in better sleep for him and a much better school year for him next year. It has been a really bad years for all of my kids.

Riley has also been blacking out at school and generally feeling woozy a lot. After checking every other option we could think of, the docs decided an EEG was in order.

It was quite the process, I'll tell you.

First, he had to be sleep deprived. So we were to keep him up until midnight the night before, and then wake him up at 4:00 a.m. and keep him up.

At the hospital, they first marked his head in 28 places (precisely measured), with a good ol' fashioned magic marker.

Then they scrubbed those spots perfectly clean. Then they glued 28 little gold-capped thingies to the marked places and then taped them down.

Then they wrapped him up like a mummy and sent me out of the room while they ran some tests.

We're still waiting on results.

Two weeks ago, Riley was hit in the mouth by a swing at the church playground, resulting in two chipped teeth. We had them patched, and the patches have already come out.

Last week, Hayden was leaving a birthday party when a mean old branch jumped out of a bush and grabbed his face, literally laying it open. He got three stitches that night.

Some exciting news....Bill's foot is moving a little more each week. Thank you, Jesus!

We also had a little excitement with flooding this week, you can read about that on Let's Talk About Boys if you want.

Clayton's Birthday Party

2010-06-03T22:31:00.000-07:00

It is time I got around to catching this thing up!

For Clayton's birthday, he designed his cake.

It is his personal logo, made up of all three of his initials. He has been using this on lots of things, and thought it would be fun to have a signature cake.

I think we did o.k. :)

He had invited 50 kids. Yes, 50. Unfortunately, I think he invited them too early. In his zeal, and ultra-preparedness, he passed out invitations two weeks in advance. Do you now what happens to information given to middle schoolers two weeks in advance? Me either. No one does.

However, he did have a handful of kids come. I'm not sure if I was disappointed or relieved.

They played kickball.

Boys apparently will play kickball in socks.

Girls apparently will wear cute shoes to a party and then play kickball barefoot when they realize the cute shoes don't work for kickball.

They also had water balloons, which were pretty fun until they started filling them with Hawaiian punch....Hawaiian punch that they had first put in their mouths and then put into the balloons. Yuck! Boys!

Clayton did get his own phone for his birthday. It was more of a self-preservation thing than anything else. I need my own phone....and I was getting to use mine anymore. I had several friends mention that kids don't need phones until they start driving. I almost agree. But I didn't get a phone when I started driving. I got one when I was twelve, though it plugged into the wall and was attached to my alarm clock.

Times have changed. That is for sure.

He also got a Facebook account, which to him, is a major right of passage.

Happy 13th Birthday, Clayton!

2010-05-19T17:21:00.001-07:00

Before the creation of the world, God chose to create you - for His pleasure! (Eph. 1:4-5)

He knit you together in my womb. (Ps. 139:13)

You were the first piece of me, that I ever held outside of my body.

You were our first....the son of our youth.

Welcomed by excited family.

When you were brand new, we dedicated you to the Lord -

- something we've had to do over and over again.

You made it clear from the beginning that you had your own way of doing things.

You were my best little friend, the joy of my lonely days....

....the one who tagged along with us in all that we did.

The child your dad waited 28 years for.

All of your firsts, were our firsts too.

You were the one that we have made the most of our mistakes on.

The one we didn't hold often enough.

The one that we let cry more than we should have.

The one we couldn't keep from climbing up everything you could find to climb. You gave me lots of little heart attacks.

You have been the one that challenges our thinking to the nth degree.

The one who has excelled at everything you've tried.

We have only one little problem.

You won't quit growing.

You won't stop changing.

You keep amazing us.

With each passing day, we're more aware of how short our time with you is growing....

....and we plan to make use of every minute of it!

Happy Birthday, Clayton! We love you so much!

Tricky Tonsils

2010-05-13T21:59:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, our dear Riley blacked out at school. He was sitting on a stool by his desk, fell to the floor, hit is lip on the trash can (which resulted in a nasty cut), then hit the floor (which resulted in a bump). His teacher walked him to the office. Apparently, he was white as a sheet. He said that he had a couple of dizzy spells during the day and the night before. So we went to the doctor for a diagnosis. He was talking slowly and deliberately and telling the same stories over and over. I could just generally tell he wasn't himself.

The doc checked blood pressure, pupils, heart rhythms, reflexes, muscle control, ears, nose, throat, etc., etc., etc. Nothing popped out as a clear diagnosis. So we went home. He had another dizzy spell last night, so I kept him home today. He laid on the couch and watched t.v. most of the day and complained of a headache.

The doctor wanted us to come back this afternoon and just re-check everything and make sure nothing else jumped out. So they checked blood pressure, pupils, heart rhythms, reflexes, muscle control, blood sugar, ears, nose, throat - "Riley? Does your throat hurt?" "Nope." "Are you sure?" "Yep." "Cause it doesn't look so good today."

I explained to the doctor that he has had strep several times this year and that he never has normal symptoms. In fact, a couple of years ago, we ended up at the ER on a weekend because of weird symptoms that seemed kidney related. He didn't have a sore throat. But the diagnosis? Strep.

So the doctor did a culture, and guess what?! Positive. Strep. Again. #4 this year.

We talked about Riley's strange sleeping habits....how he rips his bed apart every night and ends up on the floor most of the time...how I hear him up at midnight, rummaging through drawers...how he is impossible to wake up in the morning and has been very cranky and moody.

The doctor explained that sometimes tonsils can interfere with sleep. Weird. Who knew.

So we're off to see a ear nose and throat specialist. Riley isn't so thrilled about the prospect of having his tonsils out, but I am! Enough is enough! Black outs, hives, sleepless nights, leg pain, back pain. Seriously.

New Posts

2010-05-13T00:12:00.000-07:00

I posted some thoughts today about the times we live in. You can read them here.

I also posted about our day right here.

I figured some of you follow all three blogs, so there is no sense in boring you over and over with the same stuff. :)

Thoughts on Fasting

2010-05-11T21:32:00.000-07:00

I've been thinking about fasting tonight. It comes from a long string of thoughts in my mind as I realize how addicted I am to food. My new diet journey has really made me realize how much of my life I've tied to food. I love to cook. I LOVE to bake. I love having big family dinners and having people over. I love to take meals to people and surprise them with cookies or a loaf of bread.

Since I started my diet, I've began to realize how often I reward myself with food or turn to food when I'm upset. When I need a pick me up, I go get a special coffee or grab a piece of chocolate cake. Today, I got upset about something and was really feeling down. I wanted coffee. I wanted cake. I wanted lemon pie. None of it is on my diet.

In a sense, even though I'm eating everyday, it feels a bit like fasting because my diet has become about "don'ts" and discipline. Honestly, there is little joy left in eating. I've learned the discipline, but I still have lots of desires that are not being met.

With each of those unmet desires, I turn to the Lord and confess how often I've not turned to him because I was drooling over cake instead.

It made me wonder....what was God's original intent when he encouraged fasting. Was it that the people go without food? Or that they realized He met their deepest needs? If it is the heart issue, then what is the more important thing about fasting today? That we give up food? or that we give up the thing we turn to instead of Him?

I guess what I'm trying to say is that if you'd told me to give up football for the month, I wouldn't even be feeling any pain - because I could care less about football. But if you asked my brother, Taylor, to give up football for the month, he would be in more pain than I am on my diet.

Anyway, my perspective has changed a bit, as I view the purpose of fasting being met more by the sacrifice of something I might turn to other than the Lord - so He has more of my mind and my heart.

What do you think?

Nominate A Mom

2010-05-03T17:04:00.001-07:00

Do you know a mom that could really use a reward? You can nominate her in Mom 4 Life's annual Mother Load contest for a great Mother's Day gift basket. That's not all! If your nomination receives the most votes and wins, you get a basket too!!

Lifestyle Changes

2010-05-01T22:20:00.000-07:00

This has been a rough couple of years for me in the weight department. Somehow, sitting at a desk for 40ish hours a week doesn't seem to burn as many calories as chasing four kids. Besides that, I found out I had high triglycerides. I also realized I was perpetually congested, perpetually sluggish, and perpetually just not feeling good.

When the scale gave me a number higher than it had ever given me (even when full term pregnant), I decided I had to do something. I have said over and over that it was time, that I had enough. But the truth was, I didn't feel good enough to exercise and always changed my mind.

I was researching some of my symptoms and began to wonder if I might have Candida - which is basically an overgrowth of yeast in your body that can cause all sorts of things from headaches to back pain to acne to depression to digestive problems and obviously yeast problems.

I decided that even if I really didn't have the condition, it wouldn't hurt me to change my diet and see what happened. So the very next day, I dove in!

So! I'm not eating:
*Anything with any form of sugar in it because it feeds yeast. That is no sugar, honey, corn syrup, molasses, maple syrup, any kind of "trose" (dextrose, fructose, etc). I can have plant based agave or stevia if I just have to have sweetener, but as time goes on I need it less and less.
*No dairy except plain, unsweetened yogurt and butter
*No caffeine
*No fruit, except berries
*No wheat or yeast
*No vinegar, alcohol (so hard for me. LOL!)
*No starchy veggies like corn, potatoes
*No mushrooms

I can eat:
*meat and eggs
*rice, oats, and some other grains
*almost any vegetable (including avocado)
*yogurt, butter, oils
*berries

So I eat a lot of eggs with veggies in them, salads (with the one dairy/vinegar/sugar free dressing I could find), yogurt with a little agave and berries, steel cut oats with almond milk, soups from scratch. I can't eat hardly anything in a box or a can. I have bought wheat free/dairy free/sugar free pancake and biscuit mixes from the organic section of the store, so I can eat plain pancakes with butter and make small batch of biscuits for myself when I need some substance.

The first day, I thought I would die. The second die, I just thought it wasn't very fun. In time, I've really learned to adapt - except for some occasional cravings.....like when Bill brings home a whole box of maple bars! My new treats are frozen blueberries, pea pods, and Sweet and Spicy Tea. I'm learning to throw spinach and avocados in my fruit smoothies and enjoy soy and agave in a very occasional cup of decaf coffee.

I do plan to start re-introducing some of those foods into my system over time and see how my body reacts. If I do okay, they can stay - like FRUIT!

I've been doing this for four weeks, and so far I've lost 14 pounds and am completely off of allergy meds. I've felt congested for maybe two days of it. Most of my acne has cleared up. I've had two headaches (rather than 2-3 a week). I've had so much more energy, it is insane....which makes me want to actually exercise.

My Master

2010-04-26T22:06:00.000-07:00

My Master

by Christy Nockels

The day You heard my plea,

You looked right through me

You saw the pit I was in

And You came and pulled me out...

You set my feet upon a rock

And put a new song in my mouth

Then You called me Your own

And I'm never turning back

I love my Master, I will not go free...

I take Your name and live in liberty

My life is Yours forever

I'll serve You faithfully

I love my Master, I will not go free...

You're a love I've never known

And Your faithfulness has shown

No matter what I'm about

You always find me out

And You lovingly remain

Age to age the same

And for all of my days

I will tell of Your ways..Your mighty ways...

Covenant Keeper

You are, You are

Merciful, Kindness

You are, You are

Passionate Father

You are, You are

Lifeblood redeemer

You are...

My take on Jennifer Knapp

2010-04-24T23:25:00.000-07:00

Last week, a past Christian artist came out of the closet. I found out about it today, and have been very sick to my stomach over it. I guess she was on Larry King Live last night. I didn't see it.

Today, I read through this interview/article on Christianity Today so I could understand what the rumors were about.

My ramblings might not make much sense unless you read the article. But this is where my heart is:

Should the Christian community give grace to someone who is struggling with their sexuality? Absolutely! Just like we should give grace to someone struggling with alcoholism or having a good work ethic. But giving grace isn't the same thing as ignoring it or giving it a stamp of approval. Grace means to be patient and forgiving with someone while they work through their struggles. It means to love them through it, help them through it, and hold them accountable.

Can a Christian find a place where they can just be who they are and be okay with God? What we hear from Jennifer Knapp is that she is trying to do just that. Unfortunately, what we don't hear from her is that she is willing to do whatever God wants her to do to be right with him. She is looking for an internal place of peace in the midst of her sin. Unfortunately that place doesn't exist and it never will.

If I had the opportunity to talk to her, I would want her to know that God loves her, even in her sin. He loves her so completely and immensely. She doesn't need to try to earn his favor as a person. However, He also loves her so much that He would go to any length to bring her out of her struggle if she was willing to take the risk and trust Him with it.

Jennifer is releasing a new album on May 11. It isn't a Christian album, and is not intended to be marketed by Christian venues or played on Christian radio. The lyrics contain some four letter words, and the message will be more about being who you want to be than being who Christ wants you to be. That is her new message of freedom.

Sigh. How much bondage is in that "freedom."

Sometimes I'm amazed at how often this is beginning to happen. A dear friend and past spiritual mentor of mine came out of the closet this year as well. Obviously because it was someone who had such a great spiritual impact on me, it was a much bigger punch in the gut.

What makes me sad isn't so much the struggle. I have my own struggles, and I hurt those who love me with them. I hurt God's heart too. We all struggle. We all sin.

What hurts me is the throwing away the passion for Christ, the whole-hearted pursuit of Him. In my struggles, I plead for God's strength and deliverance. I can rest assured in God's love for me no matter what I struggle with and no matter my behavior. But if I love Him....if I'm going to return the affections...then it will always be my goal to honor Him with my life - no matter how big the struggle....no matter how hard it is.

I cannot lay down and say, "Well, life is just going to be a struggle for me. I think I'll go hide somewhere with others that share my struggle so we can all just give in together." No! I have to seek accountability. I have to daily die to my desires.

God didn't create us, so He could just watch us be happy. This life truly is just a dress rehearsal for eternity. Our struggles will be worth it in heaven. We can live just one day at a time, dying to our sinful desires and plug on, knowing that one day the struggle will be gone.

Oh, how I pray that for myself. I pray it for Jennifer, and for my friend, and for others who have thrown in the towel just trying to numb their consciences and move on with their life trying to be "okay" with God but missing completely out on the abundant life that comes from being "right" with God.

True Confessions

2010-04-24T22:18:00.001-07:00

In North Idaho, it isn't uncommon to use your porch or your garage as an extra refrigerator in the winter. After all, it is usually colder out there than in your fridge. You can put an extra gallon of milk out there if your fridge is too full, etc.

After Thanksgiving, I cooked my turkey carcass in my stock pot to make soup. I made a big batch of creamy turkey soup and wanted to save the rest of the broth to make some clear soup later. I didn't have time to deal with it right then, and the fridge was quite full of leftover Thanksgiving dinner, SO I put the stock pot on the back porch...with a rock on top, so the dog wouldn't get into it.

Guess what I found on my porch early this spring?

Yep! Gross!

Guess who forgot to make the second batch of turkey soup?

The worst part is, after I discovered it, I certainly didn't want to take care of it. At the time, the lid was still on tightly, and you couldn't smell it. So I pretended it wasn't there...until today.

Today, I wanted to cook another turkey, and it would be sad to not be able to make turkey soup.

So, at my granny's advice, I sent a 10 year old off with a shovel, a pot of five month old soup, and the promise of a few dollars in his pocket. For fifty more cents, he even hosed it out for me. ☺

Shoot 'em Up!

2010-04-21T22:30:00.000-07:00

Guess what Angela got?

I'll give you a hint.

It is something I fell in love with when I was 18. I took it almost everywhere I went for the next nine years of my life before it met its demise.

It brought me joy.

It made me feel alive.

I have missed it for a very, very, very long time.

It was a gift from Uncle Sam this year. I gratefully accepted it, full knowing it may be the last good thing I hear from him.

So you can run...

....and you can try to hide....

But I will find you!

That's right!

I will find you....

....and you...

Yep! Me........

Me and Canon!

Canon Rebel.

Ya, baby!

Taylor & Ashley

2010-04-20T21:17:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, we all gathered in Oregon for my brother Taylor's wedding. They had planned a July wedding, but as finances became less and less available, they turned in their plans for a dream wedding. They decided if they didn't have the money to do it big, they might as well just do it! SO, the moved the wedding up to spring break. They also moved it from Boise to Oregon, where mom and dad are. The church was free. The church's fellowship hall for the reception was free. The minister was free, etc., etc. However, as plans came together, it became a prettier and prettier, fancier and more and more put together event. I don't think anyone would have ever known that it was done quickly and on the cheap!

Mom and Dad's house was crawling with boys. For one thing, there are four brothers. For another thing, I brought my four sons. Then there was the matter of the five other college boys who were also staying at the house.

I grew up in a house like this.

The nice thing about this trip? Someone loaned mom and dad a camper! Guess where sister slept this time? You got it! In the quiet camper....

away from 3 a.m. Wii parties,

poker tournaments,

and guitar jammin'.

Not that I don't love it all ..........at 7 p.m.

The best part of course was the wedding. It was beautiful, fun, sweet, and wonderful.

One, Fine Weekend

2010-03-04T22:16:00.000-08:00

Last weekend, I had the opportunity to do something I haven't done since I got married.

I went away completely by myself. No husband or kids or friends. No conference or retreat or family crisis. No anything, but me, God, and my laptop....for 2 nights!! and two days!!

I had a purpose....a couple really.

I needed a break...a strategic break before golf season begins and I'm on my own for seemingly endless months.

I needed some time to just be with God, without distraction.

I felt it was time to hash back in to my book.

God lined things up so completely perfectly. First of all, some friends in my home group offered for me to stay at their home while they were out of town...their completely spotless, quiet, kid and pet free home. Bill had nothing on the calendar for that same weekend.

Friends were praying. The Bosswoman that rocks brought me a Costco pizza to take with me - you know the kind you never buy because your family would never eat it - the kind with spinach and fresh tomato slices. Nummm..

When I got there, I was surprised by a bathtub lined with candles, rose, petals, chocolate...

and a gift for me.

There were fresh flowers in my room and mints on my pillow.

Others warned me that I would get tired of the quiet.

I didn't.

Not once.

I wrote for 21 hours. I deleted, edited, added, reflected, deleted, edited, and added. I came home with 181 pages in a notebook ready for me to really read through and make sure it flows, find my mistakes, add, delete, and edit some more. I'm praying that in a month, it will be ready for me to pull up my boot straps and try this publishing thing again. Whew!

In other news...
The kids didn't want me to forget what real life was like, so they have been sure to provide plenty of doctor's visits, concussions (well, one is really enough of those), tantrums, teacher conferences, and empty milk gallons this week. I'm really ready for the weekend again. But I've been told that once every 14 years is often enough for me to actually leave by myself.

I disagree.

My mom and dad decided that they would go roller skating with the church youth group last week. Children, do not let your 60 year old parents on roller skates. Friends, do not let friends in their 60's on roller skates. It never turns out well.

Dad's gout really flared up after being stuffed in those skates and he was crippled for several days.

Mom....well, mom makes sure that when she does something, she does it completely and thoroughly. Mom will be having surgery Friday to put a plate and 7-8 screws in her wrist....not exactly a pianist/secretary's dream. Mom waited 2-3 days to go see the doctor. I secretly think she was too embarrassed to show up at the ER again. She's had quite the year or two or six.

On a more positive side note. I'm fairly convinced I have the best friends and prayer partners in the world. I hope you know how much you mean to me. I know I don't tell you near enough. ...since I get out so much and have so much time to talk on the phone and all. But you are precious to me!

Let's Hear it for the Bosswoman!

2010-02-09T21:53:00.000-08:00

6 a.m. The alarm goes off, and I GET UP! Though, I still don't have time to exercise because 6 a.m. is just too late. But since I was up past midnight blogging, I didn't dare try to get up earlier. Why set myself up for failure, right?

I'm not going to bore you with all the details today. Things went better. I only had two kids home in the morning, and actually had NO kids home for the afternoon.

I just want to give kudos to my amazing boss. I chose this picture because it shows her in action, giving back to women in need. Heather donates 10% of her company's profits to Open Arms. She has a heart to help women in need.

Lately, it seems that I am often a woman in need. Considering how many of my days end up like yesterday, I would have been fired long ago working for anyone else. But Heather allows me to work from my house and multi-task as she knows moms can do, and trust me to get the job done and do it right.

God used my relationship with Heather today to remind me of something in our relationship with God. We have a company that has been pretty difficult to work with lately. It has resulted in long phone calls and some financial loss.

Today, the owner of the other company e-mailed my boss to complain about my simple-mindedness and how many times they'd tried to explain things to me and how I just didn't get it and on and on. Now, what she didn't know is that we have a very open relationship at our workplace. We make sure that we all know what is going on. So my boss sent me the e-mail. Yes, it made me mad. But the important thing was that she backed me up. She knew that I was better than that and took my side.

I was thinking today how that is how God's opinion of us is. The world may tell us we're stupid or irresponsible or have bad motives or whatever they think. But God knows who we really are, who he made us to be. He knows the truth, sees the truth, and defends the truth for us.

I would be a mess if I let an e-mail like that toy with my head and let their words sink in. But I know its not true. One of the main reasons I know it isn't true is because my boss says its not. ...because really my own view of myself doesn't count for much.

That is the way it is with God. If we listened to what the world says and let it sink in, we will be a mess all the time. But we have to listen to God and what He says about us. It is His opinion that matters.

Yay, God!....and yay, Heather!

A Day in the Life

2010-02-08T23:13:00.000-08:00

The day begins (sorta) at 5:30 a.m. My alarm goes off and I hit snooze.

The alarm goes off again at 5:35, and I hit snooze.

The alarm goes off again at 5:40, 5:45, 5:50, 5:55, 6:00, and 6:05 before I actually get up.

My exercise aspirations were conquered once again by my love for flannel sheets and heated mattress covers.

6:07 a.m. I hit the shower AND wash my hair for the first time since...um...I think Wednesday. Isn't that gross?

6:30 a.m. Emerge from my room, dressed and ready to conquer - oh who am I kidding?! ready for coffee!

6:34 a.m. Sit down at the couch with coffee and spend some time talking to God about having a heart that is hungry for him...begin forming outlines and notes for the beginnings of a Bible Study curriculum (six week study) that I'm really excited about.

6:56 a.m. Try to wake up sons #1 and 2.

6:58 a.m. Go back to couch and keep working.

7:03 a.m. Try to wake up sons #1 and 2.

7:07 a.m. Try to wake up sons #3 and 4.

7:08 a.m. Try to wake up sons #1 and 2.

Is it Groundhog Day again?

7:10 a.m. Son #3 emerges from his room in a school uniform and lets loose his croupy cough while complaining how sore his throat is.

7:12 a.m. Son #2 emerges from his room in a school uniform with a bright red eye, complaining how sore his throat is.

7:15 a.m. inspect throats under the kitchen light and decide that two kiddos will be staying home from school.

7:21 a.m. Make sure son #1, still wrapped in a towel, realizes that his ride is leaving in four minutes.

7:26 a.m. Make sure son #1, who is still barefoot realizes that his ride is leaving in two minutes.

7:30 a.m. Separate son #4 from two stray puppies in the yard and drag kids to the van.

7:49 a.m. Return home and get out cereal.

8:00 a.m. Begin working.

8:10 a.m. Settle a fight about whether my very sick kids will be watching T.V. or playing the Wii.

8:12 a.m. Son #2 has "broken" #4's leg and he is forced to crawl with muffled cries across the living room while I silently shush him. I have a customer on the phone.

9:30 a.m. Begin working on headache customer's issue.

10:00 a.m. Still working on headache customer's issue.

10:10 a.m. Tell God that this day is just too much for me and ask for strength.

10:30 a.m. Still working on headache customer's issue. Realize that sons 1-3 have drug a bed mattress right behind me, all the way down the stairs and are jumping off the stairs onto it. They are oh, so sick.

11:00 a.m. Remind boys that they need to be dressed to go to the doctor.

11:15 a.m. Still working on headache customer's issue. Remind boys again that they need to get dressed. They have progressed from their pajamas to running around in their underwear with their t-shirts tied into bikini tops. There is something very wrong with this picture.

11:28 a.m. Finish headache customer's issue and threaten to leave the boys while I go to their doctor's appointment by myself. ( I know. Great threat.) They are still barefoot.

11:34 a.m. Leave home for the 11:30 a.m. doctor's appointment.

12:00 noon Doctor informs me that even though I waited five days this time to come in with the kids, it is still indeed viral, and my trip was pointless.

12:15 p.m.. Get in line at the post office.

12:25 p.m. Still in line at the post office.

12:30 p.m. Still in line at the post office.

12:35 p.m. Postal worker wheels out a cart of packages for me. That has never happened. I have never had that many packages.

12:40 p.m. Dump packages in van, return cart to post office lobby, and answer questions for a gentlemen about dropping off an express package, since I clearly work for the post office.

12:45 p.m. Call a friend and admit a dire need for help.

12:50 p.m. Drop son #4 off for afternoon kindergarten...that started at 12:15 p.m. Let his teacher know, that I, again, will not be back at 2:00, to fill my volunteer time slot.

1:00 p.m. Give lunch instructions to boys 2 and 3 and get back to work.

1:30 p.m. Tell boys that they are going to their own rooms and their own beds and not coming out until we leave to pick up #1 and 4 from school.

1:35 p.m. Tell son #3 to go back to his room.

1:40 p.m. Tell son #2 to go back to his room.

1:45 p.m. Tell son #3 to go back to his room.

1:50 p.m. Tell son #2 to go back to his room.

2:00 p.m. Son #1 calls to say that he can't go to study hall after school. It is canceled. He has to be off campus by 3:00.

2:02 p.m. Pretend not to notice that son #3 has left his room again, and is in the bathroom. again.

2:25 p.m. Finally allow sons 2 and 3 to be in the same room together if they keep the door closed and play quietly.

3:07 p.m. Realize that I forgot to pick up son #1 because he texts me to find out how close I am. I ask him to start walking to the other boys' school.

3:08 p.m. Son #2 has "broken" son #3's hip. He is resorted to army crawling - no army dragging across the dining room tile. He cannot walk.

3:10 p.m. Get in the van and wait for the crippled child to run to the van and get in.

3:12 p.m. Lose it with my kids! It was brewing for a while. Sigh.

3:20 p.m. Pick up #4 from kindergarten. Never saw #1 on the way. He must have walked a different route.

3:30 p.m. Lose #'s 2-4 on the playground...no, they're not on the playground! That is why they are lost. They are oh, so sick.

3:35 p.m. Breathe for five minutes on the school sidewalk and chat with a friend about our woes of helping boys learn to read.

3:40 p.m. Son #1 makes it to the school. Still haven't found #'s 2-4.

3:55 p.m. Get mail from mailbox at house. Open not 1, not 2, not 3, but 4 IDENTICAL letters from Citi Financial expressing their regret that I turned down their offer of a loan at 31.99% to pay off my lower interest credit cards and letting me know that they are still there for me, should I change my mind. Seriously? Who makes this stuff up?

4:00 p.m. Make it home with all four boys, make chore lists, and give snack choices. Head back to work.

4:10 p.m. Turn off t.v. and remind them of their chore lists.

4:20 p.m. Give permission for boys 2-4 to go play with friends after they have finished their chores and have a snack if they want it. They need to be home by 5:00.

4:45 p.m. Illustrate seven different back exercises and stretches for son #1 who has hurt his back somehow. I'm tempted to think it is related to his assigned chore.

5:12 p.m. Boys return and ask for a snack. They "didn't get one!" Stand by my guns. Snack time is over.

5:14 p.m. Listened to voice mail from my best friend. MISSED HER CALL!!!...somewhere in the snack time whining.

5:15 p.m. Warn the boys that we are leaving for church in 15 minutes.

5:25 p.m. Touch up makeup, grab drinks for potluck.

5:30 p.m. Get in the van and threaten to leave the barefoot children home alone. Pfff! Another good one.

5:38 p.m. Leave home and pick up Bill from work. Spend our 20 minutes for the entire day trying to catch up on what is going on. I tell Bill, "You don't want to know about my day. I'll just spare you." Finally break and highlight doctor's visits, kids running off at school, and headache customer.

6:00 p.m. Get to church and enjoy potluck.

6:15 p.m. Call #2 back from trying to get more dessert.

6:17 p.m. Call #3 back from trying to get more dessert.

6:19 p.m. Call #4 back from trying to get more dessert.

6:23 p.m. #2 escapes and gets more dessert.

6:25 p.m. Oh, glorious hallelujah!!! Childcare is open!!!! Two glorious hours of encouragement and talk on discipleship, and heart-searching, and prayer time and watch Louie Giglio's How Great is Our God and let God's greatness and magnificence pour over me. I soak in every glorious drop of encouragement.

8:30 p.m. Visit with friends and oogle over babies and head home.

8:40 p.m. Listen to voice mail from afore mentioned friend. She's on it!

8:45 p.m. Respond to whining kids in the van who "didn't get any dessert."

8:53 p.m. Miss the exit to get Bill's truck from work and have to turn around and go back.

9:10 p.m. Get home. Respond to whining about wanting stories.

9:15 p.m. Do dishes. Scrape avocado and smashed banana off the counter. Pick up bread crusts and spilled orange yogurt off the floor. Wash the floor.

9:40 p.m. Make hot tea. Watch the last 20 minutes of one of our favorite shows.

10:00 p.m. Start opening packages. Oh, yay! There is a tux from a friend for #3 to wear in Brother #2's wedding!!! Shirt and all!

11:00 p.m. Spend and hour blogging about my day. Don't I have better things to do?

Here's to a better tomorrow!

Super Bowl, Schmooper Bowl

2010-02-07T16:17:00.000-08:00

I have NEVER learned to enjoy football. I just don't. I don't mind it being on. I don't mind others watching it. I don't even care if their life revolves around it.

But, please! Can I find someone who I can spend time with for several hours a week that also shares my apathy for the sport?

Is it just me, or is this a sign of changing times? I remember when I was younger, how craft stores would host special classes on Super Bowl Sunday for the women to get away and enjoy themselves. I remember when the guys would watch football in one room and the ladies would watch a chic flick in another room.

Gone.are.those.days.

Now, women like football. Who would have thought.

So now, I just make the food. I like the party part. This year we had wings and chicken ranch strips and pretzels with cheese dip and homemade guacamole (best batch ever) and salsa with chips and buckeyes and chocolate covered pretzel sticks and fruit salad. The boys like that I make food. They like it so much that they found every stray neighbor boy (whose parents were obviously glued to the t.v. and didn't care if their kids left) and brought them up to the house to eat the food. In 1.5 seconds, the chocolate dipped pretzel sticks were gone. I didn't.get.one!

So here I sit loading my I-pod (before the Lumberjack's Wife discovers that my I-pod has been completely empty since I got it for Christmas)....and I blog, and I clean up the dishes. I really don't mind. It is once a year, right?

Unless you count all the play-off games and the non-play-off games and the college games...

Okay, so I'm only lonely September - February....except for golf and basketball and baseball...

Really needing some girlfriend time around here. Sigh.

In other exciting news, Google has told me four times this week that I have "reached the end of the Internet." I really didn't think that was possible. Leave it to me.

Silliness!

2010-02-01T10:46:00.001-08:00

Personalize funny videos and birthday eCards at JibJab!

Christina G

2010-01-30T22:42:00.000-08:00

My friend, "home groupy," and photographer extraordinaire, Christina G, has just finished her new website. To celebrate, she is giving away lots of fun stuff on her blog: jewelry, Starbucks, gift certificate for her services, etc. Hop on over to her site to see her great work, and her blog to check out the giveaways!

Death by Hand Sanitizer

2010-01-30T16:59:00.001-08:00

True Story: Last night, I was deep into thought and prayer during our Friday night worship service. It was communion time. I swigged my grape juice and ....gasp! What was that? It wasn't juice! It tasted like Chloroseptic. (BTW, did you know you could by Chloroseptic on Amazon? Who knew!)

Anyway....I looked around wondering if everyone else was gasping - or was it just me? No one else really seemed phased.

I sang the next song. My tongue started to feel heavy. Suddenly, I was gripped with paranoia. I've been poisoned. I know I have. I felt hot. My skin was crawling. I was sweating. I left everything in my seat and walked out the back.

Now, our church is rather large. We have a security team. They are good. I love them.

A staff friend so the look on my face as I emerged from the auditorium. I told her my weird story and how dumb I felt. She radioed security and three big guys walk up to handle my grape juice cup.

"Really," I said. "I'm not insane."

My friend, Shannon confirmed. "No, she isn't a crazy person."

"I don't know what I just drank, but it wasn't juice."

Burly guy #3 grabs my cup and takes a whiff.

"NO! That is not grape juice!"

Burly guy #1 doesn't smell anything.

Burly guy #2 is seemingly there for support.

Burly guy #'s 1 and 2 run off with my cup.

Burly guy #3 takes me to the security office and takes down all my information and tells me if I start to feel bad, to come get them, and they will get me to the hospital.

Great!

Now, weird things have happened at our church. Why?

Well, anytime you put 8,000 people in one place at a time, weird things are bound to happen.

Anytime God is moving, the enemy likes to make weird things happen.

Hence, the security team and the radios on every chilldren's service lead, and the Fastpass check-in system that we use for kids (and I man every Friday night), and the guy guarding the stage entrance, etc.

SO. The top concern, of course, was. Did someone intentionally tamper with the communion? How many people drank this? What did they drink? Do we have a "situation" on our hands?

So after the kitchen was inspected and foul play was ruled out as much as possible, burly guys started to look for a reasonable, logical explanation for my tainted juice.

The conclusion? Hand Sanitizer. That is the other thing about my church. We buy Germ-X by the cases. You can find a bottle by every Fastpass computer station, the nursery counter, the bathrooms, and apparently the kitchen. They mixed another cup intentionally with hand sanitizer and juice and smelled it. Yep! It smelled the same.

They called me back to the security office to confirm their finding. I, too, couldn't tell the difference between the two cups. It seems that someone simply overshot their squirt of hand sanitizer, and I got the lucky cup. Woo hoo!

They assured me that it shouldn't put me under.

Though all my friends encouraged me not to drive home.

I'm still alive today, so that is good news.

My Morning Menu

2010-01-27T23:55:00.000-08:00

I have way too many things to try to accomplish in the morning before work. Try as I may, I just can't get them all done. It just isn't possible, no matter what time I get up in the morning.

It is like picking from a menu.

Exercise
Shower
Dress
Read Bible
Do Hair
Do Makeup
Eat Breakfast
Switch a load of laundry
Empty Dishwasher

They are all important. If I don't exercise in the morning, it rarely happens, and I NEED to be exercising. If I exercise and don't shower - well, that is just gross. If I don't do my hair and makeup, I look like a hag all day and avoid going anywhere in public if at all possible. If I don't read my Bible in the morning, then I just don't start off right. If I don't empty the dishwasher, then the whole day's dishes pile up all over the kitchen until I get off work.

The problem is, I can only pick five of the nine....on a really good morning, I might get six.

Can you guess which ones I've been skipping lately? Have you seen me lately? Well, there is your answer. Am I using my own picture on my Facebook profile? Has anyone run into me in public this week? Do I really exist?

Back to the days where makeup was for special occasions and my hair gets done twice a week. I've been fairly humbled this week. I've had to go into my kids' school three times.

This morning, we were 30 minutes late for school. Unbelievable.....and it wasn't because I took time to look beautiful - but of course, I had to go in and sign everyone in looking lovely.

I had to really focus myself on their sweet prayers the night before to get through the hassle of this morning. Last night, they were praying for Haiti. It was so priceless. So special. Two of them prayed that we could adopt one of the babies. ...a boy of course!

Follow Shmollow!

2010-01-27T23:41:00.000-08:00

Woo hoo! I've finally figured out how to actually follow the blogs I'm supposedly following. I've discovered that most of my friends don't have an option to subscribe to their blog - just to follow them through blogger....which is a great idea, if I ever remembered to log into Google reader and read everyone's blog! But I don't. I need to get an e-mail. Then I will read the blog. Until now.

I've fallen in love with live bookmarks, so I keep track of a few favs very easily that way. AND yesterday, I discovered, that I can send Google reader to a live bookmark. I can just hit "next" and it scrolls me through all my friends' latest posts. So I spent today catching up on all of you!! Yippee!

Let's Talk About Boys

2010-01-23T21:50:00.000-08:00

See the new little link grabber to your left? Yep! I did it again. I started ANOTHER blog. I must truly be insane.

Let's Talk About Boys is just what it sounds like - targeted to moms raising their boys.

I haven't wanted to muddy up my Those With Young site with ads, but keep it simple and peaceful and focused. But I'm hoping to explore the field of earning an income through blogging with this particular site.

Wish me luck!...and come check it out! :D

Oops!

2010-01-18T08:23:00.000-08:00

Signs that your husband may have shaved himself almost completely bald:

You get a text message saying, "Be aware that i made a pretty big mistake cutting my hair. I'm sorry..."
You get a voice mail to make sure you got the text message, asking you to not be mad and telling you how much he loves you.
A large pile of hair in the trash can

Resistance to removing the hat

Waking up screaming in the middle of the night because you think a different man is in bed with you. (O.K. that didn't really happen.)

Ian tried to cheer him up and let him know that he looks 20 without any of his gray hair showing.

So....should he shave the rest of it off?

January Randomness

2010-01-14T21:41:00.001-08:00

Today is one of those days when you are face to face with the fact that you live in a sinful world...and tomorrow Momma Bear is going to have to rise up and hold some people accountable. Ugh! On a good note, we've had a LOT of good conversations this week about appropriate speech and actions. It is a bit ironic when you have to undo a bit of your child's innocence just to explain to him why his actions were wrong because he didn't even understand why he was in trouble. I'm grateful that my kids are so innocent (most of the time) and that they come home and talk about things the way they do. I'm grateful for the way they go back at it the next day even when they feel misunderstood. Thank you, Jesus!

I got my annual haircut last week. Yay!

We had some Christmas money left, and on my way out the door, Bill said, "Why don't you get it highlighted?" I haven't done anything like that in years. It was fun to get really done up! :)

I can't say enough how much I love being on the same work schedule as my husband!

I'm finally getting my groove on with some exercise, and can't believe what I lie I've fed myself for so long about being too tired to do it. I've had so much energy this week! Last night I swept and vacuumed the basement, cleaned out a bunch of tubs and drawers, put away all the random tubs sitting in the basement, hooked up a new monitor, caught up the laundry, and cleaned my bathroom....after working all day and doing two workouts! Wow!

I'm finally getting in a groove with writing time and Bible reading time again. I'm reading my Bible through again this year and am always amazed at the new things I learn.

Both of the above two things have a lot to do with Bill and I having the same work schedule.

Did I mention that I rarely have to pick the kids up from school anymore? Yay!

Thinking a lot about Matthew 18 again this week and wondering why on earth it is the hardest passage for Christians to pay attention to.

Am wondering, based on the amount of extra long, size 7 pants Ian and Hayden keep inheriting, if God knows they are getting ready to hit a growth spurt.

I read Isaac and Rebekah's love story this week. I love this story because it is the story that helped me know I was supposed to marry Bill. His proposal came as quite a surprise, and even though I had loved him for a long time, I was uncertain about how I felt at that time. I had really gotten to a place of letting him go and being content with singleness. When I got to verse 58, God said, "Hey! I'm talking to you!" I had Genesis 24:58 engraved on the inside of Bill's wedding band.

....and that is it for January Randomness.

Day Brighteners!

2010-01-04T23:57:00.000-08:00

I just wanted to take a minute to share some fun stuff that has encouraged my heart this week.

I asked several friends this week to pray for favor for me as I sought some counsel concerning this ministry. God has been good. Not only did I have a very encouraging "counseling session", but God has done some specific "techie/number/type" things for thosewithyoung.com that aren't critical to God's kingdom - but they are certainly encouraging to me.

Yesterday had the highest number of hits in Those With Young's history...actually double the amount of the previous high.
Today, I realized that Those With Young, now has a Google Page rank of 1 out of 10. That is just a beginning, yes; but it is a beginning. In perspective, E-bay has a rank of 8 out of 10 and the six your old web store I work for (Mom 4 Life, with over 900 products), has a rank of 4 out of 10.
I have received a number of very personal e-mails from women this week, that let me know that God is speaking to them through this ministry, and I'm so thankful.
Those With Young received a blog award this week. It isn't like a Pulitzer Prize, but it is kind of fun - and since it was given to me by one of my favorite bloggers, I am honored. It is the Happy 101 award, and it is given to someone who brightens your day.

This award comes with a couple of rules. First I need to share with you 10 things that brighten my day....and then share my favorite 10 blogs with you, while passing on the award. I did share this on Those With Young, as well...but thought I'd share it here too!

So here are some things that brighten my day (not necessarily in order of importance):

A fresh word from the Lord
Coffee - especially when my husband makes it for me in one of our special "I Love You" mugs
Sunshine...don't care if it cold, as long as the sun is out
My husband's hugs, kisses, and "I love you" text messages
The funny things that my kids continuously come up with to say
An e-mail, phone call, or Facebook message from a girlfriend
Time to write
Serving at church on Friday nights, where I help welcome new families and get their kids placed in the right classes
A cheerful customer on the phone
When my boys lick me goodnight. :P

Now, for my ten favorite blogs. I have lots of blogs written by mom friends that I love to read. But I'm not really sure that they intend for the world to read their blogs, so I've tried to not send the world their way today and just share those that I know mean to be "public."

The Lumberjack's Wife

My long time and real life friend shares the adventures of raising four children. She is the one who gave me this award. We share a birthday, though several years apart. I know her love for the Lord, her husband, and her kids...which is why I can confidently laugh through the reality of her daily life (and often identify). The Lumberjack's Wife is seriously my daily comic relief.

Headspace

My niece in law, Christa Black, who has been touring with the Jonas' Brothers (and previously with Michael W. Smith and as their violinist, back up singer, and guitarist, shares about her passion for God, eating disorders, learning to see herself through the eyes of God and lots of other heartfelt stuff. She has just started Project Beautiful, and I'm really excited to see what God does with it.

The Queen of Brusselsprouts

Another real life friend and mother of four, shares lots of great recipes and ways to teach your kids to choose good foods. It is creative, informative, and inspiring.

Mom 4 Life

This is the blog for the store I work for. There are a lot of personal stories on here that my boss has written about her journey in parenting and with the Lord. I also get to post some articles every now and then, that may or may not have appeared on Those With Young. I also do several of the product ads on the blog. A few other moms post, too, about parenting, going green, etc.

Glo Bible

I just won the Glo Bible software, so I'm loving the tips on this blog for how to use it, and what all it can do!

Thoughts From Pastor Dan

This is our former pastor in Arkansas, that Bill served under as music minister. He now pastors in Puyallup, WA. I love the theological discussion he starts on Facebook. His thoughts are always so interesting....and even though his blog is brand new (and he has only posted once), I'm trusting that he will have a lot more to share in the future.

Widget Blogger

This blog gives me tools to learn to build my own widgets and play with html code. I love it!

Mennonite Girls Can Cook

Simply filled with all the recipes I grew up eating and lots more!

Christina Goold Photography

A real life friend and professional photographer. I'm inspired by her ability to capture beauty.

LPM Blog - It's Beth Moore. What else can I say?

Now, I'd like to go a step further and share ten people that I wish WOULD blog.

My cousin, April. She is just hysterical, and I miss hearing her perspective on life.
My cousin, Keli, because, well...it must run in the family. She is totally witty, and I just wish I was more connected to their lives.
My mom....because she has been saying for at least three years that she going to start one.
My dad because he writes great funny stories and poems, as well as being a great theologian.
My friend and old roomie, Jo Shmo, who is a mother of eight - and I've never seen her with ruffled feathers.
My friend Kristine, who used to blog....and I don't know what happened. Maybe she doesn't realize how great her writing is!
My friend Santha, who is just far too busy; and I wish I could hear more of her thoughts- for I could chew for a week on her simple, thought of the moment.
My friend Kim, because I know she would have beautiful pictures, and words of wisdom, and funny thoughts.
Deborah Hiebert, because I know she writes out pages of stuff each week, and I wish I could read more than just her Facebook statuses. :)
Greg Johnson, because I could soak up his parenting insights on a daily basis...so once a quarter classes just aren't quite enough. :)

So thank you for celebrating with me and enjoying the bright spots in my life. I hope they brighten your day too!

Extravagant God

2010-01-02T12:26:00.000-08:00

It seems like every year, I'm trying to find ways to make Christmas simpler - to focus more on Christ and less on stuff. We've gone to a three gift rule (based off Jesus getting three gifts from the wise men). We've lowered and lowered our budget (some out of desire and some out of necessity).

But every year, the more simple Bill and I aim to be - the more generous others are.

This year we were completely blown away at Christmas. One day, while I was out, someone filled my van with food and presents. Bill and I had already been blessed with a little extra money "mailbox money" (anonymous gift one finds in their mailbox), and felt like we had done okay for our kids. So the extra stuff was completely unnecessary - appreciated, but unnecessary. It was like frosting on the cake.

But it gets better! Christmas Eve Bill and I slept on the couch in the living room to accommodate family and to be right there when the kids woke up in the morning. Earlier in the day, one of the shelves on our entertainment center collapsed. So I fell asleep staring at it and whispering to God those unspoken thoughts that you don't utter to anyone else. "I wonder when Bill and I will be able to get a new cabinet...one with doors that hides everything....and a flat screen t.v. that mounts to the wall, and we don't need this huge bulky cabinet?" It is a request you don't dare utter to anyone else because after all, you can barely pay your bills and are grateful that you have everything you need. You have a t.v. and an entertainment cabinet, and people in Africa are starving and dying of AIDS. It is a dream - a wish, definitely not a need.

The next morning, after finishing Christmas with our kids, we headed to my brother's. On the porch was a huge box. It was labeled with a UPS style label from Santa's Workshop at the North Pole to the Gifford Family in Dalton Gardens. No one knew where it came from.

We opened it last. It was a flat screen t.v. No kidding. I couldn't even speak. Are you kidding? I don't need this. This is extravagant, unnecessary, over the top.

I have looked my family members all in the eye and they have assured me that they don't have that kind of money laying around. No one will own up to it, and we have no idea where it came from. The next day we scored a beautiful cherry, glass topped cabinet at a thrift store with doors and pull out trays for all our CD's, stereo, etc. It is all hidden. We have been busy rearranging our living room and hooking everything up.

In the meantime, God has been speaking. My goal each year is to help my kids focus on the Savior. When there are so many presents, I sometimes feel sabotaged. But this year, God spoke something new to me, and it has been my theme.

I am an extravagant God!

Yes, I meet needs. But I usually go beyond what you really need.

I could have saved you from hell and not offered heaven, but I want you to have extravagance.

I could have just canceled your debt, but instead I paid the dearest price of my son - because I wanted you to know what you were worth to me - how far I would go for you.

I could have just saved you and kept you at a distance, but I want a relationship with you - and I want you to live with me forever.

I could just meet your needs - provide your bare necessities-, but you are dear to me. I want you to know I hear the things you only dare whisper to me, and I listen.

I love you, and I will be extravagant with you.

I don't know what your Christmas was like this year. It may have been slim. You may not have experienced what we did. But no matter what, I pray that you see what God has done for us in the spiritual realm and see how extravagant He is. Because He loves you just as much as He loves me.

As posted on Those With Young, December 29, 2009

Christmas Re-Cap

2009-12-30T16:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes, I'm not sure I really belong in my family. This Christmas would be a good example. When planning for Christmas Eve menu, I offered to bring cider. My brother said he already had 15 bottles, but I was welcome to bring more. I declined...didn't seem necessary. However, upon my arrival, I discovered that I had missed the memo. This was not Christmas, it was Ciderfest '09. Everyone was required to buy at least two bottles of cider every time they went to the store. I also declined that edict. Silly boys. It was then announced that we would be spending Christmas Day making vases out of the used up bottles....of which there were 30 by then. We had every flavor: mixed berry, marionberry, peach, red grape, white grape, cherry, blueberry, strawberry, pear, and of course the plain apple. I was told that the only flavor they couldn't find this year was peach-mango. So sad. So I guess the plans are already in motion for Ciderfest '10. They are planning t-shirts, and bottle labels, etc. It was such an important thing to me, that I neglected to get a single "ciderish" picture. I'm sure I will be sent some after today.

However, here are a few other pics of things I thought were important. :)

The Most Beautiful Tree Ever

Also...the fastest dying tree ever.

Graham Cracker Gingerbread House

Peppernuts

Bundled Brother's Bunking Together

The Cutest Baby in the World

Christmas Quartet

Gingerbread Men - and yes, ear infection.

7th grade boys re-enacting the Christmas story in their 7th grade boy way.

Silly brothers thinking mom will enjoy her work more if she has to drag one of them around on each leg.

Ugly Christmas Sweater Event

Bohemian Brother Gets a Bongo

Batman!

Heelys!

Brothers!

Bongo

and more Bongo

Brutus doesn't want left out

Fake Nickelback tickets - for the bro that hates Nickelback

Puzzles- every piece had an edge
I hate puzzles.

Games, games, and more games.

Video Skyping with the Gifford family having Christmas in Louisiana

More Puzzles. Did I mention I hate puzzles?

Okay...so about puzzles. This is another area where I'm convinced I don't belong with my family. What is it with puzzles? Why do we have to do them? Why do we have to start another one if we finish one. My family was here for four days, and they did at least three puzzles. Brothers even offered money if other brothers could finish the puzzle that had all edge pieces in a certain time frame. I don't understand puzzles. They are so...well...puzzling. I don't get spending hours pouring over a table, looking for little pieces to put something together, just to tear it all apart. I don't get all family games being suspended until we can get paid for finishing a puzzle on time.

Growing up, our family room was decorated with....you guessed it: puzzles. After we finished them, my mom would mount them and hang them on the wall. One of my brothers is mad to this day about it, and has spent a chunk of his short adult life, finding those old puzzles on e-bay and buying them to do again because puzzles shouldn't be mounted. Can you guess which brother that would be? He happens to be the same one who earned $50 finishing a puzzle with all edge pieces in one day.

I pretended to like puzzles for one year of my life. It was 1994. This cute Southern Gent moved to Idaho and was friends with my dad. He liked puzzles. He had no family in town. He would come over to do puzzles with my parents. So, that year, I liked puzzles. It was the only excuse I had to join the cute Southern Gent in the basement while he was over. I began to hate puzzles the day he confessed his love for me. They were useless to me at that point - and forevermore.

Christmas Letter '09

2009-12-29T20:38:00.000-08:00

If you want to bore yourself through a re-hash of our entire year, please see our 2009 Christmas Newsletter!

Psalm 20

2009-12-23T06:34:00.000-08:00

1 May the LORD answer you in a day of trouble;
may the name of Jacob's God protect you.

2 May He send you help from the sanctuary
and sustain you from Zion.

3 May He remember all your offerings
and accept your burnt offering.

Selah

4 May He give you what your heart desires
and fulfill your whole purpose.

5 Let us shout for joy at your victory
and lift the banner in the name of our God.
May the LORD fulfill all your requests.

6 Now I know that the LORD gives victory to His anointed;
He will answer him from His holy heaven
with mighty victories from His right hand.

7 Some take pride in a chariot, and others in horses,
but we take pride in the name of the LORD our God.

8 They collapse and fall,
but we rise and stand firm.

9 LORD, give victory to the king!
May He answer us on the day that we call.
(HCSB)

2009-12-20T21:31:00.000-08:00

Jonathan, Michelle, and Audrey came over for dinner tonight. The outfit Audrey is wearing was my Father's Day gift to Jonathan. :)

Pfeffernusse

2009-12-19T15:30:00.000-08:00

There are many kinds of Peppernuts. My sister in law's family makes them with anise. They are larger and whiter than the ones I grew up on. This is my Grandma and mom's recipe that is traditional to our family. The original recipe actually calls for pepper. I'm not sure why it is left out. I'm sure there is a story somewhere. So, traditionally for our family, these cookies are to be tiny. In fact, it was kind of a status thing to see who could get their's the smallest.

Pfeffernusse (Peppernuts)
1 c. butter
4 c. brown sugar
1 T. baking soda (in a little hot water)
1 t. salt
1 t. cinnamon
1 t. cloves
1 t. nutmeg
4 eggs
6-1/2 c. flour
1 c. chopped nuts
Mix butter and brown sugar. Add the eggs and baking soda in water. Mix well. Mix in the dry ingredients and then stir in the nuts. Refrigerate overnight. Roll into rolls the width of a pencil. I keep my rolls stacked in a cake pan in the freezer until I'm ready for them. Slice very thin (1/8" or so), lay on baking sheet about 1/2" apart. Bake at 400 degrees. If you work quickly, you will be able to lay out the next tray before the other one is done baking. It is a continuous process that can go on for hours. This recipe makes 1,000's.

One Week Before Christmas

2009-12-18T06:45:00.000-08:00

To go out the door this morning:

*11 teacher gifts
*1 tray of cookies for 7th grade language arts party (food donation box went yesterday for the families the school adopted)
*1 tray of cookies for 4h grade party, $1 for party supplies
*1 wrapped book for 2nd grade book exchange
*1 tub of red frosting for kindergarten party
*1 large bag of warm clothes to donate to the 3rd grade class, who is putting together survival kits for the homeless.

Can you guess what I've been doing lately?

I had a bit of an emotional day yesterday. There were several factors involved. I'm sleep deprived and surviving on easily grab-able Christmas goodies. :P I had a two hour with my laptop and You Tube yesterday, and they won. But what really got me going was reading the list of donation items needed to make survival kits for the homeless. There were things like tents, blankets, etc. I'm already getting shaky. Sleep in a tent in this weather? Reality is setting in.

But the item that just sent me into full fledged tears was this:
Socks - matches or not (can even have holes)

Okay. I have an entire pile downstairs that fit in that category. I'm always hoping for the day I succeed and find all their matches. But this is someones Christmas wish? Holey, unmatched socks? Sob.

We've been so blessed this year. It is no secret that we've struggled a lot financially. It seems every year, we are wondering how we are going to pull off Christmas, or if we can do it at all. This year, right before Thanksgiving, God blessed us with an anonymous gift from someone. We were able to pay off some medical debt, have some cushion as we transitioned from unemployment checks to a new pay schedule with Bill's new job, and we were able to think about Christmas. Last week, while I was out and about, someone filled my van with food and presents. We came back to the van, and had to find seats for the kids because it was so full. We have been blown away. For one thing, we don't need any of it. But God has been extravegant with us this year, and I am humbled.

...and if you lost a glove last night in the parking lot by the resort, don't worry. I picked it up for you - and donated it! :)

If your interested, I posted an article last night on Those With Young, called the Unsung Hero of Christmas.

My Southern Gent

2009-12-09T14:32:00.000-08:00

Over 15 years ago, I met a man that would change my life. He is my complete opposite in every way - which is probably why he stood out to me so much.

He was quiet, and rarely expressed his opinions. I...well..I had never met an opinion I didn't like to share.

He had a degree in fine art, pottery specifically. I didn't generally know one artist from another.

He was the baby of six. I, the oldest of 5.

He had four sisters (and a brother). I had four brothers.

He liked to do everything on the fly, and I liked things well planned out.

He was a night owl, and I an early bird.

He was was from the south. I was from the north.

....and that right there introduced three more pages of differences.

But I appreciate my Southern Gentlemen. He doesn't burp at the table. He treats me with respect. He says "Yes Ma'am" and "Yes Sir" to anyone he's addressing. He cares how he looks when he goes out in public, and he thinks I need a corsage on Mother's Day. (Did you know that southerners where different colors of flowers on Mother's Day to represent if their mom is living or has passed? I had no idea of such things.)

Most of all, I'm grateful that he has stuck with me. He has told me he loves me probably at least four times a day for the last 14 years. He's put up with me while God tamed my wild heart and taught me to show him respect. He's loved me through eight dress sizes and as many years of post-partum depression. We've been through our best and our worst together, and God knew how much I was going to need him.

Happy Birthday to my Beloved! I'm so grateful for you!

We love you, Stan and Genie!

2009-12-08T19:28:00.000-08:00

Several years ago, our lives crossed paths with a couple who needed the Lord. Their children were already grown, and so I never met their kids. My dad introduced them to Jesus, and they were never the same. They are passionate people, and when they met Jesus, they sold out lock, stock and barrel. Their lives and volunteerism have touched many.

My parents have since moved away, and Stan and Genie have moved several times as well. But they still all keep in touch. They called mom and dad Thanksgiving weekend to say hi, but missed each other.

The next time they spoke, the tone was much more somber. This time Genie was clinging to a photo of her daughter who had tragically died that day.

Today Stan and Genie said one of many goodbyes to Tina. They were joined by 20,000 other mourners who gave Officer Griswold and her comrades a hero's memorial.

We never know what tragedy lies around the corner for those in our lives that we love...or for ourselves for that matter. I'm so glad they have Jesus to comfort them, and I'm so glad they have the Body of Christ to be His hands and feet.

We you join me in praying for Stan and Genie DeLong today?

Stuwowpid!

2009-12-08T19:20:00.000-08:00

One of our children (and I won't tell you who) used to have a brilliant vocabulary. Suddenly, however, it has completely dwindled down to two words: "Wow" (with much sarcasm) and "Stupid" (with no sarcasm).

Therefore, the parental units in this family have decided that we might as well save further time by combining those words as well. Thus, the new family favorite word: Stuwowpid
prounounced: stew-wow-pid
language of origin: sassy pre-teen
part of speech: interjection
definition: stupid and wow at the same time

Shopping, Celebrations, and Symphonies

2009-12-07T06:32:00.000-08:00

'Twas the month before Christmas and all through the home,
Every creature was scurrying to get it all done.
There were events to attend and gifts to be bought,
Birthday parties to hold and baked goods to be wrought....

This is always our busiest week. Two birthdays, and a world that decides it is best to get all Christmas events out of the way the first ten days of December.

We celebrated Riley's Birthday on Saturday.

My kids have a thing these days for drawing their own pictures on their cake. Riley wanted a medieval theme, and drew the best Gifford Coat of Arms he could do with food color markers on frosting.

Again, my camera is misbehaving. You would never know that at one time, my family saw great potential in my photography skills.

Yes, that *is* a snow ball sling shot!

We celebrated Bill's birthday on Sunday.

Yes, another French Press!!

My wild-eyed man with his birthday pie - Jeff Davis, of course.

....and then there is Audrey. Sigh. She is getting so big. She is really starting to coo and smile. The cousins had great fun with her yesterday. If you can't tell, her little onesie says, "Who needs Santa? I have grandparents!" Too cute!

Saturday night, we took the kids to North Idaho College for their annual Christmas concert. They did so good at Battle of the Bands, that we decided they were ready for this. We soon found out that our oldest and youngest thought this was an experience that would cause death. They did survive, but they made sure we knew they didn't enjoy.

Hayden was a convinced that one of the songs was sung in pig Latin, and Riley was very concerned when we sang "Don we now our gay apparel"; but overall it was a great success.

We later asked the kids what their favorite part of it was.

Hayden: The part where we got to sing.
Ian: When Mrs. Price sang (one of his teachers - ahh).
Riley: The box drum! (No surprise there.)
Clayton: When we got a candy cane and got to go home.

Last night, we planned on going to Journey through Bethlehem. The kids were so looking forward to it. It is, however, an outdoor event. It is also in Spokane. We left early, so we could hit a couple of Spokane stores first. When we walked from the van to the mall, we suddenly realized something: it was COLD! Not just a little cold...not just bundle up good and you'll be fine cold - but you'll freeze your face off in a matter of seconds COLD. It was so windy, and 1/2 the kids were in tears before we got to the door.

We really wanted to go, but we decided that our skin would indeed freeze off, and there would be no joy in having the kids see frozen dead animals and frost-bitten bible characters....if it wasn't even canceled.

Two of the munchkins were very sad, but Happy Meals make almost everything better.

So today we wake up to 8 degrees. Riley left his clothes on the heat vent last night which will be good for his clothes, but bad for their room temperature....and off we zoom into the second busiest week of the year!

New Schedule

2009-12-07T06:20:00.000-08:00

So Bill has this new job. It isn't anything fancy, but it is work - and in today's economy, we are grateful that he is working. The biggest "WOW!" is that we are both working Monday - Friday, during the day! We haven't had the same schedule for a good three years, so this is spectacular. We have weekends and evenings together - and with our kids!! Can you say, "WOW!" I will say it for you. WOW!

However, Bill's schedule is a bit early. He leaves home at 5:15. I decided that I really wanted to be on his schedule. I'd rather learn to get up early and write and exercise and have time with God in the FIRST part of my day - instead of when I'm about to drop dead at the end. I would prefer to learn to go to bed BEFORE all the great shows come on at night, so I'm not wasting time in less productive ways.

We didn't get off to the best start. We had a late night in Spokane last night and didn't get to bed until 11:00, but I was determined to get up anyway. I had a great time in the Word, but my exercising was sabataged by a broken DVD player and a PS2 that wouldn't read my disk.

So I made chocolate chip cookies - a double batch. Now, it really isn't as bad as it sounds. They weren't for me. Today is a certain someone's 10th birthday, and he requested to bring cookies to school as his treat. Since I was so busy getting to bed early last night, I didn't get them made. Do you realize that a double batch of Betty Crocker's chocolate chip cookies takes an entire box of butter? Like I said, they aren't for me. Why a double batch? well....

This brings up the point of classroom size. Don't schools know that it would be much more convenient for moms if they gauged the classroom size by dozens? so you didn't have to buy 30 of something for a class of 22 or 36 of something for a class of 26? Just sayin'!

....and don't worry. I know how to do sit ups without a DVD. I think that I shall attempt that between switching out cookie sheets.

Food Frenzy

2009-12-02T00:08:00.000-08:00

We have a lot going on this week: two work parties (involving potlucks), Hayden's turn to bring snacks to school, and two family birthdays. I really needed to go shopping, so I arranged my whole day with the express purpose of getting to the store before Bill got home with the boys from school. That way, I didn't have to take anyone, explain to anyone why I wasn't taking anyone, or deal with the guilt of peeling children off my body because I wasn't taking anyone.

It worked!

Howbeit, I did forget that it was the 1st of the month, and everyone else and their pet chihuahua would be at the store. My cart was completely overflowing, so the checker had to go get a different cart to load the bagged groceries in because I wasn't getting them unloaded quickly enough. I then realized that their can be one benefit to bringing strong boys with you to the store....pushing the second cart. Much to the amazement of my checker, I did get it all back into one cart.

The whole process only took THREE HOURS!! Are you kidding me? I came home exhausted and with a headache of course - which isn't the best thing to combine with four boys jumping up and down excited to see what all came home. They opened the back hatch to the van and the apple butter rolled out on the pavement, but it survived the fall and didn't brake. It did NOT, however, survive the second dropping in the kitchen. So while Bill was cleaning up apple butter and glass, I tried to clear a path in our "one butt kitchen" (as my friend Julie affectionately calls it). I directed the apple butter dropper to the table where he could carry cans down to the cold cellar. Moments later I hear another yell. Yes, the apple butter dropper has now dropped the apple juice. The lid has broken, and 1/3 of a 64 oz. bottle has spilled on the floor and splashed up the filing cabinet and under the filing cabinet and all over the post board stored beside the filing cabinet. Is this for real?

I wish I could say that I handled it all calmly like I did yesterday when a glass got broken and I simply called out "watch your feet! Go get shoes!" But this was not one of my prouder mom moments. Needless to say, I had some apologizing to do.

But the fridge is cram packed. There is no way anything else will fit, and I am officially ready to begin my "no more free nights, five holiday events in five days" week....oh, after I go take advantage of five hours of sleep. Sigh.

An Invitation

2009-12-01T23:28:00.000-08:00

Join us at Those With Young this month!

It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas!

2009-11-30T23:11:00.000-08:00

When we first got married, our tree was meticulous, Victorian...pristine. We carefully made perfect bows with burgundy, velvet, brocade ribbon and evenly spaced them on the tree with their ends, trailing like streamers, to the next bow. We filled in between with antique gold lace. Our ornaments were all gold and ivory - Victorian angels with harps, angels with bells, angels just flying. It was picture perfect.

But then the kids come. They start coming home from Sunday School each week with a new "ornament." - a picture they drew and drizzled glitter all over....a photo of themselves inside a paper bell....a foam manger scene all glued together or a Popsicle stick stable. They proudly march in to hang it in the middle of your pristine, picture-perfect, Victorian tree. It doesn't match. You try to move their ornaments to the back, assuring them that it is really empty back there and could use their decorations....but soon you have 56 of these precious ornaments, and the back of the tree can no longer contain them.

That was the year, I resolved to let the kids take over. We strung popcorn. We strung cranberries. We hung candy canes and all of their handcrafted ornaments...and all the ones Bill and I had collected growing up. It wasn't perfect or pristine, but it was full of love.

As the years have gone by, I can't imagine going back to "my tree." This one is so much prettier. One of my favorite memories is of Hayden sitting by the tree at 13 mos old, and chewing on the popcorn strands. (Some day I will post more old pictures. My old pictures are better anyway, since I had a better camera. However, they are all trapped in the downstairs computer without a working monitor.)

I so wish I could capture the beauty of the lights on a tree. I really believe this is by far our prettiest tree ever.

The Best Weekend Ever!

2009-11-29T21:21:00.000-08:00

Wow! I knew I needed a vacation, but I didn't really realize HOW BAD I needed a vacation.

I went ahead and took the whole four day weekend off, and I haven't had four days off in a row - at least since last Christmas...maybe longer.

I was a little sad at the beginning because we really wanted to go to Oregon and be with my parents, but it just didn't work it out. But God was really good to us in lots of ways.

A couple of days before Thanksgiving, we received a surprise in the mail - completely anonymous....the kind of surprise that lets you breathe deep and know that you can pay your bills this month...and there will be Christmas at your house.

We had good friends over for Thanksgiving, and I enjoyed pulling out the china, and grandma's green crystal, and my mother-in-law's silver.

Friday morning was a first for Bill and I. We realized that we had a 12 and a half year old, and a guard dog - so why on earth couldn't we go black Friday shopping together?! It was glorious! We honestly didn't see a lot in the ads that we were excited about, but snagged a couple of good deals.

Riley wants one thing and one thing only for Christmas - drums! Well, they are a little out of budget. I've been checking Craig's List, but even there, they are too much. But Friday night, I saw a snare on sale in Sandpoint, so Bill and I drove up (AGAIN - BY OURSELVES!) to Sandpoint and grabbed it. We also took a little time to walk arm in arm down through the snow flurries, in the streets of downtown Sandpoint and window shop. It was magical!

Part of what I was sad about not going to Oregon, was simply the good talks Bill and I always have on long drives, so the two hours Sandpoint trip really helped make up for that.

Today I took a four hour nap! Yes, four hours! We didn't sleep in today. We actually got up and took everyone to the 8:00 service, since only half of us made it to church on Friday. You know how when you sleep too long in the day, you wake up feeling groggy and icky, and regret your nap? Well...this wasn't one of those times. I think I really needed it.

All in all, the tree is up. The house is decorated. We've been making peppernuts. The December Birthday parties are planned. I feel more on top of things than I have in a long time - especially for December. Yippee!!

Thanksgiving Blog Quiz

2009-11-24T22:25:00.000-08:00

1. Are you sticking to traditional Thanksgiving foods this year, or are you being culinarily adventurous?
Not really. I am trying one new recipe...slow cooker stuffing. One less thing in the oven.

2. Tell me something concrete that you’re thankful for. (Something you can literally touch, see, etc., not a concept like “hope.”)
A surprise in the mail today and the ability to share.

3. You knew the flip side was coming: Share about something intangible that you’re thankful for.
peace amid unpredictable circumstances

4. Share one vivid Thanksgiving memory. It doesn’t have to be deep or meaningful, just something that remains etched in your memory.

One year my Granny and Grandpa dressed up in real live Pilgrim costumes that Granny had sewn and gave all of us grandkids feathers to stick in our hair.

5. What is one thing that you know beyond a shadow of a doubt is going to happen this Thanksgiving because it always does, year after year?

I will spend most of the day in the kitchen

6. Do your pets get any left-overs?

Yes.

7. Does your family pray before the big meal? If so, do you join hands while seated, stand, repeat a formal prayer or offer a spontaneous prayer? Who does the praying?

Yes, we pray. I'm not sure it is ever the same year to year.

8. Will you be watching football in the afternoon? If not, what will you be doing?

I do not watch football. If I'm really lucky, I will take a nap while others watch football.

9. There are two distinct camps of people on this issue: How do you feel about oysters in the dressing/stuffing?

Never had oysters in stuffing. Wouldn't mind trying it, but not at the risk of ruining the stuffing for Thanksgiving.

10. Do you consider yourself informed about the first Thanksgiving?

Yes.

11. Which variety of pie will you be enjoying?

Pumpkin, Pecan, and Jeff Davis

12. Do you feel for the turkey?? Does the turkey feel for me? Silly.

Hayden is 6!

2009-11-22T22:11:00.000-08:00

....and he and Ian are just way too cool!

Here's a little glimpse into his special day. :)

2009-11-22T22:09:00.001-08:00

Festive Fall Family Feast

2009-11-22T20:33:00.000-08:00

There is nothing more fun than getting ready for Thanksgiving!

We slept late; and when I showered and got to the top of the stairs, the three youngest boys were giddily waiting for me. We made breakfast! We had soggy granola, dry cinnamon toast and coffee with honey, chocolate, caramel, cream, and sprinkles.

It was the best breakfast ever!

The boys cuddled up with Superman on the couch to watch movies. Superman injured himself yesterday doing nothing that was really super. He was just helping someone undo a trailer hitch. But his back is sore...very sore....the kind that makes it hurt to take a full breath.

So while they all snuggled and watched movies, I sorted through recipes and made a list.

I only had two helpers on my shopping trip today, but we managed to get it done. The only thing about coming home from shopping for Thanksgiving dinner, is that you don't want to wait four days to make it. So I planned a little special dinner for tonight.

Harvest Salad:

Toss together:
Field Greens
Dried Cherries
Crumbled Blue Cheese
Toasted Pumpkin Seeds
Dress with:
Balsamic Vinegar
Olive Oil
Black Pepper
Salt

Boursin Bites: (I was served a sample at the grocery store and came home to back them. Nummy!

Dice one or two 1/4" slices of deli roast beef. Mix with two packages of Boursin cheese (O.K. I know it is the name of the recipe, but I cheated and used a tub of Rondule to save money), some minced green onion, diced black olives, 2 T. of mayonnaise and a few shakes of celery salt. Spread the mixture on baguette slices and garnish with a strip of red pepper. Broil until the cheese is bubbly/golden.

We also had Green Tea Ginger Ale (Courtesy of Canada Dry) and Pumpkin Fudge...which is totally to die for...and whose recipe I am not sharing yet. Mwahhahahaha!

In other news, check out the very fun video Clayton made today. He and his friend Ryan took turn taping each other with a cell phone over the weekend and then Clayton came home and edited and added music. Good job, bud!

Saturday

2009-11-15T10:24:00.000-08:00

Snow on the ground...fire cracking in the fireplace (good place for the fire to be in a home of four boys)...fluffy, clean dog resting on the kitchen floor....oldest son is making shoes out of duck tape (Don't ask me what possessed him to make duck tape shoes, but he insists he's wearing them to school on Monday. He's in middle school. There are some things you just don't try to understand.)... boys doing their best to sled in one inch of snow.

Axel F

Blogging

more Axel F

clean bathroom, kitchen, and dining room....birthday cake made and ready for Hayden to draw his own picture on it...

Axel F

We took the kids on the annual Toys R Us "go through the store and show us all the stuff that looks cool to you" pre-Christmas browsing trip. We wished we'd brought a video camera. We were also looking for what to get baby Audrey for her first Christmas. We found a teddy bear the size of Bill. We also had a "find the noisiest toy in the baby aisle" contest.

Axel F

Clayton and Riley invented a game for us to end our day with. It was actually very fun.

Me: Where is the dog soap. I just bought more! (frantically search)
Family: silence
Me: Come on guys, who hid it!? I just bought more because I couldn't find the last bottle that I know we have.
Family: silence
Me: I think someone is playing a sick joke on me!
Bill: Angela, You are the only one that ever gives Buddy a bath. No one else will know where you keep the soap.
Me: Yes! I'm very well aware that I'm the only one that gives Buddy a bath! (I did finally find it with the WD-40?)

Bill: Buddy (the dog) You are getting fat!
Hayden (patting Buddy on the head): Don't worry, Buddy, not the mean kind of fat.

Did I mention Axel F? For the first time in my life, I've actually considered grounding kids from the piano.

Appliances

2009-11-14T13:07:00.000-08:00

I've been thinking about my appliances today. Mostly because I spend a lot of time with them....and also in this month of thanks, I'm realizing that I didn't pay for many of them. In fact...maybe only one.

First there is my fridge. I'm grateful for my fridge. It is the first refrigerator I've ever owned. It was given to us by some dear friends who had sold a rental, when our rental fridge was going out. Our property management company told us that we were welcome to buy ourselves a fridge if the provided one didn't work any more. Well, we couldn't. (Don't worry. Said property management company has since been fired.)

Our refrigerator is lovely and white (well, except for when it isn't white) and covered in the customary artwork and magnets of most family fridges. Our only problem is that we seem to have a habit of breaking the bars that hold the milk in the door. We've broken two now. I don't understand how this happens.

Our microwave (aka storage shelf) was also a gift from a dear couple in our church in Arkansas who felt so sorry for us for not having one. I didn't really see it as an essential, especially since we only had about two feet of counter space. But they did, and I'm o.k. with receiving one as a gift. :)

Our first bread machine was a hand-me-down from my mother-in-law. I use it probably 5 times a week. I used it a LOT. I mean a lot. The day it walked itself off the counter and fell into three pieces, I literally panicked. No! Take the coffee pot. Take the microwave. You can even have the dishwasher! But please, not the bread machine! I was quite attached. I put it back together, and surprisingly it worked for a while. Then one day, we smelled smoke. We all ran around the house frantically looking for the source and, well, it was the bread machine. We were without for quite awhile until Christmas bonuses and gift cards allowed for its replacement.

The coffee pot is essential to my husband's mental clarity. Don't get me wrong. I like coffee too, but no one will die if I don't have it. Someone also gave us our coffee pot. I believe it was when we hosted a home group at our house, and were having difficulty serving everyone with our French Press. We miss our French press. But we seem to break those a lot, too. :( An interesting side note. This is our only appliance that isn't white.

The mixer is used daily. It is hard to remember life before it. You can turn it on, set the timer, and whipped cream and meringue practically make themselves.

Our stove is very reliable. It needs cleaned bad. I hate oven spray. We seem to have a difficulty buying the right size of burner liners. So consequently, most of our burners sit at an angle instead of laying flat. Oh well!

The dishwasher. Oh, lovely dishwasher. I'm very grateful for the dishwasher. We have not often had a dishwasher. It wasn't too big of a deal when it was just Bill and I - or Bill and I and Clayton. But doing all of the dishes by hand when there were six of us, was a bit more challenging. Especially when we only had two feet of counter space to lay them on to dry...because I don't dry dishes.

Because of the efficient design of our kitchen, the dishwasher and oven cannot be opened at the same time (I told you my oven needed cleaned.).

Nor can the refrigerator be opened the whole way. At all.

Our dishwasher is provided with the rental. Recently it has decided that it will not open the soap cup on its own. So we have to set the timer and go back and open the soap cup. This doesn't always happen, and we often get to wash the dishes twice...or sometimes three times....

Which brings me to the topic of the water heater. We are very fortunate that this home has not one, but two full size water heaters. One that supports the kitchen, and one that supports both bathrooms and laundry rooms. This comes in handy when you have to run your dishwasher three times per load.

We had been married about six months, when we moved from Idaho to Phoenix for Bill to start seminary. We were about five months pregnant with Clayton; and being the overly ambitious woman that I once was, I planned on using cloth diapers. This process is a bit cumbersome without a washer and dryer. Lucky for us, the apartment complex that we choose to lease from was having a contest. Sign a 12 month lease and be entered in a drawing for a washer and dryer.

We signed a 12 month lease, and we won! Of course, they don't make things like they used to. That was 13 years ago. The dryer gave out first. We have since replaced it with a $20 thrift store dryer because the parts required to experiment with repairing the dryer (when you really aren't a dryer repairman) are more expensive than just buying a $20 thrift store dryer and starting over. However, as when the motor went out on this dryer, we couldn't find another thrift store one. So Bill replaced the motor, then the fuses, then the switch, then the heating core. There seemed to be nothing left to replace. But most recently, the dryer has decided it needs us to flip the breaker and reset the outlet after each load, so that it will continue to heat up. Oh, well!

The washer has also been replaced with a nice, refurbished used washer. Also a gift from someone who had compassion on this mom hauling 21 loads of laundry to the laundromat and spending a car payment in quarters to do the laundry.

I'm not sure what God had in mind by gifting this family of boys with a house full of white appliances. But I'm amazed that God cares that they match...and I'm very grateful for all of them.

True Story

2009-10-27T21:42:00.000-07:00

This is my day:

I got to work and promptly fell on this ice. I laid there for a minute - half stunned, half wondering if I could move - and mostly upset that I spilled my coffee. I did get up. No major injuries. I'm sure I will have a very colorful bruise on my hip tomorrow, and I did remove a nice patch of skin from my elbow. (do you realize how many times a day you brush your elbow against something?)

However, I had a very productive day at work and had no other tragedies until I left, when I then somehow again spilled my coffee - this time all over me. I was literally soaked. My pants were soaked. My shoes were soaked. My car seat, steering wheel, and keys were all full of coffee. I really don't know how I manage sometimes.

Anyway...on to home. I had a phone interview at 3:30 that involved the government. I sat locked up in my bedroom with my phone next to me and waited and waited. Finally at 4:00, I called the 800 number to find out what to do when no one calls you for your appointment. I was on hold so long, I started to just drive to their office. Someone finally answered and confirmed it was a good plan to drive to their office.

I get to the office and explain:

Me: I had an interview at 3:30, but didn't get a call. So what do I do now?
Government lady (I know she is a person, but I will protect her name): Picks up phone, "Hey 'government man', do you remember what happened with your 3:30 appointment?
Government man: "Ya, I called three times and it was busy. The last time I got voice mail."
Me: Could you confirm my phone number, because you don't get a busy signal when you call me. I have call waiting, and I wasn't on the phone, and I don't have any voice mails. See. Here is my call log.
Government lady: Repeats my number to me absolutely correctly and then says, "Well, we can get you in for an interview on Friday."
Me: Stare.
Government lady: "Let me call a supervisor." Picks up phone and dials. "Ya, I have a lady here who had a 3:30 appointment. We tried to call her three times, but it was busy and then we got voice mail. She said she didn't get any calls and wasn't aware her phone had problems. Now she is here and wants to be seen. Um huh. ya. Ok., so just schedule her for Friday." Turns to me. "I can get you in on Friday."
Me: "Do you guys leave a voice message if you get voice mail."
Government lady: "Depends." "We can work you in tomorrow if you want to come and wait. Do you have anything going on in the morning."
Me: "Um, yes. I have a job. (DUH!)....and I worked my schedule around this appointment today."
Government lady: "Well, you can wait 'til Friday if you want."

Needless to say, I came home feeling a bit beat up by the world, with one giant headache (which I still have), wanting to be held, and hide from the mean old world. However, I did just finish a cup of hot tea and an hour and a half with the One Who is Worthy of Worship. So, I'm hoping I sleep well....and tomorrow will be better.

I listened to a Leeland interview on the way to work this morning. This song really blessed me. One thing I can be assured of through the tough times that Bill and I have gone through, I sure have compassion for those who are facing tough times - and get my feathers a bit ruffled when the poor are taken advantage of. Quite ruffled, actually.

(To view this, look to the left and hit pause on the music player, then hit play on the video. :D )

Pumpkin Pancakes

2009-10-25T12:56:00.000-07:00

(I double this recipe for my crew.)
1 1/2 c. flour
2 T. sugar
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. cinnamon
1/8 t. ginger
1/8 t. cloves
1/4 t. salt
1 egg, slightly beaten
1 1/2 c. buttermilk
3 T. cooking oil
1/3 c. pumpkin

Mix together and fry in a buttered skillet. Serve with maple syrup (and I've heard whipped cream might be good too.)

Blog Tips: Safety

2009-10-25T11:04:00.000-07:00

K, so I thought I might occasionally post some tips on blogging for my fellow blogging fans. I don't really consider myself an expert. But have just learned a few things along the way.

Today's post is motivated by a friend and star performing blogger who has recently has had some safety issues.

What do you want your blog to do? This is a pretty important question to ask yourself when you start. Is it just a place for family and close friends to hear about your family events and see pictures? or are you wanting to share all about homeschooling with whoever wants to learn about homeschooling? or are you wanting to blog your deepest thoughts for your own record?

What should I share? Once you know what the purpose of your blog is, then you need to start filtering throught your mind what is pertinent to really share. For instance, if it is a blog for the whole world to see, you may not want to give much personal information. If it is just for family and friends, you might want to reference to nick names and stuff that you might not the whole world to know. If you aren't keeping it as a personal journal, you may want to be careful about how many details you give concerning your emotions, marriage problems, etc.

Should it be password protected? If you have had any problems with stalking in the past, if you are afraid of anyone in your life, then your blog should have a password on it that you give out to those you want to see it. If it is only for the use of your family and close friends and you want to post lots and lots of pictures and details about birthdays and your new address or cell phone number, you should have it password protected? If you want the whole world to see about your knowledge on childhood diabetes, and you intend to promote it on related sites, you wouldn't have it password protected; but you would be careful about including personal information.

What is personal information? It is amazing what evil people can do these days with the help of technology. Say you post a cute picture of your family on your front porch in one picture, then in another post, you have a picture of your kids playing in the front yard with the street sign visible. In another post, you show your child's picture and their name with it. Blog stalker can now piece together your full address, walk up to your yard, and call your child by name.

Here are some things that can be pieced together:

House numbers
Street names
People's Names
License Plates (see above post. LOL!)
Places you hold routine events
Pictures of your kids in their team shirts
What school your kid goes to or a picture of them in school attire

Those are just some examples.

How much of my heart do I expose? Besides giving out personal information, carefully consider how much of your heart you want others to see. Just because you are feeling emotional one night, do you really want your whole family to know you are on the verge of bankruptcy? If you just got in a fight with your husband, should you really bash him to the whole world? If you are struggling with your job, do you want your boss to be able to read about it?

Remember, everything on the internet is a permanent record. If it isn't password protected, it is accessible to all.

Should I have more than one blog?

I have had numerous blogs over the years. Some I no longer use. Some you don't know about. I've done this mostly for the reasons above.

Xanga - I had a xanga blog at one time. It is still live for reference, but I no longer post there. Readers could only leave comments or subscribe if they had a Xanga account, and I didn't like that.
Angela's Musings - my current blog to let me family and friends know about life happenings. I have not yet password protected it. I've prayed through this a lot and still haven't made a decision. I often like to blog about spiritual matters. That is more of a calling of mine. I hate to make those things private. So, I may have to seperate out another blog someday. Even though it isn't password protected and anyone can comment, I still have to approve the comments before they post. That is setting in blogspot, though, and not automatic.
Those With Young - specifically designed for mothers of young children who are pursuing a relationship with Christ. I will not have a lot of photos that are personal or at least labeled. Personal stories may be from this year or five years ago. Details will be limited. Anyone can post. I can not just delete comments, but edit them (say a friend comments, "Ya, I remember when you...." I can edit it to say what I want the public to read and notify my friend that I have done so.
Truths Self-Evident - a blog for political thoughts. I haven't done much here and I don't know when I will again. But I liked the domain name and wanted to reserve it.
I had another blog that I started when Bill and I closed our tile business down, to start sharing the stories of how God moved and worked in our lives. That blog has been shut down. It was a learning experience.
I had a very personal blog that I journaled very personal things in when I was going through a rough time. It was severly protected, and I only invited two close friends to read it and share my experiences and prayer needs. It has now been deleted from the internet.
I have a new blog about to launch all about raising boys. This will be a blog that is very public, has its own domain name, and hopefully generate some income. SO I've been working on code names for my kids, etc. I want it to be REAL, but I want to be CAREFUL.

Private Blogs If you have the total blogging bug, you will feel the insatiable need to blog about everything. It is a great way for a modern woman to journal. If you have this bug, get a private blog that noone can see..just you and share your thoughts. That way it is down for your record, but you really don't have to tell the world.

Safety Settings Safety settings vary by host. Xanga, Blogger, Wordpress, Tyepad....all have a place you can choose security settings. Read them well and reference the help section if you aren't sure what they mean.

Temporary Measures If something makes you feel threatened, you can check your blog settings for ways to completely close it down (without deleting it) or temporarily block it while you figure out a long-term solution.

If you want to get a hint of how public your information is, try googling your name. Then google your name and image (angela gifford image) and see how many of your blog pictures might surface.

There is so much more on this topic; but like I said, I'm not and expert - and I have a pancake breakfast I need to clean up after.

Happy Sunday Blogging!

PRMSLND

2009-10-24T16:20:00.001-07:00

I retired the plates. It just seemed time.

So you will no longer be able to spot me around town in the Promise Land van.

However, you will still be able to notice me by:

The rather large dent in my front bumper
The hideous hand prints that look like six kidnapped children have been trying to escape from the inside
The nails on a chalkboard sound my rear wiper makes
The look of "no one has washed me yet this year"
The side to side shaking that comes from four boys beating each other over the head in the back seat

However, I do have really nice, new, clean license plates. :)

Wanted: Reliable Tooth Fairy

2009-10-24T00:06:00.000-07:00

My kids are into fairies. They think there is a laundry fairy that magically shows up and washes all the clothes; a kitchen fairy that somehow comes up with three meals and two snacks a day; a refrigerator fairy that keeps it stocked; and a gas fairy that shows up every night and refills the tank.

Over the years, I've dispelled some of the fairy myths. I've explained that there isn't a fairy that shows up to clean the dried-up globs of toothpaste off the counter or replace the cap on the tube. Neither is there a fairy that keeps track of their video game cartridges or delivers their lunch to school. But no matter how hard I try, they still believe in many fairies. One critical fairy is the tooth fairy.

It has been confirmed, however, that our family has the world's worst Tooth Fairy. She has never been all that reliable, but lately it is really getting bad. The kids are very unhappy, and I've heard lots of grumbling from her. Most recently, she has even hinted at how many lost teeth will be honored, per child, per month....or perhaps a weekly limit per family. Who knew that the economy even affected the tooth fairy? Try explaining that to kids.

Hire My Mom!

2009-10-19T22:40:00.000-07:00

I was tipped off to something today that I go really excited about! You see, I have the privilege from working from my house. There are lots of ups and some downs to the arrangement, but honestly, as a mom of 4, it is a life saver. I cannot tell you how many days of work I would have already missed this year, if I would have had to stay home every time I had a sick kiddo, etc.

Anyway....it is really hard when you are a mom that needs to earn an income, but want to stay home with your kids. There are a ton of companies out there with sales plans. Some are great! - especially if you have a passion for what you are selling.

But what if you just have marketable skills and know that you could probably make some money from your home office if you could just do a *little* marketing, or some remote assisting. There really are jobs like that out there. It is just a matter of finding them, without being roped by six scams on the way.

So today, I was excited to find the Home Based Working Moms Network and Hire My Mom. It is a legitimate service that you can subscribe to to list your abilities. Companies look for the right person to fill the job and hire moms. For real! You pay a small subscription fee to keep your job application open, so employers can find you. You can subscribe for a quarter at a time, or a whole year and save a whole quarter's worth of fees.

Even better than that - if you think you might have an idea of a great business or maybe you don't know exactly what you could do; but are sure you could pull off your own business, if you just knew how, take a look at the Work at Home Kit! It was designed to help you find the perfect business for you.

I hope some of you find this helpful. I can't tell you how many times a week friends ask if my company is hiring or tell me they wish they could find something like I've found. Honestly, my job landed in my lap as a present from the Lord, but maybe the HBWM Network will be helpful to you!

The Great Gifford Getaway!

2009-10-18T21:27:00.000-07:00

Today was just perfect! Starting by waking up late between flannel sheets, followed by plate-sized pancakes and a mocha....then off for a magical fall day. Most folks head off to some pumpkin farm and get hot apple cider. The Giffords go to the golf course. It is the end of the season. The courses are slow. It is the time that the family actually gets to experience what dad does all week.

Last year, at the Coeur d'Alene Resort, we got to actually go golfing on Employee day. This year, however, we got our first glimpse of The Club at Black Rock.

A Little Bit About Laundry

2009-10-17T23:44:00.001-07:00

Yeah for working dryers!

Two loads at work in the washer and dryer....and probably only four more left after that!

So here is a little bit about laundry at our house. A friend tipped me off a while ago to buying plastic dish tubs at the dollar store, one for each family member. I fold the laundry straight into everyone's tub, and they are all responsible to take care of their own tub. The tubs then go back down the laundry chute for me to reuse. It works great! - most of the time.

Hayden is famous for putting EVERYTHING down the laundry chute. He puts his tub down the chute. He puts his shoes down the chute. He puts his stuffed animals, bouncy balls, and action figures down the laundry chute. He even occasionally puts himself down the laundry chute. Sometimes, he even puts down his dirty clothes.

Ian is also famous for climbing up and down the chute. The first time he did it in a Spider Man costume and was very disappointed that his webs failed him, resulting in a rather large scrape up his back. Ian also remembers exactly what he accidentally left in his pockets. This week it was .94. Ian also thinks his Zorro suit needs washed after every play session.

Riley always has the biggest laundry pile. Always. This upsets him. He is continually getting upset at me for giving him so much laundry to put away. Riley also generally has the dirtiest clothes.

Clayton is famous for leaving his laundry tub in the floor of his room until it is so mixed with clean and dirty clothes that he just throws the tub full of clothes back down the chute for me to re-wash, folded socks and all. This does not make Wonder Woman happy.

Bill and I have a problem. Even though the laundry chute is four feet from our bedroom door, and the laundry room is roughly seven feet from our bedroom door, we can't seem to get our laundry there. I guess it is because we miss the thrill of throwing it down the chute. So our laundry simply piles up on our bedroom floor or the bathroom floor or the hooks on the back of the bathroom door or the bench at the foot of our bed or on top of the dresser. It is sad. Really sad.

But by the end of the weekend, there should be no excuse for laundry piles anywhere...at least for a few hours. :)

Things I'm thankful for:

Nummy dinner tonight and a fun time at the table with the kids.
A bag of beautiful red apples that we discovered on an overlooked tree.
Hot showers
Pumpkin Spice candles
Flannel Sheets

Speaking of flannel sheets....it is time to go climb in them!

Laundry Piles, Pumkpin Pie, and Hope

2009-10-17T13:47:00.000-07:00

It is a dark, gloomy-loomy day in North Idaho. But there is a pork roast in the crock-pot, rolls in the bread machine, and an apple pie in the oven; so how bad can it be?

Today I feel a bit like I've been on a ten mile hike uphill. But I haven't, I assure you. I don't do those sorts of things. I really miss my masseuse and back-cracker. But I'm hoping he will come back soon.

So after another week of a broken dryer and kids with the flu, here is what my house looked like after work on Friday afternoon.

Even the laundry chute opened itself spontaneously and begin to throw up on the basement floor.

I would show you after pictures, but I don't know when after will happen. I did, however, clean our room today - which is great because it is usually the room I put off until last because no one ever sees it, right? I plan to actually sleep in it tonight now that I can get to the bed....and the new, cozy flannel sheets are on it!

I was so proud of my work. I actually vacuumed under the bed, vacuumed out the window sills, cleaned behind the nightstand (and found two tubes of lip balm!), changed the sheets, removed all the dirty laundry AND dusted. When I was finished, I led my Superman (aka crippled masseuse and back cracker) by the hand into our room to show off my hard work. He stood there like a man whose wife had just cut off 12 inches of her hair and asked, "Notice anything different." "umm...." he looked all over. ""I know I'm supposed to notice something."

He got a slap on the rear for that!

I wasn't in the best of moods yesterday afternoon. Friday just seems to be a long day. I'm sure it has nothing to do with the fact that I have a child to deliver to school at 12:15, two to pick up at 1:15, one to pick up at 2:35, and one to pick up at 3:15...all while I'm miraculously at work. I did have help yesterday. Aunt Michelle swooped in with baby Audrey and took care of the first two time periods. However, I'm always scrambling to get out the door for church by 4:30, and just never seem to get it all taken care of in time.

Bill stayed home last night with Riley and begged that I come home in a better mood than I left in. I assured him that after I finished my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart with three boys around 10 p.m., I was assured to be in a better mood.

As sarcastic as that was, I did come home in a better mood. I love my church! I love my pastor! I love the children's ministry team I work with, and I love doing Fast Pass.

Last week, our pastor made a plea to our congregation to help raise funds to get 300 Ethiopian pastors to a conference that several of our staff are going to do there soon. He knew that many of us were going through hard times, but asked we just give what we could. Mind you, we have five weekend services to put buckets at the door. But last night as we prayed over the team we're sending to Ethiopia, we were blessed to find out that the body had given $58,000 last weekend. We only needed $6,000. I can only imagine what all the other $52,000 will go for. Amazing!

We made it through Wal-Mart without any major hitches. I don't normally take pictures in Wal-Mart, but was amazed by the children's pain/fever reliever shelf that seemed to show the severity of the sickness going on around here.

Before I left home, I had managed to get a pumpkin pie in the oven. I was a little nervous leaving as my Superman is much better at dryer repair than he is in the kitchen. My fears were confounded when I came home to this:

But after peeling off the black parts, it was really tasty. I guess the three hours of pumpkin scooping and cooking paid off. AND my pumpkin came with a sticker that told me how to make a pie. I wouldn't have tried it, but it called for very different ingredients than Libby does. Ironically I didn't have any evaporated milk, but I had condensed milk. I didn't have four eggs, but I did have two. So this recipe was perfect and yummy:

So Easy Pumpkin Pie:

1-1/3 c. smooth pumpkin
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 egg
1-1/4 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 t. ginger
1/4 t. cloves
1 c. hot water

Pour into 9" pie shell. Bake at 375 for 55-65 minutes.

What I'm grateful for today:

Pumpkin Pie
Apple Pie
A husband who had the wisdom to save the $20 we had to spend on another Thrift Store dryer and come home and try one more time. Superman saved the day again! (Still waiting on Wonder Woman to show up and do the laundry.)
That none of the flu going around here has been the kind that involved bodily functions that created more laundry for my broken dryer.
That God is providing for all of Bill's previous medical bills, so we can start fresh with this last surgery. That gives me more hope than I've had in a long time. I was actually amazed when I begin putting all of the expenses in table form to show what all we've already paid off or gotten the agencies to settle for. All year I've been thinking we weren't making any progress on anything. Truth is, we've paid off thousands and made arrangements to have thousands more taken off. Its just that we keep having to do it over again and gain more bills. So it FEELS like zero progress.

Well, that's more than enough for now. I'm amazed if anyone has read all the way down to here. Time to go fill in for Wonder Woman and tackle some of that laundry.

Gifford Infirmary, Day 23

2009-10-15T23:32:00.000-07:00

Today Riley stayed home with 103 fever. He was yelling at us from bed this morning about how he WAS going to school, and we couldn't stop him. This boy loves school. He told us if we wouldn't take him, he would ride his scooter. But he never made the four mile ride. He fell asleep instead.

Hayden said he was ready to go back to school because he was ready to be chased by girls. Oh boy!

Bill came home from work not feeling well. SO, we decided to forego home group altogether and keep our family in the quarantine zone. I haven't felt sick yet, just on the edge - that sleep deprived feeling with the lingering almost sore throat. I've just felt like staying in my warm house and not doing anything. Not that I've been able to not do anything, but I've felt like it. That is not normal for me.

I did feel a little obligated tonight though, to use my time putting up some of the fall produce. I tackled three little pie pumpkins that I got for .58 each at Wal-Mart. So for a few hours of scooping pulp, steaming squash, letting my hands completely wither and dry out, I have about the equivalent of $1.74 worth of canned pumpkin from Wal-Mart...and if you hadn't guessed, that is .58x3. So this pie from fresh pumpkin better taste magnificent compared to the canned.

So now I'm staring at this big bag of apples on the counter - from our tree - lovingly picked by my crippled husband before the second freeze because the kids were being less than helpful. I know my kids would be delighted if I made homemade apple butter. They LOVE apple butter. But the last time I made it, I didn't read the recipe very well before I started. So after I have it all prepared and in the pan, I read the part that tells me I need to stir it constantly for 2 hours! I'm not quite up for that again.

Things to be thankful for:

Our neighbor just paid someone to come wash our windows. I'd be tempted to wonder if they just wanted a better view inside our house or maybe they are so dirty that they can't stand to glance our way. But, the truth is, he has been doing bunch of excavating (rather putting a softball field in), stirring up dirt and felt it was the right thing to do. We were terribly bothered by our dirty windows. So bothered, in fact, that we've discussed washing them for four years now. It IS really nice to have them clean.
Our niece, Libby, is going to help me make a real-live logo for Those With Young. Yippee!

Gifford Infirmary

2009-10-14T21:30:00.000-07:00

Well, Ian and Hayden are ready to go back to school tomorrow. I know because they were absolute stinkers today. What I'd like to know is why yesterday, when daddy babysat, the boys were so sleepy that they slept half the day. They didn't even have ANY time to do homework. But today! Today, when I'm trying to work from home and watch two sick kids, they are completely full of it! They WON'T do homework because they're full of it. What is up with that?

So Riley came home today from school with a fever....and here we go again.

Bill worked today. They let him work in the club house instead of running around the grounds. He came home very swollen, but he survived. He will try again tomorrow, and we are ready. He has been off for three weeks! We went to the doctor yesterday, and he upped Bill's nerve med dosage. Bill still doesn't have any lift in his foot.

I was so blessed today by a visit from a dear mom friend. She brought dinner, and it made me feel so loved. I've been hosting the Gifford infirmary for the last three weeks with four cases of the flu and one knee surgery. It was nice to take a break tonight and - BLOG!

Plus, more than anything, it was really sweet to sit and visit with someone. :) Thanks, Corilynne!

Googling your name

2009-10-11T23:53:00.000-07:00

It is fun to Google your own name. I'm enough of an internet freak to actually subscribe to services that let me know where people go when they Google my name. I get a report daily. I do it mainly to see what articles/writings of mine get hits. Tonight, I decided to Google my own name to see what came up and where things pertaining to my writing ended up in the Google lists. The third and fourth listings are mine.

However, it is important to note that angelagifford.com is not me. Even though she is a published author, it is not me. I've known about her for awhile...and it always makes me wonder if people who have not kept up with me for awhile will think that it is me. I am not published, and I no longer have short, red hair. Yes, I used to have short, red hair.

It is now quite long, actually...and very brown. I did my bi-annual length test today by blowing it dry and flat ironing it.

I also found out that there is one of me who is a veterinarian, one who was due with a baby on 9/11 (important to note that is also not me), one who is a licensed massage therapist, and a fictional one with a movie about her disappearance.

I do not do My Space. I am not on LinkedIn. I am on Twitter @thosewithyoung...and a short quote of mine about school carpools has apparently appeared in about a dozen newspapers and online pages, including two of John Tesh's blogs. LOL! Oh, and the Flippee review. That is me, too.

Whew!

2009-10-11T21:25:00.000-07:00

Whew! It has been a looooong month.

Riley, Ian, and Hayden finished cross-country. The weather fulfilled its annual obligation to provide the "coldest day of the year so far" for the district meet, so the Lumberjack's Wife and I hid our little brood behind the bleachers as long as we could to block the wind. Riley came in about 15th for his age group.....which probably the top 25%. Ian finished somewhere in the middle, but we were so proud of him for finishing. His coaches had told him from the beginning of the season that 2nd graders only ran a half mile. But he had to run a whole mile when we got there. He wasn't prepared for that, but he finished. Hayden held on to third place until the very end of the race and slipped back to 6th. They all did great! It is honestly always the first worst weather day of the year. They started out just wanting to go home and give up the race. We were really proud of their efforts.

Clayton has graduated from Soaring, and will get to co-pilot a plane soon! He has also started Masterlife with a group of boys that he's been studying with for about three years. He has also begun Serve Leadership with CDY (Christ Driven Youth) and his small group begins out our house tomorrow night.

The biggest thing going on around here is Bill's recovery. He had his third leg surgery on the 23rd of September, and this has definitely been the most difficult one. The doc removed a "wafer" of his joint this time. (love the terms doctors use. Is this supposed to make it feel insignificant that you removed part of my joint because you called it a wafer?) The hope is that the joint will scar up and not be able to produce fluid anymore.

This cyst was 13 cm. long - bigger than the last one. Bill went into surgery with full use of his leg and foot - just starting to really get uncomfortable with the cyst. He came out of surgery without any lift in his foot and without much feeling in it. The doctor has put him on some medication for nerves, but isn't sure at this point what has caused this. Bill has been in a lot more pain this time with lots of pins and needles pain going on in his foot. It has been emotional and tiring for both of us.

He hopes to return to work this week...probably just in time to be laid off for the winter. He has been working hard to build his club repair business though. He has been busy running to courses, meeting pros, passing out cards and price lists, and bringing home a little more work here and there. We shall see if the repair business shuts down as much in the winter as everything else does around here.

I've been doing everything and nothing all at the same time. Basically I've been in high-speed robot mode doing everything it takes to keep everything going and doing nothing of much interest or enjoyment. :P

I've been learning lots by trying to start Those With Young and have spent lots of time in prayer this weekend asking God about some things.

I did do one fun project this weekend. A couple of weeks ago, a super hero knocked over the floor lamp in the living room with his cape, and did it in for good. Later in the day, I found a very unique lamp at a yard sale. I'm the type that always sees potential, so I took a risk.

I asked the family when I brought it home if it was vintage cool or vintage tacky. The vote was unanimous: vintage tacky.

So this weekend I did a little makeover.

I took off the old plastic shades. They were yellowed, smoked, and bubbled from the heat.

Then, I took off the jewels.

Vacuumed all the loose dust off of it. Then spray painted it with Rustoleum's Dark Hammered Bronze. Hammered paint is great because it covers an imperfect paint job....and I'm great at imperfect paint jobs.

While it was drying, I took some translucent scrap book paper and glued the sheets together to make new paper shades for the lamp.

Then, I took all the old brass wire of the jewels, cleaned the jewels off, and rewired them with silver wire (which we already had). Clayton was disappointed that I was putting the jewels back on, but I had Lauren here. Lauren's mom is a professional at creating and capturing vintage beauty, and Lauren like my jewels. Yes, she is only seven, but I decided she knew more what she was talking about.

My photos aren't great, but I'm hoping my lamp has graduated to vintage cool. :)

Welcome to the world, Audrey Quinn

2009-09-15T20:53:00.000-07:00

I have to take some time out to brag! Today was a special day around here. See, there hasn't been a girl born in my family since me. I have four younger brothers, and now have four sons. Until today, I had the only grandchildren on my side of the family.

But today, Audrey Quinn Brandel joined the family! She weighed in at 8 lbs. 11 oz. and was 21 inches long. I cannot tell you how much we've all looked forward to this little girl!

Audrey means noble strength, and Quinn means queen. Queen reminds me of how we are the bride of Christ the King, so I'm praying little Audrey will be a noble and strong bride of Christ!

Those With Young Blog is Live!

2009-09-13T18:38:00.000-07:00

The Those With Young Blog is finally live! That means if you aren't a facebooker, you can now participate. You can find it by clicking the blog tab on the website or by looking up the blog directly.

You will be able to comment on the posts without having any kind of account, so it should be easy for everyone. You will have to leave your e-mail address, but it isn't published. The advisory panel members and I are the he only one that can see the e-mail addresses on the back end of the site, so that we can reply personally if desired/able.

Hope to see my mom friends there!

First Day of School '09

2009-09-08T22:34:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day of school. We've been gearing up for days. The most important thing this weekend was shoelaces. The kids all wear uniforms to school, so things like shoes show a definite sense of individuality. Ian needed a haircut (and I just can't get his right by myself), so we headed to the mall where we hunted down the best shoelaces a few bucks could buy so they could express themselves.

Clayton started 7th grade today!! He is at Lakes Magnet School (formerly Lakes Middle School) in downtown Coeur d'Alene. It has gotten a full remodel over the summer and will be a magnet for health, science, and art. His first year of changing classes and lockers with padlocks.

Riley started fourth grade today. His teacher doesn't know what he is in for. Asher, Riley, and Josiah were all put in the same class. No one has ever done this on purpose before. But Mr. Vaughn is a military man, and I think he'll handle it just fine.

Ian began second grade. He was so ready for school. Yesterday, was spend labeling supplies. I kept asking, "Do you keep these or turn them in? Do you keep this and turn it in." He finally just rolled his eyes at me and said, "Mom! I'll just handle it when I get to school. You don't know what you are doing. I do."

Ian gets to sit by Danielle. heart. sigh.

Hayden had his first day of kindergarten! My baby! He was so excited to join his brothers at Sorensen Magnet School for Arts and Humanities. It was hard for him to understand that he didn't get to go in the morning. He had to wait until after lunch. And it was especially hard for him to understand that on the first day, he only got to go for an hour with his mom. He must have ran around the house for two hours with his backpack on, waiting for the time to leave. :)

Everyone had a great day, though. I think it is going to be a good year!

The God Who Cannot Deny Himself

2009-09-08T22:02:00.000-07:00

"...if we are faithless, He will remain faithful, for He cannot disown himself." 2 Timothy 2:13

Very few verses in Scripture touch me like this one. In fact, I'm tearing up now.

Can I just be honest here? I've really been struggling with my faith lately. Not altogether - just one particular area, one that I seem to cycle through over and over. I've been pouring my heart out to God like a spilled pitcher of cranberry juice. Why cranberry juice? Because it is the color of my bleeding heart. It leaves behind a messy, sticky, staining residue. Okay, I'm a bit strange, but that is the picture that comes to my mind.

Sometimes when I struggle with God, I then start to beat myself up a bit. "Where is your faith!!??" I'm often tempted to believe the lie that He cannot act on my behalf unless I have enough faith...that somehow I can change His character. Isn't that ridiculous?... Read More

Then comes this verse. No matter how faithless we are, He cannot deny His own character. He will always be faithful, reliable, sure, trustworthy. It is just Who He is. Period.

What to hold on to?

2009-09-07T22:39:00.000-07:00

"You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love." Revelation 2:3-4

I've been slowly working through Beth Moore's study on the life of John. Last night, I read this passage. She made a point that was absolutely profound, so today I want to share it with you.

The word for "forsaken" here, is the same word translated "forgive" many other places. It is that word that means to let go, abandon, give up, desert, cancel, leave behind. Sometimes it can mean to divorce.

We can do that with the offenses others have committed against us. Or we can actually do it to the offender. We kind of choose.

When others hurt us, Jesus immediately invites us to go deeper with him. The rejection of others is always met with an invitation from Him.

How often, however, do we (as Beth says), "forsake our first love - our indescribably glorious sacred romance - because we refuse to forsake our grudges and grievances. Please allow me to say this with much compassion as one who has been there: We cannot hang on to our sacred romance with Jesus Christ and also our bitterness. We will release one to hang on to the other."

Wow!

This week, my family is once again making the choice. What do we hold on to? The grudges? The people? The intimacy with God?

I've never thought about it quite like this before. So challenging!

The Hot, Lady Cop

2009-09-01T21:18:00.001-07:00

I had an adventure tonight. I went shopping with just Hayden and Ian. They both needed uniform pants. On the way, Ian told me how he had popped his blister inside a blister and how it had squirted all over the place and how much better it felt.

We grabbed four pair of pants and after a break-dancing model demo that entertained the Ross staff, we headed towards the checkout line. I couldn't help notice this stunning, thigh-length denim jacket hanging on the end of a row. I tried it on and buttoned all the big brass and navy buttons down the front, tied the belt, and stood admiring the look in the mirror.

"How do I look!" I asked the boys.

"You look like a ho-o-ot lady." swoons Ian

"You look like a cop." chuckles Hayden

"You look like a hot, lady cop!" says Ian

Massive giggling.

Hangs jacket back on end of rack and leaves.

Schwarzenegger, Scandals, and Stupid Phones

2009-09-01T17:59:00.000-07:00

I consider myself a fairly techy person. I love new technology. I live on my laptop (well, when it doesn't have the Koobface Worm). I manage three websites, soon to be four, and am employed by another.

HOWEVER, I have decided that my phone is not an area that I enjoy being so high tech. After dropping my phone on the tile for the 13, 329th time, it finally really did need replaced. There were so many nice options that I could get for free or just $20 or so, since I was due an upgrade. I finally settled on a Motorola Rival. It had a full slide out keyboard, for easier texting, a touch screen dial pad, and several other cool features.

I had it for about 3.6 hours before I decided I hated it. But I've always been taught to give things a fair try. So I did. I tried for three weeks. Still hated it. I don't like needing two hands to text. I don't like switching my brain from landscape to portrait when I tilt my phone. I don't like having to slide the keyboard open to tell it what letter in the contact list to look for and then close it and turn it again to actually talk to them once I've dialed. Several times, I have entered my pin to hear my voice mail, then put the phone to my ear. My ear graciously dialed another number on the touch screen and "presto" I have now entered an invalid code.

Example: I received this e-mail this week:

Hi Friends,
Gov. Schwarzenegger is being pressured more from all sides to sign this bill. If signed, SB 572 would pressure every California public school to have an official Harvey Milk Day promoting the homosexual, bisexual, and transsexual agenda to children as young as kindergarten. The sky is the limit on what a school considers suitable commemorative exercises. This is written so broadly, SB 572 could allow gay-pride parades on campus, cross-dressing, and homosexual marriage dramas, etc. It all going to come down to how much pressure California 's governor feels. Remember, last year the Democrat- controlled Legislature passed Harvey Milk Gay Day, but Schwarzenegger vetoed it. This year, Schwarzenegger is being lobbied more heavily by homosexual activists. Sean Penn, who played Harvey Milk on the big screen, and Milk's homosexual activist nephew, have both personally lobbied Schwarzenegger to ask him to sign SB 572. Other differences from last year is that there are four more Democrats in the Assembly voting for Harvey Milk Gay Day. And for the first time, a Republican, Senator Abel Maldonado, is supporting this anti-traditional family value bill.

Make this call, it will only take about 60 seconds to complete.

Call: Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger at 916-445-2841. This is an automated call. Listen to the recorded message and press in the following order:
1 for (English)
2 for (legislation)
1 for (SB572)
2 is (against)

THAT'S IT-HANG UP.

I don't know if I can really help California or not, but I thought, "Why not try?" So I dialed the number, pressed 1 for English, pressed 2 for legislation, pressed 1 for SB572 and put up to my ear, where my ear promptly dialed 1. I VOTED FOR IT!!!!

I really wanted to chuck my phone on the tile that smashed my last one. Really, I did. However, I restrained myself. Instead, I traded a co-worker for a Moto 755 in purple. We are both happier.

Take that!, you stupid phone!! The Rival is no rival to a flip phone for me.

So, I now urge you all to get out your phones and make up for my vote.

....and I also tell you this, so that when years down the road, I vote for public office, and the scandals begin about how in 2009, Angela Gifford voted for SB572, you will already know the full story. Yes, I was a victim of phone vote rape.

Clayton's Big Day

2009-08-27T20:57:00.000-07:00

Clayton had a big day yesterday. It was his first day to *really* stay home while I went in for a staff meeting, etc, and was gone for several hours.

He decided he wanted to ride his bike to some friends' house that were moving, to see if they needed any help loading the truck.

Phone call number 1: "Mom, can you please call them and make sure that they aren't done already?" I didn't. I told him he could use the exercise anyway and could at least say goodbye.

When he came back up our driveway, a doe ran across. No big deal. He kind of stopped and waited, because usually deer come in groups. They are rarely alone. ...and he was right, her gentlemen friend approached the driveway and apparently intimidated by the bicycle, locked his horns in the spokes of Clayton's back tire, flipped his bike up and threw Clayton to the ground. Clayton scraped his hands a bit, but took of running as fast as he could, not knowing if the buck would come after him.

Phone call number 2: "Mom!!"

Then apparently, he decided the way to ease his sorrows was to make fudge.

Phone call number 3: "Where is the marshmallow fluff stuff?" "Whyyy?" "I'm making fudge?" "Whyyyy?" "I just want to." "I don't have chocolate chips." "You have baking chocolate." "O.K. Hon, I'm in my meeting now, so try to not call again for about an hour unless it is an emergency. O.K?"

Seriously, you'd think I was talking to a woman.

The fudge ran into a few complications. When I got home, he was worried because it wasn't setting. "I had to make a lot of substitutions because you really didn't have all the stuff." "Like what?" "Butter." "Butter? ....what did you use instead?" "Oil."

Nice. A whole pan of fudge goo made with oil. What do you do with that exactly?

Later in the evening, he was being a tease. Go figure. This is what my boys do all day long. Who can out tease everyone else?

So, he stole Ian's frog and threw it in the field. Now the field is full of stickers. I don't know what they are really called. Bill calls them velcro seeds. I grew up calling them beggar's lice - as in "You so po', you can't e'en affode real lice!" You know...those little rain drop shaped stickers that stick to everything.

Bill commanded Clayton to find the stolen frog. Clayton bent down in the field and promptly coated the entire top of his curly blond head in beggar's lice. After we all stopped laughing...no wait..we're still laughing...but we did help him get them out.

Snakes

2009-08-26T19:16:00.000-07:00

Today we had a snake loose in the house - Again. In fact, I believe this makes the third time in my career of motherhood that there has been a snake loose in my house. The first time was actually the worst. I found a baby copperhead in my hallway in Arkansas. I picked it up with a pencil and rushed it out the back door. That time, it wasn't actually my boys' fault. We just had holes in our floor. The seven foot long, black, king snake was nice enough to stay on the porch or under the house. He never came inside.

The second time, it was a rubber boa, native to the Northwest and quite harmless to humans. He was never recovered and either made his way outside or is happily living inside our walls somewhere earning his keep by keeping the mice population down.

Yesterday it was "Garter" the garter snake....another harmless little guy. Ian fixed him up a big box with grass in it, a cup of water, and a coffee can made into a bedroom. So cute. However, later at night, the snake was not in the box.

Now most of my mom friends seem pretty freaked out about this. I'm not so much. After all, with four brothers and four sons, I've come pretty accustomed to frogs, lizards, snakes, beetles, walking sticks, locusts, etc. It is a harmless snake after all.

There is nothing more pitiful than a little boy crying while searching, "Ga-r-ar-ar-arter. Gar-arrrter. Here snakey, snakey!" He cried himself to sleep last night with big red puffy eyes. His snake would probably never be seen again and would probably die without him.

But all is not lost. Garter was found today in a bath towel. Thankfully, he was found by Riley and not one of my mom friends. So Garter is safe and sound in his box OUTSIDE, and Ian went off to catch a frog.

Sundays

2009-08-23T14:07:00.001-07:00

I LOVE Sundays! Hands down, it is my most favoritest day of the week. It is the day I try to keep free of any agenda if at all possible. Since we go to church on Friday nights, I have the possibility of really treating Sunday as a day of REST, not just the day we spend at church.

So this morning I slept until 10:30. That's right. It's not a typo. ...and I don't feel guilty. I needed it! I woke up and ate a bowl of cereal, drank a cup of caramel coffee and snuggled between two boys on the couch watching cartoons. Then I put a loaf of French Bread in the bread machine and made a fresh apricot Kuchen (always wanted to make one of those). Then I enjoyed a neck massage with my latest thrift store find - an electric massager for $1.50. I did some stretching, assigned chores (the kids have had enough rest this week) and met Riley on my bed for chapter one of The Case For Christ For Kids. Then some writing. Ahh!

Now I'm off to exercise and shower and maybe even paint my toes before heading off to our church's community day (free school supplies, clothes, hair cuts, and hot dogs!) at the middle school down the street.

Tonight, we spend one last evening with our dear friend Craig before he heads back home to his sweet, precious family who has had to do without him for most of the summer. - and even though we do have some Coeur d'Alene Golf Club Repair business to handle tonight, hopefully the day will end as peacefully as it began. :)

Birth Announcement

2009-08-20T22:45:00.000-07:00

Those of you who know me very well and have kept in any sort of touch with me at all over the last few years, already know of my passion for writing...and you probably know of my passion for ministering to young moms...and of course my biggest passion is writing in order to minister to young moms.

About five years ago, something was conceived inside of me. It was conceived out of much pain in my own journey as a young mom, who was isolated in the middle of the country, in poverty, with few friends, struggling with depression and loneliness. It started as a concept, and grew to a plan, a book, a desire to share, ministry to moms, and MOPS coordinating.

But of course, almost every vision experiences a death or two along the way.

For the last year, the Lord has literally removed me from all of it. He has taken me aside to another desolate place for the purpose of refining and re-defining. I've been struggling, like many moms with those passions that burn within, but are impossible to carry out. What do you do with them? Why are they there if you are unable to carry them out?

I've learned to rest in the Lord, in His timing, and in His plan. He has taught me how trustworthy He is, and I am grateful.

At the same time, this last month, my spirit has felt like the woman who is 44 weeks pregnant, and is certain that if she is unable to deliver pretty soon, that the child within her is going to die - and very well may take her along. My spirit has been overdue and in need of delivery.

God is good, in all He does. His timing is perfect, and so is His shepherding. He revealed to me last week, that part of my problem is that I was trying to give birth to a full-grown child, rather than a baby. He urged me to lay down my need for perfection in my plan and peacefully give birth to an infant.

So, it is with great anticipation, that I make this announcement.

Small Business Owners Again

2009-07-20T22:38:00.000-07:00

It is official. We are once again small business owners! I mentioned all of this a few posts ago. Bill and Craig have been hard at work. We now have a simple website. Feel free to pass it on to all your North Idaho golfing friends! Thank you!!

www.coeurdalenegolfclubrepair.com

Boarder Girl - Not!

2009-07-16T15:19:00.000-07:00

Dad headed out to Borders a bit ago with three of my boys in tow. However, Ian decided he needed some mom time, so we stayed home together. He really wanted to teach me some skateboarding. It's never been on the top of my list, but hey, how can you resist that face? So after a brief lesson on proper footwear, he showed me something simple....like where to put my feet and start rolling. I got on the board twice, and I fell - twice! No blood or breaks, thank goodness, but I'm sure I'm going to have some nice bruises in a few hours. I think this girl better stick to boarding on the snow!

No Hershey Syrup

2009-07-14T20:45:00.000-07:00

That's right. I haven't blogged for weeks, and that is what I decide to talk about. Hershey Syrup. You see, I'm spending a week at my parent's house in Oregon. I'm still working in the day, though my kids have different scenery and Uncle Casey and Papa Dan to entertain. I'm helping with VBS during the night at my parent's church and doing random things like help Papa Dan (aka Pastor Dan) make Australian Animal slide shows and try to download gospel videos...and helping Grammy (aka Pastor's Wife) get dinner ready before we rush out each night or after we get home late.

So back to Hershey Syrup....my parents don't have any! None! Can you believe it? Who doesn't have Hershey Syrup? They offered Nestle Quick like it was similar. Not only is there no Hershey Syrup, but my dad has given up caffeine. You know what that means? No coffee! Now, mind you....they do *have* coffee. They have even invested in a French Press. So, I'm saved. But daddy doesn't get up in the morning and make it - which about rocks my world almost as much as Jonathan and Michelle having a baby and Taylor getting married!

My head and heart are about to explode with all of the things I want to write about, but of course, I can't find when to do it. It takes so much time to process the heart exploding things. I always think of it while I'm in the shower or in the car or anywhere else that I can't write - and then when I have personal time with the computer, I'm about to fall asleep on my keyboard. I don't know how to solve this problem. I tried carrying around a little tape recorder, so I could talk to it...but it just doesn't come out the same.

Sometimes I wish I could just run away to a deserted island all by myself and write, but without the amazing circus show I call my everyday life, I would really have little inspiration for writing.

So, I digress back to Hershey Syrup....which by the way I've sort of remedied by making some to die for chocolate frosting today (to go along with a cake of course). I have saved a container of it for myself and will be trying it in my next cup of coffee.

Reflections on 36 years

2009-06-24T19:27:00.000-07:00

So I had a birthday yesterday, and it got me reflecting. I seem to be more inspired by my birthdays, than I am by New Years. Probably because every year on my birthday, my dad would take me out to breakfast and ask about my goals for the year. So on my birthdays, I'm always thinking about my new year, and what I can do better or different - or what I want to learn.

I really have two very simple goals this year:

To stop living in shame over my appearance, and get with it! I realized that for our entire marriage, I've felt embarrassed about my body. At first, it was just the natural shyness that comes with being a newlywed. But two months into marriage, I was pregnant. Obiviously things changed a lot and kept changing between four pregnancies, etc. Now, at 36, I sometimes don't know who I'm looking at in the mirror. Many of my friends are disgusted when I insinuate that I need to lose weight, but I know that I'm not taking care of myself and that I'm ashamed of what it has resulted in. The devil has used that to defeat me in many ways, and I'm not going to let him win anymore!
To stop coming up with goals for myself! I realize that I'm in a stage of life where goals are simply frustrating, because I am powerless towards their pursuit. I really want this to be the year that I really *learn* (not just know I should) how to give my day to God each morning and ask for His action plan.

I also spent a little time reflecting on how birthdays change. When you're a kid, you wake up somehow knowing that the day is to revolve around you. We used to get to pick our favorite box of cereal from the store for our birthday morning - so all the cereals we weren't allowed to have the rest of the year, was the breakfast of choice. We also got to pick what mom would make for dinner and what kind of cake and what it would look like. It seamed that every detail of the day revolved around you - the birthday girl!

Yesterday, I made myself my routine bowl of cholestoral-reducing oatmeal and worked a full eight hours. The kids kept running in with baby birds they had rescued and were giving them flying lessons in the living room. One flew onto my shoulder and then pooped on my chair. My oldest asked my why I didn't want to do something, I said, "Cause its my birthday, and I don't feel like it." "It's your birthday?" he asked. "YA!"

Times change. But don't think it wasn't good. I had a great day!

For some reason, my 28th birthday stood out to me yesterday. I'm not sure why. I think it was the first birthday I really felt like an adult. Baby #3 was on the way. I spent the day with my little family at Downtown Disney watching my boys be enamoured with the giant lego creations. We took a great family photo with Tigger and Winnie the Pooh and went home for Peach Pie. It was a terrific day.

I was wondering if eight years ago, I even thought about what life would be like in eight years. But I can say, I sure think about what life will be like eight years from now.

Eight years ago, I had red hair (by accident). Today, I'm plucking single grey ones. In eight years, I will probably be coloring it on purpose.

Eight years ago, I was a tanned Floridian. Today, I'm a pasty-white Idahoan. In eight years, I will probably be wrinkly.

Eight years ago, I had two preschool boys. Today, I have four very active boys! In eight years, my oldest will be 2o!...and my baby a teenager.

Eight years ago, I was living on dreams. Today, I'm working hard to get by each day. Eight years from now, I pray those dreams will become reality because of the hard work.

Eight years ago, I didn't know if I would hear from any friends on my birthday. Today, I have 375 friends from all phases of my life, who I connect with on Facebook. They all knew it was my birthday, and I got tons of good wishes! Eight years from now, I'll probably be able to host a virtual birthday party.

Anyway...the picture above is of is Karin and I after Bible study. Her birthday is the day after mine.

...and here are some pics of the baby birds.

Playlist

2009-06-18T20:17:00.001-07:00

I was adding some new songs for Faith. wink. wink.

....and I thought I would take a minute to explain the playlist on the side for those that may not understand it. You can press pause anytime if you are tired of listening. I went ahead and arranged the songs a little better according to theme/style. You can skip down and select any song, and it will start playing there. Capeesh?

A New Business

2009-06-16T15:40:00.000-07:00

When Bill was in Phoenix this last winter, he met another Christian golf pro that he got to spend a lot of time with and found out that he came up here to Coeur d'Alene every summer to contract teach for Black Rock. Now that Bill is at Black Rock, they are once again enjoying some good time together.

Last week, Craig took some clubs into have repaired at a local shop that Black Rock routinely used for repairs. However, he found that the man was retiring and selling everything and wouldn't be available for repairs any longer. Craig found out he was selling all of his supplies to do the repairs/re-gripping, etc. and started brainstorming. Long story short, Craig and Bill have bought all of his supplies and set up shop in the barn. Craig has put his finances into it and we have the space to do it. Bill has built a workbench and been busy installing equipment. Craig is going to teach Bill over the summer how to do everything, and they will work together to do repairs. By the end of the summer, Craig will be re-paid and Bill will be completely set up for business.

It has been an amazing gift from God to see something like this completely come together just days after He asked us to begin praying for deliverence. I never quit being amazed about how God intends for the body to work together and feel so blessed.

Be Pleased, O Lord, to save me!

2009-06-11T22:35:00.000-07:00

Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done.
The things you planned
for us no one can recount to you;
were I to speak and tell of them, they
would be too many to declare.
Psalm 40:5
Those who have known us for several years have always looked to Bill and I as some that have great faith. I'd like to believe that too. We've seen God do big things. We've trusted God with some very big things. We've laid lots of things down to step out on faith because we believed God said to.
The last two years have been completely different for us. Again, we laid some things down and stepped out on faith. Things didn't go like we thought they would. There were little fireworks. God didn't provide in the same way He had at times in the past. We have survived, but it has been slow and often torterous. We have been learning new lessons this time around....Can we keep trusting even if we don't see anything happening? Can we keep believing when God seems silent? Can we keep hoping when there seems to be nothing in store for the future? Can we keep following, daily, no matter what? Can we just be normal, ordinary, every day people that have to juggle 3-4 jobs, so they can work their way through stacks of medical bills and wonder what it is all about? Can I keep going when I feel I'm trudging through more consequences than blessings?
I'd be lying if I said I've always kept hoping, always kept believe, always kept trusting, and always felt like trudging on...and honestly, I don't like normal. But normal is where we are. Normally busy and pre-occupied and struggling to get by with our visions of God's plan for us looming so far in the distance, that we often barely recognize it.
God has been so faithful to send certain people and certain messages to us just at the right time, over and over again. This week, someone called him with a message for Bill, "Keep your chins up! I believe God has told me this is your year for fruitfulness." Bill looked like he'd been through the ringer when he came out of the bedroom. He was totally drained and confronted with the choice: Do I believe?
...and I've been confronted ever since. Do I risk letting myself hope again? Can I let myself out of the chains I've attached to my own wrists of surrendering to the mundane without hope of a brighter future?
Last night, I felt impressed to turn to the Psalms. As a kid, we would start on the Psalm for the date and then add 30 and read the next one. So last night, I opened to Psalm 10, then read Psalm 40, looking for some kind of Word from the Lord. I got to verse 11, my heart began to cry out:
Do not withhold your mercy from me, O Lord; may your love and your truth always
protect me. For troubles without number surround me; my sins have overtaken
me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart
fails within me. (11-12)
When I got to verse 13, God said clearly, "PRAY THIS!"
Be pleased, O Lord, to save me; O Lord, come quickly to help me. May all who seek
to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be
turned back in disgrace. May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled
at their own shame. But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you;
may those who love your salvation always say, "The Lord be exalted!" Yet I am
poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my
God, do not delay. (vs. 13-17)
Yes, Lord! Yes...be pleased to save us! Come help us, quickly!
It was so good and so timely, so I wanted to read more. I turned to Psalm 70, and began to read ....looking for more. What else does God want me to know? to pray?
Guess what Psalm 70 says? The same thing. I'm not kidding. It is the same thing as Psalm 40: 13-17. There is only one phrase different. It is exactly what God wants our prayer to be right now.
So I ended up on my face....a very comforting position that I don't go to near as often as I should. Praying earnestly that God would be pleased to quickly come to save us.
.....and I have more to share - but Letterman is almost on and I want to see Christa! :)

Moths and Bees and Lizards! Oh, My!

2009-06-11T21:51:00.000-07:00

I can't tell you how many times this week I've said, "Careful, guys! It might be poisonous!" The boys have come in every day with something new or sometimes two or three times in a day!
In Clayton and Riley's room, there is a newt in a jar, a 10 inch night crawler in a jar, what is left of a tattered up moth on the desk, and the latest catch - an Alligator Lizard (which appearantly is native to this area) in a coffee can. Ya, that's right, we make our kids catch their own pets.

Yesterday Ian came running into the house with a ziploc bag full of wasp larva (in all different stages of development) that he had harvested from a nest he knocked down...bringing a whole new meaning to "I'm bringing home a baby bumble bee!" I taught him the song. I couldn't believe he had never heard it before! He laughed all the way through and then sang it for Bill later. Very cute!

Yesterday, we ran by the grocery store to grab some food for company. The kids asked who was coming, and I told them it was daddy's friend from the golf course. "Oh, ya" said Riley "Craig!...well, if Craig is coming, why don't you just look on Craig's List and see what he likes to eat."

2009-06-07T11:51:00.000-07:00

My most recent Mom 4 Life post:

Dirty Mirrors

Pray for Me

2009-06-07T11:32:00.001-07:00

Most of you know how passionate I am about writing and ministering to moms of young children. I've had a dream for quite awhile about starting a website to encourage those moms specifically. As you can see, if it takes me five or six weeks to quickly post a bit of what is going on in our lives, I obviously don't have the time to really maintain such a website. But I've been given permission from the Lord to baby step the site's development on the back end. I've currently started a layout and added several pages. I did a little side job for someone recently and have half of the money to buy the web domain for a year. The step I'm working on currently is recruiting an advisory panel. I'm beyond thrilled at the two women that have already said yes!

Like everything I do, I dream big. I have lots of great ideas and vision for this site. Most of all, I don't want it to have anything to do with advertising. I want it to purely be a place for moms to meet God and be inspired to live fully in their current season of life. In order for the site to do all I want it to do, I will need to upgrade some things and take it from a site that is free for me to run, to a site that has monthly expenses. But I will only do it as the Lord leads and provides.

Would you pray with me as I wait on Him and see what He has planned?

Thank you so much!

Salute Military Moms!

2009-06-07T11:16:00.000-07:00

We're launching something really cool next month at Mom 4 Life! We'll be honoring our military moms and promoting Made in USA products. Who is a military mom? A mom that is serving in the armed forces OR a mom who is serving her family here while her husband is defending our freedom.

So we've teamed up with BabyLegs to help encourage moms to send in photos, saluting military moms. 50 moms will win a pair of USA Flag BabyLegs, just for sending in a photo of themselves saluting military moms.

We want to put together a slide show of moms from all over the nation saluting our military moms! We're going to post it and announce a great lifetime discount for military families. We've gotten such great feedback on how wonderful of an idea this is, but hardly anyone has sent in a picture. So, even if you don't care about BabyLegs or Mom 4 Life, would you help us salute military moms? All you have to do is send a photo of yourself or you and your family, saluting! Send it to heather@mom4life.com so she can add it to our slide show. You can read the full shpeel here.

Feel free to tell everyone you know! We want our military moms to be truly honored!

May

2009-06-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

The last six weeks have kind of been like trying to drink from a fire hose! I've been continuously scrambling to get the basics done from early in the morning to way late at night, usually still forgetting one very important thing each day. I've now downed two cups of coffee and spent about two hours uploading photos and trying to catch up this thing. So enjoy!

Here's a little peak into what we've been up to besides cleaning and watering plants and doing loads and loads of laundry and replacing the dryer motor twice and picking up dried up, dead frogs from the tile and working, etc.

Hanging with friends (My friend and boss, Heather and daughter Ashlyn)

Happy Spider

Sad Spider

Mowing

Playing with Taylor and Ashley

Golfing

Jonathan flipping pancakes at the annual Dive Team Fundraiser

Being Silly

Watching divers in the dive tank

Watching the deer come back out

Drooling over my relaxation station (and hoping to use it someday)

Watching butterflies and smelling lilacs

Mom 4 Life staff (minus Anica)

Silly boys with grapes

How Bill helps himself to brownies

Riley at art walk field trip

Last Day of school (Ian, Mrs. Weymouth, Danielle)

Preschool Graduation

2009-06-07T09:59:00.000-07:00

The day I never saw coming...when the last one graduated from preschool!
Here is a tribute to Hayden!

Memorial Day

2009-06-07T09:39:00.001-07:00

Bill and I both worked on Memorial Day, but we had friends from Phoenix (who now live in South Carolina) that were vacationing in Montana, that we REALLY wanted to see.

So...we drove to Missoula for dinner! It was great to see Avery and Laura (and Cracker Barrel is always good too)!

Coming and Going

2009-06-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

The site of a moving truck at our barn usually means two things:

Our barn is getting cleaned out a little more (yeah!!)
Someone else is leaving (not yeah)

This month we said goodbye to Anthony. It has been so fun to have him around the last several months. He was living with Jonathan and Michelle, and we spent so much more time together. He recently bought a new scooter, enrolled at Boise State, and is headed off for new adventures.

A couple of weeks later, Taylor came home from Boise State for a short visit. He is spending his summer there working and says he is pretty much there to stay. Sniff! Sniff! He brought Ashley with him, so we got to finally meet the wonderful woman that has won his heart and taken him from the "I'm never going to have a girlfriend" stage to a "when we have a house of our own, we will..." stage.

Flower Bed

2009-06-07T09:14:00.000-07:00

My project this month was working on a flower bed. It is so hard to know what kind of improvements to invest in when you are renting. This yard is so wild and overgrown. Part of that is fine, because it just blends into the nature of the mountain. But it would be nice if it didn't all look like that. We've been here four years now, and I was thinking that if I had started attacking one section of the huge "flower bed" every year, it would be done by now. Oh, well. No time like the present.

Before....

After...