Thrill and Move!

Today Donnie and went to a conference for leaders hosted by a church in a neighboring town. The church is quite weird, as churches go, and isn't really for me. However, we have been taking the kids to some Saturday evening services because some of them work on Sundays and need church, and because our church really doesn't preach to teenager boys, where their church strikes a cord with teen boys. It has been so good for them!
I really wish I could remember it all and put it all out there for everyone, it was really that good!

So much of it was about having a vision, and everyone in the church working toward that vision. We are all told to be disciples, it isn't just the leaderships job, it is the church's job. We, the congregation, need to be out COMPELLING people to come into the church to fill God's house. The church needs to be all about the weekend, getting the lost in those seats and getting them saved, nothing else is as important.

How do you do that? You THRILL your believers with the Word of God and your mission, and MOVE them to bring seekers into the church where they will hear the Word. In order to turn a seeker into a believer who brings in seekers you need to bring them along a path of believing, to being baptised, to learning, to volunteering, to connecting to a small group, and then taking classes to deepen faith.

All believers should be volunteering. Period. Not much more than once a month, in order to not be burned out, and not less than once a month so they feel valued. But it isn't a matter of "do you want to volunteer" it is a matter of WHERE are you going to volunteer? If you aren't going to be a productive member of the congregation, you are taking up a seat that a lost person could be sitting in. (those are the pastor's words, but I agree with him when he says it, haha) We've been saying this in our church recently, but how to implement it?

Mentorship. Apprentices. The thrill of following God's vision! Be enthusiastic! Be united in the vision for your church, and know your target. Who are you trying to reach? Each church has a mission, and you should have a defined mission. Because who have have on that stage is who your church is. If it is all 50 year old people, you are not ministering to 20 year old men, you know?

One of the things that I love about The Crossing is that all the volunteers are enthusiastic. And that is because they know they have value, and their job has value. The parking attendants are the first impression, Preaching begins in the parking lot, and they jump and direct traffic into their parking lot, enthusiastically greet you in the parking lot, walk you in with umbrellas and tell you how excited they are to have you there. It is just amazing!
I'm not saying all churches need to go that far into it, but I am saying that enthusiasm and joy in every job is a huge benefit to the church.
But how do they get their volunteers to be excited and animated while directing traffic in the rain? The train them, encourage them, thank them, praise them, mentor them. It is a fantastic program.

Another major benefit I would love to see instituted in our church is a mentorship/apprentice program. All leaders should have an apprentice, then they can take a break, and we have new leaders trained! If all leaders are there after having been an apprentice, they are well trained in the church's vision and not their own!

I am so super excited about these ideas and would love to see how we can implement some of them in our church. The Crossing did an amazing job of training other churches, they never said we should be like them, they are weird enough, no need for more weirdos, but they want to share what works for them. The bigger ideas, not the exact ideas. They say that God gave us eyes so we could plagiarize, lol. They are more than willing to let you use their ideas to further the kingdom of God.

I'll try to keep posting about what I learned, but the wedding is coming fast, and hopefully the pukies will stay away so we can get the flowers and cake done.

Bloggy hiatus

This is the week of Drew's wedding! I have been quite busy lately, and will be the rest of this week.

I am struggling with some issues at church. It is consuming a LOT of my thoughts and emotional energy. I wish it had waited until after the wedding, but apparently it needed to be done IMMEDIATELY, even though there is no plan in place to take over where it is left off. Long story, and unfortunately one I can't really explain yet, especially since I can't get the real truth out of people at this point. But time, meetings, tears, anger, hurt, frustration, joy in the trial, God's voice........... it is very emotionally draining at a time I don't need it.

I'm fighting with my sister. I try to make up with her, I really need a sister right now, but she just can't move on. I've asked her to drop stuff and just be there for me right now because I really need a sister, but she just won't. It is heart breaking.

This was also Kaytlin's last days as a princess. She passed on her crown last night! It was very nice, the speech made me cry, of course. The girls were gorgeous and poised and did fantastic!














Nicole has been wearing an oral expander and finally gets her braces on tomorrow. She is very excited about it finally starting, but unfortunately I can't take her! So I am hoping my mom can take her.

My mom flew in on Friday, and after a 6 hour delay finally got to Ladies night out, where we stayed until 4am having a blast!

Then we went shopping to get supplies to make the bouquets and corsages and stuff. We went to Craft's Direct and found a sale for 25% off our entire purchase! Woot! Saved a lot of money!

Tomorrow I have an all day leadership training event. I am very excited to learn some things that have held me back from being an effective leader! Terrified I am going to end up sick.

The house has been hit by the pukies. So not cool as we need to start making the flowers and the CAKES!!!! I have to make the wedding cake AND the groom's dinner cake! Plus we have a potluck at our house on Thursday for our town's parade which passes right in front of our house!

That is all just the tip of the ice berg. Anyone wanna trade places with me for a few hours? I could use a change of scenery!

When it rains, it pours? lol

Why is that? It's like frustration hits you in one area and then it is drawn to you and gets you here and here and here. lol

I was trying to have an enjoyable day today amidst a couple of things that have been causing me emotional pain lately. I just set it all aside and focused on Kaytlin's last parade as a Princess. We had a good time at the parade. It was HOT, and after a couple of hours in the sun we were ready to get out of there.

Last night Trinity had punctured her foot while I was out, and nobody found the object that did it. Since we recently replaced our roof we figured it was a good idea to get her a tetnus shot. We don't immunize our young chidren, so she hadn't had one yet.

After the parade we planned to take Trinity to an urgent care clinic for the shot. We went to a neighboring town and I signed in and was set to pay. Then we got called back in and the nurse was so nice, she gave Trinity a piggy back ride to the room. Then the PA came in the room and I told her what happened and that we don't immunize because of an immunization injury and that I would prefer a mercury free, tetnus only shot, which they didn't have. So I want a mercury free DPT shot.
They don't have that, either. And they don't even make those, so what am I crazy or something?

Um, yes, they do make them, I can get them from our clinic, and all shots for children are supposed to be mercury free now.

Well, we don't have children's shots here.

So, if you don't have shots for children, what are planning to give to Trinity?

We aren't giving her a shot here, we don't give shots to children under 7, this isn't a regular clinic, we don't keep immunizations around. You have to go to the ER. Besides, she doesn't have an immune system and she needs immunglobulin.

If you don't give shots to children under 7, why am I here? Why are you seeing her when you know you can't give her a shot? I have 7 kids and none of them have EVER needed immunoglobulin when getting a tetnus shot. That is ridiculous.

I told them I wasn't paying for them to check her weight and height when they know they don't have shots for kids her age. I walked out and went to the reception area and told her I wasn't paying and I want there to not be a bill since they are not offering her treatment here. They DON'T offer treatment for her age and I shouldn't be charged for it. The PA comes charging down the hall YELLING "Haven't you EVER given your child shots?"

Nicole felt her being hostile from the moment I asked about mercury free shots, and that was the tip of the iceberg of her hostility.

So, we went to a different clinic in the same line in a different town, and low and behold, they had NO idea why they wouldn't give her a shot and a shot without immunoglobulin. We went in, they looked at her foot, gave her a tetnus shot (with mercury and diptheria, beggars can't be choosers), and we paid with a 20% discount. He even gave me home remedies to help the infection and some antibiotics. He wasn't happy that I don't immunize, but just mentioning we had a mercury/vaccine injured child and that we see a doctor who works with us, and he was totally understanding.

Easy! That is how it should have been at the other clinic. Her anger over my vaccine choices caused her to be hostile to me and refuse to give my child a shot so I would have to go spend more in the ER. For no reason, the same clinic line gives shots and said there was no reason for her not to do it, and that I should report her behavior.

Even the shot was mostly pleasant! I told Trinity that it would only hurt for 5 seconds, and to count, so she got poked and her eyes got big and she said "One, two, Oh, haha I was supposed to count to five!" It was over by the time she got to two, no tears!

What to do?

Have you ever been sent out to sea in a row boat with no oars and the only people to ask for advice are the people who put you there?

That is where I am.

I couldn't believe what happened last week and I prayed and sought God about what it appears to be, and it looks very much like someone is spreading lies with an agenda, I don't want to believe it of those people. I asked God "Lord, this can't really be happening, tell me that this person isn't really trying to get me out of here with lies and mistruths!" but God's immediate answer to me was:

The proud have forged a lie against me: but I will keep thy precepts with my
whole heart. Their heart is as fat as grease; but I delight in thy law. It is
good for me that I have been afflicted; that I might learn thy statutes. The law
of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver. - Psalm
119:69-72 (KJV)

All I want to do is follow God in the most painful, heart-rending, self-esteem wrecking job He has ever asked me to do. It is more thankless and bad for the ego than parenting. I have never been involved with anything that has caused me to feel worse about myself than this job.

It is no wonder you hear people who love God who leave the church never to step foot in a church again. That is not where I am headed, but I now understand how people end up there. My world is rocked. Thankfully I have rock solid friends to keep me from losing my mind.

Clearly I am going to go through this and come out with a better understanding of God's laws, but it is still horrible to go through. And the timing with Drew's wedding just 2 weeks away was so unloving that I just can't imagine looking in their eyes for a very long time.

The Last Christian

The Last Christian, written by David Gregory of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger fame, is a fantastic book! I could not put it down.

The book is about Abby, who was raised in a jungle in Papau, New Guinea, with her missionary parents. The world had some major changes while they were there, and in that time the world was forbidden from contacting that tribe to preserve it's roots. So, Abby and her family had no contact with the outside world. Over the years her family passed away, but Abby remained until the entire tribe started getting deathly ill.

The world Abby finds when she comes out for help is fantastically changed. Nobody believes in God anymore and people have chips in their brains to be connected to the Internet and to virtual reality at any time they choose.

It is very exciting and suspenseful reading. To be honest, though, there were parts of the book that I was concerned about at a Christian. I wasn't sure what the author was trying to say about God in some of the parts toward the end. I have loved David Gregory's other books, but there was just this little concern over a part of the book. But it is a fiction book, and a great read, no doubt about that!

Summary:
After her remote village is annihilated by disease, a cryptic message from her grandfather launches Abby Caldwell into the seemingly impossible task of re-introducing the Christian faith in a late twenty first century, secular, trans-human America.

Author Bio:
David Gregory the author of Dinner with a Perfect Stranger, A Day with a Perfect Stranger, The Next Level, and the coauthor of the nonfiction The Rest of the Gospel. After a ten-year business career, he returned to school to study religion and communications, earning Master's degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary and the University of North Texas. A native of Texas, he now lives in the Pacific Northwest.

You can pick it up at Amazon.com.

Good grief!

We are Tim Hawkins fans, gotta love great Christian comedians! He came out with a new song spoof recently, A Whiff of Kansas (check it out), and it is about farting. The song he based it on is Dust in the Wind and he sings "Someone broke the wind." Fart songs are not my cup of tea, but I played it for Donnie and the boys.

Apparently Trinity understood the song because she now likes to inform us "Oops, I just broke the wind!"

Sonicare toothbrush for kids

Getting little kids to brush their teeth is a never ending battle for parents everywhere. I have experienced the gamut from reluctant cooperation to sitting on a screaming kid and forcing a toothbrush between their tightly clenched teeth. (not even kidding!)

The Sonicare toothbrush for kids has helped stop the screaming and hiding in our household. They like the vibrations and music, they know nothing about the added plaque removal.

The Sonicare toothbrush has an ergonomic handle and two vibration levels, low for kids age 4+ and high for kids 7+, with two different sized heads for the two age groups. The toothbrush has a timer that gradually increases in length until children are brushing for the recommended two minutes. After a length of time a little tune plays telling the child to move to a different area of the mouth, ensuring they get to all the teeth. For the kids' entertainment there is an interchangeable front panel to keep giving a fresh look to keep them interested.

The Sonicare for kids is designed to bring kids to independent tooth brushing from parents help.

Trinity and Sam have really enjoyed brushing their teeth since we have been using the new toothbrush! I'm sold!

You can buy a Sonicare For Kids at Walmart, Amazon and Target.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Sonicare and received a free Sonicare For Kids toothbrush to facilitate my review.

Did I ever tell you I used to be a cheerleader?

Well I was. I was a Benson Braves football cheerleader. But I don't take a lot of pride in that time.
We had 9 girls on the "team." Eight were cheerleaders and one was the mascot. Our coach for some reason didn't feel the need to name a captain. If she were going to be the boss at each game, that might have been fine, but she didn't attend the games, just made sure we could do each cheer well at practice.
So, each game one of us would be the "captain" that night. That left us all on the same level with no one as a clear authority. Can you imagine what our games looked like? What are the odds that the WHOLE team liked the captain that night? Not good.
So, our "team" was really split in two each game, and the behavior only served to make each game worse. The pretend captain would say what cheer we would do, and the other team would start a different cheer at LEAST once a night, just to make them mad.
By the end of the year we called OURSELVES "The B**ch Squad."

If we had a captain, we would have fallen in line with the leader, or been off the squad.

You MUST have a captain, manager, leader for a team. And the Bible says that you must respect and obey the authority placed over you, because God put them there. The only reason that a person has to legitimately rebel against that authority is if they ask you to disobey or sin against God.

Romans 13:1-2 Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there
is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever
therefore resisteth the power resisteth the ordinance of God and they that
resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

1 Peter 2:18 Servants, be submissive to your masters with all
respect, not only to those who are good and gentle, but also to those who are
unreasonable.

If our body didn't have a "head" what would happen? Would the hand do it's job and the foot it's job and the heart even do it's job? Let's say they all do what they are supposed to do, would it be for the good or the destruction of the body? If all parts are drawing off the food source, but no one regulating who gets how much food and orders a replenishing of the food, what would happen to the body? Clearly the body needs a leader, a head. Just as any team or group or business. If a team member/body part doesn't follow the lead of the head, cancer develops.

What exceptions are there to following a corrupt leader? When they ask you to disobey God, or sin, is a good reason. There are examples of this in the Bible.

Exodus 1:15-21 Pharaoh told the midwives to kill male children as they were born. They creatively disobeyed the Pharaoh out of fear of God, and God blessed them.

Acts 4:18-31 Peter and John were told not to tell people about Jesus and they told the leaders to judge for themselves whether is would be better in God's sight to obey the leaders or God. But they would not stop talking about what they had seen.

Therefore, if someone is in authority over you, you need to submit to that authority, graciously and without complaint, no matter how bad you think they are, until they ask you to disobey God. God put them in authority for a reason, and He will bring it down in His time, or change things in His time.

Stinkin' virus!

We are battling the attack of the virus's on our computers. One after another, or all at the same time, they are being disabled or just annoying pop ups with every page change.
My genious husband is fixing them as he has the time in his schedule, but they keep getting infected. (lets just say "Don't buy Norton")
So, I am not able to blog much, because that is one function I really can't do well from my phone.

Is there a definite?

At what age or time do you actually become an ADULT? Is it when you turn 18 you are suddenly, magically an adult? 21? When you are on your own supporting yourself?

I'm just wondering because what I think and what my teens have thought have never really meshed well.

Weigh in on this hot topic and let me know when you think someone can call themselves an adult.

Iron Man 2

As you know, my family is pretty much geeky to the max. If it is comic book related, we are all over it. Video games? We're there! Movies? Gotta see it!

So last night at 11:35 we loaded up the van with most of the kids and headed to the midnight showing of Iron Man 2. (and that included Trinity and Sam!)

Normally we would have waited to see it at a normal hour, but Donnie is going out of town, so we went last night.

I have mixed feelings about the movie. Loved Tony Stark and his angst, he just rocks! But the story wasn't as exciting as I was hoping for. The first part of the movie almost bored me, but soon the action made up for it, and the romance!

There were several one-liners that just cracked me up: Tony to Nick Fury "I don't want to start out on the wrong foot, should I look at the eye patch or the eye?" lol And later Nick says to Tony "I've got my EYE on you."

Sam and Trinity were too young for the movie. They couldn't keep up with the non-action parts and got bored during parts. Cody LOVED the movie and thought it was amazing. I thought it was very good, but not awesome. We will definitely buy it, but I won't be going to see it 3 times in theaters like I did for The Proposal and How to Train Your Dragon.

Look out!!!!

Nicole and I hit a garage sale today and I realized that yard saling is just not as much fun when you don't have a baby. That reminded Nicole of a little conversation between her and Trinity.

Trinity: Let's pray for mom.
Nicole: What about?
Trinity: To have a baby. I want her to have twins.
Nicole: Ok, a boy and a girl?
Trinity: You can have a boy AND a girl? Really? Cool! Lets pray for that!

She thought you could only have 2 girls or 2 boys. But that is besides the point, my daughters are not only praying for me to have a baby, they are praying for me to have TWINS!!!!

"Again I say to you, that if two of you agree on earth about anything that they may ask, it shall be done for them by My Father who is in heaven." (NAS) Matthew 18:19

Shouldn't this be all over the news?

Every town, city, state should be talking about this headline in California:
Students Kicked Off Campus for Wearing American Flag Tees.

I have a different take on this than many conservatives. The screaming from most people are that these kids' freedom of speech was violated. They were being racist to not allow them to wear American shirts in America because there are Mexicans in the school on a Mexican holiday. (not that Mexico really observes it, nor is it an official holiday in the states)

The principal felt that the kids were going to beat up because it was incensing violence from the Mexican American kids. The boys obviously wore the shirts and bandannas on purpose because it is a Mexican holiday. What are the odds that 5 white boys who are friends are all going to do that one the same day on a Mexican holiday in a largely Mexican populated school? They were showing their pride. Did they do anything "wrong?" No, they are allowed to wear American flag shirts on any day. Did they try to anger the Mexicans? Probably.

Be a parent for a minute. Of COURSE you are going to be mad that your kid was sent home for wearing American clothes to an American school! But tell me this: What would you have felt should have happened if those kids were beat to a pulp over it and the principal had knows that the Mexican American kids were angry enough to do it but didn't try to protect your kids?

No, the action wasn't the logical right thing to do. No, the Mexican kids were being ridiculous. But you can't expect the principal to be able to teach the kids that they are living in America for a reason and need to have pride in that, and to realize that Cinco de Mayo is not even a real holiday in Mexico or here, it is just an excuse to get drunk! The principal also, quite logically, would not be able to protect those 5 boys from how many Mexican kids?

If you have a crowd of people, it only takes one loud idiot to turn the whole group into a raging killing machine. The bigger the group, the more stupid they become. Even if there is one smart person in the group that speaks out, they will be mobbed and shut down and inflame the group to more stupidity. It is just a fact.

So, yes, the principal violated the students free speech, but he probably saved them from a beating or death. Get over it, people, and start screaming for education for the Mexican AMERICAN kids who need to be educated on why their parents felt AMERICA was a better place to raise them. Those kids need to be punished today, and the principal needs to be supported, unless he doesn't use this as an education tool after this incident.

The scoop on Aunt Flo

I am not about the throw a Menarche Party for my daughters, but I am all about educating them on their periods. I don't want my girls to not know what is going on with their bodies or feel uncomfortable talking to me about their periods. 83% of girls are uncomfortable talking to their mom's about their periods, and therefore are often uninformed about things they should know.

Kotex understands this issue and is launching a new line of products, U by Kotex, and a new site to help answer girls' questions about their period in order to help them be comfortable as a woman and not to be embarrassed about having to buy products.

Wal-Mart is carrying this new line of products. You can learn more about the line of products, get free samples and download a daily journal application for iPhone or iTouch. There is also a quiz on myths and facts about periods, which is a great way to gauge what your daughter knows, or even what YOU may not know.

50% of girls wished they knew more about their periods, and they can find those answers at U by Kotex.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central on behalf of Kotex and received products necessary to facilitate my candid review. In addition, Mom Central sent me a gift card to thank me for taking the time to participate. The opinions within this post are my own.

On Guard: Defending your faith.

I was excited to get the book On Guard: Defending Your Faith with Reason and Precision by William Lane Craig so that I could find good points to use when questions come up, and to learn how to use those points effectively.

Honestly, the first two chapters of this book were so intellectual that I felt incredibly stupid. I had a 3.98 in college, so I know I am not, but I think you need at least two PhD's to understand those chapters.

However, the rest of the book was much easier to understand and it is all laid out for you. Not only does the author go into detail on the points and the possible arguments to those points, but he also gives you lists and reasons, like If this is true, and this is true, then it makes sense that this is true.
I know that my husband and sons are going to enjoy this book. They love learning about apologetics and love to debate with people.

About the book:

We are currently experiencing a renaissance of interest in Christian
apologetics. Due to the virulent attacks of the New Atheists, the Internet
Infidels, and all manner of Biblical Bashers, along with a rising
anti-evangelical bias in the media, evangelical Christians are demanding
training in how to defend their Christian faith. There is a need for a
well-rounded training manual that provides the “how-tos” of defending the
Christian worldview. William Lane Craig’s new book, On Guard, intends to be that
manual.

A highly accessible, visual, and concise book loaded with
helpful figures and interesting sidebars, On Guard is a one-stop guidebook to
learn how to defend your faith. Combining the four core arguments for God’s
existence with a case for the historicity of Jesus, this readable book also
addresses difficult issues such as the problems of suffering and religious
relativism.

An interview with On Guard author William Lane Craig

Q: What is apologetics? Why do you think we’re experiencing a renewed interest in Christian apologetics?
Apologetics is the study of the defense of our faith and Scriptures. This is taken directly out of Scripture where Jesus appealed to the evidence of his miracles and fulfilled prophecy as authentication of his claims, and the Apostle Paul does the same:
“As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. ‘This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ,’ he said. 4Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women (Acts 17:2-4).
In Scripture we are commanded to:
“Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect (I Peter 3:15).”

Q: Your works are well known in seminary and intellectual circles. What caused you to write a more readable and relatable guide on apologetics?
As I speak around the country and other parts of the world, increasingly, people have responded so positively to what I have said in lectures and debates with atheists that they, too, would like to learn some basic logical principles of reasoning and arguments for our faith. Christianity stands head and shoulders above any other world view, and you can show why with confidence.

Q: Describe how the American culture has slowly but surely become post-Christian. What can we expect as our culture continues on this path?
People in the United States still believe in God, but religious relativism has become the conventional wisdom of the day. Jesus Christ has become politically incorrect. I have seen on campuses where I speak that Christians are now labeled “immoral” because they are not open-minded, but are intolerant and bigoted.

Q: What are some of your experiences as you’ve lectured and debated in the European world, where Christian belief has become somewhat antiquated?
The sobering thing is that where Christianity has retreated, especially in Europe, false views fill this void, and people succumb to views like secularism and Islam. They then find themselves without a proper foundation to fight these ideologies.

Q: What caused you to pursue apologetics with such vigor? Why would you encourage others to consider training in apologetics?
I became a Christian at the age of 16, when I sat down behind a gal in my German class, and, well, she was the kind of person that was always so happy that it just made me sick! I was feeling particularly miserable, and so I asked her, “Sandy, what in the world are you always so happy about anyway?” And to my shock, she replied, “Well, Bill, it’s because I’m saved. I know Jesus Christ as my personal Savior and Lord!” To make a long story short, within 6 months, I committed my life to Christ. Then I felt the daunting responsibility of sharing with my family and friends the truth of Christianity. But how? That began my quest for a sound defense.

Q: How do you envision that On Guard might be used?
On Guard can easily be used by pastors in referring the book to students who want in depth answers especially when challenged by their teachers in high school or professors at the university. Youth pastors can use this book to mentor students. I also see groups like Bible studies, Sunday school classes, and home groups learning together these timeless arguments and evidence. I have even received a letter from an Australian Sunday School teacher who uses this material to teach his eight and nine year old students!

About the author: William Lane Craig is Research Professor of Philosophy at the Talbot School of Theology. With earned doctorates in philosophy and theology, he has established a reputation as one of the most prominent Christian philosophers of our day. His publications, debates, and internet presence have made him a highly visible champion of Christian faith. His seminary textbook, Reasonable Faith, is widely considered to be the best book on Christian apologetics today. God is Good, God is Great: Why Believing in God is Reasonable and Responsible (IVP), edited by Craig and Chad Meister, was chosen as Christianity Today’s Book of the Year in the Apologetics/Evangelism category.


I received a copy of this book from The B&B Media Group in the hope that I would give my opinion on it. I was not paid for my opinion.

AAAAAA!!! My eyes!!!!

Last night Kaytlin had a guitar and choir ensemble for her college classes. It was nice, mostly enjoyable, and I will blog about that with pics and video later, but right now, I just have to blog about the horror that I/we experienced.

We found a seat in the back section because we couldn't see 4 seats together in the front, though, apparently there were some in the front row. People were coming and going the whole time, I am guessing some people were just there for the guitar part at the beginning or other instruments, and others just came a little later for the choir part. (they are not the same classes)

About the end of the flute duet a lady sat in front of me. She seemed to have some trouble with her clothing. Her pants were way too low rise and her shirts, yes, two shirts, were way too high rise. Not a good combination for anyone. But there was a hole in the back of the chairs that just happened to be situated above the pants line and below the shirt line. So all we say was her fuchsia lace thong underwear. And guess how we knew it was a thong? Yeah, we could see skin above and below the 2 1/2 wide lace. It was a LOT of skin showing. How do you not notice that? Don't you get a draft? It wasn't exactly warm in there.

I have Peter on one side of me and Donnie on the other and all I can think about is how I can protect their eyes! Not that mine were not burning! I do not ever want to see any woman's undies while she is wearing them! Seriously, she kept wiggling around in her seat and her panties were flashing at me over and over driving me insane!

Donnie and Peter, well trained in compartmentalizing, I guess, put their eyes on Kaytlin and were able to tune out the show in front of me. But I couldn't. I just kept wondering what I should do. Should I tell her? Should we move? Then people behind us would get a show. How mortifying for this gal!

Finally, I remembered that I had a jacket with me, which was on the other side of Donnie. So between songs I asked Donnie to hand it to me. I ever so delicately put it over the back of her chair and blocked out the vision. Donnie and Pete both started chuckling and thanked me, and Donnie even kissed my cheek.

Me? Couldn't get the image out of my head. It is burned into my eyeballs. If we know you are wearing a fuchsia lace thong, and that it IS a thong, you need to buy longer clothes, honey.

How do you tell someone they are having that issue? Should you tell them?

Doesn't this just take the cake?

Leaders in Bedford High School, New Hampshire, decided to give students credits toward graduation for participating in a Day of Silence for homosexual rights. The school has no business taking political, moral, or religious stances. If you won't let it all in, keep it ALL out.

Now that they are taking heat for their actions, they are saying students can get credit for any political activity done during a school day.

This is going to cause a LOT of problems for their administrators trying to give credit for students going to all sorts of events and missing out on school to do them.

I SO love this!

So, I got this random facebook friend request from someone who knows someone I know, and I went to their website to see what she about before I friended her. Let me tell you, I love her website! You are gonna get a kick out of this!

Shooting up jeans to make a statement about our right to bear arms! They even let you pick what caliber holes you want!
I am normally totally opposed to jeans with holes and tears, but I am all for this kind of jean! Bring it on! What a way to make a statement, right?
Shot Up Jeans are amazing!
And, yes, of course I friended her after seeing that!

Over-booked syndrome?

My life has been so packed lately that I just haven't had a day at home to just do what I need to do. I'll have nothing planned and things will pop up and keep me gone most of the day. One day I planned to spend most of the day at home, I had exercise planned for morning and evening, but then I need to run to the bank, run stuff to the school, run to the doctors, take a kid to a friend's house, go to two stores to buy stuff for the car and for the garden....... before I knew it my day had been hijacked, lol. So, what the heck, might as well have some friends over in the evening, too, right? (that was fun!)

So what happens when I finally run into a day where I don't need to leave the house? I am paralyzed. I can't bring myself to get busy around the house, I am lost! I just don't even know how to get up and start laundry and work on other housework.

I really need to get past this today because the rest of the week is packed. Wednesday I need to go to Kaytlin's new college with her, which requires going to her current college and waiting until class is done so we have time to get to the second one, then there is Awanas, if I get back in time. Thursday is Nicole's orthodontist appointment, shopping and who knows what will come up. Friday I have two walking times at church and we have to go to Kaytlin's choir/guitar concert. Somewhere in there we could be going to a track meet, or any number of other things we've forgotten, lol.

Anyone wanna come run my life for me?

Kids, gotta love them!

Sam has been struggling with going to church for well over a year. I think it started when we tried to put him in Childrens Church which starts at age 2. They teachers wouldn't come get me when he wouldn't stop crying. He cried the entire class, and has never stepped a foot back in that room willingly again. It is also when he stopped going to the nursery happily.
Many people in the nursery and SS rooms tell me to just leave him, he will stop crying. No, he won't stop crying. He won't. I've tried. Over and over and over and over. He doesn't stop. In fact, he will try to escape and will succeed if you are not diligent. The more he screams, the longer it is before he goes to class willingly.

We've been attending a different church on Saturday nights so that our kids who work on Sundays can get to church. Sam needs to go to the class because children are not ALLOWED in the service. They play the music so loud that they hand out earplugs when you are walking in. Sam couldn't do that, lol. I can't even handle it with ear plugs.

So I have been taking him to class and giving him time to adjust to going in while I am avoiding the loud music. It takes some time. The room has a neat ball pit that kids walk through to get to class, and it is filled with blow up fish and octopus things. Very fun! But he won't go right away. So we sit outside looking in while the kids play. Then they clean up and start the lesson. The lesson is on a video and after the lesson they play a music time, also on video, and the teachers hand out blow up microphones for the kids to sing along with. The first teacher brought him one and he said "This not work!" But he participated and soon afterwards he went in to play. I left him there and he didn't want to leave!

This week I brought him and the new teacher kept telling me he would be fine, she has 3 kids and they quit crying if you just leave them. Um, no, I have 7 kids and I know that he won't stop crying and he WILL escape, the route is just too easy. So, since I don't know what I am doing, the teachers and helpers kept coming over to talk to him.

That sent him running behind me with his nose up my butt. Yeah, not gonna work. But they keep trying, driving his nose further up my butt. Super fun for me. Not. Hello, just go do your job, and he will come in after the microphones.

So, they did their thing, gave him a mic, he sang with them, then I told him to go put the microphone back in the bucket like the other kids, and he hopped over, did it and ran for the toys without looking back! And he didn't want to leave again, lol.

I am going to keep doing it my way, and I know he will love it eventually. He does love it, he asks to go back and doesn't want to leave. I just know that one day he will just run in there without looking back and I'll have to find some other reason to avoid the loud music. But I won't miss the nose up my butt.

I have found a NEW way to totally embarass my kids!

One of my motto's is "I was put on this earth to embarrass my teenagers in front of their friends." And I have discovered a doozie of a way to do just that!
Host a Menarche Party for their first period! Woohoo! Not just any party, either, ones with plates that teach you about your period and games that teach you about puberty and your body and your period! Wouldn't that just rock!?!

I am not even kidding, I actually found a site, Menarche Parties R Us (is that even legal to use "R Us?"), that sells party stuff for puberty and menarche (your first period)! The Pin the Ovaries on the Uterus game just tops the list of amazing products that this company sells.

Honestly, I cannot fathom who would do this to their daughter. My girls would never forgive me if I did that. If you want to educate your daughter about her cycle, do it! And it should be done before it even starts, hello! I don't depend on the school to teach it, and I don't wait. I make sure my girls know as much as they are willing to learn about their bodies by the time they leave my house.
As comfortable as I am with talking about my body with my girls, I can't imagine taking something so private and turning it into a party. They girls don't even want me to tell their father when they start their period!

Epic FAIL on this one.

Wow, some people......

You know who the world is experiencing Global Warming and the polar ice caps are melting and going to just disappear? Yeah, over the last 4 years people have decided to take treks out there to prove how it is warmer than people believe. Guess what? They had to be rescued because of frost bite or there was a sea of ice stopping their canoe, etc. lol. None of them made it because "They were experiencing temperatures that weren't expected with Global Warming." Check it out HERE.

Or how about THIS article about a Thai restaurant employee who thought that some one's guide dog was a gay dog and wouldn't allow them to enter the restaurant because they don't allow gay dogs. Umm, yeah.

Busted!

Last night we had a sort of family night (except Kaytlin who refused) by watching Avatar. Half of us hadn't seen it yet, so it was funny to watch the little kids watch it. There is a fight scene (OK, almost all of it is fighting) where the creatures were losing and out of the forest comes these sort of Hammerhead type Rhinos that can't be shot. Sam screams out "Yes! I love those things!"
After the movie we sent the kids off to bed. I made sure even the teens got to their rooms and I headed off to bed. As I lay there watching some NCIS I could hear Cody and Brian talking excitedly below us in their room. I just had this feeling that I should pray for them. I prayed that God would protect them from harm and danger. They soon quieted down.
Then Donnie bolted upright in bed, alarmed, and asked if that was the dog whining. I got up and checked, but it didn't continue. Then, about 5 minutes later Parker started crying like someone was hurting him!
Donnie and I flew out of bed and ran down to the basement, where Parker ran to us all distressed. I started hollering to Cody asking what happened to Parker. No answer.
I went over and pulled the curtain to his room aside and it was empty. And the window was open. Now, I have to tell you, this window is a typical basement window, quite narrow, and they only had half of that to crawl through, but crawl out they had. 1:30 in the morning!

I was TICKED! Donnie decided he would just hang out on Cody's bed and wait for their return and sent me back to bed. Not that I could sleep, or anything.
Sure enough, about 2:45 they started shining lights in the window, I'm sure thinking they would need to silence the dog who was actually kenneled upstairs. Donnie pulled the blanket over his head and waited for them to crawl in the window. When Brian was in Donnie pulled the blanket down and said "Hi, Brian." "Crap." Cody sat in the window stuttering a bit, so Donnie invited him in. lol

Totally priceless!

They weren't very bright. They are going on a weekend trip this weekend and the night before decide to sneak out and go for a run in the middle of the night. Mmmhmmm. Stupid. I know, seems gullible, but they actually did go for a run. We told them to get some sleep, 6am comes fast.
We got them up and started them on their long day of yard work and extreme running. Then I ratted Brian out to his mom. I felt bad telling her, she is in the hospital and can't really deal with it right now, but I would want to know.
We did end up letting them go on their trip, but they will be continuing the work at both homes when they get back, lol.

Dear Diary,

My blog is kind of like my diary. It is where I process what I feel, what happens to me, and work through the "whys" of things in my life. There ARE things I wouldn't put out here, and there are things I wish I hadn't put out here. But the fact is, I am giving you permission to read my diary, but realize that it IS my diary, and if you don't like what it says, you were reading my deep, personal thoughts. You were eaves dropping in on my thoughts and feelings. They are mine, and if you are going to take offense to them, you shouldn't read someone's diary, even if they leave it open and allow you to read it.


Lisa

Funny how God teaches us.

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will
be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And
why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the
plank in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the
speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye? Hypocrite! First
remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the
speck from your brother's eye." Matthew 7:1-5

You only need look in the mirror to see why God included this in the Bible. It isn't that we are not supposed to ever judge, but that we are aware that what we are judging is something we have a handle on. Rarely do we actually get the log out of our eye before we go off the handle on someone, though.
This is certainly a great place for us to learn how to deal with our own anger. So often we are mad at someone and what makes us so angry is something that we need to work on in ourselves, and if you are going to judge someone on it, you are going to get judged back on it. If you set out the measurements, sure enough, they are going to measure you right back with them.

I am dealing with that now. I wanted someone to handle something the right way, which they didn't, and I was upset. I ended up handling it the same way they were handling it in response. I apologized for it, I was wrong. I forgot to take care of one part of my issue, and it was found out a month later, and that person found out exactly how I felt when she did it to me, and she reacted just like I did, even though I had apologized for it. And I didn't respond like I should have responded. So here we are, acting exactly alike, calling each other hypocrites. I see how she felt then, and hope that she will see how what she did made me feel.

I did apologize, and I don't know what more she wants. I just want an apology, too. I think God took the log out of my own eye now. I am beyond frustrated, though. I thought this was done back then, and now it is back in the open again.

I have a challenge/test for you, my readers.

Readers of the female kind anyway, haha.

I recently read a little article about how men like flirting from women and double entendres. The article said to say things like "I need a backrub, my neck is stiff." or "Would you help me with this crossword puzzle? It is hard."

The article says it will get your man thinking about sex and even "get the juices flowing for foreplay."

Um, yeah, like that is going to work after 21 years, lol.

So I tried it to see if he would even notice the double entendre. "Honey, would you massage my shoulders? My neck is stiff."
Seriously, I didn't get past "massage" and he was grinning from ear to ear. You bet he was thinking about sex right then and there.

So, why don't you test it out and see what results you get. Fill out my poll on the sidebar and leave a comment, not too much detail about what happens afterwards, though, lol.

10% doing 90

Have you heard that saying that 10% of the people do 90% of the work at church? It is pretty accurate, though I think probably more than 10% are working in our church.

It gets frustrating for those 10% though.

I don't feel like I do too much. At least not right now. I only have one person doing the women's ministry with me, but since we have absolutely zero money, and I am not spending hundreds of dollars of our money several times a year to run events. I already have to pay for the baby and wedding showers out of my pocket, I just can't do more. So for now, there isn't much to do besides the tons of showers we are having right now. I also help in the nursery on Wednesdays. And we have walking twice a week, well, 2 times on Mondays and Fridays, which I need to be there for.

Donnie, on the the other hand, is into everything. He is busy all the time. He is the head of the technology department, and runs it most weeks. He is the Men's ministry leader, and tries to be supportive of all the studies and groups that are going on. He is starting an adult drama team, which means he will have to be there for all of those things. Oh, and he is in charge of setting up camping for the Sunday School, and filming things for missionaries, and if anyone has a wedding or other event, he is asked to do the technical for it.

Sundays almost always consist of him being behind the computer from about 7-12, which means rarely sitting with his family for church, and Nicole has drama and Bible study and Kaytlin has worship practice. Mondays I am busy morning and evening at the church. Tuesdays Donnie has TWO bible studies in the morning, which bumps work later in the evening. Wednesday I have nursery and he has another men's study group, Kaytlin is on the worship team and Nicole is on drama team and Cody does the technical stuff. Thursdays usually have him at worship practice, which means 8-9pm. Fridays I have walking morning and night, and he has another Bible study that he runs. Saturdays were a men's basketball event he was asked to have open that no one ever showed up to, so he lost a couple hours in the morning setting up, waiting, and taking down by himself. Then back to Sunday. And if something goes wrong with the computers Donnie goes to fix them. Sometimes there are church meetings we have to attend. Where is he going to fit adult drama in there?

Add normal events with family and kids: sports, work, conferences, shopping, birthday parties, etc, and we have no time for us and barely time with the kids.

The kids don't enjoy church any more. Especially Cody and Sam. I'm getting burnt out and frustrated with Donnie not being around. We have to serve, that isn't the issue. It is just that there are people who are NOT serving, and they could pick up some of these things. Like doing the technology. If more people did the tech stuff Donnie could do it once a month, or even once every two months! We have plenty of computer savvy people, but noone willing to commit to once a month or even less. So, guess who does it since it HAS to be done?

I think that once in a while there should just not be anything on the screen. Go back to printing the words of the songs and passing them out in the bulletin. Either more people will step up, or Donnie will just get a break here and there. (There are other people helping, but noone can do it every week)

We are not the only family at church who is over involved in things. I see other families that are at everything, running things, involved in things, taking on other things that noone will do. It is frustrating to see people being worked into the ground until they want to leave. Why don't people feel led to serve if they are really Christian?

I don't want my kids seeing church as taking over your life. I want them to serve, and they DO serve, but they have balance.

Then we have the dilemma of figuring out how to get Cody to enjoy going to church again. It isn't a lack of interest in God, it is just Sunday mornings that are an issue. He hates going, he hides from the service. It is frustrating. He is fine on Wednesdays, and he will watch sermons online with Donnie and enjoy them. So we have to find something that keeps him wanting to go to church. Devon isn't able to go on Sundays because of work, so we are going to add Saturday evening service at another church to our already busy week. Sam likes going to Sunday School there, but hates it at our church, but I think with Sam it is because of the time of day, he doesn't do mornings. Trinity likes going to both, so does Nicole.

This is just a frustrating time for me.

Crazy hormones

Don't you just love crazy female hormones? For 2 weeks of the month I don't want any more kids, and for the next two weeks I hope I am pregnant. Stupid hormones! Make up your mind!!!!

But right now, to get pregnant would mean being due right before I am scheduled to fly to Hawaii with my girlfriends for Anna and my 40th birthday year. That would stink. We'd either have to put it off, or they would have to go without me. Either would stink.

But you know what today is? My most fertile day of the year. Our anniversary. I have gotten pregnant 3 times on our anniversary. (I think there was one more pregnancy with that due date, too, but I can't remember for sure)

My friends are glad Donnie and I are arguing for our anniversary so I don't end up pregnant, lol. Love you, my dear friends!

Twenty one years of marriage! Amazing! Only God could have gotten us to this point because Donnie and I sure screwed up over and over big time.

A lesson in good sportsmanship

Today was Trinity's first time racing for AWANA's Float-A-Boat race. She was so excited to make a boat, and drove us nearly insane wanting to get started. But in typical Qtpies fashion, we waited until that last week to get started. Trinity sat down with her dad and drew and designed the boat she wanted, complete with a crown for a sail. Luckily for us we still had plastic Easter eggs, which make a perfect crown when cut down with a dremel. Trin drove us nuts wanting to go shopping for crown stickers, which we never found, but instead got sparkly paint pens and some heart and star jewels instead. She sanded and sanded and sanded some more to get a perfectly smooth boat. Then hounded Donnie through every coat of paint so she could start decorating. The boat turned out quite girly and princessy.


Through the years we have perfected our cars, but we've only ever made a boat one other time. So we made sure the boat wasn't top heavy and didn't tip, and hoped for the best. Crucial mistake: Donnie didn't teach Trinity how to BLOW the sail. Not good. She did little huffy, puffy blows in spite of our screaming "Blow HARDER!!!!" at her the whole race.

She had so much fun and was so excited to get a participation ribbon. She didn't care that she didn't win, she was happy to come in second on the side she was racing on. (even though it was last out of the 4 racing one of the heats) Look how proud she is of her ribbon!


And then she heard HER name called out for the FIRST PLACE trophy for best design! She ran over to get her trophy.

Look how she is holding the ribbon higher than the trophy, lol. She was just as happy with that as with the trophy.

Now, her parents, on the other hand, might need a lesson in sportsmanship. Not that we were poor sports or poor losers, but you can hear us screaming in the videos to blow harder. We even coached her between races on HOW to blow harder, but she didn't listen until the last seconds of the race, which she had already lost.

Do you know what we then did? Found out what the fastest boats sail was made of, started thinking of next years' sails, what went wrong and right for the other boats, and BOUGHT not one, but TWO more boat kits to practice on to get it right for next year.

Oh, yes, we did.

Here are Trin's two races.

Zippity Doo's!

"Why treat lice when you can prevent them?" That is the theme of Zippity Doo's new hair care products for children.

Treating lice is NOT fun, and it really isn't all that healthy most of the time. Zippity Doo's products are mild enough for daily use, provide health benefits to the scalp and hair and help prevent lice infestations. The shampoo and conditioner are the first line of defense against lice. You then can add the gel or detangler for a second line of defense before the kids head out the door. The shield spray is for hats and helmets and things the can carry lice, spray it on and prevent lice from jumping on.

The ingredients are natural products that you might even find in your house. Tea Tree Oil and Anise seem to be a common ingredient, with cinnamon, sage and a few others thrown in the different products.

I found it refreshing and a huge relief to be able to use hair care products that are safe and natural. Aside from the lice products, I worry about what is in the shampoo that I put on the kids. The scents were not what you normally expect in a kids product, strawberry or watermelon, but they were nice and you can tell they are natural. I was pleased with all the products they carry, and especially loved the detangling spray for Trinity's long hair. She really likes it and asks for it every time we brush her hair. (that means it really works!) It is our absolute favorite of the products, and it is our favorite detangling spray of any brand.

I can't attest to whether or not it repels lice, but I can say that we haven't gotten lice since using it, haha, but I don't know if we were exposed to it or not, either.

You can find Zippity Doo's products at CVS Pharmacy.

I received a complimentary set of Zippity Doo's products through Zippity Doo's and Mom Select in the hope that I would write a review, I received no other compensation for my opinions. My opinions are my own.

Friend day

Yesterday was still part of our kids' spring break, so I wanted to do something fun with them. I asked around and found a few friends who wanted to take their kids to see How To Train Your Dragon. We had 5 adults, 5 small children, 2 teens and a baby. Donnie and his friend Dan took 4 teens with them to see Clash of the Titans.

Our group had a lot of fun watching the movie with the kids. Only my family had seen it, so it was fun watching the other kids watch it. And it was fun watching Jody start crying, haha. I don't know if there is a movie she doesn't cry at. Some of the kids got a little scared, but they sure liked the movie overall!

Now my friends KNOW why I had to find Toothless for the kids, and I think some of them will be on the hunt, too. Right, Jody?

On the Titans side............. They all wished they had come with us instead. Clash of the Titans was not that great, apparently. It is based on mythology, but it is really shallow and doesn't go into the depth that it could.

It's a feature!

Recently I got a new dishwasher. It took a couple of days to get Donnie to install it, but he did it with Cody one day while I was out. I was so happy to finally be able to use one, but soon grew frustrated because it wasn't pushed in far enough due to some insulation, and so it couldn't be screwed in to be steady. Thus, it fell onto my foot every time I got a few plates in there.

Finally one day I came home to it pushed back and screwed in tightly.

Donnie asked me if I noticed that he had done it, and I answered that I had. And he said how he even tilted it back some so that if it clogged up that the water wouldn't come out the front door and flood the kitchen! Isn't that great?!

Um, no. Now the rack slips back IN when I get a few plates in there, lol. At least it isn't on my foot, but it is still a pain.

So I look down and notice that Donnie had put a board under there, and upon closer inspection I discovered that the dishwasher was too short to reach the counter so he did that so he could screw it in, not to keep it from leaking.

So, I confronted him on it and he said "It's a feature!"

What causes this?

Before the movie How To Train Your Dragon came out I saw all sorts of items to buy from the movie. Especially interesting to us were the really large sized stuffed dragons they had at Walmart. I didn't know which one to buy before the movie, so I planned to wait to see which one Sam liked before I bought one.
Well, the movie came out on Friday, so Saturday I went to get one for him. Do you think there was even ONE of the main dragon? Nope, not one. And thus grew my desire to get one. In one day all the Walmarts around were wiped out of the Night Fury dragon named Toothless. What happened? It was a cute movie and all, but to be wiped out in ONE day?

I found out what happened to them. After searching several towns for them Donnie went to the internet. Turns out some very smart people bought them all and are selling them on ebay for double+ the value! Smart for them, but ticked me off.

I was sending people every where out to find them for me. Even my mother in Maine. Finally on Tuesday my friend stopped at a Walmart about 30 miles from us and found the last one and called me. I finally have a Toothless, but 3 kids who want him.


I have to admit, I went a little psycho trying to get one. Why? What would possess me to go so crazy for it? I think it was the fact that I couldn't just get it that made it even more desirable. I HAD to get one. Forget the fact that Walmart is expecting more shipments of them, I had to have one NOW.

I went a little loco. But I won! I got it for $15 instead of the $40+ on ebay. And I am probably going to get another for the other kids who want one.

Tease!

I love getting lotion rubbed into my feet. It is how the kids get out of chores, or pay for things they want.
Devon, who is the best foot massager, refuses to use lotion, and rarely to even give a foot massage. It is usually Cody, and he is nice and uses lotion as long as it isn't gingerbread scented, he hates that.
The other day Devon gave me a nice massage, but wouldn't use lotion, of course. So when he was done I got Cody going with the lotion.
Devon says "I would give you a foot massage with lotion if it were your birthday............"
(I'm getting happy at this point)
"and Christmas..............."
(that isn't going to happen)
"AND you've just had surgery."

What are the odds the I am going to have surgery on my August birthday at Christmastime?

Not looking good for me.

Only Sam. Again.

Seriously, after raising 3 boys to at least their teens already, you'd think I would have seen it all. Right?
You would think.

But then I get Sam. Apparently God saw that I could handle that stuff and gave me all 3 of them rolled into one.

So, obviously we had another first with Sam. All the boys have zipped their privates into their zipper at some point, but Sam had to out-do them all. He slammed his part in the toilet lid. Squashed it enough to split the skin open and need a band-aid on his winkie. Not even kidding. I don't even want to know HOW he managed it.

(and no, I don't normally use the term "winkie" but I don't need any nasty people finding my blog with search words)

But he did do something cute, too. Donnie bought Sam and Trinity new shoes recently, but only Trinity's Tinkerbell shoes lit up. So you know Sam steals them all the time because the blinky lights are cool. Well, yesterday I found some How To Train Your Dragon light up shoes! Now Sam will leave hers alone. But when I got home he was buck naked. And wanted the shoes on. He ran around the house naked except for the shoes, and soon the band-aid on his winkie, and it was just too cute! My facebook friends have nicknamed him "Flash" now. Highly appropriate for him.

And Nod. I had to add that, since I used the words "winkie" and "blinky" in this post, haha. I know. I am weird, no need to tell me so.

Are you thick?

Trinity and Kaytlin were sitting on the couch the other day and had a conversation that went something like this:

Trinity, looking at her ankles: I'm getting thick. Not like mom and dad thick, but I'm getting thick.
Kaytlin: Am I thick?
Trin: Your legs are.
Kaytlin: Is that the same thing as being fat?
Trin: No, just thick. My ankles are thick.


So, I'm thick. That is better than fat, right?

Dragon Training Rocks!

Last night we took the whole crew, yes, the WHOLE crew, to How to Train Your Dragon 3D! It was a blast!
I'm not a big 3D person, but it was still fun. Sam was too young for the 3D thing, though.

We are Norwegian, so the boys were all "Vikings, arr arr arr!" lol the movie wasn't really want I expected at all, and I was pleasantly surprised.
Sam sat through and enjoyed it, even the scary part with the giant dragon that sent him scurrying to Daddy's lap. He never looked away or was really scared. But if your child does get scared at things, this will be too dark and frightening for them. Trinity wasn't afraid at all, either.

None of us wanted the movie to end when it did. We all highly recommend How to Train Your Dragon. (and I can't wait to go out and buy all the "stuff" for the kids, haha! Sam really wants the stuffed dragons at Walmart)

Vacations over :(

Thanks to our friends over at Joyful Noise, we were able to go on vacation in the Wisconsin Dells last week. They got a 3bd townhouse for 6 days and invited us to go with them. So we packed up the kids who did could leave and we left! Cody stayed home to watch the dogs, Devon and Kaytlin couldn't leave school. So, Trinity, Sam, Nicole and Drew's fiance, Jannessa came along with us.

The resort had a great kiddie pool area with a toddler slide and an older kids slide for the kids to enjoy. Sam loved the frog slide. He even enjoyed the big slide when Nicole forced him to go on it while Jannessa was at the bottom to catch him. However, later he decided to try it when noone was there, and I had to run and rescue him as he came out the bottom. I just missed him by a split second and had to fish him out of the water. He was NOT liking slides after that, lol.

The resort had lots of activities for the kids to do at the clubhouse every day. One day we went and decorated cookies. The kids really enjoyed eating them! Then we went off to the playground.

The playground didn't go so well. Sam walked in front of the swings and got kicked face first into the wood chips. "I HATE swings!"

Another day they went to do a coloring contest. Jannessa won for the adult category and let Sam pick out some bubbles for a prize.


Donnie and Dan took the kids out to fly kites. They loved it!

On Wednesday we took the kids to Mt. Olympus for a few hours. Jannessa took Sam on a slide off the pirate ship. That was it for him, he got his face drenched, so he wouldn't do the slides anymore.

Later we forced him to go on one of the huge tube slides with the girls and he loved it. So Jannessa and I took him down it again. However, Jannessa and I are too much weight together to stay on the tube at the bottom and we flipped, nearly drowning Sam, and hobbling my foot, lol. Needless to say, Sam never did another water slide.

One of the nights we went out to eat, just us parents. That was nice, except the guys ended up picking some barbeque joint, which is a story in itself.

The older girls did so much to help us through the week with babysitting, playing with the kids, and cooking that we wanted to give them a special treat. So Donnie took them horseback riding.

Trinity wasn't ready to leave on the last day. She wanted one more fun thing to do. So we drove around town and nothing was open in the off season. So we took them to a candy store and she was satisfied. So we were able to head back home.

I have lots more stories and pics that I will post here and there, but this is our trip in a nutshell!

Busy, busy!

I love when life is busy, as long as I get some restful moments, too. This last week has been filled with fun, work, and craziness.
Our neighbors have called the police on us twice over our dogs this week. You know, instead of telling us the kids are not paying attention to the dogs and they are getting loose. But they don't call on any of the other neighbors loose dogs, just ours, because they've SEEN our dogs poo in their yard. The other dogs don't seem to be a problem. Hello! Why don't people just talk to their neighbors anymore?
They robbed our kids of a learning experience by cleaning up the poo instead of having our kids clean it up. (which I told her should happen if our dogs poo'd in their yard)

On Mondays I have a woman's walking time at our church in the morning and evening. Monday morning there was a new person walking, new to our church and new to walking. She also happens to be a new neighbor to me. Monday night she came back to walk again and we go to talking about kids and I mentioned that my kids don't have privacy because I plaster their stuff all over my blog. She asked me my blog addy and wouldn't you be surprised, she READS MY BLOG!!!!! How weird is that?

Today I hosted a babyshower with a couple of women from my church for a woman at my church. I made the cake, of course, and it was a new style for me. It was fun, and much easier than it looks. Seriously, easy, easy to make. Except the bow, that was a bit tricky to get done, but now that I've done it, it would be a breeze. And now I have three orders for this cake, lol.






Now I am busy packing clothes and getting ready for a mini vacation with my good friend Jody.

Fountain of Youth found by Jellyfish

Apparently one species of jellyfish has the ability to not only regrow a limb, but to regenerate their entire body and become a polyp and start over. They don't die. It is called transdifferentiation, which is when one type of cell turns into a different type of cell.

While I would like to go back to time when my body was younger looking and my metabolism could burn off calories while sitting on the couch, I'm not so sure I would want to go back to the baby stage.

(photo: Peter Schuchert)

Maybe I am looking at this weight thing the wrong way?

This New Jersey woman has a "fantasy" of weighing 1000lbs. She doesn't consider it an attainable goal, but a dream or fantasy. She likes being large, and wasn't happy when she was thinner. Her husband, who found her on a large woman dating site, encourages her to get bigger.

The first thought is "Is she nuts? She needs to be seen. She can't be mentally healthy! Doesn't she care about her daughter?" Well, hello! We don't get to decide for other people what they can and can't do when it doesn't abuse another person, or themselves. You can argue that this is killing herself, or that she is going to hurt her child by dying early, but really, that isn't our business.

Do I agree with what she is doing? NO!!!!! But I don't like being told I am wrong because I do things different from mainstream society. And in our culture she is wrong, but other cultures find obesity to be a great thing.

All because two people fell in love...........

Awwwww!
I am very happy with the turn out of my wall. Now to figure out the rest of the walls.

Then on to painting the rest of the house...............

Really? (warning~immodest pics)

Not x rated pics, but not modest.

So I was sitting in the hair cutting place (can you call a cheap place a salon?) and I was reading a rag magazine. You know, to see why Brangelina are "really" over this time. (and I can't tell you because I never actually saw that article)
I found this set of pics of people with extremely poor choices in clothing. I was just flabbergasted at this one dress. So flabbergasted that I had to take a pic of the magazine to show you just how amazingly dumb people can be.
You are gorgeous, WHY would you need to wear a dress that is so sleazy that the caption is "She is so easy even her dress gets to second base." ??????

There is something wrong with this designer.. Why would you wear this????? And how does it stay ON?