Thursday Thirteen #11

Sometimes I have lots of energy and creativity to put into my T13, sometimes I don't. SO in the spirit of the latter, I give you...

Thirteen reasons I'm tired tonight

1. Christmas was two days ago

2. I've eaten more in the last three days than I probably have in the last three months. Shame on me.

3. My parents are here and

4. My mom and I are avid, vigorous shoppers. So, therefore...

5. We've been to Walmart like three times in the past two days AND

6. Matt and I took them out for their 33rd wedding anniversary tonight.

7. Micah misplaced his DS and we spent WAAAY too much time and energy today looking for it.

8. I don't feel totally great. My nose is drippy.

9. The dog woke me up before the sun was up because he, apparently, had to pee or just had an overwhelming urge to chase squirrels

10. Matt and I drive to Shrewsbury, PA this morning to have breakfast with some friends we hadn't seen in awhile

11. Josh had a friend over today and it takes a lot of energy to be a cool mom (without looking like you're trying to be a cool mom)

12. Still a little salty about that darn DS being lost all day.

13. Is Christmas break over yet?

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Merry Christmas

Awesome Graphics at pYzam.com

Well...

Tree is up, shopping is done, cookies are baked, snowmen are out, fire is in the fireplace, parents are coming, boys are wound up...

It's actually starting to feel like Christmas. Finally.

Thursday Thirteen #10

(Yes, I know it's Friday. I had to crochet another scarf last night)

Thirteen Obscure Christmas songs that I enjoy...

Know any of these?

1. The Little Jesus Came to Town

2. Wind Through the Olive Trees

3. Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming

4. All is Well

5. The Boar's Head (I sang in a Madrigal group in college)

6. Thou Didst Leave Thy Throne

7. The Jesus Gift

8. Christ was Born on Christmas Day

9. Pat-a-pan

10. Christmas Waltz

11. In the Bleak Midwinter (one of my favorites)

12. Bethlehem Morning

and the final one (drum roll)......

13. Crabs for Christmas (It's a Baltimore thing!)

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others' comments. It’s easy, and fun! Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants



My thoughts in numbers...

5 - days until Christmas
1 - day I've shopped
6ish - more gifts left to get
90 - minutes it takes to crochet a scarf for my kid's teacher
90 - minutes (ironically) it takes to watch Clash of the Choirs while I crochet said scarf
3 - choirs left on Clash of the Choirs (my money is on Team Lachey)
2 - days of school left
5 - piano/voice students stand between me and a nice, long break
20 - things trying to stress me out
45 - minutes until I need to be out the door this morning
1 - kid is out the door already
2 - kids are still in bed
15 - angels and flower pot snowmen we are going to make at MOPS today
1 - toilet I just heard flushing. Guess that makes only
1 - kid still in bed
42 - minutes until I need to be out the door

OK, OK. That's it for now.

Christmas is a week from today.

Holy crap. We don't even have our tree up yet!

We are the champions, my friend.

I still don't get football completely, but I will try, in my non-football girly language, to describe Saturday's Maryland Youth Football Championship game between the Howard County Bruins and the often-imitated, never-duplicated Hamilton Tigers!

Even walking into the M&T Bank Stadium was cool. (we've never been there before). It was even cooler knowing that our son would be on the field shortly thereafter! Our crew consisted of Matt, the boys and I; Josh's friend, Caitlin; and Matt's brother, Dave, and our nephew, Blake, who drove in from Ohio just for this event. It was cold and so we were all appropriately bundled in triplicate.

We swung by the concession stand to get some goodies. I don't think I ever paid $4 for a hot chocolate before, but considering it also doubled as a hand-warmer, it was almost worth it! Micah chose popcorn, which he obviously enjoyed! ------->

The boys came out on the field as the announcer called their names and jersey numbers and we were joined by two more fans -- Sean and Christy volunteer with the middle school youth at our church. Josh is in Sean's small group. We really appreciated them coming to help us cheer on the Tigers!

The game started. We scored the first touchdown, but didn't get the extra point (which is strange because we usually do, but whatever). The Bruins, however, were proving themselves to be a formidable opponent, scoring after our touchdown AND making their extra points. The score: 6-8.

Mr. Mike joined us at this point. Mike and Hazel are very dear friends to our family and his presence was greatly appreciated. Plus, he held my hot chocolate while I put my gloves back on -- very necessary!

We scored another touchdown and (thankfully) made our extra point this time, bringing the Hamilton fans to their numb, little feet and the score to 13-8. That brought us to halftime. No marching band, no dancing girls, but halftime all the same.

The third quarter, unfortunately, brought us a lot of penalties and the Bruins another touchdown complete with extra points. The score: 13-16 in favor of the Bruins.

By the fourth quarter, things were not looking up for the Tigers. We were working toward our goal line but hadn't quite made it yet. If I had to name the breaking point of the game, I would probably have to call it this play: We were on about the 40 yard line headed toward out goal. It was the 4th down -- make it or break it. Though there was no clock (which was driving us crazy!) we knew there wasn't much time left. Sure enough, the refs gave us the four-minute warning. OK. Focus. Don't forget it was the fourth down. The play ensued, ending with a tackle and the ball being set down so they could see if we made it. It was SO CLOSE that they had to move the chains out to where the ball was so they could measure it. Miraculously, the refs called it -- 1st down Tigers! We continued to work our way toward the goal line, and as the announcer told us there were on :59 on the clock, the Hamilton Tigers scored our final touchdown AND the extra point! Score: 20-16

The Bruins regained control of the ball and tried to pull something out with :47 on the clock, but to no avail. The Hamilton Tigers became the winners of the Maryland State Youth Football Championship, unlimited division.
Needless to say, Josh and his team were (and still are) thrilled. This was especially significant for Josh because last year, his first year of football, the team that he played on didn't win any games. This year, his team was undefeated! I have to give a plug for the Hamilton football program, though. They have a tremendous coaching staff and really teach the skills these kids need to succeed at this game. I think Baltimore will be hearing from this program for championships to come.
After the game, we went to grab a bite to eat (in the rain -- it held out until the game was over) and then headed home as the exhaustion of the day caught up with us!

This was a real landmark event for our family. We remain thankful for everything God brings to us in the way of excitement and opportunity. I ask for support in prayer for those of you who are willing. We're in the process of figuring out where we are going to send Josh to high school next year. To explain all of our options and reasons would take too long, so if you don't mind keeping us in your prayers, we'd appreciate it!

Thanks for taking the time to read this! And one last time -- GO TIGERS!!

God does understand...

Wow. I will adopt this as my thought of the day. View with a tissue... this is touching ;-)

Are you ready for some football?!

Well, it was quite an exciting weekend around here in Stevensland - and BUSY, too I might add. The big news of the weekend concerns Josh and his football team, the Hamilton Tigers. They had the last of their playoff games on Saturday night. After a challenging game the previous weekend, our victory over the Cumberland Patriots was a somewhat easy win. At the end of the game, it was Tigers 28, Patriots 8.

You know what this means, don't you?

MY son will be playing at the M&T Bank Stadium (where the Ravens play) this coming Saturday! Yea! It's the Maryland Youth Football Championship.

Wanna come?

You can get tickets online here and Josh would be thrilled (as would we). His game is at 6:00pm.

As far as the rest of the weekend goes, there was scrapbooking, a birthday party to attend, dinner with friends, Matt had some preaching "gigs" downtown and I had my annual Christmas recital for my students. It was a full weekend and a reminder of how rich and blessed our life is. This coming weekend promises to be pretty much equally as busy. Then, believe it or not, things slow down a smidge heading into Christmas.

OK. That's it for now. I'll hopefully get in my Thursday Thirteen this week. Thursdays are much busier than they used to be!!

I heart presents

Please feel free to leave me one!!

I'm mad at WRBS...

... because they have been playing Christmas music since BEFORE Thanksgiving and I'm getting sick of Christmas music and I don't want to be because I LIKE Christmas music. I mean, Christmas is still like several weeks away and I'm going to be listening to Zepplin by then just to get away from 50 versions of "Silent Night".

Oh, and while we're on the topic, "My Favorite Things" is NOT a Christmas song. I heard some station playing a Barbra Streisand-crooned version of it while I was in a coffee shop today. It's from the Sound of Music and has nothing at all to do with Christmas or even winter for that matter. Just because a song has the word "snowflakes" in it doesn't make it a holiday song.

Sigh.

I'm in quite a mood today. I think I need a nap.

Thursday Thirteen #9

As promised...

Thirteen things I've done during my blogging absence

1. Went to an incredible women's encounter weekend -- Wow. If there was a way to describe the encounter weekend at Word of Christ Church in Bradenton, FL, I would do it. I've been a Christian for like 30 years and this is the most genuine experience I've ever had with God. There were some other really amazing things that happened regarding a situation in our past. I may explain it later. I also got to hang out at my friend, Sudi's, spa and got to swim in the Gulf of Mexico.



2. Went to Ohio for a quartet practice weekend -- This was like three days after I got back from Florida - a little insane. It was a good weekend, though. We've picked our contest pieces...we think.

3. Watched my business take off -- I had 16 students last fall. All summer I've been really praying for things to increase and doing some advertising in a couple of places. As of right now, I have 32 students in my home studio. I also have picked up a gig in Harford county at a church that is starting a music academy. I have three students through them and that is looking to increase as well. I'm working about 23 hours a week and really LOVE it!

4. Had a game night with Jess, Ami and Kate -- Yeah, you should be kicking yourself for missing this one. It was really the social event of the fall. We had WAY too much fun and were very obnoxious. There's another one in the works for January (right, ladies?). You might want to put in on your calendar. I'm just saying....

5. Went to Six Flags -- We've lived in Baltimore for eight years now and this was the first time we've gone. Our friends and season ticket holders, the Pitts, had passes and graciously brought us with them. We went on the last day of the season and had a blast. I rode the Superman. I kind of rock.

6. Reached my first weight loss goal -- OK. I haven't talked much about dieting because, well, just because. But I've been on Weight Watchers since February - on and off really. When we travel, I pretty much eat what I want, just not too crazy. Then when I'm home, it's counting the points, baby! I hit the 30 lb. mark earlier this month and right now, I stand at about a 34 lb. loss. I feel great love the way my clothes are fitting -- or are too big for that matter!

7. Did the dreaded, annual summer/winter clothing switch -- Oh, I hate doing this every year, but it's very necessary. It's really only Micah, Jacob and myself that I have to switch out. The hard part is that they grow so dang much. They have to try on just about every piece of clothing for us to decide what fits and what doesn't. It's quite a circus, but it's done... until spring anyway.

8. Celebrated Joshua's 14th birthday -- can you believe he's 14? I sure can't. Of course he is kind of man-sized so it's probably not a stretch for most. Anyway, I'm so thankful for my sweet young man. He's such a good kid. And speaking of Josh...

9. Watched Josh's football team, the Hamilton Tigers, go undefeated and win their division -- YEA! They're actually still going. If they win the next two playoff games, the get to play at M&T Bank Stadium (where the Raven's play) on December 15th. Let us know if you'd like to go.

10. FINALLY got our kitchen ceiling fixed -- I never wrote about this either, but long story short, half of our kitchen ceiling collapsed at the
end of July. It had to do with getting a new boiler in the spring and the way it affected the radiant heat in the plaster ceiling, blah, blah, blah. Anyway, the ceiling collapsed rather loudly and it was scary and messy and just sucked in general. After much dealing with our home-owner's insurance company and contractors and plumbers and electricians it's done. And it looks good. We had always planned to put recessed lights in the ceiling so this was our golden opportunity!

11. Scrapbooked not once, but TWICE with my friends -- We're making it a monthly thing. If it weren't for that, I would never get any pages done! I call us the scrappy chicks and we take turns meeting at each other's houses one evening each month. There's food and all kinds of silliness. I know you want to come...

12. Went to my BFF's 25th birthday party -- We had dinner with a ton of people at a restaurant and hung out afterward. It was fun. Happy birthday, Jess! :-)

13. Went to Ohio...again -- this time for Thanksgiving. We had a wonderful time and got to hang out with both sides of the family. It was a rather whirlwind trip, as being in two parts of Ohio in five days usually is, but we had a really great time. The boys got to see their cousins and we got to see our parents and siblings. My husband made an AMAZING turkey along with incredible cranberries and sweet potatoes. Seriously, you should hire him to prepare your Turkey Day celebration next year! Just a tip, though. Avoid the PA turnpike on the Sunday after Thanksgiving. Yech!


Well, that's it. If you got through the whole thing, you get a cookie (one that is low in Weight Watcher points, of course). Have a fantabulous weekend and thanks for reading :-)

Pssst!

Hey, remember that girl that used to blog on this page??

(da ta da da da daaaaaaa)

It's MEEEE!

(That was a heck of a women's retreat, huh!?)

I've missed blogging and have thought about it for about the last three weeks solid. But, it's like the first blog back after an absence is so... awkward. It's like saying a big, emotional good-bye to a friend who's going overseas and then running into them at Walmart before they leave.

I'd be lying if I said it wasn't nice to be missed. To all of those who've asked about the status of my blog... Mike, Michelle, My mother-in-law, Lauren... thanks. You make me grin. See --> :-)

I was talking to my friend/piano student, Louise, the other day and she helped me realize something. There are no "rules" to having a blog. You can blog about whatever you want, whenever you want, however you want. I think with my perfectionistic, slightly OCD, anal, etc. personality, I tend to set boundaries that don't need to be there.

So I'm back. I'm going to use the Thursday Thirteen tomorrow to tell you about all of the busyness that has been happening while I've been absent from the blogosphere.

On a final note, our Jacob earned his Bobcat badge in Cub Scouts tonight. Isn't he adorable?!



See ya.... SOON!!

(Comment please)

Thursday Thirteen #8

Oh, I really don't have time to do this, but I can't resist slipping in my T13. I'm flying out first thing in the morning to Tampa Bay, Florida to drive to Sarasota to attend a women's encounter weekend. I am looking forward to God doing some really great things in my life as well as others that will be there. My husband attended one for men back in the spring and it was really incredible. I'm a little ansy because I'm not a big fan of traveling sans a companion, but I know I'll be OK.

So right before I head downstairs to finish my stuff, I give you...

Thirteen things I did today while getting ready for my trip.

1. Took a short nap - that was early today. I knew last night's sleep wouldn't cut it.

2. Took a shower and washed my hair

3. Organized a one-woman search party for 52 library books.

4. Found all but three of them.

5. Taught three piano lessons.

6. Ate at Arby's with my family.

7. Did two loads of laundry (need to do one more before I go to bed)

8. Dropped off and picked up my son from football.

9. Went to the grocery store.

10. Talked to my mom on the phone.

11. Helped with homework.

12. Returned the aforementioned library books (and checked out more. I'm so bad!)

13. Cleaned my sons' bathroom, put away laundry, returned a call to a prospective student, picked up my son's medication, laid out the boys clothes for while I'm gone...

Get the idea? Due to my being gone, I'm going to have to forgo visiting anyone else's T13 or doing Friday's Feast this wekk. C'est la vie.

Notice "pack my suitcase" wasn't anywhere in there. I'd better head downstairs. Hope you have a terrific weekend! Looking forward to giving a good report from mine.

The First Day of School

OK. So the first day of school was almost a month ago now - August 27th. I have FINALLY gotten the pictures off of my camera and onto my computer so they are ready for your viewing pleasure.

You may exhale.

Josh leaves first. He's pretty hot stuff as an 8th grader this year. We were excited for him because this is the first time in about five years that he has gone to the same school the second year in a row. Between our public to homeschool to private Christian stints over the last several grades, he's had to make adjustments pretty regularly. I must say, though, that he's done extremely well. His average grades from last year were all A's and B's and he made lots of friends. He's gotten involved in the school's Bible club, is playing percussion in the band and is looking forward to trying out for the school play this year.

As you can see, Josh has grown a bit from last year. Since school has started, Josh has come to realize that he's not only the tallest kid in the 8th grade, but is taller than all but three of the teachers and administration as well!

Micah is in third grade this year. He thrilled to have some of his friends from last year's class in his class this year. I met with his teacher the week before school started just to let her know a little about what our family has experienced in the last few years and to touch base with her about his inattentive ADHD. She is an experienced teacher which set my mind at ease a bit. So far, he is doing great and really loving school.

Jacob was pretty sure at first that kindergarten was more fun than first grade. I think he's been won over, though, as he is learning a lot and really having a good time. He also has a lot of friends from last year in his class, which is nice. Jacob lost his first tooth a few days before school started, and his second last weekend. He's so cute, I could bite him!

The night before school started, we went to Friendly's to celebrate. We opted for the obnoxious 12 scoop, 6 topping sundae to share! It was so much fun and quite delicious.

Amazing Race won another Emmy!

Yea! One of my very favorite shows!

Flubber

I had some plans last night, but, unfortunately, they fell through. We all ended up at home with a blissfully open evening. After dinner, I decided that we should all watch one of the DVD's that I had gotten in the mail from blockbuster.com.

We watched the 1961 black and white version of the Absent-Minded Professor. When we sat down to start it, I realized that Micah and Jacob had never seen a black and white movie before. I had my doubts about how much they would really be into it because it's quite "dated", but they really enjoyed it -- Micah especially. Jacob did say halfway through that he enjoyed movies in color better, but overall, it was really fun for them -- us as well.

I dare you to give it a shot. Find an old black and white Disney flick and see what your family thinks!

Friday's Feast #6

Appetizer
When was the last time you visited a hospital?

The last time I visited was when my friend, Kate, had her baby, Jonas. That was in March. The last time I was IN the hospital was last June when I had my whole, stupid kidney stone episode!

Soup
On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how ambitious are you?

Well, I guess it would depend on the situation. When it comes to a craft project, I can be pretty driven. If it's something I don't want to do, I have to really push myself! In the traditional meaning of the word "ambitious", I guess I'll go with a 6.

Salad
Make a sentence using the letters of a body part. (Example: (mouth) My other ukelele tings healthily.)

Everybody loves blessing our world!

Main Course
If you were to start a club, what would the subject matter be, and what would you name it?

I've tried to do this several times and it hasn't really taken off. I would love to have a weekly or biweekly time and place for women to gather and work on their individual craft projects while we hang out. I'm trying to think of a clever name, but I've got nothing!

I've also always thought it would fun to be in a book club.

Dessert
What color is the carpet/flooring in your home?

We are very blessed to have hardwood floors. They are in really good shape because they were covered with carpet for years. In the basement, we have dark blue carpet.

Join in the fun at Friday's Feast

On my honor...

The dynamics of siblings is an interesting thing.

Jacob is our youngest son. He's six.

When Joshua and Caleb were younger, I couldn't wait until they were old enough to start doing sports, school, story hour at the library... you name it. I'm finding with the younger "set" (AKA Micah and Jacob) that finding the activities that suit their tastes is a little more of a challenge. I don't know if we're just tired or what.

The other day, someone came to the boys' school to talk to all of the boys about scouting. Something clicked in Jacob. Now, mind you, my three other boys have all heard the same spiel and... nothing. We've never heard another word about Boy Scouts until now. Jacob would NOT stop talking about scouts. His words were, "It is WAY fun. You go camping and fishing and all kinds of stuff."

So after my lessons on Wednesday, Matt, Jacob and I headed off to the scouts open house at a local elementary school. After talking with some very nice parents, we got our little man all set up to join Pack 124 and become a Tiger Cub.

I'm looking forward to seeing how much Matt and Jacob enjoy their scouting times every Wednesday evening. I'm sure he'll be a great (not to mention adorable) little Tiger Cub!

Thursday Thirteen #7

I can't believe it's Thursday again already! I'm pretty wiped so I'll keep it relatively simple.

Thirteen of my favorite songs on my iPod
(in no particular order)

1. Put Your Records on - Corinne Bailey Rae

2. Still I Will Worship You - Willow Creek

3. Walk Away - Kelly Clarkson

4. All of Me - Selah

5. Dance Floor - Alton Lee and Dee

6. Where in the World is Carmen Sandiago? - Rockapella

7. Climbing Uphill (from The Last Five Years) - Sherie Rene Scott

8. My Tribute - Allan Lust (my dad)

9. How Deep is the Ocean - Kindred Sound (our quartet)

10. A Song for You - Elliott Yamin

11. Somewhere Over the Rainbow - Eva Cassidy

12. Comfortable - Fleming and John

13. I Wanna Know Your Ways - Fred Hammond and Radical for Christ


Oh there are SO many more. I have over 2,000 songs on my iPod. I'll have to do this again.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Friday's Feast #5

I just got home from a Tastefully Simple party at my friend, Paula's, house. Though I ate almost all of the Go Go Asiago dip all by myself, I still have a little room left for...



Appetizer
Using only one word, how does grocery shopping make you feel?

Ummmm... Inspired

Soup
What is your favorite part about the season of Autumn?

Leaves, leaves, leaves... I LOVE the leaves changing colors. Our yard and street are so beautiful.

Salad
Have you ever had any bad experiences online?

Not really. I've had some frustrating bidding wars on eBay, but that's about it.

Main Course
Name three things that make you happy daily.

1. My husband - I enjoy him so much - his sense of humor, his smile, the way he works so hard. You name it, I like it about him!

2. My kids - if you don't know them, you're really missing out. They're the coolest!

3. Playing the piano - playing really relaxes me. I'm so thankful I get to make a living doing something that also brings me joy.

Dessert
What one household cleansing or organizing item would you not want to be without?

I'm a big fan of LOC cleaner. I like the way it cleans and smells

Join the fun at Friday's Feast.

Thursday Thirteen #6

*sigh*

I SO wish I had time to blog this week. Life is a bit upside down right now. They're working on our kitchen ceiling so the kitchen is a bit out of commission, my piano lesson schedule started full force this week, etc. etc. I've been a little touchy mentally and emotionally, too. Not sure why. Nevertheless, it's Thursday (thank goodness for Thursday or Friday or else I'd NEVER blog!).

Thirteen reasons I really like Thursdays

1. It's almost Friday - need I say more?

2. I have MOPS (first and third Thursdays of the month) - I have been involved in Mothers of Preschoolers for years -- probably since Josh was about two or so. For a long time, MOPS was my social life and friends base! To this day, women I've met here are among those that I consider some of my dearest friends. Anyway, this is a monumental year for me as far as MOPS is concerned. I am officially no longer eligible to go to MOPS (according to MOPS Intl. my kids are too old - youngest is in first grade). This year, though, I am honored that the St. John's MOPS group has asked me to still be involved as a Mentor Mom. How cool is that?

3. I finish up my teaching week - the last of my 27 students comes on Thursday afternoon. As much as I love to teach, it's nice to be done for the week.

4. It's Matt's day to get up early with Josh - I get a break on Tuesdays, too :-)

5. I get my AC Moore weekly specials email - hey, I'm easy!

6. Did I mention it's almost Friday?

7. The Office is on - ah, yes. And in just a few short weeks, they will all be brand new!

8. ER is on, too - yeah. I'm sticking with it until it's over.

9. It's trash night - now, if I took out the trash, this would probably not be on the list. But, alas, this is why God made 13-year-old boys! There is something quite refreshing about getting all of that stinky, nasty trash out of the house and onto the curb.

10. It's NOT Tuesday - Tuesdays are very busy and much too far from Friday. So there.

11. I was born on a Thursday - so no Thursday? No Katy! (OK. I used the internet to confirm this fact, but I was pretty sure!)

12. My mom is off work on Thursday - this means I can call her at my leisure. How lovely!

13. One day closer to the weekend, baby!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Friday's Feast #4

I've been so caught up in trying to get my office/craft room painted that I almost forgot about...



Appetizer
Who is the easiest person for you to talk to?

Definitely my husband. I also have stimulating conversation with my sister, my mom and my BFF Jess...

Soup
If you could live in any ancient city during the height of the quality of its society and culture, which one would you choose?

Can I go back to bible times? THAT would be cool, though I would try to avoid being stoned to death.

Salad
What is the most exciting event you’ve ever witnessed?

Ummm... Probably the four births of my boys. I've never gotten to be there for anyone else's delivery.

Main Course
If you were a celebrity, what would you do for a publicity stunt?

Driving with a baby on your lap is so last year! I think I would parachute naked into a big pool of pudding (can you tell I'm tired?)

Dessert
What do you consider the ideal age to have a first child?

Well, I was pretty young - only 21 - with Josh, but it's nice now because we will still be young when our kids are grown and out of the house. I guess it worked for me. I'll tell you one thing, though. The first pregnancy at 21 was much less tiring than the last one at 29!

Join the fun at Friday's Feast.

Thursday Thirteen #5

Thirteen Places in which I've lived...

1. Section-Line Rd. - Caledonia, Ohio - This is the house I lived in until I was five. My grandpa had a stroke, my grandma moved into an apartment and we into her house.

2. An ambiguous trailer park - Colstrip, Montana - I like to throw this one in just to be obscure. I was very small and we only lived there for like two months. I vaguely remember the plane ride, but little else.

3. Barkswood Rd. - Marion, Ohio - This is the house of which I spoke in #1. Ah, good old Barkswood Rd. I lived in this house until I left for college at 18. Lots of good memories there. My parents sold it and moved about 10 years ago.

4. Fir Hill - Akron, Ohio - the apartment my sister and I shared in college. We lived there for two years. My favorite memory was the bible study my now-husband and some of our friends and I started. We crammed about 50 or so people into that little one-bedroom apartment!

5. Ellsworth Dr. - Stow, Ohio - Matt lived here and took care of his elderly grandmother before we got married. She passed a few months before our wedding. This was our first home and we lived her for about a year before moving to...

6. Wyandotte Dr. - Huntsville, Alabama - What a cute little house this was; a tiny three bedroom ranch that we rented from a couple in the church where Matt worked. This is the house we lived in when Joshua was born.

7. Wells Rd. - Meridianville, Alabama - again, a brief stint. We actually lived in our pastor's basement for a short period of time. It was actually a good experience because both families had enjoyed each other. Their son, Jonathan, was only five weeks younger than Josh.

8. Thurman Rd. - Huntsville, Alabama - our first apartment. We refer to this one fondly. It was 1100 square feet for only $340 a month! We brought Caleb home from the hospital to this home.

9. Valerie Ln. - Hudson, Ohio - another transition. We had moved back to Ohio and, in the process of looking for a place to live, stayed with Matt's parents for a few months.

10. Harper Rd. - Streetsboro, Ohio - we were actually just talking about his house this other day. It was so tiny and crappy! The yard was incredible but the house left a bit to be desired.

11. Mordred Ln. - Streetsboro, Ohio - we lived in our trailer for about 4 years. It was actually really nice and fit our little family well. I started my piano lesson business out of this home and Josh started school when we lived here. Micah was born, but only three months before we moved to...

12. Deanwood Rd. - Parkville, Maryland - this townhome was the first house we actually owned. We lived there for almost seven years. Thinking of this house is very bittersweet. I home-schooled there for three years, brought Jacob home from the hospital and added Tucker to our family, too. Sadly, it was also where I received the news that my Caleb was gone. Leaving it was hard, but healing at the same time.

13. Here - Parkville, MD - TA DA! Here we are. We moved into this house a little over a year ago. Though it hasn't been without its challenges, I love it here. We've been blessed with a huge yard and room for everything we need to do.


Isn't it cool that I've lived in exactly 13 houses?

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

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Friday's Feast #3

Appetizer
Say there’s a book written about your life. Who would you want to narrate the audio version?
Ooooo. I'll go with James Spader on this one. I love his voice!

Soup
Take the letters from your favorite kind of nut and write a sentence. (Example: Perhaps every avenue needs understanding today.) Can animals see him eating watermelon?

Salad
If you could go back in time and spend one week in another decade, which decade would you choose? The '80's baby! After all, girls just want to have fun.

Main Course
Name a song that brings back memories for you.
There are so many. I'll go with.... uh, I'll come back to this one.

Dessert
Do you prefer to wash your hands in cold water or warm water?
Warm, almost HOT water. My kids use cold and it makes me batty. I'm certain they're not killing any germs!

Join in the fun at Friday's Feast.

Thursday Thirteen #4

OK. Lots to blog about, stressful week, no time, yada yada yada... I decided to keep my T13 on the lighter side this week.

Thirteen Reality Shows I Enjoy

1. The Amazing Race - this one is hands down my favorite. I would love to be on it someday, though I won't bungee jump or sky dive which may prove to be a problem.

2. So You Think You Can Dance - my summer favorite! Sabra won this year and I'm so thrilled. How cute was she?

3. American Idol - Oh yeah. Talk about the stereotype of reality shows. I have a tendency to favor the third place contestant; Elliot, Melinda. I'd audition, but alas, I'm too old!

4. Project Runway - I admire these folks and their abilities with fabric, feathers, seashells, you name it. I am tempted to say "Bless you," every time Heidi says ""Auf Wiedersehen" to the eliminated contestant. Bravo has other great shows like...

5. Top Design - "See you later, Decorator". Oh, and one more...

6. Shear Genius

7. Fat March - a new one for me. It is interesting to see how well these folks are doing from just walking and eating right.

8. America's Top Model - OK. Tyra is annoying. I don't set the DVR for this one, but if it's on, I'll watch.

9. Celebrity Fit Club - mixing one mentally unstable former-star into every cast is a winning formula.

10. Supernanny - makes me feel a little better about my own kids?

11. Wife Swap - ah. A show based on extremes. Josh always asks me if i would want to be on Wife Swap. I just smile and shake my head.

12. The Pick-up Artist - thanks, Jess, for getting me addicted to this one. It's like a train wreck; I'd love to look away but I just can't.

13. Scott Baio is 45 and Single - I'm totally kidding! This show looks completely stupid. I just couldn't come up with a 13th show!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Friday's Feast #2

Appetizer
Describe your laundry routine. Do you have a certain day when you do it all, or do you just wash whatever you need for the next day?
Well, the way I lined the chores up for the boys is that they empty their hampers and the laundry chute on Saturdays and Wednesdays and I do laundry on Mondays and Thursdays. I ususally do about three loads each of those days. During football seaon, that increases a little!

Soup
In your opinion, what age will you be when you’ll consider yourself to truly be old?
Wow. I really hope to be like my Grandma and never consider myself truly old. She traveled, volunteered in nursing homes and took line dancing into her 80's!

Salad
What is one of your goals? Is it short-term, long-term, or both?
I'm pretty focused on goals with my business right now (private music lessons from my home). I am starting the season with about 26-27ish studetns and would love to have 35 or so by the holidays. It would really help us meet our family budget -- plus I get to work with more wonderful, fun people!

Main Course
Name something unbelievable you’ve seen or read lately.
I guess I'm always unpleasantly surprised by the violent acts I hear of on the news. Unfortuately, Baltimore has the second highest per capita murder rate in the US and we're praying God uses us to do something.

Dessert
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how happy are you today?
I'll give it a 8.5. I've got a lot of tasks on my mind and it's a little uncomfortably sticky, but overall, I'm a blessed girl!

Join the fun at Friday's Feast...

Thursday Thirteen #3

It's been a long day, but I can't retire until I share...

Thirteen things that make my kids really cool

I have four great kids -- three on earth and one in heaven. My angel will be ten always and my three down here are 13, eight and six. I love my little men with all my heart and the following are some things that make them extra cool.

1. They're funny. It's fun to watch their sense of humor develop. Joshua is getting rather witty in his old age and Micah comes up with the most random stuff. Jacob just knows everything.

2. They're cute. Matt and I constantly look at each other and shrug, wondering how we produced such adorable children.

3. They're smart. Josh managed an average of all A's and B's in his first year back in public school in four years. Micah's reading improved greatly this year and Jacob got smileys all the way across!

4. They're polite. Yes, we have to coax occasionally, but the manners are there!

5. They are troopers. We drag them all over the east coast doing ministry for five weeks every summer. They sleep on air mattresses and sit through services and eat all kinds of different food. Overall, they don't complain and keep a good attitude (better than me sometimes!)

6. They love music. Obviously, this is a family thing!

7. They're silly. Tickle fights, ear eating, pretending we're puppies... you name it, we can be a pretty silly bunch!

8. They're loving. I get three wonderful good night kisses, three hugs and three "I love you, Mommy"'s every single night. Aren't I a lucky girl?

9. They're creative. Joshua and Micah are really into drawing and they're both good at it. Jacob likes to make things out of other things i.e. cardboard, toilet paper tubes, pipe cleaners, etc.

10. They love Jesus. Joshua's relationship with the Lord has really grown over the last couple of years. They all ask so many great questions and we have some conversations that really make ME think!

11. They help out around the house. Josh is especially good at keeping up with his chores. They all help out though, from sweeping to laundry to taking care of the dog.

12. They like and appreciate the humor of the Muppets. It's important. The Muppets are an acquired taste and my kids get them. Yessssss. Micah walks around the house saying, "Good grief, the comedian's a bear!"

13. I love them. I just do. For every reason and no reason at all.

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Thrilling

Sarah Jessica Parker is my new hero.


It all started the other night when I was up later than I should have been (as usual) and Amanda Bynes was on Conan. I like Amanda. Joshua and Caleb were just the right age for the Amanda Show on Nickelodeon and the movie Big Fat Liar is a family favorite.

Anyway, Amanda was talking about her new clothing line called "Dear" that will be carried at a store called Steve and Barry's - never heard of it. She was saying that her line was geared at young women -- college student types -- and nothing in the line cost more than $19.95.... well, THAT caught my attention. She went on to say that she was inspired by Sarah Jessica Parker's line "Bitten" that was sold at the same store and aimed at the 30 and over crowd.

That would be me.

I went online and Googled it. Sure enough, SJP's line not only has adorable clothes, but they're ALL $19.95 OR LESS TOO! AHHHHH! I also found out that there is a Steve and Barry's very close to me at Eastpoint Mall -- not a mall I frequent, but close by.

So tonight, I picked up my BFF Jess, we dropped Josh off at football and drove to Eastpoint Mall. I knew ahead of time that I wasn't going to buy anything because money's a little... tight. It's OK, though. Jess needed some things for work and I was more than willing to help her find some stuff. And if I happen to try on a few things in the meantime, so be it.

Well, we were not disappointed in Miss Parker's (OK Mrs. Broderick) clothing. It was so cute, sporty and comfortable and, as promised, everything was extremely affordable. Jess was able to get what she needed for the cost of what she would have paid for one item somewhere else.

Now, because God likes me so much, He gave me a little bonus. As we were on our way back to the fitting rooms, we went by the shoes. Now get this - they have athletic shoes for $14.95!! I'm serious. They are a line by NBA star Stephon Marbury called "Starbury". My big-footed son needs shoes for school and get this -- they had up to size 15 (accomodating his size 14 foot nicely now and for a few minutes after that). Automatically, I thought that Josh probably wouldn't like them and that they wouldn't be acceptable socially in the world of Pine Grove Middle School. SURPRISE! When I mentioned them to him, he had already heard of them, seen them and (bonus) thought they were cool.

Ahhhhh. Life is good. I feel like it's a dream from which I don't want to wake up!

Nothing like saving money (or future money) to make a girl happy!

Friday's Feast #1

I was going to revert back to "Happiness is..." Fridays in August (I may move it to another day), but I just saw this meme on mama pajama's blog and I really liked it. So, for now, I give you my first installment of...



Appetizer
What is your favorite kind of pie?
Oooo. Peach. And I don't find it very often.

Soup
Name something that made you smile this week.
Seeing some of my piano and flute students again

Salad
What do you do to cool off when the weather is hot and humid?
We either visit a friend who has a pool, or visit the aforementioned $3 movie theater!

Main Course
You receive $1,000 in the mail with a letter that says you can only use the money to redecorate one room in your home. Which room do you pick, and what do you buy to spruce it up?
I would probably spend it on my craft room that is still under construction. I would get my big work counter, but lots of storage stuff and get a big TV/DVD player!

Dessert
Fill in the blank: My _________ says __________, but I __________.
My scale says keep going with your diet, but I ate the ice cream last night anyway!

To join in the fun, go to: Friday's Feast.

Thursday Thirteen #2

I know we're still fairly early into August, but my mind is already on school starting and all of the things in store for autumn. With the heat surge lately, it would be easy to be in a complaining mode so I thought I'd list...

Thirteen Things I Like about Summer

1. No socks. If I've never mentioned it before, sock are my nemesis. Seriously, if I were a super hero, Dr. Sock would be my sworn enemy. Especially with kids, socks are the worst. if you do take the time to pair them up from a load of laundry, inevitably there are always about three that don't have mates. They end up in the "sock basket" (I hope I'm not the only person who has one of those!) and stay there until someone becomes desperate. In the summer, it's sandals, baby, or better yet, no shoes at all!

2. Popsicles. You don't have to be six years old to know that popsicles totally rock. Especially the orange ones!

3. Sleeping in. Boy, this one is going to be hard to give up once school resumes. It's so nice to be able to just chill in bed, snuggle with the boys, or better yet, go back to sleep. This one segues nicely to...

4. Staying in your pajamas most or even all of the day. Now, before you decide we're just all a bunch of bums, just let me tell you that this one applies to the boys more than Matt and myself. But if you're not going anywhere that particular day, why the heck not! It's always comical when I tell the boys, "OK, time to get your pajamas... oh. Never mind."

5. Free movies at the $3 theater. We haven't been home enough to take advantage of this one as much as we have in years past, but we're hoping to catch a couple before the end of the month. Every Tuesday and Thursday morning, they show a free kid-friendly movie. It's usually one we've already seen, but it's fun all the same and a nice relief from the heat to sit in an air conditioned theater for 90 minutes.

6. My clothesline. There's something about using the clothesline that I really love. As soon as the weather starts to get nice, anything that's not socks, jeans, panties, briefs or towels hangs out in our backyard to be dried by God. The stuff smells so good and I'm saving energy to boot.

7. Open windows. The one perk about not having central air is that we get plenty of fresh air from having the windows open. The birds chirping through in the morning is a nice thing to hear when you wake up. Late spring/early summer this year we were blessed with some really perfect, beautiful days.

8. So You Think You Can Dance. OK. Stop snickering. I really LOVE this show. Last year, I was a die-hard Benji fan. This year my money is on either his sister, Lacey, or Sabra. We'll find out next week...

9. Dinner outside. Our grill gets a workout most of the year, but especially during the summer. We have our patio all set up with tables, a canopy and our nifty mosquito candle torchy thingies. There's nothing like eating steak and potatoes out there, cooked masterfully by my husband.

10. Rita's. I'm not sure how far the Rita's empire spans, but you really need to get your self there. They have frozen custard, Italian ice and, when they are put together, wonderful things called gelatis. Fortunately, the closest Rita's is just down the street and we frequent it whenever possible.

11. Sweet corn on the cob. How did I move into a food theme here? But, seriously... corn on the cob... need I say more?

12. Long days. I can remember when I was a kid my sister and I used to throw the softball back and forth until we couldn't see it anymore. We'd head inside, always surprised to find how late it was. I haven't touched a softball in years, but I still enjoy waking up to sunlight and enjoying it well into the evening.

13. Flip flops. How do they engineer a piece of foam and some plastic to be so comfortable? I have a pair of pink ones that I bought at Wal-mart over two years ago and they are my comfort footwear of choice to walk around New York City (Matt is actually insisting that I retire said pair because they are getting, in his words "nasty." OK. They are a little bit. I bought a new bright green pair this year). Seriously, flip flops are a fantastic invention. My mom still calls them "thongs", which makes my sister and I laugh very hard, of course.

Hope your summer has been happy!

Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants

Start spreading the news...

I left our Chain Reaction adventure off somewhere in Massachusetts a few weeks ago. I figure I should add another installment and fill in the blanks.

We drove to NYC (under my superior navigational skills) from Mass on Saturday the 14th. We've been staying at Abounding Grace church on each trip to New York that we've made there for the last five or so years. Being there is honestly like being with family. We have a deep love and respect for Pastors Ricky and Arlene DelRio. Their son, Jeremy, is not only my husband's ministry partner, but one of his closest friends as well.

Abounding Grace has done an outreach called "Jesus Loves You New York" for many years. This year, instead of bringing a Chain Reaction to NYC, we decided to add the efforts of our team to the JLYNY outreaches. They consist of basically throwing a block party at a different park every day. It was a great deal of hard work, but we really enjoyed it. I was so proud of Matt and our interns and the way they put in many long hours and did a lot of challenging tasks.

Fortunately, doing outreach in NY every year always allows us a free day. In years past, we've done the Staten Island Ferry, Central Park, Statue of Liberty, and the Empire State Building. This particular free day was on what started out to be a very rainy Wednesday. Luckily, the rain went away and we hopped on the subway (which included our first experience with changing trains. We did well, though we almost accidentally ended up in Queens!) and went to the Museum of Natural History. Yes, this is the museum from the movie "Night at the Museum", though we found very few similarities in the appearance. We had a great time and saw about 2/3 of the huge museum before it closed.

We then met up with intern (and nephew!) Zak and his girlfriend, Whitney, who had flown in for a few days, and intern Jesse and his wife, Rachelle (also joining for a visit) for dinner in Times Square. We ate at a great Italian restaurant by the Ed Sullivan Theater where the Late Show with David Letterman is taped.

We jumped back in the next day with more outreach events. We continued through Saturday, which happened to be Micah's 8th birthday! I've always felt a little bad for Micah because his birthday always falls during Chain Reaction, but I realized to turn eight at a park in New York City with a moon bounce, cotton candy, a live band, etc. is not so bad!

A real highlight of Saturday's event was something that happened at the school by the park in which the party was held. Some of the young adults from the church teach at this elementary/middle school and have been able to build good relationships here. That coupled with the fact that Generation Xcel, the ministry's after school program, is located in the housing projects just across the street set the situation up for God to open some cool doors. There are several well-known artists and graffiti artists that are a part of Abounding Grace. They were able to paint some incredible murals on the columns in the school's playground. The messages weren't overtly Christian, but positive all the same.

We hung out for church Sunday and a few extra days to help with some of the post-outreach clean up that needed to be done. On Tuesday, Jeremy took us to the oldest pizza place in the country. It was a yummy way to end our New York adventure this year.

I am trying flickr.com to show you my New York pics. Jeremy uses it a lot on his blog and I thought I'd give it a shot. I like it because you can scroll through and look at individual pictures instead of having to wait through a slide show. Let me know if you like it.



Peace out -- for now anyway...

Shorts

I don't like to wear shorts. There's something about parading my 35-year-old alabaster legs around that is very unappealing to me. I would much prefer capris or even a skirt.

However, the last week or so has been so hot, that I feel I have had no recourse. I only have one pair of shorts that I really like -- a Old Navy jean pair that I got at Plato's Closet a few years ago. So I've been practically living in those for the last several days.

Truth be told, not having central air here at the house is not THAT bad. There are a few weeks out of the year that are pretty nasty, but I think we'll survive. Matt and I both grew up in houses that didn't have A/C and we made it. We have a window unit in the used-to-be-garage/ Matt's office/ our bedroom so we hole up there when we start to melt. As a matter of fact, I'm there right now :-)

So to everyone in Parkville, I apologize for that streak of glowing white you may see passing by. The weather will cool down soon and you life will return to normal.

Two years...

“You can shed tears because he is gone,

or you can smile because he has lived.
You can close your eyes and pray that he'll come back,
or you can open your eyes and see all he's left.
Your heart can be empty because you can't see him,
or you can be full of the love you shared.
You can turn your back on tomorrow and live yesterday,
or you can be happy for tomorrow because of yesterday.
You can remember him only that he is gone,
or you can cherish his memory and let it live on.
You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back.
Or you can do what he'd want: smile, open your eyes, love and go on.”

My sweet, little friend, Emily Kopp, had that on her myspace with Cub's picture. I'm not sure where it came from; if it's a lyric to a song or a poem. I just know I liked it.

Yes, today marks two years since the car accident that ended our son, Caleb's, life at the age of ten. It's still a painful fuzz even after so much time and so many events. I have a lot on my heart today so, if you wish to ride along today, hang on.



Is Caleb still ten years old in heaven or has he celebrated the last two birthdays and turned twelve? Does he still like to skateboard, play soccer and draw pictures like he did here? Does he get to hang out with all of our relatives that have already passed on? Did God tell him how many freckles he has on his face? I tried to count them once. Did his teeth ever come in? Were they as crooked as they looked like they were going to be? I know. His earthly body is still here (we were explaining that again today to Jacob at the cemetery). It's just helps to speculate, I suppose.

To those of you that remembered that today was what it is, thank you. It blesses me so much when people remember. It keeps him "alive" in a weird sort of way? Sometimes, I worry that other people forget he was here altogether (though I know they don't) and when other people mention him, it makes me happy that he's still in their mind and heart.

Last night, I sat and listened to a song that I normally avoid. As I did, I pictured him in each stage of his life. It's SO hard to remember sometimes (with any of my children, really). My favorite part, which is the hardest to hear, is the end. I love the way it's worded.

"Weak and wounded sinner,
Lost and left to die,
O, raise your head for Love is passing by

Come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus,
Come to Jesus and live

Now your burden's lifted,
And carried far away,
And precious blood has washed away the stain... so

Sing to Jesus ,
Sing to Jesus ,
Sing to Jesus and live

And like a newborn baby,
Don't be afraid to crawl,
And remember when you walk sometimes we fall... so

Fall on Jesus,
Fall on Jesus,
Fall on Jesus and live

Sometimes the way is lonely,
And steep and filled with pain,
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain... then

Cry to Jesus,
Cry to Jesus,
Cry to Jesus and live

O, and when the love splills over,
And music fills the night,
And when you can't contain you joy inside... then

Dance for Jesus,
Dance for Jesus,
Dance for Jesus and live

And with your final heartbeat,
Kiss the world goodbye,
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side... and

Fly to Jesus,
Fly to Jesus,
Fly to Jesus and live"

When Caleb passed away, someone gave us a copy of L.B. Cowman's daily devotional, "Streams in the Desert". Matt and I have read it together on several occasions. It's almost scary how this book coincides with our lives. Date for date, the words are always timely.

We keep it in the car which might seem strange, but for us it works. The boys and I were waiting in the car to leave for church this morning and I happened to pick it up, realizing that I had never looked at the August 5th reading. I turned to the page. The following is what I found there:

God was "pleased" (I Cor. 1:21) to take my youngest child from this world, under circumstances that caused me severe trials and pain (note - I don't remember reading before that she had lost a child). And as I returned home from the church cemetery, having just laid my little one's body in the grave, I felt a compulsion to preach to my people on the meaning of trials.

I found that the verse "My grace is sufficient for you" was the text of next week's Sunday School lesson, so I chose it as my Master's message to the congregation, as well as His message to me. Yet while trying to write the sermon, I found that in all honesty, I could not say that the words were true in my life. Therefore, I knelt down and asked the Lord to make His grace sufficient for me. While I was pleading in this way, I opened my eyes and saw this exact verse framed and hanging on the wall. My mother had given it to me a few days before, when I was still at the vacation resort where our little child had been taken from us. I had asked someone to hang it on the wall at home during my absence but had not yet noticed its words. Now as I looked up and wiped my eyes, the words met my gaze: "My grace is sufficient for you."

The word is was highlighted in bright green, while the words my and you were painted yet another color. In a moment, a message flashed straight to my soul, coming as a rebuke for having prayed such a prayer as, "Lord, make Your grace sufficient for me." His answer was almost an audible voice that said, "How dare you ask for something that is? I can not make my grace any more sufficient than I have already made it. Get up and believe it, and you will find it to be true in your life."

Life is hard. The bible says it will be. But we serve a God who has sufficient grace. Do I always feel so much at peace with this fact? No. I still have nights that I scream out in my head to God about my loss. Whether I chose to live in His grace or not, it's still there be offered.

I love and miss my son and can't wait until I get to hold him again. Until then, I want to seek God out for my purpose on this grain of sand and will really try to live in that state of offered grace.

Blessings and love.

My first Thursday Thirteen!

Well, as promised (it is August, you know), it's time for me to finally start doing the Thursday Thirteen as inspired by my friend, Ami.



Thirteen Things about Katy 1. I am not an animal lover in particular. I always felt like I SHOULD be because my sister is, but I tend to only love an animal if it's mine. 2. I am a "people person". Though I like time alone now and then, I really prefer to be around others and tend to function better that way. 3. I would really like to be on a game show before I die. 4. I am VERY good at French braiding hair, though I have no girls. Weird. I know. A friend's mom taught me at the campground we frequented when I was in middle school and it worked for me. I make them nice and tight and they stay in for awhile. 5. I stink at most sports. The only one I'm even remotely good at is foosball (table soccer) which may not even be a real sport. 6. I have no wisdom teeth. I was born without them, as was my sister. Jealous? 7. I am so freaked out by bats that I can't even walk by their display at the zoo. I've gotten a little better, but I'm still not a fan. 8. This may be over-sharing, but I have a tendency to pee my pants as a result of laughing too hard. It's happened on several occasions. I don't want to miss out on what's going on enough to go use the bathroom. That's just sad. 9. I am a board game freak! I've had to put myself on restriction from buying any more. I wish I had more time and people around more often who liked to play. Cranium anyone? 10. Creating things is very life-giving for me. I love a lot of crafts especially crochet, sewing and scrap booking. 11. I am not fond of my middle name (sorry Mom). It's Kay and kind of boring. Plus, it only sounds right if you use my full name, Kathryn, which no one does. I have kind of an obsession with names, especially long interesting ones. Truthfully, I've always wanted to change it to Elizabeth. 12. I've realized that I'm a bit of a picky eater, though I used to not consider myself that. There are a lot of foods that normal people eat that I simply don't care for. Some include iced tea, watermelon, pickles, mustard, green peppers and cottage cheese. 13. I like to sing and play the piano. You might have already known this! If you're a blogging friend, please join me with your own Thursday Thirteens!! Links to other Thursday Thirteens! 1. (leave your link in comments, I’ll add you here!)


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!


The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. It’s easy, and fun! Be sure to update your Thirteen with links that are left for you, as well! I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!

View More Thursday Thirteen Participants