FancyLittleThings

I can't seem to pull it together here, friends...and for that I apologize...but it has been a full couple of weeks over at FLT...and I'm posting there again today. I would love for you to go check out my friends' words again...(and if you need further proof that I can't actually write anywhere, hehe, feel free to read my admission of that in my post this week). Check us out here.

Happy Thursday-before-Thanksgiving! I hope you are finding so many reasons to be thankful this month...I am. Indeed.

Birthday Challenge: Complete

Do you have any idea how many servings of pretzel M&M's one consumes when she eats 38 of them??

That would be 2.5 servings, folks. A whopping 425 calories. That's right. Four HUNDRED twenty-five calories.

How about 3.8 nestles tollhouse cookies?? Roughly 380.

To say that I'm not counting my calories today would be...reasonable, I hope. In fairness, on this fine Wednesday, I did happen to burn something ridiculous like 2679 calories (thank you bodybugg). I will pretend that all of the calories I consumed in vastly inappropriate ways don't really matter on my birthday. ;)

Today has been the very best birthday of my entire life. In previous years, I have gone to bed so disappointed...because I depended upon everyone around me to make the day incredible for me. When this just didn't really cross their minds, I felt neglected. I go out of my way on my kids' birthdays to make them incredible. My goal? Spoil that child complete rotten. When no one thought to do that for me...it was kind of a crushing blow. I am at a very different place this year. I decided that I would make today awesome. And that's exactly what it was.

Awesome. Awesomest, even. Oh my gosh, we had so much fun. *I* had so much fun. :)

I had a couple of fails along the way with my crazy list of birthday challenge goals. For example...I didn't go to bed until a bit after my scheduled 12:32 this morning...Philip called after getting off work late, and since I was still awake, I gladly talked to him until my eyes just couldn't stay open any longer. That happened long about...oh...12:50. Then...my alarm didn't go off at 4:20 as I had planned. I awoke with a start at 5:31. So...I adjusted a bit. Counted the extra sleep (minus the time I didn't sleep before 12:50) as my first nap of the day.  And there, my third fail comes in...I only got 2 naps, counting that first one. BUT...I spent it snuggled into Philip while my kids read and played. :) WIN. For the record, I suck at napping, especially when I fill the days as full as I filled today. Also on the fail side...collecting 38 colored leaves while on a walk...it poured rain for a large part of the day. I substituted--38 different foods from the chinese buffet at lunch!! And I realized I don't have a mini-leaf cutter for my gumpaste leaves...so 38 leaves did not get cut...but 7 adorable orange pumpkins did. We adapt!! The only tasks not completed prior to midnight on 10/13: blogging for 38 minutes (here I am!!) and the 8 oz. of merlot (currently beside the computer...I'm sipping. slowly.). It. Will. All. Get. Done.

I think I overbooked myself just a tiny little bit.

As for the rest of the list...it got done. With a few variations. I realized after the kids went to bed that I had not intentionally said 38 encouraging things to my children throughout the day...so I made a list. I was amazed at how quickly I could come up with 38 things I adore about my children. I shouldn't have been amazed, really. Because I ran so much throughout the day (cramming in lunch at En En Chinese buffet, two hours out in the middle of the day for Reasa's horse lesson, dinner with my parents' at Bob Evans, taking the girls to youth group, a stop at Rite Aid (to get pretzel m&m's), and then the Salvation Army, then an hour and a little more at my parents' before picking up the girls...), I really didn't have the opportunity to eat as I would normally eat...so I really had to cram things in at the end of the day. I was still so full from lunch at dinner time that the thought of m&m's, shakeology, and the water I still needed to drink overwhelmed me just a bit. I still got all 3.8 teaspoons of peanut butter in my shakeology...but it probably amounted to about 1/4 of a serving of shakeology when all was said and done...it was totally awesomely yummy. I am stuffed. I had such a blast crossing each item off this list...and the things on the list...I mean, what a great way to spend a day!! I absolutely feel like I got hit by a truck...but...I had so much fun. We laughed so hard. We did hilarious things. We painted and giggled and mocked the horrible music that hit #1 on the charts every week of my birthday since 1973 (oh my gosh, the 70's sucked!!). The kids encouraged me throughout the day, and demanded kisses to fill my quota. My favorite moment?? When my alarm went off at 8:38, and the kids ran to me and EACH kissed me 38 times. I loved that. My next favorite moment happened when I hit 2.8 miles on the treadmill after not running more than 2 miles in months...and realized I would not be stopping for the rest of the run. I took a 45-second break at the end of the first mile, and at 3 minutes left, bumped my speed to 7 miles an hour. I realize this is no big deal, but I PLANNED to take breaks at the end of every 10-minute mile, knowing that I hadn't run and that I was significantly out of shape for running.

Have I mentioned how much I love Insanity?

Today, my house suffered. It's wrecked.

I don't even care.

I feel strong. I feel like I seriously, seriously kicked butt all day long. I threw in things that I didn't even plan to do. I wrote to our compassion child today. I cleaned a bathroom, and did a load of laundry. The kitchen is actually clean tonight before I go to bed (I told myself that stuff didn't matter today). I bought supplies for a couple of Christmas gifts I brainstormed throughout the day. ;) I had a really great conversation with my kid about something important. I realize that this day was completely selfish and totally self-focused...and that that could be an incredibly negative thing if it happened every day...but it won't. My first email this morning was a birthday wish from a dear friend. 168 friends wished me a happy birthday on my facebook wall, and another 10 in messages...and another 8 in text messages, then 2 birthday cards in the mail. Silly? Maybe. But wow. Tomorrow I will upload silly pictures that we took throughout the day...and I will remember how good today felt. And I will live off this high all day tomorrow...and for a long time after that.

I will also sleep until I have to wake up so that I'm ready for the baby tomorrow. I think I get a rest day after all this nonsense. I don't think Shaun T will mind. :)

My oldest is with my mom tonight, awaiting the arrival of my mom's Westie's puppies (she begged to be present for the births), my middle might be sucking her thumb (until I go up to kiss her one last time before I sleep) and probably dreaming about the next scene she will film for her mini-series, and my littlest...is hopefully sleeping...he struggled a bit with sleeplessness at bedtime tonight. And I will crawl into bed tonight so grateful for my 38th birthday. Grateful for every single moment of it. Grateful for the kids who helped me with 8/10 of a home improvement project. Grateful that Philip sacrificed sleep to spend the morning with us and take us out to lunch. Grateful for parents who love me so much that they let my kids blow paper at them all through dinner (then paid for it!). Grateful that this year...I got to make today something that I will never, ever forget.

I loved today. I am so very blessed.

Want a great place to pray for the 38 people who are most important to you? Try your treadmill. The downside? You might wind up in tears. It makes running kind of interesting. ;)

So, it's been...like...months

I know. I really do. But, you see, life just keeps barreling on. Things keep happening. Things that keep me away from my blog for mostly good reasons.

Things like a week spent camping in a tent with my kids. During which I spent 23 hours at home, baking, decorating, and repairing crashed cakes. Yep. My first official, very serious caketastrophe. (And yes, it rained that week. A lot.)

Things like a week where I built and delivered 7 cakes.

Things like a weekend where I built and delivered 4 cakes.

Things like...

...hmm. There's a lot of stuff having to do with cakes up there, isn't there?

Oh, there have been other things going on too, I promise. It's not all cake-related. Though sometimes it feels like it all revolves around the cakes I'm designing/planning/baking/building/delivering at the time. Funny how work is like that. Especially when you do it out of your actual kitchen.

There have been four weeks in a row on worship team. Meeting new people. Talking a lot. Researching and ordering new curriculum. Starting Rosetta Stone Spanish. Figuring out finances and debt and a plan to deal with all of that. Raising three kids. Helping my dad tear the roof off the back of my house. Coordinating a wedding.

And last night I went and did something that will surely keep me from blogging even more...I know...you're shocked, right? Last night I enrolled in a Wedding Planner Certification Course.

Why would I do such a thing?

'Cause I felt like it, that's why.

I've been the "Wedding Coordinator" at my church for several years. Pioneered the position, if you will. Helped nail down the process. Put a job description together. Made an in-depth questionnaire for potential brides. I've helped out with 3 different receptions at varying levels. I've been the Maid of Honor in several friends' weddings, so I've helped work through the process with many brides...and every single time I do a wedding...I think about how much I enjoy that process. I am reminded of how good it feels to help that bride through the most important day of her life to that point. I always wish I had more time to devote, more organization to offer, more resources to give her. I love caking. I do. I think I am good at it, and I think that I am more and more in demand each time I open my email or look at my facebook. But. I don't think I can make a living making cakes out of my kitchen. Oh, it's a nice extra-income-type-thing...but it's not a substantial, someday-I'll-be-able-to-retire income. More of a let's-use-this-as-vacation-money income. A creative outlet. And it's seriously labor intensive. It's an artform, really. The effort to build those cakes doesn't really pay off.

So, there it is. I will become a wedding planner. :) And that may seem like it's coming out of nowhere...but it's not. I keep thinking...nutrition. Health. Science. Math. And I keep winding up back at...doing something with people. Doing something I love. I love weddings. I love working on my own time frame. This could give me the opportunity to continue to stay home with my kids and work and make a decent living (and a few cakes on the side. ;) ). I might even be able to retire some day. And I might need a couple of business classes along the way. And...some referrals. I'm so excited about the coursework, and not that it's really super necessary, I'm sure, but I'm already 2/15 of the way through it...they give you 12 months to finish it all...hehe...and I look forward to learning how to promote and market myself. I may enlist my brother. He may make me move to Rochester. ;)

Random Thoughts.

1. I have no idea why anyone drinks Swiss Miss hot chocolate. For 5 minutes worth of effort, made-from-scratch hot chocolate tastes like a completely different drink. And heaven. All at the same time.

2. Lactose Intolerance can kiss my butt when there is made-from-scratch hot chocolate around. So can any semblance of a nutrition plan.

3. I gained half an inch in my waist during a month of nutritional laziness. This will not do.

4. Brazil Butt Lift is an incredible workout.  It has a completely different philosophy than any of the other Beachbody workouts I have done, but I am sore, and it wipes me out while I'm doing it.  I have not had a cramp in my side from cardio in months...and I did with Cardio Axe this morning.  After 10 minutes.

5. I am crazy proud of my brother, Kevin, for getting through month 1 of Insanity. Hope he's prepared for month 2. (Hehe. No one is.)

6. You should try this: http://www.chalenejohnson.com/30daychallenge/  It has changed my every day.

7.  It is difficult to be happy for someone with whom I am extremely angry.

8.  I continually debate getting my nose pierced. Why? Semi-permanent sparkle on my face. (There is something wrong with me.)

9. The recently-released-to-DVD, Ramona and Beezus, is a must-see.  The little girl who plays Ramona? Seriously the best child-actor I have watched--maybe ever.

10. At the age of 37, no woman should have to worry about which skin care/makeup regimen will allow her to treat and prevent pimples while also treating and preventing wrinkles. By this point, I should be able to focus on...gosh, one or the other??  And I'd take wrinkles over pimples. Seriously.

11. I want to know how Ke$ha got a recording contract. And why the heck she has a $ in the middle of her name. And why this is ok.

12. I should be completely and wholly exempt from Valentine's Day this year. The end.

13. Very little feels better than getting to the end of the day and having every single item on my to-do list crossed off.

14. Icy Hot: don't use too much. Also, if you use too much, your next workout and the shower to follow will BURN.  I learned this the hard way.  I hope I can prevent the experience for you.

15.  Dogs are wild animals whom we have forced to follow our rules. Sometimes they respond very well to our expectations. Other times they rebel. When they rebel, we must remember that in their hearts, they are wild animals. It's OUR expectations that are stupid.

16. A clean house is the sign of...someone who cares a lot more today than I do.

17. (Ok, so I had this big goal of getting to 17. I have no idea why, except that...I like the number 17. So. Here I am at 17...and...nope. Nothing to say.)(Oh, there it is. The number 17 makes me exceedingly happy. Because it's prime. And...I like how it looks.)(See parenthesis in #8)

Working Out

I totally love my workouts. I do. However, I also totally love sleep.  When I can get it.  I have lacked the motivation to get out of bed several times over the past 3 weeks due to a bit of a lack of sleep, and have always, always wound up feeling seriously grouchy at myself for skipping workouts as a result.  I lay there in bed, hitting snooze again, and saying to myself, "I'll do it in the afternoon while the kids play."  Then I let the kids use the wii aaaaand...no tv to use to do my workout.  "Well, I could put it in my laptop DVD player and do it on the other side of the room."  Then I realize it's already 4:30, Mom and Dad will be home in 45 minutes, and I need to do something for dinner.  "I'll do it after dinner, after I put the kids to bed."  Then...I just can't motivate myself to go to the basement and run (because Mom and Dad have the tv occupied, which is totally their right)...because running for the equivalent amount of time it would take to get the workout I get from Insanity...ha.  That's just funny.  So, I wind up without a blue line in my WOWY workout calendar...and the green line screams "SLACKER!!!" at me for the rest of the month.  I have several green lines this month.  I hate them.

Two things accompany this phenomenon which irritate me:

1) My nutrition falls apart. I'm not thinking clearly about the fact that I missed my workout, and continue to pile the 2000 or so calories into my mouth which I require when I'm working hard...because that's what I'm used to.  And my body is not forgiving when it comes to additional carbs if I don't work as hard as I need to work to eat the number of carbs I eat.  I know that's what's going on.  I have not gained any weight, but I don't feel as good...and I have grown very accustomed to feeling good.  Knowing my nutrition sucks sticks with me throughout the day.  It bugs me.  I like not thinking about it.  (Also, if my dad brings home one more package of Wegman's O's, I might have to throttle him.)(Have you ever had a chocolate oreo dredged through a spoonful of peanut butter?)

2) The rest of my schedule gets lazy too.  Our school routine here sucks.  We get up, hang out until 9, I tell the kids to start their chores (which are pitiful here), we get started with school around...10. 10:30. 11. We take a break for lunch when Mom and Dad come home and we start back up with school at...1. 1:30. 2.  We wind up doing school until 4:00, leaving just enough time to prep for dinner and whatever we need to do that evening.  This is not how school works best for us.  I know this.  And yet...I have had no real motivation to change it.  Hehe...only now...I have admitted it to you.

I have a to-do list.  I love my to-do list.  Too often over the past week, especially...I have ignored said to-do list.  The easy things get done...the tough stuff...you know, the stuff I'd rather not do...gets put off.  Ahh, sweet procrastination.  And procrastination, of course, piles on guilt.  And guilt (and the realization that I have sooo much left on my list) makes me not sleep.  Which contributes to the desire to not wake up.  Which throws off my workout schedule.  Which messes with my nutrition.  Which destroys my schedule.

Did you just catch that vicious cycle??

So, here I sit, my tummy too full to work out, my kids in various corners of the house playing, my to-do list staring me in the face...knowing that if I get off my butt and tackle just one hard task on the list and called the kids back to school, I could break the cycle I've got going...

"Blog" is on my to-do list.

Check.

I'm getting up. To fold white laundry. Then we'll have a math lesson.  And a History lesson.  And while the kids read, I'll work out.  Really.  I will.  The cycle ends today.

Not Mine

I went to a concert tonight.  Sort of.

I say sort of because...well...concerts have changed a bit since I went to them as a teen.  Or a young adult, for that matter.  And, friends?  For the record?

I am no longer a young adult.  I know this now.  If I had any doubt of that before tonight, I no longer have a single one.

See, the thing is, the "concert," which was really a worship experience with a speaker, was really great.  Awesome music.  Two fantastic local bands (Yay, Amy, Jordan, Jon, and Aaron!!), relevant and contemporary worship music...so well done.  Excellent energy...friendly people.  Except...when I looked around, I realized...Good Lord, I could seriously be that girl's mother.  And it wasn't just one girl.  It was most of the people in the theater.  The speaker was 21.  I went tonight with my sweet friend Amy, who sang fabulously in the aforementioned band, and though she's semi-close in age to me, she's still young enough to definitely be considered a "young adult."  She's also at a different place in her life: single, working, free-spirited, not tied-down.  We hung out with her girlfriends at the concert, and headed to Friendly's afterward...7 girls...eating and chatting and laughing.  Only...I wasn't one of the 7 girls, really.

I was, like, the mom.  The mom who sat there and...I mean, I laughed along...I listened and interjected and agreed...but other than one other girl who has a 2-year-old (who had her daughter while in college, so, hello, 22), I was the only one there with kids, and, umm, I have 3.  And the oldest is almost TWELVE.  The girls were sweet.  And they never, ever gave me the feeling that I was out of place there with them.  I did that all by myself.  I just...had nothing to say.  It suddenly struck me that I'm seriously not young anymore.

And, to be honest with you, tonight I realized...I'm pretty ok with that.

Frankly, I'm 37 years old.  I have three children.  Married for 13.5 years.  Thirteen and a half years, folks.  The people I was with tonight, most of them haven't even been old enough to date for that long.  If they started dating at 12.

So, here's the thing:  I may feel 23.  I might look 30, if I'm super, super lucky and someone is being kind.  But...I'm 37.  I have laugh lines and crow's feet and stretch marks and experience.  It's who I am.  Tonight...it became very clear to me that it's ok.  And I'm not going to pretend that just because I prefer to rock out to what the 25-year-old single folks sing along with...I should be hanging out with them.  If I could figure out where I fit in now, that would help, that's for sure...but the young adult group...they're great...they're just not mine.

Blogging

I'm blogging.  I make no promises regarding this post...none at all.  Blogging has taken a back seat to the rest of my life over the past three months.  For those of you who have been chomping at the bit (HA) waiting for a post, I apologize.  Truly.  Today is about biting the bullet and getting it out there...no more putting it off.

In the past, I blogged to remember things I didn't want to forget.  To leave something behind to commemorate what had happened in our lives...primarily because typing happens so much more quickly than writing.  My journals went by the wayside when babies came along (and really before that, because life turned into teaching and living...as it should have.)...so...I blogged to keep track of what kept happening in life, despite my lack of time to physically write it down.  When things have gone crazy, I have slacked on my blog, but...I have always come back to it.  Blogging has been a respite...a place to find my sanity as I babbled through it.

Such has not been the case over the past three months.  I have six or seven 2- or 3-sentence-long posts in drafts that sat completely untouched in that amount of time.  That's all I could come up with.

See, even in the past when things have been tough, I have wanted to remember that we made it through them.  I have wanted to tell, even without detail, that we were making it.  That God had provided for our needs.  That through whatever garbage we struggled, we had struggled through.  And it's not that we're not making it through it right now...we are...it's just...so much.  More than I've wanted to share.  More than I've wanted to admit.  More than I've wanted to blog.  I'm really still there, to be honest, but...here I am.

In three to four months, the divorce will be finalized.  The past three months have brought us to that point.  The kids and I moved in with my parents while we make the transition, and we'll find our own place, hopefully within a few months.  We haven't worked out all the details...they're all a bit overwhelming at this point...but we're getting there.  That has become my very least favorite statement in the world over the past year or two:  "We'll get there."  If I never hear it or say it again...I'll be fine with that.

If you pray, please pray with me.  For peace and comfort for my children who didn't see this coming, and don't know what to do with it.  For wisdom and protection for Seth and me as we figure it out.

I want to blog more consistently...I should just caution you...it may not be fun reading.  It probably won't be fun writing.

Biting the bullet.

I have five beginnings of blog posts saved in drafts.  They start out being something interesting, and my mind wanders, and I can't make any sense of them past the first two sentences.  It's pathetic, actually.  So.  As a result of my lack of intelligent, even semi-interesting writing ability...let me sum up:

I.  My kids are amazing.  

   A.  The girls took their required fifth grade standardized tests on Tuesday, and they rocked them.  As a homeschooling mom, I question every decision, every curriculum choice, every teaching moment, every battle to get something finished, every single day.  Their test results made me...giddy.  They're not only getting the job done, they're kicking butt.  

  B.  Bryson can borrow.  I know this doesn't seem like a big deal to you...I get that borrowing is something you could do with your eyes closed and your hands tied behind your back.  But the girls couldn't borrow to save their freaking liveswhen I tried to teach them.  We literally spent an entire month working on the concept.  I don't know if Bryson just has a knack for math...it really seems like his brain just works that way...or what it is, but the look on his face when he finishes an assignment...well, it's mirrored in mine.

II.  I am completely insane.

  A.  May 2nd, I helped pull off an all-church celebration event at the Pickelner Arena here in town...my responsibilities included lights, sound, and helping to organize and lead worship for the event.  So many hands were involved in making this happen...and after hours and hours and hours of prep...it all came together.  I can't even tell you how long I spent in front of my computer screen making slide shows and organizing song lyrics.  Hours.  The response from the congregation, the overwhelming presence of God, the feeling at the end of the day...priceless.

  B.  I'm still in the process of moving this blog.  So far, nothing more than moving three months worth of posts and updating with each new one I write here has actually happened...but the process continues.   http://fiveofuscrazy.blogspot.com  <--- that's where you'll find me.  

  C.  I may have inadvertently taken on a wedding cake three hours away from me three weekends from now.  This week.  And it maybe wasn't inadvertently.  I'm not completely sure.  I hope my brother doesn't mind a house guest (or 4) that weekend. 

  D.  I had two wedding cake consults within 14 hours of each other this week.  I can't remember the details of either cake clearly without looking at my notes very carefully.  Hopefully I remember what each of the brides (and grooms) said.  :)

  E.  I have become obsessive about checking my email.  And less capable of producing a decent status update.

  F.  Complete insanity implies that I may not actually share all of the details with you.  It's part of the insanity.  Some of that is frustration with what it includes...some of it is just that...he he...I like secrets. :)  Insanity...it's a part of my life I sort of relish.

III.  Spring may never actually get here.

  A.  We have had snow, rain, sleet, frost, wind advisories, and heat in the past three weeks, with the heat being the most scarce.  Seth brought home a huge pit liner from work yesterday, torturing the children with the thought of an industrial strength slip-and-slide for the back lawn.  The temperature climbed to a whopping 64 degrees today, and Bryson was beside himself over the fact that I would not let him use it today..."Mom, it's HOT out.  Almost!"  Mmm. Yes.  Almost. 

  B.  Tomorrow's forecast calls for a high of 82.  You won't find me holding my breath.

IV.  My girlfriends and I should stop planning get-aways.

  A.  Tomorrow, we planned to leave for the weekend, meet at a tiny little cottage at a conference center someplace in Western PA, and spend the weekend being silly, scrapbooking, and talking until we fell asleep.  This marks the third trip we have cancelled in the past three months.  Sigh.  For the time being, we have given up.

  B.  Eventually, I may just take a trip all by myself.  With a couple of good books, my blog, P90X dvd's, and yummy snacks.  At a sweet little bed and breakfast in the middle of nowhere.  Cell phone optional.

V.  P90X has changed my life.  And my body.

  A.  I have completed 72 of 90 days of my first round of P90X.  I have never, ever felt stronger, more energized, or more happy with how I look.  Ever.

  B.  Getting up at 6:00 in the morning or before has never even crossed my mind as something I would look forward to.  Until now.  Even when I've only gotten 4 hours of sleep. 

  C.  I think there is something wrong with me.  But I like it.  And in 19 days, I'll start round 2.  And after that, I'm pretty sure I'll try Insanity.

  D.  I have hit every single one of the goals (and surpassed some of them) I set at the beginning of this 90 days except for the weight goal...which is a little silly...because I picked a random number out of the air (a number I haven't weighed since middle school).  I'll let you know if I hit that one (I'm not planning to, frankly, but I'll keep working at it).  The goals I have hit include losing 3 inches from my chest, 3.5 inches from my waist, and 3 from my hips (all of which are at least .5 in. more than my goals)...which may not seem like a big deal, but, umm...it sure feels like it. 

  E.  I desperately need new pants. :)

VI.  Life is complicated.

Enough said.

Simple Woman's Daybook, May 10, 2010

Outside my window...a deceiving day...it looks soooo much warmer than it is. go away, wind. you'll blow off all my blooming lilacs.

I am thinking...  altogether too much. about things that are too hard.

I am thankful for...cherished friends.

 I am wearing... dark blue skinny cut, bootleg jeans, a turquoise dressy t, off-white cardigan, and freshly cut hair.

I am remembering... when things were simple and straightforward.

I am creating...a plan of action.

I am going... away with girlfriends this weekend...I hope.

I am reading... The Case for Faith, Lee Stroebel.

 I am hoping...  that at the end of the tunnel, the light isn't a locomotive.

On my mind... my kids. their little hearts.

From the learning rooms...  evaluations and testing tomorrow. borrowing. multiplying decimals.

Noticing that... it's amazing how little you accomplish when all you can think about is...tomorrow.

From the kitchen... lasagna. french bread.

 Around the house... clutter left over from an overnight with a 7-year-old. :)

One of my favorite things... strawberry shortcake. with berries fresh from Daddy's garden.

Praying for...clarity. wisdom. direction. 

A Lyric or two... 

Ride the wave, wave goodbye, and by the way did I mention today

That I don't know the way home

So could you take me by he hand and lead me to the drier land

So I can finally breathe again instead of sinking like a stone

And now I will diligently and not religiously but affectionately come

Before the throne of your grace in this place and seek your face

for all eternity and then some

 -Jimmy Needham, "Lost at Sea"

A verse to share... Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him. But when he asks, he must believe and not doubt, because he who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. James 1:2-6

A few plans for the week... school. evaluations/testing. normal sports. hoping for a weekend with the girls...planned for a long time. 
For more info or to get involved by writing your own Simple Woman's Daybook, CLICK HERE

Can't get it out of my head...

Once in a while, I just can't stop singing one song.  Over and over, until everyone around me is like, "Min, seriously??"  

OK, so if I'm being honest, most of the time some song dances through my mind like background music...and sometimes, one in particular, for a long period of time.  Like...a really long period.  Like all week.  This week in particular, this Jimmy Needham song has consumed me.  I'm actually a little tired of it because since I don't actually know all of the lyrics, it's been just the chorus.  Well, now it will be the whole thing (thank you, google).

If you don't know "Dearly Loved," google it.  I'm sure it's on youtube.  But here are the lyrics I can't stop singing...not because you need to read them, necessarily, but because, hey, this is my blog. Someday my kids will read this and say, "Yep. I remember that week. How annoying." :)

Please lay down your arrows 
'cause they're sure to pierce the skin 
And water from a broken well 
Will make you thirst again 
When all things you've acquired 
Are tested by the flames 
And you can see them melting 
Then will you call his name? 

And it's worth it brothers 
And it's worth it friends 
To know your maker 
To lose your sin 
Did you know that you are dearly loved? 

To the slaughters you are being led 
Being told that it's a party 
That this God is in your head And every single lie 
Sounds just like the greatest truth 
But the one truth you're not hearing 
Is that he died for you 

And it's worth it brothers 
And it's worth it friends 
To know your maker 
To lose your sin 
Did you know that you are dearly loved?

No greater joy 
No greater peace 
No greater love than this

And it's worth it brothers 
And it's worth it friends 
To know your maker 
To lose your sin 
Did you know that you are dearly loved?

Ultimate Blog Party!

Happy Blog Party!!

You know, I could use a party today. I think a virtual party will do nicely. :)

(Since I can't make that little button link to anything, here's the link: http://www.5minutesformom.com/19667/ultimate-blog-party-2010/)

Today, I stumbled on a new blog through another "friend's" blog...and this is what I found. A party! Right in the middle of www.5minutesformom.com (which I intend to digest fully in the next several days). So, in party-fashion--you know the kind...where you don't really know anyone and nobody really knows you--let's get to know one another!

I'm Mindy (well, technically Malinda, but nobody calls me that. Except my dad. Since he gave me the name, he's allowed.). I'm a stay-at-home, homeschooling-for-the-last-8-years mother of 3, very part-time Worship Arts Director, cake designer/maker, "soccer" mom (although none of my kids play soccer ;) ). I love my life almost every single moment. My kids--Reasa (11), Laine (10) (yes, they're 11 months apart), and Bryson (8)--are my joy...and we pray every day that someday there will be one more. My husband shakes his head (and says, "you're all nuts." My blog is nothing more interesting than a gathering place for my often scattered thoughts...thoughts that 15 years ago, I would have put on paper, and now simply don't have time to physically write down. Before I had Reasa, I taught in a classroom. Several, actually. I never intend to do that again. I also had big dreams of finishing my masters degree, and eventually earning my PhD in Children's Literature in hopes of qualifying myself to become a children's author. Since then, I have learned that children's authors...are more often just born, not educated. And I may never have what it takes to write books. And I'm ok with that. Instead, I blog. Sometimes regularly, sometimes not so much. And if you're looking for a theme...well, "random" is about as close as you'll get.

My current adventures: My Father's World, Creation to the Greeks is our curriculum of choice, with a smattering of additional resources including Singapore Math, Spelling Power, readers and read-alouds from the Sonlight book lists, and other things that we incorporate here and there. Gymnastics, Karate and Horseback Riding top our activities list, keeping us extremely occupied every single night. We jumped into Awana (which just ended for the year two weeks ago) for the first time last fall, made our first trip to Disney last October (and next time, we'll do it better), and we adopted our sweet Golden Retriever Puppy, Maisie in November after losing our 12-year-old Chelsea (we also have a 3.5-year-old Cairnoodle, Chani, whom we adore). We also keep giant fancy teddy bear hamsters, little white mice, ants, and sea monkeys, and are game for just about any small animal other than snakes. Or cats. I started a journey with P90X (the workout program you see on infomercials--yes, it works) about 38 days ago, so if you scroll down through the archives, you'll find I've lived there a lot lately.

And that's a lot of who I am.

I started blogging about 4 years ago. I blog about everything. And I honestly don't expect anyone else to be interested in any of it (especially this whole P90X thing!!). Since it's so scattered and not remotely focused, I don't actually expect anybody else to even read it, but I am assured that I have about 10 faithful readers. Mostly family members. :) What I have discovered since starting to blog, however, is just how many other people blog like I do...and I love to read their writing. Since my husband works out of town...a lot...blogwalking while he's away gives me an opportunity to occupy my mind when I can't sleep. So if you're reading my blog...I'm probably reading yours too. ;) Welcome to my little piece of insanity! Thanks for stopping by.

So enjoy the blog party! Off I go...maybe to find you in the blogosphere!!

Per UBP guidelines...I'd absolutely love to win...

1. #11--$100 gift certificate at restaurants.com

2. #39--free 2-night's stay at the Hilton Garden Inn

3. #51--lilebaby EveryWear carrier

4. #72--Your Shape for Nintendo Wii

5. #105--Get Fit Pack with Jillian Michaels

Simple Woman's Daybook, 3/22/10

For Today, 22 March 2010

Outside my window...intermittent sprinkles...and peeks of sunshine.

I am thinking... about how irritating Drake and Josh really are. and how much more i like iCarly. yep. deep thoughts tonight. oh, and how glad i am that the migraine is just a dull ache at this point.

I am thankful for...a weekend full of projects that really, really needed to be done. and signal spring.

I am wearing... a fuschia scoop-necked, long-sleeved t-shirt, my favorite jeans, and soft, grey wool socks. it got chilly fast tonight.

I am remembering... my sweet neighbors who are attending the funeral of their 13-year-old "grandson." pray for Bill and Arlene and the boy's devastated parents and family tonight. additionally, the boy's grandmother died the morning after he did--the family is a wreck.

I am creating...a spring-themed cake for the women in my church celebrating their March birthdays tomorrow night.

I am going... to bed early tonight.

I am reading... Love and Respect, The Children's Homer, Treasures in the Snow.

I am hoping... for resolution.

On my mind... old friends.

From the learning rooms... decimals. borrowing. Greek history. Greek mythology.

Noticing that... like my friend Kendra's family, we ALL definitely need a school break. i think the week after Easter sounds good. what is wrong with the school districts around here??

From the kitchen... after a day with a migraine, left-overs, thanks to my dear friend, Leslie, who thought maybe i could use an evening off, and had hamburgers and hotdogs left from a dinner at church. i did make a yummy salad at lunchtime and pasta salad for dinner tonight, but...it was a pretty easy night.

Around the house... clean floors, almost-done laundry, a new cage for the hamster who kept getting attacked by her cage-mate...and fresher-smelling carpets. Odo-Ban. gotta love it.

One of my favorite things... the kids sleeping in the living room together. and sleeping until 8. i love that they sleep well wherever they are. especially when they're together.

Praying for...Bill and Arlene. and my parents as they keep their house spotless in hopes of selling it.

A Lyric or two...

I am strong all because of You

I stand in awe of every mountain that You move

For I am changed...yesterday is gone

I am safe from this moment on

There's no fear when the night comes 'round

I'm in better hands now

It's like the sun is shining when the rain is pouring down

It's like my soul is flying though my feet are on the ground

So take this heart of mine, there's no doubt

I'm in better hands now

-Natalie Grant

A verse to share...

But I will sing of your strength,

in the morning, I will sing of your love;

for you are my fortress,

my refuge in times of trouble.

Psalm 59:16

A few plans for the week... cake for tomorrow, weigh-in and measuring on Wednesday, The Odyssey at the community theater on Thursday morning (I can't believe it's in town this week. Incredible timing. Although, we're not going to get through the book before we see the show...), recovery week with P90X, making a spring-cleaning list...and maybe checking a few things off, maybe seeing my sister-in-law and brother-in-law? we'll see.

For more info or to get involved by writing your own Simple Woman's Daybook, CLICK HERE.