Category Archives: life

We survived

The largest flood in many, many years, and we survived.  Where were the forecasters?  Did anyone say we were going to get 10 inches of rain?  I didn’t hear it if they did! 

I had been digging holes and transplanting plants when we heard the thunder Friday night.  We came inside, and had some sort of power surge/outage where we lost about half of the power.  The microwave and one TV were out, and the lights were dim.  Our neighbor called experiencing the same problem.  Brian ended up turning all the power off, saying something about the refrigerator motor burning up.  Luckily, the kids settled down, and Matthew curled up on my lap and went to sleep by candlelight.  Shortly after they went to bed the power came back on. 

It rained and thundered ALL night.  I don’t think I can ever remember such a long thunderstorm!  When I woke up Sunday morning, the creek was out of it’s banks and swiftly flowing in our yard.  I kept a diligent eye on it, and when it hit a certain spot on our basement patio, we started moving furniture.  I was surprised at how quickly it did come up to the sliding doors, and inside the house.  Luckily God was taking care of us, and it came in about a foot, then quickly started receding when the rain stopped!  The kids took advantage of the furniture being moved and built forts.  I ended up going back outside later in the day, and planted more flowers.  The ground was much easier to dig! 

“I hate that!”

Have you seen the commercial of the mom pushing the daughter in the grocery cart?  The mom says, “we need chicken.”  “i don’t liiike chicken!”, says the little girl. 

That happens in my house every day.  I’m cooking supper and Matthew walks up.  Whatcha cookin’ mom?  Barbecue ribs and broccoli casserole, I say with a smile on my face.  I hate that, he replies.  Then he walks away.  Can you feel the love?

More stuff

Monday I went back to the Home Depot and bought more veggie plants, along with 8 bags of potting soil.  I wrenched my back with the bags, and I’m still paying for it.  I did get everything planted, except for the day lillies that Matthew picked out.  We also picked up some solar lights to replace our old ones.  It’s pretty much been raining ever since.  We do have 5 tomatoes growing on one of our own plants!  Yay us!!! 

angst

This is the reason for my despair.  A giant pimple has taken up residence on my face, just below my lips.  Trust me when I say mine is much worse than this photo, because I’ve been using something to hurry the process along.  This cream seems to have made the zit glow and grow! 

My kids are staring at it, and Matthew wants to touch it.  Brooke and Zach want me to pop it so they don’t have to look at it.  I actually put my finger over it to spare my neighbor when she came to pick Zach up.  I thought I was done with this years ago!

Where have I been?

I’ve been on a little bloggy hiatus that was not planned.  Oh, how I wish I could tell you a wonderful story about warm beaches and spending time with the fam, but I cannot.  I’ve been here all along.  Lost in my own world. 

I’ve been under attack lately, and I just figured out that I’m to blame for that.  Physically, spiritually, financially, and mentally under attack, but it all stops now.  I rebuke satan in the holy and precious name of Jesus Christ, and take away the hold he’s had on me!  I will no longer allow myself to fall into his traps, and wallow in self pity.  I will rejoice and be glad in all the blessings that God has given me.  He gave His Son for me, and I will forever praise Him!  He healed my ear and returned my hearing after 2 different antibiotics.  All of a sudden I could hear, and to top it off we were in church!  He helped me complete all the tasks I had committed to, and on time.  He’s given me a great husband, who works very hard to support us, and loves us very much.  We are all healthy and safe.  We are not hungry or cold.  We have what we need, and then some.  He’s also blessed me with wonderful parents who pray for us, and we have a great relationship.  And friends, great friends I can share with.  I am truly blessed. 

Diagnosis

Ear infection for me.  That’s why I haven’t been able to hear out of my right ear since Friday, and I have this horrible ringing that’s driving me CRAZY!  Did I mention the loss of hearing and horrendous ringing?  Oh yeah, and the equilibrium is all messed up..

Oh what a night

Be forewarned, if you don’t want to read a bunch of ramblings, move on.

I couldn’t carry on a conversation with Brooke after school today, because she and her boyfriend were continually texting one another.  Note to self—read her texts before she deletes them!

She wouldn’t do her homework before dance.  She said there was plenty of time afterwards.  We dropped her off and then ran to Target.  I’ve totally sort of over committed myself with a few projects.  I’m making teacher scrapbooks for teacher appreciation week, letters for a sign for an anniversary party, and something (100 somethings) that talks about World Vision and the girl sponsored by IAX.  I need paper for all of these things, and it would seem that I’m all out.  Zach needs shorts too, Brooke wants cookie dough, and Matthew just had a bad case of the wants.  Everything he saw, he wanted.  After a long and stressful time shopping, we went to pick up some Taco Bell.  Everyone else had that idea too.  There were 8 cars in front of us.  EIGHT. 

Oh, and that homework.  Yeah, I had to help with it.  What upsets me is that it was coloring, cutting and pasting.  Isn’t that what Kindergarteners do, not middle schoolers?  Maybe I’m wrong…
Anyway, it was over an hour past bedtime when this was completed.  I tucked her in and thought it was time to get busy on those projects.  She then came out of her room, grabs my cell phone and proceeds to call hers.  Then she picks hers up out of the chair and starts to go to her room.  I said she needed to put the phone up in her bag, and go to bed, because it was too late to be texting.  I’ll spare the details, but I’m a mean mom, and most of her friends don’t even have a bedtime.  I pray that in 15 years she’ll like me.  Did I mention that Brian is out of town and I’m single parenting?  Maybe that’s why I’m stressed. 

It’s also election day here, and quite frankly I’m sick to death of hearing all of the muck these candidates have to say. 

Cheer Speak

Cheerleaders wear uniforms, not costumes.

It is a squad of girls, not a team. 

( This is for any mom out there who doesn’t know the cheer lingo.  Hopefully I can help you before you embarrass your daughter.  It’s too late for me!)

Matthew-ism

As I looked out the living room window at the bird feeders, I saw the male cardinal.  The male and female are normally together, but this time he was alone.  I called Matthew over to the window, and he whispered,         ” Yeah, that’s the carnival with the short hair and sunglasses”. 

The female has a mohawk, and very little black on her face around her eyes.  The male has a lot of black around his eyes, thus the sunglasses.  And no matter how clearly I enunciate c-a-r-d-i-n-a-l, he still says carnival. 

That youngest boy of mine!  He makes me smile :)

Quotations

The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago.  The second best time is today.  Chinese Proverb

If you are planning for a year, sow rice.  If you are planning for a decade, plant trees.  If you are planning for a lifetime, educate people.  Chinese Proverb

If you can talk, you can sing; If you can walk, you can dance.  African Proverb

Tell me who’s your friend, and I’ll tell you who you are.  Russian Proverb

A joy that’s shared is a joy made double.  John Ray, English Proverbs

Worry often gives a small thing a big shadow.  Swedish Proverb

Man plans; God laughs.  Yiddish saying

When elephants fight, the grass always is the one that suffers.  Swahili saying

Wherever the heart is, the feet don’t hesitate to go.  Togo saying

When you were born, you cried and the world rejoiced.  Live your life in such a way so that when you die, the world cries and you rejoice.  Indian proverb.

Visitor’s footfalls are like medicine; they heal the sick.  Bantu proverb

No snowflake ever falls in the wrong place.  Zen saying

The death of an old person is like the loss of a library.  African proverb

Danger and delight grow on one stalk.  English proverb

When “Do no evil” has been understood, then learn the harder, braver rule, “Do good.”  Arthur Guiterman,A Poet’s Proverbs

The beginning of health is to know the disease.  Spanish proverb

It is part of the cure to wish to be cured.  Latin proverb

A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor’s book.  Irish proverb