Hey Yorkies, this is for you!
What are some of your favorite memories from your college experience? I will share with you a few of mine.
i went to York College in York, NE. A small, private, Liberal Arts, Christian college in the middle of a corn field.
Each fall and spring I cook a meal to kick of the new season. I have previously posted that I do not like to cook. But there is one meal I am proud to be able to create and this is the meal from my York experience which I make. I can make Japanese beef curry with rice. Many of you will probably figure who taught me to make this meal...Hirotaka Miyata. Hiro was a friend (or boyfriend) of mine during college. We dated for just under a year before we decided we wouldn't be able to make it work. But while we dated he taught me to make beef curry. Yummy! It is so delicious and our family likes to eat it. My husband spent one year in Japan as one of his tours in the Marine Corps. so he loves Japanese food too!
Another memory: meeting up with my girlfriends. I became really good friends with Pam, Annie, and Candace. We were all RAs one year. Many, many nights one of us would be siting in our room, and another of the 4 would walk into the room. A little while later, another gal would walk in and then the 4th girl would enter. We always ended up in one of our rooms just talking and laughing. Girlfriends are people to treasure! When you find gals you can be honest and open with, hold them close to your heart and even if moves find you miles apart, try to keep those girls close to you. Pam and Annie and I have been able to maintain a wonderful long-distance relationship (of course Pam and Annie are sisters so this isn't too hard for them). I am so sad to say that Candace and I have completely lost touch (if you know where she is let me know). Anyway, those nights we found one another, we would usually end up going to the gas station (can't remember the name of it) and getting large sodas. We would stay up so late...laughing, talking, talking and talking and maybe studying once in a blue moon.
More memories: Arguing. Oh man, did I argue with people. I was a little outspoken in those days (may not have changed too much) and I was always willing to "discuss" opinions with anyone who was willing. Most people were much more conservative then I was in beliefs and understanding of the Bible so this lead to many interesting conversations. While at York, I had to figure out what I really believed because I was frequently arguing with someone about something. I am grateful for the opportunity to be around others who helped me to grow in my Christian faith. Since those "discussions" I have been able to reflect and incorporate other ideas, which I once strongly disagreed with into my relationship with God. You take and grow hopefully becoming more like Christ along the way.
My experience at York was so blessed by the professors who worked there. I remember professors looking at each student as an individual and trying to cultivate the person, not just the student. I felt we were treated as whole people who had something to contribute to society.
Well, I loved my York experience and would pay again to go there (just paid off the loans last spring!). In fact, I would pay more to go there! It was so great and I love York. So, what are your special memories of your college experience? Late night runs to the truck stop? $ movies and Taco Bell in Lincoln? Clubs? I would love to hear what you found special.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Friday, September 19, 2008
Iraq
Sniffle, sniffle. My brother, Brian is off to Iraq today. He is going to protect the family and country that he loves. He is on his way to do something he greatly believes in. Whether or not you believe in the war, my other brother who spent 8 months in Iraq a while back had a different view than the media. Brandon said the locals were grateful for what America had done. They were happy to have more freedoms and excited about possibilities. Now Brian is off to defend those freedoms, which he deeply believes in. Here are a few words from his blog. *He uses a few rough words so please grant him grace as he is about to embark on a dangerous and passionate journey* I was not able to get permission from him since he is on a plane to over there. I thought what he had to say was VERY IMPORTANT so I wanted to share with you.
"Dear Friends and Family, I'm finally off to do what I've been dying to do for some time now (going to Iraq). And while the mathematical chance, coupled with my own juvenile sense of invincibility, requires that I can say with full confidence that nothing major will happen to me, I have been moved to leave behind the following thoughts. Some may be original, some rehashed, and most you have heard me rant about before, but I hope I can express them all as directly as possible. This is me at the age of 26, always learning, always changing, always growing.
On the Iraq war: Do I need to address WMD's? Are people still complaining that they didn't have any? Thank God for us they didn't. Three reasons we had every right and obligation to invade Iraq: 1) Saddam kicked out the weapons inspectors, whose mere presence was a condition for us not invading in '91. The day he kicked them out (especially after playing cat-and-mouse with them for years) we had a right to pick up where we left off. 2) They were shooting SAMs (surface-to-air-missiles) at our jets on an almost daily basis. I'm talking about the jets that were patrolling the northern and southern no-fly zones, that was also an agreed upon condition for us hitting the brakes in '91. Every single SAM fired was an act of war and if any other country in the world tried pulling that nonsense, we would mess them up! 3) Saddam was an evil dictator that brutalized his people and allowed them virtually no freedoms. The last Red Cross estimate I saw for the body count of people pulled out of mass graves was 300,000. A few years ago, I knew it'd only be a matter of time before I heard some nut actually defend that 'man', saying something like, "Yeah, but at least he kept the peace and we can't even do that!" And sure enough, I've heard that twice from a couple far-lefters in the last year. He kept his people down, that's for sure, and giving them freedom at first was like giving two angry pit bulls freedom after being caged side by side for years. But do any of you anti-war, anti-Bush people have any idea how historically huge it is for them to even have the right to vote? Our forefathers didn't necessarily fight for their own right to vote, but they fought more for all the generations after them to have that right. We are setting these people free! Thank God things are turning around over there now, and I think twenty years from now we'll mostly all agree that it was the right thing to do. The middle-east is basically the a**hole of the world, clinging on to the middle ages, but maybe one day Iraq will be the one country to realize that freedom is awesome and killing people because of their religion, or sexual preference, or doing "honor killings" to women is not cool. A few small countries aside, most of them hate us for loving freedom. This isn't even an "I'm right and you're wrong" thing because we say everyone can choose what they think is right or wrong, and then go out and choose your leaders accordingly. Even when the Palestinians elected Hamas as their governing body, we respected their right to vote and choose who they want to lead. (Stupid as they are for doing that)."
Brian is a very smart man and has some wisdom when he decides to share. I wonder what your response will be. Brian, I love you and will be praying my heart out for you and your safety!
"Dear Friends and Family, I'm finally off to do what I've been dying to do for some time now (going to Iraq). And while the mathematical chance, coupled with my own juvenile sense of invincibility, requires that I can say with full confidence that nothing major will happen to me, I have been moved to leave behind the following thoughts. Some may be original, some rehashed, and most you have heard me rant about before, but I hope I can express them all as directly as possible. This is me at the age of 26, always learning, always changing, always growing.
On the Iraq war: Do I need to address WMD's? Are people still complaining that they didn't have any? Thank God for us they didn't. Three reasons we had every right and obligation to invade Iraq: 1) Saddam kicked out the weapons inspectors, whose mere presence was a condition for us not invading in '91. The day he kicked them out (especially after playing cat-and-mouse with them for years) we had a right to pick up where we left off. 2) They were shooting SAMs (surface-to-air-missiles) at our jets on an almost daily basis. I'm talking about the jets that were patrolling the northern and southern no-fly zones, that was also an agreed upon condition for us hitting the brakes in '91. Every single SAM fired was an act of war and if any other country in the world tried pulling that nonsense, we would mess them up! 3) Saddam was an evil dictator that brutalized his people and allowed them virtually no freedoms. The last Red Cross estimate I saw for the body count of people pulled out of mass graves was 300,000. A few years ago, I knew it'd only be a matter of time before I heard some nut actually defend that 'man', saying something like, "Yeah, but at least he kept the peace and we can't even do that!" And sure enough, I've heard that twice from a couple far-lefters in the last year. He kept his people down, that's for sure, and giving them freedom at first was like giving two angry pit bulls freedom after being caged side by side for years. But do any of you anti-war, anti-Bush people have any idea how historically huge it is for them to even have the right to vote? Our forefathers didn't necessarily fight for their own right to vote, but they fought more for all the generations after them to have that right. We are setting these people free! Thank God things are turning around over there now, and I think twenty years from now we'll mostly all agree that it was the right thing to do. The middle-east is basically the a**hole of the world, clinging on to the middle ages, but maybe one day Iraq will be the one country to realize that freedom is awesome and killing people because of their religion, or sexual preference, or doing "honor killings" to women is not cool. A few small countries aside, most of them hate us for loving freedom. This isn't even an "I'm right and you're wrong" thing because we say everyone can choose what they think is right or wrong, and then go out and choose your leaders accordingly. Even when the Palestinians elected Hamas as their governing body, we respected their right to vote and choose who they want to lead. (Stupid as they are for doing that)."
Brian is a very smart man and has some wisdom when he decides to share. I wonder what your response will be. Brian, I love you and will be praying my heart out for you and your safety!
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
Crying it out
As I type this, I am preparing myself for a long night. You see the DR. has said that L is officially big enough to sleep through the night. She is well over the weight requirement to do so. He said that the quickest and best way for her to learn to sleep all night is to have about 3 rough nights of her doing some crying and then she would sleep. So tonight is the first official night that I will not pick her up when she wakes in the middle of the night. Do you think I can do this? I am not so sure. It kills me (as you moms know) to hear my baby crying, the instincts kick on and I have to respond! That is how humans have survived, the baby cries and the mommy stops the crying. But it is time for her to sleep and for me to too.
You also need to understand that I have been a special education teacher since Jan. of 2002. I have been working mostly with kids birth to 5 who have disabilities. And of the children who have disabilities, children who have Autism are my favorite kids to work with. So, for the last several years I have been telling parents to let their kids "cry it out"! It works! Intellectually I know this. I have let many students cry in my classroom and eventually they move beyond crying and we actually get work done. One student we will call A.
I was working in Early Intervention --- kids birth to 3. I went into the homes of the families and worked with the whole family. This was one of my favorite jobs!!! A had a form of Autism. I have no way of explaining this next thought, but it is what has helped me to help the kids I've worked with over the last several years. After working with a child for a while and getting to know the child, in my bones, I usually know when a kid can talk but won't because crying has always works. If crying no longer works, then the kid will talk. There is no science to this except that I just know when a kid will eventually talk. This boy, A, had not ever spoken. We could hear him cry out or laugh, but he would not use words to communicate. After being in the home for some time, I said "OK mom, this is it. I know he will speak if you make him speak. You pick one item that you know he wants more than anything. No matter how long it takes, do not give it to him until he speaks." Mom chose milk. When A said milk, he could have milk. Mom told me she was going to do this on a particular day. I wished her well and gave her a few words of encouragement. Then walked out the door as I said a little prayer. The next day I came back to their house and mom and nanny answered the door. She smiled and said, "He said milk!" Mom explained that the afternoon before, they saw him reaching for milk. They held it back and just kept repeating the word. He started crying and jumping up and down...but two and 1/2 hours later...yes, 2 1/2, he sighed and said, "MILK!" So you see, I know this works. I have encouraged crying out for many (not all) children who after some tears went on to learn many words and were finally able to communicate beyond grunts and cries!
But now I have my own daughter and feel the instincts kick in that I have been telling parents to ignore when we were working on specific situations with certain children. I had no idea the instinct was SO STRONG to respond to your own child. Well, here we go and I hope I can make it tonight. I know this will work. Since Matthew is home he is going to be my voice of reason in the night. Do men really not have the same kind of response as moms to the sound of a crying baby?
Here is a question for you. How did you finally get your child to sleep through the night?
Prayer Request: Dear God, Please be with my friend Julie who along with her family, are missionaries in Bolivia. There are major safety concerns there because of what is going on in the country. Please send angels to protect her and her family! In Jesus name, Amen.
Here is her blog to be updated:http://jjmarcum22.blogspot.com/ You can read about the concerns she has. She is there with her husband, and 3 daughters, along with, I think, 2 other families. PLEASE PRAY!!!!
You also need to understand that I have been a special education teacher since Jan. of 2002. I have been working mostly with kids birth to 5 who have disabilities. And of the children who have disabilities, children who have Autism are my favorite kids to work with. So, for the last several years I have been telling parents to let their kids "cry it out"! It works! Intellectually I know this. I have let many students cry in my classroom and eventually they move beyond crying and we actually get work done. One student we will call A.
I was working in Early Intervention --- kids birth to 3. I went into the homes of the families and worked with the whole family. This was one of my favorite jobs!!! A had a form of Autism. I have no way of explaining this next thought, but it is what has helped me to help the kids I've worked with over the last several years. After working with a child for a while and getting to know the child, in my bones, I usually know when a kid can talk but won't because crying has always works. If crying no longer works, then the kid will talk. There is no science to this except that I just know when a kid will eventually talk. This boy, A, had not ever spoken. We could hear him cry out or laugh, but he would not use words to communicate. After being in the home for some time, I said "OK mom, this is it. I know he will speak if you make him speak. You pick one item that you know he wants more than anything. No matter how long it takes, do not give it to him until he speaks." Mom chose milk. When A said milk, he could have milk. Mom told me she was going to do this on a particular day. I wished her well and gave her a few words of encouragement. Then walked out the door as I said a little prayer. The next day I came back to their house and mom and nanny answered the door. She smiled and said, "He said milk!" Mom explained that the afternoon before, they saw him reaching for milk. They held it back and just kept repeating the word. He started crying and jumping up and down...but two and 1/2 hours later...yes, 2 1/2, he sighed and said, "MILK!" So you see, I know this works. I have encouraged crying out for many (not all) children who after some tears went on to learn many words and were finally able to communicate beyond grunts and cries!
But now I have my own daughter and feel the instincts kick in that I have been telling parents to ignore when we were working on specific situations with certain children. I had no idea the instinct was SO STRONG to respond to your own child. Well, here we go and I hope I can make it tonight. I know this will work. Since Matthew is home he is going to be my voice of reason in the night. Do men really not have the same kind of response as moms to the sound of a crying baby?
Here is a question for you. How did you finally get your child to sleep through the night?
Prayer Request: Dear God, Please be with my friend Julie who along with her family, are missionaries in Bolivia. There are major safety concerns there because of what is going on in the country. Please send angels to protect her and her family! In Jesus name, Amen.
Here is her blog to be updated:http://jjmarcum22.blogspot.com/ You can read about the concerns she has. She is there with her husband, and 3 daughters, along with, I think, 2 other families. PLEASE PRAY!!!!
Tuesday, September 9, 2008
Organic
I have been noticing that quite a few of the blogs that I browse, women who are stay at home moms include some of the following topics:
1. making food from scratch
2. home schooling
3. growing and making own home foods/materials
4. lifting every thought up in prayer -- this is hugely important and will continue to strive for this always!
5. using cloth diapers
I am here to tell you that I:
1. make food from a box because I HATE to cook and bake
2. Wouldn't home school if you paid me...I don't have any patience to do that (I'm also a public school teacher and not sure if I even believe in home schooling)
3. look at a plant and it dies - and why would I make my own materials when I can but them at Target
4. frequently I forget to pray
Sometimes I read the blogs of people who are making pasta from scratch using whole grains while pulling their tomatoes from the garden to make the sauce. How do these women have the time and energy to accomplish these things? How do they just not run to Target to quickly buy household items and food? Am I failing as a wife and mother because I LOVE to eat the most processed food out there...Velveeta cheese block? Am I destroying the future for my daughter because I can hardly stand the smell of rice cereal poop and would rather throw the diaper out never to be seen again because if I see (or smell) that nasty diaper again, I will literally puke? Will my husband become an obese crippled man because I fed him green beans from a can rather than growing, harvesting and canning the beans myself? And foremost, how do these women find time to accomplish all of these organic, environmentally sound habits?!?!?!!? I can barely keep the house clean as it is.
Then I think to myself, it is the responsibility of each woman to decide what is best for her family. Each family has priorities and goals for their family that are God-inspired if the family is listening to God. I do have a recycling bin in which I recycle all the things I can think to put in there...plastic, glass, aluminum, etc. But if growing my own vegetables would mean that our family would starve, then I will buy the locally grown from the grocery store. If home schooling my child would mean that I might sell my child to the Gypsies (who are real by the way, they live in North Augusta, SC) then I will send my daughter to public school. If cooking from scratch means that Matthew would come home each day to a sobbing wife who already burns at least one meal per week, then we will eat meals from a box. I commend women whose gifts include gardening and baking and going all natural. However, these are not my gifts.
I am so glad that I live in a Christian community where each of our gifts can be celebrated and each person encouraged for who they are and how they best glorify God. I will let go of these guilty thoughts and be secure in the knowledge that God leads our home as well as the homes' of the friends who blog about and share what I think are amazing skills. This mommy eats Chick-Fil-A and Burger King. This mommy while nursing has about one soda per day. This mommy will love God with all her heart and celebrate the love of all the mommies who do their best for their children.
1. making food from scratch
2. home schooling
3. growing and making own home foods/materials
4. lifting every thought up in prayer -- this is hugely important and will continue to strive for this always!
5. using cloth diapers
I am here to tell you that I:
1. make food from a box because I HATE to cook and bake
2. Wouldn't home school if you paid me...I don't have any patience to do that (I'm also a public school teacher and not sure if I even believe in home schooling)
3. look at a plant and it dies - and why would I make my own materials when I can but them at Target
4. frequently I forget to pray
Sometimes I read the blogs of people who are making pasta from scratch using whole grains while pulling their tomatoes from the garden to make the sauce. How do these women have the time and energy to accomplish these things? How do they just not run to Target to quickly buy household items and food? Am I failing as a wife and mother because I LOVE to eat the most processed food out there...Velveeta cheese block? Am I destroying the future for my daughter because I can hardly stand the smell of rice cereal poop and would rather throw the diaper out never to be seen again because if I see (or smell) that nasty diaper again, I will literally puke? Will my husband become an obese crippled man because I fed him green beans from a can rather than growing, harvesting and canning the beans myself? And foremost, how do these women find time to accomplish all of these organic, environmentally sound habits?!?!?!!? I can barely keep the house clean as it is.
Then I think to myself, it is the responsibility of each woman to decide what is best for her family. Each family has priorities and goals for their family that are God-inspired if the family is listening to God. I do have a recycling bin in which I recycle all the things I can think to put in there...plastic, glass, aluminum, etc. But if growing my own vegetables would mean that our family would starve, then I will buy the locally grown from the grocery store. If home schooling my child would mean that I might sell my child to the Gypsies (who are real by the way, they live in North Augusta, SC) then I will send my daughter to public school. If cooking from scratch means that Matthew would come home each day to a sobbing wife who already burns at least one meal per week, then we will eat meals from a box. I commend women whose gifts include gardening and baking and going all natural. However, these are not my gifts.
I am so glad that I live in a Christian community where each of our gifts can be celebrated and each person encouraged for who they are and how they best glorify God. I will let go of these guilty thoughts and be secure in the knowledge that God leads our home as well as the homes' of the friends who blog about and share what I think are amazing skills. This mommy eats Chick-Fil-A and Burger King. This mommy while nursing has about one soda per day. This mommy will love God with all her heart and celebrate the love of all the mommies who do their best for their children.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Recovery
Matthew had surgery today and he did not die (see last post). He is alive and feeling it very much. The nurse at the hospital today said that the dr. was stingy with the meds as Matthew woke up from being knocked out. He woke up with a 9 on the pain scale of 1 - 10. So it took a while to get the pain under control which meant that his pulse and blood pressure were up. But after some time in recovery, he was good to go. As far as surgery, it was a success! He has a plate and some screws. He will be on bed rest for a minimum of one month. We (Lexi and I) continue to be glad that he is at home. He however, might become bored soon.
Thank you for you prayers! One very cool story about the prayers which were offered up today. Matthew had to be at the hospital at 8:15. They started him on fluids and I got hang with him until they wheeled him up for surgery. I was nervous about the day and just kept praying. As they wheeled Matthew away I was finally at peace about the surgery and was totally calm from then on out. We got home at about 4 pm. I looked at my phone and I had a missed call and voice mail from a gal at church (B.P.) Don't want to use her name just in case she would prefer not to be listed on the web. She was leaving a message to let us know she was thinking of us and then she prayed into the phone. Her prayer was for M's surgery, that he wouldn't have too much pain and that I would have peace. Do you know that at about the time she was praying into my voice mail was about the time that I finally had peace about this surgery. Did that give you goose bumps or as they say in Hawai'i - chicken skin? So God was definitely present in that hospital today thanks to all of you who prayed and trusted. Thank you for you prayers and thank you for your calls.
Matthew is on his way to running marathons again with this short interruption in our plans.
NJ moms who read this...do you know someone I could have come over to watch Lexi so I could get some housework done? Of course I would pay the person, but I just don't know who is available during the day. I just need some focused time to catch up on housework from the last week and 1/2.
Have a wonderfully wonderful day!
Thank you for you prayers! One very cool story about the prayers which were offered up today. Matthew had to be at the hospital at 8:15. They started him on fluids and I got hang with him until they wheeled him up for surgery. I was nervous about the day and just kept praying. As they wheeled Matthew away I was finally at peace about the surgery and was totally calm from then on out. We got home at about 4 pm. I looked at my phone and I had a missed call and voice mail from a gal at church (B.P.) Don't want to use her name just in case she would prefer not to be listed on the web. She was leaving a message to let us know she was thinking of us and then she prayed into the phone. Her prayer was for M's surgery, that he wouldn't have too much pain and that I would have peace. Do you know that at about the time she was praying into my voice mail was about the time that I finally had peace about this surgery. Did that give you goose bumps or as they say in Hawai'i - chicken skin? So God was definitely present in that hospital today thanks to all of you who prayed and trusted. Thank you for you prayers and thank you for your calls.
Matthew is on his way to running marathons again with this short interruption in our plans.
NJ moms who read this...do you know someone I could have come over to watch Lexi so I could get some housework done? Of course I would pay the person, but I just don't know who is available during the day. I just need some focused time to catch up on housework from the last week and 1/2.
Have a wonderfully wonderful day!
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Surgery
Matthew goes in for surgery on Monday. Matthew did an excellent job at making sure his foot was VERY broken. It will be an in and out procedure in only 1/2 a day. Lexi and I will be waiting at the hospital just hanging out to be there after he comes out of recovery. I have a superstition that my step-mom agrees to; if you discuss the worst case, then the worst case will not happen. Matthew thinks I am silly for thinking this way, but you do what you have to. So here is the worst case...
Matthew has a reaction to the medicine. He is unable to wake up and ends up dying. I have to call family to tell them that Matthew is dead and then plan a funeral while taking care of his daughter left behind from this terrible situation. I have to raise her making sure that she knows her daddy loved her and adored her while not holding a dead man over her whom she doesn't remember knowing. Balance between holding his memory for her and letting go since he is gone.
Ladies from Transformed moms, this is where my anxiety really comes into play and I am not so great at keeping it in check.
Alright, now that is out there, all will be fine. Matthew will be home for 4 to 8 weeks depending on recovery and what the Dr says. He is pretty out of it because of the meds. So please say a prayer for me to be patient with him. I don't understand! Anytime I have something medically going on (having a baby) Matthew is patient and does whatever I need. When he is injured, I get very impatient and just want him to act normal. So please pray that I will SERVE him and make his life better by serving him while he is down. My priority is to make him as happy and as comfortable as possible. He is in pain or very out of it (medicine head) so pray that the pain passes quickly and that he doesn't have to go to rehab when his foot is healed because of the very good meds he is on. :).
One huge blessing, his work is leaving him alone. They are making sure that he has the time to recover.
Another big life thing going on, Brian, one of my brothers is on his way to the sand box in about week and 1/2. He has volunteered and is very excited about serving his country. We are going to send him cards and boxes to keep him excited. He is going to be with he Army National Guard. He is a good man who wants to serve his country while taking care of the bad guys! He needs prayers for honor, strength and courage. He will be over there for just under one year. We love him and hope that this mission goes well for him!
Matthew has a reaction to the medicine. He is unable to wake up and ends up dying. I have to call family to tell them that Matthew is dead and then plan a funeral while taking care of his daughter left behind from this terrible situation. I have to raise her making sure that she knows her daddy loved her and adored her while not holding a dead man over her whom she doesn't remember knowing. Balance between holding his memory for her and letting go since he is gone.
Ladies from Transformed moms, this is where my anxiety really comes into play and I am not so great at keeping it in check.
Alright, now that is out there, all will be fine. Matthew will be home for 4 to 8 weeks depending on recovery and what the Dr says. He is pretty out of it because of the meds. So please say a prayer for me to be patient with him. I don't understand! Anytime I have something medically going on (having a baby) Matthew is patient and does whatever I need. When he is injured, I get very impatient and just want him to act normal. So please pray that I will SERVE him and make his life better by serving him while he is down. My priority is to make him as happy and as comfortable as possible. He is in pain or very out of it (medicine head) so pray that the pain passes quickly and that he doesn't have to go to rehab when his foot is healed because of the very good meds he is on. :).
One huge blessing, his work is leaving him alone. They are making sure that he has the time to recover.
Another big life thing going on, Brian, one of my brothers is on his way to the sand box in about week and 1/2. He has volunteered and is very excited about serving his country. We are going to send him cards and boxes to keep him excited. He is going to be with he Army National Guard. He is a good man who wants to serve his country while taking care of the bad guys! He needs prayers for honor, strength and courage. He will be over there for just under one year. We love him and hope that this mission goes well for him!
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Broken
I suppose a broken foot is way to get to spend time with Matthew. Since he has been on recruiting duty, Matthew has worked about 14 to 16 hour days, 6 days per week. This has been very hard on him and Lexi and I miss him! We got married because we really enjoyed being around one another, so this stinks. However, on Friday he was playing softball with all the other recruiters. he went to catch a pop fly and caught his foot on a tuft of grass. As he hyper-extended his foot, he also broke it. The Dr. called it a spiral fracture which means that he broke the bone and then the two broken pieces twisted away from one another. He has been in lots of pain! The good part is that he is at home! We actually get to see him for sometime! He is on bed rest for at least a week and will probably be longer after he sees the Ortho. Dr. on Tuesday. it stinks that his foot is broken and that he hurts, but it sure is great to see that man that I love!
Did I mention that he made the out while breaking his foot? What a man!
Did I mention that he made the out while breaking his foot? What a man!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Officially Old
I am officially old and this is how I know...
I only have housewife things to blog about on this blog
MTV drives me crazy
Kids now have no idea what "Back to the Future" is
I have a whisker
I can only drive at night while wearing my glasses
I don't like to see peoples' bras or underwear when out in public
I must always wear a bra because my "ladies" are now babyfied (you gals know what I mean)
My big concerns are which cleaners are cleaning best
I need to have at least 8 hours of sleep and will hopefully be getting that soon...Lexi will sleep through the night
My belly will never again see the light of day due to the incredible inability of my skin to stretch
I think about things like cholesterol
I have to sleep with a pillow between my knees
I get excited about new furniture
How do you know you are old?
I only have housewife things to blog about on this blog
MTV drives me crazy
Kids now have no idea what "Back to the Future" is
I have a whisker
I can only drive at night while wearing my glasses
I don't like to see peoples' bras or underwear when out in public
I must always wear a bra because my "ladies" are now babyfied (you gals know what I mean)
My big concerns are which cleaners are cleaning best
I need to have at least 8 hours of sleep and will hopefully be getting that soon...Lexi will sleep through the night
My belly will never again see the light of day due to the incredible inability of my skin to stretch
I think about things like cholesterol
I have to sleep with a pillow between my knees
I get excited about new furniture
How do you know you are old?
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Blessed
I am stealing the title from my friend K. To be a happy and content person, we have to constantly count our many blessings. Remember the song, "Count your many blessings name them one by one. Count your many blessings, see what God has done. Count your blessings, name them one by one. Count your many blessings see what God has done." So the following is a list of blessings provided by God...
1. Matthew, he is such a amazing husband. Sometimes I wonder how we ended up having such a great marriage after dating and being married in only 4 1/2 months. Then I think, we both had GOD!
2. Lexi -- She is so fabulous. She is one of the most easy going babies I have ever met. She is happy and content most of the time. I think God had her in his plan for us because when she is upset and crying, I don't do that well. I get stressed and make it worse.
3. Lexi is getting on a routine -- wake up, nap 2 hours later, wake up, nap 2 hours later, wake up and then head to bed. This means I have time each day that I can now count on to get things done. Then in the evenings Matthew and I have a few moments together.
4. Matthew comes home each day
5. Matthew has a job which does not rely on the economy so we have no concern for $$$ for our food and home.
6. Lexi will get to grow up with her aunt and uncle who are so sweet and cheerful
7. Though we have lots of steps and 2nd/3rd marriages in our families, this means that Lexi has LOTS of people who love her!
8. We have a church congregation who loves us and who we adore. Pitman c of C is awesome!
9. God answers prayers!
10. My dog Mac
11. Friends -- because we live so far from most of our family, friends become hugely important
12. FAMILY!!! We have great family here in NJ who we have gotten to spend lots of time with since moving here 4 years ago. We also have family in the South, in Bermuda, in Australia, in New Mexico, California, Minnesota, WY, Kansas, Missouri, TX, and on and on. We love our family and so appreciate them.
13. Honestly, I love watching TV!
14. Our country! I love America and am so grateful to be able to live here.
15. Brian will be safe while serving in Iraq. I am so proud of the fact that he is serving something bigger than himself. He is so great to be willing to go and get the bad guys!
16. Was able to visit Brandon while in EOD school. He is serving his counrty in a way that few people do!
So many more, these are the ones I have time to post right now while the baby sleeps. Here are a few of my blessings...
My baby brother
The sexy husband I married holding the most precious baby girl
L'sGodparents
Matthew and L
Baby girl with her twin buddies
1. Matthew, he is such a amazing husband. Sometimes I wonder how we ended up having such a great marriage after dating and being married in only 4 1/2 months. Then I think, we both had GOD!
2. Lexi -- She is so fabulous. She is one of the most easy going babies I have ever met. She is happy and content most of the time. I think God had her in his plan for us because when she is upset and crying, I don't do that well. I get stressed and make it worse.
3. Lexi is getting on a routine -- wake up, nap 2 hours later, wake up, nap 2 hours later, wake up and then head to bed. This means I have time each day that I can now count on to get things done. Then in the evenings Matthew and I have a few moments together.
4. Matthew comes home each day
5. Matthew has a job which does not rely on the economy so we have no concern for $$$ for our food and home.
6. Lexi will get to grow up with her aunt and uncle who are so sweet and cheerful
7. Though we have lots of steps and 2nd/3rd marriages in our families, this means that Lexi has LOTS of people who love her!
8. We have a church congregation who loves us and who we adore. Pitman c of C is awesome!
9. God answers prayers!
10. My dog Mac
11. Friends -- because we live so far from most of our family, friends become hugely important
12. FAMILY!!! We have great family here in NJ who we have gotten to spend lots of time with since moving here 4 years ago. We also have family in the South, in Bermuda, in Australia, in New Mexico, California, Minnesota, WY, Kansas, Missouri, TX, and on and on. We love our family and so appreciate them.
13. Honestly, I love watching TV!
14. Our country! I love America and am so grateful to be able to live here.
15. Brian will be safe while serving in Iraq. I am so proud of the fact that he is serving something bigger than himself. He is so great to be willing to go and get the bad guys!
16. Was able to visit Brandon while in EOD school. He is serving his counrty in a way that few people do!
So many more, these are the ones I have time to post right now while the baby sleeps. Here are a few of my blessings...
My baby brother
The sexy husband I married holding the most precious baby girl
L'sGodparents
Matthew and L
Baby girl with her twin buddies
Saturday, July 19, 2008
So I used to be one of those people who made fun of the people who had big parties for their kids. WHat in the world do little kids need big parties for? Well, now I need to make fun of myself and eat my past words. We had a Welcome to the World party for Lexi. At the party, we had her God Parents do a little ceremony and dedicate themselves to Lexi as lights in her life. We had cake, food, and just fun getting together. Aunt Jeanne was a huge help in planning and preparing for Lexi's big day! Grandma Chelle, Aunite Rebecca and Auntie Hannah flew in for the big day! We had lots of our New Jersey family there to join in on the fun. And thanks for Aunt Mia who planned the God Parent ceremony. We will not dobig crazy Birthday parties, but a kid needs a few big days...Welcome to the World, Graduation, Wedding...you know the big stuff! I was happy to be able to do this for our baby!
Have fun looking at the pics.
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