The start of something...

Treasures here or there

2009-01-23T23:25:00.002-05:00

This past Sunday was a good sermon so I feel compelled to write about it. It was about storing up treasures here on earth. It was actually a really good one because I have had the "pleasure" of helping my mom go through all of her things as she prepares to move for the "LAST" time. We both found ourselves asking what attachment is there to this or that item. The verse the pastor used for this

Surprise...

2009-01-21T02:26:00.002-05:00

I thought I would blog to update everyone on our lives since it has been FOREVER since I blogged last. So since the last time I blogged about all of us, both boys have started school, we had Thanksgiving AND Christmas and many many activities in between. I guess the biggest adjustment this year for me personally has been having free time to do what I want while Josh is at school. Strangely I

Hi BAMBI!!!!

2009-01-08T01:16:00.001-05:00

I promise I will write something more later...too late right now.

Cardboard Testimonies

2008-10-19T14:47:00.004-05:00

So we had quite a service last week and the best way for me to tell you about it is to let you see it.If you don't have time to watch all of the service, at least let the video load and pause it...wait a couple of minutes and move the slider to where it takes you 22:00 into the video.So here it is:I hope you enjoy.Our associate pastor Mark is singing at the beginning and his wife was with us that

Everything I have learned, I learned from a child...

2008-09-05T21:50:00.002-05:00

I have learned so much since having children that I thought I already knew. My children constantly challenge me in my faith and in my knowledge, not to mention my explanation skills.Since Sam was 3 he has wondered about Heaven and how to get there because he was so close to his great grandma when she died in 2004. When she passed we told him that great grandma was in Heaven watching down on us

2008-08-12T21:07:00.002-05:00

I stumbled on this article by way of someone else's blog and thought it was so good, I thought I would share. It is written by Anne Jackson who serves on staff at Cross Point Church in Nashville, Tennessee. Her book, Mad Church Disease , will be available in February 2009. Anne’s articles have been published in a variety of print and online magazines, and her blog, FlowerDust.net , is ranked as

Just Hold On...

2008-08-01T22:30:00.002-05:00

So many times I’ve questioned certain circumstancesOr things I could not understandMany times in trials, weakness blurs my visionAnd my frustrations get so out of handIt’s then I am reminded I’ve never been forsakenI’ve never had to stand the test aloneAs I look at all the victories, the Spirit rises up in meIt’s through the fire my weakness is made strongAnd He never promised the cross would not

Forgiveness is not an emotion, it's a decision.

2008-05-18T17:42:00.003-05:00

Forgiveness is not an emotion, it's a decision. Randall WorleyForgiveness does not change the past, but it does enlarge the future. Paul BoeseTo forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you. Lewis B. SmedesWithout forgiveness life is governed by... an endless cycle of resentment and retaliation. Roberto AssagioliThis sermon is a little hard to summarize but I will

Don't you blog anymore?!?!

2008-05-11T17:09:00.002-05:00

I hear this over and over and I guess I just got lazy or didn't have a lot to share. I do still go to church and there have been several sermons that I thought I would write about but I get distracted by life and put it on the back burner. Well...today you are in for a treat...2 sermons wrapped into one.A couple of weeks ago the sermon was titled "The next 30 years". It was about whether we

You Know me better than I know myself

2008-02-17T12:45:00.003-05:00

That was the topic of the sermon today. The pastor talked about the 3 people that we are:The person we really areThe person we want to be The person we will becomeGod sees us from the inside out. The following verses from Psalms 139 sum up what it means to be really seen by God. David in this Psalms ends it with the prayer at the end...Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my

New Pictures of the Boys...

2008-02-01T21:13:00.000-05:00

I just got my pictures from Walmart and thought I would share. I will write more later. I don't know why some are larger than others.

Even if I could but should I?

2008-01-09T13:55:00.000-05:00

That was the sermon from 2 weeks ago that I promised to write about. It was a good one and one that clears up a ton of questions for me personally and it will also help me in answering questions from friends. Again the pastor brought out all of the questions we sometimes ask about our walk with Christ (in no particular order). Can you play playing cards, go to movies, smoke or go to bars with

NO MORE AFRICA...

2008-01-01T23:11:00.000-05:00

I know...I know...It has been awhile since I blogged and I realized how long when I thought about all that has happened since my last blog. So here it goes...It might take a couple of blogs to catch everyone up. One of the first things that happened is Samuel had his school play. Now I might not normally blog about it but he had some interesting things to say. First I asked him for over a

More of Africa...

2007-11-21T10:19:00.000-05:00

So I feel like I didn't really get to show you all I wanted about Africa. It was an awesome experience that we could have never done without the financial support of so many that handed us $50 here or there. THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU. I also know that we had a ton of people praying for us while we were gone. I mostly appreciate this while we were air born. I must say that was the

Relaxed and Renewed...

2007-11-12T22:03:00.000-05:00

Well that was the plan for this past weekend. I went on the ladies retreat with the church. We went to Sugarcreek aka. Amish country. I do feel renewed but extremely tired. We had a WONDERFUL time and we had an awesome speaker, Tammy Lashey of Calling Levi. She spoke about God's plan for our lives and how we often live in the "woe is me" world. It is like we set up camp where the enemy is

Once in a lifetime...

2007-10-28T19:54:00.000-05:00

That is the statement I have used the most in the last 2 weeks. We just returned from SOUTH AFRICA!!! I said several times to Wayne...Can you believe we are in AFRICA?!? It was absolutely wonderful and amazing. Someone asked me this morning at church if I could describe it in one word and I said amazing but I was thinking perspective. I know a strange word but it is a honest summary. It

The much awaited...

2007-09-20T20:37:00.000-05:00

That is right...I am back. Well at least for tonight. I have been scolded by a few for the lack of posts of late. I have been BUSY. Since blogging last, I made a quick trip to Dallas (Left on Friday morning, came back Monday). AND I DROVE with TWO KIDS by MYSELF. It actually went really well...the kids were angels most of the time. I had to see my brother and his family before baby Lauren

Take You through the Fire

2007-08-27T16:22:00.000-05:00

This week has been a renewal of spirit for much of our church as well as trying time for some members in the "church" of Christ. We had the opportunity to help out the community this week and it was not only rewarding for the people we helped but also for the 700+ that signed up to help. Our church did a restoration weekend with the theme of "Don't just GO to church, BE the church" and the

2007-08-15T21:34:00.000-05:00

So if you read my mom's blog you know that we had a very busy weekend. I was in charge of your family reunion this year for the Grate Family, mainly because NO ONE likes to do it and I thought that I would plan something for the younger generation. So after being elected as president last year, I went searching the internet for the perfect spot...I found it Hocking Hills Family Fun Center,

I'm back....

2007-08-02T19:55:00.000-05:00

Well sort of...I don't really have too much to write which is surprising considering I have so much going on right now. Since my last post Wayne and I spent a week painting my grandparents condo, we made 2 trip to Indianapolis, and we are in the midst of planning the Grate reunion. When I sit down at night I really don't feel like writing. So why today? I guess because my brother blogged,

HE IS 6!!!

2007-07-18T18:04:00.000-05:00

That is right...my baby is 6. Time really does fly by. I am posting a few pictures of the day...so enjoy. I would write more but I am exhausted, we had almost 40 people here at our house. It was great to have so many people from church and I am excited to see them all grow up in the church together.

Tagged by Kelley

2007-06-28T14:09:00.000-05:00

My cousin Kelley tagged me to tell 8 interesting facts about myself...I have almost electrocuted myself twice, once with my mom’s car keys and once with a bobby pin. Which to most will explain everything…I am a “prove it to me” person…see above…I don’t think I REALLY believed sticking something shiny in the outlet would hurt because I did it TWICE!When I was younger the neighbor’s used to refer

VBS

2007-06-25T14:08:00.000-05:00

So this past week was VBS at our church and we had a few kids show up...OK a lot of kids. In fact I think they said that on Wednesday we had 255 kids plus the 80+ workers. I am posting a few pictures of the events which included my father-in-law coming on stilts and doing "Roper Rick".

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?

2007-06-20T20:30:00.000-05:00

Nice title I thought since I have been absent from the blog world for a few weeks. I really have no excuse. Strangely...I haven't had too many requests for a new blog. HmmmmmSo I decided to blog anyway because I have had a few people ask about the kitchen...well....IT IS DONE!!!The picture with the 2 doors is my NEW PANTRY! It is amazing. I can reach it from either side. Right below where

Saved and Sanctified

2007-05-29T23:11:00.000-05:00

This week's sermon was a much needed explanation of what it means to be sanctified with Christ. I always thought I explained it fairly well as letting God have complete control of your life...the "Jesus take the wheel" mentality but the pastor this week explained it better. Being sanctified means to "set apart" from the world. LOOK!!! this next statement sums it up...Saved is God giving

Why do we need to read it?

2007-05-23T23:35:00.000-05:00

That was the question this week at church...Why do we need to read the bible? Is there really anything in there that pertains to me and my life in the year 2007? Why? Here is why:2 Timothy 3:15-17 (New International Version) 15 and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16All Scripture is God-breathed

Amazing Song...Amazing Singer...

2007-05-12T22:06:00.000-05:00

Tonight I heard the most beautiful song and it was sung by my cousin Kelley at the mother-daughter banquet. The words kind of sum up how I have been feeling about my faith and where I am scared I will end up. I don't ever want to lose my passion for Christ...it seems that when people are most on fire for Christ is early in their walk and then it slowly dwindles away, not intentional but as a

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

2007-05-10T11:52:00.000-05:00

You sure have gotten "OLD" er...I thought I would blog about this wonderful guy that I know. He is not only a great person, a great son, husband and dad but he is also a great brother. I hope that you know what a wonderful person that you are and that I love you for being the rock and supporter of our family. I am so proud of you for pushing through everything that you have been through. I

God Planned Surprises...

2007-05-06T21:01:00.000-05:00

I say this because today a couple of prayers of mine have been answered and something that I have had on my brain for the last couple of weeks was preached about today. God has to be smiling. Don't you just marvel at the way he works sometimes...I was have been kind of worried about the money for the Africa trip while we have been remodeling the kitchen and today someone approached me at

Happy Birthday Mom!

2007-05-03T22:18:00.000-05:00

"Happy Birthday" means much more Than have a happy day. Within these words lie lots of things I never get to say. It means I love you first of all, Then thanks for all you do. It means you mean a lot to me, And that I'm proud of you. I really am proud of you and all that you have accomplished as a single mom of three kids. Tonight as I was

Finally...

2007-04-26T22:29:00.000-05:00

I know it has been awhile but if you have read the last few posts you will know that we are working on our kitchen. I would like to be able to tell everyone that it is finished but it isn't. We are still working on it and I will not post any more pictures until it is finished. But I couldn't let another week go by without my sermon summary.So this is actually from 2 weeks ago when Pastor

2 POST IN ONE DAY!!!

2007-04-14T21:14:00.000-05:00

I am posting this as a quick pictorial update of the kitchen.BEFORE.Destruction...AFTER (REMEMBER IT IS STILL A WORK IN PROGRESS)

Toy Story...

2007-04-14T13:52:00.000-05:00

So I am sure some of you have read my mom's blog about the snake story that Josh told Sam, if you haven't you should. Anyway...I thought I should share a funny story about Sam. He has been watching a lot of the movie Toy Story and for christmas this year they got Buzz and Woody, the characters from the movie. And if you have seen the movie you know that there is a bit of a war over territory

Must have...

2007-04-11T14:14:00.000-05:00

Since so many of you have asked about where I find these deals, here is a quick list of the must have links on your computer if you are going to shop for either groceries or online for non-grocery items.http://www.thegrocerygame.com/ This is the site that I use for all of my great grocery shopping deals. The message boards on this site are priceless for non-grocery deals. (you don't have to

Just had to share...

2007-04-08T20:30:00.000-05:00

We got Samuel's school pictures and as you can see he looks a bit older than 5. He is growing up so fast. I knew it was going to happen but it hit me this week as I watched as he braved getting his tonsils out with the bravery that not even some adults have. He said he had to be brave for Josh, who also had tonsils out the same day. He was very understanding of the process and told us many

I came back!

2007-04-02T20:14:00.000-05:00

That has been the topic of many discussions over the last month or so. I have discussed with several people who were raised "in" the church, as I have, about why we all came back to the church. I guess it all starts as to why we left in the first place. I left to find out what I believed for myself. Sure I found a few things that were fun in the process or activities that seemed to bring me

MY MOM POSTED....CLICK ON HER LINK

2007-03-27T21:31:00.001-05:00

I MUST BE CRAZY!!!

2007-03-24T17:51:00.000-05:00

That is what I have heard most of this week when I tell everyone what is going on around here. We are taking both kids in on Thursday to have their tonsils removed. To compound the problem, Wayne is most likely working this next weekend and we have almost completely gutted our kitchen for a month long remodel project. I say a month with much optimism. I didn't realize how much I rely on my

Example of Great couponing...

2007-03-16T21:51:00.000-05:00

So tonight I had a great find...I spent a total of 20.27 and I saved 104.81 and this is how. Kroger's this week has their Pillsbury items on sale for 10/$10 and I had a lot of coupons for these plus if you bought 10 you get $5.00 off your next order. So I rang up the first 10 and paid for them, with coupons my total was 5.00 and I got my 5.00 off my next shopping order. So I rang up the next

GROCERY COUPONS!!!

2007-03-15T21:19:00.000-05:00

So I figure the title will get a few of you reading because I know for a fact that there are a few stockpilers and couponers in our midst. I have to say that this whole concept is new to me and I would have never tried it had it not been for my sister-in-law and her closet of anything and everything you can imagine and most of them were free or almost free. So I set out on adventure that has

I didn't make it...but Wayne did

2007-03-04T20:34:00.000-05:00

Strange title and a great sermon this past Sunday. The pastor had a wonderful illustration for the whole congregation. I am going to try to relay what happened but it was definitely a service that was better witnessed first hand. It started out simple enough. We were all handed a card when we entered the sanctuary with 3 questions for salvationDo you admit that you are a sinner and that you

Why?

2007-02-25T12:34:00.000-05:00

Why? That is the question the pastor put out there this morning...why are we here? What is our purpose? We live the first 20+ years of our lives in what we can accomplish first...our first house, our first car, our first house/apartment, our first love...our momentum of life is all about firsts. It is more about what we can achieve, how much money we can obtain, what social status we hold,

Out of Control

2007-02-25T00:06:00.000-05:00

So the title says it all. I feel out of control of what is happening in my life and in the life of others around me. I have watching the Buck/Grate family struggle with their lives and their many obstacles and wondered what would I do if I were them, what could you do? This week has got me thinking a lot about the power that I hold in my own life. I have realized that I don't have any

Pray for more...

2007-02-11T14:30:00.000-05:00

So today's sermon was on praying and making sure it is not just a routine prayer. We have had a similar sermon earlier this year from Pastor Powell but today the sermon was preached by Brent Fox, our new youth pastor. They had a skit that I thought I would try to redo here...if possible.This is a one man praying...he starts out...Our Father which art in heaven...YES, son?Baffled the man looks

2007-02-04T22:43:00.000-05:00

Current Conditions Updated: 1153 PM EDT SUN FEB 4 2007 Sun & Moon Information Clear Temp: 1°F

New Blog...Aren't you excited?!?!

2007-01-25T14:22:00.000-05:00

So this is going to be my weekly sermon summary...This week's sermon was from Joshua 24:15"As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord"He spoke mostly to the parents in the audience who are trying to raise their children in the church. He talked on how we need to be responsible to God in order to produce Godly children. What our children are being taught in all other aspects of their daily

Memories

2007-01-17T23:24:00.001-05:00

Hi...the pictures I had up here was messing up my page so I have taken them down...I will post them on an older blog later...Check back for location.

Bad week...

2007-01-15T14:53:00.000-05:00

So my week or weekend was the pits to say the least. I have cried so much that the tears won't even fall anymore. I don't know what I thought it would be like to lose a parent but I didn't expect it to be this hard. I feel nothing right now...numb most people would say. I am not sure how long it will last. This whole thing has opened my eyes to what death can do to a family. I would like

It is finished...

2007-01-12T00:06:00.000-05:00

The battle is over...January 11, 2007 at 9:20 am, my father passed away. He went very peacefully, thank God. I want to thank everyone for all of their thoughts and prayers. He leaves behind his wife Loretta, his sons, John, Tom and Justin and me, his daughter. He will be missed for years to come by his grandchildren, Kaitlyn, Samuel, Joshua, Tyler and Lauren (his unborn grandchild). This

Sermon Notes...

2007-01-09T15:02:00.000-05:00

So I haven't written about the sermon lately...mostly because we haven't been to church. Since we have been back from vacation at Thanksgiving we have been to church, I think twice because of sickness and holiday celebrations. So this Sunday I was ready for a good sermon and I was not let down. The pastor spoke on making vows/resolutions and keeping them. He shared his vows for the new year..

This year's resolution...

2007-01-02T21:19:00.000-05:00

I want this year to be a year of kept promises and living for today and not tomorrow. If you have been reading my blogs over this last year you know that my tomorrows are becoming less important than what is happening "today". The pastor this past week talked about making more time for the things that are important to us. If we try to cram in everything that the doctor's say we need, sleep,

Christmas....

2006-12-20T22:48:00.000-05:00

So it is almost here and maybe, just maybe, Santa got a little carried away this year. I told myself a dozen times that Santa doesn't make what grandpa Santa makes but I didn't let that stop me. I blame it all on Amazon. I am addicted. There are probably support groups for people like me who find Amazon...start shopping....and can't stop. And the worst part or the best part (depending on

Running behind...

2006-12-12T21:44:00.000-05:00

I seem to be running behind on the whole Christmas season. I haven't sent out cards with our nice picture on it nor have I decorated one thing in my entire house. Don't think that our house has not been decorated, it has, by my husband. He hung Christmas lights around the house, put up the Christmas tree and decorated it better than I have (don't tell him that), and he put out christmas"y"

2 Weeks and no post...

2006-12-04T12:37:00.000-05:00

Well it has been awhile since my last post and it seems that a lot has happened. I would like to say that I was so busy that I didn't have time to blog, but not true. I have been putting it off for fear no one would read. My life at this particular time is not one full of a lot of jokes and I don't want people to feel sorry for me. But today I decided...too bad. This is what is going on,

And life goes on...

2006-11-16T21:16:00.000-05:00

It is weird to me how everyone else's life seems to be moving along when mine seems to have slowed way down and everything takes on a whole new meaning. As mentioned in many of my other blog entries, my dad has terminal cancer. We were told on September 1st that the cancer from 2 years ago that he had in his lung (which they said they got it all) had re-occured in his brain and liver. At the

"How Long?"

2006-11-13T20:57:00.000-05:00

"How Long?" seems like a fitting title for this blog. It has been the theme of the weekend. Starting on Thursday we have been asking "How Long?" How Long will my dad be having a seizure? How long will it take for them to get it to stop? How long will it take for us to get him to Riverside? How long will it take for the doctors to tell us what is going on? How long will be he be in the

BRAVO AGAIN!

2006-11-06T20:28:00.000-05:00

My report...I am cancer free. I still have to do a followup mammogram in 6 months so don't quit praying. Side note: I finally got my favorite song to uploaded on here....I hope you enjoy it.

BRAVO GOD!!!

2006-11-05T18:05:00.000-05:00

I can't even begin to explain the weekend that I just had. This is going to be a long entry. It was probably the most amazing thing spiritually that has happened to me since I was in jr. high church camp. I went on the Ladies' retreat for our church over in Sugarcreek Ohio this weekend and it was such wonderful experience. I have to admit that for me personally I was thinking...how fun can

I must be doing something right....

2006-11-03T00:21:00.000-05:00

So tonight was interesting....I was driving to Columbus tonight to have dinner with my mom (This experience I will save for another post), Samuel and I had a really good conversation. He was looking up in the sky and saw the moon and said, "That moon reminds me of great-great grammy" Now if you have read my other posts you will know that he has been greiving her death for 3 years TODAY...(

Tip...

2006-10-23T21:17:00.000-05:00

So my topic for tonight will not be as controversial or as serious as the past few. But I am wanting to know what you think...This weekend we went to Red Lobster with my family and as we have said in the past...when you take my mom...expect bad service, cold food or something wrong with your food. So this time we were blessed with somewhat bad food but mostly bad service. It all started early

My Job or someone else's

2006-10-17T08:09:00.000-05:00

Where is the line? Where is the line between being critical of someone and pointing out things that everyone has been thinking and not saying so that the person can better themselves? I struggle with this line. For instance, do you tell someone late in the day that they have a pair of underwear sticking out of the bottom of their pant leg when it is obvious that they have had them stuck there

Looking ahead...

2006-10-14T21:37:00.000-05:00

Tonight I decided to go watch a band that I used to go every weekend and hear play at the local bars. So as I stepped into the bar tonight I went in with a different purpose than before. This time I wasn't there to party but I was there to get to know them and for them to get to know me. I was in a bible study recently and a gentleman that comes said we need to get to know the non-christians.

Quick Update...

2006-10-04T22:51:00.000-05:00

So...where do I start? My dad is losing his hair. I guess I wasn't prepared for it. It made this whole thing real. I told my mom that when I went to hug him goodbye today I had about 20 or 30 strands of his hair stuck to my face. Joshua went with me and I had to brush him off after we got in the car. I thought that the hair only fell out after chemo but I guess the radiation that they did

It has been awhile...

2006-10-01T17:07:00.000-05:00

I know...it has been awhile since you have heard from me. I just couldn't think of anything to blog about. I thought about blogging about how blessed I was...but that was taken, I thought about telling you how my blog life and real life have collided, but it was taken. I was going to share how my mom sold her house but I didn't want to steal her moment or her topic for blogging. I was going

WOW....we look so different...

2006-09-21T22:31:00.000-05:00

So I am doing a little album for my dad of memories of his life and our lives. So I was scanning some pictures in and I thought I would share with everyone what we looked like as kids...WE WERE DARN CUTE...This is John as a baby.This is Tom.And last by certainly not least...me.OK ONE MORE....

Long awaited...

2006-09-17T21:36:00.000-05:00

I know...it has been awhile since I blogged last but I have been busy or pre-occupied.Let me start with...I had a blast the other night with the ladies again from church doing the pottery painting thing. This time I felt like an old pro at the color selections and it took me no time to decide what to paint and how. I think I could really get into this. The trip down there was fun and scary

How many in your INBOX?

2006-09-07T21:25:00.000-05:00

So...I was doing a little computer cleaning, mainly the inbox on my email and realized that I had 119 in my inbox and after looking at each one I realized that there is really no place for them. I mean they don't belong in the "important" folder or the "online bill" folder or the "family history " folder. I don't feel like creating folders for every email like the "funny" folder, the "cute"

Keeping you posted...

2006-09-04T21:19:00.000-05:00

So my dad still has cancer. I was hoping that this morning I would wake up and it would be some kind of mistake. The fact is the CT scan came back and said he not only has brain cancer but he also has it in his liver. He was supposed to have a biopsy tomorrow but because of all of the aspirin and blood thinning medicine that they have given him in the hospital, they have to postpone it until

The rest of the story...

2006-09-02T20:26:00.000-05:00

So...my week got worse...I know hard to believe. Well not really worse but a steady bad. On Friday at 12:00, about 24 hours from taking Samuel to Urgent Care, I was back in there with Josh. That's right Josh. It seems that we have an imaginary bump in our living room that he managed to trip over. Unfortnately he didn't get his hands down in time to catch himself before his mouth bounced

What a week!!!

2006-08-31T23:23:00.000-05:00

I was going to curse in the title but I decided that it wouldn't make my week any better nor would it make me feel better. I have a really REALLY bad week. Let's start with Monday night as I was sitting in the Chinese restaurant eating and the waitress comes over and says she has an emergency phone call for me. It is my brother, Tom, letting me know that my dad has just had a stroke and he

I was alseep until I woke up

2006-08-25T23:35:00.000-05:00

Weird title, I know but have you ever said something like that...I have to say it wasn't me who said it but it made me laugh...Like I was watching TV until I turned it off...It is one of those "DUH" moments. For instance...today I went to Applebees with some friends for a birthday lunch and I had bought a cake for after the meal and so I asked the lady cleaning the tables..."Do you have any

Pottery Outing...

2006-08-22T16:14:00.000-05:00

If you want to see pictures of our outing go to the link above...or paste this in our browser. http://im-sarah.blogspot.com/

1st day of Kindergarten...

2006-08-21T09:10:00.000-05:00

Well it is official...I have a son old enough to go to school. He took off this morning on the bus with not even a goodbye. He didn't even seemed the least bit fazed by the new situation and a bit annoyed with all of the pictures. He was pretty mad that he had to wait to get on the bus...the time they said to be ready was from 8:05 till 9:00. Needless to say he was one of the last to be picked up

Pay Attention

2006-08-19T20:27:00.000-05:00

My friend recently gave me this really neat book called "Furry Logic" and it has some really cool sayings it. I was trying to think of a post for tonight since I said I would try to do better at posting more frequently. I ran across this.."The quickest way for a parent to get their child's attention is to sit down and look comfortable." It is SO true.I never understood why my mom would sit in

Ramblings...

2006-08-13T19:56:00.000-05:00

I really don't know where to start, it has been a really "long" time since I have blogged, or SO I HAVE BEEN TOLD! It is funny that in a blog world it seems like 2 weeks is a lifetime, in that short amount of time you can lose loyal readers. I may have lost loyal readers with my last post...it seems I stepped on a few toes. I took it from the non-comments that they didn't agree with what

Sermon Notes...

2006-07-31T21:13:00.000-05:00

Well this Sunday had an interesting sermon but one that was much needed among my particular age group. I feel like my generation is always looking for the easy way out, the shortcut or the loophole in the scriptures. Making the scripture fit in to our mold. I mean if you are like me you have said or have heard this said, "BUT Jesus turned water in to wine..." So it must be OK. Or "a glass of

The begging shall cease!

2006-07-28T19:17:00.000-05:00

After much begging I am writing a blog. I have been really busy...(OK not really). Actually this has been a pretty slow week so I have tried to be as lazy as possible. I have managed to get together a few times with friends. Some interesting things happen when you have a house full of screaming, running and sometimes laughing kids. For instance...we were all sitting in my friends living room

Words have changed over the years.

2006-07-21T10:17:00.000-05:00

My friends and I were having this discussion about how words change over time. For instance...my grandmother uses the word "dope" for any topping that we put on ice cream. Now if I said to someone that I am going to put "dope" on my ice cream they think it was some illegal drug I was topping it with. Then the older crowd sometimes call butter, "oleo". No one know why. One other thing I was

Friends...

2006-07-19T14:54:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking a lot about what makes a really good friend. I wouldn't say I am expert on this topic because it wasn't until recently that I found a friend that I would consider a "best friend". I have learned over the years that you can have a lot of friends and aquaitances but only once, maybe twice if your lucky, a true best friend. When I was younger I longed for the friendship that

5th Birthday a Success!

2006-07-18T13:37:00.000-05:00

The birthday party was absolutely wonderful. We had a awesome turn out. I think we had a total of 35 people. Our theme was Superman but I was calling Samuel "Pooperman". He is like any other 5 year old boy, he thinks any word related to bodily functions is funny (poop, fart, burp, butt, you get the idea). I wanted to have a water balloon toss "Kryptonite Toss" but the big kids (Wayne,

Awkward

2006-07-15T20:57:00.000-05:00

Ever wonder when you child is going to say that one thing that makes you angered and embarrassed all at the same time? Well...I have a friend who experienced this with me this weekend. We were all going to Buffalo Wild Wings and I was teasing her son as we were getting out of the car and boom...out of retaliation he says "You are Fat!" I said I know...He said "No, You are really fat!" This

Another Family update

2006-07-13T16:17:00.000-05:00

So after taking Joshua to the ER on Friday for the seizures, I took him to the doctor this week who called and made an appointment with a neurologist. We go on August 29th. The doctor thought that maybe the medicine that they had been giving him for his appetite was causing it so he took him completely off of it. We hadn't given it to him since Friday and the doctor said if the seizures occur

What chair are you in?

2006-07-09T13:18:00.000-05:00

So today we went to church and man was I glad I did. Our pastor struck a nerve with me and I felt moved to take action. Here are the highlights...He was asking what chair in life are we in...Chair number 1 consists of committment, love and priorities. Chair 2 is compromise, lukewarm, and pleasures, and finally chair number 3 was conflict, lostness, and perplexed. He was describing how each

Can't Win

2006-07-06T22:46:00.000-05:00

Do you ever feel like you can't win for trying? That is exactly how I feel about Joshua and his health. We have had him to specialist after specialist, done more tests than any kid should have to go through, currently giving him medicine for indigestion, a medicine to increase his appetite and a liquid vitamin that makes your tongue feel like you have been sucking on a fork all day, we have

As Promised....TOM

2006-07-02T16:58:00.000-05:00

That is right...I do have another brother other than the almost funny and sometimes famous, John. (I think I said that backwards...almost famous and sometimes funny). Anyway...I have proof that he exists...see the picture. Now don't be alarmed it really is my brother and not my sister, I promise, at least that is what my mom told me as a child. The hair is to keep people guessing. He is

It must be working...

2006-06-30T15:19:00.000-05:00

So...I as you know, I have been tanning and I think it might just be working. I only know this because I noticed the half circle tan lines on my biceps were getting more white. If you are wondering what I am talking about, imagine me laying in a tanning bed and letting my "stuff" fall where it may. I decided that if I were to use the stand up tanning bed, I would look like a zebra across my

The demand of One...

2006-06-28T14:21:00.000-05:00

So since I have had a least one person ask for a new post...I thought I would try. I have been trying to think of a topic for my new post for a couple of days but nothing has struck me as blog worthy. I am thinking I am going to have to have another party at my house so I can gather some blog material. It is weird that since I decided to blog everyone is afraid to share things for fear that

2006-06-21T22:22:00.000-05:00

Update on Josh:I took him to the doctor today at Children's. I would like to say that we never have to go back but we do. They said he only gained 1/2 pound in the 2 months since we were there last. I explained that he had been sick and I was sure that this was why he was not gaining. I tried to defend myself to the nutritionist that came in that I am really sharing all of the food with my

2006-06-20T21:12:00.000-05:00

So...I have always said that fat looks better tan. I know a strange way to start a blog but here I go. So I have decided to tan the fat! I have been going to the tanning bed now 2 weeks...I am a little tanner but today I GOT BURNT. Now burnt red doesn't make fat look better, it makes people look directly at you as if you had a neon sign hanging on your back. I am afraid to scratch my back

2006-06-15T21:52:00.000-05:00

My sign hasn't made it to me yet and it was no more obvious than tonight that I needed to wear it. I decide to help Wayne get some work around the house done since he can't and so I climbed the ladder to clean out the gutters. I was going a long just great, when I noticed a slight bend in the one leg of the aluminum ladder. I climbed to the top and down I came. I am sure it was graceful as I

2006-06-07T20:28:00.000-05:00

So I haven't written for a couple of days but I have been busy. As many of you know, Joshua has been sick and Sunday we took him to the emergency room. He had went on a eating strike starting Friday night and by Sunday he was so weak from not getting anything in his body that he couldn't even stand by himself so I decide to take him to the ER. The only thing nice I can say about the visit is

2006-06-03T22:24:00.000-05:00

I have earned a Silver star this week in my mommy crown. I am a stay at home mom with 2 kids and most days things go pretty easy, but not this week. I have had a sick kid. Now I know all of you other moms are thinking...so what, don't we all at sometime. BUT wait. I spent all of Wednesday night cleaning my furniture and floors while carrying or holding up a child. The first incident

2006-05-24T21:24:00.000-05:00

It's over and America can go back to watching reruns of Friends. Taylor Hicks won. I am not happy but I didn't think Katherine deserved to win either. I also wanted to update everyone on my mom. She is out of ICU, out of the hospital and back to work in record time. Now if I was her I would have milked it a little longer than a week. The BP seems to be down slightly since getting out and

2006-05-15T19:46:00.000-05:00

What an interesting mother's day my mom and I have had. I have just returned home from spending the last 2 days sitting in ICU with my mom. She decided to make this mother's day one for the books. On Sunday when I sat down beside her after sunday school she told me she wasn't feeling good and I have to say she didn't look like it either. She was kind of grey. She kept assuring me that she

2006-05-13T10:23:00.000-05:00

Well I really don't have anything exciting to report. SO I guess I will tell a few stories. Many of you have heard these before but here I go. John and I have worked for my mom over the years not just at home but she hired us as employees. (SILLY HER). Anyway we did job coaching for people with disabilities and these are a few of my more memorable days. I was working is a lady we will call

2006-05-10T21:06:00.000-05:00

GASP!!!! I just heard those American Idol fans gasp as Chris was voted off. I actually think I heard my cousin Kelley in Indiana yell "WHAT!". I guess you must not have called in enough to keep your favorites. I personally am not that big of a fan of American Idol. I have continued to watch so I can see Taylor Hicks fall off of the stage because he is watching the camera more than where he

2006-05-08T13:30:00.000-05:00

On a serious note...(B flat). I was talking to a few of you at church yesterday about including in my blog the sermon and the sunday school lesson so we could have an open discussion. So here it is. (Disclaimer: this is what I took away from both) The sermon as always gets me thinking and yesterday was no exception. The pastor spoke on reaching the poor and giving to the poor what we can give

2006-05-08T12:56:00.000-05:00

I debated on whether to write my blogs so close together since people expect what you give them and they usually expect more. I used to feel that way with my grades. If I got an A the first semester then there was really no room for improvement. I mean how would my mom know that I could get better or do better, if I gave my all the first time. Sorry to all of you teachers out there who have

2006-05-04T21:12:00.000-05:00

So I was thinking I couldn't let my brother have all the glory or the jokes....so I decided to start my blog. This week I have been giving alot of thought about a new career. I thought maybe I could be a mechanic but I don't like anything on my hands. Then I thought maybe I could be a chef but I wouldn't be able to serve chicken (the thought of it on my hands, some of you understand). So I