Thursday, April 24, 2008

Touching base...

Hmmm...so....

Maybe you're wondering how my "word for the year" is going... you remember, the one I posted in January in lieu of a New Year's Resolution, or New Year's intention.

Discipline, I believe it was.

Well, I'll tell you about two different conversations with two of my lovely daughters, and then, you can judge for yourself.

Last week, I was getting dressed for church. I was in the process of putting on a pair of Spanx. Now, if you've never wore Spanx, let me just say, they do great things...they also look like biker shorts for a 9 month old when removed from the package.

So, I was wriggling into them, and Chloe was sitting on the edge of the tub chatting with me.

She stops mid-sentence and says..."Those Do Not fit you. Your bottom is Too Big and those things are Too Small".

"Thanks Chloe", I reply.

"What momma? It's da truff".
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Yesterday, sitting on the deck, having lunch with Cammie.

She glances down at my thighs and says, "When I grow up, my legs are gonna be wittle, not big".

I just nod my head.

She points at my thigh and says "See, your legs, they're big. See my legs, they're wittle. Mine aren't gonna get big like yours".
-----------------------------

Well...that's enough about that. Moving on...

We are wrapping up the final preparations for our trip. Buying luggage, ironing out schedules, catching up laundry, making sure I have plenty of memory cards, etc.

Please remember to keep us in your prayers.

Oh, and I found out that we will have Internet access in our rooms and Mark will be bringing his laptop (if his gets stolen, his work has to replace it...if mine gets stolen, we have to replace it)....so, look for updates from Guatemala.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Prayer request...

Mark and I are going on a mission trip to Guatemala...we leave a week from Sunday, and will be gone for eight days.

Forrest's grandmother will be staying with the kids at our house while we are away, and they are all EXCITED to see Grandmother...so excited, that they are not in the least bit bothered that they won't be seeing Momma and Daddy for a week...

While we are there, we won't have access to the Internet. Neither will we have our own cellphones. Our group will have two phones for emergencies, but not to call home and chat.

Now, Mark and I have taken trips without the kids before. Usually just long weekends. Last year, we went to New England for a week...but, we were a two hour plane ride away...and we had two laptops with us...and we had two cell phones with us...

This time...six hour plane ride... in a country with maybe two flights to America per day...with zero laptops and zero phones.

Honestly, Carol will do a much better job than I do with the kids. They will actually eat a home cooked meal every night instead of cheese quesadillas from the Mexican Restaurant next to our house, or pasta from Carraba's or ...well, you get the picture.

They will also have scrambled eggs, or sausage and biscuits for breakfast instead of pop tarts, cereal bars or microwave oatmeal.

Their clothes will all be put away, the next days outfit laid out the night before... which will be a nice change for them...seeing how I tend to procrastinate the putting away of laundry and therefore have to scramble in the mornings to assemble their ensembles.

Yes, they will be well cared for, spoiled rotten and content.

While I am completely confident that things will be FINE, I am a bit nervous about the lack of communication.

So, please pray:

-for Mark and I (and everyone else in our group) to have safe travels.

-that our kids remain healthy and all of their bones intact.

-that our lovely kids don't drive Carol crazy.

-that we (Mark, myself and our group) are a blessing to the people that we encounter in Guatemala.

-that we are changed and impacted for life for the glory of the Lord.

-that revival falls in Guatemala.

Thanks in advance for any and all of your prayers!

Friday, April 11, 2008

True or False reveal...

1. My pantry is super organized. All veggies in one section, organized by color, all labels facing forward. Same for beans, etc. My OCD runs rampant in all things closet/pantry related.

TRUE. I notice immediately if a label is turned the wrong way, and adjust it. People ask if it takes a lot of time to maintain. Nope. It just makes sense to me to have things organized. I don't have a "problem" or an "issue". I don't. Really.


2. When I was 16, I was a Subway Sandwich artist. I still order my sandwich in the way that I "perfected" while working there. And yes, it does make a difference in the way it tastes.

TRUE. My favorite is a veggie and cheese on wheat. The veggie/condiment configuration I created works with all sandwiches though...and really, it makes sense. Lettuce goes on after the meat and cheese. Then, you put the mayo and/or mustard on (it helps the lettuce stick together and keeps it from falling off), next oil and vinegar (the lettuce absorbs it and keeps it from dripping off the sandwich and onto your shirt). Next, all other veggies. Tomatoes on top (keeps the small veggies in place). Follow that up with salt, pepper and oregano. Voila, a sandwich that isn't too messy. It just makes sense. Really. It does.

3. I love creeks. My grandparents had one in their backyard through out my entire childhood. I would spend hours exploring in it, or reading a book on a large dry rock in the middle of the stream.

TRUE. One day, we will have a yard with a creek. I heart creeks.

4. I read at a very early age, but I didn't fall in love with reading until the second grade. I was a helper in the library and while shelving books, I discovered Nancy Drew. I read the entire series that year, and I have been a voracious reader since.

TRUE. I love me some Nancy Drew. I tried to get Hannah to love some Nancy Drew too. It didn't work. They are a little to scary for her. Sophie is next on my list. I doubt Chloe will like them for the same reason as Hannah (they are my timid two). Cammie, she'll read through 'em in a month and move on to True Crime books without batting an eye. Hmm...on second thought maybe I won't encourage her to meet Nancy.

5. My favorite childhood breakfast is my grandma's toast and gravy. Mmm Mmm. (Mark wants everyone to know that my favorite breakfasts now are his pancakes and his biscuits and gravy).

TRUE. MMM MMM. Talk about good stuff. (Yep Tammy, that's what we were talking about the other day). Good stuff.

6. I heart my freckles.

TRUE. I've always like my freckles. Forrest has them too, and I think they rock (can't use the word cute when referring to a 14 year old male). Hannah has a few sprinkles. Sophie, no freckles. Chloe...zero freckles...so sad. Cammie...yay freckles!

7. My favorite form of exercise is running.

FALSE. I do not heart running. I get shin splints...where your shin is rammed between your knee and heal and hurts really, really bad and not because you're a wimp but because it really, really hurts. Really. (Renee, you were right, my kick boxing trainer made me run, but, the floor was padded. No jarring).

8. I have never been to Disneyland or Disney world.

Sad but TRUE. I am on a desperate mission to change that. I think everyone should email my lovely little husband and complain about the injustice of a 30 year old woman being withheld from the happiness and goodness that is Disney World/Land. AND, I think you should tell him in your email, that the only way to make up for that painful deprivation would be to book us a room in the Animal Kingdom resort with a balcony so that the giraffes can wander past. I'm just sayin', ya know, if you want to.

9. When I was 12, my dream car was a yellow low-rider Nissan truck with graphics on the side. (Yes, I went through a "G" phase...it was short, very short).

TRUE. It took mucho courage to put that in writing. Moving on...

10. I am considering going in for a consultation at the place where they grow hair. I saw a billboard that says "We grow eyebrows too".

TRUE. Oh so true. I don't want to be one of those little old ladies with the drawn on eyebrows that look like they are in a constant state of SURPRISE! Blonde body hair is great when it comes to leg hair...it's invisible. It is not so great when it comes to eyebrows...it's invisible.

Tuesday, April 8, 2008

10 UNimportant things about me...

Accepting a challenge set forth my Tammy and then Renee...10 things about me, but 1 is false. Can you guess which one is false?

1. My pantry is super organized. All veggies in one section, organized by color, all labels facing forward. Same for beans, etc. My OCD runs rampant in all things closet/pantry related.

2. When I was 16, I was a Subway Sandwich artist. I still order my sandwich in the way that I "perfected" while working there. And yes, it does make a difference in the way it tastes.

3. I love creeks. My grandparents had one in their backyard through out my entire childhood. I would spend hours exploring in it, or reading a book on a large dry rock in the middle of the stream.

4. I read at a very early age, but I didn't fall in love with reading until the second grade. I was a helper in the library and while shelving books, I discovered Nancy Drew. I read the entire series that year, and I have been a voracious reader since.

5. My favorite childhood breakfast is my grandma's toast and gravy. Mmm Mmm. (Mark wants everyone to know that my favorite breakfasts now are his pancakes and his biscuits and gravy).

6. I heart my freckles.

7. My favorite form of exercise is running.

8. I have never been to Disneyland or Disney world.

9. When I was 12, my dream car was a yellow low-rider Nissan truck with graphics on the side. (Yes, I went through a "G" phase...it was short, very short).

10. I am considering going in for a consultation at the place where they grow hair. I saw a billboard that says "We grow eyebrows too".

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

I saw the funniest

bumper sticker this afternoon. Oh, how I wish I had put my pocket camera back in my purse.

It read:

SAVE A PIT BULL,
NEUTER A THUG

Does anyone else find that highly amusing?