What's for Dinner??

Yep, with a husband who has the flu and two kids that don't care.... this is what dinner consisted of.

I miss being able to have cereal or ice cream for dinner -- oh, gone are the college days of having what ever I wanted. I only get to do this when Tony is gone or sick...which isn't very often. I am just glad I had Lucky Charms in the cupboard -- that is Austin and Addi's favorite.

I sure hope he feels better tomorrow. He has been in bed since just a little after 6pm this evening.

Heart Full of Thankfulness!

Today was not as gorgeous or as nice as yesterday, but I am thankful I was able to get so much done yesterday as we did.

Sore from all the hardwork yesterday, but thankful I am able to feel the muscles in my body and move around where I want to independently.

Spent all day inside, but thankful I was able to clean up some things that were bugging me {I really need to get organized}.

My kids were loud, fighting, wanting attention, but thankful that my ears could hear them, thankful I could see them, thankful I could hold them, and thankful I have them.

My husband frustrated/irritated me, but thankful I have a wonderful husband that is willing to say "I'm sorry" and willing to help out with and without asking. I do love you honey with all my heart.

Didn't get my kitchen cleaned, but thankful a dear friend brought me an apple fritter and she drank coffee and I had a diet pepsi just enjoying an hour together this morning.

Even if the things we bring to the LORD are not going our way, we still need to be Thankful for the many blessings we do have in our lifes.... there is always a brighter way to look at your hour, day, week, month and year. Remember to give PRAISE to the LORD don't just petition for your wants, needs and desires..... remember your friends that are griefing, stressed over lifes issues, who don't have a healthy child, or a healthy body. Don't sweat the small stuff---- that stuff will still be there at the end of the day.
My Heart is full of Thankfulness today, I hope yours is too.

What A Day!!!

Wow!!! It was such a gorgeous day today... 60 degrees, sun shining, minimal wind {that's the best} a great day to do yardwork.... yep, yardwork.... we {Tony and I} spent all day over at the rental house and we were seriously up to our knees in "Crabgrass". That stuff is the worst..... poor Tony is going to have sore hands, arms, back and abs... he was using a tiler tool.... it worked great but man that stuff is tough. The place looks great... just a few more little things to do tomorrow. I was able to take a break for a about 45 minutes - to meet Kristie for our taxes.... I was really hoping Tony would have been done when I returned but no such luck... we took another 45 minutes to dump the truck load of trimmings from roses, shrubs, iris, weeds and crabgrass (with a bunch of sand) and of course eat lunch. Then it was back to the house until about 3:30 and I was exhausted with all the bending, pulling, raking, ect... Tony went to dump truck load # 2....

When I picked up the kiddos - we went home to Austin riding his 4 -wheeler and Addi riding the riding lawn mower with me so when Tony returned he could fertilize our lawn, too.

Then high light of my day was going to feed two little 'bummer' lambs at our friend Chris' & her daughter, Kelsey. We were able to feed them a bottle of milk each. Well, ok Addison and I held one bottle and Austin just watched. He was a little nervous, even though he was so excited about going prior to getting there. The only thing he was interested in was seeing the "DADDY" - his name was "Mannly" -- Austin thought he was pretty neat. Addison was so cute looking over the fence at him as I held her on the fence.

Here are a few pictures

Austin and Addi looking at Manly over the fence....

Petting one of the little bummer lambs.... they were so cute.... Addison was willing to pet them but Austin wouldn't touch them at all.

This one with the 'black' face had her eye on Austin the whole time.... Chris said she was a first time 'mommy' and was being very protective of her young lambs. Seriously though I was nervous as you see in the next photo she had Tony and the kids up against the fence and staring them down. Austin didn't even care what was going on.... just wanting to 'look' around for the daddy sheep......

I was nervous for my own 'babies' -- not that Daddy couldn't take care of them. But I was being a little {protective} myself.

Thanks a Bunch Chris for such a special outing --- the kids just loved it.

It's been awhile.....

Ok! I am not doing very well with Blogging & yes Shirl you warned me -- Facebook is very addicting... So here is a little update on me.

I am officially on Spring Break.... Yahoo!! Gotta love the school schedule!

Monday - spent most of the day organizing my 'stuff' to get ready for our tax appointment - yes I made it for later this week. Mowed and weeded at our rental home-- I just wanted to give our renter a jump start on the Spring work.

Tuesday - spent a little time with my little guy unloading all the grass clippings etc at the dump. Then took our time to go back to Daycare {gotta keep them on a schedule}. Went back to the rental to trim some shrubs, pull some weeds, etc. and back to the dump to empty the load. Had lunch with Tony at the hospital -- first time in along time we have done that.... we didn't even have to chase kids or anything... It was nice just sit and vist with him all to myself {well except for the other 50+ other people in the cafeteria}. Sat down to watch Days of Our Lives !!! I don't even have a clue what is going on.... what a waste of time. Got a call from DayCare - Austin PUKED!!! Had to pick him up early. Tony picked up Addison later.... spent the next 5 hours cleaning up PUKE!!! What an evening.

Wednesday- Hung out with Austin all day-- he's feeling better. Our only outing was to go get the dog that ran off to the neighbors so a good excuse for me to go get a Fountain Diet Pepsi!! Worked on organizing my Tax Info -- I sure hope Kristie appreciates all this work... I really am so unorganized. Had left over soup for dinner, gave the kids a bath, read a book to them, watched cartoons {whatever they wanted to watch}.

Well that is my Spring Break soooo far.... Tomorrow may be different.

CHOICES --- This or That????

This evening I had a CHOICE---- I could lay with my daughter and cuddle while she fell asleep, rubbing her head or I could let her lay in bed and cry herself to sleep to go downstairs to do the several things that needed to get done (which still need to get done ie dishes, laundry picking up toys, paperwork etc). Well the choice was easy.... I stayed and cuddled - which also made my day.... there she is laying on her back in her bed beside me feet in hands, and singing -- twinkle twinkle, itsy bitsy spider but the one that really cracked me up was her singing Patty Cake and her throwing the cake (her feet up) for mommy, daddy.... she was slapping her feet together and rolling her feet with her hands.... I just wish I could have grabbed the video camera and she would have continued to sing or at least go to sleep after I interrupted..... she finally fell asleep.... it is such a peaceful sight to see your baby resting so quietly.

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It has been an on going thing over the past several months with my little man making CHOICES....some good and some not so good. We have had to give him choices of This or That??? I guess the choices thing starts really early in LIFE!! Some choices he has made have not been a This or That --- just a bad decision to do something, say something or even just Not doing something.... CHOICES!!

As in Deuteronomy 11: 26- "...the blessing if you obey... the curse if you disobey."

The lessons he has had to learn from his 'choices' the consequences have been difficult for me- grading appropriateness for the misbehavior, etc. I am learning, I know that I have many lessons to learn myself..... I have CHOICES as well. I hope that I am making the right choices to raise a wonderful son who appreciates GOD, me, his family, his things, and himself.
CHOICES---

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So over the past several months Tony and I have had to make CHOICES!!! Choices about our future, our finances, choices about our words, choices about work, choices about our family situation, just plain choices. I sometimes wonder are we really making our Choices as GOD would want us to make or are we influenced by the enemy......

Sometimes LIFE has some difficult and painful choices we need to make; having FAITH that GOD is helping guide us throught these tough decisions.

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We as individuals are making choices daily..... don't you ever just want to run away from responsibilities, take a break, veg out, do nothing, avoid the consequences etc. There have been times when I have to realize I cannot make a CHOICE for anyone else-- I can try to influence good behavior, good choices but when it comes right down to it.... the CHOICE is not mine to make it is up to the individual.
Being there for someone who is going thru a "CRISIS" (a tough time) is a CHOICE -- I just need to make sure I am not judging them for their CHOICE -- hopefully they are able to seek forgiveness from their choices.

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I also see that CHOICES are being made at many levels in LIFE!!! Not only personally, not only at work, or on a local level, a state level, but at a National level.... decisions to be made and choices they have to make between THIS or THAT and the consequences for each have to be weighed. Today several people in Pendleton lost their Jobs, with FLEETWOOD closing.... I think about the things that would go thru my mind --- the stress, oh, the stress. How are we as a Nation going to get out of this MESS!!! What are the CHOICES--- are we really going to get out of this recession.

Faith and Trust --- we have to have both..... Making good CHOICES is a not always easy and sometimes when we make the decision to do something, say something etc.... wouldn't it be nice to be able to rationalize or look into the future regarding each option and be able to miss out on the tough consequences --- but then how would we learn!!!!

Lessons in LIFE -- CHOICES we have to make good, bad and indifferent. EMBRACE them all.

The Hustle and Bustle of LIFE

Well, I have finally had time to sit down and blogg. You probably thought I was done blogging, no just LIFE got in the way. Over the past two weeks, I feel like I have had a whirl wind of "STUFF" some fun, some not so fun experiences. I have been trying to take advantage of just sitting and enjoying my kiddos in the evening and when they go to bed, I have been trying to catch up on some 'paperwork' stuff from work and sometimes I was just so darn tired I couldn't sit down with the computer. I am so far behind, I really don't know if I will ever catch up..... I'm sure I will but right now it doesn't seem possible.
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A couple of fridays, ago I had a great opportunity to have a little girl time = meeting for dinner, laughs and off to a movie.... was it great, OH it was FANTASTIC!!!! Just to spend a little girl time with no interruptions from the little ones. I just love to sit and 'laugh' out loud-- you know the type the BELLY jiggling, tears come to the eyes, stomach hurting laughing..... we had so much fun. You are probably wondering what I did with my kids..... well the BEST husband in the world volunteered to watch not only our 2 kiddos, but my dear friends 3 little girls. Did he take on too much??? Probably, and I was so shocked he agreed. Did I feel guilty, no.... did my dear friend, no.... did we have a BLAST --- YES!!!! Do I owe him big???? YEP. Now for the next probably 6 months I will owe him for this wonderful gift he gave us. It was so worth having a little girl time.
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Last weekend I went to a Women's Retreat with my Sisters' Dear Friend, Joan. It was such a blast, we laughed and laughed; talked and talked. The drive to and from Canby we did not have the music blarring and we chatted and chatted so much that I am not sure we even took a breath. We stayed up late both nights and talked, laughed and were completely worn out. We met some wonderful ladies from Stanfield at lunch on Saturday and laughed and laughed.... they gave us some wonderful insight into marriage, raising kids, and just being a "MOM". These wonderful ladies gave me 'hope' to know they made it thru, this challenging thing we call "LIFE as a MOM & WIFE". I love the role, hate the role and get so frustrated with THINGs, but I will make it thru making memories along the way.
My sister was suppose to come with us, however some unfortunate things occured and she was unable to join us. We missed You Sis and I hope next year You will be able to join us for many, many laughs too.
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I realize I am just babbling about my last few weeks but I guess that is why I started blogging. Just to get my thoughts out. Sometimes frustrations and saddness can have a positive twist if you get it out. Spending time with and enjoying Friendship time is a much needed form of R&R. So my recommendation is make time for {YOU} you are just as important to the family you are raising and you will be a much better wife if you take care of {YOU} too.