These are a "Few of My Favorite Things"....

Well, more like 25 of them....


1. My family (my husband and kiddos) - being at home and just being around them.
2. The laughter of my children.
3. The love of my family - our parents and siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles are all fantastic. Some may be wild and crazy in their own way, but I love them all.
4. My friends - after recuperating I have learned what wonderful friends I have. Not every friend will bring her cricut and her cappuccino machine and sit with you for a week!!!
5. Dark Chocolate
6. Being physically active - not being active for a week really showed me how lucky I am to be as active as I am, whether it's running, walking, playing ball, whatever...
7. Blueberries
8. Thunderstorms and watching lightning, listening to the rain fall.
9. Playing Wii and Guitar Hero
10. Playing cards with my husband
11. Writing and Blogging
12. Reading
13. Coffee - usually Carmel flavored, although apple cinnamon is really good, too.
14. Taking pictures
15. Going on vacation
16. Scrapbooking
17. Watching my kid's sports
18. Watching a good romantic comedy
19. Sitting down in a nice clean living room
20. Listening to my Grandpa's sermons
21. Listening to the quiet of dusk, with the frogs and the crickets (yeah we live in the middle of no where).
22. Music
23. Corn on the cob and steaks on the grill
24. Fresh lemonade
25. Fourth of July

Recovery

Well I underestimated the after effects of having an organ, albeit an unnecessary one, removed. So now, I am gallbladderless. I feel better and haven't noticed to many "side effects" of living without one yet. Hopefully, I'm a pound or two lighter, maybe not yet as I still have some bloating from the carbon dioxide, which is really a nasty, lingering annoyance more than anything.

My mom seems to think that God threw this at me to make me sit back. She is always on me for doing to much, going to fast, and not taking time for me. She was in agreement with God on this one, that if a surgery is what it took to make me slow down for a couple weeks, than that was what was needed. I realized it is very hard to sit back and not "do" something. It's one thing if I'm always on the go and just don't have time to "do" something or another, but to sit in a couch while those around me have to do what I should be doing... that is another thing to learn to have patience for altogether.

I have had time to finish 2 books and start a 3rd. The other four books I ordered from Amazon the day before are here and waiting to be read as well. I have not been up to scrapbooking yet, but I hope to in the next few days or week. But all in all, I am doing much better, and can't wait to get back to "doing"... but will try and remember to slow down once in a while and just let others do the doing.

Surgery

Well today is the day. I will be one organ lighter later this afternoon, and hopefully once they have removed my gallbladder I will be feeling much better, too. I am blessed to have plenty of family and friends offering their help, support and prayers. Maybe the two weeks laid up with people "waiting on me" won't be as bad as it sounds!

Anyway, I'm off, dishes and laundry to do before they tell me I can't.

Sunset...

This was a picture I took on my cell phone at our friend's house... I wish I had a regular camera for this shot! I'm looking forward to spending a couple days at this house on the lake after recovering from surgery this week and next!

Father's Day

It was a weird and pleasant kind of day yesterday... There are so many "good" father's all around me. I got to spend the day with my husband most of all, then my dad, my grandfather, and my older "brother" who is up from New Mexico. All of them are up there in my rankings of Best Dad.

The 'weird' part was during Church Service, with a message based on "The Perfect Father," being none but God, that I realized that even though I think my dad and grandpa are pretty close to perfect (my grandpa is a pastor and I don't remember very many 'bad' things at all) that these dad's are much harder on themselves than we as children are. Both my dad and grandpa were talking about the things they did wrong, how they let their children down. And it really made me realize that there is no perfect parent (I know, newsflash...). I know I'm not perfect, and I worry often about what I'm doing wrong and what kind of long term affect I may have on my children. But it really hit me when I realized that these wonderful men in my life had the same worries as me. They had regrets, they had discipline issues they thought they handled wrong, and they had worries about whether or not their children had grown up to make the same 'mistakes,' and if the mistakes of their children were somehow the fault of themselves.

I realized that my children will probably have the same fears down the road, and that as a good parent, it's probably one of the best fears we can have. Am I messing up my child... I know the thought keeps me honest with them and myself, it keeps me praying for wisdom, knowledge, strength and energy. It makes me keep trying to be better. If I wasn't worried for their future based on my mistakes it would mean I didn't care enough. So for now, I will keep worrying, and I will keep praying that my mistakes won't affect them for the worse. I will hope that they only learn from the mistakes of the generations before them. And I will rest with the assurance that as I look past the 'mistakes' of my dad and grandpa, that one day my children will be able to look past the mistakes that I have made as well. That love will bring them to acceptance that we all make mistakes and that we all should be forgiven.

And that most of all, our father's and the Father, love us no matter what. And that I will forgive them any mistake as they will also forgive me. And hopefully, that is one cycle that my children will follow as they mature and grow.

This Is Me...

This isn't the best pic of me (before doing the hair and makeup) but this is me in one of my favorite "places" - the early morning quiet, with a book and a cup of coffee!!

So today's blog challenge is to write about yourself. I think that's a hard one. It's hard to be honest sometimes.... Let's see, the basics: I have been married for almost 13 years to my high school sweetheart - our first date was over 17 years ago. I have 3 children that I adore. I work full-time in insurance claims. I am also a consultant for Close To My Heart. I am on the board for our local Youth Athletic Association and for the area football league. I think I am your normal, busy, working mom, who thrives on caffeine (did you see the windstorm blog - without power for 78 hours and figured out you can grill a pot of coffee)...

Where I am in my life? There are definitely things I want to improve. I am working on my spiritual life. I was raised in a Christian (Baptist/Bible) home, my grandfather is a pastor, and I've just realized that as a Christian born into that environment I've come to take it for granted. It hasn't been until recently that I realized how far away I'd "fallen"... the little things like easily missing church services, missing prayer and devotions. It was too easy to send my children with grandma and grandpa to church and for me to try and catch up on all the other things that needed to be done. But, my children are the ones that caught me. The first time I heard, "why do we have to if your not..." and my 4 year old saying, "God likes it when we go to church." I realized I wasn't doing the best spiritually for them. I don't think God cares if I don't take time to clean my house on Sunday as long as I'm living spiritually and raising my children the same way. And it just amazes me that as soon as you turn back to rely on him, you can see his hand and his work/plan taking shape around you.

I am also forever trying to be more organized, I think this has been a New Year's Resolution for every year I can remember (I haven't given up hope yet)! I was not born type A and I don't think my Z (or whatever the complete opposite of type A is) personality will ever completely be able to adopt an organized lifestyle. I like my "organized clutter..." I like clean, but hate to do it. My house is by no means trashed - my husband is way over type A and he won't let it get that far, but there are times I wish I just knew where to start to reorganize the "stuff" that we seem to have collected over the last 13 years. Maybe I'm just a pack rat, I know my kids are and they have to have gotten it from someone.

I also would like to be more financially "smart." I'm not good at budgeting (that probably falls under the above organization thing, too). I've taken classes and I have the book "Managing Our Finances God's Way..." but for some reason I just can't make a checkbook balance or save enough to do things that I dream about.

I would like to be more active. I've always been an active person (more like fitness freak for awhile) but after my last child came along I think I forgot how to exercise... I did run a 5k last year and am planning on doing another one this summer... but I wish I 'had time' to exercise every day, even once a week... I guess that also falls into managing my time and organizing it better...

I would like to be able to tell more people 'NO'... I've never been good at that. And I know that part of the reason I'm always so swamped is because I take on too much and try and fit 48 hours worth of stuff into 24.

Although those are the things I'd like to become better at in my life, I think for the most part I really like who I am. I like that I can enjoy just being... Being in nature, being at home, being alone and being busy. I am pretty content with the person I am and who my life has made me become. And while I will always have things I'd like to change (sometimes I would kill for thick hair) I think I will enjoy just being me. And if I have to hire someone to come organize my life... maybe that's the best option out there for me!!

Grateful

I am grateful today for the way that the Lord works in our lives. The little things that all come together and you finally realize the plan and the timing in it all...

My husband's job was kind of in limbo, as the employer wanted to eliminate third shift, or more correctly, they have eliminated third shift except for two lines - one being my husbands. Now, to give you background, he has to work third shift to coach (which is his love...). He has been on third shift for 11 years just so he could coach wrestling at our middle/high school. He also runs (yes, Mr. President) and coaches for the youth football league in our town. So, for him to all of a sudden get thrown into a different shift would really turn the world we know upside down.

Anyway, he came home a couple weeks ago they had a meeting at work that pretty much said, "yes this shift will be gone, and no we can't tell you where you will be when that happens"... That same morning his friend called him with info on an opening at the place he works on the same shift! Well yesterday they offered him a job! So there is one thing I am very grateful for!!

Now at the same time, I've been getting all these tests done. I can no longer eat (feels like anything on some days) without intense pain, gas, bloating... well, they finally narrowed it down and the surgeon decided yesterday that he is going to remove my gallbladder. They can get it in before my husband switches jobs, so I don't have to worry about some glitch in the insurance saying it's not covered or it was pre-existing. So, I am very grateful that for one... I finally went to the doctor (this has been bothering me since the end of last year); and two, that the doctor ordered the tests and got me in quick enough that worrying about being stuck with a surgical bill is something I don't have to add to my worry list. And, the best part about being made to take 1 -2 weeks off work, which I'm not that happy about - I like my job... but, my family from Albuquerque, NM will be up here the end of the week, so I will be off the same time they are here to visit.

I am grateful today. I am grateful that I finally decided that I couldn't control how all this played out, but that God was there with his big plan all along. That in today's economy (especially here in Michigan) that there was another job just waiting. That my doctor listened to me and ran the tests and made the call in a timeframe that works. While I'm not pleased to have to have my body cut into, even laproscopically, I am not a doctor person (even though my doctor is a good guy). I don't take medicine, and I don't like being laid up, but the timing of it all - I am grateful for that.

Electricity...

Finally! Last night about 10 pm, after 78 hours of no power, Consumer's got us hooked back up. I was so excited that I spent about 3 hours cleaning - I had to scrub out the fridge and freezer, bag up all of the nasty food, whatever we weren't able to save by cramming it into the cooler. I actually enjoyed the cleaning burst of energy that I had. Of course, when I fell into bed I was completely exhausted though.

Having no power was kind of a blessing though. Once in a while I think we need to slow down and see what we take for granted everyday. My harshest reality was the inability to have a pot of coffee... however, my mom, bless her heart, figured out how to make it on the grill in her backyard. She just grilled me a pot at 9pm last night, right before the power came on (maybe that's where the burst of cleaning power came from)...

We spent a couple of the days in the hotel, it was just too hot in the house and I never realized how bad it is when you can't flush, can't shower or wash dishes, do laundry, can't clean even the little stuff... I cut up a watermelon and couldn't wipe down the counters without soaking a towel in our drinking water. With three kids the germophobe was clawing away at my mind. It was a nice couple days at the hotel, the kids got to swim and stay up late and watch movies with mom and dad instead of watching on their own TVs. We played board games and just relaxed. So even though the power being out was an inconvenience it wasn't the disaster that it could have been.

It also got me thinking about a series of books I had been reading. The Restoration Series, by Teri Blackstock. Last Light, Night Light, True Light and Dawn's Light. I've read the first three and am waiting for the last one. They are a Christian based series that is based on what happens when the world as we know it is hit by a Pulse (energy from a star), that wipes out all electronics, electricity, everything... Planes falling from the sky, people abandoning their cars and hiking home, the state of panic that the world and the people are in when the disorder comes into their life, the crime sprees, the panic, the initial inability to get water and food, and then the resourcefulness of people as they create ways (think Little House on the Prairie) to feed and water their family.

The author points out things like the ease that the suburban/rural areas adjusted by plowing up their yards to plant food and using nearby water sources (ponds and lakes) to get water to boil. But then, what about the city areas and apartment complexes that have no yard or water anywhere around. What about the families that had children where parents never came home? What about the elderly and the sick?

It is interesting to think about how much we do rely on the inventions in the world around. And how we take for granted the ease that we have to do the things we can. We can travel at a moment's notice, send an email across the ocean, call a loved one to make sure they are okay when they aren't at home, and feel secure in our homes. When all that is gone would you rely on God and still think he was looking down with care on you and your family. Would I hold fast in faith and not lose hope?

Anyway, the books were interesting to say the least. They triggered some ideas and questions that really made me stop and think. And when I worry about 78 hours with no electric, I can think of the theory in those books and see how good we have it, and I can feel blessed that I had the weekend to enjoy being with just my family.

Water Pic

Well, the blog challenge called for a water pic... this isn't mostly a pic of the water, but this photo is one of my faves... Going through the shark tunnel in Ripley's Aquarium... My youngest literally fell right off my husbands shoulders (luckily my friend caught him) trying to lean away from the shark!

Windstorm

Well, this has been an interesting weekend. We got hit by some crazy storm on Friday afternoon and have not had power since! We are going on hour 77... I have to say though, we cheated... we spent 2 of the 4 nights in a hotel, and tonight I'm burning up the computer at my mom's (I was beginning to go through withdrawal). Mom doesn't have power either, but they invested in this handly little item called a GENERATOR! At least they have a few lights, water and a cold refrigerator.

Here are some of the storm pics - it took down my kid's favorite climbing tree and a few others. It uprooted a couple in my parent's yard (they live next door)...

The kids couldn't believe how deep of a hole the roots of the tree left in the ground. Of course even in a time of disaster they got a kick out of climbing on the mess!

My kids' favorite climbing tree... The Cherry Tree. This was the most upsetting... I have pictures of them in this tree every spring, and it's a tree I helped my parents plant when I was kid, not knowing that I would one day be given the land that the tree was on...

Vacation Memories...

I have really been lucky to have gone on some wonderful vacations. I don't even know if I could choose my "favorite." As an adult when the kids were little we did a couple Caribbean cruises, talk about relaxing with just the sun, sand and surf.... (if i take a deep enough breathe i can almost smell it still)! There was also a trip to Cancun, and that wasn't bad, but the cruises were better. But, I still think that the best vacations are the family vacations. I love the sun and sand and adult only time, don't get me wrong, but there is always that little bit of "guilty pleasure" for having such a good time and leaving the kids with grandma and grandpa... Besides the best memories are always made when the kiddos are around!

Even growing up, some of the best vacations we had were family camping trips. My parents would load us all (5 kids and there was always a few stragglers and adoptees) in this huge 15 passenger van - bus is a little closer. I remember one year driving out to a "lighthouse"... we drove down this dirt two trek with all 9 of us in the van for almost 2 hours. Dad kept saying, "if we turn back now it will be just over the next hill..." Well, we never found it. It was on the map, but my mom finally convinced him by pointing out the obvious, "you know, it's going to take just as long to get back out?" I think food was the ultimate in the decision to turn around though, we hadn't packed a lunch for that type of outing. But, the point is, it was a blast. Even just spending 4 hours on a dirt two trek road with 7 kids in a van that bounced around like crazy on that two trek... We sang, played games, picked on each other and probably drove my mom close to insane, but it's a great memory.

Then there was the time my dad decided to pack us all (9 of us again) up and take the camper out to Wyoming (we live in Michigan so this is quite a drive). We stopped at so many places along the way, Mt. Rushmore and the Badlands (even though it was like 120 degrees and like a desert there at the time). We drove almost 24 hours straight on the drive home.

We did a lot of camping and driving, but those experiences are what kept us close as a family. And I loved every adventure that came are way. The "almost" best, from my before marriage days, might have been the "Wilderness Trip" that my siblings and I took with my dad. There was my one sister, two of our "adopted" sisters (they weren't legally adopted, but my parents took them in when their family life was rough) and my younger brother. We got dropped off in some secluded point in Canada with just our canoe, backpack, tent and food for the week. We went through like 7 lakes, and when you got out and had to hike to the next lake you carried the canoe, and backpack, tent and food... It was almost exhausting at points. But the glory of God's creation was all around you up there. You were surrounded by beauty and nature in an almost untouched state. I remember feeling like I was invading it at times. We would all be in the canoes and there were times we were all so quiet, in awe at our surroundings, and all you could hear were the loons and the smack of our oars on the water... We had a youth pastor with us and one day he canoed us out to individual locations. The goal was to sit by yourself in total quiet with just nature for a two hour period... (luckily we didn't see any bears) I took nothing but a canteen of water and my journal. That was a great time to just reflect, pray, and absorb the beauty of it all. I want to go back, but have to wait until my kids are old enough to go. I think it's something that they would both enjoy and learn from.

Ah, that was a nice memory... kind of long. Now, I'm working on our family vacations. Taking our kids to see the great things around us. We went to the Great Smokey Mountains this year on vacation. Last year we visited my sister in Arizona and got to see the Grand Canyon and climb Bell Rock in Sedona. I want my kids to see the beauty in the different states and see what America is like. We are making a list of where all to go... It might take us a while, but I can't wait to show them as much as I can...

My Summer Song...

Should be playing right now... Pocketful of Sunshine by Natasha Bedingfield.

I got a pocket, got a pocketful of sunshine.
I got a love, and I know that it's all mine.
Oh. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The sun is on my side.
Take me for a ride.
I smile up to the sky.
I know I'll be all right.

I Love...

So, for the Blog Challenge I'm supposed to post about something/someone I love. Well, being the busy person I am... I recycled this post from last year with a few minor updates... Here are my loves... (Mostly, I LOVE my family!)

I LOVE LIFE. There may be regrets, but I choose to enjoy life. I choose to be happy. I choose to move forward and to keep dreaming... I LOVE my children, my family and my friends... I LOVE photos and the stories they tell... I LOVE being active and having my health... I LOVE TO WRITE AND CREATE... I LOVE to be inspired and to inspire... I LOVE to read a good book while curled up in any comfy chair I can find. I LOVE a cool breeze after the storm and I LOVE the smell of rain and watching thunderstorms... I Love flowers in the spring... I Love snow in the winter while enjoying a nice hot mocha... I Love the hot sun in summer and sand between my toes... I Love watching the ocean... I Love nature and enjoying a sunset/sunrise in all God's glory. I Love lemonade and peach ice tea, diet coke and rum, or any fruity frozen drink... I Love the romantic little moments in life... I even Love a Good Cry after a nice sad, sappy love story... I Love watching the love that glimmers from a person's eyes when they look at the love of their life... I LOVE the bear hugs I get from my children. I Love a good lazy weekend vegging and watching tv... I LOVE TO LAUGH, I Love to watch people laugh, make people laugh, listen to laughter (this is after all the BEST sound in the whole world)... I Love to make people smile... I Love a long conversation with an old friend... I Love a short conversation with a new friend... I Love being near my family... I Love that the internet makes it easy to be close to my family that is not "near" in location. I Love taking short little cat naps curled up with one of my kids... I LOVE listening to music and I Love singing at the top of my lungs when no one is around to listen... I Love travelling and seeing new things and new places, and I Love introducing my kids to the same... I LOVE enjoying nature... I Love taking drives to nowhere in particular in no particular hurry... I LOVE comforting a crying child... I Love being comforted... I Love dancing... I Love girls night out... I Love to play the piano (even though its been awhile)...I Love that "top of the world" feeling you get on a really good day... I Love being able to wonder if I can stop at only 50 things that I love about life... I LOVE listenting to my 90 year old grandmother tell her stories from the early 1900's... I Love listening to my children tell stories about now... I Love listening to my husband tell the great high shool sport stories that I've heard many, many times... I Love listening to my dad tell the same stories to my kids that he used to tell me.. I Love looking back at my life and knowing the mistakes and learning from them - even though it hurts sometimes...I Love a slow dance... I Love to dream about the future and how my life may change...or stay the same... I LOVE the early morning quiet in the house with a cup of coffee... I Love my job (yes I really do...)and, I LOVE watching that 80 yr old couple dance the night away amidst all the "young" people and wonder if I'll be that young at heart... I can only hope to have that love for life that that couple has...What are the 50 Loves of your life?

Refreshing...

There are so many things that are refreshing... My first initial, gut thought is how refreshing a nice, clear blue pool is on a hot sunny day...

But then what has been really refreshing lately is the blessings that I notice around me. It's refreshing to see good things now and then and not to be burdened with bad luck and bad news. It's refreshing to just live life and feel like it is moving forward in the directions of His Will, and feeling that hope and promise that there is a light at the end of that tunnel. We just have to keep looking forward to find it.