Disneyland

We went to Disneyland on Monday. It was crowded but still a lot of fun. Thanks again Monica for taking us! (my good friend who can take 3 people in for free to the park because she works for ABC). Here are the rest of the photos.

Funny

While at Von's parking lot ...

Sage: Mom, why are there lights still on that tree?
Me: Oh ... I don't know. I guess they haven't taken them down yet.
Sage: How are they going to take the star off?
Me: Hmm ... I am not sure.
Sage: Maybe Jesus will come and help them.

Happy Birthday & Happy Valentine's Day

Aspen turned two this week (Feb. 15th) and we had a nice little Valentine's Day celebration with the girls. On Valentine's Day Ryan said to me, "I didn't get you a card," to which I replied, "I didn't get you a card either." Such romance after 12 years of being together ...

Cool new Dora glasses & dress-up beads

Pump-It-Up fun ...

Valentine's Day goodies

Pismo

I came down with something bad last week ... a cold/flu bug forced me onto the couch for a few days. We had already planned our Pismo trip a month ago, so Ryan decided that he was still going to go -- with or without me. As of Saturday morning I didn't think I was going ... all I could do was sleep. So, Ryan went to the store to shop for the weekend. My parents were also going on the trip and they were bringing the bulk of the food, but Ryan went and bought some emergency snacks ...
1. Dora/Shreck animal cookies (iced and normal)
2. Pony fruit snacks
3. Pop Tarts
4. Orange Juice
5. Cookie Dough
6. Wine
7. Chocolate Cookies
8. 3 apples
9. Diet Coke

I ended up being able to go on the trip and boy did we enjoy all the snacks!

Time

Beth Moore writes, "Time by itself does nothing but grow us old. What we do with time makes the difference."

What I have been doing with my time lately ....

• Enjoying my Beth Moore study
• Meeting up with cousins at the zoo
• Hosting Home Group (food, fun and games)
  
• Eating dinner with friends
• Trying to keep up with the laundry
• Dreaming about a new couch, new T.V. and freshly painted walls (in hallway & bathrooms)
  
• Worrying and praying for certain family members
• Watching my kids grow up
• Getting creative without our T.V. working for more than 20 minutes at a time
  
• Playing with my new phone (I can finally text now -- now I am cool!)
• Walking and lifting weights

That's just this week ... what will next week bring?

Hot Fudge Tootsie Roll Sauce

I was craving hot fudge the other night so I decided to look up a recipe to try to make some. As it was late at night and I wasn't going to rush to the store for any special ingredients I had to pick a recipe for which I had all of the ingredients. And I didn't want to spend too much time making it, so I picked a microwave friendly recipe -- mistake #1. I also didn't want to make a huge batch of this stuff, so I divided everything by 4 -- probably mistake #2. I followed the short instructions and it actually looked pretty good after a few minutes of cooking in the microwave. I scooped out some vanilla ice cream and poured the warm chocolate sauce on top. I took a couple of bites ... Mmmm ... not too bad. Then I took another bit ... Hmm ... it's a little chewier than the last bite. As I continued to take more bites, the chocolate "sauce" got chewier and chewier -- much like a Tootsie Roll. And you would think that I would put down the odd tasting dessert, but no, my hormones had the better of me that night and I continued on to finish every last bite. Don't think anyone is going to want this recipe!

I got tagged ...

Okay, okay, I'll play a long. But the only person I will tag is Ryan because I think all of my blogging cohorts have been taken up!

I love ...

• hearing Aspen say "bopper" (diaper)
• walking Shelf after an amazing rain storm
• living with my mom-in-law
• having movie night with my girls
• talking late into the night with my husband
• realizing that the mystery of God is greater than I will ever know
• how involved my parents are in my kids' lives
• chocolate-covered peanut butter balls
• Cadbury eggs

I hate ...

• scrubbing bathtubs
• being rushed
• when people story-top
• confrontation via email
  

If Not for My Husband

by: Amber Smith

If not for my husband
What a bore I would be
Eating bon bons and cherries
And only watching T.V.

If not for my husband
No adventures would I seek
Save for hunting down the missing sock
And wiping tears from some chubby cheeks

For he spurs me on toward camping
Toward snowboarding and more
Toward early mornings and late nights
In a car that fits no more than four

Still, it’s not until,
The wee hour before we leave
That I get that bit of excitement
And to my home a little less I cleave

For my worrisome mind wanders
And complains even more …
“But I’ll be tired, the kids won’t sleep
And I might even be bored!”

So here’s an ode to my husband
Who is ever the adventurous man
Creating many lifelong memories
Again and again

Tomorrow some ladies and I are making a turn-around trip to Sierra Summit (5 hrs 1 way) to go snowboarding. Ryan is already up there with the youth group so we are going to meet him up there for the day. I have tried to get out of this trip a zillion times and it wasn't until a few moments ago that I got really excited and I realized that I owe much of this excitement (and the exciting moments of my life) to Ryan, who is usually spearheading all of our trips. Thanks dear, I love you.

Snow!

I meant to post these a week ago, but life happened. So, here are some pics from when we drove up to Rose Valley to play in the snow after our recent rain storm. Sage couldn't wait to eat the snow, hence the funny pictures.

Pants & Visors

I was putting Sage's clothes away today and I noticed that her clothes rack was finally thinning out. I put most of her clothes in a dresser, but I usually hang up dresses, nice shirts and jackets. There was so much room in her closet that I decided to hang up her pants too. I remember trying to hang up her pants when she was a baby/toddler and if I didn't have any real pant hangers then I would try to fold the jeans through the hanger hole ... only to find the pants lying there on the floor the next day. After that I just decided to fold her jeans and put them in a dresser. So I was surprised today when I slipped her jeans through the hanger hole and they hung there perfectly. Surprised, sad, excited, and overwhelmed by how quickly all of this motherhood stuff is whizzing by me.
Then to top it all off Sage fits into my visor!! We were heading out for a walk and I put my visor on and Aspen wanted to wear hers (used to be Sage's) and I realized I didn't have one for Sage. I thought I would try my visor on her just in case it fit and to my surprise (again), it fit. I guess our little girl is becoming a big girl right before our eyes.

Songs

I have had this song stuck in my head all day after singing it at church this morning. I guess it's a pretty good song to have stuck in my head .... the tune is absolutely beautiful. Here is a link to a letter written by the author of this song, Stuart Townend.

HOW DEEP THE FATHER’S LOVE FOR US,
How vast beyond all measure,
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.
How great the pain of searing loss –
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the Chosen One
Bring many sons to glory.

Behold the man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders;
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers.
It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished;
His dying breath has brought me life –
I know that it is finished.

I will not boast in anything,
No gifts, no power, no wisdom;
But I will boast in Jesus Christ,
His death and resurrection.
Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer;
But this I know with all my heart –
His wounds have paid my ransom.

H2Ojai

I love water. But not just any water. My favorite is my mom's water. They have this crazy reverse osmosis system which makes the water taste as good, if not better than Aquafina. It is really the reason why I am such a water snob. I just really like that crisp clean taste of good water. Anyhow, lately we have been buying Von's brand water. It is okay and is a step up from water "purified" by a Brita filter. But the last two gallons of water that I bought from Von's tasted like chlorine, so I decided to try out H2Ojai. At just .50/gallon (cheapest in town), you get clean, fresh tasting water. This is 1/2 as much as Von's water (.99/gallon). And, if you buy 100 gallons (on a pre-paid card) then you can buy the water at .40/gallon. They have all of the fun accessories at the car-wash (inside it - where you pay for your carwash). You can sanitize and fill your bottles inside and there is a nice little cart to assist in bringing it back out to the car. I think they are just getting off the ground, so if you have been looking for good tasting water and don't want to pay the big bucks, try it out!

Gratitude

After opening up her new princess dress-up clothes that she received for Christmas, Sage said, "Mom, I just don't know how to thank you." I was nearly brought to tears with her gratitude.

Our Marine

After 3 months of grueling recruit training, my brother Jed is now a Marine. He finished 2nd in his class of over 400 recruits. We are very proud of him, and yet we pray earnestly that he is not called away to war -- this war specifically. Below are some pictures of us reuniting with him after one of the graduation ceremonies.

We haven't had a family photo in years ... from left:
My dad (Ed), me, youngest sister (Jamie), Jed, Holly (& Riley), Ginger (preg. w/ #2), Judy/Mom.

Happy New Year!

After watching the Rose Parade, and after I told Sage that maybe we would one day go and see the Rose Parade, she said, "No mommy, I want to be IN the parade, I don't just want to see it!" So ... we had a little parade of our own ....

We've been busy ...

Horseback riding with my sister for her birthday ...

Camping at the sea wall ...

Sage on her new scooter, Aspen on her new Plasma Car

Christmas at Papa & Grandma Smith's ....

Sage gets dress-up clothes and play cleaning supplies for Christmas ...

Post-Holiday Shopping

Okay ... so I happily embraced the early onset of Christmas celebrations because Sage I and were able to have some great conversations about the Christ in Christmas. Today is December 26th and I just received some "post-holiday shopping" emails from Joanne's. Since there is no more consuming to be done for Christmas, we must create a new holiday: Post-Holiday. Now I am just annoyed.
On a lighter note, our family celebrations were wonderful and tiring all at the same time. We have much to be thankful for this year.

Mochi

Last night Ryan and I went to my work party. I sometimes forget I am a working woman since I only work Fridays. Anyways, my boss hosted a fabulous dinner in his home and when it came time for dessert Ryan and I happily noticed they were serving Mochi Ice Cream. We got hooked on Mochi ice cream when we lived in L.A. Excited to see the little balls of ice cream, I asked my boss's wife, "So, you like Mochi?" To which she responded, "Never tried it, I just thought it would look really pretty in these bowls and it would be a fun adventure to try this out together," at which point my boss grabbed his spoon to dig into our fun dessert at which point Ryan and I both blurted out, "Um ... it's a finger-food dessert. You eat it like this." We had fun coaching them all on the ways of Mochi in addition to fully enjoying everyone's first responses to the little balls. If you have never tried Mochi ice cream this story is pretty anticlimactic -- but if Elen, Carla or Tiff are reading this, I am sure you guys are laughing!
p.s. TJ's sells Mochi Ice Cream. I highly recommend the Strawberry and Chocolate Flavors. Although Mocha is my favorite, but our TJ's doesn't carry it.

Rudolph

Oddly enough I know ALL of the words to this song. Sage loves this song. She even knows all of the echo parts : )

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

You know Dasher and Dancer, and Prancer and Vixen,
Comet and Cupid, and Donner and Blitzen,
But do you recall, the most famous reindeer of all?

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Had a very shiny nose,
And if you ever saw it,
You could even say it glows.

All of the other reindeer
Used to laugh and call him names;
They never let poor Rudolph
Join in any reindeer games.

Then one foggy Christmas Eve,
Santa came to say:
"Rudolph with your nose so bright,
Won’t you guide my sleigh tonight?"
Then how the reindeer loved him
As they shouted out with glee,
"Rudolph the red-nosed Reindeer,
You’ll go down in history."

We Three Kings

7 days until Christmas. My (Tracy's rather) sewing machine is threading away. I think I am almost done with everything. Still have to wrap though ... need to get a good movie to watch and wrap while I am watching the movie. For some reason I always love watching "You've Got Mail," around this time.

We Three Kings

We three kings of Orient are;
Bearing gifts we traverse afar,
Field and fountain, moor and mountain,
Following yonder star.

Refrain

O star of wonder, star of light,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.

Born a King on Bethlehem’s plain
Gold I bring to crown Him again,
King forever, ceasing never,
Over us all to reign.

Refrain

Frankincense to offer have I;
Incense owns a Deity nigh;
Prayer and praising, voices raising,
Worshipping God on high.

Refrain

Myrrh is mine, its bitter perfume
Breathes a life of gathering gloom;
Sorrowing, sighing, bleeding, dying,
Sealed in the stone cold tomb.

Refrain

Glorious now behold Him arise;
King and God and sacrifice;
Alleluia, Alleluia,
Sounds through the earth and skies.

Refrain

Humming ...

Like I said, I am really enjoying Christmas hymns this year. So, lately when I sing to the girls at night I try to sing a couple of carols. The sad thing is that I only know the first verses of just a few carols. So I sing the first verse very confidently and struggle through the rest of the verses, humming in place of verses forgotten or never memorized. Last night Sage started to hum with me ... that was pretty fun.

Silent Night

Silent night, Holy night
All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child
Holy Infant so tender and mild
Sleep in Heavenly peace
Sleep in Heavenly peace

Silent night, Holy night
Shepherds quake at the sight
Glories stream from Heaven afar
Heavenly hosts sing Hallelujah
Christ, the Savior is born
Christ, the Savior is born

Silent night, Holy night
Son of God, love’s pure light
Radiant beams from thy Holy face
With the dawn of redeeming grace
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth
Jesus, Lord, at thy birth

I have really been enjoying Christmas Carols/Hymns lately. The lyrics bring me back to the true meaning of Christmas ... Christ not presents. Just this morning I was thinking of some more things that I want to buy the girls. Then as I was singing, "What Child is This," during worship this morning I realized my focus of Christmas had once again been derailed.

Here are the lyrics to, "What Child is This":

What Child is This

What child is this, who, laid to rest
On Mary's lap, is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet,
While shepherds watch are keeping?

Chorus:
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing:
Haste, haste to bring him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Why lies he in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear for sinners here,
The silent Word is pleasing.

Chorus

So bring Him incense, gold, and myrrh,
Come peasant king to own Him,
The King of kings, salvation brings,
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.

Raise, raise the song on high,
The Virgin sings her lullaby:
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Wrapping Paper

This year I am only using the brown paper from grocery shopping bags to wrap presents. I just can't get myself to spend money on colored paper that you buy, wrap around a box with some tape, rip open and then throw away. If I run out of bags, then I think I will just buy the re-usable bags from TJ's and use those to put my presents in. They are actually much cheaper than holiday bags and can serve multiple purposes. And I am not buying tissue paper. I decided to boycott that a while ago. Although, if you give it to me in a present I will re-use it. You know that you can iron it back to it's beautiful flat self, right?

Zoo Favorites

We went to the Zoo today. My all-time favorite zoo animal has always been the Capybara. They just look like cuddly creatures to me. But not so much today as we witnessed the capybara and the anti-eater (who now share living quarters) stand each other off and chase each other around their pen. Another zoo favorite of mine would be the gorillas. Today one of the gorillas actually leaned against the looking glass and Sage, Ryan and I were able to observe him as he picked at his fur and chewed on some grass. His back was to us, but he kept looking at Sage through the corner of his eyes. It was pretty amazing. I think I could have stayed there for hours just observing this magnificent creature. But Aspen was definitely not a fan of the big burly guy and Sage wanted to move on to the giraffes and lions. So, we moved on, but both Ryan and I were pretty blown away by our experience.

Fabulous Week

Well ... Thanksgiving is over. The turkey is not all gone yet, but I don't think I can eat any more of that bird. Seriously -- I am over turkey for a while. We spent the first half of the week with some fabulous friends at Dumont Dunes. Then we came back to a fabulous Thanksgiving feast put on by Ryan's mom. Today we went to the Santa Paula tree farm and picked a Christmas Tree for my dad's house. And tonight we finished off the week by ushering in some Christmas spirit by making sugar cookies : )

Christmas

I am usually irritated when I walk into a store just one day after our Halloween costumes have been put away and already the Christmas candy is out, along with all of the other garb that comes with holiday consumerism. Sage and Aspen, on the other hand, are just beside themselves with joy. What child wouldn't be excited? Giant candy canes? Reindeers? SANTA?? Sage will then say to me, "But Santa is just pretend, right mom?" "Right," I say. Then we usually talk about the real reason for Christmas, which then leads to some sort of discussion about baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph getting married, and usually ends with Sage wondering when she will get married and have kids. It's a very involved discussion. Then I had to ask myself: How can I be irritated with holiday consumerism which should reminds me of Jesus and the big celebration to come on December 25th? Shouldn't I be excited about Jesus' birth year-round? Heck, in front of our Von's parking lot a manger is displayed every year. Should I say, "No, sorry, it's too early to put those decorations out right now." Anyhow, this year I have really enjoyed all of the decorations being out early because it has sparked many a conversation between Sage and I regarding the real reason for the Christmas and that to me is pretty priceless.

Learning

I was at my sister's house during the summer and she was making eggs. I noticed that prior to cracking the eggs, she lays down a paper towel, and then after she cracks the eggs she places the shells on the paper towel, wraps them up and tosses them in the trash. I don't know why but it just seemed like a genius thing to do. I am always dripping egg whites on the counter tops on the way to the trashcan (and then have to whip out the Clorox bleach to clean it up). Or sometimes I put the egg shells back into the egg carton ... but that can't be good, right? Anyhow, the paper towel method works for me now.

In other breaking news .... Aspen climbed out of her crib 2X and Sage has been asking every other hour when Thanksgiving will be over so we can decorate the house for Christmas.

First Sewing Project

Here they are! Sage's long-awaited PJ Pants : )

Frugal Snob

I am always fascinated by how different each and every person is from another. What might bother or annoy me humors another. What might seem beautiful to me is harmful to another's eyes.
So ... what are my idiosyncrasies?

On the frugal side would be my make-up. I have had the same powder for almost 3 years and it was actually given to me by someone. The lid of the powder container cracked, so I put the container in a zip-lock bag. My lip-liner is also about 2 years old and I just used up 1 of the 2 eye-brow pencils that I have ... never mind the fact that I sharpened that pencil down to it's last bit of usefulness. Make-up just isn't that important to me.
But, I am a shoe snob. This has come and gone in waves. I went from best dressed in High School to only wearing professional garb for my corporate job when I first got married. I didn't care what my pumps looked like, as long as they were cheap! But post-kids my love-of-shoes is returning. Still, I try to find the best brands at the best price. But I don't just want to buy the cheapest shoe anymore, especially since I want the pair of shoes to last a few years (or more). And this requires me to dish out a few more bucks than normal. I care about my shoes!

So, those are some of my funks ... care to share yours?

Halloween!

Another fabulous Halloween! Still, I have to question the Day itself ... costumes, candy, sugar-overdoses, etc. Our church put on a Harvest Fest which we were glad to be part of. It's just another way to fellowship with people, even if we are eating Butterfingers instead of bread.

If I were homeless ...

Darren (my bro-in-law) has been taking a homeless guy out to dinner during his breaks at work. After a fabulous meal at Carl's Jr., the guy asked Darren if he had any money to "buy booze." Darren said, "Sure," and handed him $5 bucks. My first response, which sort of surprised me, was, If I were homeless I would want to drink too. I am definitely one of those people who used to think that I couldn't give money to people begging or standing on street corners because they were just going to go by alcohol with it ... and that was just not good! Without Christ where does any warmth or hope come from for the homeless population who curl up on a park benches, cover up with newspapers and go to bed? For them it most likely comes in the form of a bottle which might even warm their insides and numb the pain of being homeless and having no where to go. Without Christ and without a roof over my head I think I would hit the bottle too. Too often I think I have judged first before empathizing and seeking to understand why someone is at a certain crossroads in life (i.e. homeless). I have judged the label on the bottle before daring to really try the liquid content. If a homeless person ever asks me for money to "buy booze," I hope that I have the courage to sit down with him and ask why he wants booze in the first place and then maybe even share a beer with the guy. Now that would be revolutionary (for me, at least).

Paper Plates Vs. The real thing

So ... we use paper plates -- a lot of them. I think we use paper plates for every meal. There are various reasons for this, one of them being that paper plates = less dishes = happier wife and mom. But, I have to ask the question, is this good for the environment? What is the greater cost, more waste from paper products or the amount of electricity and water used to clean real plates?

Fire Updates

This website lists all the fires currently burning, what counties affected, number of evacuations, etc. It also gives the name of each fire so you can search for updates on the Internet if needed. Ryan's uncle lives in Escondido and still does not know whether his house is standing or not. Be praying for miraculous wind shifts and a drop in temperature to combat these fires! Be praying also for the firefighters and their families.

http://www.nifc.gov/fire_info/nfn.htm

Lazy Day

We haven't had one of these in a while. After church we had a little engagement party for Darren & Kate and then after the kids took naps we hung out and kept updated on the Malibu fire and watched a movie. We didn't go outside because the air conditions didn't seem great, but being confined to the house was sort of nice. It just felt good to not have to be anywhere for an entire afternoon. And now the kids have gone to bed for the night and we get to watch a movie that we have been trying to watch all week, Transformers. Lazy days are a requirement to living sane lives : )

I'm thinking of ...

Do you ever play the "I'm thinking of," game? It goes something like this .... (we were outside while playing this)

Me: I'm thinking of something that is red and has white windows ...
Sage: It's a barn!
Me: Right!
Sage: Okay, I'm thinking of something that is purple and it's a circle with a hole in the middle.
Me: (I see the hula hoop) Is it a hula hoop?
Sage: No ...
Me: Oh, okay then ... is it hard?
Sage: Yes
Me: Is it outside?
Sage: Yes
Me: ?? (there's nothing else outside that is purple)
Sage: (smiling) It's the hula hoop mom. I was just kidding with you.

The Resurrection

A while ago someone asked Sage what her daddy did (for work) and she said, "He plays!" This is actually a pretty accurate description considering we usually only see Ryan at church during the game and song-worship portion of youth group. So, last night I explained to her that after the songs are over (after we leave to go home and go to bed) Ryan teaches the kids about Jesus and also encourages the kids to be more like Jesus. Fast forward a few minutes later in the conversation and Sage and I were somehow discussing how some people like Jesus and some people don't ...

Sage: But, some people didn't like Jesus and so he died.
Me: You are right, Jesus died.
Sage: But then he rose again!
Me: (super duper proud mom!) You are right Sage! Jesus rose again.
Sage: Well, there was probably a wand and someone probably waved it over Jesus and then he came alive.

I wanted to start cracking up ... but she was so sincere in her add-on to the story. I gently explained that wands are just pretend and don't even work when Dora uses them on T.V. I went on to say that it was God who rose Jesus because He is so powerful. Not sure if she got it but she didn't mention the wand again. Needless to say, this story will be told for many a generation to come!

Moldy Bread

How many times have I gone to make some toast only to find that the bread was moldy? My first inclination is to be irritated because I was probably looking forward to a piece of toast and now I would have to switch to some other non-molded food. I am not quite sure who I am irritated at, though. Am I irritated with the bread? Am I irritated at the store from where I bought the bread? Maybe I should be irritated with myself for overbuying in the first place. We live in abundance. Our refrigerators can house a week's worth of food which is good, but is it? How often do I forget what is in my fridge only to find week-old leftovers stuffed in the back corner ... molded? I recently read that we should keep a log of what is in our freezers. In order to do this I had to go through my freezer ... that was interesting. So, what's in your freezer and do you have any moldy bread in your house?

Balance

Sewing, or rather, learning to sew, has been a wonderful addition to my life. I no longer have to throw away items that, "if I only knew how to sew," could have otherwise been saved. Like Sage's toy stroller, for instance. It came with a seat cover and eventually, no doubt from Aspen trying to sit in it, the straps broke off. For months the kids have been playing with an empty toy stroller. That's kind of funny all on its own. But now that I have some basic sewing skills I was actually able to fix it. And now comes the hard part -- balance. How do I choose projects that won't cost more in time and money then just going to Ross and picking out a toddler dress on clearance -- then marked down 50% more?? I am not even a good enough sewer to know how long it will take me to put together a pair of pajama pants from a pattern. I think I saw a 2-pack of fleece pajama pants (super cute) from Costco which were priced at $12. So Ryan told me I better be able to make Sage's pajama pants for less than $6.
Well ... a couple of yards of pink and purple pegasus material later, plus some elastic and thread put the project costs well over $6. But Sage is so excited about her "pegasus pants" which definitely makes the project worth it. Like anything, balance will be the key to this hobby lasting.

Bowling

Tonight we went bowling with some friends from our church. I think we all got some strikes at some point, but in between there was Ryan trying to get the fastest bowling speed and Gina doing her jump-rope cheers. We laughed a lot at ourselves and at each other. My arm is really tired now ... I am sure to be sore tomorrow.
p.s. I must brag that in the 3rd game I bowled a 154 -- an all-time personal record.

Ugly Boots

Sage: Mom, I'm going to put on my ugly boots.
Me: Huh? Ugly boots?
Sage: Yeah, my ugly boots.
Me: (chuckle, chuckle). Sage, go show daddy your ugly boots.
Dad: Ugly boots, huh? How about Ugg Boots?

Slacker

So I have been a serious slacker in the blogging business. My excuse is the Beth Moore study that we are going through at my church. It (and God too) has invaded my life. It's a good thing. I am learning a ton. Hey, maybe I could invite Beth over to help me fold the 5 loads of laundry on my couch ... hee hee ... or finish all of the sewing projects I have floating around in my mind, or, or, or, etc. "Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." -Matt 6:34. This verse has brought me much comfort lately. I actually even memorized it. The laundry will get folded, the bathroom will get clean and I will someday make a skort (don't laugh Michaela!) and a skirt for Sage! But right now I am going to go and spend some quality with my husband : )

Whatever Works

So I have to confess that I think about cleaning our bathroom a whole lot more than any cleaning actually occurs. Usually I wait until I absolutely can't stand it anymore and then I dive in and an hour or so later a clean bathroom emerges. As I was in our dirty bathroom the other night I had just enough time to clear the clutter off the counter and wipe it off with a wet washcloth. Not disinfected, I know, but it looked better. But then I thought, what if I invested in some of those disinfecting/cleaning wipes so that when I get a free moment I could just wipe down the counters, sink, etc.? Genius! I know it's not the traditional way of cleaning, and it's not the cheapest, but I actually think the bathrooms will stay cleaner this way. So, the wipes work for me, what works for you?

A Poem

While on our walk today Sage was trying to say something to me ... at first I thought she said, "I'm cute." Then I thought I heard, "I'm free." After some frustration, Sage pulled her sunshade back (on the jogger) and yelled,"I'm PEACE! That means I am happy." At first I started to explain that we don't really use the word "peace" like that, but then I started to think that it was a pretty fun statement. And then I started to think that it sounded like a pretty good poem.

First Poem
by Sage, age 3

I'm
Peace

Just have to laugh

This week has been the week of late nights. It started with one night staying up too late watching a show or blogging or emailing and then it turned into 4 nights in a row and then mom is tired and has no patience -- duh! Get some sleep!
So, despite going to bed late (again) last night, I was determined to go to the gym this morning and get back on track -- whatever that means. I was out the door by 6:30 a.m. . Not bad, but I didn't make any coffee to drink and I forgot the iPod, but, oh well, off I go. I turned the corner into the gym parking lot, all the while noticing there weren't any cars around. Hm ... this is odd. I parked my car and made my way to the gym's front door. There was a sign and it read, "We will not be opening the gym until 8:00 a.m. on 9/14 due to electrical problems." Are you kidding me? I literally laughed out loud -- at myself, at the situation, at how tired I was, at the fact that I could have been home sleeping. So, tonight I am going to bed early and sleeping in (until the kids wake up, that is)!

Nine Eleven

Today is 9/11. The day, 6 years ago, that some 3,000 people died from the direct actions of 19 men. 19 men killed 3,000 people ...

My radio alarm clock went off at its normal time of 6:30 a.m. I was still half-asleep but the DJs on the radio seemed frantic and worried. "The World Trade Center has been attacked," is all I heard. Was I still asleep? After Ryan and I recognized what was going on we rushed to the television. The images of the burning buildings are still right there in my mind. How much more so are they in the minds of those who lost a loved one on this very sad day?

Ryan reminded me just this morning that it was 9/11 and in the busyness of my day I didn't think about it until I finally sat down tonight and saw the date as it appears on a blog after someone posts a comment ... September 11, 2007. Oh, that's right, it's 9/11. Ryan said they were showing images from the burning twin-towers on the news this morning. We weren't sure if that was the best way to memorialize the day ... I am sort of speechless about this topic. It just makes me sad to think of the many lives lost because of hatred, greed and sin. And it also reminds of just how long we have been at war ... 6 years ... and so many more lives have been lost, on both sides of the battle field. Oh, how God must be crying over our weak attempt to be powerful and mighty and #1.

Good Habits

I finally did it! I went to the store and used my re-usable grocery bag. I have about 10 of them from trips to TJ's or Von's, but I purchased those the same time I bought my groceries, so that was a no-brainer. This time I had to put the bags in my car and then remember to get them out of the car when I got to the store. And I did it! I hope I can make a habit out of this.

Translating Seeds

A student from a local boarding school has been staying with us for the past 9 days. She goes back to school tomorrow, but today she got to experience church for the first time (I think). She speaks pretty good English and can read almost anything, but that wasn't really the issue. We were singing praise songs (not hymns) and I was translating what they meant (or I was trying my best to). Such words that we take for granted knowing like, heaven, praise, reign, almighty, etc, were some of the few that I was attempting to explain. I can enjoy the songs only because I know their meaning, intent and melody. To an outsider they must appear ... um ... confusing and maybe even wacky. So, I want to think that some seeds were planted in the translation process, but in my finite brain I am thinking, "Yeah right!" Thankfully God is bigger than me and my feeble attempt to translate his glory to a young girl, who before this morning, didn't even know heaven existed.

Blogging & The Heat

I think there is a correlation between blogging and the heat. Um ... let's see ... when it's hot, people don't blog. That is my genius conclusion today. It is hot and I finally decided to open up the computer only to see that the postings are only crawling in at a pace of maybe 2/day. I know why. I have no energy to sit and type about how hot it is. Well, I guess I have some time.

Why I love blogging ...

I love to write. As mentioned in my very first blog, I have kept a journal since the young age of 8. So, naturally I love blogging because I love to write. But blogging has become much more for me. With kids running around and a household to manage there isn't a lot of time to pick up the phone and chat with friends. But, I can log onto my computer and see what all of my friends are up to, and they can comment on my happenings and I on theirs and poof! We are connected! I love the sharing that occurs within the blogging world. From recipes to toddler troubles, we seem to cover all of it. Blogging is my daily adult conversation, which as we know, is very important when you have little ones running around and Dora songs stuck in your head. So, here's to blogging (hold up whatever glass is near you -- be it a 12pm Martini or a sticky-rimmed sippy cup). Cheers! Cheers!

Unicorns

Lost

Yeah! We finished watching the 2007 season of Lost. Last summer Ryan had downloaded the 2006 season onto his computer and we got hooked. So we decided to do the same thing this summer. We had a couple of marathon nights ... watching more than 2 episodes in a row and going to bed way past the time that our old-parent bodies allow. And last night we finished off the season by watching 4 episodes in a row! It, of course, ended in a cliffhanger, but that was to be expected. We are even tempted to watch the first episode when it airs in January 2008. But Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives will be going strong by then, so we will probably just have to wait. What would we do without T.V.? I know, I know, we would all be fine, but it's still fun to keep up on all of these fictional characters with fun and interesting fictional lives.

More happy thoughts...

While I was waiting for my dentist appointment this morning I read something interesting about our happiness. The author of the article I was reading commented that the state of happiness lasts longer when we share our happy events with others. At first I was like, huh? And then all of my blogging friends came into mind ... I think we share a lot of joy within the blogging world. When funny things happen, we jot them down as best we can and click "publish post," and make others smile, and no doubt, ourselves too. So keep passing along the joy : )

Laughter

Laughter heals. I am sure somebody has made that statement before. And if not, I am going to make it here. This past week we have been through a rollercoaster of emotions. Our church is in somewhat of a broken state. But God is prevailing. A week ago we were all crying. Yesterday at church we laughed -- a lot! It felt good to laugh. The pain and lasting effects of regretted actions are still there, but through laughter and God's amazing grace the healing process has begun. What an amazing God we serve who created humans to have the ability to feel such pain and such joy all within days of each other.

Hume Lake

I love being up here at Hume Lake. Maybe it's all the beautiful pine trees and that wonderful pine tree smell. Maybe it's the fact that I don't have to cook or clean for the week. Maybe it's seeing 1000+ students standing during chapel, raising their hand to God in praise. Maybe it's late night talks with Sage ....

Sage: Mommy, how is daddy duck doing (back home) ?
Mom: Good, I think.
Sage: Mommy, how is mommy duck doing with Jesus? (she died a while back)
Mom (smiling in the dark): Good, I think.
Sage: I just love Jesus Mom. I love to talk to him ... to tell Him stories ...

Maybe I love Hume Lake because it's a chance to relax and see and hear God everywhere and marvel at His amazing grace. Or maybe I love being at Hume Lake because the kids go to bed so late that we get to sleep in!! I guess it's all of the above. Needless to say, we are having a wonderful time up here.

Pictures

I know there is a reason we moms and dads take so many pictures. It is to capture the moments we don't want to forget, and sadly, I have probably forgotten so many already. I have recently been uploading our pictures onto Flickr so if my computer crashes at least they will be "somewhere" in cyberspace. As I was uploading some old pictures I couldn't help but smile at some of them ....

Darren & Aspen, July 2007 (Aspen 18 mos old)

Darren & Sage, March 2005 (Sage 9 months)

Day 7 & Tired (but doing good)

Ryan has been gone a week from tomorrow and we have been keeping busy but now I am just tired. I got back from L.A. today and the girls and I declared it a Movie Night. We put blankets and pillows on the floor, I made popcorn and we watched Nemo (minus the scary parts). This morning I was toting Aspen around on my hip and I asked, "Where did Aspen go?" I think mommy needs to get some Zzzzz. But all is well. I just need a night of good sleep : )

Goodbye Thumper

My mom in-law has to put her horse Thumper to sleep today. He is 30 years old and has lived a full life. And we know that and yet death is so final and so hard to accept. Sage says that Thumper is going to be with Jesus. We said our goodbyes the other day. Thumper is the first horse that Sage touched (as an infant) and then rode as a toddler. We are sorry for this loss.