Beth's Garden

Happy 2012!!!

2011-12-31T23:46:00.002-05:00

Celebrating the New Year by my lonesome, by drinking Raspberry Schweppes and vanilla ice cream with a curly straw.

Memories Made

2011-12-31T08:18:00.002-05:00

I have been a bad blogger and no New Year's resolution will fix that. December has been a hard month. The rest of the year I count as wonderful. Many wonderful memories were made. I met Ayu, my sponsor child from Indonesia, who has now graduated from the Compassion program. I got to know several wonderful women during that trip and was able to reunite with them this past August in Colorado. I felt a baby kick from inside one of my best friend's abdomen. Sweet joy. And I also was able to visit her for several days in August. I laughed with my little cousins in New Mexico. I watched my own boy learn his letter sounds and complete numerous Rush Hour car puzzles in a row. We took in the most beautiful view of the St. Lawrence River. I am more in love with my husband now than ever before. I joined a small group Bible study and have been challenged to study God's word. We switched churches. We grew. We learned. Gramanita was able to visit this year. Twice. I held my brother's newborn baby girl. My sister and I, giddy with glee, stopped to look at every little girl outfit in Target in the weeks after her birth.

Maybe this next year hold as many or more wonderful memories to be made. Perhaps, we will go camping "up north" in Minnesota. Maybe we really will pay off our mortgage. Or travel the world... Maybe I will have another baby to love... And maybe I will be able to speak to my brother again...

And now to celebrate the last day of 2011. Me and my boy, who loves to cuddle in with me every morning. *love*

2011-12-25T08:05:00.002-05:00

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

"Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call
his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." Matthew 1:23

Baby Shower Saturday

2011-11-30T21:59:00.004-05:00

Last Saturday, myself and two friends threw a baby shower for our mutual friend/sister. I went to visit Carissa in South Carolina in August and last week she came home for Thanksgiving. We seized the opportunity and showered her. She's due (with a girl!) February 4th. I hope I didn't make her feel awkward by how much I had my hand on her belly. Honestly, I think she was fine with it, since she did the same to me when I was pregnant with Josh. Feeling a baby move inside is really the most amazing feeling in the world, even from the outside...I'm counting my blessings in being able to watch my dear friend be expecting her first baby, even if it is from far away. I cannot wait to hold her little girl and kiss her little fingers and feel her soft hair on my cheek. And I secretly hope that little baby will look like her Asian side... :)

A Busy Bee

2011-11-27T22:22:00.005-05:00

What a week! I think I am ready to stay home for the next month. I have been just. that. busy. We have been making pies, prepping for Thanksgiving, visiting with friends and family, shopping during the wee hours of the morning, throwing my friend a baby shower, eating too much and enjoying the people that God has brought into our lives. And now Adam is fighting a fierce cold. I am wishing for one more day in my long weekend that I could actually stay home and get to know my house again. But tomorrow I have an appointment in the city and some things to return, so I will be off and running again.

On a happy note, I bought a new shower curtain for the bathroom. It makes me smile every time I walk in there. I also bought paint and will begin painting hopefully this weekend. Doesn't my shower curtain make you smile too? The way I see it, I have free license to decorate my bathroom in a kid-friendly fashion, since I have a small kid myself. (Did you see my matching bath mat? Yes, that also makes me smile. I also will be attempting to paint some matching wall art.) More news about my busy week/month to come later. Nothing too exciting, so don't get your hopes up.

Do it Faithfully

2011-11-13T23:12:00.005-05:00

3 John 1:5 - Beloved, you do faithfully whatever you do, to the brethren and to strangers...

Can I say that about myself? How can I, if I spread myself so thin? What does the Lord really want me to spend my time doing? Am I able to do that which He has called me to do faithfully? These are questions I am always asking myself. Always evaluating in my mind. How can I get to the place where I know I am in God's will and can truly pour myself into what He has for me? What things, good things, am I involved in that are not His best for me?

Lord, help me to know what you have for me to do. Help me to know when to say "no" and when to say "yes". Help me to do what I do the best way that I can. Help me to serve you faithfully in all that I do, to my family, to my "brethren", and to strangers.

Wanderings

2011-11-10T21:56:00.002-05:00

This past weekend my friend Stephanie and her family came to visit. Adam and I took them into Rochester to the public market on Saturday morning. We perused vegetable stands, dug through homemade mittens, bought way too many raspberries, smelled fresh roasted coffee beans, and enjoyed the beautiful, albeit chilly, morning together. I love going to the public market, and I don't know why we don't go more often. There is something exciting about the masses of people, crowding through the stalls, the hawking of goods, hearing the voices of people everywhere. It's invigorating. I enjoy talking to the different vendors and gleaning bits of information from them or about them. We came home with bags of goodies and ate good that night! Although the asparagus I bought is still in the fridge... Maybe I do tend to go overboard.

Bed in a Box

2011-11-01T22:26:00.004-04:00

For the third night in a row, Josh is sleeping in a cardboard box. We acquired the box from my Mom, who brought it over for our Jonah party. It's a very large box, and in all honesty, I could probably sleep in it if I wanted to. He's all tucked in, nice and warm. I'm starting to wonder how long we'll have the extra bed! Maybe it's time for a house guest? (Stephanie???)

Party Remnants

2011-10-31T20:41:00.007-04:00

Saturday was the day. My boy is now four. Invitations were sent out and a party was had. (My brain was on overload and that is why there has been a lack of blogging.) Our Jonah party was a success. My sister, Hannah, came to help with crowd control and preparations. The party began with a prayer and the story of Jonah, as was requested by a small boy. Instead of doing "craft", I baked fish-shaped cookies for the kids to frost. Each child was able to frost three cookies. Funny side note- I didn't have a fish-shaped cookie cutter, so I made one by bending a metal bat-shaped cookie cutter. When was I ever going to make bat cookies??? So that is why these fish are so funky looking.

We also had a very large, whale-sized box. Each kid had a turn being Jonah inside the "whale". And when I left the room, the box was the center of attention, and would've met it's demise had I not returned in time. Yeah, boxes are awesome.
I managed to make a fish cake for the occasion, but didn't bake Jonah into his middle like planned.
We proceeded with our four year old birthday celebration, with a lunch of fish sticks, tater-tots, and carrots. (Yes, I serve such "healthy" birthday lunches.) After which, the fish cake was cut and enjoyed.
Almost guaranteed, the favorite part of the party would have to be the pinata. I had attempted to make a pinata earlier in the week, using a balloon and paper machete. Unfortunately, it took more than six days to dry, and I was not able to use it. So, on Friday I did a quick online search and found a wonderful substitution. A paper bag, stuffed with newspaper and candy, and decorated with crepe paper (left over from our decorations) made a super pinata. Each kid had ample opportunity to hit the make-shift pinata and had fun diving for candy when it finally burst.

I think each and every one of us had a lot of fun at Josh's birthday Bible Club. And at least three of us were ready for a nap afterward.

A Jonah Bible Club

2011-10-10T21:39:00.004-04:00

So, you know how a few of the neighborhood kids have been asking about Bible Club? Well, now my own son has started. I just can't get away. ;) And I think I have an answer to my prayers about how to go about it, or at least a start. Through no provoking of my own, Josh started asking about Bible Club and then he went on to ask if he could have Bible Club on his birthday. I stopped whatever I was doing and began to consider my little boy's request. "And invite the neighborhood kids?" I asked. "Yes." I think he was inspired by someone bigger than both of us... I asked him what Bible story we should tell, and after considering it for a moment, "Jonah" was his reply. This is very do-able, I think. I'm not the greatest at throwing parties or putting plans into actions, but when my little boy wants to have Bible Club for his birthday, I would venture to say that it might be the Lord's way of getting me going. (I always need a little push to get things done.) So I have 18 days to plan a Jonah Bible Club birthday party. Maybe a whale cake, reading the story of Jonah, Jonah games? I will have to pray for some more ideas...

I just have to say, God has the best ideas.

Sunflower Cutting Time

2011-10-07T22:29:00.002-04:00

Climbing the ladder to success.

Under those spent blossoms, is a treasure trove of goodness.

Joshua pretends to be a sunflower. (Seriously.)

The flower heads were huge! This one was probably the prettiest of all.

They Were of Mammoth Proportion

2011-10-06T22:25:00.005-04:00

My sunflowers brought me quite a bit of happiness. They were super tall and impressive. This was the first year I had these majestically tall flowers in my garden, and I don't plan on it being the last. Monday of this week though, it was time. Time to harvest the flower heads and hang them somewhere out of the relentless rain to dry. There were 27 mature flowers that were cut, put into paper bags, and hung to dry, in my parents' barn, since I didn't have enough room in my basement to hang 27 Mammoth Sunflower heads. If all goes well, in a few weeks, the heads will be dried and we can harvest the seeds, roast and salt them, and devour their tasty goodness. That is, if they don't mold and don't get eaten by bugs or mice... That is a big fear of mine.

A Safe Spot

2011-10-04T22:27:00.003-04:00

That is what I want my home to be. A safe spot. A welcome place. A shelter. I would love to be able to minister to the children that wander through my neighborhood and love them as Jesus would. I want them to see Jesus in my home. This week, both Sunday evening and this evening, two of the neighborhood girls showed up at my house. They came on Sunday to ask me random questions about a bike in my yard and about the carrots in my garden. But they came again tonight for no particular reason. And they will be back again. I have been feeling the Lord's tug on my heart to open my home to these kids and others, to be able to share with them more about Jesus and the Bible. Jesus has done so much for me and I want to share Him with others who have never heard. I can no longer deny this calling, I just don't know exactly how to go about doing it. Do I simply live and be a godly example? Or do I add structure and sit and read stories and allow them time to ask questions? Or do I incorporate Bible stories into our visits as they come? Please pray for me that I will follow God's ever-so-gentle calling on my life.

Layed Bare

2011-10-02T13:33:00.003-04:00

He's calling me to come closer. To come walk with Him. To partake of solid food. Spend more time with Him. To make Him my priority. I know that I have regressed. I have become self-centered and selfish, and have tainted my Lord's reputation. When did I become this way? When did I start caring less about those who surround me? When did I become a baby in the Lord? He wants me to eat solid food now, real meat. Hebrew 6:1 says, "Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God..." I can put on a good facade and am well practiced at it. I look good from the outside, but more and more has the ugly side been showing itself. It's hard for me to love. It's hard for me to forgive. I bring up the hurts that should've been brushed aside by now. I have problems. I am the problem. I need more Jesus. He is the Potter and I am the clay. Can He really clean out the gnarled, crusty self inside of me? Can He really make me new, once again? Can my heart really look like His? I'm tired of these earthly passions and fading trends. Who really cares if I have the latest look or my house looks like a picture from a magazine? Is that what Jesus wants me to spend my time thinking about? Does not His heart bleed for the sins we have committed? Can He make my heart bleed for those things once again? Can He callus my heart toward earthly satisfactions? Yes, yes He can.

Hebrews 6:11 & 12 "And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises."

Good-Bye Sunshine!

2011-10-01T20:11:00.004-04:00

The first day of October came brutally, with cold wind and rain. Time for jackets! These sunflowers have long since faded, their sunny faces turned brown and cold. Their seeds are hardening and will soon be ready for harvest. This sunflower will, in a few short weeks, be tasty sunflower seeds, and who knows? Maybe you will even be able to have some for yourself!

Appropriately Honored

2011-09-28T22:22:00.004-04:00

Today is the two year anniversary of when my Grandpa walked through those Pearly Gates. Two years ago today he breathed his last laboring breath after a brief battle with lung cancer. I had intended to stop by the cemetery where his ashes were buried, but time ran out ahead of me and I failed to catch up with it. But as the evening progressed, and my commitments met, I realized that the way I ended up spending my evening would be much more honoring of my Grandpa and the way he lived his life.

Grandpa was almost constantly serving others in ministry. He spent countless week hours at nursing homes holding Bible studies and singing old hymns. During the last years of his life, he also began serving at the Open Door Mission, the local homeless shelter. He would sing in his usual style, with his banjo, harmonica or guitar, and preach the sermon before the men and women would be served their meals. Grandpa was passionate about telling others of Jesus' love and forgiveness, and the Open Door was a ministry he supported wholeheartedly. And this evening, exactly two years after he passed into Glory, that was where I spent my evening. The community group that I attend Bible study with, had arranged to help serve dinner at the mission, and we spent a couple hours there scooping hot meals onto plates. This was a much more appropriate way to honor my Grandfather, much better than a flower on a gravestone.

A Day at the Aquarium

2011-09-19T23:22:00.008-04:00

I had never been to an aquarium or seen real, live manta rays before. And I am 25 years old. These kids don't know how cool it really is to have access to such a cool place. When I was in Albuquerque, my cousin took me to the aquarium. My aunt and the little cousins came too, even though they had been there numerous times before. The big kids (including me and Auntie Kim) and the little kids oohed and aahed over the fish and seas creatures with the best of them. Beckett loved watching the rays. He's almost 2. I loved watching them too. (I even got to touch one! woo-hoot!)

My favorite part was probably the jelly fish room. Their eery glow filled the room, while their translucent bodies moved through the water. There was a distinct beauty to these creatures and yet I had to remind myself that these were actually dangerous animals. Still it was a cool thought to imagine swimming in a pool of jelly fish..... Definitely not very practical. I left the aquarium that day in awe of God's amazing creation. He has made so many marvelous things!

Colorado

2011-09-14T21:59:00.003-04:00

Colorado. I decided that I love that place. It is among the most beautiful places I have ever been. I also decided that next time I go there, I want to take my guys. There was just too much that I wanted to share with them, and they were not there to savor it with me. I am not sure if Adam would get as excited over the scenery as I did, but I wanted to share every mountain vista and picturesque peak with him. I thought of Josh during the entire gold mine tour, and when we were at the Bar D Ranch, all the little boys (and most big ones too) were dressed like cowboys and once again, I wished he was there with me. I imagined the fun we could have together as a family, exploring all that southwest Colorado has to offer, around the twisting curves and rising roads, and into the heart of history. Adventure breathes deep around every corner and beneath every tree. That is how it should be, deep in the mountains of Colorado.

Traveling Escapades

2011-09-09T23:19:00.004-04:00

Did a little bit of traveling this past month. Got to hug some great people and eat wonderful food. Here's a tiny taste of the adventure.

Down By The River

2011-08-29T10:34:00.011-04:00

Upon our arrival in South Carolina, we were greeting with fine greetings from our host and hostess. It was just after 11pm on Saturday night, so after the greetings were over, Josh, Adam, and myself collapsed into bed. Sunday we were treated to some fine Southern preaching, which brought back childhood memories of our Southern Pastor, who could shout with the best of them. (He had gradually adapted the more Northern way of preaching and was quite tame by the time I graduated High School...)

After church, Carissa and Adam H. (our fine hosts) took us to the river for a picnic. When they said picnic, my mind conjured up images of a gentle, grassy slope, where we could lay out our blanket and enjoy our packed lunches in the warm sunshine. Maybe after our lunch, we could, if we so desired, dip our feet into the cool edge of the river and watch Josh do some splashing... Well, it was awful silly of me to imagine any such thing, because there was no gentle, grassy slope to lay out our blanket on, and the warm sunshine was blocked by a cool canopy of limbs and leaves.

We picked our way carefully down the rocks and stepped into the cool stream. You could see looks of displeasure coming from my husband's face. This was not what he had expected either. He was hungry and had been hoping for a gentle, grassy slope on which to eat his lunch. Carrying the cooler in one hand and holding Josh's hand in the other, he picked his way over the slippery river rocks with a warning to me, not to drop the camera.

We walked for a ways, with Mr. Hall and Carissa in the lead, and Adam scowling more and more, as his stomach began to growl painfully. The river curved round a bend, and there along the shore line, was a rocky beach of sorts. It was here, on the rocky beach, that Mr. Hall unfurled the blanket and Carissa got out the picnic lunch. The river babbled it's watery song while we munched happily on our ham sandwiches, chips and cookies. Our hunger was finally satiated and the scowl lines in Adam's brow had softened.

By this time, the water was calling to us and we left the dry picnic blanket and dipped our toes into the water. We ventured further until the water lapped at our calves. Before we knew it, we were all kids again, our hands in the water, pulling rocks out and moving them to where they would better suit our purpose. Soon, the water was rising and Mr. Hall and Adam joyfully made a game out of seeing how fast they could get the current moving.

There was a lot of laughter and smiles as the boys got in touch with their "inner child". The current was so strong that even as grown men, they struggled to walk through the knee-deep water. One could tell that they were mightily pleased with the results of their hard work, making memories all the way.

A Brief Stop in Pittsburgh

2011-08-28T18:52:00.005-04:00

On the way to South Carolina, we stopped in Pittsburgh and spent the night with Adam's friend Josh. We didn't have a lot of time to spend in Pittsburgh, but he did accompany us to breakfast in the morning, before sending us on our way. We went to a place called Jo Jo's where Adam bought the biggest omelette any of us had ever seen. Pittsburgh sits in a valley surrounded by hills and mountains, so after our tummies were full and had said our good-byes to Josh, we sought out an overlook so we could enjoy the view of the city.

Beartown State Park (I told you I wanted to go there)

2011-08-26T23:03:00.007-04:00

This month we took a family vacation to see some good friends of mine. Adam, Josh and I drove 14+ hours to Greenville, South Carolina. It wasn't a bad drive, but I did take us two hours out of the way to see this really great park called Beartown State Park, in West Virginia. Josh had a hard time driving through the mountains, as all the curves and hills were making him carsick... But he loved the rocks and caves at the park. I'm pretty sure we even heard a bear, though it could've been something else... I'm hoping to share little clips of our adventure with you so "bear" with me!

Josh loved exploring the boardwalks at Beartown. He

often ran ahead a little ways to get a peek before we could.

"He hideth me in the cleft of the rock."

Each rock formation was topped with trees

and ferns like a little island. It was so gorgeous.

We had to stay on the boardwalks,

but they too us to all the good spots.

Isn't he a cutie face?

The Truth is in the Pudding (Whatever that means...)

2011-08-18T22:28:00.006-04:00

One would think that if you could bake you should be able to cook, right? How about wrong. I consider myself to be a moderately good baker. After all, I can bake pies with the best of them and my cookies aren't too bad either. But I have to admit, my cooking skills just aren't up to par. In fact, they are lagging behind. Not only can I not seem to remember to take meat out to thaw, but bringing a meal together just doesn't always happen. Like tonight, for instance....

I'm trying to clean out my fridge. I don't want any leftovers in there this weekend. It's just time to clean out all that old stuff. Yesterday we had bacon sandwiches and leftover pasta. The pasta was gross in and of itself, let alone being leftovers already. So tonight's dinner made day three of bad dinners. I had the brand idea to make split pea soup in an effort to use up some bread in the fridge. (We have several odd loaves/packages of bread in there.) Yes, make soup to use bread. Everyone knows that you are supposed to eat bread with soup. Now, I have one very distinct memory of eating split pea soup, and that memory comes from my childhood. My Mom only ever made split pea soup once, probably due to how well it was received. Us kids sat at the dinner table much longer that night as we struggled to swallow that insipid soup. The longer we sat, the more horrible the soup became... And yet, I still chose to make split pea soup for supper. I thought that maybe, just possibly in the past 15+ years, my taste buds had matured enough to appreciate the green soup delight. Unfortunately for me, they had not. Even Adam, who typically appreciates split pea soup, did not finish his serving. And poor Josh uttered his disdain for our supper at his first tiny taste. Well, it was our supper and so Adam and I toughed it out for most of our bowlfuls, but were kinder to Josh as we told him he must eat only five bites. He struggled through each bite, grimacing and shuddering and plugging his nose. He was doing so well... But we should've told him four bites. I'll leave it at that. Good thing I know how to bake. I should've gone with my first thought and just served bread pudding for supper. No worries though, I whipped up some bread pudding with blueberries in no time. I was even able to rid my fridge of one more half eaten loaf of bread, a container of cream cheese, the rest of the half and half, and a scoop or two of yogurt. I was a little concerned about all the extra stuff I was putting in the pudding, but there was no need for concern. After all, the truth is in the pudding, I can bake better than I can cook.

(PS The photo is not mine. It is from http://froggey.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/blueberry-bread-pudding-with-lemon-cream/, where I kinda followed the recipe from.)

I'm at it Again

2011-08-17T23:35:00.002-04:00

I want to go *here*. Just in case you were wondering...

A Bible Club Finale

2011-08-17T22:59:00.004-04:00

Bible Club ended today. But may Bible Club never really be ended... My neighbor asked Jesus to wash away her sins and give her a new heart. Another neighbor came back after club to ask me why God would want to pay for our sins, why He would die for us. Three weeks ago, my friend Cindy and I were disappointed with the low turnout of kids (or lack of any), but remained faithful to the plan. We struggled through the last weeks, but our God brought it all together today. We closed out our club with a party, but not before a very good lesson and overview of the Wordless Book. We played multiple games and crafts and even fed the five kids in attendance (including Josh) hot dogs for lunch. And then, when things were settling down and the dust clearing, we got a peek at the fruit of our labor. I wonder what the Lord will do next?

You Don't Have to Read This

2011-08-10T22:55:00.003-04:00

Just wanted to say this has been a rather hard/wonderful summer. Some things have been wonderful and, well, some things super hard. The whole changing churches thing I feel is taking it's toll on me. Having a church family and regular fellowship is really important to me, but not only have we left our home church of eight+ years, we also are not regularly attending or going to be regularly attending the church of our choice for quite a while. Adam is going to be helping do sound at another church in the city through the months of September and October. And more than likely, we will not be able to get plugged into our new church until November. Thankfully, I have been attending a small group Bible study midweek through the summer. The group is made up of young married or single adults in their 20's or 30's and I feel like I've made some good connections with people or at least am starting to. It helps that one of my bff's was part of the group to start with. But now our group leader has just informed us that he will be leaving our group with a new leader in the fall and going off to start another group. Yeah, the one part of "church" that held some normalcy is now going to be... well, different. It just stinks extra much because our group leader was good at making everyone feel welcome, accepted and, I guess, part of the group. It's hard... Especially when every other night or so, I dream about things going on at the church we left and in my dreams I end up crying because I am missing out on what's happening. I don't want to make friends at the church Adam is helping at because we aren't going to stay there (nor do I want to). The new church is absolutely huge and the only thing that makes the huge part not so bad, is the small groups. I just wish Adam could come with me... I'm not complaining, I'm just saying it's not easy. I know it'll be for the best, but right now I have a lump in my throat and I wish Adam was awake so we could talk about it... But he is sleeping and the next best thing in to blog it.

Finding the Missions Field

2011-07-31T22:11:00.002-04:00

My friend Cindy and I have been hosting a Bible Club at my house this summer. Every Wednesday morning, my yard is open to the neighborhood kids to come for a Bible lesson, story, snack and craft. We get all ages, and anywhere from 2-7 kids. Sharing the Bible with these kids has been very eye opening, to say the least. Most of them know very little of any Bible stories and one boy admitted that his Mom said he was "going to church" when he came over for Bible Club. I know my heart has a "missions bent", but I don't need to go very far to get to the missions field. The missions field comes to me every Wednesday morning. Lord, here am I, send me.

Family Fun?

2011-07-30T23:22:00.002-04:00

Today was a gorgeous, Seabreeze kind of day. The local union that Adam works in was having their family picnic at Seabreeze. We went with Grandpa Bob and Grandma Jo (Grandpa also works in the union) and tackled the water slides right off the bat and right off the bat Adam threw his back out coming down one of the slides with Josh. He didn't complain about it too much and we enjoyed several hours of water rides and bumper cars, but by mid afternoon he was very noticeably walking crooked. His back was seriously out of whack by two or three inches. Needless to say, we didn't stay as long as we could have. We went home to ice his back and get some pain killers in him. Adam spent the rest of the evening laying on the bed trying to relax his back muscles. Hopefully, his back will have released most of the tension by morning so he can go to church pain free.

I'm kinda glad Josh and I have another Seabreeze date in a couple weeks, because I didn't get to ride the Jack Rabbit this time...

Showers of Blessing

2011-07-29T14:53:00.002-04:00

It is raining. Praise the Lord. It's been so long.

Ezekiel 34:26-27 And I will make them and the places round about my hill a blessing; and I will cause the shower to come down in his season; there shall be showers of blessing. And the tree of the field shall yield her fruit, and the earth shall yield her increase, and they shall be safe in their land, and shall know that I am the LORD, when I have broken the bands of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that served themselves of them.

Chruch Directions

2011-07-25T23:28:00.003-04:00

Can I blog this late at night? Because every time I get ready to blog, I realize what time it is and exactly how tired I really feel...

This blog was going to be about church. It's been a very strange "church summer". That of course makes no sense to you, but what I really mean is that our regular attendance of our regular church has been erratic and irregular. Between Josh being sick two Sundays, Adam helping a friend with sound at a church in the city, and being out of town, there has been a slight "disconnect" with our home church. And not only the afore mentioned reasons, but also this past Sunday we visited a friends' church and we really liked it. Adam wants to go again. And if Adam wants to go again, so do I. I have been attending a small group Bible study with some young people who attend there, and I am excited to see how Adam could get plugged in too. Keep us in your prayers as we are stepping in a new direction.

Hot and Sticky Memories

2011-07-21T21:37:00.003-04:00

It was Indonesia weather today. Hot, sticky, sweaty, humid, nearly 100 degrees... Brought back memories of sweaty kids singing, laughing, staring, hugging. Funny, that's not so different than the memories I have from today. Only the kids in todays' memories speak the same language as I do. If only I could remember to love my everyday kids the same as I did those far away kids. I mean, everyday kind of love, with hugs and kisses everyday. Like today, I loved them. But sometimes I am grouchy or don't want to hear screaming or fighting children. Sometimes I want quiet, well behaved, perfect children. It is those days when they are not that teach me.

Sigh... Anyways, this day brought me back to sitting in a crowded room, far, far away from my home with masses of children singing in a foreign language praises to Jesus, staring at the Americans, anxiously waiting for a reaction from one of us. Sweet, sweet memories.

Josh still is asking to go to Indonesia. Last night he asked his Daddy if he also wanted to go to Indonesia to see Viki (our newest sponsor child). I tell Josh to ask God if he wants to go. Maybe someday he really will, only God knows.

FYI

2011-07-12T23:42:00.001-04:00

By the way, we're friends again. That is a "Praise the Lord" moment.

To My True Love

2011-07-11T22:37:00.005-04:00

Will you...

hold my hand?
gaze into my eyes?
stroke my hair?
wink at me?
dance with me?
pray for me?
pray with me?
pursue me?
talk to me?
kiss me?
guide me?
lead me?
hold me?
share with me?
dream with me?
never leave me?
always be mine?

Six years ago he asked me if I would always be his, and I said yes.

And I will.

In Love All Over Again

2011-07-09T21:46:00.003-04:00

Smitten. I can't believe she's really a girl. My parents have a granddaughter... I have a niece. Can we really dress this child in pink and put bows in her hair? Buckle shoes and frilly dresses? She's the epitome of tiny girl child. Came into the world with a bang, after just three pushes, 45 minutes after arriving at the hospital. Breathe in her new baby scent and stroke her baby soft skin. Enraptured. That is how I must describe it. Giddy with delight and waiting anxiously until I can see her again.

YEA FOR BABIES!

2011-07-09T05:38:00.002-04:00

Woo-hoot! I'm an auntie! And it's a GIRL!!! 5 lbs. 12 oz. Can't wait to see her!

Regressing

2011-07-08T22:07:00.001-04:00

I really am "totally at peace" about the matter, but it's nights like this that I wish I was the one in the hospital having a baby.

The Troops

2011-07-08T08:42:00.002-04:00

Mom and Dad and the troops. (Adam is MIA.)

The Crazy Wheel of Life

2011-07-07T22:13:00.003-04:00

I was told that life is like a wheel, with it's ups and downs. Gotta say, this week has been totally like a wheel. I know that God is at work in my life, but I wish He would would just hurry up, cause His work hurts. It's a good thing that He has balanced His work with some wonderful things along with it. Like Jim is in town this week. And my Gramanita is here from Nova Scotia, for the first time since Adam and I got married. And Leta will have a new baby any day (or hour?). So I have been spending a lot of time with my immediate family and at my parent's house visiting with the family. There is a wonderful sense of community when I go home. Something about not being alone, having someone to share burdens with- even if it is help folding laundry, working together and loving together. I am one of seven kids, so I feel most at home surrounded by people. I'm not much for being alone. I guess you might say that it gets a little lonely around my house. Adam goes to work, comes home tired, and goes to bed early. I miss having time spent with each other, whether it is playing a game together, reading together, going for a walk, or sipping tea while sitting on the deck together. I think quiet time spent together is important and healthy in a relationship and when those quiet times don't happen, a relationship can suffer. I think both of us are to blame here. I fill up my evenings with activities that take me out of the home and away from my family. It's not that I don't want to put my family first, it's just that somehow I want to do other important things too. Before I know it, my weeknights are filled with just snippets of time left for those who really matter most. How do I fix it? How do I make sure that Adam and Josh know that they are the most important to me, with the only exception of Jesus Christ? And then how do we make sure that we have enough Glue (Jesus) in our marriage to keep it strong? Take the "Glue" and time spent together out of a marriage and what you have left is a crazy spinning wheel, careening towards the cliff's edge. And that is the story.

Pulling My Heart Strings

2011-06-27T23:11:00.004-04:00

They just tug at my heart strings. Knowing that one person, with the Lord's help, can make a difference in a young life, it's hard to stand by and do nothing. This Sunday three more children found sponsors and three more lives found new hope. I know that Compassion doesn't save children, but our God can use Compassion to save children. Our God can use you and I. I am baffled at how God chooses faulty and fallible people as a conduit of His love. Tonight I shared with Joshua how his Grammy is now sponsoring Fredik. This fact makes me so happy. Josh was so curious as to who Fredrik is and what he looked like. We talked about how Fredrik lives in Africa and how he has black skin, which inspired a conversation about how the people in the world all look different, and how God loves all of us. By the end of our conversation, Josh decided that he wants to go see Fredrik, in addition to visiting Viki, our other sponsor child from Indonesia. I love his young, innocent heart that loves without question and believes the impossible. No wonder the Lord says to have faith like a little child. (Luke 18:17) Anyway, I still have 19 more child packets for children who are waiting for a sponsor of their own. If you have been thinking or praying about sponsoring a child, I am more than happy to give you more information and let you look at the packets I have. I'll be sending them back to Compassion International later this week, so don't wait too long!

Or... you could sponsor Sintayehu by clicking here.

1 John 3:17-18 But whoever has this world’s goods, and sees his brother in need, and shuts up his heart from him, how does the love of God abide in him? My little children, let us not love in word or in tongue, but in deed and in truth.

A Big Kid Party

2011-06-24T23:15:00.004-04:00

On Tuesday there was a party. It was a kid party. A big kid party. *To the tree, to the tree!* (I was having story time flashbacks. Guess what story?) See all those little graduates? Some had finished preschool, some kindergarten and some had spent the last year as "Boogie Babies" and are ready to move on into preschool this coming year. So yes, we made a lot of graduation hats. There was a graduation song, diplomas, and LOTS of kid games. Some children forgot how to stand nicely in line, but all children remembered how to play the candy hunt game. There were smiles and laughter and proud moms and dads. After all, who doesn't love a big dog... er, kid party?

Time for a Baby Squeeze

2011-06-23T23:00:00.005-04:00

Wednesday was my day off and though I would usually spend it trying to catch upon housework, this past Wednesday was not to be spent that way. My good friend Stephanie had had her second baby in April and I had still not been to visit. I needed to go have some baby time. So Josh and I made the two-hour drive to see baby Olivia and her big brother Tyler. We arrived just after 11:30 and Josh got right to work playing with Tyler, who turned two in May. I peeked at the baby and had a very nice visit with Stephanie, in spite of it being laundry day. (I need to invite someone over on laundry day. Then maybe my laundry would actually get folded!) We spent about five hours visiting and Josh and I left in time to eat a late dinner at home. I know I always say this, but even though we live two hours away, it's no excuse to not get together more often! I hadn't been down to see Steph since last August and that is too long. We'll have to make a point of seeing each other at least every other month. Don't you think so Stephanie?

How to Realize You Are Just One Person

2011-06-23T00:12:00.004-04:00

I know my last post made it seem like I wanted lots more to do, but maybe you need clarification. There is currently a LOT on my plate. I don't really need any more to do. But I do want to make more of a difference. I want the things that I do to impact lives for the better. To spread the Good News farther. To effect. To draw people to Christ, because in the end, He is all that really matters. I want my life to reflect that fact. And is busying myself by doing Bible Club, Compassion events, helping decorate for Vacation Bible School, cooking class at Daycare, and hostessing at the CK really reflecting Christ's love for those around me? Am I really able to be a conduit of His grace and mercy when my mind is occupied with thoughts of painting Western scenes, how to make styrofoam swords for defeating the throes of sin, finding sponsors for 22 needy children across the globe or teaching children how to make chocolate chip cookies? It's 12:30 at night and I can't sleep, probably from drinking coffee at 4:45 pm, but possibly from trying to keep everything straight in my brain. When does a girl possibly have time to keep her house clean, her garden free from weeds, to practice the piano more than twice a week so she doesn't feel like a fool come piano lesson day, work more than three days a week, make sure her family eats supper AND gets time to spend with her, AND read the Bible and pray every day? Thankfully the Lord has given me a little alarm clock named Louis, who scratches at my door at 5:15 every morning and finally I realized it was a call to rise early to read and pray, after it happened consistently for over two weeks. Also thankfully, if I get up that early, spend 30-40 minutes with the Lord, I still have time to go back to sleep before I really need to get up to get ready for work. What does God really want from me? Obedience more than sacrifice... How do I know which is which? What is He calling me to do and what have I just taken on because I wanted to? If I knew how to discern, I could pour myself more fully into what He has truly called me to do.

Okay Lord, what is it YOU would have me to do?

More?

2011-06-20T07:25:00.004-04:00

My heart yearns to do more. Does everyone feel this way?

Read this post.

Eight is a Good Number

2011-06-19T21:58:00.004-04:00

I have a "Praise the Lord" moment to share. Even without any presentation or announcement made from the pulpit, eight children were connected with sponsors today. The Lord is good. I still have 22 children who are waiting for sponsors in my possession and I will be praying over them, that the Lord will guide me as I seek sponsors for them. This past week, we had prayed that the Lord would be working in people's hearts even before they came to church and I saw our answers to prayer today. Several people said they had been thinking about doing something like this, one had just received a promotion at work, and one, a girl in high school, said she had always wanted to sponsor a child. So praise the Lord! Eight children... Finding hope in the Lord and love from half a world away.

*Sponsor Fredrik today by clicking here.*

Lord, Help My Unbelief!

2011-06-18T13:19:00.003-04:00

Tomorrow I am running a Compassion "event" at church. I was given permission to have a table with child packets and information about sponsoring children through Compassion International. When I registered with Compassion, I was asked how many people go to my church and I put down 301-500. I received my box of information last week and was overwhelmed with the number of child packets they sent me. (Child packets are children waiting for sponsors.) There were 30 packets from all over the world, each little face staring at me from the page. I think my heart started pounding a little faster and a little harder as my nerves wound tight... "How am I supposed to find sponsors for so many kids?" Forgive me Lord, for thinking it is my responsibility, for forgetting that is You who provides, who draws hearts and holds all things in Your hands. I am just the facilitator. Where is my faith? A friend who prayed with me over these kids the other day, prayed that there would not be enough child packets to supply the demand come Sunday after church. I need more faith like that. Would you pray with me over these 30 kids, that the Lord would provide for them, and maybe that they could be sponsored tomorrow? Would the Lord open your heart to them as well?

He Dreams Dreams

2011-06-13T23:03:00.002-04:00

He's so weird. Who else would question their wife's use of the bathroom in the middle of the night and still not get it when she says her bladder is full? Oh yeah... He would. The one who dreams dreams and catches things falling from the ceiling in the middle of the night, shouts at snakes that are not there and insists that someone is "there". I have stopped playing along at night and now just tell him how it really is and that he should lay back down and go to sleep. And for Pete's sake, if I have to go pee, do I really have to explain it to him? Yeah, I do. Cause I love him.

Happy 23rd Birthday!

2011-06-12T14:39:00.003-04:00

We had a party last night. Someone we love turned 23. Did you have a good 23rd birthday Gramma Jo? Hope you had fun!

Bible Story Time

2011-06-12T14:20:00.002-04:00

Josh was running a mild fever last night and it was still hanging on this morning. I had been looking forward to church this morning, but not wanting to expose the other kids in Sunday School to any sickness, he and I stayed home this morning. Not going to church doesn't mean that we have to miss out on Bible story time though. Can you guess what story I told Josh this morning? He even sang the song that went along with it. Find the story and read it yourself in Luke chapter 19.

By the way, can anyone recommend a particular Bible story book for young kids? I don't want it to be too watered down, but understandable too. Any help would be appreciated.

A Day to Play

2011-05-31T21:50:00.003-04:00

I had four marvelously free admissions to Strong Museum of Play. Aunt Leta and Lucas were invited and, on one fine day, we went. Lucas is two and Josh is three, so being full on inquisitions, they entered the Museum on their toes. Lucas would've spent all morning looking at the fish in the giant fish tank just past the admissions desk, but Josh, who had been to the museum on February, was eager to get on to the good stuff. If you live in the Rochester area and have kids of any age, the Strong Museum is a highly recommended place to go, although it can get pricey if you cannot get a deal somewhere. The boys wanted to see everything and go up every ramp, but their favorite place was probably the "sand" box. Leta and I got a good break from chasing them while they sat and played in the beads. Josh got the grand idea of making snow angels, which caught on with the some of the other kids. Lucas was psyched to ride the train. Josh wanted to shop at Wegmans and Leta and I couldn't wait to go into the butterfly garden. We spent three plus hours traipsing through the rooms, exploring and investigating the ways to play. Lucas was fond of pitter-pattering over the pirate bridge. I almost lost Josh while chasing Lucas through Story land. (Leta was taking a break.) And then we finally made it to the butterfly garden. Josh stood so still and carefully so as not to squish any butterflies. He looked like he was having a horrible time, but he was just trying to be careful. There were butterflies everywhere and little Dr. Suess-type birds running down the paths. I was able to hold a butterfly, but Josh didn't seem impressed. But he was impressed with the carousal we rode on before we left the museum. I was impressed with the picnic lunch we ate on the grassy curb of the parking lot and the grass stains that I got on my shirt... Maybe not the last part there, but we had such a great day together, Josh, Lucas, Leta, and I. Good times.

"Cast Party"

2011-05-31T15:56:00.003-04:00

He picked orange. Orange is a good color. It's bright, cheery, and eye-catching. And when you are three years old, you want your cast to be eye-catching. The Doctor at Orthopaedics determined that Joshua did have a buckle fracture in his thumb. You know how your thumb has three little bones? It's that middle one, near the lower joint, that has the fracture. Josh has been such a good sport, and for having a broken bone, he hasn't complained much at all! He answered the Doctor's questions very plainly, telling him where it hurt and what happened. He's pretty excited to show his Dad his cast and I'm sure he'll be the most popular kid at preschool tomorrow, for at least the first 1/2 hour. On our way home from the Doctor's this afternoon, Josh and I stopped for ice cream. It was a little "cast party" treat.

It's All Thumbs

2011-05-30T22:31:00.004-04:00

It started with a spin on the computer chair and a fall onto the floor. After a bit of crying and a brief inspection, a kiss seemed to heal the ailment and the day went on. It was a warm morning, and Josh spent most of it outside running through the sprinkler and watching his Daddy clean the car. The earlier occurrence all but slipped my mind until lunch time. He was exceptionally crabby and tired, which I attributed to the late night storm which kept us all awake last night. I helped him wash the lunch off his face and then from his hands. When I grabbed his right hand and wiped it with the cloth, he put up quite a fuss about his thumb. It was now quite swollen and purple around the joints. Could it be broken? At this point, Josh was so tired that even if it was broken it would have to wait. So I wrapped it in a make shift splint and put him in bed. A couple hours later he woke up in pain, and since it was Memorial Day, I took him up to Urgent Care. He was so good and brave. They took X-rays, which showed a possible small fracture. Because they couldn't determine whether it was fractured or not, we have to follow up at Orthopaedics tomorrow. Tonight Josh called me into his room so I could look at his thumb. It must have been throbbing, poor little fellow. It is currently in a splint to help keep it from moving. I guess we'll know tomorrow whether it is actually fractured or not.Will they put it in a cast if it fractured or only if it was broken?

Can you see which thumb is bigger? You can't see the bruising in this photo, but it is there. He's such a brave kid. :)

Hooray!

2011-05-21T15:29:00.007-04:00

I finally got him! I had to wait while his packet was transfered from the Canadian office to the US office. I've only been waiting for, like, forever!!! His name is Anjelo, though his family calls him Viki (pronounced Feeky). He turned four in April. I am rather excited to receive his child packet in the mail so we can send him his first letter and a photo of us together. Josh has only wanted a friend from Indonesia for almost three months now and I am so hoping that as the two of them grow older, that they can write to each other. I have such a different picture of his life in my head than my other sponsor children, because I have actually been to his home and met his parents. He's the youngest child that I have ever sponsored and I know he's not even in school yet, but he is already benefiting from the local Compassion program. Compassion International allows Christians from across the world to get involved in a childs' life, and help them overcome poverty by introducing the child to Jesus Christ. Not only do they teach children about our Savior, Jesus Christ, but they also help them with schooling, skill development and nutritional needs. I am grateful to God for allowing us to make a difference in a child's life from across the globe.

Sponsor your own child through Compassion International, releasing children from poverty in Jesus' name.

His Ways Are Not My Ways

2011-05-10T22:18:00.003-04:00

I have a feeling that they'll go up and down. My feelings about it, that is. I really am very thankful. After all, I could have none. I am counting my blessings and trying to keep that in the forefront of my mind. But once in a while, I still feel the familiar longing in my heart. The twinge of jealousy. (Shame on me! Back you snake of jealousy!) I know this summer will have it's difficult moments, especially as the months progress. The bigger they get. I caught myself staring at them yesterday. There were three of them in one afternoon. Why do there have to be so many?? And then there are more. At church, at my second job, at family functions, at the grocery store... And yet, I remind myself again, I still have mine. Snug in his bed, with his arm around Cat, sleeping away the little-boy-dreams.

It was always my dream to be a Mom. A stay-at-home Mom to a brood of children. Growing up in a large family has left me with fond memories of my childhood, though not all was fun and games. We had our share of squabbles and fights. But I still always imagined myself with about five kids. At least four anyways... After all, five was a small number when seven was the norm. Yes, I would have a large family and my children would have siblings their own age to keep them company. Yet sometime during my high school years, I lay in my bed at night wondering what the future would hold for me and a thought drifted through my head. I found myself suddenly paralyzed with fear that I would be unable to have children. I don't remember if I actually cried real tears, but I was crying inside because that was all that I really ever wanted, to be a Mommy. I remember praying to the Lord that He would allow me to have children and now, as I look back, I wonder if that was His way of letting me be aware that life doesn't always unwind the way you expect it to. His ways are not always what we plan them to be. And at this juncture in my life, I am struggling to let go of my idealic dreams and embrace what He has planned for me, for us, for my family. I know I will struggle with letting go, but I am also excited to see what the Lord's plans are. Having more children is not the only dream I have ever had and I wonder what the Lord is going to do with my life. It's an exciting prospect.

"My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,' says the Lord. 'For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts." Isaiah 55:8-9

Schlumpish

2011-05-06T22:34:00.002-04:00

Blogging schlump. It's spring time. We are supposed to be having endless days of spring time enjoyment. Perfect weather, gardens to play in, warm sunshine, and... rain. And I have no blogging motivation. Maybe it's because I no longer blog for myself. I always feel pressure to captivate my "audience" with an interesting tale, woven with vibrant colors, intrigue at every step. Well guess what! My life is not always that exciting. It is day to day filled with little wonders, that may not captivate you like they do me. Would you be captivated by my very first ever asparagus stalks growing in my garden? Probably not. Or how about a sweet little nose snuggling your cheek while riding in the back of Grandpa's truck? Maybe eating absolutely authentic Mexican food for the first time this year, a whole two minutes away from home? If any of these things strikes your fancy, let me know! Maybe we have more in common than I thought. (PS I need a gardening buddy. Not someone to garden with, but someone to talk about gardening with. It's a therapy for me. And I need some picket fencing to go around my garden to keep the dogs from ruining my plants and stepping on my sprouting asparagus. This is a matter of prayer.)

Little Faces

2011-04-27T22:27:00.003-04:00

This is my 600th post!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Whoa!

The following is an excerpt from a letter I wrote two weeks ago.

Today I have little faces in my head, but these are far away faces. Little boys and girls that I must give to Jesus. Deep brown eyes that stared into mine from outside our bus. A dirty face and a dirty green cap, bare feet and worn clothes on his young back. Not looking for my pity, but looking none-the-less. Sack over his shoulder, working to feed his own mouth and who knows how many more. A boy of, how old? Maybe 11? But his eyes wore so many more years...

Add on a few days of my life and add another set of dark brown eyes. She's watching me wave goodbye. Her dark hair cropped chin length. She's waving at me now. I am in the bus and she, outside. I see her eyes, welling with tears, and she quickly wipes them away. I turn away to choke back my tears. Why does my soul rise up within me with such emotion?

Yet bear with me once more, for this one time will always be etched into my memory, filled with pain and regret. Why each memory finds me inside the bus and unable to wrap my arms around their shoulders, taunting me in my helplessness? Perhaps it is because I must learn that it is not I who can help, but only pour Lord. Only our Lord can now soften the blows of the sticks upon his head as he crouched in the alleyway, knees tucked to his chin. Why were those other boys so cruel? Why did I not holler "STOP" to the bus driver and rescue the young boy from his torture? Why did I only look on in horror as he was beaten mercilessly? Today he is again on my mind, and I lift him up to our Savior. I am no longer there to witness his beatings and the possibility of me being his rescuer is a moot point. My God sees. He knows his need. He knows if the beatings are often and repeated. He also knows what would've happened if we had tried to rescue him from the cruel hands of his peers. *Sigh* And so I give the faces to Jesus. The Lover of our souls. The nameless faces. But He knows them by name.

Today is another day. God sees the children on the other side of the world and He sees the ones who live next door. He loves them more than I ever could. He cares for their needs. And I will trust Him.

Sponsor a child today through Compassion International.

Garden Addendums

2011-04-13T22:11:00.003-04:00

I just want to say that I am loving that it rained today. I was so thoroughly happy to have rain. It hadn't rained since midweek last week or longer and my garden soil was dry, real dry. This year, as I may have said already, I have been working on making raised garden beds. They were finished this past weekend and filled with peat moss, compost, vermiculite and other goodies for growing. My only problem was that packaged, store bought soil addendums are very dry and dusty. I needed rain. I still haven't been able to plant my early peas or spinach because of that reason and also that my boxes are not very full. It costs a lot of money to buy good growing soil... *sigh* Maybe, I will just plant in the boxes as is this year and use the "lasagna gardening" method as I go year by year.

Anyway, this is a picture of my sad looking garden. It'll look beautiful soon! I'll have to take "after" pictures.

A Tasty Treasure

2011-04-11T22:02:00.002-04:00

A week or so ago, I went to an auction with some friends. I bought a few different exciting things which included four block planers for my Dad, a wheelbarrow with a metal wheel, a four-foot ladder, and a box of old sheet music (for which I did a happy dance). Along with the sheet music came a small box of random pamphlets and papers, which I didn't even get a chance to look in until this past Saturday. But when I did finally get to see what was in the shallow box of papers, I found a little treasure. It looks old and worn out but inside it is a like a tasty trifle. Literally. The pages are water damaged and worn, and some are completely faded, but the pages which you can still read, makes my heart flutter... The little book is filled with a woman's hand-written recipes, desserts, cakes, cookies, and tastinesses. She even has a recipe for cream puffs written in there! What really made me smile was the recipe for gingerbread cake, since last week I had been craving it. You must understand that I NEVER crave gingerbread cake. I mean, I rarely even think about such delicacies, except for last week. So, it was a funny little blessing from God, to find a gingerbread recipe in that little book. I fully intend to copy out those recipes onto something more durable before the pages completely fall apart... Then I can get to baking! Now how about those cream puffs....

A Sunny Day Outing

2011-04-09T23:06:00.004-04:00

I woke up to a beautiful, sunny day, and my mind began to run with all the things I could get done outside on such a gorgeous day. It was difficult for me to quell those thoughts, as my stay-at-home time is limited, but an outing had been planned by husband and son and I didn't want to miss out on family time just to spend it with some dirt. Josh had gone to bed the night before chattering about feeding carrots to the cows at Lollypop Farm and he woke up talking about it too. So I tucked my thoughts about raised garden beds into my back pocket and clambered into the car with my men. Grandma Jo and Grandpa Bob were meeting us at the "farm" and Grandma Jo was bringing her carrots. Unfortunately for the carrots, upon arriving, we found that we were not allowed to feed the animals. But we wandered the paths admiring the horses, pigs, emus, goats, cows, and ducks and we were even able to get up close and personal with the goats. Josh had such a ball playing with the goats. There were a couple kids (of the goat type) in the group of goats that were quite friendly. They came right up to us and nibbled on my coat. The not-quite-as-friendly goats were chased by a small boy, and I'm not sure who was having more fun, Josh or the goat being chased! I thankful that I had my camera along as I was able to get several good photos of the kids playing together, the goat kind and the human kind...

Growing Again

2011-04-07T21:22:00.003-04:00

I'm eating ice cream at 9:30, just FYI. It's going to go right to my jiggly thighs...

I am so ready for another sunshiny day tomorrow. Today, it was like torture to have to go to work and leave my garden lying still under such a blue sky. If it is beautiful tomorrow, I am staying home all morning and doing garden things. I know it is only April 7th, but I am getting ready early this year. I am making raised beds in my garden and I have been working on them in my mind already for three months. I need to finish painting the boards so I can screw them together and fill them up with fresh soil. I have had such a hard time growing root vegetables for the past four years and I am ready to try something new. So I am making four 5'x5' raised beds to supplement my garden area. And I am also sooo ready to plant cool weather seeds, like peas and lettuce. The sooner, the better. I already feel like I am behind, even though I am starting way earlier than ever before. I have planted tomato seeds which are sprouting in my basement and I am anxious to get some pepper seeds sprouting as well... Again, I am hoping for a beautiful day tomorrow, because that is my excuse for skipping preschool as volunteer Mom. Even if it is not so great of a day, it would be so encouraging for me to be able to get some things accomplished at home. And we are having lunch company too. Maybe I should clean the bathroom as well?

Happy Birthday Pops!

2011-04-06T22:34:00.003-04:00

Before it gets too late, my favorite Daddy is having a birthday today! I love you Dad and hope you had a good birthday! I love having you as my Dad and I want you to know that I look up to you and am blessed to have you as my Daddy. XOXO

A Blog Friend Intervention

2011-03-28T21:43:00.002-04:00

I cannot believe how much time has passed since my trip to Indonesia. It was almost a month ago now! One part of my trip that I was especially blessed by, was being able to stay with my Mom's blog friend, Wanda, while I was in California. She and her husband Don welcomed me into their home like I was family, and I guess in one way, we are family. They both love our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ and because of that we can be family, in the family of Christ. Wanda was such an encouragement to me and also a challenge. Not in a bad way, but her example challenged me. She was so sweet and caring to her husband, and such a servants heart. Look at her! Isn't she just the sweetest lady? I mean, not everyone lets random girls from the other side of the country stay with them. God bless her and Don! I miss you Wanda! I wish you lived down the street from me. :)

A Birthday

2011-03-21T22:28:00.003-04:00

People say that I look just like her. I say that I am her twin. People know I am her daughter, even if they have never met me before. It's cause I am her twin. She's my Mom and tomorrow is her birthday. I think she's turning 37 this year... In honor of her birthday, I tell you some things about her.

1) She loves Jesus.
2) My Mom is artistic.
3) She has raised seven children.
4) She has been married nearly 30 years! (Oh my!)
5) Mom can make one mean pie, and it's tasty too!
6) She taught me how to bake while I was at a young age.
7) She loves kids,
8) and has babysat them for many years.
9) She has two sisters and two brothers. (One is in heaven.)
10) Mom has an uncanny way of being able to love us kids, no matter what!
11) She is two weeks older than my Dad.
12) She takes care of my Grandma.
13) She shares.
14) She was born on Palm Sunday.

There is much more, but at 10:49, my brain starts to shut down and my bed is calling. I love you Mommy! I hope your birthday is a happy one!

A St. Patrick's Birthday

2011-03-17T22:17:00.003-04:00

May the luck'o the Irish be with you! Or rather, happy birthday honey! See, my favorite guy has his birthday on St. Patrick's Day. That means he shares his day with green, four-leaf clovers, Irish soda bread, corned beef and cabbage, and little leaping leprechauns. Every year (at least since we've been married) he has had corned beef and cabbage for his birthday supper, just because it's that time of year. This year I wanted to be sure I made him what he really wanted. And he requested prime rib. (Okay, watch out for luxury taste buds!) So I tried my best to make a delicious, "luxury", untypical (atypical?), St. Patrick's Day supper. Prime rib, asparagus and mashed potatoes. Okay, mashed potatoes fits the St. Patrick's Day mold... I also made him a cake and Josh helped me put the sprinkles on. He lavished the cake with little handfuls of sprinkles, heaped in little piles. I encouraged him to spread them even, while the colored bits of wax filtered through his fingers and onto the counter. He was proud of his efforts and he smiled broadly while he tipped up the container and let the last of the sprinkle crumbs land on the cake and onto the edge of the cake plate. He even found the candles for our cake. We had a number "2"candle and a number "3" candle. So for Adam's birthday this year, he had a choice of turning 32 or 23. He choose to live some more in his 20's. It was a good choice and he ought to live this last year in his 20's gratefully...

A Little About Josh

2011-03-12T15:21:00.005-05:00

There is a little boy who lives in my house who loves to roar and be loud. Thursday of this week he played all day long that he was a dinosaur. He growled, he prowled and he made it well known who and what he was. That boy of mine was a fierce dinosaur. Well, bedtime rolled around and the dinosaur was tucked into bed and kissed goodnight. In the middle of the night, well after the dinosaur in my son had dissolved back into a sleeping little boy, dinosaurs were still prowling around in his mind. Suddenly, there was a dinosaur standing tall and ferocious as ever, growling at him from the corner of his bedroom! "Mommy, Daddy!" came the cries from his room. "I'm scared!" Not once, but twice during the night I had to comfort and and lovingly tell him that there were no dinosaurs. But when the dinosaur raised his head the third time, we called our little Joshua to come into our bed, where we could snuggle him down and he could sleep in safety for the rest if the night. Come morning, he vividly recounted his dream to me, still with nervousness in his voice. And that evening, when Daddy tucked him into bed, he was armed with everything he would need if the dinosaur came again. His laser blaster, Iron Man, Thomas the triceratops... You name it. If it would help protect him from a dinosaur, he had it with him. And guess what... No dinosaurs attacked him that night!

Horrible Tragedy

2011-03-11T21:31:00.002-05:00

My heart is heavy today. My mind feels a million miles away. I just watched a horrendous video of the earthquake and tsunami in Japan. Tears gathered in my eyes and the people there did not seem like strangers to me. They felt like neighbors being washed away in a rush of debris. I realize that I knew none of them personally, but I feel connected none-the-less. You see, just eight days ago I spent a brief moment in Tokyo. I brushed shoulders with the people of Japan. People who are now hurting, desperate for help, and crying out for salvation. People who have just witnessed their lives crumble before their very eyes.

"Dear God! Please help! I know we can do nothing for those who have already lost their lives, but dear God have mercy on those who still have breath! Rescue them in this moment of dire need. Come to their aid and let them witness Your salvation!"

Dirty Little Hands

2011-03-09T20:55:00.004-05:00

Their brown eyes watched us where ever we went. Curiosity. Eager eyes looking for some indication that we might acknowledge their presence. Little boys and girls. Waiting for a wink or a slight smile from us. We could've been their sponsors and they knew we came with love to share on their sponsors' behalf. I know I couldn't keep myself from getting down on their level and loving on them. They would gather around and wonder what this blonde girl was going to do next. I made faces at them, laughed with them, drew in the dirt for them and tried my best to communicate with them despite our language barrier. Their eyes laughed at my silly antics and their giggles made me laugh out loud. It was pure bliss. Dirty little hands grasped mine and as long as I was not afraid of sitting in the dirt, they would scootch their little bodies close to mine. The days were never long enough and the time to say good-bye always came too soon. Each one of us, old and young, big and little, squeezed in as many last minute good-byes as we could. Kisses were blown through car windows and hands waved wildly as we drove away. We left with our hearts full each time. And I pray their young hearts were full as well, full and overflowing with the love of Jesus.

I...

2011-03-07T22:09:00.007-05:00

I traveled to the other side of the world. I hugged children I had never before met. I witnessed the craziest traffic I had ever seen. I was mistaken for Brittany Spears, just because I was blonde. I was awoken every morning by the blaring horns of the Muslim Call to Prayer. I was kissed by the sweetest 17 year old girl in the world. I was moved. I was inspired. I was broken. I was changed forever. I was touched by the love of Jesus. I am still processing.

Sending Love

2011-02-22T09:00:00.004-05:00

I am signing in from the Hotel Business center. Facebook is blocked, so this is howI am saying hi to my family for tonight. We went to a child center today. If we weren't paying for internet by minutes, I would write more about it, but it was amazing. Adam, I loooove you. Give Josh hugs and kisses and tell him Mommy sends him kisses from far, far away in Indonesia. The drivers in Medan are crazy. Pray we stay healthy with all the exposure to germs. (Telling myself they don't exist.) Got to go.... Love to all. xoxoxox

The Time Has Come

2011-02-19T11:55:00.002-05:00

The time has nearly arrived. I can feel my stomach tensing. On my last flight, the combination of excitement/anxiety and the change in pressure while we were flying was too much for my stomach. I was so bloated and in pain, I really just wanted to lie on the floor in order to find some relief. I prayed that God would help me and curled my legs up onto the seat. My back twinged as the muscles by my neck tightened and I reached up to massage where the muscle hurt. Moments after I began massaging my neck, my stomach seemed to relax slightly and the pain lessened. I wondered if I had found a pressure point... The rest of the flight I struggled to find a comfortable position in which to sleep. The tiny pillow which my Mom had sent along was of great assistance as I turned my head this way and that. I stuck the pillow between my head and my shoulder, I held it in front of me, and I found myself wishing that I was as comfortable with leaning my head on someones' shoulder as the military man was next to me. The young man had arranged his head very comfortable on the young woman's shoulder in the next seat over, not too much more than a half hour into our flight. He slept in a what seemed solid sleep until we arrived in LA. I was told by a military friend of ours the next day that, when you are in the military, you lose all sense of what is the "socially accepted norm". Perhaps that is why he was so comfortable sleeping on her shoulder, but at that point in time, I was slightly jealous that I am of a more reserved nature. I maybe was able to catch a half-hours worth of "winks" and arrived in LA at 1:30 EST. I was exhausted,but eager to meet my hosts for the night. As I entered the lobby, I quickly scanned the crowd and saw no familiar faces. I turned toward the baggage claim and peeked back over my shoulder toward the group of people waiting for their loved ones. It was then I saw her. She stood up and held a sign that read "Welcome Bethany". I grinned and headed for the couple who had so willingly come to pick me up and open their home to me. We exchanged a friendly hug and I knew that this was going to be a good visit.

A couple specific prayer requests for the next couple weeks.

~For my stomach during the long flight overseas.

~For safety traveling and the health of our whole group.

~The we would be a blessing to the children at the centers and to our sponsored kids.

~Language difficulties.

~That the Holy Spirit would overflow from our lives to those we meet.

~For God-given opportunities to witness and to minister to those around us.

A Blessing

2011-02-18T22:24:00.002-05:00

What a wonderful Californian day! I have been so blessed by the Lord to have such hospitable hosts for the day. Wanda and Don have been so kind to open their home to me, a strange girl from New York and allow me to stay here, in their home. Wanda is an inspiration: a good cook, a wonderful house keeper, and a kind wife. She has the gift of hospitality. I like her and I am grateful for their kindness to me. When I initially booked my flight to LA, I was left wondering who I would stay with between my arrival and when I leave for Indonesia. God has filled the gap and left me feeling blessed for His intervention. You see, I had never met Wanda or Don, but my Mother met her while blogging and they have been blog friends for just over three years. My Mom mentioned my brief visit to LA and Wanda was more than happy to open their house to me if I was fine with sleeping on a couch and using a small bathroom... I could not refuse. God is good.

So... I'll be keeping in touch. My love to all!

Preparation and Protection

2011-02-05T23:13:00.004-05:00

The countdown is on... 12 days before I fly out of NY. Fourteen days before I leave the country. I have been practicing my Bahasa Indonesia and at the moment I can count to ten. Lets see if I still remember how tomorrow...

Satu, dua, tiga, empat, lima, enam, tujuh, delapan, sembilan, sepuluh... And nol is zero.

Putih is white. Merah is red. Biru is blue. Can you guess what hitam is?

I am trying my best to avoid stress. You may think I am extraordinarily premature, but I started gathering items for packing tonight. I have realized that I am very prone to stressing out, and I am trying to prevent any last minute anxiety attacks. I put things into Ziploc bags and wrote down what was in each bag. I packed the bag of things I had for Ayu. I am trying to be prepared.

And although I am beginning the packing process, I am still feeling pressure in a different aspect. (Though it has been better today.) I covet your prayers in these upcoming weeks, and would like to you to pray against spiritual attack. I feel like the devil is trying to steal my joy away and make me overly concerned with leaving Joshua. Strep throat has been rampant at daycare this week, and all week long I had/have been paranoid that Josh has it too, but the symptoms are just hiding. I mostly was worried because he broke out with a rash on his face Tuesday (though it went away after his afternoon snooze) and my sister had also had strep, without any of the typical symptoms. So the Mom in me was afraid he had it too, and it would hide in there until he would be so, so sick. Then my other paranoia was that Josh would spend all his days and evenings while I was gone watching cartoons and that he would turn into a cranky monster. Then I would come home to a miserable boy who didn't care what his Mommy said. Isn't that horrible?!? I really know that Adam would not let Josh watch TV ALL the time and that other people are perfectly capable (kinda...) of taking care of my boy while I am away... But it is like I said, someone is trying to steal my joy and make me nervous about leaving. I know God has prepared all the details and He is sending me to Indonesia, I have no doubt about that. And Satan will try to use means to distract me and keep me from spending the time I need to with the Lord. He wants me to be worried. Worried! He likes when Christians are worried! So I covet your much needed prayers. I need a wall of protection around me in these up coming weeks, to guard against attacks. And if you could pray for my family too. That they would be healthy and safe. How much we do need Jesus.

Thank you Lord Jesus, that You are our protector and that You love us! Please guard my heart and mind and keep my family from danger. Keep me close to You and trusting in You. Amen!

Did You Get My Snow?

2011-02-02T14:18:00.004-05:00

So the snowstorm missed us. We got maybe three inches. It was heavy, icy snow. But certainly no where near the 7-10 inches that were predicted. I'm trying to decide if I was disappointed or relieved to find there wasn't a foot of new snow outside this morning. I'm sure all the local school aged kids were happy none-the-less, as all the schools had canceled classes for today in advance. I guess there was no real reason to fuss, unless the storm is just holding out and wants to hit us tonight instead... At least if it comes tonight, we'll have dog food. :)

Just a Bit of Snow

2011-02-01T19:26:00.003-05:00

Tonight

Heavy
Snow
Lo 18 °F

Wednesday

Wintry
Mix
Hi 28 °F

Wednesday
Night

Snow

Lo 14 °F

Thursday

Chance
Snow
Hi 21 °F

They tell us that we are to expect some snow tonight. They have been telling the whole country to expect some snow. Up to ten inches tonight and up to seven more tomorrow... Nothing like a little bit of snow. I guess we should've remembered to buy dog food. But we are New Yorkers and we can brave the snow if it means the dog won't be starving.

Surrender

2011-01-30T21:10:00.002-05:00

So my special diet has been working. It's been three months and I have had two "normal" cycles. There is hope for me yet. During prayer tonight at church, I was really feeling like this is something I just need to surrender to the Lord. I have been thinking about babies a LOT lately, especially since in the past two weeks I have learned of four different women who are expecting. Part of me rejoices for them and part of me says "We have been trying for two years now. I think it's my turn!" It's selfish and impatient of me. I just need to surrender and trust that the Lord knows what He is doing. He doesn't want me to be pregnant when I go to Indonesia or when I got my Hep A shot or when I have to take malaria medicine. That would be bad for a baby. But He has it all in His hands. "Lord help me to surrender to You."

Genesis 30:22

"I don't know how to close my eyes."

2011-01-30T17:18:00.003-05:00

Josh had a sleepover last night at Grammy's house. Apparently he had a hard time going to sleep in Uncle Ben's room. "Pssst, I can't sleep Uncle Ben." And then in the morning, he woke up with dry heaves. Do I get a star or something for pawning a sick kid off on my parents' for the night? My Dad had to stay home from church with him this morning. Sorry Dad!

"The Food in Your Belly"

2011-01-27T22:20:00.005-05:00

Dinner time this evening:

Josh was full. His plate was full. He was full of it. I "stupidly" let Josh have hot chocolate after we shoveled the driveway this evening. It was after 5 o'clock. Dinner was ready at 6:45. Josh's tummy was not ready for dinner, especially after he and I finished off that last piece of pumpkin pie together. Another "stupid" move. But Josh's eyes were twinkling at me while I shared those few bites of pie with him... I think it was worth it. But back to my story. He was full... Who could blame him really? His belly most likely felt like bursting, because very soon his comment was, "I want to see the food in my belly." Josh grabbed his lower belly roll, right around his belly button, and began tugging. We asked him what he was doing and he said, "I'm trying to see my food!" He complained that his belly was stuck and that it would not open. Adam and I couldn't help but giggle and I asked him what he was going to see in his belly. "My dinner and my lunch and my drink and dessert..." Poor kid, probably just wanted to open his belly and let a little bit out. Somehow our dinner conversation turned to how food really came out and Josh was quite surprised to hear that our food actually came out as poop, after our bodies were done using it. He had this silly grin on his face and was quite adamant that this was NOT true. He looked at me, as if I would confirm his suspicions. I reaffirmed the truth and Josh thought that was the most unusual thing he heard yet... Funny, the things that you and I know and just take for granted, and how those bits of information can really rock a little persons' world. I am left wondering when the subject will come up again. Perhaps tomorrow, after a good meal......

30 Days To Go

2011-01-18T21:24:00.003-05:00

City	Current	Wind	Humidity	High	Low
Jakarta	75°F	0 mph	97%	84°F	76°F
Surabaya	78°F	4 mph WSW	86%	84°F	77°F
Medan	81°F	6 mph WSW	74%	90°F	75°F
Bekasi	75°F	0 mph	97%	84°F	76°F
Bandung	68°F	0 mph	96%	79°F	67°F

Oh. My. Word. I just realized that I have less than one month before I leave for Indonesia. My heart just started to beat a little faster. Really, I did "know" that I hit the one month mark yesterday, but I just now started to panic. How will I be ready? What does ready mean? What do I really have left to do? The Lord has totally provided me with someone to stay with in California, as I fly there a day and a half before we leave the country. You have no idea what kind of weight that is off my shoulders. I knew God would provide, but I was still concerned. My Mom's friend Wanda is willing to pick me up at the airport and drop me off before we leave. And she is letting me stay at her house. (And I have never really met her face to face before.) Praise the Lord for a willing heart! I am going to Passport Health on Friday, where I hopefully will not have to have many immunizations. Immunizations give me the "heebie-jeebies". I guess all that I really have left is to gather what I would like to bring my sponsor child, though she's hardly a child anymore. I'm not sure what she likes or what she needs and I suppose I should be praying about what I could bring that would bless her. Oh, and I need to find out what the weather is like in Indonesia this time of year. I guess that would be helpful. There, I just found out. It is humid and in the lower 80's. And raining, just like my dream the other night. But I am sure they don't all speak English like in my dream... Too bad. Ooo, I need to find a good Bahasa Indonesia dictionary. Oh dear... I wish I was more multi-lingual. :( The countdown begins. 30 days to go.

The Country Mouse and The City Mouse

2011-01-15T21:20:00.003-05:00

I decided that I could write a book. 25 Ways to Relive Junior High. You know, how to relive those awkward moments, stupid feelings, embarrassing things you said or did... I also decided that I am much to ignorant/innocent/stupid to ever live in the city. And today I took myself right back to the fifth grade, when I spent a few months in the public school system. I won't tell you what I said, because you would think, "Oh that was dumb!" and I already know that. Besides, some of you may be offended by what happened... But we have all done stupid things and been laughed at for it... Let's just suffice it to say, keep your mouth shut at all times. Don't be friendly and don't try to save anyone from any embarrassment. You just might end up embarrassed yourself. *blush*

Keeping it Real

2011-01-11T15:28:00.003-05:00

Sometimes we like to put on a facade and parade around as someone else, whether it is "Miss Happy Face" or "Mr. Perfect" or "Mrs. Wonderful Housekeeper". I am here to tell you people that, when it's blog time, I am who I am. And thanks for letting me keep it real here. My faithful blog readers know that I get tired, I get cranky, I get frustrated, and I am wimpy. Okay, maybe you didn't know I was wimpy... I'm not sure about that one anyways... But sometimes, I need to let it out. And to spare Adam an earache, this is often where I go to vent. And I thank you for your encouraging words and even for relating to me. It's good to know that I'm not the only crazy female out there in the world. Oh, and in relation to my last post, I went to church that evening and the Lord had it all planned out... I ended up being reminded time and time again that God is the one who makes us strong and gives us the strength for each day. One song we sang went like this,

"Let the weak say, 'I am strong!' Let the poor say, 'I am rich!' Let the blind say, 'I can see!' It's what the Lord has done in me."

The Lord knows just what we need and somehow He knows how to encourage us and how to put things together like that. Those kinds of things just make me love Him more. :)

And as far as the photo goes, it's another way of "keeping it real". Yes, Josh is wearing moon boots and sweat pants. He's the hippest boy around. And he wore those boots around the house until nap time.

Weakness

2011-01-09T14:40:00.002-05:00

I cannot believe it is January 9th already. Nine whole days into the new year. That gives me one month and eight days before I leave for Indonesia. Saying it that way makes me nervous...

Lately, I have been feeling like an inadequate housekeeper and wife. It doesn't matter that those titles do not sum up my life or that I have an out of the home job that takes up four days of my week. But when I cannot live up to those particular two titles, it makes me feel pretty... not worthless... but pretty close. Why do I measure my "worth" by what I can keep up with or by how well I am serving my husband, I don't know... Why do I rejoice when my house has finally been cleaned? Why don't I want to go the extra mile to make him happy? Why do I dream of being a stay-at-home Mom, who is crafty and creative and a good decorator? I want to be a praying wife, a devoted wife, a supporting wife, a wife who will give of my time and who always has clean socks and underwear in his drawers come Monday morning.

I have to remind myself that life is not a dream. It is reality. I will forget to do laundry on occasion. I will run out of milk. I will often wake up tired. The cat will get tapeworms. I will find the tapeworms on Sunday, when the vet's office is closed. The house will be messy. The wood stove will often not cooperate and will fill my house with smoke... when Adam is not home. I will clip Molly's nails too short and she will bleed all over my bedroom carpet. I will be late to work. Dinner will not be ready on time. I will lose my Bible. I will not get my husband a Christmas gift until well into January. I will gain ten extra pounds. I will cry. I will forget. I will take too long. I will make mistakes. I may get lost. I will yell when it is not necessary to do so. I will use improper grammar. I will stutter. And yet...

"And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me." 2 Corinthians 12:9

This year, may I remember that when I am weak, Christ is strong. When I am unable, He is able. When I cannot walk, Christ will carry me. Lord, may I not seek my own glory, but for You to be glorified. Only then will I truly be satisfied.

Ain't He Sweet?

2010-12-30T23:24:00.003-05:00

Josh and I had a real good night together tonight. Adam had gone out for the evening and the little guy and I had already been to the outlet mall together making returns at four different stores. It's not always a fun thing to do, going to the store with Josh, but this time he had a little motivation to be good. He had spied one or two of those coin operated ride on toys that are conveniently placed outside of stores to tempt small children, and was so hoping for a ride on one. I have never let Josh ride on one before, and in the first store we went into he didn't use his "best listening ears" and I told him he couldn't sit on one despite his desperate pleas. But he would not be too discouraged, and was on his absolute best behavior in the remaining stores in hopes that he could earn some brownie points. This was the start of a very nice evening together. When a small child is doing his best to please his or her parent, the parent is going to be a little more, let's say generous, than normal. (Kid's make sure you learn this while you are young.) Let's suffice it to say that before we left the outlet mall, Josh got his ride on the Mickey Mouse fire engine.

So our good evening continued on together. We ate our supper together, just the two of us. I offered him a choice of reading our new storybook together or cleaning the basement, and much to my amusement, he chose cleaning the basement together. He helped me get the newspaper ready for starting a fire on our wood stove, and wrinkled much to much paper. He dusted the tables while I swept the floor. We shared hot cocoa in his new Sponge Bob mugs he received from our family gift exchange at Christmas. I helped the little guy with his bath, though we made sure that his bath toys would not go down the drain before we filled the tub. And then we looked at the new Highlight's magazine that came in the mail, thanks to Aunt Leta. After wards, we delved into our new storybook, The Jeremy Mouse book, by Patricia Scarry. I decided that I like her stories. By the end of our evening together, Josh and I were both in such good moods. He was tucked into bed very pleasantly with two of his tractors and I didn't hear another peep from him. I guess our good night wore him out. I like being a Mommy. :)

A New Language to Learn

2010-12-28T19:50:00.004-05:00

I've been contemplating language today. Yesterday I went to the mall with a friend and stopped by the Rosetta Stone kiosk just for kicks. They allow you to "sample" their program right there, and I asked about Bahasa Indonesia. I was able to learn (and remember) a couple new words in just a few minutes, including "laki-laki" and "wanita" meaning boy and woman. I've heard great things about Rosetta Stone's program and have been tempted to purchase the Spanish program before. But now, since I am going to Indonesia and know only three (now five) words in their language, and since it's said that you can pick up a language very quickly using that program, I am very tempted to get it. There is now less than two months before I go... A quick overview of what I need to do before hand:

call Passport Health
get vaccinated/get malaria medicine
collect craft supplies and items to be donated to the centers that we visit
decide what sort of gifts I want to bring to my sponsor child and her family
learn more words
find out who I am staying with in LA the day before our flight leaves.

The last item I am really not sure what to do about, especially since one never knows what the weather will do in February. I purposely bought my ticket to LA for a day and a half early, in case the weather didn't cooperate. We know two people who live close to LA, but I'm not sure who I will end up staying with or if I'll even need to stay with anyone (depending on the weather). So I would appreciate your prayers these next two months. For peace, sanity, God's leading, wisdom, and that I wouldn't leave everything till the last minute, which I am known for. This causes me to have nervous breakdowns... Yoikes!

NYC Then and Now

2010-12-27T23:08:00.004-05:00

This is Central Park last Sunday as we were walking through the park.

This is Central Park today, when we are no longer in NYC.

I'm glad we went last week and not this week. Yup, I'm not disappointed that we missed the big snowstorm. Not a fan of walking through the snow.

Merry Christmas from my family to you!

2010-12-25T21:13:00.001-05:00

David Phelps singing "O Holy Night"

A Kitchen Ooops

2010-12-22T22:20:00.002-05:00

I've been meaning to make more Christmas cookies. About a week and a half ago, we hosted a Christmas party and I made my favorite Christmas cookies, Russian teacakes. This is how they looked when they came out. I think I laughed out loud. This had never happened to me before, but then I have never let the cookies sit on the counter for 20+ minutes before baking them. I suppose the butter had warmed up too much to hold them in their circular form. Needless to say, these cookies went "right in the garbage". Thankfully it only takes a few minutes to whip up another batch and I was able to make some more. But they are gone now. Can we have Christmas next week, so I have time to make more cookies first?

Another Out of Town Adventure

2010-12-20T22:16:00.004-05:00

Let me start by saying that it is unhealthy to eat greasy potato chips at quarter after 10 at night. Not only that, but they are not very tasty. :P

*Adam and I in Central Park*

Last Thursday, Adam, Jim, Wilson and I went on an adventure. We drove seven hours to stay in a city that is noisy, dirty, packed with people, and extremely prone to visitors. The place was New York City. It was my second visit. My first visit was last year. Last year we seemed to do more things, so I am trying to decide if this was a more relaxed visit or more stressful because we did less. We went with a small list of places to go or things to see, but we crossed Ellis Island off before we even got into the city. I still want to go there, but the consensus was that Ellis Island was more of a summer kind of thing to do. And since it was not summer... *duh*. But we did get everything else crossed off our list by the end of two and a half days. We visited Santa Land at Macy's, saw the King Tut exhibition, walked through China Town, got lost on the way to our favorite restaurant, admired the store windows along Fifth Avenue, and went to the Top of the Rock all on the first day in the City. The second day we split up, Jim and Adam going their way and Wilson and I going our own way. We wanted to be able to do girly things without the guys getting in our way. ;) The boys found their way to the "flat iron building" and Katz's Deli. Us girls went uptown to Alice's Tea Cup for breakfast tea. The tea was most enjoyable, although they lost our order and we waited for one hour for our food and drink. To make up for their mistake, we were given double scones, which made for good breakfast the next day. The two of us took our time getting back to the guys, and we leisurely strolled through the little shops on the street and in Grand Central Station. The rest of our day was spent waiting in line at TKTS, shopping at the Bryant Park shops, "oohing" and "ahhing" over the New York Public Library, and seeing the amazing Broadway show, Mary Poppins. Our last day in the city, we managed to squeeze in Jim's request, going to the Cooper Hewitt Design Museum. They currently have a very interesting display of "green", earth friendly, economically friendly ideas and designs. Quite fascinating, the things that people have come up with or done in recent history.

When I get to it, I'll share some more photos and tell more about our adventure. Now it is bed time. Good night!

Only Half of Me Wants to be Normal

2010-12-06T13:41:00.003-05:00

So an update about my appointment with my Doctor...

I felt almost like I had wasted my time going to see her, not because I didn't have lots of questions to ask her, but because she couldn't answer any of my questions. It went kinda like this:

Me: "I have low progesterone and no ovulation, so if I change my diet and maybe take herbal supplements, will that help increase my progesterone levels?"

Dr: "Well, you don't get hormones from the food you eat..."

Me: "This sort of problem runs in my family and my Aunt said to try A, B and C foods. What do you think of those?"

Dr: "Well, all of those things are really good for all parts of your body, and if your Aunt had the same problem, so maybe she would know."

I asked her about wild yams, about chasteberry, about soy and various other foods. I was hoping that as a very experienced gynecologist, she would know something more about wild yams than just that her husband bought some for her when she was having hot flashes! She knew nothing about using your diet to influence hormonal balance in your body. It was very frustrating. And since taking anything drug related is out of the question at least until I get back from Indonesia, she said, "Well, it doesn't hurt to try those things for the next few months and if you get pregnant, great! And if not, we can see you when you get back in March." She couldn't give me any warnings about taking herbal supplements, as in what not to take, how long to take, what not to take together, what sort of influence they would have on my moods, etc, etc, etc. So I'm left flying blind. (If you know of a good herbalist, let me know! I feel as if I could use one!)

I don't want this to become a "preoccupation" in my life or even a stress hazard. All I really want is... Well, I am not even sure. I want to know what God has for me. Is another baby in my future? Cause if it's not, I sure will be happy with my malfunctioning body. I love not having monthly mood swings, absent cycles, and the "happy norm" my body is in. Unless the lack of those things are not really healthy for my body, which is one question I forgot to ask my Dr. and one she didn't volunteer information for. I'd also love to know if mood swings often accompany the initial intake of herbal supplements such as chasteberry and wild yams, because I'd love to blame my volatile outbreaks on them.

To sum all of this ranting up, I need prayer. I need guidance. Half of me wants to be normal and half of me likes the way I am. Lord, what do you have for me?

In It Together

2010-12-06T13:28:00.004-05:00

Adam and I hit five years last Friday. It's hard to believe that we've been married for that long. That's 1/5 th of my life you know! We have had good times and bad times, rough times and sad times, but we're in this together. I know I can count on him to be there and he's a pretty forgiving guy, which is really good. I'm loving him more and more and I suppose he tolerates me pretty well too. We're making a good team. I love you Adam. :)

Adjusting My Diet

2010-12-01T09:15:00.003-05:00

This morning is my Dr.'s appointment with my GYN. We will hopefully be able to discuss getting my body to function as it should, as naturally as possible. At the moment, I feel like getting pregnant again is a figment of my imagination and I think I am just going through the motions of pretending it's a possibility. For the last month I have adjusted my diet slightly, with the hopes of "kick-starting" (jump-starting?) my body into regularity. I have been substituting soy milk for regular milk and I have been drinking raspberry leaf tea. (I know raspberry leaf tea is to be avoided in early pregnancy, in case you are concerned.) This week when I went grocery shopping, I picked a pomegranate and some flaxseed, both of which I hear are very good for you. I typically eat pretty healthy otherwise, so I'm not sure what else I should add in or take out. I know my Dr. isn't a nutritionist, but maybe she can point me in the right direction. As of right now, taking drugs is out of the question, at least until after I get home from Indonesia and after I have done some research of my own. I really want to leave it in God's hands and trust that He knows what is best for me and my family. I'll update you later on anything else my Dr. has to say to me.

Goodbye to a Friend

2010-11-27T08:34:00.004-05:00

Today is "Turkey Day #2". For the last couple of years we have had Thanksgiving with Adam's family a day or two after the real Thanksgiving. It seems to work out well. This morning I was up at quarter after seven mixing up some stuffing. The bird was stuffed and in the oven at just after eight. Hopefully it will be done in a timely manner, although dinner will be somewhat thrown off because I have to run out sometime between one and two o'clock.

Last night I went to work at the restaurant and found that a regular had passed away almost two weeks earlier and I suddenly found myself with tears rolling down my cheeks. Maybe you wouldn't understand, but when you work at a restaurant and you see the same people come in week and week, you look forward to seeing them, maybe getting a hug, and chatting with them in between your duties. You might say you become friends. And last night I found that one of my friends had died. No one called to tell me, but I'm not offended by that. After all, I hadn't worked there on a regular basis in over a year, and maybe they had forgotten that I was there for three+ years in a row getting to know these people. But I was glad that I had come in to work, because the calling hours are today and I would've missed going and giving his family a hug. His sweet mother and sister and his brother-in-law, who came in with him every Tuesday and Saturday morning... This post from three years ago might give you some insight as to how special these folks are to me. I cannot help but get attached to people. Today will be a sad day. Turkey Day #2.

Told To Go

2010-11-25T11:04:00.003-05:00

Today is a thankful day. As of late I have especially felt blessed by our God. Why does the Creator of the Universe take the time to move in my life and work in ways to bless me? Why does He take the time to speak to me through His Word? These are questions that I cannot answer, but I know that He does do these things and I know that I feel blessed and loved. Very loved.

Back in July, I was asked by a girl when I was coming to see her. At that time, I knew it was out of the question, because she lives on the other side of the world and the cost of getting there was way beyond affordable. But I told her to pray, and if God wanted me to come, He would do the rest. My friend didn't know that a "Sponsor Tour" had been planned for her country or that the deadline for the initial deposit was only weeks away. I felt the tug of my heart, and I started to pray and fast about going to see her, even though I was sure it was an impossibility. As I was fasting, God gave me this scripture:

Matthew 12:39b "...no sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah." (At this point in time, the deadline for the deposit was ten days away.)

I was like, "Okay Lord... What does that mean?" Do you remember what God told Jonah to do? He told Jonah to "Go to Ninevah." Wow... Was that it Lord? Being unsure, I mentioned the scripture to my Dad, and getting an unfavorable response, I began to question the scripture and my interpretation. This was ridiculous. Did I really think God was saying to go? Ridiculous. I told the Lord, "If You want me to go, You are going to have to very clearly tell me again." Four days later I was again reading in Matthew. Chapter 16, verse 4b:

"No sign shall be given to it except the sign of Jonah."

Are You serious Lord? Do you know how many times God had to tell Jonah to go to Ninevah? I read the book of Jonah to see what God had really told Jonah. God had told him, not once, but twice to "Go to Ninevah." But I, being simple-minded and still not entirely sure if God really meant what He was telling me, was still doubtful. "Do You mean it Lord?" It was Sunday morning and we went off to church and questions were rolling in my mind. Would you ever begin to guess who was mentioned during the sermon that morning? None other than Jonah... God, this is hilarious! Are You for real? For the next day and a half, my mind was reeling. Monday evening, my family and I go to the nursing home for a Bible study time. As we were headed there, I sat in the back of my parent's van with my brother. Ben and I don't typically sit next to each other when we are in the same vehicle. (Nothing against him, I just usually sit next to Hannah.) And can you guess who Ben started talking about? I don't remember our exact conversation, but he is the one who brought up Jonah. I could deny it no longer. The Lord was speaking to me. And He was so patient not to say it once, not twice or even three times. But four. And He gave me no other sign than Jonah.

So after God had convinced me, then came the next test. This was a real test. The clincher. The part of the test that I was sure I wouldn't pass. I had to ask Adam. (There were now four days until the deposit deadline.) I tried to calm my nerves and cleared my throat. I said something like this, "Adam, there is a Sponsor Tour to Indonesia in February and I have been praying about going. Do you think I could go?" He had known thoughts had been rolling around in my mind about going, but we hadn't really discussed it, mostly because I was sure it was out of the question. With out hesitation (a miracle in itself), he replied. "You work hard around here, you can go." I think trumpets were sounding somewhere!! And I know that it was a God influenced decision, because a month or two later, Adam admitted that his head was not screwed on right when he gave his permission. If he had been in his right mind, he would have said no. Watching our savings account drain down to nothing was torture for him, and yet I remained confident that God would provide. After all, If God had really told me to go, He was going to provide.

So, now I have to take leave because today is Thanksgiving and I need to make a side dish. Tasty-tasty.

Maintain Sanity

2010-11-22T22:02:00.002-05:00

Maintain sanity, maintain sanity, maintain sanity... That is my cry for the next two days. I'm feeling a little stressed, but better than I was a half hour ago. Now at least my dining room table has room on it for pies to cool after baking. I have to bake at least 11 pies tomorrow, mostly pumpkin, before 3:30. Wednesday I have to bake 22 more pies. And bring 17 of them to church with me for Wednesday night service, to be delivered. Right now I feel overwhelmed, but I think I really thrive on the pressure (as long as nothing else gets tossed in the mix). Wednesday night, when all is said and done, I will breathe a sigh of relief and say, "What fun!" And then I will miss all the commotion. But maybe when the commotion is over I will find time to fold the laundry.

"Next Year"

2010-11-21T15:42:00.008-05:00

My freezer is full of pies. My Thanksgiving turkey is buried. My ground beef is buried. If I have any sandwich bread in there, I don't know, cause it is buried too. There are 16 or more apple pies in there. And three blueberry pies. My upstairs freezer is full of empty pie shells that Mom and I made on Saturday. I think we are ready for bake day. I'll be baking all day on Tuesday and all day on Wednesday. I am still reeling from amazement. I never would have imagined that God would so bless this fund raiser. Mom and I can't help but say "next year"... We have had so much fun baking together. We have agreed that maybe we should keep our eyes open for an upright freezer, so that "next year" we have a better place to keep all our pies frozen. This morning at church, a lady mentioned to me that her sister-in-law was getting rid of her old upright freezer last week, but she had forgotten to ask me about it soon enough, and now it had been given to her neighbor. I took this as kind of a token from the Lord, as if He were saying, "If I want to bless you with a freezer, I can and I will." I mentioned making pies "next year" to my husband and he seemed rather surprised that I even thought about making them again "next year". He doesn't realize that I have had so much fun spending my Wednesdays making pies with my Mom and sister. But I suppose, if anyone has been suffering through all of this, it would be him, as he never has any clean underwear anymore... Poor man. Anyway, who knows what God will have for us "next year"?!

Without My Man

2010-11-19T23:27:00.002-05:00

I have a hard time settling in for the night when Adam is not here. Even if I clean the kitchen, mix up pumpkin for pies, sort papers, shower and prepare myself for bed, I still feel very reluctant about climbing between the cold sheets alone. Yes, I've done it before and I'm a big girl who can make my own decisions, but deciding to go to bed all by myself certainly isn't my strong point. I keep thinking to myself, maybe if I stay up for a few more minutes... Maybe he will come home before I have to go to bed without him. There is just something nice about snuggling into his shoulder before I drift off to sleep. Or being able to kiss him goodnight. It's hard to imagine being without him now. I've kind of gotten used to him being around. I think I love him. My man...

Oh wait... There he is now. Now I can go to bed. :)

"Pies in the Eyes"

2010-11-16T21:03:00.005-05:00

It was a daunting figure, the cost to go to Indonesia. But when God told me to go, I stepped out in faith, not knowing where the money was going to come from. Adam sooo graciously allowed me to dip into our savings, but that only went so far and he expected me to eventually pay most of it back. The idea of selling baked goods at our local farm market had crossed my mind, but when I talked to the woman in charge, I found that there was quite a list of things I needed to have done, in order to be able to sell food to the public there. I was able to pick up an extra day of work at the restaurant, but that still wasn't going to cut it. I knew God had it all under control. He told me to trust Him, and I did. But Adam had begun to get nervous about the financial aspect of trip and was regretting that he gave me permission to go. Neither he or I had any idea how wonderfully God was going to provide. By mid-late September, I was still thinking about baked goods, specifically pies. Honestly, I had been thinking about pies in August because I had been freezing blueberries with the thought that maybe I could sell pies. I obtained permission from one of our pastor's at church to have a fundraiser there and sell my homemade pies. The first Sunday I took 12 pies, made by myself, my mom and my sister. They sold before second service and I went home with a few orders to fill. The next time I took 18 pies, apple and pumpkin. They also sold without a problem. I hung up a sign at the daycare where I work. People ordered. Mom and I filled orders. We made blueberry pies, apple pies, elderberry pies and three peach pies. I even made a squash pie on special request. I sold more pies at church and took orders for Thanksgiving. God has been so amazing. A friend of my Mom's donated blueberries when she couldn't buy a pie. I never would've guessed that selling pies would be the way God would choose to provide the financial means for the trip to Indonesia. Who would've guessed that years earlier, when my Mom taught me how to make a pie, that we'd make such a good pie-making team? I even love just getting together with my Mom and sister on those days we make pies. Yes, we are on our feet ALL day long, and we are exhausted at the days end, but it is such an enjoyable time together. We have thought about finding a worthy reason to raise money every fall because the three of us have such a nice time working together. I never would've thought that apple pies would get me to Indonesia, but God did. I'm glad He's on my team. Or rather, I'm glad I'm on His team.

I'm Going To...

2010-11-07T14:26:00.004-05:00

Breaking radio silence. Going to let the information out. Going public. Ready? Here we go...
It's been hard to contain. Everyone else knows, so why not you too? This coming February I will be joining Compassion International and traveling to Indonesia with them. I sponsor a girl there and will have the awesome opportunity to meet her. She has been praying that I come see her and God has so amazingly been answering her prayers. More information will be given later. In the mean time, keep Indonesia and the area surrounding Mt. Merapi in your prayers. They are having a rough go of it with the volcano. My sponsor child lives two volcanos over from Mt. Merapi. I guess they were having "ash rain" where she lives.

His Plans

2010-11-06T13:00:00.004-04:00

So, here's the deal. Maybe I wouldn't be a good parent if I had two kids. Maybe God just wants me to have one. Maybe He has plans for me that are different than having more kids. It's not horrible to have only one. It may be kind of dull to be an only child, but it's not the end of the world. That being said, Adam and I want to have another baby. I don't want Josh to be an only child. I want him to have someone to play with. I loved having siblings and lots of them. (Most of the time.) But this may become somewhat of a journey. And I want to be clear, that whatever God has for us, I'll be fine with. If God says, "No more kids for you", then maybe after Josh gets older, I will take classes, go to medical school and be a medic on a foreign mission field. Whatever God has... So I am going to allow you all to tag along with me in this little journey of conception. Step one was blood work to see what is up. The results are low progesterone and no ovulation. I could've told you that without the blood work, but now it is official. Adam seems unconcerned about this, because we were able to get pregnant twice before, the first time ending in miscarriage. Either that or he was just blowing me off. I now have an appointment with my Doctor in early December and if anyone has suggestions on how to increase progesterone levels without taking drugs, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE give them to me. I would love to have another baby without taking clomid to do so! So there you are. This is why I, at one point, said that you might have to go to China to get anymore grandchildren. (You know who you are.) Except that Adam is completely opposed to adopting, so that really is out of the question.

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

It's Tough Being Three

2010-11-03T23:05:00.004-04:00

Josh has had a rough time of it, being three. The first day of being three was just fine. It was a happy day, with a preschool party (though not in his honor, it just happened to be on the right day), a birthday parade, birthday cookies and dinner out with Daddy (because I was working). The second day of being three started out equally or more fun... What Josh had really wanted for his birthday was to have friends over, so we had one little boy from daycare over to play for the morning. The two of them had so much fun together playing cars, dinosaurs, trains, hide-and-seek and anything that two little boys can think of playing together. At one point in all their excitement, Josh took a dive off the couch and onto his head, but that didn't deter him from his fun for too long. When Shod went home, he begged his Mom to let Josh come home with them, but that was not to happen on this day. This was the day for cake and gathering with the family for a birthday celebration. Chocolate cake had been requested and made for a special occasion, that of my little guy's birthday. At about 7:00, Grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins had arrived. People were here and there in my tiny house talking and visiting with each other. Pretty soon, Josh was crying in the basement, where he was playing with his Uncle and his Daddy. I just let his Daddy take care of him, and went about getting ready for our cake. Josh had just fallen off his riding toy onto his head and little known to any of us, had just had a concussion. We continued on with our festivities and Josh was perfectly fine and happy to open his gifts and eat cake and ice cream. It was after 9, when everything had finally settled down and we were able to get Josh tucked into bed for the night and Adam and I breathed a sigh of relief. We were tired. It had been a busy day. 45 minuted later, we hear Josh crying in his bedroom. Somewhat unusual, but nothing to cause alarm. But his reason for being upset was reason for alarm. Josh was upset because "the floor was spinning". We were more confused than anything as Adam and I recapped the day. Adam told me about how Josh hit his head and so we wondered if that had anything to do with the "spinning floor". We had Josh walk around and we looked at his eyes. He seemed okay to me, but Adam wanted me to call someone. I left a message for a nurse at the pediatric center, but it being quarter after 10, I didn't want get too hyped up for nothing. But when Josh had a second episode, in which he buried his head into our pillow and whimpered that the floor was spinning, both Adam and I decided we should take him to emergency. We don't like to mess around with things like that. To make a long story short, the doctor was quick to diagnose a concussion, mostly relying on our description of Josh's symptoms and was very reassuring. The whole time we spent at the hospital, Joshua was inquisitive and just like his normal self. We were able to return home by around 12:30am knowing that our boy was going to be okay and would be feeling like himself in a couple of days. He didn't have another spinning episode until 4:30 that morning, but this time we knew what we were dealing with. I'm so thankful that we have doctor's and for the reassurance they can give us at times like this.

And that is all because now I am going to bed.

Happy Birthday to My Boy!

2010-10-29T20:57:00.003-04:00

My dear little boy... Three years ago I lay in the hospital bed with you by my side, in awe, adoring everything about you. Listening to you breathe, and stroking your baby-soft skin with my fingertips. It's hard to imagine you being so tiny again. Your baby-ness didn't last for very long at all. You, my Joshua, were in a hurry. You walked at 10 1/2 months, and talked not very long after that. I was in a hurry to potty train you, but you were so willing to go along with it. I think 2 1/2 is still pretty young to be potty-trained, even if you took longer about it than I was hoping. Now you are 3... Full of life and inquisitive as ever. Rebellious... sometimes. Not so much, that a quick swat can't correct. ;) I can't believe how much you love your Daddy. I try not to feel left out. You'd take him over me any day! You are learning letter sounds and have conquered numbers 0-8. You are so good at puzzles and are now learning to cut. We still have to work on that though, along with throwing a ball! Maybe Daddy will give you some lessons... You love cars, trucks, tractors and lawn mowers. And this year you asked for a gun for your birthday. (Where do they get that? Boys...) Daddy found you some Nerf guns... What a nice Daddy. :) We will celebrate your third birthday tomorrow, with chocolate cake and a family gathering. You will have a friend over to play, just like you asked. You, my Joshua... I can't imagine life without you. It seems like I've always had you around. I'm so glad that God sent you our way.

Happy Birthday to ME!

2010-10-23T00:30:00.003-04:00

Since today is my birthday and I am now 25, which is a quarter of a century, I will leave you with 25 important or random things about me.

1) I was born in Rochester, NY.
2) I play piano.
3) I have green eyes, like my Gramanita.
4) I have to wear corrective lenses.
5) My son was born six days after my 22nd birthday.
6) I am one of seven kids.
7) I was married when I was 20.
8) I was homeschooled most of my school years.
9) I never went to college.
10) I've never smoked, but I have a tattoo. (Psych!!)
11) When I was a girl I wanted to be a missionary to Brazil.
12) I also wanted to adopt an African baby boy.
13) I still want to adopt a baby, but he/she doesn't have to be from Africa.
14) I don't like washing my own dishes.
15) I'm not sure if I like cats or not.
16) Gardening is my favorite outside activity.
17) I love to travel.
18) I want to live my life for Jesus.
19) I like to sing.
20) It bothers me when people can't spell properly. (I also like spell check.)
21) I cannot keep my checkbook balanced.
22) Keeping a budget is like a game to me. I am very competitive.
23) I love going to the arboretum.
24) I have friends in foreign countries.
25) I am going to heaven, but only by God's grace.