Ummm Can I Get a Mask?

Maintenance came bright and early this morning, 8:20am, to replace our water heater, AC unit..and a bunch of other...I don't know what it is, but it is sitting in my yard right now. Ok, now, maybe it is just me, but when they are in my house tearing stuff out and walking around with masks and gloves on...I feel a little unsettled. Umm -should my children and I be protected from whatever you are protecting yourself from? I can't even talk to them because they are Japanese and speak very very little English (or so they lead me to believe). I would leave, but we are not allowed to as long as they are working on the house. I know they MUST see that I am pregnant, but they continue to smoke right outside the door...and it is open for their equipment, so now my house is filled with second hand smoke on top of whatever else...so.. that is my whining and complaining for today. Thanks for reading my rant. ;) I'd rather complain about the little things than ponder the BIG one nagging me :)

Conversations with Brianna :)

Last night after praying with the girls the following dialogue took place-

Brianna: "Mommy, will we watch Elmo in our new home?"
Mommy: "What new home honey?"
Brianna: "Our home in heaven!"
Mommy: "No, honey, we will spend our days in God's presence praising and worshiping Him...etc -there's no need or time for Elmo :0"
Brianna: "Well, are we going to need naps?"
Mommy: "No, we will have perfect bodies that don't need naps"

Brianna smiles really big and shouts "I THOUGHT SO!!"
*AHEM* My fleshly desire of heaven wants it to be FULL of naps ;)

Easier Said than Done-Please Pray

Ok, me and my research...sometimes it gets me in trouble. I know I said in the previous post that I am trusting in the Lord about the health and welfare of the baby, in light of the recent developments,...and I am, but I have not let go enough to say I am "at peace" about it. Upon doing research (dumb idea) I found that this could be a very very serious thing if the baby truly has a small stomach. It can mean ALOT of different things, and none of them are good. I am not so worried that I have cried about it, but it is nagging me (or I should say I am allowing it to). This baby is the Lord's and I want His will to be done...I am just afraid of the pain of the possible loss of this our last baby and only son. Please pray for Brian and I in this, and if it is the Lord's will, that we will welcome a healthy baby boy into our family. Thank you...even though it is easier said than done...I AM trusting the Lord, with His help.

Phew!!!

What a busy busy day!! I had scheduled Anjolie and Lily's Drs appointments today back to back so it would make things easier and then I had a follow up ultra-sound appointment immediately after...boy was it hectic. Praise the Lord that Brian is done qualifying on the range and could get away from work to help me!! I left the house at 9am and have just now gotten home at 1:30....that included about a half hour to grab some lunch too.

Lily, who is still struggling with illness is doing ok the Dr said....Anjolie is doing great. My U/S went well, the small hemorrhage that was in the placenta previously -has resolved, Praise the Lord for that. The only concern is the baby's stomach is measuring too small...which could mean that there could be something "hooked up" wrong...or nothing at all, that maybe the baby had swallowed fluid and that was causing a false measurement. She said not to be concerned at all yet that everything else leads her to believe that everything is just fine, so we will just wait and pray. If there is something that would require surgery I would not be able to deliver at this hospital...so please pray that everything is fine. I do not want to fly to a different country to deliver :( but, may the Lord's will be done no matter the circumstance.

Brian got to be in the u/s room with me :) (we put the kids in the free child-care they offer in the mornings..what a blessing) but our little baby was being shy :( So, maybe at my next u/s in Feb. he will get to see his little boy :) She said if I go the full 40 weeks he will probably weigh around 8.2 pounds...I dunno though. We were laughing because even in the u/s we could see little fat rolls on his legs!! They normally start laying on fat the last few weeks!! I think he is going to be BIG. Well, now I have to start my morning chores in the afternoon!! Oh well, at least the kids are exhausted and all down for a nap. :)

Anjolie turned 3 today!!

Well, on the 28th (a day ahead here). I posted some movie clips of her birthday on my home-videos link...sorry they are not the best quality. I was using "Drop-Shots" for free, but for $5 a month, I have unlimited postings and NO ADVERTISING! I was concerned a couple of times when I saw some not-so-appropriate advertising on there....hope you enjoy it better now!!

So, to celebrate, they all got to dress up in princess costumes since the theme was "Fairytopia", and I put make-up on them (of course this was a HIT). We watched Anjolie's BIRTH-DAY tape...nothing graphic of course. She really enjoyed that...so did Brian and I. She came in 3 hours and 2 pushes..whooo hoo!! We watched some other baby footage as well...it was nice to reflect on what a blessing it has been to have the gift of Anjolie in our lives. We praise the Lord for all of our children...they are truly a blessing

A Bummer turned Praise and a Super Praise!

Ok, honestly, this week has been suuuuch a trial, and these past two days I did not come out Glorifying God ...I have only been getting a few hours of sleep because of the pregnancy just being uncomfortable and used this as an excuse to cut back on my devotion and prayer time. HUGE mistake- so I tried to stagger along in my own strength which left me losing my patience left and right. I kept telling myself it was not the kid's fault...I was just trying to do everything this week running on empty both physically and most importantly spiritually.

Brian has been leaving around 230am and not getting home until late, and on top of this weeks CRAZY happenings...Brian found out he had to work on Saturday as well..which we were having Anjolie's 3rd birthday party on. He was going to have to work from 6am to 6pm. I was not surprised at all to get the news...actually I had a strange peace about it...where normally I would be crying in disappointment for little Anjolie. Well, I asked Brian if he could at least ask if there was a chance he could get SOME of Anjolie's Birthday off so we could celebrate together....well he asked and he is able to get off at 10am!!! Hence..bummer turned Praise :)

SUPER PRAISE!! Brian's deployment in April HAS OFFICIALLY BEEN CANCELLED!!! I knew there was a reason I felt so at peace about it :) He does have other deployments scheduled, but not so close to the baby being born. God is soooo good.

Nesting Insanity? So Soon?

Well, my poor legs are swollen so I am going to sit and bore you with the cleaning frenzy I am on. The house is driving me nuts because it is not completely organized!! Now, I love organization, but I am not what you would call an organized person...something I strive for :) So the fact that things like, some of the shelves in my Kitchen still remain unlined and that we still use Lily's closet as a "junk" place till we get time to go through it, is really driving me up the wall, --is a sign of nesting for me. (ok, now THAT last sentence had some major problems...but anyway) I spent the morning cleaning floors, scrubbing grout, cleaning light switch panels and door knobs- in addition to my regular cleaning routine..you know the silly little irritating things you go through when nesting. I could drive myself insane with it!!! Ok, break time over...back to work!!

BIG TIME SHOPPER

I just thought this was funny..imagine goin' on a shopping spree with THIS...now THAT is what I call SHOPPING. Home Depot needs to get some of these eh?

Sledding in October

I found a video we had taken soon after we had moved in. It was October and we were sledding!! Ok, it was on cardboard down the grass hill..but hey, that is still sledding right? Check it out in my home-video link...you might have to scroll down. Sorry, Dad, I am working on getting them e-mailed...my e-mail is just NOT cooperating.

I Am Finally Feeling Better :)

Praise the Lord!! I still have some residual stuff going on, but I am definitely on the mend! :) Now, Brian has it :(. He had to leave by 2:45am this morning, and won't get home until around 8pm tonight. This is going to be a rough week for him...especially being sick. It is so cute though, since food was never arranged for these guys at the range, they have to either bring their lunch along or eat MREs (meals ready to eat). So I am packing his lunch every day...I am enjoying it, but it is hard to resist writing the little note on the napkin saying I love you with the big heart :) So, I just leave a note in the fridge on top of his food for him. *sigh* this is a trying time for us with his schedule adn everything. I know the Lord is preparing me for his deployment coming up in a few months. Knowing this makes the situation easier to deal with...we have been so blessed to have him home for every birth. He will be home for this one too, but will leave very soon after. I am sad he will miss the time with his brand new 1st son...but the Lord will bless.

When I Sorrow -Psalm 23

When trials seem more than I can bear, this verse is such a comfort to me. God is so good to give me strength and wit during circumstances, but sometimes I just need to cry out to Him with tears of brokeness knowing He will minister to me with His boundless comfort and grace. I had come across this clip from DaySpring a few days ago and loved it...not thinking that the Lord had provided it as a resource for comfort today. It is just beautiful, and the music is so complimentary to the song. Sorry about having to copy and paste...not that high speed yet :) But if you know of anyone who could use some encouragement today, this would be wonderful to share with them. It helped remind me that my loving Heavenly Father is all sufficient and will one day wipe my very last tears away for all eternity.
http://www.dayspring.com/movies/view.asp?moviename=psalm23web.swf

Check Out MY HOME VIDEO LINK!

I had family in mind when I set up the link in the right side bar "Home Videos", but anyone who would like- can view them. Just another way of keeping our dear friends and loved ones in touch with what is going on with the kids :) The two silly videos on there (once you click the link) are just test ones- you will see what I mean. I will try and film the girls soon!! Hope you enjoy seeing them in action ;)

Did you PRAY FOR YOUR HUSBAND today?

The times are so evil, and every day at work they are BOMBARDED with the forces of evil. Temptation surrounds them. My husband shares with me how trying it is at times because of the conversation of coworkers, the pictures they display, the music they listen to, the language they use...and this is just while at work! We are as one, my husband and I, and I have been reminded that I am responsible to hold my husband up in prayer-daily- at least! This is a link to a website that has a 31 day prayer plan for your husband...I think I might make my own and tailor it to my husbands needs. http://www.anneshomeyplace.com/prayersforourhusbandandchildren.htm
Let's not abandon our husbands in this area of being a help meet.

Kids = T.P. shortage

With all of us being sick, and the girls not knowing how to use this precious commodity in moderation - I am left with quite a dilemma. Brian loves Charmin Ultra, and I could care less...Scott is just fine with me. However, I did not realize the weight of the situation until one time, when Brian had gotten off duty, he about flipped to see...*gasp*.. the course, single ply, bulk quantity- Scott brand tissue hanging shamefully from it's plastic roller in our bathroom...it is forbidden!! I explained that he could have his own personal supply of Charmin Ultra, but the girls needed quantity-not quality. And so...with Brianna and Anjolie taking us through an average of a roll and a half a day (not kidding) 'cause we also use it for their noses and mine and Lily's too, we CANNOT afford the fancy smancy rolls. But... I found this... great solution, eh?!!...it is to be installed immediately! Except I think I am going to need some sort of crank apparatus to operate it. ;) Hmmm, I wonder if it comes in double ply?

Somethin' Squirrly Goin' On at the Range

Was he hallucinating..due to lack of food yesterday at the rifle range? I assured Brian he wasn't losing his mind when he saw the ground squirrel next to him qualifying on the rifle range...he was just ...hallucinating...because they did not feed them all day. So, he brought me a picture to PROVE it! ;) Sorry...bein' cooped up makes me a little nutty...ok ok that was bad...gonna go to bed now :)

Laughter is the BEST mood enhancer

Poor Brian is on the rifle range this week, and today was his first day. It turned out to be a nightmare because there was no bus to take the guys (with their rifles) so they had to take the cumbersome 7 ton long bed trucks...takes FOREVER...to the range. Then...their training section FORGOT to arrange for food for them! So, these guys went all day without food!! How smart could that be...these guys firing weapons..on GRUMBLING stomachs?! It's a good thing none of those responsible for the oversight showed up- huh? Temporary insanity due to lack of sustenance- would that ride? So anyway, in comes my poor husband, exhausted, starving and irritated at ...7:30pm! I felt so bad for him :( But, you know what? Instead of griping and complaining, (at least outwardly)...he said he had a funny joke to tell me :)

A husband forgot his wedding anniversary and his wife is LIVID. She says to her husband, to help him make amends, "Tomorrow, there better be something out in the driveway that goes from 0-200 in 2 seconds!" The next day, the wife looks out the window and sees a box sitting in the driveway. Curious, she goes out to see what could be in the box. She opened the box to find................a bathroom scale!!
hee hee...I laughed, but apparently this little joke saved Brian's mood today :)

Weeeent to the Doctor and I ...

....goooot some medicine. Yes, I was desperate. I called my friend Kimberly and she and her boys came over to watch the girls for me so I could go to the Dr today. I saw my OB who was worried I was getting pneumonia...he gave me an inhaler, some sudafed and *drum roll* a MEGA cough suppres. with codeine (sp?) sooo HOPEFULLY, I will get more than the 3 hours of sleep a night that I have been getting. The coughing fits are killing me!! Luckily, I did not have to get a chest x-ray since my wheezing sounded more toward the top of my lungs he said. I know..I asked him "A Chest x-ray?... While I'm pregnant?" he said the minimal radiation (after being "masked up") was nothing compared to the complications I could have being pregnant with pneumonia...so we are praying it does not escalate into that. It is hard weighing all the risks, but I have been sick for almost 2 weeks now and it is not letting up. The fact that my OB prescribed the meds helps, and I think a few nights rest might be just what I need to get better. :) Praise the Lord for friends who are always right there when you need them. Whether it be in person, or in encouragement, or in prayer, it sure lifts my spirits :) Thank you!

SO THANKFUL IT'S FRIDAY!!

For us anyway...

This week has me totally and completely whipped!! I am still not recovering from this awful upper respiratory infection :( I know it is hard to recover from anything when you are pregnant because of a hampered immune system, but this is ridiculous. Have you ever had to cancel a Drs appt because you were too sick to make it in there? Too bad it is not like the old days where they had visiting Drs huh :) The Lord is so gracious though. He provides me with the energy I need to keep the house clean, laundry kept up, kids fed, Brianna's school and even some renewed strength to spend with my dear husband. I give complete honor to the Lord for this...because I, in my flesh, would just set some boxes of cereal on the floor turn on the tv and climb in bed for the week...I truly feel that awful!

Yesterday, because it was sooo beautiful outside we did go for a walk to the playground...I was hoping it would help....the poor girls were too pooped to walk back to the house! So, today, I am just going to open all the windows to let the sunshine and fresh air in...maybe that will be better. Again ....sooooo thankful it is Friday!!

Brian's Drs Appt. PRAISE!

Brian called and said that the Dr he saw was great. The Dr thinks that Brian had so severely irritated some nerves in his upper back/spine that it caused some inflammation in the surrounding areas and radiated to the front chest area. He said since the nerves in this area affect the blood vessels in the upper body...it would cause a "wrap around" constricting feeling. They are going to do some bloodwork tomorrow morning after he has fasted to check some other possibilities, but it sounds like he is just fine :) Thank you again so much for your prayers.. I am still praying that if there is something we need to see, that it will show up!

Something Funny

...while I wait to hear from Brian....

I saw this on Gina's blog..thank you Gina ha ha.
This would NEVER happen in THIS house (said in a quiet reverent voice) MY children don't know what a mean mommy is....*AHEM* RIGHT?! HONEY? :)

Things To Do When You're Sick

It has been a couple of months since we have been able to do one of our themed picnics due to weather, and now that we are sick, I am not up to even getting out of the house at all....so we decided to make some things to decorate the play-room/classroom. Talk about easy...a large piece of cardboard from our recently bought table set, a bag of cotton balls, some glue, and a package of construction paper...voila!! This turned out to be at least an hour or two of busy time for a 4 and almost 3 year old...LOTS of pieces to stick on..he he!! I just drew it, put the glue on, cut up the construction paper into mosaic like pieces, opened the cotton balls and supervised. Ok, ok, yeah I could not resist joining in- as sick as I felt we had fun ;) Brian cut them out for us so I will hang them later this week.

Well...part II

Brian said that NOW he has to see a different care provider (I guess because of the nature of the situation)...this means one that is more of a Doctor rather than just a corpsman...so he will be seeing the Doctor TOMORROW at 9:45am. Ok, I will say again for my own benefit that I am trusting the Lord on this. I really feel like ranting, but I won't...the Lord knows and is getting the proper pieces in place. Ahhhh to be tested...and tested...

Well...

Brian went to BAS yesterday, and they told him to come back this morning (rolling eyes) go figure. Anyway, I am still waiting to hear from him...thank you for your prayers. Maybe the Lord planned for him to see someone specific...anyway, I am not worried because I know the Lord will take care of him. I will keep you updated.

Please Pray

...for Brian. He just left for the Dr (well, BAS) to get checked out. Anyone familiar with how BAS works or the Naval Hospital (at times) knows that this requires much prayer. I am praying that if there IS something to find concerning his heart, they will find it, and if not -that they will find out what caused him the excrutiating chest pain the other night. Please pray that it will not be downplayed so that Brian feels intimidated to ask for tests. There have been many 20-something Marines who have collapsed and died from heart failure because they did not know about pre-existing conditions...I just pray that if he has any type of "condition" such as an enlarged heart, defective valve etc... that we don't know about- that it would be revealed. Thank you in advance!

Little Poser

I told Brianna I was going to take a picture of her in her new outfit. I made a little flower hair ornament to match it. Well, she just came up with this pose all by herself! I thought it turned out so cute. I looooove our digital camera!! oops...can't forget Anjolie Rose!!

HAVE YOU SEEN..

..MY VOICE? I woke up this morning terribly ill and with no voice! I get bronchitis every year, and I am just praying that this does not turn into that...or worse. Anjolie has an ear-infection, Lily caught what I have, Brianna is recovering, and praise the Lord Brian is much better. He did tell me he is going to get checked out though - thank you for your prayers. He still is experiencing occasional mild discomfort...I just pray they figure out why.

The one good thing about the girls all being sick with me at the same time is that they are tired as well, so at least they are taking LONG and frequent naps which gives me time to keep up with the house! Brianna is watching TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD...I sure love the book, it is one of my favorites. The movie is so well done too!

Brian, at my urging, had to go to church alone today :( He wanted to stay so I would not have to be all by myself with the girls, but I just think it is so important that at least one of us get to a service. I know it will refresh him- which is a reward to me as well!!

So, I better get moving and gettin' this house caught up! Yesterday, we got out of the house which was nice, but I really have some laundry waiting for me!

OH!! We bought a kitchen nook table to replace the govt issued dining room table which took up sooo much space! I think it is sooo cute. Hopefully in the future we will have a house with a breakfast nook and I can put this in there!

What's Missing?/ Is He Ok? blog medley

...or should I say WHO is missing. Yes, it is that wonderful time again where this pregnancy is hmmmm, how should I put this...challenging. (Oh, I love it, 1:50am and she can type more than 1 syllable words, but don't expect any good grammer or proper spelling (not that there is any other time ;) ) This has been going on about a week where I have gotten maybe 4 hours of sleep, at the most, in a night. Something has got to give..or has..my thought processes and restraint on this silliness certainly have just gone out the window :) And on she blogs!!!


So, there is my dear husband...I can't believe the flash did not wake him up!! (It is Saturday for us tomorrow-never would have done that on a work-night) Well, I guess I can...the poor guy had a rough night. About an hour after dinner tonight, I was just getting out of the shower, and I notice Brian is hunched over on the couch. His "Medal of Honor" game is paused, so I KNOW SOMETHING IS WRONG!! He managed to force the words "get eeeeyyyyywwwwww meeyyahhhhhhh some milk!!" I was like- what in the world? There was like a half cup left so I quickly got it to him. I ask what is wrong...I am assuming heart-burn, but he was in such excrutiating pain that I started to think maybe it was his heart. He is only 30, but hey, you never know. His whole head was so red he looked like it was just going to pop off. Then it gets worse, he is laying on the floor HOLDING HIS CHEST. At this point I was truly frightened. I told him I was going to call an ambulance, but he gurbled out "NOOOOOOO AHHHHWWWWWAHHHHH" So, I was just wracking my brain. I gave him some of the baby's antacid, but he said it was painful to swallow!! -Another sign of possible angina or heart attack, but he refused to let me do anything. It was just awful. This goes on for about an hour...with a few brief moments of it easing up and then he is back on the floor moaning and holding his chest!! I felt like I was in a movie or something, it was so surreal. I finally convince him that I am taking him to the hospital at least...I don't care if it turns out to be nothing...I can't bear to see him incapacitated with pain! He agrees to go, amazingly, and so I get the girls out of bed and load them into the van. Brian somehow makes it out there...and I race over to the other base where the hospital is. Of course, I mean this is the way it always is, we get there and his pain starts to subside...so he won't go in. Maybe the Lord healed him, or I am hoping that it was just a hiatal hernia which can be excrutiating, and even though I kind of wrote this funny...more out of relief and nerves, (Brian just brings out that side of me too :) )please pray for him. I would really like him to get checked out at least at BAS or something. Chest pain is no joke, and I told him if he has another episode tonight I am going to HAVE to call an ambulance...it is just not worth the risk. So, now I sit, the excitement for the night is over, and he is sound asleep..I am checking on him. Praise the Lord he is ok.

His Truths Must Not Be Hidden!

What might be viewed as encouragement to one may trample all over the toes of another. Amazing how the Word of God does this...where there is sin -the Lord stands on it. If something ruffles me...I should be questioning why...is it righteous indignation or flesh cringning from the light.

I love reading Spurgeon's morning and evening devotions on Blue Letter Bible, and as I was questioning myself today as far as how much I share on here of the exciting light the Lord gives...I was reaffirmed to continue to share how the Lord is working in my life. Whether it is interesting to someone or not -is of no regard...His truth "burns" within us sometimes and it can make others uncomfortable. That is ok, because it sure does happen to me, and I know to examine "why". So whether these types of posts are skipped over or read is of no importance to me...it is such a comfort to know it may reach SOMEONE. Like the song...MY LIFE GOES ON IN ENDLESS SONG how can I keep from singing. How can I keep from sharing? Finding hidden treasure is exciting to me and I love sharing my finds even if it is old news to some.

"From the hidden springs within let sweetly flowing rivulets of testimony flow forth, giving drink to every passerby"-Spurgeon

Thirsty anyone? :)

For Real...

Sadly enough...

Vampire Candidate 'Won't Hide Evil Side'
Thursday, January 12, 2006

"MINNEAPOLIS — One gubernatorial candidate in Minnesota is giving a whole new meaning to the "dark side" of politics. A man who calls himself a satanic priest plans to run for governor on a 13-point platform that includes the public impaling of terrorists at the state Capitol building." -Associated Press

What in the world?!...too bad this was not yesterday's news...I would have added to my list of things that puzzle me. You can find the whole sick article on Fox...why do I bother checking the news? You know the horrible thing is this guy is going to run for president and people will actually vote for him. That dividing line between good and evil is getting more and more apparent..it sure does not get more apparent than this.

Top Ten Things That Puzzle Me

1. Why DO people still use fanny-packs?
2. How does dipping a scoop of ice-cream or making a cup of coffee warrant a tip? Yet I do it...as insurance for my beverage or cone, I guess....who knows.
3. Why phone companies have not been under federal investigation for their less than honest business practices.
4. How a lot (not all) of fast-food services seem to dredge up some of the rudest, slowest, and laziest workers!!
5. Why I can't talk to a real person on the phone when calling almost any company without having to exhaust the ridiculous automated menu of non-relevant issues.
6. How a politician (won't mention any names) can urge our young Americans to not join our armed forces...that we should abandon our DOD ...ummm ok, THAT is intelligent...wonder where he got his degree? Why doesn't he just declare open-season on the US...free for all, may the best country win. Come and get us because we don't agree with our president...how ignorant.
7. How children can be taken away from you because you spank them in a Biblical manner but a mom who spends her day getting high and barely knows she HAS kids is just a waste of time to notice?
8. How we can send our kids to a public school where they can be legally brain-washed into thinking that practicing a homosexual lifestyle is a perfectly healthy and normal way of life and taught that the world just BOOM came into existence and we evolved from monkeys.....but it is infringing on their rights as Americans to learn that perhaps there was an all-powerful, all-knowing Creator that put some thought into "forming" man. They would more readily accept that some Dolphin had influence in our creation than God.
9. How the 10 Commandments could offend someone to the point they fought and had them removed from a court-house, but stores like Victoria's Secret can bombard you with highly offensive and highly visible pictures of half naked women in their store-front with ner a complaint... but hey that is marketing right?
10. In some people's eyes President Bush can do NO RIGHT!! They complain that not enough was done to prevent 9/11 and now he is doing too much to prevent an attack...ie the warranted phone tapping...give me a break people! Wonder what they would say if one of the taps revealed their hometown was going to be wiped out...would they be complaining about the rights of a terrorist THEN?

Big Belly

Still tricking myself into believing that I really do still fit in my non-maternity size small overalls (it's really just a lack of wardrobe) watch for hazardous flying buttons!!
Anjolie took the picture on the right...must be a pretty scary sight from down there. PLANET BELLY!! You know, I bet if she stood under my belly, I would not even see her!!

Well, I have avoided the camera like the plague, but there is just no hiding it...might as well just share how big I really am getting. Everything is pretty much the same as the girls' pregnancys except this little boy is really out front!! Still gaining pretty much to the pound the same as the girls. I feel like a BLIMP!!!

5 Perfectly Weird Things About ME!

Just being a Karen copy cat :)

1. I have a "dent" in one of my legs from a car accident (Brian's contribution to this list...thanks honey, for reminding me)HE thinks it's weird.
2. Decided I needed to be ignorant and dropped out of college in my second year, even though my parents were paying for it, and joined the Marines for 4 years (brilliant).
3. Did not get my drivers license until I was 23 years old...afraid of getting in a wreck. Ironic thing is, my "dent" and 3 broken bones, and hour long amnesia happened just a month after getting my license only.... I was not driving. Yep, rolled 7 times...5 were spent in the air!! Thank you my, Dear Lord, for my second chance...chastisement heeded.
4. I have never had a cavity...ok, I think that is wierd, but you know what, NOW I just think that it is a conspiracy that Dentists fill every little nook and cranny to get your money. Did you know that if you keep those "pits" clean...they re-mineralize? (a military dentist who doesn't get my money told me this) Ah -Hah!! So, maybe I have had cavities that I just kept clean and they filled back in...hmmmm so I really should write that I have never had a "filling"
5. My tonsils...just strange all-together, and I am just soooo sure that THIS was the weird tid-bit you were looking for but, anyhow.... My tonsils, at one point had gotten so huge that they were touching and blocked 80% of my airway...when I was a kid, my retainer slid back and actually got "hooked" through (ewwwwww I know) one of my tonsils. (True story!!) My dad had to wrap a wire around the front of it and back it down my throat to get the hook out. Our Orthodontic group actually CHANGED the way they made retainers because of this and closed the back hooks on their retainers. Mmmmhmmm that's right. AND....(I know you are just riveted) when I was a Marine they FINALLY removed them....and one of them is starting to grow back. THERE...now I don't know what is weirder...the incident, or me sharing the incident. Pretty Sad :)

A Living Sacrifice

I have had so many great reminders lately from personal devotions, sermons and random articles I stumble on about why we are to be a living sacrifice (Romans 12:1). When we hear the account of Abraham and how he bound his son Isaac to an altar, we are grieved at the thought of such a service being required. Not that the Lord ever intended to allow Isaac to die in this way, the sacrifice was already completed -in Abrahams heart. The point was that Abraham was willing, without understanding, to LOVE his God with everything he had. We love God by hearing and obeying His word and anything that He reveals personally to us through conviction. Pastors preach about being willing to die, physically, for the sake of Christ, but that is only one aspect of what is required. God uses us as LIVING sacrifices. People willing to be identified with Christ's death...no longer living a life for themselves, but living for God. How dare I think that I have any right to hold ANYTHING back from Him? I forget, at times, that my time, energy, attention...everything is His to be managed and used for His work. For instance, I get irritable if I am interrupted (in doing something of no importance) by one of my children...one of my gifts from God. What if He got irritated with me praying to Him all the time? Not that God does not allow for times of refreshment and rest, He does. But, I need to be the example to my children and others of a constant "channel" for the Holy Spirit to reveal His work through me. How can I do that when I am preoccupied with "my time" all the time. I can't! How quickly I forget the wondrous joy I feel when I am 100% focused on doing the Lord's work. Being a homemaker has been the greatest joy of my life!! I get distracted sometimes and forget the task at hand...get discouraged, struggle with my temper etc. Homeschooling Brianna this past week has really helped me be more patient and in-tune with Brianna. Sure it takes more time...but I am on God's time, not mine. And there is no greater joy than being on His time, doing His work and not my own. If we are saved, we are all on His time...what are we doing with it?

I have really been focusing on the importance of turning my children's hearts Godward in being a living sacrifice. What better way to fulfill the Great Commandment in Deut. 6:5-7- If we ever say that we cannot give something up in order for Christ to work in us....we better WATCH OUT. I need to meditate on this more often so He does not have to use His loving chastisement to get my attention. The days and times are evil, and I just hope I can reach somebody somewhere with the joy that I know in serving Christ with my whole heart, soul and might.

SHE CAN READ!

Ok, now you might be thinking "no big deal", but hey...our first "baby" is reading!! *sniff* *sniff*. I am so proud of her. We really worked last week on blending her letter sounds, and then it was like something just clicked. I had to take her book from her that she was working on tonight so she would eat dinner! She was sooooo excited and literally bouncing off the walls over it. I am talking basics now, not like a novel or anything, but these are the first two sentences she read all by herself. "Gus is a duck" and "Tip is a pup". (posted for posterity's sake):) So exciting!! I personally thought she was ready months ago, but she just did not have the motivation. Well, she all of the sudden got motivated when she found out one of her fellow 4 year old friends, Sean, could read. That was all it really took, I guess, to convince her she could do it...well Brianna, I knew you could do it all along honey :) I am so proud of you.

Bed-time Surprise!!

Now, I know, I have not posted in almost a week!! I am trying to keep up with making lesson plans and things will be easier now that I have her books home from school. I was using some supplemental material I picked up from the exchange, but now I have her A Beka stuff and we used that today!

Anyway, last week we had some more Christmas stuff arrive with Lily's Birthday present from my parents. My sister made crystal bracelets for them to match their dresses that they got for Christmas. Brian brought the box home from work last Thursday, but we had to leave immediately for church visitation. So, after we got home, we put the girls to bed and surprised them with the gifts from my sister!! :) They were very excited. THANK YOU AUNT MISTY!!

First Day of Homeschool

Nana's picture for her science class today :)
How cute...she got her feet in the picture..she laughed when I showed her this.


Well, today was our very first day! It sounds so strange, but I was nervous. I knew we were only going to be able to do a half-work day because I had Ladies' Visitation in the morning (praise the Lord we were able to pray with someone and lead them to Christ!!). So, I was stressing out because we did not get to complete everything I had planned for the day, but we have a full day tomorrow, so I will just add on here and there. The pictures-Brianna took :) We were studying the structure of plants, the blossom, the leaves, the stems and the roots etc and the function of each of them for a Science lesson. I strapped Brian's digital camera to her little wrist and told her I wanted her to take pictures of the parts we talked about and then we would review their functions again. I am SOOOOO loving this...mostly because she's in 4K I am sure, but I will enjoy the simplicity of it for now...such a neat review for me as well. And, can I just say HOW WONDERFUL it was to sit with her and have her lean her little head on my shoulder as I read to her and taught her. Moments like this are priceless and it is like the Lord reaffirming His will in this. Thank you so much for your prayers ....they were definitely heard by the Lord and felt by me today. God Bless you!!

Tough Decision

Many of you know that have planned all along to Homeschool our children. I felt this impressed upon me when Brianna, my oldest, was an infant. I thought..."Not me Lord..I don't have any patience!! But, yes, as my husband and I prayed about it we knew that was what the Lord had planned for us... for many reasons.

When we moved here to Okinawa, the Church we became members of had a K-4 using the same curriculum I was going to use, so we allowed Brianna to attend this past fall to make some friends and become familiar with a formal classroom setting. I was going to let her finish the year, but I was soon reminded of some of the reasons I wanted to homeschool in the first place. I felt I was losing the hands on mommy daughter training time while she spent a full day at school from 8:30 to 2:45, and she was experiencing a full dose of kid cruelness at too early an age, I felt. I really fell in love, though, with her teacher who has a servant's heart and is such a Godly woman. Brianna loved her as well, and I could see that as time went on, it would become more and more difficult to stick with what we felt the Lord wanted us to do. So, we informed her teacher and the principle this past weekend that we would start homeschooling earlier than we had planned...I start homeschooling tomorrow!! I spent this morning preparing rudimentary lesson plans (I know she is only 4, but I am very excited to get this started). We get to keep her books, so I will just pick up where she left off! I have peace that we have made the right decision, but it is still so hard!! PLEASE PRAY!! I embark on a tremendous journey and I need all the prayer I can get.

A Plea To The Lost For the New Year

This is a very frank confrontational plea from Charles Spurgeon. Perfect for the new year about to ring in. I think we all know someone with whom we have pleaded and prayed for to surrender their lives to the Lord...Maybe this would get their attention? To any dear friends, readers, or family that don't know Christ as their personal Savior, I plead with you to start the new year with a new life. I post this in love and with tears of desperation for your soul.

"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." —Jeremiah 8:20

Not saved! Dear reader, is this your mournful plight? Warned of the judgment to come, bidden to escape for your life, and yet at this moment not saved! You know the way of salvation, you read it in the Bible, you hear it from the pulpit, it is explained to you by friends, and yet you neglect it, and therefore you are not saved. You will be without excuse when the Lord shall judge the quick and dead. The Holy Spirit has given more or less of blessing upon the word which has been preached in your hearing, and times of refreshing have come from the divine presence, and yet you are without Christ. All these hopeful seasons have come and gone—your summer and your harvest have past—and yet you are not saved. Years have followed one another into eternity, and your last year will soon be here: youth has gone, manhood is going, and yet you are not saved. Let me ask you—will you ever be saved? Is there any likelihood of it? Already the most propitious seasons have left you unsaved; will other occasions alter your condition? Means have failed with you—the best of means, used perseveringly and with the utmost affection—what more can be done for you? Affliction and prosperity have alike failed to impress you; tears and prayers and sermons have been wasted on your barren heart. Are not the probabilities dead against your ever being saved? Is it not more than likely that you will abide as you are till death for ever bars the door of hope? Do you recoil from the supposition? Yet it is a most reasonable one: he who is not washed in so many waters will in all probability go filthy to his end. The convenient time never has come, why should it ever come? It is logical to fear that it never will arrive, and that Felix like, you will find no convenient season till you are in hell. O bethink you of what that hell is, and of the dread probability that you will soon be cast into it!

Reader, suppose you should die unsaved, your doom no words can picture. Write out your dread estate in tears and blood, talk of it with groans and gnashing of teeth: you will be punished with everlasting destruction from the glory of the Lord, and from the glory of His power. A brother's voice would fain startle you into earnestness. O be wise, be wise in time, and ere another year begins, believe in Jesus, who is able to save to the uttermost. Consecrate these last hours to lonely thought, and if deep repentance be bred in you, it will be well; and if it lead to a humble faith in Jesus, it will be best of all. O see to it that this year pass not away, and you an unforgiven spirit. Let not the new year's midnight peals sound upon a joyless spirit! Now, NOW, NOW believe, and live.-Charles Spurgeon
"ESCAPE FOR THY LIFE;
LOOK NOT BEHIND THEE,
NEITHER STAY THOU
IN ALL THE PLAIN;
ESCAPE TO THE MOUNTAIN,
LEST THOU BE CONSUMED."