I know...

I know Trace Adkins sings, "You're gonna' miss this". I love that song, really I do. But you know what? I am NOT going to miss the morning cry of "I don't feeeeel goooooodddd!" everytime someone wakes up and doesn't want to go to school.

I really MUST get my son to understand "The Boy Who Cried Wolf".

Nope. I won't miss it AT ALL!

Roller Coaster Thinking

I swear sometimes my "thought-life" has more twists and turns than the world's best roller coaster! I ponder. A lot. It's not all doom and gloom...but simply me thinking about life, my family, my job, my faith, my decisions and circumstances.

This week I have been thinking. I don't know what about exactly...lots of stuff.

Although it's not all bad, my thoughts can go from the highest peak down the largest drop in just seconds. For sometimes my thinking turns to worry. I don't know if I'd call it anxiety. But some days it's close.

Yet, when I look at the ride that is my life--the twists and turns that would paralell most normal women my age--again and again I can see God's hand there to guide and protect me.

I need to remember when I'm plunging down the hill that, like any good roller coaster, the ride can change at a moment's notice. And, that the person at the control is not ME! For it's HIS hand...HIS word....HIS love that will guide me safely into the loading dock each and every time. And it's HIM who will be with me when I jump in for the next ride and the next and the next.

I also need to remember that it's not the individual twist, turn, climb, or drop that makes the ride good. It's the culmination of all of those things. If I "lose my stomach" on the drop, I can catch it again on the climb.

So, like any good roller coaster rider, I'm putting my hands up in surrender to each and every twist and turn. And with joy, I will shout and be thankful for the entire ride!

Kids say the cutest things!

School started back on Monday. I love this time of year! It's the time when we get to usher new "little people" into their "home away from home" for the next few years. Kindergarteners are often wide-eyed and eager. Would that we could all get a spark of that once-in-a-while.

This morning, I was walking through the halls to do my "rounds"...making sure everyone was where they needed to go. This darling little girl with pigtails and beads all over her head was "late". So, I told her to come with me to get a late slip in the office.

She said, "Is we going to play games?" I said, "No, we're just going to go tell the office you're here and then you get to go to class to play." She said, "OK."

I asked her name and she replied, "T____ B____." Because her name sounded familiar to me, I said, "Do you have a sister?" She asked, "A bigger one?" I said, "Yes." She replied, "Yeah." I said, "What's your sister's name?"

She hesitated. She stopped. She put her finger on her head like she was thinking hard.

I was thinking, "Good night, SURELY she knows her sister's name!?!?!" She finally said, "I can't remember her name, but she sits next to me every Sunday in church!"

I finally figured it out...she doesn't have a "sister" as in a human relative, but in her church they call all the ladies, "Sister so-and-so". I have to say it gave me a chuckle!

After we got her late slip, she said, "Are we all done?" I said, "Yes, we're done." She said, "Whew! I thought I was going to get a SHOT!"

I really wanted to reply, "No way, Sister!"

Bunny Blog

He came to us in January of DS 4's preK year. The teacher had been talking to us about getting a class pet. DH and I talked about it and decided that we'd do our "parent support" duty and donate the pet and supplies. The teacher said she'd like a bunny.

One Saturday morning, I took my four-year-old DS 4 to purchase the pet. He proudly brought this little furry rabbit to school on Monday. By Monday afternoon the teacher called and let us know that the preK director had informed her that they are NOT allowed to have "permanent pets" in the classroom. We were told the bunny could visit, but could not stay.

So, we brought the bunny home.

That was SEVEN years ago! The bunny is STILL here.

I am no animal hater. I love them. I even had a bunny as a classroom pet when I taught Kindergarten one year. But they are messy. Really messy! Their cages smell when not cleaned regularly. Heck they smell when they ARE cleaned regularly! To say I was not thrilled about bringing this little furry critter home is an understatement. A HUGE understatement!

DS 4 is definitely an animal LOVER to the nth degree! Even as a young toddler, he would sit for hours in the babysitter's house helping care for young kittens, an abandoned baby squirrel, and a pet monkey. He loves them. He was thrilled that the bunny was going to be HIS to love, and hold, and care for....everyday. (I'm sure you know the drill.)

As a side note: I have a friend at work who's MIL gave her son a bunny---without consulting the parent. I'm sure there's a whole lot to be interpreted there. Anyway, she brought a book to school about bunnies and told me that their lifespan is about 10 years.

Fast forward to last week. DS 4 came to my DH and me and said, "Button's not eating or drinking. We need to get him to a vet." I have to say that taking these critters to the vet is not always my first thought. I mean they are little cage animals. They are not supposed to have huge lifespans. And, quite honestly, I think 7 bunny years is a pretty good run. (Please, if you are a PETA person just save the tongue lashing...) I mean somebody's gotta be at the lower end of the lifespan average, right!?!

My wonderful FIL and MIL are helping out with DS 4 this week. I urged my son to wait until the weekday for a vet visit cause I don't want this little visit to cost any more than it has to. He wasn't happy at all. And, yes, secretly I was wishing it just "might" be Button's time to go. By Sunday night I knew it wasn't. I also knew that I had to do my best to get this pet...this "family member"....to the vet for my DS 4's sake.

So, my FIL and DS 4 made the trip on Monday. When my FIL called me the night before and asked me just how much money I wanted to pay to extend the bunny's life, I laughed. Extend it? No, I just want him to be without pain and happy for however many hours days he has left on this earth. And I wanted my DS 4 to be told by the vet that the life cycle is natural for all God's creatures. When you come right down to it, THAT'S what I wanted to pay the vet to do. Give the LIFE lesson!

FIL and DS 4 returned Monday evening with meds for the bunny. The vet isn't quite sure what's "wrong" with him. In fact, he may be just fine, as he perked back up quite a bit during the day on Monday and in . And it only cost us $57 for the visit and the meds. The pill we are able to give him. It's the sawdust looking stuff that is more difficult. Still, we'll give it our best...even if my teeth are gritted while we're doing it!

DS 4 is happy that his pet is going to make it. The bunny is satisfied and happy by all outward appearances.

The Mother? She needs a little work! Especially if this bunny is going to be around another three years!

An Update

If you've read this blog for any time at all, then you know that cooking is NOT my favorite thing to do. I have never hidden it. DH is really the cook in our house. He likes it. When he started traveling a few years back, the temptation was there to just order in or eat out more often.

Honestly, I know exactly why my Mother (who worked full time before the microwave could thaw stuff quickly) would often say, "Let's go get something to eat." It was easier. I suppose the fact that my brother and I were both rather picky eaters also made this easier on her.

Still, I've been working on cooking when DH is away. I have been scouring new recipes and looking to widen our eating horizons a bit. Recently we have eaten Asian BBQ Pork w/smoked gouda sandwiches, Citrus Soy Scallops with lo-mein and sugar snap peas, and Watercress Chicken Salad with a honey-mustard glaze. It's been fun seeing the boys' faces as they wonder "what are we making tonight?" And, all in all, they have been really good sports about it.

School started back yesterday for teachers. I LOVE this time of year. I have to say that it really annoys me when teachers say they "dread going back" and treat it like a drudgery. Other than the plethora of meetings, I really love everything about it.

Tonight, our bosses are taking us to the beach for a back to school party. It should be fun.

That's pretty much it for me...oh yeah, there IS a little "bunny update" that I need to give...but I think that's an entire blogpost. I'll save it for later. There you go, have I hooked you to keep checking back?

Happy Tuesday!

Another Time and Another Place

It's 7:58am on my clock. I've been up for about 30 minutes. Although I know where I am and what time it is, my head is in another time and another place.

Twenty-two years apart from this time and place.

It was 22 years ago today that my DH and I said "I do." It was 22 years ago that we vowed to love each other forever and always. It was 22 years ago that my life changed forever.

I was thinking earlier this year, that DH and I have been together now longer than I lived without him if you count our friendship/dating years. That's a weird tipping point in life, in my opinion.

Many people thought we would not make it and should not get married. The counselor that did our premarital told us politely: "I've never seen two more opposite people want to get married. It won't always be easy for you." And he was right.

You know, though, I wonder what marriage is "easy" all the time. Not one that I know. It's work. It's a commitment. It's a choice.

And it's worth it!

After 22 years I can honestly say I know we did the right thing. We balance each other. We have each learned to live with those things that are so polar opposite. We have grown together. We have accomplished much together. It has been a blessing beyond what I could have ever imagined.

While I'm reflecting and thinking back today...I'm looking forward to the NEXT 22 years with this man that I know God planned for me!

Happy Anniversary, hon, I LOVE YOU!

Wordless Wednesday: Summer's Almost Done

Book Review: Best Friends Forever

( Important Note: I know that many of you solely read Christian fiction. If that is the case for you, this book may not be appropriate for you to read.)

I wanted a "new read" when I was at the store last week. I don't know why.

I have PLENTY on my night stand to keep me busy for a while, but nothing there was calling my name. So, while browsing the book aisles at Target, this book jumped out at me. I don't know if it was the crisp clean cover. The fact that it's about a subject that I care about deeply. Or maybe it was some other hidden force that put the book in my hands.

Still, I'm glad it ended up in my cart and moved its way to the top of my "to be read" pile!

The book tells the story of Addie Downs and Valerie Adler. They were best friends from the time Valerie moved across the street from the Downs at the age of nine. As it is with life, however, they are swept apart as they age.

On the eve of their fifteen year class reunion, things change.

Valerie, a successful weather reporter from the local news station, shows up on Addie's doorstep. Valerie announces to Addie (who did not attend the class reunion), "Something horrible has happened and you're the only one who can help."

And the adventure begins. The book is a modern day fairy tale complete with a "Thelma and Louise" flavor! It is funny. It is raw at times. It deals with such real-life themes as: betrayal, loyalty, family history, and small-town life.

If it were a movie, it would definitely be PG-13. There are, at times, mature themes and situations in the pages. Typical high school issues like bullying, jealousy, cliques, and popularity are addressed. But so is date rape. I found it a fun read, though, as it primarily draws the rediscovery of a very special friendship that has never really died.

On a side note: I went to author Jennifer Weiner's website and LOVED her FAQ's as well as her hints for people who want to be writers. (Again, no faith-base here. Just raw real glimpses into a very cut-throat world.) It made me laugh out loud as I read it. In fact, I thought to myself: "I'd like to meet this woman." Lo and behold at the bottom of her very long list of FAQ's she responds to this very question in this way:

I haven’t written a novel, and I don’t have an idea
for one, but you seem really cool, so maybe we could get together and have coffee! I am not really cool. I am not cool at all. In person, I am incredibly boring. My conversational topics are almost entirely limited to reality television, and how I don’t like old people. I rarely manage to look even a tenth as good as I do in my author photo. My table manners are iffy. Many days I don’t even comb my hair, and when I’m not writing I’m usually pushing a stroller and have applesauce smeared somewhere on my person, so in the interests of not having you be disappointed by the real deal, I am going to respectfully decline. But thanks! And please come to one of my readings, where nine times out of ten my hair is combed

Tuesday Tid-bits

So I am starting to settle in to my new room at school. Moving is not a bad thing. It DOES make you go through your stuff and really get rid of things. However, every box I unpack I think about the fact that I'm moving into an "older portable" and our district is currently demolishing "older portables". So, in my opinion, the writing is on the wall and I could very well be doing this at the end of this year as well!

Still, room set up is one of my favorite things to do! It is looking more cozy and ready for kids/adults every day.

While I was at the Air Force Museum in Ohio with my boys, I spent quite a bit of time reading the walls of the "Aviation Hall of Fame." (I'm sure I got the 'wall-reading' gene from my Dad--he loves reading the walls of historical places.) This museum is literally covered with a timeline of aviators from the beginning of flight to present day. Each aviator's plaque includes a story. I was amused at so many of these and took photos of the more "memorable" ones.

DS 3 and I talked about it and he said, "Next time you don't know what to put on your blog, you can use one of those."

So, here's installment #s 1 and 2 in some aviator stories:

I chose this first one because it's funny and I can SO PICTURE IT happening in my own world! If you cannot read his story in the picture, I'll rewrite below...

"Lawrence was a chip off the old block, a real-life Tom Swift just like his father. As a youngster, he and his brother Elmer Jr.turn the house into an airplane facotry, building part of an aircraft in the attic while the rest of the family is on vacation. To remove the aircraft from teh house the boys rip out a bay window in their parents' bedroom and float safely to the yard below."

At least MY DS 3 only wants to build an aircraft in our garage AND we don't have a second story!

Now on to an inspirational story:

"Born in Norway, Balchen, a naturalized citizen in 1931, never forgot his roots. During World War II, Balchen evacuated refugees from Sweden and ferried food and equipment to the underground resistance in Norway and Denmark. When Balchen was first approached concerning the feasibility of the mission he simply stated "Ve can do it." General Carl "Tooey" Spaatz snapped, "Dammit. Every time I ask if you can do something, you say 'Ve do it". I'm going to call you "Ve Do It" because no matter what we tell you, you say you can do it...and so far you've carried it out."

I'd say that's a pretty darn good legacy!

Book Review: Scrapping Plans

This is the third book in the Sisters, Ink series by Rebecca Seitz. Seitz writes about four sisters who enjoy scrapbooking together. I won the first book back in March 2008. I was immediately drawn to the Sinclair sisters on many levels. Their Daddy is a preacher who lost his wife to cancer. They live in a small town in Tennessee (one of my favorite places). They are all adopted to the Sinclairs and are from four different ethnic backgrounds...yet they are bound to each other as only siblings can be.

Each of the first three books has centered around one of the sisters. In book one, Tandy deals with her past as she is forced to reconnect with Clay Kelner (her high school sweetheart). The second book centers around Kendra who also deals with the past and betrayal in very real and powerful ways.

This book, Scrapping Plans, centers around Joy, the youngest and quietest of the Sinclair sisters. She is a perfectionist by all accounts. A woman who strives for and achieves Martha Stewart status in so many ways. However, Joy, who was adopted from China, has one burning desire: to be a mother.

This is the story of the very real struggle of infertility for a young couple. Joy feels overshadowed in many ways as the family plans for Kendra's wedding and deals with their father's new romance with Zelda. As with so many women, the struggle, does present itself in other ways. The sisters, as always, come together and support their sister--often through "scrapping nights" in their Mother's old scrapbooking studio (which sounds like a DREAM to me).

As with the other two books, there is a "faith thread" throughout the story. I love that it is not overbearing and so heavy that these ladies don't appear "real". The books are good little "escape reads" targeted toward women.

I'll be honest, though, I know people who struggled with infertility for YEARS. So, if that's a woman's struggle, I am not sure this is the book for her as it almost seems to resolve too easily. I can see where someone in those shoes might resent that. Seitz does remind the reader that most people DO struggle for years before (and even IF) they have a viable pregnancy.

Still, I enjoy this family! My understanding is that book 4 in this series will be published this month. I'll be watching for it!

Update from My World

My gosh, I went and posted about 1000 posts and committed to the next thousand, then dropped off the face of the earth! Well, sort of.

I've been on vacation and finishing out the last days of summer. Really, though, that's only an excuse, cause summer or vacation have never kept me from blogging before. Sooo....here's my little catch up:

DSs 3 and 4 and I left with my Dad, Stepmom, Brother and his family on Thursday, July 23rd to drive to Ohio to see our family. We had an amazing weekend of family picnics, reunions, and such. Here's a picture of the whole gang:While this only represents a small portion of this side of the family, it was a great event with lots of fun for all. DSs 3, 4, and I took a side trip over to Indiana to visit my friend Suzi and her family. We had a great time enjoying their sweet small town! While there, we enjoyed the county fair and the weather. Wow, the weather! It was so nice to be able to actually BREATHE the cool evening air...minus humidity.

We returned a week ago and had a somewhat busy week.

DS 3 turned 15 on Wednesday. Now, he's part of the reason I needed to blog. He reminds me when I'm "falling behind". But yesterday he said, "You have never missed one of our birthdays." OUCH!

While we were in Ohio, we took a trip to one of his favorite places: Wright-Patterson Airforce Base to see the National Air Museum. He studied his driver's manual all the way to Ohio and all the way home. In fact, I didn't realize how many things I didn't know about the road signs and rules. Wednesday morning, we added one more student driver to the roadways here in FL. He's doing GREAT.

As he grows older, it's so evident that he's a rock. He is stable and consistent. He is someone that everyone in our family goes to for his reliability. If I want to know something about what someone else is doing in our little family, I can often ask DS 3 and he knows. He is keenly observant and often keeps us all in motion, or at least keeps track of our motion. I'm so thankful for the young man he is becoming. He is a blessing to be sure. I'm excited to see him continue his journey through the teen years and into his young adult life.

In other news, DS 1 will leave for school this week. He really doesn't want us to go help him move. Instead, it will be his brother (DS 2) and his friends. I guess when you've been to boot camp already, and it's not your "freshman year"....it's not "cool" to have your family help out for this event. He and I made a trip to Ikea to get him set up, however. I know he's excited to get going on this new chapter of his life.

Hard to believe but school starts for me next week. I am glad. I have always said that I am a better working Mother. It's true. I like everyone to have places to be and things to do. Including me! I'm looking forward to another school year.

So, that pretty much sums up our last few weeks. I do have a book review to post...stay tuned for that.