Saturday, January 28, 2006

Me & Jonah















Once again, I decided my word/picture ratio was out of balance. I sat down to upload a picture but the camera was empty (a rarity!). I decided to snap a picture of me and Jonah. Here we are! Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, January 25, 2006

It Takes a Village to Build a Tabernacle

This month I am reading Genesis and Exodus. Did you know Judith and Asher are Biblical names? I didn't. Anyways, I just finished reading about God's intructions to Moses about building the tabernacle. Something that stood out was that he specifically called for a perfumer and an embroiderer. Could you imagine being the perfumer or the embroiderer chosen? What an honor. It just made me realize that whatever our job is, we should be doing our absolute best because we never know when God is going to say I need a (insert your talent here) for this job, and wouldn't it be an honor to be the one chosen? Wouldn't it be a shame if we didn't develop and use our gifts because we are too busy wishing we had another gift?

Sunday, January 22, 2006

Cheese and Coincidence

Samuel understands that he cannot eat cheese. One day he picked up an empty can of Pam cooking spray and asked "Can I eat this?"

"Of course not" I said. (In my mind i'm thinking 'cooking spray??what a weird child I have.')

"Why?" he asked "does it have cheese on it?"

So, he does understand that cheese if off limits. He knows he can't eat pizza. However, we will pick things off the pizza and give them to him. Which is why he must of thought it was a logical thing to stick his face in the (not hot at all) pizza to pull the ham off with his teeth thereby avoiding the cheese. Unfortunately, he didn't avoid touching the cheese with his face, causing hives to break out!

Yesterday I talked to my sister for the first time in a month. Turns out she bought the exact same teach-yourself-to-knit book that I did recently and is also learning to knit! How funny is that. Neither of us had any idea. She wants to learn to knit so she will have something to do with her hands when she attempts to quit smoking.

So there you go, two totally random things united only by the title.

National Sanctity of Human Life Day

I learned from Blest's blog that today is National Sanctity of Human Life Day.

Four and a half years ago my (then) 14 year old sister was pregnant. I'm sure many people looked at that situation, or one similar, and thought abortion would be the answer. I'm glad she didn't, or the world would be missing one beautiful sweet girl.

Thursday, January 19, 2006

Five Things that Made Me Happy this Week

One thing I have learned blogging...if you have writer's block you can always make a list! Here are five things that made me happy this week:

1. Sandy's uncomplicated surgery (and good pathology report!). For somebody with a bleeding disorder, surgery can be risky.
2. H&R Block's website. Very easy to file taxes. We filed so early this year, the state schedule isn't even ready yet!
3. Finding a sewing pattern for a shirt style I love, and material that is perfect for it on clearance. I'm itching to start, but i'm going to make myself finish that hoodie that is *this close* to being done.
4. Clean carpets and couches. I spent all day yesterday with the rug doctor.
5. I'm keeping up with my Bible reading!

Monday, January 16, 2006

Dreams and Whatnot

Friday morning I had a chipped filling replaced. Friday night I had a dream that the tooth fell out. I was trying and trying to find my dentist's number to call her. (This always happens in my dreams, I can't find something i'm looking for, can't get somewhere i'm trying to get to). As i'm searching for her number, the tooth that just had a root canal last month fell out. Than a tooth on the other side fell out. It was an incredibly real dream where I could feel the spaces left in my gum and everything.

So Saturday I decided to look up some dream interpretations (not that I put stock into that, just curious) to see what it supposedly means when you dream you are losing teeth. According to many sites, this is one of the most common dreams people inquire about. There was a wide range of opinions, but the one that kept popping up the most was worry about appearance. Now, I felt a little offended because i'm not a slob but I don't think I worry about my appearance anymore than the average person.

Than yesterday, I glanced at my library books and had to laugh. Among them are What Not to Wear and Does This Make Me Look Fat? So maybe on the surface it seems I might be worried about appearance. However, I didn't seek those books out. They were simply next to the sewing books and I thought they would be fun to look thru with my friends.

For the record, I think the dream was just a result of a lot of dental work this past month, maybe mixed with some anxiety.

Also, since this is supposed to be a common dream, has anybody else dreamt they were losing teeth?

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Jonah & Emilee again















You might remember this picture of them four months ago. Posted by Picasa

Friday, January 13, 2006

Resolution 06

I still haven't posted my resolutions. Its a little late (according to Jeremiah) but I want to be able to refer back to this next year and see how I did. Most of them apply to changes for the whole family.

1. Less sugar. I will be happy with any reduction.
2. More flax seed oil. I just have to find away to make it palatable for the boys. I tried sneaking it in Sammy's oatmeal one day and he promptly pushed the bowl away.
3. Try a new meal at least every two weeks. I found that every week was pretty challenging, and I don't want to set myself up for failure.
4. Increase fruits and vegtables. Is there anybody who doesn't need to?
5. Cut the boys hair more often. Practice makes perfect.
6. Read the Whole Bible.
7. Spend more time cleaning every day. I tend to skip days and do massive cleanups at once.
8. Send more emails & written correspondence. I love getting them myself, so I should extend that to others.
9. Start some light weight lifting. Muscle is good.
10. Go shopping less.

I think these are all practical, attainable goals. Knowing that I will be looking back next year to see how I did will give me some extra motivation.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

International Blog Comment Week...

Otherwise known as "delurking" week. Take a second and say "hi".

Monday, January 09, 2006

Sometimes the Mundane is Worth Writing About...

Normally we go grocery shopping all together and its usually quite enjoyable. Today, I decided to bring the boys by myself because...well...I was bored. I put Jonah in the snugli and got one of those grocery carts with the attached bench. One mom saw me and said "I feel silly for complaining about two!" I was prepared for battle, for whining, bickering, potty breaks, and general boyishness. What I wasn't prepared for was...

Four very well behaved boys. Jonah promptly fell asleep. The other boys sat and fooled around with each other a bit, but nobody got off the cart, nobody cried, nobody whined!! We even got a couple compliments on their behavior. As we were leaving the store I thought "hey, it was supposed to be a lot harder than that!"

Thats what happens when you have four children. If we had went to the grocery store, had a crazy, exhausting experience, you would never of heard about it because that would of been just an ordinary experience for us. However, an errand with all four boys and myself that goes smoothly without even the slightest raise in blood pressure? That is worth posting about!

Friday, January 06, 2006

Happy Birthday Jeremiah!

28 things about Jeremiah on his 28th Birthday:

1. He loves to tell jokes. Its impossible to have a conversation without at least one joke thrown in for good measure.
2. He is not good with names. He is forever asking things like"what's ___'s husband/wife's name again? What's Rachel's (his sister) babie's name again?"
3. He is good with numbers and stats though. Especially if it has something to do with football.
4. He has a concealed weapons permit, and has a gun on him at all times unless its in a place its prohibited.
5. He is an extremely cautious and safe driver.
6. He doesn't read fiction.
7. He rarely watches movies, when he does, he likes comedy.
8. He only likes to watch factual things on t.v (mainly court tv or sports)
9. He says going to the mall sucks the life energy out of him.
10. He is an incredibly "likable" person. He has a rare gift of disagreeing with people without offending them.
11. He checks my blog before anything else.
12. He has gained 20+ pounds of muscle since we moved here. He calls it his "size odessey."
13. Before we had kids he used to say that kids don't need toys. Now he is the one who wants to buy them everything.
14. He is a libertarian.
15. He writes letters to our representatives all the time.
16. He wants to live in Switzerland.
17. He has a BS in Criminal Justice.
18. He plays Madden games online against people all over the world.
19. When he was an infant he had health problems that required surgery at the U of M. When we started going steady in high school my dad said he remembers praying for Jeremiah as a baby because our parents briefly attended the same church.
20. He had to go back to the U of M for a check up in high school so he could play football.
21. His spiritual gift if giving. He is constantly asking "do they need money"? When I mention situations or issues.
22. He is very humble.
23. If he tries to fix something theres a 50/50 its gonna get smashed.
24. In high school he moved into town less than a mile from me, yet he would NEVER EVER let me walk home by myself. Ever. This is kind of funny if you knew how small a town we lived in. 25. He would eat pizza every day, every meal if he could.
26. I can't think of one time he has raised his voice to me in anger.
27. He thinks he is a beaver, but really he is a golden retriever (its a personality test thing)
28. He has a wife who is deeply in love with him :D

Thursday, January 05, 2006

Chuck E Cheese party.















We celebrated earlier in the week at Chuck E Cheese. Posted by Picasa

Happy Birthday Elijah!















Last week Elijah announced he wanted to decorate his own bday cake. Here is his creation!

Anybody who has been reading my blog for any length of time knows that Elijah provides most of the laughs and entertainment in our home. We have been working on ABC's but you pretty much have to be in a room alone with him because if his brothers are around all he does is try to make them laugh by saying goofy things. I think the TC teachers should be glad that he won't be in their classroom! ;) He is a character for sure. Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

Another meme...

Eph2810 tagged me for this:

Four jobs you’ve had in your life

1. Babysitter
2. Cashier
3. Tech Support
4. Office manager

Four movies you would watch over and over:
1. Anne of Green Gables
2. Emma
3. Most Drew Barrymore movies
4. Most Molly Ringwald movies

Four places you have lived:
1. Western U.P
2. Eastern U.P
3. West T.C
4. East T.C

Four TV shows you love to watch :
1. Seventh Heaven
2. Gilmore Girls
3. Dr. 90210
4. American Idol

Four places you have been on vacation:
1. Sault Ste. Marie, Canada
2. Minneapolis, Minnesota
3. Southern Missouri
4. Cedar Point (Sandusky Ohio)

Four websites you visit daily (i'm excluding blogs):
1. Traverse City Record Eagle
2. MSNBC - Health News
3. For Better or For Worse comic strip
4. Two message boards i'm a member of.

Four of your favorite foods:
1. Milk chocolate
2. Chicken tacos (thanks Melissa!)
3. Pizza
4. Sweet&Sour chicken

Four places you would rather be right now:
1. Shopping
2. Library
3. Having lunch with friends
4. Walking Outside

Four bloggers you are tagging:
1. Jamie
2. Melissa
3. Sandy
4. Heather

2005: A Look back through my eyes

Jamie tagged me for this reflection of the year 2005.

What did you do in 2005 that you've never done before?
Collected Sammy's poop for tests. Very disgusting.

Did you keep your New Year's resolutions and will you make more for next year?
I don't think I did. I will for this year though, goals are good to have.

Did anyone close to you give birth?
Do I count?! Lets see... Vicki, Kim, Courtney, Rachel, Me,Katie, Andrea and Melissa. And about ten other women I would consider friends but not "close".

Did anyone close to you die?
No.

What countries did you visit?
None.

What would you like to have in 2006 that you lacked in 2005?
More living space.

What date from 2005 will remain etched in your memory and why?
August 6th...Jonah's bday. I still remember the pleasant surprise I felt when they immediately handed him to me. Because of complications and a c-section I had never been handed my baby that quickly.

What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Learning to knit (5 days ago!)

What was your biggest failure?
Giving Sammy that piece of white chocolate that caused a huge reaction. Oh yeah..and getting Beth her dish lid back...

Did you suffer illness or injury?
Anybody remember the lovely wasp stings??

What was the best thing you bought?
My mom's sewing machine for Christmas. It was so nice to buy something for her I know she really wanted. Parents can be so hard to buy for.

Where did most of your money go?
Well, bills or savings. Most frivilous spending went to kid's clothes.

What did you get really, really, really excited about?
Besides having my own baby (thats a given)...When my friend Tanya finally got pregnant after a long hard road (its a girl!!!)

What scripture is a theme of 2005?
So then, whether you eat or drink (change diapers, homeschool) or whatever you may do, do all for the honor and glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31

Compared to this time last year are you:
a. Happier or sadder? Happier.
b. Thinner or fatter? Thinner!! (Okay, okay, it doesn't count since I was pregnant this time last year)
c. Richer or poorer? Richer. More savings, less debt, a raise.
What do you wish you'd done more of?
Sewing. A whole six months went by when I didn't even touch my machine.

What do you wish you'd done less of?
Definately, less time on the computer.

How did you spend Christmas?
With my family!!! The first time in six years!

Did you fall in love in 2005?
Yes, I had a new little guy to fall in love with, and I did, head over heals!

What was your favorite TV show?
Don't really have a favorite, but I like Seventh Heaven and Gilmore Girls.

What was the best book you read?
I read a ton of books this year...none really stand out as fantastic. The most memorable is The Time Travelers Wife.

What was your greatest musical discovery of 2005?
Musical discovery?? Can't say I had one...

What did you want and get?
A VBAC

What did you want and not get?
As much I love and adore Jonah and wouldn't trade him now, I would be lying if I didn't say a girl.

What was your favorite film this year?
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe.

What did you do on your birthday?
Got the boys pictures taken, something I have done on my birthday since Isaac was an infant.

What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Seeing family more often.

How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2005?
Its gotta be a girly color, or have flowers or lace or something feminine on it.

What kept you sane?
My husband...and some chocolate.

Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
Not sure... although I fancied Michael Moore the LEAST.

What political issue stirred you the most?
How much time do you have?? There are so many...I'll stick with a local one. Our very corrupt elected township officers.

Who did you miss?
My sisters who I rarely see.

Who was the best new person you met?
The boys new pediatriction.

Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2005.
Babies come when they are good and ready...unless you evict them first.

Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.
Its Raining Men...


If your on my list, consider yourself tagged!