You Know You've Had a Rough Night When...

You know you've had a rough night when you wake up in the morning and your quilt is completely turned over and the backside is face up! (Needless to say, I'm making Matt sleep in his own bed tonight....)

It's almost 2008!

As the New Year approaches I find myself pondering on what I want to accomplish in 2008. Then, more to the point, I realized I needed to ask myself what does GOD want me to accomplish in 2008. Oh, I don't have the answers yet, but a few are:

1. I want to lose 50 pounds (at least)
2. I want to listen more and talk less
3. I want to become more of a giver and less of a taker or a "non-player"
4. mostly I want to become the type of person that draws people to the Lord...
believers and nonbelievers alike

What are your goals for 2008?

Logan, the Sky Angel Cowboy

A friend from school e-mailed this to me today. I had to share it.

Laying Down the Crown

Many years ago, our school did a play at Christmas (before I even worked there). I will never forget it. It covered the entire life of Jesus from birth to resurrection. The beginning of the play started in Heaven right before Jesus came to earth. He stood and was removed of His fine clothing of honor, and then He removed his crown and laid it down and then exited heaven in the company of angels. The next scene was His birth in the stable. The play went on to show scenes of His life, death, and resurrection. The last scene of the play showed Him arriving back in Heaven where He was again dressed in robes of honor, and at last, His crown was replaced and He sat in His throne.

It then became real to me at how much Jesus sacrificed for us even to leave Heaven in the first place, not to mention how He died. He literally left His glory and honor and willingly humbled Himself for us all. I am so grateful that Jesus chose to lay down His crown.

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO YOU ALL!

I Made It!

Yes! Open House is over. The Christmas performance is over. Phew! It all went very well, so I am glad. It is just such work getting ready for Open House. I stress over "do I have enough stuff to show the parents", and then I have to clean my classroom. OY!! The piles grow and grow, so decluttering is quite the battle. By the end I am doing the "stash and dash" method and hope I find everything later. We don't have a lot of meetings at our school, so we do have great turn out for these events, which is wonderful...but you feel "in the spotlight". But it's done. I have a staff brunch tomorrow, and then my cell group from church has a party tomorrow night. So, now I'm off to get those gifts wrapped and make my grocery list for the dips and dishes I am bringing for tomorrow night and Christmas Eve. It'll be a mad dash until Christmas, but then I get a nice long break. I don't have school until Jan. 7th!! YIPPEE!!

I hope everyone is having a good few last days until Christmas. In spite of the rush, I am focusing on Jesus and His love for us. Perspective. Perspective. Perspective. That's what it's all about. Blessings to you all!

Phew! What a day!

I'm exhausted. My day started at 5 a.m. and didn't get home until 9 p.m. Why? I am now the thankful new owner of a 2006 Toyota Sienna. The mechanic reported dismal news on our old van, so we traded it in for the parts. I must admit, paying a car note again wants to cause me to breathe into a paper bag, but it is nice to have a trustworthy and NICE vehicle. It really is a dream come true for me. Not only is it a Toyota, but it has a CD player AND a DVD player for the kids. I never, ever expected to be able to have a DVD player in the car. I've dreamed about that since they came out. The salesman turned out to be a guy we go to church with, and I really feel we got a great deal. I'll post a picture in the next few days. For now, I'm going to bed....after I finish breathing in my paper bag. =o)

Christmas is a week away! AAAAAHHHH!!!!!

Yes, I am still here. Life is just a tad bit ...um...busy...shall we say. (I've got to learn how you all write a word and cross it out!) I know I am surrounded by those of you who decorate the day after Thanksgiving and do such a great job of decorating. Well, I WISH I were one of you. I desire to be one of you. However, I am not. Because of circumstances largely out of my control, here we are one week before Christmas, and my tree JUST got lights on it tonight. Now, when the ornaments are going to be hung is another matter entirely. (Sigh.)

WHY? you may ask, has it taken me so long. Let me sum it up in the short version: church, school (as in job, not kids fault), broken air conditioner (yes, necessary here in Louisiana in December), OPEN HOUSE coming on Thursday at school (uggg!), broken van (left me stranded on a nice, busy highway).... Now, I've done most of my shopping...thank goodness. But, have I wrapped a thing yet? Nope. When do I plan to get it done? Not a clue. I guess this weekend, somehow.

Ok...I'll stop whining. I stopped throwing hissy fits awhile back, but I must admit to throwing one or two in the last two weeks. HOWEVER, God is good, with His help I will get it all done, and with a little faith thrown in there, I'll do it without any more hissy fits and maybe even in a new van (said with a deep breath and closed eyes).

And, I have decided to start posting my every day life MUCH more regularly. It may not always be accompanied with pictures and clip art, and I plan on keeping the entries on the brief side, but if anybody is interested, I plan on posting regularly now. I have been reading everybody's blogs pretty consistently, but I just haven't been posting.

And with that...I'll leave you with this thought. Here is Louisiana this morning it was 30 degrees. By Thursday, our highs will be in the 70's. Again. Nobody around here wonders why everybody is sick....when your low of the day and your high of the day are 30 to 40 degrees different. I WANT SNOW. =o)

E-mail button

I've noticed that many of you have an "e-mail me" button on the side of your blog. I'd like to add one of those, but I don't see where that is located in the "add" section. Would anybody have a tip for me? Thanks!!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I just wanted to take a moment and wish everyone a very blessed Thanksgiving! It's been an honor and privilege getting to know all of you in Blogland!! Thank you for including me in your world. You each are very special. Have a great day celebrating God, family, and blessings!!

Handwriting Fun (it was quite accurate for me!)

What Your Handwriting Says About You

You are a laid back person with rather low energy. You aren't lazy... you *are* sensitive and empathetic. You are somewhat outgoing, but you're not a natural extrovert. You think first before you act. You tend to be independent, rational, and logical. You are balanced and grounded. You know how to get along well with others. You need a bit of space in your life, but you're not a recluse. You expect people to give you a small amount of privacy, and you respect their privacy as well. You are conservative, old fashioned, and a little stubborn. You are resistant to change. You are a decent communicator. You eventually get your point across, but sometimes you leave things a bit ambiguous.

What Does Your Handwriting Say About You?

It was really pretty accurate about my personality. I had Josh do it, and it pretty much nailed him, too. Thanksgiving break is almost here. I will try to post soon. One...more...day....

Laundry

I am sick of laundry. I JUST emptied the "dark" basket, and here it is...full...AGAIN. I announced to my family that we are moving to a nudist colony so I don't have to do laundry anymore. They just looked at me and went back to what they were doing. Sigh. I guess I'd better come up with plan B. Oh, that's right...I need to remember to be THANKFUL for all of these clothes. And I am. But, jeesh.

Ok...off to pm church. (Do you think I should make my announcement there?) LOL!!

Friday Fun

I found this on U Tube and I thought I'd wish everybody a happy weekend with it. (Stop the music on the side bar first) (Does anybody know how to stop the music temporarily on the side bar without removing it from your blog?)

More of Him Monday

Diana is hosting More of Him Monday. The directions are to "share a specific piece of scripture that has spoken to your this last week. Share what you feel God is telling you through that passage and how you wish to apply it to your life." Head over there and check out what God is saying to people!

Yesterday, God spoke to me from Colossians 1:10, which says:

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God

It is my prayer that my life makes a difference for His kingdom. Of course my family is my first ministry, but even more so than that. I don't want to be just "a nice person". I want the life I live to draw others to Christ. I shared in a comment I left at Ginger's today that I tend to be on the wimpy side with my mouth. There are things that I know I should say to others that I let slip by because of fear. I need more of Christ and less of me!! I want my good works to be more than just good works...I want them to bear fruit...fruit for His kingdom. It does little good for me just to be "nice" but let opportunities slip away. Yes, I know...some plant, some water, and others harvest. But I mean when I let opportunities slip by and I'm just "nice" when I need to be more, and I fail to even plant or water. This scripture has become my reminder and my prayer - that my life is worthy of the Lord and my good works bear fruit for Him.

I was over at Karen's blog and saw her wonderful plans for today. Her day sounds awesome. I then started telling her about my day, and I had to laugh as my "to do" list kept growing. So here are my Saturday plans:

10:30 haircut appointment for the boys

grocery shopping

housecleaning (at least the bathrooms cuz they are disgusting)

get the laundry started (this is an all weekend event)

chauffeur Beth around

grading papers

make chicken noodle soup IF I can fit it in (that takes awhile, but boy is it good!)

And then I realized the scary part. I am looking forward to today because this is a CALM Saturday. Yow!! I wonder if Karen will trade Saturdays with me??

I guess I'd better go get started... I hope everybody has a blessed weekend!

Self-Esteem

This is a picture of my daughter's bedroom door. She wrote this tonight on her "announcement" board. Do you think she might be suffering from low self-esteem?

TEENAGERS! LOL!!

Happy Birthday Matt!

Well, I'm running behind, but Matt turned 8 on Monday. We had his party the Saturday before. It was just family, the little boy from down the street and one friend from school. I can't believe my baby is 8. He is such a miracle, too. (One day I'll have to post his story.) Anyway, here are some pictures from the event:














Here's Matt's "cake". He doesn't like regular cake or cupcakes, so we always do a brownie cake or, in this case, a cookie cake. This isn't the best shot of him, but it's the only one I have.



I had to laugh when I took this picture. Do you remember when YOU had friends come over and play? What did you do? Maybe go outside, play dolls, etc. Well, today's generation is different. Here's what THEY do when they get together:















PLAY VIDEO GAMES! And not on the TV. No, they each have one of the hand-held ones. Oh, the one that Andrew is holding (the redhead on the left) is the one that got "baked" (see post before for explanation).







Of all the things he wanted, a $3.49 puzzle from Wal*Mart got this enthusiastic response.












So, Matt is now 8. I'm the mother of two teens and an 8 year old. How did this happen? I'm still 25...aren't I????


(Sorry for the weird way this post is laid out. I tried to put the pictures in a different place and this is what happened. If I had to redo the whole thing, it'd be next week before it happened!)

Baking....electronics??

Here's a good story from today. Matt had a friend over who just loves to play Matt's Nintendo DS (a handheld gaming system). He walks around our house playing it when he's involved in a game. Of all places, the little boy takes it in the bathroom, trips, and SPLASH goes the DS into the TOILET. (sigh) I just took a deep breath and reminded myself it was an accident...but what a costly accident this could turn out to be! Of course, it has water all through it. We dry it. We shake it, use a blow dryer, etc. It keeps trying to turn on, but you can just tell there is more water in it. (sigh) I figure it's finished.

During this time, I was telling my brother-in-law the story from 2 weeks ago about how Matt put a DS game in his shorts pocket and forgot about it. (They are very small.) I found it in the dryer AFTER it had been thoroughly washed and dryed. Guess what? It works just fine. I have been so impressed. He commented that it was probably because it had been dried in the heat that saved it. Hmmmmm....

We couldn't very well put the DS in the dryer. Where else could we get an intense heat source that wouldn't smash it to pieces? THE OVEN. Yes, we baked it. For 30 minutes at 175 degrees. Guess what? IT WORKS!!



Lessons learned today:
1. Do not take the DS into the bathroom.
2. When trying to salvage wet electronic products, use the oven.

I think I've created a very unique, yet valuable, lesson. Do you think I could get it published somewhere?! Or even better. Maybe I could start a recipe blog....

Blog Virus?

I think I may have some sort of blog virus. When I go to post a comment, the screen keeps going back and forth with the "Do you want to display the nonsecure items". I have to go back to the main blog page and hit "comment" a second time for it to work properly. Is anybody else having this problem or know anything about it? Thanks!!

BEHOLD! She Posteth!!

I have a "thought for the day". As I was praying this afternoon, the Lord gave me this:

Lord, rewrite the thoughts of my heart so that my words may please You.

A Real Ebay Listing

A friend sent me this in an e-mail. It's an actual ebay auction that was put up on ebay when her kids sneaked a package of Pok-e-mon cards into her cart. It is hysterical!! All of us who has ever had to drag multiple children to the store will appreciate this.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayIAAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=130144061675&ru=http%25

I guess I'm on a blogging break. I am reading blogs, but I just don't have time to post much right now. I will be back with posts, though, so don't forget about me! I am enjoying everybody's blogs. Be blessed!!

Name Meme

I posted all of the names that were made for me on the side of my blog. Did I miss anybody's? I feel like I might have missed one, but I can't find it, so maybe I didn't. Anyway, if you made one for me and it's not there, please leave me a comment. Thanks to all who made one for me. I love each one of them!!

Have a blessed week!

Humph! HOMEWORK!!

So sorry I haven't posted in awhile. As most of you know, the school year has begun. Normally, after a day or two, I jump right back in. However, several of my classes were changed this year, and it has thrown me for a loop. I'm sure that after I get used to the new classes, preparation won't take as long, but for now...it does. I haven't even been able to check blogs as often, so you KNOW I am swamped. I may not post every day, but I sure do make the blog rounds daily! Today will be filled with laundry and lesson plans. I hope to be back in blogland consistently soon. I hope you all have a blessed weekend!!

Name Meme

I have been tagged by both Leigh Ann and Diana to do the creative name meme. At first I didn't know what to do it with, but then I asked myself what I had an abundance of. The answer came very quickly....beanie baby sized stuffed animals! So then I thought, "Why not." However, it was a lot harder to do than I thought!! So, I spent quite awhile writing as many names as I could. Some of you have been tagged before, some of you haven't. If you'd LIKE to be tagged, I'll happily shape more beanies in your honor. If you are tagged and would like to participate, this is what you do:

Jennifer @ Pen of Jen had a great idea - "to write 8 of your blog friends names in a unique way and post them. . You must write the blogger's name that tagged you, then add 7 others. Be creative and if possible use the natural wonders of the world!"

Now, I didn't use any NATURAL wonders, but, personally, I think it's a WONDER that I have so many dog-gone beanie babies. You should have seen my kids' faces as I started dragging their beanie baby hamper to the living room and spreading them all over the floor. Josh was gone on an Encounter, so I was spared his weird looks until we down loaded the pictures. =o)

So, here are my names. Some of them you may have to take my word for that the names are what I claim they are!

Leigh Ann @ Momma Roar - Her name was so long, I had to do it in 2 shots!

Diana @ Sunshine on My Shoulders

Lyndy @ Oh Fiddle-dee-dee

Jenn @ God's Not Done with Me Yet

Susan @ Penless Writer

Christy @ Mommy Brain

Lori @ A Mother's Heart is a Garden of Love

Jen @ This is the Day

Christie @ Keepin' the Homefires Burnin'

.

.

.

.

.

So there ya have it! Phew!! Have a great week everybody!! I start school tomorrow, so I may be a bit scarce for a few days. But, then again..... =o)

The Dream Giver

Hi Everybody! I'm sorry I haven't posted in awhile. I'm kind of on a blogging "slow-down". I've been reading blogs, but I haven't been posting.

I've been working in my classroom getting ready for the new school year. I'm doing a Mexican theme in my classroom this year. I've hung pinatas from the ceiling and added other appropriate decorations. School starts on Thursday. Here we go again.

A couple of you have tagged me for the original name writing meme. I think I have a good idea and will work on that this weekend!

On a different note, have any of you read this book? While on my little get away, my cell group leader read us the first half of this book. While we were on the beach. We all just sat and listened. Even those of us who burn easily stayed and listened. By the end, I had a towel draped over my shoulders and head and was sweating profusely. Now, for me, you KNOW that has to be good for me to sit under those conditions!! LOL




Here's what the description of the book says: This compelling modern-day parable tells the story of Ordinary, who dares to leave the Land of Familiar to pursue his Big Dream. You, too, have been given a Big Dream. One that can change your life. One that the Dream Giver wants you to achieve. Does your Big Dream seem hopelessly out of reach? Are you waiting for something or someone to make your dream happen?

The first half of the book is the parable, the second half tells what to do with it. I've heard the parable. As I said, it was good enough to sit in the sun and sweat while listening to it. I ordered the book, and when it came in, I had Beth read the first chapter (grudgingly). She didn't put it down until she had finished the parable! I haven't had a chance to read the second part. I highly recommend what I've read so far. It's been one of those life changing books.

Have a blessed weekend!!

One Last Little Vacation

Just a quick note to say I'll be gone until Sunday. My cell group is taking a team building retreat to Dauphin Island. I hope everybody has a great weekend, and I'll catch up on blogs when I get home.

Look Ma! No Cavities!!

I am proud to report that all 3 of our kids went to the dentist today, and nobody had any cavities. WOOT!! (Insert happy dance!) This is a first in quite awhile. Beth was also told that they rarely see teeth with braces taken care of like she does. YEY!! Now, if these nice, clean, cavity-free teeth would all get STRAIGHT on their own, I'd be even happier. =o) Beth is the fish with the braces and the boys are the other two. Perfect. LOL!!

T V Give-Away!!

Ginger posted on her blog that 5 Minutes for Mom is having an awesome giveaway! It's a a 37″ Flat-Panel LCD HDTV from Best Buy.

Gee, how could I NOT enter?? You can, too. Just head over to 5 Minutes for Mom and follow the guidelines. May the best...er...luckiest blogger win!!

Redneck Tenors

Ok, this is talented and hysterical!! You'll have to stop the music on my music player first. Hey...3 posts in one day. I've set a new personal record! =o)

Matt's Baptism

Matt was baptised a few weeks ago. He asked about it a couple of times during the school year, so I figured he was ready. We have a fountain in front of our church, so that's where they did it. I thought I'd share the pictures.

This is our children's pastor, Pastor James, talking with Matt.

Here they are praying right before.

Yey Matt!

I hope everybody has a great weekend! =o)

An Award

Susan from Penless Writer has nominated me for this award.

It is described as: For those who answer blog comments, emails & make their visitors feel at home on their blogs. For the people who take others feelings into consideration before speaking out & who are kind & courteous. Also for all those bloggers who spend so much of their time helping other bloggers design, improve & fix their sites. This award is for those generous bloggers who think of others.

Susan so sweetly said this about me: "Ruth is another one that really deserves this Thoughtful award. All her posts are just that, Thoughtful, and her comments are always sweet and share in your feelings of your post. Ruth is also the one that first introduce me to Blogger Chick on her blog and I had to have one, too!!! Thank you Ruth for your friendship."

Thank you so much, Susan. I have loved getting to know you and all of your adventures throughout life. I greatly admire you and your blog, so the nomination from you is very special. Thank you for this award. I enjoy reading and commenting on peoples blogs, and I value the friendship of the people I have gotten to know. However, I, like you, have not been able to contribute to the technical aspects of blogs, but I'm still learning!! Susan, I must tell you that it was Lyndy who introduced me to blogchick.

I would like to bestow this award to EVERYBODY on my blog list. You are all very special. I feel so encouraged when each one of you comments on my posts. I've tried several time to "pick 3" or "pick 5", but I can't. You are all thoughtful, helpful, wonderful people. So, although it seems I'm taking the easy way out, I'm really not. I looked at every name on my blogroll, and each one of you deserves this. (If you regularly visit my blog and I have mistakenly left you off my blogroll, please leave me a note and I will add you.) Thank you each for welcoming me into your world.

Gasp!

I must let you all know that I am now the mother of TWO TEENAGERS!!! I'm a little late posting this. My son Ben turned 13 last Thursday. We didn't have his party until Friday night, so I waited to post a few pictures.

Ben is such a blessing to us. He has accomplished more than we ever thought possible, and I know he will continue to amaze us. When you get an "autistic" diagnosis for your child, your brain automatically heads to the worst case scenario. But with a lot of prayer and hard work, Ben has gone further than I ever thought he would. I no longer have limits in my mind.

He has certain things he thinks a teenager should be able to do, especially since he's watched his sister do them...like stay home alone. I'm still trying to delicately explain why, even though he is now a teen, that he can't. His voice is in the process of changing, and he has that classic squeak to low voice. I teach kids his age, and he has the most classic change of voice that I've ever heard. =o)

He is heading into 7th grade in the fall. Things are getting harder quickly school-wise, so I am a little nervous about next year. In 7th grade our school ups the expectations, so I know we'll be doing more at home, which I am not looking forward to. However, God has a plan for my little man, and I will wait in expectation for that to unfold.

HAPPY 13TH BIRTHDAY, BEN!!

Lions! Tigers! Bears! Oh My!!

We have reached the next stage of decluttering. Thus far the kitchen, our bedroom and closet, and the attic have all been gone through and TONS of stuff have been pitched, given to the neighbors or to Goodwill. We have now reached the boys (aka toy) room. The first step undertaken today is STUFFED ANIMALS. Let me proceed to amaze you at the amount....

This picture I think gives the best perspective of the amount, although I couldn't quite get all of them in this shot. My dog Toby fits right in....

Here is a shot of Matt with a pile of "keepers". They have just started sorting. (Did you notice I said THEY?!)

This is a closeup of the biggest pile. I wish I would have grabbed the camera before they started sorting. I tried to get them to repile, but they refused. LOL!!

So here is today's project! I wonder how many I'll be able to part with. (Did you notice I said I'LL?)

Obedience vs. Passion

I have been praying a lot this summer about my motivations of why I do things, especially in serving God. I realized that somewhere along the way I had begun to do things strictly out of "have to" instead of "want to". And I wondered why it had changed and what to do about it. I didn't want my activities to change because I knew they were the right thing for me to do, but I wanted my attitude to change toward them. My prayer has become, "Lord, change my obedience into passion!"

There is a little boy who lives down the street whose parents are involved with drugs. The whole family lives at his grandma's house, who has been my neighbor for years. This little boy and my son have become friends, and he spends a lot of time over at our house. He likes to eat supper with us, and his family is fine with that. Then the other day, I realized that he doesn't get fed lunch very often. I told him to come over at lunch time and I'd feed him lunch. (Of course, this has broken my heart.) When I was talking to my daughter about this, she said, "God is going to bless you for this, Mom."

I realized that, even though that would be great, that is not why I am doing this. I am doing this for the sole reason that I want to, and my heart would break if I didn't. It dawned on me that THIS is the attitude I need to have in all things Christ has called me to do. I don't want to do them because I "should" and God will bless me for it, but because I really want to and my heart will break if I don't. That, to me, is passion.

Lord, change my heart. Break my heart over the things that break yours. Let my obedience become passion.

Take a poll!

Leigh Ann from Momma Roar showed me the new poll option in blogland. Perfect timing! So, if you don't mind, feel free to vote on my side bar for the look of my blog. Do you like this new pink look or do you prefer my old subtle green dot approach? It's not like this affects the state of the nation or anything, but I think voting is fun!! Thanks for you input.

Pink or Dots?

Should I change my blog to this new pink or keep the green dots? That is the question. Voting polls are now open. =o)

Internet purchases

How many of you have made internet purchases? It has become a norm for me over the years. Well, amazon.com has this lovely little purchasing tool called "purchase with one click". Fast forward to this afternoon. Beth is on the computer looking at a video game she has been thinking about buying. She usually surfs, finds what she wants, calls me, and I place the order. She was checking out both ebay and amazon. I'm in the kitchen scrubbing a huge pot, and she comes in with this sheepish/panicked look and asks for my help. I didn't want to go to the computer with spaghetti up to my elbows, so I asked the simple question of, "Why?" She said, "I think I just purchased something from amazon." I asked, "How?" She said, "I didn't think if clicked on 'purchase with one click' that I'd actually purchase it." My eyebrows raised. She then commented that the screen said "Thank you for your order." Let's just say that we had a little chat about what "purchase with one click" means and THEN she forked over the $30 bucks she now owed me. Good thing she was planning on purchasing it anyway.... I guess I should be thankful she wasn't "looking" at a $1,000 flat screen tv (however much one of those might cost). Sheesh!!

Nails

My sister-in-law sent this to me. I hadn't seen it before, but I thought it had a good message behind it, so I thought I'd share it.

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence.

Finally the day came when the boy didn't lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper.

The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence He said, "You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. " A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Isn't that good? I do disagree, however, with the idea that the wounds can never go away. When we process hurts and wounds at the cross, the hurt and wounds CAN be healed. However, I thought it was a valid point to remember that words are so easy to release from our mouths and yet they cause much damage.

Have a blessed day!

A Fun Day!!

We had a great time yesterday. In college my husband and I were involved in a Christian organization called Chi Alpha. It sounds like a sorority/fraternity, but it's not. It is a Christian fellowship that are actually on college campuses throughout the U.S. This is where Josh and I met. It is also where Trella and Bruce met. Many of us have maintained close friendships from this time together. We get together twice a year at 4th of July, which we usually host, and Christmas which another couple hosts. It is always a lot of fun gathering and watching our kids grow up. Yesterday, to my best count, we had 33 of us (counting kids) smashed into my little house. It rained the first half of it, but then the rain stopped and the kids were able to go swimming.

Here is a picture of all of us. We were missing several families, so our count was a little lower than it is usually, but we always have fun seeing whomever can come.

Here are the kids in the pool. They were feeling a little claustrophobic in my house before the weather finally cleared enough for them to jump in.

I really felt how much our decluttering worked to my advantage yesterday. It was pretty easy to get my house ready for the party, and it was so nice to bring people into my bedroom to see some pictures on my computer and not have to make excuses for the mess. It's not like I've redone anything, but it finally looks like a bedroom is supposed to look...dresser tops and floor visible without stacks of clutter and dust everywhere. I told Beth that a miracle had occurred...I was actually able to vacuum the entire floor of the house. We still have some work to do, like the attic and the boys' room, which is MAJOR, but it feels so nice to look like a house should look.

I hope everybody had a great day yesterday! TTFN!!

Happy Birthday America!

I wanted to wish everybody a very happy 4th of July! I hope that your plans turn out wonderful and your BBQ is delicious!! =o) Also remembering our soldiers past and present because our nation would not be here without them. Freedom is not free. Thank you, Lord, for this great country. Have a great day!

Lookin for a few good...

FISH RECIPIES!!

I know that many of you are experts in the kitchen. I am lacking in good fish recipies. My family loves fish, but I never cook any. If you have any you'd like to share, I'd be most obliged. The simpler and quicker the better, but even a yummy, more complicated recipe would be ok, too. You can post it in the comments, e-mail me (joshruthburton@bellsouth.net), or send me a link if you already have some posted as I know many of you blog recipies.

Thanks for your help!

We're Back!!

We had a great trip to Destin. The weather was great, and everybody really enjoyed themselves. Even I, the sand and sun "hater", enjoyed being in the ocean. By the end of the trip, Josh agreed with me that I basically burn and freckle instead of tan. Matt was our little fish. He couldn't get enough of the pool. He took swimming lessons last week, and he just practiced and practiced his new skills. This was probably my most relaxing trip because everybody was basically old enough to enjoy themselves, and I didn't have to worry quite so much about waves snatching anybody into the sea. Here are a couple of pictures.




I love this picture because it shows all of my kids personalities to a "T". Beth with the teenage "cool" thing going on. Matt with the crazy kid stance. And Ben with the distracted "stimming" that he does constantly.

Here is Matt and Beth relaxing on the bench in front of our condo.

In the ocean playing with the waves. Isn't the water gorgeous?! It took Matt until almost the last day to start to really enjoy playing in the waves. Salt water was not his favorite. He sure loved the pool, though. Beth loved the boogie board, and Ben did good until the last day. I think he decided he had had enough water activities.

I will be catching up on everybody's blogs over the next few days. The one and only downer to our week away was no computer access. I think we all went through withdrawal. However, I'm sure that was good for us all, too. =o)

Have a blessed Sunday!!

Destin...Here We Come

Once again, I am heading to the beach. However, this time it is a family vacation! We are all looking forward to it. My only hang up is that I personally don't care for the beach!! LOL!! I'm not a sun/outdoorsy type. However, the place we are going is just beautiful, and my kids haven't been to the beach in 3 years. My parents are taking us, which is totally awesome. They do so much for us, and we are very appreciative. I just wish we lived 4 hours from the mountains instead of the beach. LOL!! =o)

Matt has an ear infection, and I think Ben might, too, so both are going to the doctor first thing tomorrow. Please pray for a quick healing!! They aren't running fever, but I'm concerned about the doctor saying "no swimming". We'll deal with that as it comes.

So, I won't be online until Sunday. I will catch up on everybody's blogs then. I hope you all have a blessed week!

Good News!!

Oh, I just had to share some good news we found out today. My husband is a biology teacher at our local high school. His schedule has been getting more and more challenging because he keeps getting classes he has never taught before. Josh is not the type of teacher to do things the easy way, so a new class means LOTS and LOTS of preparation time. The year before was tough, but this last year was horrible, awful, and difficult. Did I mention it was terrible? Towards the end of this last school year, Josh went in to talk to his principal and told him that I was researching moving to Alaska because of the stress. The principal promised to try to find another science teacher that was capable of teaching chemistry (which is the class that made this year just awful for us). Well, we found out today that he hired someone to take all the chemistry classes!! HIP! HIP! HOORAY! This will leave Josh with just Biology, Biology Honors, and Anatomy & Physiology. My family was laughing at me as I did a major happy dance in the kitchen.

We are still decluttering. Another 4 huge bags of clothing plus several boxes were dropped off at Good Will. We've also tossed bags and bags of junk. We really wish we had weighed everything so we'd know how much we've gotten rid of.

I figured out the picture thing. Thank you to those of you who offered me assistance. It really was quite easy. I'm still looking for THE picture I want, but the one I have for now is cute.

Time to go work on laundry and more decluttering!!

A Little Blog Help Needed

How do all of you get your picture, or a picture representing you, to come up when you make comments on other people's blog? I'd like to add this, but I can't figure it out. Thanks!!

Decluttering

Just had to show you what I pulled out of my clothes closet to get rid of. I haven't gone through my clothes in years. Do you know how much this was? EIGHT garbage bags full!!! I'd say one bag was some clothes of Beth's I had planned on ebaying when I had a chance, but the rest came from my closet. Just stuff I didn't wear because I didn't like it anymore or it was dreadfully out of style. I think my house feels lighter....

Show and Tell Friday

If you'd like to participate, head over to Kelli's blog and sign in to Mr. Linky!

My show and tell today is my dog Toby. He is a maltipoo (Maltese poodle mix). This is him really needing a trim! He will be 2 in September.

We didn't have him as "our" dog as a puppy. He was our pastor's dog. I saw him one day up at the church office and just fell in love. I told Pastor Diane that if she and Pastor Bray ever needed us to puppysit when they went out of town, we'd be happy to. Well, four days later, she called. From that moment on we were "THE puppysitters". We loved to keep him. I told Pastor Diane she didn't even have to ask, just call and tell us when and where to get him. Now, our pastors travel a lot and are just plain busy. Last summer we had Toby for almost the entire month of June.

In September, four days after we adopted a new kitten, Pastor Diane called and said that they knew they just couldn't keep up with Toby's needs and their busy lifestyle and did we want him? Well, of course we said yes. He is exactly what I want in a dog.

This is Toby after a trim. He needs to be cleaned up occasionally, but I really prefer his messy look!

We really became even more thankful for him the other day because he almost drown in our swimming pool. We have one of those Walmart above ground pools. It had slumped over for a couple of days, and apparently Toby kept jumping in. We didn't even think about it when Josh got the pool back in order and started filling it up again. Ben came running from the back of the house yelling, "Dad! Toby is in the pool!" He had jumped in because the sides still weren't up very high while the pool was filling, but then he couldn't touch bottom to jump back out. We don't know how long he was swimming before Ben saw him out of the window, but we are very grateful because it could have ended up with a very sad ending!!

So, Toby is my show and tell for today. You should see him and the kitten play!!

Oh What Fun it Was!

Well, I'm back. I had such a great time. It was just so wonderful to get together with all of the teachers and staff and get to talk to them and spend time with them instead of having one minute conversations in the hall as you hurry off to class! It was so fun to see people's personalities come out in a relaxed atmosphere.

We basically had the same schedule every day. We did whatever we wanted until 6 pm. We'd walk, swim in the pool, go shopping, and such. I actually did not go to the beach. Yes, I know. Some of you are scandalized by this. I love seeing the ocean, but I am not a sunbather. My skin is too fair, and all I do is burn and freckle. We had to drive to the beach, and I just didn't want to stay out there for 4 hours. However, the pool was just downstairs, so I could come up when I wanted. I would have made myself go, however, except that my family is going to Destin in a couple of weeks, and I will get plenty of the beach scene then.

In the evenings our director did our ministry time. The first night we did a personality profile. That was not only informative but also hysterical. The point was really for us all just to recognize how everybody handles situations differently because we have different personalities. It was a lot of fun. Then the second night we talked about the fruits of the Spirit...and then we evaluated ourselves. Ouch!! As we talked through it, many of us could hear God pinpoint the areas we needed to work on individually through the others. It was hard, but good. We ended with an affirmation circle, which, of course, uses up tons of kleenex!! This was the best team building retreat I've been on. Plenty of time to relax and have fun, but then enough ministry for God to speak to you and show you what to work on without feeling overwhelmed.

I've missed a lot of posts on your blogs, so I will be working my way through them over the next few days. Now, I guess since I've had some time off, it's time for me to get working on projects. I think I will tackle the clothes closets first. If I don't make it back for awhile, you know I got buried in an avalanche!! (Listen closely for cries of help....) =o)

Going to the Beach!

I just wanted to let you know that I'll be on a blogging break for the next few days. I will be on a school retreat at the beach. We are leaving right after church tomorrow and won't be back until Wednesday. Sounds just awful, doesn't it?! My school is taking all of the staff on a team building retreat to Orange Beach, which is on the Alabama/Florida boarder. We'll be (cough! cough!) working (ahem!) for the next few days. Hehehe!

Josh will be in charge of the kids. He does a great job...except he forgets to feed them. I'm about to go show the kids all the groceries I bought so that they at least know what to ask for.

I hope everybody has a great few days, and I'll catch up when I get back on Wednesday. TTFN!!