99 Things

I found this on another blog and thought it would be fun to see how many of these I have done. There are several things I want to do in the next 5-10 years and others that will have to wait until my kids are moved out and we save some money, lol!
The items I have done/experienced are in green...

1. Started your own blog.
2. Slept under the stars.
3. Played in a band (drummer in elementary,lol)
4. Visited Hawaii
5. Watched a meteor shower (does a single shooting star count?)
6. Given more than you can afford to charity (God always gets His first!)
7. Been to Disneyland/world .... maybe someday
8. Climbed a mountain (probably more like a big hill, but hard nonetheless!)
9. Held a praying mantis .... ewwwww
10. Sang a solo
11. Bungee jumped...NO WAY!
12. Visited Paris
13. Watched a lightning storm at sea
14. Taught yourself an art from scratch
15. Adopted a child...best thing I ever did!
16. Had food poisoning...no, thank God!
17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty (too many people to walk up, but I was there!)
18. Grown your own vegetables (Every year!)
19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France
20. Slept on an overnight train
21. Had a pillow fight
22. Hitch hiked
23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill
24. Built a snow fort
25. Held a lamb
26. Gone skinny dipping
27. Run a Marathon....(it's a dream)
28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice
29. Seen a total eclipse
30. Watched a sunrise or sunset (many!)
31. Hit a home run
32. Been on a cruise
33. Seen Niagara Falls in person
34. Visited the birthplace of your ancestors
35. Seen an Amish community
36. Taught yourself a new language
37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied...Money could never satisfy like my walk with God.
38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person
39. Gone rock climbing
40. Seen Michelangelo’s David
41. Sung karaoke
42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt
43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant
44. Visited Africa
45. Walked on a beach by moonlight
46. Been transported in an ambulance
47. Had your portrait painted
48. Gone deep sea fishing
49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person
50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris
51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling
52. Kissed in the rain
53. Played in the mud
54. Gone to a drive-in theater (many times!)
55. Been in a movie
56. Visited the Great Wall of China
57. Started a business
58. Taken a martial arts class
59. Visited Russia
60. Served at a soup kitchen
61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies
62. Gone whale watching
63. Got flowers for no reason
64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma...no but I've had it given to me many times!
65. Gone sky diving
66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp...would like to gt up the courage to do that.
67. Bounced a check
68. Flown in a helicopter
69. Saved a favorite childhood toy
70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial
71. Eaten Caviar
72. Pieced a quilt
73. Stood in Times Square
74. Toured the Everglades
75. Been fired from a job
76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London
77. Broken a bone
78. Been on a speeding motorcycle
79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person
80. Published a book
81. Visited the Vatican
82. Bought a brand new car
83. Walked in Jerusalem
84. Had your picture in the newspaper
85. Read the entire Bible... still working on that one!
86. Visited the White House
87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating
88. Had chickenpox
89. Saved someone’s life
90. Sat on a jury
91. Met someone famous
92. Joined a book club
93. Lost a loved one
94. Had a baby.... I wish!
95. Seen the Alamo in person
96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake
97. Been involved in a law suit
98. Owned a cell phone
99. Been stung by a bee

My Anniversary is Fast Approaching!!!

13 years. I can't believe I've been married that long. Where does all the time go? So much has changed in our marriage since I was 19 standing on my front porch with a preacher, Frankie and my family watching. I was so young and didn't even realize. But I can honestly say that the relationship I have with my husband today is so much better and sweeter than 13 years ago. He is my true best friend and help mate. There's a lot of times I complete his thoughts and he completes mine and we just laugh. That verse in the bible about becoming one when you are married is so true because we are so much alike. I adore my husband. He is the love of my life. I couldn't ask for a better person to spend my life with. Has it always been this way? NO!!! I never understood the couples who say, "We never fight." I just don't get it. How can you not duke it out at least once a month, lol! It keeps you on your toes and builds a stronger relationship. But there are good ways and bad ways to fight, and I have done both.
When you fight the right way, you both recognize fault, seek to make the other feel better and always put God first. When we chose to fight the wrong way, things got a little crazy! Tires squealed, bags got packed, ugly words were said and not one mention of God was made. Nobody likes these fights except Satan. I'm thankful that as I get older I am learning how to fight better. God is also teaching me how to let Frankie lead and when I need to step back and let him do so.

As my anniversary approaches we have been planning a get away. We have debated and pondered on where to go, what to do, where to stay. Here's what I DO know: I have family keeping the kids for two nights. What we do after that doesn't matter because it will be just me and him, childfree for a glorious weekend!

What Adoption means to me

When I look at my kids, I don't have the privilege of seeing my color in their eyes. I don't see my grandma's hands which are like my mom's which are like mine. I don't get to compare baby photos and see who looks like me or my husband. I don't get to say, "Well she acts just like I did when I was little." Does that bother me? Sometimes. Do I dwell on it? Absolutely not! What ultimately makes a family? I've had someone ask me, "Are you their real mother?" Well if you want to get technical, did I have the joy of feeling their growth inside me, pour my love into their well being and get the distinct honor of being there for the delivery? No I didn't, but I can most assuredly say, YES, I am their real mother. What makes a mother? Blood? Ask all the kids abandoned on the street, thrown in the dumpster, aborted before they even have a chance. Does the person that carried them get that title because of a blood relation?

To me a mother is someone who will rock you at night when she is so exhausted and only wants to go to sleep but will rock you anyway because you matter more. A mother will go to ends of the earth to pay a lawyer and fight for the right to keep you, raise you and love you. A mother will look you in the eye and tell you the truth about your past, even if that past is hurtful and hard to hear. A mother will encourage you to succeed, celebrate and motivate you every day. A mother is a personal cheerleader. Someone who will stand strong and be a voice for you when you are too small to have a voice. We have an adoption poem in our family and it goes like this:


Adoption is love
Love is family
Family is forever

I wasn't there in the beginning but God said I get to be there in the end! He chose my children for me. It's a great honor to be an adoptive parent and it's one I don't take lightly. I love that I get to be there for all of my children's needs. Please don't think our life is picture perfect. It is far from it! But we love each other, stick up for each other and want each other to succeed! How much more real can it get?

Weather Unit 101

This week we are going to do a unit on the weather. We have had an unusually warm spring and it has been fabulous! We are going to learn about the different types of clouds, spring storms, animals born in spring, temperature changes and basically anything else to do with the weather. We will read a ton of books on the weather, draw and write about the weather, watch the weather channel, etc. I fully expect my children to be professional meteorologists by Friday! ;)

My eating has been off plan this week, but I have walked a lot, so that has to count for something! I am learning that this weight didn't come on overnight and as much as I would like to awaken one day and see my teenage body on my 32 year old self, it's not gonna happen! One day at a time...one step at a time.


Easter on the back deck! I am so blessed!

Weightloss= Hard Work!

I am down 18.8 lbs since January. It's going to be a long, long journey for me. I am learning some things about myself since I decided to really get serious about my journey to health.

1. It is really hard to lose weight and stick with it! This should be a no brainer of course, but I have always had success and about 3 months into a new diet or routine, I quit. I have crossed over the 3 month mark and everything in me wants to quit, but I am determined. I am praying a lot for God's help in this. I am learning to really trust in Him in all things.

2. I have learned a few triggers that really mess up my progress. I love to cook and a lot of times I will make desert for Frankie and the kids. If it is a cake or some kind of pastry type desert, I can not resist it. No matter if I tell my self I will only smell and look at it from afar, it ultimately ends up in my belly! The same with ice cream. So now if I make something, I have a serving, wrap up the rest and put it in Frankie's truck to take to work the next day. I'll never deprive myself, but I sure don't have to eat half a cake in one sitting.

3. Another trigger I have is social situations. If you put me in a group setting with food, I am going to eat. You always hear the experts say, "Eat before you go to a party and then you will be full and not eat so much at the party." Whoever came up with that line of bull needs to be whipped! Even if my belly is full to bursting, I will eat a desert or something because everyone else is and I feel the need to do the same. Why? I think for me it's associated with good feelings, fellowship, family memories of cookouts and fun. Whatever it is, it's dangerous for me until I figure out how to control it.

4. Failures in my life are a trigger for me. Satan loves to remind me of my infertility and inability to carry a child and used a lunch date with some dear women friends the other day to remind me as they discussed childbirth and pregnancy. I totally forgot about watching my meal portion and instead fed my hurt. Now don't get me wrong, I am a mommy and I adore my children. But I will always struggle with my infertility. Most days, with the Lord's help I am fine. That day, satan saw a crack and wedged his way into my thoughts.

I have to keep sight of the long term goal. I don't want to be a diabetic. I don't want to die an early death. I have dreams and goals I want to achieve. In order to get to those goals, some weight has to come off. I was walking the other day and just burst out crying as I realized how far I had to go. But I am so thankful for God's grace. He is so gentle in His love and encouragment. I can turn to Him anytime with a burden and He always takes it away. One day at a time, one step at a time.

Thankful

My blog today is about things I am thankful for. It's so easy in today's world to get down and out when things are not going how we want. Financial stress, debt, worrying about my husband getting work, my health, problems in my family and just general evil in this world can really get me down! But I am so thankful that there is a simple solution. One word: God. He can take all of that stress today, tomorrow, forever just by me simply being humble, obedient and submissive to His will. When I align myself to God's will, no matter what is happening around me, I have peace within. That is a good feeling. I can count on the Lord. I am truly thankful for that.

I am thankful for my husband. What a good man he is. He loves me and the children and is not afraid to get up every day and work for us so that I have the privilege to stay home and homeschool the children. Something that bothers me sometimes about people's view of our life is when I hear people say, "Well, if you went back to teaching, you could eliminate the stress on his shoulders, have health insurance, yadda yadda yadda....". Well that would be easier, but not necessarily better. You see what they don't realize is that I have to stand before the Lord one day and give an account to how I obeyed His call on my life. And I can honestly say that for us, homeschooling is a calling. It's hard and exhausting, but the rewards of seeing the children grow and learn are worth the sacrifice.

I am thankful for my children. What a joy they are to me! Because we spend so much time together, I really know them. When we first adopted them, I didn't know them. My daughter was (and still is) a drama queen and at 3 would throw awful fits. It was puzzling to us because we were so inexperienced as parents and we didn't know how to handle a moody toddler. My son at 2 would hit, punch, bite us when angry or upset. Again with no previous experience, it was a lot of parenting trial and error learning just what makes these kiddos tick. When I look at them now and see how happy they are, how well-adjusted they are (and believe me if you are an adoptive parent, well-adjusted is a good thing) I am thankful. God has been good to us.

I am thankful for my family. My sisters are precious to me and my parents are the rock in our family. They are so supportive of my homeschooling ventures and encourage me to succeed. As Easter approaches, I am most thankful for my salvation. Because God sent His precious Son to die for me, I get the pleasure of an eternal relationship with Him! Thank You Lord!

What are you thankful for?

Still Trucking right along!

Ok...somebody smack me. Has it really been a month since I wrote in my blog? What am I thinking? This has been such a great outlet for me and I have neglected it. I will try to do better!:)
I can not even begin to tell you how glad I am that spring is on it's way. It was a loooong winter. A great one, with lots of snow, but long nonetheless. My children are glad for fresh air and outside time (so is momma, lol).

I am still doing weight watchers. I am down about 15 lbs. Before you start screaming for joy at my incredible loss, that is like losing a golf ball off my behind! I still have a tremendous amount to lose, but slow and steady wins the race.

I was so mad this week when I went to my meeting and was up .8 of a lb. Now I know it's not much but I was really good this week, did everything right and even exercised 4-5 times. But I am attributing this to a certain thing that happens once a month for all of the female race :( Maybe next week I'll have a Biggest Loser week and pull like a double digit loss! I can dream can't I?

Homeschooling is going well. I forget how far we have come and sometimes get frustrated when things don't move as fast as I want. But I have a kindergartner and first grader and both are starting to read, praise the Lord! They aren't ready for a novel, but they can put a dent in Dr. Seuss, lol! I sometimes find it hard to believe that I have a 6 and 7 year old. I waited so long for children and they have been the biggest blessings in my life!

Here they are outside when we had a huge snow in the middle of
February.














My son loves snow cream!









They had a ball sledding!









Until my daughter crashed in the briars, lol!









Oh yeah....one last thing. We got a new couch, it's so pretty!