My day in retrospect

Wow. I have the urge to blog. And it is about nothing. This makes me happy. :-) Now you know something new about me.


Tonight we had dirty rice. It was absolutely, positively, mouthwateringly delicious. I can't believe there is only one serving left.  I want need to make this again as soon as possible. Tomorrow is looking possible.

Before eating dinner, we went to Walmart. Kaedra had received money for her birthday so besides the usual shopping (because we had nothing to make dinner), getting new toothbrushes in our quest to rid our house of germs and picking up a prescription for Emily, she wanted to buy something with her money.  Luckily, being the smart mommy that I am, I knew that would be a long adventure, so I left Brittany and Emily in charge of that and Ethan and I took off to do shopping.  Emily needed some shoes (she always does...she has the oddest feet I know.  Well, I don't technically *know* her feet. If I did, it would be easier). We actually found her some today! YAY! They look like Dorothy's shoes from Oz, but they are black instead of red and they have no heel.  Okay, something about them reminds me of Dorothy's shoes...use your imagination.

Before Walmart, we went to our friends house to drop off Season 1 of the X-Files. If you have been reading my blog for a long time, you know I love the X-Files. Always happy to share my love with others, I am trying to infilitrate my friends' minds with x-file trivia and quotes so I can enjoy it more through them.  heeheehee. It is part of the conspiracy.  (see, there is a reference.)

It is so much fun to be at my friend's house. I love her boys and I love her and they all have my exact sense of humor.  I *try* to run in and out and I even leave the kids in the car, convincing myself I will only be a minute, but it never works. (don't worry, I leave Brittany in the car too....she can flag down someone for help if I never come out.) (Today the kids were in the car because both we and the Walenciaks are avoiding other families like the plague. Interesting word there. Plague. Yes, our families have both been hit by the stomach flu going around. We found out, the hard way, I might add, that you can get it twice.  So, many of us are doing what we can to stay away from others to both not infect and not become infected. we are using lots of hand sanitizers, lysol and I'm about to step it up to face masks.  jk.  sort of)  But they are too much fun.  Today's topic was movies.  We were discussing our favorites and I was getting pointers on what movies not to watch. I am also starting to watch Top Gear so I can have obscure Top Gear references to share with them.

Before the Walenciak's house, I was at home trying to deal with the doctor and nurse about Emily's medicine for a bladder infection. She started an antibiotic right before the stomach flu came sweeping through our house for the second time.  She was unable to finish the medicine, so I had to explain to them why they needed to give us another bottle. You would think I was asking for CRACK the way they grilled me about why she needed more.  It's Amoxicillin, folks!! I don't think we are making money selling it for street value here!!

Before that, I had about 5 moments to chat with Denise and catch up on her day.  Hopefully I can catch up with her later.  Did I mention she's a hoot? And another sweet friend and I got to catch up with a little bit of texting. I love being able to keep in touch with her through the week and even when I don't get to see her much.

Before that, the kids and I headed to the attic to find the winter clothes. We found the kids' clothes, but only found some of mine. With the way the movers labeled stuff, I am sure we will eventually find it in a box with "Auto Supplies" or some such tag on it.

Before that I took a nap.

Before that, I had a yummy yummy lunch of Indian (as in India) spiced Tilapia, polenta and peas. I know...weird combo. But it was sooo yummy.  I made it up last night when I had some Tilapia and was craving some Indian flavors. It came out great and my made up recipe is definitely a keeper. (at least for the nights when Michael isn't eating...he doesn't like Indian food, Last night he wasn't eating because lucky man that he was, he got the stomach flu too)

Before that, I had a talk with Kaedra's speech therapist. Kaedra had not been very interested in working with her yesterday and wouldn't work on any of her "homework" with me at all. I discussed it with Kaedy this morning and she told me that she no longer wants to learn to eat.  She doesn't even want to work on the non-eating activities like putting an empty spoon in her mouth. I called Kaedra's speech therapist this morning and told her the development. She is going to talk to a friend of hers that is a psychologist and see where to go from here. From what she had already learned, however, looks like Kaedra has a full blown phobia of eating (Phagophobia, I looked it up) and may need to see a psychologist as part of her therapy.  Something I had never thought of. Ya learn something new every day.

Before that, Emily had a horrible bout of pain from her bladder infection and was unable to A. quit crying and B. get off the potty. It made the morning rather interesting.

Before that, I got up from just a few hours sleep and had some yummy gluten free chocolate chip muffins Brittany had made. I just love muffins.  Muffins make me happy.

Before that, I was sleeping for a few hours.

Before that, I was up until 3 (and then Michael got up) with Ethan who awoke around midnight wide eyed and bushy tailed and ready to start his day.  WHA??? noooooo....this is SLEEPING time. Singing, rocking, being quiet: nothing worked. Eventually I gave up and we came downstairs.  I wish I could say I did something productive (like clean my house) during that time...but no, I just sat there and tried to stay awake so he didn't burn the house down. He did tell me a few times to quit snoring, so I don't think it was completely successful. However, in my semi-lucid awake moments, it did give me more time to pray.  I have many friends who need prayers right now. And praying is ALWAYS a good thing. :-)

Quote on Family

"A sentence from Psalm 101 has been both challenging and convicting for me: 'I will walk in my house with blameless heart' (Psalm 101-2, NIV). When God speaks to me about being more loving, this verse reminds me to make application in my family first—and then to others. It forces me to ask, 'Am I more spiritual, more loving, or more fun somewhere else? Who gets my best—my family or others?'"

-- Jean Fleming, A Mother’s Heart

Before the Morning

Friendship

In a contemplative mood tonight.  Thinking about friends.

Good friends, old friends, past friends, new friends, bad friends, sad friends, moody friends, friends that bring me down, friends that lift me up, friends that keep their word, friends full of words but no action, friends I wish I was closer with and/or to, friends I wish I could separate myself from. 

I learned a lot being gone for a year.  It's been very enlightening. A lot can be learned from a friendship that is stretched to new boundaries for a year.  Another thing I learned is that friendships that thrive on the phone aren't always the friendships that translate well to "real life."  Friendships don't always survive the move away, or the move back.  Friendships don't always survive illnesses either. I have found that not only do some people not understand Fibromyalgia, but now that I am learning to deal with it, I need to cut a lot out of my life. Just leave the essentials. And that includes friends.

I know very well that most people have very little extra time.  People must take care of their families before their friends as well as schooling, church responsibilities, extended family, etc.  However, in those few minutes left at the end of the day, who (or what) are you willing to give that time to?  That is what matters most to you. 

I know that I do not have enough time to do justice to my wonderful friends.  I wish I could see them more, email them more, call them more and spend more time with and on them.  I can't.  But I pray that the time that I do have, I use wisely: cultivating the friendships that mean the most to me and the ones that God smiles down on, keeping watered the friendships that aren't to be let go and pruning the friendships that cause me anxiety and that God has released me from. 

 And I pray that I can bless my friends as much as they bless me. 

Nature Blog Journal

I love nature....love insects, spiders, animals, birds, trees, flowers, plants, pretty much everything nature related! The other day the kids and I saw a huge spider climbing up towards Brittany's room.  It went really fast and I didn't get any pictures. Today the big girl came down to visit.  In fact, she repeatedly went up and down her web. It was like she was coming down to have her picture taken.  I got some good ones.

After researching, I think I have determined she is a Labyrinthe Orb Weaver Spider. She was about the size of a 50 cent piece. Yes, HUGE!!  She was just in the beginning of making her web, so I wasn't able to check it out.  Apparently they usually spin their web overnight.  I think this is true because we have seen several of these critters early in the morning in elaborate webs. We used to have one right outside our back door.


Last week Emily came running to me to tell me that a bug was stuck in the screen of the back door. I asked her what kind and she asked for my phone to take a picture.  Here is what she brought me:

Can you guess what it is? My favorite insect!! The praying mantis! Our screen on the back door already had a large hole in it so I used scissors and cut it off and got the poor mantis out of there. I took him over to a tree but he didn't want to get off on the first one. After I took him to another tree he jumped right onto it and then flew off. Yes, he flew. My mom didn't know Praying Mantis's could fly but I researched it and they do fly. This one was also brown, rather than green. I had never seen a brown praying mantis. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of him once he was free.

The day after we saw the praying mantis, we found a katydid while geocaching. Brittany got a picture of it and then we took it to a tree so it wasn't stuck in the middle of a business complex anymore.

Soon after that, on the same geocaching trip, we saw the smallest butterfly we had ever seen!

It was a pretty red and yellow!


In Tahlequah Ethan found a turtle on the ground.  He loves turtles and was so much more interested in the turtle than the waterfall!

If I can figure out a way to keep a turtle away from Freckles, our dog, I would get Ethan one! My parents have a ton of turtles....they have been raising them for over 25 years. They are lots of fun and I would love to have one! (I think I would have a zoo if Michael would let me! Good thing God put us together)

The kids found this huge caterpillar outside our door one morning. We enjoyed checking him out and taking pictures of him before he went on his merry way.

As much as I love nature and creatures, it is amazing that we don't all have beautiful nature journals. Alas, I am not good on keeping up on them or getting the kids to keep on them. That is something I want to work on.  A friend of mine just posted this link to the Handbook of Nature Study Blog which I will definitely be checking out! I have the Handbook of Nature Study along with several other wonderful Nature Journal books. I need to pull them all out and get inspired!

As a partially unrelated sidenote, but it's awfully funny, here is a Kaedra story for you:
We call Brittany "Bug" as one of her nicknames.  The other day Kaedra told her "I will not call you Bug because that would make you a creature." Then she walked out of the room and said "goodbye."  It cracked Brittany and I completely up!

Geocaching

We have been geocaching a lot since we moved home. For one thing, I was teaching a class at our co-op to the teenagers about geocaching. It was a lot of fun seeing the kids get excited about geocaching, especially when I was worried they wouldn't enjoy it.

Here are the kids after the first cache they found. It was a "ghost cache" and was a piece of the 9-11 towers.

While I enjoy any kind of geocache, Brittany enjoys the ones inside the city a little more. One afternoon we went and searched for 5 in Broken Arrow. We found 4 out of the 5.

The second time we were out with the teens, we found a cache that was actually a bus in the woods! I think it was the coolest find we have made, even if it did have a bit of poison ivy involved.

I even got one of my friends really interested in geocaching and she has taken to geocaching without even having a gps! We plan to go together soon. 

Looking forward to many more geocaching experiences to come!

If you are interested in knowing more about geocaching, check out geocaching.com.

The sweetest heart I have ever known

I am blessed by all of my children. They are all unique and wonderful and a treasure to my heart. They each have such different traits and strengths. It is amazing to me to see how each of these little blessings has been created in a specific and wondrous way with a particular and peculiar plan, just for them.

My oldest, Brittany, has the sweetest heart I have ever known. She has such a heart for God and her family. She always thinks of others first and helps everyone she meets. She is such an inspiration to watch and to be with. I love being around her and learning from her. It is wonderful to see her growing up to be a beautiful young lady. I can't wait to see everything God has in store for her!

Going to a sweet 16 birthday of her friend

At Switch Youth Group with her friends

At a picnic with more friends

At the Illinois river in Tahlequah with Emily. Her siblings all adore her and fight to cuddle with her. She gets hugs and kisses and "I love yous" all day long.

Thank you, Lord, for such a precious gift!!

Michael news

Since I've been sick all week, you would think we had an uneventful week.  Well, we did as far as me and the kids. However, Michael decided to go and have some excitement.  Wednesday night he called from work and said that he was having heart problems.  He wasn't ready to go to the hospital, but wasn't really up to working either. He came home, took his nitro and went to bed.  The next day he called his cardiologist in the morning and got in asap. Although his cardiologist was gone for a family emergency, his PA confirmed he was having some sort of heart problems, probably a blockage. He was already scheduled to have a stress test on the next Wednesday and the PA thought that Michael should wait for the cardiologist to come back to assist any surgery (if his body would cooperate and wait) so he gave Michael two meds to help him get through the week....a nitro to take on a regular basis and some medicine that helps infuse his blood with oxygen so it can travel better. 

The plan right now is to have Michael take the stress test on Wednesday and have a heart cath either the same day or Thursday.  Last time they went in for a heart cath, he ended up having a triple bypass.  Obviously we are praying he doesn't have to have anything done this time!  I ask for you all to join me in praying for Michael and his heart.  Thank you!

Soups

I've been sick for 6 days straight as of today.  I haven't gotten out of the house and haven't felt like doing much either.  I knew I needed to eat nutritious and vitamin-full foods.  While talking to my mom, she suggested I make a carrot soup.  Being the obedient daughter I am (haha) I talked the girls into chopping me up some carrots, onions and garlic and boiling them in chicken broth.  When it was all soft, they blended it in our Vitamix with some milk.  It was delicious, but I added some curry to make it even better. :-)  Simple, quick, nutritious and cleared my sinuses!

Today I wanted to have soup again, but wanted to use some fresh spinach.  I microwaved two potatoes until soft, cut them into chunks, threw them in the vitamix with broth, milk, onions, garlic and fresh spinach and pureed it all until smooth.  Just added some salt and lots of pepper and it was delicious.

I have also made a very yummy mushroom soup in the vitamix, as well.  I am really liking fresh soups lately.  Very odd for me, who is not usually a big soup fan.  Looks like I will be making lots of cream of  "insert fresh vegetable here" soups this winter. :-) 

Quick Overview

Here is a quick overview of the last 6 weeks:

• Moved back to Broken Arrow
• Went back to Yukon to clean /repair the house
• Unboxed the kitchen and bathroom with some friends
• Went to a movie premiere for our homeschool group
• Went to the doctor got diagnosed with Fibromyalgia
• slowly unboxed
• Took Emily to the dr where she got diagnosed with a bladder infection
• started Prairie Primer co-op for the younger two girls (weekly on Friday afternoons)
• started Biology co-op for Brittany (weekly on Friday afternoons)
• started Kaedra having speech therapy appointments, to learn to eat, twice a week
• Went to two homeschool parent meetings
• Went on a nature hike to Oxley
• Had our former nurse over to visit
• Brittany started attending a youth group with her friends
• tried out two churches, decided to stay with one of them (Connection Church)
• started attending (and teaching) a co-op on Friday mornings
• started abbreviated school with the kids
• got my school room unpacked and organized
• My niece got married
• family had a week-long sickness
• Went to a cook out at the new church
• forgot grandparent's day
• went to a cook out for our homeschool group
• forgot my parent's anniversary
• went on a date with Michael
• had a week off with Michael
• unboxed the play room and got is set up
• went to Tahlequah with the family
• went geocaching many, many times including every Friday, with my class
• went to my niece's wedding reception
• Started full time school with the kids
• went to a Campfire USA club meeting for the family
• I got a head cold again and another Fibromyalgia flare-up

For the rest of this week:

• Campfire meeting tomorrow at Tulsa Historical Society
• Brittany's youth group
• Taking Emily back to the doctor because her bladder infection isn't gone
• Kaedra's appt with speech therapist
• two co-ops on Friday
• Bunco on Saturday
• church on Sunday 
• another campfire meeting on Monday
• appointment with rheumatologist on Tuesday to deal with my Fibromyalgia

Is my head spinning around yet? Because I really feel like it is.  I really do. 

Photo of the Day

Kaedra enjoying school!!
sent from my Project 365 app
http://bit.ly/5G0JwQ

Introducing Mr. And Mrs. Alberto Alfaro

Yes, my beloved niece Sherria married her beloved Alberto last evening.  They (so sweetly) waited for us to move back up here so we could be part of the festivities.  After the wedding we all went to Olive Garden to have dinner. It was a lovely wedding and we loved being there!  We are so happy to have Alberto as part of the family now and know that these two will have a blessed marriage!

Hipstamatic kids

Turning disappointment into joy: SURFice dog Ricochet

Kaedra showing her lapbook to Ethan

I love this one too

Guess where I was tonight?

Today is the last day

Can you help raise money to find a cure for Rett Syndrome? This is what my friend Tonya's daughter Sara has. All you have to do is send a text message TO: 73774 with the message being 100842 and go vote at http://www.refresheverything.com/search/?...q=rett Can you help find a cure to help this... little girl talk and use her hands again? Thank you!

It's finally here!!

We are moving this week!! We finally have gotten everything settled with the moving company and they are coming tomorrow and Tuesday to pack us up. They are going to have to repack almost everything in the garage so they think that will take a whole day by itself.  (Remember that we moved into a house half the size of our house in Broken Arrow, so we have about half of our stuff still boxed up in the garage)  They said they can pack the inside of the house in another day (and I doubt it will take very long).  We load up the moving truck on Wednesday and they drop things off on Thursday!! Hallelujah!!!

So excited! After waiting for months and months it seems like a dream that it is really here.

We are a little unsure what we need to do to get ready for the movers.  The man that came and did the evaluation said there was nothing we needed to do, but that doesn't seem quite right. Today I am going to get things together for school and put them in a special place. That way, when the packers box things up, I can tell them to put "OPEN NOW" on the school books and I will know where they are.  We have a few other things that we need to do the same kind of thing for, so we are going to be working on that today.  We also need to get our clothes set aside for the next few days so they don't accidentally get packed! I am looking forward to getting this started so I will understand better what is going to be happening. We have never had people pack us up before!

Coming to you unabashedly

I have a friend named Tonya who has a BEAUTIFUL daughter named Sara.  

Sara, like Kaedra, has VEPTR rods to help her.  However, unlike Kaedra, Sara has a horrible syndrome known as RETT Syndrome.  

Here is one definition of RETT (from Wikipedia):

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder affecting grey matter.^[1] The clinical features include small hands and feet and a deceleration of the rate of head growth (including microcephaly in some). Repetitive hand movements such as mouthing or wringing are also noted. Girls with Rett syndrome are prone to gastrointestinal disorders and up to 80% have seizures.^[2] They typically have no verbal skills, and about 50% of females are not ambulatory. Scoliosis, growth failure, and constipation are very common and can be problematic.

Here is some more information: RETT Syndrome

Here is a little about Sara, in her mother's words:

Hi I'm Tonya, my daughter is Sara. She is eight years old and has Rett. Sara is on the severe end of the spectrum needing total care and can't do anything for her self. I take care of her myself 24 hours a day. I do not think of her as "less" because she has Rett. She has taught us so much in her eight years, brought so much joy and love to our lives, and the people around her. She hardly ever complains either. God has blessed us with a wonderful child. A child who I am sure would love to be able to hold a toy. When I see her frustration when she tries to hold a toy to play and drops it everytime, Everyday when I see her trying so very hard to talk to me, on the rare occaision that she does cry and we don't know what is bothering her, I'm sure she would want to be able to tell us, when she lays there and watches her brother run and jump and
reaches for him, when she looks at our food and drink so longingly but she can't eat it because she will choke or aspirate, these are the things that keep pushing me to vote for these "stupid" contests and keeps pushing me to do whatever I can to bring awareness to Rett, and possibly funding for a treatment or cure. Treatment and cures cost money the healthcare industry is about money. I believe the doctors and researchers working on Rett do truly care about our girls, but they aren't going to pull the money for a treatment or cure out of their own pockets. We shouldnt have to vote in these things we shouldn't have to raise awarness for Rett after everything else we do for our kids, but if we dont who will? Eery little bit of funding and awareness helps. After watching Sara die in front of me just last April, and seeing them start chest compressions and start bagging her for five minutes, seeing them with the help of God bring her back to us, waiting for days to see if she would live, you bet your behind I want a cure. It may be too late for a cure to help my child or any child with Rett currently alive. But maybe the next generation can be helped, the kids won't have to struggle. Sara is such a joy, so perfect and innocent. I feel that she is the best thing on earth (well her and her brother) lol and this is why we seek a cure.
To help her, not change her into what we want her to be. She is perfect the way she is, but if there is a way to help her have a better quality of life, to help her not have to struggle, then we are for it.
God bless you all, and take care, hug your angels extra tight
Tonya And Sara in SC 

There is an easy, painless way you can help Sara and Tonya and all the other girls that have RETT Syndrome.  Please go to this address and vote for RETT syndrome to get money from the Pepsi Refresh Project.  Please go every day.  (this contest ends at the end of July. If RETT doesn't win, they will also be in the running for August) Please tell all your friends.  Please, please help this children get the money for the research they need.  There have been advancements in the cure, but they need more money.  This contest could give them the chance to save many, many lives.

Thank you so much!!

Kari Jobe: You Are For Me

Another wonderful resource

The other day when I posted about "my brain," I included resources that I use to help get my brain in order.  However, I forgot about one wonderful resource I use all the time.... The Low Carb Diner ebook.  This book has an amazing section in the beginning explaining how you can simplify your meal planning. Lisa takes you through the steps to get your kitchen preparation and messes down to the fewest amount of days possible, but with delicious dishes coming out of it every day.  I love to cook once a month and use freezer meal planning quite a bit.  Lisa includes some freezer recipes as well as including other quick meal ideas (like how to make 3 meals at once) and ways to plan for the whole thing.  It is really a WONDERFUL resource I use so much that I forgot to include it...it is just such a natural part of what I do now!

Another wonderful thing about this ebook is, since it is Low Carb, most of the recipes are 100% safe for those of us that are Gluten-Free.  I can't think of anything off the top of my head that may need a substitution, but she might have soy sauce in a recipe or two.

She has a blog that goes along with the ebook and expounds on it.  She includes more recipes, explains how she makes things and has beautiful pictures.

Although I am doing this of my own volition and get no money out of the deal (I just want to share the great resource!), I feel it is only right that I let you know that Lisa is a wonderful friend of mine as well. :-)  She is an exceptional lady with a great family.  I have been privileged to know her for about 10 years now.

The Thorn

I got this from a blog I read and she got it from a book I am going to check out soon. But this poem really, really spoke to me and I wanted to put it here to remember.


The Thorn 
by Martha Snell Nicholson
I stood a mendicant [beggar] of God
before His royal throne
And begged Him for a priceless gift,
which I could call my own.
I took the gift from out His hand,
but as I would depart,
I cried, “But Lord, this is a thorn
and it has pierced my heart.
This is a strange, a hurtful gift
that Thou hast given me.
He said, “My child, I give good gifts
and give my best to thee.”
I took it home and though at first,
the cruel thorn hurt sore;
As long years passed I learned at last
to love it more and more.
I learned He never gives a thorn
without this added grace.
He takes the thorn to pin aside . . .
the veil which hides His face.

My Brain

It's that time of year again.....Time to weed out my brains and create a new one.  I realize you might be thinking I have lost my mind, rather than my brain. Actually my "brain" is a name I have for my home/school organization binder (the term is borrowed from my friend, Lisa, many, many years ago) I haven't really used one much since being here.  I missed it this year and have decided I definitely need one for next year to keep everything in order: our larger home, three homeschoolers (doing two different tracks), several co-ops, a bible study, a few other outside activities, Michael working overnight and my mother in law needing care.  I do almost everything on the computer and my iphone but there are things that I like to see on paper and be able to see the "big picture." I also like: being able to check things off, having things out to remind me constantly (it can get forgotten on my iphone), and being able to take long notes at meetings instead of having to either a) write it on my iphone quickly or b) typing it out after the meeting.  This will be my first time attempting to integrate my home brain with my school brain.  I am not sure if it will work or not....I'll let you know.

Here are some of my favorite resources I use for my "brains:"

• Flylady 
• DonnaYoung.org
• The Archived version of Large Family Logistics
• Heart of Wisdom Printable Freebies
• This article by A Wise Woman Builds Her Home
• Keeping House ebook by A Virtuous Woman
• Menu Planning ebook from Graham Family Ministries
• ExecutiveHomemaker.com
• Polestar's Family Calendar

I haven't yet started working on my brain, but I will be working on it this week in between packing.  I am excited. This kind of stuff is my favorite kind of stuff to do.  I love the planning.  It's the implementing I need to work on!  ;-)

The amorphous shape of my blog

When I started my blog it was called "Our Miracle Baby" or something like that.  It was a blog all about Kaedra and her successes. I started it while she was still in the hospital and it helped to keep people apprised of her happenings as well as a place to post pictures of her.  Most people couldn't go up and see her in the PICU and so they kept up with her through my blog.  I even blogged when we went down to San  Antonio for her first surgery. It was a really great tool.

After Kaedra came home, and as she was integrated, gradually,  into family life, the blog eventually morphed into a family blog.  A name change was in order and it became "Our Peculiar Life."  I loved blogging through our days, posting pictures, writing down funny things so as not to forget them, posting music I wanted to share and occasionally sharing poems or songs I have written.

I have started to realize that Facebook has ruined my blog. Basically, my blog is obsolete. I keep up with all my friends on Facebook; I write about the funny things on FB; I share songs and other things on FB. Furthermore, FB has gotten me in the habit of writing very short posts. Writing a whole blog post seems much more daunting now.

I took many poetry classes in college. In all the classes, we were advised to use as few words as necessary. "Cut, cut, cut!" was frequently heard from our professors.  I wonder if 140 characters or less fits their concise requirements?

I don't want to give up my blog.  I like it.  It's pretty.  I get to create on it. It's an extension of me.  A place to make "all my own." But I need to give it a reason for being.  Just doing daybooks doesn't seem reason enough.  One reason to keep it is that the things I write on FB are eventually hard to find...hidden in myriads of posts.  I can't easily look over the things that tickled me about my children or important things that I wanted to save. Although they are there, they are barely accessible (I wish FB had some kind of searchable archiving system on each person's page...sort of like tags) Another reason to keep it is that it reminds me that I need to keep writing.  Not just short, pithy statements, but real writing.


So I am thinking on it.  Trying to decide what to do with it.     Trying to figure out a direction for it.
Giving it to God.  Waiting to see what he has in mind for it.  As always, when I give something to God, excited to see what He has in store for me.  It is always SO much better than I could ever think up!

So I guess you could say this blog is under construction as of now.  God's construction. I will be awaiting the results along with you.

PACKING!

Yesterday we started packing our house up.  I have to say this is the thing that has gotten me most excited....even more excited than hearing that we were going home.  Going home seemed like such an illusive thing, especially since it concerns Sam's.....nuff said on that matter.  But now that we've given the landlord our notice (we will be out of here by July 31st at the latest) and started packing, it is really getting real.

I don't want you to think I don't like it here. I love Oklahoma City: it is beautiful, we have done lots of exploring, our family has learned a lot about ourselves, and we met some wonderful friends.  I will miss everything, especially our friends.  I want to take them with me.  (that's what prayer is for...haha) But it doesn't feel like home.  God has spoken to us and shown us in so many ways where he wants us.  That is why it's home.

so home again, home again, (not quite) lickety split.  We are so ready.

Simple Woman's Daybook 7/6/10

It's Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Outside my window..Pouring down rain. Thunder and lightning. Quite the gully washer.

I am thinking... of next year's school plans.

I am thankful for...my husband. He is my number one fan. What more could I want?

From the learning room....about to start packing it up!

From the kitchen....pork stir fry in an orange glaze over rice and with some sauteed veggies. Doesn't it sound good??

I am wearing...black shorts and Americana shirt. (WOOHOO!! I AM NOT WEARING JAMMIES OR SWEATS!!!)

I am creating.... a gluten free monthly menu

I am going...back to Broken Arrow!!! 

I am currently reading... Heart of Wisdom by Robin Sampson (I read it about once a year, in the summer) 

I am hoping...we hear our moving date soon (still would like the date!)

I am hearing....Third Day singing "Caught Up in Yourself"

Around the House.....boxes are starting to pop up everywhere!

One of my favorite things....having breakfast dates with my hubby.

A few plans for this week... none really. Michael is off the next two days...we will be packing and organizing. Hopefully we can get together with our friends on Friday.

from  my picture journal...

Emily and Kaedra exploring space. 

Check out The  Simple Woman's blog if you would like to read more day posts or join  in!

Simple Woman's Daybook 6/30/10

It's Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Outside my window..Sun streaming through the windows.  Birds chirping. Green everywhere.

I am thinking... of how cute my littles are when they are working together.

I am thankful for...mercy and new beginnings. again and again.

From the learning room....nothing yet, but will be hopping in a few hours.

From the kitchen....going to make a green smoothie for breakfast, leftovers for the family for dinner and I am getting to go out to eat with a friend! :-)

I am wearing...jammies still

I am creating....going to work on a my mom's mother's day present today. Yes, I know it's late. Hopefully it will come out wonderfully and I will post pictures. :-)

I am going...to clean up my house today, get school done, get my mom's present done and go out with my friend. Oh, stick a nap in there somewhere. 

I am currently reading... Heart of Wisdom by Robin Sampson (I read it about once a year, in the summer)

I am hoping...we hear our moving date soon

I am hearing....the children (now fussing...yeah, that whole working together thing was very short-lived)

Around the House.....a bit discombobulated since we went to Tulsa yesterday.

One of my favorite things.....school planning. Can't wait to get unpacked and have all my books out and ready so I can get next year planned!

A few plans for this week...Looking forward to spending 4th of July with a wonderful family!

from  my picture journal...

I miss my niece!!

Check out The  Simple Woman's blog if you would like to read more day posts or join  in!

Another personality test

(This post is for you, Susan!!)

Found this one at StrongLifeTest.com
The quiz is almost all about work decisions, so I had to reword them to work with my life.  However, I think the results came out really well, so I think it worked. :-)

Lead Role: Teacher

You begin by asking:
'What can she learn from this?'

Your focus is instinctively toward the other person. Not her feelings, necessarily, but her understanding, her performance, her skills.

Your best quality:
Your faith in the others’ potential

Always:
Tailor your style to each student

Be careful you:
Don’t come to believe that everyone is capable of everything

Your smartest career move:
Any job where you’re paid to facilitate the success of others.

Supporting Role: Motivator

You begin by asking:
'How can I raise the energy?'

You are acutely aware of the energy in the room, and you feel compelled to do what you can to elevate it. You do this with your outlook—you are an instinctively optimistic person.

Your best quality:
Your infectious energy

Always:
Step in and take responsibility for the group

Be careful you:
Don’t get sucked dry by emotional vampires

Your smartest career move:
Any job where you’re paid to keep a group of people excited.

Simple Woman's Daybook June 21, 2010

Outside my window...Beauty! A green tree with sunlight glowing through the leaves. Shadows from the tree and leaves dancing around the yard!

I am thinking... about a June Bug!

I am thankful for...Michael talking to his store manager today about our move!

From the learning room....just finished up school with the kiddos. Books closed and put on the shelf.

From the kitchen....making a steak and green bean frittata tonight (last night's leftovers!)

I am wearing... jammy shorts and a tank top. I also have a kitten sticker adorning me, thanks to Emily. :-)

I am creating....a crochet purse. I am about halfway done with the crochet part and am SO excited about it! I think it is going to be beautiful. Look below for a sneak peak.

I am going... to put my leg/foot up soon and put some ice on it. This is the longest I have been without it up for 10 days and it is starting to ache. But it is definitely getting much better!

I am currently reading... So long Insecurity by Beth Moore

I am hoping...we hear our moving date soon

I am hearing....the dishwasher (which shouldn't be on...silly thing turns on if you bump into it), my windchime and little else. Kids are outside playing in the sprinkler.

Around the House.....picked up mostly and awaiting the day when it can all be boxed up.

One of my favorite things.....my hubby's smile.

A few plans for this week...Not exactly sure. Packing? Going to Tulsa to visit? Hanging out with friends? We will see what the week brings. All I am sure of is school!

from my picture journal...
a sneak peek of my purse

Check out The Simple Woman's blog if you would like to read more day posts or join in! 

1958 Windjammer: Kari Waits For Me

I am so excited! this is the song where my parents got my name! There was a song called "Kari Waits for Me" in a 1958 Movie called Windjammer. I haven't been able to find any old copies of the movie or the song. I looked it up on a lark tonight on Youtube and found it!

(technical note: my parents put an "h" in the name to make it "Kahri" hoping that Americans would pronounce it with the "ah" sound instead of the long "a" sound. It didn't work.)

12 Things

12 Thoughts
Saw this over at Penless Writer's blog

1. I was so excited when I .... found out we would be moving back home!



2. If I had some "mad money" to spend right now, I'd buy..... curriculum for next year!



3. I really shouldn't have... stayed in my jammies all day



4. Anything sad that I read about..... makes me pray.



5. The antics of..... my children keep me in stitches.



6. Family is..... everything to me, next to Jesus.



7. I just cannot believe.... how many firsts Kaedra has had the last month.



8. I'm really looking forward to... moving home.



9. The weather right now has been.... muggy, hazy and hot.



10. My mood right now is... weary but prayerful.



11. I couldn't believe... how quickly this year has already gone.



12. And now I am going to... finish up school with Emily and get ready for dinner.

At The Foot of The Cross (Lyrics) Kathryn Scott

Got this from my friend Kathy's blog.
I wanted to put it on here so I wouldn't lose it. Beautiful song, beautiful voice. Thank you for sharing Kathy!

Personality Test

My friend Susan, Penless Writer, wrote about the Primary Colors Personality Test the she and her wonderful husband took. I thought it would be fun for Michael and I to take it.  Here are our results:


I tied between yellow and green.
Yellow is described as: 

Your Primary Personality is -- Yellow
These are the heart of our society. They are loyal and loving. They are dependable, prepared and punctual. They value relationships in their lives above everything else. They value home, family, and tradition.

They are emotional and supportive. They are pleasers who avoid confrontation at all costs. They are usually patient, great listeners and are warm and encouraging. They can have difficulty being assertive. They are usually easy-going.

They love peace and harmony and are the peacemakers within a group, family or work environment. They are sunshine on a dark day. They are faithful and stable when emotionally healthy, and they have a natural ability to create safety within a relationship. They are slow-paced, easy going people pleasers. They desire to serve and please with their only reward being one of appreciation.

Green is described as:

Your Primary Personality is -- Green
These are people that we might refer to as "Rocks of Gibraltar." They are fair and dependable. They are honest and stable. They are loving and reliable. They live their lives with a great deal of integrity.
They take a larger view of the world and see things from a reference of wholeness and completeness. They pride themselves in being able to see the "big" or "whole" picture. Their word has great value and they do not give it lightly. When they commit, their word is their bond. They are in a constant progression toward wholeness.
They love to categorize and view the world from a systems perspective. They enjoy consistency and like things that have a measure of predictability. They are empathetic but not overly sympathetic. They rebuke with without judgment, counsel with mild but strong hearts. They are temperate, modest and wise.


My secondary color was orange...described as:


These are our out-going, enthusiastic, center-stage people.
They act on a moments notice. They are witting, charming and spontaneous. They love to talk. They need variety, fun and stimulation. They are natural trouble-shooters and are good at flying by the seat of their pants.
They are great at motivating and inspiring others. They are great net-workers. They usually know a lot of people. They can be very loving and encouraging unless under pressure when they can use their verbal skills to attack. They have a strong desire to be liked and enjoy being the center of attention.
They are personable and are sensitive to the reactions of others, often taking things personally. They usually pay attention to style and trends (many times setting them). They can be the life of a party. They are great at inspiring and motivating others and thrive in an environment where they can have a voice in making major decisions.


Michael came out as a green with red as his secondary color.  
Here is the description or red:

The color red represents what we most often think of as born leaders. From a young age red personality types like to take charge. As children they create the rules to the games they invite others to play. Extreme red personality types can be characterized by the saying Its my way or the highway.
They usually gravitate to positions of authority. They can be bossy and over bearing. Red personality types are dominant personalities that are not easily intimidated. They resist being controlled by anyone. As children they are often thought of as strong-willed, forceful and determined.
Red personality types believe that the ability to solve problems and take charge of any given situation defines whether one is competent or not. Most red personality types are forceful in their approach to life.


Very interesting stuff.  For the most part, I agree with it all.

What do you come up with?