After Christmas

Well Christmas is over and the New Year is almost here.
I am so thankful for all the things that have happened this year. We were able to move into our home....My daughter started reading, my son is almost reading, William is potty trained, and I finally made it to 4th semester in nursing school.

I am thankful for my friends both far and near. I could not get through school without my classmates....they keep me sane. And I am thankful for my long distance friends that keep me lifted up in prayer...and give me a place to escape to once in a while!

Thank God for all He has a given

The downstairs family room

The kitchen downstairs ( a little messy) The kids play room

My daughter

Well I thought I better blog this now....because I may not feel this way tomorrow.
I am so proud of my daughter. She has come such a long way with her behavior in the past few months. Last year we were dealing with daily meltdowns and constant backtalk. I was thinking tonight that we have not had a meltdown in almost a week, and her attitude has improved so much.
We still have to deal with some issues....but overall she is becoming a child I enjoy being around....and believe me I could not honestly say that over a year ago.
I think being in school has helped tremendously! She is sooooo bright and she gets a thrill from excelling in school. She has been in school less than a half a year, with no preschool experience and is reading beyond her grade level. I am so proud of her.
Now if I could just get her and Jesse to quit bickering, and tattling I would have it made!!

Well at the insistance of my throngs of readers.....ok just Judy...but still here is an update!

WE are moved into our new home and all settled in. I love our house! We were able to buy from friends of ours from the church, Dick and Laurel Beem. It is so nice to purchase a home that has only been lived in by godly people (since they built the house and lived here for 43 years) It just leaves a good feeling around here.

The kids love the playroom they have, and Mark loves the fireplace and the massive garage.

The basement was a mother-in-law apartment so we have an extra stove, fridge and sink and large bathroom down there. It is really cozy!! The kids playroom is down there and since it was an apartment at one point having company is really easy. Hint hint Miss Judy!

The kids switched school and are now in all day kindergarten. Elena is reading up a storm, and Jesse is doing well. He can read but thinks it is too much work.

William is finally potty trained, and is no longer my baby (sniff, sniff)

I am almost done with the semester, and am looking forward to a long Christmas break!

I am looking forward to my last semester of nursing school....man does it feel good to say that! I have a job waiting for me as an RN in OB when I am done. God is sooo good!

Well that is about it....catch you all later

Well Halellujah!!

Just when I had given up on the house selling we get a call....they got their loan...we are closing on Thursday, and have to be out in 2 weeks!!
Lord help me be nice to my kids in all this chaos.....
And thanks for all those who prayed!

Moving stinks

So we are still sitting here with our house half packed....the deal is on hold, and not looking too good to go through.
The credit freeze is causing all the issues....stupid Freddie and Fannie!
I fear I may loose my mind if we do not get an answer soon. I dont really care what the answer is....I just need to know.

So dumb

I was talking with a person the other day about the upcoming election. This individual was African American, and a person who has always claimed to be pro-life. Through the course of the conversation it comes out that this person is voting for Obama....the reason...because he is black and this person wants to see a black man in the White House.

ARE YOU STINKIN' SERIOUS???.....that is the dumbest reason I have ever heard for choosing a president. Especially when you claim to be pro-life!!
So it is better to vote for a man who thinks it is ok to kill living children (google Obamas stance on the Born Alive Infant Protection Act) just because he is black....than to vote for someone who has somewhat of a moral backbone.

Personally if people vote in Obama just because he is black....they deserve the mess he is going to make of this country. And I may sneak into Mexico and demand free healthcare and free schooling for my kids :)

I have to say that I am a wee bit aggrivated. I feel like I am in limbo. I grew up Independant Fundamental Baptist, and like that is the denomination most in line with my beliefs. Here in lies the problem....the people I have come across lately that are also IFB have been the exact opposite of what I want to be associated with.
Here is an example. I was at the mall today...just walking getting some exercise and there in front of me a group of women. These women all dressed the same, ratty floor length jean skirts, long stringy hair past their behinds that was in desperate need of a cut to take of loads of split ends. They were bombarding people in the mall, interrupting conversations, not allowing people to pass them. All while asking the question if you died today would you go to heaven. I am all for witnessing. But not in a way that ticks people off!
They stopped me...I kindly told them that I was a Christian. The lady looked me up and down and asked are you sure?.... I told her that I accepted Jesus as my savior in 1985. She asked me what denomination I was. I told her that I grew up IFB....before I could even finish my sentence she interrupted me and told me that no decent IFB woman would be caught dead wearing capris.
I walked away before I punched that woman.
It is that kind of self righteous, Pharisaical attitude that makes me disgusted with the whole Independent Fundamental Baptist movement.
How is any of that Christ-like?
GRRRRR

weird prayer request

As most of you know I am in nursing school. I am in my last 2 semesters, and am loving it so far....well mostly.
I have this weird fear of vomit. All my classmates give me weird looks and ask me why I want to be a nurse.
I really have no desire to be a med-surg floor nurse. I want to be a midwife...and while I know labor patients puke....it is not the same!
So yes I am asking a weird prayer that I get over my fear because I still have 1.5 semesters on a med-surg unit before I am done, and I am tired of being paranoid over this issue.

Thinking about stuff

I have been a member of Cafemom for awhile now. I really enjoy it and have made some great friends! It makes me think and I have grown in my faith.
One of the things that I have realized over the past year on Cafemom is that I want to teach my children not to have empty beliefs. I want them to search the scripture, and learn what the Bible truly has to say. I spent too long trying to live up to a standard set forth by men. It was not until I really sought out the scripture that I realized that God is not about a list of rules. He is about a relationship. He desires a relationship with us, and out of that relationship flows our desire to live holy lives.
I realized that I never want to be the kind of person that ask others to follows rules when their heart is not in it. I would rather have those that I mentor be truthful about their actions, then play the "good Baptist" game.
I am thankful for the friends I have made...and I am thankful for those that make me think, and challange me ;-)

WE SOLD OUR HOUSE!!!!!

We are doing the dance of joy around here!! The couple that put an offer on our house was approved! Everything seems to be in place....and if all continues to go well we should be out of here in a month.

We are renting a home in Beach Park through the winter. If Mark still has a job when I am done with school we will buy the house and stay for a few years at least. If for some reason Abbott lays him off (which they have been doing alot of lately) we will most likely move out of state when I am done with school.

I will be so happy to finally have a place I can send the kiddos outside and tell them to PLAY!!!

I have been tagged

7 weird facts about me...
1. I hate the ocean it creeps me out to the point where I could pass out. Yet I love to swim!!

2. I act just like my siblings but look nothing like them

3. I am almost done with nursing school...yet have a HUGE fear of vomit. So far so good, I have not been puked on!

4. I love algebra....but HATE geometry

5. I hate hot weather

6. I have been playing piano for 23....but hate reading music. Let me improvise and I am happy!!

7. Most of my friends live in other states

Judy, Kelly, Charlie, Jennifer, Bergie, Nicole

New things

Well things have been exciting around here that last few days. For starters I am an auntie again. My brother Ryan and his girlfriend had a beautiful baby boy. Garrett Michael Rock came on Friday September 26, 2008. Weighing in at 7lb 12oz. He has no hair and huge feet :)

We also got the news today that we have a purchase agreement on our house!!!! WHOO HOO! We are just waiting for the people to get their loan approval. This should not be an issue because they were approved for a higher loan a few weeks before. But it is not over till the fat lady sings....and I aint hitting the high notes yet!

Keep praying!

Hating Eve

So today is one of those days that I am wishing I could take a shot at Eve....you know the original woman.
I started my cycle today which always irritates me. This makes yet another month that I am unable to conceive...yet I have a period every month GRRRR....if my uterus does not want to work properly the least it could do is not give me a period!!
You know those slimquick commercials...those seriously describe my relationship with my weight. My husband can lose pounds by just switching to diet soda, or going to one snack a day....I on the other hand can drink nothing but water and have zero snacks...and NOTHING!!!
Oh well....I will get back to work and dream of the day when I can join the throngs of women ready to kick Eves butt!!!

Having a girl

As most of you know I grew up with 4 brothers and one sister. So this having a girl business is a bit odd to me.

The other day my daughter asked me why she had straight hair and I had curly. I reminded her that she is adopted, and her birthmom probably had straight hair. Then I told her that I could make her hair curly with sponge rollers. She was very excited at the prospect of a head full of curly hair.

It turned out ok but if you all have any suggestions on how to make it not so crazy....I am all ears!!!

I need guidance on how to be a girly girl for my daughter

Ladies Weekend

I have been putting some serious thought into putting together a ladies weekend.
I have been thinking about this because I would love for some of my cyber friends aka...my cafemom people... to get to know the real me.
I often think that if people knew the real me my sarcasm would make much more sense online.
So if you all read this...consider this an official invite to let me know when you are available....I would love to put something together!
And if we cannot get a group...consider my home always open for visitors.

Kids activities

Today I spent the whole morning trying to find a sport to put my kids into. I was amazed at the prices different things cost. A 10 week session of tumbling was $160. Swim lessons were &135 for 7 weeks. Martial arts was $89 a month for 2 days a week.
I really want to get them involved in something...but man we simply cannot afford that kind of money right now.
I am really hating that we are stuck in this house that has no yard...and we cannot afford to get them involved in something.
Lord please help our house to sell so we can have a place for these kids to play!!!

Why I hate sports

As I am sitting here with my loving husband....I realized we have been here for 2 hours watching this stupid sport people call football.
Now normally I would have gotten up and done something else, but I am a little under the weather so I stayed.
I just don't get it! A bunch of gigantic men running around in spandex pants trying to get a little oval shaped ball from one end of the field to the other. All the while tackling each other and generally trying to beat the snot out of each other. If one of these hulks does happen to make a good play (whatever that is) they start slapping each others spandex-ed rear ends, or slapping the mess out of that poor guys helmet.
Why beat up the guy who made a good play? I thought that was for the other guys? And what is the infatuation with butt slapping?
One thing I have learned this afternoon....I will never understand men and the things that make them happy!!!

The First Day of School

I know some parents love to be around their kids 24/7....and God bless those that do. I on the other hand was very happy to have them start school!

I need the break from being a referee....

This is the kiddos on the first day of school.

When they got home I dutifully asked how the day went. Jesse said..fine. That was the end of that conversation. Typical boy. When I asked Elena how her day went. She said " Mom I did really good, I was only a little bit naughty." She was so proud of herself. And anyone that knows my daughter a little naughty is a big improvement.

She struggles with impulse control...and we take little victories when where we can get them.

I was looking at this picture of me when I was about 10 or so. I would love to cut my hair that short again. I am a bit tired of dealing with all the hassle of long curly hair.

We shall see....Mark does not want me to, but man sometimes I hate the hassle!

Sharing!

Everyday we teach our children that it is very important to share. Well sometimes that backfires. My daycare kids felt the need to share strep. Now we all have it. Thank the Lord it is not that bad of a strain. The kids are a little naughty, and out of sorts. Then again being a little naughty is not that out of sorts.