A Voice of Encouragement

I recently had the incredible opportunity to take my kids to California.  I was able to show them where I grew up, and had the opportunity to meet up with a few old friends while I was there.

One of those friends is a girl I met when I was in 6th grade.  We were pretty close.  When we met last month it was as if we had never been apart.  She has two adorable children ages 3 and 4.

While we were watching the kids play we were able to have several deep conversations and most of them centered around our children and struggles we have as mothers. Near the end of our time together she said something that was surprising to me.  She told me that I had encouraged her with a lot of what I had to say.  I don't think I can convey adequately what this meant to me.

I am a typical American stay-at-home-mom.  As such I am constantly grappling with my worth.  I wonder if I'm training my children properly, if I'm contributing to society enough, if I'm doing enough to support the cost of a family as large as mine.  Even though I am surrounded by peers who are encouraging, there is something in the air around me (and others I suspect) that seems intent on making me feel inadequate.

(c) Anne Taintor

Thank you Women's Lib for ruining the psyche of so many women who are passionate about their families.

As I was saying, my friend's comment really struck a chord with me.  My thinking afterward went something like this, "I have four children.  My oldest one is is 14.  I have dealt with strong wills, boundless childhood energy, trips to the ER, and many other things.  Maybe, just maybe I have something to share with other moms."

(c) Anne Taintor

Ok, I admit I've thought of this before.  Who doesn't think now and then that they have advice to give.  Honestly, I've considered it many times, but somewhere in the back of my brain a little voice says, "There are so many women out there who could probably say the same thing better."

Well, not anymore.  I want to be encouraging.  I want other moms to know that their kids aren't weird, or bad for being inquisitive and energetic.  I want them to know that loud children can be embarrassing, but can also come up with some really amazing insights.  I want them to know that it's normal for kids to burn off energy by turning into that hyper cat from the cat food commercial now and then.  I want them to know that children are incredibly smart and that you have to stay one step ahead of them at all times.  I want them to know that anyone can teach their child, and that homeschooling is not limited to super moms, but to anyone who is called to do it.

More to come.

The Difference Between Fairy Tales and Reality

I really didn't think I'd have to write something like this, but it seems like our generation (well, technically the past several) can't seem to tell the difference.  Divorce is unfortunately all too common, and although I hoped that none of my friends would ever suffer its wound, I am finding statistics all too real.

I write this blog carefully.  I will not name names, and I will not divulge personal information (my own or that of my friends). I must be as candid as possible, however, for without real life examples this information would seem rather weak.  Suffice it to say, that although I will not point out exactly who has experienced any particular thing, I have known more than one couple who have come to the brink of divorce or have crossed over to the other side.  Some I have felt devastated for, others I felt it justified.

Also, as I am a woman, and I am created differently than men, I will be speaking from my own experience and understanding.  Perhaps my insight will help the men I know understand their wives better.  If you are masculine, and wish to understand more than simply the female thought process (as well as I can describe it), please seek out an appropriate mentor in the older men at your church.

Growing up, us girls were enamored by the idea that the princess found her handsome, charming prince and married without too much struggle, ultimately living happily ever after.  I hate to break it to you, but that is not reality.  It is fiction.  It is an idealized telling of what might have happened if Adam and Eve had not plunged the world into sin, and what will happen when Jesus comes to take his bride home.  It is something to look forward to in eternity, not something that will happen here on earth, and if you are expecting it, then (as Westly said in the "Princess Bride") get used to disappointment.

Let me explain what marriage really is.  Marriage is two imperfect humans deciding to show each other the love of Christ.  This means unconditional love, respect, and commitment.  This does not mean putting up with abuse, or covering abusive habits.  For a woman this means, that you are going to deal with all the crap your husband dishes out in a loving way.  It means setting boundaries, so that he understands that you will always love him and be dedicated to his best interests.  This does not mean you will lay down like a doormat and allow him to hurt himself or anyone else.

I know of husbands who have been drug addicts, pornography addicts, and terrorists.  I've known work-a-holics, and adulterers.  I have also known those with culturally less heinous vices, such as addiction to entertainment, food, and those who are simple self-absorbed.  I have learned that no husband is immune to these vices.  They may keep these sins well hidden for a time, but eventually something comes out.  When that something does, the Cinderella mentality is suddenly ripped away like a bandage over an open wound.

When this happens you are at a cross-roads.  You must decide if you are willing, as Jesus did, to honor your commitments and begin the hard work of restoring a fellow human being, or if you will do as Judas did, and sell out the one you love proving to them that they are indeed unworthy of love (as they, most likely, already feel about themselves).

The next thing that happens is that you must understand the lengthy nature of your commitment.  We are in a sin-sick world.  Life here can certainly be filled with joy as we see the work of God constantly, but it is not always rosy and simple.  The work ahead is daunting and often thankless.  If you are willing to give of yourself, you will reap rewards in the end.  You will NEVER see your husband perfected in this world.  You will ALWAYS find things in him that negatively affect you.  But you must decide that this man who you once thought charming, and handsome, and perfectly suited to you, is able to become that man again.

Don't forget that you are not perfect either.  You are not only self-oriented and tend to be easily offended, but you will get worn out by the work involved and sometimes snap under the pressure.  When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane, he begged that the Father would make a way out for him.  He sweated blood, but was still willing to finish his task.  You will certainly fall yourself.  If you think you won't then keep a lookout, because those who give grace get it in return, but those who puff themselves up with a holier-than-thou attitude will certainly fall on their faces.

I am deeply saddened when I see a marriage dissolve because one or both of those who committed themselves decides to leave.  So, in an effort to help, here are some positive suggestions for how to make it work.

     1) No matter how rejected you may feel, remember that your goal is not to be loved by your spouse, but to be deeply loved by God.  No human being will ever love you as God does, and no earthly love will ever fulfill you the way God's love can.

     2) Remember that nothing on this earth worth having comes easily.  It takes hard work and sacrifice to make a beautiful marriage.

     3) Even if you feel you've had breakthrough, don't expect your errant spouse to respond immediately.  It takes patience and consistency to properly model God's love.  You may have to start the courting process over in order to restore the relationship.

     4) Forgive again and again.  God has done it for you.  The point is to let your spouse know that they are loved and accepted by God, and that you will do what it takes to make them understand this.

     5) Wait on the Lord.  When there is a total breakdown of communication you will have to shut-up and wait.  Pray, fast if you can, but don't expect an immediate obvious change of heart.  Although it's certainly possible for someone to be healed overnight, it doesn't happen very often.  You're in it for the long haul.

     6) Set boundaries.  Let your spouse know that you will always choose to love them, but that you will not allow them to hurt you.  Let them know that sometimes love takes the form of discipline (not that you are disciplining them, but that you are showing self-discipline by setting appropriate boundaries).

     7) Keep track of small blessings.  Write them down if you must, but never forget to take notice of small things, no matter how insignificant they may seem.

     8) Find out what love language they speak.  If you married to someone who only spoke Portuguese and you only spoke to them in English you would never really accomplish much communication.  Love is the same way.  If the way of showing love that resonates the most with you is giving or receiving gifts, and your spouse feels more loved when you tell them how wonderful they are, then neither one of you are going to feel loved until you begin speaking the other one's language.

     9) Keep your eyes on the prize.  Remember that the goal is not to turn them into your ideal human being, but to be the tool of God.  Propel them onward to greater heights in their relationship with Him.  The closer they get to God the better your relationship will be.

     10) and Lastly, remember your vows.  We said them at a time when we assumed we would buck the trend, be the one couple who didn't have the problems everyone else did.  We were starry eyed and hopeful.  There's a reason traditional vows include "sickness" and "bad times."  We didn't feel the weight when we said them because we had no idea what that would entail.  Now it's time to show your courage, your integrity and your true strength.  While weathering the storms, you can hold onto these vows as an anchor.  When you get to the other side of the rough patches (and some of them last for years) you will have a sense of accomplishment, much as a soldier feels when receiving a medal of honor.

* * *

I would be remiss to leave out children.  They are an integral part of the mix, and often are caught in the middle.  Arguing in front of the children is to be avoided, but they must be taught that marriage takes hard work and that two people never get along perfectly.  They must be taught that it's fun to watch princess movies and dream of white knights and hopeless romantics, but that role will only be filled by Jesus Christ.  They must know that no human being will ever measure up to that ideal, and that marriage is two sinful people committing to stick together, no matter what.

It's not going to hurt their psyche to know that Mom and Dad aren't getting along.  It's going to strengthen them to know that Mom and Dad are going to work though this rough patch and stick it out.  It's strengthening for them to see a model of unconditional love in spite of character flaws.  It's empowering for them to see their human, non-perfect parents model a pattern of dependence on God for sanctification.

Never, EVER tell your kids how horrible their other parent is behaving.  They are much smarter than we give them credit for.  Instead, give them the truth about your own struggles, so they know that no matter how heinous a sin they are dealing with, if their Mama or Papa can overcome, then they can too.

Nutrition: Signs of our times

Okay, here is where I finally alienate the majority of my audience by being bold and politically incorrect.

Lets talk about food and nutrition.  This is not going to be an educational post, but rather a rant about how ignorant people in our country have become.  I hope that if you can read my blog you have learned the basics of nutrition.  Our bodies process water, carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals and turn them into energy.  This is really not what I want to cover, though.

What I want to discuss is how to feed masses of people a healthy diet for a relatively low cost.  First of all lets look at history.  Whenever I read books about the way people lived long ago I am amazed.  The idea that people had to do so much work just to get food is overwhelming to this pampered woman living a life of such relative ease.  I've been reading the Little House on the Prairie series to my girls, and it reminds me again how much I take for granted.

Lets take a look at the Native Americans (or Indians as I call them growing up).  This land was teeming with food when they lived here, and they were the original conservationists.  They knew where their food came from because if they wanted to eat something they had to kill it, or grow it themselves.  They believed that if they killed an animal, every part of it should be used.  They used the bones for needles, and buttons.  They used the fat for lamp oil or grease.  They used the meat for food.  They used the stomach lining and intestines for string.  They tanned the hide and used the fur and leather to clothe themselves and keep them warm.

There were Native Americans all across this land long before the Europeans settled here.  They thrived here.  Now, I'm not going to say they didn't war among themselves, or have periods of famine, or die of diseases.  I'm also not going to say that every one of them was a conservationist, or that they somehow missed the curse of Adam.  They were not perfect, just different.  Over the hundreds of years that they inhabited our country, somehow they were able to survive.

Now lets move forward a bit to the European settlement of our country.  The colonists worked together to create cities.  Cities were certainly more convenient.  The more people there were working together, the easier it was to get things accomplished.  One man could plant a single crop on his land and trade it with another man who grew something else.  Those who didn't enjoy farming could set up shops and trade their craftsmanship in return for food grown by someone else.  Cities also were dirty and crowded.  The more people, the more rules they had to come up with to make sure that those more prone to give into their sinful nature were kept in check.  The building of houses and shops close together for convenience meant that some of the more natural areas had to be destroyed.  Wild animals became more scarce in these areas, and domesticated animals for food had to be  raised, just like crops.

Now don't go jumping to conclusions.  I'm all for cities.  I happen to enjoy living in one.

As the east coast began to fill up with people, bold frontiersmen (and women) started moving out west.   Transportation was limited and road were often crude or non-existent.  In the Little House books we learn that pioneer families were limited in how much they could carry away from civilization on their search for less populated locales.  Usually this consisted of a wooden box on wheels approximately 10 feet by 3 1/2 feet.  Everything that they couldn't fit in the box had to stay behind.  This would be comparable to loading up a 15 passenger van and making sure that you could still fit your family inside comfortably.  (This could turn into a whole new post if I don't stay on topic here).

We know from basic school history books that many of the pioneers got greedy when they saw all the animals roaming wild out in the prairies and further west.  So greedy in fact that they hunted the buffalo almost to extinction.

Now, to keep this shorter than it otherwise could be let's fast-forward to today.  Apparently, we've discovered in our modern age that meat is not good for you.  We've learned that these poor stupid settlers, you know, the ones who made their own furniture, built log cabins, grew their own food, and killed and butchered their own meat were eating all the wrong foods.  The only thing they did right was to avoid refined sugars (oh wait, those weren't even available until the industrial age).  Now, in our age of enlightenment, our nation is getting fatter and fatter, and no matter how much we try to enlighten the masses, only a small minority seem to be able to stay healthy.  From everything that I've studied in history there seems to be a disconnect in logic here.

We are afraid of eating genetically modified corn, but we're taught that the majority of our nutritional intake should be carbs.  If everyone in the country was getting the amount of carbs we are supposed to be eating, then we wouldn't be able to grow enough food to keep up with the demand.

Then, culturally we've become protein snobs.  (This is where I'm thinking I'll probably lose my audience).  Apparently, the only land animals fit for human consumption are beef, pork, chicken, and the occasional deer.  On special occasions we can eat turkey, duck, or quail.  Dogs and cats are not food.  They are cute cuddly creatures that no one in their right mind would turn into stew.  Horses are okay for animal food, but humans certainly shouldn't eat them.  Bunnies, squirrels, raccoon, possums and the like are cute woodland creatures or pests (depending on your experience with them), and they should be considered children's book illustrations, not a possible dietary supplement.  Oh wait, let me backtrack here.  Pork is a toss up depending on your religious beliefs or which books about nutrition you've read.

Let me go back to pets.  I'm all for pets.  I've owned hamsters, goldfish, cats and an awesome dog.  I think there is a place for pets.  But apparently in our society rather than allow cats and dogs to become food, we should sterilize them to keep them from overrunning our human population.

I guess what I'm saying is that our society is shooting itself in the foot.  We still live in a land flowing with "milk and honey."  We just have to get over ourselves and see it for what it is.  I read once that lobster used to be considered poor mans food.  In fact, there was a law that you couldn't feed your slaves lobster more than twice a week.  Yet somehow, now a Maine lobster can go for $40 depending on the restaurant.  At some point someone decided that lobster was a delicacy, and everyone believed them.

It makes me so angry when I see advertising for feeding America's hungry children.  Apparently every night a bunch of kids here in the USA goes to bed hungry.  I hope they aren't counting my kids in that statistic because there are a lot of nights my kids go to bed hungry.  Of course, that's because they were too picky to eat a decent amount of food at supper time.  It frustrates me that so many people are upset with non-organic farming.  God told mankind to subdue the earth, and he gave us the brains to come up with ways to produce more food in better and easier ways.  So why are we so up in arms with the meat industry for giving us enough food for everyone.  Why do we euthanize old unwanted animals who are essentially "organically raised" and get up in arms about the cattle ranchers who are trying to satisfy our picky palates?  Why do you think God made rabbits so easy to breed?

And one more thing about "pink slime."  Instead of getting offended and signing petitions to keep it out of our schools,  why don't we come up with a better use for those parts of the cow.  The Native Americans found a use for all those body parts.  We can too.  If you don't want the government to feed it to your kid, then come up with an alternative.  It's like telling someone they have to cook you a fancy dinner for less than $2.  Either they have to break the budget, or they'll have to use poor quality food.

Book Recommendation: "Why We Get Fat"

Normally I try not to use my blog as a platform to promote products, or other commercial interests.  If any of my readers are like me, they get tired of hearing commercials all the time, and just want a nice, hopefully funny, relaxing read.  Today is an exception. 

Friday night at church, my pastor recommended a book.  Now, any of you avid churchgoers understand, that when your pastor recommends something, you should at least consider it.  I know pastors aren't perfect, but by willingly submitting to their authority, we can be blessed.

Those who know me personally know that I'm not grotesquely overweight, but that I've been frustrated with dieting over the past years.  I don't have a ton of weight to lose, but I don't like the fact that I'm tired all the time, grossly out of shape, and seem to have no control over my sugar addiction at times. 

Several months ago I gave up.  I was sick of wasting all my mental energy counting calories and trying to make sure that I was getting the proper amount of cardio and weight training.  I was disillusioned by the whole diet industry.  I knew there had to be a better explanation as to why I was getting fat. 

Common knowledge from nutrition education that was available to me basically told me that if I couldn't lose weight and keep it off, then I must be either a glutton, or a sloth.  I knew from other areas of my life, and from feedback I received from trusted friends and mentors that I was neither.  I could lose weight if I really put all my time and energy into it, but I would hit a wall at a certain weight and couldn't seem to get past that point. 

As I said before, my pastor recommended the book on Friday and his success thus far in utilizing the information it contained.  I knew that this was something I should at least look into, and so I bought the book.  It took me a day and a half to read it.  Not that it was a small book.  It was simply so logical, and spoke to my struggles so exactly that I couldn't put it down. 

Now to explain why I'm recommending it here.  Years ago if I read a life changing book I would shout it from the rooftops, telling everyone I came into contact with that they should read this book.  Through the years I have learned that if God is speaking to me through a book it doesn't necessarily mean that He has the same message for every one of my friends.  I have since learned to read books and internalize them and I only recommend them if one of my friends specifically mentions a struggle with that particular issue. 

As I think of my friends and family I know that the majority of them struggle with their weight and are frustrated with the inability to maintain weight loss.  If you're not one of those people and you've read this far, you can probably think of several of your friends who would benefit from this information, even if it is unnecessary to you.  My friends and family who would benefit from the information include everyone from those who are obese and cannot seem to take the weight off, no matter how hard they try, to those with gout, to those who seem to be maintaining their weight but not without considerable effort and semi-starvation, to those who are skinny, and wish they could put on a few pounds. 

As you can see I highly recommend this book.  I won't get any money from the sale of this book.  I simply recommend it, because I care about my friends and want them to live a victorious life.  So please, take a chance and read the book "Why We Get Fat; and What to Do About It."

One Caveat:  I believe in a literal 7 day creation as the origin of the universe.  The author of this book believes that man evolved over millions of years.  While the majority of the book focuses on case studies and scientific research done over the past 150-200 years, he does mention hunter-gatherer diet in a positive light.  I simply ignored his explanation and inserted my own understanding of our human past.  After the flood, when the waters above the firmament had broken up, and the earth was recovering from a complete change in atmospheric conditions, God told Noah and his sons that they could eat animals for food.  I believe it was at this point that the information in this book became valid for mankind. 

P.S.  If you're interested in other books I recommend that haven't made it to my blog, Check here.  (Pinterest Account Required)

The Strong-willed Child

I've been on a rampage emotionally the last few days.  I'm on a mental battlefront, and the odd thing is, I'm not really having any problems with my own strong-willed child.  It started with this status update from a friend on Facebook (comment edited slightly):

   "SWCs...If you don't have one, then don't try to tell me how to deal with mine!"

Over the past couple of weeks I've run into several moms who are dealing with similar situations.  I finally clued in and thought I should probably write an encouraging post.  

Now, as my friend already noted, if you don't have a strong-willed child, then you cannot possibly understand the mental and emotional (and when they're little, physical) calisthenics we parents go through.  Picture, if you will, the annoying, screaming child in the grocery store, and the seemingly oblivious mom, who does nothing about the situation.  Before I had my SWC, I would look down on this situation with scathing judgement, declaring the mother incompetent and unloving.  Now, I look with pity on the poor woman who is just trying to get her shopping done without losing her mind.  

Now, to those of you who are in the thick of it with your SWC (or possibly two or three of them) here are my top 10 things to keep in mind.  

#10 Sometimes it's food related.  This seems bogus to some, but I have to attest to the fact that sometimes food can actually cause them to behave differently.  Just as comfort food can create a calm feeling, their minds and bodies react to foods in numerous way.  As a first course of action you might want to get them tested for sensitivities (not necessarily allergies).  You just might find that they're a bit more reasonable when they don't have those trigger foods coursing through their veins.  

#9  They are incredibly smart.  Even though it may be tough to deal with their constant arguing with every rule you try to put down, SWC's are usually smarter than the average kid.  Just watch out that they don't outsmart you.  Indulge their curiosity when you know they are genuine.  When they're playing lawyer and trying to talk you out of something, it's best to just say, "Because I said so."

#8    If you keep at it, it does get easier from time to time.  As with every child, the SWC will go through phases of development that will give you a break.  Look for tiny areas of improvement and be sure to compliment when you see them.  Of course, since it's in their nature to take control, be ready for new tactics as they outgrow old patterns of thought.

#7  They will help you become more assertive.  Sometimes, as parents we focus so much on training our kids that we lose sight of the fact that God is training us as well.  It took me a long time to realize that it wasn't truly going to make my child happy if I gave in all the time.  It wasn't fun at first, but I learned that I can say no to other people as well as my children.  Now I'm much more confident about who and what I'm willing to donate time and energy to.  

#6  They help you appreciate your other children.  If you happen to have more than one child, then you might notice how nice it is that they aren't all strong willed.  Well, I guess this only works if the others aren't strong willed.  Of course, no two children are alike, so perhaps even if they are all strong willed, you can appreciate that they aren't all strong willed in the same areas.

#5  You never have to wonder what they're thinking.  My quiet, compliant daughter is so much harder to read at times, but my son tells me what he's thinking all the time.  I never have to guess if he's happy or upset.  Of course, sometimes I wish he'd make it a little harder to figure out.

#4  You won't have to worry about peer pressure.  Most SWCs lead their friends.  Once in a while they might finally accept what you've been trying to tell them about being kind and well mannered, but they usually won't go too far.  

#3  You can be confident that they will be able to stand on their own two feet when they get into the real world.  Because they aren't swayed by their peers, you can bet they aren't going to kowtow to an overbearing boss, or bend to societies pressures to give up their core values.  

#2  They will eventually grow up and move out.  Even if you struggle every single day they're in your house, at least you know that at some point they will move out on their own.  Their independence from you will drive them to it eventually, and you shouldn't have to worry about failure to launch.  

#1  You'll have some incredibly embarrassing stories to tell their children someday.  At the end of it all, you will look back to this time and realize the store of wonderful memories you can share with their children.  You can become your strong-willed grandchild's number one source of tactical information on how to thwart their parent's every rule.  Ok, so perhaps that last one isn't a great idea, but maybe you can smile in satisfaction when they finally break down and call you to ask for advice on how to handle their own SWC.  

The Mansion

While I was visiting my parents house I had an interesting dream.

Someone I barely knew bequeathed to me a mansion.  The architecture was typical of South Florida.  There were many rooms, and for a moment during the dream I felt as if I'd dreamed about the house before.  It was deja vu during a dream which is a very odd sensation.  There were grand bathrooms and large bedrooms, Tile floors and vaulted ceilings.  Two things stood out to me above everything else and took up the majority of the dream.

The first was the library.  Although it wasn't nearly as big as a public library, it was significantly larger than any library I've seen inside a home.  The floors were white marble with tan veins, and there were roman columns throughout the room.  It looked like an ancient library out of a movie.  The walls were at least two stories high with bookshelves lining them almost to the ceiling.  Every shelf was completely stocked with books.  To my amazement, there were also four aisles of bookshelves in the middle of the room, stretching out at least 40 feet each.  These shelves were lined on both sides with books and were about 8 feet high.  I could not see over them while standing.  There were no chairs in this room, indicating that the reader was encouraged to take the book of choice elsewhere to read in comfort. 

As I gazed in wonder at what I'd been given I knew immediately that I would never be able to read all of the books in my lifetime.  I also knew that I had many beloved books at home that I would want to store in this room after my family moved into the house to occupy it.  I sent out notices to many of my homeschooler friends and told them of my fortune.  I asked everyone to please come and look at my library and take whatever books they wanted. These would be gifts to them, and not to be returned to me. 

Soon there were many homeschool moms perusing the titles of my library, carrying out stacks of books with my blessing.  As they looked I decided to see what else was in the house.  I stepped through the grand double door entrance to the library and found myself in the second place that stood out to me. 

I found myself in a room that was obviously supposed to be the main living room.  It wasn't nearly as large as the library, but was much larger than any living room I'd ever seen.  There were about a half dozen seating areas arranged.  Most of the furniture was antique, camelback sofas, and wingchairs flanked by occaisional tables with slender curved legs. 

The thing that stood out to me the most about this room was not the volume of funiture, but the exterior walls.  The room was situated on a corner of the house, and both of the exterior wall were completely missing.  They had been lowered into the ground and the top edges of the wall were like concrete tiles leading onto a large patio.  The location of the longest wall was also about 10 feet from a sidewalk where anyone could simply step over the small edging of grass, cross the brick pavers of the patio, and enter the room at will. 

Unlike the library, I did not wish to give away any of the furniture, though I had plenty to spare.  I was concerned about protecting my privacy, not wishing anyone to enter the room uninvited.  I looked for a way to raise the walls back up, so the room (and thus the house) would not be open to intruders.  I looked forward to inviting guests to visit, but I did not want strangers stealing anything.  I was also concerned about the weather typical to south florida and the inherent moisture damage that could occur in such an open environment.  I wondered how long the walls had been down, and noted that the furniture was still in excellent condition despite the exposure to the elements. 

My husband found a way to raise the walls and as they were going up, I awoke and the dream was ended.  Before I was fully awake I saw that the walls had several large windows in them and I was glad that there was such a large amount of natural light pouring into the room. 

It's My Birthday

Another year has passed, and a new one has just begun in my life.  I was hoping I could write this jaw-dropping, deeply thought-provoking blog that everyone would ooh and ahh over.

Sorry to disappoint.

Late last night I was planning to head to the grocery store to buy everything I need to make lasagna today.  My hubby gave me a gift of service, and went to the store for me.  He even bought me flowers.  He said he was planning to get them for me today, but since we have a busy schedule on Fridays he went ahead and got them early.

This morning I cuddled with my three beautiful girls.  Then I got up to make breakfast, and the girls helped me make the bed.

For breakfast I made French toast and bacon.  I made it more for my kids than myself.  Sometimes giving gifts to others brings so much joy to me that it's almost as if I'm the one getting the gift.  I bought some blueberry syrup at Aldi's yesterday when I went on my post-vacation restock run.  It was delicious on the French toast.

Normally my hubby takes me out for my birthday.  Because we have church on Friday nights, and because we just got back from vacation My hubby and I decided to wait until next week to celebrate my birthday.  I decided to make a nice dinner for tonight (part of the reason I needed to go shopping last night).  After chores were done I started working on the meat sauce for the lasagna.

To my surprise, just as I finished the prep work for the meat sauce, my best friend called me and asked me out to lunch.  She took me out for Mexican food (one of my favorites!!)  Then she took me to Starbucks for coffee.

While we were at Starbucks I decided to pick up a few clearanced Christmas items.  Because it was busy, the cashier rang up our coffee along with my items even though I tried to tell her that they were supposed to be separate orders.  My friend really wanted to pay for my coffee since I usually buy it when we're out together.  She was planning on paying with a gift card she was carrying, and didn't have any cash to pay for the coffee part of our order.  I looked down and saw a crumpled up bill on the floor.  It was a $10!!!  It paid for the coffee.


After I got home I finished up the lasagna prep while watching the biggest loser on my DVR, sans commercials.  While I was watching, my middle daughter brought me this card (hidden inside a large ball ornament).

Then I cleaned up a bit and vegged on the computer for a while.  I uploaded a bunch of pictures on Facebook, and updated my Bethimus Designs page.  My hubby came home early after an appointment with his endodontist, and I popped the lasagna in the oven.

When my youngest woke up, the congestion in her chest confirmed that I will be missing church tonight.  She was choking on phlegm so badly that she spit up a little.  Since I'm the nursery coordinator, it would be a bit hypocritical to take her in since the rules clearly state that no children are allowed who have thrown up in the past 24 hours.

We ate our delicious dinner as a family, except of course for my little one, who's tummy didn't fancy the heavy food.  We had navel oranges with the lasagna and my hubby and I had Virgil's soda.  Then Hubby took the older three kids with him to church, and I played computer games while my little one watched cartoons.  Oh, and I had a little bit of peppermint bark leftover from Christmas.

Well, that was my day.  It was a lot of fun (except for the little one being sick).  Goodnight.