That's What Christmas is All About

Heart for Africa

Last night I finished reading the book It's Not Okay With Me by Janine Maxwell. It took me 3 nights to read. (Not a long book, I'm just a slow reader.) I LOVED IT!!

Janine Maxwell came to a crossroads in her life when she was stuck in New York City on 9/11. She felt that there was something more that God wanted her to do with her life. She ended up selling her successful marketing company in Canada, and eventually, she and her husband were put in charge of Dream for Africa. This was an organization begun by Dr. Bruce Wilkinson (author of Prayer of Jabez). Janine and her husband changed the organization's name to Heart for Africa.

In the book, Janine mentions (I believe several times) the Bible verse James 1:27. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. I have often read this verse since my miscarriage last year. I keep thinking to myself, "Okay God, if I can't have that baby in my arms, let me have my arms around those little ones who need a mother or just need someone to step in and help them." This is what Janine and her family seem to be doing. I'm praying to find a way to contribute to Hope for Africa.

I just had to share this with you because I loved Janine's book and found this video very moving. I pray that this clip tugs at your heart too.

Amazing Grace and Amazing Lights!

Amazing Grace Techno - Computer Controlled Christmas Lights from Richard Holdman on Vimeo.

Compassion International

This a repeat post, but I'm still searching for someone to sponsor this little boy. You could be the primary sponsor but share the joy of sponsoring this precious one with a friend or relative. Please prayerfully consider this.

Many of you know that we sponsor a boy in Brazil through Compassion International. I recently signed up for Compassion's What I want for Christmas program. I am committed to finding a sponsor for one child by December 31.The little boy's name is Andres Fuentes Nunez. He is 7 years old and lives in Peru. Andres lives with his mother and 2 siblings. His mother is only employed some of the time.

Sponsoring a child means a financial commitment of $38 per month, plus you get the pleasure of exchanging letters with them. (I just received a letter from our child today!) If you would like more info about Compassion International, please go to http://www.compassion.com/. My boss recently attended an event where the president of Compassion spoke, and she was lucky enough to go on a tour of their Colorado offices. She was very impressed!

I know we are all facing financial hardships right now, but I still wanted to pass along this information in case any of you would be interested in sponsoring Andres or if you might know of someone else who would be interested. Please keep Andres in your prayers and pray that I can find a sponsor for him. If anyone out there is interested, I can mail you the info you need in order to begin your sponsorship. Thank you!

Christmas Cards? Follow-up

I do have to say that I agree with Sue J. and Kat about enjoying getting things in the mail besides bills and junk. I also agree that with all of the technology these days, receiving something with a human touch is comforting and more personal. I can be resistant to technology and prefer the "old fashioned" way of doing some things. It took me quite a while to get on board with Facebook. (My husband still refuses to do that.) And I really don't think I'll ever "Twitter".

So will I send Christmas cards this year? The jury is still out. As I've furthered my walk with God, I think I see Easter as the more important holiday. (I don't know if "important" is the correct word, but you know what I mean.) Don't get me wrong...I love Christmas!!! (And, unfortunately, some of the trappings that come with it.) I guess I feel Easter is a better time to remind others of what Christ has done for us.

Christmas Cards?

I used to love sitting down and writing out Christmas cards. You know, back in the days before email and ecards. I enjoyed picking out boxes of cards and sending them to all of our friends and relatives. There was a time when I had over 100 people on my list! Then we had kids, and I delighted in sending pictures of them along with the cards. (Although, we've never done the traditional Christmas photo.) I always personally signed the cards and wrote personal notes to some of the recipients. And I swore I would NEVER do the Christmas newsletter!!!

Fast forward several years...I now loathe sending out Christmas cards. They take too much time and too much money. I think I did break down one year and do the newsletter just to save time. And my list has been whittled down to less than 50 recipients. The only point I now see in sending these cards is to remind people of the "reason for the season". Really, I actually prefer sending Easter cards to let people know what Jesus did for us.

I have a friend here who is a fantastic artist. She draws her own cards each year and has them printed. They're wonderful! Everyone wants to be on Wendi's Christmas card list! I received mine the other day, and it was hand delivered! Wendi even writes personal notes in her cards.

So far this Christmas season, I've sent out one card. I had a special reason for sending it. As of this moment, I have know idea if I will be sending cards to anyone else.

What are you doing this year? Traditional Christmas cards? A newsletter? Ecards? Let me know. I'm interested in hearing your thoughts. Perhaps you'll inspire me to mail more than one!

If you're curious about the history of Christmas cards, go here. You can see a picture of the very first one.

If I decide to not send out any cards, please know that I wish you all the blessings of Christmas and a wonderful New Year!

Thankful Thursday

I haven't written a Thankful Thursday post in a while. I've just been too busy! So let's get to it!

1. I'm thankful that my family got to spend a splendid long weekend in the Outer Banks for Thanksgiving! It was cold, but sunny. The kids and one brave adult from our group of 16 actually went in the water!



2. I'm glad that our friends who went with us for the first time got to see lots of dolphins and horses and were able to go to the lighthouse. (My hubby was the "horse charmer". You only saw horses if you drove up the beach with him!)



3. I'm thankful that God (and Andrea) have encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone. I've begun sharing my blogs with some people I actually know in person and have received positive feedback from them!



4. I'm grateful to have our home decorated for Christmas. Although, Sam is disappointed because we have no outside lights up this year. Our porch is going to be ripped apart next week, so there is no point in putting up lights.



5. I'm thankful that I may be getting 24 hours to myself this weekend while the guys go on a fishing trip! Please pray for safety for them, good weather, and no illnesses. Oh, and lots of fish!

Please join Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey by posting your own Thankful Thursday list!

Living in a 1 Bathroom House in a 2 1/2 Bathroom World

Until I was 6 years old, I lived in a house with only 1 bathroom. My poor father had to share that bathroom with his wife and four daughters, three of whom were teenagers! Then we moved to a house with 2 1/2 baths. That must have been a dream come true for my dad!

Since then, I have always lived in a home that had at least 2 bathrooms. Even our townhouse in Virginia had 2 1/2 baths. That ended nine years ago when we moved into our current home. One bathroom. Three "men". And me.

My typical weekday morning goes like this: I get up and hop in the shower. While I'm in the shower, my husband comes in and uses the bathroom. Our bathroom happens to have a front door and a back door. As dear husband goes out the back door into our bedroom, my youngest son knocks on the front door so that he can come in to use the bathroom. I'm still in the shower. No one can flush the toilet while I'm showering because I'll either be scalded or frozen to death.

I finally exit the shower and get dressed. By this time, my oldest son is knocking on the front door so that he can come in and take a shower. While he's getting undressed, I'm at the sink with my back to him to ensure his privacy. As he gets in the shower, I open the back door so that the mirror doesn't fog up while I'm trying to do my make-up. (No fan in our bathroom.) As I'm drying my hair, my younger son comes back in to brush his teeth. I step away from the sink & mirror to let him brush, all the while still drying my hair. He leaves. I'm done drying my hair and my older son is done with his shower. Again, I keep my back to him as he dries off and gets dressed, and I work on fixing my hair just right. Then I have to step out of the bathroom to put on my hairspray because he has lots of allergies. Finally, I'm done.

I go downstairs to eat breakfast, have my coffee and take my vitamins. I then go back upstairs to brush my teeth. Now if my dear hubby has an early meeting to go to, he's in the shower by this time. So I go in the back door, leaving it open to combat the steam, and I brush my teeth.

This whole routine can really annoy me at times. I'm actually embarrassed to tell people that I live in a home with only 1 bathroom. After all, we live in America. The land of plenty! How is it possible that I live in a house with fewer than two bathrooms?

Then one morning last week I began thinking about Paulo, the little boy we sponsor through Compassion International, and about Andres, whom I'm still trying to find a sponsor for. What are their bathrooms like? Do they even have indoor plumbing? Do they have toilet paper and clean towels? How about soap and other toiletries that we consider necessities.

These thoughts were very humbling for me. How dare I complain when I am blessed to have hot water and a toilet in my home? (Even when that toilet doesn't stay very clean because my men have bad aim!) I have a shelf in my linen closet stocked with extra soap, shampoo, hairspray, cotton balls, lotions, etc.

My dear friends, remember to thank our Heavenly Father for your blessings. Especially for those things that you take for granted and that actually may irritate you from time to time. As the saying goes, "What's one man's junk is another man's treasure." Remember those who don't have what you do. Pray for them and be grateful for your "junk".

Book Giveaway

I am giving away copies of Kristie Verret's book, Unforgotten Children: A Testimony of God's Healing Through Miscarriage. I still have 2 books left. Please go to my Angel Baby blog to see what you need to do!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

This past Saturday, I got to get up early to go to church choir camp for 2 1/2 hours. We're getting ready for our upcoming Christmas concert and needed the extra practice. Despite the hard work, it was fun. Our director let us go a half hour early, and I was able to get some errands done before going home.

On Sunday, I got to decorate our house for Christmas. What made this task unattractive to me was that I had to dust the downstairs and straighten up a bit first. But I got the cleaning done and am now enjoying my decorated house.

Last week I got to come up with a behavioral incentive chart for my 4-year-old class. I have NEVER had to do this before, but several kids in this class are little stinkers. I have to do something to get them under control. I'm happy to say that they're starting to understand it. Although, at the same time I hate it because I feel like I'm having to bribe them to behave.

As usual, I get to do all of the Christmas shopping for our family. As our sons get older, they are harder to buy for and, of course, their "toys" are more expensive. I did, however, find a cool gift for my mother-in-law. I went to Wal-Mart's website and discovered that I could order a fleece blanket with our pictures on it! You can put up to 30 pictures on the blanket, but I only chose 15. My MIL has not been in good health for several years. She pretty much goes from her bed to the couch and watches the Game Show Network all day. She and my father-in-law live outside of Chicago, so we only get to visit them around once every 2 years. I figure this blanket is something she can use, and she can be reminded of her grandchildren.

If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, use Mr. Linky below. Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

Awards, Awards!

Andrea over at Arise 2 Write has kindly awarded her bloggy friends the following two awards, and I happily accept them! Andrea is a sweet and lovely lady, and if you've never visited her blog, please pop on over there!

For this first award, I'm supposed to tell you 5 things that I love to do.

1. Spend time at the beach, especially the Outer Banks of NC.


2. Read and write.


3. Work with young children.


4. Spend time with my family.


5. Play and snuggle with our dog.

The Lemonade Award makes me think of my "I Get To Tuesday" posts. In these posts, I try to find the blessings in unpleasant tasks and events. I turn my "I Have To's" into "I Get To's". In other words, I'm making lemonade out of lemons.

I pray that you all will begin to join me in these posts by posting your own "I Get To Tuesday" list on your blog and then linking to my blog.

Please feel free to take these awards for yourselves! I feel blessed to know each of you through your blogs. Andrea, my dear friend, thank you for passing these awards to me!

Angel Baby Blog

Please pop on over to my Angel Baby blog and read my review on Kristie Verret's new book, Unforgotten Children: A Testimony of God's Healing Through Miscarriage. Kristie is an online friend of mine and has written a wonderful book!

Blessings to you all!

My Day

Church choir practice for our Christmas concert, a little bit of Christmas shopping, snow, hot chocolate and reindeer cookies!

As I was removing these from the cookie sheet to the cooling rack, Run Rudolph Run by Chuck Berry was playing on the radio!

Ah, Home Sweet Home

Where I always long to be!

Vote for Otto!

Here's your chance to vote for the Cutest Dog of the Season! Go here for your opportunity to vote for our dog, Otto. You may vote once a day through Dec. 15th. Some of you already know about this through my emails. This is the first chance I've had to put it on my blog. Now, the top dog has over 31,000 votes!! That seems a little fishy to me since the contest only began on November 9th. Otto currently has 33 votes. WE CAN DO IT!!! Feel free to pass this on to your friends and relatives! (I'm silly, I know.)

I probably won't have time to post my "I Get To Tuesday" this week. I have been away since Wednesday and have lots of catching up to do. I'll post about our recent trip to the Outer Banks soon!

Thanks for your votes! Have a blessed week!

Happy Thanksgiving!

I love the very last part of this prayer....thanking God for our freedom and justice. We really need to pray for these two things.

Have a Blessed Thanksgiving!

Something to Think About

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

Yesterday, I got to lead my 4-year-old class in their Thanksgiving program. They sang several songs for their parents and then everyone ate the pumpkin bread and applesauce which the kids made in class. Now this particular class is very difficult. I have several kids with special needs plus quite a few that do not behave very well. So it was a challenging morning for me, but the parents enjoyed it just the same.

Even though this class is the hardest one I've ever had to teach, there are still enjoyable moments. Yesterday, one of my special needs students raised his hand, and when I called on him, he said, "Teacher, I like your hair. It looks very handsome." This cracked me up! I had a little boy in my other class tell me that he hides his trash at home. I asked him where he hid it, and he replied, "Behind the couch!" At least he was truthful! When I laughingly told his mom what he had told me, she already knew about it!

Today I have a busy day ahead of me. I've got to teach my morning class, lead my Moms in Touch group, and then go back to work to prepare for Wednesday's class because....I'm taking that day off! Which means I also have to pack for our trip. Despite my hectic day, I am glad to be having our Moms in Touch meeting because we've had a hard time getting together with all the illnesses floating around.

On Wednesday we'll be leaving for the Outer Banks! We'll have a nice long ride ahead of us, but at least we'll be at the beach for Thanksgiving!

On Monday I get to go to work for an in-service day. My kids have the day off from school, but I can't stay home with them. I'll be decorating my classroom for Christmas. It's a lot of work, but it's worth seeing the look on my students' faces when they come back to school!

If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, use Mr. Linky below. Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

I Must Say.....

Even though I haven't found a sponsor yet for Andres, I am pleased to hear that many of you already sponsor a child either through Compassion International or another organization. It touches my heart that you all are taking care of the orphans and the needy as God directs us.


I talked to my own kids about the two of them sponsoring Andres together. My youngest was immediately on board with the idea, but my oldest isn't so sure he wants to give up $19 a month. I'm praying that God will work on his heart and move him to be more generous. Please join me in this prayer. Even if he doesn't come around in time to sponsor this little boy, I want him to learn to be and want to be generous with his time and money.


Have a blessed week and please remember Andres in your prayers!

Compassion International

Some of you may have received an email from me about Andres. I wanted to post the info on my blog as well.

Many of you know that we sponsor a boy in Brazil through Compassion International. I recently signed up for Compassion's What I want for Christmas program. I am committed to finding a sponsor for one child by December 31.

The little boy's name is Andres Fuentes Nunez. He is 7 years old and lives in Peru. Andres lives with his mother and 2 siblings. His mother is only employed some of the time.

Sponsoring a child means a financial commitment of $38 per month, plus you get the pleasure of exchanging letters with them. (I just received a letter from our child today!) If you would like more info about Compassion International, please go to http://www.compassion.com/. My boss recently attended an event where the president of Compassion spoke, and she was lucky enough to go on a tour of their Colorado offices. She was very impressed!

I know we are all facing financial hardships right now, but I still wanted to pass along this information in case any of you would be interested in sponsoring Andres or if you might know of someone else who would be interested. Please keep Andres in your prayers and pray that I can find a sponsor for him. If anyone out there is interested, I can mail you the info you need in order to begin your sponsorship. Thank you!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

I haven't posted my "I Get To" Tuesdays the last two weeks because I've been busy and sick. Thank you for not giving up on me!

1. As of yesterday and going through Thursday, I get to be someplace other than home after work. Two doctor's appointments, a dentist appointment, my younger son's parent/teacher conference, a Moms In Touch meeting and choir practice are all keeping me running this week. I'm just thankful that I'm feeling better and should be able to keep all of these appointments. When I was sick last week, it really made me think about how important my health is to me and my family.
2. This morning I get to be out the door extra early in order to be over at my son's school by 7:15. He made Honor Roll this marking period, and there is an assembly recognizing the students who made this list. I am so thankful that he will be a part of this and is doing so well in school despite his hearing disability!
3. Last week my husband and I got to sit through 90 minutes of conferences with our older son's teachers. He didn't make Honor Roll, but it was good to be able to have one-on-one time with his teachers. Having a child in high school is new to us! All of his teachers told us what a nice kid he is...and quiet, too, which made us laugh! He talks our ears off at home!
4. Speaking of talking our ears off....even though Sam drives us nuts with his incessant talking, at least he does still talk to us! He'll be 15 soon, and it's good to hear what is going on in his life. Most teens clam up. Not "Sir Talks a Lot"! We tease him by asking if he has a daily word quota to fill!
5. Also last week, we got to participate in a fundraiser for our Youth Group at Friendly's restaurant. I really didn't want to go because I still wasn't feeling 100%, and I think Friendly's is expensive considering the quality of the food. The service was awful, and we had to wait forever. My dinner wasn't that great either. However, we got to spend some quality time with our kids, they got the experience of helping with the fundraiser after we ate, and I didn't have to cook that night! So I guess it was worth it!

If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, use Mr. Linky below. Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that I'm feeling better and coming out of my funk after being out of circulation for 4 days. I'm also thankful that Eric and Cooper have been spared any illnesses so far.
2. I'm grateful that the bad weather which has hit the Outer Banks due to Hurricane Ida has occurred now rather than in 2 weeks when we're down there for Thanksgiving! (Just praying for no damage!)
3. I am thankful for our administrative assistant who served our school for 16 years. She knew everything! I really had to lean on her when I served as the school's Director for 2 years. I pray for success on her new job. We will miss her immensely!
4. I am thankful that my children have no school tomorrow. Although, I have no idea why they have the day off! I like it when they're home.
5. I am so glad to have my jeep back! It was in the shop for 6 days. Thankfully, it wasn't anything serious and didn't cost us a horrendous amount of money. I'm also grateful that when the jeep broke down on me, I had just made it to the Target parking lot!

Please join Sonya over at Truth 4 the Journey and share your list of thankfulness!

It's My Birthday and I'll Cry If I Want To!

Today is my birthday. I'm halfway to 90! (You do the math!)

It has been a beautiful weekend here, but I've been too sick to go out and enjoy it. This is where the crying part comes in. I've been either in bed or on the couch since Friday night. I'm sick enough that I'm not going into work tomorrow but not so sick that I'm oblivious to what is going on around me. I know what I'm missing which makes me feel even worse! BOO HOO!

I have been trying so hard not to get sick. I got my regular flu shot, I've been taking my vitamins faithfully and have been constantly washing my hands and using hand sanitizer. None of this did any good. I may not have the flu, but I'm very congested and have lost my voice. I'm sick just enough that it has blown my birthday weekend and will mess up my work week. I can't very well hold parent/teacher conferences when I don't have a voice!

All of this reminds me to be thankful for my health. I was lamenting last week because I didn't have time to write my usual two posts due to my schedule. However, at least I was physically able to do all the things I needed to do and had promised I would do. I was able to go to work and to choir practice; I was able to run errands and take care of Sam while he was sick; and I was able to attend a farewell lunch for one our staff members. There were a few things, such as posting on my blog, that I wanted to do but couldn't get to. At least I was healthy enough to do what was important. And I'm thankful for that.

Tomorrow is Monday. When your alarm goes off and you're tempted to hit the snooze button and pull the covers over your head, remember that at least you're blessed enough to be able to get up and do what you need to do tomorrow. We need to remember this every day, even when we're going through trials and our days are hard. At least we have the choice to get up and get moving. I pray that we can each use the days God has given us to do His work and to do what is pleasing to Him.

Happy Halloween!!!

You ate HOW much candy?!!!

Comments

In response to some of your comments today:

• I had to cancel my Moms In Touch meeting today due to sick children. (Not mine but those of others in the group.) Kat, I'm so glad you're starting a group! I'll be praying for you!
• Parent/teacher conferences went well. Funniest question I was asked: "Do you notice my child with his hands down his pants a lot? He does this at home and then trips and can't get his hands out fast enough to catch himself." No, I hadn't noticed that, but I'll keep an eye on it!
• Kelly, I've got so many books to read I don't know which one I'll take to the doc's with me. I still have to finish the one I'm reviewing for Thomas Nelson, plus I told a bloggy friend that I'd review her book as well. I would love to just take my laptop and be able to catch up on everyone's blogs, but I doubt I'll get internet there.
• Oh, and GO PHILLIES!!!!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

Praise God that this week has started off better than last week did!! However, I still have my share of "I Get To's"!

1. Today, I get to conduct parent/teacher conferences for 2 1/2 hours! For some parents, this can be an emotional meeting. Sadly, I sometimes get to hear about difficult issues concerning their family life. I don't mind this, but I feel badly for the family. This time period can be exhausting, but it is also nice to get to know the parents better. (I'll get to continue with conferences on Thursday.)
2. I get to go to my Moms In Touch meeting right after work today. Normally, I wouldn't mind this, but since I lead the group and will be talking all morning as it is, I'm afraid I'll be a bit worn out. I'm praying I'll have the energy to be an encourager to the other ladies in our group.
3. We rent our home. On Saturday morning, our landlord called and asked if he could bring a contractor by in a half hour. Not much notice! We got to quickly clean up the house a bit before they arrived. They spent an hour here but never came inside! At least we got some cleaning done, and we're going to get a new front porch, some new windows and a new back door due to their visit!
4. On Wednesday, I have a doctor's appointment. I'll get to sit and wait for him forever! He's always running a good half hour to an hour behind schedule! Well, I'll get some quiet reading time in! Plus, perhaps he can figure out what is going on with the skin on my cheeks and around my eyes.
5. Since it rained this past Saturday, I'll get to sit through a double header this Saturday for Coop's baseball team! I'm not good at this unless the weather is perfect. Although, I'm lucky I get to do this. When I think back about my older son's first baseball season, I remember that it seemed as if half the parents had cancer or heart problems. It was like the Dooms Day Bears. One of the moms died the following year. I need to appreciate my time spent rooting for my son's team. This Saturday will be the end of the season anyway.

If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, use Mr. Linky below. Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful for those of you who have been praying for me and my toilet plumbing issues! No problems for at least the last 72 hours!
2. I am so thankful that Eric is back from his fishing trip (and that he had a good time). I am spoiled by the fact that he's usually here to help get the kids out the door every morning. Getting up extra early last week to make sure we were all ready on time was killing me.
3. And because he knew I was tired, Eric let me sleep in past 10:00 on Saturday! Thank you Dear!
4. Tonight, Eric is taking the boys out, and I'll have the evening to myself!
5. I am grateful that my Moms In Touch group has been going well thus far. I pray that our group can make a difference and that more women will come out to join us.
6. THE WORLD CHAMPION PHILLIES ARE GOING TO THE SERIES!!!! Now if the Angels would just knock out the Yankees!

Please join Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey and blog about what you are thankful for today!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

I don't even know where to begin with this post today! I'm not even going to number my "I Get To's" this time around.

On Saturday and Sunday I got to spend my time writing up student profiles for my 3-year-old class. We'll be having parent/teacher conferences next week. Doing these profiles and meeting with the parents really does help me get to know my students better.

Let's see....at 4 AM Monday morning my hubby got up to use the restroom. When he came back to bed, I could hear water running. At first I thought it was raining. Then I thought Eric forgot to turn off the faucet after washing his hands. I nudged him and told him to go check the water faucet. He got up with a moan and discovered that our toilet was overflowing once AGAIN! He began grabbing towels and cleaning up the mess. Being the great wife that I am, I stayed in bed because I had to be up in two hours, and it was applesauce day at school. (I'll get to that in a moment.)

Eric went downstairs to get more towels only to discover water coming through our dining room ceiling again...this time through our light fixture! He moved our furniture and put bowls around the room and then went back up to the bathroom to finish sopping up the water. Thankfully, Eric was back from his fishing trip and able to take care of all of this for me!

At 6 AM my alarm went off. I went downstairs to the laundry room to get some clean towels and a clean bath mat. I immediately saw something in the middle of our living room floor. A gift from Otto. I had no idea what it was or which end it came out of! I proceeded to get my towels, headed back upstairs and told Eric that if he could figure out what Otto left for us, then more power to him! Thankfully, Eric cleaned it up for me so that I could get my shower. (We still don't know what it was!) At least Otto has seemed just fine!

By 6:30 Sam was up and having diarrhea. He ended up staying home from school. Again, at least Eric was home all day yesterday.

As I mentioned earlier, my 4-year-old class was scheduled to make applesauce yesterday. It was a crazy morning, but we got it done! I was very grateful to have 3 moms helping us. One of the moms told me that she doesn't know how we do it everyday with the kids. She said she guessed she didn't like kids enough to be a teacher. I chuckled at this a bit because she is pregnant with baby # 3! (And her first two are very sweet!)

After class, my assistant and I got to clean up the applesauce mess. We ended up leaving later than usual. At least this event is over for this school year, and the kids enjoyed the whole process of making the applesauce! And our classroom smelled wonderful!

Then I got to go home and clean up all of the messes from the middle of the night! I washed two loads of towels; washed the bathroom floor; scrubbed the spot where Otto had left his "gift"; vacuumed; unloaded the dishwasher; reloaded it and hand washed all the bowls Eric had used to collect the water dripping from our ceiling. My house looks a little better now.

Oh, I am so looking forward to the rest of my "I Get To's" this week! If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, use Mr. Linky below.

Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

Thankful Thursday

1. I am thankful that Eric will be returning from his fishing trip soon.
2. The toilet overflowed AGAIN last night. I'm thankful that the water didn't leak through to the dining room ceiling this time and that I was able to get the toilet unclogged.
3. I am thankful for the article Chatty Kelly wrote about today being Pregnancy and Infant Loss Remembrance Day. You can read it here.
4. I am very thankful that I don't have to go ANYWHERE tonight. Especially since it's raining and cold outside.
5. I am grateful that my 3-year-old class this morning went more smoothly than my 4-year-old class did yesterday. I have several special needs kids and just plain stubborn little ones in my MWF class. Yesterday was a hard and exhausting day.

Please stop by Sonya's blog, Truth 4 the Journey, to share what you're thankful for today!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

If you read my 200th post on Saturday night, you know what my #1 is for this list today!

1. I got to clean up the mess of our overflowing toilet! I used just about every bath and beach towel we had to clean up the floor. Then I had to wash them all so we had clean towels for the morning. And, of course, I had to wash the bathroom floor, too! (This all took place around 8:00 Saturday night.) Thankfully, my hubby was home. I am just not strong enough to plunge the toilet, and it's the only one in the house! Our dining room ceiling only suffered minimal damage and none of our furniture was harmed.
2. I get to be a single parent for a few days! Enough said right there. I sure hope the boys don't have math homework that they need help with. At least my husband gets to have some time away to relax and gets to spend time with his brother. (Just please pray for safety....they're fishing.)
3. I get to drive my husband's car since he took my jeep. Now his car drives nicely, but there are too many blind spots in it for me. If I have to back up or change lanes, watch out! He left me with a full tank of gas, but as I was driving to work, I noticed that there are messages flashing, such as, "check oil soon" and "wiper fluid is low". Also, I discovered that the turn signals work on the back lights but not on the front lights. At least I have transportation, right?!
4. I get to go sit in the cold tonight and watch Cooper's baseball game. Eric is the team's head coach, but since he's away, I definitely have to be there. At least I get to see Coop play. I've missed several of his games this season because I've had to be other places.
5. I got to volunteer my time at work this past Saturday. We had a Fall Festival for our students and their families. It was the first time we have tried something like this. It was a success and the kids seemed to have fun. It was nice to have the time to talk with some of the parents, too.

That's my "I Get To" list for this week. If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, please let me know, and I will post a link to your blog here.

Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

UPDATE: For those of you who thought the conversation between my kids on Sunday was precious, I have another one for you. On Sundays, Eric likes to watch football. That means the kids can't play video games. Well, Coop is our gamer and this kills him. Around 4:00 that afternoon, Sam fell asleep on the floor, and I decided to go upstairs and take a little snooze before dinner. Cooper got this evil smile on his face while looking at Eric, and he said, "Two down, one to go." Yeah, precious, isn't he?!

The Lord's Day

Okay, here is a brief conversation I just heard between my two sons.

Sam: "Why is the weather always nice on Sunday?"

Cooper: "Because it's the Lord's day and He wants it to be nice!"

My 200th Post!

Well, I didn't think this is what I'd be posting about on my 200th post!

I was getting ready to sit down and catch up on reading YOUR blogs tonight. I was going to use the restroom, get a drink and start reading. The flush of the toilet changed those plans! Water began pouring out of the commode! I began grabbing towels and then realized that I really needed to turn off the valve to the toilet. I yelled to Coop to go out and get Eric from the garage. By the time he got inside, the water was flowing out into the hallway. (Thankfully, our hallway is not carpeted!)

I then told Cooper to go check the ceilings in our pantry and dining room. Sure enough, water was beginning to seep through our dining room ceiling. So then we had to move the furniture! Eric ended up poking some small holes into the ceiling to let the water drain out. There's a pan under one of the holes collecting the drips of water. We have to keep Otto from trying to drink it....GROSS!

I used just about every towel in the house to clean up the bathroom floor, so now I'm doing laundry! Thankfully, yesterday when I cleaned the bathroom (Did I mention it's our ONLY bathroom in the house?), I skipped washing the floor. I love my Swiffer Wet Jet!

This will definitely make my "I Get To" list this week!

Thomas Nelson Book

Some of you have asked me what book I am reviewing next for Thomas Nelson. It is Voices of the Faithful, Book 2. It's a devotional with "inspiring stories of courage from Christians serving around the world". It is compiled by Kim P. Davis. The series creator is Beth Moore. She also wrote the introduction. It's a pretty long book, so please be patient with me!

Thankful Thursday

1. I am grateful for the lovely weather we've had this week!
2. I'm thankful that I was able to take Otto to the vet last week. She gave him a cortisone shot which has relieved his itching. He seems more like himself now. I don't think I'll have to continue with the really expensive food because it seems more like a contact allergy rather than a food allergy.
3. I'm hoping we have finally found a solution to our kids always asking for money and to the allowance dilemma. They haven't asked for money for several days now and are seeing that they need to budget their money.
4. I'm glad Eric was able to take a day this week to go fishing and just relax. Poor guy didn't catch a thing though! As he said, "Well, it was a beautiful night!"
5. I'm thankful that my November lesson plans are finished and turned in and that my classroom is finally done for October!
6. Oh, one more....the book I requested from Thomas Nelson just arrived this very minute! Yay! I can't wait to read it and post a review!

Please join Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey and let everyone know what you're thankful for this week!

Blessings to you all!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

1. Last Friday I got to go on a field trip to an apple orchard with my 4-year-old class. This is the 7th year in a row that I've been on this field trip. It was a cold, gloomy day, but the kids and their parents had a good time!
2. I got to stop on my way home from work today to fill up my car with gas. Just one of those mundane tasks that we all have to do. This particular task usually hurts us in our wallet, too. I was surprised to receive $.40 off per gallon due to my pump perks card from one of our grocery stores! I thought the most I could earn was $.20 off per gallon. I ended up only paying $1.96 per gallon! (Kind of sad to say "only"!)
3. I got to be "single" mom yesterday because Eric went fishing. That meant going to work, running Sam around, getting Coop's baseball uniform washed, making dinner and being sure everyone's homework got done. The kids weren't thrilled with what I was throwing together for dinner -- a shepherd pie -- and I heard about it! However, Sam ended up loving it. He had 3 helpings! (Coop wasn't a fan.) I had enough left over for my lunch today. (Next week I get to be "single" mom for 4 days straight...another fishing trip.)
4. I get to make sure Otto gets outside several more times a day than usual. His itching was so bad that I took him to the vet Thursday night. She gave him a shot of cortisone which has made him feel much better. It also makes Otto have to tinkle a lot. Every time we let him outside he just goes and goes and goes!
5. I get to watch my oldest son go off to school every morning dreading his first period class. He has the toughest and meanest math teacher in the school and has to face him every day at 8 AM. From what I understand from other parents and former students, this man is the best math teacher because his students learn more from him than they do from any of the other math teachers. However, he sounds like a dictator in class. Sam has been waking up with stomach aches in the morning. I try to comfort him by saying that at least he gets his worst class over with by 9 AM. I'm praying that this experience will teach Sam how to deal with difficult people. I've told him that he'll probably have to deal with a pain in the neck boss at some point in his life, so he may as well learn how to handle it now.

That's my "I Get To" list for this week. If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, please let me know, and I will post a link to your blog here.

Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

Thankful Thursday

Is it Thursday already? Well, that means the #1 thing I'm thankful for is:

1. ...That this work week has flown by! Hello weekend!
2. I was able to go to Cooper's baseball game on Saturday. I've only been able to make it to 2 out of his 6 games thus far. Thankfully, Eric is his coach, so at least he's been at every game. And they made a comeback and won on Saturday!
3. I'm thankful that Eric has been willing and able to make the change to getting up before 6:30 AM during the week. He is NOT a morning person. But now that Cooper has to be out the door so early, I've needed Eric's help making sure Coop gets up and has breakfast while I get my shower.
4. I'm thankful that I did well and made it through last week, which marked the one year anniversary of my miscarriage.
5. I think all of us are finally feeling better! Therefore, I'm thankful for the health of my family!

Take the time today to think about what you're thankful for, post it on your blog and then hook with Sonya at Truth 4 the Journey!

Thomas Nelson Book Reviews

I know that many of you review books for Thomas Nelson. Do you ever find that it takes a long time to receive the book you have requested? I was very surprised at how quickly I received my first book. However, it has been 5 weeks since I requested another book, and I have yet to get it. I checked their website, and it said that they're sending the book to me. Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue? Thanks!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

Oops! I'm a little late with this today, so let's get going!

1. Part of the reason I'm late today is because it's the last week of the month. This is the week I get to change over my classroom and get things ready for October. Changing over my room means putting up new bulletin boards, decorating with fall items, and getting out some different toys for my shelves. It's time consuming, but my students really do notice the changes and I love their smiles!
2. I get to try to put my oldest son on a gluten free diet. He has a lot of allergies, and we feel helping him to make better food choices will help him greatly. My husband is also trying to go gluten free so that Sam isn't alone. Actually, many of the things we've tried so far are pretty tasty! Unfortunately, Sam can be pretty stubborn and moody, so helping him to change his eating habits is not fun for us. We're hoping he'll begin to feel a bit better and realize that what he puts in his mouth does effect how he feels physically.
3. I'm still getting to vacuum daily because Otto is still itchy and is shedding. But my kids are helping with this task, so at least they're learning some responsibility and how to do household chores.
4. We got to go to church an hour early this week so that our kids could attend Sunday school. We really haven't had them participate in Sunday school since we began attending this church 3 years ago. The only reason for this is because Eric & I don't want to get up early on Sunday! I know...shame on us! Being there an hour early was nice though because we got to chat with our Pastor and other people. We also got some ideas regarding our kids and a monthly allowance!
5. I've been getting to wash the dishes and clean up the kitchen a lot more lately. However, this is because Eric has had more time to cook recently! He loves to cook, and I don't so I see this as a blessing!

That's my "I Get To" list for this week. If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, please let me know, and I will post a link to your blog here.

Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

Thank you, Sandy, for joining me this week! You can read Sandy's "I Get To" list on her blog, Daily Learning as a Special Education Teacher. (I know, I really need to sit down and learn how to do Mr. Linky!)

I'm So Excited!

The Lord certainly works in mysterious ways!

Many of you may recall that I sponsor a 13 year old boy in Brazil through Compassion International. Compassion does organize group trips for sponsors to visit their kids. I would love to do this some time, but truthfully, fear (and the financial cost) stand in my way. Unfortunately, as an American, I am concerned about traveling outside of the US. Flying isn't my favorite thing to do, especially over water. Also, I'm a picky eater and fear having to eat something unusual (or seafood!). The latter is silly, I know.

One of my co-workers has a young daughter and son-in-law who are missionaries. They work through YWAM (Youth With A Mission). Wellington, the son-in-law, is from Brazil. I was so excited to be invited to their wedding a year ago because I knew I was going to get to try some Brazilian food (nothing yucky). I told Paulo about this because I thought he'd find it interesting. Well, the wedding fell the week that I miscarried, and I ended up not being able to go. (Come to think of it, I believe today is their first anniversary!) I was pretty bummed out about this.

In January of this year, Holly and Wellington left for Romania to work in an orphanage. Unfortunately, the government over there is cracking down on having missionaries in the country, so the two were sent back here less than 6 months later.

Recently, Wellington had a dream that they went to Brazil to serve the Lord. Now, through the mysterious workings of God, that's exactly where they are going! The reason I'm excited is because they are going to Recife which is where Paulo is!!! Paulo isn't in an orphanage. Thankfully, he lives with his grandparents. However, we're going to see if there is some way Holly & Wellington can find him and take some things from me to him. They will be leaving in January. Please pray for this young couple and pray that I may be able to connect with Paulo on a more personal basis through them!

God is so AMAZING!!!

"I Get To" Tuesdays

The thought behind this is to list a few things that could come under the category of "Ugh...I have to (you fill in the blank)". However, I want you to look at these "have to's" as blessings of "I get to". We all take for granted such things as our health, jobs, family, friends, etc. and sometimes don't appreciate them or see them as blessings as we should. So here are a few things for me this week.

I didn't post here last Tuesday because I was too busy and I was sick. I'm afraid some weeks I will be just too busy to post my "I Get To" Tuesdays or to join in on Thankful Thursday. So here's my list for this week!

1. I didn't get to go to Women of Faith on Saturday. I got to stay home instead. Both my neighbor and I were sick. We realized on Friday night that we were both trying to be brave and suck it up for the other one even though neither of us felt well. We decided it would be best to keep our germs to ourselves and to get some much needed rest.
2. We got to have a "do over" birthday party for Cooper on Sunday. We had rented a theater back in August so that Coop & his friends could play X-Box 360 on the big screen. Unfortunately, when we got there, they were having issues with their X-Box. So we rescheduled for this past Sunday. (We only had to pay half price and they gave the kids a free popcorn, drink and candy!) The kids and my hubby had a blast doing this! I just watched for the 2 hours, which wasn't very exciting for me, and it was LOUD!!! At least everyone else had a great time!
3. Poor Otto is itchy. He has allergies. We've tried medicated baths, medicine prescribed by the vet and Benedryl. Nothing has really helped all that much. So I decided to change his food. I got to spend $60.50 on a 15 lb. bag of dry dog food! Even though this is an expensive alternative, I'm praying that it works for him because I feel so badly for him. I discovered that the place I ordered it from isn't too far away from where we live. I emailed them and asked if I could just pick up my orders instead of having to pay for the shipping. They said yes! So at least I'll be able to save some money!
4. I get to take Sam to the dentist this week. We don't have dental insurance, so I'll be paying out of pocket for his check-up. At least we have the money to do this.
5. It's football season. Yippee. I could care less about football. I celebrate Super Bowl Sunday because it's the end of the season. I'll get to see a lot of football on our TV between now and the Super Bowl. However, it provides good bonding time for Eric and the boys. And I think the Eagles are supposed to be good this year!

That's my "I Get To" list for this week. If you decide to post your own "I Get To" list on your blog, please let me know, and I will post a link to your blog here.

Remember, try to find the blessings in your "I Have To's" and turn them into "I Get To's"!

Angel Baby Blog

I've finally written an updated post on my Angel Baby blog. Please go check it out!

Thankful Thursday

Time to join Sonya over at Truth 4 the Journey for this week's Thankful Thursday!

1. I am simply thankful to be able to participate in Thankful Thursday this week. I missed last week's post because I was too busy.
2. I'm thankful that I was able to take the day off to go to the doctor. I finally succumbed to my family's germs and needed some REAL drugs to kick this sinus thing.
3. My children are all better and I'm thankful for that! Now if my hubby could just feel better. His REAL drugs don't seem to be working as well for him.
4. I'm thankful that I'll be going to Women of Faith on Saturday to work in the prayer room!
5. I'm thankful that despite a lot of food allergies in my one class and several special needs kids in my other class, my students have adjusted to school pretty well!

What are you grateful for this week?

Stubbornness

I have been feeling under the weather this weekend since my three men decided to share their germs with me this week. They are all on the same antibiotic! I've been sleeping, taking vitamins and drinking a lot of water and juice to combat the illness. Therefore, I didn't go to church with them today.

I was a good girl and turned off the ridiculous Lifetime movie I was watching and opened my Bible. It fell open to the Psalms, so that's where I began reading. I was reading Psalm 32 when I got to verse 9 which says, "Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you." This verse just stood out to me. It made me think, "What have I been stubborn about lately?"

I know that I still have not gotten over what I wrote about in my September 4th post. I haven't forgiven that person, nor have I asked for forgiveness or truly said I'm sorry. It's still a sore issue with me.

This is kind of silly, but I'm stubbornly clinging to summer! Even though school is in full swing, and I believe football season officially begins today (yippee), I am in denial. I had such a nice, relaxing 3 months, and I don't want to give that up. But I know God wants me to move forward. Verse 8 of Psalm 32 says, "I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you." I need to listen to our Father, to not live in the past and to trust Him for a full life despite what season I'm in.

As this week goes on, I will continue to ponder which areas of my life I continue to be stubborn in. I hope each of you will think about this for "...the Lord's unfailing love surrounds the man who trusts in him." (Psalm 32:10) We need to discard our stubbornness and trust in Him and in His ways.