Quick PMS Post

I have not been blogging lately...I always get the craving late at night (I'm a confessed night owl - Hoot,hoot) and the computer is right next to my dear hubby's side of the bed and he has this weird urge at night to do things like sleep.. which leaves my girl's naptime, when I should be doing other things like cleaning my house or rearranging my sock drawer, or making home-made double-fudge brownies ( to mail to BooMama of course www.boomama.net ). In any case, I am going to make this a short post and do my epic posting later. I got this on my e-mail and while I never foward things on, this one made me laugh out loud (or LOL for all you computer geeks) Being a PMS sufferer myself, I can relate.
12 Things PMS Stands For:
1. Pass My Shotgun
2. Psychotic Mood Shift
3. Perpetual Munching Spree
4. Puffy Mid-Section
5. People Make me Sick
6. Provide Me with Sweets
7. Pardon My Sobbing
8. Pimples May Surface
9. Pass My Sweatpants
10.Plainly; Men Suck
11. Pack My Stuff
12. Potential Murder Suspect

I truly did suffer from some awful PMS until I started taking a natural supplement for PMS sufferers called Premcal (www.premcal.com) I seriously went from Green Monster to totally tolerable within one month - my dear hubby was the first to make WILD, JOYOUS comment on this very fact (sheesh, was I that bad? I asked him...he wisely didn't say anything, but his look said it all... guess I was....although I've always thought I looked good in green. ;)

Stalling..

I started this post a few nights ago...I just now finished it.
Tonight the kiddos are in bed on time...snoring away. However, at ages two and three, both of our girls (but especially K-bug) have perfected the fine art of "stalling" when it comes to bedtime. Some nights, even after the lights go out we will find the girls "reading" books in the light of the night-light, singing songs, or just giggling at each other. Most recently, K-bug will tell us she has to get up and "go potty". Although she still wears a Pull-Up to bed, she knows that we, her well- meaning parents will give-in to most requests to use the bathroom pretty much anytime she asks (which always seems to be when we are driving down the the freeway with no bathroom anywhere close...hmmm...maybe it's a conspiracy) Soo, this is where I found myself the other night - K-bug on her little throne (a half-hour after her bedtime) and me, sitting beside her on the bathroom floor. I kept urging her to hurry and "go pee-pee" so that she could get back into bed. A few minutes into our little pow-wow on the potty, I figured out the game...just keep talking. Although I was SOO on to my little preschooler, the random subjects she was bringing up started to crack me up. I found myself keeping the dialogue going, just to see what she would say next. I can't remember verbatim, but here is brief synopsis of the conversation:
Me: I don't see any pee-pee. It's time for you to go back to bed
K-bug: No...hafta go potty still. Mommy, I go to Chuck E Cheese!
Me: Yes, we did go to Chuck-E-Cheese ( a few weeks ago for a birthday party)
K-bug: I rode the truck...up,up, up...I play the fish game and bumblebees
Me: We did have fun
K-bug: Daddy made the fans...they go round and round and round. Good job Daddy! (my dear hubby put up ceiling fans in the master bedroom and family room this past week)
Me: Daddy do do a good job
K-bug: Daddy's so silly...he's funny [insert lots of giggles here]
Me: Daddy is silly (Can't disagree with her there)
K-Bug: I got an owie on my knee...it's a big owie..."Ouch!" I need a band-aid
Me: Honey, your owie is fine. You don't need a band-aid right now. Honey, there's no pee-pee, let's go back to bed.
K-Bug: No, I hafta pee-pee. Mommy hafta go potty?
Me: No, I'm fine right now.
K-Bug: Mommy has holes right there... (she's pointing out some holes in the inner leg of my worn-out pajama pants) Is that for Mommy's pee-pee? (she want's to know if the holes are there so I can just go potty anytime I please...)
Pretty much at this point, I am holding my sides with laugther, but decide the game has gone on long enough. We finish up at the potty (with no pee-pee) and K-bug scoots back to bed. I had back to the bedroom with a smile on my face.

Plan "B"

Wow, it seems the week has flown by with all of the preparations that I did for K-bug's birthday party, as well as having two baby showers on the same weekend (I love baby showers...but that's another blog). K-bug's Curious George party was quite fun...even though things didn't quite go as planned:
It was Saturday-4:30 p.m. All of the preparations had been made for K-bug's party. The taco meat had been browned (K-bug chose the tacos, her favorite food, to serve to party guests), the presents wrapped, and the balloons blown up. Everything had been put into boxes, ready to take to the near-by park where the party was to be held. Just then the phone rang - it was my mother-in-law, telling us to go outside and look at the sky. Stepping out onto the front porch, we saw it; a huge brown cloud rapidly heading our direction. Arizona dust storms are common in the late spring/early summer and can come one quite suddenly, as this one did (the weather had been sunny and clear most of the day). Taking one look at the cloud of dust, I did what every calm, clear-thinking twenty-seven year old Mommy of two would - I went next door and cried to my Mother :) Really, the only option was to move the party inside...inside our house, our messy house that I had been cooking and doing party preparations in all day long, with nary a thought of cleaning. With less than an hour before the party was due to start, guests were called, and the house was marathon cleaned. We live in a rather smallish house, so guests were treated to a um...cozy environment. The nice part is that everyone still had a great time...most importantly, the guest of honor had a fabulous time. My dear hubby did some kids songs with the little ones on his guitar, and we had "just enough" food and chairs for everyone. The cakes were the cutest things I've EVER seen (my friend Jenny made them for K-bug) - one was a yellow hat cake, another was a George/monkey face. Jenny had even made K-bug her very own mini-cake, decorated like a monkey holding a banana. All of our freinds and family made the evening so special for Miss K-bug. Outdoors or in, small or big, it is always a blessing to be able to celebrate another year in the life of your child. I consider myself very blessed.

Our Baby Turns Three!

It's hard for me to believe, but three years ago today, I became a Mommy for the very first time. More importantly, our little K-bug entered the world - a very squirmy, bright-eyed seven pound baby. As a baby, K-bug's pediatrician was always noting how alert and "wiggly" she was. She's grown so much.... from a wiggly baby, to a busy toddler, and now, a preschool girl with a budding imagination. She can talk of nothing else except her Curious George birthday party coming up this Saturday. She keeps taking the Curious George plates, cups, etc. out of the box and talking about each item. She's very excited the cake, the balloons, the games- and most importantly, the "pink camera" that she wants so much, since she saw it in the Toys R Us catalog a few months ago (yes...she is getting it. It's a digital camera made by Fisher Price for preschoolers - thanks Nana and Grandad!) K-bug's tender heart is emerging - it shows as she cares for her sissy, and expresses great concerns over everyone's "owies" (any bump or brusie she sees). She LOVES to sing and dance, and has been learning a new series of Bible verses set to music by heart (I LOVE to hear her sing them throughout the day!) K-bug does have a tendency to be a "drama queen" (any needed discipline is usually taken with many tears and much " carrying-on"), but she is also quick to make us laugh with her funny quotes and fresh way of enjoying life. Happy birthday, our dear K-bug! May our Lord continue to bless you and keep you. May He make His face to shine upon you. You shine in our lives every day, and we eternally grateful that our Heavenly Father placed you in our lives!

Prayers..

I have no words sufficient enough to express my sorrow, sympathy, and prayers for the families that lost a loved one in the Virgina Tech massacre just a few days ago. If you get a chance, please visit the blog of Hugh Hewitt (a radio talk show host I listen to) at www.hughhewitt.townhall.com Hugh has linked several sites that memoralize and honor the vicitms, as well as links to pastors who have offered comfort for victims and observer alike.
My tears have fallen, my heart has broken, and my prayers continue.

Oklahoma Update - Part 3

The end of the trip..thanks for hanging in there with me. We went to wonderful Faithpointe Baptist Church that morning. The church is so small that they currently hold Sunday School in their main sanctuary. They just gather the different classes in the four corners of the church - everyone huddled together with their group (except for children and nursery, who I believe each have their own classroom). The young adults group was very warm and welcoming - my sis and brother-in-law had told them we'd be visting and everyone went of their way to make us feel very welcome. The service was awesome! The worship was simple, but genuine, and in the middle of worship, the pastor had people stop what they were doing to go and not just introduce themselves to someone new, but to pray with that person as well. Really neat! The pastor, Brad has a really amazing heart for God , which is obvious from his solid and passionate teaching. After church, we had a very interesting, albeit short, visit with the pastor. We told him of some of our feelings about wanting to move, and about some of the ministries that were near to our heart. That's not the intriuging part though... more of that to come later...
We left from church back to my bro-in-law's family's house, where it is their tradition to gather for Sunday dinner. We had a simple lunch of Chinese take-out, and spent our last few hours in Norman gazing at the "dream house", taking quick naps, and packing up our suitcases.
The coolest part of the whole trip is when we sat down with my sis and her hubby a few minutes before we were to leave for the airport - together we prayed. Prayed for God's will to be revealed (for ALL of our lives), and for safety in our trip back. It was a very divine moment. :)
We piled in the car, and very soon, my hubby and I found ourselves through security with a good hour to kill before having to board our flight. After a fruitless search for a Starbucks inside the airport (and one really yucky cup of regular coffee later), we settled on combing through the airport gift shops for a few souvenirs to take home to family. We found some "Tornado Seeds" (chocolate covered sunflower seeds) for my mother-in-law and some other goodies for our family. Joining the long line to get on the overly full flight back to Phoenix, we were lucky to find two seats together in the very back of the plane. It was a very bumpy flight, and for some reason, it felt very looong. We arrived back in Phoenix around 7:15 p.m. , and headed down to baggage to find an overflow of people crammed into a very busy, bustling area. People pushed and shoved like a bunch of three year olds at an Easter egg hunt to get to their bags on the carousel. After some confusion, we found our bags and shoved our way out to the sidewalk where my Dad picked us up an drove us home. I wish I could say I was glad to be home.I was glad to be back to my babies (how I missed them!!). I was glad to be back to my bed ( I missed that too!). I was glad to be back with my friends (they make my life so full of joy!), but I had not missed Phoenix. Not at all.
Life resumed it's normal pace, and a few days later, a letter arrived from FaithPointe in the mail. My dear hubby and I both assumed it was a customary "Welcome" letter sent out to first-time visitors. Instead, we found a personal letter typed to us from the pastor of the church. He said he had been very "intigued" by our conversation after church, and wanted to talk to us further about this journey that were are on. What does that mean? I don't really know...
Here's what I do know. God is God. God is in control. I trust God with all of the details of my life, both large and small (some days better than others, I admit). I don't know what's next, and I don't know if it's Norman. I don't don't know that it's not Norman, either.
So stay tuned....maybe we're just getting started... :)

Oklahoma Update - Part 2

Now, where was I? Oh yes...so the rain continued, but we went to sleep (with no more tornado warnings... :) Saturday morning dawned clear and bright, with a forecast high of 68 degrees. We ate a leisurely breakfast and embarked on a day of "touring" Norman, with my knowledgeable brother-in-law as the guide. Our first stop was my brother-in-law's parents' house, who live about five minutes down the road. His family had just adopted their sixth child - a newborn baby girl, born just three days before our arrival (There are eight children in my brother-in-law's family. He is the oldest). We enjoyed a relaxed visit with all of the Craig clan, and during the course of conversation, started talking about all of the houses we had seen the day before. My brother-in-law's Mom asked if we had seen any in their neighborhood, which we had not. She pointed out a house just down the street, which we had passed on our way in. Being curious, we drove down the street to find "IT". The house. The dream house. The house that you look at and it has it's own heavenly theme music....ok, so I'm being a little dramatic, but even from the outside, the house seemed like something we'd be very interested in. Turns out the owners were there, cleaning some things out of their garage. A contract with her realtor wouldn't allow her to show us the inside, but we called our realtor on the spot, and he arranged a 2:00 p.m. showing for us that same day. As we walked into that house that afternoon, it was one of those moments that my dear hubby and I were on the same page almost instantly. If there had been papers to sign in front of us, we just might have thrown all caution to the wind...and well, maybe not, but we were both instantly "taken" with the house. Now, we were both big dummies and didn't take any digital pics of the house, BUT if you would like to take the time to see it, you can visit the listing realtor's website at www.doncies.com Click on the Virtual Tour Gallery link to the left of the page, and on page seven you will find 2327 Lindenwood. You can see several pictures there.
The rest of our day was spent visiting differnt places around town. We went out for lunch at a great local Mexican food restaurant. The most unique thing is that all around the restaurant are closed-circuit TVs that are linked back to the kitchen so you can watch the food being made. The food was GREAT, and the meal relaxed. We also went to this amazing chocolate/coffee-shop in dowtown Norman called Winan's (to my sis - did I spell this right?). They make their own homemade chocolates - I had a white chocolate mint that was to die for! They also brew their own speciality blends of coffee - I had a decaf snickerdoodle coffee that was also very rich and yummy! The artwork on the walls of the coffee-shop was created by the kids from one of the preschools in town (where my sister was a teacher) - it was really cool. All of the artwork was for sale, with sales going to help the school (which is a private Catholic preschool). We went in and out of a few other stores and shops throughout the day, and generally just had a lot of fun wherever we went.
Unfortunately, although no dark storm clouds gathered in the sky, the dark clouds of pain started pounding my head in the late afternoon. By early evening, I had developed a full-blown migraine. I spent my evening hours lying very still in a darkened room with a heat pack on my head and a water bottle in my hand. Several hours (and a few doses of pain medication) later, I emerged feeling human once again. By this time, night had fallen, and we all were desiring a reasonable bedtime in order to get an early start for church the next morning. I returned to bed for a somewhat restless night of sleep, and emerged feeling ready to visit a real Midwest church.
Before we arrived at church, we took what I call a "drive in the country". My sis and her hubby drink raw milk that they get from a dairy just a few miles outside of town, and they drop off their container to be filled before they go to church on Sunday mornings. Sooo, off we went driving over green hills dotted with barns, houses, and livestock. We arrived at the dairy, where the big black- and-white splotched cows noted our presence with large, blinking brown eys. A seperate pasture held a small handful of baby calves, who were too busy with their breakfast to give us much of a look at them. They were still cute though..... :)
Driving from the dairy back into town for church, a sudden twinge pulled at my heart, and tears came to my eyes involuntarily. It was the wide open spaces that I felt were causing a part of my heart to breathe again. I felt that I wanted to run, stretch my arms open wide, and take it all in. Not being able to leave the moving car at that moment in time, I did it with my eyes and heart instead - I drank as much of that space up as I could and promised to hold it all in my memory.
Well, the story, believe it or not, doesn't end here. There's enough here for just one more post...I'll talk about our church experience and our "intriguing" visit with the pastor... :)

Oklahoma Update - Part 1

So, I thought I would take just a few minutes to give everyone an update of our trip to Oklahoma. It was in a word - WONDERFUL!! My dear hubby and myself said good-bye to our two beautiful children, and climbed aboard the airplane headed out of Phoenix and into the great mid-west. Our flight to Oklahoma was perfect - smooth, short, and on time. We sat beside a very nice older lady headed back to Oklahoma after a visit with family. We touched down in Oklahoma Cit shortly after 10:30 p.m. to find a small, quiet airport. My sister and her husband picked us up for the short drive from Oklahoma City to Norman, and quick hellos were exchanged with good-nights as we all went immediately to bed. The next morning, my dear hubby and I awoke to the smell of coffee and the sound of birds outside our window. The biggest shocker to our Phoenix senses were the waves of green - green, mature trees and miles of grass and flowers. The clouds were overcast, gray, and the air was thick with the smell of rain. Without small kiddos to care for, we were able to eat breakfast, shower, dress and leave for the realtor's office all in an hour's time. Driving my sister's car, we made our way easily from my sister's house to the realtor's office for our 9:30 a.m . appointment (OK, so we stopped for Starbucks along the way and were a teeny bit late :) A few quick handshakes later, we were riding in a large, white SUV with our very confindent realtor at the wheel. What followed were multitudes of neighborhoods and houses, all in one long parade. It was SO much fun! The realtor was very friendly and knowledgeable, and we found some great houses that we liked very much. The realtor taught us the trick of giving each house a nick-name so that we could remember one house from the next. - the houses we liked best were nickenamed "Lil' Buffy", "The Cat House", and "The Party House". If you want to hear the stories behind WHY we nick-named them that...well, that's another post. My sister got off work at noon, and was able to see several houses with us as well. We ate a late lunch and picked up my brother-in-law from work just in time to head back to the house for dinner (homemade lasagna made by my sis - it was the best I've ever had, and I am telling the truth!!) The weather had really picked-up in the early afternoon, but we had slogged through the rain to see the rest of the houses, no problem.
Now, as dusk fell, the rain was turning into more of a thunderstorm, with flashes of lightning and crashes of thunder. We were just finishing up our lasagna when there came the sound of a very loud and shrill siren. My dear hubby looked around the table and asked, "What's that? Is that for tornadoes or something?" My brother-in-law looked up from his plate and said, "Yup, it's a tornado warning. Guess we better go turn on the TV." So, we all gathered around the TV in the living room to find out where the tornado action had been spotted..turns out it was only a few miles down the road. I grew up in west Texas, where all of this tornado-stuff became rather second nature for me, but I had been concerned about how my dear hubby might react to a real tornado warning. He handled it great...like a seasoned pro even. We stayed up chatting with my sis and her hubby, and all decided that our plans to leave that night for a dessert-out would best be changed to a night in. We munched on warm apple crisp (again homemade by my sis - it was SOOO awesome.. where did she learn to cook like this? ) and went to bed.
I'm sure your rubbing your eyes by now...so ends this chapter...more about the rest of our trip and the discovery of our "Dream Home" to come...

I Was Saving It For Later

Ok, so I really need to blog an Oklahoma update, but for now, I have to tell this brief, funny story on myself. I've been battling a cold since I got back from Oklahoma (I blame the crowded airplanes...no amount of Airborne could stop the germs from getting to me). Anyway, recently the cold has decided to take a nice little trip to visit my lungs, and this has left me hacking and coughing, especially at night. Sooo, on one of my recent trips to the grocery store, I bought myself a bag of Halls Honey-Lemon Vapor cough drops. A few nights ago I laid down to go sleep, and sure enough, the tickle started and the "coughies" began. The "coughies" are my new word for when you start coughing and can't stop...especially annoying when in a public and quiet place such as the library or a crowded elevator.....but I digress. Soo, I popped a cough drop in my mouth and propped myself up on a few pillows. The vapors from the cough drop quickly did their work, but I found myself getting very sleepy, and not wanting to fall asleep with the drop in my mouth, I took it out and stuck it on a tissue on my nightstand. Well, I thought I had put it on the nightstand...somehow, in the night, the cough drop ended up in my bed. I got up around 6:00 a.m. and headed to the potty. Suddenly, as I moved my head, I felt something heavy tugging on one side of my hair. Reaching my hand up, I found my cough drop, thorougly "stuck" and embedded in my hair. I had to take a shower to get the cough drop out (note: the vapors from the drop mixed nicely with the steam from the shower.. it was very soothing). I suppose I could have left the cough drop there..after all, if someone asked about it, I could just tell them, "Oh, that? I'm just saving it for later." Hee,hee!

Letting Go..

Saying Good-bye is a necessary life skill. My mind jumps ahead to all of the times that I will inevitably have to teach my children to say "Good-bye" Just because it's necessary doesn't mean that it's easy, though. In one week, I will be saying good-bye to my job of two years as the administrative assistant at Compass Church. I have LOVED this job, even with it's various stresses. I have enjoyed playing the role of supporter, encourager, and go-to gal for the staff at Compass. I was honored to be considered an integral and valued part of church staff. I was deeply blessed to work with each of the Compass Staff members (although only one still remains). I'd like to dive into my nostaliga for just a moment and remember each of them out-loud with you.
1. Here she is, the faithful, the lone orginal staff member - Gay, the children's coordinator. When I first started my position, she patiently took me under her wing to show me the "ins" and "outs" of the copy machine and other various cranky office equpiment. She and I have had what I would consider to be the healthiest working relationship of my life - and she's my friend outside of the office too (thanks for ALL of the lunches!) Gay has put up with my wackiness and randomness for hours on end each week - truly, she defines patience!
2. Russ, the Associate Pastor - I quickly learned that Russ possessed a huge heart, dry wit, and a genuine need for Starbucks coffee in his bloodstream! :) It took me a few weeks to determine that what you see is really waht you get with Russ - from that point on, we worked together very well. Russ really shone when our church had some inmates from the local prison doing work on our church building. He treated those inmates with respect and geniune kindess - showing them Christ's love.
3. Kevin, the Youth Minister - Kevin....where do I start? Kevin and Russ were oft-teased for their joint Starbucks runs - yup, Kevin was a Starbucks junkie too. I truly respected Kevin for his amazing love towards his wife, and his genuine intrest and care in the lives of Compass's youth. I also respected Kevin for his strong veiwpoints, which 90% of the time seemed to be polar opposite of my own. We had many a "heated" discussion (at least heated from my view...Kevin was really always pretty laid back) and interesting exchanges over certain political ideas. Kevin, you kept me sharp, and I appreciated that.
5. Scott, the Senior Pastor- Scott and his family are now moving foward as Scott fufills a calling for ministry at a church on the East Coast. I remember starting work at Compass - Scott's lovely wife graciously showed me the ropes of my new position, and Scott answered all of my little piddly office questions for months on end. I vividly remember the time that I couldn't get my computer to do anything for me - even though the light on the bottom of my monitor glowed green, the screen was still black. After pusing buttons for several mintues, I went to Scott in desperation. Scott got up, came out of office, and with one glance he surmised the problem - reaching down, he pushed the "ON" button on the computer's workstation/tower. Believe me, at that moment, I wanted to crawl under the desk and die! :) Brian and I were privealged to get to know all of Scott's amazing family, and Scott taught me so much about maturity, grace, leadership, and strength in the Lord. Scott is number one in my book as a storyteller - both in his sermons, and in the office. I posses to this day a huge respect for this man of God - my husband and I are blessed to continue to enjoy friendship with him, even as both of our families move on.
I waddled into this job six months pregnant with my second child - the entire staff gave me understanding and grace, as I took maternity leave just three months into the position. Also, I did much of my work from home - the church worked with me on this as well, allowing me to be a Mommy first and a church secretary on the side. I am SO blessed to have walked this path - thank you Lord for this part of my journey!! Please pray for me, as I let go and move foward to the next great adventure God has for me.

O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A

I have a few vivid memories of traveling to Oklahoma with my good freind Kamie and her family when I was around thirteen/fourteen years old. I was part of their trip to visit with Kamie's Uncle (and family) living in Oklahoma City. I remember the night we arrived was very stormy, and several tornadoes had been spotted in the area. I also remember the family being very relaxed about the threat...even going out on the back patio and looking into the sky to see if they could watch anything form. After a long, stormy night, which I primarily spent in the bathroom applying my fake tan in a bottle (believe me when I say that's a whole story unto itself ;), we traveled the next morning to a local water park for a day of wet and wild fun. What I remember MOST vividly however, was going to see a live production of the Broadway musical Oklahoma in a large, outdoor ampitheater. They used real horses, and I remember that the haystack really caught fire at the end. The music was fabulous, and the night ended with the entire cast singing and dancing to the production's theme song, "Oklahoma, Ok!" (for all you Broadway junkies out there, I don't know if this is the song's actual title, but I think it is...I'm too lazy to go and look it up at the moment). I especially loved the part of the song where they spell out the state's name over and over again...O-K-L-A-H-O-M-A
That's the memories from my teenage mind. I don't remember ANYTHING about the general landscape, the look of the town, or the overall friendliness of the people. The truth is, I didn't have much of a reason to notice. However, as I board a plane this Thursday headed for Oklahoma once again, these are the questions foremost in my mind. My dear hubby and I are headed to Norman, Oklahoma for a weekend trip to see my sister and her husband. While it will be a wonderful weekend away with my hubby, and a time to visit with family, there is more to our trip. For over a year now, my dear hubby and I have discussed the possibility of moving our family to a smaller town. Most everyone who knows me will know that it has long been a desire of my heart to move back to a somewhat slower pace of life. My sister and her husband have lived in Norman for almost a year now (all of her hubby's family lives there). They have extolled Norman's many virtues, and asked us to consider making a move there. So, that's what we're doing....considering...not to mention praying, wondering, questioning, and asking God for some of what my friend Nicole would call "crazy wisdom". I wish I could tell you that I felt something one way or another, that I had a "feeling" about what might happen, but I don't. We are getting a realtor to show us around some houses/neighborhoods one morning while we are there. I am trying, really trying, to just "relax" and leave this at God's feet. I will, of course, continue to keep everyone updated as to what God has in store for the Smiths. I think my hubby is going to be taking the computer too, so who knows, maybe I'll get to blog from there...

Squeezies...

It seems that so much of what I write has to do with Miss K-Bug. Her budding preschooler antics leave me with endless stories to tell and write. Lore-lin plays a co-starring role in most stories, but tonight I'd like to give her the spotlight. Lore-lin is in every way different from K-Bug. While K-Bug tends to be more cautious, Lore-lin embraces life (literally) head-on. She is very independent and most of all, inquistive. She wants to touch, see, feel, and experience everything in a hands-on way. I have found her going through my make-up, with ALL of the jars opened, lids un-screwed, and contents dumped out. She has the ability to open and or take-apart virtually anything she can get her hands on. But, most of all, Lore-lin is a very physical littl girl. K-Bug will give the gentle hug every now and then. Lore-lin will knock the wind out of you while sqeezing you in a full-body embrace (I know, I know, just like her Mom...). Needless to say, lots of positive hugs and kisses go a loong way for this little girl's love language ( for more information, check out all of the Love Languages books by Gary Chapman). Lorelin's favorite thing to do right now is get "Squeezies". Getting squeezies involves hugging Lore-lin's full body into my own (or squished like peanut butter beteween my dear hubby and myself) - and then giving her several short, tight body squeezes while saying, "Squeezie, squeezie,squeezie," over and over again. Short, fun game, right? Except Lore-lin never tires of it. Every time I'm done, she looks at me with those sparkling, blue eyes, and says, "More?" Truth be told, I don't ever get tired of it either. I love to love on this tiny toddler (who won't stay that way) and I'll take ALL of the "squeezies" that I can get!

Anniversary Gift

This past Sunday was my seventh wedding anniversary. My dear hubby and I will be taking a trip to Oklahoma at the end of this month (kid-free!) to celebrate and to visit my sis. Our actualy anniversary, March 11 , fell on a Sunday, and we had no plans to do anything in particular (we did go out the night before for a nice dinner while my Mom watched the kiddos - thanks Mom!) So, imagine my shock when my dear hubby surprised me with a beautiful and priceless anniversary gift. It was the gift of.....laughter. Now, to tell you why this gift meant so much to me the morning of our anniversary, we have to back up to oh...around 9:00 a.m. I had left the house early and dropped the bulletins (we had folded and stuffed them the night before) off at the church for their weekly Sunday service use. I had to get them there before first service started. The plan was for me to drop the bulletins off and then return home in time to pick-up Brian and the girls for our attendance at second service. Everything ran according to plan, right up until I pulled into the driveway at our house. Bri has often teased me about parking the car in the driveway SO close to the house and garage, but I've never thought anything of it. After all, it's not like I've ever hit the house....until now. In my defense, let me say that it was purely an accident, and as I pulled in, my foot slipped off the brake. Even as I heard the "thunk" I knew that I probably didn't want to see the damage. A sucker for punishment though, I immediately looked. I'll post a picture of the hole tomorrow for the world to see, but let me say that my immediate reaction was one of dread and panic. Crumbled stucco and chicken wire stood out at odd angles around a fist-sized hole. I meekly crept into the house and told Brian what happened. He threw back his head and........laughed. He lauged and laughed and laughed. He held me and told me it was OK, that it was just stucco, and then proceeded to tease me mercilessly the rest of the morning. My amazing hubby, whose reaction could have been one of anger or frustration, instead chose to give me grace. It made me think of all the times over the past seven years that he has given me mercy, grace, and laughter as gifts in our marriage. Brian's ability to see the lighter side of life has helped us through many a "bump" (or in this case hole) in our marriage. My dear, sweet, amazing hubby I love you more and more with each passing year. You are without a doubt my favorite, my soulmate, my warrior. Thanks for being you. Thank you for one of the best anniversary gifts I have ever received - I have a feeling I'll remember this one forever! :)

High Tea

It was the sound of fine china, a string quartet playing softly in the background, and a little voice asking me... "More tea, Mommy?" K-bug got a real glass tea-set from my dear hubby's step-sister last Sunday, and was thrilled with the idea of using only the glass pieces (not her regular plastic dishes) for a "high tea". Sissy Lore-lin played with Daddy while Mommy set the stage. A quilt on the floor, some real milk, and animal cookies completed the ensemble. K-bug insisted on wearing a full "Princess dress" and I surprised her (and myself for still fitting in it....smirk...:) by changing into one of my old bridesmaids dresses (complete with matching heels) to wear to tea. Once K-bug found me a hat, and my dear hubby put on a classical CD, we were set. I used my best English accent to discuss everything from the weather, our clothes, and the tasty cookies set before us. K-bug kept giggling at my accent (can't blame her there), but took seriously her role of pouring tea, offering sugar, and stirring cream into my tea cup with her glass spoon. Lore-lin, of course, knew that something was going on with her sissy that wasn't involving her, and came out to investigate. Although K-bug was intially very upset with her sister's apperance, we transitioned into a Royal Parade, led by my dear hubby, the King himself. K-bug found "wands" for all of us, and off we went, marching in a line around the coffee table, into the kitchen, and back into the girl's room. I'm sure this will be the first of many "high teas" through the years - as this was the first, it was very precious to me.

The Roof Caved In- Part 1

I have felt led to talk about an experience that my dear hubby and I have walked through recently with our family....our church family, that is. It will easily be rememberd as one of those times that I prayed harder, hurt more, and asked more questions of God. Still, as I pause to dive deep and share my heart with you all, I have to blog about the roof caving in, not colletively, but individually, on so many of my sisterchicks around me. I am so blessed to be part of an amazing women's bible study. We have dubbed ourselves The Sisterchicks (not an orginal idea....it's based on one of my favorite author's book series. Check it out yourself at www.sisterchicks.com). In any case, we have loved on, prayed for, and gotten to know each other's hearts incredibly well over these last few months. As we were all going along, it seems that the roof suddenly caved in for so many members of our study. By "roof caving in", I mean huge, life-changing issues. Parents/friends dying of cancer, divorces, and premature birth...just to name a few. I believe that the Lord has us together for such a time as this in one another's lives. And, to be honest, some of these problems have forced me to re-evalute my heart and attitude about the church situation. God is working here, no doubt about it. Still, my freinds and family, keep this little group in your prayers. Pray for God's comfort and victory like only HE can bring it! And, if you are my sisterchicky reading this, you know that I love you, and continue to pray for you, even as you pray for me. I'm excited about God's plans for our group.

A Perfect Park Day

For some, a perfect February day might include snowmen, snow angels, and hot chocolate. In Phoenix, Arizona, it includes green grass, warm weather, playground equipment....and, of course, a good friend. Last week I met my friend Lindsay at the park for a picnic lunch and playtime. She has a little girl about K-Bugs age and the most adorable son, just starting to pull-up from crawling. My girls and her daughter are just reaching that age where they actually want to explore play and interaction with someone else "their size". We let the kids play on the playground, munched on sandwiches, took the older girls to go potty, and then decided to have some playtime on the grass with varous size balls that Lindsay had stashed in her SUV. All of this might some boring for me to write about, but it was the impression the day had on my heart that matters to me. It was simply enjoying my children - like the way that K-Bug and Lindsay's daughter went around holding hands, and the cute way that Lore-lin's hips swivel when she ran after the balls in the grass. It was the way the grass tickled my bare feet, and the sun shone on my face, and the conversation was comfortable, casual, and deep all at the same time. It was quite simply, a perfect morning for me - enjoying being in God's creation, and surrounded by those I hold dear. I don't want to forget it - truly, I wish to slow down often enough to repeat it as much as possible.

Valentine's Day - Part 2

I have to so much to say about this holiday, I couldn't even fit it all in one post. I have to tell you about the WONDERFUL experience of the Valentine's exchange that my women's bible study did - I love my batch of Sisterchicks SO much! It really was one of the higlights of my Valentine's experience this year. Due to my large affection for Valentine's Day, I lightly suggested - or strongly forced- I don't remember....:) that we do a Valentine's exchange among all the women in our group. Most of the women were open to the idea, but were a little unsure of what to bring, what to do, etc....
The night came, and everyone's creativity came out in the form of cards, candy (thanks, Nickle Pickle, for the edible bracelets which everyone crunched on the rest of the night), and Bible verses. The love that these gifts displayed was overwhelming, and while our little Valentine's goodie bags were full to the brim, I know that my heart was overflowing with the gift of friendship that each of the Valentine's represented. I haven't been able to let go of the cards - I made Brandie's butterfuly into a magnet for my fridge!
The greatest gift of all is the irresistable love of Jesus, who romances us, pursues us, and loves us with a love that we can NEVER be seperated from!

Valentine's Day - Part 1

Those who are know me (and especially those who happen to go to Bible Study with me), know that I am slightly obssessed with Valentine's Day. As a matter of fact, my friend Lindsay just told me last night that all of the Valentine's books at Barnes and Noble are 50% off, and I have literally been thinking ALL day that I need to go and get some for next year. I bought window clings (K-bug went around counting all the hearts on the window), spent an afternoon painting and decorating Valentine's with the girls, and basically found an excuse to stop at the Valentine card section whenever I went grocery shopping. My dear hubby only ended up with two Valentine's cards, even though I wanted to buy him at least a dozen, and I made up some Valentine's packages to send to my brother, sister, and their respective spouses across the country. I bought the girls Valentine's dresses (matching, of course) and make the trek (with dear hubby in tow) into Kiddie Kandids to get Valentine's pictures (we were happy to get even ONE good shot though, since Lauren decided to not cooperate during picture time.....that's another story...).
So, you get the picture, that I am Ga-Ga over this holiday. The truth is, I always have been. I have vivi childhood memories of Valentine's. I rememer getting Highlights magazine, and each year, turning to the craft section to see what the Valentine's crafts were. Then, I did ALL of them -every single one. Even though I was homeschooled, I made my Mom a special "teacher's" valentine. In college, I worked for a few years at a Hallmark store, and Valentine's was OUR day (I know that many of you men out there complain that it always has been Hallmark's day). Anyway, I LOVED it! I loved helping the men find cards, gifts, etc for their wives, girlfriends, and family members. Each year, from opening to closing, a wall of men would strech in a line that went all the way to the door. :)
As I grew in my love for the Lord, I would always take extra time on Valentine's day to remember His awesome love for me. So, what an amazing gift the Lord gave me, when I met my hubby on Valentine's Day. My best friend, Christy, and I had just gone out for pizza and a movie (we agreed to be each others dates, sinces we were "dateless" on this particular V-Day). Brian had just come from his Grandmother's funeral, and was hanging-out at Christy's house with Christy's older brother, Rob. My dear hubby jokes that it was the handshake that went on forever, but our lives both changed that day. The Lord started our love story on that day - and every Valentine's since, we celebrate Bri-met-Stacy Day (or vice versa). This year is our Tenth anniversary of the day we met - WOW! My dear, sweet husband - you rock my world!

Sharing A Room

First of all, let me say a big "Thank you!" to my friend Monna for being kind enough to e-mail me and ask when in the world I was going to get my be-hind in gear and start blogging again....her prodding worked and here I am, back in the blog-o-sphere.
I will go back in time to share some of the Christmas adventures of '06 with you (and I of course have to tell you about Valentine's Day!) but I thought I would start out by sharing the most recent news of the Smith household. Just last night, we moved Lore-lin into K-bug's room. It's a little tight with a crib and a toddler bed in the same room, but that just means that they are cozy, right? We have talked about the girls sharing a room from the time that Lore-lin was born - we've only just now had the guts to actually do it. They are both sleeping through the night (with the occasional nightmare or sickness keeping them awake), and putting them in together means we free up a whole room in our tiny house - maybe my hubby and I will temporarily get our bedroom back (instead of having it be the office, the music room, etc....) Yesterday's first go of the shared bedroom was at nap-time - hubby was off for President's Day, and we though this might be the perfect time to try. Of course, as we expected, the girl's chattered and squealed and laughed their way through "nap-time", despite our own repeated attempts to calm and or mildly discipline them. Last night, though, they both laid down, exhausted from the lack of nap, and slept like angels through the night. Naptime today was a little better, with Lore-lin sleeping well, and K-Bug, while not sleeping, amiably reading books for the duration of an hour in bed.
I have many, many memories of sharing a room with my sister as we grew up. As a matter of fact, I was in college before my sister and I had seperate rooms (or seperate beds, for that matter). Despite the blanket wars, the closet wars, and all of the other things associated with sharing a room with my sis, I wouldn't have changed a moment of it. I love you Autumny! :) I hope my girls will feel the same...

Blogging 2007 - I'm Baaack!

It's been a long road back to the world of blogging, but as I looked at all of my old posts today, I realized just HOW much I miss this blogging - the chance for me to share my heart with so many of the friends and family I don't get to see on a daily basis. So, here I am, back to blogging, with LOTS to share!!