Well-Read Wednesdays

Well, I have decided to try to add another weekly dose of fun – a day where I can briefly talk about a book or two. Most of you who know me know that I LOVE to read ALL kinds of different books, so this should be fun...especially for me...:)If I get organized enough, I’d love to do some book give-a-ways as well.

Having young ones around has made me very interested in finding high quality children’s books, so today I’m going to talk about two of MY favorite children's books.

The first is called “I’d Be Your Princess” by Kathryn O'Brien.

 

I found this book on a 50% Christmas sale at Berean. The girls helped to wrap it, and then gave it to their Daddy on Christmas morning. I LOVE the amazing illustrations in this book – very rich, colorful, and engaging.

And even more, I LOVE the story. It is a conversation between a Father and his daughter that begins each page with, “If I were a princess…” And on each page, the Father talks to his daughter about all of the Godly traits that would make her the perfect princess. There is a Bible verse listed on the bottom of each page that correlates to the trait talked about (i.e.. “You are very generous and kind” with Gal. 5:13 – “Serve one another in love”)

The girls beg their Daddy to read this book to them often, and he has often told me that he chokes back a few tears as he reads it to them. This book would be a great Father’s Day present or just one to add to your little girl’s library.

BTW…they have one for Moms and their sons, called, “I’d Be Your Hero.” And yes, I will be getting a copy for my own son - I can’t wait!

 

The next book is called “You’re All My Favorites” by Sam McBratney.

 

This has been MY current story to read because it is the simple, but wonderfully told, story about three baby bears who decide to ask their Mom and Dad, “Which one of us is your favorite?” And the Mommy and Daddy affirm each and every baby bear and tell them why they are ALL their favorites!!

I especially love this one because the three baby bears remind me of own soon-to-be three little ones, and just like the story, they are ALL my favorites! The picture below has it shown with the stuffed animals that can be bought with the book (my Mom bought them for our family...thanks Mom!) This book is SO incredibly sweet, and one the girls ask for VERY often

“Will you read it again, Mommy?” “Again? Ok, one more time [smile]…”

I’m always looking for great new children’s books to add to the Smith library…so please tell me, what’s one of your favorites - and you don’t have to have kiddos to answer…like many of you, I loved children's books before I had children to read to!

The "List"

As baby Joshua's birth moves ever closer, my brain moves ever faster, and my list of "projects" that I want to get done before his birth gets ever longer. Also, the house is starting to seem smaller and smaller, as the thought of having three kids in our less than 1500 sq ft house is starting to make me feel slightly panicked (I know of several other ladies who have dealt with three kids with even less room, so I know I'll be OK). So, in an effort to get my thoughts out there, I share with you a portion of "The List"
1. Clean out middle bedroom - we're about 3/4 done with this one
2. Paint middle bedroom and possibly master bedroom - we have a guy coming to give us a quote for what he would charge to paint both rooms. If it's too expensive, we'll just paint baby Josh's room ourself and put ours on hold.
3. Decorate nursery - we have Joshua's crib set already. I found this ADORABLE Pottery Barn Dinosaur crib set on Craig's List (I took a picture of the quilt that came wit the set....see below) It was actually in Utah, but the owner was willing to ship to me. I got for it for a GREAT price too - cut stuff at a good price - it makes me happy!

 

4. Get the girls a big-girl bed for their room - I have had a very frustrated search on Craigs List for a white wooden trundle bed. I have found some online and in the store, but I'm trying to avoid paying $600 for it. We need to move the crib and toddler bed out though.....so the search continues
5. FILE TAXES!!! - This one is really important to me. Since my hubby is self-employed, getting all the information together to file our taxes is sometimes a big job. We have a great CPA who does the heavy lifting for us, but again, beacuase we are self-employed we have to pay all of our taxes, etc. that my dear hubby has been saving all year long. I'm ready to know exactly where we stand with the dear ol' IRS.
6. Put in new flooring in kitchen and bathrooms - This one will happen if we get a return on our taxes (which thanks to the Economic Stimulus Package passing, we will get a return of some kind). We are looking to hire a private party to put in wood laminate in the kitchen and washroom and put tile in the bathrooms.
7. Clean out garage - Yup, I want it staight and clean. Right now it's a definite mess. Don't have a total reason as to why this is so important to me, except for nesting reasons.
8. Get girls spring wardrobe - I usually start buying in February to get the girls' spring wardrobe going. This year I would really like it ALL done before the baby comes, because I know I'm NOT brave enought to shop with a preschooler, a toddler, and a newborn. :)

Well, that's it, the BIG stuff that I want to get done before Joshua is born. I don't know if I'll go full-term or be induced early, and this only increases the urgency in my mind.

I read the Bible story to the girls last night about Jesus commanding the wind and waves to "Peace-be still". Today K-Bug told me, "Does Mommy need to be still?" And, I told her, "Oh, yes, Mommy needs to be still too"

Lord, help me to be still before you, and commit this "list" to you!

I Am.....

Soooo incredibly tired. I don’t know if it’s just pregnancy at 33 weeks, my gestational diabetes (although my blood sugar is currently holding pretty steady), if my iron might be low again, or if my body is just trying to recover from this past week. It was one of our busiest to date. Here’s a quick overview –

1.We took the girls to the zoo and Rainforest Café’ on Martin Luther King Jr Day since my dear hubby had the day off. It was busy (and boy did my feet hurt from all that walking at the zoo!) but LOTS of fun!
2.I had TWO doctor’s appointments – one with the specialist for the diabetes and tummy check with my regular OB.
3.THREE different shopping trips – one to Wal-Mart, one to Sprouts, and one to Costco. All of them were for much needed groceries.
4.We also went on Friday to look at a trundle bed for the girls room that I found on Craig’s List. It turned out not to be what we needed, but that’s OK
5.Saturday was a baby shower (that I was helping to plan) and Sunday was full with church and an afternoon birthday party…..WHEW!!!

Interestingly, one of mine and my dear hubby’s goals for 2008 is to be more intentional about slowing down. We’ve decided to do that by actually scheduling weekends on our calendar where we write the word “NOTHING” in bold, black letters. And then, we simpy say “No” to 99% of things that are going on that weekend. It’s been a little tough for me, as I have had to say “No” to more than my share of offers, but it’s been SO incredibly good for us too. We’ve already scheduled two nothing weekends in February, wrapped on both sides of two weekends packed full of events.

Slowing down is good – and this week is nice and open, with no events in site……maybe I’ll go and take a nice, long, hot shower, and put my fuzzy slippers on (and maybe even blog a bit more than I have been!)

Ahhhh……rest……

Diabetes Update

So, today was the day that I went for my “diabetic education” appointment over at Arizona Perinatal Care Center. I arrived at the office at the o-dark-thirty hour of 7:00 a.m.After filling out large amounts of paperwork, I quietly waited in the office (while looking at my scrapbooking magazines – thanks Trace!!) until my name was called.
The first order of the morning was a Level II ultrasound. The ultrasound tech was very sweet, and super enthusiastic about my “big, beautiful belly!” She loved the fact that the baby was all out-front, because, in her words “Oh, these pictures are just SOOO clear and beautiful!” She talked to me the entire time and told me exactly what she was taking measurements of, etc. Everything came back completely healthy and normal – great heart, healthy lungs, normal head shape/size, etc. I also had her give me up-close pictures of our little guy’s private part – just wanted to make sure that “he” was really a “he”. Sure enough, there’s no doubt he is ALL boy!

 

We also got this great picture of his very cute little foot…..

 

From the ultrasound room, I went into an office, where I sat with a dietician for my “diabetes education”. Val was another very nice lady, with lots of good information. She walked me through a meal plan, and showed me how to use my new glucose monitor (ouch! It’s a quick prick with a tiny little needle, but it does hurt) and showed me how to fill out all of my weekly eating charts. I will send my charts, showing food consumption and my blood sugar readings, into their office weekly (by fax) so that the dietician can keep track of all that’s going on body-wise with me.

Finally, I went to one more office to have a consult with Dr. Petron. A friendly and professional man, he told me that the only concern was the baby’s overall size, with the baby measuring at 35 weeks already (the ultrasound tech had told me this earlier in the morning). I was 32 weeks yesterday. He said that if this little guy were to go full-term, he could weigh in at close to 10 pounds!

Although he said that the diabetes was a factor, he also said that the baby could also just be “a big, burly boy.” The concern for a small woman like myself is that I won’t be able to push out a baby quite that big.

So, in the doctor’s words, the “handwriting is kind-of on the wall” for a possible early inducement, with the hopes of avoiding any kind of C-section. I will return to Arizona Perinatal Care Center in exactly four weeks for another ultrasound and doctor consult.

The doctor said it really was too early to make any kind of final decisions or predictions, so I guess for now, I will eat healthy, poke often (again, ouch!) and see two sets of doctors (my regular OB and the OB specialist) over the next few weeks.

Thank you to everyone for your prayers and your love. God has the precious boy right in the palm of His hand, and I am at peace with my big God being fully in control.

Monday Moment (on Tuesday)

Just wanted to share a smile and an "awww!" moment you today..

 

You might be a three-year old preschooler named K-Bug if you –
1.Walk through the grocery store calling, “Sour cream, sour cream, where arrrrre yoou?”
2.Offer to let Mommy wear your Tinker-bell panties – “and I’ll wear the pony panties, Mom.”
3.Use your imagination to be a purple kitty, a brown puppy, or a baby tiger (your favorite) - all in one afternoon
4.Can’t pick up your toys because “it might be too scary” [nice try, kiddo]
5.Like to tell the same joke over and over again to EVERYONE - “What’s a pirate’s favorite letter? Arrrrr! {R}” – and then laugh hysterically at the joke yourself
6.Enjoy wearing large pink boots, a red fire-hat, and completing the ensemble with a colored wand
7.Dance and sing your way through the entire day
8.Love to play with your sister (even if you a *little* bit bossy sometimes) and teaching her how to use the potty
9.Offer to share your “flakes cereal” with baby Joshua after he is born – Note: K-Bug doesn’t like her flakes cereal very much, but it was cute to hear her try to pass it off to the baby
10.Bring joy, hugs, smile, laughter and music into our lives every day!!

Monday Moments...

It’s Monday again….time to smile, time to laugh, and time to slow down and see the humor in life around us.
“Fire & Water”
Ok, so I admit that I have had a few “oven” incidents in my years a cook. And we’re not talking about burning toast either. However, due to the Lord’s grace and working smoke alarms there have never been any situations that require the fire department….

However, a few months ago, I was cooking dinner and talking to my sister on the phone at the same time. I had a steak that I was broiling in the oven, so I slid it on the top rack, and continued my conversation.

Little did I know, SOMEONE (we won’t say who…but it might have been someone’s whose name starts with an S and ends in tacy.) had moved the oven rack up a rung or two, so the steak – which was quite thick – was pressed up against the coils.

I turned from my vegetable chopping to see large amounts of smoke pouring out from the stove’s back burner. Cracking the door open, I could see that the top layer of meat was um…baking….. with flames dancing happily away.

Hey, everyone loves barbecue, right?

“I’ve gotta go! The steak’s on fire!” I yelled into the phone.

I hung up to the sound of my sister’s laughter ringing in my ears.

Thankfully, with the oven off, the flames quickly died down, and I was able to salvage the rest of the dinner, even though my family refused to eat the black meat on the top…..I told them that charcoal aids in digestion, but no dice...

I didn’t need any water to put out my little “steak fire”, but if I did my friend Nicole would have had plenty to spare.

This little incident happened just last week, as I was visiting one of my dearest and bestest friends (and her cutie-patootie son).

She had made me a snack (she always knows what to feed me to make me feel GREAT!) and had asked if I wanted something to drink.

“Just a glass of water….thanks”

Realizing that their water cooler was empty, she headed out to the garage for a new five gallon jug. She removed the empty jug, and heaved the full bottle onto her hip. She was getting to make the final “swing” that would put the container into it’s new resting place, when her grip slipped and the container fell onto the wood laminate floor.

It bounced once, then, it happened….. a giant crack which soon become a giant split and then, “GA-BOOSH!!!” – five gallons of water rushed over the floor, under the table, and behind the refrigerator, and over our bare feet.

Now drenched in water up to her ankles, Nickle-Pickle quickly rushed to the garage for the handy-dandy Wet & Dry shop-vac. She called her husband to inform him of the situation (“I flooded the kitchen!”) and then set about plugging in and turning on the blue canister vacuum.

With a giant whir, the machine roared to life, and we proceeded to watch the vacuum slurp water down it’s giant black tube. The only problem was that the slurping quickly turned to sipping….it simply wasn’t sucking much up. Looking behind her to see the problem, we saw a giant lather of foam had been squirting out the back of the vacuum and all over her kitchen counters, floor, etc.

At this point, we lost it. I had to sit down to stabilize my pregnant belly, completely shaking with laughter. Nickle-Pickle had to lean on a counter to hold herself up. Once we regained composure, we mopped up the rest of the water with beach towels, and left her floor sparkling clean.

Now, although you might be doubting my ability to broil things in the oven, or Nickle-Pickle’s ability to sling large jugs of water, rest assured that it is our pleasure (thanks for the help Nickle-Pickle!) to bring a smile to your face today! Blessings!

Pregnancy Update - 30 Weeks

 

Ok, so I’m not technically 30 weeks yet, but I will be next Monday, so I thought I would just go for the nice, round number and take it from there.

As you can see, my belly has swollen to sizes that would make Farmer Brown’s Melon farm mighty proud – it is huge! Everywhere I go, people ask the natural “When are you due?” question, and I’ve almost gotten to the point of expecting them to be completely taken aback when I tell them that I’m not due until March!

Yes, people, hang on to you hats – in all likelihood, I will get bigger!

In other news, I took my normal glucose test a few weeks ago and failed, causing me to be sent for the longer, three-hour glucose test, which I took last week. My doctor’s office called me this past Tuesday to tell me that I had failed that test too – which means I am officially diagnosed with gestational diabetes.

What does that all mean? I’m not exactly sure yet. They gave me some information on the phone, asking me to come in for yet another blood draw, informing me that my days of eating sugar were officially over (for now), and that I would be sent for some “diabetes education” in the near future.

I did some research online, and have been trying to follow a five mini meals, low-carb, no sugar, high protein diet. I definitely have noticed that my mornings have been rough the past week or so – I wake up feeling sick, light-headed, and sometimes dizzy to the point of whiting-out (or feeling like I might pass out). Now that I know this diagnosis, it’s making sense to me that my blood sugar is probably taking a not-so-pleasant dip first thing in the morning. I’m going to try to eat some protein (like raw almonds) first thing in the morning, and then make sure that I get a good breakfast.

Thankfully, it sounds like I have a rather mild form of the diabetes, and although I will be subject to more tests (and MANY more blood draws) it sounds as though I can control it through diet and some mild exercise. I will know more after my regular OB appointment this afternoon.

I was also diagnosed a few weeks ago with some anemia, but some iron added to my daily pre-natal has definitely helped with that.

Otherwise, my little monkey of a baby is busy rolling and kicking most of the time.

Oof! There he goes right now…

As much as I have some discomfort, I am so thankful for a growing, healthy baby boy. I ask for your prayers for a continued healthy pregnancy, even as I manage the new diagnosis of the diabetes.

Christmas Recap - Part 1

I am still here – just been SOOO super busy that I have either fallen asleep before I could blog or just not had the chance to get to my computer. The last few weeks (and especially the last few days) before Christmas seemed to descend on our family like a snowstorm – and the flurries are just now clearing up…  Here’s just a quick snapshot of what the Smith family has been up to.

Christmas was WONDERFUL, just very busy. We did special outings with my Mother-in-law, a gag gift party for my Father-in-law’s side of the family, a Christmas Eve service at church (where my dear hubby led the music), multiple Christmas parties…whew!

We spent all of Christmas Eve day with my family as my sister and her husband had headed down all the way from Okahoma to be with us. SOOO much fun!!

 

We opened presents late that night, with both of the girlies taking a late afternoon/early evening nap so that they could stay up for the presents (although adrenilene might have carried them through… K-Bug got the dollhouse she had been asking for, and Lorelin got this great Little Einstein’s play-set.

 

Being 2 ½ and 3 ½ they responded to EVERY gift with wonder and excitement – even if it wasn’t for them {grin}.

“Wow, Mommy, your new book is SOOO cool!”
“Yook at this Daddy! It’s- a -SHIRT!!”

We then spent Christmas morning at my dear hubby’s sister’s house, where the girlies were like little ping-pong balls, with our now teenaged (and one pre-teen) niece and nephews playing it cool as they opened their gifts. (when does that happen to us??) Stil, it was great to see them all and we had a great time. Here are the girlies with their cousin Alison.

 

Then it was back to my family’s house for dinner and stockings with my sis and her hubby and my parents. And then, we finally rested………

It's 3:00 a.m. Do you know where your Elmo is?

 

Here is a true Monday Moment – it happened just last night. I was up last night (or this morning) at 2:00 a.m. with HORRIBLE pregnancy heartburn. I took as many Tums as I could and drank a few glasses of water. I was flipping thru some informericals and had just turned them off to settle down with some of my Bible reading when I heard it.

The voice.

It took me by surprise and I jumped, causing my unborn son to wiggle and kick inside of me for the next few minutes.

I heard it again – a high-pitched voice, somewhat faint, but very clear.

“Let’s try and use the potty! Hee,hee,hee,hee!”

I realized then what it was. We had bought K-Bug this Elmo potty book with the push buttons when she was potty training last year. We had started to use the book again for Lorelin, and had left it placed by the training potty for her easy access reading.However, K-Bug had an unfortunate pee-pee accident on Sunday, which left the Elmo book, shall we say, drenched. Not being able to save the book, I had thrown it in the trash. Apparently all of the dampness had now caused the book’s batteries to go crazy, so that Elmo’s voice was speaking without any of the buttons needing to be pushed.

I laid on the couch, hoping it would stop.

“Let’s-try-and-use-the-potty!Let’s-try-and-use-the- potty!Let’s-try-and-use-the-potty! Hee,hee,hee,hee!”

Now determining that Elmo wasn’t going to stop, I waded through the trashcan until I found the book. Here I was, almost 3:00 a.m. with a endlessly talking Elmo book. I examined the slimy book and thought through my options.

The batteries on the book were button cells, with a screwdriver needed to access them, and lots of warning about mercury contamination (how did I not notice this before…this is a children’s book!) Anyway, I figured that a pregnant woman dealing with mercury in the middle of the night was NOT the way to go.

So, I placed the book directly outside the kitchen door inside of the garage. No good – I had planned to go lay down on the couch for the rest of the night (my pregnant back sometimes does better that way) and I could now clearly hear Elmo echoing throughout the entire garage.

What to do? What to do?

Thinking quickly, I grabbed up the book, opened the front door and heaved Elmo far out into the night. It landed somewhere in a bush in our yard. Closing the door, I could still hear Elmo’s voice, ringing through the night, “Let’s try and use the potty! Hee,hee,hee,hee!”

Going back to the couch, I began to laugh, and then belly laugh, about the whole episode. I could just imagine some poor person going for their morning jog being surprised by the small muppet voice coming from our yard.

I am happy to report that this morning the batteries seem to have made their final push, and the book is silent. The book will go back in the trash, and I made it through the rest of my night in peace (and even with some sleep!).

Beware the Elmo…

Christmas Questions...

Happy Friday everyone! I decided to take a a few minutes to answer this fun questionairre about Christmas traditions and preferences.Enjoy!
1. When do you put up your Christmas tree? Usually a day or two after Thanksgiving.
2. Favorite Christmas Goodie: Hmmm…that’s a toughie. I LOVE all of the homemade breads (especially my friend Brandie’s banana nut bread!!), but I also really love things made with peppermint. I really like peppermint bark – a combination of white chocolate and peppermint candies. YUM!!!!
3. Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: “Breathe Of Heaven” – it’s a beautiful song that is sung from the point of Mary as she contemplates being a Mother to Jesus.
4. Least Favorite Christmas Carol/Song: Ok, I’ve already blogged about this one. “I Want A Hippopotomus For Christmas” Nuff said…
5. Do you like egg nog? I LOVE the stuff! My dear hubby and I used to buy it by the gallon when we were first married – we’ve since slowed down a little. I also like the Egg Nog Lattes at Starbucks….mmmmmm
6. Oddest Christmas Present You’ve Ever Received: This is a very tough one, as my lovable Meemaw (my Mom’s Mom) never fails to disappoint in this area. Last year, she gave me multicolored granny panties (that were WAY too big) and some powder from Walgreens…definitely an odd combo
7. Best Christmas Present You’ve Ever Received: From the same woman, no less, a large amount of money (I won’t say how much…let’s just say it was jaw dropping) written in a large check – it was such a blessing to my hubby and I that Christmas. There was also a year that my hubby did a princess theme to all of my presents – it was so fun and special!
8. Most Memorable Childhood Christmas Present: Probably my rollerblades or my Debbie Gibson “Electric Youth” perfume!!
9. Favorite Color of Christmas Lights: White/Clear
10. Tree- real or artificial? My family had always done artificial, then when I married Bri we did real (like his family always had). Then last year, my Mom bought us an artificial tree with the lights on, so we’ve used that last year and this year. So, I guess my answer is I’m using artificial, but I prefer real. Love that smell!
11. Do you open presents on Christmas Eve or Christmas morning? We open just our immediate family’s presents (us and the girls) on Christmas Eve and then do dual celebrations with both sides of the family on Christmas Day.
12. One of YOUR family’s favorite Christmas traditions - past or present Hmm….
Past - it would have to be making gingerbread men. My Mom would let us decorate them with all kinds of candies, raisins, and icing and then we would spend one whole day delivering them to family and friends. I LOVED it!
Present - Spending time with just our own immediate family on Christmas Eve, always eating chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese for dinner that night (that’s what my dirt poor hubby and I did our first Christmas Eve together – and that’s what we’ve had every year since…) and reading the Christmas story together as a family. There are several other traditions that I’d like to start as the kiddos get a little older too.
I am tagging ALL of my bloggity friends - Carmen,Jen,Tabitha,Lindsay,Tracy,Andrea,Jen,Brandie,Scott,Crock-Pot Mom, Nickle-Pickle, and Jules (and EVERYONE else) to post their answers to the questionairre on their blogs - can't wait to hear about your own Christmas traditions!

Christmas Smiles

As I started to sit down to type this post this afternoon, I could hear K-Bug out in the hallway (she often naps there in the afternoon) reading books to herself. She had opened one of our books about The Christmas Story, and was re-telling in vivid deatail about Mary,Joseph, baby Jesus, the sheperds, and the angels (she especially likes the angels). I had to smile to myself as I heard her telling the amazing story of Christ's birth through her preschool mind-set.
My Mom blessed us with an AMAZING Nativity set this year too - it's Fisher Price, and all the pieces are bright and fun and most of all, NOT breakable. Both girls spend time each day playing with their "Na-tivvy set" (na-ti-vity set is kind of a mouthful...:) Somteimes the baby Jesus ends up riding in the back of a wagon pulled by a sheep (when Lorelin's playing), and sometimes the Wise Men will spend large amounts of time asking Mary, Joseph, and baby Jesus if they'd like to come and play.....
of course, AFTER the wise men give baby Jesus their gifts of "gold, grain, and fur" (as K-Bug called it tonight. K-Bug has taken the "na-tivvy" story one step further though. After she saw a DVD telling the Christmas story a few weeks ago, K-Bug has asked me almost every day if I can help her "be Mary"

 

This task is accomplished by getting one of her blankets and placing it fully on her head (this was ALL her idea, not mine!) I found a little clip that works well for holidng the blanket in place. Then, we must wrap her "baby Jesus" in swaddling er....blankets...:) She will then carry baby Jesus from place to place lying him in various places around the house. I've even found her on her knees with her hands folded in front of her in a most reverant position. :) I love, love, LOVE the fact that my preschooler with the vivid imagination is using it to place herself in the Christmas story - it has made the story come alive for me in new ways this year.
Putting up a Christmas tree has long been one of my favorite Christmas traditions. This year the girls helped me take the ornaments out of their boxes and place them on the tree. No-one loves the Christmas tree more than Miss Lore-lin though! She absolutely ADORES the fact that there are so many different types of ornaments hanging from the branches. A few days after the tree was up, we also noticed that the ornaments seemed to keep finding new homes - moving from place to place. We've since had to keep a closer eye on Lorelin and the tree, but it's been so incredibly fun to see how much Lorelin loves this Christmas tradition. :)Here's a picture of Lorelin in front of the tree with an amazingly huge smile on her sweet pixie face (she's probably thinking about which ornament she'll try to move next! :)

 

For those dear friends and family so far away, we miss you and wish you could be here to help us make Christmas smiles in person. Until then, we hope you enjoy this pics of the smiles we've been making at home!

Dry-Part 2

 
It was a December morning (2006) at Compass Church, and our daughter was playing a sheep in the Christmas program. A chain of events had led to our pastor stepping down for what I thought was just a few months, and although I was looking to transition out of my church job, I was still currently loving every minute of it, and loving in every way my church family, and my place inside it.

I remember doing the announcements that morning with genuine excitement and joy. I remember announcing that we were having a church family meeting that evening to discuss the situation surrounding our Pastor’s current step-down and return.

The evening came, and as the meeting progressed I watched for one of the first times in my life as a few sheep of God’s family proceeded to verbally rip to shreds the man who was my co-worker, my pastor, and most of all, my friend. Something crumpled in my spirit that night, and I will not grace the months that followed with many comments except to say that it was one of the more miserable experiences of my life.

Please know that although I questioned God as to why this was happening, I didn’t blame Him ever, at all, for what happened. I didn’t even realize that I was allowing (and would allow) this wound to distance me from my Heavenly Father.

The months that followed that meeting were full of my husband and I seeking new direction from God. Some of our oldest and best friends had felt the call of God to start a church plant sometime in 2007, and they asked if we would come and be a part of it. They wanted my husband to help lead worship. We weren’t sure though, since we were strongly considering a move out-of-state to Oklahoma, where my sister and her husband both lived.

We felt like our family was ready for a big change, and so on our anniversary, March 2007, my hubby and I flew out to Norman to visit my sister and brother-in-law, look at houses, and spend some time in prayer about what then next step would be for our family. In short, we loved it, but after a LOT of prayer, we both felt that God was asking us to stay in Phoenix for now and be obedient to help start the church plant.

I can’t say I said "Yes" to the church plant with joy, though. In a way, although I knew we were obeying, I was angry at God for saying “No” to Oklahoma. Most of you who know me well know that I desire a smaller, slower pace-of-life outside of Phoenix, and have for some time. I couldn’t understand why God said “No” to such a big desire of my heart.

The river drained dry just a little more, as I allowed more distance to develop between my Lord and I.

So, in September 2007, we helped open the doors for The Way Christian Fellowship.

And my heart has been stuck in a muddy, dried-up place ever since. I am currently doing children’s ministry, which I really, really, really, don’t feel called to, and am struggling with guilt over because I just don’t enjoy it at all. I won’t stay there forever, I’m sure, but with a church so small there really is no-one else to do it. The core families’ wives that helped to start the church plant are the ones working nursery/kids right now (including the pastor’s wife) because it has to be that way. And my husband is leading worship again, but I have struggled with all of the time commitments that means – including worship band practices, extra church meetings with the pastor, and not getting to see and/or go to the church with my husband on Sunday morning.

And, looking back, I can tell you this – I MISS my church family at Compass. My original, beautiful, vibrant church family. Where I watched church softball games, and had my girls dedicated, and listened to the truth being spoken, and singing “How Great Is Our God” at the top of my lungs with both arms raised high. I miss it SO much, and pockets of my heart still ache for it.

And most of all, I miss the JOY and INTIMACY that I have always had with my Heavenly Papa.

.......I want it back.

Please pray for this season of spiritual dryness in my life.

Dry - Part 1

So many of my blog posts have happened lately while I’m on the run – running to do my errands, running to finish my grocery shopping, running to finish my housework (or start it, such as the case may be..), running to birthday parties, or Bible studies, or baby showers, or Christmas shopping… as I stay busy, I sadly often stay too busy to really even feel the impact of what effects my spiritual walk with God day by day

So, finally, on Thanksgiving, as our family was up at the cabin – away from all of my daily obligations of cleaning, laundry, etc… away from even the computer (which I admit can be a distraction), with a couple of free late hours on my hands, I found myself sitting on the back porch of our cabin, watching the moon rise over the forest, and really talking to God and allowing myself to take stock of where I am spiritually right now.

The answer.......dry

Dry as a bone. Dry like the desert….dry

And maybe for the first time in months, I allowed tears to fall about the state of my deeper heart. This is where my husband found me, on the back porch, crying.

Poor guy - he was probably thinking that the hormones were running strong in his big, pregnant wife (which I'm sure is true)

It was good though, because he grabbed a blanket too, and we were able to have a really long, and probably overdue, discussion about where both of us were spiritually.

My revelation came as we were heading back down the mountain, driving along in the van, when my hubby turned to me and asked, “So when WAS the last time that you can remember feeling vibrant, excited, and joyful about where you were with the Lord and what you were doing for him?”

And I could remember EXACTLY, down to the day, that I felt that way, and also saw for the first time the chain of events that had led me to this spiritual state of dryness. It wasn’t all at once – like pulling the drain on a sink. Instead, it was more like a river, slowly drying up, without me really realizing that it had happened.

I Want A Hippopotomus For Christmas...

I don't have a lot of time here, but my friends Scott (who cares not to listen to one more line of Feliz Navidad) and Nickle-Pickle got me to thinking about annoying Christmas carols. My own personal vote is for "I Want A Hippopotumus For Christmas" When I use to work at Hallmark, our manager made us turn it to the All-Christmas music station the day after Thanksgiving, which for you Phoenix people who know what I'm talking about, doesn't it seem like they play the EXACT same versions of every single song every single year??!! Well, that one RIDICULOUS hippo song would play over and over again and get stuck in my brain at the oddest times (like now....)
I WANT A HIPPOPOTUMUS FOR CHR-IST-MAS
ONLY A HIPPOPOTUMUS WILL DO

AHHHHH!!! MAKE IT STOP!!!!

Anyway, in my own little search on the web for annoying Christmas songs, I found a writer over at a site called Platypus Comix and his own take on my friend Nickle-Pickle's personal pick of all-time annoying Christmas song, "The Christmas Shoes" I thought it was very funny...
And the WORST OFFENDER.....
#1 "THE CHRISTMAS SHOES"

AWFUL! AWFUL! AWFUL!

The newest and absolute WORST entry in the Christmas Song Collection. I can't stand it and I won't put up with it. If it comes on the radio, the radio goes OFF. If it comes on the supermarket PA system, I blow up the supermarket. No one is going to subject me to this wretched thing without a fight.

See, when you're making something Christmassy, what usually works is keeping the sentimentality subtle. This wasn't the approach when they were making "The Christmas Shoes. They were setting out to smash the audience with an emotional anvil so deadly, you'd have to be a cheerleader in Texas to have any hope of survival. "Okay, his mother's dying. No, we have to make it worse! Okay, she's dying AND they're dirt poor! NO! WORSE! They're so poor they can't even afford a lousy pair of shoes from K-Mart! And the kid is at the counter, crying because he sweetly and naively thinks she needs nice shoes to get into Heaven! Hoooo, terrible! Now we got a winner!"

As Christmas carols go, this isn't the one you'd pick to sing at your neighbor's door. It's not exactly "jolly." Many people can't make it through this song; some even break down crying whenever they hear it begin. This is a problem for all of society.

"Billy, you stay close to me and don't wander off....oh no, it's that song again....sniff, I never make it through this....OH IT'S SO SAD! BWAAAAHH HAA HAAAA!! Okay, it's over....wait, where'd my son go?"

"All right, this next part of the heart surgery is very delicate, so we have to be very fast and precise once we open this valve.....oh, The Christmas Shoes is coming on the hospital music speakers! Oh no, this always makes me cry! BWAAAAHH HA HA HA HAAAHHH!! ....Oops.....

"The Christmas Shoes" is a threat to our health and safety, and the only solution is a nationwide ban. Join me in the struggle, and together, we can make a difference.

What's your vote for most annoying Christmas song of all time?

More Holiday Fun!

This actually happened a few days before Thanksgiving, as the Phoenix Zoo hosted a preview night of their annual ZooLights attraction for zoo members. My parents graced us with a zoo membership a few months ago, so we decided to take advantage of this special night. Although the girls were a little confused about why they couldn’t see the “real” animals, they definitely enjoyed looking at all of the lights.
We’ve gone the past few years to the Wild Winter Nights hosted by the MUCH closer Wildlife World Zoo – it was a treat to be able to experience new displays and places to explore this year. My sis and her hubby are coming down for Christmas this year – maybe we’ll have to go back with them to experience ZooLights again!

 

 

 

 

Thanksgiving Pics - 2

Our family hanging out in front of a fireplace - lit with an actual fire!! Hee,hee....sorry..we just don't see many fireplaces down in Phoenix.

 

Getting ready for Thanksgiving dinner. Notice the pink sippy cup and the bowl of mac and cheese for Miss Lorelin.. :)

 

A shot of Bison Ranch's main lodge - this picture doesn't really do it justice though. It's really a very beautiful place. The main lodge has a wood-burning fireplace, with beautiful stone-work that takes up almost all of one wall.

 

Girlies being silly! (on the front porch of our cabin!)

 

Thanksgiving Pics 1

Thanksgiving was FABULOUS this year!! For the first time ever, we went away for Thanksgiving. My very generous parents rented a cabin at the Bison Ranch Retreat Center up in Heber/Overgaard and invited us up to spend three nights with them. :) My Mom and I pre-packaged (and froze) most of our Thanksgiving sides, and took up turkey/ham to cook in the kitchen in the cabin. The cabin was very nice - two bedrooms, two baths, full kitchen/dining room and a living room with leather couches and a gas fireplace that flipped on and off with just a switch. :) AMAZING!! The weather was cold, which was a nice change of pace from all of the warmth we've had here in Phoenix lately. The days were still sunny though, and we took advantage of all of the great space and let the girlies run and play to their hearts content. When we weren't outside, we took adavantage of the fireplace (and hot chocolate) inside, while playing LOTS of rounds of Candyland with K-Bug and coloring in colorbooks with Lorelin. My dear hubby and I got LOTS of reading time in, as well as a late night conversation or two on the back porch, where we sat (wrapped in blankets) watching a full moon rise over open forestland. I'm going to post the pictures here in two sets -

Here's Lorelin and her Daddy relaxing on the back porch...so cozy!

 

Hanging out outside (with coats and mittens..) - what fun!

 

The pond in front of the Bison Ranch Retreat Center lodge...pretty!

 

My pine branch is bigger than yours!!

 

We're Going On A Trip...

"In our favorite rocket ship..." My daughter Lorelin LOVES the Little Einsteins and will walk around singing this song. The other night we took a little bit of our own trip...to the Good Night Pediatrics.

The night after our return from our Thanksgiving trip (which was AWESOME, by the way...pictures to come) Miss Lorelin started to run a fever.

I watched her all the next day...and that night the ear tugging began.

My Mom offered to come over and stay with K-Bug, so my dear hubby and I opted to take Lorelin in to the pediatric urgent care (called Good Night Pediatrics). By both of us taking Lorelin together, we were able to help juggle the responsibilites of check-in and entertaining a sick child in the waiting room (we actually didn't wait inside...too many coughing kiddos...my hubby waited inside while I walked around outside with Lorelin).

Lorelin has never actually had to have antibiotics for anything up to this point, and really has not had many trips to the doctor at all, so she was a little cautious about having the doctor looks in her ears and listen to her heart.

We had taken one of her favorite books, called "How Does A Dinosaur Get Well Soon?" to read to her in the waiting room, so we kept reminding about how she could be a "good little dinosaur, just like in the story".

I'm sure she thought her parents were a little goonie, but she was Ok as long as one of us was holding her.

A quick examination of the left ear found a bulgy, infected eardrum, and after some eardrops, Tylenol, and a presciption we were on our way! :)

Oh, and one pink lollipop....can't forget that! Thanks Doc!

24 hours on the antibiotics and I'm happy to repor that she is back to her bouncy, Tigger-like self..able to help set-up the Christmas tree, and running around outside. :)

Monday Moments

 
The other day we got a Sharper Image catalog in the mail (couldn't tell you how we got on THAT mailing list) Anyway, I was looking at all of the gadgets and gizmos and this clock caught my eye. You'll see from the picturet that ahem...."Clocky" (you really shouldn't name your alarm clock, by the way)comes fully equipped with wheels. Here is the description of Clocky from the magazine and website...

Clocky® is the alarm clock that runs away and hides to make sure there is no chance you won't wake up!
After you hit the snooze button, Clocky rolls off your nightstand and wheels randomly around the bedroom, looking for a hiding place.
After one to 9 minutes (your choice), Clocky's alarm goes off again — and it won't turn off until you get out of bed and find him!

My dear internets, I laid my head down on the table and laughed so hard I cried. I suddenly had thoughts of my husband running around in the morning chasing dear-ol-clocky with a baseball bat. Let's just say that a gift such as this would not be considered a gift of love in the Smith family - we are NOT exactly morning people (except for Lorelin...a trait she obviously got from my Mom, the orginal perky morning person)

I hope you get a kick of this alarm clock as much as I did (speaking of kicking, I wonder how far Clocky would fly when my foot finally found the alarm hiding under the bed..hypothetically speaking, of course...)

Marvelous Monday to you all!!!!

P.S. Who thinks of this stuff like this??

Bring Back Thanksgiving!

 

I love Thanksgiving! I think next to Valentine’s Day, which is hands down my favorite holiday ever, it is a close second. I love the fall season (although if it is still 90 degrees outside, does that qualify as fall??? ) , the fall colors, and the wonderful fall decorations (which I have to say, by they way, my friend Andrea has the cutest Turkey decoration on her mantle that I just noticed this past week at Bible Study...didn't tell you how much I loved it then, but that little gobbler was wooden cuteness....:)

And yes, I love turkey dinners, and I really DO love football!

But,most of all, I love a day that is set aside simply to be thankful. No presents expected, no big glitz and glam, just a step back to notice all of our blessings....

So, imagine my surprise when I went into Michael's a week or so ago to find some Thanksgiving crafts for the girlies and I to put together to send to relative, and I found nary a turkey or pilgrim ANYWHERE IN THE STORE!!!!

Gone, I tell you. Flown the coop (Ha..I crack myself up!!). The ship had sailed (the Mayflower ship, get it??? O-K, not quite at funny)

Anyway.....

Even all of their clearnance items (which I'm all for paying 75% off, believe YOU me) was eitheir general fall stuff or Halloween leftovers. Of course, they had every nook and cranny stuffed with ornaments and garland and snowmen and large metallic trees (come one, people, what does one REALLY do with a pink metallic Christmas tree?)

I finally found a bag of feathers in fall colors that the girls and I glued to pictures of turkeys I downloaded off the internet.

Now, I know that I'm not alone in my rant of the Christmas season seemingly coming earlier and earlier and every year. And for budget reasons, I started my Christmas shopping a few months ago, and I understand that people might want to buy Christmas decorations early too.

HOW-E-VER

I don't want to forget about this amazing holiday season called Thanksgiving. You can look up and read online Lincoln's Thanksgiving proclocmation, and there are many wonderful children's books out there that you can get for your kiddos too (my Mom found a great board book for the girlies at a used book store that tells the story of the first Thanksgiving in age-appropriate pictures and language)

Most of all, you can stop and be thankful, and encourage everyone around you to do the same! So, go ahead, what are you thankful for? In the days ahead, I will take up the wonderful example of my friend Tracy, and end each blog, with a short list of my "thankful-fors"

1. My amazing God - He loves me endlessly, has saved me from my sins, and fuels my life with purpose!
2. My countr - This truly is the land of the free and home of the brave!
3. My family - my husband, my girls, and all of my extended family too!
4. My house - backyard or no backyard (I really do want a backyard0, I am thankful for my beautiful house and neighborhood!